We left San Antonio about 9:30am We had taken our friends Eric and Pat to the Airport then came back packed up checked out and headed down I-35 to highway 90. We took highway 90 west all the way to Del Rio stopped at Seminole Canyon State park and had lunch. We took a bit longer than needed. I was trying to make a video for my boss who is leaving for a new job and things just weren’t right (the audio had wind noise in it, the dialog was not right and so on, scrap that) so off we went west to Marathon Texas.  About 270 miles from San Antonio then a left turn down highway 385 for another 70 miles to Rio Grande Village on the Mexican border. Our cameras were rolling all the way and we have some amazing footage! We pulled in and it was about 7ish.

We had the hardest time trying to park the trailer in a spot, it was like we had never done this before, but we had a hundred times. I tried it about 4 or 5 times, and then Tom tried it and finally got it on the 5th try! We figured our equilibriums were off or something.

Once setup it was still light so we grabbed our cameras and went tooling around the southeastern part of the park down Boquillas Canyon. It was the right thing to do, there was a rainbow to the east the clouds broke to the west and the sun was going down. Soon there was a double rainbow and the sky lit up in oranges and reds the clouds had drifted to one side of the sky and streaking across the sky were bight silver linings of the clouds.

We pulled of the road several times to film and take pictures, we could see the river (the Rio Grande) and Mexican side was majestic oh my, it was right out of some story book, it looked like someone painted the high cliffs and clouds, they went on forever. While at the river overlooking on a high bluff, down below we seen some men and some horses on the Mexican side, on our side tom seen these items (dream catchers and walking sticks and drawings, they had sighs on the ground that read in English, please buy these items to help the children of Mexico) and they had prices next to them all listed on the scrap cardboard, little sales men if you ask me. Soon tom seen this guy swimming across the river ( I was filming something) and next thing you know this Mexican scrambles up the bluff all wet and muddy in his underwear. A red flag went off in my head and I said Tom lets go, the Mexican was say something about buying these things for the children and wanted to deal, I said adios. We hoped in the car and head out of there before who knows what. You know sometimes you can feel in your gut that this is not a good situation and time to run, well that was my feeling.

We headed back to camp, I made some pasta and had some left over venison and made a nice little dinner. We were wore out from the day of travel and called it a night about 11:30, but before we turned in we sat outside and watched the stars come out in the holes of the clouds and in the western part of the sky. It was amazing, I hope we get to see more of that and I hope it fills the whole sky. I drifted off to sleep with my head in the clouds and my eyes on the stars.

Life is good, but the whole day I keep thinking about my aunt Marie, my mom had called early that day to tell me she had died. I was not expecting that, I knew she had just taken ill about a week ago, I had no clue it would end like this so soon. I loved my aunt Marie, she was the one person who always made light of a bad situation and always had a smile for you. You know they never really leave they just walk on by and soon enter into the world of the spirit.

  

Monday  June 28 10:30pm

We have arrived after 1550 Miles of hot driving conditions. It was also another great experience for both of us. Have you ever travelled with someone that has four video cameras, one still camera, two large tripods and one monopod along with enough charging equipment to dim the lights of a small city when in use? Oh I forgot the I phone, two laptop PCs and the stick-on holder for the camera in top of the car. The roof window was tested for multi open, closed performance in 95 degree heat. Gary’s glasses had bug marks as well as the camera lens. At night we took the recording equipment into the woods to get good sounds of bugs, bugs and more bugs. Gary is out right now and when he gets back I hope he will allow this blog to be put in place without editing.

Stay tuned for the next time I can get to the keyboard.

I think its quite normal to travel that way! GSC

  

We Made it to San Antonio Texas! It was a hot one today it actually hit 100 degrees a few times in the car. Took some good video along the way, the clouds were spectacular. I think wee in for some weather for the next few days.
I am sick about the oil in the gulf and a hurricane on the way.This looks like a bad situation gone horribly worse.

Will be posting video later tonight or tomorrow!

  

Hi Folks it was a long hot ride from Harrisburg Arkansas to Terell Texas. It was busy along the highway.
Late in the day when we arrived the sun was just right and we snapped a few pictures. shot a bit of video. We tried to get some more sounds but we were too close to the highway.

      

We think as we leave texas next week were going to travel along the gulf of mexico and document the oil spill. If anyone has any questions the would like us to ask or any video shot and audio, let us know we will be glad to add it to out agenda as we travel along the gulf.

Have a great day!

We will ne in San Antonio in a few hours 5 to be exsact!

  

We stayed in Harrisburg Arkansas last night way off the path of the
freeway. Nice state park high on a ridge off the praie and farm land.
Nice park, great camp sites and well maintained. The bugs and frogs
were singing up a storm. I capture it on the zoom recorder at. 24/48 kHz
It was hot and humid last night but we slept with the windows and
doors open.
Talked with the ranger and learns lotta about the area and the
agriculture. Mainly how fast the are draining the auquafier and now
how much more minerals are in the water because they have to drill so
much further down to get water.

Heading for little rock then on to Dallas

Sent from my iPhone

  

Were tripping again! Road tripping that is. (we will leave the other
stuff for you folks at home)
We will keep you posted for the next 18 days from Detroit to all
points south.
This morning we were in Gary Indiana, south Chicago, we rolled out of
Kankakee past houses farms and feilds. Champaign is in our sties and
highway 57 is under our wheels.
The sun is up the coffiee is good and were singing to steely dan and
manfred man.

Life is good!

We will post again later..

Gary & Tom

  

Friday January 1 2010

While we sat at the New Years Eve party we discussed the plans for the following day. It was time for a trip to Puerto Vallarta to see all the madness. We ate breakfast at one of the roadside restaurants and packed up for a bus ride to the big town. We transferred once to a City bus that takes us to the town center. We walked along the shore boardwalk that has all of the statues and waterfront eatery’s and hotels. We ended up on the south end where we spent two winter vacations in a rented condo along the shore. It was like memory lane with all of the same beachfront activities and internet cafes scattered along the back street. One of our tour guides in Sayulita grew up in a home along the beach and his mother still owns the place. It is right next to the Blue Chairs Hotel where some of our friends stayed in the past years. She now rents the place to special people and we wanted to see about it for future reference. We have the information for contacts. We had an early dinner at one of our favorite classy restaurants called Brazil. It was much different than our taco stands along the roadway in Sayulita. After dinner we met some of our Puerto Vallarta friends at the new meeting place in downtown area.

It was getting late and Tom was ready to hop the bus and head for our winter retreat. We took the local bus to the pick-up point and waited. After an hour we were told that the bus to Sayulita stopped running after 9:45 PM. We could have gone to another town closer to our destination and then take a cab ride to Sayulita. We decided with Eric paying that we would take a taxi all the way. Gary discussed the price with the driver, bargained, and we got the price down to something respectable.  We arrived at the town square and headed up the hill for home.    

 

Saturday January 2, our last day in the sun.

We packed up our belongings and walked down to Rollie,s Restaurant for our last breakfast and to say good bye to Rollie and his wife Jeanne. We arranged a pick-up at 11:00 AM to take the three of us to the Airport, another luxury for the last day.  The Airport was packed and the Security was even tighter. Eric was on a different flight leaving at the same time so we were in the same madness together. His flight left on time, bur ours was an hour late leaving. We arrived at Houston and after going through Customs and then back into Security we missed our flight to Detroit by five minutes. No more flights until Sunday at 7:00 AM. Continental gave us a voucher for a hotel, but they were all off site and the madness at Security suggested we stay in the secured area and stick it out. Besides we had no luggage to allow us to change clothes and become civilized. I am sure that some of you world travelers have spent several hours in an Airport waiting, so you can appreciate our 12 hour wait for morning to come. Gary slept on the floor and then rearranged the furniture to make things more comfortable for the long night. He always wants to rearrange the furniture whenever he gets a chance. The seats, the floor and the rearranged chairs did little to make the night acceptable. Our morning flight was on time and we changed our seat assignment to the Exit row, more room for us to stretch out.  We were home by noon and the cats showed their madness for us leaving them, but finally crawled into bed with us for our afternoon nap. It’s cold and cloudy, but it is good to be home.     

      

  

Happy New year every one…. Oh my a lot has happened over the last few days.

Got some good beach time in, but it’s been a bit cloudy here and there, and has rained a few nights. Not quite the Mexico weather we have been accustomed too over the last 7 or 8 years!

Monday December 28^th – Breakfast at the villa, as you know I made Banana pancakes!  It was a beach day.  The waves were good and the sun was out, the smoothes were good and the company was fine. We baked in the sun till about 3pm. We had fresh coconut on the beach, the cut the top off so we could drink the milk, then he split it and dug the meat out and we has it with lime, chilli sause and salt.. mmm good stuff. After the beach we went up to the villa cleaned up and went shopping!

Shopping: We had all been eyeing things over the last week or so and it was time to go get em. WE took Eric to a few places he didn’t know were there and he just lit up! Oh I saw another carry-on bag in his future.  It was I who ended up buying stuff, a bet for Tom and a belt for me. On the way back to the Villa we stopped and bought chicken from the chicken lady as you go up gringo hill. Man what a dinner, the hot sauce was incredible and the coleslaw was right on and the chicken, well we didn’t talk much through dinner, we just ate and ate and ate. Never seen Tom eat so much, then went out for you guessed it desert something about vacations and desert, they go together well.

 On Tuesday the 29^th of December we took a boat trip out to the Marietas islands. And what I trip it was! We were on a tri-maran called Syulita 1, nice boat, cut a crazy crew and company. I must say swimming in the pacific is great, far from shore, out by the islands or by Puta Mita where the waves are a surfers dream. 

When we started out the song from Gilligan’s island played in my head, and I started to sing it, and some girl said stop that’s not funny… well it was like the cast and crew of the SS Minnow with way too much pasifico beer and weed!  We seen lots of whales, listened to some great radio station out of Guadalajara University ( http://www.radio.udg.mx/portada.html ) Eric worked on his tan and is getting quite dark, and Tom was working the crowd and crew, taking pictures and just being Tom. I was my jovial self very quiet and reserved! NOT..

After a shared taxi ride, we got back to Syulita later that day and had dinner on the street and a nice place called Carmelita’s. It was another night of strolling deserts, ice cream and street tortes, there was a Brazilian band of drummers in the square with fire dancers. Nice show got some OK footage and god sound.

Wednesday December 30^th we kind of took the day off from the beach and lounged around the villa and read, we made breakfast of pancakes and juice. Around 2 in the afternoon, we took a walk to los metros, what a fine walk through the jungle and down to a secluded beach; the waves were crazy and fun. Eric and I swam for about 20 min or so before we headed back. We took the beach back and cut through the grave yard, very cool grave yard. It made me think of my grandmother who recently had passed. (Hi gram!) Tom went to meet some friends about 5 and Eric and I cooked dinner. What a dinner it was. Shrimp fajitas and chicken fajitas, chips and salsa, and chicken from the chicken lady.. burrp

 

Thursday December 31^st new years eve… it was a beach day, we headed out for breakfast at the crêpe and waffle stand. Tom had a strawberry waffle and bacon, Eric had a pecan waffle and I had crêpes, yep 2! I should have ordered 1 but no I had to have 2 they were only 40 pesos. Nutella on one, and one with peanut butter and plantain, not bad but I couldn’t finish them. After breakfast I went and go a hair cut! Yep a haircut in Syulita Mexico. I think it looks good, but that’s my opinion (view picture below) I met up with the guys on the beach and the waves were rolling in. Eric and I got boogie boards for the day (they wore us out fast) Waves were a good 5ft and slamin, we had some good rides and got tossed a few times too. What fun. In-between riding the waves we bought beach souvenirs. Tom was first, he bought a wooden bowl, then Eric got wooden spoons, then Eric got a blanket, pesos were flying on the beach it was fun. Tom and I took a walk to look at tee shirts on the side streets but were reserved enough not to buy anything. Yet!

Well it was time to go up and get ready to for the evening festivities’!!!! Tom booked us in at Mr. Iguana for dinner and a show. Yea you think syulita can do new years eve over the top! Your right. We knew going in it might be a bit dicey, but I knew the girls in the show (the dirty bitches from blue chairs over in Puerto Vallarta) so it had something going for it. Well there were only 8q1 people who showed up for dinner ( they were expecting 60) dinner was on the lame side, a small salad, Tom aI had the snapper, more like 2 pieces of lake perch, Eric had the stuffed pork, and we had a baked potato and a mixed vegetable medley. After the dinner we had a piece of cake, it was not memorable or very good. The show was about to begin! The show was good, Diva, Jacqueline, Angelica and a new girl.. the new girl was hot.. I forget his name! Oh yea did I say this was a dag show.. it was a hoot and they did them all Cher, Bette Middler, Tina Turner, Pat Benatar and more. After the show we said time to go, the place was vacating fast. We talked to the girls for a bit and headed to the beach. ( I used the girls 2 years ago in a movie short called I Love Toni, soon to be a full length movie) Well the beach was festive, drummers and people and dancers and waves and a full moon with a big ring around it. WOW what a toper for the year. Mid nigh came and went and everyone was partying and then a few fireworks, I say 15 at most and it was all over, we hugged and kissed and went t home…. Not like in Puerto Vallarta it goes on and on all night long.               

Happy new year! 2010 from Eric, Tom & Gary

  

Played: 15 | Download | Duration: 00:18:02

  

Wow, it has been three days since we sat and told you about our adventures in this part of the world. Gary picked up our friend Eric Wednesday night and we fed him at one of our famous street side stands, and sent him off to bed. It was a long day when you start out at 4:00 AM. Thursday morning we had breakfast at Chocobanana restaurant in the Plaza. Then to the beach for fun in the waves and some sun. Gary was the one that got too much sun since he did not use sunscreen. Part of the day was spent showing off some of the famous eating places and of course the two ice cream stores. It is fun showing our friend the places and things we have enjoyed for these few years. Thursday night Gary did his magic and prepared a super dinner from our limited supply of pots and pans. We even had to share some silverware. The kitchen stove in the patio is a small propane unit that looks like our camping stove, only smaller. After dinner we were down to the plaza for some ice cream and just sitting around the plaza chairs watching the mix of locals and visitors enjoying the weather. Friday was a day away from the sun on the beach with lots of exploring in various parts of the village, what a place. Last night we did movie right in front of the laptop, Cars. This morning it is raining and cool, 70 degrees F. We are off to breakfast.      

Oh Boy.. Breakfast was well hmmmm different.. Pancakes with homey, the sausage was a hot dog, but it was really good! it was along the river, Eric saw bananas in the trees and was just marveling at scenery and all the stuff going on around us.  It was a good breakfast..
It was cloudy from the mornings rain, and we were heading back up to the villa and i ran into the fish man, well i thought he was the fish man but he was pretty much a shyster

, I went with one of his guys to get shrimp.. yea i thought fresh shrimp from the sea... NOT.., yea he said there were fresh this morning.. sounds like a bad commercial to me. It was quite a non enjoyable experience, but i know now when i see these guys and his friends to just smile and walk on by..

Well the sun came out at about 11 and we wet tot he beach and played in the waves read and baked like pop and fresh biscuits on he beach.. fun fun fun.. oh yea and we had fresh cocnut on the beach, for 30 pesos, he cut the top off and gave us a straw, we drank the milk, then went back and he chopped up the cocnut and scooped out the white fresh meat and we ate it with lime and chilli sause and salt.. yummy.. AHHHHHHH all in a day at the beach..