the adventures of dos tortas

When Dos Tortas scouted Laguna Bacalar in southern Mexico as a possible retirement location, we boated on the lake, sampled the cuisine and met members of the expat community. We cruised the streets, shopped in the mercado, and attended a cultural event, all in an effort to imagine ourselves living in this quaint little town. What we didn’t do was visit the gym. 

The Gold’s Gym of Bacalar

Prior to moving to Mexico from Austin, Texas, I had a gym membership and worked out regularly. We had a large yoga studio within walking distance and dozens of hike and bike trails.

A bit antiquated but surprisingly adequate.

When we moved to Mexico, we brought our own gym, kettle bells, exercise ball, bicycles, yoga videos, kayaks and more. All were adequate until Lisa had back surgery and her doctor prescribed workouts on a stationary bike. Mmmmmm.

Lisa and her mom scoping out the equipment.

While the attendance of three older women is looked at with curiosity by the youthful attendees, everyone is respectful, especially when it’s clear that we mean business. Cost? 250 pesos a month, less than $15 for unlimited visits.

Living an adventurous life means making daily choices to do the things we need to stay strong and healthy. We like to mix it up, so our funky gym is absolutely perfect. What do you do for exercise? DOS TORTAS

Some days it doesn’t pay to get out of bed, and this has been one of those WEEKS. Please enjoy a visiting blogger. This VW and museum are on my bucket list.

Source: Vochol, Herbie the Love Bug’s Mexican cousin

It was scary taking our beloved pup Luna to get spayed in a clinic near our home in Mexico. Clearly her body was getting ready to go into heat, so time was of the essence.  Attracting machos for miles in all directions is not our idea of a good time. 

Cost $300 pesos ($17US)

Our contractor’s wife Nini helps to organize sterilization clinics in Chetumal, thirty minutes from our home. All the work is done by volunteers. The vet drives five hours from Cancun to work for the weekend.

A little black kitty on the table.

After we arrived and met Dr. Fernando, our fears vanished. Everyone was so kind and gentle with the frightened, hungry animals. The clinics was set up in a private carport. They had clearly done this before.

Volunteers keep puppies calm.

There were six dogs and a slew of cats waiting their turn. We got the call to come get Luna after two and a half hours. She was groggy but ready to come home.

Dr. Fernando and his lovely assistant Pili.

Also  for a few dollars, vets tattoo a number in a dog’s ear and create an identification record. Chips don’t work here, as no one can afford the equipment to read them.

Luna is #47. We now have papers to prove she is ours.

Luna is home and resting with her new pal Mona. Luna’s been asking for a kitty, but for now she gets to play with the neighbor’s cat and her new little stuffed friend. Her eyes are clearer and she is resting comfortably, as are her two mommas.

Princesa Luna and Mona.

If you wish to read more on sterilization clinics and the street dogs of Bacalar, check out the Perros of Bacalar. We also will take donations for food and support of future clinics if you care to donate, contact me. Have a great week. As always, your comments are appreciated. We also have Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest pages if you care to see more of our lovely Laguna. Search theadventuresofdostortas. DOS TORTAS

The politics of land acquisition has a long and bloody history in Mexico. At least no blood was shed yesterday at the property line between us and our neighbors to the south. The policia were called and lots of IPhone video taken. We had our own telenovela (soap opera) going on.

Local police who’s job it is to keep the peace and prevent bloodshed.

The property line along the Laguna has been drawn and redrawn many times over the years. There are landmarks (stone walls, buildings and fence posts) that have been in place for a long time and provide demarcation where records are sketchy. We have a clear title to our property. When getting permission to build on our lot, a topographer came out with a satellite gizmo and marked our coordinates.  Technology meets history.

The neighbors take matter into their own hands.

We had met with the property owners more than once and had a handshake agreement as to where the property lines were. When the adult children got involved all communication ceased. Phone calls went unreturned. It was on our plate to resolve the boundaries upon return from NOTB (north of the border). They are claiming another few feet of lake front property. Seriously?!!

Bringing in some muscle, the palaperos (palapa builders) provide “support”.

We called our builder David who’s command of Spanish is much better than ours, and who had been meeting with government officials to try and get clear markers. He showed up for a showdown. When more talks failed, he called in his gumbas to see that the fence building ceased. But it was Lisa pulling up posts that had both sides laughing. Don’t mess with the Tortas!

David (right) police (left) neighbors in the middle.

The policia commanded cease and desist on the fence and set an appointment for 11 am Monday morning. I sure hope we can settle things peacefully and move on. The last thing we want is problems with our neighbors.