ARRIVAL

BUSY WEEK

 

Well, our first week has passed rather well.  As in the last few years, R's sister Rita came about the same time during her holiday break and was able to spend a week with us for a little r & r.  We think she had a good time and returned recharged.

 

The condo was in excellent shape when we arrived.  And once we restocked the fridge and pantry, we were basically relocated for our winter relocation.  Mrs. T provides a brief of our arrival:

 

 

Buenos Dias from sunny Mexico.  Getting here was a bit of a trip.  For the first time we went through Mexico City.  We got off at gate 19 and were directed to go to gate 10 where there was an information station with people who would tell us where to go (so to speak).  After a rather long wait for someone in immigration to take two seconds to stamp your passport (about the same in the US), we headed to gate 10.  From 19 to 10 would not be very far we thought.  Well we walked and we walked. "It sure is a long way between gates," Dan remarked.

 

"I just hope when we finally get there they don't send us back," I replied.  Sometimes it is a bad idea to put such thoughts into words.  When we arrived back at gate 17 Dan asked, "Do you think we need to check in again?"

 

"I don't think so since you did at gate 10," I responded.

 

After a few minutes watching other people check in, Dan decided to disregard my advice (fortunately!).  "We have one seat for you but you have to wait five or ten minutes until we get the other," he was told.  

 

We waited and waited.  "The flight is overbooked but we have asked for volunteers.  You may not get to sit together," the attendant reported. 

 

We waited some more.  People were starting to board.  "We have another seat but one of you will have to sit in first class, perhaps the lady," the attendant said.  Not wishing to offend, of course I agreed.  The flight to Puerto Vallarta was short and uneventful.  (I could hear Mrs. T having an animated discussion about scuba diving with her first class neighbor; I had a nice chat with my seat mate who does interior design for private jets. – dt)

 

After retrieving our luggage, we found all the ATMs at the airport were broken.  We had a bit of a delay obtaining a taxis, but at last a little tired, a little disheveled, and a little grumpy we arrived at our lovely condo in Bucerias.

 

I would have been willing to take a nap, but Dan pointed out I had slept almost ten hours on the various planes (Do you think I might have overdone it with the anxiety medication for the trip?) so we unpacked and got the things we left in storage out and arranged. (Our condo has lockable storage. – dt)  I did bring 48 pounds of stuff for the condo – you are allowed 50 so I don't know what Dan was grousing about – but it was mostly books and did not take long to arrange.  Dan got the computer up and running and all was well.

 

The next day my sister Rita joined us for a week.  We took Rita up to Sayulita, a little town up the coast.  It has lovely little art galleries and also a lot of surf shops.  Because of the geography Sayulita has a constant series of medium sized waves and a lot of people come there to surf.  As Rita and I were watching the surfers we both admitted that it was something we had always longed to try.

 

Dan has stated that when I am with Rita I act differently, perhaps less inhibited.  The next day Rita and I were hanging out at the beach near our condo.  We were watching a group of little boys boogey boarding.  Well surfing might be a bit beyond us, but boogey boarding surely was possible.  After all if these little boys could do it how hard could it be?  The next day Rita and I went shopping at the new Mega store.  Although we had invited Dan to go with us he had declined, and there was a large pile of boogie boards, on sale, special price.  It obviously was meant to be.  I chose a purple one with white fish, Rita bought a pink one with a big yellow sun.  We could not wait to try.

 

When we returned home lugging our purchases Dan seemed to be a little skeptical.  In fact he refused to accompany us to the beach!  You may not quite believe this but WE DID IT!  Not every time, but with advice from a helpful man from Canada, we were able to ride the waves (or perhaps I should say wavelets as they were pretty small) about one time out of four.  We were thrilled.  With a little, make that a lot of, practice who knows what is possible.

 

The next day we decided to go to Puerto Vallarta to visit the galleries.  We saw some great sand sculptures on the beach.  The traffic was terrific.  As there are few traffic lights you usually say a short prayer, wait for a break in the traffic and dart across.  Did I mention that the streets were made of very uneven cobblestones?

 

Well Dan and Rita made it across nicely but I caught my sandal on a cobblestone and fell flat on my face.  Traffic screeched to a halt.  Approximately one third of the population (300,000 last count) of PV gathered to stare. Do you know how to say embarrassing in Spanish? I shook myself and slowly started to rise.  A little man rushed out and said, "Take your time, lady, get up slow."

 

Dan and Rita rushed back.  "Are you all right?  Why did you do that!" Dan shouted.  Shakily I got to my feet.  My pants were torn and both knees were scraped and one was bleeding.  My left had hurt quite a bit but it was pretty clear I would survive.  The little man directed us to a nearby pharmacy.  "If you tell them I sent you they will give you a discount," he promised.

 

The first pharmacy could not help but after I limped to a second one I found help.  The pharmacist and her assistant sat me down and washed my knees with peroxide, clucking sympathetically at my moans, slathered on some triple antibiotic and made up two bandages of gauze and tape which they gently applied.  Dan was looking at me disgustedly as if thinking "I can't take you anywhere."  We did some more browsing and shopping.  Then we stopped for supper at Senor Frog's.  As we walked back toward the bus stop someone touched my arm.

 

"I hope you feel better, lady," said the man who had directed me to the pharmacy.  (Mrs. T will have more to say in our next installment, I am sure.)

 

A few new pictures:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/9151458@N07/sets/72157603660415941/

 

We see there is a heat wave in Columbus; your daytime highs match our night time lows.  It seems a bit cooler here than usual.

 

 

Happy Birthday to all of you – particularly MOM – with January birthdays.  Your cards are in the mail.

 

GO BUCKS!!!

 

 

Dan and Rebecca

 

http://casa-de-terrible.blogspot.com/

 

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