Thursday, February 23, 2017

The last couple of days - enjoying different things.

Didn't realize I didn't post yesterday until I checked the blog. Not a senior moment just a LAZY moment yesterday. On Tuesday we returned to the bakery/restaurant - the Culinary Market - in old town to pick up our quiche AND have breakfast with John and Jackie. Again excellent food and service. This time we didn't buy any cinnamon rolls as I still had two at home.After breakfast John and Jackie went to do errands and sightseeing on  heir own. We headed towards home as the quiche needed to be refrigerated.
Another bus jam going through old town. Sure glad the streets are all one way.
The girl in the flowered blouse is selling fresh strawberries and green grapes. The man in the yellow is selling newspapers and the person sitting on the curb - I don't know.  
 I mentioned the small McDonald's that sell only ice cream. Here is one, I really meant small
 Sometimes you just get a neat picture when taking pictures of something else. 
So why didn't I post yesterday. Partly 'cause the three pictures above are the only ones I took on Tuesday and more likely because I just didn't feel like posting. Some days are like that. In fact the car didn't even get uncovered on Wednesday. Just read and napped. Getting too used to that napping. Need to do some walking instead. Only been averaging around 5000 steps a day lately. 
This morning tho we had something to do.  Colin and Contessa - she writes the blog 5C's - Que Pasa - they stay on Stone Island in their RV - came to our RV park and we went to El Quelite. To get to Las Jaibas Trailer Park they had to drive their car to the harbor, take a panga across the water then catch a Pulmonia to get to us. We planned on meeting here at 9:30 - they got here at 9:32. Wow! 
We jumped in the Jeep and drove inland to El Quelite. They had never been there. Bill parked the Jeep right in front of the new walking street where the new hotel will be. The church is on the right the hotel will be using the existing buildings on the left. Can't wait to see it open. 
 We went into El Meson de los Laureanos for breakfast It is the restaurant I always write about. We walked around it for a while checking out all the neat rooms and things. Then sat down to eat. Suddenly there was a ruckus just around the table from us. A chachalaca was attacking one of the big roaming roosters. I mean really attacking. Every time someone separated them it headed back to the rooster and grabbed it and pecked it. Here is Doctor Osuna the owner of the restaurant trying to calm down the chachalaca. It didn't want to be calmed down. 
 This is a really small rooster who got his feathers up when the doctor started to release the chachalaca. He finally had to take the big ugly bird away from this room of the restaurant. 
 All of a sudden this little fellow came walking through. We'd seen him earlier out back in the wash. Now he was making himself at home inside. 
 Looks like someone is feeding him. 
 Wouldn't you know - Bll. The little thing drank till his tummy was full then just walked away. 
 Just more scenery from inside the restaurant. Every time we're there I see something different. And things look different as the sun moves through the area. 
 Bill pointed this out to me. Don't remember seeing it before. 
 Found out more about this man this time. At one time he was a well known, in the area, singer and guitar player. With age his voice is not as powerful nor his fingers as agile. He sits here in the restaurant and sings. Colin and Contessa were listening to him sing the song "El Quelite."
 "Hey, you can't leave without paying!" Just kidding. Bill and the doctor having a long talk about something. 
 After eating we walked around a couple of blocks so they could see the brightly colored homes and the varied plants. This home sells hand made items from the area for the tourists. The little shop is in the front room of the home. 
 This house is getting extensive remodeling. Will have to keep an eye on it. 

 Just a close up of one of the weird cactus plants. 

In the courtyard of another shop. The upstairs rooms are being made into rooms for rent. What a neat place to stay. 
 Just a tiny colorful house. I never noticed it before. Contessa caught it. 
And so ended our day in El Quelite. We really enjoyed having Colin and Contessa with us. It is always fun to share this little town with people who haven't been there before. 
The Peso to Dollar rate is changing. It is now 19.50 pesos to 1 dollar. A couple of weeks ago it was almost 22 pesos to 1 dollar. This new exchange rate put the price of a gallon of gasoline to over US$3.00. Two weeks from today we will begin our journey north again. 

8 comments:

Janet said...

Always glad when you go to El Quelite! Great that Contessa and Colin were able to join you. Such a wonderful place, mmmm the best breakfasts! SO jealous!!!!

Contessa said...

Thank you so very much for being our chauffeurs and our tour guides. It was a wonderful time in a magical place. Thank you for sharing one of your favorites places with us.

Unknown said...

I wonder how far El Quelite is from Mazatlan. I would sure like to visit it when I come to Mazatlan. Do they have buses that go that way? I just love all the stories of what you are seeing and doing. It is going to help me alot when I visit.
Glad the little rooster was saved

Grandma on the Road said...

Loved reading about the animals in the restaurant. About 20 years ago, I went to Guadalajara with an association for a conference and spent some time in Tlaquepaque. We ate at Restaurante Sin Nombre (Restaurant with no name) and had a wonderful lunch watching the pea hen stealing food from tables for her chicks. Also the tiniest bantam hen and her minuscule chicks ran underfoot! Makes U.S. restaurants seem very dull! I loved that little historic village.

Carol and Bill said...

it is always fun to go there. never know what we'll see.

Carol and Bill said...

So glad you enjoyed it. Always something to photograph or write about when there.

Carol and Bill said...

El Quelite is about 30 miles north east of Mazatlan, takes about 1/2 hour to drive there for the RV park. I think some of the tour companies take people there, and or some of the hotels include it in their tours.

Carol and Bill said...

Our health departments would have a stroke. Tlaquepaque is now part of Guadalajara, the city has spread and overrun all the used to be little towns.