In other blogs I've shown y'all the view from the front of our condo... we look out over the mountain across the valley. I've also mentioned that we have are located near the top of a hill. I think it's just over 400 steps (my steps) from the bottom to the top of that hill... and to our door. Four hundred steps doesn't sound like a lot... but let me assure you... I am out of breath and the calves of my legs are screaming by the time I get to the top.
Now I'll show you where we live.... but first... remember... Bill & I aren't high maintenance folks. We've lived almost 13 years in a 27' motorhome... no slideouts... pretty basic. So, when I write that we've rented a condo, trust me... it's NOT an all inclusive resort-type place. Actually there are 9 condos in this building, but only 2 of them are habitable... the others are "in progress". Yes, it has a pool, but it's not "exactly" usable... but I think the birds like it.
Enough.... let's move inside... As you walk in the door...
Oh My Gosh! There's Bill... sitting at the table... looks like he's using his I-Pad.... but that's his laptop right in front of him. We have WiFi here, and that's a BIG plus! You're looking through to the right into the "living room" and behind Bill you see the steps going up to the loft-type bedroom.
If you were in the living area looking towards the front door, you'd see the kitchen on the left, the table in the middle and the stairs to the loft on the right. Underneath the stairs is a place to hang your coats (who needs them here, anyway?) and where I've stashed our luggage.
The kitchen is adequate... let's just say it has "potential". If I were here longer than 3 months I'm sure I'd invest in some better cooking utensils, a few more pots... heck... I may yet buy REAL GLASS wine glasses, as we're now drinking out wine from water glasses... at least they're glass... not plastic.
Okay... so I'm a bit of a snob about my wine... I finally came around to accepting Peter Vello from a box (hey... it cost $30 American here.... more than twice what it costs in the states!!!! but... even wine from Chile or Argentina or .... well, heck, it doesn't matter... it's WAY overpriced) But I really do prefer my wine in a glass wineglass... with a stem.
Moving right along....
The Living Area
The area back in the right corner used to be the home of that big TV that's now sitting on the floor at the end of the sofa. Neither of us are TV fans.... so I made that my computer corner. And, if you're curious, that pile of blue stuff in the middle of the couch is the makings of some socks I'm knitting. (I did finish that first pair... I'll have to take a photo and show them off)...
At the back of this room is the... yeah... the back porch!
That chair now has a lovely beach towel covering the gawd-awful upholstery... and... not only that, it has a mate, just like it... with another beach towel ... beside it. But... looky here... an automatic washer! WhoooHooo! Because of the septic tank situation, we drain the grey water from the washer into the nearby drainage ditch... no problemo! Sure beats that washer we had the last time we lived in Costa Rico! You're looking through the back slider doors into the living room here. That's the downstairs AC unit above the washer.
The upstairs...
Here's our bed.... those windows you see in the far background are actually over the kitchen sink. There's another set of windows over the bed.... which is quite comfortable.
And... looking out the other way... there's a set of sliding doors which lead out to a deck. It looks like a solid rock wall behind us, but.... there's quite a bit of vegetation and I've seen orioles and other birds out there in the brush. Yeah... that's our suitcase on the floor... that wardrobe thing on the right is okay, but there aren't any clothes hangars and the shelves are... well..... adequate... but... okay... I'll admit it... I just haven't unpacked everything yet.
There are two bathrooms here...
No need to show you both as they are identical... one upstairs.... one down below.
I may have mentioned that they shut the water off at 10 pm and (hopefully) turn it on at 6 am. The only problem we have with this is that we're early risers and often are waiting to hear that gurgle of water in the morning. We must remember to fill the coffeepot... leave a few glasses of water out.... and... most of all... be patient!
Coming back in from the back porch....
This is our "Home Sweet Home" for the next few months.
Yes, it's kind of "bare-bones".... but, honestly, some of the negatives are also the positives....
For example... it takes us 20 minutes or more to walk to town... but.... there's absolutely no noise here other than the monkeys howling at night or the grackles and doves in the mornings. The water situation can be a real pain... but... we have a washer and can do clothes at our convenience. No people around... hey... don't even ask! No microwave..... no toaster. Very few kitchen gadgets.
Truth is... I was appalled when we first walked into this place... I almost sat down and cried... it was one of those "OMG.... What have we gotten in to? " But you know what... I love it here. I love the "condo"... I love the walk into town... or to the beach... I love the quiet... I love the monkeys.... I love the fox that come every evening.... it's truly my kind of place. We'll see how it all pans out....
But for now..... it's "Home Sweet Home".
That's All For Today!
The space actually looks kind of nice! And AC, Wi-Fi, and a washing machine! Glad you got past your initial reaction.
ReplyDeleteYou had me at two bathrooms and Wi-Fi! Maybeon your next trip to town you can find a wine glass or two.
ReplyDeleteLooks kinda nice and cozy. And the location sounds perfect too!
ReplyDeleteAfter living a year and a half in Guatemala and learning to understand what 'necessities' are, I think your condo is fantastic. The outdoors is your living room, after all. That's the beauty of tropical living - who needs all the fancy stuff we want in our winter climates?
ReplyDeletePretty basic, but spacious compared to your RV. :)
ReplyDeleteVery cozy! enjoyed this tour. Would you tell how much you're paying? I'm so curious about rentals ... I'm even considering traveling by train ~ monkeys howling at night? ha!?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tour. It sure looks like very decent accommodation to me. Heck, with wifi, I'd be happy anywhere!
ReplyDeleteAh...I could be there for a coupls months. Living area seems basic, alright, but I guess you don't hang around there much during the day.
ReplyDeleteI love it! And with the out of doors beckoning it is even better. You've got the essentials - WiFi and mostly running water :-)
ReplyDeleteI think it looks pretty nice! What an adventure for you. Thanks for letting us look around.
ReplyDeleteIt looks quite manageable to me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tour. I think you will quite satisfied there for the duration of your stay.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, can you get some pictures of the monkeys and other wildlife? I know you are real good at taking wildlife pictures.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the grand tour, Sharon. Just think what great shape you will soon be in from going up and down that hill. LOL
ReplyDeleteI think it looks cool, adequate as you say, but the couch does not look very comfortable.... how did you find it? expensive? would you feel comfortable/safe there were you by yourself???
ReplyDeleteLooks spacious and airy. Like Russ says there will be a lot of exercise involved.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a pretty nice place to be! I've had some of those "first impressions" but usually a day or so of living there shows that all will be well! Turning off the water at night seems unusual, but it sounds like you've adjusted for that as well.
ReplyDeleteLooks great to me!!!
ReplyDeleteI could crash here for three months in spite of the tacky furniture. In fact, I wouldn't know the furniture was tacky unless somebody told me!
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