El Mirador

Hi, thought I'd tell you a bit about the development I'm staying in. It's called a 'fraccionamiento' - a large tract of land high above the city, between two canyons, owned by the Government, which has been sold off to developers and individuals to build on. It's a secure site, ringed by fences and walls, with a security point at the entrance. Because it's Federal land anyone has right of way so there is an automatic barrier for residents and a manned one for visitors etc. where the vehicle number is taken on the way in and the boot checked on the way out. There are also a number of gated communities within the development with their own private security. It's very safe - provided I watch out for the couple of stray dogs in the canyon who can sometimes get under the fence. I have been going for a hour's walk every morning before it gets too hot. It's good exercise: lots of inclines. I'm sort of getting used to the altitude - maybe up to 2,400 metres here? The first week I really felt it, shortness of breath and tiny nose bleeds, and going up the three flights of stairs from the basement here to the roof was a bit challenging.

The houses are all very modern and all very different. Where a developer has built there will be a terrace all the same style as these ones across the road from here are. This house was built by a private individual and then sold on. It has four floors. The entrance is on the ground floor: kitchen, dining, living room; there's a basement a floor down which has a bar, a lovely seating area looking out onto a walled garden, and a library with flat screen TV and 2 Dr Evil chairs. The 3 bedrooms are on the first floor - one ensuite - along with another bathroom and up another flight of stairs is the laundry and drying area to one side and the roof terrace on the other three.

The whole development is extremely well maintained. All the avenues are landscaped with long beds of palms with bird of paradise flowers; blue agave (which Tequila is made from); maguey (Mezcal); huge old prickly pear cacti (the young leaves, nopales, are stripped of prickles and used as a vegetable as are the red fruit, tuna); low growing bougainvillea and day lilies. There are green areas for exercising dogs, exercise equipment, play parks, basketball hoops and areas zoned for commercial use. There are already a couple of small convenience stores, a bakery, pet shop, laundry, papershop, restaurant and there is a private Gym just maybe 5 minutes drive, or a half hour's walk away, with a swimming pool, tennis courts etc. We reckon, by the time the whole area is developed, there'll be in excess of 2,000 houses. They have even tall modern different coloured sculptures so you can orientate yourself. They can be seen from miles away. This is the fountain at the entrance.