John & Carol from Sheboygan, WI.....fun people!

Sharon, owner of The Shamrock, preps the new staircase for paint. 20 days till St. Patty's Day!

Jueves, Febrero Veinti cinco Mil Diez
Buenos Dias! Up early, no milk, no coffee..must get to store, meanwhile, heading to Panino’s again. Great breads. Hasta luego! (see you later)
Again, great unlimited coffee (22p) and por desayuno: juveros, jamon, y queso, croissant. (39p)
I see that the stock market is heading lower and that the temperature in Fond du Lac is 7 degrees. Brrrrrrr! (no comment)
Exchanged my paperback for one called “Necessary Madness” by Jenn Crowell and bought some leche on the hike home.
3:38pm….YoYo Mo’s. I got an email from one of my tenants. I had to read it a couple times to figure out why I wasn’t getting her weekly rent checks deposited into my bank account. This particular tenant had always been good about it. Here is what she wrote: “I have been depositing my checks into the slot right below the drive-through machine. It is a plastic looking device, with an opening for envelopes.” If you haven’t figured it out, she was putting her checks into the trash bin. Lol (I shall at this time make no comment to her hair color.)
5:20pm Arrived at The Shamrock to see this: (see photo) Sharon painting (priming) the new stairs. Looks pretty good, eh? 20 days to go. Met a couple from Sheboygan, WI (30 miles from my igloo) John & Carol. (see photo) They only had a week and were headed back on Saturday. Had a great time talking with them and before I knew it, the clock ticked 7:30pm. Dinner and a movie. In Spanish I ordered two tacos to go. I think I told them that my dog was at a gay bar. (but they understood) I settled in for a good movie, “Atrapada en Berlin” only to learn that it was in German with Spanish sub-titles. Eye-eye-eye! Perhaps $2 is too much to pay for these dvds. Did some reading and a bit of writing for my paper.

Buenos Noches!

The Candadian Bar. aka The Oasis. Bucerias.

The entrance to the Royal DeCameron on the South side of Bucerias.

Miércoles, Febrero Veinti cuatro, Dos Mil Diez
Buenos Dias, mi Amigos!
Up at 7am, coffee and going, and fire up the laptop. Opps! The computer had a mind of it’s own last night, maybe it went out. But it had rebooted and wiped out my saved homework data. Oh, well, I’ll head to IXTA at 9am and re-do it.
I now have my flight confirmed for the 24th of March. A direct flight on Alaskan Air to LAX. Arriving at 6:30pm. That will be the start of a 12-day Rosenow Reunion. Very Cool.
The preliminary weather report, which means I simply opened the front door, is for an abundance of sunshine and clear skies. Absolutely no plans for today…perfect. With the exception of sunset. Now to decide on the location from where to observe it. I should also probably start looking for a vehicle. (oh, look a chicken!) I’ve been watching ebay and searching autotrader for a used Toyota Prius. (hum…….I wonder if Toyota has been in the news lately?)
I must try something different for dinner…..perhaps Sha-lou’s Gallery and Noodle House for Thai food. (6pm it opens) Drooling just thinking about it. Or Eva’s Brickhouse for one of their specialties. Speaking of food, I found several cooking classes in Bucerias. I will be checking on one of them, today. (stay tuned) Casa Cielito Lindo B&B on Calle Fibbo #12 has cooking classes. Go to http://www.ahandinthekitchen.com/ where they list the 4 different classes. One of them is ‘Taste of Oaxaca’ and another is ‘Summer Fresh Thai’ which both sound fantastic. About $50/person but it includes a meal with wine or beer, and recipe handouts. Something I will consider.
Spent 1.5 hours at IXTA along with a pot of coffee. They only charged me 10 pesos, but I tipped well, feeling a bit guilty.
Also found, on the lateral (East side or non-ocean side of the highway) two bus stations for when I want to travel inland. A huge find was Carne del Mundo, which sounds like a meat market. (because it is) But the true treasure find is that they sell freshly grated horseradish. I’m starting to feel like Columbus as he discovers the New World. (ok a bit of a stretch, but hey…it’s my holiday.)
12:18 Back from a long excursion. Walked to Hotel Royal DeCameron, on the very south side of Bucerias. It was easy to see that all the shops within 4-6 blocks of this large Hotel Complex were charging Gringos a lot more for the same items in North Bucerias. (mental note on that one) Stopped at The Oasis, which in a previous blog I referred to it as The Canadian Flag Bar. So it has a real name. (see photo) Siesta time!
Arrive at office at 4:00, didn’t realize that the USA was playing the Swiss in hockey, caught the 3rd period. Wow! USA wins, 2-0, great defensive game. Must finish homework before cerveza time. (right!, they almost have the beer waiting for me.) Checking out the schedule for the Rosenow reunion… incredible. I left, checked to see if any of the movies on my list had arrived. No luck. Headed to The Shamrock where I met Larry & Mary from Racine, WI. Had a great talk with them and hope to see them on Friday. Gil was working, for only an hour, and Natalie was cooking, cleaning, and tending bar. Jess arrived a bit later. After my few, I went looking for a sunset. My first choice was The Bar Above but I was informed about half way up, that it was full. 2nd choice was the Sunset, and I snapped a few shots from the balcony, being careful not to disturb the Canada vs. Russia hockey fans. They were quite busy, and after 10 minutes, I decided to find some food.
Not wanting to hike, I decided on Italian: Toscana Mia, which is on Calle Hidalgo. The owner and son are from Italy and certainly know how to do Italian. Excellent! I began with a glass of Argentina Astica Chardonnay and ordered the Montecatini Salad.(60p) The waiter, Evan from Chicago, brought out the oil & vinegar & bread. Very nice. And some complimentary Bruschetta. For the main course, along with an Argentina Melbec, I went with the J.Carducci which was cream, nuts, mushrooms, and gorgonzola over a ravioli. (135p)Incredible! Overall, the place gets 4 stars, even though the bill came to $420 with tip. ($35) With a very full stomach, I headed back for an early evening.
Buenos Noches!

I tried some special effects on this photo of Bucerias Beach.

Martes, Febrero Veinti tres, Dos Mil Diez
7:50am I arrived at Panino’s. After completing my homework last night, I knew I was going to be trading this morning. Met Carlos from Mexico City, who speaks very good English compared to my poor excuse for Espanol. Lol I was the first one there, probably because they weren’t open yet. I like their café and Carlos kept the bottomless cup filled.(22p) After responding to the usual emails, I posted several new blog entries. There was a good connection. I decided on the bacon, egg, and cheese filled bagel. It was huge! Came with a small portion of fruit and some spicy sauce. 39 pesos, but it will be two meals. Highly recommended.
The only complaint I have with Panini’s is that they don’t have an AC connection. This became crucial at 8:40am about 10 minutes after the stock market opened. I got to my account, verified my homework, and placed the GTC option trade. ENTER. The trade was partially filled in the first 2 seconds, but it took another minute for the remainder to be filled. As soon as it was…..BAM…blank screen. My battery was gone.. Great news! A successful trade.
Una mas café con leche, por favor. Y la cuenta, por favor? Y desayuno para llevar, por favor? (one more coffee with milk, the check please, and the remainder of my breakfast to go, please) Feeling pretty good, I took a few beach photos, and hiked home.
Time to work on my self-imposed writing assignment. Then Siesta!
2:30pm and want to get to the office before the market closes. A potential trade on the horizon. Here is where it would benefit my trading if I had ensuite internet. Top of the list, next year.
4:30pm, homework done and saved. (so I thought) Time for a cerveza and a walk. Hit the street vendor for a movie, and was pleased to see that his collection had Sherlock Holmes.(25p) Found a corner tienda, Abarrotes America with Mary working. 10p for a Corona. (4p deposit, if you took the bottle) Enjoyed it on the stairs and then headed to the Shamrock.
Natalie and Gil were working, appears to have been a very busy lunch/afternoon crowd. 22 days till St. Patty’s Day. Had a few and headed home, stopping once again at the sweet shop. Not sure what I bought or how to spell it, but for 30p, I had to try it. It was also a huge portion, perhaps enough for 3 or 4.
Sherlock Holmes, with Robert Downey Jr.…fantastic! The dessert turned out to be a raisin bread pudding. How appropriate. Incredible and coupled with the movie….I loved it! Finished my 2nd fiction book, The Alibi Man. Not bad!
Buenos Noches!

Reason #6 for choosing Mexico: Sunsets.
To quote my brother Pedro when asked what was on his to-do list for the day, “Sunset!”.” Here’s a case where the camera does not do it justice. You simply have to be here to experience it. Along with the sunset, is the sound of the waves. Sometimes pounding the beach like thunder, and at other times, a light swooshing as the water recedes through the rocks and shells. And the colors…. amazing! is putting it mildly. If you’re fortunate, you might even catch the FLASH just as the sun dips below the horizon. While checking my photos from my previous 6 years in Mexico, I noticed that sunsets were roughly on a 3:1 ratio. Three times as many sunset photos than any other subject. Enjoy the 2010 ones, and know that I have a lot more on file. For me, the coolest thing about sunsets is that it makes me re-focus on the creator and artist, God. Where's your focus?
Reason #6 for choosing Mexico: Sunsets.

Hamburgesa con queso, on the lateral, Bucerias. 22p

One example of the many beautiful flowers and colors of Mexico.

Lunes, Febrero, Veinti dos, Dos Mil Diez
9:30am, my bi-monthly trip to MEGA. What a deal for 50 cents, a bus ride through Bucerias inclusive of 10 stops. With an empty backpack, I headed South. I always try something different when I go shopping and today it was buying cheese and ham over the counter. With a firm command of the Spanish language I managed to place my order. The young worker handed me 9 pounds of queso. Oh my, medio por favor. She cut it in half. Medio, medio, medio and finely I got the size I wanted. Then she asked me something else, si si. She sliced it nice and thin. Perfecto! Next on my list was smoked pork loin. Lomo Ahumado Cerdo…that sounds about right, I’ll have ½ a kilo of that. Dulce! Next to the bakery, where you first pick up a large aluminum pizza pan and some tongs. Of course everybody knows that’s how you shop for your different types of bread in Mexico. So many to choose from, but I settled for a whole wheat loaf and two croissants. Done and 300 pesos later, I picked up my backpack, you have to check them before shopping, and I was back on the bus,6 pesos in hand, and heading to Terralta I. (note, in an earlier blog, I referred to some friends who also live in Terralta I, as Terralta trash. For those that know me, I was attempting humor, and since I live in Terralta, I was also tagging myself with that stereotype. Absolutely no offense intended!) Thanks for those that caught that and commented.
Noon…siesta time, before heading to the office.
4-5pm was filled with emails, blogging, and the stock market. (I like what I saw!) Headed to The Shamrock for a few cervezas. Natalie leaving and Gil starting. Talked to Doug and Sharon a bit and then Pi & Dave came in with two of their friends. Headed home. Stopped at a sweet shop and found some Tres Leche for 20 pesos. Dulce!! Movie night: “Invictus” starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. Pretty good. After some Wall Street homework, it was…

Buenos Noches!

Best Street Taco Stand in Bucerias. Note that it's permanent! On Hildago Ave.

Reason #5 for choosing Mexico: It makes financial cents! (pun intended) “I don’t understand, John, what do you mean by that?” It makes sense from two aspects: if one were to retire full-time in Mexico and if one were to retire part-time in Mexico. Since the latter fits me better, let me explain. Go to the web and try booking a luxury hotel in some exotic warm location in the world. What did you find? Hawaii? Southern France? Thailand? Cuba? Chances are you could find dozens of places that meet your needs, but at what price? A week in Hawaii is going to set you back $1000, probably more if you plan to eat. With the exception of Thailand, you’re going to find the price of ‘warmth’ very high. Now don’t get me wrong, where I stay in Bucerias is not classified by some of you as ‘luxury’, but it is very clean, quiet, and comfortable. Even for 4 people. Terralta One only costs $750 a week and if you could split that with just one other person….you’re only looking at a whopping $12/day. Also note, with a little bit of research, you can get the monthly rate even lower.
“But haven’t you forgotten that you still are paying a mortgage or rent in Wisconsin?” Not at all. Yes, this is in addition to that expense, but the comparison is with other vacation destinations, not with your primary home. (note: you could make this your primary home for less than $5000/year)
So how much would you expect to pay for a 2-3 hour cruise on the water? Add a light breakfast with juice and coffee? Now add a lunch buffet? Rent some snorkeling equipment? And the big one, how about 2 or 3 margaritas? $50? $40? How does $25 for all of that? You can even add extra servings on the food, and if you’re so inclined, as many beers, tequilas, and drinks you desire. (note: be careful with the tequila!) Try finding that in Hawaii or even in Cancun, the other side of Mexico. So the point is, there are activities that can fit into your budget, do some looking and research. This particular tour lasted 9 hours. That’s a pretty full day. (hint, JD Tours in Bucerias will beat any of the competitions’ rates, check them out and ask for Jordan)
“Don’t rental cars cost a lot in Mexico?” Yes, relatively, but for the most part, you don’t need one. The bus system is great and very cheap. From Bucerias, for less than $1.00 you can reach Sayulita to the North or Puerto Vallarta to the South. I just got back from the large grocery store, MEGA, and it was less than a $1.00 round trip. Now granted it’s a challenge handling 96 rolls of toilet paper and 2 cases of beer on the bus. Muy necesario. Actually, when you have a lot of heavy items, simply take the taxi on the return. That might cost you 60 pesos or $5.00. A one day rental car with the recommended insurances, will cost almost $60.00 USD. The weekly rate saves you some coin, coming in a little over $300 USD. So take the bus and/or taxis when you can, and save a few dollars for Happy Hour.
Earlier you may have read about how inexpensive it was make breakfast. Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat out, but if you need to pinch a few pennies, make some of your own meals. And when the portions are too large, take home the extras. Be creative. During my recent trip to MEGA, I picked up bits for ham y queso sandwiches. I figured the cost of each substantial sandwich with bread, mustard, and mayo was about 15 pesos. (little more than a dollar) It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how to eat within your budget. (although it did this time)
Another way to save while traveling to Mexico is to sell your car before you fly here. Ok, that doesn’t work for everybody, nor will it work for me every time, but this year, that’s exactly what I did. So for two months, I don’t have a $250 car payment, $150/month in fuel bills, and minimum insurance. Sweet. When the accounting numbers come in, I’m getting my vacation costs extremely low. With a little creative investing, I can show you how to reach FREE. Reason #5 for choosing Mexico: Financial Cents!

From closest to not, we have Ed, Allison, Kathy and Mike.

Ed and Allison at The Shamrock.

Dave and Pi at Bucerias Gardens for the USA vs. Canada hockey game.

Sourdough pancake breakfast at Gails. Roberto, Dora, Rita, Sharon, and Joe the syrup man.

Pedro, Pablo, Christina and the one and only Alaskan Gail and her famous sourdough pancakes.

Domingo, Febrero, Veinti uno, Dos Mil Diez
Buenos Dias! From Sayulita, Nayarit!
My timing was perfect, Alaskan Gail was making her signature sourdough pancakes this morning, and we were invited. Yeah! Our friends from Joseph, OR, Joe & Rita, were leaving Mexico in the morning, so it was a farewell to them, along with Pablo y Christina, who are leaving the country later this week. Three special guests of honor were Alberto, his wife Dora, and their son Moses. Alberto y Dora own the famous Fish Taco Restaurant and Tequila Bar in Sayulita. (Two great places!) (see pics)
The bus ride back to Bucerias was almost disappointing…it was on time, there was plenty of room, and it didn’t break down! Amazing trio of events! Picked up the laundry (60p) , did some writing, and siesta time. The trip to MEGA was postponed until Monday. (Lunes)
4pm and headed to YoYo Mo’s to check on the game time for the HUGE Canada/USA hockey game. After a cerveza, I learned that it was 6:30pm..Off to Sunset to check on their amenities, their board said 7pm and 2x1 Indios. Headed to The Shamrock, no game, but I knew that, after dos cervezas and meeting some new friends, Ed & Allison & Co., I decided to try and find my new Canadian friends, Dave, Pi, Ron, & Su. I was almost to the Canadian Bar, which is located on the far South end of Bucerias, when I ran into Dave & Pi, they said the bar was already overfilled. So together we marched back to YoYo’s…..packed. The Bucerias Gardens, across the street was pretty full, but they had a table for us, and we grabbed it.
I think the ratio of Canadians to Americans was 20:1, but the cheers were clearly heard when the Americans won the game, 5 to 3. What a great game.
I looked at the street tacos, and decided I wasn’t that hungry. I had shared some wings and onion rings with Dave & Pi. Back to The Shamrock for a night-cap. Gil, Natalie, Katie, Sharon, and Jess were there, not all working, but there. The band was setting up and the place was quite full with people itching to dance. I noticed that Ed & Allison & Co. had returned and struck up a conversation with Allison. Ed is a veterinarian, who earlier in the day had diagnosed an ear infection on Patrick the Black Lab. Allison is a nurse. We bragged of our Pride & Joy showing each other pictures of our kids. After exchanging blog site and emails it was time for …GO USA!

Buenos Noches!

Sayulita Beach facing South.

Sayulita Beach, facing North.

Sábado, Febrero, Veinti, Dos Mil Diez
Good café! Buenos Dias! Two days and half way into my latest book. Which brings me to Reason #4 for choosing Mexico: The Three R’s: Reading, Writing & Relaxation. Another way to phrase this: Mexico give you time to relax and do things you might not normally do at ‘home’. For me, two of them are reading books & writing, whether it’s my blog entries, my future book, or a paper I’ve always been meaning to write. Down here, you have time to do these things. Things you want to do! I’m not talking about the person that wants to cram 14 days of vacation into 7. That’s different. There are lots of activities for that type. I’m talking about the person who has the ability to take off a month or three. Take your chair, water, lotion, and book to the beach, and just sit back. Picture that! So Reason #4: Reading, Writing, & Relaxation.
Since the condo has a fully furnished kitchen, I thought about breakfast at home this morning. Eggs, salsa, and tortillas. Did you know that in Mexico, if you desire, you can buy just 1 egg? Maybe 8 cents. And every little food store (tienda) has a couple of ice chests warming fresh tortillas, about 75 cents for 2 dz. For the salsa, after politely asking, I simply heaped an extra portion on last night’s street tacos, perfect for my desayuno. (breakfast) But there I go, talking about food and finance. Yum!
10am, got a call from mi hermano, Pedro. Come up to Sayulita for the day/evening. Sounds good, and sometime around noon I was on the bus heading north.
What a bus ride! Just when I thought I couldn’t have more fun for 90 cents, the bus broke down. There I was in a packed bus between two large Mexicans. Felt like an Oreo cookie! Lol A couple minutes later, the driver had the bus running. Yeah! About 3 miles later, broke down again. Oh, this is getting better, I thought. Once again, in 2-3 minutes he had the bus going, but it was working hard to climb the mountain. Yeah, we made it, and coasted into Sayulita about 20 minutes before we left. (the time change makes such travel possible) After some emails, I joined P&S at the beach for some R&R. (see two photos)
It was decided that after a margarita, we would indulge ourselves with street tacos, Sayulita Style. Sandrita y husband own a few taco places called, “Tacos On the Street”, and we headed there. YUM. Added some key lime pie to our dinner, also.
We then took a stroll through town bumping into friends we hadn’t seen since last year. Pedro and I ended up at Macondo, where Richard and MaryAnn the owners, welcomed us and served up a grande margarita. (in the past, I’ve stayed at Macondo, as they have 5 bungalows for rent)
After a few minutes at the beach with a star-filled sky, it was ……

Buenos Noches!

Viernes, Febrero, Dieci-Nueve Dos Mil Diez
Buenos Dias! The sun is out, for now, so after some writing and homework, I’m heading to IXTA for desayuno y café. Laundry and garbage (basura) day.
21 days so far. Ooftah! (In English: Wow!) In about a week, Phil arrives for his 9 day adventure.
Reason #3 for choosing Mexico: Food & Drink. (by the way, these reasons are in no particular order) If you haven’t noticed by now, food & drink are a major part of my diet. (what else is there?) One of my self-imposed challenges when moving to a new place is to find good places to eat and drink. That is evident in me putting together the Best of Bucerias (BoB) My blog is laced with food tips as I explore this new frontier. (sounds a bit like Star Trek) Part of the reason I do this is so when friends come to visit, I already have solutions for their gastronomical inquisitions. (ok, that was a literary stretch) Another reason, and perhaps part of my Jewish/Lutheran blood, is that I abhor overpaying. If anybody can snoop out a discount, an early-bird special, and yes, even a happy hour, it’s me. You’ll read more about this when I discuss Reason #5: Financial. It’s easy to find overpriced or cheap bad food, it’s another to find good food at affordable prices. For example, Eva’s Steakhouse, which is on my BoB list, has some great food, albeit a bit pricey if you’re on a travel budget. Did you know that Eva’s discount dinners 35% if you arrive before between 4:30 and 6:15pm or from 9-10pm? Sandrina’s also has fantastic food, but two can easily share a meal, with their portions. Many of the beach restaurants have an iced bucket of 5 Coronas for 80 pesos and just by asking, the others will probably match it. Good street tacos is the cheapest way to stretch your travel peso at 9p each.(3 of them will fill even me) The list goes on and on, and this blog is already long enough. The details will be included in The BoB by Juan Marcos. So Reason #3: Good Food & Drink.
9:45am Arrived at IXTA for café y emails. 11:45am, finally left. Did some trading. Off for some photos and the video store..I still am using my broken camera, but the photos are not so bad. Will wait until I return to the States to research a new one. The beach was fantastic. As future pics should show.
1:30pm mi casa. Cleaning lady just leaving. She said something to me in Spanish and smiled…I had no clue. Later I discovered that she had hand washed my sandals. (Dolce!) Yeah, and the ATM machine worked, that’s twice in a row! The video store didn’t have what I was looking for, or they couldn’t understand my broken English. Lol Celebrated with my weekly hambergesia con queso. (22p) Siesta time.
4pm and I decided to do some final work and photos at The Sunset and have a couple Indio Pale Ales. At 5pm I shuffled up a block to The Shamrock. Met some more Canadians who invited me to join them for the USA/Canada hockey game on Sunday. (Ron & Sue, and girl named Pi. I called her 3.14 for short) They planned to meet at the Hockey Bar which is on the South side past IXTA and before the Thai place. I also noticed that Pi was reading a book: “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” She was about ½ done. (no I didn’t tell her the ending, although I teased her a bit)
7pm and I hit the beach at LaPalapa for sunset extravaganza! Of course it was gorgeous, after all, consider the Artist!!
I couldn’t decide between Natalie’s Proper Fish n Chips, a chicken curry or….when in doubt…..Picked up three more of the street tacos and loaded them up with salsas. At 9 pesos (60cents) and oh so tasty, you can’t go wrong. Dinner and another movie… Assassin Ninja. It has to be better than Ghost Rider. (but not much)



Buenos Noches!

Mexican life......fishing and tourists. Taken next to one of the 12 North Beach restaurants.

Los Pericos a restaurant and hotel a block up from the ocean. Live music for breakfast!

Some of the beautiful flowers y colors of Mexico. (in Terralta I on my walk to the beaches)

Juerves, Febrero, Dieci-Ocho Dos Mil Diez
Blue skies and perfect temperature, for a walk this morning. After a bit of coffee and writing. (break)
By email, I learned yesterday that a Rosenow Reunion is quickly being planned. March 24-April 5, 2010. (yes, next month!) The goal is to get all 10 of the siblings, and their families, together with Mom, whose 84th birthday is March 26th. The location will include Sierra Madre, Temecula, and San Diego. (all Southern CA, for those that don’t know) It appears that my open schedule just closed, a bit. I’m greatly looking forward to seeing everybody! And as a bonus, I think my favorite daughter Jamie, and son, David, will be attending. Yeah!
Buenos Dias!
Reason #2 for choosing Mexico: La Playas (beaches) In previous blogs I showed a few pics of the sandy beaches in Bucerias, they are fantastic. And they go on for miles, literally 20-30 miles. One could walk, if so inclined, from Boca de Tomatlan on the South end of PV, to Punta de Mito to the North. And that is not the entire Bay of Banderas. (note, the 3rd largest bay in the world is Banderas Bay) It’s huge!! The beach in “Sayulita is also fantastic, and I love going up there for sunsets. Speaking of which, I believe tonight will be a great sunset and Kodak opportunity.
9:40am and back from my morning walk. Stopped at Panini’s and picked out a used book (The Alibi Man by Tami Hoag) and a fresh bagel. (16p) I remembered Dennis the owner from his Sayulita store. (he didn’t charge me for the book) Checked out the Colibri Condos and met Sallie, the manager. Took some more pics, bought 1.892 litre de leche (21.5p), and headed home. Desayuno y jugo naranja, (breakfast and orange juice) then a peak at that new/used book.
2:20pm So much for the evening plans which were to include another movie, a few cervezas, a sunset, and some chicken curry…..a storm is brewing…the winds are howling…and the drops are huge. Back to the book and some coffee.
3:03pm So the price of a taxi from my place to the office is the same as 3 cervezas. Hum, what to do? Donning my McGuiver Suisse drip-dry travel shirt, the one with 19 pockets, two of which I have yet to find, I made a decision….to get wet! With my laptop in a giant zip-lock…I ventured out.
9 minutes later…..The office was jammed with hockey lovers. Watched USA beat Norway! Yeah. 2 hours later, after some homework, and tres cervezas, time to move….raining hard……
Found the video store, asked for The Ghost Writer, Jose found “it” and sold me a second movie, Asesino Ninja and I slid over to the Shamrock for a few cervezas. Natalie y Gil were working. Short night.
I stopped at a street taco stand and ordered tres tacos azada, they looked great and I made the trek home. (Gil had recommended the place, corner of Av. Mexico y Hildago. Across the street from The Twisted Rose.)
Note: Ghost Writer and Ghost Rider are not the same movie. Lol I learned that one the hard way. It was possibly the worst movie I have watched, entirely. One just keeps hoping that it gets better, it didn’t. (must laugh at oneself when that happens) However, the tacos were some of the best I’ve ever eaten, anywhere. At 9 pesos/each, it was a fantastic meal. They just made my BoB list. Time for a chapter or two, and then…..

Buenos Noches!

The beaches of Bucerias, looking South towards PV.

The beaches of Bucerias, looking North. (note the shadow)

Miércoles, Febrero, Dieci-Siete Dos Mil Diez
6:30am and listen to that sound…..rain. A very rare Feb here in Mexico. Coffee, dishes, reading, and writing. (also, I have to send out rent receipts) Not very exciting, to write about, but certainly relaxing to perform. Buenos Dias!
Today is Ash Wednesday and for Christians it is a time to focus our thoughts toward the same One we focused in December. Where is your focus this Lenten season? To the Cross or to your Self? (might have caught some readers off-guard with that one!)
Hope to get to either Panini’s for breakfast and a book, or the SuperMini (as they call the small ma/pa stores) for juervos. (eggs) Note, the Spanish word for Thursday is Juerves. So I don’t recommend to beginners that you order eggs on Thursday, it’s a tongue twister. (maybe a bagel) Think about it.
“So Juan, why do you go to Mexico every year?” One way to answer this common question, is to state the top 10 reasons why I like Mexico as my destination. #1 reason is temperature. It’s sunny & warm, not hot, just warm. Not just during the day, like AZ or CA, but comfortably warm at night. Shorts & tee shirts all day, all night. Let’s face it, WI is fricken’ cold, this time of year. Temperature #1!
The other 9 reasons: ocean/beaches, food/restaurants, people, reading/writing, financial, color, sunsets, activities, and health. More on these nine over the next few days.
Change of plans. Weather kept me on the couch. So at 1:24pm I decided to dodge the raindrops to get to the office. Very strange weather. Plan to watch Olympics, stock market homework, emails, and blog for a few hours. It’s dry inside.
3.5 hours later, and an order of YoYo’s homemade potatoe chips (35p), work completed and heading to The Shamrock. Natalie was holding down the fort and Katie showed up about 6pm. Met an interesting older couple, Bob & Maggie Huston who have been coming to Mexico for over 20 years. She was a Plymouth, Michigan 5th grade school teacher and the talker. As for Bob, well, he didn’t get to say much, so I don’t know much about him. They bought a condo in Bucerias, The Hummingbird Condos, or Colibri Condos in Spanish. Welcomed me over to take a look and inquire as to what’s the going rental rate from their neighbors. Gracias. (note: add to my BoB list)
I was preparing to leave and institute my dinner plan (street tacos) when JD walked in. He was talking about getting a movie, so I asked him donde es best place. Down the street, before the market, past 3 tiny eating places, and in this alley. OK, that sounds good, and off I went.
Oh, make sure you have them play the movie before leaving the store. I can do English sub-titles, my daughter taught me that, but I prefer not. (the movie played fine) So what do you get for 25 pesos ($2.00)? How about A*V*A*T*A*R. I couldn’t believe it. Dinner was two slices of bread with jam and a ½ glass of wine. (Un medio vaso de vino blanco) And I own a great movie.

Buenos Noches!

Welcome to Mexico!! Some helpful tips if you plan to visit.
Customs & Immigration. Know the difference.
Bring a black ink pen. Fill out your forms on the airplane if you can. Have your passport handy you will need to know that number, date of issue, date it expires, color and number of pages, lol and country from where it was issued. This is not a test, don’t worry about failing. Flight # and airline. Know an address, street, town, and state of where you are staying, or if you have no idea, use the name of any hotel.
(My info for 2010: 102 Sauce, Bucerias, Jalisco, Mexico Phone: 322-117-9613) Copy or print this. You will need it.
Keep the pen handy, because chances are you will have missed the two signatures on the back side of the immigration form. Everybody does.
You will first enter the Immigration hall. Have you passport ready and a completed Immigration form. Use the middle or far right lanes. The lines move pretty fast, for Mexico. After the official looks you over, and does some loud stamping, he/she will remove the bottom portion of the form and return it with your passport. DO NOT LOSE this form. They won’t let you leave the country if you do.
After you get through that mess, you will follow the signs to the baggage claim area. There are 3 or 4 baggage turnstiles. Your luggage could arrive on any of them, regardless of how they are marked. Be patient. I’m probably waiting on the other side of the wall, drinking a cold cerveza. I can wait.
Now comes the fun part, Customs. With new regulations in 2009, you now have to wait in more lines to get your luggage out of baggage claim. They make you pass your suitcases and purses through an X-ray machine. (not sure who thought of this one, but welcome to Mexico) If you have sensitive film in your digital camera, you probably didn’t get that humor. After you do that, you will hand your completed and signed Customs form to somebody standing at a podium. Now comes the really high-tech part: you have to push a button. If it turns green you are cleared to proceed into the Arrivals Hall. If it turns red, they pull you aside and open your suitcases and pretend to check them. Simply a formality, go with the flow.
Now you are almost clear, except for the hall of shame, called Time Shares and Taxis. 10-20 sales people will descend on you. Just don’t make eye contact and forge ahead as you walk through 1 or 2 rooms. The other option is to politely say “No, gracias!” and forge ahead. When you see a line of people with signs, you are in the Arrivals Hall. I am probably very close.
Do not leave the airport building. Do not go outside. I won’t find you if you do. Simply head towards the right staying inside the terminal, having cleared a mass of people, look for the closest bar. Better yet, if that’s full, keep walking, there are several more. That’s where I will find you, or you will find me. The terminal is one building. You can’t get very lost.
Congratulations, you made it. On the outside chance that I got lost, my bus broke down, or I forgot, don’t panic. You may have noticed a few ATM machines, go ahead and get some pesos. You will need them to buy me a cerveza. (beer) Remember the exchange rate is about 12:1 That means if you select 1000 pesos, you are only getting about $80. The fee for ATMs is about $2.50 whether you get 1000, 2000, or 3000 pesos. Do the math, get enough pesos for the week. (hint: 3000 pesos) Don’t worry about getting too much, I will buy back whatever you don’t use. If you don’t like ATMs, then use the Money Exchange booths. Your choice.
If you’re still wearing jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, black socks, work boots, and a winter jacket, STRIP. You’re going to overheat in 10 minutes, if you haven’t already. Duck into a bathroom (Hombre Banos for guys), and put on something really comfortable, we’re going to do some walking before you get to my place. (you can wait for me, if you want, so I can watch your luggage) Buy me another beer.
Now the adventure begins. You are in Mexico with Juan Marcos. Be afraid! We’re going to have some fun. More than likely you will have had a long day. Don’t worry, I will get you back to my condo, where you can unwind, take a shower, or a siesta, or have a shot of tequila. (or all three) I don’t plan anything strenuous on the first day. Heck, I don’t plan anything strenuous any day!
Welcome to Mexico!!!!

And the winners of the Musical Chairs Scavenger Hunt were..... the women.

And the winner of the "white men can't dance contest" ......

Don't mention that it's your anniversary or birthday or anything.....

Not quite sure who the DJ was impersonating. Not quite sure I cared.

Martes, Febrero, Dieci-Seis, Do Mil Diez.
So how do you top a great dinner at Sandrina’s? Not sure, but it’s always fun to try. (new places) The bar has been set quite high.
Pedro, Sharon, and I headed out for desayuno, The Sweet Thing kind. “Everything is good here!”, according to Darci our tall dark-haired waitress. Omelets, pancakes, waffles, and sweet rolls. After the bellies were ½ full, we parted our ways, with Pedro y Sharon heading back to Sayulita. I walked down to IXTA to do some banking. Mortgage due today. You know, on-line banking has done for us what a bun has done for a hotdog: Made it very easy! (analogy by Juan)
4pm, and since the stock market was open today, it was time for some homework. YoYo Mo’s was open and with one eye on the Olympics, the other assisted with the writing. Over to the Shamrock where Gil y Jess were sorting through all the St. Patty’s Day paraphernalia. 28 days and counting!
After swapping a few laughs and stories with Mike and Sherry, (Terralta I trash) I hiked home. Movie & a dinner! Hint, if you’re at all feeling just a bit blue, do not, I repeat, do NOT watch John Cusack’s movie “Una Muerte Inesperada!” (or in English, “Grace is Gone!” It will not cheer you up!. Afterwards, I tried to play it backwards so the ending would be happier, but only DJ’s can do that. (thanks for the loaner, P&S)
Buenos Noches!

Latcho y Andrea

Pedro y Sharon

Pablo y Christina

Mi amigas!

Lunes, Febrero, Quince, Dos Mil Diez (part II)
Paninos was great. Discovered that they have 3 places, one in Sayulita and two in Bucerias. Cool. Great breads. Picked up a huge bran muffin. (like I need that!) Delicio! Also found out that they have a large collection of paperbacks that you can either buy for 20p or trade even up. (hidden gem) Hiked along Av. Pacifico and ran into Lyndsey from Sunset. (now working at LaPalapa). I finished my BoB homework on logging the dozen beachfront restaurants in North Bucerias. Ok, not really finished until I try all of them.
Took the long way home and bought 3 more unique tequila sipping glasses. (I decided that I should include one for each client in 2011.) Cant’ wait to try them. Stopped at a tequila store and learned that they really want you to sample them. Yeah! 11:30am. Siesta already? Si
In Spanish its: Bah-knee-yah! Or Vanilla in English. I’m on the hunt for it. It’s sold by almost every vendor, but I’m learning which is the good, the bad, and the ugly. (more on that later)
Venti cuatro pesos por aqua. $2.00 for 20 liters. Good for 2 more weeks. No you don’t drink the tap water down here. I also use the bottled water for coffee.
Shower and off to office #1, YoYo Mo’s so I can catch up on the Olympics. Then to meet Pedro y Sharon at The Shamrock. Correction: Dinner at 7pm.
Dinner was fantastic at Sandrina’s. Since Latcho y Andrea were playing, their menu was abbreviated, but still plenty to choose. Pedro y Pablo chose the Greek Lasagna, while Sharon picked the shrimp quesadillas and Christina nibbled on salad. But my meal was incredible. I ordered the Chile Poblano Stylo Greigo. Relleno con arroz, filete mignon, Puerco, ajo, jitomate y cebolla con salsa roja y queso. In English: Stuffed peppers Greek Style. Chili poblano filled with brown rice, filet mignon, pork loin, tomato, onion 7 garlic broiled with a creamy red sauce y manchego. WOW! Could only eat half of it. Lunch another day!
As always, the music of German born Latcho y Andrea was great. A truly magnificent dinner/evening.

Buenos Noches!

Desserts on Quimixto. Flan and Key Lime Pie are very popular down here.

Sitting at a beach restaurant on Quimixto.

Two lovely young bartenders at the beach restaurant on Quimixto.

The beach at Quimixto as we approached.

An unobstructed view from my second office. aka The Sunset Office

Lunes, Febrero, Quince, Dos Mil Diez
Buenos Dias! Pete, Sharon, and Gail, are heading down today from Sayulita and plan to spend the night. We are joining Pablo y Christina tonight for dinner at Sandrina’s. Yeah! Two of our favorite artists are playing. Latcho & Andrea.
Coffee going, finishing touches on yesterday’s blog and I will head out to IXTA. A good 20 minute walk. Slightly overcast with a chance of showers, but nobody cares. I hope to map out all the oceanfront restaurants today. Hasta luego!
(now to go inside my head) So how does this sound for 2011, “For ONLY $150 USD (per person) or $200/couple. Spend 7 days in beautiful Bucerias Mexico. Includes your own private bedroom and bath . Shared kitchen, living, and dining room. Use of laptop with WiFi. I will also facilitate your airport meet & greet.(both directions) and include welcome beverages. You will have access to my Best of Bucerias (BoB) and for the lowest price around you can take optional tours of Puerto Vallarta, snorkeling, Sayulita, LaPenita, Tequila, and places beyond. For those wanting to rent a car, I can also assist with those arrangements. (hint, you might find a great $25/day car rental rate on the internet, but before you leave the airport, you will be paying $60/day. I know.)
Readers, give me some feedback. First of all, I have no idea how many people are reading my blog, and second, I am looking for recommendations for improvement. Please email me at www.ukjohn56@yahoo.com and let me know. (or if you want to reserve a week for next year) Gracias!
I’m at Paninos, found out that IXTA is closed on Monday. Coffee is great, internet is good, and it’s close to my place. (relatively) It is not overcast, it’s sunny and beautiful.
(part 1 of 2)

Domingo, Febrero, Catorce, Dos Mil Diez
Happy Valentine’s Day! Buenos Dias! Happy Sunday morning. (greatly want/need to download a sermon) Going to head to IXTA for internet, pick up laundry, and then take the bus to MEGA for some basics. Made my list entirely in Spanish. (almost) That trip should take me right up to siesta time. Then to hit the beach. Cubeta con cinco cervezas de medio. 80p.
Stopped and talked to Jordan on my way back. Got a call from the owner/manager and he has a new toaster for me. Yeah! Stopped at Lavendaira (50p) 11am
1pm and back from MEGA. 6 pesos each way. (50 cents) Had an interesting comida at China Express. Not exactly the same as in the states. Muy caliente! 48p for two items. Got most everything, 3 kinds of pan, jugo, leche, mantequilla, limón, papas, cebolla, y rojo pimiento. I asked a clerk where the beach towels were and by her look, I was not asking for the right item. She turned red and led me to the women’s thongs. (hey, after that I had to buy one!) lol Siesta time!!!
“totalla de playa” (beach towel) was what I wanted to say……ok, more lessons required.
(My third trip today) Headed to Sunset for some pale ale, Indio style and some ocean sounds. Yeah. (2x1 cervezas) This is now my second office. Wifi, Olympics, ocean-front, and nice waitress. (see photo)
For those that are enjoying 23 degrees in WI, it is now 28 degrees in Mexico. (of course one is in F the other in C)
The Shamrock had Mike & Brenda celebrating their 14th anniversary. Jess y Gil were serving. Natalie y Katie arrived a bit later.
7:45pm and back from town. Caught a bit of the Olympics at YoYo’s and headed home. Valentines Day is a wee bit meant for two. And right now, there is no two. A glass of vino blanco and some leftovers is tonight’s menu.
I downloaded last Sunday’s sermon from Good Shepherd and am looking forward to listening to it.
Buenos Noches!

Juan Marcos in the jungles of Mexico. Quimixto beach.

This one is worth a 1000 words. (993)

The reward for the 8 hour hike. (it's longer every time I tell the story)

My new friends after their camera got soaked. Forgot their names. But fun people.

Yes, there are two bars when you get there. I love Mexico!

Sábado, Febrero, Trece, Dos Mil Diez
Even notice that nobody calls you the next day after you got really drunk on tequila to tell you anything good you did last night? “Hey John, you got totally ripped last night and painted the orphanage!” lol (to those that don’t know my humor, rest assured, neither happened)
Buenos Dias, mi Amigos!
The LLave Key Riviera Nayarit, known simply as The Key, is a monthly publication in which the local businesses can advertise. (http://www.keytorivieranayarite.com/) It also contains helpful maps and phone numbers of Bucerias and some of the surrounding towns. It has been a great aid to me as I attempt to sort the wide variety of restaurants and activities in and around Bucerias. But when it comes to who has the best breakfast, soup, fish n’ chips, pizza, or Italian food; you need to talk to locals and long-term residents. That’s what I am doing and will continue to do as I assemble my own guide to Bucerias. For example, when 5 different people tell me that Francesco’s has the best Italian food, I jot that down and add it to my ‘must-try’ list. When my ‘flee from the cold’ is finished here, I should have a nice scrapbook of the ‘Best of Bucerias’ (I shall call it BoB). If I were a property owner or manager in Bucerias, I would think that this scrapbook would be great info for renters. (Eureka! there’s a thought!) With a plethora of tour companies, which one will give you the best price for a Banderos Bay tour? A nice savings, if you knew. Or if you wanted to tour the town of Tequila, what’s the best way to go about it? A huge savings if you knew about some of the smaller distilleries up there. Or how about purchasing a Mexican phone? How much will it cost? If you own an unlocked phone, did you know that you could save even more? Who has the best tasting traditional margaritas, at the best price? Best Happy Hours in town? Some places only discount Corona y Pacifico for happy hour. Some happy hours only last an hour while others begin as early as 9am and last until 6pm. (now there’s trouble!) Who has free wifi and who doesn’t? All these are bits of knowledge that I think especially the first timers to Bucerias would appreciate. Enough on that for now. But the mind is racing.
Not sure what the day has in store for me, possibly a trip to MEGA to find a beach towel and try some Chinese food. For now, another cup of Joe. One item on today’s short list is to contact some of the other condo owners to compare monthly rates and amenities. (yet another item for my scrapbook)
So I called one number I had for Terralta II rentals. Spoke to Brian who lives at Calle Limón 201 in Terralta Two and I arranged to meet him at noon. I was pleasantly impressed when his wife Gabriela showed me 3 different places in their quiet neighborhood. Same size or larger than my place but with more amenities. One place had a 60” TV and included SKY network. Another had a washing machine and beach chairs. Another had 2.5 baths and 3 bedrooms. I was also surprised to know that the walk from Terralta II is easier and perhaps even a bit shorter than from Terralta I. The rent was cheaper than Terralta 1 but did not include electric. I also got a number for a rental in Terralta III which has a community pool. Good information for my scrapbook and for next year. Now for some chips y cervezas at YoYo Mo’s. Then a siesta.
Long siesta! Headed down to Av. Pacifico to check out some restaurants along the beach. Part of my BoB will be a layout showing all the beachfront restaurants. I know that there are at least 12 on the North side of Bucerias.
Decided on the Sunset and learned that they also have free wifi. Happy hour is from 12-6pm with 2 x 1 cerveza, mojitos, and margaritas. They were showing the Olympics. (very cool) The 2 x 1 cerveza was their tap beer, a dark Indio. Not bad. 25p for two 10oz chilled mugs. Beachfront and great ocean views. Left to head up to the Shamrock. With the exception of Saffron, Sharon’s daughter, riding Patrick the black lab, it was rather quiet. (nothing wrong with that once in a while)
Short night and wanted to try a pasta dish called Giotto at Toscana Mia, an Italian place about a block away on Calle Hidalgo #25. It was very full and the wait would be 45 minutes or more. As I was leaving, I noticed Pat & Mary Beth sitting in Expressions 2 and stopped in. They liked the place and the British owners, whom I met, Dayna y Mike. Decided on a spicy noodle dish for 100p. Trek-ed home.
The dish was ok, but not great, and not worth 100p. I figured I could make it for under 30p. Best call it a night.
Buenos Noches!

Don't blame the rooster for that pile on the right!

This is what the horses thought of me when I considered riding them.

Another photo of the Iguana welcoming committee on Quimixto.

Vernes, Febrero, Doce, Dos Mil Diez
I still have one restaurant that is eluding me and that’s the Thai place. My journey this morning will be to find it, Jordan’s tours, and do some coffee and emails at IXTA. I think it’s also cleaning day, so I like to vacate the place for a few hours. (also laundry day, add that to my huge to-do list for today)
If you haven’t guessed by now, because of the large number of photos, I am sprinkling in sets of pics from my Kontiki II tour. Enjoy.
It will be two weeks since I arrived. Wow! I’m off on my daily venture.
Dropped off the laundry, then found JD Tours (Jordan) on Lazaro Cardenas, he pointed out where the Thai place was, called Sha-lou’s Gallery and noodle House. (322.116.9591) closed on Sunday. 100 pesos for almost all their entrees. The Mongolian Bowl was the most recommended. He also recommended Clover Rent-a-Car if I wanted to drive to Tequila. (they will deliver the vehicle to your front door) I will check out them and Gecko.
Found IXTA for café y internet. Blog download.
While walking toward some sort of food, I got a call from somebody who saw my ad at the Shamrock. Ishmael. He needed to talk to me and was waiting in front. I agreed to meet him in 15 minutes. Let’s see, a family of three with a baby from Guadalajara, no money, but a promise to pay in March and the date kept changing. He spoke pretty good English. Note to self: I need to change my ad. Back to the office for some stock option trading and a cerveza!
Ran into Pablo y Christina as I was waiting for some azada tostadas y chorizo sopas (25 pesos) They were going to be in Bucerias for at least 4-5 days and wanted to get together with Pedro y Sharon. Exchanged emails and invited them to The Shamrock later tonight. Time for a siesta.
Cleaning lady was still working when I returned. Took a 1 hour siesta.
Headed down to the Shamrock. Canadian Doug had his spot at the bar, and Jess was serving. Changed my ad. Lyndsey from Sunset was there for a beer and Katie came hopping in wearing her bright Irish green jeans. Natalie also showed up: it’s fish n chips Friday! Sharon appeared later on. A bit disappointed that the Shamrock didn’t show the largest current event in the world: the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. (they did attempt to look for it)
I decided to go over to YoYo Mo’s and the place was jumping, but got a seat at the bar. Had a couple cervezas and after an hour or so of the opening ceremonies.....time for bed.

Buenos Noches!