About half a block down the road is Ramon and his barbequed chickens. For less than $10 you can get a whole chicken whacked into pieces, two bags of rice, two bags of burn your insides salsa and a pile of tortillas. I had to add the cucumber and tomato as we seem to live on them while we are here. I've also discovered a bag of mixed vegetables at the market which Ray insists we cook. I'd eat them raw as I'm all into taking it easy here.... We did once and then I lost that option.
I'm sure some people wonder why I love to come to Mexico for three months in the winter so let's investigate the reality. For three months a year I don't have to clean the house, correction, Ray doesn't have to clean the house. I don't have to do laundry. Above is our laundry for one week, 65 pesos or about $4.30. Washed dried and folded. I don't have to cook on a stove.....I don't have one. I don't have to shovel the porch. Here it is over looking the street and getting slowly covered with plants. I don't have to change the bed as that is done for me. Tough, really tough but we will persevere!!!!
At the beginning of last week, I got really sick. I was sleeping 12 or 15 hours at a time. I had a horrible head ache that I was sure was a brain tumor. I was nauseous and had the poops so bad I thought my sphincter muscle had simply quit from over exhaustion.
Picture me lying there in agony when suddenly Ray, who rarely gets excited to a fault, starts encouraging me to get up and see what is on our porch railing. He is just so excited. It is such gorgeous colours and over three feet long. Quite honestly, I couldn't have cared if an elephant was on the railing!!!
We may be a tad more cautious now when we open our two sliding glass doors in the morning and maybe check more than normal during the day to see what is on the porch. The other morning at about 7, I was naked opening the doors hiding behind the drapes when the schizophrenic one legged man across the road who has never spoken English to me in all the years we have been here, yelled out to me, "Good morning!" in perfect English!!!
On day two of my blight, Ray went downstairs and Martha asked him where I was. After describing what was going on with me, she fished around in her meds bin and came up with one antibiotic and one pill for diarrhea. Simple. Fixed. Should I have swallowed them.
I have this theory that when you are inflicted with disease it is important to get bathed, not an option in the whole of Mexico - they don't have a tub, or showered every day so I crawled into the shower stall, turned on the water and waited for the 5 minutes it takes to get hot water to our room while leaning against the wall. Finally hot water, adjusted, lathered up and suddenly NO WATER!!! At this moment our shower stall took on the sounds from a highway truck stop shower room. The f bomb is not a universal word and we were the only English speakers here at that time and I let it rip, over and over and over. Ray boogied on downstairs and had the problem rectified by which time I was getting close to tears. Any way, shower completed, back to bed for more sleep and recuperation!!!!
Having recouped enough that I wanted to have breakfast downstairs with Martha, I headed along the porch to yell down when I suddenly noticed that I was standing on glass. Some guest, the guy who had been smoking pot the night before and looking mighty guilty not realizing that it is quite legal where we come from, must have broken a glass on the porch and I was not standing with both feet on top of it. OMG!!!! What now???? I began to feel like Job.... Afraid to move. Afraid not to move. I slowly backed up and went back to our room and whined at Ray. Miraculously, I wasn't cut. Not once. Tough soul/soles!!!
After I got access to my online banking and my money, it was time to make a couple of purchases. These mugs that match my new Mexican kitchen look at home were $2.66 each. I hope they will be dishwasher safe. If not, we will have the interesting experience of watching their slow Canadian decline. I would love to get plates to match etc. but hand washing isn't popular at our house.
Martha and her Mom made this Christmas tree out of flowers and when we arrived it was in the living room lit up.
This water thingy was another purchase. It came with the stand and cost about $38.60. If anyone would like it for $75, I'll take it home in my carry on. We don't need it as our water is just lovely from our well. Beside it is our bundle buggy which we take to town every day or two and fill up. It works so well. Ray says it holds up to 300 lbs so if I ever need to be carried home, I could climb in!!!!
When we have breakfast with Martha, we never know what we are going to get which is fine with us. This day was oatmeal pancakes. We ate at 8 and by 3 in the afternoon I still wasn't hungry so they are very stick to your ribsish. Think I'll pass next time.....
From Martha's Iguanas Ranas to the square is about two and a half blocks and then another block to the market. This is one of the businesses along the way. We will have tacos here. Marco makes excellent tacos!!! If you are here in SB and haven't stopped by yet, please do.
This is the side of the street I walk on. Ray thinks it is too narrow for him and the bundle buggy and all of the people sitting on there stools but it is my preferred route. It is also in the shade. There are actually three food trucks in a row here and my ambition is to eat at one or all of them this year. I honestly have no idea what they are cooking. Miscellaneous meat in tacos basically. I hear I'll be eating alone!!!
I'm not sure about this new square. Too many steps. Not enough ramps. I'm talking for the older folks here. It is amazing to see the old church painted white. I wonder if you can go in now? I'll find that out.
And what's with this greenhouse affair in the background? It was covered with twinky lights for Christmas and that looked cute but they have all gone now. And what is with these areas of crushed red stone? I'm not getting it!!!
This massive metal structure also leaves me cold. It is almost arc like. This square needs to come with explanations!!!
Here we have the San Blas Social Club. I know when I first came to SB many years ago, I thought it was a private kind of club place. It has had many changes over the years and right now it is run by Sandra Diaz a fantastic Mexican woman. Not only does she manage the bar and restaurant, she also runs a spay and neuter clinic every month for SB. Last year over 600 animals were neutered due to her efforts and those of her volunteers who help.
This brings me to fund raising. You know a large part of this spay and neuter clinic is raising money to pay for it. A local woman has made green relish, pickled beets and bread and butter pickles to sell to raise money for this excellent cause. We have tried them all and they are truly excellent. If you are here in SB, get on over to the SB Social Club where they can be purchased. You will be so happy to have a wee taste of home right here in SB. Now, if you like the cause and aren't here, you could always etransfer me a donation and I can make sure Sandra gets it. Thank you....
As we went to buy pickles the other day at the SBSC, this was parked in the bar. This is one of the fun things about SB. You just never know what to expect next!!!
Carnitas is just down the road from the market and the guy in charge always wants to give us samples when we walk in the door. It is so funny. I now know how to say, "No thank you. It isn't necessary. I know it is excellent." For all of the years I was learning Spanish, I had to eat the samples. Not that that was a bad thing. One pound of loin pork, three different bags of salsa, less that ten dollars.
This is the woman I always buy from outside of the market. She has such a great smile. One bunch of baby bananas, two avocados less than one dollar. The yellow fruit in bags on the right is yucka and oh it is so yucky!!!!
Great author, great read. If you want to borrow it, I will bring it home. Let me know. Did you know that according to the line I got, if you buy a book at any bookstore in the world at an airport and keep the sales receipt, you can take it back to any other airport in the world and get half of your money back. Interesting. Yet to be tried....
Lunch at the beach yesterday with friends. Tuna Break. Excellent food. Above sashimi with tuna and below sashimi again with tuna, shrimp and octopus.
Busy day at the beach. It was Sunday and Sunday is family day where everyone comes to the beach. Most people work 6 days a week. During the week this beach is pretty deserted.
That's it for this week. Please pass this on to whomever you think might enjoy it. Thanks for the comments and encouragement. God/Goddess bless and see you next week.
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