Finding The Blessing of God in Bacalar

8 Jun

One of our favorite aspects of life in Bacalar, Mexico is finding a basic, inexpensive, hole-in-the-wall restaurant, where the locals hang out and the food is good. One day we asked our juice lady in the mercado for a recommendation for breakfast and she pointed across the street to La Bendición de Dios (The Blessing of God).

Open for Sunday morning shoppers at the town market across the street.

Open for Sunday morning shoppers at the town market across the street.

There are no menus at this comida económica. Whatever has been prepared for the day is what is available, until they run out. Some places operate like a small cafeteria. Waiters lift the lids of several succulent dishes and you make your selection. Meals include beans and rice and sometimes a drink for a price lower than you could prepare it at home.

A quiet Sunday morning.

A quiet Sunday morning.

A great place to people watch.

A great place to people watch.

In this southern region of Mexico, the basic fast food is a taco, a catch-all for chalupas, tostadas, or gorditas. They can be served with different kinds of meat, fish, sea food or refried beans, and topped with avocado, shredded cabbage, onions, cheese and drizzled with crema, a sour cream popular in the area. Add your own salsa for some additional heat.

Homemade tortillas are the best.

Homemade tortillas are the best.

We are always welcomed by Aro our hard working waiter. He zips from table to table, always with a smile.

Our friendly mesero (waiter) Aro

Our friendly mesero (waiter) Aro

With Lisa’s coke and my fresh melon juice, our meal came to $6.50US or 85 pesos. We recommend La Bendición to our friends but have only see a few tourists frequent this great little eatery. The Blessing of God has been a blessing for us too.

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The Check Engine Light Must Be Obeyed

3 Jun

Leaving Austin, Texas last September required leaving far more than family and friends. It meant leaving all those pains-taking connections that took years to build…a hairdresser, plumber, electrician, and above all truck mechanic.

When the red blinky light came on in our precious Ford F150, it was hard not to panic. It’s not like the teeth cleaning or eye exams that we’ve been putting off. The check engine light must be obeyed.

Local expats suggested premium gas but it did nothing to help, so a notice went out on the Yahoo Listserve for a mechanic. Taking the only two we received into consideration, we made an appointment at Nani’s in Chetumal.

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We were told to expect to pay “more” but that they were the best, so off we went on a Torta adventure.

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Every experience is an opportunity to learn new words in Spanish and to stretch the brain in interesting ways.

Alex was there to explain and help.

Alex was there to explain and help.

We left our baby and headed off to the movies!

Loved the movie.

Two thumbs up on Maleficence.

After a long day and many filters changed, the truck runs as well as it ever has. A new resource has been made, yeah! Now for that dreaded call to a dentist.

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Healing a Not Broken Leg – Isn’t Life Amazing?

25 May

Memorial Day weekend 2013, our daughter was getting married. Life was busy with selling our home, getting rid of most of our possessions and winding down our jobs. We went from crazy busy to retirement life in the jungle of southern Yucatan.

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Life here is not for everyone. We did not want a large English speaking community with all the amenities of the US. Our nearest city and the capital of the state of Quintana Roo (Row) is about a 40 minute drive. Chetumal (pop 260,000) sits on the boarder with Belize and the Bay of Chetumal. It is not a tourist destination in spite of efforts to make it so.

Museum of Mayan Culture

Museum of Mayan Culture

Chetumal is where we go for medical care. Friday was three weeks since my fateful bike accident and time to return to the traumatologist. Don’t let appearances fool. While the buildings look right out of the 1950’s, the care is top notch.

Clinica Independencia

Clinica Independencia

My experience thus far with medical care has been that it’s low tech but very hands on. Doctors take time. It’s not that high tech isn’t available, MRIs, etc are reserved for more serious situations. Dr Diez-Torres removed my cast, gently manipulated my knee, assessing pain and range of motion. He explained using a model what was going on. Our conversation was in both English and Spanish. We looked at the X-rays again and agreed that my leg probably wasn’t broken. He told me to return to normal activity as I was able and use light weights to do leg extensions to build muscle strength. I felt like I was talking to an equal.

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My knee continues to heal. I look forward to swimming and no pain. While life in this corner of the globe is not for everyone, the lack of stress and beauty that abounds makes it perfect for us.

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Today’s Spanish Lesson ¿Dónde está el baño?

18 May

When out and about in the US, one rarely thinks twice about bathrooms, unless you’re at an outdoor venue and forced to use a port-o-potty.

In Japan I once stumbled into a unisex bathroom which was a surprise to say the least.

Japanese Unisex bathrooms contain stalls and urinals.

Japanese Unisex bathrooms contain stalls and urinals.

In the airport bathroom in Istabul there was a sign asking people to please not wash their feet in the sink. International bathrooms are full of cultural experiences.

Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul, Turkey

You can’t miss this sign at a roadside Mexican restaurant.

Outside a roadside restaurant.

Pull over I gotta go.

Living in Mexico in the 70’s gives me a point of reference for baños. It was so much worse then. Public restrooms were hard to come by and toilet paper, as we know it, was not common (newspaper, comic books). A lesson my grandmother taught me, and every woman in Mexico knows, never leave the house without tissues.

In Bacalar.

In Bacalar.

Today, there are clean functional toilets (most of the time) in Pemex stations where you stop for gas. The trouble is, they charge $3-5 pesos, $.25-.40 per use. It is a clear discrimination against women, since men have no trouble peeing on their tires. I’m not sure what’s up with the whole peeing on the tires thing, but you see it everywhere, pull over and pee on your tires!

Then one day I came across this –

They can't refuse you service.

They can’t refuse you service.

Handing a few coins to the bathroom attendant in the bus station, restaurant, government building, grocery store or hotel is the norm. I figure that I can afford it and it’s a way to circulate money to people who’s income it is. It’s the same for the people that pump your gas, sack your groceries or help you park your car (whether you need it or not).

So when looking for the baño in México, remember to bring your tissue and always have a pocket of change, or you too could find yourself peeing on your tires.

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A Favorite Laguna Bacalar Picture

A Favorite Laguna Bacalar Picture

L’chaim To Life – To A Dear Friend Adiós

11 May

While laid up this week mending a broken leg, I have little of our usually active life in Bacalar to share. No photos, but lots of sadness. Life can be very, very unpredictable and I’m not talking about a broken leg.

Last December I posted Familia Nueva About two good old gals from Texas that Lisa and I met here in Bacalar. They were retired and living in San Miguel de Allende taking a six-week Yucatan holiday.

Who would have imagined that we would meet another couple with the same age spread (12 years) and history (20 years) together AND a blast to be with. Not only did we hang out and visit the sights and sounds of Bacalar, on our return trip from Texas in January, we visited them in San Miguel and got the royal treatment. We stayed in their newly remodeled home, saw the sights of SMA and made plans, over morning coffee, for future joint travels and visits to each other’s homes. Lisa and I returned to southern Yucatan looking forward to seeing them again.

Last Saturday, we received something we never ever expected, Judy’s Facebook obituary. She had died in her sleep Thursday night of a brain aneurism, as near as anyone can tell. She was 51 years old.

One thing we enjoyed while visiting SMA was Nancy and Judy’s wedding video. They had traveled to California last September to make their relationship legal. Lisa and I will be following their footsteps in July.

Life is precious and we only have today. Nancy and Judy lived life to the fullest. Nancy has wonderful memories to sustain her and good family and friends to remind her she is loved. All that other stuff of life suddenly seems not so important – Love each other and God bless.

By the lake in Bacalar.

By the lake in Bacalar.

Judy's beloved rooftop view.

Judy’s beloved rooftop view.

You will be so missed.

You will be so missed.

Feliz Cinco Ya’ll – Take Two

4 May

Due to a mishap over the last few days, I’ve decided to repost my Cinco de Mayo blog from last year. We sure have come a long way in our relocation to Mexico.  On Friday I  went down hard on my bike and have a hairline tibial fracture behind the right knee. I will be in a brace for three weeks. This morning I’m on pain medication and not thinking too clearly. A handsome traumatologist got me seen, xrayed, diagnosed in and out in two hours for less than $200 Xays, brace and medication.

 

Immobile for three weeks. Immobile for three weeks.

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A Repost From 2013

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in Austin by waving green, white and red Mexican flags. So much so that I once heard someone point to a Mexican flag and refer to it as a “Cinco de Mayo” flag. It’s a day for family, friends, eating tacos, listening to conjunto and drinking cerveza. Few know what the holiday is really about. When living in Mexico, I visited the Fort de Puebla where a fight for independence took place in 1864. The French, with their highly trained forces thought they had a cake walk in taking over Mexico. A rag-tag militia of about 500 strategically placed Mexican soldiers proved them wrong. Mexico’s independence took years of battles with French, Spanish, US, and British troops. It’s no wonder everyone celebrates a win by the underdogs.

But Cinco is a celebration of much more than the Battle of Puebla. It’s the celebration of a strong, proud, independent people who love to celebrate just about anything. As a youngster from New Jersey, I was wary of a picnic in a cemetery for Day of the Dead. It was a delightful day that allowed me to experience another culture in a very personal way. There are birthdays, saint days, quinceñeras, religious holidays, Sunday picnics, and many more events that I hope to learn about and participate in.

We continue to pack containers, take books to Half Price, have dinner with friends and plan our escape. There are no “final” goodbyes. Just about everyone is invited to visit. So if you think that southern Yucatan may be a vacation destination in your future, get your passport, practice your Spanish and bring a “celebration state-of-mind”, and remember your hammock.

Alex Enjoying a Sunny Lake Bacalar Day Alex enjoying a sunny Lake Bacalar day
Sunset on the Bay of Chetumal Sunset on the Bay of Chetumal

Roaming, Rambling, Rumbling

27 Apr

We made a quick trip to Austin this past week. Lisa had a command performance with the Veteran’s Administration and we got to visit kids and grandkids.

A Visit With the Sons

A Visit With the Sons

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The culture shock I felt upon re-entry was challenging. It’s not the first time I’ve experienced the disorienting sensation of not belonging when returning “home”. In the 70’s when I returned from living nine months in Mexico, I didn’t have words to describe it. I was 22 and trying to figure out life. In the 80’s, I again returned to the US after two years of living in Japan. The depression I felt confused me. I WANTED to return, had chosen and looked forward to it, so why was I so sad?

Sophia Aria Fisher and Daddy

Sophia Aria Fisher and Daddy

Easter With Hunter

Easter With Hunter

I think this time, I was overwhelmed by the wealth we have in the US. Our grocery shelves are stocked with so much variety. Ten different kinds of soy milk! I spent so much time in traffic, bumper to bumper. We pay a high price for consumerism. I don’t know where I’m going with all this. Maybe it’s an excuse to share pictures of my grandchildren.

Aren't they Cute?

Aren’t they Cute?

One thing is evident to me, we’re all connected. The choices we make in the US have an impact on the rest of the world. Our appetite for cheap goods creates garbage that piles up in poor countries ill equipped to deal with it.

I don’t have any answers. It feels like a runaway train. We need elected officials who get it. Meanwhile, live your life, be happy, Happy Earth Day everyday.

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The Expat Community Center – Casita Carolina

20 Apr

When we visited Bacalar for the first time in December 2012 we stayed in a wonderful guest house called Casita Carolina.

Carolina - Queen of Bacalar

Carolina – Queen of Bacalar

As visitors we connected with other travelers and daily life in our soon-to-be new community.

Sunrise Extraordinaire at Casita Carolina

Sunrise on the Lawn at Casita Carolina

This year, as residents, we’ve come to appreciate that Casita Carolina’s also serves as a cultural center. There are monthly opportunities to gather and meet new friends, enjoy musical performances, and celebrate holidays.

Ginger Heat - Delightful Visiting Madrigals

Ginger Heat – Delightful Visiting Madrigals

Every year at the end of February, artists both local and visiting show off their talents at the Art Rendezvous. For a week, they visit sights with their watercolor pads in hand to immortalize the scenes and people of Bacalar. A wonderful sale follows. Anyone can participate in the fun as painter or patron.

Come One Come All

Come One Come All

Resident of Bacalar

Resident of Bacalar

El Mercado

El Mercado

Sights of Bacalar

Sights of Bacalar

We are coming to love and appreciate this wonderful little community that every day feels more like home. Thank you Carolina for all you do for Bacalar.

You Can’t Always Get What You Want – But Sometimes You Get Tequila!

13 Apr

I have little experience drinking tequila. The occasional margarita left me in a fog and I have refused most offers. So I can safely say that when we were invited to visit a new tequila processing site, I hesitated for at least a second before saying YES.

A Mexican vacation, for many, is taken from the dock of a cruise ship. Port-of-call side trips offer jungle adventure tours, reef snorkeling, pyramid climbs, and soon a visit to Jakaré, outside of Bacalar to savor a truly Mexican experience, the history and making of tequila.

Start With Blue Agave

Start With Blue Agave

Fields of agave take 8-10 years to mature.

The agave leaves are removed to harvest the hearts which are steamed in large stone ovens.

These Hearts Have Cooled

These Hearts Have Cooled

A team of oxen turn a large mill stone to break up the tough fibers.

Mashing the Hearts

Mashing the Hearts

The fibers and liquid are fermented, distilled and aged in wooden barrels that add their own flavors, much like wine.

Aging Can Take Several Years

Aging Can Take Several Years

Now for the Tasting

Now for the Tasting

From blanco to aged. Even this inexperienced tongue could tell the difference.

Love the Bottles

Love the Bottles

An important step is to cleanse the pallet, swirl the tequila, breath and savor. We had so much fun.

Coffee Beans and Herbals to Cleanse

Coffee Beans and Herbals to Cleanse

We learned about this Mexican industry that has pre-Spanish roots and legends. Jose Cuervo just may be a new friend of mine.

Thought for the day as we wait to start building our dream home in Bacalar.

Thought for the day as we wait to start building our dream home in Bacalar.

Small Town Living in Mexico What No Starbucks?

6 Apr

When we made the decision to move to Mexico’s Southern Yucatan peninsula, it was for as much of what we didn’t find here as what we did. As I ride my bike around town, I see so many sites that delight my eyes. I don’t want to romanticize poverty, but what you and I might consider poverty has it’s wealth in simple living for many. Enjoy some of the sights of Bacalar as it prepares for an influx of tourists for Semana Santa (Holy Week) leading up to Easter.

One of Many Majestic Trees

Enjoying the Shade in Bacalar, MX

Cenote Azul

Cenote Azul A Swimmer’s Paradise

On the Costera - Spiffing Up for the Holiday Week

On the Costera – Spiffing Up for the Holiday Week

A Small Hang Out for the Hipper Crowd

A Small Hang Out for the Hipper Crowd

Simple Traditional Home

Simple Traditional Bacalar Home

Model of Bacalar Found In The City Park

Model of Bacalar Found In The City Park

Looking For a Bathroom or a House to Buy?

Looking For a Baño or a House to Buy?

One of Ten Speedbumps or Tolpes Along the Highway.

One of Ten Speedbumps or Topes Along the Highway Through Bacalar

Gratitude, Gratitude, Gratitude

Gratitude, Gratitude, Gratitude

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