Feb 18th - Mon - San Carlos
We are not doing much these days - I am trying not to overuse my ankle so it is keeping us close to the rig. I talked to Marg (sister) & Georgia (friend) on Skype for quite a while - got cut off from Marg a couple of times but had a nice, uninterrupted chat with Georgia. I also updated the blog but haven’t yet put any more pictures on the internet.
Terry and our neighbor Les checked midday and the glass bottom boat was going out today. But when we all showed up at 5 the wind had come up and the guide said it would be best not to go out. He said it would not be much fun. He offered us a margarita anyhow but we decided to go to Charly’s Rock for a drink instead.
I made the new recipe with prawns and it was wonderful! It is a fairly basic scampi recipe with butter, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice but it also has cointreau (orange liqueur) added at the end. The liquid is boiled down and served over rice - truly delicious.
Feb 19th- Tues - San Carlos
Another slow day. Packed for our upcoming Copper Canyon trip and the guys played golf in the afternoon. I made another trip to the lot with some of Dolly’s stuff and another opportunity to acclimate Dolly to the “babysitters”.
Feb 20th - Wed - to El Fuerte
Terry dropped Dolly off at the lot and we (Rick & Pat and us) left for El Fuerte in Rick’s truck just before 8. You head basically south and then turn east for about 25 miles. There are 3 toll stops - 59 pesos each (approx $5.90) - and some federal checkpoints. We were asked for paperwork and Rick’s drivers license to support the vehicle permit at one stop. The person obtaining the permit must always be in the vehicle but does not have to be driving. One checkpoint had a huge line of trucks heading north. We started counting part way through the line and estimated that there were 200 trucks in line. The federales are checking for contraband.
The highway we traveled is good. Still not much shoulder but divided 4 lane. All along the way, people were cutting grass in the median for their animals. They would carry it on bicycles and wagons pulled by horses or donkeys. There were also animals tethered in the median for grazing. In one short section, men had large bags with a square opening and we finally realized that they were harvesting grass seed from mature grass along the median by dragging the edge of the bag over the grass. They had huge bags full.
We drove through Obregon with a stop at Wal Mart for some wine. Once we turned off the highway, we stopped on a side road to eat the lunch that we had packed.
We arrived at El Fuerte about 1:30 and checked into the Choza Hotel. Quite interesting - Rick makes a turn off the road right through a driveway in the outer “wall” of the hotel that is closed with metal gates at night. Our room was very colorful with 2 purple walls, 2 walls with beige on top and yellow on the bottom, pink curtains, bright gold bedspreads and a domed brick ceiling. The inner courtyard was very nicely landscaped and had several large parrots and other birds loose and in cages in a gazebo.
We walked around the town a bit and then relaxed with a drink. We went to a nice bar that has Zorro appearing many evenings along with a 3 piece band. El Fuerte is the said to be the birthplace of Don Alejandro de la Vega - Zorro - so a young man puts on a fun show as Zorro. We returned to our hotel for dinner and then tried to sleep on very hard mattresses.
Feb 21st - Thurs - to Creel
As we are staying at the Choza again when we come back, we can leave the truck in their courtyard while we are gone. After we had breakfast at the hotel, a taxi arrived to take us to the train station. The driver made an entry in his calendar to pick us up when we come back.
The train was a customary one hour late so we boarded at 9:30. We got seats across from each other and Rick & Pat gave us the more scenic side since they have been on the trip previously. The scenery is quite uneventful for the first few hours. It is interesting as there are many different trees, shrubs and cacti and you pass many small villages.
There were 2 tour groups on the train and they reserved the dining car for them - one group from 11 to 12 and the other from 12 to 1. So we had to wait until after 1 to have lunch - good thing we had a few snacks as breakfast was pretty early. There is also a bar car on the train but it was hard to find seats on the “scenic side”.
As the railroad climbs, the view starts to become more scenic. The vegetation changes to include evergreen trees. The railroad is quite an engineering feat with many tunnels and trestles. One tunnel does a 180 degree turn inside the mountain and climbs 100 feet before exiting. You then pass over the section of rail that you were just on in order to climb sharply. In another section, the train comes down one side of a valley, loops around the end on a large, curved bridge, climbs the other side and then makes another turn to end up above and parallel to the previous track. Our destination, Creel, is at 8000 feet above sea level and El Fuerte is not very far above sea level so there is a huge elevation change.
The train stopped in San Rafael for a crew change and women with baskets for sale came to the side of the train and you could make purchases from the platforms between cars. Pat bought a basket but I wanted to wait until I could look at items more closely. We also had a 15 minute stop at Divisadero where you could leave the train. There are lots of little stalls with stuff for sale and a lookout over the canyon. We grabbed a Tshirt for Terry and snapped some pictures before we had to re-board the train.
We arrived at Creel about 4:45 and were taken by bus to the Best Western Hotel. We had very nice, large rooms on the second floor - oversized king bed, gas fireplace, vaulted ceiling and a bright green accent wall this time. We had a drink in the bar while we decided on a tour for tomorrow, returned to the room for one drink and then went to another hotel down the street for dinner.
Feb 22nd - Fri - Creel
Creel is a very nice, clean town. The main street has lots of shops & hotels.
We had breakfast this morning at our hotel and met our tour guide - Pepe - at 9. We had the kitchen prepare box lunches for us - sandwich, bottle of juice, bottle of water, chips, cookies and an orange. Pepe is the guide that Rick & Pat had 3 years ago. He speaks very good English, is a real chatterbox and a lot of fun. We had a 4-wheel drive Toyota pickup for our trip. A high step up with low head clearance so a challenge for me to get into and the first thing Rick did was smack his head on the roof when he got in.
We had arranged for a 4 ½ hour tour which ended up being 5 hours. I will hit the highlights but can’t get into all the details in the blog or I won’t get this posted for 2 more days!
One the way to a church & museum at Cusarare, Pepe pointed out some rock formations with names - elephant & face - and gave us a lot of information about the area. The church & museum where locked so we watched an old guy carving wooden spoons while Pepe found someone to open the buildings. Apparently, the buildings were not open as the Jesuits who own them had not paid the young lady with the keys. The museum contained large paintings that had been rescued from churches (where they were being damaged) and had been restored. There were photos of the pictures prior to restoration and it is amazing what can be done to them.
Everywhere tourists go, women & children appear from nowhere with goods to sell. Sometimes they wait for you to approach their display laid out on blankets on the ground and sometimes children come running to try to sell things. We ended up buying the wooden spoons which are made from madronna trees - very hard, heavy wood.
Next was a drive over rough, dirt roads and through small rivers to the Cusarare waterfall. There is a short walk through rocks & woods to the falls and the path is lined with women selling baskets, weaving and other handmade items. Pepe said they walk about 6 kilometers each way each day to be there. All this is as interesting as the falls themselves which had a low amount of water running over them but were still pretty.
We stopped at a lake and walked down to the shore to eat our lunch. We did not take very long as a couple of hungry dogs, some children and a old man showed up to see what we would give them.
We went to a Tarahumara settlement where we visited the Valley of the Monks and a cave dwelling. The Valley of the Monks has huge rock freestanding columns with many colors of what appears to be lichen but we don’t know what it was. This area is currently being developed for easier tourist access. The cave dwelling is one still inhabited by 3 Tarahumara families. It is black from smoke and there is a private sleeping area for each family. And there is the ever-present display of goods to buy which seems a contradiction to their desire to maintain native ways.
Our last stop was at the “Mushrooms” which are more rock formations that do look like mushrooms. One the way back we passed “the saddle” and “frogs” rocks.
After a quick stop in our room to wash off some dust, we went walking & shopping in town. Unfortunately, it was siesta time so many stores where closed. It seemed like a good time to go back to the room so I could get my foot up for a while. We went back for a little more shopping before Pepe walked us to a restaurant that he recommended for dinner. It was on “the wrong side of the tracks” and we bought beer across the street to have with our dinner. We had barbequed chicken (over a wood fire), pork shank and carne asada which was beef that was too tough to chew. A good experience but not one that any of us wanted to repeat. Then we had to walk back to the hotel though areas that might have been scary in other towns. We listened to Pepe singing in the bar for a bit and then called it a day - actually called it a great day!
Feb 23rd - Sat - to El Fuerte
We did not have to catch the train until 11:15 today so we walked to another hotel for breakfast and then wandered though town some more. There were a couple of tours getting on the train again but Pat looked after us by squeezing past people and getting us some seats.
We were having a beer in the bar car when we stopped at Divisidero and Pat & I decided that we wanted to try a taco that we had seen on the trip up. So we got some and had them with our drink. I was riding backwards and I don’t know exactly what caused it but I started to feel sick. The rest of the trip was pretty miserable for me with trips to the - luckily - nearby restroom and to the platform between cars for fresh air.
It was a long ride back. We had already seen the sights and the train had to slow down after dark to watch for cows on the track. We were an hour late so pulled in about 7:30 and our taxi was waiting for us.
I crawled into bed while the others sat out on the lovely porch and had a drink. Pat was not hungry so we sent Terry & Rick to the hotel restaurant for dinner.
Feb 24th - Sun - back to San Carlos
I managed one piece of toast and Imodium for the drive back to San Carlos. When we were having breakfast, there were mainly school kids assembling as if for a parade but our waiter did not speak English so we did not know where it was or when it would start so we carried on after a hotel employee juggled some vehicles around so Rick could get his truck out.
We went via Los Mochis, which is near the coast, just to see a bit more country and the road is considerably better than part of the one we came in on. We stopped at the Wal Mart in Obregon again for a few groceries and to grab lunch at McDonalds. Even in Mexico, the Wal Marts have McDonalds!
We got back about 2:30, dumped our stuff and went to pick up Dolly. She did very well while we were gone and provided endless entertainment for the lot inhabitants as they discussed what they could do to her and take pictures for us. I was still feeling pretty queasy so ate very little dinner as I looked forward to sleeping in my own bed.
Feb 25th - Mon - San Carlos
Rick came to the door this morning to let me know that I could use the line to do laundry as Pat was sick and they would not be doing laundry as planned. So we did laundry, went to the lot to pick up our keys which we had forgotten and got some groceries. Pat was in bed nearly all day - rallied enough to shower and dress and bring her soup over while we included Rick in our hamburger dinner. Half a hamburger for me as things are still unsettled stomach-wise. Food does not sound or smell good.
Watched some TV, started the blog entry and crashed.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
Feb 14th to 17th - San Carlos
Feb 14th - Thurs - Happy Valentine’s Day!
We invited the “lot residents” for an Appy Happy Hour tonight so I spent time making a layered dip and coated pretzels while Terry visited with neighbors.
The wind came up pretty hard in the afternoon so we thought we would have to move the gathering inside. But at 5:00 when everyone arrived, the wind dropped and we were able to stay outside until it cooled off and everyone left about 7.
Terry watched a 2 hour Lost episode and I moved to the bedroom to watch Survivor. Not often that we do that but it is handy sometimes.
Feb 15th - Fri - San Carlos
We and Rick & Pat went to Guaymas to the Ley for grocery shopping this morning after I got a couple loads of laundry on the line. Stopped at the bank and then at Santa Rosa’s grocery here in San Carlos to pick up some baby back ribs. Watched TV, propped my foot up and prepped for dinner for a lazy afternoon. We were supposed to go on our glass bottom boat ride but the weather did not co-operate.
Had a great rib dinner and then played Canasta - Rick & I just cannot get cards, and the one time we had somewhat of a chance I made a dumb mistake!
Feb 16th - Sat - San Carlos
Pat & Rick had dentist appointments today so we were lazy again. I made devilled eggs to take to a party at the lot just before Linda & Tammy came by to say that the party was being postponed until tomorrow. Tim & Kim (other lot residents) were coming down from Arizona and had an accident with their motor home. A wheel dropped off the road and sent Tim across the median and onto the opposing lane. Luckily, he kept the motor home upright and did not hit anyone else. They had the motor home towed to Hermasillo for repairs while Kim, who was following in a car, came here to get Steve & Bill to go back with her to Hermasillo.
Rick ended up at the dentist for much longer than scheduled so the party being postponed worked out well for them. We checked to see if we could go on the glass bottom boat but it was still too windy. I had started some clam chowder in the crock pot to eat after the boat ride and it turned out great. Pat deep fried some mushrooms and onion rings and we had another gourmet dinner.
Pat, Rick & Terry played canasta so I could observe Pat and hopefully get some pointers on the game.
Feb 17th - Sun - San Carlos
We went to Rosa’s Cantina for a late breakfast with Rick & Pat this morning and then went sightseeing. We drove through a couple of areas with nice, huge houses and wandered through a big hotel that appeared nearly empty. It was built in 1935 and had beautiful wood carvings on the walls, interesting light fixtures, a bar/restaurant with tables set nicely with cloths, a huge dining room, nicely kept grounds and very clean courtyards. Since we were just going to breakfast, neither Pat nor I had taken a camera.
We continued on through Guaymas to Empalme as Pat wanted some oysters. They did not look very good so we ended up getting some prawns so I could try a new recipe. We drove in a very poor area where people lived in what could only be called shacks. Quite a contrast from the large houses a few miles away.
This afternoon we went to a party at the lot. Everyone brought food and drinks. There were 24 people so we had lots of fun visiting, eating, drinking and standing around a campfire after it got dark. I took Dolly so she could continue to get used to everyone and everything and she did very well. She was quite content to let Tammy hold her a couple of times even when I was right beside her. Anyone who knows our “prima donna” dog knows how rare that is!
We invited the “lot residents” for an Appy Happy Hour tonight so I spent time making a layered dip and coated pretzels while Terry visited with neighbors.
The wind came up pretty hard in the afternoon so we thought we would have to move the gathering inside. But at 5:00 when everyone arrived, the wind dropped and we were able to stay outside until it cooled off and everyone left about 7.
Terry watched a 2 hour Lost episode and I moved to the bedroom to watch Survivor. Not often that we do that but it is handy sometimes.
Feb 15th - Fri - San Carlos
We and Rick & Pat went to Guaymas to the Ley for grocery shopping this morning after I got a couple loads of laundry on the line. Stopped at the bank and then at Santa Rosa’s grocery here in San Carlos to pick up some baby back ribs. Watched TV, propped my foot up and prepped for dinner for a lazy afternoon. We were supposed to go on our glass bottom boat ride but the weather did not co-operate.
Had a great rib dinner and then played Canasta - Rick & I just cannot get cards, and the one time we had somewhat of a chance I made a dumb mistake!
Feb 16th - Sat - San Carlos
Pat & Rick had dentist appointments today so we were lazy again. I made devilled eggs to take to a party at the lot just before Linda & Tammy came by to say that the party was being postponed until tomorrow. Tim & Kim (other lot residents) were coming down from Arizona and had an accident with their motor home. A wheel dropped off the road and sent Tim across the median and onto the opposing lane. Luckily, he kept the motor home upright and did not hit anyone else. They had the motor home towed to Hermasillo for repairs while Kim, who was following in a car, came here to get Steve & Bill to go back with her to Hermasillo.
Rick ended up at the dentist for much longer than scheduled so the party being postponed worked out well for them. We checked to see if we could go on the glass bottom boat but it was still too windy. I had started some clam chowder in the crock pot to eat after the boat ride and it turned out great. Pat deep fried some mushrooms and onion rings and we had another gourmet dinner.
Pat, Rick & Terry played canasta so I could observe Pat and hopefully get some pointers on the game.
Feb 17th - Sun - San Carlos
We went to Rosa’s Cantina for a late breakfast with Rick & Pat this morning and then went sightseeing. We drove through a couple of areas with nice, huge houses and wandered through a big hotel that appeared nearly empty. It was built in 1935 and had beautiful wood carvings on the walls, interesting light fixtures, a bar/restaurant with tables set nicely with cloths, a huge dining room, nicely kept grounds and very clean courtyards. Since we were just going to breakfast, neither Pat nor I had taken a camera.
We continued on through Guaymas to Empalme as Pat wanted some oysters. They did not look very good so we ended up getting some prawns so I could try a new recipe. We drove in a very poor area where people lived in what could only be called shacks. Quite a contrast from the large houses a few miles away.
This afternoon we went to a party at the lot. Everyone brought food and drinks. There were 24 people so we had lots of fun visiting, eating, drinking and standing around a campfire after it got dark. I took Dolly so she could continue to get used to everyone and everything and she did very well. She was quite content to let Tammy hold her a couple of times even when I was right beside her. Anyone who knows our “prima donna” dog knows how rare that is!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Feb 11th to 13th - San Carlos
Feb 11th - Mon - San Carlos
Rick had to take his truck in for some maintenance this morning so Terry followed him to Guaymas and brought him back. We had discussed going to Alamos today but figured we could wait a bit for my ankle to heal more.
Rick & Pat and we went for a bike ride to set a date for our glass bottom boat ride. My ankle does fine on the bicycle. We stopped at a couple of places and then had good burgers for lunch at Jax Snax.
Read and did puzzles in the lovely sunshine before going to pick up Rick’s truck. We dropped Rick off and then Terry, Pat & I went to a casino in Guaymas that Rick had discovered. It was small and the slot machines were all the same - choose from multiple games, instructions in English and they took American money. We played for a couple of hours and we all lost. We were surprised that employees came around with free water & pop and little sandwiches - and waved off a tip for doing so.
Feb 12th - Tues - San Carlos
Terry & I visited at the lot this morning. They are going to look after Dolly when we go to the Copper Canyon so I want her to get used to the lot, the people and the dogs. I actually put a couple of pieces in the impossible jigsaw!
Rick & Terry played golf this afternoon while Pat & I went on a fund raiser home tour of 6 houses. Everyone met at the Country Club and we found a lady with room in her car for us so Pat did not have to drive their truck. We went in two groups to lessen the number of cars that had to park at each house. There were probably 15 cars in each group so we made quite a site in town going slowly enough to keep everyone together and get into the correct lane for turns. We saw some very interesting houses. Back at the Country Club, margaritas were provided and there was a raffle for many items - none of which were won by us or the “lot ladies”.
Rick & Terry had already finished golf by the time we got back to the club house so we came back to the park and then went out for pizza for dinner.
Feb 13th - Wed - San Carlos
Got up reasonably early to get a load of sheets & towels on the line so Pat could do laundry later. But we all went for a drive and a walk along a remote beach instead of Pat doing laundry. Then we stopped by the Soggy Peso Bar for lunch. It was a rare day when it was only slightly breezy there and nice enough for Rick to blind us by taking off his shirt to catch some rays after lunch. We made a couple of grocery stops on the way back and had just enough time to put away groceries and relax a bit before Terry took me to a hairdresser here in San Carlos for a cut. Pat had met the hairdresser on Monday at the chiropractor and we saw her on the home tour. She speaks English (raised in Albuquerque) and did a good haircut in about 10 minutes.
A drink and a visit with some neighbors before going our separate ways for dinner & TV watching.
Rick had to take his truck in for some maintenance this morning so Terry followed him to Guaymas and brought him back. We had discussed going to Alamos today but figured we could wait a bit for my ankle to heal more.
Rick & Pat and we went for a bike ride to set a date for our glass bottom boat ride. My ankle does fine on the bicycle. We stopped at a couple of places and then had good burgers for lunch at Jax Snax.
Read and did puzzles in the lovely sunshine before going to pick up Rick’s truck. We dropped Rick off and then Terry, Pat & I went to a casino in Guaymas that Rick had discovered. It was small and the slot machines were all the same - choose from multiple games, instructions in English and they took American money. We played for a couple of hours and we all lost. We were surprised that employees came around with free water & pop and little sandwiches - and waved off a tip for doing so.
Feb 12th - Tues - San Carlos
Terry & I visited at the lot this morning. They are going to look after Dolly when we go to the Copper Canyon so I want her to get used to the lot, the people and the dogs. I actually put a couple of pieces in the impossible jigsaw!
Rick & Terry played golf this afternoon while Pat & I went on a fund raiser home tour of 6 houses. Everyone met at the Country Club and we found a lady with room in her car for us so Pat did not have to drive their truck. We went in two groups to lessen the number of cars that had to park at each house. There were probably 15 cars in each group so we made quite a site in town going slowly enough to keep everyone together and get into the correct lane for turns. We saw some very interesting houses. Back at the Country Club, margaritas were provided and there was a raffle for many items - none of which were won by us or the “lot ladies”.
Rick & Terry had already finished golf by the time we got back to the club house so we came back to the park and then went out for pizza for dinner.
Feb 13th - Wed - San Carlos
Got up reasonably early to get a load of sheets & towels on the line so Pat could do laundry later. But we all went for a drive and a walk along a remote beach instead of Pat doing laundry. Then we stopped by the Soggy Peso Bar for lunch. It was a rare day when it was only slightly breezy there and nice enough for Rick to blind us by taking off his shirt to catch some rays after lunch. We made a couple of grocery stops on the way back and had just enough time to put away groceries and relax a bit before Terry took me to a hairdresser here in San Carlos for a cut. Pat had met the hairdresser on Monday at the chiropractor and we saw her on the home tour. She speaks English (raised in Albuquerque) and did a good haircut in about 10 minutes.
A drink and a visit with some neighbors before going our separate ways for dinner & TV watching.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Feb 8th to 10th - San Carlos
Feb 8th - Fri - San Carlos
Rick had another dentist appointment at 1:00 so Rick, Pat, Terry & Craig planned to play golf. Unfortunately, Rick had to wait 1 ½ hours to see the dentist and didn’t get back until 3:10. So Terry & Craig played golf and for the first time continued on and played 18 holes. Terry was pretty tired as they played a fast round and were walking.
I cooked my half of the shrimp that Pat had ordered and she provided the side dishes for another good meal. Pat & Terry then proceeded to be extremely lucky with (wild) card draws and beat Rick & I at Canasta.
Feb 9th - Sat - San Carlos
We went with Rick & Pat to the lot to set up a dinner date with everyone. There were engagement conflicts so we ended up deciding on Valentine’s Day.
All the “lot people” were going to an open house offering a barbeque lunch so we decided to check it out as well. There were actually 5 model homes that were open in a new development. They are built so close together that the view from some windows is only the side of your neighbor’s house. One house had 2 small bedrooms with windows opening to the garage. It is fun to see what is offered for sale here and we had a hamburger for lunch as well!
At 5:00, Pat, Terry & I went to a casino night fund raiser for Rescate which is the ambulance company in a lot of Mexican towns. Rick stayed home as he is not a gambler. It was very well organized. You bought chips and could play 21, roulette, craps and poker. There was a silent auction and a live auction at the end of the evening so you could spend your winnings. Pat & Terry put their winnings together (I did not end up with any winnings!) and we got a glass bottom boat margarita cruise for 4 in the live auction. We also had a roast pig dinner that was very good. We got back at 10:20 and woke up the park slamming the truck doors. We figure it is payback for the people talking outside the window at 6 AM.
Feb 10th - Sun - San Carlos
To use Terry’s words, this was a lazy-ass day! Even though I had some stomach pains this morning, we loaded up to go kayaking with Rick & Pat. But by the time we got to the water, I figured it was not a good idea for me to be in a kayak and maybe having to make a quick exit on a gimpy foot. So Rick & Pat took off and Terry & I went for a little drive and then came back to the park.
My stomach continued to bother me the rest of the day so I spent most of the day in the recliner with my foot up reading a book. Terry has rediscovered Sudoku (number puzzles) so he spent time with that and trying to set up the satellite dish after some neighbors said they could get Dish network. Not so! Then Pat beat Terry at Canasta but Terry is getting very good lessons from their 2-handed games.
Pat & I both had steaks for dinner so got together once again and then watched a couple of movies that a new neighbor lent us. We saw “The Long, Long Trailer” with Lucille Ball (not Terry’s choice but he didn’t fall asleep) and “Wild Hogs”.
Rick had another dentist appointment at 1:00 so Rick, Pat, Terry & Craig planned to play golf. Unfortunately, Rick had to wait 1 ½ hours to see the dentist and didn’t get back until 3:10. So Terry & Craig played golf and for the first time continued on and played 18 holes. Terry was pretty tired as they played a fast round and were walking.
I cooked my half of the shrimp that Pat had ordered and she provided the side dishes for another good meal. Pat & Terry then proceeded to be extremely lucky with (wild) card draws and beat Rick & I at Canasta.
Feb 9th - Sat - San Carlos
We went with Rick & Pat to the lot to set up a dinner date with everyone. There were engagement conflicts so we ended up deciding on Valentine’s Day.
All the “lot people” were going to an open house offering a barbeque lunch so we decided to check it out as well. There were actually 5 model homes that were open in a new development. They are built so close together that the view from some windows is only the side of your neighbor’s house. One house had 2 small bedrooms with windows opening to the garage. It is fun to see what is offered for sale here and we had a hamburger for lunch as well!
At 5:00, Pat, Terry & I went to a casino night fund raiser for Rescate which is the ambulance company in a lot of Mexican towns. Rick stayed home as he is not a gambler. It was very well organized. You bought chips and could play 21, roulette, craps and poker. There was a silent auction and a live auction at the end of the evening so you could spend your winnings. Pat & Terry put their winnings together (I did not end up with any winnings!) and we got a glass bottom boat margarita cruise for 4 in the live auction. We also had a roast pig dinner that was very good. We got back at 10:20 and woke up the park slamming the truck doors. We figure it is payback for the people talking outside the window at 6 AM.
Feb 10th - Sun - San Carlos
To use Terry’s words, this was a lazy-ass day! Even though I had some stomach pains this morning, we loaded up to go kayaking with Rick & Pat. But by the time we got to the water, I figured it was not a good idea for me to be in a kayak and maybe having to make a quick exit on a gimpy foot. So Rick & Pat took off and Terry & I went for a little drive and then came back to the park.
My stomach continued to bother me the rest of the day so I spent most of the day in the recliner with my foot up reading a book. Terry has rediscovered Sudoku (number puzzles) so he spent time with that and trying to set up the satellite dish after some neighbors said they could get Dish network. Not so! Then Pat beat Terry at Canasta but Terry is getting very good lessons from their 2-handed games.
Pat & I both had steaks for dinner so got together once again and then watched a couple of movies that a new neighbor lent us. We saw “The Long, Long Trailer” with Lucille Ball (not Terry’s choice but he didn’t fall asleep) and “Wild Hogs”.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Feb 6th & 7th - San Carlos
Feb 6th - Wed - San Carlos
A departing “caravan” of RVs provided entertainment this morning. Bill & Geri were traveling with 4 other rigs as far as Hermisillo where the the 4 others were continuing on to Kino Bay and Bill & Geri were heading north. Everyone had to gather for farewell hugs and good wishes and then all the rigs maneuvered out of their spots and lined up on the main road in the park. Pat did a quick count of 20 people standing around when Bill was backing out! 2 rigs pulled out and when a 5th wheel pulled off the edge of the sidewalk to follow them, they blew a tire on the 5th wheel - Terry figures a loose chunk of concrete got pinched between the dual tires and popped the rear one. Of course all the watching men had to migrate to the road to oversee the tire changing operation which they did quickly. It took less than an hour for the 5 spots to be filled with people who had to camp on the road to wait for a spot.
Rick & Pat and we went to the tourist info center to try to get reservations on the Copper Canyon train. While Pat & I were doing that, the guys went out to the lot to let the dogs out as the “lot people” all went to Hermasillo for the day. Then we went to the Soggy Peso Bar for lunch but it was very windy there so we went down the road to a nice hotel. It was also too windy and cool there so we ended up at a restaurant closer to town that we had not tried before. Had a nice lunch (by this time, a late lunch) and came back to rest & read. Pat & Terry played Canasta. Just after 5 I went to the lot as no one had stopped by for the keys and I thought the dogs might need to go out again. Turns out they had just got back so I visited for a few minutes and brought back some items they had picked up for us and another lady in the park. Pat just barely beat Terry at Canasta.
Feb 7th - Thurs - San Carlos
I did too much walking yesterday - my ankle is sore today. Rick had a dentist appointment today so Terry & I went for a late breakfast at Rosa’s Cantina and then did a bit of grocery shopping. Took it easy the rest of the day so I could get my foot up. Pat had ordered some shrimp that were supposed to be cut in half with the shells left on for barbequing but there was a miscommunication and we got butterflied & shelled. So Pat cooked some on the barbeque with a couple of different seasonings and I made quesadillas and salad for another shared dinner. We do eat well!!
We had Happy Hour with our neighbors until the sun set and it cooled off so we were not done with dinner until nearly 7, just in time for the first episode of Survivor.
A departing “caravan” of RVs provided entertainment this morning. Bill & Geri were traveling with 4 other rigs as far as Hermisillo where the the 4 others were continuing on to Kino Bay and Bill & Geri were heading north. Everyone had to gather for farewell hugs and good wishes and then all the rigs maneuvered out of their spots and lined up on the main road in the park. Pat did a quick count of 20 people standing around when Bill was backing out! 2 rigs pulled out and when a 5th wheel pulled off the edge of the sidewalk to follow them, they blew a tire on the 5th wheel - Terry figures a loose chunk of concrete got pinched between the dual tires and popped the rear one. Of course all the watching men had to migrate to the road to oversee the tire changing operation which they did quickly. It took less than an hour for the 5 spots to be filled with people who had to camp on the road to wait for a spot.
Rick & Pat and we went to the tourist info center to try to get reservations on the Copper Canyon train. While Pat & I were doing that, the guys went out to the lot to let the dogs out as the “lot people” all went to Hermasillo for the day. Then we went to the Soggy Peso Bar for lunch but it was very windy there so we went down the road to a nice hotel. It was also too windy and cool there so we ended up at a restaurant closer to town that we had not tried before. Had a nice lunch (by this time, a late lunch) and came back to rest & read. Pat & Terry played Canasta. Just after 5 I went to the lot as no one had stopped by for the keys and I thought the dogs might need to go out again. Turns out they had just got back so I visited for a few minutes and brought back some items they had picked up for us and another lady in the park. Pat just barely beat Terry at Canasta.
Feb 7th - Thurs - San Carlos
I did too much walking yesterday - my ankle is sore today. Rick had a dentist appointment today so Terry & I went for a late breakfast at Rosa’s Cantina and then did a bit of grocery shopping. Took it easy the rest of the day so I could get my foot up. Pat had ordered some shrimp that were supposed to be cut in half with the shells left on for barbequing but there was a miscommunication and we got butterflied & shelled. So Pat cooked some on the barbeque with a couple of different seasonings and I made quesadillas and salad for another shared dinner. We do eat well!!
We had Happy Hour with our neighbors until the sun set and it cooled off so we were not done with dinner until nearly 7, just in time for the first episode of Survivor.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Feb 3rd to 5th - San Carlos
Feb 3rd - Sun - San Carlos
We are planning on a Copper Canyon trip later this month. Have reservations for the 21st & 22nd in Creel so will leave here on the 20th. Better watch my step until then!!
Pretty much hung around the park today. Rick, Pat & Terry deserted me and played golf this afternoon. I baked brownies, visited with a neighbor (Diane) and kept my foot up. It is really improving.
Rick & I lost at Canasta tonight. Missed seeing the victory dance!
Feb 4th - Mon - San Carlos
We did a bit of grocery shopping and had a late breakfast at Barracuda Bob’s while Rick & Pat went kayaking and beachcombing. It was pretty breezy so I was happy that I was not in a kayak.
Bill & Geri are leaving on Wednesday so we had a farewell dinner for them. The lot residents (except Craig who was sick) and another couple next to Bill & Geri joined us so there were 13 for hamburgers and assorted other good food. It had been sunny all day but ugly clouds started moving in about 5:30 and everyone took cover from the cool breeze by 7.
Took a break from Canasta and watched TV.
Feb 5th - Tues - San Carlos
We went exploring around San Carlos in the truck with Rick & Pat this morning. There are some really big houses, often right next to not so nice dwellings. We drove though a development where all places had to have an RV as a “starter”. It was interesting to see how the RVs were covered & disguised. We stopped at Jax Snax in town for chimichangas for lunch.
Rick, Pat & Terry went golfing while I took Dolly to visit at “the lot”. All the lot residents are going to look after Dolly when we go to the Copper Canyon so I figured I would try to get her accustomed to the people and the 2 resident dogs - Andie the boxer and Ruby the black lab. I spent a bit of time working on an impossible jigsaw puzzle that is set up in a screen tent at the lot. I like to be able to put in a few puzzle pieces once in a while to keep interested.
Had a drink with Rick & Pat and then went our separate ways for dinner and the rest of the evening.
I was a bit discouraged with my foot today. Each day I have noticed an improvement but not today. Might have to sit around more tomorrow with my foot up.
We are planning on a Copper Canyon trip later this month. Have reservations for the 21st & 22nd in Creel so will leave here on the 20th. Better watch my step until then!!
Pretty much hung around the park today. Rick, Pat & Terry deserted me and played golf this afternoon. I baked brownies, visited with a neighbor (Diane) and kept my foot up. It is really improving.
Rick & I lost at Canasta tonight. Missed seeing the victory dance!
Feb 4th - Mon - San Carlos
We did a bit of grocery shopping and had a late breakfast at Barracuda Bob’s while Rick & Pat went kayaking and beachcombing. It was pretty breezy so I was happy that I was not in a kayak.
Bill & Geri are leaving on Wednesday so we had a farewell dinner for them. The lot residents (except Craig who was sick) and another couple next to Bill & Geri joined us so there were 13 for hamburgers and assorted other good food. It had been sunny all day but ugly clouds started moving in about 5:30 and everyone took cover from the cool breeze by 7.
Took a break from Canasta and watched TV.
Feb 5th - Tues - San Carlos
We went exploring around San Carlos in the truck with Rick & Pat this morning. There are some really big houses, often right next to not so nice dwellings. We drove though a development where all places had to have an RV as a “starter”. It was interesting to see how the RVs were covered & disguised. We stopped at Jax Snax in town for chimichangas for lunch.
Rick, Pat & Terry went golfing while I took Dolly to visit at “the lot”. All the lot residents are going to look after Dolly when we go to the Copper Canyon so I figured I would try to get her accustomed to the people and the 2 resident dogs - Andie the boxer and Ruby the black lab. I spent a bit of time working on an impossible jigsaw puzzle that is set up in a screen tent at the lot. I like to be able to put in a few puzzle pieces once in a while to keep interested.
Had a drink with Rick & Pat and then went our separate ways for dinner and the rest of the evening.
I was a bit discouraged with my foot today. Each day I have noticed an improvement but not today. Might have to sit around more tomorrow with my foot up.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Jan 30th to Feb 2nd - San Carlos
Jan 30th - Wed - San Carlos
Terry “sweated out” some of his “not feeling well’ last night so I got to start the day by washing sheets again. Lovely sunny day with a slight breeze so they dry quickly on the line. It was Rick’s turn at the dentist today so Pat, Terry & I went for a short bicycle ride to a grocery store.
Geri did not forget about dinner yesterday. She went to tell Rick and he was napping so she left a note stuck on the door and it must have blown away!
A shoe-shine guy came around the park today - an old man with a very built up shoe to compensate for a shorter leg. He sat on part of the box holding his supplies to shine shoes - not while they were on your feet. Pat, I and our neighbor all had a pair done so he did one step on a pair and then worked on another pair while the first one dried. Did a great job for 15 pesos plus a 5 peso tip, roughly $2.
We played golf in the afternoon, got together for a drink and a shared dinner and then a game of Canasta. The internet was still up when Rick & Pat left after cards so I enjoyed a nice talk with Georgia in Spokane and a shorter call to sister Marg before being interrupted by the internet going down.
The town water was shut off sometime this afternoon. Was supposed to be out from noon to 6 pm for maintenance but was still on when we left for golf just before 3. It is still off now (9:50) so have no idea how long it will be off tomorrow. This happens often enough that houses have water reservoirs on roofs and RVers are encouraged to have water in their freshwater tanks to tide them over.
Jan 31st - Thurs - San Carlos
To use a favorite word of my Dad’s - I did a bonehead thing today. I slipped on our outside steps and sprained my ankle. I was so upset because we have reservations to go to the Copper Canyon on Saturday. I am pretty sure that will not work out. We picked this time to go so Geri could look after Dolly for us and they are leaving on Feb 7th.
We went to the bank for pesos so we could pay for our February rent in case we get to go on our trip. Hit Barracuda Bob’s for a late breakfast croissant as I did not feel much like cooking. Pat & I both had steaks for dinner so she got fresh shrimp to go along with them. Then she deep fried so much shrimp that we decided to leave the steak for tomorrow night.
I can walk on my sprained ankle but it is pretty painful to watch. As long as I don’t twist or bend my ankle it is OK so I have to take little steps with a straight leg. Rick just calls me Festus.
Feb 1st - Fri - San Carlos
Rick had another dentist appointment at 10 this morning so Pat went in on the bus to get a haircut and then meet Rick at the dentist’s office. They were going to do some things in Guaymas but Rick was in the dentist chair for 4 hours so they just ran a couple of errands on the way home.
We cancelled our hotel reservation for the Copper Canyon trip and I spent all day inside with my foot up. We had steak dinner with Pat & Rick and headed back to our place for cards and dessert. We changed Canasta partners so it was Rick & I against Terry & Pat. Rick & I won but Terry & Pat made a great comeback and nearly caught us.
Feb 2nd - Sat - San Carlos
Cloudy and cooler again today. I tried to keep my foot up with ice on my ankle. Terry visited with our neighbors and played a beanbag toss game for a bit. We went out looking for playing cards to make up a new Canasta deck - you use 6 decks. We finally found some and broke them in after dinner.
We had Rick & Pat over for dinner tonight. I bought shrimp from the fish guy - it is wonderful. I will miss being able to buy it - and right in front of the door.
Rick & I played Terry & Pat at Canasta and Rick & I won again. Too bad I can’t put the little victory “dance” in here that Rick performs.
Terry “sweated out” some of his “not feeling well’ last night so I got to start the day by washing sheets again. Lovely sunny day with a slight breeze so they dry quickly on the line. It was Rick’s turn at the dentist today so Pat, Terry & I went for a short bicycle ride to a grocery store.
Geri did not forget about dinner yesterday. She went to tell Rick and he was napping so she left a note stuck on the door and it must have blown away!
A shoe-shine guy came around the park today - an old man with a very built up shoe to compensate for a shorter leg. He sat on part of the box holding his supplies to shine shoes - not while they were on your feet. Pat, I and our neighbor all had a pair done so he did one step on a pair and then worked on another pair while the first one dried. Did a great job for 15 pesos plus a 5 peso tip, roughly $2.
We played golf in the afternoon, got together for a drink and a shared dinner and then a game of Canasta. The internet was still up when Rick & Pat left after cards so I enjoyed a nice talk with Georgia in Spokane and a shorter call to sister Marg before being interrupted by the internet going down.
The town water was shut off sometime this afternoon. Was supposed to be out from noon to 6 pm for maintenance but was still on when we left for golf just before 3. It is still off now (9:50) so have no idea how long it will be off tomorrow. This happens often enough that houses have water reservoirs on roofs and RVers are encouraged to have water in their freshwater tanks to tide them over.
Jan 31st - Thurs - San Carlos
To use a favorite word of my Dad’s - I did a bonehead thing today. I slipped on our outside steps and sprained my ankle. I was so upset because we have reservations to go to the Copper Canyon on Saturday. I am pretty sure that will not work out. We picked this time to go so Geri could look after Dolly for us and they are leaving on Feb 7th.
We went to the bank for pesos so we could pay for our February rent in case we get to go on our trip. Hit Barracuda Bob’s for a late breakfast croissant as I did not feel much like cooking. Pat & I both had steaks for dinner so she got fresh shrimp to go along with them. Then she deep fried so much shrimp that we decided to leave the steak for tomorrow night.
I can walk on my sprained ankle but it is pretty painful to watch. As long as I don’t twist or bend my ankle it is OK so I have to take little steps with a straight leg. Rick just calls me Festus.
Feb 1st - Fri - San Carlos
Rick had another dentist appointment at 10 this morning so Pat went in on the bus to get a haircut and then meet Rick at the dentist’s office. They were going to do some things in Guaymas but Rick was in the dentist chair for 4 hours so they just ran a couple of errands on the way home.
We cancelled our hotel reservation for the Copper Canyon trip and I spent all day inside with my foot up. We had steak dinner with Pat & Rick and headed back to our place for cards and dessert. We changed Canasta partners so it was Rick & I against Terry & Pat. Rick & I won but Terry & Pat made a great comeback and nearly caught us.
Feb 2nd - Sat - San Carlos
Cloudy and cooler again today. I tried to keep my foot up with ice on my ankle. Terry visited with our neighbors and played a beanbag toss game for a bit. We went out looking for playing cards to make up a new Canasta deck - you use 6 decks. We finally found some and broke them in after dinner.
We had Rick & Pat over for dinner tonight. I bought shrimp from the fish guy - it is wonderful. I will miss being able to buy it - and right in front of the door.
Rick & I played Terry & Pat at Canasta and Rick & I won again. Too bad I can’t put the little victory “dance” in here that Rick performs.
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