Sailfest Zihuatanejo – Page 2

Stranded by the side of the road!

I woke up yesterday morning feeling just a little queasy and no energy at all. So I laid in bed and read my book until it was time to get ready to go to the Sailfest volunteers Party at Las Palamas. I had looked forward to going to this event being held at a big beautiful new hotel and beach club on Playa Blanca. I was sure I would feel just fine once I got going. I prepared the tapas I’d been asked to bring and loaded up my chilled box of wine and headed out to catch the bus to the airport, then transfer to a taxi to Playa Blanca. I caught the very first bus that said “Aeropuerto”only to discover it turning off just prior to the Airport. We traveled through several small villages and finally drove 3-4 blocks through a village with only dirt roads where the driver honked his horn the whole way through alerting residents of his arrival and 4 more folks hopped on. one of the ladies asked where I was going and I said areopuerto and she said no and said something to the driver. I did pick up the word “regresso” and I assumed I would have to ride back into town and catch a different bus that actually went to the areopuerto, but no he back tracked a little and left me off at a side road by a highway with a sign saying Aeropuerto 2 miles.

Now it was too hot to walk there so I went into the gas station to call a taxi, no one working there knew a taxi phone number. While in the gas station I saw the little bus pull up at the corner where I just standing that said aeropuerto but I couldn’t get there before he left. So I figured another one would be by in about 15 minutes, but in just a few minutes a taxi drove up dropping folks off next door to where I was waiting and I flagged him down and headed out to my party.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Sailfest beach party at Las Palamas Hotel and Beach Cub

What should have taken 45- 60 minutes max had taken me almost two hours. But none the less I was there. I set out my tapas which survived the ride just fine, gave the wine to the bartender to re-chill, pulled out my camera to take my first picture of the lovely place only to discover the chilled wine had sweated all over my camera and the camera was not operating. One picture and it would not “click” again to take a picture and the view screen was blank. I got one picture that was it. Still not working today

Still not feeling my best, I choose to spend some time in the beautiful infinity pool. It’s a beautiful spot with The food was great, but I had no appetite, an open bar but I carried around the same drink all day just not quite able to drink it. It is a beautiful hotel and Beach club with two pools, lovely grounds and ocean front views. While I certainly had a nice time I just wasn’t up to party mode.

I left early and was able to catch a ride most of the way back to the apartment where I went to bed and slept all night.

I feel OK today, but still no energy, finished my latest book and plan to continue watching Game of Thrones the rest of the afternoon. Signing off KO

Surprise Trip to Troncones

Friends invited us to go with them for a day trip to Troncones. Much to my surprise the Senor said yes, he would like to go. Even though his sciatica is really bothering him he was tired of doing nothing. So 3 couples set off for Mi Casa Es Su Casa, a new destination for us in Troncones.

The trip in itself is always an adventure as you travel through many dusty little villages with folks getting on and off along the way carrying a variety of packages, including one very well behaved chicken that sat on his masters lap and was very content to just be petted. Luckily we caught the big bus on the trip out and it wasn’t even crowed, but not so lucky on the return trip, where our 14 passenger bus soon held 20 some people and a large basket of bread, the kind they wear on there heads while hawking it.

Mi Casa Es Su Casa is a lovely place right in the village with a white sand beach with

rolling surf, a nice pool and covered patio dinning area. I think paddling around in the pool helped the Senor feel better, at least relieved some of the stress. .water in the pool was delightfully warm and we all began to look “prune-ified” before getting out. We enjoyed a pleasant, leisurely lunch while watching the waves.

At the Sailfest auction Paul and Faye had purchased a 2 night stay at this establishment and wanted to make reservations for it plus one

night. We enjoyed our day so much that the Senor decided we could come out again when they did and we reserved for 2 nights in March. All in all it was a lovely day with good friends, and looking forward to more good times.

Signing off KO

SAILFEST

Chili cook off

The cactus is made from zucchini, pea pods and rasberries

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Sailfest is the most fun you can have doing good deeds for the kids of Zihuatanejo. The chili cook off is the Senor’s favorite event and he turned out for it happily voting for his favorite chili from “The Captain’s Daughter”. Not being a fan of spicy chili I’m afraid to try half of them. I stick with my favorite, the key lime pie.

The silent auction is one my favorite events. I usually just go after the Restaurant meals. My theory is if I’ve bought a certificate for a restaurant, the Senor will have to go out and use it. And I do enjoy eating out from time to time. But I wasn’t very successful this year, got out bid most of the time. But did succeed in getting the dinner for 4 at Chula Vida out on Playa Larga. We went there a couple of years ago with Will and Sylvia and had a fantastic time. Now we get to do it all over again with them this year. I’m looking forward to it. My only other successful on a bid on a natural beige cotton dress.

The Senor and I along with friends attended the Gala Dinner at the relatively new El Consuelo restaurant located where the old Pacalo’s was. It’s been beautifully remodeled, but an unusual location for dinner for a very large group of gringos with a staff that only

speaks Spanish and isn’t tuned into gringo drinks. I went to the bar to get a bloody mary and a screwdriver and the folks behind the bar had no idea what they were. I’m flexible with what I will drink, but the Senor isn’t and I couldn’t believe they couldn’t do a screw driver. So I explained that it was Vodka and “juego de narnja”. Yes he under stood, then I said I would also like a rum and coca lite. well he fixed the screwdriver, then proceeded to pour diet coke on top if it and would have added rum on top of that if I hadn’t stopped him. Finally we worked out what a screw driver was and I settled for a glass of wine as you just can’t screw that up. The food was good, the music fantastic. The music alone was worth the price of the ticket. A Mexican couple sang lovely Mexican

music to his guitar accompaniment. Her voice is high and clear like Joan Baez. Even bought their CD.

Going out for an afternoon on a sail boat is probably my most favorite activity of all of Sailfest. This year my friend Faye went with me on the Patricia Belle. I can’t get the Senor to go with me. After 22 years in the Navy he sees no reason to get on a boat unless it includes fishing. Thhe Patricia Belle is a 50 foot wood sailboat, built just a few miles from my home in Washington out of timber the Captian logged off his property. There were 27 passengers and every one had a great time especially as we really got to sail, with all sails up and no motor at all. We were

actually going to fast for folks to swim so the crew cut the sails back, slowed us down and about a dozen folks jumped in, including Faye and I. Even slowed down it was tough to keep up with the boat, kind of like swimming in a swim spa where you keep swimming but make no progress. When a took my hat off to swim, the chin strap broke and wouldn’t you know it on the return leg of our journey the wind caught my hat and it went sailing into the bay. I thought it was a goner, but

Hat lost at sea

hooking the hat

the captain and the lovely lady who retrieved my hat

they turned the boat around and after a couple of valiant tries my hat was hooked and back on board. This is the second hat of mine that had to be rescued at sea, last time I was on a different boat but it was the crew of the Patricia Belle that saved it and transferred it back to the boat I was on. Signing off KO