Leaving the land of eternal summer for the city of "eternal spring"

We have been busy squeezing in as much fun as possible into the last two weeks of January - getting ready for our "vacation within a vacation."  This is something we try to do each year as I have a desire to see more and more of the unique places this country has to offer.  It's ironic that we are leaving here just as the nights have begun to cool down...in fact, this would be the time of year we occasionally see the locals bundled in their "winter clothes".  Yes, the nights are now cool enough to enjoy using our top sheet and even a corner of the woven beadspread can feel cozy.  Cori has now decided to resume his position between us and snuggle close to my thighs when the "night chill" is felt. 

We had a last minute surprise guest when one of our son and daughters friends from Vancouver decided to take advantage of a ridiculously low fare to spend a week in the tropics.  Cory is one of the new age of young professionals who could do his job from just about anywhere in the world...online!  So after a week of computer time interspersed with runs on the beach, swims, trips to the mercado and trials of the different foods that are available nearby...he's determined that he could find a place in paradise to park himself each winter to work.  Great idea!

We've read in their blog SV Ideal1 that our Victoria friends who left here on their yacht a week ago are safely in Acapulco and enjoying all that the big city has to offer cruisers.  Well done!

Kyle is also still nearby, having decided to practice being a surfer for 2 weeks in Saladita...so we have gone out with our good friends Mickey and Jane to visit and take him out for a local treat...Pollo barbacoa spiced so deliciously with guajillo chiles, garlic, cumin, oregano and vinegar....hoping to recreate this taste soon! 

Kyle will be leaving on Monday to rejoin Kristen in Vancouver and our friends Linda and Dan will arrive here on Sunday to stay in our little casa while we are travelling. 

At this time each year in Zihuatanejo, the streets are full of middle aged or older visitors from Canada and the US.  We see familiar faces everywhere and are happy for the locals that they have their regular customers and friends returning.  

It's also the height of volunteer festival season with a large fundraiser for Rotary last night and the upcoming Zihua Sailfest in February.   Here at Casa Ceiba, the "pool deckchair wars" have resumed - we've usually managed to be away before there were more people than chairs, so this year, it's new for us to see this phenomenon.   Our local grocery store is no longer the hub of Mexican shoppers, instead we see the gringos searching for familiar merchandise and are always happy when we can offer our local knowledge on where to find what they are looking for.

Our sponsored student and her sisters are now regularly attending English classes with Sra. Sheila and her husband Ross, 2 Canadians who spend a lot of time here each year and are volunteer teachers in the Nino's Adelante program.  We're proud that they stay at our apartment in La Ceiba which gives Sheila an easy walk to her classes in the nearby open air church at Plaza Kyoto. 

So we're heading out at a time when things are just really comfortable here...we are heading out on our version of a little adventure with GPS, Guia Roja and our booking to Villas Bellavista in hand.   Off to see the big city of Cuernevaca, perhaps take some Spanish classes and explore the nearby pueblas with magical names like Tepoztlan, Malinalco, Xochicalco.    And I have a new project that makes the travel to these historic cities even more exciting...we are on the search for the perfect Saltillo floor tiles and decorative accessories for a small kitchen renovation at our rental apartment in La Ceiba.  Just when I thought my Mexican shopping was over!! 

And before we know it...we've finished 3 full months of our winter here...only 2 and a bit left - one month of travel and the month of March spent entertaining friends, enjoying Guitarfest and Carnivale festivities. 

We pray that all will continue to be well at home until we return and wish our kids and our friends an end to winter and a start to Spring perhaps even while we are in the City of Eternal Spring!  Cuernavaca here we come!

 Oh, and this is the "shade side" of our new garden that our neighbours and I designed and purchased plants for...a fun shopping day in Zihuatanejo!