Wednesday, May 05, 2010

table with a view




When I moved to Mexico, I had dreams of sitting at sidewalk
cafés watching urban sophisticates strolling by on sunny afternoons.


You would think living on the Pacific coast would have given me plenty of opportunities -- with the exception of the urban sophisticates part.


Even though my small fishing village had one
café and several restaurants that offered a  view on the world, Melaque's offerings were not quite part of my original dream. 


That is not a complaint. 


There were always little telenovelas to watch on the sidewalks near the jardin


Love-lorn teenagers.  Lost tourists.  Shabbily-dressed transvestites.  Not to mention love-lorn teenage tourist transvestites.  I never saw one.  But a siting was certainly just as likely as seeing whales and dolphins in the bay.


But I never became a part of the local café society.


There are many reasons.  And I do not come out well in any of them.  So, we will skip over that part of this little tale.


However, just before I left, I became a customer at my local restaurant -- as regular as any Friends extra. 


After I injured my foot, I could not travel very far.  Fortunately, there was a very good restaurant (The Frog) just around the corner from my house -- right on the outer range border of my early crutch excursions.


I would take at least one meal a day there.  At my usual table.  Laptop at the ready.  Foot propped on a chair.  Holding court with each new customer.  Until my laptop battery or the stream of customers ran dry.


Unfortunately, the last week I was in Melaque, I was the sole customer on more than one occasion.


The day I flew north, I stopped by to say good-bye.  But all of the chairs and tables were gone.  The kitchen bare.  Not a soul there.


It was time for The Frog to hibernate.  The restaurant closes for summer.  Not enough customers to keep the income flowing.


But those tables and chairs will be there when I return in November.  For another plate of Czech Pasta.


No kidding.

5 comments:

Tancho said...

Hopefully when you return you will get into the "swing" of a routine. I realize it is painstaing hard work, but anything worth it's while is hard work.

Your retirement should be a full time job and you should not take it lightly.....
If you are lucky your little restaurant will reopen, and if you are real lucky a few trannies from Puerto Vallarta may relocate...but I kind of doubt that.

1st Mate said...

It's good to hang out. I've always enjoyed having a place where I could sit outdoors under an umbrella, sip good coffee and connect with people I wouldn't normally see when I'm holed up at home. Ours is called Barracuda Bob's and it's located in a marina so the primary topic is boats, specifically boat problems and projects. In English. You'd think you were in Ventura, CA.

Mike Nickell and Cynthia Johnson said...

Hey Steve - my days in the office are limited at this point...I'll stop by your house before we leave for Seattle on the 15th. Hope you're doing well on your crutches! I bet it's very interesting with all of the rain we're having here in Salem. Be careful.

Anonymous said...

Steve, so you're going to return to Melaque in November? I thought you were destined for the highlands this time. Alee'

Steve Cotton said...

Tancho -- If I get bored, I can always head to SMA, where there is no end of interesting views.

1st Mate -- In my little eatery, there is no danger of thinking I am anywhere but Melaque.

Cynthia -- Please stop before you leave. The crutches keep me limited -- at home and work.

Alee' -- I will return to Melaque for the winter. When summer sets in, I will get out.