I continually hear that that schools in Mexico are not good, that many teachers are not qualified as they either inherited there position from a relative or bought it. I know the teacher union is very strong here which could give credibility to some of the stories. But last Saturday evening at the plaza there were wonderful displays by the local school children, displays of history, geography, science, engineering and technology. My Spanish is limited but I was able to enjoy the poster type displays as I could read them, but when the kids wanted to share their knowledge with me my vocabulary just isn’t there yet. One young lady was kind enough to explain about the great women of her region in English and her English while halting was very good.
I think the secondary schools must be small and scattered all through town as I see kids in different school uniforms heading all different directions as I make my way to the pool.I like the look of school kids in uniforms, they are always so neat and tidy. Just click on a picture to enlarge it. Signing off KO
Friday is maid day and we usually go out for breakfast and head out to the beach. This day the beach was to
Beautiful Las Gatas beach
be Playa Las Gatas and breakfast at Tres Amigos and on to the beach. The water and waves have been quite active over the last few days and we were pleased to see it didn’t look like it would be difficult to board the panga for the trip to the beach.
The Senor and I on the panga to Las Gatas
Our favorite waiter Juan waved to us as we headed down the beach and we settled in at Gloria del Mar. I decided I wanted to swim out to see the fabled sunken statue of Jesus just beyond the reef. This is the statue where the heart of Jesus is made from donated keys from the people of Zihuatanejo.This statue is 4 meters tall and made of bronze.
I was told there was a small orange buoy marking the spot, but I couldn’t find it then another snorkeler asked if I was looking for the statue and said to follow him. Which I did. Well no wonder I couldn’t find the orange buoy as its the size of a orange and to make matters worse the buoy was under water. I don’t know if that was due to the tide or wave action, but I never would have found it with out help. So I grabbed the knotted rope and pulled myself down to the head of the statue, touched the statue and chose to go up as my ears bothered me a bit. I don’t normally dive, I’m good swimmer, but I don’t like to swim under water. My one experience at scuba diving taught me that it was not to be my sport. Once on the surface I got my bearing as started the swim back, but I get directionally challenged and soon discovered I was heading towards the pier and not the beach and I really don’t like swimming with moving boats. Changed course, but sure didn’t pick the proper one as suddenly I found myself over the coral rocks with not enough water to clear the coral. I tried to find the pathway out of this predicament but the waves began pushing and pulling me on top of the coral rocks. I got tumbled several time over and over on the coral before I finally caught a wave with enough water to push me off the rocks. Before I got fully standing a man came over to ask me if I was alright. I said yes now that I’m out of the rocks, he looked at my hands and pulled a couple of coral thorns from them and I went on to the beach. Back at our lounge chair our waiter got some cactus thorns and started digging more and more of the coral splinters from my hands. I didn’t dare ask him to pull the ones from my rump. That job fell to the Senor upon returning to our casa. After checking on line I learned they should dissolve after soaking in vinegar for 30 to 60 minutes. Problem is I don’t have a pan large enough to sit in. The Senor pulled all that he could and then I spread a piece of plastic on a chair, soaked a towel in vinegar and sat on it for and hour, and more could be picked out and repeated the process again this morning. I’m bruised, a little tender, jammed/sprained fingers on my right had to the point I had to tape 2 fingers together as the movement was killing me. I’m a strong swimmer, I really don’t know how I ended up on the coral rocks I think I didn’t swim far enough around the jetty and the strong wave action that was still happening pushed me where I didn’t want to go.
Morning rendered me in much better spirits, just feeling bruised and I had lunch with my friend Bonnie, she is leaving Wednesday and I was anxious to hear of her recent travels to Patzcuaro, Morelia, and Mexico City. Nothing she said has given me a great desire to go to Mexico City, I’m really not a city person, but who knows maybe some day. Bonnie has been great fun and I look forward to seeing her again next year. Signing off KO
Our apartment building has a roof top with washing machine and clothes lines of which the Senor has mastered the use of. It also has an area for socializing with sink, counter-tops and a barbecue, table and chairs. We invited our baloney neighbors to dinner on the roof Tuesday evening. Now the world knows I’m no cook, but I have put together a pretty good fish dish and we thought it would be nice to share. So Tuesday morning I went to the mercado to pick up all my supplies only to find out they had no mahi mahi. None in the whole mercado. So I asked for something “simalares” and I came home with a lovely chunk of plan B, a
Dwight and Lynn roof top dinner
fish filet. Some tomatoes, squash, onions,red bell peppers and some still warm bolillos. Also lettuce and cucumbers for a salad. Dinner turned out great, we ate we drank we visited all with a lovely view of the city in the soft warmth of a Mexican night.
Our plan for the next day was for the 4 of us to go to Ixtapa Island in our friend Juan’s boat where we were to meet other friends. But the surf was high, not safe or easy for small boats coming and going from the beach so we canceled those plans and the Senor and I headed out to La Chole to see the ruins. It’s just short of an hours bus ride to where the
KO with the goal from the basketball court
bus drops you off at a cross roads in the middle of nowhere. A tin roof keep the sun off you while you wait for the “pasajara” to take you to the ruins. Fortunately we didn’t have to wait too long, as I think the Senor was beginning to wonder if I knew what I was talking about.when I said we get off the bus here.
The museum is interesting, lots of artifacts, you get a guide whether you want one or not. And ours spoke very little English. None the less he explained everything most enthusiastically and we got the gist. The ball court is absolutely amazing, you get that “time trip” feeling.. The pyramid has 9 levels and is clay or adobe not
Ancient ball court
Alter at top of pyramid
rock, This year we could walk to the top and see the alter area and ,more on going unearthing of life as it once was, This is an on going archaeological dig sponsored by the Mexican government and depends on available money. I can’t help but think if it was sponsored and managed by a university progress might be quicker. This just the beginning of what they believe is out there, Of course now the land owners think their land is exceedingly valuable now and won’t sell unless they get their price. Can’t say as I blame them, I’m sure I’d feel the same way.
Peppers on the porch at guide’s casa
We next went on to the village and the casa of our guide where he showed us his personal collection of artifacts including some clay pieces that were whistles.We next caught the a VW bus combi back to the highway to wait for the bus to Zihuatanejo and home. Another fantastic day. Signing off KO .
At our home in the Pacific North West water is rarely an issue, but I’m learning here it is a major issue. The town of Zihuatanejo has been out of water. We notified our land lord there was no water, he said “40
A” PIPA” OF WATER
minutes I fix”. It was more than 40 minutes, but we soon had water. Then we began to notice water trucks all over town and we learn you can buy water by the “pipa” to fill your “tinacos” on your roof. but a pipa is a tank load and you buy the whole “pipa” so want to make sure your “tinacos” are empty before purchasing. We are seeing these water trucks all over town, almost as common as taxis. This happens when the city runs out of water. Water is in short supply here, but we are told the city is full of graft and corruption which is the cause for many of the problems here. This is true of much of Mexico.
A few days ago the teachers union staged a massive
Over 200 teachers marching in Zihuatanejo
protest march through town, a few day with well over 200 people chanting and carrying signs. A few days prior they had blocked the highway going to Acapulco. The teacher unions here in Mexico are very powerful and it appears very corrupt also. It sort of depends on who you talk to what the story is but it appears that it’s over who controls the funds for paychecks, the government or the union.
Our plan was to see they Archaeological site with pyramids and a museum, but we got off the bus at Los Achotes instead of LaChole. Had simply confused the names, but the Senor was OK with shifting to plan B and we headed for the “pasajara” that would take us to Barre de Potosi
Steal tub with ice cream in the Pasajara
where we would have lunch. Luck was with us as the ice cream man was going at the same time, His strawberry ice cream is so good it has real strawberries in it. So we had desert before lunch. A nice gentleman, a solo traveler, road with us so we invited him to share our table. Very enjoyable company. My fish tacos were excellent, but the Senor and I should have shared his fish soup as it was fantastic and enough for two. On the return trip we rode back with another very interesting couple from the SF bay area. Our plan B day turned out to be an A+ day. PS I guess I failed my second blogging lesson as I was to add a tag line and as hard as I try, I can’t get my tagline to stick. KO signing off
WordPress is offering on line” blogging classes” of which I’m participating. The first assignment is to write about why one chooses to blog. So here goes. I am Kathleen Ottarson from Port Orchard, WA, originally from Northern California.I am a wife, mother of 4, grandmother of 16, senior citizen, and daily swimmer. My husband Doyle and I are budget travelers and have now choosen to “snowbird” in Mexico. In addition to wintering here in Mexico we are rv’s and make several much shorter trips from our home base. We pretty much go to the same places at the same time of year as that is my husband’s comfort level. I’m the more adventurous one. We wouldn’t be doing what we do if I hadn’t initiated the idea, and did enough research for him to feel comfortable going somewhere new. Now you would think it was all his idea as he quotes facts and figures of up coming adventures.
The Senor and I enjoying the evening. Photo courtesy of Patty a great photographer as this is our best picture
Originally I just wrote a few posts on face book, but my granddaughter suggested I start a blog to keep family and friends informed. So I started zihuathyme, and originally it was designed for family and friends, but as time goes on I find I really do it for me. I like to write! I enjoy ruminating over the days pictures, remembering how wonderful the day was, and I want to share my day with my loved ones and anyone else who might be a vicarious traveler, or someone who is here and might enjoy doing and seeing some of the things I find interesting. In my “zihuathyme ” blog I refer to my husband Doyle as the Senor and I frequently poke fun at the Senor and his “22 years navy bos’n mate unworldly attitudes.” It’s easy to do especially since he brags to everyone about my blog, but he never reads it.
Fish Molecejete
Monarch butterflies
me ready to go down under the sea!
Zihuatanejo’s fishing fleet in for the day
I love Mexico and all the quirky differences, especially the differences. Mexico is loud and colorful, full of friendly people. I try to photograph the odd and interesting differences, show how colorful it is, and how beautiful it is. I’m not much of a photographer, but my readers requested more and more pictures and we all know how much a picture is worth.
Sharkfest Class of 2015
Me finishing the Sharkfest swim
My blogging goals are simple, keep on blogging as long as I enjoy it. I rarely look at my stats, but I do appreciate comments from readers. I hope I can inspire people to travel no matter what their budget is or what their age is. I would like to inspire readers to go, see, do. To live life, be a participant instead of a spectator.Signing off KO
Thursday was my birthday, I woke to sunny skies, went for my morning swim, breakfasted on my balcony. I just can’t think of a better way to start any day. I want to thank my many face book friends for their birthday greetings, it’s so nice to be remembered with kind thoughts. While I miss my family and friends at home we have made many friends here and it was nice to share a meal and an evening with them. We had dinner at Agave, a favorite with a good menu and
Jimmi singing Happy birthday to me
good food. Highlights of the evening were being sung Happy Birthday to by Jimmi Mamou. I’ve never been serenaded before, sure makes you feel special, I never expected gifts but from Judy and Jimmi a cleaver fan that transforms into a hat. And from Joanne and Will some of the most beautiful earnings and a very cleaver convertible necklace. She makes these unique hand crafted pieces, simply amazing. The only problem with a group that large is that it is hard to visit with every one at the table. But thank you to my friends who have made my day so special with your friendship.
Lynn and Dwight our balcony neighbors
Me and Jimmi Mamou
My beautiful fan hat
Hard to get a group picture with 13 people
Charles and Christine
Dwight with Jimmi’s silver plated guitar
Doyle and I
On growing older.
I rarely ever feel old. Sometimes I’m shocked when I look at the mirror and wonder when that person looking back at me arrived. I’m happy to be a senior citizen, with the SS deposit in my bank each month and getting my senior discounts. I like being retired, we’ll semi retired and not be a 9-5 person anymore. (Well in my case it was 6-2.) We have reduced our business to part-time with just enough work to keep me out and about in the community. At my age I’ve lost all vanity and I will wear sleeveless t-shirts and I will appear on a public beach in a swim suit all white and flabby. But I do take pride that I can swim circles around most of the super tan bikini wearers. I still consider myself a “work in progress” and I want to learn, explore, and to grow (except in girth), make new friends while never forgetting the old. Thank you to all my friends here and friends at home and all my children for making my birthday special. Signing off KO
I enjoy my early morning walk to the pool, it not quite daylight when I leave our casa, very few folks are out and about, traffic is at a minimum until I get to the main drag about 3 -4 blocks away and there it is hustling with buses getting folks to work and children to school. I never tire of seeing momas and papas holding the hand of their young child as they walk them to school daily, or teenage school girls in cute uniforms, and the boys in slacks and shirts chatting in groups as they hop off the bus. Along this main drag portable restaurants get set up each morning by putting out a white plastic tables with an oil cloth table cloth and loading them up with what I am sure are home made foods. No food inspectors to worry about, probably no business licenses to obtain, just find a spot and your in business. After the morning rush these tiny enterprises disappear only to reappear the next day. This morning a man was harvesting coconuts from a tree in the ball field. I stopped to watch him and he seemed quite pleased that I was
Picking coconuts
interested. Unfortunately there was a wire fence and some distance from where I was to his tree but he showed me his rope that was looped up and over the tree so that he was holding both ends with one end having a loop at one end. Also disappointing was the fact that his wheelbarrow was full and he was done harvesting. He proudly pointed to his wheel barrow. And we both waved as I went on to the pool. Sometimes when I take pictures of people doing what I find interesting things I’m concerned that I may offend them, considering them like monkeys in a zoo, there for our entertainment, or looking down on them for their primitive ways. But the truth is I’m fascinated by everything that is different for no other reason than it is different.
I marvel at how hard they work, how ingenious they are at using, reusing and making do with what is available. No one bulldozes down a building to make a new one. They repair and remodel and use what is already there. Probably the only things that bothers me are the way garbage is dumped on street corner each night for the garbage trucks to pick up the next day. Many times by morning the street dogs have spread it around and it doesn’t all get collected. Recycling is coming about as I do see cardboard bundled
flat of 15 eggs and other fruit from the Mercado
together, but I would like to see plastic bags disappear from the planet. I now buy my eggs in a half flat tied up with string 15 at a time for about 30 pesos. Plastic bags get blown everywhere, and when they end up in the ocean can be mistaken by some fish as jelly fish. I would like to see Mexico and all countries return to bring your own shopping bag for your purchases. Some communities in our area have gone to no plastic and charging 5 cents for paper bags.
On my way back from the pool, the sky is blue, the air is soft and comfortably warm, more people are out but it still isn’t even close to hot. I stop by the mercado looking for celery. The only nice celery I see is at the stall with the grouchy, or at least unsmiling lady. But I also notice nice looking mangoes, so grouch or not she get my 30 pesos this morning.
Back at la casa the Senor is just getting up, and since he is the breakfast cook I’m treated to marvelous breakfast of fresh fruit on our sunny pleasantly
Wednesday morning breakfast for two
warm balcony. I’m not sure life gets any better. One of the many acquaintances we met while traveling on the bus told us, he’s american from LA, now living not too far from Zihuatanejo has married locally and has no intentions of returning to the states he says why should I, here everyone in happy, no one rushes, no hurry, everyone is relaxed, no road rage. 02 25 15 Signing off KO
I’m sure we have tried every ice cream place in El Centro, ice cream being one of my favorite foods. I used to be anal about only eating sugar free ice cream, not anymore life is too short to be too limiting. One of my pet peeves is that many of the ice cream stores don’t have seating. The senor won’t walk around while eating, even with ice cream he wants a place to sit, and of course not in the sun. At best the ice cream stores have only one or two tables and if they are taken you have to stand around, and some have none. The one that has the best seating only sells ice cream on a stick, and that’s one of my pet peeves. I don’t like the taste of wood with my ice cream. There are many ice cream vendors on 3 wheel bicycles. You know they are around by the sound of honking clown horn, but to get super yummy home made type ice cream you have to find the vendor with the galvanized tubs. Which is getting harder and harder to find unless you go out to Barre de Potsi.
We find we can get good ice cream at the movie theater across the street from us, the snack bar is open during the day when no movies are playing but in limited variety. For variety I like the one on the main drag by the plaza and basketball court that has some of the most unusual flavors I have ever heard of. They are more that willing to give you tastes of them too. I’ve tried several and so far I’ve liked them
Can you believe some of these flavors
all. Some of them seem really strange to be ice cream flavors, like cheese. While cheese ranks right up at the top of my favorite foods, cheese ice cream, I’m not so sure.
We used one of our raffle certificates from Sailfest to go out to dinner at La Puerta del Sol, a lovely spot high over La Ropa with what once would have been a fantastic view of the bay before the large building was built in front of it. It still has a nice peekaboo view of the sunset and a nice view of the lights of town. We had a very good meal mine of course being fish, but we sure enjoyed watching the couple next to us having there ceasar salad made right at their table. We wished we come later as Patricia Carrion was just starting her set as we were having desert. We have seen her before and really enjoy her style.
Last night we went to the movie in Ixtapa. The Senor prefers that theater to the one right across the street from us as it is modern. Me I have no problem with the quirky ancient theater across from us, but I liked it better when we first started going there as you could order chips and guacamole and watch while they made the guacamole fresh. Much better than popcorn, but unfortunately they no longer do it. We saw Birdman as there has been so much hype about it. Probably too sophisticated for our tastes, we didn’t care for it. 2 22 15
We hear it both ways, we see signs for both and do not know which is correct, or the source of the two names. But like the rose no matter what you call it, it is a wonderful way to spend a day. We headed out with 8 in our group to Paradiso Escondido as the proprietor Juan has become a friend of ours . He arranged for our transportation to the pier making it a much quicker trip than the bus we usually take. A boat ride later and a short walk down the sandy beach and we are ensconced under the palapa protection of the noonday sun . We all stake out our territory be it a lounge or table chair and prepare to do nothing more than read or converse and eat and drink.
8 amigos for a beach lunch
The beach is so relaxing it is so easy to do nothing. The Senor who is normally so out going that he makes friends standing in a ticket line, has been a bit of a recluse this trip, holed up in our room for days at a time watching TV. So it was good to see him out interacting with friends and making new ones. He spent half the day sitting at the next table making friends with folks from California.
It appears that I am the only swimmer in the group and impressed everyone when I swam out and around an anchored sail boat, I should have saved that swim for when the luxury yacht that laid anchor late in the afternoon and possibly made friends with them. But by that time I’d had a couple of margaritas and knew better. Dwight, Faye and I did go snorkeling on the back side where the colorful fish are. It is always a thrill to swim right
Buying beach silver
through a school of colorful fish, and if you bring cracker or tortilla crumbs they will eat out of your hand and swim all over you. The silver salesman had a good day, we all bought silver. I bought a ring as I leave all my gold rings at home when in Mexico. The shell man not so lucky , no one bought. Some young gals found some turtles
Juan was kind enough to return us to land in his own boat and requested we all wear life jackets something that never happens on the pangas. His concern for our safety was appreciated. He beached the boat making it easier for our group to exit the boat. Some of us prefer wading a bit in the surf to being hauled out of the boat to a pier that is 3 feet higher than the boat by a skinny young man who weighs less than half of us and is only going to get a few pesos if he is successful. That is always a scary situation, especially for folks with short legs and joints that no longer cooperate.
boat ride back
It was a wonderful day with great friends and the Senor and I returned to our casa to the smell of chicken cooking in our crock pot. A quick shower to remove the accumulated salt and sand. Then dinner and a movie from our pre-recorded movie library courtesy of our daughter April and her cleaver husband, who see to it that we are well stocked with entertainment. An absolutely perfect Zihua day. 2 20 15
A few days before Valentines Day little temporary shops spring up everywhere selling items for this day of romance.There are heart shaped baloons, stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes, beautifully gift wrapped boxes,lovely flowers and floral displays designed to help you impress your amour. Red, pink and white balloons decorate many of the restaurants as a reminder to make reservations. Being as it was a Saturday it was bigger than usual.
I had lunch plans with a friend and we managed to get the last table in the restaurant, somehow it had escaped us that it was this day of importance. Following our lunch and since I was in the neighborhood I was to stop and make dinner reservations at La Gula. Obviously the Senor is no “romantico” as I was the one making the reservations and we had a certificate for $250 pesos off on our meal there courtesy of a Sailfest raffle. Being as it was a special day they were doing a special 4 course dinner with choice of entree. I warned him in advance what it was but he still said yes make the reservations but I knew this wasn’t going to please him. The Senor is more of a meat and potatoes guy, considering 22 years in the navy, he is more comfortable in a ships galley than fine dinning. So I knew there would be an issue.
He likes me to do the ordering as I can do that much in Spanish. My mistake was I thought we were going to have a choice of soup or salad, and a choice of chicken or fish, but no it was explained that we get both soup and salad. The senor says “Tell them no soup, it’s too much food, just the salad. I explain to him he’s paying for it, he is going to get it, and he doesn’t have to eat it. Our dinner was excellent, but he commented he would rather have a bigger salad and no soup.
blooms pop open only at night
No visit to Calle Adelita is complete with out a visit to the Cereus tree which only blooms at night. One night we actually watched as they began to pop open. It reallywas a good evening followed off with nite caps at the Flophouse Bar.
Zihuatanejo 