Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Warm and Sunny Mexico

INFRASTRUCTURE AND DICKENS

 

The big word this year is infrastructure and that is true here in Bucerias as well.  A major project was the redoing of Lazaro Cardenas street which is the main north-south street in the tourist part of town other than the highway.  Apparently the old surface was excavated well down and replaced with precast squares of simulated cobblestones.  It is quite nice and most folks prefer to walk on the street now and slow vehicular traffic.  The new street is quite a bit lower and probably allows better drainage during the rainy season.  New signs abound.

 

We made some infrastructure changes at the condo:  a new TV, mixer, and microwave.  And a new 'professional' boogie board (See below.).

 

Mrs. T is out with the fishes at the moment.  And we see that our friends up north are enjoying some nice frigid temperatures and howling winds.  And you wonder why we are in the tropics?

 

Here is a bit from our resident writer:

 

 

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.   It was a time of sickness; it was a time of health.  It was a time of growth; it was a time of decay.  It was a time of creativity; it was a time of plagiarism.

 

Well our time in Mexico this year started out a little rough.  Dan has for the last several months been suffering from a nerve disease called small fiber peripheral neuropathy.  This causes him a lot of pain and makes it difficult for him to walk among other things. Dan optimistically hoped that just being in warm sunny Mexico would make him feel a lot better.  Alas, not so.  While he was improved some it was not a magic cure, and so he has slowly been increasing his meds that has helped significantly, however we both hope he will continue to improve.  (No miracles yet, but I am slowly doing better. Every evening is an adventure in pain.  dt)

 

He has slowly increased the distance he walks and he can now get to the bank, to church, to the mini-supermarket, and to the beach what more can you need?  Well several things actually and he only feels like walking to those places on good days.  But no worries (Did she go Aussie?), he can send out Rebecca at other times!

 

The first week my sister Rita came and we had a great time boogie boarding (Yes we both still remembered how!), snorkeling and SCUBA diving and cavorting with the local fauna.  We were amazed at how the plants have grown with all the sunshine here.  The Norfolk Island pine that was a little tree is growing very tall.

 

Some of our Canadian friends who rented nearby condos came back and brought us souvenirs so that we can almost pass as Canadians.  We are practicing saying "eh" and "aboot". 

 

We were cheering up as Dan was walking further each day until the Fiesta Bowl came.  Yes we watched it here on cable with Mexican commentary.  Things like "He took his eye off the melon!" and "Si, Senor!!".  Well we lost but at least it was not as humiliating as last two years.

 

Since we broke all of the cheap boogie boards, I broke down and bought a good one.  Dan thought they saw me coming when he heard how much it cost (More than the mixer!  dt) but I did get an old people's discount.  The thing about it is this board is really great!!  I bought it hoping to get one that did not break but this board is much more stable allowing for longer rides.  Dan suggested this is possibly because it has little groves on the top to channel the water off.  (I assume R will limit the use of this board! dt)

 

When I did SCUBA last week we played with a 12 foot Manta Ray.  I thought I would like to have a Manta for a pet and he thought he would like to have a Rebecca for a pet.  He was following us back to the boat and I was thinking of telling Dan, "He followed me home, can I keep him?"  But alas we lost him finally.

 

We went to dinner next door with some of our Canadian neighbors and I brought a three kings cake for desert.  In Mexico Santa is not big, but the Three Kings traditionally bring gifts on epiphany (the twelfth day of Christmas).  Another tradition is the Three Kings cake.  Into the cake are baked little Baby Jesus and if you get one in your piece you have to host the next party.

 

All this typing has made me tired so I think I will lay down and read for a while or perhaps do a Sudoku in the book that Rita brought that has nice big boxes.

 

(At this point Mrs. T took a nap.)

 

 

Best wishes to all and come visit.  Keep warm.

 

 

Dan and Rebecca

 

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

 

A few new pictures:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/9151458@N07/sets/72157612563682656/

 

 



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