Friday, August 07, 2009

Where I Am Living

Before I start posting pictures and boring narrative of the area I am in, I thought I would share with you where I am staying. Nothing fancy, but home for the next month.

When I contacted the rental agent about finding a place to stay here for a month, I soon discovered that about the only place I was going to be able to afford for that long would have to be a condo unit. My apologies to condo livers (that sounds like something you would eat on a cracker!), but I have never been fond of condo living. Not so much the concept or the space, but the rules. There are always rules. I really am not one to have people tell me what type of curtains I can put on my windows or what type of patio furniture I can have. I would prefer to follow my own taste, what little there is of it.

So I booked a unit in this building and hoped for the best.* The nice thing about being in this building right now is that it is mostly Canadian owned units. Thus fully 2/3 or more of the building is empty. Very quiet right now.

I could tell from the entrance that it was not going to be anything special. I mean, why do they have to tell me that it is a real hacienda when clearly I can see it isn't.




Can you say same, same? Everybody has the exact same curtains on the windows. Told you.





Our unit is on the end. It's the bottom one in the picture although we are on the second floor. I'm too old to climb anymore than one story loaded down with groceries.




We do have a view of the pool area in front though. Well, what you can see through those pesky palm trees. I do force myself to get in it at least once a day.




Going inside, one enters directly, directly!, into the living room area. Complete with the overly large rustico furniture. It looks like a hotel lobby. It is all I can do to force myself to recline on the sofa and watch satellite TV from the USA at night.





There is a long, sterile hallway that leads to the bedrooms. There are also two full baths that open off this hallway. Bowling anyone?


Opposite the living room is the dining room. We use the too fancy hutch as a pantry for canned goods. And wine. And booze.



Did you notice the flowers? We bought those ourselves. At the Pochutla market last Monday. Our rental agent says we got ripped off and paid the Gringo price. That's three bunches of flowers in the vase that we had to buy ourselves because none are furnished! (actually it's a glass water pitcher. Shhh.) We paid 45 pesos for the flowers. Should have been 15 we were told. Oh well, we have gotten at least 45 pesos worth of pleasure having them around. There are not a lot of fresh, cheap flowers available on the island, so this is a luxury.
The kitchen, though fully equipped, leaves some things to be desired. Take that full size refrigerator. You can't just leave it hang open while you stick your head in to look for a snack. The thing is rigged to close automatically and will hit you every time.
The worst though is that tiny sink. It holds two dirty plates, two cups, two glasses and some silverware, tops. You know what that means? Yes, you have to wash dishes after every meal! That really gets to be a drag.


And the stove across from the sink? It has six burners! Who in their right mind would ever use six burners at the same time? You really only need two. One to boil the pasta and one to warm up the boxed spaghetti sauce. And it has one of those glass tops covering everything. Accident waiting to happen if you ask me.


Now for the rooms everyone has been waiting to see. The bedrooms.
They are ok I guess. They each have a mini split air conditioner in them but we just use the giant airplane propeller ceiling fans. They are so strong, when you lie down you feel like you are going to be blown right off the bed. (not very conducive for romantic stuff, but we are not here for that! Shame on you for even thinking about that stuff!)
So here's the one allocated to me.

And the one allocating to B, since he did such a fine job of navigating us here. Can you see that he does not do as fine a job of making his bed as do I?


That's it. I forgot to post the picture of the patio/balcony itself so you will have to live without that. We are doing fine here and it will do for the next month or so.
Next week I am actually going to show some pics of the Huatulco area itself and beautiful views.

* This article was written totally tongue in cheek. This place is actually very, very nice!

13 comments:

lisa said...

Now that looks really easy to keep clean, if you saw all the stuff I have it isn't so easy to keep clean. The refrigerater would have to go of course and I agree the sink is even worse!! We have a dish washer and the dishes still seem to pile up!! Now the stove I am sorry, but I like, I remember having a gas stove that I had to go buy new pans for under the burners every few months because of the mess they would get into and I can be a pretty messy cook sometimes!! I love the pool and I think I would be retireing to that alot in the next month!! Enjoy and thanks for the pictures!!

Anonymous said...

hi wayne,

the place looks pretty nice even if you do have the same curtains as everyone else. by the way, real in spanish means royal.

have a great weekend and enjoy the rest of your stay.

wish i were in mexico right now. last week we broke records with temps in the low 100's for several days, this week it's cold, some days not even reaching 70-brrrrr!

teresa in lake stevens

1st Mate said...

You poor things. How are you going to tough it out for a whole month in such rustic conditions? Too bad you can't trade two of those stove burners for a second sink. Then you'd only have to wash dishes once a day, like I do! (only kidding, sometimes I do them twice.)

I'm surprised it's cool enough in Huatulco that you don't need the AC. Maybe you're just really acclimated to the heat.

Steve Cotton said...

OK. So where is the marble staircase?

Life's a Beach! said...

I'd definitely try the bowling one of these nights. They even have the three pins set up for you at the end of the hall. Can't wait to read your future exploration posts!

Billie Mercer said...

Poor Wayne. I hope you survive the meager accommodations. LOL

Linda Dorton said...

Hey there, I was so glad to see the *...tongue in cheek* remark at the end. I was starting to worry if you would ever have any fun on this adventure! I hope Huatulco is a fabulous chill pill for you. You sound a little stressed!

Islagringo said...

lisa: it is easy to keep clean. Especially with the help of the maid!

teresa: thanks for the translation but I was only playing with the word.

1st mate: I think we are acclimated. More or less. It is hot here and it does not seem to cool down in the evenings. We have found that sitting in air conditioning only makes it hotter when you go out. We rely solely on fans. (although I am tempted to turn on the air!)

steve: you are confused. I'm not the one looking for a house where I can do my Elly Mae impersonation!

LAB: LOL! I have been tempted to knock them over!

Billie: I am trying.

Lin: Me? Stressed? Well, maybe just a little. That's why I'm here.

Refried Dreamer said...

I would agree with 1st Mate... however, two sinks = twice as many dishes left to clean. :(

Enjoy your new home!

Sue said...

I have a condo in Canada. It is nice inside but I hate the balcony that overlooks parking lots and is too small for anything other than a couple plastic chairs. I hate that I can't put red curtains on my bedroom window to go with the venetian plaster paint look on the walls without leaving the white shades and putting a white liner underneath. I hate rules that are broken anyway - a dog pooping in the elevator, people smoking in the hallway as they head outside, people cutting across the grass to their outside entrance that they are not supposed to use except to get to and from their patio from inside, not outside, and then we all have to pay for landscaping repairs for the damaged grass. Having a condo suited me when I travelled every week - no maintenance and I didn't worry about safety. But never again - it is SO confining.

On to your rental - I too am glad you put 'tongue in cheek' at the end, because for a vacation rental it looks very nice (other than the rustic living room furniture - I understand why people renting do that, but it just isn't comfortable or welcoming, in my opinion). The gas stove - the reason for the tempered glass lid is to stop the gas from flowing and to give you a surface, I think. I once called a repairman to my home because the oven wasn't working - turned out the lid has to be UP in order for the gas to work in the oven (just a tip, in case you decide to toast some garlic bread with that pasta from the package).

Have a wonderful time. I envy you, would love to drive through Mexico one day. Looking forward to more pictures!

Jackie said...

I bet if B knew you would be publishing a photo of his bed making skills he would have tried harder. Give him a break.
I have to agree with Sue. That living room furniture looks really uncomfortable. The condo I stayed in last month on Kauai had a similar sofa but it at least had a comfy recliner.

Merida Mikey said...

Good grief Wayne!

"B" got you lost eleventeen (give or take) times before you ever got there and then you arrive at a place they dare call Real Hacienda! How dare they! Especially when it's not a true hacienda as you say. What do they think they are trying to do, attract visitors! No wonder you didn't like it.

And then, there's those curtains! Where's Martha Stewart when you really need her!?!

I just can't imagine a view of the pool obstructed by flowing palm fronds! What an absolute outrage!Where's the gardener??

And who do they think they are making the entrance way look like a hotel lobby! And using rustic furniture in a rental! Oh! I'm suffering for and with you!!

Someone needs to tell them that long, sterile hallways are passe and no longer en vogue! Just can't imagine it!

And NO fresh flowers!!! NO FRESH FLOWERS!!!! How declasse! Imagine, having to buy your own! And then paying 45 pesos! Oh! I need a cold cloth to revive myself.

And, how dare they put an oversized refrigerator AND a six burner stove in the kitchen! Who do they really think they are doing something like that! And a tiny sink! Don't they realize that folks on vacation cook 3 - 5 meals a day and need a sink bigger than a wash basin?? It gets me weak in the knees knowing that you have to put up with that. I hope you can overcome and won't need extra doses of medication to chill.

Then there are those helicopter fans in the bedrooms! Do they think you need a breeze or what? The nerve of them doing something accomodting like that!

I don't know who the owners are, but I'm sure they don't realize the strife they are putting you through.

If I were you, I'd move and let me stay there for the remainder of your lease!

Tongue in cheek,

Merida Mikey

Anonymous said...

i figured you might be playing with the word, but thought i'd translate just in case. i love merida mikey's comment-gave me a good laugh.

have a great day and please send some sunshine. we're into our 2nd week of dreary weather but at least we got some rain last night so now i won't have to water the grass for a few days.

teresa