THURSDAY

. . . . . . Olivia, [Natalia's weekly house keeper] arrived five minutes after Natalia left this morning, 8:30, so I quickly dressed, grabbed a breakfast bar that I keep handy for such occasions and left the house to start my day. Olivia brought her older teen age daughter along so I expected they would not be too long. Natalia's place is not really large. I walked to Old Town, stopping twice to sit in the shade and enjoy my new Lee Child adventure. By ten-thirty I felt the breakfast bar was letting me down so I stepped over to a little Pizza place and ordered a piece of pizza. The meat tasted like it was manufactured by Oscar Meyer, I was not pleased. They also served along with that a Mexican Cola that may have been fine but it will take some getting used to. After the Pizza and more reading I decided to stop by the bank to stock up on Pesos before trudging back to the house and making out a little grocery list.  I arrived home at noon -thirty and discovered they were still there and the bathroom door was shut. That Pizza was working on my lower intestine and I felt the need to release the pressure. I pointed at the bathroom door and said "Olivia?" to the girl. She looked at me and said, "Si". So I waited and waited, feeling worse by the minute. Eight or ten minutes later Olivia walked in the front door! I then pointed at the bathroom door and asked, "OK?" The girl looked at me and said "Si". I could have thrown a rock at her. . . . .  .By the time I got out of their they had made my bed and were back in the kitchen doing God knows what. I left. I walked to the market for some Granola, bananas and those large red raisins I like. The first time I bought raisins there [two weeks ago] the lady charged me 100 Pesos for 2.2 pounds. That is close to $3.76 American per pound. I complained but paid it. Today the man waited on me and charged me 72 Pesos for the same amount. You have to watch 'em around here, Gringo's are live targets. Natalia has laughed many times at my adventures. She said at one time that the same thing happens to her if she is not paying attention.

I think is was 1887 that the first donkey powered public transportation was put in place in Mazatlan.
This is a short section of the original track and ties. Located outside the Museum.

A much better view of Macaws Bistro that caterer's to us Gringos. The bar tenders name is Caesar.

 Poor Kitty, I should have taken another picture because he really does have two pretty eyes.

I couldn't not take this picture, the little doggy is following along very safely but dragging his leash.

 

 

WEDNESDAY

. . . . . . . I have been wandering around all day thinking it was Tuesday, must be too  much sunshine, getting to my brain. After breakfast I stopped by the Membership Library and paid them for another years membership, about $12.00, even though I only use it for two months. I found half a dozen more Lee Child Mysteries I have not yet read so I checked out one of them and walked to the south end of the city for lunch and exercise. Again I ordered a full meal and ate it all, too much food. I have to find a way to control myself! The new book is about one third finished and I arrived back at the house about 4:45.

My attempt at Photo Art, It looked good when I took the picture but something is missing now. Perhaps my mood has changed.

The statue outside the Main Church in Old Town and I would guess the larges church in the city.

This guy was yelling at me to get off his sidewalk, he was on top of the third floor. He had a very large voice!

This little guy just sat in his own house and bothered no one.

TUESDAY

.   .   .   .   .The Gold Zone must be closer than I thought because I walked home from McDonalds in only one hour today. In years past I figured it was at least four miles and reported it as such. No chance. I don't walk four miles per hour. Perhaps one day when Natalia and I go somewhere in her car I will ask her to check it........On the walk outward this morning I stopped for lunch and ate way too much, that was not what I intended but the restaurant offered too much food for the price and I was unable [no surprise] to stop myself. After lunch I continued the walk along the Mali- con with the beach to my left and four lanes of traffic to my right. I got as far as McDonald's before stopping for a coke and while I was there I finished my Lee Childs book. It has been years since I have read fiction, except for the classics, but Childs has a great character named Reacher who bums around the country getting into all kinds of mischief. Natalia has loaned me two of her books and I have finished both of them. I will stop by the Membership Library tomorrow to renew my membership from last year and see if they have any other Lee Child productions.

 A few blocks West of Old town the Malicon ends. This statue stands in the middle of the previously four lane boulevard in honor of the deer of the area. I believe there is a connection between the word Mazatlan and deer. The antenna's on top of the hill explain why Natalia gets perfect reception with no antenna.  Her house is only a few hundred yards away.

This picture, believe it or not, represents the third time in three days, about 11am, that I have passed by this same spot and taken a picture of this man. I was convinced he lived on that spot but later journeys along that way produced no sign of him.

MONDAY

. . . . . . .Seattle won! I found an opportunity to pay $20 US and watch the last quarter on my puter but I am too cheap. Something tells me that would have been an exciting time! Perhaps I can find the same site for the Super Bowl, for the whole game I will pay the money.. . . . .  .Today was walking and reading. And lunch too, of course. . . . . I got a late start because I spent the morning getting my laundry caught up. It was about 11 AM when I left the house for my daily constitution. . . .  . I have a few more pictures to share:

This is the park two blocks from Natalia's house. Looking East. A few small clouds bouncing along in the background.

I enjoyed lunch here yesterday, directly behind me as I take the picture is the ocean.

I get surprises like this two or three times a week. The vehicles are seldom parked and I don't see them early enough to get good pictures as they go past.

Meet Ramon, he is the security at the corner pawn shop between the house and the park. He speaks no English but we wave to each other each time I pass. This is the third year this has been going on.

SUNDAY

................I got a late start this morning, Natalia had prepared a wonderful Mexican breakfast for us and after the kitchen was cleaned up it was almost 11AM. She said she was ready for a nap and I was ready to get some exercise. I didn't do anything exciting, sat in the shade even though there was a thin cloud layer overhead to read and 'people watch'. I had a chicken salad at a quit little place off the sidewalk inside a large building; that was about 2PM, then continued exploring. I had to throw out two rechargeable batteries that just refused to hold a charge any longer so I stopped by a camera store and bought four more. The ones I threw out were well over five years old, I expect these will last as long. Made by Kodak, at least they have the Kodak marker on them, probably made in China. Most stuff is anymore.

Here are pictures of some little street urchins I have spoken to on my travels around town.

SATURDAY

. . . . . . . . . Natalia starting cooking last night for a party today. They [3] were invited for lunch but the first couple arrived close to two o'clock. Actually, they are visiting in town and she left about 1:30 to transport them back here. The third lady arrived close to two PM. Lunch was in progress by then but she fit in with no problem. Natalia had prepared Tuna steak with rice and onions, salad on the side and wine. The third guest brought a German chocolate cake and all was good. The gathering was still enjoying the afternoon as I came in my room to post my blog. I have not been out of the house all day except to sit on the patio and listen to the conversation. Natalia had a great time and I helped in the kitchen as I could. I have most of the dishes washed and dried. This was a cool day, so to speak and two of the ladies are wearing jackets this evening.

The Members only Library where I get most of my books. I feel I have posted this already.

One of the many large artworks on the Malicon.

A very quiet residential street with, surprisingly, no automobiles to block the view.

Macaw's Bistro where I spend many happy hours partaking of their fine cuisine. Sorry about the vehicle.

FRIDAY

. . . . . . More of the same today, warm sunshine and a good book sitting on a park bench. It's tough, I know, but somebody has to do it. Not only that but I am soooo good at it!

 One of the local butchers operating on a hogs head.

 

Up close this car looks like it just left the show room floor.

City Park a couple of blocks from Natalia's house.

Natalia's house, if the picture were darker on the roof the bugler proofing would show on the roof.
It consists of very heavy, sharply barbed wire in coil form.

THURSDAY

. . . . . . . Most of today was spent reading on a park bench, or I should say on several park benches. The sun was very warm so I was happy when I could find a shady spot. I have a few more pictures to post, I hope you will enjoy them.

This is looking across the bay from where the independent fishermen beach their boats. Notice how they use rollers under the boat to transfer them out of the water to higher ground.

Photographic art......?

He is just a puppy but very protective of his sidewalk.

The Malicon from the South looking North to the Gold Zone about four miles away.

 

WEDNESDAY

. . . . . . . . .I made a great discovery today: I discovered that it is cheaper to fly to MZT and have three teeth filled than it is to drive to West Kelso and have the same work done. Not only that; it was done with no needles. The dental appointment was at 6PM and I had to walk home in the dark but it was nice and warm and there was still a lot of traffic on the streets so there was no problem. Earlier in the day I visited the Central Market again and did some shopping, stopped at the bank and stocked up on Pesos for the dentist then had lunch. Again the lunch was still way too much and I actually left food behind. The pigeons came and cleaned my plate while I was only 12-14 inches away from them. They are messy eaters though, they had food all over me. Luckily none of it stuck so bad I was unable to brush it aside.

Remember the picture from yesterday? Here he is again, same spot 24 hours later, having breakfast.

These are my lunch buddies from today. I could have brushed them away with my elbow. They have no fear, I bet I could feed them from my hand.

The little red house behind the car is Natalia's. I took the picture to show the city workers sweeping the streets. Notice the little cart the trash goes in. This would be Obama's world, a  job for every one! Remember to click the pic.

TUESDAY

. . . . . . The trip to the dentist went well this morning. I spent 300 Pesos for a filling. That sure beats the heck out of the $325.00 I spent in West Kelso last month for one filling. I have an appointment for tomorrow at 6PM to get two more fillings on the other side of my mouth. It was not a bad experience. It was done without the needle, goody, goody! I stopped by the market on the way home this afternoon and purchased some bananas. Bananas and these red raisins I buy in bulk are a great combination with dry cereal and milk, I discovered that because Natalia had some bananas on hand for me when I arrived and I tried the combination. I have a few more pictures that I took today:

This is the small park two blocks from Natalia's house that I spend many quiet hours in reading.

A two picture panorama stitched together showing a diagonal street entering a square street intersection. This is a tough spot to be a pedestrian.

The restaurant I mentioned yesterday. I am still full from all that spaghetti.

Afternoon nap a couple of blocks from the Central Market. Remember to click on the picks.

MONDAY

. . . . . . .I was very lazy this morning and never got out of the house until after 11am. I took a soft cover work of fiction to read in the park, the Nook is difficult to read in the sunlight. At 12:30 I found myself at a restaurant that was advertising spaghetti and chicken for 68 Pesos, I figured that would fill me up. When the dish arrived it was with shrimp so I returned it and when they brought it back they had way too much spaghetti on the plate. I guess that was their way of saying they were sorry they got the original dish wrong.  They also delivered a very large bowl of soup and two rolls. After ordering the check [la quinta] they sat a large pudding in front of me. That was six hours ago and I am still full! I caught the city bus to the bowling alley this afternoon and brought my bowling ball home. While I was inside I was talking to one of the customers [from the USA] and told her I was being charged 500 Pesos for bowling ten games. She looked at me and asked, 'Is that a lot"? I told her it came to almost forty dollars. She had no idea what 500 Pesos were, she and her husband just look at the Peso as play money I suppose. I was also told I would have to wait a couple of hours for the owner to arrive before any refund could be made regarding the Locker I had rented. I quietly placed the key on the counter and said 'bye'. Below are pictures of a few new acquaintances around Old Town.

SUNDAY

. . . . . . . .I arrived at the bowling alley at 3:30 and was there until after six. I rented a locker for the bowling stuff before I bowled but decided after bowling that I can not afford to return. I will go  back tomorrow to try to get my locker deposit back. The cost per line is about $3.85. In Longview they only charge $1.25 if you do not belong to a league. I did bowl ten lines today and did poorly but at those prices I would not return even if I bowled really well.  .  .  .  .  The bowling alley is in the Gold Zone and they charge accordingly. Those prices certainly keep the locals out of the place. The lighting is so bad that most Seniors who would be interested in paying that price would not be able to see the spots on the lanes well enough to have a good time. The facility itself is in bad need of repair and the lights in the ceiling over the lanes do not work. Natalia and I both feel they will not be in business very long, again. The day was sort of sad in a way because  I really wanted to practice this winter. That's life in the big city. I got home after dark and that is against my religion around here, Natalia came out her room to say hi and we talked for a few minutes. She was busy today and is retiring early. I'm about to do the same. Eighty degrees today!

SATURDAY

. . . . . .  .I rode along today when Natalia went shopping for Tuna. The largest Tuna processing plant in western Mexico is a couple of miles from her house. The factory allows one retail outlet and it is just across the street. The bulk of the product is shipped around the world. After leaving there we drove to Natalia #2's and #3 house. Daddy was not home but we did see Natalia 2's new Chevrolet Tracker and I met Natalia 3 again. She is getting tall and speaks very good English. I noticed English language Saturday morning cartoons on the big TV screen. They are in the process of having a house built at the Marina. It will be one of the most prestige's locations in all of Mexico. . . . . .At the moment they live very close to the Bowling alley so Natalia and I stopped there on the way back to the house. We discovered that the hours are 3:30 till 11:30 each day. The bus is only a block from where Natalia lives and they come by every 30 minutes. [or so]. Since it was still early in the day we were not able to get inside. I will take my bowling bag and hop a bus over there one day soon and check it out. After we got back to the house Natalia prepared to leave for the afternoon and I packed my book and headed toward Old Town. Pictures below. I  will not promise to post pictures each day but once in a while it may happen; when I am not too tired  at the end of the day. Remember, click on the pic!

This is the front door [straight ahead] of Natalia 2 and 3's present abode. They are to begin construction  of their permanent home on the Marina Campus in February.

This is the restaurant I mentioned yesterday: Constanza's. Couple of blocks South of the Central Market.

This is the Central Market, the mom and pop restaurants are on the second level and today I ate at Karens,  the very far end above that bus you see way off in the distance. I feel that intersection is the busiest in Old Town. I feel I am looking down on the center of Mexico when I am up there. The food is very good too!

This is the lane that fronts the main theatre in Old Town Mazatlan. This was my view as I sat in the shade reading this afternoon. The theatre is the building on the left. To the right is the entrance to a newly refurbished hotel. The hotel was closed last year while I was here.

The above is before and after pictures of some work being done in Natalia's 'back yard'. She had a lime tree growing in the large space but discovered rats were using it as a bridge to get off the roof and into her house. They were very good limes too! The laundry room with washer and dryer is to the right.

Natalia is busily attempting to insert a new battery into her cell phone that she had dropped.

FRIDAY

. . . . . Natalia was nice and left me some scrambled eggs before going to work this morning, She is the greatest! I walked to the main market today and strolled around looking for a wrist watch to take the place of the one I left on the dressing table at home. It is a Casio with a plastic wrist band  but it tells time and date as well as the day of the week. It was 98 Pesos. I also bought a box of cereal and some Lala, an artificial milk that is very popular here. It requires no refrigeration and tastes just like pasteurized milk. I had a Chef's Salad at one of the nicer Old Town restaurants that I have frequented in the past. Got back to the house around 3PM and spent the rest of the day resting my feet and getting my email caught up. The temperature was below 80 without a cloud in the sky.

WEDNESDAY=THURSDAY

. . . . . . Ron Phoned me at 3am and arrived at the house at 3:30. We arrived at PDX an hour later and I got on the plane with no trouble. Landed at PHX right on schedule and I walked to Gate B4 per the instructions on the ticket. The plane left for MZT at 11AM but I was not on it because it loaded and left from gate A27. I stayed in the airport all night and perhaps got four hours sleep.  This morning I caught the flight to MZT on time and was happy to see Daniel waiting for me after Customs. It was 76 degrees and the air conditioning felt good. I was at Natalia's place by 2:30 and raided her fridge per her instructions. She told me she would cook dinner this evening so not to eat too much. I agreed but I had no idea that she was going out to dinner after work and had planned on cooking just for me at 6:30. She is dieting these days so she did not eat but I had a Tuna steak with rice and a nice salad with her special home made dressing. It was a fine meal and we had fun getting re-acquainted after so many months. She was well aware that I was pooped out so at 7:30 she told me to get a long night of rest and we would see each other tomorrow. I was very much in favor of that idea so I came in the room and made this entry to my blog. I failed to mention that last Saturday she had Internet access installed in her house. The router sits beside my laptop and works like a champ! She told me it was working for her until a couple of days ago when her laptop went on the fritz. She had allowed Natalia 4 to use it for a time Age 5-6 and it needs attention. It was a great trip and the warm weather is not to be believed! I love it!

TUESDAY

. . . . . . .I stopped by the lab today for my final Pro time check before leaving town for the winter. The test was a little high, [3.6] but I attribute that to the fact that I am cleaning out the fridge before leaving and there are not many fresh vegetables in there right now. I am sure it will come back down when I start eating Natalia's cooking. After leaving the lab I stopped by the Bank and picked up a bundle of cash to get me started when I land in MZT tomorrow. Peso's cost about 7.5 cents these days so I will be able to load up at the airport before even getting into town. . . . . I got caught up with my house cleaning this afternoon. Dusting, vacuuming, mopping, all of that good stuff. It really wore me out but I needed the exercise. I delivered ChiChi and all of his stuff to the Teigens this afternoon. Caren was not home but Ron sent me home with two servings of Caren's latest soup and two huge slices of home made bread. I had soup and bread for dinner and will have the same at 3AM when I get up to leave. Ron will be here at 3:30 and the plane leaves PDX at about 5:30. My next entry to this blog will be from MZT. If not tomorrow then the next day.

MONDAY

. . . . . I really wanted to pack all of my stuff including the bowling equipment into one bag and check that through to MZT. I found that the suitcase is too heavy and once I put all of my stuff in  it weighs over 50 pounds. I decided to check the suitcase and the bowling equipment as two separate items and hope for the best. I will carry the other stuff on board with me. Twice in my travels I have had luggage not arrive with me and I wanted to cut the odds of that happening by only checking one bag. No such luck. ChiChi and I drove over to Teigens today to see if they might have a larger soft bag that would hold everything but they also are short of such an animal. With a suitcase [on wheels] that weighs about 23 pounds empty and a 15 pound bowling bag inside there is not much room to add more stuff and still stay under the 50 pound limit. I dragged the case around Europe for thirty days with no problem but I was not carrying a bowling ball. Into all lives a little rain must fall. Speaking of which the possible snow that was forecast for this area has been recast as possible rain starting tomorrow night. It will make the drive to Portland much easier 3AM Wednesday with no snow.

SUNDAY

. . . . . . Another good day at the bowling alley but I am happy to note that it is not as good as my last League result.
The first five lines came to a 142 average and after I had lunch I bowled a 153 average. That came out to 147 for the day. It is a slow process but I am sure I am improving. After I got home I started packing the suitcase. The first thing I installed was the bowling ball and bag. I then filled the rest of the space with clothes and all of the other stuff I can't live without. Tomorrow I will weigh it and then begin to eliminate enough stuff to bring the weight down to fifty pounds. . . . . The Green Bay football game was fun as well as the San Diego game. I hope I am able to find a quiet bar in Mazatlan when the Super Bowl come on.

SATURDAY

. . . . . .ChiChi was happy to see I worked up enough energy to walk with him down to the river this afternoon. The sun was bright but very low in the sky and there were a few clouds peaking around the edge of the nearby hills. A slight wind was tossing the blades of grass to and fro but nothing really remarkable came of it. The river was very clear and inviting; too bad there are no fish at the moment. I watched a bit of football this afternoon but I have started a new book and I find that to be more exciting so I went to bed early to read. I'm sure glad there are no commercial breaks in books.

FRIDAY

.  .  .  .  .  I spent over two hours on the phone today getting my password acceptable by my Nook. It ended up costing me $40.00 but at least now I have it and the Nook goes on line just like it is 'sposed to. Sitting in front of the puter was all of the exercise I got today. I tried hard not to eat too much but I did leave room for chocolate chip cookies and milk before going to bed.

THURSDAY

. . . . . .  .I had a good time bowling today. The other team never showed up so naturally we won and not only that but I bowled a 150 average for the three games.
I also got out of the alley early and drove home to pick up the doggy for an hour or so at the Teigens. Caren told me she would stop by my place later to help me with the computer and she gave me three helpings of her famous [and delicious] Taco Soup. She arrived about 4:30 and we worked on the puter until 7:30. It is still working fine so we never broke anything but we also never found the password for the router. I am still unable to download books to my Nook. I will keep at it, there is a way to get that password. There has to be. She also figured out how to get my laptop to work properly through the router. That was a great accomplishment. Thanks for the help and the soup, Caren!

WEDNESDAY

. . . . . . I had my laundry all folded and put away before breakfast this morning. I forgot it was New Years day and never turned on the TV until there was only five minutes left in the Rose Bowl game. I spent the day reading and messing with the computer. I phoned the Cisco Help department and after thirty minutes of working on things he told me that it would cost almost $180.00 to tune up my computer [via remote] and my router. That money was to also supply me with the password for the router. I turned him down and after hanging up the phone discovered that the router is no longer recognized by my laptop. So now I can't use my lap top or the nook. At least not at home. I think it would be cheaper to buy a new router and toss the other one. The only problem is that the computer is still in need of the tuneup. Or so the Tech told me. How can I tell he is telling the truth? He sounded more like a salesman than a technician. I put in a phone call to the  guy [Tom] who worked last on the conputer to get his advice but so far no answer.