January 31, 2023. Hard Rock Resort., Nuevo Vallarta. Kenny and Anne.

 This is the second year in a row that  Kenny and Anne have come to visit us in Nuevo Vallarta.  They arrived here by boat, sailing down from the Sea of Cortez.  Their plan is to sail from here and sail to the French Polynesian Islands, a journey of over three weeks, all in the open Pacific Ocean.  Then their plan is to continue on to New Zealand.  They are excited and have a list of chores to be done prior to their departure.  

This would not be my cup of tea but Anne and Kenny are the perfect couple to sail on their boat for extended periods of time.  From a technical standpoint, they are well suited to know the intricate parts of the boat.  They are both physicists so can figure things out.  Both of them know how everything works on the boat and they enjoy dealing with any issues that arrive.  And they are not fearful of attacking new issues.

From the standpoint of temperament, they are also well suited to deal with any issues that come their way. They do not panic or get upset.  They just deal with the issue.  And they enjoy the sailing part along with getting along with each other.  They make sure that they eat well.  And Anne makes treats such as baking bread.  So we wish them well on their journey.  And we are enjoying their visit with us at the Hard Rock Resort.  It is fun being a part of their adventure.  But better them than me.  I wish them well.

January 30, 2023. Hard Rock Resort, Nuevo Vallarta. Argentine Steak House.

Last evening we five had dinner at the Argentine Steak House.   This resort has five restaurants where you can eat dinner.  The Argentine Steak House is one of them.  They call it the Ipanema.  The last time we were here we ate there too and recalled that the food was excellent.  The routine is the same.  You sit at a table and the waiters come by with meat which they slice and then put a piece on your plate.  They come by with all types of meat.  When you have eaten enough meat, you turn over the coaster to the red side which means NO.  In addition there is a buffet with vegetables and salads.

The first time I ate at an Argentine Steak House was in San Diego at a real estate conference.  A bunch of us went to dinner together.  Of course we ate lots of meat.  And we enjoyed ourselves.  The meat was delicious.  But last night was a disappointment.  Some meat was over cooked and dry and some of the beef was tough.  The best meat was the tenderloin, rare.  The vegetables and salad were excellent.  But an Argentine Steak House is known for the meat.  And this meat was not very good.

So we will not dine again at the Ipanema restaurant here at the Hard Rock Resort.  We have better options.  

January 29, 2023. Hard Rock Resort. Nuevo Vallarta. Room Service.

Nothing seems to me more luxurious than having breakfast brought to your room.  Last evening Wendy ordered breakfast for me and at 9:00 sharp this morning the man arrived with my breakfast.  I sat at the table in my bedroom drinking coffee and eating my breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage and a fruit plate.  Wendy had already come up to the room after having breakfast with Kenny and Anne so she joined me for coffee.  I ate too much breakfast but it was delicious. 

I have no idea why I think room service for breakfast is so special.  But I do.  Wendy has already ordered my breakfast for tomorrow.  And I will eat breakfast in my room every morning while we stay at The Hard Rock, which will be for two weeks.  One reason Ken and I always ordered room service for breakfast is that both restaurants serve breakfast as a buffet so we had to get our own breakfast and carry the plates to the table.  Ken could not do that so we always ordered breakfast in our room.  I will do the same thing while I am here now.

Every morning, I will remain in my night shirt and drink coffee and eat breakfast in my own elegant room.  And I will enjoy every minute.  

January 28, 2023. Hard Rock Resort, Nuevo Vallarta. Superior Service.

I was hoping that the standards were still high.  In the past, the service was the best we have ever experienced.  Ken and I were treated very well both at the Hard Rock Resort in Nuevo Vallarta and also south of Playa Del Carmen, on the east coast.  So far, we have had no reason to complain.  We have been looked after very well.

Marlin, the conceriege in Playa Royale drove me and all our bags from Playa to The Hard Rock, right next year.  We were ushered into the VIP section to check in.  No waiting in line at a counter.  As our room was not ready, we went for lunch and ate a delicious lunch sitting at the restaurant right beside the ocean.  Shortly after we were finished lunch, the room was ready so our butler took us to our Presidential Suite, which is spacious and gracious.   We are happy with our accommodation.

Kenny and Anne arrived this afternoon and they too are happy with their room.  Alan, the head of the Legendary Club, met with us to tell us all the options available here at The Hard Rock.  We will have a good time here.  Between the beach, the pools, the activities and the good food, we will not be bored.  We are looking forward to two weeks of rest and relaxation.  

January 27, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Kenny and Anne.

 Kenny and Anne's boat is now docked at Paradise Village marina.  For the past week, they have come down from The Sea of Cortez where they have spent the past two months enjoying themselves.  Two friends  came with them on the journey here.  The friends sold their big boat a year ago so they were happy to fly down to meet up with Kenny and Anne for the journey to Puerto Vallarta.  Three sets of friends left Vancouver, all intending to eventually sail together this year to the South Pacific.  Earlier the one couple sold their boat while the husband of the other couple hurt his back so is out of commission for sailing so Kenny and Anne will be doing it themselves.

Tonight, we seven had dinner at the Riviera Grill, the restaurant that has the most comfortable chairs for me.  I ate seared tuna which was delicious and we had a happy time.  Wendy insisted that I take a taxi to and fro from the restaurant which made it easy for me.  Now the friends fly home to Vancouver tomorrow. Wendy, Ken, Kenny, Anne and I will move next door to the Hard Rock Resort, an all inclusive establishment with superior service and excellent food.  Everyone will have a break.  We will stay two weeks at the Hard Rock, then return to Playa for another month.  So here we go.  Moving again.

January 26, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. The Snow Bowl.

The football playoffs took place this past weekend.  I watched a bit of the four games but the game I liked the best was the game held in Buffalo.  It was snowing.  It was snowing hard.  The field was covered with snow except the lines which were uncovered by a machine.  The snow made everything slick.  Even the ball was slippery.  Watching from the comfort of Mexico where the doors and windows are open to the air just made us laugh.  We were delighted to be in 80 degrees.

I did not really care who won those games although I always cheer for Dallas.  And I also cheer for Buffalo.  But neither of my teams won.  So now we will have two games this weekend, both played on Sunday.  I suspect there will be no snow bowl on Sunday.  But I must say that the most interesting part of the game was the snow.  It was great fun watching the slipping and sliding.  And it was great fun feeling smug.

January 25, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. The Australian Open.

Last week we enjoyed watching the tennis from Australia.  The first week of the Australian Open Tennis tournament had many many matches.  I could turn on the television in the middle of the night and watch a match.  And at six in the morning I could watch more.  We had a lot of fun.  Wendy and I also loved the fact that there are many Canadian men in the tournament.  And the American men kept winning which had not happened for years.  So for the first week of the tennis tournament we enjoyed ourselves.

For some reason, beginning on Sunday, the television stopped showing the Australian Open.  Also there were fewer matches to watch.  But even in the middle of the night when I knew a match was being played I was unable to find the games either in English or Spanish.  The truth is that all the Canadian men lost and only one American man got through to the semi finals.  So we were not really much interested in watching the matches.  But I still do not understand why the matches are not on television this week.  

But the first week of the tournament was delightful.  But this week we must look at our phone to find the results.  Interesting.

January 24, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Lunch at the Golf Club.

 For sure.  Having lunch at the golf club is pure pleasure.  It is one of my favorite places to dine.  We sit on the balcony overlooking the 18th hole so as we sit talking, we watch as the golfer hit onto the green.  Today,  many women were playing the course.  It turns out that a lady was celebrating her 65th birthday so she was having a party.  Then they gathered on the balcony for everyone to finish their game.  Next they were going to eat a late lunch complete with a band.

Yesterday, it was all about timing.  Kathy and Ted joined us for lunch so we met for the 12:30 shuttle.  We ate our delicious lunch and just as we were ready to go, the band started playing so we did not need to fight the noise.  And then we waited a few minutes and then the shuttle arrived to take us home to Playa Royale.   The restaurant at the golf club is just as lovely as ever.  I had no trouble getting on and off the shuttle with the help of Ken and Ted.  And as usual, we enjoyed our time with Kathy and Ted.  A good time was had by all.  And we got out just before the band got noisy.  Some days you just get lucky.

January 23, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. The Neighbors.

Our neighbors have not appeared.  Wendy, Ken and I have been watching to see if there were lights or activities.  We don't know them well but every time we were here, they were here.  And we chatted.  The wife watched for iguanas.  She always found them in the palm trees asleep.  And the husband only came outside if he was on the phone.  But now they are not there.

Early last week we noticed people in the unit.  And I figured that the condo was for sale or rent.  Then last evening Ken noticed that there was no furniture in the living room and dining room.  But today we found out what had happened to the condo adjacent to our unit.  Kathy and Ted had lunch with us at the golf club and they gave us the real story.

The unit was sold and has already settled.  Our neighbors from Calgary have sold their Mexican home.  The new neighbors are friends of Kathy and Ted.  What we saw the last few days was a company removing all the furniture.  The unit was sold with all the furniture and contents.  But the new owners did not want to use the old furniture so they they had a company remove everything.  The new owners also wish to refurbish the kitchen and bathrooms but you can not do any noisy construction until May 1.  

So now we know the end of the story.  We will have new neighbors.

January 22, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Muck.

Ken calls it muck.  He prepares dinner using the left over meals from the week so he always makes Muck at the weekend.  Last evening we ate Muck for dinner.  It was delicious.  This is the second time Ken has made us Muck for our dinner.  Each time it was different.  But both were good.   Last evening he started with ground beef and onions.  Then he added the left overs from the fridge.

In addition to the browned meat and onions, Ken added slivered fresh ginger, black beans, cut up squash and celery and more left over vegetables.  I ate a big bowl and enjoyed it thoroughly.  I am trying to get Ken to make up a different fancy name but so far he insists on calling it Muck.  Whatever it is called,  I like it.

January 21, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Weddings.

  Many weddings are held in Nuevo Vallarta.  Paradise Village, the timeshare/hotel averages a wedding a day, which you admit is a lot of weddings.  The Hard Rock Resort right next door to us also holds many weddings.  It is an all inclusive resort so holding a wedding there is easy.  All you need to do is pay the bill.   The guests both stay at the resort plus eat all their meals.  Pretty nice.

Today a wedding was held at the Hard Rock Resort.  When Wendy and Ken came up to the condo after their day at the beach, they could see the ceremony being held on the beach.  Everything looked beautiful.  Then this evening we could hear the reception, held outdoors.  We could clearly hear the music and the laughter.  The folks who live in tower two must have heard every word .

Destination weddings are popular, I am told.  They limit the number of guests because most friends will not pay for the journey.  If the bride and groom wish a small wedding but the parents would prefer a larger wedding, holding the wedding a long way away solves the problem with no hurt feelings.  Kate of course has no fiancee, but she already knows that she wants a small wedding so she has decided to have her wedding in Nova Scotia.  We will see.  But the folks at the Hard Rock wedding are having a great time.  It seems that a destination wedding is a hit.

January 20, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. La Isla.

La Isla started as a tiny place beside the road selling tacos for $1.  Every year the owner improved the place.  Her son was a waiter when he was not in school and her husband worked in the evenings, the place was a family affair.  We have been enjoying their food from the first day they opened.  It was our favorite restaurant in Nuevo Vallarta.  Wendy and Ken like it too.

One of the pleasures of going there is that every year the place has improved.  When it first opened there were no bathrooms.  The next year there were two bathrooms at the backside.  But there was no doors.  The next year two shower curtains appeared to be used as doors.  The next year there were doors.  It was fun watching the progress.  And of course, the lady owner was an excellent cook so the food was always great.

But there chairs are wood so I can not sit comfortably on their chairs so this week, Wendy and Ken walked down for a delicious breakfast.  And they brought me back a breakfast burrito which was perfect.  I ate half yesterday and the other half this morning.  This year they added two sets of chairs and tables in front  and last year they added two large macaws.  Fortunately the food remains excellent.  We all love that little restaurant.

January 19, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. My neighbors.

 I live in Tower 3, the center of a horseshoe of five towers.  So Tower 2, is just next to me, but curved toward the water.  I can look right into my neighbor, both the balcony and the dining room.  When my neighbors are living there, we keep our drapes closed on that side of the room.  Except my neighbors are not there.  They live in Calgary and usually they spend the whole winter here in Mexico.  So every day we look to see who has arrived.  But so far, nothing.

We see lights.  But we think there are timers.  And we have noticed people in the condo.  Again, we decided that the cleaning lady was there.  Last evening, I noticed a couple in the unit.   We figured that a couple was checking the unit just to be sure all was well.  But I have changed my idea.  My neighbors own their unit outright.  I think the condo is up for sale.  My neighbors are not young but not as old as me.  But all the action in the unit would make us think that purchasers are looking at the place.  It is a three bedroom unit.  Now we must dig a little deeper to see if the unit really is for sale.  Clearly, no one is living there.  We must figure it out.

January 18, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Mt Days.

My days in Mexico are quiet but pleasant.  Wendy prepares my breakfast and we sit either on the balcony or the living room, depending on the temperature.  If it is below 75, we eat inside.  Today I ate a bowl of oatmeal.  Yesterday I ate an egg and half an avocado plus some cantaloupe.  Ken goes to secure a palapa shortly after 9, then Wendy joins him around 10:30.  Then I look at my e mails before I do my leg exercises.  And I do a bit of walking in the condo.  Then I read.

In the past, when I walk a lot, my wound hurts and gets red so I have tried to limit my walking to allow my foot to heal.  But my foot has been looking good with no swelling or redness at all.  And it was not hurting.  But two days ago I increased walking.  Yesterday my wound hurt and I went back to Tylenol every four hours.  And this evening when Wendy changed the bandage, the foot was red all around it.  Grrr.

Wendy and Ken come up for lunch, which Wendy prepares which we eat on the balcony.  We are trying to limit carbohydrates but I eat a tasty and nourishing lunch.  I put my feet up and take a nap after Wendy and Ken go back to the palapa on the beach.   I read again then drink my orange drink.  And we watch the sunset.  Ken prepares dinner which we enjoy sitting on the balcony.  After night falls, we watch an hour of a program on the television.  We have been enjoying Fake or Fortune.  Tonight we watched half of the movie, Swimmers on Netflix.  

Then I write my blog before going to bed.  I have been enjoying the Australian Open both when I go to bed and early in the morning.  So my days are quiet but enjoyable.  I am enjoying myself here with Wendy and Ken here at Playa Royale in Mexico.

January 17, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Rosa.

Rosa is my friend.  I first saw her sitting by the pool surrounded by other ladies all speaking Italian.  The developer of Playa Royale and Paradise Village was of Italian descent who lived in Vancouver.  When he was first developing the resort, he advertised to Italians who lived in Canada.  So the place was full of Canadians who were from Italy.  Rosa was one of those people. She and her husband bought three units in Tower 4.  They have always stayed here for at least 4 months.  

I got to know her when she was trying to swim.  I offered to help and from then on, we have been friends. In the early years she would introduce me as her swimming teacher.  But I never sat with her under her palapa by the pool.  But then Ken was ill and Rosa brought us food, cooked by herself, which we enjoyed and appreciated.  Then Ken died and the first year I was here by myself, she invited me to sit with her under her palapa.  I have been sitting talking with her by the pool ever since.  By now the group of Italian ladies were gone.

This year Rosa came to visit me in my condo.  I am trying to limit my walking to allow my foot wound to heal.  Unfortunately, Rosa was not doing so well.  She had a difficult summer health wise.  And she is living in their unit in Tower 1.  She was anxious and fearful.  But this week two of her daughters came to stay with her for a week.  And another daughter will be here soon to stay with her all of February and March.  Soon I will visit her by the pool.  She is struggling with the whole business of getting old.  Perhaps I could help.  We will see.  

January 16, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Fractiomal Ownership.

Ken and i bought 10 weeks of a condominium at Playa Royale in Paradise Village.  It is in the land record.  On my demise, the 10 weeks will go to my heirs which means that David will have to do something with that property, which will be a nuisance.  So I decided to make life easier by transferring the property to my niece Wendy.  She and Ken enjoy this place and are both retired so Wendy agrees that it is a good idea.  David also thinks it is a splendid idea.  So we are proceeding with the transfer.

But this will not be easy.  We must go through a settlement where I am the seller and Wendy will be the buyer even though we are not exchanging money.  We have hired Paul to oversee the process.  We met with him and he now has copies of our passport and our drivers license.  But we need a certified copy of Ken's death certificate.  Fortunately David has a paper copy with all the certifications so he has sent it by courier.  So far we have not received it but eventually it will appear.  Then Paul will take the information to the lady who oversees the transfers.  Then we wait.

Both Wendy and I hope that the papers will be ready when we are both here so our fingers are crossed.  For me, life will be easier when ownership transfers to Wendy.  She will make all the arrangements with booking space.  For purely pragmatic purposes, it will be easier with Wendy as the owner.  But we know that nothing is speedy in Mexico.  But at least we have started the process.  So here we go.

January 15, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Kathy and Ted.

This morning, Kathy and Ted came to visit me.  They are good friends who I met in 2017.  When Don and Doreen were here, Don got to know Ted in the hot tub.  Over dinner, Don told Ken and me that we needed to meet Ted and Kathy because they live in the summer in Mings Bite, Newfoundland.  And they live in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba the rest of the year.  So we invited them for sunset food and a glass of wine.  We enjoyed their company and over the time here that year, we saw them several times.

The next year, Ken was ill in the hospital and Kathy and Ted helped.  They visited Ken and we switched off in the hospital.  They brought me dinners.  They were like ministering angels.  And we became fast friends.  That summer, they visited us in Nova Scotia and brought Ted's grandchildren.  And they visited me again after Ken died.  During that visit they brought me a beautiful wooden bowl, made by Ted's brother.  That bowl sits on my coffee table along with the loon in Nova Scotia.

I love visiting Kathy and Ted.  They have a huge amount of information about the area here in Mexico.  They are much more sociable than me and they go out more so I always learn things.  For instance, they told Wendy all about buying a Mexican phone, which Ken and Wendy will get tomorrow.  Today we caught up with their purchase of a new home in Newfoundland.  And they may even drive down to visit me in Nova Scotia this summer.  They will be staying 5 months this winter in Playa Royale.  The Manitoba winters must really be severe.  They are good friends and I loved visiting with them today. 

January 14, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Sunset Food.

 Last evening, for the first time this season, we ate sunset food.  Sunset has been early, around 6:30 so we have not been having any appetizers.  Instead we have been eating dinner directly after the sun had set.  As we stay longer, the sun will set later and later so we will need sustenance  to hold us until dinner after sunset.  But last evening, Ken was cooking a pork roast so dinner would be delayed.  Thus sunset food.

We ate hummus with fresh peppers and chips.  We ate the whole thing.  Everything on Gill's board was gone.  We enjoyed our appetizer.  Over the years we have eaten cheese and crackers, salami, olives, raw vegetables, pastrami and everything else we could nibble.  Many years ago,  my  Ken coined the term Sunset Food.  We have been calling it that ever since.  We nibble as we watch the sun set.  Then we eat dinner a bit later.  But when the sun sets early, we skip the sunset food and eat dinner shortly after the sun has set.

Of course, Ken is not much interested in sunsets so he prepares dinner while Wendy and I enjoy the sunsets. And when the sun sets later, we will once again eat Sunset Food.

January 13, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Gill's Board.

Many years ago, Gill gave us a serving board, made by hand, with an indentation at one end and a flat board at the other.   Gill, Ken and I stopped at a market on the opposite side of the canal.  We had taken the trolley for lunch and stopped at the market.  It was closing but Gill immediately bought  the board to take home to her sister.  She urged me to buy one for myself but I refused.  We had just sold lots and lots of our stuff from the farm and I did not want to acquire anything more.  So I did not buy a board for myself.

But when we got back to our condo, Gill gave me one and told me to use it for our sunset food.  We nibble with good stuff while watching the sun set so Ken has always called those munchies "sunset food".  We have used that board ever since so it has gotten much use, so much so that the frequent washings have turned the wood very light.  But we still used it.

This season, Ken brought a can of Board butter which is beeswax and mineral oil, intended to bring the grain back to life and to preserve the wood.  Now it looks spectacular.  The board is a perfect size and we have used it every evening.  But now the board looks beautiful, thanks to Ken.  First he rubbed the stuff.  Than after allowing the board to dry he polished it.  Gill would be pleased.

January 12, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Editing.

 Editing your own writing is a difficult task, especially for me with my terrible vision.  Sometimes, it takes me longer to correct my errors than it does for me to write the blog.  That is why writers hire other people to edit their writing.  When I re read something I have written, my brain automatically corrects the same error.

At work, Susan W. was a superb editor.  She was of course an excellent real estate agent but in addition, she would edit any piece that I thought was important.  She  edited the piece just to be kind. I would correct my errors.  I would have other people check for errors.  And finally, I would ask Susan to check the piece before it went to press.  Much to my chagrin, she always found errors.  She was a terrific editor.  

Not too long ago, when I was with Suzanne, my daughter in law, I asked her to check my blog and she did. She completed the task in a fraction of the time it took me.  So now, whenever I have some one else with me, I ask them to edit for me.  Here in Mexico, Wonderful Wendy has been checking my work just before we hit publish.  So if you find fewer errors, thank Wendy.  I don't call her Wonderful Wendy for nothing.

January 111, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Dinner.

Every night since we have moved to our own place in Playa Royale Ken has prepared our dinner.    Our dinners have been wonderful.  I have enjoyed everyone.  For instance, tonight we ate chicken, but not an ordinary chicken breast but a special chicken that we only discovered a few years ago.  The butcher cuts the chicken breasts thin so cooking them is quick.  And the pieces are easy to cut and to eat.  Ken marinates the thin pieces  for a short time.  Then cooks them on the outside grill.  The chicken is delicious.

With the chicken we ate mushrooms cooked in butter, zucchini seasoned and sliced then cooked a bit, along with refried beans.  The combination was wonderful.  To top it off, we ate sitting on the balcony as the night sky descended.  It was a beautiful place to dine.  And a fine dinner to eat.  

We always wonder why this chicken is not sold in the Unites States.  It is so convenient.  If you cook too much chicken you can eat the left overs in a sandwich or salad.  But we are here and we enjoy eating this type of chicken.  Tonights dinner was superb.

January 10, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. The Fatmers Market.

Across the street and behind the hospital and office building can be found an array of tents and large umbrellas.  Every Tuesday the vendors come early in the morning to sell their wares.  At nine o'clock, the market is open and people pour in.  There must be over one hundred vendors.  You can buy anything that is hand made in Mexico along with bread, fish and vegetables.  In addition, many places sell food so people buy a cup of coffee and a pastry and sit under the shade to watch the world go by.

Wendy and Ken went over just after ten.  Evidently the place was packed.  Long lines at the fish monger, as well as long lines at the fruit and vegetable stand.  There is a second vendor selling vegetables but most people get in the line because that person sells more and varied goods.  In addition you can buy bowls, cutting boards, dresses, blouses and hats.  The place is colorful and fun and people come from all along the shore to enjoy the market.  It is a happening place.

In Liverpool, every Saturday, a Farmers Market is held.  People like it.  They also buy coffee and a pastry and sit enjoying the scene.  But the Markets  are not similar.  There are ten vendors and half a dozen tents.  But it is still called The Farmers Market.  Another big difference is the temperature.  Here in Nuevo Vallarta behind the big building it is hot.  In Liverpool beside the river it is definitely not hot.  But in both places, people enjoy.

January 9, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Fake or Fortune?

My good friends Jan and Larry from Liverpool, NS. told me all about this program, Fake or Fortune?  They thought I would enjoy it.  But until now, I never did anything about watching it.  You can watch it on YouTube.   They thought that as I enjoy Antiques Road Show I would enjoy Fake or Fortune.  Finally, this evening, Wendy, Ken and I watched two episodes.  And we all enjoyed it.

I had mentioned the program to Ken.  He figured out how to get to the program on YouTube, and then show it on the television so we all three could watch on the bigger screen.  First we watched a later program which we all found fascinating.  And then we went to the beginning to watch the very first program and we enjoyed it too.  So we are hooked.  Larry and Jan were correct.  I did enjoy.

January 8, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Sunsets.

One of the great pleasures of Living in the condo at Playa Royale is watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.   Each sunset is different so we never know what will happen next with the sunset.  But we always watch it even though sometimes we do not see much of a sunset.

So far we have watched two sunsets and both were not spectacular.  In fact you could say that all we could see was a rosy glow.  There was a thick bank of dark clouds on the horizon which we could not see, until the sun snuck behind the dark clouds.  We could see one hole in the cloud cover when we could see the sun peeking through but that was the last we saw of the sun, either last night or tonight.

But a few minutes after the sun had disappeared, we began to a rosy glow that eventually covered the sky over the dark cloud.  Last evening it was more beautiful than tonights glow but both were worth watching.  Then the sky gets dark.  Less than 45 minutes after sunset, the sky is black and we can see Venus.  There is no twilight.  And that is life in the south and the tropics.  First we enjoy the sunset and then we are eating on the balcony in the dark.  Interesting but true.

Tomorrow we will hope for a more spectacular sunset.  Hope springs eternal.  

January 7, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Back Home.

We three all agree that we are delighted to be back at our home at Playa Royale.  We enjoyed our time at Paradise Village, the time share/hotel but we like Playa Royale better.  The rooms are larger and every room opens up to the ocean.  And every window is a door with glass from floor to ceiling.  There are fewer people here at the condo.  And it is very quiet.  Wendy went down to swim in the pool this afternoon and there were 6 people in the pool.

Wendy likes all our own stuff from the locker.  So we all feel as if we had come home.  And we like it.  Unfortunately, we were unable to reserve our place for January, 2024 so we will try again for February.  We have options for January such as the all inclusive Hard Rock, or we could book a place at the time share/hotel.  But this time I will book a bigger place looking out at the Pacific Ocean.  We loved the Villa which was big and beautiful but we still prefer the condo.

Of course, Ken and I only have 10 weeks of the condo, something called Fractional Ownership so we must share with other owners who beat us out this time.  Wendy and Ken made a trip to the Mega, the big grocery store so we are set for food.  Now we can just relax and enjoy ourselves in my lovely condo.

January 6, 2023. Paradise Village, Nuevo Vallarta. Salads.

Ken found a place that makes 5 different salads.  They also sell sandwiches.  The place is in the same store where they sell gelato and pastries.  In fact it is around the corner from the ice cream counter so a person must seek it out.  The gelato is Italian and has been there for many years but this is the first time they have sold salads and sandwiches,  And the salads are a dinner size.  We have enjoyed them.

We have tried three of their salads: chicken, tuna and caprese.   Our favorite is the tuna.  For our last supper we three selected the tuna.  It is full of protein with a whole can of tuna in each salad plus a sliced hard boiled egg.  Along with olives and beans with all the regular salad goodies it makes for a fine dinner.  

When we live at Playa Royale, Ken cooks dinner but while staying at the time share/hotel Ken has taken a break from cooking so we used the local restaurants.   And Wendy and Ken indulged me by bringing dinners back to our unit, which I appreciated.  Along with all the other restaurants, a new taco place was open on the outside of the Plaza.  We ate a burrito from that new place last evening for dinner.  It was delicious.  So those two new restaurants were a hit.  

But tomorrow we go to Playa.  For lunch we will eat at the Beach restaurant.  I feel sure that their menu has not changed so I will order an avocado stuffed with shrimp.  And Ken will cook dinner.

January 5, 2023 Nuevo Vallarta, Paradise Village. Carbohydrate.

In Mississippi, my glucose levels were below 200, which made the doctors happy.  But the first week in Mexico, my numbers rose to the lower 200, which did not please me.  And I had no idea why.  So after a week, Wendy and I decided to cut our carbs from my diet.  I became a purist.  I ate no carbohydrates.  No bread. No pasta. No tortillas. No potatoes. No chips.  For breakfast I ate cheese and avocado or oatmeal.  No carbs at all.   And I ate no sugar.

Sure enough my glucose levels went down.  Today it was 147 and all week it was below 200.  We are pleased.  And the doctors will be pleased.   So after my success, we started on a bit of carbohydrate.  After all, energy comes from carbs.  For supper tonight I ate a burrito and ate about half of the tortilla.  Many Mexican dishes are wrapped in tortillas so I was pleased to be able to eat Mexican food again.  Eating a taco wrapped in lettuce does not seem right.

So now the next time we check my numbers we will find out what happens,  I am supposed to check my glucose levers at least three times a week but it is easier to remember if we check every other day.  My foot bandage must be changed every other day so it is easier to keep track of what should be done today.  We will need to find out if I must be a purist with eliminating carbohydrates or if I can eat some every now and then.  So far, my routine has been a success.  Now we will see what happens next.

January 4 2023 Nuevo Vallarta Mexico World Junior Tournament

 The annual tournament is wonderful. Ken and I have enjoyed the games. You get to see these players who have been stars during the tournament and then gone on to be stellar players in the NHL. In the recent years I have not paid much attention but for some reason Wendy and I have been watching the Canadian games. We have had fun.

Tonight the Canadians beat the US team. It was a semi-final game. So the Americans will play the Swedes for the bronze medal and the Canadians will play Czechia for the Gold. The Canadians are favored. 

On Monday we watched the game between Canada and Slovakia, a team that has now lost to the Canadians 16 times in a row. This year they were confident. But they lost in overtime. Bedard scored a pretty goal to win the game. But it was nip and tuck. It is a wonderful tournament, this year played in Halifax and Moncton. The final I think is Thursday. Cheer for Canada!

January 3, 2023. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Mayapan.

For a change we ate out at a restaurant.   The place was at the resort, overlooking the Pacific Ocean so it is a lovely place to dine.  And their food is good too although this is the first time this season we have dined there.  In the past, Ken and I had dined there many times and the last time we were all at the Villa six years ago we all ate our last supper at the Mayapan.    

I have been trying not to walk too far because when I wear a shoe or slipper my foot gets red and sore.  But the restaurant is not too far so I decided I could walk that far.  Tomorrow when Wendy changes my bandage we will see what has happened with a little walk.  The good thing is that my wound does not hurt when I walk which is a good thing.  In addition, Wendy put a seat cushion to protect my back from the hard chair.  So I did well getting to the restaurant and sitting at the table.

The service was excellent which for Mexico was unusual.  I ate an appetizer of mushrooms and refried beans, which was very Mexican.  It comes with hot sauce but as I do not like hot things, the chef left off the hot sauce.  I ate every bit.  For my main meal I ate salmon served over avocado.  Wendy ate mahi mahi while Ken ordered pork, which he said was tasty but tough.  This restaurant has a beautiful setting and we enjoyed our dinner out of doors watching the sunset.   We all agreed that La Isla is still our favorite restaurant.  We will see if I can walk from Playa to dine there.  If not, Wendy will bring food back to me, which they have been doing ever since we arrived.

  But I enjoyed our dinner out in the real world. We might even do it again.

January 2, 2023. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. My Status.

CHEMO;  To be sure that my new chemotherapy no longer played havoc with my glucose, she prescribed me a half dosage.  So I am taking half the amount I was taking in Mississippi.  All seems to be well with my chemo.  Of course I do not know if it is doing anything with my breast cancer.  I will find that out when I have a PET scan when I return to Mississippi.

GLUCOSE; My numbers are acceptable to my doctor.  This week all under 200.  I have noted that when I eat no carbs, my numbers are lower so I am eating no carbs right now.  Last evening I ate a light taco which is beef wrapped in lettuce.  Wendy pricks my finger every other day and checks my level.  

FOOT WOUND;  My wound is still there but much smaller.  It is about the size of an pencil erasure.  The wound service told me to use the silver aquacel every other day and cover the wound with a bandage.  First Alana and then Wendy, my wound is changed every other day.  And it looks good.  But when I walk wearing a shoe or a slipper, the area around the wound gets red so I must limit walking.  Progress has been made.

So I am doing well here in the warmth of Mexico.  I am not doing much.  But I am enjoying myself, which I  think contributes to my health.  Wendy makes sure I eat healthy food and brings me all my meals.  I live in the lap of luxury thanks to Wendy and Ken.  And I am doing well.

January 1, 2023. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. A Brand New Year.

Now we have a brand new year.  A clean slate on which we can write our activities, both big and small.  When I began my wee web log when I turned 70, Sarah Toppins set me up.  And I have been at it ever since.  My intention was to provide information for my granddaughters.  After all, all they know of us is as older people who travel around.  But they never knew how we got there.  So I wrote it down, bit by bit.  They may never read it years after I am gone, but if they are interested, there it is.  

This started when I was reading a short letter written by my Grandma Houghton.  She referred to her train trip to Ottawa to live with her daughter, my Aunt Miriam.  She was delighted to be bringing only one small trunk.  Now I knew my Grandmother well.  But I never asked her enough questions.  There were lots of questions I would have asked but never did.  Now if my ancestors want to know how Ken and I got from being poor to not being poor they can find out.

My intention was to keep my blog for ten years but when I turned 80, my friends and family asked me to keep on going, if for no reason then they knew I was alive and well.  So now I am beginning a new year of Rambling With Ruth. I know it is not profound and it certainly is not political, but it tells my family and friends a bit about my present life, a life that I enjoy.  So here we go together into 2023.