“Paradise is exactly like where you are right now, only much, much better.”
-Laurie Anderson

Enveloped in the tranquillity of this tropical wonderland, it was as if our consciousness had been elevated to a higher level, as if our aura was aglow with positive energy, and were engulfed in a feeling of immense joy. It was time to get up from our table and revisit the wonders of Isla.

Ritsuko and I walked back to the water’s edge. All day long the hot tropical sun had passed it’s energy to the earth, giving warmth to the calm, shallow turquoise water. Now, as we waded through the warm soothing water, the rays of the sun did not feel as hot as they were when we first arrived. For the sun was in the western sky, and it would soon begin to make it’s descent toward the horizon.

The beach was alive with people. There was a mix of tourists and locals, individuals, couples, and groups large and small that dotted the pure white sand and vibrant turquoise water. Everyone looked as though they were having a good time. As we walked near the waters edge, we came upon a small group of local young people playing in the sand. A young man had packed sand into the crotch of his Speedo and was proudly displaying the enormous bulge to a young woman in the group. We couldn't help but burst out laughing at her reaction which would lead one to believe that she had intimate knowledge of what portion of the bulge in his trunks was indeed sand. They saw us laughing, and everyone laughed even more. We smiled, nodded, and continued walking up to Buho’s.

I had many pleasant memories of Buho’s from our first trip. Now we were there again, sitting in the big swing chair at the corner of the bar, facing the beach. We sat there, watching the sun drop lower in the sky, and watching the crowd begin to dissipate. I suppose for most of the local people, a sunset is not necessarily a big event, especially after an afternoon playing on the beach, but for us, this sunset was one of potentially eight Isla sunsets that we would be able to witness on this trip. We were not going to lose the opportunity to see it.

The sun passed under the horizon in a spectacular show of color that soon faded into darkness, as the music played at the bar behind us, and the parade of people criss-crossed the soft white sand around us.

In the darkness of night, we returned to our room to clean up from our journey and go into town. I knew that Isla Toni and Lynda would be arriving at Maria del Mar that evening. Never having met, we had exchanged emails prior to departure, with some descriptions of ourselves so that we would be able to recognize one another. On Isla, Ritsuko and I are pretty easy to spot. I had told her to look for a 50ish, heavy set, bald white guy with an attractive middle aged Japanese lady. As we were walking down the stairs into the courtyard, I heard a ruckus of laughter from some people making their way through the garden. As the people emerged from the darkness into the light of the courtyard, we saw the bellman accompanying two gorgeous blonde ladies. One of them looked up at us and yelled, “Bob!!!”

“Toni?” all of us laughed at the coincidence of our meeting like that.

We all introduced ourselves. Toni asked if Ritsuko has a nickname, and finding it unacceptable that she does not, Toni quickly dubbed her “Ritz”. Parting ways that evening, Toni said that after getting into their room, they were off to find food and a TV to see game 7 of the World Series. Not being a fan of either SF or the Angels, I had actually forgotten about the game that evening.

Ritsuko and I walked into town, taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells that brought back memories of our earlier trip. We walked past all of the restaurants, shops, and bars on Hidalgo, making our way to the town square. It was Sunday evening, so the square was full of people. Several food vendors had set up shop on tables along the east side of the square ... everything smelled so wonderful that we found ourselves hungry again. Ritsuko and I love street food. Wherever we go that is what turns out to be some of our favorite food.

There was a man and woman with a grill, selling tacos de puerco. Next to the grill, were two tables of various condiments. We bought some of the delectable pork tacos, filled them with everything that we could pack into the tortillas, and sat on the wall, eating, watching the children and dogs playing as people strolled through the square. Joining the Islenos on the town square in the evening, we felt the joy of the elegant simplicity of life on this beautiful little island.

Making our way back toward Maria del Mar, we decided to walk along Rueda Medina, enjoying a fresh sea breeze mixed with the aroma of food from the restaurants along the waterfront. As we crossed the street at the roundabout, we heard a familiar voice coming from inside Jax. It was Rocio!! We had to stop and have a cerveza. Sitting at the bar, we talked with Rocio amid cheers from a couple sitting in the rear of the bar who were watching the baseball game. I thought of Toni and Lynda, hoping that they found a good place to watch the game.

Ritsuko and I were tired from traveling all day, and decided to go back to the hotel after only one cerveza. Rounding the corner on Carlos Lazo in front of the Convention Center, an Avalon salesman was still at his post, shouting out to us an offer of a $5 golf cart. Sales must be tough right now for that guy to still be out this late. I felt sorry for the guy, but shook my head, told him no thanks, and walked on.

The bed in our room at Maria del Mar was very firm. It felt so good to stretch out to sleep after so much travel that day. I closed my eyes, and as my consciousness began to fade into a dream state, I reflected on the thought that I have been so fortunate in my life to have had many opportunities to have a glimpse at manifestations of what we might call paradise. Each time, hopefully, I have gained a tiny bit of insight from that revelation of paradise regained, and by surrendering to the peace, joy, and tranquillity, my heart opens to some energy that calms the mind, soothes the body, and enriches the spirit.