A Tale of Two Adventures

After Christmas, J and I decided to take advantage of the chance to escape.  Max was home to watch the pets and didn't mind having the house to himself, so we loaded up the truck with a couple of straw bales for ballast and headed to Reno to celebrate New Year's for the 4th year in a row.  The weather was cold and the roads were snowy and icy all the way.  We found our room at the Western Village in Sparks and looked forward to some gambling and football watching and excursions.

Snowy hills and icy roads on the way to Reno

Jeff concentrates as he drives over the snowy pass

 On day two, we took a side trip to Virginia City....it's 2000 ft higher and 150 years in the past.  We barely slipped and slided the truck up there, and it was about 9 degrees.  Made it nice to step into a shop or two.

The Truckee River on the way to Virginia City

Forever Christmas in Virginia City

The local sheriff

Impressive icicles!

On New Year's Eve we decided to drive up to Truckee.  It's home to the place the Donner party was stranded and only 20 miles from North Lake Tahoe and some of the best ski areas in the world.  The snow was deep but everything was well plowed.  Truckee is a cute touristy town with a nice walking area. It kind of reminded me of Sisters, only it was about 6 degrees.

In the parking lot

Cuppa coffee in downtown Truckee

We found an amazing store with all kinds of glass objects d'arte

Amazing Lake Tahoe

We drove around the lake to Stateline/South Lake Tahoe.  Each turn brought fresh vistas of breathtaking beauty.

At a rest stop

Sunset

Finding South Tahoe a little expensive for our taste ($25 blackjack??) we greeted the New Year amid the drunken chaos of the Nugget back in Sparks.  What an eventful year 2012 was.  We can only hope that 2013 continues the trend.  We can't wait to see what new Adventures are around the corner.



But now, the second tale.  It was the 2nd week of January and we were living in the deep fog and biting cold of the kind of weather that drove Meriweather Lewis into a deep depression.  Me and old Meri were not too far apart in mood.  Jeff, being the kind and understanding husband that he is (self-preservation is part of being a good husband), decided we needed a road trip.  Max agreed to "watch the kids" and keep the home fires burning and we took off after work for Portland.  The goal was to spend the night downtown, hit Powells and a couple of pool halls/bars and come home via a rural route.

We were on the road at 5:00, but fate intervened.  It was foggy and darkening, and there was a brick size rock in the road.  Tire found rock and into the ditch we went, high centered with a flat.  Ouch!  No I don't mean us....I mean our pride and the car!  Sheesh!  Anyway, here comes Mr. Good Samaritan with a big 4 wheel drive truck, a tow chain and the gumption to crawl under the Altima and hook us up.  He pulls, we are out of the ditch, we change the tire (without killing each other) and trade cars.  Up the road we go. Again.  Only now its 6:00.  But no minor setback will stop intrepid J and K from a weekend getaway! 

Up I-5 as far as Wilsonville, energy flags and weariness sets in.  Jeff scans the phone for available food and finds Roses Deli....as near to Cleveland style deli as you can get in Oregon.  It's only a few miles off the freeway in Sherwood (wherever that is) and it's wonderful.  We both agree we are too tired to continue and the phone shows us to the Phoenix Inn in Tigard.  Huge room, huge bed and free breakfast.  Ok, we are set. 

The next morning, all of a sudden, I get a wild thought. Lets head for the beach.  Maybe we can outrun this low cold sullen fog and find the sun again.  Jeff's up for it, and off we go. And sure enough, after 70 slippery foggy miles, there it is:  A wonderful sight....the sun, the sea, no wind, cold but bearable. Thanking our fate and intuition, we went south of Cannon Beach to a little village called Manzanita and found a motel room on the beach.  We spent the day walking on the beach, basking on the balcony, reading, watching football, doing a puzzle and crosswords and were rewarded with an amazing sunset.  The next day we hustled down Hwy 101 and over to the foggy valley again.  But that sunshine invigorated and illuminated me, at least for awhile.

See that blue sky??  Haystack at Cannon Beach

Looking down at the village of Manzanita

Beach walk companions

The corner room at the Sand and Surf Motel in Manzanita

Looking North

Goodbye Cancun and Home again--Nov 24

After our educational trip to Chichen Itza on Friday, we had a couple of choices for what to do on our last day in paradise.  We hadn't given up on the idea of that journey to snorkel on Cozumel.  And there was that undeniable pull to just hang out on the patio, under a palm tree,  facing the sea, drinking, basking, resting, swimming and eating.  We decided we'd let the weather decide.  If it was blue sky and calm, we'd go to Cozumel and if it was windy and cloudy we'd stay home.  Well, it dawned overcast and the forecast was for partly cloudy so we put on the sunscreen and suits and headed for the beach.  We found our favorite spot across from the little pool and close to the bar and settled down. Then amazingly, the clouds parted, the sun came out and we knew we had made the right choice. There was even another wedding to watch. The day passed quickly with the usual activities and after that last sunset, we went upstairs to pack and get ready for dinner. 

Bloggers at Work

Jeff did most of the writing....I added the pictures.

The clouds cleared away!

I'm never going to worry again, about what I look like in a swimsuit!  Let it all hang out!

The drink of the day, Rum and "Coca-lite"

Amazing future soccer star

Jeff and I are pretty organized, so it only took a short time to collect everything and pack.  We had barbeque for dinner and watched as the wedding party and guests, dressed to the nines, wandered around until the "beach party" started.  We knew we were in for another noisy night.  We had watched the crew set up the lights, dj, and light up dance floor down on the sand earlier in the day.  After dinner we walked out and people watched.  Guys dressed in colorful shirts and tight pants and girls in strapless dresses and teetering on heels guaranteed to break an ankle, were a pretty sight.  Finally, knowing we had to get up at 4:45, we went upstairs to bed. 

The rest of the story is anticlimactic.  We had an uneventful, but long trip home.  It took 14 hours of travel, but we arrived at Lajoie Rd. at 8 and said hello to Freddy, Odin and Loki and gratefully plopped down on the couch and watched TV in English.  Ahh, the simple pleasures! 

I will let Jeff give his analysis of this trip separately, but I would have to rate it a 9.  First the positives: Having ten days for vacation was a real plus.  We had time to relax and enjoy the resort around us between excursions.   And being in Mexico was also a plus.  I like experiencing a different culture.  It is challenging, but interesting and I like that.

The weather and tropical setting on Cancun (the island) was amazing.  Even when cloudy or windy, the temp never was below 75 and I did not get hot or uncomfortable at all.  There were lots of amenities (stores, restaurants, beaches, Starbucks) within walking distance. And best of all for me, an unrivaled beach area where swimming in the ocean was a real pleasure.  My goal on any vacation is to swim every day and stay wet!  It was easy to accomplish here. 

I liked the Krystal.  Obviously not a 5 star, but the staff was friendly and helpful, the food plentiful, the room big and well maintained (after we were moved), the setting and beach//patio area amazing, and it was reasonable.  With the all inclusive plan, we didn't have to put out constantly for food and drink.  And when they said all inclusive, they really meant it.  Except for Starbucks trips and a few meals out, we had all we wanted to eat and drink without extra cost. 

We spent a little over $500 for our excursions.  And they were well worth it.  We probably spent a little more than we needed to, but we had good guides, the transportation was fairly comfortable, and the groups were small enough that we didn't feel too much like cattle.  The food was good too.

Negatives: The main negative for me was the noise.  The Krystal is always having a wedding, quincenero or party.  Plus the stupid night club down the street (Coco Bongo) kept up a constant barrage of techno music with a huge outdoor speaker system that I wanted to throw a grenade into.  I could hear the "boom boom boom" even while I was swimming in the ocean.  This went on from noon until at least 2:30 in the morning.  In addition, our room on the corner of the 7th floor was located by the big fans of the HVAC system and they roared day and night.  We seemed to eventually get used to it, but it was loud.

The food varied in quality at the Krystal.  Sometimes it would be delicious and the next time, awful.  I had to send back a lasagna because it was so salty I couldn't eat it, but the  ravioli the night before was wonderful. There wasn't much variety at breakfast and they didn't have any of the buffet dishes labeled.  I often couldn't tell what a particular dish contained. 

So overall, I was so grateful to be able to take this journey with my best friend.  Jeff is easy to travel with, we have a great time together and I can't wait for more adventures.

Jeff's final thoughts:  This was such a wonderful, relaxing vacation.  The last time I was here, it was a very lonely time in my life - this time was a 180!  It is almost too easy traveling with Kat - no drama, arguments or friction.  There were so many times where a thought just barely crossed my mind and Kat was putting my thoughts into words - almost scary how we are on the same wavelength.  I have been fortunate to have been able to have some far and wide travels but never have been so blessed to have such a great traveling companion.

Cancun is a mixed bag - on one hand, busy, touristy, crowded, hustlers and assorted situations that make you feel that you want to keep your hand over your wallet.  The positives were the weather, the balmy nights with the moon hanging over paradise, friendly locals who were kind with their advice and easy with a smile, different food and customs to experience and finally - a no hassle, bp dropping, safe home to center our lives from.

It was nice how at the beginning of our stay, we planned out the days so that we had some built in adventures surrounded by plenty of days penciled in for beach time.  On reflection, there is very little if anything that I might change.  I am already looking forward to the next J and K Adventure.

We also would like to send out a major kudos/thank you to Haley for doing such a great job house/pet sitting.  She cleared out the ick in our fishtank, (no minor task) and Freddy was a happy boy and for such a neurotic dog - no minor task!

Friday November 23, 2012 Chitzen Itza

We got things down to a science, trip necessities laid out the night before, shorts, Tee, shoes to be easily accessed and wake up call with adequate time given for morning ablations, hearty breakfast, pack a sandwich to go, water and out the door by or before 7:40 to catch our van - it's like watching a well oiled machine!

Javier makes a return engagement playing the part of steady but crazy driver.  Emilio has been appointed to talk our ears off for the next 8 hours with every fact known to man regarding the Mayan civilization.  I honestly felt there should have been an exam following the tour with passing grades earning a Masters.

Unfortunately, the group although all English speaking were friendly put guarded and opposed to extending themselves.  We were just fine though as we had each planned well and brought our best friend to hang out with.

In route, we cruised through 4 - 5 small Mayan villages.  Poverty was readily apparent but there was an order and cleanliness that defined the villages.  It was interesting getting a brief glimpse into the life of a ancient people immersed in a modern world.

In the Mayan Village

I guess dogs everywhere are the same

We arrived at The Mayaland Hotel which would act as our base camp during our exploration of one of the greatest examples of historical finds from the ancient world.  The hotel itself was worth seeing in it's own right - lush, tropical vegetation surrounding a building that looked like it had been poured across the landscape and hardened to a perfect fit.  Pathways leading to crystalline pools, fountains and seating areas, short stocky broad men dressed in white work clothes with broad brimmed straw hats maintaining the area, colorful decorations with every bright hue of the rainbow adorning walls and tables - very authentic in it's design and execution.

The entrance door to Mayaland Hotel (with a Mayan in the doorway)

Mayaland Main hall

Bamboo

The pool at Mayaland

We walked down a short path where tickets were validated and we entered the city of  Chitzen Itza.  I was somewhat amazed at the number of native Mayans who lined the trail with tables of their crafts - masks, carvings, woven blankets, key chains, frig magnets and anything you can possibly imagine and some that you couldn't.

Yup, stupid shoes even in Mexico walking around the ruins--OUCH!

Here at last

A traditional Mayan house

Our intrepid tour members with Emilio instructing.

Colorful displays of goods for sale lined the path.

We came across one amazing structure and then another.  Emilio had so much to offer regarding life and meaning from 5,000 years ago.

Some interesting facts;

There was the warriors temple where lots of good folks and not so good were sacrificed to the gods.  Carvings depicting these events were fairly graphic.

Columns lined up next to the warriors temple

Warriors temple

The warriors temple

There are 2 wells, 140 feet deep where bodies and parts were disposed of after their usefulness waned.

One structure was lined with carvings of skulls.  Each skull was slightly different and they made a spectacular display.  These were all vanquished enemies.

The wall of vanquished enemies

There was a sports field (1 1/2 times of the size of a football field) where two teams of 7 vied to get the ball through a ring suspended 25 feet above the field.  The captain of the winning team was honored by being sacrificed to the gods.  Gee, I'm kind of glad that I was never all that good at sports.

You didn't want to be a winner on this field!

The basket, Mayan style

All sounds had a perfect echo due to angles and construction

The main temple is just an outer shell.  Every 52 years, the Mayans built an exact duplicate over the existing temple.  Layer upon layer of temple.

One of the 7 wonders of the world--the pyramid at Chichen Itza

Snakes were sacred in Mayan lore.  At Solstice, the levels light up to look like the body of a snake undulating his way down the steps ending at the head of the snake - amazing!!

Workers on the pyramid

Totally overwhelming in size and stature.  A true wonder of the world.

Carvings of snakes, eagles, jaguars  were considered holy and dominated the decor

An ancient local, just prior to a blood donation and the Red Cross was not involved

Jaguar

Snakes everywhere

The rain god

Archaeologists have been working for the past 100 years restoring, researching and hypothesizing as to the life of the ancient Mayan.  This is the observatory:

It was worth the price of admission.  As I walked down ancient pathways, I could not help imagining men, women and children traversing these same trails living out their daily highs and lows.  The ground felt sacred, the same feeling I got when I visited Stonehenge.

We broke for lunch at the hotel where a large buffet greeted us with everything from authentic Mexican food - lime soup, beans and rice to more familiar fare such as hot dogs.  All this while Mayans, dressed in original costume danced around the tables balancing beer bottles and trays of food upon their heads - a bit mucho for my tastes.

After lunch Kat and I  bartered with the native craftsmen and craftswomen getting some interesting souvenirs.  We then spent a half hour lying beside the pool enjoying the warm tropical breezes before Emilio herded us back to the van for our two plus hour ride back to the hotel.

Just a few items for sale, all for just a dollar?!

Working on his craft

Showers and exact dosages of ibuprofen and other pharmaceuticals cleared the aches and we headed down for dinner.  Relaxing comfortable conversation reflecting on today as well as the past eight days.  So many warm experiences to store in the memory banks to warm our cockles during the long cold January nights that lie ahead.

After dinner, I ran upstairs to grab our camera - Mexican Robbo was playing again and I was intent upon gathering proof of Robbo's doppelganger.  We got our proof and to honor his new compandre's from Oregon, Mexican Robbo sang "Did you ever see the Rain" by Creedance - we danced and laughed till our sides hurt.

Jeff next to Mex Robbo and the keyboard player

Mexi-Robbo at the drums

Dancers while we play pool

We played our normal 3 games of pool.  Kathy decided to head upstairs.  As we were about to depart, a man playing at the next table with his 4 friends challenged me to a game.  Now I had been watching this guy - very sharp, confident and sure of himself, and very capable with a cue.  He was mopping the floor with his friends and looking for some fresh carne (meat).  Well you know me, never able to pass by a hill that needs climbing.

He let me break and we each missed a few shots but I could see him playing with me.  I realized he was not used to playing someone of his skill and saw him pulling a Mr. Marks on me.  My friend David's dad would stand beside a pocket I would be shooting at and he would wave his cue or drop it to distract your shot when I was just a teen earning my billiard stripes.  My current opponent was doing much the same.  I finally pointed at him, laughed and ran the table making a long, difficult rail cut shot to close things out and say good night Gracie.  I played one of his buds who commented to me, "You are wiping my Ass." in broken English.  All of his buds wanted a crack at the "Grey Ghost, the scourge of Mexicali pool rooms" but I had to excuse myself till manana as my Esposa (wife) was waiting patiently for her Esposo (Husband).

Another wonderful day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!