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oldjack

Nov 12, 2009, 9:28 AM

Post #1 of 11 (3726 views)

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Guadalajara to points west

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Along with a lady friend, we will be arriving in GDL on the 22nd of December and will have the next 15 days to explore GDL and points west... looking for a retirement pueblo(not Chapala).......

1. Please recommend a budget(but clean/comfortable) hotel to spend the first eve... will have rental car...

2. Looks like about $300usd for a two week car rental(AMEX insured)... Thrifty rental agency in the GDL terminal ... any better choice????

after the first day or so I would like to casually travel westward and visit some of the small places and find some candidates for further exploration... I am looking to retire in 12/2010 and would like to live in a small place that has few americans/canadians.. would probably buy a small casita after first renting to be sure of the locale... would like to be within a reasonable bus ride to a city with stores/medical facilities/university etc... during this sojourn we will be staying in whatever acceptable hotels we can find along the way... if there are any recommendations for pueblos to visit/places to stay

will spend the last day or two back in GDL to catch the plane back home....

Rolly

Nov 12, 2009, 10:12 AM

Post #2 of 11 (3713 views)

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Re: [oldjack] Guadalajara to points west

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Pay a visit to Comala, Colima. It's a nice little town near the city of Colima which is the state capital, a university town, an hour to Manzanillo beaches. Awfully hot in the summer.

There is a hotel right on the plaza.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

jerezano

Nov 12, 2009, 5:24 PM

Post #3 of 11 (3679 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Guadalajara to points west

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Hello,

Visit Tepic and then explore some of the little towns in the valley. I fell in love with several for different reasons. All have frequent and efficient bus service to Tepic. Not many gringos in Tepic and if there are any in the small pueblos, I sure didn't see them. Be sure to decide whether you want sun in the morning or sun in the afternoon, or sun all day. The western slopes have the morning sun, the eastern slopes have the afternoon sun, and the mid valley has the sun all day.

Temperature in Tepic is very reasonable and the summers usually don't go over 80+ degrees F. Winters can have a few cold days but no freezes.

Tepic is a large city with a couple of Universities and a very active cultural program (in Spanish of course). A huge public library with some twenty or more computers available to the public. All potentially needed medical services as well.

Enjoy your explorations. jerezano.

cookj5

Nov 14, 2009, 7:32 PM

Post #4 of 11 (3604 views)

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Re: [oldjack] Guadalajara to points west

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How fluent is your Spanish? I often hear folks say "I don't want to live around any gringos, I want to live in the REAL Mexico". Works ok, I guess, if you are truly fluent in the local language. If not, prepare for some significant isolation. You won't be part of the Mexican community, and you won't have any English speaking community to be part of either. Are you really ready for that?

oldjack

Nov 16, 2009, 12:35 PM

Post #5 of 11 (3549 views)

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Re: [cookj5] Guadalajara to points west

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my spanish improves everytime I visit... poca a poco .... I have been getting by in Baja for 25+ years and am able to get things done with my current skills.... living in a cocoon of exptats would be the antithesis of what I am seeking in my retirement ... the only part that concerns me is if I should have a medical situation... so I am studying that terminology now....

jerezano

Nov 16, 2009, 1:47 PM

Post #6 of 11 (3532 views)

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Re: [oldjack] Guadalajara to points west

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Hello:

quote:>>>the only part that concerns me is if I should have a medical situation... so I am studying that terminology now....<<<<

Don't worry. Most medical texts studied by doctors here in Mexico, whether in schools, universities, or follow on work during active practice are all published in ENGLISH. So almost any doctor will be able to understand you when you describe your symptoms in English. The doctor may not be able to speak English, but he knows his medicine, the Latin terms for everything, and almost all the English terms as well. And every doctor with whom I have consulted in some 20 years here has known sufficient English to ask me the proper questions. If you have trouble communicating with him, try writing it. Their reading comprehension of English is very good.

jerezano.

tashby

Nov 16, 2009, 2:25 PM

Post #7 of 11 (3519 views)

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Re: [oldjack] Guadalajara to points west

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Then you'll need to define what you mean by "reasonable bus ride to a city". There are countless places that meet your description along either of the two main routes leading west out of Guadalajara. Include a third route leading southwest you've got that many more.

Jala is certainly worth a look, in my opinion, if you're talking about heading toward Tepic. Without more information we're just throwing darts.

RickS

Nov 16, 2009, 6:47 PM

Post #8 of 11 (3489 views)

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Re: [tashby] Guadalajara to points west

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Sir Tashby, what is it about Jala that makes it 'certainly worth a look' to you?

tashby

Nov 16, 2009, 8:01 PM

Post #9 of 11 (3477 views)

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Re: [RickS] Guadalajara to points west

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Well, RickS, just look!

http://www.inafed.gob.mx/...rit/mpios/18007a.htm

Plus the place has witches. This is always a good thing, in my opinion.

(Kidding aside.....that website is accurate.....it's an attractive, well-located town. Only a few minutes from the autopista but just a bit "away". Like I said, I threw a dart.)

(This post was edited by tashby on Nov 16, 2009, 8:02 PM)

sioux4noff

Nov 17, 2009, 6:18 AM

Post #10 of 11 (3451 views)

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Re: [oldjack] Guadalajara to points west

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Quote

living in a cocoon of exptats

You could still locate in an area where there is a number of ex-pats without being in a cocoon. My opinion is that I find it very nice to have expat friends. I don't live in a gated community (although you will find them in strictly Spanish-speaking areas, too) and we have both English and Spanish speaking friends and acquaintances. We do live in an area with many expats, both fulltime and snowbirds.
One possibility for you to consider is to move to an area with a reasonable number of expats to start, and once you get "acclimated" to life in Mexico, think about moving.
I have friends who found living in an area with few other retiree expats very isolating. All the neighbors worked, and free time was spent with their families. They were not able to establish the social connections they felt they would like to have. I think that cultural issues as much as language issues were the cause.
Not to say that will be your case, but it is something to consider.

oldjack

Nov 17, 2009, 7:39 AM

Post #11 of 11 (3423 views)

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Re: [sioux4noff] Guadalajara to points west

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having expats as friends is not an issue.... most of the time... I want to be where I can either drive(while I still have a vehicle) or take the MX bus for say no more than two hours to the beach/city facilities....

I currently spend 6-10 days per month in a RV park in Los Barriles BCS... and I really like my neighbors... I enjoy the local mexican families as well... but there is not much interaction... having no family I would like to meld into an extended family situation where I can glean more of the social side of Mexico