A pirate looks at 60

[Bullfrog]

Well I'm 57 now, worked all of my life and saved 18% of my check for years. When I retired, I put it in a 401k to be doled out at $2,000.00 a month as I planned to keep working until I got my SS. Well, the only jobs available now are really not what I had in mind in this stage of my life. So, on a whim, I called my financial planner and asked what kind of hickey I would take if I pulled it all out now. She told me, then I called a good friend way down on the lower coast of Mexico and asked if he knew of a business that wanted an investor. He pointed out a good, very good venture and I did it. The gated community is a RV park, to put it loosely. It is also a turtle sanctuary where the sea turtles lay their eggs every year as they have done forever. So, your trailer must be covered with a "Palapa" to preserve the look. It was originally a coconut plantation and if a coconut falls, you had better pick it up or you will have a tree in no time. I bought a palapa and will pull my trailer doen at the end of this month, here is our new home...

It has a loft with a screened in bedroom and a stick wall bathroom, the patio furniture is included...

This is the "bodega" or storage for tools and such and the stairs...

I love the roof, it is all hand varnished but full of living things. A light stays on to keep the bats out but geckos leave their little presents every day. The first order of business, every day, is to sweep up all of the presents that they left...

 

[Bullfrog]

This is the view of the Caribbean and Cozumel in the distance...

And this is looking at the back from the jungle, no neighbors behind me, never will be. Life is good...

 

[pecan]

Wow! Living the dream!

Good job!

 

[Bullfrog]

This is a typical backyard. You can hire a Mayan "weedeater" with a machete to clear the jungle for 300 pesos a day if you feed him lunch...

This is my back yard now, I plan on doing some major improvement. But, I can't have a koi pond as every coadimundi, raccoon and monkey in the jungle will be visiting it nightly. the coconut trees are less than a year old.

A view from the side...

Everythig grows here like wildfire, look at these Buganvilias...

 

[Bullfrog]

Oopps. here are the buganvilias

 

[j.w]

Holy WOW Bullfrog you moved to Mexico! What a wonderful dream come true for you and what a bold move. Gosh I envy you and it's all so beautiful and tropical. Ha Ha it reminds me of your book you wrote and all the adventures the characters went through in the jungles. Now you get to live it and I'm so excited for you. We are retired now and hopefully we can get down there to see you sometime! Are you gonna have a pet jaguar and a spunky little monkey

 

[Bullfrog]

It is GORGEOUS JW, everything is so lush. And yes, the jungle there is just as I described it in my books, and the palapa is like the pavilion We were walking down a remote, small dirt road through the jungle and I told Bette, "You know, there are still jaguars in this jungle."

Right at that moment, her wrap for her bathing suit was draped over her shoulder dragging slightly and it snagged on a root. She almost jumped out of her skin as she thought a jaguar had snagged it. But they are night hunters and there are plenty of tapirs and deer to keep them happy. The last thing you want to do here is to befriend a monkey. In fact, you need to throw a coconut at one as soon as you see it. They will tear a roof vent off to get into your trailer. A lot of people have walls around their trailer and no roof so they can enjoy the thatched roof and breeze. One woman had just cooked a big, home made soup in her outdoor kitchen and went into her trailer. She heard a loud noise and a raccoon had knocked the whole pot over and was eagerly lapping it up off of the floor. I will add an outside shower, bathroom, kitchen and bedroom but with a flat roof and stairs so we can still sit on top and enjoy the roof and constant breeze that blows.

You can see how some of the people completed their palapa by taking this walking tour, lots of pictures..

http://www.playa.info/playa-del-carmen-forum/43286-lowdown-paamul.html

 

[DrCase]

Thats a great way to live

 

[DrCase]

I wish i was a pirate

 

[j.w]

Lots of cool pix! So you are getting ready to move your trailer down there? And will you live there year round and did you sell your place in Texas? LOL, DrCase I wish I was a pirate too irate2: ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!
I did get to be a pirates woman in Bullfrogs book he wrote.................it was so much fun! I was called Angelica and was quite fun loving to say the least

 

[Becky]

Wow, it looks idyllic! You are both so lucky to be surrounded by such beauty all the time

 

[Bullfrog]

We are packing the trailer now to pull out at the end of the month. I will live there but come back to visit the family. It is a 2,000 mile drive and our Canadian neighbors are so friendly and a gold mine of information. One loaned a "Guide to Mexican Camping" book that lists in detail, every turn and stop to make along the way. Another neighbor loaned me a large, spiral map book and highlighted the route, he just drove it i December. Lots of good tips as you will be stopped at inspection stations, such as keep a cooler full of Cokes and beer in the truck and when stopped, smile and say "Refresca?" Keep a sense of humor and let him pick. Everything will be packed in large, transparent tupperware tubs with a list in English and Spanish taped to the top of what it contains. When asked what we are carrying, you just hand them the master list of tubs. The best advice is cross the border early and put 200 miles between you and Matamoros before you stop and everything will be just fine.

There is only one gas company, Pemex so all of the prices are the same and lower than here. You can park your rig at any Pemex station for free overnight, the are well lit, safe and have bathrooms. I really am looking forward to the drive. It will be cross near Matamoros, Through Tampico, Veracruz, Villahermosa, Chetumal, then arrive at Paamul. I'll keep you posted.

 

[j.w]

Sounds like a rather dramatic trip but seems as tho you have done your research on how to travel safely. Praying you have a safe trip and yes keep us posted on the journey. Do you speak Spanish? What about your dogs, can they come or do they stay back in Texas w/family? Are you going to do any more writing down there cuz it sounds like a wonderful place to dream up new stories.

 

[Big Lou]

Starting a exciting new stage in your life. Congratulations!

 

[Bullfrog]

The dogs went with the X, thankfully. Book five is well underway. Doing the grunt work now, greasing the wheel bearings and buying new tires.