C.E. Flores's Blog, page 51

Funerals in Mexico–Test of Endurance

Sometimes I think that all I write about these days is Death. We’ve certainly experienced our fair share since moving to Mexico. In September, we experienced yet another tragedy.

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My husband’s nephew L made a series of poor decisions and was taken from his home in the middle of August. Several weeks later, his body was found in La Barranca, a small mountaintop community that is a municipality of Moroleon.

His body was taken to Celaya for autopsy and returned to his mother’s house in Moroleon at 3 am the next morning. She had cleared out her tortilleria to receive the body. However, the coroner’s report was not sent with the body. Without the coroner’s report, a death certificate could not be made nor a plot in the cemetery purchased. L’s body had already begun decomposing, so time was of the essence.

Therefore, L’s younger brother A went with the funeral home people back to Celaya to await a coroner’s report. My husband and I hoped to be able to speed the burial process along even without the documentation and went to the panteon (cemetery) to see if we could purchase the plot since it was Friday and the offices are closed over the weekend.

We arrived there to find that the girl who is in charge of the office wasn’t planning on coming in that day. We spoke to the caretaker. Several calls were made and finally, we were told that she would be in after all.

We headed back to my husband’s sister’s house to see what else could be done. The civil registry office closes early on Fridays. Brother A returned with the coroner’s report just in time to get the death certificate but the cemetery office was now closed again. The girl promised she would come in on Saturday at 8 am especially for us to purchase the plot, so the funeral was scheduled for 11 am the next day.

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That night was the velorio (wake). I have to say I was disappointed in the behavior of the attendees. I arrived a little late and nearly everyone present was either high or drunk. I didn’t stay long. I wonder if it was perhaps the age of the mourners, most were just teenagers, and maybe it being their first death, they didn’t know how to act. When I presented my theory to my teenage sone, he pointed out that this wasn’t his first funeral and that he certainly wasn’t carrying on like that. So I don’t know what to think about their behavior.

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The next morning, my son and I went to pick up some flowers before the funeral service at the church. Unbeknownst to me, my gas gauge was broken and we ran out of gas on the highway. We had to walk about 2 kilometers to the nearest gas station. Fortunately, the last 1/2 mile or so was mostly downhill and we coasted right up to the gas pump.

We missed the misa (mass) completely but still went to get those flowers and headed to the cemetery. L’s older brother who is working in the U.S. sent enough money to hire a banda (band) to play during the funeral procession from the house to the church to the cemetery, and then continue playing for an hour or so after the casket was covered. Relatives in el norte (U.S.) also sent enough to buy a ground tomb rather than a crypt. It’s twice as expensive to be buried underground.

I can’t say that the mourners’ behavior was any better at the interment than it was the night previously at the velorio. This isn’t my first funeral here, so I know that this was not the norm. There was such volumes of weeping and wailing and screaming that it really was fit for a telenovela (soap opera). The younger brother A. threw himself into the grave at one point and one guy, I’m not even sure who he was, danced on the tombs as the banda played on.

L’s mother was putting on quite a show, which would have been fine since everyone grieves in his or her own way and all that. However, it was now midday and the sun was blazing hot and no one thought to bring any umbrellas for shade. Well, there was one, but it was a child’s umbrella and it barely covered her head. So her younger sister, who was trying her darndest to be supportive and had stayed up since 3 am the previous day to help her sister through this most difficult time, was left without shade and finally fainted. Here’s where all the first aid training I had paid off.

There is one mesquite tree in the entire cemetery which provides only partial shade. Some of the menfolk moved the prostrate sister to said shade. Having just hiked 2 km myself, I still had 1/2 bottle of water I bought at the gas station. This was poured over her head and revived her some. She was still unable to focus or speak coherently. My son and I marched our fannies to the corner store and bought two bottles of suero (electrolytes). I forced her to drink the smaller of the two bottles immediately. She did and by the last drop, she said that the world had stopped spinning.

I decided that her supportive role in the ongoing drama, albeit commendable, was over for the day. The oldest sister supported my decision. So her father and my son half-carried the ailing sister to the entrance area where there was both shade and benches. I bullied her into drinking the second bottle of electrolytes until she was able to respond to questions without her eyes rolling back into her head. There was some talk of taking her to the hospital, which wouldn’t have been such a bad thing, but nothing came of it. She did go home and rest for a while.

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Eventually, someone talked the mother into going home and she was given a prescription for some tranquilizers so was able to mostly make it through the novena (9-day prayer session) without completely alienating the entire family. Although, I’m not sure that you ever recover from the loss of a child, no matter how it happens.

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So about L, the autopsy report has not been released as it is part of an open murder investigation. I doubt it will ever be made available. L. had been in trouble before, and in fact, had been kidnapped and tortured and escaped. Despite this, he continued to antagonize the wrong people. He and another young man were taken by those that do the taking around here. No one saw anything. No one knew anything. Without the autopsy report, the family won’t know if he was tortured before he was killed or exactly how he died, which may be for the best, the not knowing part I mean. In having a body to bury, there is some closure. The other young man’s family is still waiting for any information.

The situation where we live has become intense. The cities listed with the highest number of homicides in the first 8 months of 2018 surround us. In August alone, there have been more than 3,000 homicides making a grand total of 22,000 homicides thus far this year. That number doesn’t include Desaparecidos (those that have disappeared). The state in which we live, Guanajuato, has been leading the body count with 1,671 homicide victims between January and August. There is currently a turf war going on between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Santa Rosa de Lima gang.

L was just one more casualty. No one expects the police to find the murderers. After all, the police are up to their eyeballs in this whole business. I’ve seen the impunity that exists before.

What surprised me most was the lack of judgment from the community. It might have been easy to dismiss what happened to L as no more than he deserved. That’s probably true. But what I’ve heard from those who reached out to help, those that attended the funeral service, those that are still trying to do what they can for L’s mother, those that have expressed their condolences, is that each and every one of them realized that it could have been the brother, their cousin, their nephew, or their son. Maybe this realization even inspired the devil-may-care attitude of some of the mourners. After all, they could be next.

So today, el Día de los Muertos we have gone to the cemetery yet again. The grief is still raw and ugly. But we’ve brought flowers for my mother-in-law, killed by a police officer 6 years ago in May. We’ve brought flowers for my brother-in-law, who lost his battle with alcohol last November. And we’ve brought flowers for L, who was once the little boy who called me Tia.

 

 

 

Little by little…

The rainy season has kept our travels to a minimum lately. However, we have been doing this and that to the house.

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Gate after

The improved gate to prevent the invasion of zombies (or peering neighbors) got painted. We used paint we already had, so it didn’t cost too much. Enough paint remained that we painted the front window and the garage door. They needed another coat of paint since it’s now been over 10 years since they were installed.

Then, my husband made a patio in the area between the animals and our house. During the rainy season, this area got quite muddy, so it’s a nice improvement. The bricks are not cemented down, so if we decided to change the purpose of the area, it won’t be a major hassle. Puppy loves it!

The rain did a number on one or two of my framed puzzles I had hanging on the wall. The water seeped through the bricks and molded them up. Fortunately, only one was unsalvagable. This issue necessitated a thin layer of cement being spread over the outside wall expanse. It was no more than a half of day’s work for my husband and son and has greatly improved the impermeability of the wall.

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And finally, we installed two more solar panels, bringing the total to 3, to increase the overall power production. We still need to get some more batteries, but that will have to wait until the next paycheck.

Buying plants in Mexico

Mexico prohibits the import of seeds and plants from other countries. Which means Amazon and Burpee Seeds do NOT ship to Mexico. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds does but customs can sometimes hold the shipment up for months. Other online places to find seeds in Mexico are La Semillería and Rancho Los Molinos.[image error]

My favorite place to buy plants is at the weekly tianguis (fleamarket). Usually, I can score a coffee tin or two with plants for under 20 pesos. You can also buy tierra para plantas (feedbags full of soil) from certain vendors. This is usually dirt scooped up from the base of el acebuche (Olea europaea), La ensina (Quercus ilex) or uña de gato (Uncaria tomentosa)trees which is particularly porous and makes a good mix on top of the regular old black dirt. This is what Mama Sofia collected and sold to supplement her income in Cerano.

Seeds packets are most often found at places that sell animal feed, maicería or Alimentos para animales or forraje. The packaged variety is limited but every now and then you can find exactly what you were looking for. I spent 6 solid months looking for semillas de jamaica (hibiscus flower seeds) until I finally found some. They’ve sprouted and I’m excited to see how they grow! These are the best places to get your corn, pumpkin and bean seeds by the kilo or puño (fistful).

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You might also try stores that sell productos de jardinería (gardening products). You’ll find macetas (flowerpots) and some general insecticides here. Macetas are also sometimes sold off the back of trucks that periodically come through town offering 3 for $100 sets.

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Viveros (plant nurseries) sell live plants but it’s a pot shot what you might find. The other day we were hot to get a banana tree and went to 4 different viveros before we found one. We also lucked out and found a new barrel cactus to replace the one that putrified in the last rainy season.

Sometimes you might come across a tricycle vendor and I encourage you to stop and take a look. You might just find exactly the plant you are looking for.

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On Being an Herbal Academy Affiliate

I’ve tried several affiliate programs and most have not been worth the effort. However, the Herbal Academy Affiliate program has been one that I would recommend if your niche contains herb lovers, homesteaders or tree huggers.

Commission payments are sent out the first full week of every month with an outstanding balance of $50 or more by Paypal. I make a 15% commission on every referral. I get 35% off Herbal Academy’s Online Programs and Herbalist Packages and sometimes I even get to take a course for FREE in exchange for a blog post, There are banners and images galore to make promoting easy. And finally, the courses are of the highest quality which makes it easy for me to rave about.

You can read the Affiliate Terms and Agreements here.

I’ve taken several of Herbal Academy’s courses myself.

My review of the Botany and Wildcrafting Course is here. My review of the Herbal Self-care for Stress Management Course is here. My review of the Herbal Fermentation is here.

Herbal Academy also sponsors the membership only herbal online library The Herbarium. There you can find articles, downloads, video, podcasts, monographs, and an herbal bookshelf designed to add to your herbal knowledge. They have also begun a new series of intensive workshops concentrating on herbal treatment for specific conditions. The first course is called Herbs for ADHD, Cognition, and Focus.

But that’s not all! Herbal Academy also has its own store choked full of fun and useful herbal products. My personal favorites are the Materia Medica Journal and the Herbal Starter Kit.

So really, what’s not to love about being an Herbal Academy Affiliate?

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Review of The Move to Mexico Bible by Sonia Diaz and Beverly Wood

Are you still having trouble deciding where you want to live when you move to Mexico? Then The Move To Mexico Bible by Sonia Diaz and Beverly Wood is the book for you.

Eight full chapters are dedicated to an overview of 33 cities and 8 regions in Mexico for your consideration.  Not only are average temperature and rainfall recorded for places like Guanajuato City, Cuernavaca, Guadalajara and Mexico City, but also whether you’ll need to be fully fluent in Spanish to live there (or can get by with just a smattering vocabulary), what amenities you’ll find (like Costco and Walmart), how far from international airports each city is, and what type of medical facilities are available.

But that’s not all! This book also covers the basics on how to import your crap (oh, I mean your cherished possessions) and bring your pets into Mexico. Then there are chapters on whether it is in your best interest to import a vehicle, how to get a Mexican driver’s license, how to keep in touch with loved ones, whether you should buy or rent (and the pitfalls of both) and whether you can get healthcare in Mexico.

This book also delves into aspects of living in Mexico that I’ve never experienced like hiring household help and selling a house in Mexico.

And yet, that’s not the end. There are also sections about Spanish for expats (with cognates, false cognates, common phrases, slang and swear words) and a gringo primer on food. Also included are handy guides on making phone calls (which is more complicated than you might think), common Mexican acronyms, major holidays, and an alphabetical list of prescription drug names.

Wow! What a lot of information for just one book! No wonder the authors have called it a BIBLE!

Those of you who are still in the planning stages of your move to Mexico should definitely check this book out.

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Planning a party in Mexico

Mexico loves to celebrate! You’d be hard pressed to find a family that hasn’t shared their life events with the friends and family in the form of a fiesta! And really, why not? Life events from christening to funerals, all have their own form of celebration.

 

More often than not, parties are not held at the celebrant’s house, but at a rented Salón de eventos (party hall) or cabaña (cabin). The owner will provide electricity, bathrooms and a clean-up crew, but usually not much else.

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So the next party stop is to make arrangements with a place that advertises Se renta sillas y mesas (tables and chairs for rent). You’ll request a certain number of chairs and tables and sometimes tablecloths to be delivered to the rented venue shortly before the event. You’ll need to ask specifically whether the chairs and tables will be set up for you, or if you’ll need to have that done by the nieces and nephews an hour or so before the party. Just so you know, most often the chairs are flimsy metal contraptions with not nearly enough seat for your rump marked with the Corona logo.

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A lot of people have the decorations made, which adds a personal touch to the event. Weddings and Quinceañera especially have adornments from florerías and tortilla servilletas (napkins) hand embroidered with names and dates from those ladies that sit in the market. Be aware that these are meant to be gifts for attendees, along with the larger table decorations, so if you want one as a memento, set it aside BEFORE the party otherwise you might just find there’s not a single one left.

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On the other hand, there are places that rent themed decorations for events. These are NOT meant to be taken as souvenirs. The decorator will charge you for missing items so make sure your guests know the decorations are rented. You might be able to rent nicer tables and chairs from these party planners as well.

 

You will be able to hire a DJ (sonido) and servers (meseros) at places that advertise those services. Often the chair and table renters can refer you to a cousin that will be able to meet your music and serving needs.

The food is ordered from an establishment that specializes in that particular food preparation. Carnitas are the most common party fare so you would make arrangements with one of the regular carnita sellers to fry you up some pig during the day so that it will be sizzling hot when lunch/dinner is served. Usually, the food preparer will make arrangements for delivery, but it’s best to check. The same is true for cakes from the pastelerías.

Tortillas are also ordered ahead of time from a Tortillería. My sister-in-law often gets orders of 30 kilos or more for events. The host (or person in charge of the food for the event) places and pays for the order and she makes arrangements for her ladies to come at a specific time so that the tortillas will be piping hot for the event. She wraps them in tin-foil and keeps them hot in a cooler. She doesn’t deliver, so someone needs to make sure someone picks up the tortillas at her establishment before the party.

More luxurious parties might have a hired bartender or maybe el primo de su tía handling drink orders. Most parties have 2-liter soda bottles scattered along the table and people serve themselves. Many party guests bring their own alcohol as well, occasionally bottles are provided by the host in the spirit of self-serve.

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Plates, cups, napkins, and eating utensils, even at most fancy dancy parties, are desechables (disposable) and purchased in bulk by the host, not the meal preparer at stores that sell desechables.

If your party calls for a piñata, make sure you fill it up with a mixed selected from the Dulcería (candy shop), otherwise, the whackers will be sorely disappointed when nothing but confetti falls out.

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Many salones de fiestas (party halls) have a children’s play area. You can also rent inflables or brincolines which are those inflatable slides or jumpy castles to add to the fun. Make sure you have an extension cord long enough to power the inflator.

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Make sure to book a videographer for pictures and a video montage of the event. Most foto estudios offer this service.

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Make-up and hairdressing are done at a salón de belleza (beauty salon) or you can hire a beautician to come to your home prior to the event for some beautifying. Manis and pedis can be set up at places that offer Aplicacion De Uñas (nail application).

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While women often buy their party outfits, men often have the option to rent their suits or mariachi costumes. These however often require tailor fittings beforehand, so check with the establishment on making arrangements.

Financing an all-out shindig comes from the pockets of the padrinos (godparents). Take, for example, the Quinceañera. Every aspect of the event has a specific madrina/padrino.  It’s important to acknowledge the contribution of each and every madrina/padrino publically so as to avoid offense. In fact, best to thank them several times in front of an audience over the course of the event. For the most part, these “contributions” make up the “gifts” to the celebrant rather than a pile of wrapped boxes. If you are asked to stand as madrina/padrino for a life event, make sure you know exactly what you will be responsible for.

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I’ve seen a few invitations for events but for the most part, attendees are invited personally or brought along by someone who was invited personally or is a madrina/padrino for the event so don’t be alarmed if there is a sizable section of people you don’t know at your party. There’s always enough food and drink and if not, there’s always someone willing to go find more.

If you are dead set on invitations, you can make a master copy and have them printed out or copied at a place that advertises Se Hacen Copias (Copies made here). I wouldn’t recommend printing them on your own printer because printer  ink is extremely expensive.  Then you can spruce them up with sparkles or colors.

Parties quite often last long into the night and maybe part of the early morning. Somebody will bring the Café de olla (pot coffee) to keep you awake. The important thing is to remember is that you are making memories commemorating these transitional life events and not to be too fussed about those little annoyances (or that loud-mouth sister-in-law) that come up. Now go and have fun!

Quest for internet

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See that tan spot in the center of the country that indicates less than 8% of the area has internet? That’s where I live!

September was a bummer month for me work-wise. Every other day the internet went out. And if it wasn’t the internet, it was the electricity. Even with the UPS, I missed a number of classes and my performance review for the quarter was deplorable. This caused me to exclaim in exasperation one day that we had more stable power with one solar panel in La Yacata than at the rental in town connected to CFE (the Mexican electric company).

So, with that being the case, I decided to see what I could do to set up my office from home rather than continue to rent the Little House in Sunflower Valley with its myriad of problems.

A chance remark had me thinking. One of the ladies that makes tortillas with my sister-in-law is from Los Amoles, which is way up the mountain. She said that they had internet through DishTV since Telmex didn’t have any lines up that way.

Therefore, we spent the day looking for the Dish TV office in Moroleon, which we couldn’t find. Apparently, there had been an office, but it had moved out.

We went to the main TelCel office to see about satellite internet and talked with a representative about 30 minutes. We weren’t entirely convinced on the whole deal. There were a number of requirements, payment upfront, and the fact that my cell phone is through Telcel and often does not have a signal out in La Yacata.

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Then we decided to check out a few other places. SkyTV also offered internet service called Blue Telecom which was comparable to what I have now with TelMex but uses the satellite setup like TelCel. Only, an agent would have to head to out La Yacata to see if there was a signal strong enough for internet reception. Okie Dokie.  But it wouldn’t be today.[image error]

Next we headed to a place called Wi-Fi Moroleon. The name seemed promising. Unfortunately, their service only extended as far as Los Juzgados (2 km from La Yacata). They did have solar panels though and we bought two.

Then we tried Telecable. However, this company uses electric lines to provide internet. As La Yacata hasn’t any electric lines, it wouldn’t work.

On the way home, we came across a Dish TV car parked in the shade of the mesquite tree. We screeched to a stop and had a little chat with their representatives, who were on their way to a meeting in Morelia. They confirmed that Moroleon no longer had a DishTV office but that internet would soon be available in the area and that they were offering 20 megas which was double any other service in the area. It would just be a few weeks…..well, a few weeks in Mexico could be quite some time.

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DishTv internet service ON coming soon!

The next day the SkyTV representative came out with his stuff and lo and behold, we got a pretty good signal. So we signed up on the spot. We had to pay for the modem outright which was the same make and model that TelCel offers but at half the price. Then to sign up for the service we needed an IFE (Mexican voter’s identification card). My husband has one of those. And we needed a comprobante de domicilio (proof of residency like water or electric). Umm, well this was an issue. La Yacata doesn’t have either water or electric service, therefore, we have no bills to provide as proof. Fortunately, the representative said that the certificado de propiedad (owner’s certificate) that we had for our lots would work. Whew!

We picked up the modem the next day and plugged it in. Voila! Internet at the house. I’m not entirely convinced it will be adequate for teaching online, however. Cloudy days reduce signal strength and just like TelCel, there are periods when the signal drops altogether.

What this means is that I most likely will not continue teaching online once my contract expires in December. As it is, at the Little House in Sunflower Valley I have issues every single class with bandwidth on the lined internet provided by Telmex which theoretically is more stable than satellite internet. So I’m looking at other options for regular income.

Easy Access International, LLC

Having gone through the Mexican immigration process myself, I can say that the whole ordeal is made easier with the help of someone who knows what they are doing. To that end, over the next few weeks, I am going to be highlighting some agents that work with those struggling to immigrate to Mexico legally. While these agents may not be located in the area in which you currently live, you can get a feel for what different agents offer and what you still will need to do yourself. 

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My name is Alexis Martha Cepeda [Duarte]I am a litigating attorney at law with a Master in Criminal Law and Forensic Science. Also, I am a certified/registered interpreter/translator for the state of Yucatan. Any translating services would be done in-house by me.

I am partnered up with Attorneys Jose Carlos Medina and Karla Mendoza.

We work with different “Notarios”, not to be confused with Notary Public agents which in Mexico are called Authenticators of Signatures.

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Our business is “Easy Access International, LLC” and our website is www.yucatanwantsyou.org 

We provide assistance with:

Immigration: all processes necessary to obtain a temporary and/or permanent status in the country. Translation of all document needed and on sight interpretation.Foreign Affair process to become a Mexican Citizen.
Legal Counseling and litigation: Criminal, Family, Civil, Mercantile and Real Estate

IMSS health insurance acquisition.
Funereal: Funeral, cremation, inhumation and exhumation, body repatriation services through “Funeraria Reyes Rodriguez”.

Although all immigration processes could be done without an agent, many people find that it is very confusing to navigate the Mexican system and very time-consuming.

Having an agent will alleviate any undue stress allowing those moving to Mexico to concentrate on other important matters that only they can take care of, for example, where to live, packing and shipping household goods, etc.

Aside from passports, I would suggest those moving to Mexico bring their identity paperwork, such as their birth certificates duly legalized or apostilled.

When driving an automobile into Mexico it is of extreme importance to go through the first immigration post on the route and getting the necessary customs permit for the vehicle.

In order to bring in your household goods, these must be duly itemized, and you must have the “temporary” visa on your passport that allows you to continue with the process in getting your temporary residence in the city you are going to settle. This temporary visa will expire 6 months after it has been placed in your passport while you are still in your country of origin. However, you only have 30 days to finish the process in the nearest INM office to your new home in Mexico. It is always best to finish the process before the 30 days expire.

If you are making Mexico your permanent home, funereal services must be considered, and cremation services could only be done by the next of kin. I would suggest bringing paperwork to show the next of kin is such, especially if they don’t have the same last name. In these cases, one must bring: children’s birth certificates, divorce papers, marriage certificates and/or any legal document to prove kinship.

You can contact me:

By email: acepeda@yucatanwantsyou.org

US phone: 818-805-5750

Mex. Phone: +52-999-285-3239

Mex. Cell: +521-999-159-1390

Book Review–How to Not Run Away to Mexico by Jennifer Robin Lee

If you haven’t guessed from the title, this book is chocked full of things that you SHOULDN’T do when you move to Mexico, as experienced by Jennifer who didn’t just move to Mexico once, but multiple times and with varying levels of success.[image error]

Her international adventures begin in 1994 when she moved from Canada to Monterrey to join the Mexican National Circus in Saltillo. Go ahead, roll your eyes, but we’ve all been young and foolish at least once in our lives. See, her cousin was dating a clown and well, it goes downhill from there.

On her second move to Mexico, she had a face-to-face encounter with the police in Guanajuato. In Spanglish negotiated her way out of a ticket with “No vas rapido. Yo tengo una plata. You tengo mi papeles. No problemo. Gracias. Adios Senor” and jumping back in her car leaving a perplexed representative of the law in the dust.

In some sort of karmic retribution, Jennifer’s Audi broke down outside of Leon and it took thousands of dollars and YEARS to get the vehicle fixed and returned to Canada.

On another occasion, Jennifer was saved by Jesus himself (well, his representative on earth Jesús anyway) from being hauled away to the slammer after a fender bender. In Cozumel, she met a hunky scuba diving instructor Raul which resulted in love and a near-drowning incident.

A Canadian custody issue meant she was detained at the U.S. border. Then years of legal travail in Canada ensued before she could return to Mexico, this time with a man from the Dominican Republic that she had met in Canada and their two toddlers. Of course, Interpol still had her name on the list and that caused some issues entering Mexico to retrieve her Audi.

When she tried to leave, well, there was a shake-down at the Mexican border and unnecessary delays at the Canadian border causing her to declare that it was the Worst. Road trip. Ever.

Then she moved to Mexico AGAIN! This time she was more prepared and the transition, while not exactly smooth, was successful.

I can honestly say that I am so glad to have not experienced even a quarter of the disasters that Jennifer experienced. But as they say, there’s a silver lining in every cloud.

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Jennifer has gone to develop a Move to Mexico eCourse to help the unwary, ignorant or just plain clueless make a better transition to life in Mexico. She’s made it her mission in life to provide up-to-date, step-by-step guidance so that no one ever need repeat her mistakes.

Right now, the introductory course Move to Mexico Now is on sale, so be sure to check it out! Not only do I recommend Jennifer’s hysterical book, How to Not Run Away to Mexico, but I strongly encourage you to enroll in the eCourse if you are even thinking about moving to Mexico. You won’t regret it!

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Medical Tourism in Mexico

Medical Tourism is big business these days in Mexico. In fact, the recently formed department ProMexico, the Medical Tourism Advisory Council, estimated that in 2013, medical tourism earned Mexico $2,847 million dollars, which was the equivalent of all tequila and beer exports combined for that year. In 2016, income generated from medical tourism reached $4.7 billion dollars.

Medical treatment in Mexico is often 36% and 89% cheaper than the same procedures done in the United States, making U.S. citizens Mexico’s number 1 client list.

The most common reasons people come to Mexico is to have bariatric surgery, stem cell, cancer, and fertility treatments and dental work. Bariatric surgery is about 70% cheaper than the U.S. and most dental work about 60% less costly. Rhinoplasty is about 56% cheaper and heart valve replacement is nearly 89% less expensive than the U.S. In 2012, Mexico treated more than a million foreigners ranking it number 2 worldwide providing such services.

Tijuana, Mexicali, Cancun, Guadalajara, Mexico City and Puerto Vallarta are among the top medical tourism destinations in Mexico.

There is a cost to Mexican citizens, however. Although most are covered under one of the three universal health care programs (Seguro Popular, IMSS and ISSTE) 66% of the hospitals are privately owned, ensuring that public hospitals that accept the national health care coverage are overcrowded, understaffed, and often lacking medications which necessitate out-of-pocket expenses. Although these are affordable to U.S. citizens paying with U.S. dollars, prices in the private sector have increased steadily to capitalize on medical tourism income, making it more difficult for the average Mexican to pay for services provided by private hospitals.

According to a 2015 report, 65% of those traveling to receive treatment do not have medical insurance. While the lower cost of the procedures allow for affordability even without insurance, there are some occasions when it would be in a patient’s best interest to have some sort of coverage. Mexico scores 9th out of 9 nations for destination environment factors due to public perception about pockets of extreme violence and civil unrest. Of course, it’s not all a matter of perception. There are areas that should be visited with extreme caution so best to do your homework before availing yourself of the medical tourism opportunities.

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