Best Meal Ever

When we get a bit tired of going out and eating at the local restaurants and tacos will not satisfy our culinary needs, we turn to home cooking to keep us going. One of our favorite meals this winter has been a pasta meal created with green chorizo and pesto mixed with tomatoes and green olives.

This is a detailed post explaining how this delicious meal is created.

Pistachio nut chorizo sausage and chopped green olives.

When we decide to make this meal it usually starts on Tuesday when Linda lets me know that she will be purchasing the pesto at the tianguis the next day. At Wednesday's street market, she searches the vendors for the "French Man" that sells the pesto. This vendor usually is located kitty-corner from the Del Sol bodega and you have to get to him early to have any chance of purchasing his basil pesto.  He sells a tomato pesto and a spinach pesto, but the basil pesto is the best and it sells very fast. One container costs about 90 pesos and is enough for two meals. Linda brings it home from her early morning run and we then freeze it for later use.

The whole mixture, ready to serve.

The green chorizo is a specialty item that is made using pistachio nuts and thus the chorizo sausage is a unique green color. Jacquie and Grant introduced us to the pistachio chorizo and we fell in love with its mild flavor. It goes especially well with the "French Man's" basil pesto.

To acquire the green chorizo you must visit the little meat carniceria in the alleyways that connect the downtown Melaque area.  Everyone knows where the alleyways are located and most of the stores there are either meat, chicken or fish markets. The little meat carniceria with the green chorizo is located on the ocean side (places are either located towards the ocean or away from it) of the alley, one shop to the right of the entrance nearest the street where Chely's dad's store is located. It is affiliated with Melaque's "Happy Cow" carniceria but is not the "Happy Cow" across for Chely's dad's store.

Green chorizo is about 40 pesos for two links and we always buy about four links.

Finally, we walk to the "Bus Stop Store" and pick up some olive oil, green olives, and tomatoes. This is our favorite grocery store on this side of the town. Chely's Bodega was our favorite, but it is quite a long walk from our downtown location.

If we are not able to purchase the needed green olives or any other items at the "Bus Stop Store", we walk two blocks away from the ocean to a larger store called Parisany and they usually have what we need there.

Back at home, chop up the chorizo and place it in the frying pan with some olive oil. Cook until well done and a bit brown. Put one bag of elbow noodles in boiling water and cook them. Drain when finished and mix the cooked chorizo into the noodles. Pour half a container of pesto sauce into the noodles and stir. Add the chopped green olives and the chopped tomatoes. When the entire dish is combined fill your plate and top with parmesan cheese. Yum!

A Long Bus Ride

Being honest, this wasn't our best effort.

Daren and Marcy asked us if we wanted to go into Old Town Manzanillo to look around and see what is in that area. We agreed and then also decided that we would take buses all the way into the big city and back. 

Our first view of the blue marlin of Manzanillo.

We got up early and purchased tickets from Melaque to the main bus central in Manzanillo. I think they came to 140 pesos per couple one way. We also made a decision to take the Coordinados Bus lines in and then to make a judgment call for the return ride after we visited Old Town.

The bus pulled in on time and we loaded up. Our bus was surprisingly full and so Linda and I got two seats just a little back from the halfway point on the bus.  We didn't notice the air conditioner located just above our seats. Daren and Marcy found seats just behind us.

Linda and big blue!

Our journey began.
The Coordinados Bus Lines is a mid-range bus company that serves the folks who prefer not to pay for the first-class busses like are offered by Primera Plus, for example. The busses tend to be a bit run down and also make more stops while in transit.

By the first stop in Barra de Navidad, I was about frozen from the air conditioner blowing directly down upon me. Linda was slightly off to my side and she was fairing far better. We continued on and proceeded to stop at multiple small pick-up points along the way. Oh, I almost forgot. Coordinados Busses run movies and music videos at full volume as they travel across the countryside. On this trip, we were blessed with one of the thousand productions in the "Fast and the Furious" franchise. Imagine Vin Diesel in Spanish at full volume.

The old town area of Manzanillo.

On we traveled. We entered the outskirts of the big city and passed places we recognized. On we went. The sights were new, but we also knew that we would arrive at the Bus Centro and it may be a new destination for the two of us. (Our last bus visit was about 15 years ago) We arrived!

We climbed off the bus and everyone headed into the nearest bathroom. Once comfortable again we walked through the terminal and caught a chicken bus for the final leg into Old Town.

Mexican warships on display.

Our driver knew that we wanted to get off in Old Town and when we reached the stop he shouted and we obeyed! The next hour was classic tourist stuff; walking aimlessly toward the big Blue Marlin that designated the center of the Port of Manzanillo. We took photos and then walked aimlessly into the heart of Old Town proper.

Food was our next directive and so Linda and Marcy looked on their phone and found us a restaurant that we could refuel at. Chantilly's was located on the main road and we were able to get seats out in the shade for our meal. We had a nice lunch and spent quite a bit of time talking and eating.

The tourists at the Manzanillo sign.

We finished our meal and walked back onto the streets. By this time everyone was about ready to find our next chicken bus back to Bus Central. We returned to the drop-off point and immediately caught a bus headed back to the main bus terminal. The trip back seemed much faster then the trip in and we climbed off the bus on the sidewalk in front of the terminal.

At the ticket booth, we had to make a choice. We could purchase tickets on the first-class Primera Plus Bus which would be leaving in an hour and 25 minutes, or we could leave immediately on the Coordinados Bus that was waiting just out the door. The ticket lady reiterated the fact that the first class bus wouldn't leave for an hour and a half when we said we wanted tickets on the Primera bus. This caused us to rethink our choice and make the biggest mistake of the day. We chose the Coordinados Bus.

Another perspective.

We boarded the bus and then it proceeded to stop at every little spot between Manzanillo and Melaque. It filled to the max and the driver had to do walk-throughs checking tickets. IT TOOK FOREVER to get home (1 hour, 50 minutes). Oh, I forgot to mention that the movie was "Thor - Ragnarok" at full volume.

We are beat!

We All Clean Up Preaty Good!

Music, Tequila and Tacos were the focus of last night's gathering. Add about sixty people and voila, you have a party!

It was the annual pool volleyball party that combines the three volleyball pool's participants in a celebration of another year of being able to smack the volleyball back and forth in the pool.

All the folks in attendance were dressed in more than a swimsuit, and they definitely didn't have wet hair and plugs in their ears. It is amazing how nice everyone looks dry and cleaned up! Recognizing the pool people when they are not across from you at the net can be a fun challenge!

The annual party is put together by "Edmonton" Bob, Yves, Paul and a couple of others to celebrate the fun we have daily smashing the volleyball back and forth in the crystal waters of the various pools. We have the opportunity to play in the Las Palmas pool, Joe's Pool, or now Gary and Grace's pool and everyone so appreciated these folks opening up their homes to all the players.

This year's party was held at Las Palmas and included drinks, street tacos, and a dessert. Tables were set on the lawn and the area was lit by solar-powered lights. The music was provided by seven musically inclined and very talented folks who spent the evening filling the air with wonderful music. Everyone danced and sang along. It was great fun.

Another Day In Paradise

Playing a little Mexican Train in the shade.

We started out by walking down to our local grocery store, Parisany, and sitting at the curb waiting for the chicken bus to arrive. After about ten minutes, and maybe twelve people passing, we figured that the bus would be packed. You see, the people were walking farther up the street to catch the chicken bus before it arrived at our location. Chances of getting a seat were getting worse with everyone who walked by. We all looked at each other and said, "Let's grab a taxi!"

Cold drinks were in order today!

We were on our way in a few minutes, comfortable, relaxed, not a care in the world. Those folks who walked up the street to get a seat, and save some pesos, can have all the bumping, dust and loud noise. We will save them a seat on the beach! LOL

About every three weeks or so I write about a visit to the lovely beach in La Manzanilla. Today I won't bore you with the lay in the sun facts. The great food and drink on a beautiful beach story, or the long walk with the waves erasing your tracks. By now you have heard all that and if you are not as lucky as we are, you are probably rolling your eyes and pouting. With that, I will just say that Jacquie, Grant, Linda and I had a great day at the beach. You can take it from there.

I walked the beach and took this photo of the cemetery.

Lots of dead fish on the shore today.

Snowy Egret hunting for a meal.

Looking at the beach area at La Manzanilla.

Visit With A View

Be careful who you invite, because if they are named Dean and Linda, they're going to show up in your town sooner or later. That is the reasoning behind our most recent trip south to a town near Manzanillo, El Naranjo.

A Bougainvillea plant that Linda found interesting.

We met Hal and Jenny Schoener on our Mex-Eco trip last year to the cities of Taxco and Puebla. It was a great adventure and when it was all over we promised to keep in touch. When we returned to Idaho, Jenny and Linda emailed back and forth. We mentioned that we were visiting our friends Don and Caroline in Westport, WA. Jenny said, "Why don't you stop by our place in Tacoma on your way back from the coast?"  Boom, next thing you know we were visiting them at their beautiful home near Tacoma. Their planned visit to Coeur d'Alene didn't work out last summer. Fast forward to Mexico and once again Jenny said, "You two should come down and visit us at the condo we rent by Manzanillo." Boom, on Friday afternoon, we arrived via Plus Bus in their area for a three-day visit.

View from Hal and Jenney's front window.

Linda was the first person off the Primera Puls bus when we stopped on the highway across from the depot. I followed and gathered our backpacks from the lower compartment of the bus. As Linda scampered across the highway to the bus station, I spotted Hal and Jenny cruising past the intersection where I was standing. Figuring they would have to come back to the station, I grabbed the packs and made my way across the highway. As Hal pulled in and we loaded the packs into the car, Linda appeared holding two return tickets for our trip back to Melaque on Monday.  Just like Linda to prepare for the return, the moment we arrived.

Linda and the Shaving Brush Tree's flower. 

We hugged Hal and Jenny and climbed into their car and were off to the condo where they stay for the winter. But first a stop at the Oasis Beach Restaurant! New arrivals need to refresh, wouldn't you say?

The Shaving Brush in bloom on he tree.

Hal drove us down to Club Santiago and their watering spot the Oasis, where we got a few drinks and met several of their beach friends. It seemed like Hal and Jenny knew everyone who walked by our table and if they didn't know them, Hal would grab the new visitor and introduce himself and our group. It was a fun exchange. Once again I remembered just how easy these two were to get to know.

We had lunch, ordering two Shrimp Dragons, which we split between the two couples. The dragons were a burrito type of food with an Asian shrimp flavor. It was amazing! Once we finished, it was off to their condo on the ocean.

What a nice place! The view looks out over the ocean and gives you a 180-degree view of the vastness before you. We spent most of the time we were at the condo looking out over this vista. It was hard to take your eyes off the sea.

Once we found our room and put our packs on the bed we headed out to the car.

The photo Hal took, of their condo complex from the drone.

We drove back up to the condo area and they showed us around the complex. It was beautiful, of course, and we had many questions about their condo lifestyle. Hal pointed out the Shaving Brush tree located below their unit. He even walked down there and brought Linda back several of the flowers he had picked. As you can see they are very unique in their look and color.

By this time the sun had set and we all were getting hungry. We climbed back into the car and drove to one of their favorite tacos restaurants, La Placita, located in the small town of Nuevo Miramar. We had a very nice inexpensive dinner while we watched the kids play in the Jardin de Miramar.

Hal and Jenny at the tianguis in Santiago.

Hal drove us back to their place and we talked and laughed until bed beckoned us.

First booth on the right, Reynaldo's Rugs!

Morning arrived and Linda hit the road for her run. When she returned I was up and talking, with a cup of coffee in my hands. Hal made breakfast as Linda described her workout path. Jenny and I drank our coffee and listened.

We mapped out our day and focused everything to the main event of the day; dinner with Pete and Rita at their condo located one floor down and at the end of the complex. Linda and I met Pete and Rita on the same Mex-Eco tour that we met Hal and Jenny. They are good friends and the two families have basically grown up together, worked with each other and kept Hal on the straight and narrow for many years. We had breakfast with Pete and Rita when we stopped in Tacoma for our drop-in visit.

Dinner time arrived and we walked down to their condo. We ate hors d'oevres and then played a game of Pegs and Jokers. Pegs and Jokers is new to us but we picked up the basics and held our own. We played women against men and the men ended up as the losers.

Pete served us a great mushroom soup followed by two different lasagnas. He said he made the main courses, but we coaxed out the truth and found that he had purchased them from the Dutch Deli in Santiago. Boy, were they both good!

After dinner, we played a game called Sequence and this time the men ended up the winners. At 10:00 PM we headed up to our unit and everyone hustled off to bed.

Gathering food for our weekend.

After another wonderful breakfast, we went down to the small rocky beach area below the condo buildings. We searched for rocks and shells taking photos and enjoying the ocean breezes. We celebrated the date because it was a ubiquitous palindrome, 02/02/2020. The last palindrome like that took place on 11/11/1111. But I read that at that time we didn't even use the same calendar we use nowadays. That was about 900 years ago and we will not have another palindrome for 101 years on 03/03/3030. We'll try to meet again on that date.

Looking for shells.

Hal brought with him to Mexico a very cool drone and we spent some time trying to fly the machine. He was able to get it up in the air and take photos of the condo unit, but we had a problem with its GPS system so he was uncomfortable flying it around much because if the battery wore out it would not automatically return to its home GPS location. We had a good time messing with the drone while Linda and Jenny waited patiently for their little geeks.

Not only was it 02/20/2020, but it was also Super Bowl Sunday!

02022020. What can you say?

Around 4:30 PM we donned our Seahawks attire (they are still our favorites) and went down a flight of stairs to yet another condo and gathered to watch the Super Bowl with a group of about 15 other folks.  Everyone brought side dishes. Hal made peppers sliced and filled with cream cheese and chorizo and then wrapped with bacon; delicious. Pete made a spinach dip that had a hot bite; you couldn't put it down. The main course was two very good crock pots of chili. We definitely had enough to eat!

Everyone watched the game and enjoyed the results. We came away having eaten a bit too much but really enjoyed the event. It was a little late to do much so we all went to bed and listened to a storm come in. Wind, lightning, and rain moved quickly off the ocean and into our night.  Temperatures cooled off and we all slept well.

In the morning Hal again fixed breakfast. We ate and talked and played cards. Our bus was scheduled to leave at 12:05 PM.

Hal and Jenny drove us to the bus stop and we hugged and said our goodbyes. We had a wonderful time and hated to have to go. They were such great hosts and we thanked them for opening up their Mexico life to us. Plans for a visit from them to us in Idaho are penciled in. We're already looking forward to showing off where we live.

I'm looking a bit, well, normal.

At the bus stop, Linda found seats and I went next door to check out the Deli. As it turns out the Dutch Deli where Pete bought his lasagnas for our dinner was right next door to the depot.

Jumping bridge, but the boys were Pollo.

I walked in and looked around. The owner was seated at a table in the center of the store. She took a big draw of her cigarette and blew a huge plume of smoke to the ceiling and then asked, "How can I help you?" I was caught a bit off guard, but recovered by pointing to the cinnamon rolls in the pan in front of me and said: "I'll have two of those." She was very nice and packed two rolls in a box, took my pesos, and I returned to the station.

We ate the rolls and made plans to take Jenny and Hal up on another invite to visit them and maybe go to a James Taylor concert in Tacoma!

Waiting for our ride.

Dutch Deli treats!