1) The plethora of wild and domestic animals. Well, I guess Rivs and I won't miss this as much as Harper, but a happy Harper is a happy mama. For the past 2 weeks, Harper has taken us on morning excursions to visit the farm puppies. She named the black and white one "Different Panda". I thought that was a pretty smart name.
2) The fact that the view from our house overlooks a pool, then a river, then the Atlantic ocean.
3) The streets are more crowded and lively at night than they are during the day. There is even a bar on the main road with shirtless black men bartenders wearing aprons. I'll probably miss that more than Rivs. Not that I've visited the bar, but come on... They're bartending half nude in the street. Don't judge me.
4) The $7 all-you-can-eat buffet where Harper eats free. Our whole family can stuff our bellies with soup, salad, bread, fish, chicken, beans, rice and whatever other delicacy they're providing for $15. There are these little spicy fried fish balls that Harper loves, although every single time the wait staff tells us not to give them to her because they're too "picante". Disculpe, but our daughter is Latina, okay?
5) The way toddlers can shake their booties like Shakira. We happened upon a street party a few weeks ago (people pull up with giant speakers in their cars, upon the trunk and let a variety of tunes and beats hit the streets). The men and boys do a mild variation of the "hip thrust" in giant circles while the girls get dooooown. I mean full on, knees bent to an impossible squat while the hips sway in perfect unison to the beat. Impressive. I stayed in the toddler section and made a fool of myself trying to shake my hips. Everyone was laughing at the hopelessly uncoordinated gringa shimmy, but Harper picked up on some dance moves. I'll have to get a video before we leave, because it's quite something, let me tell you.
6) The salgados. Salgados are sandwiches rolled and baked in pizza dough and they cost $1 each. Need I say more?
7) The fact that the less bum and leg you show while in a bathing suit, the stranger you look. I've become so used to seeing thonged bums that it will be hard to think people aren't wearing diapers on the beaches in Hawaii. I've also grown quite fond of Rivers in a "sunga" (you Northerners might call it a "speedo", but it's much more stylish than you think).
No photo required.
8) Getting to our house "the short way" is a slick and muddy uphill battle. It's really an adventure getting home each time, even if we don't always make it up. To the right of the mud road is an irrigation ditch, and to the left is a small cliff. Luckily we've only been stuck in the right portion of the road. A couple of weeks ago, Dave was driving up the hill in the rain. The tires were hardly getting traction, but Dave is Dave, and somehow managed to pull through. As soon as we made it up the hill, out of nowhere Harper says "Uncle Dave is like a Superhero." Yes, yes he is...
9) Giving a thumbs up is still cool here.
10) When we go to the weekend market, Harper now asks to go see "the pig head" (which is literally the butchered head of a pig).
I guess Rivs and I won't be surprised if Harper's elementary school teacher calls to inform us that our daughter acts like she was raised in a jungle...
