My new home

I am settled into the house that I am renting for the next twelve days.  It is located in the neighborhood of Santiago, a few blocks from the Plaza de Santiago, and maybe a fifteen minute walk from downtown.

 

You'll notice that the house is extremely narrow.  That is not unusual for properties in Mérida.  Often large lots would be divided and divided again as property was passed on from one generation of the family to the next. 

The house is narrow but long.  You can see how each room opens to the next.  This is a traditional layout which promotes cross ventillation.  In the days before air conditioning, homes had to be designed to be cool in the fierce tropical heat.  The high ceilings also keep the house cool.  Today is a hot, sunny day, but with the ceiling fans turned on, the house is very comfortable.  I don't think that I will have to use the air conditioning very much.

                                    From the front parlor, you go on to the first bedroom...

 And that opens onto the second bedroom.  The only drawback to this layout is that a person sleeping the first bedroom has to pass through the second bedroom to go to the bathroom.

At the back of the house is a modern and well-equipped kitchen and dining area.

The bathroom is off of the kitchen.  When the house was built, the kitchen and bathroom would have been located in outbuildings in the back yard.

                                          An outdoor sitting area is behind the kitchen.

 

The long, narrow back yard is filled with tropical foliage.

The back yard includes a small dipping pool which I have already tried out.

It's time for me to take a siesta now.

Hasta luego.