Greetings from North Florida

10POSTS

9 years ago

Hi there,
My husband and I are in the process of buying a home and "semi" retiring to PR.
We have been to the beautiful island before and fell in love with it and the warm friendly people.
For now, PR will have to serve as our "escape to" place as we own a motel on a very small island in Florida. Just when we were ready to hit the road...Hurricane Hermine hit us. We lost 14 rooms downstairs and half of our pool was in the city street.
I finally got uncomfortable on my "pitty pot" and pulled my big girl britches up and got busy.
We are now on the road to recovery and even have rooms open to rent. Finally we are getting to the point where we can turn the business over to the kids and let them have all the fun that goes along with owning a business. (wink)
I lived in Mexico for ten years, my husband, most all of his life. Together we lived in the jungle of Yelapa Mexico, a beautiful place accessible only by donkey, horse or panga. This is where I learned how to calm down and have patience. At that time, "dial up" internet was a blessing and something to be very thankful for. ( a prime example of learning "patience"!)
I am familiar with going without electricity and water and not having a fan for days and days. From everything I have read, we won't be dealing with that situation very much in PR. I am glad that I found Expat and look forward to reading and learning. Blessings and Happy New Year to all of you.

The Puerto Rico expat guide

Comprehensive and free

Read it now

ReyP ViP

5509POSTS

9 years ago

Happy new year to you and your husband. Glad you reached out. We are here to help just let us know. How does a pool ends up outside your property? I assume it was not inground then.

Huracanes do hit the island but it is very rare, they topically pass to the north or south and we mostly get the edge, many times just rain and some wind.

Sounds like you will not have a language issue if you do move to PR, just a different accent and some words you use in Mexico are less common in the island and the inverse of course.

Power issues are somewhat common but not always in the same area. Storms bring down lines and anymals may die in rivers which may cause a water shot down due to health concerns. Some major pipes rust out or are damaged by road work are other common cause.

Any way, welcome to the forum, maybe 2017 will be the year you make the move.
Rey

Bajablondie Member

10POSTS

9 years ago

Thank you for the welcome Rey.
The pool was a concrete pool that was formed and poured above ground and packed with sand around it, Because our water table is so low with the gulf of Mexico being right across the street that was the only way the pool could be built. Actually the pool survived it, but the decking and wall didn't.
Yes, you are right.. some of our Spanish words have different meanings in PR. We found that out when there was a confusion between pastele and tamale. lol
Speaking of food....I am looking forward to finding all the little "hole in the wall" local places to eat. Yumm!!

ReyP ViP

5509POSTS

9 years ago

Like in Mexico and many other countries, street vendors have good food at reasonable prices. Hole in the walls that are highly frecuentes by locals means they have great food.

Bajablondie Member

10POSTS

9 years ago

Sitka wrote:
Welcome to the board. Happy New Year!

Thank you very much Sitka, and Happy New Year to you and yours as well.

Schuttzie Serial expat

824POSTS

9 years ago

Hi, Bajablondie, and welcome! Have you decided what location you are interested in?

Mrkpytn Serial expat

373POSTS

9 years ago

Welcome to the community and a New Year. I had lived in Peru and considered moving there until all third world challenges showed me what I might have to deal with so I realized this would not be an option. A friend asked me to visit Puerto Rico and with a lot of stubbornness on my side I decided to go and then I realized that I could actually live on this Island. That was 16 years ago and I have never regretted the decision. Now I am finalizing my last connection here and will be settled full time rather than part time. I am curious why you are choosing Puerto Rico?

bkettren Active member

51POSTS

9 years ago

BajaBlondie,

My wife and I stayed in Yelapa back in 2003. It was such a wonderful place. Yelapa is a model of the type of environment we long for.

PR is also the target for our semi-retirement. We are thinking of creating some type of eco lodge/B&B.

Your name makes me think you are familiar with Baja, Mexico. My wife and I drove down to the southern end of Baja in 1991 to view the total eclipse. That was a great experience.

bkettren Active member

51POSTS

9 years ago

#10

Oh... I almost forgot...BajaBlondie,

Do you know what type of cactus they used in Yelapa to make Raicia?

Bajablondie Member

10POSTS

9 years ago

#11

We have found a home to buy in Arecibo.

ReyP ViP

5509POSTS

9 years ago

#12

Bajablondie wrote:
We have found a home to buy in Arecibo.

I would suggest a house appraisal and house inspection before you put your money down. There may be problems and your offer may be too high. Also have a title search done and make sure the property has payed their taxes.

Bajablondie Member

10POSTS

9 years ago

#13

Hi there.
Yes, living in a third world country is definitely a learning experience.
I wouldn't trade my 10 year Mexico experience for anything. I made true friends there, and they didn't care what the brand name was on my clothes or the type of car I drove. If they become your friend, they accept you the way you are..period. I learned what "prejudice" felt like. It didn't feel one bit good and it taught me a lifelong valuable lesson. As much as we love and miss Mexico as well as our friends and family there, we feel PR is the best place for us to settle down.
We own a business here in Florida, so it's nice that we can hop an airplane, normally buying a fairly inexpensive ticket and be in PR or Florida in a matter of less than three hours. It's much easier flying back and forth from Puerto Rico compared to Mexico because of "immigration".
Plus, PR is like living in the best of both worlds for us...English/Spanish language, and all the retail stores that we would find mainland. Just "easier" all the way around.
What area do you live in?

ReyP ViP

5509POSTS

9 years ago

#14

Bajablondie wrote:
Hi there.
What area do you live in?

I am still in the states but purchased a 1.65 acre lot in Ceiba where I will build my house.

Bajablondie Member

10POSTS

9 years ago

#15

lol...The Mexican moonshine!!
Reminds me of people I knew and experiences they had with it..(because they didn't drink it with respect.)
It is made with Agave Lechuguilla.
All the fun of finding the "moonshine" is gone now..they are legally bottling it, and believe me..it doesn't taste the same.
Of course if you want the "real" stuff..Yelapa is the answer.

Bajablondie Member

10POSTS

9 years ago

#16

Wow, that is awesome! Sounds like you have experienced some beautiful parts of Mexico.
Yes, my name does represent living in Baja. We owned restaurants in Rosarito, on the boulevard going to Fox Studios (a 50's diner) and a few others scattered throughout the area.
Baja was good to us, but I had a burning desire to be in an area more tropical.
I had been to Puerto Vallarta and Yelapa several times, and wouldn't you know it, a management position came available in Yelapa. We applied, and got the job. Lived in that beautiful jungle for three years. We had the "Oasis", the place with the BIG palapa that is next to the river where everyone crosses. It is so nice to meet someone that has experienced the beauty of Yelapa. It's one of those places that either you like, or you don't. It certainly isn't for everyone.
Have you ever seen the movie that was filmed there? Really, Really stupid..but we all liked it because we knew the people in it. The title is: Which Way Por Favor.

Bajablondie Member

10POSTS

9 years ago

#17

Luckily we have good connections down there, and have already taken care of all of it. We are buying from an individual (from the States, but living there) and are getting the house for way below the appraisal price.. already checked the taxes...and so on.
I was the first one looking for red flags...and was so happy when we didn't find any.
We will be going down again the 20th of this month...would like to see San Juan this time but once again I see it is a Festival weekend. Seems we always time it the same as the San Sebastian Street Festival. Oh well...maybe next time.

Mrkpytn Serial expat

373POSTS

9 years ago

#18

Hi, I live in the historic district of Ponce. It reminds me of Barranco, Lima Peru. I have a farm on a mountain top just above Ponce. It reminds me of the lower Andes. The Caribbean reminds me of the Florida Keys. I get it all and some good Puert Rican culture too.

Bajablondie Member

10POSTS

9 years ago

#19

Sounds really nice. We fell in love with Ponce to.
Nothing like living the best of both worlds.

Bajablondie Member

10POSTS

9 years ago

#20

We have wanted to go to Peru for the longest time.
Love the pan pipes!
Do you have goats on your farm?
I am a farmers daughter, so I am attracted to "the farm", but
we decided not to buy acreage in PR as we have it here in Florida.
It's a full time job mending fence ..running the deer out of my garden and
trying to run a motel too.
So with that being said..I just want to go to PR and do nothing.
Visiting your farm would be nice though if you ever care to have visitors.
We always bring my granddaughter (14).
Got to enjoy her before she gets a boyfriend and finds abuela y abuelo "boring"
She always talks about Ponce and the park with the painted critters and the good icecream the vender was selling in the park.
It's a beautiful little town. Lucky you!

Mrkpytn Serial expat

373POSTS

9 years ago

#21

Once I get settled permanently I will host some gatherings and private visits. I know this town and area very well. There are many hidden secrets that are not promoted or are on the tourist circuit. It can be a very authentic Puerto Rican experience. Ponce has a unique history that gets overlooked. One has to live here and discover it to know it.
There is plenty of diversity on this Island and something for most interests. I do not have goats on the farm but if I could come across someone who wanted to start up a little business with goat milk, cheese, etc. I would be open. It is the perfect terrain. Once I had neighbors horses and cows on the property. Up to 12 cows and about six horses. Lots of fertilizer. I even thought of offering goat herding experiences on airbnb with rustic cottages and hammocks. I need an empty canvas like Ponce to have necessary materials to create with. My current airbnb has become a destination more or less and I want to expand on this with the farm too.

1 member reacted to this post