July 2024

July Overview –

We spent most of July organizing and planning.  Being mid-year, it was time to look at our finances to see how we were doing and we made a few tweaks to help us stay on track for the rest of the year.  It was also time to organize our home office in preparation for the hottest months of the year that were quickly approaching. 

During the summer, we keep the AC on in our home office during the day (so Lorne’s brain doesn’t explode while he is working) and I tend to spend most of my days in there too, since it is cool and comfortable.  We bought a TV for this room, and brought in one of our patio chairs for me to use while watching Netflix in the afternoons, and also set up a table where we now eat our lunch. 

It’s way too hot now to spend any time out on our patio, and since storm season is upon us, it was time to get it packed up.   Over the first few weekends of July, we moved all our patio furniture, wall décor and deck tiles into our guest room for storage until November.  The only thing left out on the patio is our big Weber BBQ.  This grill has managed to survive a Cat 2 hurricane, so for now, we will leave it there.  Of course, if we are unfortunate enough to have a much stronger storm approach us, we will need to bring it inside for safe keeping.  After all, we don’t want to have to go pick up various pieces of it from all over our neighbours yards after the storm… LOL!

It’s quite ironic really that we need to pack up our patio for the summer, and I feel very envious of our family and friends as they talk about their beautiful summer days, spending time outdoors and enjoying those cool summer evenings on their patios.  But then again, in November while their temperatures begin to drop and their seemingly never-ending rain starts, we will be setting up our patio space again and we will be the ones spending time outdoors enjoying the cool evenings on the patio.

July has really been heating up and our temperatures will remain high now for the next few months.  The month started with average temperatures of 34C (93F) during the day and 25C (77F) at night and by the end of the month, increased to 36C (98F) during the day and 29C (84F) at night. 

The peak of our heat now comes in the morning, usually around 9am and stays constant until around noon.  Then it drops a degree or two for the rest of the afternoon.  After 6pm the temperatures decrease, but the inside of the house has heated up so much that for the rest of the evening our inside temperatures are hotter than outside.  Even with the windows and doors open, we cannot cool the house naturally below 32C (90F).   

We are well into the Dog Days of Summer, that according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac are considered to be the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11, which tend to be the worst of summer’s heat and humidity.

The Grass is Always Greener….  Unless you live in a desert!

We love living in Los Cabos.  Life is simpler, the pace is slower, and we have come to appreciate the people, their traditions, their sense of community and their way of doing things.

But, just like everywhere, along with the good, there are certainly some not-so-good things or things that are different than what we are used to, that we also need to deal with living here. 

Some of these things are –

• Living in the desert, there is not a lot of greenery or trees (other than palm trees) and at times we miss the lush forests back in British Columbia.

• Also living in a desert, we typically have no rain from November through July.  Then from August through October, we only get rain if a tropical storm or hurricane passes near us. 

• When it does rain, brick buildings tend to leak, and all buildings here are built with bricks.

• Wood/lumber needed to build anything here is very expensive as it’s all imported since there are no trees here.

• Due to the desert dust, our car is always dirty.  However, you can get it washed (by hand) at most major grocery stores for $80 pesos ($6 CAD / $4 USD) while you shop.

• We need to pack up our patio things for the summer in preparation for storm season, and due to the extreme heat and humidity, we spend most of our days indoors with the windows closed and the AC on. 

• Most staircases here do not have handrails and many buildings do not have elevators.   

• Water is a precious commodity and is not free flowing here.  City water comes on every two to three weeks to fill our cistern (reservoir).  If we run out before that, we need to call a water truck to fill our tank.  City water is approximately $260MXN ($19CAD / $14USD) per month.  The cost of a water truck fill is $800MXN ($55CAD / $40USD). 

• Workers here work Monday – Friday plus a half day on Saturday, so construction noise or landscaping often happens early Saturday mornings until 1pm.

• Everyone here uses WhatsApp for messaging as Mexico cellular plans typically do not include pictures in text messages.

• We need to eat seasonally, as not all produce is available all year.   Mangos are only available in late spring and through the summer, grapes are available May – July, cucumbers are available Nov – May, tomatoes (other than Roma) are available June – August.  However, avocados, Roma tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and limes are available year-round.

• White, all-purpose flour is readily available, but it’s nearly impossible to find any other variety like whole wheat or multigrain.   Also, flour only comes in one size – 1kg bags.

• There is a very small selection of soda pop choices here, and even smaller selections of diet pop.

• Also, there is a very small selection of salad dressings in the stores.  We have quickly learned to make our own.

• There are not many options of jarred salsa (like Old El Paso or Pace), but there is always fresh salsas and pico de gallo available near the freshly made tortillas.

• And something very surprising to most newcomers – there are no packets of Taco Seasoning available in any store.  It’s just not a thing here.

• It is almost impossible to find sausage here (smoked, breakfast, or Italian varieties)– except chorizo.  There is both Mexican and Spanish chorizo available in every store.

• During the hot summer months, cream can quickly go bad in the car on the way home.  The same goes for fresh chicken.  We need to shop at the closest store, bring a cooler with multiple ice packs and make sure there are no stops on the way home.   Even then, we have a 50-50 chance it will still be good when we arrive.

• Dealing with exchange rates can at times be brutal.  We spend approximately $2,000 pesos per week on groceries and miscellaneous items.   In 2022, $2,000 pesos converted to $126CAD.  In 2023, $2,000 pesos converted to $157CAD, and in 2024, $2,000 pesos now costs us $147CAD.  This often makes it difficult to budget, as we don’t always know what the future exchange rates will be.

In the almost four years that we have lived here, we have learned to simply adapt.  And even though some things may be minor inconveniences, we still have no regrets at all about moving here.    

July in Review

New Grocery Store Opened and Then Closed

Over the last several months we have seen new retail stores popping up all over Cabo San Lucas.  A huge Walmart Supercentre opened down near the marina, then a Woolworth’s (similar to the old Zeller’s stores) was built in the main shopping district, and most recently, a brand new Soriana Hiper Market opened right beside Costco in El Tezal, one of the fastest growing communities in Los Cabos. 

Soriana is a major retailer in Mexico with more than 804 stores and is 100% Mexican owned.  It is a one-stop shopping experience as a grocery and department store.  It was clearly designed to compete with other retailers in the area, such as Walmart, Costco and Fresko, but the one thing Soriana has over the competition is that this store is open 24 hours a day, something very new for this area.

Construction for the store started in October 2023 and was completed by the beginning of July 2024.  The grand opening was held July 11 with radio promotions, giveaways and a Mariachi band, but quickly hit a roadblock when it was shut down by the city government just hours later. 

The Mayor of Los Cabos made it clear that the supermarket couldn’t open without first constructing a pedestrian bridge, a condition that was tied to their construction permit.  In a swift turn of events, Soriana executives met with local officials, and by the next day, the store was back in business. Local government authorities clarified that both Soriana and Costco would collaborate with the Federal government on building the required bridge, ensuring safety for pedestrians amidst the bustling vehicle traffic. 

ps…  Don’t forget to check out the latest Snippets!