Tenth of June...
Went into town to get the lay of the land, the grid, some evening light photos. Stopped at The Paisano Hotel and sat in the courtyard by the fountain with una Cerveza Pacifico. I think I even shut my eyes for a bit after scrawling a couple of postcards. Me tired. I wanted a bite but didn't necessarily relish the thought, tonight, of the first of many a sit-down solo supper so I finally found Buck's recommendation, Tacos Del Norte. CLOSED, the sign read, much to my chagrin. The dear girl who was counting bills and coins asked me cheerfully if I'd like something to go. At first I declined because I know how eager one can be to get out of the shop at the end of a day's work, but she insisted as a doting grandmother would do, so I finally, gratefully, gave in. Sweet honey of a gal. She and her cute Spanish-speaking-only co-worker began to spin their Mexican magic once I ordered two tacos, one picadillo (ground meat, potato and roasted chile) with a sparky jalapeno salsa, day-glo green, fresh and zippy. The other was a word I quickly forgot but it was a tender, slow-cooked brisket meat with a smoky red salsa. Both on corn, obviously.
She went to the little white refrigerator (nothing very high-tech around this place), extracted a plate of fresh chopped ingredients and whipped up the most delightful batch of guacamole. Onion, tomato, jalapeno, cilantro. Could eat it with a spoon. She was sweet enough to allow me passage into the kitchen to watch them mash avocado and warm tortillas on the flat top. $8.46. Under ten dollars for some of the best, most authentic Mexican food. I *heart* Tacos Del Norte.
Back at El Cosmico, diner-thick china and Ikea cutlery were of use in avoiding styrofoam unpleasantness. A nice brown dog came to visit me on my porch after dinner, I washed dishes, took several photos, then as darkness began to settle in I lit my cigar, poured some red in a Topo Chico glass and set out with my camera on a little stroll around the grounds. It's very quiet, the sky was lavender. The large old blinking arrow at the entrance to the place was silently doing its signing, directive duty and illuminating the grove of scraggly trees and cacti as it blinked yellow....red....yellow....red...
