Mi Casita - Saturday and Sunday

 12/11/23 Saturday and Sunday

Mi Casita

 

Outside my AirBnb, where it ends at the gated community

Outside my AirBnb, the start of all my walks

Saturday 11/11/23

At 2:00, Martha and I went to check out a couple of houses for rent. While we waited for the first landlord to show up (Mexican Time is not an exact science), we discussed the pros and cons of furnished versus unfurnished, and whether I would be open to an apartment (departamento) instead of a house. We had answered a lot of ads, but only 2 people responded with an appointment. We were hoping that more would get back to us before we called it a day.

The first place was just a couple of blocks from my house. It had a beautiful, shaded yard and a covered patio with lovely brick arches. The house was very utilitarian, and it had a brick shed in the corner of the yard. It turned out the “shed” was the bathroom. It was a nice, modern bathroom with a shower and no tub, but the “outsided-ness” of it put it in the “Only as a Last Resort” list.

We had a couple of hours before our next appointment so Martha and I went to find the exact location of the other house, which we did quite easily. After that, we cruised the area, looking for “se renta” signs, but didn’t find any. We gave up after a while and she took me to the grocery store where I did my shopping for the week and hit up the ATM for some more cash.

The second place was in a more convenient neighborhood than the one I am currently living in. It’s a 20 minute walk from the Zocolo, or town square, and a 10 minute walk from a store that is like a mini-Walmart, with groceries and other goods. As an added bonus, it is just 2 blocks from the house that Tony and Shirley are leasing. They are the couple who moved from Texas that I met when I registered with the INM.

Ivonne and Andrea, who were showing the place for the landlord, came promptly on time (yay!) and showed us the place. It was pretty much what I wanted; the only drawback was that it was unfurnished. The rooms are very small, which is typical of older places here.

The first floor had a living room, full bathroom with shower/no tub, a small kitchen, and another room with a door that could be a bedroom or more living room. No appliances in the kitchen and there was a hookup outside for a washing machine. The narrow stairs going up had no railing, which was a bit scary but I could go up safely if I leaned a bit against the wall.

The second floor had 2 more bedrooms, one with a small balcony, and another full bath with a tub/no shower. Another set of steps up, once again with no railing, led to the full rooftop patio, which was amazing. I had a full view of Popcatépetl, the mighty volcano, and also of Cerro de San Miguel, St. Michael’s Hill, with the beautiful chapel gleaming in the afternoon sun. No doubt about it at all, I wanted it. The rental is $5,500 MX, or about $311 US, with no utilities included, which is actually quite a bit below the $8,000 MX that I had budgeted for rent. Martha arranged to get the contract by email, and paid an extra week’s rent so that I can take possession of the house on November 24^th, which gives me a week overlap with my AirBnb.

On the way home, Martha and I discussed how amazing it was that I found a house so quickly. My continuing good fortune as I pursue this adventure still amazes me, filling me with gratitude, which is the best feeling in the world.

 

Sunday 12/11/23

I was planning to just take it easy on Sunday, but I had texted Tony and Shirley to tell them that I was going to be their new neighbors in a few weeks, and Tony invited me over to show me the neighborhood. I gratefully accepted and I took an Uber to their house at 1:00. We had a nice visit and we took a walk around the neighborhood as they pointed out the shops and the places to eat. We spent about 3 hours together before I took another Uber home. It was a great visit and I look forward to seeing them again; Tony said that he would help me to learn how to use the combis, which are small buses that are local to the neighborhoods. They cost $8 MX ($.45 US) and they run every 10 minutes or so. A lot of people will take the combi to go shopping and then take an Uber or a taxi home with their purchases. If I am planning on living here without a car, I am going to have to get very familiar with the combis.

Shortly after I got home, I got a call on my Mexican phone from someone speaking Spanish and I told them I couldn’t understand. She hung up and texted me in English, probably from a translation app; it was a delivery from Walmart Online and she was having a hard time finding the house. I went out and found that she was right in front of my door, which is not marked with a house number. She gave me my package after checking that I had the confirmation email from Walmart. Everyone here is amazingly patient with my not understanding enough Spanish yet. This is something I am working hard to rectify, spending about 3 hours per day on learning more. On Monday morning, I start my weekly Spanish lessons with my facilitator, Martha. My goal is that she will help me focus on what’s most important for me to learn next.

¡Hasta luego!