Forums > Areas > Jalisco's Lake Chapala Region

indiesmom

Feb 6, 2012, 3:19 PM

Post #1 of 10 (4561 views)

Shortcut

moving soon to area need a few questions answered

Can't Post | Private Reply

My husband, myself and our teen daughter(and three dogs) are looking to move to the Lakeside area. Need help with visa questions, pet questions and schooling questions for our daughter who will have two years of high school to finish. Hubby also wants to know about electric current as he is wondering about bringing hand tools. If we decide to drive, need safest route (s),and also if we decide to bring some household good(ie. tv, towels, kitchen appliances, computers in an enclosed trailers this doable with only a tourist visa? We need some help. Don't might calling on my dime if someone would prefer that. Also can to private e-mail if you want.
Appreciate your help! P.S. any one else there with teens???

Rolly

Feb 6, 2012, 3:22 PM

Post #2 of 10 (4555 views)

Shortcut

Re: [indiesmom] moving soon to area need a few questions answered

Can't Post | Private Reply

A good place to start is reading here.

Rolly Pirate

Charles Toney

Feb 7, 2012, 7:47 AM

Post #3 of 10 (4476 views)

Shortcut

Re: [indiesmom] moving soon to area need a few questions answered

Can't Post | Private Reply

My wife and I are both teachers in the Ft Worth area and have visited the Lakeside area spending weeks there several years ago. While riding a local bus, we met a young man who was living in Chapala with his parents where he was enrolled in high school. He had just been retained in school because his Spanish was not on par with his age group although he did pass all his academic classes.

Unless your daughter is very conversant in Spanish, you might check around for a school where classes are normally taught in English with the Spanish being used only in Spanish classes. We were both offered teaching positions in a Jesuit school that was going to open in the area but needed a few more years to retire from our jobs in Texas.

Axixic

Feb 7, 2012, 10:08 AM

Post #4 of 10 (4446 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Charles Toney] moving soon to area need a few questions answered

Can't Post | Private Reply

At the Roosevelt private school in West Ajijic they speak English all day. The majority of the students are Mexican.

fug

Feb 8, 2012, 1:30 PM

Post #5 of 10 (4350 views)

Shortcut

Re: [indiesmom] moving soon to area need a few questions answered

Can't Post | Private Reply

Another private bilingual school to consider is Instituto Terra Nova. They have a webbsite, just Google it. I understnad that they recently had the highest test scores of any school in lakeside. It is located in west Ajijic and goes through the secondary level to gradaution. fug

Rolly

Feb 8, 2012, 1:45 PM

Post #6 of 10 (4345 views)

Shortcut

Re: [fug] moving soon to area need a few questions answered

Can't Post | Private Reply

http://www.institutoterranova.com.mx/english/

Rolly Pirate

johninajijic

Feb 9, 2012, 7:31 AM

Post #7 of 10 (4274 views)

Shortcut

Re: [indiesmom] moving soon to area need a few questions answered

Can't Post | Private Reply

Roosevelt School is considered the best private school in Ajijic, but compare all of them. Terranova has many unqualified teachers. That's what I have been told.

Axixic

Feb 9, 2012, 7:56 AM

Post #8 of 10 (4267 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johninajijic] moving soon to area need a few questions answered

Can't Post | Private Reply

I'm not sure Roosevelt has a Senior High School yet. I heard a few years ago it was going to add higher grade levels but I don't know if it did.

The advantage of Roosevelt for a English speaking, non-Spanish speaking student is that students are required to speak English all day.

fug

Feb 9, 2012, 1:31 PM

Post #9 of 10 (4206 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Rolly] moving soon to area need a few questions answered

Can't Post | Private Reply

Thanks Rolly,
\
My property directly abuts the campus of Terra Nova, so I get to enjoy watching the outside activities at the school, hearing the laughter and watching them have fun and enjoy their school experience. I love it. Lots of unqualified teachers in Mexico, but now the OP has at least two choices. I think they would be my two top choices in lakeside if I had kids here. She needs to get here, with a laundry list of questions and do interviews with administration, faculty, students and parents and see if either of these fit the needs of her children or if she needs to proceed elsewhere. I am sure thaat we all wish her and her family the absolute best in this new adventure. fug

Dr.S

Mar 28, 2012, 9:16 PM

Post #10 of 10 (3363 views)

Shortcut

Re: [indiesmom] moving soon to area need a few questions answered

Can't Post | Private Reply

Ok...

I cannot help much on schools unless she wants to be a some bilingual scientist in Mexico.

The dogs: You need a letter from a vet for each dog stating they are in good health. As for vaccines, mainly just rabies. However, they almost never ask for the letters. It is up to you. If you do not have much experience with Mexican authorities, you may want the letters just in case.

Electricity in all of Mexico is more "advanced" than in the USA. It is all 3-phase. The problems are that this makes it closer to 130 volts rather that the 110 - 120 volts of the USA. Secondly, many grids are overloaded (moreso in Guadalajara than Chapala) and the voltage can drop to 115, or spike to 140 volts. Generally this is never a problem for most devices (computers have regulators). The problem is when one of the lines fail and you have about very low voltage. This will kill A/C and refrigerator motors. Otherwise, there is little need for concern here other than bring a UPC for desktops for those moments when the power goes out for just a few seconds.

As for moving all your stuff on a tourist visa, you are trying your luck, but propbably can. Speak nicely. Explain that you plan to convert your visa after you are in Chapala. You may need to pay an import tax. Tipically this will be around $100usd per truckload or trailer. No NOT take anything new or in boxes that looks sellable, or the tax just went up.

Make sure you get a permit for the vehicle to drive it inside MX, and that the trailer and vehicle are both in your name without any lien (get the permit online).

In Reply To