Yucatan Appreciation Drive

I recently read an article on Yolisto that I felt should be passed along, I asked the two authors, Yolisto Khaki and Reg Deneau if they would allow me to pass this on to my loyal readers. Both graciously allowed me to reprint it. Please take the time to read this and take it to heart.

First from Khaki.............

This past week or so, many of us got an e-mail that was originally written by Reg Deneau, the Administrator of M.E.L.L. In that e-mail, he eloquently described the effect of lost tourism on the people of Yucatan and asked that we all pitch our extra money into anything we can think of that will help the local economy. That was when we thought the cruise ships would be back at the end of May or by June 20 at the very latest. Now - things have changed yet again.

The CDC has (evidently) decided that Mexico is now a safe nation to visit, as has its counterpart in Britain. This opens the way for cruise ships to dock here again - except... most of the cruise lines have already redirected tours and booked passengers, so only Carnival will be back this summer. Carnival will return to the Mayan Riviera on May 28 and then go on to Cozumel. Only after that will they return to their regular schedule. Norwegian says it won't be back until September and Holland America won't be back until October. This means that a living wage is not going to be in the near future for many Yucatecos and our participation in the economy will be all the more important.

Even though most of our local readers have probably gotten Reg's Ramblings in an e-mail, we are going to reprint it here with "Urgent" and "For the Foreseeable Future" added to his observations and recommendations.

Now this from Reg....

We are all very much aware of the recent health concerns in Mexico and the rest of the world in relation to H1N1, swine flu, Mexican flu…whatever the media and the World Health Organization would have us call it…
For the most part, we have all been fortunate, as has the Yucatan, in that none were incapacitated as a result, at least physically.
Once again, certain media in certain countries have used this opportunity in another attempt to bash Mexico and Mexicans in general. Whether it be the drug wars, unfortunate deaths of tourists, unsafe produce or impure water, kidnappings, murders, etc. out families and friends grow increasingly alarmed for our daily safety and well-being. Our own governments in Canada and the USA caution us and potential tourists about traveling anywhere in México. With one brush they paint Mexico as unsafe and unhealthy.
We have had friends return to Canada recently whose families have ‘quarantined’ them for a week in their own homes. A grandmother was told that she could not visit her grandchildren for at least ten days after her recent trip to México. There are likely many other such stories.
The ultimate result of all of this is that the Yucatan and Merida that many of us now call home is suffering greatly economically!
Hotels with no rooms booked and/or canceled reservations, restaurants not serving meals, stores not getting buyers, theaters and movie houses being shuttered, services not being utilized, archaeological sites not being visited, taxis and busses not been used, galleries and museums with no visitors, cannot afford to pay their staffs or remain open. Without those jobs, individuals and families will ultimately suffer from this downward spiral.
We all make our homes here at least part of the year. Many of us have incomes from the USA and Canada which may or may note be impacted by our respective economies. Yes, many have invested heavily and showed their commitment to the Yucatan and Mexico by purchasing and remodeling homes, demonstrating our faith in the area. We know that it is an incredible place in which to live!!!

Our adopted home and its people need our help in this hour…

Over the next 60 days, won’t you consider (if you are able) –

1. Spending a special night in a hotel or B and B with your significant other?
2. Going out for dinner at least once a week? Take some friends? Give the wait person 5 percent more tip than you normally do (where deserved).
3. Parking your car and using a taxi or a local bus to go to the market, stores, cinemas, etc.?
4. Visiting a gallery, museum or one of the wonderful archaeological sites? (even if you have been before).
5. Buying tickets to the theater, symphony, and movies or just supporting the many wonderful local music events which are free?
6. Making sure you say “Gracias” at least five times a day, as well as “Buenos Dias” to strangers on the street, accompanied by a smile?
7. Hiring a local person to do some job that you have been putting off? (Tip the street cleaners as they clean your street).
8. Donating used clothing, food, etc. to a local charity like Caritas or the Chicxulub Food Bank (If you have not worn it in two years, pass it along).
9. Giving that street person, red flag man, the folks who solicit money at traffic lights, etc. just a few pesos to help the less fortunate?(even if you have doubts about where the proceeds really go).
10. Inviting your Yucatan neighbors for lunch or dinner.
11. Buying your produce at the local market?
12. Eating pork? (properly cooked, of course).
13. Buying a piece of local art or handcraft made in the Yucatan?
14. Attending a Leones baseball game?
15. NOT buying imported items?
16. Buying an I Love Yucatan bumper sticker and putting it on your car. Show you care.

My friends, we can make a difference. Many of you already do some of these things in your own special way! Sometimes we need a little reminder. Our conscious efforts are urgently needed and will be greatly appreciated!

Finally, send ALL of your family and friends in the USA and Canada an email letting them know how inaccurate are some of those media reports which have been making their way north. We are safe, healthy and happy and proud to call the Yucatan and Mexico our home! Send a copy to your hometown newspaper..

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Feel free to pass it along to other members of the international community in Merida and the Yucatan.

Reg Deneau

Now my own personal observations from an expat who lives at the beach.....

The beach area has been hit exceptionally hard in the past year, the local people here make their living in only a few ways, they fish, they do construction work, they take in laundry and they have small restaurants and stores. First there was the red tide that hit us last summer, the fisherman were out of work for weeks, then the government imposed higher gasoline prices so when they were able to go out and fish the profits were significantly less, with the rise of the dollar, food prices have gone up, this isn't fair for the locals who only deal in peso's. If you are an expat recieving dollars it has been a good year, the dollar went up to nearly 15 to 1. But the local people are paying the price, they are hand to mouth. These people work for anywhere from $10 to $30 a day, and they haven't had steady work for a year. For any of you looking to do renovations, adding a pool, there are plenty of capable workers here at the beach who need your help desperately. They are willing to work for you and will do a good job, please give them the opportunity! There are no food stamp or welfare programs here, if you don't have work, you don't eat. Take a break and patronize your favorite restaurants, have an extra beer, every little bit helps.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, I know it is more serious than is normally my nature, but this is my community and I love it and I love the people here. Unfortunately I don't have a pension yet or Social Security yet which means that I work for peso's also. But, I can always find a few extra pesos to buy a little extra fruit at the market or an extra chicken to give to a family that needs it, please, whether you live here or are just visiting, show your appreciation for our local people, they are the reason that have this small piece of paradise!


My view of paradise, another beautiful sunset from my deck. Now you see what I ain't to proud to beg! Please do whatever you can do to help our local people!

Thanks, Chillin' in Chelem!

The Hidden Beauty in the Yucatan

Today was a monumental day for me, I was able to get up and take a nice beach walk with hubby and the doggies. It seems as if it has been forever that I have been laid up in my bedroom recuperating. During my walk I looked at everything with fresh eyes, almost as if it were the first time. I was able to newly appreciate the sights, sounds and smell of the beach and the native plants along the way. I have been in a bit of dead zone trying to think of things to post about while just laying in bed and looking out of the window. Today brought back all the reasons why I love it here so much! I want to share my walk with you through pictures that I took. I hope that you enjoy them. Chillin' in Chelem.

This is the view from the front of my house, it is a small hotel, only about 6 rooms. The owners are sooo nice, we can go over, hang out in their pool, lay in their chairs on the beach and have food and drinks delivered to us.

The beach was beautiful this morning, the sun shining on the water made it sparkle like diamonds.

To the west of us is this jetty, it protects the beach from storms and keeps the sand from eroding.



Doug had the rare day off from selling real estate and was able to go with the dogs and me. Here he is telling them to go get the coconut.


On the way back I stopped and took pictures of all the flowers that I saw, they were gorgeous, thriving even in the salt air.












Now I remember why Doug and I moved here to this beautiful place. I think having a break really was good for me, I appreciate it so much more. There are so many people that dream of living the life that we do. Statistics say that more people are leaving the USA than ever before in the history of the states, I know why! International Living magazine voted the Yucatan as the number one retirement haven in the world last year. It truly is a "hidden jewel." Warm breezes and cold beers coming at ya from Chelem.

SO YOU WANT TO MOVE TO THE YUCATAN.........PART TWO

I hope that everyone had a great weekend and a Happy Mother's Day! I had calls from both my boys and spoke with my Mom at length so all went well here. Also my "mexican family," came over with a flower arrangement as well as a couple of friends, so all is great in paradise!

I have been thinking about part 2 of my moving to the Yucatan series, I have so many things to say that I am having a hard time getting it all organized. Today I think I'm just going to talk about the little everyday questions, things that we take for granted back home. I don't feel like going into legal issues of crossing borders, visa's etc., will save that one for another time. So, here goes:

People always ask me, "Can I drink the water?" The answer is simple, NO! We use bottled water for everything, ice cubes, making jello, drinking etc. Some people here have city water, some have wells, we have both. The reason being sometimes (not often) the city seems to run out of water and none is pumped to your house. We have the well as a backup. Our well water is slightly salty, we live so close to the beach, and I hate to use it, but it works fine for flushing, washing etc. We use bottled water for making coffee and cooking. Bottled water is delivered to our doorstep 2-3 times weekly and costs us about 12 pesos (less than a dollar) for the big 19 liter bottle.

Next: trash pickup. Here along the beaches of the Yucatan, trash pickup is virtually non exisitant we have a guy who comes buy every 7 -10 days and gets our trash. But most people don't, they bundle it up and take it to the dump. Burning seems to be allowed, I certainly see enough of it, but I hate the smell and it has been so dry here that I certainly wouldn't recommend it.

Another thing, we don't flush our toilet paper here. Can you believe it? We all have small waste paper baskets beside the toilet and that's where it goes. That one took me a long time to get used to. I don't totally understand the workings of this, why or why not, Doug does, you could ask him. I don't really find discussions on septics and drain fields all that stimulating. Most of us follow the adage of it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down. Needless to say, we empty the trash in our bathrooms alot!

Hot water is considered an amenity here. Many homes along the beaches and in the cities of Mexico don't have hot water, it's normal. When we moved here we had our house replumbed so that we could have hot showers and hot water at the sinks. Generally speaking if you buy a home here unless it has been updated by an American or Canadian you won't have hot water. We have a construction crew that works for us as well as some of our friends and clients. In all honesty we are in the real estate business, not construction, but our guys do such a good job for us we like to keep them working. We would be glad to introduce you to them or make recommendations on other contractors.

Another amentity is an oven, most people simply use cooktops or little portable electric burners for all of their cooking. I wanted an oven, I mean how can I make brownies or roast turkeys without one? Many Mexican dishes are sauted or grilled so ovens aren't the norm.

If you are any kind of medication besides narcotics, you don't need a prescription. Just write it down and take it to the local pharmacy and they will fill it for you. I am talking about meds for chloestral, high blood pressure, Viagra, birth control pills, antibiotics etc. However here in the Yucatan they just don't fool around with heavy duty pain killers, Valium, oxycontin etc. If you need something like that you must see a doctor and get a prescription.

And finally most us us have gecko's that live in our house. No screaming now! They are cute, stay up high around the corners of your walls or behind wall clocks and eat mosquitos and flies. I welcome them, natural bug control! Speaking of bugs........we are not a cock roach infested country as people may think, I have seen one in my house in over a year and a half. I lived in Florida back in the 80's and had my house exterminated every month trying to keep the foul things away. They don't seem to show up much around the beach area. I feel sure that the one that saw got brought in with some boxes of stuff that I had purchased.

I just found out that Mexico is being considered by the Discovery Channel for a possible chance of being in the Amazing Race. Here is the link where you can vote for it. Please take time to do that if you love Mexico as much as I do. There has been so much negative publicity lately, I would love for people to see the many beautiful and positive things that this country has to offer.

Another beautiful sunset from my buddy, Star


My son, Justin and his girlfriend Chrissy, dancing on the beach!
So until next time, warm breezes and cold beers coming at ya from Chelem, remember if you are interested in property here, check out our site!

SO YOU WANT TO MOVE TO THE YUCATAN..........PART ONE

I have been receiving so many calls and emails about how things are done here and everyday life that I have decided to start a series on everyday life and customs in the Yucatan. Please feel free to ask questions and I will answer them in future posts.

Most of us that have been to Mexico on vacation envision ourselves there, living the good life, laying on the beach with a frosty cocktail in hand while someone is cleaning our home and watering our tropical plants for us. Those of us that live here have a name for those dreams, Margarita Madness! Yes we do live in a beautiful, tranquil paradise, yes we can hear and smell the ocean, go for beach walks, pickup shells and starfish and dine out on fresh seafood or half of what it costs back home. Yes, real estate and taxes here are a fraction of what we are used to paying, but it is not all Utopia. It takes a special person to be able to pickup and move to a different country. If it were easy, everyone would do it! I have put together some thoughts that I have on the subject, mostly in response to questions that I get from our real estate and property/construction management clients. Others are just observations from Doug, our friends and myself.

First of all you are not in your native country, you are a guest in someone else's. No one here really cares what you had or how you did things back home. Whether you have alot of money or not doesn't impress the locals or the expats here. The bank doesn't care, the electric company doesn't care and most people you meet don't care. What matters here are a smile and a nice polite, positive attitude.

Second this is a totally different culture; the local people are not going to change just because you showed up. They are going to continue to do things the same way that they have always done them. They don't have the most up-to-date tools and machinery, most of them don't even have cars. They are happy working with the same tools that they have always used and done a good job with. They know how to do it their way and it works for them. They are kind and generous to a fault, willing to share whatever they have to offer from their simple lifestyle. They quietly laugh among themselves at the gringos that come here flaunting their money and aspirations of changing the whole state of the Yucatan. The Mayan people are known to be great builders, look at the Mayan Ruins, Chichen Itza is one of the new seven wonders of the world. They built it all without our gringo advice. They are also artists and farmers, gentle kind people. Ask them for advice on how to grow your garden. To this day they continue to work wonders without all the fancy gadgets that we use. If you want them to build something for you or fix something for you, be specific in what you want, leave them alone and they will do a great job for you. Start micromanaging them and they will politely quit and go somewhere that their talents are appreciated.

Next, Spanish is the native language here, not English. Lea trn to say a few things in Spanish and it is so appreciated. Start with the basics, please and thank you, this is a polite country please respect that. How many times back home did we make comments, "If they're gonna live in my country they need to speak English." The same applies here in reverse, my Spanish is horrible but I can make myself understood and I'm learning more all the time. When you initate a conversation here it is customary to start of with How are you, how is the family, would you like something to drink, it's a nice day isn't it? Don't just start off with "This is what I want you to do today," it just isn't polite. Don't worry about your Spanish skills, try to learn a little everyday, people love to help you with it. Then just get out there and try!

The Yucatan isn't for everyone, if you are a Type A personality, impatient, demanding, a whiner or crybaby and complainer or if you expect it to be just like where you came from but cheaper, you proably won't make it here, if you do you won't be happy!

Everything moves at a slower pace, thats why we moved here, right? We don't pay ou local bills online; we actually go to the phone company, stand in line and pay it in person, same with the electric company and satellite TV. They have implemented online bill paying but I have been trying to figure it out (it's in Spanish, duh!) for a few months and have decided that it's just easier to go in person. Paying bills can take the better part of the day, prepare yourself mentally, put on a big smile and just get it done. You can always relax with a cocktail once you've finished!

I guess that it all goes back to the old adage of having to give something to get something. Give your new life a chance, come here with a great attitude, try to learn something new everyday and remember this is Mexico! You are not in Kansas anymore Toto! I love living in the Yucatan, I never want to leave it: in my heart I'm living the American Dream in Mexico!


Another reason I love it here, I can grow orchids in my front yard!

Being Sick in the Yucatan

Well I have just been released from the hospital, but not from having the swine flu! I had some female related surgery, but now I am home and ready to stay in touch with friends and followers. I wish I had news on what is going on with the swine flu, but am a little out of touch, however I do know that there are no cases in the Yucatan, I questioned my surgeon at length. I was just reading an article about the flu on another blog and thought that it was excellent so here is the link to it. It is written right in Merida and is up to date.

I have raved for years about the medical care in Merida but have never been hospitalized, now I can talk first hand about that experience. To begin with unlike many of the bloggers that I follow from the Riveria Maya area my spanish is nowhere near perfect. I speak normal everyday spanish, drinking spanish, eating spanish, real estate and construction spanish. The idea of going thru a series of lab work and tests, being admitted to the hospital and having surgery without being able to say anymore than "I don't want any pain please," scared the bejesus out of me. Thank goodness a good friend of mine introduced me to a lady named Teresita. Teresita is a medical social worker that provides transportation, translation, fills prescriptions and goes with you to any appointment that you have. She is fully bilingual being from Belize her first language is English. She went to all my appointments and listened to all my concerns and explained everything to me, throwing in personal comments, stories about her family and places that she had been. What a gem. She doesn't have a set fee for her work, you pay her what you can, she works with extremely wealthy client to those that pay her with a pot of soup.

After having blood work, mammograms and a series of poking and prodding exams Teresita, Doug and I head back to my doctors office for a reading of the results. It appears that I need to be admitted immediately and have surgery the same nite! Oh Crap, I am so scared! Teresita and Doug took care of all the admittance paper work while I was taken to my room and prepped for surgery. The room was great, private, with a nice bed for Doug to spend the nite. I was in surgery for 5 1/2 hours and woke up in recovery at 3:30 in the morning. Teresita is by at 7:00 am to check on me and then back that afternoon. The nurses were attentive and the hospital was quiet, unlike any other that I have ever been in. My private room overlooked a lovely terrace filled with tropical flowers, the meals were good and visitors allowed until 10:00, excluding children and pets. All in all as good as an hospital experience can be.

Now was the next scarey issue, payment........ Doug and I had been putting off getting Mexican health insurance, not because of the cost, but because we had been so busy with real estate and property/construction management. Here in Mexico, they will admit anyone into the hospital, but won't let you leave until you pay up, kinda wacky isn't it? So. I had a 5 1/2 hour surgery that included 4 different procedures ( I won't go into them for the sqeamish that may be reading), 2 nites in a private room and many meds. Total cost in dollars a little less than $3400 and that includes all followup visits! I think thats a heck of a deal! Of course if I had taken the time and paid the $300 a year for mexican insurance it would have been free!

Now I am home and bed bound for the next 2-3 weeks, my friends have been gathering around me more than I could have possibly believed, they have brought fresh fruit, salads, chicken, chicken salads, watered my plants, sent flowers, sent ecards and so many other things that I can't name it all! Next post I want to send out personal thanks to all, until then warm breezes and cold beers coming at you from the Yucatan, the most wonderful place in my world!

Books and Reading in Paradise

As of all you that know me know, I am an avid reader, I'll read most anything, cereal boxes, spanish newspapers whatever. Whenever I have friends coming to visit I always beg for books. It is really hard here to find current books in English and I bemoan the fact to my poor husband daily. I have been under the weather since Sunday, bedbound and down, this isn't supposed to happen in Paradise! Being able to do nothing but sleep and read I have now gone through every book I have thats worth a darn. When my friend First Mate Mary was here she showed me an amazing new device. Amazing at least to those of us who have been in Mexico for the past 6 years. It's called an Amazon Kindle, it allows you to download and read books of your choice whenever you want. If you are in the US it is all done wireless, here in Mexico you need to download to your computer and then to your Kindle. It automatically saves your place when you quit and is the same size or smaller than a normal paperback. You simply touch a button and it turns the "page." Wow, I think I have to have one. Unfortunately the price is bit prohibitive for those of us who live on pesos, about $359. But I will start saving up and then I'll never be without books again. I have posted a link on my blog if you are interested in buying one, if you buy it from my link it will give me a few bucks to save up for the purchase of mine and it is the same price as buying it from Amazon. In the meantime a friend of mine sent me a link to download and read the Twilight series on my laptop, if you are interested here it is:
http://janmckingley.googlepages.com/twilightmoviesandbookseriesebook2

Meanwhile here in the Yucatan, the place is jumping! The Easter week celebration is going on like crazy according to Doug. Remember, I haven't been out of the house all week to see it. Doug went in town this afternoon to try to catch up with the owner of a house that we sold a couple of weeks ago, it is getting ready to go to closing and the new owner is anxious to get some furniture moved in since they are coming down soon . The normal timeframe for a trip into town is about 2 minutes, Doug was gone over an hour, he said that traffic was bumper to bumper, the town square was full of venders, selling food, shoes, shirts, leather goods and more. There is a circus in Progreso and Doug saw 9 trucks go by full of white Bengal tigers, camel, lions etc. The rodeo is in full force and there is dancing in the streets. People are decked out in their finest local costumes and having a great time. Across the street at the little nine room hotel, we had a car count today of 23. What has happened to my quiet little village? But it will all be over on the 20th and peace and quiet will reign again! Will try to get some pictures of the festivities to you all soon, enjoy the holidays! Warm breezes and cold beers coming at ya from the sunny Yucatan!

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 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!

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!