Mexico Retirement Turned into Paradise for Waco Couple

09:40 PM CST on Saturday, February 28, 2009

By LAURENCE ILIFF / The Dallas Morning News
liliff@dallasnews.com

BUCERÍAS, Mexico – Harold Sokolove and Susan Fornoff knew that retirement from long careers in Waco was going to change their lifestyle. And so they went for radical change.

With little investigation but eyes wide open, they found their place in the sun – a once-sleepy fishing town that is drawing baby boomers looking for a life they could never afford in the U.S.

"We decided we were going to make one change, and we might as well make it a big change," said Fornoff, 55. "We can walk from our house, three blocks to the beach, something you can never do in Waco."

She took early retirement from M&M Mars three years ago. He retired from the U.S. Postal Service.

They sold their home in Hewitt, outside Waco, and were able to buy into what Sokolove, 61, called "Americans in paradise" for about the same amount.

Their new home's value has risen, thanks to the arrival of foreigners and their dollars. They've bought a second rental home as an investment.

Before the move, they visited the area, made friends and felt safe.

Fornoff said the drug cartel violence in Mexico rarely touches bystanders. "They keep their violence to the people it involves: the narcos and the police."

Go to Mexico Retirement Turned into Paradise for Waco Couple by the Dallas Morning News. There's a short video at this site also.

Why You Should Not Feel Guilty about Taking a Vacation

You might think that the notion of taking a vacation, and the reasons for doing it would be a "no-brainer." But in today's world, it seems the more stressed out we are, the more we conclude that we just can't take the time to get away, let alone pay for it. Much better to trade your vacation days for an extra pay-check, right? Or, for retirees, what's the sense in going away to someplace different--after all, we don't "work", so we have no reason to be stressed out, right?

Very, very Wrong!

For those who work, the benefits of vacationing are equally important to you and your employer (even if this is you):

• increased creativity
• less likelihood of developing "burn-out"
• improves job performance
• enhances productivity
• heightens morale

For everyone, working or not, the benefits of vacationing are immeasurable:

• it keeps you healthier
• it strengthens the bonds of family and friendships, keeping relationships strong
• you have a more positive outlook on life in general
• you have less likelihood of developing chronic conditions like depression, or diseases like heart disease, hypertension, cancer just to name a few
• you feel rejuvenated and reconnected to life and loved ones

So, why do we have such a hard time just taking a vacation? Many people mistake their personal identity with their job title. Yeah, I used to do that. On top of that, we struggle with guilt feelings over taking vacation time, like we're abandoning our employers and coworkers. Let's be real. Just say after me.....

"I am a human being. I am not a_______________(fill in with job title).
I do ___________________(job title) for a living. I work to live, I do not live to work."

Say it again. Now, that's not so bad. Feels kinda good.

Many people tend to think that vacations have to be exotic, or action-packed, or be very expensive, but this simply isn’t true. Most of the time you can find a great vacation spot by driving just a few hours or even less. The important thing is that you are taking the time away from the daily grind, to get away from the stress, the exhaustion, and the constant banging-your-head-against-the-brick-wall feeling. Promise yourself to leave all your work at home, including the cell phone, laptop, blackberry, whatever. Take a few days to totally immerse yourself in the moment while enjoying some time off with your family or your best buds. You won't regret it. You will feel rejuvenated and ready to take on the world when you go back.

I wanted to bring this up, because here in Punta Banda there is the perfect get-away for just a few days (or as many as you want) and you don't have to spend alot of money to feel like you're pampering yourself. There is a beautiful uncrowded beach here on the Bay, there are plenty of "touristy" places if you like that, there are loads of restaurants, bars, clubs, or just plain old movie theatres and McDonalds, whatever you like. The food ranges from expensive fancy restaurants to the "street taco" stands. All the food is great, and the Margaritas are even better. We can recommend local restaurants and stores close by if you prefer not to drive too far. The rental homes are all equipped with linens and a full kitchen with dishes, cookware, utensils, coffee-pot and blender. You might decide to bring food along, or buy your own food at the local stores and cook it yourself. It is also possible to just pack a bag and run.....there is everything else you need here. Best of all, Punta Banda is just south of Ensenada, and less than 80 miles south of San Diego.

Do yourself a favor. Take a vacation. Just a thought.

Wishing you and yours Warm and Sunny Days!

Beach Homes in Punta Banda; for Rent Short or Long term. Just 12-15 miles South of Ensenada, Mexico.

Beach Homes right on the bay; 1 to 8 bedrooms, 1 to 6 baths.


Six miles of beach at Punta Banda, 12-15 miles south of Ensenada.


Furnished with linen, and kitchen utensils. These homes sleep 1-20. All you need is food and your drinks of choice.

24-Hour Security; Diving, Fishing and Sight Sightseeing Services available.

Available nightly, weekly, monthly, yearly. Short-term rates: $1200.00 per wk = (6 nights 7 days). Long-term rates: Yearly leases are $250.00-$1500.00 per month.

We also have a Large Home that sleeps 20+ with two kitchens 8 Bedrooms 6 bathrooms and party areas. Perfect for family reunions.

These rentals are located 65 miles south of San Diego CA.

For pictures of rentals just click on the Link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/VinceDAcquisto

1-619-793-5832
Vince or Carlos

Local Couple Launchs New E-book !

Well, Dann loves to fish. And Lynn loves Dann. And they live here locally where we are surrounded by ocean and estuary waters where halibut live. So, it was a natural for Lynn and Dann to write their new e-book together. With Lynn at the keyboard, Dann sharing his years of experience and then a few months of battling with the computer, they completed their e-book. After all of that, it was how to get it out to the public and market it.

It was quite the adventure to hear Lynn tell it. I think that Lynn and Dann are contemplating writing an e-How article on the things that they learned while developing the idea of a book, then writing it with all the photos and, of course, marketing the book in our electronic media we call the WWW.

This e-book tells of Dann's time-proven technique for catching the mysterious but much-sought-after Halibut. Their e-book is a fully illustrated, practical down to earth, "how to" book with little fluff. They have great pictures and step-by-step instructions on the right way, and the fun way to have a great day on the water. They even have recipes so you can top it all off with a fantastic meal.

Take a look at the website for the ebook. It's called "Methods for Catching California Halibut", (by Expert Fisheries Technician Dann V. Manz, Department of Natural Resources) or you can email them for information at info@shallowhalibut.com.

Commuction and Mexico

Lets face it without

Up Coming Events In Our Little Piece Of Paradise !

MARCH 13-20 - BAJA BEACH HOUSE SINGLES VACATION in Ensenada, Baja Mexico

Join a group of NorCal singles (most are 55+) sharing a huge 4 bedroom/4 bath beach house in guarded neighborhood with private beach just south of Ensenada in the Punta Banda area. There are American singles already living in the area that will share activities with us like horseback riding, golf, winery tours, shopping, kayaking, sight seeing, dining out, beach bonfire, barbeque, etc. Some will drive to San Felipe on Sat 3/14 to watch off road racing at the Baja 250.

We have only one bedroom still available (with 2 twin beds) with ocean view & balcony (shared bathroom) for $200 ($100 each for 2 roommates). We also have a travel trailer on site (no view) with queen size bed, your own kitchen and bathroom for $200. Other options are sofa, futon or daybed for $75 for the week or $50 for anyone bringing their own tent or RV.

We will share the cost of groceries and the use of the kitchen. Hostel style.

Most are flying into San Diego and we can arrange transportation from the airport to the beach house.

Passports are NOT necessary until June 2009. Bring driver's license and birth certificate.

See house photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/BajaBeachVacation

Photos of last year's singles week can be viewed at: http://chicosingles.multiply.com/photos/album/5/Baja_Beach_Vacation

We take paypal, visa & mastercard. Call 530-988-5065 to make your reservation or email shawn@dinner4six.com

Vacationing in Baja, Part I: The Water

Many people have never left the United States. For those who are thinking about it, maybe there are some questions you have. Maybe you don't even know what to ask. We've all heard stories about traveling in Mexico. So lets talk about the real deal.

The Water

It's true--you can't drink the tap water in Mexico. I'm sure there are some places in Mexico that have sanitized their tap water. But I wouldn't even think about it. Here in Baja, we do not drink tap water. And, contrary to popular belief, Mexican people don't drink it either.

((The pictures show local people that sell water. Tony sells Pila water by the truckful, delivering it to your pila at your residence. The lady sells purified drinking water at an AquaSys stand in the town of Cantu for about 60-65 cents (9 pesos) for a 5 gallon bottle.))

The water that comes from the tap, at least here, comes from a "pila", or a storage tank on the property. This water comes from a well in town and is delivered to your storage tank by friendly local Mexican in his water truck. (See the picture above). You can shower, wash dishes, wash laundry, and water plants with it. Some people use it to brush their teeth, some don't. It is not for cooking or drinking.

You can wash produce in pila water as long as you use some type of soap or (better yet) some disinfectant drops you can get at any grocery store here (it's a colloidal silver solution). Soak the produce in pila water with the solution in it, for about 10-15 minutes, then just dry them off. You must wash all produce you plan on eating raw. If you cook the produce, just rinse in pila (tap) water and cook.

You could cook with pila water I suppose, as the cooking would kill any bacteria present. But it doesn't taste good, so I would not use it to cook with myself.

As for drinking water, we all drink purified bottled water. There are plenty of places to buy drinking water whether in small bottles, or in 5 gallon water bottles (you know, like the Sparletts type). Even the gas stations will have it available. Most people have 5 gallon water containers and take them to be refilled at local stores or stands that sell purified water. Some people that live in the area have purified water delivered to their residence. A 5 gallon bottle of purified water costs about 9-10 pesos here in the little town of Cantu. This works out to be about 60 to 65 cents at the current exchange rate. If you prefer the small individual bottles of drinking water, you will find the brands you are familiar with in the States, and the prices will also be the ones you are familiar with in the States.

If you eat at a restaurant and ask for water, it will be purified bottled water. The ice cubes in your drink will be made with purified water. It's the law here in Mexico. The food they serve will be washed and disinfected like you would do at home. Restaurants are in the business of making money, they will not try to make you sick. If you're still nervous about eating at restaurants or "taco stands" (that make some of the best food in Mexico, by the way), just look for the ones that have a lot of business, especially if the customers are Mexican. Quite honestly, we have eaten at many restaurants and taco stands here and have never become sick from it. Still, it's better to be cautious when traveling, just like in the States.

So, if you are planning a trip to Baja, bring plenty of bottled water. If you stay at a hotel, the hotel will usually provide a couple of small sealed bottles of water along with the room.

If you decide to rent a house on the beach, here in our camp for instance, the house will be furnished with a 5 gallon bottle of drinking water. And there are plenty of people here who can tell you where to eat.

That's the real deal about the water. In Part II, we'll talk about crossing the border (here and back).

Wishing you all Warm and Sunny Days!

Time's Up!

The Following Written By An 85 year-old man, who has just learned he was going to die:

“If I had to live my life over again, I’d try to make more mistakes next time, I’d try not to be so perfect. I’d relax more, I’d limber up. I’d be sillier than I’ve been on this trip. In fact, I know very few things that I would take quite so seriously. I’d be crazier, and I’d certainly be less hygienic.

“I’d take more chances, I’d take more trips, I’d climb more mountains, I’d swim more rivers, and I’d watch more sunsets. I’d eat more ice cream and fewer beans. I’d have more actual troubles and few imaginary ones.

“You see, I was one of those people who lived life prophylactically and sanely and sensibly, hour after hour, day after day. Oh, that doesn’t mean I didn’t have my moments, but if I had it all over to do, I’d have more of those moments. In fact, I’d try to have nothing but wonderful moments side by side.

“I’ve been one of those people who never went anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a gargle, a raincoat and a parachute. If I had to do it all over again, I’d travel lighter next time.

“If I had life to live over again, I’d start barefoot earlier in the spring and I’d stay that way later in the fall. I’d play hookey a lot more. I’d ride more merry-go-rounds. I’d smell more flowers. I’d hug more children. I’d tell more people that I love them. If I had my life to live over again. But, you see I don’t.”

Just a Thought !