Expats in Mexico: is this accurate?

[Billy]

Kcowan

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Not being noticed goes a long way. Like not wearing expensive jewelry.

Exacto. It’s a different sort of lifestyle, not getting noticed. I’ve come to enjoy it – living incognito and not causing any waves or attention. No competition with what I own, what I drive, what I wear. No label clothing, no grand entrances to parties… Who woulda thought this could bring so much joy? ;-) And we are not targets for any theft or problems.

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Nice to hear that your travels are still going well, Akaisha. You and Billy were an inspiration to us back when…

Thank you. How kind to mention. We are just loving Guatemala and just went to a pig roast today for Christmas. Central America has such a warm emotional feel to it. Hope to travel on to other locales down here after the holidays. We feel so fortunate to still be able to travel and experience other cultures and are happy that we blend in and have had no issues with safety.



Best,
Akaisha
Author, Your Retirement Dream IS Possible

[Surewhitey]

Been in PDC for 6 months now and have felt safe the whole time...know lots here now from Canada and US who have been here 1-9 years and none mention nefarious events outside of the local Pemex gas pump guys. They're the real crooks around here...

[obgyn65]

+1. I go to Central America several times a year. Always love going there.

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Originally Posted by Billy Central America has such a warm emotional feel to it. Hope to travel on to other locales down here after the holidays.

[Billy]

obgyn65

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I go to Central America several times a year. Always love going there.

I believe I have read that you do volunteer work with the Maya here at Lake Atitlan, right? When is your next trip down?

Akaisha
Author, Your Retirement Dream IS Possible

[Surewhitey]

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Originally Posted by obgyn65 +1. I go to Central America several times a year. Always love going there.

+ 1
Now that we've lived here for almost 6 months, we are going to visit Mahahual, Chiapas area, Oaxaca and the Baja on our way back to California.

We have made a lot of friends here and expect to come back in the future. Maybe even head down to Belize or Costa Rica.

[haha]

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Originally Posted by Surewhitey + 1 Now that we've lived here for almost 6 months, we are going to visit Mahahual, Chiapas area, Oaxaca and the Baja on our way back to California. We have made a lot of friends here and expect to come back in the future. Maybe even head down to Belize or Costa Rica.

I don't understand. I thought you emigrated to Mexico. Is this not true?

Ha

[Surewhitey]

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Originally Posted by haha I don't understand. I thought you emigrated to Mexico. Is this not true? Ha

Kinda, we came to explore living here. The heat of the summer here is brutal, so we are going to visit California for the summer and reassess our long term plans. We may just spend 6-7 months in Latin America in various places... Who knows?

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Surewhitey,

Sounds like fun! Please keep us posted.

[ItDontMeanAThing]

Today the LA Times ran an article with this headline and sub head.

In Mexico, extortion is a booming offshoot of drug war

Almost every segment of the economy and society, including businesses, teachers and priests, has been subjected to extortionists who exploit fear of cartels.

No mention of foreigners being extorted. Obviously the indirect effects hit everyone:

The number of Mexican businessmen transplanting themselves, and often their businesses, to the United States has grown enormously in the last five years, as measured by so-called investment visas issued by the U.S. government to wealthy Mexicans, and by the millions of dollars those Mexicans are investing in new enterprises north of the border.

...

In Acapulco, thousands of schoolteachers refused to report to their classrooms last fall after extortionists demanded that they fork over part of their salaries. The threats came in letters delivered to the teachers, on signs hung outside the schools and, in a few cases, from men who burst into schools. Much of the school system was paralyzed for months, until the federal government sent troops into the region.

So, expats in Mexico, how has this affected your life?

[kcowan]

Not at all. Just more fearmongering by the highly biased media. Mexico still remains the number destination for US and Canadian citizens in spite of the efforts of the media to demonize Mexico.
Keith in PV

[MichaelB]

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Originally Posted by kcowan Not at all. Just more fearmongering by the highly biased media. Mexico still remains the number destination for US and Canadian citizens in spite of the efforts of the media to demonize Mexico. Keith in PV

Keith, thanks for your comment. Your view coincides with that of my SIL, who owns property there and just returned from a visit. Ironically, the last sentence in the linked article reads.

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"In a country like Mexico, it's easy to trade on fear."

[Danmar]

Just got back from visiting friends in Mexico ( Malinalco). We had a great time and their place ( compound) was spectacular. Once we went out the 20 ft high gate it was a different world though. I could see how many people would embrace this but not really our style. Paradise Valley in Arizona more to our tastes as expats.

[MasterBlaster]

Incidents like this do nothing but stir up concern about Mexico...

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headline...int-in-mexico/

Carnival cruise robbery victim: 'Is he going to shoot us all?' - latimes.com

I have been going to Mexico regularly for years now. But I don't think I'll go again until things settle down. getting robbed, kidnapped, or killed can ruin your whole vacation.

I love Mexico and it's people. As tough as things were down there for their people, things are just going to get worse as tourists stop coming.

[Lancelot]

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Originally Posted by Billy obgyn65 I believe I have read that you do volunteer work with the Maya here at Lake Atitlan, right? When is your next trip down? Akaisha Author, Your Retirement Dream IS Possible

The devine Miss A, long time no see

I've enjoyed reading about your Guatamala adventures

[grasshopper]

Ms G and I are going to Palomas Mexico in a day or two. Where we shop and have lunch is within sight of the border checkpoint. Ms G always says she needs to stay close enough to be able to run back to the US.

[Surewhitey]

We spent 4 days exploring Merida this week. Drive time of 5 hours, uneventful to/from. Don't really recommend Merida (too big, a bit dirty). Valladolid is much more quaint... Food was awesome in both.

Regarding the corruption, just don't see it, but then, I don't go flashing my 'wealth' around... No different than any city in the states... So overblown for areas away from the big cities and border towns. Drove 2000 miles through Mexico and zilch happened.

[kcowan]

There are incidents involving petty theft. During Easter and Christmas breaks, we are cautious about carrying large amounts of cash or blatant displays such as Rolex, diamonds etc. (Same as in downtown Vancouver!) Just common sense. We also drive a 1993 Explorer so we are ignored because it is one of the most popular trucks in Mexico.

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Originally Posted by MasterBlaster Incidents like this do nothing but stir up concern about Mexico...

This is a good example of the irresponsible media reporting. Read the articles and then let me tell you what really happened.

A rogue bus driver took 22 passengers off course because there is a good road right to the restaurant at El Nogalito. The passengers were asked to go single file through the forest. A lone gunman held up the first 3 passengers before the rest went back to the bus. No one was hurt. It was petty theft and an inside job. One of the other passengers took the guy's picture and the authorities used it to capture the thief.

This place is 7km south of where I live in PV. There are no banditos on the road except by special arrangement (inside job). The cruise line has compensated the passengers for their losses because it was a cruise-sponsored shore excursion.

When KTLA and other camera crews intercepted the ship in Long Beach, the disenbarking passengers did not know about the incident. It was so minor that even those robbed did not talk about it to other cruisers.

So how do you feel about the accuracy of Mexico reporting now? People get killed in Vancouver every day. The latest was a shootout outside a downtown restaurant. Two people were killed. Have you heard about it. Has it been reported as a story to avoid visits to Canada?

[MasterBlaster]

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So how do you feel about the accuracy of Mexico reporting now?

I feel like mounting dual 50-caliber machine guns on my armored Hummer.

[BigNick]

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Originally Posted by kcowan Has it been reported as a story to avoid visits to Canada?

When the 7/7 bombs went off in London (2005), the UK government issued worldwide releases saying "come to visit, it's perfectly safe", while at the same time the Foreign Office website lists reasons not to visit about 160 countries because some Brit got kidnapped there five years ago.

[Sarah in SC]

I read those notices from the US govt very carefully and closely, about the issues to be found in other countries and the dangers found therein, and go there anyway.

Did I mention we were planning a trip to the "stans" next summer?