Our second apartment in Oaxaca

Several of you have asked for pictures of our new digs, so here they are.

The first is the part of the large garden that we see from our windows. I look out on bougainvillea, hybiscus (not in bloom here), banana trees with and without young bananas, agave, and across the street you can just make out a gorgeous red blossom at the top of the tree. I don't know what it is, but it's extraodinarily lovely. There are many plants I don't know, but the permanent residents here and the landlady seem fond of plants and are always adding things. It is tranquillo.

Our car hides just inside the gate behind the shrubs. The building you see is workrooms and it fronts the street just behind the our gate, which appeared in a previous blog. Our only complaint about this complex is that it's fairly far from the Zocolo where all the action is--about 15 longish blocks. We were so close in Merida that we got spoiled. I knew how far we'd be when I rented the place so I have no one to blame but myself. The distance would be no problem for most, but I find between the altitude and having been sick that I am too breathless to make the trek as often as I'd like. We're trying to learn the buses, but so far haven't had great success.

Below is the entrace to our apartment--into the kitchen. It's one in a duplex. There are five of these two story apartments, four in duplexes. Two are lived in by permanent residents-one an American artist and his wife, both of retirement age, but active and an Italian, of whom we see very little. In addition there is a four-plex studio building where our first apartment was and then a small room and bath connected to the main house where the landlords live. The tenants vary from retirees on vacation--like us and students. The people who had our apartment before were an artist and her husband, an archeologist who was on a dig not too far from Mitla and their large, wooly dog. Another, a young Englishman is writing a book on the drug business in Mexico, Central and South America. One woman taught an intensive Teaching English as a Second Language Course at the University. She's from the States, but her home is now in Croatia. Another is an American girl who teaches English at the University. It's a nice group and we often get together when someone leaves or just for drinks at someone's patio. The landlords are very pleasant.

Note the hot water heater. There is hot water at every sink and shower, something new for us in Mexico, and it's fast. We do try to conserve on water. This is the dry season and water is at a premium.

Our living room window and the door and balcony in our bedroom on the second floor. We also have a little patio with chairs just outside our kitchen door.

Kent reading in the living room.

The other side of the living room. We haven't tried the TV. We had one in the other apartment and never turned it on.

The kitchen and my office. I can just pick up the wireless signal here at the eating bar--at least most of the time. Kitchens in Mexico are often rudimentary, but this is quite convenient with cupboards under the stairs and the fridge--a nice large one with freezer--hiding to the right of the bathroom sink.

Upstairs. Bedroom closet and looking toward the hall with the stairs and the upstairs bathroom. There are balconies on two sides of the bedroom.

Bed and other balcony door.

Upstairs bathroom. Actually, it's two compartments, one for the toilet and one for the shower. The sink is in the hall.

For those of you curious about costs: This apartment, which could sleep four, is 5200 pesos/month--just about US$500. The studio is 3000 pesos/month. You get weekly maid service and towels and sheets laundered plus all the utilities paid for that. Our apartment in Merida cost us 3500 pesos/month and we added another 300 peso for parking the car, plus we had to pay for all our utilites except water. A little surprise at the end, although we only had to come up with 450 pesos for three months of gas and electricity. For internet in Merida I paid part of a neighbor's internet bill (pesos 100/month) because it got to be a hassle to connect for myself. Here internet is free if you have your own computer and and a wireless connection, but you have to go outside to pick it up, except in Apt 1. The places are available on a day or weekly basis and I assume that would cost more, but I'm not sure how that works. A big Chedraui supermarket is only a couple of blocks away and there are locals markets near as well.

This place is light, airy, very clean and the whole place is well run and the landlord on site almost always and willing to help.