LIVE FROM MEXICO

Life in Mexico: No Telephone Service, No Internet Connection by Cindi Bower

I had every intention of posting two follow-up articles about water in Mexico on the heels of my previous water article. Alas, real life intruded and my good intentions flew out the window.

Just as I turned on the computer and prepared to check something on the Internet, I discovered I had no service. I picked up the telephone…no dial tone. Aargh!

As a writer who lives in Mexico, I depend almost exclusively on the Internet to do research and to send articles and queries. Without phone service, my DSL Internet does not work. Without the Internet, the areas of my writing life that depend on the Worldwide Web come to a screeching halt.

Interrupted telephone service is not uncommon in Mexico. We have sometimes gone for days on end without service. It is inconvenient and frustrating, but something you have to live with if you want to live in Mexico. Still, I was curious about what caused the outage this time. The bill was not due for several days, so that wasn't the answer. Suddenly, I thought of the probable cause.

The city of Guanajuato has been doing major street and sidewalk repairs around town for the past two years. Besides tearing up the cobblestones, the workers are digging trenches to replace the water and sewer lines. Unfortunately, one of the workers in our neighborhood must have been excessively enthusiastic in his digging late one afternoon and cut the underground telephone cable.

The next morning, all the neighbors congregated in the street to discuss the situation. We had to find someone with phone service or a cell phone to report the outage to Telmex (Mexico's telephone company). Fortunately, the insurance office at the end of our street, serviced by a different telephone cable than the rest of us, had service.

Graciously, the business owner allowed us access to his telephone. My husband waited patiently on the phone for fifteen minutes, but never got to speak with a live person. He just heard a recording every thirty seconds, "Thank you for calling. Please wait. Your call will be answered in the order it was received." No doubt everyone in our end of town with a cell phone was calling Telmex at the same time.

Thinking it probably would be some time before a live person answered, one neighbor wrote down all our telephone numbers. She and another neighbor volunteered to take turns waiting to make the report while the rest of us went about our business. Bless those two women!

We were certain days would pass before the cable was repaired. After all, life tends to move slowly in
Mexico. Things are done mañana (tomorrow), maybe. To our surprise, we had phone service by that evening! The only reason I can think of to explain the extraordinary speed is two influential people live in the affected area. One is a high-ranking government official and the other is the governor's mother.

 

Life in Mexico: Water, Water Everywhere But Not a  Drop to Drink
by  Cindi Bower

In the USA, we take it for granted that we can go to the sink for a glass of water anytime we are thirsty.  We don't have to wonder if the water is clean or if it is safe to drink. We don't even wonder if it is available. It is just there whenever we need it.

This is not so in most of Mexico. The water is not safe to drink, it is not always clean, nor is it always available. Whether you move to Mexico or just come for a visit, you will have to break your habit of drinking water straight from the tap.  So, if you cannot drink the water in Mexico, how do you get water for drinking, cooking, and brushing your teeth?

Residents use one or more of the following methods:
1) Boil – In my research, I have discovered a wide range of opinions concerning the length of time necessary to make the water safe. Some say letting the water come to a rolling boil is sufficient. Others say the water must boil anywhere from five to forty minutes. I personally don't use this method here in Guanajuato because the high mineral content of the water gives it a metallic taste.

2) Purification drops - These drops, usually iodine or chlorine, are sold in most grocery stores. The directions are printed on the label.

3) A water filtration system – You can buy an inexpensive unit that attaches to the faucet or a more expensive whole-house unit.

4) Bottled water – You can go to a neighborhood store and buy bottled water. However, these five-gallon jugs are quite heavy. I cannot lift one to carry it across the kitchen, let alone carry one from the store to my house (especially up a long flight of steps!).

Fortunately, the water companies in Guanajuato send their trucks around the streets to deliver water. The employees walk through the streets shouting, "Agua" and the name of the company. I call out the window to get the employee's attention and tell him how many jugs I need. He brings them all the way into my kitchen for me. Though the delivered water costs more than the same water at the grocery store, the difference in price more than makes up for the hassle.

 Share a lazy day in Ensenada; learn about the town while improving your Spanish
Written by Janene and edited by Darrell 5/2006

 Today was another glorious day with another transparent sky as sparkling azul (blue) as the Ocean.  I felt like a lizard basting in the sun as I sat on the old handcrafted silla (chair) next to the mercadito (little market).  The old man with the weathered face hobbled by with his large blue cooler filled with homemade tamales.  Homemade tamales come in several types, carne (meat-filled), dulce (sweet corn flavor) and rayas (with slices of pepper, usually hot, and cheese).  I asked him for two a dulce and a rayas.  Unwrapping steaming hot tamales from their dried palm leaves is one of those little joys in life.  For less than a few dollars, I enjoyed a delicious and filling almuerzo (lunch). 
After lunch I strolled down the main street (Avenue Lopez Mateos).  There are many little shops and restaurants, and yes, you can still bargain for silver items and leather goods.  I noticed a cart filled with mariscos (seafood) for sale.  The large shrimp cocktail sold for about 50 pesos (less than $5.00).    We save quite a bit of dinero (money) living in Ensenada, as the prices are much cheaper, especially for fruits and vegetables in the supermercado (supermarket).
Do you think of Chinese food when you think of Ensenada?  Surprisingly enough you should because the Chinese alimento (food) is both very reasonable and very delicious.  As is the case in the United States the Chinese settled in Baja to help build the railroads decades ago and have been serving finger-licking good egg rolls ever since. 
My favorite part of Ensenada is being near the agua (water).  I sit by the pier for hours watching the fishing boats return with their catch of the day.  In the distance is the familiar view of La Bufadora, stretching out from the bay to the ocean, it is a sight well known by all in our bustling little ciudad (city).  La Bufadora, also known as the blowhole, is a peninsula that is about an hour’s drive south from downtown Ensenada.  It is a breathtaking (but safe) drive along miles of beach and steep rocky cliffs.  But that's another story for another day.  Another day ends, with the sol (sun) setting behind the islands along our panoramic coastline.  It's time to get ready for some evening fun, but that too, is another story for another day.