Of course, work has popped up in these last few days, as it alway does, so I’m squeezing in typing with packing. But I absolutely had to fit in one last lunch on the beach! I headed to Rudy’s around 1:30 and refused a menu, saying I knew what I wanted — a coco and coconut shrimp! 🙂

The jewelry vendors descended on me like vultures, of course. For a gal who never used to wear much jewelry, I’m getting quite a collection now. Of course, it’s all cheap stuff.

The first guy got me with this tiny gecko pendant:

I love the octopus I got from the same vendor, but it’s not something I can just wear 24/7 because the chain gets caught in the legs. This little guy can stay around my neck as long as he wants.

And then another vendor came up and had this:

It’s still more massive than what I want in a snake ring, but a little less than the one I got last year. He left me with his jewelry case when he went off somewhere to get my size. I must look honest. 🙂

My coco was the biggest and heaviest one I have ever seen!

Here’s lunch, with the sweet salsa visible at the top left and a spicer one out of shot. Good meal! Rudy has the least expensive coconut shrimp of the beachfront restaurants I frequent, but they also have the least amount of coconut. However, the portion seems a lot more generous!

Here’s his menu showing that what we call pico de gallo really is “salsa mexicana.” But $70 for chips and salsa?! Have his guacamole instead. 🙂

Another guy came up while I was eating collecting $20 donations for a group home in Maz that does drug prevention work. He had official ID confirming this. I checked out the information flyer and it looked like a good cause, so I donated… and got four little bags of chocolate covered cranberries. Seems like the universe felt I deserved dessert?! 😀

I didn’t eat alone! Francisco the blanket vendor plopped himself down and started chatting. I didn’t mind at all. We had a good conversation and I learned a little more about him. He had a tablecloth I really wanted, but I showed amazing restraint. 🙂

It seems like I’m doing a lot of splurges in these last few days in Mexico, and you’re absolutely right. But I’m going to have to be very frugal the second I get across the border on Sunday. With the current exchange rate, I won’t be able to do nearly as many restaurant meals while in the U.S. as I have in the past and it won’t be worth doing much shopping. So I might as well enjoy the inexpensive good life while it’s here and support Isla’s hardworking vendors.