Hello friends and family! What do you know, we have been On Vallarta Time for a month already! It doesn’t seem that long. Here, the beautiful days slip by one after the other in a seemingly endless stream. It sure is easy to lose track of time.
So here´s what´s been happening. We arrived on Halloween, in time for the Day of the Dead celebrations for the next couple of days, but we didn´t have much opportunity to participante. Let´s see: we had to clean, restock, and man, was it hot!
The summer rains were particularly heavy this year. We got back to some moldy patches in the ceiling near the door where the rain had gotten in upstairs. And even though our wonderful housekeeper had been here every two weeks to dust and air out the place there was a distinct mildew smell. This happens every year but this year it took longer than usual to dissipate. There was a lot of cleaning to do, and we had to go through the things we left here, like sheets and towels, and take some across the street to the laundry.
Then we had to buy food items we needed; perishables, and some staples too. We gave away lots of stuff when we left last spring but we still had to go through the spices, condiments and other foodstuffs to get rid of all the suspect ones. We went to three different supermarkets, because of course they all carry different items you can’t find at the others. And we had to make a couple of Costco runs to stock up on paper products and specialty items, just like at home in Oregon.
And then, did I mention it was hot? The truth is we didn’t even want to go outside. We would just go down the stairs from our apartment to the street, and be instantly soaked with sweat. Temps were in the high 80’s and mid 90’s, with equivalent humidity. And when we needed to go out, like to go shopping, when we got home we were done for the day. That kind of humidity really takes a lot out of you. A lot of the time, it was just better to sit under the ceiling fans and drink lots of water. Thank God for the air conditioner in the bedroom. That poor little thing looks like it’s on its last legs, but it works! It costs a lot to run (for here), but we couldn’t have made it without it. We northwesterners are such wimps.
Even with the heat, we have still kept up with most of our daily activities. We have been out for dinner quite a few times, since the restaurants in this town are so fabulous and reasonably priced, and it’s been too hot to cook at home. Of course we have sought out the air conditioned places whenever possible! We have been going to the beach just to hang out, whenever we can between shopping days, and it’s great to be in our accustomed spot at Swell Beach Bar. The ocean is a great way to cool off! We have been catching up with the many good friends we have here. And I continue to play the ukulele on the beach on Tuesdays with our group, the Vinolentos.
On Thanksgiving, we took an exciting bus ride up into the mountains near Vallarta for our customary dinner with our El Tuito friends. Our usual hostess, Kai Doyle, is out of the county doing a Semester At Sea. But she graciously offered her house for the celebration, and friends pitched in to continue the tradition. As always, a wonderful time was had by all. We even had mariachis show up! (Thank you, Bob Price, Entertainment Director!) And another thank you to Hank and Vicki Lindsey for offering us their cozy rental casita in central El Tuito, Cabaña de Cocos, to spend the night. We had a great time, and it was a relief to get out of the coastal humidity.
A little over a week ago the weather finally started to turn. Temperatures are still in the mid- to high 80’s, but the temps and the humidity are steadily going down. Any shopping in our neighborhood, like at the Emilio Zapata Municipal Market, or my favorite frutería, or the Farmácia Guadalajara (which has almost everything) takes a lot of walking. Now that the weather is better it is becoming a familiar pleasure to get out and walk around. The farther one gets from the beach, the more traditionally Mexican the neighborhood gets. It is so full of sights and sounds, with cars jockeying and honking, buses wheezing, dogs barking, taco fillings sizzling, radios blaring banda music, and children laughing and playing. It’s such a happy place, full of color and life!
Well, now you are all caught up on what has been occupying our time. Here are a few pictures of our activities.
On our first night in town, we like to go down to Cuates y Cuetes on the beach for a happy hour sunset.
On our way back home that night we happened upon a mama sea turtle laying her eggs — right in the middle of the beach volleyball court! Authorities were on hand to gather the eggs after she left to transport them to a refuge facility for incubation and eventual release.
Our view at Swell. This was pretty early in the season; it’s much more crowded now.
Here we are with the whole Swell gang. I swiped this pic from the Swell Beach Bar Facebook page — check it out!
Los Vinolentos jamming on the beach at Fidencio’s. That’s me in the background.
Peggy on our terrace for happy hour, trying out her new thermal wine glass.
Our water jug, best friend in the hot weather.
Here’s a quick video for your enjoyment — hope it works! We are on our way to El Tuito for Thanksgiving dinner. Turn up your speakers! After Boca de Tomatlán, where the highway turns away from the coast and up into the mountains, the driver cranked up the music. Note that Peggy didn’t want to sit in the seat that’s held up by a rope! Here’s the link:
78980F58-4E05-476C-84BF-324D000849D4
The mariachis arrived during dessert right after Thanksgiving dinner. It’s hard to see them since they were in the darkness. There were at least ten of them. What a treat!
Here’s a closer shot — I love the guitarrón with its full bass sound.
The next day, most of us gathered for a delicious brunch at Hank and Vicki Lindsey’s house in El Tuito.
After brunch we walked back to our borrowed house in central El Tuito. We saw this horse on the way.
And we passed this house with its colorful laundry.
Here’s Peggy in front of our temporary abode. Thanks again, Hank and Vicki!
This is the town square in El Tuito, where we waited for the bus to take us back to Vallarta.
We love the plants on our terrace. Here are a few pictures.
This little one was given to us by our friend and neighbor, Sandra. It’s called Amor por Un Ratito — Love for a Little While. The sweet 1/2 inch flowers are open during the day and close up at night. It’s just a start, and should get big and bushy.
Our Christmas decorations are up!
The lights on our railing at night from the street.
And finally, you know it’s getting to be Christmas when you see the Corona tree in the store!
That’s it for this issue of OnVallartaTime! As always, your comments are welcome.