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!

Se Renta.....snorkeling gear. Either bring your own, or a sanitizer. No flippers. Also bring an ID as collateral.....$35 usd if you lose anything.

The life preserver safety instructiones was hilarious. Note the method taught, around your waist, not your neck.

What can I say? Some people really don't need life preservers! Did any of you guys notice the perfectly coiled rope? No, I didn't think so.

One doesn't get a real sense on the immensity of the cruise ships until you're up close. I understand that on some days there are 3 of these in this port. Wow! You might want to stay clear on those days, prices seem to triple when PV gets flooded with tourists.

Now if I had my choice, this is the way I would like to tour Banderas Bay. Note the SS bbque grill on the back of the boat!

This is the public marina at Nuevo Vallarta where the Kontiki II picked us up. My yacht is just out of the picture on the far right, or was it the left.

Jueves, Febrero, Once, Dos Mil Diez
8am It’s starting to sprinkle, and the wind is beginning to howl, so a great morning to download yesterdays 135 pics, charge camera batteries, drink coffee, and compose another blog page or two.
11:30am and just finished writing. Off to the office.
After paying a visit to mi amigo, Romero, who I thought would give me some grief about cancelling two out of my 3 reservations for the Kontiki II, I hit the YoYo Mo’s time clock. (Romero was more than understanding and gave me an open voucher for the remaining two Kontiki tours.)
I spent over an hour downloading pics and reading emails. I forgot to mention the other day I stopped at TelMex to inquire about getting high-speed internet installed at my condo. They have several packages with varying speeds, but what I could understand, and that wasn’t a whole lot, was for $599 pesos por month, I would have 2mb internet and 200 Llamadas Locales. Here was a situation when Spanish would have helped. I think they told me that it would take about 10 days to have it installed. Or else they said I have 10 days to get my white Gringo butt out of Mexico. I did smile. No entiendo!
I stopped at Loncheria Paz for my weekly grande hambergesia con queso mas cebollas y lechuga. (with cheese and many onions and lettuce, 22 pesos) So how is my customized weight loss program going? I think ok. I’m betting that I’m down 5 or 6 lbs. since I arrived. But with no scale, I can think anything I want. Either the pants are fitting much better or the humidity is getting higher and stretching them. One must think good thoughts. (note, I don’t where any pants in Mexico) Lol
How about the game of Jenga? El Grande Jenga! A few patrons were playing it when I arrived at The Shamrock. (see photo) Mike (The Jaegermiester), playing Jenga, and his wife Brenda (taking a photo) were there. Sharon and Gil were working when I got there and Natalie and Jess arrived an hour later. (yes I paid my 20 peso bill from last night)
Pat and Mary Beth came in and a bit later the two couples from Flint MI. who own a place in Terralta One showed up. Mike & Shelley and Mike’s brother Dave and his sparring partner Michelle. Had a long talk with M &S regarding almost every subject including bombs, plumbing, teaching, politics y religion. (OY) After ordering pizza from YoYo’s, they even offered me a ride back to Terralta. Reluctantly I declined, for exercise reasons. (now that might be a first)
Before I left I had a nice talk with Sarah as she is leaving for Australia this weekend. (I will miss her!) After a book recommendation and exchanging emails, it was time to go.
Buenos Noches!

Beach at Animas.

The coast and rocks of Los Arcos.

The colorbul fish and two birds at Los Arcos.

Los Arcos as we approched.

Some favorites of my Kontiki II trip.

Miercoles, Febrero, Diez, Dos Mil Diez
Buenos Dies, mi Amigos! (warning, this entry is going to be a long one, mas photos to follow)
Up at 6:30am, not sure how long it’s going to take to get to Nuevo Vallarta for the big Kontiki II outing. The first bus ($10 pesos) took me to Blvd. Nuevo Vallarta. From there I took a packed bus ($ 5 pesos) to the public dock next to Paradise Village. 8:00am, so about an hour. (note, there is a Starbucks at the bus stop)
The Kontiki II was scheduled to leave at 8:45, but I am in Mexico. The Kontiki 1 arrived at 8:05, loaded a few passengers and was off. At 9am, the Kontiki II arrived and by 9:12am (yes, I wrote it down) I along with 25 others, were off on an adventure. We cruised to Puerto Vallarta where we picked up another 30 personas at 10am. The Kontiki can probably hold 200, so 50 was not at all crowded. (note, the boat has dos good banos!) One photo shows the size of a Carnival cruise ship. I’m told that on certain days, there can be as many as three of these in port. Yikes!
It was about 10:30am before they put out the continental breakfast. (ever wonder why they call it continental?) A variety of fruit, sweet rolls, yogurt, juices and cheap coffee. No tequila, yet! (note, I recommend that you breakfast eaters have a bite beforehand.) It was plenty of food for a dieter. (which I am)
Our first stop was Los Arcos (couple large rocks) which included a short 45 minute snorkeling stop. (45 if you were the first in and last out) The safety demo was hilarious, not safe, but funny. I tried to capture the fish, rock, swimmers, and scenery as I elected to stay dry. The water was not crystal clear and here is where The Gulf side of Mexico wins. (note, they require a photo ID for use of their snorkeling equipment, aka mask y snorkel. No flippers.)
If appeared that fun was had by all and when they returned to the ship, several trays of tropical drinks were awaiting. Tequila Sunrise, Margaritas, Pina Coladas, Sex-on-the-Beach, and cerveza. (1st note, a good researcher must sample them all to make objective comments) (2nd note, I’m a good researcher!)
Second stop was just to drop passengers off at Animas, a cool looking beach, where one could simply relax on the beach, sip beverages, find a bite to eat, (not included in the price) or book zip line or horseback tours. You would have up to two hours to play. About half the boat chose to go to the next stop, Quimixto, including myself. (note, when selling these tours, they tell you that you have 2 hours on Animas, and 2 hours on Quimixto when really you have to chose between the two. Buyer beware!)
The 3rd stop was Quimixto, pronounced “kee .mees toe” a correction from an earlier attempt. Quimixto is noted for its beach and the horseback ride (optional) to the waterfall. The welcoming committee on Quimixto was two large and colorful iguanas. For 50 pesos you could hold and pet them. Nice!
I would like to say that the walk, no hike, no climb to the waterfalls was a leisure 10 minute stroll. NOT. When you realize that you’re hiking uphill for two miles on dusty narrow trails and through small streams of horse piss, one tends to justify the pain by saying, “Hey, it’s good exercise!” My motto is: No Pain, No Pain! (it actually wasn’t that bad since they sold cold beer before you left, along the way and when you got there. (Motivation is all I need!)
The brochure states, “The largest waterfall of this destination!” No lie! That’s like saying my favorite daughter and son, when you only have one of each. The waterfall was no Victoria or Yosemite. I’ve seen some backyard swimming pool falls in CA this size. But it was still cool. And we hikers actually beat the horse riders. What does that tell you about the horses?
About 4:30pm, when we were all back on the boat, a lunch(comida) or dinner (cena) was served consisting of spaghetti, rolls, chicken fajitas y soft corn tacos. Just what one would expect: Spaghetti on a tour of Banderas Bay in Mexico? Not great, but after a grueling day at the gym, aka Mexican hiking, it wasn’t bad. The stomach needed a sponge.
The cruise back was very entertaining as the Kontiki staff continued to force complimentary drinks on us. One person commented to me, “Is your drink weak?” My response was, “No, I’m sipping straight tequila!” (note to readers, if you think your drink is weak, simply ask the bartender for more booze, they will gladly fortify it.)
One of the games played was the 5 women against 5 men version of musical chairs where you have to quickly find a randomly called item. i.e. lighter, towel, napkin, straw, $1.00 bill, lipstick and life preserver. The last one to return has no chair and is out. It was funny to watch the scramble and even the breaking of one plastic chair. The lucky winners received a quart of beer with a straw. Lol (motivation!)
After a brief stop in Puerto Vallarta, we returned to Nuevo Vallarta at 6pm and I hitched a ride, part way with a six-pack of Canadians. Thanks, if you’re reading this. From MEGA, I hopped on a bus and arrived at The Shamrock at precisely 6:59pm and thanks to Natalie, just in time for last call. For Happy Hour.
I was talking to Jordan, who has a tour shop in Bucerias, near Karen’s Place, He confirmed that the Kontiki tour was the best and told me to see him next time I needed any sort of tour. He would beat any price. (good contact!) I left with a rare 20 peso unpaid bill, but somehow they trusted I would return.
Indeed it was a Brilliant day!

Buenos Noches!

LaQuinta di Francesco Restaurant

IXTA Restaurant Bar Lounge

Sauce street in Terralta One, yes the paint is peeling.

Living and dining room looking from the kitchen.

Kitchen and dining room taken from the living room.

Martes, Febrero Nueve, Dos Mil Diez!
Buenos Dias, mi amigos! I’ve realized that it’s been 11 days since I’ve arrived and I haven’t said much about mi casa. So permit me to give you a verbal tour along with a few interior and exterior pics.
My place is a 2 story 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath condo located in a gated community called Terralta One. (yes, there are more than one Terralta The kitchen, living, dining, and ½ bath are on the first floor. The 3 bedrooms and full bath are on the 2nd. It has a small balcony off one of the bedrooms and a spiral stairs to the roof, however, the rooftop is not ‘finished’ like some of the neighbors, and so it’s really not usable.
The place is furnished with a full size fridge, 4 burner gas stove and oven. No microwave or dishwasher. Some of the units have a washer/dryer combination, mine doesn’t. Some have A/C, mine doesn’t but with ceiling and portable fans, I have found that Jan-March, you really don’t need A/C.
It does have a TV and DVD player along with a portable CD player. As mentioned in an earlier blog, the place now has a full size coffee maker. Some dishes, pots/pans, and silverware are supplied, however, it is lacking in the normal spices we sometimes take for granted…i.e. salt and pepper.
It appears that the sun wants to come out, so I’m going to pack up and go for a nice beach/town hike. I’ve been told of the best Italian place in town, and I want to locate it. (no, not for breakfast, just for future reference) LaQuinta di Francesco on Constituyentes Esq. Agustin Melgar in Bucerias. It takes longer to say that than find it. Lol Hasta la pronto!
I found the restaurant on the far South end of town. Might be a taxi restaurant. A small inconspicuous place but it comes with numerous recommendations that I need to personally confirm. I then stumbled across the IXTA (ees tah) Restaurant Bar & Lounge. Their sign caught my eye ‘Happy Hour from 9am to 6pm!” (closed Monday) 15 peso cervezas! I popped in and had coffee and free internet. Cool. (coffee wasn’t that good) After an hour of emails and blog, I continued my morning walk with a stop at The Sweet Thing and had to try their infamous sweet roll. (30 pesos) A meal by itself. Yum. I wandered through the markets and noted several vendors with beautiful (bonita) stone chess sets. One guy told me 450 pesos and had reduced it to 300 pesos before I was 15 meters away. Might even take 200 pesos. So they do barter! (info for mi hermano, Pedro) At 1pm I wanted to check, one more time the status of my ATM card, so I popped into the Office and logged in. The credit union had apologized and reset/verified/winked and promised me that my card would work. Fortune would have it that next to my office is a working ATM. I tried it and after punching in my backup pin, it worked. YEAH! I can stay! After a celebratory cerveza, it was nap and shower time. (note, if the news wasn’t good, I would have used a different adverb, but the same resultant action)
In the afternoon I ran into Mary L. and John y Ruth from Canada, who are staying at the Sayulita trailer park. John was getting some dental work done in Bucerias and we slid over to The Shamrock for a pint of Guinness. My attempt to talk Mary, Gail, Pete, and Sharon have apparently failed, but not worry, I shall venture out myself. Yet another attempt to rid my shyness. Lol
Met another Shamrock regular, Simon who left England 7 years ago and since then has lived in Bucerias y Sayulita. He also gave me his thoughts about the best places in Bucerias. He helps Sharon on St. Patty’s Day to which I’m so much looking forward. Briefly met Sharon’s mother from Belfast.
It’s going to be an early day tomorrow, so:

Buenos Noches!

Camarones Linguini Cabonara

Lunes, Febrero Ocho, Dos Mil Diez!
Up early, coffee going, read my meditations and wanted to finish yesterday’s blog entry and download pics. Cool morning. Love it.
Finished the book, all 644 pages. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Definitely a ‘can’t put it down book’. Now on to three other books, ones that I brought down with me. (more on those later)

Word of the day: caro, adjective, adverb expensive
Caro is the basic word to describe something which costs a lot of money:

Going to head to the office to attempt to contact my Credit Union, write some emails, and do some Wall Street homework. Adios.
While at YoYo Mo’s, we got a short but heavy downpour. Very strange weather for Feb here in Mexico. It was over in 10 minutes. I wanted to get some more details on the Banderos Bay excursions, so I walked over to talk to my friend Romero. After some ruthless negotiations (there’s a side story about me and negotiating in Mexico) we agreed on a price of $350 pesos. Usually the tours get $500 pesos. The boat, The Kontiki II, leaves out of Nuevo Vallarta at 8:45 am and heads to Puerto Vallarta to pick up more passengers. Then it heads to the rock called Los Arcos for some snorkeling, then to the beach/bay called Animas for a lunch buffet, and then to a 2nd beach called Quimixto. (key-me-toe) I decided to make a reservation for Wednesday for cuatro persona. (4 persons) Romero assured me that I could use the tickets on any day if the weather wasn’t great or if we changed our minds. (Gail, Mary, Pete, & Sharon are interested)
Picked up my laundry (cleaned, folded, and wrapped) on the way home. $55 pesos. ($4.25) Nap time.
Headed to The Shamrock. Going to ask Sharon, the owner, if I can put an ad on her bulletin board. Jess & Gil were working and Natalie was on her way out. Sharon had no problem with it. To supplement a dead ATM card, I decided to rent out one of my rooms on a short time basis, by the day or week. If I don’t get my ATM card sorted, my trip might be cut short.
Met an interesting couple from Chicago tonight, Pat & Mary Beth. They own a condo in Nuevo Vallarta. He had won a square on the Shamrock’s Superbowl pool, and bought everybody a round. Thanks, Pat! (for any accountants reading this, during happy hour, that means two rounds)
Posted my ad! Short night at the Shamrock; Decided to cook tonight and stopped at the corner fish store (pescados) for shrimp. (Camarones) Making shrimp linguini carbonara. (see pic) Watching a movie borrowed from P&S.

Buenos Noches

Superbowl Sunday at The Shamrock. Mike's brother, Mike's brother's wife, and Sherry.

Sayulita beach looking South from the RV park.

Sayulita Beach looking North from the RV park.

Domingo, Febrero Siete, Dos Mil Diez!
Had a great breakfast at Alaskan Gail’s this morning with about 15 people. She makes the best sourdough pancakes with all kinds of fresh fruit on the side. Yum! Took a couple pics of the Sayulita beach. (see pics) Decided to head back to Bucerias right after that. Have to deal with my banking concern.
Took the bus from Sayulita to Mega Store on the very south end of Bucerias. (15 pesos) Tried yet a third bank using my Sandia ATM card. Failed. Not good. Not happy. I tried my Marine Credit Union Bank ATM, no problem, except it doesn’t have much money in it, but it worked. Did some grocery shopping until I realized that whatever I bought, I had to haul back to 102 Sauce along with my already full backback, so kept it simple. Milk and juice are heavy! Nap time. Need to prepare for the Superbowl at YoYo Mo’s and The Shamrock.
4pm, arrived at YoYo Jo’s…..full, not packed. 7 of the 8 tvs had the pre-game on. Found a little shelf space for my laptop, Courtney brought over a cold Corona, and I made a blog entry. The place is still filling up. Some die-hard Canadians were not happy when they turned off the one tv that had the curling championship……It’s the Superbowl!! Decided to relocate to The Shamrock.
Still plenty of room at The Shamrock. The best seats were at a tall table directly in front of the large hdtv. A young couple were sitting there and I asked to join them. (no problem) Of course they were from Canada, most everybody down here is, she was studying to be a lawyer and he owned a DMV store. I learned that in Canada, they have privatized vehicle registration. Not a bad idea. A bit later an older lady, older than me that is, joined us. A real sports spit-fire. Loved to talk about sports, especially baseball. She ordered some wings and shared them.
The bar filled up pretty good and the entire crew was working, Jess, Sharon, Gil, Natalie and even Katie with her cute pigtails. Katie shared a story about almost being killed on her motorcycle earlier in the day. While returning to Bucerias on the main highway, her engine seized. Back tire began to fishtail but she gained control and got to the side of the road just as one of Mexico’s finest buses screamed past. Scary, but she was in great spirits. I even offered to check for road rash. Lol Later on, Sarah popped in and said hello.
What a game! I was cheering for Who Dat? But thought Manning would pull out yet another win. I was wrong. Loads of fun. Time to go home.
Not! The Cuban band was setting up and it appeared that the fun was just starting. Met two couples from Michigan, and they were staying of all places in Terralta One. Mike and Sherry. (see pic) For some reason, the next two hours went by very quickly. The Michigan couples were buying buckets of beer with one problem, there were 5 beers in each bucket and only 4 of them. What were they to do……hmmm. Mr. Helpful to the rescue! They were most generous and absolutely refused my offer to chip in some pesos. (thank-you if you’re reading this) Before long the entire bar was dancing, including….now it was time for that hike. 11pm
Buenos Noches!

Mary L. and Juan Marcos battleing for the last bite of fabulous desert.

Sunset on the beach in San Pedro. How sweet is that!!

Pedro, with his back to me, Sharon to his left, Alaskan Gail center, and Mary L. right.

Alaskan Gail was thristy!

My new hand painted sipping glass from the Bucerias markets.

Sábado, Febrero Seis, Dos Mil Diez!
Wow, one week since I arrived. Where did the time go? Oh, that’s right, one doesn’t care. You’re in Mexico. Looks like another beautiful day in paradise. A travel day it is, if you count a 20 minute bus trip as travel. Heading to Sayulita for a fun packed evening. Details to follow. Want to drop off laundry on the way to the bus stop. The cool thing about the two time zones is that I can leave Bucerias and arrive in Sayulita 40 minutes before I left. Talk about time travel! (My God Jim, I’m only a doctor!)
Made the mistake of picking up the book….the bookmark quickly moved to page 400. As I prepared to leave, the lady from next door knocked. Elsa Aach is her name and she needed access to the roof to shut off her gas while she travelled to Mexico City. I also met her daughter and grand-daughter. I asked her if she would consider renting out her place next year and at first she was a bit apprehensive…..wouldn’t you? She said come take a look….she spoke as much English and I do Spanish but we managed quite well. Her place is almost identical with a couple exceptions….she has a washer and dryer and AC. (although I don’t think I would need AC in Jan-March) She told me that to get high-speed internet would cost about $600 pesos/month. Cool! She agreed that she would accept $750/month. She did not have a microwave, but would furnish one if I requested. Her place was nicely decorated and very clean. We exchanged emails and I was on my way.
Arrived in Sayulita about noon, never quite sure what time it is. The finals for Annual Trailer Park bocce tournament were underway. (side note here, Pedro won the tournament one year, and the next year I did, tons of fun) We watched some good friends lose in the semi-final and decided to go get some cervezas and prepare to head North to San Pancho for a polo match. (Alaskan Gail, Mary L., Sharon, Pedro, and I.)
First major problem in Mexico: my Sandia Credit Union ATM card didn’t work. PROBLEM! Tried two different banks. I had used it when I first arrived in Puerto Vallarta at the airport and it worked fine. Have to deal with it tomorrow and Monday. Oh well, I’m in Mexico.
Five of us grabbed two small cabs and in less than 20 minutes we were sitting on the beach in San Pancho. (a few miles north of Sayulita) (see pics) After some lite tacos and a margarita, the girls wanted to head over to the polo grounds. Pedro and I were content to look at the bikinis, I mean skinny sunsets. About 30 minutes later the girls returned and said the match was cancelled due to a muddy grounds. New game plan, head to La Ole Rica, one of our favorite restaurants.
The ribs were great, the coconut shrimp were fabulous, the deserts were incredible. As always, a great meal. With full bellies, it was time to find a way home. After circling the block, we found a taxi stand and before long a large suburban pulled up and asked for 100 pesos. Great, we all climbed in and were whisked away.
Arrived safe in Sayulita and the girls headed to the bocce celebration while Pedro and I hit the beach for a final cerveza. Awesome star filled sky. Met a young lady, Heather from Canada, that was doing the same. She had arrived in Sayulita for a wedding. Must have talked for over 45 minutes. Very charming.

Buenos Noches!

Viernes, Febrero Cinco, Dos Mil Diez!
Friday, the day the cleaning lady comes. (Jessica) So I suppose I need to vacate the place for a few hours. Just Got a feeling that it’s going to be an interesting beautiful sunny Mexican day. Yesterday, nearby, I found the ‘lavanderia’ or Laundromat. Only 10 peso/kg. (that’s why you study math conversions in grade school) You simply drop off your laundry and pick it up the next day, washed, dried and folded. Did I mention how much I’m suffering? Translated, for me that’s about $4 for a week. Through some rough Spanish, I learned that they are open 7 days/week. When traveling for 2 months, this is a critical item. So finding one close and reasonable is precious info.
I reward myself with breakfast if I include a ‘long’ hike to the destination. The Sweet Thing was the choice (two days running) and I found it nearly full. A special on the board that caught my stomach was Biscuits n Gravy with 2 eggs and hash-browns. (60 pesos) yum! Going to have to add a few more miles to my walk. Coffee was delivered con leche and it was good, not great, just good. But it’s Mexico! Perused the menu and found a tempting plate of fresh fruit, granola and yogurt.(45 pesos) Darn, missed that one. Perhaps next trip.
Met a retired guy named Tom at breakfast from Canada, and staying in Terralta 3 for 6 months. He shares a condo with a roommate. Exchanged emails. Very interesting. His place was rent plus plus, which meant he had to pay extra for gas and electric. He said that electric was expensive. (more on him later)
What a gorgeous day! Here comes that feeling again!
On my walk to the office I also stopped back at the tour shop to verify prices, departure times and reservation details on the all day whale watching, snorkeling, beach, sailing excursion. Romero was the same salesperson and after some discussion, I think the prices have gone down, a little. The all day excursion from Nuevo Vallarta to Los Arcos, Animas, and Quimixto is now $350 pesos. ($27) Since the dollar vs. the peso changes daily, so does the cost of everything. It has varied from 12.80 to 13.30 since I arrived. The all day excursion from PV which included Yelapa is now $400 pesos.
Walking through the gauntlet of vendors, I found a small place, they’re all small, that sold some interesting glasses. (shot, brandy, wine, margarita, etc.) I met Maya who sold me on a unique sipping glass (vasa) She told me that only her father (padre) makes them. (see photo) 50 pesos lighter, I resumed my hike.
11:45am Office open. Quote of the day when the bartender said, “For you Juan, we start happy hour when you walk in!” And thus began my day at the office.
If you haven’t noticed, one of the things I do in Mexico is study Spanish. Brilliant choice, John! I like to use it while writing as you may have noticed. By the end of my stay in Bucerias, the entire blog should be in Spanish greatly reducing my extensive readership. LOL. I also like to use the Spanish word of the day. I don’t include every one, only occasionally. Today it is:
animar, verbto encourage
When you want to encourage someone to do something, you express the idea in Spanish with the verb animar.
I encourage you to come and visit me. Now for my hike and nap.
I found a hidden Italian Ristorante called Mezzo Giorno. Avenido del Pacifico 33 http://www.mezzogiorno.com.mx/ Will take a photo later, closer to sunset. (see pics) Beautiful romantic setting for dinner. Heard it was great food.(I asked a couple sitting there.)
Arrived at the Shamrock at 5:01pm with a muy fria cerveza con limón waiting. How great is that! Jess was tending the bar while Sharon and Natalie scurried to please a table of 8 Canadians. Seated at the bar were two guys whom I had spoken with yesterday. One being from Aberdeen Scotland with a brogue so thick, I could only make out every 5th word. (memories of my trip and laughs in Ireland 2003) They had talked about an early morning fishing trip planned for today. It turns out they were quite successful and one of the tuna weighed in at 25kgs. They had even brought one to the Shamrock and using the fresh catch, Natalie was busy preparing several orders of proper Fish n’ Chips. (English style)
The ever Smiling Katie arrived later to help with the trickle of patrons. Pedro and I had met her last Saturday night. She works as needed, mostly weekends. She helped me pick a square on the Super Bowl board for 20 pesos. Sarah, fresh off the beach, popped in for a bit and I briefly met Natalie’s blonde roommate, Lola.
I met one guy, didn’t catch his name, that has been living full-time in Bucerias for 4 years. For the price of one Corona (80 cents), he gave me his recommendations for the best food in town. I took a few notes. Later, Steve the VN Vet and ex-postal worker showed up and sat at the bar with me.
By now my stomach was speaking and after a considerable amount of drooling I decided that an order of proper Fish n’ Chips was required. Thanks, Natalie.
With great food in hand, I headed uphill to 102 Sauce. The fish was fantastic. Fell asleep on the futon downstairs with page 300 bookmarked. And indeed it was a beautiful and interesting day. If you haven’t noticed, a cast of characters has been forming.

Buenos Noches!