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Living in Mexico now, but looking for right place to live?


00tennis

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Hola guys & girls.

I'm currently travelling around MX looking for a 3-6 month rental. I'm here now living for good and fiance will join me in a couple of weeks. So far really like Merida, but lacks jungle/mountin/lake which we both really like. I'm currently in the Chapala area and am also considering looking around the many coastal towns of Nayarit, such as Buceiras etc.

Any info as to living in Chapala/Nayarit would be much appreciated or any rental advice/links.

Much gracias.

Saludos!

Jason

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Hola guys & girls.

I'm currently travelling around MX looking for a 3-6 month rental. I'm here now living for good and fiance will join me in a couple of weeks. So far really like Merida, but lacks jungle/mountin/lake which we both really like. I'm currently in the Chapala area and am also considering looking around the many coastal towns of Nayarit, such as Buceiras etc.

Any info as to living in Chapala/Nayarit would be much appreciated or any rental advice/links.

Much gracias.

Saludos!

Jason

Sayulita

San Pancho aka San Francisco link

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Best year round climate, Lake Chapala. Cuernevaca close second. Mountain highlands (San Miguel) generally chilly in winter, coasts extremely hot and muggy in summer. You didn't indicate whether you are fluent in Spanish, that will impact where you might want to live.

South side of Lake Chapala far cheaper than north side, similar climate.

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Jason forgot to mention in my email Queretaro which is considered practically safest state and city in Mexico. The centro area is clean, wide sidewalks, no topes, less expensive than SMA. It is one hour from San Miguel and population closer to that of Merida.

Ultimate daytime highs in SMA about same as Ajijic but night cooler as no lake to moderate.

This is a great blog.... http://cookjmex.blogspot.com/

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There are many tradeoffs. Here in Chapala it is an older crowd (mostly 50+) and the younger foreigner crowd is overrepresented by fugitives / non professionals / people that party frequently / daily (alcohol, pot, coke, meth, etc.).

Other areas have more to do but don't have the great climate. Also the Chapala area has many ex pats so you won't feel lonely.

It really is up to you, do you seek a party, English speakers, good climate, a tranquil life or something different?

Will you need to work? Do you need services only a big city can offer? Do you speak Spanish? How old are you and who do you want to associate with?

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Best year round climate, Lake Chapala. Cuernevaca close second. Mountain highlands (San Miguel) generally chilly in winter, coasts extremely hot and muggy in summer. You didn't indicate whether you are fluent in Spanish, that will impact where you might want to live.

South side of Lake Chapala far cheaper than north side, similar climate.

I think you have that backwards. The Lake area has a good climate, but it is far inferior to Cuernavaca. It should be remembered that Cuernavaca is noted as a city with 4 different climate zones in one city, warmer in the south and cooler in the north.

The official motto of the City of Cuernavaca is “The City of Eternal Spring.” A lot of people have tried to swipe our motto, but it is ours, and for good reason.

We used to live in in the southern part of this city, the hottest day we ever experienced there was 84º F. We now live in the northern part as you start up the mountain. It gets warm here, but never hot. The winters are cool, but never, ever cold. The coldest winter weather we ever had here was about 8.8º C, (48º F,) outside during a particularly cold winter here. It has not dropped below 10º C. (50º F.) outside since then, during the coolest part of the night in winter. I have never seen frost here.

The bitter cool of this winter is now behind us, it has been 16º or 17º C, outside and around 21º C (69.8º F,) inside for about ten days now. This morning when I got up at 8 AM it was 17.1º C (62.78º F,) outside, and 19.7º C. (67.46º F) inside the house. I turn the heater off when we go to bed every night. I usually leave the back door open for the dogs during the days and evenings, no problem with the house getting cold.

The weather channel reports for Cuernavaca are highly inaccurate. I believe the temperatures are taken at the airport here, over 20 miles south of town, they are always over 10º F. higher or lower than the actual temperatures in town. The best online site I have found is: http://weather.weatherbug.com/Mexico/Cuernavaca-weather.html?zcode=z6286

Not too accurate, but close. I use my own Weather Channel electronic inside thermometer with an outside sending unit to check the temps at our house. I also have a humidity gauge upstairs, I don't have the equipment anymore to calibrate it, so I don't know how accurate it is.

We never need to hope for rain to settle the dust, there is no dust here, but sometimes in the southern part of town there will be ash falls when the farmers burn their cane fields. I have never seen any air pollution here, although outsiders sometimes mention it. I think they are imagining it.

Having said all that, it should be noted that climate isn´t everything to consider when choosing where to live in México. If a person hasn´t mastered at least some basic Spanish skills, Cuernavaca will not be a good choice as it is a typical Mexican city and not much English is spoken here in businesses, banks, government offices, etc. It is always a pleasant surprise when I do find a person that speaks fluent, and understandable English here. My bi-lingual Mexican wife is usually very careful not to speak any English to me. Once people learn you are a foreigner, good things stop happening. Cuernavaca is not a good place for most ex-pats to live.

I will add that my wifes' late uncle and aunt have lived in Ajijic for 50 or 60 years and my wife and her brothers have spent literally years in Ajijic on their school vacations. Many of you are probably living on land or in houses or eating in restaurants that they used to own. I have spent many months there on visits in the past few decades. We chose Cuernavaca for what were good reasons for us. Among many other things, the prices here, particularly for real estate, whether buying or renting, are much lower for more house.

Last, but not least, we have the smartest dogs in all of México here. Wives too, husbands not so much.

Rex

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I think you have that backwards. The Lake area has a good climate, but it is far inferior to Cuernavaca. It should be remembered that Cuernavaca is noted as a city with 4 different climate zones in one city, warmer in the south and cooler in the north.

The official motto of the City of Cuernavaca is “The City of Eternal Spring.” A lot of people have tried to swipe our motto, but it is ours, and for good reason.

We used to live in in the southern part of this city, the hottest day we ever experienced there was 84º F. We now live in the northern part as you start up the mountain. It gets warm here, but never hot. The winters are cool, but never, ever cold. The coldest winter weather we ever had here was about 8.8º C, (48º F,) outside during a particularly cold winter here. It has not dropped below 10º C. (50º F.) outside since then, during the coolest part of the night in winter. I have never seen frost here.

The bitter cool of this winter is now behind us, it has been 16º or 17º C, outside and around 21º C (69.8º F,) inside for about ten days now. This morning when I got up at 8 AM it was 17.1º C (62.78º F,) outside, and 19.7º C. (67.46º F) inside the house. I turn the heater off when we go to bed every night. I usually leave the back door open for the dogs during the days and evenings, no problem with the house getting cold.

The weather channel reports for Cuernavaca are highly inaccurate. I believe the temperatures are taken at the airport here, over 20 miles south of town, they are always over 10º F. higher or lower than the actual temperatures in town. The best online site I have found is: http://weather.weatherbug.com/Mexico/Cuernavaca-weather.html?zcode=z6286

Not too accurate, but close. I use my own Weather Channel electronic inside thermometer with an outside sending unit to check the temps at our house. I also have a humidity gauge upstairs, I don't have the equipment anymore to calibrate it, so I don't know how accurate it is.

We never need to hope for rain to settle the dust, there is no dust here, but sometimes in the southern part of town there will be ash falls when the farmers burn their cane fields. I have never seen any air pollution here, although outsiders sometimes mention it. I think they are imagining it.

Having said all that, it should be noted that climate isn´t everything to consider when choosing where to live in México. If a person hasn´t mastered at least some basic Spanish skills, Cuernavaca will not be a good choice as it is a typical Mexican city and not much English is spoken here in businesses, banks, government offices, etc. It is always a pleasant surprise when I do find a person that speaks fluent, and understandable English here. My bi-lingual Mexican wife is usually very careful not to speak any English to me. Once people learn you are a foreigner, good things stop happening. Cuernavaca is not a good place for most ex-pats to live.

I will add that my wifes' late uncle and aunt have lived in Ajijic for 50 or 60 years and my wife and her brothers have spent literally years in Ajijic on their school vacations. Many of you are probably living on land or in houses or eating in restaurants that they used to own. I have spent many months there on visits in the past few decades. We chose Cuernavaca for what were good reasons for us. Among many other things, the prices here, particularly for real estate, whether buying or renting, are much lower for more house.

Last, but not least, we have the smartest dogs in all of México here. Wives too, husbands not so much.

Rex

Very interesting post, Rex. It reinforces my desire to go and see that city. It is nice to live where English is so widely spoken (Lakeside), but a real hindrance to mastering Spanish. Cuernavaca is now on my "must visit" list!

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When we first came to Mexico, we considered Cuernavaca and liked the ambiance. Unfortunately, the steepness of the streets and the hassle of getting to the airport, through DF, caused us to look further. We've been at Lake Chapala since 2001.

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When we first came to Mexico, we considered Cuernavaca and liked the ambiance. Unfortunately, the steepness of the streets and the hassle of getting to the airport, through DF, caused us to look further. We've been at Lake Chapala since 2001.

Until about a year ago, we had air service at the Cuernavaca airport. It is about 20 miles south of town, it was a 180 Peso taxi fare to get there. It is not an international airport, so to get to the west coast, California or Washington, we used to fly through Guadalajara to Tijuana, I got about a $150 Dollar discount with my INAPAM card on those flights on a Mexican airline. Doris is just a kid and too young to get a INAPAM card yet. Our son in Imperial Beach California picked us up there and we could continue our trip on an American airline after visiting with him for a few days.

Sometimes one of our daughters would drive down from Napa to meet us in Tijuana too. She would then drive us up there in one day. She is widowed and has two cars. Whenever we stay with her, she always loans one of them to us. That puts Hertz out of the picture. Traveling to The US has been pretty cheap for us on the few times we have wanted or needed to go back.

There have been several bus shuttle services from Cuernavaca to The México City airport for anyone that didn't have friends or family to take them to the airport there, and recently, Interjet has started a reasonably priced van shuttle service from Cuernavaca to the Toluca airport and we can make the same trip to Tijuana via Guadalajara, or fly out of Toluca to other US destinations. It would be nice if another Mexican airline will start serving the Cuernavaca airport again though.

I have noticed other people mention the “steep streets” here. They must be flatlanders, I have never noticed any particularly steep streets here. Not all level, but not steep. It probably makes a difference if you do not use a car all the time.

To each his own. There are already a few hundred Americans here. That's plenty.

Rex

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Until about a year ago, we had air service at the Cuernavaca airport. It is about 20 miles south of town, it was a 180 Peso taxi fare to get there. It is not an international airport, so to get to the west coast, California or Washington, we used to fly through Guadalajara to Tijuana, I got about a $150 Dollar discount with my INAPAM card on those flights on a Mexican airline. Doris is just a kid and too young to get a INAPAM card yet. Our son in Imperial Beach California picked us up there and we could continue our trip on an American airline after visiting with him for a few days.

Sometimes one of our daughters would drive down from Napa to meet us in Tijuana too. She would then drive us up there in one day. She is widowed and has two cars. Whenever we stay with her, she always loans one of them to us. That puts Hertz out of the picture. Traveling to The US has been pretty cheap for us on the few times we have wanted or needed to go back.

There have been several bus shuttle services from Cuernavaca to The México City airport for anyone that didn't have friends or family to take them to the airport there, and recently, Interjet has started a reasonably priced van shuttle service from Cuernavaca to the Toluca airport and we can make the same trip to Tijuana via Guadalajara, or fly out of Toluca to other US destinations. It would be nice if another Mexican airline will start serving the Cuernavaca airport again though.

I have noticed other people mention the “steep streets” here. They must be flatlanders, I have never noticed any particularly steep streets here. Not all level, but not steep. It probably makes a difference if you do not use a car all the time.

To each his own. There are already a few hundred Americans here. That's plenty.

Rex

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Can you elaborate?

Cuernavaca is a Spanish speaking Mexican city. If you ask for an English speaking person in most government offices, banks, or stores, often the person will speak such poor English that it is not understandable.

If you try to insist that English be spoken, all co-operation and courtesy will usually stop. You will usually be handed a handful of forms in Spanish and spoken to in such rapid fire Spanish that you will not understand many of the words. The person serving you will obviously appear to be very annoyed. Not every place in México caters to English speakers, or wants to.

It is always a pleasant and unexpected surprise when I do find a fluent English speaking person in a store or office here.

Speaking just a few key words in Spanish will result in a lot of helpfulness and courtesy. Start by never asking for a menu in English in a restaurant. You will very soon learn by trial and error how to order a meal in Spanish. Never try to insist that people here speak a language that is not their own. Teach yourself how to pronounce Spanish words.

There is a little village near here named Tepoztlan. It is not a part of Cuernavaca. English speakers seem to be moving in and out of there constantly, most of them seem to not even be able to spell the name of that place, they usually call it “Tepoz.” I can't think of anything more denigrating than calling the place where you live by a made up nickname. Some English speaking people that live here call Cuernavaca “Cuerna.” That is not the name of this city.

I can't think of a better way to alienate the local population in a non-tourist area or an area with few retired English speakers than to try to drag your old customs with you, including your language.

Rex

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