We have a phone!

Yes, after four weeks of constant trips to Telmex, we finally have a phone, which means we should have Internet soon.

You would not believe the frustration in getting this done. The Telmex technicians show up here unannounced and if you are home you might get service, but it’s not a guarantee. Here is the sequence of events that have happened to us:

1. Our property manager Linda applied for our phone in August. She was told that our developer had not completed the landline installations to our complex.
2. One by one, other neighbours started to demand that Dynamica (the developer) finish the installation.
3. Dynamica ignored us until we stated that we would refuse to take over the complex and start paying our monthly dues.
4. We arrived October 24 and started our twice a week trips to Telmex to make sure that we were on the list of homes to receive a phone and internet. Linda had been making weekly trips since August.
5. We received an email from Dynamica saying that as of November 1 we would be able to connect our phones.
6. Our neighbour Ann had a Telmex technician at her house November 7 and he installed her phone and assigned her phone number. She ran over to see me to tell me that the technician was on site but he had disappeared.
7. A week later the tech was back again to install the service in homes on the other side of the complex. We found out about it and tracked the fellow down and showed him our contract. He claimed that we did not have an order number on the contract and that we had to go back to Telmex to have one assigned. This was Friday night.
8. On Monday morning I went to Telmex and they could not find my application. You have to know that there is only ever one clerk on duty and there are usually 7-10 people waiting to see him/her. The average wait is about an hour. So, having already waited an hour, it took her at least another 30 minutes to find us in the system and give us an order number. She then told us that we would see a technician in about two weeks.
9. My neighbour Candace (and her father) across the street had the exact same situation happen and got their order number the same day as us.
10. Candace came to see me a couple of days later to tell me that the technician had been at their house that afternoon and installed their phone. We were not home so missed the call. I was crushed.
11. On Saturday, the 22^nd, I came home and found the Telmex tech working on the box outside our house. The box services about 10 homes I think. He was installing the line for my neighbour two doors away. I showed him my contract and begged him to put my line in too. My neighbour is Mexican and tried to help me. The tech called the office and they couldn’t locate my order number. I waved 100 pesos in his face and told him it was his if I got my line! So, he went into the office (closed to the public on Saturdays) to try to locate my information.
12. About an hour later he was back to say that I had not signed my contract and he could not help me. He told me I had to go back on Monday to complete the contract. I almost cried. My lovely neighbour Jose told me he would help me.
13. Monday I was back in the office and was told I had nothing to sign! I asked for my modem though and they gave it to me. Everyone around here had to have their phone installed and working before they were given the modem so I thought I was lucky to save another trip. I also asked to know my telephone number. Jorge, the only clerk who speaks English, took my cell phone number and promised to call around 4pm with my number. He did not call.
14. He also promised to send a technician on Tuesday. No one showed up.
15. Wednesday I was back in the office. Jorge called the supervisor to try to speed things up for me. He gave me his cell number and told me to call at 4pm to get my phone number and to find out if he could get a technician here that night.
16. At 4pm, Jorge actually answered his phone, told me my number and said he could not get a tech to see me that day. I had to call again in the morning to find out when.
17. Yesterday morning, my neighbour Jose took my application and contract and told me he would go to Telmex to get this sorted out. In the meantime, I called Jorge and he said a technician would be here between noon and 3pm.
18. At 2:30 Telmex called me and said they would be here in five minutes. When he arrived he wanted my contract, which Jose still had and he was not home! I almost started to cry!!!!!!!!!!!
19. Five minutes later, another Telmex truck arrived, did not want my contract, and INSTALLED THE PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am sure that the second truck was sent by Jose.
20. Once everyone left, I hooked up my modem and called the internet dept of Telmex. They wanted my phone number, which I gave them. They said the phone number belonged to James Barron and they could not help me!!!!!!!!!
21. I am beginning to think that Telmex is insane.
22. I called Jorge again and he assured me that this is my phone number and that he would fix up the confusion. He also said that it takes about five business days for the information from the service office to reach the internet office.
23. I had my neighbour Ann call the number and my phone does ring.
24. I am now waiting the five days………..

All the neighbours who have phone and internet have told me that it does indeed take a few days for the internet service to work. So, all I can do now is WAIT SOME MORE!!

Other good news: Our laundry room roof is finished and it looks fabulous.

We have our water filter and softener system installed and working. It is so nice to be able to use the water from the taps to drink and cook. The stains on the sinks and taps have disappeared and the shampoo suds up with a small dab instead of a huge blob.

My neighbour Barry helped me climb the ladder to the roof to check the installation before we paid the balance. I was so proud of myself for getting up there! The view of the ocean and mountains up there is fantastic!

We’ve had our first visitors. Our Victoria neighbour Dianne and her sister Janet were on a cruise and spent the afternoon with us. We met them at Walmart and took them to Bucerias for a short tour, beach walk and visit to our house.

Ros and Ben from Kelowna were in Puerto Vallarta for a week and came Friday night for an overnight visit.

Sadly, Robin and Serge left Wednesday to go back to Tacoma until February. I drove them to the airport for our final farewell.

We celebrated American Thanksgiving last night at Ann and Jack’s home. They are Canadian but decided to help Marilyn and Barry (from Arizona) have a traditional big dinner. They cooked turkey with all the fixin’s and it was great. We had a lot of fun!

Next on our agenda: We need to find a washer and dryer. Now that we are no longer hostages to Telmex, we can get out and go shopping again. We have ordered more furniture, which is being made. Hopefully it will be here in a couple of days.

In the off chance that anyone wants our phone number it is (from Canada)

011-45-329-298-0446

I think that is the correct sequence to call but if you have a problem call the operator. We don’t have an answering system so you cannot leave messages. I forgot to bring the power adapter for the answering part of the phone.

I am hoping that my next update will be from my own service!

This Week's Update

The weather is cooling down to a more comfortable temperature. We don’t need our air conditioning at night anymore if we run the fans and open the windows and balcony door. This is a good thing because electricity is very expensive in Mexico!

Speaking of air conditioning, we discovered during our drive through Arizona that the car AC was no longer working! We managed with the windows down but it was quite uncomfortable going through the desert with 41C temps and no AC. We just had to deal with it. Last week, we had the four units in our house serviced because other neighbours told us that their units were low on freon (sp?). Sure enough, ours were also low, which makes them work harder to cool the rooms. When the technician was finished, I asked him if he knew anything about car air conditioning. He didn’t have the right equipment but his “friend the mechanic” did. Everyone here has a “friend” or “brother” or “cousin” who can do what you want done!

So, off I went with the AC guy down the highway to his buddy’s shop. He took one look under the hood and told me that there were three holes in whatever part of the car controls the AC. Probably a rock had hit it during the drive. The holes had to be fixed before he could add more freon. He drove me home, took the car back to the shop, removed the unit, welded it back together, added the freon, returned the car in three hours and the entire process cost $90.00 Canadian! I couldn’t believe it!

We now have mirrors in the bathrooms. They are beautiful, beveled and huge. We had our buffet delivered and just love it. I’ve ordered a desk and chair from the same place and it should be here today or tomorrow. We also broke down and hired a handyman to place a roof over our laundry room. We had the best of intentions not to bother this year with a washer or dryer, but it gets tedious running things to the lavandaria all the time, especially towels, which we use a lot because of the pools.

Four houses in our complex finally have phone and internet!! This is quite exciting. Our house is almost at the end of the road and it seems that they are going in order. Monday was a holiday (Revolution Day) so I am being realistic- we probably won’t get done this week…but it IS GOING TO HAPPEN!! I am actually using my neighbour Ann and Jack’s modem now instead of going to the internet café. It is much more convenient.

We took a break on Friday and went to Sayulita beach with Robin, Serge and their three guests (here for a week from Tacoma). We love this beach. It is very popular and lively; lots of people go there to learn to surf because of the low, but constant, long surf. It’s only about a 20-30 minute drive and a really fun day trip.

This week we are hostage in the house once more as we are scheduled to have our water filtration system installed and on Monday Jorge and his crew started building the roof over the laundry. I had to take photos to show you what typical Mexican construction sites look like. Yep, that is now our laundry room! They have promised! to come back Friday to remove the framing and fill the exterior and interior with concrete; then paint. Underneath all that mess are six glass blocks in the roof, which will let in some light but not too much heat. Once these projects are completed I think we will be finished “waiting” except for Telmex (for phone and internet) and they won’t schedule a time. Well, they do but they NEVER keep the appointments. The owners of the houses that do have service were just lucky to be home when the technician showed up unannounced.

The complex is filling up more and more every day. This week alone we have met neighbours next door to the right from Minnesota; two across the street from BC, one in the next block from California, and two on the perimeter from Quebec and Alberta.

Thanks to all of you who keep in touch via email or the blog. We love to hear from you and appreciate you taking the time to think about us!

Another Turtle Morning!

We went on our usual morning beach walk Saturday and finally remembered to take the camera. I took a few shots of our beach so you can all see how beautiful it is. We always walk as far as the Decameron Resort.

This morning, when we arrived, there were a lot of people standing in a circle staring at the sand. Or so we thought. What they were actually doing was watching turtles hatch. We saw this incredible sight last year on the same beach, but closer to our house. I think the Decameron had a supervised turtle release event. There is a hatchery somewhere in the bay run by volunteers who are trying to protect turtle eggs from poaching. They dig up the eggs as soon as they are laid and take them to the hatchery. When the eggs are ready, they bury them back in the sand and watch over them until they hatch. They also involve elementary schools around the area in order to educate the kids about the turtles and how endangered they are.

We missed the actual hatching, but saw the same amazing march to the ocean. One crawled up on Gail’s foot and she held another one in her hand. We were able to stay on the beach longer than usual, as it is finally starting to cool down a bit. This morning it was only 25C when we left home. Last night, there was a wonderful slightly cool breeze in the air, which was so refreshing.

Robin and Serge arrived Friday night and it has been great having them here again. We picked up two BBQ chickens, rice, tortillas, hot sauce and coleslaw from the outdoor kitchen under the bridge for dinner. It was enough food for at least 8 people as Darren, Jaime and Hannah (friends of Robin’s) were here too. All that delicious food for only $12.00! Last night, Darren BBQ’d steaks on our Hummer Grill. We still had lots of leftovers from the night before so it was another feast. We are so pleased with our outdoor patio furniture. We got it just in time.

Yesterday, we ordered a buffet from the Mexican Rustic Furniture place on the highway. If we really like it once it is finished, we’ll probably buy more things from them. We want at least some of the furniture to be authentic Mexican.

We also made a big expensive decision yesterday when we ordered a complete house water filtration and softener system. It will be installed next week and then we will be able to drink the water from the taps. It will also eliminate the hard water stains on our sinks, taps and shower glass. So, the other things I want done around here will have to wait until next year. For now, we won’t be putting the roof on the laundry room or buying a washer and dryer.

I have tried to add a little video of the turtles on Saturday morning. It's the first time I've tried to add one, so hope it works and you can all see them!

Oh the Waiting Game

We try to go for a walk on the beach each morning around 8am before it gets too hot (at that time it is already around 27C!) Usually, we are gone for about an hour and a half. This morning we saw two chickens (maybe one of them was a rooster-God knows we hear enough of them) eating a coconut! We saw the gardener knock if off the tree, split it in half with a machete and throw it to the chickens. There are many amusing things that we see like that.

Then we come home, shower, have a bite to eat and either:
A. Go shopping for the house or
B. Spend the day hanging around waiting for workers or being here because they are in the house.

I hope to come back next year to a completely finished place where we can get into the groove of real living. I know it must sound terrible, because here we are in paradise, but it does get tedious. Everything is two steps forward, one step back.

We finally have most of our fans installed, but now we have to get the electrician back because two of them are not balanced properly and they are driving me nuts. We still need to buy more light fixtures. If you can believe it, the ONLY place to buy them is Home Depot. I don’t know what people around here did before they opened last fall. The place is always blocked with Mexicans and Gringos so they must be doing well. There are no other lighting stores in the area that our neighbours or we have discovered. The choices are not great. I found an acceptable large fixture for above the dining room table at Costco. I can’t find anything I like for the bathroom walls.

I am currently sitting here (I write my update at home and then paste it into my blog when I get to the Internet café) waiting for a fellow to come to measure and quote for mirrors in the bathrooms. He is late, and probably won’t show up at all. I finally broke down and bought a cheapy mirror for the downstairs smaller bathroom because I was brushing my hair in the glass in the microwave door!!!

We had the patio concrete extended today, and hopefully the workers will show up tomorrow to finish the decorative pebbles around the perimeter. But they probably won’t. Yesterday, we found a patio table and six chairs which we quite like. It is very hard to find outdoor furniture around here that isn’t made of plastic. The Mexican’s don’t buy it, so consequently, the prices are astronomical. They know that only gringo’s that want it. Most of what we had seen and liked would have cost more than our leather four piece living room set!!!! Anyway, now we have it here and it is one more thing we are able to cross off the list.

Once we are able to have all our lights and mirrors installed I will finally be able to feel at home. Oh, then we need to find end tables and something to stand the TV on. We want to mount it on the wall but that will be next year. It is nearly impossible for me to hang anything without hiring someone because all the walls are made of thick concrete and I cannot, even with masonry drill bits, cut into it far enough to install the anchors. Once you have a hole, you stick with it, even if it’s not quite where it should be. It is too much of a chore to move it! So, I am hanging NOTHING until I have all the furniture and am happy with where everything is located.

We are all getting the runaround from Telmex. One person in the office says, this week for sure, then when we see a technician on the grounds we all surround and try to herd him, like a pack of wild dogs around a lone sheep, into our homes. Then we are told that we have to contact a different person, or “here, call this number in Puerto Vallarta” knowing that we don’t have phones or enough Spanish to get anywhere!!!!!!!!!! AGGGHH!!!!

Oh my God, as I was typing, the doorbell buzzed and the mirror guys arrived. An hour late but in Mexico that is quite acceptable! I have them ordered and they will be here in a week. I just hope that when they are installed the workers won’t hit a water line. That actually happened next door when Sergio installed a mirror over his downstairs sink. All of a sudden, he punched right through the wall and had a major gusher of water. It is not easy to turn off the water here because the shut off valve is on the roof.

Ah Mexico.

We have TV and a Gecko!!!

There’s a guy in Puerto Vallarta who is from Canada and has a business selling and installing Star Choice systems. There are only two choices for satellite TV here, one, “Sky” is Mexican and has 2-3 English channels and the other is Star Choice, which is Canadian. There are no American company’s with a signal that can be accessed this far south. The neighbours around here were frustrated with Steve Norman, the Canadian, because he sets up appointments and doesn’t show up. I guess he thinks he has everyone in the bay over a barrel.

Anyway, on Friday, the Sky satellite guys showed up to install a Mexican system. Our neighbours Vincent and Francine asked them if they would install their Star system and try to locate the signal. Of course Vincent has the right size dish so it didn’t take too long.

Amazingly, our friends Greg and Shirley were sold the same small dish as us. Greg already had his up on the roof and had been patiently trying all week to find the signal, without any luck at all. So, once Vincent’s signal was working, Greg asked the Sky fellows to help him. After about 2 hours of fiddling around, they nailed it.

So, right away, the other two neighbours waiting for Steve asked the Sky guys to come back Saturday to install theirs. When they finished working Saturday, they came after hours to get extra moonlighting cash. Then, they assembled our dish, put it, the TV, receiver and remote under their arms and climbed the ladder. They were terrific. They spent at least three hours working on finding my signal and it was dark when it finally came in. Three of them for three hours and they only charged me $50.00. I am thrilled that I don’t have to lug that other bigger dish down here next year! So, now I have TV, but the only thing I have done so far is to listen to CBC radio!! (I can hear Andrew groaning right now!!)

We also have at least one Gecko who lives upstairs. I see him planted on the ceiling many mornings when I wake up, then lie in bed and watch him scampering over the walls. He has been spotted in the shower and on the bathroom walls too. I think it’s the same one. He eats bugs like a spider does at home. I love him but Gail is completely grossed out when she sees him! I think it is so tropical to have a gecko in the house!

Our priority this week is to find some patio furniture. We sit outside much more than in the house but we still only have two beach chairs and no table.

I am still patiently waiting for Telmex to give me a phone number so I can get my modem and Internet set up at home. Mexico forces you to learn the virtue of patience; otherwise you go crazy!

End of Week One!

We have been busy for the last few days buying light fixtures, having some furniture returned for repair as the finish had not held up well in the humidity during rainy season and having cracks in the concrete walls fixed. Everything is under warranty for a year and these are common problems in Mexico. The developer has been really above board and is fixing it all. Most of the other neighbours have similar problems, which are really minor cosmetic things, not important structural stuff. The biggest pain for us is all the time we have to spend here waiting for the workers and being home while they are in the house.

There are also lots of things we want to do to improve the place. We are going to extend the concrete rear patio to fill a space which is now covered with grass and completely useless where it is. We also want to put a roof over the utility room outside the kitchen so we can eventually install a washer and dryer there. There is a large concrete laundry sink there now which we need to have removed and a much smaller, more serviceable one put there instead.

Yesterday, we had a tinted fiberglass cover installed above each of the rear patio roofs. It will cut down on the heat and allow us to sit outside if it is raining. The only rain we’ve had so far was an hour or so the day after we arrived. Tomorrow morning I am going to the nursery to buy four vines called “Cupa de Oro” which means “Cup of Gold” The picture of it is here. A lot of the neighbours have planted it to run up the pillars of the patio roofs and I just love it. It will eventually completely cover the top of the fiberglass on the patios to make a pretty colourful roof!

We want to have two water faucets installed on the rear of the house; one on the balcony off the master bedroom and the other just below it close to the ground. It is actually lots of fun seeing what other people are doing to improve their homes and we’ve got lots of ideas as well.

We think we have one of the best locations in the complex, as we are part of a circle of houses in the middle of the development that surround the second smaller pool. In the middle of the circle it is really just a very small park, with flowers and trees. We have been socializing a lot with the owners within the circle, as we all tend to go outside and visit. The houses on the outside perimeter are smaller but each have a very private eight-foot walled in garden in the rear of the homes. Most of them go to the larger pool and don’t seem to visit much with each other.

In Canada, I LOVE the privacy of our back yard, but here, the open back is a great way to meet people. I had thought that the mix here was about 30% Mexican and 70% Canadian and American, but I was completely wrong. It is more like 55% Mexican and the rest from up north. I am amazed by the welcome that the Mexicans show towards us. It would be natural to be annoyed that we are here moving into their country but every single person has been warm and friendly. They seem sincerely pleased that we are all returning for the winter.

Our neighbours Greg and Shirley (from Abbotsford) invited us for dinner Wednesday. They have managed to completely furnish and do all the improvements they want in the last three weeks. What a fabulous job decorating, and so inspiring to see one of the homes finished! There were nine of us outside on their patio, they have fantastic patio furniture, (including an outdoor bar) and had a feast of food! Greg cooked the best pulled pork ribs I have ever eaten!!

Last night we went for dinner at another neighbour's home along with five others. Lupita is Mexican, in her late 50’s, has lived in Switzerland for the last 25 years and speaks four languages. Her Swiss husband died a couple of years ago but that is where she still spends most of her time. Her three sons live there. She is only here for another two weeks and probably won’t be back until next summer. She is lots of fun and very amusing. We had a great dinner there too, and she as well, has completely finished and furnished her home. It's beautiful.

I am very hopeful that we really are getting our Internet and telephone this coming week. There was a serviceman working on the box outside our house yesterday and he told us that it is completely ready to go. The only thing still needed is for the technician to come here and assign the telephone and account numbers and enter it into the computer back at Telmex. Then I need to go there to get my modem. There are about 40 people here anxiously waiting for service!

The only fly in my ointment in paradise is Star Choice. I had switched from Shaw Cable to Star back in August to have satellite installed in Victoria. They have a program called “Home Away From Home” where you can purchase a second dish and receiver and get the signal here in Mexico. I had to send them proof of ownership of the house here before they would send the second dish. Well, you all know how tightly packed the car was. I didn’t have an inch of spare space. Star sent us the WRONG SIZE DISH!!! I’ve emailed them and they have acknowledged that they screwed up and are sending the correct one at no charge, but only to the house in Victoria. So now, before I can get TV, I either have to rely on the mercy of someone bringing it with them when they come to visit, or I wait until I drive down next winter. I can’t have it shipped because it will sit in customs for months and I will have to pay huge import duties on it.

So that is what we have been up to for the last week. The temperature hasn’t gone below 27C, the pool water is like a bath, there are always cold cervezas in the fridge and we are lovin’ it here!