Leap Or Wait

After a busy week of house hunting, we find ourselves mentally exhausted and overwhelmed. We have found a house that interest us. It will require a fair amount of renovations. In an attempt to get a "ball park" figure as to the cost of materials and labor, we meet with several contractors. Our biggest advantage in this real estate market, is that this fishing village is still a diamond in the rough. Just the idea of knowing, that we could own a house within walking distance to a beach, has us both overflowing with excitement!

With only a week left until we depart, we find ourselves in a dilemma. Do we take the leap and push an offer through or do we wait? Normally, in situations such as this, we usually side with common sense. Common sense says wait. Return home. Re-evaluate. But our hearts say JUMP! When at odds, compromise. We make an appointment to meet with a Notario. ( Notarios in Mexico, are the equivalent to attorneys in the U.S.A.). The Notario clearly outlines the process of buying real estate in Mexico as a foreigner. With the amount of time we have left on our stay, it is suggested that we present a verbal offer and see where it leads. With my heart racing, I look at my husband to read his thoughts. We both know, that if we don't do this, we will always wonder about what could have been. As I take a deep breath to calm my nerves, Jim, asks the Notario to make the call on our behalf. After introductions, and a brief conversation, our offer is presented and declined. There is an accepted offer on the house. We are not overly disappointed. This house was not meant to be ours. We walk away from the Notario's office just as excited as when we arrived. Our dream is within our grasp. This time we lightly touched it. Next time...........

La Senora

Is It Just An Itch Or Something More

For the past 5 years or so, we have been talking and dreaming about the possibility of moving. This conversation usually starts with the sighting of the first snowflake and ends with the first tulip bloom. We call this our winter itch! Anytime we wander away from home, out of curiosity, we purchase a local paper and check out the real estate listings. On Sunday afternoons, we surf the web looking at international real estate. If you are going to dream, dream big!

We are content with our life in the Yucatan. We are wondering out loud if this feeling could last? Could we be happy here year round? Is this just vacation bliss? What about family? What about friends? If we actually live here, what would we do all day? Would we be bored in 6 months? When the novelty wears off, would we find ourselves full of regret? There is much to think about and to learn. We start by riding our bikes up and down the streets of our neighborhood with pen and paper in hand; making note of homes for sale. In talking with the expat community, we are enlightened by true experiences on the process of buying real estate in Mexico.
Research via the computer proves to be resourceful and confusing! Wanting to make an informed decision, we call on the houses of interest and set up appointments for viewing. Oh yes, this is definitely more than an itch..............

La Senora

Paying By The Rules For Garbage Pick Up

The local municipality now has a "real" garbage truck! This new venture has everyone talking. Residents who wish to obtain the services of the garbage truck will need to purchase a contract. For a fee, you are given special  plastic garbage bags and guaranteed a weekly curbside pick up. By sight of the special bag, the garbage men will know which households have paid for their services. As with any new venture, the kinks need to be worked out. Without any advance notice, the rules or should I say the color of the bag is changed. With every change a new contract is issued and payment is required; making the old contract void and non-refundable!

It has been over a week since our garbage has been picked up. In this climate, baking garbage can be pretty offensive! Daily, we are waiting for the truck. Another week will pass before we spot the truck on our street! My husband Jim runs outside to stop the driver. With few words and lots of hand gestures, he is able to get his point across that we would like our garbage taken away. The man gets out of the truck and asks for a "propina" (tip). Jim tells him that we have a contract and that this is his job. The man yells back, in English, I want money for garbage! I am now standing by the window watching as the verbal exchanges quickly turn into a shouting match. At the back of the truck, there are 2 more garbage men. One is holding a plastic bag in his hands and waving it from side to side like a matador as the other pretends to be the bull! An appropriate and comical enactment of what is going on at the front of the truck! Abruptly, the man shouting at Jim, stomps off and returns with a plastic bag. With great drama, he shakes the bag open for Jim to see that the "new bags" now have the company's name printed on them! Defeated by the bag change, Jim pays to have the garbage picked up............

La Senora

Running With Our Pants Down

Taking a sunset walk along the beach, I notice a wedding in progress. Tiki lights and rose petals line the pathway.The breeze is warm and lazy; the wedding dress and vail are flowing beautifully. The music played by a 3 piece string ensemble completes the perfect picture. The photographer moves about silently capturing this memorable day. The Maid of Honor and the Best Man are standing side by side with 2 small children, one in hand (3years old) and the other being held (infant). The 3 year old begins to squirm. Being dressed in a tuxedo, on a beach just isn't right! Looking up with a big smile upon his face, he takes off his bow tie and hands it to the Best Man. Best Man pockets the bow tie. Reading that as a sign of  approval, the jacket and shirt are removed. This brings laughter to the wedding party, guests and spectators. Next he drops to the ground and begins to make a sand angel. As the exchange of the wedding vowels begins, the little boy stands and starts to brush the sand off his chest and arms. Unable to reach all the sandy areas, he and the pants he is wearing become very uncomfortable. What to do?  "Do you take this woman to be your....." down go the pants and he is off, bare naked and running for the water, with the photographer and Best Man close behind! We all have one. Yes, you know, that embarrassing story and picture that only Mom enjoys sharing with our dates!

Remember the huge spider. Yes, the tarantula looking creature. I knew it would only be a matter of time until it would once again take me by surprise. This time, I am in the bathroom, having a seat on the toilet, waiting for nature to run it's course. Minding my own business and having a good look around the room, I notice movement out of the corner of my eye. I turn to have a better look at what caught my attention. Sure enough, lurking behind the door is the spider and it grew another inch! Slowly, I rise and reach for the door knob while yelling for my husband to grab a broom. With my pants down around my ankles, I run out of the bathroom, shouting that the spider is back. Broom in hand, my warrior enters the bathroom. I quickly close the door, to decrease the odds of the spider escaping! It's behind the door; do you see it? "Yes, and it looks like you took care of it". Impossible. You know I wouldn't touch it."It must have moved when you opened the door". "Then, WHEN YOU CLOSED THE DOOR ON US, it got caught in the door frame"!
Oh...................

La Senora

Paying Homage To The Water Pump

Water is scared throughout the world. In the Yucatan, between constant maintenance to the main pipelines and/or politics, you can be without water anywhere from an hour to days. Unless you physically turn on your outdoor water spigot, to check that the city water is flowing, you are blissfully unaware of a water shut off until you find yourself with no water at all! Fortunately for us, it has been a temporary misery; but a good reality check none the less. We are conscious of our usage, conserving as much as we can and when possible, recycle used water back into the garden.

In the Yucatan, the water system is gravity fed. To move water from your underground tank to your rooftop tank, that supplies water throughout the house, requires a water pump. The water pump or "bomba", is the most sacred appliance in every home. In our rental house, the water pump has it's very own room that we refer to as the shrine! Homage is paid daily to the pump to ensure an uninterrupted water supply. A candle burns continuously, so the city water lines can always find the house. You may think these rituals are crazy, but I follow them faithfully, because I come from a family that is cursed with household water problems. The curse has trickled down from my parents to my 4 siblings and I. No pun intended. Here we are thousands of miles away from home, only to find that the curse has traveled with us!

I am awaken in the wee morning hours to the sound of rain. I get up to close the windows. How odd, it looks dry outside. Oh no! WATER! Maybe the rooftop tank is overflowing? I wake up my husband and together we head outside to have a look around. As soon as we open the door, we spot the erupting geyser. The city water connection (a garden hose) has come away from the house connection (also a garden hose). In good conscious, we cannot wait until daylight to make the repair. We need to reconnect these pieces now. Have you ever tried to connect 2 forces of running water? Having sleepy brains and not thinking clearly, the fact that we could turn off the city water supply never enters our minds. After several failed attempts, we are now soaking wet  and not in the best of moods, but by some miracle the connection is made. Now what do we do? We have no tools or hardware to secure the fit. Ah, but we do have duct tape! I run into the house to get the tape and stop dead in my tracks. On the kitchen wall, the wall I need to pass to get to the duct tape, is the biggest spider I have ever seen. I think it may be a tarantula! It is brown, fury and  about 3 inches in size. I can't go outside without the tape. But I can't seem to move my feet either. I have to do this. Quietly, I tiptoe past the spider, grab the tape, and run for the door. I hate to tell you this honey, but we have another problem waiting inside. "More water"? No, I think we have a tarantula! "You're kidding"? I wish I was. We wrap the connection in tape and  hope it will hold until we can get to the hardware store."OK, lets go inside and tackle the next problem". "Where is it"? It was right here and now it is gone...........

Roof Top Water Tanks

House - City Water Connection 

La Senora