December 30th - Spanish lessons and a longish RV discussion

Spanish lessons again today; our homework had been to write a dialogue, asking for and giving directions to the shop of our choice in town.  Our maestro is very patient, and spends a lot of time dealing with our flawed, chunky Spanish. e.g. Because of gender, you must say the article EVERY time.  You can only ask someone to come to a location if you are physically there, otherwise you tell them to go to it, etc.  Knowing the rationale for why something is said the way it is, makes it more likely that you will generate it correctly next time.  I wish I had my 25 year old brain when it comes to retaining new information; it is very true - the older I get, the better I was.

In the later afternoon, after siesta (in which, even Nancy is occasionally indulging),  we went over to our new neighbours to play that never-ending game "What is the best RV"?  They are seasoned RV'ers, as are a lot of people in the park, and have a 28 ft. 5th wheel on their site here, and a Class C at home.  Our Bigfoot Class C is the ideal vehicle for wandering about - all the amenities and a good bed in a relatively agile platform.  However, when you are spudded into one location for a couple or 5 months, the living area of the Class A's and 5th wheels starts to look pretty good, as well as the ability to host visiting offspring.  In our present site, we are limited in both width and length, but the million dollar view makes it all worthwhile.  So, the question is, how to best take advantage of this site?

We like the self-containment of the Class A's, especially when travelling, and the large living area, but the layout means the bed is at the back, and the windows are to the side; in the relatively tight confines of our site, the side windows are usually curtained for privacy, meaning you cannot take advantage of the views.  As well, the largest Class A that would fit would be a 30 foot, which is short in the Class A world, less stable to drive, hard to find, and even harder to sell when it's time to move on.  As well, the narrow confines of our site mean that the Class A could only have slides on one side, at that, the slide cannot be more than 36 inches wide.

5th wheels, on the other hand, often have rear facing living areas (as does our neighbour's), the rear facing glass means that you can appreciate the site's scenic vistas, even while inside, and they have apartment sized living areas.  The slide on one side issue remains, but unlike the Class A's, there are plenty of 28 - 30 foot 5th wheels.  The fly in the ointment with 5th wheels has been the size and expense of the truck you need to tow it.  It means driving a large, expensive, thirsty (not that I'm cheap), and stiff vehicle all year round, for the relatively small portion of time you are actually towing.  After whizzing about in the CRV, the thought of piloting a 3/4 or 1 ton truck through tight Mexican streets gives me the willies.  The other flaw when travelling is that you are separate from your living area, in the wind, rain, and cold, you must exit the truck, run back to the trailer, and turn the furnace/air on to get it to living temperatures.

The light at the end of the 5th wheel tunnel is local storage, i.e.. leave it here.  There are a couple of places offering covered storage, for about $100/month.  Services to tow it forth and back are available.  We have been polling neighbours that store their trailers here; there are mixed results.  Summer temperatures and humidity are extreme, meaning mould is an issue, as are various insect and vermin problems.  Sufficient preparation seems to be able to minimize the difficulties, but it seems it can take a day or three of cleaning after arrival, before habitation is possible.  Storage also means that you can fly back and forth, probably saving $1500 and a couple or three weeks in each direction.  Flying , although, means no meandering along, exploring and discovering along the way south and back again.  It also mean that you have no vehicle at this end; with my lack of walking ability, this is a concern. Further, driving down in a car means hoteling it, no self-containment on the voyage, no bed for impromptu naps, refrigerator/stove for meals, no bathroom.  Hoteling it also means pre-planning and booking hotels, or risk sleeping in the car; travelling with Kirk means finding pet-friendly hotels.   The neighbours are resolving this issue by looking for a Mexican vehicle, to leave here.

As is usual in life, there is no perfect answer.  When travelling, you want the smallest RV possible, when staying in one location, the largest.  I appreciate you, the reader, wading through this verbiage, likely I needed to write it out to ossify my thoughts on the matter.  No conclusions yet.

December 29th - Star Wars en Guayabitos

On our walk this morning Kirk and I spotted an Ivory-billed Woodcreeper right on our lane.

In the afternoon we headed into Rincon de Guayabitos to see Star Wars.  The English version with Spanish subtitles.

Less than $5

3D
The movie was great, really nice theatre.  We found ourselves reading the subtitles so some of those Spanish lessons are paying off.  Then out to dinner at El Rodeo.  Rincon was really hopping with Mexican tourists.   Fun for the holidays but it will be nice when they all leave in a week.   

These guys were also at the RV park recently and were really good.

Drinking a Michelado (beer, worchestershire, clamato)

and of course the food photo

A great evening all in all.  Buenos noches.  

The whole evening was unbelievably convenient.  Despite the masses of people, we parked on the street, in front of the theatre.  After purchasing our tickets, assigned seating, pick your seat, we found that we had 50 minutes before the show started.  (show was not starting as advertised 8-)  We walked directly across the street to El Rodeo for a beverage while we waited.  Our waitress was a young Quebecois woman, now trilingual, who had met and married a Mexican, and had imported her parents when she moved south.  Back across to the theatre, for a slow multiple flight stair climb, with no hand rails, to the actual theatre.  Despite dark, could-be-cleaner 3D glasses, we enjoyed the show, afterwards reminiscing about who and where we were in 1977 when we saw the first Star Wars.  Out into the dark after the show, where to go for supper?  Why not leave the car where it was and walk back across the street to El Rodeo for supper?  We had a great supper, beverages, and conversation.  By the time we left, the streets were packed.  How packed were they?  The sidewalks were so full of people, pedestrian traffic had migrated onto the street, and was now two-deep on the traffic side of the cars parked along the street.  Luckily, traffic was also at a walking pace, including the skilful drivers herding the ginormous primero tour buses through the throng.  We did a tour through Rincon south and back again, enjoying the intensely active street life, crowds everywhere, smoke from the barbecue stalls, hundreds of little shops, brightly lit, with their wares spilling onto the sidewalk, and everywhere, people walking, talking, eating, laughing, and enjoying their Christmas holidays.  

December 28 - Haircuts

It was haircut and Spanish lesson day.  Other than a brief trip to town for shrimp it was a slow day.  

The view while getting our hair cut

The palapa in which hair is cut, also pedicures, manicures

December 27 - High winds

It was a lovely calm morning.  Kirk and I were out under the gazebo, watching the beauty of the rain moving through the bay out front in waves of mist and drizzle.  Then a front came through that was a little more energetic than the others.  And the next was stronger.  And the next.  Having no experience with the wind at this site, we hoped it to be a temporary phenomena, so we stood and held the canopy corners, still enjoying the rain and wind.  And it got stronger.  We have reasonable protection from the trailer to our west, the trees on the cliff face below, and because we are back a little from the lip.  We lowered the canopy til it was only three feet from the floor, which took it out of the wind considerably.  Our Bigfoot awning was out, but largely sheltered from the wind, and tightly constrained by the nylon strap tie-downs, it was doing fine.  Still, the wind increased.  The trailers below us were suffering from a venturi effect, and their roof protecting tarps were beating themselves to death in the gale.  A posse of four or five guys were out, trying to secure the tarps.  We tied our canopy down to the wall, to prevent the wind from getting under it and blowing it away.  And the wind got stronger.  We finally removed the fabric canopy top, and left the frame lowered and secured to the wall.

Nancy, literally, holding down the fort.

Our neighbours were trying to tie down larger tarps and helping others,

But the fronts kept on coming so we decided to take down the canopy

A small frenzy of activity is often a good social event.

The windsurfer off our patio was having a great day.

The wind only lasted a couple of hours, but the rain continued on and off for the rest of the day.  I spent the day cooking since we had cool weather and we finished off the day playing a new card game with friends.

December 26 - Boxing Day is really birding day

This morning we had our breakfast rudely interrupted by a raucous noise resembling a bunch of kids with birthday horns.  Twas a small flock of Chachalacas.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Plain_Chachalaca/sounds

I saw this large brown chicken like bird in Brownsville Texas earlier this year so it wasn't a first sighting but still fun.  While I was watching them in the tree by our campsite I noticed a Citreoline Trogon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citreoline_trogon

Returning to breakfast, we were visited by a Yellow-rumped Cacique (below).

The hummers didn't like him.

Other than that, we spent the day watching the whale watching boats as they followed some dolphins who appeared to be busy around some fisherman's nets.

Also, Eduardo showed up.  He's the fabric guy who is going to sew us a sun screen for the awning, as well as an end piece, both for privacy and for sun/heat protection.  He's going to ask his cousin in PV to price the fabric, then he'll get back to us with a cost.  He's going to do the work on site, custom, to fit.

December 25 - Christmas

We spent Christmas morning on the patio talking with family and friends on the telephone.  Then over to the pool area to set up for the Christmas dinner.  Dinner was  excellent, the usual turkey, dressing, etc.

Note the palm frond Christmas tree in the distance

Finally dragged Cam off when they started cleaning up around us.  (also before he and his compadres finished off the brandy since they had already done in the cervezas and wine)  A good time was had by all.

December 24

Started the day with a new bird, the Yellow Crowned Night Heron, down in the swamp by the park.  Then the usual Thursday market where I purchased a whole fish to barbecue.  Then it was time to divide and deliver the holopchi we made to the happy recipients.

Dressed in our finest babushkas for delivery

The fish turned out fine but I think we will go with fillets in the future, less work.  It is an incredible night with the full moon.  One of our neighbours has a laser lights and lit up the palms and fig trees with them.  Quite pretty in green.  Then someone let off one of those candle parachutes and it sailed past us and out over the ocean.  Tonight the families of park staff came to break the piñatas and sing.  They alternated with the park residents singing a Christmas song in English then the Mexican families and campers sang one in Spanish.  Back and forth.  Then it was time to smash piñatas!

It is a very important evening in Mexico just as it is at home.  It is another reminder of just how thin the line of separation is between cultures.  Feliz Navidad y prospero año nuevo!

December 23rd - Wednesday

A walk up cardiac hill with the walking club followed by fishing off the breakwater, then it was time to start making holopchi for the Christmas giveaways.  Cam was official photographer as we spent the afternoon reminiscing as to how our mothers make them when we are home.  Only had to call my sister once and my mother once!

Holopchy 101

The beach is getting crowded as the park fills up for Christmas

Playing some Christmas tunes on the Mighty Dwarf

We are happy to announce the 2 pans of holopchi successfully emerged from the outdoor roasters.  Tomorrow Santa will package them up and deliver them for Christmas eve.  

There was a band in the park tonight as Mexican campers celebrated a birthday.  It is a gorgeous night.  The nearly full moon is incredible lighting up the surf while Orion reaches to grasp it.  Here the North Star is on the very edge of the Northern horizon.

December 22 - Piñatas anyone?

In La Peñita, the Christmas rush is on.  We started the day with the market in the park for vegetables bread, tarts and wine.  Then into town for dog food and meat.  Three very polite Federales on motorcycles asked my dear to move our car whilst he was waiting for me to finish shopping in the carniceria (butcher shop).  When they realized I was in the shop, they said he had 5 minutes grace.  (The butcher, noticing this, told me we could be 10 minutes in that spot while I shopped.)  Alas, I exceeded this time frame and Cam (and his little dog too) had to circle the block.

The three motorcycle Federales (aka the policia federal, or PF) pulled in across the street, headed for lunch at the restaurant beside the carniceria.  Due to the paint job and added equipment, I could not tell the brand nor engine size of their bikes.  The bikes were, at a guess, 650 twins, brutes where the usual family of three moto is a 125, with a factory moulded-in small fairing and trunk bag.  I was surprised to note that two of the three bikes had rear tires worn as smooth as the usual Mexican quad.  Since I was between where they parked and the restaurant that they were headed to, and since I was the only car parked in a block with the yellow curb denoting no parking (how quickly we adapt to local practices, and at least I was facing the right way), they pretty much had to move me along.  Starting in Spanish, my "No hablo español" moved the conversation into their flawless english.  They were young, fit, polite, and in all respects professional.  After a few minutes, I noted open parking a short block back, and went around the block and parked legally.

After lunch a friend and I walked back into town to buy candy for the park piñatas (for the children of the staff to break).  The town is full of piñatas.

The big guy looks a little gruff, little guy too cute!

I want six they are so nice.

On the left there are forms for more piñatas

This little display was on a side street

Hmm, those guys aren't real

While we were walking we ran into 2 different park groups who had driven into town so they put our packages in their cars and we kept shopping.  A well deserved glass of wine with dinner ended the day on our patio.

December 21 - Caroling

Another "It's hard to believe Friday will be Christmas" morning at 29 degrees.  But a huge effort is being made to bring a Canadian Christmas to Mexico and the Canadians into a Mexican Christmas.  Today saw more toys delivered to kids in the hills on decorated ATV's.  Here are a few ideas for the Wavey Creek crowd.

The whole thing lights up too!

Kirk in the driver's seat

We all contributed to Christmas gifts for the park staff.  

About 20 of us went around the park at night singing carols for everyone.   The Mexican families were gracious about our rendition of Feliz Navidad.

December 20 - Renovations and Party

We started our day as usual on the patio but with an eye to making some changes.  The bamboo poles shown below obscured our view.

So this morning we took them down, all but the one with the bird feeder.

Crinum lily with more blooms

Later, we went to the Tonita 4 restaurant, 4 of us opted for a cab and since it was only a few miles down the road the others hopped in the back of a truck.  Oh, oh getting a little too comfortable driving at night in Mexico.  We celebrated Cam and Louise's birthdays, luckily the restaurant appears to have already been decorated for it!  Cam received a new sombrero (which he is sporting in the photo).   As well as a t-shirt with the RV park name and logo which was made for him by a shop in La Penita.

And although this was across the highway from the restaurant, Cam didn't get to go there.

He went back here for after dinner beverages at a friends.   Buenos noches.

December 19 - Cam's Birthday and English language students

Happy Birthday Cam!   We are going out to dinner with friends tomorrow night to celebrate several birthdays.  Today was interesting as we spent time together as a class and individually with the Mexican students who were learning English from our teacher.  I was matched with a young woman called Ani who is in University in Tepic to become a Civil Engineer.  Cam had a young fellow from La Penita.  They ranged in age from the 30 yr old lady who owns a big restaurant in Rincon to a 9 yr old.   We spent time talking about our families, pets, careers, how we spend Christmas eve and day, etc.  It took a while to explain to the class what gravy was and apparently they have whatever is on hand for supper on Christmas eve so the meal isn't a focus.  They stay up past midnight then say Feliz Navidad and hug and go in the street and hug everyone, our teacher said even the dog.   Christmas day they have leftovers and a traditional drink called ponche made with unrefined dark cane sugar, oranges, guavas, nuts, cinnamon, and other fruit.  Some of the students were having tamales for Christmas eve others were having tacos or a stuffed chicken (nobody had heard of gravy).    We then showed them the park and inside the motorhomes.   Ani held our friends big black cat, with trepidation, she had never held one before.  She has a a pampered poodle cross dog.   We all had a great time and then 11 of them got in the back of a half ton truck and drove to La Penita. I  hope it wasn't any further.

There is a steady stream of Mexican campers coming into the park for Christmas so things are beginning to get lively.  We look forward to a new cultural experience this Christmas.  We have been told by our fellow campers that Mariachi bands come in and it is generally a good time.

Money raised at Hamburger nights every Sunday in the park is used to buy Christmas presents for school kids in La Penita.   This afternoon at 4 p.m. about 15 quads and razors, all decorated with reindeer mounted on the hoods, Christmas lights, a papermache burro out front, etc and of course Santa, delivered the gifts to the schools (along with anyone who wanted to drive along via car).Then paraded through the park when they got back.

We ended our evening with dinner at Wanda"s restaurant and it was very good (Thanks Stan).