Gringos in Paradise

An American Couple Builds Their Retirement Dream House in a Seaside Village in Mexico

Barry Golson

• Publisher: Scribner
• Year: 2006
• Print ISBN:
  9780743276368
• eBook ISBN:
  9781416547839
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Personal Finance

A Year in Provence meets Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House in this lively and entertaining account of a couple's year building their dream house in Mexico. In 2004, Barry Golson wrote an award-winning article for AARP magazine about Mexican hot spots for retirees longing for a lifestyle they couldn't afford in the United States. A year later, he and his wife Thia were taking part in the growing trend of retiring abroad. They sold their Manhattan apartment, packed up their SUV, and moved to one of those idyllic hot spots, the surfing and fishing village of Sayulita on Mexico's Pacific coast. With humor and charm, Golson details the year he and his wife spent settling into their new life and planning and building their dream home. Sayulita -- population 1, 500, not including stray dogs or pelicans -- is a never-dull mixture of traditional Mexican customs and new, gringo-influenced change. Before long, the Golsons had been absorbed into the rhythms and routines of village life: they adopted a pair of iguanas named Iggy Pop and Iggy Mom, got sick and got cured by a doctor who charged them sixteen dollars a visit, made lasting friends with Mexicans and fellow expatriates, and discovered the skill and artistry of local craftsmen. But their daily lives were mostly dedicated to the difficult yet satisfying process of building their house. It took them almost six months to begin building -- nothing is simple (or speedy) in Mexico -- and incredibly, they completed construction in another six. They engaged a Mexican architect, builder, and landscape designer who not only built their home but also changed their lives; encountered uproariously odd bureaucracy; and ultimately experienced a lifetime's worth of education about the challenges and advantages of living in Mexico. The Golsons lived (and are still living) the dream of many -- not only of going off to a tropical paradise but also of building something beautiful, becoming a part of a new world, making lasting friends, and transforming their lives. As much about family and friendship as about house-building, Gringos in Paradise is an immensely readable and illuminating book about finding a personal paradise and making it a home.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Colophon
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Thanks
• Dedication
• Prologue
• Chapter 1 A Rainstorm…A Goodbye Party…Crossing Over
• Chapter 2 Becoming an Expat…Significant Encounters…High on a Hilltop
• Chapter 3 On the Road…Guadalupe and I…A Case of Remorse
• Chapter 4 Arrival in the Dust…The Zen of Garbage…Way out of Africa
• Chapter 5 Iguanas and Orange Juice…Doña Lety…A Grave Decision
• Chapter 6 We Go to a Doctor…Gaby the Blowfish…Getting It
• Chapter 7 Dialing for Pesos…Courtesy Calls…It’s Harvey, Eh?
• Chapter 8 A Little History…I  Tenochtitlán…Invaders Return
• Chapter 9 We Meet Eagle George…Thia Starts Work…We Look for an Architect
• Chapter 10 Aurelio the Architect…A Parade in San Pancho…Triny and Gloria
• Chapter 11 Defining Mañana…A Perfect Marriage…Sunday at the Rodeo
• Chapter 12 A Birthday…Eagle George Hits the Road…A Surprising Phone Call
• Chapter 13 Art on the Beach…Half a Lot…An Aurelio Moment
• Chapter 14 A Golf Round…Sandals and Swords…A Departure
• Chapter 15 Guns on the Table…A Cautionary Tale…We’ve Got Guests
• Chapter 16 A Change in Plans…An Email Home…The Amazing Staircase
• Chapter 17 Dogs and Visas…Bob and Vicky…A Mountain Trip
• Chapter 18 Meeting Beto…A Visit to Valle…Another Fateful Choice
• Chapter 19 A Romance Buds…A Girl Blooms…A Frijol Floats
• Chapter 20 A Perfect Day
• Chapter 21 A Breakthrough…A Confrontation…A Mad Holiday
• Chapter 22 Ground Breaking…Roof Slithering…Leave Taking
• Chapter 23 Cars and Metaphors…Trucks and Drivers…Holidays and Mother’s Day
• Chapter 24 A Radical Step…A Trip to the Mother Country…An Evil Auction
• Chapter 25 A Stormy Night…A Departure…Mr. Blandings
• Chapter 26 Benny and Hilda…My Grandfather…Que Viva Villa!
• Chapter 27 A Thing of Beauty…Staying Cool…Aztec Chairs
• Chapter 28 Commando Shopping…Monogram Mania…Comely Catrina
• Chapter 29 Oscar Willy…Advice from Benny…Pancho’s Detail
• Chapter 30 The Gringos Return…Vallarta Time…An Electric Moment
• Chapter 31 ¿Mi Casa, Qué Pasa?…Got Water?…Got Sterno?
• Chapter 32 I Improvise…I Pay Out…I Hit the Wall
• Chapter 33 An Official Visit…The Family Arrives…A Toast and Wine
• Chapter 34 Beto’s Bill…Three Fiestas…A Waltz
• Appendix
• Resources
• Acknowledgments
• Index