Aged but not deceased

Did you notice the use of Spanish and latin there? Man, I’m smart. Cascaras de cocos means coconut shells or husks or what ever.

There have been a lot of mosquitos here lately, so we bought some bug coils and bug spray. They help but we still get bitten frequently, not only by mosquitos. So we decided to do it the Mexican way. Down here they burn coconut husks and shells to create a smudge pot.

We mentioned this to Mike and he suggested that we go out into the country and pick some up at the side of the road. Well, we’re too lazy for that so we asked Omar about it as he seems to take a lot of coconuts from here. He told us that he throws all his away but that we could get some from a place down near Cihuatlan. We had passed this site before but hadn’t taken too much notice.

Needing an afternoon road trip, we loaded up the car (Rosalie, me and a plastic tub) and away we went.

Having found the place we tentatively drove in. There was a guy loading great scoops of the stuff into the back of a truck. As soon as he saw us he stopped and came our way. In our best Spanish we asked if we could buy some coconut husks. He said no! But we could help ourselves. He then helped load our plastic container. We gave him a tip and were soon on our way.

Being in a somewhat positive mood after this little coupe we went looking for a couple of loungers. Not having a lot of luck there, we somehow ended up at Papa Gallo’s on the beach where they forced a couple of margaritas on us.

Our favourite waiter, Rafael was happy to see us again and we had a great conversation with him. He told us that he and his wife were caught in the flood and how they had raised their bed, and their couch, onto bricks to avoid the rising water. They also elevated their fridge and the water was about an inch from it when it receded

Eventually, we staggered back to the casa and I tried out our newly found mozzie repellent. I lit a couple of the husks and the next thing we knew the place was full of smoke. No Mosquitos but (cough) a lot of smoke. I think this may work but a lot of detail will have to be given to wind direction. The fire needs to be tended to frequently but that’s okay as I need the exercise.

So far we haven’t seen a mosquito and the other bugs are staying away also. I think another trip to the coconut fields may be in our future.

We waited in all day for the Amazon delivery but finally at 9 pm we got a notification that our parcel had been returned to sender. Oh well!

I was very disappointed!

While in town we went to the immigration office to finish up our ‘temporal’ status. After the fingerprints (This time with a machine and not ink) photos and signatures, we were told to report next week Friday at 12 noon to get our new cards.

I needed some stuff from the hardware store which was just up the street from immigration so we popped in. I ordered some rope for the hammock. I needed about 10 Metres so the young lady wound it off and then…weighed it. Huh!

I also need a garden hose and had to buy it by the metre. I added a male and female fitting and two hose clamps and we were set to go. The whole thing came to about $20 so I was happy.

Next, we made our way to the market where we bought a few things. I wasn’t nearly the size it normally is because of the plague but we still found stuff to buy that we didn’t really need.

Ruby was cleaning the casa today so we ate out. We decided to go to Esemaralda’s as we hadn’t seen her for a while. We parked the car and was about 30 metres from the restaurant when my phone rang.

Yup! It was the Amazon delivery guy still trying to contact us. I, as usual, passed the phone to Rosalie but she was obviously struggling so I suggest that we hustle to Esmeralda for help. After explaining the situation Esmeralda took the phone and spoke to the guy. After a long conversation she said to deliver the package to the restaurant and gave detailed instructions, only to find out that the guy was still in Manzanillo. He had to pick up more packages but would be in Melaque later in the day. Esmeralda closes at 3 pm so he had to hustle.

Esmeralda had told us that she would phone when the package arrived but we decided to go back at 3 and wait. On the way back we passed a DHL truck as well as a FedEx truck. Neither of them showed up at the restaurant so we went home to wait. I think I should have stopped the DHL guy to ask if he had my package.

Update: At about 7 pm we got a call from the Amazon driver. He had been trying to find people who spoke English and he finally got the guy at Camino Del Mar Hotel to call us. Deciding that explaining how to get out here was too much of a pain, we asked him to take the package and we would pick it up in the morning. We also told us to give the guy a tip and we would reimburse him. I won’t believe it until I have that package in my hands. Watch this space.

Update on the update: We drove to town today and finally picked up our package. Now we have to find a location where we can get stuff delivered in the future. No sign of the goats though. I hope they lost the package. We can buy goat soup up town so Rosalie’s okay with that.

Me when they handed me my pacel.

One good piece of news we read, was that Mexico had dropped from 3rd to 8th and now to 11th in the Covid stakes. According to W.H.O., I was happy to read that today. There don’t seem to be any cases in our area and mainly people have been distancing and masking. Except for one party further up the coast which was visited by lots of people. Idiots!

Even though we are living here, we have to carry on the tradition of buying stuff from Amazon that we really don’t need.

There are a few issues with this though. Firstly, we have to order from Amazon.mx and their site is all in Spanish. Secondly, there is a lot of confusion about our location.

I ordered a small item and waited expectantly for delivery that was expected last Saturday. That afternoon I got a call from the delivery guy, who spoke no English, asking where we were. I tried to tell him but he didn’t get it so I handed him off to Rosalie. She had less luck than I did and the guy eventually hung up.

Our address is as follows: Francisco Villa 27, Pinal Villa, Costalegre, Cihuatlan, Jalisco Mexico 48972

It looks straightforward forward but we have found out that we are actually in the town of Villa Obregon. The rest of the address is still correct so we have had to add Villa Obregon to the special instructions. To add to the confusion, most local people know our location as ‘El Rancho Pimienta’, also added to the special instructions.

We did have a package delivered here last year with no issues so we have no idea what the problem is this time. Amazon has a policy that if something is undeliverable it is returned and we get a refund. So there is that.

I did get the idea that if it wasn’t delivered by the next business day I should contact someone. I thought yesterday was the next business day but it turned out to be a holiday. They only had one two weeks ago. So today I wait.

Trying to find my way around their Spanish-only website to try and clear up the confusion only creates more confusion. I keep ending up where I started with one more degree of frustration. So for now I give up.

I should have had it delivered to our address in Canada where we could pick it up in the spring. I would probably be quicker.

While we waited for delivery I was looking around Amazon.mx’s website and I think I may have ordered a couple of goats by mistake. We may never know though as they may not be able to deliver them. We could use them as the grass is getting a bit long and Rosalie loves goat soup. (Ugh!)

Well I thought this one was pretty cute. Look at that smile; and those dimples.

Mike and Pat sent a message inviting us to go with them to Chantli Mare, a small hotel up the coast from Melaque. We have been there several times but this time was more memorable.

That’s our table in the corner.

We had just finished lunch when one of the waiters came to our table and excitedly said “Tortugas! Tortugas!” We looked over the side of the deck we were on and saw a whole bunch of baby turtles heading out for the water. There must have been fifty or more of them by Mike’s count. We grabbed our cameras and headed down to watch.

The thing that got me was that the locals were as excited as we were. I’m sure they have seen this many times before but were genuinely loving it. One of the young waitresses dove under the deck and was helping the little guys out of the hole their mum had laid their eggs in. She was also righting the ones who got turned on their backs and had trouble getting back upright. I did a few too; it was cool.

We followed them to the water’s edge and I was surprised by the speed that they moved. Also, the fact that they knew where the water was. I followed one all the way to the water’s edge and we became such close friends that I named him Tommy Tortuga. He wanted to stay with me but a wave came in and ended the discussion. Unfortunately not many of them make it to adulthood there are just too many predators.

After Mike and Pat dropped us off we contacted Gerry and Elaine and went to their new location to see how they were doing. They have a great location two houses away from their old one.

When we got home we tried a trick that Mike had told us about dissuading mosquitos. Down here they burn coconut husks to make a smudge pot. Mike told us that egg cartons burn slowly and do the same thing so we tried it out. As we had no coconut shells handy (tomorrow we go looking for some) I lit an egg carton and blew out the flame and sure enough, we had a really smoky mossie deterrent. It worked great. It smouldered for about two hours. Thanks, Mike!

I hope it works on large ants also. Last night I was sitting on the patio minding my own business when I felt something land on my head; not unusual as all sorts of things fall from above. However, this one hurt. I brushed it off and at the same time felt a stinging pain on my noggin. I noticed that it was a large ant and later as it revealed itself I taught it a lesson. I hurt for about half an hour but eventually the pain went away. We are living in a semi-tropical country after all.

This guy survived because he has attitude.

I’m sure most people are happy that I’ve not been posting. The WiFi here just sucks. At times I couldn’t get into WordPress to write. It seems the kids here are also schooling online so that puts a load on an already weak system.

The other day Omar was walking across the lawn with a ladder and Rosalie started to get all excited. “Omar, coco locos” she shouted scaring the life out of both Omar and myself. I think she wanted to hold the ladder so he could get the job done quicker.

He brought three coconuts and emptied them into a jug. We didn’t have vodka so he settled for gin. I noticed that this time he was quite a bit more generous with the booze. They also tasted better than last year.
We had a great time for an hour or so. I know his favourite is Rosalie but he seems to be getting used to me a bit more.

The conversation was all in Spanish and I was surprised how much I could contribute. I also understood a lot more than normal. I’m mostly there as a backup for Rosalie. If she gets stuck on a word I look it up for her. Sometimes to my surprise, I can help her without looking it up.

There were some things left here last year that we didn’t expect to see again. One was the WiFi expander and the other was the wireless doorbell. Well, Omar showed up with the WiFi extender and admitted that he had saved the doorbell push button. Surprisingly, the WiFI extender still seems to work.

We thought the kids would have had the door button. I know if I was a kid again I would have. Can you imagine the fun of standing outside the door with an innocent look on your face with the button in your pocket where none can see it and pressing it just as the aggrieved neighbour went back inside? Awesome!

We’ve had to go out for supplies a few times. The other day as we pulled up to the store a guy asked if we wanted the car washed. I think he was a bit surprised when we said “yes!” It’s good to help even in these small instances as he seemed to be handicapped.

After we got our groceries and went back outside, he didn’t seem to have done much. The guy was nowhere in sight and I thought we would have to drive off. At that moment he showed up with a tub of water that he got from somewhere. He finished the job, by hand, and wanted 50 pesos so we gave him that as well as a big tip. The irony is that by the time we got home the car was just about as dirty again.

In a previous blog I mentioned the damage in Melaque from the rain storm. I said that one street was washed out. It appears that it was actually sucked out when the lagoon was opened up to let out excess water. They have built a wall there now to prevent it from happening again.

Today was a good day in many respects. First, we had to get our Residente Temporal renewed. As the car was still with the car Doctor we had to get a taxi. The first call was to the wrong taxi. Just as I called for Omar to help, the phone rang and it was the correct taxi service. They work in zones and can’t pick up outside of their zone. On the way to town, I heard a scream from an approaching motorcycle. A three-foot cocodrilo literally galloped across the road. I don’t know who was more scared, the cyclist or the cocodrilo.

The immigration office was open (closed previously) and except for a small error on one of our forms, they duly updated our visa for the next three years. Everything went as smoothly as they had explained last season. There were a lot of wild rumours: about not being able to renew it, if it was already expired. One couple had trouble crossing into Mexico from the U.S. We decided to ignore all rumours and on-line advice and do as we were told (for once) by immigration and it worked out great.

Our immigration paperwork.

Part of the process was going to the Banamex bank and parting with a large sum of money. Our last visit was a bit of a hassle, we had trouble with the procedures so we asked Raquel to help us. While we were waiting for her we went for lunch on the beach. There was no one else there, the waiter was masked, so we were fine.

There has been a buzz in the air that we are required to self-isolate, but coming into PV no one informed us of this and anyway what are we supposed to do? It was essential to have our car, to get food and other supplies. Also, we had to check in with immigration within five days so we had little choice. All the correct protocols have been done: masking, distancing etc. so we think we’re fine. Maybe some people think that, because they personally want to isolate it’s a state requirement, I don’t know!

Because of covid procedures, there was a lineup outside the Bank letting only a few people in at a time. Raquel was supposed to meet us at 1:30 but she arrived a half-hour early and called us. Gulping our food, chugging our drinks we scooted.

Just as we were finishing at the bank the phone rang and Juan told us the car was ready. He picked us up outside and talked mostly nonsense incessantly as we drove back to the garage. We paid the bill $1,680 pesos ($104 Cdn) and went home.

Look at me, parking like a true Mexican. I’m so proud.

So, the Temporal got renewed, we got our car back, saw a little cocodrilo and managed to have lunch on the beach. Not a bad day at all. After one more visit to immigration, we’ll get back to isolating in case the isolation cops come for us.

The car had been sitting for five months so I had no idea whether it would start or not. I took off the cover but noticed that it had been re-tied, haphazardly, but effectively. I think it may have come off in the wind. When I opened the hood there was a bunch of leaves in one corner that I first thought was a nest of some sort. As I took it apart I found that it was just a solid bunch of leaves; again, the wind.

I reconnected the battery and started it up. No problem at all except for the power steering leak. It did need a good wash though as it was really dusty.

We needed some more supplies so we took the car for a run into Melaque. I was a bit concerned about the power steering fluid. I had requested that Don and Peggy get some for our initial supply run and they did just that.

Ah, those Mexican topes

Melaque looks about the same from what we’ve seen of it. A lot more sand around but then again we only really looked downtown. We will explore more when the car gets better. Our real aim was to get a margarita on the beach but with the new lockdowns in place, we will have to wait a few days. So we went home and had a swim.

The following day we again went into town to check in with the immigration office but they are closed until tomorrow. So far everything they told us before we left last year is playing out just fine.

We went into Super Hawaii and immediately bumped into Mike and Pat. It wasn’t a good place to catch up so we’ll check in with them later. After we got the rest of our groceries we went home for lunch.

In the afternoon I used the last of the power steering fluid to get us to the garage for some repairs. As it turned out we met the same guy as last year. He had the same line too. “My brother knows all about this but he’s busy now.” We suggested that he take us home and keep the car until later in the day. We know we probably won’t see it again for a couple more days.

He’s reading my blog!

Although we weren’t told too, apparently most people coming in are quarantining for a while. We aren’t able to completely isolate ourselves but we are staying clear of people and holing up as much as possible. And of course, wearing our masks and washing our hands a lot.

We met up with Omar again and he seemed happy to see us despite the thrashing I pretended to give him last year. My Spanish must be improving as we both understood each other quite a bit without tequila.

We went to the trailer and put away most of the stuff for the winter. All we had left to do was pick up a rental car, winterize ours and pull the slides in on the trailer. Packing and organizing what can and can’t go with us was a bit of a challenge but we got it all done.

We had to be up at 2:30 am to take our bedding back to the trailer and make our way to the airport for our 6 am flight. It was cold, 2 C. The rental car had to be filled with gas in Courtney but our usual station was closed. Oh, panic! Fortunately, there was another one across the street so I did a slightly illegal maneuver (it was 3:30 am with nobody about.) and we got our gas.

At check-in, they told us that we had to check our carry-ons. We were a bit miffed but went along anyway. After passing security and made our flight to Calgary with no problems. Boarding was just starting as we got to our departure gate for P.V. so it’s lucky we didn’t stop at Timmie’s along the way.

Our flight out was delayed 45 minutes as one of the passengers was ill and had to get off. To make things a bit worse, they had to de-ice the plane before we left.

Although many flights are getting cancelled we noticed that 20 minutes before we left another West Jet flight was also going to P.V. and both were packed.

I found that both our flights were very cold but when they announced that we were landing in 15 minutes, I unzipped the legs of my pants, took off my overshirt stowed my jacket and I was ready. It was after all 33 C outside.

After all the rumours we heard about trouble getting back into Mexico with our expired Temporal Visa we approached the counter with a bit of trepidation. We needn’t have worried, the only thing we did wrong was to forget to fill our re-entry forms in. They stamped our passports and away we went. For some reason, Mexicans seem to delight in stamping stuff.

Next, getting our checked luggage. We found the correct carousel and one bag arrived pretty quickly. I waited and waited for the next one but…nothing! Then the carousel stopped! There was a lot of luggage on the floor but we were being told it was for a flight from San Francisco. I finally found our bag at the back of this pile of stuff. After this disorganization, I knew we were home.

After the flight delay, immigration delay and missing luggage we were a bit later than expected meeting Eddie our driver. He told us that he too was getting a little concerned. However, we made it back to Pinal Villa just after dark. We did drive through a little bit of rain on the way but nothing serious.

The trip from P.V. takes 4 hours. So for Eddie it was a full days work and it only cost us $200 Canadian. He had to go back the next day to get someone else. He does it a lot so makes a good living at it.

Peggy and Don met us at the house with some supplies for the evening and we had a pleasant glass of wine with them before settling in for the night. It was a bit sticky inside as the place had been closed up and it took a long time to cool it down. As we had been up since 2:30 we didn’t have too much trouble sleeping.

We woke up this morning to another beautiful day and I was immediately chased by a mosquito.

We’re Back!

I hope we get back to Mexico soon. We’re finding it too cold here. We went to do some more closing up at the trailer and the temperature was 1 C. Brrr. Staying at the motel isn’t much fun as I start to get cabin fever. So we get out as much as we can and go and sit by the fire at the trailer until it gets too cold and then we head back to watch some TV

The next day: Monday.

Rosalie had her procedure today and things started to warm up. She came out as a perfect ‘little lady’. On the way home, we called our travel agent and after several calls back and forth we find ourselves booked for Saturday at 6am to PV. If we went one week later we would have had to pay an additional $1,000 each! We’re flying with West Jet and using our credits so watch this space.

So it begins. The final closing of the trailer, rescheduling dinner invitations, final packing, renting a car to the airport, etc, etc. The annoying part for me is that they are allowing one checked bag and we have nothing extra to take. I do like to get full value for our money. Oh, and I have to check out the third dashcam.

I wanted to get a dashcam to document some of the driving antics in Melaque. I looked locally but at the time couldn’t find one I wanted so I ordered one from Amazon. It was a disappointment. The recordings wouldn’t playback, among other problems, so I sent it back and ordered another one. Same problem! I sent an email to the seller and received a message in broken English back. I wasn’t satisfied so that one goes back and I found another at London Drugs.

The new one has WiFi and no screen. If I want to see a live picture I have to check it out on my phone. Luckily I don’t watch it while driving. It takes a bit of getting used to but appears to do what I want it to without all the other useless twiddly bits. I can even have videos saved on the Cloud. Of course, I haven’t figured that bit out yet but I’ll get there eventually.

I’m trying to cut back on the wine but things are getting a bit stressful right now so “Cheers”.

It’s not just us checking out flights.

As we have to spend a lot of our time doing nothing, Rosalie has been looking up flights to get us back to Mexico. She discovered that they are a lot more expensive than last year. However, with the economic climate the way it is, it’s to be expected. We’re not sure when we will actually leave but it looks likely to be close to the first week of November.

We have had a lot of invitations to dinner; which is great; even though I suspect people just want to make sure we are actually leaving. Yes, folks we really are going; if we can get a flight that is. Of course, I’m joking, thanks for the invites we really appreciate them.

Rosalie continues to make progress. She had a video consultation with the surgeon and she said everything looks good. Her tongue still doesn’t work properly but is getting better. Our flights also depend on the results of her colonoscopy. We’ll just have to wait and see how that turns out.

It looks as though we will be alone at the ranch this year. The people who were going have cancelled and the other Wells’ can’t make it due to illness. It’s such a nice place I’m sure someone will take it. In the meantime SKINNY DIPPING!

We will be wearing masks as we travel. I saw on the news the other day that a few people in Vancouver (about 1,000) were protesting their right not to wear masks. It’s also my right not to wear a mask, but am I going to risk my health just to prove a point? Not likely! It’s also the right of shop owners to prohibit those not wearing masks. Yes, they have rights too. I was a bit disconcerted about this until I realized that the population of the greater Vancouver area was about 2.5 Million people. This means those standing up for their “rights” is about .04%. Fortunately, most of us see the sense in wearing masks. We’re getting old and want to get older.

Speaking of flights, what will happen if trump loses the election?
It’s been rumoured that there are a lot of criminal charges being prepared against him. And, because of this, he may skip the country. But who would want him?

 Iran? I can just see the Iatola saying “Get over here, we want a word with you”. China? Yeah right. See the above. Although he does appear to have a bank account there. He could go and see his old buddy Putin; but would Vlad want a loser in his country after all the effort he took to get him elected and then have him screw it up? North Korea sounds like a good bet. He and his buddy Kim Jong-Un can sit in the same sandbox and play together. They are after all about the same mental age, eight. He could go back to his ancestral home in Scotland but the Scots hate him so much that he wouldn’t stand a chance.

Please, please don’t ask him to come to Canada. If he does I’m turning in my Toronto Maple Leafs sweater, buying one for Manchester United and going back to England.

Of course, he may not run away. Apparently, he has no money to run with. And who really wants a broke, washed-up wannabe dictator anyway. He may have to face the rumoured multiple criminal charges and do his time in jail with the rest of his family.
Win or lose, we’re in for an interesting 2021. Well, we need something to take our minds off Covid.