Mexico, 2009

Jack asked me to go to Mexico for a couple days to help get the house in Mexico ready for a photographer to take new pictures. Plus we are starting the rent out the one next door, so we had to have pictures of that one. Al couldn't go, so I asked if Joe and Lauren wanted to. (everyone else needs to get their passports, so that they can go!!)

We flew down on Friday and came back on Monday, so it was a very very short trip. And it was 95 degrees. Hot as can be. The pool felt great (from what I hear, I didn't get the chance to get in. It really was a working trip!).

There is a cat that has been there every time that I have been down there, and sure enough it showed up again. He took a liking to Lauren, but, then again, I think he takes a liking to everyone that he thinks might feed him!

And since we were not paying guests, we did our own dishes. Do you suppose Joe actually does this at home?

We went over on Saturday night with the photographer and had dinner. Since we were only going to be there such a short time we didn't buy much for groceries, so it was nice to have a decent dinner.

The resorts are always gorgeous, and usually filled with people, but since the swine flu has decreased the amount of tourists to Mexico, the Iberostar had only 2 of the 6  resorts open. You had no trouble with lines at dinner, but we had to walk and walk to get there (in the dark). This photo is from a few years ago, but this was the resort we went to.

And the beach. Jack's house is right in the center of this picture down the beach.

The whole reason for the trip was to get the houses ready for the photographer to take great pictures to make people want to rent them. Of course this means lots of work to make everything shine. Alejandro, the caretaker and Marina, the housekeeper worked hard to help make it all happen. Joe and Lauren wanted a picture with the two of them.

Marina made such cute towel animals. Every time you go to one of the resorts the maids make towel characters and put them on your bed after they clean. They do this sometimes everyday. Here are a couple that Marina made.

A dinosaur:

 

A baby doll:

And lovebirds in the master bathroom:

The pictures turned out great and we will have them updated on the websites soon. Both homes are very beautiful and I always love going down there, even if it is only for a weekend. You can check them out at the respective websites:

www.villa-paradise.com (this one is Jack's)

www.villacarolinamexico.com

Speaking of Mexico....

This is Al doing what he did most of the time we were there: fish and fish. He would keep getting a nibble, and of course then you have to keep going because you just might catch that big one!

And this is what he got for his efforts.....he did catch a couple other smaller ones. And he threw them all back. He had researched a little bit to see what fish he might catch that were good to eat and this one wasn't on his list that he found. Oh well. He had fun I think. He knows more about fishing in Mexico than he did before. When he wasn't fishing he was boogie boarding in the ocean. The waves were very big because it was pretty windy most of the time we were there. The water was churning up the sand too much to snorkle or else he would have been doing that. He's not one for sitting around much. (I, on the other hand, listened to my iPod and read and read, sitting in the sun)

I did walk up the beach one morning and found some neat shells. Some were like what we found in Texas, but some were very different. We saw lots and lots of live snails stuck to the rocks. If you stepped on the rocks, you couldn't help but step on them there were so many. We saw plenty of sea urchin shells. And lots of a different one that i have to look up. I will let you know later if I find out what it was!