Monday, March 05, 2007
Life in General in Chacala
We were able to get quite a bit of gardening done this time, spending several afternoons with friends at the viveros (nurseries). We are lucky enough to have two friends who were visiting who are landscape gardeners in the bay area so we had lots of help. We found ourselves salivating over the suculents and the palms. Flowering plants that we only see as house plants grow rampantly here. We know when we come back next year we will be shocked at how much things have grown but for now we dig down into our rocks and feel great satisfaction.
There are some changes happening in Chacala, a few new houses and lots of interest in buying land. We have mixed feelings about these changes as we fell in love with a quiet village with an unhurried way of life. But we can see the benefits to the community that this activity brings, more jobs, several new entrepenures, different foods, more help at the schools as well as a cleaner environement.
The cleaner environment has been brought about by the children in the schools, they pick up garbage, usually once a week and collect plastic bottles from the houses on Saturdays. They have won several competitions for the village and won a garbage truck last year which now goes around everyday to pick up garbage from houses.
Still Chacala is a quiet sleepy place to hang out and get to know the people. After Christmas things slow down and you can get back to some serious reading and beaching. Or in our case plan a new garden and wall.
We will be back in April and will keep you posted.
There are some changes happening in Chacala, a few new houses and lots of interest in buying land. We have mixed feelings about these changes as we fell in love with a quiet village with an unhurried way of life. But we can see the benefits to the community that this activity brings, more jobs, several new entrepenures, different foods, more help at the schools as well as a cleaner environement.
The cleaner environment has been brought about by the children in the schools, they pick up garbage, usually once a week and collect plastic bottles from the houses on Saturdays. They have won several competitions for the village and won a garbage truck last year which now goes around everyday to pick up garbage from houses.
Still Chacala is a quiet sleepy place to hang out and get to know the people. After Christmas things slow down and you can get back to some serious reading and beaching. Or in our case plan a new garden and wall.
We will be back in April and will keep you posted.
Friends in Chacala
Children in Chacala are irresistable. They have an inner light, whether they are from poor families or those that have enough. We gave our neighbours little boy a plastic truck for Christmas and he played with it everyday for the whole time we were there. He did not have any other toys and this was just what he wanted. Other children need clothing and the basics of life, but you can still add a little personal gift, a hair band or key chain. All children appreciate colouring books and crayons and the school here is always happy to get supplies. Anyone coming down for the first time can bring school supplies or small toys for the children add a few hugs and you will make instant friends.
January 2007
Rick left at the same time as Heather and Chris and I was on my own for three weeks. I was a little apprehensive but after the mad rush of company and friends at Christmas time I was ready for a little solitude. I found myself copying the locals, I would start the day with a nice breakfast on the upper patio contemplating the view and waiting for something to come up. Sometimes someone would drop by to visit, sometimes a delivery or work person would come, sometimes no one. I would clean up, read a book, paint or just generally sit around for the morning. In the afternoon I went to the beach or visited friends or stayed home and read. Usually about four o’clock I would go for a long walk, meeting up with Mexican people I knew and spending a little time trying out my Spanish. Some mornings I went to Spanish class, others I stayed home and watched the birds. Altogether I had a blissful time, just letting down and enjoying the atmosphere.
I drove down to Puerto Vallarta to pick Rick up and we spent a little time around PV getting groceries and just generally hanging out. We find it easier to hang out there now that we know where things are. We had dinner in Bucerias and enjoyed a great little street market and fiesta that was happening there.
The last two weeks flew buy. Rick was taking an SRT course at Mardi Jade and the last week I got a horrendous stomach flue. But just before we left we were invited to a little town nearby called el Capomo. They were having a nine day festival, it included a float with biblical characters, five loud Mexican bands, a lot of fireworks, and great things to eat and drink. We enjoyed this evening the most of all our time there.
We were both sad to leave our new home. I think next year we will spend the same amount of time here, December and January as well as April, and hopefully the following year we will be able to spend longer. We do feel a sense of well being and home in Chacala. It is such a great experience to live in another culture and we value the people and the culture above everything else there.
I drove down to Puerto Vallarta to pick Rick up and we spent a little time around PV getting groceries and just generally hanging out. We find it easier to hang out there now that we know where things are. We had dinner in Bucerias and enjoyed a great little street market and fiesta that was happening there.
The last two weeks flew buy. Rick was taking an SRT course at Mardi Jade and the last week I got a horrendous stomach flue. But just before we left we were invited to a little town nearby called el Capomo. They were having a nine day festival, it included a float with biblical characters, five loud Mexican bands, a lot of fireworks, and great things to eat and drink. We enjoyed this evening the most of all our time there.
We were both sad to leave our new home. I think next year we will spend the same amount of time here, December and January as well as April, and hopefully the following year we will be able to spend longer. We do feel a sense of well being and home in Chacala. It is such a great experience to live in another culture and we value the people and the culture above everything else there.
Christmas 2006
On Saturday we went up to Tonala, a suburb of Guadalajara, to buy furniture and mirrors. This is such a great little place. You can buy crafts, furniture, glass, mirrors, dishes, decorative things and many art objects there. We only stayed a day, don’t know why, it turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip this year. Small markets line the streets, with food and clothing as well as crafts. The stores are all loaded with beautiful things, like tiles and throws, carpets and mirrors. Everything is very reasonable and we were able to arrange for shipping of the couch and two chairs we bought there. As usual Rick had things strapped to the top of the car (I think this is a guy thing) and we filled the inside with everything else. Here is the result of some of our shopping.
We arrived home to greet our first guests. They had just arrived from San Francisco ready to absorb, for only one week, the sun and softness of Chacala. We had a great time talking all day long and evenings too. We were sad to see them go and happily they made plans to come for longer next year. Jaqui and Randy flew in from Costa Rica full of plans and ideas for their next adventure there. We tried to interest them in building in Chacala but they had already made up their minds to go further south.
We arrived home to greet our first guests. They had just arrived from San Francisco ready to absorb, for only one week, the sun and softness of Chacala. We had a great time talking all day long and evenings too. We were sad to see them go and happily they made plans to come for longer next year. Jaqui and Randy flew in from Costa Rica full of plans and ideas for their next adventure there. We tried to interest them in building in Chacala but they had already made up their minds to go further south.
Friends from the Okanagan and others from the bay area came into town, we met a few others, mainly Canadians and settled in for Christmas.
We had Christmas Eve dinner at Mahajwa at a local spa and restaurant at the end of the beach with our friends and found a another group of people there that we knew from last year. The restaurant is high up in the jungle and overlooks Chacala Bay. We always enjoy our times there and the owner is always so welcoming, and a very good cook. We had Christmas dinner at our house, catered by one of the local women; we had Chile Releneos, beans and rice, guacamole and chips followed by flan. It was a bit heavy but great stuff. We all felt incredibly lucky to be able to sit out in the warm tropical air eating Christmas dinner.
The following week was a whirlwind of people and parties, J and R left and Heather and Chris arrived. We went swimming at Las Cuevas and whale watching in the early morning. Pelican watching at the port and general eating and drinking on the beach.
We had Christmas Eve dinner at Mahajwa at a local spa and restaurant at the end of the beach with our friends and found a another group of people there that we knew from last year. The restaurant is high up in the jungle and overlooks Chacala Bay. We always enjoy our times there and the owner is always so welcoming, and a very good cook. We had Christmas dinner at our house, catered by one of the local women; we had Chile Releneos, beans and rice, guacamole and chips followed by flan. It was a bit heavy but great stuff. We all felt incredibly lucky to be able to sit out in the warm tropical air eating Christmas dinner.
The following week was a whirlwind of people and parties, J and R left and Heather and Chris arrived. We went swimming at Las Cuevas and whale watching in the early morning. Pelican watching at the port and general eating and drinking on the beach.
Between all this socializing we were getting the house finished. Juan the painter was there most days; we were shopping for extras like a washing machine and trying to get the house ready for our friends who are staying here in February and March. The hardest part was getting people to look after it whilst we were gone. Our first cleaning person did not work out; she made great swans out of towels for the beds, but didn’t really seem to like cleaning. We have a great crew in place right now, so with a little luck and planning we hope we are OK.
December 2006
This year we drove down to Mexico. The trip took five and a half days and was really a pleasant way to start our holidays. We had been concerned that our bodies would complain about sitting in a car for that length of time but all the physio and massage work we have been having paid off. The highlight of our trip down was Zion Canyon. The red cliffs lit by sunlight towering over us as we wound our way around the box canyon were spectacular. We will spend more time in this area next time we drive down.
The border crossing at Nogales was hectic. Crossing into Mexico at the first border was easy, we just drove through a lane that had no other cars in it, realizing too late that it was the wrong lane, but the border guard waved us through with an exasperated look on his face. We thought that was a little too easy. We knew we had to get insurance, tourists cards and a car permit, but in the craziness of Nogales traffic we could see no signs as to where to get these. We stopped and asked people in stores and were directed to five different places until one person told us just to continue down the road for about 20 kilometers and we would see it. We arrived at about 4:00 pm at the real border, there was hardly anyone there, we thought good, but no, it was shift change time, and it still took us two hours to get the three pieces of paper we needed. A little jangled we drove up to the border, chose the lane of "Nothing to Declare" (Our car was loaded to the roof and we had rain gutters strapped to the top) and we were waved through. We stopped in the next town and had a beer.
From here on it was uneventful. It took two and a half days to get down to Chacala. The road to Mazatlan was a good four lane highway and we made good time.
We arrived in Chacala to find our house bathed in a rosy hue. The sun was setting and the house was lit with a its fabulous rays.
The border crossing at Nogales was hectic. Crossing into Mexico at the first border was easy, we just drove through a lane that had no other cars in it, realizing too late that it was the wrong lane, but the border guard waved us through with an exasperated look on his face. We thought that was a little too easy. We knew we had to get insurance, tourists cards and a car permit, but in the craziness of Nogales traffic we could see no signs as to where to get these. We stopped and asked people in stores and were directed to five different places until one person told us just to continue down the road for about 20 kilometers and we would see it. We arrived at about 4:00 pm at the real border, there was hardly anyone there, we thought good, but no, it was shift change time, and it still took us two hours to get the three pieces of paper we needed. A little jangled we drove up to the border, chose the lane of "Nothing to Declare" (Our car was loaded to the roof and we had rain gutters strapped to the top) and we were waved through. We stopped in the next town and had a beer.
From here on it was uneventful. It took two and a half days to get down to Chacala. The road to Mazatlan was a good four lane highway and we made good time.
We arrived in Chacala to find our house bathed in a rosy hue. The sun was setting and the house was lit with a its fabulous rays.
"Yes we have power" "Yes we have water"
As is usual in Mexico the day before we arrived the power was put in. Water came a few days later. There were a few kinks to iron out but supprisingly nothing major. We are ready to get on with painting and furnishing our little piece of paradise.
Labels: Drive down 2007
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]