5C's Que Pasa

Colin and I just finished watching a 2010 Australian TV movie called Arctic Blast.  Basically it is about the ‘almost end of the world’ due to a hole in the ozone layer.

In the movie, cities are being overtaken by an ice fog!

The -80C fog instantly freezes anything in its path!

It certainly brought to mind the unusual cold conditions North America is experiencing at this time.  It also makes us ask if this is the reason we here in Mazatlan are experiencing this cooler weather.  Last winter was so warm here that we wondered how we had managed in Acapulco ( much hotter yet).  However this season we are feeling the cold in the breeze off the ocean and if you aren’t in the direct sun you are apt to get goose bumps on your arms.  How many are sitting on the beach for hours on end? How many are swimming on a daily basis?   Certainly a heavier sweater or jacket is normal after sunset.  People are shutting their windows in the evening and we have heard a few furnaces turned on!  Que pasa, we ask?  It has been down to 62F in the early morning.  A quote taken directly from the movie reads:  “God didn’t do this.  We did it to ourselves!  We polluted our atmosphere!”  I believe this to be true.  In all honesty have not even our summers in Canada and the USA been different in the past few years??  Why is Mazatlan experiencing this heavy fog day after day?

8 AM view inland. By the way this RV is for sale!

8 AM water view!

Not normal says those who have been here year after year. Friends in the Puerto Vallarta area as well as the Cancun area are also feeling the chill.

Life just seems to happen here in paradise.  No real plans, just the ebb & flow of thoughts & time.  Last night I thought I would start a pot of homemade beans today.  Instead, this morning, I decided to make halibut chowder so when the veggie truck came I bought what I needed.

Chowder or beans?

After coffee in the garden, Colin decided to head out to the shrimp market, he wanted shrimp for dinner.  So he & Carl (our neighbor) started off.  They took the panga over to Mazatlan only to find a lack of shrimp at the ‘shrimp store’ so they decided to take a pulmonia to the shrimp ladies.  This is an area near Centro where several stands are set up just to sell shrimp, the vendors are all women…..at this point I have to add that Colin ( Mr. Professional Photographer) did have my camera in his pocket but neglected to take any photos.  Guess he’s on holiday!  He says that if it’s not hanging around his neck, it’s not a camera. They each got a kilo of shrimp @ 140pesos/kilo, no negotiating.  The ladies were being tough today.  I think it has to do with a lack of shrimp this winter.  They were sitting in the water taxi, ready to come back to the Isla, when suddenly coming down the ramp is their pulmonia driver…. unbeknowst to them, Carl had dropped his wallet getting out of the taxi.  The driver returned the entire wallet intact, complete with several thousand pesos, credit cards & ID.  The guys had tipped him well when they got out!  Nice ending to their morning adventure. Oh but the adventure doesn’t stop there…the boys decided to pick up our laundry and ended up at a seahorse farm on the Isla.

There are many tanks of these critters but there were only 3 today. The owner said to come back in a month. We will get the story of a sea horse farm on the Isla then.

After cleaning the shrimp, yes I CLEANED the shrimp….

I went to meet the family as they returned from a beach stroll.

Can you see Caeli's head, just in front of Colin?

Looks like this is turning into a typical ‘day’ blog versus the title of a typical morning.  The sunset was extraordinary, off the charts in the ratings.  Here are a few shots that I took and honestly these are not touched up or highlighted at all.  What the camera saw is what you are seeing.  I myself am surprised at the beauty.

Cruise ship heading south to Acapulco!

Colin took this one a little later. The photo has a story to tell!

…and finally, the shrimp dinner which started this post!  The meal like the day simply evolved from simple to a wee bit more, well lets just say..more!

Somewhere between the pineapple, the onion and the zucchini are the shrimp

So ends another day that just happened!

Tenga un buen dia!  Have a good day!

We love you!

This is the place in Mazatlan to get better priced beverages, including coffee.  I headed out with friends on Monday to stock up on a few essentials for the coming holiday season.

Marjorie is concerned at the amount of her purchases!!!!

No actually she is dealing with a chip Visa card and  Bob had disappeared!  We then went to the Mega grocery store and onto the pot man in the Golden Zone.  Alas no more macetas.  From there to Home Depot where Majorie spotted what she thought was  familiar restaurant for lunch.  It turned out to be a different place but what a great find.  We all enjoyed our shrimp choices.

One of the best coconut shrimp meals ever!

Even this little lady enjoyed the leftovers....

Anyone in the market for a used Class A RV, spotted for sale in the lot across from Sam’s Club!!

Sunday late morning found us heading out to Isla de Chivos which is on the very tip of Isla de la Piedra.  This area of the Isla has many goats roaming about and some nice hiking areas.  Many of the rvers will also cast their rods off the rocks here.  Benji’s is well know here & in Mazatlan for pizza .

Just to be different we had breakfast.  Their breakfasts are delicious and well worth the effort to get there.  What could be better than sitting with your toes in the sand  looking over the water towards the Isla restaurants and our RV Park.  Mel & Shelby had omelettes with everything including the kitchen sink in them, Colin had pancakes & eggs while I had Huevos Rancheros.  YUM!  Served with rice, papas frito and salad, no one goes home hungry.

While we ate the girls were free to roam about.  Carmeh found a new friend.  It remains to be seen if this will be the forever man in her life.

Buster & Angel and their parents came by for a late breakfast.  We don’t have a photo but when he felt the urge Buster would just wander down to the beach for a swim.  Everyone and their pets had a great time.  Mucho relaxo!

This is not pizza going in the oven but.....

...Happy 73rd Birthday cookies for Mel !!

A pizza restaurant that serves everything and makes absolutely delicious chocolate chips cookies with no notice in the pizza oven.  What more could you ask of a restaurant?  Perhaps they can add the cookies to the menu….please!!!

There was a client who came in for pizza….they carried out 5 boxes of pizza to their dinghy…I guess they were enjoying their lunch on board their boat in the bay!!

Adios Pizza Benji’s, we will be back…for pizza next time.