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NoVaDamer

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Everything posted by NoVaDamer

  1. I saw that, too. But it came down right after they were working on the intersection (I think for the repaired traffic cameras) so I wondered if they just forgot to put it back up.
  2. No form to fill out for Permanentes anymore. When you depart, go to the INM window at the airport, show them your US passport and your permanente card. They will stamp your passport. That is all. When you return, same is done by the INM officer before you get to customs.
  3. Just looking at Ajijic, which has a population of 11,500 (plus gringos), I count at least 100 restaurants, cafes, and bars. And there are very many different types of cuisine on offer. Quality does vary, but poor-to-average places don't last due to the competition. Lakeside may have more good restaurants per capita (!) than anywhere on the planet. It's certainly in a class by itself for a small Mexican village.
  4. My wife and I strongly suggest you try Ole Mexico (olemexico@hotmail.com). Our teacher, Gabriel, is excellent, and he can adjust to your learning style, proficiency, and schedule. All classes are via Zoom, and we have had no technical difficulty with the sessions.
  5. Partial answer. I can't say about the hiking club, but perhaps they suspended their weekly trips up the mountain because the local indigenous groups started charging for access to the trail. I can confirm that the trail is open, as there are large groups parking near the Tepalo trail head every Saturday and Sunday and hiking there. Also, the trail to the Chapeilta is open; I have hiked up there free of charge several times.
  6. I haven't met anybody who moved to Mexico from NOB (north of the border) for the healthcare; not saying they don't exist, just I haven't found any. I know many people who visit for specialized medical treatments (mostly dental, some plastic surgery, and experimental drugs) because they are cheaper/available. The comment I hear most often from expats is they are surprised by Mexican healthcare. But therein lies a story. Some of the surprise stems from cultural differences. Doctors down here are very friendly and easy to approach. It's common to have them on WhatsApp or request a house call. Nursing here is very different; it seems the patient's family is expected to take care of things nurses handle NOB. Hospitals expect payment before you leave, without question, which is a shock, especially to tourists. Also, healthcare in Mexico is more variable than the mostly profit-driven model in the US or the single-payer system in Canada. Despite all the justified criticisms of both systems, you rarely expect to walk into a doctor's office in either country and find a complete quack. You can still do so in Mexico (I have, here at lakeside). Things that are prohibited or tightly regulated NOB are available here. The free government-provided healthcare is worth the price (wink, wink, say no more). Some local doctors and hospitals have pushed prices up since expats remain willing to pay; of course, the doctors are also providing English-language services, too. My experience has been that you have to be your own advocate and researcher. The quack I initially used came highly recommended, and I still know people who swear by him/her. My visits to specialists/hospitals in Guadalajara have been excellent: good facilities and competent doctors, consistent with its reputation as Mexico's center for health care. Like so much else in Mexico, the healthcare field is less controlled, more open, with fewer safeguards. That is both good and bad.
  7. We visited a few months back, just before the Guelanguetza fiesta. We really liked the Hotel Posada del Centro, about two blocks off the plaza. Clean, inexpensive rooms, and a nice restaurant for breakfast (or anytime). I recommend the city center as it is very walkable, tons of things to see & do, and the easiest place to pick up tours. As dichosalocura said, Monte Alban is close, easy to shuttle bus to, and a must for history buffs. Just know that it involves a lot of walking up and down hills/stairs, if that is an issue for you. I insist you take the Me Encanta food tour with Betsaida! She'll take you to three different markets, eat/drink all the key local foods/drinks, and you'll be full for the day. Plus you get all kinds of local history/culture. We did side trips to Teotitlan to see weaving/rug-making (worth it for us, as we wanted to buy a rug) and Hierve el Agua (not worth it: too far to drive, and while scenic, it's still a bunch of pools). We used Roberto's Oaxacan tours for private rides out, as well as airport transfers: he was excellent. If you go out to Teotilan (or beyond, to Mitla) stop for a meal at El Rey de Mezcal on the main road. It had some of the best food we had the whole trip. Oaxaca City was named a top tourist destination by some magazine while we there, and that seemed right to us: very friendly locals, very safe, amazing food and drink, several different scenic/historic/cultural sites. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
  8. We fly away for weeks at a time, several times a year, and we always use the airport parking lot, long or short-term. Our very first trip, several years back, we parked at one of the commercial lots, just before the airport ramp northbound, for about 100 MXP a day. It included a car wash, but they had completed the wash during the first week of our trip, so by the time we picked it up, it was covered in dust. Still, it was cheap, safe, and convenient.
  9. Yes, you stated this in the post when you first cited the link. I opened the link, did not recognize the organization, so I opened their "About" link and found this: U.S. Right to Know is a nonprofit investigative research group focused on promoting transparency for public health. We are working globally to expose corporate wrongdoing and government failures that threaten the integrity of our health, our environment and our food system. They are an advocacy group, with a specific objective. I admit they list many studies on both sides of this issue, but since they have a built-in bias, I don't trust them to be objective.
  10. @CactusMike, That's the EPA's job. I think you're questioning why ANY pesticide residue is legal. My guess is scientists have found some minimal amount is "safe" (granted, that's a relative thing). I recall that the US FDA has a limit for how many "insect parts" and "rodent hiars" can be in some prepared foods. Yum. @timjwilson, I already checked out your links, and thanks for that. The first was very good. The second was from an advocacy organization, so I decided not to do their verify their links. I'm happy to stay with the lineup of governments and experts saying one thing, some other governments/experts saying another.
  11. In your original post, you only mentioned "numerous studies presenting evidence of harm to humans." I was simply pointing out what the US EPA states. I appreciate your addtion of the NIH study; US Right to Know is an advocacy group, not a scientific or medical enterprise. Lest anyone think the US EPA is out on a limb here, I would add this, also from the EPA: "EPA’s cancer classification is consistent with other international expert panels and regulatory authorities, including the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency, Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicines Authority, European Food Safety Authority, European Chemicals Agency, German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority, and the Food Safety Commission of Japan and the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR)." That makes the US, Canada, Japan, the EU, Germany, New Zealand, Japan, and the WHO in agreement.
  12. From the US Environmental Protection Agency: EPA scientists performed an independent evaluation of available data for glyphosate and found: No risks of concern to human health from current uses of glyphosate. Glyphosate products used according to label directions do not result in risks to children or adults. No evidence that glyphosate causes cancer in humans. The Agency concluded that glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans. EPA considered a significantly more extensive and relevant dataset than the International Agency on the Research for Cancer (IARC). EPA’s database includes studies submitted to support registration of glyphosate and studies EPA identified in the open literature. For instance, IARC only considered eight animal carcinogenicity studies while EPA used 15 acceptable carcinogenicity studies. EPA does not agree with IARC’s conclusion that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” Don't confuse the various studies with recent court rulings, where the manufacturer was held liable. Link: https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate#:~:text=No risks of concern to human health from current uses,are more sensitive to glyphosate.
  13. Apparently New Yorl does: https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2022/03/governor-signs-amendment-to-new-york-remote-online-notarization-bill As for Maryland, here's a list: https://sos.maryland.gov/Documents/ListAuthorizedRONVendors.pdf There is still a lot of confusion about online notarization. Some firms/businesses will tell you their state does not allow it even if it does. Word just hasn't gotten around. Some states support it fully; others only allow an online notary from their state, so you may have to choose one of their notaries. Good luck!
  14. I have used this service to notarize requests for release of funds from my US Federal Thrift Savings Program. It has worked quickly and easily twice in the past two years. Most states (CA being an exception) accept the process. As Jreboll points out, what the notary does is verify the identity of the person and matches that to their signature. It requires an online session (using Zoom for example) to complete. There is a software program which those governments and institutions (that accept online notary) have recognized that is used to complete the identification by the online notary; that is all behind the scenes to you. The key is to check whether the institution you wish to work with recognizes an online notary. Ask your online notary partner to help. In many cases, they will contact the legal department and ensure a smooth transaction. Good luck!
  15. i have an early domestic departure from GDL and am considering getting a hotel room near the airport the night before. I see the Hangar Inn every time we drive by (the one just south of the airport exit, although there is another one coming south from el centro, too). What about some of the new hotels just north of the airport on the southbound lanes (Bugari, ANB, or City Express)? Anybody stay at any of these places? I'm just looking for something clean and cheap for a single night.
  16. Try Selecia Young-Jones at Rainbownotaryandnuptials.com or 904Rainbow@gmail.com or 904-3337311. She uses a remote Notary service which is recognized by the US federal government and most states (I think Califonia is an exception, but check with her). She is quick, efficient, and effective. We have used her several times for large investment transactions that needed to be notarized. Good luck
  17. went there a couple weeks back. The Verification Center is on the East side of the highway. It is far enough outside Ocotlan proper that there is no lateral on that side of the road, so you just make a left turn directly in to the entrance. Here is a screen shot:
  18. We use ExpressVPN, often with Chicago or DC. With YouTube TV, we've never had to switch servers. The phone connection is interesting; we have TMobile, but use Chrome on all our devices, so Google knows where we are.
  19. I'm probably the guy you mention. We've been using You Tube TV for about a year now. We tried some of the local streaming services, which seem to be using pirated signals from NOB. Things regularly went down. We switched to Dish TV, which worked well for three years or so, then they lost our base station in Cincinnatti and they had a problem finding another. So we tried HULU and some other net-based services, but they would not work if you had a VPN on. We arranged to open a YouTube TV account with our daughter in the States (Ohio). Then we added ourselves as an authorized user, using a VPN in Mexico. Recently we added our other daughter using a VPN in Italy. All three work at the same time, and work well. The key seems to be the base station for the account must access YouTube TV at least once every ninety days from the base location. If that happens, they don;t care where else you access from. Hope that helps!
  20. We stayed at the Las Hadas resort in February (my write-up linked). We had an AirBnB, but there is also a hotel (and other options). All have access to a group of waterfront restaurants, pools, beaches, and some clubs (we didn't visit the latter). Views from the Santiago peninsula are amazing. http://pat-the-expat.com/2022/02/10/manzanillo-colima/
  21. Just to be clear, upwards of 80% of Dengue cases are mild or asymptomatic (no symptoms at all). This data was verified in numerous international studies including testing blood from donors and asking them if they ever felt sick/thought they had Dengue fever. Also, there are four strains of Dengue fever, so you can catch Dengue four different times. Here's a great link: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue
  22. I have used the download version (for the reasons Mostlylost mentioned) for decades, including the last five years here in Mexico. I only download directly from TurboTax or from my bank (USAA). Never had a problem. Here are some possible issues you could be experiencing: -- Out of date MS Windows operating system -- Poor internet connection making the download sites "drop out" -- Pay issues (using a Mexican credit card with a US site or vice versa) -- VPN issues (I turn mine off for download). I hope this helps; good luck!
  23. I strongly suggest checking out irs.gov, the authoritative website. The answers you seek are there, and remember, your tax attorney is only as good as they are. I knew several people who were told by tax attorneys to claim things that were illegal because "the IRS never audits for that." Here's a pull from Topic #701, Sale of your Home: Reporting Gain or Loss on Your Home Sale Determine whether you need to report the gain from your home. You need to report the gain if ANY of the following is true. You have taxable gain on your home sale (or on the residential portion of your property if you made separate calculations for home and business) and don’t qualify to exclude all of the gain. You received a Form 1099-S. If so, you must report the sale on Form 8949 even if you have no taxable gain to report. See Instructions for Form 8949 and Instructions for Schedule D (Form 1040) for more details. You wish to report your gain as a taxable gain even though some or all of it is eligible for exclusion. You may wish to do this if, for example, you plan to sell another main home within the next 2 years and are likely to receive a larger gain from the sale of that property. If you choose to report, rather than exclude, your taxable gain, you can undo that choice by filing an amended return within 3 years of the due date of your return for the year of the sale, excluding extensions. If NONE of the three bullets above is true, you don’t need to report your home sale on your tax return.
  24. The key word here is required (mudgirl is correct). My jardinero requested that I "fire him" and then re-hire him when we moved. He told me he had other gringo clients who told him they were moving and then didn't actually bring him along, skipping out on his finiquito, I pointed out that paying his finiquito effectively re-set his length of service for vacation pay, but he didn't care, so I did as he asked.
  25. Mexico is professionalizing all of its government functions, slowly. Those paper FMM forms were practically useless except as an excuse to "fine" visitors when they lost them. Now they are using facial recognition at the airports, they have computerized the data from the forms (not at the land border, but elsewhere). They are only offering tourist visas to tourists, which is a change. The wild west days of just crossing the border and staying as long as you like are numbered, as the government is even checking bus stations for overstays. Why? Because that is what the federal government is for. No government wants foreign visitors who are too poor to live there, or are exploiting a visa system. The point is not that US expats are wanted or not: regardless of where you are from, every person who resides in a country consumes government resources (traffic, crime, electricity, sewage, etc.) Some of those costs are born by the resident, some by the society. The government is suspicious of digital nomads and others who work on the internet. We can debate about whether the Mexican government should be suspicious about such residents posing as tourists, but there is little doubt they aren't tourists, they are working, and Mexico is not getting to tax their income. So most governments want residents who bring more into the country than they "cost." The US is notoriously difficult; Canada uses a "point system" I believe to determine whether someone merits admission. Mexico is just joining the club.
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