November 29, 2009. Mexico. Grocery Shopping.

Here in Mexico, we have two options for obtaining groceries. This trip we have returned to our first method which is to use the local market for our food. It is a walk of about a quarter of a mile so it is no problem to get there and back and in fact it is a very nice walk along a shaded road with a new stone sidewalk. Tuesday morning, our first morning here, Ken and I ate breakfast in the Mall, then brought a limited amount of food home. Our plan was to walk to the Market, which is in the Mall, every few days. What really happened is that we ate very peculiar meals, amounting to the left over food from yesterdays restaurant meal. It was fine, but clearly we were not eating a balanced diet.

The problem is that I do not like that Market, but last evening we had no choice, so we took our back packs with us and shopped for food. Our back packs were heavy walking home but we ate well today.

The other option for grocery shopping is to shop at Mega, a very large modern store in Buciaras, then take a taxi home with all our food. Next time we are here we will use that method, so we can shop only once. I have made up my mind. Of course, I made up my mind the last time and was convinced that the local Market would be fine. But it is not fine, so next visit, I will shop at Mega.

November 28, 2009. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. 281.

I spotted it in a book on drives to take in the Hill Country, and right away, I wanted to drive the Highway from on end to the other. Highway 281 is the only highway in the US with the same number from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. When I first read it I dismissed it, until I looked at the atlas, and sure enough, there it is, all the way to Canada on 281. That was two years ago and it has takes that long to figure out how to organize the trip.

At first Ken was enthusiastic until he realized the distances. We have talked through every different arrangements. At first we thought about doing it in thirds, but the complication there is where to start from and when, so we scratched that. Next plan was to drive straight up from Texas in the Spring, leave the car with Keith and Wilma in Brandon for the Summer, then fly back to Brandon before driving down to Texas. We would use our Texas car for the trip. But that plan soon got scrapped too. I was beginning to think that Ken really did not want to take this trip.

Yesterday, after many different options, it is settled. In the Fall of 2010, we will fly to San Antonio and after a visit with the kids, will drive north all the way on 281, until we arrive in Brandon, Manitoba. It is a 1500 mile drive. A Time Share has been arranged at a lovely resort just north of Brandon, so Keith and Wilma will join us for a week. Our route back south to Texas will be further west, closer to the mountains. We'll take another break after our long journey, before flying home to Bethesda. I am thrilled with the plan. It took us awhile to figure out all the options, but now we have a good plan for driving Highway 281.

Playa (Beach) Market at the Condo

November 27, 2009. Mexico. The Beach.

A walk on the beach provides an unending interesting events. A large pail was sitting on the beach, and upon inspection, saw that the pail was half full of small fish, each about six inches long. It was a amazing, the competence of the fisherman. He stood in mid thigh water, but of course the waves kept coming in, so often he was mid-chest in the water. He fished with a circle net, and threw out the net, and quickly pulled it tight. When the bag attached to his waist was full, he walked into shore to put the fish in the pail. I would have liked to find out how long he had been fishing, but all the while I watched, he stayed in the water. A pity.

I over heard a four year old to her Mother, the child saying "But it is better for me to eat ice cream before my lunch. It feels better in my stomach". My sympathy entirely, but I bet she won't win that argument.

The man was playing with his two girls, making sand castles. The Mother was standing watching. Actually, she was watching the girls go in and out of the surf collecting buckets of water for their construction. The man was intent on his construction, speaking to neither the girls or the wife. He was concentrating on his castles, paying no attention to anything except his own project. Each girl worked alone too. His diligence was remarkable and unusual for the beach. Most Dad's talk with their children and their projects including his own, but this Dad had a Mission and he was intent and motivated. I watched for ten minutes. Ken even took pictures of him but he never raised his eyes. It was very impressive.

A walk on the beach is never dull.

November 26, 2009. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Thanksgiving.

It is unusual to spend Thanksgiving on your own. Of all the celebrations held in any year, Thanksgiving is the one where most folks spend time with their families. Certainly more than at Christmas. Without looking up, both Ken and I think that this is the first time we have every celebrated Thanksgiving all by ourselves, without either family or friends. My brother when he called with greetings, wondered if we were feeling lonely all by ourselves in Mexico, but we assured him that we had a lovely day.

Last Thanksgiving Day we dined with Gary and Diana at their home and with their family, just before we flew the next day to Jackson. The dinner surpassed our dinner this year!! In other years we had been in Nova Scotia and Mary and Walt always invited us to celebrate in their home. In fact, we have celebrated both Canadian and American Thanksgivings with them, just not on the same year. The farm is a wonderful place to celebrate Thanksgiving and have done so many times with Andrew and Christina and the girls. Christina baked a cranberry cake the first year we celebrated at the farm, and it has remained a staple of the holiday. I would like a piece tonight. When Kate was five, I asked her what she liked best about the Thanksgiving holiday. After a moment she said "The desserts we ate after every meal and for tea". I must agree. Pumpkin pie and apple pie and cranberry cake will leave you with a whole new set of memories!!

November 25, 2009. Mexico. Estudio-Cafe.

We intended to take the Trolley, the free tourist vehicle that wanders around the area, but after walking down to the Market and waited a few minutes, we were told that the Trolley only runs on Friday to Monday. We were out of luck. Our intention was to take the Trolley to the other side of the river to check out the construction of the Marina and to have lunch. As the free trolley was not working, our next plan was to take the first bus arriving at the bus stop and get on and find a lunch spot. Fortunately for us, the first bus took us to the same place we intended to go to, so we just got lucky. For fifty cents each, we were there, and wandered around looking over the constructed marina. Ever since we have been coming here, the first floor of a condo is being restored, so every time we check out the progress. Unfortunately, the construction is being done, but not very quickly. It is a pleasant walk, seeing all the boats and birds.

We have seen the artist and his work twice, but had never dined at the restaurant. It was worth the wait. The special of the day begins at 3:00, but it was 1:30 when we arrived, so we asked the lady, who is the wife and in charge, if we could drink beer until we could order the fish dinner for lunch. She spoke little English and we spoke little Spanish, but she understood enough to know that we were not leaving until we ate the fish dinner. She laughed and asked the cook and proceeded to serve a wonderful simple meal; mushroom soup, fish and rice and salad, apple strudel or chocolate cake. It was the best meal since our arrival.

In addition, we saw huge pelicans roosting in nearby trees and one large iguana eating flowers in their flower boxes. The young ladies from the kitchen came out to send away the lizard, but he was not to be denied. He liked eating their flowers. The large lizard turned to face her and pumped up his throat and hissed at her. She went for the broom and he retreated, hissing all the way. We will return to the Estudio-Cafe but next time with our camera!!

Sunrise