| | |  Vallarta Living | November 2008 
One Week of Paradise Retirement
 Polly G. Vicars - PVNN
| | Los Bambinos entertained for Jeff's 65th birthday | | |
| | Mom Olga, Rubén, Pop Rocky and Marcelo Mico | 
| | Husband and Ruben, laughing as much as working | 
| | Birthday Guy, Jeff Allen | 
| | Jeanne Allen, planner of the birthday party for her husband Jeff | 
| | Husband has my fish and I his! Mine was the biggest! | 
| | Kai, Adrián and Dorado | 
| | The Sea Lion | 
| | Us swimming in the crystal clear waters of our Bay | 
| | Willy's 95th Birthday Friends | 
| | Willy, Ingé and the beautiful birthday cake | 
| | Susan Blake and Willy | 
| | Husband, me, Alfredo, Mary, Vickie taking a minute at the Mariachi Vargas Concert to pose for Jeri Grant of Vallarta Lifestyles |
"What do you do all day?" we retirees down here in Puerto Vallarta hear from our working friends up north. Here is what Husband and I did last week!
Every Tuesday and Thursday, instead of our usual 6:45 am, 3+ mile walk along the Malecón, we walk up the hill to our Pilates Class with Maestros Marcelo and Ruben Mico. Just making that hill is a challenge, but well worth it for what happens in the class. Our friend, Jerry Wilson, started Pilates about a year ago and every time we saw him, he looked better and better.
Husband was having problems with his balance and was even using a cane on our morning walks. Jerry suggested he try Pilates. He did and really liked it. Gradually he was looking really buff and didn't bother to take the cane on our walks. Everyone was telling him how slim and trim he looked and he began to feel stronger, have more energy and walk tall. I decided I wanted someone to tell me how good I looked, so signed up too.
If you know as little about Pilates as we did until recently, I'll give you a brief resume found on the Internet.
Joseph H. Pilates, the founder of the pilates exercise method, was born in Germany. As a child he was frail, living with asthma in addition to other childhood conditions. To build his body and grow stronger, he took up several different sports, eventually becoming an accomplished athlete. As a nurse in Great Britain during World War I, he designed exercise methods and equipment for immobilized patients and soldiers. In addition to his equipment, Pilates developed a series of mat exercises that focus on the torso. He based these on various exercise methods from around the world, among them the mind-body formats of yoga and Chinese martial arts.
Thus Pilates is a body conditioning routine that seeks to build flexibility, strength, endurance, and coordination without adding muscle bulk. In addition, pilates increases circulation and helps to sculpt the body and strengthen the body's "core" or "powerhouse" (torso). People who do pilates regularly feel they have better posture, are less prone to injury, and experience better overall health.
The Vallarta studio is run by two brothers originally from Argentina, Marcelo and Ruben Mico. They are incredible trainers and after the first lesson we felt like old friends. Ruben works with Hubert and Marcelo with me. They are both exceedingly professional, dedicated to the program and to the people who train with them, and they are so filled with positive energy and kindness that we leave the one hour sessions feeling on top of the world.
On Wednesday, we had the first of our Becas Breakfasts at Coco's Kitchen-Barrio Sur and as I have already reported it was a huge success. From the breakfast we went straight to the airport to meet good friends from Kentucky Deb and Jim Grider. Deb was my assistant when we both worked for Martha Layne Collins, Kentucky's only woman Governor 1983 through 1987. We have been fast friends all these years and Deb and Jim come to Vallarta every year. We delivered them to Nuevo Vallarta for the first week of their stay.
We then went home to rest before our Alameda, California friend Jeff Allen's birthday party that night. His wife, Jeanne, had reserved La Piazzetta private back room, invited twenty or so friends, engaged Los Bambinos to entertain and greeted all comers with Margaritas as they arrived. Their son, Jeff, who does some of the fantastic special effects for many of your favorite movies, flew in to surprise his dad on his 65th birthday. It was a joyful evening filled with delicious food, flowing wine and Los Bambinos' incredible harmony.
Early Thursday morning, Kai Doyle of San Francisco, Puerto Vallarta and El Tuito, Husband and I boarded The Vikingo, the fishing panga run by our friends, brothers Manuel and Adrián Santana. We had hardly gotten the lines baited and in the water when ZING went a reel, Manuel grabbed the singing reel, set the hook in a gorgeous jumping dorado (mahi mahi in Hawaii and dolphin fish in Florida) and gave the rod and reel to Kai. She reeled and reeled as the Dorado jumped and ran, and finally triumphantly brought the 25 pound green and gold fish into the boat.
It was a perfect day with smooth seas, light breeze and bright sunshine. We trolled through the deep blue waters marveling at the sights surrounding us. The bay was filled with bait fish jumping and tiny sea gulls fluttering above them, swooping down to catch a bite or two. As we trolled we saw, of all things, a sea lion resting on top of the water. At first we thought he might be sick as he wasn't moving much. But as we got closer, he dove and was gone. But several times during the day he appeared again. What was that lone sea lion doing down in these warm waters?
Soon Adrián spotted a dorado swimming close by, cast live bait right in front of him and hooked him for me to pull in. Adrián had used very light tackle and it was a real fight getting that fellow to the boat. He was as determined to run as I was determined to bring him in. Finally, almost exhausted, I won and another prize was in the boat. Later Adrián did his magic again, casting right in front of a swimming dorado and Husband got his fish. Kai and I rubbed it in as much as we dared that ours were much larger than his. Then we stopped in the middle of the bay for a fantastic swim in the crystal clear water. What a day!
After packaging the catch to share with La Palapa staff and taking quick showers, we were off to Melinda McMullen's condo in Vista del Sol to celebrate the election of Barrack Obama as the 44th president of the U.S.A. Melinda, from California and Chicago had been very involved in the campaign and had brought posters, buttons, etc. to decorate her condo. It was a raucous celebration by all of us Democrats who are so inspired and proud of our president elect and who have such hopes for the future for the US and the world.
Friday I was at the computer writing thank you letters to all of the businesses that had given us gift certificates for the Becas Breakfast and taking care of other chores neglected due to the fishing trip. Early that evening Nellie and Len Ambrose, Margi Tolton, Husband and I drove to Blake's Sports Bar in "Plaza Las Glorias" to join Ingé Lókós for a birthday celebration for her good friend Willy.
Susan and Mike Blake, proprietors of the Sports Bar that is truly a gourmet restaurant, had prepared a fantastic evening to honor Willy, who on his 80th birthday had promised he would be around for his 85th, then promised again to be here for his 90th and then his 95th that we were now celebrating. After we toasted him with chilled champagne, he stood to invite us all to help him celebrate his 100th, five years hence. I am sure he will make that, just hope that we, too, are still around.
Susan prepared a three course meal that was an Epicurean delight, impeccably served with love and attention. We left after the last toast was given and the last morsel of the birthday cake eaten with hearts as full as stomachs. What an evening!
Saturday night our little group, Joan and Ed Cannon, Margi Tolton, Mayo Warren, Mary and Alfredo Franco, Vickie Jensen and Jay Powell met at the Sheraton for the awarding of the Fishing Tournament prizes, dinner and the concert by Mariachi Vargas and the Symphony Orchestra and choral group of the Mexican Navy.
While it was fun to see the guys and gals who had pulled in the largest tuna, dorado, sailfish and marlin win their substantial prizes, to sip the cocktails and wine that were flowing and to eat a great dinner, once the music started all that was forgotten.
It was magical! The orchestra was incredible, as was the choral group and when Mariachi Vargas took the stage we were all transported by the unbelievable music that filled the air. They played tune after tune known to almost all of us and of course when they played "Guadalajara" the audience erupted in cheers. No one wanted the evening to end and pleaded for More! More! If you have never heard a concert of these Mariachis supported by a symphony orchestra, you have missed the musical experience of a lifetime! I think we all floated home proud to be able to live in our adopted country where such events happen!
What a week! What a place to live! What great friends we have! It doesn't get any better than this!
 Polly G. Vicars and her husband of 57 years, Hubert (a.k.a. "Husband") retired to Puerto Vallarta in 1988 and soon became active members of several charitable organizations. Polly is the author of "Tales of Retirement in Paradise: Life in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico" [a sell-out!] and "More Tales of Retirement in Puerto Vallarta and Around the World." Proceeds from the sale of her books go to the America-Mexico Foundation, a scholarship foundation that is their passion.
Click HERE for more articles by Polly Vicars, or click HERE to learn more about Becas Vallarta and the America-Mexico Foundation. |
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