Living Onward

Our guests, the Andersons, left Melaque on Saturday. We were very sad to see them go. We had been having so much fun with them, but good times have to end. They had arranged a taxi but the driver they had spoken to did not show up and we had to call in a backup at the very last minute. This taxi mishap has never happened to us, they are usually very dependable. Looks like "Eddy" won't be getting our business in the future.  Their flight departed the Manzanillo airport a bit late, which unfortunately caused them to miss their flight from LA to Seattle, so they had to stay the night in LA.  The following day, they boarded an early flight to Boise, ID, and then to Spokane. They were a bit tired but got home on Sunday around noon.

John, Loretta, Beth, and Linda on the beach.

Next, Linda and I had until Monday before Beth arrived. Our plan was to organize our stuff and do some shopping.  We also planned to get re-acquainted with the town.  As we walked about, we met people we have known from prior stays and it was fun to chat and say hello.

On Sunday Iris, our friend from Edison, WA, texted and we went to lunch at one of our favorite spots, Rosa's.  We walked and talked and got a bit caught up. At Rosa's, we were unexpectedly joined by some other good friends AnneMarie and Mac from the North Seattle area. We all enjoyed a great lunch and did some catching up.

Three amigas!

Beth arrived without any problems. She settled into the bedroom on the right. She will be staying for about ten weeks and will be working via the internet the entire time she is here. It's great to have her here. We haven't seen her in person for quite a while.

Three days after Beth arrived, our third guests made their way to our doorstep. John and Loretta Sutherland flew from their winter hideaway in Baja to the airport in Manzanillo and took a taxi up for a five-day visit. They settled into the bedroom on the left for their stay. After their visit here, they traveled to Morelia to view the monarch butterfly migration and explore some different regions of Mexico.

With the Sutherlands and Beth settled in, we wandered around Melaque, eating at the local restaurants and visiting. One day we all went over to Barra, while Beth stayed home and worked (she works eight hours each day online). We visited Jon Karpenko and his girlfriend, Cheri at Jon's new house. It's located in the barrio of Barra and he is working to make it his southern retreat.

Big surf on the beach in Barra.

We enjoyed our visit with John and Loretta very much, but they had to move on around the 18th of January. 

Linda and I have been settling into the rhythm of Melaque.  The little town is growing, construction is booming, gringos are plentiful and there seems to be a quickening in the pace of life in this small town.

Many remembered restaurants have closed but others have opened and are busy. The bigger stores where we shop for our necessities are the same, but the little bodegas have been replaced by Oxxos.

We received an email from David and Rebecca Kilmer inviting us to Barra to see their very nice casa.  We rode the bus over and enjoyed the sunset from their palapa. We all went out to dinner and enjoyed street tacos in the heart of Barra.

Three days later the Kilmers drove over to Melaque and we reciprocated by showing them our casa followed by a walk to Pedro,s for street tacos. It was a great night and we really enjoyed their visit. 

On January 27th, Hal and Jennie Shoener drove over from Manzanillo for a three-night stay. Because of travel issues, we hadn't been able to see them while we were in Manzanillo.  While they were here, we walked daily, saw some great sunsets, took a lot of pictures, and ate at some great places. We often worry about the friends that visit us. We don't want them to be bored, but Melaque is a quiet place to live and that's what we do here. Things to do here are pretty simple: play a game, read a book, chat with friends, swim, play volleyball, walk/run... Nightlife consists of late dinners and hanging in the centro watching the families walk around or watching a Zags game or football on TV. Cancun or Puerto Vallarta it is not.

John, on Mexico time.

At this time we have a break from hosting visitors. Our plans are to lay low and rest up. We will play, live, and enjoy this little town.

Loretta, John Linda and Beth on the sea wall.

The main street in Barra.

Hal and Jennie. Drinks with friends!

Linda's latest heart purchase.

unset in  Melaque.

We finished a very cool Puzzle.

Sunrise over Melaque Bay.

What's Next

 The Andersons will be with us for the week, so I won't post about everything we do on a daily basis. I will post news of events that I figure will be interesting to your all. This will be done here on this post along with photos that we take during this time frame. It will be easier for everyone involved and definitely will be less boring for everyone to read.

Photos you might like:

Diner at Tito's.

Dinner at Pedro's Tacos.

Two whales in Melaque Bay. 

Little puppy on the roof of a van.

2023 Is Here!

The New Year rolled in. On New Year's Eve, after the clan got home from the Oaxacan Market, we hung out at the pool, made dinner, and played a ton of different games trying to stay awake for the New Year fireworks which we had heard about. Mike and I decided we didn't need to see those. We remained at the condo and took the time to get ready for sleep. Linda, Rayelle, and Julia walked down to a spot where they could see a large portion of the playa where they hoped to watch the fireworks.  We were told that there would be over 30,000 people on the beach to watch the fireworks.  We were also told that it was so packed on this night, we would probably not have enjoyed the crowds. 

When the threesome returned they told us that the fireworks were pretty, but were also far away. I was glad I had not walked down to the viewing area, fireworks have never been my thing.

January 1st was spent resting and relaxing. We started preparing for our move from Manzanillo to our rental house in Melaque. We are anxious to see the place and hopeful that it will provide a comfortable three-month home.

Linda had arranged for a driver, Jose, the gentleman they had used for their trips into Manzanillo, to pick us up and deliver us to the new casa. He would be arriving on the 2nd at 11:00 am for the move.

New Year's fireworks. Welcome, 2023!

Let's jump back to Saturday. The group decided to take a road trip to do some shopping at the Oaxacan market in Manzanillo. Linda had arranged for a taxi driver to drive us all in. Exactly at the time requested, the taxi arrived. It was Jose, the driver the grocery shoppers had had earlier in the week. We lined up outside the casa. I was the last in line and Jose looked at the group and then back to the taxi. I could tell he noticed just how large the group was. It was obvious that we would not fit into the little taxi Jose arrived in. Immediately, I seized the moment and volunteered to stay home and let the four others squeeze into the vehicle. Off they drove and I went back into the casa and enjoyed a very nice quiet day on my own. I missed being with everyone as they explored and shopped, but I had been to the big city before. 

When they arrived home we found out that one of the apartment keys had gone missing. After an extensive search, we declared that the keys are gone and we would pay for a replacement once we were ready to leave our condo.

Lunch in Manzanillo.

LINDA - On Saturday morning Mike, Rayelle, Julia, and I ventured out again to hit up the Oaxacan Artisian Market located in the parking lot of the Soriana. We discovered it was in town when we went grocery shopping earlier in the week. I was so excited when I saw it. I had been telling Rayelle and Julia about it but wasn't sure when or if it would be there. Dean stayed at the condo because the taxi was too small. Our driver of choice, Jose, was responsible for getting us there. I had thought he was busy that day with family stuff/New Year's Eve celebration so I contacted another name I had been given. He wasn't available. I contacted the office and they promised they would send a taxi our way.

Believe it or not, the driver they sent was Jose! I apologized and said I would have called him myself but thought he was busy. He explained he was busy later that day but ready now. My Spanish and his English got the job done but sometimes there were some misunderstandings. We got there and make arrangements for Jose to pick us up when we were ready to come home. The market was smaller by more than half compared to the years I'd been going (that's been 3 years ago, there was a pandemic, and who knows what else) I felt a bit silly because I had built this up so much and then it wasn't at all what I expected. Even with that, I think everyone had a great time. We went through the whole thing looking at all the crafts and booths then circled back and went in with more intent. Mike was a trooper. He carried backpacks, held water, and was very patient while we three shopped and made decisions.

Julia and Rayelle scored heavily with things for themselves and gifts for others. We then decided to try out Jose's suggestion for tacos at a restaurant across the street from the market. It was a fun experience. I scored big when the Andersons bought ice cream for all as we waited for Jose to come pick us up for our return to Vida del Mar. I tried a sorbet made with guanabana fruit. This is a frightening-looking fruit on the outside, but wow, was it ever delicious!!

The missing keys.

 Each night we played cards or other games. The Andersons showed no mercy and won most of the contests. I had to remind Linda that they were our guests down here and that there will be many opportunities for her to get even throughout the coming week. As we packed for our trip to the new digs, Julia found the infamous keys. They had been stuffed in her backpack. This gave us all relief and provided something we could tease Julia about.

On January 2nd at 11:00 am sharp Jose arrived once again to transport us up to Melaque. This time he brought his suburban and we all fit in just fine. Jose is a very outgoing gentleman. If the conversation slowed down, he always had an observation, question, or story to fill the silence. The ride to Melaque took us about an hour. We knew the area where our casa was located but had never been there. Like all small towns in Mexico, the street names are usually painted on the building walls, and like most places, the walls get painted which includes painting over the street names. We circled past the street where our casa was located a couple times but finally were able to zero in on the exact location with the help of Google.

Seahawks via our computer and VPN!

After we paid Jose and said our goodbyes, we entered the casa and started exploring. The house has three bedrooms a living space with connecting kitchen, three full bathrooms with showers, and two restrooms with no showers.  The upper palapa is very spacious with various seating options. There is a pool table that works as a ping pong table and disk hockey surface. We were very surprised at how nice all this was.  Two bedrooms have two beds in them and storage, while the master bedroom has a king-sized bed with good storage and a very large bathroom.

Once we all settled in, our group started getting into the swing of being a tourist and doing what everyone does, explore!

Dinner at Tito's in Melaque.

Hard to get this group to act normal!

Going into the plaza in Melaque.

Shopping!

Anderson's first Melaque Churro.

Shopping in Barra.

Julia with the Barra sign.

Surfing, a big draw in Barra. 

Our friend John K. just happened to be setting sail 
out of Barra as we visited the malecon. What a coincidence!

South Again

 ¡feliz año nuevo! We wish you all the best this coming year.

Wow, I don't know how to explain everything that it took to get into our next adventure. There was so much preparation prior to our departure that words would never convey what it took to get out of Post Falls. Linda was the organizer in all respects. I just shoveled snow, ran errands, and kept my head down. Without my Bug (Linda), we would not be sitting here in Mexico enjoying the sun and listening to the waves on the ocean.

View from our condo balcony.

Linda made this happen and gets full credit for everything. Over the past eight months, she was able to put together this trip, starting with securing a rental house in Melaque, Mexico. Once she made the connection and covered the details of the rental, we started contacting friends who we thought would like to travel to Mexico and share the house with us.

The house is relatively new and large enough for visitors. There are three bedrooms and other amenities that give us room to be comfortable with our guests. Once we formalized this rental, the rest of the trip, our flights, guest lists, and numerous other details were covered. Keep in mind, Linda made all the arraignments while also taking care of her mother and all her needs. She was amazing!

The four amigos head to the pool.

On our departure date Rayelle, Mike, and Julia Anderson, our first traveling companions, arrived and picked us up at our house. A friend of theirs, John, rode along to shuttle Mike's truck home after the airport drop-off. 

We had no problems getting through security and checking in on our flights. In fact, we had no real problems throughout the entire journey down south even though every air terminal was packed with holiday travelers. There were a couple delayed flights but nothing that affected our travels.

This is from the lower pool area.

Our itinerary took us from Spokane to Seattle and then to Los Angeles, where we stayed overnight at the typical airport hotel. It wasn't the Ritz, but we had no problems and it made all the connections very easy. Thanks, Rayelle, for taking care of that part. Leaving LA our flight was packed. We all settled in and just kept thinking that by the end of the day we would be in a beautiful spot with NO snow.

Arrival was on time and we disembarked our flight into the warmth of 84-degree weather. The Mexican terminal was the usual chaos with everyone crowding to get through the lines and pick up their luggage. Of course, we ended up being about the last people through the process.  We spilled out of security and into the concourse where we were greeted by Sue and Raul, the owners of our condo unit. We all introduced ourselves and made our way out of the airport.  Linda and I rode with Sue and Raul, and the Andersons hired a taxi.  Homer, the taxi driver, was very nice, spoke a little English, and made their trip very enjoyable. Linda and I chatted with Sue and Raul as we drove down towards Manzanillo to Vida del Mar and our condo. 

The bridge leading to the playa

What a beautiful place! The view out of our patio is like a  photo from a travel brochure. We have stayed here with our friends Hal and Jennie Schoener once before. If you want to read more about the area and our first visit, follow this link about Vida del Mar.

Our group settled in and learned all about the condo from Raul. We checked everything out and fell in love with our living space. Thank you, Jennie and Linda, for getting us these gorgeous accommodations!

Rayelle and Mike, before my chair, broke.

That evening our friend Pete drove Mike and me to an Italian restaurant to pick up a couple pizzas we ordered for our first dinner.  We had a beverage and received our order. The restaurant owner brought us our pizzas and an order of chicken parmesan. We let him know that we didn't order the chicken meal, he just smiled and shrugged his shoulders, and said that it would not go to waste.

Walking back to the car, I stepped on a curb and slipped off the rounded edge. I fell gracefully (like a gazelle), dropped the pizzas carefully on the grass, and rolled to the ground.  Nothing damaged, bruised, or splattered.  Only my pride scuffed a bit. The funny thing about this was that Mike was wearing some flip-flops for the first time ever, and I had explained to him how to walk in them and that one of the things he needed to watch was catching the toe and tripping. Basically, what I had just done. 

When we got home we ate and I reenacted the fall. Everyone laughed and had a great evening.

Thursday saw Linda, Rayelle, and Julia in a taxi with Jose. They were going to the bank to pick up some pesos and then on to the grocery store for supplies. It was a long day for them but Jose waited as they did what they wanted to do and then brought them home safely. They raved about Jose. He was very nice, shared lots of information about Manzanillo and his family, and will appear more in this blog. 

On Friday we all got up and walked to the beach on a quiet cove called Playa La Boquita.  This playa is on the northern part of the north bay called Santiago Bay. The southern bay is Manzanillo Bay. Don't let the locals catch you calling the big bay system Manzanillo Bay because it is definitely two bays.  We spent the afternoon eating quesadillas, and guacamole, and drinking cervezas while watching the holiday travelers enjoying the sun.  We were the only folks with no skin color whatsoever (Idaho winter white), so we didn't blend in very well.

As we sat and watched the spectacle of the beach, my chair started making slight movements in the sand. Being an experienced Mexico beach chair user, I warned everyone around the table to be aware that their white plastic seat could explode, shatter or sink at any moment. They all acknowledged the warning and returned to enjoying the food. My chair move once again and I adjusted my balance thinking that it was sinking a bit into the sand.  Suddenly the right rear leg buckled. Slowly I lowered toward the ground. With experience on my side, I reached my right hand out and down just in time to stop myself from hitting the sand. Everyone started laughing and I struggled to regain my balance and right myself. Once again my instincts prevailed. No harm, no foul. 

The hike back to the condo was hot and when we arrived I found out we had hiked a total of 2.5 miles. Everyone but myself went to the pool. I cooled off and snored myself to sleep. My snoring was so bad I woke myself up about a million times.  

We all gathered and prepared a great shrimp taco meal. Then we settled into a big game of Hucklebuck. I lost badly and we retired for the evening exhausted but content.