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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.

One of my readers asked me to describe a typical day here in the Lake Chapala area of Mexico. Others have asked, “What do you do all day?” So, I am inviting you to spend this day with me in the charming colonial village of Ajijic.

Only my screen doors are closed so I can awaken to the birds’ musical symphony as it welcomes the sun about 7:20 a.m. There are no curtains or blinds on my glass bedroom doors, nor on any other window in my house. It is completely private and secure, surrounded by ten-foot brick walls which are luxuriously draped in multi-colored bougainvilleas.

My two white miniature poodles race me to my office where I turn on the computer, to the kitchen where I start a pot of coffee and then back to the bathroom for a shower and shampoo (me, not the dogs). My previous 45-minute hair and make-up routine has gradually been reduced to under fifteen minutes. Other things are more important.

I backtrack through the kitchen to pick up my coffee and then to the office to collect my morning e-mail (usually about fifty). Now that we have local access, I can afford to spend more time on the Internet. I answer only the important e-mails for now, because there is a test at my Spanish class this morning and I must study for it.

I walk fifteen minutes to class which begins at ten a.m. and ends at noon, three days a week. The Vancouver Language School has just opened in Ajijic and I’m the only one at an advanced beginner level, so I have my own private tutor. It is important for me to speak the language of my host country.

After class (I don’t ace the test), I walk by the post office to check for mail and pay my telephone bill. I have both a local Ajijic post office box as well as an account at Mail Boxes Etc. which forwards my mail fairly regularly from San Diego.

During my walk I meet seven people I know. One says, “How about lunch?”

I say, “No thanks, not today. I’m joining the Writer’s Group for it’s bi-monthly luncheon.” There are generally about thirty people attending the writers’ group meetings and about fifteen at lunch which is held in the beautiful outside gardens of the Nueva Posada hotel, overlooking the lake. Two huge macaws cavort outside their cage, endlessly entertaining the guests and picking up after them.

After lunch I come home to a busy household. My maid Rosa is cleaning inside, and Arturo, the gardener, is making my yard beautiful. Both of them come three afternoons a week, three hours a day. I have never had a garden before, because anything green dies as soon as I touch it. Even silk plants lose their leaves around me. Now I have roses, banana, peach and avocado trees, and hundreds of other beautiful plants whose names I don’t know in either Spanish or English.

Rosa doesn’t cook, but she sweeps and mops the tile floors and patio each day, dusts, cleans the bathrooms and kitchen and does my laundry. Maybe, I’m spoiled. She is sixteen and has a smile that reaches from ear to ear. She fills in my blanks and does a good job at understanding my limited Spanish. Both Rosa and Arturo earn about $1 per hour. When I’m gone on short trips, Rosa and her mother and sister stay at my house and take care of my dogs.

While they work, I sit at my computer, working on my novel and doing my on-line writing lab assignments. I belong to an on-line novels group and we critique each other’s work. Once a month, I write this column for you.

After four hours at the computer, I drive into Chapala to get some more money deposited into my bank account from my credit card. This was an extraordinarily expensive month since my annual medical insurance came due and I had a flat tire. Normally that wouldn’t be so expensive, but they don’t make tires in my size in Mexico so I had to buy four new tires of a different size. I don’t get upset at things like this anymore. Que será, será.

I stop at the dressmaker’s to see if she’s finished my dress. I got such a deal in the States during my last visit. I found a dress at a flea market for $24 which sells at Nordstrom’s for $92. I want to have a couple more made so I bought some material in Guadalajara last week and took it to Alicia. She’ll make the dress for $40 pesos (about $6.50 US dollars). Okay, I am spoiled.

She’s not open. It happens often. I’ll go again next week. While I’m driving home, I stop to pay my cable bill. I get the major US channels: NBC, CBS and ABC. It’s good for my Spanish to watch the Mexican channels. My TV has been snowy lately, so they agree (for the third time) to send someone out to look at my cable box. Maybe he’ll come today, maybe tomorrow.

Tonight I’m having dinner with some new friends who have just moved here from Canada. I met them at a restaurant last month. She’s started a yoga class which I attend twice a week. We’re going out for Chinese food (sometimes I get tired of Mexican food!) and then to see a musical, “Singing in the Rain” at the local auditorium.

When I get home, I’ll download about fifty more messages and give my dogs some love. It will probably rain again tonight. I’ll go out on my patio, swing in my sky chair and read. If we have another thunder and lightening spectacle like we did last night, I won’t get much reading done — I’d rather watch the performance.

Tomorrow is Saturday. I’m going to Tequila with some friends. Next month I’ll tell you about my tour and my recent trip to Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende and Leon, the leather capital of Mexico.

P.S.

That’s a typical day. Other weekly activities for me include pingpong, bridge, scrabble, swimming, going to the spa, traveling, doing tin work repoussé (aluminio repujado) and teaching English at the orphanage. There are also clubs for gardening, cooking, books, golf, photography, line dancing, tennis, various charitable and fund raising events, little theater groups, musicals and even cribbage.
If you can’t find what you’re interested in, simply post a notice on the board. People will find you.

The post Mexico: a typical day in paradise appeared first on MexConnect.

Dear Blue:

“Is there a Spanish Language school in Ajijic?” LK

There are no Spanish Language Schools in Chapala or Ajijic. There are several in Guadalajara and in other major Mexican cities. I recommend the Spanish Language School in Guadalajara. They have 5-hour per day intensive language programs with very small classes and excellent instructors.

They can help you with accommodations. You might try living with a Mexican family for a total immersion experience. It actually costs less than simply staying in a hotel or B&B and you learn Spanish! I did that for four weeks last June while my house was being remodeled. It was a wonderful experience. There are several good tutors available Lakeside and various Spanish classes are offered through the American Legion, the Lake Chapala Society and private instructors.

Automobiles

Dear Blue:

“Does one still have to register [their car] at the border every year as a condition of the FM3 renewal?” A&TR

No. Recently, a law was changed (or reinterpreted) which allows you to keep your car here as long as your FM3 visa is current. So, as long as I renew my FM3 annually, my car kind of tags along for the ride. Thank god. I promised I’d never make that round trip between California and Guadalajara again — let alone annually.

Dear Blue:

“You mentioned Mazda car parts? Are you saying, don’t bring my 626 if we do move there?” TS

I brought my Mazda MX6 with me. Mistake. I can’t get parts for it either Lakeside or in Guadalajara; so I bring them down when I come or beg my friends to bring filters, etc. when they visit. The mechanics down here are absolute geniuses. Mazda quoted me almost $200 to replace my side-view mirrors last month, and I had them fixed down here for only $4.00. My Mazda is also too low for the many topes (speed bumps) on the roads. And, of course, there’s no market for selling it here.

My advice is to get a Ford, GM, Volkswagon or Nissan if you bring your car down. You don’t need a four-wheel drive, but it’s nice to have a high-riding vehicle and one that’s not too wide or too long. If you do bring your Mazda down, make sure to purchase the big repair manual that comes with that particular model. With that, and the appropriate parts, the mechanics can do almost anything.

I wouldn’t buy a new car down here because the taxes are outrageous. If you want a new car, get one in the states and bring it down. Be aware though, that it’s next to impossible to avoid your car getting dinged or scratched here; on the other hand, it’s very inexpensive to get it fixed.

Dear Blue:

“Is there any advantage to having an American plated car over a Mexican plated car? What about car insurance?” LM

Good question. There are lots of different opinions on this one. My car insurance is much cheaper because I have American plates than it would be with Mexican plates. Go figure.

If your American plates expire here, no one cares, unless you drive back into the States. If your Mexican plates expire, they care. Some folks say that with foreign plates, you may be hassled more by the police , but I don’t believe it. Well . . . they did take my plates away completely for a parking ticket, but that’s another very long story.

The Single Life (This is the sex part!)

Dear Blue:

“What’s life like for single women there?” DM

Ah, so now we really get to the woman’s perspective. Well, first of all, if you’re coming down here looking for a man… don’t. There’s a local saying that applies, “If the men aren’t married, they’re either gay, ninety or gone by Sunday.” That being said, life is pretty nice for single women down here. It’s safe. My social life is much better than it was in California where everyone was so busy with their careers that they had no time for anything else. My friends include couples, gay and straight men and women, Mexicans and Gringos. People are looking for camaraderie so it’s easy to meet new friends. And, there are so many activities, that you really have to choose to be alone.

Yes, of course, people still do find each other and I’ve even heard of a couple of marriages; but, ladies, you should have better reasons for coming here than trying to find a man. On the other hand, if you’re a man reading this who is straight, under seventy, and single, you’ll have a harvest of ladies to choose from!

And finally,

Dear Blue:

“I just found your articles for June and July. What a great job! That’s all really… just wanted to thank you for your effort.” RF

This is one of many examples of the kind words I’ve received which makes this column fun for me.

Thank you.

The post Mexico: sex, schools and automobiles appeared first on MexConnect.

Posted by Mack on Abril 24, 2000

I’m looking for information on living in Tijuana or nearby for the winter moths at first. Need any info I can get please. Rents ….whatever. Thank you

Posted by alex in TJ on Abril 24, 2000

There are two nice areas of Tijuana. Playas de Tijuana is the little strip between the Ensenada toll road and the ocean. The other is near the American Consulate north of Aguas Calientes and is more centrally located. Rents run $350 to $400 per month, so a US income is necessary to live comfortably, US style (a $60 per week job is considered very good in Tijuana, minimum wage is about $4.50 per DAY). You will probably have to rent some cheaper place first as the good rentals are not that common. Renting can be tough if you go through an agency as they require a confiador, that is, a co-signer that is a business owner that is willing to be financially responsible. Just another kink to work around.
Alex

Posted by alex in TJ on Abril 24, 2000

While you are here investigating, take a trip east of TJ to Tecate. If you are not into the intensity of the big city it is a good choice. There is a border crossing that connects with the 94 to San Diego. Also consider the area south of TJ on the way to Ensenada. There are an estimated 45,000 expats living in this region.
Suerte, Alex

Posted by Bill on Abril 24, 2000

Why would you want to live around TJ???

Posted by Braulio in Mexicali on Abril 26, 2000

Bill and Alex –

Silly me – I assumed he was some sort of entomologist. As to being a snowbird, he did add an “at first” so who knows what his long-term intentions are. Actually retirement living near TJ might not be so far-fetched:

Tijuana is the wealthiest city in Mexico in just about any economic (other than infrastructure) way you would care to compare, e.g. per capita income. Tijuana has among the best infrastructures in Mexico second only to Mexico City. This despite an extremely transient and increasing population and state/municipal leadership from an opposition party. The point here being that Tijuana functions very well in terms of city services. There’s no other Mexican border town that is so close to a first rate U.S. city – apologies to El Paso – for those who need to come up for air frequently. The Playas de TJ – Ensenada corridor offers spectacular coastline and a myriad of RV parks and short term rental situations. In addition, Alex lives there – he can show him where to get the best deals on logging chain. I could go on but for some people TJ might be just the ticket for the first introduction to living in Mexico.
Best regards – Braulio

Posted by alex in TJ on Abril 25, 2000

You can have a high profile job in high tech in San Diego during the day and spend nights and weekends in Mexico. Judging by the number of folks that go to TJ nights and weekends, it must have some desirable characteristics, no?
Alex

Posted by Bill on Abril 25, 2000

I don’t disagree with your comment. However, the original post I responded to said that he was going to relocate to the TJ area in the Winter, to get away from where he was now. With all due respect to those in TJ, I don’t think the town is seen as your “typical” snowbird retreat.

Posted by Brian on Abril 24, 2000

Why live near Tijuana? Year round temperate climate. Proximity to shopping and medical care in San Diego. Being understood in English while learning Spanish. Convenience for visitors from the US. I am sure there are others on this board who can contribute more reasons to live in this exciting region.

Posted by Val on Abril 24, 2000

I for one am considering the area (although not Tijuana, more likely Ensenada) because it means I will be close to my family who lives in southern Cal. There is also the convenience of renewing tourist visas easily, a problem frequently mentioned on this board by folks who run out of time when days away from a border.

The post Retiring And Living Around Tijuana 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

A Mexico book by Karen Blue

Here’s an interesting collection of stories of nineteen women who came on their own to Mexico in recent years to settle in the Lake Chapala area. The book consists of eighteen interviews plus the story of the author herself. The women range in age from their 40’s to their 80’s. Their backgrounds and experiences and approaches to life are as varied as you can imagine.

Some had good careers going for them or others were homemakers most of their lives. Some came to escape broken marriages. Some came simply because they had been here on a vacation and wanted to come back. Some came because they wanted adventure or escape. Some have had terrible experiences here and have since left Mexico. Most are still here and express contentment with the place. Each woman has a “nickname”, although for anyone who lives here in Ajijic, it’s possible to identify at least a few of them.

Blue herself is typical of her interviewees. Tired of the rat-race in Silicon Valley she read an article about the Lake Chapala area and came to check out the place. Bingo! One look and a visit to a retirement seminar in Guadalajara was all it took. She sold her house in California and came here, despite objections from her children and her best friend. She has since found lots to do…including writing this book.

I particularly enjoyed Blue’s comments about Ajijic when she first arrived: “Contrasts assaulted me from every direction. A sombrero’d man, holding a cellular phone to his ear, delivered milk on a donkey. Young Mexican boys with buckets of dirty water washed a Mercedes and a horse, side by side.”

At the other extreme is “Sharon” from Alberta who drove down here alone towing a 17-foot trailer. She even took the long route – still alone – via the Baja Peninsula. She had worked for 20 years in an Alberta hospital and, after the death of her mother, found she had itchy feet. Her only previous visit to Mexico had been a three-week archeological trip that left her with a desire to return.

Some have had rather harrowing experiences. For this reader, the story of “Halsie” was the worst. She became involved with a crooked contractor over the building of her house and ended up with a place that leaked badly in the rainy season and threatened to collapse and took forever to build and cost more than originally budgeted. Yet she seems to have put all the horrors behind her. Listen to “Halsie” today: “I have my dream house. My garden is magnificent. The higher altitude has improved my health. My roof no longer leaks. My retirement and disability dollars go a hell of a lot further here than in California. I’ve made wonderful friends. And I’ve got some interesting new neighbors.”

I rather liked “Virginia” who, through her working years managed to fake her age. When she took “early retirement” she was actually 73 years old! She’s still teaching English as a Second Language somewhere in the village. She’s the kind of woman who goes on 12,000 mile driving trips when the fancy takes her. “B.J.” is another active 70 year old who drove here alone with a U-haul filled with her belongings. “Carol” 68, is yet another traveller. She has made a round-the-world trip alone and at least ten extensive trips within Mexico in recent years.

I thought that it was particularly useful the way that Blue questions each one about living expenses. She doesn’t hesitate to ask about rents and household budgets and to get some inkling of the other person’s income, whether it be Social Security or a pension or investments or whatever. There are also useful comments on the IMSS, the Mexican medical system. For any woman contemplating a move here it’s all good data.

There are a lot of hints and tips dispensed along the way in these interviews. I was rather fond of the list offered by “Britt” of people who should never come here:-

• People who look at a dirty diaper in the street and say the town is filthy.
• People who can’t stop and smell the roses.
• People who want everything to be like it is in the States or in Canada.
• People who don’t appreciate different cultures.
• Nasty people. They give the rest of us a bad name.
• And: Women looking for a man shouldn’t come down. If you don’t like yourself, you can’t live alone. This is an adventure. Be adventurous.

“Chaz” expresses similar sentiments about moving to Mexico. “Don’t come here expecting a 180 degree change in your life. You’re still bringing yourself with you.”

My only caveat with this useful book is that it seems initially designed to appeal only to women when there are lots of men who could learn a lot from it if they knew more about it. I don’t mean about women but, rather, about Mexico. As one who has written articles about travelling and living in Mexico, hardly a week goes by without e-mail queries arriving from various parts of the U.S. and Canada. People have read my articles and they have questions. The questions are invariably about finding houses, about rentals, about living expenses, about safety and security, etc., etc.. About all the aspects that are discussed at length here. From now on when I receive such queries I’m going to recommend “Midlife Mavericks” simply because it contains so much valuable information about day-to-day living in this country for people of any sex.

In my humble O: It’s an extremely useful volume for anyone contemplating moving here.

Midlife Mavericks – Women reinventing their lives in Mexico
By Karen Blue

2000

Available from Amazon Books: Paperback

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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

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Cogan’s Reviews

A regular feature of our e-mail are the letters we get from people all over North America seeking information about various aspects of life and travel in Mexico. This is because of articles and reviews I’ve written over the years. I’m sure the other MexConnect writers also get similar queries. I’m rather fortunate, too – my wife, Cecilia, likes answering them. And with the appearance of Don Adams’ book we now have the perfect answer to give to most of those enquirers – buy a copy of “Head for Mexico”.

Don Adams and his collaborators have produced a guide that’s aimed directly at those people up north who are contemplating coming here, either permanently or for lengthy annual visits. The resulting volume is, in my opinion, a real winner.

The various chapters are divided into topics such as putting your financial affairs in order and arranging for transfers of money here as the Mexican rules require. Also, you are reminded to register with your local consulate and all the relevant addresses, e-mail and otherwise, are provided for both U.S. and Canadian citizens. Indeed, Americans and Canadians are treated equally and comprehensively throughout.

On the subject of money you are given complete detailed information and advice on Mexican money, how to transfer money, staying in contact with your home bank, using ATMs, paying bills on line, using credit cards, opening a Mexican bank account, using checks, etc.

Another chapter looks at housing in Mexico. Should you rent or buy? What sort of prices are you likely to be looking at? What will you get for your money? How do the prices vary in different parts of the country? What sort of questions should you ask a potential landlord? How much improvement should you make to a rental property? How do you deal with Mexican real estate agents?

Yet another section covers moving your belongings from north of the border. What can you bring? What can’t you bring? Should you try moving things yourself or settle for using a mover? The pros and cons are all carefully weighed. And, once again, you are given a host of relevant web-sites and e-mail addresses.

Driving in Mexico is yet another topic that comes up for detailed discussion. What do you do if you have problems with your auto? There’s even a list of prices for typical repair and maintenance jobs. Who do you call if you have an accident far from home? And should you use the toll roads or the regular highways? And the various road signs you’ll see are even translated for you.

Crossing the border is yet another topic that’s covered. Some people manage it with no hassle. Others seem to have nothing but bad experiences. In our own case, we’ve never had a problem – even when we drove across with a brand new computer sitting in full view on the back seat. I guess there is no end of “war stories” on that topic – however, it is always a relief when you get the green light at a crossing.

There’s also a useful section on food. In choosing a restaurant what do you look for? What do you avoid? How do you read a menu that’s totally in Spanish? What do you do if you eat the wrong thing and have upsets later? When you go grocery shopping can you expect to find the products you are most familiar with back home? What are typical food costs? It’s all here.

There’s lots more – such as how to hire a maid or a gardener and what you can expect to pay. Also, what about shopping for products from TVs to toiletry items? And, on the medical scene, how good are Mexican clinics and doctors? What medical insurance should you have? Learning Spanish and teaching English also comes up for discussion. So, too, there’s information on keeping pets in Mexico.

There’s a heckuva lot more to be found in this useful book. And there are hundreds of web-sites and e-mail addresses given throughout where you can go for further information.

I’m making it sound like a book of lists or like some kind of instruction manual. But I must emphasize that the approach is light and entertaining and humorous throughout and very easy to take. And the various “war stories” and personal experiences of the author and his collaborators, help keep the narrative lively. The content is well organized, too, so that it’s easy to find the specific answer to any question you may have.

I do have one mild quibble with “Head for Mexico.” I wonder if it just offers too much information. Whatever happened to the old sense of adventure? I remember when Cecilia and I headed down this way ten years ago I don’t think we had one per cent of the info that’s to be found here. And thousands more of us came the same way. And yet we managed quite successfully, although there may have been a tense moment or two.

However, I may be over-stating my concern. As Teresa Kendrick points out in her excellent introduction, Mexico is still very much its own place with its own culture, mores, customs, attitudes, beliefs and ceremonies. All of these are not necessarily better or worse than in the U.S. and Canada. They’re simply different. Mexicans aren’t trying to be like us northerners. They seem to be perfectly comfortable in their own skins. And it’s up to us to learn about them – however we do it – if we’re going to live successfully among them.

So I guess, despite my quibble, I’m really on the side of more information and Don Adams and his collaborators have certainly provided it. The research job must have been quite horrendous. We’ve already started answering those queries from up there in the frozen north, telling them – Get yourself a copy of “Head for Mexico.” The info on how to buy it is available in Amazon.com.

As an added source of yet more information Don Adams even provides his e-mail address and a website – https://www.headformexico.com. You can’t get much more generous or cooperative than that. It’s an excellent website that gives you a good idea of how the book is put together.

In my humble O: If you have thoughts of coming this way for a look-see don’t leave home without a copy.

Head for Mexico. The Renegade Guide
By Don Adams
Trafford Publishing Company, 2003.

Available from Amazon Books: Paperback

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Cogan’s Reviews

I think there are two audiences for Dru Pearson’s latest book. The first is the same as the audience for her first book, Retire in Mexico, which I reviewed here in 2004. That one was aimed very definitely at those people at various stages of contemplating making the big leap and settling, either part-time or full-time, in this country.

When I look back through my files, I see that I was complimentary towards the excellent research that Ms. Pearson did. She took a look at the five most popular destinations for retirees from Canada or the U.S. – Guadalajara, Lake Chapala, San Miguel de Allende, Oaxaca and the Pacific beaches. In addition, she looked at all aspects of moving here – finding a home, buying vs renting, purchasing a house, banking, shopping, cost of living, traveling in Mexico, medical care, personal security and so on. It seemed to me to be a valuable document to have to help anyone with the adjustment. I know my wife and I could have used that kind of support when we moved here more than a decade ago. However such books didn’t exist then. Now there are several available. Google.com shows that Retire in Mexico is still available, although when I look at the traffic in the village of Ajijic in the winter season, I wonder why I seem to be encouraging people to join us here.

Anyway, Dru Pearson has done it again. She’s come up with Mexico Magic, which I think will appeal to that same audience. And I mentioned a second audience – namely, those people who have already gone through the process of moving to Mexico and are happily settled here – either as permanent residents or regular snowbirds. This volume is something of a nostalgia trip for those people. I must admit a few memories were awakened for me. Many of the steps and adjustments Ms. Pearson writes about were the same ones my wife and I experienced – and in many cases had forgotten about now that we’re well adjusted and comfortable with our life here.

She begins her account of her first four seasons in Ajijic starting in the summer of 2000 when she loaded or, rather, overloaded her VW van with as many belongings as it would hold, and she and her dog, Bailey, drove (slowly, she emphasizes) to Laredo. However, before she even reached the U.S./ Mexico border, the vehicle broke down and she found herself by the roadside in 110 degree temperatures, unloading twelve boxes of belongings, plus a TV, a computer complete with monitor and printer and other sundry items. However, a mechanic answered her call and the car was repaired and she made it across the border at Laredo, starting the 750 mile stretch to Ajijic on the shores of Lake Chapala.

At that time, she mused: “My friends in North Carolina had said no single woman should attempt to move to Mexico by herself. They thought I was crazy for leaving my family and friends and a secure teaching job to take up early retirement.” She continues: “I’d taught English for the last 26 years and I didn’t want to teach The Odyssey again: I wanted to experience an odyssey of my own.”

Her first accommodation was a B&B that accepted dogs in the village of Jocotopec, just a few miles west of Ajijic. In that week she began to adjust to nightly fireworks, church bells and barking dogs and, in the daytime, there were the narrow cobblestone streets, potholes, trucks and cows blocking the roads. All of this wasn’t too shocking because she had spent the previous two summer vacations in the area. However, this wasn’t a vacation. Rather, she was in search of accommodation. From her account, it didn’t seem to be too difficult a process. Perhaps homes were more available then than they are today or, at least, not in such demand and certainly more reasonably priced. Anyway, she rented a house four blocks from the lake in Ajijic, complete with features such as a sunlit terrace, a beautiful garden and a mirador on the roof with marvelous views of the lake and surrounding mountains.

From then on the story becomes one of adjustment to the various pros and cons of life in a new environment. She gives a good account of the things to learn in order to survive, such as shopping, coping with propane gas, finding a housekeeper and a gardener, learning the currency and so on through a hundred-and-one small adjustments. Then there were the pleasures of the place, the chief of which for Dru Pearson was the ease of meeting new people and the leisurely meals with friends in the many good restaurants. Exploring the area and visiting the beach resorts, which are really only a few hours drive away – these are also pleasures in which she indulged.

Also, of course, there are the negative items. Encounters with the police are high on that list and she describes a few of them. I guess we all have those items to report. And, oddly enough, learning Spanish seemed to be a bit of a negative for her, considering she was a language teacher. And, also, there are the things you worry about that never happen – like encounters with scorpions and worrying about security and burglars.

Not everyone is as sanguine about Mexico as she was. In her comments about the ease of getting to know people, she mentions one North Carolinian man she met who came to check the place out and saw only the squalor and poverty which, let’s face it, is in fairly plentiful supply here. He very wisely returned to North Carolina as no doubt others have done. I must say I’ve met one or two of those: people who had a negative attitude toward Mexico before they even came here and who should simply stay home.

I liked one of the comments she makes in her account. “Maybe I’m the only one who feels this way, but I think the major difference is that it’s impossible to be bored in Mexico. It’s full of light and music and people. The United States is dull by comparison. There’s so much going on in Ajijic, every minute of the day and night, that you know you’re alive every second. Every day is lived in the here and now. And it’s impossible to be alone there.”

I’m inclined to agree.

In my humble O: A good primer for anyone interested in moving here. A pleasant nostalgia trip for those of us who have long since made the adjustment.

Mexico Magic
By Dru Pearson
This book is out of print, Try this book by the same author: Retire in Mexico – Live Better for Less Money, available from Amazon Books: Paperback

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