Thursday, March 11, 2010

Dead Fish And Good Fish

First, the dead fish. Dead and smelly. The Knicks lost to the San Antonio Spurs last night. No big deal in and of itself. But in doing so they also assured themself of a franchise record ninth straight losing season. Yes, nine straight seasons of losing over half of their games. And they still have to win a couple more to avoid tying their two memorable 23 win seasons in 2005/2006 and 2007/2008.

And to think I used to be a Knick's fan with season tickets and everything. Funny how when management raises ticket prices while destroying a team it changes that for you. Now when a player I like, such as Nate Robinson, gets traded from the Knicks I don't get upset, I feel happy for the player.

Does anyone really think a player like LeBron would want to come to an organization as dysfunctional as the Knicks? Even though we have a stand-out center in Eddie Curry?

But on to good fish. You don't have to go all the way to Boca to get a good grilled snapper. The lady with the grill right next to where I stay turns out a mighty fine fish. And her mother did the same before her. Can't go wrong with a grill that has been in the same family for generations.

Second Generation Grill Master


We let her know a day in advance that we want the fish and she will make sure she has a couple of them for us. Usually they specialize in mahi mahi or shrimp on a stick.

Our Fish On A Stick


And they look just as good on the plate as they do grilling on a stick.

A Well-Plated Fish


I am not sure just what is drizzled over the fish to give it such a great flavor. Butter with a super-secret family spice mixture, I think.

Digging In


I am not sure if there will be a third generation of fish ladies though. This one's daughter seems to have aspirations for a life on the stage.

Sharing The Limelight, Not Squeezing Limes


That is her on stage with Kim Kuzma who is currently performing at bite me! beach club. I know, it is so precious, they don't capitalize the name of the place. Kim is a dynamite performer and gave a free two hour beach concert yesterday afternoon. Great fun and I will have more on that in another post.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Beautiful Day At Boca

Boca de Tomatlan, as some of you already know, is a little town just past Mismaloya - One man, three woman, a night like no other, Night Of The Iquana. Unlike Mismaloya which, with the building of a huge hotel, has changed dramatically over the last several years, Boca pretty much remains the sleepy little village it has always been.

Sure, there is a fairly substantial pier that went up last year, primarily to accomodate the large Zodiac-like boat that ferries day-trippers in from the cruise ships. But it isn't too intrusive and the day-trippers tend to stay to their far end of the beach.

To me, Boca is still the perfect little get-away just a fairly short bus ride (more on the buses in another post) from downtown Puerto Vallarta.

Sandy And Rico On The Bus


And my favorite restaurant in Boca is:

Boca del Mar


Not much of a restaurant, really. Just a little cook-shack and a grill outside with tables on the beach. But what more could you want?

This time there were ten of us who went out to spend a day on the beach.

The Whole Crowd


Oops, Wayne was hiding behind Marge in that shot.

And Here Is Wayne


We left our place in Puerto Vallarta at about 10:00 AM so we got out to Boca before the cook showed up for work. No problem, the bar was open and we were given free appetizers to start with.

Yum, Cucumbers And Sliced Cold Weiners


Hey, it wasn't too bad and went well with our beers. Marge, of course, once again, ordered something to match her outfit.

How Does She Do It?


We were again given our choice of a couple of very large snappers to choose from:

The Big One, Of Course


We were going to get a couple orders of their Mummy Shrimp and some other stuff but the waiter suggested we get the fish (a given) and then a couple of the mixed plates of shrimp for the table. He assured us it would be plenty and cheaper as well.

Again, the snapper was split open and then grilled with whatever delicious barbecue sauce they use.

The Grill Masters


Perfection


The Finished Product


It didn't take long for everyone to start digging in, either.

A Feast Fit For Royalty


The Mysterious Chinese Woman Happy As A Lark


After a leisurely meal our group split up with some going on a little nature hike and others (this would include me) content to stay behind and soak up some sun and suds.

The adventurous group took some of the obligatory nature shots.

River


Boat On River


Fearsome Wild Chicken


Killer Dogs


Dangerous River Crossing


All I can say is that I am glad I didn't subject myself to such an arduous adventure. Marcie was visibly shaken and, upon her return, had to calm her nerves with a complimentary shot of racillia.

Shaken, But Not Stirred


Hell, her recounting of the group's ordeal got me so nervous that I was forced to join her.

Misery, Er, Marcie Loves Company


Even the usually unflappable Paul needed some settling down.

Ah, Much Better Now


It was another lovely day and the locals were out in force enjoying themselves at some kind of a get-together.

Just Down The Beach


There weren't any cruise ships in port today so just one group came zipping over, presumably on a day-trip from one of the all-inclusive resorts out by the marina. And, of course, they all dutifully headed over to their end of the beach, well out of view and well back from the water. Go figure.

There is a good chance that I will be heading out to Boca again, if there is enough time. I know some people want to visit the botanical gardens, and that is kind of a day trip. The Mysterious Chinese Woman does volunteer work at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden so she is always interested in this kind of stuff. And a trip to Bucerias is likely as well.

So much to do and, what always seems like, so little time to do it in. Of course there are those days spent just laying on the beach or by the pool too. Life is tough.

Sunday, March 07, 2010

My Two Amigas

Just a quick post today, a picture of my two friends at the Super-Deli down the street where I do the majority of my shopping. If they don't have it, the Mysterious Chinese Woman has to go get it.

My Two Amigas


Really hot and windy today. The hottest day since I got here. Someone said it hit 90 F, and with the humidity it felt every degree of that.

We are going to head to Steve's Sports Bar in a bit to try to catch the first half of the Gopher's Iowas baskeball game and then head to Bite Me! to see the Quesadiva's do a 60's concert.

Tomorrow I will post about our return trip to Boca with my friends Rico and Sandy.