First Ladies lunch at it’s at Pancho’s on the beach.

 

Today was the first ladies lunch of the season.  The past couple of years we have started out at Pancho’s, so why not today.  Ruth our lunch cruise director is presently off on a big adventure in the far east….as in Vietnam etc. and won’t arrive until later in the season so we are starting without her.  

Here we are up front ready to go…well almost.  Marilyn is going  to check on Pat to see if she is ready. 

Off to catch the bus and head to the Golden Zone for lunch.

We got off the bus at the Panama bakery and coffee shop to walk down to Pancho’s on the beach which is on Playa Gaviotos.  Look at the beautiful wedding cakes.  They really know their cakes in Mexico.

It was a slow wander down to the restaurant as there are so many clothing shops along the way. 

When we got inside the restaurant it was quite busy and we had to split up.  Four of us upstairs and five of us downstairs.  To start…chips with salsa and a small spicy pepper stuffed with marlin.   Delicious and this is a free appetizer or “tapa de comida.” 

A glass of wine for Cathy (in pink), Nancy across from her and Jeannette.  A Pacifico lite for me.  I couldn’t get Pacifico lite at the last drop as they said they couldn’t get any!  What they meant was they couldn’t get it in bottles so why not serve  it in a can with a cold glass.   Makes sense to me!

Kathy & Cathy.  My camera didn’t like the bright light in here but the cell phone cameras worked just fine.

       

Nancy and Jeannette.  Nancy never gets to come to lunch because Wednesday is her golf day.  That hasn’t started yet so she was really happy to come with us.  She hopes we can all go to Angelina’s kitchen next week…..don’t see why not.

This is the downstairs group.  Pat, Pam (she and Randall are in Las Jaibas for a month) Anita, Marilyn and Sandi.  I had to break it to the ladies that it is “air conditioned” upstairs.  It was really warm downstairs even with the ocean breeze.  Luck of the draw I guess.

We have a birthday pizza party in the park tonight so we all tried to pick something a bit light.  This is my avacodo stuffed with fresh shrimp salad.  Pretty large, but not too heavy.  Nancy had the same.

Cathy and Jeannette had the shrimp caesar salad.   Looks good!

I did not dash downstairs to take pictures of the other ladies lunches but they said everything was delicious.  It always is at Pancho’s.  

Following lunch we were served a small glass of a coffee and cream liqueur with ice.  Usually a small shot of tequilla at the beginning of the meal but…not today.   No problem…too much alcohol in the afternoon when it’s hot makes me sleepy.

               

Lots of interesting artwork in Pancho’s and many things to be purchased.  This is in the stairwell as you head down.  Two flights of stairs that the waiters pack huge trays of food and drinks up and down.  I’m guessing they are very fit!

                       

After lunch some of the ladies headed off to shop and Anita and I decided to catch the bus home.  It is still very warm and humid and we were both tired.    While we were waiting I saw the little old man who makes and sells marionettes wearing sombreros.  He frequents the Golden Zone and is a bit of an institution there.  I read about him in an issue of the Pacific Pearl last year.  Neat stuff if you want a marionette for a souvenir.

So….good food, good service and good company.  What more can you ask for.

Hair today and gone tomorrow!

Today is Eric’s 71st birthday!

For those of you who have been following his big hair adventure it’s all over now…

Yes, he’s cute and yes, he obviously can grow hair….lots of it and …it’s not grey….but….

It’s gone!  Too much trouble to wash, brush, shower and most of all too much trouble in the ocean.   But….it is hair and it will grow so who knows maybe it will be long again! 

Plants, Park, Beach and a Mexican holiday weekend.

 

I was lying in my chair reading and Eric was tuning up his new/used bicycle that he bought when we were in the Yuma area on our way home last spring.  Look you can even see my toes!

Bye bye Eric I’m going for a walk.

Papa John’s garden.  Lovingly tended and watered.

That’s Bill chatting to Rockie.  Rockie and Nancy moved out of the middle row this year and I think Rockie misses all the people stopping by.  Now he’s sitting under a tree where he can see what’s going on.  Everyone wants to know what’s going on!

Pretty bush up front.  I don’t know what it is but….

the flowers are gorgeous and have a very subtle sweet scent.

Out the front of the park and this is where I head in the morning for my walk.  The grass sure could use some trimming.

Always a vine growing somewhere.

Looking north towards Cerritos.  This pull off in the middle of the road quite often has a vehicle having a party.

Walking towards the road to the beach.

We usually walk in the middle of the road because the palms have coconuts on them that could drop on your head!  Not to mention the garbage along the sidewalk.  A huge problem in Mexico.

Just a short walk to the ocean.

This palapa has set up at the bottom of the stairs and does a good business selling food and drinks. 

Looking north toward the Riu.

Always a colorful bird somewhere.

Looking south.

Surf fishing.

That’s Papa John coming over for a chat before he heads into the ocean to do some laps.  He swims twice a day….waves permitting.

Heading back to the park you can see the office in the distance.

Heading to the back of the park.  Pretty empty over here right now.

Beside us is this pretty tree covered in….

mamey sapota  fruit.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pouteria_sapota

I tried it last year and it kind of tasted like a demerara sugar cantelope.  They apparently use it in milkshakes and ice cream.  Not something I’d eat every day.  Link above.

Behind us the fence is covered in another vine of some type. 

This is a holiday weekend (Revolution Day) and later in the day the beach was full of Mexican families enjoying a day at the beach. 

https://www.tripsavvy.com/the-mexican-revolution-1588851

If you are interested in the history of the 10 year revolution there is a link above.

So….all is well here.  The good thing about being in a warm climate for the winter is the amount of exercise that we get.  Walking, weights and bicycle riding which we couldn’t do at home unless we went to the gym twice a week.  Just not the same!

Pretty quiet days right now!

I see that my last post was on Monday but realistically not too much has been going on and now it’s Friday. 

We played cards on Tuesday but we were an uneven number and it just didn’t work out.  Robyn sat out while Sandi, Nancy, Jeannette and I played.  She did sit in for one hand and then just socialized.  Next week we might be six or….seven and that doesn’t work either.  So many ladies missing and we are really noticing it in everything we do. 

Wednesday we were out shopping.  Sam’s Club for flats of Pacifico, ripple chips and tomatos.  Wal-Mart for the rest and then off to our new water store for two 5 gallon jugs of drinking water.  The guy there remembered us from last spring and was happy to see us.  The store is located in a Mexican subdivision area so we might be the only gringos that go there….who knows.  He does a great job of cleaning the jugs and the water tastes good.  11 pesos or about 77 cents per jug.  Really nice guy.  We usually go out for lunch on Wednesdays but Ruth (our cruise director isn’t here yet.)  We did decide we will start without her next week and let here take over when she arrives. 

I managed to get my washing done, hung out dried and put away yesterday (Thursday.)   This wouldn’t seem like much except that I drug it up to the front of the park using my new grocery cart and then brought it back and hung it out on the line to dry.  No problem except it was so humid I think I lost a gallon of water sweating in the humidity while I did it!   In the afternoon we were off to the beach and I even managed to get in for a dip.  Still a bit rough but should be better today.  Boy was it warm water!

Last night it was Bingo and you know how I love bingo….not so much!  I do enjoy the outing, the company and getting to eat out so it’s not all bad.

There were only four of us waiting for the bus and a pulmonia driver showed up.  He said he’d take us up to Cerritos for 40 pesos so we jumped in.

Pulomonias

Pulmonias are a unique form of transportation that can only be found in Mazatlan. These open air cabs look like over-sized golf carts and are easy to catch, can take you to just about any destination in Mazatlan and can be found throughout the city at all hours of the day and night. Riding in a pulmonia is quite the adventure with the wind flying through your hair and the selection of music that they play.

 

Sandi was in front.

Me, Marilyn and Jeannette in the back. 

 

The Last Drop where we play bingo is farther up on the right. 

We met Robyn who was already there and Anita joined us later.  I did win one round (200 pesos and I gave Alex the bingo caller 50 pesos which is good etiquette.)  Winning always makes it fun.  Anita won, Sandi won, Robyn won and Marilyn and Jeannette did not.  Maybe next time!

Today I walked early (6:30) and a bit later Eric rode his bicycle.   This afternoon….off to the beach.  Eric says it’s even calmer today so I should be able to stay in longer. 

We’ll both be glad when the A/C doesn’t have to be running all afternoon….

Day four in Mazatlan.

So what’s been going on….well not too much.  It’s taking a bit to adjust to the heat and humidity so it’s been slow going. 

We arrived on Thursday afternoon and now it’s Monday afternoon.  Friday morning we unloaded the bike before we backed up into our preferred spot.  Man…did we sweat!  80% humidity and 33C that day and it was uncomfortable. 

Sorry for the glare but I was shooting into the sun.  This might seem to be an odd “preferred spot” to many but as you can see there is no one behind us or on either side.  This suits us. 

We didn’t get everything set up that day but….one day at a time.  We aren’t in a hurry.  I did manage to run over to Gumay’s (spelling?) vegetable truck and the shrimp guy was here as well so dinner was great.  I bought a pound of medium shrimp for about $7 Canadian.  Garlic shrimp, fresh beans and a little crunchy tomato salad.  Bueno!   I so miss the fresh produce of Mexico when I am at home.  Gumay and the shrimp seller (I’ll get his name) are here on Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning around 10:00am.  How convenient is that!

One other thing is now as it should be.  As we don’t have a dishwasher here like we do at home….Eric is it!  I cook and do pots and he does the dishes.  Isn’t he cute!

It has been busy in the park over the last few days as people pass through.  Three big rigs out back by us and a half a dozen up front all left this morning for destinations farther south.  Lots of rigs will be moving through over the next month. 

Up ahead is the area of the park which has always been a preferred area as there is no thru traffic.   The road is a dead end.

This is Rocky and Nancy’s new Big Horn.  They are parked in Dick and Val’s usual spot.  For health reasons they are not here and it is nice to see someone that they know in their spot. 

Val always kept a very tasteful and pretty site.  Don’t you think Nancy’s flamingos are a nice touch. 

Parked right ahead of Rocky and Nancy are Frank and Sandi.  They are parked in John and Geri’s old spot as they aren’t here this year either.   Again it’s nice to see people that they know and like in their spot.  The rest of the row is quite empty this year as many people are not here for one reason or another.  Ron & Diane and Fred & Marion are usually in this row.  We miss them all and hope they will have a good winter wherever they are. 

Eric has managed to start riding his bicycle and I even got up and did my morning walk today.  Eric did his weights today and walked the beach yesterday.   There is plenty to do here and soon we’ll have all our routines back in order. 

The ocean is warm but the surf is huge right now so swimming hasn’t been an option.  I sat on the beach yesterday afternoon while Eric walked.   Hopefully it will calm down soon.   Beach pictures another day.