December 28, 2010

Adios Troncones.

Sitting in the Zihuatanejo airport having just checked in and what a process that was!!! It took a full half hour for the two of us to get our boarding passes. Security is super tight here and we haven’t even passed through security yet! Our checked bags had to be searched completely (along with every other passenger). Have no idea what they’re looking for but whatever it is…neither of us had it – whew! We’re both very thankful that we’re travelling with small bags….some of the other passengers are carrying veritable condos so their bags take even longer to empty and search.

Two of the people staying at Casa Caprice were coming into Zihuat at exactly the time we had to leave for the airport so…..as seems to be our pattern….we lucked out again and caught a ride with them.

Thought of a couple more stories that were missed during our blogging in Troncones. One just happened the other night as we were walking home down the little dirt road in the dark and enjoying looking at all the stars overhead. Just a short distance in front of us there was a small fireworks show going on and it looked like they were welcoming us home. When we got closer it became clearer though…the fireworks weren’t really for us….it was a father and his two little boys (ages 2 & 4) and guess what?! It was the little boys who were setting off the fireworks! The dad would light the wick and the boys would hold it till the last minute and then throw it up in the air just like they’d been doing it their whole lives…which I guess is quite possible given their ages! By the time they can talk they’re very capable with both a machete and fireworks!

Another story was just this morning when the sound of a violin filled the air. It was absolutely beautiful! One of the guests is a concert violinist and so had to do his daily practice. No complaints from anyone in Casa Caprice I am certain! In fact…..I just crawled back into bed and finished reading my book while enjoying the sensation that the music provided.

We also figured out just how many Mexican States we’ve visited and I have 13 under my belt and Lynda has a whopping 18 under hers! Not bad – I think we’re almost ½ way to covering the whole country. The states we’ve both spent time in include: Sonora, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Queretaro, Hidalgo, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Estado de Mexico, Distrito Federal, Veracruz, Guerrero (the state where Troncones is,) Oaxaca, and Chiapas. On top of that Lynda has also visited Baja California Sur, Nayarit, Jalisco, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo. Yep….we’ve seen much more of Mexico that 99.9% of Mexican’s have. Considering there are as many people living in Mexico City alone (that is the same as there are in all of Canada!) nosotros mucho suertudas!!!

This morning while dining on chilequiles con huevo por me y Hot Cakes por Lynda we enjoyed quite the show with a whale (two actually) breeching and playing not too far out. What a send off!!

I will miss the little dirt road, the consistent crashing of the waves on the shore, the wonderful feeling you get from a dip in the cool water when you’re sticky and hot, the smiling faces wishing you a buen dia or total strangers saying buen provecho as you sit down to eat, and quite simply the effortlessness and uncomplicatedness of life in this special little pueblo. Lynda on the other hand will be returning in a couple of weeks once we’ve uncovered the next in our exciting adventures that will give us some great memories to kick off 2011.

And the adventures have already begun!! Just came through security and Lynda’s carry on caught the attention of the guards due to her little Canada pin on the strap. When they asked about it she simply said….”te gusta” (you like?) and when they nodded…she just pulled out the bag and handed them out like candy (thanks again Gail!!). The guards were appreciative and about 20 minutes later they had located us in the waiting room having brought another of the guards who would also like one. It was like El Chepe (the train) staff all over again.

The other thing that we’ve seen a lot of sitting in this waiting room is people fighting….not all out fisticuffs but just that “I am tired of spending time with you on this vacation” kind of fighting. Both Lynda and I are very thankful that we’re not tired of one another – we’re still good to go – wahoo!! Look out world!!

L & L

December 27, 2010

Enjoyed our "bonus" day in Troncones and since we already had our laundry done and packing pretty much finished before we realized that we were a day out in our calculations....it was a bonus day to do more of what we've been doing for the past 17 days....not much of anything at all and loving it!! :-)

We really will be leaving tomorrow (on the 28th) and since I don't know when we'll next have access to the internet...hang in there.....there's more to come. And for you faithful followers who have "relaxed" along with us for the past 17 days....we're well rested and so we promise to have lots of new adventures with stories to share asap so stay tuned....

Hasta pronto,
L & L

December 26, 2010

Well....I guess we'll start with the stuff that happened yesterday after we signed off from our blog. We managed to roll out of the hammocks in an attempt to move at least a little at some point during the day and since the dog was looking for a walk....it was the opportunity/motivation we needed. So.....we're dragging our feet along the little dirt road in the direction of another beach where we think there will be no people BUT.....we forgot...it's Christmas and everyone from everywhere else in Mexico is here...or it looks like they're all here and they've all found that little beach where no one is supposed to be since that's where we like to walk with the dog. They're just daytrippers but we have little desire to see anyone since all we've seen is the inside of our eyelids for the past several hours. Walking toward us are two women carrying what appears to be a heavy bag....as they approach they ask if we'd like to buy some of their freshly roasted peanuts and boy oh boy does that sound good BUT....we've just come for a short walk so have no camera to take a picture of them nor do we have any money so....we have to say no :-(

A few steps later and still not wanting to brave the crowds on beach #2...Lynda has a brilliant idea! She suggests that we cut across beach #1 and cut through a vacant lot to cut the peanut ladies off near our place so we can get some money to buy some fresh peanuts.....I agree wholeheartedly and off we trot....yes....TROT! It is the most exercise either of us has had since our arrival here on the 10th and by the time we reached the cut through our heart rates were up and we were panting for peanuts! We cut through the vacant lot, our feet barely touching the ground with peanuts on our mind, and alas....we were too slow....the peanut ladies had passed our point in the road and all we could see was the back of them in the distance. But! Never fear - we're on a mission! Lynda would try to catch them while I ran in for money but again....alas.....they were too far ahead! :-( BUT....there was still hope as Mitch was climbing into his truck to go down the road in the direction of the peanut ladies so.....Lynda and I climbed into the back of the pickup with renewed hope at the promise of peanuts in sight. We hung on for dear life (yes....we sit up on the edge of the truck box!) and off we went dodging topes (speed bumps) and potholes. ALAS....we were too late again....the ladies had virtually disappeared from the face of the earth....we searched but all we could find was an old man with what looked like a large sack of peanuts so .....we made a beeline for him only to discover that his sack didn't contain peanuts at all....only dried bananas and we were not looking for that! :-( His buddy however had some churros that he assured us he had made himself just that morning....so.....if we can't have peanuts.....we'll have do-nuts (aka churros) BUT....alas....if he had made them that morning....I'll eat my shirt because they were as hard and tough as shoe leather and tasted like the oil used to fry them was from sometime last year. Needless to say...the donuts didn't fill the role of the elusive peanuts.

There is some good news though....well sort of good news.....while we were looking for the peanut ladies we came across Candy and his twin daughters who were celebrating their quinze anos (15th birthday coming out party - a VERY big deal here) and the girls were all dressed up in matching gowns and bouquets. The not so good part of this story is that when I returned to pick up the money...I neglected to grab the camera so....we have a memory shot only :-(

This was the only time we had left our place without money or a camera and wouldn't you know.....we needed to have both so missed some great opportunities and agreed that we'd learned a lesson this day.

Now....for today.....you're not gonna believe this story!!! You know how I said that we were ready to roll out of Troncones tomorrow and that today would be our last day on the beach and by the pool unless our travels take us to another beach or pool location.....well.......I lied. Not intentionally of course but rather it is a demonstration of just how relaxed we both are. Our brains have completely shut down! Fortunately, Lynda had a momentary lapse into a past life when her brain was still working and so she checked our tickets out of Zihuat and wouldn't you know it.....they're not for tomorrow!!! Now....before you get too worried ....they weren't for today either as that would have been even worse. They are in fact for the 28th so we have all our laundry done and are packed and ready to go but still have another day to lay by the pool and/or wander the beach. Again,,,,suertudas!!!

Spent all day by the pool at our place today enjoying both the sun and the opportunity to do nothing but read yet another book. Tomorrow will be more of the same :-)

Viri's sister and brother and her brother's friend arrived today from their home in Leon. The boys are here for a 2 week vacation and Dani (Viri's sister) is planning to stay for as long as there is some work for her to do here. It is really nice for Viri to have help with the rooms and also to have her siblings here....Leon is very far away. Mitch did a big BBQ again tonight to celebrate their arrival and to celebrate Viri's role as madrina (godmother) to Gabby's new little daughter. (Gabby lives across the street and is a good friend.)

Happy Boxing Day.....might touch base once more before we hit the road but if not....stay tuned for new adventures.

L & L

December 25, 2010

Feliz Navidad,
Blue, gold, purple, yellow, green, red, gold, blue, yellow, and black repeated 4 times. Figured out what it is yet??? Should we tell you? Well....okay....it's the only view either Lynda or I have had today.....it's the pattern and the colours on our hammocks. Suertudas!! (We are so lucky!)

Literally, we got up for breakfast, stumbled across the street to Roberto's for chilequiles con huevo and then made our way back here to fall into our hammocks for a day of snoozing. In fact....it's official....we'll likely be in the book of Guiness Records for having slept in every restaurant this side of the T intersection in Troncones on this trip. As odd as that may sound....since chances of being able to sleep in a restaurant in Canada are slim and none....both Lynda and I have actually done just that during our 2 weeks here! Restaurants have hammocks strung in them and so we just stumble from one to the next as we wander aimlessly along the beach. We order a coca (Coke), open our books, read a line or two, lay our books down, close our eyes and fall asleep. I've decided that I've spent the last 2 weeks snoozing. I snooze all day and then I snooze all night and then I get up and do it all over again :) Yep.....suertudas!!!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas day and that the rest of the holidays are as good to you as they are for us. Gotta go.....time for another snooze :)

L & L

December 24th continued…..

Sitting in my room shortly before midnight on Christmas Eve listening to the music and the fireworks that are randomly being ignited around the town by the revelers. There are screamers and little bangers, poppers and big bangers and my guess is that they’re for the most part homemade. A little gunpowder and an old piece of newspaper can turn into some of the best and loudest of them all!

It’s interesting the little things that you notice as being so different here. The fireworks are one example. Kids of all ages have access to them and although I’m sure they’re very dangerous…I haven’t seen anyone with any injuries and there have been a lot of little explosions between Guadalupe and now. There was another example that Lynda and I saw on the beach yesterday morning. A family was bringing in their catch of lobster and fish from a net. The dad was wearing dress slacks and a golf tee-shirt with a face mask for diving……not your typical swimming or fishing attire…. He was fully immersed in the ocean gathering up the nets for the mom and daughter who were on shore. Mom and daughter were busy untangling the lobster’s sharp and spiny bits from the netting and retrieving the fish as well. Just a little further down the beach there was a young boy of about 6 or 7 running toward them with a small machete in his hand. We had to laugh because it was likely that the mom or dad had instructed him to run home (or back to the restaurant or somewhere like that) to pick up a knife and to do it ‘on the double’. At home we’d never let a little guy even carry a knife like that to the table let alone run along the beach for who knows how far with it. One of my favourite things about travel….is the differences and there are lots of them if you just keep your eyes open as you move through the experience.

Another difference is that in Mexico all special days are celebrated the night preceding the event. So…if for example your birthday is on the 10th you would actually celebrate it on the 9th with the celebration peaking at the stroke of midnight. And so on that same note….Christmas Eve is the big day here with the celebration taking place tonight up until midnight.

So as the fireworks continue and the clock strikes 12:00, I’ll say Merry Christmas from Mexico…may you all have a good one!

L & L

December 24, 2010

Happy Christmas Eve to all you followers out there in snow laden lands.....here we are still swinging in our hammocks enjoying the beach and all that it has to offer....yep....life is good and we're living it to the fullest!! :-)

Sorry I didn't post anything last night...well....I'm really not all that sorry - oops..was that my outside voice?! :-0

There is a reason that there was no blog posting last night and I'll get to that in a minute but for now will just tell you that yesterday was dedicated to the letter "B". Why you ask?? Well.....it's just that so much of what we did yesterday seemed to include the letter B so it seemed only fitting that we should make such a dedication.

We started our day with a Breakfast of Burritos (well...we didn't eat breakfast till lunchtime so it's not as bad as you're thinking) and then we hit the Beach where we Boogie Boarded like crazy. Some would call us Boogie Board Babes and others might call us Boogie Bitches. Personally, I prefer the Babes reference!! I have to tell you that Boogie Boarding is loads of fun But there are some Bits of it that are quite dangerous too! There is the very real risk of losing your Bathing suit or at the very least losing your Bottoms. It is also very likely that your Boobs will fall out and if not your Boobs there will be other Bits of your Body that you'd typically keep covered that manage to expose themselves. There is also the very real danger that you'll get Burned on your Back as it's easy to lose track of the time when you're out there communing with nature in a pool larger than any pool should be! We managed to avoid most of the wildlife (ie: sting rays and sharks)but Lynda did have a little crab give her a "kiss" on the toe! Oh yes....and once you work up a thirst Braving the waters....there's always time for a Beer or two :-)

Following our Burns, Boogie Boarding, Beach, Beer, Bared Bits experience....we limped along the Bumpy little road to our rooms for a Breathtaking shower. The reason that it is Breathtaking is that there is no hot water...the water heater Broke and the new one hasn't arrived yet so we're Braving it with agua frio!! After a few Brrrrrr's and some 'Eau de Off' we were ready to head out again. Our friends Dave and Deb were scheduled to leave for home the next day so we had a great excuse to Buy them a good Bye Beer (or some facsimile thereof). We met at the Burro Burracho (the Drunken Donkey) and as you can see from the name of the place...we were Back into the letter "B" in a BIG way. We started with the Best intentions But.....as those things can go...one margarita led to another and another and another and well.....you may recall from an earlier Blog post where I mentioned that the Burro makes the deadliest margaritas ever....it is needless to say that we were in trouble and that trouble began with a capital "B".....Burracho!!! Before we knew what had happened our Bar Bill was Big and our Buddies were as Bad off as we were! As luck would have it, another guest from our hotel happened into the Burro in time to rescue us so after we had some help to the Bathroom, we were able to Bum a ride home where we fell into Bed and were fast asleep Before we knew where we were. The only other B is one that Lynda mentioned this morning and that is Barf Bag....I'll leave that B reference to your imagination!!

Today was pretty quiet.....we said goodbye over breakfast to Dave and Deb and reflected back on the laughs we'd had the night before. We reviewed some of the plans we'd made...like planning an entire vacation in Europe....in fact....we may have already committed to and paid for a canal boat....LOL....gotta be careful when there is internet, credit cards and Burracho Boogie Boarding Buddies together!! The rest of our day has been pretty quiet...I'd describe the way I'm feeling as having been hit by a truck! Those big waves can hurt when they hit!!! and holding down the front of your board when you're not used to using any of those muscles....can leave you feeling a little tender the next day. Oh ya....it may have a little to do with the copius amounts of tequila that were consumed too :-) Thank heavens for hammocks and water...lots of water!

So...I'll close with a wish for all of you to have a wonderful Christmas wherever you are.

Feliz Navidad,
L & L

December 22, 2010

Okay....so we've missed a day in our blogging.....sorry but we were just tooo busy laying around. There wasn't a spare minute to turn on the computer or even to get off the chairs and close the books....LOL....yep.....we're leading a life of stress and multitasking alright :-)

In truth though....since we last blogged:
We've purchased lunch from vendors selling from a cooler in the hatchback of their car, we've purchased treats from ice cream sellers pushing squeaky wheeled carts, we've opened a new restaurant and fed the masses on opening night (well...it was just popcorn and hotdogs but we still fed them), we've become professional photographers (sorry Spence but we're your latest competition LOL), we've written a book, we've read a couple books, we've walked a mile or two, we've admired the view and the sunset(s), we've broken into private properties (sorry Dean), we've introduced more than 100 babies into the world (okay...so they're just turtles), we've played games with friends, we've reconnected with friends from El Chepe days ("hi" if you're reading this), we've sampled every margarita maker in town, we've tested hammocks in all the restaurants and decided which ones are our favourite, and....we've decided that since there are now a dozen or so people on the beach it must be almost time for us to move on.

It is getting a little busier in Troncones but the beaches are still super private and there is never a line up anywhere. It's good to see a few more people as it has been too quiet for the businesses and this is their peak season when they need to generate enough revenue to last for the rest of the year when things are very very slow.

Had dinner at Roberto's tonight with friends, Dave and Deb from Seattle, lots of laughs and good times to remember. Dave and Deb extended their stay here a few days ago and are getting ready to head home to the winter weather on Friday....this time they'll really have to get on the plane :-(

that's it for today.....
L & L

December 20, 2010

Good to know we have some readers out there Jared :)

Another quiet day in our world although Lynda did have a little excitement when she saw a couple of whales frolicking offshore from Roberto's Restaurant where we had 'parked' ourselves after our breakfast of chilequiles con huevo this morning. I missed out on the sight as I'd gone down the beach to another spot in search of some shade though :-( Maybe tomorrow they'll be back and I'll be lucky enough to see them too.

The shady spot I had settled into was at a guy named Israel's. He wasn't around today but had made the offer to use the property at any time so I took him up on the offer and enjoyed an afternoon of total privacy reclining on a padded lounge chair on the lawns under the palms at the edge of the ocean....how lucky am I!!!!

I've now finished 4 books and am started on my 5th with still a week to in a place where all there is to do is hang in a hammock and read.....nice..... :-)

Mitch is making ceviche tonight so we're going to have a little of that and then head down to Rufie's....I'm ready for another round of sopes - yum yum!!

While I wait for the ceviche....I'll give you a little snapshot of where I am right now....The cicadas are so loud tonight that they're drowning out the sound of the waves on the shore. The temperature is perfect....probably about 75 degrees or so. The air is damp with the fall of night and there is a full moon overhead. A lone taxi just drove up the dirt road but everything here moves pretty slowly and so even the taxi was just crawling along. I'm sitting in Mitch and Viri's new little restaurant/bar that tomorrow will host the first ever Pub Nite in Troncones. The place is large and has a really substantial roof over a hard packed dirt floor that has been raked and swept clean. There are white tables dotting the space and a couple of brightly coloured hammocks are hanging along the edges of the room. I'm sitting at a table for six and there is a colourful cloth over the table and there is a centrepiece of a pretty glass dish with 5 dried sea urchins that finish off the setting perfectly. There are large round white lights overhead that mirror the full moon tonight and I can hear Mitch and Lynda in the kitchen behind me. Mitch is putting the finishing touches on the ceviche Lynda is catching up some of the dishes that seem to multiply when no one is looking. Mitch just brought me a mug of beer which makes me think that the ceviche is almost ready so I'll say adios for tonight...

till next time,
L & L

December 19, 2010 cont'd

Confession time.....Mi Casa Su Casa also has strong drinks!! Lynda and I went there for dinner (shrimp cocktail and a clubhouse sandwich to share) and of course a couple of drinks had to preceed/accompany the meal. We had great intentions of "earning" our dinner by walking down and back but boy oh boy the walk back was a loooonnnnnngggg one! I guess that might be because we were walking from side to side on the road as we zig zagged our way back. That'll teach us....maybe :)

Hard to believe tomorrow morning will be the 20th!!! Where has the time gone. We leave this little paradise on the 27th so will have to soak up as many rays as possible in the next week.

hasta luego,
L & L

December 19, 2010

Newsflash......yep.....this is about as headline as it gets......"Lorrie got stuck in the hammock" Yes....sad but true...the hook on the back of my bathing suit strap got caught in the strings of the hammock yesterday morning and I had to wait until I heard Lynda up and about in her room till I could call for help! As much as I'd like you to feel sorry for me I suspect that you're not going to have too much sympathy given that my "stuck" position was one of total relaxation :-)

Mitch and Viri are super busy getting ready for the full house they have booked for the 26th through the 2nd. In addition to the 8 rooms at Casa Caprice they also now have another little hotel that has 4 more rooms plus a camping area as well as a private house that can be rented either by the day or long term. Mitch has painted everything again and it looks amazing and Viri is tireless in the endless cleaning and preparing that is required for so many rooms.

Last night we all went out to Roberto's for dinner and to enjoy the Mexican Fiesta that includes several cultural dancers who do a great job and that Lynda has seen so many times she was able to do most of the dances for us right at our table as soon as the music started. All four of us ordered the Vacio (an Argentinian cut of beef that is a massive tenderloin grilled over the open coals to perfection)....Jared....if you're reading this....my guess is that your mouth is watering right about now :-) I'd been thinking about that meal for two years and it lived up to my memory of the last time I had it. They serve the Vacio with a sauce called Chimichurri that goes very well with the baked potato, grilled veggies, and garlic bread that are also sizzling on the hot cast iron platter that the meal is served on. It's definitely an overdose of meat so my guess is that I'm good for another two years. :-)

Today has been another lazy day and we're having leftover lazy cabbage rolls to go along with the theme of this lazy day.....gotta love life in Troncones!

L & L

December 17, 2010

Another pretty quiet day in paradise :) Spent most of it sitting on the beach in front of Mi Casa Su Casa with friends Dave and Deb from Seattle who just extended their one month stay here by another 9 days.....gotta love it when you hear stories with happy endings right?!

On one of our walks up the beach we came across a group of 4 young people hauling in their catch. They had worked much of the day in a single location and come up with a 5 gallon bucket filled with fish and lobster for all of their hard work. It will be a worthwhile day for them and their pocketbooks! :)

Here we are back at Mitch and Viri's new place (2 doors down from Casa Caprice) where they're setting up their kitchen and getting ready for the first ever "Pub Nite" in Troncones. There will be beer, soft drinks, popcorn, and hot dogs along with bocce, darts, board games, and Nintendo for guests to enjoy. Hopefully we can get some people to come out for it and it becomes a weekly event. Everybody here sets up a restaurant or a bar as they want to for some additional income...entreprenerialism is alive and well in Mexico!!

Saw an immense iguana today....he was just sitting in the yard of one of the hotels munching on the flowers of a plant. Doubtful that the gardener of that place will be too happy with him! He was about 3 feet long and had a floppy yellow thing hanging under his chin and bright yellow and green spikes along his back. He did not look like anything I'd want to take home!!!

Moon is almost full tonight so walking home was easy with the moonlight. Sunset was gorgeous again!! Not a lot of 'news' from here....it's all pretty quiet....just as it should be :) Have now finished 2 books and am started on my 3rd...how nice is that!

till next time,
L & L

December 16, 2010

Good thing that barhopping only consisted of one stop tonight! One margarita at the Burro Burracho (the Drunken Donkey) left us with our tongues slightly numb and our legs not working quite right. Gotta love margs the way that Vlad at the Burro makes them!!! Muchas gracias amigo :)

Needed something to soak up some of that tequila so off to Lourdes for quesadillas. Lynda's was broccoli and mushroom and mine was chorizo and spinach so we split them and got to have a little variety. Yum Yum!!! Amazing quesadillas and if you can believe it....only $150 pesos each (less than $1.50).

Spent all day today on the beach in front of Roberto's today. Suertudas!!! (We are sooo lucky!) Had the whole place to ourselves again - how crazy is that. Really sad that there aren't more people here but the press in both Canada and the US is so negative that many people have cancelled their vacations this winter. It really is too bad as we haven't seen anything at all to be worried about in the least and certainly in a little place like Troncones, there is nothing to worry about at all.

Had a moment of panic today when we thought it was the 17th but then Viri corrected our error and once we realized that it was still only the 16th we felt somewhat better :) Hard to believe that we only have 10 days left in this paradise before we head out again though.

That's another day in the life of L & L....hasta luego :)

December 15, 2010

Will include a little more info in the blog today but don’t get too used to it as Troncones is a sleepy little place and most days are just spent wandering, swinging, chatting, or just sitting looking out over the ocean to the horizon. Still don’t know what time of day it is most of the time but have finally figured out that we’re 2 hours ahead of Vancouver time so whenever I’m typing any updates I know what time it is thanks to the bottom right hand corner of my computer……beyond that….the only times that people here might refer to are: time to get up (cuz it’s light and you’re awake)….time to eat (cuz you’re hungry)…..time to go to bed (cuz it’s dark)…..yep…..that about sums up a day in Troncones :)

I can tell you that Lynda and I toured a gorgeous villa here the other day. Owner Berta Davis was here visiting from her home in L.A. and was happy to show us around. Her place here is called the Villa Milagro (Milagro means Miracle) and it really is lovely. It sits at the end of the next beach over from the one across from us and really….is the only place on that beach. It’s about a 5 minute walk from us along the beach and where Lynda takes the dog for a walk most afternoons.

Anyway….back to Villa Milagro……it is a very open concept and takes full advantage of the private location and the endless views available here. It has all the creature comforts (including a pool) and like many of the villas here….is available to rent. Berta doesn’t get to spend much time here but maybe now that she has heard about some of the traveling adventures that Lynda and I have enjoyed…..she’ll decide to find a way to take some more “me time” too….so….if you’re reading this Berta…..I hope it works out for you :)

Hmmmm….what else can I tell you…..well….last night was like the Wild Kingdom in my room. I had both a gecko and a cicada in there with me and both of them were intent on serenading me throughout the night. The two of them on top of the crazy rooster, who must be blind since he doesn’t know day from night, were enough to make me a tad crazy at about 4:00 this morning. I’m just hoping there isn’t video footage somewhere as I’m pretty certain it would take the $10,000 prize on that TV program! It would show me in a ridiculous staring contest with a gecko accompanied by intervals of me hopping around the room, shoe in hand, trying to kill that crazy cricket. I did succeed in silencing the cricket but….the gecko was not about to cooperate so I just put the covers back over my head and managed to block out both he and the crazy rooster until long after the sun was up. Tonight there is no sign of gecko or anything else with a voice and the rooster even seems to be taking a break so it should be a quiet one.

You’ll all also get a kick out of knowing that a typical mode of travel here is in the back of a pick up so it is very common to catch a ride in the back of a truck. Tonight we went for dinner and so….with Mitch and Lynda in the front of the truck….Viri and I just hopped into the back perched ourselves up on the side of the box and held on for the ride down to the restaurant.

I’ve already finished a book since arriving here and have started on my second. What a treat it is to just sit for hours and read with nowhere to be and nothing to do…..yes…..one could get used to this!

L & L

December 14, 2010

Another short one......not too much new in this neck of the woods :) Hammocks are still swinging, waves are consistent on the shore, sand is still soft, and sun is still shining.

Sitting out in front of Roberto's Bistro this afternoon (it's about 12:30 here) catching a few rays. Yesterday was pool day....today it's the beach.....yep....life is good!

This is only day 4 but are already soooo relaxed that by the time we leave here we may well be melted with all the surf, sun and sand we will have enjoyed :)

This is a blog full of contented smiles :) :) :)

hasta luego,
L & L

December 11, 2010

Just when I thought the only entry for today would be….. Hammock, ocean, beach, sun, and surf all still amazing!!! The only thing I can think to say is “Zzzzzzzzz” as that’s about all I’ve been doing today….reading and dozing off as the hammock swings in the ocean breeze and as the waves crash onto the shore in the background while the sun shines in all it’s glory on this tranquil little pueblo.

But then as the sun went down everything changed and this sleepy little town turned into a party the likes of which I’ll have a hard time describing! In addition to the main event of the night….I felt very special as there were many familiar faces who remembered me from 2 years ago and who had a big “hello and welcome back” for me. Tonight is the annual celebration for the Virgin Guadalupe all over Mexico. Absolutely everyone in town turns out for the event which is kicked off by the final pilgrimage of residents following the “virgin” to the cathedral where everyone crowds inside for a shortened version of a mass. (They’ve been making this local pilgrimage every day and in every city in Mexico for the past couple of weeks and tonight is the last one for this year.) Children come and go freely from the church and even the dogs follow their families inside to participate. Lynda and I found a spot to call ours just outside the doors with about 25 others who hadn’t made it inside. There was a group of about ½ dozen kids ranging in age from 3-5 playing on the steps leading up to the church. Everyone watches out for all the kids so there is no worry about hanging onto your children here. This festival is a time for the community to come together in celebration and they sure do!

After church…..the food service started and so we got into line with all of the other residents. Barbacoa (BBQ beef with sauce) along with salsa and fresh tortillas was the fare tonight and it was delicious. There is no charge and everyone partakes. Following dinner there was a religious film shown in the church and many attended while the rest just stayed outside to visit. Cars completely filled the roads in all directions for at least two blocks so if anyone had wanted to leave…there would be no possible way that they’d be able to get their car out….they would have to leave in reverse order of their arrival.

Around 10 pm the greased pole contests began and this was so much fun to watch…..there were two poles…one for the younger kids (up to about 10 or 12 yrs) and another taller pole for the older boys/men. I’m not certain of the height of the poles but I’d say that the shorter one would have been at least 15-20 feet tall and the taller one at least 25-30 feet. Both poles had several prizes perched on the top of it and each had been slathered with lard from base to top. It took almost two hours but both poles were conquered and the prizes claimed. As the contestants are struggling to get to the top there are fellows on the ground throwing buckets of water at them (all aiming for their faces) in an attempt to break their concentration (and much of the time succeeding). Lynda and my role in the festivities took the form of soaking up much of the water that was being tossed! When the fellow on the other side of the pole from where we were in our front row spots tossed his bucket….there was lots of water that made it past the pole and the climbers and onto us. Thank heaven for waterproof cameras! I even managed to get a couple of shots in the midst of being drenched!!

After the poles had been bested and much excitement had already been enjoyed……it was time for the Castillo (traditional Mexican fireworks) in the form of a bull. One young man had been selected to carry the metal structure intended to be the bull. This metal structure was covered in homemade fireworks that ignited one another randomly and that shot out in all directions as the boy in the bull charged any and all within his sights. This insanity lasted for almost ½ hour and I’m sure there must have been at least some burns in the crowd. As much as it is absolutely insane…..there is something very special about being able to make a choice to enjoy something that you know may be a little dangerous and is certainly very exciting.
It seems as though everyone has some fireworks in their possession and they shoot them off randomly so you never know quite when or where the next one will come from.
I don’t even know what time it is here…..my computer says it’s just after 12:00 but I don’t think that can be right as someone told me that the bull was supposed to come out at midnight to bring in December 12th which is the actual day for Guadalupe and the bull has come and done his thing and we’ve walked home and had a drink and here I am typing this. In Mexico….people celebrate special dates (like birthdays) on the night prior so they can bring in the actual day at midnight. My watch is still on Mexico City time and it says 2:15 a.m. and my alarm clock is still on Chihuahua time and it says 1:15 a.m. so I have absolutely no idea which one is right but I’m pretty sure that one of them is. Maybe I’ll connect to some internet tomorrow and figure out what the right time here is. But…..if I don’t that will be okay too…..I’m already pretty skilled at saying “manana” .

There is still music playing in the distance and my guess is that will continue for the rest of the night, there is a crazy rooster just outside my window that crows all night long and sleeps all day, the waves are crashing on the shore across the road and none of it is terribly bothersome. Doesn’t take long to completely unwind in a place like this. I wish everyone could come and experience a little bit of this type of Mexico.

Hasta luego…..

L & L

December 10, 2010

On the road again……up bright and early with a 4:30 a.m. wake up and down to taxi for 5:30 departure to airport. Taxi driver was a really big guy….people in this area are definitely taller than in other parts of Mexico. Driver was all bundled up….scarf covering ½ his face, fur hat, parka and gloves! It is not that cold here….maybe around zero but definitely not below zero.

Sitting in airport waiting for 7:55 a.m. departure. Change planes with about a 3 hour wait in Mexico City and will be in Zihuatanejo around 3 this afternoon.
Mitch and Viri will pick us up at the airport….looking forward to seeing them.
That’s about it for this day…..till next time,

L & L

p.s.
oops…day wasn’t over yet…..these are tequila filled fingers typing now so not sure what they’re going to say. Just got home from a wedding….no neither Lynda nor I got married but….we did go to a wedding in Troncones. Super nice people, I think….although I can’t remember their names.

Also can’t believe we’ve been to a wedding in the same clothes that we’ve been wearing for the past week! Mitch picked us up at the airport and we rode home in the back of his truck…yes….down the highway at high speeds in the back of a pick up with wind blowing etc etc etc…..I’m sure the pictures will be interesting.

Arrived in Troncones to many friendly faces and lots of smiles. Had drinks at Roberto’s and steak fajitas – yummy! Margarita’s here are still delish! I think I had too many tonight though…..so am going to call it a day.

Buenos noches amigos,

L & L

December 9, 2010

Following the hoards of people marching down Calle de Libertad toward our hotel tonight was the perfect way to end this day in Chihuahua. The dancers were up ahead and the beat of their drums echoed in our ears as we reflected back over the past several hours......

We've both been pleasantly surprised by this city of approximately 1,000,000 people. We've spent all of our time here in the historical centre of the city and have found it to be clean and very orderly. Everyone obeys the traffic lights, there are crossing guards at many intersections, no one seems to be in a terrific rush to get anywhere so there are no horns honking or traffic jams....all in all....it feels much safer than either of us thought it would.

We began our day by venturing out onto the street in search of something for breakfast and found some amazing cheese quesadillas just around the corner from our hotel. We got them 'to go' and made it back to our hotel at exactly 10:00 the pre-arranged time to meet Alfredo, our private tour guide for the day.

Alfredo was a wonderful guide and if any of you are reading this and looking for a connection in Chihuahua....we can strongly recommend Alfredo or Martin at Rojo Y Casavantes Touristransport S.A. De C.V. in Chihuahua. We spent a full 3 hours with Alfredo learning about the history and the local culture through his entertaining and informative style.

For example....we learned that Pancho Villa (father of the Mexican Revolution) wasn't born Pancho Villa at all.....he had to leave his family, after becoming a criminal defending his sister's honour, ending up attached to a gang of fellows led by a man named Pancho Villa. When the real Pancho Villa died....the rest of the gang decided that Dorothy (yes...that was Pancho's real name) would take over as leader of the group and eventually become the legend that he is today.

We visited the Cathedral that houses an alter that is made of the same marble from Italy that Michaelangelo used in his carvings and a pipe organ that was built in Germany and that takes up an entire wall of the Cathedral. The organ is no longer able to be used as the leather that connects it all together has become so dried out that the organ is "sick".

We discovered that the federal museum in Chihuahua not only boasts so much information and artifacts about this region but also is the current home to the exibition for Mother Teresa....Chihuahua is the first stop on it's world tour and we were fortunate enough to have been able to see it.

We saw the car that Pancho Villa was driving when he was killed and visited his home and the house that his widow lived in until she died at the age of 92 not that long ago. We also learned that Pancho Villa in fact had 25 legal wives (all married in the church) but that the Mrs Villa who lived in the house until she died was the one that was his favourite and the one that gave him his only child and that died at the age of two. We stood against the wall in the area just outside the Villa home where the firing squad did their work and basked in the sunshine streaming through the branches of an orange tree in the courtyard that was just meters away inside the walls of the Villa home.

We toured the building where Miguel Hidalgo (called the father of the Nation) was executed and felt the damp chill of the dungeon he called home for the 90 days prior to his death.

We saw the longest rifle that had a barrel that was 3 meters long and that took two people to shoot.

We learned that in 1821 when Mexico gained Independence not only the Mexicans but also the Indigenous people (who were being used as slaves) and the blacks were freed that day so many African Americans fled the US to make Mexico their home.

We noticed that many symbols include a bird with a snake in it's beak and so Alfredo explained that history says that the Indigenous people believed that they were to look for a place to build their city until they saw a bird with a snake in it's beak and that would be the place to settle and build. They wandered for 150 years looking before they found that bird with a snake perched on a cactus and the place they would call home!

Alfredo also explained that where there were originally 92 indigenous ethnic groups in this area....there are now only 4. He also told us that the population of Mexico is now 112 million and that 10% of those people are 100% pure indigenous. There are more than 60 different languages spoken in Mexico today but only Spanish is the official language. Many of the Indigenous people do not speak much Spanish if any at all.

And...in addition to all of the history that we soaked up this morning...we also learned about an urban legend. There is a manequin wearing a bridal gown in a store window just a block from our hotel. It is said that the manequin is really the only daughter of the owner of the store as she died just days prior to her wedding day. We walked down to take a closer look and have to admit that neither of us have ever seen a manequin quite like that one! Her face and hands are so real that the urban legend may have some truth to it.

As well.....Lynda and I wandered the streets this afternoon and tonight and enjoyed all of the Christmas lights and festivities. We dined on corn in a cup that was smothered with butter and sweet cream, chili, and limon; freshly made potato chips covered in cucumber, limon and maggi; popcorn; churros; iced coffee with cinnamon and chocolate sprinkles; and a cup of fruit to make sure it was a balanced diet :-)

Calle de Libertad (Liberty Street) is a pedestrian only street and is full of people, shops, rides for the kids, facepainting, food stalls, and joy. There is even a photo booth where Flor was able to get a picture with Santa!!!


Finished off the day with another delicious margarita (I could get used to this!) in the lobby of our hotel. We'll have an early morning wake up to be able to leave for the airport by 5:30 a.m.

Next stop Zihuat via D.F. (aka Mexico City).....hasta luego,
L & L

December 8, 2010

December 8, 2010

Yikes is it cold in our room this morning. We were both snug in our beds but out from under the blankets is another story and I won’t even tell you what it feels like to sit on the toilet seat!!!

After a quick dash to the bathroom it was back under the covers. Critical learning from this morning’s dash to the toilet included: DO NOT put bare feet on the frozen tile floors, DO NOT linger anywhere AND be sure to turn on the hot water in the shower before returning to bed. It’s a bit like winter camping and fortunately we’re well prepared with appropriate clothing and scarves….it’s just the in between bits that are either very very good or very very bad for the heart.

While waiting for the hot water to arrive (at least 10 minutes this morning) one of the features of our room that support the 6 year old boy theme became apparent. Our curtains are made from a set of little boys sheets. The part that covers the window is quite faded so the pictures don’t show up very well but the bits that hang below the window are still like new and show off the wagon wheels, spinning tops, bowling balls and pins, wagons filled with bunny rabbits, and tugboats. Yep….we’re in Mexico alright and loving it.

Breakfast this morning looks a bit like cookies and ice water (I think there is actually chunks of ice in the bottle!!) but if we ever get dressed and out of here….I’m sure we’ll find something a little more appropriate.

Well…..we found breakfast alright…..and what a special breakfast it was! Went to the internet café to check email, hoping to have heard from a tripadvisor connection here about possible private tour guide, but no reply so…..headed off to see if we could find Norberto on our own after breakfast. En route Jonathan from Tennessee came up behind us and said “Hi y’all” and from there a conversation that would last for some time began.

Jonathan has been living in Batopilas (I think my spelling might be wrong but it is a small Taramuhara village about a 5 hour bus ride from Creel) for the past 10 years (since he was 20). He is married to a Taramuhara woman, Martha, and they have 3 gorgeous little kids. How do we know they’re gorgeous you ask? Well…..it’s because Martha made breakfast for us while Lynda showed the kids the ‘two little dickie birds’ game (with paper on her fingers). Jonathan had never seen it either and I’m sure that there will be many Taramuhara children who will see the game when he gets back to their village.

The reason that they’re living in Creel at the moment is because he and Martha are living in and looking after a home for young women attending school here in Creel. 3 of the young women in the home are from his village in the mountains and he and Martha have been living here since September – they leave for home the end of December when someone else will come in from the States to take over the home for the girls.

Jonathan’s generosity didn’t stop with the invitation to breakfast in their home…he also offered their laundry facilities, sweet tea to drink (he still has that as his preference left over from his southern USA roots), actually…..we could have moved in with them if we wanted and that would have been just fine.

Jonathan is definitely more Taramuhara than he is American now. He speaks of the village ways as though they were the only way he’s ever known. He doesn’t speak much Spanish…only Taramuhara and English so having people to speak English with was a real treat for him and he didn’t stop talking the whole time we were there.

In addition to his familial responsibilities (ie: farming, economic stability, building and moving houses, etc) he volunteers as a medic in his village and the hospital that is about 3 hours from there. Speaking with Jonathan was such a gift….it was as though we were able to speak directly with the Taramuhara but in perfect English. We learned so much from this young man and applaud his generous spirit and authenticity. This is one of those times that there is nothing to say except how being in the right place at the right time is all anyone has to do to have an unforgettable experience! A few of the things we learned from Jonathan include: about ½ of the children die in infancy, the tribes are nomadic and move their homes into the valley floor during the winter where it is warmer and then up into the mountains for the summer, TB and other similar disease is not unusual, children (both boys and girls) usually marry by 12 years old and have children right away, there are ants with bulbous yellow bums that the kids (and others) eat live straight from the ant hill for sweets/candy, Jonathan travels by horse for 11 hours (round trip) to get groceries every 2 weeks, there are many problems with government support – they support the schools but there is no heat or food for the children attending, some elders live into their 70’s and beyond…in fact we saw one of Jonathan’s kids in a photo with his great great grandmother who is about 75 and who looks in excellent health. It sounds like there are some households in the villages that are very clean and take good care of their kids and others who are exactly the opposite….just like every other community in the world.

Jonathan wears the traditional Taramuhara footwear (simple sandals that are just one leather strap wrapped around the foot and the leg with a rubber sole) and grey flannel pants with suspenders while Martha wears the colourful traditional Tarahumara dress.

Jonathan is Mennonite and although practices his faith here did not in any way impose any of his beliefs on us in our conversations…..he is just a good man doing good work and taking good care of his family in a very simple and traditional way. He has helped so many children (and we saw pictures of them all!) and it was interesting to hear how he could be so connected in their lives during their health care and recovery (sometimes over a period of years) and then have no attachment to what has become of them after they left his village. He simply says….”we can’t follow them once they leave the area”. This was such a gift and when Jonathan offered for us to stay in their home while they went to the grocery store or to come and go as we pleased we knew we had received all that we wanted from our visit to Creel so with that in mind decided right then and there that we would not look further for Norberto or go on any tours of the area….this is what we wanted to remember of this community.

So now we’re sitting in a little coffee shop enjoying toast and café mochas while waiting for our train and catching up on the day’s events. Creel turned out to be a good stop along the tracks but I don’t know that I’d come back to this town again.

Next stop Chihuahua,

L & L

p.s.

Just when we thought our blog was finished for the day….so much more presented itself that needed to be included so here we are back again…....

While waiting at the station in Creel we met Klemens and Susi Rottweiler, travellers from Germany, who were also en route to Chihuahua so we enjoyed some conversation with them that helped to pass the time as in true Mexican fashion our 3:30 train didn’t arrive to pick us up until shortly after 4:00. Klemens and Susi are also planning to spend a few days in the Zihuatanejo area so we may see them again in Troncones.

Have now arrived in Chihuahua and what a great trip we had from Creel to here on El Chepe. We’re so glad that we didn’t take the advice someone gave us along the way to just take the train as far as Creel and then switch over the bus as the bus is a shorter amount of time for that last leg of the journey and because by the time you reach Creel you’re out of the most scenic parts of the trip. We actually thought the scenery was great (until it got dark) and loved the fact that we were on the train and able to move about freely for the 5 ½ hour trip. In fact…. very shortly after the train was underway we found our way to the bar car and ordered two of the best margarita’s we’ve had on the entire trip to date. Our bartender gave us his full attention (we were his only customers) and free poured our drinks, used freshly squeezed lime juice and did it all with a flourish you rarely see a bartender use any more. About 1 ½ hours after the train was underway the canyons began to change into rolling hills and virtual prairie with mountains as their backdrop and creeks with ice along their shores meandered along our route.

We sat in the bar car and played cards while we sipped our margs and enjoyed the view out the window while listening to the music that was playing in the bar car. While there….the security guards came by again and this time we got them to pose for even more pictures with us….one of them even sat down and put Flor on his rifle for the photo! In another, Lynda is on the floor pleading for mercy as two of the armed guards keep a watchful eye on her. I’m sure we made their trip as enjoyable as they helped to make ours.

After our drinks we decided to move into the dining car for dinner and ordered hamburgers with fries that were not only delicious but served with more of the same flair that our bartender had displayed. After our dinner we gave our waiter a Canada pin and before we knew it they were coming out of the kitchen in the hope of receiving one too. In the end there were at least seven of them lined up wearing their pins for a photo. Security guards have also added the Canadian pin to their uniforms so if you're riding El Chepe at some point and notice Canadian pins on any of the staff....be sure to say that Lynda and Lorrie say "hola". Shortly after that the waiter even agreed to take Flor to the guys driving the train in the engine room (along with pins for them as well) where no passengers are allowed and took a photo of Flor driving El Chepe! This flower gets around!! Soon afterward we met two men, Alfredo and Martin (whom we had seen earlier at Possado del Barrancas Mirador Hotel). They recognized us right away (no surprise as there aren’t too many travellers that match our description around here!) so said hello and introduced themselves. They’re both tour guides from Chihuahua and were returning home from having accompanied a tour of 140 people from Chihuahua to the Mirador Hotel. We’ve made arrangements with Alfredo for a private city tour tomorrow morning and nice guys that they are….they also gave us a ride to our hotel from the train station as they had a van waiting for them when we arrived. We also learned that the best way to say how lucky we are is “suertudas” which basically means that we’re super lucky all of the time – and we are!!!

We’ve checked in to the San Fransico Hotel in the heart of the Centro Historico (historical centre) of Chihuahua and it turns out that we’re not aspiring Taramuharas after all as our hotel room is anything but a cave!!! We’re back into the lap of luxury and will enjoy 2 nights here while we make some plane reservations and explore this city.

Till next time,

L & L

December 7th cont'd

Not sure if we’ve checked into the No Tell Motel or if we should be checked into somewhere with locked units! When we checked in this afternoon we were the only people here but tonight there are a couple more occupied rooms. Our room is circa 1962 with a 6 year old boy theme and has some really interesting features…..you have to let the hot water run for more than 5 minutes before it begins to get even a teeny bit warm, you have to stand in the shower to open or close the bathroom door, there are no light fixtures on the wall by the beds (even though the switches are there), there is no plug by the TV (even though there is a hole for the plug), the rabbit ears for the TV are hanging upside down and the TV itself is perched precariously on a single bar so you can barely reach the buttons….and speaking of buttons on the TV…the volume button turns it on as well as increasing the volume!!! The temperature in our room is cold enough that Lynda is buried under a mountain of blankets AND wearing her jacket. I think I’ll be okay but….it is a cold one!!! There is a heater on the wall but…even I am scared to turn it on. The deadbolt on the door has been drilled out and there is a little chain to replace it so it is highly doubtful that this security system would deter anyone who really wanted to enter. The fluorescent light that is over the bathroom sink is somehow connected to the one in the toilet/shower room and if both are turned on at the same time…the one in the toilet dims whenever the one over the sink hisses and spits. We’re opting to err on the side of caution and not use the light over the sink at all. The good parts about the place are that it is clean and the proprietors are a really nice couple.

I guess the moral to this story is that flexibility is key when travelling. Last night we stayed in a veritable mansion on top of the world with all the amenities you can imagine and tonight we’re booked into something akin to a hovel. Lynda makes a good point when she suggests that perhaps we’re aspiring Taramuhara’s and by the time we get to Chihuahua we’ll be in a cave!!

As planned we munched down our gorditas from Carmen in Diversadero at our first train stop this afternoon and they truly were delish! Mine was a blue corn tortilla with some kind of spinach like veggie for filling and Lynda’s was a white corn tortilla with cheese, pork, and something like zucchini. They were very filling so good thing we only ordered one each!

Arrived into Creel about 3:30 this afternoon and were greeted by a hoard of boys and men who were all vying for our business. Tourism here is non-existent and all businesses appear to be hurting as a result. Will check out the possible tours for this area tomorrow and take it from there.

Hard to believe it’s only been 12 days since we left home! We’ve seen so much, been so many places, experienced so many new things, etc etc etc.

Tonight we had a couple of games of cards (thanks Darlene!!) Our ‘pot’ consisted of a pair of sunglasses, the two jokers, 2 bags of penny candy, and the box that the cards came in. This is either because we were too lazy to find any money or that we were frozen in place at the table and this was closest to hand or…..perhaps it really is time for us to be checked into a locked unit somewhere. It’s been a long day today and here we are tucked into our beds at 8:30 pm!!!

Till next time,
L & L

December 7, 2010

Before I backtrack to tell you about the start of this very full day…..I must confess that we are currently sitting in the bar looking out over the canyons enjoying una cervesa con limon and it is not yet noon. Life is good at Posado de Barrancas Hotel Mirador. This bar is touted to be the “highest bar in Mexico” so we’re spending as much time in it as possible since we don’t want to miss out on any potential memories. Our shuttle to the train leaves here at 1:30 so we have a little time to kill and an opportunity to catch up on some of the goings on of this day.

Just had something happen that needs to be included here……the tour guide (of the group of 40 from Phoenix) named Tony….just came into the bar to sneak a shot of brandy and to debrief with us. His group has some VERY challenging people so this morning he has comforted a hysterical woman, calmed two angry men, paid for someone’s soda who only wanted to pay the happy hour price (which is ½), and consoled the chefs when people began to change their minds about what they wanted to eat for lunch….yes….his job is a crazy one and I hope they give him a healthy tip but judging from what we’ve seen of them so far…..it is doubtful. Yikes! Tony is back in for another one….things are not getting any better out there I guess.

Now…to begin at the beginning. We were up at 5:30 and the world was still enveloped in darkness as we bundled ourselves into blankets and out onto our balcony. There were still stars in the sky and as we enjoyed the last few of them….one of them fell so we both had an opportunity to make a wish in this very special place. Moments later there was the sound of sandals slapping on the rocky paths below us in the canyon as some of the Taramuhara began their day even before the sun was up. The Taramuhara walk and more often run everywhere….they’re re renowned for their ability to traverse rough terrain and pick out trails where none appear to exist. There were no other sounds until the first sliver of daybreak….long before the sun appeared there was just a hint of blue that invited a lone bird to welcome the coming day. From that moment and for the next hour we watched in wonder as the day dawned in all it’s splendor. Before the sun actually peeked over the mountain tops the clouds were alive with colour and stories. At one point there appeared to be an entire school of fish making their way above the mists rising from the canyon floor. Once the sun appeared it seemed to awake all that had been sleeping ….dogs began to bark from far away villages in the canyon, roosters crowed, and birds began to soar through the misty morning. A little squirrel made his way out onto an outcropping of rock just below our balcony so he could catch some of the first rays that would warm him from the chill of the night.

After a great shower and another amazing breakfast buffet we were off with David on our morning tour (8:30 start). First stop was the tram that only opened 10 months ago. This government sponsored and Swiss built tram defies all that is natural as it glides 220 meters above the canyon floor. The trip is 2 kms long and the tram moves along very quickly. In another week there will also be a 4 km long zip line (actually a series of 4 zip lines) that end at the far side of the tram line so you can catch a ride back up to the start. Also planned is a series of steps mounted in the rock face just below the start of the tram where climbers can make their way down to a suspension bridge which will then take them to a spot where they’ll be able to rappel down to the valley floor. Cost of the tram is 250 pesos (approx. $20) and the zip line will cost 600 pesos (and include the tram ride back up) once it opens. Looking down from the tram we can see several small clusters of Taramuhara homes….some of them are in cliff faces and others of them are free standing. One of the villages is called Bacajipare and another is called Wakajipare (combined population approximately 100). From the far side of the tram, hikers can choose to follow a Taramuhara guide down into the canyon bottom by foot where traditional ceremonies, dances, and a museum are available for visitors to experience. The Taramuhara people have free access to ride the tram any time they want to but they very rarely do….they prefer to travel by foot in and out of the canyon.
David, our guide, was doing a great job and once he heard the story about how our flower was travelling with us and often a focal point of our pictures….he was game to participate so he called to Lynda….”gimme the flower”….and off he trotted out beyond what appeared to be a safe distance from the edge. Within minutes David was standing atop a balancing rock with Flor in his hand rocking that massive stone back and forth as it banged against the rock below it making the sound of distant drums echoing in the canyon. Thankfully both David and Flor survived the adventure and before long we were making our way across a suspension bridge and into the small village of Diversadero (which would be our first stop on the train this afternoon). Since the train stops for 15 minutes at Diversadero and since that is where we planned to have lunch….we pre-ordered gorditas from Carmen so they’ll be ready for us when our train rolls into the station. Gorditas are fat tortillas with your choice of filling and they are 20 pesos each (less than $2) so lunch will be well within our budget.

We’ve been able to catch up on some blog postings here as David has secretly hooked us up with the wi-fi so will post this first have of today now and finish it off when we get access again.

All is good in Barrancas del Cobre.
L & L

December 6, 2010

Early morning b’fast at Hotel Mision before heading out with Jesus (our guide) and Miguel (our driver) for the 3 hour tour to Urique and back. Urique is a little town in the base of the canyon and the name means ‘place where the 5 canyons meet’ in the traditional Tarahumara language. Another bit of trivia is that the name Cerocahui is Tarahumara for ‘cricket mountain’ as there is a mountain adjacent to the town that is covered with crickets once each year. The drive to Urique was on a narrow gravel road that has some pretty rough areas but all in all…..I’ve seen a lot worse! In fact…..the terrain here resembles our part of BC so much that it is a bit uncanny…..we could be on a back road at home. We had several scenic stops along the way but one in particular is worthy of note….we stopped at a cave dwelling where a young woman and two of her kids were in residence selling some of her woven baskets. This young woman was born in this small cave and used to live here with her mom and dad and 9 other siblings. Hard to believe that so many people could fit into that small area! The front of the cave is covered with a wooden wall that has a doorway so the cave is completely enclosed (although not airtight on the front wall!) There was a steady trickle of water coming from the rocks by the cave and as amazing as this will sound to all of you…..we each had a drink of that natural water…..yes…..we drank water that was dripping from a rock in rural Mexico and I can’t remember the last time that I did that even in Canada! All of the Tarahumara women are excellent weavers and that is their main source of income so they welcome the tourists. Not once has anyone tried to ‘push’ their wares on us though….they are a very quiet people who seem quite shy. I’ve been lucky enough to take photos of some of them (with their permission) and when I show them their photo they all smile and hide their faces. Their clothes may not be the cleanest but they sure have healthy looking teeth and the kids in particular are full of smiles and laughter.

Made it back to the hotel just in time to pack up and get back in the truck for our 45 minute drive to the train station. Train arrived close to schedule and 1 ½ hours later we were getting off at Posado Barranca where we’re booked in for one night at the Hotel Mirador. All rooms at this hotel have unobstructed views of the canyon which by the way is the third largest canyon in the world (with one in Peru and another in China larger than Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon)).

There are not really words to describe what we’re looking at right now. We’re sitting on our balcony at Posado Barancas (the rim of the canyon) and the silence is deafening until there is the sound of children playing in the canyon below us. They live in a cave in the side of the cliffs and have a lean to front to their cave home. The expanse of the canyon is breathtaking and the way the sun and the shadows play on the rock faces is nature’s art. Some places in the world I find myself thinking that the sky is endless but in this place…the canyon mirrors the sky and the view is actually emotional. Our balcony is large and there is no one else on any of the balconies around us so it feels like we have this whole place to ourselves and in a way we do….there is one other tour group of 40 people here right now but we’re the only independent travellers and as such are getting what I would call the VIP treatment. We had a private bus to pick us up at the train while all the tour members had to all pack into and then wait for everyone to be ready before their bus could leave the train station. We were first up to the hotel so first to check in so no waiting for us. Our lunch was ready for us and served in the dining room that we may as well call private as we were the only ones in there….all the tour folks had to crowd into another area while they waited for their room assignments. After our gourmet lunch of corn chowder, black bass with chipotle cream sauce, julienned veggies, and rice (yes….the same as yesterday) with a strawberry shortcake and fresh coffee for dessert our bags were waiting for us and off we went with margaritas in hand to our room #48….a room with the best of views as it hangs out over the canyon further than any other. Actually all the rooms are excellent and all have the same view…..I just like that ours hangs out a little more than all the rest. Sitting here enjoying a margarita and one of nature’s best works of art we can hear the kids going home to their caves after school. The sound of kids skipping home is the same the world over but in this majestic scene it seems to be even sweeter.

4:00 pm and we’re scheduled for a walking tour down into the canyon to visit the cave homes we could see from our balcony. While waiting for the tour to leave….we had some time to look at the handiwork of the women selling their wares along the walkway.

You’re all gonna get a kick out of this next part…..a woman on the tour wanted to know how much a basket she was interested in cost and since she wasn’t able to understand the vendor…she came to me to translate for her. Once I was able to do that it was only a matter of time till the next person wanted me to translate for them. This time they wanted to know how long it took the women to make a basket. I’m happy to say that I was up to the challenge and able to discover that each basket takes a full day to make. Once the tour was underway…..the descent began and is mostly on stairs made of stone and is relatively easy but it’s obvious that the climb back up won’t be nearly as pleasant!

Should have counted the stairs but don’t think I can count that high!!! Once down to the cave homes there are Tarahumara children playing or hiding behind their mom’s. Each of the homes has a table of baskets for sale….I wish we could buy something from every one of them but that isn’t possible so we try to make some conversation and pay them for allowing us to take a few photos along the way. Many Tarahumara are not comfortable having their photo taken as they believe it may affect their spirit in a negative way.

Now comes time for a small confession…..in the spirit of my kids (yes Dean and Lani….I’m talking about you)…..Lynda and I carved our initials “L & L” into the wet cement on a newly patched stair so we’re forever immortalized in the Copper Canyon!!! For any of you who are thinking about making this journey….be sure to look for us on the way down (or up) from visiting the cave dwellings. I’m guessing we’re on about stair number 275.
Once back up to the canyon rim….it wasn’t long before Happy Hour kicked off and we found ourselves back in the bar with another margarita in hand and from there it was back into the dining room for dinner. Again Lynda and I had a table set for just the two of us and I’m pretty sure the large group that is also here thinks we’re some kind of VIP’s – which in a way….I guess we are since the manager here came over to our table to bring a special “hello” from Aldo, the manager of Zorro’s place in El Fuerte (2 towns ago).

Alarm is set for 5:30 a.m. and the blankets are ready for our early morning sunrise watch from our balcony on the edge of this magical place. Tomorrow will be another big day.

L & L

December 5, 2010

Clickety clack…clickety clack…..El Chepe is moving along the track from El Fuerte to our first stop where our transfer will pick us up and take us to Cerocahui where we’re booked into the Mission Hotel for one night at a cost of $2000 pesos for our room, transfers from and back to the train station, and 3 meals each. The Mission Hotel is about a 45 minute ride from the train station.

I’ve discovered that I have some kind of phobia about money….that is I have to have an extra stash somewhere or panic sets in. There are no places to use a credit card here and so running out of cash is a scary thing when you’re used to having an abundance of purchase power at your disposal. When the conductor asked for more cash than I had in our common purse….I had a moment of panic not knowing if we’d have enough left to pay for our accommodations for the next two nights. There will be no ATM until Creel (and we’re not sure if any of the hotels will take plastic) I’m breathing a little easier now though as we’ve recounted all of our cash including the American dollars we had left from our time in Mesa and the agent on the train has already agreed to take American dollars (at the current exchange rate) instead and give us our pesos back. Whew! Lynda says that the look on my face when I realized we were short money in our common purse was priceless….she asked me how much more I needed and all I could say to her was “lots Lynda….lots!” It gave us something to laugh about after it was all said and done.
We are pretty certain that we finally have the train tickets figured out. We know that the second class train only runs every second day, and never on Wednesdays, and that only the first class ticket will allow you to have multiple stopovers attached to your ticket. The bottom line being that we paid $3960 pesos (which turned out to be $174 USD each) for two multiple stop tickets from El Fuerte to Chihuaha (this should mean that we can take either the first or second class trains as best suits our schedule.)

The 2nd class train is gorgeous….it’s clean, spacious and the only thing that the first class has that this train doesn’t is a dining car and a bar car (neither of which we need). We started our day with a great bowl of oatmeal and a glass of orange juice and have a couple of cookies and apples in the bag so we’re good till dinner time and the train will be in well before dinner! Back to the train…..bathrooms are spacious, very clean and well stocked; armed guard has already gone through checking all the new passengers; seats are high back and very comfortable; and…..maybe the best thing of all…..you can stand outside in between the cars to see the magnificent views.

We’ve been on the train for about an hour now and are just coming into the scenic parts of the journey. Just crossed our first river and of course there was a bridge over it. I believe there are 86 bridges between here and Creel (the highest point) and the tracks will climb to an altitude of 8000 feet by the time we reach Creel which is where we’ll be spending more than one night.

Armed guard just walked by again….and when I say armed….that means he is armed with an automatic (or maybe it’s a semi-automatic) rifle. Neat and tidy in his uniform with a big smile for Lynda and I as he said hello as he walked by….oh…there he goes again and another one has just come into our car for a stroll through. Yes….I’m feeling very safe!!!

Gonna head out to stand between the cars for a while to check out the view and get some fresh air. Yiikes! First look out between the cars wasn’t so nice though as there was a totally bloated dead oxen- I’d say he might have been hit by the train – sad but I’m sure that happens all the time since multiple trains run on this track every day of the year. The views are gorgeous and mere moments later we were into the longest tunnel ever……good thing I didn’t have my head out! Temps are super warm in the sun but inside the tunnel it is cool and damp…..a weird sort of refreshing.

Back in the comfort of the train car….Lynda and I are still puzzling over the fact that our train left El Fuerte 10 minutes ahead of schedule….we can’t figure out why they would leave early when people may not arrive until the scheduled departure of 9:30. And…..when did anything in Mexico ever leave on time let alone early???!!!

Train stopped at a little town about an hour prior to our stop and there was a passenger in a wheelchair needing to be brought aboard. The conductors lifted the man in his chair up from the platform into the car and then one of the conductors picked the man up (as though he were a child) and carried him in his arms along the aisle to his seat half way down the car! I wouldn’t have believed it….he made it look so easy but it couldn’t have been.

Arrived at our stop and as soon as we stepped onto the platform we heard our names being called above the noise of the crowds. Neither of us could figure out where it was coming from until we spotted three women we had met in El Fuerte a couple of days ago….they were boarding a car behind the one we just got off of and they were so excited to see familiar faces even if it was just in passing. We were immediately met by Jesus and our driver who loaded our cases on top of the suburban and us (along with two others) inside. Our driver was excellent and maneuvered us along the rough and windy road until we reached our destination of Ceracahui and the Mision Hotel (yes…it only has one s in Mision). The reason that it is called the Mision Hotel is that it is adjacent to a mission that was built here a couple of hundred years ago. It was at this time that we discovered that the reason our train had left 10 minutes early was that we were on the first class train that was leaving 50 minutes late!!! This also explained why when we said we would like to buy a second class ticket for our travel today and a first class ticket for our travel tomorrow (because there would be no 2nd class train) that the conductor looked at us like we were a little “off”. Go figure….here we thought we were on the 2nd class train all that time but really we were on the 1st class!!! LOL….what a great story/memory this will be!!

We toured an all girls residential school (run by 5 nuns) that houses 85 girls between the ages of 3-15. All of the girls who attend this school come from very far away and may not see their families again for a year or more. Most of the girls are Tarahumara Indians so their families live in very traditional ways in the mountains around the canyon(s). This school is run on donations and appears to be quite well supported. We also visited the public school that is for both boys and girls (from not as far away so they may be able to go home on weekends or once per month. They would have to walk great distances to do that but the Tarahumara pride themselves on their ability to run and walk great distances without tiring) and it is obvious that the level of support for this school is not as healthy. For example…where the girls each had their own bed with matching spreads etc….there were 45-50 boys sharing a dozen bunk-beds some of which were obviously broken…..so if you do the math that means there are 2-3 boys to a bed. Their soccer balls are flat and tattered but that doesn’t deter their ability to have fun. The kids (boys and girls) are all very shy and don’t like to have their picture taken but a little boy posed for me with his big brown eyes and ½ inflated soccer ball.
We also toured the church and heard about the vineyards and wine making that goes on here. The vines are from Italy and some of them are a couple of hundred years old! After Jesus finished our tour he took us into the bar for a wine tasting and surprisingly the Chardonnay I tried was excellent. The Mision only bottles 3000 bottles each year and it is all done by hand and on site. The only place that you can get it is at one of the Balderrama Hotels (there are 7 of them I think) and I believe this hotel is the only place you can buy it by the bottle to have shipped home.

Our room here is great……we have to wander down a walkway through the vineyard to get to it and it is clean comfortable and very welcoming. The towels are fluffy and soft and the shower is AMAZING with lots of hot water and pressure. The staff here are so friendly and we enjoy their company as we practice our Spanish and they their English. Aimee, our server grew up in California so her English doesn’t need any work and she is able to help us when we get stuck in a conversation with some of the others. Jesus, our guide, also has excellent English so it’s very easy to spend time here. The chef produced a delicious lunch of soup, black bass with julienned veggies, and rice with a piece of cheese cake for dessert and then a dinner of cream soup, chicken stir fry, a baked potato and warm apple pie for dessert. If lunch and dinner are any indication….I’m guessing breakfast will also be stunning.

Happy Hour before dinner was lots of fun with great conversation at the bar with our host and a margarita or two to whet our whistles in this dry region of Mexico. While we were enjoying our 2 for 1 refreshments (or in Lynda’s case….3 for 1 cuz she drinks way faster than I do!!) one of the staff asked if he could light the fire in our room for us so it would be warm for us when we staggered home. Daytime temps are very warm but night time can go down to +3 or 4 degrees Celsius. True to his word…he did just that and when we arrived back in the room it was toasty warm with a welcoming fire awaiting us. Yep….this place is some nice!!! We’ve left the state of Sinaloa and are now into Chihuahua where I’m happy to report that the men are in fact tall and the dogs are really small.

Breakfast will be served at 7:00 a.m. and we leave on a 3 hour tour into the canyon at 8:00. We’ll be back here by 11:00 which will give us just enough time to get back to the train station.

p.s.
They did take plastic here so all is good in my world – wahoo!!

L & L

December 4, 2010

OMG....we slept in and missed our wake up call for surgery!! LOL....just kidding...we really did sleep in but the surgery was more imagination that it was a real commitment. We'll leave it up the 75+ professionals who are here for the weekend (and who saw 500+ people today) to take care of the doctoring.

This will be a shorter blog as it was a shorter day. Enjoyed a leisurely morning with brunch in the courtyard at our hotel.

Toasty warm temps today and since we're close to the water (River Fuerte) humidity makes it feel even warmer.

Spent some time researching our travel plans for the Copper Canyon accomodations and the train and thanks to Aldo (manager at the Hotel del Hidalgo-Zorro's place) we've got the next couple of days all figured out with reservations and transfers from the train to the hotels in Cerocahui and Posado Barancas. Since this will likely be our only visit to the Canyon...we decided to splurge on our accomodations for those two locations as they are 'experiences' more than they are hotels. Given that they also include the transfers and 3 meals a day...they're not as pricey as they seem at first. And...with tourism having been hit so hard in Mexico the past while...the hotels are very willing to negotiate their rates so we've hit it pretty lucky with our timing and our rates are very good. We really do have to give Aldo credit for the good rates though as he made the calls for us and was able to help out on that front.

Also visited the old fort and local museum where we learned a little more about the local history and culture.

After our hike up to the museum and the fort....we decided it was time to stop back at the courtyard of our hotel for a michelado (beer and clam juice with lime and maggi)....refreshing and delicious. After the heat and the beer we were both ready for a rest so in true Mexican fashion we decided on a short siesta in the cool of our room. Before long we were refreshed and back out on the street for another walk around.

The federal government in Mexico has a program underway at present and El Fuerte has benefitted from that initiative. The gov't has dedicated funds to restore the faces of select historic buildings and it is looking fantastic. All the labour is being done by locals so not only is the work giving the town(s) a face lift but they've also created a lot of new jobs to boost the local economy.

Finally found the little place that has potatoes tonight so of course....enjoyed that for dinner. Afterward it was a final stop back at Zorro's place for a margarita and to say good bye. We've made some friends here in El Fuerte and have found this little place to be very easy to visit and a great place to spend a couple of days.

Catching the 2nd class train at 9:30 a.m. so may not have internet again for a while.

Thanks for following our adventures :)
L & L

December 3, 2010

Great start to our day with complimentary desayuno (breakfast) at our hotel. Called a taxi to take us to the bus depot and settled on a price of 100 pesos (approx. $10) but upon arrival at the bus station…our driver gave me back $50 pesos. I guess good things come from speaking Spanish to your driver. The people here are so welcoming to us and although I’m happy to be leaving Mochis (it’s a bit bigger than my preference) our time here has been excellent.

Arriving at the station was an adventure in itself as we discovered that we had just missed the bus to El Fuerte and would have to wait almost an hour for the next one (they leave every hour). As luck would have it..our driver Ricardo had a tiny bit of English and was happy to let us practice our Spanish with him. Actually…we really did quite well and learned that the ticket to El Fuerte would cost us $650 pesos each (about $6.50) and that the trip would take about 1 ½ hours. Before long Ricardo’s daughter Alexandria arrived for a ride home from College (they live in El Fuerte). She is studying hair and make up and is 18 years old but looks like she is about 12! Nice girl and she took over for her dad in conversing with us. Alexandria has no English at all though so Lynda and I had to step up our efforts (which we were successful in doing) and we all learned a few new words.

$4 pesos to use the bathroom at the bus station where there were no toilet seats but it was pretty clean and when you need a bathroom 4 pesos is money well spent!

Am typing this while riding the bus. We’re stopping all along the way picking up more passengers as we go so having started with only about 4 of us on the bus is no longer the case. At this rate by the time we get to our destination we might be full! Lynda’s seat is broken so she is virtually laying in the lap of the guy behind her…..good thing he seems like a nice guy! Better put this away for now as it is likely that we’ll have to double up in our seats as the bus continues to fill and right now Lynda and I each have 2 seats to spread out our bags etc.

Arrived in El Fuerte after passing through many small pueblos and have decided that El Fuerte is una pueblo chica (a cute little town). It’s all a bustle and many of the buildings are freshly painted…there are some newly laid sidewalks and a sense of festivity in the air.

We’ve checked into the Hotel Choza and are in room #4 for $750 pesos/night…..had Lynda been thinking when she checked out the prices….she would have attached herself to the group of Dr’s Without Borders who are also here for 2 days but as volunteers they got an even better room rate. Oh well….we’re happy to pay about $30 CDN each for a GORGEOUS room with two very comfortable beds, a huge shower room, free wi fi, a beautiful tranquil courtyard and gardens right outside our door, and staff ready and willing to provide anything we need. In fact, as I’m typing this…we’re sitting in the centre gazebo with numerous humming birds buzzing about the edges stopping in to flowers and feeders for a boost of energy…..oh yes….and we’re enjoying a margarita of course :)

We did take a little walk around town before sitting down in the gazebo and en route we followed our noses straight to a little street side taco stand where we enjoyed tacos el carne (beef tacos) and coca cola with the rest of the hungry patrons. Our total bill came to $720 pesos which is less than $7 CDN for 7 tacos and 2 cokes….can’t find a better deal than that! The tacos were cooked right in front of us and watching the cook fillet the meat was sooo interesting. He starts with a hunk of meat and by cutting almost all the way through and then flipping to cut almost through again and repeating that process time after time….that hunk of meat turns into a sheet of very thin meat about 2 feet long. It’s quite an art and I’m sure his knife is VERY sharp!!

From here we’re off to Posada del Hidalgo (Zorro’s house) for Happy Hour where we’ll have 2 for 1 margaritas and a visit with the masked man himself.
We’re back…….and now find ourselves in yet another bar at our own hotel so we won’t have far to wander when we finally call it a night…..oh just a minute….it’s only 8:30….we have a ways to go and the bottle of tequila is still full – wahoo!

But to backtrack and fill you in on the adventures of the evening…..as we were leaving our hotel….Steve from California responded to Lynda’s flattened face on the window by popping out to ask where we were going? One question led to another and before we knew it we had signed up to be part of the medical team that would be performing some kind of major surgery in the a.m…..yes folks….I think we are now part of the Dr’s Without Borders team!

Steve has been coming to El Fuerte (as a volunteer) once per month for about 10 years and loves the opportunity to give to people who are so appreciative of the assistance. He commented on how so many people have misconceptions about the safety of coming to Mexico and as a result refuse to visit here. We discussed how everywhere in the world has horrible things happening for no reason but that using common sense and staying away from places where criminals congregate can make all the difference. It is apparent here that tourism is down…..I hope that it picks up again soon as the locals will struggle if it stays as quiet as it is.

After leaving Steve and en route to Zorro’s we made a quick stop at the City Hall where Lynda met a man who informed her that you could get married here and also buy stamps. He then added that he was single and we figured that it would be handy since she has been talking about making wedding plans and being able to buy stamps right there would make it so easy to send out the announcements! We then made our way to Zorro’s where we imbibed for the Hour that was called Happy and had a quick cuddle with Zorro….and when my fingers and my brain are once again connected…I’ll try to post a picture as proof of our meeting.

The rest of our evening was spent as “teachers” to Paul, our server who was struggling with the difference between ch and sh. To give you an example of the challenge that is teaching English….when T-shirt sounds like T-shits and shoe sounds like chew there can be some interesting interpretations. Both Lynda and I now have a standing invitation to Paul’s home and a fishing trip with him and his brother. They go out for black bass each day and spend about 8 hours on the water before he comes to work in the restaurant with his 30 fish/day catch (some feed his family and the rest he sells to the local restaurants). Our standing invitation includes a fishing trip BUT it’s doubtful that Lynda will have finished assisting in the open heart surgery that is scheduled for the morning or that I will have recovered from the breast reduction I have booked (it seems that medical care is free here when the Dr’s are in town) so we may have to forgo that experience. As well, the boat can only handle two people before it tips….which is a bit of a deterrent as well. Don’t worry folks….we’ll likely sleep right through our 8:00 a.m. time slot with the Dr’s.
Upon leaving the bar at Zorro’s place we “slid” our way down the two story cobblestone entrance ramp (no stairs) that Zorro would have ridden his horse up and down as he came and went from his home.

We have no train tickets or itinerary yet but….are still planning to head into the canyon in a day or two.

All in all…our first day in El Fuerte has been great! We’ve eaten on the street, drank our way through a few of the bars, and chatted with so many wonderful locals.
It’s very quiet here and we’re the only ones in the restaurant so we’re going to call it a night…..well…..at least call it a night for this place and maybe head down the street a ways to see if we can find a potato (some place that Steve told us about that supposedly has really good potatoes for a night time snack)

Till next time,
L & L

December 2nd continued for the 2nd time....

Just when you thought we'd had all the adventure one could have in a single day....we find some more to add to the blog.....

Finally made it up to our room from the lounge (and a nice room it is too!). Got settled in and decided we'd better have a little bite to eat so made our way back down the elevator and outside the front door. Wouldn't you know it....right next to our hotel is a Casino and of course we had to take a peek inside. It's much like we thought it would be (ie: much like a Canadian casino filled with slot machines and people who seem glued to their machine). The biggest difference was that as we entered the door there was an armed guard with a walk through metal detector. Lynda and I were waved through but the fellow in front of us was making the machine beep like he'd just won the jackpot. We took a quick walk around the place before deciding that we'd do well to move on to Chili's for dinner.

Chili's was a great experience :) Once seated in our booth....we had a constant train of staff coming by to replenish our supply of napkins and/or just take a look. It's pretty obvious that we're a bit of a novelty here. Mochis is a fairly large city but we haven't seen any other gringos since our arrival. Our servers (and I have to say servers as there were so many coming round but I'm pretty sure we had all the cooks, the dishwashers, the servers from other sections of the restaurant and even the manager came by to say "Pro Becho" (not sure about the spelling of that term but it is said by everyone to everyone who is eating a meal)and it is kind of a blessing that you'll have a good meal. People walking by your table in the restaurant say it to you, the staff say it to you, and it is a very nice custom that EVERYONE subscribes to.

That really is it for this day folks.....off to bed for a good night's sleep in our City Express home away from home before heading east in the a.m.

Don't know when we'll have internet again so keep thinking that we should keep up with the blog whenever we have the opportunity (hence the 3 entries today!). Will keep a journal in Word though so won't lose any of the stories along the way.

Hasta luego,
L & L

December 2nd continued.....

We've arrived in Los Mochis and not only has it been a great trip but we've had a little fun along the way :)

When we last signed off we were sitting in a bar in the Phoenix Airport drinking margaritas and here we are again....sitting in our hotel lobby drinking margaritas....if this is Mexico...tequila is on the menu :)

To backtrack a little first.....while seated in the boarding lounge at Phoenix...we met a group of guys bound for Hermosillo (our entry point into Mexico) to go hunting. When they asked if we were also going hunting and I answered "yes" they were some intrigued....LOL.....didn't take too long for me to fess up though and admit that we were really en route to Los Mochis and eventually the Copper Canyon. They were still suitably impressed and continued our conversation. We learned that they were hunting doves...I guess doves are a pest in Mexico and the Mexican's used to poison the birds but have since discovered that they can make some money off the American's looking for a hunting experience so....they bring them down on hunting trips. Learn something new every day....

In the airport at Hermosillo we had to pass through immigration and there was one poor Asian fellow who was having a terrible time! He had an entire suitcase completely filled with packages of noodles (I guess he figured he wouldn't be able to find anything he'd like to eat in Mexico). The Mexican security took his entire stash but Lynda is pretty certain that she now knows how to speak Chinese as she overheard them say that they'd give it all back to him when he is back through Hermosillo in 2 weeks time.

The flight from Hermosillo to Mochis was only another hour and our flight attendant once again was able to serve drinks and snacks to all on board (flight was completely full). She didn't make it by much though....the landing gear was down and we were only about 100 feet from the tarmack when she buckled herself in after collecting the garbage!

After deplaning in Mochis we met another guy in the baggage claim area and he was able to tell us that our cab into the city shouldn't cost more than 175 pesos (about $17). (good info to have!) Once through the baggage claim we met a girl who wanted to practice her English and she directed us to the City Express Hotel as the best place to stay for price and proximity to the bus station and her favourite restaurant for dinner. So.....outside we went and this time there was no Jesus (pronounced Hayzeus)...but rather an Oscar who had a gorgeous brand new shiny suburban that was doubling as his taxi. We agreed on 175 pesos and off we headed for the City Express, our favourite home away from home. It's a little more expensive ($69/night) but when you've already a virtual VIP (we have a membership card from two years ago....if you've read our previous Mexican blog www.lorrieinmexico.blogspot.com you'll remember it well) you gotta go where the discount and the free breakfast and the free wi fi....and....oh yea....the most important part.....it's Thursday and on Thursday they have free snacks and Tequila in the lobby so...here we sit....checked in but haven't even gone to the room yet. Bags are in the lobby with us as we enjoy our complimentary margs :)

Now I have to tell a little story on Lynda. As we were making our drinks in the lobby....we couldn't find any ice so of course....she asked the nearest little Mexican guy in spanish for some "jello por la tequila". The poor fellow looked at her with utter confusion and when he finally understood that she was looking for "yellow" he got her some tongs to use to take the ice from the bin that housed the cans of pop that we'd been digging through just moments before in our search for the Squirt that tastes so yummy with Tequila! The really crazy part though is that the poor little Mexican boy didn't work at the hotel at all....he was a guest and just trying to help the crazy women who had just walked in with all their "stuff". Needless to say...we've been laughing ever since and I'm pretty sure everyone else in the place has been laughing along with us too.

So we're checked in for the night to a room with dos camas (two beds) for the bargain price of $85 including taxes et al and we're only 5 minutes from the bus station where tomorrow we'll catch a cab for about $5 to the bus station and then a bus to El Fuerte (an hour and approximately 300 speed bumps away) for about another $5. We plan to stay in El Fuerte for a couple of days before hitting the rails. Oh yea....remember.....El Fuerte is where Zorro is from and where his house still is so Lynda is purposely wearing a shirt with buttons in the hope that he really does look like Antonio Banderas and that he has a sword and still knows how to use it :) Ole!

till next time,
L & L

p.s.
Damn...they're out of Squirt so we either have to switch to tequila shots or rum and coke....I'm betting we go for the shots :)