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: 14 | 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..

  

 

Hello Everyone,

Gary is off to pick up a friend at the Airport, so I can sit in front of his machine and talk. After our arrival Sunday evening and 12+ hours in bed we were back among the living. Breakfast in the Villa and we were off to the beach for sun and fun. We rented two chairs, an umbrella and a small snack table for the day. Same thing on Tuesday. We found our taco stands in the evening and just enjoyed the warm weather and the typical smell and excitement of Sayulita. Not much has changed since last year except for a few more potholes in the street. We had breakfast today at Rollies where reservations were made for Christmas Eve dinner with our friend Eric. We just love this place. I walked Gary to the bus stop for his trip to the Airport and we talked about how lucky we were to find this Mexican town that is somewhat primitive, stuck in the past. I am not sure everyone would feel this way.  Tomorrow will be another beach day and perhaps some touring of the area with Eric, on foot of course. We have made no serious plan which is the best way to enjoy our stay down here.  I have a good book to read and lots of warm weather to enjoy. All for now.

Tom

           The Sights of our plce in Syulita

  

I must say it dose not take long to get into the groove of Mexican way
of life. The first night in after the flight we slept a mear 13 hours,
got up and went to the beach! We met a few new people and some old
friends. Town looks good, a few new shops and resturaunts and the old
stand by stands on the side of the road. The food here is amazing.
The waves are low to medium 2 to 4 ft with a few 5 footers. Seas are
building and I am hoping for some constant 6 foot waves this week.
I am sitting in the aeroporto waitng for our friend Eric to arrive, I
hope he's up for syulita life. It's a bit different, much slower than
Peurto Vallarta, and way way different than Ferndale where he is
coming from. I'll keep ya posted on how he likes it.. or dose not like
it.

It's much greener this year than other years, and not much dust on the
roads, I am thinking el niño.
It has also been chilly in the evenings, lows in the mid to upper 50s.

As I people watch at the aeroporto I can say how greatfull I am and
how humbbel this place makes me. And how I don't want to be like some
of these obnoxious American and canadians. I am glad I know the world
revolves, and it's nor around me!

Gary

Sent from my iPhone

  

The Apartment in Syulita IXPAN is the name Oxocotla is the Place

  

We left Detroit at 7am this morning. First stop Houston Texas. Next
stop Puerto Vallarta Mexico, the on to Syulita Mexico this evening.

Looking forward to get out of the packed planes and airport maddness!

We packed cheese and crakers some smoked sausage and some chocolates..
The only way to fly!

Ahh yes and we can blog from the phone.....



Sent from my iPhone

  

Played: 373 | Download | Duration: 00:11:00

  

It was Pancakes and plums with ham for breakfast, the wind was light and the sun was out.

We hoped in the car and headed north on route 430 towards Cow head, it was a clear and sunny morning. It was a view to the left was the gulf of St Lawrence and to the right was the Mountain’s across a long expanse of tundra and meadows and brooks, about a mile away.  As we passed through small towns such as sally cove, Martins point and Saint Paul’s on up to cow head we would stop and take pictures and video tape the scenery along the way. I must say, you don’t find road kill on the Newfoundland highways, there just isn’t any. What I heard was there are no skunks, no raccoons, no possum. There are things like wolverines, badgers and fox everywhere. One thing we did see in abundance was crows, lots and lots of crows. Kind of eerie at times and there calls a sometimes haunting when you’re hiking. We stopped along the way and picked up some fresh raisin biscuits and some coffee.

Our first stop was Broom point: it is a little fish staging area with a large barn and a few small houses and other small buildings for fishing equipment. Its setting was just out of a book, large rock out copings and the rolling sea behind them a few evergreen trees dotting the landscape. Add a bright blue sky and some wind and you have what we were experiencing.  I was filming some tidal pools and the strange rock formations, and Tom was up talking to the keepers of the place. They said we could go into the barn and look at the fishing equipment and boats if we like. We were content to see all the lobster traps and boats on the outside. One thing you will see in our pictures is their out house. Its this tall building with 2 long boards holding up the front of it, it looks as though you can take the front off and do you business in the open breezes! Amazing how that works….

We started into Cow head and drove through the small rural area of town, along side of swallow bay to the island of cow head, where we found the Gros Moran summer theatre. We parked and saw the trail to the light house and to the Cow head geological features. It was a good hike, nice views from the top of the mountain on the island, really cool little grottos in the trees coming down on the ocean side. We found the light house, and it was in bad shape. It was starting to rust really bad and the trees were growing up all around it and covering the view to the ocean. Tom opened the door to look in and saw it was really rusting on the inside and needed painting badly. Looks like this lighthouse might only be a pile of rusted metal and glass in 10 years or so. We were glad we made the hike to see it, on the back side of the island it was nice forest and meadows, we were wondering if maybe we took a wrong turn and then around the corner there was the familiar sight of Swallows Bay. We made it back to the car, and bid the island good by and drove off down the road toward the northern end of Gros Moran National park.

Our next stop was the arches; they were about 20 miles north of the park. We wanted to drive all the way up to the top of the western arm of Newfoundland, but time would not allow us. We heard that they are building a road from Quebec to goose bay and the road should be open soon, some say this year November others say next spring. Any way I would love to drive to Goose Bay and take a ferry across to Newfoundland from the north. Maybe next year.. I have an idea! We should buy some land alongside the new road and open up a travelers rest… You could pull in an RV, a trailer, pop up or we could rent a cottage, have a small store for supplies and wireless internet connection!!! (Ill keep dreaming, but I think it’s a great idea- Michelle P, I think you would be into it!) Any how back to the arches, we see the sign for the road, pull in and the gate was down. That did not stop us or another car, or even a tour bus! We parked and walked in as the tour buss of senior citizens were unloading (Dave kicked into hi gear- Dave’s holiday) We walked down to the beach area and I was totally amazed at what we were looking at, again only in book or magazine do you see things like this. There were these large rocks about as big as a 4 story apartment buildings some had holes/caves all the way though them and the sea was washing into the caves under them, the rock was smooth and shiny, a type of lime stone I would suspect, you could see further down the beach that some had collapsed over time and that new ones were forming. A great site for sure, I could see making a movie here.

After we filmed and took pictures we headed back up to the car talking to the people on the tour to find out they are going to goose bay for the night.. dam, if this tour could do it, I am sure we could too, just not enough time… We drove back to Green Point, packed up and headed south after taking just a few more pictures, like one last E Mail. On the way to our new destination we continued to be amazed  the wonderful area we have been travelling in for almost a week. Where did the time go?

Our next campground for three days was in Lomond, 40 miles below Rocky Harbour. We picked our campsite after driving around the campground a few times. We set up camp and headed for Deer Lake to have supper and enjoy the night life for at least 20 minutes, what night life?  We did not see any moose on the road coming and going, and the dinner was not worth the trip. We are too use to the great meals prepared by the on site chef. He makes everything taste better each day, rain or shine.