On November 1st, people gather in the small village of Sumpango to admire the giant kites that have been patiently assembled for weeks. They bear messages for the dead, and will fly high into the sky until they break, delivering the messages. Some kites are 8 meters of diameter. All day the sky is full of kites. This particular kite shows the people watching the giant kites flying around.
Hi guys! I am writing a first update from Guatemala, since all the posts this week were scheduled before departure. I still have no electricity at the house, the electric company said it would take 24 hours to fix, and that was about 10 days ago. The running water may even take longer, as I applied for a permit at the council and now they can say yes or no. If they say yes, we would pay a fixed price monthly, whatever the use. Apparently this is cheaper for them than to install meters for everyone. If they say no because we look like heavy water users, we would have to buy a pump and pump the water from the lake, which would be expensive and complicated.
The house is much, much better than I expected. There is a big room that is separated in two by a wardrobe, on one side there is a double bed, and two single beds on the other. Then a bathroom with an electric shower and pretty good sink and toilet that we can’t use yet obviously. Finally a second big room with a table, a kitchen with a gas hob and oven, a fridge, and built in storage. As the fridge is not working, we are eating mainly canned things, pasta and rice, with a little fruit and vegetables when we go to town. It is hot a humid here so you can’t keep anything long.
I want to do a weekly update starting next week with more details.
On the blogging side, my week was pretty much nonexistent and I apologize for the lack of contact. I want to start a routine here when the light is back, write my articles in the morning and promote / read / interact with others in the evening. It gets dark around 6pm so there is plenty of time at night.
I have been reading a few articles this week, and here are my favorite.
How to earn an income from home – Tackling our Debt
How we renovated our first house for under $25,000 – Canadian Budget Binder
Should you pay off your mortgage early? – One Smart Dollar
Things I could have bought with $30,000 lost to credit card debt – Eyes on the Dollar
Hi there, what can you tell me about yourself? – Frugal Rules
And here are my posts of the week
Breeding cattle as an investment
No income while traveling? No problem!
and “Him” from Make Love Not Debt guest posted with Who did I marry, financially
Once again, thank you very much for your support, and have a great weekend all!
Latest posts by Pauline Paquin (Posts)
- A quick guide to setting up a successful blog - May 24, 2013
- Friday recap, a new site and politeness - May 24, 2013
- Lessons learned from an investment gone wrong - May 23, 2013
- ‘Bad credit’ credit cards – everything you need to know - May 22, 2013
- 4 Mistakes I Made When I First Started Investing - May 22, 2013
Thanks so much for the mention Pauline. Sorry you’re still without electricity, but it sounds like you’re making the best of it. Glad the house is better than you were expecting! Have a great weekend.
John S @ Frugal Rules recently posted..Frugal Friday: Posts That Ruled This Week, Month End Extravaganza
My pleasure John. Electricity or lack thereof is not too bad, some people are way worse with the hurricane… Have a good weekend too!
I hope you get electricity soon!
Michelle recently posted..How Not to Take a Blogging Hiatus
Me too! Date is set for Monday… that should mean by next Friday!
Hopefully everything gets turned on soon. Thanks for the mention.
Sean @ One Smart Dollar recently posted..Starting an Emergency Fund Can Save Your Bank Account + $100 Giveaway
It is a game of patience!! Hopefully next week… have a great weekend!
Thanks for including me! I hope you get electricity soon!! Hope you and all your cattle have a good weekend
Catherine recently posted..Weekly Reads: 02.11.12
Thank you Catherine, have a good one too!
Thank you for the mention, Pauline. I can not wait to hear from you again once electricity is up and running smoothly.
Jennifer Lynn @ Broke-Ass Mommy recently posted..Win $100 Cash with the ‘The Importance of an Emergency Fund’ Giveaway!!
my pleasure! I have killed a scorpion this morning, one more reason to want to enjoy electricity when I wake up in the middle of the night!
Thanks for mentioning Canadian Budget Binder and a guest post written by Catherine. I’m glad all is going well for you and I hope you get your electricity and water. So, do they just assume you are heavy water users then? -Mr.CBB
Canadian Budget Binder recently posted..How To Have The Wedding Of Your Dreams And Still Be Frugal
Yeah, there is a big mansion nearby where the guy apparently has a plant nursery and leaves the water on all night. As they have no meters they assume all lakeside owners are the same… I think we are going to buy a pump!
Sounds like they run on their own time schedule. Hope everything is up and running soon. Thanks for the mention.
Kim@Eyesonthedollar recently posted..Everyone Needs an Emergency Fund and a Giveaway!
Thanks, have a great weekend!
Pump your own water from the lake? Yikes, sounds like a lot of work involved. Enjoy the long nights, I bet you can get a lot done ahead of time.
Veronica @ Pelican on Money recently posted..On Quality of Life
The lake is my sink and shower so far, so I only have to get a bucket for cooking and small cleaning in the house, I use one a day at most, anything that requires too much water I do it in the lake.
The layout of your new place sounds good. Sounds like you are having quite the adventure. What is the weather like? Thanks so much for all the mentions as well.
Tackling Our Debt recently posted..Friday’s Circle of Friends and Random Facts About Some of Them
The weather is great! About 80 degrees and same temperature for the lake. Glad to have escaped the winter. Have a good weekend!
Good luck with the water vote and getting the electricity on. I look forward to reading more about your experiences in Central America.
JT recently posted..Do I Really Need Disability Insurance?
Thanks JT, have a great weekend!
Thanks for including us, Pauline. And I hope you’ve got a camera to record some of the house renovations and updates you’ll be making.
Mrs. Pop @ Planting Our Pennies recently posted..PoP Balance Sheet – October 2012
Yes I do, will post on Monday, internet connection permitting!
I can’t wait to see what the house looks like. If I may ask, what are you doing about the bathroom/shower situation. I think I could do without electricity for a bit, but plumbing would be hard!
Budget & the Beach recently posted..November Goals
Full details on Monday! I have been showering and doing dishes in the lake, not very eco-friendly but I try to use very little soap. I bring a bucket of water back to the house for cooking and brushing my teeth. There is a dry toilet which was already excavated although the last time I heard bats at the bottom and now I am afraid to go!
OMG bats! I literally got the chills when you said that. I just picture them flying up and biting me in the ass. LOL! It’s like a horror movie!
You are one brave woman!
Budget & the Beach recently posted..November Goals
A brave woman who pees in the grass at night
It’s good to see that you’re enjoying your new home. I’m amazed that you’ve been able to keep up with blog comments and such during this period. I hope you’re water and electricity issues are resolved quickly.
justin@thefrugalpath recently posted..Friday’s Fork in the Path: Posts that Kept me on Track 11/2/12
Thanks Justin, I have most things on auto-pilot, which allows me to comment a bit and my Google reader keeps me company as long as my laptop battery lasts…
So happy for you, Pauline! Good to hear that you made it there safe and sound. I hope the utility situation gets sorted out quickly for you!
femmefrugality recently posted..When Procrastination is Frugal: Free Shipping Day
Thank you! not just yet, but there is hope!