And the rain came ...

Yesterday, there was a huge downpour.  About 2 inches of water covered our basement floor.

In this village, this is normal.  Most people in the older houses just have a sump pump to get rid of the water little by little and let the basement dry out.  They were built with stone foundations, essentially assuming that water would come into the basement, and then drain out.

However, the house we are renting is a newer one (only 40 years old) and the basement is finished, with carpeted floors; it is clearly not supposed to get water in it.

Fortunately, the water did not come up over the carpet, but it was all wet and squishy.

The garage is half the basement, with the driving running down into it.  This is part of the problem.  The eaves troughs also drain into the base of the driveway, or the entrance to the garage.  The main drain is located here, but it clearly does not have the capacity needed.  It was also blocked with leaves and other debris. This means the water all began backing up into the garage, and through there into the basement.  I also suspect that some water came in at other places.

During the strongest point of the downpour, I tried to unclog the main drain, but I couldn't find the right hole (there are 4 and I only found the upper 2, which both lead in rather than out.)  After the rain slowed down, my dad, who had come to help, found it and unclogged it, keeping the basement flooding to a minimum.

We spent hours vacuuming out the rugs.  They are damp right now, and drying little by little.

Apparently, this is the 3rd time in 9 years that this has happened! Hopefully, they get this fixed.

Our Daily Bike Ride – Part II – Leisure vs. Practicality

I’m happy that we’ve started the habit of our daily bike ride here.  It’s not only good exercise, but excellent family time.  I’ve always loved biking, and I’ve always used a bike whenever I’ve lived in a place where it’s possible.  I’ve noticed that my bike usage has changed.

When I lived in Playa del Carmen (as in Toronto several years before), I rode a bike for transportation; it was a practical tool.  Sometimes I used it for personal exercise in the morning.  Now, as during my teenaged years, I ride my book for pleasure.  I go out with my dad, my wife, my three-year-old, and the two girls of the family we share a house with; it’s a big happy family/community bike ride. (My mother very kindly stays at home to take care of the baby.)

The bike rides are wonderful and I’m glad we’re in a place where we can enjoy them.

The World's Perfect Climate

After an absence of almost 4 years, I've finally had the chance to return to Cuernavaca, to visit my wife's family here. (Travel was the reason for the week I haven't updated this blog.) To be honest, I don't know what ever made us leave. (Well, I do know. Work. But that's a different point.)

The weather is perfect. I've never been in a place where the weather is better. Mexico City is slightly cooler, and closer to an ideal temperature for me, but since most housing doesn't have heating, and cold concrete is as bad as ice, the winter can get a little too chilling, depending on which part of the city you live in, what kind of home you have, and how much sunlight it gets during the day. But Cuernavaca almost invariably has warm sunny days and cool nights. It's like late August in Ontario, all the time. Playa del Carmen, on the other hand, is about 10 degrees too hot, all the time. They call Cuernavaca the city of eternal spring, but I would call it the city of eternal late summer. I guess it doesn't have the same ring.

Cuernavaca has its downsides; there's not much of a cultural life here, but at least there are a few museums and a lot of history. Playa del Carmen has nothing. It's also very close to Mexico City (less than an hour), which has more culture than you could ask for. Being so close to Mexico City is actually one of the best things about Cuernavaca (next to the climate, I would say.) The advantage is that it's actually faster to and get around the downtown – southern part of Mexico City from Cuernavaca.

Over the next few days, I'll write more about some of the good things and not-so-good things about Cuernavaca. On the whole, I'd have to say it's been one of my favorite places to live.

For some earlier posts about Cuernavaca, read: 

Interesting Expats part 3 - A traveller who never travelled ... 

Coffee, Wonderful Coffee!