Mexican Kitchen

Throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere, spring means warmer weather and, for many, the gardening bug is biting. In Mexico, we have lived in everything from a small apartment with a diminutive balcony, to a large house with a sizeable yard, and have grown some basic kitchen ingredients in each of them. Now that we spend much of our time traveling, a few potted herbs are the best we can do, but at one point we had nearly 20 culinary herbs.

This is doable in a space as small as a window box or two, and even in a small apartment, it requires only a sunny window. Sun is essential here, so choose a window or balcony that gets sun for at least six hours a day. Morning sun, with filtered sun later, is best. Full afternoon sun can damage plants. No windowsill? No problem. If you’re like we are, with metal-framed windows set into the wall, a board and a couple of brackets make an easy shelf under the window. For a more instant fix, place a bookcase under the window and use the top for the planters.

Use window boxes or planters at least 9-12inches deep for larger plants, less for most herbs, along with good potting soil. There should be drainage holes at the bottom, so if the window boxes or planters are inside, place something underneath to catch water. Use organic fertilizer, such as the kind recommended for tomatoes, every three to four weeks.

Keep soil moist, which means watering every three days or so, but use common sense here. If the soil is dry and plants droopy, you will obviously need to water more frequently. If the soil feels moist when you put your finger in it, it’s not time to water yet. If indoor air is dry, mist around the plants frequently.

These are very basic guidelines, and some tips for growing salsa ingredients are given below, but reading some gardening books or websites is highly recommended. Nurseries selling seedlings are always willing to answer questions, and will be knowledgeable about conditions in your particular growing zone.

The basic ingredients for salsa fresca, the fresh Mexican salsa found on so many tables, are chile, cilantro, tomato and onion. A squeeze of lime adds some zip, but this combination works brilliantly on its own, and the salsa can be made with just these four ingredients.

Chiles: Peppers of all kinds are among the vegetables that take most easily to container gardening. They don’t need much space, and their roots are neither deep nor widespread. Jalapeños and serranos both work in containers. Whether growing from seed or starter plants, leave about nine inches between plants.

Cilantro: Herbs do well in containers, their greatest needs being sunlight and water. Plant seeds where you intend to leave the plant, since cilantro does not take well to repotting. It will probably need more water than your other container plants. Whether outside a window, inside a window, or on a balcony, check the plant for water frequently. Cilantro takes a lot of water and grows fast, and harvesting can start when it has reached six inches in height. Young, tender leaves taste best.

Tomatoes: Small tomatoes can be grown in window boxes or in hanging baskets. (I recently saw a You Tube video on making an upside-down hanging tomato planter from a two-gallon plastic bucket, a ubiquitous item in Mexico.) Baskets have the advantage of giving the tomatoes more room to grow, since ideally, each plant should have its own basket. Be sure to plant it so that some of the stem is covered with soil. This will stabilize it and also encourage root production. If using window boxes, it is best to limit tomato plants to one or two plants per box. In either case, plant seedlings, not seeds, and fertilize more often (every two weeks or so) when flowers appear.

Onions: A deep, wide container is needed to grow onions, which should have at least 10 inches of soil depth. A large planter box, tub or bucket with drainage holes will work. For best results in a container, grow onions from sets. Bury each set with the pointed end up, covered by about an inch of soil, spaced about five inches apart. The green tops can be harvested when they have reached about six inches tall.

Whether you grow all, or only a few of these ingredients, or just buy them at the market, salsa fresca is a Mexican culinary essential. Along with béchamel and tomato sauce, this must be one of the most useful sauces ever created. Use it on tostadas, tacos, quesadillas, eggs, grilled beef, chicken or shrimp fajitas, rice dishes, nachos, baked potatoes and, of course, as a dip with totopos (tortilla chips) and in anything else where it seems good.

Lately, I’ve seen several articles with “non-recipes,” which mostly consist of ideas for using an ingredient, rather than formal recipes. In that vein, here is a basic recipe for salsa fresca, and some non-recipe ideas for using it.

Recipe: Salsa Fresca: Basic Fresh Salsa

Published or Updated on: June 6, 2015 by Karen Hursh Graber © 2015

The post Grow Your Own Salsa: A Mexican Windowsill Garden and More appeared first on MexConnect.

Good Reading

The Best How-To Book on Moving to Mexico, by Carol Schmidt, Norma Hair and Rolly Brook

Salsa Verde Press, Laredo, 2009
Available from www.amazon.com (Paperback)

A lot of us now living in Mexico managed in the past to escape the northern climes — in part due to the confidence we developed reading books on how to live in Mexico. Although many now heavily rely on on-line sites like MexConnect.com, comprehensive guides continue to be published in book form and on Kindle as well.

I think the first book I bought about actually living in Mexico was the Howell & Merwin book, Choose Mexico: Retirement Living on $400 a Month. That was back in 1985, but even then, talking to people who had made the leap, I learned that $400 was really awfully minimal living, particularly in places most Canadians and Americans wanted to be: San Miguel de Allende, Puerto Vallarta, the Lake Chapala area. A few years later, in 1997, I bought their slightly updated version, with the title also updated, to Choose Mexico: Live Well on $600 a month. Well, even at $600 it was rather minimal living. The latest version (2007) is simply and more safely titled Choose Mexico for Retirement. Those books by Howell & Merwin introduced me to lots of possibilities, though, and I thank those authors for the information they gave me. Likewise I discovered new things in books like Live Better South of the Border by “Mexico” Mike Nelson, which I passed on to a fellow passenger on Autobus Americanos who wanted to know about AA locations in Mexico. “Mexico” Mike also wrote those useful Sanborn’s Travelog series of guidebooks for drivers to Mexico (1986-1998). I also like the very informative and very useful book curiously titled Mexico: The Owner’s Manual, a new edition just released by International Living.

But still new ones arrive!

The Best How-To Book on Moving to Mexico is written by three people who have made the move, and two of them are familiar to regular readers of MexConnect. Carol Schmidt and Norma Hair met each other in 1979 “when both were on the state board of directors of California NOW.” They lived in RV parks in Arizona and Washington before moving to San Miguel de Allende in May of 2002. Carol connected with www.mexconnect.com, writing columns and moderating their San Miguel de Allende forum. She accumulated, with Norma’s help, enough columns and features to put together a book , San Miguel: Retiring to Mexico on Social Security (Salsa Verde Press, 2006), and she has still more books about Mexico in mind: San Miguel de Allende on a Budget; Falling in Love with Mexico by Bus; and Ten Years in Love with San Miguel. The third editor, Rollins “Rolly” Brook, “after visiting all 50 states in the USA and many countries around the world… found himself most at home in Mexico.” In 2000 Rolly retired to Lerdo, Durango, and from there, in addition to moderating a MexConnect forum, he documents his new life in Mexico on his own website.

Clearly this is no trio on extended vacation. They actually live here… permanently.

These authors are bold and direct. The opening chapter is titled “Why We Say This is the Best How-To Book on Moving to Mexico.” “We deliberately chose the title… because this book is exactly that. You’ll find the rules and the practical advice you expect, plus our personal experiences of what it is like to fall in love with Mexico and make the big move to a happier, healthier, less stress-filled, more fulfilling, fun and creative way of life. Welcome to your journey. And hang loose.”

The book is divided into four parts.

Part One: Your Deal-Breaker Questions: Costs, Health Care, Personal Safety

This covers topics like, “Is it really a quarter to a third cheaper to live in Mexico?” “Health care, most likely your main worry.” “Crime and Personal Safety.”

Each chapter goes into detail. For example, “Heath care…” covers

• Cost of doctors
• ERs and hospital care
• Differences in health care in Mexico
• Medical tourism
• Medicare and Canadian health care programs
• Keeping Medicare Part B
• Varying quality of care
• The two government hospital systems and private hospitals
• Applying for IMSS
• Private insurance plans
• Medical evacuation companies
• Different attitudes toward prescription drugs, hospices, living wills, medical power of attorneys, prepaid funeral plans
• Living in Mexico with disabilities and with HIV/AIDS
• Allergies, amoebas and food poisoning
• Dentistry
• Visioncare
• Alternative and holistic medicine
• Rolly’s experience in a Hospital Angeles ER
• Carol’s detailed report on having two knee replacement surgeries in Querétaro.

Part Two: Where in Mexico Is Best For You?

Carol and Norma chose the historic colonial city of San Miguel with its year-round temperate climate, “many liberal and artsy expats to help them settle in,” a central location, plenty of activities and organizations, and many “free or low-cost happenings….”

Rolly chose to be the only expat in a tiny town in northern Mexico. This chapter gives a “sweeping overview of some of the favorite expat areas in the 31 states of Mexico”. They tell us that:

“Ajijíc [sic] has an outstanding welcome center for newcomers, the Lake Chapala Society. LCS is a former garden home that is now the site of a 30,000-volume lending library, classrooms to learn Spanish or take computer classes, an outdoor café, information centers about the community and about government programs such as immigration and health care, patios for card games and conversation, and rotating medical services such as hearing and vision specialists.”

What about largely undiscovered towns and cities?

“…Colima, about an hour east of Manzanillo in the mountains, giving it a mild year-round climate. It has been voted the city with the best quality of life in the country. Real estate is reasonable, music and other cultural experiences are of high quality, the lifestyle is relaxed and intellectual. Expect Colima to draw more and more expats in the future.”

Part Three: Making the Move

When you’ve made the decision to move to Mexico, here is the nitty-gritty, how to do it. Which Visa do you need? FMT? FM3? FM2? Dual citizen? What about taking pets across the border? What is a menaje de casa? Should I just have a garage sale and buy new in Mexico? What items are prohibited? What about a car? (“Only one vehicle is allowed in your name.”) Can I get a car-importation permit on-line? Liability insurance. Getting Mexican car plates. Should I just buy a Mexican-plated car when I arrive? Do I really need a car?

Part Four: Living in Mexico

Once you’ve arrived and begin to settle in, you need to know how driving is different in Mexico. And you need to know how to find inexpensive accommodations, and how to rent and to buy. You’ll also need to know how to hire a housekeeper, a gardener, or other employees and — should you wish to work — how to get a work permit, how to start a business (teaching English is a popular business for expats).

You’ll want to fit in, and this means learning Spanish, and how to use Mexican banks and ATMs, and how to get phone and internet service, and perhaps even cable and satellite TV. How to make phone calls economically both inside and outside of Mexico. And what should you do about stray animals? About the poverty around you? About politics? And what is the INAPAM card (discount card for senior citizens). And what about all those holidays and celebrations? And how to you type Spanish accents on your English language keyboard? (Alt160 for á for example).

Appendix

The Appendix includes such things as “Grocery Price Comparison between Dallas, TX, and San Miguel de Allende,” March 2009. At Kroger (in Dallas), a head of iceberg lettuce was $1.59; at Mega (in San Miguel) $.53, one third the price. Fresh green beans in Dallas, $1.99, in San Miguel, $0.61. Orowheat multigrain bread, in Dallas $3.99, in San Miguel $2.47. Total Cereal in Dallas $3.48, in San Miguel $1.98.

Mexican Consulates and Embassies are listed, with complete addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses. There is also a list of Mexico’s World Heritage Sites (like the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, as well as the town of San Miguel). And there is a list of Pueblos Mágicos, cities that have been declared Magical Cities by the Mexico Secretariat of Tourism.

You also have information on the Vehicle Pollution Control Policy Hoy No Circula, which tells you what days you are allowed to drive in Mexico City (it depends on the last digit of your vehicle license plate).

And finally, Rolly provides in both English and Spanish a sample menaje de casa, the list of household goods you are required to have (five copies in Spanish) when you move your possessions across the border.

Well, hats off to Carol, Norma, and Rolly! The Best How-To Book on Moving to Mexico just might be that best book. I think you better have it handy in the car when you head to Mexico.

The post The Best How-To Book on Moving to Mexico appeared first on MexConnect.

Posted by Louise Lander on Marzo 21, 2000

If I’m living in Mexico, with no traces of a residence in the U.S. other than a past history, do I need to have a Will drawn up in Mexico? Or do I need a Mexican Will for my Mexican assets and a U.S. Will for my U.S. assets? Mil gracias.

Posted by Bill on Marzo 21, 2000

It will be interesting to hear what Jennifer Rose offers as advice. I have often been asked by American friends of mine, who are full time residents of Mexico, to witness changes to their Will. I go with the friends to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and witness the Will in front of an Embassy consular official who registers the document. I am told that with this procedure accomplished, the Will is valid in the United States. My friends also have considerable real estate assets in Mexico, the disposition of which is contained in the Will I witness. This is a very good question; the comments will be equally interesting I am certain. With something as important as this, why not consult your attorney at home, before coming to Mexico. You may also wish to execute certain Powers of Attorney and leave them with family, or your attorney, in the event you are taken ill, or (perish the thought) something happens to you. Good luck!

Posted by jennifer rose on Marzo 21, 2000

Bill’s right (except for the part about the interest in my response). An American Will can be drafted and executed here in Mexico, but you’ll want to consult an attorney who’s admitted to practice in at least one U.S. state to draft it. You may also want to consider a durable health care Power of Attorney and a Living Will lest the ultimate moment befall you while you’re Stateside. The American consulate here in Mexico is the appropriate authority to verify signatures. A U.S. Will should be drafted to provide for the probate of your US-situated assets, and a Mexican Will drafted for the disposition of your property in Mexico.

UPDATE

Posted by Louise Lander on Septiembre 07, 2000

I put this post on the LWR Forum without much luck, so I’m trying this one. I have recently moved from New York City to Guanajuato, where I intend to live year-round and permanently. I am shortly going to visit NY and want to get a will written while I’m there (most of my assets are US assets). The lawyer I’ve been exchanging emails with, however, says that if the will states that I’m a resident of Mexico, she doesn’t think it can be probated in New York State. How have other people addressed this problem? (I have a sister living in NY State, whose address I could use as a fictional residence, if necessary.) Muchas gracias.

Posted by Dutch on Septiembre 08, 2000

Here’s another insight on the subject, for what it is worth…The woman who had the courage to marry me and I bought a home in the Laguna Chapala area last year. We decided to take title with a deed, rather than using a bank trust (whose annual fees for doing basically nothing are escalating each year). The one advantage a trust has, incidentally, is in property transfers, as deeds take a LOT longer to process in event of a death (our broker has had experiences with sales that took over 9 months to close). There is also one other potential problem: if your current marriage is not your first, and you take title as husband and wife, each is considered by Mexican law to have an equal interest in the property. So far, so good. But if one partner has more kids than the other, they may not be able to share their inheritance in the property equally. Each partner can only name their natural kids as secondary beneficiaries. So in the case of one having two kids and the other having one, if both parents die at about the same time, one kid gets 50% and the other two 25% each. There is a way around this. After the initial deed is recorded, have another deed drawn up that supercedes the secondary beneficiary clause (and reiterates your spouse as primary beneficiary) and distributes the inheritance equally. Sounds mickey mouse, but it works. We found out about this when purchasing a second property in the area and were told Mexican law requires that we have a Mexican will. Then the issue of beneficiaries raised its ugly head. Cost more, but now all of our bases in Mexico are covered and our intent can be legally enforced. Point of the above – ask lots of questions of as many people as you can. There are also differences in National and State (Jalisco, in this case) law that need to be considered when dealing with wills and deeds. Buena Suerte!

Posted by Bob in Ajijic on Septiembre 07, 2000

Like Jim B. I have come up with a solution of sorts. My wife and I have exited Canada for tax purposes but left a will in place there with a lawyer. At his suggestion, when we settled in Ajijic I consulted a lawyer here. After review he said I didn’t need a Mexican will because… We own our house in trust with our kids named. We have our kids named as co-signatories on our accounts at Lloyd’s and the bank. Our other assets (elsewhere) have access arranged for our kids in case we check out together. Hope this helps… just one more way.

Posted by Ralph on Septiembre 07, 2000

You do not need an attorney to write a Will and Last Testament!! You can do your own on a paper napkin. What you must be concerned with is, will that Will endure the Probate, or Court process. If anyone, family or not, protests the Will, it had better be written….NOT ON A NAPKIN….but, with the assistance of an attorney, complying to all legal standards. It would seem to me that the best way to assure the validity, and respect of your last wishes, would be to have a Will drawn up by an Attorney in both countries. The Court in the jurisdiction of where your U.S. assets (Estate) are located are only going to be concerned with what is in their jurisdiction. Likewise, the Court, and Authorities in the jurisdiction of your Mexican assets are only going to be concerned with what is in their jurisdiction. Additionally, a concern is whether the named Estate Representative may encounter problems with local Authorities (and nosy neighbors) when trying to take possession of the Estate. It would seem to me it would be much more assuredly done, if there was documentation from the local Court to permit the Representative to perform his/her duties. I would presume one could name the same individual to act as Estate Representative in both wills. I would caution, though, that one should be certain the two wills not contain wording which may be deemed to be contradictive of one another, and thereby give cause to rightful challenge.

Posted by Jim Bentein on Septiembre 07, 2000

In our case (my wife and I), we had a lawyer put together an international will for us. We are Canadian and we also went non-residential for tax purposes (which Americans can’t do) but I see no reason why you couldn’t have an international will prepared. Check with a good lawyer or check an Internet space called escapeartist.com

Posted by Hank Duckman on Septiembre 09, 2000

One previous post summed it up nicely. You need a U.S. will for assets located in the US and a Mexican will for assets located in Mexico. The Mexican government/authorities have no claim on what you own in the US. Hank

Posted by Larry Burch on Mayo 24, 2000

I am a resident of San Miguel de Allende and have a Living Trust and Will in the U.S. My only Mexican assets are a lot, home and car. I would like to learn if it is necessary for me to have a separate Mexican will to cover my Mexican assets. If so, can anyone recommend a good lawyer to draft one. Also, how much should it cost.

Posted by jennifer rose on Mayo 24, 2000

Yes, you do need a Mexican will to properly transfer title to those assets upon your death. I’m sure that there are plenty of competent Mexican lawyers in SMA, but I can’t come up with any recommendations. The charge for drafting a Mexican will won’t even come close to what you would pay an American lawyer up North, but for your peace of mind, ask up front what the costs will be.

Posted by Andy in Dallas on Mayo 24, 2000

In the Dallas area, a simple will (all the stuff to wife, no kids) costs about $75 USD to have made. Also NOLO has forms for this on the web that allows one to do the simple stuff, as above, for only the cost of a notary and two witnesses, and many banks will do that service for free for their customers. (A more complex will has too many variables to estimate a price for.) So, I was wondering if anyone has a ball park range of what the simplest will (everything to wife, no kids) would cost in Mexico? I am NOT suggesting that it can be done without a lawyer since the Mex law probably has some quirks that NOLO hasn’t put the forms out yet (grin).. Thanks,
Andy in Dallas

Posted by Andy in Dallas on Mayo 25, 2000

My thanks to those who sent me price information for the Ajijic area. It seems that a SIMPLE will, typically “everything to the wife and no one else” will cost between $150 USD and $200 USD in the Ajijic area, based on estimates from several lawyers there….That’s in the neighborhood of what the same kind of will costs in the Dallas area, but it’s cheaper in Dallas if a legal clinic is used….I hope this lets readers estimate if they are being quoted a fair price…You know how lawyers are…… (grin) Andy in Dallas
P.S. If the will is not SIMPLE, has a lot of heirs and property divisions and stuff, it could cost a LOT more, and you need a lawyer more than ever. Darn!!!

The post WILLS, ESTATES AND POWERS OF ATTORNEY IN MEXICO appeared first on MexConnect.

FM-T Tourist

The basic entrance immigration status for tourists is the FM-T. It is valid for a maximum of 180 days and is issued at your point of entry into Mexico-either at a border crossing or an airport. Visitors who drive a car into the country will be required to return the car to the border and turn in both their FM-T and car importation papers before the end of the six-month term.

For information about obtaining temporary and permanent resident visas, consult your nearest Mexican consulate.

Most offices will require the following:

• ” Proof of monthly income. This figure is based on Mexican minimum wage. Not all offices require the same amount.
• ” Certified copy of marriage certificate
• ” Passport
• ” Mexican immigration fee
• ” Application form
• ” Birth certificates or passports for minor children
• ” FM-T (if application is made in Mexico)
• ” Black and white photos, front and side of head

Work Permits

To work legally in Mexico, you must obtain permission from Immigration and may need to hire an immigration facilitator or attorney to expedite your papers. The process is complicated and requires a level of expertise to negotiate, as permission is not automatic.

Bringing children into Mexico:

If you are traveling with children, you need their birth certificates or passports. If both parents are not traveling with a child, a notarized letter of permission from the absent parent(s) or notarized copies of guardianship papers will be necessary. Each child needs an FM-T tourist permission from immigration.

Bringing pets into Mexico and returning them to the United States:

Any veterinarian can provide the international shipping form and certification of health and vaccinations to allow your dog or cat to enter Mexico. The same paperwork from a Mexican vet will allow your pet’s return north across the border. If you are flying into Mexico, check with the airlines for their pet requirements. Check with the Mexican consulate for special requirements for birds, reptiles and other pets before leaving home. Veterinarian care and pet grooming are readily available, excellent and modestly priced. Most brands of pet food and pet accessories are available in the Lake Chapala area.

Temporary importing of a foreign plated car into Mexico

At the border you must present these documents, all issued in your name:

• Title of vehicle or Lien holder letter
• Driver’s License
• Passport or Birth Certificate
• Credit Card (If no credit Card, be prepared for a cash Bond of no less than $200 to $500 USD depending upon the age and class of your car.)
• FM-T, FM-3 or FM-2 2-4 copies of all documents

If you are driving a vehicle into Mexico, you must stop during the border crossing to obtain a temporary importation permit from Aduana (Customs). The registered owner of the vehicle must cross the border in the car and will be required to sign a document pledging not to sell the car in Mexico, and to return the car to the border before his immigration status expires. If you are still making payments on the vehicle, a notarized letter from the bank or lien holder is required, giving you permission to take the car across the Mexican border.

Your car’s insurance policy from a company outside of Mexico will NOT be vailid in Mexico. You must obtain Mexican vehicle insurance before crosssing the border. Be certain the insurance company also provides Bonding insurance in case you are involved in an accident and are held in jail.)

A charge of approximately $22 USD will be made on your credit card during the process. A hologram sticker will be affixed to the windshield and the identification numbers of the vehicle recorded. You are allowed to import only one foreign plated vehicle per person.

It is your responsibility to turn in your FM-T and your car importation papers when you exit the country. If you do not, you could be forbidden entry on your next trip if customs records show you still have a car in the country.

Detailed directions for crossing the border are available on the following page: Driving Across the Mexican Border – Regulations and Guidelines.

Copies:

Immigration and customs departments will require copies of your birth certificate, passport, driver’s license, credit card, car title, registration, letters regarding children or liens of vehicles and other documentation. It is more convenient to make several copies of each document before leaving home. Keep them easy to locate in the car. Make copies of your importation papers, immigration papers, insurance policy, identification and immigration papers and keep them in the car at all times. Keep your original papers in a safe place.

Pesos:

Change some money into pesos before crossing the border. Few Mexican hotels, restaurants, gas stations or stores accept credit cards. In border towns there are a number of banks and money exchanges, but they are more visible on the U.S. side of the border. You may bring any amount of money into Mexico. The U.S. requires that you declare when you carry cash or documents that total more than $15,000 U.S. dollars. It is not a crime to transport the money, but it is illegal to not report it

Bringing your personal goods across the border:

When traveling by plane or ship, you are allowed to import (duty free) up to $300 US in merchandise per person. When you cross the border by car, you are allowed only $50 US in duty free merchandise. While you can pay the duty yourself on less than $1,000 US in merchandise, you will require the services of a customs broker if the merchandise exceeds that amount. Your own used clothing, shoes, personal items and some household goods are allowed across the border duty free.

Importation of household goods with Menaje de Casa

If you hire a company to move your household items, you will need to obtain a Menaje de Casa, a permit that allows you to bring your goods into Mexico duty free. This one-time move must be completed within six months of obtaining your FM-3 or FM-2 and within three months of obtaining the Menaje de Casa from the Mexican Consulate nearest your northern home.

To obtain the permit, you will need an FM-3 or FM-2 and an inventory of your goods, box by box. The inventory must list the contents of each box, typed single-spaced in Spanish and include serial numbers and model numbers for all electronics.

Check this page for a list of items you may bring to Mexico duty free: What stuff?.

This article is reprinted with permission of Mexico Insights, publisher of Living at Lake Chapala,
a monthly Internet magazine covering all aspects of living in the Lake Chapala/Ajijic area.

Published or Updated on: January 1, 2006 by Karen Blue © 2008

The post Getting here – paperwork for people, animals, cars and things appeared first on MexConnect.

The post Weights, Measures and Conversions: Translations appeared first on MexConnect.

Posted by Ernie

I hate to keep sounding negative, but I just closed my Mexican bank account after 3 years of frustration. The interest rate is not that great right now. Besides if the peso devalues you could lose everything. Checking is not really part of the Mexican culture. After 4 or 5 years I had some money in Mexico that is now worth 10 % less than when I invested. I should have put it in a shoe box. If you want more details e mail me : cartons@mb.sympatico.ca

In Reply to: Opening A Bank Account In Mexico posted by Ernie Gorrie on December 30, 1996

To open a bank account in Mexico, you are usually required to show your passport, tourist card or FM-3 book. A number of options are available ranging from fee-based checking accounts, a certain number of “free” checks per month, and the Cuenta Maestro (which is comparable to the Hi-Fi or NOW account in the U.S.). Generally, an average daily balance of about $2,500 USD is required to maintain the Cuenta Maestro, which generates interest at a higher rate and generally provides “free checking.”

The regular checking accounts interest rate often is somewhat less than the monthly service charge, so there’s a definite advantage to maintaining a Cuenta Maestra Ð if you can afford it. Maintaining a Mexican bank account means more than just the ability to write checks. It’s almost necessary if you want to easily cash a dollar or even peso check, transfer funds from your home country, or pay your utility bills at the bank. (Even though you may pay your utility bills in cash, most banks extend that privilege only to their customers.)

A number of brokerage houses such as Probursa also extend checking account privileges to customers who may not be making a huge investment. If you can manage to live at home without a bank account, then you could probably do likewise in Mexico. It all depends upon your personal comfort zone just as dealing with the phone company can be a doggone nuisance, it often beats using those tin cans connected together with string.

What interest rate should I expect to get and how does this compare to the rates of inflation and devaluation? Wow — you’re asking me to look into a crystal ball! Just don’t invest any more than you can afford to lose. In other words, be conservative about your investment.

Opening A Bank Account In Mexico Posted by Ernie Gorrie on December 30, 1996

I’m interested in having a bank account in Zihuatanejo as I expect to be having a house built nearby during 1997. What do I need to know about being a Canadian, opening a bank account in Mexico? What charges typically apply (e.g., checking fees, deposit/withdrawal fees, etc.) What interest rate should I expect to get and how does this compare to the rates of inflation and devaluation?

The post Opening A Bank Account In Mexico appeared first on MexConnect.

The following is a practical guide to driving in Mexico compiled from experiences over the last several years.

Driving in Mexico, in my opinion, is no more hazardous than driving anywhere else, however, it is different than driving in the United States or Canada. There are simply different things you have to be on the lookout for.

1. 1. Buy Mexican Auto Insurance. Mexican auto insurance is a must if you plan to do anything more than a quick hop across the border since, in the case of an accident Mexican authorities will not accept foreign auto insurance policies. Any Mexican auto insurance coverage you purchase should include claims adjusters that will come to the scene of an accident and an attorney. This becomes very important since, in the event of an accident, you are not allowed to move your vehicle and you may be detained by the police in the event that anyone is hurt until fault can be established
   2. Be aware that not all roads are in the best of conditions. Although over the last 6 to 8 years there has been an increase in the number of four-lane toll roads throughout the country, some of the minor roads, for instance those between small towns, are more likely to be paved with cobblestone instead of asphalt and, either way, they all have their share of pot holes and ruts to be careful about.
   3. Although there are reports of people being stopped and their property being stolen while on an isolated road, there are few reports of people actually being injured. The best way to avoid this is to drive during the day and not to stop for hitchhikers. Also beware of any foreign objects in the road, these are normally placed there so that an unsuspecting driver will be forced to stop.
   4. Try to restrict driving to daylight hours. This is common sense wherever you drive since road signs are easier to read, road hazards are easier to see and avoid and there are normally more cars traveling the same road you are so there is less chance of anything bad happening.Always be aware of livestock. On most U.S. roads, livestock is unheard of except in rural areas. In Mexico, however, livestock creates a large problem because of a lack of fencing around the highways. Livestock are normally left to roam wherever they can find food and this is sometimes near a well traveled road. In the area where I live, Lake Chapala, 40% of the traffic accidents that occur involve livestock in some way. These statistics are not official so the number could be 35% or 45%, but from what I have seen I would say the 40% is fairly accurate.
   5. Remember that most people do not use their turn signals and not all cars you see on the road have functioning brake lights. Avoid accidents by keeping your distance, using your turn signals and being aware of those who don’t.
   6. Always know who has the right of way. This is sometimes difficult because, even though you may be in the right, if the “the other guy” is bigger, he won’t care. This means you will want to slow down at all intersections and look both ways whether you are required to or not; it also means you will want to yield to larger vehicles that want to occupy your same lane space.
   7. Always plan your trip ahead of time. Take a good road map along with you and know where your stops are going to be. This came in handy once when we had engine trouble. Fortunately we were only a few miles away from a small town where, although accommodations were not luxurious, they did have cold beverages and a mechanic that could repair the car within a day or two.
   8. Remember that here, just as anywhere else, all those things you learned in driving school apply. Keep free space in front, behind and beside you when driving; obey the speed limits; use your turn signals; and always make sure your vehicle is in good condition and that you have plenty of spare parts (i.e. tire, water for the radiator, transmission fluid and oil) before beginning your journey.
   9. Buy a basic Spanish phrase book before your trip. Learning how to tell someone you need a mechanic (necesito un mecánico), help changing a tire (necesito ayuda para cambiar la llanta) or directions (dónde está or cómo llego a) can be very useful. Even if you can’t pronounce it quite right, people will usually get the message and be able to effectively communicate to you what you need to know.
   10. There are probably 10 more tips I’ve left out but this should get you started. Check back from time to time to see what else we’ve added or e-mail us with comments or your own driving experiences in Mexico. In the meantime, have a happy and safe journey.

   Author’s Note:

   Just in case your considering risking the trip without Mexican auto insurance, consider the following:

   • When a traffic accident does occur, the police may impound your vehicle, especially if there is no one there to help you defend your rights such as an insurance adjuster and/or an attorney.
   • Also know that in the event that someone is injured and you are found responsible, you might not only be held liable for that persons medical expenses but also for financially supporting them and their dependents until they recover. If you have an attorney he will probably be able to help you negotiate a more reasonable settlement than that which you could negotiate on your own.

   For Further information on Driving in Mexico click here.

The post Driving in Mexico: A short practical guide appeared first on MexConnect.

This was intended to be a straightforward article on driving to Nogales from Guadalajara and back, with information on tolls, distances, hotels, restaurants, etc. However, a young Chicano in a brand new truck changed all that on our return journey. Hence, the use of the word “accident” in the title of this piece. Our little escapade has been a salutary learning experience and perhaps I can pass on a few things we learned to people who might face similar difficulties some day.

I suppose when we Americans and Canadians set out on a long drive through Mexico, there’s always the fear in the back of our minds of what might happen if we have an accident. Added to the trauma of the accident itself, is the extra element of being in a foreign, and sometimes unpredictable country, and of not being fluent with the language.

Anyway, it happened to us on Highway 15 at 7.45 a.m. on September 23 heading south from Los Mochis towards Culiacán, on the west coast of Mexico. Hurricane Nora had passed close by the day before and the evidence was apparent in the muddy streets of Los Mochis and the flooded fields all around us. The evening before, when we checked into our usual stopping off place, Colinas Resort Motel, the building was in total darkness because of a power failure. So we drove into the town, where mud and water still lay about the streets. However, when we wakened the next morning, even though it was raining, there seemed no reason not to resume our journey. We had 500 miles to go and wanted an early start.

The other signs of the recent storm were the literally hundreds of pot holes in the surface of the toll road, some of them dangerously deep. They were enough to make us slow down and try to stay away from other traffic so we could negotiate the spaces between the holes more easily. Most other drivers were progressing in the same fashion. My wife was driving and there seemed to be no problem. I was doing a crossword puzzle. We had been away from our home in Mexico for almost seven weeks and this was the last day of our trip. Spirits were high. We couldn’t have been more relaxed.

About 100 kilometers south of Los Mochis the driver in front of us slowed down, because of another minefield of pot holes, and we slowed down, too. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a red truck appeared behind us, travelling fast, hitting our Dodge Caravan squarely in the rear. In those few seconds, a whole lot of things got abruptly changed.

No one was seriously hurt, although my wife had a bad cut on the back of her head which bled rather dramatically in the early stages. Both cars were badly damaged – ours much more than the truck that hit us. There was a lot of damage to the rear of our van. There was incredible turmoil inside the van.

Several things happened in the next few minutes as we all tried to get our heads around the brute fact of the accident and what we were supposed to do. My wife, Cecilia, who has a 30 year background in insurance, was concerned about two things: the cut on her head, which was bleeding freely, and calling an insurance adjustor from the list of adjustors which came with our insurance package. In addition, she was fighting a feeling that she was going to faint at any moment. It was then that a Mexican, who spoke English appeared, drove up and offered to take her for medical attention in Culiacán, which we didn’t realize was a good 100 kilometers down the road. His name was Rubén Arel. He was a resident of Los Mochis and he was going to pick up his wife at Culiacán airport. From the clínica Cecilia would be able to call the adjustor and tell him about the accident.

It seemed like a good idea at the time and Cecilia drove off with Rubén. In actuality, it wasn’t such a great thing to do. As a matter of fact, a policeman or a lawyer in a more uptight country than Mexico would call it “leaving the scene of an accident.” However, we weren’t thinking straight and that’s what she did.

When Rubén got to the first toll booth he told them of the accident and things happened fast. In no time at all there were two officers from the Policia Federal de Caminos, two toll road officials, two tow trucks and an insurance adjustor on the scene. Photos were taken. People started writing reports.

There were two young men in the truck that hit us. The driver and owner, Rubén Rodriguez, 28 years old, was a resident of Arvin, California. He was on his way to Michoacán. He was the only one on the scene who spoke good English and Spanish. He had just paid $23,000 for his shiny new red Ford F125 truck. Unfortunately, he had committed the stupid error of bringing it to Mexico without spending a little more money to buy Mexican auto insurance.

In very short order both vehicles were towed about 12 kilometers to the police pound in the nearby town of Guamuchil (pop. 75,000). The rain continued to pour.

In that first hour or two there was much to do. The inside of our van was a horrible mess. The tow truck had hitched it up at the rear end and, on the ride into town, the tow truck’s back wheels sprayed water and mud through our broken back window, soaking and soiling everything. It wasn’t only our stuff: we were carrying a few bags and suitcases for friends who had just cleaned out a storage locker in San Diego. Also, a lot of things were smashed or damaged. Plastic bottles of gooey items like sun-screen were ripped open. Packages of foodstuffs we had bought in California were torn apart. The impact of the accident had mixed everything together perfectly. Bits of broken glass were sprinkled throughout. The nice new computer I had bought was covered in wet mud. It was one of those moments when you’d just as soon be dead.

In between clean up chores I checked at the police station next door to see what was happening. It was there that I learned one important thing I never knew before. I’ve since found out that a whole lot of people aren’t aware of it and – and it’s well worth knowing. When you have an accident on a toll road in Mexico, you automatically have accident insurance. You buy it when you pay your toll. That at least explained why a toll road insurance adjustor arrived on the scene so quickly, taking pictures and making notes.

As I understand it, most – but not all – toll roads in Mexico have this insurance benefit through Commercial Mexicana. So far I haven’t been able to find out which ones do and which ones don’t. I suppose you could always ask when you pay your toll. And there’s a catch. You only qualify if you have insurance of your own in the first place. The benefit is that the toll road insurance takes care of the initial problems, like medical treatment, towing, and repairs. Then the two insurance companies – the toll road’s and yours – settle everything at a later date. This was some comfort, at least in the early going, because we weren’t sure how everything was going to work out.

There’s one other very tangible benefit to all of this: namely, the toll road company pays the deductible on the repairs. As the deductible in our case is U.S. $500, or about 725 Canadian pesos, that’s a considerable benefit.

Ironically, it was Rubén Rodriguez, the man who ran into us, who told me about the insurance. As a matter of fact, he was the only person I met in the early going who spoke English. The other thing he told me was that he wasn’t covered. First because he was clearly the one who hit us. Second, because he didn’t have insurance of his own. Needless to say, he wasn’t a happy camper.

Rubén was also the one who was translating our side of the story for the police and the insurance adjustor. Naturally I was uncomfortable with that. A more neutral party would have been preferable. After all, Rubén at one point was trying to say that we were stopped on the highway and he couldn’t avoid us. However, the two cops and the adjustor obviously weren’t buying it. After all we were travelling on a wide two-lane highway. And why on earth would we stop in the middle of a major highway? Rubén, in fact, got a pretty stern talking to from the police chief and the adjustor. One didn’t have to be a linguist to understand what they were saying. They were sympathetic to his personal plight, but he was on his own.

One of the problems in those first hours was that my wife had disappeared with all of the papers pertaining to our car. In her desire to call an insurance adjustor she had taken everything – permits, policies, licences, passports, visas. When we’re travelling we keep them all in the same plastic envelope and she had taken the whole package. This naturally presented a problem as policemen and insurance adjustors don’t do anything until they’ve filled out a raft of forms and inspected a lot of documents. Also, Cecilia was the driver. They wanted to talk to her and not to me. It was clear there would be no progress until Cecilia showed up – and no one knew where she was. Also, Rubén was a very worried man because if Cecilia had serious injuries it was going to add another bunch of complications to his life.

Sometime in the middle of that rather confused morning Cecilia finally phoned. I have no idea how she got the number. However, as everyone seemed to be equipped with mobile phones I imagine the link was made from the clínica where she was being treated. She had a few stitches in her head but she was okay. I told her where we were and she arrived a couple of hours later, driven by Rubén, the man who had taken her to Culiacán, and his wife, Patricia.

All the police and insurance procedures began at that point and Rubén and Patricia hung around long enough to make sure that there would be no problem for us. In all, Rubén devoted quite a few hours that day to Cecilia’s well being when he clearly didn’t have to. To us, it was yet another example of the kindness of Mexicans that we all run into from time to time. He even left us his address and phone number in Los Mochis, just in case we needed further help. One wonders how many American or Canadian drivers would offer that kind of assistance to a couple of Mexican drivers who had had an auto accident on the other side of the border.

Once the forms were filled out we were all free to go. We hired a local man to load up his truck with our belongings. We had 21 boxes and bags and suitcases, most of them wet and muddy and we went to the Motel York on the edge of town. Yes, that’s right – the Motel York, in Guamuchil. Everyone said it was the place to go and they were right. It’s at least a four-star establishment. There, despite our bodily aches and pains (which, surprisingly, were to continue for three more weeks) we spent the next forty eight hours cleaning and drying the contents of our bags and suitcases and running up a sizeable laundry bill.

The next day we found our insurance adjustor, the man Cecilia had gone looking for in the first place. To our surprise, he lived a mere five minute drive from the Motel York. His name was Hector and, although he didn’t speak English, he soon returned with an English-speaking friend – possibly the only English-speaking person in that town. When Hector took over, the toll road adjustor bowed out of the picture. Our car had already been taken to a body shop and we had estimates. We weren’t comfortable with them; they seemed low to us but we persuaded ourselves that labor charges are much less than in the U.S. In any event we didn’t seem to have a lot of choice. We had to go along with Hector’s recommendations.

It still took three days and nights in Guamuchil to get the whole thing settled – all at our expense. The repairs were estimated to take two or three weeks, depending on the availability of parts. Then there was nothing else to do except hire Hector to take us and our belongings in his truck to Culiacán, about 110 kilometers down the road.

Incidentally, the free road was in infinitely better condition than the toll road. There were no topes, no pot holes, no villages, and no trucks along the whole length of it. The residents of Guamuchil think people are crazy to actually pay to drive on the toll road, which is in disgraceful shape. Frankly, I hold the toll road company responsible for our accident. I know we gringos go on about the great toll roads in Mexico but maybe the libres aren’t always as bad as we all think.

Our initial plan was to rent a van in Culiacán and load it up and drive home and then leave the van at Guadalajara airport. Little did we know that what sounds easy in the U.S. or Canada isn’t so simple in Mexico. Before we could rent a vehicle we had to go through a character check, which involved Hertz phoning our friends in the Ajijic/Chapala area to find out if we really were who we said we were. Once that was completed, we were informed that the cost of picking up a van in Culiacán and leaving it in Guadalajara would be U.S. $350. That’s because they would have to send a man from Culiacán to Guadalajara to drive it back. In Mexico they just don’t exchange vehicles between offices the way we do further north. If we agreed to that, then there was the car rental, the gas, the tolls, the mileage. The total bill was heading up towards the Cdn. $1,000 mark at which point we decided to leave our belongings in our hotel and take a bus.

Fortunately, the management of the Tres Ríos Hotel in Culiacán agreed to look after our considerable collection of luggage, including the computer, while we went back to Ajijic. Weeks later, when we hired a friend to take us back there to collect it, everything was safe and sound.

During the first few weeks we were told that the repair shop in Guamuchil was waiting for a door to be delivered from the U.S. Mexican doors don’t fit Canadian and U.S. vehicles. However, the only way we ever got any report was by repeatedly phoning Guamuchil. A major source of frustration for us was that no one at either insurance company ever called us back to give us a report in the first two months of the accident. The lack of communication was total and complete. Even when someone would promise to phone us on a certain day or at a specific hour, we were never called, ever . We felt trapped between two insurance companies. In fact, our local insurance agent got quite testy when we even mentioned the subject to him. He said it was the other company’s responsibility.

My wife has years of experience handling insurance claims. As far as she was concerned, one’s agent is the first person anyone calls to get answers or action. Our man just didn’t seem to see it that way.

Eventually, however, after eight weeks – surprise! – we did finally get a call from our insurance company’s supervisor of adjustors in Leon to say that the company was getting frustrated with lack of progress in Guamuchil and had decided to bring the car to Guadalajara and have it repaired there in a much more professional shop. However, again, it still took another two weeks of waiting and phoning to confirm that this had even been done. In fact, we were so mistrustful of everyone by this time that we went into Guadalajara to see the car for ourselves. That turned out to be a very depressing experience.

My wife had a good cry when she saw the car in Guadalajara. Not only was it absolutely stripped to the metal throughout the interior, but a lot of things were missing. We had been told to take everything we could when we left it. We didn’t imagine that included the back seat, the carpets, or all the mirrors, which were all gone. Also missing was a rack that held the towing bar, which had been welded under the rear of the van. Somebody had been determined. The insurance company’s reassuring response was that the car would be restored to the way it was before the accident. I think we can be excused for finding that hard to believe.

# # #

Well, it took another five weeks before we returned from a trip to Mexico City and found a message waiting for us – come and pick up the car.

That essentially is the end of the story. To our surprise, we were delighted with the repairs to the vehicle. Our back seat had even been found although we never did retrieve the rack for the tow bar. We decided not to make a fuss about that. The gas tank had been sucked dry. Somebody had obviously been around with strong lips and a long rubber tube.

More serious, however, was that our sideview mirrors were also missing. We refused to sign the insurance release until they were replaced. After all, who but a crazy person would drive in Guadalajara without mirrors? Ignacio, the very personable manager of the repair shop, phoned our insurance company and got their agreement to pay for the mirrors and Ignacio took us to buy some. That turned out to be an extremely interesting experience. He drove our car and we thought we were going to a Dodge dealer. Instead, we ended up on Calle Los Angeles in Guadalajara, a neighborhood crammed with hundreds of small auto parts shops. In fact, it’s the place where all stolen and used car parts end up.

If one day, you find that someone has removed your headlights and rear lights and antenna and hub caps and anything else detachable, you go and buy them back on Calle Los Angeles. A friend whose Chevy Blazer was very efficiently stripped of everything removable did exactly that. You can buy anything there for a car, including under-the-hood computers.

As a matter of fact, even while you’re there, waiting for service, you can lose parts of your car. While we were waiting we saw the club being lifted from a 1997 Grand Marquis whose owner had driven into a shop to have his stolen headlights replaced.

“What’s the point of taking a club and not having the key?” I asked.

“It’s no big problem,” Ignacio said. “It will just slow him up for a little while, till he makes one.”

On that street, you drive along slowly and there are lots of teenagers who eyeball every car that goes by and see what’s missing from it and then call you over to give you their price for replacing the item. We weren’t there a minute before we had four of these kids running around looking for mirrors for our Dodge Caravan. They could only find one and a deal was struck for 200 pesos, which Ignacio paid. Finding the second mirror took another hour and another 250 pesos. Then we were on our way, with our two “hot” mirrors installed.

So, after 15 long weeks, we have our vehicle back and I guess we’ve learned a thing or two from the whole experience. The most important thing is to keep a sense of perspective about it. It all could have been much, much worse. We were rather impressed with all the people we came in contact with…..the police, the adjustors and other individuals who helped us on the day of the accident. We may fear having an accident – and quite rightly so – but there are professional people out there to help you and the system works.

The insurance worked, too. Everything was paid for and the car was restored to its original condition. According to Ignacio, the total repair cost was around 15,000 pesos. In addition, the deductible was paid, as well as the cost of hauling the car from Guamuchil on a flat bed truck to Guadalajara – a long day’s journey. We were very angry at times with almost everyone we had to deal with because of lack of communication and lack of trust, but in the end we have to admit that our insurance did the right thing. Their decision to take the car away from the repair shop in Guamuchil was correct. The job was probably beyond that shop’s capabilities.

I think, oddly enough, that we’ll both be a little more confident about driving in Mexico in future. It’s as though we faced one of our worst fears and found it isn’t that bad. However, if we set out on a long journey, I believe we might take a look at the list of insurance adjustors in the various towns we expect to pass through each day, just so we can get in touch with them faster. In our panic, we were looking for an adjustor in Culiacán, 110 kilometers away, without realizing there was one in Guamuchil, 12 kilometers away.

Another thing I would advise is to take a few photographs of the exterior and interior of your car, just in case you have to prove someday that it did have this or that feature. We had a lot of worries and concerns about parts that we thought were missing. Some photos could save a lot of argument.

Also, I think we might ask at the various toll booths if there’s insurance on that particular road, although I don’t know what we’ll do if there isn’t.

Apart from that – burn a candle or two and pray that it never happens to you.

The post Surviving a highway accident in Mexico appeared first on MexConnect.

Cogan’s Reviews

A Mexico book by ‘Mexico Mike’ Nelson

I’d love to have had this book five years ago when we first came to live in Mexico. It’s not that we ran into a string of problems then but it’s just such a useful source of information and opinion about living here it would have cut a lot of corners for us at the time.

As the author says, this book is written for “people of all ages who want to live in Mexico and Central America, from retirees to baby-boomers who want a new life to artists and writers who want a stimulating and less expensive way of life.”

Nelson’s credentials are that he has lived and travelled in Mexico for thirty years and has written five other books about places and experiences in this country. I remember him, too, for the highly informative booklets he wrote for Sanborn’s Insurance, which we were given along with our policies at the border when we first entered the country. It was one of those detailed pamphlets that helped us drive from Laredo to Guadalajara and straight to our hotel without getting lost.

Nelson is always the cheerful optimist. You’ll do well in Mexico, he says, if you have a spirit of adventure, are not anal-retentive, have a sense of humor, are willing to accept things as they are and if you truly like people.” I imagine he fits his own prescription perfectly.

One of the most useful features of the book is that the author lists so many sources of information and assistance. Even after five years here, I’m surprised to find there are so many people and places to fall back on when you have questions.

A comprehensive list of web-sites and internet sources is given for travellers and residents. So, too, there’s a full list of U.S. consulates and consular agents and Canadian consulates and embassies for all of Mexico. Also listed are all the Mexican government tourist offices in the U.S. and Canada. A bunch of newsletters about living in Mexico are also reviewed and full details given on how to obtain subscriptions. You’ll find a list of American Legion Posts and info on AA meetings in a number of Mexican centers. Nelson even has some candid advice for gays and lesbians who travel the country.

Nelson is just as comprehensive with information about RV parks, cellular phones, computers and internet service providers, banking, credit cards, house prices, medical care and a host of other features that the regular guidebooks don’t necessarily cover. Indeed, there’s something to learn on almost every page. I should also add that I found this an attractively laid-out book with its bold-type quotes, making topics easy to find, together with short, easy-to-read chapters.

I shouldn’t give the impression that it’s simply a book of lists. One of the most enjoyable sections is a comprehensive rundown of places for gringos to live in Mexico, covering many parts of the country. In all, he covers some forty cities, towns and resorts. The only mystery to my wife and me is that our favorite city, Jalapa, never gets a mention.

It was fun to compare the author’s impressions with our own. After reading those reviews, we feel we really must go back to Cuernavaca to see if it’s as good as Nelson says. We’ve had two shorts stays there but his comments really make us want to go back. And is Morelia, which we liked, really as conservative as he makes out? He makes the Baja sound less interesting than I would have thought while El Paraiso is a place I really must visit someday in the not-too-distant future.

One useful service that the book performs is to let retirees and snowbirds outside Mexico know that there are many places to settle other than San Miguel de Allende and the Chapala/Ajijic area. There may not be quite as many gringos in those other areas such as Morelia and the Baja, but there are still advantages and attractions to be found.

Nelson has sprinklings of commentary for different groups of people. For men, for instance: “You will find European women to be more interesting than American women and easier to get to know.” And for women: “Many women find a new life that is much happier and fuller than the one they left behind.” And for gays and lesbians: “There are fewer hate crimes in Mexico, so you will be much safer than you would be in the States.”

We recently returned from a tour of colonial cities in Central Mexico. Reading Mike Nelson’s book has only whetted our appetites to get back on the road again in this constantly varied and surprising country.

Verdict: A genuinely useful guide for anyone contemplating a move to Mexico.

Live Better South of the Border
By ‘Mexico’ Mike Nelson

Roads Scholar Press, 1997

Available from Amazon Books: Paperback

The post Live Better South of the Border appeared first on MexConnect.

Cogan’s Reviews

Here’s a volume that’s aimed very accurately at a specific target audience – namely, people who want more information about retiring in Mexico. Author Dru Pearson has done an excellent job of researching and compiling almost everything anyone needs to know about adopting this country as a place to spend one’s leisure years, either part-time or full-time. I can’t think of any important topic that isn’t covered here. Also, while it isn’t the first book of this type to become available, I think it’s the first – to my knowledge, at least, to be strictly computer accessible. You can’t go out and purchase a hard copy but at least you have it available to you from where you’re sitting right now.

The book kicks off with a review of those places where we gringos have tended to congregate over the last few decades with a good discussion of the most popular five -Guadalajara, Lake Chapala, San Miguel de Allende, Oaxaca and the Pacific beaches. Ms Pearson obviously has visited all of them and gives the reader a thorough rundown on each one.

What follows is a good account of all aspects of living and succeeding south of the border..

You’ll find many sources of information about this country. Some 26 websites are listed. These include the most general ones, such as MexConnect but also include specialized ones covering items such as campgrounds and mercados (markets). There’s even a couple that apply just to Canadians. I didn’t do a count of how many websites are listed in total throughout Ms. Pearson’s book but there are a lot more than those 26 I’m mentioning here. I’m going to check out a few of them myself.

Here’s a list of just some of the topics you’ll find thoroughly discussed throughout:

– The pros and cons of acquiring FM-3’s and/or Tourist Visas.

– An interesting list of items you can’t (or shouldn’t) bring to Mexico.

– The pros and cons of women traveling solo in Mexico.

– How to move here – i.e. packing, shipping and transporting your belongings.

– The various procedures involved in crossing the border.

– Driving in Mexico – toll roads, coping with accidents, police, mordida (bribes), etc.

– Finding and choosing a place to live.

– Housing – renting or buying or other options.

– The rules and regulations for employing and dealing with a maid and gardener.

– Cost of living. Typical costs for a range of items and services.

– Buying utilities and necessities such as gas, telephone, electricity, propane, drinking water, etc..

– Shopping for food – supermarkets, mercados and local stores.

– Medical and dental care. Medical insurance. The IMSS. Doctors and hospitals.

– Quality of life…

– ….and much much more.

All of this information is presented clearly and fully explained in a way that anyone would find easy to understand.

Back in February I reviewed a similar book, “Head for Mexico” by Don Adams. It covers much the same ground as “Retire in Mexico”. I’m not going to get into comparing the two volumes. Quite frankly, I find them both absolutely excellent at accomplishing what they set out to do and in aiming so directly at their intended audience. My advice to anyone contemplating coming here to live or simply to check it out as a retirement haven would be to get hold of both volumes. After all, you’re probably going to make one of those major life-decisions and you need all the help you can get.

There seem to be a substantial number people who are contemplating coming here to live or at least to checking the place out as a retirement haven. My own e-mail, as a result of writing for MexicoConnect, suggests that there are lots of people with lots of questions about life in this country. The advice they’re going to get from me from now on is to at least go to the internet and check out Dru Pearson’s excellent book.

In my humble O: A real winner! Five stars!

Retire in Mexico: Live Better For Less
by Dru Pearson
2014

Retire in Mexico – Live Better for Less Money is available from Amazon Books: Paperback

The post Retire in Mexico: Live Better for Less by Dru Pearson appeared first on MexConnect.