Cutting Coconuts in Chelem

The house where we live has 6 gorgeous coconut palm trees, two in the small front yard and four in the larger back. I am lucky enough to have a wonderful gardener who helps me keep my yard clean and racked up as well as regularly bringing me lots of cuttings from local plants. She has that special gift of breaking off a twig, sticking it in the sand, watering it and it grows. Betty (Bet tay) is a little Mayan lady, 65 years old; she gets around on a tricicleta, sort of a reverse tricycle that is very common here in the Yucatan. These tricicletas are normally used for hauling people, groceries or tools.

Example of a tricicleta

Betty carries all the tools of her trade with her, rakes, shovels, buckets of water and always a cutting of some plant or the other. She doesn’t speak a word of English or even want to, however, she and I have great conversations about plants. She smiles and gestures until we both have it all figured out!

The other day she told me I needed to have the coconuts cut out of my trees in the front yard. She was afraid they would fall off and hit our car or God forbid one of my new cuttings. We agreed that she would bring her nephew back that evening and he would cut the coconuts, I asked if she would open some of them up so that I could have some of the water inside of the coconuts.

First bunch coming down...

Many people think that the liquid inside the coconut is the same stuff that you make pina coladas with, it isn’t even close! It is a clear nutritious liquid packed with vitamins and minerals. A single coconut usually produces about 10-12 ounces of water that is low in fat and calories. I have been reading up on the health benefits recently since coconuts are abundant here and free. It seems like such a shame to have them as a natural resource and not do anything with them.

See her nephew up the tree?

Here are some of the benefits of coco water that I have read. I am not a doctor, I am not telling you to believe it all, but have found the same facts over and over.

* Abundant in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, Coconut Water makes a wonderful energy drink. In particular, coconut water has less sugar and sodium content compared to most sports drinks, while packing more Potassium, Calcium, and Chloride, which makes it a better choice to rehydrate, replenish and boost the body's energy levels after any strenuous activity or workout. For example, in every 100ml of Coconut Water there is approximately 294mg of potassium compared to 117mg in an average energy drink, 25mg of sodium compared to 200mg in energy drinks and 41mg in most sport drinks, 5mg sugar compared to 20-25mg, and 118mg of chloride compare to 39mg in average energy and sport drinks.

* According to researchers, individuals with high blood pressure usually have low potassium levels. Therefore, drinking coconut water on a regular basis can be quite effective at regulating blood pressure due to its high concentration of potassium and lauric acid. Similarly, some recent studies have found that coconut water can help increase HDL (good) cholesterol, which makes it a wonderful natural treatment for maintaining good cardiovascular health.

* Coconut water is a natural electrolyte and isotonic beverage which help increase the body's metabolism. Therefore, it can greatly benefit people who are struggling with weight issues.

* Researchers have found that Cytokinins help regulate the cell growth and their divisions. Coconut Water contains these cytokinins and lauric acid which can minimize the aging of skin cells, balance PH levels, and keep the connective tissues strong and hydrated. Therefore, simply applying Coconut Water onto affected skin areas every night before going to bed may help with acne, age spots, wrinkles, stretch marks, cellulite, and eczema

* Fresh Coconut Water is one of the best natural drinks on the face of the earth. It doesn't have any known side effects unless somebody is prone to having allergic reactions or have severe nut allergies. It is considered to be safe for children, pregnant, and breastfeeding women. If you are taking potassium supplements it is recommended to regulate your potassium levels since Coconut Water is high in potassium.

These above facts come from homeremediesweb.com. Remember, I am not a doctor!

Another interesting fact that I found is that coconut water is almost identical to blood plasma, during World War II it was used as an intravenous hydration fluid in emergency cases. It can be used as a blood plasma substitute because it is sterile, does not produce heat, and does not destroy red blood cells and is readily accepted by the body.

With all these facts I was ready to drink my coconut water! Now this isn’t the first time that I have drank it, with all my years in Mexico I have had it many times, but believe it never tasted better than coming straight from my own tree! In Belize we used to go to a little hole in the wall bar and drink Coco Locos, a lethal combination of fresh coconut water, sugar, vodka, rum and gin topped with a few slices of lime, the health benefits of the water were certainly diminished by all the alcohol……

Now Betty comes over every other day and cuts me a couple of coconuts and pours the juice into a pitcher for me, I drink the water and use it for cooking rice, delicious!

Betty with her nephews children:

Emptying the water into my pitcher

Maybe my next venture will be scraping the meat out of the shell and having fresh grated coconut for pie, muffins and cakes, yummy!All finished cutting the coconuts and coming down the tree

Did I mention that Betty only charges me 300 pesos a month? Less than $30 USD, the cutting of the coconuts is free, they will take them home, make pies and sell them. It always makes me feel a bit guilty, paying so little, I always offer more and they will never take it. I do send them home with fresh baked cookies or a little dinner every once in a while, it makes me feel better.....

What a great life we have here in Chelem! If you would like a little piece of paradise like Doug and I have, don't forget to check out our real estate website here. The Mayan Living Team specializes in Merida and beach properties and is here to help you find your dream home today!

Remember, Yucatan is the safest state in all of Mexico!

Until later, warm breezes and cold beers coming at ya from Chelem.

What in the world does an expat do for the holidays in Mexico?

When I first left my home country it was December. As I started on my new adventure, I made sure that I had one final Christmas at home. I mean who knows what Christmas would be like in Mexico? Would I have friends, dinners, traditions? Would this be the best thing or the worst thing that I had ever done?

As a co-owner of Mayan Living Real Estate SA de CV I realized that others may have the same concerns. Therefore I am going to try to recap my holiday season with you, let you get a glimpse of what living here on the beach of the Yucatan is like.

As a December baby, my season really started with my birthday, but I won't bore you with all of that.....

On December 23rd was the culmination of the Chelem Christmas Toy Drive. This is an annual event started a while back with Rick and Star. The two of them along with many other generous expats make sure that every child in our town, Chelem, have at least one gift for Christmas. This takes place in our town square:

Santa and Star

The children and their parents thronged Centro


After a few hours of gift giving, it's time for a beer!
The next day, Christmas Eve, Doug and I headed into Merida for a special night at a great hotel called Casa San Angel, that our friends, Rhonda and Sophia had recommended. It was absolutely gorgeous!

Check out the beautiful painted walls:






Aren't these sinks just sooooo cool?
Next a little shopping downtown:

I love the beautiful churches in Merida

Look at this great Colonial!
Christmas decorations by our hotel


Next day, back to the beach to have an early Christmas with our Mexican family. Yomara loved her new teddy bear, it's bigger than she is!
Now, off to our traditional Christmas Dinner with Sean and Susan!

Susan aka Martha, always sets such a beautiful table!

Steve, Ruth and Doug
Chef Sean
The gangs all here!
A few days of rest and then on the 30th, Steve and Ruth have us all over for a BBQ, unfortunately I forgot my camera, you will just have to picture it in your mind, beautiful backyard, pool, great food and of course wonderful people!

Sunrise morning of the 31st from my bedroom window:

Now, another party is getting ready to start!


Sean and Rhonette
What a great family picture! Our new partners Chad, Rhonette and Andrew.

Jack, Doug and Chad, starting the evening off!

Mary, Andrew, Susan and Chad. Look how nice and warm it is here! New Years Eve and we are all in short sleeves gathered around the pool and palm trees.

Jeff, Barbara and Mary
Time for the Christmas decorations to come down. The house always looks so plain afterwards!

And today, just another day in paradise!

So, if you think that holidays might be difficult for you here, it is all in what you make it! Of course I still miss my boys and wish they were here. However with the state of the economy in the US, they weren't able to take off. Thank goodness I have a great support system and family here in Yucatan, Mexico! For those of you that are hesitant, don't miss out on this great adventure, we only live once!

Happy Holidays to all!

Chillin' in Chelem!

New Home Owners In Chuburna

Last week it was our pleasure to meet a lovely family visiting us from Sweden. Anita had been emailing me since August with questions about property and the area. She and her husband Michael and 16 year old daughter Malin came for 2 weeks to checkout the area. Susan and I showed them around the first day and then met up with Doug. They looked in Chelem, Chuburna, all the way to Telchac. They decided that they wanted to be in the Chelem/Chuburna area. While here they visited Merida and the ruins at Dzibilchaltun. Dzibilchaltun dates back to 500 BC. Here is a link for more information on this site.

Anita and her family were some of the more gracious and warm hearted people that we have met. They love the local people and want to immerse themselves in the culture, they had lived on an island in Greece a few years ago and understand that life in a foreign country is totally different than at "home."

Here we are at La Pinata in Progreso celebrating them finding the house of their dreams
La Pinata is a local restaurant that specializes in arrachera a steak similar to a London Broil. The service is great and the food and drinks are inexpensive, you may sit inside or out.


Here are Michael and Malin in Dzibilchaltun, in the distance is the famous Temple of the Dolls, every year at the spring equinox crowds gather to watch the rising sun shine through the opening in the temple.

A closeup shot



The famous cenote, cenotes are underground lakes that occasionally surface. They were a water source for the ancient Maya and were used in cleansing ceremonies among other things.
View from Anita and Michael's upstairs terrace at their new home looking west
View looking east
What a pleasure it was working with this wonderful couple! We are looking forward to their return and embracing them within our community! Meeting people like this reinforces our love of selling real estate here in the Yucatan. To see other homes that we have for sale don't forget to checkout our website

Until next time, warm breezes and cold beers coming at ya from Chelem!

BEACHFRONT DEAL OF THE MONTH- CHELEM

Take a look at this beautiful 4 bedroom, 4 bath beachfront home! This would be perfect as your own beachfront Bed & Breakfast! This home has been lovingly maintained and updated. I don't see many homes this large and well maintained that come along at this price!




$212,000

Introducing an outstanding beachfront value! Impeccably maintained and outfitted with many features not often found in this area at this price! Let’s start with a fully walled lighted and gated entry, drive onto your private estate where you park one of your cars in a secure two space garage with aluminum doors. Wow! Now enter your new home where spaciousness is the word of the day. Big kitchen with a huge walk in pantry, vaulted ceilings in the dining and living areas, four large bedrooms with finished and doored closets, four full sized modern shower baths with heated water, and great storage spaces throughout! From the grand front porch you can take in the sea breezes and vistas in glorious shade, right on the Gulf of Mexico! Up stairs in the grand master suite you have your private modern bathroom, vaulted ceiling, and a private terrace with 180 degree views high above the beach! This home has a laundry bodega with hook-ups, is fully hurricane shuttered, the roof is new, and it has modern wiring. Lot is 53 x 14.5 M


This is your chance to escape from the harsh northern winters and live in the sunshine year round! A great value for your money and the business potential is unlimited! Check out our website for more pictures and how to get up with us! Remember Mayan Living Real Estate has been in business over 8 years, we have sold more homes this month than any of our competitors! Why do we sell more homes? Because we are honest and trustworthy, we live here full time and know the area like the back of our hand. Let us help you find your dream home today!