December 10, 2008
It’s about 10 days since we arrived in Bucerias but I haven’t had a chance to swim in the pool or in the ocean. Some vacationers would have come and gone in the same period. There is something to do everyday whether it’s for the house or the gig. And of course we can’t skip our siesta in the afternoon. As soon as 2 pm hits, it’s siesta time until around 4 pm. The body can’t resist but succumb to this natural urge to lie down and have a nap. I don’t know what it is, it must be the heat. But it’s not really that hot, we barely use our air conditioners in the house. The first few days after we arrived were spent unpacking and putting away things (thank goodness for the maid who cleaned the house before we came). We also had to open all the stuff that we bought last summer. Last July, I came to check the progress of the construction of the house and during that time, I went to Guadalajara to buy basic furniture. Please note that I am furnishing 2 houses because Casa Artiste is an up and down duplex. Then John came in September to check on the final progress of the construction. He actually lived on the first floor at that time and was able to fine tune some of the deficiencies that was apparent during his stay. It was this time, when he bought a lot of the small appliances, dishes, pots, brooms, mops more furniture, kitchen stuff etc. Even with all this prior preparation, we still had to buy a lot of things for the house. Yesterday, we went to different stores like Costco, Sam’s, Wal Mart, Soriana’s and Mega. Our car was packed with garbage cans of all shapes and sizes, mats, plates, cleaning supplies etc. It is comfortable and livable now and we are very happy with the result. I would like to go to Guadalajara again to buy some artwork and nice lamps and vases. That would be so cool. I plan to leave at 6 am, arrive at around noon, shop for 4 hours, and then take the 6 pm bus back to Puerto Vallarta where I should arrive at around 11 pm. Am I crazy or what?
The complex where were in is decorated with different Christmas ornaments, some houses are over the top and our house looked so bare so I bought some poinsettias and Christmas lights for the front balcony. As soon as you come in the gate, you’ll notice all the lights, blown up Santas, Snowman, and Rudolph. Houses have moving displays on their roofs, balconies and lawns. It’s like Disneyland here. This morning, and every other morning I would take a walk to the market. I would zigzag my walk stopping at my favorite cross streets toward the beach. I take the back road where I could see through a thick forest with birds, butterflies and lush vegetation. Sometimes, an iguana would cross my path. The birds are beautiful and I lost track of the different species. I would buy fresh shrimp or vegetables and sometimes, the fruit truck would be parked at the plaza. There are fresh oranges, watermelon and pineapples. I bought some pineapples a few days ago for $2 for 3. They were so sweet, but guess who peeled them, moi. It’s not a like peeling a grape. I have mastered the art of peeling a pineapple complete with a spiral design around it.
We already had 5 gigs so far. We are at Adriatico’s, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and at Café des Artistes on Fridays. We have an outdoor concert next weekend at the Los Muertos Beach in PV old town at a place called Ritmos. They have an outdoor stage complete with sound system and lights. We’ve been rehearsing some Christmas songs in preparation for the coming festivities. The feast of St. Guadalupe in Puerto Vallarta is celebrated every December 12 and there is a procession every night for about 7 days. During these times, the traffic in the downtown PV becomes more congested. It would be better to avoid it if you are not attending church or taking part in the procession. It is quite a spectacle though. We are also doing a fundraising on Monday, Dec 15 to benefit the orphanage here in Bucerias called Manos de Amor. Our show last Saturday Café des Artistes coincided with the anniversary of the Punta Mita Foundation. The expatriates who live here, mostly from the US and Canada, are heavily involved with the community and helping the local people in the area of sanitation/health, education, eco-tourism, recycling and overall betterment of their everyday lives. There is no time to be bored even though one is “retired” because there are so many volunteer work and social events that everyone can be involved in.
It’s about 10 days since we arrived in Bucerias but I haven’t had a chance to swim in the pool or in the ocean. Some vacationers would have come and gone in the same period. There is something to do everyday whether it’s for the house or the gig. And of course we can’t skip our siesta in the afternoon. As soon as 2 pm hits, it’s siesta time until around 4 pm. The body can’t resist but succumb to this natural urge to lie down and have a nap. I don’t know what it is, it must be the heat. But it’s not really that hot, we barely use our air conditioners in the house. The first few days after we arrived were spent unpacking and putting away things (thank goodness for the maid who cleaned the house before we came). We also had to open all the stuff that we bought last summer. Last July, I came to check the progress of the construction of the house and during that time, I went to Guadalajara to buy basic furniture. Please note that I am furnishing 2 houses because Casa Artiste is an up and down duplex. Then John came in September to check on the final progress of the construction. He actually lived on the first floor at that time and was able to fine tune some of the deficiencies that was apparent during his stay. It was this time, when he bought a lot of the small appliances, dishes, pots, brooms, mops more furniture, kitchen stuff etc. Even with all this prior preparation, we still had to buy a lot of things for the house. Yesterday, we went to different stores like Costco, Sam’s, Wal Mart, Soriana’s and Mega. Our car was packed with garbage cans of all shapes and sizes, mats, plates, cleaning supplies etc. It is comfortable and livable now and we are very happy with the result. I would like to go to Guadalajara again to buy some artwork and nice lamps and vases. That would be so cool. I plan to leave at 6 am, arrive at around noon, shop for 4 hours, and then take the 6 pm bus back to Puerto Vallarta where I should arrive at around 11 pm. Am I crazy or what?
The complex where were in is decorated with different Christmas ornaments, some houses are over the top and our house looked so bare so I bought some poinsettias and Christmas lights for the front balcony. As soon as you come in the gate, you’ll notice all the lights, blown up Santas, Snowman, and Rudolph. Houses have moving displays on their roofs, balconies and lawns. It’s like Disneyland here. This morning, and every other morning I would take a walk to the market. I would zigzag my walk stopping at my favorite cross streets toward the beach. I take the back road where I could see through a thick forest with birds, butterflies and lush vegetation. Sometimes, an iguana would cross my path. The birds are beautiful and I lost track of the different species. I would buy fresh shrimp or vegetables and sometimes, the fruit truck would be parked at the plaza. There are fresh oranges, watermelon and pineapples. I bought some pineapples a few days ago for $2 for 3. They were so sweet, but guess who peeled them, moi. It’s not a like peeling a grape. I have mastered the art of peeling a pineapple complete with a spiral design around it.
We already had 5 gigs so far. We are at Adriatico’s, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and at Café des Artistes on Fridays. We have an outdoor concert next weekend at the Los Muertos Beach in PV old town at a place called Ritmos. They have an outdoor stage complete with sound system and lights. We’ve been rehearsing some Christmas songs in preparation for the coming festivities. The feast of St. Guadalupe in Puerto Vallarta is celebrated every December 12 and there is a procession every night for about 7 days. During these times, the traffic in the downtown PV becomes more congested. It would be better to avoid it if you are not attending church or taking part in the procession. It is quite a spectacle though. We are also doing a fundraising on Monday, Dec 15 to benefit the orphanage here in Bucerias called Manos de Amor. Our show last Saturday Café des Artistes coincided with the anniversary of the Punta Mita Foundation. The expatriates who live here, mostly from the US and Canada, are heavily involved with the community and helping the local people in the area of sanitation/health, education, eco-tourism, recycling and overall betterment of their everyday lives. There is no time to be bored even though one is “retired” because there are so many volunteer work and social events that everyone can be involved in.
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