Que pasa?

What's up with the Kinleys? 

For the last couple of weeks it's been mainly going to work and driving to the beach house in Kino Bay, and finding another house that would involve less of a commute.  Even Roger --- lover of all things involving water admitted the drive was a bit much.

   

The weather has been beautiful --- temperatures at times reaching over 100F with only 1 day of rain.  It was windy for a couple of days which resulted in sand removal trucks and graders going through Kino Bay --- which is a big change from snow trucks that are probably ready for some action in Canada. 

The beach also had the best shells I've come across so as we went on walks I would gather them up and will put them in a vase once we get settled in our new place.  Some are even big enough to use as appetizer bowls!

Through work connections, Roger was able to get a realtor and an interpreter (an amiable young lawyer named Edwin who is around Brad's age) to take me around and show me some houses. It was amazing to see what we could get for a fraction of what it would cost in Canada.

The plan (always a plan but you know how well our plans go....) was to move into a beautiful house in a gated community on Sunday, October 4th.  The house was getting repainted when I saw it, but the owner, Irma, had assured our realtor it would be completed for us - and in fact, let us move in a week early for free.

Roger kept saying, "There's going to be a glitch...there's always a glitch".  I told him to stop being an Eyeore.  Jeez, I hate it when he's right....

We all met at the appointed hour...walked in the house....and heard water splash under our feet.....  A water hose had burst in the bathroom flooding the whole house!  You don't have to be fluent in Spanish to know what poor Irma was saying and she just looked so broken hearted because the house was absolutely beautifully decorated for us.  Fortunately, she also had another rental property that I had looked at (didn't choose it because it was too big --- even had maid's quarters!) so we are here until the original house is repaired.

Everyone we've met has been incredibly kind.  When Irma learned I was going to be on my own for a couple of days because Roger was flying to Durango to look at a project he wants to bid on - she offered (through Edwin) to send her driver to take me around anywhere. I assured her I was used to being on my own and that I would be fine but she stopped by first thing in the morning to make sure I had everything I needed.

Where I have set out on a worldwide quest to sample every type of flan I come across, Roger is doing the same with Micheladas.  It is a spicy beer drink, that depending on the country you are in, usually consists of plenty of freshly squeezed lime, spices, and beer.  We came across little bottles of "Michie Mix", so of course, Roger had to check them out. 

While he gave it a thumbs up, the winner of the best Michelada still goes to Margie at Coconuts Bar in Belize.

On our travels around the area, we've been struck by the number and types of shrines erected along the road.  They vary as much in size, and design as do the people they honour. Whether a shrine is remarkable in its grandeur, or beautiful in it's simplicity --- it is clearly an important ritual for those who are left behind as most shrines are well cared for with artifacts and remembrances placed inside.

The last few days we were living in Kino Bay, we had to go through several police check points on the highway.  Most of the police look like they would be members of a Canadian SWAT team with the number of weapons, bullet proof vests, etc they wear.  Each time we stopped, we are immediately waved through and I don't find them intimidating like I thought I would.  Having said that.....I have restrained myself and have not taken pictures of these gentlemen as they go about their work....Instead, I'll just stick to the beautiful sunsets and say,

Hasta luego.

Bienvenidos a Mexico!

It hasn't happened often where I could catch up to Roger in a matter of hours versus days, but despite the relative short distance, it still felt like a world away.  That is, until we started driving around Hermosillo and I saw everything from Costco to IHOP. 

For those of you, like me, had vaguely heard of the city, Hermosillo has approximately 700,000 people, lies 350 kms south of Tucson, Arizona and is home to more than 100 industrial plants including Ford. 

When I arrived, Roger took me to the office to introduce me to one of the new guard dogs.  His name is Feo (which sadly --- and quite frankly --- truthfully describes him and means "Ugly" in Spanish) and he is an exuberant, slobbering puppy who wasn't sure what to make of the fancy ball I brought him from Canada -- but did figure out quickly he liked the peanut butter doggie treats!








As usual, living with Roger provides an unending array of surprises - no more so than when he drove me out to Kino Bay, a little fishing village about 110 kms away, and where he rented a house for a month while we get settled and figure out where we want to live.

As you know, accomodation over the last 2-3 years has ranged from a small room in Mauritius, a tent in the Kalahari, an apartment in Spain with the funky, "Barbie" pink kitchen, our trailer...and now this....

 

 
 
 
 
 

The view is absolutely breathtaking and I enjoy watching the birds.  Each morning huge flocks of brown pelicans head west, and then as the sun sets, they return like squadrons of planes flying in formation.

Not just your everyday Sunday drive....

Yesterday, Roger wanted to go out to the drill site, so we headed off at 6 a.m. for the expected 4 hour trip.  His truck was being used by his foreman, so we had to use a rental Focus-type car, and by the end of the day, even Roger was feeling sorry for what we put it through. 

The highway going north is good, and I laughed at the signs posted along the highway saying it was a hassle free zone. During our travels, we came across 3 military checkpoints - two of them with heavily armed soldiers - but we were treated well, and were waved through each time.

As we turned off the main highway, the roads got smaller and there was even one part where we had to get out and throw large rocks off the path because Roger was afraid one would pierce the oil pan because of the low clearance. 

But did we stop and turn around?  Of course not. 

The area where many mining companies operate is very mountainous and access roads often resemble goat trails.

Fortunately, we had one of Roger's men, Santiago, with us who helped with the directions and translating (although Santiago's command of the English language rivals ours of Spanish). 

Since we were in the "neighbourhood", Roger decided to stop by a company he heard might be needing some drilling done -- it was quite a rocky detour but afforded us some incredible views and Roger was happy he was able to meet with a company official, so the trip was worth it. 

We were told of a "short cut" back to Hermosillo which we decided to take.  It may have saved some mileage, but the route was much slower as it took us through small towns - many that dated back to the 1600's. 

The upside is that we saw snapshots of rural Sonoran life:  bona vide cowboys, elders sitting in town squares smoking and visiting, and seeing huge quantities of chilies being dried on people's roof tops and then sold along the road.

A homemade sign saying, "Camarones con Clamato" caught Roger's eye in one pueblo, so we stopped to see what it was.  A few minutes later, we were all feasting on huge, freshly cooked shrimp piled into a glass of Clamato, with lime and spices.  Sort of like a virgin Caesar with shrimp.  Muy delicioso!!

So, the 16 hour Sunday drive ended with us home safe and sound, albeit a little dusty and road weary. 

I have a realtor taking me out this week to show me housing in Hermosillo, because no matter how beautiful it is in Kino Bay, the commute is a bit much and we think there will be more to do in city. Stay tuned for more updates on where we move to in mid-October.

But in the meantime...we're going to kick back and enjoy our beautiful house on the beach.

Hasta luego.