I am sitting here in Sayulita. The Bungalos Jacqueline have internet which is really nice. Their pool is freezing cold, so I haven't been in it at all. As a matter of fact I haven't been in the water much this trip at all. It hasn't been very alluring for some reason. It has been much colder than in October for sure. That is one reason. It is also part to do with my skin getting so dry. I hate how that feels. Mostly I love being by the ocean, hearing it's pounding surf. Sometimes when I put Eva down with her favorite toy - the little lamb with different white noises, I put on the sound of the ocean, because it is the one I love the best.
Today we had a bit of a rough day. It started bad with the shirt I wore. It is a really cute silk tank top. Problem is it is just a bit too low cut and my bra shows a little and I feel like I look llike I am falling out of it. And I was, all day. Made worse of course, any time I was holding Eva. Oh well, Mama's privledges I guess. We wanted to get out of Sayulita "early" so we ate breakfast again at Rollie's. We really like him and the food there is quite good. I am not sure how we missed it last time we were here since it it just steps from our front door. So, "early" was about noon. We took a detour out of town to look for our friendly Canadian chaps who had a restaurant we went to last year. It seems that it is either no longer here, it was washed away when the river flooded, or we were actually dreaming that we had dinner there last year. In any case, we couldn't find again. We also saw a little bit more of Sayulita on the other side of the river. It is very nice over there and probably much more quiet than this side... that is my guess any way. So, off we went to find another stretch of beautiful beach and palm trees. We hit San Francisco first. It is also known as San Pancho and is about 15 minutes north of Sayulita. It is much quieter, but also has a fair number of travelers, tourists, etc. I wanted to find the turtle hatchery and find out what time they release the turtles in the evening, which they do from August through Decemeber. This is the time the mama turtles lay their eggs. Apparently they are an aphrodesiac and sold at bars with a shot of tequila. Gross. So, we found a map and eventually made our way through town and up a little hill to a place where there are volunteers who man the hatchery. Jocelyn greeted us and was extremely friendly. She went into a small black shack filled with stryofoam coolers and brought out a little white box of baby sea turtles.. They are dark grey and black and very cute. Jocelyn took a lot of time telling us about sea turtles, their demise, and how "Frank" makes it his business to make sure they don't go extinct. At night mama turtles come and lay their eggs on the beach and the volunteers that work with Frank have to be out all night long collecting the eggs so the poachers don't get them. She told me that one night she was out and she watched a mama lay her eggs and finish up. According to Jocelyn, the mama goes into a sort of trance when they are laying eggs, so not much bothers them, they are going to lay their eggs come hell or high water, poachers or no. So Jocelyn waited for mama to move on from her nest and when Jocelyn went to get the eggs, of which one mama usually lays at least 100 at a time, there was only one! The poachers had been there before her and stolen the eggs right as she was laying them! So disgusting.
After I got my fill of turtles we decided to get in the car and drive to Chacala. I was hoping to show Ken the town we had stayed in the year before with Caroline and Curry before he arrived to join us. Somehow in the back of my head part of me was thinking, maybe we should just stay in San Pancho, enjoy the beach and then at 6pm see the turtles being released. I didn't listen to that intuitive sense.. I should have... The road is very pretty, lots of jungle, palm trees, and green everywhere. But there is the traffic to contend with: cars passing over double yellow lines and under crazy circumstances like oncoming traffic for example. Unfortunately we passed Chacala and the last town for miles. But I didn't see the sign, so before we knew it we were in the mountains and climbing. I didn't see anything recognizeable and I was fairly certain we had passed it. Ken didn't think so, but as we continued to climb and there were fewer and fewer places to turn around, he figured I was probably right. So having driven for an hour and a half or so, we headed back. Just as we got back on the road going south again, who should come up behind us but Policia. That had me a little nervous. I told Ken he might want to go the speed limit. He was certain it wasn't necessary. He was probably right. In a few minutes we had huge pile of cars behind us. But we did notice none of them were passing the policia. In that situation, in Mexico, you are a bit screwed. You don't want to break the law, but you also want to be sure that you don't want to piss anyone off. Luckily they eventually passed us, as did the rest of the cars piling up behind us. Still none of them passed the policia. I was much relieved when they were gone.
Sure enough, we had passed the turn off to Chacala and we saw it on the way back south. We kept going because it was getting late and I was still hoping to see some turtles released.
When we arrived back in San Pancho, we all (Eva, Ken, and I) had to pee, and were extremely hungry and tired. This is not a good combination for me under any circumstances. Especially not when I am traveling in a foreign place, don't know where to get decent and not too expensive food, don't know where there's a decent toilet, etc. We ended up having an ok, very expensive meal on the beach. A mistake I won't make again. After eating we went down closer to the water and let Eva play in the sand. She absolutely LOVED it. She really didn't want to leave. It seems she would have been content there the rest of the evening. But unfortunately Ken and I realized at that point we had been out for over 5 hours and by the time 6 came we might have a bit of a wait for the turtles... Mexican time and all... then we would be driving home on a road we don't know, in the dark with crazy Mexican drivers. We decided to head back to Sayulita. We can come back when Eva is older and can appreciate it and then we can stay in San Pancho and not have to worry about driving crazy roads with crazy drivers.
I think am ready to be home. It is amazing how much we rely on other people to help with Eva. I never realized it, not really, until this trip. We spend a lot of time with family and friends and it makes a huge difference in terms of having some down time. We have literally had only the time when she is asleep to ourselves. And then it is in the confines of our room or wherever we are staying. Here in Sayulita the room has a very nice outdoor space... if you aren't too worried about the bugs eating you alive. Why didn't I bring bug spray? I keep asking myself! I really appreciate my friends and family even more than ever now. I see how important it is to have people to share, even if it was just one evening or an hour during the day occasionally. It really does take a village.
Mexican Sunset
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Gringos and Fish Tacos
Our first night in Sayulita was a little rough for me... Eva was sleeping in the closet. I was on edge because if she squirms enough she could fall out. It would take a lot but it still made me nervous. Plus there was music blarring what seemed like all night long. They know how to get their party on here that is for sure! There was a band playing until at least 11pm and then there was loud piped in music for at least another hour. But eventually it quieted down and I was able to get to sleep. Ken didn't seem to have any problems sleeping. And we were snug as two bugs... in what they are calling a queen. I find it hard to believe it's not a full - it looks so tiny compared to the king we were sleeping on in Puerto Vallarta.
Well, I am pretty sure I wouldn't want to live in Sayulita. There are too many gringos here. And it isn't exactly that they are gringos, it's the kind of gringos... a bunch of hippie, dirty... I don't know. I am being super judgemental, but they own all the shops in town, sell bread on the beach, and are generally everywhere. I think being here in the off season might be a better barometer of what it is like here when it isn't overridden by tourists. Then I think about why this is a successful place for both Mexicans and gringos... because of the tourists and gringos who come here and spend their money. And if I was to live in Mexico I would want to own a business that was successful... and I am thinking most of my money would be made from gringos... so who am I to judge.
The towns to the north of here a much more low key than here. There are drawbacks though. For one thing, mostly the beaches aren't as nice. You can't swim in them easily because they aren't protected by a bay the way Sayulita is. And, there just isn't much going on. That can be good at 1am when the music in the zocalo is so loud you can't sleep! But maybe not as good if you want something to do by day... besides sitting around drinking beer on the beach?
Today we had breakfast at a place called Rollie's. It started out as a breakfast place and now they also have breakfast. I think he has been here for at least 10 years, maybe longer. They do a rocking business and Rollie himself is right in the mix. He sells fresh roasted coffee, organic of course. And he is quite a character. He has his own restaurant song that he sings with his son.. it's taped and played over the loud speaker, but it's really cute. He is extremely friendly and makes a point to make friends with everyone in the restaurant. He made friends with a little kid who had drawn a picture and then posted it ceremoniously on the wall with other creations from other kids. And we had an excellent breakfast! I had their version of eggs benedict with a sauce that was delicious... with chipotle and something else with a green hue. Ken had the breakfast burrito he had been craving since we got to Mexico... although the breakfast burrito is hardly Mexican. It was delicious. I had breakfast burrito envy. When we were all but rolling out of there, Rollie offered us pancakes on the house! And they were delicious. And they served butter just like Ken thinks it should be done... at least a cup of butter on the side, so you can use the whole thing or leave a little. Those pancakes were the size of a large plate... no joke!
Last night we had our requisite fish tacos. Actually Ken had fish fajitas - a huge plate of grilled fish, peppers, onions, beans, rice and tortillas in a delicious butter sauce. I had a marlin taco which was served sauteed in a tomato sauce and a Baja fish taco, fried with special sauce on top. Both were served with cabbage salad on top, yummy salsa, rice and black beans. We also had guacamole which was excellent. And not too crazy expensive. I think we spent about $20 total. Of course it would have been lots more if we had been drinking beers and margaritas! So, that seems like a lot for Mexico, but I have found that the prices here and in PV are just a little bit better than at home, but not much. The further you get from the tourist spots, the better the prices.
So, I don't want anyone to get the idea that it is cold here, because it really isn't... But last night I was freezing my ass off. And there were a couple of times in PV that I was cold too. Last night I finally got warm after a hot shower. I wasn't the only one walking around all wrapped up in my sweatshirt. I saw plenty of people in sweaters and scarves. It is definitely much cooler here in December than it is in October. Same with PV. I am guessing the farther south you go, the warmer it gets. I do remember being quite cold in San Miguel de Allende when I went in October. I had to always layer up. SMdA is in the mountains and has weather much more like in the states than the beach in Mexico.
I am not sure what we are having for dinner tonight. As usual I go from one meal thinking about what I am going to eat at the next meal... and where! That is the only way to ensure that I don't lose my mind with hunger. That is not a pretty sight for sure.
Tomorrow I think we are going to take a little tour of the coast north of here. We want to check things out and get some use of the car. I guess I will be able to use my Spanish a little bit more too. We may try to go to see the turtles. There is a sanctuary at Playa del San Francisco, aka San Pancho. They release baby turtles from August to December. I think they release them at night, so we may only be able to see where they hatch or something. I am not sure. And maybe we will drive a bit farther north to see some other beach towns too. It would be fun to go into the mountains, but the town that I know of is pretty far away.. It would have been a better trip from Puerto Vallarta.
Well, Eva just got up from her nap. So, my time is up...
Well, I am pretty sure I wouldn't want to live in Sayulita. There are too many gringos here. And it isn't exactly that they are gringos, it's the kind of gringos... a bunch of hippie, dirty... I don't know. I am being super judgemental, but they own all the shops in town, sell bread on the beach, and are generally everywhere. I think being here in the off season might be a better barometer of what it is like here when it isn't overridden by tourists. Then I think about why this is a successful place for both Mexicans and gringos... because of the tourists and gringos who come here and spend their money. And if I was to live in Mexico I would want to own a business that was successful... and I am thinking most of my money would be made from gringos... so who am I to judge.
The towns to the north of here a much more low key than here. There are drawbacks though. For one thing, mostly the beaches aren't as nice. You can't swim in them easily because they aren't protected by a bay the way Sayulita is. And, there just isn't much going on. That can be good at 1am when the music in the zocalo is so loud you can't sleep! But maybe not as good if you want something to do by day... besides sitting around drinking beer on the beach?
Today we had breakfast at a place called Rollie's. It started out as a breakfast place and now they also have breakfast. I think he has been here for at least 10 years, maybe longer. They do a rocking business and Rollie himself is right in the mix. He sells fresh roasted coffee, organic of course. And he is quite a character. He has his own restaurant song that he sings with his son.. it's taped and played over the loud speaker, but it's really cute. He is extremely friendly and makes a point to make friends with everyone in the restaurant. He made friends with a little kid who had drawn a picture and then posted it ceremoniously on the wall with other creations from other kids. And we had an excellent breakfast! I had their version of eggs benedict with a sauce that was delicious... with chipotle and something else with a green hue. Ken had the breakfast burrito he had been craving since we got to Mexico... although the breakfast burrito is hardly Mexican. It was delicious. I had breakfast burrito envy. When we were all but rolling out of there, Rollie offered us pancakes on the house! And they were delicious. And they served butter just like Ken thinks it should be done... at least a cup of butter on the side, so you can use the whole thing or leave a little. Those pancakes were the size of a large plate... no joke!
Last night we had our requisite fish tacos. Actually Ken had fish fajitas - a huge plate of grilled fish, peppers, onions, beans, rice and tortillas in a delicious butter sauce. I had a marlin taco which was served sauteed in a tomato sauce and a Baja fish taco, fried with special sauce on top. Both were served with cabbage salad on top, yummy salsa, rice and black beans. We also had guacamole which was excellent. And not too crazy expensive. I think we spent about $20 total. Of course it would have been lots more if we had been drinking beers and margaritas! So, that seems like a lot for Mexico, but I have found that the prices here and in PV are just a little bit better than at home, but not much. The further you get from the tourist spots, the better the prices.
So, I don't want anyone to get the idea that it is cold here, because it really isn't... But last night I was freezing my ass off. And there were a couple of times in PV that I was cold too. Last night I finally got warm after a hot shower. I wasn't the only one walking around all wrapped up in my sweatshirt. I saw plenty of people in sweaters and scarves. It is definitely much cooler here in December than it is in October. Same with PV. I am guessing the farther south you go, the warmer it gets. I do remember being quite cold in San Miguel de Allende when I went in October. I had to always layer up. SMdA is in the mountains and has weather much more like in the states than the beach in Mexico.
I am not sure what we are having for dinner tonight. As usual I go from one meal thinking about what I am going to eat at the next meal... and where! That is the only way to ensure that I don't lose my mind with hunger. That is not a pretty sight for sure.
Tomorrow I think we are going to take a little tour of the coast north of here. We want to check things out and get some use of the car. I guess I will be able to use my Spanish a little bit more too. We may try to go to see the turtles. There is a sanctuary at Playa del San Francisco, aka San Pancho. They release baby turtles from August to December. I think they release them at night, so we may only be able to see where they hatch or something. I am not sure. And maybe we will drive a bit farther north to see some other beach towns too. It would be fun to go into the mountains, but the town that I know of is pretty far away.. It would have been a better trip from Puerto Vallarta.
Well, Eva just got up from her nap. So, my time is up...
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Where in the World is Sayulita?
For those of you wondering where Sayulita is... it is just north of Puerto Vallarta on the west coast of Mexico. It is a tiny little town.
No Bath, 5 Gallon Water Heater
We are in Sayulita... living the dream. The dream doesn't include a bath for Ken. And we can't shower together or even one after another because the water heater is tiny. Another drawback is the fact that the pool is freezing cold. The only way Eva can go in there is if the sun is directly on the pool. So we will try again tomorrow. Other than that we love our place. It has an outdoor kitchen and living room and a cute queen bed. There is no crib, but the closet seems to be a good make-shift. I can give more details later. There are plenty of gringos here... urban campers, hippies, and rich white folks who can actually own a piece of paradise.
We are off for some fish tacos at Fish Tacos Sayulita.
Hasta luego amigos!
We are off for some fish tacos at Fish Tacos Sayulita.
Hasta luego amigos!
Y Soda Y Fish Tacos
I am still not feeling that great. I feel like I still have a bit of a cold. I think Eva is beginning to feel better since she isn't coughing as much. Although sometimes her breathing sounds like she just smoked a pack of cigarettes. I am trying not to worry about her. I think she had the same thing last time she was sick.
Ken, when on vacation, with tub, takes a tubby an average of one every few hours! It is a 5 foot tub, so it's pretty much the lap of luxury!
Yesterday Eva blew bubbles in the bath. She did it again tonight! Unfortunately she doesn't have the idea down yet that she shouldn't then try to gulp a breath of air while her face is still in the water! Practice. We are also showing her how to blow bubbles at every opportunity: bath, pool, bottle of water! I think she is going to be a natural. I'm not sure I said this before, but I am a llittle disappointed at how cold the pool water here is kept. It is at 81 which is definitely colder than recommended for a little baby. She can be in for a few minutes before she starts to shiver. Me too! I am sure it was heated better at the Sheraton! I don't think it will be any better at the place in Sayulita. As a matter of fact we are wondering what we are going to do with no warm pool, no hottub and no bathtub! Lots of our time here has been spent in one of those places during this trip, so going to a place with none of that will be interesting. We will have the beach and of course a shower... And lots of yummy fish tacos where we are going.
Ken and I decided that having a car is a necessity now that we have Eva. Being on vacation and not being able to get around easily is not easy. I think we have done well considering, but we would have been able to see more and do more if we had had a car from the beginning. Although there is something to be said for the amount of money we have saved by just staying around the resort and cooking our own food. If we had a car the entire time, we would have eaten out a lot more often.
Sayulita is our home for the next 4 days. We have internet at a corner cafe, a pool in our backyard, and Eva will be sleeping in the closet. Life couldn't be much better!
More later...Y soda...
Ken, when on vacation, with tub, takes a tubby an average of one every few hours! It is a 5 foot tub, so it's pretty much the lap of luxury!
Yesterday Eva blew bubbles in the bath. She did it again tonight! Unfortunately she doesn't have the idea down yet that she shouldn't then try to gulp a breath of air while her face is still in the water! Practice. We are also showing her how to blow bubbles at every opportunity: bath, pool, bottle of water! I think she is going to be a natural. I'm not sure I said this before, but I am a llittle disappointed at how cold the pool water here is kept. It is at 81 which is definitely colder than recommended for a little baby. She can be in for a few minutes before she starts to shiver. Me too! I am sure it was heated better at the Sheraton! I don't think it will be any better at the place in Sayulita. As a matter of fact we are wondering what we are going to do with no warm pool, no hottub and no bathtub! Lots of our time here has been spent in one of those places during this trip, so going to a place with none of that will be interesting. We will have the beach and of course a shower... And lots of yummy fish tacos where we are going.
Ken and I decided that having a car is a necessity now that we have Eva. Being on vacation and not being able to get around easily is not easy. I think we have done well considering, but we would have been able to see more and do more if we had had a car from the beginning. Although there is something to be said for the amount of money we have saved by just staying around the resort and cooking our own food. If we had a car the entire time, we would have eaten out a lot more often.
Sayulita is our home for the next 4 days. We have internet at a corner cafe, a pool in our backyard, and Eva will be sleeping in the closet. Life couldn't be much better!
More later...Y soda...
Friday, December 17, 2010
Eva Travels...
Eva's favorite toy seems to be the bag of wipes. It makes great noise, it is big enough to grab onto. And it is even good to suck. Perfect trifecta of options. We had to open up the bag of wipes, so it is not so perfect anymore. Now my mouth guard and case are the favorite. It is a perfect size for Eva to grab and put in her mouth. She is really beginning to utilize her hands in a more focused way. She focuses on every exact movement and when it isn''t working she seems to try to figure out a better way of doing it.
I have to admit, traveling with her is much more challenging than traveling alone. I am completely happy that we came down here, but it would have been really awesome to have someone or a couple of someones with us. It would be nice for Ken and me to go do something together without Eva. But at this point she can't really take care of herself. So, we take turns doing things alone or we do it as a family.
This afternoon we walked from our hotel to downtown. It is a good long walk. We stopped along the way at the Sheraton Bouganvillas Resort. It is very fancy, very nice and probably sets you back quite a bit. They had a beautiful Christmas tree in the lobby and a really nice gift shop that I cleverly decided not to go into. In spite of the staff with hard safari hats (just like the ones the dudes at Mayan Palace have - where they blocked us from going in last year), we were able to walk right in and check the place out. It seemed very quiet and not very crowded. We sat right at the water under a tree and fed Eva her bottle. It was beautiful, tranquil, and made me want to go back. Their rooms didn't have balconies. That could be a good thing, given Ken's anxiety about pitching Eva off a balcony.
We took a walk down the malecon, pulling the stroller so Eva's eyes wouldn't be in the sun. That is easier than walking backwards!
The one store I wanted to go to was closed. We tried to go on the way home, but it was still closed. So, I will try again tomorrow or Friday.
A stop at Starbucks to use the internet was frustrating. So many smokers outside! Yuck. I forget how many people still smoke. It is disgusting. And the internet was snail-slow. But Eva was in a good mood, especially after I changed her diaper! She is in a good mood most of the time. She gets really fussy when she is hungry and when she is tired. Go figure! Same as her mom and dad. The rest of the time she is a busy body. Into everything - moving around, touching everything, putting things in her mouth, talking, and generally being busy.
Tonight we ate at our favorite restaurant. It set us back about $65, which is not cheap for Mexico. And I think we won't get the seafood there again. We had a seafood platter with two lobsters (one big and one small), grilled fish, shrimp, twice baked potatoes, rice, veggies, and garlic bread. And everything was covered in garlic. I was underwhelmed and a little disappointed, since it has been my favorite place. Maybe it wasn't as good as I remember because I didn't have my margarita goggles on tonight?! Oh well. It was still a very nice dinner. And the best part of all was that Eva slept through the entire thing. When we arrived, we thought it would be a rough dining experience because she had been having a meltdown just before we arrived. Brilliantly, we fed her a bottle, she fell fast asleep and woke up just before we got the check. It couldn't have been more perfect.
They say, when in Mexico, do as the Mexicans. That is mostly a good idea, except for a few things, like taking your baby in a car without a carseat. But what do you do when you forget the carseat because you have walked into el centro? You either walk home, which wasn't an option at that point, or you do as the Mexicans... say a prayer to La Virgin de Guadalupe and hold your baby tight on your way home, praying all the way. We made it okay. And won't be making that mistake again. I needed a beer after that!!
Speaking of Mexico and babies, people here mostly don't have strollers. They carry their babies in their arms. These women have got to be strong. They also feed their babies all kinds of junk. And most of them are breast fed. An interesting juxtaposition.
We have two full days left here in PV and then we are off to Sayulita.
Tomorrow's task is to do the laundry and sit on the beach all day. Maybe we will have to think about what we are going to have to eat.. more quesadillas? A roasted chicken? No more lobster and definitely no more garlic!
I have to admit, traveling with her is much more challenging than traveling alone. I am completely happy that we came down here, but it would have been really awesome to have someone or a couple of someones with us. It would be nice for Ken and me to go do something together without Eva. But at this point she can't really take care of herself. So, we take turns doing things alone or we do it as a family.
This afternoon we walked from our hotel to downtown. It is a good long walk. We stopped along the way at the Sheraton Bouganvillas Resort. It is very fancy, very nice and probably sets you back quite a bit. They had a beautiful Christmas tree in the lobby and a really nice gift shop that I cleverly decided not to go into. In spite of the staff with hard safari hats (just like the ones the dudes at Mayan Palace have - where they blocked us from going in last year), we were able to walk right in and check the place out. It seemed very quiet and not very crowded. We sat right at the water under a tree and fed Eva her bottle. It was beautiful, tranquil, and made me want to go back. Their rooms didn't have balconies. That could be a good thing, given Ken's anxiety about pitching Eva off a balcony.
We took a walk down the malecon, pulling the stroller so Eva's eyes wouldn't be in the sun. That is easier than walking backwards!
The one store I wanted to go to was closed. We tried to go on the way home, but it was still closed. So, I will try again tomorrow or Friday.
A stop at Starbucks to use the internet was frustrating. So many smokers outside! Yuck. I forget how many people still smoke. It is disgusting. And the internet was snail-slow. But Eva was in a good mood, especially after I changed her diaper! She is in a good mood most of the time. She gets really fussy when she is hungry and when she is tired. Go figure! Same as her mom and dad. The rest of the time she is a busy body. Into everything - moving around, touching everything, putting things in her mouth, talking, and generally being busy.
Tonight we ate at our favorite restaurant. It set us back about $65, which is not cheap for Mexico. And I think we won't get the seafood there again. We had a seafood platter with two lobsters (one big and one small), grilled fish, shrimp, twice baked potatoes, rice, veggies, and garlic bread. And everything was covered in garlic. I was underwhelmed and a little disappointed, since it has been my favorite place. Maybe it wasn't as good as I remember because I didn't have my margarita goggles on tonight?! Oh well. It was still a very nice dinner. And the best part of all was that Eva slept through the entire thing. When we arrived, we thought it would be a rough dining experience because she had been having a meltdown just before we arrived. Brilliantly, we fed her a bottle, she fell fast asleep and woke up just before we got the check. It couldn't have been more perfect.
They say, when in Mexico, do as the Mexicans. That is mostly a good idea, except for a few things, like taking your baby in a car without a carseat. But what do you do when you forget the carseat because you have walked into el centro? You either walk home, which wasn't an option at that point, or you do as the Mexicans... say a prayer to La Virgin de Guadalupe and hold your baby tight on your way home, praying all the way. We made it okay. And won't be making that mistake again. I needed a beer after that!!
Speaking of Mexico and babies, people here mostly don't have strollers. They carry their babies in their arms. These women have got to be strong. They also feed their babies all kinds of junk. And most of them are breast fed. An interesting juxtaposition.
We have two full days left here in PV and then we are off to Sayulita.
Tomorrow's task is to do the laundry and sit on the beach all day. Maybe we will have to think about what we are going to have to eat.. more quesadillas? A roasted chicken? No more lobster and definitely no more garlic!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Have Baby Will Travel
Everyone thought we were crazy to bring Eva down here. I was pretty certain it would be awesome. So far I am right! We are having a blast. Eva is doing really well and seems to love it here. It is unfortunate that she had a cold when we left for Puerto Vallarta, but she is doing well in spite of that. She has a lingering cough that we are monitoring closely. It doesn't seem to be holding her back any.
Eva did amazing on the flight. In spite of getting over a cold, Eva didn't seem to have any issues with assent or descent. She winced a little, but the binkie and her bottle got her through just fine. The rest of the flight she was almost perfect, only crying when she was really tired and needing to fall asleep. THat is normally when she gets fussy anyway. She had lots of fun flirting with the men sitting behind us.
We have been in PV for almost three days now. It has been an ajustment, but nothing too difficult considering we are living on tthe beach in a resort.. there isn't much roughing it..
Having a baby is the perfect way to avoid time share babble. We were almost roped into the initial talk but escaped because we needed to get Eva situated, fed, etc. Then we just avoided the lobby altogether for the evening. One waiter asked us if we had the discount card and we told him we didn't.. He said "good for you." And then he and I said at the same time, "shhhhh."
It's a total racket. I am happy to avoid.. There was a guy in line to check in when I was checking in to switch llines and he was talking to two older women and stated to them that he would never buy a timeshare, not when you can go online and get a place for much cheaper and more easily. Another woman we talked to has been coming here for 15 years, has 5 left and just recently surrendered their timeshare. I read about doing that on the website regarding selling a timeshare. I guess they aren't coming back and she was telling us about her terminal cancer. God, poor thing.. She seemed nice, but going through a lot and really wanting to talk about it..
The day we arrived it was about 6pm by the time we got settled and came down to eat. After dinner at the bar restaurant (Ken had a good burger and I had sopes with different stuff on tthem) we headed over to the pool.. Eva had a little dip and really enjoyed it.. Then we took her into the hottub to warm her up.. She liked that even better!
After a swim we walked over to the grocery store and bought a few items for our morning breakfast and lunch. It was probably 11pm by the time we finally got to bed. And up again early with Eva..She doesn't know what it is to sleep in! So, | got up with her, got her a bottle and let Ken get a little more rest. The rest of the day was filled with figuring out where we were moving and when. We ended up with a ground floor one bedroom, having rented a two bedroom two bath place. The one we rented was up a flight of stairs and somewhat cave-like. I thought we might have to wait until Monday to get a one bedroom, but when she heard me complain about the stairs she suggested the first floor unit. Normally I am not a fan, but with a stroller and a father who is worried about dropping his child off the balcony, it seemed like a perfect idea. I actually like being on the first floor except you can't go out the sliding glass door and lock it behind you.
So, we took it. We were able to stay in our studio until the new place was ready. Then we moved everything ourselves. Avoiding more and more tips.
We tried the wading pool. I thought it would be best and warmest, but it is acutally the coldest of all the pools so that mission was rapidly aborted. Eva was shivering within the first minute or so. Bummer because I was really looking forward to swimming with her. Maybe tomorrow in the sun it will be a little better. After a warming bath, we were off to Pepe's Tacos! We have been waiting for this reunion for over a year. Delicious tacos with savory meats, sauteed with onions, peppers, mushrooms and plenty of cheese! To die for! So good you almost have to eat every last bite. But we didn't... we saved some for lunch today. In order to feel less guilty for eating so many yummy tacos, we walked all the way home! I think it's about a mile and a half at the most.. Ken thinks it's longer. Maybe we can measure it when we get the rental car? Anyway, it was a great walk except for crossing the streets.
Early in the morning on Saturday we left for downtown and some breakfast at Casa de los Hotcakes (Pancakes). We walked out to get a taxi thinking it would be a little cheaper. Interesting... there are zones for taxi pricing. from here to downtown is 40 pesos if you leave from outside the hotel, 50 if they hail one for you. When we got out there we hailed one and he said 40 so we were breaking down the stroller and a taxi who works at Fiesta Americana, next to Villa del Palmar, drove up and caused problems for our driver. So he was about to leave until he heard the guy charging us 80 pesos! Then he called his boss who had already been called by the other guy's boss... We went with the first one, Alberto who was very nice and spoke English very well. I gave him 60 becaause he was so nice and didn't leave us with the "raton."
At Casa de los Hotcakes we met a woman with a 4 month old baby who lives in a town near Sayulita. She was a math teacher until her son was born. She had a good medical benefits package and had nothing bad to say about living here in Mexico. Her partner looked significantly older than her... a hippie of sorts maybe. Anyway, she wasn't worried in the least about raising her child here. She was currently staaying at home with her son, Desmond.. It was an illuminating conversation. She told us that she made a good living teaching at an American school.. Very interesting.. Breakfast was delicious and not too expensive. Although prices are certainly more than they used to be!
Next we headed to the beach and fed Eva. When she was finished we headed over to the malecon by crossing the River Cuale. At the beginning of the malecon, in the zocolo there was a throng of people lined up to get into the cathedral. It was December 12, dia de la senora guadalupe. All the little kids were dressed in traditional costumes and some family members too. Once we got some photos of that we decided to get out of the crowds and stroll the malecon. At the end of the walk we headed for a cool patio at Hotel Rosarita's on the beach. There we had drinks and fed Eva. She got loads of attention. We also got to see two whales off in the distance jumping out of the water and flopping around with their fins in the air... what a sight!
Leaving downtown we decided to go grocery shopping at the market downtown and then take a cab from there. It was packed with people but we made the best of it and it had everything we needed. What a scene. It is definitely the store the locals use. Also cheaper than the one up by the hotel.. But it worked, other than the thing of chilies falling out of their container into the trunk of the taxi we took back to the hotel. Luckily we had bought paper towels and were able to clean it up. Finally we had the bulk of our groceeries bought and put away. For dinner we had a roasted chicken, potatoes, tortillas and lots of yummy salsa. I did a number on my tongue with a jalepeno peepper! Ouch!
Eva has been spending lots of time on the floor rolling around. She seems very close to crawling. She has also been in teh pool a few times and seems to really enjoy that as well. We spent most of the morning until about 1pm on the beach under a palapa. I took her to the edge of the water which she seemed to like and was talking up a storm. She also enjoys all the baths we have given her over the last few days. She is generally very happy although when she is tired she mellts doown and has a good cry. Nothing a little food and sleep can't fix.
Putting her to be has gotten a little easier. When we first got here she didn't want to sleep unless she was in our arms. That has gotten a little better, but it still isn't like at home where she will go down and play on her own a little before she finally drops off to sleep. If she is really tired, it is generally easier. Tonight she went down in the crib with no problem at all. Speaaking of the crib... it is really old school. The rails are quite tall. It is on old casters or wheels that are super rickety and it pops open and closed and is locked in place with some semi fancy hinges. It seems like it is going to break every time I lean on it. I try not to lean on it and pray every time I put her in it that she won't move around too much, causing it to collapse on itself. I guess we are going to get a playpen at Walmart for her to sleep in when we get to Sayulita. That will be much better...
Our plan for today is to finish up at the Starbucks, where internet is free... not $20 per day as it is in the resort! They can gouge the unsuspecting folks who don't ever want to leave the hotel or who can write off the expense. Anyway, I think we are going back downtown for an early dinner and sunset. We have hardly been downtown at all this trip, so I am really looking forward to it.
I can't believe it's already Tuesday! It feels like we just got here. Or that we have been here for a very long time... We have a full week left. Much more fun in the sun. And none of us have sunburns yet. That is saying something. Very careful with the sunblock. Especially with Eva.
She is calling my name. And I have been hogging the computer. Ken's turn.
Eva did amazing on the flight. In spite of getting over a cold, Eva didn't seem to have any issues with assent or descent. She winced a little, but the binkie and her bottle got her through just fine. The rest of the flight she was almost perfect, only crying when she was really tired and needing to fall asleep. THat is normally when she gets fussy anyway. She had lots of fun flirting with the men sitting behind us.
We have been in PV for almost three days now. It has been an ajustment, but nothing too difficult considering we are living on tthe beach in a resort.. there isn't much roughing it..
Having a baby is the perfect way to avoid time share babble. We were almost roped into the initial talk but escaped because we needed to get Eva situated, fed, etc. Then we just avoided the lobby altogether for the evening. One waiter asked us if we had the discount card and we told him we didn't.. He said "good for you." And then he and I said at the same time, "shhhhh."
It's a total racket. I am happy to avoid.. There was a guy in line to check in when I was checking in to switch llines and he was talking to two older women and stated to them that he would never buy a timeshare, not when you can go online and get a place for much cheaper and more easily. Another woman we talked to has been coming here for 15 years, has 5 left and just recently surrendered their timeshare. I read about doing that on the website regarding selling a timeshare. I guess they aren't coming back and she was telling us about her terminal cancer. God, poor thing.. She seemed nice, but going through a lot and really wanting to talk about it..
The day we arrived it was about 6pm by the time we got settled and came down to eat. After dinner at the bar restaurant (Ken had a good burger and I had sopes with different stuff on tthem) we headed over to the pool.. Eva had a little dip and really enjoyed it.. Then we took her into the hottub to warm her up.. She liked that even better!
After a swim we walked over to the grocery store and bought a few items for our morning breakfast and lunch. It was probably 11pm by the time we finally got to bed. And up again early with Eva..She doesn't know what it is to sleep in! So, | got up with her, got her a bottle and let Ken get a little more rest. The rest of the day was filled with figuring out where we were moving and when. We ended up with a ground floor one bedroom, having rented a two bedroom two bath place. The one we rented was up a flight of stairs and somewhat cave-like. I thought we might have to wait until Monday to get a one bedroom, but when she heard me complain about the stairs she suggested the first floor unit. Normally I am not a fan, but with a stroller and a father who is worried about dropping his child off the balcony, it seemed like a perfect idea. I actually like being on the first floor except you can't go out the sliding glass door and lock it behind you.
So, we took it. We were able to stay in our studio until the new place was ready. Then we moved everything ourselves. Avoiding more and more tips.
We tried the wading pool. I thought it would be best and warmest, but it is acutally the coldest of all the pools so that mission was rapidly aborted. Eva was shivering within the first minute or so. Bummer because I was really looking forward to swimming with her. Maybe tomorrow in the sun it will be a little better. After a warming bath, we were off to Pepe's Tacos! We have been waiting for this reunion for over a year. Delicious tacos with savory meats, sauteed with onions, peppers, mushrooms and plenty of cheese! To die for! So good you almost have to eat every last bite. But we didn't... we saved some for lunch today. In order to feel less guilty for eating so many yummy tacos, we walked all the way home! I think it's about a mile and a half at the most.. Ken thinks it's longer. Maybe we can measure it when we get the rental car? Anyway, it was a great walk except for crossing the streets.
Early in the morning on Saturday we left for downtown and some breakfast at Casa de los Hotcakes (Pancakes). We walked out to get a taxi thinking it would be a little cheaper. Interesting... there are zones for taxi pricing. from here to downtown is 40 pesos if you leave from outside the hotel, 50 if they hail one for you. When we got out there we hailed one and he said 40 so we were breaking down the stroller and a taxi who works at Fiesta Americana, next to Villa del Palmar, drove up and caused problems for our driver. So he was about to leave until he heard the guy charging us 80 pesos! Then he called his boss who had already been called by the other guy's boss... We went with the first one, Alberto who was very nice and spoke English very well. I gave him 60 becaause he was so nice and didn't leave us with the "raton."
At Casa de los Hotcakes we met a woman with a 4 month old baby who lives in a town near Sayulita. She was a math teacher until her son was born. She had a good medical benefits package and had nothing bad to say about living here in Mexico. Her partner looked significantly older than her... a hippie of sorts maybe. Anyway, she wasn't worried in the least about raising her child here. She was currently staaying at home with her son, Desmond.. It was an illuminating conversation. She told us that she made a good living teaching at an American school.. Very interesting.. Breakfast was delicious and not too expensive. Although prices are certainly more than they used to be!
Next we headed to the beach and fed Eva. When she was finished we headed over to the malecon by crossing the River Cuale. At the beginning of the malecon, in the zocolo there was a throng of people lined up to get into the cathedral. It was December 12, dia de la senora guadalupe. All the little kids were dressed in traditional costumes and some family members too. Once we got some photos of that we decided to get out of the crowds and stroll the malecon. At the end of the walk we headed for a cool patio at Hotel Rosarita's on the beach. There we had drinks and fed Eva. She got loads of attention. We also got to see two whales off in the distance jumping out of the water and flopping around with their fins in the air... what a sight!
Leaving downtown we decided to go grocery shopping at the market downtown and then take a cab from there. It was packed with people but we made the best of it and it had everything we needed. What a scene. It is definitely the store the locals use. Also cheaper than the one up by the hotel.. But it worked, other than the thing of chilies falling out of their container into the trunk of the taxi we took back to the hotel. Luckily we had bought paper towels and were able to clean it up. Finally we had the bulk of our groceeries bought and put away. For dinner we had a roasted chicken, potatoes, tortillas and lots of yummy salsa. I did a number on my tongue with a jalepeno peepper! Ouch!
Eva has been spending lots of time on the floor rolling around. She seems very close to crawling. She has also been in teh pool a few times and seems to really enjoy that as well. We spent most of the morning until about 1pm on the beach under a palapa. I took her to the edge of the water which she seemed to like and was talking up a storm. She also enjoys all the baths we have given her over the last few days. She is generally very happy although when she is tired she mellts doown and has a good cry. Nothing a little food and sleep can't fix.
Putting her to be has gotten a little easier. When we first got here she didn't want to sleep unless she was in our arms. That has gotten a little better, but it still isn't like at home where she will go down and play on her own a little before she finally drops off to sleep. If she is really tired, it is generally easier. Tonight she went down in the crib with no problem at all. Speaaking of the crib... it is really old school. The rails are quite tall. It is on old casters or wheels that are super rickety and it pops open and closed and is locked in place with some semi fancy hinges. It seems like it is going to break every time I lean on it. I try not to lean on it and pray every time I put her in it that she won't move around too much, causing it to collapse on itself. I guess we are going to get a playpen at Walmart for her to sleep in when we get to Sayulita. That will be much better...
Our plan for today is to finish up at the Starbucks, where internet is free... not $20 per day as it is in the resort! They can gouge the unsuspecting folks who don't ever want to leave the hotel or who can write off the expense. Anyway, I think we are going back downtown for an early dinner and sunset. We have hardly been downtown at all this trip, so I am really looking forward to it.
I can't believe it's already Tuesday! It feels like we just got here. Or that we have been here for a very long time... We have a full week left. Much more fun in the sun. And none of us have sunburns yet. That is saying something. Very careful with the sunblock. Especially with Eva.
She is calling my name. And I have been hogging the computer. Ken's turn.
Monday, July 05, 2010
My Mother
Well, lots has been going on. I am as huge as I can possibly get now. I am worried that this baby will never want to come out and I will somehow be like this forever. I have had quite a few meltdowns. Really, any time she wants to come out would be good with me. We are ready.
So, last night my mother... who I have to say I love more than anyone in the world... well, not more than Ken, just different...
said to us last night that she wasn't sure about being called "Grandma." I have heard this story from friends, but never thought my own mother would be one to push aside what I would consider a true badge of honor. Mark piped in immediately and stated, "Well Grandpa is taken." So, I asked if she was feeling too young to be a grandmother, she denied that as a reason. She really didn't have a reason. So we threw some ideas out at her all of which she rejected. Nana, Nanna, Abuela, Abuelita, etc. I said "Julie" thinking for sure she would reject that as well, considering how we have both identified "Mom" as an important name. I did have cousins who grew up calling their parents by their first names, which I always considered pretty weird. No offense to them of course. So, when she said, that seems like it might be the best option, I was truly floored. I basically told her that I was not going to have my daughter calling her Julie. That is just not going to happen. It's a little too "Berkeley" for even me.
Ken was on line this morning looking up nick names for grandparents. Bubbie, Mimi, DiDi, Bubbles, Lola, Lita, Deda. Or how about Big Momma?
Maybe she would like JuJu?
I have a feeling it is going to end up being Grandma. Maybe our daughter will have to be the one to break her in or something?
So, last night my mother... who I have to say I love more than anyone in the world... well, not more than Ken, just different...
said to us last night that she wasn't sure about being called "Grandma." I have heard this story from friends, but never thought my own mother would be one to push aside what I would consider a true badge of honor. Mark piped in immediately and stated, "Well Grandpa is taken." So, I asked if she was feeling too young to be a grandmother, she denied that as a reason. She really didn't have a reason. So we threw some ideas out at her all of which she rejected. Nana, Nanna, Abuela, Abuelita, etc. I said "Julie" thinking for sure she would reject that as well, considering how we have both identified "Mom" as an important name. I did have cousins who grew up calling their parents by their first names, which I always considered pretty weird. No offense to them of course. So, when she said, that seems like it might be the best option, I was truly floored. I basically told her that I was not going to have my daughter calling her Julie. That is just not going to happen. It's a little too "Berkeley" for even me.
Ken was on line this morning looking up nick names for grandparents. Bubbie, Mimi, DiDi, Bubbles, Lola, Lita, Deda. Or how about Big Momma?
Maybe she would like JuJu?
I have a feeling it is going to end up being Grandma. Maybe our daughter will have to be the one to break her in or something?
Monday, May 03, 2010
Baby Brain
It is all about the baby now. I have total insomnia. My hands are killing me from the carpal tunnel syndrome I have had since the beginning. The morning sickness is gone. Thank god. I get nauseous when I lay on my back for too long. I get horrible heart burn. My lungs feel like they are the size of tiny balloons. I can barely get up the stairs without being winded. I am loving Fruit Loops for breakfast, and I even had them for dinner last night. I can barely eat a meal without feeling over-stuffed. I am congested most of the time. We started our birthing class tonight. Seems like a good group meeting for the next 6 weeks...Lots to learn for sure.
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