Beach Time

We don't often sit on the beach, but we do go look at it occasionally. Today we took the bus to Sayulita, a neighbouring town 15 kms from us. It is known as an old hippie town....I look at it as where old hippies go to relive the 60s and 70s. Not very successfully either! Might be time to accept the fact that they are too old to skateboard down the main drag. The long greasy hair is not pretty either!

Now that my rant is over...Sayulita is a short distance from Puerto Vallarta so the town swells with many day-trippers checking out the famous surfing waters. We talked to one shop owner and she said many of the homes are owned by Mexicans from Guadalajara and this is their weekend to come check their rentals. Another reason why the beaches are overcrowded.

I have been here before with friends, but this was a first for Fred and he was not thrilled.

Dusty Days

We have been in San Pancho twenty five days today and have driven the car twice. We walk or take the bus whenever we want to go some place and like I mentioned before, the car sits right beside the main drag and gathers dust! And gathers more dust! And leaves! And bird droppings!

The Mexicans have been loving the car, writing in the dust and today we found that they even put it up for sale. They wanted 10, 500 Pesos or about $725 Cdn!

Moving Day # 1

We knew when we booked this two bedroom apartment last summer that we left the booking too late. The result of this is that we have to move to a one bedroom in the same complex for ten days.

After the Christmas break we move back to this apartment for another three weeks...complicated but entirely our own fault.

The problem is that we have so much stuff that it will take us a couple of hours to make the transfer and we have to go up another 18 steps with each and every load!

Why do we have so much stuff?  A lot of it was food left from San Carlos that we couldn't leave there because of putting the house up for sale, some stuff is going to be left in Puerto Aventuras and some is for our use here [Shaw Direct/Bose/Sirius etc]. We travel around too much!!

Learning a New Sport

Yesterday afternoon we walked to La Patrona Polo Grounds here in San Pancho to watch a polo tournament. It was the 10th anniversary celebration so there were many invited guests along with the few of us who just wandered in.

In no way were we treated any differently than the ultra rich guests, other than they had reserved seating....very impressed with that. The lady with the cap is just getting ready to throw the ball to start the game.

The game is usually played on the two large sodded fields but because of the rain the tournament was moved to the sand field to protect the horses. They were worried about the horses slipping on the turf and injuring themselves.

We had a wonderful time watching and learning and sipping on free Stella beer. Trust Fred to find the free stuff!  

We were going to walk back this afternoon [Sunday] for the finals, but the rains have started again and it is quite the chore to get there without walking through huge water beds. Yesterday some guy in a truck gave us a ride through the worst of the water and for that we were grateful.

Life in the Slow Lane

Since we are new to San Pancho we don't have many friends to keep us busy and right now that is okay. When we get bored it may be a different story.

We are doing some hiking in the morning and pilate routines after, plus every third day we are on the golf course. It seems that the days go by pretty quickly even without the constant socializing of Lo de Marcos.

The most annoying thing we can say about San Pancho is the dust on the car. We are parked right beside the main road into the town and as a result our car is the dirtiest I have ever seen...we had it washed on Thursday morning and by the same evening it was filthy. The dust settles on it, the leaves fall on it and the birds poop on it....even Mr. Clean has given up trying to make it look presentable. Which might be a good thing....we rarely drive the car so it looks much like it belongs in Mexico and who breaks into a Mexican car when there are shiny new American cars coming in everyday!

Our Favourite

We wanted to get started with our golfing so we went to the course two days ago and found it locked up. We parked in front hoping that they were just late in opening. A car form the Yukon pulled up, a kid came and opened the gates...we snuck through the gates right behind him keeping our fingers crossed that they wouldn't kick us out.

Karen, the woman who runs the course, was excited to see us and gave us her phone number to call whenever we wanted to go for a round. She said the course isn't busy right now so they keep it locked up....I can't see the reasoning behind that, but this is their course and we will do whatever it takes to get on and play.

There were five golfers when we went out so we had a private golf course all to our own! We played pretty well considering we had only swung our clubs once in San Carlos. The course is in pretty good shape and with the trees growing rapidly, the greens are getting harder to find all the time.

When we were finished we put our clubs in storage and had to be escorted to the gate to be let out. Strange procedure, but typically Mexican!

Getting Settled

We left San Carlos on Monday November 27th and finally arrived in San Pancho on December 1st [with a few stops in between].

Our apartment is up 18 stairs...I know because I count them every time I climb them, so unloading the car took a bit of effort. We just threw everything in the second bedroom and worked our way into organization from there.

It took a couple of days but we are finally comfortable and we think we know where everything is most of the time.

We took the time to hit the beach on Sunday and it was very busy with families enjoying the day. Usually we don't see this many people on the beach in San Pancho so it was a bit of a surprise.

A Little Slow

We have been taking it easy since arriving in Mazatlan, staying close to our resort and getting in some rest time. I have been trying to lighten the load in the car by reading every book I can find...not helping much!

Today we took the bus to the historical centro to hit a highly recommended restaurant. It took an hour to get there but the food was well worth it. I had a huge salad and Fred had the pork shank in adobo sauce..the plan was to share and for once we did just that. It usually doesn't work as planned as one or the other takes a sudden dislike to one of the dishes.

Back at the hotel we had an nightcap in the rooftop bar that just recently open. The view was fabulous, but I'm not sure this place will stay open in the dead of winter as the wind was blowing pretty viciously up there.

Mexico and a Prius

We knew we may have problems with our low riding car, but never thought it would be quite like this.

Driving to Mazatlan on Monday was an eye-opener for sure. Most topes were pretty high and long which didn't cause much of a problem, but there were lots that were very narrow and just as high. Those are the ones that create a problem for the underside of the car. We have to try to cross them at an angle so that one tire at a time moves over the hump. It doesn't always work!

The entrance to our resort in Mazatlan offered a completely different challenge and we didn't see it coming. The drop was so steep that we scraped the bottom of the car for a long time....long enough that Fred will have to check it out tomorrow.

We are not completely innocent in the treatment of our car either. At one of the toll booths there was a minor protest about something and as the men waved us to move on [the toll booth was shut down due to the protest] Fred turned too sharply and now part of our left front bumper is a pretty orange colour, a gentle reminder of Mexico's favourite colour!

My day didn't end there, even if the Prius's did. I was just out of the shower brushing my teeth when a complete stranger walked into the room. He was as shocked as I was....I don't know who moved quicker.  I wasn't worried about him coming back because only a fool would want to see an old naked lady twice!!

Busy Week

This past week has been horribly busy with numerous things happening at once. Fred's mom being in the hospital and his Uncle Bill passing away kept us concerned about things other than travelling and selling.

Our realtor has seven homes in Tecalai that are for sale so she wanted to have an open house Saturday before we left. That, combined with our renters moving in on Monday, kept us hopping.

Our realtor was concerned about us being gone until mid-March and the possible sale of the house so she asked us to make it move in ready for any would-be buyers. Even though we didn't want to keep much stuff, I was forced to go through the totes as the hoarder in the family kept throwing in things he wanted to take home. Things that will look totally out of place in Canada!

The best part of the whole procedure was that we had absolutely no food in the house and had to eat out every day for a week!

Our neighbour had the best response to people who came to look at the houses and would ask why everyone is selling. He told them "we all came for a weekend ten years ago and it's time to go home"

Sad State of Affairs

It is a sad state of affairs when everything you own can fit into four totes and two coolers. Nine years in this house and four totes!!

We haven't sold the house but have packed up all our personal items just in case it sells while we are farther south. Gloria and Dennis have offered to take the totes to their spare bedroom, if need be.

We are leaving everything else for the new owners, if we are so lucky to sell. Someone could move in the day they buy and be quite comfortable. Most sellers in Mexico leave their furniture, TVs and dishes just because it is too much of a hassle to get it home. It took nine years to get it down and would probably take just as long to get it back to Canada.

But, four totes!!

Something Borrowed

We played our first round of golf this morning and because the club house doesn't have any carts to rent we borrowed Gloria and Dennis's. We walk the course often but right now the heat is a deterrent.

We felt like royalty cruising down the road on our way to the course....no waving like the Queen, but royalty nevertheless.

Look Who Won!

Tonight was the first Pink Night in support of the Cancer Walk of San Carlos. Usually Fred and I work this function, but have decided to back away this year.

It is a lot more fun to sit on the sidelines than it is selling the 50/50 tickets!!

We were able to visit many old friends and have a great meal....and on top of that I won the pink roses that were sponsored by a local florist shop.

A Little Change in Our Lives

A year ago we decided that we wanted to keep visiting other places and countries for as long as we could and to accomplish this we thought we should sell our San Carlos house. On Wednesday of this week we made the move!

We have had a few people asking questions, but most are Canadian and the exchange rate is killing them so we may keep owning this house for longer than we would like. Keep your fingers crossed.

Perfect Beach Weather

We had been in San Carlos for a week before we had a chance to relax at a near-by restaurant. The old Fiesta Inn across from our house has been renovated and is now open. We gave that place a try on Saturday and had a burning mouth for hours after! Their salsa was extremely hot and spicy, but so good. 

The wandering bands were out in full force, some with excellent music and some not so fantastic.

Not content with that little outing, we headed to the Soggy Peso on Sunday with friends. The weather was ideal for kite boarding giving us something to watch for hours. Yes, we were forced to stay for hours!!

The conversation flowed almost as freely as the beer and margaritas!

At it Again

We left Eatonia on Monday, October 23rd with hopes of arriving in San Carlos on Sunday, October 29th.

Our route will be much the same as always with the exception of our layover to see Diane. We have decided to do our grocery shopping in Tucson so will spend two days there stocking up for Mexico.

We can't buy a lot as our car is filled to the brim already but there are a few necessities that we will pick up.

So far the driving weather has been perfect with very little wind and lots of sunshine. We arrived in Layton, Utah yesterday afternoon to 20C temperatures.

Walking Tours

Thirty one kilometres! That is what we walked yesterday when we followed the Freedom Trail stopping at places like Paul Revere's House and the USS Constitution.

It was an interesting walk, but neither of us are truly knowledgeable in US history so we had to stop and read every sign to really understand what we were looking at.

We walked through Little Italy and will make a point of going back for a meal. The smells were incredible! 

We took an hour's break before walking to Fenway Park to see the ball diamond (and the game). We tried to grab a prime seat at the Bleacher Bar before the game but it seems that you have to have your name on a list to be seated. The Bleacher Bar is one of a kind with the front of the bar open directly to the playing field. It is so popular that they limit the time that people can spend in the open area.

The Jays won the game and that in itself was exciting. Sportsnet always talks about how many people follow the Jays on the road and we were witness to that yesterday. Oodles of  Blue Jay clothing and support.

Rainy Day in Boston

It was cold and wet when we arrived in Boston so after checking into our hotel we walked to Cheers. This bar was the original concept for the TV series of the same name, but most filming was done in LA.

That didn't really matter to us as we thoroughly enjoyed being there and so did 300 other people. It was crowded and noisy but so much fun with everyone trying to get Norm's seat. By good fortune, I was able to grab the stool when some Australian people left and I wasn't about to give it up until we finished lunch.

Cold and Wet

We left the hotel a little early so that I could go through the screening process and not get tied up in huge line ups. The only thing difficult about the screening was the fact that I could not check in on line. BUT.....I still have my doubts about that too. 

Toronto is cold and wet this morning so here's hoping Boston is a little better. It has been a pleasant four days and now the real activity starts. Lots of walking!

Hockey Time

Mason had his hockey tryouts in Brantford last evening and we went with the family to watch him and his team. Pretty exciting time for everyone!

We took some great family pictures but are unable to post for some strange reason....maybe tomorrow!

Wasting the Day Away

Regan and Jeff had to work today so Fred and I spent the day at St. Jacob's Market and the Village of St. Jacob itself. We have been there numerous times but we always enjoy the area. We have our Hutterites and Waterloo has their Mennonites.

We wandered around and did nothing  special, except wish we could have the same opportunity to buy fresh vegetables like we saw there.

On the Way to Boston

We booked this trip to Boston to watch the Blue Jays at Fenway Park way back in April. We were assuming that the Jays would be in contention this year. No luck on that and now we fear we will be watching a pile of September call ups and not get to see the real stars on the team.

We flew out of Saskatoon on a 5:30 am West Jet flight to Toronto where we rented a car and drove to Kitchener Waterloo to spend two days visiting with Regan and Jeff.  We are staying at the Holiday Inn Express right at St. Jacob's Market and it is only a fifteen minute drive to the Mohr's.

After checking in we had a terrible lunch at a mall across the street and then napped for a couple of hours. We were to be at Regan and Jeff's at 5:30 for supper and a visit. Mason had a hockey tryout and Peighton had dance so everyone was a little busy. As it turned out, Peighton cancelled her dance and a friend took care of Mason giving us time to visit.

Loghan Hennes is staying with them until she moves into residence at the University of Waterloo. She will be staying in the same residence that Regan did 23 years ago. I remember flying Regan down in early September and moving her into the residence so she could start her schooling....and she has remained here ever since!

Finishing the Season

We ended our golfing season with two rounds at Emerald Canyon Golf Course at Parker, near Lake Havasu.

I love this course with its desert and canyon layout....Fred is not as thrilled, but he joins me each and every time we golf here.

Some of the holes are a little intimidating and one mistake adds strokes to your score in a flash. The picture below shows the view from the ladies' tee off on hole number six. There is an option to go to the right, but that takes a few more strokes than going over this cliff. If you look carefully there are many golf balls stuck in the crevices.

A couple of the holes need a spotter who will give you the green light to tee off....blind canyon fairways are not that easy to navigate!

In Search of the Nellie E

We found her!! It was a tough drive to get there, but the search was fun and interesting. The old mining town-turned saloon was a great way to spend an afternoon 8 kilometres outside Parker, Arizona.

The road alone is an experience. It is an interesting drive....make sure you have good suspension. We did see some sports cars up there, though!

People from all over the world check out this place and the band, made all the more interesting by the fact that it's so isolated with no power and everything is run by solar. That must be the reason for the saloon only being open from noon to six two days a week.

Some people say that the washrooms have the best view in the world....these people have never used the washrooms in Tibet!!

Border Crossing

We finished closing up the house on Saturday and were on the road by 9:00. We had originally planned to only go to Santa Ana near the border, but changed our minds and ended up in Tucson.

There was nothing different about the drive...some good roads and some bad!

The border crossing was a little frustrating though. All RVs are put in a line with the buses and usually we are the only ones there, but today we were put behind four buses. When I asked one of the guards how long the wait would be the answer came back as four to five hours!

This was a bit of a shock as all other 10 border gates were sitting empty with very little vehicular traffic. I asked if we could go through one of the other gates and was told they were too narrow, but if we wanted to accept responsibility for all damages we would do when we crossed then we could go ahead.

Never challenge a Saskatchewan farmer because before that particular guard could change his mind we were at his gate. It took all of three minutes to cross and we had at least a foot of space to spare on both sides of the RV.

We are now in Desert Diamond free camping area and will spend the day getting the belly emptied for some warranty work tomorrow.

We may be in Tucson one day or we may be here for a week, depending on how long it takes to get the parts for the slide. Will let you know.

One Last Stop

We are on the countdown now so we will be spending the next week visiting some of our favourite restaurants and beaches in San Carlos.

Yesterday we stopped for a quick meal at the Soggy Peso with our neighbours and an old friend and her dad from Pincher Creek. Beautiful weather.

Every time this young worker sees Dave and Shannon drive up she runs to help him walk through the sand...I think they go to the Soggy Peso far more than we do. We are never greeted that warmly by the workers!!

The Forgotten Beauties

I forgot about them already! We bought these plants to add colour to our place when Don and Adelle were coming....we don't know what they are or how to take care of them.

Every three or four days when they are almost laying on their sides we think to add water. I have a feeling that someone else took care of them while our company was here!

These four beauties will go to a summer home in Guaymas while we are gone....I don't expect to see them again! Chuyita does not take good care of plants or trees. It's not the Mexican way.

They look pretty good right now due to the fact that Fred found them almost dead and decided he would try his revival skills. 

Going Hunting

We are on a mission! Anne wants us to bring back some chili spice that she found when they were here last, but we are having trouble locating the same stuff.

Fred even disappeared into the back depths of Walmart searching for the elusive seasoning.

He did reappear within a reasonable time...without spice in hand!

Out of Control

My rosemary plant is getting so big that it takes a twig trimmer to cut the stocks....okay I may have added a little fertilizer!

The same with my roses....there are twenty three buds that will bloom in the next week. Hopefully we will see that happen before we head home.

The flowers below haven't received the same treatment...can you tell?  We need Annie here to take control of the situation!

Wind Up

On Wednesday, all of us who worked the cancer walk [before, during and after the walk] were invited to a wind up party to celebrate the success of the 2017 walk...167, 000 pesos for free mammograms for the women of Guaymas!

It was a short party with just enough time to say good bye to the rest of the volunteers and a chance to plan for next year.