Zihuatanejo

The plan was to have 2 full days in Washington to visit family and take care of legal issues. It was rushed but got the important stuff taken care of. Most important, visiting family.

My traveling companion was my eldest daughter April.

We boarded the ship in Seattle and set sail. We had a balcony room and were treated to moonlight on the water and a lovely sunrise all from our balcony

Our first Port was Ketchikan where we went flight seeing in a float plane. But prior to boarding we had the most amazing breakfast at the George Inlet Lodge, huge crab cakes smothered in hollandaise sauce and a half crab with big crab legs and good instructions on how to break into them. Best meal of the whole trip.

The shops and history on creek street was interesting, just missed seeing the local bear as he popped out for a quick salmon snack before retreating back under a building. Watched some Salmon being pursued by seals. Tomorrow Juneau, the Capitol and considered a rainforest with no roads in or out of town. Have to arrive by water or air.

Here we got to meet the dogs up close and personal.

Saw a typical sled, learned about the origins of sled racing and why they have camps in Alaska. Many places where the dogs are raised are too warm for them to train in the summer, so they move them to Alaska to continue their training in the summer and return home in the fall. These dogs were Montana dogs. Our musher was fountain of information.

Next was the real fun a time. A team was hitched to a training sled and 8 dogs took 8 adults and 1 musher and one helper for a romp thru the woods on a training sled. They yipped and yelped and ran like their tails we on fire while the rest of the dogs in camp complained that they didn’t get to go. These dogs are unbelievably strong, happiest when running.

The afternoon was spent getting crab legs for lunch and touring the gift shops. My daughter had a list of things she was looking for, I did not.

Sunday we arrived in Skagway, weather still clear but definitely cooler. I thought Skagway an attractive town that offered more that just jewelry stores and t shirt shops. I was pretty well “walked out” by this point and didn’t tour the whole town, but none the less I found it interesting. By this point on our travels I had logged in over 37 miles and was definitely feeling it. It was our day to ride the famed Skagway Railroad and it was all that it is advertised to be. Gorgeous scenery, waterfalls and stunning views and with the curvy track sometimes it’s possible to see both ends of the train. I chose to just sit back and relax.

Monday morning as we anchored in Icy Straight with our only plan to do the gondola ride to the top of the mountain a pod of whales opted to perform for us for about an hour. They teased us by spouting and doing tail flips but not one full breach. It was a true whale watching show from our balcony. We were so lucky.

At the top of the mountain we opted to take another tram ride to visit the old cannery no longer in use and then went on a forest expedition trip. This trip was fascinating as April and I kept remarking how it all just looked like our former back yard where she and her brothers and sister grew up. We both knew we needed this trip for the tree and mountain fix we had been longing for and this was certainly it. Mission accomplished.

Our next stop was Glacier Bay, which is a fantastic experience. First you see small ice burgs floating in the bay, then larger ones. Then you see some goats on the hill sides if you have binoculars and finally the glacier walls. When suddenly you hear a crack and see the calving of the glacier occur. Almost a religious experience.

We spent the next two days enjoying the boat and all it had to offer.

Our last Port of Call before Seattle was Victoria on Vancouver Island. We had planned to meet up with a friend there,but I completely messed that up by having confused dates. So we opted for a pedicab tour under bright blue sky’s. It turned out to be one of the highlights. We saw neighborhoods, parks, tourist and business districts all narrated by a charming young gal.

Coming in to Seattle early morning was a beautiful welcome.

Over all it was a wonderful trip, by choice we both agree a smaller ship would have been our preference. We had sun every day and no rain. We thought there would be much more seafood on board, most seafood was found in ports and even though salmon and crab are native to Alaska, still expensive. Signing off KO

Our friend Paco Aventura, a local tour guide and taxi driver took the three of us on a day trip to visit the little fishing village of Puerto Vicente Guerrero. It is south east along the Acapulco Zihuatanejo highway. It’s about 87km/54 miles. Which sounds like a short trip until you factor in the multitude of “topes“ or speed bumps, many of which are unmarked and appear without warning.

It’s a lovely scenic trip this time of year as everything is so green from the rains.

We stopped for breakfast at El Mirador and enjoyed a hearty breakfast with a fantastic view of the open ocean.

We learned that Puerto Vicente Guerrero has built up on federal land that at one time was designated to be a marine base that never quite materialized. So little waterfront restaurants sprung up all around the lovely bay and now once again there is talk of it actually becoming a Marine base. Over time it will be interesting to see the outcome.

It is a tiny fishing village with only a couple of hotels dotting the hillsides, but many restaurants that are actually over the water. We chose Don Carmelo and had a table at waters edge. It wasn’t long before a young man at the table next to ours did a somersault into the bay from the restaurant answering our question of how deep is the water. We soon discovered there were hammocks underneath the restaurant. So down we went to explore the hammocks and found them actually in the water. Being very buoyant I kept floating out of the hammock. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my waterproof cover for my phone so there is no pictures of us lounging half in the water in hammocks.

We had a lovely lunch, all having chosen different styles of shrimp.

The return trip was uneventful for me as I had swam, eaten, drank, and and so I napped all the way home. A moving car is like a lullaby to me.

Other than we all wished that we had brought floaties as the bay is clear, smooth with no wave action it was a perfect day.

I see Puerto Vicente Guerrero as a nice romantic overnight get away. I also see it as a great fun day with the kids as it has a large floating water park for kids enjoyment. It just a lovely place to visit for a day trip from Zihuatanejo.

We didn’t see any of the usual vendors pushing their wares, but that might be due to the season. All in all it was a great day with a great tour guide. Thank you Paco

My friend Barbara and I traveled to Guanajuato to visit our friend Lucy. Guanajuato is situated in a bowl of lovely high steep hills. With its silver mining history they have an abundance of tunnels that are used to access the city. It’s a rabbit warren maze of tunnels connecting one to another and another. To me it would be a driving nightmare.

Also it is the steepest city I have ever seen, and one of the most charming. The streets are very narrow one lane cobblestone, and steep. Lucy’s lovely home is at the upper end of a series of twisty, turney streets. Her street is so steep I could not walk up or down it. It truly terrified me. Cab and uber drivers have to take two and three running starts to get up it. One can smell the tires burning as they attempt to gain traction. Fortunately hers is a short street and we always got home safely.

One afternoon we had a great meal at a tiny 6 seat restaurant where you sit and eat family style right in the kitchen. You get to visit with the cook while she prepares the meal of the day. On our day it was cauliflower soup and veggie lasagna.

While taking a break from shopping we stopped at a French bakery for lunch. As it had become quite warm I needed to shed a layer of clothing. Later that afternoon it was raining so hard we all bought umbrellas to manage the two “pedestrian only” blocks to where we could catch a cab.

Still we were pretty wet, so we headed to La Clave Azul. It’s an iconic cave like bar where the tapas of the day arrive with your drinks. It is several rooms on several levels, but with no railings on the rough stone stairs I was unable to explore all the rooms.

An evening at the 1903 Teatro Juarez to watching the Ballet Folkloric tracing the roots Mexican culture was definitely a highlight of the trip.

Signing off KO

At a beachfront restaurant recently, where the music was almost too loud for me, I sat to enjoy a glass of wine, watch the waves and cool off. The restaurant was full of Mexican Nationals enjoying their weekend getaway to the beach. The 2 piece band changed tempo and suddenly everyone was on their feet dancing in the sand. This was not a youthful crowd, but they could dance. And dance they did. It made me happy just to watch the pure joy and happiness that the music infuses in people, making them want to get up and move. It was a lovely afternoon. One of the many reasons I love Mexico.

Earlier in the week I went out hoping to see a parade. My plan was to have a drink and probably a meal at Bandito’s as it was on the short parade route. But Bandito’s said they were expecting a large private party and were not open to the general public so I moved on to El Mediterraneanio on the same street. It began to rain and I was glad I was undercover but had a great view of the very welcome rain. Then the rain turned into RAIN and I thought I might just wait it out. It soon became obvious that that wasn’t going to happen and the staff looked like they might want to close up. So I paid my la cuenta and left only to find 8 inches of water rushing down the streets and overlapping the side walks. Most of the sidewalks have tile roofs over the side walks so getting rained on wasn’t the issue. But dry Mexican side walks are a hazard unto themselves and cover them with several inches of rushing water and your chance of an accident increases exponentially. I only had 3 blocks to travel but I took it super slow and did get home safely if wet to my knees.

Rain is predicted for the next week and it has dropped temperatures down to a reasonable 86 f. This

This time of year we get what is called Mar de fundo which translates to high seas, waves and rough water. While my friend an I were enjoying a happy hour glass of wine at a beach side restaurant the waves were breaking and pushing the water up on the beach swirling around our ankles under the table.

A couple of new wine bars have opened. One is on Vicente Guerrero between Ejido and Nicholas Bravo. The restaurant Shima has opened a small wine bar, “Summer Shimia” across from their closed for the summer restaurant. It’s quite cute and they do small servings of some of their specialties.

I’ve occupied most of my time over the past few weeks doing “legal” work with the assistance of ChatGPT. I have created a Revokable Living Family Trust with the accompanying Quit Claim Deed. The directions were quite straight forward tailored to the county I will be filing them in. Probably saved $3-5 thousand in legal fees by doing it my self. Still have one more legal project to work on.

My daughter and I are busy with planning our Alaska cruise in September. For me it mostly acquiring the clothing and waterproofing I need and don’t have here. That and deciding the adventures we plan to undertake.

Book Club and Zihua Writers Group keep me occupied during this slow season. I read a lot and there are several good book exchanges around. Although I have found I prefer reading on my kindle rather than holding a heavy book over my head when I read in bed. I’m always afraid I’ll fall asleep and drop the book and break my nose. Many times when I locate a book from one of the exchanges as soon as I get interested in it I see if one of my libraries has it. Then I’ll check it out and promptly return the book book to the exchange. I enjoy being able to adjust the size of the type and I love the dictionary feature in an e-reader.

The city is doing some “remodeling” at the head of the pier. Don’t know what the finished plan is but I’ve heard a “plaza with lots of palm trees”. The Port Captain’s building is being demolished along with the little ticket booth. The fish gallows are gone, I do hope there are plans to replace them. It is such an iconic Zihua spot.

KO, signing off

The Canadians and other long term visitors have left town not to return until October and November. Town is quite empty during the week, but the weekends are full of folks arriving by the bus loads from the interior of Mexico for a weekend at the seashore. It is crowded and quite busy along the beaches, but many of the restaurants that cater to the long term gringo population have closed for the low season.

The temperatures have risen to the low 90’s in the day time and rarely below 80 at night. It becomes a lazy time of year for me, I spend a lot of time reading, writing, sewing and other indoor activities. We gals that live here full time still gather together for our weekly lunches and frequent dinners out as the weather is not conducive to cooking. Our book club still meets, and supplies me with suggestions for many good reads.

It’s a good time to catch up on Doctor, dentist and optometrist appointments

This is the time of year to travel and most do if they can. I have a cruise trip to Alaska planned for September with my oldest daughter, April. Being a planner and a list maker this consumes quite a bit of my time as I need a completely different set of clothing for a cooler, rainy climate. My sandals and sun dresses just wont’t get it.

My face has finally returned to normal after taking an epic fall Mid march. Mexican sidewalks are the most dangerous thing here. No real-scaring or broken bones, I was quite fortunate in that respect.

The other day as I looked off my porch into the alley that kind of serves as a patio for some of the residents here I watched my landlord lovingly, giving his older brother a shave with a straight razor. What a kind and loving act. Even though it happened in the public eye it felt too personal to photograph.

Our latest “No Kings” rally in Zihuatanejo had about 60 participants, with the support of the Municipal administration and cheered on by the local population.

Life is good, it goes on as normal just at a slower pace. So happy to be here in Sunny Zihuatanejo, best decision I have ever made.

Signing off, KO

We,10 Zanka travelers, lead by our fearless leaders, Sandy and Vidal landed in the colonial city of Oaxaca on the evening of the 26 of January. Our hotel was the lovely star lily scented Posado Dominica in the heart on the UNESCO heritage area.

Our first delightful dinner was at Las Quinces Letras, a bustling Michelin star restaurant where we had a great meal and and first learned about mescal, moles, and chupalinas.

Day 2 was a walking driving tour of Oaxaca, we visited a chocolatier and had demonstrations on chocolate from the bean to the grinding and tasting of. All quite interesting.

We toured the market and the Cathedral and San Dominico and walked the lovely old streets of Oaxaca

Day 3 we were on to Archeological site and textiles of Mitla

We were able to purchase local made ladies blouses for $50 pesos, less than $3 US. We watched how they wove the fabric.

Lunch was at a very unique spot operated by 3 sisters cooking their mama’s and abuelo”s recipes and styles. In a fantastic kitchen.

Dinner was on our own that night so I was able to meet up with a friend from Zihuatanejo that is currently living in Oaxaca and able to catch up on whats happening.

More to come, signing off KO

Christmas in Zihuatanejo is very festive, fun and colorful. For me it begins when the poinsettia mart opens.

There are colored lights and traditional Christmas music is played, but frequently translated into Spanish. Folks put up and decorate trees, but always artificial. And the big stores start pushing Christmas far too early but we only have 3 or 4 of them so it is not too obnoxious.

The city of Zihuatanejo decorates the pedestrian areas with beautiful decorations and glittering lights. They decorate for every season and holiday, but Christmas is spectacular.

The Christmas parade is spectacular, there is nothing more festive than a Mexican parade. There are floats galore and every spectacular float is followed by a troupe of 20-40 dancers who perform their intricate patterns throughout the parade route. It’s like the entire town has turned out for this spectacle and if you aren’t watching the parade you are in it.

There are parties and gathering of friends and families beginning in days before Christmas making it a fun and festive season.

Christmas Eve is the main Celebration,a time for families gather from near and far to celebrate together over a festive dinner. Many local restaurants cater to the local gringo population and do their best to do the traditional turkey dinners.

After an open house with friends on Christmas Eve I came home around nine to hear my neighbors across the alley celebrating together. The alley is lit with festive lights and streamers and all were having a good time. After going to bed early I woke up a 2 hearing music and people laughing. I got up to take a peek and sure enough the party was going full swing with live musicians and tables now in the alley and many folks enjoying them selves. When I finally got up at 5:30 the party was still on, but quieting down. And shortly there after all were gone. Mexican folks have great stamina for parties!

Following Christmas I got to celebrate Boxing Day with my many Canadian friends at a lovely garden party.

December 30 was a piñata party for children, especially for the working children of Zihuatanejo, but all were welcome.

We volunteers had stuffed several Piñatas with small toys and candy and then the fun began.

We assembled candy bags, and baggies of hair accessories for girls, books, and other drawing and craft supplies, personal care products and small toys. There were socks, some shoes. Lots of goodies donated by the kind folks who vacation and live here. We gave each child a large bag and supervised their filling it.

A great party sponsored by Kitsap Writers and Libro’s por la ninos.

Here is to a Happy New Year or Feliz ano nuevo. Signing off KO