Best Florida Beach spots this time of year?

[Rustic23]

If you believe it is 'US propaganda' then I invite you to spend your next vacation in Cuidad Juarez.

[LuvSouth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcowan There is a catch with medical evacuation insurance. You have to remain under care until you have a confirmed entry to a hospital back home and that can sometimes take time. Queue jumping is not allowed.

If accident happened, I preferred to be flown back to Canada instead of staying in some "medical facility" or "hospital" in Mexico.

Hmmm, something for me to think about before heading to Mexico.

But I think touring Mexico for short time, say a week or 2 might be ok.

[LuvSouth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rustic23 If you believe it is 'US propaganda' then I invite you to spend your next vacation in Cuidad Juarez.

Can you elaborate it ?

[Rustic23]

Juarez is one of the most dangerous cities in the world. From JUAREZ MURDER RATE ON THE RISE « M3 Report

"Death stalks Ciudad Juarez: a murder every three hours
Eighteen persons were murdered in Ciudad Juarez on Tuesday, and there have been 336 homicides in that city during the month of August, a new record. Juarez has now had 2,027 such deaths so far this year. In contrast, the first monthly record kept, which dates to 1995, shows that 34 persons died in August of that year, and that the entire year’s record of homicides then reached 294. Currently, a homicide takes place every three hours." This was in August, and it has not gotten any better from what I hear on the news. However, if you think this is just 'US propaganda, have a nice stay.

Another report, which I can not point to the source, said that 13 mayors have been murdered on the Mexican side of the Texas/Mexico border. Folks in our neighborhood would not even think of visiting a Texas border town. The interior may be, and most likely is a different story.

[LuvSouth]

Frankly I don't know much about Mexico !

All I know is Cancun as it is more advertised in Canada as a sun destination.

13 mayers have been murdered is pretty scary ... 2027 homocides so far this year tells me how unsafe that area is ...

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuvSouth 13 mayers have been murdered is pretty scary ...

Makes me wonder how many were named Oscar...

[kcowan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rustic23 If you believe it is 'US propaganda' then I invite you to spend your next vacation in Cuidad Juarez.

I have driven through Nogales during a drug takedown. The main impact was a delay of an hour. When did you have a bad experience in Juarez?

Or are you just drinking the Koolaid?

[kcowan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuvSouth If accident happened, I preferred to be flown back to Canada instead of staying in some "medical facility" or "hospital" in Mexico...

You can get medical evacuation insurance in Mexico. It will cover your stay in a local hospital until you get precleared to enter a Canadian hospital. That process can take a few weeks.

What I was saying is that such evacuation insurance usually includes coverage for the US (ergo your example of the 83 yo paying $3000 for 30 days).

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcowan Or are you just drinking the Koolaid?

Keith,

I haven't been to any of the border cities in Mexico in years. However, our neighbors have family in Mexico and tell horror stories of life along the border. I doubt they are part of any propaganda machine, but I suppose anything is possible.

[LuvSouth]

There's no doubt in my mind that I would love to see Mexico once I spend more time in Florida (lots of arrangement to make before I can part time snowbird in Florida).

Once in Florida, other than cruises to the Carribean, the Bahamas and Aruba that are already on my plan, I am also tempting to see Mexico.

But I keep on hearing news about Mexico ... hmmm that's discouraging ...

I was thinking re: Mexico:
- Cancun as a start after exploring the Carribean and the Bahamas, I love Turks and the Caicos Islands ...wow !
- Stay away from those "newly built" resorts (the area that exploded in Oct) that need to be tested over time.
- Do more research from resorts to find out geologically if those newly built resorts are on swamp ...

[LuvSouth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcowan You can get medical evacuation insurance in Mexico. It will cover your stay in a local hospital until you get precleared to enter a Canadian hospital. That process can take a few weeks. What I was saying is that such evacuation insurance usually includes coverage for the US (ergo your example of the 83 yo paying $3000 for 30 days).

We have top up insurance on top of OHIP (Ontario government) but if we were to spend more time out of Canada, we will definitely buy additional top up insurance because our existing top up expires about 60 days, then this additional top up will kick in at 12:00am after the initial 60 days.

I don't know too much about the evacuation insurance though !

[kcowan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Keith, I haven't been to any of the border cities in Mexico in years. However, our neighbors have family in Mexico and tell horror stories of life along the border. I doubt they are part of any propaganda machine, but I suppose anything is possible.

Of course the border towns are not recommended as destinations these days. It is just that there are people willing to spread the fear when there has been no collateral damage. None. Nada.

We have friends in PV who drive every year and they cross every border crossing without incident. These are not brave people. But they are realistic about threats.

Ron and Vicki are in town right now with their 5th wheel trailer. They drive down from Abbotsford BC and they drag it all over Mexico without incident.

You can follow their travels visually here: phoenyxx's photos and albums on webshots

Or you can believe the propaganda...

[kcowan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuvSouth I don't know too much about the evacuation insurance though !

It is the most common form used by snowbirds (i.e. 4 to 6 month stays). People that are here fulltime (there are many from the US and Canada and I meet them at my Spanish school) enroll in the Mexican national medicare scheme (IMSS) and then take travel insurance in the summer when they travel north. Usually they are only gone for 3 or 4 months.

[LuvSouth]

I noticed that snowbirds from southern Ontario usually go to Florida because of geography. I suppose most of them drive down there because the need the vehicles, same with me.

Do you know if there are snowbirds from Ontario who snowbird in PV (West coast ?) ?

[kcowan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuvSouth I noticed that snowbirds from southern Ontario usually go to Florida because of geography. I suppose most of them drive down there because the need the vehicles, same with me. Do you know if there are snowbirds from Ontario who snowbird in PV (West coast ?) ?

Actually PV is very bicoastal. Many people drive down, usually through Laredo. Many of the retirees live in Collingwood in the summer, having cashed in their expensive Toronto RE in favour of bargain prices in PV/Collingwood.

The owner of The Madison on Bloor calls PV home. She owns Casa Isabel and is a sweetheart. She holds a fundraiser in Toronto in the summer for the kids in PV and I have attended the last two.

The package deals for airlines tend to favour The Mayan Peninsula out of Toronto, but anybody serious about living in Mexico prefers a real city rather than a tourist resort. The Mayan was only developed in the 80s and 90s. I was there in 85 and there were only 2 hotels and a Club Med in Cancun.

[LuvSouth]

One of the most important things I keep on forgetting: Most Mexicans don't speak English, even staff in the resorts, so how do you go by on a daily basis ? I know you mentioned you went to Spanish class, but how "incovenient" or "convenient" is it in Mexico not speaking a word of Spanish like me ?

[kcowan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuvSouth One of the most important things I keep on forgetting: Most Mexicans don't speak English, even staff in the resorts, so how do you go by on a daily basis ? I know you mentioned you went to Spanish class, but how "incovenient" or "convenient" is it in Mexico not speaking a word of Spanish like me ?

It varies greatly around the country. In Cancun, the natives did not speak Spanish. So I don't know. I suspect their fluency in English is about the same as Spanish. (They speak Mayan dialects.)

In PV, anyone who deal with the gringos speaks English. In certain areas, Spanish is necessary but i have never encountered a problem. Sign language always works.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcowan Of course the border towns are not recommended as destinations these days. It is just that there are people willing to spread the fear when there has been no collateral damage. None. Nada. We have friends in PV who drive every year and they cross every border crossing without incident. These are not brave people. But they are realistic about threats.

I hope they are being super cautious crossing the border as what we're hearing about that area on the local news would indicate things are going from bad to worse.

To be more specific, one of the local San Antonio TV stations has an affiliate reporter located on the border. She's done a series of reports over the past few months about the violence and how it is changing life on both sides of the Rio Grande: kens5.com | Border Blog

[LuvSouth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcowan It varies greatly around the country. In Cancun, the natives did not speak Spanish. So I don't know. I suspect their fluency in English is about the same as Spanish. (They speak Mayan dialects.) In PV, anyone who deal with the gringos speaks English. In certain areas, Spanish is necessary but i have never encountered a problem. Sign language always works.

I will consider Cancun for now but departing from Florida as we chose Florida as our snowbird base.

We still have lots to see in Florida and cruises departing from Miami, Ft Lauderdale mostly, and Port C and Tampa.

Can't imagine I have to learn a new language, namely Spanish, when I am trying to relax in the winter ... But if Mexico is really attractive, I don't mind learning this beautiful language

[LuvSouth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo I hope they are being super cautious crossing the border as what we're hearing about that area on the local news would indicate things are going from bad to worse. To be more specific, one of the local San Antonio TV stations has an affiliate reporter located on the border. She's done a series of reports over the past few months about the violence and how it is changing life on both sides of the Rio Grande: kens5.com | Border Blog

The link has a lot of info on Mexico.
Will spend time to read through ...