I had heard a lot of wonderful things about La Manzanilla. Several of my friends, here in Ajijic, told me, they were building their homes there by the ocean and beach. Check it out they all told me. But, I already have a house in Cabo San Lucas by the sea. Ya, but you can drive to La Manzanilla, and not have to fly.
O.K. So I listened, and when my son and his wife decided to take an anniversary trip, they went to La Manzanilla. When they returned, my son, said, "Mom, I really need you to see it".
I need your input. "How was your trip I asked, "Expensive." he said...
So, as soon as we had an extra week, I asked my maid and her brother to take care of my family, ha.ha. My two dogs and my parrot. All was set and we left, early in the morning.
But, before we left, I had e.mailed one broker and asked her to help me, She had a person, call me. Lori, introduced herself on the phone, and told me, all the necessary stuff in Manzanillo. Lori sounded like she had a rather deep voice. I assumed she was maybe a lesbian, or smoked too much.. No problem.
We drove for more than five hours, through the mountains, bridges, berry farms, banana plantations and coconut plantations, and huge marshes. We finally got to Colima. We stopped there to get some gas, and a drink. When I opened the door, I was blown away, it must have been l20degrees. Not a good sign. My son, said, "don't worry Mom, it will be cooler by the beach". Distant volcanoes appeared in the distance, and clouds over the volcano's. Beautiful sight, strange and dangerous looking. I asked "are there any earthquakes here." I don't know, was my son answer.
Well another two hours of driving, more banana plantations and coconut plantations, we finally reached Manzanillo. We all were tired and hungry, so we went to the first restaurant and ordered a marine soup. Still hot and humid. Finally we found our rented condo and got the management to let us in.
Facing the ocean, for sure right across a beautiful condo complex in a Bay. We opened the windows, and doors, trying to cool the place down. No air conditioning. Wow. So, I would guess it is 95 degrees and no air conditioning. I immediately tell my son, shorten the trip to three days from six days, I cannot sleep here, but I shall try. Maybe tomorrow will be cooler. Right. I tell the manager this, we want the place for three days, and if it cools down, we can extend our stay three more days. This is middle of December. Can you imagine the rest of the year?
The manager says, "this is unusual, its a heat wave." O.K. We shall see.
We familiarize ourselves with the entire area. Next morning, I suggest to my son, that we call this Lori person, so we can see some properties, anyway. Who knows, maybe I am crazy. Other people all
raved about this place to me, after all.
We go out to dinner, I feel like I have been poisoned, but I survive. We sit outside, where it is cooler at night. I decide I am going to sleep on the balcony.
Next morning, I do call Lori, she tells me, she will be there, next day. Great.
While going up the 40 steps from the unit, I notice a rather large, tall lady, with damaged face, we say hello.
We go to the pool to cool off, it is freezing water in this small pool in the shade of the condo. Now, for sure, we are all going to get ill, and we do all catch colds.
Let's try the beach, O.K. it's only One hundred and ten steps down. We get down, and my son and daughter in law go in the water. Me, I catch the nearest security guard and tip him, to drive me up, and around to the front, so I can walk down the forty steps to the unit.
Great Vacation. Well tomorrow will be better.
In the morning, Lori, picks us up. A dirty Jeep, with a cracked windshield, and it's the lady with the damaged skin, on her face. We say hello the Mexican way, she kisses me on both checks, and we both acknowledged that we actually met yesterday.
We go to the Jeep, and my son, says, "sit in the front Mom, with Lori.' O.K. I climb into the front seat, next to Lori.
I ask a few questions. "How long have you been here, Lori?" Two years, she answers "She asks me," what would you like to see? "Do you want a view", That would be nice, I say."" How many bedrooms, two minimum. "
O.K. I am looking at this person, and I notice very large feet, and extremely strong calf"s, in the Bermuda Shorts that this person is wearing.
She, Lori, tells me, she plays a lot of golf, but the man, won't play with her any longer, because she keeps beating them. I comment," well no wonder, you look very strong."
She comments, while driving to the first place, which is an absolute "shit hole", with termite roads eaten on walls, as well as the floors. that she loves it, here, and that the property is a little tired. Only $l20,000. U.S. I tell her, we shall pass.
We get to the second place, just as bad. Someone had remodeled this beauty, next to the helicopter landing site for the local police. A pool does exist, it is on the third floor. I say, No. Pass on this also. New kitchen and the former person, needs to sell it, for $295,000. and had just spend $85.000. redoing it. " She can keep it, I comment."
Next we go to a pretty lovely condo building, with a pool, overlooking the ocean. Nice location, but the place is very small, and the home owners fees are $375.00 per months, plus extra if you rent it to others. Pass.
On and on we go, finally she takes us to a Nine Unit Building. Separate Townhouses. her listing n the back for $265.000. and someone else's, like the builder, who owns three in the building is willing to sell any of his three.
First one smells of mildew. Second is rented and the third is a beauty. First front unit, all in marble floor, three stories high, and right up to the ocean. On the ocean and beach.
Actually too close to the water. Waves are splashing on the wall. Anyway it is a beauty. How much a very low price of $285.000U.S. " What is this crack in the floor."" Oh. nothing."and " I am sure you can fix this," says Lori. " But it is not my listing, so I don't really know. " O.K.
We say, we do like this one and the H.O.A. fees are only $ll0.00 per months. We shall think about this one.
Driving back to the Condo, which we rented for $l30.00 per night. Lori mentioned that she just bumped into an old friend and he did not recognize her, and they were the best of friends. They use to go golfing and bowling and deep sea fishing. O.K. I say>>> Now they are just friends. My son in the back seat smiles? why? I don't know.
Lori drops us off, and we are going to meet her again at 4:00P.M. to see the last one, a house. Lori says," can I bring my partner of twenty years with me?" We say, of course, please do, maybe we can go out to dinner later.
My daughter in law, passes on this last visit. My son and I go to the house and there we meet the "partner", she turns up to be a very nice, humble, sweet, middle aged woman, shy, bashful, maybe. A normal, nice, middle aged woman. Weird?
This is really strange, but I do not say anything, I just assume that the ladies are lesbians, and they are living here, seem to be happy. What else does anyone need.
We go home, we do not go out to dinner that night with them. When we got home, I ask my son, what do you think?? are they two ladies or what.
My son, is much more aware of this stuff than me, and he says. I think I saw them on T.V. Lori was Lawrence. Married to this nice woman for twenty years, and than decided he wanted to be a she. So, he changed, to a she, and they moved to Mexico, where no one knows them. Since they loved each other for twenty years, they stayed together. Wow, transvestite real estate agent, my first. Very Interesting.
Next day, we went over to the condo we really liked, the one on the beach and speak to the manager. Of course we let my daughter in law speak with him, in Spanish. Well what do you think. This condo with the cracked marble floor. Marble is one of the hardest stones on earth, except diamonds. Broke during the last earthquake and the entire unit might fall into the ocean, if another hits, or a wave of the ocean does.
Well, we pass on this one for sure. I am still sweating, and wonder what is it that people just love about this place?
I actually, write to Lori/Lawrence and thank "her" for her time and assure her, that if we ever decide to buy anything in Manzanillo, we shall contact "her."
Dinner by the Largest Port in Mexico. Where all the stuff from all over the world comes in from China, Japan, Middle East, Bahrain, etc., Nice view, lots of birds, and flying bats off the trees.
Personally, this does not seem to safe either, in our insecure world. Another minus, in my mind. Here for sure, it would be really easy to import a bomb, or gas and destroy this place. As a matter of fact, when we first arrived, we saw a large boat on fire.
We get up in the morning and leave this Paradise, drive over to Malacay, enjoy the beach, which is known for tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes. Beautiful but Dangerous.
We drive back to Ajijic. Not as romantic but nice. On the way home, we stop at a great restaurant/ranch out in the boon docks and have a great all meat dinner. Steaks, Pork, Lamp and beer. What else do you want in life. Sweet dreams.
When we arrive home, my neighbor tells me, that my two dogs are now in Lake Chapala with the sister and my bird also. I've lost my pets.!!!
So, I call my friend/builder Carlos and get the address, call the sister and the next day, I drive to Lake Chapala, pick up my little family including the cage of my parrot.
All is well, I am not going to go to Manzanilla, my home is in beautiful Ajijic. I tell the builder, how my trip was, and the scorpion which I found in the house, when I returned and he says. Mexico is very exciting!!!! yap, he is absolutely correct, sure is...Mexico is very exciting....
