My niece, Sasha, came to visit for a week! Our place is too small, so she stayed with my friend Bobbi, who just lives a few blocks away. Unfortunately, the sun did not shine every day she was here, but we went to Stone Island and spent a day at Playa Bruja and another day at Olas Altas, just soaking up some sun. Sasha cooked us a delicious dinner one day (chicken with Kaluha and mango). I think we ate at Puerto Viejo three times (much to Antonio's pleasure!) Also ate at Pedro & Lola's, The Shrimp Bucket, La Tramoya, La Rochin, Lupe Loco's and Fish Taco. She joined me at my Spanish class, where we learned how to say "I am allergic to nuts!!" and she also joined us at Tai Chi. We did some shopping, both on the beach and at the shops. Oh, and most exciting of all, we climbed El Faro!! The tallest natural lighthouse on the west coast and the second highest in the world! It is over 550feet above sea level. I was very proud of myself . . . wasn't sure I could do it, but with Sasha, Irma and Fred, we gave each other lots of moral support. The view from the top was incredible! See my latest photos. I hope to have more photos when Sasha sends me hers (hint, hint!). Sasha is 5'10", has very pale skin and is young. All quite rare in Mazatlan . . . she stopped traffic on a regular basis and had several invitations to Senor Frog's to party. Thank goodness she took my advice to wait till next year when she comes back with a friend . . . I would have been completely grey worrying about her if she had gone on her own! It was a wonderful breath of fresh air to have her here! And we have nearly recuperated!
Chris and Beth (Bob’s bro and s-i-l) arrived last Wednesday! They are attending the Bridge Group Gathering and staying at the Hotel Playa Mazatlan so we get to spend time with them in the evenings and weekends. I’ll let you know everything we did in my next post!
Who will visit us next? We’d love to see you!!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo
Christmas has come and gone and it is nearly 2009! Time is moving so quickly!
We had a lovely Christmas. We went for a walk along Olas Altas in the morning and decided to stop and have some breakfast at one of the restaurants where we could watch the waves crashing on the beach. We spent the afternoon at home, making phone calls to family and friends. And then we enjoyed a wonderful dinner with a group of friends at the Olas Altas Steak House. It was a special Christmas Buffet, with turkey, ham and prime rib, stuffing and all the fixings, as well as pecan and pumpkin pie. Unfortunately, they were out of pumpkin pie by the time we were ready for it . . . but the whole meal was one of the best I've had in Mazatlan. Take a look at the "My Newer Photos" link to see the sunset and the view from our dining table.
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!
We had a lovely Christmas. We went for a walk along Olas Altas in the morning and decided to stop and have some breakfast at one of the restaurants where we could watch the waves crashing on the beach. We spent the afternoon at home, making phone calls to family and friends. And then we enjoyed a wonderful dinner with a group of friends at the Olas Altas Steak House. It was a special Christmas Buffet, with turkey, ham and prime rib, stuffing and all the fixings, as well as pecan and pumpkin pie. Unfortunately, they were out of pumpkin pie by the time we were ready for it . . . but the whole meal was one of the best I've had in Mazatlan. Take a look at the "My Newer Photos" link to see the sunset and the view from our dining table.
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
How time flys!!!
Bob has been here nearly two weeks . . . and it is wonderful to have him "home" again! I missed him so much! Life is beginning to settle back down into some sort of pattern again. Except, of course, for all the Christmas hoop-law!
Bob arrived, safe and sound, on Dec 8th. He had hurt his back the day before he left while putting the boat to bed, so he spent the next few days recovering, settling into my apartment and re-acquainting himself with Mazatlan.
Thank you, everyone, for all the birthday wishes! It was so good to receive all the birthday cards you sent with Bob! And I even received several via the Mexican Postal System!! It seems to take less time for an envelope to get here from Coventry, England than from Victoria!! Two weeks from England and about three weeks from Canada. But I don't care if they are late, it is just so awesome to get mail from home!
We seem to have been very busy! Bob trades most mornings . . . and I go off to Spanish classes, Library volunteering, shopping, or doing whatever has to be done . . . and there always seems to be some something that needs doing!! In the afternoons we head out to one of our favorite palapa restaurants or on the great adventure of finding something specific! Shopping in Mazatlan is always time consuming and often frustrating! Bob forgot to bring many things that I had asked him to bring from home . . . as well as many of his own things! He showed up with no sunglasses, no hat, no shorts, and only the underwear he was wearing! We did manage to find him some shorts and underwear within the first few days. A decent hat took a bit longer . . . but we are still looking for sunglasses! Apparently "clip-ons' are simply not sold here! Thank goodness Chris and Beth (Bob's bro and sil) are coming down in January to bring us everything else that Bob forgot!
It is hard to believe that Christmas is only five days away! The streets in Centro are crowded with vendors selling everything imaginable. Many houses and businesses are decorated with masses of lights and tacky blow-up Santas. There is a large manger scene in Plaza Revolucion . . . right beside the Coca Cola Christmas Tree! The Plazuela Machado is decorated with thousands of sparkly white lights and a wonderful sand sculpture manger scene. However, it has been sunny every day with a light breeze coming up every afternoon about 2 . . . couldn't be more perfect . . . but it sure doesn't feel like Christmas!
I'm sorry I don't have some current photos for you! I'm trying to take my camera with me and will do my best to have some soon!
Feliz Navidad!!!
Bob arrived, safe and sound, on Dec 8th. He had hurt his back the day before he left while putting the boat to bed, so he spent the next few days recovering, settling into my apartment and re-acquainting himself with Mazatlan.
Thank you, everyone, for all the birthday wishes! It was so good to receive all the birthday cards you sent with Bob! And I even received several via the Mexican Postal System!! It seems to take less time for an envelope to get here from Coventry, England than from Victoria!! Two weeks from England and about three weeks from Canada. But I don't care if they are late, it is just so awesome to get mail from home!
We seem to have been very busy! Bob trades most mornings . . . and I go off to Spanish classes, Library volunteering, shopping, or doing whatever has to be done . . . and there always seems to be some something that needs doing!! In the afternoons we head out to one of our favorite palapa restaurants or on the great adventure of finding something specific! Shopping in Mazatlan is always time consuming and often frustrating! Bob forgot to bring many things that I had asked him to bring from home . . . as well as many of his own things! He showed up with no sunglasses, no hat, no shorts, and only the underwear he was wearing! We did manage to find him some shorts and underwear within the first few days. A decent hat took a bit longer . . . but we are still looking for sunglasses! Apparently "clip-ons' are simply not sold here! Thank goodness Chris and Beth (Bob's bro and sil) are coming down in January to bring us everything else that Bob forgot!
It is hard to believe that Christmas is only five days away! The streets in Centro are crowded with vendors selling everything imaginable. Many houses and businesses are decorated with masses of lights and tacky blow-up Santas. There is a large manger scene in Plaza Revolucion . . . right beside the Coca Cola Christmas Tree! The Plazuela Machado is decorated with thousands of sparkly white lights and a wonderful sand sculpture manger scene. However, it has been sunny every day with a light breeze coming up every afternoon about 2 . . . couldn't be more perfect . . . but it sure doesn't feel like Christmas!
I'm sorry I don't have some current photos for you! I'm trying to take my camera with me and will do my best to have some soon!
Feliz Navidad!!!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The most excellent sofa buying adventure
It is not always easy to get things done here . . . I don't have enough Spanish to manage something as complex as purchasing a second hand sofa and getting it delivered and into my apartment. However, with help from my friend, Lee, and two strangers, we managed . . . and I'm thrilled with the result!
It started out when my friend, Dee, told me that a friend of hers was moving and selling a love-seat size sofa and if I wanted it I had to get over there within an hour. It was only a 20 minute walk away, so I trotted over, liked it, bargained a good price and arranged that I'd pick it up between 5 and 7 that evening.
A few days earlier, my friend, Lee and I, had found the perfect small table with collapsable legs, to be used as a desk, at Coppel, a department store on the other side of Centro. I purchased it and Lee and I walked all the way through the busiest part of downtown . . . her at one end and me at the other . . . and we got it home, safe and sound. We thought that was an adventure. The sofa was to be the most excellent adventure! At least the end result was most excellent!!!
I called Lee up (she has very, very good Spanglish), discussed the options, and decided we should walk back to where the sofa was, grab an auriga (red-truck type taxi), pay the driver an extra fee for him to get a buddy and help us load the sofa into his truck, take it to my place, and unload it. Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it? Walking there was easy! Finding an auriga was easy! The auriga driver finding a buddy to help was easy! But that is where easy stopped!!! That was about when we found out that the only way to get the sofa out of the room it was in, was to take the slats out of a window and lift it up and out the window. Okay, so we did that . . . a bit more work than we had anticipated, but we were successful. Drove the short distance to my place. Did I mention that to get to my place, we go in a narrow door, up a narrow, twisting stairwell (in the dark), down another narrow hallway to the back deck, then in my apartment door. I was smart . . . I had taken the door off the hinges before I even left the house! So, these wonderful men, hoofed the thing up those stairs, down the hall and into the doorway of my apartment. And there it stopped! It was too big! They twisted it and turned it and pushed it and kicked it . . . Dennis came over from across the deck and said, "No way, it won't fit". Marion came down from upstairs and just laughed and said "Forget it". Lee was outside with the men . . . I was inside on the other side of the sofa which was perched on it's end in the doorway. All I could hear was laughter, moans, groans, yells, shouts, and the occasional bang as they tried to force the sofa through the doorway. Lee said that one of the fellows was on his back, holding on to the grillwork on the wall, slamming with his feet on the sofa, forcing it in. I was on the other side, shouting encouragement . . . “Only 3 more inches!” . . . “Only one more inch!” . . . finally, to the sight and sound of a good inch of the plaster on my wall crumbling to the floor . . . the sofa came through! The sofa was slightly worse for it's adventure . . . but nothing a bit of duct tape didn't fix! And now it sits in my livingroom . . . never to be removed!!! It looks great! I love it! I gave the auriga drivers an extra huge tip for work way above and beyond the call of duty!
But, you know . . . that's how it often is here in Mazatlan . . . they will do everything they can to help out . . . and they won't give up until they have done their absolute best! I mean . . . these were two guys we pulled in, off the street!!! I find it amazing . . . and wonderful!
And that was my sofa buying adventure! I'm sure my friend Lee is wondering what I will ask of her next!!!
It started out when my friend, Dee, told me that a friend of hers was moving and selling a love-seat size sofa and if I wanted it I had to get over there within an hour. It was only a 20 minute walk away, so I trotted over, liked it, bargained a good price and arranged that I'd pick it up between 5 and 7 that evening.
A few days earlier, my friend, Lee and I, had found the perfect small table with collapsable legs, to be used as a desk, at Coppel, a department store on the other side of Centro. I purchased it and Lee and I walked all the way through the busiest part of downtown . . . her at one end and me at the other . . . and we got it home, safe and sound. We thought that was an adventure. The sofa was to be the most excellent adventure! At least the end result was most excellent!!!
I called Lee up (she has very, very good Spanglish), discussed the options, and decided we should walk back to where the sofa was, grab an auriga (red-truck type taxi), pay the driver an extra fee for him to get a buddy and help us load the sofa into his truck, take it to my place, and unload it. Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it? Walking there was easy! Finding an auriga was easy! The auriga driver finding a buddy to help was easy! But that is where easy stopped!!! That was about when we found out that the only way to get the sofa out of the room it was in, was to take the slats out of a window and lift it up and out the window. Okay, so we did that . . . a bit more work than we had anticipated, but we were successful. Drove the short distance to my place. Did I mention that to get to my place, we go in a narrow door, up a narrow, twisting stairwell (in the dark), down another narrow hallway to the back deck, then in my apartment door. I was smart . . . I had taken the door off the hinges before I even left the house! So, these wonderful men, hoofed the thing up those stairs, down the hall and into the doorway of my apartment. And there it stopped! It was too big! They twisted it and turned it and pushed it and kicked it . . . Dennis came over from across the deck and said, "No way, it won't fit". Marion came down from upstairs and just laughed and said "Forget it". Lee was outside with the men . . . I was inside on the other side of the sofa which was perched on it's end in the doorway. All I could hear was laughter, moans, groans, yells, shouts, and the occasional bang as they tried to force the sofa through the doorway. Lee said that one of the fellows was on his back, holding on to the grillwork on the wall, slamming with his feet on the sofa, forcing it in. I was on the other side, shouting encouragement . . . “Only 3 more inches!” . . . “Only one more inch!” . . . finally, to the sight and sound of a good inch of the plaster on my wall crumbling to the floor . . . the sofa came through! The sofa was slightly worse for it's adventure . . . but nothing a bit of duct tape didn't fix! And now it sits in my livingroom . . . never to be removed!!! It looks great! I love it! I gave the auriga drivers an extra huge tip for work way above and beyond the call of duty!
But, you know . . . that's how it often is here in Mazatlan . . . they will do everything they can to help out . . . and they won't give up until they have done their absolute best! I mean . . . these were two guys we pulled in, off the street!!! I find it amazing . . . and wonderful!
And that was my sofa buying adventure! I'm sure my friend Lee is wondering what I will ask of her next!!!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Keeping busy!
Hola! Sorry I'm not updating this blog too often! Not too much has been happening . . . just the day to day events.
Dinner at Te Amo Lucy's was good. Not as good as I had anticipated though. I enjoyed the Chile en Nogada but probably would not order it again. Maybe on Independance Day . . . sort of like having turkey on Thanskgiving . . . you have it whether it is your favorite or not! Te Amo Lucy's was very, very crowded that evening and very noisy . . . not my favorite way to have dinner with friends.
Since then I've sorted out my Spanish classes. My friend, Sharon (from Saskatoon), and I go on Monday and Thursday mornings to Monica's house for lessons. I really like this way instead of a larger class as we get a lot of personal attention and if there is something specific we want to learn or have explained, we are not disrupting the whole class. For example, I've been having some confusion with my Optomitrist about time of appointments . . . so on Thursday, Monica explained to us how to tell time properly! Also, what is the customary thing to say when you want to step over someone on the bus . . . pardoneme! I had been saying "permissio" and getting some strange looks so I knew it wasn't quite right! Occasionally, Monica will take us out to various shops, so we get some hands on experience using what we learn, in addition to the very basic "please", "thank-you", "how much", etc that I use now. She has a vendor booth at the cruise ship terminal where she says we can join her one day . . . that will be very interesting!
Today is a Stat Holiday. Revolution Day is on Thursday but the holiday is today, so Spanish class is cancelled and my optomitrist is closed. So, instead, the Ladies and I will go to Loco Lupe's (Crazy Lupe's) for a meal (ribs are his Monday special). Loco Lupe's is one of our favorites . . . a palapa restaurant right on the beach, where we can sit for the whole afternoon if we want!
Hasta luego!
Dinner at Te Amo Lucy's was good. Not as good as I had anticipated though. I enjoyed the Chile en Nogada but probably would not order it again. Maybe on Independance Day . . . sort of like having turkey on Thanskgiving . . . you have it whether it is your favorite or not! Te Amo Lucy's was very, very crowded that evening and very noisy . . . not my favorite way to have dinner with friends.
Since then I've sorted out my Spanish classes. My friend, Sharon (from Saskatoon), and I go on Monday and Thursday mornings to Monica's house for lessons. I really like this way instead of a larger class as we get a lot of personal attention and if there is something specific we want to learn or have explained, we are not disrupting the whole class. For example, I've been having some confusion with my Optomitrist about time of appointments . . . so on Thursday, Monica explained to us how to tell time properly! Also, what is the customary thing to say when you want to step over someone on the bus . . . pardoneme! I had been saying "permissio" and getting some strange looks so I knew it wasn't quite right! Occasionally, Monica will take us out to various shops, so we get some hands on experience using what we learn, in addition to the very basic "please", "thank-you", "how much", etc that I use now. She has a vendor booth at the cruise ship terminal where she says we can join her one day . . . that will be very interesting!
Today is a Stat Holiday. Revolution Day is on Thursday but the holiday is today, so Spanish class is cancelled and my optomitrist is closed. So, instead, the Ladies and I will go to Loco Lupe's (Crazy Lupe's) for a meal (ribs are his Monday special). Loco Lupe's is one of our favorites . . . a palapa restaurant right on the beach, where we can sit for the whole afternoon if we want!
Hasta luego!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Day of the Dead . . . or Hallowe'en
Things are beginning to cool down a bit in Mazatlan . . . I actually put a blanket on my bed! Of course, the air conditioner is still on, but turned down. We had a big thunder, lightening and rain storm late last week (see photos) and it seems to have been the turning point. It still has a ways to go before being comfortable enough to expend much energy, but at least I can walk a block or two without having to use my sweat rag!
Confession time! Okay, the worst thing about this heat? Going to the bathroom! You know when you try to take off a wet bathing suit? How it all rolls up? Well, the same thing happens here . . . you sweat all day, so when you go to the bathroom, everything is damp, and the underwear rolls up as it goes down . . . and is hell to get back up!!! Life is hard, isn't it? :-)))
And activities are gearing up! Every Thursday morning I'm volunteering in the English Reading Library, checking books in and out, selling memberships, shelving books and meeting a lot of people. On Saturday mornings I'm taking a Tai Chi class. I'm not too sure about it yet but thought it would be fun to try! I'm still trying to find the perfect Spanish Classes. Oh, and I have a cooking class next Wednesday! Jeez, this retirement thing is a lot of work!
On Saturday, several friends and I are going to dinner at Te Amo Lucy's (I love Lucy's). Lucy is preparing a special dish called Chile en Nogada. It consists of poblano chiles filled with "peccadillo" (a mixture usually containing chopped or ground meat, aromatics, fruits, and spices) topped with a walnut-based cream sauce and pomegranate seeds, giving it the three colours of the Mexican flag (red, green, and white). (this info from Wiki!) It is traditionally served on Independence Day but Lucy's was closed that day, and since she is supposed to make the best Chile en Nogada in Mazatlan, my friend Lee talked her into making it for Day of the Dead instead. I'll report back how delicious it really is! Lucy also serves my friend Bobbi's famous Louisiana Bread Pudding! So much for dieting on Saturday!
After dinner, there is a procession called callejonera (or a word similar to that). It is an annual walk to look at Day of the Dead altars around Centro. I've already seen a few of them set up around Revolution Square. There will be a donkey or donkeys carrying beer to be dispensed (free) to the walkers. Some costumes, music and all that.
I won't have any Trick or Treater's at my place as it is upstairs and at the back of the building!
Happy Hallowe'en!!!
Confession time! Okay, the worst thing about this heat? Going to the bathroom! You know when you try to take off a wet bathing suit? How it all rolls up? Well, the same thing happens here . . . you sweat all day, so when you go to the bathroom, everything is damp, and the underwear rolls up as it goes down . . . and is hell to get back up!!! Life is hard, isn't it? :-)))
And activities are gearing up! Every Thursday morning I'm volunteering in the English Reading Library, checking books in and out, selling memberships, shelving books and meeting a lot of people. On Saturday mornings I'm taking a Tai Chi class. I'm not too sure about it yet but thought it would be fun to try! I'm still trying to find the perfect Spanish Classes. Oh, and I have a cooking class next Wednesday! Jeez, this retirement thing is a lot of work!
On Saturday, several friends and I are going to dinner at Te Amo Lucy's (I love Lucy's). Lucy is preparing a special dish called Chile en Nogada. It consists of poblano chiles filled with "peccadillo" (a mixture usually containing chopped or ground meat, aromatics, fruits, and spices) topped with a walnut-based cream sauce and pomegranate seeds, giving it the three colours of the Mexican flag (red, green, and white). (this info from Wiki!) It is traditionally served on Independence Day but Lucy's was closed that day, and since she is supposed to make the best Chile en Nogada in Mazatlan, my friend Lee talked her into making it for Day of the Dead instead. I'll report back how delicious it really is! Lucy also serves my friend Bobbi's famous Louisiana Bread Pudding! So much for dieting on Saturday!
After dinner, there is a procession called callejonera (or a word similar to that). It is an annual walk to look at Day of the Dead altars around Centro. I've already seen a few of them set up around Revolution Square. There will be a donkey or donkeys carrying beer to be dispensed (free) to the walkers. Some costumes, music and all that.
I won't have any Trick or Treater's at my place as it is upstairs and at the back of the building!
Happy Hallowe'en!!!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Home from Puerto Vallarta
I'm back . . . survived the heat . . . it was an interesting trip!!!
Lee and I left on Saturday morning at 8:45 on the local long distance bus. We arrived in Puerto Vallarta about 5pm. Taxied to the Villa del Palmar (my parent's time share resort) and checked in. They gave us a room with a king-size bed, and although PV is the gay capital of Mexico, and most people we met assumed we were a gay couple, we requested a different room, with twin beds. No problem, we were up on the 8th floor with a view of the tennis courts and the mountains . . . it was a very nice studio suite with kitchen facilities. By the time we were settled in, it was too late to do any exploring of the area, so we just checked out the beach and pools, then had a nice dinner in the restaurant.
The next day we got on the bus and headed into Centro to get a look at the town. We did not bring our laptops, and the internet cafe at the resort was $9.00(!!!) per hour (as opposed to $1.00 in town) so the first think we did was check out email. Then we wandered around a bit, getting mildly lost, but finally finding the Malecon. It was very hot and humid so wandering the streets wasn't as pleasant as we had hoped and we didn't feel like spending too much time, always rushing to the shady side of the street and checking to make sure a shop was air conditioned before going in! We found a nice place (with air conditioning!) for a leisurely lunch, then wandered a bit more, managing to find the Huichol shop that Lee had seen several years ago. We spent several hours in there (yes, it too was air conditioned!). Lee and I both bought some art, although hers was a "bit" more than mine, which was 60pesos (less than $6 Cdn). Just as we were ready to leave, the sales clerk asked us if we could do her a small favor . . . if we could attend a Time Share Presentation, I could have my $6 purchase for free and Lee would get an 85% discount on hers!! Well, what were we to do? Modeste was so nice, and she asked so nicely, and her little baby was sick, and it would be such a huge favor to her, and they'd give us a lovely free breakfast . . . and well, we were sucked in . . . we said yes, we would go to the time share presentation. In all honesty, I was very curious, I'd never been to a time share presentation. So, we were picked up from our resort two days later and taken to the "Westin Regina" resort in the Marina area. I should have known, right from the start that this adventure was doomed. I think all of you know of my obsession for anything orange . . . well, this place was Pepto Bismal Pink . . . everywhere you looked, bright pink!!! Ugg!!! The sales person we were handed over to was terrible! He said he had been selling for 12 years, but judging from the way the talked to us, I'd say he hadn't sold many places in that 12 years! He didn't know much about the place, he didn't ask us the right questions or give us the right info, he didn’t know the software program at all . . . he was just awful! After 2 hours of him (yes, he even ate breakfast with us!), we told him we were not interested (Modeste promised us we could leave after 90 minutes, so we had given him extra time) so he handed us over to another fellow, who was rude, arrogant and belligerent. We were about to walk out when he called over "the boss" . . . now this guy was slick . . . it was how I had expected the first guy to be . . . I might even have bought a time share from him (just kidding!!!) . . . we managed to escape from him, but not before we got money for a cab back to our resort as Modeste had promised. The whole thing was a very interesting experience. Not one I'd ever want to experience again, mind you!! Oh, nearly forgot! The next day we went back to Modeste's shop to tell her thank you for the discounts . . . and they told us that she would not be getting her commission "because one of us only worked part-time" . . . and that we should therefore pay the full price for the art!! Well, we got out of there pretty fast, the art was already packed away at the hotel . . . and we marked it all up to a new and different experience! Oo la la!!!
Although we both enjoyed the adventure of Puerto Vallarta . . . we have decided to never holiday again at this time of year, unless we go somewhere cooler. The heat and humidity just made it so we couldn't enjoy getting out and about. PV is also much more expensive than we are used to in Mazatlan. It is a resort town and the tourists will pay those prices. One interesting experience, we grabbed a taxi home from Centro one evening and I paid him 100pesos for a fare of 50pesos . . . he handed me a US$5 for change . . . he said he did not have pesos!!! I didn't want US money as I have no use for it at all in Mazatlan . . . so the porter changed it for us. But it just goes to show that PV is all about the tourist!!
The trip home on the bus was another adventure. The first half of the trip was through the mountains, up, down, around . . . ugg . . . my stomach did not like it too much!! For the second half, we thought we'd try a different bus line . . . it cost a few dollars less, and they promised us it was a First Class bus . . . well, I'm sure it was Economy because we stopped in every little village along the way, had five stops at inspection points, for immigration, police, I don't know what else . . . twice we had to get out of the bus, get our luggage out and have it inspected. (I've learned the secret, as the inspectors are all young boys, keep a box of tampons at the top of your bag . . . as soon as they see it they slam it shut and tell you to move on!!!). When finally we got to Mazatlan there was a gruesome accident where someone had been run over by a truck, the streets were blocked and traffic at a stand still . . . when we finally moved by, we could see the covered victim under the truck . . .
And now we are home again . . . and the most exciting thing . . . while I was gone, they got the internet fixed up and I actually have it in my apartment now!!
Sorry this was so long! Let me know if you made it to the end!!
Lee and I left on Saturday morning at 8:45 on the local long distance bus. We arrived in Puerto Vallarta about 5pm. Taxied to the Villa del Palmar (my parent's time share resort) and checked in. They gave us a room with a king-size bed, and although PV is the gay capital of Mexico, and most people we met assumed we were a gay couple, we requested a different room, with twin beds. No problem, we were up on the 8th floor with a view of the tennis courts and the mountains . . . it was a very nice studio suite with kitchen facilities. By the time we were settled in, it was too late to do any exploring of the area, so we just checked out the beach and pools, then had a nice dinner in the restaurant.
The next day we got on the bus and headed into Centro to get a look at the town. We did not bring our laptops, and the internet cafe at the resort was $9.00(!!!) per hour (as opposed to $1.00 in town) so the first think we did was check out email. Then we wandered around a bit, getting mildly lost, but finally finding the Malecon. It was very hot and humid so wandering the streets wasn't as pleasant as we had hoped and we didn't feel like spending too much time, always rushing to the shady side of the street and checking to make sure a shop was air conditioned before going in! We found a nice place (with air conditioning!) for a leisurely lunch, then wandered a bit more, managing to find the Huichol shop that Lee had seen several years ago. We spent several hours in there (yes, it too was air conditioned!). Lee and I both bought some art, although hers was a "bit" more than mine, which was 60pesos (less than $6 Cdn). Just as we were ready to leave, the sales clerk asked us if we could do her a small favor . . . if we could attend a Time Share Presentation, I could have my $6 purchase for free and Lee would get an 85% discount on hers!! Well, what were we to do? Modeste was so nice, and she asked so nicely, and her little baby was sick, and it would be such a huge favor to her, and they'd give us a lovely free breakfast . . . and well, we were sucked in . . . we said yes, we would go to the time share presentation. In all honesty, I was very curious, I'd never been to a time share presentation. So, we were picked up from our resort two days later and taken to the "Westin Regina" resort in the Marina area. I should have known, right from the start that this adventure was doomed. I think all of you know of my obsession for anything orange . . . well, this place was Pepto Bismal Pink . . . everywhere you looked, bright pink!!! Ugg!!! The sales person we were handed over to was terrible! He said he had been selling for 12 years, but judging from the way the talked to us, I'd say he hadn't sold many places in that 12 years! He didn't know much about the place, he didn't ask us the right questions or give us the right info, he didn’t know the software program at all . . . he was just awful! After 2 hours of him (yes, he even ate breakfast with us!), we told him we were not interested (Modeste promised us we could leave after 90 minutes, so we had given him extra time) so he handed us over to another fellow, who was rude, arrogant and belligerent. We were about to walk out when he called over "the boss" . . . now this guy was slick . . . it was how I had expected the first guy to be . . . I might even have bought a time share from him (just kidding!!!) . . . we managed to escape from him, but not before we got money for a cab back to our resort as Modeste had promised. The whole thing was a very interesting experience. Not one I'd ever want to experience again, mind you!! Oh, nearly forgot! The next day we went back to Modeste's shop to tell her thank you for the discounts . . . and they told us that she would not be getting her commission "because one of us only worked part-time" . . . and that we should therefore pay the full price for the art!! Well, we got out of there pretty fast, the art was already packed away at the hotel . . . and we marked it all up to a new and different experience! Oo la la!!!
Although we both enjoyed the adventure of Puerto Vallarta . . . we have decided to never holiday again at this time of year, unless we go somewhere cooler. The heat and humidity just made it so we couldn't enjoy getting out and about. PV is also much more expensive than we are used to in Mazatlan. It is a resort town and the tourists will pay those prices. One interesting experience, we grabbed a taxi home from Centro one evening and I paid him 100pesos for a fare of 50pesos . . . he handed me a US$5 for change . . . he said he did not have pesos!!! I didn't want US money as I have no use for it at all in Mazatlan . . . so the porter changed it for us. But it just goes to show that PV is all about the tourist!!
The trip home on the bus was another adventure. The first half of the trip was through the mountains, up, down, around . . . ugg . . . my stomach did not like it too much!! For the second half, we thought we'd try a different bus line . . . it cost a few dollars less, and they promised us it was a First Class bus . . . well, I'm sure it was Economy because we stopped in every little village along the way, had five stops at inspection points, for immigration, police, I don't know what else . . . twice we had to get out of the bus, get our luggage out and have it inspected. (I've learned the secret, as the inspectors are all young boys, keep a box of tampons at the top of your bag . . . as soon as they see it they slam it shut and tell you to move on!!!). When finally we got to Mazatlan there was a gruesome accident where someone had been run over by a truck, the streets were blocked and traffic at a stand still . . . when we finally moved by, we could see the covered victim under the truck . . .
And now we are home again . . . and the most exciting thing . . . while I was gone, they got the internet fixed up and I actually have it in my apartment now!!
Sorry this was so long! Let me know if you made it to the end!!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Settling In
I've been back in Mazatlan for over a week. Things move slowly here. Still no internet in the apartment, but I'm managing okay using the neighbour's deck. I guess the major problem was that my fridge was not keeping anyting cold . . . my landlord told me to go buy a new one (he is still in the States). Going to buy a new fridge is easier said than done when you don't speak the language! Had my friend Lee go with me and we found a suitable one and arranged for delivery . . . then just had to wait several days. It arrived yesterday and they hauled it up the stairs, took the door off the apartment to get it in, and it slid right into the space, with no even a centimeter to spare! It is purring away, and I have some cold drinks to offer visitors now!
It is pretty quiet in Mazatlan right now. Many people go inland where it is a bit cooler and not so humid . . . so some of the shops are closed and there are not too many activities happening. I usually go out in the morning to do chores and then hang around inside, with Air Conditioning, in the afternoons!
My Mom and Dad gave me a week at thier time share in Puerto Vallarta so Lee and I are heading there on the bus on Saturday. I hope it might be a bit cooler there so we can spend the days exploring!!
You would never have known there was a Canadian Federal Election here!!! Of course, everyone is much more concerned with the US Election . . . and I must admit, it is way more exciting!
It is pretty quiet in Mazatlan right now. Many people go inland where it is a bit cooler and not so humid . . . so some of the shops are closed and there are not too many activities happening. I usually go out in the morning to do chores and then hang around inside, with Air Conditioning, in the afternoons!
My Mom and Dad gave me a week at thier time share in Puerto Vallarta so Lee and I are heading there on the bus on Saturday. I hope it might be a bit cooler there so we can spend the days exploring!!
You would never have known there was a Canadian Federal Election here!!! Of course, everyone is much more concerned with the US Election . . . and I must admit, it is way more exciting!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Back in Mazatlan!
I made it back, safe and sound, but not without adventure!!
I flew out of Victoria on Tuesday morning in the middle of that beastly wind storm . . . it was a horrible trip to Seattle. Seattle to LA was okay. LA to Maz was awful! Twenty minutes up in the air and they had a light go on in the cabin so we had to go back to LA. Circled for half an hour to burn up some fuel. Were met by ambulances, fire trucks, police cars . . . sure, they told us it was all standard procedure . . . but jeez, it sure scares the poop right out of you!
I seem to have gotten a cold just before leaving . . . and I'm still working on getting rid of it. I suppose travel and change of weather and just stress and exhaustion in general aren't helping at all!
Because of the problems with my flight from LA, I was three hours late getting in to Mazatlan. I was certainly blessed by an angel, as my friend Lee was to meet me at my new apartment with the keys . . . and there she was . . . sitting right at the door to the building, waiting for me knowing I'd show up eventually!
My first day here was spent unpacking, going to the bank, picking up a few groceries and finding an internet cafe. The internet in my apartment isn't working . . . will get that organised when the landlord gets back next week. Meanwhile, my neighbour arrived and he got it going on his deck, so I can now sit outside and check email.
It is very hot and humid here. I don't quite understand the humidity factor, but they say when they do some sort of mathimatical caluclation, using the temperature and the humidity, they get the "actual" temperature. (I think it is like the wind chill at home . . . makes it feel a heck of a lot colder that the thermometer says!) Anyway, with the humidity factor, it has been in the 120 degree range!!! Yikes!! However, I have Air Conditioning and fans in my apartment and it has great ventilation and I'm finding it not too uncomfortable. Of course, I don't go out much in the mid afternoon!
My friends and I met today and went for lunch to one of our favorite's, Lupe Loco, a palapa restaurant on the beach. There was a lovely light wind and it was very comfortable. So good to see the waves rolling in! Apparently, the waves were bigger than normal due to Hurricane Norbert which will be by passing us completely. However, they say Hurricane Odile might cause us a bit more problems . . . but nothing serious! So don't worry about me!!
I flew out of Victoria on Tuesday morning in the middle of that beastly wind storm . . . it was a horrible trip to Seattle. Seattle to LA was okay. LA to Maz was awful! Twenty minutes up in the air and they had a light go on in the cabin so we had to go back to LA. Circled for half an hour to burn up some fuel. Were met by ambulances, fire trucks, police cars . . . sure, they told us it was all standard procedure . . . but jeez, it sure scares the poop right out of you!
I seem to have gotten a cold just before leaving . . . and I'm still working on getting rid of it. I suppose travel and change of weather and just stress and exhaustion in general aren't helping at all!
Because of the problems with my flight from LA, I was three hours late getting in to Mazatlan. I was certainly blessed by an angel, as my friend Lee was to meet me at my new apartment with the keys . . . and there she was . . . sitting right at the door to the building, waiting for me knowing I'd show up eventually!
My first day here was spent unpacking, going to the bank, picking up a few groceries and finding an internet cafe. The internet in my apartment isn't working . . . will get that organised when the landlord gets back next week. Meanwhile, my neighbour arrived and he got it going on his deck, so I can now sit outside and check email.
It is very hot and humid here. I don't quite understand the humidity factor, but they say when they do some sort of mathimatical caluclation, using the temperature and the humidity, they get the "actual" temperature. (I think it is like the wind chill at home . . . makes it feel a heck of a lot colder that the thermometer says!) Anyway, with the humidity factor, it has been in the 120 degree range!!! Yikes!! However, I have Air Conditioning and fans in my apartment and it has great ventilation and I'm finding it not too uncomfortable. Of course, I don't go out much in the mid afternoon!
My friends and I met today and went for lunch to one of our favorite's, Lupe Loco, a palapa restaurant on the beach. There was a lovely light wind and it was very comfortable. So good to see the waves rolling in! Apparently, the waves were bigger than normal due to Hurricane Norbert which will be by passing us completely. However, they say Hurricane Odile might cause us a bit more problems . . . but nothing serious! So don't worry about me!!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Moving along!
Wow, how time flys! A lot has happened since my last post here . . . I hope to keep things a bit more current soon!
The summer is over . . . Victoria is cold and wet and gloomy . . . and I can't wait to get back to Mazatlan! I had a great summer . . . lots of work, lots of sailing and a wonderful visit with my son.
I didn't get to see nearly as much of Brodie and Danielle as I would have liked, but they were only here for 12 days and had lots of friends and other family to visit. The weather held long enough for us to enjoy a day sail out to Sidney Spit for breakfast. They are back in Coventry now, already ensconsed in Brodie's last year of his PhD.
Bob and I went out for my last sail of the season last week. We had hoped to be out for 10 days but the weather changed and neither of us are much into cold wet sailing! It was wonderful though, to be out in September, when most other sailers had given up for the year. We had several evenings where we were anchored in quiet bays with no other boats around. We saw some awesome sunsets and masses of stars. On our last day out in we saw whales in the distance and had dolphins frolicking around the boat as we crossed President's Channel. A great end to the last sailing trip of the year.
The last few days have been spent getting me organised to leave. It is amazing the amount of "stuff" one accumulates. I had to make several trips to Value Village and the condo storage unit in order to get things down to one suitcase!
My next post will be from Mazatlan. Once I get settled in there I'll get the last few weeks of photos up.
Enjoy your winter! I will!!!
The summer is over . . . Victoria is cold and wet and gloomy . . . and I can't wait to get back to Mazatlan! I had a great summer . . . lots of work, lots of sailing and a wonderful visit with my son.
I didn't get to see nearly as much of Brodie and Danielle as I would have liked, but they were only here for 12 days and had lots of friends and other family to visit. The weather held long enough for us to enjoy a day sail out to Sidney Spit for breakfast. They are back in Coventry now, already ensconsed in Brodie's last year of his PhD.
Bob and I went out for my last sail of the season last week. We had hoped to be out for 10 days but the weather changed and neither of us are much into cold wet sailing! It was wonderful though, to be out in September, when most other sailers had given up for the year. We had several evenings where we were anchored in quiet bays with no other boats around. We saw some awesome sunsets and masses of stars. On our last day out in we saw whales in the distance and had dolphins frolicking around the boat as we crossed President's Channel. A great end to the last sailing trip of the year.
The last few days have been spent getting me organised to leave. It is amazing the amount of "stuff" one accumulates. I had to make several trips to Value Village and the condo storage unit in order to get things down to one suitcase!
My next post will be from Mazatlan. Once I get settled in there I'll get the last few weeks of photos up.
Enjoy your winter! I will!!!
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