My Life in Chacala

Some last thoughts

2009-01-13T00:01:00.001-07:00

Well this snuck up on me. I guess that is not to surprising as it is not something one happily looks forward to.

Today is the day Andee found the strength to realize she needed help and got it. The day Andee's new friend looked at her and then looked at the stairs down from Andee's little house and said something like "there is no way I can get you down from here you are going to have do most of it." Andee pulled together the strength and marched down those stairs even though her body was failing her. Tomorrow is the day she realized that this was the end and she fought to stay in the little hospital and accept that end. This was woman that always found the strength needed when things when it was needed

Yes she could also be a bitch (I am using her word here), headstrong, unwilling to change her mind, bigoted (mainly idiots and Gringos in Mexico). She could hold a grudge like nobodies business. If she thought you where a fool you were cut off till you could prove yourself otherwise. She could say things that would cut you to the bone. She was good at figuring people out, it took time but she would get in there. Then if you pissed her off she could cut you down with just a few words.

She would also open her home to those who needed her. Before me there were many children that she took in because there was no place else for them. I remember stories about them and in way I think of them as the older brothers and sisters that I never met. I have hear from a few since Andee died and hear a few more stories. I believe without her more than a few would not have made it or would have ended up even more messed up. Long before the Farm she helped run a facility for what we would now call developmental disabled kids in Florida. It almost killed how much she gave to those kids. Then she decided to have me, I won't go into detail but it was a very deliberate decision, with a focus that I wish other kids could have had. That same strength came into play and she made a life that surrounded me as I grew up. I think she gave up allot more than I will ever know to try and be the parent she wanted to be. Even in the end a cat found her that needed a home and Andee brought Gracie in.

I say all the above as a reminder to all of us that Andee was a person with her good side and healthy bad side. Without both she would not have been the person I loved, some of you loved, and that pissed off allot of other people.

In Andee's time in Mexico more and more of here cognitive facilities were slipping away. For me having grown up with her it was easy to see what she was losing even if others could not. I would have been sad or angry about this accept for an odd thing. This was Andee are her happiest. I have come to think that this was the childhood that her never really felt she had. There she had no responsibilities that she did not choose, no need for much plans farther than the next part of the day. She was as free there as she had ever been I think. I wish to die so well when it comes.

So remember her as the person that she was. Flawed in many ways. Caring of other with all her heart. Remember the good with the bad. I think that she would hate the memories to be a lie though incompleteness.

I will leave the comments open for those that may wonder by.

A few pictures from the Spring event

2009-01-12T23:27:00.007-07:00

These are from the little event we had in Spokane this spring of 08. We snacked on the food other had brought. Someone brought pizza which made me laugh and realize it was the most appropriate thing that anyone could have brought besides the Cokes Those that wanted one had a glass bottle Coke from Mexico. In little groups we told stories about her. People meet each other for the first time and and were amazed at the breadth of the people there. Then we together said a few words of our feelings and memories. We did not dwell to long and thing that would have made here happy. Then we snacked some more. Think that even Andee would have enjoyed it. At least that there was some that she liked to eat.

It went wonderfully. Plenty of people where there. It was a very happy event.

Some of the people and the some of the food

Some of the surviving Farm people

A flower from Russ and Dee's beautiful garden

Photo credits to Russ

Andee's farewell Saturday June 14th 1:00pm

2008-06-01T21:03:00.001-06:00

Well the time has come for those up north to say goodbye to Andee. In
many was this is for you all as I have had my say. What I would like
from this is for people to met up, have few snacks, tell some stories
and have enjoy the company. If others want add something else a I
pretty open to that. Just remember that Andee was a rather informal
person and in her last years came to require the truth from those
around her no rosy stories unless they are read roses.

So here is the deal Russ and Dee, old friends, have volunteered their
house and weather bearing we will meet up at 1:00 for a bit of a
potluck.

Here is what you can do:
-Well this is a potluck after all. What would Andee want to eat?
-Think if there is something that you would like to say.
-Plants not cut flowers. If you feel the need to bring flowers please
bring something that you can take home with you to plant.

Here is what will be there:
-Some tables and chairs
-A couple of cases of real Mexican Coca Cola for a toast.
-Assorted picnic tableware
-me, Tom and Russ.

Rough schedule:
1:00 People and can show up and snack/eat a bit
1:30 I'll make some introductions of the various areas of Andee's life if needed
I'll say few things and then others can if they wish
2:00 Then people can chat for a while and eat some more.

In the mean time I would ask you all to do something good for the kid,
cat or plant closest to you and have Coke.

All of that said here is why I have not said anything about memorials.
We are each of us memorials for Andee. She effected each of us for
good or bad in many way and changed many of us. So we are each living
memorials of Andee just as those that we effect will be memorials for
us when we are gone, dead or just moved on to the next town or
country. This is a chance for celebrate Andee.

Contact me for the address and if you have any questions

Mothers day

2008-05-11T15:41:00.003-06:00

Mothers Day

Memorials and such

2008-04-07T22:31:00.003-06:00

There has been some talk floating about the ether about physical memorials for Andee. Things like tree's or trash cans for Chacala been talked about. I have stayed out of these discussion for a couple of reasons. The first is that these are the kinds of things people need to do when they lose someone and I am not going to begrudge them this (although my silence may have done this and for that I am sorry.) When Andee and I talked about this sort of thing of the years she was down in Mexico my basic understanding was that for Andee that once she was gone that was it. I do not think that she could have ever brought herself to understand the good effect that she had on others so she would have been surprised as the reaction her death got from those that knew her.

All of that said here is why, while I am happy that people want to do things, I am not taking part in any of it. We are each of us memorials for Andee. She effected each of us for good or bad in many way and changed many of us. So we are each living memorials of Andee just as those that we effect will be memorials for us when we are gone, dead or just moved on to the next town or country.

So I try to add a little fearlessness in to my day. Trying things that would have hesitated at before for fear of embarrassment or danger. This summer if things go well I will go sailing out of sight of land and this scares me but I did not even blink when given the opportunity. Andee was riding a bus through Mexico when someone said "Hey you should go to Chacala" and look what happened with that. So my memorial is to be better at saying "Yes, why not" when something new comes up. Maybe it is not reaching out for something new but it is a step in that direction. I hope that any one reads that might try to find the something in themselves.

As to the June 14 event what I am things is some thing simple in the park or a back yard. A bit of a potluck (fruit salad is a must), some good Mexican Coke (the carbonated stuff in a bottle)
, some words from whom ever wants to say some (I do), and some interesting conversations and stories about Andee.

thanks for your time

Just a little update

2008-02-17T20:55:00.002-07:00

I have been a bit quite as of late. I had a little accident washing dishes and sliced a finger open. Some stitches and glue fixed that but make typing interesting.

Things that I have said that I will do and have not yet done:

print out pictures of Andee for the ladies in Chacala. At this point I think that I will use the Picture Bliss sent me. It is the only in the picture posting that did not note who it was from. Sorry Bliss.
Get together more details about the June 14th thing.
Reply to a number or messages for people about Andee. Sorry about that you have written. It is odd I can dispassionately deal with all the rental ones with ease but for those that were closer it is hard for me to even read them. I will get back to you.
Scan Photos of a younger Andee and post them. I have started looking thought the picture books but she did a good job purging herself from them.
Scan the drawing that she did.

Next weekend I am going to one of my step brothers weddings (it is true both ways) so I won't be doing much of the above in the next week but I will get to it all.

Thanks all for your thoughts.

About Gracie UPDATED

2008-02-07T14:15:00.001-07:00

UPDATE: I have heard from Gracies new ownee (as Gracie is of course the owner) and she tells me that Gracie is happily co-existing with two red-footed tortioses and a godson.

Some people have been asking about Gracie, Andee's cat. Until now I did not have good news or really any news . I do now have good news to tell you. But first I need to tell you the full story of why I did not have any news.

When ever I look at my cat (Putty) I think about Gracie. I knew there was noway I could have gotten her home. It was just too overwhelming. It was selfish of me but I had made the decision going in that I was going to try to take care of the people and that Gracie was going to lose. While I was there Tom and I feed Gracie the food that Andee have left and a couple of can of tune that we had picked up on the way up from PVR. We both knew that things were probably going to get bad for her and our unspoken goal was to fatten her up as much as we could. The morning that we left I did something that I felt bad bad about doing but it was all that I could do for Gracie at that point. I put the bag of food at in front of the of the American that had come at Andee's call for help and gotten her to the hospital. She had already done so much for Andee and here I was asking her to do more. I really felt bad about doing that but it was all I could do for Gracie. My little pathetic excuses were that Gracie did not like men very much and would only grudgingly come near me when I was there down there in October and that my cat hates the very concept of other cats existing.

This weekend I got a message from this person with news about Gracie and I want to share it. I am going to quote it here.

A few days after you left to return home, two women moved in next door to me at my room in Aurora's. They were from Denver. I told them all about Andee, her transition, and of course introduced them to Gracie. We were going to walk to town together. "Okay," I said. "But I need to feed Gracie first. Come with me. You cn see where she lives. I only feed her back at her house because I hope it gives her some measure of comfort that at least one thing hasn't changed. She cries every night for Andee." As we walked over to Andee's to feed Gracie, we talked. The women said that they were from Denver. So am I! What a coincidence. Well, now that you have met Gracie, if I could make all the arrangements, would you be willing to take Gracie with you on the plane and deliver her to the woman who runs the Cat Care Society?

"Sure," they said. "The woman who runs it lives down the block from us." Okay, you're it! How long are you here? "We leave Chacala in two days, back to the states in three."

"From Vallarta? What airlines?"

"Frontier."

"I'll find you," I said.

I had to spend that night in a different town. I left the women a note on the bag of cat food and said, "Would you please feed Gracie tonight and tomorrow morning?"

When I got back the next afternoon, the women had left me a note of good-bye with the name of the hotel they would be at in Vallarta.

I looked up the policy online for Frontier Airlines - traveling with a pet. They also addressed bringing home a pet from a foreign country. Airline approved pet carrier, health certificate and rabies certificate from a vet, ticket to ride.

I drove to La Penita and found a carrier at a vet's office but he explained that he was not certified to issue a certificate of health. Probably in Vallarta, he said. The day was getting away from me. The women would be flying from Vallarta the next day. Time was getting short.

God bless the internet. It took a few hours but I actually found a woman down in Los Ayalas who does animal rescue. I emailed her, beginning with, "I need help and FAST!" Of the many emails I sent out, she was the only person who responded with, "I can help. Call me ASAP. She called a vet she works with in Bucerias, 12 miles north of Vallarta, who agreed to see Gracie and me at 10 am the next morning, normally his day off. The women's flight was at 3, check in at 1pm.

Gracie had been my constant companion all week so I wasn't worried about catching her. Getting her into the carrier was more challenging.

At 8 the next morning, after two failed attempts at getting her into the carrier, I thought, "I need a strategy."

I walked down to the market and bought a can of tuna. I got Gracie to come into my bathroom in my room at Aurora's with the tuna and a little bowl of milk. I sat on the floor and talked to her and stayed close to her while she ate the tuna and drank her milk. Then I let her walk back outside, purposely ignoring her. I was hoping she would pee and poop. My target time to leave was 9am.

About 5 mins of 9, Gracie wandered back into my room and into the bathroom to see if I had given her any more tuna. Bless you, Gracie, I thought. I shut the bathroom door, picked up Gracie and the carrier. Facing her away from the carrier so she couldn't see it coming, I gently backed her into it as I set it down on the floor. I'll never know if it was the tuna, the milk, facing backwards instead of forward march or just the vibe that this is it, Gracie, your one big shot at a new home so don't blow it, but Gracie was calm and cooperative about being inserted into the carrier. Off we went in the truck to el veterinario in Bucerias.

A half hour of examination, one rabies shot, a little collar with a bell and one leash later, Gracie and I were on our way to the airport. I had not been in contact with the women since they had left Chacala but I had their flight information. When they arrived at the Frontier check-in counter, I was waiting. I held up the carrier with Gracie, who was curled up safely inside, her eyes wide as she watched all the commotion around her in the airport.

"I knew you'd be here," one of the women said.

"You bet," I said, "I brought your cat!"

The women then said that they had talked about it and had decided NOT to take Gracie to the Cat Care Society and my heart just broke. Instead, they explained that they had fallen in love with her during their time at Aurora's and they were SO GLAD I had found them at the airport because they had decided that if I showed up with Gracie, it was meant to be and they would take her home to live with them. I waited in line with them, bought Gracie a ticket to her new home and said, "Bye, sweet Gracie. Andee is very happy for you." I drove back to Chacala and cried when I saw Gracie's little dish on my bathroom floor.

I just thought you'd want to know. Gracie got a good home.

Blessings,

Sandie

This took a huge load of mind that I had not fully realized was there. I had made plans for what to do with Andee's things when this time came but I just did not know what to do with the Gracie. So I hoped that as with a lot of other things that happened in this process that the universe would provide and something good would happen. This is not my normal way of dealing with things but it was all that I could do.

Gracie had one batch of kitten before Andee got her altered. She was very proud to have found homes for all the kittens. I just want to reach out and rub there little bellies.

The June event plan

2008-01-27T18:33:00.001-07:00

Well really not much of a plan but a start. The basics are:
June 14 (a Saturday)
Afternoon
In Spokane, WA
Potluck with a focus on desserts

Undetermined:
Actual location (I need to investigate park permits)
What we will do.
There is some talk of dedicating a tree

What I need from you all is some numbers. Send me an email with "Invite" as the subject and the names a count people coming. eriko@jumpsuit.org

It's about time for some pictures I think

2008-01-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

Andee at her finest. Expressing her opinions about pictures of her.
Photo by: Allen Hardman

Photo by: Robert Quallie

Photo by

Roger G. Iverson

"This picture was from Feb. 2005 one evening waiting for the sunset. As she refused to have her picture taken, I had to sneak this shot."

Photo by: Diana & David

Taken March 2006
Photo by: Daly Mike

As I have been collecting these pictures of her I frequently hear how many were sneaked or the result of her being cornered and unable to disappear. I do not think she every saw the light and life that shown through these pictures. I have older pictures, I think, of her in the things she gave be when she left for Mexico. Unless she removed her self for those also. I will post what I can fine this week.

Thank you

2008-01-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

I would like to publicly thank all those that have helped me in the last week. I will miss some of you that helpd and some of you I will never know that you did help. Some of you I did not know your names or they have disappeared in to the fog. Know that your actions are appreciated.

There is no order to this list. Each and everyone has been important to me getting through this.

Tom for with out a thought on hearing said get us tickets. For doing the hard work of cleaning out Andee's home and distributing her things. I know this must have been hard for because he needs to grieve to. His support made it possible for me to get things done. He is still grieving and one of my great regrets is that I do not really know how to help him do this.

Russ and Dee for there support when I called them. I am sorry to say that I will be leaning on them once again come June.

Bill and family for being to one to call me with the news. That it came from a voice that recognized meant so much. I have always feared getting that call. For picking up and dropping us of at the airport so that there was never a worry about how we were going to get there.

The man at the funeral home that delivered her ashes to me at 11pm when I go to Chacala. For driving me to all the places that I needed to go and get the magic stamps and signatures so that I could get Andee's ashes back out here.

They the man who explained that the town was not used to cremation and that they need some sort physical presence of her. This lead to my spreading some of her ashed in the water off of the beach that she loved. Now they can always she her there.

Kate for keeping me updated on that monday about what was going on down there. For taking it in stride when I asked about funeral issues and understanding what I needed done. Most of all for translating for me so that I could tell those that I could otherwise only communicated with via tears the deepness on my thanks.

Sandy for responding to Andee's call for help and getting her where she needed to be and staying with her a the hospital. It says something about each of them that they had only know each other for 11 days.

Concha and Aurora because of them Andee did not die alone. She died with friends. For this alone I am in their debt. They also helped the town grieve for her by organizing a service for her. This was something that I was worried that I did know how to do.

There are many other's some who lent me a shoulder to cry on, some who helped me take care of electronic details and other things. Those that have written to me about Andee and those that have posted wonderful stories about her. I have only begun to read these as it is hard for me.

After I had got the call and had made the arrangements to get down to Chacala I had to leave the house to get keys made so that someone could come and take care of my cat. I leave the stereo on when I am gone to keep the cat company ( it's warm, she sits on it, it is her friend) a song by an Artist called Piney Gir came on called "Little Doggie". The artists has a link on her site where you can hear the song at Piney Gir. If you click the play link next to the track about half way down the page you can hear the song. I lay on the floor crying with my cat for quite a while after that. Yet another stranger who's kindness carries me though this even now.

Thank for all the notes

2008-01-17T12:47:00.001-07:00

I have replied to some but it burning me out. I can only cry so much. If you do not hear back from be please know that I am reading everything but that I probably will not reply.

Just to let you know

2008-01-17T05:33:00.001-07:00

For probably some of the same reasons that Andee posted I feel the need to keep everyone updated about what is going on at day +3. As I write this it is about 72 hours since Andee's end.

When she moved down to Chacala we knew that this is where her last moments would be. We did not know when it would be or what they would be like but this is where it would happen. The people that were with her in the end were friends both that had know her for years and some that she had meet days before. I am grateful that they were there and have told them so. They have told me directly and through my father of her last moments. As described I can only think that in the end she first fought the darkness and then choose to except on her on terms in the end. Accepting on her terms sound a lot like my Mother.

After she died, as is traditional here, her friends stayed with the body till she was taken to the crematorium. Some one has commented that it seemed like the entire town of Chacala showed un Las Varas where she was. That would not would not surprise she was truly love here in her adopted home. They then held a church service for her. I am told it was beautiful but there are no pictures as everyone was so used to Andee being there for every important moment to take the picture that no one thought bring a camera. This is yet another whole that Andee will leave in the world. Andee would have loved the service were she not the focus of it. When I arrived I went to see the flowers and it was beautiful.

Andee had left it to me what was to happen after her death. At that point she would not need her body any more and it was more important to take care of those that were still alive. I had discussed with her my plans for her the last time I was down here in October. My plan is/was to spread some of her ashes in the water at places that were significant to her in mine and others opinions. It is to my great embarrassment that Chacala it's was not initially one of those places. I can not imagine how I could do that. This is the most significant place in her life. This is where I think that she came closest to be at peace with herself.

This morning I will go out on fishing boat and place some of the ashes in the water were they will continue to traveling on. Later in the afternoon I walk into the water at the beach and at some of her to the beach so that those that live here have a place stand and look and know that some part of her is still here. After that that want can sit around a have coke or a beer and eat chips and salsa.

The rest of her ashes will be spread by myself and Tom in various other locations in the states. Sometimes after a gathering and sometimes just one or both of us. When there is an event I will post and let others know.

Right now the stars are fading and and sun is casting it's light from behind me as I look out over the town and to the beach. The roosters have been crowing for a few hours and the town is slowly waking up. I know Andee will be missed by the people here and everywhere. I am sad that everyone did not have the chance to say good by to her that I did. Every time I came was just one more chance to say to say goodbye knowing that this could be the last time. Each was an extra visit that was precious because she could have easily already been gone. In October it was that last time. I will miss her. We will miss her.

Remember this was her paradise and she got spend here last days, years. finding peace and happiness in herself. As I have said before what more could we wish for our self.

Take care of yourself and in the mean time I would ask you all to do something good for the kid, cat or plant closest to you and have Coke. I think that she would like that.

Sad News about Andee Carlsson

2008-01-16T17:51:00.000-07:00

Hi I am Erik Ordway, Andee's son. This Sunday Andee passed away, most likely from a stroke. There, the easy part is over.

I sent this out as an email this on Monday after I personally notified a the people that I could. I will try to find others to send this too but I would ask you to send it on to anyone that you think I missed.

We should not feel to much sadness at this ending. We should fell happiness that Andee got to spend extra years, that she did not expect to be living, in what was to her a little paradise. She had many friends in the town, Chacala, and meet and gained friends for all over the world. Over the years Andee has touched and helped many of us in our lives. As I said to her more that once "I am who I am because of you and I am pretty happy with that." She tried to do good things to the world whether that was the glorious plants, the work she did with those that needed help, and just the people around her.

Andee was a private person about her difficulties but I think that at this point she would want it known why she moved down to Mexico, if she did not well I am sure she would have forgiven me. For a few years before she left, to Mexico, she was having issues with her memory and this drove her find a place that she could live and not be to burdened by this. Chacala provided this place for her and allowed her to live her last years as had she wanted. We should all be so lucky.

I will be traveling down to Mexico tomorrow (Tuesday) to take care of things. Tom my father and her ex-husband will be traveling with me. Andee largely left it up to me with what to do with her remains and I had discussed my plans with her on my trips down there. She will be cremated and we will spread some of the ashes there in Chacala. I also plan to spread some in a few locations in eastern Washington in the spring, some time around late June.

As to celebrations we all know Andee would not want a big fuss to be made, we had to sneak birthdays parties on her after all. I do hope to arrange something for June when I spread the last of her ashes. I do not know what this will be or where but I will let people know. In the mean time I would ask you all to do something good for the kid, cat or plant closest to you and have Coke. I think that she would like that.

To all of her blogger friends I will be updating her blogs in the next few days to let every one know. I plan to leave most of them online.

I can be reached at eriko@jumpsuit.org.

Renting in Chacala: Vacation and Long-term

2008-01-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

If you are thinking about coming to Chacala, you can check out these websites for rental info:

Chacala Rentals
Chacala Escape
Majahua
Casa Monarca
Villa Celeste
Casa Chacala.
There are other rentals with websites in Chacala.
Just Google "Chacala" "Rentals".
And this one for info about getting from the P.V. airport to Chacala. Chacala Nayarit.

Latin American Bloggers Get Together

2008-01-04T16:49:00.000-07:00

The authors of two gringo in Mexico type blogs,
Isla Guy, ( islagringo@yahoo.com )
and Canuck in Cancun ( cancuncanuck@hotmail.com)
posted this announcement today:

Announcing the first ever Latin America Blogger Meeting!

My friend and fellow blogger, CancunCanuck, and I (Isla Guy)invite all of you bloggers in Latin America to join us for a weekend of fun and chat here on Isla Mujeres! (yes, this does include Caye Caulkerr and a certain La Gringa in Honduras!)

We are in the beginning planning stages but right now we think there will be a meet and greet reception on Friday, sightseeing, time at the beach, dinner and drinks (and maybe dancing!) on Saturday. There would be a farewell breakfast on Sunday for those of you that can bear to leave the island!

The proposed dates are April 17 - 19, 2008.

If anybody needs help with booking hotel rooms, just let me know. I will be glad to provide information on various hotels in all price ranges. I might even be able to swing a group discount if you all decide to stay at the same place.

So shoot me an email if you are interested and I will keep you advised as to further details. As the RSVP’s come in, I will list on the sidebar who will be attending.

If you know of any bloggers who do not read one of our blogs, please pass the word on to them.

Although this is more for we bloggers to get to know each other, lurkers are welcome too!

sounds like fun to me.

Sand Castles in Chacala

2008-01-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

Tonight an old Chacala friend arrived late in the evening. Via Trini & Cundo’s airport pickup. I wasn’t sure what time she was arriving, so I spent the early evening hanging around with some of the folks staying the Nueva Espana, watching for her arrival. Nueva Espana is a nice rental right across the way from Mirador, where my friend will be staying for two months.“Chacala friend” means someone I only know in Chacala. This woman has been here two years previously, but this is her first time solo, and I wanted to welcome her. So I hung around the pool at Nueva Espana with a nice group of people. Two of the couples have been here before. And are here again for long stays. Two months or so.The conversation was interesting. But I am kind of embarrassed and uncomfortable about part of it. There were some kind of semi-racist comments, or at least extreme stereotyping.And I think I started the conversation when I mentioned how surprised I was when I first came to Chacala, and found that one group (nationality) of gringos have a kind of bad reputation here. I am embarrassed that I helped start the conversation, and that I seem to have absorbed, or accepted, this kind of stereotypical thinking about any group of people.It feels kind of crummy and I am surprised at myself.

Around Sunset in Chacala

2008-01-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

My goal for today is to notice when I am making a leap from my assumptions into action. Usually verbal, sometimes actual actions. It's easy for me to see other people making wild-a..... assumptions, thinking there know what's going on, but not really having a clue.

It's harder for me to see that quality in myself. But I know I do it all the time. Chacala is good for me in two ways.One, I can see that old truism that what you can often see in others what you don't like in yourself. I have lots of opportunities here to experience myself identfying the qualities I don't like in myself in other people.

I have a great object lesson about making assumptions and acting on them, right here in Chacala. There is someone who comes down to Chacala in the winter who's assumption-to-action stuff just annoys me to death. Well, I hope not to death. But I really have a hard time with the stories she makes up about me, and spreads around. After four years of this sh.... it's getting really old. Another good thing about Chacala, for me, is there isn't much going on and it's harder to distract myself from my everyday experiences. No movies. TV, newspaper, driving around somewhere, shopping for more than four or five items (milk, rolls, fruit, tortillas and toilet paper mostly.

The pace is slow here, and there's more time to reflect on my interactions with other people, and their impact on me. And how about how my daily life fits into the life of Chacala. It's obvious immediately if I skip a day of picking up trash on the road in front of my place. Or on the little section of the beach I have adopted for trash pickup. I used to work most of the beach. But no more. Partly because more people are doing it now.One of the downsides of living in a small town is that sometimes it's hard to avoid people I don't want to deal with. But usually I manage to do it without much effort. There are a few winter people around here who I haven't actually interacted with in many months, or even years.

I usually do regular life stuff most of the day ( ooking, dishes, laundry, a little house cleaning, gardening, email, helping renters find a place, reading, drawing, and so on).
After a late lunch and a nap and checking emails, I usually do errands around town: visiting, doing reservations, shopping, take photos, visiting some more, walking on the beach, hanging around and so on.
So I am usually on the beach around sunset. I get to practice sunset photos a lot. Lately I have mostly been noticing how the light of the sunset shines of people and things. I don't really know how to take good photos of this phenomena, but I really enjoy how it looks.
Especially when the sun is shining on kids and on people faces.
I think kids get a burst of energy right at sunset, playing harder and wilder than ever.
And concentrating harder on their projects. Hoping the sun will stay up a little longer, I think.
I love sunsets in Chacala. Almost every night there is a beautiful, glowing sunset.
Most of the time people are swimming in the water until dark. Or after dark.

I usually take my camera with me when I go down to the beach in the late afternoon.
I still haven't figured out about shooting sunsets, but I am having lots of fun learning.

There are still lots of visitors here, mostly families who have driven here or taken one of the tourist buses. Often they travel in the bus all night, arriving at dawn from a cities in Central Mexico.
The kids are out playing in the sand until it's too dark to see.After four or five days of temperatures in the70's it's a relief to be back in the mid 80F again. At 3pm it was 88F here. That will warm up the water again too, I assume.

Boy in Chacala

2008-01-03T07:01:00.000-07:00

Many of the children in Chacala are amazingly gifted at making toys out of almost anything. And creating games with natural objects.But sometimes the kids play with "real " toys. This bowling set was at the Biblioteca, at the after-school program. This sweet boy spent more than an hour playing with this "official toy", made of plastic. He arranged and rearranged the pins. Never actually used them for bowling.
I think he liked the colors and the order of the placing the pins in different patterns.
There were kids running all around him and he never lost his focus on his project, even for a minute.
I feel to lucky to be around so many kids, and to watch them grow from infants to Kindergarten and from Primary to teenagers, and from teenagers to young adults.

Views From the Hill at the South End of Chacala Bay

2008-01-01T20:30:00.002-07:00

Christmas Day I took a walk up the hill at the south end of Chacala. A couple of the gates that are normally closed were open, so it was an easy walk. I have already written about my walk, but I wanted to show some photos, now that I am back in the photo posting business.A view of Playa Chacala from the hillside.
These are shots of partially completed buildings partway up the hillside at the south end of the beach. There are two other buildings along the hillside. Two different owners.
This is a view from the hillside into the area above the paved road.

Wandering Around Chacala, Showing Rentals

2008-01-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

I had a kind of nice morning, walking around Chacala with a friend who was looking at long-term rental possibilities here. I met the out-of-town owner of one of the new, but not completed rentals in town. It will probably be ready next Fall, according to the owner. It looks like it's almost completed, except for doors, windows, and, apparently, air conditioning, and some finish work.The owner started talking about a building that is being constructed behind his place. Mostly about what he was going do to gain needed privacy on his building. With screens made of thing branches and other natural looking sceens. The new building has glass windows and doors that look right into his place.
We spent some time at Nueva Espana (above) too, which seems to be especially pleasant this year. Six rental units with kitchens and three double beds. The water in the pool was perfectly clean and clear. And the palms are big enough now to shade the seating area, at least part of the time. I don't like the concept of swimming pools in general, but this one looked pretty inviting. One thing that trouble me about pools is how owners seems to drain the chemical laden water from their pools right out onto the street. There are six pools in Chacala now, plus 13 million pools (slight exaggeration) in the development.

We went by Pablo's rental and vacation home below the Bibliotecha. A second story is being constructed. I have somone who was interested in renting the house. We had a plan to meet with Pablo at 9am but he wasn't there.
This is a new underground water storage tank at a construction site. One side is for clean water and the other for sewage. Whatever.

Elezar's White House is looking very nice these days. Elezar is down in Chacala for several months and taking care of things. And making some cosmetic improvements.

A family from Quebec rented one of the upstairs rooms at Elezar's for a few days. And a gringo couple is arriving in a few days for a two month stay. The view has been kind of blocked by some fast growing trees, but it's still has a nice big shady patio. It's an odd setup. The two large bedroom/bath units share the patio. There's a stove and fridge and large table with chairs on the patio, with dishwashing "facilities" downstairs in the front "yard".

I got to see the inside of the little red cottage right above the Malecon this morning. It's wonderful, but apparently it's never rented. It has real furniture and a nice tiled kitchen and bath. Bedroom and living room. The bedroom has a lovely ocean view. But the main eating area is outside, up a few steps, where there's a big table and a nice outdoor kitchen. Really cool. In my next life I am going to buy it. Just kidding.

I think the water is warming up again. The water is clear and lovely, and there are still a lot of families in town, camping and staying in the rentals. This week after New Year's is pretty popular with folks from Guadalajara and other towns within about four hours driving distance.
The hotel next door had an incredibly loud band with singer-gone-crazy with a microphone last night. From 9pm until 3am. I don't know how the guests stood it. I think it's the first time the place looked pretty busy. I hope guests knew what they were letting themselves in for. The cement wall of my room, which faces the hotel (80 feet away), was sort of vibrating. The sound (notice I didn't say music) was sooo loud.

Lots of fireworks too. Luckily I brought some earplugs down with me when I first came to Chacala. And my son recently brought me some new ones, so I could sleep. Of course, I was up half the night playing with my new computer. And then awake at 5am. Back to the internet. What an addict. Got all my photos downloaded from my camera. Now I have to delete all the crummy ones. About 85% probably.
I never got a chance to post photos of this year's Christmas Eve Posada. It ended at Casa Monarca, with two lovely pinatas. Sarai had made both of them, and they were really beautiful. She sells that at her porch store next door to Trini's. In case you are looking for a pinata.

A New Computer For Me, in Chacala

2007-12-31T20:25:00.001-07:00

Bill and Mary arrived today for their third winter visit to Chacala. They were accompanied by their precious dog, Spike/Clavo. As a bi-lingual dog, he responds his name in both languages. They were also accompanied by my new computer. They picked it up in Olympia, and drove it down. Pretty good service. I am really happy.I am all hooked up and on-line from home. But tomorrow I am going to have to figure out how to have both my wonderful neighbor family's new computer plus my computer both hooked up to the internet. Using their Telmex phone line and one modem. And the computers are about 125 feet apart. I think I am going to end up interneting from their laundry palapa, at least for now. But we'll see.Anyway, I am too tired to write. So I am going to download photos from my camera, and go to bed. It's New Years Eve and I have a couple of appealing invitations, but I am tooooo tired. Long long day.My genius son managed to transfer everything from my self-destructed computer to this one, so I am really content and feeling good. Hope everyone else is too.

The photo below is what Chacala's beach (and probably every beach in Mexico) looks like during the week between Christmas and New Years. The two weeks around Palm and Easter Sundays, that is, Semana Santa.

Warm and Lovely Sunny Chacala

2007-12-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in textiles in Mexico, take a look at this series of short videos about different textiles and their weavers. http://mexico_culture.blip.tv/

The videos were made by Bob , the man who has spent years and years exploring Mexico and learning about the textiles-weaving of Indio-indigenous groups all over Mexico.
His website is Mexican Textiles.

The weather seems to have turned warm again after about four or five nights in the low low sixties. Looking really beautiful here today. The ocean water has been a little cool, but I bet is will be warmer today.

I used to think I was the only person in Chacala who hates the ugly stuff that´s going up around here. But it turns out other people seem to feel that same way. Local and gringo. People arestarting to be more open with their feelings about some of the changes around here.

My new computer might arrive Monday, or probably Tuesday. Then I have to figure out a new way to be hooked up. I am hoping this new computer has a stronger wireless card, but it´s not likely. I am going to PV tomorrow to look around for a modem-router (?) thingie that might send a stronger wireless signal. Or maybe my son will send one down. We´ll see how this works out I guess.

There was a big quinceneria party at Pelicanos, a restuarant on the beach last night. Really nice, with a great band and nice decorations and delicious cake. My taste and tolerance for music seems to be changing. More open minded I guess.

The beach is much cleaner than last year. Still not clean, but much better. I have the impression more people are taking responsibility for picking up their own and other people´s trash. Pretty neat.

This winter is just zipping by. I was at Nuevo Espana last night for a few minutes. It´s a nice little six unit place with a pool and units with room for six or so people, and decent little kitchens, etc. At the moment if looked liked most of the units were rented by gringos. Nice group of people, mostly Canadians. Some had read this and said nice things. It´s still odd for me to meet people who read thing. It´s kind of fun and kind of embarassing. There´s a teacher here right now who is Irish. He has a beautiful little son, who is wonderful. I am in love with the boy. He told me the ocean was "lovely". I just loved that.

I am off to my place to wait for the Coke truck and cook delicious things.

The Day Afternoon Christmas, and All Thru Chacala

2007-12-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

I am not really a Christmas person, but Chacala has kind of changed me in that regard.
Yesterday was a really nice day for me. The weather was great. And lots of nice people were arriving to set up camp on the beach. Most people in Mexico, at least in this area, seem to celebrate at home with family on Christmas Eve, and then come down to the beach on Christmas Day or the next day. Town is pretty happy and cheerful and somewhat crowded right now.

I had a lovely Christmas Eve dinner at Aurora´s. Her Mom and Uncle were there too and we laughed and laughed and laughed.

Lots of gringo faces and lots of vendors selling everything you can imagine. I was given some lovely gifts by Dona Lupe and by Marta, and some other local folks. Really nice and things I really like and wanted. I will send photos later.

First thing in the morning, Christmas Day, I took a walk up the hill at the south end of the beach. I was curious about the buildings going up there. I thought there were two but there are three. Kind of perched on the cliff.

There has been a lot of work done up there. Some of it's kind of strange and seems odd to me. Someone has built a huge gate across the road you walk-drive on to get to the volcano meadow and then on to beautiful little beach one cove south of Chacala. Since the road was there way way before that eijido land was sold for development it seems odd that someone would put a huge metal gate up. It was open, but,....... That road is access to the orchards up there and a lot of property.

Plus, someone is building tall and medium height stone walls on either side of the road. The walls block access to the fruit orchards that have been there for a long time. It´s hard to imagine why someone would do that. Fruit orchards, and food production versus vacation homes for rich people? Forget it.

Anyway, got home after visiting with Dona Lupe , made brownies and fruit salad for a dinner at the lovely new home of some Canadians who are now living in Chacala full time. Washed clothes,
took a nap and shower and when up the road to the party my gringo neighbors were putting on.

The food was really really good. I ate much too much and had a very nice time. I had to leave early to meet some new renters staying at a first-time rental. By the time I had finished with that and been hijacked by Marta (to give me my great gift) it was too late to go back to the party.

By the time I got home I was feeling pretty sick again. Mostly it is just a deep chest cold now.
A Dad from Guadalajara and his two early teen sons are staying downstairs this week. Very nice but their dog is a pain. Every time I went to sleep either the dog or the raccoons would show up on my patio. Plus insane barking by the dog. I finally put in my earplugs and feel asleep.

R and M loaned me a great book called "Oaxaca Journal" by Oliver Sacks. I loved it. It was about his ten day trip to Oaxaca with a group searching for Ferns. I really enjoyed it. I am getting to read better quality books these days. Definite lifestyle improvement.

My son is helping me figure out how to have both my and Aurora´s computers work off the same phone line and modem. I am getting excited to be getting my computer back in less that a week. I hope.

Changes in Chacala, This Year

2007-12-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

I am trying to think of all the changes that have happened in Chacala this year. At least the changes I know about.

There have been some deaths. The beloved Mother of Laur died just recently. And also Maria-Palia, who died this summer. I miss her. She was the tiny lady who carried heavy loads around town on her head. And was also busy doing something. Often artistic things for Day of the Dead and Guadalupe and San Rafael Day. I am surprised how often I think I see her out of the corner of my eye. But when I look there is no one there. Or it´s someone else. There were several other deaths that I don´t know much about

Two younger men from Las Varas died in a one-car turnover right before the turnoff to Playa Chacala. The turn onto the beach road. There is a small altar/shrine set up in their memory right near where it happened.

There has been an interesting change in who is driving. Ever since I got to Chacala
I have been amazed to see ten year old boys driving pìckups around town. Never girls. Just boys. But times are changing around here. At the first Posada, last week, a sedan filled will little kids was being driven by a local 11 year old girl. She was delivering the kids to the Pinata and treats part of the Posada.

Then, last night and then again this morning I saw Erika, Aurora´s lovely daugther, driving the family pickup somewhere. Her younger sister was riding shotgun. I love seeing girls driving, but it scares me to know how little training they get. But, maybe the younger you start driving the better. I don´t know.

Lots of remodeling has gone on this year. Majahua has a new addition, including office space and a bar with several new terraces. The place next to Beatriz´s, the place next to Sarai´s store, Gracia´s all have projecsts going on. Mar de Jade seems to be building an apartment, a studio space, and an outside area for something. Not sure what. More projects include Pablo`s from Guadalajara´s house below the Bibliotecho, Laura´s three new small rentals (intended as monthly rentals), Angeles two new units, both with kitchens now, and Antonia´s new kitchen addition to her downstairs unit are all ready to rent. The lovely new gringo home right above the hotel is complete now, and a new smaller place is being built by a Guadalajara man next door has the basics up. Three (at least) gringos are building on the hillside above the paved road, and another gringo couple is building behind the new red two story rental, over the water. Oscar and his bride, Adrienna, are starting their new place on the Mirador property, and Berta´s lovely new rental´s rentals are open for business. Lots going on.

The new town water system has been going for about 16 months now. With only a few short downtimes when the well pump was stolen (twice), and various other problems surfaced. Including the Development somehow getting access to Chacala´s water. For their swimming pools and lawns, I guess. Who knows. I love having clean decent water to fill the tinaco with for at least six hours every day. It feels so luxurious.

There seem to be routine patrols by the police now. With so many strangers coming into town on the constructions crews it´s hard for local people to keep track of who should be around and who shouldn´t. The tourists generally stay down on the beach. The level of thievery is lower than last year, when a little den of theives from Las Varas came down to Chacala a couple of times,and got way with stuff. But they were caught quickly. I think there was only one instance of a break-in this year. At a empty gringo home. There may have been something else but I haven´t heard about it. I wouldn´t be surprised if some construction materials have been removed from building sites.......

The entire town keeps getting cleaner and cleaner. Including the beach. The kids are still picking up trash once a week, and posting signs requesting tourists put their trash in the new containers. Seems to be working.

The Bibliotecho now has DSL, so the computers there now run at normal speed, and everyone seems to be happy with that. The Bibliotecho is closed until after New Years. I think it´s so Viki, the Adminstrator, can have a well-deserved vacation.

The Posada has bene lovely this year. Tonight is the last night. The Church has been painted and redecorated. Juanito made some lovely displays for Guadalupe Day and Feliz Navided.

There are two new teachers at the school, and most adults and kids seem to be okay with them. Isaac is running the After-School program again this year and the kids seem to be enthusiastic about him. The Kinder is now on it´s 3rd or 4th teacher already this year. We will see what happens when school starts again on the 7th of January.

The schoolyard around the Primaria and Bibliotecho, looks great. Clean and tidy. At the kinder too. I haven´t been over to the Tele-Secundaria lately, so I don´t know how that looks.

It seems to be a little cooler in the evening and night than other years, but I still am not wearing long plants or a long sleeved shirt. I DO have a blanket on my bed though.

There are a bunch of Christmas Eve eating options around here, and some Christmas Day events too. I am talking about special dinners, etc. When I first came here there were no Christmas lights or trees, but they are all over now.

Anyway. The beach looks great. Clean everyday. Lots of fruit stands, and vendors with good things to eat.

I personally don´t care for Christmas, but it´s fun to watch what goes on around here.

Changing in Chacala

2007-12-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

Since I have now being living in Chacala for four years and five days, I thought I should take a look and see if I can notice ways that I am different from when I arrived here in Mexico.

I know one thing is that my level of appreciation for the gift of being alive has increased 10,000 %. Maybe more. I am continually aware of how beautiful each moment is. Of course, there are some annoying moments, usually annoying people, but mostly I love most of every day of this life.

The environment, nature, the surroundings are so lovely and amazing. The plants have to most amazing life force. They just keep growing, no matter what. And the sky is so blue and the sun so bright. And the animals are right here, around us. Every though I am afraid of the Apaches (raccoon looking animals) who visit my patio every night, I appreciate their cleverness and creativity. In getting into my place. And if I wasn´t scared of them I would probably have named the two little guys by now.

There are birds all around. Every morning I see new birds. And right now I am seeing whales swimming by almost every day. And butterflies flitting.

I seem to be in synch with the collectivos these days and never ever have to wait more than a couple of minutes. I have nice worker neighbors staying downstairs. The Dad is very handy at fixing things and the son and a friend are fun to have around. Too bad there´s not enough water for all of us unless I fill the water tank on the roof twice a day. It´s too small.

More weird stuff is going on the with buildings and destroying Nature around Chacala. Plants, trees, vegetable stripped off hillsides, leaving ugly barren messes. Inappropriate buildings. Whatever.

It´s still a lovely place to live, and every day brings new and different things.

I rode into Las Varas this am in the collectivo filled with ladies going to their class at the hospital. I think it´s a menopause class but I am not sure. Everyone was dressed up and bouncing around. We joked around about me going, but I said I was past all that. They thought that was funny.

The driver turned on some dance music and we all bounced around, dancing to the music, while sitting. Very happy and joyful. I love those moments.

Chacala: Days Before Christmas

2007-12-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I had the photo thing licked. A kind soul helped me put the photos from my camera reader card unto two discs. And then I thought I could just put the disc into the slot on a PC and go from there. But I seem to be missing a step.

The internet place on the beach road, "Gabis Internet" opened tonight. I am too tired to write, but I wanted to fool with the photo thing. I think he is going to be open thru New Years. Hoorah!!!

A new Blogger friend, Steve, just started his Blog. He is writing about his search for a place to retire in Mexico. I like how carefully he is looking around and checking out his options. Nice photos too. Steve in Mexico
I put the Link on my Links list too.

Lots of folks from other years are showing up in Chacala this week. It is pretty fun (I can t find the apostrophe key on this keyboard) although I don t actually do that much visiting. I seem to be really busy right now. Partly because of needing to go somewhere to internet. For reservations, etc.

Tomorrow I am going down to the nursery to get a plant for my first landlady s birthday. She told exactly what she wants, an Ixora with big bright red blossoms. I hope they have one.

I bought a slingshot today to scare off my night visitors. I guess they are Ma.....shoot, can t remember the name. I am going to collect pebbles to shoot at them. I hope that s not too mean, but I hate them hanging around sticking their noses in everything. They can t find any food but they search very diligently. Ugh!!!

I read in the PV news that the airport in PV is expecting 220 flights to arrive on Saturday. That is alot of flights for that little airport. Probably people should use the bathroom on their plane before they get off the plane. I imagine there will be a big back up in baggage and customs. Probably not very many people will get the red light at customs (to be inspected).

They are still remodeling, putting in a new tile floor in the arrival area. So you still have to go outside and then back in to get to the bathrooms, ATMs, etc. The money changers are still open in the arrival area.

I am too tired to write.

Chacala Days before Christmas

2007-12-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

Lovely Chacala

2007-12-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

It´s been beautiful in Chacala this week. Cooler at night though. About 62F degrees. Beautiful sunny days. More visitors turning up. The camping area still has mostly smaller RV´s parking there. Mexican families are starting to pull in to camp for the Christmas holidays. The cuesto owners are spiffing up their places, in preparation for the many families that will be arriving starting this coming weekend.

Well, the festivities for Guadalupe ended on the 12th, and now we have begun the nightly Posadas, marking Jesus and Mary´s search for a place for themselves and their about-to-be born baby. I can´t believe I wrote that like it really happened.

Anyway, last night was the first night, and about 33 kids and 20 adults participated.
They walked from the church to Paul and Nidia´s place. They had two lovely pinatas, filled with treats, and then treat bags for everyone. Even me. And hot chocolate and chocolate cake. I love the hot chocolate in Mexico. It´s so good. I passed my goodie bag onto a late comer so I wasn´t so tempted.

I don´t know where we are walking to today, but I hope they serve hot chocolate.

There seem to be more yachts here this year. And earlier too. I mean the sailing kind. There are also more powerboats. One is totaly covered with antennas. Not quite as ugly as the shrimp boats, but almost.

Chavela is serving dinners to the first 20 people to sign up each Thursday and Friday night. 50 pesos, bring your own drinks. Very delicious and very popular. She is the breakfast cook at the gringa cafe in the morning. I think she will be adding sign-up nights as more visitors show up.
She also takes group reservations where the group picks the menu. On the sign-up nights Chavela choose the menu. Ahead of time, so you will know what you will be getting.

Majahua has finished remodeling. They had the thank you party for their workers on Saturday night. The addition is a bar with three patios, and a lovely upstairs terrace with offices for Jose and Carmen. The kitchen area has also been expanded. This is a lovely place, the only really special restaurant in Chacala. Reservations are needed for dinner, but drinks are available all the time. It´s a great place to watch the sunset, or for whales. You can also eat breakfast and lunch there, but it´s a good idea to plan ahead, or call 219-4054. Mahajua is at the very end of the beach, and up about 20 feet. Just past Mar de Jade´s patio.

People are seeing whales everyday now. From the beach or patios or whatever. Or via boat rides out closer. Not too close, but closer.

Can´t think of anything else to write, right now. My new computer is apparently on it´s way south. I can´t wait. It´s hard to write in internet places, especially after having had a couple of months of internet connection at home.

Still am not able to post photos, but I am taking some pretty good ones.

Not in the Blogging Mood in Chacala

2007-12-14T11:34:00.001-07:00

I want to thank the people who offered me suggestions about posting photos. I am going to do it next time I am at a computer place. Maybe Sunday.
I really appreciate the help.

The weather is wonderful here and I am working alot on my ¨garden¨"
Waiting for my computer.
Not much in the mood for writing.

Lots of nice visistors in Chacala.

I just can´t get in the mood to write. I just spent a couple hours answering emails, mostly about rentals, and I just want to go back to Chacala and eat lunch.

j

Still No Computer in Chacala

2007-12-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

It looks like I have a new computer, currently residing near Seattle. I was hoping I would think of someone I know who is coming down to Chacala or P.V. this week or next, but haven´t found anyone yet.

On Saturday some friends are leaving the NW and driving south. And they will be bringing my new computer down, arriving Jan 1 or so. I hope I can manage my addiction til then.

And I want to learn how to post photos from my camera to a PC. RIGHT NOW. I am so used to Mac stuff I can´t even think of how to do that.

The weather is great. Slightly cooler nights, 68-70F at night, 80-85F during the day. Low humidity, at least for Chacala.

I think I must be completely acclimated to the weather in Chacala. The first three summers I thought the ocean was too warm (like a bathtub) to swim in during the summer. But this summer I loved it and swam almost every evening. But now the December water water seems a little cool to me. But of course it´s not at all. And now I understand why little kids are all bundled up when it´s under 70F - it does feel cool. Whatever.

There are some great RVers here this year. Just when I was getting really jaded about them as a group. Prejudiced, I guess. But A and G brought lots of stuff down for the Kinder and Bibliotecha, and really would like to find a little role here. Maybe support a child a little. They are here for awhile, so they will have time to get to know some families.

Plus G is an excellent camera instructor. He has a Canon that is a lot like mine and I am learning so much. Stuff I didn´t even know there was to learn.

So far that gringo campers are almost all in small rigs- pickup campers, small van campers and so on. I like how they look in the campground. Don´t block the view so much. Of course some of them are still trying to block off access to the beach for the Mexican families who normally camp where the RVers. But I am enjoying getting to know some of these folks. V and V are another couple who travel with a nice basic small trailer and older pickup. Suits my personal taste-lifestyle I guess.

Two more businesses are being set up by gringos in Chacala. In both cases the businesses appear to be in direct competition with local people. Whatever.

A and G and I took the school, craft, and clothes and other things up to the Kinder and the after-school program at the Bibliotecha yesterday. There is a new teacher at the Kinder. Ramon. Very young and handsome. He seem to be in charge and the kids were great. We took photos of the all the supplies G and A brought. The Kinder looks wondeful. bursting with art and color.

Isaac is still teaching at the Bibliotecho after-school program, from last year. The kids really seem to like him and to respect his authority. Lots of kids running around. More photos. We also left some gifts and other things for Viki, the Biblioteca adminstrator to use as she see fit.

It seems clear that Chacala in general is moving into a more prosperous era. Who knows where that will lead.

Waited for 45 minutes at the bank yesterday, to change a US$100 bill into pesos. Then the teller told me it was 10 minutes too late to change money. RATSSS!!!!!

Then Juan at the tienda did it for me on the way home. So it worked out. Plus I got to gossip with a couple of women I know, who were also standing in line.

There seems to be even visual pollution littering the Chacala landscape. Grihgo real estate and development signs. Ugh Ugh Ugh.

Other than the signs, etc. Chacala is looking beautiful, Blue skies, whales swimming by in the blue-green ocean, lovely breezes, and sand covering the rocks again, on the south end of the beach. Lots of new gringo faces around, and some old familiar ones too.

In the past there was very little construction during the actual tourist season. But that started changing last year. There are a number of projects that are still being worked on right now. I think of the winter season starting about December 21. And maybe they will be finished up by then.

Funeral for My Mac, in Chacala

2007-12-08T19:40:00.001-07:00

My trusty little Mac G4 laptop gave up the ghost on Wednesday night.

But meanwhile I am using public computers and it´s hard to write surrounded by various computer games playing at high volume.

And I haven´t figured out how to move photos from my camera to a public computer.

But I am working on it.

My son already found a computer for me.

The trick is getting it to Mexico.

Even if you use the very expensive Fed-ex, DHL, UPS options for shipping, sending a laptop to Mexico is hard.

You are allowed one laptop in with no duty, but the shipping companies send any pack fatter than paper to Mexican customs, where they like to add a 40% duty. Or the computer somehow getd lost or misplaced by the shipping company. So most people have a friend bring a computer down.

A friend is taking my old one up to my son, in Olympia WA. He expects to be able to get my photos and some other stuff off the old computer and onto the new one. And then some other , really really wonderful friends are bringing the new one down, driving. But they won´t arrive untl January 1. More that 3 WEEKS. Ugh.

I am half suffering withdrawal symptoms from n internet, and half feeling free and at loose ends. So it´s probably a good thing to have this involuntary break from in-house computer access.

View From Chacala's Malecon

2007-12-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

There are quite a few people coming down to Chacala from the cold, cold north. It's been in the mid 80`sF all day, with about 62% humidity. It looked like it was going to rain late this afternoon. Which would be very unusual this time of year. But the clouds seem to have moved on.
These photos are taken from the beach walkway, the Malecon (below).

Some of the construction is about 2 years old, and the other is newer. There were as many as 12 yachts, a couple of power boats (one super-sized), and as many as six shrimp boats here this week.

And Berta told me she will be managing the Cafe whatever onto top of the old Casa Pacifica this winter. She plans to open on Monday, December 10th. The Breakfast-only cafe will be open 8-10am, M-Sat. Closed Sunday. It's located at the very north end of Chacala, about a block past where the paved road bumps into the gated to the gated development.

Las Brisas just put up Christmas decorations. They seem to be planning to put on a Christmas Day Dinner again this year.

Majahua's remodeling looks really nice. Worth walking down there for a drink or to make a dinner reservation.

There this still quite a bit of construction going on around town. Lots of half-finished projects.

The primary school yard is looks very clean and tidy. Consistently. Parents are cleaning the grounds, with some of the kids, regularly.The Kindergarten play ground is looking very nice and tidy.

And every Sunday morning Viki, the Adminstrator at the Bibliotecha, is out with big group of kids. They are all carrying big black plastic bags, and picking up plastic and other trash.The trash is mostly left behind from visitors to Chacala and to the gated development.

Work is continuing on Om's place among the stone column's above the dinghy beach.
Guadalupe's Day is coming up soon. A few fireworks are going off every night about 6pm, followed by the bells and a church service.

The ocean water feels wonderful. I went swimming this afternoon, and the water was very clean and lovely.

That's it from Chacala.

RV's Parking at Playa Chacala

2007-12-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

My guess is the some people who read this are aware of my disgust with black (toilet) water being poured into holes in the sand on the beach at Chacala. By RVers.That situation seems to be resolving itself. The disposal pit-tank-vault (don't know these things are called) next to Delphin's has been rebuilt and looks great. People can either move their rigs over there to empty their holding tanks. Or use one of those "blue-boy units" to empty their toilet holding tanks and haul the effluent over to the disposal area. I heard someone yesterday offering to share his with folks who don't have one.Of course, like all the septic tanks around rural Mexico, the effluent that will be pumped out to the septic tank, is dumped off from some road somewhere, into the jungle. But that's probably better than more "civilized" options. It disappears quickly in this climate.

Anyway. I haven't seen any RV's this year draining their toilets in the sand. But the big RV's are just starting to pull in. So who knows? Those are the folks that seem to be the most likely to use that method of disposal.Also, this year, lots of people with rigs on the beach have mentioned to me that they are not using the "polluting the beach" method of emptying their tanks. That is, dumping their shit in the sand.

And I have heard some very interesting stories the past few days from some of these campers. Telling me about gringos in other campgrounds sort of enforcing decent standards among their own in these "RV Parks."Right now almost all the people who are camping in Chacala in metal boxes of various kinds have smaller trailers pulled by trucks or smaller-sized camper vans. It looks much nicer on the beach than the monster RV's that block everyones view of the beach.

Anyway. Cambio, cambio, combio. Change, change, change. Sometimes it's a good thing.
This huge power boat pulled in yesterday, and left, thank god, this morning. It dwarfed the sailboats around itAt the same time it left, six huge shrimp boats arrived. To dump their load into refrigerated trucks, I think.The dead fish photos were taken at dawn, a couple days after the first shrimp boats of the season pulled into Chacala bay. I don't know what the connection is, but there is one. Shrimp boats = dead fish on the beach. Luckily the dogs and other varmints clean things up quickly. '

Still. I hate to see those boats arrive here. They destroy the fish beds when they drag their nets across the ocean floor. Forever. Shrimp lovers take note. I guess I will always be complaining about something.

Middle Class in Mexico, Not in Chacala

2007-12-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

If you would like to (possibly) expand you perceptions of lifestyles in Mexico, take at look at this website:

http://www.mexicowoods.com/index.html

and the post: "Lunch with Anamaria"

Very interesting, at least to me.

Messages for Chacala

2007-11-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

Four times now I have received e-mails from someone who either used to live in Chacala, or whose family still lives in Chacala.The first time, a few years ago, Lupe found this blog on the internet. She lives in California. Her husband grew up here, in Chacala, and his Dad is living here now. She and her family had visited here that summer. When she got back to California, she googled "Chacala" and found this, and wrote me.We have been writing off and on ever since. She asked me to take photos of her father-in-law, which I have done. And she has emailed me photos of her wonderful family. I put them on a CD and have them printed up. To pass onto her father-in-law. He has the photos stuck up in his house. Including copies of the photos I took of him.

The next time, the adult son of someone who lives here in Chacala wrote me, also from California. He lived here as a child, and asked if I could take some photos of his Dad and some of his friends here. He also googled "Chacala". And I did.And a few days ago, a woman who lives in Tiajuana, wrote. She also found this blog googling Chacala". She doesn't speak or write English. She sent me a "Comment", but with no email address. So I wrote her a post asking me to write via email. Which she did. She said she left here 19 years ago, or that she IS 19. And told me who her family is. And, of course, they are people I know. She asked me to say hello and offer them hugs and kisses.And another person wrote. I can't remember which family he is from, but the members of his family were not happy to hear from him, so I never wrote back.

And I don't know if this will be good news or bad news for this family, but I will find out tomorrow probably.Another odd use of the internet and blogging. It's feels sort of funny, and a little strange to be an interet email delivery person. But the day I handed over photos of his son, and his sweet looking family, to Lupe's father-in-law, he was so full of smiles. I was really really nice for me.

Version 3: On the Issue of Encouraging Visits to Chacala

2007-11-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

Someone wrote me a "Comment", asking why I would provide a link to the CBC "Dispatches" episode about Chacala's Techos de Mexico program. The writer was concerned about too many visitors coming to Chacala. I share that concern too.

However, I am interested in encouraging short-term visitors to come to Chacala. To rent a place to stay, eat at restaurants, buy food and other items, and to enjoy the various tourist activities. Like spa treatments, boat rides, surfing, fising, visits to surrounding towns, to the petrogylphs, and to La Tovara, the swamp ride. And especially to swim in the lovely ocean and lie around on the beach. To bring income to the residents of Chacala. The local people who live and work here.

My short response to that Comment is that I hope the radio program will draw people who are, in my opinion, the ideal visitors to Chacala: the short-timers and the renters. These are people who can spend time in here without having the urge to destroy Chacala with real estate schemes. And who don't have time to start destroying the environment, breaking the laws of Mexico, or constructing ugly buildings, or block access to the beach. And hopefully, they wouldn't intentionally subject Chacala citizens to disrespect, in all it's forms.

My point of view is that IF any kind tourism is okay (and I hope it is_, then short-stay (a week to several months) visits by people who are renting from local Chacala people, is probably the least destructive kind of tourism. They leave it to local people to make money via real estate. Mostly those visitors don't bring jet skis, motos, Hummers, or build monster houses. Or hire giant machines to tear the land apart, or giant trucks speed up and down the road 15 hours a day. Or build homes that are inappropriate for the climate, and have air conditioning, clothes dryers, swimming pools and other energy and resource wasting objects.

Vistors who rent, rather than buy and/or build, or "develop" property here, bring some money to Chacala, and often some generosity for the scholarship program, and in the past, a lot of volunteer labor. And a curiosity about the natural environment, and the culture, and local history of this area.

Tourists who stay for a week or a month, or even long-term, generally don't try or aren't successful at trying to impose their values, ideas or culture on local people. And they don't have the power to insist things be done the gringo way.

It's my experience that most short-term visitors to Chacala bring cash and a spirit of curiosity and respect. And, I, personally think that's okay. They offer cash to local residents for access to their rentals, restaurants, stores, and tourist services. Particularly when the places they stay are owned by local Mexicans. As opposed to gringos and non-local Mexicans competing with local landladies for the tourist dollar with big advertising campaigns and so on.
I didn't particularly like it that the LA Times writer showed up in Chacala one day last Winter. But I took around to the Techos de Mexico units, and to meet local landladies. I wanted to be sure he had a taste of the life of local people in Chacala.

Gringo newspaper publicity is probably a mixed blessing for Chacala. But it is income producing for local people. It certainly increased the requests for reservations, particularly for Techos units, and locally owned places.

But is that article drawing people who are curious about the culture of Mexico, learning a little Spanish, and doing some exploring or bird-watching? My guess is "Probably not".

The kind of people I enjoy meeting in Chacala are people with gentle spirits and inquiring minds. People who will come here open to a new experiences and ready to open their hearts to another culture and another way of life. And people who have an interest in ecology and the natural environment are a plus in my mind.
I hope that offering a link to the "Dispatches" show will catch the attention of people who would have a positive presence in Chacala. That it might draw the kind of people who are trying to be, at the least, a benign presence during their vacation here. And at best, people who want to be involved, or offer scholarship. Or learn Spanish, or a new skill here. Or to bring things for the Kinder kids. Or arrive with curiosity and a desire to learn about life here. And in Mexico.

Of course, swimming and enjoying the incredible beach, the small town environment, and the local residents who welcome them, is worthwhile too.

So, that's where I am at today on the subject of tourism advertising.. Tomorrow, who knows?

Here is the info for the program:

http://www.cbc.ca/dispatches/

techosdemexicofinalradioverson.ram
1K Download

Mexican Textiles Website, not in Chacala

2007-11-29T06:47:00.000-07:00

Note: I am sort of embarrassed to post these photos of textiles made commercially for the tourist market . When this post is about handmade, traditional textiles. But it's all I have right now. And they do look colorful, if not authentic.

Last month someone told me about the most amazing website for people who interested in textiles. This website has photos, trip reports, and other written materials about textiles created by persons from indigenous groups all over Mexico. I think most of the photos are of textiles that are being made and used right now. Mostly in the remote villages of where small groups of people continue their lives in their traditional manner.In February, the creator of this wonderful site, Robert Freund, will be in mountains of northern Nayarit, doing more research. I think with the Cora Indians, but maybe he will be working with the Huichols. I don't know. I am hoping to met him, since Chacala is in Nayarit, and he may be coming here briefly to met some some folks who will be visiting here. Here is the link for the website.

Mexican Textiles http://www.mexicantextiles.comI love learning about, or meeting people, who have devoted their lives to doing something they really love. People who just go out and do the work. Not for fame or credit or money, but from their hearts.I think there are people everywhere who have found their work, their special interest early in life. And just jump in and pursue their quest for knowledge and understanding. And sometimes chance they have a chacne share what they know about their often very specialized knowledge. And this seems to be the case with Robert Freund. A woman named Catherine Palmer Finerty, is another example of someone who found a niche for themselves, where they immersed themselves in their quest for understanding and knowledge. She wrote a book I have read several times. "In a Village, Far from Home" is her story of living in a mountain village in the state of Nayarit. What she learned and what she did there. And she started her adventure with the Cora Indians after she reached retirement age. Anyway, I am really excited about this website about textiles. And I hope there are other people out there who are interested in textiles of Mexico too.I don't have any photos related to this topic, but I am going to the tianguis today, and maybe I will find some things to photograph. No textiles like on the Mexican Textiles website, but the best I can do right now.

Building a Just and Sustainable Chacala?

2007-11-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

I just read an article in a magazine-in-English called " YES!". It's subtitled "Building a Just and Sustainable World. I only run into to this magazine occasionally, and I don't remember how this issue (Fall, 2007) came my way.But it's an interesting magazine. One of the articles is called "Five Ways to Get Free". Free as in "...making lifestyle choices that protect the environment, reduce global injustice, reflect social responsibility, and contribute to richer communities.....". To live in the world with out destroying it. To live in manner that can be sustained for more than the next 30 years.Here are the author's five ideas about how to attempt to live sustainably. (edited by me):

Reduce Fuel consumption: use the bus
Avoid "fashion" and clothes made in sweat shops: buy used and mend
Buy locally grown or made foods: buy in farmers and locally-owned markets
Money: Barter, share and trade goods (stay out of the money economy)
Entertainment: make music, tell stories, play games, visit, talk with each other

I think these ideas sound very much like my life in Chacala.
I take the bus, taxis, collectivos, and very occasionally (monthly?) ride in the back of pickups and in the front seat sometimes. Since I am an old person.

The new clothing I have bought in my four four years are the following items :

replacement rubber sandals (and one pair of leather sandals)
and three new pairs of boxers and three white cotton tee shirts a year. From the local tianguis
And various shade hats, and umbrellas,which I tent to lose, usually by leaving them somewhere or their flying of my head. The combi driver's usually bring them by the next day. It's kind of embarrassing to be so forgetful.
Occasionally I buy used cotton, button-front shirts and shorts at the local tianguis. Maybe one of each a year.
And I might buy a new pair of long pants at the La Penita tianguis tomorrow. For bus rides (which are often cold with air con) and wandering round as a tourist in cities and visiting churches. One of the two pairs I brought with me to Mexico disintegrated in Oaxaca last summer. A potentially embarrassing event that worked out okay.

And luckily for me, people sometimes bring me cotton button down shirts from thrift shops across the border.I think it's easier to live a simpler life here. For one thing, temptation to consume is easier to ignore. It's a long trip to go on a buying spree. I almost always cook at home. There is only one really tempting restaurant here, and it's out of my price range.

No car. Lots of things to do at home or within a short walk. Lots of visiting back and forth. And helping each other out.My social life is almost entirely visiting and hanging out with friends. A little loteria maybe, or listening to a local group of wandering musicians. Nothing big. But nice. No travelling, paying money except for a drink or coke maybe. Just relaxing, kids running around having fun. No dressing up, unless you want to. Lots of fiestas for varies things. With food, music and games and lots of fun and laughing.

I love how borrowing is done here. Or at least, this is how I experience it. If you know someone has sometime you need some of (band aid, shovel, aspirins. Sharpie pen, etc etc) it's fine to ask for it. Not awkward at all. And the paying back is different. It's not the tit-for-tat kind of borrowing I am used to. Borrow two eggs. Pay back to eggs. Here, you would probably never get the eggs back, but you might get a sack of lemons, a ride to town, help with something. Your dirty clothes my disappear awhile and come back three hours later, all clean and dry and folded. It's much more relaxed and trusting. It's seems like it's the norm to share with family and friends.

I think this way of sharing is part of the same mind-set as "oh-ha-la". Loosely, "as God wills".
You just kind of go with the flow for certain things in life, including the passing around of items.On the other hand, some local people tell me that there's another norm here about not getting to far ahead of the others (materially) in your circle. They have used the analogy of crabs in a bucket, trying to get out. Some make it out by crawling on the backs of their cooperative fellow escapees. But some people say that here, it's more like that if people see you getting far ahead and almost out of the bucket, they will pull you back down. I don't know if that's true or now. But that analogy has been told to me many times, but local folks. Who knows?
One day I am working on the water line at this house. An anonymous person has chopped the hose with a machete again (accidentally). I am bent over, working on it. The neighbor across the way walks over with the fitting I need. I didn't even know he was watching what I was doing. So I watch for some little ways to pay back. And there's always something down the line. But no one seems to be waiting for paybacks. But they do pay-back all the time.

Today I was buying two big trash bags at the tienda. Someone I helped with some photos last week, paid for the bags. I didn't realize what had happened for a minute. The guy at the cash register kept waving me away when tried to pay. Then he pointed to Juan, and said had paid. So I thanked Juan. Pretty nice. Sharing happens all the time around here. Many people are generous and kind, and they don't understand, or seem to be surprised when they see how possessive some people are about their possessions.

Of course, I may be totally misreading the whole culture of Chacala on this issue. And I have to remind myself that this is mostly a poor town moving out of poverty into lower class Mexico. And other classes have different mores and attitudes. About which I know next to nothing.

CBC Radio Show about Chacala and other News Bulletins

2007-11-27T15:54:00.001-07:00

Today's weather in Chacala seems to have varied from low of 77 to a high of 89 degrees F.
The humidity apparently stayed between 92 whatevers to 55 whatevers. I don't have a clue about humidity.

After I am fluent in Spanish I will start in on the concept of measuring humidity. Maybe, if I still care, in the year 2013.Under the guise of educating the public, today I am offering a variety of news tips.
A big wrestling show, never one of my favorite events, is arriving in Las Varas next week. Luckily for those of us in Chacala, the show is being heavily advertised all around town.The boy in the middle proudly told me that the father of the little girl is the star in the middle of the poster. They didn't know how much the shows costs, which is fine because I already have plans for that night.
And here is the real news. Marjorie Greaves, a Public Television producer on Vancouver Island spent part of her vacation in Chacala last winter creating a program for the CBC "Dispatches" radio program.The focus of the show is the Techos de Mexico program here in Chacala. It's a program offering interest-free loans to families who want to build a combination home and rental units structure on their property.I won't talk about it because the radio show describes it well.
Here is the intro

Making Ends Meet in MexicoIn Mexico, the difference between poverty and prosperity is sometimes just a place to call your own.

It certainly was for Aurora Hernandez and her family.

In their coastal village, a Godfather and a modest guest house changed their lives forever, as we hear now from journalist Marjorie Greaves.

And the link

http://www.cbc.ca/dispatches/

And then click on blue highlighted line "Listen to Part two in Real Audio".
You can see photos and make reservations thru Chacala Vacation Rentals

The 8 minute recording includes interviews with Jose Enrique de Valle, the creator of the program, and home and rental owners Aurora, Beto, and Leti .

Chacala Weather Info Centro

2007-11-26T13:18:00.001-07:00

Now that I have a weather thermometer and humidity thingie, (a great gift from a nice visitor) I can stop using PV weather data and my guesses to talk the weather here. Right now, at 1:30pm MST it's 82 F degrees and 52 whatever humidity. An hour ago it was 86 degrees F and 65 humidity. I don't know why it's cooling off in the hottest part of the day, or why the humidity is dropping. I have a lot to learn about the weather. Other than the basics, as in, cold/hot, humid/not humid, rain/no rain, snow/no snow, and wind/no wind. I do know when the sky looks really neat. I was down on the beach not long before sunset when this was going on. It felt like god was sending down a message or something.Mirador, a popular Chacala rental, is located right on the low bluff over the ocean. It now has a new palapa, grass sod everywhere, and a brand new tiled counter in the upstairs kitchen on the patio unit.This is Las Brisas's spiffy new juice bar and ice cream place, located in the edge of their parking area, on the beach road.

The following photos are from a recent baby shower in Chacala. An Australian woman and her daughter, and I were gringa invitees. Nice party. Nice folks. Lots of laughing. I am feeling pretty contented in my life right now. Somehow I never or rarely see the folks I would prefer not to see. And get to spent nice times with the people I enjoy. And there are some nice gringos here now. I like Chacacla in November. The weather is great, and there aren't many tourists.

I am waiting for my pizza dough to rise. It's hard to wait. I am starving. I am going to go out and cut up a pineapple for a snack.

Twos in Chacala

2007-11-24T21:18:00.003-07:00

It's raining in Chacala right now. The rain started a couple of hours ago. It's about 9:30pm. Not a downpour, but a pretty solid rain. I had to go outside and move things around a bit. I'm out of the habit of making sure things are protected out there, since the rainy season is usually over by the middle of October.There was a pretty bus down at the beach parking area this afternoon, covered with red designs. It turned out to be a dance troop that does very old dances from long ago, in Mexico. I ended up visiting with the adults for a couple of minutes. These folks had camped on the beach last night, and were on their was to Tepic to do a big performance in Tepic tomorrow, all day Sunday.
It's an old troupe, with grandchildren, parents, and great-grandparents, and grandparents involved and performing, in costume. I had a dinner invitation for tomorrow night. But I asked the people to let me know about the time and location, and I haven't heard from them. So I think I will take the bus up to Tepic tomorrow. I have to take some photos of a house Juan the painter has been working on, first thing in the morning. Then I will take off.
There is a website that has a weekly photo contest, with a cool first prize(s) for the best photo, as determined by voting viewers. I entered my first photo this week. The subject was "Two", and I picked a two-people photo to enter, without thinking. I actually have non-people "two" photos too.
But I decided to post these photos from the last year, just because I like them.
There is someone playing very loud music tonight. I assume it's the hotel up the road. But I don't want to go out in the rain to look. And it doesn't matter anyway. Besides, I like the music. I think it's not live music. For one thing, the singer can sing in tune. For another, there are more instruments that just 15 trumpets and 15 drummers, and I don't think they are using the normal 1/2 dozen of the biggest speakers I have ever seen. That's the musical taste of the owner of the hotel. So maybe it's coming from somewhere else.
I went to the plant nurseries, the vivero, today, and got 13 plants: 5 bouganvilleas, 2 Desert Roses, and 6 Kalanchoes. And three big sacks of nice dirt. Very satisfying. Clemen's baby shower was yesterday, late afternoon. It was supposed to start at 3:30 and I went over about 4:15. I could see from the shortcut that it wasn't really going yet. So I did some errands, and got there at about 5, and it started a little later. I had a nice time, visiting and playing with the kids a little. I think I have been to a dozen of these events. They are pretty much the same. Which makes it easier to act more or less appropriately. Usually, when you arrive at the party, you get a little decorative pinned on your shirt. Then, if you cross your legs or ankles any time during the party, the person who sees you do it runs across the yard and takes your pin. The first shower I went to, someone ran across the room and grabbed my pin off my shirt. I must have looked pretty shocked, because everyone laughed and joked. It took me awhile to understand what was going on. The person who has the most pins at the end of the party wins a prize.

I had a nice time. Easygoing and comfortable feeling.

Time-out on The Opinions, In Chacala

2007-11-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

It's been about 29 months since I started writing these posts about about living in Chacala. I started out writing emails in response to people who had visited Chacala, and then wrote me asking about what was happening here.When I got this computer, about a year-and-a-half after I arrived in Chacala, my son showed me about blogging. The readership has gradually changed over time. At first it was mostly my personal friends and people who had visited here.And then, when I started another blog. showing the low-end rentals and the Techos units in Chacala, I started hearing from people were interested in coming here, for the first time.

Then gringos who had been coming here for awhile, often camping on the beach in RV apparently starting noticing this blog. At least a few did. As far as I can tell, few or none of those people, including the RV people who transitioned to building homes here, actually read it. But apparently they talked about because occasionally someone who make an indirect remark about this blog in my presence. But once in a while people actually talked to me about it.

Then, in the last year or two a few gringos arrived in Chacala with an eye to making big bucks here. Some of those people definitely read this, because a couple of them have seriously threatened me over it. Luckily reading this isn't complusory. Meanwhile, I get lots and lots of emails and "Comments" from people wanting to know about moving to Mexico, and gardening here, and all kinds of things related coming to another country, another culture. And I get many requests everyday for information about rentals and making reservations. But the newest group of readers are the local kids, and occasionally local adults. That started around Christmas last year. At least that's when local teens toldme they were seeing my photos of Chacala on the internet. Mostly they would ask me to put picture of themselves on the internet. Or to email them their photos, so they could post in somewhere on the internet. Like the local version of "My Space" I think.

Last winter I spent a couple of evenings a week down at "Gaby's", the little (very well run) internet cafe down on the beach road. It's open weekends and holidays, and does a good business. Some of the Chacala young folks would stand behind me while I was loading photos onto this blog. And critique the photos and tease each other. And make jokes.I'm not sure if any of them can read English well enough to read my posts here. But quite a few of them look at the photos. And now, for the last six months maybe, the kids, especially the teens and young adults, are constantly posing for me, and calling out, "Andee, Andee, foto, foto!!!. It's very fun for me.

And then a few days ago, Polo and his wife Berta, who have the Taco Stand on the beach road, said they had seen the photos of their daughter and themselves standing in front of their Taco Wagon, at their little restaurant.I had asked Berta if she was okay with being on the internet when I took the pictures. And she was. But I wasn't sure if she understood what I was asking.

Well, if she didn't then, she does now. They came up to me with big smiles, thanking me for the photos. I didn't get it at first, but they were seeing it as advertising, and were very pleased. So I showed them the other photos I had of them, on Chacala Nayarit, and they seemed to be very pleased with those photos too. Like they are famous now. It was very sweet.

I always wonder if I know what's going on about this photo stuff. About taking photos of local people. But I guess it's okay. The day before the Dia de la Revolucion, at least a half dozen kids and adults told me what time the parade was starting, and where it would start. So I could take photos of everything.I am invited to a baby shower for Clemen and her third child today. And I imagine the invitation includes my camera.I just love taking photos. And I think it's changed the way I see things. I have an odd experience last night. I was at Mars Tres Restaurants, talking with someone who had just arrived in Chacala.

Once and awhile the picture on the stupid TV would catch my eye. And then I really started looking closely. I hever never really noticed films in terms on photography before. But this film, a Mexican cowboy epic, filmed in Mexico, had one stunning shot after another. One amazing shot after another. Landscape and people shots.It was wonderful. I couldn't sstop looking at the screen. I seriously dislike TV and rarely am around one. But if I knew the name of that film, I would watch again and again. I can still see some of the images in my mind's eye.The photos on this post are some of the folks who have asked me to take their picture during the last couple of days. The hairless boys just got their heads shaved. I thought they were so cute.

Chacala's Big Day

2007-11-20T19:48:00.001-07:00

Each year I have celebrated Chacala's version of Revolution Day by watching the local children march thru town. Most of the kids wear revolutionary costumes. All the kids are pretty energized and high spirited. Pre-school thru 8th grade.And since I got my camera last Fall, I get to take photos. I have the best ones printed and pass them out a few days after the parade, the denfilade.We started at south end of the beach road, walking past the cuestos (small shops) on the east side of the street. Gringos from the camping area came over to the fence and took photos.I feel so lucky to be able to be around children every day of my Chacala life. And to know their names, and remember many of them from their first months of life. And to know who their Mom is, and their Dad and siblings and grandparents, and even aunt's and uncles.

The Moms from Concha's parenting class (a state sponsored year long class called "educacion inicial") leads the way, with their precious little kids, mostly wearing special outfits. Along with the Kindergarteners and their teacher, Arturo.One of the little girls was terrified by the sound of bottle rockets which which went off every few minutes. I don't even hear them anymore. I couldn't figure out what was scaring her for a couple of minutes.

And then the Primeria students, years 1 thru 6.Followed by the secundaria students (7th and 8th years).
After the parade headed up the hill, I hung around at Marcella's, waiting for the collectivo. I had carried my laundry down the hill and stashed them under a table on Marcella's patio before the parade. It's my monthly trip to the lavanderia, where they wash my 8 sheets, 8 pillow cases, and 6 towels. They are just to hard to wash by hand. Or I am too lazy, or both.

Las Varas and Chacala Kids, in the Parade

2007-11-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

After Chacala's parade headed up the hill, I hung around at Marcella's,waiting for the collectivo. I was headed for Las Varas to drop off my laundry.

The collectivo came quickly and we headed into Las Varas. The driver offered to drive me over to the lavandaria.But all the roads were blocked off for the LV parade. So I started walking.I am glad I had to walk because I got to see all the Chacala kids who go to school in Las Varas, walking with their school groups.Some of the Mom's from Chacala kept pointing out the Chacala kids who go "Patria" for grades k-8. So I took some photos of the local kids.

And then a ton of photos of the dancers and marchers and the little children in costume.
Las Varas had a huge parade. Marchers, acrobotic troupes, drum corps, beauty queens, bands, dancers, horses, wagons, floats. All filled with kids and young adults in various costumes.

It took me an hour to get from the corner where the taxi driver let me off to the lavanderia. About five blocks. After dropping my stuff off, I went a couple blocks to the east ,and got to see the parade as it swung by around.It was a hot day and the kids doing marches and dance and acrobatic routines were soaked in sweat and wilting by the time the parade ended. Around 11am. The sidewalks were lined with family members and little parade drop-outs.I had a great time. Chacala kids and kids from my computer group in Las Varas a few years ago waved and called to me. I was nice to not feel like a total stranger.Got back to the collectivo stop to go home to Chacala. There were only four of us waiting, and usually they don't take off with less than five. So we were sitting in the shade, sharing my cacahuates(peanuts) in the shell, and making jokes and laughing. And looking at photos on my camera.

Then the fifth passenger walked up. We piled into the van. And within 20 seconds 9 more passengers showed up. We were really crammed in. Thank god I had the passenger seat in the front.We kept eating cacahuates and I gave the driver a big tip because of the mess. We tried to clean it up, but it's hard with all the feet and bodies in the way. Plus I gave him the remaining peanuts.

Nice trip. Lots of laughing. Trini, who teaches Spanish in Chacala, and takes rental reservations, and runs her family's van service, was on the van coming home.
During the parade I thought she was a teenage cheerleader (from the back) until her son Sylvestre, pointed her out to me.

Plastico in Chacala

2007-11-19T17:07:00.001-07:00

My blogger friend Isla Gringo (http://bnwisla.blogspot.com) mentioned that he doesn't blog on Sunday. But that really he just doesn't post on Sunday's. But he does work on his posts on Sundays. He says:

Even though I don't post on Sundays, I still spend considerable time getting posts ready for the upcoming week. However, none of them are done and ready to go. Each one is missing something. A fact or a picture.

That's when it clicked with me how differently people blog. It made me think of La Gringa (http://lagringasblogicito.blogspot.com). I think it's at least a half-time job for her. And look at all the political investigating she has done lately. I was actually afraid for her life for a few days. Plus La Gringa has taught herself how to post videos and make slide shows. That stuff is on my life "to-learn" list, but it will be awhile. Maybe in my next life. By the time I learn how to do that stuff, there won't even be computers anymore. Big Brother will just zap stuff into our brains through the air. And we probably won't even have off-buttons.Anyway.....Lately I had been starting to realize how much time I spend in front of my laptop. And how much attention and thought I put into my posts. (Actually probably not enough, at least according to my human spell checkers and people who don't care for my choice of topics).Of course, Blog stuff is not all I do on the internet. I usually get 50 or 60 non-spam emails a day. Many of those are emails are related to helping people who want to come to Chacala find the right place to stay in Chacala, and to help them make reservations and so on.But still.... And now that I don't walk for about 30 minutes each way (plus visiting neighbors all the way there and back) to get to where I borrowed a wireless connection, I am spending way too much time at this table, working away. Playing away. Way too much time.I have been thinking about how it is that I have ended with with four regular blogs, many blogs where I hold photos for rental units, and other blogs for family photo albums for people around town, and so on. And three vox blogs where I am experimenting with targeted blogs/websites for people looking for particular kinds of rentals. And a few other web things too.I am inclined to retire, at least from some of this. But part of my current enjoyment of blogging has been to have a place to post my photos, where some people look at them. At least theoretically, anyway.And I have "met" some really nice people, and some interesting people (as in "may your life be interesting"), and learned lots of things. Especially about travelling to other towns in Mexico and about gardening with succulents and tropicals.But I am a little nervous about how much time I am spending at the computer. At least when I am taking photos (my other electronic preoccupation) I am out interacting with people face-to-face. Which seems like a better way to have friends. On the other hand, right now most of the English speaking people I care about live thousand of miles away, sooooooo.

Well, I guess I will just keep thinking about this until my fingers wear down to nubbins.

Good Deeds in Chacala

2007-11-19T11:40:00.001-07:00

When Chacala visitors email me to ask what they might bring down, I usually suggest they bring some materials for the Kindergarten. The teacher this year, Arturo, seems to be very artistic. The Kinder looks great, decorations all over. Arturo handmade tons of streamers for the big day tomorrow. Revolution Day. There will be a kid parade first thing in the morning, and then a big comida at the schoolyard.
These two visitors to Chacala, Mike (3rd visit) and Debbie, (2nd visit) brought a couple of sacks full of things for the Kinder. Arturo was very pleased. And I know the kids will be too.
The Chacala kids, lead by the Bibliotecha administrator, Viki, and with support by Pablo, also known as Arturo, spent Sunday morning trying to finish the clean-up of the plastico basura/trash collection site. It's right near the gate to the development. The kids work every Sunday morning, picking up the litter Chacala tourists and people/workers entering the development, toss on the side of the road and on the beach.Pablo recently graduated from a two year tourism program at a college in P.V. He was partially supported by a scholarship via the Bibliotecha program. He is now helping his brothers, Cundo and Juan, run several tourist business in Chacala. Including an airport pickup service, tourist tours, boat rides, and surfing and fishing trips.
A big truck came last week and hauled the giant sacks pull of plastic bottle away. I think Viki said they actually sold some of the plastic.
These lovely cows volunteered to get over the road the other morning, so the collectivo could get by.
They moved very politely off the Chacala-to-the-highway road, without even a moo of complaint. This section of the road, near Rancho Miralta, is very dangerous. It's curvy and you never know when there will be a single cow or a whole herd in the middle of the road. . Or when some speeding monster truck will come blasting thru. About two weeks ago two young men from Las Varas killed themselves (accidentally) by going too fast on the pot-holey section of the paved road. Someone told me the car flipped, right before you reach the dirt road turn-off to the beach. Very, Very sad.

Their Memorial on the side of the road was put up a few days ago. I am so glad there is a tradition of marking the locations where people died. I think it helps people remember to slow down.

The Gringo Tourist Season, in Chacala

2007-11-18T13:45:00.001-07:00

My life in Chacala affords me lots of time for thinking and wondering about things. I rarely have commitments eating up my time or thoughts, especially in the quieet months, late April thru late November. But this relaxed and easy downtime is rapidly coming to an end. At least for the next three months or so. A couple of the "winter" gringos are strating to trickle in , and some never left. It's just amazing how quickly the atmosphere can change around here. I don't especially like the winter season in Chacala. Oh, I like my local friends, the beach, the ocean, the plants, the birds, the climate, time to work on my projects, and take photos, the orchards, the children, visiting with my friends, the view, the food, and going to the other beaches around here. Las Cuevasa and Chacallila.And there are a number of very nice people who are coming down in the next few months, and I am looking forward to seeing them, and visiting and hanging out together. In fact, some are here already. And we just had a pleasant dinner at Majahua.

Chacala and the Sea

2007-11-18T07:38:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, with all the monster trucks, and pickup loads of workers driving into Chacala every day, I forget that Chacala is basically a fishing village. With a rapidly growing tourism industry.Most all of the local men work in Chacala's small fishing industry.
And they often start fishing commercially as youngsters.
As fishermen, motor and boat repair, fishing net weavers, fishing wholesalers, fishing retails, and fish cooks. Most of these guys wear more than one hat.Some also use their boats, launches for the tourism trade. Taking sportfisherman out.
And surfer's to La Caleta, and picnickers to Las Cuevas. And to the lovely little Chacalilla beach (above, to the left) which can still be entered legally by boat.Even though the owners of the development bordering this sweet little beach try as hard as they can to exclude people from this public beach.

Tourism and fishing are closely entwined in Chacala. Tourists catch fish themselves, or buy fish from the fresh catch on the muelle, the fishing dock in the morning, or from Lalo's fish market.
And order fish dinner at local restaurants, Don Enrique's open grill, where he smokes and barbecues whole fish.
And, of course, yachts and power boats come into Chacala waters. They are usually self-sufficient though, and don't really add much to the local economy. A few drinks maybe or a dinner at a local restaurant.

There are actually three separate beaches in Chacala: the main beach, where most people swim, and were the restaurants and vendors are located. And the muelle, the little protected cove where the boats tie up or anchors, and where dinghy's can land and boats are launches.
And little kids can swim in the calm quiet waters. And of course, Chacallila, around the corner from the muelle. This guy probably catches more fish than anyone in town.

Chacala Construction News

2007-11-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, I did another count of construction projects currently going on around Chacala.
I don't imagine this will be too interesting to anyone who hasn't visited Chacala. But the topic interests me, so I am posting this. I included the aproximate length of construction, so far.

Remodeling Projects
Unfinished house just north of Beatriz's: an addition, walls, septic tank and el hebe ( 1 month)

A 2nd story to a gringo house on one of the eijido lots at the very top of the road that goes uphill, east from Concha's and Socorro's (1 year)

Mar de Jade's addition the their large building just off the beach (7 months)

Majahua's addition to the restaurant area: offices, terraces, bar, remodeled kitchen (6 months)

Nueva Espana: pool repair appears to be complete. Sixth unit is almost completed. The pool was full or water and kids yesterday. (6 weeks)
Completion of the building created around the old stone columns at the dinghy beach.( 1.5 years?)

Current commercial construction projectsRentals and restaurant: 2 story structure on the beach: (2 years+)
2 and 1/2 story real estate offices(rentals) and owners unit blocking beach access (2 years+)
Dental clinic on the paved road, one story, so far (1.5 years)

Spec house ( 2 photos above) on the rocky slope to the east of the paved (1.5 years?)
Rental:3 unit/2 story plus roof patio on the dirt road and near the gate to the development
(1 year)
Rental structure, 2 stories, across from the NW corner of the Primaria playground
(10 months?)
Rental/vacation home: ( 2 photos above) Large red 2 story plus roof patio overlooking the Malecon (1.5 +years)
Rental/vacation home: 2nd floor rental additon to vacation home. , just south of the Primary school (6 months?)

Homes
Private (vacation?) home on the little secondary dirt road, parallel to, and just east of the paved road, above the white hotel (less that 4 months)

Private home behind the cow corral, to the east of the paved road (six months?)

Private home, 1 or 2 stories, on a lot between the paved road and Terry's El Faro rentals on the dirt road (1.5 years)
Private home, 1 story plus roof patio, on the paved road, just before the development gate
(3+years)Private (vacation?). (2 photos above) 3 story home, plus roof patio, just behind the red building that overlooks the Malecon (? 7 months)
2 story vacation home/rental just north of the big white hotel on the paved road.

There are some other, unfinished and semi-abandoned buildings around town.
One of three unfinished homes in the eijido area surrounding Casa Pacifica

Several homes on the hillside directly above the paved road near the center of town

A few structures tucked away in the center of town

An unfinished tri-plex (rentals and family vacation home) on the paved road, next door to Juan Luis's rentals
Two partially completed vacation homes being built way up on the hillside at the south end of Chacala (2 and 3 years)
One vacation home on eijido land just to the east of the Majahua and Mar de Jade property lines (1.5 years)

Palms in Chacala

2007-11-14T06:45:00.001-07:00

If I think of the one plant that really stands out in the Chacala landscape, it would be the Palm. They are everywhere, and they are used for everything. Except toilet paper, probably. You can eat it, drink the mild, build your house with it, make clothing and mats, and palapa roofs, Whatever you ant you can probably make it out of some part of the Palm.Fishing nets are woven on ropes stretched from palm to palm. The fronds provide shade to work under, and a place to anchor the ropes. Hammocks are hung from palm trunks. They provide shade for RV's, and even a coconut or two if you are quick enough to catch a falling coconut. They provide shade everywhere in Chacala. They shade paths.And are used to cover the roofs for restaurants.And palapa roofs.They provide fruit to eat. There are many different kinds of palms. Men climb up the tall palms to clear the coconuts.The rope you see isn't a safety line. It's to tie around the clump of coconuts. Then the guy on the ground slowly lowers the clump so the coconuts don't get cracked.
Many local people have little coconut plantations. They find sprouted coconuts here and there around town. And the keep then damp while they grow big enough to be transplanted. These plants are used along the beach, to hold the sand, provide shade, mark boundaries, and to replace aging palms. And probably for other things I know nothing about.

Small Changes Around Chacala

2007-11-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

The weather in Chacala is perfect this week, mid-to-high 80's. Low, low humidity. Sunshine and a nice breeze. Lovely sunsets.There are more tourists here now than there were at this time, last year. I see a few every day. And least two gringo couples or families from the development are in Chacala, and five camping vehicles. Only one of which appears to be a motor home. Mostly trailers or campers. Two sailboats and on motorboat. I guess that's what you call the ones without sails. And maybe six or seven sets of people staying in rentals. People from the U.S., Canada, or Europe.

There are now six gringos living here year round. I am counting people who have been here almost a year or more, and who didn't leave for the six months of summer. That's a record. Last year there were three. And two the year before that. I think that's right. The people count gets a little blurry over time.Trini, (of Spanish teaching, Airport Van Services, and Chacala Escapes rentals), is working together with Juanito and a couple of other young adults to put on a three day event in Chacala next weekend. It's for teens, and seems to be about having a spiritual life and lots of fun and music. But I might be totally off base about the whole thing. I read the poster in the dark, and don't understand Juanito's Spanish very well. He goes faster and louder in Spanish when I don't understand him.

No jet skis this week. What a shame.

Some of the local building projects are moving toward completion (Karla's three new rentals, the place across the paved road from Gordon's, Majahua's new remodeled restaurant, bar, new terraces, and office area, and B&B's beautiful new home).Some other projects have a ways to go: a big addition to the back of Mar de Jade's main building. And about five other buildings, including the dentist clinic building. And maybe 4 living spaces. And a remodel and installation of a septic and underground water storage (hebe) vault at partially completed home.The ocean water is especially clear these days. I guess the storms out in the Pacific have ended, at least for now.Some places on the beach road are getting in gear for the gringo tourist season. Gabe is coming down from Tepic every weekend now, to open his internet place. And Koko-bongo's expects to have internet for customers soon. And Las Brisas has wireless for customers right now. Las Brisas has a new stand for selling ice cream and fruit drinks and other things.It's right on the beach road, and looks very nice. I don't know when they are opening.
Berta has a little drinks and snack stand at the door of her home every morning. Very enterprising. She also does the school lunches at the Rotary built kitchen at the Primary, and works with her husband at their Polo's Taco stand on the beach road.

Can't think of any other new business enterprises. Oh. Om/Ogla of the de Valle family is planning to open something at her newly built "Columns" building above the dinghy beach, near the muelle(fishing dock). She isn't sure what she will be selling, but maybe coffee and treats. Don't really know. She is still figuring it out, I think.

Life in Chacala goes on. Everyone seems to be getting ready for the winter visitors. There haven't been quite as many giant dirt/stones/and gravel trucks this part few days. That's a nice thing, at least for me.

Gardening without Magazines, in Chacala

2007-11-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

This post's title, "Gardening with Magazines", refers to reading gardening magazines, not mulching with them.San Miguel de Allende

I just read one of the more interesting garden blogs, Garden Rant, this morning. I love using Google Reader. Reading the new posts is almost like reading the morning paper. Which doesn't exist here in Chacala, at least in English or in Spanish.San Miguel de Allende

The topic of the new Post on interesting garden blog, "Garden Rant", was a review of Horticulture magazine, which was never ever one of my "must read" gardening magazines. But the review got me day dreaming about my favorite gardening magazines. I don't know if they even exist another more.San Miguel de Allende

There were "Gardens Illustrated, Pacific Horticultural, Garden Design, Fine Gardening. I can't even remember the other titles. But I loved the English and French gardening magazines. Even if they were mostly irrelevant to my life and garden.San Juan de Las Lagos

My first garden was planting a peach pit in my mom's back yard. I started (vegetable and fruit) gardening in New Hamphire, and then Eastern Washington in the 60's. I relied totally on Organic Gardening and the Rodale books. Oaxaca

The only garden magazines I have found in P.V. or Guadalajara have been magazines from Spain. Which apparently has no tropical areas, because the garden plant selections look just like the typical garden in the U.S. There is a Phoenix Home and Garden magazine that's kind of interesting, sometimes. Oaxaca

It was hard for me, a former, and still struggling magazine addict, to go cold turkey, especially from gardening magazines. Last winter Sherry Merciari, of Merciari (garden) Designs, in Oakland, CA, brought me some old Garden Design magazines. I spent the three days lost in the photos and articles. And I still re-read them regularly.Oaxaca

Why I Like This (Techos de Mexico) Rental I Live In

2007-11-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

Since I have been expressing my opinion about some of the buildings currently being constructed around Chacala, I thought I would describe the features of this house, and other houses around Chacala, that I especially like.

They are mostly climatically (is that a word?) and environmentally appropriate features.

I live in the upstairs unit of a Techos de Mexico rental unit. There are eight of these units around town. Aurora's, Dona Lupe's, Maria's, Beatriz's and Gracia's Techos units all share a similar design. Concha's and Laura's units were built unto previously existing homes have somewhat different designs. But similar features. Alicia's was no longer a Techos rental soon after I arrived, and I have never been inside.

Photos are of two-legged water lovers.

The main factors all the units seem to share is good natural light, good cross ventilation, nice bathrooms with large enough ventilation spaces to allow light in, tile floors, and a nice protected outdoor living space. Almost all the units have their kitchens outside, on the covered patio, and four have very nice ocean views. All the units are upstairs.

Anyway. This is why I like this living space a lot, not in any order:

The view in incredible, and can be seen from the bedroom-studio and the patio-kitchen-dining area. It is oriented toward the road and ocean, but has overhangs to provide sun protection for most areas.

The bathroom has a real window, with glass, that opens and closes. and it is screened. The window is large enough to allow adequate natural light and good cross ventilation. It is so humid here the summer, if you don't good cross ventilation in a shower area, you will have endless mold and mildew problems. The shower is very light and big enough that I don't need a shower curtain (read mildew incubator) . And there is room for a chair, if I wanted to sit down to scrub my feet or whatever.The are no closed cupboards. I can see over and under and behind everything easily, inside and outside. No drawers. No creepy-crawlies surprising me. Or a least not very often. I keep my odds and ends is insect-safe, stackable, plastic boxes with tight lids. Brought down by my son on each trip, filled with cool stuff for me.

The floors are non-slippy tiles. With non-slipppy cement on the patio.

There is good drainage on the patio for when it rains. As opposed to patios with no roofs and/or inadequate drainage, which results in flooded indoor living spaces.

There are only a couple of hours or less a day when the sun shines directly inside my room, from the west. This problem is easily solved in the winter with a curtain for late afternoons, and in the summer by a hanging shade about three feet away from the window. I have metal brackets and a pipe out there, so it only takes a minute to hook up a shade screen.This system lets the air and light in, and keeps the rainstorms and direct sun out.The windows are good screens with small, somewhat insect-proof netting on all four windows. There are security bars on the windows and over the window on the door.

The ceiling is composing of the small brick arches. The ceiling slopes down from a beam across the middle of the room. So the ceiling is about 12 feet in the middle, and maybe 9 or more at the lower edges.The windows in the room are directly across from each other, and each window opens like two small doors. So I can open one or both sides of each window. Lots of cross ventilation. Don't need fans from early November until mid-May, maybe later.

The patio has a nice roof, with an overhang that helps keep the rain out. And the sun. For half the year the sun's arc is high enough that the sun doesn't come in on the south side of the patio. In the winter I have to add about a foot of sun protection right below the roof line on the south side of the patio.

The downside on the patio is that I always have to have some kind of portable screening to move across part of the west side of the patio, facing the ocean. For an hour or two in the late afternoon, the sun comes blasting in, and is blinding. Plus I don't want the sun shining on the fridge. The fridge has enough trouble keeping things cold when the temperature hits 88 or above around here. And the sun shining directly on it would not be helpful.

Most homes of many local people in Chacala have their facilities for washing clothes and cooking utensils outside the house. Some have showers and/or toilets in separate buildings.
I have never asked, but I assume it's because cockroaches are more interested in wettish areas, and general don't come into dry indoor spaces. Same with food and dirty dishes and ants and many other insects and spiders.

Because it never gets below 60F here, all kinds of life forms are alive and well here. Keeping cooking and washing areas slightly separate saves a lot of trouble. And it's much cooler in the summer to keep the cooking and dining outside in a covered open area.There is no wood in this home, except for a small table that I use for a night stand and bookshelf, and two small boards I use for shelves on my work tables. I soak the boards in clorox water every three or for months and haven't have any problems. And I inspect the table regularly for signs of termites. I have been in a number of higher-end homes in this area. Places with wooden doors, wooden cupboards, wooden beams etc in their homes. And those homes tend to have serious termites infestations. Which require spraying with very toxic chemicals.

This house is built of cement block, concrete, roof tiles, floor and wall tiles. bricks and steel beams, and windows and doors of steel and glass. Six of the patio beans are wood. The others are steel.

The only complaints I have about this building are that the septic and the roof tinaco aren't big enough for even two people. The tinaco needs to be filled at least every other day if there are two or more people showing and toileting here. And the area above the septic is never dry in the rainy season, and often wet the the rest of the year. I call in Black Water Pond.

I am very lucky that this house has empty lots on either side. And it's footprint in small enough so it doesn't fill the entire lot. There is a front, sloping area where I can garden, and larger empty space out back. Someday someone will build on the lots on either side. But this house have a couple of meters on either side of the house that aren't built on, so it will never be a lot-line to lot line house.

One of the new houses in house has quite a bit of space one side of their house, and a decent passageway on the other. On that side it backs up to public property that will probably not be built on more than it already is. I like how that family didn't go lot-line to lot-line. I think it's ugly to do that if you can possibly avoid it. Like by buying a fatter lot, or two lots.There are wonderful books, magazines and websites to learn about natural ventilation, natural light, environmental sound building practices, and how to ensure pleasant outside spaces to that living in this hot humid (summer-time) climate is comfortable. Air con is not healthy, it;'s environmentally unsound. And your body never gets a chance to acclimate.

When I first got here I was amazed to see people wearing jackets in the early mornings in winter.When it was a freezing 74F degrees. Now I understand. Now that feels cool to me too.

One of my favorite things about life in Chacala is that I can spend almost all my time outside. My patio is comfortable and has a nice little breeze most of the time. I can enjoy the light and the view. It's nice for visiting and hanging out. I like my bedroom/workroom being private and separate. Although I do show people my bedroom and bath, if they are curious. Especially local women, who are usually very curious about my things. I love it when a friend likes something of mine that I am willing to part with. It makes gift giving easy.

Visiting Chacala versus Living in Chacala

2007-11-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

This morning I was leaning against the patio wall, enjoying the sunlight as it moved toward me, across the ocean. And the masts of two sailboats were slowly swaying back and forth. And the lovely green color of the water looked so Caribbean.A big black crow (or whatever) was sitting on a tree branch eight feet away. He was waiting for me to go back inside, so he could fly into the patio, perch on my table and peck away at my fruit bowl. I threw a lime at him, and he squawked and made a fuss and flew away. But he'll be back.

Gracie is talking to me a lot lately. My son pointed out to me that cats only bother to talk Meow to humans. Maybe they are telepathic with each other, or mostly use body language. But we are to dense for telepathy. Hence the language of Meow. Gracie is either getting getting fat or growing little Gracie juniors in her belly.

The spay clinic in La Penita is this week, but they don't want to deal with late pregnancies. Rats. About more kittens, I mean. It was hard to find someone to take them last time. And it turns out the woman that took the first batch was an agent for laboratories that need kittens. At least that's the rumor.
I love my life here, but I don't know what it would be like to be a visitor in Chacala again. I can vaguely remember my first real visit here. There were a few gringos still here, but they all got out of town before Semana Santa started. I would get up at my nice upstairs room with patio at Aurora's, have an early breakfast of fruit, Zacaritias (sugar frosted flakes) and milk, and then go a beach walk. It's not that I like Zacaritas. But at the time that was the only cereal they sold here. And it was kind of stale. You can imagine how old that box was for the cereal to taste old.Then I would walk up the the gringo breakfast cafe and have a big fat gringo breakfast, with bacon, and fruit cup, and omelet or waffles, or both. Orange juice. Really really good. I will miss Poncie and his breakfasts lot. One of the women who worked at the cafe last year, told me the breakfast at the cafe would be Mexican now. I don't know who will be there to cook gringo breakfasts, but I hope someone is. For the sake of the tourists. It's pretty comforting to have a familiar breakfast when you are in a strange place.Anyway, I would usually go somewhere during the day on that first trip to Chacala. Take the collectivo into Las Varas, and wander around. Or, as I got more adventurous, I would bus to Compostella or Tepic to the north, and places like San Pancho and Lo de Marco to the south.

I would snack or eat a meal, and then go back to Chacala. So a quick nap, a swim, and a little supper. I brought a jar of Adam's natural peanut butter with me, because I had noticed on previous trips to Mexico that they didn't sell peanut butter here. Now they do, but mostly only the sugar kind, like Skippy. So I would buy a roll from the panaderia truck and have a little sandwich and some pineapple slices.I would talk with Poncie, the owner and cook, and Tom, a visitor, at breakfast, but most of the time I was solo during the day. Sometimes I would look for another tourist to hang around with, but the tourist season was over, and the only gringa seriously unfriendly to me.And then she left too.

So I wandered around and kept going to the same restaurant for a Coke, and sometimes a quesadilla. It was my landlady, Aurora's, families restaurant, and the waiters were always nice to me. Sometimes I would sit at my table at Chico's and read the afternoon away, and then watch the sun go down. Taking little swims whenever I got too hot. Now I usually swim every day, but sometimes I will go for days without getting down there for a swim.Chacala was quiet and kind of boring. Although the little bus trips were kind of exciting. Because I was kind of scared and nervous about getting around. I spoke about a dozen words of Spanish, and couldn't understand much of what local people said to me. But they were very helpful and kind, and I liked wandering around little towns. And Tepic has some interesting museums and other historical buildings.But that life probably wouldn't suit me now. The tourist life in a beach town. When I am a tourist I like to be in a place with lots of history, and lovely old buildings, and artists, and parks, and gardens. Mexico is just full of towns and cities to explore. It seems kind of boring to swim and lie around.

But now that I write that, I am thinking, maybe I will spend part of the day down on the beach. It's Sunday, and lots of people will be here, from other mountain towns in Mexico, and from Tepic and Compostella. I love watching the big families playing and laughing and enjoying each other on the beach and at the beach restaurants.There were about 8 gringo RV's at the beach camping area yesterday afternoon. My guess is most of them are just travelling thru. But who knows?

There's a nice couple in the camping area again this year. In a little trailer and an older pickup. He speaks Spanish and hikes around the countryside every day. And she likes to take road trips back into the mountains. So they are pretty interesting, and they know about places in this area I have never heard of.I was thinking I was going to walk toward Las Cuevas today, and look at the two construction projects up on the hillside on the south end of Chacala. But, it's Sunday, and there will be families over there enjoying the day. I love being the only person over there. Just me on my desert island beach.

I spend lot of time trying to make things, like little art projects from natural materials, and beads, and religious objects, or drawing, or painting, or writing, or reading, or gardening. or cleaning up around this place. Or, now that I have an oven, cooking!!!!My homeowner is kind of a pack-rat, and it gets pretty cluttered around here. Sometimes she comes up to clean. I provide the bags and the muscle, and she makes the decisions: keep-toss. Keep-toss. Give away. And I pay for the trash to be hauled away. Otherwise it just sits here, a stack of stuffed-full plastic bags. Deteriorating in the sun.

I like to write in the evening, after dark. Time flies, and sometimes it's very late when I realize how tired I am. But I almost always wake up just before dawn. Old habits die slowly, I guess. I walk a few miles everyday, doing errands and visiting mostly. And checking on the beach for trash, etc.

It's a nice life. I always have things in mind that I want to do. And things come up. And just cooking. laundry, cleaning, and keeping things organized and tidy takes quite a bit of time. Plus making reservation arrangements involves considerable walking around. And then there's my reading and snacking addictions to keep me occupied.And some kind of strange activities. Yesterday I finally gave up on patching a pair of shorts I bought at Target in 2000. For another trip to Mexico. They were on sale-sale-sale. From $16.99 down to $2.00. I have worn them ever since, and they finally wore out. I removed the buttons, five, and the zipper, and the sections of fabric that are still strong enough to use to patch my other shorts. I am still using the second pair I bought that day in 2000. They get a lot of wear.

I always liked Target. Sometimes I miss Target, and the public library, with books in English. And I miss some of the junky food in the U.S.. Like Wendy's Spicy Chicken sandwiches and BLT Chicken Salads. They probably don't even sell those any more. I don't miss that stuff enough to actually go there, but those familiar things come to mind occasionally. But it's old my friends I miss the most.

Scenes of Chacala: The Downside

2007-11-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

I like to walk around Chacala in the evening, before dark. To go swimming, buy milk and whatever, do errands, and visit with friends. And take photos. These are from the other day.On this particular evening I was carrying a plastic trash bag with me. I started cleaning this mess up, and a Mexican family camping nearby helped me. A vendor, from Las Varas, who was selling food here, just left all this mess behind.
This is the home of some friends. It's part of a two-building family "complex". Kind of like the Kennedy summer place at Cape Cod. There's an empty lot right new door.

About three winter ago a realtor, a gringo visitor, bought this lot. It had a ramshackle structure on it when he bought it. Bad guys apparently started using it as a hideout or something later on. His local property manager, the hard-working Laura Sura, contacted him, and suggested the building needed to be torn down. He agreed, and had the work done, thru Laura. But lots in Chacala with absentee owners have the same problems as do similar lots in NYC.
Or anywhere. A vacant lot without an local owner taking care of it becomes a place where trash is dumped and, weeds grow, and animals live. Ugly.This man appeared to be either ill or hungover. It took him ten minutes to stagger over to Juanita's old place, next to Chico's, to urinate in public. There are "bano"businesses within twenty five feet of where he relieved himself, where he could have done it in privacy.

Sailboat and Sunset, in Chacala

2007-11-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

Walked along the beach again tonight, watching the boys play soccer. And the sun going down. I think this might be only the third sailboat that has come into Chacala since last Spring. And they all came this week. I might have missed a few though. Went swimming, and the water is cooling off a little. Not so bath-tub warm any more.

An Exception, in Chacala

2007-11-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

I got a "Comment" this morning, in response to my post yesterday, wondering why many people who come t0 Chacala don't build to the climate and the lifestyle.I had suggested people live in this climate for awhile, before building. The climate and the lifestyle this the semi-tropical climate are very different from most places in the U.S. and Canada, except for Hawaii and the southern tip of Florida. Doing some research about building in this climate can payoff, in terms of cost and comfort. And prevent the need for extensive additions after construction. And I suggested finding an architect/engineer and a builder who understand about designing in this climate. No more ticky-tacky boxes with no cross-ventilation, baking in the sun.

"Tom", the Commenter, suggested the people aren't used to thinking about building for the climate, and making use of sunlight, breezes, and so on. He said people assume there will always be plenty of power and gas.Well, it's hard for me to believe anyone who can read or watch television isn't aware of what the future probably holds. Global warming. Elected idiots (particularly in the US) all over the world making horrible decisions regarding destroying what's left of the natural environment. And people using vehicles that spew filth into air. And building homes like sealed boxes, requiring massive injections of electricity, and often natural gas, to keep them livable (loosely speaking).

The "news" is full of information on this topic. And about the so-called "natural" disasters, created by building dikes that allow lots to be sold in places where no one should be living. (New Orleans). And government officials damming up natural drainages in the whole state of Tabasco, which is now flooded, because the rainwater can't escape. Governments allowing people to build new homes on hurricane paths, and the people who sell and buy those lots. What are they thinking?I do want to mention a couple that built here recently. (No photos of their are home posted here). They designed their own home, taking into account the breezes, the wind, the path of the sun, and where rainstorms will come from. They designed a home where the cool air will move up through the house, pushing the hot air out. And they built in lots of other features designed to deal with the climate here in Chacala.And they did a good job, at least in my opinion. I was in the house yesterday, in the hottest part of the afternoon. They had one ceiling fan on and the whole house was cool and comfortable. It was so refreshing to walk into the house from the shaded front patio. Especially after walking across town in the hot sun (with my umbrella up for the walk, of course). And my hostess served some delicious peanut butter cookies, which definitely added to my appreciation of their home.Anyway, just felt like ranting a bit.

The Arc of the Sun, Over Chacala

2007-11-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

I just received the November issue of one of my favorite English language magazines. It's called "Dwell". In one of the articles the author discussed why he was content with the length of time it took to build his small home in the mountains. He said:

...it gave us the time to learn the land. The intimacies of the place - like the arc of the sun in the sky, the direction of prevailing winds, and a growing appreciation of the surrounding cultural landscape..

I value his remarks highly. Especially when I add a few other factors: such as recognizing the importance of shading, of natural light, of the be familiar with the direction of rainstorms, and the high humidity I wish more people who build here in Chacala would take the time to do the same thing the "Dwell" author did before he and his wife built their home.

Maybe take some time to study up, and find out about the natural setting here. Maybe stop and notice the climate. And how competent, experienced builders in the past have dealt with the problems of sun, rain, wind, and humidity here in Chacala.

But no.... Rather, the opposite is mostly what happens here. One building after another is going up around here, apparently without a moments thought to building for this climate. Or to orienting these structures. No attention appears to be paid to the arc of the sun, the prevailing breezes, the need for natural light. Nothing. Some of these places look like the cement block version of a ticky-tack from a tract in Southern California. Or tall cement block tenement from god knows where. All oriented to the street in front of them.It's the saddest thing to see. You know by looking at them that those buildings will not be comfortable to live in. Or with need after-contruction modifications. And yet they keep building them. No shading of the windows from the direct sunlight. No protected outdoor spaces where one can enjoy the cooling shade and natural breezes. No, just windows facing the southern and western skies with no allowances made for the need for shade. Or shelter from rainstorms. No outdoor cooking places for the six months of very hot and humid summers.

There are a few exceptions in Chacala from this general pattern. But only a very few.

But probably the saddest thing is what that author of the "Dwell" article mentioned at the end of the above quote. When he said they (accidentally) gave themselves time to develop

... a growing appreciation of the surrounding cultural landscape....

Some people, usually those who come here and buy a building, or have someone construct one for them without actually living here first, seem to run into trouble after they move here.

The two construction photos are of the front yard of an unfinished building
not related to this post.
The guys seem to be building two underground vaults.
One for clean, and one for black, water.

My guess is that living in Chacala wasn't quite some people imagined it would be. They jumped in with blinders on. And when the blinders come off, sometimes people are pretty unhappy.The main problem seems to be that Chacala isn't like things were where ever they lived before. Neither the culture or the people. Or the climate. Or whatever. Sometimes people have trouble living with the strangeness of it.

Oh well. I can relate to that, totally. Everyday something happens here, where I don't have much of a clue what is going on. That's life I guess.

Chacala: Here Come Some RV-ers

2007-11-08T02:48:00.000-07:00

The gringo RV parade has started to wonder through Chacala. Some are parking parallel to the beach, taking up two or three spaces. Others are more considerate. And seem to realize that the tent campers from all over this part of Mexico would like to be right on the beach too.Usually there aren't any RV-ers in Chacala from mid March thru early November. And not many come down until after Christmas, or early January. January and February are the busiest months for RVers around here.

And there many RV-ers are just traveling thru Chacala, looking for a place to park for a nightor two. And a place to leave behind their trash, bodily wastes, and grey water. They are often on their way south to other beaches, where there are more gringos and bingo games. .And then in late March another wave of Rvers come thru. Staying for a night on their way north.

Some people staying on the beach for the winter are very thoughtful, and interested in learning about Mexico. And trying to be sensitive to the situation in Chacala, and to be aware of cultural issues. But that' s hard to do if you don't speak Spanish.

As far as I can tell, many RV-ers are looking for portable gringolandias to tuck themselves into for the winter. Safe from contact with Mexico and Mexicans, and from learning something about another culture.
Some RV-er's do make efforts to contribute something back Chacala. And to support the local economy. The one that pays the taxes that provide emergency services, like the Green Angels, and medical and emergency services to travelers. And the roads. And who try to be appreciative of the kids and adults trying to keep the beach and roads trash free - against a ever-rising tide of tourist trash and garbage. And thanking the store owners for offering ice and beer for sale. And toilet paper. And access to basic groceries. And there are some RVer's who appreciate the water, garbage, fruit and vegetable and bakery vendors who come thru town. And who love to have access to delicious fish and seafood.

And some visitors support a local child's education, sometimes for years. Some offer activities for the kids, or work, or a chance to practice English. I have the impression many RV-ers believe that their presence is a benefit to Chacala. Since I am around here all year, I hear what local people are saying. And it isn't most RV-ers who are welcomed here. It's the people who come to Chacala and spend their money who are actually appreciated. It's traveler's who come from the U.S., Canada, other parts of Mexico, and from Europe, and spend money, and make an effort to get to know local people, who are welcomed in Chacala.

Those people who spend money here. By renting a nice place, or buying food, or eating in restaurants, or shopping for trinkets and clothes or using the toilet and shower facilities (rather than digging holes in the sand) provided for them.

Here are suggestions for RV'ers, and campers who spend time in Chacala:

1. Learn some Spanish. If you can remember how to get to Chacala, you can learn Spanish.

2. Study up on the culture in Mexico. And the history. Learn what the impact of Spanish colonialism and the U.S. appropriation of half of Mexico was on this country.

3. Consider buying what you can locally. Lots of it. The food is delicious here. You don't have to bring EVERYTHING FROM HOME.

4. Spend a few evenings making making friends with Chacalenos. Offer to teach someone some English in return for them teaching you a little Spanish.

5. Watch a Spanish lesson, or a Spanish language video or Spanish soap, rather than watching s English-language stations on your satellite TV.6. Try to understand the differences in our two cultures. Rather than complaining about Mexico and Mexicans and how things are done here.

7. Many people who live and work in Chacala speak enough English to understand rude comments and disrespectful attitudes. Making arrogant remarks or jokes in front of your waiter or the tienda clerk does not make you many friends in Chacala. Something to think about.

8. Provide access for other campers in the campground to walk past your RV to get to the beach. Remember this beach belongs to the people of Mexico. Graciously make space for them when they want to camp on the beach in front of your rig. It's not your country or your beach. Share.

9. Find another way to get rid of your black water. Other than digging a hole in the beach to dump your shit and dirty water into. It's disgusting. RV'ers doing this (polluting the sand, and eventually the water) are almost the only people in Chacala who don't use septic tanks which are routinely pumped out.

10. This is a tourist and fishing town. Buy or eat the fish. Or spend money for groceries and meals, or use the public showers and toilets (there are clean and cheap), or the internet places, or the curio shops, Chacala gets no economic benefit from your presence unless you spend money here.

11. Pay the camping fee, without whining. Or sneaking off in the night or early in the morning without paying. The people who run the beach camping areas from Chico's south to the Mahajua/Mar de Jade area, have Federal concessions for those areas. They aren't squatters. They pay lots of money for those concessions, every year. They can, and do, call the police to come deal with RVers who won't pay.

Again, Chacala has a tourist-based economy. And it has a lovely beach and the kindest, most helpful, people you can imagine. Your presence is appreciated in Chacala if you spend money here. Or find someway to be helpful. It's the same in tourist-based economies all over the world.

Just my opinion, of course.

Saints of Chacala

2007-11-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I went into Las Varas to catch some Chacala kids wearing Saint outfits for a Church event. I am still not clear what the event actually was. I think it was part of a new initiative by the Catholic hierarchy in Mexico to emphasis the church's stand against participating in Halloween activities.I hung around the plaza with a gringo visitor to Chacala.
Waiting to see what would happen. All I knew is the kids would be coming at 4pm.Juanito had said they were going to parade thru town. But the first we saw of any activity was in the small plaza in front of the Church. There were maybe fifty kids, plus some adults. Including some women fixing the girls' hair.I loved seeing the kids taking photos of each other with their cell photos. In the last year I think every kids in Chacala over 9 now has a cell phone. I am wondering how much they cost. But whatever. Sometimes I think about how different my life would have been as a little girl if I could have called my Mom from anywhere.In any case, Juanito seemed to be a primary organizer of the event, with Inez (Chata) sewing many of the costumes. I believe each of the costumes represented a different Saint, male and female.The kids seemed to be enjoying their costumes and having a good time. I don't know what happened after I left. It was getting dark and I was afraid it would be hard to get a ride home.
I took some photos of inside the church. I think it has been refurbished in the last year or so. It seemed nicer than I remember. Of course, The church is Chacala is my favorite, by far. Especially the giant tree in the churchyard. The one the church bell hangs from.It's hard to get home from Las Varas via collectivo after 4pm or so. Now that both Collectivo drivers live in Las Varas, the last run to Chacala seems to be around 4:30pm. There's always a taxi though. I lucked out. Right at dark, 15 minutes after sundown, the last collectivo ride from Chacala to Las Varas arrived. The driver was really tired and didn't want to make another run, just for me. But he offered to take me home for $4.50us , much cheaper than the normal speciale/taxi rate. It was really nice of him. Because my stupidity about getting to the collectivo stop late wasn't his problem.

Happiness in Mexico, and Maybe Chacala Too

2007-11-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

This from a BBC article quoted by Ann in her Adventures in Mexico
at http://ann-adventuresinmexico.blogspot.com/

"A ..... study of more than 65 countries published(recently) in the UK's New Scientist magazine suggests that the happiest people in the world live in Nigeria - and the least happy, in Romania.

People in Latin America, Western Europe and North America are happier than their counterparts in Eastern Europe and Russia.

Nigeria has the highest percentage of happy people followed by Mexico, Venezuela, El Salvador and Puerto Rico, while Russia, Armenia and Romania have the fewest.

But factors that make people happy may vary from one country to the next with personal success and self-expression being seen as the most important in the US, while in Japan, fulfilling the expectations of family and society is valued more highly.

The survey appears to confirm the old adage that money cannot buy happiness.

The researchers for World Values Survey described the desire for material goods as "a happiness suppressant"".

Think about it.

Quiet Sunday in Chacala

2007-11-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

Chacala was very nice today. Lots of tourists from around the area. Sunny, bright, breezy and very warm. The ocean looked turquoise and beautiful. The shrimp boat that came a few days was gone. And no monster trucks were busy destroying the road, the air quality, the safety of Chacala's roads or our ear drums.

I took a visitor on a longish walk this morning. He wanted to see the south end of Chacala. The sand is coming back and covering the rocks on the beach at that end. Looks great.
We visited Majahua, (small hotel, restaurant, spa, now bar) and inspected their really nice new addition to the restaurant area. The upper floor of the new addition includes new office space and a view terrace for people using the new bar on the main floor, an expanded kitchen area, and a new bar with three new patios to sit on and watch the sunset. Very nice.We walked by my old beach camping site. And visited a few of the cuesto (shack-type) restaurants. first was Dona Lupe's "Fonda Lupita" and then Polo and Berta's "Polo's Tacos". Their daughter America was was helping out today, since there was no school. The visitor decided to try one of Polo's Famous Taco's and I ended home.I had a nice little meal at home. The tortilla guy came by the house just has I got home, so I had carne and cheese and tomatoes on the very skinny tortillas. Very good. And a piece of brownie from my first brownie experiment in my new oven.

Contrary to normal behavior, the three different visitors, local people, who came by while I was eating, actually liked the brownies and ate more than I wanted them too. Normally local people here don't especially like gringo treats and vice-versa. Except for flan. But I had the bad to luck to have brownie lovers visit me at just the wrong moment. When the brownies were out in the open, on the table. And there was no way getting around sharing. Good for my blood sugar I suppose.

I did errands in the late afternoon. I am still getting used to it getting dark so early. Walked home in the dark. My new windup flashlight, given to me as a gift by Budd, is so cool. It works great. My previous wind-up flashlight, also a gift, bit the dust awhile ago. Budd reads this blog and was touring around visiting the coastal towns. The light was a nice gift and a great surprise.

I also got another gift this week. I think maybe I already mentioned this. Kathy, who has a vacation place in the gated development, gave me a pair of those new style rubber sandals. And they are very comfortable. I really like them. Another nice surprise, sort of out of the blue. Well, not totally out of the blue. She had seen my whiney Post about being almost shoeless in Chacala and generously gave me this nice gift.

Two very thoughtful gifts in the last week or so. I am so lucky. Plus my son brought me tons of stuff too. I should check my stars and see what stars were aligned, and when it's going to happen again. Nest week would be good.

Not only that, a great new blogging friend of mine is sending me a package. A surprise, via DHL. Very cool. What a nice time of year for me. I am so lucky.

Another Side of Chacala

2007-11-02T19:59:00.001-07:00

It's still in the low 90's every day, with lots of lovely sunshine, and bright blue skies. No rain for maybe three weeks. And nice breezes. I feel so lucky to live here, in Chacala.
Lately I have been noticing how I tend edit out the less pleasant parts of scenes around Chacala. And of Las Varas too. I am familiar with the concept of "a picture is worth a thousand words", and "lying with photos" and it kind of bothers me.

And I am starting think that to some extent my somewhat unconscious effort to make nice, attractive pictures of Chacala has resulted in some very misleading clues about what Chacala is really like. Visually, I mean.So today I am going to show another side of Chacala. Partly I am doing this because I am getting worried by some of the rental inquiries that come my way. It's hard to describe what I am thinking. One thing is I don't want to be responsible for attracting people to Chacala who prefer the gringo enclaves like La Penita and Guayabitos. Or Sayulita, for example. And who want, and expect, Chacala to be like that.
Today a landlady was telling me some potential renters have asked her "Why don't you have TV and air con in your units?". She looked kind of ashamed. I have heard this from other landladies too.

I can only think of a few things to say. One is that maybe Chacala can be a tourist town for people who want to be outside, enjoying the beauty of Chacala, rather than sitting in a dark room watching TV in a cold room. Landladies here usually think that's kind of funny. TV is still so new here.Another thing I try to say is that what makes Chacala special for many people who come to Chacala is that they have a chance to get to know the family where they are staying. And other local people. That's a very special thing for some people who come to Chacala. And I mention people who come to Chacala year after year because they love how it is now.I don't think either of those ideas are helpful to landladies want to keep up with the Lopez's or to be competitive in a changing Chacala.

Sometimes I try to help people understand how many years it will take to get their money back when they buy a new piece of furniture for their rental. Or to figure out how they will have to raise their rates to cover the cost of electricity for air conditioning. I haven't been very effective in talking about that.

The house below is a "remodel" of this house.
Which located right on the road, within inches ,
of where the giant trucks come booming by all day long.

Anyway. I was over at someone's house today. My friend was semi-frantically creating costumes for something. It took awhile for me to figure out what was going on. But it turned out she was sewing outfits like those worn by the various Catholic saints. Santos. She had a set of pictures of various important male and female religious figures, and was copying the outfits. They looked good.Juanito, who is a kind of a young teacher of Catholicism tenets to local kids, showed me his new brown robe. Kind of like what Franciscans wear. Or Father Junipero Serra. The man who made the missions in California many centuries ago. Before California was invaded by the U.S. in the late 1840's.
Anyway, Juanito tried to explain to me that (I hope I have this right) Saturday there is going to be an important children's procession through the streets of Las Varas, ending at the Church. The children would wear costumes of religious figures. Some of which my friend was sewing.
I think this was the first time they have done this, around here, at least. And that it's part of the Catholic Church in Mexico effort to discourage Mexican Catholicos from participating in Halloween activities. Since it promotes Devil costumes, etc.

Pretty interesting. After I left, Juanito came after me to tell me to be at the Chacala church at 3:30pm tomorrow to get a ride to Las Varas. And take photos. I am excited. I love seeing processions here. And the precious children all dressed up. And I will have a chance to pick up thi months set of favorite photos.Which are printed by a Kodak guy in Las Varas. Any maybe to eat some polla asada. BBQ Chicken.

Chacala and the Day of the Dead

2007-11-01T22:51:00.000-07:00

I don't think I had ever heard much about the"Day of the Dead" until I came to Chacala. It's not celebrated here as a tourist event or some kind of spectacle event, like in Patzcuaro and other Mexican towns. As far as I have noticed in four years, it's a kind of private affairs in Chacala. The two days when families remember the children and the innocentes (on the 1st) and the adults and sinners in their families who have died (on the second). Many people make small private altars for their family members who are no longer here.
Mainly they bring flowers to the cemetery where their family members are buried. Sometimes they are flowers they grew themselves, or bought in Las Varas, or from a truck.

More often the are huge bouquets of artificial flowers.
Some are in loose bunches.
Others are made especially for leaving at the cemetery. The flowers on mounted on circles made of styrofoam discs with green paper backing. Wrapped in plastic so they will stay "fresh" longer.This year I will really miss Palila, Maria, who died earlier this year. One of her many money making talents was making the circular wreathes for local people to buy for their Day of the Dead visits to the cemetery. I liked to watch her working, and to support her efforts. I saw Butcho, her husband, this morning, to make sure he has what he needs for whatever he wants to do on Friday. It's almost 9:20pm as I write this. And the giant trucks hauling lovely topsoil from a mango orchard to the gated development are still going up and down the road. Speeding and vomiting exhaust fumes and noise. Been at it for days again. Huge loads. Very annoying.
Whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Blogging in Chacala, Mexico

2007-11-01T02:19:00.000-07:00

When I first started blogging, I wasn't aware of very many other bloggers-in-English writing from Mexico. I did find a few blogs or websites about Mexico. Rolly Brook had/has a very informative website, and there were a few others that I knew about. Sparks actually moved to Melaque the next year, and in doing so, became a blogger in Mexico. Rather than a visitor with great travel websites.There may have been more, but the search vehicles weren't very helpful. Even the Google Blog Search, (original version) wasn't very helpful. But I was curious about other people's experiences in Mexico, and always was on the alert for gringas, or gringos, blogging in Mexico.

That was in early July of 2005. My impression is that blogging in Mexico, and in Central America, has really exploded the last couple of years. Especially the last year or so.
I remember when La Gringa and I first noticed each other's blogs. It was much fun to find a fellow blogger. A blogger friend. Particularly someone who also was gardening in an unfamiliar climate.

And since then there have been lots and lots of blogs from people moving to Mexico. And a few gardener type bloggers in Latin America. Diane's blog about gardening in Baja was one of the first I found. Her photographs of cacti just knocked me out. Really lovely.
(http://cabopulmo.blogspot.com)And I started finding more English langauge Mexico blogs, and a few Spanish language blogs and websites. And I especially looked for websites by photographers. Very inspiring. Larpman was one. And there are lots more.

I love having an internet connection at home. Now I have time to do all kinds of esoteric things on the computer. Like storing photos off my computer, taking Spanish lessons, and studying photography websites, late into the night. And actually learning how to use some of the features on Blogger. And I love cleaning out my mailbosex, deleting old and irrelevant emails.But the most fun has been sorting thru all the Bookmarks/Favorites I have been marking for the last year. Deleting some and sorting some into categories. Like News-Mexico, Mexico blogs-new, Mexico-old, travel websites, and blogs. Garden websites, garden blogs. How to blog's. Mexican Law. Government websites, etc.

I deleted many that didn't interest me on second glance, and saved some pretty interesting websites. And blogs.And I have gone back and looked at some blogs that I had lost interest in. And found that sometimes people have really changed, and seemed to have grown. And those qualities are reflected in their websites.

Some people appear to be re-thinking some of their ideas, assumptions, perceptions, values, POVs and are writing with new energy. And a new sense of curiosity about Mexico or where ever they are living now.And some others are still stuck in-between-land. Living in a new culture, and missing home (usually the US) too much to be able to see things with a clear perspective. Looking at life through the same old lenses. Lots of comparing and complaining about how different things are. And many "why don't they just...... here?" remarks. Going to local restaurants and comparing them to "home". The home they no longer live in. Comparing the table service and hours of service in particular.

I love reading the posts where some one has just had an eye-opening experience, an awakening, about their new life. Maybe a new awareness that differences in cultures are not necessarily good or bad. Just different. And that how they used to do it at "home" may not to be relevant or what might not work best in their new environment.

And my very favorite thing to read is an expat's (hate that phrase, but it's handy) small moment personal, spiritual awakening. Someone having a new moment of awareness of some wonderful facet of their new life. Or a moment of being almost overwhelmed by the beauty of the natural world around them. Or the kindness of a neighbor. Or the beauty of any older woman's face. Or a small moment of truth about how they relate the their new environment isn't working, and finding a way that does. The satisfaction of successfully negotiating a new hurdle in their new life.I started this post thinking I would offer specific examples of various blogs, where the author touched my heart. That sounds too much like doing research. But those little moments of connection and heart-felt recognition make my day. Reading someone else's story about how much there is to learn in this world, and how hard things are to learn sometimes, feels sort of reassuring to me. Keeps me going back to some blogs, again and again.And, of course, wonderful photos catch my eye too.

Monster Trucks Driving Thru Chacala

2007-10-31T20:40:00.000-07:00

Warning:
Don't read unless you are interested in my opinion about speeding monster trucks and other similar topics

I got a "Comment" about yesterday's "Day of the Dead" post.

The author identified him or herself as a resident of the gated development just north of Chacala. The one with the 12 foot cement wall around it, built to keep out the riff raff. Like the local Chacaleno's who formerly lived there.

I believe this Post could be called a "Rant". That's means it's more intense than a "whine". That's what the "Comment" my blog fan wrote about. The author was tired of my "whining" about the giant trucks filled with topsoil, boulders, or gravel, and speeding up and down the paved road 15 hours every from before dawn and into the night.It seems pretty likely to me that some local child, or some family, is going to die from being smashed by one of those speeding, overweight trucks.It's bound to happen. Children and mothers and dogs and workers and even fishermen and school kids and surfers walk up and down that road. All day. Almost everyone who lives or works in Chacala uses that road. It has dangerous curves. Truckload after truckload of workers coming to work in the gated place drive up and down that road every morning and every evening.In my opinion, the situation is a disaster waiting to happen. And I'll probably keep "whining" about it.

It's funny, but I sort of assumed that people understood that reading my opinions about things in Chacala is not compulsory. If you don't like it, don't read it. Simple. But if you want to inform me, or start a dialogue about things in Chacala, that would be great.But calling my concern about a very dangerous situation "whining" seems sort of ignorant to me. Just my opinion, of course.

The Most Pathetic Footwear in Chacala

2007-10-31T13:40:00.000-07:00

I started this post with a complain about people drivering Hummers, but I decided to delete it, notwanting to take a chance of someone chasing me down the road in a Hummer.

Anyway. Speaking of expensive things. Or in this case, the lack of espensive things.

Here are the kind of shoes I have been wearing around Chacala since the shoes I brought down from the US fell apart. Maybe three years ago. I came down with a pair of tennis shoes, a pair of flip-flops and some of those hiking-type sandals. With a strap around the ankle and tire-tread looking soles. None of the three lasted long. And I ended up with locally purchased flip-flops very quickly. I have been struggling ever since to find some kind of footwear that works for me down here.
Slip-on-and-off, leather, no raised heel, wide enough for my chubby feet, and cheap enough to buy.

Never found any. Have been to maybe 50 shoe places. I keep ending up by rubber flip-flops. Either the strap-between-your-toes, or strap-across your arch style. They cost about $5 or 6$US and last 4 to 6 weeks before extensive repairs with fishing line and duct tape are necessary. My last two pairs didn't even last 3 weeks before I started in on the repairs.

The strap-between-the-toes style can be repaired with fishing lines three or four times before the sole falls apart. The only thing that works with the strap-across-the-arch version is repeated layers of duct tape. I always carry an piece of cord with me, for making emergency repairs until I home from wherever.But today was just too much. I was finally down to two repaired, non-matching sandals. I decided I would have to bit the bullet and get some shoes whether I liked them or not. I was spending too much money on sandals that disintegrate under my very feet.So off I went to Las Varas wearing this attractive pair.

I went to all 8 shoe stores in Las Varas. Or 10, The salesmen all appeared to be appalled at what I was wearing. Some rushed to help me find some sandals, and others quickly disappeared. Either I hated the look of everything I saw, or they didn't fit my feet, or they had heels or whatever. Mostly they rubbed my toes wrong. And hurt.Finally I returned to the store with the least-worst pair of shoes that I thought might work. For $18US. I hated the white stitching. But they were slightly adjustable, and I took them. Wore my raggedy shoes home because I was afraid the new ones would hurt. When I got home I "dyed" the white stitching brown. I don't know if it will last. I think I am going to keep wearing my ratty rubber sandals around Chacala, and save the nice shoes for town times. I can break them in around the house. I hope. I probably shouldn't publish this post. It's just too pathetic.

Early Monday Morning in Chacala

2007-10-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

I am really enjoying early mornings in Chacala this week. With no more Daylight Savings time, it's light around 6am, or even before. And the sun is up before 6:30pm, at least at my place.

I like to get up and roam around Chacala first thing in the morning. Especially Monday mornings. Monday is kind of a day off for some of the tourist business and restaurants in Chacala. After a busy weekend full of tourists from the inland cities of Mexico, everyone starts the day slow. Many places are closed up, that is, their tarps stay down all day.It's nice and quiet first thing in the morning. Parking lots are empty. Deliveries seem to start later on Mondays. I don't know why that is.The beach is beautiful. And usually empty.
Jose Manuel, who picks up trash 4 or 5 days a week all over town starts before 8am.And the fruit and vegetable guys gets to the center of town about 7:30am.When I lived on the beach a few winters ago, he arrived at my landlady, Esparanza's, my just as it was getting light. We got first dibs on the fresh stuff. That was great. Now I just get lucky sometimes, and run into him on the street. Today I got a cantaloupe, 3 plums, 4 tomatoes, and a 1/2 a kilo of red grapes. 25 pesos. about 2.20US. I don't know if that's a good price or not, but everything tasted good.
Koko Bongo's Restaurant, pool hall, internet station, and grocery store, looked all fresh and bright, but not yet open for business. The beach road looked empty, no delivery trucks or tourist buses.
I walked up to Mirador, a favorite rental in Chacala, to do an errand.The view from Mirador's guest and family palapa is one of my favorites in Chacala. And I stopped to admire these Ixora blooms on the way home.

Friendly Faces Around Chacala

2007-10-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

Quite a few people in Chacala seem to be okay with me taking their pictsure. About once a month I print out about 30 shots of people. Photos of people that I think zzthe person might like. I am learning lot about what kind of photos people like of themselves. One thing is for sure, very few older women know how beautiful they are. Of course, almost all men think they are the most handsome things on earth.

Greedy US Banks, not in Chacala

2007-10-30T14:47:00.000-07:00

New from Lonely Planet/Thorntree/Mexico Message Board:

Just saw this today on my statement, looks like it will affect those with Citi accounts that pull funds out of Banamex:

Quote

Effective January 26th, 2008 we will impose a fee equal to 2% of the transaction amount
(including credits or reversals) on all ATM and/or POS Debit Card transactions
(U.S.or foreign currency) that you conduct outside the 50 United States or Puerto Rico.
This fee will apply to transactions made at Citibank and Non-Citibank ATMs.

Portulacas Growing in Chacala

2007-10-29T14:08:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things about gardening in Chacala is that I can grow succulents year-round here.

Some of them go semi-dormant during the rainy season. Like my favorite, (below) Adenium Obesum. But they live thru the rain and start blossoming as soon as it stops. Like Portulaca's. I have always loved Portulacas, ever since the very first time I saw one. In one of the greenhouses at Manito Park, in Spokane WA. I love to able to grow them year around here in Chacala. Or, maybe I should say, I love it that I get to admire Portulacas growing year-around in Chacala. That's because I have almost nothing to do with how well they grow here.Local ladies come by for pieces, cuttings, of the plant. If they see a new color blossom, it's time for a new cutting. I love it. It's so nice to have something to share. And they just stick the pieces in a pot and ignore them. They almost aways take.

Corruption (not in Chacala, hah, hah)

2007-10-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

This (below) is an article from this week's New York Times.

I offer it here to remind gringos who complain about corruption in Mexico from whence they came: probably from the most deeply corrupt government in the world.
October 23, 2007

NYT: Telcos seeking immunity held fundraiser for Rockefeller:

Executives at the two biggest phone companies contributed more than $42,000 in political donations to Senator John D. Rockefeller IV this year while seeking his support for legal immunity for businesses participating in National Security Agency eavesdropping.

The surge in contributions came from a Who’s Who of executives at the companies, AT&T and Verizon, starting with the chief executives and including at least 50 executives and lawyers at the two utilities, according to campaign finance reports.

The money came primarily from a fund-raiser that Verizon held for Mr. Rockefeller in March in New York and another that AT&T sponsored for him in May in San Antonio.

Mr. Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, emerged last week as the most important supporter of immunity in devising a compromise plan with Senate Republicans and the Bush administration.

A measure approved by the intelligence panel on Thursday would add restrictions on the eavesdropping and extend retroactive immunity to carriers that participated in it. President Bush secretly approved the program after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Mr. Rockefeller’s office said Monday that the sharp increases in contributions from the telecommunications executives had no influence on his support for the immunity provision.

“Any suggestion that Senator Rockefeller would make policy decisions based on campaign contributions is patently false,” Wendy Morigi, a spokeswoman for him, said. “He made his decision to support limited immunity based on the Intelligence Committee’s careful review of the situation and our national security interests.”

Wired's Ryan Singel broke parts of this story last week. More from Spencer Ackerman.

Schools in Latin America,Including Chacala

2007-10-27T21:48:00.000-06:00

The Miami Herald had an interesting article this week. The topic of Andres Oppenheimer's column on Latin America is the poor showing of students of all social classes attending Latin American schools.

This is the link to the article.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/columnists/andres_oppenheimer/story/278454.html

One of his comments was that it is very possible to make it all the way through University in Mexico without ever being required to pass an admissions test. He also states that Mexico, and all but two other Latin American countries refuse to test their students using international tests. These tests would allow students in Latin American countries to be compared to students in other countries.

He also suggested that there is more interest in building schools (building contracts are political plums, same as in the US) and in enforcing attendance that in quality of education itself. The Federal Teacher's Union in Mexico is extremely powerful and wealthy at the national level. Politicians don't mess with them.

And in most Latin American countries, including Mexico, primary education is NOT free. Student's families are required to pay for supplies, special clothes, books, required lunches, etc. 18% of students in Latin America finish high school. Compared to 44% in East Asia. And finishing high school doesn't necessarily mean the student received an education.

Interesting and depressing article. Children in the Chacala primary school appear to actually be in class about 2 1/2 hours a day. At most. It's a four hour school day, but P.E., lunch, and other non-academic activities take up a lot of time.

About 1/3 of Chacala's primary, and many junior high age, school kids go to private schools in Las Varas. Their parents are hoping for a better education there. I hope it's true.

Time Shifting in Chacala

2007-10-27T10:25:00.000-06:00

My blogging friend, Wayne, in Isla Mujeres, just mentioned that tonight is the night to fall back to Standard Time. It's Mountain Standard Time (don't know how to write that in Spanish) in Chacala. But Guadalajara ( 5 hours away) and Puerto Vallarta (2 hours away) are both in the Central Time zone. Which leads to confusion for some tourists.The Tourism officials in Nayarit (Chacala's state) and P.V. (Jalisco) are trying to get the boundary changed between the two time zones. Right now the time zone changes from Central to Mountain a few miles north of the P.V. airport. Some tourists change time zones without realizing it, and are occasionally late for their flights home.My first real visit here was in early Spring of 2003. My visit overlapped with the start of Semana Santa. I didn't know about Easter on the Beaches of Mexico, so I was amazed to see the beach, camping areas, stores, restaurants and rentals fill to over-capacity almost overnight.

But the oddest thing was that I one hour off time-wise most my three week visit to Chacala.
First, I didn't realize I should turn my watch back an hour for the Time Zone change. Got that straightened out after a week or so. And then, a week later, it was time to turn it an hour forward for the start of Daylight Savings Time. I found the whole thing confusing, but it didn't matter in the least. I wasn't wearing my watch anyway, and it didn't matter was time it was anyway.

I only thing on my schedule was breakfast at Poncie's restaurant. I was one of the few customers since it was the end of the tourist season. But he and Tom, another visitor, cooked my breakfast anyway, whenever I showed up.When I first came here many people didn't wear watches. And the church bells rang out for important events, like Mass. And they still do. The collectivo's tooted their horns as the arrived in town, so there was usually time to run down and catch one before it left. Not that they have ever been on a schedule anyway, except for the school runs to Las Varas in the morning.

I have hung around the Chacala primary school early in the morning, for photos. Kids and their Moms seem to start arriving about an hour before school theoretically starts. I think they just get up, wash up, change to school outfits, eat, and come to school. I don't think there is the "hurry up, hurry up, you'll be late" thing going on here. Although there probably is for the kids going to school via collectivo, in Las Varas.I like it that when a specific time is mentioned here, it's more of a suggestion than a goal. At first it drove me crazy, but now I like. It's easier to stay in the present (which is a nicer way of life in my book) if you can avoid deadlines and "have to's" as much as possible. And that's really possible here. Unless I am trying to be to P.V. before noon, I just do things as they come up. And the only reason I get going by 8:30am or so to go to PV is so I be sure to catch a friend of mine for an early afternoon lunch.

Atfirst it was difficult for me when people didn't arrive when they said they would. But now I get it. The times people would mention were just an estimate, or intended to cater to my gringo-time-rigidity disorder, or whatever.It's interesting how different Latin cultures are from what I grew up with, in terms of time etiquette. I like the Chacala version best. Your life isn't a series of little discrete boxes or activities. Things kind of overflow and blend together. And you can take care of things as they come up. Not when they are scheduled.

High Season in Chacala

2007-10-26T21:50:00.000-06:00

Well, it looks like the "High Season" (mid-December thru mid-March) is creeping up on Chacala, and me. For rental owners the "high season" means lots of renters and some income.
And lots of work.

For me, it means lots of gringo visitors. Many of whom are really fun to be around. Interesting people to talk with, and share ideas with. Nice people who love being in Mexico, and in Chacala.

And it also means the return of people I have a hard time being around. I know, my boring petty gripes about things I don't like. As if my opinion counts. Actually, now that I think about it, those people are already down here. So, what's my problem?

But aside from that, I am looking forward to winter in Chacala.

It's not (very) humid in the winter.
It's usually in the low-to-mid 80's during the day. Or slightly higher.
You can sleep with a nice cozy blanket at least part of the night.
There aren't nearly as many flying insects at night.
The ocean water is not so bathtub warm, the plants are bursting into bloom, the dolphins and whales will be returning.
There's a nice energy in the air.
And it means Guadalupe Day is coming.
And new books-in-English start floating around town.
And it's fun to talk in English with people with whom I share interests and concerns.
There might be phosphorescence (spelling?) in the ocean waves one night.
People I like being around with be returning, some for long stays.
And it's fun to meet people I have helped find places to stay.

So, the "High Season" is a mixed blessing for me. But mostly I am looking forward to it.

Dinner at My Place, in Chacala

2007-10-26T11:05:00.005-06:00

My new little gas oven and 2 burner stove got a good workout this past week. And today I am going to make brownies from a package my son brought down. The customs guys in PV must not have known what it was, or they probably would have disappeared it.When my son was here we had actual meals every day. Well, at least one meal a day anyway.The main ingredients were the same. Corn tortillas, cheddar and/or mozzarella cheese, cut up tomatoes, and then chicken, beef, onion, or whatever else.Here is my modern method of defrosting a chunk of frozen beef. As soon as it slightly defrosted I cut the meat in fajita strips. It's pretty fun to cook with someone else. I am used to cooking solo, so it's different. And nicer.
Erik sharpened all four knives with a handy knife sharpener he brought down. this isn't knife sharpener, it's Erik's hands modifying an electrical outlet for a 3 wire outlet. The knife sharpener wasn't confiscated at customs or the TIA or whatever it's called. In Seattle they took stuff like sealed, unopened glue. I guess one of the inspectors had a craft project going or something.
Washing to dishes isn't so bad with a view like this. I feel so lucky. They weather is perfect again today. Sunny, breezy, warm but not baking. Very little humidity.
After some confusion and running around to Concha's and Aurora's, I made three reservation this morning. All for right around Christmas. All made before breakfast or a shower.

I did do my glucose test before doing the reservations. I have having some trouble with my blood sugar right now. Thanks to my friend Cleve, a Chacala visitor, I have a new glucose monitor with a bunch of chem (testing) strips. And another one coming. I am really happy. He mailed the strips to Erik and Erik brought them down.

I am so lucky. I love this life. My place is a mess, with all the wonderful gifts from Erik. And with re-arranging everything. But I am tidying everything up today.

Bugs in Chacala

2007-10-25T19:54:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I wrote about some scorpions who visited me yesterday, and died for their trouble.
I want to clarify some details re scorpions. Or at least my understanding of scorpions.

Most important It is very very very rare to see a scorpion in Chacala in November, December, January February March April May or early June.

They are most likely to enter homes or rooms during the rainy season. Late June thru mid-October. Because they want to be dry.

Scorpions like to be in warm, dry and dark areas.
They are nocturnal, but will be active is something disturbs them during the day.

Last year in the State of Nayarit 65,ooo people reported scorpions bites. That means they went somewhere for medical treatment. Mostly people don't seek medical treatment, so the number of people each year must be astronomical. And only six deaths were reported. Four infants and two elderly people. In case you wondered, "Elderly" is defined as anyone older that you are.

My experience is that if you see a scorpion before you touch it you will recognize the shape of the tail from some deep hidden place in your brain, and instinctively move away.

The general strategy for dealing with scorpions is to always look before you put your hand, feet, or butt or head any place. Particularly into piles of clothing, a stack of laundry, some sweater than has been lying around for awhile, or bedding (warm, dark, and dry). Shake out your shoes and clothing. Inspect your towel before using it.

Aside from the new house I lived in four summers ago, I don't see many scorpions in a year. One last year. And it's been a year since I saw any until yesterday.

It's unlikely you be bitten, but it's always good to check you bed sheets, etc.

The bites are painful. If you get bitten and have trouble breathing, you could be in trouble and you need to get medical care right away. Probably anyone in Chacala would help you get care under that circumstance. Benadryl is the first line of treatment, and they don't sell it in Mexico, so bringing some is a good idea.

There is a "first-provider" of medical care in Chacala, named Chapina, She lives between Trini's and the playground. She has the epi-pens for emergency care, provided by the state. You can also buy them at pharmacies. People who are allergic to bees and wasps are enjoyed to carry an epi-pen with them. Apparently the bite are somewhat related.

Scorpions are called Alacrones in Mexico. They are endemic in Mexico, so going somewhere else in Mexico won't help you avoid them.

Most important It is very very very rare to see a scorpion in Chacala in November, December, January February March April May or early June.

If you have other information please write and share it with me. Thank good I am not an expert on Scorpion bites.

Chacala's Big Night

2007-10-25T14:30:00.000-06:00

Last night was the big annual Dance in Chacala. There are other dances in Chacala, like the Disco Dance a few days ago. And the Disco during Semana Santa. And for Quinceneria and wedding fiestas, and other fiestas too. But this was the town's dance, the last event of the Saint Rafael (patron saint of Chacala) celebration.It took place on the primary school basketball/volleyball/flag salute/graduation ceremonies, etc playground. You can see the nearly built basketball hoop posts in the background. Hand built by Chacala residents.

I had to so some errands late yesterday afternoon, so I got a chance to watch the set-up. Local guys, including Leo, owner of Koko-Bongo's restaurant, were gathering white plastic tables and chairs from around town, and playing out the "nightclub" style decor. Some of the tables were on-loan from the beer and Coke distributors.

There were some sidewalk superintendents, watching the band unload and set up. When I was walking from the paved road, via the footpath, over to the schoolyard I found three band guys with a ladder, in search of a 220V connection to hook onto. Onto the power poles themselves. Not someone's outlet.
The band had two large moving van type trucks. and some smaller rigs. The band's bus arrived with the 25 musicians arrived about dark. It's amazing how popular a person can be when they are walking around with a camera. All the guys wanted to pose for photos. I guess they were tired of working.The band had an amazing amount of equipment. For sounds and lights. the set-up was a big job. Apparently they had been at it most of the day. There were tons of speakers. It was easy to tell when the dance started and ended. You could hear the sound all over town.
Polo's Taco Stand was setting up near the entrance to the schoolyard. Berta, the true boss behind the outfit, was setting things right. They normally have the Taco stand under a palapa across the beach toad from Chico's. It's a great option for a quick delicious taco at an affordable price. Clean and sanitary, with attention to refrigeration and sanitation. I went back to the dance about 9:3pm. In the past the admission was free or 20pesos, (1.80us).
Last night it was 50 pesos. $4.50us. I had walked over with 10 pesos in my pocket, for a Coke. So I ended up hanging around the outside of the playground with my friends. Hanging on the chain link fence and watching the crowning of this year's Chacala Princess. I hate that but it's fun to watch. I finally decided to fork over the (borrowed) 50 pesos when someone told me the committee needed to pay for the band with the admission fee.

I liked the band. Lots of different music. Loud (you couldn't have a conversation) but not terrible. Lots of people were dancing. By about 11 pm, the basketball court was full of dancers. All ages were dancing. Couples of all arrangements. Groups of women, groups of girls, mixed groups of teens. Babies in their Daddy's arms. Any kid that could walk was out there giving it a swirl. Many babies were sleeping under the tables, in little nests of blankets. Or dancing in the a family member's arms. The moon was so full and bright I didn't need a flashlight when I walked home about midnight. What a nice night. I love watching people dance. There are always some couples out there that I didn't know were couples. Some pretty surprising hook-ups out there.

Well, I really love the atmosphere at these events. People are dressed to the nine's in ball gowns and sports jackets, or wearing shorts and tee's. Or whatever. There were about a dozen grinogs at the dance. Mostly tourists staying at local rentals. Or friends and families of locals.

No one is screaming at their kids or each other. Everyone is having fun, hanging out with friends, admiring the dancing and observing the teens. It was a nice night. I wasn't going to go because 9:30pm is generally past my bedtime. But I am glad I did. No night time photos thought.I don't seem to have the knack of using a flashing. Maybe next year.

The second year I went to this particular event, there was a huge ruckus a the end of the dance. I had left with some friends before the fight started. Apparently it was the Las Varas young men looking for a fight, and they got one. I doubt if that happened this year. For one thing, the police were on hand and not planning on leaving. But I don't know for sure how the party ended. I do know what time though: 2:30am. Because that's when the music ended.