Old Friends, New Places . . . .

So here I am in Mexico, alone, as Rupal and Asha have gone back to the usual craziness in the US… not that Mexico is not a little crazy (poco loco, as we say), but it is different. In the US, they are again dealing with family, and as Asha’s uncle, Archan, puts it, to find time with Asha you have to get time on her schedule. Everyone wants to see them and to find time to please everyone in between two weddings takes the negotiation skills of a diplomat and the physical stamina of an athlete.

On the flip side, I am here alone in Mexico. I had the week off to take care of things around the house and just to relax a little. On Wednesday two of my best and oldest friends, Phil and Steve, came to visit. Of course tagging along was my brother, Neil. Although it worked out well for Rupal that Neil came, because she sent two suitcases filled with Mexican food from America and a car seat with him. Without Neil, who would have carried everything (including my cans of Pan Parag)?

They arrived on Wednesday, and we made no real plans but we figured we would get in some drinking, eating and playing of cards. So as I sit here on Sunday night – five pounds heavier and a bit hungover – I can definitively report that we certainly did drink, eat and play cards. And we had a great time doing so.

You might think that if I had visitors from the US, we would have gone sightseeing or something, but no. But it was cool, because we got to do what we do best somewhere different. And thanks to the guys, I found some more cool restaurants and bars here in Polanco, and remembered how much I miss my life in America, because there all I really did was drink, eat and play cards.

Aside from the above-mentioned activities, we were able to do a little shopping. We went to an arts fair in San Angel called Mercado Sabado (appropriately named Saturday Market), where they sell paintings and other types of art work. The guys loved it - Neil bought five paintings, Phil bought three paintings and a bunch of tradicional Mexican masks and Steve bought two paintings, although he was gracious enough to leave me one as a housewarming gift.

Afterwards we went out to eat, drink and came home to play cards… and that is what we call an exciting trip to Mexico with Sonny.