Stayed up late last night. So I slept in a little: it's 8:05, and I don't feel like traipsing around the lake today.  

Read for a little while. Then I polished off another blog. Now it's 11:45; time to make a plan for the day.  

Decided to grab my Kindle and have a relaxing lunch at Chez Ray's. Moseyed on over to the dining area, aka the coffee table, for some leftover pizza. Stopped by the fridge - er - cooler for a Coke. Come on over anytime for our version of fine dining - an experience you'll want to forget!  

12:45 Had a decent lunch at Chez Ray's. Now I have a full belly (probably need a nap soon).  
I just can't believe the weather around here. We're on the Mexican plateau at about 5000 feet. The elevation and latitude keep the weather mild year round: lows 50-60, highs 80-90, and low humidity. This is the rainy season, and you've read how little it's rained in the last three weeks.  
Today the clouds are only puffballs over the mountains, with very little haze.  

I just checked my budget. My lodging choices are definitely on the 'budget' side, but I wouldn't say my dining has been. If you wanted to stay in better places, I would at least double what I'm spending ($40 for you). Food and drinks: $20/person (except for you partiers: at least double that!) One of the bigger expenses so far has been getting here: about $200 for 20 hours of travel (in Mexico). I figured Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua to run about $1 per hour of travel. Yes, you won't travel as fast (ave. mph) there, but you don't have to travel as far to get from one sight to the next.  

I've always figured vacations at $200/day. It still costs that, unless you splurge. 
For those of you who may be wanting to 'get out of dodge' or out of the rat race, you have to come up with about $1000/mo (less in Southeast Asia) and not be too fussy about your accommodations. To some, that may sound easy; but in order to do this and not have to work, if you're under 40, you need to have about $240,000 invested. Now it starts to sound like an impossilble dream; but wait, you can do this: if you're 30 now, invest $8000/yr. Yah, that may be hard to do - but do you want to be retired at 40 or not?! Now this won't work for anyone with family (and you won't want to leave the country anyway.)  

Just had a long chat with a 77 yr old black man whose been retired and living down here for 23 years (thanks to a good plan, and good union benefits). You just have to decide what you want and what it's going to take to get there (I know...easier said than done.) I like what Nike and Belichick have to say: 'Just Do It' and 'Do Your Job', the rest will fall into place.  
 
3:00 Time to chill and relax (redundant? I'm retired: I can do both!!) Rum and Coke in one hand, a book in the other (or maybe another rum and coke; I can always lay the kindle in my lap!)  

5:00 Time for dinner - a guy can get hungry after all this work!  

Threw in some more pics of the hotel. Only one bulb in the fixture? Seen this a lot so far; these lower priced lodgings have to make it somehow.  

Fettuccini primavera: not much on the vegetables, but very tasty - $4.55  
 

I can't believe they actually make their own house wine - and it's good! Third generation owned and operated establishment (grandpa went in BIG). Fourth generation does most of the cooking.  

Not a big sunset, but still nice.  




(completed Oct 18)