We never know exactly when Luna’s birthday is. Friends found her under their car tied in a trash bag. She appeared to be a few months old, covered in fleas and tics. I decided that US Independence Day July 4th was as good a day as any to recognize. Happy Birthday Luna.
Luna is a very good girl. She has a large deep voice that we didn’t expect. She acts like she’ll take your head off but is a big scaredy-cat. It’s hard to believe she’s eight years old. Happy birthday sweet Luna.
DOS TORTAS
Being members of the over the hill crowd, we rarely venture out at night, by which I mean the afternoon.
Friday night, my lovely and I ventured into Bacalar for a date night. We had already postponed it once and were determined to get out of the house, besides trips to the gym and doctors’ appointments. There was a health fair happening in the newly renovated Centro palapa. We put a comb through hair and dug out clean shirts and off we went.
There are so many new restaurants in Bacalar but I chose the tried and true Italian on the square. We ate our vegan pizza so fast, it was all but gone before I remembered to take a picture.
The health fair included free massages which we never pass up. Lisa can take her clothes off faster than anyone I’ve ever seen. The tiny young woman who gave my muscles a squeeze was pretty good. As we were exchanging contact information I discovered that she is the daughter of our new jardinero (gardener)! Even with all the growth, Bacalar is still a small town.
We joined the Zumba class for a few wiggles.
And while ambling back toward the car, we ran into Bacalar’s very own Pride Parade!
You have to love Mexican spontaneity. If this little fanfare was planned, nothing was posted, which is the norm. We don’t usually find out about goings ons until they’ve already happened. Not this time!
All in all we had a really good time. Perhaps we’ll venture out a bit more frequently. Once the sun drops to a certain level, the breeze off the Laguna is actually pleasant. And who knows who or what we might run into?
DOS TORTAS
It’s been a hot one in the jungle of Bacalar, Mexico. We’ve also had rain which has been lovely. Rain cools us off for about five minutes.
Last Saturday was the annual open water swim across Laguna Bacalar. It ended up being more fun than I expected. The sun peaked in and out of the clouds which kept the sunburn to a minimum. I came in fifth in my age group and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I would maybe swim again next year. Don’t hold me to it!
On Monday we took Lisa’s mom to the doctor. She’d been having diarrhea that we couldn’t get under control. In the doctor’s office, Alice had a seizure. Wheels moved quickly and an appointment was made to travel to Merida on Tuesday to insert a pacemaker.
There is a family history of heart issues and Covid only made things worse. We were aware that a pacemaker would likely be an eventuality. Alice’s success at the gym had made us hopeful that she could avoid the surgery. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be.
Alice and I pulled out of Dodge at five a.m. for the four hour drive. Lisa’s back could not take the long drive and someone had to stay with the dogs. I volunteered to take her. The procedure required one night in the hospital in Merida and another four hour drive home. Life certainly does surprise.
Alice is recovering as am I. The swim plus hours of driving, dealing with the doctors and the hospital really took it out of me. No spring chickens here.
DOS TORTAS
My first foray into electronic communication was a pager. I had a job in 1993 that required field work and my supervisor wanted to be able to contact me. It was also convenient for my partner and children.
The only person who didn’t like the pager was me! I felt tethered. It felt weird for people to be able to reach me all the time. I tend to be a private person.
Fast forward to today when EVERYTHING is public. Most of the folks at the gym spend more time posing and recording their every muscle, than they do actually working out. We “follow “ each other rather than having relationships.
And much to my wife’s annoyance, I often forget my phone at home, or in the car, sigh. I am certainly not one who has a phone on my wrist. In Mexico no one calls each other anyway. They use WhatsApp, a texting application which is rarely used in the States.
Don’t get me wrong, I love hearing from people. I enjoy the comments on the blog, Facebook and Instagram (dos_tortas). I guess I’m more a product of the times than I want to admit. But anytime you want to have a conversation, just let me know, we’ll set it up.
DOS. TORTAS
In my first swim across Laguna Bacalar in 2016, I wrote the post The Gods We’re With Us. I also swore I’d never do it again. The race was fun but very chaotic. So how did I come to be signed up and training to swim on June 18? I got strong-armed, that’s how.
Let me back up with a story. My first triathlon was in 1991. I was about to turn forty. Imagine back to a time without the internet. I saw a poster on a board somewhere and thought, “why not?” I can swim, bike, walk. I had been swimming a lot that summer and had recently acquired my mother’s old clunky bike. A friend helped me to knock off the excess weight, kickstand and fenders. It was all new to me.
I loaded up the bike on race day and headed to Georgetown, Texas. This was a time before triathlons were a thing with a thousand entrants.
I had zero information on the event. The swim was in a pool. People literally swam over top of me. It’s a wonder I survived.
The bike ride was a bit disconcerting. I hadn’t thought about riding a bike in public in my bathing suit! I was such a novice. The worst part was that it was a five MILE run, not a 5k (3.2 miles) as I had thought.
I finished the race dead last. The police escort was on my heals. I had to tell them to back off! As I dragged myself to the finish line I was amazed to find a crowd cheering?? The organizers wouldn’t have the awards ceremony until everyone had finished the race. They were all waiting on me.
The final mind blower was when they called out the award winners over the loudspeaker, they called my name! I had finished third in my age group in a field of three. 😂
So how did I get strong armed into the Bacalar race again? My friend Maria from Mexico City who had a major fall two years ago with numerous broken bones and has miraculously recovered, begged me to swim with her. How could I say no? There will be no calling my name in this field of a thousand swimmers from all over the world, but I can hope.
DOS TORTAS
Four nights this week we have had tropical storms (tormentas). Deafening thunder clapped overhead and kaboomed like it was inside of the bedroom. Looking out over the lake, electric streaks were dancing across the sky. It would have been lovely if not a tad bit scary for Stella. Poor baby.
Stella is our pug. She’s been with us for three years. She is blind but you would never know it. From the beginning of her time with us, she has always hated thunder. She whimpers, shudders and shakes. This week was particularly difficult.
I took her into our bed and had to hold her down as she fights and fusses. She even fell asleep sitting upright under the covers. It has been hard on us all. As the storm moves away she finally settled.
The good thing has been the rain after a long dry spell. Hopefully the storms will abate or at least be a bit quieter. We could all use some restful sleep
DOS TORTAS
When Lisa and I left Austin,Texas for the jungles of Southern Mexico, we were frequently asked along our travel route where we were going. Curious young camouflage-clad men at boarder crossings, fellow tourists at hotel stops or pyramid climbing site seers would scratch their heads at two older women, one with totally white hair, driving a truck and pulling a trailer to a place called Bacalar. They had never heard of it! Ah, and that was one of the reasons we wanted to live here. I only wish it were still true. (International living.com)
A lot has changed in the ten years since we made that drive. Stores and restaurants have exploded and hotels are multiplying like rabbits. The push to develop is due to the Mayan Train which is currently under construction and the many tourists it’s expected to funnel into this little village, On the positive side many new services have sprung up. Last week I was surprised to see an equipment rental store. It only makes sense with the amount of construction going on. But it’s a first.
Today I was reading online, and came across a very confusing story about Bacalar. It took me awhile to figure out that it wasn’t about our Bacalar but a restaurante soon to open in Austin named Bacalar. Award-winning Mexican super chef Gabe Erales, with familial ties to Bacalar Mexico is opening the restaurant and hoping to share the unique regional cuisine of this area with the world. The restaurant will be located in a young trendy downtown Austin area. I’m sure it will be a great success.
So much for anonymity. The cat is definitely out of the bag. One of my teachers in college in Mexico once told me, “there are getting to be fewer and fewer good places to hide out.” Ain’t it the truth.
DOS TORTAS
Six direct generations of the women in my family.
I hope you recognize the mothers in your life however you can. ❤️
DOS TORTAS
This week Lisa did our taxes and we had some overdue conversations about finances. We are blessed in so many ways. We have very similar sensibilities about money. Spending has never been a source of contention since we are both quite frugal. Our conscious spending and wise investing means we don’t have to worry about our retirement income. We are very blessed and grateful.
It’s always a challenge to figure out how long we’re going to live. Illness and disability can eat up savings and death can cut off pensions and diminish social security. Living in Mexico has been a blessing for us. Our house is paid for and expenses are relatively low.
We have been working on improving our health through eating plant-based and cutting out salt, sugar and oil. My blood pressure is such that I’ve halved my medication and am close to being able to cut it out all together. My cholesterol is lower than it’s ever been.
I am so grateful to Lisa. For years we have eaten very differently. Her recent willingness to explore a plant-based diet has been a huge help. From what I’ve read eating predominantly fruits and vegetables reduces inflammation and is the way to go. At this rate, we could all live vibrantly to 100 and beyond.
DOS TORTAS
Lisa’s mother Alice moved from Bakersfield to live with us in Mexico in 2015. It did not go well. She was scared and I was too. We had no real relationship prior to the move. Lisa’s interactions with her mom had only been brief visits and phone calls since she was nineteen years old. There was no one to take care of her in California and she was not doing well, so we invited her to live with us. What could go wrong?
Upon arrival to Bacalar, Alice lived with us for a brief period in our very little house while her even littler house was being finished. Yes, we built her her own house. She wouldn’t eat anything that we prepared for dinner and almost never came out of her room. We were not off to a good start.
As time went on, I knew that if things were to improve, it was on me. I began doing things with her, taking her out shopping and to dinner when Lisa was in the States. Things slowly began to improve.
Last July, Alice got Covid. After two hospital stays and seven months in bed, she began to improve. Our doctor had predicted that she wouldn’t make it a year, that’s how bad she was. I guess that looking death in the eye does something to a person. It sure did to Alice.
Today she goes to the gym and works out 4-5 days a week. Her drive keeps us going. She eats whatever we make her and never complains. She refers to me as her daughter-in-law and tells me she loves me. And more than anything, she’s happy and very grateful for her life. Lisa and I are inspired by her every day. At 79 she is a miracle and I am grateful to call her friend and Mom.
DOS TORTAS
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