Ohhhh Mexico!

We have a week off! It has been a considerable amount of time (perhaps around 2 years) since Robin and I have had an unfocused getaway. There have been plenty of ‘getaways’ but they have had, for the most part, some focus item that was the driving force for the time away from work.


Ah… work … remind me to talk about that in a little while; there are some major developments along that front.

We are currently spending a week at the resort timeshare Robin purchased some ten years ago located in Mazatlan Mexico. A few of you reading this have been there so you know what it is like to be a few steps into paradise at this resort. I will point to a few pictures from previous trips to give a feel for the place. What you can’t get a feel for is the staff, the sound of the surf, the relaxing time in the pool(s) or walking on the beach or just sitting typing on the laptop while the songbirds sing and the sea breeze comes in through the screens. Yep, this is good stuff. I can wholeheartedly recommend getaways like this to regain perspective and to truly escape for a short time.

Since it has been over two years since we’ve been here, we have been ‘wowed’ by some of the changes that have taken place. It’s obvious to me that the global economy has taken a downturn (the resort is only 45% full as I write this) and still there have been a few other resorts pop up in an area which was once fairly remote. It is still nothing like a crowded Miami strip of beach, but there are now several other big buildings and one large high-rise visible from the grounds here. The nearest one is a huge facility called the RIU, apparently an all-inclusive resort that just opened a few months ago. The result of all the new competition has been surprising to us. The company has thrown (I would guess) millions of dollars into expansion here.

 

They’ve built more units, fancy villas that could sleep 8 or 10 folks and each have their own swimming pool, and they have a new gym and spa that are absolutely amazing considering that it is a ‘perk’ for owners and guests.

 

There are two restaurants, two delis, a full service bar and a small grocery shopping provision. There is a brand new pool and one that is now adults only. Couple that with pool-side wait staff and swim up bars and there isn’t much reason to leave the immaculately maintained grounds anymore. I like this place!

So, I do have some time on my hands so I will do my best to catch up with the last few months. It has indeed been an adventurous time, busier than I would’ve ever imagined and full of challenges and changes. The good stuff is simply that Robin and I are still enjoying life, we still stop and smell the roses, we still count our blessings to be with each other and to be surrounded by great friends and family whether they are close by or on the far end of the country from us. We are still cozy in our 5th wheel and it is still functioning perfectly (no problems mechanically or electrically or otherwise) and we have made application the management of the park we are at to stay ‘long term’, which could grant us a permanent spot in the park along with a somewhat reduced monthly rate. We’ll know if we are approved in a couple of weeks. It’s been right at a year and a half now since we left behind brick and siding for the RV and it has proven to be a good call. One of the side benefits of living this life style is that we have come to know a great deal about south Florida. When we have pulled the coach from one park to the next, we have struck out to explore the areas and find our way around. We now have ‘favorite’ restaurants and hang-outs that we visit for a few months at a time, then we move and visit the other half of them, then we come back to the first bunch again. It’s pretty unique and we’ve claimed a lot of territory as ‘local’. I suppose that’s the nature of it in the ‘big city’ as we plan accordingly to drive 55 miles to visit the boat and have dinner out and it really isn’t such a big deal.

The down side is that everything takes longer because of the distances and the traffic here. We do spend a lot more of our time in the car; maybe that explains why (it seems) everyone owns a high-end car like Mercedes or Infinity or Cadillac or Lexus. If you have to live in your car, it might as well be a nice ride. Of course, upon closer examination you are unlikely to find one of these cars that aren’t dinged, scraped or scratched. We’ve been spared paint-to-paint contact so far, but it has been close a few times already. The world’s best drivers do not live in Miami-Dade County! 

It’s June in Florida again, and that’ll bring with it briefings from local and state agencies, as well as our work, about what happens if a hurricane hits. The forecast for this season is more active than last year, but a forecast is exactly that. We will prepare and train accordingly; the Hurricane Response Team (HRT) at work will put the schedules and lists together in case of an emergency, and Robin and I will keep a watchful eye on the National Hurricane Center’s website (NOAA texts us if a storm develops). We still plan to hook up and pull away to some (relatively) safe inland area should a strike be imminent but we’re certainly hoping to be spared that project. Truly, all we can do is what everyone else does: watch diligently and plan accordingly.

What I will do now is try to catch up, like on a month-to-month basis. I'll post them as I complete them, not in any order. Once I get them all done, I'll reorder them accordingly.
Sorry for being tardy, but I've been chasing my tail lately, doing a lot of typing but not necessarily the kind I like to do.