More road construction in Mexico?

This is a funny story. Only in Mexico you say? I drove my son to school this morning. What is normally a five minute drive took fifteen. Why? It was because of road construction.

Let’s see, the first right I tried to take had three roads with a total of five lanes of traffic trying to merge into one lane just before a traffic light. I actually backed up from that mess to take another route.

I decided to go several blocks to the left in order to go straight. That was a great plan until I tried to make another right (yep – still trying to get to the Highway). This right hand turn again had four lanes merging into one because they had blocked this road too! We managed that to find out the traffic going against us on the highway also had to deal with road construction and were backed up - I would normally return home this way!

My son actually apologized that I had to go through all that to take him to school! Maybe it was worth it just to hear the thanks? … I actually told him it was not a problem and that if this was the worst I had to deal with today life was a piece of cake. He was not even late for school – although he was right at the bell.

I returned home through Puerto Vallarta – please note that we live in Playa del Carmen on the opposite coast of Mexico. No, I jest – because I wouldn’t be home yet would I? But it would make for a good adventure! Wait until people asked me how I ended up on that journey!

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/

Is it dustier in Mexico these days?

A swirling vortex of dust is headed down the road straight to my house. Is the window open? When does my maid come again? She always cleans muttering “Hay mucho polvo” …. “Hay mucho polvo” … Which translates to - there is a lot of dust! Sorry Eva!

One day soon my road will be paved again. This by the way is the same road they tore up a year and a half ago to put in the sewer pipes. So tell me, what will life be like when I have no more dust filling up my house and covering my car? How will I fill my time that is currently spent wiping my tables and counters off?

Maybe I'll try windsurfing! In fact maybe I'll try that now and stop worrying about dust - after all there are more important things in life..... writing really helps put things into perspective! Suddenly I love the wind! The dust? Well, as I said previously, I love my maid!

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne
Suzanne Marie Bandick

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/

Benefits of living in Mexico

I have been writing lately about different things that I appreciate about Mexico; so it occurred to me that I should start a list.

The benefits of living in Mexico:

- Tropical fruits and vegetables cheap. Oh yes, we are talking mangoes, papayas, pineapples, avocados and more that I can’t even spell.

- Being able to have a maid for an inexpensive cost. A gardener too. Actually most services and repairs cost less.

- Road construction and potholes in the road that make you slow down and enjoy the scenery.

- Gas trucks that go through the neighborhood too fast and make you speed up as you run down the road to catch them. That way you get exercise.

- Generally a slower pace of life. What was all stressed about before?

What are the things you love about being in or living in Mexico? Feel free to add them here.

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/

Enjoy having a maid in Mexico!

I really love my maid!

She scrubbed my bathroom floors on her hands and knees the other day! Who else is going to scrub my bathroom floors? It sure won’t be me!

Living in Mexico definitely has its benefits and having a maid for a reasonable cost is one of them.

I am one of those people who had a maid in Canada as well. I worked, had the money and hated cleaning. I found a lady who loved to clean (hard to believe eh?) and the income she made helped support her and her son.

So it was no trouble at all for me to adjust to having a maid in Mexico. I love to help people and I love my house being clean without my doing it.

When the kids found out she swept under the bed they were amazed because Mom never did that! Who looks under the bed anyway? Now you know why I also need a maid in Mexico!

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick


P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/

Successfully peeling a mango

Living in Mexico has many benefits and plentiful mangoes are one of them.

There are many ways to successfully peel or cut up a mango. We had mango on a stick in Puerto Vallarta. They actually made it look like a big flower and somehow managed to get a stick into the pit.

Some people don’t peel it. They simply slice on each side of the flat pit. Then they score it into squares and flip it inside out so that they can eat the squares of mango off of the skin. Interesting eh?

I start by peeling it with a peeler – that should be straight forward you think . . . . But it is a little slippery – so off it scoots across the counter. Thank goodness my counter is clean! The best thing to do now is just to grab this slippery, slimy thing and finish the peel job. Then slice the fruit away from its large almond shaped pit. I can handle that! Once off the pit, it is easy to cube that delicious, juicy fruit. The hard part is not eating it all as you prepare it!

Don’t forget to find a volunteer to suck on the pit. It’s juicy, fun and tasty but the juice is guaranteed to dribble to your elbows and you invariably get mango caught in your teeth.

Have you ever tried mango cubed into a green salad? Romaine lettuce, toasted pecans, cubed apple, diced jicima, cubed mango and a sweet/sour vinaigrette dressing. It is the best!

Feel free to share your favorite recipe or thoughts on eating a mango as it is still mango season in Mexico. I’m going to go peel one now. Wish me luck! Anyone want the pit?

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/

Playa del Carmen And Hurricane Dean

Hurricane Dean has passed us now. It hit about 4 hours south of Playa del Carmen early Tuesday morning. It went through Mahual and Chetumal; unfortunately leaving those areas in very bad shape. Let's face it, all kidding aside there is never a good place for a category 5 hurricane to hit.

In Playa del Carmen we got a night of high winds and a little rain. I was a little disappointed that the power did not go out, but my husband lit some candles and did his candle making class anyway.

Playa was really over prepared (is that even possible?) just in case of a Hurricane Wilma repeat for us. We are counting ourselves very fortunate this time.

So Tuesday afternoon we untied our trees, took the boards off of our office windows, and had several good meals to eat some of the food we had stocked up on! It will be awhile before the cookies are all finished though.

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/

Offering adventure vacations with Hurricane Dean

Would you like to come now for an adventure vacation? Hurricane Dean is getting closer! At this point it looks like Chetumal will get the brunt of it and not Playa del Carmen but who really knows? I am sure you would have thrills no matter where in the Riviera Maya you choose to holiday.

Actually it is very interesting to go down to the beach right now as our tourists are lazing around soaking up the beautiful sun and swimming in the so far calm ocean. They have to sip water and lemonade though as an alcohol ban went into effect yesterday. Mexico has decided that it is best to try and prevent people from being drunk during a hurricane. Anyway we have the beaches that look like it is life as usual in the sunny tropics and then you go into town and find all the locals in lineups for gas, water and plywood. It appears to be two different worlds.

Playa already has emergency personnel in town so I am feeling like we are in good hands. I am impressed with Mexico every hurricane.

What has our family been doing? Well for starters our daughter baked cookies. Smart girl as they are non perishable - last hurricane I made cream pie - not smart when the power goes out early.

What will we do during the hurricane? My husband Shawn has decided he will teach a candle making course during the hurricane - he has wax, toilet paper rolls and special string for wicks ready. Our son figures we can start a game of Robert Kiyosaki's Cash Flow and just be finishing it up as the hurricane ends (as the game can last a long time). I don't really figure that is the case as all of us have gotten out of the rat race in the game in less than an hour on more than one occasion - which will leave lots of time for our candle making course.

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/