Update after 2 weeks here in Mazatlan

We have been experiencing very, very, hot humid weather. Today it is 88 degrees with 75% humidity. Seems warmer than that though - it is like an oven when you step outdoors. Even the windows are sweating here on the beach.

We have been making a few trips to the immigration office to get checked in here in Mazatlan. Quite a process, similar to the process in Seattle before we left but a little harder with the language barrier. But we are getting through it. Still have to go back again on September 15th. The strangest thing was that they sent us down the street a block to a tiny grocery store to have a form typed up and more photos taken. We have some photos of this but can’t post them right now due to slow internet speed. The office was in a middle class mexican neighborhood with an elementary school right across the street. Not where you would expect to find a government office.

So far so good here in Mazatlan. Just trying to keep cool, working on our Spanish and waiting out the time until our household goods arrive and our condo is ready in October but enjoying the beautiful sunsets and great lighning and thunder storms. One more thing though, we have found a restaurant that prepares great shrimp ceviche. It is delicious and we are finding ourselves there quite often. It is called "The Pacifico Restaurant & Bar" and it is within walking distance from our condo right here on the malecon.

Sea turtles

Well, a few posts ago, we told you about a gigantic sea turtle coming ashore one night and how exciting that was. Since then, we have learned more about why they come ashore at night. Last evening, one showed up and seems she was there to lay her eggs. She came up as far as the loose sand near the seawall and to lay her eggs. Nesting can take between one and three hours. After a female turtle drags herself up the beach, she hollows out a pit with her back legs and deposits from fifty to two hundred eggs the size of golf balls. When the last egg is laid, the turtle covers the eggs with sand, tamps down the sand with her plastron, and flings more sand about with her flippers to erase any signs of the nest. Here in Mazatlan, after she returns to the ocean, the security beach police dig them up and take them to the aquarium for safe keeping until they hatch in about one month, otherwise, many would not survive. We took these pictures but were scolded by the police, as the flash will scare the turtle back to the ocean before she has a chance to lay her eggs. We felt bad about taking the picutres but we just didn't know. :( Just hope she had laid her eggs before she started back. We think you can get an idea of how large she was by the pictures though. Pretty interesting, huh!

Finally connected!

Well we have finally resolved our internet/phone issues and are connected. It turned out we needed to have our internet speed increased to resolve the issue with the voice delay on the phone. It is much better now. So nice to be finally reconnected with our familes via internet and phone.

We have been enjoying the nightly sunsets, as well as, thunder and lightning storms. Tuesday morning about 3:00 am loud thunder woke us up. Went out to the terrace and watched the light show for some time. Very loud and long thunder and the lightning strikes just lit up the ocean with tremendous strikes on the water. Was quite a site. We have been getting these storms every night with a little rain, however, not the kind of rain in Seattle. Just enough to cool things off a little which is quite refreshing. Here is another of the beautiful sunsets in Mazatlan.

One Week in Mazatlan

We have been in Mazatlan for one week now and it is still very, very hot. Checked the temperature for yesterday and it was 90 degrees and 85% humidity. Starting to adjust to the humidity a little though, so it is getting better. Just have to make sure we get our errands done early in the day or after sunset. We have been starting our day with a walk along the malecon about 7:30. Been walking about 2 miles each morning. Then back to the condo for our morning coffee on the terrace. Then making quite a few trips for groceries and other items we need for the condo we are renting. Without a car, we are finding we can't bring back as many groceries in one trip. Taking a siesta if we desire and then dinner and enjoying another beautiful sunset. We are truly enjoying the freedom retirement life is giving us.

This photo was taken from the terrace of our new condo.

We made it to Mazatlan!

Well we made it to Mexico last Sunday, August 13th. Been having some internet connection issues so this is the first chance we have had to post. It is really, really hot here, about 90 degrees with 85% humidity. So we are trying to stay cool with margaritas, cerveza, agua, the ocean and the pool. Also, we do have air conditioning so that helps too.

Got to see our condo on Wednesday and it is just about finished. It is just beautiful! Still on target for first of October to move in. Can't wait. Lots of shopping to do until then.

Was an interesting thing that happened on the the beach last evening that caused quite a commotion. Yesterday the waves had been strange, in fact, there were red flags all up and down the malecon all day long which mean't danger. Last night there was lots of thunder and lightening and about 11:15 pm a gigantic sea turtle was found on the beach right in front of our place. One of the locals picked it up and put it back in the ocean. Friday nights appear to be a very active time on the malecon with lots of motorcycles, cars, pulmonias and safaris (pulmonias with doors) cruising up and down.

So far everything is going well and we are enjoying the incredible sunsets that occur nightly. This one is from our first night here.

One last post before we leave

Our house is empty and we are just two days away from leaving for Mazatlan. It has been tough saying goodbye to our families but we hope they understand us following our dream.

We will probably be offline for about a week so we will post just as soon as we get back online and let you know how things are in Mexico. We are keeping our fingers crossed for our flights on Sunday; hoping the latest airport security delays won't interfere with our flights too much. But, if they do, we really have all the time in the world since we are retired and not adhering to a schedule. This is a very surreal time for both of us. Just need to get on that plane and relax.

Hasta Luego Amigos!!

Getting down to the wire

We are getting down to the wire now. Yesterday we got the last of our series of Hepatitis A & B immunizations. We don't really need them for living in Mazatlan but our doctors recommended that if we were planning any travel into the interior of Mexico it might be a good idea. So we are happy we have this completed.

We also went back to the Consulate yesterday and picked up our approved visa for our household items we will be taking into Mexico. Think that is the last time we will need to visit the Consulate in Seattle and are now ready for the movers.

This morning the movers will arrive at 8:30 and pack up our house. We understand it will take 5 weeks for our things to arrive in Mazatlan. Today is also closing of the sale of our house. We will be signing the documents at 11:00. My niece and her husband will be arriving to pick up the Sebring today too. Since I am a little sad to see my car go, I am really happy they are buying it, as I know they will take good care of it and and enjoy it as we did.

So this will be another busy, busy day but alot of what we have been working towards will culminate today. This will be a big relief to get these items completed!

Back to the Consulate of Mexico

Today we made another trip to the Consulate of Mexico in Seattle. This time we need to get our visa for our household item list issued before the movers come on Thursday, August 10th. This entitles us to move our household goods across the border into Mexico. We dropped off the necessary item list and copies of our Visa's and FM3's but we still have to pick up the approved visa tomorrow morning. So it is a little bit of a process to take items into Mexico. We are getting very close to leaving now - just 5 more days but still lots to do. We are sure going to need that margarita when we arrive in Mazatlan!

Our "Adios" Party with the kids

Over the weekend, on Saturday night, the kids threw us a good-bye party. It was alot of fun with some delicious food. They did a great job of preparing burritos for us. So appropriate! It has been a bitter/sweet time with saying good-bye to our families. We will miss them all greatly but we know we will be back to see them at least twice a year and they will try as they can to visit us in Mazatlan. To begin with, Jessica, Brandon & Serena are planning a trip down just after Christmas (Jackie and Jake may be coming too). Hope so. Anyway, we will miss all of our children and grandchildren too. The picture here of our grandchildren was taken last Saturday at our party. From the left, Andrew, Justin, Natalie, Serena and Jordyn. Aren't they just adorable. Enjoy!

Our one-way airline ticket to Mazatlan has been booked!

Well we have booked our one-way airline ticket to Mexico! The movers come on Thursday, August 10 and we leave for Mazatlan at 8:00 am on Sunday, August 13 and arrive at 4:17 pm. So our move is getting very real now.

Our Dream Comes True - April 23, 2005

After many years of vacationing in Mazatlan, Mexico, we have purchased a condo on the beach where we will live full time when we retire on June 30, 2006. The condominum complex is named "Las Gavias".

Here is the website for the complex. Also, a picture of us on the terrace of our new condo under construction. It will be ready in October of 2006. Enjoy!

http://www.lasgavias.com/

Body Surfing

Greg got his new boogie board today! He plans to be spending many hours body surfying when we get to Mazatlan in approximately 14 days .

Annual Family Reunion/'Picnic

We just returned from our annual family picnic and reunion. We enjoyed seeing many family members; some of which we hadn't seen in a year. There was lots of great food and games too. Many of you expressed you would try to come down for a visit when we get moved to Mazatlan and we hope to see you. Remember, "mi casa su casa" (my house is your house).

FM3 Status - July 27, 2006

Today we acquired our FM3 visa for crossing the border into Mexico. We will need to have it stamped at the airport customs in Mazatlan the day we arrive and within 30 days have the visa stamped at the immigration office in Mazatlan. We will be renewing it annually in Mazatlan. This is a huge step in our preparation to move to Mexico.

Trip to Wyoming

We recently took a 12-hour road trip to Wyoming with my sister and her husband from Yakima, Washington. We visited my sister and her husband that have a beautiful cabin in Star Valley. It is about 50 miles from Jackson Hole, Wyoming and the cabin has just an incredible view. We enjoyed a great time; John and Marta were great hosts and we thank them for a wonderful time. We are looking forward to their visit to see us in Mazatlan hopefully next year.