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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

Street Art, Ixtapa Island and Chula Vida

One of the pleasures of being a pedestrian in Zihuatanejo and varying your route from time to time is running into unexpected visual treasures. They may be in the form of architecture, flora and fauna, or wall art. One of the problems of being a pedestrian is that at times you feel like a visual target for the Mexican motorists,or maybe just open season on gringos. Anyway to avoid a particularly problematic street crossing I decided to adjust my route back from the swimming pool and that’s when I discovered this lovely street art. The long wall is actually the far side of El Pueblito, the others are located at the front side of El Pueblito just past their big wood door.

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With the Senor not feeling up to par it has been a great pleasure to have friends to go

places with. Bonny and I did Ixtapa Island. It is one of my most favorite beaches as I can swim out and around where the sail boats moor and then go snorkeling on the other side of the island where the fish are beautiful and plentiful. On our return we watch as a generous fisherman was feeding the pelicans.

We visited ChulaVida yesterday with our friends and neighbors Will and Sylvia. We had been looking forward to this trip as it always is a bit of an adventure. We bused to the airport and planned to wait their for the pasajera for the trip along Playa Blanca. The Senor

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Fish

Waves that would suddenly shoot horizontally

was up for this trip,but struggling with sciatica pain so we choose to wait in the little restaurant for the truck.Several taxi drivers tried to get our business but we choose to wait for the far less expensive pasajera. Well I think we got “Tom Sawyer-ed” as we were quite sure we could see from where we were when it would turn around but we also thought either the man at the fruit wagon or the taxis might signal us.Secretly I think they told the driver to turn around and then told us it came and went. No harm ! We took the taxi and got there just the same. After some mango daquris which were so thick they were almost a meal in itself we had a delicious fish pronounced “wahoo”, don’t know how to spell it correctly but it was very good with a side of ratatouille. The Senor seemed to be in a bit of a hurry to get back so we didn’t stay for the sunset, disappointing, but I try to understand his discomfort. Every day is a good day, every day is an adventure here in Zihuatanejo. Signing off, KO

Las Playas very different from “Beaches”

Even before coming to Mexico I enjoyed going to the beach whether it was a lake or on the Pacific coast. In my youth it was beach parties at Stinson Beach or Lake Berryesa. Family vacations to Lake Tahoe and Donner Lake. My folks retired to Twain Hart and so I spent much time with my children at their lake beach. All of these trips would consist of bringing a beach towel, maybe a floatie and a cooler or picnic basket and the main activity was swimming. Then I came to Mexico and find a whole different scene.

The beaches here are one palapa restaurant after another. Tables with chairs and lounge chairs are provided by the establishment for your comfort. You can spend your whole day at the beach and not even need a beach towel. Last Sunday 7 of us enjoyed a day at El Marlin on Playa Ropa,only 2 of us ever went in the water. We all enjoyed beer and drinks all served ice cold by the friendly staff, lunches of everything from fish fillets to hamburgers and club sandwiches were ordered for lunch. On a hot day there is no place better to be than a beach side palapa restaurant with always present on shore breeze cooling you, plenty of people watching to be had and a circle of good friends. Swimming is just an option and not the focal point for many. I like Mexican Playas!

The latest sand sculpture at the Zocolo has a valentines theme. Valentines day is a huge

event in Mexico, the stores are full of trinkets, candy and balloons. Extra booths are set up all over town. My contribution to Valentines day was to cook my husband his first every quail egg omelet. He is normally the breakfast chef and it surprised me he got out of his

ingredients for a 24 quail egg omelet

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comfort zone, to ok the idea of quail eggs. If I do say so my self it turned out wonderful. Signing off KO

SAILFEST

Chili cook off

The cactus is made from zucchini, pea pods and rasberries

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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

It’s Sailfest and I’ve Been Busy

Super Bowl Sunday the men in our building planned to watch the game at Fireball a newer bar on Ejidio just 2 blocks from our apartment. It was chosen because of its wall projection TV, but also because it was new and maybe not so crowded. Well it was crowded, but they discovered the owner is a very congenial fellow from Minnesota and a nice new establishment. The ladies of Casa del Mar plus an additional friend choose to spend Super Bowl 50 at the beach restaurant Tata’s. It was Myra’s last day in Zihuatanejo and she wanted all the beach she could get. We had a great time visiting, eating and enjoying Mango Margaritas and Daiquiris.

That evening M-Dock band was doing a free concert at the Zocolo that was hugely attended.Since we could hear the music perfectly from our balcony I avoided the crowds and enjoyed it from home. The welcome party was the next evenings event with the Expressions Inmune providing the music.

This is the young Mexican band that started playing in the street, got their first “professional gig” with Sailfest several years ago and are now playing in many of the local restaurants. I did my third day selling T-shirts, concert tickets and such today. The live auction was tonight, but it has been a little too rich for my blood the last few years. And of course the Senor isn’t feeling up to going anywhere.

Took the Senor to the Doctor again today. Medical practice is certainly is different here. The doctor actually took his blood pressure instead of an assistant. This time the doctor prescribed a series of 3 cortisone B 12 and some pain medicine for his on going sciatica. So we went to the pharmacy to fill the prescriptions, took 2 pharmacies to get both, then went to the pharmacy next door when the shot was administered and where he will return today and again tomorrow to complete the process. So far no fantastic results, but we are hopping. She mentioned that he should get another ct scan, but there is no ct machine in Zihuatanejo. I can’t remember where she said the closest one was.

That really surprised me. Actually I’ve been in Mexico long enough that very little truly surprises me, but so many thing I do shake my head in bewilderment. Signing off KO

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

I was up a little earlier than usual, it was one of those mornings that was so still, nothing was moving. Then from the hillsides of Zihuatanejo I could hear the roosters crowing, which in turn woke the dogs and started them barking, which in turn work up the people, and then came the glorious orangy, pinky, purple sunrise and the people of Zihuatanejo prepare for another day.

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I love the sunrises and sunsets here. As of yet I don’t think I’ve quite caught either at their most magnificent orangy pink. But I keep trying. The foreground from our apartment isn’t the best, but I’m just after the colors.

One of the things I like about walking everywhere is the little things you see. As I pass it every day on the way to the pool,

I’ve been watching this Guanabanana tree that is growing up out of the dirt beside a light pole along one of the busiest main drags here. It is producing fruit like crazy, and some one is harvesting it, I just don’t know when it is ripe an ready for picking or I would be picking it.

My big excitement was finding the pool has now strung the ropes length wise. Ever since I’ve been using the pool it has been roped cross wise which I have never seen anywhere else. But now you can swim long course which are 50 meter laps It is so pleasant to turn up my music and zone out and swim.

I need to pick up eggs at the mercado.I used to buy a dozen at a time and he would pick them out ,weigh them and put them loose in a plastic sack,now I buy quince (15) and they come in a half flat, easier for him and me. The avocados here are to die for, always perfect. I have my fruit man pick them out for me. I ask “un por hoy, un por mannana” so I have one for today and one for tomorrow. I bought a package of cut up veggies, everything from cauliflower to diced squash. It’s probably scraps from stuff they were needing to discard. When I took off the plastic wrap it mushroomed up and out and I ended up with 3 baggies of cut up veggies. Cooked up one as a stir fry and it was really good, one I’m saving for chicken in a pot tomorrow and one I gave to the neighbors. Signing off KO

Two Parties, One Night

I finally made it to Rossy’s for the sunset show.

Steve and Frendz were featuring Kim Marcoux last night. Having seen her last year with Al Alto, I knew I didn’t want to miss this show, but I had made previous plans to be at Jimmy Mamou’s birthday party at the Baracruda. Not being one to want to miss out on anything I managed to do both because one was a before dark event and the other an after dark party.

The Senor and I rarely go out to La Ropa, it’s more difficult for us to get to. Either a bus ride or a taxi to to get there. Where here in El Centro we can walk everywhere. But right now walking is very difficult for the Senor, he is experiencing sciatica again and this time quite severely. So he is rarely going anywhere.

Steve and Friendz were in fine form, inspiring many dancers.

Their music makes us feel young, brings backs memories of our previous lives.I wish I could have stayed to the end of the show. I do like the time frame of the sunset show, and Rossy’s is a beautiful location as long as you are

under a palapa for shade and catching the cool breeze off the bay.

As always Jimmi Mamou is always high energy, fun music also

of an era most of us remember well. He had everyone up and dancing with or with out partners. The event was videoed so we all have that to look forward to. Well, maybe. Signing off KO

I’ve Been Busy

My friend Bonnie and I went snorkeling at Ixtapa Island on Wednesday morning, got a nice early start meeting her at the bus stop at 9:00. We checked in with the folks at Paradisio Escondido, staked out a claim on a table and a couple of lounge chairs for later and walked over the hill to the Coral Beach, the better snorkeling area.

Saw beautiful fish! I saw a small school of what I will call ghost fish. They were so white and so thin, almost transparent yet large in size. I almost didn’t see them util I was in the midst of

them. Bonnies saw what she called a trumpet fish, along slender fish with a trumpet shaped face. A little sangria, a wonderful breaded fish fillet we shared, a little swimming, sunning and reading and we headed back to town.

Thursday way our big night on the town. Dinner was at Don Nemos and because it was quite full we sat upstairs in the “Campanile” or bell tower. I really like the fish fillets there, it’s probably one of my most favorite places to eat. The Senor had lasagne. It always amuses me that the Senor comes to Mexico to eat Italian food. From there we had night caps at The flophouse, another favorite place. We had a second night cap at a new place a few doors down called Fireball. The Senor and the other gentlemen in our building have made a reservations there for the Super Bowl as it has full wall projection TV.

Friday I had some shopping to do at the Comercial and this was the first time I had ever seen eggs other than chicken eggs in a store. I really wanted to buy a carton, but I know the Senors eating habits and quail eggs isn’t on the list.

Friday afternoon I was back selling T-shirts for Sailfest and hawking concert tickets. I am looking forward to Sailfest starting Sunday, a whole week of interesting events. Most are things I can do and enjoy even if the Senor dosen’t feel up to them.

At the last minute I discovered that Friday night was the Bomberos Street Fair on Calle Adelita, so after selling T-shirts I hurried back to the apartment, quickly fixed our dinners so I could go the the street fair. They have had them the last couple of years to raise funds for more and better equipment for the firefighters, but for one reason or another I’ve never managed to attend. I knew the Senor would not want to go, to far for him to walk with his siatica acting upwalk and no guarenteen of a place to sit. Well I was impressed! This event is huge. I wish I had arrived much earlier and could have found a place to sit with friends, but every table and chair was taken. The young Mexican band, Expression Inmune, that we have followed since they used to practice in the street under our balcony was the band and a dance contest was in progress. I was so impressed of the stamina of a couple of older gentlemen who managed to keep up with their very cute, very young dance partners. Maybe that is just self explanatory in its self. Anyway it was a great fun event , next year I want to go with some friends, get there when it starts, and really enjoy it. Signing off KO

She Flew the Coop

My balcony pigeon has flown away with out so much as thank you for the food and company. She has been sitting on a nesting spot she made in our planter box since we arrived mid December. There never were any eggs. She was there last year too. She had grown quite comfortable with me talking with her in the mornings and evenings, seemed to appreciate the crackers I left for her. The Senor thinks it is strange that I would talk to her in full sentences and ask her questions, but she was kind of like a substitute pet while we are away from home.

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Not only is the pool full up with water but it is also circulating, my only ~~complaint~~ comment now is the roof they put over the pool keeps the sun out and the water cold. I’m happy. The locker room at the pool leaves everything to be desired, doors are falling off and missing on the toilet stalls, but the Mexican people are resourceful and they have re-purposed a couple of them to use as white boards at the pool.

Now about the “animal farm” I’ve been speculating on. Things have changed, much of the lot has been cleared of debris and it had been raked into a pile. The brush has been stacked sort of in front of a fenced area that has a trap or blanket draped on the fence and lo and behold behind this

fence I was able to catch a glimpse of a goat, a kid and a turkey. It appears they are all well, but now behind this enclosure where I can no longer watch them. I will miss my daily observations of them, but I’m sure someone official told them to get their act together. Mystery somewhat solved. Signing off KO

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