Adios little Tortuga

Here is a batch of babies in a plastic bin ready to be released.  A hotel near ours digs up the turtle nests and reburies the eggs in a protected area.  Once the eggs hatch their protectors wait until a near full moon and release them around sunset.  Tonight was the night.

These are Olive Ridley turtles, in Mexico known as the Golfina.

A small group of well-wishers gathered to see them on their way. 

We were each invited to choose one to send off.  I didn't name mine as bonding isn't a good idea at this point.

Ours were more than up to the challenge and turned to the setting sun and the waves.

 Good luck little turtles.

To the Beach

Here is what we came for: sunset over the Pacific ocean. We have been chilly in the central highlands and even Patzquaro, where we stopped over last night, was cold.  But sunset at the beach was t-shirt weather.

Our room in Troncones, about 20 miles north of Ziuatanejo, is simple, with a hammock in front of the door, perfect for checking on emails and world events. 

 We walked a few buildings down the beach for cerveza and sandwiches for lunch.

 The beach is long and wide in front of our hotel, ending in a cove and headland.

 We plan to be here at the beach for about a week.  More later...

Hidden Economy

Our neighborhood is quite self-sufficient although you wouldn't always notice it.   Sometime each afternoon a door opens and folding tables are set out with hot food and snacks to carry out.  This one is just a few steps from our front door.

A few houses up the street, the kitchen window slides open and the windowsill is loaded with orange cheeto-like snacks which seem to qualify as a food group by themselves, and, as the sign above mutely signals, a Coca-Cola.

A little farther down the hill there is a papeleria, with an official sign, where you can find office and school supplies. My Spanish dictionary tells me a merceria is a notions or dry-goods store, which might explain the colorful rubber balls in the doorway.

And finally, the pride of the street.

 

Adela's doesn't look like much from the outside.  In fact, the door is often closed and you have to knock to be be let in, but once inside you can find any grocery item you might need including eggs by the each, beer, and fresh veggies. You never have to be at a loss for an onion you forgot to pick up earlier.

The large white door on the left opens at night for hot meals and a great seating area to while away the night chatting and watching your neighbors stroll by.

Our new fireplace

The recent cold weather made us realize wanted a fireplace in our living room so we called in Edgar and his assistant, Jose Louis.  We decided to put it on the end wall where the light well is.

Edgar carefully sketched out the arc of the fireplace opening and then started on the brick and cement hearth.  My favorite part was when we come home and heard them laughing; they had managed to knock a brick in the back wall into the empty lot next door.

 

I thanked them for the new "window" and they patched it up with another brick and a firebrick lining.

Once the fireplace was done, we needed a mantle to complete it so we drove to Dolores Hildago, about 40 minutes away, where there are several shops that specialize in reclaimed wood.  This is where doors and other scraps and rusty things come to find a new life.

We selected the piece of wood that was aged just right and they cut it to our mantle specifications and delivered it. 

 And now we have a welcome new gas log fireplace.

The light above the fireplace is made of backlit handmade paper with cutout designs. We bought it in a suburb of Guadajalara called Tonola on our last trip there.  The ladder was made so we can light the water heater which is hidden above it in the lightwell.

Chili and Charros

Today we competed in an international chili competition, led by our friend and world famous chili cook, Jim Parker, owner of the Hard Times Cafe in Alexandria, Virginia.  This annual competition in San Miguel was a great excuse for Jim to come on down to visit.

Besides the chili cooking contest there was a margarita contest with fifty percent of the judging for presentation. That made for some nice looking drinks.

 

The chili rules require that the chili be cooked completely on site. Jim was prepared with bottles of premeasured spices and he brought his ground beef with him from the US.

While the cooking was proceeding the entertainment included a great band, roping and riding displays and horseback rides.

 

Most people got in the mood by dressing in traditional Mexican dress, or at least cowboy boots and and sombreros. 

  

This was cutest little donkey.  I want to take it home.

  

Well, the prize for the first through third place was automatic entry in the international Terlingua Texas chili cookoff finals.  Here is Jim with his place card.

 

Oh well, we are going to do this next year and get it right.

Papel Picado

I am a big fan of papel picado, the traditional art of cutting or punching intricate designs in colorful tissue paper which is then strung to decorate a celebration or fiesta.  These are now commonly produced using stamped templates appropriate for the celebration:  flowers and birds for springtime and weddings, skulls and other death images for day of the dead, and Navidad or other themes. Sometimes they are made from plastic to resist wind and weather outside.

I discovered a little store that sells the flower/bird theme tissue paper variety and kind of got carried away putting them in my guest bedroom.

I also found a miniature version for day of the dead which I hung over the bed.

I love the delicate detail in each flag.

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

2010 arrived with a beautiful Blue Moon over the Parroquia, accompanied by the music of a band from Mazatlan playing Cuban rhythms. The next time New Year's eve will fall on a Blue Moon is 2028.




An annual accompaniment to New Year's  festivities in San Miguel are 3 foot long sparklers wielded by children and often inebriated adults; definitely not my favorite part but certainly exciting and festive.

Warm wishes to all for an amazing 2010.