JAN 29, Saturday, Mazatlan, clouds/sun
A much warmer day! Dave & Louise went shopping in town and so did we with Al & Brenda. We got drinking water, some beer and a few groceries. We read for the rest of the afternoon then it was happy hour. We went to “Brouha”, a restaurant we went to the first night we arrived here. The food was excellent and so was the service. We talked to the lady that first introduced us to “ZIPLINE”, and made arrangement to go do it on Tuesday. It is an all day affair and everyone is looking forward to it. We came home and had a fire and a few more drinks then it was bed time.
JAN 30, Sunday, Mazatlan, sunny,
Val got up with a hang-over this morning...wonder why! Louise, Dave and the kids went to Juarez and El Centro markets. Al & Brenda went to the beach with Daisy; I washed the truck and Val eventually did the laundry. It is very warm today; our thermometer shows 25*C outside.
When everyone was home, we had a quick drink then went out to “Fat Fish” for ribs and called it an evening once home again. As usual, the ribs were delicious and we had fun. We walked to “tres Amigos” for a drink but it was just loud so we decided to come home.
JAN 31, Monday, Al’s BIG 65!
Happy birthday to Al...He’s 65 today and can now claim his “old person pension”!!! Hihihihihihihi!
Well, today we went to San Ignacio, another historic and old Mexican town. It was a 95 km (60 miles) drive on Hwy 15 and then hwy 6. As we came in to town, we crossed the Arch and a very long bridge. We parked near the town square and visited a hotel where there was a picture taken in the 90’s showing a huge flood of water flowing under the bridge; very impressive! We walked with lots of people around; it seemed to be a day off although the little shops were open. We found a restaurant where we had lunch. It was kind of neat as they didn’t have a menu so the lady proceeded to tell us what they had. Of course, with our limited knowledge of Spanish, it was a struggle but a lot of fun to understand and order our meals. We did and it turned out to be very delicious. Prices were very reasonable too.
We walked more of the town, visited the church which was in need of repair then the crew walked up a road then stairs to a huge statue of Christ up on the hill. Dave and I went back to the truck and drove up the hill to pick up everyone then we headed out. Dave and his crew wanted to stop in El Quelite and we, Brenda and Al and us, went on back to Mazatlan and home. We had a few drinks and Dave’s crew finally showed up so after a quick drink, we headed into town via a taxi to La Canoa where we had dinner and celebrated Al’s sixty fifth!
The day was quite cloudy today but it was warm in the mountains and cool near the water. Another month gone by!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
January 26 to 28, 2011; Mazatlan & visitors
JAN 26, Wednesday, Mazatlan and visitors from Alberta
The day began sunny but clouded over by late afternoon. I got really energetic this morning and got on the roof and washed it. Once this was done, the sides had to be done as the dirt spilled over on the sides. Now “Bear” is washed from front to back and top to bottom and looks much better. Next will be the “Beast” (truck) but not today.
Louise and Dave left at noon to pick up their daughter and boyfriend and arrived back in time for Happy Hour! We met them then got acquainted during Happy Hour. Their names are Sandy & Warren. They are staying at a hotel within walking distance of the Park. The evening was warm due to the clouds retaining the heat and no complaints were heard from us except to tease the newly arrivals that they brought this with them. The clouds looked like they were going to burst anytime but didn’t! So now there are 8 in our group of Amigos.
JAN 27, Thursday, Mazatlan, cloudy
Today is my Canada Pension deposit and I found out that I got a big raise of $15 more a month. I feel so much richer! I forgot to mention that after Val’s incident with the glass door and everyone getting a good laugh at her misfortune, Al banged his head on Dave’s slide and Louise walked into the awning’s post so I guess Val got the last laugh!!
You’ll also notice that there is a new link added to “My Favourite Links”; it is call “Driving to South America from the US”. This is about a couple who drove to South America in their motorhome with their children in 1978. We met this couple here in our park.
We went in the Golden Zone today with D&L’s daughter and boyfriend. We walked and shopped until we couldn’t any more. Louise and Sandy are really bad together when it comes to shopping! Warren likes his beer so we sat in a bar whenever we could while the girls shopped. I found and bought a hoody to replace the one I lost and Val bought a vail. We came home in time for happy hour with Al and Brenda.
JAN 28, Friday, Mazatlan; cloudy
Dave took his truck to a local shop to have his front end repainted then the four of them went to Stone Island; we stayed here. I washed all the windows and install the decals that I had bought a couple days ago then Val and Brenda went into town and Al and I joined them for lunch then the four of us came home. We read for a while, had happy hour at 4 pm and the crew finally arrived back from their excursion and joined us. I BBQ’ed fish for dinner then we joined the gang outside once again as they had a fire going.
The day began sunny but clouded over by late afternoon. I got really energetic this morning and got on the roof and washed it. Once this was done, the sides had to be done as the dirt spilled over on the sides. Now “Bear” is washed from front to back and top to bottom and looks much better. Next will be the “Beast” (truck) but not today.
Louise and Dave left at noon to pick up their daughter and boyfriend and arrived back in time for Happy Hour! We met them then got acquainted during Happy Hour. Their names are Sandy & Warren. They are staying at a hotel within walking distance of the Park. The evening was warm due to the clouds retaining the heat and no complaints were heard from us except to tease the newly arrivals that they brought this with them. The clouds looked like they were going to burst anytime but didn’t! So now there are 8 in our group of Amigos.
JAN 27, Thursday, Mazatlan, cloudy
Today is my Canada Pension deposit and I found out that I got a big raise of $15 more a month. I feel so much richer! I forgot to mention that after Val’s incident with the glass door and everyone getting a good laugh at her misfortune, Al banged his head on Dave’s slide and Louise walked into the awning’s post so I guess Val got the last laugh!!
You’ll also notice that there is a new link added to “My Favourite Links”; it is call “Driving to South America from the US”. This is about a couple who drove to South America in their motorhome with their children in 1978. We met this couple here in our park.
We went in the Golden Zone today with D&L’s daughter and boyfriend. We walked and shopped until we couldn’t any more. Louise and Sandy are really bad together when it comes to shopping! Warren likes his beer so we sat in a bar whenever we could while the girls shopped. I found and bought a hoody to replace the one I lost and Val bought a vail. We came home in time for happy hour with Al and Brenda.
JAN 28, Friday, Mazatlan; cloudy
Dave took his truck to a local shop to have his front end repainted then the four of them went to Stone Island; we stayed here. I washed all the windows and install the decals that I had bought a couple days ago then Val and Brenda went into town and Al and I joined them for lunch then the four of us came home. We read for a while, had happy hour at 4 pm and the crew finally arrived back from their excursion and joined us. I BBQ’ed fish for dinner then we joined the gang outside once again as they had a fire going.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
January 24 & 25, 2011; sightseeing El Quelite
JAN 24, Monday, Visit village of El Quelite
Val spent part of the morning cutting fruits into a bowl while I went to Al who is having problems with his converter now. Louise did laundry then in the afternoon we all went to a small village up Hwy 15 north called El Quelite (kway-lee-tay). Another neat and very clean village about half hour drive from our site. The houses were very colourful with lots of plants, huge ferns and colourful flowers. There was the usual church and Central park with a nice large gazebo. There was also a big playground attached to it, well maintained and cleaned. The shops were quaint and full of little trinkets and vases and masks. There were also about 4 restaurant, two of which catered to gringos with fancy yards and seating arrangements (see pictures 70B) We stopped at the second one and had lunch there, reason being that this was the one recommended to us by a fellow RV’ers. The food was excellent and Val had a cheese fondue as this is what this town is known for...its cheese. The meal began with little tortillas cover with cheese and meat then we had our orders and they served us desert afterwards. As we were having our beer, we were served a plate of different cheeses made here.
We walked the town some more and looked in every stores then walked back to the vehicles which we had left at the entrance to the village. There was a statue there with a Mayan and what looked like a soccer ball, there was also a huge painting in the restaurant depicting the deadly game they played. See this link to find out more: http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/worldhistory/mayanballgame.htm
We came home but first stopped at the sign that says “Tropic de Cancer” so that Louise could take a picture. Happy hour with A&B then dinner time; a very nice day indeed!
JAN 25, Tuesday, Mazatlan
L&D wanted to go for some groceries so we tagged along. We went for lunch at this neat little restaurant which served all kinds of pork roast meat (Cerdo Acerdo). We ordered ¾ kilo of pork meat which was served with tortillas, 3 different kind of onion mixture, green pepper, mayonnaise, a spicy sauce and a cerveza of course. The idea was to make each ourselves a tortilla then eat it. It was fun and very much filling. The best thing, it was cheap!
From here we went to the mall and found the guy that does signs and had a couple made. Mine is of a guy, a girl and a dog...guess who!? I also had a sign made that has our blog address on it which I will post on the back of “Bear”. Afterwards we went to get our groceries then came home in time to join the group happy hour. Almost the whole park got together at Glen’s place where we had pizza’s from Domino Pizza. They were all very good.
AL and Brenda decided to have a fire afterwards and we joined them. D& L decided to go in...They are pretty excited as their daughter and husband arrive tomorrow.
Val spent part of the morning cutting fruits into a bowl while I went to Al who is having problems with his converter now. Louise did laundry then in the afternoon we all went to a small village up Hwy 15 north called El Quelite (kway-lee-tay). Another neat and very clean village about half hour drive from our site. The houses were very colourful with lots of plants, huge ferns and colourful flowers. There was the usual church and Central park with a nice large gazebo. There was also a big playground attached to it, well maintained and cleaned. The shops were quaint and full of little trinkets and vases and masks. There were also about 4 restaurant, two of which catered to gringos with fancy yards and seating arrangements (see pictures 70B) We stopped at the second one and had lunch there, reason being that this was the one recommended to us by a fellow RV’ers. The food was excellent and Val had a cheese fondue as this is what this town is known for...its cheese. The meal began with little tortillas cover with cheese and meat then we had our orders and they served us desert afterwards. As we were having our beer, we were served a plate of different cheeses made here.
We walked the town some more and looked in every stores then walked back to the vehicles which we had left at the entrance to the village. There was a statue there with a Mayan and what looked like a soccer ball, there was also a huge painting in the restaurant depicting the deadly game they played. See this link to find out more: http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/worldhistory/mayanballgame.htm
We came home but first stopped at the sign that says “Tropic de Cancer” so that Louise could take a picture. Happy hour with A&B then dinner time; a very nice day indeed!
JAN 25, Tuesday, Mazatlan
L&D wanted to go for some groceries so we tagged along. We went for lunch at this neat little restaurant which served all kinds of pork roast meat (Cerdo Acerdo). We ordered ¾ kilo of pork meat which was served with tortillas, 3 different kind of onion mixture, green pepper, mayonnaise, a spicy sauce and a cerveza of course. The idea was to make each ourselves a tortilla then eat it. It was fun and very much filling. The best thing, it was cheap!
From here we went to the mall and found the guy that does signs and had a couple made. Mine is of a guy, a girl and a dog...guess who!? I also had a sign made that has our blog address on it which I will post on the back of “Bear”. Afterwards we went to get our groceries then came home in time to join the group happy hour. Almost the whole park got together at Glen’s place where we had pizza’s from Domino Pizza. They were all very good.
AL and Brenda decided to have a fire afterwards and we joined them. D& L decided to go in...They are pretty excited as their daughter and husband arrive tomorrow.
Monday, January 24, 2011
January 20 to 23, 2011; Copala village & Mazatlan
JAN 20, Thursday, village of Copala
We left in two vehicles around 10 am, got on Hwy 15 libre and drove south pass the airport and finally turned on Hwy 40 to Durango. We slowly climbed then the road turned tortuous, full of switchback as we climbed to 2000 feet. This is the same highway we had driven a couple years ago from Texas. We turned off at the village of Copala and drove down the hill through the village and arrived at the restaurant which we had some much about. It was not to be a disappointment! The inside was beautiful and very clean. The menu had 4 different complete dish that were big enough for two so we each share a different plate. We had quesillidia with beans, rice, flour tortilla, and a salad. For desert we had banana cream pie which was included with the meal and the reason this restaurant is so famous for. All that washed with a cerveza of course. The best part was the whole thing was very reasonably priced.
The restaurant was built on a mine shaft and we got to go down and walked through and out a different way; quite cool!
As we left the restaurant, two young boys came over to us, selling small wooden carving. They spoke fairly good English and were quite enterprising and insisting on selling their wares. We finally broke down and each bought a small wooden carving. We found out later that these were made locally by an artist down the road at the town square. Tucker and Keenan had come along for the ride so we got them from the truck and became an instant attraction to the boys. We went walking into town, down small narrow streets and into the town square and the church which dated back to 1565 and still in fairly good shape. We took lots of pictures of course.
Along the way, we stopped in little places that were selling souvenirs and local arts. One place, I sat outside waiting for the girls finish shopping and this little girl, about 5 y.o. and her brother came over to pet Tucker. They were both quite cute and impressed by Tucker’s willingness to shake a paw and play “high 5”.
Copala is named after a bare tree that grows here in the mountains. The tree only grows leafs and flowers in the month of June and July then goes bare for the rest of the year. The town was prosperous at one time because of the mining of gold, silver and other minerals in and around the town; now it has been revitalized by local artistry and tourist. The town itself dates back to the early 1500 when the Spaniards came exploring the area looking for Copala lake, rumoured to be full of gold. They never found it of course.
Needless to say we took lots of pictures which can be seen in our Picasa folder #70A.
We decided to take a drive up the highway to the Devil Spine thinking it was just a few miles up but after an hour of driving on this road, we decided to call it quit and came back down the mountain. As we drove, we saw the new highway being build which will eventually be a cuota (toll) highway and be rid of all those switchback and dangerous curves.
We stopped at Sobriana once back in Mazatlan for some groceries and beer then it was home and happy hour. For dinner, we had shrimps, salad and beans and rice
JAN 21, Friday, Las Jaibas RV Park
The day started quietly! Later in the morning, I got some propane for both the small tank and our regular one. Dave and I went into town to do some grocery shopping, more like booze shopping. We were out of wine and tomatoes juice and Dave was out of a few things too. While driving into town, we came upon two accidents which really slowed things up, both at major intersections. The rest of the day was reading and relaxing.
We had happy hour at 4 pm and had a heated discussion on what the “Devil’s spine” consist of and how long it is. We called it quit at 7 pm and went to each of our home.
JAN 22, Saturday, Mazatlan
Another sunny and warm day with a moist, foggy night. Val did some laundry in the morning then we went to find the last two caches that I had on my GPS with Louise and Dave. Al and Brenda went to the beach with Daisy. We found the caches with no problems (Louise is really getting good at it) then we stopped for a cerveza at Heather’s Place, location of our second cache. Dave wanted a bus schedule so we walked across the street to the hotel and went into the lobby. We could see the pool and patio through the bar so we walked towards it and BAM, Val walked right into the glass door. She was so concentrated on the pool that she didn’t see the glass. We had a good laugh over that at her expense. She ended up with a sore nose. The Mexican bellboy followed her around and made sure he open all the glass door. It was quite comical.
We walked back to “Tres Amigos” and had another cerveza and nachos then we drove to Fernando RV Park to take a look then to a big building behind our place with a mural the size of the whole side wall and I mean huge! Came home and had happy hour with Al and Brenda then it was supper time.
JAN 23, Sunday, foggy in a.m,
I had a few too many last night and had a “hang-over” as a reward! I spent most of the day sleeping while Val read outside. Happy hour at Al & Brenda but it was an early one; lasted barely an hour! The fog did burn off eventually in early afternoon.
We left in two vehicles around 10 am, got on Hwy 15 libre and drove south pass the airport and finally turned on Hwy 40 to Durango. We slowly climbed then the road turned tortuous, full of switchback as we climbed to 2000 feet. This is the same highway we had driven a couple years ago from Texas. We turned off at the village of Copala and drove down the hill through the village and arrived at the restaurant which we had some much about. It was not to be a disappointment! The inside was beautiful and very clean. The menu had 4 different complete dish that were big enough for two so we each share a different plate. We had quesillidia with beans, rice, flour tortilla, and a salad. For desert we had banana cream pie which was included with the meal and the reason this restaurant is so famous for. All that washed with a cerveza of course. The best part was the whole thing was very reasonably priced.
The restaurant was built on a mine shaft and we got to go down and walked through and out a different way; quite cool!
As we left the restaurant, two young boys came over to us, selling small wooden carving. They spoke fairly good English and were quite enterprising and insisting on selling their wares. We finally broke down and each bought a small wooden carving. We found out later that these were made locally by an artist down the road at the town square. Tucker and Keenan had come along for the ride so we got them from the truck and became an instant attraction to the boys. We went walking into town, down small narrow streets and into the town square and the church which dated back to 1565 and still in fairly good shape. We took lots of pictures of course.
Along the way, we stopped in little places that were selling souvenirs and local arts. One place, I sat outside waiting for the girls finish shopping and this little girl, about 5 y.o. and her brother came over to pet Tucker. They were both quite cute and impressed by Tucker’s willingness to shake a paw and play “high 5”.
Copala is named after a bare tree that grows here in the mountains. The tree only grows leafs and flowers in the month of June and July then goes bare for the rest of the year. The town was prosperous at one time because of the mining of gold, silver and other minerals in and around the town; now it has been revitalized by local artistry and tourist. The town itself dates back to the early 1500 when the Spaniards came exploring the area looking for Copala lake, rumoured to be full of gold. They never found it of course.
Needless to say we took lots of pictures which can be seen in our Picasa folder #70A.
We decided to take a drive up the highway to the Devil Spine thinking it was just a few miles up but after an hour of driving on this road, we decided to call it quit and came back down the mountain. As we drove, we saw the new highway being build which will eventually be a cuota (toll) highway and be rid of all those switchback and dangerous curves.
We stopped at Sobriana once back in Mazatlan for some groceries and beer then it was home and happy hour. For dinner, we had shrimps, salad and beans and rice
JAN 21, Friday, Las Jaibas RV Park
The day started quietly! Later in the morning, I got some propane for both the small tank and our regular one. Dave and I went into town to do some grocery shopping, more like booze shopping. We were out of wine and tomatoes juice and Dave was out of a few things too. While driving into town, we came upon two accidents which really slowed things up, both at major intersections. The rest of the day was reading and relaxing.
We had happy hour at 4 pm and had a heated discussion on what the “Devil’s spine” consist of and how long it is. We called it quit at 7 pm and went to each of our home.
JAN 22, Saturday, Mazatlan
Another sunny and warm day with a moist, foggy night. Val did some laundry in the morning then we went to find the last two caches that I had on my GPS with Louise and Dave. Al and Brenda went to the beach with Daisy. We found the caches with no problems (Louise is really getting good at it) then we stopped for a cerveza at Heather’s Place, location of our second cache. Dave wanted a bus schedule so we walked across the street to the hotel and went into the lobby. We could see the pool and patio through the bar so we walked towards it and BAM, Val walked right into the glass door. She was so concentrated on the pool that she didn’t see the glass. We had a good laugh over that at her expense. She ended up with a sore nose. The Mexican bellboy followed her around and made sure he open all the glass door. It was quite comical.
We walked back to “Tres Amigos” and had another cerveza and nachos then we drove to Fernando RV Park to take a look then to a big building behind our place with a mural the size of the whole side wall and I mean huge! Came home and had happy hour with Al and Brenda then it was supper time.
JAN 23, Sunday, foggy in a.m,
I had a few too many last night and had a “hang-over” as a reward! I spent most of the day sleeping while Val read outside. Happy hour at Al & Brenda but it was an early one; lasted barely an hour! The fog did burn off eventually in early afternoon.
Friday, January 21, 2011
January 16 to 19, 2011; Juarez and Mazatlan
JAN 16, Sunday, shopping in Juarez
A beautiful day today, sunny and warm! We took the bus to Juarez, a suburb of Mazatlan, to check out the open market. Our bus driver was a bit in a rush to get us all there and even read the paper while driving...only in Mexico! The market was quite huge and we walked most of it. It was situated by a church/Cathedral and we tried to see the inside but a mass was in progress and the place was packed jam; people were even standing outside. We were also in sight of a big prison and could see the walls and guard towers. We didn’t buy anything as most of the stuff either was too old, too small or just useless to us. We tried to find a restaurant to eat but couldn’t so ended up taking a taxi back to the Gold Zone and ate there. We came home impressed with our adventure
JAN 17, Monday, wash day!
A very quiet day! Val did laundry in the morning then we went for a drive and a walk with Louise and Dave. I had my afternoon snooze and that’s about it. Happy hour then home to cook fish on the BBQ.
JAN 18, Tuesday, Mazatlan Centro
Sunny and warm again! Louise wanted to go to Centro Mazatlan and look at the cathedral so we hopped on a bus and headed out. We visited the market there and ended up buying a few things. The vendors were quite pushy and most spoke English so obviously, used to gringos. We walked through the meat market and surprisingly, there were very few flies if any.
We walked over to the cathedral and went in, took some pictures then decided we were thirsty and hungry. We asked around and found this little restaurant about 4 blocks away which turned out to be very quaint and clean. We satisfied our thirst and hunger at a reasonable price then headed back towards the market where we hopped on a bus back to our home. Louise and Dave had to stop at Mega so went on their own. When we got on the bus, we realized that it was the same driver we had when we came down...what are the chances, huh!???
JAN 19, Wednesday, Mazatlan
We got up to fog again this morning and it was thick as soup. Everything out and under the canopy was wet. The sun did burn it quickly as the morning went on but it soon returned. Val and the girls cooked a turkey for tonight so everyone was busy. We spent the afternoon reading and just relaxing. The sun did shine through all that fog eventually warming things up a bit.
We had a great dinner all together with all the trimmings that come with a turkey dinner. Louise made a fruit cake which was delicious and afterwards we sat around the fire. The evening was much warmer tonight.
A beautiful day today, sunny and warm! We took the bus to Juarez, a suburb of Mazatlan, to check out the open market. Our bus driver was a bit in a rush to get us all there and even read the paper while driving...only in Mexico! The market was quite huge and we walked most of it. It was situated by a church/Cathedral and we tried to see the inside but a mass was in progress and the place was packed jam; people were even standing outside. We were also in sight of a big prison and could see the walls and guard towers. We didn’t buy anything as most of the stuff either was too old, too small or just useless to us. We tried to find a restaurant to eat but couldn’t so ended up taking a taxi back to the Gold Zone and ate there. We came home impressed with our adventure
JAN 17, Monday, wash day!
A very quiet day! Val did laundry in the morning then we went for a drive and a walk with Louise and Dave. I had my afternoon snooze and that’s about it. Happy hour then home to cook fish on the BBQ.
JAN 18, Tuesday, Mazatlan Centro
Sunny and warm again! Louise wanted to go to Centro Mazatlan and look at the cathedral so we hopped on a bus and headed out. We visited the market there and ended up buying a few things. The vendors were quite pushy and most spoke English so obviously, used to gringos. We walked through the meat market and surprisingly, there were very few flies if any.
We walked over to the cathedral and went in, took some pictures then decided we were thirsty and hungry. We asked around and found this little restaurant about 4 blocks away which turned out to be very quaint and clean. We satisfied our thirst and hunger at a reasonable price then headed back towards the market where we hopped on a bus back to our home. Louise and Dave had to stop at Mega so went on their own. When we got on the bus, we realized that it was the same driver we had when we came down...what are the chances, huh!???
JAN 19, Wednesday, Mazatlan
We got up to fog again this morning and it was thick as soup. Everything out and under the canopy was wet. The sun did burn it quickly as the morning went on but it soon returned. Val and the girls cooked a turkey for tonight so everyone was busy. We spent the afternoon reading and just relaxing. The sun did shine through all that fog eventually warming things up a bit.
We had a great dinner all together with all the trimmings that come with a turkey dinner. Louise made a fruit cake which was delicious and afterwards we sat around the fire. The evening was much warmer tonight.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
January 10 to 15, 2011; Mazatlan
JAN 10, Monday, Sunny & warm
I took our laundry to a local Laundromat and had the Mexican do it for us (it’s cheaper this way); picked it up at four, all folded and pressed. Everyone did their own thing today; we went to find the location of a vet for Tucker’s haircut, a recommendation we got from someone in our park. We did find it and made an appointment for tomorrow morning. On the way back we stopped along the malecon for a bite to eat and a cerveza then came home. Happy hour at 4:30, dinner then we sat outside with Brenda & Al by the fire for a couple of hours. Erick came by and fixed my outside light. He also advised me that it would be best if I bought a converter then claimed the cost later as it would take too long for the way he was thing. So...back to the internet and I found an Intelli-Power 9260 C with a built in wizard and ordered it from the States.
Happy hour at Al & Brenda until it got too cold to stay out. It’s amazing how cold it gets in the early evening, especially since we are in the sub-tropics. It got down to 45*F (8*C) overnight!
JAN 11, Tuesday, Mazatlan
Sunny and warm, I took Tucker to the Vet so that he could get his haircut. I picked him up at 1 pm then the six of us took the bus to the Golden Zone and walked the streets and shopped and looked around. I don’t know what is going on with me but once again, I left my sweater on the bus and didn’t realize it until about 20 minutes later!???? Am I getting Alzheimer? Anyway, I ended up buying another light jacket and a pair of shorts.
We stopped at “Bing”, a little ice cream and burger place and had a bit to eat there. We walked more afterwards then, as it was getting dark, we hopped on the bus and returned home. A good day overall!
JAN 12, Wednesday, Veterinarian
I bought a new converter from E-Bay and had it shipped to a friend of Manny in Oregon. He is leaving in two weeks and coming down here so he will leave it in Totonaka RV Park in San Carlos where I will have it installed. I also called the vet about Tucker as he seems to be getting worse. We took him there and the Vet said there wasn’t anything wrong that he could see but he sure yelps when we touched the pad on his paw. Anyway, we brought him back home, put some medicated ointment on it and wrapped it up. He just won’t walk on it!??
The gang had gone to the beach while we were gone but came back early as it was too windy. We had an early Happy Hour and came in early.
JAN 13, Thursday, home
This was a very quiet day! Everyone stayed home and did their own thing. I read a lot, answered a few e-mails and Val decided that we should have Lasagne tonight with the gang.
We set up in front of Al & Brenda’s place, lit both fire buddies and had a good dinner with desert made by Brenda. Afterwards, we had a wood fire behind our places and called it quit around 10 pm
JAN 14, Friday, shopping
After a lazy morning, D& L and we went into town for shopping at LEY’s, WALMART, and MEGA. Got a bunch of groceries and stopped for lunch along the Melacon. We came home in time for Happy Hour with Al & Brenda. We had a surprise visit today! John, our single, stranded, neighbour in San Carlos showed up late in the morning. He still has not had his van fixed; as a matter of fact, he gave it away after selling the tires.
JAN 15, Saturday, Foggy and cooler
We got up this morning to fix as thick as soup. The sun did come out but until later in the afternoon. Everyone stayed in their casa and did their own thing. Finally around 2 pm, it was cleared up enough that we all got on a bus and went into the Gold Zone to do more walking, shopping and sightseeing. I ended up buying 2 t-shirts and a very nice shirt, all for $20.
We had dinner at a very nice restaurant by the beach and watched the sunset. The restaurant gave us each a shot of tequila that we had to down then the girls wanted more so we accommodated. There was a bachelorette party also going on and as you know Val, she went over and found out who the bride to be was and her name, then both her and Louise went and had a fun dance with them. We walked back and stopped at “Tres Amigos” where we had another drink and tequila for the girls. Brenda and Louise were not feeling any pain.
We took a “pulmonia”(small open taxi) back to our sight and listen to the girls hoot and howler all the way back. Fun was had by all!
By the way, all is well with Tucker...he is now walking on his 4 legs with no limping! Posted more pictures in folder #70
I took our laundry to a local Laundromat and had the Mexican do it for us (it’s cheaper this way); picked it up at four, all folded and pressed. Everyone did their own thing today; we went to find the location of a vet for Tucker’s haircut, a recommendation we got from someone in our park. We did find it and made an appointment for tomorrow morning. On the way back we stopped along the malecon for a bite to eat and a cerveza then came home. Happy hour at 4:30, dinner then we sat outside with Brenda & Al by the fire for a couple of hours. Erick came by and fixed my outside light. He also advised me that it would be best if I bought a converter then claimed the cost later as it would take too long for the way he was thing. So...back to the internet and I found an Intelli-Power 9260 C with a built in wizard and ordered it from the States.
Happy hour at Al & Brenda until it got too cold to stay out. It’s amazing how cold it gets in the early evening, especially since we are in the sub-tropics. It got down to 45*F (8*C) overnight!
JAN 11, Tuesday, Mazatlan
Sunny and warm, I took Tucker to the Vet so that he could get his haircut. I picked him up at 1 pm then the six of us took the bus to the Golden Zone and walked the streets and shopped and looked around. I don’t know what is going on with me but once again, I left my sweater on the bus and didn’t realize it until about 20 minutes later!???? Am I getting Alzheimer? Anyway, I ended up buying another light jacket and a pair of shorts.
We stopped at “Bing”, a little ice cream and burger place and had a bit to eat there. We walked more afterwards then, as it was getting dark, we hopped on the bus and returned home. A good day overall!
JAN 12, Wednesday, Veterinarian
I bought a new converter from E-Bay and had it shipped to a friend of Manny in Oregon. He is leaving in two weeks and coming down here so he will leave it in Totonaka RV Park in San Carlos where I will have it installed. I also called the vet about Tucker as he seems to be getting worse. We took him there and the Vet said there wasn’t anything wrong that he could see but he sure yelps when we touched the pad on his paw. Anyway, we brought him back home, put some medicated ointment on it and wrapped it up. He just won’t walk on it!??
The gang had gone to the beach while we were gone but came back early as it was too windy. We had an early Happy Hour and came in early.
JAN 13, Thursday, home
This was a very quiet day! Everyone stayed home and did their own thing. I read a lot, answered a few e-mails and Val decided that we should have Lasagne tonight with the gang.
We set up in front of Al & Brenda’s place, lit both fire buddies and had a good dinner with desert made by Brenda. Afterwards, we had a wood fire behind our places and called it quit around 10 pm
JAN 14, Friday, shopping
After a lazy morning, D& L and we went into town for shopping at LEY’s, WALMART, and MEGA. Got a bunch of groceries and stopped for lunch along the Melacon. We came home in time for Happy Hour with Al & Brenda. We had a surprise visit today! John, our single, stranded, neighbour in San Carlos showed up late in the morning. He still has not had his van fixed; as a matter of fact, he gave it away after selling the tires.
JAN 15, Saturday, Foggy and cooler
We got up this morning to fix as thick as soup. The sun did come out but until later in the afternoon. Everyone stayed in their casa and did their own thing. Finally around 2 pm, it was cleared up enough that we all got on a bus and went into the Gold Zone to do more walking, shopping and sightseeing. I ended up buying 2 t-shirts and a very nice shirt, all for $20.
We had dinner at a very nice restaurant by the beach and watched the sunset. The restaurant gave us each a shot of tequila that we had to down then the girls wanted more so we accommodated. There was a bachelorette party also going on and as you know Val, she went over and found out who the bride to be was and her name, then both her and Louise went and had a fun dance with them. We walked back and stopped at “Tres Amigos” where we had another drink and tequila for the girls. Brenda and Louise were not feeling any pain.
We took a “pulmonia”(small open taxi) back to our sight and listen to the girls hoot and howler all the way back. Fun was had by all!
By the way, all is well with Tucker...he is now walking on his 4 legs with no limping! Posted more pictures in folder #70
Monday, January 10, 2011
January 5 to 9, 2011; Mazatlan
JAN 5, Wednesday, Mazatlan; hot & sunny/cloudy
We spent the morning just doing little things around the campsite and I got our propane tank filled. A truck full of vegetables came into the campground but we didn’t buy anything. After lunch, we all went for a walk on the beach then came home and got ready to go to San Bartolo campground to meet another couple, Brian and Sandy, friends of Al and Brenda. We took the bus to get there, had happy hour with them then walked to a local restaurant named “Fat Fish” where we had ribs larger than our plates and they were delicious!
We took a pulmonia (small trucks with seats in the back, which are local taxis) back to our site. We called it quit for the night.
JAN 6, Thursday, Carbon Monoxide incident
Six am and I am up and about. Both carbon monoxide alarms went off this morning. Thinking it was the propane, I investigated both tanks and turned off the one I filled yesterday. Upon checking around the other side, I heard a noise from the battery compartment and when I opened it, I found both batteries emitting fumes and just fizzing like crazy so I turned off the power to them, disconnected the power cord then took the connections off them. Val and Tucker came out of the rig of course so that we could air it out. After an hour, Dave took both batteries out with a rope and we put them across the street in an empty lot. When I checked them later, both were completely dry. Blake, our neighbour, came over and checked the system and the batteries. He found one that was no good anymore. He suggested a store near the marina and when I went over, I got two deep cycle batteries for $115, each. I also called a mobile RV Repairman (Canadian) and he will be over tomorrow to check the whole system.
Blake and I put the new batteries in the compartment and hooked them up. When I turned the battery switch on, the converter began humming as it should and Blake checked the batteries and found that they were climbing in voltage and the amps were way over so we switch them off. I suspect a faulty converter!???
Louise and Dave went to check for a room to rent nearby and a couple of possibility. Happy hour at Al and Brenda then home for supper and a relaxing evening.
JAN 7, Friday, cloudy
The technician came out around 10 am and confirmed that it was the converter that caused all the problems and the batteries to boil. Now we have to order a new one from the States and have it shipped down here. Dave lent me his charger and we hooked it up to keep the batteries healthy and charged up.
In the afternoon, Louise and Dave had to go shopping so we went with them. We made a stop at Walmart then Home Depot. From here, we went back to our area and stopped at a local pub for a beer and snack. Afterwards, we went to another hotel looking for a place to rent for their daughter coming out at the end of the month. We came home just in time for happy hour with Al and Brenda.
JAN 8, Saturday, to Stone Island
We took the bus to Stone Island ferry this morning and had a marvellous visit. The bus ride took us through City Centro and we drove by the market. We took a small ferry/boat ride across to the Peninsula which they call “Isla de la Piedra” (Stone Island). We walked the beach and stopped at a small local restaurant where we had breakfast. Val and Louise had a following of Mexican about a mile thick. They ended buying a couple of skirts, a bear with fish in its mouth, a hat for Al and Brenda. We also found a Geo-Cache nearby, signed our name to it and took a “travel bug”. Afterwards, we walked over to the RV Park and looked around and talked to a few people then we walked into the village and back to the ferry. When I got home, I realized that I had lost my GPS and since it was too late to go back, I decided to go in the morning.
JAN 9, Sunday, Back to Stone Island.
I drove back to the ferry and across to the restaurant we had a beer yesterday and looked around and asked the owner but no luck. So back to Las Jaibas(pronounce LASS HI-BASS)...how disappointing! Dave came with me for the ride.
The day was spent relaxing and doing little things around the site. We did go out with Dave and Louise to reserve the room for their daughter and husband then we drove to find drinking water but, being Sunday, it was closed. We also found a place where we can put our kayaks in the Estuary. We went to see a RV park near ours but on the beach and found it very small and tight. Happy hour called us back. The evening was quite cool today!
I have uploaded more pictures to folder # 70
We spent the morning just doing little things around the campsite and I got our propane tank filled. A truck full of vegetables came into the campground but we didn’t buy anything. After lunch, we all went for a walk on the beach then came home and got ready to go to San Bartolo campground to meet another couple, Brian and Sandy, friends of Al and Brenda. We took the bus to get there, had happy hour with them then walked to a local restaurant named “Fat Fish” where we had ribs larger than our plates and they were delicious!
We took a pulmonia (small trucks with seats in the back, which are local taxis) back to our site. We called it quit for the night.
JAN 6, Thursday, Carbon Monoxide incident
Six am and I am up and about. Both carbon monoxide alarms went off this morning. Thinking it was the propane, I investigated both tanks and turned off the one I filled yesterday. Upon checking around the other side, I heard a noise from the battery compartment and when I opened it, I found both batteries emitting fumes and just fizzing like crazy so I turned off the power to them, disconnected the power cord then took the connections off them. Val and Tucker came out of the rig of course so that we could air it out. After an hour, Dave took both batteries out with a rope and we put them across the street in an empty lot. When I checked them later, both were completely dry. Blake, our neighbour, came over and checked the system and the batteries. He found one that was no good anymore. He suggested a store near the marina and when I went over, I got two deep cycle batteries for $115, each. I also called a mobile RV Repairman (Canadian) and he will be over tomorrow to check the whole system.
Blake and I put the new batteries in the compartment and hooked them up. When I turned the battery switch on, the converter began humming as it should and Blake checked the batteries and found that they were climbing in voltage and the amps were way over so we switch them off. I suspect a faulty converter!???
Louise and Dave went to check for a room to rent nearby and a couple of possibility. Happy hour at Al and Brenda then home for supper and a relaxing evening.
JAN 7, Friday, cloudy
The technician came out around 10 am and confirmed that it was the converter that caused all the problems and the batteries to boil. Now we have to order a new one from the States and have it shipped down here. Dave lent me his charger and we hooked it up to keep the batteries healthy and charged up.
In the afternoon, Louise and Dave had to go shopping so we went with them. We made a stop at Walmart then Home Depot. From here, we went back to our area and stopped at a local pub for a beer and snack. Afterwards, we went to another hotel looking for a place to rent for their daughter coming out at the end of the month. We came home just in time for happy hour with Al and Brenda.
JAN 8, Saturday, to Stone Island
We took the bus to Stone Island ferry this morning and had a marvellous visit. The bus ride took us through City Centro and we drove by the market. We took a small ferry/boat ride across to the Peninsula which they call “Isla de la Piedra” (Stone Island). We walked the beach and stopped at a small local restaurant where we had breakfast. Val and Louise had a following of Mexican about a mile thick. They ended buying a couple of skirts, a bear with fish in its mouth, a hat for Al and Brenda. We also found a Geo-Cache nearby, signed our name to it and took a “travel bug”. Afterwards, we walked over to the RV Park and looked around and talked to a few people then we walked into the village and back to the ferry. When I got home, I realized that I had lost my GPS and since it was too late to go back, I decided to go in the morning.
JAN 9, Sunday, Back to Stone Island.
I drove back to the ferry and across to the restaurant we had a beer yesterday and looked around and asked the owner but no luck. So back to Las Jaibas(pronounce LASS HI-BASS)...how disappointing! Dave came with me for the ride.
The day was spent relaxing and doing little things around the site. We did go out with Dave and Louise to reserve the room for their daughter and husband then we drove to find drinking water but, being Sunday, it was closed. We also found a place where we can put our kayaks in the Estuary. We went to see a RV park near ours but on the beach and found it very small and tight. Happy hour called us back. The evening was quite cool today!
I have uploaded more pictures to folder # 70
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
January 1 to 4 2011; To Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico
JAN 1, Saturday, sunny and warm (73*F, 22*C)
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! This is our last day in San Carlos as we depart for Mazatlan tomorrow! We all spent the day nurturing hang-over and packing. It was another cold day, mid to upper 60’s and the wind picked up in the afternoon. We had happy hour then walked over to a little Italian restaurant nearby but it was closed so we ended eating at another nearby restaurant, the “Los Arboritos”. We came home, had a small fire then called it quit early.
JAN 2, Sunday, to Los Mochis, Sonora, Mexico; cloudy and cool
Up at 7 am and on the road by 9! The Holder’s and Johnson’s came out to say their goodbye and for the girls to “flash” us. Going through Guaymas was uneventful and we stopped south of Empalme, on 15D, to pick up our permits for the vehicles and trailers which took an hour and a half. We continued on 15D (toll) and stopped in Navajoa for lunch. Our next stop was Los Mochis where I took on fuel and we spent the night in the Pemex lot with about 12 other rigs already there. We had happy hour then retreated to our rigs for dinner. I called my daughter and wished her a Happy Birthday!
N 25* 46.907’
W 108* 52.907’
Alt: 35 feet
We travelled 236 miles (382Km) in 8.5 hours @ an average 42 mph (stopped for 2hrs 40 minutes)
JAN. 3, Monday, to Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, sunny and warm
We were up again at 7 am and went to the Pemex restaurant for breakfast then were on the road by 9 am. We carried on driving and eventually transferred to 15 Libre. In Cualican, a big city, we took the wrong turn and ended up on the West side of town. Thanks to the generosity of a Mexican, he guided us with his car back to Hwy 15 libre. We gave him 50 pesos for his trouble. We continued south, stopped for lunch and fuel and finally arrived in Mazatlan and our campground, Las Jaibas, around 4 pm. We quickly set up, had happy hour, dinner and it was to bed early as everyone was tired from a long day.
N 23* 17.170
W 106* 28.169’
Alt: 36 feet
We drove 269 miles (432Km) in 6hours and 20 minutes @ an average of 41 MPH. That includes an hour and 54 min. stopped.
JAN 4, Tuesday, Mazatlan; hot and sunny, 80*F
We had a great sleep. This park is very quiet and not near the busy hustle of the “Gold Zone” of Mazatlan where all the shops and restaurants are. We finished setting up then Dave and I went to the bank to get money to pay for our site, 6000 pesos (approx $470 Cdn). We all went to “MEGA”, a grocery store and replenished our supplies. We also stopped at Soriana, another grocery store where we got fresher vegetables. We then drove through the “Gold Zone” to show Louise what it looks like then home where we put everything away then had Happy Hour!
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! This is our last day in San Carlos as we depart for Mazatlan tomorrow! We all spent the day nurturing hang-over and packing. It was another cold day, mid to upper 60’s and the wind picked up in the afternoon. We had happy hour then walked over to a little Italian restaurant nearby but it was closed so we ended eating at another nearby restaurant, the “Los Arboritos”. We came home, had a small fire then called it quit early.
JAN 2, Sunday, to Los Mochis, Sonora, Mexico; cloudy and cool
Up at 7 am and on the road by 9! The Holder’s and Johnson’s came out to say their goodbye and for the girls to “flash” us. Going through Guaymas was uneventful and we stopped south of Empalme, on 15D, to pick up our permits for the vehicles and trailers which took an hour and a half. We continued on 15D (toll) and stopped in Navajoa for lunch. Our next stop was Los Mochis where I took on fuel and we spent the night in the Pemex lot with about 12 other rigs already there. We had happy hour then retreated to our rigs for dinner. I called my daughter and wished her a Happy Birthday!
N 25* 46.907’
W 108* 52.907’
Alt: 35 feet
We travelled 236 miles (382Km) in 8.5 hours @ an average 42 mph (stopped for 2hrs 40 minutes)
JAN. 3, Monday, to Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, sunny and warm
We were up again at 7 am and went to the Pemex restaurant for breakfast then were on the road by 9 am. We carried on driving and eventually transferred to 15 Libre. In Cualican, a big city, we took the wrong turn and ended up on the West side of town. Thanks to the generosity of a Mexican, he guided us with his car back to Hwy 15 libre. We gave him 50 pesos for his trouble. We continued south, stopped for lunch and fuel and finally arrived in Mazatlan and our campground, Las Jaibas, around 4 pm. We quickly set up, had happy hour, dinner and it was to bed early as everyone was tired from a long day.
N 23* 17.170
W 106* 28.169’
Alt: 36 feet
We drove 269 miles (432Km) in 6hours and 20 minutes @ an average of 41 MPH. That includes an hour and 54 min. stopped.
JAN 4, Tuesday, Mazatlan; hot and sunny, 80*F
We had a great sleep. This park is very quiet and not near the busy hustle of the “Gold Zone” of Mazatlan where all the shops and restaurants are. We finished setting up then Dave and I went to the bank to get money to pay for our site, 6000 pesos (approx $470 Cdn). We all went to “MEGA”, a grocery store and replenished our supplies. We also stopped at Soriana, another grocery store where we got fresher vegetables. We then drove through the “Gold Zone” to show Louise what it looks like then home where we put everything away then had Happy Hour!
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