November 4 - Flora and Fauna

Hola!  Well we are definitely sharing the campground with others.  Last night as I walked to the laundry a saucer sized spider zipped out then back into the foliage.  Beautiful hand sized white butterflies flit about with a myriad of colourful others amongst all kinds of flowering trees, shrubs, and vines.  Cinnamon and Violet crowned hummingbirds vie for our feeder while a large dark brown iguana with rusty spots lounges on the terrace.  His little grey counterpart (gecko) runs up the tree.   58 species of hummingbird have been reported in Mexico and about 15 of them are in Nayarit.  I have given up trying to identify birds as I see them,  instead I note their field identification marks and key them out back at the Bigfoot.  Our neighbour found a gecko in his closet (don't leave the front door open) and tossed his cat in after it.  I think he should have kept the gecko it would clean out other unwanted pests.

We had a nice lunch in the park restaurant.  I plan on trying new foods so I had Chilequiles.

Mmmm, Mango smoothie

The CRV hides in the foliage, including a 60 foot Royal Palm.

In the photo below the ladies cook in the lean-to behind Cam.

Lunch at the park restaurant

This morning when Lori went to use the washing machine I used last night, it quit and she had to wring out the laundry so Antonio looked at the washer and there was a small boa (snake) electrocuted in the motor.  I said Lori should get another set of tokens.  Cam said "one little snake in the laundry and we're all about refunds"!

The campers too are interesting.  Today a little old lady from Idaho introduced herself, she has been coming here since 1995, her husband died a few years ago so she drives herself up here in a small Class C motorhome with her poodle Carro (means expensive in Spanish).  She does caravan with another couple in their motorhome but still OMG.  (She did say the road down was the worst it's been in many years - Cam) I was invited to volunteer in the neuter and spay clinic tomorrow (today they did 72 animals) but I am already committed to a trip to the Thursday

market.

We had a bit of mission creep today.  It started off as a run down to the ATM for some more pesos, and maybe pickup some water (although we have been slowly exposing ourselves to the "good well water" in the campground).  First ATM, out of cash, second ATM, out of cash; OK, into La Penita Centro (Main street).  One lane in each direction, parking on both sides of each direction, with a 20 foot median, full of palm trees, benches with visiting people, vendors, people dashing across the street, etc.  5 ton propane trucks, 1/2 tons with the bed full of workers, a lady on a quad, many autos of questionable heritage, a couple on a small motorcycle, beeping derisively and swooping through the crawling traffic.  I parked, and Kirk supervised, while Nancy hit the Farmacia, got some milk and water, found out the nearby bank had no ATM, got directions to and found the downtown ATM, out of cash.  At this point, we called it, and went back to the park for a refreshment.  Turns out, Those That Know say ATM's are always out of cash around the end of the month, attributing it to Gringos pulling a lot of cash to pay rent and bills.  Apparently, if you don't want to make a 35 Km. trip to the ever-plentiful ATM's of Walmart in Puerto Vallerta, you should stock up in the middle of the month.  As it happens, we have enough cash for the next week, so no problemo.  (I was driving, so no pictures).

Tomorrow is Market Day in La Penita; I don't want to even think about the traffic tomorrow.  Nancy, is, of course going.  She is travelling with the neighbours, and planning an early start.