The Last day

My time here is over, today is my last day here. I was going to write a story about the things I will miss while in Canada and the things I won't miss but for days I couldn't figure out what I wouldn't miss and I didn't want to write such a one sided story....because there is always supposed to be two sides to a story , right? Then a few days ago I came across something I won't miss. I won't miss having to continually defend my garden from the Iguanas. The last 2 weeks it has finally really warmed up and then out came the Iguanas and ate the blooms off of my Geraniums and ate some of my watermelon plants...grrr! They annoy me so much. I won't miss them.

Nasty bugger

The other thing I won't miss is always having dirty fingernails, because of the sand my fingernails are always dirty, partly because I have a bad habit of always running my hands through my hair or scratching my head, I feel it gives me a more intellectual look, like I am always deep in thought...actually no, it's just a bad habit and there is always sand embedded into my head and so my fingernails are always dirty, plus everything you touch is sandy, you can't get away from it. So, those are the things I will not miss.
At the top of the list of things I will miss are the people here. I have made so many new friends yet again and they will all be missed. A few of them are contactable by the Internet but most are not.

This is Augusta, she comes all the way from Mazatlan everyday and walks the beach all day selling her beaded necklaces, bracelets and earrings. It is not easy to walk up and down the beach all day long. Her husband is a painter and is in Los Cabos right now trying to sell his art as the tourism in Mazatlan is the pits right now. So until he comes homes she is left to feed and mother 5 children. One little guy came to work with her today (this was taken on Saturday) 

Augusta's jewelry 

I bought the green one on the left

Next is the ocean, I does one ever get tired of gazing at the ocean, whether it's at sunset or sunrise or the bright sparkley afternoon, it;s never the same, always new and fresh.

Another thing I will miss is how the groceries come to my door everyday and I can buy just enough fruit and vegetables for the day.

This is Israel, he is one of the produce guys, we have 2 on the Island, which is great because sometimes you miss one. They have a regular morning route and will come by your house at the same time everyday. Once they have done their route they just randomly cruiser around all day, so even if you weren't home in the morning you can still catch him somewhere. 

I will miss my quirky house, all my quirky things and my quirky neighborhood and all the quirky noises that I have come to know what they are. From a certain honk to a certain stereo playing I can tell who is coming up the road.

 I feel in love with this red/blue table when I first saw it last year, it's been the backdrop for many of my photos

Wish I had a counter like this at home, it is rock solid and does not move regardless of what you are doing on it and it is just the right height for once. 

I will miss hand scrubbing my laundry

and I wish I had a BBQ like this at home

I will miss laying in my hammock watching my laundry dry

And of course I will miss the view from my hammock, I have a hammock at home but the view isn't the same

I am going to miss my Hibiscus blooming, it is so close

The sunsets over the ocean

Not only will I miss sunsets over the ocean I will miss sunsets all together, I rarely see a sunset at home because the sun sets so late and I am usually in bed by then, however I rarely miss a sunrise as I am up at 4:30 am almost everyday. I like how here sunset is a time of day, most of us refer to the sunset as a time. We'll say " oh, it was just after sunset" or " about 1 hour after sunset". We (the snowbird community) will usually take the time to sit and watch the sunset, it's a time of day most of us look forward to. Well....I do anyway, I make a point of having tea at that time.
So, how did I spend my last day here, worked all day long packing and cleaning up my house. Of course I left laundry to the last day....again, which is so risky, if you have an overcast day laundry doesn't always dry in one day and if you pack anything that is even remotely damp it will be stinky and moldy when you come back. I was lucky the morning was hot and windy, it was a bit overcast in the afternoon but I got everything dry. I pack every single thing in plastic to keep the sand and humidity out. Of course every year I have a little bit more stuff and this year the big item is a futon, which I will be sleeping on tonight so first thing in the morning I have to wrap it up in plastic too and tuck tape it up. Tuck tape is the Mexican version of duct tape....it is not the same but it is tape. When I went to buy it a few days ago the guy at the store said he has been selling tuck tape like crazy the last few weeks, it;s a sign that the snowbirds are packing up. Just in case he clues in to a good opportunity and raises the price of tuck tape next March I will make note to buy mine in February next year.
Anyway thats it, the next posting will be from the cold white north, High Level, Alberta. I know I still owe you a story about my trip to Lake Chapala, I'll post it yet, I promise.

A quick walk on the beach

Since I only have 3 days left here before I fly home I've been taking a walk on the beach twice a day now instead of just once......oh how I will miss this beach.

A visit from a Herring

It's low tide, love how it leaves little ripples

A rider passes me

and a tractor

See the dust cloud over in the plantation, that's a heard of about 25 - 30 horses coming to town to spend the day in hopes of   renting them out to tourists for an Island horseback tour. There are brown ones, white ones, spotted ones, fat ones , skinny ones, old ones, young ones......a favorite for everyone.

I get lucky and find a sand dollar thats not broken, thats 4 this year.....hard to find them intact these days with all the traffic on the beach

See the tip of the mountains, if you have a tall house here you can have a mountain view on one side and a ocean view on the other

More horses

And of course this little guy aways stays behind

Run little one or you are going to stay way behind and cry again 

How to make Ceviche

I headed over to Rosa's house this morning with my notebook and camera looking a bit like a reporter or journalist ready for my lesson on making ceviche. I get there and was informed that we had to go the school first to watch a children's performance of some kind. Turns out it's a holiday called "day of the child", They had a holiday yesterday too, I believe it had something to do with a long ago president Bonito Juarez, I believe is what my vegetable guy told me a few days ago. I asked if he was going to take a day off and he laughed and said that he needs to eat everyday. I think it's interesting how the people here always mention needing to eat in reference to working whereas we mention our mortgage payments in reference to working.
On the way to the school we see trailers being decorated for a parade I am guessing.

 At the school we stood around and watched what I am guessing was organized chaos for quite some time and then it was decided we didn't have time for this and so we headed home. On our way home we meet the fruit stand guy and buy a baggie of fruit and a baggie of horchata for the kids.

Now are ready to make Fish Ceviche, here is your shopping list;

3 kilos ground fish, you can buy fresh fish here at the fish market on the Island and they will put it through a meat grinder, just like making hamburger.
3 kilos limes
3 kilos shredded carrots, you can buy already shredded carrots at the fish market on the other side of the dock....have no idea why they don't do it on this side, or you can shred it yourself, might build some biceps or loose some skin on your fingers.
1 shredded onion
cilantro, according to your taste
serrano peppers, according to your taste

After you've washed your limes you squeeze them limes into a sieve to catch the seeds and then into your ground fish like so

Limes sitting in water

Squeezing limes into your fish

Once your limes are all squeezed in you mash in with a potato masher like so. Oh and, when you accidentally squirt lime juice in your eye you say "yi chiiiiihuahua !" The kids taught me that.

The you let it sit for about 3-4 hours, Rosa told me when she made this in the US she has to let it sit for about 6-8 hours because the limes there were not as strong, so I imagine it would be the same in Canada. She said if she gets a batch of limes that are very strong she will only let it sit for an hour. The lime cooks the fish.....it pickles it I guess. Alway use a plastic or glass bowl for this, never aluminum or any kind of metal, something to do with the acid from the lime....I didn't get what exactly.
Once it has sat for the amount of time that you need you put in your carrots, onions and peppers and cilantro. Add salt according to your taste as well.

Shredding the onion

3 kilos of fine shredded carrots

Big handful of  cilantro 

Dicing the Serrano peppers

The colors are so pretty

Opps I forgot to add this in the beginning, Rosa likes to pour in the juice from a can of jalapeños, this is done right after you've put your limes in.

Everyone has their favorite way of eating this, some put some mayonesa on the tostada first, some like Catsup....yikes, I can't imagine. I like it just layed on thick on the tostada. It is also served on the street with a thick wafer like cracker, which I can't remember the name for, I do prefer it on  that instead of the tostada. 

There you have it. This can be made with canned tuna, you just put in lime to taste because the tuna is already cooked or you can omit it altogether.
They make it here very often with shrimp as well, you just buy ground shrimp at the market and add;
Tomato
onions
garlic
cilantro
chili peppers
salt and pepper
lemons (equal amount to shrimp)
no carrots in the shrimp version.

Enjoy, I sure did......don't forget to say "yi chiiiihuahua" at least once.

Aren't I just so funny?

My Spanish has just started to take off as it always does by the 3rd month I am here. It seems the first month I am still too self conscience to even open my mouth, by the second month I am struggling and getting frustrated and by the 3rd month I realize it's sink or swim and that's when it starts taking off.....unfortunately I only have 3 months here this year.
I can now follow a conversation in a group of people and even contribute a little, I am better one on one. However I don't get jokes....I'm that person in the group that doesn't get the joke, but that's ok because I am pretty funny all on my own. Here are some of the funny things I have said, I am only going to share a few otherwise you are all going to think that I am just funny all the time.

When I wanted to tell someone that I had changed my mind about something but didn't know the word for "mind" I said
" I've changed it in my head". She understood what I meant, love those creative thinkers.
When I wanted to say that a word had slipped my mind I said
"it's not in my head anymore" yup I think this ones a keeper, I am going to use this in English.
When I wanted to tell someone that I liked the garage he built but the word for "garage" wasn't in my head anymore I said
"I like the storage shed you built for your truck" he laughed and said "yes, that is exactly what it is, a storage shed for my truck". We speak the same language.
When I wanted to ask the dessert guy what the name is of the pudding that was in a pastry but could not remember the word for pudding I said (I never actually knew the word for pudding)
"whats the name of this cream" and he said "cream" gee why didn't I think of that. I wasn't convinced he was right because it clearly was puddling not cream so I challenged him and asked what kind of cream and he said  "cream of milk"....where I come from thats pudding.
When I wanted to ask the lady at the store for the soap that you use to wash your dishes with (dish soap) I said "I would like some ham, the kind you wash your dishes with" This one has messed me up before, the difference for the word for "ham" and "soap"  is one letter and I can't get them straight. Time and time I try it again because I know I have a 50% chance of getting it right...I never seem to though.
When I wanted to tell someone that I was very excited about something I said
" I am sexually excited"....yup, thats what I said. Turns out the word "excited" is a very touchy word, this time it was the dictionary that let me down (it has before) I don't talk about any kind of excitement anymore.

Most of the time if people can figure out what I am trying to say they don't even correct me anymore and for the most part they don't even laugh at me either unless it's really off the wall. I do the same with their English, if I know what they are saying I don't correct them either unless it's something really crazy as well. When I am trying to explain something to Daniel and he can't understand me he'll say in English "why you say that?" and I know he means to say "what are you trying to say?"

I had a great time today making ceviche but need to sort through my pictures yet, I'll get on it first thing in the morning. I'll leave you with a picture of my vegetable bowl for today.

What's in your vegetable bowl today? Or are you still old school and just have a fruit bowl?

Take a walk with me

I grabbed my camera and went for a early morning walk today, it was about 6:30am. It`s hard to take pictures during the day when there are so many people about so I thought I would get a head start on the village today. Nope....I was not the only one up, but it was still quiet. So come with me, let`s check out the village.

My favorite plant here is the Bugambilia, love the colors and love how it drapes and clings to things

This is how you slow the traffic down in front of your house, you string around a big fat rope

These dudes were putting up a new one on main street this morning

This first guy across was the gaspa truck, he drives around all day honking and playing a catchy jingle. This is the gas that people use to power their stoves and hot water heaters....if they are so lucky to have them.

This house was hot pink a few days ago.....it`s 2 doors down from me

Love how people here have front porches with hammocks and rocking chairs on them and ......they use them. How many of us at home actually sit on our decks and relax, not often. People here know how to work hard but they also know how to relax, I always have to relearn this when I come here and it follows me home for about a month and then I am in the same ol` rat race again. 

This is a peanut picker, have not a clue how it works. The peanut roaster wasn`t fired up yet this morning, but i will get a picture of that contraption one day for you....fresh roasted peanuts every day, always a treat

This is our Police Station, mostly empty these days, Mazatlan needs all the police they get  these days

This place sells roasted BBQ chicken .... Stone Island KFC. This is the standard BBQ here, if you can muster up one of these and a few plastic table and chairs you are ready to start up your very own restauant

Bought this chicken meal at the place above later that evening, half a chicken, rice, tortillas and salsa, feeds me for 3 meals, was 45 pesos

Next door to the chicken place is a hotdog stand, hotdog with a slice a bacon wrapped around it,  mushrooms, creama, guacamole, 3 different kind of salsa.....try eating that without have guac and salsa running down to your elbows. Wait until I write about what else they do here with wieners.

And right next to that is Thaly`s pedicure and manicure place, and in the evenings .... you guessed it, she has a BBQ and plastic tables and chairs....good good eatin there

Here you can buy Tamales and Bolis....Bolis is frozen fruit and or yogurt....like a popsickle 

This is the Church that  I go too now....small and cozy and very friendly

This is Daniel`s mechanic shop....I beat him to work, unbelievable. 

This is his oil changing pit

He trusts that no one will steal anything

On going construction at this house, 2 young boys have been mixing and carrying concrete since January here. Concrete is carried in 5 gallon pails on their shoulder and it`s mixed with a spade......these young lads are building some pipes on them....this is how boys become men around here....I think

The Tejuino cart....it is some kind of drink made from corn (can oyu believe I  haven`t tried it ) they also sell pozole here occasionally, that I have tried and it is gooooood!

The meat market....

Have you ever seen anything cuter than thisÉ

Another good eatin place

The dock where we go back and forth to Mazatlan  for 6 peso (one way)

fishing boats

The hill

These sign are all over, it says ``new american clothing is begin sold in Alba Lus`s house`` there is no address posted for Alba`s house because it is assumed everybody knows

This place has good food too in the evenings

This is the hardware store, I have made a fool of myself there a time or two due to my Spanishlish

Nice new house

Good food here too.....great papa locas

The super City Deli, reminds me of the Friesen`s General Store years ago back home

This house went up fast, they started building in January

In years past this guy had an assortment of vegetables in his garden, this year...just onions

pretty bright blue

Not afraid to go neon green here

Sailboat at sea

This will be a pretty one

Check out where this lady is cooking breakfast......how would you like your eggs cooked here in the horse fenceÉ

He bring his horses in from his ranch everyday and they hang out here at his home in town until the tourist go home at around 3 ish and then he herds them back to the ranch

This is the real cowboy life.....this just fits here,  I wouldn`t think twice about having eggs at this home if I was invited, the smell of horse poo floats all over this Island, you get used to it and when you first arrive in the fall it`s what lets you know you have arrived home again. 

Thanks for walking with me, stick around, tomorrow I am getting a lesson in making Ceviche. I will be bringing my note book and camera and will report back to you. Oh, by the way, somehow the whole Island heard I learned how to make tamales and I can`t walk anywhere without someone asking me how my tamales were. The vegetable guy was telling me today how to fry them the second day....second dayÉ There is never a second day for Tamales.....I ate them all the first day. 

By the way (how many times can you say ``by the way`` in one paragraphÉ .....anyway, you may have noticed this é or this É in places where there should be a question mark, it seem my question mark key has become a Spanish e.......have no idea how this happened but then again my laptop has always been smarter than me, I am not too proud to admit that. This had happened to me before and it fixes itself eventually.