Ah, Betseyville!

Text says:
"Oh, how I love this house!  I spotted it online when I was googling Zihuat before our trip.  It's about 40 minutes south of Z, belongs to American fashion designer Betsey Johnson.  We thought we'd go for a drive (thanks for the car Pablo!) and see if we could spot it.   The next thing I know we'd talked our way in the front door and were given a guided tour by the caretaker.  It is magnificent, if a little faded; two pools, main house plus 3 casitas.  There are a few bucket list items that could be crossed off by buying it.  Did I mention it's for sale?"


and again in Spanish:


¡Me encanta este casa! Lo he visto en el internet cuando estaba googling Zihuat antes de nuestra viaje.  Es aproximadament cuarenta minutos sud de Z, y la dueña es Betsey Johnson, la diseñadora famosa de eeuu. Pensamos que hayamos ido a dar un paseo en coche (¡gracias por el coche Pablo!) para buscarlo.  Y de repente, estabamos en el tour con el vigilante que vive alli.  Es magnifico, la casa, si un poco descolorido: dos piscinas, una casa y tres casitas.  Hay algunas cosas en mi 'lista antes de partir' que podrian ser tachados si lo compraríamos.  Y ¡está en vente!


Ok, I'll stop torturing the Spanish language.  I know there's a million mistakes here.  Please feel free to tell me.  I'm wanting to get a better understanding of Spanish grammar.

The house really is amazing.  We spent a couple of days thinking we were going to put an offer in.  What held me back is the fact that it needs a LOT of work, and soon.  And it may be a little too remote for us.   A girl can dream though.

The view from Rana Rene

Text says:
We're at Rana Rene, noshing, sketching and watching the world go by. I just bought a little mariposa from 5 year old Alejandro who works this part of the beach. Around the point here on the right is the home of the drummer from Supertramp, or so says our waiter. How fitting for us, since they're Greg's favourite group, and their song 'Downstream' has huge meaning for us.
And it goes a little something like this...
"Took a boat Sunday, Down by the sea. It just felt so nice, you and me. We didn't have a problem, or a care. All around was silence, everywhere."

We went out to Barra de Potosi yesterday and looked at a house. It belongs to fashion designer Betsey Johnson. We're seriously considering putting an offer in on it.

More to come.

Playa Las Gatas, Zihuatanejo

text says:
We caught a little ferryboat down at the marina and came across to Playa Las Gatas. It's pretty cool over here. There's a big long strip of restaurants that will provide beach chairs and a wide range of offerings if you choose their location. We walked out to the point where we found this cool eco-info center, then settled in for some serious r + r. We went snorkeling, which I wouldn't do here again. It's all rocky and coral-y. We saw about four fish and spent ten minutes getting trashed by the waves on a big bed of coral just past where these boats are. Not fun. On my toes I'm sporting OPI's 'Yoga-to-get-this-blue'. At home it looks black. Here the sun makes it glow neon blue. Bring it on, I say. Here comes the sun doot 'n do do... it's alright.
We bought some 30 sunscreen on our way to the ferry. Wish we'd thought to use it. Apparently one squirt doesn't cover you for a full day in and out of the water. Who knew?! We are back at Rob's, nursing our sunburns. We went out last night to see our new friends play at Paccolo's, but it was full. We headed to Coconuts where there were some other groups playing, including the two rocker women I most wanted to see at the festival, but it too was full. Then we thought 'Hey, I bet you can see it perfectly from the rooftop of Don Memo's'. We headed up, and sure enough we had the best view in the house! It was awesome. We would have spent a few hundred dollars at Coconuts, and instead we spent a few hundred pesos, had a great meal, great seats, and loads of fun. We made reservations to sit at that table again for Friday's show. Our table is right under the cupola that I sketched a few days ago.

Club Intrawest Zihuatanejo

Spent the day at the Club. My brother Rob has been coming down here for the past three winters working at the club doing member updates. It's a beautiful place; everything I always thought it would be. I worked for this company for many years as a sales person, coach, manager and sales director. I've worked in Whistler, Vancouver, Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Blue Mountain Ontario and San Destin Florida. Every location has its charms. This site was just being finished when I last worked there. Maybe club locations are like seasons; my favourite one always seems to be the one I'm in at the moment, but it certainly seems to me that this'd have to be the winner.

We helped clean up after the tequila tasting event for members at the club (interpret that as you will, there were no mops or rags involved), then left the club and went to Don Memo's for dinner. It's the domed building I sketched the day before. Good food, fun spot, Memo is super friendly. Everyone wants to tell me how much they love my hermano; what a big heart he has. I know, but it's nice to hear it.

We left Memos, then stopped at the bar underneath La Hija del Capitan. There were some really good local musicians there. One of them was a guy my brother knows named Eric who made a guitar sound very different than we do. He also has a good gritty singing voice. Greg and Rob decided it was a good time to see if the chipotle burgers were as good downstairs as they are upstairs at La Hija. Well boys, it's the same kitchen. I couldn't even look at the burger after our feast at Don Memo, but they wolfed it down, and yes, it was apparently as good. We stumbled home, full and happy. Yay Zihaut.

Restaurante don Memo

We went by bike and scooter to one of Rob's favourite breakfast places, then he left for work and Greg and I wandered the streets.  There are so many cool little vistas here.  We picked this spot partly because the building is so cool, and partly because there was a lovely little cafe from which to view it.  Comfort first.  The building is Restaurante Don Memo, which apparently is a good local eatery.  Our plan today is to hang out at Club Intrawest, then come here for dinner.

Yesterday we roamed the streets in search of a good burger/cerveza joint (when in Rome...) and settled on one of the beach restaurants.  When Rob finished work he picked me up on the scooter and we went in search of a book store.  I wanted to find some little novels in spanish so I could work on my reading skills.  We drove all over town and ended up at a little book shop about 2 minutes from our beach hangout.  I got two books that are just about the right speed for me.  Afterwards we took a cab to Ixtapa to go check out the marina.  We ended up walking the length of the beach there, then coming back to Zihat for what was probably one of the best meals I've ever eaten.  The restaurant is called Espuma, and if you consider yourself a foodie and you happen to have a little cash or some airmile points, get yourself on a plane immediately and see for yourself.  Not only is the food completely mind-blowing, but the view/decor/atmosphere is at the top of the world.  I'm thinking I may find some time to go back there and sketch before we leave.

Playa Madera, Zihuatanejo

The boardwalk here is very cool, gently undulating along the edge of the beach.  There are hand painted signs everywhere reminding people in spanish not to tire their basura, and to keep their playa clean.  I sat and sketched while the boys went looking for some speakers for our music at the house and a basketball (there's a bball court in our front yard).  When they came back we walked from here pretty much right through this sketch, and then up the hill.  At the top is a restaurant called Espuma.  The views from there are absolutely stunning.  We're heading back there for dinner tonight.  If you continue along the hilly road from there you'll come to Club Intrawest where Rob is working.  It is lovely, which I will attempt to demonstrate with a sketch a little later in the week. 

Airborn Otra Vez

Yahoo!  We're in Zihuatanejo.  We're visiting my brother Rob who comes down here to work 5 months a year.  We arrived at 7pm last night.  I had a good laugh leaving the airport.  In Canada, we choose to to put a big grizzly in a mountie suit at the airport.  In Zihuat, just outside the airport, there's a giant bottle of Corona, and standing right beside is an enormous sand sculpture of a bucket of Coronas.  Interesante.

We decompressed for a bit, inspired by the airport art, having a few cervezas, then saddled up and walked into town for some dinner.  We went to Hija del Capitan for some amazing camarones coco.  We met some of Rob's local friends and I got to torture some locals with my rusty spanish.  Zihat has such a cool feel.  I'm in love with it already.

Text says: March 5th.  Took the skytrain early this morning to meet jGreg at YVR and catch a flight to Zihautanejo/.  I cannot wait to get my winter white toes in some sand/.  We're early, thanks to Greg's 6 am flight in from Penticton/  I had planned to use the time to sketch the magnificent Bill Reid sculpture here in International Departures, but for some reason settled here instead/.  Interesting choice, the bear in the mountie suit/.  I wonder what the designers were trying to say.  "Thanks for visiting our country.  Come back soon/  We have grizzlies, and they're helpful and friendly!"