the adventures of dos tortas

Glass Half Empty or Half Full?

Last night’s tormenta shook huge palm trees like feather dusters. The room lit up with flash after flash of lightning as a thunderstorm raged overhead. It was enough to wake the dead. Only Lisa slept through the whole thing. It goes to show how different two people can be. She’s a glass half empty kinda gal, whereas I seem to be the nauseating glass half full sort.

Palm trees are perfectly adapted to withstand heavy wind.

Having owned and operated a construction company, Lisa knows about all the work that goes on behind the scenes. There are electrical, water and gas lines. With a concrete house, they are imbedded in the wall. There is wood drying for doors that need to be built. Much is left to do. I am blissfully unaware and only see a house where there was none two months ago.

Orange tubes will hold electrical wiring.

In a few days I am leaving for the U.S. to visit my daughter who is pregnant with her first baby. When I bought the ticket two months ago, we had no construction site and little faith in the process after two years of delays and promises. I am trading in one labor and delivery for another, although her baby is due in November, ours should be ready by August.

The roof goes on this week.

For the next three weeks I will watch the progress via Internet pictures and Skype. There is much structural work to complete. I will return in time for the finishing touches, tile, interior colors, lights, counters, etc. While I feel sad to miss this part, I have yet to perfect being in two places at one time. And the truth is, if you’re going to have a problem, you couldn’t get one any better than this.

Tags: expat living in Mexico, glass half empty, Tormenta

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So When Will The House Be Done Already?

28 Jun

The Tortas are in Tulum visiting our Austin friends Karen and Skip. We are on a hunt for items for our house, tile and light fixtures mostly. Options have increased over the last few years in our outpost of Mexican living. We now have a Home Depot in Chetumal which is thirty-minutes away, woohoo. The style of our house is rustica or pueblo. There are rounded corners, thatched overhangs, concrete floors, stuccoed walls and niches. Mass-produced furniture, lighting and all things made in China are not what we’re looking for. The hope is that Tulum and Playa del Carmen will offer more options.

Ok, so there are some exceptions. About $135

We stopped by the property for a progress update on our way out of town. There were a dozen workers trying to beat the rain clouds hovering overhead. Progress over the last six weeks has been amazing.

Front entrance.

The molds have been made and the concrete will be poured for the arches above the door and windows. Construction out of concrete is a whole new world for us.

Rounding corners using concrete blocks. Amazing!

The workshop aka Lisa’s she-cave is waiting on a part to install the garage door. A carport will be added to provide an indoor/outdoor work space.

The arches have been poured over the doors and windows in this section. To the right is the entrance to the main bedroom and bath. The interior window will allow an open view into the bedroom and close for privacy when desired.

All rooms open onto the porch with views of the Laguna.

The stairs leading down to the Laguna from the porch will also provide security allowing the house to remain open to the night breezes.

The trip to Tulum and Playa del Carmen afforded the purchase of decorative tiles for a yet-to-be determined location. It also gave us ideas, like these clay sconces for the porch.

Which do you like best?

I liked these. They can also be painted.

The roof will go on in the next week or so. After that begins the interior detail work of building counters, installing sinks, adding lighting and pouring floors. There will be many trips to Chetumal. And the projected completion date is…the end of August, four months as predicted. Forgive us David if we didn’t really believe you. House construction is the very definition of delays and unforeseen problems. Add Mexico to the mix and many projects languish. To say we are excited is an understatement. Lots of work left to do, but definitely light at the end of this two-year tunnel.

DOS TORTAS

Tags: building a house in Mexico, Building with concrete, Life in the Yucatan, US Expats in Mexico

Comments 20 Comments
Categories Retire Mexico, Uncategorized

The Swim Across Laguna Bacalar

21 Jun

Lisa and I came to live on beautiful Laguna Bacalar for quite different reasons, she for a boat, and I, to SWIM. Yesterday was the tenth annual open-water swim across the Laguna. With over eleven-hundred participants competing in two days of events, Bacalar is overflowing with energy and people from all over Mexico, Belize and the U.S. The weather was perfect with water temperature in the low 80’s.

Getting marked #637

I have been training for weeks building up to the three-quarter mile event. My friend Polly and I did a practice swim last week and I felt relaxed and confident.

Colorful vendors plying their wares.

Of course we had cheerleaders.

Fellow expats Pat and Rick make up the Bacalar cheering section.

Boats ferried participants across the Laguna to swim, on mass back to waiting family and friends. It’s not my first open water swim. All those churning bodies and kicking feet can be a bit disconcerting.

Making my way out of the water and through the crowd.

My time 34:25.

My biggest supporter.

Later in the evening there was an awards ceremony. I was hoping for a trophy, but the competition in my age category was stiff and I did not place. First place winner finished in 22:37. Wow! Lovely to see so many older participants.

My competition.

Local children put on a dance performance to much appreciation from the crowd.

The show stopper of the evening was my friend and fellow bacalareña Polly who won in the female over seventy category. Beside her was the first place winner in the Paralympic group AND oldest man. He’s eighty years old and a double amputee from Mexico City. It was a great day and I’m not even half dead today! I promise an update on house construction next week. With walls going up and the roof just weeks away, it’s time to go shopping for tile, lighting fixtures and everything else that goes into a new house. As always, your comments are appreciated. DOS TORTAS

The Adventures of Dos Tortas

Tags: aquas abiertas, expat living in Mexico, Laguna Bacalar, open water swim

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Show And Tell – Art Purchases

14 Jun

Life rarely turns out the way we plan. Sometimes it is way cooler. Our three-week road trip to explore the Yucatan was originally conceived to search for repurposed doors, windows, and hardware for the home we are building along the Laguna of Seven Colors in Bacalar, Mexico. The design for the house is Pueblo or village style. It has stucco walls with arched wooden doors and lots of rounded corners. There are palapa overhangs for shade and a large screened porch. We like the look of concrete floors and persianas, (louvered windows) and open indoor/outdoor living. It is small compared to the mansions being built along the laguna, less than a thousand square feet. Perfect for Dos Tortas.

We managed to find old wood doors, but unfortunately they were made of soft wood and not the hard woods needed for building in the jungle. The purchases we did make were local art for decorating our home. So much fun!

In Valladolid we found a “bazaar” which means – used items. We spotted this wooden panel deep in the back of a room. She spoke to us and was the most significant purchase we made. I have a collection of Guadalupe’s. She will get her own wall in our home.

This piece is made of wood by a local artist.

The panel is made of wood by an artist from Tizimin.

A mestizo mother and baby will be a garden piece, when we have gardens someday LOL.

An iron sun will be incorporated into a roof railing to welcome the daily sunrise.

Here comes the sun.

Next were hemp baskets. Before synthetics, hemp was a major industry in the Yucatan. I bought a colorful tortilla basket in the convent store in the magical city of Izamal. Perfect for keeping the tortillas warm on the kitchen table.

Basket of many colors.

I broke my own rule and purchased this basket in a tourist shop. The price was right and I hadn’t seen another like it.

I paid less than $20 for this 9″ tall basket.

No one traveling to the Yucatan can resist the beautiful pottery. I know we will return to Ticul after the house is complete. At the moment, we have nowhere to store the really big pots that I adore.

Mayan Goddess

I was told that this small replication was a bruja or witch. Usually women who were known as witches were midwives or healers. Needless to say, she had to come home with us.

Bruja.

The last small pot was made by ceramics artist Roger Juarez. Visiting his Mayan studio was a highlight of the trip. By this time the truck was quite full. Only promises to return kept me from blowing the budget.

We were happy to get home to Bacalar. House construction is now in full swing. It is hard to be patient at this point, but knowing I have such lovely pieces to decorate the house…will be worth the wait. DOS TORTAS

Tags: expat living in Mexico, Life in the Yucatan, Mexican pottery, travel Mexico

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The Great Yucatan Meander – Final Leg

7 Jun

Traversing the Yucatan in a big-ass truck is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Once our house construction is complete we will be purchasing a more economical, easier to park vehicle. But for now, it’s perfect! So we set off for three weeks to meander, shop, swim and explore our way around the Yucatan.

Fun with pyramids.

No tour de Yucatan would be complete without visiting the pyramids of Uxmal (oosh-mahl).

Impressive city.

Uxmal is a large fascinating site and one of the most visited in Mexico. Record heat insured there were no crowds to contend with. Even arriving early did not keep us from mucho gratitude for our air conditioned ride.

The attention to detail is staggering.

Walking through the city, we were transported through time. It’s hard to imagine what life was like. People spent so much effort simply surviving in this dry climate. Catching and storing water was paramount. And yet decorating their temples seemed equally important for survival. Chac the rain god was everywhere.

Here is evidence of the thatched-roof Mayan homes still seen everywhere in the Yucatan. Their thick walls do an excellent job of insulating. Hang a hammock and you’re all set.

Like cenotes, you would think after awhile, ancient sites would get boring. Not for Dos Tortas.

We were wishing to make off with some of the stonework simply laying around. Ha!

There was so much to see and do. Three weeks flew by.

We’d like to incorporate some of these images into our house design. Construction is finally underway. For house pictures visit our Facebook page. Next week we’ll have show-and-tell for the purchases made during the Meander. See you then and as always your comments are appreciated. DOS TORTAS

Tags: expat living in Mexico, Life in the Yucatan, Uxmal

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Cenotes – Sacred Mayan Wells

31 May

The Yucatán is home to more than seven thousand ancient watering holes known as cenotes (sen-óh-tay). The clear, cool, mineral-rich water bubbles up through layers of limestone and has a silky smooth quality that wraps its arms around you. The wells can be found on private property or equipped with a restaurant and entrance fee. There are two large cenotes in Bacalar. Cenote Azul is the restaurant-type where I swim several times a week.

Our Yucatan meander included three cenotes in the city of Valladolid and one in Ek Balam.

Lisa finding a way to get into chilly water at Ek Balam.

You would think that at some point it would be like “ok, been there done that”. But the cenotes of Ticul took it up a notch. Thanks to Roman, our tour guide, we got to visit private, little-known pools of joy. His secret is safe with us. We couldn’t find our way back if we tried.

Thirsty trees reach for water.

All cenotes were formed deep in the earth. Then the roof caved in on some, requiring stairs to access them.

Once open to the sky, the water isn’t as pristine. But if the roof remains intact, a crystalline clear swim awaits. The second cenote we visited required a bumpy ride down a long dirt road. Roman left the best to last.

I could have stayed all day.

This spot was heaven on earth. I am convinced that we will never tire of exploring the cenotes of Yucatan.

The following day we we said goodbye to Roman with promises of a swift return. Off to the pyramids of Uxmal and the final leg of the great Dos Torta Yucatan Meander.

Tags: adventure mexico, bacalar mexico, Cenote Azul, expat living in Mexico, yucatan cenotes

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Off The Beaten Path – Ticul

24 May

While waiting for the construction of our house to begin, the Tortas took off on a Yucatan road trip from our home in Bacalar Mexico, across the top of the state of Yucatan, taking in two cities, an amazing pyramid, two coastal towns and an island. With no real plans other than looking for local art and repurposed items for our house, we chose approximately a three week timeframe and hit the road. After leaving Celestún, into our second week, we drifted southwest toward the ancient site of Uxmal and decided to make Ticul our base camp.

Instead of relying on our guide book, we did a bit of Trip Advisor searching and found a wonderful little place, Posada El Jardin. I was especially attracted to the review that said that the hotel’s owner was willing to act as a tour guide. That’s how we met Roman.

Ticul is known for pottery made from local red clay. Need we say more? There is both original and excellent replicas of ancient Mayan gods and goddesses. Roman, a Ticul native also made sure we got good prices. He was a treasure.

There are times when speaking Spanish comes in very handy. We visited with Andres, a former school teacher and now shop owner, for the better part of an hour, discussing Ticul, its history, politics and problems. I learned that 911 had a huge impact on this little town. As security heightened worldwide, people were less able to bring home items purchased on their vacations. A city that used to see dozens of tour buses daily, rarely sees any today.

Next stop was the home of Roger Juarez, nationally recognized potter and Ticul native. I would love to return and learn to throw pots with Roger.

A nationally recognized artist in the 1990's.

Roger is a national treasure. I wished that I had asked him if this piece was for sale.

Touring Roger’s property that had been in the family for generations was a treat in and of itself.

Next week we will continue our visit to the Cenotes of Ticul. Just when you think it can’t get much better, it does! DOS TORTAS

Tags: Adventure in Mexico, expat living in Mexico, Life in the Yucatan, ticul yucatan

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Flamingos Flamingos Flamingos

17 May

Our guide book is either really outdated (2010) or Celestún has seriously gone downhill. I believe it’s the latter. The “quaint” little hotels described were even below our standards which are pretty basic. However we did find what we came for – flamingos!

An evening walk on the beach to find the palapa, a palm frond covered hut where tours are scheduled, found a family from Mexico City negotiating for a morning boat ride. The captain told us their’s was a private tour when I inquired as to the possibility of joining them. One thing Mexico teaches is patience. After a bit of friendly conversation and some whispering between them, we were invited to join their group. Who can resist the Torta charm?!

Visiting Celestun from Mexico City.

Off we went the following morning to the Reserva de la Biosfera Ría Celestún.

Seeing these majestic birds is truly breathtaking. The majority were pale pink indicating young birds. Celestun and Rio Lagartos are breeding and nesting grounds and one of the few places flamingos can be seen in the wild.

Next we were off to the mangroves.

A ride through the mangrove tunnel.

We stopped to visit a fresh water spring.

Clear reflection.

You can see the water bubbling up in the middle of the photo.

Natural fresh water spring.

For those of you who know the avid swimmer I am, it didn’t take long to climb into the pool.

One way of swimming my way around the world.

The family from Mexico City, who didn’t appear to be the adventurous type, stood by in amazement as this gray-haired grandma reveled and played in the stunning water. They inquired politely about the presence of cocodrilos, crocodiles, and after some not too gentle intimidation from me, all got in the water. I’m quite certain if we hadn’t been there, they’d have returned home with a far less interesting story to tell. Haha.

Of course you can’t pass up the lovely sunset photo.

After an evening walk collecting shells, we packed our bags for an early retreat. It was sad in a way to find this dingy little town surrounded by so much natural beauty. Such is the enigma of Mexico. We were certainly glad to have stopped and if the opportunity arises to return, we will be better prepared and more wary of the expectations created by guide books.

Tags: expat living in Mexico, Life in the Yucatan, retirement adventures, travel Mexico

Comments 3 Comments
Categories Retire Mexico, Southern mexico

The Magical City of Izamal

10 May

When a place is officially designated magical, it’s hard to pass up an opportunity to visit. We heard about Izamal at the artisan museum in Valladolid. I admired a painting and was told that it was the convent in Izamal, where the second largest church devoted to the Virgin Mary in Mexico is located. Pope John Paul II visited in 1993, drawing much attention to this little town. Being a fan, we added it to our itinerary (of the virgin, not necessarily the pope).

This painting of a church in Izamal, the yellow city put it on our must see list.

This painting is of the convent in Izamal, the yellow city. All buildings in the central town are golden yellow.

Mexico has thirty-six magical pueblos. Once a town receives this coveted designation, they get federal funds for publicity and improvements. Izamal is a day trip from Merida and well worth the drive.

The golden cathedral .

Izamal was once a great Mayan city. In order to convert the population to Catholicism, as in all of Mexico, the Franciscan priests built a cathedral on top of a pyramid and in a prominent location. The colonial town grew around it.

We found a hotel with a great garden and adequate room.

I loved this grotto and want to build one on our property.

There was a great little artisan museum. Bringing our bicycles was the greatest move we made on this trip.

The Mayan women wear similar dresses as their everyday attire. Young girls don’t want to learn the handwork and the art is being lost.

It’s always about laughing at death or selling bread, take your pick.

There are a dozen talleres or workshops where artists craft from wood, tin, paper mâché, and sisal.

Working in your own home keeps down the overhead and allows artists to make a living.

Cotton, nylon, or sisal in varying weaves, patterns and prices.

Yucatan traditionally produced sisal or henequen as it is called here. For this reason I bought baskets.

I bought this tortilla basket fro e nuns in the church gift shop. The colors were amazing. I couldn't pass it up.

A tortilla basket purchased from the nuns in the church gift shop. They drove a hard bargain but who can argue with nuns? The colors were amazing. I couldn’t pass it up.

Another addition to my budding art collection.

We will definitely make a point of visiting other magical towns in Mexico. Having the ability to take our bicycles made all the difference.

An update on our house construction – the foundation will be poured this week for Lisa’s workshop. It will also provide space to begin shopping for items for the house, ceiling fans, toilets, and appliances. Our builder asked this week to begun thinking about where we want the TV! We may get a house yet.

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The Mayan City of Angels – Ek Balám

3 May

Having visited most of the major archeological sites of Mexico, Teotihuacán in Mexico City, the Great Pyramid in Cholula, Monte Albán in Oaxaca, Palenque, Tulum, Cobá, Chichén Itzá, Tikal in Guatemala and many minor amazing ruins in our area, I was so surprised by Ek Balám. The site is north of Valladolid with the vast majority unexcavated. It almost looks fake, like a Disney replica. But it isn’t.

The mouth of the jaguar. Undoubtedly designed to scare off enemies. Very impressive.

Ek Balám is noted for its images of “angels”.

Winged humans?

The detail is amazing. I imagine it was a pretty sweet place to live if you were high enough on the food chain.

Mayan hut with the angel top left.

Lisa points the way.

We couldn’t pass on this photo op.

I wish I got the picture of one of these guys heading out on his motorcycle, loin cloth flapping.

One thing Ek Bálam had that was unusual was a large cenote, sink hole. Lisa took the opportunity to zip-line across and repel down.

One way to get her in the cold water.

We felt very privileged to be able to take our time and really enjoy this sacred place. What was it like back in its day? It’s hard to imagine.

Next stop the magical city of Izamal. DOS TORTAS

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the adventures of dos tortas

Glass Half Empty or Half Full?

So When Will The House Be Done Already?

The Swim Across Laguna Bacalar

Show And Tell – Art Purchases

The Great Yucatan Meander – Final Leg

Cenotes – Sacred Mayan Wells

Off The Beaten Path – Ticul

Flamingos Flamingos Flamingos

The Magical City of Izamal

The Mayan City of Angels – Ek Balám

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