Mar 24, 2017
The best surprise ever!
We got an email this past Monday that long ago friends were in town, merci beaucoup Nicole. So I turned on my Mexican cell phone ( I never have it on, we are on vacation :), it is used only as we choose to ) and soon we got a wonderful phone call. They were only in town for two days and made plans to meet the next day, Tuesday for dinner. As it turned out, they just happened to be at the Puntilla Restaurant right next to the Playa Sur embarcadero. I got off the phone and made a snap decision. I called my friends back and told them that we would meet them in 20 minutes for a drink. We locked the girls in the RV, drove to the embarcadero, took the lancha and walked to the restaurant.
Colin and Jocelyn immediately began talking.
As did Shirley Ann and I.
It was a great reunion. We have not seen each other in nine years.
Not only had we not seen each other in nine years, we have not been in contact. We met these friends way back when we were RVing in Acapulco at Playa Luces RV Park in Pie de la Cuesta. When we left there we had no idea that we would not be back. Instead we found a new home here on Isla de la Piedra. Is is difficult to describe our time at Playa Luces. In a word, it was magical. For some reason the bunch of us came together to watch the sunset almost every evening at the mirador, an elevated covered area with an panoramic view. From there we started having happy hours and once or twice per week a dinner provided by management which we of course paid for. We always had music and at least twice per week we had group sing a longs and entertainment from a variety of musicians, Colin included. Of course there was also dancing. The group developed a unique camaraderie that has never been replicated anywhere else we have RVed. It was mostly based on a love of music. Colin and I have often talked about how special our time was in Acapulco. It was a unique time and we both felt that we had lost something very precious when we stopped traveling to Acapulco. Someone is bound to ask why and the reason was that I needed to be closer to an airport as my parents were ill. Meanwhile we fell in love with the Isla and it was a lot less further to drive.
So it was was totally phenomenal to be reunited with Shirley Ann and Jocelyn. Tears were involved. We ended up visiting with them until we had to rush to catch the last panga back to the Isla. However we were only returning to feed the girls, change and meet up in less than 90 minutes at the Plazuela Machado.
Traveling with our friends were their good friends, Betito and Lulu.
We never stopped laughing or talking.
…and music and song were always around us.
As Shirley Ann and I used to cruise around Playa Luces late in the evening we sometimes shared some Sangre de Cristo, a red wine that is reminiscent of a sangria or sweet boujolais. We pretended that it was a cheap porto. I happened to have an almost full bottle in the RV and I brought it with me to dinner. After our meal we made a toast to new and old friendships that will last forever.
Yes those are tears in our eyes.
Vowing to be friends and to visit each other every year. Very serious stuff.
Somehow it was already 11PM and time to say buenas noches. Yes, I am crying. These are such special people and it is difficult to say adios.
However we got a phone call the next day ( I had left my cell turned on ) and the gang was on the Isla, walking down the beach to see us. They think our site here at Tres Amigos RV Park is fabulous. Sadly they no longer RV and both couples now live in Bucerias, near Puerto Vallarta.
They loved our site and thought that we lived in paradise.
We spent the next six hours together, talking but mostly playing guitars and singing.
We sang in Spanish and in English although we could have added some French which we did in Acapulco.
That was part of the enchantment of staying at Playa Luces. Many only spoke French and a tiny amount of English. Others only spoke English while a a few had a smattering of high school French. At the time I was the only one who spoke all three languages although my Spanish was very poor now that I look back, but at the time I thought that I managed just fine. No matter what we spoke or understood the entire group came together through music. So we sang in each language and learned the words to a few songs in another language. Albertina the owner spoke passable English but preferred to have me do all the translating from Spanish to French and then to English. She even taught us a few Spanish songs. Of course we danced and danced and danced. Albertina and her family also loved music and the mirador became our hangout. Soon margaritas and pina coladas were being mixed up there and sold at sunset. Again I have to say that it was a magical time. I honestly can’t remember if we were a part of this for three or four years.
What is amazing is that Shirley Ann and Jocelyn now speak fluent Spanish. Betito speaks English and Lulu says that she does not but she totally understands when we speak in English.
As is often the case at our place here on the Isla, we had some dancing.
I had asked Shirley Ann to sing two specific songs for me before they left. One was my absolute favorite from our Acapulco days. I simply broke down and cried like a baby when she started to sing. Was it the emotion of seeing our friends after all these years had passed? Was it because I truly wished that we could go back to those simple and perfect days? Was it because the time spent together during these two days was more special than anything else I have experienced of late? Was it because so much had occurred in our lives over the years that we never shared? All I know is that I was extremely emotional and even now as I type this post I have tears streaming down my cheeks. I am sensitive but I have to say that I did really go overboard emotionally. I don’t regret my show of sentiment as I truly love my old friends Shirley Ann and Jocelyn and my new friends Lulu and Betito. So here is a one minute video that I had no idea that Colin was recording. Thanks my dear friends for yet another ‘Under the Boardwalk’.
All of sudden it was almost time for the last boat of the day to leave from the Playa Sur embarcadero. We drove everyone to the dock. Of course I’m streaming tears down my cheeks but Betito made me laugh as he took over the lancha.
Hasta luego! See you soon treasured friends.
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Life is amazing and something to be cherished which you do. We should all be sentimental and be proud that we can care deeply for one another.
Thank you my friend. Sniff!
It is so wonderful to meet up with close friends we have not seen for such a long time.
It was beyond wonderful.
What a wonderful two days. Proof that true friendship knows no boundaries. You are blessed.
You are right Peter, I am blessed.
Contessa,
So happy for you to have reunited with such splendid friends. As I read your blog today I could feel so much joy, excitment and emotion that it was as if I was there. You have great connections from all over Mexico. RVing can be such a wonderful life, don’t you think?
I am so glad that you got the sense of what I was trying to convey. Thank you so much for commenting, it made re happy that I was able to get the emotion because of the happiness across.