Christmas in Mexico – Page 2

A LAZY ZIHUA DAY

We went to the movies in Zihuatanejo it’s just across the street from us. It is always an experience. First we have to determine if the movie we want to watch is in english and at what time it will play. If we plan it right we can go on the 2 for 1 night, but last night it was full price 40 pesos each. WE opted to see Navidad del Coopers, a light hearted funny movie with Diane Keaton and John Goodman. To get to the particular room it was showing in, it’s like climbing steps to a tower. Up is not so bad, but down is a bit scary especially in the dark.

I didn’t sleep to good last night, have a joint on one finger that is plaging me and my “good knee” is sore and stiff. That shouldn’t happen in this lovely weather. I still walk all over town and find lots of pretty flowers over hanging the sidewalks

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Beautiful flowers over hanging the sidewalk where I wwalk each morning.

Walked out to the pool this morning and was informed that since I am over 60 I do not have to pay to swim, one of the grounds keepers with passable english informed me. He says the lady has just been pocketing my 20 pesos each day. I got there a little earlier than usual and the water seemed cold, I never quite warmed up. With the new cover on the pool the water is considerable cooler in the morning. Tomorrow I will not pay!

Bought a mexican phone today, but neither Doyle or I can figure out how to make them work. We never had this problem before. I’ll go back to tel cell for instructions tomorrow. Unlike everything in the US that comes with directions in a half dozen different languages, here it is strictly spanish.

With my achy bones and joints I’ve been pretty lazy to day opting to take advantage of the mexican custom of siesta. While the Senor has his TV I have my computer,my kindle and a whole passel of movies my daughter put on a hard drive for me so it’s been real easy to be lazy. Maybe tomorrow I’ll get ambitious. Signing off KO

WE’RE BACK AND NOW ON LINE

We arrived Monday evening to sunny skies and 87 degree weather. So happy to be out of the rain. Breezed through customs, caught a cab and we were back at our home away from home. Got settled in, unpacked then out to dinner on the Malecon and night caps at our favorite watering hole, the Flophouse Bar.

Tuesday morning I set about getting the computers up and running, and started my blog, but no luck, it would not save and then cut me off Completly, could not stay on line for more than a minute or two before it went away. Very frustrating since the Senor relies on one of the computers for his TV habit being streamed from home.

We did discover that our TV now gets 3 of the Seattle stations and Fox news. That saved a lot of frustration for him, but he still couldn’t get some stations he wanted. Brought the subject up to Arturo the building owner, he checked out the internet connections and found all was well. He then called a “techie” friend who came over and fixed both computers for 200 pesos about 25 bucks.

I did a quick run to the Comercial (Mexico’s version of a super market) yesterday to get a few basics provisions to last a day or two and then this morning after my morning swim at the community pool I did the frut and veggie run to the “mercado”. I love shopping the Mercado, it is just such a sensory over load. Busy, noisy people, bright colorfull fruits and veggies and spices and cheese and yellow chickens and loud Mexican music.

Colorfull flags

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Christmas is starting to be seen around town, you could get a green, and surpriseingly fresh tree at the comercial today, the pointsetia and pinata markes are in full swing at the Kyoto Circle.Hopefully I’ll get there tomorrow. Our street is colorful with lights and bright flags. We strung solar lights along our balcony so we too look festive. Signing off KO

PS Please forgive any typo’s or misspellings as I can’t find the spell check on

STREET DOGS, ROOF CATS, AND OTHER CURIOSITIES

Hard working lady cleaning the La Madera path and beach

Zihuatanejo is much quieter now that the Mexican tourists have returned to their homes. The morning path to La Madera is no longer crowded with the health seeking runners, soon to be replaced by different tourists as more and more American and Canadian visitors arrive fleeing from the cold climes. I often have the feeling that here in Zihuatanejo if you are willing to work, there is work to be found. I marvel at how hard the lady who cleans the path to La Madera works, it’s not a glamour job, but it’s honest work and one whose labors we reap the benefits of. I’m amazed at the piles of sand she sweeps off the path, and the wheel barrows of litter she removes each day. Same with the daily street sweepers who appear early each morning and clean up the careless, thoughtlessness of others. Definitely unsung heroes!

My gentle little street dog was not at the bridge to meet me this morning, I don’t think I’ll tell her that I gave her breakfast to a friendly street cat. Actually “Luna” is not a true street dog as she does have an owner and a home, but I doubt she is being fed a High protein

Street cat enjoying the Senors left-over chicken

Science diet formulated for lactating mothers. She belong to the coco man who owns the chickens I feed. There are many street dogs here vying for scraps from the garbage sacks or the kindness of strangers. There are many of the yellow “anywhere” dogs of which Luna is one. There are many of very questionable parentage that have produced some very odd-looking dogs. The one common trait they all seem to share is a gentle nature.

Cats tend to be roof cats, traveling blocks without touching ground. But also found along the fisherman’s walk, and the occasional shop cat. We have planters anchoring each end of our balcony which tends to attract the roof cat population cats for their nature calls. We know as we see kitty tracks across the balcony, and occasionally , in the wee hours of the morning we have even heard their loud discussions. Just before day light last week I heard a cat on the tile overhang just below us, my flashlight has a laser light on it and I couldn’t resist a game of laser tag . But the laser scared the hell out of this cat. She ran as I chased her with the light. She didn’t understand what a fun game it can be.

There is a curious library kiosk in the artist park, it looks quite similar to the one just erected on the campus of the college I attended, with the main difference being this one is locked up tight and the one at home is open for anyone to take or leave a book. Maybe it is used by the school once the children return to school?

Today is 3 Kings Day, I’m not sure if it is a true holiday or a day of celebration, I don’t know if the children wake up to their gifts or if it happens later tonight. But I’m curious to find out. Signing off KO

ONLY IN MEXICO

Some things we see here just boggle the mind, things you would never see at home. The Senor with 22 years of Navy service has a strong safety ethic, something that is so frequently ignored here. In the grocery store we see folks stocking shelves by climbing on several cases of goods stacked on top of one another to get to the top shelves, or standing on crates on a flat dolly and pulling himself down the row as he needs to move on. Yesterday a box delivery truck was determined to drive down what is a pedestrian only street to make his delivery. This was accomplished by one person standing on the roof of the delivery van lifting the electric light cords to allow the truck to fit under. It was slow going, I think a hand dolly would have been quicker, but maybe there was no dolly.

Somethings we see only here are so wonderful, like vanilla ice cream. At home I would never order a plain vanilla cone, but her they are so rich and full of flavor and not pale white but a rich golden tan and yummy. My preference is still to buy it from the old gentleman who bushes the galvanized tub through the streets. There are many ice cream vendors, but his ice cream is my favorite.

From inside our apartment I can recognize the many different vendors by their calls, early morning you hear the call of the man selling the rolls, I still can’t pronounce the name he calls out, then the paper seller calling the name of the paper he is hawking, the knife sharpener wheels his grinding wheel through town with a tin whistle sound and the clown horn honk of the ice cream sellers. The produce seller is one of my favorites, I love buying fruit and veggies from his hand wheeled cart right at our door step. And his produce is always ripe to perfection. Signing off KO

THIS TOWN IS FULL OF MEXICANS!

That may seem like a strange statement since we are in Mexico, but Mexican tourist have arrive by the bus loads, big beautiful touring buses. I saw a row of at least 10 buses day before yesterday They have come from all over Mexico to spend their holidays at the beach. Families travel together, large extended families with grandparents, all their children, sisters, brothers, cousins down to babes in arms. They move through town in large groups of 15 to 20 people sometimes and the main goal seems to be the beach. I do hope they visit the restaurants as they all say business has been slow. But the streets are full, the plaza is crowed to the max and has some type of entertainment every evening.

Yesterday was a busy day trying to get the Senor more comfortable, his recent back surgery has not relieved his sciatica, and he was getting more and more miserable, and grouchy as one does when not feeling well. So we went to the doctor. This amuses me because last year when I had a sore throat and needed to go to the doctor he gives me the money and tells me to go. But when he needs to go It’s required that I go also. He makes fun of my taking Spanish classes, but it’s times like this that my exceeding limited Spanish is helpful. The Dr Speaks perfect English and thinks part of the Senior’s problem is that one leg is shorter than the other, he measured him and said a lift in one shoe would help. So we out to find the “ortopedia” store, (actually a neighborhood of 3 orthopedic stores) it was about 6 blocks away with a map and some directions, we got close but not quite there when a group of people walked by and the one in the group that spoke English asked if he could help us and while he wasn’t from the area but his friends were and knew where we needed to go and took us there. Mission accomplished, we got the heel lift. Later that afternoon when I went out to get the Senor’s prescriptions filled and had been to 3 pharmacies with no luck again I run into the same group who again offered assistance , or if I needed help with translations. I explained it wasn’t a language issue, just lack of supply. I’m always impressed how helpful people here are. Stand on any street corner and look confused and someone will come by and offer assistance. In turn when ever I see English-speaking folks looking for something I been coming here long enough I can frequently offer assistance.

I love grocery shopping here, and buying eggs in plastic bags amazes me.

While reading and napping in the late afternoon I set my glasses down on the bed and then later rolled over on them bending the frame, I’ve done this before here so I knew exactly where to go get them fixed. 20 minutes later they were fixed and it only cost 20 pesos (about a buck 35 cents). Just amazes me, the price of things, or people’s time.

By night fall the Senor was feeling better so we went out for dinner at The Captains Daughter and finished up the evening at the Barracruda listening to Steve and friends play.

Usually it is the ladies that take off their shoes to dance

Their music just makes folks want to dance. Signing off KO

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