Zihuatanejo

Saturday

A georgeus sunrise this morning. And errands to run and before I can get to my agenda. Went to pick up the laundry and they were just folding it. Yesterday when the Senor dropped it off he said we would pick it up manana instead of the usual 6 PM as every week we’ve forgotten to get it until the next day. Our clothes looked like they had either sat in a dryer all night or a laundry basket. Everything was wrinkled beyond belief. We’ve never had things wrinkled except for fold marks, we will see how it looks after it hangs for a day. Met with success at the bank-in-a-box, the line only had a half dozen people ahead of me, the night before there had to at least 20 people in line. We have found “Bannorte” to be user friendly for us so we continue to go there.

Now that the errands are accomplished I can go do what I had on my agenda and that is going to the Ecco Tianguis Saturday morning market. It’s noon by the time I get there and I’m hungry. One of the vegetarian items they are serving is a tamale cooked in and served on a banna leaf. It is very good, a tad spicey, but not too much. My purchases for today are a grapefruit for tomorrows breakfast and two pairs of earings which $60 pesos since Iwas buying two. I love this charming market, everything is either handmade, recycled and the food is vegetarian. My only issue is now that they are in ther school yard, there isn’t enough shade. It’s hot and back to our casa for a nap, followed by me cooking dinner of scollops and shrimp. Once again three scollops were over done as not all the shrimp was deveined and that took to much time whie the scolloped cooked. Classic example why I shoud be taken out to dinner every night, I am no cook. But that simply isn’t in our budget

Later my balcony neighbor and friend helped me set up my tablet and phone with a translator so maybe I can stop carring around a dictionary.

wrinklesbbbvv

NOT QUITE AN ORDINARY DAY

I woke up way before daylight on this last day of 2014, much earlier than usual especially since we stayed for the whole Jimmi Mamou show. We had planned to stay just for 1 drink. Anyway I read until time to go swim, was enjoying my book so much I considered not going. But good sense prevailed in the end, even though I had to make two trips back one for goggles, and one for camera. Sure glad I went back and got the camera. On the return trip from La Madera I saw a woman with a bright red t-shirt saying KITSAP on it which is the county the Senor and I are from so of course I stopped to talk with them and found out they bike in Kitsap bike events but are from Seattle, at the same time ran ran into the couple I’d met yesterday. So as we were walking back we noticed activity at the mouth of the canal. Turns out the “bomberos” (firemen) were called out to rescue an animal, and this was no kitty in a tree. But a very large looking crocodile with enourmous teeth. Now remember I had just been swimming a 10 minute walk away from this spot. A gentleman standing next to me said “Oh the almost never bother swimmers.” Not very reassuring. I decided I had a vested interest in having this crocodile relocated so I hung around until he was completely under control.

I was there for an good hour watching as the hunted him with ropes and grappling hooks in the water, finally getting him on land, but far from under control. They wrangled him for a good 20-30 minutes, loosing him once, gaining control again and making him roll over several times which seemed to be the way to get a rope around his snout tight. Then one climbed on his back, pulled the snout rope back bending the head way back and proceeded to get the more rope tight around his snout.Next they tied his feet over his back and at this point he was completely under control and the crowd walk around him some kids touched him and a very interested dog finally got to sniff him. One of the bomberos went for a truck to haul him away. What happens to him now I don’t know, I hope he doesn’t be come belts and steaks. Maybe I should check and see what’s barbecuing at the fire station. I do hope he just gets relocated. Many of the people here say you don’t need to do anything, he could have just been left alone and he would go back where he came from. I don’t know what is correct, or if they are endangered or protected species, or if they pose any danger to me as a swimmer. It’s a very popular beach where I swim so it can’t be dangerous.

Spent the rest of the day getting a manicure, reading and siesta-ing. The Senor made some stuffed celery and apples to take to the party tonight, had difficulties in transporting it as we had no box or Tupperware to get it there. Our friends picked us up and after driving the rough road way to La Ropa, and a short but rougher road to the hotel, the party tray survived, only a little worse for the wear. It was a very nice private party on the terrace of the Hotel Italiano high on La Ropa with a beautiful view and a live band. At home the neighbors would have called the “decibel police” out to shut us down for a band that played half that loud, but here the neighboring places came out on their terraces and balconies to enjoy or endure. We returned to town about a half hour before midnight to bring the new year in at Daniels and to watch the fire

works from the beach. The most spectacular fireworks display I have ever seen that lasted a good long time and more from La Ropa and more from La madera could all be seen at the same time.

There were also many, many flying luminarios. Its was amazing how high they fly. Happy 2015, Signing off KO

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO

After 2 week here in Zihuatanejo I am settling into a bit of a routine. I’m an early riser, I like to enjoy the sunrise from the balcony, take my morning supplements and swim 4-5 laps out and around the blue sailboat anchored there.It’s not as long as I swim at home but I feel the walk makes up for it. On my way back I stop for coffee at La Tregua. Why do I do this. Fear! Fear of gaining weight and fear of feeling old. Now I don’t mind being old, for that matter I rather enjoy the many privileges of being old, one of which is being semi retired giving me the luxury of time to be able be here. But let me tell you I don’t want to feel old, I would prefer not to look old, but I can handle that, I just don’t want to feel old. So I’ll swim, I’ll dance and participate in life rather than being a spectator for as long as I can.

After my swim i find a place to stop for coffee, this past week it has been La Tregua where the kind staff pours coffee from beautiful pitcher. As I return”a la casa” the Senor is rising and is ready to cook my breakfast. In 18 years I have never cooked his breakfast, he cooks for me. . After showering and dressing I’m ready for the day. Today I need to go to the fish market and get a white fish fillet for a fish dish I have mastered at home. This is a big deal as I’m not much of a cook. I’m supposed to have “cananelli beans” per recipe, but I’m using some white beans I found in El Mercado. If it turns out poorly, I guess I’ll blame the beans.

It’s also manicure day, I should have had my nails cut at the first manicure, but vanity prevailed and I thought I could let them be long as I’m not working or gardening. Big mistake! Include a short siesta , fixing dinner and that will just about take care of this day.

I’s just amazing how busy a vacation day can be. Signing off KO

ONLY IN MEXICO

Some things we see here just boggle the mind, things you would never see at home. The Senor with 22 years of Navy service has a strong safety ethic, something that is so frequently ignored here. In the grocery store we see folks stocking shelves by climbing on several cases of goods stacked on top of one another to get to the top shelves, or standing on crates on a flat dolly and pulling himself down the row as he needs to move on. Yesterday a box delivery truck was determined to drive down what is a pedestrian only street to make his delivery. This was accomplished by one person standing on the roof of the delivery van lifting the electric light cords to allow the truck to fit under. It was slow going, I think a hand dolly would have been quicker, but maybe there was no dolly.

Somethings we see only here are so wonderful, like vanilla ice cream. At home I would never order a plain vanilla cone, but her they are so rich and full of flavor and not pale white but a rich golden tan and yummy. My preference is still to buy it from the old gentleman who bushes the galvanized tub through the streets. There are many ice cream vendors, but his ice cream is my favorite.

From inside our apartment I can recognize the many different vendors by their calls, early morning you hear the call of the man selling the rolls, I still can’t pronounce the name he calls out, then the paper seller calling the name of the paper he is hawking, the knife sharpener wheels his grinding wheel through town with a tin whistle sound and the clown horn honk of the ice cream sellers. The produce seller is one of my favorites, I love buying fruit and veggies from his hand wheeled cart right at our door step. And his produce is always ripe to perfection. Signing off KO

THIS TOWN IS FULL OF MEXICANS!

That may seem like a strange statement since we are in Mexico, but Mexican tourist have arrive by the bus loads, big beautiful touring buses. I saw a row of at least 10 buses day before yesterday They have come from all over Mexico to spend their holidays at the beach. Families travel together, large extended families with grandparents, all their children, sisters, brothers, cousins down to babes in arms. They move through town in large groups of 15 to 20 people sometimes and the main goal seems to be the beach. I do hope they visit the restaurants as they all say business has been slow. But the streets are full, the plaza is crowed to the max and has some type of entertainment every evening.

Yesterday was a busy day trying to get the Senor more comfortable, his recent back surgery has not relieved his sciatica, and he was getting more and more miserable, and grouchy as one does when not feeling well. So we went to the doctor. This amuses me because last year when I had a sore throat and needed to go to the doctor he gives me the money and tells me to go. But when he needs to go It’s required that I go also. He makes fun of my taking Spanish classes, but it’s times like this that my exceeding limited Spanish is helpful. The Dr Speaks perfect English and thinks part of the Senior’s problem is that one leg is shorter than the other, he measured him and said a lift in one shoe would help. So we out to find the “ortopedia” store, (actually a neighborhood of 3 orthopedic stores) it was about 6 blocks away with a map and some directions, we got close but not quite there when a group of people walked by and the one in the group that spoke English asked if he could help us and while he wasn’t from the area but his friends were and knew where we needed to go and took us there. Mission accomplished, we got the heel lift. Later that afternoon when I went out to get the Senor’s prescriptions filled and had been to 3 pharmacies with no luck again I run into the same group who again offered assistance , or if I needed help with translations. I explained it wasn’t a language issue, just lack of supply. I’m always impressed how helpful people here are. Stand on any street corner and look confused and someone will come by and offer assistance. In turn when ever I see English-speaking folks looking for something I been coming here long enough I can frequently offer assistance.

I love grocery shopping here, and buying eggs in plastic bags amazes me.

While reading and napping in the late afternoon I set my glasses down on the bed and then later rolled over on them bending the frame, I’ve done this before here so I knew exactly where to go get them fixed. 20 minutes later they were fixed and it only cost 20 pesos (about a buck 35 cents). Just amazes me, the price of things, or people’s time.

By night fall the Senor was feeling better so we went out for dinner at The Captains Daughter and finished up the evening at the Barracruda listening to Steve and friends play.

Usually it is the ladies that take off their shoes to dance

Their music just makes folks want to dance. Signing off KO

TWAS THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS

Christmas in Mexico has been, fun, interesting and very different. There isn’t the “in your face” commercialism, not on the TV, not in the stores, and certainly not in the tiendas, the little shops. I had to look long and hard to find some interesting Christmas ornaments to bring home to my family. The big Comercial had the standard balls and a few

cheap decorations, but nothing special. But I did pursue and found some nice ones. Christmas trees here are interesting,

many are quite creative. I was disappointed that the church bell seems not to be working this year, with the church just round the corner I usually hear them. I misses that. We spent Christmas day much in our usual way, the Senor watching television, I went for walk, visited with friends at one of the beach front restaurants, feed the chickens, and found sweet street dog to

give our left overs to. The day was overcast at first then changed to sun, we ended our day watching movie just like we would have at home. But this time we watched on the computer transferred to the TV instead of going out to a theater. there are 2 theatres here, but none showing anything we liked in a language we could understand.

For the past several days there have been programs t the plaza, they last until 10 or sometimes later. None on Christmas eve as it would have been rained out. There is music, comedians and children programs and because of the mexicans love of loud speakers they can be heard from our balcony loud and clear. When it’s music it’s nice, but the comedians and other speakers tend to be a bit annoying. Last night I decided to go see hat the action was as it didn’t appear to be to busy. I’m not fan of tight crowds. Lots going on but not jam-packed but they little battery powered cars for kids to rent and ride around all over the plaza. to me it looked those carnival bumper cars turned out in public, with kids

creening all over, some running into each other purposely, some not on purpose. Absolutly crazy, sometimes you had to move quick to avoid being run over, but I don’t believe there is a mexican word for “liability”. Signing off KO

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM BEAUTIFUL IF NOT SUNNY ZIHUATANEJO

Yesterday it drizzled on and off all day, not the kind of rain that is cold or that gets you wet. But the skies were cloudy and it was definitely cooler. But by the time we were getting ready to go out for the evening the drizzle became rain. Not the tropical down pour that soaks you in minutes, just plain rain. It wasn’t cold, no wraps were needed but to keep dry getting to our destination, dinner,at Daniels, we had one street and the plaza to cross out in the rain. And who likes to arrive looking like a wet dog, so we used our beach towels as serape and arrived no worse for the weather. Everyone is grousing about the strange weather, they say it is never cloudy or rainy this time of year. The forecast is warmer today and back to normal tomorrow.

We had a great Christmas dinner, most of the folks we know were there. They moved all the tables inside, which made the dance floor small but adequate. As alway Jimmi Mamou’s music was outstanding. My lobster was good, the Senor enjoyed his turkey, even if there was no cranberry sauce, and the chicken and fillet that came with my lobster came home in a box for the Senor to enjoy today along with a large slice of rich gooey chocolate cake. There was a really great fruit salad that came with the meal. I could enjoy just that for another meal some time. sometime during the evening the rain stopped so we arrived back at our “casa” dry and no worse for the weather. I will admit it seemed strange to people wearing long sleeves and some folks in jackets and women wrapping up in shawls. It was cool, but not that cold. Had a brief chat with Santa on our way back, Signing off KO

IT’S CHRISTMAS EVE DAY

Woke up this morning to the sound of rain, it’s another cloudy day with a bit of a fine Washington mist now coming down. Not enough to get you wet, and it’s warm. I decided that I need to swim more or I won’t be in shape for Sharkfest in Troncones on Jan 10th. So at 7:30 this morning I went to Playa La Madera, just a short walk from where we stay and swam 3 laps out and back around a sailboat anchored out. This is to become my new morning routine. I can walk at other times, but there is almost no one at the beach at that time of the day and it is close to my normal home routine.

Since our TV service is not currently carrying the Senor’s favorite channel, I’ve learned to stream it from another source. I use the word learn loosely, more like just plain luck, but it keeps him happy and informed.

The Senor decided he needs a new white shirt to wear with his dress white shorts for our Christmas Eve dinner so we will do some brief shopping this morningand hopefully check in with the sand artist as I hope this rain hasn’t damaged his work of art. Meantime we are playing Christmas music on my I pod and enjoying our little Christmas display, feeling just “Christmasy” enough.

Met with success on our shopping trip, the senor got his new shirt and I learned that a “bolsa” is not only a bag or purse but also a pocket. Checked in with the sand carver, I’m so impressed. It’s been fun watching the progess and so glad the rain hasn’t hurt his work of art. He has brought me much enjoyment

Tonight we will join friends and enjoy a Christmas feast at Daniels, and enjoy the music of Jimmi Mamou FelizeNavidad from our casa to yours. Signing off KO

ESTA NUBLADO, IT’S CLOUDY

What a surprise, woke up to overcast skies yesterday morning and they lasted clear into this morning. I had originally planned to go swimming about 7:30 AM this morning at La Madera beach, but since it rained during the night I changed my mind. Rain can cause run off and muddy up the water. Instead with the cloud cover I anticipated a killer sunrise and headed to the plaza just before day break to capture it. In front of the plaza Christmas tree was this huge curious pile of sand all cordoned off.

I assumed it was for a sand artist to sculpt and envisioned a nativity scene some time in the future. I then went off to wait for the sun to pink up the sky and got a few shots, but nothing spectacular and decided to return to the casa, when what to my wondering eyes should appear but the sand had been carved in my absence and I had missed the whole event.

As I was trying to take pictures of it , which was quite difficult as I couldn’t get far enough away because of the yellow tape I now noticed the sky was a bright orangy pink as the sun was coming up. Quickly tried to get a few pics, but the color didn’t come out as vivid as reality. I felt like I was continually having my back to the best action of the morning. I find it difficult to believe that the carver did all that in my absence, but I’m sure I would have seen the sculpture if it had already been carved when I took the first picture. Mysteries of life.

One of the great pleasures of life here is the quantity, quality, and variety of fresh fruit as so reasonable. I love being able to go out our door and the fruit vender being right there. But equally interesting are the beautiful displays at the many “fruiterias” around the mercado. Here we eat avocados daily, we put them on everything except cereal. Signing off KO

Bought strrawberrries and avocados off this cart steps from our door step

SUNDAY SWEET SUNDAY IN ZIHUATANEJO

The Senor declared Sunday a day of rest, I’m not sure what makes it any different for him than any other day. Except this Sunday he plans to devote to football which due to our ongoing TV issues requires he retreat to his favorite watering hole, La Playa under the Captains Daughter.

Sundays are quiet here as many shops are closed, you get to hear church bells ring and see families out socializing. But none the less mostly quiet. It gave me an opportunity to attempt some organization of pictures on my new tablet. It’s so new it’s frustrating as I really havent learned to operate it quite yet. I’ve got some pictures on the tablet, someon my phone some on my camera and trying to get them all everywhere is difficult for the technologically impaired.

But as the Zihuatanejo sun begins to set this town comes alive again with mucho gusto. Families, young lovers, teenage Romeos sparking their girls, all heading to the Plaza and basketball court where every Sunday evening there are dozens of food booths selling interesting concoctions, most of which I have no idea what it is and of course there is the corn shucked from the cob into a styrofoam cup on which mayonnaise and hot sauce is the prefered topping. Personally I stick with the ice cream vendors and admire the handicraft wares and watch the kids painting ceramics or on easels. This goes on every Sunday all year-long.

This Sunday was particularly crowded, full of Mexican families, not many gringos. It was very difficult to get thru the crowds. At one end of the plaza many chairs were set out and as I got closer I realized it was a memorial to the 40 missing students. Each chair was empty except for a picture of a missing student taped to the back of the chair. Very moving and also disturbing. In fron of the display were 2 banners, with my limitted spanish i could only read one of them and it called for the removal of the president.

As I turned around there was a man making a scene, either drunk or crazy so I headed down the Malecon where it wasn’t quite so crowded walked to the pier and back, by this time the man had climbed to the top of the large Christmas tree and was sitting on the top holding on to a big ball yelling and gesturing. I kept waiting for him to fall, but he didn’t. The police came, looked at him, took his picture and left. I thought they would make an attempt to get him down for safety reasons, but the mexicans have a very relaxed attitude towards safety and he was left to get down on his own resources. And from what I hear he came down and the police arrested him in a heavy handed fashion. But I missed that action.

I went back to our “casa” watched a great movie “the Book Thief”. My daughter was kind enough to record about 20 movies on a small hard drive and send them to us before we left. It really was a day of rest. signing off KO

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