Tlaqupaque Revisited

It is wonderful to be back. And we were missed by many people of this city and they were happy to have us come by their stores and restaurants etc. The climate is wonderful and the food (cooked by Nancy) is the best. We were a bit worried about moving into a much smaller apartment when we came back but Olivia moved things around a bit and added a table and we are very comfortable here.

A week ago I took some videos of some dancers, uploaded them on youtube and have them here on this blog. I could not figure out how to imped them right in the blog but this URL will get you to them.
http://www.youtube.com/wollersheim1
Look carefully at the second one and notice the candles balancing on their heads. Enjoy.

This first photo is one of my favorite spots in all of Tlaquepaque as they make the best cappuccino and since milk is more expensive than coffee here I get a double shot of expresso for the price one shot.
On Sundays, between 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM, the center of Tlaquepaque, is blocked off to all motorized traffic. Only bicycles, skateboards, walkers and runners are allowed and it is very nice. We usually go up and just watch all that is happening.

Also that Sunday morning there was dancing on a small stage close to the center. We like this photo to add to the videos.

At another intersection this particular Sunday, there was a game being played, by young and old alike. It was to keep the ping pong ball on the table just by blowing.

On a different day as we were walking over to visit some friends from Holland, we took a few street scene photos. Stores such as the one in the following photos are numerous, 2 or 3 on each block.

On the same street, this gentleman is selling sugar cane. People here love it and the dentists do also. We were told it is very hard on ones teeth.

He is a city worker and it looks as if he has worked real hard today. Not much of the street cleaning is done automatically.

We have arrived at the home of our Dutch friends, Karla and Leen. They have built this home, actually two aparments and they tell great stories about building in Mexico.

Every day when we walk to the center we pass this shoe repair shop. There are usually up to 4 family members working here but today only the mom was there. Oh so friendly they all are.

Certainly the highlite of our stay here this time is a wedding, that we were invited to. (Olivia's two oldest boys were getting married). Olivia is the owner of the apartments we live in.

As it was to take place in our front patio (parking lot for the restaurant) there really was not much of choice but to invite us but we do think we are good friends with the family and they would have invited us anyway.

Here are some of the preperations for the wedding.

The day of the wedding started early with food preperation. It was delicious deep fried pork roasts called chicheron. Along with beans and rice and tortillas and salsa and wedding cake and tequila.

The mother of the boys, our dear friend Olivia. She is as beautiful as this photo shows.

And one of the couples, Rudolfo and Violeta, were married by a JP right here in the parking lot.

The other couple, Gustavo and Michelle were married at the court house and arrived in this carriage.

Nancy is congratulating Michelle.

And her husband Gustavo and their 11month old child.

I am taking this photo from the patio of our apartments so gives you some idea of how close we were to the action.

The food is ready and this lady is Olivia's sister.

Corina, besides being Olivia's daughter is also the person who cleans our apartment and washes our clothes. Here she is with her future husband.

You already know the person in the middle but the other two people are new found friends Richard and Kim. He teaches anthropology at a small private college in Kansas City Kansas and she is an artist. He is soon to retire so they spend a good amount of time here and they also help Olivia with her website for these apartments. http://www.oliviasapartments.com/

Another favorite person, Olivia's husband, Juan Carlos. Here he is with Olivia and a grandson.

After supper the dancing began. These two gals are Olivia's sisters and man could they dance. It was not long before the dance floor was full.

Another of Olivia's sisters (there are 6 of them) and one of Olivia's grandchildren

Juan Carlos proposes a toast. We did enjoy our first time experience with tequila.

We most enjoyed the wedding and even managed a good nights sleep despite the music.

That's it for this blog.

A Small Tsunami and the Town of La Penita

In our last blog we promised some other photos of the family that looks after the hotel we stayed in Guayabitos.

Here is the ever working dad and the oldest girl who was in a bit of a snit this AM when we went back to Guayabitos to take some photos.
And the second oldest child with her cousin who also is the maid in the hotel.

And finally the mom with her 3 month old baby. And about that time our camera battery died and we had no replacment with us so these are the only three photos that we got.

We have mentioned collectivos in our writings and this is what they are. There are hundreds of them, travelling from small town to small town along this coast and into the mountains. They cost between 50 cents and $1.00, depending on distance and mostly they are full. The are used equally by gringos and locals.

A few days ago we moved from Guayabitos, just a few minutes up the coast to another small town called La Penita. It is the supply and service center for all the small towns around but is not a tourist area at all.

It has a few hotels with kitchens and the following photo is the entrance of the one we are staying in.

And one of its always very busy sidewalks as people from all over, both gringos and locals, come to purchase thier staples. It seems to be much cheaper than the beach towns.

This pretty boulavard gets busier in the evening when the sun goes down and is situated on the main thourfare coming into La Penita.

Thursday, the day we arrived, is market day in this town and on the day the town is hopping with people from all over.

There is everything the tourist or local could want or need, including these beautiful beach wraps.

Fruit and veggies abound and a very good price they are.

Nancy admired the little baby and immediatly the mother handed her over. She was such a proud mom of her 19 day old baby.

We did not arrive at the market until they were shutting down and what a job that is. That huge pile of paper has to be wrapped around an equal amount of breakables.

A photo showing why this beach is not a beach area.

But what it is is a fishing beach, not for tourists but for locals to make a living. This catch was red snapper that is served in restaurants whole and fried and one fish per person. It is quite priocy and it has bones which Nancy and I try to stay away from when we travel.

Just some fishermen and their boats.

Again, the catch was red snapper but a different group of fishermen.

Pelicans like their breakfast treat of fish guts and were hanging around waiting for them to be thrown away.

A fishing family.

We are sure our title got you a bit excited and now we will tell you about our tsunami. As you all know there was a huge earthquake in Chile yesterday and here in the morning there were tsunami warnings and red flags were flying on the beach meaning danger. There was great discussion on the street as to how much danger we were in but with Nancy's encouragment we were not going to wait and see so we went back to Guayabitos and took a taxi up to a lookout at fancy hotel/restaurant to wait and see.

Here is the beach at Guayabitos from our vantage point and not everybody has headed the warnings.

It is hard to tell by the next two photos but there was definately some tsunami activity on our beach. The tide would come way in and then in 10 minutes it would go way out and the sea was not normal according to the locals but no big wave appeared. We hung out for a couple of hours with great visits with others who were there for the same reason. Actually quite an enjoyable day.

In the afternoon there was a funeral and in Mexico a funeral has a parade of mourners along with a band.

Here is one of three truck loads of flowers that were part of the funeral procession.

Tomorrow we are travelling again, this time our last stop before we come home in April and it is back to Tlaqupaque, the same place we stayed before previously.

Sayulita, Guayabitos and Chacala

We left Buserias and found our way for three days in Sayulita, about 30 km and 1 hour of bus travel, up the coast. The tourists here, and there are many, seem to be much younger than the other places we have stayed.

This warm and beautiful photo is the entrance to our home for the next three days.

And just across the street and up 1/2 block was our favorite cappuccino place, or Ron's favorite cappuccino place.

And once again, the central park in Sayulita which is not really busy until the sun goes down

Sayulita is famous for its surf and as a result there are many rental places and surf schools. This place does both.

And for the next two photos you can see the surfers at their finest. There were many with heads bobbing all over the sea and only a few would catch the right wave.

We did a day trip to Chacala another 60 km up the coast as we had heard good and wonderful things about this beach. Fine and wonderful it was and we would have liked to have stayed for a day or two but besides one hotel that was livable and two small stores, that is all there was. The lady that ran the hotel got under our skin with the many rules and regulations she had about her place so our stay there was for only an hour instead of a couple of days.

This cute little guy entertained us for part of the time we were on the beach in Chacala.

And this is the beach. It was more than likely the prettiest beach we have ever seen, here in Mexico. And we saw it.

Back in Sayulita, Nancy is having a chat with a couple from Wisconson.

We have moved again, another 30 km up the coast to Guayabitos and this first photo is the street corner from the balcony of our bungalow (a room which includes a kitchen).

And from the roof of our hotel, the church which is on the central park.

Only 24 years old, with 3 little children, this beauty is our house mom and she has taken us under her wing as if we were her children. Most interesting as she is young enough to be our grand daughter. Her children are just as cute and we will catch some photos before we leave.

Our room is the middle balcony, on the top floor. All the rooms on the top floor are brand new, only started occupancy last week and curtains only hung today. The plates and cups still have the stickers on them.

There are other, much fancier and much more expensive places to stay in this town and the next three photos show some of them. All of them are right on the beach and we are two blocks away.

Whatever type of seafood you would like, all can be had, cooked and on a stick.

The tide is out so it makes for easy walking. The beach here is lovely also but much busier than Chacala.

Pelicans, waiting for anything to be dropped but mostly they hang out where the fishermen are cleaning their catch for the day.

This couple informed us that they were newly married and she trusts him enough to allow him to cover her with sand. That is true love.

The main and not so busy street of Guayabitos.

We are enjoying the coast more than we thought we might but so far have not been tempted to buy swim suits or lay on the beach or go in the water. Travel on this coast is much costlier than other parts of Mexico but Nancy is helping with our budget by cooking all our meals, as all lour hotels except the first one have had kitchens. She says it is kind of like camping. We have mainly been eating seafood and we have become experts in peeling shrimp. We buy large, raw headless shrimp and 1kg costs $10.00 Canadian. It lasts us for two or three meals. And we love them. Second in line is Dorado (Mahi Mahi), about the same cost.

We are hear for a couple more days, then just a short trip of 10km up the coast to La Penita. La Penita is not a tourist town but a Mexican town and it is the central town of all the small towns around here.