Natural Beauty Pt. 02

Waiters in casual slacks and floral shirts and waitresses attired only in what nature has provided moved through the crowd, plying their patrons with all sorts of exotic drink mixes. A brace of bouncers stood by to ensure that roving hands should not wander too far.

The scene was intoxicating but rather daunting, so we hesitated near the door. As she placed her backside on a stool, Adèle squirmed and pouted in self-reproach. The seat was warm and moist with perspiration. But I was surprised that she had been so careless. It's why we carry wet wipes. Perhaps it was the wine. In any case, we decided unanimously that retreat was the better part of valor. We adjourned to a more placid setting a few doors down.

After a short stay we strolled along the waterfront. The wind had picked up, and I and the other women started to shiver once more. I could see Fin and Rob fighting the urge to take off their jackets to drape over their wives' shoulders. That would be against the law; but wrapping an arm around is not. Anyway, after the steamy environs of the nightclub, the sea breeze prickling my skin was delicious. The effects of the evening's drinks were wearing off, but the adrenaline high hadn't. I found myself giggling like a schoolgirl, and got some funny looks from my companions.

(It was early summer and I was a little disconcerted that it could get so cool — not exactly cold, but enough that I began to appreciate the hardiness of Palmira's women. I would soon learn that these chilly spells are infrequent and brief; but when they occur you just have to bear it. No concessions are made except in the worst weather. But I like the fact that sometimes we have to be tough... tougher than the men. It's a reminder that the nude law honours feminine strength as much as beauty.)

The Esplanade was congested as we looked for a taxi. I could almost feel the eyes of passing men exploring my curves and crevices. It seems that inhibitions vanish with the setting of the sun, when instinct takes control. The brush of a man's shirt against my breasts as we zigzagged through the throng made me shudder; but it was not intentional. The multitude was well-disciplined, the men generally well-behaved.

However, out of one of the bars stumbled a pair of drunks, scattering pedestrians as they meandered boisterously along the street. Two police officers, a man and a woman, were quickly on the scene, deftly stepping in to separate the inebriates from passers-by. One attempted to remonstrate with the policewoman, but she set him back with a sharp word and a menacing stare. Meanwhile, a commotion could be heard inside the bar, and her colleague went to investigate. More carousers spilled out of the building. They clamored about the naked cop. Unfazed, she ordered them to disperse. There was, for a moment, tension in the air; but first one, then another of the men peeled off and staggered away. The rest quickly followed. The plucky policewoman's nudity did not deter her from confronting the men nor diminish her control. It may even have helped defuse the situation. But I had not expected to witness anything like this. For all its uniqueness, Palmira has its raw elements. It is not a utopia. You wouldn't want it to be.

Back at the hotel, having left Élise and Adèle downtown to continue savoring the nightlife, we had coffee and I said my good-byes. Tomorrow morning I would be leaving the comforts of the Hôtel Andromède for the dig site at Cimarrón Bay. My holiday was over. A new phase of my life was beginning.