Good grief! Out for dinner two nights in a row 😁

 Dinner at Frank and Sandi's last night but first a little history.  We met Frank and Sandi along with Dennis and Marilyn back when we were all RVing.  In 2000 when Covid hit we three couples continued to come to Mazatlan but there was nothing to do socially...no eating out, no bingo and no ladies lunch either.  Frank decided we should have rotating dinners at each couples place and what a good idea that was!  We became even better friends.  When Covid was done with us we carried on but not quite as frequently.  Frank and Sandi are only here for two months this season so we had to get going. I'd been unwell and Marilyn and Dennis  had  the terrible cold that's going around and then Marilyn had arthroscopic surgery on her knee and couldn't walk for 10 days.  Now...we're all good to go!

The back palapa in our complex had a little kids birthday party going on as we left.  Very grandiose...I wonder if the birthday child will even remember!  When we got home just after 8 all that was left was cleanup and exhausted crying small children😁

Now why does Eric have a bucket😁  Well...to pick up gravel from a pile beside the sidewalk.  We've been "rescuing" plants that need repotting.  I'll save that story for another time🤣

Eric, Frank, Dennis,  Sandi and Marilyn.

Selfie of sorts!

Marilyn and Dennis are from Whitecourt Alberta and they are a very happy couple. 

Way back there is our cook Sandi!

The spaghetti is ready😂

Time to dish up.

No room for six so Frank and Sandi sit at the kids table.  Frank and Sandi are from Panora, Iowa...we're a diverse group!

Doesn't that look good?  Scrumptious ice cream chocolate bars for dessert.  The package said six and there were only four so Frank and Sandi didn't get one.  Poor packaging or did someone take two out. 

We finished up with funny stories about children and grandchildren.  Our granddaughter Abby provided a few chuckles about when she was little.

A good time was had by all...my turn next!

A lovely evening with Ian and Linda.

 

Ian and Linda arrived about 10 days ago and yesterday afternoon we went for happy hour and dinner. They have a lovely rooftop seating area in Cerritos Resort.  The afternoons and evenings are still very warm so it was lovely.

You can see the very architectural Riu which is a pleasant backdrop.  In the distance the ocean.

Guess who😁

We were treated to a pretty sunset as there was lots of cloud cover.

Here Eric and Ian were figuring out Firestick apps.  Ian and Linda's landlord had neglected to tell them he'd changed internet carriers so they just finally got their internet straightened out!😁

A nice dinner and home just after 8pm.

The return of ladies lunch and we're at Zasshi a Japanese bistro!

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Happy New Year all!  You will have noticed that Ladies Lunch has been missing for the last 3 weeks and that's because I had a health blip.  Things are mostly sorted out now and I'm feeling well enough for Ladies Lunch.  I decided to start with Zasshi as we all liked it so much last year and it's pretty close to home. Located on the north end of the Golden Zone almost across from Los Arcos which is next to the Fresh Market mall.  

I hadn't seen some of the ladies like Cathy in the middle,and Mary on the right just arrived.  Sandi on the left and I play cards and I go to bingo with her.  Nice to get out and about again!

Zashi is relatively new and has become a favorite with some of the ladies who pop in to eat on a regular basis. 

We started out with 12 coming and ended up with 9.  On the left Cathy, Liz, Mary hidden, on the right Diane's friend Terry, Diane, Ruth, Sandi and at the end Linda.  All happy to be there. 

We had a very nice young waiter who spoke good English and he didn't balk when I said individual bills!  As we ordered he asked if we wanted Miso soup which is on the house.  Of course we do!

There's Mary next to her friend Liz. 

Linda with her Miso soup.  She and Eric's brother Ian arrived last week for a 3 month stay in Cerritos Resort.  We are really happy they have arrived.

Ruth, Linda and I decided to share three dishes.  This is tempura vegetables and shrimp.  The lightest batter and really, really good.  Very affordable at 150 pesos.  Most of the entrees were under 200 pesos which makes this restaurant one of the most reasonable in Mazatlan. 

Next for us tuna tostadas which comes with two on the menu but they added one more for an extra charge so we could share three ways.  The tuna is raw, marinated and a bit spicy...excellent!

Sandi ordered shrimp teriyaki and she said it was delicious.  A man sized portion so she took half home. 

Mary ordered Kung Pao chicken....again very good.

Doesn't that look good!  Mongolian beef for Terry and Diane.  I asked Diane if the beef was tough and she said no and very flavorful.

Terry had her eyes shut!

Diane and her Mongolian beef....look at all the nice brocolli. 

Liz and Cathy shared a couple of different rolls.  Very good. 

Ruth ordered rolls for us She always asks the waiter what his favorite is as she can never make up her mind.  He said this one...Tampico I think and it was a very good choice. So three things for Ruth, Linda and I and boy were we full at the end of the meal.  I had planned to look for a key cutter but I needed to go home and have a nap instead!

Every one is full and chatting.  When the waiter brought the bills I told him we were a ladies lunch group that goes to a different restaurant every week.  I said we'd been to Zasshi last season and we liked it so much we came back.  He asked if we all lived in Mazatlan and I said no but we all stayed between three and six months.  I also noted we were a mix of Canadians and Americans.  He was quite interested.  I also said we came back for the the very good food, at a very reasonable price and the excellent service.  He was very pleased and said thank-you so much. 

A good time was had by all.  

Stay tuned for next week.

 

Christmas Gala at the Angela Peralta Theater

 

I'm a bit behind but here's a post on the Christmas gala that Ruth, Marion and I attended on Thursday night.  Marion and I met up to catch bus as we're out in Cerritos and Ruth went on her own from the Golden Zone.  We'd planned to meet up around 6pm and walk down to the Water's Edge restaurant for dinner. Marion and I managed to catch a bus after one blew by us and we were on our way.  By the time we hit the malecon along the ocean it was full...not even any standing room left.  The windows were dark and we couldn't see much.  Off the malecon and it started turning here and there and not on it's usual route.  A local man gestured that it was going to turn and I asked "mercado" or market which is a good landmark and he said Si.  It stopped and lots of people got off but we didn't know where we were.  I told the bus driver " Constitucion" and he said Si and pointed forward.  He lt us off and we still weren't sure where we were.  Turns out we were at least two streets east of our usual drop off.  Always a new wrinkle!

Up ahead the Christmas lights before the Plazuela or square. 

Ruth didn't show at the meet up and wasn't answering her phone so we headed to the restaurant worried that she was lost.  Turns out her bus took the usual route and...she'd forgotten her phone!  She was right behind us but we didn't see her. 

So here we are in the back room at Water's Edge restaurant.  We used to come here for ladies lunch when they used to be open for lunch.  It is much quieter in the back room especially when the "one man band" is so loud you can't talk over him.  A north american with a horn and a piano.  Definitely not dinner music and a few other people picked up their drinks and moved back with us. 

My selfie!

Water's Edge. 

And now for dinner.  We decided to have a drink and order four appetizers to share. That's the lettuce wraps and you have to make them yourself which is messy. Tasty enough.

The gyoza's which where tough. 

We shared a crab cake which was artsy but not good at all. 

There was also a plate of six deep fried battered shrimp which were the only good thing.  In the end it was expensive (each appetizer was over 200 pesos or about $15/$18 Canadian) and disappointing.  Perhaps the main meals would have been better but between the poor appetizers and the loud music we won't be back. However, the service was very good. 

The performance was starting at 8pm so we were on our way back to the Plazuela Machado and the Angela Peralta theater. 

Just a lovely street. 

The Plazuela Machado is all lit up for the holiday season!

Inside the entrance to the Angela Peralta and Mr. and Mrs. Claus are on duty. 

 

These young people are part of the performance. 

The photo is blurry but I wanted you to see the theater.  It ended up almost a full house. 

As there were people behind me I used zoom and took quick photos.  Here they are ready to start. 

There was a full orchestra in the pit and a full choir of children and adults.

There were two sopranos and two tenors as well as an "Angel" who did the announcing. 

The sets and costumes kept changing. Lots of color!

A few times choir members and dancers came down beside us.  It was nice to see them up close. 

The show was predominately children with an adult ballet troupe which did many different numbers. 

The program was conducted half in English and half in Spanish which was nice for us.  Many of the numbers were modern and one which looked like the " roaring 20's".  I could tell the dancers were having a great time with all the variety.  Very, very well done. 

We had reindeer and Santa's as well. 

Feliz Navidad!

At the very end Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus came on stage. 

A truly enjoyable performance!

Back to the Plazeuela which was still busy with people eating and bands playing.  We found a pulmonia  (a small taxi type vehicle that's like a Volkswagen crossed with a golf cart) and we were off home.  $300 pesos to take us to the other end of the city (we gave him $400 or about $30 Canadian) and we were off.  A lovely warm evening and a nice ride.  He played moldy oldies for us and Ruth sang and bopped along.  

A fun evening with two good friends.