A Great Weekend and My School Kids!

Here they are!! How cute! Aren't they just like all 2nd graders everywhere? They are not wearing their uniforms because I took this picture on Friday, Sept. 14, the day that the school was celebrating El Dia de Independencia and they could wear red, white and green that day. The next 2 pictures they are wearing their uniforms.

Working hard????

That is my desk in the back of the picture---just a grown up version of their tables. No drawers, not very big.

Last weekend I made a trip home to visit my family and what a great weekend it was! I took 2 days off school and flew home on Friday, returning to PV on Monday. I had 2 great days with family and friends. Just the shot in the arm that I needed!

Mr. Neat and Nellie were first to get big hugs! Mr. Neat has been working on our living room, dining room, and kitchen, and I hardly recognized the house! He has been busy painting, having hardwood installed in the DR and kitchen and carpeting in the LR. We started all this back in June but it fell on his shoulders to complete the task. It really looks nice. He had Johnny's Barbecue waiting for us when we got home from the airport. Yum!

Saturday morning I had breakfast with Sara with whom I taught for many years! How nice to catch up on school and family with her.

Then it was off to visit with AE, C, M and M. The little M had a soccer game. Watching 4 year olds play soccer is a treat. When it was M's turn to be goalie, the goalie shirt came down to his knees covering his shorts! After lunch we went to the big M's baseball game. These are 8-10 year olds and the kids are pitching for the first time. M threw a strike on his first pitch! Look out White Sox---you may have a player in training! Our visit at their house was over too quickly and the boys were not happy that I had to go. I miss them.

Sunday was church. How nice to sit in "our pew" once again! After church about 25 friends went to a restaurant with us and had lunch. What a nice way to get to see so many people.

Sunday afternoon MJ and CA and Z and C came to our house for a visit. My "big" grandkids are really growing up and both had good news to tell me about their schools. I am so proud of their accomplishments. And both MJ and CA have lost weight. They are looking gooood!

Time to repack my suitcases came too soon. After a good flight to my "home-away-from-home" I am back to my routine of teaching.

I am looking forward to some cooler weather that they have promised for October and I have a list of activities that I would like to do and see during the fall. I wonder if the leaves change colors and fall off the trees here in PV??? (Does a palm tree change colors?)

Hasta luego.

El Dia de Independencia #1

El Dia de Independencia

September 16th is Independence Day in Mexico. It is one of the biggest celebrations during the year. Many people in the USA think that the Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) is the Mexican Independence Day but they are wrong. (The Cinco de Mayo celebrates the battle of Puebla.)

I was fortunate to be invited by Emma, the English Coordinator at the Colegio, to go with her, her Mom, and 3 daughters to the celebration last Saturday. Yes, I know, Saturday was Sept. 15th. The celebration of El Grito (The Cry) is done at 11:00pm on the night of the 15th and then on the 16th they continue to celebrate with a parade and time with their families. Just like in the USA on the 4th of July, most of the stores are closed on the 15th and 16th and there is no school on the 16th. (Too bad this year it was on a Sunday!)

Emma picked me up at 5:00pm and we drove to the center of town, parked the car and walked on the Malecon. The Malecon is the Boardwalk along the ocean---a very lovely mile or so to walk. There are quite a few statues along the Malecon and people like to have their pictures taken at the statues. Benches provide a rest for the weary and puestos (small stands) sell food and drinks if you are hungry, and trinkets to the tourists.

The first picture (above) is the angel statue on the Malecon and you can see how the Malecon curves around. The red, white and green banners on the right are decorating The Arches which are, along with the Sea Horse, traditional statues of Puerto Vallarta. The little girl on the left is Daniela, Emma's youngest daughter.

Here is a picture of Los Arcos, The Arches, decorated for the special day. It appears in the photo that the arches are on stage, but actually they are on the Malecon and just in front of them is an amphitheater where programs are held. In fact, at 8:00pm this evening there was to be a program of traditional dancing. Unfortunately the program was rained out. More about that later!

And, once again, I have to ask you to turn your head to see the next 2 pictures. (Some day I will learn how to rotate them!)

Standing on the Malecon near The Arches, you can look across the Plaza and beyond to see the Cathedral of Guadalupe. The top of the church looks like a crown. It is a very pretty church and I attended services there last week.

I have to show you a picture of my friends! Emma's Mom (on the left) is visiting from Guanajuato; next to her is Daniela, 4th grade, then Emma, and Carla (10th grade) hugging her mom. Fernanda (8th grade) was not with us when I took the picture. At one end of the Malecon is the River Cuale which flows into the ocean. In the river is an island, with lovely restaurants, puestos selling art, souvenirs, clothing, etc. We walked there and found this pretty fountain just waiting to have its picture taken!

In the next 2 blogs, I will tell you about the rest of the evening.

Hasta luego.

El Dia de Independencia #2

Los Raices



At 7:00pm the races began! There were 3 races in which anyone could partake. The first was the potato sack race. In the picture above, the kids line up to start the race. They jumped, fell, and laughed their way to the finish line!



The next race was the bottle race. Waiters carried trays with bottles, glasses, and other dishes, and ran for the finish line. The winner cannot spill his tray or drop any of the dishes. The photo below shows a waiter at the tail end of the race. He didn't win but he didn't drop his tray either!

The best race was the last: the burro race! Burros ran, walked, stopped, turned around, and were urged on by their riders until there was a declared winner! There were 3 "heats" and finally the winners of the 3 ran against each other! What fun! The burros wore blankets and decorations for the day!

And the winner is......!!!!

I couldn't resist taking this picture of the folks standing next to me watching the races! Aren't the kids cute, all dressed up for the special day!

After the races were over, there was to be a program of dancing etc. over by the arches. We went over there about 7:40pm, sat down to wait for the dancing when a few raindrops began to fall. We immediately got up and crossed the street to the plaza, and walked across the plaza to the municipal building which had a covered porch. Before we got to the building, it was POURING rain! And it continues to pour for 1 1/2 hours. We sat on the steps of the porch, listened to the music which was playing, and waited and watched the rain.

The roofs of the buildings are tile so there are no gutters and the rain pours off the buildings in a waterfall. People waited for a while hoping the rain would abate, but finally gave up and began to run or walk wherever they wanted to go. People were drenched. Even those who had umbrellas were wet. Carla, Fernanda, and Daniela got out in the rain and danced. They had such fun and we enjoyed watching them. They were soaked and happy! What else can you do?

The rain stopped as quickly as it started around 9:30pm. Of course the program of dances had been cancelled but we went back to the Malecon and I bought a large limonada to drink because I was so very, very hot, and they bought tamales and tacos to eat. After eating we went back across to the municipal building to wait for "El Grito" (The Cry) which would take place ast 11:00pm.

I will describe that in the following blog.

Hasta luego.

El Dia de Independencia #3

VIVA MEXICO!

About 10:00pm the actual celebration of "El Grito" or "The Cry" begins. There are several activities that take place before "El Grito" which is always at 11:00pm. All over Mexico, at 11:00pm, "El Grito" is celebrated.

On the balcony of the municipal building in town, the mayor (or president as he is called) will come out at 11:00pm, make a speech, ring the bell, and wave the flag, shouting "Viva", "Viva Mexico."

The picture above, is the the balcony with the Mexican flag made of lights. If you look closely, you can see a gold rope, hanging in the middle. This is the rope to the bell which the mayor will ring.

The first thing that happened was, about 20 men came running down the street, each carrying a lighted torch. They ran up to the stage where a large torch was lit. This fire signifies a gift to the people of Puerto Vallarta from the people of the state of Guanajuato. After the large torch was lit, tradition says that everyone in the crowd is supposed to get a torch, and hold it high in the air. Actually there were only about 20 or 25 torches which were given to the people who held them for a few minutes and then put out the flame.

After the torches were put out, people went up on the stage and had their pictures made with the fire. Emma took the picture of me. See below! I am standing in front of a huge Mexican flag, holding one of the torches, and the people on the right are waiting to have their pictures taken.

After the lighting of the fire ceremony, (and the large fire was put out), a small band came marching to the stage, playing the national anthem, and the Mexican flag was presented onstage.

Next the army came. It was a small group of soldiers representing the Mexican army which won the independence from Spain. They stood at attention and the drums and bugles played for (what seemed like) a long time.

The army presented a large Mexican flag to the mayor who then took it up to the balcony. Before the mayor appeared on the balcony with the flag, another man read the story of Father Hidalgo and the first Independence Day. Finally at 11:00, the mayor appeared, carrying the flag, and he shouts "Viva", and rings the bell, to which the people reply "Viva" (this is done 4 times) and finally "Viva Mexico" while waving the flag. See picture below.

After "El Grito" there is a fireworks display and then a large party. All the restaurants have parties after the celebration.

We left as soon as it was over and with the terrible traffic, I didn't get home until 12:35am!

I felt very fortunate to be able to take part in their special celebration and observe how the Mexican people celebrate their "Fourth of July"!

Hasta luego.

New York Cab Drivers--Take Note!

Until now, I was sure that the worst drivers in the world were the NY cab drivers. Now I'm not so sure! I believe that the Mexican drivers may take the prize! They drive by no rules, and why leave 6 inches between cars when 3 inches will do? Although they seem to have no rules to drive by, I must admit that I have not seen a single accident any time I have been in Mexico.

There actually are stop signs, but that must mean someone else has to stop, because drivers do not stop at the stop sign unless there is absolutely no room for them to continue onward. However, at the stoplights, everyone stops. Absolutely NO ONE runs a red light.

No one seems to have the right-of-way. Whoever gets there first, goes first! Cars that are turning, just turn in front of cars going straight. And I have written about the topes (speed bumps)---just like my fellow Americans, they slow to a stop at the speed bump and then race to 30, 40 50 miles an hour until they reach the next speed bump, which may be 30 feet or 1/2 block away and slam on the brakes.

Because this is the rainy season and PV does not have sewers, after a rain, the streets are full of water. I ride to school in the mornings with Vianey, the principal of the elementary school, and she drives through water that I wouldn't think of entering. I just hold on tight and pray!

On the side streets and back roads, people drive on whichever side of the road has the fewest potholes. They may drive on the left side of the road, then switch to the right side, and if they meet an oncoming car, the car waits for them to move over. It is amazing!

Buses are another wonderful Mexican oddity. There are many, many buses in PV and there is no bus schedule. They come often and you learn which bus to take by the color of the bus. Also they write on the front of the bus, with what appears to be a marker, the important stops that the bus will make. For example, a bus may say: Centro, Sams, Walmart, Tunel. That means it will go past Sams, Walmart, thru the center of town and through the tunnel to the other side of town.

All the buses are ancient and boarding a bus is an athletic activity. The lowest step is about 2 1/2 feet (up to my knee) off the ground. I have to grab hold of the bar and pull myself up on the step since I am not very agile!!! The drivers go as fast as they possibly can, slowing to a stop at the speed bumps or the bus stop in the shortest distance possible. I hold on the the bar very tightly. Everyone here rides the bus, unlike in the USA.

I would like to describe the inside of the bus to you: imagine, if you can, the oldest bus that you have ever seen, metal seats, paint scratched off the seats and the walls. By the driver, there is often fringe hanging over the windshield or on the ceiling around the driver, pictures of Jesus, Mary, and other saints, holy babies (not sure just which babies they are supposed to be--perhaps saints) and little signs dedicated to saints. Just behind the driver is usually a bucket in which he stores liquids of some sort to use in the bus: perhaps water for the radiator, anti-freeze???? i am not sure what these bottles of liquid are for. Sometimes there is also a bucket for trash. I did note that in one trash bucket were 2 empty Modelo beer bottles. I was hoping that they didn't belong to the driver!

There are marked bus stops on the main streets, but on the side streets, if you want to bus to stop, simply raise your finger (NOooo not that finger! Your index finger, silly!) and the bus stops for you. Also on all the side streets the driver leaves the door of the bus open. Not sure why but I appreciate the ventilation. I always try to sit in the front seat so I can tell the driver where I want to get off the bus. I have not yet figured out how one signals to the driver that he wants to get off. There must be a way but I just tell the driver. That way I am sure to get my stop.

The fare to ride the bus is very cheap: $5 (pesos). That is 50 cents US. There are no transfers. You pay $5 each bus that you get on. Although from school I only pay $2.50 on each bus because I am wearing the school uniform and I ride as a student! In the afternoon after school, I get the bus right at the school and ride it about 1 mile to the Plaza Marina where I must change buses. It takes about 10-15 minutes to drive that mile because the dirt roads are full of potholes, some so large you could lose a small child in it! When I get to the Plaza Marina, and board the next bus, it drops me off about 1 short block from my house. Very convenient.

The last thing to tell is about the taxis. There are many taxis and you flag one the same way that you get the bus: one finger in the air. Before entering a taxi, you should tell the driver where you are going and agree on a fare before getting into the taxi. Most taxi drivers speak some English since tourism is such a big business here. I try to strike up a conversation with each driver in Spanish and have found that most are very nice and helpful. I have pretty much learned the fares so if one tries to overcharge
me before I get into the cab, I tell him what I will pay and so far, I have never had one refuse to take me! Most are interested to know where I am from, to tell me about their experiences in the USA (if any) and are pleased to know that I am a teacher here.

Come on down and we'll ride a bus together around town!

Hasta luego.

My Night at the Sheraton Buganvillia

This is the Sheraton Buganvillia in PV. Mr. Neat, bless him, suggested that I go to a hotel and play tourist for a night and see how the other half lives. He thought I could relax and forget about some of the stress that I have lived with for the past month. He was absolutely right!

The hotel was so large I couldn't get it all in the picture. This is probably about half of it.

It was such a wonderful day and night. I checked into my ocean-view room about 1PM, changed into my swimsuit and went to the pool. I ate lunch, and went for a swim. (Those who know me know that I really didn't get my head wet but I sure enjoyed walking around in the water!) It was a perfect temperature for me. I walked on the beach for a while and then relaxed in a recliner by the pool and read.

On the beach, looking north, you can see more hotels and resorts. The new building is one of many. Construction is a big business here and new condos, apartments and hotels are being built everywhere.

Looking south you can see the center of PV. It is a quaint little town with cobblestone streets and the malecon (boardwalk) stretches for about a mile. People walk and take photos of the many statues located along the malecon.

The day was overcast but you can see that the town is built on the side of a hill. The mountains that surround the city are beautiful and I think I enjoy looking at them more than at the ocean. I'm from WV, remember, and grew up in the mountains!

A little closer view of the hotel area.

After my afternoon on the beach, I took a long HOT shower (the first hot shower I have had here!), did my nails, read the USA Today that I bought and watched TV in English!

Dinner was at La Villita restaurant---more about that in the next blog.

Sunday morning I slept in and had brunch at the restaurant. Check-out time was noon. I had had a marvelous day and I appreciated every minute of it!

Hasta luego.

Food and Mariachis!

I had lunch at this poolside restaurant. A fruit plate with fresh pineapple, papaya, cantaloupe, watermelon, apple slices, grapes, honeydew and cottage cheese and a lime agua fresca to sip and enjoy.

This is the La Villita restaurant in the hotel. It is right on the beach and you can eat inside or outside.

Same picture---sorry I put it on twice!

Sunday brunch at La Villita was magnificient! These mariachi played, there were clowns with balloons for the kids, champagne for the adults and the food was to die for! 6 kinds of juice, some Asian food, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, cheeses, eggs, meats, fish, and of course, pancakes for the tourists! And that was just the beginning!

On Saturday night I ate dinner there and had a margarita, tortilla soup, and shrimp tacos. Too bad, no room for dessert!

Quite a lovely way to eat. Hasta luego.

Fun Day at the Beach

Here is the beautiful pool with the Sheraton behind.

People enjoying a day at the beach.

A peek at the ocean from my room.

Even though it was overcast with occasional sun, I enjoyed going into the pool and walking along the beach. I found the only shady recliner, covered up with towels so I wouldn't get sunburned, and read my book. How relaxing!

The hotels here have English paperback books to loan like a library. Just chose a book, read it and return it to any hotel. I got 2 and look forward to reading and exchanging them.

Hasta luego.

Ocean View Room and English TV!

Such a comfy king bed! With blankets???? Crank down that AC and pull up the blanket!

TV with English! CNN, Headline News, and even WGN with a Cubs game! (They won!) I watched TV and read the USA Today newspaper. What bliss!

I couldn't get a picture of the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the pool and the ocean because there was too much light. But you can get the idea!

I really enjoyed being a "tourist" for a night and almost forgot that I live on the other side of the tracks, so to speak,

Hasta luego.

The Back Patio

This is my bedroom window overlooking the back patio. The little roof is pretty, isn't it? Note the clothesline and clothespins on the right. Just above the clothesline is a light which we burn at night. (Perhaps for security??) On the left is the door which you will see in the next photo.

This is the door from the house to the patio. Inside the wrought iron door is a sliding door to the house. On the left is the window to the bathroom. Aurora hung a piece of plastic over the window because the window is broken and when it rains, water would come into the bathroom. A wonderful solution to a problem!

Once again, a picture which needs rotating. This is the heater for the hot water but I took the picture so you can see the pretty tile on the floor.

This is the laundry room for the house. The sink is next to the chairs. Once again, no hot water, but Aurora washes out clothes and hangs them to dry. I will never again, in my life, see a white plastic chair, that I don't think of Mexico! They have been in every house in Mexico that I have visited!

My Bedroom

This is my bed, with the suitcase in the corner and a little "put-together" plastic table I was able to find which serves as a very adequate nightstand. There are actually 3 shelves on it and I can keep my books, journal, dictionaries, and on top I have my clock and AC control. I have to be very careful when I move the shelves to change the sheets because it comes apart quite easily!

This is the "famous" air-conditioner installed in the concrete wall! I really don't think I could have survived without it.

This wall serves as my closet. There are 2 bars, just out of the picture. One serves as the closet bar from which my clothes hang, and the second is for the curtains that you see on the right. I really never close the curtains since they are hard to pull across. Note my towels hanging on the left. Hanging them here allows them to dry out. The chest has the 3 drawers and 3 doors to store clothes. I bought the little basket to keep my toiletries in, and the rest of the things on the top of the chest are things that I use daily: water bottles, etc.

This is the other wall in my bedroom. I have the window which looks out onto the back patio and I was so excited when Aurora offered me this "beautiful" chest with 3 drawers! I keep my shoes in one drawer, and other stuff in the top two drawers. The don't fit into the chest so I have to carefully lift them in and out but I was happy to get them. On top I store my laptop case, purse and makeup. Since the only mirror in the whole house is one 12" in diameter, over the bathroom sink in the hallway, I bought a larger mirror to use. Unfortunately it is so cheaply made, with cardboard on the back to hang it from the wall, I am afraid to hang it up. I know it would fall down and break. I slide it on the floor next to the chest and then balance it on my knees to put on my makeup! That works!

Inside the House

This is the eating area next to the living room.


And the kitchen. Note the blue water jug on the counter. We buy large jugs of purified water to drink. So far, no hot water! I think when it gets "cold" we will turn on the heater and have hot water!! I wash my dishes in cold water, use lots of palmolive dish detergent and pretend like they are clean! So far I haven't gotten sick. I limit my dishes to a bowl, spoon, a glass, and a couple of knives and I use these all the time. I wash them and put them away in the area where I keep my food. I try not to "share dishes".
Once again, sorry this is not rotated. I don't know how to rotate the pictures yet. I'm still learning. Anyway, this is our bathroom. The toilet takes up exactly half the width of the room and the shower takes up the other half. The sink is outside the bathroom in the hallway.

More House Photos

Standing on my front patio, I took this picture of the house across the street. Note the cobblestone street and water in the potholes. Since this is the rainy season, it rains for a while almost every day; thus, the water never has a chance to dry up.
Now I am standing across the street and took this picture of Yelapa street next to my house. That is my house in the right hand corner of the photo.

Standing at the front door, this is the living room.

This is the other side of the living room. The telephone that you see actually works now!!! We dont have cable TV so we get 4 channels: 2 of which are so snowy you can't watch them but the other 2 are clear. All four are Spanish stations. I miss CNN!!

Pictures of My House

This is my house.

A closer view. Can you read the street sign? It says "Yelapa". The side street is Yelapa and the front street is Cabo Corrientes, but the address is 535 Yelapa.

The bench on our front patio.

The front door. Sorry I tried to rotate the photo but couldn't do it!

The side of the house.