I’d often heard people say they were living the dream, but never really bought in.
After living here in Gran Pacifica for a month, I’m starting to understand. It’s uncanny how at home I feel here. Starting to get a better handle on the information which makes talking to clients a little easier. It’s basically summer everyday. If you eat at home and do some of your buying from local markets, it can be pretty cheap to eat.
The Sea Salt restaurant serves very good food and the staff are great. Very friendly and will even help you with your Spanish if you’re humble enough to try. The prices are the same as back home for a good place to eat, but they have specials during the week as well. A real good burger and beer on Mondays can be had for $8-9 bucks. Tuesdays are tacos and Wednesdays are wings. It’s thirsty Thursday, happy hour all day, and the weekends are regular pricing with the chef coming up with a weekend dish usually in the mid $20s range. I have yet to go home hungry as the portions are good. Beer is local, Tona and Victoria. There is SOL as well, but I don’t see many people drinking that.
Of course the rum is Flor de Caña. A very nice rum that is made locally. I’d say the majority of the sugar cane fields here go to making this local favourite. It is available back home at the LC. It’s best consumed straight up or on ice. You could put it in mix, but it really doesn’t need to go there.
We just completed a Discover Tour in which people, mostly North Americans, sign up for a special weekend that includes lower rates for accommodations and some meals and tours of the area. Once they reach Gran Pacifica, we dedicate some time to showing them the different communities here and organizations we support like the clinic and schools.
One stop along the way was a suspension bridge built by a group of engineering students from the US a number of years ago. It’s an important bridge because during the rainy season, a small creek turns into something much larger and cuts people off from the area. There is a long way around, but the bridge makes it much easier for locals to get to school or markets.
These days it’s a little worse for wear with many boards missing and needing repair. One of the clients one the tour is a builder and immediately started thinking of ways in which one could help.
Gran Pacifica, through organizations like Help Them Help Themselves, Tranquilo Travel and Tours and some I’m sure I’m forgetting, help give back by spearheading projects like the clinic, schools, equipment for schools, turtle sanctuary and medical missions. This opens up an opportunity for people that want to invest in a home here, to offer their expertise and time to help as well. Pictured here is Rob Turner, a Discovery Tour participant, and Sadis Guevara, one of my fellow sales team members celebrating the fact they made it to the middle and back!
Did I mention it feels like summer every day? Well, it sure does these days. Mid 30s most days with a real feel into the low 40s. I’m told it’s mid summer right now. Rainy season, or winter, starts mid May at 12 noon according to Patrick Hiebert. But even the rainy season brings sunny days and some spectacular thunder storms in the evening. They don’t last long and really help green things up.
I’ve tried to make a habit of a morning walk, 6ish, before it gets too hot. Easy to do when the weather is this consistent. I took a walk along the golf course today. It reminded me of back home in the early 80s when we had a couple of very dry summers. Like then, the golf course is pouring water on the greens from a nearby river. The result is that the greens look and feel great. The fairways are dry. The good news is you should be able to crank off some record breaking drives!
It’s a nice walk. Palm trees along the sights and sounds of the ocean around some holes is something you just won’t see on the prairies.
A little stop at the Sea Salt for some water, then I continue on back to my Casita home a sweaty mess. But feeling good.
So am I living the dream? It feels like it, whatever the dream is…just don’t wake me up…
Cheers!
moes ramblings 
Sounds like you are living the dream, please continue to write these posts it makes me jealous lol
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Hi Bert, it’s pretty amazing here. Maybe you guys will take advantage of a Discovery Tour someday and see for yourselves. It’s a little different than the usual trip to Mexico. Great to hear from you!
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Hey Moe.
It sounds like you are starting to adjust to the new way of life. You will be starting to get excited about Arlene coming I’m sure.
Walking at 6 in the morning sounds like a great plan. Good for your blood pressure also not to mention the blood sugars.
Not much new here. We had a good month in Florida. We didn’t do a lot 6 rounds of golf a lot of walking and lots of pool time. Weather was 80- 85 most of the time.
Let me know how you job or sales are going. Look forward to your reply.
Scott
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Hi Scott! Good to hear from you. Starting to settle in here. I’ll feel better once Arlene is here as well. 20 more days…
Getting up for walks is so easy. Man you just get out of bed, put some shorts, t-shirt and shoes on and out the door you go. It’s usually mid 20s by 6 am with a bit of what we’d call a cool breeze. Once the sun comes up it heats up in a hurry. I got my Doc’s permission to cut the bp meds in half. Levels are still good. Be nice to get off of them completely.
Too hot to eat big meals during the day. Learning to make smoothies with all the fruit you can get here. A guy has started showing up once a week with a truck load. Bought two full bags last week for $6. All cut up and in the freezer for smoothies.
Job is starting to feel comfortable. Still need more product knowledge. Lot’s of emailing to clients in the US and Canada through a program called Hubspot. The new ocean front condos are garnering a lot attention. As are the larger lots being developed in front of some great beachfront. 1/2 to 1 1/2 acre lots sell for between 110,000 and 400,000. We still have lots in the older development anywhere from 40,000 to 100,000 depending on how close the ocean you want to be. This 1000 sq ft house I’m in sells for about $140,000. It’s really all we’d need. 15 min walk to the main buildings on the ocean front that we have access to as residents of the community.
Met with the CEO of the operation, Michael Cobb, last week. Down to earth guy. Good conversation.
He writes a regular newsletter on Escape Artist. As does my direct manager Rachel Jensen. She’s a 27 yr old dynamo.
I get lots of support here. Makes it easy to put in the effort. Helped put together a couple of deals, so I feel good about that. Rainy season would be a good time to come down here. Cheap rates, not too many people around and the days are sunny and hot with a thunder shower in the evening. Might get the odd day of rain, but rare since we’ve been coming. Talked to Arlene this morning and she’s starting to find work really hard. Mentally checked out. 20 more days…
Hope to hear from you again Scott. Say hi to Deb for me.
Cheers
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