Our bedroom is all piled on one side and covered with plastic.

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Paul and I (and you, if you’ve been reading for a while) have lived through a number of projects on our house here in Mazatlán. And while it has been challenging for me to live with the dust and the pounding and the need to restrict the dogs, every project we’ve done has been very worthwhile.

We have never shared pictures of our bathroom-dressing room because it was always a bit strange.

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The new shower is being built.

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The room was way too big and the shower had a huge step to get over (really, with one step up and then one down, about 14 inches high or so) and we just weren’t happy with it. Over time I got an exercise bike and a used Nordic Track, so those take up one corner, which works just great.

We also had termites in a window frame and since we didn’t use it for ventilation we had it replaced with glass blocks. And we’re also having a jetted bathtub installed – which I know I will enjoy next  summer. I’ll probably freeze some big blocks of ice and have some icebergs in there to help cool me off!  Tubs are not usual in Mexican houses, but the room was so large it made sense to add one.

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This tub will be installed next to the shower.

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But the shower was always there, bothering us, and we knew sometime we’d have to make some changes. Well, when we realized that the upstairs patio tile was decaying at an alarming rate we figured we might as well kill two birds with one stone…

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They had to do the work half-n-half because of all the giant plants.

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So almost three weeks ago they started removing the tile on the patio. All the plants were moved to one side. There was cracking and unfortunately they had to remove not only the tile but the dirt that was used as insulating material, too. Three plus dump truck loads of debris went over the side in a tube and away. Then in came a lot of sand and cement by the bag and bucket full. Up and down and up and down the stairs.

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I've been going out there every evening to water, it was a challenge some times! The new tile isn't porous and is good quality so we should be ok in the future.

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Both the bathroom and the patio were being worked on at the same time, and now we are getting close to done -I think there will be just a few more days left, or at most a week. As you can see, the pictures I took this morning show that it’s still a mess, but they will be tiling the second half of the front probably tomorrow and getting to work tiling the bathroom, too. And now, I swear, this is our last project ever!

Plazuela Zaragoza

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More project updates!  Here’s the cool top on the kiosko at Plazuela Zaragoza!  I love it! And see the nice spiral staircase going up to the top?  I imagine Danzón on Thursdays will be restarted pretty soon, too.

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There is a project to repave around the Plazuela Machado.  Everyone was shocked that the city started this job last week, just when our winter tourist season is about to start!  And given the slow progress at the other civic projects in Centro, I think most people expected this one to be very slow, too.

Plazuela Machado repaving

Plazuela Machado preparation for repaving

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I know I showed you the Haas House that was donated to be the new Carnaval Museum.  Work has been ongoing there for quite a while,  and it seems to be getting somewhat closer to finished.  I can’t believe all the changes they were able to get through INAH.  The picture below shows a bunch of ducting, all very visible from the street.

New Carnaval Museo, with ducting

This picture is the one that really gets me – some sort of plastic covered area.  Not anywhere close to my understanding of how a facade is supposed to not be changed from the original in Centro Historico.

See the plaque saying it is a historic monument? And the curved, plastic covered ceiling addition?

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I forgot to take a picture of the paving at the Plaza de los Leones (Plazuela Hidalgo) but a bonus is a picture of some upgrading and painting going on at the Hotel Belmar!

Hotel Belmar facade renovations & repainting

Yesterday we got a huge shock when we passed by the Plazuela Zaragoza! I had written about the lack of progress with the renovation of the Plazuela in my last post, and lo and behold – here is progress!

The kiosko looks like it is going to be beautiful! There are old-style lamp posts waiting to be installed.

There’s a circular stairway waiting to be installed, and a huge quantity of nice looking benches, too.

The tile needed to finish the paving still isn’t in evidence, but I am giving a hearty cheer for progress!