La Manzanilla
 

a little town on the pacific west coast of Mexico

halfway between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo

 

we went through there 11 years ago on our search for a beach town

it was a dusty unkempt little town

 the town was a mile off the main road

between a bay and the steep hills just off the bay

 

it felt kind of cramped to me and we went looking further south

 

 

oh yeah and the beach was rocky.....

 

this time 

another great lunch on that beach with friends

friends who met me there, wanting to visit old friends of theirs

who I also had met years ago, who were house sitting in town

small world indeed

 

 

our hotel had a lovely upper balcony that our rooms opened on to

 

I have been back several times since that first visit and am always amazed at how

the hills have filled up with huge houses of the ex-pats

 

this town in now settled by gringos

 

our mutual friends were house sitting a huge house on the hill

 

 

their house was the one on the top right

 

 

big crazy stone house

steep, very steep
mcmansion if you will

 

the view was awesome though

that is the bay out there on the horizon
nice place to watch the sun set

 

I thought this was so cool

I had never seen double fans like this

 

they made quite a statement in the room

 

we stayed late visiting and left in the dark the first night

with the aid of flashlights

 

the next night I walked down by  myself just at sunset so I could see without a light

the most amazing thing happened

the road was thick on both sides with fireflies!

I had not seen so many since Punta Mita, over 20 years ago

I lingered till dark on the path just watching

what seemed to be magic

the closer I got to town, the less there were

and finally when I reached the road, there were no more
 

I am so glad to know that the place exists

where fireflies still line the road

 

 

as we left La Manzanilla and headed north to Vallarta

 we passed Tenacatita

Tenacatia is one of my all time favorite spots

currently not accessible as a man who says he is the owner

hired guys with guns to keep everyone else out......

it's more complicated than that

but all you need to know is that another public beach in Mexico

has been privatized
and it is a shame

 

next stop

 

 

for another wonderful lunch of course

 

with great food (that is my favorite salsa)

 

and great company

 

I had been wanting to get off the main highway (2 lane)

in El Tuito many times but never did

I was so glad we finally stopped and drove into town

 

turned out to be a really nice little town

this is across the street from the main square
just down from our resturant

 

the square with a magnificent old tree

I really liked the town and I will be back

 

after El Tuito it was about an hour to Vallarta
  

of course we made the obligatory gringo stop in Vallarta at a big box store

where else could I get organic rice milk??

 

next time -  Las Palmas
another hour northeast of Vallarta toward the mountains
lots of adventures there



ps  for more information on La Manzanilla
 

http://www.visitlamanzanilla.com/blog/

 

written by a friend of a friend, small world after all

 

 

 

 



Cuyutlan

my home in Mexico

I have been going there for over 10 years

that is a long time for me

longer than I was in Oregon or Florida

 

 

just a forgotten little town on the beating Pacific Ocean

a sand dune really

it was nice to see it in September

everything was so green or blooming

 

I didn't stay at our place as I was only in town for a few days

and it would be too much work to get my place ready

 

so

 

 

I stayed at Casa Colorado

a property that friends just remodeled to use as a vacation rental

 

I spent a lot of really sweet time in that pool

 

 

 

 

this was the nicest place I have ever stayed in Cuyutlan!!

everything was really well done and creative

also everything was very new

 

 

they had built a very cool stairway to the roof

 

 

which had a great view of the ocean across the street

notice the solar hot water set up

 

 

this was the place next door - it just needs a little work....

who's with me?

 

 

no trip to Cuyutlan would be worth it without

lunch at Dago's seafood puesto on the malacon

camarones empanizado is my favorite

oh and the shrimp tostadas and the shrimp cocktails

are awfully good too

 

(Cuyutlan winter friends - in the summer see how there is so little beach

amazing!)

 

 

 happy eating

 

 

we did a lot of happy eating at the beach

 

 

we had a great afternoon at K.'s

he is fun and

he has such a cool house

a nice pool, nice plants

 

 

I could not believe how this plant had taken over the fence

 

 

and he has a nice view

 

 

I went to visit J.  who doesn't look a day older than when I met him

10 years ago

the salt air must agree with him

he was glad to see me

 English speakers are slim in Cuyutlan that time of year

 

even L. was not there as E. had just died

he was old and had been ill a long time

 

I did think I would go past M.'s house once

there was so much commotion in the street in front of the blue door

that I turned around

and too much emotion in me

 

es la vida, Fernando says, it is life

 

 

waiting outside the Hotel Morelos

the morning I left town

I saw this aloe plant about to bloom

wow

I didn't know they bloomed!

 

 

next stop - La Manzanita - about 80 miles north

 



finally - back to Mexico

 

well in my blog anyway

 

 

flying into the airport in Manzanillo is unlike any other airport I have been at

cruising low along the beach before landing is so amazing

and everything was so green - that's why I love visiting in the rainy season

 

first stop - Tecoman

this is a relief on the wall in the town square

a picture of the monument that is at the entrance to the town

Tecoman - lime capital of the world!

hard to tell it's a lime tree, looks better in person....but not much

 

 

the Hotel Real (re all) is a great place to stay in Tecoman

the pool is wonderful

 and it is only a couple blocks to my friends house

they being  reason for visiting that town

 

who out there has ever even heard of Tecoman??

 

 

the week-end coming up was Independence day for Mexico

Dia de la Independencia

when they threw off the yoke of the Spanish invaders

there were little stands of Mexicobellia everywhere
!Viva Mexico!

 

one great day was spent at this restaurant outside of Tecoman

 



 

2  pools right on the beach

 

 

huge shady palapa

 

 

and my favorite company

 

a perfect day

 

 

en Tecoman

 

 

 

 

 

next stop - Cuyutlan



sorry for the delay in getting to the tale of the Mexico trip

but I have been very busy

 

finishing my 10 page proposal/manuscript sample

for the writer's conference

 

the conference is not until November

but the sample was due by September 29th - yesterday

 

I finished with the help of 2 very special and amazing writer friends

 

I have always wondered, seeing a list of people an author thanked for helping with a book -

how did he meet those people?

 

well I am on my way now because I have 2 sweet people

to thank!

 

 

ah Mexico

 

 

worked her magic again

 

nothing says happy to me like the sunset from my favorite hotel in Vallarta!

 

 

 

in a little under 3 weeks I was in

Tecoman, Cuyutlan, La Manzanilla

Las Palmas with a day trip to Mascota and El Cimmerron

and the last few days in Vallarta

 

I can not put it all in one blog

 

I will start with Tecoman

 

manana

 

 

which by the way does not mean tomorrow

as we north Americans think,

it just means, not now

think about that

 

 



random thoughts

you know how on face book everyone posts all these

great sayings and funny pictures

well I have been saving up my favorites this month

to share with you

starting with

wow, of course this country is broke

but then that does not subtract what "we" make in gun and weaponry sales

legal and illegal all over the world

I hope I am not getting too political for you



(DC Debbie is not me, I would be FL Debbie, right?)

cute



I want this garden

and this house, si como no





so, you have been warned

and this, my all time personal favorite

good night