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The Senor does not handle adversity well.  This was not his best day.  He is always the breakfast cook, in the 15 years we have been married I have never fixed breakfast for him. In the middle of frying the eggs it became apparent that we were about to run out of gas. Before the gas was gone the eggs were done and then the microwave quit during the nuking of the bacon. Anyone who has ever camped with us understands the seriousness of this situation.  The Senor is completely frustrated with the “cocina”  gods! To sooth his ruffled nerves I promised to report our deficiencies to the management as soon as I was showered and dressed.  There was still enough hot water for my shower, but by the time the Senor entered the shower it was luke warm at best.  Actually he handled it all much better than one would have thought.

So after reporting our problems to the management, we were headed to La Madera to meet up with our balcony neighbors and friends that are staying at La Madera.  On the way this cute, small, scruffy, wire-haired street dog joined us and with no encouragement followed us to the beach where we soon lost track of him.

Our Madera friends were no where in site so we decided to lunch at a pavilion restaurant there, not quite sure of the name, but it was quite elegant for a beach restaurant.   And their prices were equalLy elegant. The Senor is never impressed with elegance, but took it in his stride and we had a nice lunch. 

They first brought out this leg of an animal with the hoof still attached and offered to slice us some Serrano ham off it, we gracefully declined. The gentlemen had hamburgers and the ladies had soup.  Small bowl, large price.  tasty, but small.

Our friends arrived and we joined them on the sand under a palapa and a beach umbrella and had a lovely visit, and watched our scruffy dog friend play with a young boy in the 3-5 age bracket.  It was really very sweet. They chased each other, boy would throw a plastic bottle, dog would retrieve, they would run in the surf and play with a surf board which dog retrieved from the water, plopped it on the sand and then had trouble picking it up again.  He could flip it up, but not get a good enough grip on it to drag it around. so he tried to bite the end of it off and thats when boy’s papa came and got the surf board. Boy and dog resumed the games of chase and splash when large man came and scooped the dog up and waded out into the surf and proceeded to dunk the dog in the surf or throw him into the waves only to retrieve him again and do it again.  The senor was just about to go talk to large man when boy’s papa came out and talked to him.  Dog was released but not going near large man or water. Dog then found a bird flying just above him and the chase was on, dog being young was very fast and bird was high enough that he was in no danger, but we worried about large man. So the Senor decided it was time for us to return to our apartment and we would get the dog to follow us and out of the reach of large man. But scruffy dog prefered playing with boy and birds and he chose not to follow us even though the offer was made.   I really would have liked to held large mans head under the surf and see how much he liked it!

Upon return to apartment, we have gas for cooking and hot water, and a replacement microwave is on our door step.  All is right with the world.  And just when I thought  I had pictures mastered,  the captions get screwed up. Never a boring day in sunny Zihuatanejo Signing off KO

On my early morning walk to feed my flock of chickens I passed by the school and watched as Moms and Dads walk their children to school, holding hands with children in crisp white uniforms, some arrived in taxi’s with their children, the families all waited in front  of the school until it was time for class to begin when the children went in and the parents went home, or to jobs or whatever their day involved. It appeared there was food vendors there for a last-minute breakfast or maybe to buy lunches. Families are very important here. I believe this school to be a very good one.  Not all are like that as a couple of years ago I had an opportunity to visit one of the schools that “Sailfest” has raised funds for. It was way up in the hills, one building was very substantial cinder block type building that SailFest funds had  helped to build, the other 2 shacks or sheds more fit for livestock than children.  But there were the happy faces of children learning, no crisp uniforms here, but moms were there to help with the lunch program.

Yesterday was very busy as it was laundry day.  Now at home the Senor does our laundry, and bless his heart he volunteered to keep on doing it here. Except at home Saturday is laundry day and here it is Monday probably because we packed enough clothes for a week and we arrived on a Monday. So he loaded it all into the rolling cart , rolled it through the bumpy streets of Zihuatanejo it to the “launderia” and promised faithfully to return and pick it up at 5PM. On the return trip he had to pass by the Flophouse Bar, and of course stop to visit with our neighbors who were there to hear the blues.   Laundry is a tough job, but someone has to do it.

We visited several shops for the Senor to purchase a pair of shorts and a shirt.  We have learned the fabrics they have here are much cooler, and pack easier than the jean shorts he wears at home and loose shirts are cooler than T-shirts. They also come back from the laundria ready to wear, no ironing necessary.  Also part of that is the casual attitude that we have learned to embrace here, nothing needs to be spit shinned, perfect creases that were so much a part of his uniformed life for  20 many years aren’t required here.  Life is good!

The little shops or “tiendas” that we visited don’t carry an extensive inventory and it wasn’t possible to get both shirt and shorts in one store but now both the Senor and I equipped with a full week of a Mexican wash and wear wardrobe.  beginning to feel like a local.

We dined at Daniels as the Senor was wanting steak and they have it for an excellent price.  As luck would have it they were busy but our Canadian neighbors were there and graciously let us join them. Not being meat eater I went for the “fish in broth”.  I really like trying new things and I was impressed.  In my bowl of broth, that was very tasty, there was a whole red snapper cut in two pieces. Really a great meal except for the thing I thought might be a carrot, it was a pepper, hot, not to my liking at all.  But then if you don’t try, you don’t know.

We ended the evening with a couple of shots of tequila at what I refer to as “the gathering” in front of Javiers liquor store/scooter rental and then on upstairs to call it a day.  Just another great interesting day in Zihuatanejo. Signing off KO

PS I think I’ve mastered locating pictures, it’s only taken me 2 weeks!