Chacala Updates for Early September

Frank, co-owner of Angela Tienda, and Polo, co-owner of Polo's Taco's

Angela's Tienda, Store #2
Store #1 is on the Beach Road, in front of Chico's

The new water system seems to be working well, at least at this house. Clean-looking water comes from the town line about four or five days a week maybe four hours. I never use that much, but it's nice to know I could turn it on if I wanted to. And I get water from the sky about five nights a week, with lightning and thunder as an added bonus. Guillermo, of Casa Chacala, the Chacala Watermaster, and Julio, the employee, seem to be working on different parts of the water line every day.

Juan (of Concha and Juan) has been (I think) organizing the land clearing for the new Clinica at the place where the paved road turns toward the Chacalilla gate. I have no idea what the Clinica will be or who will funds it, or any details at all.

Posada Guadalupe, one of the beach road rental places, has a construction project going on the second floor level. It looks like a bunch of new rooms.

All the other building projects around town seem to be moving along: the home next to the Development gate, the house on the lot overlooking the Malecon, the new units at Casa Azul, now Villa Celeste, and the house going up next to Benjamin and Aurora's, on the paved road.

The remodeling at Maria's (ex-Techos de Mexico house) seems to be moving along. The new building above the dinghy/muelle beach is at a standstill at the moment. Waiting for more funds, I think. The workers on the rentals being built down the hill from the Church are really building quickly.

Novena-type services are happening every night about 6pm. I love hearing the church bells ringing three separate times each night. Even though the services are for the death of the Padre who did all the services in Chacala, and some of the other towns around here.

Rode into Las Varas on the 7:30am collectivo this morning with my son, on the way to the Puerto Vallarta airport. There were seven school kids on the van, all going to school in Las Varas. The new primary (1-3) teacher in Chacala is a woman, and everyone seems to like her so far. The grade 4-6 teacher is same guy from last year. The Telesecundaria ( grades 7-8) teacher is also a returnee. All the kids and parents I have asked about him seem to be happy with him. Except for one of the parents, who seems to have some personal personal agenda about him. Oh well. The 6:30am collectivo is usually jammed with about with about 17 kids going to grades 7-12 outside of Chacala.

The new Kinder teacher is a very young man. I have visited the Kinder with school supplies and cash (some of it passed on from visitors to Chacala) this year. The new teacher seems nice. He is living in the older Kinder building during the week. The Kinder has opened up it's age limit to include nursery school age children. Apparently of nine children going to Kinder, eight are boys. I remember that the first six months I was here, nine babies were born, and eight were boys. But I think this is a slightly older group of kids.

My son left this morning after a nine day visit. I really miss him being here, and feel kind of lonesome without his company. Kind of unusual for me to feel lonesome. He is a wonderful son, and I am not just saying that because he and his Dad gave me this excellent camera. Which I am practicing with everyday. And studying the 200 pageinstruction manual at night. Although you don't actually need to read it to take decent pictures. But it's interesting.