When we first moved to Mexico, the first house was partially furnished, i.e., it had a stove, fridge, and a dining room table and chairs. So no need to bring appliances with us nor any need to immediately shop for appliances. [We did bring our washer and dryer with a propane conversion kit for the dryer which we had installed once we were here.]
When we moved to our second house it was completely unfurnished: no stove, no fridge, no nuthin'. We even had to seal the tile floors before moving in, add cabinets in the kitchen, light fixtures (of course), cabinets under the bathroom basins, custom mirrors to fit the ceramic frames on the walls, et cetera.
So we went cheap, buying appliances from private parties listing on the Civil List (more about that at some point in the future). The fridge was a good purchase - still working and larger than the one in our first house. When we moved to the current house, our range was fine at first, but eventually began to leak propane, so we started turning off the gas supply at the control in the wall. [I frequently forgot this step and Michael's nose would tell him to check the kitchen!]
We recently checked the ole bank balance (on the occasion of an appliance sale at Mega - July is ale month!) and decided it was time for a new stove. We are happy to announce that we now have a Frigidaire estufa! Not only was the sale price reasonable, but the features are great: 1) the stove has a hinged glass top that is very cool*; 2) the entire oven door is of reflective glass that still allows you to peek inside when the 3) oven light is illuminated; 4) the controls include the stove-top burners (6 burners of various sizes to fit your various pots) as well as 5) a built-in timer, 6) the aforementioned oven light control, 7) the electronic ignition switch (not automatic, but better than our hand-held lighter) and 8) a cast iron grill for the stove top. [*We had heard that the hinged glass top was required as a safety issue because it shut off the gas supply when it was lowered into place, but I don't think that was true. But it sure looks cool and keeps the top of the stove a bit cleaner.]
Plus the stove features a broiler!!! Many stoves here in Mexico do not, there's just a cabinet area to raise the stove top to counter height. But we have a real broiler - though the oven control calls it a 'grill'...go figure! And, wonder of wonders, the stove has a contraption that automatically pulls the oven racks forward when the door is opened so it's simpler to check what you're baking! [This seems to be my exclamation point paragraph!]
So we're very happy with the stove and think it looks cool. We gave our old stove to our housekeeper, who said her husband simply tightened up some connections inside the stove and the gas leak disappeared! Glad she'll be able to continue to clean for us and not be found gassed to death in her home.
As for the fridge it's working well; trips to Costco stress the freezer area to hold everything we bring home, but the next size up may not fit in the area of the kitchen it's in - and an automatic ice maker is superfluous as there is no water on that side of the kitchen. Although the main floor guest bathroom is close enough that a line could probably be run from under the bathroom sink through the wall and along inside the base cabinets.... We'll see if we get an extension on our lease next spring before we invest the money on plumbing!
And that brings to mind the need for a whole-house water filtration system. The water in our part of town is rather hard; the sinks and toilets would certainly look better with filtered/softened water to prevent the scale build-up. And Michael could eliminate cleaning the water filter built into the clothes washer from his monthly chores! Without that task, the flow of water into the washer is dramatically slowed and a load of wash takes forever to finish.
Unfortunately we've already told the landlord that we hope to replace the tile counters in the kitchen, so that should be first on our list of projects - right after moving the switches for the backyard lights to the inside of the living/dining rooms. Why go outside and fumble around in the dark for the switches? (We also told them that we would like to replace the fiberglass tub in the master bedroom bath, but it's set in a concrete-and-tile surround, so that may be staying just as it is. Perhaps new coat of fiberglass paint?)
Ah, well; life is good!
Monday, July 21, 2014
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Permanente vs Temporal
"Emergency" the subject line read. The email, from Michael who had gone into Centro for a Spanish lesson, immediately caught my attention.
"Emergency" What could it be? A million possible causes raced through my head. Last year when we applied for our 4th Residente Temporal permit, we started the process before we left, so we had a travel letter from INM which had to be stamped both going and returning to Mexico; we found the various offices and got it done. At that time we had been told that this year - when we would be out of the country when our Temporal expired and we would need to file for our Permanente permit, we could leave the country when it was still valid and return after it expired, then file for the Permanente within 5 days of returning. Easy-peasy.
The 'emergency' is that Michael had talked to the facilitator we used and just learned that we could no longer do that! There was no longer any forgiveness. If you weren't in town to file for your Permanente on the day it expired, you were up a particular creek without a paddle. Leave the country and start over again with a Temporal.
As it turns out, one can file for the Permanente at a Mexican Consulate in another country, do the preliminary paperwork, get the visa, and then return to Mexico and visit INM and carry on with the process. Of course, the ability to skip the financial proofs of stability disappear under that plan. And since we were concerned about whether we'd have enough income to satisfy the requirements, there was a lurch in our tummies.
We will be out of the country on a Caribbean cruise during August (we knew this last year because we plan ahead for these things) when our Temporal expires. INM doesn't allow anyone else to stand in for you on that expiration date if you're gone; can't send a facilitator. You must start over at a Mexican Consulate in your home country or another country where you are legally permitted to visit.
Visas for Mexico (the Residente Temporal and Permanente are not strictly visas, but most people think of them as such) fall into a few different categories: The FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple) is used by most tourists when entering Mexico. The form is also used by those holding various other visas to track exits and entrances to the country. Visas have certain time-out-of-country limits.
Our August cruise to the Caribbean is followed by several days in Walt Disney World (how can you go to Florida and not visit WDW?), so we looked up the consulate in Orlando as a possibility. It's not like we've never been to the World before; we could miss a day or two of our stay for a Permanente visa!
As it turns out, Orlando is a very good possibility. After exchanging several emails with their very helpful Visa staff, we learned that the procedures they follow are fairly simple. Although consulates should follow the same rules around the world, not all of them do so. There have been similar situations among INM offices here in Mexico. For one thing, the financials vary in amount. The amount needed for Orlando is more than the amount in our book on immigration (which is calculated based on the minimum daily wage in Mexico City for a particular number of days), however they do reduce the amount for a family-related second person who is applying for the Permanente visa at the same time (again, it's not really a visa, but most people refer to it as if it were). With that reduction - and our marriage license to prove that we are married - we can easily qualify. If we had been in Mexico when our Temporal expired, INM would have skipped the financial requirement.
So with proof of our retirement benefits that we've collected in the past year, our apostiled marriage license, our US passports, a new passport-sized photo for each of us, and the appropriate fees, we'll be in business. We must make sure that the immigration officer at the Mexico City airport when we return marks our FMM for 30 days, not 180, and also marks the 'Canje' (Exchange) box. Then we have 30 days after returning to Mexico to contact INM about exchanging our consulate-issued visa for a 'real' Residente Permanente.
We have friends who have done the process themselves while still in Mexico (there's a store across the street from INM who will take photos and prepare the paperwork for a reasonable fee), but we will most likely use our last facilitator. If Michael hadn't seen him in Starbucks and asked him about our new visas, I wonder when he would have told us? [When we had returned to Mexico and went to see him - too late???] We also were in luck that Orlando has a consulate and they will be able to handle things all in one trip to their offices.
Wish us luck!
[I know, you were expecting the promised post on our new estufa. Soon, soon....]
"Emergency" What could it be? A million possible causes raced through my head. Last year when we applied for our 4th Residente Temporal permit, we started the process before we left, so we had a travel letter from INM which had to be stamped both going and returning to Mexico; we found the various offices and got it done. At that time we had been told that this year - when we would be out of the country when our Temporal expired and we would need to file for our Permanente permit, we could leave the country when it was still valid and return after it expired, then file for the Permanente within 5 days of returning. Easy-peasy.
The 'emergency' is that Michael had talked to the facilitator we used and just learned that we could no longer do that! There was no longer any forgiveness. If you weren't in town to file for your Permanente on the day it expired, you were up a particular creek without a paddle. Leave the country and start over again with a Temporal.
As it turns out, one can file for the Permanente at a Mexican Consulate in another country, do the preliminary paperwork, get the visa, and then return to Mexico and visit INM and carry on with the process. Of course, the ability to skip the financial proofs of stability disappear under that plan. And since we were concerned about whether we'd have enough income to satisfy the requirements, there was a lurch in our tummies.
We will be out of the country on a Caribbean cruise during August (we knew this last year because we plan ahead for these things) when our Temporal expires. INM doesn't allow anyone else to stand in for you on that expiration date if you're gone; can't send a facilitator. You must start over at a Mexican Consulate in your home country or another country where you are legally permitted to visit.
Visas for Mexico (the Residente Temporal and Permanente are not strictly visas, but most people think of them as such) fall into a few different categories: The FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple) is used by most tourists when entering Mexico. The form is also used by those holding various other visas to track exits and entrances to the country. Visas have certain time-out-of-country limits.
- The FMM, when endorsed by an immigration officer, grants stays of up to either 30 days or 180 days. When it expires, one must leave the country and re-enter on a new FMM. There are people living in SMA who have never gone beyond this point. They simply return to the states and obtain a new FMM every six months. The process allows them an opportunity to do some shopping at their favorite stores!
- The Residente Temporal is a one-year visa that can be renewed for up to a total of four years. The initial Temporal is issued for one year; after that you can continue one year at a time or go for up to three more years in one fell swoop. Then you need to leave the country and re-apply for a Temporal at a consulate before returning unless you opt for the Permanente, which requires that you apply immediately upon the expiration of your Temporal or leave the country and go through a consulate.
- After four years on a Temporal you may apply for the Residente Permanente visa which doesn't require annual renewals and thus no annual fees. It costs more but there aren't those pesky annual renewal fees. The amount of time you are permitted to be out of the country is also longer. If you or someone in your family has a health issue, for instance, that requires long, involved treatment, you want to have the Permanente visa.
Our August cruise to the Caribbean is followed by several days in Walt Disney World (how can you go to Florida and not visit WDW?), so we looked up the consulate in Orlando as a possibility. It's not like we've never been to the World before; we could miss a day or two of our stay for a Permanente visa!
As it turns out, Orlando is a very good possibility. After exchanging several emails with their very helpful Visa staff, we learned that the procedures they follow are fairly simple. Although consulates should follow the same rules around the world, not all of them do so. There have been similar situations among INM offices here in Mexico. For one thing, the financials vary in amount. The amount needed for Orlando is more than the amount in our book on immigration (which is calculated based on the minimum daily wage in Mexico City for a particular number of days), however they do reduce the amount for a family-related second person who is applying for the Permanente visa at the same time (again, it's not really a visa, but most people refer to it as if it were). With that reduction - and our marriage license to prove that we are married - we can easily qualify. If we had been in Mexico when our Temporal expired, INM would have skipped the financial requirement.
So with proof of our retirement benefits that we've collected in the past year, our apostiled marriage license, our US passports, a new passport-sized photo for each of us, and the appropriate fees, we'll be in business. We must make sure that the immigration officer at the Mexico City airport when we return marks our FMM for 30 days, not 180, and also marks the 'Canje' (Exchange) box. Then we have 30 days after returning to Mexico to contact INM about exchanging our consulate-issued visa for a 'real' Residente Permanente.
We have friends who have done the process themselves while still in Mexico (there's a store across the street from INM who will take photos and prepare the paperwork for a reasonable fee), but we will most likely use our last facilitator. If Michael hadn't seen him in Starbucks and asked him about our new visas, I wonder when he would have told us? [When we had returned to Mexico and went to see him - too late???] We also were in luck that Orlando has a consulate and they will be able to handle things all in one trip to their offices.
Wish us luck!
[I know, you were expecting the promised post on our new estufa. Soon, soon....]
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Rainy Season is upon us! [with Pix!]
I know you've been wondering "Where's the weather report" so here it is!
May (and sometimes April and June, too) is our rainy season here in San Miguel. And it hasn't disappointed this year. At first we really knew it was here because we got the dregs of Hurricane Christina from off the western coast of Mexico. Lots of thunder and lightning - it sounded as if Peter Stuyvesant's crew was at nine pins again. Rolling thunder and appropriate flashes of lightning, some rather close judging from the CRASHES we both heard and saw simultaneously!
After a few days the rain cleared out, sunshine in abundance was again present, and we could sleep through the night - except for the heat. Out came the fan! Gotta say that for the altitude: when it's sunny you know it. Walking into town we almost always head for the shady side of the street, unless it's already crowded with other folks walking. If it's too crowded we put up with a bit of sun.
Never noticed a place where there was so much difference between sun and shade. It may be quite hot in the sun, but you walk into a shady patch and it's instantly cooler. Guess the sun doesn't heat up the atmosphere easily, just what it falls upon. [Note to self - Think about shade for the roof-top terrace, especially over the master bedroom....]
But it was obvious the rainy season was really upon us when it began to rain again. This time it was daily and mostly later afternoon and evening. There were a few days when it really poured for most of each day but it's now settled into the more traditional pattern.
Michael mentioned that the city workers were out in force a couple of days ago after a particularly long rain, scooping up the mud that had flowed down the libramiento and settled in the glorieta, making traffic rather dicey.
The house is holding up to the onslaught pretty well. What should you expect from a concrete house? Only leaks wherever there's an opening! If the winds blow from the west there is a certain amount of water that's blown under the threshold of the roof-top door that drips down the stairs. We have one of those cute stuffed fabric snakes to cure that, but there's sometimes a bit of leakage from around the windows surrounding the door. Guess it's time to get a new tube of silicone from Mega and attack those panes. At least we don't have the leaking skylights like our first house (which we stopped leaking into our computer room with said tube of silicone).
One of the members of our Wednesday morning koffee klatch is looking after a house and renting it out for a friend. Since he's an American he's tackling the leaking skylight/windows problems himself. If you landlord were Mexican, the renter would be fixing it himself; it's as if you owned the house. The only time we called a landlord was with the house before this one (it was recently built) and we let the landlord know when the water heater leaked into the walls. Otherwise, we fix things ourselves or call a maintenance guy. Julian is our friend!
Our first house has recently come up on the market at a reasonable price. I would have tried to work out something with the owner if it only had a garden for the dogs. Heck, we would have stayed there if it had the garden. That was the primary reason we moved away - and the band next door who practiced and practiced and practiced! Maybe they're better by now - or moved away.
The more usual pattern of rainfall does make it easy to fall asleep to the gentle patter of raindrops - though I do miss some of the thunder and lightning. The dogs do not agree....
Addendum -- Yesterday (June 30th) we had a storm that was pretty strong where we live, but even more rain was dumped in Centro. Here are some pictures that were published on Facebook. The first is of rainwater cascading down the steps at one corner of the Jardin (the central garden stop in Centro, opposite the Parrochia church); the Jardin is level at the Parrochia side but, like most things in San Miguel, is built on a hill; the second picture is of the corner opposite those steps where the local (and only) Starbucks is located. We frequently are seated in the window to the left of the waders.
Next time - our new estufa de piso -- that's 'range' to you!
May (and sometimes April and June, too) is our rainy season here in San Miguel. And it hasn't disappointed this year. At first we really knew it was here because we got the dregs of Hurricane Christina from off the western coast of Mexico. Lots of thunder and lightning - it sounded as if Peter Stuyvesant's crew was at nine pins again. Rolling thunder and appropriate flashes of lightning, some rather close judging from the CRASHES we both heard and saw simultaneously!
After a few days the rain cleared out, sunshine in abundance was again present, and we could sleep through the night - except for the heat. Out came the fan! Gotta say that for the altitude: when it's sunny you know it. Walking into town we almost always head for the shady side of the street, unless it's already crowded with other folks walking. If it's too crowded we put up with a bit of sun.
Never noticed a place where there was so much difference between sun and shade. It may be quite hot in the sun, but you walk into a shady patch and it's instantly cooler. Guess the sun doesn't heat up the atmosphere easily, just what it falls upon. [Note to self - Think about shade for the roof-top terrace, especially over the master bedroom....]
But it was obvious the rainy season was really upon us when it began to rain again. This time it was daily and mostly later afternoon and evening. There were a few days when it really poured for most of each day but it's now settled into the more traditional pattern.
Michael mentioned that the city workers were out in force a couple of days ago after a particularly long rain, scooping up the mud that had flowed down the libramiento and settled in the glorieta, making traffic rather dicey.
The house is holding up to the onslaught pretty well. What should you expect from a concrete house? Only leaks wherever there's an opening! If the winds blow from the west there is a certain amount of water that's blown under the threshold of the roof-top door that drips down the stairs. We have one of those cute stuffed fabric snakes to cure that, but there's sometimes a bit of leakage from around the windows surrounding the door. Guess it's time to get a new tube of silicone from Mega and attack those panes. At least we don't have the leaking skylights like our first house (which we stopped leaking into our computer room with said tube of silicone).
One of the members of our Wednesday morning koffee klatch is looking after a house and renting it out for a friend. Since he's an American he's tackling the leaking skylight/windows problems himself. If you landlord were Mexican, the renter would be fixing it himself; it's as if you owned the house. The only time we called a landlord was with the house before this one (it was recently built) and we let the landlord know when the water heater leaked into the walls. Otherwise, we fix things ourselves or call a maintenance guy. Julian is our friend!
Our first house has recently come up on the market at a reasonable price. I would have tried to work out something with the owner if it only had a garden for the dogs. Heck, we would have stayed there if it had the garden. That was the primary reason we moved away - and the band next door who practiced and practiced and practiced! Maybe they're better by now - or moved away.
The more usual pattern of rainfall does make it easy to fall asleep to the gentle patter of raindrops - though I do miss some of the thunder and lightning. The dogs do not agree....
Addendum -- Yesterday (June 30th) we had a storm that was pretty strong where we live, but even more rain was dumped in Centro. Here are some pictures that were published on Facebook. The first is of rainwater cascading down the steps at one corner of the Jardin (the central garden stop in Centro, opposite the Parrochia church); the Jardin is level at the Parrochia side but, like most things in San Miguel, is built on a hill; the second picture is of the corner opposite those steps where the local (and only) Starbucks is located. We frequently are seated in the window to the left of the waders.
Next time - our new estufa de piso -- that's 'range' to you!
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
The Path Between the Seas
I guess I forgot to write a trip report on our Panama Canal cruise; oops! Well, we went on a Panama Canal cruise with Disney (who else?). Started with an overnight stay at the Courtyard by Marriott which is attached to the Mexico City airport (Benito Juarez). There's nothing like getting a good night's rest before an early morning check-in. There's an elevated walkway between the hotel and the terminals; all quite civilized.
A fairly uneventful flight to Miami - if you don't count the jocks who decided to sit in our exit row (without paying the extra fee, thank you). After arrival in Miami and going through the Immigration and Customs formalities, we made our way out to the curb and flagged down the hotel's shuttle. Checked in at the Crowne Plaza, ate dinner there (they were at least trying...), and crashed. We had faxed the hotel about an early shuttle to the Port of Miami, but the concierge person went missing, so we went outside and took a taxi. Actually, two taxis were fighting over who would take us to the Port. Not sure the right one won, but we got there pretty quickly and were dropped off somewhat near the proper place.
The cruise itself was just fine. We met up with some folks from the cruise's Facebook page and chatter away while waiting for the terminal to open - then full speed ahead to check-in. Missed the chance to upgrade from the depths of the ship to something with a balcony by about 5 people in line. However, it turns out our cabin was fine: same size, still had two small portholes for daylight, and the first floor was close to the entrance/exit for shore excursions!
Speaking of shore excursions we got off in Key West and went hunting for a particular sandal shop. Found the shop, got the sandals (we wear them around the house a lot), and then decided to walk to the point furthest south in the United States. Did I mention that it was hot and humid? Well, we finally reached the place, took some pix, and walked back into downtown and to the ship to cool off.
The other shore excursion we enjoyed was in Cartegena, Columbia. We'd gone on Segway excursions before at WDW, DLR, and in Nassau, but I had grown too old for the ones provided by the cruise line. One of our fellow cruisers had found a place in downtown Cartegena that had no age limit, so we booked a tour with them. It was a gas! Not only did we zip around to all the interesting points in downtown, surprising a few pedestrians on the way, but we zipped around on top of the old city walls! Once on top of the walls it was a simple matter to navigate, but getting up on top of the walls was a challenge. The ramps were short and quite steep. To get the Segways up the ramp, we had to increase our speed by leaning forward -- to the point that I felt like I was going to skin my nose! I'll skip ramps in the future!!!
The Canal itself was interesting. Disney had brought a former pilot on board to talk about the history and working the Canal each day leading up to the transit. Thought it might be boring, but no way! Great fun.
Before we reached San Diego the ship stopped in Puerto Vallarta and Cabos San Lucas. Visited our favorite beach in PV; our resort in Cabo.
Then it was time to disembark in San Diego. We were going to walk to the Amtrak station, but decided to take a taxi instead (time was short). Rode the train to Anaheim and taxied to our hotel. Zipped over to Disneyland and met up with our first group of friends (we hadn't seen one of them in four years since we left SoCal). Then met up with some Club members at 1901 (one of the Platinum members walked us into the lounge), re-met our earlier friends for dinner and finally went back to the hotel. The next day we met another friend for dinner at Carthay Circle; it was yummy. Then we headed back to the hotel to pack and be ready for the ride to LAX for our flight to Mexico City. We didn't go to the Club because it's being extensively renovated to enlarge the kitchen and add an additional lounge in Disneyland. Slated to open July 18th - six months after it closed (we were expected to pay the entire year's dues, of course).
Once we made it home (flight to Mexico City, bus to San Miguel) we said hello to the dogs and fell into bed. A successful trip, if a bit harried at times. Our airline back home had called before we left San Miguel to tell us that they had cancelled the flight for our return. They suggested that we take their flight the next day but weren't willing to foot the bill for an additional night's stay at the hotel, so we cancelled with them and booked another flight on a competing airline. Unfortunately, no one else was flying on the day that we wanted to return, so our 3-day vacation turned into a day-and-a-half!
But it was still good!
A fairly uneventful flight to Miami - if you don't count the jocks who decided to sit in our exit row (without paying the extra fee, thank you). After arrival in Miami and going through the Immigration and Customs formalities, we made our way out to the curb and flagged down the hotel's shuttle. Checked in at the Crowne Plaza, ate dinner there (they were at least trying...), and crashed. We had faxed the hotel about an early shuttle to the Port of Miami, but the concierge person went missing, so we went outside and took a taxi. Actually, two taxis were fighting over who would take us to the Port. Not sure the right one won, but we got there pretty quickly and were dropped off somewhat near the proper place.
The cruise itself was just fine. We met up with some folks from the cruise's Facebook page and chatter away while waiting for the terminal to open - then full speed ahead to check-in. Missed the chance to upgrade from the depths of the ship to something with a balcony by about 5 people in line. However, it turns out our cabin was fine: same size, still had two small portholes for daylight, and the first floor was close to the entrance/exit for shore excursions!
Speaking of shore excursions we got off in Key West and went hunting for a particular sandal shop. Found the shop, got the sandals (we wear them around the house a lot), and then decided to walk to the point furthest south in the United States. Did I mention that it was hot and humid? Well, we finally reached the place, took some pix, and walked back into downtown and to the ship to cool off.
The other shore excursion we enjoyed was in Cartegena, Columbia. We'd gone on Segway excursions before at WDW, DLR, and in Nassau, but I had grown too old for the ones provided by the cruise line. One of our fellow cruisers had found a place in downtown Cartegena that had no age limit, so we booked a tour with them. It was a gas! Not only did we zip around to all the interesting points in downtown, surprising a few pedestrians on the way, but we zipped around on top of the old city walls! Once on top of the walls it was a simple matter to navigate, but getting up on top of the walls was a challenge. The ramps were short and quite steep. To get the Segways up the ramp, we had to increase our speed by leaning forward -- to the point that I felt like I was going to skin my nose! I'll skip ramps in the future!!!
The Canal itself was interesting. Disney had brought a former pilot on board to talk about the history and working the Canal each day leading up to the transit. Thought it might be boring, but no way! Great fun.
Before we reached San Diego the ship stopped in Puerto Vallarta and Cabos San Lucas. Visited our favorite beach in PV; our resort in Cabo.
Then it was time to disembark in San Diego. We were going to walk to the Amtrak station, but decided to take a taxi instead (time was short). Rode the train to Anaheim and taxied to our hotel. Zipped over to Disneyland and met up with our first group of friends (we hadn't seen one of them in four years since we left SoCal). Then met up with some Club members at 1901 (one of the Platinum members walked us into the lounge), re-met our earlier friends for dinner and finally went back to the hotel. The next day we met another friend for dinner at Carthay Circle; it was yummy. Then we headed back to the hotel to pack and be ready for the ride to LAX for our flight to Mexico City. We didn't go to the Club because it's being extensively renovated to enlarge the kitchen and add an additional lounge in Disneyland. Slated to open July 18th - six months after it closed (we were expected to pay the entire year's dues, of course).
Once we made it home (flight to Mexico City, bus to San Miguel) we said hello to the dogs and fell into bed. A successful trip, if a bit harried at times. Our airline back home had called before we left San Miguel to tell us that they had cancelled the flight for our return. They suggested that we take their flight the next day but weren't willing to foot the bill for an additional night's stay at the hotel, so we cancelled with them and booked another flight on a competing airline. Unfortunately, no one else was flying on the day that we wanted to return, so our 3-day vacation turned into a day-and-a-half!
But it was still good!
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Storm No. 2
I did measure the rain water in our unofficial container from yesterday's storm - around 1-1/2 inches. Waiting for the sun to come up so I can read the measurement for last night's storm. Yes, there was another one last night -- which I slept through, darn it! Hate when that happens. I still remember waking up as a child for the electrical storms in southern Indiana. In fact, we had a few doozies last year when I was back in our old hometown to assist my sister and her husband update an 1892 farmhouse for resale. Although nowadays there's a radio that alerts one to upcoming severe weather.
Woke up during the night to post-storm dripping, a wet balcony, and Miyake was sleeping on the bed with a towel draped over her (a sure sign that she had been excited earlier in the evening - usually by wind and lightning).
Michael tells me that there was, indeed, a storm that lasted about two hours, had lots of thunder and brilliant lightning, and seemed to rain more heavily that the previous night's storm. I think it's still part of the disturbance off the western coast of Mexico - but we'll take the rain whatever the source.
Rain does have an effect on our water supply - which comes from wells higher up the mountainside - but it visibly affects the level of the presa, or reservoir - which provides irrigation water for agriculture. The big presa is visible from many parts of the town; other smaller presas are tucked into the countryside here-and-there around town and the surrounding campo are not as easily apparent.
Woke up during the night to post-storm dripping, a wet balcony, and Miyake was sleeping on the bed with a towel draped over her (a sure sign that she had been excited earlier in the evening - usually by wind and lightning).
Michael tells me that there was, indeed, a storm that lasted about two hours, had lots of thunder and brilliant lightning, and seemed to rain more heavily that the previous night's storm. I think it's still part of the disturbance off the western coast of Mexico - but we'll take the rain whatever the source.
Rain does have an effect on our water supply - which comes from wells higher up the mountainside - but it visibly affects the level of the presa, or reservoir - which provides irrigation water for agriculture. The big presa is visible from many parts of the town; other smaller presas are tucked into the countryside here-and-there around town and the surrounding campo are not as easily apparent.
Friday, May 23, 2014
The Rainy Season Has Begun!
So, we're back from our cruise through the Panama Canal - but more on that later.
Today's post is again about the weather. The 'rainy season' is supposed to start in May and we hear there was some rain before we returned to SMA, but tonight is a gusher! It's been pouring for quite some time....the doggies have found solace beneath our chairs in the office. In fact, even Fiyero moves closer to Michael's desk if I get up to go to the kitchen. And he's the brave one!
There was a storm reported to be nearing the Pacific coast and it was supposed that it would travel inland. Seems to have done so.
Pouring down rain, thunder, and some lightning! Whew!!! Glad it didn't begin while we were asleep. Instead we've had a chance to close windows, take in towels, et cetera. It will be interesting to see what the amateur weather stations around SMA report tomorrow.
It seems to have lessened just as I write this; let's hope it continues to abate.
Today's post is again about the weather. The 'rainy season' is supposed to start in May and we hear there was some rain before we returned to SMA, but tonight is a gusher! It's been pouring for quite some time....the doggies have found solace beneath our chairs in the office. In fact, even Fiyero moves closer to Michael's desk if I get up to go to the kitchen. And he's the brave one!
There was a storm reported to be nearing the Pacific coast and it was supposed that it would travel inland. Seems to have done so.
Pouring down rain, thunder, and some lightning! Whew!!! Glad it didn't begin while we were asleep. Instead we've had a chance to close windows, take in towels, et cetera. It will be interesting to see what the amateur weather stations around SMA report tomorrow.
It seems to have lessened just as I write this; let's hope it continues to abate.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Our Number Came Up! Or, Our Ship Will Come In!
So I was upstairs reading (time to re-read all the Sue Grafton Kinsey Millhone mysteries) when Michael appeared in the doorway -- "Guess what! We've got our cabin assignment!!!"
Now I suppose some explanation is required to set up this situation. We always book a specific cabin. Decide what we can afford by the time payment is due and that's home for the cruise. You can save a spot of change if you go with a guarantee cabin, that is you pay for a certain category within a class of cabin and the actual cabin is assigned later. On some cruises - such as the two-week long Panama Canal - Disney also sometimes offers a guarantee cabin where you agree to accept any cabin they assign, and Disney has the flexibility to assign you a cabin within a type of stateroom: Inside (IGT), Ocean view (OGT), or Veranda (VGT). The fares are quite attractive in exchange for these conditions. They don't always offer this choice or they may offer only certain ones. On this Panama Canal cruise, only IGTs and OGTs were on offer. They also don't offer this category until the Paid In Full date passes, so folks don't opt for it early on. (You need to pay the entire fare when booked, agree to accept whatever cabin you're assigned, et cetera.) So you need to save up for the cruise before you know whether you're going or not. (We try not to use credit cards.)
So for this cruise - which was a bit pricey due to being two weeks long - we decided that we would do it if Disney offered an OGT fare. There's always the possibility that you could be assigned to a category that is higher than the category you paid for: someone who booked an IGT might be assigned an OGT cabin, et cetera. If it wasn't offered, then we'd decide what category we could afford and book whatever remaining cabin was available - or wait until next year.
As we had always known exactly what cabin in which we would be sailing, this was a new experience - and one that I am not in a hurry to repeat. Up until a few weeks ago I was in a state of hyper-ness. What category are we going to be assigned? Where in the ship will it be located? When will we find out which cabin we will receive? Michael spent a lot of time trying to convince me to calm down.... And as it turned out, we received our cabin assignment a bit earlier than expected!
So now we know which cabin it is: 1058. This is in the lowest category within our OGT group and is on the lowest deck (No. 1) and center. If some of the cruise is through rough weather we will be very happy that we're on Deck One - the lower the location on the ship, the more stable your voyage. It's also quite near the mid-ship elevators, so we should be able to reach anywhere else on the ship easily. Being on Deck One the elevators should be empty when they reach us and everyone else will try to fit in them as we head upwards, but not us. There are times when an elevator door opens and those waiting say 'We'll wait for the next one!'
It seems to be time for us to knock some things off our bucket list. The Panama Canal is one of them. We both especially enjoy long cruises with lots of sea days; port stops are not so important to us anymore. There is a fall Eastern Caribbean cruise that we're taking with a group of friends that has several stops and it's 'Gosh, what are we going to do at this stop?'
The Panama Canal cruise was also spurred on when some friends with whom we've sailed before gave us The Path Between the Seas. It's a well-written (thick) book that begins with the French attempt to build the Canal and goes through the completion by the United States. It covers all the background chicanery as well as the engineering and health rigamarole. It made the Canal a real 'I've got to see this' item on our list.
[In 2015 we'll be sailing across the Atlantic (visiting NYC; St. John's, Newfoundland; Reykjavik, Iceland; and Oslo, Norway on the way) to visit the Northern European capitals and the Norwegian fjords. Another cruise to cross off our list! This began as a two-voyage trip (EBTA and Fjords) with a week in Copenhagen between cruises, but we replaced the week in Copenhagen with the Northern European Capitals cruise (Tallinn, Estonia; St Petersburg, Russia; Helsinki, Finland; and Stockholm, Sweden). Since we'll probably not be back to that part of the world it seemed the best way to spend our time. We'll still have a few days in Copenhagen waiting for our flight back to Mexico.]
So, we're jazzed. The EastBound TransAtlantic portion of the group of 2015 cruises is also in a cabin on Deck One, so we'll find out what it's like and whether we need to find some more funds to move up a notch or two! Since we don't spend a great deal of time in the cabin (it's said), a less attractive location should be okay!
This year we leave home two days early to reach the port in Miami ahead of embarkation, so it's not quite so long before we're on vacation - approximately nine days!
Now I suppose some explanation is required to set up this situation. We always book a specific cabin. Decide what we can afford by the time payment is due and that's home for the cruise. You can save a spot of change if you go with a guarantee cabin, that is you pay for a certain category within a class of cabin and the actual cabin is assigned later. On some cruises - such as the two-week long Panama Canal - Disney also sometimes offers a guarantee cabin where you agree to accept any cabin they assign, and Disney has the flexibility to assign you a cabin within a type of stateroom: Inside (IGT), Ocean view (OGT), or Veranda (VGT). The fares are quite attractive in exchange for these conditions. They don't always offer this choice or they may offer only certain ones. On this Panama Canal cruise, only IGTs and OGTs were on offer. They also don't offer this category until the Paid In Full date passes, so folks don't opt for it early on. (You need to pay the entire fare when booked, agree to accept whatever cabin you're assigned, et cetera.) So you need to save up for the cruise before you know whether you're going or not. (We try not to use credit cards.)
So for this cruise - which was a bit pricey due to being two weeks long - we decided that we would do it if Disney offered an OGT fare. There's always the possibility that you could be assigned to a category that is higher than the category you paid for: someone who booked an IGT might be assigned an OGT cabin, et cetera. If it wasn't offered, then we'd decide what category we could afford and book whatever remaining cabin was available - or wait until next year.
As we had always known exactly what cabin in which we would be sailing, this was a new experience - and one that I am not in a hurry to repeat. Up until a few weeks ago I was in a state of hyper-ness. What category are we going to be assigned? Where in the ship will it be located? When will we find out which cabin we will receive? Michael spent a lot of time trying to convince me to calm down.... And as it turned out, we received our cabin assignment a bit earlier than expected!
So now we know which cabin it is: 1058. This is in the lowest category within our OGT group and is on the lowest deck (No. 1) and center. If some of the cruise is through rough weather we will be very happy that we're on Deck One - the lower the location on the ship, the more stable your voyage. It's also quite near the mid-ship elevators, so we should be able to reach anywhere else on the ship easily. Being on Deck One the elevators should be empty when they reach us and everyone else will try to fit in them as we head upwards, but not us. There are times when an elevator door opens and those waiting say 'We'll wait for the next one!'
It seems to be time for us to knock some things off our bucket list. The Panama Canal is one of them. We both especially enjoy long cruises with lots of sea days; port stops are not so important to us anymore. There is a fall Eastern Caribbean cruise that we're taking with a group of friends that has several stops and it's 'Gosh, what are we going to do at this stop?'
The Panama Canal cruise was also spurred on when some friends with whom we've sailed before gave us The Path Between the Seas. It's a well-written (thick) book that begins with the French attempt to build the Canal and goes through the completion by the United States. It covers all the background chicanery as well as the engineering and health rigamarole. It made the Canal a real 'I've got to see this' item on our list.
[In 2015 we'll be sailing across the Atlantic (visiting NYC; St. John's, Newfoundland; Reykjavik, Iceland; and Oslo, Norway on the way) to visit the Northern European capitals and the Norwegian fjords. Another cruise to cross off our list! This began as a two-voyage trip (EBTA and Fjords) with a week in Copenhagen between cruises, but we replaced the week in Copenhagen with the Northern European Capitals cruise (Tallinn, Estonia; St Petersburg, Russia; Helsinki, Finland; and Stockholm, Sweden). Since we'll probably not be back to that part of the world it seemed the best way to spend our time. We'll still have a few days in Copenhagen waiting for our flight back to Mexico.]
So, we're jazzed. The EastBound TransAtlantic portion of the group of 2015 cruises is also in a cabin on Deck One, so we'll find out what it's like and whether we need to find some more funds to move up a notch or two! Since we don't spend a great deal of time in the cabin (it's said), a less attractive location should be okay!
This year we leave home two days early to reach the port in Miami ahead of embarkation, so it's not quite so long before we're on vacation - approximately nine days!
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