Carnival in Chelem

Carnival is the latin American version of Mardi Gras. In Merida our capital it is a huge affair! Here in our little fishing village it is smaller and has more of a family feel. Last night was Fat Tuesday, the official end of Carnival until next year. If you are thinking of moving or visiting here, carnival is always a good time to come and see all the locals out having fun!




And another little monster!
Our friends Marta, Yomara and Eduardo
Carnival Float
Me, with one bunny and two little kittens
Marta and Yomara
Again!
And they don't just ride burro's in Chelem they ride horses

The Bull Pen

Doug and I have another favorite spot! This time it a newly opened bar and restaurant in Chelem called the Bull Pen. Patrick and Robert have owned the place about a year and have finally managed to get through all of the licensing requirements to serve food, beer and liquor. They opened up a couple of weeks ago and already have the support of the expat community as well as the locals. The Bull Pen is a huge place with both inside and outside seating and a rooftop terrace to watch the baseball games with an ice cold cerveza. The menu is limited, mostly tacos, tortas, hotdogs, cheeseburgers and such. One thing that really sets it apart in our community is that they serve breakfast, they are the only place in town! The have pancakes, bacon, omlettes and today they are trying something new, Eggs Benedict! How yummy, Mary and Neil, Doug and I are going to try it out we are meeting up there at 9:30. I'll take pictures, in the meantime I'm going to post some of Friday nite where a few of us met for drinks and taco's . That is Robert in his carnival costume!

Chillin' in Chelem

Back in the days when I still lived in US I used to wonder what my days would be like if and when I ever moved to Mexico. Remembering those thoughts I decided to describe an ordinary day in our lives. This morning we got up, made coffee and sat on terrace drinking it and watching the sun shine on the Gulf of Mexico. Then it was time to answer all my real estate emails, I spent a couple of hours answering questions about buying property in Mexico and what the area is like. Meanwhile Doug was on the phone with clients, helping them with places to stay while they are here to view property, arranging airport pickup and other things they may need during their visit. By now my dogs are getting frantic, wondering what is going on, when is their beach walk going to happen. Time to take a break and get a little exercise! After our walk along the beach it is time for breakfast and then off to check on clients homes for them. First we head to Chuburna to visit with friends that arrived late last nite and make sure that they have all that they need. Then off to check some construction that our crew is doing at Colleen and Earl's place our friends from Canada that are coming down the middle of next. Now off to Chelem to check out Dan and Deronda's new place. Took pictures of all of the above to send off when we get home. Now as we are riding by the Bullpen a new restaurant that just opened we see our friend Julie having lunch so stop in to say "HI". Now it's back on the road, heading east to Chixculub to check on our good buddies Don and Jodie's home. All seems well everywhere, ahhhhh an easy day! We get back home and I put a new listing on the mayanliving website while Doug tries to get a contract signed and faxed on it's way to Saint Pete. Send pix off to everyone that needed to have pix. Now it's 5:30 and about time to relax have dinner, do a final walk with the dogs and relax with a cocktail!

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza and other things

A very good friend of mine came to visit me this past week. Jan is from Texas but has lived on the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize for the past 5 years. We met and became fast friend while I was living there. A couple of weeks ago I got an email from her saying that she was coming to Merida to have her annual medical checkups and wanted to get together. I couldn't wait! Now Jan is a real powerhouse, always on the go so I had to rest up at couple of days to get ready for her. I met her on Friday morning in Merida at 7:00 am and off we went to visitr Chichen Itza. I've lived here 6 years and never made the trip, it was just gorgeous, no wonder it's one of the new 7 wonders of the world! After a full day there we got back to my place at 6:30, cleaned up and then off to dinner and a sock hop at a local restauraant, we really didn't want to dance, only eat. The next day we ran into Progreso, looked around, shopped, had a couple of cocktails and then started preparations for a mexican valentines day party at my house. Finished off the night with a couple cocktails and then to bed because she headed out to Playa Del Carmen this morning. Now I need to get back to my real job of selling real estate!

Real Estate in the Yucatan

think that I've mentioned that my husband and I sell real estate here in Mexico. We work for a company called www.mayanliving.com. It is owned by an American and has been in business for the past 8 1/2 years, mainly selling homes in Merida However in the past two years the place has started to explode. Merida and the beaches of the Yucatan have been voted "Retirement Haven of the World" by International Living. This is due to many factors, the excellent health care in Merida, the beautiful beaches, and cost of living. Unlike our neighbors to the south in Central and South America the Yucatan has virtually no crime. Here it is still possible to buy your dream home at a reasonable price. The economic uncertainity world wide has in no way slowed down the market here, in fact more and more people are turning to Mexico to stretch their retirement dollars. Over and over we hear people say, " We wish we had bought 10 years ago in Playa Del Carmen"......fill in the blank with whatever place, we all have one! Well now is the time to buy here, the secret is a secret no longer. Invest in the Yucatan while it is still affordable! Check out todays featured listing! Only $225,000 USD

Why do I live in Chelem?

Many of my friends can't understand why I would leave "the good life" in the US and move to a developing country such as Mexico. The answers for me are very simple, I want a quieter better life, I couldn't afford to buy property on the beach back at home, here in the Yucatan the beach life is attainable for the average person such as me, there are so many less rule here, basically just don't do anything to hurt anybody, the cost of living is much less so our dollars or pesos stretch much further and finally the people here are some of the best people I have ever meet. The Yucatan is kind of a separate entity, the local people are of Mayan descent, they are artists, farmers and cooks. They have a very laid back and welcoming attitude to us gringos, they go out of their way to help, smile and joke with you, even if your Spanish is limited.

We went last week to pay our house taxes - $36 for the year, can you believe it? Our house is a work in progress, a 2 story, 3 bed, 2 bath one house off from the beach. Every month we do one more project to turn it into our dream home. We don't worry about crime or drugs here, that just hasn't come to this sleepy little village yet, I leave my doors unlocked and keys in the car, just as my parents did in years past. I go to the local market and buy fresh fruits and veggies and fresh squeezed juices. I love my life here! Please let me know if you have any questions about the area, I'm am always happy to help anyone considering a move or simply a vacation!

Living the Dream

This is the first post and a trial effort at making a blog for fun, information and a little money. After nearly 50 years of living and working in the US we decided it was time to pack up and spend the rest of our lives where it is warm and sunny, the people are nice and the rum flows freely. Sort of living the life that Jimmy Buffett sings about! We started out in Playa Del Carmen, moved over to the island of Cozumel and then to San Pedro, Belize. Finally we settled on a small village on the Gulf of Mexico called Chelem. This is a small fishing village of about 5200 people, full of local flavor, outdoor seafood restaurants, fresh fruit and vegetable markets and a laid back lifestyle. It is a place that seems to have been untouched by the hands of time. Stay tuned in to learn more about living the good life, what to expect if you move, cultural differences and making money in a foreign country.