January 10 - El Rodeo

I was walking in the park and heard a grating noise.  I looked up and there was a squirrel hanging upside down on a coconut about 20 feet above the ground chewing on a coconut.

Squirrel on upper left

What could go wrong??  Shades of the movie Ice Age.

Tonight we went to El Rodeo with old friends to hear a Spanish lady renowned for her singing and to meet new people.  The lady never showed although there was a good band who played a lot of Cuban songs bringing back memories of Cuba and time with other old friends.  

The new folks turned out to be people I already knew from JEEP!  We all pointed and said I know you.  I was "the cat lady".  The food, music and company was all good.  It was a beautiful night with a gorgeous sunset and moon.  Reminding me of an August night in Manitoba, no wind, perfect temperature and humidity.  

January 7, 8 & 9 - Las Varas & Las Lomas

Beautiful morning at the estuary in the park

Saturday I went to JEEP and treated the cats ears for their final treatment.

Other than that it was a pretty uneventful day.

Sunday we went to Las Varas on a shopping trip.  

Shops along the highway

Downtown Las Varas at the Bodega (discount shopping store)

Today we decided  to venture out to find Lo de Perla, an orchid sanctuary near Las Lomas.

We followed a very long winding road through banana and mango plantations.

Past small farms (with goats)

Through dense jungle

Not orchids but pretty

This is actually a good country road it is wide and no huge holes!

We passed other local travellers.

Unfortunately we never found Lo de Perla.  We ended up at a private resort.  I will have to contact them and find out when their tours run and if we can drive there ourselves or need to join a tour.

Back in Rincon

We decided to have lunch at Hinde y Jaimes as a consolation destination.

January 5 & 6th - Three Kings Day

I headed over to the Pemex at La Colonia yesterday, and there were no lineups, so I thought that they were out of gas again.  However, the lanes weren't blocked (as they are when they have no gas), so I pulled in.  They were out of regular gas (Magna), but did have number one gas, albeit at $18MXN/litre, which is why the locals had decided to pass.  I was lazy, and didn't know if any of the other Pemexs had gas, so I treated the CRV to $500 worth of high test, which took it from under a 1/4 tank to more than 3/4 of a tank.  This will suffice for local commuting,  until guests start arriving and I voyage into the Puerto Vallerta airport on occasion.

While I was out and about, I checked out a couple of paint stores, and picked up a litre of stain for our new steps.  I did the inquiries and transaction en español; the guys in the stores let it be known that they spoke inglès, but put up with my lumpy proto-spanish, and answered me in simple language so I could understand.  Mission accomplished.  There are at least four specialty paint stores in La Peñita, including two almost side by side in the same block.  Unlike Canada, where they have a few very large stores a long ways apart, Mexico has many, many little stores, nearly always within walking distance of wherever you find yourself.

The beach out front is moving around again (still).  Between the first and second breakwaters, and past the second breakwater, the ocean had been relentlessly carving away the sand.  In the last week, however, past the second breakwater, the ocean has decided to deposit 30 or 40 metres worth of beach.

It is winter here, or at least the dry season.  The fig tree out front is recycling it's leaves; pretty much all of the old leaves have dropped, and the new leaves are sprouting.

Whales have been in the bay again.

January 4 - First whale sighting

Walking in the early morning jungle with its bird life and beauty.

Today we saw the first whales from our patio.  Probably 3 individuals, leaping from the water and generally having a good time.  I was reminded of something I once read,  that we must appreciate nature because she is supremely indifferent to the petty hysterias of the human race.  

Speaking of hysterias, the gas shortage is improving, but continues.

Cars lined up for gas at the only station with fuel.

We spent the morning on our patio watching whales, dog-sitting our neighbours standard poodle and helping our Spanish instructor write a training proposal.  Luckily, we had already planned to go out to dinner as it took nearly 4 hours to write it.  (We are selflessly sampling restaurants to take visitors to in the next few months.)

Piña Colada restaurante

Voted best Margarita for many years running.

This is a family run restaurant which has been here for a very long time and the food and atmosphere was great.  Definitely a must.  

Kirk and I went for our last walk around 10 p.m.  The night was humid and warm with crickets singing and an owl hooting.

January 3rd - Mexico has great trees

We have friends in Kelowna that couldn't make it back down here this year, that are feeling the winter blues and sent us this: https://vimeo.com/150814306?ref=em-v-share Christmas is better in the sand.  While it is, I feel that Christmas is best in the Jungle...


The daily walk continues to yield a variety of photo ops.

This guy asked Santa for a Beer tree!

Corona

Mama went around but little brood can fit through fence.

This is a banana from a tree in our park, yummy.

January 1 & 2 - Feliz Año Nuevo

Well, New Year's day was spent cleaning the inside of the Brave, afternoon on the patio, Hamburgers from the pool restaurant followed by movie night at home and a brief excursion to see the Mexican/Gringo karaoke night by the pool.  It was the usual mix of the very good, the bad and some ugly.

The beach was entertaining as usual.  Some enterprising guys from Rincon came over in a panga (boat) and managed to lure about 12 people off our beach for a ride into town.  Problem was they didn't all decide to go at once so the panga started off about 4 times and had to back up to the beach for more.  Quite the battle in the waves.

The morning walks continue, today the beach in town was full of pelicans diving for bait fish.

Magnificent Frigate birds perched near beach.

Today, Cam joined us for coffee at our usual spot.  The military is in town staying on alert expecting protests because of the increase in the price of fuel.  However, La Peñita is an unlikely spot for that and it was only the one small unit that we saw, most likely sent out to make us all feel secure..

Military driving through town while we have coffee.  Gracias por su seguridad.

How the afternoon was spent.

December 31st - Prospero Año Nuevo

The gas shortage continues but we decided to get out for a drive in the afternoon and go to Mateja's Bar & Grill in Rincon, for the New Year's Eve band. 

Out on Highway 200, no one can stack jaca or jackfruit like Mexicans 

Mateja's Bar & Grill with the Street Rockers playing out front

Out front, looking south

Out front, looking north

I had the perfect seat; I could see both the band and the Canada/US hockey game

Mateja has three dogs, the large Mastiff relaxing above, a small Chihuahua, and another small Muttly.  She tries to keep the Chihuahua behind the bar when things are hopping, to prevent unsteady patrons from treading upon the dog, but all three circulate and greet customers.  There was a water tanker backing up to the back of the bar when we were walking in.  Mateja said that there was no town water; when the big hotels are busy at Christmas, they take all of the available water.  She said that usually, she had enough in her tanks to get through, but that this year, this was her second refill, and that she didn't expect town water to be available until into next week, and, try running a bar with no water.   I said on the upside, it means that you've been really busy.  Oh yeah, she said with a smile, this Christmas has been very busy.  

When Nancy was up at the refugió earlier in the day, working with the animals, it had no water as well.  We resolved to fill the water tank in the Brave tomorrow, to ensure a water supply in case the Park had problems.

We stopped at the Oxxo on the way home for some supplies, located at a Pemex which was still out of gas.  Inside, Nancy nearly bumped into a well-armed soldier, who smiled and got out of her way.  There were two military discretely inside the store.  Apparently, both the shortages and tomorrow's unfounded 20% fuel price increase have elicited a certain hostility in the population, so precautions are being taken.
Mexico is getting much more discrete with security.  Ten years ago, on our first trip here, they were making the Canadians feel safe (NOT) by having six or eight seventeen year olds in full army camo, helmets, and machine guns stride down the Rincon beach a couple of times a day.  Yesterday, there was two smiling marines in full whites, cute sailor hats, and small blue shoulder bags (murses) providing security on the beach.

We returned home and had drinks on our patio with friends but declined the invitation to go out for dinner.   We spent a quiet evening at home and made it until Manitoba New Year's.