80 - ANOTHER WILD WEEK!

It was a poor start to their two-week holiday when Di and Colin were wakened their first night by the strong earthquake that shook everyone in their beds about 3 a.m.  No damage from the earthquake, but their gut problems started almost at the same time.  We were hoping it wasn't the virus that some people came down with after their flights.  Fortunately, it only lasted the first day.  After enjoying massages beside their pool they were back on their feet, ready to go.

Their friends arrived on Wednesday in time for Happy Hour at Oasis, followed by a bbq dinner by Chef Colin at Casa Grande.  Next day was such a busy one, shopping, lunching, beach time and dinner at Oasis, Julia and Duane felt like they'd been here for days instead of 24 hours.  

Friday was the sunset cruise I arranged for 9 of us on the deep sea fishing boat "Double Trouble" leaving from the Las Hadas Resort marina.  What a fantastic evening it was!  

We cruised for two hours, all around both huge bays of Manzanillo, past enormous freighters anchored at sea awaiting their turn to be loaded with containers at the container port in Manzanillo.  As we came around one end of a peninsula, we saw Elephant Rock highlighted by the setting sun.  It looks amazingly like it's name, Elephant.  

We had hoped to see whales and porpoises - the boat captain said they had seen them when out fishing that morning - but they were nowhere in sight.  We did see much smaller fish jumping and frolicking as the sun started to set.  As it disappeared behind the watery horizon, we watched, unsuccessfully, for the green flash so many people talk about.  But we were in awe, as always, as we bid goodnight to the sun, knowing someone, somewhere was saying good morning to it as a sun rise!

At the end of the cruise we dined at OM (the Oasis Marina) along side of the dock overlooking the bay.  To my surprise and delight, several of the waiters I've known, but hadn't seen for years, are working there now. They remembered me with broad smiles, wanting to know how I've been and giving me big hugs.  I felt like a VIP!  It was a magical evening!

For those of you old enough to remember the 1979 romantic comedy "10" with Bo Derek, Dudley Moore and Julie Andrews, the Las Hadas Resort is where the film sequence of Bo Derek coming out of the ocean wearing only a wet, white, translucent T-shirt made the movie a trend setter.

Las Hadas (The Fairies) has a moorish-mediterranean architecture that took eight years to build as the 15 acre complex was blasted out of the forest on the Santiago peninsula on the shores of Manzanillo Bay.  In its day it had been touted as one of the top resorts in the world.  The rich and famous flew their private planes into the small airport to spend some time there.

Las Hadas Marina is currently famous for the deep sea fishing boats rented by people anxious to fish in the sailfish capital of the world - Manzanillo.  Forty-five years ago, when we came to Manzanillo the first time, Don caught one about10 ft long and had it mounted and shipped to Toronto at considerable cost.  It graced one wall of my home office in Unionville, until we moved and gave it to Di & Colin for a wall in their veery large kitchen in Trail of the Woods, Aurora. 

Two days ago, I did my hair touch up with a colour that claimed to be perhaps a shade lighter than the one I purchased here about six weeks ago.   That one was similar to the one I've used for fifty years but was out of stock.   When I washed the solution out, instead of being a light platinum blonde, I was now a silvery shade. Shocking to me at first, I'm growing fond of the colour, finding it does suit me.  Jokingly, I told Di I no longer look like her "older" sister, I now look like her mother!  I'm happy!

My "surprise" birthday celebration that Di and Colin are hosting for sixty of my close friends here in Club Santiago is this week.  I have butterflies in my stomach, hoping everything comes together as we hope!  Next week I'll let you know how it turned out!