The avacados shipped here (Detroit) never go below 88 cents each! ..out of season up to $1.50 each, and they’re small! Reminds me of a trip to the grocery store in Mexico years ago. I couldn’t find the avacodos, so I asked around, no luck, finally a local that spoke english told me they are called aguacate….well, avocado still sounds spanish to me. I didn’t recognize them by sight because they were huge!!
Francisco

Now don’t go telling people all the sensible reasons why Gringos live down here! Tell them of the rampant murders, corruption, the endless graft, dealing with bureaucracy, the myriad of permits and licenses required, oh sorry, that’s the US,. Mexico is about 30 years behind the US.

Hers is what we payu for those items north of the border:

Too Much!

60 PESOS FOR THE LIGHTS?? Seems like I am living in the wrong part of Veracruz, as ours was 900 pesos for the last two months!

Francisco – avocados increased some when the U.S. lifted a trade barrier that disallowed their importation from Mexico a year or so ago.

Ken – the U.S. press does a fine job of besmirching Mexico in oh so many ways (as you suggest). There is no need for me to blacken the prospects of living in Mexico. My policy is to tell the truth as best as I can reason it out. Mexico is NOT for everyone, most certainly still less so our area that little accommodates foreigners.

John A – I am sure the Mexican people would tell you their prices are too much relatively as well.

Leah – If you haven’t been here long then you may not know we are environmental cases – we use only compact fluorescent light bulbs (and a few LED bulbs as well) and several other conservation practices that reduce the electric bill a lot. We also have three living locations here in the area so we have three bills – perhaps a total would be better. That written we have never spent over $10.00 U.S. dollars per month on electric in any one location. I think I can say our power bills total about $10.00 U.S. dollars a month or average 260 pesos per billing cycle (60 day billing).

I apologize for perhaps being a bit misleading on that front – but it was the bill for Casa Campanas for about 45 days of being there – quite reasonable even with a detailed explanation

Leah, A/C is the biggest user in your climate. Here in Cordoba (at 3200 feet altitude) we don’t need A/C and also we just installed a second electric meter, so our bill has been around 200 pesos/month. If you have 2 structures on your property, it is justifcation to install a second meter. so that your first 250 kwh ON EACH METER is billed at a low $ rate. We have 2 B&B bungalows and a large main house.

Coffee is about a dollar a pound or 2 or 3 dollars for the premium stuff in Honduras. What else is more important? Oh yeah, Pineapples are about the same price as coffee – in season they are only a dollar or two per fruit, not per pound. I love your blog. Keep writing and I will stay tuned!

I do have mostly compact fluorescent bulbs and really watch the energy consumption, but it seems that the inevitable A/C is a killer. I also think that Veracruz city (and big cities in general) has a different rate/kwh than Xico or smaller towns. Also, I noticed on the last bill that there was a summer rate, which was much cheaper, for the month of September. The October days were much more expensive, so even though we didn’t hardly turn on the A/C that month, the amount due stayed the same. Ugh…I wish there was a way to get solar panels installed and get off the grid completely.

Leah – of course all bets are off on power consumption when it includes AC. You would not be able to have AC with a solar panel casa – unless you had about $40,000 US worth of panels. Glad to read you are using CF bulbs

A hard, un-ripe avocado here in Kansas City costs a buck. When they finally do come in ripe, they are too soft.
Love that Veracruz coffee!

Your electricity rate makes me cry. I’m looking at my water bill, $150, because they are building a new treatement plant and a digging a new river to the Pacific. Check it out, it’s called brightwater. Shock your friends with these rates.

Mark – I am assuming you are somewhere in King County, Washington State? I read about a 1.8 billion dollar project to develop a waste water system (sewage treatment and pumping stations ending in the ocean),

We have been touting compost toilets for years and continue to wonder about the anal retentive attitude most people have with these systems that convert human waste into valuable composting material?

Google “Humanmanure” and get the book free -
http://www.weblife.org/humanure/

This process would not only have saved your citizenry nearly 2 billion dollars, but produce thousands of tons of great soil enhancer.

Our ‘fresh’ water bill is 44 pesos a month or about $3.50 US. That is unlimited household water and includes sewer (sewer is currently raw sewage dumped into the Coyopolan River – not good).

Probably too late to change the County’s 1.8 billion dollar plan now huh?