ADIOS AMIGOS!

It's been a week of good byes.

Derek's mom - Audrey on Wednesday, Bill and Jean on Thursday, Keith on Friday and now it's our turn - good bye to Zihuatanejo, Playa La Ropa, El Manglar RV Park and all of our friends here.

It's all really quite sad. 

But the party had to end sometime.

Oh sure, we could stay a little while longer and actually, as of a few days ago, we had talked ourselves into staying until Thursday. But we are paid up until tomorrow and really - it's time for us to go.

We have miles to make ……

Last night we took our last walk down the beach for dinner at Paty's.

The fellow from the other night with the masks returned. Since his new price was 100 pesos I finally agreed to one. We chose the orange and red - not bad - Derek was happy.

I finally decided to take a picture of the lights that we admire on our return trip.

Today we went for lunch at El Manglar….

no way were we leaving without one last taste of the calamari and fish sticks!

Cas with Julia who has become a good friend during our stay. Julia lives full time in her RV behind El Manglar.

Our very good friends from El Manglar - from left - 

Memo, Cas and I, Edmundo, Gustavo, Martin and Derek. 

We've spent the whole time laughing at the similarities between Derek and Beto. Finally a picture of them together.

Back at the van, Derek and Cassia enjoying our last popsicles from one of the fellows that sells them from his cart. I'm sure they'll be wondering tomorrow why we aren't responding to their horns!

Our spot - #1 at El Manglar for 2 1/2 months. After Jean and Bill left Thursday we moved over into their site with more afternoon shade. This also gave us a chance to start cleaning and fix our site up a bit. While lying under the van, Rufus had dug himself a few holes.

I was a little late with my photo - this was half way through our packing and clean up this afternoon. We have already taken our tent down.

Later this afternoon we headed back to the beach for the sunset and to take a picture of our friends who work the banana boat and parasail. From left to right - Luis, Obed, the new guy, Derek, Cas, Beto and Manuel. Super guys - we'll miss them a lot.

Our last sunset at Playa La Ropa. Sigh. We've gotten some good ones over the time.

Cas and I watching while Derek chats with the guys. I was able to get our friends - Barb and Dale -from the RV Park in the photo too.

From there we headed home for dinner and last minute packing. 

Therese and the boys came over tonight to say goodbye. Therese also gave me a thumb drive of the many photos she took of Cassia, Kaden and Keller.

I thought I would add these two since it reflects the fun these three have had together for just over a month.

Keller, Cassia, Kaden.

The three amigos.

To all of our friends here at Playa La Ropa - adios - although we really hope it is - nos veremos de nuevo!

To Therese, Kaden and Keller, Barb and Dale, Bill and Jean, Keith, Lulu and George, Sergio and Leonor, Julia, Rod, Paul, Freddy and Frosso, Wilfred and his wife, everyone at El Pirata, Paty's, Jungle Pizza, El Manglar, El Cafecito, the Animal Humane Society and the beach guys - 

and to all the friends we made at the beach and restaurants - 

Gracias! We've enjoyed our time together!

Because really - the weather and beach are great - but it's the friends here - our community these last few months - that made our winter so memorable.

Tomorrow will be the start of our trip home. 

First up - a return to Patzcuaro.

If you have been here for a bit you will know that Patzcuaro is another of our favourite places in Mexico. We'll spend a couple of nights there so that we can visit the market and el centro one last time.

And then it's this. Our route back to Texas.

After doing a fair amount of research, I finally settled on our taking a similar route to the border as in 2013. Around Guadalajara and on to Zacatecas, Saltillo, Monclova, and finally Piedres Negras into Eagle Pass. We could have shaved a few kilometres off by going a little more direct to Zacatecas via Morelia but in the end opted for the route we know and a little less convoluted. 

2,026 kms! Yikes!

So - that's the plan.

It will be strange at first to be back on the road but we are excited about our route home. We have some places in the USA that we haven't been to for a bit and look forward to stopping in.

We're also looking forward to some great Craft Beer! Whose with us on that one!?

See you in Patzcuaro!

Teresa

ADIOS AUDREY!

Well, it had to come to an end but it's hard to believe that today was the day for Audrey (Derek's mom) to return home. That was a speedy twelve days - wasn't it?

Looking back we made good use of our time and I think we nicely balanced her time here with relaxing, beach time, shopping and eating out. Also lots one on one time for Cassia and her Grandma.

Here is how the rest of her vacation with us went. A collection of photos - this and that.

Lunch at El Manglar last week. These days we go for the fish sticks - we're quite hooked on them.

As we were leaving, Memo - Owner of El Manglar - gave Cassia an assortment of shells he has collected. Memo is a super guy - we'll miss him - as he has a twelve year old daughter - Cas and Memo are good friends.

A few days later we went back to Paty's for happy hour and dinner. Julia stopped by our table - she is a favourite seller of ours - always friendly and likes to talk with Cassia.

We bought this mobile for Cassia's future room.

Derek was almost sold on the masks - but I wasn't…..

Cassia liked this one of course. In the end it was a no go with the masks.

Sunday afternoon we celebrated Cassia's friends - Kaden and Keller's - 7th Birthday.

While we were in the water on later in the afternoon, Derek called out to us that something was on the shore. Since a group was forming we went to take a look. Sadly, a dead dolphin had washed up.

Derek helped Louis and another fellow wrap it up.

It was carted away in a wheel barrow. Apparently the fire department comes to pick it up. We learned from Hannah - the Owner of El Pirata later that it had been swimming in the bay for about 10 days. Louis figures it had been dead for about two. Not sure how or why it died as there were not marks on it's body.

On Sunday we also had the kids from the hotel rooms on either side of Audrey's room over to play.

With Grandma here to look after Cassia - Derek and I went to dinner at Il Mare with our good friends Freddy and Frosso. They are from Regina and we met them two years ago. Lucky them - they spend six weeks here each year.

In addition to great food it has a stellar view.

It was an amazing meal with a drinks to start accompanied by salad and artichoke bruschetta. Then on to the main course with a bottle of red wine. I ordered the Farfalle with Chilean and Norwegian smoked salmon while Derek had the Rigatonni with pancetta. We finished off the meal sharing a chocolate torte.

We had a lot of fun - nice to get out with another couple for an evening - something we rarely do.

Tuesday was our last visit - for Audrey - and us - to El Centro. We didn't walk a dog but did go up to visit the animals. A new litter of pups!

Then to our last coffee and smoothies at El Cafecito.

Yesterday, Cassia spent some time visiting with our neighbour Bill.

Bill and Jean - and lovely Marlo - are heading out tomorrow destined for La Penita. 

Down at the beach yesterday at El Pirata.

For our last dinner together we went to Rossy's last night - we enjoy the upstairs area with the hammocks.

Cassia also has friends there.

I went down to take this sunset picture.

Now looking back up at Rossy's.

Julia found us again. Because she speaks a bit of English and can understand our broken Spanish we can have a good conversation with her. 

We also bought another mobile for Audrey's place and a couple of necklaces.

And with that - Audrey's visit was complete. She left just after lunch today.

That leaves three more days for us. 

Sunday we head to Patzcuaro. Hard to believe that it has been almost 2 1/2 months ago since we stopped there on our way down.

More about that next post.

Teresa