Posts tagged South Of The Border
Traveling to Mexico As a Full Time Rv’er
Sep 15th
During the winter months most Full Time RV’ers move south to warmer climates. For most this is usually Florida, one of the gulf states or Arizona. Most of these RV’ers will have looked further south at Mexico but up to now have not made the jump south of the border for various reasons.
Most of these RV’ers will know someone who has done the trip even if it is only to some place such as Puerto Penasco or San Carlos which are both on the sea of Cortes, and only a few hours south of the US, Mexican border. But even with the information they have received from these travelers they will have misgivings about actually doing the trip themselves.
Many people will cite safety are their main concern about traveling in Mexico. And with the proliferation of stories that always seem to crop up whenever Mexico is mentioned, it is easy to see where there concern would come from.
First of all to put things in perspective, a recent Yahoo article listed the USA as the most dangerous western country to travel in. Mexico was not even on the list. Another article I once read out of Europe actually listed the USA in the list of most dangerous countries in the world to travel in. If you feel safe traveling in the USA, you will be much safer traveling in Mexico. If you really look at it you will find that the stories are usually repeated by people who are too afraid to travel to Mexico themselves, and then will justify it with rehashed stories. These same people will do almost anything in their power to stop you from traveling to Mexico since they cannot stand the thought of you doing something that they themselves are afraid to do.
All of my experiences of traveling in Mexico by Camper Van, Motor Home, and my cars have been good. In fact in all the years that I have done it I have never met another RV’er that has had a problem. Or even met one who knew someone that had a problem traveling in Mexico. In many cases we have been parked on free beaches in Mexico with our RV and have left many of our possession’s outside over night. Things such as tables, lawn chairs, our zodiac boat, hammocks and much more. They were always there in the morning. I would not even do that in Canada, much less the USA.
I am currently writing this article from a bungalow in the small town of La-Cruz about twenty miles north of Puerto Vallarta. We drove our Mazda Van down here from Canada for a months vacation. We did not have enough time to take the RV this year. As usual the people have been treating us fantastic, and this year with the exchange rate of the Peso to the Dollar our spending power is the best that I have ever seen.
It is probably due to the so called “Recession” that not many people are traveling to Mexico this year. We saw many almost empty RV parks along the way. In fact the small RV park on the property where we are staying is completely empty. The property has a million dollar view, and an RV spot can be had for about $20 to $30 dollars per night.
There are a number of good resources available for the first time Mexico RV traveler. One that I recommend is the book “Mexican Camping” by Mike and Terry Church. This book can be found on Amazon, and in many good book stores. Another good resource is the “Guia Roji” which is a Mexican map book. This book is also available on Amazon.
There are RV Caravan companies that you can sign up with to do an escorted trip through parts of Mexico. These are a bit expensive, but are a great way for a first timer to learn the ropes. You can find a number of these companies by looking for Mexican Caravans on line.
Another way for a first timer to get comfortable with traveling in Mexico is to buddy up with an experienced traveler. If you stay in any RV park near the Mexican border, you are sure to find people that are going south. Also once you get into the RV parks in Mexico you will be able to find other buddies to travel with to various locations.
So I encourage you to take the plunge and find out what the other side of the border is really like. Yes it is poorer than the USA and Canada, but the Mexican people just do not seem to have realized that and you will find that in many cases they are much happier than the people you know at home. They will go out of their way to help you, and will literally give you the shirt of their backs.
There are RV parks everywhere, so until you get very comfortable traveling in Mexico, you can be around other RV’ers every night. And then as you start to learn the ropes, you can wander off more and more on your own. Either way you never have to go beyond your comfort level. The only hard decision will be making the decision to go to Mexico in the first place. Within a very short time you will come to understand just how easy it really is.
The Best How-To Book on Moving to Mexico
Aug 18th
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 doctorsERs and hospital careDifferences in health care in MexicoMedical tourismMedicare and Canadian health care programsKeeping Medicare Part BVarying quality of careThe two government hospital systems and private hospitalsApplying for IMSSPrivate insurance plansMedical evacuation companiesDifferent attitudes toward prescription drugs, hospices, living wills, medical power of attorneys, prepaid funeral plansLiving in Mexico with disabilities and with HIV/AIDSAllergies, amoebas and food poisoningDentistryVisioncareAlternative and holistic medicineRolly’s experience in a Hospital Angeles ERCarol’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.
