Cilantros

I joined the ladies at the pool mid-morning yesterday. Vicki and Donna had gotten up early and made it to the gym. I hadn’t, so I joined them for awhile, then went for a walk on the beach. Mid to late afternoon we played progressive Rummy at the Bistro pool. Donna ordered sushi from the Bistro. Our niece, Lauren, had reported that she and Ahren had tried the sushi a few weeks ago, and it had been terrible, so we didn’t know what to expect. When the sampler arrived, we were pleased. The salmon and tuna appeared to be fresh and cold and the rice cooked properly. A small plate of spicy pepper flakes and a little soy, made for a nice dipping sauce. I’m guessing that Lauren and Ahren may have had a different chef the day they tried the sushi. The food and service can vary at PBEB, so it pays to courteously, but firmly complain, if either is substandard.
Late in the afternoon, London and Paulina (Marco’s daughter) arrived at the Villa after a fun-filled day at school. London was allowed to visit Paulina’s class for the day, and had a blast. I believe the highlight was the arrival of the ice cream truck at lunch. Each girl had $2.00 for lunch. I’m not sure if they “burned through it all”, or had a little left over after the ice cream spree.
I was invited to join the group for dinner at Cilantros, a comfy beachside restaurant at the Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan. We made it right at sunset, and were placed at a window table. London and Paulina immediately hit the beach and the water. The adults hung back, with the exception of Azuela Donna, who followed the kids with her camera in hand, and snapped some nice photos. We were seated in a few minutes, where we could watch the girls play on the beach, while chatting and deciding on what to order. I opted for tortilla soup and shrimp ceviche. The others ordered a variety of dishes, including salads, soups, and BBQ. The food was delicious, and as always, came in huge portions. I have always liked Cilantros, but it’s not Angel’s favorite place, as she had a “cold” Mexican plate on our initial visit to the place several years ago. She does not forget easily. I’m hoping to encourage her to give it another try this trip.
We were back to Emerald Bay by 8:00, but a few of the crew wanted to go to Kelly’s for a drink. Kelly’s had music last night and Auntie Sue wanted to dance. Fortunately, for me (I’m not much of a fancy dancer), Marco “cut the rug” with Sue, as well as a few of the other female hotel guests, while Nita and I talked and sipped a few tequila martinis. The drinks, as usual for this resort, pack a whallop, so imbibe carefully! I was up early this morning to hit the gym. Vicki was already working out when I arrived. The others were still resting at the Villa after our busy day and evening.
I’m posting a few shots of Cilantro’s for your enjoyment. Hoping you’re all well and having a good week!

Thursday in Maz

After an hour at the gym, and a stop at the Deli to check email, I spent the morning at the big pool with Donna and the ladies. The day was calm and warm. The pool was not overcrowded, and relatively quiet. A few families with children played in the water, while the older bunch spread out around the perimeter sunning and socializing. London picked out a ceramic piece and began painting it. She seems to be content, being here without her brothers for a few days, and getting a little extra attention from her grams and auntie.
I excused myself about 1:00, took a short walk around the resort, and then returned to the room for a light snack and a shower. Donna had invited me to accompany the ladies to dinner earlier in the day, so I met them at the Villa at 4:30. Marco arrived in the van about ten minutes later. It was good to see him again. He is likely the best tourist guide in Mazatlan and a genuinely nice guy. The past year has been difficult for the Mazatlan tourism industry due to the swine flu scare and the sluggish U.S. economy, and Marco hasn’t escaped the effects. However, he seems to have weathered the worst of it by working longer and harder for Capitano’s Restaurant, as well as any other opportunities that become available.
Marco drives us through Mazatlan, past the Malecon, to Olas Alta. We were planning on viewing the sunset from the rooftop of the Freeman Hotel, but traffic slowed us down, and we ended up racing the sun to the horizon. Instead of the Freeman, we opted for the Dolphins and the naked couple at the Fisherman’s Monument. The sunset was beautiful and enjoyed by all.
After sundown, Marco drove us to a relatively new restaurant near Plaza Machada. The restaurant name is Topolo. Donna ordered a variety of appetizers….grilled shrimp wrapped in prosciutto, grilled asparagus spears, sesame coated grilled salmon, grilled veggies. We all ordered drinks and perused the extensive menu. The entrees were reasonably priced from 120 to 300 pesos, depending on what you wanted, with steaks and seafood at the upper end, and pastas and Mex cuisine at the lower. I opted for Chile Relleno, London ordered pasta, and Marco and the ladies requested shrimp, pork, and steak dishes. All of the plates were arguably above average, and my chile relleno was excellent. I was impressed with the light sauce and creamy goat cheese stuffing. Very nice!
We returned to the Villa by 8:30, where we chatted for a few hours, while soaking in the spa and sipping drinks. A relaxing close to another wonderful day in Mazatlan.

Beach Photos

I seem to be having difficulty uploading photos. Not sure if it's the blog site or the slow connection here. It's a beautiful morning in Mazatlan! I awoke early and went to the gym. As I was leaving, I ran into Donna,and (if my memory is correct) Vicki (Brittany's mother). They are settled in at the Villa. London is also here now. Drew, Brittany, and the boys will arrive on Monday. I really enjoy spending time with these folks every year! The beach is inviting today, so I think I'll head down to the cabanas. I did manage to upload the photo of the ray who swallowed the fish, who apparently died in mid-swallow...how strange.

Montana....Maz pics tomorrow???

I was pretty lazy today...it was cool out this morning. I walked the beach for an hour, returned to the room for a bowl of cereal, and then headed to the new Bistro Pool with a book. I like the new pool. It's at the far end of the resort and a peaceful place to relax in absence of the constant activity at the main pool. The sun came out mid-morning. About noon, I returned to the room, ate lunch, messed around with photos, then went for another walk. I managed to sneak in a short nap this afternoon before scarfing down a cup of soup and dressing out for the gym. An hour at the gym on the recumbent bike, then I find myself here at the Deli checking email and blogging....where did the day go?????

The photos today were supposed to be a combo from Thanksgiving week in Montana, and the beach today. I had trouble uploading the beach shots tonight, so...As I said yesterday, we had a fun time with family last week. I was hunting with my nephews, their friends, Papa Jack (Lauri and Vicki's dad),my brother-in-law John, and Mike aka "Uncle Bucky"...John's other brother-in-law...or the other "unfortunate", as I refer to both Mike and myself, for being bonded by marriage to JT...hehheh). Seriously, both Mike and I couldn't have married into a nicer bunch though, and it seems to have worked out well for all of us the past 30, or so, years!

A highlight of the week was the annual Maiden Canyon Turkey Shoot held at Scott and Barb Sanford's beautiful log home. Colby took the trophy this year, but had stiff competition from his new brother-in-law, Ahren; his little brother, Kellen;and Scott Sanford, our gracious host. I managed to come in fifth (I think)...this was my rookie year, as the trip from Alaska for Thanksgiving doesn't happen often. Thanks to Vicki, for "herding" the crew through this event!

One Mazatlan photo is particulary interesting...I'll post it tomorrow...as I walked the beach I stumbled across a dead ray. It had attempted to swallow a fish that must have disagreed with it! I labeled the photo "Mexican Standoff", but I'm thinking it might have been a murder-suicide....go figure! Enjoy the photos from MT!

Arrived in Mazatlan Monday Night

I arrived in Mazatlan Monday afternoon. It was a long trip as we had just been to Montana for Thanksgiving, returned to Alaska Saturday night, repacked, and then left for Mexico on the redeye Sunday night. Once I arrived at Emerald bay, I emailed Angel, drank a cervesa, and hit the sack…about 8:00. I woke up at 6:00, went to the gym for an hour, and then readied myself for a trip to the city to get supplies. I boarded the shuttle at 10:00 after picking up a ticket from the concierge…a new deal this year. The shuttle is still free, but supposedly the ticket lends order to the boarding process….who knows??? After getting off the shuttle at the Pueblo Bonito in town, I headed down the sidewalk, talking to other gringos before running into Sisae, a gal who Angel and I talk with every year. Sisae is a timeshare sales lady, and probably in her forties. I chat with her and ask about her family. I tell her that I just arrived yesterday and Angel will be coming in a few weeks. I see my bus coming down the road and tell her I need to catch it to Sam’s Club. She grabs my arm and says “No!, I’ll give you a ride”. I’m a little embarrassed to refuse, and accept the offer, thinking “this is going to cost me ten times more than the 8 pesos for the bus.” I hop in Sisae’s pick-up and she heads towards Sam’s asking me about Alaska, family, and what we’ve been up to in the past year. Ten minutes later we pull into the Sam’s Club parking lot. I offer Sisae 100 pesos for the ride, but she says "No", and then gives me a free drink coupon at a local restaurant. This is why I love Mazatlan and the people here.
I end up spending nearly 1,000 pesos at Sam’s…about $90 US, plus or minus. For this I get a bag of golden apples from Washington, a bottle of good Mexican wine, a large box of Honey Oats cereal, two large pkgs of cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese, a small summer sausage, chorizo (4), coffee, instant soup (8), tuna fish (8), tortillas (50 count), sardines in hot sauce (6), a large box of Oreos, and 6 Rajas (cans of pickled jalapeño, carrot, and celery). Robinson Crusoe should have had it so good! Endless beach and food aplenty. These items should last me for breakfast, lunch, and snack until Angel arrives in a few weeks. The Deli store at EB is well stocked, so I’ll pick up my milk and a few cervesas at the resort.
I get back to PBEB at about noon, change and head to the beach cabanas where I enjoy the sun, read, and listen to music on the iPod until 3:00. I return to the room, make myself a sausage, cheese, and raja roll-up, chased with an ice cold Tecate, and begin writing on the computer.
I’ll be posting photos from EB and around Mazatlan as the day’s progress. Today, I’m including a few photos from our Montana trip, over Thanksgiving. We went to visit family, and to celebrate Angel’s fathers 90th birthday. John Sr. was a robust 90 on the 17th of November. The family had a nice dinner for him a week ago Tuesday. It was a wonderful celebration filled with laughter and good food. Also celebrating birthdays, were Papa Jack (Laurie and Vicki’s dad), and Ahren (Lauren’s husband). While in Montana, we managed to hunt every day and spent Thanksgiving with Barb, Scott, family, and friends at Maiden Canyon. At Barb and Scott’s, we not only enjoyed great food, but competed in the annual Turkey Shoot. I’ll post photos and a story of that later.
Today, I’ll post a few pics of John Sr.’s bash, a pic of Mike with his muley buck, and my obligatory day 1, Mazatlan beach-toe shot for Cassie, Roger, Kristen, Donald, and Ed, serving their time at sub-zero temps on the North Slope! I’m thinking of you folks!
Wednesday morning.......I had trouble posting last night, so I will try again now......Juanita’s last evening for tortilla soup and sweet corn tamales….$4.00, and I was pleasantly full! The shuttle to town and back is running more frequently in the evenings this year, but, as stated previously, you are required to get a free pass from the concierge at each end. I picked up an eight-pack of Pacifico Light and a liter of milk from a small market in town...less expensive than the deli at PBEB.