The Ready or Not Adventure Guide

Last month I joined the Lake Chapala Garden Club.  This is a really cool organization.  For only $100 MXN pesos a year (or about $6 USD), I get to tour a beautiful new property every month.  Afterwards, we meet at La Nueva Posada to have lunch and learn about gardening.  The drinks (though not all) are two-for-one and the pear salad is especially good.

Last month, I was thrilled to win a wind sock from a lucky raffle ticket.  I ran home (after my two sangrías) trailing it behind me like a kite.  This month was even better!  The topic was topiary and I charged into the live auction and won an adorable little bear that was sculpted on site by the presenter.  I named him “Chewy.”  Not only is he shaped like a gummy bear, but Chewy is a pretty popular name down here so it seemed to fit.

I also made two new friends named Judy and Myrna, and lucky for me, Myrna offered to drive me and “Chewy” home.  He’s planted in a nice clay pot which was a little too heavy to carry a couple of miles.  It was a wonderful day!  Thank you Lake Chapala Garden Club and my new friend Myrna.  Hard to beat.

Below are a couple of the locations I’ve gotten to visit this year.  As you can see, the properties are pretty impressive.  Every month I look forward to seeing a new property and learning about flowers and plants.  It’s definitely one of the best clubs I’ve ever joined!

1) This property is only a few blocks away and Ryan and I walk past it all the time.  I was thrilled to get to go inside and see what was hiding behind the gates.  It was gorgeous!

2) This property was almost downtown and you never would have known how big it was from the outside.

3) So, we don’t generally get to do inside the homes, but on this occasion we did.  This is my DREAM house.  (You can tell I was a little more interested in the house than the gardens…)

4) This one had all kinds of fun stuff to find!  It had a wonderful homey feeling and the people who owned it were especially nice.

5) By a lucky coincidence I’d already gotten to see this property.  Judy invited me to stop by after one of our Garden Club meetings while she was house-sitting.  It was even more beautiful the second time!

Ryan and I had been living in Mexico for about three months when we had our first visitors!  Ryan’s parents, Matt and Sheree, are our all-star travelers.  They came to visit us the year before in Ecuador, Colombia, and Argentina.  They are awesome and their visits are something that I always look forward too.

When they accepted our invitation to visit us in Mexico as well, I was thrilled!  For weeks I eagerly anticipated their arrival.  Finally the big day came and I wasted no time.  I immediately confiscated Sheree and we enjoyed a mother-daughter day at the spa.  Monte Coxala is the nicest spa I’d ever been to.  It’s located in San Juan Cosala in the Raquet Club vicinity.  This is about twenty minutes out of Ajijic.  Not only are the grounds gorgeous, but it has an incredible view!

Matt and Ryan had some nice father-son time as well.  They went to a car show in Guadalajara.  All the while, I continued to hog Sheree.  I asked her to help teach bunco to my gaming group on Monday.  The next day I took her to play bingo.  On Wednesday we had massages and were surprised to have our manicures and pedicures done while we were still lying down.  That was a first for both of us, LOL.

Ryan and I (especially me) love Ajijic so much that we hope to someday establish a home base here.  One of our goals for their first visit was to get Matt and Sheree to fall in love with the place as well.  We wanted to try to entice them to consider snow-birding in Ajijic away from Wyoming’s harsh winter weather.  It was 37 below the last time we went home to visit and I got chilblains.  Yikes!

Knowing his parents (especially his mother’s) interest in real estate, Ryan craftily signed us up for a real estate tour with Access Lake Chapala.  This was something Ryan and I had done when we first visited Ajijic in October the previous year and we thought it was a great way to get familiar with the area.  Alex drove us around the different towns and neighborhoods, taking us in to view the three properties Sheree had selected ahead of time.  I think Matt and Sheree both liked the la Floresta area the best, which is also one of my favorite neighborhoods.  It has wide streets, beautiful flowers, and is nice and quiet.

Another way we were hoping to win them over was by feeding them great food.  Both Matt and Sheree love Mexican food and we made sure that they had as much as they could eat.  In between meals we played cards and read and relaxed at home.  We also drove to explore the nearby towns, including Jocotopec and the Chapala market.  It wasn’t an especially long visit but we filled it full of fun and laughter.  By the end, they assured us that they would come back for another visit.  As far as I’m concerned, that’s a great start!  Thank you so much Matt and Sheree.  I cannot express how grateful I am for these special times we have together.

I was thrilled to hear that a women’s horseback riding drill team was coming to Ajijic.  (Drill team on horseback? How cool is that!)  We heard about the event from some friends and I excitedly jotted down the date, the time, and the place in eager anticipation.  This was my first mistake.

We showed up on the expected date at the expected time only to discover that we had come on the wrong weekend!  It took us a while to figure this out, but we eventually purchased our own Guadalajara Reporter.  When we did, we saw that to my great relief, the event was actually going to be held on the following weekend.  At least we hadn’t missed it, and when it did come, I was determined that we would be ready for it!

My husband and I hadn’t been in Ajijic long and we hadn’t attended many events.  Therefore, when we heard that this is a VERY well attended event and that seating (especially in the shade) is limited, we decided to arrive early.  This was our second mistake.

The event was scheduled to start at 4 pm.  To make sure we could sit in the shade and guarantee a happy husband (Ryan does not do especially well in the heat and he’s not a huge horse fan), we arrived around 3:30 pm.  When we did, we found that the event wasn’t even open.  The gates were closed and there was no one around to take our $20 MXN pesos (about $1 USD).  So we waited.

Someone showed up around 4 pm and let us in, along with the small group that had gathered around the entrance.  As you can imagine, the Ajijic Charro Ring had a lot of available seating in the shade.  But this was okay as we had our choice of prime seating.  While local families and groups of retired ex-patriots continued to slowly wander in and fill up the stadium over the next forty-five minutes, young people around the ages of twelve sold us alcoholic beverages at our seats.

While we waited for the stage to finish being assembled down in the center of the charro ring, we were entertained by two “charros” on beautiful dancing horses.  Mexicans love their dancing horses and I thought that these were especially impressive.  They were glossy of coat and light on their feet.

Still, we waited on the assembly of the stage.  It made us laugh that these individuals had evidently woken up “early” to come two hours ahead of time to assemble the stage.  (They had been thanked over the loud speakers.) At quarter-til five, the stage was finally ready.  The sound had been checked and many of the gringos were not happy with the volume.  A few even felt the need to yell down to the sound crew, insisting that the music be turned down.  True, Mexicans do love their loud music, but these gringos seemed to have forgotten that they were in Mexico.

After two hours of loud music, singing, and dancing, the stage was torn down.  Luckily, this took far less time than it had to assemble.  Almost three hours after we had arrived, we finally got to see the drill team perform.  They entered in beautiful flowing skirts and the two teams each performed their short routines, lasting 3-5 minutes each.

Although we had been expecting four competing teams (and much less music), the event was enjoyable and interesting nonetheless.  We learned several important lessons that day: 1) always verify the facts, 2) never arrive early, and 3) just go with it–you’re in Mexico.  🙂

Luckily for me, the state of Jalisco is horse country.  Everywhere you go, you can see “caballeros” mounted on horseback.  Many (if not most) of the horses you encounter will be stallions as I have it on good authority that Mexican men do not like to ride mares or geldings.  They especially love palominos and horses that will “dance.”  I’ve seen some beautiful dancing horses while we’ve been here and I’ve even gotten to ride one, thanks to my good friend Jane, who owns Peruvian Pasos.

Ryan and I had not been back in Ajijic for long before he found me a riding scene.  On the outskirts of Chapala lies El Rancho del Paso.  More than five years ago, Jane and Frank hauled their five Peruvian Pasos down from the states and now they own and operate a fantastic “rancho.”

This is my new heaven.  From here, I get to join my new friends Jane and Cheryl (and sometimes Frank and Javier) on rides through the towns and countryside.  Sometimes I’m out for two to three hours and can cover more than eight miles!  The weather is incredible and the scenery is beautiful.

Anyone who doesn’t believe in love at first sight has never met Lily.  I was hooked from the moment I fed her her first carrot.  This Tennessee Walking mare is a gem.  She’s full of steam and her gaits are out of this world!  For $4100 MXN pesos (about $240 USD) a month, she’s all mine.  I can ride her any time I want.  This leasing fee also covers her boarding, her feed, and her shoes and I don’t even have to muck out her stall!

Javier and Ricki are always there to help and little miss Cutie Boots is the best mascot a ranch could ask for.  She often accompanies us on our rides and she always greets me when I drive up.  Although I miss having dogs of my own, it’s sure been nice to see Cutie, and she’s always happy to see me too!

Exploring Mexico on horseback has truly helped me to settle in here.  Now I often go riding alone, and local farmers stop working in their fields just to wave.  Tractors will pull over out of courtesy to allow us to pass.  I see a road and think “I wonder where this leads?”  Then I find out.  If there isn’t a gate, I am welcome to go in and explore, and explore I have.  The people are so warm and welcoming.  This really is my little slice of heaven.

 

Ryan and I traveled to the states to spend the holidays with family, but we had one more stop to make before returning to Mexico.  A trip to visit my grandparents in Kona, where they’ve been snow-birding for over twenty years, was long over-due.

Ryan and I have been to Maui, but never to Kona on the Big Island.  It was interesting to see the similarities and differences between the two.  While they both have gorgeous flowers and weather, Kona seems to have a more varied landscape with all of the lava.  In addition, they have tons of sea turtles!

Their condo is in an excellent location.  We could hear the ocean day and night.  Grandpa and Grandma kept binoculars right on the table.  We saw wales and dolphins and sea turtles almost every day and we didn’t even have to leave home to do it!

We did leave sometimes however.  Grandpa and Grandma shuttled us all over the island, showing all of their favorite places.  These included:

1) The Royal Kona Museum and Coffee Mill as well as the Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company

2) Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park

3) The Saint Benedict “Painted” Church

4) Anaeho’omalu Bay beach (also known as A-Bay Beach)

Ryan had a bit of a hard time, although he didn’t let it dampen his spirits at all.  Not only did he get sick, but he also had an unfortunate encounter with a sea urchin.  Not fun, but he soldiered through.  His reward was some Shave Ice as soon as he was feeling up to it.

Evenings were spent (to my delight) playing cards.  We taught Grandpa and Grandma Widow’s Poker and it wasn’t long before Grandpa was the only one with chips remaining.  When we got tired of losing to him, we switched to a new version of “Golf” I’d learned from my sister-in-law Jill over New Years.  Grandma was the reigning champion of that one.

They were the perfect hosts and we were so glad that we were finally able to pay them a visit.  I guess it’s better late than never.  Maybe someday we can go back.  Thank you for a wonderful visit Grandpa and Grandma!

Ryan and I are both fortunate to have so many people we love and miss while we are off on our adventures.  It is only natural that we would want to see as many of them as possible when we do manage to make our way back to the USA.  Holidays are excellent opportunities to get some big hugs, have some good laughs, and make some new memories.  Therefore, we often embark on what Ryan has come to call “The Tour de Family.”

Stop #1) Portland, Oregon

My parents moved to Portland about three years ago.  They are great lovers of wine and we brought back some Malbec and Torrontes from Argentina for them to try.  In return, I hit up Dad for some beef bourguignon and talked Mom into making my favorite taco salad.  After all, buddies help their buddies.

Stop #2) Lacey, Washington

My sister and her family have lived in Lacey for seven years now.  (How time flies!)  I helped her hang her outdoor Christmas lights in the rain because there was no talking her out of it!  Then we took my niece Ruby and nephew Theo to get their pictures taken with Santa.  They reported that they have been good all year.

Stop #3) Spokane, Washington

I lived with my grandparents and my Uncle Dean while I was attending graduate school  in Spokane (at EWU).  It was one of the best years of my life and it’s always great to get back to see them, although this trip was a little sad because my grandpa had passed away while Ryan and I were abroad.

This Tour de Family we did things a little differently and I sent Ryan ahead to Wyoming without me so that I could have some special time alone with my Grandma Geri.  She gave me an early Christmas present and took me to the “A Christmas Story” musical.  She also drove me to the Wellpinit Indian Reservation to visit my great Grandma who everyone calls Nanny.   Then Grandma Geri taught me how to make homemade egg noodle soup just like Nanny used to make.

I also got to see my good friend Kym while I was in Spokane.  She drove up from Moscow, Idaho to meet me for a lovely afternoon.  I took her on a wild adventure trying to find a cafe that was no longer in business (some five years later).  Then we enjoyed a little holiday shopping in downtown Spokane.

Stop #4) Colville, Washington

Both of my parents grew up in Colville and much of the family on my dad’s side still lives there.  I made a quick trip up there to get hugs from my Aunt Lisa, Uncle Kelly, and my cousins Makayla (along with her fiance Cruz) and Leanna.  I also got to see Rick and Janey Kuh, who are some of my family’s dearest friends (and my honorary parents).  We didn’t have time to play Settlers this trip, be we got to go for a nice walk.

Stop #5) Riverton, Wyoming

Ryan and I both grew up in Riverton.  His immediate family lives there, as well as my brother Jon and sister-in-law Jill, and many of our friends.  I built my niece Evie a fort in the living room of Ryan’s parent’s house.  Then we decorated a tablecloth with chalk.  We also got her all dressed up and took her to see Santa.

 

While in Riverton, I got to have lunch with many of my work friends.  I heard my good friend Laura sing in public for the first time–she was amazing!  I also got to watch my friend Amy’s boys (Price and Jesse) play hockey.  We froze our little keisters off.

Stop #7) Shoshoni, Wyoming

I stayed with my sister-in-law Kira and her family in Shoshoni for a few days and helped them get ready for the new baby!  This meant that I got to help movie Evie into her big-girl’s room upstairs and decorate Dallen’s nursery.

Stop #8) Lovell, Wyoming

Kira and I piled Evie in the car and took her to visit our good friend Cammie (and her family) at their farm in Lovell.  Evie played with Brooks and Hayden, and we enjoyed catching up.  Evie also got to ride Brooks’s pony (Danny) and catch chickens.  She were in hog heaven.

Stop #7) Powell, Wyoming

We stopped in Powell on the way to the cabin to visit Ryan and Kira’s Grandpa Amos, along with their Uncle Mark, Aunt Laurel, and Uncle Fred.  Grandpa Amos is 91 years old and he’s sharp as a tack!  What an incredible man.

Stop #8) Cody, Wyoming

We all headed up to Ryan’s happy place for Christmas.  His grandparent’s cabin (on his mother’s side) is the perfect place to enjoy some snow and snowmobiling and Sheree’s cooking.  (She’s amazing!)  It was nice to have everyone together for Christmas, including Grandpa Bill and Grandma Lola.

After Christmas, Ryan and I enjoyed New Year’s with my brother and sister-in-law, our parents who had flown down from Portland, and our honorary aunt Sandy at her cabin on Eagle Creek.  There were games, good food, and outdoor adventures.  I almost forgot how bad I am at cross-country skiing!

Stop #9) Kona, Hawaii

Our last stop of the Tour de Family took us all the way to Kona to visit my grandparents on my father’s side.  Grandpa John and Grandma Kay were gone when we went to Colville and we wanted hugs from them as well.  They showed us a great time around the big island.  It was a wonderful way to begin another year full of adventure.

My husband’s family cabin is the perfect place to celebrate Christmas.  It’s tucked away from the world and you can almost always expect snow for Christmas.  We were not disappointed when we made our way there again this year.

In addition to the winter wonderland, we were surrounded by family.  Ryan’s grandparents, Bill and Lola McRann, made the 2-4 hour trip, along with Ryan’s parents Matt and Sheree, and his sister Kira and her family (Kris, Evie, and Styer).  It was cozy and warm and wonderful.

There were a pile of gifts for everyone and I got to play Santa, passing the presents out to all the good girls and boys.  Evie enjoyed unwrapping the presents almost as much as she enjoyed playing with them afterwards.

Sheree always spoils everyone with one amazing meal after another.  She made prime rib for Christmas dinner.  It was quite the feast.  Luckily I wore my sweat pants!

After dinner we played a fierce game of Widow’s Poker.  Although I had a good helper, Kira won (as usual).  It was the perfect way to end a perfect day.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

My dad had the best idea to celebrate Thanksgiving.  He rented a huge house on the Oregon coast.

Not only would my sister and her family be joining us, but my very special Uncle Dan and Aunt Wendy were coming as well!  Ryan would later come to call this adventure “the family crock pot.”

Before this trip, I had never been to the Oregon coast.  It was very nice, although somewhat breezy.  The house Dad rented was near the beach and was well set up for a large group (and their dogs).  There were eight adults, two kids, and four dogs!

Over the next few days we took turns cooking, watching the kids, walking the dogs, and sharing a cold.  This was the only setback out of the whole deal but was unavoidable, as colds go.  Luckily my sister, Nurse Meg, came prepared and she was very generous with her supplies.

We did puzzles, made sandcastles, and enjoyed the hot tub.  I also busted out the Christmas music while we cooked.  There were only some objections, but I had a strong ally in my sister and we got our way (surprise, surprise).

The Thanksgiving feast was fantastic, with all of my favorite foods and some new ones provided by Aunt Wendy who is Canadian.  I could even taste, thank goodness!  It was a Thanksgiving that I’ll always remember and will always be thankful for.  Great idea Dad/Grandpa/Trail Boss!

After more than a year of traveling around South America and Mexico, it was time to return stateside for the holidays.  Thanksgiving was just around the corner and our first stop was Portland, Oregon.   I was needing a good hug from my mom so much that I cried when I got it.

My parents have been living in Portland for a little over three years now and it still takes some getting used to whenever we visit them there, instead of the home where I grew up in Wyoming.  That being said, I really like Portland with it’s cool weather, seemingly constant rain, and excellent public transportation.

My dad is a very active, outdoorsy kind of guy.  Nothing makes him happier than walking around and checking things out, (aside from some fresh oysters on the half shell).  I’ve been thrilled to find that he’s adjusted to living in the big city very well.

During this trip, he took us on the 4T Trail adventure.  This includes hiking a trail and riding a train, a trolley, and a tram.  As is often the case concerning our family, we started the adventure with some good food and hot drinks at the Mississippi Marketplace Food Cart Pod.

Once we were properly fueled, we jumped on the MAX light rail train (1st T) and headed up to the Washington Park vicinity.  Ryan and I have taken the MAX many times while visiting my parents and we love it.  Aside from walking, this is a great way to get around the city.

From here, we embarked on the second part of our adventure by taking the trail (2nd T) from the Oregon Zoo up to Council Crest Park.   It was a nice hike up the hills through the trees and then down through part of Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).

Here we caught the Portland Aerial Tram (3rd T) and enjoyed a scenic ride down to the waterfront.  It was getting dark and the light was especially pretty.

The ride was short and smooth and after we landed, we boarded the trolley, also known as the Portland Street Car (4th T) and made our way downtown.  It was practically dark now and we ended our adventure the same way it had begun, with some good food and drinks.  It was a lovely way to spend the day.

Sayulita is only 25 miles from Puerto Vallarta and has about 4,000 people .  Ryan and I first heard about this quaint little fishing village when we were in Colombia on our jungle trek.  Kay, one of the world travelers we met, was so complementary that Ryan and I jumped on a local bus and went to check it out for ourselves.

Sayulita has a very relaxed, small town kind of vibe and it IS pretty small.  On our quest for lunch, we took three laps around town before selecting a little Mexican cafe off the main plaza.

I ordered some tacos that were spiced very nicely with green peppers.  I also treated myself to my favorite Mexican orangeade called a “naranjada.”  Ryan tried a cazuelita chio which tasted a little earthy for my liking.  His agua de horchata was so good that I ordered one for myself, once I had polished off my naranjada.

I was very happy to have some beach time.  The beaches were better than the ones we’ve seen in Puerto Vallarta because there was much more sand and fewer rocks (although we never saw the ones connected to the PV resorts for comparison).  They were more crowded then the PV beaches we had access to.

We rented an umbrella and got my hot husband a cold beer.  Then I got to spend as much time as I wanted wading in the water!  While there were some rocks to pick through, the water was nice and warm.  Not a bad way to spend a Monday.