Forums > Areas > Southern Mexico

Yucatanman

Nov 18, 2007, 4:15 PM

Post #1 of 11 (2523 views)

Shortcut

Pregreso/Chelem/Chuburna area

Can't Post | Private Reply

Hi All

My wife and I will be moving to a beach house in Chuburna and would like to establish some contacts in the area.

We are from the central coast of Calif. I a retired Fire Chief and my wife is an artist who makes yarn, knitting, beads, veniatian glass and gold necklaces etc.

yucatandreamer

Nov 19, 2007, 6:02 AM

Post #2 of 11 (2509 views)

Shortcut

Re: [daveleist] Pregreso/Chelem/Chuburna area

Can't Post | Private Reply

When you say contacts, are you meaning other ex-pats? If so, there are some local ex-pat residents that frequent a restaurant in Chelem called "Gringos". Buddy's in Progreso is also another ex-pat hangout.
In the winter months, the beach villages north of Merida, see a large increase of "snow birds" and in the summer Yucatecan families flock to their beach houses.
If you can put up with a ton of "chat" and a large group of people who claim to know all about living in the Yucatan (even though most of them don't live there full time) , the web site Merida Insider can be a useful site for making connections.

Yucatanman

Nov 21, 2007, 7:57 AM

Post #3 of 11 (2480 views)

Shortcut

Re: [yucatandreamer] Pregreso/Chelem/Chuburna area

Can't Post | Private Reply

Thanks for the reply!!, My wife and I have rented a beach house in Chuburna, and plan on spending a year there begining in Sept of 08. Yes I know its a long ways away but I like to plan things out in advance. I have learned alot about passports, visas, FM3 cards, bringing vehicles in etc. The more I learn the better off we will be. Question. Can you get Satalite TV and Internet service? And if so what is the cost?

Thanks, Dave

blue

Nov 21, 2007, 8:38 AM

Post #4 of 11 (2475 views)

Shortcut

Re: [daveleist] Pregreso/Chelem/Chuburna area

Can't Post | Private Reply

Hello daveleist
We do not live in Chuburna, but we did purchase a home in Merida Centro (Santiago). We will be there as soon as our home sells here (missed the rush as we put it on too late), so we are HOPING it will sell before the new year.

I spent 2 months there (July 17 - Sept 19), and absolutely loved the city. MI is a great source of info, and the people are really helpful...they gave me so much information (as did this forum - you people are fantastic!!)

Not at my finger tips, but there are pages of postings relating to costs of living there with break downs for individual items...including satellite TV and high speed internet...wireless is also available in a lot of areas, but not sure about the beach areas at all..satellite yes, but internet is going into a lot of areas there as well. Gringo's offers free internet (or did), if you need it ("terrance" would be the one to contact for that).

You will be able to find out the different costs, depending on who who choose to go with. Give it a try...it's a free forum...just sign up...(my handle there is "blue" and my husband, John's is "tbro").

I have been to both Gringo's and to Buddy's, and they are great places. Pretty empty tho, when I was there, but still really nice...In Progresso, Buddy's is directly across the road from the beach, so there is a lot to see. Shopping is great, and the people are super friendly.

The forum has several people who post on a regular basis, who live out in your area, so they will be able to fill you in on anything you may wish to know.

Good luck with your move, and we hope to meet you when you arrive.

Will also post on here, and let you other posters know when we get there, just in case you decide to take a trip to the "hot" part of Mexico.

Amber
What we see depends mainly on what we look for. (John Lubbock)

yucatandreamer

Nov 21, 2007, 8:52 AM

Post #5 of 11 (2473 views)

Shortcut

Re: [daveleist] Pregreso/Chelem/Chuburna area

Can't Post | Private Reply

Your best bet would be to ask that question on Merida Insider. http://www.meridainsider.com/index.php
We live in Merida itself and receive T.V. from Sky satellite http://www.sky.com.mx/ This has a few English stations. We receive
Prodigy internet through Telmex http://www.telmex.com/mx/. This is the phone company. Living in town is very different from beach life and I don't know much about living on that coast. Be prepared for its being pretty rustic. There will, however, be lots of internet cafes in Progreso itself.

Some beach communities do not have land line phones and there are expats who are more creative than I in receiving television. Again check with M.I. on specific "living at the beach" type questions.

Yucatanman

Nov 21, 2007, 9:14 AM

Post #6 of 11 (2471 views)

Shortcut

Re: [blue] Pregreso/Chelem/Chuburna area

Can't Post | Private Reply

Thank you all very much!! I will look up the various sites you all have suggested. Yes Chuburna is a bit rustic, but thats ok. I am sure I'll return here with more questions but for now I got a lot to digest.

beatricemor

Nov 23, 2007, 9:12 PM

Post #7 of 11 (2426 views)

Shortcut

Re: [daveleist] Pregreso/Chelem/Chuburna area

Can't Post | Private Reply

May I ask you a sincere question Dave?

Why Chuburna? Don´t misread my inquiry. I´m not putting down your decision but why would you move to such an isolated place where the local intellectual graduated from 14th grade and then inquire as to where you can find entertaining expat companionship? I don´t understand this.

Just so you´ll understand me I am a resident of Chiapas and my favorite Mexican coast is the area from Celestun to Isla Holbox. But I know what I like and it has nothing to do with "gringos". Just please tell me what you see in Chuburna Dave. Enlighten me. I´m not making fun of you I just want to know what you see in what appears to me to be a place of marginal value even to God.

beatricemor

Nov 24, 2007, 6:43 AM

Post #8 of 11 (2418 views)

Shortcut

Re: [beatricemor] Pregreso/Chelem/Chuburna area

Can't Post | Private Reply

Incidentally, my inquiry is not meant to be frivolous despite my silly little joke about Chuburna. . While we live in the mountains in San Cristóbal de Las Casas we will be looking at a beach community along the gulf in the Yucatan for a winter home from, say, January through March. We have been considering the area between Chicxulub and Telchac Puerto but maybe Chuburna is worth exploring as well. As you get to know it better, give us some feedback. At one point we looked at Celestun but found it too isolated.

Yucatanman

Nov 24, 2007, 9:35 AM

Post #9 of 11 (2408 views)

Shortcut

Re: [beatricemor] Pregreso/Chelem/Chuburna area

Can't Post | Private Reply

When we vacationed there we found some very nice people, close by. We are on the beach, closer to Chelem than Chuburna. And to be quite frank, we like to be alone, imagine that. If we want to go to Pregresso, its a 15 minute drive and we can watch the tourists and Merida is 45 mins. away, where there is everything. We both have had high stress jobs for a very long time and look forward to "getting away". We also will migrate to the south coast in a year or so, Tulum area is very apealing. My question as to "make contact" with expats in the area was purely selfish on my part, as I want to pick there brains and learn more about the area and the "infrastructure".

drlarsen

Jan 7, 2008, 5:54 PM

Post #10 of 11 (2332 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Yucatanman] Pregreso/Chelem/Chuburna area

Can't Post | Private Reply

Hi Dave,
Just picked up this thread and read through it. I have been visiting Chuburna for over 10 years and love it. On the other hand, I'm not sure I would want to live there... it is pretty isolated. I visit there 3 to 5 weeks per year, usually spread out in time from Oct through March. My time in Chuburna is spent facilitating US high school youth groups who are there to construct concrete roofs on the homes of people in need. We can often be found at the camp next to the cemetary in Chuburna. Ask where Mano Amiga is.

Thee local people are great. If you are going to actually live there, i strongly advise that you also get to know the locals. They are the ones who actually make things happen. In Chuburna, Pepito (slightly over one block east of the town square on Calle 11) has been dealing with us gringos for more than 7 years. He sell building materials and hardware. He's honest and knows the people you might need to get to know.... like electricians and plumbers. The current Comisario (mayor) is Sergio... he really seems to be taking an interest in projects that actually benefit the people... projects like paving some of the sand streets. Almira runs the women's re-cycling group in Chuburna that has helped clean up a lot of the plastic junk that seems to multiply faster than it can be cleaned up.
Just a few years ago there were not many landline phones in Chuburna. It was hard to make a call. Plus there was no cell service. That has all changed now with the construction of two new cell towers in Chuburna...cell service is great. But I'm not too optimistic about cable TV service or internet. Sam's (in Merida) has a concession for Sky TV service and I bet there are vendors in Progreso as well.

After looking in Chuburna and Isla Mujeres and south of Cancun, I have been happily living in Valladolid, Yucatan since 2006. Right now it is a Mayan town with an almost transparent overlay of Hispanic culture. Most townspeople understand Mayan even if they don't speak it. In all of the surrounding villages, everyone speaks Mayan. As best as I can determine, there are about 14 gringo families in town. I have met two of them but do not socialize with either of them even tho they are both very fine people. Things are very tranquil here. I fear all that might change in the next few years as Valladolid gets gentrified. But that's another story. Lots of rumors abound about the coming changes.

Also lots of rumors about the Progreso area regarding a deep-water oil strike that might turn the area into a new Cuidad de Carmen with refineries and tanker facilities.

If I can help you out in any way in the Chuburna area, drop me a line at mexicodenis@mac.com. I'll be there for about 8 days in Feb. beginning on the night of the 11th and for another 10 days in March up to the Wed. before Easter. Until then, best of luck to you in your move.

Denis

Yucatanman

Jan 7, 2008, 6:36 PM

Post #11 of 11 (2328 views)

Shortcut

Re: [drlarsen] Pregreso/Chelem/Chuburna area

Can't Post | Private Reply

Thanks so much for your insight to the area.

I too will also want to blend in with the locals. I, have a 37 year background in Emergency Services in California. Floods, Fires, Riots, Mudslides, Earthquakes etc. I would like to offer to the locals and first responders my help. Maybe we could establish a CERT Team in the area. Educatuation would be the first step. I really want to give back to the world, what I have learned in the venue of Emergency Responce.