The Tianguis at Lo de Marcos, Mexico

The Spanish word "Tianguis" is a new word for me. Then again, there are lots of Spanish words I don't know. We were told there would be a tianguis in town on Saturdays, and I had the impression it was a marketplace. I now understand the term to mean a temporary market, rather than a permanent one. Holding a tianguis is relatively new to Lo de Marcos, having first been established here just over a year ago. In the state of Nayarit where we're living, there is a list of tianguis and farmers markets ranging from north of us to as far south as Puerto Vallarta, most on different days of the week. Undoubtedly, we'll visit more than our local one, as we really enjoyed our visit today.

First let me introduce you to Memo, modelling the t-shirt. By the way, it says "Make art, not war" - difficult to see in this photo with the colours used. Memo is the volunteer who leads various walks and hikes in the area for anyone who cares to join him. I'll be ready for my first early morning walk on Monday, and I'm sure you'll hear about it!  

If possible, I usually ask permission before taking a person's photo, especially when it will be shown on the Internet. I'm also aware many people in poorer countries expect a tip when you take their photos. So, I asked the man in the photo below if I could take his photo, and he replied "Sure ... for 100 dollars". At least by the price, I knew he was joking. I did check with the organizer though, telling him this funny story. He assured me no vendor would expect any payment for photos taken, which was nice. I still checked with each person, when it was easy to communicate. I'm practising my Spanish here, but I have my limitations. Sometimes it's done by merely pointing to my phone, holding it up, and saying "OK?". That works too!

This lady wasn't so agreeable to having her photo taken, but I think it was more out of modesty than anything. I tried to get her attention, and although she glanced over she would quickly turn back. I would have loved to have taken photos of her at better angles, but I try to be respectful. She was standing there, weaving (or whatever it was) those hammocks, and I found it interesting to watch her fingers deftly work away. 

This was one of the more traditional vendors, but I was taken by the blaze of colour that hit me. I think it was more impressive in person, but I'm sure most people are familiar with the beautiful colours of Mexican products.

This one caught my eye because of the sign "creating jobs for Mexican women". Given I didn't want any soap, I didn't want to take up the person's time, but I was pleased to see the job creation, especially for women. We saw a similar stand when we house sat in St. Thomas, where quality products were made by local women. It's unfortunate in this day and age we have to fight for a decent living, and specifically for women, but the need continues to exist.

By the time I reached this stand, after taking time at the previous one, I missed the lady's explanation to Greg of her products. I know Greg seemed impressed by the health benefits of her products, and that's good enough for me. Sorry I can't tell you more. I guess you'll have to find her at a local tianguis.

Now we've come to my favour stand, and it wasn't even because of the food! This man, Edgar, was just a joy to speak with. His Spanish pronunciation was so clear that as I eavesdropped on him talking with the man ahead of me, I could understand most of their conversation. I admit I knew the context, as they were talking about bread, but it felt so good to be able to follow a conversation in Spanish. He later explained the man is Italian, so he spoke clearly to be easily understood. 

He helped us with some Spanish words, and I encouraged him to consider starting a Spanish school for the English-speaking visitors who winter here. An English-speaking lady was nearby and was trying to pick up a word or two of Spanish. He said his love was for making bread ... and for his love, Jessi. He said they get up early to make and bring fresh bread to the markets. He was a smart man too, saying that Jessi was the boss and the banker.

If you're in this area, you can contact them at Buen Provecho! Artisan Bakery. Many people pre-order their cinnamon buns for pickup at the market; apparently they're that good!

We did an initial tour of the market, and then went home. As we live nearby, we went back for lunch, just before it closed. Our friends had a shrimp empanada from this lady earlier in the day and said it was good, so we followed her lead. We shared one shrimp and one chicken empanada, and we both drank jamaica (pronounced "ha-my-kuh"). Jamaica is made from hibiscus flowers and is supposedly very good for you; I just happen to enjoy the taste.

I loved her clay pots, where she kept the various fillings shown on the sign above.

She placed a round of dough into a wooden press lined with plastic wrap.

Then she closed it and pressed hard, forming a perfectly thin tortilla-type round. We teased her about her muscles and she laughed.

Here you'll see two empanadas being prepared. When cooked, they were golden brown, light and crispy. She layered shredded lettuce on top of them, followed by a thin salsa-type sauce, and then a mayo or sour cream type sauce. Sorry, I'm not one to take photos of food, but I will say they looked and tasted good.

We enjoyed our visits to the market, and came home with pure vanilla, cinnamon bread, whole wheat bread, and coconut macaroons. You can tell I have a sweet tooth, can't you!

This saying was on a t-shirt at Memo's stand. It made me wonder whether this statement was fitting for me. To some people, yes, to others no. It just depends how you look at things, I guess.

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Location: Lo de Marcos, Nayarit, Mexico
Weather: High of 79ºF (26ºC), low of 69ºF (21ºC)

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The challenges of a river crossing

We are in the small coastal town of Lo de Marcos, Mexico. A river outflow borders the north side of the town, with a walking trail alongside. Our friends regularly cross this river as part of a weekly organized hike. At a point in a walk with our friends, I asked if the area we were at was the crossing point for their walks. She said the river level sometimes determined where they would cross, and that there was a shallower, narrower crossing point further along. I was pleased to hear that, as I plan to join next week's hike, but didn't like the look of that crossing point.

Today Greg and I walked the trail from the other direction and came across what must be the narrower crossing. A motorcyclist rode across the river, and I watched his tires to gauge the depth. OK, this is do-able for me. It was actually quite shallow and pleasant to walk through. We continued along the river bank on the other side. All of a sudden, Greg saw a man crossing the river at the original point I've mentioned; the wider, deeper one.  I took a series of photos, and although he was concentrating on his footing, he did glance up at me once. We watched him wade across, and noticed what he had in his hands. Can you figure it out?

Why reinvent the wheel in Mexico?

Those who follow this blog will know we're reacquainting ourselves with our winter-birding buddies, Sharon and Bill. I can't call them snowbirders, as they hail from warmer parts of the USA and rarely come across snow. We're in Lo de Marcos, Mexico, which is about an hour north of Puerto Vallarta ... but a world away in real time. Tourism really hasn't reached Lo de Marcos, which is one of the attractive features for us.

Entrance to the town's central park with gazebo in the background

Why is Jennifer Lopez sitting on my husband's lap?

Greg and I have not been doing a very good job lately. Oh, I don't mean in the house and pet sitting area. In fact, our most recent homeowner asked us to let her know when we'd next be in the area and she'd book a trip to accommodate our schedule. Now that's a compliment!

However, lately we haven't been active in our "have sheep, will travel" mission. For those not familiar with this goal, please read the "Here's my story" section of the blog. We brought three of the larger sheep with us from Canada, given we were travelling by car, rather than flying. While we were in the Phoenix area, Greg also "adopted" three smaller ones. 

From left to right: Savvy, Zena, Posh, Fluffly, Grouchy & Bugsy

Housesitting can increase your cultural intelligence

This is the front entrance to "our home"
Can you figure out the "cultural" marking on the ceramic tile in the centre?
No, it's not from the dog!

Do chiropractors play disc golf?

It's well known that travelling opens you up to new experiences. Such was the case last year when we first saw pickleball played in Arizona. It's a cross between badminton, tennis, and table tennis, played on a badminton court. In researching this sport, I was fascinated by the history of the game. Who knew there is a USAPA (USA Pickleball Association), and that the game is played in many countries, including three Canadian provinces, one being my home province of Ontario? The club here in Fountain Hills declares itself the "Best Little Pickleball Club in Arizona". I'm not sure if that's its name, or its claim to fame.

But I digress. Looking at the title of this post, you may wonder why I'm talking about pickleball. Oh, and do you see my play on words there? ... chiropractors -> spines -> discs ... cheesy, I know - sorry :(

Pickleball may have been the first new sport introduced to us in our travels, but in Fountain Hills we stumbled upon another one -> disc golf. I say stumbled upon as I saw a disc whiz behind me, but thought it was a frisbee. Greg, a distance away from me, was politely asked by a man to move aside because Greg was standing in what we later learned was the "fairway" of the first hole. Not sure if you yell "fore" in disc golf, but politely asking before you throw worked for Greg!

Let me backtrack a little. On our first walk around Fountain Lake, we noticed the contraption below. We determined that the chains would easily move, but we weren't sure of its purpose. Then we noticed there were more of them around the park.

We then came across this sign ... ah, now we get it ... sort of. This was all new to us, but we were intrigued. I was amazed at the thought of locating the "holes" (don't know what you call those metal things) so close to the lake. Personally, I think I'd lose my supply of "balls" (didn't know what they used at this point in time).

I've now found a map of the complete golf course. The numbered blue circles are the "holes", and you'll see the starting point at the base of the map. This matches the #1 map shown above. You may also notice all of the blue dots are relatively close to the lake. Again, I'm imagining dredging this lake and finding a huge stash of discs, although at this point I didn't even know what they looked like!

Having played golf, I know etiquette calls for silence when a person is readying to take a swing. So, while the owner of this golf bag (below) was lining up for his shot, I crept in behind and took a photo of his discs. No woods or irons here, just a collection of plastic discs. We later learned those discs mirror the complexity of golf clubs, with varying composites of plastic to make them more pliable or more rigid, and various sizes, angles, and depths of their rims to allow the golfer to navigate the course. Not only was there a lot of water, but also a lot of trees to avoid!

Later on in the walk we came across the same golfer who had asked Greg to move out of the fairway (or whatever these golfers call it). I quickly followed towards him, behind Greg, bursting with 1001 questions I wanted to ask. The man was very obliging, and was eager to share his love of the game and answer our questions.

He is an amateur player; apparently there are professional ones too. He was there practising for an upcoming tournament at that course in March. As an amateur, although he can't win money, he can be awarded prizes. Often this comes in the form of discs. When he found out I am from Wales, he pulled out the disc below.

In the centre the lettering shows it's from "S. Wales". I'm actually from South Wales, Great Britain, but know of other places in the world with the same name. At that point I thought it was more likely from New York state, although I also mentioned Australia, but that's New South Wales. With the help of my friend Google, it turned out that particular tournament was held in South Wales, New York state.

Unfortunately, we didn't ask this man's name, but we did give him our card. He said he'd look out for the post covering disc golf. So, our thanks to this man who was content to answer any number of questions we put to him. When I asked about those discs that go astray into the water, he pointed out that he marks his name and phone number on the back of each one, and that sometimes he gets a call when they're recovered and they're returned to him. He also showed us some tips and tricks for avoiding the water and aiming the discs. We both found it very interesting. To learn more about the game, consult the website of the PDGA; yes, the Professional Disc Golf Association. I learned those metal structures are called baskets, but they still call it a hole. I didn't see any hole though!

Mikko's saying "What about me in this blog?"

In a later conversation at the dog park, Greg asked a man if he played disc golf. His reply? No, I play REAL golf. I'm not sure how disc golfers would feel about that reply! This sport is not just reserved for fair weather locations. Check out this article in a newspaper from Minnesota, where a charity tournament was held in snow and freezing temperatures. You'll also see a video of the game and see the art of the game. It appears Canadians are not the only die-hards when it comes to braving the cold.

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Location: Fountain Hills (Phoenix), Arizona, USA
Housesitting: Mikko, a shih tzu
Weather: 72ºF (22ºC) at 3 pm
Forecast: High of 65ºF (18ºC), low of 39ºF (4ºC)

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Note: Photos of pets and homes are only used with the prior consent of the owners.

Fount Rushmore is in Arizona?

Mount Rushmore is a famous national memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA. The faces of four American presidents are carved into the rock face.

Fountain Hills, Arizona: What it means to live for the weekend

We arrived in the Phoenix area about six weeks ago. Our first house sit was in the north west section of Phoenix, and we have moved easterly each time. We're now in Fountain Hills, which is the most north eastern town in the Greater Phoenix area. It is set apart from the remainder of Phoenix by being on the easterly slope of the McDowell Mountain range, and sits about 500 feet (152 metres) above the elevation of the rest of Phoenix.

One of the many mountain ranges surrounding this area

The # 1 question: "How do you become a housesitter anyway?"

We often hear the question, "How did you get into being house and pet sitters?" We sometimes get the "Oh, you're so lucky!" comment too. So let me explain ...

We spent the 2013/14 winter in Costa Rica, where we met an American couple who sold up everything, moved to Costa, and travelled from sit to sit throughout Central America. Inevitably they became tired of not having a home base, and so rented an inexpensive condo near us. They would return there when they had gaps in their schedule, or when they just needed to take a break from the nomadic lifestyle. That's the background of how we learned that the opportunity exists.

Who am I, you ask?

Who can resist tasting the greatest sandwich in America?

We are currently living in Scottsdale, which is known for being an affluent area of Phoenix. We are between house sits for a few days, so in the interim we're trying out airbnb for the first time. More about that in a future blog post.

Scottsdale has both an original downtown area, as well as a more modern upscale area. Today, not having the responsibility of pets to care for, we went into tourist mode and visited downtown Scottsdale.

El Niño: Enough already with the wacky weather!

Yesterday, a Phoenix Arizona news station reported this story: "Wacky weather: Arizona opens 2016 with heavy rain, snow from El Niño". That about sums up this week's weather for us!

Last year, I can't even remember seeing rain all the time we were here. This year will certainly be memorable, for both the rain and the cooler temperatures. Although most days so far this year the temperatures has been higher than our hometown of Niagara Falls, Canada, it has often felt quite chilly. I've been wearing jeans, whereas I rarely wore them last year.

This past Thursday, Phoenix almost managed to break a record, as seen by this tweet:

When El Niño brings frost, make potpourri

We've spent the past 8 days pet sitting at a home in an area of Phoenix, Arizona. We're sharing space with our "three amigos", Jake, Zena, and Shiloh.

More than six degrees of separation

Today's post is a follow-up to yesterday's post. At the end of that post I asked: "Steve, shall we compare thermometers tomorrow?" 

I didn't think any more of it until I received this photo, taken by Steve at 7 pm in Niagara Falls, Canada.

Braving a polar bear dip on New Years Day

While we are travelling this winter as house and pet sitters, we also have house sitters at our home in Niagara Falls, Canada. The couple at our home are friends of ours, and as with all house sits, it's beneficial for all concerned. We enjoy having them as our friends ... most days anyway. I'll explain that comment now.

Looking Back at 2015: "My New Year's Challenge to You"

This blog has passed its one-year milestone, and since I've had requests to continue it, I will. I also enjoy doing it - most days - and I certainly enjoy receiving the compliments.

 

Not one of our pet sits, by the way

So, one year ago today, I wrote the blog, "My New Year's Challenge to You". At that point, one month into doing the blog, it had reached 10 countries. I asked that you help share it with other countries, to see just how must of this world we could cover. I didn't make any resolutions or goals, so I didn't set myself up for disappointment. On the contrary, I'm very pleased with just how far this blog has travelled. According to the records on this site, it has now reached 36 countries:

That's cause for fireworks, I believe, seen here over my hometown of Niagara Falls, Canada.

I often wonder ... who reads this? ... does anyone really read this? ... is it too short? ... is it too long? blah, blah, blah ... the list could go on and on. Writing this initially started as somewhat of a "group email" to family and friends. However, it's morphed into so much more. For example, with my mum passing away this year, it was at times therapeutic to write some of the family posts. I am someone who is more open with my feelings in writing than I perhaps am in person. This gave me the opportunity to give thanks and credit where I felt it was due. It was a great outlet for that, which was unexpected.