Life gets complicated, duties pile up and the best intentions get filed which is exactly the case with my BLOG. I haven't been paying it too much attention of late and that's why nothing new has appeared. Such is life in the tropics, as my husband would say.

It appears that the hot weather has arrived. All week the sky has been overcast, the humidity level up and the air-conditioners turned back on. The mornings have lost their fresh snap and the afternoons are just plain hot! Once again we enter the beginning of the rainy season and although it's not my fave time of year, the flora and fauna will no doubt benefit from this humidity. We can expect torrential downpours to begin in about one more month and it will pretty much rain every afternoon until November. Some residents claim they love the rainy season because of the spectacular lightening shows and the new layer of green on everything that grows. The rivers turn chocolaty from debris, the streets become waterfalls and the dank smell of soil fills the air. There are also almost no tourists which means the beaches aren't as crowded, you can get good deals on tours, and there are no line-ups at the grocery store so I guess there are a number of upsides to the "low" season.

Blog-a-licious!

I said the Burning Burrito was NOT a cooking class but today is Friday the 13th and I've had a number of unexpected successes and failures, the most notable being the absolute and frustrating disappearance of my short term memory! Are the abuses of the 70's finally taking their toll? I can't for the life of me, remember my pin number! I stood in front of the automatic teller today and drew a giant blank. Try as I might, those four elusive digits would not surface and I walked out of the "booth" feeling rather like an idiot. My friend has a name for this condition: Teflon Brain. Nothing sticks! Has it come to this?
Well, in an effort to salvage the day, we decided to get some tasty groceries and I got creative in the kitchen, which brings me (finally!) to the main topic of this BLOG. I created a true "fusion" dish which my hhuny declared "rico, chulada!" which in our house is the consummate seal of approval. On that note, I decided to share this concoction with my dahhhling readers and this is how it goes: Mex-eek Chicken Breasts (Mexico fuses with Greece...Yikes!)

In a pre-heated fry pan, squirt some Kraft Greek salad dressing into the pan. (Now being sold at Mega Commer.)
Lay chicken breasts on mixture and cover. Meanwhile, chop up fresh mushrooms and broccoili florets and add to pan. Cover to steam. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top followed by a few heaping tablespoons of fresh Mexican salsa. Cover and cook on low heat until breasts are
tender. Serve with queso cotija sprinkled on top (instead of salt).

Serve to guests while simultaneously throwing plates againt the wall and yelling "OOPA!" while dressed in sarape and sombrero for the full fusion effect. OLE!!!

Cool Running.

The cool early mornings are on the wane, but while they last, and before the heat settles on us with a vengeance, I have to say how enjoyable it is to feel the fresh air on my face (albeit mixed with diesel fumes and dust!) as I make my way to work each morning.

Vallarta is not the best place for jogging/walking due to a number of obvious factors, but some will not be deterred! When heading North from the Fiesta Americana, some of the obstacles you will encounter include: numerous speeding buses, ankle-twisting cobblestone, uneven sidewalks, stretches of gravel, rickety metal bridges, construction sites, rebar, dust, garbage and distracted drivers. On the plus side, you've got that cool morning air to envigorate you, beautiful birds, the smell of the ocean, the cruise ships and yesterday I even saw a small brown rabbit hopping towards the river. The best part is, you get your work-out in before the dreaded heat sets in and the carrot at the end of the trail is a big steaming cup of java from Doug's coffee shop. That's not such a bad way to get the day off to a start!

Random Musings and More.

What follows is a variety of random musings, discoveries and realizations compiled over the course of the four day "puente" thanks to Cinco de Mayo.

If you're hankering for a really tasty shrimp taco, belly up to the bar at the taco place across from Rizo's and order a couple, then douse them in the special sauce and savour away. I don't know what my husband enjoyed more--the taco or the waitress with the paint-on denims. Either way, it's a deal at $16 pesos a pop. Eye-pop: free.

Price gouge of the weekend was discovered at the mini-super next to Villas del Mar where a bottle of Chilean red (Concha y Toro) is priced at $140 pesos when the regular price anywhere else is $59. Ouch.

Tastiest wine discovery: Undurraga Cabernet Pinot 2003 for $89 pesos at La Playa wine store by Hotel Las Palmas. I don't pretend to be an expert, but the sexy little bottle and the smooth taste has made us converts.

Best newish Cyber Cafe: Underneath Mega Commercial is a place called Byblos. It's clean, small and comfy and they only charge $10 pesos an hour. That's quite a difference from the price at the Gloria Jeans Coffee place where they quoted me a price of $50 an hour. Yikes!

Worst new Slasher film: My daughters report that the new scary flick at the Cine Versailles called "Cursed" is just that. They said from the opening scene it's just so cheesy they spent the whole time laughing at the bogus plot and stilted acting. They said to go if you want a good guffaw, or something to that effect.

Highest waiter: The dude at Holli's beach gets this prize. It took him three attempts to take an oder for two rum and cokes, one with regular coke and one with diet coke. I gave him the hairy eyeball but he wasn't fazed. He did redeem himself somewhat later on when he offered us the key to the executive banos which turned out to be a couple of paddle-locked Johnny-on-the-spots behind the restaurant. Naturally we felt special and gave him a good tip, because you never know when you'll be back. No point burning those important bridges. By the way, it's still one of the best places to watch a sunset.

More musings to come...

Surf's Up!

As the mother of two teenage daughters with a hankering to learn how to surf, I found myself at Anclote Beach on Saturday morning eyeballing "sets" and becoming familarized with the local surfing lingo.

My friend April was kind enough to come out and show Jacqui the tricks of the trade beginning with the all important technique of waxing your board for the proper water temperature followed by learning how to do an effective "pop -up" which involves going from a supine position to surf ready all in one smooth move. It requires some agility, to be sure, but April has a way of making it all look easy. She suggested Jacqui do at least 25 pop-ups a day to get in shape along with some upper body exercises like push-ups.

I was told that Anclote is the perfect spot for young surfers just starting out. The water is shallow, the waves aren't intimidating and there are no unsafe conditions to be worried about. This was all good, since I could properly relax and watch the fun without stressing.

After about 40 minutes, I was thrilled to see Jacqui catch her first wave, and I could tell she was pretty jazzed as well. April is obviously a great teacher and I hope Jacqui will pursue this sport since it seems to suit her and certainly living near the ocean makes a difference.

Beginner surfers should drive out to Anclote on the coastal highway heading North and park at the Restaurant Corral. Cowabunga!