Getting to Know You. Getting to Know All About You.

Boom dockers camp out near San Francisco Beach (for free if you don't know the meaning of boondock).

Our first week in San Carlos was filled with exploration and getting ourselves set up for maximum comfort. I was excited by all the newness, overwhelmed by securing matters of food, clothing, and shelter while dealing with language differences, but mostly soothed by the warm, sunny weather.

Within three days of our arrival, we shopped at the local grocery store, bought fresh fruits and vegetables from Freddy the veggie vendor right at Totonaka RV park where we camp, signed up for regular fresh drinking water delivery to our trailer, walked around Marina San Carlos and five-mile San Francisco beach (where several RVers boon-docked in their rigs), and met up with Mary Ann, our neighbor from Surfside (on Vancouver Island) at her Tecalai (a housing development) home next door. I also checked out Athleticlub San Carlos for yoga classes and Galeria Bellas Artes San Carlos for local art and artists.

What struck me most in those first three days was:

• the beauty of the area with its pointy, rocky hills and mountains, some of which sweep down to the ocean's shoreline,

John and the dogs take a walk at Algodones Beach.

A taco at home costs less than a dollar. Fresh tortilla made
 with vegetable oil, avocado, salsa, tomato, cilantro,
lettuce, pintos (cooked in slow cooker at home), and
a squeeze of lime served with Chilean wine
 ($7 U.S. per bottle). 

• the bountifulness of fruits and vegetables at amazingly low prices,

• the friendliness of the Mexican people,

• the abundance of things to do – walking, hiking, bicycling, kayaking, boating, making art, sightseeing, photography, learning Spanish, going out to eat, shopping, and relaxing by the pool or at our trailer,

• the beauty of the homes which can, by the way, be bought for relatively low prices, and

• the wealthy resorts marred by decaying, half constructed casualties of the 2008 Great Recession.

This beautiful little two-bedroom home with a "margarita deck on the roof"
 at Tecalai Development next door for less than U.S. $150,000.

Freddy stops by Totonaka RV on Tuesdays at 4:30 with a great
assortment of fresh fruits and veggies for sale. Easy shopping!

A pretty good beginning to our winter season!