Rainy day II in Arroyo Seco - and the mud piles up

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - We were awakened for the second night in a row by rain, this time accompanied by strong winds out of the south.

It reminded me of being anchored in Tenacatita Bay aboard Sabbatical and having the same thing happen some years back. One minute, you are in a paradise-like anchorage, the next, looking at a lee shore and hoping that your anchor is going to hold.

Last week we sold the Grey Goose Express I! Right now, it is in the possession of amigo and surfer dude Julian who is renovating it and will put it on his Arroyo Seco property as temporary housing.

He had asked to buy the Grey Goose for years and we caved in this year and sold it to him.

In an hour or so, we will hop in the car with Mike and Karen Schamel of Hector and head south to Barra de Navidad and other points to see what there is to see on a rainy day. I haven't been to Barra since the hurricane and want to see what's left. Barra sustained a lot of damage from ocean surge - even losing a landmark restaurant called Seamaster's. Plus we will make a stop at the miracle store.

I'll explain another time.

In the meantime here in el rancho Arroyo Seco, the rain has soaked the ground and what was at first a nice respite from dusty streets is turning those streets into mudpies - serious mudpies. Inside the compound we now have a growing lake and even the chickens have taken cover.



Sylvia wearing her handmade Mexican raincoat...

The forecast is for clearing Sunday (we hope) and a return to normal sunny beach life. In the meantime we have been assembling rain gear for our Barra adventure.

More on Barra de Navidad, the miracle store, and how to make raincoats out of plastic bags later.

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A rainy day in Arroyo Seco - no, really - rain!

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - We sat on a terrace overlooking Tenacatita Bay last night, remarking how the huge thunderclouds in the distance would have spelled rain for sure in upstate New York, smugly thinking that the clouds held nothing for us.

We were so wrong.

A few hours later, as we returned from a great dinner in La Manzanilla at Figaro's restaurant the rain began, with a slow pitter patter, followed by a little harder pounding.

And it rained all night and into this morning.

As I write this, the power has been knocked out (a very common occurrence when it rains) and the wind has started blowing, probably signaling that a high pressure weather front is moving through. It has already blown the lid off my water tank (which means climbing on the roof of the bodega) and sent other loose stuff flying about the property.

And when the sun does come back out, we can look forward to a serious blast of humidity and in a day or so, mosquitos.

Adm. Fox and Karen and Ginny have headed into La Manzanilla to the market there that on Friday sells all kinds of items: clothing, jewelry, even bootlegged DVDs of first-run movies in the U.S. Mike Schamel and I stayed behind - he's on the beach helping repair the fence around a turtle hatchery while I catch up on various writing projects, and, I suppose, getting my ladder out and replacing the airborne water tank lid.

The village farmers are ecstatic about the rain - it means their crops are likely to get a good boost. Rainwater seems to make things grow faster than well water for some reason.

On to the projects!





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Three days of seafood and it's time for a change

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - For three days, no, make that four days, we have had fabulous seafood meals, first in Puerto Vallarta and then at two restaurants here in Arroyo Seco.

A new restaurant opened a block back from the beach that is doing a great business by delivering meals to the hotel across the street where Karen and Mike Schamel and our amiga Ginny Tortarelli are staying.

The hotel (and 11-bedroom house, really) is full of guests and the deck grass area on the ocean side is the scene of a great cocktail party every night at puesta del sol.

After eating relatively healthy meals for two months, the sudden infusion of shrimp has been a little bit of a shock to my system.

Still, tonight we head into La Manzanilla for a dinner at Figaro's. My menu choice? Shrimp gambieri, of course.

Tomorrow I'll get back on the granola plan.

Below are two photos from the Pink Flamingo: one is the property at 8 a.m. this morning, the other is of one of scorpion removal team.





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The Internet line dies and is revived... Viva TelMex!

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - After several days sans internet in the village, a heroic hombre from TelMex (the telephone and internet service provider) arrived at the internet cafe to get things going again, just moments ago.
Added to that miracle is that this blogging software works again and you have quite a week going.
In the meantime, Mike and Karen Schamel arrived last night, escaping the cold (this year not-so-cold) upstate New York winter.
And now we are off to Luis' Restaurant Las Brisas for a lunch of shrimp and beer, er, I mean cerveza.
Hasta pasta, amigos.


TelMex to the rescue in Arroyo Seco
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Seeing Angels right here in Nuevo Vallarta

NUEVO VALLARTA, Nayarit, Mexico - Admiral Fox and I barreled up Highway 200 today, leading a two-car caravan with Sasha and her mother right behind us all the way into Vallarta from Arroyo Seco.

Sasha and Camelia came down for a long weekend and by all measures, had a great time.


Sasha sleeping in the hammock with Grandma.


Sasha and Grandma head out to the beach on our quad.

We have a handful of errands to do here in the big city, including getting new photos for our Mexican visas (called an FM3).

We have been to two Walmarts and a Sam's Club (all of which normally do these photos). But no joy. Both Walmarts have machines not working and Sam's Club pleaded total ignorance that the photos were ever done in their shops.

Que lastima! Santo Crappo.

We did make it over to the aeropuerto just in time to pick up Ginny French of Boston, an amiga of Sylvia's from Corning College and who is coming to Arroyo Seco for a week of fun in the sun. She will be joined by our other amigos, Karen and Mike Schamel on Tuesday.

But we took Ginny right in for lunch from the airport - to Napolitos, of course, in the Paradise Village Mall. And yes, that's a margarita in Adm. Fox's hand...


Adm. Fox and Ginny at Napolitos in the Paradise Village mall

In our quest for photos today, we did have one quasi-miraculous encounter - at a Telcel cellular store of all places.

I have been reading an Anne Rice book about the life of Christ (she does write some things that don't have vampires in them) and also having an ongoing dialogue with a writer amiga from Sayulita about everyday miracles and the likelihood that angels really do exist.

I am not sure the young ladies in the photo below qualify exactly, but still, it was fun getting my photo taken. Angels, right there in the Telcel store.


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BlogPress returns, which means photos can go up again...

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco - By what divine intervention I don't know, but suddenly BlogPress came back online on my iPad and so...

I think if I ever have a long enough time I will write a full report on what it is like using an iPad as a primary computer.

The jury is still out, except on the weight issue - the iPad weighs so little I can carry it all day and not worry about it. This particular blog is being written outside of the Internet cafe here because the floor is being mopped.



It will be great to get my own connection at the Pink Flamingo so I can sit in the shade, sip tea (or other beverage) and write from there. Perhaps by Monday night - provided I can set up the Tel-Mex modem without incident.

This afternoon amigos Randy and Karen, Greg and Joni and cousin Lynn are going to descend on the village for a look at things. By then, granddaughter Sasha, her mother, and Sylvia will return from their La Manzanilla crocodile tour.

I told Sasha to be careful at the water's edge. A three-year-old would make a nice snack for those huge bull crocs in the La Manz laguna.


Randy and Karen and Lynn are staying in condo just up behind the Catholic Church in La Manz and have a commanding view of the bay - and the new neon cross that lights up the sky at night.

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At the Arroyo Seco Internet cafe, waiting for Sasha Fox

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - Sasha Fox and her mom are visiting here for a few days and Sasha just went toddling off with Grandma (Admiral Fox) to visit a neighbor who has a two year old.

I am posting - again - from the internet cafe here, but over the weekend we will be picking up a DSL modem in Puerto Vallarta so we don't have to rely so heavily on this tienda.

The people who own the store and internet service are nice enough, but at times it seems have the entire village is here, and the bandwidth simply can't handle any more wireless connections.

This blog is also being written using a different software package. The BlogPress software simply refuses to function anymore - kind of like my washing machine now in the repair shop in Melaque.

The repair shop has a new main circuit board 'on order' to fix the machine.

On order. In Mexico.

I hope we get it back in time to put it back in storage.

In the meantime, today is a beach day with Sasha and dinner tonight in La Manzanilla with amigos Joanie and Greg from El Tuito at the famous Martine's restaurant.

(NOTE TO CAPTAIN: Limit yourself to two margaritas...)

More on how that works out tomorrow.

Trying out some new blogging software for the iPad

This is a test of the new blogging software, to replace Blogpress which has decided to simply stop working.

Santo Crappo!

A visit with granddaughter Sasha at Paradise Village

NUEVO VALLARTA, Jalisco, Mexico -- Adm. Fox and I zipped up the highway from Arroyo Seco Friday for a visit to Puerto Vallarta.

We wanted to visit granddaughter Sasha, but also had to pick up a few dozen things to fix hurricane damage and also simply get supplies for the season.


With Sasha on the Paradise Village beach

Until we were on the ground in Arroyo Seco for a day or so, we weren't sure how much time we were likely going to spend, Now it seems we will be there most of the remaining eight or so weeks we expect to be here south of the border.

One of our treasure hunts has been to find replacement toilet seats. Yup, toilet seats. In the hurricane last fall, both were smashed by falling roof tiles and need to be replaced.

In the U.S., simple. In Mexico, not so.

The toilets we bought are fancy, lo-flush units that are environmentally friendly in water usage but a big carbon footprint to try to replace. We checked three likely places in the area, none of which had anything that would fit.

It would seem crazy to have to replace a toilet to get a toilet seat, but, well, it is Mexico.

Beyond that, we need yellow, bug-light light bulbs, hardware for doors and some specialty foods that we can't get in Arroyo Seco, like good refried beans. What? Refried beans not available in Arroyo Seco? Well, some are, but the amount of lard in the cans makes them delicious but less than healthy.

No matter how the treasure hunt turns out today, we head back down the highway this afternoon. Sunday is lunch on the Arroyo Seco beach and perhaps a trip to Playa Chica where the Admiral and I spent a nice afternoon two days ago - the only people on the whole stretch of beach.




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In Arroyo Seco, settling in until the Banderas Bay Regatta

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - Admiral Fox and I have been working on getting the Pink Flamingo opened up for several days and are pretty close to getting things in order.

Miraculously, both the Honda quad and my Honda motorscooter turned over on the first try and seem to be running fine.

The telephone is out however, and Tel-Mex says the line is fine... It seems that during the hurricane last fall, all the lines went down and ours probably got connected to another house.

Trying to untangle that is proving to be a challenge.

Because of that, our Internet is being handled at an Internet cafe - brand new to Arroyo Seco this season.


Internet cafe - Arroyo Seco style

The good part is that our iPads work here wireless so we don't even take up space from the villagers who are becoming quite Internet savvy.

We also have made a foray into La Manzanilla for meals at both Fiesta Mexicana and our favorite hangout, Palapa Joes. Manana it will be a fast trip to Puerto Vallarta to pick up supplies some furniture, and see granddaughter Sasha (now three and a half years old).


The beachside restaurant, Fiesta Mexicana

The village remains Arroyo Seco with few changes, a new tienda here, a surf shop opened on the way to Playa Chica.

And as soon as I get the hammocks strung, all will be good for this afternoon.



The beach at La Manzanilla


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On the way back to Mexico, one day out

ON BOARD Virgin America FLT 27 - We are cruising at 450 mph over Colorado on our way to SF where I intend to get a good night's sleep before finishing this sojourn Sunday in Puerto Vallarta.

Most people reading this already know that I have been in the US since Wednesday attending the wake and funeral of my older brother.

And most know that his death came as an unexpected shock - a crashing heart attack at a medical appointment.

Such events have strange effects on people and it will be some time before I can put words to how I feel and how the trajectory of my life is now changed.

At the moment? Stuck in memories of growing up with flashes of an adult older brother.

My thanks to the many friends who send me messages of support and condolence. All were - and are - greatly appreciated.

In typical writer fashion, I wrote a column about Tony's passing for the newspaper I now work with in my semi-retirement.

It helped, for the moment.

I hope that some time with Sylvia in the sunshine in Mexico works, too.

Below are a couple of weather photos from NY today just as I was leaving. Mexico is definitely the right place for me to be for a lot of reasons, weather included.



In front of my sister Anne's house in Hewlett



The backyard at Anne's



Runways at JFK


On Virgin America Flight

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In Nuevo Vallarta at the Vallarta Yacht Club...aaaaahhhhh

Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, Mexico - We landed early shuffled over to get our wheels and have already checked out our temporary digs aboard a 40-foot Passport sailboat.

Temps in the low 80s, some change in 36 hours.




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First impression of Virgin Air plane - it's a bloody spaceship

ON THE TARMAC ABOARD VIRGIN FLIGHT - It might just be the weariness of yesterday's US Airways flights, but this plane is like a bloodily spaceship.

I am getting a signal to shut down... More later...



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Flying Virgin Airlines today - not the US Airways experience, I bet

San Francisco Airport - Adm. Fox and I are having a very civilized breakfast in the Virgin America terminal, from which we will zoom out to PV in about an hour.

Compared to most airport terminals, this place is a tiny slice of heaven.

Even the TSA people were polite as we came thru security.

Very Eco-friendly here - not a plate or cup looks like they are plastic or - gasp - styrofoam.

In about 4-5 hours, I expect to be sitting on the deck of a sailboat in Nuevo Vallarta, planning Monday's adventures.

More on that, if el Internet cooperates...




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Halfway to SF after watching the movie 'Contagion'

AT 32,000 FEET aboard U.S. Airways - One recommended must-see movie is 'Contagion.'

Matt Damon, Judd Law, Gwyneth Paltow - great acting and a suspenseful script.

But it might not be the best choice for viewing while locked in a plane with several hundred people, many of whom seem to be hacking and wheezing with sounds remarkably like those dying of a nearly unstoppable virus in the movie.

I am wearing a handkerchief over my mouth and nose, wondering if I should inoculate with a vodka tonic or three.

Of course that would likely make the megadoses of Keflex that I am taking less effective. The dermatologist took a chunk out of my shoulder Tuesday but may have let some infection in at the same time. The Keflex 750 mg per dose - is supposed to take care of the swelling. Maybe there will be a little left over to guard against the plague on this airliner.

On second thought, perhaps I should ring for one of the attendants gossiping in the back and get some hydration gong - pronto!!!

Oh madame!



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Location:Halfway to SF after watching the movie 'Contagion'

Scenes from a Philly airport mall

16,000 feet aboard a de-iced small jet

NEAR Philadelphia - We sat on the runway for 20 minutes getting the plane de-iced, listening to lots of weather chatter from the other passengers.

My stitches are still achy from the security scan...guess I will be more careful tomorrow in SF as we come back through.

The flight tomorrow is on Virgin America, not quite the space flight that Virgin has planned for this decade, but it is a direct to PV where Captain Bob O'Hara will pick us up in our Toyota Tundra.

Tonight in SF we will celebrate Dylan's birthday - an event we almost always miss because most years we have been in Mexico for a month by now.

More from the ground...my index finger is sore from tapping this screen.

Heading west to SF, then south to PV

Elmira, NY - the snow is coming down steady here and security tight as always.

The stitches in my shoulder still hurt from having to put my hands on my head in the body scanner.

But I feel soooo much safer.

More on the odyssey '10 Weeks in Mexico' when we hit the Philly airport and my wireless keyboard is at hand.







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Out of California and into the winter-world of upstate New York

WATKINS GLEN, New York, USA - And just like that, we hopped on a Jet Blue plane Thursday night and Friday arrived in Syracuse, NY where a Hyunda Sonata (no Nissan Cubes this trip) waited as our chariot to take us home.

For me it was slightly more than a 41-year absence. It was August 1970 when I left in a blue VW van, landing in Napa in mid-October after hitting more than 10 states in an odyssey, looking for who-knows-what, even now.

But the trip home was quicker. Our two California vehicles (my vintage Nissan pickup truck) and our Mexico-veteran Isuzu Trooper were loaded onto a car carrier Wednesday afternoon, a car carrier driven by two Russian guys with accents (and haircuts) right out of central casting. They arrived here in Watkins Glen at noon, with six more deliveries here on the East Coast.

The black car is our rental, the other three our NY fleet

Landing here also is the first time since the turn of the 21st Century that Admiral Fox and I have owned a home with virtually everything we own in one place. I say virtually, because the Pink Flamingo in Arroyo Seco still has some of our 'stuff' but not much.

When Dustin and Sylvia drove the Trooper (aka Troupey) out of Mexico last spring, they brought a carload of items, now resting either with Dustin in tony Connecticut or here at North Glen.

Duplicates - make that triplicates - of sooooo many things are popping up.

And at Brother Dan's shop in Big Flats, we have two palettes of boxes and assorted household stuff yet to bring here to look at.

Perhaps we'll bring it all to the house for Christmas to open the boxes then.

Sasha with friend

Last night - barely awake after very little sleep on the plane the night before - we went out for dinner to Maria's, a local joint where I go to talk politics sometimes. There we had a great fish dinner with amigos Gary and Sue and their son Jeff. Then we traveled over to visit amiga Amanda at her house. (Ok, we went there to visit Sasha the dog, too.)

It was a nice entree back to the community. And, not to let any snow accumulate under our boots, tonight we head up to the increasingly famous Hector Wine company (in Hector, of course) for a glass or seven of wine and to listen to the band 'Buford.'

No, that's not a typo... and I hear the group is quite good.

We awoke this morning to a light dusting of snow and all day have watched the flakes coming down. Very little is sticking, so at this point, it's picturesque and not pain-in-the-ass. We're set though - I found all my winter gear and my boots have been waterproofed!

Here's a winter view of the lake from our deck and our winter-covered hot tub which might get pressed into service.

And at the bottom is a short video of this morning's snow... Set to music, of course.

32,000 feet surrounded by snoring people

SOMEWHERE OVER LAKE MICHIGAN, USA, 5 a.m. -- Admiral Fox and I spent our last day in Sacramento running all those last-minute errands that drive you mad: mailing things, losing things, and trying to stuff 250 lbs. of our possessions into four suitcases for checking.

Yes, each suitcase can only weigh 50 pounds. We had to get creative.

But that was hours back and at this moment we are tearing up the miles crossing the U.S. in a Jet Blue plane with the snoring of sleeping passengers almost as loud as the jet engines.

When I say tearing up the miles I am not kidding. The computer shows us hitting 700 mph in airspeed.

Move over Chuck Yeager, we are coming through.

Our destination now is JFK Airport where we (and we hope our checked bags) will hop a second flight to Syracuse where a rental car awaits to take us to our new Tranquility Base in Watkins Glen. I have high hopes it will not be another Nissan Cube.

This air flight is a little quicker than when I made this trip west in August of 1970 in a VW bus that would only go 50 mph on downhill runs.

Both Adm. Fox and I are now official retirees from our university teaching positions - though I prefer the Spanish word, jubilado. That word comes closer to what we felt when we turned in keys and had our final separation papers stamped and approved.

It felt like a cross between a graduation and getting a presidential pardon.

(Asute readers will note that there isn't a lot of wistful remembrances here about decades of teaching. But come on, it's the middle of the night, I haven't slept and I am typing this on my iPad.)

By the way, for iPad addicts, note that your wireless keyboards won't work on airplanes. They aren't allowed. Instead, you have to use the screen keyboard on which touch typing is almost impossible.

Almost.

And as I type this we have started hitting some dirty air and the plane is bouncing like Dolly Parton in a Christmas special.

More later.



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