Zihua.

Highlights today: Another small step toward our feeling like we're "settled" during our brief stays here: our first laundry day. We walked to town looking not too different from the locals, with our black trash bags full of dirty clothes slung over our shoulders. The first order of business, though, was to find a spot for coffee and a little breakfast. While looking for Zihua Coffee, we happened on a "pancake house" and realized how much we both craved something for breakfast different from the scrambled eggs, beans and toast we'd been finding at most restaurants. The pancakes, while not up to Al's blues in Dinkytown, were very good. So was the coffee.
We lucked out and found the laundromat right away and, with much help from the brusk attendant, managed to wash and dry our two loads in about an hour and a half. While we waited, we read the local newspaper which quoted local and Guerrero state officials as saying they were completely in control and that no one need fear the violence, even as it strikes so close to home. No one really believes this.
In the laundromat, we also had a priveleged vantage point for seeing daily life away from the tourist trappings of the waterfront restaurant and gift shop zone. At about 2:00, as every day, we began to see the bicycle carts loaded with sailfish and marlin which hadn't survived their encounters with hook and line and human ingenuity. The air had quickly extinguished their irradescent colors for a steely, lifeless gray. But no matter, they were on their way to a market where their flesh would be as well used as that of the cattle and pigs we slaughter.

Earlier in the week, we'd met Liz (a chef from Milwaukee also staying at San Sebastian). Her mother, her sister and her sister's family had been with her, but left this morning. We figured she might be feeling a little lonely staying on alone, so we asked her to join us for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Coconuts. Afterwards, we enjoyed the lively (and very loud) salsa band playing in the zocalo/basketball court. Again, there was a great turnout of townspeople, and the people watching was great fun.