We knew we were moving to a totally different climate with a new set of rules. We also knew that we were going to be living open air with no air conditioning. With this knowledge, we tried to make considered decisions about what to bring with us and what to leave behind. We almost succeeded.

We congratulated ourselves over leaving all the padded, upholstered furniture behind. Same thing for wooden items. We knew termites were a problem here and would reduce your imported wood to dust with haste. We figured we'd get our wooden furniture made here with the local Ironwood which seems to repel termites. No heavy drapes, no blankets to store long term, and lots of Space Bags™. We were feeling pretty smug.

The one thing we failed to consider was the effect of salt air on anything metal. We never even considered it. There is an abundance of metal work around Mazatlan that is in very good condition. What we didn't know is that its longevity springs from being thickly painted every six months or so. We brought lots of metal. The chrome shelves from Costco© are fairing very well, as is our powder coated patio furniture. They are about the only things.

I brought several stainless steel trash cans. They now look like stainless steel leopards. My copper fan is now more orange than copper. Okay, the copper base is fine, but the grill around the blades is not copper. Whatever clear coat protected it was quickly eaten away, and now I have something that looks like it was on the Titanic and recently excavated. And that's just the big stuff. Everything is rusting: key rings, metal ends to usb cables, the buckles on our shoes...you get the picture.

The ceiling fans here are metal. All metal, including the blades. Wooden and pressed fiber blades swell and throw the fan off balance, making them useless. Shortly after we moved in, I noticed orange spots covering the walls in a strip around the rooms about seven feet off the ground. I was totally perplexed. Chuck pointed out the rust spots on the fan blades. It is so humid that the fan is whacking moisture out of the air and then slinging rusty water onto the walls. I have no idea what to do about that except repaint often

We have a four burner gas stove with a oval center burner for a griddle: a pretty common set up here. Since we moved in, I have wanted an oval, cast iron griddle and grill pan for that space, and have had a very hard time tracking one down. A couple weeks ago, I found out why.

The maid was here. She always starts in the kitchen. The first thing she does is put away any dishes in the drying rack, and then she washes any dirty dishes in the sink. I had left my cast iron skillet on the stove, so she washed it too – thoroughly. She took some steel wool and got it completely clean, removing years of seasoning right down to bare metal. Then she left it to dry in the drying rack. I walked into the kitchen later and found my bright orange skillet. I had to laugh.

Right after that I did come across the perfect cast iron grill pan. Here its called a comal. I had to think about it, but I did end up buying it. Its the perfect pan for grilling all that fresh Tuna. I have seasoned it and its working out great. I have had no problems with it. Every Wednesday morning, I get up before the maid arrives and hide it in the oven.