LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR

Every year since we have lived here in Ajijic , Dan and I have enjoyed this time of year. It starts with this ~

IT HAS BEEN FOUR YEARS

IT HAS BEEN FOUR YEARS

It has been four years until last week since we were back in this area. Every time we go to TJ we have met wonderful people. This time I went back to visit and to experience a clinic that my hero Dr Garcia works at . He taught me a lot and continues to teach me about my immune system. I am grateful for him and others for I am so blessed to have them in my life. Cancer can be managed, both Dan and I have overcome this by the education we received regarding the after care. So to all my friends in TJ thank you for being there for me... love to all and hugs. One last thing ~ last week I have met some strong women and would like to express how lucky I was to met them.

ONE MILLION AMERICANS IN MEXICO

One Million Americans in Mexico Can’t All Be Wrong

Reports are that approximately one million Americans live in Mexico. While it’s hard to verify that number, it’s not hard to imagine that it’s true. Some are working, of course, for U.S., Mexican, or other foreign corporations. You’ll find them in cities like Mexico City, Queretaro, and Monterrey.
And some live in Mexico just part-time…spending winter months in vacation homes where the weather is always warm and the cervezas are always cold.

Many Americans in Mexico, however, have moved there to enjoy their retirement years. They live in Mexico full-time and enjoy better weather, a more relaxed lifestyle, and a host of other benefits—including affordable top-quality health care and a much lower overall cost of living.

The most popular retirement destinations for Americans in Mexico

First, let’s get something straight. People from around the globe are retiring to Mexico…and not just folks from the U.S. It just happens to be a close destination for those from the U.S. and Canada. From Canada or the U.S. you can easily drive to Mexico.

Several locations in Mexico stand out, of course, as retirement destinations for foreign expats. Some of the most popular are:

Lake Chapala: In the little towns along the north shore of Mexico’s largest freshwater lake, you’ll find the largest community of U.S. retirees outside the U.S. This lakeside area in the country’s central highlands, just 45 minutes south of Guadalajara, is already home to about 10,000 full-time expatriates from the U.S. and Canada (and nearly twice that many during winter months). The towns on the lake—particularly those along the north shore—are comfortable enclaves with cobblestone streets, Spanish-colonial architecture, and some of the world’s best weather. The average year-round temperature is a spring-like 68° F, and a tight-knit expatriate community provides all manner of comfortable amenities and support to retirees—from garden restaurants, to dog-training services, to bridge clubs and yoga classes.

San Miguel de Allende: With its high-towered church and its cobbled streets, tidy shops selling carefully embroidered linens and hand-painted plates homes that belong in the pages of Architectural Digest, and lush courtyard gardens in bloom year-round, this city is like something out of a children’s fairytale book. San Miguel has other benefits, too—proximity to the U.S., an excellent climate, an affordable cost of living, an established expatriate community, local golf courses, and the kind of shopping (for everything from food to office supplies) that you’re used to back home.

Puerto Vallarta: When Liz Taylor and Richard Burton famously came here in the early 1960s, Puerto Vallarta wasn’t much more than a sleepy fishing village. A place where misty tropical mountains wrap arms around the crescent moon-shaped Banderas Bay.
Today, it is one of the world’s top tourist destinations, with an international airport, pro-tourney golf courses, designer shopping, world-class restaurants and beautiful people from around the world. Vallarta’s expat community is vibrant, too…you’ll find many activities to keep you busy, from outdoor activities to art galleries and charitable events to volunteer options and more.

Baja California Sur. The southern half of the long Baja Peninsula is a nature wonderland: a dry, sparsely-populated desert terrain blessed with two spectacular coasts: the Pacific to the west and the fertile Sea of Cortez, which separates it from mainland Mexico, to the east. Three easy-going destinations favored by expats are Todos Santos, Loreto, and La Paz. Artsy Todos Santos, on the Pacific side of the Peninsula, has a well-established little expat community. Loreto, on the Sea of Cortez, is the gateway to the UNESCO-designated and –protected marine park just offshore. With world-class kayaking, snorkeling, diving, fishing, and dolphin- and whale-watching available, Loreto attracts nature- and sports-lovers. Laid-back La Paz, four hours south of Loreto on the Sea of Cortez, is the capital of Baja California Sur and a low-key favorite that feels much like Southern California 60 or 70 years ago.

Mazatlan: One of Mexico’s oldest and most famous vacation and retirement destinations, Mazatlan is built on the reputation of the world-class deep-sea fishing to be found along the coast, and the 16 miles of beaches running north from town. Other fancier Mexican beach resorts may have stolen a bit of its thunder, but make no mistake…Mazatlan still has what it takes to charm the visitor’s heart and pique the interest of the potential part- or full-time resident. It’s a wonderful blend of resort beach town with a distinctly Mexican flavor…something the mega resorts have largely lost. And reasonably priced real estate is still available.

Huatulco: A resort community planned by Fonatur, the Mexican government’s national trust fund for tourism development, Huatulco is spacious, green, and well-maintained. You’ll find fabulous homes tucked away on high cliffs overlooking the picture-perfect bays. (There are nine gorgeous secluded bays to choose from here.) And even though Huatulco is a resort destination, it doesn’t feel like one. It’s quiet, laid-back and waiting to be discovered…the “Cinderella” of Mexico’s Pacific resort towns.

Puerto Escondido: Puerto Escondido is a little fishing village and a world-class surf zone—a longstanding favorite with surfers worldwide. The downtown area is small, colorful, and crowded, and the front beach is like a picture postcard, truly gorgeous. This is still a fishing village at heart, and its front beach is one of the cleanest and prettiest we’ve seen on any coast. You can still buy a whole, fresh tuna or dorado from fishermen’s children on the main street if you get there before 10 a.m. But the little town is growing, so get there quickly while you can still find the bargains.

Merida: Sidewalk cafés, tree-lined streets, and fresh paint…Yucatan’s best-kept secret is cosmopolitan Mérida. Just a half-hour from the Gulf-coast beaches, this city of 970,000 is a center of commerce and home to universities, hospitals, friendly locals, and beautiful colonial homes that would cost you twice as much in central Mexico’s discovered enclaves. The expatriate community maintains a well-equipped English-language library and hosts monthly get-togethers. The kinds of goods and services you’d expect to find in a comparably-sized city back home are available here, too–from Office Depot to Sam’s Club, Costco, Sears, all the familiar fast-food chains, and several high-end shopping malls.

The Riviera Maya: The stretch of Caribbean coastline that runs from Cancún to Tulum is known as the Riviera Maya. Arguably, this area is home to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. There are several intriguing towns along this coast, including Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Akumal, and Tulum. Playa del Carmen is one of the fastest-growing cities in Mexico. Cruise ships dock here regularly and the beachfront is wall-to-wall hotels and restaurants. Fifth Avenue is just a block or so off the beach. This pedestrian walkway is flanked by sidewalk restaurants and small boutiques selling a myriad of exotic items. This is a fun place with a relaxed, bohemian ambience. If Playa is too “busy” for you, check out laid-back Tulum, an up-and-coming destination that attracts fashionistas and movers-and-shakers while still paying homage to its backpacker roots. And Tulum’s beach regularly figures among the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world.

https://internationalliving.com/countries/mexico/one-million/

POLITICS ~ UNITED STATES IN MEXICO

POLITICS  ~ United States in Mexico

How does the election in the United States effect other countries?  For the last        two weeks every Saturday we have breakfast with Spanish lessons at this diner. Ruben our teacher clips newspaper articles out of the Spanish newspaper here in Mexico for us to listen to the words and repeat them along with explaining them to us in English.

Well the past two weeks it’s been focusing on how the Mexicans feel about both candidates.  You see it does affect not only the Americans but the whole world. 

There is this English newspaper here in Guadalajara that wrote an article that holds true because I am here to see it happening.  The peso fell to an historic low this past week closing at 19.96 to the U.S. dollar. 

Reasons cited for the peso decline are the continuing fall in international oil prices, speculation of an increase in U.S. interest rates and the bounce in the polls for Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for U.S. president who has vowed to deport all documented immigrants from the U.S., erect a wall along the 2,000-mile border and renegotiate or scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Mexican government officials have dismissed the Trump effect as significant reason for the peso’s decline.

Living here in Mexico and converting the American dollars to peso’s is what is helping Dan and I to survive after spending almost our whole life savings to cancer treatments here in Mexico.  The U.S. wanted to poison us with the conventional treatment.  So I am somewhat grateful to be able to live comfortably.

 Regarding the wall.  There has been a wall and fence that was started back in the 90’s, however it was never completed in some areas.  I invite you to go see the wall between California and the Tijuana Beaches.  On the side of Mexico, they have a monument with pictures of immigrants that passed through to the U.S.  It’s far from a wall but it separates the border and I must say well put together.

I do not like to post anything that is political for we all have our own opinions; however, I feel we should all check our facts and educate ourselves on each side of the fence.   There are two sides to every story.  So this election let’s not decide if we do not know all the facts.  Educate and Research for Knowledge is power.  May the best person represent us and the world. 

  

DAY 1269 LIVING IN A HOTEL IN MEXICO

Day 1269 (3 YEARS ~ 5 MONTHS ~ 20 DAYS)

LIVING IN A HOTEL

MEXICO

Dan and I have been living in a Hotel since we arrived in Mexico for the past one thousand ~ two hundred and sixty-nine days.  A home says a lot about you by what you place in it and how you decide to decorate it.  I have made our suite our own by adding little touches throughout our temporary home.  We find it less expensive then even renting a house or apartment.   When you rent either one everything is usually separate; like the electric, gas, gardener, maid, cable, phone, etc.  When renting time in a hotel all most everything is included in the amount you pay for the rental.  They provide you with maid service and laundry which is a small fee like about $3.00 to $5.00.

We would not do it any other way than this for it has been very simple and we have been able to be flexible and explore the area around us without worrying about Heckle our turtle. When we are away the maid or workers come in everyday to feed and turn his light on for a small fee.  To me this is priceless for I am able to focus on enjoying our travels without thinking the worst and knowing he is being taken care of.

So if you ever consider visiting Mexico for a while, research the option of staying in a hotel or motel.  About five months ago we moved into another hotel for the same price, with much more; for example, now there are two bedrooms with king size beds along with a lake view of Lake Chapala.  When researching look at all the costs and what you get, for it is amazing the price difference.

We have enjoyed the experience of living in a hotel and also the experiences of using the bus system that is offered to the Mexicans.  This is another option to look for when finding a place to stay if you do not want to own a car in Mexico.   We have been very lucky for the bus picks us up right in front of the hotel.

Day 1268 (3 YEARS ~ 5 MONTHS ~ 19 DAYS)

TIME AND MEXICO

Converting down to the seconds

109,641,600 seconds

1,827,360 minutes

30,456 hours

1269 days

181 weeks and 2 days

Time, one thing that I have learned here in Mexico is tomorrow is another day.  So each second is precious.

Time Lyrics

Translation in progress. Please wait...

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way.

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain.
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.

So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again.
The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older,
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.

Every year is getting shorter; never seem to find the time.
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over,
Thought I'd something more to say.

Home
Home again
like to be here

When I can

When I come home
Cold and tired
It's good to warm my bones
Beside the fire

Far away
Across the field
The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spell

Yesterday, while on the bus heading to the organic market I noticed in the small villages ahead art.  One thing that I take with me is how creative the Mexican's are.

VIVA MEXICO ~ 1267 DAYS

VIVA MEXICO

It has been one thousand two hundred and sixty seven days since our adventure of moving to Mexico.

This past weekend Dan and I celebrated with the rest of Mexico their Independence Day (September 16^th).   We were invited by some friends to go to dinner and listen to music. It was the traditional food and music to create the true meaning of their culture.

Long before 1810, Mexicans had begun to chafe under Spanish rule. Spain kept a stranglehold on her colonies, only permitting them limited trade opportunities and generally appointing Spaniards (as opposed to native-born Creoles) to important colonial posts. To the north, the United States had won its independence decades before, and many Mexicans felt they could, too. In 1808, Creole patriots saw their chance when Napoleon invaded Spain and imprisoned Ferdinand VII. This allowed Mexican and South American rebels to set up their own governments and yet claim loyalty to the imprisoned Spanish King.

This was the start of Independence Day in Mexico.  The celebration starts on the day before and around 11J in the evening of the 15^th the president speaks to the Mexicans and the party continues into the next day.

As you can see in the pictures below, they go all out singing the traditional songs and play with honor.  Dan and I enjoyed the day with friends going to Jocotepec a town near us and listened to a band that was only 10 yards away from us.  I felt the music bouncing off my chest.  Loud and passionate, the kids played with gusto. 

Since we have been living in the community of Chapala, I have learned so much about traditions and how proud they are of their culture.  I have had the pleasure in meeting some wonderful Mexicans as well as Americans and Canadians.  The unity together has made me wonder and realize how lucky Dan and I are to have decided to move here.  I feel safe and do not fear that something bad would happen to me in this community.  I invite you to come and visit this area and see for yourself.