Hey, Where Can You Surf?

Our time in Melaque went very fast, so fast that I often thought I should be posting more about the different experiences we had but I didn’t have the time to sit down and type them up. We were going and doing, but the doing was all part of a normal day.  It didn’t feel like I needed to explain those happenings.

Now that I am home and thinking about some of the things that happened in our normal days, I realize that a normal day in Mexico would not be looked upon as a normal day up here.

Take for example, Caroline trying to set up a surf trip for Chris. As I remember it she started the project via a website called TomZap. This site is the main bulletin board for the region around Melaque and Barra.  She posted that Chris would be down visiting and wanted to surf.  In reply Caroline received tips that if she went to the Surf Bar and asked for Benji, he could possibly help.

Linda and Claudio at Bigote's

We all walk down to the Surf Bar located on Taco Row on the second floor of one of the buildings.  The bar always has loud music pouring down upon Taco Row and usually there is someone standing on the street trying to steer people up into the establishment by offering two or three for one shots of tequila.  To get to the bar you have to enter a flower shop and turn left, walk down a hall and up some stairs. No wonder they have someone on the street selling the good times. 

Caroline disappears down the hall and up the stairs and in a few minutes she reappears following  a young fellow who  leads us down the block and we end up at San Miguel Hacienda where we have to wait while he goes in and gets Benji.  Benji says that he can set the surf trip up but he needs to talk to Lupi and that we should come back the next night and meet Lupi at the Razteca Tatoo parlor. 

The next night after drinks at Bigotie’s , Caroline leads a rag tag group of half drunk Americans consisting of Linda, Don, Holly, Chris and myself down to the Razteca on Taco Row.  We walk in and are greeted by and young girl and we ask if “Lupi“ was there.  We wait as she goes into the back room.  While she is getting Lupi we try to look inconspicuous by scoping out the various tattoo offerings on the walls.  People walking past must have thought we were all going for a group tat to commemorate our drunken night in Mexico.

Lupi appears from the back and takes us all behind the door to a dark back room where his tattoo table sits next to a computer.  He shows us video clips of surf breaks and we talk about what type of surfing Chris was looking for. After fifteen minutes, by the glow of the computer screen, the deal was struck and Lupi told Chris to meet him at 7:30 am the next day and they would surf.  We all walked across the street and had tacos at Pedro’s. 

If you were to watch this on TV, the plot would follow the same sequence of events, but you would probably find the group of Americans being led into the dark heart of the drug world.  In Melaque we were passed from surfer to another surf buddy working hard to help find a board and allow a fellow surfer from the US, add another break to his list of accomplishments.  Everyone was very friendly and helpful and in the end Chris got a chance to surf in Mexico.

Whale Video

Just A Few Photos

The Past Two Days

Tourists flock to the beach in Melaque for the holidays.

She is the center of my universe.

No horses riding bikes allowed!

Linda prepares to transport.

I know the sunset photos are remarkable, They have not been touched.  Some times I take the pictures into Picasa and do a little tweaking by turning up the saturation, but this time I didn't do anything.  It was a sunset to remember.

So Little To Do, So Little Time

We are in our pattern down here.  We wake up about 7 AM, Linda goes out and runs, I either go fish from the beach or have my coffee and wake up.  If we have some small adventure planned we get ready for that.  Once the morning routine is complete we take some time to read before we play volleyball.

Volleyball is usually about an hour and the games are a lot of fun.  Once the competition is over, everyone chats, and we then go back to the house and lay out in the sun.  This is the hotter part of the day and it can be filled with reading, sleeping, eating or sometimes walking down town.

We gather and talk in the late afternoon and sometimes play volleyball.  It is at this time a location for dinner is discussed and meeting times are set.  About every other day we play cribbage with Larry and Maggie in the hours before sunset, then we all walk down to the beach to watch the big yellow ball fall into the water.

Everyone breaks up for an hour of cleaning and changing into their dinner attire. Then it is off to one of the many eating establishments for drinks and food.  We have the usual wonderful meal and when we are stuffed and content, we walk down town for our dessert.

The plaza usually has a multitude of things going on and the people watching is outstanding.  We end our outing with a walk home, stopping for groceries or the occasional baked goods.

Bedtime is about 9:30 PM or 10-ish.  Everyone has come to their own method of achieving sleep.  Some nights are better than others depending upon what festival is in progress, or what day of the week it is, who's brother is having a birthday, who is getting married, who's quince anos it is or who went to the tiangue and bought fireworks. Some nights are real loud, other nights are normal, but yo seldom get a quiet night like we have back home.

We have syncopated with the Melaque rhythm and are enjoying our little break.  Some might think it is too mundane for them, there is a night life and exciting adventures if you prefer that pace.  We like the slow laid back way of life down here.

Pesca

Don watches a whale as we motor our to fish.

Caught a Chula, it's a keeper.

This whale was resting on the surface.

Smile Chula!

Fish eyes.

Dorado eye.

Jerry cleans the two fish.

The Colima Trip

The Farmers Market in Colima.

On the streets of Colima, A Poncho!

Nogueras Ecological Park & Museum.

Garden view near the sugar production area.

A beautiful view!

Looking back up from the beautiful view.

Pottery and brick used to build the walls.

Interesting use of materials.

Note the buttress and the various repairs to the wall.

Linda, Bill and agave.  Ouch!

Ahhh, coffee!

Lunch at the end of the trip.

Jardin in Comala.