Christmas night.

Well Christmas Eve started at Sylvia & Jean’s as planned, after a great dinner of tourtier, salads, munchies, crepes, cake, fudge, wine and beer, we waddled to the poker tables and played for two hours. I must interject here that I got my first ever “Royal Flush”. It was a good pot, because there were 5 clubs on the flop and two other people held another club and were discussing who won when I turned over a Jack which made the Royal Flush. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Anyhow I ended up the winner at our table and took home the 200 Pesos.

A kinda happy guy.

It was about ten o’clock when we drove home and noticed that all the businesses were closing up shop, and lots of people were milling about in the streets.

When we got home the Mexican family across the street were having their Christmas party in the street with most of the neighbours. They asked us to join them and at first we declined.

The kids get to break pinattas for candies and peanuts.

It is absolutely amazing how our Mexican neighbours have accepted us into their community and we feel honoured. So after a little considering (not to mention that the noise from fireworks and blaring stereos) we decided to join the party. By midnight and after several drinks and the offers of a multitude of wonderful smelling dishes, we decided to visit our landlord, Conrado, and his family around the corner, where another equally loud party was in progress another drink and more offers of tasty dishes, we headed home about 1:30 AM to try and get some sleep, yea, sure.

All around town there were the same type of neighbourhood parties going on and went on till about 4:30 AM. Some of the rockets sounded as if they landed in our bedroom, but I think we finally nodded off about 2:30 or so.

Sunday, Christmas day, we roused ourselves about 9:30 and had a nice breakfast and prepared for our day with Mary and John. So along with Cora & Eric we headed to their place and over more drinks we indulged in munchies, turkey, roasted on a charcoal BBQ, sweet potatoes and roasted turnip, stuffing and gravy, finished off with chocolate covered shortbread cookies and more crepes with fresh fruit.

In the evening we walked to the square for ice cream and a walk around the park, and on our way home, as we rounded the corner to our street we were accosted by Chellie, (remember the owner of our corner grocery store) who is sitting in the street with most of his employees celebrating the season with a few beers.

About half of Chellie's employees, Chellie is on the box in the middle.

No refusing,,, we have to join them and after an hour or so communicating with our measly Spanish we excuse ourselves and come in the house and make it look like we’re not home, so we can have a little peace and quiet, and maybe sober up,,, LOL.

Next update will include the “stairway to the stars”, (I hope).

G’night, all, and hope you had a wonderful Christmas;

Dan

Christmas Eve

First of all

Thanks to Kieth for the graphics.

The past week has been filled with the many events associated with “Festival Del Mar”.

This is an event to promote the area, and the lineup of entertainment each evening was spectacular (in local Mexican standards).  To tell the truth, some were really fantastic and some were just LOUD.

Here is a link to the featured group on the last night, Thursday, we were really looking forward to seeing this unusual type of music, which seems to be all the rage here.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jvEJLKHrJ0&feature=related       I hope this link works.

Unfortunately, the sound system and lighting systems were not quite as in the video, and we left after 3 numbers, along with all the other over 25’s with ringing in our ears.

Entertainment on other evenings included a 70 piece orchestra with choir and another evening with a singing violinist who sounded like Andre Botticelli, fantastic, other evenings there were local singers, dancers from bigger centers around the area, and children’s choirs.

This is all presented free on a huge stage set up in the town square. Unfortunately it was too dark and the stage lighting made it impossible to get any good photos, the only thing I’ve got is some screen shots fron videos I took.

Belly Dancers

That post in the middle is the central flag pole, about 50 ft. high, (it wouldn’t move) Hahaha.

The Radaid group, (as we saw them).

Opening day parade

We also got our “stairway to the stars” installed this week, but that’s for another post.

We’re off to Sylvia & Jean’s place for a tourtier Christmas eve dinner and turkey at Mary & John’s tomorrow, so I’ll try an get another update when I’ve digested all that food and drink,,, LOL.

Keep warm and please give all hugsssssssssssss for us both.

Dan

What A Week, Part Two.

Wednesday its off to La Huerta (about an hour and a half up Hwy. 80 towards Guadalajara) with 9 others, and a trip in the mountains to see some petrographifs and visit a vegetable farm. Betty and I were among those who didn’t climb the mountain, but here are some pix I took with the telephoto setting. How they got up there thousands of years ago is a wonder. Some say we are now standing in a lake bed, and the water level was that high, but I think they were made by extraterrestrials with laser guns from spaceships. Any ideas?

I've circled some I can see, but there are others.

Along the way, workers were harvesting sugar cane by hand.

Anybody need a job?

We stopped at a couple of warm springs that feed the irrigation system for the farm and also provide a swimming area for the local folks. One of the ponds is kept under surveillance of this huge goose or swan, who continually warned us not to come too close. There was a Mexican family there who wanted to share some of their lunch with us, we declined, (I was later wishing we had accepted).

Here's the nasty swan

Soaking in the hot springs

A small section of peppers.

At the farm, the owner, after a tour, and a supply of peppers, tomatoes and oranges, kept us occupied till his wife, son & daughter came with a bucket of beer which he insisted we consume. By this time it was two PM and with only a couple of bites of orange and peppers, oh, and thanks to Liz a few cookies, the sun, heat, fresh air and beer, it was off to La Huerta for lunch/supper at 3:30. Another adventure in Mexican food, we all seemed to have something different, chicken or pork stew, steak, shrimp, and I had a pork rib and chicken leg in a kinda spicy tomato sauce with re-fried beans and hot, fresh tortillas.

Nativity scene in town square.

After a walk in the square to see the Christmas decorations, it was an hour trip home for a late snack and early bed.

Betty had been fighting a cold and now it looks like the cold has won.

And there is more to come;

Dan

What A Week

Wow, where do I begin, I think you will soon realize why I haven’t added anything here this week.

At last report, we were off to “Scooby Doo’s” for supper with Len and Diane, well, we didn’t make it, (still another place to try) as we were turning the corner past the “Red Lobster” (not to be confused with the American version) we noticed Dr, John and Mary having supper, and ended up joining them. They had arrived about 2 hours earlier from Oregon and had unpacked just enough to head to bed. We had a great fish dinner, (as usual) and spent the evening with Len & Diane, watching the folks in the square. They really enjoyed the difference in the goings on in the Melaque square, compared to the one in Barra. Melaque is more Mexican orientated, where Barra is more touristy.

Monday was “install John”s satellite dish, “oh boy” another 2 hour job that lasted 2 days. First the new mast, that I brought for him was too small, so off we go the the “steel” man to have a spacer made, then to the body shop to have some parts cleaned and painted. Monday evening we joined the “poker gang” at Linda & Ron’s (I was second again) and then off to the festivities at the square in Villa Obrigon, the usual local talent on stage, a couple of amusement “rides” and of course the Castillo fireworks at about 11PM, followed by the rocket wielding “Toro”

The rocket Toro

Still running, but notice the rocket near my feet!

Even the kids run from this guy.

Tuesday, back at Johns’ to fight with the satellite again, after getting it bolted to the wall, I discover that his cable has coroded, so off to the hardware store for parts, a quick lunch and finally get the system working, but John doesn’t have the system activated and no way to call “Shaw” because his internet isn’t working yet. By the time we got all this done, it was only enough time to get home for a shower and be ready for Tere and Ray to pick us up for “cocktails” in Barra de Navadad at Tom and Frances’s. Wow they sure do know how to build fancy places in Barra.

A view from their second floor deck.

Relaxing.

This only takes us up till Tuesday there is more to come.

Dan

Blogging 101

Well at least I now have a blog that seems to work, the next step is to figure what to put on it.

I feel like the guy on the pay toilet “here I sit broken hearted, paid a nickle and only farted”, kinda dating myself eh?

When I’m in bed, I think of all the wonderful ideas for this blog, but when I sit here at the computer,,, duuuuu,,, nothing. Maybe when we get the Christmas presents, Betty and I gave each other, (Android Tablets) which Jean and Eddy are bringing down for us in January, I’ll be able to quietly enter something in the night…. LOL.

Till then, I guess I’ll just have to make do with what I have.

We’ve been pretty busy for the last couple of weeks. There are more and more tourists coming to town, lots of people we have met before and lots of newbies.

Last week we went with Cora & Eric to La Manzanilla to install a satellite dish for another friend “Mexico Dave” whose full name is Dave Clark,,, yup, but without the five. LOL.

He has a place half way up the mountain, with a fabulous view, but a road that takes a 4 wheel drive to get up. They tell me that our Echo could make it, but I’m not sure. I guess we’ll just have to try, but if it can’t make it, it’s a long way to back down on a narrow, winding road.

The bay from Dave's place

Anyhow, after a 4 hour fight, in the hot sun, (after getting it installed once, the bricks we had drilled into started disintegrating, and we had to start over), we got him up and running. Dave took us out for dinner, and we had a wonderful meal at a restaurant on the beach.

La Manzanilla normally has one of the most fantastic beaches along this coast, but since the hurricane the beach has been eroded and a lot of debris piled up. They say, they are slowly cleaning it up, and with the next full moon the sand should return. Ain’t nature amazing? I didn’t get any more pictures, as my battery ran out, up on the mountain.

Sylviane and Jean

On the 4th we joined our friends to celebrate Jean’s 83rd birthday, (yup, there actually is somebody older than me) at “Mocaheti” (that’s the stew in the boiling hot lava bowls) wonderful food, wonderful time, and yes, I did burn the tip of my tongue.

Here's a bowl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new “kinda” supermarket opened up on the highway,  just past the Barra turnoff, Betty and I went on Sunday and picked up a fillet mignon (enough for the two of us) an two nice pork chops for 30 pesos, about $2.50. We had the fillet on the B.B.Q. on Sunday and the chops on Monday and they were the best we have had in Mexico. We will definitely be back.

The festival for “The virgin of Guadalupe” started a couple of days ago, and now we are serenaded with booming skyrockets at 4:30 in the morning, a parade and more rockets at 7 AM, more rockets at 11 AM another parade with rockets at 5 PM and rockets again around 11 PM. We kinda get used to it until one of the rockets goes off directly overhead and scares the “chit” out of you, as one did,  just as I struck the lighter under the B.B.Q. the other night.

Oh well, The “steel man” is supposed to come today and start installing our stairs to the roof, and tonight Len and Diane are taking us to “Scooby Doos” for supper, (payment for the satellite help).

Till next time, “keep smilin’,  it makes people wonder what you’re thinking about”!

D.

Let’s see if this works

Here we go again;
Well,,, as I was saying, (I really can’t remember what I was saying) so I’ll just start over.
It seems that no matter what I do, the “comment” button just won’t work unless you’re signed in, so forget it, and we’d love to hear from you via EEEkmail.
We went to Ava’s for U.S. Thanksgiving dinner, it was great, turkey with all the trimmings, key lime pie (with more pucker power that needed) and a pretty good band that played C. C. R. style. the three local musicians are fantastic, but the lead singer (who put the group together), left a little to be desired. But all in all a great evening.
While on the dance floor I bumped into a lady with a cast on her arm, and was afraid I had hurt her. It seems she was afraid she had hurt me with the cast. Anyway we now have new friends who have a fantastic home in Barra be Navadad. Somehow they found out that I have the equipment for setting up “Shaw” satellite dishes, so on Saturday we go to Barra to see what we can do. Len had, had some satellite guru work on his system and he had moved the dish, (because of trees?) but now the cable was about 20 feet short. We had to go back the next day with cable, and got the whole thing set up and working.
They joined us for our Saturday night poker, and Jean and I were the winners at our table again, (it’s starting to look fishy, Jean). LOL.
The weather is really cooling off at night here, down to 18 – 20 degrees, but it is still hot and sunny during the day.
The TV stand arrived as promised, and it looks great, (now, anybody need some bricks)?
I have spoken many times about our local grocery store, “Chelies”, here a couple of photos of the place.
Dan

The outside isn’t too impressive!

That is Chelie in the center and his wife Adrianna at left (under the cigarettes).

A little fresh produce.

Another view from behind Adrianna.

If this works I’m going to see if I can move all the other posts over here,

Wish me luck;

Dan