February 26, 2009
Andy went alone (alone without me anyway….but with several other quads) on Lewis’ quad to a town further than ever before, to be gone 3 days and two nights. Meanwhile, Bob’s sister and I are painting the town red and I am finding out that I know how to find more places than I knew…..because I haven’t been driving much before. Justine and I have gone to Latitude 21 and Solley’s to eat, went to downtown Rincon and to the Thursday market. She and I found Arnie’s downtown store, the flan store, and the leather shoe shop (where I bought sandals of wonderful soft leather. We sat down and had flan in the middle of the market and people watched and then got a bit lost exploring La Piñata by night. We bought jewelry, walked down the beach, and made a coffee table on her patio out of a boogy board to sit our beer and salsa chips on. Justine tried a contest winner coconut margarita and all of the shrimp dishes we could find to eat. Judy, Sheila, Rebecca, Sharin, and I started painting the mural on the baños above us. They are going to have undersea, beach, and La Peñita RV park scenes…….one special one will be three white poodles astride a blue quad bike. Justine gets a kick out of the things we did when we first arrived, like the road work with no signs so you don’t fall in, the narrow roads that the cars water ballet around each other and between each other with inches to spare, and Margaritas served free at the jewelry store!

February 28, 2009
Andy had a great time on his quad ride and went to one town further than the last overnight ride. They rode to a town that starts with the letter “M” and I need to find its name on the map to tell you. It sounds something like “Mascot”. They had great food, saw another quaint village, slept in some needy places with a cold water shower one place, saw another beautiful church, and could see Puerto Vallarta from the 8000 ft. high viewpoint. The quads were parked, as usual, in a safe place inside while they slept. Of course, for Andy, it was the ride that was best. He has a tattoo on the fender of his bike, written in dirt, by a cute little girl. It said, “Rony” (and a little heart) in layer of road dust clinging to his quad. I forget, not being in on it, how much dirt can be on one person and one quad at a time, so you would have a time finding the color of his pants and face.
Meanwhile, JoAn (at home in La Peñita) went with Judy to her pottery class (Justine and Rebecca came too). We were fascinated by the paintings she had to show, the pottery and ground kiln set up in her flower child sort of living room combination gallery combination kitchen. Her pottery and sculptures were wonderful and Judy and Shirley are taking a class from her. She also caters breakfast….wish we had known about her when the kids were here! She is truly a free spirit in her art expression….I would love to have shared her and her pottery and art with Debbie and Carol. If we come back, I will take a class from her. She teaches painting as well as pottery. We worked a bit more on the mural but it will not have enough background done for me to do any sketches before we leave. We are leaving tomorrow morning at 7 am.
Today finds us loading kayaks, folding carpet, folding tables and loading them, and all of the numerous things we need to do to pull out of our spot tonight and hook up the car and line up by the entrance to leave tomorrow morning. We are going to the border with a nice couple named Ray and Judy Porteous in their 35 foot Dolphin with slides. There are at least 5 rigs leaving tomorrow and we will probably travel together to Mazatlan. In Mazatlan the others will split off and go another way. Some of them are going to the interior Mexico before they cross the border. Our plans are to stay one night in Mazatlan, then one in Los Mochas, one in San Carlos, and exit at Lukeville and go to Sunrise Nat. Monument where we can use our Golden Age passes. Our plans are to go to Utah and maybe Arizona. In Arizona, David Johnson’s wife has been diagnosed with Cancer and should be out of Cancer surgery when we get there. We may not do that though as she may be at a point in Chemo that she does not want to see anyone. The plans are to see our Utah kids also and we don’t know how long we can stay. The plan is for us to take three weeks getting home, but if we are to get home to take care of Penny for Deeana on March 14, we must do it in two!
We are downhill in a new spot just for overnight…..lined up for tomorrow!

February 23, 2009

Here we are again….home in La Peñita…..how can I possibly tell you about Mexico City, one of the wonders of the world all by itself. It is huge (9,000,000 people) and from the Latino Americana tower, downtown, it stretches like an ocean from horizon to horizon. The city floats on a lake bed a mile-and-a-half high. The ancient land of the Aztecs is now a thoroughly modern world capital, yet much of it is sitting on ruins built 2000 years ago, and except for some of the ruins that are being uncovered, or buildings rebuilt on top of ruins, the city is sinking at a rate of between one and four inches a year. Its great cathedral has a huge, but beautiful, plumb bob hanging from the center to keep track of its level and movement and then correct for it with pillars and jacks under the low ends. They are using some of the light volcanic rock from the excavated temples to repair some of the walls because it is a lighter material. The cathedral is extremely heavy sitting on the sinking bedrock, as are many of the old and preserved buildings. The ancient buildings in Mexico City are some of the most ornate, beautiful architecture that I have ever seen. The very rich rulers of ancient Mexico had to use a good deal of their resources in building beautiful things. There are gigantic carved sculptures, Aztec calendars, and detailed tiles on roof top trim that Eureka, CA would think (just one of them) to be the very world wonder to have in their city. The temples that are being currently uncovered near the Palace of Fine Arts are at least seven temples in layers. They sit under the ruins of the Great Temple or Teocalli, the once center of the Aztec empire.

Our hotel “Del Congresso” was only as luxurious as necessary to rest and shower, but located within walking distance of the Cathedral, Main square, National Palace, and Fine Arts Palace. We took every advantage of touring the Main Aztec temple museum, Palace of Fine Art (awesome artists murals like those of Diego Rivera and about the ancient history of Mexico), and the National Palace. With our guides, Sergio and Patricio, and their great sense of humor, the tour was enhanced by extra fun details, like climbing to the bell tower of the Cathedral and seeing the military changing of the gigantic Mexican flag in the square below from the top of the bell tower. The Aztec museum is not an ordinary museum. It contains all of the pieces of antiquity that are being excavated from the temple and pyramids, for us to see. Monolithic sculpture remains, portions of actual walls and murals, skeletons still wrapped in partial disintegrated blankets, and tiny reassembled fragments of carvings and animal bones are dramatically lit with background lights and staged to the best advantage. Some are dated from 500 AD.

We tried a few new foods too, like the delicious Pozole soup and prickly pear cactus cooked with cheese, onions, and sauce and called “Nopal”. I love Mexican coffee: strong espresso with steaming cream in a glass.

Our three days there went fast. We had a city tour that included the wonders of the Castle of Chapultepec and the National Museum of anthropology and history. A person could spend a week exploring each and never cover all of the history and things to see. The Anthropology museum alone was fabulously full of information and considered to be one of the best museums of anthropology worldwide.

The last full day we spent at the Teotihuacan archaeological site about 49 kilometers northeast of Mexico City. The site is thought to be as old as 700 BC, although it is not until 100 BC that construction of its two great pyramids began. Archeologists estimate that at its peak around A.D. 500, up to 200,000 people lived there, making it bigger than Rome at the time and one of the largest cities in the world. We climbed to the reconstructed top of the largest pyramid, the Pyramid of the Sun, the third largest pyramid in the world. In front of it is the mile long Avenue of the Dead and at one end of that is the second of its largest pyramids, the Pyramid of the Moon. Our entire group (about 15 of us) explored the site, including the restored Palace of Quetzalpapalotl, Teotihuacan’s most elaborate building. Beneath this palace is the Palace of the Jaguars, so called because of the jaguar images in the rooms (and ringing the courtyard) and the substructure with its feathered snails carvings. Needless to say, there were many Kodak moments.

One surprise visit was to a craft area nearby where the famous precious stones of Mexico are cut and mounted into the Aztec masks and Aztec sculptures sold all over Mexico. These are quality made from stones that were explained to us in their rough forms before we viewed the beautiful finished products to buy if we wanted. I think we cannot find this quality in many places in Mexico. We couldn’t afford any. The cut and polished stones are combined with the best of silver, Abalone, and other shells to make out of this world beautiful masks, jewelry, animals, and sculpture. One Aztec mask was made souly of blue Lapis Deluzy. They cut pieces of Obsidian, Opal, Turquoise, Jade, Quartz, Amethyst, and even Tiger Eye.

The demonstrations also included the uses of one of the local Agave plants that is a different species than the one used to make Tequila. The plant was used by the Aztecs for paper (pulled from between layers); for creams to soothe the skin (like Aloe); for the drink, Pulque (self fermented by the plant in its center); for fiber to make rope; and even to make a needle pre-threaded naturally with plant fibers and pulled from the end of the point of the center.
Near the pyramids our group stopped for dinner. The food was good, but the entertainment, better: both by the four piece Mexican band with heavenly voices, the Indian dancers, and by our own silliness posing with sombreros, Indian headdress, rifles, etc. (check out pictures)

It was a long drive, taking about 12 hours to get to Mexico City from La Peñita, but we never want to change the memories of Mexico City and the wonderful tour group that we went with.

Happy Valentines day to you.................................

bowed legs 'n spurs!

Grand prize

two indians and a baby cowboy..

Friday the 13th, February, 2009

Last night’s experience was the famous annual pig roast here at the park. We are supposed to dress up with goofy costumes that look western. Of course we left any semblance of cowboy clothes at home. Mom made some big spurs and what looks like cowboy boots out of cardboard. She really did a pretty funny job. Except for some goofy looking cowboy hats we bought in town and some big glass guns with corks from Tonala, we didn’t compete in the costume competition. There were some outlandish creations because there are some pretty clever people in this park: “Miss Kittys” by the number, a “Dolly Pardon” of very large mamos, Willy Nelsons, Texas rangers, Carole, both horse and cowgirl at the same time and riding a mechanical bull, and two excellent Indians with full head dress! You can bet that our experiences in Mexico are not compared to just anyone.

The school children at the school (the one we painted up with little mermaid murals) invited us for a surprise. They had gifts for each of us and a trusting, happy hug. The student’s papas had painted the inside of the classroom. We hope that we helped them have pride in their school…..the little ones, and their teacher, were so sweet to us.

Carole's dogs get bathed just outside our bus!

New quad trip to Hot Springs with David and Debby Gregory and their friends, Teddy and Quentin, Bob and Shirley Lewis, Carole Thacker and her son, Tyler, and his friend, and us and the beautiful scenery and the cool warm dip in the springs. We went 16 miles to the springs and it took 1 and a half hours to get there - one way.

Next Tuesday we will be taking a small tour bus for a five day excursion to Mexico City. This particular trip was highly recommended by others that have taken it. We will visit a couple Aztec pyramids—Pyramid of the Sun—a downtown tour, art museums and other archeological museums. It may be our last hurrah before heading back to the states.

After this 08-09 trip we will have covered several of the key places in Mexico: Ensenada, Tijuana, Mexicali, Baja (about everything there), Cancun, Cozumel, Chihuahua, Copper Canyon, Los Mochas, Mazatlan, La Peñita & Rincon de Guayabitos, Puerto Vallarta, Zijuatanejo & Xtapa, Acapulco, Guadalajara—Tlaquepaque—Tonala, and soon, Mexico City. That does not include several small towns or places that were special. The only places in Mexico I had been were Tijuana and Ensenada before Mom and I were married. Mexico is truly a wonderful country to see. So many Americans think that it is too dangerous to travel in Mexico, and they may be right—it may almost be as dangerous as United States. So maybe we should stay home, lock the doors and pull down the shades! Anyway, there are thousands of Canadians that have no fear and spend up to half a year in Mexico every year.

February 12, 2009

The ladies all dressed up yesterday and we attended the nicest fashion show I’ve had the privilege of attending. It had all of the elements: friends to enjoy the show with, beautiful clothes, designers, and models – some we know, especially model Bee, Carole’s mom, and designer, Lucy, who is making dresses for us already; entertainment to die for (The backup singer for the Supremes), the seventeen year old girl singer that is pretty as a picture and sings like a lark, and the handsome, romantic Mexican vocal, Roberto Curiel (who signed my CD, “with love”….are we never too old to swoon?); and the perfect setting with delectable food at the San Carlos Hotel in Rincon where they have a pool and a bridge crossing for the models and white table clothes for us. The MC was good too and it was a very special day. I owe a lot of my fun times to Shirley Lewis, who has gone out of her way to include me in all of her discovery places to go from past experiences. She and her husband, Bob, have shown us all of the best of Rincon Guayabitos and surrounding areas. We can never repay their kindness. They have truly made a great trip into fantastic.

Early to bed and early to rise….that is us…..there was a beach party last night and we decided it would be easier to cook for ourselves and then go down to the party after. Our gathering at Carol and Grants, their delicious BBQed ribs with Shirley’s salad, and the people coming and going lasted until our early bedtime and we missed the beach party altogether.......just went off to bed!


Andy’s comments on his kayak adventure of the day before:

I took the kayaks (on top of the Honda) to a secluded beach that one should have 4 x 4 to get to. That is why it is not too crowded. Gregory’s, their friends, Webber’s, and Lewis’ came, but Mom had promised Judy she would help her paint decorations for the upcoming Pig Roast. Dave hopped right into the blue kayak and went way out to the edge of waves by a reef and was riding them in. He claims he had never been in a kayak before. The waves were only a foot or so high on the shore so it was fairly easy get past them without mishap. But the ones Dave was playing with were two or three feet and he was a long ways from any help.

Quentin decided to go out and make sure nothing disastrous happened to Dave. It took two of us to get him through the first little waves and he went out for a brief while. When he came back in he somehow did not manage to keep the kayak coming straight in and ended up rolling over. That was enough kayaking for him. John went out and paddled around with Dave quite awhile. Then finally they came back in.

Teddy, to not be outdone by her husband, Quentin, wanted me to accompany her in a kayak, which I did. I warned her that I was not all that experienced, so she should not get her confidence built up too much. She was great and came back in under control.

The next day I spent quite awhile trying to come up with a system to wash all the sand out of the kayaks. I decided 95% will have to do. I do not understand how Quentin managed to get so much sand into his kayak. I did not catch on to the trick he had, but then I learned that he had been in the earth-moving business. Well, now I know why we hit it off so good.

This is Shirley's take on the full moon last night and it is well written!.....

Turtles under the moon
Now what does that mean.......well. ... . the ladies of La Penita RV park gather at 8:00 pm when their is a full moon....
Yes they gather but what do they do ...you ask
It is a gathering of the ladies who all jump into the pool NAKED........yes naked. So I was invited To come and see...bring a towel I was told. Well to say the least I was a little shy and decided to just watch. I watched these ladies strip their clothes (now mind you they come in all sizes and ages...all the way up to and over 80 years old) . Now the next thing you hear is laughing and music!!! All this under a FULL MOON.
ONLY IN MEXICO...AND ONLY AT LA PENITA RV PARK

PS Sorry no pictures of this event!!!!

February 9, 2009

Gayle Dixon little suspected four of us on two quads to appear at her house just starting to be built in La Penita. It is going to be a wonderful brick house, palapa, pool and all. The builder is working on it and we got to see it in it’s “before” stage and envision the finished house as it will be. Gayle is planting and cutting in the big yard and there is a new wall around it. The rest of our Sunday quad ride was just that, not too long or rough. We went to the top of the hills above Los Ayalas and viewed the sea and town below, among the beautiful newly built homes and lots for sale. Then there was lunch in Guayabitos , at a restaurant on the sand, with the sound of waves hitting, boats being launched, and children building sand castles. It was a rush to get home on the quads in time for me to make fresh shrimp cocktails before Shirley and Bob had to go up to their 400pm duty, cooking for “Hamburger Sunday” at the pool. The Gregorys, their guests, and the Webers came by and we made shrimp cocktails for everyone. At karaoke that night, we found out that our neighbor, Ken, and two other residence of the park could really sing. Jo even did one line dance.

Saturday evening it had been our privilege to be invited to Allen’s Bungalows Alexa to partake in his Saturday evening potluck. He invited us, his quad buddies, and entertained us by introducing his guests and Olga, his wife and fantastic cook. Olga made the best-we’ve-had chili rellanos. Two of his guests were wonderful entertainers and sang with their key board and guitar. One little boy named Andrew says he can imitate Johnny Cash!

A new project for Infinity coach???

Today, Monday, Andy has taken a bunch kayaking at Cave beach and I stayed here to help Judy paint wagon wheels of cardboard for the upcoming “Pig Roast” that promises some good times on Thursday.

February 07, 2009

Andy's observations:

Co-incidentally, JoAn has been working very hard this past week on a breast cancer volunteer project in the La Peñita RV Park where we have been staying the last ten weeks. They have been fitting Mexican women with prosthetics who have suffered with mastectomies and could not afford to be fitted with proper equipment. It was a huge team effort that came from everyone’s hearts. They made well over 300 hundred women very happy, many of whom went away crying in tears with happiness. Obviously their previous trauma had pulled them down and had changed their lives. This act of charity made a wonderful uplifting change for them. Maruka, speaking both English and Spanish was invaluable, along with a few of the other Spanish speaking helpers. Jackie, who lives in La Peñita, was first to organize this project and has carried it by herself for many years. Now it is time for others to help her.


While the men could not be involved helping directly, they supported with other projects like shuttling the women between the park and the buses, which stopped maybe a mile away. I was one of the drivers for three trips and when I helped the women off the van, practically everyone of them hugged me and thanked me—mostly in Spanish—for all of the team, especially the leaders, for the wonderful thing they made possible for them.


One Mexican friend who brings produce to the park twice a week donated a huge amount of food for the small restaurant to turn into soup and snacks for the patients who were waiting for their turn to get fitted. The three Mexican women who work in the restaurant donated their time for three hard days of work feeding those women waiting. They had never been so busy! Other women and men worked behind the scenes preparing the food, and running errands.


In preparation for the event, regular guests of the park and people outside of the park brought nearly 500 used bras and prosthesis from Canada and the US. It was quite a job setting up shelves and boxes to sort the sizes and types of everything, and fabricating eight fitting rooms in the clubhouse and setting up several sewing machines outside for customizing and adjustments. That is one place where some of the men came in to help. It was a big undertaking.
And you know what? It really brought the camp together even more. The guests here are pretty much a giving compatible kind of people that want to help. We believe it centers around Carole, who is the lady who rents the park and runs it. She is completely involved constantly. Carole instigates events and is always present.

February 06, 2009

Andy is spending bus cleaning time...

My miniature garden

One of many open pasture roosters

For those of you that stayed at the Hacienda Bungalows, this is how the front wall looks right now with flowers in full bloom and the duck still in charge!

The Webers and Gregorys (of southern Oregon Diesel) and their friends flew into PV yesterday and Bob drove to pick them up. In the evening there was a potluck dinner for the Mama clinic volunteers up at our pool and one catered for the passengers arriving from stateside (complete with party decorations) at Weber's house. Dinner was delivered to Webbers house at the same time they all walked in together from the airport....perfect timing and delicious dinner and chatter. Tonight we went to restaurant Latitude 21 to try the winning Margareta from the Margareta competition, called a coconut lime Margareta......delicious and afterwards had a Chi Coffee drink at Ada's new coffee shop and purchased a tiny dress with bonnet for little Karen's birthday (her mommy works at the pool cooking breakfast and we love little Karen....cute as a bug). Andy went to Chiropractor and I did line dancing and a facial! What a day!

February 04, 2009

There are alligators here…..just below in the swamp area just uphill from the beach.

Today and tomorrow ends our Mama Clinic….we have fitted several hundred women with a prosthesis and prosthesis bra and pride and wonderful exuberant happiness. For some of them they felt like they had been restored a bit of themselves that they had lost. We took pictures of all of the volunteers and many of the ladies strutting around with new confidence.

Last night we celebrated Lewis’ 38th wedding anniversary at one of the nicest restaurants in the area, The Xaltemba, with Lewis, Thackers, and their daughter, Rebecca. Time is flying…..tomorrow, the Webbers come home from their stateside vacation, along with the Gregory’s and another couple that is friends of theirs. Bob is driving to PV to pick them up.