Photos from Australia

If you are interested in seeing where we’ve been and what we’ve been up to, go to www.dickkrisdownunder2012.shutterfly.com. We are in Queensland right now and will be flying back to Sydney in a week or so. Then back to LA and back to MZT on the 26th.  Hope to see you then!

Orphanage Fundraiser

Orphanage Fundraiser- Wed. Feb 8th 1:30-2:00 at the Maria Coral Hotel (white hotel on the beach at Stone Island beside the RV park).  35 children will sing and dance in Mexican costume to raise money for their living expenses at the Salvation Army Children’s Home.  After the concert, there will be a pig roast (50 pesos per person) where the pig comes out of a rock pit in the sand. Bring chairs, plates, cutlery, beverage of choice and potluck dish to share with the cooked pig.  Music, dancing and bonfire after the potluck.   Mark your calendar -don’t miss this rewarding and fun filled day.   Brent and Donna Cunliffe brentanddonna@shaw.ca 

Anyone Feeling Adventurous?

For those of you that are up for an adventure into the foothills of the Sierra Madre, a group from Mazatlan will be taking a tour to the village of Tacuitapa. This village is located about 20k south of San Ignacio, in the picturesque Tacuitapa river valley.

The trip will begin in Mazatlan at 9:00am Saturday, January 28.  The first leg will be to the Spanish colonial town of  San Ignacio where they will have lunch across from the town plaza. After lunch they will follow the road into San Juan and then head south to the village. The afternoon will be spent wandering around the forest and along the river. Dinner will be served around 7:00 and then the evening will be spent socializing on the veranda.

After breakfast in the morning, they will take a very short drive to access a hiking trail along a small stream. The trail is a shady path that winds through giant trees, some of which are only found in this part of Sinaloa. In the past, several Macaws as well as smaller parrots and pale billed woodpeckers have been seen. Even though this is the heart of Jaguar country, an actual sighting would be one in a million, however we could find paw prints along the trail. The walk will end at the village of San Juan where they will have drinks and sandwiches before heading back to modern Mexico. They will be back in Mazatlan by 6:00 pm Sunday afternoon.

The accommodations for our stay will be a modest hacienda on the outskirts of Tacuitapa, a village of about 130 people. The hacienda was built in the 1890’s and has been occupied by members of the original family ever since. The sleeping arrangements are dormitory style in the main room of the hacienda and there are 2 indoor bathrooms available.

Transportation will be a large, air conditioned van with storage space for personal gear. Travel from Mazatlan to Tacuitapa is north on the free road and then east to San Ignacio and then south to the village for a total of 140k. With favorable conditions, and minimum pit stops, the drive can be done in a leisurely two hours.

The cost for this back country tour is 1500 pesos per person and includes 4 meals plus transportation. The proceeds will go towards improving the lives of the villagers and as a eco tourism demonstration project. When they first went to this village 5 years ago, the inhabitants were killing every jaguar they could find. Now some members of this same community are actively protecting both the jaguar and their habitat.

The long term plan is to demonstrate that the jaguars and their unique habitat hold an economic opportunity when left unmolested and intact.  Eco-tourism is a rapidly growing industry as many people seek out distinctive and exceptional encounters with the natural world, which are abundant in the areas surrounding Tacuitapa.  With an overall mission to improve the lives of 130 villagers and preserve critical habitat, each of these trips to the village cultivate the process of positive transformation from resource extraction to resource utilization.

They only have room for 6 people on this trip, so if you are interested, please contact  tacuitapa@yahoo.com or call cell number 669 108 4804.

Phase Two Taco Party

I was over in the Phase Two Reception area and noted that they are having a taco party at 4:30 on Tuesday. The cost is $45 pesos and there is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board.

Phase Three has a Sundowner Party on Mondays.

Have a Good Day

Every year, I do my inspirational film clip suggestion. Last year, it was “Our Home”, which is on the blogroll down to the right of this post. This year, it’s a Louis Swartzberg film. Check it out, if you have some time. It’s worth the watch. So is the “Our Home” one from last year, by the way,

CONANP Tour

Yesterday, the Mexican Government Ministry in charge of Cultural Development hosted a tour of three mountain towns near Mazatlan. They were specifically touring several eco-friendly projects begun by the townspeople.  A blog site has some wonderful postings abut the trip. Check it out!! Be sure to go all three posts.

More Art Classes in the Spring

Hello my friends at Estrella del Mar!!!

First off I am missing EDM and your friendship and wonderful weather!  We had a dusting of snow last night and colder temperatures and you are all so lucky to be where you are and wearing about an eighth of the clothes that I have donned this morning… heavy socks, slippers, long johns and sweat pants, turtle neck and sweatshirt, and occasionally a cap, and I haven’t even gone outside yet.

I have completed my last chemo treatment and I’m bouncing back nicely!!  My private nurse, Mary Beth Kernan, came to the frozen tundra of Denver and helped me work my way through this last period of nausea and confusion and fatigue, and I’m now growing stronger every day and am setting my sights on some time recuperating in the sun and warm temperatures of Mexico.

I am considering a visit in February or April for a week or so, and wondered how many of you first time painters or new beginner painters would be interested in a class.  I would like to set these classes up separately for watercolor or acrylic this time.  We had a wonderful time learning both mediums in our last class but believe we could really learn some new techniques and master another completed painting, if classes were taught individually, one for watercolor and another for acrylic.

Please spread the word to your friends and get with me me on any interest you may have in classes.  Let me know what months or weeks work best for you and I’ll see what can be scheduled.

I enjoyed our time together last December painting down by the pool and look forward to more classes and seeing your artistic talents set free in painting.

Thank you for all your prayers and positive thoughts.  You have made a difference in my life.

Jean Murr

Organic Market

The “mercado organico” was inaugurated last Saturday January 7th and ran from at 8AM until noon at Zaragosa Park. It will run every Saturday morning at those times. Products will be either certified organic or grown pesticide free. We have worked hard to find vendors and hope to see great support so that this will grow each week. Organic markets have thrived in many Mexican cities and we know Mazatlan will be one more! Word has it that the market sold out quickly that first day but vendors scrambled to bring more product and were again open for business by about 11. The Zaragoza Park has been newly renovated and is in a quite beautiful section of town. Check it out!!

Such a Busy Week!

Monday –  Agustin will be here this afternoon. If you want a massage, let me know. BCS Bowl.

Tuesday – “The Hustle” Golf at 7:30, Ladies Day Golf at 9. Caravan to Diego’s at 12:45.

Wednesday – Yoga at 9.

Thursday – “Hustle” and Ladies’ Golf. Caravan to  Lety’s at Isla Piedra, noon or thereabouts. Palapa Party at sunset.  There will be a Taco Bar for $50p. Afterwards there will be a beach bonfire.

Friday – Yoga at 9. La Paloma is open for dinner.

Saturday – Hospice Golf Tournament. Wine Tasting at the Hotel to benefit the Employees’ Accident Fund.  BroncoMania tonight!

eBulletinBoard Stats for 2011

Click this link for the last years’ statistics

I would like to remind everyone that if you go directly to the web site, www.laslagunitas.com, you can access many more pages such as recipes from the cookbook and free online Spanish lessons as well as the Staff Bios page which will soon be updated with bios of Olga Luna and Miriam.

Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!