January 2009
Hola Familia y Amigos!
When you're in Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, or Mexico City you're basically in the States.....luxury hotels,
first class everything ..... almost ..... when you're in the little villages (where I am) .....life is different...see this typical outdoor kitchen (my friend Janet's palapa home)
and that's what I love about being here....Cabo and La Paz are about an hours drive from Todos Santos....south and north....i.e.,
......roosters crow all hours of the day/night......the reason..... may be because.....they don't have chicken coops......they live with the people.....the dogs....the turtles, the cows, the horses, and all the other animals...no wonder it's called Mexican time....the roosters don't know what time it is so they can't tell us....
.....no big stores in this area.....lots of Mom & Pop stores.....no set hours... they close and open when they open and close.....fortunately there are lots of them.....and the owner's live right at their stores, restaurants, place of business.....this is Jose & Anna & their happy customer...me! in their restaurant. They live on the property and have for years.
......when you invite someone for dinner, you may not have on the menu what you intended......reason? You may not find the ingredients needed. Lots of creativity and many mom & pop stores to visit as you gather ingredients..... your guests will understand......they've done it as well....then here's Brian in a fight with the lobster just purchased from the fish guy.
......about "Mexican phones"...... they don't cost a lot.....when you purchase them they come with "time".....they just say here "pesos". You don't know how many minutes you get.....depends on the day.....so you're in the middle of a conversation and you get a couple of long beeps and a woman begins speaking Spanish.....some may know what she is saying.....I still don't.....then no more phone call......you go buy more pesos for the phone.......
......when I first arrived here, I took my clothes, bedding to a laundromat and the senoritas do it for you.....very inexpensively......I now find myself filling up a pan each day and washing (by hand) many of my clothes.....hanging them over a lawn chair or a tree to dry.....
......the oranges and grapefruit are scrumptious here and they are sold in really huge bags.....so most share a big bag and there's plenty to go around.....this morning I squeezed about 10 oranges in a hand squeezer and had the best fresh-squeezed I've had in a long time.....
.......Mexican's don't know what dog leashes are.....the Mexican dogs are everywhere and they live outside....I'm teased a lot because (for the most part) I have TaZzi on leash....most of the dogs just come to your home, you feed them and they stay and they follow you..... wherever .... whenever...then they're yours. Since TaZ was trained on leash, if she's not on....she just follows the other dogs and would get in anyone's car.... I've been told by many.....'keep her on leash' or someone will take her.....so I do.....except when walking on the beach with friends and other dogs.....she runs with the pack and loves it.....she is now even going into the ocean up to her belly.....which a huge step for her......here she is burying herself in the sand after a big run.
....I never thought I'd have my absolute fill of lobster, shrimp, and fresh fish but.....I actually ordered steak at Filipe's a few nights ago.....and a few nights ago, I went to the Sand Bar with friends for all you can eat pizza, margaritas, and Reggae...that was great too.....yesterday I had fresh sea bass and it was great.....
....I continue to marvel at the friendliness here....everywhere....but especially within my little community......a recent mishap......both of my ATM Debit Cards have been compromised.....someone is trying to get in my accounts.....they weren't able to; nevertheless, I had to close both accounts down.....I have money in the bank but can't access it..... so many of my friends here and the owners of the RV Park, Hector and Myra are eager to help me until I get it straightened out......a huge chore because my cards can't be mailed to me....would take too long (at least 2 months)and possibly get lost. I've done what I can do now and just await the outcome.....too much red tape to go into........but I'm not worried.....so far....
.....for my yoga classes in our palapa it isn't unusual to be on the mats when the dogs, cats, and yes LuLu (the snapping turtle) join us....they love it (I choose to think) because it is so relaxing, Myra's voice in spanish is very soothing and it's quite a spiritual happening.....Here are LuLu & TaZzi
she's 7 or 8 and joined the Flores' family when she was the size of a quarter....you know the ones most of us have had as kids.....
.....the weather for January is hotter than it usually is here, I am told. It's in the 80's most days and the evenings get to low 60's which is perfect....
...I don't know exactly when I'm leaving....I've extended my stay til some time in February.....if I don't make it to Mardi Gras on February 24, that's OK......it will continue to be on my bucket list.......
My unending Pina Colada at Art & Beer
......for those of you in Florida.....I will still see you in March....
......so long for now.....I thought I'd better write as some of you have written with some concern for me.....because I hadn't written since December...as you can see......I'm very fine....
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