What a week, and the craziness continues. Now Everardo has the flu I had for 2 weeks, and I still have the cough. He's at the worst point right now I think, so hopefully he'll start to feel better tomorrow (fingers crossed). Well we made a decision that we are definitely moving Jan 31. So we looked at the house in the camp our current realtor has, and we thought it was $450, but it turns out it's only $350. But there's a casita in the back where a kid (20 something) lives and we would have to share the utilities with him. he also smokes, which I really hate....So he said when asked, that he filled his pila (water tank) every month and it was the size we don't have to refill for 2 months! Next door, and thru a waist high cyclone fence are about 5 dogs- one of them this huge dog named Molly who barked the entire time we were there. She was like a geat dane, only filled out like a boxer or some other meaty dog. So anyway- $350 means $385 because Irka has this plus 10% policy of the lease is less than a year- that's why we paid our whole 6 months in advance here to avoid that 10%. We looked inside and it was ok, only one bathroom, but all in all a nice house, so we decided to think about it. She also showed us another place, but it was a no as soon as we got there.
So I need to back up. We decided over the weekend that we were going to move for sure. Monday I went to this meditation meeting ( I liked it and want to try to go every Monday..and it's my favorite price- free), and I mentioned we are looking for a place. This guy named David says- what are you talking about? A new place? Oh right below us is a house for $300. Ok great when can I see it? How about now? So we went to his place, which is really nice. His partner is a contractor and they bought the place in 2005 I think and basically gutted it and rebuilt. Really beautiful in a Mexican style with lots of nice pieces of art and color, He called the guy who owned the house that's for rent, and he agreed to meet me at 3pm. It was about 2 hours before, so I had a nice visit with a new friend, Joanne. She came with me to see the place, and well, it had lots of character, but sadly, no stove, no fridge. It was one big room for kirchen and living room, then a hallway with a bedroom, and the one bathroom in the hall. Even needing the stove and fridge we might have considered it, but no fence. It is one a hillside, about a block and a half up from the main road, with a gorgeous view of the estuary, but no fence is not going to work for us with our doggys. Sam, maybe, but Hazel is no way trust worthy yet, and it would be a huge hassle, so we crossed it off the list.
Oh I didn't mention that Monday about 4am, Everardo left for San Luis to renew our car registrations, and thought he might be back same day- if everything went smoothly and quickly. HA HA silly man this is Mexico. It took him 5 hours to get up there and then stand in a line of about 100 people. To find out that he had to go to Puerto Penasco because he didn't have a San Luis address, so he couldn't process it there. Now this makes no sense to me, because not all towns have a gov't office in which to renew car registration, but that's what they told him. So 2 or 3 more hours driving to get to Penasco to stand in another line where his number was something like 62. Well as I have seen in many Mexican gov't offices where you're waiting, there's boredom waiting, there's confusion and angry words over who's next, there's those who come in filled with their own self importance and want to be next....only 2 windows open for a room full of people...well sometimes, just once in a while really, things work out- Everardo was standing around, and it was after 5pm and they weren't letting anyone else in, there was much discussion, and a woman behind the counter waved Everardo over and took care of him...and they were only on about 27 or something ha ha. Anyway he did not make it home until Tuesday, so I saw the hillside house on my own. The cool thing was though, that the guy told me to hang onto the keys until I could show it to my husband! He had never met me, but he said -you know David so I know you! He was so nice it was kinda hard to say no thanx after Everardo and I looked at it together, but he was fine and I gave David the keys last nite.
Ok- so after that, I saw a post in the local newsletter about 2 bungalows for rent very cheap. I called and we said we'd see them the next day. Oh and that $400 trailer we were gonna see last Sunday?? ha ha ha ha It was not a trailer, it was an rv, sitting in a dirt drive...$400? You know the Americans are the worst for overcharging! For everything- houses, food, even used items ha ha what a joke. The next morning we went looking for the 2 bungalows. She said at the beginning of camp 9, too bad she didn't say across the street! So we followed this dirt road around and up and up...ha ha another adventure! We could finally see that we had come the wrong way as we hit camp 9. So we tried to follow a different road going out- it looked like we could follow it and come out at the Bufadora. Ha ha wrong, we were in the car not the truck and the road started to have huge ruts in it and we were crawling and bumping around...until we came to a fence! We had to turn around on a narrow road on a cliff! Scraping the sides of the car on these sharp bushes...kinda scary, but the laughing kind- we would have only fallen down the mountain onto more mountain, we were not on the cliffs above the ocean at this point. We got back to the main road, and then spotted the 2 small houses across the road. We called the number, but the woman had told us she would be in Ensenada and have her son be down there, so there was no answer and he was not around. However we noticed the barbed wire fence had a huge gap so we walked thru it and over to look at the houses. You know, the word bungalow conjurers up a picture in your mind, a comfy little place, maybe made of wood, maybe a fireplace. But these were two really small concrete block houses, one so skinny I couldn't understand how it must have been laid out. So it was a NO. But wow the view! They sat overlooking the bay we live on now, but almost at the open ocean. You could see forever. The tuna rings and the boats all around them were right down there. Yes the view was amazing. I guess you could sit and look all day.
Oh and the tuna rings; I was just told this week that it's a tuna farm. That they catch tuna in the ocean, little ones, and they bring them to the rings to grow bigger. But I also just read an article about tuna and the consumption of the blue fin tuna in Japan, and it was talking about how something like over 80% of the tuna caught and exported to Japan was caught before it hit reproductive age, so how can they survive?
So, on the way back from there I asked Everardo to go back to the ugly carpet house in La Jolla so I could ask the kid some questions about the utilities- it was not resting easy with either of us this whole sharing the utilities. So we went over there and I talk to the guy. He told me that he didn't know how much his utilities were because he just gave Irka extra money along with his rent every month. I asked- but you don't know how much it is? He said no, that he asked but she didn't tell him (in my opinion- shame on him for not insisting). I asked him if he was open to not having Irka pay his bills, they we would get them and review and pay, he said yes, but he also thought it was an HOA (homeowners association) requirement to have a phone, and to use their garbage and pay them. I looked at him and asked HOA?? Are you nuts? This is Mexico they don't give a shit if you have a phone or not or where you dump your trash! Actually even in the states I have never heard of an HOA dictation anything about phones....But after all this conversation, I left feeling less confident about it instead of better. We decided we wanted to see the mobile home again. We went to see it and I started to see the possibilities. Everardo already liked it. This time I looked for where we could walk the dogs if we didn't want to walk on the beach. We decided, after everything we saw...that this little mobile home was a great deal- only $250 and the water is free. (not the drinking water of course).
We were supposed to sign the next day, and stopped by the place that gets mail from the states, and while we were talking to her she said she rented places and wanted to show us a house with a trailer attached. That's very common here..a house, and one wall is not there, but a trailer of some size is. I've seen a couple, and the one my friend Meryl lives in is really cute. So we looked at each other (almost laughing because how many houses can we see?) and said sure. So we went over there, and it's really close to this house, but in a different camp and you can walk right to the beach. But she didn't have the key so we just walked around. It had a big yard and a nice view of the mountains and we were hopeful. But a couple of hours later, we saw it and it didn't even had a bedroom...it was a big no. Oh and during that couple of hours, we went to the grocery store and saw our friend Tim- he's actually the guy who turned us on to the mobile home, and we chatted, he told us about a house that would be for rent in Feb, but it's in Rancho Packard, another camp that is down a cliff- dirt roads with no real beach access, and when it rains hard for a couple of days, you cannot get out. We had already decided we didn't want to live in Rancho Packard so we never even went to look over there. We said goodbye but as we drove out of the parking lot he waved us over and said he forgot about another place for rent for $300 in Cantu (next little tiny town to us), so we followed him. Well he went up a hill on a road we hadn't been on, but then made a left and went back to a road we had been on, ha ha he took us to the same house we saw earlier this week- the one with no fence (& no stove or fridge)! I still had the keys so we looked again anyway. Then we went back and saw the house with the trailer attached.
So, I didn't not relate all that in perfect order, but where it ends is, yesterday, Friday, at 3pm, we signed a 6 month lease for the mobile home. We paid one month and the equivalent as a security deposit. We don't start paying until Feb 1, but we get to start moving in Jan 15. It doesn't have any furniture or curtains, so we need to get curtains up first thing. Oh and another thing I forgot- I spoke again to Irka and we are getting our unused rent back, but we do have to pay the 10% for the three months we are here, so we owe $150, and she's also making us pay her back for 2 months of the $25 fee we paid the devil woman for our beach and home access. I'm tempted to ask for that back..but probly better not to interface with her- bad karma.
Today I went into Ensenada to the noon AA meeting and then to a big fabric store one of the people in the meeting told me about. I think I found the perfect material for the curtains- for 4 windows and maybe all of them (2 more in the bedrooms & the sliding glass door). My plan was to put them up and then I'll try to hem all the sides on set at a time, but Everardo told me when I got home today he knows a guy who sews in Ensenda so yippee I won't have to try!
Well Poppi has woken up from a nap, still feeling lousy. The dogs are in asleep at our feet, they haven't seen the new place yet- oh man Sam is going to be so happy when he sees the beach out the back door. I think I'm all caught up, on activities...more about how I feel about everything next time. No- now. I feel really good. Maybe even serene...calm, that this is going to be good, great even. I have not been happy for the past couple of months in this house- I mean I'm really happy in this area, in Baja, just not our exact spot, the big cold house, all the stairs, and the lovely criminal family here. Not all of them are criminals, and like Everardo said, nothing bad happened to us- but I feel more like the saying- hang around the barbershop long enough you're gonna get a haircut. We haven't been robbed...yet. And that bitch, all smiley- yeah easy to smile when you steal my money. So enough of the negative vibes- it's all an adventure. And I'm lovin' it! Viva
Mexico fun fact:
The highest mountain in Mexico is Pico de Orizaba, a dormant volcano that reaches 5,636 metres (18,491 ft) above sea level.
So I need to back up. We decided over the weekend that we were going to move for sure. Monday I went to this meditation meeting ( I liked it and want to try to go every Monday..and it's my favorite price- free), and I mentioned we are looking for a place. This guy named David says- what are you talking about? A new place? Oh right below us is a house for $300. Ok great when can I see it? How about now? So we went to his place, which is really nice. His partner is a contractor and they bought the place in 2005 I think and basically gutted it and rebuilt. Really beautiful in a Mexican style with lots of nice pieces of art and color, He called the guy who owned the house that's for rent, and he agreed to meet me at 3pm. It was about 2 hours before, so I had a nice visit with a new friend, Joanne. She came with me to see the place, and well, it had lots of character, but sadly, no stove, no fridge. It was one big room for kirchen and living room, then a hallway with a bedroom, and the one bathroom in the hall. Even needing the stove and fridge we might have considered it, but no fence. It is one a hillside, about a block and a half up from the main road, with a gorgeous view of the estuary, but no fence is not going to work for us with our doggys. Sam, maybe, but Hazel is no way trust worthy yet, and it would be a huge hassle, so we crossed it off the list.
Oh I didn't mention that Monday about 4am, Everardo left for San Luis to renew our car registrations, and thought he might be back same day- if everything went smoothly and quickly. HA HA silly man this is Mexico. It took him 5 hours to get up there and then stand in a line of about 100 people. To find out that he had to go to Puerto Penasco because he didn't have a San Luis address, so he couldn't process it there. Now this makes no sense to me, because not all towns have a gov't office in which to renew car registration, but that's what they told him. So 2 or 3 more hours driving to get to Penasco to stand in another line where his number was something like 62. Well as I have seen in many Mexican gov't offices where you're waiting, there's boredom waiting, there's confusion and angry words over who's next, there's those who come in filled with their own self importance and want to be next....only 2 windows open for a room full of people...well sometimes, just once in a while really, things work out- Everardo was standing around, and it was after 5pm and they weren't letting anyone else in, there was much discussion, and a woman behind the counter waved Everardo over and took care of him...and they were only on about 27 or something ha ha. Anyway he did not make it home until Tuesday, so I saw the hillside house on my own. The cool thing was though, that the guy told me to hang onto the keys until I could show it to my husband! He had never met me, but he said -you know David so I know you! He was so nice it was kinda hard to say no thanx after Everardo and I looked at it together, but he was fine and I gave David the keys last nite.
Ok- so after that, I saw a post in the local newsletter about 2 bungalows for rent very cheap. I called and we said we'd see them the next day. Oh and that $400 trailer we were gonna see last Sunday?? ha ha ha ha It was not a trailer, it was an rv, sitting in a dirt drive...$400? You know the Americans are the worst for overcharging! For everything- houses, food, even used items ha ha what a joke. The next morning we went looking for the 2 bungalows. She said at the beginning of camp 9, too bad she didn't say across the street! So we followed this dirt road around and up and up...ha ha another adventure! We could finally see that we had come the wrong way as we hit camp 9. So we tried to follow a different road going out- it looked like we could follow it and come out at the Bufadora. Ha ha wrong, we were in the car not the truck and the road started to have huge ruts in it and we were crawling and bumping around...until we came to a fence! We had to turn around on a narrow road on a cliff! Scraping the sides of the car on these sharp bushes...kinda scary, but the laughing kind- we would have only fallen down the mountain onto more mountain, we were not on the cliffs above the ocean at this point. We got back to the main road, and then spotted the 2 small houses across the road. We called the number, but the woman had told us she would be in Ensenada and have her son be down there, so there was no answer and he was not around. However we noticed the barbed wire fence had a huge gap so we walked thru it and over to look at the houses. You know, the word bungalow conjurers up a picture in your mind, a comfy little place, maybe made of wood, maybe a fireplace. But these were two really small concrete block houses, one so skinny I couldn't understand how it must have been laid out. So it was a NO. But wow the view! They sat overlooking the bay we live on now, but almost at the open ocean. You could see forever. The tuna rings and the boats all around them were right down there. Yes the view was amazing. I guess you could sit and look all day.
Oh and the tuna rings; I was just told this week that it's a tuna farm. That they catch tuna in the ocean, little ones, and they bring them to the rings to grow bigger. But I also just read an article about tuna and the consumption of the blue fin tuna in Japan, and it was talking about how something like over 80% of the tuna caught and exported to Japan was caught before it hit reproductive age, so how can they survive?
So, on the way back from there I asked Everardo to go back to the ugly carpet house in La Jolla so I could ask the kid some questions about the utilities- it was not resting easy with either of us this whole sharing the utilities. So we went over there and I talk to the guy. He told me that he didn't know how much his utilities were because he just gave Irka extra money along with his rent every month. I asked- but you don't know how much it is? He said no, that he asked but she didn't tell him (in my opinion- shame on him for not insisting). I asked him if he was open to not having Irka pay his bills, they we would get them and review and pay, he said yes, but he also thought it was an HOA (homeowners association) requirement to have a phone, and to use their garbage and pay them. I looked at him and asked HOA?? Are you nuts? This is Mexico they don't give a shit if you have a phone or not or where you dump your trash! Actually even in the states I have never heard of an HOA dictation anything about phones....But after all this conversation, I left feeling less confident about it instead of better. We decided we wanted to see the mobile home again. We went to see it and I started to see the possibilities. Everardo already liked it. This time I looked for where we could walk the dogs if we didn't want to walk on the beach. We decided, after everything we saw...that this little mobile home was a great deal- only $250 and the water is free. (not the drinking water of course).
We were supposed to sign the next day, and stopped by the place that gets mail from the states, and while we were talking to her she said she rented places and wanted to show us a house with a trailer attached. That's very common here..a house, and one wall is not there, but a trailer of some size is. I've seen a couple, and the one my friend Meryl lives in is really cute. So we looked at each other (almost laughing because how many houses can we see?) and said sure. So we went over there, and it's really close to this house, but in a different camp and you can walk right to the beach. But she didn't have the key so we just walked around. It had a big yard and a nice view of the mountains and we were hopeful. But a couple of hours later, we saw it and it didn't even had a bedroom...it was a big no. Oh and during that couple of hours, we went to the grocery store and saw our friend Tim- he's actually the guy who turned us on to the mobile home, and we chatted, he told us about a house that would be for rent in Feb, but it's in Rancho Packard, another camp that is down a cliff- dirt roads with no real beach access, and when it rains hard for a couple of days, you cannot get out. We had already decided we didn't want to live in Rancho Packard so we never even went to look over there. We said goodbye but as we drove out of the parking lot he waved us over and said he forgot about another place for rent for $300 in Cantu (next little tiny town to us), so we followed him. Well he went up a hill on a road we hadn't been on, but then made a left and went back to a road we had been on, ha ha he took us to the same house we saw earlier this week- the one with no fence (& no stove or fridge)! I still had the keys so we looked again anyway. Then we went back and saw the house with the trailer attached.
So, I didn't not relate all that in perfect order, but where it ends is, yesterday, Friday, at 3pm, we signed a 6 month lease for the mobile home. We paid one month and the equivalent as a security deposit. We don't start paying until Feb 1, but we get to start moving in Jan 15. It doesn't have any furniture or curtains, so we need to get curtains up first thing. Oh and another thing I forgot- I spoke again to Irka and we are getting our unused rent back, but we do have to pay the 10% for the three months we are here, so we owe $150, and she's also making us pay her back for 2 months of the $25 fee we paid the devil woman for our beach and home access. I'm tempted to ask for that back..but probly better not to interface with her- bad karma.
Today I went into Ensenada to the noon AA meeting and then to a big fabric store one of the people in the meeting told me about. I think I found the perfect material for the curtains- for 4 windows and maybe all of them (2 more in the bedrooms & the sliding glass door). My plan was to put them up and then I'll try to hem all the sides on set at a time, but Everardo told me when I got home today he knows a guy who sews in Ensenda so yippee I won't have to try!
Well Poppi has woken up from a nap, still feeling lousy. The dogs are in asleep at our feet, they haven't seen the new place yet- oh man Sam is going to be so happy when he sees the beach out the back door. I think I'm all caught up, on activities...more about how I feel about everything next time. No- now. I feel really good. Maybe even serene...calm, that this is going to be good, great even. I have not been happy for the past couple of months in this house- I mean I'm really happy in this area, in Baja, just not our exact spot, the big cold house, all the stairs, and the lovely criminal family here. Not all of them are criminals, and like Everardo said, nothing bad happened to us- but I feel more like the saying- hang around the barbershop long enough you're gonna get a haircut. We haven't been robbed...yet. And that bitch, all smiley- yeah easy to smile when you steal my money. So enough of the negative vibes- it's all an adventure. And I'm lovin' it! Viva
Mexico fun fact:
The highest mountain in Mexico is Pico de Orizaba, a dormant volcano that reaches 5,636 metres (18,491 ft) above sea level.
