by vagabondette on February 8, 2009
I posted a while ago about my plan to live with a local famliy for a month but that ended changing. Instead I’ve ended up renting a small one-bedroom apartment for the month. The cost is 3000 MXN (@ $212 US) + Utilities. Not too shabby.
It’s definitely not what I’m used to at home but it’s nice to be a bit settled.
I have a small kitchen, a good sized bedroom, a dressing/closet area, a large bathroom and a back patio.
It’s located about 8 blocks south of the main street through town (Calle 60) and it’s been interesting figuring out how/where to shop and discovering the shops in the area.
The biggest disadvantage is the lack of internet connection, but many of the parks in Merida offer free wifi so I’ve just been doing that. They even have plugs that you can use so you don’t have to drain your battery.
So now I’m officially a local, even if it’s just for a month.
by vagabondette on February 3, 2009
Even though I’ve spent much of my time in Merida flat on my back dealing with this cold I’ve still been doing what I can to find an apartment and today I struck gold.
I forced myself out of the hostel today in search of food and more drugs and while I was having lunch a local man struck up a conversation. He informed me of the proper way to eat the food I’d ordered (fold it up and eat it like a taco, don’t cut it into pieces) and we got to chatting. I mentioned that I was looking for an apartment but wasn’t having much luck and he told me he might know of a couple places. He invited me to meet him later that afternoon to go take a look.
He had two places in mind. The first was a place with a friend’s family. I would live with the family and be treated as a daughter. There are 2 parents, 3 girls, 1 boy and a granddaughter living in the house and my rent would include room and board. Since only the father speaks English, and that only a little, it would be a great chance for me to practice my Spanish. They also invited me to join them for a family trip this weekend to Palenque.
The second place was just around the corner from his apartment and is the guest studio of some friends of his. The second option was cheaper and I would have had more privacy but I would be required to sleep in a hammock (I’ve tried it a few times, can’t seem to get a handle on it yet). It was also a bit further out of town.
So, I chose the first option and I move to my new home tomorrow and I’ll officially be an adopted daughter.
While it’ll be a bit of a challenge I’m excited about the chance to live with this family and practice my Spanish. They seem very fun and friendly and I think it’s going to be a great experience. Also, when I told Eduardo it was my b-day in a couple weeks he got excited and said they would celebrate it Mexican style so this should be interesting!
