the adventures of dos tortas

Preparing For The Bacalar Swim Across

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.

Putting on race numbers so they can identify the body. 2016

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

Tags: aguas abiertas, First triathalon, Laguna Bacalar, living in mexico, retire mexico

Comments 7 Comments
Categories Uncategorized

Thunder And Lightening

2 Jun

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

Tags: Laguna Bacalar, living in mexico, retire mexico, tormentas, tropical storm

Comments 10 Comments
Categories Uncategorized

A Little Bit Of Bacalar in Austin?

21 May

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.

Our entrance to the laguna.

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

Tags: Austin, Bacalaratx, Laguna Bacalar, retire mexico

Comments 7 Comments
Categories Uncategorized

Happy Mother’s Day

14 May

Six direct generations of the women in my family.

I hope you recognize the mothers in your life however you can. ❤️

DOS TORTAS

Tags: Laguna Bacalar, living in mexico, Mother's Day, retire mexico

Comments 4 Comments
Categories Uncategorized

Remembering To Be Grateful

6 May

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

Tags: healthy diet, Laguna Bacalar, living in mexico, plant based eating, retire mexico

Comments 6 Comments
Categories Uncategorized

Inspired By My MIL

29 Apr

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?

The Queen’s Bath waterfall and pool, Palenque on our trip from California.

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.

Alice is fearless. Local kids rescued this snake from being caught in a fence.

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

Comments 8 Comments
Categories Uncategorized

Sometimes You’re Just Tired

23 Apr

I’ve been MIA with no explanation. I’ve also been just plain tired, no reason, no apologies. Well, an hour a day at the gym might be to blame, but who knows?

One weekend we went climbing pyramids with our new friends from Portland, Oregon US.

Today Lisa had surgery to ready her mouth for two dental implants. She’s in quite a bit of pain with stitches and such. So for now I’ll be keeping things simple. Maybe I’ll muster more energy by next weekend.

Last weekend we went to a wedding. It was a perfect blog subject. If only I felt like writing.

❤️ mariachis

DOS TORTAS

Comments 5 Comments
Categories Uncategorized

Easter Respite

8 Apr

Whether or not you celebrate Easter, Passover or Solstice as a spiritual practice, it’s a good time to take a break. Semana Santa or Holy Week is a widely celebrated national holiday in Mexico. Everyone gets a week off work, banks and businesses are closed and Bacalar is a vacation destination for many. Surprisingly the past week has been relatively quiet in our neck of the jungle, much to the chagrin I’m sure, of the million and one new hotels that have been popping up in anticipation of the Mayan Train.

I thought I’d share some of my latest artwork. Procreate is a drawing application that allows me to play with color, line and form on my iPad mini. I am totally a novice and use very few of the features it offers.

I hope you enjoy your week.

DOS TORTAS

More Easter sunrise from our roof.

DOS TORTAS

Tags: Inspiration, Laguna Bacalar, procreate, procreate art, retire mexico

Comments 5 Comments
Categories Uncategorized

Let’s Wrap This Up – Acapulco 1973

2 Apr

The remote places of Mexico were easier to find in 1973. Three students, of which I was one, traveled down a beach road to a time forgotten. We spent a week with a family who was eeking out a living on the Pacific coast south of Acapulco.

This odd “parking space” was for drying coconuts! Taken on my old film camera.

Probably the most memorable activity of the week was drinking cold rum and coke. There were glass bottles of coca cola stacked against the house. One day, the fishermen were taking a run into town for supplies and asked if we wanted anything. Thinking we would provide a little fun for everyone, one of my fellow students gave them some pesos for a bottle of rum. When the rum arrived, we discovered to our surprise that none of the guys wanted any.

We bought our coke from Maria and proceeded to pour ourselves a drink. It was then that one of the fishermen casually asked us the most amazing question … “Quieres hielo?”

It doesn’t take much Spanish language skill to know that hielo means ice. ICE? With no electricity and no running water, how could he be asking us if we wanted ice? My brain imploded with confusion.

Then this fellow proceeded to walk over to a large pile of wood chips that I hadn’t even noticed. And there, buried deep underneath was a block of ice. He pulled out an pick and hacked us off enough to fill our glasses. Voila! Cold rum and cokes. Talk about having to pinch yourself!

I sat with my companions and watched the sunset, feet in the Pacific, miles from anywhere drinking cold rum and coke. We later realized that the ice was used to keep the fish cold for its trip to market in Acapulco. Wood chips provide adequate insulation. Who knew.

The boss showed up to haul the week’s catch to Acapulco. He is weighing the fish.

We three students from California, Connecticut and myself from New Jersey would never be the same. I think this is the first time I really talked about the experience in detail. The three of us went our separate ways after our adventure and never hung out again. For me, having met people with so few possessions who appeared so happy changed me. I realize that I was only there a week. I don’t want to glorify poverty as I’m sure they had their own problems. In the repaired van we said our goodbyes to return to classes having to force money on them to cover our stay. And like the 1954 musical Brigadoon, the veil closed and we went back to our student lives. Forever changed.

DOS TORTAS

A Gene Kelly taps with men in kilts from the magical village of Brigadoon.

Tags: Inspiration, Laguna Bacalar, Mexico 1973, retire mexico

Comments 8 Comments
Categories Uncategorized

People Like Us (PLUs)

26 Mar

In 2000 my youngest brother died of brain cancer. Lisa and I flew from Austin to Philadelphia for the surgery that we hoped would give him more time. We were sitting in his hospital room saying our goodbyes when a request to meet with the doctor caused us to extend our stay. The trouble was, hotels were booked all over the city due to something or other and we had already checked out of ours.

Michael was sharing a hospital room with a crotchety old man named Charlie who had recently had back surgery. His wife Esther showed up every day on her bicycle with a mouth watering picnic basket because he refused to eat hospital food. Lisa, who loves old people had befriended him. She even assisted him onto the bedside commode.

As a result, when I inquired as to whether they had a spare bedroom that we could use for a few days, we were handed the keys to another one of those life-altering experiences.

We lugged our suitcases the dozen blocks from the hospital to their brownstone, hopefully following Esther’s directions correctly. On the outside of the house there was a plaque stating that the building had once been the original French Embassy dating back to the American Revolution. OMG, what had we gotten ourselves into?

We climbed the stairs and entered into what felt more like a museum than a home. We couldn’t have known that Charlie was a foremost collector of Americana. Walking from room to room we cried over and over, “look at this!”. I so wish that I had a camera, but this was a time before cell phones in every pocket. The house was dark to protect the art from sunlight. This five story structure, equipped with an original elevator, was out of this world, floor to ceiling.

An obituary worth reading. https://www.philadelphiafuneralcare.com/obituary/4856669

We had unknowingly made friends with Charlie and Esther McManus. Charlie was from old money. Not only would he not eat hospital food, he only carried crisp new $100 bills that Esther went to the bank to pick up. We later traveled to Philadelphia several times to visit them.

Esther was Israelí and an award winning chef. She once made croissants on TV with Julia Child! There was a spread in the New York Times Food Section (How To Give A Dinner Party) framed on their kitchen wall. Once when we visited she hosted a dinner party in our honor. You haven’t lived until a world class chef recognized for her dinner parties has one just for you. It was exquisite.

One time we went to lunch with Charlie (Esther worked and he had a little bistro nearby where he walked daily.) During a conversation he said something about PLUs or people like us. Lisa and I just looked at each other. WE were NOT people like Charlie and Esther but it did us no good to protest.

Queen of Le Bus culinary college, Philadelphia.

With Charlie’s health failing, they began to liquidate the art collection. Lisa took time from her construction company to fly to Philadelphia to help out. One day a representative from Sotheby’s Auction House made a dismissive comment to Lisa who was up on a ladder working to remove a chandelier. Charlie overheard and came up out of his chair to her defense. “Do you know who you’re talking to?! That’s my daughter.” The man’s eyes got big as Charlie proceeded to evict him from the premises.” Many apologies later, all was smoothed over. But Charlie left it completely up to Lisa if the man stayed or went.

Needless to say we were way out of our league here. We lost touch and found Charlie’s obituary years later. It is amazing how four people who unknowingly met in a hospital room could become friends and touch each other so deeply. I will return to the story of Acapulco next week. But for now I hope you enjoyed my little sidestep.

DOS TORTAS