I got a last minute invitation to have dinner with Janet and Grant tonight, which was very much appreciated! They live at Stone Island Gardens, the hotel attached to Carmelita’s restaurant in a two-bedroom apartment. The space is lovely with a great view, but well out of my price range (which I feel comfortable saying because the prices are right on the website).

It’s quite a walk to the top floor! I’d get my exercise living there. We had dinner on one of their balconies looking over the water at all the lights. Just gorgeous! I can’t believe they are that far up and have no railings on the balconies, though! Oh, Mexico with its lack of building codes… 😀 I think this has been my biggest culture shock!

Janet and Grant are vegan, which means they eat absolutely no animal products. Dinner was hearty, healthy, and yummy, with three dishes, one of potatoes, one of quinoa, and one of rice featuring tons of veggies. I haven’t had quinoa in a while, so that was a nice treat.

I’m always amused when I get invited to dinner by vegetarians and vegans who then apologize for not having meat. 1) You’re vegan or vegetarian, I’m not expecting meat; 2) I was a vegetarian for 15 years; 3) I still make all my old favourite vegetarian recipes and don’t eat meat every day. 😀

I was introduced to jicama, a starchy turnip-like veggie with a raw potatoey flavour that you can just cut up and eat raw, perhaps with a little lime juice and chili powder. It’s a little sweet and very moist, a nice pick me up in a warm climate. I will look for it on the veggie truck next time it passes by!

We gabbed a bit after eating, then Grant, being the gentleman that he is, walked all the way down those steps to walk me home… after walking to the golf course and back today, about 24KM/15miles!!!