The beach!

After finishing our boat ride, we climbed back into the vans and drove through the little town of Celestún. We parked at a pretty little restaurant on the beach and went inside to eat. We had our choice of horchata or jamaica to drink, and we could order either fish or chicken prepared four different ways. We also received a plate of ceviche, which was another first for me. Val said ceviche is raw fish, at which my jaw dropped and my eyes got huge. She hastened to add that it is marinated with lemon juice, which somehow cooks it. The fish, whether it was raw or cooked (I don't really know), was diced and mixed with onions, tomato, cilantro, and maybe a few more things. I bravely speared one piece with my fork and was ready to eat it with a chip when Jasmin glanced my way. "Oh, that is octopus," she remarked calmly, and went back to chatting with Nicole. Now my jaw hit the table. I took a closer look at the piece of meat on my fork, and sure enough, I could see the little suction cups of the tentacle. That was almost too much for me, but I decided to be brave. I put the piece of meat in my mouth and chewed...and chewed...and finally swallowed. The flavor was okay, but I was definitely not in love with the texture. I first picked out some of the vegetables to eat with my chips, but then I finished my ceviche waiting for our entrees to arrive. Thankfully there was no more octopus...
I ordered the fish a la Diabla, not really sure what that was. It turned out to be a large fillet of white fish topped with a spicy tomato-y sauce and served with rice and vegetables. It was delicious, and we enjoyed the view of the beach as we ate.

After finishing our meals, we grabbed our bags and headed out onto the sand, ready to get into the water, look for shells, or lay in the sun. You know me: I didn't even spread out my towel. I dropped my things on the sand, slathered on some sunscreen, and ran down the beach into the water. Jasmin, knowing it was my first experience with salt water, warned me repeatedly not to get it into my mouth or eyes. I took her warnings seriously, but managed to do both within 30 seconds. She laughed as I spit and sputtered and blinked furiously, trying to make the stinging go away.

The sun was bright, the sand was soft, and the water was warm. The waves were much smaller than I had expected, but we were in a protected area. As we shouted and laughed in the water, I tried to soak in the beauty and grandeur of the sea, knowing I would never have another first time. We squealed as seaweed swirled around our legs, and then I picked up a piece of it. It is nothing like the slimy, icky weeds we run away from in the Missouri River. This seaweed is beautiful, patterned, no two pieces alike. Ok, it is still slimy and icky, but I was fascinated by the different types and colors. I began collecting it in my hand, and soon had some fifteen different kinds. I thought I might give up teaching to study seaweed, but Jasmin thought that might be a rash decision I would regret later. I promised her I wouldn't make up my mind right away, but I haven't given up the idea yet either! When I couldn't hold any more seaweed, I spread it out on the beach and went to grab my camera.

Isn't it amazing? I couldn't really see my camera screen (the sun was so bright), but you can zoom in on this picture. Look at all the different kinds! Imagine how beautiful it must be when it is growing in the sea and the fish are swimming around and through it! I was being silly about it, but at the same time I was truly amazed by the beauty, simplicity, and complexity of a piece of seaweed.

While I had my camera out, I snapped a few photos of the sea, although pictures can never do justice to something as big as the sea. Look at how the incoming waves are sparkling in the sun here.

A few of our group playing in the water.

A few more looking for shells along the beach. Val says this is her favorite beach to look for shells.

Another photo I snapped of a beach house nearby. I actually took all six of these photos from the same spot on the beach. What? No, I'm not too lazy to walk around. I needed to put my camera down so I could play in the water, gather more seaweed, and look for seashells!



The restaurant where we ate dinner. I should have taken a few photos inside, as it really is a charming place. There is a swimming pool on the other side, which I found really odd. 1) Why would a restaurant have a swimming pool? and 2) Why would anyone swim in a pool when the Gulf of Mexico is waiting in front of you?

 After I put my camera away, I grabbed a plastic bag and Jasmin and I walked the beach looking for pretty shells. We found quite a few that caught our eye, and greedily loaded up our bags. Then, just as Val had predicted we would, we grew snobbish, and rejected some in favor of others brighter and prettier. All too soon, it was time to gather our things, change into dry clothes, and load up the vans. As we headed back into a developing thunderstorm, I stared out the window and tried to savor the memories of my first trip to the Gulf of Mexico.

Share your reactions to my day or your own memories of the ocean in the comments!