Since the weather and water are warm here we have decided to stay another month in Mazatlan. We've seen very little here yet so there is still lots to do.
Today I had to buckle down and defrost the fridge, clean up the barbecue and wash the patio. We were starting to get really grubby and things look a lot better now. The rig really needs a wash too but the water will leave it all spotty so it will have to stay dirty. At least we can take the truck to a car wash if we muster up the energy!
Eric went for a bicycle ride and that was it for him today so we are now going to call him " Chair Ass." It is really easy to get lazy when the weather is so nice. I really need to do laundry and shop but tomorrow is another day. Maybe I'll just go shopping on the bus with Marilyn, Sandi and Connie instead.
Maurice and Anne returned from their drive to San Blas and back in one day and said that although it was a beautiful they would not take the motorhome down that way. They went down one road and came back the other and it was great highway but too twisty and too many low hanging trees and sharp turns. They would not take the Harley's that way either as it would be too easy to go off the road if you dared to look at any scenery. Good to know.
Wednesday, January 13, 2009
Well we still have no food or water and the laundry isn't done but we are having fun.
Yesterday I hopped the bus with Marilyn, Connie, Sandi and Betsy(Boomer's wife.) We headed down to the old market in Centro and started there. This was my first look at the market that sells every type of dead meat you can imagine and the smell is quite overwhelming. I am not unused to cutting up meat and butchering but I usually don't buy sandels and eat a meal right next to it. Not a hit for me and I think I'll stick to the supermarket for meat. The vendors in all the stalls are too agressive for me and it just makes me cranky and unwilling to look or buy!
We continued on to the shops on the street and that was better. Connie had to find material for the tables for the Chile cook off and we found some really bright Mexican cloth that will work well. I bought a few yards of white cloth to cover and protect the 5th wheels tires.
It didn't take long until we were ready for beer and food and we ended up in a little Mexican bar called Eduardo's. Good food and beer and while we waited we were offered DVD's and watches at the table. I bought Sherlock Holmes for 25 pesos and it will likely be terrible quality but we'll see. Betsy bought a watch for 120 pesos and then it was time for lunch. From there it was onward to the bus and into the gold zone for more shopping. By the time 4pm came we were all tired and ready to head home as we'd been gone since 10:30 in the morning.
When we arrived back at the park Eric had left me a note that we were going to Maurice and Anne's for a barbecue and there was also an email from Jean's wife Marla to read.
Seems that the Mexican's dropped the stretcher while taking Jean to the airport and once in the air more problems developed. The chest tube was in the wrong place and the ventilator on board was not helping him breath. They fixed the chest tube up in Montana but he and Marla had to stay for 24 hours as the weather was too bad to get out. He is now back in Edmonton but has had a stroke. There was a tear in the artery in the back of his neck that was not discovered here in Mexico and the medical attendants on the plane said that these types of errors and problems were why they wanted him out of Mexico. He is to be in hospital for three months at this point although his wife is hoping the stay will be shorter. We all wish him luck.
Sam and Rita arrived back in the park late on Tuesday night and they came to the barbecue last night as well. Sam has been under the La Tourista bug for a few days so he was not his usual happy go lucky self plus they were both tired from their 12 hour drive back. They'd had enough of their whirlwind trip and just wanted to get home. It was decided that we would all take a bike trip together to Copala tomorrow which is on the road to Durango. The road past Copala is called the Devil's spine and we will not go that far.
The church in Copala.
We all headed out at 10:00 this morning and we went out the beach road on to the libre and then through Mazatlan and then Villeunion. It is a tough ride with all the traffic and exhaust and the drivers will not give you an inch and come at you from all directions. Not for the faint of heart. I have the added problem that my right foot gets really hot from the exhaust pipe and my boot is melting so I have to keep shifting my foot. We made it on to the road to Durango and then it got better. The road is pretty twisty coming into Copala but the traffic wasn't too heavy. We travel way slower than the other two couples but that's okay with me. Coming into Copala their road is all cobblestone and a really rough ride. We ended up at their church which was built in 1750 for a little sight seeing and then down to the restaurant that Sam chose for lunch and it is famous for it's banana creme pie.
Maurice, Anne, Kathy, Eric, Rita and Sam at lunch.
There is a picture of the owner with Bill Clinton so we were really impressed. Not! We had a great lunch, Eric and I both had chile renenos and it was very, very good. Oh, and of course banana cream pie for desert.
The Harleys in Copala.
The trip back down the mountain was slow as we got stuck behind a big lumber truck with no where to pass. This of course did not stop the Mexicans from passing on blind curves and double lines but they can die if they want to, I don't care. We made it back to the park aroung 4:30 pm and are now relaxing over cold beer. The rest of the crew has gone off to another freebie condo margarita night up the street and we opted out. Too tired and didn't want to go any way. Maybe we'll get together tomorrow night for dinner out before Maurice and Anne leave on Friday we'll see. In any case shopping and laundry must be done tomorrow. Thank God there's a cold beer store next to us or we'd really be in trouble.
Thursday January 14, 2010
Today I managed to get some laundry done and vacumn so we are slightly back on track. We are hanging around the park today as Maurice is getting ready to store his rig etc. and Eric will help. I went down to see Anne and she loaded me up with some frozen food and vegetables. We will be able to survive without shopping until tomorrow and of course there is the cold beer store next to us so although we don't have bottled water we do have beer!
Maurice's high performance Road King.
Maurice and his "Outstanding Gut" - his words, not mine!
Eric helped Maurice store his rig and car trailer this morning and they are now ready to head out. Eric was having trouble getting the car trailer into the tight spot next to Jean's motorhome and Dave (Maria's man) offered to give it a try. Apparently Dave drove logging truck for 30+ years and so he managed to wiggle it into the the spot.
We have noticed the varying abilities of RVers parking their rigs. Some use the roar, back up and don't look approach and some (I'm guessing ex truck drivers ) just smoothly slide the rig into it's spot effortlessly with no trouble. However, the best approach always includes GOAL - Get Out And Look and that approach is a lot easier on the wife. Lots of practise helps as well!
We said goodbye to Maurice and Anne and headed off to get groceries and water. That has become easier over the past couple of trips once you learn how to drive like a Mexican. We will now take it easy for a day or two as it has been a bit stressful with the bike accident and getting them stored to leave.
We took a late evening walk up the beach to Cerritos as the surf has been up and the good surfers have shown up. It was quite crowded in the water as the area is quite narrow and there were lots of boogie boarders and surfers. I didn't pack my camera with me so unfortunately I didn't get any shots. Too bad, next time.
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