Tag: Zihuatanejo

A VISIT TO THE DOCTOR

As I am now a full time resident it was time to look for a doctor and establish a relationship. I selected Dr Salgado because of positive statements from folks who’s option I value and hoped I would agree with them. One of my priorities was my doctor would need to be fluent in English. When it comes to medicine and medical decisions there can be no room for language misinterpretation.

My appointment was made for a physical and a review of medication for Tuesday. Here in Mexico Dr offices are not necessarily grouped in large medical buildings but may be an apartment in an apartment building and are quite basic. Over my years in Mexico I have been to 3 or 4 different doctors offices and have been impressed with how very basic they are. No fancy art work on the walls, furniture so basic you think it may have been donated by the Salvation Army. Yet modern equipment. No frills. I like this, feels like it keeps the costs down. My doctors office is nice. but not fancy. He was through, even measured my bmi, did an in-office EKG and told me my results and gave me a copy my results for my records. I like that.

The next day I was scheduled for lab work. I arrived at 8, a half hour after they opened thinking no one would be there so early. Wrong! The office was crowded to standing room only and only the most basic of basic chairs for furniture. No one spoke English and I cannot yet converse that well in Spanish, so google translate had to help out. They were efficient and traffic moved quickly. I had a chest X-ray and the young tech showed me my X-ray and said it was bueno. Back in the US I would never see the X-ray itself and week or so later after the radiologist examined it I would get a message that would say it was ok or to return to my doctor. After my blood draw they told me I could return after 3:30 and all my results would be ready for me to pick up. And it is up to me to get them to my doctors office which I did as I had an appointment to wear an EKG halter for a couple of days for a more extensive EKG.

Dentist offices are very much the same, very basic office but equipment and procedures are just like north of the border. Dermatologist use lenses on their I phone that projects what they see on to a screen so you can see what they see. Pharmacies don’t require a prescription for anything short of narcotics. And the cost of medicines is considerably less. I have 2 very expensive medicines I take that are half the price here. All things considered health wise, I am very comfortable with my decision to reside here. Signing off KO

A SEASON OF FUN AND FRIVOLITY

This winter season is rapidly coming to a close, everyday it’s a “goodbye party” or another “last supper” as my friends pack and return to their other lives. This winter has been the most fun for me, I’ve been super busy with friends and events and it’s been a wonderful vacation. But now I’m ready to start the business of just living here in beautiful Zihuatanejo.

I have one more hurdle to jump before I can formally say Zihuatanejo is my home. I have an appointment with Migration on the 18th of April for my official Residency. It’s a little scary as this will determine if I can stay year round or if I will have to leave the country for a few days every 180 days as my tourist visas expire.

So what have I been doing, well I had a birthday. It was the most fun birthday party I have ever had, just one of those extra fun nights. I also attended many other birthday celebrations. Parties are more fun in Zihua!

Dancing with Miguel on my birthday
Getting a birthday kiss
Jimi Mamou on his birthday
Vicky dancing with Sue at Vicky’s party
So many beautiful cakes in Mexico

The food and the restaurants are good and plentifull which makes dining out one of the major activities. There are beach restaurants both feet in the sand type and and those with stunning views over looking the bay. I have never eaten out so much in my life, but I’m really enjoying it as cooking isn’t my thing. And cooking for one is about the worst.

Good friends and great places
Maderas a favorite at night
Lovely to look at but better to eat
Pool party buffet
Great presentation
Lunch companions at El Manglar

Ok, that’s a start, I’ll continue to play catch up Maybe holidays and events next time. Signing off KO

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY AND NOW IT’S ALMOST TIME TO GO

The March weather has been the best of the entire season being about 82 day time, but upon occasion a light wrap, if you are out at night, might be enjoyed.  Also quite a bit of wind sometimes needing to close one door or another to keep every thing from blowing around inside my apartment and no need to use a fan.  Ocean water temperature has definably dropped some, a little chilly as one enters.  
This has been the most fun season ever.  A continual whirlwind of parties, potlucks, beach get togethers, dinning out, dinning in with friends, more beaches and more friends.  I have not posted about all of it or taken many pictures of all the events as they are not of much interest to anyone but those involved. I have acquired so many good friends here in Zihuatanejo.
Afternoon with good friends at the lovely Casa Roja
I spend a lot of my personal time reading. Looking back through my kindle I’ve read 20 book on my kindle and one hard bound book and a couple of paperback books.  I prefer reading on my kindle, no reading light needed at night and my favorite feature is the dictionary.  I’ve always been to lazy to stop and open a separate dictionary and look up words I’m not sure of.  But with the kindle one touch brings up my word and all it’s meanings and pronunciations.  
I’m always hesitant to recommend books as everyone has their personal taste, but the ones that stuck with me as super enjoyable are Devoted by Deanne Koontz, The Tender Bar by JR Moerhinger, Sooley by John Grisham, and the Kite Runner, by Khalid Hosseni, and I read anything and everything by Ken Follett.
Now I am in my last few days as a “visitor” to Zihuatanejo, When I return in October Zihuatanejo will become my home. As soon as I get back to Washington I will file for temporary residency which will allow me to stay more than 180 days and gives me a few extra perks.
I will miss the three roof cats that hang out on my balcony. They have provided  me with great entertainment and enjoyment this year. While I have been supplementing their diets, one has shown me they will have no trouble returning to hunting as she leapt two feet in the air to bring down a pigeon mid flight.
The hunter, loves hiding in the plants
He is one of the black brothers
And he is the other black brother only difference is one’s coat is shaggy and the other is smoother

Signing off KO

SOME OF THE MANY PLEASURES OF “LIVING THE GOOD LIFE” IN MEXICO

One of my many pleasures I enjoy in Zihuatanejo, Mexico is the freedom to read. With so little responsibilities here I have no problem waking up in the morning rolling over and grabbing my book and laying there reading for a couple of hours before I get up. But then I am prone to waking up around 5 AM. At home I can’t do that, I have to get up as soon as I wake up. It seems like there is always something to do, places I must go, work to be done, schedules to be kept. At home in Washington I feel like I’m lazy if I just sit around reading. Like wise with the TV. It can’t be turned it on until the evening. Here I no longer feel compelled to be “doing something”. Here the living is easy!

Eating out and socializing friends has become one of my greatest pleasures. There are so many interesting people here from all walks of life and from all over the world who have done so many interesting things and traveled to interesting places. I’m finding I can do more of this since I now check out my books from my home library to down load to my kindle. I to purchase them of from Amazon. Sorry Amazon, but this has saved me a bundle as I read 5 or 6 books a month. And I love the dictionary feature that the kindle offers. I miss that when I do read a “book book”.

Swimming is one of my pleasures. I lap swim at the community pool where there is rarely more that a couple of other swimmers. It’s an Olympic size pool and because it is covered, it is cold in the morning at 9ish when I like to swim. I’m only doing about 10 laps which is about a third of what I used to swim and the pool is laned crosswise. Covid stopped me from being able to swim on a regular basis and now that I’m not training for anything I just swim for the pleasure of it. I also swim in the bay where the water is warm and salty. You just float like a cork.

Signing off KO

PLAYA BLANCA TO PLAYA LA ROPA

Spent a lovely afternoon at Escondite Resort and Beach Club on Playa Blanca for lunch and a dip in the pool at the suggestion of my friend Faye, who is alway up for something or someplace new and interesting. A beautiful location, a lovely pool, although a bit awkward to get in and out for those of us who are no longer graceful and prefer something to hold on to until safely ensconced in the water. Had a nice lunch, relaxing and watching the waves roll in.

  • Beautiful Pool at Escondite
  • Coconuts so orange they looked like pumpkins in the tree

Walking the beach at La Ropa I enjoyed watching the “sand architects” and following a baby turtles trek in the sand towards the towards the sea. I was happy to see the turtle rescue efforts on La Ropa. I can’t help but think with so many people wanting to help the turtles their numbers will increase.

Turtle tracks in the sand
Playa La Ropa Turtle rescue

When I arrived from a very raining northwest in October I happily hung my sunshine flag off my balcony to celebrate the change in weather but now it is getting on to Thanksgiving Time so again the flag is changed. Signing off KO (tip: tap the small pictures to enlarge)

IT’S JUST LUNCH

I love the big chair and the oversized swing along the pathway to Playa La Madera. Great photo opportunities. Playa La Madera is one of my favorite places for ocean swimming, but the waves seem bigger than last year. Hope they will settle down a bit as the season progresses.

Big chair on the way to Playa La Madera

At Playa La Madera my favorite place to eat is Maderas Restaurante where I enjoyed a great “fish ball” soup. Consistently good service and good food. I also like their onion rings, it’s a big enough serving to call it lunch in it’s self.

I have been enjoying a weekly “girls lunch bunch” at TaTa’s where the kabobs come highly recommended. Met several new faces, enjoyed lively conversation with group of very interesting ladies. But yesterday Mother Nature entertained us with an impromptu turtle release.

Right beside our table a tiny turtle poked it’s head up through the sand, someone quickly noticed it and gently started scraping the sand away, just a little bit at a time. A bucket of seawater was brought forth and as the hatchlings fought their way out of the sand they were deposited in the bucket.

In less than 20 minutes the nest had emptied itself and the bucket of swimming baby turtles was delivered to the edge of the bay were they begin their perilous journey to the ocean. If those that are female survive, a few years down the road they will return to that same spot to lay their eggs and the cycle start all over. I think the survival rate is about 1 in 100, very small but one can hope that some of this bunch may make it.

Swimming babies
And the journey begins

Signing off KO

Zihuatanejo life

I have been happily busy of late. Eating, swimming, and have even learned to play a board game. Friend and chef Tonio Diaz catered a fantastic Mexican dinner for a group of us at Casa Roja where friends are staying this year. The food was fantastic, the company great and the view to die for. I highly recommend Chef Tonio and Casa Roja.

Catered dinner with a this fantastic view

Couple of nights later a group of us enjoyed an excellent dinner at Casa Bahia again with that gorgeous view.

  • Dinner for 6
  • The view
Casa Bahia

I’ve almost become a regular at Playa Madera this year and have even acquired a bit of a tan. Well tan for me is more of a light beige. But none the less I have been getting large quantities of vitamin D. Even in these restricted times there are the strolling musicians but I must admit I never expected to see and hear a harp on the beach, it is just heavenly.

Heavenly harp music on the beach

Speaking of musicians, these two brothers are among some Zihuatanejo’s finest professional musicians. But here they play for the pure enjoyment of watching this tiny tot dance when they start to play. She stops when they stop and starts again when the music begins. I’m not sure who was enjoying this encounter more.

Dance to the music

Progress along Zihuatanejo’s waterfront is moving at a snail’s pace. Change is difficult to adapt to especially as many of us saw no need for this massive redo. At this point the entire waterfront is torn up from the museum to where the fishermen are. Not one segment of it has been completed. Some how it strikes me that if they would complete some part of it and show that the end product is going to be truly lovely, it might ease a lot of minds. Right now it is all just an ugly mess where beauty once was.

  • Mess at Zocolo
  • Basket ball court looks like a bull ring
  • Artist park
Zihuatanejo’s waterfront January 2021

Had lunch with friends at Hotel Irma. On the walk to the hotel this crane posed for me on a pipe crossing over the canal. Hotel Irma has a Cavellina tree, one of two that I know of in Zihuatanejo. One can watch this fascinating tree’s blossoms slowly open at night, producing a bottle brush type bloom in bright pink. The other is on Calle Adelita by the bridge.

  • Crane
  • Cavellina Tree

Zihuatanejo has moved back to Corona virus “red” warning from now until Feb 14. Most likely due to the long Christmas holiday that brought in folks from all over Mexico. This red designation limits the occupancy of hotels, restaurants, pools to 25% occupancy, beaches must close at 5. Masks are required. Bars are supposed to be closed. Still I feel just as safe here as I would be at home. I eat better here, get more fresh air and am more active all which boosts my personal immune system. So happy I decided to come. To enlarge pictures just tap them. Signing off KO

Time is Starting to Get Short

Mexican friends, makes me think of the story of “The Owl and the Pussy Cat

Dinner with long time friends Dwight and Lynn at El Perla Negra

We have about 3 and a half weeks left of our season in Zihuatanejo. Now I know for some folks that is their whole time here, but for those of us that spend the winter here it is the time to start making our reservations for next year, lists of what we will store here and what we are taking home. Folks that we want to see at least one more time before leaving, places that we might want to go, using up all our Sailfest Certificate for dinners and such. March is the month that most of the snowbirds begin to head back north, so it is saying goodbye to friends that we won’t see again until next year. Some folks are ready to head back home, me not so much, I love the casual laid back life style we live here, but I’m not sure I would like the heat and humidity of summer here. Winter time is perfect for us so I’ll be satisfied with 4 months next year, in November to Mid March.

We have time to finish our agenda for this year, 2 more dinners out, a


Fish Therapy for my scaly feet, they tingle a bit

Kayaking trip tomorrow for me while the Senior gets a massage, followed by a beach lunch, a couple of lazy days in Troncones with friends, a couple of beach days, and a Santa Prissa Pazole lunch and maybe a movie in Ixtapa and it will be time to go home.

I hope the snow has quit by then. In the Pacific Northwest it’s a big deal to get snow once or twice during the winter. But this year it has snowed on and off almost continuously all winter and is still doing so. It has been a very good winter to be here, I do feel blessed. The Senor is rapidly gaining strength, all is good and right in my world! Signing off KO

SAILING ON THE PATRICIA BELLE

One of the most fun parts of Sailfest is the Sail Parade where for 300 pesos (less than $15) you can spend a day on a sailing on a sail boat.  The the best thing is all that money goes to build and improve schools for  the poorest children in Mexico, and there are no paid administrators to siphon off the funds.

Faye holding the sign to assemble our group
Faye holding the sign to assemble our group

This morning around 300 people lined the pier waiting for the pangas to take them out to the various boats they has signed up to spend the day on. My companion Faye and I decided we wanted to do the Patricia Belle again because she is such a FUN boat. The Patricia Belle is very large, some 60 feet of deck space and 30 of us enjoyed the captain and the crew’s hospitality. This boat was built some 20 years ago about 10 miles from where I live. Built of timber logged off the captains property behind the Bear Creek Store on the old Belfair Highway in Washington state.

We led the sail parade around Zihuatanejo bay and then out past Ixtapa, paid our respects to the Port Captain then sailed off to do some middle of the ocean swimming. About two thirds of the passengers and all of the crew jumped or dove overboard and swam along side the boat as she gentled sailed on, and I do mean gently as there was almost no wind at all. There are lines over the side that you can hold on to if you aren’t comfortable swimming away from the boat.

Faye and me on the pier after a day of sailing and swimming
Faye and me on the pier after a day of sailing and swimming

We had packed picnic lunches complete with salmon, cheese, capers, olives, crackers, jicama and of course wine  It’s just a fantastic way to spend and afternoon sailing, eating, drinking and swimming in the ocean where the water temperature is about 82 degrees and meeting so many new friends.  Signing off KO