We hope you are having a good summer, are staying healthy and have spent lots of time with family and friends. A good part of our summer was colder and drier than normal as witnessed by some friends from Manzanillo who attended the Calgary Stampede and nearly froze. We had told them to bring warm clothes, but when packing in Mx. they just couldn’t imagine rain and wind at 15C.

The last emails haven’t said much about Perla Del Mar, so this is a quick update. While the pictures are now 6 weeks old, just try to imagine lots more work done. In early Sept. we will be in Manzanillo with the owners of two units who are taking possession of their new Perla Del Mar - Las Brisas homes. They will not be the first to take possession however, as that happens on Monday Aug. 24th when Perla becomes a second home to another Alberta couple. At the end of Aug. there will be 13 units complete with two more to follow soon. There is of course an excitement building as those who have bought and waited patiently to see their investment become reality, begin thinking that just maybe they’ll arrive in Manzanillo a little early this year. With our arrival, and staying in Perla’s show suite, will be potential owners who want to experience life in Perla Del Mar- Las Brisas for themselves. If this is something you’d like to do, just let us know and we can arrange a complimentary stay for you in Perla Del Mar.

If you remember from the last email, we experienced the passing of hurricane Andres, one of the first of the season in the Pacific and the only one near Manzanillo so far. It’s maybe worth mentioning that the last hurricane to actually hit Manzanillo was 1959. Because the Pacific reporting station for severe weather is near Manzanillo, most of the Pacific hurricanes are reported then with coordinates relative to Manzanillo. Hence the public concludes that Manzanillo is hurricane central, much like Cancun, when in fact Manzanillo is seldom impacted by even a passing hurricane. Another reality is that we receive excellent severe weather information, so avoiding a predicted direct hit would be as simple as hopping in a car and driving inland for a half hour. In June, if Andres had not arrived as was predicted for two days prior, there would certainly have been some disappointed spectators in the city. Having watched the spectacular waves from behind Perla’s extensive sea-wall is for us now, a treasured experience.

The first picture was taken showing Perla Del Mar while looking south on the beach. This was the day after Andres and shows the sand erosion that happened during the storm. The waves that splashed onto the top of the sand carried small sticks and debris which would then be cleaned by the Federal Zone people who have mechanical cleaners working daily cleaning all of Manzanillo’s wonderful beaches. Manzanillo is certainly a city of beaches with about 6 miles of various intensities of surf rolling onto its’ coral sand. Manzanillo Bay and then Santiago Bay to the north can accommodate thousands of people but are usually frequented by only a few hundred. Completing a sandy walk that takes you from one end to the other of either bay is an accomplishment, and if you choose to do it, take along some pesos for a taxi as you may want a ride back. When we next send a similar picture of Perla in early Sept., it should show most or all of the stainless steel deck tubing in place and the deck spaces filled with tempered glass. We’re told and can see in pictures now that the building is nearly totally closed on the ocean side, meaning that all of the windows and patio doors are in place.

The next two pictures show first Perla’s deck with its garden area and then a telephoto of Old Manzanillo across the bay. We noticed a terrific difference in the size of the plantings in June vs. May. While our plants here in Alberta struggle to mature during our short summers, plants in Manzanillo just explode with greenery and colour. The tropics are a gardener’s paradise, and we hope to have a great gardener on staff in the near future. This person will/may also be in charge of placing umbrellas on the beach in the morning and retrieving them late in the day, keeping the pool and pool deck area clean, daytime security, and various other maintenance chores that will likely include cleaning the parking area.

Affordable services that we consider a total luxury at home in Canada and the USA, are part of the joy of living in Mx. Perla Del Mar is considered a premium property in the community of Manzanillo and as such has attracted many people wishing to be employed there. Over time we will accumulate a loyal staff including an administrator whose livelihood will be catering to our needs and keeping our Perla in near perfect condition. These services and carefree living are just something that we’ll have to adjust to.

The last is a slightly out of focus picture of the sun setting in June. Notice that the sun in June, sets in the northwest as it has moved northward to set behind the peninsula. Most of Manzanillo’s beaches face South West, South or South East, and so sunsets into the water are experienced from only a fraction of the city. For we lucky Perla Del Mar owners and visitors, the sun will be back setting into the Pacific in early to mid. Sept. when residents take some of their first Pacific sunset pictures from their own decks in Perla Del Mar.

We would add in this letter that a few people including us, are driving to Manzanillo near the first of Nov. If you have never driven, are a bit apprehensive about the idea but would like to, let us know by return email and we’ll keep you posted. It is a wonderful drive that we unconditionally guarantee you will enjoy, taking about three days of actual driving when departing from Tucson or Nogales. We sometimes extend that by a day or so to allow for a little optional exploration - maybe a night in Lake Chapala including a great dining experience.

We promise to send Sept. photos as soon as possible after our arrival. Manzanillo will be electric green then as July, Aug and Sept. are the months during which 90% of the rain falls for the year. Oct. is a very warm transition month and then Nov. begins to cool and herald the arrival of winter where temperatures fall about 4C, to average highs of 28 - 30C with nighttime lows in the high teens. As well the humidity drops from the 80% range to 60% - just perfect for us northerners who are fortunate enough to have discovered this wonderful lifestyle and are ready to enjoy Manzanillo’s nearly perfect winters, every year.