Blog Entry #10 I am now in Florida!!!!

If there is one theme that Ray and I have lived with for over 45 years, it is that if you are not happy change it!!! On Friday, March 7th, I was sitting on the wall down at the beach crying because I was so unhappy, I realized it was time to make a change!!! I had had enough of the neighbours upstairs slamming doors, yelling, kids crying and running, toys dropping on the floor, grandparents saying the same thing over and over to the baby, their junk sitting around outside, home schooling blah, blah, blah. This is not what I had signed up for!!!! Add to that the heat and not having Ray with me and well!!! Once I made the decision that I was going to leave I felt great!!!

But where to go? Ray was still writing about all of the snow and cold so north was out for now!!! Our nephew Scott in Titusville, Florida and Bill and Carl on Pine Island near Fort Myers had both said to come for a visit so that is what I did!!! It was quite the challenge finding someone in Bucerias who could issue me an actual airline ticket, eticket. All of the tour operators were into whale watching, atv tours or flying through the canopy. I wanted to fly through the air in a plane!!! Finally this wonderful guy Jordan at JD Tours opened his shop to me, although he was closed for the day, found me the best deal on a flight from Puerto Vallarta to Houston to Orlando, I think when I told him I was a desperate woman he just took pity on me or he was concerned I had a weapon!!! I spent the weekend packing and tying up loose ends.

Monday my flight was at 2 but by 9:30 in the morning, the kid upstairs was crying because he didn't want to do school. The father was yelling at him and I said, "I think it is time to go to the airport!!!!" and off I went.

I had two hours in Houston to change planes but note to self - You need two days to change planes in Houston!!!! The airport is the size of Huntsville!!! If it weren't for one of those little buggies for disabled folk and a compassionate driver I would still be in Houston!!! I got out of the buggy and straight onto the plane!!

Scott picked me up at the airport and brought me back to Titusville where he lives for 6 months of the year in this lovely condo. I have my own room and bathroom and may stay forever!!!! The building is situated on the banks of the Indian River which is part of the intra-coastal waterway. From the seventh floor balcony I can see dolphins flocking around with manatees. At night, fisher people catch shrimp from the docks below and during the daytime there are often people who own here fishing from the docks.

Yesterday at lunch time, we walked under the bridge to the left to what Scott calls the Troll Bar as it is this really nice restaurant situated under the bridge. Saturday night we could hear the live music playing. Titusville and area has lots of really good restaurants and we are trying them all!!!!

One day this week we decided to do a road trip to St. Augustine. This is bike week in Daytona Beach so we had to drive past the speedway and all through downtown. It was like driving in a sea of bikes. All you could see were bikes everywhere. Of course there was no one wearing a helmet!!! Too cool for that! I love trikes and would really like one for my birthday in July!! We saw so many of them. They are really popular here.

Next time you are in Daytona Beach, you must stop at this chocolate store. Oh my..... We each pretty much filled a brown sack with our goodies. I even got bacon covered with chocolate. It is so good. Must be a breakfast food......

Normally you can drive on the beach for free but during bike week and March Break there is a fee. We didn't see any vans heading into the waves..............

There are gorgeous beaches all the way up the Atlantic coast. There are also rip tide notices at every stop. Beautiful and dangerous!!! There weren't many people in the water. The odd surfer. These are wonderful beaches for shelling. I didn't intend on picking up anything that wasn't unique and then filled my pockets with unique!!!

This is the oldest wooden school house in the USA. This street goes on and on. Tourists every where. I don't remember it being this busy when we were here about 12 years ago. Lots of interesting stores.

I found this one store with lots of stuff in it like I make at three or four times the price of what I sell for. It is always fun to get new ideas.

This is the local beach just down the road from the condo. Tide was out and there were lots of unique shells again!!!

From the balcony you can watch rocket launches at Cape Canaveral. There was going to be one this morning at four something but it was postponed. Whew...I didn't have to get up to see it!!! The actual launch pad is between these three towers.

To the right of the launch pad is this vehicle assembly building. It is 60 stories high and where every thing is made before it is hauled out to the launch pad.

This is a memorial beside the condo to the Gemini astronauts and the team that worked on their projects. Each astronaut had made impressions of his little hands in bronze. They were little men to fit into into little capsules.

Quick, take my picture!!! This is a gorgeous Harley trike. I would like red please.

I have always thought that the Wagon Wheel Flea Market near Clearwater is the biggest I have ever seen but this one on the weekend in Melbourne runs a close second. It went on for ever!!! It was really fun for me maybe not for .......... Scott was about as enthused as Ray is about flea markets but he survived just like Ray does!!!!!

Yesterday morning there were sailboat races out in front of the condo. There was a stiff wind so the little boats were heeling right over.

After lunch we went to the other side of the bridge to watch kite surfers. This really looked like fun!!!

Blog Entry #9 Around Town...

Approximately once a week this group of musicians comes down our street to play and collect a few pesos. A lovely diversion.

Having your main living quarters outside of your house can pose a few challenges, privacy being one. I got the gardeners to help me move all of these plants around my "living room". Actually I only supervised and they hauled. They seemed to think it was really funny but I like it!!! Almost like a tree house!!!

Two of the items I wanted to purchase in Mexico were hammocks. One for the cottage and one for the cabin. I got the hardware in San Blas and when I came home was able to hang this beauty. I think it will go to the cottage. I usually find myself relaxing at sometime during the day swinging gently back and forth. After 2 it gets quite sunny and hot in this location so generally in the morning. I do a little read and then that may result in a little nap. I could mention how incredibly hot it is here but I know you don't want to hear that so I won't!!!

Before I got fired from my church job, I had already taken on these two women who are my maids, Ava and Esmirna. That meant I was teaching 4 days a week which did seem like a bit much. They are just outstanding as maids. They spend two hours cleaning my little cave and then want to sit and learn English for an hour. This is at the end of a long day of work. They work 6 days a week. They are here for two days a week, once for me and once for my neighbours. I really enjoy teaching them as they are so much fun to work with. We have lots of giggles and using my English to Spanish and Spanish to English books regularly to translate when we can't understand each other. I didn't mention that they are a Mother and daughter team full of enthusiasm and inquiry, a true joy to teach!!!

Like most Mexican towns if not all, Bucerias has a centro or square in the middle of town where everyone gets together and meets. When we arrived at the beginning of January, there was so much activity here with construction workers everywhere. You couldn't walk to our favourite restaurant in orange along the ocean side of the square, you had to walk around the block. Suddenly at the end of February when the project was supposed to be completed the construction crew packed up and left!!! There is not supposed to be any more money to finish the job so here it sits with this huge sign at the beginning on the road you can't drive on saying thank you for your patience as we improve Bucerias. There is no indication of how long this will take. Manana!!!

Blog Entry #8 I Got Fired!!!!!

On Monday I headed back to San Blas with two friends/neighbours from here who had never been to there before. We caught the bus and headed north. We stayed at the lovely Hacienda Flamingos and discovered that with our three night stay we got a fourth for free so we took advantage of that perk. This was great fun for me as I got to play tourist again or maybe this time tourist guide.

First thing Tuesday morning we walked to the market for liquados and torta combinado which is a Canadian equivalent to a smoothy and a bun like sandwich with everything in it. I asked for no chilies. Got them and survived!!! Next it was a taxi to La Trobara. This is a mangrove swamp area with many bird species. People come from all over the world to look at birds here. San Blas is on a migratory bird way.

I was last in La Trobara about 5 years ago and since then the mangrove have grown over the water ways and have been shaped into these spooky tunnels. I was glad for once that Ray wasn't there as he would have been telling me to look out for snakes falling from above into the boat. Funny after all these years, he was still with me although not in body!!!! I could still hear him and kept alert for surprises from above!!!

I think if you take a thousand pictures one will be outstanding. This is mine!!!

After La Trobara, we were just on the outskirts of San Blas when I remembered the old fort. Our accommodating taxi driver took a left and wow what a fabulous view!!! San Blas has estuaries to the north and south. You can see the north one here and then the ocean. I just love this town!!!

This stately old church is on the same grounds as the fort. There are old grave stones outside leaning up against the wall. It reminded me of the Follett books. Pillars of the Earth etc.
                                                                                                                                                                     This is one of those times when blogger won't let me do what I want to do!!! Below are the oysters Joy and I ate in Miramar. She made me do it!!!!

It is my understanding that when you have a problem within your church the proper way to deal with it is to first speak to the minister so when I had had enough of the rock and roll Jesus music I spoke to him. Now, one must remember that two of his kids are in this noisy screaming group. Next, I spoke to his wife also considered a pastor in this church as she drove me home from Punta de Mita. She had said and done some things that indicated to me that she was anti gay so I brought that up. Might as well!!! I told her of my view on it and then all was quiet for the rest of the way home.

The next Sunday there was a sermon indicating that one must follow and go along with the leadership of the church. Interesting. Glad I didn't have to stand and be flogged!!!! That was my last Sunday at church. Then, I'm having breakfast all by myself and voila there they are. We missed you at church you must come this Sunday. No, sorry not going to be there. Don't like the music or the gay stand. She told me not to be so rebellious. Moi????? Next there was an email - Thanks for helping. We don't need you any more as we are cancelling your classes. I don't think I have ever been fired before but I think it is ok with me!!!!!!!                                                                                      

Blog Entry #7 Whales, Beach and Other Interesting Stuff....

To get to the bus for the whale watching at 8:15 a.m. I had to walk up this hill first. My casa is down the hill, turn right and we are right there on the corner. The other day a bad guy on the beach grabbed a woman's purse and ran up this hill to get away BUT a good guy on a horse on the beach, chased him up the hill. The bad buy grabbed a cab at the main hwy at the top of the hill and another car from down the hill followed. When the cab stopped at the Mega grocery store, the bad guy was grabbed, thrown to the ground and later arrested. The woman on the beach only lost her house keys. Bucerias excitement. The bad kind.

On arrival at Nuevo Vallarta, we boarded this craft eventually at about 9:30. It was supposed to leave at 9 but hey, this is Mexico.

I just liked all of these masts in a row!!!

I don't believe it, blogger just ate my whale pic!!!! I only got three and it ate the one I chose to show you!!! The whale watching appeared to be an excuse for a booze cruise to me. There were many boats surrounding the whales we did see. We probably only spent about half an hour out of the day looking at whales. Now, the Bay of Bandaris is where whales come to give birth and to look after their young so I'm not convinced all of these boats waiting to pounce in the direction of any whale sighting is a good thing.

I had to take this picture above as it reminded me of the gorgeous beaches of the Bahamas. If you want the best in beaches, the Bahamas is where to go. Just love the colour of the water!!!

We ended up a long way south of Puerto Vallarta and saw some lovely little sandy coves where you could spend the day if you had a little boat to get to them. This is one of the two Los Arcos. As you can see, many tourists like to come and have a close up view of them.

I have never owned a toaster oven or ever wanted to but here at Casa Arcoiris there is not a toaster and I have been told one is not going to be made available to me. I have a fancy cappacino machine with no directions and a gorgeous red blender but it is not possible to get me a toaster!!! I figure with what I am paying here, the owner could have bought 180 toasters!!!! I digress. The other morning I had to have toast for my bacon and tomato sandwich breakfast. I put in the toast turned on the oven and waited and waited and waited. As I am watching what is supposed to be happening but isn't, I suddenly see this geko inside the oven rushing from the back to the front of the oven. I fling open the door and yell, "Get out, get out!!!" but alas, gekos only speak Spanish and aren't very smart so he ran under the hing for the door. I turned off the oven and waited for it to cool. Later, I discovered this poor fellow under the hinge. Maybe he thought this was a tanning bed for gekos!!!

This is the hand painted mural on the wall of the classroom where I teach English every Friday morning at La Fuente the church I used to attend.

These are two of my three students. Boudillia on the right and Blanca on the left. Blanca is the little grandmother whose grandson brings her to class and picks her up. Well, last Friday no one came for Blanca so when my taxi arrived I invited Blanca to come for a ride to her house. Now, I had presumed that she lived just around the corner as she walks really slowly on her grandson's arm The taxi driver starts talking to her and I hear her say bus??? He then turns to me and asks me who should go home first as we live in different areas. Now I am really confused. But I thought she lived around the corner? Oh no, she lives at the other end of town. So, do I now kick the grandmother out of the taxi or drop her at the bus stop??? I start laughing and say, "Take her home please." This whole conversation has been in Spanish and I have no idea where we are going!!! 45 minutes later, I arrive home and I say to the taxi driver, "That was a surprise!!!" and he says, "Yes, for me too!!!" and we are both laughing at how crazy life can be sometimes!!! This is Mexico!!!

This is a member of a little dance troup that just popped up one day on the street. They had a basket or two in front of them and made some pesos.

This is the beach two blocks from my house. I hate to admit that until last Wednesday, I had not been down to sit on the beach. This is the beach looking south towards Puerto Vallarta. It is so easy just to stay home and have a swim in the pool.

This is my spot. Yesterday a nice Mexican man came and tried to put up my umbrella for me but I know how to do it or I thought I did until I couldn't get the push in thingy to work so he did that for me. I was thinking, wouldn't this be hilarious if for the very first time, the brolly goes flying down the beach because I am not as good as I think I am at this skill. Thankfully, my brolly has not blown down the beach with me screaming after it!!!

This is the beach looking north towards San Blas, three hours away.......

Staying at the pool may be really relaxing and convenient but the entertainment is not the same as at the beach. The other day these 6 guys were all trying to get into this two man kayak at the same time. They did it too!!!

Later on the same day a group of men came with a big net and inner tube. One of them swam out and dropped the net and then two other men took an end each and swam in with it. It was incredible how many fish they caught. I asked one of the men if the fish were all edible and he said they were. I asked how they would cook them and he said they would be fried. This conversation was also all in Spanish. I really enjoy the opportunities I have to speak the language. Too many people speak English here. Hey, wait a minute, aren't I teaching English here!!??!?!?!?!

Blog Entry #6 Off to San Blas....

I drove to San Blas with Paty and her sister Loraina. Our first stop was in Punta Sayulita for breakfast. I wanted orange juice and they wanted Coke. This place didn't have either but that was not a problem. One of the workers took some cash and went up the street and found what we wanted. The Coke arrived quickly. My juice not so. Whenever you order orange juice here it always takes about 10 minutes to get as they are squeezing oranges for you!!! Delicious!!!

Here are my happy companions. Someone asked me if it was common to eat on the street and I said no but here we are again eating on the street!!! The bottles on the table are all hot sauce. They all range from hot to OMG who eats this???? I find they are best avoided even when ma amigas say, "Oh, have this one. It isn't hot at all!!!" Right!!!!!!! I get short of breath just remembering the last time I fell for that advise.

Next we stopped at this roadside stall to buy veggies and fruit to take to the family in San Blas. On the way back, we stopped again to take fruit and veggies to the family in Puerto Vallarta!!! The prices were unbelievably inexpensive. Paty filled two shopping bags for under $5 for both. When she was done she asked for her "poyilla". That is so spelt wrong!!! It is like asking for a gift because you have been such a good customer and sure enough we were all given a huge tangerine each. On the way back, we got tangerines and a coconut and honey ball that was amazingly wonderful. I love learning of these traditions and customs that Joe Tourist will never experience.

The big bananas are plantain. Then there are ordinary bananas and then there are the tiny ones. I bought a whole bunch of the little ones for less than $1. Very delicious!!

Loraina helped herself to a little banana and is here loving every bite. The white vegetable on the left is jicama. You peel it, slice it up, sprinkle it with lime juice and chili and eat it. It is actually very yummy.

I would love to have been able to buy one of these brooms and take it home. Ray likes brooms. These are made by the folks who own and run the stand.

Sweet Potato

Our next stop was Miramar for oysters. Here is lunch coming out of the ocean. A net bag hangs down from the rubber inner tube. The steel rod in their hands is used to whack the oysters off of the rocks. They then swim to the surface and deposit them in the bag. Each diver brings his catch ashore to be weighed and then he sits on a little rock and shucks his catch.

Voila!!! Lunch!!! I once asked Ray to try to find out on the internet at what point the oyster actually died before I ate it. I didn't like the answer so I'm not going to share it with you. Anyway, lunch was absolutely delicious!!! A dozen oysters which is actually 15 for $5.83. Heavenly even if they were.....................

I decided to stay at Hacienda Flamingos on my first visit back to San Blas. It is probably the best hotel in San Blas. I hadn't been there 10 minutes before my first guest arrived and within another 15 minutes two more had come!!! It was fantastic to visit and spend time with friends I hadn't seen in some cases for three years.

The hotel is a large square built in the early 1800s. The center is this gorgeous tropical garden with a fountain in the middle. The rooms are all accessed from the courtyard or by going upstairs to the second floor rooms. My room is straight ahead. I chose it because it had a bathtub, hammock on a private patio and access to the pool. In true Mexican style, when I got there there was no bathtub and they acted like they had never ever had one in the hotel but the web site clearly states it!!! This is Mexico.

When my second guests arrived, I was told that they could not sit on my private patio but had to sit in the inner court yard. You can imagine my reaction. That's not going to happen. The woman said she would have to call the manager to get permission for my guests to enter my room. A short while later she came and told me that my guests were given permission to stay for one hour!!! Can you imagine!!! This was all done in Spanish so Lucio was able to filter what my words were to make it acceptable to her ears. I understand the problem actually. In Mexico it would not be uncommon for someone to rent a room and then move 30 other people in. Well, that was so not going to happen in my room!!!! I don't think I know 30 people to invite in!!!

All of the rooms are furnished in antiques with great art on the walls. I had a huge picture of Freida over my bed. A sign that I was in the right room.

This is the back of my room with the private patio and the hammock that I used once. I love these pig skin chairs that are so popular in Mexico.

The pool was great and a friend and I enjoyed a wonderful swim together. There are actually squirts of water that come out of the two pipes coming out of the orange structure but thankfully they were turned off.

 In true Mexican style, the bed was as hard as sleeping on a table top not a pillow top. The first night I took two blankets folded them in half and tried that. Not so comfortable. The next night I woke at 1:30 and gave great consideration to how I could make this table top feel like a pillow top. Why with pillows of course!!! I had 6 in the room. I pulled back the sheet, laid 5 pillows down, covered them with the sheet and I had one left for my head!!! This maybe the only true pillow top mattress that you have ever seen. The next morning when the maid cleaned my room, she made up the bed just as I had!!! Good woman!!!

I thought I might have difficulty finding a room in San Blas last week as the famous bird festival was on but it seems that the festival is not as reknowned as it once was internationally. Every night there was entertainment in the square. I went on Thursday night and what a delightful show awaited me!!! It was a dance show, mostly tradiitonal folk dancing done by a group of developmentally handicapped young people. Many of them had Downe's Syndrome. Well, I wish you all could have been there to experience the excellent show that lasted for over an hour and to see the reaction of the audience. The audience enthusiasm and support are what so impressed me. The dancers were really good. There was the bossy chick who kept telling everyone what to do. There was the shy one who just wanted to go home. There was the charmer who just played up to the audience. The crowd cheered, yelled, took picture after picture. Every time the crowd went crazy the dancers all beamed with pride. It was a very touching performance. I was so glad to have witnessed it.

Friday morning I was off to the market for breakfast but it was so crowded I ended up at a restaurant on the square. There were a lot of visitors to the town from her sister town and it was some kind of long weekend celebration.

Just as I entered the market this colourful balloon man was leaving.

So many people in town remembered me and came to shake my hand and welcome me back. It was quite touching. I wanted to have a torta here but there were no stools available.

I love this shot. These military guys came and stood in front of my table as I was eating breakfast. Maybe they thought I needed protection. They are both ready to shoot. Look carefully. That is a really big gun!!!!!!!

As I sat there I was asking myself why do I love San Blas and don't like Bucerias. I looked around. I was the only caucasian in sight. In Bucerias on the street and in the restaurants, there are no Mexican people. San Blas is Mexico!!! The true Mexico not the tourista Mexico!!! That is the difference.

All around the stage beside where I was sitting were all of these wreaths. Each one had a name on it and one by one an announcement was made, a couple of people came forward, took the wreath about 20 feet and put it around this monument you can see below. After the first six, with another 56 to go, I decided I had had enough. The navy and all the schools from the area had been standing in the sun for almost two hours waiting for this show to get going. I have no idea of how much longer they stayed. No whining, no complaining, no bathroom breaks, no icy cold drinks. Just standing in the hot sun and waiting. Mexicans have to be the most patient people in the world!!! God Bless Them!!!!

This is the over crowded Borego Beach of San Blas. I had to suffer through another lunch and day at the beach because I wanted to buy two hammocks from the beach vendors. I only got one so I will have to go back again in February and hopefully in March!!!

This wonderful taxi driver drove me all over San Blas on Friday delivering stuff that I had brought for people from art supplies to vitamins. At one point he asked me if I was a missionary? I didn't see any bibles in my bags. I said no it was Christmas in San Blas today.

I had received an email at home in Canada about this young man who had received vitamins from me for 3 years and to let me know that he was out and needed more. It seems that he was quite cross eyed when he first started taking the vitamins and after 3 years he is almost cured. Well, I heard this from more than one source but really, I hardly think so!!!!!! I checked on the other 30 something kids and it seems they did very well compared to other kids their age. It looks like I am going to do the vitamins again. I'll be selling you those scarves for $10 each and looking for donations!!!!

People who live in San Blas had told me that nothing had changed in town but I saw a lot of changes. One huge change is that as you come into town the whole street has been decorated in white and like a rust coloured paint. It is very clean and striking to see. Most of the locals hate it. They love every building to be a different colour. I was impressed. See the cow head on Billy Bob's Bar? I met some friends here for happy hour but sadly didn't get to visit with Billy Bob himself.

This is the inside of Billy Bob's Bar. In the back room is a pathetic alligator that has been there for years and if someone gave me a gun I would........................................

The drive from San Blas to Puerto Vallarta is very beautiful. The country is very green this winter. I have been told it is because they have had so much rain this winter. I would enjoy a rainy day. This blue sky and sunshine and heat and oh my you just don't want this info do you???

On the way home Paty and I stopped at Lo de Marcos for lunch. This is the beach looking south and below is the beach looking north. Lovely quiet little town. Lots of RVs in tiny little parks and spaces. No me gusta!!!