San Diego - hip hopping, a gogo

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Sunday in the park - Balboa Park that is!


 



After showering we stood around talking to Nathan and his wife.  They are in the process of moving to San Diego.  They were very curious about holidaying in  Mexico.  We did a quick Starbucks, Wholefoods combo then off to Balboa Park.  We spend zero dollars and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, a wonderful Sunday afternoon.  We saw a car hopping competition.  Grown men replace the shock absorbers with hydraulic rams.  Then they "hop" their cars to see how high they can go.  They actually measure the hop.

Beautifully redone old cars!

The United Nations cottages were next and only open Sunday.  Some cottages, like the one representing Israel, had food treats to entice you in.  We got our Mexico sticker for the van at the actual United Nations cottage.

We walked around some more and took pictures of lily pads.  We had a Ralph's salad and sushi in the park for supper.

We drove to Seaport Village for our final San Diego walk of the year.

Saturday, August 21, 2010
Too busy a day to tell you about it.





Friday, August 20, 2010

We have been starting our days with Starbucks - iced green tea, not that great for you.


 


Garage sailing happened today - the preemptive sales.  First one was great, others not so great!

It was a great day to enjoy the bright, blue sky, the warmth the best hits of David Bowie...such a wonderful So. Cal. day!!!!

We tried to go out to Fred's in the Gas Lamp District.  We not find parking.  Old Town Fred's was were we ate because we could find parking.

It appears to have been an uneventful day but it was very laid back and super relaxing!  The newly acquired Bowie CD was such a nice touch.

Mazatlan to San Diego

Thursday, August 19, 2010

We awoke in site #1, the one I painted in a quilt.

Two years ago I painted the post and rocks at the front of the site.

We returned to a particular thrift store to find something from yesterdays adventures - one item was still there and two things were not.  you must pick up your treasures as you find them.

We drove to Coronado on the spit, passed The Del Hotel.  We drove around the downtown and residential area.   Ken didn't like the area so we left.  Off to Pacific Beach.



Wednesday, August 18, 2010

We started our day with a big hit of caffeine and the loud music of Starbucks.







It really got me going first thing in the morning .  I guess because of the music it was one of my best Starbuck's experiences.

We decided to thrift it up today.  This first two thrift stores we hit were closed.  We were just in Chula Vista, not even really in San Diego.  We were on Broadway.  What fun from one thrift store to the next.  We did find some goodies worth buying.

We wanted to check out the Bonita Farmer's Market.  When have you been to a true farmer's market with lemons, limes, watermelon's and cantaloupe grown by the farmers?  They had stands setting Filipino, East Indian, Salvadorian, Mexican, etc., food.  It was a very positive experience.  We ate a bit too much and so a long walk was in order.  We walked around the Chula Vista gold course, about one and three quarters of an hour walk.  We watched a few innings of slow pitch, saw a horse on the trail and geese, a couple like Mr. Ebden.





Tuesday, August 17, 2010
We visited our first American thrift store - post border.  I bought a travel guide for Mexico, I think there is some irony there somewhere.

You do not want to live somewhere if :
• there is a sign saying, "Santa Cruz River" and there is no water in sight
• there is a sign - "Blowing Dust Area"
• rattlesnakes are in the area
• before going over a bridge you see a sign for a "wash" not a river
• there are misters permanently built into the eves of shopping malls and the mist still does not cool you
• they do not have inside malls, yet you could die of heat stroke going outside

We  arrived at the California checkpoint for fruit.  Ken asked, "Is it always the hot?" They all said, "yes" or shook their head "yes" in unison.  Yuck, it was like an oven as soon as you opened the window or stepped outside.  Not my idea of fun!

I painted all day.  Painting is a much slower "zen" type of process while driving.  I must remember that when I am at home in my wonderful studio.

Mazatlan, Tonala, Tlaquepaque

Monday, August 16, 2010
Basically we drove all day going from Navajoa to Tucson. 


 





We drove for hours with a few breaks.  We did a bit of recreational eating - it is fairly boring when you drive that far.

Navajoa had roads dug up so we kind of got off track right away.  Once on the highway we were away.  Mostly the landscape was flat and we drove between the green hills.  We saw lots of cactus.  The homes by the highway gave the impression of a lack of wealth.  Even the animals were skinny.

It appeared to be snowing butterflies - yellow ones.  We saw a turtle crossing the road, too.

Our stops were in Hermisillo at a mall.  We wanted to stretch our legs.  We also stopped at Obregon and finished stocking up on groceries.

Just before leaving Mexico we filled up on gas.  We gave our fruit and veggies away.  The guy washing our windshield asked us if we had any food because he was hungry.  At the boarder squeezy guys were giving us the international sign for hungry - we gave our bananas to him

Sunday, August 15, 2010

We got up early and had a fantastic authentic Mexican breakfast at the hotel.

I sat on the deck listening to the waves crashing.  We walked a long way from the hotel, up to the curve in the beach so you could see the Zona Dorada.  We saw lots of statues.

Then we had the "wise" idea to walk into centro.  I am still looking for that certain something to buy.  It was so hot that Ken left me in an air conditioned store and went to scout out the area.  No luck!  We just wanted to go and get cool in our hotel room.

Butterflies were everywhere once we left Mazatlan.

Good farmland in this area.  We finally tried fruit with chili on it - yum!  It was papaya from Mazatlan's Mercado.  We ate as drove because we wanted to get to Navajoa.

For supper we stopped near Los Mochis at the truck stop we so desperately looked for on the way down.  It had a great looking hotel right beside it.  Do not go into Los Mochis, stay at this truck stop or surrounding motel.  Then Ken had to drive in the dark in Mexico - a first for us!  The rats running on the road were exciting, so was the bus turning its headlights on as it passed our car.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

We woke up early.  I just couldn't pull myself out of bed.  It was raining and I was really tired.  After finally peeling myself from the bed we ate breakfast under the roof of the courtyard while the rain poured from the grey sky.

It was hard to leave the Quinta Don Jose as the staff is so genuinely friendly and the decor is so wonderfully Mexican.  Tlaqueapaque is a great city - clean beautiful and friendly.

The green, lush rolling hills between Guadalahara and Mazatlan are slightly reminiscent  of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.  Except they go on and on, plus they have not only deciduous trees but cactus.  We saw cows, houses and goats grazing.

I typed some of the blog while we drove today.  Mostly I just lazed and enjoyed the drive.

When we got about half an hour from Matzatlan traffic became one lane as we crept along.  The other lane was at a stand still.  Plus the wonderful landscape became shantytown.

We decided to stay right on the ocean front, six floors up.  We walked around centro of Mazatlan - different than many places.  it was great to sit out on our deck and hear the pounding surf.

Friday, August 13, 2010

This hotel offers free long distance so I phoned my Dad.  It was great to hear his voice, way down here in Mexico.  I finally got through to his friend Fern's e-mail, too.

We had a nice continental breakfast, courtesy of the hotel.  Then off to a neighboring city - Tonala.  This day we had actual purchasing in mind.  We were about to go back and buy something and it started raining.  We decided to go back to the car and that is when we saw the best art to buy,  Good thing it rained.

Once back in Tlaquepaque we went back out shopping.  In Mexico you can sample booze, especially tequila... so we did a little sampling.  We got caught in the rain, came back to the hotel and changed,  We actually decided to slow down long enough to have supper.  Once back out again we made several trips back with purchases.  We had fun spending money!  We had a whirlwind shopping day.