Jan 31

Congratulations to our great friend Merv Prier , who is teaching his last official day of school today. Retirement officially starts tomorrow ! May you  enjoy your retirement as much as we do Merv !

GO RIDERS !!!

Jan 30

From the Sea to our Table
One of the great things about where we live is the fresh fish. The fisherman here go out each day and bring back dorado (mahi-mahi) , red snapper,  shrimp and just about any fish that you can name in this area. We have a fishmonger 1 block away. Today we picked up 1 kg of dorado for 85 pesos and 1 kg of shrimp for 105 pesos.

This was right off the boat !

 A great filet for tonight  (and 2 other meals too ) !

The menu for tonite : fresh salad, salsa picante ( muy claiente !) , and  baked fresh dorado with lime and Modelo cervesa.  Muy bueno !

Jan 29

Alta Vista
This is a small town north of La Penita and 9 Km inland. We went up a very dusty road (no rain for over a month) to the mountains to the town. It is a very old town near a coffee plantation. The houses are usually made of stone , with a tin roof. There are some buildings made of bricks and covered with a thick sort of Spanish-style stucco. Lots of rock walls and the streets are all cobble stone. The people are very friendly and we talked with a few of them , one who was really proud of his English. Mimi and Deb speak very good Spanish, while Yves can speak a bit of Spanish. Helene can speak some while I can order 2 beer and ask where the bathroom is only.
We stopped beside their church in the town square and walked and took pictures.

The town is on the side of a mountain. Many of the streets are on ledges. There are lots of stairs and lots of vegetation. Flowers, dogs and chickens everywhere !In the rainy season, everything is green. The people seem very happy. Most homes look to have electicity. There were a lot of satelite dishes too.

This plant seemed to grow out of the wall. We saw orange trees, lychee trees, mangos ,pappya ,banana trees, bamboo and other kinds that I don't know the names of. There was a huge tree that 4 people holding hands couldn't have reached around. We started to walk up the mountain to the coffee plantation which was 1 Km from town. We turned around halfway because it was too step in sandals and we came across 3 vultures looking at us from the trees. Not a good omen !

I'm standing at the entrance of the old coffee factory. Behind me is the town church.

Some of the many dogs here. Many homes appeared to have good vehicles like this. Sunday is laundry day , as you can see. Can you also see the man in the hammock ? It was over 90F here today .

Yves and I talking with one of the locals. He was carrying a huge watermelon up the mountain to his family. He spoke some English and told us about the area. The top of this mountain in the background is a good 3 hour hike, but you can see all around to the ocean. We are more than 10 Km fom the coast. Its all jungle, orchards and the probable occational grow-op. We weren't interested in finding out. Friendly, scenic town. Apparently there are no drugs here because the town forbids it. the town council is very strong and the area is run by the local first nation. I'll get the name for another post.

This beautuful horse was grazing  by the path to the coffee plantation. It looked like it was well taken care of. We also saw lots of goats  and cattle on ranches on the trip there. Apparently there are a few jaguars around too. As rustic as this area looked, we saw a sign of the future. Solar panels were being used at a rest stop partway down the mountain. That appears to be part of the future in rural Mexico. one other thing. The road was incredibly rough. The summer rains really did a number on it. The closest I can compare it too is some Saskatchewan roads that the big  trucks were on, like # 48  from Kipling to Kennedy!

Jan 28

Quiet day at home today in the studios, then a long walk to Peneda Restaurant on Guayabitos Beach for shrimp coconut. Tomorrow is Charles's birthday. HBD Charles !

Jan 27

San Pancho
20 minutes away from La Penita is the small town of San Pancho, where an artistic and surfing community thrives. There are a number of high end galleries and jewellry shops as well as restaurants and Mexican art shops. The beach is furious, we saw it at high tide and it was dangerous. There was one surfer out but he soon came in. He said the surf was better at low tide around 5 in the afternoon.We went for a careful walk on the beach with the high water. The area is beautiful and there are a lot of high end homes built there and for sale as well. We had lunch with Mimi and Deb, Mimi's good friend from Calgary. Another hot day, it looks like siesta back home.

This little guy was hitched up a few blocks from our home. He stood there patiently for his rider to return. I don't think that there is a guard dog beside him. We see dogs sleeping pretty well everywhere. They are not violent, but do make a lot of noise at night. The burro was probably ridden from up the mountain.

The beach at San Pancho was very violent ! It was high tide and dangerous. You can see some mansions in the background.

This a small market by the beach under a huge mangrove tree. It was a very quiet town. It livens up at night because they really cater to the tourists. Music in the streets, galleries and shops open, lots of culture.

Back home. We had a great shrimp supper, now some pineapple margaritas !

Jan 26

Market Day
Thursday in La Penita means market day. It runs from 7 AM till 2 PM. Most of the artisans are in the town square in front of the church. We went at 9 this morning to try to escape the heat. Most people get there around 10 and as I mentioned previously, restaurants are open to try to catch the brunch crowd. We were more interested in some of the finer jewellry from the craftsmen and craftswomen in the area, not the commercially made stuff thats sold on the beach. We found a beautiful piece made by a Chilean artist , Angelo, and negotiated what we felt was a fair price for it. Helene is very happy with it. I had actually seen the artist 2 weeks ago and thought that she would like this one. I'll put a shot of it later.
Since we're both much darker than 3 weeks ago, the vendors aren't as persistent and we're much more comfortable looking at their wares. You can sure notice the newbies because they're not used to the heat. One couple was looking for a Mexican mirror, so we helped them find a store that we knew of to get that. We're sort of feeling like locals now when we talk to the tourists. Its sort of nice to say that we '' live up the hill'' and that  '' we're here for 2 months'' when they ask. We know we're very fortunate to be here at this point. When you have the opportunity to do something different like this, you have to do it. I think that the worst thing to happen is to think " I wish I had done this" or " I wish that I would have done that" , and you're too old or ill to do it. Take the opportunity when you can. That was the advice I gave a colleague who is retiring at the end of the semester.
Other than the square , there is a few streets that are full of booths, almost like a flea-market. Anyone can be a vendor. You can purchase from the wholesalers in Tonala , a huge market that people come to from everywhere. Its about 4-5 hours away. So the vendors buy very cheaply in Tonala, ( for maybe 10-20% of what they will sell for here) and then they travel the market circuit in the area. Thats why you can bargain with them. The trick is to distinguish between the crap and the original works by the artists. We've been here for over 3 weeks and have only made a total of 2 purchases, other than food and supplies. There is a lot to see, but you can only have so many glasses , t-shirts, rings, etc.

Some of the artisans. Angelo is in the white shirt in the middle. His studio is in Sayulito. We hope to visit it before we leave. The ironwood carvings are on the table to the left. They are probably machine made . They will give a "good price today "!

                                                               Lots of stuff here.

      The birthday necklace ! It is amber , pearl and fossil encased in real 925 silver. Other artisans use a mixture of silver and nickel. Angelo used melted silver coins for his jewellry. His pieces are all individually unique.

One of our neighbours who rides his horse into town from higher up the mountain. You can hear clip-clop on the cobblestone streets regularly. Its easier to ride a horse up our street than drive a car. The taxis get very creative with their driving. This gentleman is an example of how friendly and authentic the locals are. This is why we love La Penita.

Jan 25

Chacala
Today we went with Mimi and Yves to Chacala, a small villiage with an incredible beach ! The trip was 20 miles north from La Penita, then 9 miles to the coast. We saw miles and miles of mango forests, banana trees, agave and pineapples. The area has a lot of mountains that used to be volcanos.
 As we turned to the coast on the highway we went through a military stop check. These guys had masks and machine guns and were very serious as they looked through every vehicle for someone or something. They waved us thru , as we were all North Americans, but every Mexican vehicle was checked at gunpoint. We didn't ask what they were looking for, nor did I take pictures, but we suspect that they were looking for a drug shipment. There are a few developments in the area that have had a lot of money put into them. No one says who the developers are, so neither will I . As un-nerving as seeing those machine guns and soldiers, we still felt safer that they were in the area. We saw a truck in La Penita get stopped and searched yesterday by the army. Fortunately there was no problema.
We stopped at a hotel on the beach. They let you use their lounge chairs and palapas if you eat and drink there. We met some very nice people as well :
- a family from Maine that entertained us with their "art" that they made from objects in the jungle
- a couple from San Fransico who had their yacht anchored in the harbour.
- Wendy(again) and her husband from Vernon who came out for the day from Guayabitos. They had stayed in Chacala last year and told us about some places to stay. We'll see them back in Vernon.
- a guy who I swore was the actor Gerard Butler ( from the movie 300 ) and his girlfriend.
-a  guy who was a dead ringer for Rod Allen !
We went for a couple of swims in the ocean. Helene needs a new pair of sunglasses as a big wave dunked both of us. We also took Mimi into the water for the first time since her knee surgery. She had a blast !
We had a great meal . I had a Red Snapper that was cooked over an open fire. Very tasty ! Helene had a beautiful dorado filet. Because it was so hot, neither of us had a beer, but we drank very refreshing limonade (from limes) . Great thirst quencher and very neccesary because of the heat and humidity!
Chacala is starting to get modernized. There are already some beautiful homes built there, lots of options to rent as well. I'm sure we'll hear more about it in the future and we both can't wait to get back there.
Tomorrow is market day!

There were about eight of these sailboats in the harbour. Its known as a safe harbour from storms.

Its a long and safe beach with lots of palm trees along the shore. Its secluded and we got the feeling that we were on an island.

Lunch ! Red snapper ! Very tasty !

Fish for everyone !

Hey Roddy, does Catriona know you're in Mexico ?

Jan 24

High Tide !
We went for a walk on the La Penita beach this morning but couldn't go too far because it was high tide and very dangerous. We saw the fisherman fixing their nets and saw one who ventured out into the surf with his net and he threw it out and caught fish. He had a whole pail full in about an hour!

We also talked to a couple who have a home down here. The gentleman is Bill , and he actually hales from Whitewood, SK! His wife Evelyn is also from Sk and , small world, she's the sister of one of the owners of the house we are staying in ! They have 3 suites in their casa that they rent. Beautiful place, close to the ocean, something to consider maybe down the road.

For lunch we had fish tacos at a small restaurant. I tried the same thing for our supper tonite but didn't deep fry the fish . We enjoyed both meals .

Tomorrow we're off the Chakala with Mimi and Yves for a quiet day on the beach in an historic fishing town up the coast. we're both starting to look browner, but we're very careful with the sun. It isn't as harsh as it is in the summer back home, but it is very humid here.

The tide is very rough ! These boats stayed in for a few hours.

Fixing the nets before going back out into the ocean.

I think he can see the fish in the waves. These waves were really violent and he just cast his net over and over. If the fish were too small he let them go. We saw him catch a couple of 6-8 inch ones of different species. the pelicans around him were busy too. They dove in from quite high to catch fish.

Jan 23

The Bridge of Life
That's what it is called. This swinging pedestrian bridge allows people to walk from La Penita to Guayabitos. A number of residents make that trip every day to travel from the small poorer town of La Penita to the richer Gringo Gulch of Guayabitos which also has most of the hotels and tourist places in the area. Before the bridge was built ( mainly due to the gringos in Guayabitos), the locals had to walk on the highway bridge to get there. Each year there were many that were killed by the traffic unfortunately. Thus the name.

There are alligators in the water, so you don't want to swim across ! Helene won't walk on it if someone else is on it. You have to take small steps or it starts to swing .

We spent a great day on the beach yesterday including a long walk at low tide. Actually caught the last quarter of the Patriots game at Salvadors Restaurant and Bar. They had pictures from the 2009 and 2010 Grey Cups there too. We finished off with a great meal and visit with Mimi and Yves.

Low tide .

Today we stayed at the house and created . It was a hot day , so we cooled off in the pool. This is the internet , so no pictures of Helene in her new bathing suit ! None of me for equally obvious resaons ! Adios !

Jan 22

We talked to Merv this morning and got the great news that Betty Ann is recovering nicely from her knee replacement surgery in Vancouver. Both of them were in our thoughts the last few days.
Today is a cloudy day, with more fog over the ocean, so it will be a great day to go for a beach walk. thats what the plans are anyways.

Here is a shot of Helene in her studio. she is working on a felting project. Behind her is an outdoor  covered patio where we eat all our meals.

This is the view from the patio in the studio . Lots of fresh air ! Very open and inspiring !

On the deck outside with pineapple, pappya , and mango fresh from the market !

more later !!!

Jan 21

One of the interesting things about Mexico is the banks here. We have one in La Penita , but there are ATMs as well here and in Guayabitos. Yves had said which one is the one that works best with our Canadian cards. However, the ATMs will run out of money and there is no telling when they will be serviced. We tried yesterday to get some more cash, there was a lineup out to the street in the hot sun. By the time we got to the front of the line, every North American walked away shaking their head. No money, or the machine would not accept their card. This can be a problem because the stores here don't accept credit cards , travellers cheques or US funds. The bank here will not convert US into pesos either. There are money changers , but the rates are akin to pickpocketing. So its important to not wait until you're almost out of pesos before going to the ATM.
I went again this morning at 8 and had no lineup and no problem getting cash. As a matter of fact , there were no other gringos around at that time. It was interesting seeing the town as it woke up. The restaurants and groceries (fruiterias) were the only places open.

 The ocean was covered with a thick fog, I think it was smoke as much as fog. They burn a lot here. The buildings are all cement or brick so its not  houses burning. Its wood, trash, garbage etc. We came home one night and people up our street were burning trash on the street. The streets are cobblestones, and very bumpy and hard to walk and drive on. In the rainy season, the stones could get dislodged as not get fixed for weeks. We live on a mountain so there are streets that suddenly stop and there is a cliff !  Walking up our street from town is more difficult than some our our streets back home in Vernon. We have a more gradual slope there, but here the street follows the rise of the terrain. Some vehicles have difficulty driving up .
We walk everywhere when we can. If we have to take a cab, it costs 25 pesos ($2.50)plus we tip. The taxis are fairly plentiful. Some have interesting drivers ! The cabs are all small cars, not quite enough legroom for me and my knee-brace. You can also take a mini-van or "combi" for less but it stops along the way to pick up others passengers too and you're really a sardine then.
It would be nice to have a car too, but the traffic laws are a bit different here, gas is tres  expensive and you have to park it in a safe area. Its just easier to cab it . Mimi and Yves have a van here to get around. They've been kind enough to give us a ride sometimes too.

This is one of our companions here. There are 2 geckos and they take care of the insects for us. Helene sceamed "iguana" when she first saw it, but it is a gecko. They chirp to let us know they are on the job each night.

At least there will be a supply of cold Corona for the weekend !

From last night, it gets very dark by 7 PM. I was trying to watch the UBCO-Sask  and UFV-Regina basketball games online but the Canada West feed sucked. Apparently so did the games !

Have a great weekend !

Jan 20

After a short  grocery stop for pineapple, papaya, cilantro, tomatos, picante and tequila, we stayed at home and relaxed in our studios.

                                                               Recognize the shirt Roddy ?

Jan 19

Today was market day in La Penita. The town square was filled with vendors from the area. You could buy anything from glasses, wood carvings, jewellry, plates, sweaters ( a lot of locals are wearing sweaters now. They find it cold these days !), food, produce, clothing, blankets and so on. The restaurants have special breakfasts as well. We met some friends for coffee at Gigios, an Italian cafe. The owner and chef along with his French-Canadian wife (from Shawinagan) serve some great crepes and strudelle as well as the best pizza around. I stuck to fresh sweezed OJ as we had already ate at home.
Later we had lunch at a new Tunisian restaurant. The owner, Atum, was very friendly and went out of his way to help us in our search for a new home that we will move into in mid -Feb. We will definitly spend more time at his cafe.
We have encountered a lot more French speaking residents. It seems like every Gringo is either from BC, PQ or Alta.

Here is a shot of the market today. The quality has improved over the last 2 weeks.

The tarps are overhead because it is too hot !!!

Our new friend, Atum, in front of his cafe Restaurant el Rincon del Arabe . He was born in Tunisia and can speak Arabic, French, English and German ! He has a wonderful little restaurant and is one of the friendliest people we've met. He reminds me of Darius Rucker from Hootie and the Blowfish!

Jan 18

How to find a condo or " bungalow" in Rincon de Guayabitos ! We spent most of our day looking in Guayabitos for a place to call our own for 2 weeks after we leave Eric and Bruce's home in Feb. While Helene and Mimi were getting a mani-pedi-massage, I spent a few hours scouting out possible places. Anything on the beach was too expensive and / or sold out. Off the beach close to the Avenida was a better bet and we narrowed it down to a couple of bungalows. We'll continue there on Friday.

Helene getting treated to her birthday pedi in Guayabitos. She had a great time. Believe it or not she is sitting beside a woman from Vernon , Wendy, that she met ! Small world !

This was one of the villas we checked out for late Feb. It was an old mexican hotel, very traditional and beautiful.

A statue at the hotel. Is it the Luther Lions basketball mascot Rob ?

Jan 17

After all the sun we took yesterday, we decided to stay home for most of the day, one of the hottest since we came here Jan 3. I know it was -40 in Regina and -13 in Kelowna today and it has snowed a lot in Vancouver and I really feel for you guys, but it was probably close to 90F here . We don't regret our time here in the least and are feeling more comfortable with the Mexican culture every day. Our excursion late in the day was a trip to Guayabitos , a long walk on the beach and a fabulous meal at Peneda Resturante on the water with Mimi and Yves. I'll show a few pictures.

Sunset on Guayabitos Beach

Yves and me at the restaurant.

 

Pelicans getting fed on the beach

Helene and Mimi with a full-blender margarita ?

My meal of octopus, shrimp and fish cooked over an open fire on mango wood. It was incredible !