January 14th - Bounty & Bird Beauty

The Saturday vegetable market in the park had small mangos that are grown here.  I bought some and they are sweet and delicious.  Also some mandarinas, juice oranges, limes, apples, etc.

Mango in upper right, banana is from a tree in the park.

These guys  caught four Wahoo today.

La Peñita had a major traffic jam today, still no idea why.  We fled down a side street.

This Mexican Chachalaca and two of his amigos were in the trees by our patio.

This Squirrel Cuckoo was unimpressed.

January 13th - More tortugas

This morning we headed over to the turtle sanctuary for 7:15 to dig up little Olive Ridley sea turtle hatchlings.  However, rare as it is, the Mexicans actually were early and we never got to dig them up.  They were already in their carrier.

Unhatched turtle egg

Olive Ridley turtles

Sea turtle supervisor telling us about their work here.

There were a couple of volunteers, young nurses from Lethbridge, who had spent the night walking the beach in the moonlight, watching for turtles laying eggs.  When they find them, they mark the nests, then later dig the eggs up and put them in incubators (boxes in a steel siding building, or when they run out of room, pile the boxes up and cover them in black plastic).  Prior to hatching, they transplant them back into the sand, because it's cool in winter, only about 8 inches deep.  Hatching time for the transplants is all over the place this year, because of the irregular heat the eggs have received.  The turtles we saw were all Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (in decline, but a relatively abundant species), but for the first time in four years, they had two Hawksbill Sea Turtle nests on our beach.  The lottery win that they're looking for is a Leatherback Sea Turtle nest, which used to lay eggs here, but haven't been seen in five years.  Leatherbacks are quite large, and the hatchlings are bigger than your hand.  Olive Ridley turtle nesting season used to be from early November, into early December, but with the warmer water, they are laying much later into the winter (like last night).  The hatchlings we released will go out to sea, then drift north and south with the seasonal ocean currents, until they are three years old, when they start establishing there feeding grounds.

The supervisor had a pet chick (Pollito) that was imprinted on him and followed him everywhere.

Little sandy prairie flower

I spent a good part of the afternoon with Valentina (pronounced Balentina) who is Marteen and Monica's 2 year old.  They were washing RVs in the park.  Valentina and I went to the playa, the alberca (pool) and took Kirk for a walk.  

January 11 & 12 - Turtles y Whales

Well yesterday was a quiet day on the patio.  Today was a busy day in the bay.  It started with whales frolicking in our bay for most of the day.

Then we headed off with friends to see a turtle release at the other end of our beach.

Road out to turtle nests

Nest site

Turtle nests are hatching daily right now.

Watching fish jumping, whales, pelicans diving, a very active day in the bay.

Out from the nest and ready for release

And they are off!

These amazing little guys got rolled by the waves and brought back onto the beach over and over and yet they persevered until we could see their little heads out in the ocean headed out.

In the early afternoon we attended a friend's birthday party at Mario's Tortas.

Park folks have been holding parties at Mario's for years and it is a family affair.  Mario's family joins in the festivities and dancing once the food is served.

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.