Tag Archives: expat living in Mexico

Sailing The Laguna

21 Aug

Living in the southernmost part of Mexico does not lend itself to many visitors. The little village of Bacalar where we live is a five-hour bus ride south of Cancun, nestled along the coast of one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Add to that the fear of Mexico that is actively promoted and it is no wonder why people choose to vacation in Costa Rica, the Bahamas or a cruise to anywhere.

This past week, our friend Karen who lives in Tulum, jumped on a bus to escape the deep jungle heat where monkeys fly through the trees, to hang out with Dos Tortas and enjoy lake breezes.

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As always, having a guest is a good excuse to do something we’ve been putting off for forever…like going for a sail with our neighbors Teresa and Paul.

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Climbing aboard the Gabriela.

It was the first time my MIL had ever sailed and she had a blast on our three-hour tour.

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Lisa and her mom

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Eco Lodge Kuunich Kaanil.

Kuunich Kaanil

 

It’s been on and off raining and threatening to rain. The weather cooperated to give us enough wind and not too much sun. A fabulous time was had by all.

DOS TORTAS 

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On Laguna Bacalar starts the sky.

 

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A Matter Of Perspective

14 Aug

A year ago we were up to our eyeballs in the construction of our house in Bacalar, Mexico, a small town near the southern border of Mexico and Belize. We had bought lakeside property in 2012 and then returned to our home in Austin, Texas to turn our lives upside down and retire to Mexico. Eight months later we kicked off the Adventures of Dos Tortas. And what an adventure it’s been!

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Our bright functional beautiful kitchen today.

 

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The floors were newly painted. Sept 16, 2015

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Building the center island. Lots of sanding. Aug. 24, 2015

Our followers can’t seem to get enough pictures of our house, so I thought I’d post some before, during and after photos. It gives us perspective on how far we’ve come. Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude.

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Counter on the east wall. This morning.

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One year ago.

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Pantry off the kitchen. During and after.

Here are a few more pictures. Some days we have to pinch ourselves.

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The mistress bathroom. 

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Guest Bath. Building a stub wall.

Pictures of the outside will be in a future post. Thanks for this little walk down memory lane. As you can see, we’ve come a long way baby. DOS TORTAS

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Belize – Part Two

12 Jun

When we last saw the intrepid Tortas they had sweet talked their way across the Belize boarder not knowing if they would be allowed back into Mexico. No drama here!! (Belize – Amazing Race Style)

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The newly installed Belize sign.

First things first, we are indeed home in Bacalar. Crossing back into Mexico was easy-peasy. No questions asked. Alice got a 180 day visa, viola.

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Peacock Palm on Caye Caulker is common in Belize.  They are extraordinarily.

During our three day visit to Belize, we took a tour of the sites which included the Belize Zoo. I had heard good things about it and was not disappointed. It is worth adding to your bucket list of things to do in Belize. For a very small zoo, that’s saying a lot.

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It looks like we were close because we WERE.

Belize Zoo

“A non-governmental, non-profit organization focused on wildlife conservation through wildlife rehabilitation and environmental education.”

 

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Rarely seen in the wild tapir. National animal of Belize.

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This macaw was putting on quite the show. He came out of his cage to say hi.

The zoo provides educational programs to thousands of Belizan children and educators annually. Teaching children about the animals of their country gives them an understanding of the environment and why it is important to take care of it.  Making even a small donation to support the zoo will make a huge difference. DOS TORTAS

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Mother-in-Law Adventure

29 May

I’ve been wanting to take my MIL to Mahahual since she arrived to live with us in December. It’s an hour and half drive to the Caribbean coast, around the top of Laguna Bacalar, here in the southern-most part of Mexico.

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From Bacalar we traveled around the Laguna to the yellow square that is Mahahual.

A friend gifted us a night in a hotel which was the perfect opportunity to pack an overnight bag and catch a one pm. shuttle from Bacalar.

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Porto Coral on the beach.

Mahahual used to be a sleepy little village. The addition of a huge pier to accommodate cruise ships changed everything.

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We cruised the malecon, pedestrian walkway, lined with restaurants, vendors and shops. Alice, who lives to shop was in heaven.

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A creative way to display glass hearts for sale.

We found Restaurante Las Chiquitas on Trip Advisor and had a lovely dinner.

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And then there was breakfast on the beach the following morning.

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The town is pretty deserted when the cruise ships are not in port.

It was just the right amount of time for people-watching, swimming, eating and shopping. A perfect bonding trip for Alice and me. Catching the combi (shuttle) was easy. I wouldn’t be surprised if one day we find a note on Alice’s door that says “gone to Mahahual, back whenever”. DOS TORTAS

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Some Things Just Don’t Translate

10 Apr

When I went to school in the 1970’s in Cholula MX, I lived with a rather poor family who rented rooms to students. One day I came home for lunch and to my dismay, found the teething toddler gnawing happily on a boiled chicken foot.

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If you go to the mercado to purchase a whole chicken, the bag usually includes the feet and sometimes the head. While that is a significant ewww for me, the dogs have no problem with it.

There are two words in Spanish for feet. Pie (pee ay) is for human feet and pata (pah tah) means animal feet or the feet of a chair. Once my friends George and Sandy went all over the market asking for “pie de pollo (chicken). People thought they were a bit loco.

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There is a new restaurant in Bacalar that we’ve been dying to try, Pata de Perro, Foot of the Dog. They opened a lovely second story patio overlooking the town square. I had hoped to try their food before writing the blog, but that didn’t happen. Reports are promising.

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I do my best to eat a plant-based diet, but chicken is the primary food in this neck of the woods. Most people raise and slaughter their own chickens and occasional pigs as well. They have to be healthier running around the yard than the poor caged creatures eaten in the states.

We eat mostly at home since the availability of vegetables in restaurants is not much different in Mexico than in the U.S. It is fun trying new restaurants. I will feature them from time to time. Have a great week. DOS TORTAS

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A Tootle To Merida

3 Apr

Living in the U.S. gives one a certain perspective on automotive travel. It probably has as much to do with traffic, ability to find parking and one’s genetic makeup of hating or liking to drive.

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One of the Pitfalls of Driving in Any Country

While living in Mexico is not so different, it really is. For one thing, bus travel is far more convenient, comfortable and cost effective. Five hours on a bus allows you to catch up on your reading and possibly make a new friend. We took a tootle this week and visited Merida, a four hour drive by auto, just down the street and an ungodly distance by my old life perspective.

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Sunrise Outside Our Room in Merida

We stayed in our favorite Airbnb, visited Lisa’s surgeon and SHOPPED. I can go to the dark side when visiting a big city like Merida. Shopping is very limited where we live in Bacalar, Mexico’s southern frontier. Although, when Home Depot opened in Chetumal, thirty minutes away, the old timers pointed out how easy we had it building our house now, as opposed to “way back when”.

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Finally Found the Illusive Costco!

We got quite lost driving in Merida and spent way too much time in traffic. Remember, when asking directions in Mexico, make sure the person you ask knows how to drive. The little man in the taco stand can not likely give directions, unless he pulls out his iPhone and Google maps.

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We Didn’t Overdose Too Badly

After Costco we drove to Progresso, on the Gulf, just for the heck of it. Lunch on the beach proved entertaining; watching people and seagulls.

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Lisa Checks Out the Seafood Menu

For the week after Easter, things were pretty quiet in this little beach town.

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A Favorite Way To Beat the Heat in Merida

We were both glad to get home. There was a lovely birthday party next door on Friday evening for our neighbor Teresa. Happy seventieth Darling. A relaxing end to a very busy week. DOS TORTAS

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Aqua-Terra Firma-Cuisine

20 Mar

Visitors think that three to five days is about right for a trip to Laguna Bacalar Mexico. Of course USers never have adequate vacation, so they exhaust themselves trying to relax and do it all. There is a British couple and their three children renting next door for two months. Now that’s a vacation!

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AQUA
Topping a to-do list is all things water. Swimming is obvious, but kayaking, boating (motor and sail), stand-up paddle and wind surfing are readily available. There is also a must visit to Cenote Azul, a unique swimming experience.

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Cenote Azul also provides a cuisine destination.

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Sunrise Kayaking

TERRA FIRMA

If water sports are not your favorite, maybe land activities such as climbing pyramids (with monkey viewing) bird watching, visiting a museum in a genuine pirate fort or a walking tour of small town Mexico will interest you.

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Howler monkeys rocked the jungle when we visited Dzibanche

CUISINE

Let us not forget activities of the culinary sort.

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Chema, owner extraordinaire of La Playita, eat-drink-swim, best of Bacalar

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Eating at Hotel Laguna, best view in town.

The most important activity by far is not an activity at all, it’s spending serious time DOING NOTHING. Whether it’s kicking back on our roof, sunning on the dock or taking a nap in the hammock, a trip to Bacalar must include time to listen to the quiet and enjoy the breeze.

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Luna knows the fine art of siesta

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Up on the roof

So you see, a visit to Bacalar can not possibly fit into 3-5 days. And this isn’t ALL of it. Please share the blog with friends on Facebook and as always, your comments are appreciated. DOS TORTAS

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Papa Francisco’s Visit To Mexico

21 Feb

This week, I was able to watch Mexican TV while visiting a friend and avoiding the fumes of sealing our concrete floors. Most channels were devoted to coverage of the Pope’s visit to Mexico. I was raised Catholic and have mixed feelings about The Church, but this day I was in awe of this Pope and his message. 

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The crowds gathered in Chiapas.

The mass celebrated in the mountainous region of Chiapas was devoted to the indígenas of Mexico. Most people don’t know that there are a million people in the state of Chiapas alone who’s first language is not Spanish. They are the poorest and the proudest. They came in droves and dressed in their best. As the cameras scanned the crowd, it was fun to see simple people recognize themselves on the huge TV screens set up for optimal viewing.

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Forgive my photos of a TV.

Parts of the celebration were in Tzotzil and Tzelta. A line of men and women in native garb took turns addressing the Pope. I was hoping for someone to go off script, but it didn’t happen.

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The women’s voices were given equal time.

The Pope asked for forgiveness for the decimation of native populations by the Church, government and European invaders.

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The Pope’s message spoken to common people.

While many attacked the Pope’s message as nothing but empty words, I was most impressed by his asking for help with climate change. People who live simple lives, close to the land have a lot to teach the rest of us. If we will only listen.

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It’s been a week of laying low and continued rest. The Pope’s message gave me hope, which is in short supply these days while observing the US political shenanigans. Maybe Hilary and Bernie could run together. Now wouldn’t that be an interesting possibility. Please post comments below. DOS TORTAS

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Falling For Life in Mexico – Literally

24 Jan

Multitasking actually means not fully paying attention to ANYTHING. So this week when I simultaneously stepped over a two foot high curb while looking for oncoming traffic, it’s not surprising that I caught my toe and went down on hip and elbow. 

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All sunrise shots taken from the porch this week.

I have fallen three times since moving to Mexico two and a half years ago. Leading an active, adventurous life involves risk.

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The first time I fell was a perfect storm of bald bicycle tires, gravel, a hill and a curve. The doctor diagnosed a fracture of the femur and put me in a soft cast for six weeks. We never saw evidence on an x-ray so who knows.

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The second fall was during a hike in San Miguel de Allende while visiting my friend Nancy last summer. While crossing a muddy creek, I slipped and went down hard on my knee. Again we had a trip to the ER, x-rays, swelling and additions to our collection of ace bandages.

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These hikers were way better prepared than I with boots and walking poles.

Thank God for the loving support of my wife, MIL and friends in Bacalar. The loan of a walker helps me to stay off the ankle and our stairs will keep me housebound for a week or so.

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This sweet little ride has seen better days.

I am also grateful for the extensive exercise we do, yoga, calisthenics and recently added strength training. It could have been so much worse. Living an adventurous life is worth preparing for.

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Living in Mexico – Settling In

17 Jan

It is the dream of many to retire to a tropical climate in Mexico. After years of saving, research, and selling off our home and possessions in Austin, Texas, Dos Tortas came to be. Our blog tells the story of living on lovely Laguna Bacalar, the second largest lake in Mexico, for two and a half years in preparation for construction. Welcome/bienvenidos to our home….

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Stages of construction.

We purchased the lakefront property in 2012. It was a rough sloping lot with potential, close enough to the town o Bacalar to ride our bikes to the mercado.

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25 meters x 100 meters (.62 acres)

There were many hoops to jump through in order to build in an environmentally sensitive area. An impact study was not in our thoughts as we signed a purchase contract.

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We’re hanging pictures!

Dreams of our crystal blue lake, swimming “out back”, kayaking, and boating danced in our heads. We could see the end result but did not explore adequately the process to get there. But that is behind us as we settle into our new home. In Mexico!

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Our new “couch” was installed on Friday.

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The fountain near the outdoor bathroom is trickling down the rock face.

There are interior details that have yet to be completed. A rooftop patio is on the drawing board. We have enough projects and gardening to keep us busy for a long time. Stay tuned.

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