I had heard there were lots of fireworks here down at the beach on 4th of July. It's a long weekend and the town started filling up on the 3rd. I logged onto a local web forum for expats living here and read of a couple of places to watch them. Hmmm nope. I heard speculation that it will be tonite (Friday) or maybe tomorrow nite, but I guess I'm over it. We did see some people letting off the type that shoot straight up real high, and then make a big noise...but no colors. That's ok. We had fun, driving around in this big dune buggy thing with 4 wheel drive...
These friends of ours; Deb and Rick came and picked us up about 8pm and we drove from beach to beach to beach in this crazy dune buggy thing. The streets were really crowded and all the places that rent the 3 wheeled motorcycles, dune buggys and things were all sold out, so the party had started even without fireworks. It was fun to drive around in that thing and finally we went to the Monarcha Michocana- they have ice cream and paletas (ice cream on a stick), made with real fruit, the best lemonade in the world and other juices they make right there like jicama, coconut, ochata (sp), differetn berries. Anyway they always seem to be on a corner; they have a roof over the work area, over the products, but the chairs are basically on the sidewalk. We sat and chatted for over an hour getting to know each other. They're pretty interesting and we know them from the community center I teach at and Poppi works with dogs. They want to start a business down here and I would love to get involved...he's kicking around ideas as different as packaging this tiny pepper that Japan will buy all they can get of, and doing something with solar....and everything in between. But they seems to be a good business savvy couple....
I think there's alot of opportunity here. This city crashed and burned. I have written previously about the unfinished hotels and condo buildings, all the houses for sale...office/store space for rent. I just keep listening and reading and there are so many opinions about what's coming next, but everyone seems to be in agreement that this year there's been more people (tourists) here than the past 5 years. I'm reading and hearing that the cruise ship port is a done deal, that infrastructure is starting...that will brings jobs and people. In fact with my students we are working on conversations like taking people's orders at a fast food place like McDonalds and a sit down restaurant, next maybe checking into a hotel...
The airport is now international, meaning flights from Vegas, Tuscon, and somewhere else further east I think...So it would seem Puerto Penasco is in recovery mode. But then I also read on this forum, and I think (strongly-I think) these people are all retirees, but maybe somehow they're "in the know", that the cruise ship port will never come to fruition. They also comment in a negative way all the reasons it's a bad idea...like we already have a stressed water system, electricity problems, etc. So- I'm just waiting to see. But I can't see how new jobs can do anything but help.
I always write about San Rafael, where the community center is and how the people there are struggling to survive, to eat. But as I drive around town, I see struggling everywhere. Maybe those who are retired and live in the nice condos by the beach, and really just interact with other expats, don't travel away from the main downtown area; after all there's a grocery store nearby...and there's lots of activities always going on. Fishing derbys, concerts, art shows, bathtub races, (silly fun stuff), charity dinners...don't get me wrong, people do donate alot to the community centers, to 2Fish, who also feed people, to many organizations. But once you get away from the beachfront and the line of condo resorts, the gated communities of Las Conchas and Playa Encanto, where there are huge houses- of which many are for sale, and most are only populated part time...vacation houses- once you get away from that, well you have "middle class" and then the really poor. And middle class might only mean your house is not made of cardboard or mismatched planks of wood. Well our house is made of cement blocks, and we're lucky cause it's insulated or we'd be dying from the heat right now (ha ha).
Mexico is a poor country- or at least I believe the majority are poor. I don't like that I have gotten used to seeing the poverty in which so many live. But I also see people with pride, with integrity, who may live in a shack, but their children are polite and their clothes are clean and pressed. I'm making a couple of friends down at the ovavlo; well when the Zumba class actually happens I usually chat a little, but when I'm walking I'm in my own little music world ha ha. Now my husband has told me even another interesting thing, well to me puzzling...He knows people who are vendors here, on the beach or even that have a stand somewhere, who have made alot of money, and are still making money, but they live in one of those shacks. Why? You know most people do own their lot that their shack is on. A funny strange fact is that in Mexico almost everybody owns their house outright- no mortgage..the percent of people is some really high number (that number escapes me)...if you have that lot, many people start with a shack, and every time they have a little money they add a little, some concrtet blocks or bricks. Some houses end up with a funny configuration (like ours), but it's a house, their house. Out in San Rafael there are some bigger houses, put together over time, by people who struggle to eat. So I guess there's all kinds of people, eh?
We heard we can buy 2 lots for $2500 out in San Rafael. wow right? But for us right now we can't buy anything, we need to sell the other house, and we have no idea when/if that will be. One good thing we just saw in some Guerrero news online is that water is coming to Playa Ventura. That could make it a more desirable place to buy a beach house, so we'll see. We never ran out of water because our house has 2 cisterns, and it rained so much they were never low. And here, well Everado talk about buying a couple of lots and building an adobe house, but maybe we'll find something already built that maybe we'll just want to add/change or leave be. I've been in a couple of houses here in el centro that I like very much, so when we're ready I think there will be lots of options for us. Well ok that brings us back to the subject of the cruise ship port- will prices begin to rise again...probly is my opinion, but one lesson you MUST learn in Mexico is patience. And apparently I haven't learned it because it just keeps coming up for me ha ha!
Ok Lucky puppy has not grown too much in a week, since now he's only about 4 weeks old, but he has a little personality and has won our hearts- ok he had mine the second I laid eyes on him, but Poppi is now enchanted, and Sam is even starting to come around ha ha. Lucky follows Sam around and tries to eat from his bowl and chew his huge cow leg bone....but still needs to go out in the middle of the nite- well actually they're both sleeping outside, but Lucky cries about 4:30 am and needs a little TLC...
Ok fun fact:
The National University of Mexico was founded in 1551 by Charles V of Spain and is the oldest university in North America.d
These friends of ours; Deb and Rick came and picked us up about 8pm and we drove from beach to beach to beach in this crazy dune buggy thing. The streets were really crowded and all the places that rent the 3 wheeled motorcycles, dune buggys and things were all sold out, so the party had started even without fireworks. It was fun to drive around in that thing and finally we went to the Monarcha Michocana- they have ice cream and paletas (ice cream on a stick), made with real fruit, the best lemonade in the world and other juices they make right there like jicama, coconut, ochata (sp), differetn berries. Anyway they always seem to be on a corner; they have a roof over the work area, over the products, but the chairs are basically on the sidewalk. We sat and chatted for over an hour getting to know each other. They're pretty interesting and we know them from the community center I teach at and Poppi works with dogs. They want to start a business down here and I would love to get involved...he's kicking around ideas as different as packaging this tiny pepper that Japan will buy all they can get of, and doing something with solar....and everything in between. But they seems to be a good business savvy couple....
I think there's alot of opportunity here. This city crashed and burned. I have written previously about the unfinished hotels and condo buildings, all the houses for sale...office/store space for rent. I just keep listening and reading and there are so many opinions about what's coming next, but everyone seems to be in agreement that this year there's been more people (tourists) here than the past 5 years. I'm reading and hearing that the cruise ship port is a done deal, that infrastructure is starting...that will brings jobs and people. In fact with my students we are working on conversations like taking people's orders at a fast food place like McDonalds and a sit down restaurant, next maybe checking into a hotel...
The airport is now international, meaning flights from Vegas, Tuscon, and somewhere else further east I think...So it would seem Puerto Penasco is in recovery mode. But then I also read on this forum, and I think (strongly-I think) these people are all retirees, but maybe somehow they're "in the know", that the cruise ship port will never come to fruition. They also comment in a negative way all the reasons it's a bad idea...like we already have a stressed water system, electricity problems, etc. So- I'm just waiting to see. But I can't see how new jobs can do anything but help.
I always write about San Rafael, where the community center is and how the people there are struggling to survive, to eat. But as I drive around town, I see struggling everywhere. Maybe those who are retired and live in the nice condos by the beach, and really just interact with other expats, don't travel away from the main downtown area; after all there's a grocery store nearby...and there's lots of activities always going on. Fishing derbys, concerts, art shows, bathtub races, (silly fun stuff), charity dinners...don't get me wrong, people do donate alot to the community centers, to 2Fish, who also feed people, to many organizations. But once you get away from the beachfront and the line of condo resorts, the gated communities of Las Conchas and Playa Encanto, where there are huge houses- of which many are for sale, and most are only populated part time...vacation houses- once you get away from that, well you have "middle class" and then the really poor. And middle class might only mean your house is not made of cardboard or mismatched planks of wood. Well our house is made of cement blocks, and we're lucky cause it's insulated or we'd be dying from the heat right now (ha ha).
Mexico is a poor country- or at least I believe the majority are poor. I don't like that I have gotten used to seeing the poverty in which so many live. But I also see people with pride, with integrity, who may live in a shack, but their children are polite and their clothes are clean and pressed. I'm making a couple of friends down at the ovavlo; well when the Zumba class actually happens I usually chat a little, but when I'm walking I'm in my own little music world ha ha. Now my husband has told me even another interesting thing, well to me puzzling...He knows people who are vendors here, on the beach or even that have a stand somewhere, who have made alot of money, and are still making money, but they live in one of those shacks. Why? You know most people do own their lot that their shack is on. A funny strange fact is that in Mexico almost everybody owns their house outright- no mortgage..the percent of people is some really high number (that number escapes me)...if you have that lot, many people start with a shack, and every time they have a little money they add a little, some concrtet blocks or bricks. Some houses end up with a funny configuration (like ours), but it's a house, their house. Out in San Rafael there are some bigger houses, put together over time, by people who struggle to eat. So I guess there's all kinds of people, eh?
We heard we can buy 2 lots for $2500 out in San Rafael. wow right? But for us right now we can't buy anything, we need to sell the other house, and we have no idea when/if that will be. One good thing we just saw in some Guerrero news online is that water is coming to Playa Ventura. That could make it a more desirable place to buy a beach house, so we'll see. We never ran out of water because our house has 2 cisterns, and it rained so much they were never low. And here, well Everado talk about buying a couple of lots and building an adobe house, but maybe we'll find something already built that maybe we'll just want to add/change or leave be. I've been in a couple of houses here in el centro that I like very much, so when we're ready I think there will be lots of options for us. Well ok that brings us back to the subject of the cruise ship port- will prices begin to rise again...probly is my opinion, but one lesson you MUST learn in Mexico is patience. And apparently I haven't learned it because it just keeps coming up for me ha ha!
Ok Lucky puppy has not grown too much in a week, since now he's only about 4 weeks old, but he has a little personality and has won our hearts- ok he had mine the second I laid eyes on him, but Poppi is now enchanted, and Sam is even starting to come around ha ha. Lucky follows Sam around and tries to eat from his bowl and chew his huge cow leg bone....but still needs to go out in the middle of the nite- well actually they're both sleeping outside, but Lucky cries about 4:30 am and needs a little TLC...
Ok fun fact:
The National University of Mexico was founded in 1551 by Charles V of Spain and is the oldest university in North America.d
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