Phase One Of Website Complete

I have completed the first phase of our website. The next phase is to be completed once the rooms are available to rent. Please check it out and let us know what you think. I would love all the fed back I can get good or bad, bad is only taken constructively. Again thank you to all those who write to me about this blog your comments, advice, and love are all appreciated.

Check it out: www.elsollavida.com

Another Day Of Work

Isn't he so handsome? I love you!

Jazz helping Brad

Adding lots of colour and fresh herbs to our garden.

Officially Legal

Last week we lined up at the immigration office with our number to wait in hand, 012. Slowly the numbers were being called, ocho....nueve....diez....once....yeahhhhhh doce that's us!!!! This part was great because they spoke Spanish we spoke Spanglish, so really we had no clue what we were signing our names to. We were than ask to place our left and right thumb in ink and transfer a print on to several pieces of paper, again though we were certain we were safe and everything was just procedure as we watched the people ahead of us go through the same process but a thought did come to mind we could be signing a legal document that states we committed a crime, thumb prints taken to book us, mug shots already taken, and now we owe this much money for bail. Thankfully we were able to celebrate as in hand we held our laminated FM3 cards that legal allow us to stay in country with out returning home after 6 months.

Next we had to get our tax numbers, this was an even longer wait time but after 2 hours and playing charades with the clerks who were doing up our forms (this is how we all translated, like 4 year olds busting up laughing with each mimed movement) we left with our tax numbers, ready to open up our bank accounts.

To open up a bank account is an easy process but a long one as they need to process lots of your information after several hours we had successfully accomplished task three of planting our roots here in Mazatlan.

Now not only can we play, we can live, work, and build a new future for ourselves.

El Sol La Vida.... Is Coming To Life!

 TaDaaaa! Sign is up on the front gates and on our beach gates. We have had a lot of response from beach walkers who all expressed interest in staying at our place. Others have expressed how excited they are for the Cafe especially locals. Lots of good vibes make Brad and I very happy and egger to get started. 

El Sol (The Sun) La Vida (The Life)

Really doesn't that just sum everything up?

Pigs Feet & Traditional Mexican Dance

Today we went to a little town called El Quelite about 20 minute drive from our home. It's a charming Colonial town with famous architecture, brightly coloured painted buildings and home to the historic sport of ulama known in English as hip ball. This sport involves a great deal of athletics and strength as men use their hips to bounce an eight pound rubber ball in a dirt field to the opposing team. The object of the game is to keep the ball in play without going out of the marked boundary lines. The team will score a point when a player from the opposing side hits the ball out of bounds, touches it with another part of their body other than their hip, if it touches another team mate, or if the ball hits the ground and stops moving before the centre line. It’s an impressive game to watch especially when the only wear a deer skinned skirt, which I am sure they don’t call a skirt.

There is a neat restaurant called El Mesond Los Laureanos known for its cuisine. They serve traditional mexican food, and thus I was able to sample a dish made with pigs feet. I can only say I was pleasantly surprised, the taste and texture was eatable. I am not so sure I would be ordering it every feast out, but I can say

 I tried it and liked it. 

After our lunch we watched a small show the restaurant put on of traditional Mexican dance from the Mayans and Aztecs. I always enjoy these kind of shows mainly for the way their feet move as they dance. The costumes are always fascinating especially as they rattle and shake in beat with their movements. 

On our way home we stopped to have a photo op at the 
Tropico de Cancer I guess the next photo will need to be taken at the equator.... Next road trip!

This seemed like a good idea until after I climbed the hill and noticed large holes in the ground, hmmmm could they be homes for rattle snakes? Possibly!

Who Knew You Could Catch A Cold In The Sun?

Where Are My Manners

How rude of me to have not kept you up to date on the ins and outs that have been going on here in Mazatlan, but you will have to excuse me as the days seem to blur in to one. It's hard when the sun, sand and sea all beacon you all day long. So, here I am inside away from the sun that calls my name, far from the sand that wants to take hold of my feet, and even further from the ocean that  lunges each wave closer to shore in hopes to find me. 

Hard to believe but we are not even a full month here yet. I surely thought it had been but we entered the Mexican boarder on March 12th. Five days away from being a full month of living in Mexico and I couldn't be happier. 

For all those who hear on the news or read in papers that Mexico is a "War Zone" it's not! Yes there are criminal activity taken place, yes bad guys are killing bad guys, but it's no different than any big city even our precious Vancouver is a so called "War Zone" Don't fear vacationing in Mexico, the people are lovely,  the area is beautiful, and its rooted with history. 

Since being here, Brad and I have been settling in meeting new people, going to the gym, exploring the area, and working where work is needed to get the business off the ground. Construction is still going on so we are not ready to open just yet but its all coming together really nice. I am happy with the process, and can feel the energy that is flowing around the place. 

To be honest we have not done a lot of stuff since being here. After unpacking what little we did bring our main goal was to relax and settled in. We did go ATVing with family which was lots of fun, went out on the town once, and headed to a really cool place that have Petroglyphs about 30 mins from our house. 

Most days are spent cleaning the pool deck before the sun rises, sipping back a coffee before doing a mornings day of chores, walking the dogs along the beach a few times a day, a swim here and there, in between gardening or several chapters of a book. 

The toughest part of my days are when I have to do research, for example I would like to offer relaxing spa treatments here at our Boutique Resort so I need to go and get treatments from different spa companies that go mobile to see which one I like best. This is very exhausting as the other day I had and hour and half body massage, I mean that takes up a lot of my busy day up, but I have to do it. It's all part of the ins and out of a business. Pedicure here, back rub there, tequila tasting in between, combing the beaches for the best spots to surf its really all so exhausting, that at the end of a day I just chill out.

Speaking From The Heart!

Now, before I update you on what we have been doing, I must get a little deep and real with you, as being here striving forward with our adventure, allowing a dream to unfold, it has allowed my emotions to flow.

Have you ever had a dream or vision that you shared with

someone only to be told all the different reasons that they don't think you will succeed? Or they get really excited for you, but know that it is just a pipe dream that will never be followed through? I believe our friends and family mean no harm by it, but it is easier for them to be on the passive side than the optimistic side. Face it, we have been programmed by fear! Fear holds us back from achieving all our life's endeavours. Those who break through that boundary of fear we read about in newspapers, magazines and books. We marvel in their experiences as we live vicariously through them, but never thinking for once that we too can achieve the unknowns. We want to be encouraged, we want to pursue all the things that ignite our soul. To feel that sense of freedom to think and do; not fear failure, or disappointment by those we love and admire. Most of us never see our dreams come true, we have only become really good dreamers caught often daydreaming over our morning cup of coffee, afternoon work break, or evening drive home. Society has formed a mould that each one of us is expected to live by and when one slips through that mould they are first frowned upon but after they have succeeded they are heros, mentors, admired, respected!

Through my youth I have never been a follower, always a standout leader. I don't like to conform, or be patronized, nor told what I can and can't do. I don't believe anyone in this world has authority over me and I certainly don't see that as a fault or a bad personality trait. My parents did a great job of raising me, although I am sure there are certain characteristics that drive them crazy but would never be able to change and possible not what to. What they gave me was freedom. Freedom to think, speak, create and love. With this responsibility of freedom comes a life of being laid back and not stressing out over every little detail. It allows me to think openly, speak honestly, create my visions, and love unconditionally. So, you can understand when someone tries to tame this beloved freedom, my world grows dark and unmanageable. Who knows maybe some of you reading this understand what I am talking about but live in a life of darkness, looking for an escape. If this is true my advice to you is not to blame anyone around you for the life you lead we all have the power to be who we want to be and it is up to us to strive forward and make that difference big or small. Do something for yourself, change what needs to be changed and if this is in your opinion not possible that learn to adapt and love the situation your in so life can be that much better.


I know right? Two paragraphs of intense deep speech, well not done yet.... you know better!

If we listen to external voices, then we allow our dreams to be hijacked. At some point, other people will place limitations on us by doubting our abilities. Be strong and strive ahead letting go those that hold you back. Disappointment comes and goes in life, this is an emotion we have expressed since being born, just now we can verbalize it a lot better.

There is high expectation and than there is reality, and all of us have encountered the two hand in hand. Failure is a necessary and natural part of life, but if we’re going to attain our dreams, we have to summon the courage to deal with what we have failed or quit in the past to strive forward.

Face it, were all expected to be average, its a safe place to be. Being exceptional demands a lot of work and effort to sustain and exceed our goals. Like gravity, life’s circumstances constantly pull on our dreams, tugging us down to mediocrity. Some, like being average, others prefer it, but if your that person who can't stand it and just wants to break free.... DO IT!

"We may start out inspired, but through time we fatigue. Although never intending to abandon our dreams, we begin to make concessions here and there. Through time, our lives become mundane, and our dreams slip away." Someone else once wrote this and it is the truth of life, we allow excuses to become our norm. We all need self-cofidence, we all need to believe in what we have the power to achieve. Look at how fast the world has revolutionized, all the inventions that have gone on to create the world we live in today are from people like you and I who looked outside the box to discover possibilities.

"Many of us play small because we do not allow ourselves to dream. We trap ourselves in reality and never dare to go beyond what we can see with our eyes. Imagination lifts us beyond average by giving us a vision of life that surpasses what we are experiencing currently."

Dreams, goals, visions, hopes, how ever you define it, they are what energize our soul and provide us with a sense of wellbeing. Without them we would not aspire to greatness! I could plug in quotes from all the great leaders, inventors and poets here but its all the lines we have read once before but I will leave you with this:

When one door closes another opens, but were to busy looking at the one that closed to ever noticed the one that sits open. Forget the past memories are wonderful things to look back on, not be stuck in!


So, what's your dream?