Surprise!

The other day the gang at our compound were all settled in at the palapa. They were ready to play cards and I was still napping in the room. All of a sudden I hear a bunch of noise from above, so I got up and wandered up the metal staircase of death to see what was happening. 

I got to the roof and out of nowhere pops Dan Breeden. I was surprised and still sort of sleepy so I stood there trying to figure out what the heck was happening. Dan had just surprised Linda and the Burches and that was the ruckus that woke me.

We have been inviting Dan to come down and visit us in Mexico for years. Now with the help of Beth, he made the trip, keeping it a complete secret from us.

What a fun surprise!

For the next week we get to spend some time with Dan, show him our little hideaway town, and let him enjoy the warm weather and relaxed lifestyle that is Melaque.

Drinks at the pool bar, Laguna de Tule.

Street tacos on the way.

Bus ride selfie.

On the beach in Barra de Navidad.

Boat ride to Restaurant Mary's.

The 375

This season in Mexico is coming to an end for Linda and I. We have less that a week left in Melaque then we move on for a few days in La Ribera north of Cabo on the Baja peninsula. After that we will head home.

We will look back on our stay this year with fond memories of living in our apartment. This winter residence came to be knowen as The 375 by those who resided within the walls behind the address numbers: 3 7 5. 

Bill and Teri.

The whole of The 375 was made up of six residents. To introduce you to our posse, we will start at the ground floor where Bill and Teri Burch resided in the appartment next to the pool, if we had one. Teri and Bill are from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and this was their first long stay for the winter months in Mexico.  The Burches are retired elementary school teachers, which is how we came to know them. Linda taught at the same school as Teri where they became close friends. They have been visiting us in Melaque for several years. They stayed with us at Big Pink, the pink house on the beach, way back is the day. Bill and Teri will be returning to this area for a month next year, though staying in a different place.

Stephen and Curt.

If you come through the black gate at The 375 and turn immediately right, you will find a set of stairs that lead you up to the second level. There you will find the apartment where the next 1/3 of The 375 stays. Curt Blumer and Stephen Bean have the apartment which would overlook the pool, if we had one. Stephen and Curt are from Vashon Island, Washington. Stephen worked at Amazon and Curt was a carpenter. They are both wonderful musicians who make up the heart of the local band, the Electro Lites. Curt is an amazing harmonica player and Stephen plays electric piano, mandolin, guitar, and spoons. He also does most of the vocals.

The ocean view.

The apartment closest to the beach, with no view of the beach, is where we resided. This apartment would also overlook the pool, if we had one. 

The 375 has another space where we all spent many hours relaxing and talking. The rooftop palapas could be found at the top of a wrought iron spiral staircase. They would also have overlooked the pool, had there been one. They did provide a view of the ocean if you looked past the building behind us and between the many coconut palms.

To access this area, you must climb the hot metal spiral staircase to the sky. This climb and descent is a bit precarious and we always had to make sure we had one hand free to belay us safely up and down. We decided at the very beginning that it might be a good idea to have just one person at a time going up or down.

The 375 had other amenities. The laundry facilities were close to the front entrance and was equipt with the finest machinery for washing and rinsing our clothing.

Drying was accomplished via the clothesline we hung between the palm trees that would have shaded the pool, had there been one.

On belay?

The final shared space is the palapa that we used for our pursuit of the arts. In this area Teri created her crafts, Bill wrote thought-provoking music, Linda read, Curt and Stephen enjoyed the shade, and we all puzzled. It was a wonderful gathering place which would have complemented the pool, had there been one.

That is The 375. The memories of this year will live with the crew that lived there for many years to come. 

Our laundry facilities.

The activity palapa.