Here are some pictures of Guadalupe. I just got a new camera so none of La Barranca till next week.


The view from the roof. You can see the roofs of the market stalls.


and the other way...


The internet cafe I'm in right now.

This week the community at La Barranca continued to grow and develop little by little. More families are showing up and another little tienda opened. People have begun painting their houses and putting up shades and there are even some trash cans on the beach.

The beauty of this little town and what sets it apart from just another beach party is that it is a tight-knit and very open community. There is nothing but friendliness here.

There's a distinct difference between the way people drink here and in the states. When a group of people drink together they open one extra big bottle of people for the group at a time. The first person pours some into a little glass, then passes the bottle to the next person. They drink their portion, fast or slow as they want, then when they're done, the pour out the foam and last un-drunk drops of beer and pass to the next person, who then repeats the same process. Depending on the group, it is sometimes necessary to toast when taking a drink, or for men to pour a drink for women.

Besides any intentional or symbolic meanings that this has, it serves the function of ensuring that everyone in the group has more or less consumed the same amount. On a more subjective level, drinking from the same cup and from the same bottle also serves to reinforce unity and a sense family within the group. This may be a small cultural detail, but for me it encapsulates a lot of the spirit of the culture here.