Susy Wilson

I should add we would really appreciate any advice on dog friendly lodging on that route as well!

We are driving the BIG dog rescue bus to Fort Worth from Mazatlán on this Monday and heading back to Lake Chapala on Wednesday. We have never driven to Texas before and are looking for advice for the easiest safest trip. I have heard negatives about Laredo so planned on using Eagle Pass crossing but not sure if this is best for the bus? Any constructive suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

We just did our Temporal renewal ourselves 2 weeks ago. Ours actually had lapsed because we had covid but they did not care. No penalty, no need to see our financial documents for qualification. It was actually very easy. To start the process you have to go online to start the procedure and you enter a little info and the site generates your application form. It is very easy. My Spanish is not good but I was able to figure it out. I also have my Google Chrome browser to automatically translate Spanish to English so that helps. This is the link to the website https://www.inm.gob.mx/mpublic/publico/inm-tramites.html?a=thgeGuQHx2k%3D&tr=hyBh72VpD1w%3D&h_sdp00=giUnJ9XgtISVcdYJXduIGw%3D%3D&fbclid=IwAR1mgWd1uzWPOaQeeMoR2sCSoas22koaYFTxTq0ycxpCrhT8HJuq2h0BD04 The website generates your application which you will need to print. You take that to the immigration office in Chapala along with your current Temporal visa card, your passport and a copy of your passport, and a letter in Spanish. I copied and pasted the content of the one I used here. You can now pay there with a debit or credit card or you will have to go to a bank to pay the fee in cash. The fee for renewal as of Jan 1 is $5108 pesos for one year Temporal renewal. The process takes 3 trips to immigration. First one to file the application and pay. Second they make you an appointment to get your fingerprints and photo taken, Third about 10 days later to pick up your new card. Really was very easy and no one should feel they need to pay someone else to do this for you. Happy to answer any other questions you may have about the process:-) 5 DE ENERO DE 2023 OFICINA DE REPRESENTACIÓN DEL INM EN CHAPALA, JALISCO: Yo, (YOUR NAME), nacional de los Estados Unidos de América por la presente solicito el canje de la forma migratoria por la renovación de la Tarjeta de Residente Temporal por un año. Declaro bajo protesta, a decir verdad, que viviré en México con mis propios fondos de mi país natal. Sin otro particular, quedamos atentos a cualquier otra información que se nos requiera. ATENTAMENTE: _____________________________ (YOUR NAME) 5 DE ENERO DE 2023

Moving to and where from? We might be able to help depending on locations.

Thank you Rick. I actually tried to get in touch with Spencers office to help us deal with our temporal visa application last year when we first applied but after repeated attempts and finally a promise that they would call me back no one ever did and I used the services of ABC Legal instead. I am hoping I can manage the renewal process on my own. I was hoping to hear from someone here that had maybe dealt with the issue in the recent past but I guess not. I will figure it out I am sure:-)

I believe I have the information to renew our temporal resident visas which expire Dec. 8 but still am not sure how to deal with the extension of the TIP. From what I can understand renewing our temporal visa extends the TIP as well but we need to send a notice to Aduana to inform them? I would of course assume that notice would have to be in Spanish as well but is there a set form to do that? I have tried searching and not found any other information:/

Or you can call Luis Desales at 3330347792 and he can help you. He speaks English very well.

I always post on the Lake Chapala Mule facebook page but know some folks here don't use facebook. We are in Green Valley AZ for the week if anyone needs any personal items brought back lakeside. Not really interested in shopping for you. Not really interested in bringing back items for your business either but happy to help with personal items. If you can have it delivered here I can bring it back. We can get UPS, Fed Ex and regular mail. Anything would need to be here by Saturday the 28th as we are leaving here on Sunday the 29th. Just thought I would put it out there. Can email me directly at inthegorge@gmail.com and I will see it immediately on my cell.

Just wanted to give a shout out to Chillin for donating a bunch of useable pigments, printer, easels, Tshirt press and all the other good stuff to the kids I am helping learn some art techniques 💖 I and the kids really appreciate it and we are just starting to explore their uses which I expect will expand their knowledge and my own🥰Thank you so very much💗

We have done the trip many times:) We generally cross early and only drive about 7 hours a day because of the dogs. We stay the first night in Navajoa at the Best Western Del Rio and the easiest way to book a room is by phone: 52 642 425 5300 They do have a restaurant, not the best restaurant but edible and you do not have to leave the premises and they will even bring it to your room. Nice pool area. Pet friendly of course. Just a word to the wise….the last 2 times we drove through Navajoa 2 city cops tried to get money from us by saying our TIP was expired which of course was not. I have read other reports about these two. If stopped just keep saying no comprende espaniol and they will eventually leave you to your business. We generally spend the second night at Hotel El Descanso Inn just off of the 15d highway in Mazatlan. Low cost, pet friendly, pool and breakfast is included but make sure to get a room in the building not connected to the office…….seriously much better beds. The ones in the building with the office are rock hard:/ You can book a room with them at Booking.com Then it is about a 6 1/2 hour drive to Lake Chapala:) Both spots have parking right in front of your unit and a night guard that keeps an eye on things:)

One of them I purchased from the main Telcel office near Walmart and it has a set amount of data for $399 pesos per month. The other I purchased over 2 year ago from Sandra in a "Telcel" kiosk near the Wednesday tianguis in Ajijic, and although she says it is unlimited data with Telcel for $500 pesos per month, when I went to Telcel to pay for a month they said it is not Telcel at all! They had no idea whose service it was and really it does not work all the time or with unlimited data😕 So sometimes the one I bought from Sandra did not work (I had to call her every few days and tell her I did not have service and she would always say....."I take care of it for you" and within an hour or sometimes not for a whole day or 2, I would not have any service) and that is why I bought the one from Telcel. The one from Telcel definitely did not have enough data to stream like an hour of TV per night for a month and still have internet to check your email so predominantly I used it because it was reasonably dependable until it was out of its 8GB of data. When it was out of data and no longer worked for the month (and I was unable to get more data from Telcel for love nor money until a certain date every month) I used the one from Sandra until I was allowed to pay for more data with Telcel. I just did not want to be without internet because stuff happens and you need the web for many different things. Basically it was a matter of a set amount of data and I wanted more so I had 2 accounts so to speak to make that possible. Hope that satisfies your curiosity!

I am working with 32 local teens from Jocotepec and San Juan Cosala teaching them to do dot mandalas to sell to help them and their families financially. I was inspired by the work that Deborah March did with kids in San Juan Cosala with mosaics. We do workshops weekly and I have supplied all the materials to date. They make paintings and painted jewelry and are getting very good. I cannot afford canvases for them so most of the work is on thin plywood that I paid Have Hammer to cut into workable shapes for them (squares, circles, crosses, and butterflies) and they are pretty nice finished. We only use acrylics and I have all the tools for dotting for them to use even at home but not very many brushes to share with them. I have only been able to send pretty basic paint colors with them due to the cost of such supplies here but get as much as I can afford when I venture north of the border. Here is an example of their work. I know they would benefit greatly from such a donation if you choose to offer it to them:-)

Both are spoken for already:-)

I have 2 wireless Telcel modems or routers....whatever they are called that I used for internet prior to my Total Play installation. They work anywhere there is reasonable cell reception but dont get very fast internet. They do both work however and I was able to stream (most of the time) with one or the other. Service with Telcel monthly is $399 pesos for 8 GB per month or with Sandra at a small Telcel kiosk near El Torritos for $500 pesos for "supposedly" unlimited service. I had the two and paid for both services and at least I usually had internet. Better than nothing but not nearly as good as Total Play. Each cost just over $1000 pesos so if you live in an area that does not get Total Play or anything else and do have decent cell service they would at a minimum connect you to the internet. Free to anyone that can use them:-)

Thank you for the info! At the airport now and I am prepared 🥰

I know this has been answered and I apologize for asking but am in a rush and couldn’t find the info with a quick search. I am flying to the US with dogs from Bone Voyage and this is my first time flying since we got our temporal residency. I know it is important for me to check a certain box or something when I go to immigration before I check in but I cannot remember what. Any information would be greatly appreciated 🌹

We travel the route from Lake Chapala to Nogales frequently in the last 2 years. The only issues we have had are in Navajoa with the police there who on 2 separate occasions in the last year tried to shake us down. We were just driving out of town each time and they stopped us to check on our TIP and insist that it is expired when it clearly is not and is in good standing. We stood firm each time and did not pay the mordida and they finally just let us go on our way. We travel with dogs so we prefer to drive about 7 hours a day. From Lake Chapala we usually stay in Mazatlan at a small newer motel called El Descanso Inn right off the highway. No ocean view or even close to the ocean but very clean, has a pool, free breakfast with the room, and the beds in the newest part of the motel, the building that does not have the office in it, are much more comfortable than the rock slabs in the building that does have the office in it. The only way to book this motel is to call them or through Booking.com. Most of the time we spend the second night in Navajoa at the Del Rio Best Western which has a restaurant at least. After our latest issues with the cops there we now prefer to stay somewhere else but obviously we still have to drive through and the issues with the police there have nothing to do with staying overnight. I know a number of people that like the Booye Hotel in Navajoa but no dogs are allowed so we have not stayed there ourselves. We have stayed in Culican with no issues a few times as well even though of course we knew of the infamous shootout with Chapo's family there. All in all I think the travel from Lake Chapala to Nogales is one of the "safer" routes north and we feel comfortable driving it.

We just got TotalPlay here between San Juan Cosala and El Chante and it is twice the speed they advertised for their lowest tier package. Really loving it! Works great with my Norton VPN too. Lots of streaming will be going on here in the next few days! My wifi works in the back yard too and everywhere in the house. The answer to my wifi needs!

I know Julie and Wayne, the yard sale folks, sent out an email about a few wheelchair/scooter options they have available yesterday evening.

Most definitely in Arizona. They vaccinate anyone from any country and I believe now anyone over 12 years of age.

At the top of the web page if you are signed in there will be an envelope on the right upper corner. That is your PM mailbox. If you click on it it will take you to any messages others here have sent you.

We decided to go to AZ to get our Covid vaccinations in March. We rented a very reasonably priced ($500 US for a month all inclusive and no cleaning fees or other costs) dog friendly casita in San Carlos, an ocean front village we love, and drove to Tucson to get our first vaccination, Pfizer, at a Safeway pharmacy on March 25th. There was no charge to us for the vaccination even without insurance and we did not need to be a resident of Arizona to get the vaccine. When we got the first shot they made the appointment for the second one, April 15th, 3 weeks to the day later. We spent the night in Tucson and drove back to San Carlos, enjoyed 3 weeks of sunny gorgeous beaches and the freshest sea food. We then drove back to Tucson and got our second shot without a hitch again spending one night in Tucson. Drove back to San Carlos, packed up and left 2 days later, just in case we had any side effects but other than a bit of a stiff arm after the second vaccination no negative effects. It was actually a really nice vacation and we had no issues whatsoever other than cops in Navajoa trying to get money from us on our way home but I stood my ground and they finally drove off.

We got covid here at the end of January last year.....before it was even supposed to be here:/ My family was visiting from the US, flew down from WA state and we were vacationing in Manzanillo, so we really do not know where we contracted it. My symptoms were worse than anyone else in our household. I even went to the Dr. and I don't ever do that unless I feel really bad:/ The Dr. of course did not test for covid, and really I don't think Mexico had tests then. I hate to think we spread it to anyone else but we may well have:( We had to go to the US in May to care for my mom at the end of her life and we had the antibody test then which confirmed that we had Covid-19 at some time in the past and we are sure that was when. I was quite sick for 6-7 weeks, seriously bad cough, constant nausia, loss of taste and sense of smell as well as a very weird depression that I have never experienced in any way previously and I still have some lung involvement I think. All 6 of us recovered however and no one died. That does not mean that I would willingly go through how ill I was at the time however and I will avoid it like the plague it is!

We have not gotten the $600 stimulus yet even though we did get the $1200 one and when we check online with the Get My Payment function on the IRS site and it just says they "don't have enough information to process" and no other information is available to us to know what the heck is going on:/ They have not updated our address that we moved from over 2 years ago even though I have filed the appropriate form with them, even though we get our SSI checks direct deposited every month:/

This was definitely worth logging in for🥰 Thanks so much!