We missed the big four-inch downpour in August as we were on our six-week 'Adventure in Gringolandia' tour. That particular storm wreaked some havoc with our casa in the form of leaks in the ceiling of the upstairs master bedroom. But the good news was that the repairs were all completed before we arrived home and from what we've heard, the rest of the new homes in AV fared better than we did. We were lucky that we had such a good property manager in Robert Ortola. He and Donella did a fantastic job looking after our house and cleaning up after the workers left. Today's rain has managed to tamp down the dirt (another big Yippee!!) and it's possible we may see more precipitation in the next couple of days thanks to Tropical Storm Georgette (click on the weather widgit on the right side of this page for more weather info).
We ran some errands in town this morning and were treated to a brief deluge while we were at Gustavo's checking out his new offerings. If you haven't been to his store in a while, plan on a trip as he's got some really great new furniture and accessories.
We also had brunch at the new Gourmet Guaycura Restaurant on the Malecon by Augie's. In fact, it's in the same second floor location that Augie's restaurant used to be.
It's one of our favorite spots on the Malecon and we're glad to see that space being used again. The restaurant has some really nice touches like orchids in vases on the tables, nice color schemes, great background music (Spanish guitar instrumentals of Beatles tunes. Awesome!) and one of the best views on the Malecon. And the food was great!
It looks like Loreto proper got more rain than we did here in Nopolo this morning, but right now it's coming down pretty steadily here at home. Wish I had a rain gauge!
We'll keep you posted on any significant developments.
In other good news:
When we left here on August 4 work was just beginning on the improvements at the Inn.
We were very surprised and pleased to see that the pool work was done and other cosmetic touchs could be seen throughout the grounds, including some new contrasting paint and really nice new palapas and outdoor restaurant furniture.
The changes have succeeded in making the Inn look a lot more alive and vibrant.
The evening we got back the Inn was hosting a Viva! Mexico fiesta in honor of Independence Day with dinner on the beach (ala the old Loreto Bay sales events), a scrumptious buffet, music and even fireworks. There looked to be about 40 or so joining in the festivities. Talk about a nice homecoming!
All those changes can be credited to the Inn's new manager, Peter Maxwell. Ironically, Peter, a native of Britain with an impressive resume in the hotel industry, was responsible for getting the original Inn - the Camino Real Hotel - going back about eight or nine years ago.
Peter (one of those managers that jumps right in no matter how small the task and how often do you see that anymore?) told us that for now Homex is taking baby steps in getting the Inn back in shape. That's obvious with the pool which could look better, but we're not complaining. The improvements are real and the whole ambience of the place has changed for the better. So congrats to Peter and his staff.
As for the outdoor dining area that was being demolished before we left, Peter said that renovation is on hold due to a lack of funds. But on the plus side, 90 of the rooms have gotten a facelift.
And we were very happy to see the fitness room full of equipment again. We did hear that some of the equipment isn't working, but hey, some of it is! That's good news for us as we managed to gain a good bit of weight while we were in the states. Sometimes it feels like we ate our way up the West Coast!
On a totally inane note, I was relieved to see that our resident frog (or maybe he's a toad) was still here when we got home last week. He's no friendlier than he was before we left, but it's still good to see him hopping around the courtyard every night.
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