Manzanillo, Colima

Tuesday, January 7, 2014 - continued

Manzanillo, Colima

Welcome to Colima

Two long beaches dominate Mano.

We made one stop to check out an older establishment recommended to us "Hotel La Posada".  The rooms appeared clean and comfortable. The hotel was right by the Bahia de Manzanillo and sported a pool. It had huge dining facilities. Which could have been recently renovated. People, like Janet and Paul, come here in January from places such as Ajijic to warm up.

Hotel La Posada, Manzanillo, Colima

We continued right downtown to the big, blue Sailfish statue on the malecon.

We checked out and checked into the Hotel Colonial. Likely more to do in this area of Manzanillo. A lavenderia we found was not far from our hotel and we took in our damp clothing.

We had the run of the place, and checked out pretty well all of the rooms settling on 303. We did notice another guest checking out the rooms as well.

... and checking the bed as well.

Lobby of the Hotel Colonial, Manzanillo, Colima

Our walk a little ways down the Alameda took us into an area of loose dogs and poverty. I had to leave, not feeling comfortable.


A cool evening breeze was found by the ocean along a malecon walk made out evening more enjoyable.



 Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Breakfast was included with the hotel fee there at the Hotel Colonial. It is a hearty breakfast. I had chilaquiles and Ken a cheese omelet. I even was able to have tea (te negre). There is not a lot of tea served in Mexico and what they do serve is not really something for the tea connoisseur but it was very welcome at breakfast this morning.

Dining Room at the Hotel Colonial - Manzanillo, Colima

We decided to not walk too much today as I sprained or broke my left, baby toe. We walked to a Technological University and Archeological Museum - University getting a much needed upgrade and the Museum was closed.

We walked to a mini resort - Zar, quite modern and pleasant with a pool and nice art work.

Very nice street art.

We walked by a library with older dated books and a card catalogue. It, however have high speed internet. My personal favorites at the library were the cats who lived there (we saw their food dishes).

Let till you about some delicious authentic food we have had in Manzanilla (Centro):

Jarra de agua _ pitcher of water, ice and lots of a fruit of your choice.  We have tried both papaya and guayaba.

Mollete de frijol y queso - a sub shaped bun cut in half length wise with refried beans topped with cheese then somehow fried.

Nachos rancheros - a bowl with a few nachos in the bottom (warm from the oven). The nachos were covered with cut up tomatoes, white onions, cucumbers, cut up tomatoes, withe onions, cucumbers, cilantro, and avocado, and with whole beens and big chunks of panela cheese.

Jarra de agua (smoothie type) Italian style mango slushy type of drink, kind of like a milkshake.

Natchos Rancheros con Jarra de Aqua papaya a la Chantilly's

View from el patio

Thursday, January 9, 2014

I discovered a male Black Witch Moth on our bathroom ceiling. Mexicans consider it a sign of bad luck but I am not buying into that. I thought of him as a new found com padre for the day. The moth had a wing span of about four or five inches.

This was to be a day away from old town Manzanillo and the heat. We drove to Sorianna and Walmart, both well stocked big box establishments.

We drove around in and area by the bullring as well. We also drove in the touristy, Gringo, resort area up in the hills.  The condos or hotels get spectacular views. We decided to tour an all inclusive resort called Barcela - beautiful. We saw iguanas, carved murals depicting Pre-Hispanic Mexican life. The lounge or lobby was done similar to the in side of a pyramid, I am just guessing cause I have not been inside of one, There was lots to take pictures of. It was about four to five times the price compared to the Hotel Colonial. Being at the far end of the Bay of Manzanello we took a different way back to our Hotel. We took the libremento.

Barcela

Friday, January 10, 2014

We did the walk up, chico, the little hill, to the mirador. None too special on the way up except for a few views of the ocean and harbor. Several cute little pooches were noted. One was even in a dress.

At the top we found a statue and spectacular views of the bay, hill and the city. We took a different way down passed a tree with, what looked like, a strangler vine attached. There were rooster, hens and again precious, little dogs.

Look!

At some point we walked to the big downtown market. It appeared well kept. There were three floors - first floor was mostly produce, fish and mean; the second floor the bathrooms; the third floor was the food stalls which looked enticing, but were not hungry.

Back to el patio at our hotel.

Back to el patio

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Ken drove us to the tiangus market in Santiago. It was huge with many different Mexican arts and drafts. Ingeniously they had tarped in the top of the flea market to provide shade to the shoppers. The heat, however, was still present. There were many, many Norteamericanos.

tiangus market in Santiago, Saturdays, across from Parque de Santiago

This area has better services, stores, restaurants, etc. Also, there is a big hill sticking out into the ocean on a peninsula (Penisulas de Santiago). It has windy roads with many well built homes along those roads, as well as condos. The building standards seem high and the homes might be pricey.

We drove into the Norteamericano area hoping to get as far as Pepe's Hideaway. We came upon security gates and guards that turned us back.

We ate supper at the hotel after a late afternoon of Ken blogging and me beginning to do some art (coconut tree).


Sunday, January 12, 2014

We walked to the Bonanza area of Manzanillo, almost to Villa Florida (the bridge just before Villa Florida, the Laguna bridge). Gone almost three hours in the heat, walking, we were close to exhaustion upon our return. It was an interesting walk.

We walked up Avenue Mexico a block from the big, blue sailfish to where the road ends, then we turned on the road leading to the Power Plant.

We walked passed a fully tiled building that was closed. It had an obvious religious affiliation, but no real indication of the buildings intended purpose or if it was a private residence.

We walked passed a football field, parents already drinking beer before eleven am. Once passed the sports field in an area of obvious poverty we saw a guy sniffing glue from a paper bag - never saw that before in Mexico.

The rest of the walk was on a groomed sidewalk trail. The trail had lagoon on one side and lush hills on the other. We saw lots of little geckos and many trees, one with an unusual little orange fruit or flower on it. This was mostly a country side walk with a huge power plant seen across the lagoon. We went passed a resort area on the lagoon that has seen better days. Just before the bridge, just before Villa Florida, was the ocean. Great views of the bay and the  Aquaculture Institute.

Then we turned around and walked back. Isn't funny how the return trek never seems as long - however, by this time it seems really hot. We were hot, hot, hot and hungry once we returned.





At our favorite restaurant here, Chantilly's - we saw the stripped cat again. It seems to hang out here. The time it had taken up residence on a chair out front.

Chantilly's Restaurant. Manzanillo, Colima

Monday, January 13, 2014

This was a very low key day of stick kind of close to the hotel. We did venture forth in the morning for a walk. Our walk was so interesting yesterday we just repeated it. We only went about a third as far today. Upon our return yesterday we realize we should have heeded the signs like dizziness and not have walked so far in the heat. We really kept out of the sun today.


Before we went on our walk we both did yoga out in the hallway in front of our room. The hallway has portales and is so Mexican - love our old 1942 Hotel Colonial. Two restaurants in downtown Manzanillo - Los Candiles and Chantilly are the only places to eat that we frequented so they are all I could recommend.

Tile Art at the Hotel Colonial, Manzanillo, Colima

Ken blogged from early afternoon until early evening in the Los Candiles Restaurant downstairs. I sat in the air conditioned comfort of our hotel room and painted. I am just in the beginning stages of painting my coconut piece. I needed a small table to press and paint on; a plug-in for the iron and blow dryer. Then I needed a small area to set paints and brushes, etc. on.


Ken and I got together for supper and to revisit our day. Up at the room we packed, readying ourselves for tomorrow's departure.

We were told this was opening day for the Hotel Colonial.

These were in the floor, most floors.

There are lots of birds here, especially in the evening or at sunset. Every wire has birds completely stretch across each length and are only a few inches apart. Big letters announcing store names have birds on every surface that a bird could sit on. For example, on upper case E had three birds on top, two in the middle and three on the lower bar. Most of these birds are swallows. Here, there is also a huge amount of pigeons, goo.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

We both woke up and did yoga out in the hallway of our hotel room - trying to hold back some aches and pains plus it feels healthy to do yoga. We ate our last complimentary breakfast Los Candiles Restaurant (it is part of the Hotel). I had smoky tasting huevos Mexicanos (scrambled eggs with vegetables in them), most delicious. We took the heavy luggage out last night so had only a few items to haul down the three flights of stairs to the underground parking garage.