Tag Archives: retire mexico

Garage Sale #3

17 Mar

Lisa joked yesterday that our house is getting larger! LOL As we clean out closets, empty shelves and sell furniture, there is more space and open-ness to our home. We have filled the storage trailer with our garage sale items and when they’re gone, it will hold our “goes to Mexico” possessions. Eventually the house will be empty and then we put the FOR SALE sign out, hopefully the process will be fairly painless. We’ll see.

Telling people at our sale that we’re moving to Mexico brought different reactions. Everyone seemed to wish us well, but a few seemed somewhere between envy and “I’m going to do something like that, I’m just not ready yet.” As usual I handed out the link to this blog.

We made $200 which is peanuts compared to what the books, yarn, clothes, tools, furniture, dishes, CDs, cost us. It only adds to my resolve to not continue to acquire so many possessions I don’t really need. We are building a small house to support that commitment. I guess a home without so much stuff doesn’t have to be very big after all.

Garage Sale #3

Austin, TX

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Cenote Azul

8 Mar

There were many things about Bacalar that attracted us to living in this beautiful little corner of Mexico. Cenote (Sen-OH-tay) Azul is a beautiful circular natural pool about a mile south of Bacalar along the laguna. Centotes are ancient sinkholes. More than likely they were once underground and over time the roof caved in creating a limestone well. Cenote Azul is said to be the largest in the Yucatan at 300 feet deep and 600 feet wide. The pool is free to the public. There is a restaurant at it’s edge where we had a snack after a wonderful swim with our realtor Steven and his partner Claudia.

I loved swimming in Lake Bacalar, but the water of Cenote Azul was liquid light. It felt like swimming in an ancient Mayan site sans the sacrificial virgins.

Cenote Azul

Lisa relaxes

Claudia & Steven

Snacking after a swim

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Rancho Paradiso

25 Feb

I have lived in Texas almost 40 years. It’s one of the few places you hear of people going to their “ranch” on the weekend or for a vacation. I always wanted a ranch. In Mexico, people name their homes or property. I always wanted a home with a name. So when we found our dream property in Bacalar, Mexico, I immediately began searching my imagination for the perfect name for our future home. Rancho Paradiso (Paradise Ranch), the perfect blend of Tejas y Mexico.

Of course the first time we walked the half acre on beautiful Laguna de Bacalar, we didn’t realize that, “this was it”. Visiting the property of a fellow ex-pat (Canadian) and seeing the layout of his home and gardens gave us the vision of what we could accomplish and thus created la idea of Rancho Paradiso. My inexperienced videography doesn’t exactly show off the property in it’s best light. It’s a narrow, sloping, lake property that will need terracing. We will build a small house with lots of outdoor living and a star-gazing roof. I have hand drawn plans that are similar to the ones I was drawing at 21 when I lived in Cholula, MX. We have miles to go before we get to the building phase but for now, it’s fun to troll pintrest looking for gardening and decorating ideas. Stay tuned.

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Memories

18 Feb

Over the years we have gathered memories in the form of photos, journals, high school year books, etc. Some of the photos are in albums but most are totally disorganized in boxes. And in the tradition of my mother, there are no dates, names or identifying information. I stare at the pictures and try to determine the age of my children or siblings and what we were doing. I have pretty much divided the pictures between my three children, with some that I wish to keep. It has been a slow process and I want to stop strangers on the street and tell them to START ORGANIZING YOUR PICTURES NOW, before it’s too late! Or maybe I’m the only person who keeps photos in boxes in the top of my closet, but I don’t think so. I once went to a party and met guys with book shelves full of travel photos, organized in three ring binders by trip, year and clearly labeled. I’m afraid I never got that gene. Sure, I should scan them to CDs or the Cloud, but that’s not gonna happen. I also have a box of hand written journals that I started keeping about age 14 after reading The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. I have made my daughter swear that she will not read them until I am dead. They are boxed and ready for shipment. Pulling up roots has certainly been more of a self discovery process than I imagined. But truthfully, it’s one of the reasons we’re doing it.

Dos Tortas do San Francisco 1996

Dos Tortas do San Francisco 2006

Turkey

Turkey 2010

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The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

13 Feb

I have always been a fan of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. I have several statues and framed pictures of her gracing our home in Austin. I also know that I want to participate in the traditions of our new community. She is very important in Mexico and when I saw the announcement for the procession and mass, I was in. The evening of December 12 we waited in the zocalo for the parade that was winding it’s way through Bacalar. The sky was menacing and we were hoping the rain would hold. After a half hour the procession rounded la esquina. The statue was beautiful with 20-30 people following. As soon as they passed, we ran toward the church as the sky opened and it POURED! We ended up sitting in the most beautiful candle-lit church with windows and doors open to the elements. I wish I’d taken a picture. It was so serene. We lit candles giving thanks for finding this most beautiful home.

Procession Quadalupe 2012

Procession 2012

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Day Three – Waterskiing

8 Feb

The “carrot” for Lisa to move to Bacalar with me was that she could have a boat. For almost 20 years I have know that her dream is to own property on water that is home to a ski boat. I am not a fan of things that go vroom, so I have been less than supportive of the idea. I’m more of a kayak, sail boat, bicycle kinda gal. When Steven (our realtor) rounded up some friends to take us out on the lake, the water was “like glass”, which is perfect for water skiing, or so I am told. The guys were a lot of fun and watching Jimmy (boat owner) get up on skis for the first time was a blast. But the significant thing that happened for us was that we stopped at David’s house. He is a part-time resident with a lot that is approximately the same size and slope as the one we considered. His property provided us with a vision of what we could do with the lot we visited, where we would put the house, etc. All of a sudden, the pieces fell into place. I will post pictures of the property next time.

WaterskiingBacalar

Lisa having the time of her life.

LisaskiingBacalar

Clouds reflected in the Laguna de Siete Colores

DavidsDockBacalar2012

David’s dock and terraced property.

Bacalarbeauty

The perfect reflection.

 

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From Tulum to Bacalar

19 Jan

After months of suenos of Bacalar, Mexico, Lisa and I were finally on our way. We had flown into Cancun and traveled to Tulum to visit the town, pyramids and our friends Karen and Skip. I think I held my breath all the way from Tulum to Bacalar. What if it wasn’t what we wanted? What then? The highway was smooth which made travel rapido y comoda. It was two lanes with wide shoulders (perfect for cycling), with an occasional exit for somewhere else, a few casitas and mostly long stretches of thick jungle. What I found out later was that the highway passed through Sian Ka’an,  a million acres of a biosphere reserve, i.e. protected wetlands, tropical forests, mangroves, and home to over 300 species of birds and wild monkeys. It borders on the Caribbean and has only five entradas. Sian Ka’an is Mayan for ‘Origin of the Sky’. This amazing ecological wonder is within dos horas de Bacalar and literally in our back yard and is available for camping, kayaking, birding and many other activities.

As our bus chugged along, I kept watching for a glimpse of the lake. I knew we had to be getting close and I wanted badly to see if it was as beautiful as I hoped. FINALLY, off in the trees, aqua azul! I was confused when the bus driver announced almost immediately, “Bacalar”. I thought I’d misunderstood. The lake is 55 km long; surely we couldn’t be there already! But we were. The lake is not visible from the highway, and one could miss it if they didn’t glance to their left as you pass through town.

We gathered our luggage and found a taxi to our destination, Casita Carolina. This was one of the first times we’d made reservations while traveling, usually we lean toward spontaneity. As we got off the bus, Lisa and I looked at each other and grinned from ear to ear. This felt like our new home. Bienvenidos a Bacalar.

Casita Carolina – the website is filled with information about Bacalar.

The lawn slopping down to the laguna.

The lawn slopping down to the laguna.

The common area where travelers access the computer and visit.

The common area where travelers access the computer and visit.

Lisa relaxing in the shade at Casita Carolina.

Lisa relaxing in the shade at Casita Carolina.

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The Trip to Bacalar

13 Jan

In summer 2012 it became clear that I could be available to retire from my state job in 2013. After a conversation with the retirement office and a purchase of back service, I determined that a retirement date of July 31, 2013 was possible. The annuity would be small and living in Austin with it’s increasing taxes would be challenging to say the least. With Lisa’s help we created a plan. With my small annuity and her VA disability check, just maybe we could afford to retire and travel as we’ve always dreamed.

The search for a retirement location was narrowing and everything pointed to Bacalar in southern Yucatan. It was time for a visit to see el pueblo for ourselves. The trip would also be an opportunity to stop in Tulum on the way to Bacalar to visit my friend Karen and see her house.

We planned the trip for the first two weeks in December and made arrangements to fly into Cancun. We left on a Friday and arrived among the beach vacation and bachelor-party crowd, already in flip-flops and ready to soak up the sun (them not us). I stopped at the kiosk in the airport for ADO (ah-day-OH) bus line and got our tickets to Tulum. Buses in Mexico are clean and comfortable. We arrived easily and found the Weary Traveler Hostel not far from the bus terminal. Hostels can be a fun way to connect with other travelers in a laid back environment. For about $30 a night, we had a basic room, communal kitchen, breakfast and a free bus ride to the beach.

We spent the weekend exploring the pyramids, visiting Karen and Skip’s house and hanging out on the beach. Come Monday morning, we were ready to put Tulum behind us and head off to Bacalar.

ADO is a government supplemented transportation company that offers extensive and efficient transportation services.

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The Weary Traveler

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Los Arboles Tulum – An off-the-grid community near Tulum Mexico

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Karen & Skip’s beautiful home on five acres in the jungle is waiting for their solar panels.

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Why Mexico?

1 Jan

There have been a series of questions that people have asked when we tell them that we are moving to Mexico. I will attempt to address them each in their own blog. The first is Why Mexico? I studied and lived in Central Mexico during my junior year in college at The Universidad de Las Americas in Cholula, Puebla 1973-74.

I was in school for nine months, six of which were studying intensive Spanish, four hours a day/four days a week. The school was on a trimester program, so three-day weekends allowed me to travel. I visited Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Monterrey, Tampico, Vera Cruz, Oaxaca, Puebla, the Yucatan and Tehuantepec. I fell in love with churches, pyramids, small pueblos, big cities, museos, Mexican artistas, dancing, history, the people and speaking Spanish. At 21 I was designing the house I wanted to build in Mexico. Who knew it would take me forty years to realize my dream.

After my studies in Mexico, I moved to Austin, TX at the suggestion of a teacher who knew how much I loved my time in Mexico. I wanted to continue to speak Spanish and live as part of a Mexican/American community. I never could have imagined the life I’d get to live in Austin. I’ve loved the community and being part of the experience of living here. It’s time for a change. The city has grown and I am ready for a smaller home-base that will allow us to travel and live simply. I feel as if I am going home. I am forever grateful to Lisa who is excited to share this sueño conmigo.

Making tamales for my birthday with my Mexican family. Feb. 1974

Making tamales for my birthday with my Mexican family  February 1974

View from the Pyramid of the Moon, Teotihuacan, outside of Mexico City. Sept.1973

View from the Pyramid of the Moon, Teotihuacan, outside of Mexico City September 1973

During a festival in Cholula, Puebla.

During a festival in Cholula, Puebla.

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Timeline

28 Dec

On Wednesday, Lisa and I had a road trip and took our calendar to discuss and document the departure timeline for our move to Bacalar, Mexico. There are so many details involved in selling dos houses, purchasing a trailer and possibly a camper shell, packing, purging (garage sales & trips to Goodwill), arranging Mexican residency (renew Lisa’s passport, visit the Mexican consulate) and not to mention throwing a big fiesta to say adios to our friends and neighbors. As a state employee and project manager, I am accustomed to using timelines, benchmarks and deadlines. It helps keep me sane, reduces stress and keeps us on target. For the past six months, we’ve been looking at everything in terms of “goes to Mexico” “doesn’t go to Mexico”. We’ve already had two garage sales. I always thought I was a minimalist. Hah! We have so much crap.

Alex:

  • research selling our house ourselves;
  • clean out the office/art room to prepare for painting;
  • shop Craigslist for a camper shell;
  • start planning the party (Feb. 23); and
  • talk to my son about his timeline for moving out.

Lisa:

  • paint office;
  • visit the Mexican consulate;
  • renew passport; and
  • make the first payment on the property in Bacalar.

We will revisit the timeline on January 19th. Dos Tortas are having a blast. We are doing our exercise workout and counting in Spanish! Mexico here we come.

Dock at Casita Carolina guest house.

Dock at Casita Carolina guest house.

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