Being Sick in Nirvana

Well, it was bound to happen!  After a very busy couple of weeks, I just collapsed and came down with an upper respiratory infection called "The San Carlos Crud".  Almost everyone I knew had it, so it was probably inevitable.  I finally went to the local doctor for the first time and really liked him.  He's a very young American from Wisconsin who is now living down here full time.  He and his family have been coming down here since he was 12 years old, so he really knows the local culture well and, amazingly enough, has time to really spend with his patients-he even makes house calls!

Not a bad place to recuperate:

Sunsets.....goes without saying

The cloud formations can keep you totally enthralled.

You can hear the waves crash below us when the winds are up.

I love looking over the rooftops!

And off to the east in the early mornings...

Jim reading on his iPad and keeping us toasty by the fire.

I loved watching him up here, talking to an old friend
on the phone and taking in the views.

Jim got out for a little sightseeing and socializing:

Three Presidents Square

Inside Guaymas church

Altar

I missed a great night at Dee and Karen's house on the Caracol
with Win and Cinda Johnson, our friends from Boulder!

Margene, feeling pretty in the sunset

And, I missed a great pool party at Susan Anderson's beautiful home.

The lady singing is a federal judge from Tucson who owns a house down here.

Finally, we went to JJ's to see Nora Kelly's in-laws, Cec and Joe Alonge, and their friends, Sarah and Bob, on their last night here.  We met up at the beginning of their trip but I was sick for most of the time they were here.

This foursome has been coming down here for years.  They
have all the toys:  RVs, motorcycles, ATVs...... We vow to meet up
on the road.

And, I made it to the last two days of a pastel art class that I had signed up for.  I am having fun doing this and am learning a little but it is a long haul!  Both pictures still need a lot of work, as you can see.

Carmen, the teacher, and I

Can you tell this is Boo?

And a little local girl I befriended....

Kayaking at Marina Vista and Hanging Out at The Bar Down in Mexico

Monday morning was sunny and calm - perfect for kayaking.  We headed out to our friends, the Andersons, who live at Marina Vista, in the most beautiful house, right at the docks.  It's for sale, if you're interested.

Jason wants to live here!

Their infinity pool overlooks the dock where
their boat sits.

The beach where we push off

Jim started out with Boo but Boo wanted to be with
his mom, so we switched.  Hope to get some pictures
from Lynne of Jason, Boo and I to add to this series.

The Andersons and Jimbo

We ran home to shower and change and then headed out to the infamous Bar Down in Mexico, which is quite an experience.  We were here once before and had a ball.  We told our friends, Bobby and Leslie, that we would like Jason to experience this so they arranged for a bunch of local musicians to show up and show us a great time.

Bruce Munson,  a former country banker from Montana

Bruce and Giggles Tilly who hold court at their bar, which is really a part of
their RV/Casita home in Loma Del Mar.  THEY ARE IN THEIR EIGHTIES!

Dave Burks

Leslie and Bobby Sahlen

Susan King on steel pan drums

Some of the very appreciative audience

Bobby doing a solo with Susan's dog,
Macy in attendance

Mark Mulligan joins Leslie and Dave

Mark doing his thing

Jason was in musical heaven!

Dogs were welcome to snooze or cruise.  Susan Anderson
with one of the Tilly's dogs.

Admiring the view.

2015 Carnaval de Guaymas

Guaymas holds one of the oldest Carnivals in the country.  It is a 4 day affair, with parades every day, one of which we attended this year.  It begins with the burning of an effigy which represents someone or something that has displeased the public that year-we missed this part.  There is a coronation of a king and queen and this year's parade was to memorialize a young female singer who, with her twin sister, was one of the best known entertainers in this part of Mexico.  She died tragically in a car accident a few weeks ago.

There really aren't words to describe the chaos, the humanity, the noise, and the colors.
We arrived a little early for the 2:30 start but, (Hey, it's Mexico), it didn't get started until 4.  People fill the streets probably about 20 people deep, packed tightly together and they spend their time eating all manner of street food and buying trinkets or candy for the children.  I didn't see another American the whole time we were there.

Don't know what the red balls in front were but other things
in the wheelbarrows looked like nuts and dried fruits and candies.

All kinds of ways to spend your money

Hot sauces to put on almost everything

Must be the vendors' biggest day of the year

Lots of colorful wigs and hats-lots of
bald people?

These two loved the sonoran hot dogs.  I stuck to potato chips-
the only thing I could recognize as familiar.

We wondered how they were ever going to clear the streets.

Enforced by these very serious looking dudes

They would have run over toes if the crowd didn't move.

 Once the parade began, it was just lovely, lively and colorful!

Our neck of the woods-claustrophobic much?

The end of the story is that we went back to find our car blocked in by all manner of cars that park every which way all over the streets.  We saw one opportunity to squeeze through but as we got ourselves thoroughly ensconsced between 3 cars, it became obvious that we couldn't move.  Luck finally prevailed and a group of 5 or 6 boys came along and picked up a couple of the cars and moved them to the side so we could inch through.  Got a few scratches and our nerves were shot, but otherwise, all was well and we were VERY HAPPY to get home to peace and quiet and a lovely bonfire on the beach with friends.

A glass of Susan's famous sangria finally calmed our frayed nerves.  We
watched the dolphins frolic, enjoyed the fire, the company of friends and a
beautiful night at the sea.