December 5 - Action on the beach

Today started out slow with laundry, working on the satellite, and a vegetable market in the park.
Then I noticed action on the beach with pelicans, terns, and frigate birds diving into the shallow beach surf and landing on the beach plucking fish out of the receding waves.

There were lots of small fish coming up on the beach, pursued by larger fish, then the big yellowtail jacks (about the size of a carp).  I ran up the trail for my fishing rod and surf fished.  I lost 2 nice silver hooks to the yellowtails although it was fun while it lasted.  Two little kids came along and tried to sell me a 6 inch fish to catch an even bigger fish, which was certainly not what I needed.  Then I decided to run up and get my dip net.  Well, that was fun.  I got soaked in my fuchsia dress but the fish had receded to the "washing machine" point in the waves and I decided I didn't want to be a statistic.   We went for drinks at the neighbors and called it a day.  (Sorry no photos, the camera would have been soaked)

December 4th - A slow trip to Puerto Vallarta

This morning we ran Terry back to his hotel in Puerto Vallarta.  It was a very slow trip through the mountains; we (and 20 or 30 others) were following a double semi-trailer full of dry cement which alternated it's poor under-powered engine with 5 mile per hour up-hills, with it's poor under-powered brakes with 60 mile per hour down-hills.  The road is narrow, twisty, and a lot of vertical changes.  Even the all-black, three full combat outfit men in the back of the 1/2 ton, with large weapons, red and blue lights flashing federates were consigned to trundling along in convoy until we came to a village where they could bull past.  You know when the Primero bus can't get past a moving obstacle, you might as well sit back and enjoy having a good slow look at the scenery.  Which we did.

On the return, we stopped in Bucerias at a well-equipped vet recommended by TTK in the park.  She spoke excellent English, gave Kirk a thorough examination, confirmed the original diagnosis, and modified the eye ointment regime slightly.  Apparently, Kirk is starting to develop cataracts (age and genetic related), which has nothing to do with this episode, and his eye irritation/infection is clearing up nicely.  Then, since we did not require any medication from her, she refused to charge us anything for her services. !

I waited in the car, and noted that the store next to the vet already was in the spirit of the season and had it's Feliz Navidad decorations up.  Nancy went to aquafit when we got back.  We visited with some neighbours for supper, and stayed up chatting until 9:30!!  Supposed to go down to 19 tonight, so we got out the quilt...

December 3rd - Out to sea

We were on the road by 7:00 a.m. with Agustin in his halfton truck in a 10 min ride to Rincon.  Terry offered to ride in the back.  Our guide Abram had the boat ready at the shore.  

Terry reeling in the first fish while Abram goes for the net.

A Chula, cousin of the tuna!

Then we got 2 on at once, one for me and one more for Terry.

We caught 4 in total.

After 4 hours of fishing we headed for market day in La Penita, then a well deserved swim in the pool.  We returned to Rincon later for supper.

Tonita III restaurant, attached on the south side of Steffany's.

December 2nd - Terry's in town!

We were up and on the road early today, headed into Puerto Vallarta by 6:30 am, to pick up cousin Terry.  We rendezvoused at his hotel, made a quick stop at Walmart since we were in the big city, and back to La Peñita we went.  On the way back, we stopped at the veterinaria in La Peñita for Kirk's eye checkup.  He's doing much better, but the vet said to maintain the antibiotic eye-drops, and come back on Friday for another look-see.  

After brunch at the pool, watching the enthusiastic volleyball game in the pool, we headed over to check out the 5th wheel trailer Terry's rented for a couple of nights.  Nancy and Terry did a big beach walk, down past the second breakwater.  They spotted a 5 or 6 foot (depending upon whom is telling the story) croc, which quickly turned back and disappeared into the lagoon behind the beach ridge.  After a brief siesta, we explored around Rincon with Terry; he wanted to see Steffany's and some of the other locations he has heard of from our parents, Bev & Stan, and Carol & Al's travels here.

Pound of garlic shrimp appetizer

For supper, we went to Las Brises in La Peñita, a lovely second story open balcony restaurant overlooking the ocean, in time for a beautiful sunset.  The food and drinks were great as well.
Early to bed, for we're being picked up at 6:45 to do some fishing tomorrow.

December 1st - Televisión?

When we purchased the Bigfoot, we knew it had a satellite dish stowed on the roof.  Due to the poor health of the original owner, we never did get a walk-through on the satellite system.  In our travels to date, we've never found it necessary to try to figure it out.  Until now.  We've been in the park for a month now (Happy December), it's nearing the shortest day of the year, and we're at the edge of the Mountain Time Zone.  In short, it gets dark here about 5:30.  Television is looking better all the time.

I dug through the documentation (thank god) and tried to figure it out.  Questions abound.  Can the dish get a satellite shot through the Mango Tree across the road?  Can I get Shaw to register and activate the receiver? How does the dish work?  What about the maze of wiring stuffed up into the left overhead compartment?  The more questions I asked of TTK (Those That Know), even more questions arose.  Is it a two or three wire LNB?  The neighbour volunteered, scampered up onto the Bigfoot roof with surprising agility, and confirmed my dish was a two wire LNB.  Is my home setup two or three LNB (they have to match)?  10 years old, so probably.  Oh yeah, and I did not have a television.

Turns out my setup was installed in 2010, surprisingly modern.  It is a GPS automated set-up Nomad dish.  I emailed Shaw to add the Bigfoot's receiver to the two I have at home.  I wired everything up, now having a pleasing array of lights that look convincingly functional, and I borrowed a tv from the neighbour, a back-up, in case one of his two should go down.  Once I hear back from Shaw, we'll push the magic button, see if the dish un-stows and erects, and start working our way through the software. Queín sabe?  It may work.

What with it being December and all, Nancy went nuts decorating the rig.  Handmade bells from the market.

Cousin Terry is in town.  We're heading to Puerto Vallerta in the morning to rescue him from his all-inclusive hotel, and drag him out to the wilds of La Peñita for a day or two.

November 30 - Where is Agustin? Uncanny coincidences!

I know - you ask who is Agustin?  Agustin is "the guy" who is taking us out deep sea fishing Thursday.  I asked to see the seats in the boat to make sure they had backs and the lady in the office here at the RV park said Agustin would be at the Pelicanos restaurant on the beach in Rincon in 20 minutes.  So we went there.  No Agustin.  I went to several other spots he "might be".  Anyway I ended up at the boat rental at the Decameron where a young man asked what I wanted Agustin for.  I explained.  He (Curro) said "we own all the boats, we are the commercial fishermen, Agustin is a guide who gets the boat from us.  You should come to us first, but this time go with Agustin."
If only I could find him I said.  Curro said he would phone a friend of Agustin.  So he phones, says Nancy from La Penita is looking for Agustin and then he says "this guy says he knows you" and hands me the phone.   I can't hear the guy clearly and I say I don't remember.  Curro takes the phone back and just then I remember - it is Hector from the fish market in La Penita!

But he had already hung up.  Curro tries to phone him back but it is busy (probably calling Agustin).  Curro says Hector said he would tell Agustin I am waiting at the Pelicanos.  Curro and I talked about commercial fishing and he made sure I put his phone number in my cell to call when I need a boat again.  Small world, too weird.  At the restaurant a lady came up to me and said Agustin would be there in 15 to 20 minutes.  We waited 25 and left.

This least tern waited with me

 Later the girl from our park who booked him said he would come to the park in a taxi and get me to go see the boat but I said that was unnecessary.  She then said he would send her a photo on her phone and I said that would be great.  Hope he is timely on Thursday, if not I now have backup.
P.S. I won $100 pesos in grey cup pool.

November 29 - Veterinaria

Well Kirk had squinty eyes last night and this morning they were nearly closed shut.  So I boiled some water to make a saline solution and rinsed them.  Then went fishing while we waited for a reasonable hour to see if a vet would be open on a Sunday morning.  The fishing was great as the ocean was nearly calm and the water was clear.  We watched the fish chase our hooks.  There were large yellowtail jacks, needlefish, puffers, sargents, rockfish, and some other large dark fast ones, etc.
I caught a needlefish and released it.  He was having a hard time getting going initially so I quickly named him because you know how it is in the movies when you don't have a name.  The Mexican airforce (brown pelicans) were already circling but he made it.  My fishing partner caught a perch like fish and lost 3 hooks to something larger.

Needlefish (Henry)

Then Cam and I went off to the Veterinaria with Kirk.   It looked closed but the door was slightly ajar so I went in.  There was the vet, a painter painting the office and 2 americanos with their golden retriever.  The americans were just leaving and the vet looked at me and said we are not open, is it an emergency.  I said that my dog couldn't open his eyes, probably an infection so he said come in.  He gave us antibiotic eyedrops and wrote a note for the pharmacy so I could get some other eyedrops from there as well.  Kirk has to have both for 5 days.  He also wants to see Kirk again on Wednesday.  So the total bill for the vet on emergency Sunday, and both medications was $120 pesos slightly less than $10 Canadian.  Viva Mexico!  Kirk is slowly improving, no more crabbing at the beach for him with sand in his eyes.