Terry L. Turrell's Blog: Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico, page 8

WHERE WILL WE RETIRE IN MEXICO? San Pancho? Or La Peñita de Jaltemba, Maybe?

One More Step in Our Decision     In my last blog post, I evaluated two of the eight towns and cities that we considered for our retirement home. I looked at the "Pros and Cons" for us to retire in San Carlos, Sonora or Mazatlan, Sinoloa. This article is our evaluation of two more of our favorite towns in Mexico, La Peñita de Jaltemba, Nayarit and San Francisco (San Pancho), Nayarit. Would one of these two be the town we would choose to retire in?
SAN FRANCISCO (SAN PANCHO), NAYARIT Many Good Memories of San Pancho, A Clean, Attractive Town      San Francisco, Nayarit, nicknamed San Pancho by the locals, is one of our favorite towns in Mexico. After living there in a rented condo for three months one winter, we thought seriously about retiring in San Pancho. Each time we arrive in San Pancho, the taxi driver says, “Ah, tranquillo”. A sense of calm emanates from the community, and we feel tranquility begin to grow within ourselves as we enter San Pancho. When we reach the beach and settle into a chair with a glass of cold lemonade, the rhythmic sound of the gentle waves complete the sensation of “we’re in paradise”. Jon and I look at each other, smiling, and we both say "ahhhh" at the same time.
     We have spent more time in San Pancho than in any other town or city in Mexico. We have gotten to know it well and have made friends there. Maybe that is part of why we return again and again, picturing ourselves purchasing a home in this little pueblo and living there for the rest of our lives. For additional information on San Pancho, see SanPanchoLife.com

Here are the things we like about San Pancho:
 1. As the locals say, San Pancho is  muy tranquilo , very peaceful and calm.
 2. The town is....

     To read more about how we made our decision on where to retire in Mexico, click: WHERE WILL WE RETIRE IN MEXICO? La Peñita de Jaltemba or San Pancho, Maybe? (In my blog "Retirement Before the Age of 59")

REAL Mexico: Where the Children Still Know How to Play

You Know You Aren't in GringoLandia When... This Up-and-Coming Drummer Lives Across the StreetClick on the Video Version Below:
Or View at  www.HealthyLivingandTravelinginMexico.blogspot.com
     The Riviera Nayarit is promoted to the public as a fun, safe place to vacation. And it is!  But is it more than the pretty, picture-perfect resort areas along the Pacific Ocean.
    The state of Nayarit is also a wonderful place to live. We live in a neighborhood that is largely Mexican nationals, a barrio, with a sprinkling of international folks mixed throughout. This isn't gringolandia, a cluster of homes and businesses where the gringos stick together, often with gates surrounding it. This is a simple barrio, where the local people are friendly, the expats are helpful, and the children still know how to entertain themselves, playing outdoors. When school is out, the kids gather in the streets, using whatever they can find to create games and music. The sound of laughter and friendly shouts are happy sounds in the barrio. 
     Our neighbor boy is practicing for the rock 'n' roll band he is getting together. His drum set is a collection of buckets and cans, each with a different sound, put together in an ingenious manner. When his friends show up, they begin tooting on "horns" made of various lengths of PVC pipe, some playing recorders or whistles. It is so much fun to watch them play! I asked our neighbor if I could take his photo, and he grinned and nodded. When I showed him the playback of the video, he was engrossed in watching every second of it.
     I'm glad the up-and-coming band doesn't have a practice session every day, as their "music" carries well into our yard. But when they do, I smile and think, "This is so much better than if they were sitting indoors playing on an "XBox" or whatever the latest video gadget is that is hypnotizing the kids in our countries".
    At times, the youngsters are in a marble-playing competition that will go on for weeks. The street between our home and theirs was never cobblestoned so the sand and dirt makes a perfect game area for tossing marbles. It appears to be a very competitive and serious game, though the kids are always good natured, even when they lose. Healthy living in Mexico...

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NARROWING OUR SEARCH FOR A RETIREMENT HOME IN MEXICO: San Carlos? or Mazatlan, Maybe?

How Did We Decide When We Enjoy So Many Places? Totonaka RV Park Cactus Garden in San Carlos
      Jon and I made one big decision about our retirement during the past year while we lived full-time in our motorhome: We were ready to choose our favorite city in Mexico and settle down. We were tired of driving the motorhome long distances around Mexico. In addition, the cost of gasoline and the wear and tear on the motorhome were cutting into our funds. We needed to narrow our search for our retirement home and choose one, but we had so many favorites in Mexico. Where would we begin?
     We listed our top nine choices for our future home and started discussing the pros and cons of each. We decided to start evaluating the first two cities that we always stop at as we leave Tucson, Arizona and head south along the west side of mainland Mexico, San Carlos and Mazatlán. As we talked about our good memories of each of these towns, we decided to list the “Pros and Cons” of each and we knew that our decision would come clear.

San Carlos, Sonora
     San Carlos is a resort town on the Sea of Cortez, about 265 miles south of Nogales, Arizona. When we drove into Mexico in our motorhome, this was always our first stop, with Totonaka RV Park our destination. Often when we arrived in November, the weather was too cool for us, rarely reaching 70 degrees. When we reached San Carlos just before Christmas in 2014, the weather was perfect! On Christmas day, the sky was blue, the temperature was 75 ° F and the breeze was light. It was my kind of winter day! In November 2015, though the sky was clear blue and sunny, we couldn’t get warm enough, especially when we were sitting on the beach at one of our favorite hangouts, the Soggy Peso Bar. We enjoyed watching the kite-surfers, but the wind coming off the sea was cold. The water was even colder and the surfers had to wear wetsuits to stay warm enough. We had no desire to swim in the water on either side of San Carlos. The small resort town of San Carlos, in the state of Sonora, was always a peaceful, beautiful place to spend our first week in Mexico, but we started to think it was not warm enough for us to choose to retire there.
     To read more, click this link:  http://retirementbeforetheageof59.blogspot.com/2016/04/narrowing-our-search-for-retirement.html
Mazatlan Beach on a Quiet Day
Mazatlán, Sinoloa
   We love Mazatlán! We could definitely envision living there for nine to ten months of each year. Is this the city we will ultimately choose as our retirement home?     Jon and I usually go to Mazatlán once each year and often twice. Each time we visit, we fall in love with this city. But this was not always the case. The first time we were there I disliked our experience so much that I told Jon, “I never want to go back to that place again”. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that we were only there for one afternoon as a port stop on a Mexican cruise. Cruises really don’t give a fair exposure to cities. That’s part of why we no longer take cruises.     We found that when we stayed in Mazatlán for at least two weeks in a stretch, we had time to get our fill of relaxing on the beach and people watching and then strike out to explore the real city. That’s when we found out how beautiful the Historic District is, how exceptional the Malecón (the promenade along the ocean) is, how many good restaurants there are, and how much music and entertainment there is to choose from. The Pacific Ocean off Mazatlán is generally warm and mellow enough that we could boogie-board there, but not smooth enough to do Stand Up Paddleboard. The opportunities for exercise are very good. The city has an exceptionally good bus system. Health care is good and inexpensive. We felt safe walking, even at night, in the Golden Zone and usually walked to and from restaurants in that area for dinner. Shopping for groceries and supplies is convenient, whether in the downtown market, neighborhood tiendas, or supermarkets such as Wal-Mart or Mega.     To read more, click this link:  http://retirementbeforetheageof59.blogspot.com/2016/04/narrowing-our-search-for-retirement.html Plaza Machado in Mazatlan's Historic District     To read more about cities in Mexico that we have traveled to in our search for our retirement home, take a look at my ebook, available on Amazon.com, by clicking this link:  "Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico" eBook available on Amazon.com Cover Photo of La Mujer Mazatleca in Mazatlan

CHOOSING TO EXPATRIATE TO MEXICO

An Interview with Expat.com Terry L Turrell, Living in Mexico
     I recently received a request for an interview with www.Expat.com (For Mexico) about our decision to expatriate to Mexico, i.e. to change our place of primary residency from the United States to Mexico. When I first thought about these interview questions, I realized that each answer could encompass an entire blog article or a complete chapter in one of my books. Some of these topics have been covered with the detailed answer in my book "Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico" available from Amazon.com . Others will be addressed extensively in my upcoming book "Retirement Before the Age of 59 (Healthy Living in Mexico #2)". But, for now, let me give an abridged answer to questions I am often asked about choosing to move to Mexico and deciding to become an expat.

Who are you, where do you come from, what were you doing before and what are you doing nowadays?
     Before moving to Mexico, I lived in Ashland, Oregon with my husband, Jon, and our long-hair miniature dachshund, Bella. I was a Traveling Pharmacist, covering vacations and days off for other pharmacists during the summer and fall months. When the gray November weather arrived in Ashland, we would load up our motorhome and drive away, headed for six months of sunshine south of the U.S. border. In the past year, we lived full-time in our motorhome, traveling around Mexico, looking for our perfect retirement home. Now that I have retired from pharmacy, I am writing books and blog articles. My first blog was Zumba Mexico and turned out to be more popular than I expected. I currently write two blogs, Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico and Retirement Before the Age of 59 .

Why did you choose to expatriate to Mexico? 
     After fifteen years of spending time during the winter months in Mexico, South America, and Central America, we found we preferred to return to Mexico. The warm climate and sunny skies, the mellow friendly people, the lower cost of living, and the close proximity to Oregon were part of the reasons we began spending six months each year in Mexico. For the past three years, when our Tourist Visa was about to expire and it was time to return to the U.S., we found that we didn't want to leave. We knew it was time to become Mexican residents so that we could stay as long as we desired.As a US national, what where the procedures you had to follow to move there?  Two Visits to the Mexican Consulate in Tucson, Arizona  
     The first step in applying for Permanent Residency in Mexico was to go the Mexican Consulate in the United States. We chose to visit the office in Tucson, Arizona as it was convenient while we were driving our motorhome from Mexico to Oregon. The procedure at this office was very organized and relatively quick. Day One: We stopped in to gather information and make an appointment for the next afternoon to apply for Mexican Residency. Day Two: We arrived at 1:00PM with our passport photos we had had taken at Walgreen's, 12 months bank documents for each of us showing we had sufficient funds to support ourselves in Mexico, and Jon's letter from the Social Security Administration documenting his monthly payments. By 3:00PM, our documents had been scanned into their computer system, we had been photographed and fingerprinted digitally, and our Mexican Visas were pasted into the back of our passports. We were told we had 30 days upon returning to Mexico to complete the application process.     The second step in completing our application for Mexican Residency could have been more complicated according to things we had read. But we were referred to Vilma Habelloecker who works at the Bookstore at Paradise Plaza in Nuevo Vallarta. She provides a wonderful service for a reasonable fee. We called her to make an appointment to meet with her. She printed the letters we needed for the National Institute of Immigration (INM), took our photographs, completed the other necessary paperwork, and walked the entire application through the INM. Two weeks later we met Vilma's representative at INM where we were fingerprinted and we signed our documents. Another two weeks and we returned to INM to receive our official Visas! We highly recommend Vilma's service. Her cell phone is 322-227-1108.
How long have you been in the country?       My husband, Jon, and I spent our honeymoon in Mismaloya, south of Puerto Vallarta in 1993. We fell in love with Mexico that week and for over 20 years we have spent many winters in various parts, always returning to the Pacific coast. After motorhoming in Mexico for six months each year of the past two years, living in RV parks in our search for our Mexican retirement home, we made the decision to purchase a home and move here. We moved into our casita in Sayulita in November 2015 and plan to live here for the rest of our lives.  What has attracted yo u to  Sayulita ?
Dining Out with Family at Don Pedro's in Sayulita 
     Sayulita attracted us in so many ways, bringing us back year after year. It is impossible to name them all in a short paragraph, so I will try to summarize briefly. Our primary goal was to live on the Pacific coast in a bay area with sunny weather and ocean waves gentle enough to allow us to boogie-board, one of our favorite water sports. Sayulita met all of those criteria. The Sayulita bay is also protected enough that many days the water is perfect for paddle-boarding, another of our favorite pastimes. Watching the experienced surfers handle the larger waves is always good entertainment during the hour before sunset when we relax on the beach.
     We wanted to find a family-friendly town, a place where our children would feel comfortable bringing our grandchildren for visits. The friendly locals in Sayulita welcome gringos into their town, making us feel safe and accepted. 
     A major factor in choosing Sayulita as our home is that it is a small town where we are able to walk everywhere we want to go, whether to the tiendas (Mexican minisuper market) to purchase fresh produce and staples, to the meat or fish markets, to the lavanderia to have our clothes laundered, to Zumba or Yoga classes, to Spanish classes, and to any of the 100 restaurants in town. We enjoy going out for dinner three or four times each week. In Sayulita we have so many excellent restaurants it will take us years to try all of them. Best of all, it is inexpensive to live in Sayulita so we can afford to go out for dinner this often. Another important factor for us is that the bus routes running north and south along the coast and inland to Guadalajara include Sayulita as a stop. We gave up owning a car when we moved to Sayulita, so we are glad we can easily and inexpensively hop on a bus and go to Puerto Vallarta for a day of shopping or a weekend getaway. Plus, there is always something fun happening in Sayulita or nearby San Pancho, including parades and fiestas, surf competitions, wine, margarita, or food festivals, plays and Circo de Los Niños shows, and much more.
Sayulita Bay Sunset
What has surprised you the most at your arrival?
     The first time we arrived in Sayulita, I was so surprised at how friendly the locals were to us. We had arrived in our 29 foot Jamboree motorhome and missed the turn to the Sayulita Trailer Park. We ended up across the bridge into the narrow cobblestone streets of downtown during a high traffic time, towing our Suzuki Samurai, with no way to turn around. Jon hopped out to unhitch the tow car so we could back out of this mess. While cars and trucks backed up behind us, motorcycles and horses wove around us, not a single person honked at us. Everyone waited patiently and calmly. We were the only ones tense and stressed out. In fact, a nice Mexican man approached Jon and told him he could show us a way to get to the trailer park without backing up. He hopped in his car and led Jon, driving the motorhome, to another place to cross the river, but there was no bridge! The man drove his car right through the water flowing over the rocky bottom and up onto a dirt road. I watched from the shore as Jon followed, holding my breath that the motorhome wouldn’t get stuck as it rocked and rolled over the rough riverbed. When Jon reached the dry road safely, the Mexican waved goodbye out the window as he drove away. A nail-biting arrival in Sayulita had just turned into a warm welcome to this friendly village.

  Was it difficult to find accommodation there? What are the types of accommodation which are available there?      Sayulita is a combination of a tourist town, a retirement community, and an Ejido (a village with land communally owned by the people). There is no shortage of short-term and long-term rentals ranging from bungalows to grand homes. The Sayulita Trailer Park and Bungalows, a nice development on the beach, was our home until we were able to find a casita that fit our needs and our budget. Real estate tends to be expensive compared to many other areas we have visited in Mexico, but the other costs of living here are low enough that we can live very comfortably on our minimal retirement funds.

What are the local labor market's features? Is it easy for an expat to find a job there?
     Expats who settle in Sayulita create their own niche if they choose to work. Since this is a tourist town and a retirement community, there are many opportunities to provide services. I see expats involved in a variety of businesses from wedding planning to craft sales, from tour guiding to restaurant ownership. Artistic folks create and sell their specialties, including jewelry, clothing, paintings, and sculptures. Writers, like me, find Sayulita a peaceful place to settle at the computer and let the imagination run. Sayulita seems to foster creativity.

How do you find the Mexican lifestyle?
     I enjoy the laid-back feel of the Mexican lifestyle. Life moves at a slower pace here and I have found myself settling into this simpler, relaxed manner of living. Also, the custom of “live and let live”, i.e., each person is responsible for himself and for minding his own business, creates a peaceful community. I believe this lifestyle is healthier, both physically and mentally. In fact, when I return to the United States to visit, I find myself overwhelmed by the way everyone there seems to be in such a hurry, both driving and living their lives. It is disruptive to the inner peace that I achieve living in Mexico.
Living in the Barrio Means Co-Existing with the Chickens and Dogs
Have you been able to adapt yourself to the country and to its society?
     Yes, I feel very comfortable living in Mexico. Jon and I chose to live in a small Mexican-style casita, rather than a condo or an American-style house. We wanted to live simply, the way most Mexicans do and we enjoy it. We live in the barrio, the Mexican neighborhood, rather than a gringo development, so that we can experience real Mexico, and our neighbors are a pleasure. The only adjustment has been learning to sleep through the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking at any hour of the night, but that is real Mexico and we love it!

What does your every day life look like in Sayulita?
     Our typical day starts with opening all of the doors of our home and letting in the fresh air of our garden and the sounds of the barrio. Then we settle in on the patio or at our desk with a cup of coffee, both areas providing a colorful view of bougainvillea, palm trees, and other tropical plants. Three or four mornings a week we walk a few blocks to attend a 9:00AM Zumba or Yoga class. On our way home, we stop at Don Rudolfo's or another tienda to pick up supplies. Then we cross the street to Carniceria Tranco's for meat and specialty deli items or to the fish market for mahi-mahi or shrimp for dinner.
     The produce truck comes to our corner several times each week, so we buy fresh vegetables and fruit every couple of days. Some days we fix a quesadilla for lunch with left-over rotisserie chicken we bought earlier from the pollo rosticería across town. After I wash the dishes by hand, dry them and put them away, I do some writing or gardening and Jon putters around the house, usually fixing something that needs his handyman skills. Later in the afternoon, we head out for a walk on the beach with Bella, our dachshund, or take our boogie boards the four blocks to the bay to catch a few waves. The sun is warm and the water is refreshing.
Jon Shops for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables from the Produce Truck      After this kind of busy day, I usually suggest we save the meat we purchased that morning for the next day and go out for dinner. There are so many good restaurants in town, we can’t resist going out several times each week. We stroll downtown, passing tourists from around the world, local vendors selling their wares, and an abundance of pharmacies, stores, and restaurants before we settle on our restaurant choice for the day. After an enjoyable meal and glass of wine, often while being entertained by local musicians, acrobats, and indigenous people performing dance in full costume, we stroll back home along the cobblestone road to our casita. A perfect day.
Jon and I Enjoy Dinner Out at Calypso in Sayulita Any particular experience in the country you would like to share with us?
     Watching the children play outdoors and listening to their laughter while they play games has been one of our favorite discoveries in Mexico. We watch them gather in front of our house to play marbles in the dirt for hours. They play soccer in the sports field as well as on the beach and in the plaza. An impromptu game of circle volleyball using soccer ball, but no net, can last for an hour and generates good-natured joking and laughing. We are reminded of our own childhood when we played outside with friends for hours until our moms called us in for dinner in the evening. We realized that most Mexicans live a healthy, balanced life, allowing plenty of time in their day to day life for play and for family. We are learning from the Mexicans to let go of our obsession with productivity and work, to spend time every day having fun.
Mexican Children Playing Marbles in the Dirt Street What is your opinion on the cost of living in Sayulita? Is it easy for an expat to live there?
     Jon and I live on a fairly tight budget, yet we find that we can live in Sayulita for about half of what it would cost us in Oregon, and we still can afford to go out for a nice dinner fairly often. Our utility bills are extremely low. For example, our electricity averages about $35 U.S per month and water is currently $12 U.S. monthly. Because the weather is moderate, we don't need to heat our house and only need air conditioning at night during the warmest months of August, September, and October, so power use is minimal. Our property taxes are very low, less than $100 U.S. per year compared to over $2000 U.S. per year for our small condo in Ashland. We donate $30 per month to ProSayulita, an organization that supplements government funding for trash pick-up, town and beach clean-up, public safety, as well as many other services that make Sayulita a pleasant place to live. We believe it is very affordable and easy for Expats to live in Sayulita.

How do you spend your leisure time? 
     Jon and I spend much of our free time with activities that improve our physical and mental health. We attend Zumba and Yoga classes; we boogie-board and are learning Stand Up Paddleboard. We take walks on the beach as well as through the hills of Sayulita. We enjoy reading books on our Kindles and watching Netflix movies (yes, we have Netflix in Mexico, now!). Sometimes, when we have family in town, we even take advantage of some of the tourist activities available in the area, such as the Chica Locca boat trip to Marietta Island.
Our Family Trip on the Chica Locca Boat to Marietta Island What are your favorite local dishes?
     Our new favorite dish is Huachinango, Red Snapper, deep-fried whole and seasoned with herbs or garlic and butter. It took me many years of living in Mexico before I agreed to try this dish because it is typically served with the head on and the eye staring up at you while you eat it. I found the appearance very disconcerting, as many gringos do. Not only that, but you are supposed to eat the crispy skin. Once Jon talked me into trying it, I really enjoyed it and am now game for ordering it at various restaurants to experience new ways of seasoning and cooking it. I highly recommend Huachinango, deep-fried or grilled and seasoned with garlic and butter!


What do you like the most about the country?
     That’s an easy one -- the warm, sunny weather. While many people enjoy spending the cooler winter months in Mexico, we find that it is very pleasant in Sayulita from November through July.

What do you miss the most about your home country?
     We miss seeing our family. We visit my mother, our three children, and our four granddaughters during August, September, and October when we return to the United States and occasionally when they come to visit us in Sayulita. When Sayulita’s rainy season begins in August, we look forward to flying to Oregon and traveling around the state in our motorhome to visit our family.
The Rainy Season in Sayulita is Still Warm and Fun!
What has motivated you to write your blog and your book “Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico”? How does it help?
     I have been amazed and saddened at the fear of Mexico that has spread in the United States. The media has focused on negativity in reporting about Mexico and has given American people an unfair impression of Mexico, especially in regards to safety. The main reason I decided to write my blog and book “Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico” is to spread the word that Mexico is a wonderful, safe, and healthy place to live and travel. As in any country, including the U.S., travelers must use knowledge and common sense about visiting cities and states with high crime rates. I hope the experiences that I shared in my book about traveling throughout Mexico helps others have a more positive view of this country. I hope my book will help more foreigners, especially Americans, consider Mexico as a place to vacation and maybe even to live.


Would you like to give any advice to soon-to-be expatriates in Mexico?
     I would recommend that before anyone decides to expatriate to Mexico, they live there for at least one year on Tourist Visas (FMT) to be certain that they enjoy it as much as they think they will. In addition, I recommend that they rent furnished living quarters or live in a motorhome for at least a year before they decide to buy a home in Mexico. If they still love Mexico after living there for a year, applying for Permanent Residency allows them to stay as long as they like, not just the 180 day period that a Tourist Visa allows. When we repeatedly found that our 180 day Mexican Tourist Visa was close to expiring and we weren’t ready to return to the United States, we knew it was time to become residents!


What are your plans for the future?
     I plan to publish my second book, “Retirement Before the Age of 59” in the next few months. I will continue to write my blog, “Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico” as I discover more about this wonderful country. Jon and I plan to continue to travel in Mexico, including day trips to nearby Puerto Vallarta and a longer visit to Guadalajara. I am working on my third book which will be my first fiction novel. “Retirement Before the Age of 59” is really about retiring from my career as a pharmacist so that I could be free to pursue my second career, being a writer. For me, the beauty of being a writer is that I can write anywhere, so why not in Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico, where it is warm, peaceful, and my office is open to my garden!

MOVING TO MEXICO...OUR MOTORHOME WAS OVERLOADED! WHAT TO DO???

The Motorhome Was Packed for Our Move to Mexico Dinette Area Was Packed Very Efficiently!     Our move to Mexico required more work than we anticipated. As a result, I'm a bit behind on my writing. Here's my first catch-up article about our exciting move to Mexico....
     By October 21, Jon and I were ready to move to Mexico.  The motorhome was packed and ready to roll! We had sold all of our worldly belongings except a few of our treasures, tools, and necessities. We felt free!
     We had done some research on the Expat Blog (now www.Expat.com (for Mexico)) about whether to tow a trailer behind the motorhome to move our belongings to Mexico. The importation of personal property by land is allowed by Mexico, but only up to $300 per person (garage sale value) duty free. The consensus from the folks chatting on this Expat Blog discussion was that a trailer full of stuff might cause more scrutiny by the border guards. So we opted to cram as much as we could into our motorhome, trying not to overload it.
     Our carefully packed boxes, plastic containers, and black trash bags contained just enough for us to start our new life in Mexico. We planned to buy a casita, a small home with minimal furnishings, so we weren't bringing any furniture and very few dishes. The forty small "containers" of stuff we planned to bring didn't look like that much before we loaded it. But as we prepared to move our stuff into the motorhome, we realized the challenges were going to be:
To read more, click on this link: Retirement Before the Age of 59: MOVING TO MEXICO...OUR MOTORHOME WAS OVERLOADED! WHAT TO DO???: 
A Welcome Rest at Mar Rosa RV Park in Mazatlan     To read a sample of my book "Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico", Click HERE  and then click "Look Inside" on the Amazon.com website. If you enjoy my book, please leave a review on Amazon.com. Have fun in Mexico!

OUR LAST MOVING SALE!: We're Moving to Mexico!

Downsizing, Simplifying, & Moving to Mexico! Motorhome Loaded and Ready to Roll, On The Road to Mexico!     We have decided to become expats! I used to wonder what that really means. Now I have it figured out and we are ready to do it. We have decided to move to Mexico! Our primary home would no longer be the United States of America.
     But we still had two storage units full of stuff. A year ago, we packed all of our stuff into two storage units and moved into our 32 foot Southwind motorhome. We traveled and lived for six months in Mexico (See earlier blog posts on www.HealthyLivingandTravelinginMexico.blogspot.com ), traveled for a few months in the U.S., then decided to return to Mexico and explore the idea of purchasing a home in Sayulita. We found our dream casita (tiny home) and made an offer. After weeks of negotiations, we had a contract to buy our home. We were so excited to begin our move. Now we had to return to Oregon to deal with all of our stuff in storage.
Our Sign May Not be Fancy, But it Worked!     To read more about our transition and move to Mexico, see this blog article: 
Retirement Before the Age of 59: OUR LAST MOVING SALE!: We're Moving to Mexico!  

Retiring in Mexico: NO JOB, NO PAYCHECK! LIVE OFF OUR SAVINGS?!!

LEARNING TO BE FRUGAL  No More Doggie Spa Days? No Problemo! More Money Than Time  
      I have to admit that I was pretty spoiled while I was working, earning a relatively good salary as a pharmacist. My philosophy was that while I was working full-time, I had more money than time, so I justified paying others to do the work that I didn't want to do. In my free time I wanted to do the things I enjoyed and I had the money to allow it. I had a cleaning service come every two weeks to clean our home. I had a window washer come every quarter to "do my windows". I pampered myself with a pedicure and a massage every month or two. I took my pharmacist smocks and slacks to be dry-cleaned. I took Bella, our miniature, long-hair dachshund, to the pet groomers to have her nails clipped and her hair bathed. You get the idea...I was spoiled and for many years I liked it that way. I refer to my own pampered life because I don’t like to point fingers at others. But, I believe that in the United States a large percentage of people of all classes pamper themselves, indulging in their own versions of daily indulgences. Ours is a country where if we  want  something, we buy it and worry about meeting our budget later.
      About a year ago, I started to realize that the paycheck, and my pampered lifestyle, wasn't enough to compensate me for the misery of my job as a pharmacist. (See blog post:  #1 REASON FOR EARLY RETIREMENT: I'M BURNED OUT ON MY JOB AS A PHARMACIST  ) I desperately wanted to get out of the rat race..... 
Read more at  Retirement Before the Age of 59: NO JOB, NO PAYCHECK! LIVE OFF OUR SAVINGS?!!

Live In Mexico     Our first decision was to save money by living full-time in our Class A Southwind motorhome. We eliminated property taxes, utility bills, home maintenance and landscape maintenance expenses. Some folks think living this way would be too confining. But, with ....Read more by clicking: No Job, No Paycheck, Live Off Our Savings?!!
Living in Our 32 Ft. Motorhome at Mar Rosa RV Park Mazatlán    Our next conclusion was that we need to live in Mexico for nine to ten months each year to make that budget work. By most estimates I've read, and from our past experience, it costs about 50 percent less to live in Mexico than in the United States, depending on your lifestyle. Dru Pearson, in his book "Retire in Mexico - Live Better for Less Money", claims you can "Live the American Dream in Mexico for half the price." To view a free sample of his... Read More by clicking:  No Job, No Paycheck, Live Off Our Savings!!!?

A HAZARD OF TRAVELING IN MEXICO DURING THE RAINY SEASON

Stuck in the Muck! The RV's Bogged Down and Not Moving Another Inch!     We learned a valuable lesson yesterday about traveling in Mexico during the rainy season of July and August: Just because the ground looks dry on the surface doesn't mean it is solid under that crust! During our drive from Sayulita to Mazatlán, we only encountered a few areas of light rain. By the time we neared Mazatlán, the sky was clear blue with not a rain cloud in sight. The ground was dry, though the vegetation on the surrounding hills was bright green from recent rains. I remember thinking, "August in Mazatlán is beautiful after it rains". And then we arrived at Punta Cerritos Trailer Park....    We pulled through the gate of the Cerritos Trailer Park into the dry gravel parking area in front of the office, ready to register for a two night stay. Suddenly, the motorhome was not moving forward. Jon put it in reverse and lightly hit the gas, to no avail. He looked at me and said, "Are we stuck?" Boy, were we ever stuck! Jon said "We Don't Want to Dig it in Any Deeper!"     After one look at the way the passenger side of the motorhome was mired down in the muck, Jon asked the RV Park manager to call a tow truck. The manager's first response was, "Yeah, we need to do something about that area." As he explained it, they had dug a ditch along that area earlier in the year during the dry season. They filled it back in with dirt only, no rock, and then raked gravel over the top so it nicely blended with the rest of the parking lot. Then the rain came....the rain filled the ditch turning the dirt into a wet, mucky clay. After a few sunny days, it looked dry and firm on the surface, but resembled wet modeling clay underneath. Our motorhome didn't have a chance of driving over the deceivingly wet clay without sinking a foot down --STUCK IN THE MUCK!
     When I asked Jon why we couldn't try to dig it out first, he said he had had enough experience on the job sites with trucks that were stuck that he had found the best approach was to tow it out before you dug yourself in any deeper. He said that if we continued to try to move the rig, we would just break the fragile seal of firm ground under the wheel and cause us to sink further into the sludge below. That would increase the risk of damage to the vehicle when you tried to pull it out. After 30 years of experience as a building contractor in rainy Oregon, he has pulled a lot of trucks out of the mud, so I'm glad he knew what to do.
Hooking the Chain to the Front Axle of Our Bogged Down Rig     Our poor motorhome, with its 3 passenger-side tires mired in muck, was listing at a disturbing angle. She seemed embarrassed to be caught in this awkward position where everyone driving by craned their neck to see what the problem was, but she still had a smile on her face. She's a brave rig and knew we would save her.
     I recalled my dad telling me years ago that if your RV isn't level, turn the refrigerator off to prevent it from malfunctioning. I'm not sure how true that is, but my dad would be proud of me. I switched the fridge to the "OFF" position while we waited to get out of this mess. I couldn't think of any other helpful thing to do so, of course, I took photos so I could write about this as just another one of our adventures. What I really wanted to do at 5:00 in the afternoon after a long day of driving was sit by the ocean sipping a glass of wine, but that would have to wait. An Impressive Tow Truck to Pull our RV Out!     I was happily surprised at how quickly the tow truck arrived. When the RV Park manager told Jon that the truck would be here in a few minutes, I said "Sure, and we know how long a Mexican minute can be. It could be in five or six hours." But, in about 30 minutes a large, impressive truck arrived. Jon conferred with the driver and agreed with his price of 2000 pesos ($125 US Dollars) to pull us out. In another five minutes the two knowledgeable young men had a plan of action, lined up their truck and started hooking the chain to the front axle.      The first time the tow truck began to pull, the motorhome didn't even budge and the big truck's tires spun in the dry gravel! The truck driver told Jon he would need to drive the motorhome forward as the tow truck pulled and that did the trick! Here it is, my first ever attempt at video:

     We now know that during the rainy season of July and August along the Pacific coast of Mexico, we need to beware of boggy areas. After many inches of rainfall, then a few days of sun, the ground looks dry but underneath it may be soft sand or mucky clay. We had decided not to go to an RV Park in Celestino 50 miles north of Mazatlán because of reports of big rigs getting stuck on their dirt roads during the rainy season. Now we know it can happen in the most unexpected places, even the gravel parking lot at Punta Cerritos RV Park. It's best to be in a city like Mazatlán where they have the equipment to tow you out!

MAZATLÁN HISTORIC DISTRICT & CENTRAL MARKET: Some of Our Favorite Places in Old Town

We Get Homesick for Mazatlán! Pretty Houses on Angel Flores Street     When we are in the United States visiting family during the summer, we miss Mazatlán, its beautiful bay and beaches, many favorite restaurants, and the pretty colonial buildings in the old Historic District. I begin looking through my photos of Mazatlán, showing my favorites to my husband, Jon. We reminisce about our happy times there, exploring all the niches in Old Town, many of which are being restored with new plaster and bright paint. One of our favorite blocks of pretty houses in Mazatlán's Historic District is Angel Flores between Calle Niños Heroes and Venus. We catch the bus to the Golden Zone on this street, so we often stand on this corner admiring the Mexican colonial architecture. Here are a few more photos of the many buildings recently restored in the Centro Histórico.
Daytime Stroll through the Plaza MachadoCorner of Constitución & Belisario Dominquez
     One typically warm, sunny afternoon we had lunch at the cozy restaurant named "Raizc3s" in this beautifully restored building on the corner of Constitución and Belisario Dominquez streets in Old Town. Our table centered on the arch-topped open window so we had a nice view for people watching as we dined. Our lunch was delicious and we look forward to returning to try their breakfast. The staff was very attentive and friendly.
     Our favorite restaurant in Old Town is La Mona Pizzeria on Niño Heroes between Mariano Escobedo and Constitución. Hardly a week goes by when we are living in Mazatlán before we are planning our next dinner at La Mona's with its friendly service and yummy salads and wood fired pizza. The wine selection is good and the prices are fair. The first evening we arrive back in Mazatlán in the fall, we'll hop on the bus and head to La Mona's!
La Mona Pizzeria -- Our Favorite in Mazatlán! Entering La Mona Pizzeria -- Like We've Come Back Home! Jon Watches Soccer on TV, Surrounded by Whimsical Artwork     We enjoy shopping at the central market in Mazatlán, especially for fresh produce. The variety of fruits and vegetables available is amazing and the prices are very reasonable. It is well worth the bus ride from the RV Park where we stay to the downtown market to shop. The meat, poultry, and fish counters are much more attractive than I remember them being ten years ago. The entire market is clean, neat, and has enough variety in dry goods, clothing, leather and other crafts to keep us shopping for hours. But, I like the Mexican way of taking brief shopping trips to the market every day or two so we always have very fresh produce and meat. It's so much more enjoyable than spending an hour at the supermarket! And the best part...strawberries, tomatoes, and other produce actually have flavor , just like they were picked ripe in the field (which they probably were), unlike the pulpy, flavorless things we buy in the U.S.A. that just look like strawberries and tomatoes. We love living in Mazatlán!
Beautiful Fresh Fruit and Vegetables at the Central Market! Colorful Clothing, Piñatas, Crafts, and More Refrigerated, Clean Meat Counters (Improves the Smell of the Market, Too!)     Read more about "Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico" in my book available on Amazon.com. View a sample by clicking HERE.

Follow our adventures at: www.HealthyLivingandTravelinginMexico.com