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The motorhome has been moved to Cofradia, where it will be parked for the rest of our stay in Mexico. For the Vermeulens their visit to Canada is almost over. We spend as much time outdoors as possible. Our early morning and sunset walks and breakfast on the patio, are some of the last activities we relish with them. They pack their suitcases and Ramiro and I pack a bag for a few nights at the coast.
It’s time to say goodbye; That’s never easy, but we’re sure we will see each other again soon. While they take their flight back from Manzanillo to Amsterdam, via Houston and Frankfurt we head another 80 km north to La Manzanilla. A small touristy place where Anne Adams, a friend of Project Amigo has a house in the hills with a Palapa type casita, and we are able to spend a few nights there.
We have been warned that a band is playing tonight at the square. No use to go to bed at a regular time then. Of course we did not expect the music to continue until 2:00 am, but I sure got a lot of work done on the laptop.
After breakfast on the patio, we take Anne out for lunch and after a long walk along the beach and a stroll to the lagoon where the crocodiles are waiting for their pry, we join a small group of North Americans at the beach for a shot of Tequila and wait for the sun to set over the ocean.
In the morning we continue to Puerto Vallarta to visit our friends Deborah and Ron. They have a beautiful house there with plenty of rooms. We will spend a few nights here and celebrate New Year’s eve together.
Puerto Vallarata is major tourist attraction with an enormous amount of commercialism. Not exactly our type of beach retreat, but we have not been here for many years and take it all in; The sand sculptures, the many restaurants and souvenir shops and the people, thousands of them. All in need of a little sunshine, away from their cold communities in the north.
Many of the hotels have a special event planned for the New Year’s Eve celebration. We have tickets for an evening at one of the resorts and join a large number of vacationers from the US, Canada and Mexico for dinner on the outdoor patio.
The buffet dinner is fantastic, making it difficult to hold back. The desserts are a meal by itself, but we keep going back for more. The fact that unlimited drinks are included may cause some of the guests to overindulge. But luckily no one ends up in the swimming pool. The band brings many of the guests on the dance floor and just before midnight we are served champagne and 12 grapes. These are to be eaten at the strike of 12. After the traditional toasting and well wishing, the fireworks start. I can’t help thinking how many hungry mouths could have been fed with the money spent on this light sow, but nevertheless enjoy the magnificent display. There does not seem to be an end to it. All along the hotel strip, fireworks are ignited. What a show, what an evening. Well worth the money.
We stay one more day in Puerto Vallarta, where Deb and Ron put on a New Year’s Day turkey dinner and invite a few more guests. Again we eat too much; out the window with our new year’s resolutions.
There are some other friends in PV. Our long time friends Hendrika and Aldo arrived yesterday for a two week vacation. We go and visit them in the evening and are happy to see each other.
On Sunday we drive back to Cofradia and start preparing for a new group of volunteers.
2011 is going to be another wonderful year for us and we wish all our friends and family also a wonderful year with health and happiness.
Like they say in Chile.
“Cheers!! To health, money and love and time to enjoy it all”.
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