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Changing Sounds and Growing Tomatos

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Sunrise from our roof top

I am an early riser, frequently up long before the sun. I used to say the roosters would wake the dogs and the dogs would wake the people and that is how Zihuatanejo comes to life each morning. But I’m not hearing roosters this year, and I miss that, but I still hear the dogs. Another sound I miss is the musical sound of the gas man as his horn tooted the “charge call ” followed by him calling out GAAAAAAZ. Some mornings we hear revelry from the Navy base, that’s familiar music to the Seniors ears.

Frequently I wake up to the scritch scritch of the street sweepers as they clean our street, shortly followed by the bakery man singing out “bollios” as he winds his way through the streets. He will be followed by the coconut man calling “coco, coco”.We have a neighbor with a parrot which adds a whole cacophony of interesting sounds. Next the sound of metal garage style doors being rolled up as one by one shops and restaurants begin to open. I still hear the tin whistle sound of the knife sharpener and the clown bell sound of the ice cream vendors. But I haven’t heard the steam whistle sound of the sweet potato man yet this year. All these sounds make up the rich fabric that makes Zihuatanejo so special.

The Senior’s tomato farm is flourishing, the Senior noticed his first tomato today. Granted it is the size of a pea, but the photo shows not only one

tomato, but two. Retirement is such fun, you get excited over the simplest of things. Signing off KO

Beach Days Are the Best

There is nothing like a day at the beach with good friends, sunshine, swimming and cool 26231495_1227564964047168_6684048461664235721_n drinks just can’t be beat. A table with a white table cloth was set up in the water for us to enjoy our drinks with our feet in the water. You actually do stay very cool even in the sunshine that way.

There is nothing quite as tasty as a beach margarita and with a banana boat in the background.

But to add to the excitement we had to take a ride on that banana boat. Five of the six of us ladies decided we had never done this and the time was right. So 10 folks got on the banana boat and the boat driver fastened the rope to his ankle and then swam out to the boat that would be pulling the banana while towing 10 of us on the banana. Quite a strong swimmer. He then climbed in the boat attached the tow from banana to the tow boat and we were on our way up and moving, well almost. The tow rope broke reminding Vickie that this was her second water mishap as their water taxi died mid channel and had to transfer to another boat then and there. But no problem the tow rope was retied and away we went. Got a fast, bumpy ride all around the bay and no one fell off. We were very proud that we all hung on.

I was very excited to try out my full face snorkel mask with my go pro attached only to discover the disc was full. Oh well maybe Monday at Isla Ixtapa I can photograph the fish. Still it was a great day. Signing off KO

Creepy Things

Sometimes things happen that just give you a creepy feeling and set your imagination running wild. I’m a daily lap swimmer, most mornings around 8 you will find me at the “Alberca Olympica”, Zihuatanejo’s Olympic size community pool. Usually there are 3-4 lap swimmers, always the “pool dude” who has a student or two he is working with. And occasionally high school swimmers arrive for training. This morning I arrived at the pool about 15 minutes later than usual and no one was there. No “pool dude” no swimmers, I didn’t even see any of the usual maintenance people. It was empty. So I decided to use the “pool dude”s lane as it is the only one that the sun hits and is a tad bit warmer. Since they covered the pool the water in the morning is cold. I figured I’d swim in that lane until the “pool dude arrived and he would then run me off. He has a charming way of getting my attention. He just shouts hey, hey until I look up and points to another area of the pool and I dutifully move, never sure if I’m complying with what he has requested as I don’t understand his rapid fire Spanish. So I swam a few laps, and no one came, I swam a few more laps and no one came. Now I’m a pretty fair swimmer, I usually swim for 45 minutes but even though I had my music going on my swim I pod, Creedence Clearwater couldn’t keep my mind off the “what if”s” What if I got a bad cramp, what if I had a heart attack no one was there to help. Since my first swim lesson at 5 years old I’ve been taught you never swim alone, and here I was 70 some years later in an Olympic size pool swimming all by myself. Then the imagination came to play, why was no one there, did someone plant deadly fish in the pool, is the water toxic on and on like that until I said enough and cut my swim short. The only person I saw there, was as I was leaving, the friendly maintenance man. He was just arriving and joked that maybe everyone was still on holiday. I was very disappointed in myself for cutting my swim short as my “Sharkfest Swim” is just a week and half away and I need to be in good shape for it but I also need to be safe.

After a trip through the Mercado to get fruit and vegies I get back to our apartment, fixed breakfast and as we sit down to eat our attention was directed to the movie theater rooftop.

A very large dark bird had landed. Obviously we are easily entertained as our breakfast got cold as we kept trying to decide what he was and why he was there. Thankfully we have a camera with a telephoto lens and the ability to zoom in once the picture is on the computer so we could decide with certainty that it was a vulture breakfasting on a dead pigeon. It surprised me that several other pigeons calmly stayed around while one of there own was being devoured, but then I believe Vultures aren’t hunters but scavengers.

They are like crows, part of the “waste-management” of the animal world and do provide a useful service. Creepy, but useful! Signing off KO

Awesome New Year Celebrations

New years 2018 has to be some of the biggest crowd Zihuatanejo has ever seen. And from my point of view the best behaved New Years crowd hands down, I’ve been to private parties with more over drinking, pushing, shoving and squabbling than I witnessed last night.

The night was warm with a bright full moon already decorating the sky as folks strolled through the streets, some on their way to dinner at restaurants, many just out strolling and socializing others, selecting street food and a blanket on the beach. There were young people, old people, children and babies. Teenagers in groups, tourists both, gringo and Mexican nationals, lots of Mexican Nationals. Part-timers like us socializing and resuming friendships from past. Everyone enjoying the balmy night and anxiously waiting the start of the fire works. The sidewalks and streets of El Centro were jammed with people and the restaurants kept expanding as one more white table was mysterious pulled from some back hideaway along with a set of chairs to accommodate another family wanting to dine there.

Music was everywhere, large speakers at the Zocolo made sure everyone could hear music whether they wanted to or not. Every bar had it’s own music, bands, recorded music and then of course the strolling street musicians.

At Daniels, where we were it was the great Jimmi Mamou.

About 11:30 folks began setting off their own personal fire works, mostly firecrackers and anything that makes horrible noise. At the stroke of 1200 midnight the firework displays began from Playa La Ropa, Playa La Madera and Playa Principal simultaneously. The sky became one color burst after another, going on and on and on. Fantastic! When it was over the crowd moved off the beach, some going to dance at the Zocolo other headed back to their lodgings, us back to our apartment.

There was no officials to direct traffic, no “in and out” lanes, no one checking for bottles or weapons, no children or small dogs were trampled. Everyone just seemed to move on to where they were going in a surprisingly orderly fashion, especially considering we were elbow to elbow with folks going in many different directions and a large

Folks on the beach waiting for fireworks

portion of them celebrating with some form of alcohol. Zihuatanejo was on her very best behavior! Happy New Year to all. Signing off KO

Confessions of a former Christmas Junkie

I have always loved Christmas. I loved the lights, the glitter, the excitement and always made it a full on production for my kids which wasn’t always easy as their Dad could be a bit of a grinch about it. . The stocking stuffers were a big thing with my 4 children, a tradition I carried on into their adulthood, soon realizing the fortune I was spending on the little funny stuff would be better spent getting them something useful.

Once the bulk of gift buying was under control I could then busy myself with outfitting a couple of Barbies in all the latest fashions, often not starting my sewing until 9 or 10 at night and sewing until the wee hours of the morning. There were Christmas dresses for the girls to be made, new vests for the boys. The house had to be decorated, a tree had to located and cut down and decorated. Black Friday shopping was a must. Packages had to be wrapped and some to Post Office. Holiday meal for 10 or twelve folks to be prepared and lots of pumpkin pies, (my specialty) to be made from the Halloween pumpkins. From Halloween to Christmas was a constant whirlwind of activities with Thanksgiving thrown in in the middle along with November and December kids’ birthdays.

And I loved it, even when it just became the Senior and I. We decorated the house, eight storage boxes, six more for the outside decorations.We did look festive! But with our children and grand children scattered over 5 states and one foreign country there was no more big holiday gatherings and we began to say why? Why are we doing this? And the answer was habit!

Now we have developed this wonderful new habit. Christmas in Zihuatanejo. Two poinsettias and a nativity scene and we are decorated. Christmas dinner with friends is a sharing of cooking between our small mexican kitchens. We now do much of our Christmas shopping while sitting in the shade of a palapa on a warm beach and let the “stores” come to us. It’s so easy to buy lovely jewelry for the ladies in our family and before we arrive home in March most of the Christmas presents have been bought. We no longer have to contend with pushy, stressed out holiday shoppers, just happy beach crowds. Life is good, no stress, no mess. Merry Christmas to all! Signing off KO

OUR BALCONY TOMATO FARM

Our balcony has two planter boxes, one has some shrubbery growing in it the other is just dirt. We decided it would be fun to grow a tomato plant in the other, but we have never seen tomato starts anywhere local.

While shopping at the Bodega we found tomato seeds and a bag of “starter dirt” and decided to give it a try.

The dirt in the planter was hard and dry and had a lot of broken tiles in it but we loosened it up spread a layer of “starter dirt” sprinkled the seeds, and added another layer of starter dirt and hand

sprinkled it so as not to flood it and wash the seeds away.

The senor was insistent that we needed a sprinkler can. So I took a plastic water bottle using a needle punched a lot of holes in the top /cap end, filled the bottle up with water

put the cap back on and we have a great sprinkler bottle. After 2 days we have sprouts

After a week we have little tomato plants but a ton of grass also. So some judicious weeding took care of that and 10 days into this project we have 6-8 inch little tomato plants growing happily in the sunshine. Who knows we might get a tomato by mid March when we leave.

Signing off KO

Ixtapa Marina Where the Big Yachts Dwell

Having heard about the Ixtapa Marina, and the big expensive yachts that moor there naturally I wanted to go and see how the other half live. Our friends Faye and Paul offered to be our “tour guides” on this breakfast adventure as they knew the places to go on this adventure. So off we are on the Ixtapa/Marina bus where our first stop was the liquor store, probably the largest liquor store in the area, huge selection, prices seems normal and it also has so some interesting goodies.

Next stop “The Oyster Bar” well at least until 1:00 when it becomes Fishers with a whole new set of prices. The menu was full of items I had never heard of. While I am a believer that ” breakfast is what you call a meal with out wine” but here this menu had 3 suggestions under the heading BREAKFAST COCKTAILS. Now how can you refuse that! I ordered a Pepenillo or something spelled similar to that . It was

Tangeray, cucumber and lime soda and probably the most refreshing drink ever created beautifully served in a large green rimmed glass. So pretty and tasty that Faye found it necessary to have one too.

I always enjoy trying something new so I ordered a poblano enchilada with eggs which arrived on a large platter smothered in a delicious sauce. It was super good, but too much so I was able to share some with Paul and Faye. The Senor, who rarely tries anything new, stuck with his fish tenders refusing my offer to share with him.

We had a great view of the marina with all the big expensive yachts. This is quite a change for us coming from Puget Sound, the small boat capitol of the world were every marina is jammed full but not many of these big boys.

This is definitely a place to revisit. Signing off KO

Día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

For the past several evenings the fire works begin about 5 o’ clock, not so much the pretty kind just the loud booming ones. This goes on for a couple of hours for several evening in a row. So along with the noise I discover there are lovely processionals were groups bring their shrine of “Our Lady of Guadalupe” to the Church to be blessed. The shrines arrive on floats, some motorized some hand carried, decorated with flowers and balloons accompanied by the folks that belong to that organization, business or family. Many participants are dressed in beautiful embroidered, traditional clothing. They carry candles and sing in unison as they march through the streets to the church. It’s really quite beautiful.

This has been going on for several days and will culminate tonight around midnight or so I’ve been told, as tomorrow is the the Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe which originates back in the 16th century when the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego and asked that a shrine be built in her honor. I grew up in the Catholic religion, but we never had any beautiful, interesting processionals, I love the colorful processionals, the floats and the candle lit singing, but I could sure do with out the loud explosions. But the Mexican

people love color and noise. Signing off KO

NEW APARTMENT

After 10 plus years in our current apartment we are making a change. We have contracted to rent the new apartment year round. It is a one bedroom, definitely bigger than our current studio. Among the biggest pluses are only one flight of stairs, a cab can pull up to the door. No more schlepping groceries almost a full block from where the taxi stops and then 3 flights of stairs. A cool breeze blows through the apartment so we will be less reliant on the air conditioner and we are still only a block and half from the bay. Oh, it only costs half of what we pay now. Along with the pluses there is a minus or two, we are a block further away from where we are now and our balcony now looks over a street with traffic instead of just pedestrians. We will miss the daily camaraderie of the folks in our building,. While we still only plan to be there 4-5 months we will be able to leave our personal belongings in place, acquire as much personal stuff as we need to make ourselves as comfortable here as at home. It also allows for the possibility that family or friends might want an opportunity to sample Zihuatanejo could take advantage of our apartment.

We are so excited with all the possibilities, but unfortunately we can’t move in in March like we hoped as it is rented March to April so we have to wait until next year to begin feathering our nest. Signing off KO

KAYAKING TO PLAYA LAS GATTAS

On the best of days it is difficult for me to disembark the water taxi on the Zihuatanejo side. The pier is way to high, it takes 3 men and a small boy to haul me up from the boat. Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciate the help. But this year due to the very recent knee replacement my knee just isn’t bending properly yet. And the thought of having someone yank me up to the pier causing my knee to bend more than it wants to is terrifying. But I love Las Gattas , swimming to there was out of the question as I have a great fear of twirling propellers and I decided the best way to go was to was to paddle there.

My friend Bonny thought it would be great fun, so we rented two kayaks and set sail. The Senior, not up for such an adventure, took the water taxi and he met us there. The beach at La Madera had big waves that day but Andreas took us out and showed us

when to start paddling to get over the waves and it was easy going from there. It was a beautiful sunny day, while the water was not flat it wasn’t too choppy either. About 40 minutes later we were pulling up in front of Gloria del Mar and my favorite waiter Jose pulled us in and stored the kayaks out of the way.

It wasn’t long after the Senior arrived and we had a lovely lunch of red snapper, I tried out my new full face snorkel mask. I think I’m really going to like it. I’m great in the water, but I can’t back onto the beach. Between the waves pulling me back, sand moving under my feet and stiff knees I feel a bit like a beached whale and needed the senior to come haul me up to a standing position.

With Jose’s help we relaunched the kayaks and paddled our way back to Playa La Madera. Here again we had breaking waves to deal with and I have to admit that Bonnie made a perfect landing, whereas I came in a little to much sideways causing my back pack to get a bit wet, but no harm. Next year I’ll remember to bring a dry sack. Signing off KO

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