Live & Retire in Mexico
Women In Mexico
The Best of Mexico
Mexico's Pacific Coast

Lorena's Note: Dobie and Sergio are homesteading in a former coconut plantation on Mexico's Pacific Coast. From their latest update:

#1: Buying the Land

For the last 25 years, I've spent the winter camping out on a beautiful beach on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Being a fairly sociable person, I've made some good friends in the nearby town, and had come to think of the place as my second home. For the last 10 years or so, I've had fantasies of living there full time.... (more)

#2: Thorns & Ants

Sergio and I and our friend Martin headed out early one morning to begin clearing. We were armed with machetes, my trusty bow saw and Martin's chain saw. We decided to start with the east side, which was by far the most overgrown, and according to Martin would be the most difficult because of the huitzacotle trees (I think that's what they're called) - easily the most obnoxious tree I've ever encountered.... (more)

So this guy Abel comes to cut the coconuts. I swear he looks like a Mexican version of Tarzan. He's wearing only shorts, and he's barefoot (there are spiny, thorny plants everywhere). He's carrying a coil of rope and a machete that's had the end cut off, of it so it's square at the tip. His hair looks like it was cut by a little kid who just got his hand on a pair of pruning shears.... (more)

We made a deal with El Valiente to cut all the old coconuts from the palm trees. El Valiente didn't climb the trees like Tarzan did - he used a machete blade tied to a long piece of bamboo. Actually he had several of these in different lengths - some of the palms are really tall. Boom, boom, boom, the cocos fell. He only worked until noon, because that's when the wind comes up and sometimes the cocos fall by themselves. You certainly wouldn't want to be under a tree and have one of those puppies fall on your head.

#5: Bugs:Not the Computer Variety

Woke up with a start this morning to lightning, thunder and fierce rain, at about 5 AM, hopped in the car and drove over to cover the well -- with an assortment of poles, boards, bricks and a tarp. All around the well was slick and muddy, and all I'm thinking is - don't fall in the well -- but it's hard to see as the mounds of dirt are blocking the car's headlights and my flashlight dangling by its cord from my mouth is only helping marginally.... (more)

Mother's Day is a big deal in Mexico, and San Martin is no exception. The schools all get together and have a big day of fiesta in honor of the Moms, with dances, poetry, songs, a raffle and then a huge meal of birria - goat stew cooked in a brick horno (oven), soda and half size bottles of beer.... (more) by Dobie