If I had to do it over again, I may have had the chance to live on or a block off the plaza. I keep looking at the building, but now know that however nice it maybe, it would have been a nightmare, especially wanting any semblance of modern life, hassle free.
There is no such thing as hassle free living.
Not even a new home, ok , well maybe a new home for about a year is hassle free, sort of.
Our home has been build for a little over ten years and now, there are some items that keep life interesting.
Two weeks ago our caretaker's house developed a water leak emanating from the floor.
Up come the floor tiles, Up and out comes the concrete, necessary to expose the 1/2 inch copper water pipes.
Seems that immediately after a local lighting strike, the water pipe somehow must have been affected.
There could have been several thought on this.
The long effects of corrosive action of the copper pipe may have been touching some steel screening that was placed in the floor slab
Or
The electric potential of the lighting strike hitting the earth could have used the water pipe as a conductor to ground and opened up a joint or a weak point in the pipe.....anyway it was a 2 or 3 day job, with more stuff to do.
I can just imagine what my 200 year old plaza house would have created in the upkeep responsibility quotient.....
Something I probably would not mind if the place was about 200 sq feet, but not one that is 3 stories, with a courtyard and 20 rooms or so.
The idea is to reduce some of the "stuff" that happens, and keep a balance of stuff that needs to be done.
Sometimes it can just wear you down. Leaky toilets. dripping faucets, rusting gutters and a roof leak or two, can upset that perfect vacation picture.
There is something to be said for not owing a place, but then again, somehow we have been drilled into , the security of ownership.
At this point is may be a little overrated.
Ask me in another month or two and I will probably change my mind.
Maybe just a single room on the plaza with no lawn, no caretaker and no responsibilities would suffice.....maybe not!
6 comments:
Three years ago, a starry eyed couple from Alabama put a deposit on a tiny, expensive two bdr apt on the 2nd floor of a bldg on the Plaza Grande.
Later that day, they drove out to visit us, saw a casita for low rent here in the glorious Campo Michoacano, and on the spot decided to forfeit the deposit on the in town place and rent the casita.
They love gardening and D.I.Y. work and practiced those with enthusiasm.
About three weeks ago, they decided to move to a bigger house on the edge of Pátzcuaro Centro, where they now happily reside. They are within easy walking distance of major Pátzcuaro attractions. Tacos, seafood, construction materials, abarrotes, and the Camionera Central are not far.
No lawn care, very little gardening, and the sound of traffic, seasoned with a whiff of diesel exhaust are theirs to savor.
There's a very nice patio, and their neighbors are interesting.
We miss our friends and neighors, but we don't plan to move. In fact, we just started extensive electrical re-wiring, in order that we can run the toaster and the microwave oven simulaneously. And we don't even own the house. (Graciously, the owners have agreed to foot the bill.)
Thanks, Constantino, for this theme. I may expand on it in Surviving La Vida Buena, when I recover my energy.
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
You are welcome Don Cuevas. As I sit in the quiet, surrounded by chirping sounds of birds, the lone fan running on the kitchen refrigerator, my human pendulum swings to the appreciation for the so called country living.
I am sure that one could get use to the belching groaning buses and horns weighing the balance of being able to walk to the mercado or sit on the hard concrete bench while the 20ft tall friar overlooks and protects your spirits.
Life is a trade offs, compromises, jubilation and disappointments. I need to remember that while a sip my hot cafecito freshly brewed from my imported coffee machine....
I look forward to your stories of that Alabama couple in their quest for La Vida Buena!
I love owning a home, just wish it were elsewhere. Too late now.
We have a 4,000 sf 110 year old home in Mazatlán, and while it does take a LOT of maintenance, we are enjoying every minute.
The quirks of living in a concrete and brick building means that doing anything at all requires dust, dust, and more dust. Not to mention pounding, and the scrape scrape scrape of the guys mixing cement. We are going to install a shelf in the kitchen that was salvaged from another 100+ year old building and they expect it to take 4 days as they make holes in the concrete, put in the monitos that support the shelf and then concrete them in, sand, and paint. Will it be worth it? Probably.
I think one day we'll say "enough" and find a house or maybe even a condo that won't be so much work. But not yet!
I have owned many homes over the years, as a single woman and kids to raise. It is HIGHLY overrated. I LOVE renting in Mexico - IF I decide I want to leave, I just do.
Who knows some day I might end up in Patzcauro.......
We just rented a casa in town after living out in a poor hood for 5 years - we are going to do some extensive remodeling that required our vacating - the place we move in to is new and quite nice for not a lot of money - makes us wonder if we will ever go back?
Life can be soooo confusing!
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