Another day in Puerto Vallarta

I have been staying in my PV condo for the last 3 weeks. It's so much different from the house in Sayulita. I love it here!!  Everything is within walking distance and mucho restaurants of all sizes. I thought I would just sneak in and spend a quiet month here but so many of the PV gang are still hanging around (LOL) that already I have more social life than I expected. Julia, from San Pancho stayed the night last weekend and we went together to the yearly neighborhood party on the roof of the condo. The entire neighborhood is gringo. I guess that's why they call it Gringo Gulch! Hector from Sayulita is coming for a night this weekend. I walk along the newly redone Malicon (beautiful, think Miami) everynight. Lots of entainment. I looked at a new Condo being built on the water just above the beach at the blue chairs (a local term for Gay Beach) literally steps to the beach and right in the Zona Romantica. I am so tempted to buy but I already own 3 properties in Mexico. I think something has to go before I buy something more :-((  I don't want to put all my huevos in one Mexico!! This is going to be short as I have to go to the Airport and pick up Veronica who is returning from 2 weeks in San Diego. The weather has been somewhat cooler this year. Many overcast days and some rain but still warm and nice. Perfectly clear warm day today......

Not just another day.

Took my walk early this morning into town. Past the primary school with hordes of children being dropped off by their parents. Loads of pickup trucks loaded with workers going to the various building projects here. This little town is very much alive......It's been a little muggy lately. Veronica (Gypsy Vero) is fully moved in downstairs. It appears she brought an entire house hold of goods, she wants to feel at home, so she brought it with her! It's a pleasure to have her here. She went to the Penita market and over to Rincon Guayabitas today, taking her friend Fred with her. He is visiting from Phoenix. We all, including Julia, went out to Don Pato's ( open mic)  night before last and I spent yesterday and today recouping. 4 cubre libras for me.....Today I caught iguanas fornicating  on the lot next to mine, they have no shame (picture enclosed) look close you will see them. A little green female and a large gold male on top. I have been throwing my banana peels and anything bio degradable on the lot next door, hmm, maybe I should stop, ya think!, I might attract a Boa or something worse than iguanas. Veronica saw a good size snake on the road the other night, OMG can you imagine the horror (LOL). We do live in a jungle. The sun is setting now and is so beautiful. I hate to keep saying that but It's true.  The variety of food here in Sayulita has improved dramatically in the last couple of years. Tomorrow I and the usual suspects are going to Don Chow's for Chinese and then somewhere to hear Gino play. Gino is a local gringo that plays somewhere almost every night. He is a favorite of Veronica's so we are all trotted out occasionally to see him. Veronica is kinda the ring leader. She who must be obeyed.... Enough of this drivel.....I wish everyone a very happy 2012

Another great day

The shrimp boats are out in the water and surfers are bobbing around and waiting for the next big one. The weather is a little overcast but warm and nice. Lots of activity around. Fernando is painting the rails on the deck and Angeles is cleaning the kitchen after my spurt of cooking yesterday. I made oatmeal cookies, and fried some chicken. I have started cooking more since I got back from San Francisco after Thanksgiving. I guess I realize how much I miss USA food. So I am generating my own. Hector called from Mexico City and he is coming back to Sayulita Tuesday, good news. Today was my birthday and received lots of Happy Birthday wishes. Not going out for a dinner tonight with friends as I still am a little under the weather. A little chest infection and some antibiotics, and I'm feeling better. My friend Dee called to say she is leaving Belize and going to the oil fields of N.Dakota. She worked in the oil fields of Alaska and can drive big rigs. She is following the money, she's got gumption as Grandma Moody use to say. My friend Veronica is gallivanting all around S. California and plans to arrive here in January when she will rent my Studio. I picked up Julia at the airport the other day so the old Riviera Nayarit gang is slowing returning.  Me I am just sitting around enjoying the beautiful weather. Today I guess I will study some Spanish and catch up on the political scene.

A whale of a day

Back in Sayulita after a quick Thanksgiving in San Francisco. It was a short trip encompassing some business, some pleasure. My brother and his wife came to SF for dinner. It was very nice. :-)) The weather is again perfect with the ocean being quite rough and noisy last night. The birds are in full noise, large yellow, blue and of coarse  the Chacalacka's. (hehe) I'm sure I spelled that wrong. Of course the little bugs are in full force too! They come in too many sizes, shapes and colors to even begin to describe. My Architect and friend Hector is in Mexico getting ready for surgery. He had a small cancerous growth on his ear. He says it's cold in Mexico City!  Went to Mega and Wal-mart  (yes we have both within 20 minutes) today with my renters, Bic and Roni, looking for decent binoculars for whale watching. We didn't find any :-(( The whales are out there, I saw a spout about 20 minutes ago. I got this nasty cold from jumping to San Francisco and back to Sayulita in 5 days. So this blog may be a little blah, like I feel today. But I don't want to lose my blog space so I have to put something here......the sun is about to set, what a sight!!  Hasta luego amigos.

A new season a new day

Here I am once again in Sayulita.  When I get here it's always so beautiful. That humid air I feel when I get off the plane says hey we're back in the jungle...my personal jungle is so green and full of birds etc. An architect is building a house adjacent to mine. She said my jungle was gorgeous and hoped I would never destroy it. Well I am one of the few that built my house without decimating the landscape first. Like she did!! The city had a very slow summer and the locals for once are hot for work. Americans are afraid of Mexico, they don't want to come here, hmmm I don't want to go to Oakland, California for fear for my life. Parts of San Francisco aren't that safe either. I guess it's just a mind set. The house fared well as the summer was mild. Fernando was on top of everything. My friends and neighbors are filtering in. Lots of welcome back dinners' and after noon beers at the beach. It's hard to be a recluse. I am sitting here with every window open and enjoying a nice breeze off the ocean. Netflix streaming has come to Mexico, awesome, best new thing so far this year......our own Pemex should be open soon as well. Could things be better??

Carmel Valley Weekend

Drove to Carmel Valley to visit my friend Gypsy Vero for the weekend. She has a lovely little private home in the woods on a mountain side. She had a little gathering of friends. Poets, Writers, Artists of all sorts, neighbors, old friends and the such. We sat on the deck and insulted one another with relish and enjoyed it immensely. V cooked all the food. It was a gourmet delight :-))   My brother Jimmy and his wife Dana were there. They joined right in. Dana is photo buff so she took many pictures. My brother and Dana arrived in Carmel Valley in an RV. He rented it and drove from Sacramento to see if this was a viable way to travel. It was a nifty (that is a 50's term) van. Quite not what I expected. Lots of space, great layout and nicely decorated, very tasteful.(LOL) And the cat loved it! So a good time was had by all. I am back here in San Francisco starting to pack up to return to Sayulita, Mexico. It's been a busy summer, and over all too soon. I am a little sad to leave SF but I will get into the swing of things quickly in Sayulita. All my Sayulita friends will be returning from all over the USA for winter on the Nayarit Riviera.....  I think I have my San Francisco apartment leased for the winter months. I will know tomorrow, if so I will need to get out of here and return home to Sayulita very soon! Adios San Francisco,  Bienvenido Mexico.

A foggy day in San Francisco

I have been back from Sayulita, Mexico about a month now. The weather has been good until this week, it has been miserable. Cold, windy, foggy, drizzly etc. It's good tho to be back. My friend Gypsy Vero (see her blog) from Carmel Valley visited along with Fred from Arizona. We went to see the Picasso exhibit at the De Young and out for Dim Sum. I miss the food when I am in Mexico. Since I have been back I have had good ole American  food, along with  Indian, Italian, Chinese, Thai, etc and I haven't even left the neighborhood. A new large whole foods like store (Mollie Stone) opened within a block, so now I bop down for all my organic foods, yeah like I'm an organic food nut (LOL) besides I can't afford 2.69 for my Greek yogurts. I can get the same at the mission Asian markets for 1.09. Am I getting cheap in my old age? But hey convenience is worth something, I think.... I am always bitching about the prices in Mexico but the prices here are absolutely astounding. I got my car washed down the block and it was 21 bucks, only 10 bucks last year. Hey there is inflation going on. The dishwasher went out yesterday and I was complaining how it's practically new, then I checked the warranty and its 6 years old, where has the time gone, but still I would expect at least 10 years on appliances. Things are good here and it is nice to be back.......