Sunday 5th Aril 2015…tennis and then more tennis and then some tennis!!!!

Boy the weather here is quite lovely but it does get a little hot in the middle of the day….Ashley is to have two games today and the first one starts at 12.30pm so after breakfast Stella and I went to hit some balls  I have not played on a hard court for a few years and my knees tell me to stick with the red clay…but we both enjoyed the exercise and then after getting cleaned up we went to the incredible Indian Wells facility and watched Ashley in her first game

 

…..the first few games were long and close but then Ashley took over with her power game and won the match in straight sets.

The match took over two hours in 90 degree temperatures  and her second game was supposed to start at 4pm but they put the time back to 6 o clock……We had a couple of hours to wonder around the facility and most of you know on the beginning of Lent I gave up cookies and pastries so when I saw this

it was just too much and Stella kindly treated me and I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful it was.

We settled down to watch Ashley’s second game the court is so beautiful…

I love this shot of her thinking about her game plan before her warm up!!!!

The shot above is of Ashley in the last set and the mountains as a back drop..

This match was her hardest to date but she quite easily won the first set 6 – 2…..but found herself down 3 – 0 in the second set but then powered her way to a 6 – 4 victory which now puts her in to the main event starting tomorrow.

It has been so wonderful for me to be here and support her and her family and this kid had the time after two grueling days to come to me after the last match hug me and to thank me for coming..what a feeling.

The match was a long one and in every game she has beaten the  other girls by her strength and power and still only 15 years of age.

her parents seem to think because she played so late tonight she may not be in the Monday openers and will play Tuesday….. will have to wait and see.

So a wonderful Easter Sunday and I hope yours was too……

Yashi Kochi!!!

Saturday 4th Aril 2015…….tournament day!!!

A beautiful morning in the desert very warm and sunny and today was the start of the tennis…..a little bit of history first.

Ashley is 15 years old and is really a wonderful gifted athlete and tennis player and this tournament is one of the biggest in the country and she is in the 18 and under age group..normally she would be ranked and be in the main draw but because the last year she has undergone 2 foot surgeries and as only been back on the courts about two months she was not ranked so to get into the main event on Monday she has to play qualifying games and her first one was today.

So this morning Stella and I went to Pauline and Corning (Ashley's parents) house which is on a beautiful golf course with tennis courts and watched her warm up…..I have not seen Ashley since August and she has grown and become so strong she is 5 feet 11 inches tall and so powerful……this is the complex where she was warming up…pretty nice I think!!!

\

We then went down to the Indian Wels tennis site which is where the professionals have a huge tournament in March and this site is out of this world……

This is the court where Ashley was to play!!!

 

Ashley’s opponent was a 17 year old and it was a good game but Ashley was just too strong and she won 6 – 1 6 – 2…..I was so proud to see her and to be here to support her……now the next step is that she has a match tomorrow at 12.30pm and if she wins that another match at 4.00pm and if she wins that game she will be into the main drawer on Monday.

After the game we all went to Pauline and Corning’s place where we messed around in the pool and then late afternoon Stella, Pauline and I went for a nice hike into the mountains at the base of the town, quite lovely as you can see…

It was a lovely end to a great day and I now look forward to tomorrow’s matches..stay tuned!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Friday 3rd Aril 2015….have a wonderful Good Friday!!!!

Well I went through a time one change last night so when I woke up at 6 am it was really 5am so I was not tired so got up had a cup of tea and was on the road 20 minutes later!!

The weather was wonderful and the roads were mainly Interstate so very easy driving as long as you are aware of who is behind you and those merging onto the highway most of whom do not know how to do it!!!!

No photo opportunities and about 5 hours later I was here

I had the directions to Caron’s condo in La Quinta and arrived around 2.30 but was obviously too early because the key was not there for me but it worked out perfectly because this gave me time to call my long time friends Esther and Steve who are wintering in the town about 40 minutes away to come to a restaurant in  La Quinta where we had a great re union and caught up on all our news.

I first met Esther and Steve in Northern BC about 5 years ago somehow they followed my blog and realized we were almost in the next town and we met and became friends and in 2011 when I did my cross country tour I again stayed with them in Ottawa and I think the last time we saw each other was two years ago  in Arizona….

 

Great to catch up with you two and good and safe travels back to Canada.

So now I am in Caron and John’s condo in La Quinta and it is beautiful and the pool right outside

 

 

…..Stella is arriving from LA soon and Ashley’s first game is tomorrow so we are all rooting for her tomorrow!!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Thursday 2nd April 2015…computer issues!!

Whenever I now try to send an e mail it comes back saying default error 475….so if I am not returning your e mails bear with me..thanks les

Thursday 2nd April 2015……Day 2!!!!!

Had another good sleep and on the road again by 6.45am I checked the tire and it was fine and the journey today was again uneventful mainly on toll roads for a total cost of 475 pesos and the drive was through some wonderful mountain passes!!!

I nearly got caught out by these traffic lights

your attention is drawn to the green light on the white sign and then you have to see the not so bright red stop light on the near side…..only in Mexico!!!

As you can the traffic was almost non existent!!!

9 hours later I was at the border town of Agua Prietà and when I stopped in the line up to the USA border it only took me 20 minutes to get through….the Border guard was very pleasant and waved me through!!!

I had booked a motel in Sierra Vista in Arizona about 50 minute drive from the border and I arrived and checked in total drive today 765 km…..and a great drive !!!

a very nice room for 40 dollars!!!!

Thanks to my car, Little Bluey again another wonderful journey, what a great vehicle!!!

I went for a long walk and found a nice BBQ restaurant and ordered pulled pork and brought it back to my room…it was very good….had a long shower and after the blog going to watch one of my favorite TV shows on the computer Blue Bloods.

Tomorrow another drive of about 675km to La Quinta in California where I am staying in Caron and John’s condo and Caron’s Mum Stella is coming down and the plan is to watch Ashley on Saturday in her qualifying drawer to make the big Easter Bowl tournament…….

Maybe I should explain a little….I met Stella and her daughter Caron about 15 years ago in Mexico and we have all remained great friends…..Stella’s other daughter Pauline is the Mother to Ashley who is the tennis star….Ashley has been at Carson tennis academy in Los Angeles for nearly two years and is 15 years old and a remarkable young lady and tennis star…I have seen her  at the Easter bowl tournament  3 times and this year is a little different as Ashley has had 2 surgeries over the last nine months and only recently got back on the courts and because of this she has to qualify to get into the main drawer and she starts her matches on Saturday morning and I wish her the best luck in the world..I should also add that the age category she is competing in is under 18 years so she is playing two years up!!!

Wish you all a wonderful and special Good Friday!!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Wednesday 1st Aril 2015…..cannot believe I did not fool anyone this time!!!!!

I guess after 9 years of getting someone, usually Linda, Barbara and Heather, the well is going dry will have to think of something special for next year!!

I had a good sleep and was on the road by 6.30am I think you all know I love sunset shots but because of my sleeping habits I do not get the chance to take many sunrise shots but here is one from the road this morning!!!

Would this be allowed in your country!!!

I always think of Table Mountain in South Africa when I pass this…

Really was not an eventful drive at all I only went through one city and because of road construction and diversions got a little lost but plugged in the gps and only took me a few minutes to find my way.

The roads were really quiet which surprised me being so close to Easter …

I only stopped once for gas and a couple of times for a pit stop…but I did go through lots of toll booths

Total cost of the tolls today was 860 pesos!!

 

and exactly 11 hours and 975 km later I was pulling into my Hotel…

I have stayed here about 4 times and I even got the same room…it is safe with a guard and a gate and you drive right to your room…

I walked around the pool and the grounds for about 40 minutes and I enjoyed relaxing and getting some movement into my old joints!!!!

As I came back to the car I noticed the rear nearside tire was very low…..I checked it out and it was indeed really low I asked at the reception about a tire repair shop and wouldn’t you know it there is one right across the street so I drove over…

The two guys working must have been in their seventies but they got right to work

and this was the problem

They soon had me fixed and it was 50 pesos really un believable!!!!

Back at my room it was time for

I bought the little kettle last year and it is great!!!

Had a long shower and I find that I do not eat very much when I am driving and travelling so supper was just grapes and tea and after the blog going to watch a movie on the computer….

This was the drive today

and Jiménez is where I am staying….another long drive tomorrow and I have a room booked in Sierra Vista in the good old US of A!!!!!!!

 

So a great first day on the road!!!

 

I think this is so well written!!!!

Mexico: A Cautionary Tale
I was warned.
Repeatedly.
Warned.
So many times it lost its potency.
Warned.
By well-meaning friends
living in "safe" gated communities with armed guards
By acquaintances
who have never been here
By media reports
glamorizing and spreading alarm
Who have a different definition of danger. And of what
constitutes safety.
Stupid me!
I didn't listen
to any of it.
Adventurous, perhaps with a death wish,
I didn't look.
Worse.
I wasn't careful.
And…
In "dangerous" Mexico,
I was robbed.
Stupid, stupid me!
Yes, Mexico…
stole from me…
A smile.
At first.
And then,
they got bolder
and took…
A laugh.
and bolder still, they ran off with…
my poor self-image.
Which turned into a larger felony: They took …
time
to fill me with compliments!
Telling me
repeatedly
how wonderful it is…
to be a woman
of experience.
Who smiles.
Who laughs.
Repeatedly.
Time after time. Again and again.
Until
finally, I believed them.
As I was smiling and laughing, and actually trusting myself,
They had the nerve to go and pick-pocket my lingering self-doubts,
my well-nurtured insecurities including
my belief that "real beauty" was limited to youth…
While I was still reeling in shock,
from having been robbed,
and pick-pocketed
Mexicans took
the opportunity to kill my previous ideas of what constituted
"hospitality",
replacing it with a generosity
that
is frightening
to even try to emulate,
yet so, so fortunate to know.
See how really dangerous Mexico is?
And it got even worse!
I hadn't recovered from such brutal behavior, when
they committed another truly horrible,
almost unspeakable
crime.
They gave me hope and optimism.
Repeatedly.
About who I was.
About who I could be.
About who we could be together.
Amongst wrapping me in love and force-feeding me laughter and
compliments and
smothering me in generosity
and unfathomably fabulous hospitality,
I was rendered helpless.
Utterly
helpless.
Stupid, stupid, stupid me.
I did not cry for help
or
run away.
Mexico took complete advantage of my situation and committed the
biggest atrocity of all. Once again, they stole …
my heart –
and my soul.
Now I'm so scared -
deeply, utterly terrified -
that I cannot return the favor.
Never happier,
I steal away…
to wish
this kind of "danger" on everyone.
JC Sullivan is a poet and writer and also a member of the Travelers
Century Club for people who have been to more than 100 countries

 

Yashi Kochi!!!!