Monday, May 30, 2022

14 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT CONDO LIVING (Part 2) IN OUR RETIREMENT YEARS

 What a Difference from our Sayulita Casita!
The Gourmet Kitchen in Our Puerto Vallarta Condo

     I’m still amazed that Jon and I are enjoying condo living this much. A year ago, we hadn’t even considered it. If you missed Part 1 of this article, the first 7 things we love, you can view it HERE.

     After living for six years in a small, classic hacienda-style concrete block and stucco house with a yard in a Mexican barrio (neighborhood) of Sayulita, we decided to move to a condo in Puerto Vallarta for multiple reasons. Life in a rustic casita surrounded by friendly locals was a great experience and we’re glad for that period of our adventures. But what a contrast our new home is!

     Here are the next 7 of 14 things we love about condo living in Puerto Vallarta:

8.    Almost No Mosquitoes and No Scorpions!

     We’ve only seen one mosquito in our condo since we moved into it almost a year ago. Leaving all the windows and the patio door open for fresh air doesn’t bring mosquitoes in, even without screens! It seems mosquitoes live at ground level so that’s one reason we had more of them in our Sayulita casita. Living next to the jungle with a garden full of tropical plants there may have contributed to an increase in the mosquito population.

     Now we live about three floors above street level, so we have virtually no mosquitoes, even with mango and palm trees surrounding the condominium and potted plants on our balcony. We still have to be careful not to have any standing water where mosquitoes breed. But we don’t need those bug zappers any longer.

Potted Plants on our Condo Balcony

     My favorite bug-related improvement is that we have no scorpions! We had several scary scorpion incidents in Sayulita, even though we regularly sprayed for insects with an insecticide perimeter treatment around the house and garden. The condominium Home Owner’s Association hires a company to fumigate the building every two months, one of the services we pay for with our monthly dues.

     Living in a tropical climate means learning how to deal with insects. Moving to a condo has brought the unexpected benefit of minimizing those pests. (We still have ants occasionally and are glad we brought some Terro Liquid Ant Baits with us from the U.S.—that sends them away quickly!)

9.    No Iguanas or Tejónes in Our Home

     I don’t mind sharing our home and garden with geckos and other lizards. But I prefer that the iguanas and tejónes stay out in the jungle. In Sayulita, Bella did a pretty good job of running those critters out of the yard. In case you missed the story about Bella and the iguana, you can view it HERE.

     Here in our Puerto Vallarta condo, the only critter we’ve seen is a scraggly squirrel looking for a drink of water and to see if Sophie left any crumbs of her treats on the balcony after we play fetch in the evening. No iguanas or tejónes when you live above ground level, I guess.

     I did learn that there are iguanas in Puerto Vallarta because I almost got pooped on one day when we were hiking along the Rio Cuale and walked under a giant tree that they favor. Now we watch the sidewalk for signs of large, messy iguana poop and veer around those trees. But, so far, no iguanas on our condo balcony—they can be dangerous if a small dog like Sophie attacks them.

10.    My Favorite—Cabinet Doors on the Kitchen Cabinets

     In Sayulita, our casita had open cabinets allowing the dust to settle on the dishes and food. I understood the reason—in a humid climate, if cabinets are enclosed, the contents can become mildewy. But I never liked how the kitchen looked with the shelves open.

     With our new kitchen, there is minimal dust on the dishes. The kitchen looks so much less cluttered and more professional. The food doesn’t get moldy or stale, partly because I keep open packages sealed in Ziploc bags and partly because we run the air conditioner part of the day when the weather is too humid. Cabinet doors are great now that we have Sophie, still in her puppy phase. We can just imagine her dragging lids from the Pyrex dishes out to play with, probably destroying them before I noticed what she was chewing!

     11. A Swimming Pool!

Our Condo's Rooftop Pool and View is Wonderful!

     I always wanted to have a swimming pool built at our Sayulita casita. Our lot was small so it would have been a soaking pool. But wouldn’t that have felt so good in the hot, humid summer months? Jon said it would be too much to take care of. He was the one who would have been responsible for the maintenance, so I had to agree with him. Anyway, who needs a pool when the Sayulita bay was only a three-block walk from home and great for swimming or just cooling off?

     Now we have a beautiful pool on our rooftop. The view is wonderful and a good place to watch the sunset. There’s a bar and food service at the pool, so when I don’t want to cook, we head up for chicken skewers, hamburgers, a grilled chicken salad with fresh fruit, or another light meal. The best part is that we don’t have to take care of the pool, lounge chairs, and gardens on the roof—we pay for maintenance in our monthly HOA dues. During our retirement years, having less to take care of and more to enjoy is especially important.

12.     Jon’s Favorite: Low Maintenance

     Not everything was great when we moved into our 6-year-old condo unit—those terrible leaks in the master bedroom and laundry room ceilings during the early days after we moved here were extremely stressful. But our apartment has been very low maintenance since then.

     Gardening in terracotta pots on the balcony has been fun, not requiring much work. We installed a drip irrigation system with an automatic timer so we can leave for vacation and the plants continue to thrive. When the upkeep of our garden and the palm trees in Sayulita became drudgery, it was time to downsize the garden. So we eliminated the yard by moving to a condo and are glad we did.

     I thought Jon might get bored with no palm trees to prune and nothing to repair. But he enjoys reading the world news and planning small improvements in our apartment. Next month we’ll have our Mexican building contractor coordinate adding ceiling fans in the two bathrooms and repainting the bathroom walls. Oh, boy! That means a trip to Home Depot for supplies—Jon’s favorite place to shop.

     13.  Security on Site 24/7

     The lobby of our condominium has a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. The security guys greet everyone with happiness in their voices. We can now enjoy the bright smiles they give us when we come and go since the mask requirement has been lifted as of May 2022.

     But the security personnel do more than greet residents and guests. They close and lock the two doors into the lobby around 10:00 PM, ensuring that only those of us who live or rent here can enter with a scan card. They enforce the quiet hours that start at 11:00 PM. They take action when needed if guests at the pool become too rowdy—thank goodness we’ve never seen that happen, but it’s nice to know that security is there for us. They help keep our community quiet enough for everyone here to enjoy it.

     14.  A Community within a Community

     With over forty units in our condominium, it’s a little community within the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta where we get to know our neighbors. There are quite a few Americans and Canadians who live in their units at least six months a year. The pool and surrounding common area are ideal places to meet others, make friends, and share information.

     Occasionally, there are special events held at the rooftop bar and pool area in the evening. The lighting after dark gives it a magical feel. The Halloween Masquerade Party of 2021 was one of my favorites, with performers providing entertainment including live music and fire-dancing.

Beautiful Violin Music at the Condo Pool Area

     As the event was held during COVID, masks were still required in public unless eating or drinking, so some of us wore decorated masks to the public gathering. The open-air setting allowed others to wear eye masks, uncovering their mouths and noses while social distancing. Everyone enjoyed getting together after almost two years of the pandemic. We talked and laughed with new friends that night, happy that we had chosen to move to this condominium community.

     Bonus: Our Amazon and Restaurant Deliveries are Accepted by the Front Desk Security

     This is a wonderful convenience whether we’re at home or away when Amazon delivers our packages! Sometimes the Security guys even bring the items to us at our condo unit. This is especially helpful if the item is heavy. Of course, we tip the guys for carrying the orders to our front door.

     Is Purchasing a Condo a Good Idea?

     We wondered a few times in the first month after we moved in if it had been a good decision to purchase a condo unit during our retirement, given the high prices of real estate in Puerto Vallarta. Some people choose to rent. But we don’t wonder any longer—we’re grateful that we made the move.

     We feel that withdrawing money from our mutual funds to purchase our condo unit was a good investment. (We were fortunate to have sold funds during a peak before the current recession started.) Our retirement funds are much less than our goal had been during our working phase. After the 2008 recession demolished our real estate investments in the United States, we stumbled financially. Then we realized we could live a good life in México on our Social Security and save the modest IRAs we had managed to hang onto to be used for health care.

     We’ve learned that during our retirement years, condo living is better than owning a house with a garden. We now have more time for day trips, vacations, exercise, reading, and other things we want to do.

Living in Mexico

More Lessons Learned

(Healthy Living in Mexico #5)

Available for Pre-order on Amazon Worldwide!

Order Today and Receive it on Your Device June 15, 2022

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     I Wish You Happy and Healthy Travels. 

     Terry L Turrell, Author

Saturday, May 28, 2022

A FREE Book to Bring Awareness to Mental Health Issues

 May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Taking a Mental Health Day on the Beach in Puerto Vallarta

May is Mental Health Awareness month.

 

What does this have to do with Healthy Living and Traveling in México?

I hope you will download my FREE novel to find out. I believe living in México is “good medicine” for anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses. Find out more in this easy-to-read story, Just Another Manic Moment: A Novel

I wrote this story to bring awareness to the important issue of mental illness. As this novel shows, there is hope in the form of new tests and treatments. In addition, escaping the rat race and moving to México provides a less stressful lifestyle, aiding in wellness. Sunshine and blue sky here most of the year are proven mood-lifters, too.

Stress is a major factor in mental illness. “Just Another Manic Moment: A Novel” illustrates how reducing stress by traveling and living in México can be a healthy move.

For 5 days only, May 27 - May 31, I am offering this novel FREE on Amazon.com!

Thank you to everyone who downloads and shares my eBook. I hope you will leave a review on Amazon so others may find it, too.

Check out my updated website at Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico.

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Cinco de Mayo in Isla Mujeres, México And a New Book Release!

 A Mayan Woman Selling Her Wares

     We love celebrating Cinco de Mayo! But we’ve found it has different meanings in México depending on who you are and where you live. For the working people such as this Mayan Woman selling wares on the beach in Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo (Island of Women), it’s just another day of work.

     Isla Mujeres is the Pueblo Mágico we visited in May for our special celebration. It's a beautiful Mexican island on the Caribbean Sea.  
     
     To read more, click HERE.
My New Book Release!
Available for Pre-order on Amazon Worldwide!

Order Today and Receive it on Your Device June 15, 2022

Living in Mexico More Lessons Learned

(Healthy Living in Mexico #5)

Amazon.com

Canada 

Mexico 

United Kingdom 

Australia 

India 

View my other books and blog articles on my Amazon Author Page.

Sunday, May 15, 2022

Our First Visit to Isla Mujeres (Island of Women), Quintana Roo, México in Photos and Videos

 Isla Mujeres in the Amazing Caribbean Sea

The White Sand Beaches and Water Are Gorgeous!
We Arrived at Isla Mujeres on the Ultramar Ferry
A Maletero Carried Our Luggage and Walked Us to Our Condo
Dinner at the Mayan Beach Club on the White Sand Beach
Walking Around Centro then On to Dinner Downtown
Lola Valentina was Our Favorite Restaurant
Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa for a Caribbean Flavor
The Malecón was Surprisingly Long and Scenic

La Tregueña Sculpture on the Malecón
We Rode the Bus Around the Island from this Sculpture
Cinco de Mayo Show and Dinner at Javi's Cantina
Video of Mexican Dancers on Cinco de Mayo
The Cinco de Mayo Show was Especially for the Gringos
The 30th Anniversary of Our First Date--May 5
Ten of Us Boarded a Super Panga to Go Snorkeling
Preparing to Snorkel in the Crystal-Clear Water
Jon and I Snorkeling Near a Coral Reef
The Best Coconut Shrimp with Mango Salsa😋
And Wonderful Mayan Music at Sardinian Smile
(Click Above to Watch a Short Video)
A Mayan Woman Selling Her Wares
(I Asked Her Permission to Take the Photo for a 20-Peso Tip)
Saying Goodbye to the Nautibeach Gardens and Blue Sky
Ready to Return Home via the Ferry, Island-Style
I Loved the Many Amazing Blues of Caribbean Sea
Don't Miss My Healthy Living in Mexico Book #4