Real Estate Blog: Lake Chapala, Ajijic Mexico Retirement Homes » Travel

Crossing the Border into the US

admin — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:04:42 +0000

On Sunday morning our son and his bride had the Ford Explorer packed to the rafters and headed off to Toronto, Canada via Dallas, Texas and Virginia. All the necessary preparations had been made including insurance, new US license plates, all paperwork for the vehicle, passports, exit visas etc.

Getting across the border from Mexico to the US can be a tricky business, at best, depending on the agent you get at the crossing and their mood when you pull into their lane.

The thought of customs people going through all the stuff was daunting not because there was anything to hide but because there was so much. Everything from paintings to salad spinners and the usual assortment of electronic devices were carefully jimmied into their space and I doubt if you could have fit another manila envelope into the vehicle.

They had a route all planned out but at the last minute they heard about another route through Matehuala in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi. The reason they chose to go this route was, from all accounts, it was a very safe place to stop overnight with an overloaded vehicle. Evidently, the hotel Las Palmas happily accepts pets which is a plus for many travelers.

They left about noon on Sunday and arrived in Matehuala by 8:00 pm that night. They had a good night’s sleep and crossed the border into the US without incident the next day and were in Dallas, Texas by 11:00 pm last night.

They will stay in Dallas for a couple of days visiting relatives and getting any more necessary paperwork and then will head out again for more relatives’ fabulous cabin retreat in Virginia. They will stay here for another couple of days and then head north to Toronto, Canada.

They should arrive in Toronto early next week where they have friends and family eagerly awaiting their arrival.

We are all hoping the crossing into Canada will be as straightforward as the one into the US. .

This trip was a massive undertaking for newlyweds especially as the driver was recovering from a dislocated shoulder but they are happy and glad to be starting their new life.

We wish them safe travel for the rest of the trip and I am the first to admit that I will not rest easy until I know they are both safe and sound in Toronto.

Everyone Living in Mexico Should Read This

admin — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 23:29:51 +0000

THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMIC REALITY

First: A reality check on Mexico

Mexico is in a unique position to reap many of the benefits of the decline of the US economy. In order to not violate NAFTA and other agreements the U.S.A. cannot use direct protectionism, so it is content to allow the media to play this protectionist role. The U.S. media – over the last year – has portrayed Mexico as being on the brink of economic collapse and civil war. The Mexican people are either beheaded, kidnapped, poor, corrupt, or narco-traffickers. The American news media was particularly aggressive in the weeks leading up to spring break. The main reason for this is money. During that two-week period, over 120,000 young American citizens poured into Mexico and left behind hundreds of millions of dollars.

Let’s look at the reality of the massive drug and corruption problem, kidnappings, murders and money. The U.S. Secretary of State Clinton was clear in her honest assessment of the problem. “Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade. Our inability to prevent the weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers and civilians,” Clinton said. The other large illegal business that is smuggled into the U.S.A. that no one likes to talk about is Human Traffic for prostitution. This “business” is globally now competing with drugs in terms of profits.

It is critical to understand, however that the horrific violence in Mexico is over 95% confined to the three transshipping cities for these two businesses, Juarez, Tijuana and Nogales. The Mexican government is so serious about fighting this, that they have committed over 30,000 soldiers to these borders towns. There was a thoughtful article written by a professor at the University of Juarez. He was reminded of the Prohibition years in the U.S.A. and compared Juarez to Chicago when Al Capone was conducting his reign of terror capped off with The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre. During these years, just like Juarez today, 99% of the citizens went about their daily lives and attended classes, went to the movies, restaurants, and parks.

Is there corruption in Mexico? YES !!! Is there an equal amount of corruption related to this business in the U.S.A.? YES !!!. When you have a pair of illegal businesses that generate over $300,000,000,000 in sales you will find massive corruption. Make no mistake about the Mexican Drug Cartel; these “businessmen” are 100 times more sophisticated than the bumbling bootleggers during Prohibition. They form profitable alliances all over the U.S.A. They do cost benefit analysis of their business much better than the US automobile industry. They have found over the years that the cost of bribing U.S. and Mexican Border Guards and the transportation costs of moving marijuana from Sinaloa to California have cut significantly into profits. That is why over the past 5-7 years they have been growing marijuana in State and Federal Parks and BLM land all across America. From a business standpoint, this is a tremendous cost savings on several levels. Let’s look at California as an example as one of the largest consumers. When you have $14.2 billion of Marijuana grown and consumed in one state, there is savings on transportation, less loss of product due to confiscation and an overall reduction cost of bribery with law enforcement and parks service people. Another great savings is the benefit to their employees. The penalties in Mexico for growing range from 5-15 years. The penalties in California, on average are 18 months, and out in 8 months. The same economic principles are now being applied to the methamphetamine factories.

FOX News continues to scare people with its focus on kidnapping. There are kidnappings in Mexico. The concentration of kidnappings has been in Mexico City, among the very rich and the three aforementioned border Cities. With the exception of Mexico City, the number one city for kidnappings among NAFTA countries is Phoenix, Arizona with over 359 in 2008. The Phoenix Police estimate that twice that number of kidnappings goes unreported, because like Mexico 99% of these crimes were directly related to drug and human traffic. Phoenix, unfortunately, is geographically profitable transshipping location. Mexicans, just like 99% of U.S. Citizens during prohibition, go about their daily lives all over the country. They get up, go to school or work and live their lives untouched by the border town violence.

These same protectionist news sources have misled the public as to the real danger from the swine flu in Mexico and temporary devastated the tourism business. As of May 27 2009 there have been 87 deaths in Mexico from the swine flu. During those same five months there have been 36 murdered school children in Chicago. By their logic, if 87 deaths from the swine flu in Mexico warrants canceling flights and cruise ships to Mexico, then close all roads and highways in the USA because of record 43,359 automobile related deaths in the USA in 2008.

What is just getting underway is what many are calling the “Largest southern migration to Mexico of people and real estate assets since the Civil War” A significant percentage of the Baby Boomers have been doing the research and are making the life changing decision to move out of the U.S.A. The number one retirement destination in the world is Mexico. There are already over 2,000,000 US and Canadian property owners in Mexico. The most conservative number of American and Canadian Baby Boomers who are on their way to owning property in Mexico for full or part time living in the next 15 years is over 6,000,000. Do the math on 6,000,000 people buying a $300,000 house or condo and you will understand why the U.S. Government is trying to tax this massive shift of money to Mexico through H.R. 3056. The U.S. government calls this “The Tax Collection Responsibility Act of 2007″. Those who will have to pay it are calling this the EXIT TAX.

Mexico: A better economic choice than China

Another large exodus from the U.S.A is high paying skilled jobs. The job shift in automobile sector, both car and parts manufacturing, is already known by most investors. In the last few months as John Deere and Caterpillar have been laying off thousands of workers in the U.S.A., and hiring equal numbers in Mexico. The most recent industry that is making the shift is the aerospace manufacturers. In the city of Zacatecas there is currently a $210 million aerospace facility being built. With the 11 U.S. companies moving there, it is estimated to provide over 200,000 new high paying jobs in the coming years. One of the main factors for the shift in job south to Mexico instead of China is realistic analysis of total production, labor and delivery costs. While the labor costs in China are 40% less on average, the overall transportation costs and inherent risks of a long distance supply chain, and quality control issues, gives Mexico a distinct financial advantage.

Mexico’s real economic future

Mexico has avoided completely the subprime problem that has devastated the U.S. banking industry. The Mexican banks are healthy and profitable. Mexico has a growing and very healthy middle and upper middle class. The very recent introduction of residential financing has Mexico in a unique position of having over 90% of current homeowners owning their house outright. U.S. banks are competing for the Mexican, Canadian and American cross border loan business. It is and will continue to be a very safe and very profitable business. These same banks that were loaning in a reckless manner have learned their lesson and are loaning here the old fashioned way. They require a minimum of a 680 credit score, 30% down payment, and verifiable income that can support the loan. In most areas of Mexico where Baby Boomers are moving to, with the exception of Puerto Penasco (which did not have a national and international base of buyers), there is no real estate bubble.. The higher end markets ($2-20 million) in many of these destinations are going through a modest correction. The Baby Boomers market here is between $200,000 and $600,000. With the continuing demand inside the Bay of Banderas, that price point, in the coming years, will disappear. This is the reason the Mexican government is spending billions of dollars on more infrastructure north along the coast all the way up to Mazatlan.

The other major area where America has become overpriced is in the field of health care. This massive shift of revenues is estimated to add 5-7% to Mexico’s GDP. The name for this “business” is Medical Tourism. The two biggest competitors for Mexico were Thailand and India. Thailand and India’s biggest drawback is geography. Also recent events, Thailand’s inability to keep a government in place and the recent terrorist attack in Mumbai, have helped Mexico capture close to half of this growth industry. In Mexico today there are over 56 world class hospitals being built to keep up with this business.

Mexico is currently sitting on a cash surplus and an almost balanced budget. Most Americans have never heard of Carlos Slim until he loaned the New York Times $250 million. After that it became clear to many investors around the world what Mexicans already knew: that Mexico had been able to avoid the worst of the U.S. economic devastation. Mexico’s resilience is to be admired. When the U.S. Federal Reserve granted a $30 billion loan to each of Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, and Brazil, Mexico reinvested the money in Treasury bonds in an account in New York City.

According to oil traders, Mexico’s Pemex wisely as the price of oil shot to $147 a barrel put in place an investment strategy that hinged on oil trading in the range of $38-$60 a barrel. Since the beginning of 2009 Mexico has been collecting revenues on hedged positions that give them $90-$110 per barrel today. Mexico’s recent and under reported oil discovery in the Palaeo Channels of Chicontepec has placed it third in the world for oil reserves, right behind Canada and Saudi Arabia.

The following is a quote from Rosalind Wilson, President of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce on March 19, 2009. “The strength of the Mexican economic system makes the country a favorite destination for Canadian investment”.

OPPORTUNITIES: WHY PUERTO VALLARTA & THE RIVIERA NAYARIT

The answer is simple and old fashioned: SUPPLY AND DEMAND.

The area of Puerto Vallarta/Riviera Nayarit inside the Bay of Banderas is an investor’s dream. This area has the comprehensive infrastructure in place, world class hospitals and dental care, natural investment protection from the Sierra Madre Mountains, endless future water supply, low to nonexistent crime, international airport, and limited supply inside the Bay, first class private bilingual schools and higher than average appreciation potential. Like many areas in Mexico there is large demand for full and part time retirement living and a lot of construction underway to meet this demand. Pre construction of course is where the best bargains are available.

I would offer a word of caution for investors in Mexico. Do not be seduced by the endless natural beauty that is everywhere, both inland in colonial towns and along thousands of miles of beach. Apply conservative medium and long term investment strategies without emotion. The demand for full and part time living by American and Canadian Baby Boomers is evident throughout the country. The top two choice locations are ocean front, and ocean view. The third overall choice, which is less expensive, is inland in one of the many beautiful colonial towns or small cities.

Mexico, with the world’s 13th largest GDP, is no longer a “Third World Country”, but rather a fast growing, economically secure state, as the most recent five-year history of its financial markets when compared to the U.S.A.’s financial markets suggests.

DOW JONES AVERAGES MAY 2004 10,200 – MAY 2009 8,200 20% LOSS IN 5 YEARS

MEXICAN BOLSA MAY 2004 10,000 – MAY 2009 23,000 130% GAIN IN 5 YEARS

Mexican Tourism Getting Stronger

admin — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:53:52 +0000

The travel industry reveals huge investments in Mexico signaling a brighter future.

The Mexico Report

admin — Fri, 20 May 2011 20:50:29 +0000

There is a new web site you might want to check out about The Good News about Mexico Travel and Culture

It is: www.themexicoreport.com

Living in Mexico

admin — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:31:25 +0000

Living in Mexico

When you live in Mexico you can truly enjoy the good life.

Just across the border from the U.S. , Mexico is now “closer than ever” – that’s a motto used by the Mexican Tourism Association – and as many expats are choosing to live in Mexico, we couldn’t agree more.

What does that mean exactly? Well, in terms of physical proximity, Mexico is the closes southern neighbor to the U.S. and a NAFTA partner, with all the good roads, high-speed communications, and top notch health care that you’d expect up north. Those who move to Mexico find living and doing business there to be very easy.

Mexico is served by a large number of international airports with regularly scheduled flights from all over the world. But imagine having the option of driving from the U.S. or Canada to explore this magnificent country in your own car, at your own pace. Imagine returning to the U.S. and not having to worry about skyrocketing airfare or – perish the thought – disrupted air service caused by strikes, weather or other delays.

By living in Mexico you will be ble to enjoy its rich culture and customs.

Previous administrations did little in the way of infrastructure improvements, but President Filipe Calderon seems committed to allocating funds for new and expanded road, ports and telecommunications infrastructure. This goes hand in hand with increased privatization, which will allow concessions in the national airport network and the telecommunications sector. The idea is that all of those improvements will further encourage and facilitate commerce.

A low cost of living in Mexico means a high quality of life.

Everyone seems to agree: the quality of your life improves when you live in Mexico. Things take longer so you’ll need to learn to slow down. Goods and services cost less so you can afford the kinds of luxuries only the very wealthy enjoy up north like a maid, a cook and gardener. When you can afford to hire help, all of a sudden you have time to read, time to volunteer at the local school or orphanage, time to golf, relax on the beach and most importantly – time to savor life

The key to smart shopping in Mexico is local shopping. You’ll pay about 50 cent a kilo (2.2 lbs.) for fresh fruit like mangos, oranges or pears. A kilo of avocados sells for about $1.55 which is what you will pay for one avocado in the U.S. While it is true that you can find just about any product you’re used to having up north from Campbell’s Soup to Tide it’s also true that you’ll probably pay more for the convenience of a brand name. It you shop at the local produce markets and the store where the locals buy you are sure to pay less for your goods.

Live a long life in Mexico with its first rare health care.

You will find that, in general, health care in Mexico is very good and in many places it is excellent. Most doctors and dentists in Mexico received at least part of their training in the U.S. (and many U.S, doctors have trained in Mexico, notably in Guadalajara). Many continue to go to the the U.S. or Europe for ongoing training.

Every medium to large city in Mexico has at least one first-rate hospital. A big plus is the cost of health care in Mexico is generally one half or less than what you might pay in the U.S. The same foes for prescription drugs. Those manufactured in Mexico cost, on average, about 50% less than the same drugs in the U.S.

Visits to dentists are an attractive draw for travelers to Mexico, since quality dental work costs a fraction what it does in the U.S. or Canada. Many dentists and other medical doctors in Mexico speak English.

The paradox for Mexico’s increasing modernity and its attractiveness is that things still move a bit slower. You can enjoy a relaxed and refreshing lifestyle, like some out of a 19th century travelogue and yet it isn’t half a world away.
That is a plus that other destinations with this kind of weather, culture and lifestyle just cannot match.

Living in Mexico is truly a return to kinder, gentler times.

Violent Deaths in Mexico: Everything is not what is seems.

admin — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 18:39:29 +0000

Reprinted from The Catalist empowering the Mexican – American Relationship (August 11th, 2010)

In recent months the debate about violence in Mexico has heated up significantly. Most news channels have been giving a broad coverage on the facts of crime, which are usually focused on the issue of combating organized crime.

When it comes to human lifes, it is always difficult to speak coldly about figures. But when we need to know what really is going on, in terms of crime, we can do nothing but refer to them.

The indicator which measures the violence in a country is the number of violent deaths per 100,000 people. This indicator has the advantage of allowing us to compare figures between countries with different population sizes.

This indicator is highly reliable and comparable between countries of the world, since in all countries it is necessary to produce death certificates to account for a death caused for any reason whatsoever. In the case of violent deaths, there is no possibility that this indicator, unlike others, observe significant levels of sub report because violent deaths are registred by law in all countries.

According the available indicators, Mexico as a country has a general level of 13.3 violent deaths per 100.00 inhabitants, making it one of the safest countries in Latin America. Levels in Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela surprised us since they are at high as 16.8, 36.7 and 44.9 deaths per 100,000 population, respectively. Brazil and Venezuela are two and almost three times more violent than Mexico, respectively.

Moreover, if we compare this indicator with some U.S. cities we will see that our country is much better than we would expect to imagine. Comparing Mexico to Washington DC, New Orleans or Detroit the difference is very big, violence is a tangible problem in those cities. And without going too far, Mexico City has 9.8 violent deaths per 100,000 people, far below of other major cities like Houston, with 12.5, Phoenix, witn 12.6, and Los Angeles, with 17.1. It is true that there is a big problem in Ciudad Juarez and three other municipalities, which altogether sum up to more than 50% of violent deaths in Mexico. The rest of the 2,396 municipalities which form the country have relatively low violence levels.

According to figures provided by the government of Mexico, the battle against organized crime has caused 24,826 violent deaths in the last four years. As it is continuosly said, inside and outside the country, it has turned Mexico in an extremely dangerous country to live. A country that sadly some have said is in “civil war” and that is a “failed state.” This is definitely not true.

Although a number like 24,826 seems pretty high, it is time to put it in context. This number represents a little over 6,000 deaths per year on average. Each year, 20,000 people die in Mexico in road accidents and more than 50,000 because of diabetes. If we look at violent deaths to compare, in the U.S. 6,000 veterans commit suicide every year. So, during the same period, the same amount of persons have died as a consecuence of the U.S. post-war trauma, as the war on drugs in Mexico.

And while there is some exposure about this phenomenon in the U.S. media, it does not reach the same exposure as in Mexico. Here we are in a frenzy of daily information that the only thing it communicates is the presence of violence. Our conversations with family, friends, office, restaurants, are all about violence. We enrol ourselves and enrol others, including foreigners, in the idea that violence in Mexicohas reached unsuspected levels. And there’s no evidence to support that. It is only our perception. We find ourselves filtering and searching all events and news, looking for those that speak of violence. And likewise, those are the news we speak about. It is a conversation, just a conversation.

This has affected the levels of tourism, investment and economic prospects for the country, and it is not supported by real figures, data and facts, it is only a perception. The good news is that we have the power to change that perception. It just takes to take a look at the data and facts.

Ultimately, the best way to combat any violence is to leave the fear that is generating this behind and doing something that makes us confident. Enrol ourselves and enrol others with the fact that violence stops us, it paralyzes us. What would be possible if we focus on facts anda data to make us and others see that we can be responsible for creating an environment to grow and prosper instead of creating a violent space with our everyday conversations? You have this power, do it for north America and in the end you will be doing something positive for yourself and for others

Excellent Reasons to Live in Mexico

admin — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:31:32 +0000

Soon the “snowbirds” will be packing up in search of a climate warmer than their own to spend the winter.

As we want those “snowbirds” and retirees to continue to come to Mexico I thought I would outline a few excellent reasons to live in Mexico.

A lot of people worry about the language problem in Mexico but here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala there is a lot of English spoken as it is largely an ex-pat community. You only need to learn Spanish if you wish to do so. For me, I found learning a new language at this age a very exciting and challenging undertaking.

Leaving the rat race behind is another excellent reason to move to Mexico. Things move a little slower in Mexico and the Mexicans seem to have a better perspective, like the French, of the work to fun ratio. This does not mean you have to do nothing. With the technology available one can carry out whatever business they choose from the comfort of their own home.

The cost of living is still a lot less in Mexico than it is in many other countries in the world. Here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala property taxes are extremely low. This year our property taxes were about $150.00 Canadian for a 5 bedroom home with a swimming pool. Also one can easily afford a cook, maid and a gardener. Food prices are less especially for fresh fruits and vegetables and you will not have to mortgage your home to call a tradesperson or a mechanic for your car.

The weather is a huge plus as we live in arguably the best climate in the world. Kenya is also up there but the political climate is not very conducive. Our climate is around 75 degrees and sunny most of the year. The rainy season from June 15 – October 15 is our most beautiful season and it usually only rains at night leaving the days fresh and fragrant.

The Mexicans are a wonderfully warm people and in many ways moving to Mexico is like taking a step back to a kinder, gentler time. Even with the increase in violence as the Mexican Government try to clean up the drug cartels, keep in perspective that these problems are restricted to isolated and specific areas. I would suggest, however, that you do not engage in drug trafficking as a means to earn extra income when you arrive.

As the population ages another excellent reason to live in Mexico is the low cost of very compehensive and inexpensive health care with many good hospitals in Guadalajara less than 45 minutes from us here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala. The hospitals are clean and the care is exceptional. You can get necessary tests in short order and also dental care is about one third of the cost of dental care up north and people come from all other the world for the wonderful and very reasonable plastic surgery.

Living in Mexico is not for everyone and certainly those A Type personalities have to learn a little patience. For us, however, we have been happy every minute of every day since we moved here from Toronto, Canada in 1994. My only regret is that we did not make the move sooner.

So whatever your concerns or questions might be contact us and we will give you the answers you need to continue to make Mexico your holiday or retirement destination.

Safely Crossing into Mexico at Ciudad Juarez and Laredo

admin — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:21:40 +0000

These are two accounts of people safely traveling to and crossing into Mexico at Ciudad Juarez and Laredo.

Day 1

The first couple left from Durango, Colorado about 10:00 am on a Tuesday with a full car and roof carrier bursting at the seams.

They had dinner that night at Las Cruces in New Mexico and then arrived on the west side of El Paso at 7:30 pm. They stayed at La Quinta at Exit 11 because they had two pets with them.

Day 2

They left La Quinta at 8:00 after a hotel breakfast and filled up at the gas station next to the hotel. Drove back to Exit 8 after a Starbucks run then drove down into New Mexico on the Pete Dominici Highway to a small border crossing at Santa Teresa about 25 miles west of Ciudad of Juarez. Got tourist visas and required auto papers in about 30-40 minutes.

There was a lot of military presence around which made us feel very safe and they were friendly and we had no problems.

Their philosophy for driving in Mexico is to drive only in daylight, and stay on the cuotas (toll roads), have snacks in the car and keep the “top half” of the gas tank full. This may require a lot of stops but extra bano (bathroom) stops are OK.

They had some apprehension because of all of the media hype but settled into the drive without mishap.

Pemex attendants were very friendly, efficient and greet them with a smile and made sure you knew they zeroed out the pumps before filling up your car with much fanfare.

The Mexican landscape is quite scenic. Their first night in Mexico was in the town of Jiminez where they arrived around 5:00 pm to a very good 3 year old hotel called the Hotel Jiminez Plaza which had large very clean rooms with A/C, hi-speed, TV, nice pool, great margaritas and decent Mexican food in the restaurant.

Day 3

Was their biggest day of 10-11 hours so they got going around 7:00 pm. Planned snacks for breakfast and lunch, but know that OXXO and Pemex have lots of snacks and drinks too. Road are great except for a few stretches of rough spots that have not been resurfaced yet.

Some military roadblocks and evidence of Federales but again they made you feel secure. Keep the “top half’ full and smile like an idiot at all times.

We recommend that you do not try to cross into Mexico with drugs of any kind among your possessions nor should you plan to deal drugs on your arrival. This activity is frowned upon.

They arrived in Ajiiic for dinner 1500 miles from home …. 1000 of those miles in Mexico without incident.

They had a great trip and are very glad to be back to their little piece of heaven.

The following is an email from another couple who safely crossed the border into Mexico at Laredo this month:

“We had a very uneventful boarder crossing, only 20 minutes to complete
everything including auto permit. We have now reached our last stop
over, in Matehuala at The Hotel Las Palmas, where we all stay as it is
the only destination for overnight within many miles on our way
to Ajijic. The trip was very pleasant, wonderful weather, not a lot
of heavy traffic, beautiful scenery. We sure feel very safe wherever
we are….. Now enjoying a very strong drink…. to be followed by a
nice shower and a good meal…….

We should reach our destination in Ajijic sometimes late afternoon
tomorrow, Sunday. We are so looking forward to see our friends and of
course our little house.” So here are two recent stories of successful and safe border crossings into Mexico. So do not be dissuaded from entering a most wonderful country where you will have an exciting vacation or happy and peaceful retirement or relocation. Come on down and find your little piece of heaven too

Why Mexico is Safer than You Think

admin — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 14:35:15 +0000

This is information from the U.S. Department of State and other experts.

Most of the tourist and resort areas are separated by hundreds of miles from the volatile battlegrounds of the drug war. Tourism officials say staying away from Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta and other areas of Mexico because of what is going on it Ciudad Juarez would be like not traveling to Nebraska because of something happening in New York City. (Wall Street Journal)

According to the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. and Mexico border areas are most affected by the drug wars and if there is some sort of drug violence or serious crime, it generally doesn’t take place in tourist areas. (Fodor’s)

That also applies to our area of Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

In it’s efforts to combat violence, the Government of Mexico has deployed military troops to various parts of the country. (U.S. Department of State)

Security expert, Mike Ackerman, president of the Ackerman Group, and investigative security firm, says most of the drug-trade crime with Mexico is “narco on narco” (drug lord on drug lord) violence or violence again police. Kidnapping, another growing problem in Mexico, almost always targets wealthy Mexicans, not Americans or other foreigners. (Wall Street Journal)

Heide Bronke Fulton, a State Department Spokeswoman says “we are not advising people not to go to Mexico”. She adds hat the main areas of concern are cities and towns near the U.S. border. (Wall Street Journal)

According to information from hotels, urban business travel hotels in areas like Mexico City have not seen a booking drop-off, despite reports of increased crime in Mexico. (Fodor’s)

This is also true for La Nueva Posada, which is the most popular hotel in Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

This is an interesting statistic: You’re more likely to die in a car accident in Mexico than any other way. Of the 681 non-natural, non-military deaths of the United States citizens in Mexico recoded by the U.S. Department of State between July 1st, 2006 and June 30th, 2009, roughly 300 were listed as “Vehicle Accident –auto”. Most of the 150 or so homicides listed took place in border regions not in the central region where Mexico city and Ajijic, Lake Chapala are located.

The Wall Street Journal tells us that in 2008, 22.6 million people, including 5.8 million Americans visited Mexico. Tourism is a big business, it’s in the best interest of the country to keep travelers safe.

Fodor’s online travel guide contributors ,Gerard Helferich and Teresa Nicholas are also residents of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico since 2002. From their experience “The American news coverage of Mexico’s drug violence has made the problem seem more widespread that it is. The likelihood of a visitor encountering this violence is remote. The targets are the police, the army and other gang members not ordinary citizens of tourists. Living in the central part of the country, our only exposure has been what we’ve seen and heard on television. Our town of San Miguel de Allende and the surrounding area seem as safe as ever”. (Fodor’s)

This central area they mention also includes Ajijic, Lake Chapala

Keep in mind that Mexico City is 1,543 km, 958 miles away from the danger in Ciudad Juarez. To put that distance into perspective, that would represent the same distance between Toronto, Canada and Atlanta, GA. We in Ajijic, Lake Chapala are also more than 7 hours from the border of Mexico and the U.S. where Ciudad Juarez is located.

How to Obtain Your Driver’s License in Ajijic, Lake Chapala

admin — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 19:05:06 +0000

As we recently had occasion to find out it is possible to obtain or renew your driver’s license in Riberas del Pilar on the carretera near Muebles Rustico on the lake side before you come to Maskaras Clinic on the way to Chapala.

I am going to speak about specifically renewing your license as that is what we needed to do. However, a visit to the Secretaria de Vialidad y Transporte (also know as the Transito) will provide you with the information and documents necessary for a new driver’s license.

To renew an existing driver’s license you will need:

Your valid passport original and one copy.

Your valid FM 2 or FM 3 original and one copy.

Proof of address (comprobante de domicilio) dated within 90 days. They accept either an original and one copy of your latest phone bill (Telmex) in the name you want on the license, an original electric bill (CFE) in the name you want on the license and one copy or an original bank statement in the name you want on the license and one copy stamped and signed by the bank.

Your Blood Type

Your current or expired driver’s license.

Also you will need to go to the Referendo office in Chapala which is located on the first street behind the big market and has a long hallway which leads to the office where you pay for your driver’s license. You will need to taka all of your necessary documents to make this payment. The amount of a regular driver’s license renewal is $330.00 pesos.

Don’t think copies or faxes without originals will do because they will not be accepted.

You then proceed to the Transito Office which is open Monday of Friday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm armed with your papeles (documents) and receipt for payment in Chapala and hope the person who serves you is in an amiable mood.

No English is spoken so if you do not have a rudimentary grasp of Spanish I suggest you take a translator with you.

Once you have all your documents submitted and thoroughly inspected you will be asked a series of questions such as your postal code, whether or not you wish to be an organ donor, your telephone number, your status in Mexico, and whether you need your glasses to drive.( Note to the vain – don’t try to fool them about not needing your glasses to drive as there will be an eye test.)

Then you sign an electronic box and they take your index finger print electronically as well. Your picture is taken and you have to do a short computer test to see if you can read the text and know the difference between up and down, right and left.

Once you have successfully completed your “test” a machine spits out your new license and you are on your way.

I know this may sound like an arduous process but, in fact, it is perfectly straightforward and we were able to accomplish the task in 3 visits for me and 4 for my husband. That is because we tried to get a fax by them unsuccessfully. We should have remembered that the Mexican government employees are real sticklers for originals.

The staff of the Transito is very pleasant and helpful and we were in and out in under a half hour once we had everything in place.

Years ago we would have to wait for hours and they were lined up 4 deep to the carretera and there were only certain days of the year you could even approach them for your new or renewed license.

Things are much better now and you can get your license 5 days a week provided, of course, you have all of your paperwork in place. If you do, getting or renewing your driver’s license is a pedazo de pastel (piece of cake).