Steve and Judy's Travels!

Drove back to Vallarta.  Switched out the car.  Drove back north.  No trouble, no charge.  I had read advice online before the trip that when it comes to rental cars, just accept the most insurance offered.  It will double the price of the rental, but that’s just a few hundred dollars.  Because we had all the insurance, that coconut drop won’t cost us a penny.

So, we made it back to Lo de Marcos just in time for lunch.  We pulled over there and had a good meal, then continued on north to a new destination.  San Blas.

Here is a map showing where Lo de Marcos is.

https://www.google.com/maps/@20.8753002,-105.2063681,10.57z

Here is a map with San Blas.

https://www.google.com/maps/@21.1721161,-104.8766059,9.27z

San Blas is not like Lo de Marcos at all.  This is just a busy Mexican town.  Not a lot of tourists.  Not a lot of Expats.  This time, instead of having a room, we’ve got a whole apartment.  Right on a busy road, so it’s not quiet, but our bedroom is way in the back so it should be fine.

About town.

See the decoration on the top of this house?

It’s not a decoration, that’s a real dog.

Uneven footing?

The open hole in this sidewalk goes down about four feet!

Golden-cheeked Woodpecker.

Year bird!

There are policia standing around town keeping us safe.  Of course, Judy stops to talk with them.  She was working her Spanish on one of them, then comes over to me totally embarrassed.  She was talking about washing her face, to get the bug spray off, and accidentally invited him home with her.  She had to work up an apology on the translator and take it back over to him to set the record straight.  He was wonderfully tolerant.

That describes everything in Mexico.  Cobblestone streets.  Sidewalks in every state of repair/disrepair.  Construction.  A constant walking challenge, but we’re managing.  It’s a little tougher for Judy, because she had cataract surgery on both eyes and got distance vision only.  Her feet are too close to focus, so she is not so sure-footed.  We hold hands a lot.  We’ll check with the optometrist when we get home to see if there is something he can do with lenses to help.

More Lo de Marcos.

Judy wanted to carry home a driftwood souvenir, but couldn’t get this in the carryon.

The coconut palm tree.

The rental car.

The offending nut.

Coconut tree 1, rental car 0.

We’re making a trip back to Puerto Vallarta tomorrow morning to change out the car.

Blue-footed Booby, Orange-fronted Parakeet, Black-throated Magpie-Jay, and Social Flycatcher.  Life birds!

I’ve been impressing the locals with my knowledge of Spanish.  As soon as I start talking to them, they get big smiles for no apparent reason.  I just seem to make them really happy!

The wifi is good enough to keep up at work.  We have cell connection as well.  Having fish tacos, shrimp tacos, a normal breakfast and coffee, and more tacos.  We can eat Mexican food every day, no problemo.

A shot at Casa Botanica looking down the stairs.

We’re on the 2^nd floor.

The town looks like one would expect a tropical Mexican town to look.

Nice tree in the plaza.

I like the shower tile.

Got swarmed by frigatebirds today.

This time up close.

And scenery along the estuary.

Exploring towns and beaches is going well.  Finding a functioning ATM can be a challenge.  That ate up some time today.  Adding a few birds to the year list.  Gray-breasted Martin, Rufous-bellied Chachalaca, Sinaloa Crow, and Yellow-winged Cacique to the life list. 

A flight to Puerto Vallarta.

A rental car for a two hour drive to Lo de Marcos.  It’s a Mexican PueblO.  Small town.  It could be described as run-down, busy with foot, bicycle, scooter traffic, and chickens.  Cars too, but nobody can go very fast, especially with about 20% of the drivers going the wrong way on one-way streets.  Dogs barking.  Music playing.  Not planning on getting a lot of sleep.  A little refurbished boutique hotel, Casa Botanica, with about 10 rooms.  Exactly what we were looking for.  Oozing charm

Got to watch a distant Brown Booby fishing

And Frigatebirds way up high.

No new lifers yet, but we’re scoring year-birds (like Frigatebirds and Boobies).

World Birding!

We’re in Houston tonight, in a hotel.  Here’s Judy, showing off at the airport on the way.

We’re flying to Mexico tomorrow.  No resort hotels.  We’re expecting highways and byways, fishing villages, secluded beaches, local shopping and food, some life birds, and at least occasionally, connectivity.  Radio silence to be determined.  We’ll report back as able.