Valentines Day in San Blas

The next day was Valentines Day. We weren't able to go to church because we found out last minute that it was regional conference that day - in a distant city. We were disappointed, but glad that we had been able to attend the fireside a couple of days before. It was fun seeing a movie about the restoration of the church. Magdalena leaned over to me during the movie and said, "You didn't know all these people spoke Spanish, did you?" We also got to sing a couple of hymns at the fireside. When I'm reading out of the hymnbook, my Spanish is not too shabby! Once he figured out that "j" is pronounced like "h", Jack did pretty well too.

While we were in San Blas, we stayed at Magdalena's - in her bedroom. When I came out in the night, this was the view out of the bedroom door. Imagine it in the dark, with a little light coming in through the front windows. I loved the ambiance! Magdalena designed the arched doorway and the arched window in the kitchen. She said her head is full of ideas for future projects, and she's always busy with a new one!

Another wonderful breakfast! I can't find the words to describe Magdalena's cooking!

Here's a shot of Magdalena in her doorway. The house doesn't look too inviting from the outside. David told Jack that they like to keep it that way, because it blends in and people leave it alone while Magdalena is away. She's in Mesa most of the time, but comes to San Blas several times a year to check on her properties and visit with family.

The water line on the archway brick is from the hurricane that past through San Blas in 2002. Magdalena lost a lot of her property in the flooding!

These are just a few of the vendors that travel up and down the streets all day long. Each has a special honk, or bell, or loud speaker that alerts the home owners that they are there. This is what you call curb service!

I had to get a shot of Magdalena's table. She designed it herself. She wants to paint the carved wood design that is underneath the glass. She was asking our opinions on color. I'd sure like to see how it turned out!

Yum! Another Magnum Bar!

Magdalena fed the missionaries that day. Lucky missionaries!

We were so spoiled with all the yummy fresh fruit, sold by street vendors, right outside the front door!

Danny and Dalena are a couple of doors down from Magdalena's home. They are standing in front of the property that is willed to Dalena. One of her cousins is living in it right now.

Here's the bandstand at the little town that had the festival a couple of nights before. There are kids playing there, but it seemed pretty deserted.

Okay, here is one thing I have no desire to eat again in my life! When someone has to tell you, "Don't try to chew them, just let them slide down," they are not worth eating! Yuk! Ostiones!

On the other hand...I could eat these every day! We tried both the flan and the date pudding. Deliciouso!!!

Because it was a holiday, the city had set up a lot of blow-ups for the kids to play on! They were having a great time!

A vendor had set up to sell lots of toys and gag gifts for the kids to buy. Almost all of them were getting spray cream to squirt on each other, or bags of flour to throw!

This kids looked like he was out for revenge. He was covered in flour, but had his "weapons" in both hands. He was determined to get them back!

I sat in one spot and took photos of all four corners of the plaza center. There were so many people out that night!

We bought confetti filled eggs from this little niño.

Jack told Dalena that he had seen someone coming from around the corner with chocolate cake in their hands. She and Danny took off in search and found a bakery that specialized in cakes. They couldn't decide which kind to buy, so they came back with FIVE huge pieces! It was all wonderful, but my favorites would have to be tres leches and the fresh lime! Oh my gosh!!!

At the plaza, we ran into several of Dalena's cousins. We visited with them for a long time. The little guy in the upper corner kept telling joke after joke after joke! Dalena and everyone but the three gringos laughed their heads off after each one... then Dalena translated them for us. He was hilarious - an entertainer for sure!

The Wedding

The reason we went to Mexico when we did was for Dalena's cousin's wedding. Magdalena was already down there, and Dalena probably could have just flown down by herself, but when she found out we wanted to go, she and Danny both decided to go with us. Most of the family was busy on Saturday, getting ready for the wedding. Magdalena made the wedding cake and Dalena helped decorate the salon, where the wedding was held. In Mexico, temple ceremonies are not recognized as legal marriages, so the couples have to be married by a government magistrate (or a Catholic Priest) in addition to the temple sealing.

Magdalena fixed us this yummy breakfast before she left to go decorate the cake. She made chiloquiles, scrambled eggs with ham, bacon and queso, and papaya. So good!

After breakfast, Dalena and her mom took off to help and Danny took us to a Saturday Flea Market a few blocks away.

As we left the house, the trash man was out in front and I got a picture of him. They pick up trash every day of the week in San Blas. Magdalena hangs hers on the fence, right before pick-up time. No dogs in trash cans here!

I should have taken a picture of the market, but all I got was this shot of a dog. What I was really going for was a shot of the bumpy road! It's one of the main roads in town and it used to be quite smooth - until they got hit with a hurricane about 8 years ago!

I had to get a photo of some of the cute little girls. They were all dressed up to party and they loved every minute of it! I heard that Dalena did some of the little girls' hair for the occasion.


Yes! Danny is a dork! He folded his valentine tie into a bow tie. Guess it turned out pretty well.


There were lots of kids at the wedding. Most of them were children of Dalena's cousins - probably some from the grooms family also. They all had a blast all night!


I was taking some pictures of this cute little guy who was playing with a balloon. He saw me and wondered what the heck I was doing taking his picture!

I don't know why Dalena was so giddy! Maybe he just gave her a wet willy!

Here's a photo of Dalena and her mom with some of the wedding family.

The beautiful wedding cake! And more importantly, the delicious wedding cake! It was wonderful!

I had to get a picture of the kids' table. Actually, I think there were several. These kids just had so much fun at the wedding!

Dancing

This is Liseth, the daughter of one of Dalena's cousins. She really took to David Schellenberg and spent a lot of time at our table. She was so cute! Such a cute personality!

Day Two

We ate at a place in the market. It is like big food court, kind of. Besides freshly prepared food, you can buy fresh poultry, fish, meat, vegetables, feed for your pets or farm animals, and a lot of other stuff. Jack and I ordered gorditas and they were very tasty.

After breakfast, we walked over to the plaza. There is always music of some kind there, so Danny and Dalena decided to do a little dancing in the daylight.

From the plaza, we walked down past Dalena's father's old hardware store. She says it is pretty much just like it used to be when he owned it, right down to the rubber cover on the counter-top.

Back at the house, Dalena started assembling Mary Kay for her cousins. I think a cousin in the states sells Mary Kay and had a lot of extra samples that she sent down with Dalena. So, she assembled cute little packs of makeup and wrapped them in nylon netting and tied them with pink bows. They looked very festive! I think she passed them out at the wedding the next night.

We drove over to the beach in the afternoon. Here's a shot of Jack, relaxing in the shade on the beach.

Sipping from a coconut

A couple of guys were serenading everyone in this pavilion. When they finished singing, they walked around and collected donations.

Here's a cute shot of Danny and Dalena at the beach.

Jack said, "What? You think I can't suck it up?" haha Well, almost!

Jack waded out into the water to get a shot of the beach. It was really beautiful and relaxing. I loved the feel of the ocean air!

Early evening, we went down to the church for a missionary fireside. Magdalena took us into the chapel and told us how her husband (Dalena's dad) chose the site for the chapel a few years before he died. He and some other church leaders there petitioned Salt Lake City for a chapel in San Blas. Dalena's dad surveyed the city and picked out a spot that he thought would be perfect for a chapel. But, the petition was denied. Two or three years after he died, Magdalena's sister called her from San Blas. She said, "You'll never guess! We're getting a chapel in San Blas!" When Magdalena asked where it was going to be built, her sister told her that it was going to be in the exact spot her husband had chosen. Needless to say, she was overcome with that news.

This is one of two floral arrangements that Magdalena made for the chapel. If you look closely, you can see the flowers are made of plastic coke bottles.

After the fireside, we drove over to a neighboring city that was having a festival.

I was a carnival atmosphere. Games were set up all along the streets and there was dancing at the plaza. Lots of people and loud music! Fun times!

David wanted to go over to the festival because they were going to have fireworks and he wanted us to see a fireworks tower. Unfortunately, we got there just as the fireworks ended. I've heard from students that these towers are very popular in Mexico - they knew exactly what it was when they saw this picture, even though it was the tail end of the display.

Danny and Dalena started dancing at the festival - there was loud Latin music playing - and someone came around and asked them if they had paid. I think everyone who danced had to pitch in - maybe for the band. If you didn't have a receipt - you didn't get to dance! These Mexicans really know how to party! We left to go home around 11 PM, but I'm sure they were there half the night. That's how they roll!

San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico

The first thing we did when we got to San Blas was walk to the market. All along the streets are people selling all kinds of fresh food, clothes, toys - you name it. This is their life. Everyone is town buys fresh every day - breads, fruits, vegetables, meats, etc.

Danny and Dalena stopped in front of a fish "shop" for a picture. Dalena had just finished off a cup of fresh cut fruit she bought along the street. We bought a lot of food on the street and never worried for a minute about it. It was all delicious and FRESH!

Back at Magdalena's, Jack is in the street, playing with a little neighbor boy (who turned out to belong to one of Dalena's cousins). Jack had brought some toy rockets down, and the kids (and Jack) loved playing with them.

Danny cut this bouquet of flowers in a vacant lot across the street. Check out that knife! It reminds me of the one in Crocodile Dundee.

This is the view from the top of the hill where there is a fort - overlooking the city and the port of San Blas. Puerto San Blas was the first port built on the west coast of North America.

Someone must have said something funny!

Here's Jack, standing in front of the fort.

There was a singer in a pavilion nearby. A few people were gathered, listening to him sing. He sang quite a few songs that he had composed. One I remember was San Blas, Nayarit. I didn't understand the words, but I really loved that song. It made me think of how much Dalena loved this little town that she grew up in. I was so glad to be there and share it with her.

After the guy finished his songs, he started picking people who were there listening and making up songs about them. Here, he is singing to Dalena. He asked her name and Danny's - and he made up a song about both of them.

I saw this painting in the pavilion where the guy was singing. It tells the story of the crazy lady of San Blas. Legend has it that every day, you could see her wandering along the beach in her wedding dress. She was waiting for her husband's ship to return. He was presumed lost at sea.

Danny and Dalena were posing for David when I took this picture. They are in front of the ruins of the first church in San Blas. It was built in the 1500s.

Bananas grew pretty much wild. We saw them everywhere! These were just growing at the side of the road.

David and Dalena were selecting some smoked fish for our dinner. Seems like EVERYTHING is sold open-air, along the streets.

Dalena's aunt, Magdalena's sister-in-law, has a bakery in her home. She has a lot of regular customers. Good stuff!

The beach at San Blas

David got a picture of the four of us with the sunset in the background. It was just about dark when we left the beach.

When we got back from the beach, Magdalena's sister was there. Her name is Teresa (Tere). she is hilarious! Magdalena has lots of family in San Blas. I think a couple of her brothers have moved to the states, but the rest of her siblings are still in Mexico.

We walked down to the plaza that night and bought a bag of churros on the way. Hot and crispy! Yum!!!

We loved the plaza! It was a place where the adults could sit and visit and the kids could pretty much run. There weren't many people there that first night.