Email & ShareToday is a quiet, lazy day… a perfect Sunday. There’s been tropical and cool rain for the last hour (after we watered the garden this morning, of course). Right before it started to rain, we had returned from a typical gringo morning: breakfast at Segafreddo’s Italian coffee shop and shopping at Costco. We saw no fewer than seven people we knew there. All those price comparisons for big flat screen TV’s has exhausted us, so one of us is taking a siesta. The other one is using the laptop computer over the new wireless DSL that we got installed at home TWO days after ordering it! That must be some kind of Telmex service record… and it would be hard for Pacific Bell or some other US telephone company to beat, too.
On the way home from Costco, we were remarking how many things we used to think of as “missing” from Merida when we first moved here. It seemed like there were so many things from the U.S. that we couldn’t get here. But now, it just doesn’t seem that way anymore. It does seem like the things we really need (DSL service, car repair, insurance, etc.) are as good or better here. And the things that aren’t here maybe aren’t that important anymore. (Is sourdough bread really that important?)
(don’t answer that…)
…well, there just aren’t that many of those things anymore. We can even get organic milk and Pop Tarts here.
Update (3/08/2006): we recently found sourdough bread at Mega…
Update (3/04/2007): there is now sourdough at Mega and Costco (neither are that good though) but PopTarts have mysteriously disappeared from the Peninsula. Organic milk, on the other hand, is everywhere. So it goes…
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and just where did you find organic milk?? have you ever seen rice milk..not that concentrated stuff they sell in the stores but rice milk like soya milk??
Organic boxed milk by Aire de Campo (as well as organic apple juice) can currently be found in a special “diet” or “healthy” section at Walmart. Its up near the stationery and book section, of all places.
and no, i haven’t seen rice milk. but they do have soy milk, without sugar, now as well.
Update! Mega now has organic boxed milk.
organic milk? now i know where some of the fruitcakes from california have migrated to.
Why thank you! We love fruitcake…
Then if its organic, it must not be milk, right? To me its like saying “turkey ham”–no such thing or calling some of the organic beverages “tea”. Tea is really only made from a tea leaf, am I wrong?
OK, Working Gringa here. I’m pretty sure that when an organic beverage says “tea”, somewhere in that drink is a liquid that has been steeped in tea leaves. There are drinks that add sugar and fruit and stop resembling tea after awhile, I agree. Organic milk means that the cows have not been given meat byproducts in their meal (you laugh, but it happens) and also that they have not been given steroids or antibiotics, many of which show up later in the milk, and that nothing has been added to the milk. Organic doesn’t mean vegetarian…it means “no chemicals”. Or at least that is my granola-crunching, former hippie, deadhead fruitcaky California understanding of the situation.
Hey working gringa! I like the way you express yourself. I am also a granola crunching, former hippie, deadhead fruitcaky California girl that has been living in Puerta Vallarta for the past 1 1/2 years. My husband and I are moving to the Mayan Riviera in a couple of weeks. We have never been to the Yucatan and I enjoy reading your articles on life in the Yucatan. It is an adventure living and working in Mexico.
Hey now, Brenda
Thanks for the compliments and for checking in. Where on the Mayan Riviera are you going? Why are you leaving PV? Always curious… Nice to know there’s a kindred spirit out there.
Okay, so can I safely assume that we can bring you fruitcake and rice milk from WholeFoods between 17 and 20 December, when we are staying at MedioMundo? If you really want specific things from Gringolandia, we would be very pleased to bring you what your heart desires. Rice milk and fruitcake are the only gift hints I could get out of that article that would not get stale or spoil between ABQ and Merida. I can bring something else (foody, non-foody)/more because my medical supply luggage is not counted in my airline weight allowance, and I carry a wheelchair bag with my medicine, my c-pap breathing machine, and food in case we get stuck somewhere, so food doesn’t look at all suspicious. Ah, the perks of disability.
Cyndi, we wouldn’t dream of asking you to bring rice milk all the way from the States. We do have soy milk and organic milk here now and that is suficiente (enough)! Fruitcake sounds good, but is way too heavy. Something Merida still doesn’t have yet is a wide range of US candy and we’ve become rather partial to Ginger Altoids. If you must bring something, those will be a lovely present. Thank you and just keep coming back. We don’t do this for Altoids, we do it for love.
Actually, we just thought of something else
Everyone has said that you can’t get real mayonnaise down here… you know, Hellmans with the blue label. We used to be able to! But then we went shopping the other day, and sure enough, nothing but mayonesa con limon!! So maybe some mayo…
Hellmans blue and Ginger Altoids comin’ right up!
That is truly a weird combination… (thank you. And if you can’t get them or bring them for some reason, that will be okay too.)
Some things are the same. Some are not. At the McDonalds in Merida, there are no Sausage and Bisquits or McGriddles. (I love the McGriddles). There are the Burrito breakfasts. At the Chilis in Merida. I ordered Fajitas. The waiter brought me Tortillas de Maiz. I told the guy that in my Tejano (TexMex) culture, we eat Flour Tortillas with Fajitas. So, yes there are some things gringos can do without. Some things you can find in Merida that are close enough. Not the EXACTLY same, but, close enough.
Hi Everyone,
Robert @ Annette here from Atlanta Georgia
Looking to move to the mayan riviera to work possiably in the resorts and live.
My Fiancée is a seasoned silks and Trapeze(think Cirque du Soleil) performer and I am a Divemaster.We both are ballroom dancing performers and can instruct the basics as well.
We are going to be traveling in a large tour bus type motorhome and would like to rent some small ranch house or something with some area for parking this monster(and not a RV park)!!
We are not looking for a upscale type Residence(think hippie type) just somewhere out away a little with power and water as we like living among the locals and no I am not new to this just have no contacts in that area.
Any and all comments are most welcome
Thanks
With your divemaster and ballroom skills, sounds like you would find the most opportunities on the Mayan Riviera. There’s not as much diving around Merida (only in the cenotes), although there is a lot of dancing!
As far as a place to stay, you’ll just have to look around. There are probably places farther south of Cancun (around Tulum or Puerto Morelos) that might have what you are looking for. And some of the communities where the locals live might have houses for rent, but they aren’t going to be listed on the internet.
If you want to be near Merida with that scenario, we would imagine you can find a place out by the beach in Progreso or one of the neighboring towns.
This is such a cool website! I found it by accident. I am an American living in Merida too!
If you are looking for some good comfort food you should check out my restaurant Burrito Express. We are on Circuito Colonias after the Chapur.
I would love to meet some more Americans!!!
Good luck with the organic milk… My kids can only drink Soy milk. I have experimented with all the brands here. Silk still wins. You can get it at Costo by the case.
Our first destination in our “maybe we’ll move to Mexico” is Merida. Saw it on a “House Hunters International” show, looked at my perpetual fiancee and said “Why aren’t we there?” He said, “I’ll be packed today.” I will feel blessed and fortunate to meet the splendid people commenting on this site. What a crew!
Okay, working gringos, you have outdone yourselves now. I was not hungry when I started reading this blog and now I am starving. Unfortunately I live 2 hours from any Mexican food!
My hubby and I are headed that way soon – May 1 is our target date and are hoping to have a house ready to rent and move into.
We spent 6 months in Ecuador as volunteers teaching English and guiding the local staff of an American owned hotel in how to run the place themselves. We had a fabulous time and traveled almost the entire country.
We will be happy to bring you Hellman’s – also my favorite – and ginger Altoids – also our favorite!
My hubby is a retired Colorado wheat farmer, stock broker and now is a licensed massage therapist, lymphologist, sports medicine trainer and just generally a good guy to have around since he can fix almost anything and is also a great finish carpenter.
I am a retired executive assistant, art quilter, wearable art designer, and college student. I am also a Texan – and proud of it!
We are both looking forward to enjoying life closer than a thousand miles to a beach, lots of sunshine, orchids, fun and interesting people and just generally a more relaxed and enjoyable lifestyle.
Hi. My wife and I are planning a “family sababtical” to Merida. Do you recommend it? We have 3 young kids. We are contemplating 6 months, or more. Do you have kids in school there? Can you recommend a retal agency?
Thanks.
Jim Murphy
We purchased a small house in Centro in January and are planning to spend our winters there beginning March ‘09 when I retire. We have no Spanish whatsoever. I have so many questions, beginning with “is it worthwhile to ship things from home”? I considered maybe renting a truck and driving to a port in Texas then shipping a container by sea to Progresso. Would I find a truck to deliver things to the house in Merida do you think? I’m also wondering how to combat bugs. Can you get Raid in Merida? I’ve found that all I have to do to get rid of tiny ants here in Canada is spray Raid along the baseboards where they’re coming in and they’re gone. Someone told me on a recent visit to Merida that the ants eat the computer innards, so is that preventable? And also the sheathing around the electrical lines – hence they hang loose outside the walls. She said she couldn’t get ant traps and had friends bring them from the U.S. Leading to the question – are there hardware stores in Merida like we’re used to?
The other day I was reading one of your articles and the responses and only just began to read about the ant problem, but didn’t have time to finish the article. Unfortunately, now I can’t seem to find it. Can a house be bug-proofed? Made more airtight to keep the air conditioning in? Can you buy double glazed windows in Merida? I’ve been told a regular piano wouldn’t be practical because of the humidity, but I’d like to bring one down there. What’s the prognosis? Oh yes – do you have to have a landline to get internet service? What’s more practical – a gas stove or electric (re cost of operation)? Sorry to give you so many questions. Love your site – welcome everyone’s comments.
What’s an ant trap?
regards,
Theresa
An ant trap is a little round metal container about two inches across with a tiny opening. It is filled with bait that the ants like to eat. I believe they take it back to their nest and it then kills all that eat it. Or is supposed to. I’ve found the Raid to be much more effective, and quicker, myself. Maybe it’s just the awful smell that repels the ants.
Interesting, I have never seen or heard of them. I buy some stuff called trampo (I think it’s with the insecticides) at Home Depot for the leaf cutter ants. It looks like chocolate sprinkles, you put it in their path and they take it home to their nests. It works really well. My understanding is that I will have to repeat it every so often but that’s okay. For the indoor ants we wipe the counters with vinegar and keep stuff as clean as possible. With a lot of rain the critters seem to seek refuge indoors, but so far it’s just been ants this year.
I try to avoid spraying stuff like Raid indoors since I don’t want to kill the iguanos (geckos?) that eat the occasional flying insects that get inside. I have heard of the insulation-eating ants but have (knock on wood) no personal experience with them.
regards,
Theresa
There are bait-type ant killers available in Merida. It’s best to sprinkle it around the outside of your house. Having anything – even an ant trap – that attracts any of them inside is just asking for more trouble.
Something about the tropics makes ants more active and less timid about going wherever they want. Different ants, right? Anyway, there are all kinds. And if a wave a couple feet wide decides to walk through your house on their way over to the next yard, just let them all march through. Go out for some drinks. When you come back, their annual migration will be over and they’ll be gone. You won’t be sure where, but they will be gone.
Raid will kill the ones you see right now, but is basically ineffective against the whole colony. Seems there’s an article on YL somewhere about insects and various organic ways of keeping the populations down.
The most basic advice is to keep your kitchen very clean. No food crumbs. No peels, etc. Give them very little reason to be successful in their search for food.
Mary Lou Martin:
About your questions: You can find whatever you want (mostly) in Merida or in Cancún. Fortunately for you, we have RAID for the bugs, double-glazed windows for noise or to keep in the air conditioning, and trucks to move your things.
Mary Lou Martin:
I am a Mexican living here in Canada. I think that you live here too. Am I right?
If you would like to enjoy Mexico, forget about Canada a little bit. Forget about the ants, the double glazed windows, the ant traps, the bug-proofed houses.
It is like me: if I want to enjoy your country, I have to forget a little bit about mine, do you agree? I mean, there are lots of things in Mexico that are not available here in Canada. Go to Mexico and live a totally new experience. Do not try to “ship your entire Canadian life style†to Mexico.
Sincerely,
Miguel
Can you get the Ginger Altoids there now? We will be visiting in mid-September (barring hurricanes blocking our way)? We may be able to bring some Ginger Altoids. I will have to see if I can find them here. I, personally, have never seen them. I do love the peppermint Altoids though.
Actually, Gene, no, we cannot get Ginger Altoids even now. Working Gringa is going back to the States in September so she’ll pick some up then… thank you though!
are Julie Cardena an X Spanish teacher from Wilmington Charter school ? would like to make contact with you.
Mary Lou,
a lot of questions.
1) Concerning bringing stuff from the US, you will really have to think if it is worth the hassle. Things in general are more expensive than in the states, but not by much. So bringing your stuff from Canada is probably more costly than buying it here. Also, if you bring furniture you have to be careful. Not everything that’s great in a cold climate is good in our hot and humid weather. I talk from own experience because I brought a nice leather sofa from Germany. Within a few months in the local summer steam it started to grow mold. (see Working Gringo’s article on Shopping for Furniture in the Yucatan Survivor section)
If you really want to ship something you can ship it out of Panama City/Florida. There are frequent vessels going to Progreso. And yes, you can find somebody to ship from Progreso to Merida. It’s fairly inexpensive. Agencia Aduanal Cervera can help you with that. If interested I can send you the contact.
2)Bugs are an issue here as anywhere in the tropics. If you live downtown you are not going to see too many of them though. Anyway, starting a war against bugs and especially ants is a hopeless undertaking. For each one you kill 10 new ones come out from nowhere. Insecticides are available in all forms and shapes. So don’t worry about that.
I never heard of ants eating a computer, however I found a ant nest in my VHS tape. So I suppose everything is possible. Beside ants, there are also tiny nasty critters that eat wood. Personally I don’t believe that you can bugproof a house totally. Keeping your home as clean as possible is key to minimizing bugs. Don’t leave any food in the open. I also recommend to call the exterminator every few months.
3) there are pianos in Merida, but I suppose you will have to tune it more frequently than in Canada.
4) Internet is no problem. You have High speed, dial up, wireless and even public WiFi.
5) Windows is a particular case. Usually they produce them locally and most of the windows today are made of an aluminium frame with one sheet of glass. There is no such thing as double glass windows unless you buy imported windows (very expensive and not recommended).
6) Electricity is fairly expensive here (See the Working Gringo’s article on Electricity in the Yucatan Survivor section). Most people use gas stoves. You have the choice of using gas cylinders (usually in the back of your house) or a larger gas tank on the roof (al techo). There is no central gas supply in Merida.
Any additional questions, feel free to ask
I am buying a house in merida. How does gas work for gas stoves? I heard a rumor that the gas smells bad – is this true? Is there a difference between installing it on the roof or having it elsewhere? I would really appreciate any advice. Thanks!
Hi Barbara,
Propane gas is what is used to heat the water in most houses and light the flames on the stoves. It can either be in a tank that gets delivered (listen for a truck driving down the street honking its horn… that’s the gas delivery truck) or a tank on the roof (tanque en el techo). To get the tank on the roof filled, you need to call and make an appointment. In the Centro now, most gas companies will not deliver during the day… only at night when parking is not such an issue. There are a number of gas companies… Merida Gas, Z Gas, etc.
As for the gas smelling bad, it only smells when it leaks… and if I remember correctly, it actually has a smell so you can tell when it leaks. But no leaks, no smell.
I LOVE YOUR WEB SITE!!!!
I have read a lot of it already and found a wealth of very useful info on it. I first got interested in Merida via Home and Garden TV segment on the couple buying a rehab in the Centro. Then your info on dentistry, gave me the idea of coming to have extensive work done while vacationing there. And now I am contemplating buying beach house. You got me hooked.
I have a frivolous concern though… What kind of “Gringo” TV chanels can you get in Merida and/or at the shore? Not speaking Spanish (yet) that is kinda important to me.
I also heard Merida is becoming a good destination for plastic surgery tourism. Do you have any tips about that?
Hola, Brigitte!
We have SKY satellite TV service… others here have cable. On both there are some “gringo” channels. And most movies are in English, with Spanish subtitles (a great way to learn Spanish!).
There is more and more plastic surgery here… we don’t have a lot of details. If you are looking for a good plastic surgeon, the new YES Healthcare Guide lists reputable English-speaking doctors in many different areas. You can find it at http://www.yucatanyes.com under “Knowledge Store”.
Just arrived in Merida and my wife always take care of washing clothes.We rent a apartment without washing machine , and we cant find a laundry , with machines you can operate.She dont like our clothes been washed with somebody’s else.????well.
Is anybody know where can we find one??Thanks