My parents just bought a house in Mexico. I'm so jealous! Who's coming w/me?

[crim son]

I'm allowed to use the house whenever, free of charge! Let's go :) Pics:

Dad at the front door:


Little balcony:


Part of the courtyard:


I wanna go! :bounce:

[Kali]

1. Where?

Looks nice. Guadalajara? Alamos?

[crim son]

3. Guadalajara area.

After my first trip to Mexico I advised my parents to go down and take a look because I thought it was wonderful. They went down twice and on the second trip, totally surprised me by buying the house.

[qwertyMike]

51. Beautiful City

Not near the sea, but hot days, cool nights.
Perfect

[GOPisEvil]

2. Donde en Mexico esta?

[crim son]

5. Somewhere around Guadalajara.

I haven't been there but I will!

[GOPisEvil]

7. Nice! How close to the water?

[crim son]

9. I have no idea. They returned from their visit on Monday

and sent me the pics today. I have to call and ask about the details.

[Critters2]

4. It's beautiful! That courtyard looks downright inviting!!

I sponsor a child in Matamoros whom I hope to visit some day. Is this near there?

[crim son]

6. I really don't know.

I need to take a look at a map because the only places I've been in Mexico are Cancun - 100 miles south of Cancun, and the city of Merida, which is a few minutes south and a few hours west of Cancun.

[Critters2]

11. If it's near Guadalajara, that's quite a way from Matamoros

Matamoros is on the Rio Grande, right across the river from Brownsville, TX.

But that is one beautiful house!!

[Zoigal]

53. Guadalajara

Our daughter and her family have lived in that area for the last thirty years...she absolutely loves it...
Lots of Americans live in the Lake Chapala region which isn't far from Guadalajara. Many of the people
speak English so one can get by with limited Spanish. Your parents sound pretty adventurous.

[GOPisEvil]

8. Matamoros is right across the border from Brownsville, TX.

So, no, not close to Guadalajara, which is on the Pacific coast.

[crim son]

10. Okay.

My parents live in Oregon so the Pacific coast is a natural choice for them.

[Carni]

12. OMG is that court yard ever cool! eom

[Callalily]

13. Cuénteme en.

¿Debo repasar yo mi español?

La casa parece encantador y muy atractivo.

[crim son]

15. I think you need to come with me, because I don't speak Spanish

and I'll need to.

[KitchenWitch]

14. Looks wonderful ... I am in!

:bounce:

[crim son]

20. Yay!

It would be a blast!

[MAGICBULLET]

93. May I DJ?

Latin funk/disco party? Always a little room for norteño styles/salsa, but please...no reggaeton

[crim son]

94. Whatever you choose, we will all be grateful.

I trust your judgement.

[MAGICBULLET]

95. When's the party?

I'll bring the turntables, a crate of records and some sweet premium wine.

[Shakespeare]

16. My parents' best friends moved to Ensenada, and they LOVE it.

Retired and moved there, and now they're trying to talk my parents into doing the same. I would love it if they did--I've visited them there, and it's just beautiful.

[crim son]

21. Your parents should at least make the trip and check it out.

If they're leery of being in a foreign country, there are a number of areas populated mainly by Americans. My parents decided not to do that, but they have a lot of friends from one such nearby community.

[Shakespeare]

26. Oh, I know. My sister and I have both visited their friends at different times...

...and we both came back telling them to GO. They'd love it. We also told them about the sizeable expat community there, so there'd be very little culture shock.

[SoCalDem]

83. I would love to do that too, but my husband's diabetic

and the medical issues would be an issue for us..

If I was single I would SO be moving to mexico :) or Panama (where I grew up) or Costa Rica or Belize (It was British Honduras when I was last there)..

I am tired of being a Californiac :)

[Shakespeare]

85. They tell us the healthcare there is good....

...and they're just a couple of hours from San Diego in case they need to come to the states for anything. In fact, Bruce (who's a hardcore liberal--yay) said that the cost of healthcare there is much, much lower. He's a recent cancer survivor, so that was a huge issue for them when they were considering the move.

[Tyo]

17. My partner and I have been wanting to do something like that

Were there a lot of hoops to jump through? Obviously they don't feel like there are any major safety or security issues. Very cool. Hope that they (and you) enjoy it!

[crim son]

23. One thing my mother specifically mentioned is how safe it is there.

And she's an easily unnerved type of person. Apparently nobody ever locks their doors and nothing is ever stolen. As for hoops, they were in Mexico for just about a month and selected and bought the house during the last two weeks of their stay. I don't believe it was terribly difficult.

[carly denise pt deux]

18. Cool house!

I am going to Cozumel and visiting the Tulum ruins this summer.
Carly

[crim son]

25. I gave Cozumel a miss (not for any particular reason)

but I've been to Tulum. Very interesting and the location is beautiful. I'll definitely go back. The only thing I don't much like about eastern Mexico is the native food. If you're staying at a hotel that caters to tourists, the food is great. If you go to a place where the locals eat, chances are you won't be impressed. I'm an adventurous eater but had a tough time choking a lot of the stuff down.

[SoCalDem]

86. But if you moved there you could cook your own food

:)

"Real" Mexican food is NOTHING like what Americanos call Mexican food :)

You can grow most anything there though, and I'm sure there are plenty of local open air markets for produce..

I actually like "real' Mexican food better that the fakey-american mexican food:)

[crim son]

87. The food varies by region!

West of the coast I think it's good. As I said, I'm an adventurous eater and have travelled a fair amount, so my opinion is not utterly uninformed. :)

[Shine]

19. Hola, chica!!! Count me in!

Great pix. I esp loved the woodwork on the front door, with the sun and stars. :thumbsup:

How nice to have a fun vacation spot to go visit down in Mexico. Lucky girl.

[crim son]

27. I am lucky, and you may join me any time.

Every door in the house is carved with a different motif!

[malta blue]

22. Can I come too?

It is beautiful!

[crim son]

29. Of course you can!

The more, the merrier - although there are only two bedrooms w/double beds. We can sleep on the couches. :)

[malta blue]

31. I'll be fine in a hammock that I will string up in the courtyard.

BTW - your dad looks so happy - it made me smile too:)

[crim son]

32. My dad was an OB/GYN. Ever since he retired a few years ago

he's been happier than I've ever known him.

Okay, a hammock it is!

[ThatsMyBarack]

24. I love the front door carvings!

BTW, can you drink the water in that house? ;)

[crim son]

30. Yes you can!

There's a water purification system built in, with a cystern to store purified water. No more brushing your teeth with bottled water, always a plus.

[mike_c]

28. I'm there!

Experienced Mexico traveler, love the country and the people! That looks like a really nice place. Where is it?

[crim son]

33. Excellent.

It's near Guadalajara but I'm not certain where, exactly. The Mexican people are wonderful... one of the best things about the country, I think.

[Xipe Totec]

34. Take me with you when you go

I'll be your translator!

:bounce:

[crim son]

40. I can't have enough translators!

Then only thing I know how to say is "Where is the bathroom?" It does come in handy sometimes.

[mzteris]

35. Did I ever tell you

you were one of my very faaaaaaaaaavvvvvvvvorite posters?!?!?!?

:hi:

:pals: :hug: :loveya: :headbang:

:yourock: :applause: :woohoo: :thumbsup:

:toast: :party


B-)


Yo hablo un poquito espanol y mi hijo habla mucho espanol!

[crim son]

42. I think you've written that I speak little spanish and you

"hijo" (?) speak a bunch. You're in!

[mzteris]

78. yay!

I speak *some* Spanish - enough to get around with. My younger son (8) is in a Spanish immersion school - I didn't realize how good he'd gotten until he started having a conversation with a woman at a restaurant the other day. Wow. I couldn't follow they were speaking so fast.

Oh yeah, my older daughter (26) also speaks Spanish pretty well.

My middle son? Well - if you ever go to China, you can take him along.

[Guava Jelly]

36. I wanna go!!!

I hear you like brown eyed guys :7 :hi:

[crim son]

46. I do! I do like brown eyed guys.

Come on down, GoPsUx!!!

[Guava Jelly]

79. WooHOO Party !!!:o)

:yourock:
:loveya:

[seemunkee]

37. I'll buy the tequila

and the limes

[crim son]

47. Oh, then you'll serve a valuable purpose :)

I'll buy the alka-seltzer for the mornings after :hi:

[TOhioLiberal]

38. Wow Crim son...

...those pictures are cool. I'm up for a loooooooooooooooooooong road trip! :bounce:

[crim son]

39. If housing is free, we can afford to make it a long trip.

I'm seriously longing for warm weather and papayas with lime juice :woohoo:

[SPKrazy]

41. If You'll Have Me...

I'm there d00d, I'm there...

very nice digs

:hug:

[crim son]

44. If I'd been the buyer I would have chosen an older home

HOWEVER I'm willing to settle for the nice modern and free house belonging to me mum and dad. And sure, come along :)

[SPKrazy]

All Right...

I'm bringing bottled water or buying it there though

is this house near water?

You may have said in the OP I'm too damned lazy to go look!

:rofl:

[crim son]

49. I don't know how close it is to water but

I do know it has a water purification system and you can drink water from the tap. That's a big plus as far as I'm concerned, especially after my last visit down south. :puke:

[SPKrazy]

56. I've Dodged the bullet on that...

In Mexico City, which is very high, I got altitude sickness

but the water, not so much a problem of course I don't drink from the tap, but I would if it had a good purification system which I'm sure this one does.

Is this a retirement place, or is it going to be their residence?

I know people who have retired there because it is a lot cheaper to live and it is nice and there are American "colonies" down there.

[crim son]

57. Right now it's just a second home.

They do things like this on a whim, so who knows what they'll end up doing with the place. :shrug:

[SPKrazy]

62. Sounds Like My Parents

they bought a house in Colorado in Ft Collins, then a condo in Estes Park, then they sold the house and kept the condo. Now my dad is thinking of buying a townhouse in Denver? I tried to talk him into buying one here in Arkansas so he can come and feel like he can stay a while if he wants.

:shrug:

[graywarrior]

43. Hey, on our way to Costa Rica!!!!

We can stop there after to recover, too.

:bounce:

[crim son]

45. Now, you told me you'd given up on the Costa Rica adventure.

You changed your mind? Or are you going to explore the jungle while I get everything lifted and modernized? :P

[graywarrior]

50. I looked in the mirror today.

:wow:

[crim son]

52. Funny - I did the same thing and was deeply depressed.

The divorce, the money problems and all that stuff, it's taking its toll. Okay, we're on again, as soon as a miracle happens. :pals:

[graywarrior]

55. Yeah, we're on again.

I'm buying a lottery ticket Saturday.

[crim son]

58. I've got two from yesterday sitting on my windowsill in the kitchen.

I never check right away because I like to think about winning before I find out I've lost. Costa Rica is first on my list. #2 is a hybrid car and #3 is the house by the standpipe - 6000 sq. feet of Victorian glory and a garden so full of lily-of-the-valley that you can smell it from two streets away. Sigh.

Visualize. Visualize the win!

[graywarrior]

61. Someone has to win.

May as well be one of us.

[S n o w b a l l]

48. That's awesome!

It's beautiful! I dated a guy who bought a summer house in Mexico...a few miles south of Rosarito Beach. Spent lots of weekends in Mexico. I've often thought of packing up all my baggage and moving there. I absolutely love it & would in a heartbeat if the situation was right.

Is it near the beach?

Hope you get to visit often! :)

[crim son]

59. I think there's a beach somewhere nearby but I don't know how near.

I've imagined retiring in Mexico since my first visit there. I may actually do it.

[Scarlett17]

54. Oh, it's beautiful!

Please tell them congrats for me.

:hi:

[crim son]

60. I will, Scarlett17!

Thanks! :hi:

[BarenakedLady]

63. Me, me,me mememememememememe oh and ME!

:bounce: :bounce:

Take me!

:hi:

Just think of all the delicious trouble we could get into.:evilgrin:

[crim son]

65. Hell yeah!

What happens in Guadalajara, stays in Guadalajara! :rofl: :hi:

[u4ic]

64. Count me in!

It looks beautiful! :bounce:


Your father looks very happy indeed. Is he quite tall, or is the door fairly short? :)

[crim son]

66. He's 6'2", and I'm counting you in.

Especially now that I know we can agree on at least one vocalist! :pals:

[Madspirit]

67. Wow

That's just beautiful and your dad is a really handsome man. This looks like something in a magazine.

My brother is 61 and he's thinking of retiring in Mexico. I'm hoping he does. I really love going there so it would be great having a free place to stay...<g>

Congrats to your parents.
Lee

[crim son]

69. Thank you for the comment on the house and on my father :)

That's exactly what's so good about my parents buying the place. First, I can visit and second, if they decide to sell and I've won the lottery, I can buy it from them. I wish!

[Starbucks Anarchist]

68. Nice!

:hi:

[crim son]

70. It is. I prefer the old homes with their lofty ceilings and

stencilled walls and wrought iron decor but I'll take what's offered. You can bring Ms. Raye and her dog and I'll let you use the second bedroom :)

[Starbucks Anarchist]

71. She'll only be there to cook.

;)

[crim son]

72. That's right.

She's in the first bedroom. :P

Oh, I do so much appreciate your being kind! I'm off to bed as is often the case when you've been obliging. :loveya: :hug:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

73. You've already worn me out.

:rofl: ;)

[crim son]

74. Then I think you need much more practice.

Just did a tarot reading for tomorrow. The cards look good. :rofl: Bye.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

75. Damn asthma.

:rofl:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

76. Ah, mi amigo nuevo!

La casa es muy, muy bonito!!! Fotos bonitos!

Yo quiero va!

[Robeson]

77. Well, hell yes! Let's go....

...count me in!!! :bounce: :woohoo:

[NC_Nurse]

80. Wow, it looks great!

I'd love to be there! :)

[Maine-ah]

81. take us with you

*pleading, on knees* I need sunshinex(

[crim son]

82. I know you really do need not only sunshine, but warmth.

Our furnace quit last night, some time after 3:00 a.m. and I woke to the sound of kids complaining. The thermostats only go as low as fifty degrees, and that's what they showed but I think it was closer to forty. Mexico would be sweet, and you're invited :)

[Maine-ah]

84. oh, brrr & last night was freakin' cold too!

I hope it's up and running thismorning. I may just sell it all & get the heck outa here! Not really, but a girl can dream. Hubbie would never leave his family up here.

:hi: I'm off to pack my bags....

[billyskank]

88. Can I come with?

:hi:

[crim son]

90. Yes my dear. You can come with.

Tonight was moderate - poor and I remembered what you told me. Thank you.

[Bridget Burke]

89. I'll bet they're near Lake Chapala.

The lake is south of Guadalajara & the area is very popular with US & Canadian retirees. Here's one of the many websites serving the communities: www.chapalaguide.com/

Guadalajara is Mexico's second city; big & busy, but with a charming Historic Center. The state of Jalisco is the home of Tequila & of Mariachi music. Tapatios (residents of Guadalajara) are proud of their city & their traditions. (Interesting article--but it needs an editor.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalajara,_Jalisco

The area's altitude produces a moderate climate--neither too hot nor too cold. Pretty far from the beach--but a good base for touring Mexico.

(Here's where I stayed when I visited Guadalajara: www.webtapatio.com/hotelfrances/ )

[crim son]

91. I think you are quite right.

Their initial plan was to look in the Lake Chapala area and though I haven't had a real conversation with them yet, I think that's where they ended up. I must check. :)

[mentalsolstice]

92. I'm late! SA's going to have to make a special trip to the airport...

...for me. But I want to be there! Crimmy, you're a lucky girl! Not only do you have a great future ahead of you, but now you've got a party-place to celebrate!

I've had a busy weekend, but I bookmarked this thread...this is gorgeous! Your parents are going to really enjoy this! Kudos to them, I wish my parents would take more risks like this!

I can't think of anyone more deserving than you, to have a peaceful place to go to contemplate...and realize how special you are to the rest of us, here on DU! And think of more arguments to use in pubs...