Surviving the rain in Mexico

Well we are back to talking about the fact that it is rainy season in Playa del Carmen.

It rained all night and now all day. My towels (washed yesterday) are still hanging on the line going through a continual rinse cycle. I like to think of it as natures fabric softener.

So anyway, what do we do on rainy days in Playa? Here are some suggestions....

- Go in the pool anyway. Wet is wet.
- Same applies for cenotes and the ocean. We can call it natures wet and wild.
- Buy an umbrella and walk around in the rain... splash in the puddles.
- Find a restaurant street side and watch the people go by.
- Take in a movie. Our cinemas are excellent and inexpensive.
- Stroll one of our malls. We have Las Americas and Centro Maya.
- Visit an arcade. Both malls have them. Be a kid.
- Head to a pub and watch a game (soccer is pretty popular right now).
- Play some board games or cards under a palapa on the beach.
- Use this as an excuse to make Abuelita hot chocolate.
- Enjoy the day!

I’d plan a holiday to Canada but I hear it has been raining there too so I guess I’m headed for the pool. I have no idea why my dog won’t join me poolside.

Enjoy life's adventures!

With great love, Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

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

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com/.

My husband's Playa del Carmen Real Estate office – http://www.onestopmc.com/.

Summer in Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Ten things I believe about living in Playa del Carmen, Mexico in the summer

If you are thinking of coming down for a visit or to live, these thoughts may help you plan and pack.

- Intense heat and high humidity is good for the skin.
- Living with access to a pool is a necessity.
- Owning two or three swimsuits is important so you always have a dry one.
- It’s fun to change clothes three times a day.
- The calories from iced coffees don’t count because you sweat the calories away.
- Two or three showers a day are usually needed and are also healthy for your skin.
- To work out with no air conditioning in your gym burns lots of fat.
- One should always carry water with them and drink lots and that is healthy.
- Sunhats can be a fashion statement.
- You can wear less clothing and that saves on laundry.

All in all, I am very glad we moved our family here; hot summers and all. Just look at those palm trees! Now excuse me, my hammock is beckoning me and I think I feel a breeze.

Enjoy life's adventures!

With great love, Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

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

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com.

My husband's Playa del Carmen Real Estate office – http://www.onestopmc.com.

Driving in Mexico. Are you nuts?

Oh I have not talked about driving in Mexico for quite awhile... And driving here is so much fun and so adventurous...

Take what I encountered this morning for instance in the space of 10 minutes (which is how long it takes for me to get home from my new gym).

- A driver decided to try to make three lanes out of two and blocked oncoming traffic.
- Motorcycles simultaneously passed me on my left and right as I was doing the posted speed (and it was not a three lane highway).
- A taxi wanting to make a right created a third lane and almost rear ended a parked bus.
- When making a left you often have to go into the lane of oncoming traffic or the guy behind you thinks your turn signal means to pass you on the left. I had to do that this morning.
- Oh and I passed over 8 sets of speed bumps to give me a no cost body vibration treat.

Crazy eh (Canadian roots)? Now understand that I am not complaining. I am simply sharing the delights of driving in Mexico where driving is never boring. Do you really want to rent that car when you visit?

You know the amazing thing is that once you get used to driving here everything actually flows. Go figure.

Enjoy life's adventures!

With great love, Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

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

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com.

My husband's Playa del Carmen Real Estate office – http://www.onestopmc.com.

Playa del Carmen is hot and humid!

Well it is summer and Playa del Carmen tends to get this way. After seven or eight years of living here it should not surprise me right?

So to love it or not?
I love it! Well at least I have found ways to love it.

I get to plan trips to air conditioned spots like the mall, the movie theatre, and friend’s houses!
I get to tell my husband ... I can’t work today, it is too hot. I must swim in the pool.
I get to tell my friends that we NEED to play at the beach.
I get to plan trips to Cenotes (fresh water swimming caves).
I get to drink lots of cold drinks with lots of ice in fun glasses.
I get to swim in the pool before bed.
I get to walk around fanning myself with pretty fans and feeling like royalty.
Not such a bad life all in all.

(This picture is my husband and a friend cooling off at a Cancun mall called La Isla ... now you see who inspires me)
What else should I do? I love new ideas. Especially wild and fun ones!


Enjoy life's adventures!

With great love, Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

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

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com/.

My husband's Playa del Carmen Real Estate office – http://www.onestopmc.com/.

Mexican iguanas by the pool

It has become very hot in Playa del Carmen now so yesterday I was enjoying the freshness of cooling off in my pool and a beautiful, bright green iguana tried to poop on my head! (I am showing a picture of the culprit).

You see it turns out he was enjoying his perch in a palm tree above the pool. My husband could not stop laughing as he saw it fall and then he saw my face! It missed me by that much.... and actually landed on the pool noodle I was using. Yuck!

He finally sauntered off but we noticed another of his buddies was also in the palm tree so we figure they probably had a bet on to see if he could get me.

What do we learn from this experience? Don’t plant palm trees too close to the pool as an iguana may climb up and try to poop on you!

Ah the adventures of living in paradise.

Enjoy life's adventures!

With great love, Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

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

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com/.

My husband's Playa del Carmen Real Estate office – http://www.onestopmc.com/.

Ek Balam ruins, Mexico

A few weeks ago we went to visit the Ek Balam ruins just outside of Valladolid in the state of the Yucatan, Mexico. It’s only a couple hours from Playa del Carmen.

You see our friends from Vernon, B.C. came to visit and we figured it would be a fun day trip. I’ll recount the fun for you incase you would like to repeat it with your friends.

First you borrow a Honda Pilot from your buddy so that all eight of you can squeeze into one vehicle. Now go pick up your friends from their resort at 8 AM and hit the road! First stop bank machine – teach all your friends how to read a Spanish bank machine and collect cards and PIN codes as you go (HeeHee). Also shuffle around so those that feel car sick can sit in the front instead of being squished in the back.

Next stop for gas … shuffle around again so those that feel squished can sit in different spots. I personally like the coziness of the furthest back corner.

Next stop in Valladolid for breakfast at Hotel El Meson de Marques, a tour of the square, some leather shopping and photo ops. Now on to Ek Balam! Bring water to drink.

After the trek up the pyramid at Ek Balam you will want to cool off so you can visit the cenote advertised right there like we did. It is several Kilometers further in the jungle so you can rent a bike or have a fellow bicycle you in on his trike (each trike takes two people – lucky driver). Try to get a young man as you will end up feeling really bad for the older fellows as they puff you along. Don’t forget to wave to your friends on bicycles as they speed past you.

The cenote will feel cool and delightful – I guarantee it. It is well worth putting that old fellow through the hassle of biking you in. I am sure he likes all his tips and his exercise.

Bike out and head for lunch at Genesis Eco Oasis which is owned and operated by Lee, a lady from Calgary, Canada. Don’t miss the tiny town of Ek Balam or you will miss seeing the most beautiful hammocks being made and the fun of counting all the dogs, pigs, chickens and roosters running loose on the street!

Now drive back for a couple hours to return your friends to their resort at about 8 PM.
A delightful day had by all. I am sure the cramp from being squished in the truck will pass. Go ahead and come try it yourself. Do you want our buddy’s number for the Honda Pilot?


(Pictures on FaceBook)

Enjoy life's adventures!

With great love, Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

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

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com/.

My husband's Playa del Carmen Real Estate office – http://www.onestopmc.com/.

Visiting Zirahuen Lake in Michoacan, Mexico

Continuing on our little adventurous holiday …

We found Lake Zirahuen which is located about 70 kilometers from the city of Morelia. This beautiful lake shows amazing water colors which go from a deep blue to a jade like green.

They tell us this lake received its name from the pre-hispanic "Purepecha" language where "Zirahuen" means "Mirror of the Gods". Don’t ask me I can’t pronounce any of it!

Zirahuen is a peaceful fishing lake bordered by farm fields. They even grow blackberries here. They had cabins there so I think one day I am going back to stay in a cabin by the lake because it reminds me of BC. Imagine that!

Enjoy life's adventures!

With great love, Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

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

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com/.

Are you looking for a way to earn money so you can live in Mexico? Maybe these ideas can help.

My husband's Playa del Carmen Real Estate office – http://www.onestopmc.com/.