Three and Beginning to Count

Dear Friends and Family,

We are confessing that we are truly ready to come home. The sun, warm breezes, cold beer, tangy margaritas and some very tasty food have all been great, but enough is enough. We suddenly realized it last night as we sat at El Patio enjoying a truly lovely evening. We are tired. Mexico, despite the surface glamor, is, in many ways, hard work. I think it is true of any significant culture shift. You are always working to fight language, mores, and simple inconvenience. While we relish the differences, after nearly 13 weeks it does wear you down. We always say that travels helps you appreciate differences, but it also helps you become aware of what you value in your own country and own home town.

Our main focus yesterday was a little shopping for family. We had put it off long enough. Time was running out, so, after catching a final performance of our friend, Bobby, with his band at the Saturday market, we caught a cab to the large mall, the one where Polley had found those famous "green" shoes. As I said earlier, it sits in waiting directly across from the marina where the cruise ships come in. Although they were for their "Cruise Victims," were told that most of the "cruisers" run to Walmart and Sam's Club which are right next store.

Since it was such a beautiful day, I did get a photo of the marina and the large ship that was visiting yesterday.

We managed to shop rather efficiently at the mall before running over the Walmart to pick up a storage bin. Since we have committed to next fall, we are storing some items that we don't need at home and will serve us well here. That done, we caught a cab back to La Fuente, not wanting to miss margarita time. We almost never drink a margarita at home, but, like hot dogs at a ball game, they just seem to taste better here! Then it was on to lunch duty. I call it duty because we are now obligated to finish what remains in the fridge. We got through the leftover pizza yesterday!

Since we didn't want to miss one of our last sunsets, it was down to Roberto's for putting the sun to bed at 7:15. It was quite a show!

The sky was filled with these kind of swirling clouds that made it all the more dramatic. I shot this standing on a planter, just over the heads of the crowds and carts on the Malécon.

Following the light show, it was on to a new restaurant that had been recommended to us by a couple we see nearly nightly at Roberto's. They are from Montreal and are regular visitors to the sea at sunset. The restaurant is called "Viejo Vallarta" (Old Vallarta) and is located on the very top floor of a building directly across from the Malécon. The view is spectacular.

I wish I could say the same about the service. While the food was quite good, we ordered two unique kinds of quesadillas: squash blossom and corn truffle, both good, but squash blossom was the winner. The service was horrible. It was clear that they had little or no interest in us as they were much taken with the larger parties who had come in. Three times I had to ask for water and twice for the bill. Despite an interesting menu, it was not intriguing enough to necessitate a return. However, it was a lovely evening, so we strolled to El Patio to say a final goodbye to our friends there. We will miss those very charming young people. When we return in October, Paola will be a mother and Alejandro will be yet another new arrival.

Then it was on up the hill for a nightcap, a bit more reading and lights out. A nice day, but we must admit to counting the days until Tuesday!

 

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Grandpatrons!

Dear Family and Friends.

Our final Friday and a very momentous day it was. After a busy morning, with Polley getting her last Mexican pedicure and me running about the town doing a few errands, we retreated to Langosta's for a beer and the opportunity to fine tune our tans before returning to sterility of Oregon skies. We had not be able to get any sun time for the last couple of days, and this were not privy to the news. One of our two favorite waiters, Ricardo (his brother, Arturo, is the other) had become a father! At 2 am, March 27th, Janahi arrived. She was due on April 1st, but everyone seemed thrilled at the early arrival. And a happier daddy would be hard to find.

He has been so excited for the last few months. He was about to be married when we left last April. He and Nerida were married in June and as quickly as is, perhaps, physically possible, she was pregnant! Ricardo, since our January arrival, provided daily reports of his wife: "She's perfect!" Yesterday, he could barely contain himself, showing off the camera photos at the slightest request.

I was even semi-successful in capturing a photo of the baby to share with you.

What a happy family. I can't think Janahi (it means "gift of God") is going to lack for love in this very handsome family.

Needless to say, the rest of our day was rather anticlimactic. We spent an hour at the beach and then wandered up to La Fuente. We have been continuously collecting leftovers, so it was lunch in yesterday. It is a little sad, that in the last days of your stay, when you will soon be leaving behind your favorite Mexican delicacies, that you are still trying to finish up what's in the fridge.

AT sunset, we wandered down to Roberto's for some wine and the growing activity of Easter Weekend. Another huge processional came down our street as we returned from La Fuente. It featured a bloodied man stretched out on a cross being carried, followed by a large statue of the Virgin. Because of Good Friday, many businesses were closed for the Easter Weekend. One of the businesses was our laundry which means that this weekend we will have to focus on the "Godliness," as our "cleanliness" will be called into question!

While at Roberto's we did discover another entrepreneur on the Malécon. I am continually amazed at the ingenuity of Mexicans where they need to make a peso or two to survive.

This fellow is blind. Beyond his tin cup for donations, was a tape/cd player that had classical Mexican instrumentals to which he sang with the use of a wireless microphone. He was very good. A beautiful, strong voice with an amazing range. He slowly made his way along, and people were struck with both his talent and his diligence in making his own way. Amazing!

We finally pulled ourselves away from the Mexican whirlpool of activity and retreated to the tranquility of El Patio for a beer and one of their delicious pizzas. We enjoyed the salmon, goat cheese, caper pizza which had the added surprise of thinly sliced apples. It as a fabulous combination with the saltiness of the capers being offset by the sweetness of the apples. We may have to try that at home.

Then it was up the hill for a tequila chaser, a bit more of our books, which both of seem to be deeply into, and then Good Night. Our last weekend in PV is underway.

 

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Simplifying the Last Days

Dear Family and Friends,

We are really taking it easy for these last days. Without too much of a sense of obligation, we are trying, one last time, to see the people we enjoy down here and have a last meal at places at favorite restaurants, while, at the same time, trying to finish up the leftovers in the fridge.

Speaking of lasts, yesterday's walk included a last bottle of tequila, I think. It was another very clear and very warm day and this at 8:30 in the morning. As I think I have mentioned, staying beyond the first of April (alright, the 2nd) seems to be inviting an increased level of discomfort. Temperatures are clearly changing and in another month the humidity will definitely be a factor.

Beyond my morning walk, we stayed in the whole AM. We were going to join our waiter friend, Rafael, at the Dragón Rojo for lunch and they did not open until 1 pm. So about 12:45 we wandered over the 5 or so blocks for lunch. We had a kind of vegetarian stir-fry that was very good. Most striking were the chips they served. They deep-fry "flour" tortillas rather than the standard "corn" ones. They come out light and flakey, almost like a phyllo pastry. Delicious.

After bidding adieu to Rafael, we headed right back up the hill for siesta. I confessed to a lazy day! We both have been quite devoted to our books lately, and some more extended blocks of reading time were welcome.

About 6:30, it was down to Roberto's for some wine and another sunset.

Another nice one that caught the reflection off some swirling clouds. As you can see, there is a cabin cruiser off to the right. There seem to have been a great many more boats in the bay this year, both motorized and sailboats. Or as we theorized, we may just be watching a lot more sunsets this year. Never tire of them!

The other element to this year is the activity on the Malécon associated with Holy Week. The town, at least down near the water, is packed with Mexican families. I say "near the water," because as you move away from town, the shops and restaurants feel empty. We were in La Fuente for a beer yesterday and there, literally, was not one in there. I think the warm temperatures are contributing to this phenomenon. It is hot as soon as you move a block or two inland.

Anyway, with the sun down, the lights of the Malécon came on. Actually, this was a bit of a miracle in and of itself. They have not been working for the last 8 weeks. Suddenly, there was light.

It, as you can imagine, added to the festive nature of the evening.

The light poles extended in both directions and because we could see more clearly, we stayed for a bit longer before heading up the hill. We did stop at El Patio to enjoy the clear sky and brightly shining stars and then made it the rest of the way. It had been a long time since lunch and our fridge was crying for our attention. A light dinner and a drop or two of tequila and it was lights out. We have a busy Friday, so the early evening was welcome.

 

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It's People, Not Places

Dear Family and Friends,

Yesterday seemed to be a day of people. As the days "dwindle down to a precious few," it is seeing the people we so enjoy (for the most part) one last time before banking them away in our memories for the next 6 months. As I look back on Wednesday, that seemed to be what it was about.

It started with our landlord. He had called and invited us out to breakfast for Wednesday morning. As Fred so often does, he gave an outline of the day, an approximate time (9:30, oh, let's say 10!") and then promised to confirm it later on Tuesday. Tuesday came and went and, surprise, nothing. So, we set the alarm (which, of course, we didn't require) to get up at 6. I got started on my walk by 7:15 so I could be back and shower by 8:30 - plenty of time! I return and within minutes, I get a text from Fred, " Pick you up at 8:45!" No way, so I send him a reply and dash for the Cliff Notes version of showering - I'll leave that up to your imagination! After ample panic has set in, Fred, again, not surprising, calls and is running late. He will pick us up down at the new bridge at 9:30. We gather ourselves and make it there at 9:20 and . . . wait. He calls again, and to make a long story longer, it was, in fact, and as originally advertised, 10 by the time he drove up.

The wait time did give us a grand opportunity to see an iguana basking in the morning sun on the wall near the bridge.

So, out time standing on the side of the road was not a complete loss.

We went to a restaurant out at the mall. Probably sounds less attractive than it was. They have a huge picture window with a lovely view of the marina. There was a large Holland-America cruise ship in. So, it was nice to sit with a beautiful view, enjoying a variety of authentic Mexican offerings at the buffet. We also enjoy Fred and his partner, Ellie, when he is not driving us crazy.

He is a very good-hearted fellow, he just has difficulty staying focused. He is a sort of personification of a feather in the wind. He may be headed your way, but if the winds change, you aren't sure when he will actually appear. However, for all my complaining, he has been very good to us for the last 6 years in staying at Casa Grieg.

Having filled our stomachs, literally, for the day, Fred and Ellie gave us a ride back to La Fuente where we stopped in for our margarita of the day. Then it was a slow march up the hill, each of us a good 5 pounds heavier than we had been just hours before. We had some good reading time. I am very much enjoying "When Will I Get Some Good News" by Kate Atkinson and Polley just finished a book, "Red Field Farm" that she enjoyed a great deal. We bless our Kindles everyday!

About 6:30, we walked down to the Dragon Rojo, to see if we could catch Raphael, our retired waiter friend, who had been lured back to work.

He was there and we had a lovely time with him. He had apparently worked many years ago for the father of the woman who now owns the Red Dragon. She had run across him on the street and asked him if he would enjoy coming to work with her 3 days a week. He seems to be having a ball. He knows little or nothing about Asian food, but the place is apparently very popular with Mexicans who get a little tired of their limited diet. We plan to lunch there later today.

From there, it was getting to see more people one last time. We caught a cab to La Palapa to hear our Scots friend, Bobby, one last time. I was able, just before he started his first set, to get a picture of Bobby with his son, Jay, who is a fabulous waiter at La Palapa.

Great people who have supported each other in a very difficult time. It was another perfect PV evening with that nearly full moon that we are enjoying in PV right now. Over the years we have made some very good friends in PV. Today, in some small part, was an opportunity to be made aware of how fortunate we are.

 

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Buzzing Through the Last Days

Dear Family and Friends,

Want to start with a quick response to my "friend's" (who will remain unidentified) e-mail response to yesterday's blog. When I write these quick reviews of the day's events, I am not hungover from too much tequila and, God knows, I don't need any more siesta time, and the grammatical lapses are not the result of little known archaic evolutions of language where "there" is substituted for "their," or where "sense" replaces "since;" it is just that age old "rush to publish!" Yes, while I talk of our leisurely lifestyle, our mornings are, in actuality, filled with incident. Cats are demanding their chicken, and forcing themselves into my lap as I write the blog, there are the endless beauty ministrations which as we all know, take more and more time with each passing year. All of this before the walk. So, I do get distracted and do write in what might be called a stream of "unconsciousness." So, shite happens.

Did get in a good walk. I enjoy these as you may have guessed from my daily allegiance to the ritual. Not only do they offer a certain therapeutic, not to mention aerobic, benefit, but they also provide the possibility of fascinating incites into PV activities. Yesterday, as I walked the south Malécon, I came across some men involved in the early morning activity of removing the threatening danger of falling coconuts from the palm trees that line the Malécon

In a kind of cargo net arrangement, they were slowly lowering the entire bunch. If you have every been near a palm tree when a coconut has dropped, you well know how important it is to remove the danger.

Our day, after the walk, was pretty typical. It remained very hot at the beach. Activity there continues to be fascinating as more and more Mexicans arrive for Holy Week. I said to Polley, you have the sense that they have saved up for this week and when they arrive, there are no restraints. Huge parties at tables filled with food, one after another off in parasails high above the bay. Hired mariachis playing all along the shore. Truly, a fiesta!

We did stop for a margarita at Fuente, which has several tables filled with visitors. However, as we were walking out, a wedding part of 30-40 are coming into the restaurant, complete with bride and groom. Had they let the restaurant know they were coming, did they have a reservation? No! We didn't stay around the for the result, but looked like an hour or two of madness.

A 6 we met our friends, Gene and Gay Tennis from Atlanta for drinks at their favorite place, The Cheeky Monkey. And I finally remembered to get a picture of the two of them.

A pleasant couple who seem to be truly enjoying life. They head home on Saturday, but then are in Minnesota for the summer and on to Hawaii before returning here in late December.

In terms of photography, we were really on the ball yesterday as we got the waiter to get a photo of the four of us.

The Cheeky Monkey does provide a lovely place to see the sunset and yesterday was a good one. Especially as a good-sized sailboat made a pass across the sun.

Having dispatched the sun, Polley and I quickly excused ourselves as we had a previous dinner reservation at Sapori di Sicily, the restaurant we has so enjoyed the previous two Tuesdays. We caught a cab there and had a nice, but rather quick dinner. We shared a smoked fish carpaccio and a Caesar salad. It is good food in a nice courtyard setting with a very personable staff and owner. I hope they are there next year.

We then caught a cab to El Patio for a late night beer and a visit with our pregnant waitress, Paola. Always lovely to sit in this courtyard under the open sky with the twinkling stars and very full moon. A perfect end of almost any day, but with just 6 more to go, these nights are even more precious.

 

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Just a Week to Go

Dear Family and Friends,

A deliciously dull day in old PV. Not even an interesting a photo, though I will include some less interesting ones. Not really, but it was just a very routine day and felt that way even as I look back on it. Partly, it was a day in which we had certain errands to do. It may have been that since of obligation that made it seem less than it was.

I was a beautiful day. As I have said,the weather has continued to get warmer and the sun seems to grow in intensity. I was out walking early as we were talking with Rae on Skype at 9 am our time. My 7:15 am walk was already a warm one.

The town continues to blossom with Mexican families taking advantage of kids' breaks from school and the celebration of Holy Week. There was not the beehive of activity around the Cathedral yesterday, but the Malécon, especially on the south side. The beach appeared to be "alive"!

Our one errand yesterday was to buy some flowers for Aurora, the manager of La Fuente who broke her foot a couple of weeks ago. We had previously given her a plant as an expression of our sympathy, but also wanted to remember her birthday, even though it isn't until August. She always makes a fuss over Polley's in February, so we thought it fitting to do the same.

Speaking of birthdays, my nephew, Blake had his first birthday on March 21st. We got a couple of pictures from his parents yesterday.

He is a very cute kid. His parents look pretty pleased with the whole thing

Despite the silly hats! Congratulations to Blake, Adam and Carlee!

While we are focused on silly photos, I thought I would include another of Lucy, the cat of a thousand poses. We caught her Polley's pants yesterday morning.

I am beginning to refer to her as "Lon Chaney" of felines. Sweet cat, I must admit.

The other errand yesterday was that we had been told that the retired waiter, Raphael, who had worked for years at La Fuente, and that we took to lunch earlier in our time here, was back at work at another restaurant. So, through elaborate logistics of walking and cabs to do all we needed to do and see him, we finally arrived at El Dragón Rojo. Naturally, after all that, it was his day off and he will be back on Wednesday. Everyone plan on Chinese on Miercoles!

We did make it to Roberto's for sunset and the informal "Mexican National Parade" that is the crowd at sunset along the Malécon. It is truly a carnival of color and carousing. Children running everywhere, people eating nearly every finger food available, while bikes, skateboards and in-line skates going whizzing by. Throw in several hundred dogs and it is a contantly shifting kaleidoscope.

Sunset, initially was little to write home about (so why am I writing home?). But as so often happens, the "after shock" is more dramatic. I managed to catch a bit of color and this sailboat out across Banderas Bay.

So, there you have it. There was no waiter at El Dragón Rojo, so we dropped by Encuentros for another there small pizzas. We tried yet another offering, one they called the "Fajitas," which was, as you might expect, onion, red and green peppers, and chicken with an avocado sauce and sour cream. It was less successful than the others as it was a bit too sweet (the caramelized onions I would guess) and incredibly rich. We ate half of it (and these are 4" x 4" pieces) and took the other half home.

We caught a cab to El Patio and enjoyed a beer under a clear, star-filled sky with a follow-spot like full moon. Beautiful night in such a lovely, peaceful setting. We also had the chance to tease Paola a bit about her fat stomach, which she proudly displays to any and all. Then it was up the hill and into bed. We need to rest up for the final week and all it might offer.

 

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On a Holy Roll

Holy Week, Semana Santa has truly begun. The town is beginning to fill up with, would you believe it, Mexicans! It's true. People have been telling us about this crazy week and you could begin to feel the change in the place yesterday.

I went out for my morning constitutional and purposely headed in the direction of the Cathedral. As I turned the corner, I was met by two rows of vendors, gearing up for the week

No since Polley and I spent a day in Lourdes, in France, have I seen the degree of religious commercialism. All sorts of religious trinkets were available. The difference here was that most of them seemed to be hand made or at least out of natural materials.

Palm fronds were woven in a variety of fashions and people carried them, religiously (pun intended), with them throughout the day. Last night we went down to the Malécon and watched the activity. Hundreds of Mexican families have piled into the city and were strolling up and down, sampling the wares and foods of the various vendors. One thing I have noticed about Mexican families is that they may stroll about for an hour or more deciding on a place to eat. However, once they choose a place, they fully commit. Course after course comes to the table, an endless flow of beverages is maintained and musicians are hired, from soloists to whole Mariachi bands! They make the most of it all.

On a side note, as I was walking, I crossed over Malécon bridge that sort of brings one from El Centro to Old Town. Where the waters of the Rio Cuale meet the ocean, someone had cleverly expressed their affection for someone named "Terry" in a clever and very diligent way.

They had arranged rocks under the clear waters, spelling out "For Terry," encased in a heart. I thought of Polley's middle son, Terry, and thought his significant other, Cyndi, might want to try this next time!

I mentioned our watching the crowds last night. It was Sunday and so it was out weekly dinner at Vitea. It was another lovely evening. The day had been very warm, but, with the sun setting, things became very comfortable.

In fact, it was so nice, that we ordered a second glass of wine and sat at Vitea for another 30 minutes just enjoying the evening. An uneventful but very nice day. Alas, only another week!

 

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A Bright Clear Day

Dear Friends and Family,

First, let me express my appreciation to those of you who wished me well in my ongoing battle with some germ. I think we are gaining on it. More than a cold, it appears to have been some sort of infection. No other cold symptoms except the sore throat. Anyway, I am on the mend. Got in my 5 miles yesterday although I must admit to having pushed it a bit and we kind of weak the rest of the day.

It was a kind of magical morning as I headed out. After the dismal Friday afternoon, the world seemed brand new. The air was crystal clear and the sunning was beaming. It was like someone had turned up the "brightness" indicator on my ipad! Suddenly, things that I passed everyday, looked freshly painted.

One thing that is new this year, is a lovely bridge that links "gringo gulch," where we live, to the isle in the middle of the Rio Cuale. This river divides "El Centro," the downtown, from "Old Town" or "Zona Romantica." Why it was necessary, I don't know, but as with the pier, they did a beautiful job on it,

We live just about 83 steps above the top of the bridge, behind the row of houses visible.

The bridge itself is 125 small steps, but they have built in some places about halfway up that a person can sit, rest, and enjoy the view of the bay from there. I will confess to using it mostly to go "down" rather than up!

One thing that is now the height of discussion is the commencing of Holy Week - "Semana Santa." We have never experienced the Easter Week here and it should be interesting. Already the town is beginning to fill up. Yesterday, as I was returning from my walk, starting up our street, Calle Guerrero, I was met by this huge procession. Houses along the way had purple and white material up featuring images of the Virgin. The procession was lead by a young man representing Christ and carrying the cross.

Behind that initial group was a priest holding a wireless mic and reciting liturgy. He was followed by about 100 people of continued the march down the street and, I imagine, on to the Cathedral. Impressionante!

The remainder of our day was pretty standard. Since it was so beautiful, we hit the beach as quickly as possible. I talked with a couple that we have seen at the beach nearly everyday. It turns out that they are from Vancouver, Washington. Very nice people, Art and Marilyn. Strange how you stay in your own world and then as you are both headed home you connect and discover how near to each other you are. In fact, when we went to dinner last night at Miel, they were there!

It was just a quiet day. Regular routine, some quality reading time. Just pleasant.

We did watch the sunset from Langosta's. My blog will not allow more than four photos, so I will have to save it for another day. Also saw a fellow catch a good-size fish off the Malécon. That was fun, for me, not the fish!

As I mentioned, we had dinner at Miel. They seem to be thriving. As the days dwindle down, where we eat is becoming increasingly important. We have dinner for the next to the last time tonight at Vitea and need to plan out the remainder of our last 9 meals. Well, we have to do something with all this time. It, of course, also means that I will be bugging you for just a little more than a week. Happy Sunday!

 

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Estoy Infirmo - Not Well

Dear Friends and Family,

This will be a rather short report this morning. Yesterday, after having dealt with a very sore throat for about 5 days, I reported to the local hospital at 8 am to see a doctor. I was fortunate to see the doctor we have dealt with nearly every year we are here, Dr. Pedro Gonzalez. He is very good, as excellent English, and really listens to what you are telling him. He gave me a low-dose antibiotic and another remedy and sent me on my way. All in about 20 minutes. No appointment, no waiting and all for about $40. Many in our government tell us of the horrors of foreign medicine, but we have always had the best of treatments down here. When you stay for as long as we do, between the two of us, something is bound to crop up. And every year it has. This year we were just two weeks from a perfect record, but alas, no, Anyway, hopefully I am on the mend. We did, however, decide to take it pretty easy.

I did have to make a run to the supermercado for some essential supplies: tequila, chicken, etc. On my way back, I ran into a developing kiddie parade on the Malécon.

PV does get its money's worth out of the Malécon. There is almost always something going on. This Friday morning a batch of very tiny kids seemed to be a variety of animals, insects and even a few flowers, I believe.

Obviously, very cute.

We did make it down the hill for a margarita at noon, but that was it until about 3. While we had not initially planned to go up river to El Rio, Wednesday night at La Palapa, Bobby's son told us he was going to be up there Friday to play with his father. Sadly, after motoring up on a dreary and kind of threatening looking day, Jay Rahm, the son, did not show! We certainly still enjoyed the music, but eventually we got a bit of rain. Nothing really hard, but it did tend to take the shine off the afternoon. Also, the medicine had not seemed to kick in, so about 5:45 we caught the bus back into town. We had another margarita at La Fuente, largely for medicinal purposes, and then up the hill.

We had a bit of dinner, but by 8 I was done in. So, we read, but largely tried to heal so that we can make the most of the last 10 days. We shall see

 

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A Simple, Satisfying Day

Dear Family and Friends,

Very little new to report from this end. We are simply relishing the remaining days of this life style and weather. This has definitely been the best week of the nearly 3 months. It is very warm, both during the day and, especially last night, during the evening.

I took another step in trying to rid myself of this sore throat that has done on for nearly a week. I have a dim memory (actually, these days, most of my memories are increasingly dim) of having this problem down here 2 or 3 years ago and going to the doctor. I may have to give in to that once again, later this morning. Maddening!

We did seek some relief by going to the beach. The sun was very hot and you can almost feel it moving toward summer. Thankfully, no humidity yet. We always enjoy our hour of so at Langosta's. Ricardo was on duty yesterday and each time we are with him, we learn a bit more about him. He is, of course, expecting to be a father any day now. So, each day begins with the latest report "from the womb." The baby is due April 1st, no fooling!

We then walked up to La Fuente for our margarita. Business was slow. In fact, nearly everywhere in PV seems dramatically less busy. I walked past the "Zumba" class on the square and I would guess that there were on 3/4 to 2/3 less participants. From what the locals tells us, that will change next week, "Semana Santa" (Holy Week). There will be a large influx of Mexicans from the inland cities, coming to the sea for the week. It should be fun to be in the center of all that activity. The waiters, however, are not very keen on it. Apparently the Mexicans come, expect a lot, sit for great periods of time at their tables and, then, don't tip! In the case of "propina" (tipping), Mexicans are even worse than Canadians!

Because La Fuente was not very busy, the waiters were having a great time. We ended up hiring 3 musicians who came in, having promised them for a week. Our waiter friend, Jose, joined in on the final number.

One thing I have become aware of as I watch waitstaff work, is that you see people who seem to be grateful for their jobs and who really enjoy their work. Jose probably most epitomizes this atttitude. He is not ashamed to say, "I love my job." You can tell.

We lunched in and apparently my cold caught up with me, because I slept for more than 3 hours. We had to hustle, something we try to refrain from doing, to make it to the beach by sunset. And it was a much more dramatic evening as clouds filled nearly three-fourths of the sky.

From the beach, we went up to Enguentros, the "pizza, pasta, bar, lounge" place, for dinner. We tried yet another of their little 4" x 12 pizzas. This one was called "Riverdance," and it was another winner. We have now had 4 different pizza there and loved each one. This was a marinated white fish on a bed of cilantro, with red peppers with onions and cheese. The owner told us of one of his favorites, the "Fajita," so we must return one last time this next week.

We did a very quick cab trip to El Patio for a late night (for us) beer and then up the hill. As I said at the beginning, it has really warmed up. Our apartment, despite being open to the air, was very warm and it was the first night when it was really just a "sheet only" night. I know we should be weening ourselves off this divine weather, preparing for the return to Oregon. But for now, I think we will hang on to what we have for as long as we can

 

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Stylin'

Dear Family and Friends,

Another beautiful day in Paradise. I know, enough already, as we have heard that Oregon has turned cold again. And speaking of cold, mine seems to be determined to hang on. For the first time, I believe, since arriving in PV 10 weeks ago, I did not take my morning walk. We eventually did get out for the day, but "walking" in some aerobic sense was not happening. Hopefully, it will allow my body to heal a bit quicker.

Polley had a nice conversation with Rae and we found that all is well back home. We are almost becoming anxious to return. We have done two extended 10-12 week trips in the last 8 months and it is a long time. A change will be welcome and an extended stay in our own home sounds attractive.

We did get out later in the morning. We were to meet a vendor at the beach. We had purchased 3 Mexican tablecloths (all the same pattern) that Polley thought would work well for drapes. So, we picked them up from a very thrilled Alfredo. It was such a good sale, that he may have taken the rest of the day off!

We also stopped at a little tailor where Polley had dropped off some jean to be hemmed. For 45 pesos (about $3.50), the job was done beautifully. We also decided to lunch out and went up to La Fuente and got them to make us a vegetarian fajita.

Not only delicious, but pretty to look at as well.

What with the cold and a pretty lousy night's sleep, we retreated to the apartment for a good siesta and some quality reading time. I finished a fun thriller by Brad Metzler called "The Millionaires," and started a new book I am very much enjoying, "The Shoemaker's Wife," by Andriana Trigiani. We had read her "Rococo" a few years ago and very much enjoyed it. Polley is liking a book called "In the Time of Butterflies." We have had some very good reads this year and many thanks to those of you who send other suggestions.

About 6:30, we went back to the beach and watched sunset, AGAIN"! As we were going on to La Palapa to hearing our Wednesday night musicians, Polley had her new ensemble put together, now including SHOES!

NOt bad, huh! It was a very clear evening and after the requisite sunset photos, I did catch this pelican who, along with his friends, was putting on quite a show.

Pretty amazing! They are always hours of entertainment as they fly and float and dive.

Then it was on to La Palapa. We were meeting our Atlanta friends, Gene and Gay there as they had not been to La Palapa for years. We had been bragging about our Scots musician friend, Bobby, in this mellow atmosphere. I do think we like him best when he plays here. Also had a nice conversation with Bobby's son, Jay, who is a "waiter extraordinaire" at La Palapa. Very nice evening, although some loud tables tended to interfere with the music. Yet, I realize that not everyone was there for the music. It makes me wonder how many times in my life have I been loud and insensitive to others in restaurants. Many, I am sure.

As I said, it was a beautiful night and as we were leaving, I did manage to capture a picture of the warm horizon, the brightly colored new pier and the flashing tiki torches of the restaurant.

About 9:45, as Raul and Bobby finished their first set, we bit adieu to the Tennis' and caught a cab for home. Nice evening, but it had been two busy days in a row and we were shot. A simple day is what we promised ourselves for mañana!

 

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