The House on Mazatlan in La Peñita

At the time, I was employed by “Canadian Holidays,” and was on a seasonal destination assignment in Guayabitos, living in a lovely all inclusive suite at the ‘Decameron Los Cocos,’ the hotel where our passengers were staying.

There was, of course, that other irrelevant little detail to consider… was that house even available to rent? Regardless, I found myself knocking on the door, errr… quick… what am I going to say? “I’d like to rent your house… ummm… por favor.” There was no response, good sign. I trotted over next door to ‘Posada Leon’ with the fervent hope that they were either the owners, or would be able to direct me to them.

There was, of course, that other irrelevant little detail to consider… was that house even available to rent? Regardless, I found myself knocking on the door, errr… quick… what am I going to say? “I’d like to rent your house… ummm… por favor.” There was no response, good sign. I trotted over next door to ‘Posada Leon’ with the fervent hope that they were either the owners, or would be able to direct me to them.

The lady who answered, informed me that she did indeed know the owners. They lived in Guadalajara, and occasionally visited La Peñita. She gave me their phone number, I dialed it, and instantly found myself speaking with the owner. Alcira was extremely gracious, and seemed nearly as surprised by my unsolicited request to rent her house as I was making it! She informed me that she and her husband, Efrain, were planning to be in La Peñita that week-end, and invited me to meet them at the house.

Suddenly, the certainty with which I wanted to rent that house, was now only exceeded by the certainty that I would rent it! I promptly rushed back to the hotel and started packing my belongings. Still, no one was more surprised than I, when I found myself living there a few days later. Alicia, owner of the ‘Posada Leon,’ who had initially put me in contact with Alcira, was now my next door neighbour. She came for tea the same afternoon I moved in, forging the beginning of a great friendship. She, of inordinate mechanical savvy, came to my rescue more times than I can recall. You see, back then, I was not on a first name basis with words like “Bomba, Alhibe, Tinaco.” There was much to learn!

To read the rest of this story written by Hala Hazzi, go to JaltembaBayLife.com

This story is the fourth in a 6-part series. Click here to read “Enchanting Little House in La Peñita: The Intro” to learn how this story came to fruition, along with other stories in this series.