The Vacationing Life

We went to Hermosillo yesterday. I needed to see the ophthalmologist and Demo wanted to see Spiderman. Neither of us like driving in the big city so we enlisted the services of our chauffeur.

I can't see out of my right eye - especially something glaring like a computer screen. According to the doctor one of my cataract lenses has formed a cloud, an opacity, which can be fixed with laser surgery for $6500 pesos (about $500 U.S.). I was thrilled to know that this problem was fixable and felt enthusiastic as we headed off to Galerias Mall to eat lunch before hitting the VIP lounge at Cinepolis.

ComicX is a restaurant chain in Mexico but the atmosphere and menu are total U.S. Action figures are everywhere. Lifesized Batman, Spiderman, Hulk and the rest. All kinds of action hero memorabilia adorn the walls. We were there when a family came in and the little boys went crazy. "Mira, mira" they ran from one display to another, "look, look."

We rushed through lunch - pizza, ribs, chicken - to get to the VIP lounge. We bought tickets to Spiderman, 100 pesos each which is a lot more than the regular theater but worth it. We walked in and I said "oh oh, there's no booze on the shelves." We tracked down a worker who said that their liquor permit had been revoked. Well why pay 100 pesos for the VIP lounge when you can't drink? I mean, sure, the leather recliners are nice but not that nice. We go there for the opportunity to drink alcohol with our movie. The Cinepolis management was very nice and gave us our money back.

Scratch the movie plans, we headed to the part of town where the rich people live, where there's a Starbuck's and a Chile's and an IHop and where the WalMart carries giant vodka for 100 pesos and Miracle Whip and Schweppe's tonic water. Afterwards we went to the Thai restaurant across the street and sat on the patio and had cocktails. Demo had chardonnay. Our chauffeur had some non-alcoholic beverage. I had a Tangueray and tonic but I had to provide my own tonic which I'd just bought at Walmart.

It was cloudy and we could see lightning off in the distance. There was a nice breeze. It was downright comfortable in Hermosillo which is often the hottest place in all of Mexico. I could've sat there for hours; it felt so city-like and civilized.

Demo's car has an outside-the-car temperature display. When we left Hermosillo it was 81 degrees. We hadn't experienced 81 degrees since May. Halfway to Kino, in Calle Doce or La Doce or just plain old Doce, the temperature rose to 98. Shit. When we reached Kino it was 94. As I got out of the air-conditioned car my sunglasses fogged up.

After Francisco came over and put some freon in the refrigerator, and I had my newly-defrosted (unplanned) chicken breasts slow cooking, I checked out the laser procedure the ophthalmologist wants to perform. I tried to find out the cost in the U.S. One site said $300 to $500. Well, damn, that's cheaper than here. Another said $1500. So I'm trying to get some actual quotes from offices in the U.S.

After my visit to the eye doc I'd said something about the cost of the laser surgery cutting into my vacation money. The chauffeur said "Vacation? Your life is a vacation. Look where you live." I responded that for me a vacation is going to a place with bookstores, restaurants, coffee houses, and bars where I don't know anyone. A vacation is the opposite of day-to-day life.

When did living in Kino switch from a vacation to real life? It happened when the newness wore off. When I began working. When I started feeling bored. When I started itching for a change...a change of scenery, a change of people. Which is why I live in an Airstream travel trailer. I want my life always to be a vacation and for me that means newness. Which is why, when all these people ask why I drive that big blue van, why don't I sell it, I know that Vanna is my key to full-time vacation living. Whether I tow that Airstream out of here or just take extended road trips in that hefty Econoline, Vanna is the key. And as soon as I can see again, we're hitting the road.