In most of Mexico, bars on the windows are a fact of life. I love them! What a sense of freedom there is to be able to have any and all windows in your house open whenever you want!

In the summertime here in Mazatlán, it is hot and muggy. The thing that saves us is air movement. We get some from the ceiling fans but we really count on the breeze we get through our open windows and doors, too.

Before we got the iron door made for our master bath we had to always prop the door open with a brick and remember to close it when we left the house. And there was no opportunity to catch a through-breeze during most of the year when we sleep with our windows open. Here’s a picture of it, below….it has obscure glass that can open separately from the door. (The picture is taken from the patio outside)

Some protections are plain, and some are fancy. I love this one, don’t you?

Here’s a close-up of the bit at the top. The house is about a half block from the ocean – you can see the salt air has done a number on it!

Some are classic, like the one below. See the shutter behind the bars? Those of us with houses right on the sidewalk in Centro really appreciate the privacy. Paul and I will get them for our house someday.

Some are kind of plain-Jane but nice:

Some don’t protect anything anymore!

And some are more beautiful and elegant than you can imagine. I love the curl at the top so much!

I love being able to be upstairs, or taking a nap, or able to leave the house and have our house stay fresh and cool. (okay, not exactly cool, but…) They are perfectly suited to the climate and lifestyle here.

And we can’t forget how nice it is for a dog to sit and be able to say hello to everyone who walks by!