Living in the City. That is part of the big change we're experiencing with this move. We've been living out in the upscale burbs north of the city. The RV park was really a park, large, walled, full of grass, mango trees and flowers. It was pretty quiet and most of the last year we were the only RV there.
We wanted to live in a city again, that's part of the reason we bought in the centro. Still, it is a big change. The first night I noticed the traffic increase in the morning with buses and diesel fumes, honking and talking as people went to work. The rest of the time there are the usual city sounds, sirens, car alarms, the occasional barking dog, the music at the corner cantina. Most of the noise is muffled at the back of the house where we spend our time. It's different though and at first I noticed everything. Already the sounds are receding in my awareness, so it isn't a problem, just a change.
I spent the day hanging out with the workers here to fix things and finish stuff.
The lights are in the pool and ponds and we are filling the pool tomorrow.
They figured out why the oven wouldn't light, there was water in the gas line. They brought over an air compressor and blew it out and it works now.
There were pieces missing from our old doors, the guides that help keep the transom windows open. New ones were made to match by the iron guy and they were installed today.
We can't answer the phone, they both ring but you can't answer it. Theresa is the only one with our number so far and we've called her a couple times to see if she called. Nope, but we still can't answer it. The electrician messed with it for awhile today and then asked to take the manual home with him to study it.
I put the garbage out last night as I saw other bags on the street. All the rest were gone today but ours was still there. Alan said he would call the ayuntamiento and see if we need to register for garbage pickup.
The on-demand hot water heater has been a problem. It goes out at some point usually when I have my head full of shampoo. When it goes out, the water gets instantly very cold. So far, the only thing that works is a trick that Elke posted on my comments, turning on the hot water in the sink seems to keep it on in the shower. Of course, I never remember to do this before I get in the shower. When it comes back on there is still a lag before hot water returns as I stand there shivering.
They brought a Bosch tech over today and he adjusted the dials on it. Of course, it never went out while they were here. We all stood in my bathroom with the shower on for about half an hour and everyone took turns sticking their hand in the water and it was always hot. We'll see if that changes when I'm the only one there.
Mimi spent the day packing up more stuff from the RV. We are both amazed at how much stuff we've pulled out of that small RV. When you live in an RV, most of the time you have to move at least a couple things to get to anything you want. Over time, the more commonly used stuff moves to the top or the front of the cabinet and you rarely look at the stuff behind it. It's like a bottomless box, we keep packing things and moving them out and there is always more. Our goal was to clean almost everything out, clean the bins and cabinets and then put back only stuff we would need to vacation in it.
Right now, the only dishes, silverware, pots and pans we have here are the ones from the RV. We have some of this stuff up in California that is not plastic camping ware and eventually we'll bring it down. So, much of the stuff in the RV is not going back into it for now. I just can't believe some of the things we've found in there. Our poor Tortuga was weighted down to the max and it has got to be better for her to have most of this stuff out. I found canned food that I threw away because the cans were rusted! I had no idea that I had 3 cans of pumpkin in there or 2 bottles of Karo syrup!
We spent the evening lining drawers and putting stuff away in the kitchen. Around 10pm we decided to walk up to Santiago park to eat. This is one reason I wanted to live in the city, there are places to go at 10pm and we can walk there. We had panuchos and sopa de lima at La Reina Itzalana. The tuesday night band and dancing had just ended and they were putting the chairs away and the restaurants were crowded but we found a table. I really like their panuchos and the sopa was one of the best I've had. It was an easy walk and it was fun to look at all the houses along the way.
Mimi is outside painting our driveway yellow right now. The jeep was trapped in the garage all day yesterday because the neighbor's son parked in front of it. Alan suggested today that we get some of the yellow curb paint that means no parking and paint the area in front of our driveway.
It will be interesting to see if it works. No one has lived here for so long that people are used to parking there, it may take some time for that to change. I find it amusing that if you want the curb marked yellow for no parking in front of your house, you just go buy the paint and paint it.
We wanted to live in a city again, that's part of the reason we bought in the centro. Still, it is a big change. The first night I noticed the traffic increase in the morning with buses and diesel fumes, honking and talking as people went to work. The rest of the time there are the usual city sounds, sirens, car alarms, the occasional barking dog, the music at the corner cantina. Most of the noise is muffled at the back of the house where we spend our time. It's different though and at first I noticed everything. Already the sounds are receding in my awareness, so it isn't a problem, just a change.
I spent the day hanging out with the workers here to fix things and finish stuff.
The lights are in the pool and ponds and we are filling the pool tomorrow.
They figured out why the oven wouldn't light, there was water in the gas line. They brought over an air compressor and blew it out and it works now.
There were pieces missing from our old doors, the guides that help keep the transom windows open. New ones were made to match by the iron guy and they were installed today.
We can't answer the phone, they both ring but you can't answer it. Theresa is the only one with our number so far and we've called her a couple times to see if she called. Nope, but we still can't answer it. The electrician messed with it for awhile today and then asked to take the manual home with him to study it.
I put the garbage out last night as I saw other bags on the street. All the rest were gone today but ours was still there. Alan said he would call the ayuntamiento and see if we need to register for garbage pickup.
The on-demand hot water heater has been a problem. It goes out at some point usually when I have my head full of shampoo. When it goes out, the water gets instantly very cold. So far, the only thing that works is a trick that Elke posted on my comments, turning on the hot water in the sink seems to keep it on in the shower. Of course, I never remember to do this before I get in the shower. When it comes back on there is still a lag before hot water returns as I stand there shivering.
They brought a Bosch tech over today and he adjusted the dials on it. Of course, it never went out while they were here. We all stood in my bathroom with the shower on for about half an hour and everyone took turns sticking their hand in the water and it was always hot. We'll see if that changes when I'm the only one there.
Mimi spent the day packing up more stuff from the RV. We are both amazed at how much stuff we've pulled out of that small RV. When you live in an RV, most of the time you have to move at least a couple things to get to anything you want. Over time, the more commonly used stuff moves to the top or the front of the cabinet and you rarely look at the stuff behind it. It's like a bottomless box, we keep packing things and moving them out and there is always more. Our goal was to clean almost everything out, clean the bins and cabinets and then put back only stuff we would need to vacation in it.
Right now, the only dishes, silverware, pots and pans we have here are the ones from the RV. We have some of this stuff up in California that is not plastic camping ware and eventually we'll bring it down. So, much of the stuff in the RV is not going back into it for now. I just can't believe some of the things we've found in there. Our poor Tortuga was weighted down to the max and it has got to be better for her to have most of this stuff out. I found canned food that I threw away because the cans were rusted! I had no idea that I had 3 cans of pumpkin in there or 2 bottles of Karo syrup!
We spent the evening lining drawers and putting stuff away in the kitchen. Around 10pm we decided to walk up to Santiago park to eat. This is one reason I wanted to live in the city, there are places to go at 10pm and we can walk there. We had panuchos and sopa de lima at La Reina Itzalana. The tuesday night band and dancing had just ended and they were putting the chairs away and the restaurants were crowded but we found a table. I really like their panuchos and the sopa was one of the best I've had. It was an easy walk and it was fun to look at all the houses along the way. 
Mimi is outside painting our driveway yellow right now. The jeep was trapped in the garage all day yesterday because the neighbor's son parked in front of it. Alan suggested today that we get some of the yellow curb paint that means no parking and paint the area in front of our driveway. It will be interesting to see if it works. No one has lived here for so long that people are used to parking there, it may take some time for that to change. I find it amusing that if you want the curb marked yellow for no parking in front of your house, you just go buy the paint and paint it.
posted by Jonna at 11:41 PM
9 Comments:
When we first remodeled our house, we put in those on demand water heaters. We had nothing but problems with them and finally gave up and put in a small water heater. Even with 3 people taking consecutive showers, we never seem to run out.
I agree with the yellow paint thing. It gets very frustrating trying to park but I understand why people do it. You can also try putting old buckets in the street in front. Or some kind of blockade that people won't steal.
It doesn't work, the yellow curb. Even people who know us park in our driveway. Just start knocking on doors asking whose car it is, explaining that you need to leave and don't want to have to call a grua. If you need to know the words just call me! I have that speech down!
I don't believe it but everyone tells me that we should put up a sign saying driveway in use 24hours!
Another cool thing is that everyone delivers! Of course, sometimes you will get your food faster by walking there. It is also a rule that the delivery guys never get off their scooters, they just beep.
regards,
Theresa
Right you are Theresa, the yellow paint doesn't work. The driveway was clear this morning but around noon sometime a red car parked there. I've been up and down the street and no one recognizes it. If a cop came by I'd ask about towing but I haven't seen one. I think the buckets full of cement are the next step.
You will be amazed at how quickly you adjust to urban noises. I failed to notice that the house I bought in Salem was on the main emergency vehicle route -- and two blocks away from an active railroad line. The first week, I thought I had made a terrible mistake. I now sleep through everything. But that may be the result of old age.
Jonna, can you please tell me what they set the dials on the Bosch to? Vern has been experimenting with them too, but have not had success. Or a close up photo of the dials would be cool too, you could e-mail it to me perhaps? We ALWAYS remember to turn the faucet on (at the same time we start the shower up), neither one of us likes COLD showers.....
Gracias!
Elke, he turned the left dial, the one with the flame icon, all the way to the left. Basically to the lowest setting. The temperature dial is almost all the way to the right, but not quite all the way. He told me to turn on only the hot faucet and wait 30 seconds and then to turn on the cold verrrrry slowly. He said not to turn the cold faucet on more than half way, but slowly.
You're right Steve, the sounds recede quickly. We also discovered that by closing the door to our bathroom the street sounds are greatly muffled. I no longer hear the buses in the morning. Part of the 'problem' is that our fans are so quiet they don't provide any white noise. The fans in the RV blocked out most outside noise.
Those blankety-blank on-demand hot water heaters are the biggest PITA in Mexico. We don't have one, and WOULDN'T have one.
I lived in a house in Guadalajara that had one (along with a pressure system). The plumber told me a long list of things that I could do to ensure taking a hot shower; nothing ever worked. He finally admitted that in large part any success with these things depends on the distance between the water heater and the bathroom, that they work poorly with a pressure system, and if the bathroom is upstairs, it's all but impossible to get hot water.
A friend has one in her teeny one-bedroom apartment in Mexico City. Elke's right: the only way we ever got a hot shower while we were staying there was to prime the dadblasted thing by running the hot water in the KITCHEN sink, not the bathroom sink. Then the hot would stay on for an entire shower.
Just writing about these damn things gives me an anxiety attack.
Cristina, the water heater is located on the second floor, right above the main bathroom and the distance to the other two upstairs bathrooms is actually not that far either. We just turn the bathroom sink faucet on and that works just fine. We do have a whole house pressure system and Vern is really frustrated because he has not been able to figure out how to make it work without running water in the sink....
Aloha form Hawaii,
Not sure if this is the right place or right thing (politically correct) to do.
I am coming to Merida in Oct/Nov for a month to see if it’s somewhere my wife and I could live and retire too. We kind of like the look of a Centro old house and have been following Gingers blog (I emailed you guys but no response)
I need information, any information regarding the old Centro houses, one concern is that they look a little dark inside; it was the dark inside stuff that lead me to the web site of Henry Ponce. I love the way he has managed to put windows/skylights in and make the place look bright and warm. Should I contact him or find a fixer up property first?
Sorry if this is rather long winded, basically I would like contact with anyone who has or is renovating one of the old Centro houses. Seems parking may be a problem, does that mean that most do not have a garage? Couldn’t one convert a room into a garage? How about building codes? Any and all emails will be answered. peter@mclarenphotographers.com
Mahalo, Peter
www.mclarenphotographers.com
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