Yes, we did go back...!
Monday, February 20 of 2006, we did drop off our kitties Spooky and Barty at Country Lane Pet Lodge.
They only got a small cage this time, near the window—which was good. One bigger cage was not cleaned out yet.
Tuesday, February 21, I did wake up Pieter at 2:00 AM as we need to drive off at 3:00 AM due to our 7:00 AM take off with Continental.
Figured out that my frequent flyer number did not get accepted so I had to write a letter to Continental with a copy of the boarding passes and itinerary for rectification.
Always the same—they omit Van den—thinking it is just a kind of middle initial.
Hoping they will credit me for these miles because we calculated it in such way that we fly next year for free to Acapulco.
Via Houston we arrived at Acapulco in a small plane around 11:37 AM.
We found a shuttle for US $ 50.00 roundtrip and after half an hour waiting we could check in to our room 929, with a much better view and more quiet, farther away from the street.
We now could overlook the entire bay where they did the fireworks etc., for weddings.
A very romantic setting for a wedding or anniversary!
They build a platform on the beach for placing the tables and chairs...
On February 23, when we came inside from a walk in the tropical garden, after having watched the set–up for a formal dinner at the beach, we ran into a man holding a pole with clavelitos—the old fashioned double clavelitos in many colors (carnations thus).
I could not hold back to exclaim: clavelitos and oh my, the man beamed with joy. He was so happy that I recognized them and he eagerly went on to explain the one yard long pole from roble (oak) that came from his daughter's home.
There also were lilies used in that arrangement—massively around that pole. First time we ever saw anything like that!
He explained further that the reason was his 50th wedding anniversary and he quickly pointed at his wife who stood nearby in a long formal dress. Both were beaming, so no doubt that turned out into a beautiful wedding anniversary!
Down on the beach with blue sky...
On Saturday February 25, we took a taxi to go to Costco for checking out how Mexicans do live.
Even though we could not buy much, being in a hotel but we did get some items.
Sunday, February 26, for Mom & Dad's 57th Church Wedding Anniversary we attended Mass on the 3rd floor at the top of the hotel.
There were quite a number of people attending.
Wednesday March 1, we got up around 5:00 AM and had breakfast in our room with some flax seed whole–wheat buns, Yakult and coffee. Our mini cool box filled with bananas, drink yogurt, some snacks and Colombian coffee candies for the trip.
At 6:30 AM the drivers came with different vans and minibuses. We were in a van with four other passengers and the driver–tour guide with his son—alternating the 280 km (174 mi) one way to Taxco.
First we pass through a 3 km (1.9 mi) length tunnel to go from the 1,500,000 Acapulco Bay Area to the next city of 1,000,000 with industries and lots of job opportunities.
Whereas in Acapulco they depend for 70% on tourism resulting in certain months of the year in quite a lot of unemployment.
The Autopista is not as smooth as our Interstates here in the USA and not crowded at all due to the rather high toll rate.
We stop at a dam where the driver points out they have langoustine.
I'd never seen in my life some thirty vultures sitting in the median—stripping a carcass.
Lots of wild horses were running alongside and on the Autopista—despite the fact that there was supposed to be a fence alongside.
Sure, it got put up once new and never looked at again—neither for repair nor mending.
Cows were also roaming on the Autopista and it often resembled India, especially in this semi–dessert landscape going north from Acapulco.
Taxco was a nice colonial style city with lots of Spanish influence.
The Santa Prisca Church, which was donated by a Frenchman who enriched himself on the silver and gold mines.
A local young man from the mountains around Taxco, who was actually illiterate, did paint the frescoes in that Church and also several oil paintings on canvas with all the clergy and the Frenchman in question—None of those gentlemen had a sympathetic face!
The Church was baroque and that looked way too overdone—for our taste—but of course beautiful artwork!
The huge organ that had to be shipped from Spain and taken apart to be carried on the backs of mules to the Taxco area—poor animals in those days.
Our lunch was included in the $ 70 per person, for the trip and we enjoyed it upstairs in a rustic old building of del Angel restaurant.
We'd started out our walk with a visit to some silver shops.
Around the pool (one of 3) of the Hyatt Regency we spotted some very skinny cats. We walked and we fell in love with one beautiful cat in particular.
She was in the botanical garden and looked so pretty, but very, very skinny! We would have loved to take her home with us, but I touched her and felt that her nipples were rough, kind of crusty...
She was so friendly and came to our chair—even sat with us.
We fed her some left over French fries from a neighboring table between lounge chairs.
She was so sweet and while she ate, I could stroke her belly and I figured out that she had scratchy nipples, indicating that she was having kittens somewhere...
Also, she was slightly swollen, full of milk?
Poor thing, barely able to stay alive herself and yet having to give it all to her little ones.
Thursday March 2, we did collect salmon and some other sliced meat, putting it inside the small Ziploc bags in which we keep our vitamins. When we got to the pool area, Pieter made his special 'kitty calling noise with his lips', she came running towards us. Jumping over the opening where the concrete stairway goes down to the beach!
In no time she ate all of it.
So, we did go in the evening to the fish restaurant near the beach and the pool, which is open all around for a spectacular Bay View.
We took a hygienic bag from the bathroom with us. Did put bread inside, rice with fish and we brought it to her—well she came walking up to us before we even left this open restaurant...
Now we got to see two of her kittens as well. They hid near the restaurant under some shrubs.
The skinny mama cat sat back while she let her little ones feast—what a loving mama!
Feeling good about having fed her and the babies, we go to the room. We would love to take one of them home with us—but how? You need paperwork to proof that they have been vaccinated, e.g. for rabies, 3 months prior to entering the USA. They were not even born yet...
The mama is black with a kind of tuxedo marking, like our Spooky boy but more symmetric. She also wore gloves and white boots. Her whiskers were so long and light colored, like the eyebrows. Taller ears and they were raised, making her very cute.
We indeed fell in love with her.
Pieter named her Spicy
Friday March 3, we again filled our hygienic bag heavily at our breakfast table. From the buffet we took bread, soaked with milk, tiny sausages (she liked one the other day, so we repeat that), smoked salmon and some scrambled eggs as well. Eagerly we first go to the pool area to feed her and now we got to see her third kitten as well; an exact clone of her! So cute and it becomes harder and harder to see them over there, not knowing their fate (management only would tolerate 3 on their property–the yard crew informed us...) knowing that we would depart next day.
After we did read at the pool under our umbrella and swam in the pool, we did go back to the fish restaurant one more time and filled our bag for them.
Next day we flew home together—heavy hearted as we could not take our kitty home with us.
But we will be back!!!
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