Tag Archives: travel Mexico

A Day In The Life

24 Jul

Living on Laguna Bacalar, three kilometers (2 miles) from the pueblo of Bacalar makes for a vida muy tranquilo. 

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We didn’t know about the magnificent sunrises when we moved here.

Up with the sun about six thirty. Lisa starts the day making coffee while Luna and I walk down to the dock to photograph the sunrise. It’s been our ritual since she was a puppy. She waits at the back door impatiently every morning.

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We watch the fish, listen to the birds and watch the day come alive.

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Our rickety dock.

Meditation and exercise play a daily part of the routine. On this day it was an exercise video with Alice, Lisa’s mother. Luna likes to join in.

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On alternative days we’re off to the gym. This week we had a visit with blog follower Heather and son Jonathan. What a treat when people travel to Bacalar after reading the blog.

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A trip to the pirate fort and picture in front of the mural is a must when visiting Bacalar.

We visited shops featuring local art and sampled snow cones shaved from a block of ice right before our eyes. We had our choice of homemade tropical fruit toppings, pineapple, lime, tamarind, nance and more.

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Light and refreshing, not like the syrupy sweet snow cones we’re used to.

What day would be complete without a parade!

I’m not sure what the parade was for, but we never need a special reason to celebrate life in Bacalar. DOS TORTAS

Be sure to follow us on Pinterest and Instagram at 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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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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Ciudad de México – Part Dos

19 Jul

In preparing for my layover in Mexico City, I searched Air B&B for someplace simple and near the airport. I found a small hostel and booked a room for the night. We have had a few experiences with hostels. In Turkey we met travelers from all over the world, a range of ages and in various states of jet lag. A hostel usually has kitchen privileges and breakfast provided. Rooms can be shared in bunk bed fashion with bathroom down the hall. I read the reviews, booked a private room for a few more pesos and was glad to have a reservation. I got a taxi at the airport when I landed and was off.

Aguascalientes #33

Aguascalientes #33

I arrived at an attractive entrance and offloaded my bags.

Stairs to upper rooms.

Stairs to upper rooms. Hostels are always funky yet interesting.

Everything appeared clean and bright. I was offered my choice of two rooms and selected the lower level to avoid climbing stairs to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. At that point things began to go downhill for me. The owner smoked in the common area. Not great, but not a deal breaker. I then noticed the strong smell of cleaning chemicals in my room. My asthmatic lungs began to resist. Not sure what to do, I left the room open to air out and headed to the Frieda Kalo Museum.

Brushes hung from the easel.

Brushes hung from the easel.

Inspiration for the studio we are building.

Inspiration for the studio we are building.

The entire visit to the museum is chronicled In Mexico City – Frieda Kalo Museum. The rain became heavy as I left the museum but I knew I wasn’t ready to return to the hostel. The taxi driver had told me that the surrounding neighborhood of Coyoacán had restaurants and arts and crafts vendors. That was all he needed to say for me to brave the elements and throw my jacket over my head.

Typical baskets of Central Mexico.

Typical baskets of Central Mexico.

I LOVE the surprises of turning down an alley and finding a huge colorful mercado full of people searching for dinner, shopping or getting out of the rain. The colors and fragrances from the many stalls made me a happy Torta.

Wouldn't you love to have this in your neighborhood?

Wouldn’t you love to have this in your neighborhood?

I wandered up and down the aisles, poking my head in the shops to ooo and ahhh.

Some stalls had organic produce.

Some stalls had organic produce.

I wish I had taken more pictures, but sometimes it is necessary to breathe in an experience without recording it. I found a food stall for dinner and reluctantly returned to the hostel as I was getting tired and still had a trip to California waiting the next day. The room was ok. I managed to sleep and make my early flight. I have made reservations for my return at another location. On Tuesday I return to Mexico. It’s been wonderful to visit my daughter and her family. It’s time to finish our house so that we can be here in the fall for the birth of our grandson. Besides, I miss my sweetheart Lisa.

Healdsburg, CA

Healdsburg, CA

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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.

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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.

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

Here comes the sun.

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.

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.

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

Mayan Goddess

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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.

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.

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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

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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.

Visiting Celestun from Mexico City.

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

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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.

A ride through the mangrove tunnel.

We stopped to visit a fresh water spring.

Clear reflection.

Clear reflection.

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

Natural fresh water spring.

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.

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.

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.
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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

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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.

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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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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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