ABUELITA (mostly English) BOOKSTORE
Just a half block off the Guadeloupe Andador (pedestrian street) on Avenida Cristobal Colon in the heart of downtown SAN CRISTOBAL is a sweet little Bookstore with books in several languages (Spanish, French & German) but the largest selection is in English. The owner, Kris Olmsted, is an American, has lived in San Cristobal for about 5 years, found her Chilean husband through the bookstore (which is a low-key gathering spot for travelers and English speakers) and now has a 6-month old baby. So her focus is shifting away from business and more towards family. For this reason, she wants to sell her shop. .jpg)
It is a sort of cafe as well as a bookstore, as Kris makes coffee or tea and cookies for her paying customers. (It could use a small espresso machine). Abuelita's would give me a place to land, an opportunity to be a apart of the community with a role to play, and a chance to cover expenses. A little profit would be an extra bonus!
She has a pre-arranged lease (which costs about $500/mo plus utilities) which includes a small one-bedroom apartment upstairs with covered rooftop terrace.
With unfurnished apartments in Mexico, the tenant is responsible to provide the refrigerator and stove, an extra expense....
One day I visited the bookstore with my guitarist friend, Kevin Walker (who is in town because the music scene is so good here - he can get about 4 gigs per week during tourist seasons - Christmas & Easter times and July & August mostly). I love the rooftop terrace. It's a great place for a container garden since it doesn't quite freeze in San Cris, although it's surprisingly chilly most days. With the rainy season approaching, it's often overcast as well...
The views of town from up there are especially nice ... across clay tile rooftops to the surrounding hills beyond!
So if all goes well, by 2013 I hope to become the proud owner of Abuelita Books in the international and musical town of San Cristobal, Chiapas! The name Abuelita is "Grandmother" in Spanish... and I certainly have that look about me... So purchasing Abuelita Books and moving to San Cristobal for a couple of years is my newest DREAM!
With unfurnished apartments in Mexico, the tenant is responsible to provide the refrigerator and stove, an extra expense.... 
One day I visited the bookstore with my guitarist friend, Kevin Walker (who is in town because the music scene is so good here - he can get about 4 gigs per week during tourist seasons - Christmas & Easter times and July & August mostly). I love the rooftop terrace. It's a great place for a container garden since it doesn't quite freeze in San Cris, although it's surprisingly chilly most days. With the rainy season approaching, it's often overcast as well...
The views of town from up there are especially nice ... across clay tile rooftops to the surrounding hills beyond!
San Cristobal is at the end of the "Gringo Trail" of hippies and tourists who are taking in Palenque (about 5 hours to the north by bus), the tall pine forests and azul waterfalls of Chiapas, or those avoiding the heat of central Mexico and the Yucatan in the summer months.
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| Kris and Happy Baby |
I would relish a little business opportunity in a clean little Mexican town with great music! Maybe you'll come visit me there in the coming years....
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| Downtown San Cristobal - Adelina Flores Street |
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