Valentines Day

 Today was a great day.

It started with me having a long walk and even though I couldn't find flowers for Caro I did find her strawberries which I did my best to put into a heart shape before presenting them to her.

After my return and after Caro's exercises we walked back up to near the traffic circle and went to a restaurant that Caro has had her eyes on for a meal. Who am I to reject going there on Valentines Day?

The lunch was quite good and we both really enjoyed it.

It didn't surprise me that I had walked 9.3 km today according to my cell phone.

This afternoon was a quiet one putzing around the apartment until late in the afternoon when Caro made supper. By then we had Facetimed Vanessa, received  photos from Michelle and had a text conversation with Lisa.

Another (typical) awesome sunset.

Tonight is another Netflix night. We have given up on "Squid Game" (completed two episodes). We may get back to it if nothing better is on but as of now "Inventing Anna" has our attention.

SuperBowl Sunday

This morning Caro noticed what looked like a BC Ferry in port. Hmm? Compass malfunction maybe? LOL

 We walked down to the container port entrance and I took this photo across to the cruise port. It is a BC Ferry and turns out that we are seeing it before BC residents will because it is on a 55 day trip from the ship building yard in Poland, through the Panama Canal up to BC. I imagine it has to hug the coasts and only move when conditions are perfect as it is not meant to be used in rough weather.

In the afternoon we caught up with all the family via Facetime and texting so that was great.

After an afternoon of reading, internet and a bit of swimming (Caro) it was time for the Superbowl.

It is half time at the game as I write this and so Caro has come in from watching another spectacular sunset and is going to see the halftime show.

She was mentioning that her foot hurts so I think we overdid it yesterday. It could be another slow day tomorrow.

Friday and Saturday

 Friday was a very quiet day. In the evening we invited Darlene up for a visit.

It was her last night here and we spent quite a few hours talking about our lives and places we've been. She gave us her leftover food and beer and was gone to the airport before we got mobile this morning.

Today we putzed around the apartment until 2 P.M. when the cleaning lady showed up. At that point we took a cab to the Barcelo Karmina hotel as Caro had read that they can do PCR tests for us. The hotel is fabulous but at $225 a night we will pass on ever staying there.

It turns out that we can get our PCR test there when needed in about 11 days. The cost is 1800 pesos each ($112.50) so now we just wait and see if the Canadian government changes its mind on vaccinated people needing it or not. Our other option for testing was at the airport (which means a $25 cab ride each way). We don't know the price there however I suspect the better overall option is the hotel.

We started for home. We walked to laComer store where we picked up a few items. Caro wanted to eat at a fancy restaurant and so, with one in mind she had seen earlier, we continued walking.

We finally got to the place and the seafood was awesome. We had a couple beers and a filling meal each. Caro had a special fish dish and I had bacon wrapped shrimp smothered in cheese. It was a little on the pricey side ( for us on this trip anyway) at about $45.

We were right beside the ocean and  the waves come pounding in. Scary at times. The two little kids were having a blast however if it were my kids I would have been stressed right out.

By now it was about 5:30 so we continued walking. Tonight was carnival night so there was a parade of many different dance groups. It started at about 6 P.M. and was a cacophony of different LOUD music types with dancers of many ages so we waited and then watched the groups "do their thing" as they slowly went by us.

Caro's foot was still OK so we continued walking but soon she was getting sore.  By this time there were no taxis we just had to slow down and keep going. We finally got here about 7:45 and immediately had a glass of ice cold coke (me) and a glass of ice water (Caro). 

My cell phone shows the walk back at 9.4 kilometres (including the shopping).

I think tomorrow will be a quiet one as Caro needs to rest her foot and I will be watching the Superbowl.

A day trip to Colima

 This morning both of us were up relatively early (Caro is usually up long before me but I had a bad night so was up as well).

Both of us were getting kind of itchy to do "something" so we decided to go by bus to the city of Colima (one hour and 10 minutes away). Round trip tickets ($21.25 per person) were purchased at the bus terminal and we were on our way at 10:25.

At Colima we took a cab to the Zocalo where we walked around a bit and took a few photos.

After a quick snack at a Zocalo restaurant we decided to go to the nearby town of Comala (we were there two years ago). We walked around, bought some items for home and of course "had" to stop in at an ice cream place. Caro had a paleta....

....and I had a double scoop of maple walnut ice cream. Both items were so good we had a second helping. I knew as soon as I got my second helping that I had made a mistake and really didn't need any more but I "manned up" and ate it anyway- I mean it is ice cream after all! 

We weren't that long in this little town before we headed back to Colima. At a cab fare of $9 each way it didn't hurt the pocketbook too much.

The photo below is interesting because the sun's corona seems to be magnified by the tower of the cathedral.

The sun is not that big!, mind you it was another 30 degree day so it was still powerful!

We decided to have an early supper at another Zocalo restaurant. I had queso fondido while Caro had something else. Whatever it was she loved it. Mine however was not very good and I didn't each much. Of course I had a belly full of ice cream from an hour before. 

While on our way to the bus terminal the cabbie was telling us that it has gotten dangerous in Colima and that tonight is night three since the drug cartels have warned people to stay in their houses after 9 P.M.. We had noticed that there weren't many people around in the zocalo so I guess that is why. We didn't have any issues anywhere but still it reminded me that Mexico can be dangerous if you are in the wrong place.

We were back "home"shortly before seven and I am relaxing by writing this and listening to the waves pound on the beach. Caro is watching TV in the living room. Usually we watch some Netflix at night but I asked Caro to hold off on that tonight. We are trying (for a second time) to get into "Squid Game". We have completed two episodes so far. Someone was telling us it gets better and it was the number one rated show world wide last year on Netflix so we will hang in there.

Grocery shopping

Around noon today we saw a large container ship coming into port and Caro had wanted to see one up close so we walked down to the container port entrance (500 metres from here)

The ship doesn't look all that impressive from a distance but it is huge. This one holds 10,000 containers when fully loaded. According to info on the internet this load originated in Korea.

It is really close as it passes by.

While returning from the port entrance we heard the paleta guy honking his bicycle horn just down the street from us. He did pretty good off us again as I got a chocolate frudgesicle style paleta and Caro bought two other flavours for herself. All three were finished in no time at all. 

We were running out of food so we got a cab down to LaComer food store. Not only did we restock on veggies, meats and some fruit but also rum,beer,and vodka. It certainly doesn't take long for liquid refreshments to disappear in constant 28-30 degree days that we "struggle" through on a daily basis.

While we were waiting for our turn in the checkout line I asked Caro what she thought the bill would be. I guessed 2,000 pesos and the total bill was 1998 pesos. Lucky guess; (and for the record Caro was very low in her guess).

Unlike last time we were here two years ago there are more short term rentals occurring in the other apartments. Only Darlene (Seattle) and us are long term and she leaves on the 12th. A bunch of guys showed up tonight for our old apartment. Fingers crossed it is not party central!

The other night when I went down to the pool area about 9 P.M. I saw one of the raccoons running across the road here. To my great surprise the raccoon jumped straight (see photo below) between the security railing and the window of a small house a few metres from us, scurried straight up the window to the top of the window then turned 90 degrees to the right and went along to the wall before jumping over into the next yard.

I was amazed at its' agility and strength. I mentioned this to Caro and together we started noticing many paw prints all around the outside of our apartment. We hadn't really paid attention before that but it sure seems to me those guys can go pretty well anywhere they want.

Another great day!

Two in the salty pool

 Caro had to mail a package to Tete so we went to old downtown to the post office. It was nice to go to a different part of town for a change. We have been going to the big box stores such as Soriano's or Walmart to help prevent us getting covid but today we had to go to the busy old part of town where there are lots of people (with about 60% wearing masks).

After mailing the package we went to a hotel that has a nice restaurant where we had brunch (Meh- OK but nothing extraordinary). The location is wonderful.

After our meal we did a little shopping for the grand-kids and continued our walking to the old port (which is the cruise port now)

Caro completed her shopping "fix" for the day and in all honesty I also bought some candy covered walnuts so it wasn't all boring for me. We got a cab back to our place. The price of the cab is four times the cost of the local bus but at five dollars a cab ride it doesn't really "hurt" at all!

The view towards our part of the city (across the bay) from the old downtown.

Caro went down to the ocean and after a bit I joined her for my first time in the "salty" pool. It took me all of two minutes to remember why I haven't been there this trip-BORING!  Bobbing up and down in the waves no longer has the appeal to me that it did 40 years ago when it was a novelty. 

We talked to/saw the grand-kids and their parents via Facetime and while extremely happy that Nathan is feeling better we were sorry to hear that Vanessa now has covid. Also Will is still feeling bad  : ( 

We have been contemplating our next winter's get away and while it all comes down to what covid is doing world wide we are thinking maybe next winter is Ecuador/Colombia. If covid is still creating grief we anticipate being back here.

Hmmm. Where to go?

A Quiet Monday

 You know it is a quiet day when the high-lite is a walk to Oxxo to buy an ice cream bar (and it was yummy!).

Serge and Marthe left about 11 and we used our Mexican phone for the first time to give them a quick call.

We completed our usual exercises and essentially read and/or were on the internet. We were sorry to hear about the sicknesses in both Vanessa's and Mike's homes. Get well soon Nathan and Will!

After supper we did a second walk to Oxxo for pop followed by playing a couple of games of crib. Tonight we will finish the series we are watching on Netflix.

As I write this I am listening to people playing on the beach and in the ocean and the sun is starting to set.

A gorgeous day in paradise.