December 30, 2008

Happy almost New Year's Eve everyone!!! I can't believe that tomorrow night will officially mark the start of 2009! I keep remembering when everyone was so nervous about the whole Y2K thing...that seems like it was yesterday and here we are nearing a decade later!!



All is sunny and warm in Troncones (no surprises there) but for those of you who are feeling envious of me right now.....don't worry.....I'm in the throws of a brutal cold in sympathy of you all. You'd think that colds wouldn't find their way into the tropics but alas...they do....and the one that I seem to have contracted is a very common one and likely as a result of leaving the fan on in the room overnight. Sweating during the night combined with the fan blowing on you results in catching a chill that turns into a chesty cough, sore throat and stuffy head. Boo Hoo.....I'm feeling sorry for myself...... Mitch has been taking great care of me though so I'm full of bee propolis (in every form imaginable from tincture to capsules to syrup) and royal jelly (another form of propolis I think) and then there is the tincture of oregano oil....so as you can see....there is no shortage of attention for my cold. I was probably just looking for some attention as it's been a while since my scorpion experience.



I truly feel like a local here now. Lynda and I took the bus into Zihuatanejo again yesterday and to tell the truth, as much as Zihuat is a lovely town....it sure feels good to be back on the bus and heading home after a hot sweaty day in the city! You know you're 'local' when you meet up with vendors you know catching the bus to Troncones to come to work. All the vendors here know both Lynda and I so....just like I mentioned when we were in San Cristobal.....it is a different experience when they sit down to visit with you instead of trying to sell you any of their wares. I also know I'm a 'local' as yesterday, Roberto phoned to ask if I would come over to help him to work up another flyer for distribution about the New Year's Eve party among other upcoming events. I also had the task of coming up with an insert for the menu that outlines the feature for the evening meal (surf & turf). Roberto has lots of ideas and is open to any others (he needs help with wording signage and designing flyers in english though). It's been lots of fun coming up with ideas for/with Roberto to enhance the systems that are either currently in place or more often absent. It's a bit of a balancing act to ensure I don't come off as having a 'new broom' and Roberto is great....he usually sleeps on an idea and then the next day you'll know that he liked it (or didn't) as magically the change will occur (or not). Some of the staff have been a little resistant as they're not used to much change but all have risen to the occassion and adopted any of the new ideas that Roberto has instituted. Last Saturday, for the weekly Mexican Fiesta, there was a super full house so both Lynda and I spent most of the night helping out (mainly washing dishes behind the bar so nothing too glamorous people) and from the looks of things that will be how we spend tomorrow night (New Year's Eve) too. I'm enjoying being behind the bar (even if it is with my hands in the sink) but am reminded just how much hard work it is!! Viri is a great little bartender (self taught for the most part) and it has been fun giving her some new information.



Yesterday, Lynda was called on to come to the aid of a couple she met here last year. The husband (Jack) was stung by a ray while boogie boarding in the waves and that is a painful experience! There are plants that grow all along the beach and you boil up the leaves and then you immerse the sting into the water/leaf mixture while it is still as hot as you can stand it and voila....it takes some of the sting away and after a day of sleep - you're as good as new. It was lucky that Lynda was close by as she was able to reassure her friends that all would be well....I know from experience that getting stung by something you're not used to can be a scary one!



Mitch's place has been hopping busy for the past week. Both buildings have been full with new people coming in as quickly as the last ones leave. There have also been tents in the yard to accomodate the 'extras'. It sure keeps the washer and dryer busy as well as Viri! What a girl...she works by day doing the rooms and then each night at Roberto's behind the bar. She's working hard as she is saving all that she can for a trip to visit Canada in the spring (for Lynda's 60th in May). It is fun to watch her bring home her tips and her pay each night and add it to the ever growing pile. From the way she's going....I have no doubt she'll have the money for her ticket in plenty of time. It will be fun to be able to host her for part of her visit to Canada. She has never been outside Mexico and even here....she's only been to her home town area (Leon) and the Troncones area so there will be lots of new adventures in store for her.



For Christmas, Mitch and Viri cleaned and painted Lynda's room from last year so she and I have moved into the lower floor alongside the pool. We're both loving being on the ground floor and one of the coolest things for me is that she has a "couch" in her room. I had no idea how much you miss a place like that to sit when you're on the road in hotel rooms for a long time. Lynda's room in Mexico is so quaint and comfortable. Mitch painted it a nice shade of pink with terra cotta trim and installed a new rain shower head in the bathroom. It's such a treat to be able to run into your fridge without climbing the stairs that we're both appreciating that fact too.



Day before yesterday was a FULL day to say the least. Mitch is a wonderful man and he has an amazing ability to be able to exaggerate in whatever direction will make the story more palatable for the listener (reminds me of my dad!). Mitch invited Lynda and I along with two young people who are camping on the beach in front of Roberto's and who are from BC to accompany him on a visit to a small mountain village where there is a piece of property he is interested in. He 'sold' the idea with the promise of an amazing swimming hole (that part is totally true) that we could walk to from where the truck would have to stop as the road becomes impassable. The road is called a Camino Real and those roads are surveyed, at least in part, but impassable for anything other than man on foot or horse or mule. The mountains that the Camino Real cuts through are the true outposts of Mexico and many of the 'settlements' along the trail will never have seen anyone other than local Mexicans. Mitch is cautious about where he takes us and has spent some time making friends with the locals in the hill villages we'd be passing by so we felt confident that all would go well for our outing/adventure. Now for the slight exaggeration part.....Mitch told us that the walk would take about 1/2 hour and that we'd cross the river 3 times......well.....the walk there took about 1 1/2 hours and we crossed the river 7 times each way. Truth be told though...as much as it was a tough day .... it was all worth the effort. It felt amazing to be walking down a trail that goes all the way to Mexico City (if you're up for walking for a few weeks) and where only local farmers/tribesmen travel. The river we crossed (yes....7 times each way) was gorgeous and only knee deep so actually a pleasure to feel the fresh clean water on your feet after the dusty trail we'd been travelling over. At the end of our "walk" we did arrive at the swimming hole where there was a small waterfall and rock cliffs all around that Mitch and the other two just had to jump off of. Lynda and I decided to forgo that opportunity and in fact...she made sure she had the car keys in her possession prior to Mitch jumping. The swimming hole was plenty deep and cool clear water that was super refreshing so once we'd all had a chance to get our second wind we headed back onto the trail to retrace our steps. The trail is obviously well travelled and there was no concern about getting lost. It was interesting to hear all the little lizards and other foreign creatures (like armadillos) in the bushes and the fields along the trail as we were walking. We made it back to the truck before nightfall (nightfall comes very rapidly here once the sun goes down!!!) As we were walking the return trip, there were several young boys (maybe about 10 years old) who passed us on their mules heading back to the village. Who knows where they had come from??!! Once we were in the truck we also passed an old man who was walking in the middle of nowhere carrying a large stick and dragging an even larger one. Mitch stopped the truck so the old fellow could hop into the back and we were on our way again. The old guy just knocked on the roof of the truck when we reached his destination (at least a couple of kilometers down the road) People walk a lot here!! Vendors on the beach walk all day long for miles and miles and then sometimes they have to walk the 4 kms back up to the highway to catch the bus back to Zihuat if they're too late for the last combi bus or taxis. Yikes!!! I couldn't do it but none of them seem to mind a bit...it's just a part of their day and they do it all with a smile.



Before I leave you with this post....I want to share a new Mexican tradition we learned about today. At the stroke of midnight tomorrow night (New Year's Eve) we'll be eating 12 grapes (one for each month of the coming year) and making a wish with each of them. We'll also be putting our suitcases outside of our door and walking around the house or down the road with them to ensure a year of travel. In addition, we'll both be wearing 3 pair of underwear. One will be yellow (for wealth) another will be blue (for health) and the third will be red (for love). And....all of this has to be done in one minute flat!! Boy will that be a busy minute but we're game to give it a go!!



Hope you all have a happy new year's eve and I'll be in touch again next year.

Lorrie