the new digs!!

Just finished getting all settled in my new apartment. It's much, much nicer than my first one!

Mine is on the bottom floor, last one on the right.

It has a strong cold a/c unit instead of just one fan on the ground.
The door closes all the way and seals shut.
The windows close all the way.
It has curtains over every window and door.
There are shelves throughout each room.
There is a built in stove on the kitchen counter.
The TV reception is much clearer and there are way more channels. I have HBO, Cinemax, TNT, ESPN, FoxNews, CNN, CBS, NBC, Fox, discovery channels, animal planet, national geographic, and more.
Can't say honestly I missed TV, but it's nice to have at night when there's not much to do.
The floor is brown reddish clay color.
There are ceiling fans in the bedroom and living room with 3 long blades and 5 speeds. The highest speed is very powerful.
There's also lights everywhere,  my first place here only had two!
I have a nice big patio in front and already bought and hung a Rasta colored hammock.
My fridge is only about a foot shorter than a standard one.
It's nice having a futon in the living.
The door has a spot for a master lock besides the main lock, the windows also have metal bars across them.
So for only 25 dollars more, I moved up into a much much nicer apartment. This place could easily go for 400 or more in the high season. I'm glad I grabbed it now.
It doesn't, however, had pots and pans or a kitchen table, but otherwise it's a huge upgrade.

The only drawbacks, it's further from the beach. I will need a bike to get here an back. It's up a hill too.
It doesn't have the jungle behind it or nice flowers and plants in front like the first.
I like that it's far enough away from the main road away from the loud traffic, construction, and other noise. Nice and quiet out here. I can finally unpack my huge heavy backpack(first time all trip!), spread out, throw my stuff around without worrying about getting in anyone's way, really get settled in.

It's starting to get a little busier, the dry season is now here, it never rains and is hotter. The busy season is just around the corner, and hopefully a job.

On a side note, my cousin Kim started her own blog at http://katiefightsleukemia.blogspot.com
detailing my her sister's and my cousin's battle with acute leukemia. I hope she doesn't mind me posting the link but I think it's good.

I just stepped outside to talk with my neighbor and we watched as a raccoon came right up and grabbed my box of leftover casados con pollo with both hands. He just lifted it right up and walked away, only like 5 feet away from us. He then opened it with his hands just like a human and began to eat. He must really have been hungry.
The raccoons have more black in them than I remember the ones at home. Some places list "raccoons" as "wildlife" you can see. I find that funny since they were so common growing up at LMRA.
A brochure will say "see toucans, macaws, alligators, tree frogs, and raccoons!"

It's a cool night tonight. I'm out on the hammock as I type this.