Discovering... Diablo!

"Dogs were very highly regarded in ancient Mexico, but only as a menu item ..."
-- from Carl Franz & Lorena Havens' The People's Guide to Mexico

After flying a large inflatable kite on the beach near Marina Chac Chi one day, I cleaned the kite off in the water & looked for a clean place to roll up my kite. Luckily, there is a large abandoned hotel next door.

As I approached the building, I heard a dog barking inside. I also noticed a hammock hanging behind the stairs. Clearly someone was squatting here...


Because I love dogs, I entered the building & went to say hello. Turns out the big dog was guarding a box of littler dogs, which the owner graciously showed me (tho he insisted that I keep my distance & not show his face).

   
I forgot about the puppies until a few weeks later, when I took Jen to the Marina & told her I had a surprise for her. By this time, just one pup was left. The owner let us hold & pet him.

   
I was delighted, especially when I noticed something that I hadn't before: it was a border collie puppy! My parents have had two border collies & they have become my favorite breed.


Of course, Jen was also delighted. So delighted, in fact, that she suggested we buy the dog. After a brief discussion, we forked over $10 (for a dog that would have cost hundreds of dollars at home, albeit from a reputable breeder). The owner threw in a makeshift leash for an extra 20 pesos.


And that is how we became the only guests in our hostel's history (& perhaps the only tourists in the history of Cancun) who have come home with a dog!


We're glad we did, because he is a delight.

Let me re-phrase that: When he isn't barking, biting, humping, jumping, rolling in poop, or eating garbage, he is a delight. Truly, a thing of beauty and a pain in the ass forever.


Naturally we dubbed him "Diablo."