Today we purchased propane for the Campo. Up there we use smaller tanks as we have to buck them in and out of the property ourselves. We have two small tanks we rotate. They are 20 kilogram tanks that currently cost about 192 pesos (about $18.00 US) to fill. This is about 44 liters – converted to gallons (1 liter = 0.2642 gallon) that is about 11-12 gallons or about $1.50 a gallon.

We have only used one tank in the last 3 years of being half time in Mexico. You must also consider we probably stay more at the Casita than the Campo; but the point is it hasn’t come up as an issue a lot.

In Ursulo Galvan where our Casita is located we have a 300 liter (about 80 gallon) larger tank where a big fuel truck fills our tank – those behemoth trucks don’t climb the road going to Micoxtla where our campo is. So far we have filled this tank once a year (again living here half time) for about $100.00 US dollars a fill.

In our part of Mexico propane gas is a household staple. Casa’s with dirt floors, asbestos roof sheeting and perhaps bed sheets for windows and drapes almost always have a tank of propane gas for their stoves or if one of the more fortunate families and water heater.

If you are thinking about bringing your propane tanks from the US down here – be aware that the 5 gallon bottles and even some of the larger ones may be very difficult or impossible to fill SOB. Jim and Mindy finally gave up trying to get their smallish Air Stream tanks filled. They broke down and bought a used Mexican propane tank.

Don’t even think about asking the propane hombres about the ‘new’ (circa 2002) Overfill Protection Device (OPD valve). They fill to about 85% on the gauge of our 300 liter tank.

The way it works is this: the propane trucks roam the neighborhoods with a hombre riding in the back with the tanks. All the while he is clanking a wrench on an empty tank to let everyone know they are around. The clanking is done with fervor at all hours of the day and night by the way.

You flag the trucks hombres down. They take your spent tank and exchange it for the same capacity storage tank filled, charging you just for the gas. We had a virtually new small 20 kilogram tank that we exchanged for a multi –paint layered beat-up tank. Chances are we will never see as nice a tank come back here as the one we exchanged – such is the game here in Mexico.

You can buy these tanks new for about 750 pesos or used for about 500 pesos. The used ones for sale are usually the nice ones they take from customers like the one we exchanged today. Of course the first time that tank is exchanged will be the last time you see a newer tank; thus buying a new tank is nothing more than giving the propane lads a leg up on sales.

In the entire scope of things this probably doesn’t matter a lot. But, in the United States where you get YOUR tank refilled they have date stamps and the ‘certified’ re-filler will not fill a tank older than a prescribed time – five years I think; and now they will not fill a tank without the OPD valve. Here in Mexico some of these tanks look like they came over from Spain with Cortez. I have to wonder if they have exploding bottles occasionally or are the U.S. standards unrealistic and yet another way to fleece Americans?

It goes without writing that taking any kind of a chance with bottled gas is not smart. Where do those old dated U.S. tanks go; or the ones without the OPD valve go – to somewhere in Mexico perhaps?

We have been having trouble with our power transformer up at the Campo. We own this device with two other households. We have had some expensive maintenance and problems with lightning. We have had to pay for a 350 peso fuse several times. I understand we can donate the transformer to the power company. There after they will take full responsibility for it maintenance.

I am also told that they will most likely take our lovely newish battleship gray transformer and replace it with one of their beaters – using ours where they can load it up with a lot of users. As usual I am confused as to what the net gain or loss to donating the transformer may be? But having them take our nearly new transformer away and sticking an ugly rusted can on the pole at our neighbor’s house may be a mistake in a number of ways including waiting often for someone to drive up the hill and fix our power.

I already miss that pretty red propane tank. In its place is this tired looking white one that one can only hope holds its gas. Stay Tuned!

Rain, snow, sleet – OK I can deal with them, if I must – but all wind is an ill wind in my book. I just have never liked swift blowing air.

But, a breeze on a sunny day is not really wind at all – it is something entirely different and to be greatly enjoyed; just enough of a breeze to make a dress sway, some chimes sing or clear a view.

A breeze makes me feel good about air – it is air at its best. A breeze clears my head providing a calm, reasonable, gentle persuasion that incites rational thought. A breeze can sweep away any untruth.

The fragrances of life are brought to us by the breeze; we have but to stand in one place and let the smells of the earth pass by and through us.

There is a breeze here in Xico today – say what you will about the weather here, in my mind it doesn’t get any better than this.

From my second story oficina I looked down in the yard at the banana trees on one side of the wall and the bamboo trees on the other both gently swaying in the breeze. I am filled with a peace that transcends understanding.

I took the photo to give you just a glimpse into the day – maybe you can get a sense of those leaves moving like lazy elephant ears. Look closely you might even see a neighborhood chicken enjoying the moment. (ENLARGE here)

Emerson wrote, “Nature is the symbol of spirit.” It is easy to get in the spirit here in Xico, Mexico. Stay Tuned!

Soft Clocks (Click to ENLARGE)

I get confused easily. Not helping this situation is the end of daylight savings. I’m sure like me many of you have had a time or two where you forgot about or couldn’t remember whether to Spring ahead or Fall behind or the other way around during a seasonal time change.

So here is an added Mexican twist – here in Mexico we went off daylight savings early this morning – one week ahead of the United States time change – ugh!

So let’s see it was two hours difference between here and the West Coast where my son is located. We talk every day. I always have to think about whether he is up or at work or is he calling us at the shank of his evening and our bedtime?

Now for a week, if I am getting this right, he will be only one hour difference in time.

Then I have to allow for this one week time differential to catch the World Series games – although this situation may be over tonight.

One of the new residents of Rancho Calypso is a huge Boston Red Sox fan. What a good year he is having – In late September he moves to Colorado where the most unlikely of scenarios occurs – the Rockies win the Pennant (the first time ever) and on the other side the Boston Red Sox win – so now his new home State team is playing his favorite baseball team in the World Series.

Still more coincidental is the Rockies first game starting pitcher has Rancho Calypso’s new caretakers same last name – unfortunately at this point it doesn’t look like he will get a lot of chances to see his home team and favorite team play in Denver – the Sox are wasting the Rox ; ( You never know but the odds are that there will be at least one ecstatic Colorado resident when the Boston Red Sox win the World Series.

The facts are we are here in Mexico with no time schedule. I mean our concerns for the future more relate to the calendar than the clock – thank goodness – because this week I really am not going to pay attention to what time it is. No matter whether you are in daylight savings or standard time or no matter what time zone you are operating within – we are here in the now for the moment at this time – whatever it is – Stay Tuned!

I have always considered being tall an advantage. It was good being tall when I was young – got picked early to play on teams like baseball and basketball – makes for a great end that can be seen down field on the gridiron.

I never had to worry about a girl I liked being taller than me. My mother made me feel grown up when she would have me reach high in the back of a shelf for something she wanted.

I can wash my windshield past the middle point even on my BIG Ford truck. I could change most ceiling light bulbs without even the need of a chair. I seldom had a problem seeing over the crowd.

Understand I am 6’ 1”; Marvin is about 6’ 4” – here it should be noted we are both in our 60’s and perhaps our spines have settled us a bit closer to terra firma – but basically we are taller than your average hombre.

Last time I saw my son he was clearing 6’ 1” and still growing. We enjoyed being able to keep an eye on him in a throng of people on the streets of Mexico as he was always a head taller at 14.

But, here in Mexico being seen above the crowd may be the only advantage. This is a country geared for people 5’ 5’ and shorter – anything at 5’ 9” is a reach and clears most everything except lanky gringos.

I bring this up because this morning I am hurting from banging my head on a low hanging object a couple days ago – maybe I even have a slight concussion? In the last 4 years I have been in Mexico more than the U.S. and I have had a bump or bruise somewhere on my noggin most of that time.

There are so many head hazards for tall people in Mexico. The worst part of it is there are a lot of foot, ankle and knee hazards too; cobble stone streets, level changing sidewalks, general obstructions in your foot path are common place – this means you must look up and down to avoid twisting an ankle or banging your head on something. There are plenty of shop overhangs that do not clear my thinkpot – and man I am tired of hitting my head on things!

If you are tall – be prepared when coming to Mexico – realize many doorways do not reach the 6’ 8” code standard of America. Know a HEAD of time that people hang things high enough to clear the caveza of the average Mexican – not yours. Stay Tuned!

We got up to the Campo yesterday to find we had no power. I do have some solar panels and we have an oil lamp, candles, and LED flash lights. So not to worry – we weren’t scared.

It was a full moon and pretty cold. We had a nice fire and ate shrimp tacos sitting close to the fireplace.

When we woke up it was 54 F upstairs – but the down comforter fooled us – we were cozy until we ventured from underneath. The sun was doing its thing early – I guess the cool weather and the full moon cleared away all clouds and haze – it was a spectacular morning.

As we were having tea on the deck (no ground coffee this morning) we heard someone beckoning from beyond the fence. It was a CFE truck with two hombres inquiring as to whether we had power. CFE is the power company. The problem had been reported by Abundio – the next-door gardener.

We reported the problem continues – up we all went to Teresa’s house. She is currently on her way to Holland. Teresa, Ana on the other side and us share a transformer which was purchased by the three home owners and is maintained by them – much the same as in Colorado.

The bottom line is a 12 kilovolt fuse was blown. We had to drive into Xico, pay 350 pesos at the CFE office. They would send someone out in the afternoon – Abundio would be there. So hopefully the next time we go up we will have power. The problem here is I believe this is the third fuse we have replaced in as many years. I am suspecting that the pole needs a better ground – ‘will have to look into it.

This morning with no computer to distract me I enjoyed the view watching a little cotton tail bunny run across our yard and birds of all kinds gliding, chirping and diving. One little fellow popped up out of the tree top like a frog jumping grabbed a bug and swooped back in nearly a 360 twirl; again he popped up and straight back down – definitely scoring bugs gliding by the tree top.

Some people have been asking about the view – what we see from the deck. In as much as it was a clear morning, I took some photos of the town of Xico (our view of it). – I think you will agree it is a captivating view. Click on any photo to ENLARGE.

Here is a shot of the bull ring in Xico – only used in July for bulls otherwise I think the hovens have musical concerts there. We often see fireworks spewing skyward from that bowl.

I tried to get a shot that resembled the size we see things looking south west to Orizaba

I held a polarizer in front of my 300 mm lens to get this shot – looks like you can see the blow hole.

It was a BEE-YOU-TEE_FULL day today all around.

BJ asked “Was the stone retaining wall a preexisting wall when you bought the property or did you erect it or have someone else do it? It looks substantial for shoring up that part of the hillside.” All the outside stone work was here with the house – we have only started to complete the two downstairs bedrooms – otherwise what you see is what we got

Stay Tuned!

One man’s paradise is another’s hell – but I would have to challenge anyone picking the ladder today. Sunny and very comfortable.

There are some interesting buildings in Puebla. We didn’t get around to a lot of sight seeing being there only a couple of days. We stayed at Miguel and Veronicas newly constructed apartment building. The two bedroom one bath 850 square feet units were really nice – brand new and renting for 3500$ pesos a month (about $325.00 US). Immediately thought of getting some people together and creating a timeshare – want to spend a couple weeks in Puebla, Mexico next year?

Here is Miguel and Veronica’s four story apartment building (NO elevator). Click on any picture to ENLARGE.

I had a chance to walk around the area where I took some photos (of course). As usual there is some graffiti.

Some of the buildings had interesting shapes. The doors and gates were eye appealing in some cases. I noted that their structures seemed to be more solidly constructed as virtually all of them utilize both block and brick in their walls. They will lay two or three layers of block and then two or three of red brick and so forth – my understanding is this makes for a more stable and solid wall.

As a security measure many people embed glass shards in their security walls – makes kind of a bloody mess climbing over these things.

As is often the case the short dirt road off the main road leading to Miguel’s place was a very bad road consisting of mainly dirt that becomes a skating rink when it rains. We hiked through the deep gullies for two blocks to catch the bus – small price to pay for such a cool place.

As I have written many times before I really love the varying colors you will see in Mexican construction. Stay Tuned!

We made a weekend trip to Puebla. Our friend Veronica, Anita and I caught a bus from our corner in Ursulo Galvan to Xalapa (10 pesos (90 cents) each). We got off on the west side of Xalapa. We needed to get over to the bus terminal on the east side; so we took a 25 pesos cab ride (total about $2.35). Finally we caught a bus to Puebla for 100 pesos each ($9.00).

We drove to Perote where we stopped for 10 minutes. The drive from Xalapa to Perote is beautiful – a lot like driving in the mountains of Southern Oregon (where Anita and I met). The drive beyond Perote to Puebla is lack luster – pretty much flat dry looking area with distant mountains.

There is a town just past Perote that is wall to wall trailer boxes and camper shells. An interesting point about towns in our area is that they get a common item to sell and the town takes on the character of that product. We have Noalinco – the shoe town. Monte Blanco – the bamboo town. Totalco – Truck cargo shells & camper town. This is close to the Veracruz Puebla border.

The bus stations are like airport terminals. I hadn’t taken a bus in years. These are large comfortable buses – some have banos (bathrooms) and movies. Because ours was a little beyond two hours with a stop in Perote there was no banos. It should be stated that you can take the buses with films and banos – but the fastest bus out of Xalapa was as described. At the terminal it is 3 pesos (27 cents) to use the building restrooms – it is a turnstile affair with a coin machine that dispenses change. Clean modern buses, terminals and restrooms. I noticed they were showing a movie in the Puebla bus terminal in the waiting area.

Veronica’s husband picked us up at the terminal in just a few minutes. Our mission was to enjoy an Oktober Fest celebration held at the preparatory school where Miguel is the headmaster.

Miguel is from Germany originally. Volkswagen sponsors 146 schools throughout the world. They usually are associated with plants which is the case here as Puebla has a Volkswagen facility. So of course an Oktober Fest is a natural in Puebla. There were more than 5000 participants. It seemed as though everyone was having a good time. I drank two 500 ml Schofferhofer HEFEWEZEN beer – more than my usual limit – good stuff. We participated in some drawings (for the school coffers) that yielded us three terrific Oktoberfest beer steins and a Humboldt Colegio –shirt (xtra large no less

I got a chance to put my new Canon camera to the test starting with Popocatépetl (commonly referred to as El Popo or Don Goyo) It is an active volcano and the second highest peak in Mexico after the Pico de Orizaba (5,636 m). Popocatépetl comes from the Nahuatl words popōca ‘it smokes’ and tepētl ‘mountain’, thus Smoking Mountain. As you can see smoke it does. El Popo is 40 kilometers or 25 miles west of Puebla.

El Popo (Click to ENLARGE)
Here are some photos from the celebration. WARNING: Some of the ENLARGE files are VERY LARGE.

Well you get the idea. A good time was had by all! I file away the other 200 plus photos – Stay Tuned!

What words, what images, what memories, best evoke the essence of the quaint, small Mexican town of Xico, Veracruz; the place we call home? There are some that come first to mind:

The odor of raw masa waiting to be formed and fried to that of the tortilla. The fragrance of freshly roasted coffee beans. One black raptor soaring in lazy circles above majestic green hills around the edges of the town and snow capped mountains in the distance beyond. Artful religious shrines nestled in the alcoves of the rock cliffs.

The bark of a dog, the drum beat of a local marching band, perhaps a joining chorus of firework reports whose accompanying flashes sparkle like so many flash bulbs even in the daylight sky. Colorful buildings a couple stories high with an occasional third level stuck on for good measure; Xico is not a tall town. The mix of buildings is a marriage of businesses and residences – no lines of demarcation.

The color and subtle excitement are like Main Street Disneyland – only not as clean. At the top of Miguel Hildago, Xico’s main street regally stands a huge grand Capilla with magnificent round golden domes that reflect the sunlight for miles.

A real Mexican lazily crosses the cobble stone and pavers street; not merely a person of Mexican Indian descent but a poncho bearing, sombrero wearing genuine Mexican Indian, a brown creviced face worn like a badge of courage. Following close behind at the demand of frayed rope is a burro loaded with thin limbs of wood stacked and packed neatly around its midsection.

The minute you are convinced the burro is not a sexy animal a caballero comes trotting fast around a corner. Not a Hollywood cowboy – the real thing – a small yet feisty steed with a straight backed caballero riding tall in the saddle with shinny spinning spurs –clipity clop, clipty clop the metal shoes bang hard against the smooth neatly laid river rock . Wild horses couldn’t keep me away from all this. The romance of Mexico beams brightly in every direction in Xico.

Someone I read wrote “If there’s magic on this planet it lies in flowing water.” Amen. On the edge of town is the now famous Texolo Waterfall where some of the tropical forest scenes in the film “Romancing the Stone” were shot – its part of Xico’s legacy and now the worlds. It is not to be missed.

But, this day I choose to take some quiet afternoon street scene photos – nothing much is going on; images taken when I thought perhaps there wasn’t enough light – shot at the end of the day. But later I looked at them and liked what I saw – you can look and see what you think (CLICK on any image to ENLARGE).

I read a lot of noisy stuff about how, whether and why you should come to Mexico – even warnings as to why you should not; I don’t go there – come or not, stay or not, it’s up to you. Mexico speaks for itself and to me. Stay Tuned!

I had been working on some images I took in Xico. During that time it started THUNDERING – LIGHTNING – RAINING; this after a beautiful sunny day until 3:30 in the afternoon. About 5 PM it was over.

At first sign of a storm the wise unplug EVERYTHING before the storm takes a bite and a financial toll on computers, audio equipment – anything that consumes juice really. After the storm as I began to revive all things electrical when we noticed the waterfall was angrily crashing through the rocks raging like huge gobs of rolling layers of chocolate milk steaming towards rivers bottom. I had to stop everything and get a couple images to show you the change. You can look back not too far in the blog and see the billowing white water rushing over the crest. And then now – what a difference:

Shot across the bow of Esther & Jim’s Casa (ENLARGE HERE)

A Long Lens Shot of the Same (ENLARGE HERE)

Please comeback to checkout the Xico pictures – Stay Tuned!

Actually from the ‘comment section’ in this Blog these questions were posed. I thought they had enough merit generally to answer them here.

I’d like to ask a lot of things, about your area, and about the logistics of part time living in the area (maintenance issues in abstentia) but suspect that this comment place is or may not be the best place for lengthy dialogue or questions. Please advise.

Discussions are best occurring at (3 W’s)vivaveracruz(dot)com/forum. Or click the top link over on the left side of this page or (CLICK HERE).

How, if at all, do the climates (especially avg. temp & rainfall) of Xico & Coatepec differ from Xalapa? (I’m thinking that variances in terrain will result in some local microclimates) I’ve checked a couple of online climate/weather sites, but would prefer first hand info from someone who has experienced it longer than our “one week” in 05.

The weather is slightly warmer in Xalapa from that of Coatepec and perhaps a degree or two still cooler in Xico. We live 4 miles east of Xico at the Colonia and 2 miles north of Xico at the Campo. The campo is often colder by a few degrees being at one mile high – the Colonia is about 3700’. Being that it is mountainous altitude will certainly have a bearing. Again because of altitude sometimes it is warmer at the Campo with the breezes. Weather is a complex question but generally the weather in Xalapa, Coatepec and Xico are very similar being no more than about 15 miles apart all. Recorded history would indicate we get nearly 10 inches more rainfall at the Campo than in Ursulo Galvan. I’m not sure I would characterize it as being that great of difference from actual experience but I have never done any quantitative measuring. I have some sixty year history charts of the areas. Send private email I will hunt them down for you if you are interested.

Do the locals seem to be amenable to having American friends that are really friends and not simply “gringo” acquaintances? (We’ve been lucky enough to make really good friends in Merida & DF, but have no interest in living in either place.)

We have some very good Mexican National (locals) friends – more so than gringos – but then there are a lot more of them here There are very few gringos in this area and yet we have experienced only minor prejudice. Over in the Baja area we felt more separated from the locals. As far as I know there are no gringo enclaves – unless you count the fact that we live next-door to gringos in Ursulo Galvan

Is there a pretty decent mercado in Coatepec? If so, do you know about where it is located? We know that there is the huge one on Revolucion in Xalapa and the small one in the center of Xico.

Yes in Coatepec there is an excellent, fun and quite large (compared to the little one in Xico) Mercado. We do a lot of vegetable and fruit buying there. I think there are pictures in the Blog and more information. It is located pretty much in the center of town and not difficult to find.

If a person rents or buys a casita in town that doesn’t have parking within (behind a fence or ??) the confines of the property, is parking on the street likely to result in vandalism?

In a word – no. I have never heard of any vehicle vandalism round these parts. We park on the street in front of our Casita – many time I have left the truck completely open all night – many times – we have never had anything taken – not that I am recommending that you leave your vehicle unlocked – this is just our experience. We park around all three towns without a problem. Once we had a store owner ask us not to park in front of his store a the truck is huge and they are close to the street (typical).

The Xalapa gent that we met on the bus said that in Xalapa, it was simpler for him to pay someone who lived on the outskirts of town a fee (per mo or yr) to park his car on their property and simply use the bus & combis for most of his in town & even a lot of his out of town trips unless he was “hauling” something.

I have characterized driving in Eastern Mexico as an adventure not for the feint of heart – this goes double for Xalapa – It is like driving in New York City during rush hour with all the lights broken down . So parking your car out of town and taking the bus in Xalapa is a good idea. We drive in to go to Costco or Sam’s Club and the occasional official business activity – but each time is an anxious set of moments.

What’s the most economical way that you’ve found to insure your American vehicle(s) (probably liability only) during your time in Mexico? Can an American (part yr. resident buy the less costly Mexican insurance that Mexicans buy?

We insure only liability and pay under $150.00 a year. The pricing structure is such that unless you are here only a few days getting the entire year is the best deal. Someone on the Viva Veracruz Forum in Cordoba, Veracruz recently had an accident (his wife actually). She was broadsided by a city bus while making a left turn. Left turns and left turn signals are a story in themselves. The bottom line was the bus company determined that each party was responsible for their own damage – you can guess who had the most damage. My impression is that insurance is actually more for a resident (including someone that has become naturalized or perhaps even possessing a Mexican Drivers license – but I am vague on that.

Let me disclaim that my answers represent one man’s opinions and are to be taken as nothing more than that – and you asked Stay Tuned!