Entrances and Exits

Today Carol's sister, Linda, and her husband, Jack, from Kelowna, B.C. were scheduled to arrive here at the Bayview complex. We awaited them in the downstairs lobby where I passed the time looking for something to photograph. I found a painting that provided a measure of aesthetic relief from the eyeball/sombreros mentioned in an earlier post, and some Unrolling Stones.

Then came the grand moment of arrival ...

With Jack and Linda settled into their accommodations, Carol and I left to attend our Friday night meeting. One five-minute school assignment was handled by a native of Zihuatanejo, a thirty-year-old father of a young boy. His subject was the use of "Abba" in the scriptures. Besides explaining how it is an informal designation for father, like Papa, he illustrated how it must have sounded to Jehovah, when addressed that way, by playing a brief recording he had of the first time his own baby son said "Papa." He related how happy he was to hear it.

I hadn't realized that words like abbot and abbey were actually derived from Abba. The speaker mentioned that in fact 'Pope' is derived from Papa. Referring to Matthew 23:9 where Jesus instructed not to give the title 'Father' to any man, he asked how our heavenly Father must feel to hear a designation, properly belonging to him only, attributed to men.

Following the meeting we took a bus back home. It is dark then and of course we must be careful to take one that goes to Bayview Marina. Four buses passed before ours appeared. The fifteen minute ride was uneventful until we arrived in Ixtapa. The bus made an unexpected turn and stopped. The driver began barking what I believe were commands, and people started filing off the bus. We were still a fifteen minute walk from home and I nursed the notion that none of this applied to us and soon our ride would resume.

Not understanding Spanish even when delivered serenely, I certainly could decipher nothing from the torrent of syllables discharging from this driver. Fortunately however, I can boast of having been, since early childhood, fluent in body language. Repeated frantic gestures toward the door persuaded us not only that he warmly desired us to disembark as well, but that regardless of his reasons, it was a good idea.

We now stood on the grassy median of the roadway, unable to follow the preceding passengers across due to traffic. We watched them climb aboard a waiting bus and trail off into the night.

Once across we waited for another bus to carry us home. When it arrived we got aboard and the laughing driver refused to accept our fare. He looked familiar. The bus interior looked familiar. It was the same bus and driver who had just turfed us.

Countless stories in this world remain untold and this will be one of them. Why this bus driver transformed from wild evacuation fever to laughing, welcoming good-naturedness in ten minutes will likely never be known. Unless he had noticed something rolling in the dark on the road beside him and feared it was his drive shaft.

And so it goes.

Real Estate

I begin with an artsy view of this morning's sunrise.

Some of today's tasks, such as preparing for tomorrow night's meeting, can be done pool side. Alas, although I enjoyed a short time there, I had agreed to be in the condo at 11:15 AM when the real estate agent was due to arrive with a prospective buyer.

We hadn't known the place was for sale so I asked the agent, Ricardo (not his real name), "Is this kind of thing going to happen often?"

"No," he said. "Just one time." I asked him this when he showed up at 11:25 AM, alone, to tell me the visit was postponed till noon. When, out of reckless curiosity, I inquired about the asking price, I unleashed the Mexican passion to do business. He pressed a card into my palm. He assured me he had many properties to show me and when I want to see them, I should call him at the number on the card. He pressed a finger onto the card so I wouldn't get lost in it. "This is the number." He said I should be sure to ask for him. By name. Ricardo. Right there. His finger was back on the card. That's it. Ricardo. No one else. Only him.

Yesterday, while we waited for a bus, a van pulled up to the curb, a stocky fellow hustled out, and tried selling me real estate also. He declared he was not actually selling real estate, he was selling happiness. I told him I was already well supplied and in fact I was active in trying to give it away for free. My notion that this might pique his curiosity was emphatically erroneous. Instead, he explained where his office was. I said I often work voluntarily to spread free happiness. He suggested I come to his office the next day to look at properties and that he'd come by to pick me up. I felt a little like a tree trying to talk to a woodpecker. Happily the bus arrival rescued me.

Meanwhile, back in the condo, since I was obliged to wait, I texted Carol who was down by the pool. Texting is very fine but I object to these mini-computers trying to think for me. You know what I mean: The person types "house" but the phone inserts "horse". And if you don't catch it the recipient is left wondering what a horse key is. It's frustrating. Carol texted me to bring down her iPad and a drink.  I came with an ibex and a shrink.

We ate supper on the balcony this evening and the scenery was graced by the smooth glide of a passing sailboat.

And so it goes.

Little Observations

We appear to be settling into a routine, a very agreeable one, but a routine nonetheless. And routine of course provides no grist for great novels, travelogs, or blogs. Nevertheless this day in the history of the unfolding universe held a few serendipities for me regarding which I will comment.

When one pushes the button to start the microwave oven here an introductory sound is heard, soon followed by a different one. The two notes resemble the introduction to Beethoven's Fourth Symphony, which is one of my absolute favorite pieces of music. Consequently this symphony has percolated in my head for two weeks now, teasing me with a desire to hear the whole movement. Thanks to modern technology, today I found an excellent recording on Youtube and enjoyed rich sound from quality ear buds. A decade or two ago such rapid, easy and precise satisfying of one's musical appetite while away would have been problematic.

On a short trip for supplies, such as lightly flavored mineral water, for which we have acquired a taste and which is reportedly healthful for Montreal Eskimos unacclimatized to January perspiration, I also found peanut butter! In Mexico I understand this is a foreign delicacy that, in the rare circumstance it's available at all, can be purchased only in petite jars, from an inventory of two. Personally, my preference is to purchase the large recycle-bin-size, with back handle bar and built-in casters that thunder over the floor while wheeling it out of Super C. At least I am now adequately supplied and spared the agonies of withdrawal.

During the taxi ride home I determined once again to attempt capturing a photo of Ixtapa down by the bay while passing over the expressway's high point and through the notorious three-second gap. I reformulated my strategy and set the camera to video. The taxi driver knew what I was up to and kindly slowed down as we crossed the gap. I fumbled with the cell phone and managed to get more video of my thumb than anything else - hey, I don't want to lose the phone - but as the saying goes, "If the overall strategy is sound, it can withstand many errors of detail."

A frame-by-frame inspection of the video revealed this ...

Although not the photographic masterpiece of my dreams, it does convey what I'm targeting.

And so it goes.

Not So Minor Challenges

Today Carol and I went for our second adventure in the public ministry. Having learned well the lesson of casual dress, today I also ventured to wear informal cotton slacks because the wool dress pants I wore last time added unnecessary, even unmerciful warmth.

Our lesson today was how to perform a vertical ministry. We were introduced to the precipitous and endless slopes of Zihuatanejo. A partial photographic introduction to the general concept is furnished below. Multiply this stretch by a hundred and you get the idea. Residences, or more accurately rudimentary shelters, are to be found along either side of the steps on one's climb toward the clouds.

Carol worked with the same Mexican sister as last time (Mirsa) and I worked with Ivey Dowel who has lived here for one year so far.

Halfway up the incline the angle steepened and the stair risers grew to a foot high. This segment presented a formidable sight. There were no handrails of course and no stair landings behind us, so a fall could, at least theoretically, deliver a person back to sea level. Ivey and I recommended the sisters turn back and wait for us at bottom. They unhesitatingly agreed. Ivey and I pressed on.

The building of these steps could hardly be described as consistent and we found the higher we climbed the less attention was given to finer construction details. The following photo shows our path near the summit.

And this is yours truly savoring the high point of the day. Yes, the shirt is a tad moist. The smile is in amazement at having accomplished such a climb without rope and pick axes. A person can do two hours service in fifteen minutes in this territory.

Our search for English speakers among the Mexicans produced only two finds. Both conversations were clearly worthwhile and literature was gladly received. One man spends his days two weeks here, two weeks there, two weeks somewhere else, due to his livelihood, so we were happy to catch him available.

Then, on another long stairway further along, we worked our way back down. Here is my fellow mountaineer Ivey a quarter of the way along our descent.

Although Carol and I each toted a bottle of water, we finished them and at morning's end, back in downtown Zihuatanejo, we were warmly eager for a cold Coke. We found this prize in a restaurant called Bananas. The two Cokes cost a grand total of $1.60 and this surprisingly generous restaurant served them with a complimentary plate of bread, nachos, and two bowls of salsa. I was gobsmacked.

And so it goes.

Minor Challenges

Since I once worked, to a modest degree, in the field of architectural design, I notice with interest many features in the building here which are well done. The wide and open lookout balcony that forms part of the elevator corridor is a prime example.

On the other hand in a corner here and there I also notice design features that make me wonder. The great marble shelf in our bathroom is one example. In the photo below you will notice the corner of this shelf to the right of the sink.

If you scrutinize the shelf corner you might discern a repaired break. What could have struck that stone shelf with sufficient impact to break off a piece? You can only guess. If, in the photo, I had included the toilet seat under this shelf you could only guess even better.

For myself, it took a sum of three head bangs to acclimatize to this design feature, so I cannot award myself high marks for adaptability. Whether my learning curve has weakened the repair is something I cannot measure. However it might explain some of the loopier content of this blog.

Another challenge I face is regarding the ride between Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa. The two towns are connected by a short highway that bridges a small valley. See photo below obtained from the Web.

I positioned two arrows to indicate a gap in the foliage which, whether on a bus or in a taxi, takes three seconds to traverse. The glimpse this gap offers of Ixtapa down by the shore with the ocean spread before it offers an impressive photographic opportunity. And I have tried many times to capture it without success. Without wanting to present excuses the harsh reality is that buses rock and rattle along this road at breakneck speed. Remaining seated usually demands highest priority. Also, for a clear shot one must aim out an open window which stirs the concern of losing one's cell phone. Indeed, is it not peculiar that a fifteen dollar, 1.5 megapixel camera at K-Mart comes with a wrist strap but a $599.00 iPhone does not?

The experience is less harrowing in a taxi but I have yet to capture the scene while hurtling through that brief gap. Rest assured I will keep trying, and I will share the results should I ever succeed.

A while back I put this quote at the end of an entry:

     "We've heard that a million monkeys at a keyboard could produce the Complete Works of
     Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true."

I just want to reassure any readers that this blog, despite suspicions, is not the work of a monkey at any keyboard.

Second Sunday

Before breakfast Carol and I went for a longer walk on the beach. I discovered that behind one island are others, exceptionally rocky. To illustrate ....

I doubt many people vacation on those.

We did not continue to the extreme end of the beach but the photo below shows how far we got from our condo which is part of the very last high rise visible at left in the distance. Admittedly, it was only a half hour's distance but the half hour back counts too. The walk made breakfast and coffee extra delicious.

A vacationing elder served as guest speaker at the meeting today. In the after-meeting photo below, he is the one without a hint of hair on his head. He has an excellent voice quality which made for enjoyable listening.

You may be wondering about the dog photo. We passed this tiny creature on the way to the Hall. Personally I have three categories for dogs: the friendly, the unfriendly, and the outright homicidal maniacs. This guy seemed interested in me and I crouched down and took his picture. He was so tiny I could have put him in my back pocket. Am I ever glad I didn't. As soon as I snapped his photo, the dog snapped. He looks kind of cute but the truth is he's a half-pint territorial demon. And he barked up an amazing noise for such a pip-squeak. If Yamaha wants to perfect the secret of big sound from mini-speakers they should zap this twirp with a tranquilizer dart and study him.

Serene Saturday

We devoted time to relaxing at the pool today. I should point out that I am a deeply devout shade man and uncompromisingly shun direct sunlight. Many here do sun themselves eagerly but I happen to believe this was meant only for reptiles.

To illustrate sun power here I will recount my trip to the pool bar for lemonade (which is outstandingly delicious here by the way). You will notice deck boards in the photo below. They have been given a matte varnish. As inviting as they appear, the decking *not* in the shade is hot as coals and it takes the briefest moment for that to register on bare feet. With sunbathers lolling around with nothing to occupy their attention, one has an instinctive reluctance to react with a frenzied jig to the tune of, "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" So with stiff upper lip I speed-walked to a milder concrete surface, hoping to make it without leaving behind the epidermis of my soles like strips of sizzling bacon.

On the other hand, being in the pool was a treat.

In early evening we walked to central Ixtapa, fifteen minutes away. The public walkways and grounds of the various condos are very well groomed and we passed several maintenance men watering the foliage.

A word about the coconut trees that line many sidewalks:

Last year I learned to watch my step because of the Mexican delight in level changes. One constantly encounters steps up or steps down, ample motivation to keep one's eyes on the ground.

Once in a while though a reminder also to look up appears ...

I confess to a slight uneasiness about the plentiful, and fruitful, palm trees here. I can only imagine what a coconut collision feels like and I seriously doubt a straw hat is satisfactory protection. On the other hand there is a measure of consolation in the thought I am no longer driving beneath Montreal overpasses.

Coconuts aside, it was a relaxing, contemplative day.

Quote of the day:

       Once in a while you have to take a break and visit yourself.
               - Audrey Giorgi

A Friday 'Midweek' Meeting

Temps were in the low 30's today and around noon the air was thick with humidity making it feel warmer yet. We weren't exactly caught in an equatorial vortex but for a couple of hours it was like a huge, wet, warm mattress lying on us.

The sand sculptor has returned to Ixtapa and struck again this morning. He made his fleeting marks on the beach last year and here are his offerings today ...

 

 

 

The English congregation here holds its midweek meeting Friday at 6:30 pm which put us back on a bus for Zihuatanejo. They put on a lively, good quality meeting here which deserves the applause everyone gives after the concluding prayer.

The above photo shows Carol outside the Kingdom Hall. The entrance is on the building's right side.

During the Service Meeting part entitled "Be More Than A Silent Partner" my friend Jorge commented that he recently worked in the service with a brother from Montreal who asked him what made him personally choose to become a Witness. He said he had never been asked that question before and was glad for the opportunity to talk about it. He also said he thought it was a good subject to discuss when working with someone in the ministry. He plans to do this himself. It was good of him to make that comment. In fact I do love listening to "turning point" stories.

The photo below shows the expressway we must cross to get to the hall:

There are a total of six lanes. The bus takes the service road on the far left and both lanes there have crossings painted with yellow stripes where vehicles stop for pedestrians. Next, stone steps provide helpful access to the expressway level. It is the same on the far right. The thoughtful accommodations for pedestrians are touchingly kind. As for crossing the expressway itself, this is governed by the general principle known in French as, "Sauve qui peut!" Fortunately visibility is good here and gaps in traffic are not infrequent but as the scripture says, "Do not loiter at your business." The good part is that going home we don't have to cross the road.

Quote of the day:
       Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
       That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

Back to Zihua

Despite obtaining supplies on our first day here, it didn't take long to discover we didn't get enough of this or that or, more often, that we needed things we didn't think of last time. So we found ourselves back on the bus to Zihua today, this time to re-visit the "Commerciale," a large store selling everything imaginable. They make Super Walmarts look unambitious. One walks among vegetable and fruit displays, kitchen appliances, baked goods, furniture, condiments, camping equipment, breakfast cereals, hardware supplies, toiletries, cameras, toys, cell phones, car parts ... even light bulbs.

I do not digress excessively to observe that safety standards in Mexico have not captured the same level of interest as in Canada. I offer the photo below to illustrate.

In Quebec for example, these workers would be required to wear a helmet.

On the bus ride there we saw a worse example. Imagine a one-way, two lane road with the inner lane filled with parked cars. Imagine cars, trucks, buses, and vehicles of every description zipping on by. A man in a parked car would have to be cautious about opening the driver's door, right?

Now imagine a parked, compact car, with the driver's door open and passing vehicles weaving narrowly around it. Imagine a man lying on his back on the front seat with hips and legs protruding beyond the open door onto the road while he tries to repair something under the dash. I assure you this magnitude of trust in the judgment of one's fellow men was an awe-inspiring sight, especially in a country where iron bars safeguard, without exception, every last masonry opening a building may have. Whether this man's hind quarters now serve as a hood ornament I cannot say.

One of the items we sought, and obtained, was mineral water. At the Kingdom Hall a brother explained to me that the bottled water we get, despite full competence in wetness, lacks minerals that should be replaced in hot weather. When we returned I sat on the balcony and had my first glass of iced fizzy mineral water in a long while and it proved to be extraordinarily enjoyable.

Quote of the day:

          When you're riding in a time machine way far into the future, don't stick your elbow
          out the window, or it'll turn into a fossil. - Jack Handey

Does Anyone Here Speak English?

In keeping with my enduring love of celestial displays I will begin today's entry with another scene of sunrise, today's:

We were up early to go in the public ministry in Zihuatanejo. Carol worked with a Mexican sister, Milsa, who is learning English and I worked with a Mexican brother, Jorge, and his three year old son, Dorian.

I took a photo of the latter and here they are:

I also have a photo of myself with Dorian taken by his Dad. Notice the happy absence of a tie, and happier absence of a hooded down-filled parka. Dorian, by the way, is a well-behaved fellow and very patient in the service.

We worked the commercial district in Zihuatanejo and Jorge taught me to ask, in Spanish, "Does Anyone Here Speak English?" Personally I found no English. Jorge found a tourist couple who were English but they were proud to know Spanish too so the unfolding conversation was incomprensible to me. I wondered about just grabbing the man by the front of his shirt and saying, "Look here, you!" But I remembered Christianity and refrained. The man took literature.

Meanwhile Carol and Milsa met many English, had great conversations, and emptied their bags of literature.

Jorge was raised in the truth and baptized at age 15. I asked him, "Since those who are raised as Witnesses still get to a point where they decide whether or not it's for them personally, may I ask you what made you decide it was for you?"

He smiled and said in school he was often asked why he did not celebrate various holidays. He would explain, for example about Christmas, that it was not Christ's birthday, the star people put on top of their Christmas trees really represents a deceptive tool used by Satan to lead astrologers to Herod who wanted the Messiah killed, etc.

One day he decided to turn the tables on the inquisitive. When someone asked, "Why don't you celebrate Christmas?" he replied, "First, tell me, please, why you *do* celebrate Christmas."

He was struck by the fact that the common answer was, "Well, everybody celebrates Christmas, so I do too." This made him value his knowledge much more because the alternative, just blindly following the crowd, appalled him. He started taking Bible knowledge even more seriously and made it his own.

While out this morning we came across this curious monument ...

Not sure who he is, possibly Simon Bolivar, a historical Mexican figure who knew how to dress up. Whoever it is I found it peculiar to see him depicted with 5/8 of his face made into a bookend. Some memorial.

Interesting facts I learned about Zihuatanejo today: Population is 100,000.
Number of Spanish congregations: 35.
The Spanish cover their territory every week.

People here are very respectful of the Bible and even those who are not interested in our message will talk and express themselves respectfully and courteously.

While in Zihuatanejo we found a hardware kiosk that had a few light bulbs to sell. The choice: 40 watts frosted or 75 watts clear. At least we could buy one.

Of Hats, Lasagna, and Light Bulbs

We took the bus this morning for the few minute's ride to the main part of Ixtapa where they have stores, restaurants, and two flea markets. It was a leisurely ride because, since we board at the beginning of the route, we are the first passengers. The bus proceeds at a crawl looking for additional customers wherever they may be; bus stops are utterly irrelevant and the driver calls out to all pedestrians proposing they take his bus.

Once the bus is full however, or once it gets to the 4 km road over the hill to Zihuatanejo, it's foot to the floor with intermittent road contact.

Our purpose this morning was for Carol to find a hat suitable for the ministry, buy a light bulb for a deprived lamp here, and order take-out lasagna at Emelio's, a very fine restaurant also known for superior baked goods.

Shopping for a straw hat in Ixtapa looks like this ...

 Eventually Carol found an attractive hat in the store shown above. The temperature here tops 30 Celsius, the sun is strong, and head gear is important business.

Our search for a bombilla de alumbrar (light bulb) proved less successful. The grocery store does not carry them. The convenience stores aren't that convenient. I have yet to see anything resembling a hardware store in Ixtapa. We will try again next time we're in Zihuatanejo where I've spotted what could be described as hardware kiosks on the street.

The photo below shows Emilio's take-out area. If you look carefully on the left you will see Carol checking out the goods and wearing a cowboy hat. This is not the one for the ministry.

With a lasagna serving each and a selection of baked goodies, we left for the ride home. This evening we dined on the balcony overlooking the Pacific. It and Emilio's did not disappoint.

Quote of the day:

          "They could not fix my brakes so they made the horn louder."
                   - Cesar, bus driver

Comments

I have been receiving comments about the blog by email because it has not been accepting them on the Web. Possibly my poking around in Blog Settings has fixed that. We'll see.

One comment received regarding the painting was much appreciated. The point was made that it may depict men standing, backs to the viewer, wearing sombreros. I think of this when the huge, staring eye ball gets oppressive ... and it helps. It helps relieve the oppression, that is. Nothing can be done about the ugly.

This morning we ate breakfast in the restaurant by the pool. Strawberry jam accompanied the toast and I include a photo for your reference.

You will notice the tiny tub's corners are rounded except at bottom right. In my experience this is where one may obtain grip on a loose part of the cover and peel the entire thing back. The makers of this product thought differently however and super-sealed the entire cover to prevent the most finely honed fingernail from wedging it apart. In other words, this jam is sealed for the ages. We had four of these. I should note that after prying, scraping, clawing, and puncturing the first cover we discovered the prize to be astonishingly anticlimactic, moving us to call off our assault on jam tub number two. We learned the two whole strawberries depicted on the cover must be understood symbolically.

So much for the day's start. Evening found us walking hand in hand along the beach taking in the splendor of another sunset. A precious advantage of spending time on the Pacific shore is the unobstructed and recurring treat of sunsets. So here is another photo ...

Quote of the day:

          "A filing cabinet is a place where you lose things systematically."

Sunday

There is a large oil painting on the wall of our dining area that has moved me to eat on the sofa or the balcony. Actually our balcony is a delightful and preferable place to eat anyway, but back to the painting. Here it is ...

I am showing it at the smallest scale in case some readers are having lunch. I am confident you instantly recognize this painting as a hundred miles past ugly. Worse, it is unnerving - three eye-ball heads unblinkingly staring at you while you eat. If ever a book is published on the science of ugly, this will be the cover - a clear qualifier for the Ugly Hall of Fame. As the saying goes: As ugly as a moose chewing ice. Perhaps I could hang it upside down and call it "Unicyclists." Or better yet, hang it back to front. There are some who would say take it down altogether and hang the artist, but of course I am not of that sort.

Meanwhile the sky as seen from our balcony this morning was populated with parachute gliders. 

At 4:20 pm we left in our Sunday best for the bus ride to our meeting which starts at 5:00 pm. Here is a photo of the chairman calling the meeting to order ...

I wore my suit but, due to the heat, merely carried my jacket over my arm. At the hall I learned one needs a jacket only if going on the platform which greatly simplifies things. Also, ties are not worn in the public ministry here which is also welcome news.

I was absolutely and totally into the study today about Hezekiah and the Assyrians, and the prophetic meaning for our time. I must say I also loved the way tangental details we are not sure about are acknowledged but not permitted to get in the way of what we *do* know and need to act on. I thought today's study was a masterpiece!

And that is it for Sunday. No cartoon today but allow me to share with you an interesting quotation:

          "We've heard that a million monkeys at a keyboard could produce the
               Complete Works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we
               know this is not true." - Robert Wilensky

Sunrise to Sunset

We rose early today to sit on our balcony and watch the sunrise. Despite this morning's low attendance old Sol spared no effort to deliver her very best - a worthwhile celestial reminder for those who participate in teaching at meetings.

Today, while relaxing by the pool, we noticed a feature that was not there last year: Poolside beds ... four poster beds.

I can't say I understand this innovation. If someone fell asleep on the bed in the picture above, he or she would be toast in ten minutes. Who wants to go to bed in a public area anyway? Carol thinks I'm taking a risk when I brush my teeth with Mexican tap water but I think a person is better off doing that than sleeping on a public mattress. ick!

I also have a photo of today's sunset to share with you ...

And that, with the exception of the cartoon below, is it for today.

Cuts and Bangs

With our apartment pointing eastward, we are treated to scenes of sunrise from our balcony and this morning I caught the image below ...

Our planned departure to Zihuatanejo for additional supplies was delayed by a tiny mis-stroke on my part, accidentally cutting my lip while shaving. I know your interest in this will be boundless.

Bleeding cuts are not news but the lip does tend to exaggerate. After an hour, thinking it had finally stabilized, I sat down to breakfast only to discover light lip movement springs the leak anew. The solution is to impale one's bacon and eggs firmly on a fork and deposit them into the alimentary canal well away from the lip. Since I enjoy peanut buttered toast at breakfast I looked longingly at my two slices and faced a not insurmountable challenge. Today marks the first time I dined with knife and fork on toast with peanut butter. My trusty photographer, Carol, captured the moment.

We embarked on our trip to Zihuatanejo. I understood well my ability to convey friendliness to others was severely curtailed by an inability to smile, at least without freaking out someone with sudden facial blood spill. My first test of not smiling occurred while waiting for the bus. Carol noticed we stood under a palm tree with coconuts on the ground. She said the way things were going for me today, getting beaned by a coconut would be next.

Perhaps I can share a word about buses in Ixtapa. First, my photo taken from the back seat of one today:

Shock absorbers are unknown to the owners of these vehicles. To be a passenger on a bus is to risk complete disassembly of your skeletal system. The truth of this is demonstrated by the state of the vehicles themselves. They move with loud and constant under-floor percussion evidently caused by battles among tie-rods, drive shafts, fuels lines, and other loose linkage. In case you wonder why I was in the back of the bus, it was the only place to find a seat accommodating my legs. Leg room is designed for shorter people. To sit in a side seat on one of these buses I need more knees.

In Zihuatanejo we found most of the things we wanted, among which were a straw hat and a vinyl meeting/service bag good for the duration. It was a very warm and sunny day so we paused for a large iced lemonade under a thatched-roofed shelter by the bay - partial view from our chairs shown below.