Tag: ixcatepec
meanwhile back in Ixcatepec

meanwhile back in Ixcatepec

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Now to catch up on some crazy months in 2019 between those hectic returns to Toronto. As you have may have read from previous posts, I now have a roommate, 2 more dogs and a cat. This after more than 20 years by myself with only my dogs and cats, it takes time to adjust. I had as you can imagine, my routine, my ways etc but it was now time to learn to live with more.

Tai, the cat was no problem at all. She would sit with me while I was in my beautiful room while I enhanced my skills at zentangling. Occasionally she would catch a mouse or a lizard, eat the head and leave the remainder of her catch to rot, high in the cupboard. It was gross and smelled awful. She certainly gave Stella a run for her keep as she was an excellent mouser. I left the mess for my roommate to clean up – his cat, his mess!! Tai refused to go outside when it was wet, which is quite often in the valley so I also taught my roommate how to actually keep her litter box clean properly and save him some money. Seems pretty simple but he had no idea. Men!!

Siete and Eight loved me, Seven and Stella. And I loved them back. I was there every day with them and they soon became accustomed to my routine and I was the one who played with them and fed them. But I did have my issues. I was not there as their sitter and caretaker. It was time that my roomie learned that this is a 50/50 show and he needed to do his share. With 4 dogs, there is a lot of shit to pick up, a lot of responsibility on feeding, grooming and vet care. He understood and began to do his share. Fair is fair, right? Now that we had 4 dogs and a cat, my amazing vet would come to the house when it was checkup time and annual shots. How cool is that? No matter how hard she and her assistant tried, Siete was having none of it. She left the shots with me for Fabian to administer. The others – Seven, Stella, Eight and Tai were no problem. There always has to be one!

My roomie and I began to fall into a routine. As I have said, he works long hours six days a week and in no way interfered with my new life in Mexico. We both began to eat better. He had a tendency to eat on the run and for me it is hard to cook just for one. I end up with enough to feed myself for a few days and by the end I am sick of the fare, no matter how good! We also searched for a good pizza to be delivered or he would come home with delights of Indian food. It was great to have company. My original thought was that I would be able to zone on my spanish but I was wrong. All he wanted to do was to speak english! And I must admit, his english was far better than my spanish. We would huddle around by old laptop and watch movies on sundays. Good thing we both liked the same genre. I would also drag his ass off the couch and go for walks with the pack as we were surrounded by beautiful trails and vistas.

I had long been thinking to get another tattoo. I had been carting around for decades a lovely print of 3 canadian geese by semi renowned artist. It was time to have this one inked. Lucky for me, my friend’s boyfriend Charlie is a tattoo artist and uses the traditional method. No electric gun for this guy. He did an amazing job. He is right, his method is far less evasive on the body. There was no pain and it healed incredibly fast. My only regret is that I cannot see it as it is on my back! So, if you ever find yourself in Tepoztlan or even Mexico City, let me know and I will hook you up for your first or next tattoo. You will have no regrets. In fact, I think it is time for another……

During this time I also found out that I have now a severe allergic reaction to shell fish. One day while having a bite to eat with my friend Eva, we shared a shrimp dish. Four hours later I did not know whether to sit on the loo or lean over a bucket. I did both. Fabian came home and found me curled up on my bed with no energy at all. Immediately he grabbed me, carried me to his truck and raced me to the hospital. At first we all thought including the doctor that it was rotten food. After 4/5 hours in the hospital on a drip as I was totally dehydrated, I returned home. Took a couple of days to recover but all was well. Then a few weeks later, my same friend was having a dinner party and her boyfriend being spanish, cooked an amazing paella. Four hours later, I was on the loo or my head over a bucket. This time Fabian rushed to the pharmacy to get antihistamines and in a couple of hours I was fine. Conclusion. I can no longer eat shell fish. Apparently it is quite common to suddenly acquire this kind of allergy when you get older. Who knew? Although I do not eat meat, I did on occasion eat fish or shell fish. Now that was off my menu, which did not upset me. The variety of fresh fruit, vegetables and beans available to me provided me with a very healthy diet. So no great loss. I must say that my experience in the small local hospital was excellent. The nurses, doctors were very concerned and only after my insisting would let me leave knowing that I would not be alone. My visit was free except for the drugs that were prescribed. One could not say that in many countries that you could visit. Was that an exception? I don’t know but I am forever thankful for their care.

As mentioned above, the entertainment hub in the house was my old laptop which was fading fast. Although on one trip back to Toronto, my friend Laura gave me another for which I was grateful but I wanted a bigger screen. For me, movies on a laptop suck. How the hell people watch movies on their cell is beyond me. Having a roommate now sharing the rent etc, I had money to treat myself. It was fabulous.

All that came to a screeching halt.

One day, Fabian was late going to work and I had to go to the bank. I grabbed a ride from him and was gone maximum 2 hours. When I arrived home and entered the gate, I noticed that Siete’s cone of shame was broken. We had to have one on her to stop her licking this one wound. I thought it was strange but cancelled that thought. I didn’t see Stella, which was really unusual. Seven and Eight seemed fine and happy to see me. I got my key out to open the door and saw Stella inside. Now that’s really odd. Then I noticed that the lock on the door had been broken. I began to freak. When I entered the house then I saw what happened. We had been robbed. My room had been turned upside down. All my jewellery gone, new laptop and of course my new TV. Immediately called Fabian. No answer. Kept calling. No answer. Finally when he did answer I was a mess. He called the police and came rushing home. And as fate would have it, his truck got stuck in the river, that you had to cross to get home. Never rains but it pours. The police did nothing – what a surprise but then what could they do? After much deliberation and searching, we knew who did this but of course could not prove it. Who in their right mind would enter a house with 4 dogs? All who, except Stella would not approve. It had to be someone who knew us, knew the dogs and knew when no-one was home. We then decided it was time to get some kind of home security cameras. Being robbed is an awful feeling. You feel violated. You feel vulnerable. The material stuff can be replaced. But somethings can never be replaced. Little things that had been with me for decades that were gifts or mementos of time gone by. Some of my friends back in Canada said time to leave Mexico. Why? Did they really think that this was a Mexican problem? I reminded them that I had been robbed twice before, in Toronto. Does not matter where you are in this world, your house can be robbed, you can be violated. All one can do is to make sure your home is secure and not an easy mark.

For weeks after, Seven was the most concerned. He followed me everywhere and became anxious whenever I left the house. He is such a sensitive soul and is my soulmate.

my soulmate
siete seven eight and stella
spring 2019

spring 2019

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Springtime. Who doesn’t like it, wherever you are in this world. It’s a time for growth and new beginnings. And a new beginning was unfolding for the 3 S’s (Seven, Stella and I). When I returned home from my brief visit to Canada for mum’s birthday, I was excited to get back into my routine. A routine of doing what I want, when I want, basically livin’ the dream. Which I did. There is always something going on if one wants to participate. I had become selective and even that filled my days. There were special cakes to bake, flowers to plant, dogs to play with, zentangling to do, weekly jaunts to town to catch up on gossip over wine and beer, parties to go to and visits from friends. Life is never dull in Ixcatepec.

What I was not expecting was a proposal from Fabian, the water guy, Siete’s dad. No, not a marriage proposal, read on. As I have said, my house is big and there are three bedrooms, with a big kitchen, dining room and living room sitting on almost an acre of land with just me, Seven and Stella, our little piece of paradise. Fabian asked if he could take one of the bedrooms and all expenses would be split down the middle. Now I have lived by myself with my dogs and cats for the past 25 years and kinda set in my routines, so the thought of having a roommate needed some thought, some serious thought. He works hard, 8 to 10 hours a day, 6 days a week purifying water and delivering the same so he would not be in my way and damn I could even think of saving some money. What a novel idea, saving money, livin’ the dream and perhaps even learn to converse in Spanish other than the basic get by words. It did not take me long to think about it and I suddenly I had new roomies – Fabian, Siete and Tai. Springtime is full of changes.

Seven has always liked his frisbee, loves to play catch and create circles. Stella was catching on that if she returns the toy, it gets thrown again but her favourite thing was to run around like a mad women hoping Seven would play chase. Not his thing. Now Siete, all she wanted to do was grab every toy, take them and guard them. So I had to make a toy box and keep it out of reach of the dogs other wise all the toys would be lost somewhere in the garden. They are not expensive, that was not my concern. It was the lack of availability in Tepoztlan. It’s getting better but still very limited. I did in the past do very little if any shopping online which changed a great deal when I moved to Mexico. Hardly a game breaker having to buy the dogs toys on line but there was no PetSmart round the corner. I could deal with that. Tai, the cat settled upstairs away from the dogs, well mainly Stella because she would chase her and that would start Siete doing the same. Seven, no problem. He had grown up with cats and had learnt how to respect them and give them their space.

I have mentioned before that Stella is an escape artist supreme and a gypsy at heart. It was only after my return home that Fabian told me the tale of when Stella escaped and he went running like a bat out of hell after her. He feared telling me while I was visiting mum as he knew it would really upset me which of course it would of. The perimeter of the yard had to be checked on a regular basis to see if there were any escape routes. I thought all was secure. Then one morning I heard Stella and her frantic cries for help. She had made it over the wall to the neighbour’s yard where they had 5 german shepherds and a pug who all attacked anyone and anything that came uninvited into their space. She made it out but was hurting and there was no way to get her over the fence Luckily Fabian had not yet left for work and we managed to rescue her. But a trip to the vet was necessary. Poor girl had multiple wounds and had to wear the collar of shame. We found where she escaped and quickly fixed that exit. Now it was necessary to thoroughly check all the time. No other dog but Stella tried to get out and I did not want to loose my Stella.

ouch
cone of shame

Fabian is an animal lover like myself. One night he tells me the tale of this dog who would probably end up in some really bad place, and asked if he could bring her home. I was reluctant but I caved. Why not? There was ample space for another dog. So welcome Eight to our fold. She really is a big beautiful baby. When Seven was little there was one word I used to get him from moving his body so I could sit down – OFF. All the new dogs had to learn that word. When I said OFF to one of the newbies so I could sit down, Seven was right there making sure they obeyed. He would not hurt them but they all knew instinctively, oh shit guess I better get off. I’m sure Seven thought, hey I had to learn it, its your turn now! There was one day in particular I wanted to sit down on the sofa and relax. There was no space for me. OK I said the word rather loudly and all 4 dogs not only got down off the sofa but exited the room. Don’t get me wrong, they are allowed on the couch, on the bed, in my lap but they gotta learn that mama is the boss, well mostly.

eight

There is so much to buy in Tepoztlan as far as art work or little things to brighten up your space. One has to be careful though. Many of the items that are on sale in the market are not from locals or even Mexico – they are from China or India. This piece though is special as it was made by my dear friend Pascal and it found a perfect spot in the house. The flying lion.

the flying lion by pascal
the flying lion by pascal

The climate in Mexico is home to a wide variety of bugs and many will find their way inside your home. I don’t kill them. I find away to move them safely to the garden and as far away from the house as possible, except scorpions. Sorry they just give me the creeps, so if one gets in my path, I show no mercy. Mostly though they disappear out of sight. I learnt to never walk barefoot, check my bed and shake my clothes. It becomes a natural habit after awhile.

Life continues in my little piece of paradise. It is expanding and life is good.

siete seven eight and stella
siete seven eight and stella
August 2018 Raining in Ixcatepec

August 2018 Raining in Ixcatepec

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walking in the valley

It’s time to investigate my surroundings and discover why this house is so special.

not far from the front gate!

The front of the house faced the river but on high ground to prevent flooding – wise choice! Because sometimes when it rains the river will rise to meet the front gate! On days like that, one stays in the house! Wherever in this world, I do not understand why people build a house right by the river, one is just asking for trouble. Look at farmers in the past, they built there homes on the highest point of their land for a reason. Yes hauling water would be more difficult but when those rains come, the family would be thankful.

temple view

When it was deemed that the road beside my house needed to be widened by adding two more lanes an unexpected discovery was made – a small temple was found. Construction was then stopped until such time archeologists could unearth and rebuild to a degree. Standing on this site one can see the main temple of Tepoztlan where most tourists will climb. I can only assume that the position of the temple was built perhaps as a look-out as you can see the valleys below that now make Tepoztlan. The hills beside the highway have not been researched to any great extent and I am sure they still hold many secrets. You can read a little about it here, it should auto translate for you. Construction in Mexico takes a long time is an understatement. When the general election was held, all work ceased on the highway and the temple because a new party had taken power. It actually took two years before any further work was done on the highway and further reconstruction of the temple.

Back to the rain. Tepoztlan has two seasons – wet and dry. The rain usually holds off til mid afternoon which gives one time to explore or to shop without getting wet. There are days though when it will rain all day. Seven and Stella are not impressed. But wow the fauna does grow quickly!

Being the rainy season I soon discovered a massive leak on the main floor and one in the bathroom. Once again, construction in Mexico is slow. Nothing could be done until the end of the wet season which will be another couple of months. Time to buy some buckets!

I could not complain though. My bedroom/workspace on the third floor was dry and had a magnificent view of the mountains that surround Tepoztlan and in the morning of the active volcano. I am the blue dot in the screen shot, just a two hour drive.

Stella managed to find mice in the house. I tried to save them but she was too quick. We found the nest or what was left and quickly cleaned it up. I also learned that absolutely no food to be left on the counter, unless one wants to have ants of all kinds and more mice take up home. The house is old, the windows are not sealed as one is used to coming from Canada but all is OK. As most of you know, I love all animals and would not kill any intentionally. Scorpions though, I am sorry, you take your life in your own hands and will not survive if I see you in my house. They really do give me the creeps. It is said that scorpions do not like lavender. Perhaps that is why most houses have abundant lavender plants. I bought many. Did it help? Not really sure!

I was beginning to understand why this house was special. The river. The temple. The volcano, The valley. It was home.

one view from my room
July 2018 the Big Move

July 2018 the Big Move

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The day finally arrived. Seven and Stella could feel my excitement I am sure with me pacing in anticipation. Having only been in Mexico for a mere seven months with no more than I could fit in my car, I was amazed at how much I had accumulated. Basic stuff – a bed, a table and chairs, small chest of drawers and of course my another dog, Stella.

I definitely needed some muscle to help me move, so I hired two men and a truck, literally. Two loads with me and the 2 dogs crammed in the front seat. Luckily it was not too far. I did feel sorry for the men though with the many uneven shitty steps to bring my wares down and then more, although good stairs to carry them up upon arrival at the new abode. They did a stellar job. A few plants were left behind which I reluctantly returned to the house of doom to retrieve the following week.

Finally when the men left, I sat down on the porch and overlooked what was heaven to me. I had such good feelings surround me. The dogs were joyous. They now had almost an acre to play in with many trees including a white grapefruit tree! I felt that I had finally arrived home, a place I could hang my hat. A place to grow. We all slept well that night.

My first job the next day was to secure the best I could any escape possibilities for my gypsy Stella, the extraordinary escape artist. She will find any exit, trust me on this. Seven, no problem, he would never leave. And over the course of the following few weeks I will make this house my home. The transformation came quickly. We all settled in much faster than expected. Seven and Stella become best friends which was what I wanted. Stella was always convinced that everyone loves her, whether you have four legs or two. Seven on the other hand was and still is extremely cautious who he accepts into his fold.

Great plans need work and time. My plan for the front of the house immediately came to light – to expand it with local fauna. The back of the house I’ll just leave to grow wild, there was no need to transform it to manicured space. Leave it for the wildlife that called it their home – the lizards, spiders, owls, birds, possums, mice and god forbid scorpions. But we all deserve some space, right?

It was just a short walk over the small river in front of the house to the local village, Ixcatepec which provided me with just about everything I needed. Naturally being in a small village, I was soon recognized as the new gringo but quickly made friends with people who have lived here all their life. The language barrier can be a terrible hinderance but you make the effort and so do they. And life continues.

Over the next few weeks I came across many things why this house was so special and why I had such good feelings. One can argue that structures do not hold any more purpose than the reason they were were built. But honestly this place held a special vibe. There was a river in front. There was a recently discovered temple behind the house that when standing on it you can see the main temple of Tepoztlan. And from the room at the top of the house which became “my” room you could see the tallest and most active volcano in Mexico, Popocatépetl. Seriously, this place is magical. You will read more of the magic soon.

Naturally I needed to invite my new friends to my new home. One has to have, needs to have a welcoming party. And that I did. Because I had made it home. I was the happiest I had been in a long time. After years of dreaming the 3 S’s – Seven, Stella and I have arrived.

Hang on there is so much more to tell.

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