I've been here four weeks tomorrow and I'm all unpacked and need to clean house already. Rocky is laying next to me on this rattan sofa in the screen room we use as a living room/office. I have another blog that I'm using to update the travel and have completed the first three days but still need to write the drive through Mexico, which took me four full days with three motels along the way. 1100 miles is all it was but I needed all that extra time, I had never driven in another country before but I made it just fine and have been happily ensconced here at Hotel Perico ever since. (check www.learningtolivefarfromhome.blogspot.com for trip details )
I thought I was just going to stay here at the hotel temporarily until I found a house to rent but the evening I arrived, I walked in and sort of fell in love. Turns out this one bedroom apartment is just right for Rocky and me and we love it here. It's all pretty rustic but totally charming as well. I have a big bedroom that used to have a king-sized bed, a really hard one, and now has a rather soft queen bed. I've unpacked my car and hung up my clothes, got all my supplies put away and have plenty of room to stay here for as long as I want. I have kept an eye out for houses and I've looked at one but I didn't like it. Turns out I'm tired of taking care of a house, I want a simple life in an easy-to-take-care-of place. I call this unit my "cavita" because it reminds me of a cave built into the hillside somewhat. I don't have an outdoor sitting area but then I don't need one right now. Rocky can't go outside yet and I spend my time in here with him when I'm not running around town. I park my car under a palm tree across the drive from my unit and there she sits most of the time. So I've arranged to be able to stay here in #10 for as long as I want for $425 a month or actually 8000 pesos, whose value fluctuates daily but is roughly $444 today. I don't mind, Jan and Tom are great and work hard here, I'm safe and comfortable and above the crowds and noise down in town.
Hotel Perico is built on a bluff with views of the lake and surrounding areas. It's got lush gardens, a big soccer field and a pool and terrace area. From here I can easily drive into Ajijic on the left or Chapala on the right, each taking about five minutes to arrive. In so many ways this is the ideal location and situation for me right now ... no commitments other than a month to month rental and a verbal promise to give 30 days notice when I decide to move. No deposits, no hassles, really, this place is just what I needed! I figure I can live here on a budget of about $1000US a month and save $1700 a month of my income and still live well.
$1000US = 17,000 pesos (approx)
8000p rent
1200p gas and car needs
2800p food and spending money
12,000p total with 5000p for side money, savings, and whatever comes up.
I've begun keeping a notebook accounting of the pesos I spend and what I buy just so I can get a handle on dealing with pesos and the conversion rates. I seem to go Walmart twice a week or more to get bottled water and food items I like to keep stocked up on but I may ease up on that if I start going to the markets for my food.
My second night here I got violently ill with an acid stomach, diarrhea and vomiting. Probably the sickest I've ever been with food issues and it was horrible! It took several days to recover and I slept a lot that first week. I have great neighbors here, two American women and a Canadian couple, all residents. They all know each other really well and although they're friendly to me, I'm not a part of their group. They do things together and they don't invite me. I think they can tell that I'm not wanting to buddy up yet but it's still good to know they're around and I love to hear them chatting with each other outside.
I've joined a few groups, the Lake Chapala Society, a Writing-to-a-Prompt group that meets on Thursday mornings each week, and I go to Mama's Place for karaoke on Tuesdays and Fridays, although I plan to cut back to just Tuesdays from now on. There's a writer's group that meets in Ajijic on the first and third Friday mornings and I'll be attending that as well. So far I've gotten some journaling done several times a week but haven't sorted myself out enough to begin a real writing project. That's one of the reasons I decided to type in this blog/journal today, to try to sort out a schedule that will include time to write. I'm ready to get started, it's been almost four weeks and I feel like I'm living in a writer's retreat space, so I feel urged to get on with it.
Today I have to clean house and shower and wash my hair since I didn't do it yesterday. I went to a play at The Naked Stage in the afternoon to show support for a new gay friend I met at karaoke last week, Don. I've been taking care of myself, staying organized and eating good food, stretching each morning before I get out of bed and I bought interlocking mats for floor stretching. It's very dusty here and I could dust and sweep every day and still not keep up with it but today I'm going to really clean and dust and mop plus clean the bathroom. All told, it should take about an hour.
In many ways, I'm surprised at how much I like it here and how good I feel about this move. So far, no homesickness, to regrets, no missing of anything except the one person I can't get to on this Earth ... Stephen. I well up some over him still and I've told people about him and what happened to him and I wrote a great piece at the writing meeting last Thursday that may become the basis for the introduction to his story. All in all, I don't think I could be doing any better and I'm happy to report that Rocky is doing fine as well. I hope he can go outside at some point but for now, he hasn't asked, he seems to be content to stay in where it's safe, sitting near me wherever I am. I play with him and brush him and talk to him ... I'm so glad I brought him with me! What good company he is! Perfect, really. Other than a few days of having trouble peeing on the road trip, his health has been great and he's shown no repercussions. I love him very much ...
OK, that's it for me today. Time to get my breakfast and do my cleaning so I can take a shower this afternoon. I won't be leaving the cavita today, nothing to do but hang around here. The weather is finally cooled down and it's overcast today, highs in the 70s is all. It feels good if a little sticky from the rains last night. Perfect weather to clean and be active!
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