Luz de Vida

Interesting fact of the day: when you go surfing and get water in your ears, it doesn't really come out. But hours later, saltwater starts pouring out your nose all over your shirt and your ears feel great. It's awesome and disgusting all at once.

I got to experience this again today after my late morning surf session with Mark and Carla, friends from Saskatchewan. Today the waves were pretty small but easy to catch and ride all the way into shore. The sun was finally out on the beach which made it a really nice morning. I slathered on sunblock, but I think the walk back in the sun did me in and I got a little roasty.  I went to the store and bought some stuff for a big lunch, as seen here:

I was going to take a nap but I stepped out on the balcony for a bit and saw some monkeys in the trees feasting on fruit.

They're howlers, the "you're trying to sleep but I'm not gonna let you 'cause I feel like screaming like a tyrannosaurus" monkey. They don't look very big but holy cow can they yell.  Seeing them crawl from branch to branch was cool, they really use that tail as a 5th arm, curling it around a branch from one tree while crawling up a branch from another.

I went over to the hostel where all my amigos are staying and watched some soccer from the gold cup before heading out to dinner with Arbie and the Norwegian girls. I had an amazing cinnamon mocha frappe that was better than any Starbucks drink I've ever consumed. We hung out at the hostel for a while before heading to the full moon party, the Fiesta Luz de Vida.  It was sorta lame because there wasn't a full moon, and not much of a party either.  I did talk with Nina from Norway for a while and learned about some sweet customs they have.  When we graduate high school in the States, we usually go to one grad party after another eating finger foods for the better part of two weeks. Norwegian students buy a bus, trick it out and drive it around partying till the night before finals.  Just a little different.

It was good hanging out with friends again, looks like tomorrow we'll all be heading separate ways once more, but it only makes more room for the new ones to come in. Montezuma, here I come.