I'll Get You My Pretty!

December 13, 2004

In the last week we have been really busy. Brother Pat kept us entertained for five days, friends Ryan and Jonika made a guest appearance, Meredith moved in with us and The Locals waged a war that severely disrupted my sleeping patterns.

During Brother Pat’s visit we surfed and surfed and surfed. At night we ate and ate and ate and then drank a little too. One night early on in Pat’s visit he and our friend Bob, one of The Locals, went out on the town. Late that night they had a moment of what I refer to as “Pacifico logic”. This allowed them to think that if they came into the trailer park at midnight yelling Dan’s name, he would hop right up and join in their debauchery. Dan did not leave the safety of our bed, he’s a good boy, but Bob had unknowingly kicked of the, “Who can wake whom up more often” pranks of the following week.

The very next night, Pat, Meredith Dan and I decided it would be a good idea for us to take a dip in Jamie and Rose Marie’s pool late at night, again “Pacifico logic” at work. We were busted about five minutes in. Jamie and Rose Marie were both principals and we had just been caught by them. We fully expected a swatting or detention, but instead we were punished with tequila shots and good conversation. Bob was at home recovering from the previous night’s events, so of course we had to call him repeatedly to wake him up, tit for tat if you will. He remained strong and never answered the phone, but we had defiantly sent a message.


Meredith’s birthday was the next night, we threw her a dinner party up at Bob’s house, since we were all there, no pranking was done on this evening and once we went our separate ways we all slept soundly.

We said goodbye, yet again, to Brother Pat. Don’t worry he will continue his reoccurring role in a post a few weeks from now when we meet up for Christmas. Since we were already in Puerto Vallarta we decided to spend a day at our friend’s Ryan and Jonika’s hotel there. Jonika won a trip to P.V. as a work incentive and they did it up in high style. They stayed at the Westin and Nikki Beach resort. Dan, Meredith and I had a hard time adjusting to how the other half live, but we did our best. The beach bed’s and cabana boys helped to ease the transition.


The cabanas at Nikki Beach.


Our motley crew.


The aftermath.

The next day we were in desperate need of a good night’s rest and a day of detox. Meredith had moved from her fancy digs at the surf camp, to the plot of grass in front of our camper and her tent. We were all asleep by 7:30. Around 11:30 I thought I heard carolers, really bad carolers. In fact what I was hearing was The Locals driving through the park screaming Jingle Bells and laughing hysterically. Then I heard Bob say “I know we’ll bright them”, this was followed by their truck doing a donut in the parking area so they could point their headlights directly into Meredith’s tent. Mer got up and addressed the drunkards, from there on all I heard was laughter. By some miracle we were not voted out of the RV park the next morning. Seems our neighbors have really good senses of humor and the sight of four people, with a median age of 60,heckling the youngin’s was appreciated by all.

In the morning we decided against retaliation, why not let the old folks enjoy their victory. Besides Jamie and Rose Marie were leaving for Arizona and we can’t afford the long distance charges involved with any future pranks. Thus ended the “Who can wake whom up more often” pranks of the winter of 2004.

Footnote: The surf camp Mer went to is pretty schwanky. Many of the women who attended it were a bit more high society then the likes of us. Case in point: One of the women, we’ll call her Texas, joined us for dinner one night. She asked about our travels and we told stories for as long as our companions seemed interested. The whole time though we were aware that Texas was watching us like you watch a car wreck. Morbidly curios I suppose.
The next day she was chatting with Meredith and she said the following, (it helps if you read this in a thick Texas accent) “I enjoyed meeting your friends last night, but I must tell you, I…I would never know people like that. I guess maybe I am just to0 civilized.”
We love this quote!

Invasion

December 4, 2004
This week we did some exploring. We ventured north to La Pinita, San Poncho and San Francisco. We were invaded by ants and by Coloradoans and still managed to surf every day.


Fisherman right in front of our place.

First we are both finally healthy again. The Sayulita Sinusitis that we and the rest of the town contracted has now passed; we can both breathe regularly although both are still prone to unprovoked coughing fits. We said goodbye to our new friends Drew and Kelly. Kelly is the daughter of Jamie and Rose Marie, our other new friends who live here. Kelly and Drew made for great surfing buddies, we spent a day with them at Burrows, near Punta de Mita surfing and fending off the dog attacks that are quickly becoming legend on the walk out to the break. We were very sorry to see them go, but they were immediately replaced by other friends, so we were not alone for long.

Scenes from our explorations




An agua fresca cart.










The ice cream stores down here are really something.

Wednesday we were joined by our dear friend Meredith, she can be seen in the Bryce Canyon post. Meredith is here attending the Las Olas Surf Camp. The camp is for women and includes everything, meals, yoga, massage, and 6 days of surfing instruction by some of the best in the biz. Meredith manages to steal away every now and again to pay us a visit. She will be staying on an additional 5 or 6 days after the camp is over, we look forward to having another surfing buddy to hang with during our last weeks here.

Thursday Brother Pat arrived. Yep, you read that correctly, Brother Pat is with us yet again. In typical Pat fashion he managed to miss his flight in Salt Lake putting him into Puerto Vallarta at 9:19pm. Due to this guffaw we had to break one of our Mexico rules and for the first time we drove at night. Safely back in Sayulita we deposited Pat at Bob and Sherry’s house where he’ll be staying during his visit.

I mentioned the ants. Well we have discovered a new kind of RV-ing villain. This villain is stealthy, it can reproduce itself faster than a bunny and it comes in the form of a 3 segmented, black, millimeter-long insect. The dreaded ants have found our home and they are driving us batty! No amount of cleaning or caution seems enough to force them out. The first few days we would kill them as we saw them, this progressed into purchasing caustic chemicals to be used outside along the perimeter, and finally culminating in the loss of countless brain cells as we sprayed poison on every surface of our poorly ventilated 8x10 can.


newly hatched villians in our medicine cabinet.

Thursday was the breakdown day. I awoke to find a new hatch of thousands of teeny tiny ants in our bathroom. We emptied all contents from the room and hosed, Raided and ant powdered the whole unit. Later we decided to fetch something from the cargo carrier on the roof of our rig. In the carrier we have all of our gear for snorkeling, fishing, camping, and the enjoyment of other water sports. All of it was coated, absolutely coated in ants. We have learned that they like moisture and it is humid here, not allowing for things to dry out. As a result we could not douse all of our clothes and gear because it would not dry and would attract even more of the vile villains.

I had a “Full Metal Jacket” moment in the parking area where I had placed all of the infested items to be cleaned, shaking out clothing was resulting in my being covered in ants, most disturbingly the hundreds that were in my hair. Normally I do not freak at the sight of bugs, mosquitoes not withstanding. On this occasion however, I had a melt down of rather epic proportions. Something about knowing that if I missed even one, the bastard would lay eggs and the problem would compound until either I die of Raid poisoning or we move up to a cold enough climate to kill them.

After hours of sweeping, shaking and otherwise displacing the villains, we sat down to drink a much needed Pacifico. I decided to relax further by crocheting, only to find a new hatch of ants in my yarn, which had to be thrown away. To ease my pain I proceeded to drink more Pacifico, then Meredith showed up with a bottle of Almond Tequila which sealed the deal and a few sips later I could hardly remember the day’s battles.

Last night we found ants in the bedroom. Today we are removing our mattress and all of our clothing in order to Raid the last vestiges of hope that these evil doers have. In the last week we have emptied out every cabinet, cubby and cushion, we have applied caustic materials to every surface. If I see another ant I may consider the matchstick method and hope that an ant-free camper will rise from the ashes.

If there is to be a silver lining in the Ant wars of 2004, it is this. We have been seriously considering stopping the trip here. This town suits us very well. Dan and I had scheduled a vote, should we stay or should we go? This issue has been settled by daily checking of snow reports in Colorado and B.C. and by the ants. Cold weather may not be wholly appealing right now, but lack of insects is enough to entice me to strap on my down slippers and wool sweaters and welcome a little frost nip. Our scheduled departure date is December 15th.


But just incase we change our minds, here's what the owner of the RV park is doing with his camper.

Dia de Gracias

November 25, 2004
Giving Thanks.



As it is the season, I will now bore you to tears with a list of the things I am thankful for.

I am thankful for:
Being born to the means that I was, just enough to feel secure, and not enough to make me lose appreciation for the small things.

I am thankful for:
The friendships others continue to build with me. To my friends, I love you and I would do anything I could to bring joy or comfort to you.

I am thankful for:
My parents, for the two best gifts a parent can bestow upon their child, independence and common sense.

I am thankful for:
The path that lead me here; to a year of exploring, learning and appreciating.

I am thankful for:
The generosity shown to us by strangers and new friends, and the opportunities we have had to show generosity to others.

Finally, I am thankful for:
Every single, solitary day that I get to spend with the love of my life, Daniel Lawrence Goddard.
Coco Loco
Tis the season to cut down the cocos at Sayulita Trailer Park. Here is the groundskeeper David climbing and pruning the palmas. Really it is a sight to behold, her climbs the tree in about 10 seconds, using no protection whatsoever. Once up top he climbs over the cocos then chops them out from under him. When he is done he wraps the rope around his bottom once, then self-belays to the ground. He earns about $20 per tree, there are almost 50 trees on the property. He hates climbing the trees anymore, loses sleep for weeks before hand, but the money is good and he says it is just part of his job.









David's children practice climbing like their Papi.

The Mexican Revolution

November 21, 2004
Sayulita

Yesterday was Mexican Revolution Day.
Sayulita celebrated with a big parade and the entire town came out to watch. While in Mexico I have lost many an hour of sleep to the roosters and dogs down here. In Sayulita the roosters aren't bad but the elementary school's bugle and drum practice has woken me up a few times. We often joke about how the bugles sound like dying roosters. Yesterday as the band "played" the rooster flocked to the familiar wailing of the injured sounding caws, only this time it was a flock of eight year old buglers showing their patriotism. I feel for my poor parents who were subjected to band recitals for years.

Seemingly every child in the community was in the parade. The youngest ones were dressed up as hombres with guns and cowboy hats, the girls as damas with flowing gowns and braids. Older kids were drummers or dancers or flag bearers. The town was one big fiesta for the remainder of the day. From here I'll let the pictures tell the story.










Our friend Eddy from Crested Butte, Dan and Kale from Juneau, Alaska.




The announcer signaled the end of the parade and children ran in every direction to reunite with their parents.


This kid looks like he's had a bit too much Mexican hot chocolate.











My parents headed back for Ohio Friday morning. This is the first time I can remember that I have not known when I will see them again, it's a strange feeling.

Home Sweet Home

November 13, 2004

The locals invited us over for a cocktail at Jim and Rose Marie’s house. Their home is right in town and the view is of the entire town. The locals were playing a game for the evening. Each one was to pick a restaurant to have an appetizer at; you picked up the check at the restaurant you chose so there was some incentive to pick a cheap one. Unfortunately the game fell apart as the beers flowed and they became hungry. Fortunately for us this meant they never left the first restaurant which is where we and the family were eating. We had a very nice dinner and laughed freely at and with the locals.


This morning there were no waves, in fact it was the flattest we have seen water since the Bahía de Concepcíon in Baja. Alan and Liz, a couple staying at the park, told us about another nearby break. We all loaded into our recently freed pickup and headed off for Los Burros. This is a really mellow and nice right break. I was in heaven after the shallow left break we have been surfing the past few days. While in Punta de Mita we inquired about a boat ride to other surf breaks and we may return early next week for a full day of surfing breaks only accessible by boat. Cost to hire your own private surfing taxi for the day $60 for up to 6 people.

I am writing this from the local fish taco stand while sipping an agua fresca. Isn’t technology grand?

November 15, 2004

Yesterday we hung with the Midwesterners all day. Dad came over early and joined us for breakfast, then we entertained him with our lack of surfing prowess. My father’s main goal for the day was to watch the Bengal’s game, the poor man still holds out hope for his home team. We spent many hours at the local gringo bar trying to facilitate dad’s wish, he was finally able to get the game on the TV, but by then he was engrossed in conversation with the locals and I bet he couldn’t tell you what the final score ended up being.

Dan and I are finding our way around here very well now. We know which Super Mercado sells the coldest beer, which loudspeaker denotes the shrimp truck is coming our way, which Internet Café is the cheapest and which one is run by the scariest guy in town. We have managed to locate the Panaderia (bakery), the Helado Shop (ice cream), the cheapest fish tacos and the best beef tacos, the right and left breaks, and even the man who sells gas in milk jugs since there is no Pemex station here. We figured out that the RV Park keeps a supply of chairs and tables around for dirt bag RV-ers like us to use, and Dan got a $2.50 palm frond rug for the patio. So now we have a real outside area for eating, sitting and entertaining, not just our folding couch and cargo carrier. I even got to set up a reading area for myself; we are in full nesting mode.

Today we are all headed into the big city. Dan and I have managed to avoid Puerto Vallarta on this trip up until now. Alas the Midwesterners want to do some shopping and we still have a few X-mas gifts to procure.

Post PV:


This is the Mercado in Bucerias, halfway between P.V. and Sayullita.

Ahh yes large touristy Mexican cities are not for us. Apparently we needed a reminder of this so we subjected ourselves to a full day of shopping. We managed to lose the Midwesterners in the first hour so we got to spend the next hour sitting by the car hoping they would eventually come back to us. From there we did a big city grocery shop and now we are back in the comfort of our happy little RV Park. The Midwesterners will be keeping us very busy for the next few days. Tomorrow morning we go out fishing, then a local friend of Bob and Sherry’s is coming over to cook for us. I don’t know if people are aware of this, but often here when you rent a house, the maids will cook for you if you request it. They earn some extra money and you get a fantastic meal for a fraction of restaurant costs. Also since she will usually make it for you at your house, you can watch and learn or just enjoy the aromas coming from within.


This guy is called the Mouth Painter, Dan and I bought one of his pieces for my folks for X-mas. Don't worry we already gave it to them so you don't need to keep it a secret.


I need a nap now, the parent’s are running us into the ground ;)

November 17, 2004
Pescaderos


John "There's a reason they don't call it catching" Roberts, my Papa.


Me catching a tan.

My father, Dan and I went fishing yesterday morning. Our fishing guide was named Nacho (really, that is his name). The guides around here build palapas to fish around, so you are racing out to what seems to you to be the middle of nowhere and then all of a sudden you come upon four milk jugs floating. The jugs are attached to an elaborate series of palm fronds, then sardines are introduced to the palapa habitat where they stay and act as a semi-permanent chumming station. We went from palapa to palapa, yet even with the ocean equivalent of a salt-lick we still couldn’t catch a fish. Finally dan landed a nice-sized Dorado (Mahi-Mahi) so we didn’t look like total gringo fishermen. The highlight of the trip had to be getting back into shore. Nacho waited for the biggest wave he could find and then gunned the motor sending us flying into the shore, it was fantastic.


Nacho, Dan and his catch


Lunch.


Sayulita as seen from the water.


I could live in a place like this :)

We cooked up Dan’s catch for a nice fish taco lunch and then settled in for a lazy afternoon. Lazy is not what we got. Have I mentioned yet how I don’t know how I ever had time to work? I have never been so busy in all my life. Finally at 6pm we all ventured over to Bob and Sherry’s house, where Bertha (pronounced Bear-ta) their housekeeper was cooking a feast for us. By watching Bertha and asking a series of never ending questions I have learned how to make chili rellenos, this was one of my goals while in Mexico. Tomorrow I get to learn how to make chicken mole and flan. Dinner was fabulous and we all had a very nice time.

Also at dinner were Jeff and Caroline Morehouse, who are dear friends of Brother Pat, we keep running into people we know down here, we joke that this is Colorado south. Every license plate here is from either Colorado or British Columbia. We may start telling people that we are from Ohio just to be different. Since we entered Mexico we have met probably 10 other couples from Southwestern Colorado. Colorado is a very seasonal state, many people work at the ski areas in the winter and construction or river guiding in the summer, so they end up with a month or two off every spring and fall, now we know where they all go.

Today Mom, Christine and I are going horseback riding and then I fully intend to be a vegetable for the entire afternoon. Dan and I can’t seem to find time to be on vacation yet, even five months in we are still in working mode. We have set a relaxation/ enjoyment goal and we hope to start the new plan this afternoon.

November 18, 2004

The horseback ride was wonderful. I got to see the south end of town, where I had not been yet. We all got to gallop along in the surf and climb through thick jungle trails. Our guide taught me about several edible plants and fruits that I had not known of before. We ended up riding for two hours and boy can I feel it today! On out way home from the ride I spotted someone who looked familiar to me, it was Dave, the English gent we befriended in Pescadero. He came by the RV Park for about an hour and then joined us for lunch before heading south for a few days.

I did manage to get some relaxation time, but not for the reason I previously stated, it seems I am sick and I needed a three hour nap. After my nap I felt a bit better and rallied to go visit the Midwesterners. We took our buddy Eddy up to the house with us and he and my father played guitars for a captive audience. Last night we all went into Sayulita proper for an Argentinean feast. My mom has been a very good sport, she doesn’t like spicy food or beans, or really anything that is typically Mexican fare, so this meal was more up her ally.

Today the waves are still not up to par, they have been blown out for five days now. Seems we may have to take up another hobby soon.



A Queen Iguana we saw oalong the horseback trail.


Dan attempting to repair a blown-out flip-flop.

Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico.

Bienvenidos a Sayulita.
November 10, 2004



Monday we succumb yet again to summit fever. Teacapan had been such a treat, but were in a nesting mode and the lure of six weeks in one place proved too much for us. We rolled into Sayulita around 5:30, missed the turn to the RV Park and were immediately made fun of by our friends who live here and had been tailing us, wondering where in the heck we were headed. Bob and Sherry Daniels are from Durango. Bob was our dentist way back when. They bought a place here more than five years ago and have been converting their American friends ever since. We came here about four years ago with Dan’s family and liked it so much that we planned our trip to Mexico around this town. We even went so far as to buy surfboards, because Sayulita is a surfing town.

The RV Park here is very nice and is right on the beach. Literally we can take 20 steps from our campsite and be in the ocean at a nice left break for surfing. Our first night we went over to Bob and Sherry’s for dinner and conversation, we had a very nice time and low and behold we actually stayed up until 11pm! The next morning we awoke early and Dan started making breakfast for our guests. On the road to Sayulita we passed the girls who are biking to Chile. Remember the ones we met on the ferry? Any way Dan invited them to come visit. They showed up right on time, no easy feat since they had to cycle about 10 miles through the mountains and get here by 8am. After breakfast we said goodbye to Christen and Suzanna.


Christen and Suzanna.

Later when we returned to the Park their bikes were still here. Christen had forgotten her lock in another town and hitch hiked back to get it. The detour made it too late for them to cycle to their next destination so we were treated to their being our neighbors for the night. Also we got to enjoy our first surf in mainland Mexico.

Today was move in day. We moved to our new spot, which is ours for the duration. Then we unloaded the camper from the truck for the first time in five months. Our truck immediately became 6” taller and you can tell she is a happy truck having been freed of her burden. We laid down our new carpet, set up our couch and erected a table using crates and our cargo carrier. Dan hung a tarp for shade and we have effectively doubled our living space. It feels very nice to be settled here, to know that we aren’t moving for a while and that we can leave things on counters for example.

Now we are off to our favorite fish taco stand in the world. Yet again I wonder how I get to be so lucky.

November 11, 2004
Sayulita


Our camp.

Today we began what I assume will be our routine for the next month or so. Get up, surf, return to the camper, make breakfast, eat breakfast by the ocean, spend some time cleaning or organizing or reading, surf, eat lunch, go to town to buy groceries or beer or use the Internet, surf, make dinner, watch the sunset, play a game and go to bed. I feel so busy. However this particular day our routine had a couple of extras thrown in. After our noon time surf we decided to take the truck for a spin. Dan says she handles like a race car now. We went over to another pueblo and bought some provisions while making sure our guests who were arriving later would be able to follow the directions we had given them.

Back in Sayulita we busied ourselves with a few housekeeping errands and then sat down to wait for Ma and Pa Roberts to show up. My parents are visiting for nine days. They made record time and got in around 3pm. Once they were settled in their rental house we went out for a nice dinner and waited for our final guest to arrive. Christine is from Chicago and she and my mother went to college together. Christine had missed her flight, while awaiting her next flight she managed to leave word for us at the rental car desk and the property rental agency, which greatly impressed us all. Sure enough Christine came rolling up in a cab around 9pm and we headed right back to the bar so she could be properly welcomed to Mexico with a margarita.

November 12, 2004
Dan and I headed out for our morning surf only to find no waves. Just as depression was setting in the pan lady came by (not pan like a skillet but “pon” as in freshly made breads), and we were distracted by still warm banana bread and pastries. We didn’t have true breakfast fixin’s in the camper so after a few pastries we mounted the bikes to ride to the grocery store. We never made it out of the park though because Bob and Sherry met us at the gate. They introduced us to their friends Jim and Rose Marie. The six of us chatted for about an hour. Dan and I are ridiculously early risers, so even after the visit from the pan lady and our friends it was still only about 8:30. My parents are professional vacationers; they know how to rest when they get away. They stay up late and sleep in. It was a risk showing up at their house before nine, Mom doesn’t take kindly to having her sleep disturbed. Lucky for us Christine seems to be on a clock similar to ours and everyone was up when we arrived. After we had successfully mooched breakfast of the parents we went surfing.

Later we all ventured into Sayulita, my Dad was looking for cigars from a certain communist island nation, Christine for a certain liquor made from agave, and my mother for another bathing suit. Seems my personal vice of having a bathing suit for every mood was earned honestly. Still later we all had a beer on the beach with our local friends. The Midwesterners (that would be Ma, Pa and Christine) returned to the comfort of their pool. Dan, myself, and the locals had a few more beers and then retreated for siestas.

Today Dan actually worked a bit. Ramone, the Park manager needed a camper moved, so we bartered a few free nights for Dan’s hauling services. Unfortunately what was supposed to be a few steps forward ended up being two backwards. Perhaps we saved about $28 in camping fees, but we had a bit of an accident during the move. Our right front blinker cover suffered a blow from a cement wall, as you can probably guess, the wall won. Goodness knows how much a light cover would cost, I can’t imagine that we’ll find out until we return to the states, but my guess is more than $28. Dan was putting on a good face, even though his beloved truck is no longer perfect, Ramone brought him a 12 pack of Pacifico to ease the pain. Dan seems to have made peace with the cracked light and his fractured ego. All is well again. I was just corrected while reading this aloud to Dan, seems he is not quite done pouting over the light. Men and their trucks!