Author: zihuathyme

I'm a traveler, not as frequently as I would like , but I plan on doing more. After working full time at Mount Rainier National Park during the summer of 22 I have decided to retire completely and forever. Prior to that I was semi retired as a Wedding Officiant I officiated at about 20 weddings a season, and with my small delivery service I handled the distribution of a local high-quality Home and Garden magazine . Prior to my "semi retirement" I was in corrections and before that I owned and operated a bail bond agency. I now plan to travel to new places and exciting places, getting ready to do that as a solo as the Senior is no longer with me, his choice, and I am OK with that. For hobbies I'm a reader and love my kindle. And I enjoy writing.

COFFEE WITH THE FISHERMEN AND MISC THOUGHTS

This morning rather than have my morning coffee on the balcony I decided to have it with the fishermen. While sipping coffee on the malecon I watch the heart of Zihuatanejo at work. Just like it has been doing since Zihuatanejo was just a series of huts. I couldn’t help but notice the different hats the fishermen wear. Ball caps are definitely the favorite. But even beanies and just ugly hats are seen. Some wear old style peasant hats and some cowboy style. Fish are weighed, purchases are made and people go home happy with the days catch. This scene is repeated 6 days a week and I never tire of watching it.

There are no shortage of things that fascinate me. Some of the doors here are beautiful works of art. This metal door is new and gorgeous, others are wood with great style and others are just practical iron gates.

I can’t believe that there is any unemployment here as everything is very labor intensive. It takes 3 people to buy a piece of fabric from, one to measure and cut, one to write up the sale and a 3rd to cashier. At most bars and restaurants the wait staff may move the money from you to the cash register and back, but they don’t operate the register or make the change. the cashier does and frequently the cashier is the owner. It drives the Senor nuts, as he continually thinks he is an efficiency expert, but I remind him it is Mexico. In El Centro people push trash cans on wheels sweeping leaves and trash away, we watch as a cobble stone street is dug up by pick ax, the old stones are stacked and I’m sure they will be wheelbarrow ed some where. No front loader comes in and scoops them all up.

Last evening we had dinner a Murmello’s, sitting outside and enjoying the beautiful street scene.

Then on to the “bank in the box”, it took years to wean the Senor off travelers checks, but it’s a good thing as I hear travelers checks are difficult to get cashed. Then on to the Flop House for more of the blues and were joined by our friends Will and Sylvia. Before the evening was over Alan Alto, another great musician from our local area that plays here in Z arrived. Happy to know he is in town . We will be back at the Flop House tonight to listen to Al. Signing off KO

IT’S BEAUTIFUL HERE EVERY WHERE YOU LOOK

Spent some time just walking around town today. They have finished paving Calle Adelita, what a difference from last year when you couldn’t walk with out tripping over the construction project. Stopped to feed my flock of chickens our kitchen scraps. I guess once a chicken farmer always a chicken farmer. Stopped along the Malecon for iced coffee and to watch the fisherman sell their catch. I never get tired of this scene, watching the haggling, the weighing, and happy customers carrying their fish home some in plastic bags, others in buckets, others load them on 3 wheel bicycle carts.

Street vendors, are really mobile stores and just about anything you might want or need will be bicycled around town on these carts or on a push cart. There is the distinctive whistle of the knife sharpener as he pushes his wheel through town, the clown horn sound of the ice cream vendors, my favorite ice ream vendors have their product in a large galvanized tub vs the square box cooler. Other vendors call out their product by name and there is always a coconut vendor who will whack open the coconut with a machete, some of the best freshest fruit will come to you.

Last night we finally got to see the M-Dock band. They come here from Missouri to do a couple of benefit concerts for Sail Fest which supports education for the poorest of the poor children here. It’s always been too crowded at Pacalo’s to get a seat and it would be standing room only clear into the street. This year they played at El Pueblito’s, a lovely large outdoor restaurant, really a court yard with a very high palapa roof. There were 8 of us in our party so we went early to make sure we got a decent seat. The food was great, the drinks were good and the band was fantastic. And the place was packed, I’m sure the temperature rose at least 10 degrees by the time the band started just because of the number of folks there. But the nice thing was you weren’t crowed against each other. The band played everything from the Beetles to Neil Diamond to the Stones. By the end of the evening everyone was dancing. The Senor and I opted to walk back to our apartment as it is only about 6-8 blocks. the streets were quiet, but not empty another beautiful evening. Signing off KO

SUPER BUSY DAY IN ZIHUATANEJO

Yesterday was just a very busy day, after the usual breakfasting and news watching the Senor and I sorted or laundry, I did up a couple of hand wash items and we put the rest of the laundry in a rolling suitcase and headed off to the “laundaria” where for about $6 they do a weeks worth of laundry for us. All we have to do is remember to go pick it up at the end of the day. After dropping it off we head out to get pedicures, $12 each. Next we visit the telephone store and for about $60 we are now the proud owners of 2 phones, each with 100 pesos loaded on them. I still have no idea how long we can talk on 100 pesos, but now we have means of communicating with each other as aren’t always together. Each year when we return we will reload the phone with more pesos, but will need new numbers Then back to apartment for lunch and siesta and then it’s time to pick up our laundry so to conserve our energy on this busy day we get the laundry, stop to have dinner, then on to the “Flop House” bar to listen to some great blues with guitar and harmonica while still dragging the laundry behind us. As usual we met new friends and were joined by some of our old friends.

We finally get back to our apartment, still dragging our laundry, put it away and and call it a wonderful, fantastic, but busy day. Signing off KO

PS I’m getting closer on these pictures, but still can’t get them quite where I want them

LAZY SUNDAYS IN ZIHUATANEJO

Sundays are quieter here, many shops and businesses close, more families on the beach, restaurants are full. Come evening and the Zocolo Zihuatanejo’s Square or plaza is rimmed with food vendors, not like we would see at a local fair or event. No trailers with windows, at best a folding table for food vendors, others may just spread a blanket on the ground to set up shop. At best to describe the Zocolo it is a basketball court, set down 4-5 steps on all sides arena style, and backs up to the beach, On the front and sides of this court is a large plaza complete with a gazebos, some trees and a few benches. Fronting the plaza is one of the main streets of town, but narrow so there is only one lane of traffic. On each end are the beach front restaurants The zocolo is always busy, the social point of town but is special on Sunday night as this is the only night the vendors come out. They have all kinds of different foods that I really don’t know about. There is corn on the cob, slathered with mayo and then hot sauce dribbled over it

Lots of foods cooked in banana leaves, several with pick and choose ingredients, fried bananas, ice cream push carts, large variety of iced drinks dispensed from 3-4 gallon glass jugs in flavors I’ve never heard of. And people, people everywhere, young, old and in between. Groups of teenagers out checking out the social scene. Sort of like “cruzin” with out the cars. Old women gossip, babies and children wheedle parents into buying them cheap carnival toys.This happens every Sunday year round.

Most of my Sunday I spend quietly reading at “TaTa’s”, a beach front restaurant enjoying my mango margarita while the Senior is off watching the playoffs. On my way to the beach I stop to feed a flock of chickens our table scraps. The coconut man just across the bridge to La Madera has taught be how to call chickens in Spanish, they don’t respond to chick, chick chick like ours at home do. To call them you say ado, ado, ado real fast. I’ll have to give our chickens at home a spanish lesson.

Monday I have big plans, the senior and i are going for pedicures and I am going to purchase cell phones for our use here. I like to be out and about much more than the Senior does so it will help keep us in touch, make it possible to change plans, let each other know if something is happening. Signing off KO

SUNRISE, SUNSET, JUST TWO OF MY FAVORITE TIMES IN ZIHUATANEJO

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I’ve always been a morning person, an early riser at home that is when I’m my most productive, here it’s kind of the opposite. The sunrise here is so beautiful I find it a contemplative and reflective time of the day. Instead of getting up and getting going, i take by kindle, my computer, my coffee and my morning drink of grapefruit juiced laced with the necessary medicines adjourn to my balcony and watch “a baby day be born”. That’s a line from an old Melanie song that comes to mind. Today it Sunday and since the church is just a block away in addition to all the usual morning sounds I’m treated to church bells calling the faithful, and it’s always a packed house with standing room only, hymns being sung. As usual we will have breakfast on the balcony as the weather is perfect in the morning.

Yesterday was the playoff games and the Senior always goes to the bar La Playa to watch the game where he runs into old friends from previous years games and meets new ones. He looks forward to this each year. I take this time to do some poking around in the shops, especially the ones he has little interest in. Just one of the many differences between us, the Senior thinks you go to a shop to buy something you need. I think you go to a shop to see what they have, whats beautiful, whats interesting, whats ridiculous. I sort of look at them all like I would an art gallery, I’m there mostly to admire. I seldom know what I want until I see it.

I take time for an iced coffee drink on the malecon and watch the continual parade of Mexican life pass by, I read my kindle, I’m now on the 3rd book of The Hunger Games. Then I move on down the beach as the sun is setting to watch the day come to a close, but Saturday night is just beginning to rev up. In the Zocolo, think town square, where there is a basketball court set in arena style I pause to watch a basket ball game. Tonight it’s girls, probably high school age playing and then I move on down to the very end of the beach restaurants to a new restaurant I believe is called Galeana’s where Jimmi Mamou is again playing. This is one of those restaurants with a palm roof and the tables on the sand. I have a great, really great tortilla soup and of course a margarita, catch his first set and head back to our apartment. As the Senior has not yet returned I go meet up with him and his new amigos at La Playa have a couple of drinks and we call it a night.

There are so many ethings that I love about Mexico, but many things I do not under stand and one is the numerous “street dogs”. Thease dogs have no home, no owners and are usually very sweet tempered, not a danger to people. Some are teritorial towards other dogs, but a fight is extremly unusual. But they are just left to fend for themselves. I find it sad to see them “dining” on our garbage, but then I learn that there are whole familes, people with children who live in the garbage dumps here picking thru the garbage to make their shelters, cloth and feed their children. I can only imagine such poverty. Signing off KO PS still trying to get the photos in the right place

BEACH DAY AT PLAYAS LOS GATOS

I have no idea how come it is named beach of the cats, have yet to see a cat there, but it is a good place to swim and snorkel. To get there is a short water taxi ride. Then you stroll down the beach and pick which restaurant you want to eat and relax at on their lounge chairs while they serve you your drinks and adjust the beach umbrellas for your comfort. I’m a snorkeler, tried scuba diving its just not for me. The Senior does not snorkel, says it’s a breathing problem with his asthma. We swim, we visit with our mexican hosts who has pretty good English, which is great as the Senior is quite a talker. And we have a great lunch mine is fish tacos his is chicken tacos. The snorkeling is better than previous years, lots of pretty fish and I think this is because boats are only allowed in the swim area to drop off supplies and then have to move out and moor outside the reef. We arrive around 10 but leave about 2:30 to get the water taxi back as I am concerned that at low tide I won’t be able to get out of the boat. It’s always difficult and there are always young men to help yank to out onto the pier, but with my new knee and how it still isn’t bending completely and I’m concerned. No need , it wasn’t too difficult and we tipped the the young men nicely for my safe return to the pier.

back to our apartment for showers and siesta. I had fixed my “chicken in a pot ala mexicana” in the crock pot before we left so dinner was simmering and after sunset we had a great meal on our balcony. For our evening entertainment it was wrestling on TV for the Senior, but I headed out to the beach front restaurant to hear the great Jimmi Mamou. And as luck would have it our downstairs neighbors were there and I was able to join them. Another great day in paradise! I’m still a novice at this blogging thing, some dsay I will get all the right pictures in the right place. Signing off KO

THURSDAY IS POZOLE DAY IN ZIHUATANEJO

Last night we went out to eat, my choice of location, as I enjoy pazole. The best i can do to describe it is a stew of hominy and chicken or pork with many side dishes you can add to it including some seasoning. I removed all the chicken as I don’t eat meat, added a very small pit of peppers, making sure no seeds got in, chopped onion and throughly enjoyed it with a side of guacamole. The senior of course had a steak, I chose Any Y Tamale Y Atole as I think it has the best pazole, many others prefer Rico’s on Pazole Alley, but twice when we have been there I got my food and they lost Doyle’s order and then we end up not eating at the same time. Town seems full of visitors, restaurants are busy but not crowd. We went on then to Pacolo’s for a drink and musica. We were curious who had replaced Steve Calvert who has played there for years and is originally a local “Kitsaper, Kitsapian”. We knew he’d been ill and wouldn’t be performing.&. Normally by 9 it would be standing room only, but not now. Music was pleasant but not the great classic rock and roll of Steve. As we returned to our apartment we met up with our balcony neighbors, other old friends and soon met new friends as we all gathered in front of our landlords Liquor Store, the white chairs came out, the tequila bottle’s came out and the party was on. And all we had to do to get home is climb 2 flights of stairs. I have learned to sip Tequila, none of this slamming shots, here every one just sips and enjoys it, except the Senior he prefers beer, but no problem it’s all available.A fun, friendly gathering on the streets of Zihuatanejo.

EARLY MORNING ZIHUATANEJO

There can be no need for alarm clocks in Zihuatanejo! Just before sunrise there is an entire army of roosters waiting to do the job, then the neighborhood dogs take over and the town starts to come to life. Just 2 blocks away is the training field for the military, while I missed revelry this morning, I must have been in fixing my coffee, I do hear them chant while doing their calisthenics and can’t help think of my grandson Tyler who is probably doing the same thing just in a different country and in a different language.
We stocked our cupboards with the essentials and have to laugh how half the cooking utensils disappear every year and turn up in a different apt. There is always silverware, but ours is quite rusted and rather than trying to go apt to apt to find the best we went to “Waldo’s” the local equivalent of a $ store and bought what we needed and will leave it with our personal things this year.

My shopping trip was a solo trip as the Senior decided he would stay in and nurse his cold that did have him laid up until our departure. I took my rolling shopping bag to the mercado and found the mirror I needed for our bathroom, then purchased some fruit and onions and then a foot long bathroom loofah. All from different stalls all transactions done in my one or two-word spanish phrases and I didn’t even screw up the money, then on to the fabric store where I found a floor mat for thee bathroom. Wheeled it all back, but stopped at a restaurant where I saw our balcony neighbors and joined them for a glass of juice while they ordered their breakfast. Stopped to see Javier our landlord, paid our rent along and requested he switch out our balcony table with a one “mas grande” from another apartment. And headed upstairs for siesta and some reading time. I’m so pleased with myself and how confident I felt on my shopping transactions, not that I speak so much spanish, but I am comfortable with what I do know and worry less about my pronunciation and just keep trying. Even the Senior is learning a few more words and uses them.

Many businesses close and we have taken a hint from them that we will, rest, read watch tv during the heat of the day and plan our shopping for mornings afternoons for beach and relaxing. I will be ready for beach life tomorrow.

WE ARE HERE, AND IT FEELS LIKE HOME Jan 9 2013

We arrived yesterday in the late afternoon, we greeted warmly by Javier who operates the Liquor store downstairs and manages the apartments and Arturo the building owner who both said to us”welcome home”. And that is exactly how it feels, we’ve just been away too long. We reclaimed our suitcase that we had stored here, set about getting unpacked and settled in. Noted some new upgrades to our home, the building has been painted white and we have flowers in the planter boxes on our balcony ( picture is last year before flowers) and some shades over what previously had been bare bulbs. Started taking inventory of what needs to be replaced in our kitchen. With 6 apartment in this building things get moved around quite a bit, especially if they all aren’t rented. Why buy more if you can just circulate it around. We have new neighbors across the hall, haven’t met them yet just exchanged a brief greeting as we moved in, our old friends and neighbors next to us arrive today.

We always wait until the cool of the evening to go out to dinner and chose Porto de Mare which is right on the malecon where we sit on the sidewalk and enjoy the food, fish filet in garlic and butter and cream of avocado soup, and watch the evening parade and the lights of the bay and hear the waves lapping at the beach. It’s Tuesday evening but the square and the malecon are busy both with mexican families and tourists enjoying the beautiful evening. We greeted several friends from years past as we strolled from one end of malecon to the other, then returned to our apartment for siesta time and for me some reading time. I started reading “The Hunger Games” on the airplane and am finding very good. Today we will head to the “Comercial” the mexican equivalant of a super market. It carries just about everything we need and lots of american brands, we stock our cupboards here and then go to the old fashioned “mercado” for veggies and fruits. As the weeks pass we will buy our eggs and cheese and fish there also. Last year we created a standard shopping list for the first day shopping and it works quite well and keeps us from being overwelmed as we shop, and we just save it on the computer, print it up before we leave. It’s the only time I’ve ever shopped from an alphabetized grocery list. signing off KO

Three Weeks and Counting

It snowed this morning and is raining the proverbial cats and dogs right now but I am getting things out of the summer box and washed and ready for Zihuatanejo and looking forward to 80+ degree weather in just 3 weeks. Since my right knee is still swollen 2 inches larger than the left due to my my recent knee replacement I’ve got to try on pants and see what fits. Hoping to go with one large suitcase and two carry on’s and need to try out my blog and see what I do remember about posting it.

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