I spend time up in Barra de Potosi and would encourage anyone who is looking for an opportunity to share their good fortune to gather up all their beads, ribbon and fabrics to share with Chely who is the lead person in the Barra Women’s Doll Collective. They are making custom dolls now. See Sally Gibson, and a doll who looks like ME named Barbaraina – including my signature necklace down the back! 950 pesos for a custom doll. What a value. Their regular dolls are amazing and this year they have some perros. Contact Lori O’Neil at oneilllori@me.com and send two pictures to give Chely a model to go by. Contact Chely: Bird Women <arace0382@yahoo.com.mx>
Barra de Potosi is a small puebla of 400 or so people a 30 minute bus ride from Zihua. (See how to get there on the bus following.)
One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure.
See the fabulous pez de basura – found items sculpture- at the fair this year. The people in Barra de Potosi have been collecting items for a year with the intent to create an Eco-Sculpture to be displayed at the Barra de Potosi Spring Fair on February 26 starting at 9:00 AM. The art work will then live on in Barra. Participate in the Name the Beast contest on Fair Day.
PS A friend asked if I should change the title to One Person’s Trash is another Person’s Treasure. I am not a fan of revisionist history. This title is a trite old cliché and if you change it…you erase the history. That being said- I am open to a gender semantics discussion. My apologies if I offended ; / 0
Campamento Tortuguero Ayotlcall The Barra fair will include wranklets for
sale this year. Several Barra ladies gathered at my studio and created many beautiful wranklets (can be worn on wrist, ankle and even neck!). I sell these for $30-$50 in Minneapolis. I think they are going to start at around200 pesos. The turtle project includes beach patrols and turtle releases. You can volunteer! Stay overnight in Barra – arrange for a turtle release! Damaris is the person to contact. It happens at sunset. Read more:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/ayotlcalli. See Barra accommodations:
http://barra-potosi.com/accomodations-in-barra.php Help the turtle project with donations.
Munecas and now Perros!
The Barra de Potosi Fair will include the fabulous Munecas from the women’s collective. I spend time up in Barra de Potosi and would encourage anyone who is looking for an opportunity to share their good fortune to gather up all their beads, ribbon and fabrics to share with Araceli who is the lead person in the Barra Women’s Doll Collective. They are making custom dolls now. See Sally Gibson, Linda and a doll who looks like ME named Barbaraina – including my signature necklace down the back! 950 pesos for a custom doll.
What a value. Their regular dolls are amazing – this year at 400 pesos and they have some perros. They sold out at the Sailfest silent auction so come early! Contact Lori O’Neil at oneilllori@me.com and send two pictures to give Chely a model to go by. Or Contact Chely: Bird Women arace0382@yahoo.com.mx
PATY’s Restaurant on La Ropa serves me up my fantasy… eating great food with my feet in the sand. It is also the home base for the talented Estella who is a trained masseuse and now comes to me at Quinta Camelinas where I live. Ask PATY for prices 7551133662 .
Quinta Camelinas is in the perfect location, a five minute walk to town, a 10 minute walk to La Ropa (a beautiful beach with rolling waves) and located in a real Mexican neighborhood with a cacophony of roosters to waken me and a fully stocked tienda ½ a block away. The tienda is like an old style general store with most everything you could possibly need. At Quinta, Natasha has created a most wonderful combination of authentic Mexican experience and lovely oasis. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the little pool when I arrived home soaked to the skin from my latest adventure. The fully equipped kitchen and the daily maid service combine to make everything stress free. I rent the top floor. It has an extra room which I will be subletting- ask me for details. See Pictures of Quinta Camelinas here. View a video of our resident Iguanas here.
BREAD! Natasha now bakes incredible German bread and el pasel delights. Cinnamon buns, pretzels, a loaf of bread so dense with seeds and yummy ingredients and the sourdough…oh, my. You MUST order ahead.I can not tell you how often I have been down there watching people point at all the things they will be taking away while I think, ” Not unless you ordered it yesterday, you’re not! email is best… when you are up to your elbows in dough..it is hard to answer the phone.
natascha@hotel-quintacamelinas.com
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Las Gatas is a little beach at the mouth of Zihuatanejo bay. You can walk there (do not let people tell you it is not walkable!) or you can take a water taxi for 40 pesos (about $3.00). I enjoyed seeing them que up like land taxis to come in for their people. There are lovely restaurants and a calm Caribbean style beach. Las Gatas has a very rich history which includes Owen Lee (associate of Jaques Cousteau and aqua lung pioneer) and Timothy Leary. Read “Prisoner in Paradise” for a peek behind the curtain of buying land in Mexico. See Owen Here I read the book and acquired it free from Amazon (Kindle Unlimited). Steel yourself for creative editing.
Lili
Speaking Spanish. I have always believed that one should not enter another country without the courtesy 10 words – please, thank you, where is. etc. Since I have chosen to live here in Mexico every winter… I thought it was time to get serious about learning Spanish. I have been going to English Plus with Diego. Upstairs from Daniel’s on Playa Principal 755 103 4787. He uses the Warren Hardy method which is based on power verbs which will have you communicating within two weeks. Approx 200 pesos per lesson.
I could not make the lessons at English Plus work in my schedule this year so I am going to Lili at Coffee Break. She has a unique one-on- one approach, is a trained teacher, and is helping me construct correct sentences using the PRONOUNS! 180 pesos per lesson. My homework last week was to watch a Ted Talk on a topic of my interest in Spanish. She is located two blocks up from the Oxxo on Kioto Square -Palmar #36 Col Centro 755 779-6529.
Learning Spanish has been one of the most challenging academic experiences of my life. I am almost exclusively a visual learner. This means I don’t remember much if I only hear it. This is why I do not remember your name unless I go and write it down! ; (. My deep apologies. This is a bit of a handicap when learning a language ; / 0 . To illustrate how tone deaf I am, at first communion, the nuns told me not to sing out loud, “Just mouth the words”, they told me. My singing was so bad – I guess God wouldn’t like it. I mean, really. Guess who never sang again!? All this being said…I would encourage all of you reading this to make an effort to speak the language. My feeble efforts seem to be appreciated and if I can do it… you can, too! No me voy a rendira! (I will not give up!).
PS I am archiving many of my discoveries here: http://bridgescreate.com/blog/
As I have mentioned, I am a social practice sculptor. My works are all focused on various peace and justice topics and currently I am working with recovery from trauma. Read More https://www.arttochangetheworld.org/barbara-bridges/ I believe that your trauma is not terminal. You can build your own life raft! The Abuela healing doll found a home at the Sailfest silent auction. I have been very interested in the work of Patricia Ann Talley who also promotes Peace & Economic Development. Patricia is a retired marketing executive from Chicago, has lived in the Zihuatanejo area for over 20 years. She is the publisher of www.Imagine-Mexico.com tourism magazine. She uses this platform to help tourism students learn English, and to promote the businesses of young entrepreneurs. For example, she is working with a new tourism company that provides private luxury van transportation to develop the “Day Trip to Troncones” tour that picks up tourists from Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa and takes them there for the day. Go on Facebook and book your trip! Trancones is an amazing little village up the coast. All the tiny smooth rocks you see used in the tile work are from that beach. They are quite magical when you see them contrasting on the golden sand.
Clandestina from Angustina Restaurante. Yes, it is a real thing. The restaurant stages an event once a month or so. 2000 pesos. You meet at 4 ish at the Angustina Restaurante and enjoy the best margarita I have had here- with fresh squeezed lime juice- gratis. Then you board a bus to a secret destination. The company was charming and the view spectacular. And… oh… BTW… they are mezcal specialists ;/ )0 Contact: Redes Sociales mezcal@angustina.com