In Cancun & Tulum

Today was to be a day for exploring Cancun--but first I needed a haircut. The bright sun meant I needed to wear a hat whenever I was outside. Once I had the hat on for any length of time my hair was so soggy and greasy looking I wouldn't take it off. The solution was a scalping.

I went to my friend's barber who was shocked that I wanted my hair cut so closely. After a false start--when he cut only the top of my head down--leaving the sides long, it was a done deal. I didn't care if it looked terrible or not--it felt GREAT! Cost? Fifty pesos (about US $3.75) including tip. Not bad.

Kerry wanted to show me how inexpensive local housing was away from the tourist zone. We went to visit a local businessman he knew. Horatio had a small internet cafe and was building a hotel adjacent to it. We toured the construction and he offered to show me some other property he owned that was for sale. He had a three bedroom house with a garden courtyard for sale in the Cancun city limits for $57,000 US. He also had two bedroom apartments for rent at 300-500 dollars. Later we looked at one and two bedroom houses for sale from $10,000-15,000 US. These were not in fancy tourist areas, but in the real world where "real" people live. It was encouraging to me that housing could be that affordable. I'm sorry I don't have photos for you to see.

I'll grant you that most from the states would not want to live in these areas. The quality and cleanliness in these areas varies from house to house; they are a long way from the beach and here your neighbors would not be rich. But for me, that is not troubling. I prefer to be comfortable rather than fashionable; economical rather than astronomical.

Later we headed to a huge mall were we walked around checking prices. Most of the products were high end and not discounted. Kerry assured me that most everything we saw there could be had for less somewhere else.

We stopped at a kiosk (Spanish=cabina) marketing new construction one and two bedroom condos. These were not the upscale, fancy tourist condos, but real world stuff. One bedrooms were about $20,000 US, 2 bedrooms were about $26,000.

The next day we headed to Tulum, a smaller city south of Cancun. Tulum has the only known Mayan temple site on the ocean.

Image: traveladvisor.com

Image: tropicalsky.co.uk

(Here you might ask why I am using other's photos. There is a pretty good reason . . . I accidently deleted mine.)

While the temples at Tulum can't hold a candle to those at Chichen Itza they are sited in a fabulous spot. I heartily recommend it as a must see place.

The beaches at Tulum are marvelous--but they are priced waaaay out of my range. Here's a shot of where I won't be living . . . rats!

We toured the modern city of Tulum as well. I stopped at a little shop to buy a hat with a larger brim. I found a beauty. I was surprised and pleased to find that it was made in Texas! Why is it every hat I look at in the Wal-Mart at home is from China? Can't they stock anything from the US? It is a shame when I have to travel to Mexico to find something made in the USA.

Here is the American-made hat, with my American-made head in it.

After Tulum we headed back to Cancun where we had some terrific fish tacos in a side walk shop in the tourist area. Good eats, great prices.

The time had flown by, I had seen and learned a lot, but tomorrow it would be time to go home.

Back to Cancun

Back to Cancun

We took a last look around Merida and headed toward Cancun. There was much we hadn't seen--but unfortunately time was limited. We had to leave. I hope to go back one day.

Instead of taking the four-lane back to Cancun we opted for a more scenic route. I worked more on road signs in between keeping an eye out for those sneaky topes!

Many signs I could decipher fairly easily. For example, "Precaucion Zona Escola" I knew right away meant, Caution School Zone. "Despacio" (slow) I already knew. Not from road signs, but from begging locals, "Despacio, por favor," (slow, please) when I couldn't understand their rapid speech.

I also nailed "Ceda El Paso" (yield right of way), but that was just a lucky guess, and I got half of "Poblado Proximo." Proximo is enough like approximate that it was no problemo--you know that one! What I couldn't get was Poblado; it means small village or town. 

Sometimes I hadn't a clue. "No Rebase" left me cold. Kerry told me it meant no passing. There we many more I had to ask about, but slowly I was picking things up and felt more comfortable.

We stopped in one village and Kerry bought a plant for his balcony (balcon) at condo. It was a large plant in a big pot. He paid about $3 US (40 pesos). The same plant would probably sell for $10-20 in the US.

A we drove into Cancun Kerry showed me that the mile markers had both Arabic numbers and Mayan numbers, so I learned to write one to twenty in Mayan! I can't reproduce the symbols on my keyboard, but just in case you want to amaze your friends and neighbors, here is a table I found online:

The number system is based on twenty--not ten as ours. The symbol for twenty is their zero with one dot above it.

Once archaeologists decoded Mayan numbers it allowed the current batch of doomsayers to predict the end of the world this year since the Mayan calendar doesn't go any farther than that. My advice? Don't give your stuff away just yet!

I couldn't find a thermometer to check exactly how hot is was, but it was plenty humid. I told Kerry that his first job the next day was to take me to his barber. My hair (the bit that grew around the edges of my bald spot) had to go!

Merida & Progresso

Day two in Merida began with a leisurely breakfast in the courtyard.

The hotel had a buffet for guests. There was fruit and eggs and toast and a whole lot more. The most surprising part was the breakfast meat: sliced hot dogs!



We saw an interesting sign leading into the pool area:



There was something else I hadn't seen before--a machine that dispensed soft drinks and BEER. Please note: I'm just pretending to buy a beer for the camera. I had orange juice for breakfast. Really!


After breakfast we headed to the seaside town of Progresso. The drive took less than an hour. Kerry had not been there before but he used his Garmin. (Yes, they have Mexico chips for GPS units!)


If you look at the map Progresso is almost due north of Merida, and is a much smaller town. The road leading into Progresso had a number hotels so I didn't know what to expect when we got into the town center.

In Cancun the beaches are lined with hotels and high rise condos. Not so in Progresso. There was a large board walk and long pier reaching out into the water. Elsewhere homes lined the windy beach. I saw no hotels in town. Most of the houses along the beach were large. We did find a three bedroom place one block from the ocean for $150,000--downright cheap considering. But I was just looking, not buying. There was no population sign, but I would estimate it was no larger than 25,000 or so.

Most of the town had great pavement. But the east end of town had potholes, potholes, potholes. There was an attractive town square and the boardwalk was nice and clean. The breeze seemed stronger than in Cancun--more a wind than a breeze. I imagine it was due to Progresso being north facing rather than east as in Cancun.

We ate seaside on a long veranda at a large restaurant. It seemed crazy not to have seafood so I did: a pasta dish with fish and scallops in a white sauce; mixed vegetables on the side. Excellent! All in all I was much pleased with Progresso.

Eventually we headed back to Merida and revisited the main square that evening. There were muscians and people selling flowers, jewelry, toys for little ones and much more.

Merida would be a wonderful place to vacation. There is so much to do in town and still be close to the gulf. I'd love to spend a couple of weeks there exploring galleries and museums. As tempting a place as it is, I still want to opt for something smaller and quieter. If I were to land here it would be in Progresso, not Merida.

Merida

We arrived in Merida, a city of about one million, late afternoon. It was hot away from the ocean, and hotter still in the large city. It is the capital of the Yucatan state. It is also known as a great cultural center with many galleries and museums. At its center is the old colonial district where some buildings date back to the 1500's!

Kerry knew a hotel in the colonial district, the Delores Alba, that is clean and has good rates. Parking is in a gated and locked lot. It is monitored by camera and guests are buzzed in and out. As in any large city, security is important. Any tourist, anywhere, should always be careful. There are some bad people everywhere in this world of ours. Here is a photo of another hotel security system. Not state of the art, perhaps, but effective. The parking garage is below the ledge.

My room was on the second floor and had two windows--with wooden louvers but no glass. One looked out on the center court of the hotel. The other onto a hallway. It wasn't fancy, but it was clean and had an air conditioner. I turned it on just before bed and it kept me cool through the night. Expedia has some great pics of the hotel. To see them, click here.

After checking in we headed out in the car to have a look around. It was hot enough that I wanted to buy a fan. We went to a local market--a sort of indoor/outdoor mall. Most shops were linked by passages that wormed through the buildings to no discernable plan. Outside the streets were narrow. Everywhere the people were friendly.

We had intentionally not gone to a tourist area. I wanted to see how the "real" people lived--especially since I planned to become one! A saleslady brought out fans, one-by-one, and plugged them in so I could test them out. I made my selection, we took it to the car and then wandered around. This wasn't a grocery store (Tienda de comestibles) but nearly everything else was available in the many small shops. As expected, clothes and electronics were more expensive than in the states.

After we returned to the hotel we walked to a nearby square and had dinner outside,"fuera,"in the plaza. I had grilled fish (I have forgotten which kind), with a black bean & corn salsa that was excellent. The side was rice and I had a cold Modelo. All good!

The plaza was packed with people. Tourists, of course, but local families and sweethearts, too. Sunday in the plaza is a big event.

I was able to attend a service in the oldest cathedral in the new world; the Catedral de San Ildefonso (1598), first in the continental Americas. The service was in Spanish but was still enjoyable. The building was spectacular.

The facade

The Nave (center section)

A side section

Afterward, worn out from the long day, we headed back to the hotel. I slept like a rock.

Cancun and Chichen Itza

After telling the church it was time to visit my friend, Kerry, in Cancun. I had some vacation left so used a week and scheduled a trip. After a rough start--I missed a flight in Dallas and had to stay overnight--I arrived on May 10. It was warm and sunny.

Kerry and a friend of his, Ricardo, met me at the airport. After dropping my stuff at his condo they took me to a small restaurant under a bull ring. Kerry said they had the best lamb tacos in town. He is probably right--they were terrific.

Back at the condo we planned our next few days. We had to budget time more carefully since I had lost a day in Dallas. We decided to head for Merida the next day, stopping at the ruins of the Mayan temple(s) at Chichen Itza. In the Mayan tongue, Chichen Itza means "the mouth of the well of the Itza," Itza being the name of the Mayan tribe who lived there.

I crashed on the couch and slept like a rock, with a strong breeze from the ocean keeping me comfortable.

Some years ago I had visited the Mayan ruins of Altun Ha in Belize. They were impressive. First discovered in 1963, Altun Ha is not nearly as well excavated or restored as Chichen Itza (1842). The tallest of the structures at Altun is about 55 feet. It would be dwarfed by the Kukulcan pyramid at Chichen Itza which rises more than 80 feet. I looked forward to seeing the site. As you can see from the photos below (taken with Kerry's I-phone) I was not to be disappointed.

The pyramid of Kukulcan

Another view of Kukulcan

The site covers just a bit less than six (!) square miles. Below are just a few of the other structures.

The last photo is of the sacred well, or cenote. It is about 60 feet from the top of the well to the water and the water is about 65 feet deep. With no surface rivers in most, if not all of Mexico, cenotes are an important source of water.

En route to Chichen Itza we stopped and had lunch in the town square of Valladolid and exchanged dollars for pesos. After Chichen Itza we headed for Merida (May-ree-deh).

Our trip began in Cancun in the NE. We took Hwy 180--an excellent road--to Valladolid, detoured slightly to Chichen Itza and then rejoined 180 to Merida in the NW part of the Yucatan.

Kerry, who amazed me with how well he speaks Spanish, told me I would have to re-program my vowel sounds. In Spanish vowels are not pronounced  Ay Eee eye Oh yoU, but rather eh, ay, eee, oh ooo. At least that is my best approximation. To learn how to really say them click here.

I also began to learn Mexican road signs. Long ago on a mountain road outside San Jose, Costa Rica I had learned the most important sign--Peligro. It means Danger. Of course I learned the hard way! The first time I saw the sign, I reached for my handy Spanish-to-English handbook and was sent flying almost into the back seat when the road dropped off about a foot. I'm not likely to forget that one!

Kerry told me that there was another sign in Mexico nearly as important as Peligro: Tope (toe-pay). A tope is a Mexican traffic control device we know as the speed bump. (In Jamaica, by the way, they are called, "sleeping policemen.")

In Mexico a tope may appear anywhere--even in the highway! Some are huge and steep. Some are mid-sized--and some aren't too bad. You can't always tell by the sign which size it is, so you had better slow down or get your teeth rattled--and maybe the car springs broken into the bargain. You quickly learn to watch the brake lights of the guy ahead of you. If he brakes, you had better brake, too.

One thing about topes--no one drives at autobahn speeds. Self preservation won't allow it. Plus, they save a lot of money on traffic police, radar and stop lights. Verrrry efficient!

Next time: Merida, the oldest church in the New World and more road signs.

Is it Safe?

It didn't take long for word to spread that I was leaving. There were many questions, but the main queries were these: "What about the drug gangs?; "Will you be safe?"; "Where are you going?", and "Why are you going?"

The first two were the biggies. There has been so much bad press with the drug wars and beheadings going on that everyone was worried. I tried to assure folks that I wasn't headed to a border area were the violence is concentrated. I also explained that I would be at least as safe there as I would be in Ft. Wayne. I found a video on utube by an ex-Dallas policeman who lives in Ajijic--and has for years. I tried to steer people toward it as it answers the obvious questions. You can see it here .

Many imagined that I would be living in a hovel without any amenities miles from civilization. Sometimes we gringos forget that there are plenty of places in the U.S. where people are living without creature comforts. But videos like this one about the town of Chapala show what a beautiful city it is and can put one's mind more at ease. See it here.

In any event, the most dangerous part of the trip for me will be crossing the border at Laredo, Texas. On the other side, Nuevo Laredo has seen vicious murders and beheadings. I will worry there, but I will cross very early in the morning and will have Duke with me. I know what a softy he is but he certainly looks menacing!

O.K. . . . Maybe not so much!

The "Where are you going" I could answer fairly easily--but the "Why are you going" was tougher. It was hard to explain that after years of seeing to the needs of others--and that went back even farther than my time with the church--I just needed a breather; a time to refresh and re-connect spiritually. It could never happen here; I was too involved. There was the church, the free health clinic I helped to found, local and state politics, my old union local, etc. etc.. If I stayed in the area I'd get caught up in everything once again.

But "Why not in the U.S.?" many wanted to know. I explained the cost of living was much better as was the weather; it would be an adventure . . . and . . . I would be forced to see everything, including myself, in a different light.

Not everyone understood, I know, but most everyone seemed to take my word that it was necessary.

I knew I would be answering questions right up until I left. I also knew I would be saying, "Come on down and visit and see for yourself!

Next: Continuing to check things out: Cancun and environs.

Telling the Church

Catching up

Telling the church was a two-step process. First I would have to speak with the staff parish committee. In the United Methodist system the SPC provides the principal support for the pastor. They are to help him in his spiritual life, see that he gets sufficient time away, maintain total confidentiality and make salary recommendations to the church council. They are also asked to appraise the pastor of areas where he is doing well and where he can do better. It is a great system--When it works.

In years past I had dealt with SPCs that had one or more members who only knew how to complain, demand, and deny any support at all. It made things difficult. Thankfully the committee this year was the best I had ever worked with by far. I knew when I went to them they would be looking for a way to be supportive rather than to be destructive.

This made things both easier and more difficult. Why? Well it was easier because I knew they had my best interest and that of the church at heart. It was harder because I didn't want to tell these wonderful people I would be leaving them.

There were tears on both sides at the meeting, but all members understood I needed a break and they were fabulously supportive. We spoke about the replacement process and how the asst. superintendent would be visiting to speak with them about what they were looking for in a new pastor, etc. I answered their questions as well as I could. Nothing about the meeting was truly easy--but considering the subject it couldn't have gone better.

The meeting was supposed to be confidential but I knew it would be no more likely that the secret could be kept than it had been possible for me to tell absolutely no one about my decision. I had to tell others and did. So would members of the committee.

Before word leaked out too far I tried to speak with some members who I feared might be the most upset with my leaving. I wanted to do my best to be certain they would stay and give the new pastor a fair chance. My argument was simple. 1. The Gospel, not the person who delivered it, was the important thing. 2. They had great friends in the church and if they left they would be leaving them, too. 3. Even if they left they would still be dealing with a new pastor somewhere else who would no doubt leave someday as well. 4. They loved our little church and the church loved and needed them.

In the end all agreed to stay at least six months. I could trust that they would be good to their word, and expected that after that long they would love the new pastor as they had loved me--maybe even more. I was able to speak with most folks before the general announcement, but not all.

Then, the next Sunday, I announced to those present who had not yet heard that I would be leaving at the end of June. I wished I had been able to speak with each one before Sunday, but time hadn't allowed. Nearly all were disappointed--but there were a two or three to whom this was great news indeed. I was happy to finally have found a way to please them!

Next: Addressing worries about safety, and continued preparation.

Catching up/Ponerse al dia

Catching Up


There was more going on in preparation for the trip than researching landing sites in Mexico. I must also prepare things in Indiana. I'll speak to that now, and hold off describing my trip to Cancun, Merida, Tulum, et. al. for a later post.

The Methodist district office needed to know in order to arrange for a replacement pastor. Besides the office only three others in Indiana knew of my plans. They had to be trustworthy. Not being able to be up front with my church family was hard enough--it would be worse if news of my departure came via the rumor mill rather than from me.  That would cause considerable and unnecessary hurt and anger. I didn't want that to happen. Although it was hard to have to hold back and await the signal from the district--it was probably the best thing. So I trusted and waited.

Still, I needed to be able to talk to someone. It was simply too much for me to hold in secret. The three from Indiana would be discrete, I knew. I also told a friend from West Virginia, some friends in Wisconsin, and, of course, Kerry in Mexico.

Telling those in Wisconsin was tricky. I have an aunt and uncle I love and respect in their same town. I wanted to talk to Bill and Dorothy face to face and not impersonally via letter or phone call. As my friends lived close by my aunt and uncle I had to have their pledge of secrecy. This they did readily and I knew I could trust them.

It is not surprising that my confidants were somewhat taken aback. But all, save one, had known me for at least 25 years and knew my choices were not always what one might expect from a "normal" person. 

Also not surprisingly each (except Kerry, of course) expressed concern for my safety. (I'll address "the safety issue" a bit later on.) Despite some doubts, to their credit, all respected, if not completely delighted, in my decision.

In late March I had my annual evaluation by the District Committee on Ministry. They were gracious and recommended me for re-appointment on my return. I was also given the O.K. to inform my church family. It was both a joy and a terror to have the time finally arrive. I could share my secret--but I had to live with the consequences!

Next: Telling my church family

News/Noticias

From what I had found thus far Ajijic was alone at the top of the leaderboard, but there was a lot of Mexico left to look over. I had immediately ruled out anywhere near a border (drug war territory) and the major tourist spots. I wanted to have a comfortable and peaceful year. I also wanted nothing to do with Mexico City (Mexico to the locals, as I have mentioned before) due to cost, congestion and pollution. At the same time I did want to be near good medical facilities, airport and water. That still left a lot of territory (all of Baja and the Sea of Cortez, for example) and at least one "tourista" destination, Cancun.

Why Cancun? Well, for just one reason . . . one of my best, if not my best friend on the entire planet lives there. Kerry moved there in 2006. It would be nice to have a familiar face to see occasionally. More than that, Kerry had been a trusted friend for a long, long time. I knew that even after I had searched all of Mexico there would be at least one trip to Cancun in the mix. It would be foolish not to visit and check things out.

With that in mind I went ahead with my investigation. It didn't take too long to rule out Baja and the Sea of Cortez, beautiful though they might be. (Here you may want to ask why I would think deserts are beautiful. Its a fair question and the answer is simple: I just do!) But, beautiful though they may be, they would be too hot, lack great medical facilities, have no discernable cost advantage, and, in this case, would be subject to hurricanes into the bargain. A no go.

I knew little about the Mexican mountain ranges but I soon found out that there are three major ranges: The Sierra Madre Occidental (western), Oriental (eastern) and del Sur (south). The Occidental runs south from Arizona, the Oriental from Texas and the del Sur begins south and a good deal west of Mexico (I'll be calling Mexico City, Mexico from now on) and runs along the west coast toward Salina Cruz.

In the Occidental there were no major cities--meaning no state of the art medical and no major airports. In the Oriental range Monterrey seemed to meet the medical and airport requirements, but a search revealed summer temps could reach 107 Fahrenheit (42 Celsius). Too hot and no water nearby.

In the del Sur range Oaxaca (wa-hoc-ah) was tempting. Situated in a valley in the mountains at about the same elevation as Ajijic, Oaxaca is an old colonial city a bit larger (250,000) than Ft. Wayne. It is surrounded by small towns and has a similar climate to Ajijic, albeit slightly warmer. It does have a U.S./Canadian ex-pat community though not so large as the Lake Chapala area. Cost of living is reasonably low and there is plenty to do. Photographs I found show it to be beautiful. The absence of a nearby lake was all that kept it from the top of the list. Wherever I was to end up, Oaxaca would be worth a visit while I was in country. You can check it out by going to utube and checking out. Click Here  I think you'll like it, too.

Next: Merida, Cancun, Tulum and environs

News/Noticias

I spent a lot of time browsing the Lake Chapala Society website, following links, reading ads and just nosing around in general. Frankly, it sounded too good to be true. Then in the classified section on the site I stumbled across an ad that began, "I love having guests so much that I commissioned a well known Mexican architect to build an eight bedroom casita (Little House) overlooking my lush tropical garden." At the end of the ad was an email address for contacting haroldskipwaggoner@hotmail.com. Harold Skip Waggoner sounded like a fellow gringo to me. Perhaps he might answer a few questions?I wrote an email asking if he would mind doing just that for a potential fellow emigre. On a whim, I included my phone number as well as my email address. I hoped for a response--any response really--but I didn't count on much more than a disinterested email, if anything. What a surprise when I answered my phone the next evening to find Skip himself on the other end of the call . . . all the way from Ajijic!


When I got over my astonishment he explained that he was calling via Vonage thru his computer--so no long distance fees! After mutual introductions I peppered him with questions. How long had he lived there? (twelve years); How was the weather? (Hottest in May, coolest in December; highs in the 90's, lows in the mid-forties); Cost of living? (You could get by nicely on about $1600 as a single, a bit more for couples--maybe more depending on how fancy you wanted to be); High speed internet? (Yes.); Cable TV? (Yes) Rent? ($300 and up); Heat and light (the houses don't have furnaces or central air--not needed--a fan for the hot days and space heater for the coolest would be enough); etc.  

Of course there were more things to ask, and I did. He told my I could get by with little or no Spanish because a great many of the locals, particularly in businesses, spoke some English, but that I would enjoy life more if I learned to speak at least rudimentary Spanish; that his health had improved since he had arrived; crime was low, people were pleasant, etc. I told him I planned to bring some books, clothes, computer, the dog's essentials and asked what, if anything, I would absolutely have to bring from the states if it was essential to my comfort? He said if I liked soft mattresses to bring one of those. Since I like hard mattresses there was no problem there. One other thing, he said: "Snow. We don't have any of that," and he laughed.


I spoke with him about other things, then after I had hung up I sat there amazed at how nice of him it was to call, and how patiently he had answered my questions. Ajijic certainly sounded like a great place to live and I couldn't wait to learn more.


Ajijic (Remember?, ah ha heek) is located about 30 or so miles (48 kilometers) from Guadalajara, Mexico's second largest city. (You can find Guadalajara on the map in my earlier post--just look toward the SW of the country just over halfway down the map). It sits at an elevation of about one mile (same as Denver, Colorado) and along the same latitude as Hawaii and is almost due east of the Mexican resort town of Puerto Vallarta. As of the moment Ajijic was in the hunt. Next: Other potential places.

News/Noticias
Picking a spot

If you are thinking about retiring on a small island you don't have to worry about differing climates; what you see in one part of the island is what you get all over. Not so in Mexico. Mexico is a big country with mountains as high as 18,000 feet and coastal communities right at sea level. There are deserts, farmland, forest/jungle, etc. I had to decide what I wanted and then look to see where I might find it.

I have always enjoyed being around water. It is relaxing, cooling and (most often) peaceful, and that is why I found islands so appealing. Mexico has some well known oceanside towns: Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco and more. It made sense to check them out first so I did, but while browsing the net I stumbled upon Lake Chapala--the largest lake in Mexico. At ten miles wide and fifty long it is plenty big enough, and at an elevation of about one mile above sea level it is quite a bit cooler than the coastlands; National Geographic rated it one of the healthiest climates in the world! It sounded intriguing so I dug in and checked it out in earnest. Here is what I found . . .

There are a number of small towns along the northern edge of the lake (Chapala, Ajijic and San Juan Cosala, etc.) that together have a large ex-pat community. Most estimates give 3,000-4,000 as the number of U.S. citizens living there full time. So many live there that they have formed the Lake Chapala Society which provides a multitude of services and activities for members. Visit click here to check it out. You'll be impressed with all that is available.

There are also MANY utube videos: just search Lake Chapala Mexico and you can watch until your eyes glaze over. Here is one link to get started ... click here, and another . . . click here. By all means visit  , the site mentioned in the second video for a wealth of information on Ajijic (pronounced Ah-ha-heek). click here

To make a long story short--I thought the area sounded terrific and that I needed to dig even deeper. I'll cover some more of that process and list a few more links in the next post.

Something extra/Algo extra

News/Noticias
Where to live in Mexico?

Most U.S. residents know very little about Mexico, our nearest neighbor to the south. Its government is not set up much differently than our own. There is a central government: president, congress, court system, etc. The country is divided into 31 states and a federal district, Mexico City, which Mexican citizens know as "Mexico." Each state has its own constitution and laws as well as its own officials, just as in the U.S. Most officials are democratically elected--also like the U.S.

Here is a map: (Source: Yahoo.com)


The driving distance from Tijuana in the extreme NW to Chetumal in the extreme SE (not shown on the map, but is located at the southern tip of the peninsula by Belize) is approximately 2530 miles--or 4073 kilometers--the measure used in Mexico. The driving distance from Cancun in the east to Puerto Vallarta in the west is approximately 1485/2390 miles/kilometers. (Source: Globefeed.com)

News/Noticias
Picking and Choosing




Once I had decided that I would take a leave from ministry and pursue my long-delayed dream of living outside of the U.S., I went online to search out and  revisit areas I had especially enjoyed while traveling years ago. I hadn't left the country since 1993 so there was little doubt that much had changed. It had.


At first I concentrated my search in St. Martin, Belize and Costa Rica. As I mentioned before, St. Martin was my first choice. But the cost of living in St. Martin and Costa Rica had risen until they were higher than I thought I could handle. Costs in Belize had risen, too, but perhaps not so much. After speaking with some others familiar with Belize today, I became discouraged by their feelings that crime targeted at U.S. residents was not vigorously investigated by the local police. That made Belize less attractive and I struck it from my list.


About that time I stumbled on an article on my Yahoo home page about the "Ten Best Places to Retire Abroad." I eliminated countries with cold winters immediately, as well as those in Asia. I knew I wanted to stay closer to the states. After culling the list I was left with Mexico, Ecuador and Panama as the most likely choices.


International Living magazine and it's website had an enormous amount of information and was very helpful to me.  What I learned there (and in other searches) convinced me that any of those three countries would meet my needs and my budget. Panama offered the most attractive benefits to seniors, with discounted travel, entertainment and ultilities among other temptations. But I knew the climate in Panama was both hot and humid and I didn't want to live in the highlands, so Panama fell from the list, leaving Mexico and Ecuador as the most likely candidates.


I had visited Mexico previously so I began to look at Ecuador. There were some obvious advantages: low cost of living, great climate (almost a dial-a-temperature climate, depending on altitude), decent medical care and a stable government. I could choose from some terrific options; oceanside, or mountainside--maybe even both! But I ran into two obstacles. The first was distance from the states; doable, but likely expensive. The second was my good friend, Duke, whom I now introduce . . .


Duke is, at the time of this writing, a 21 month old boxer. Leaving Duke behind was not an option. I knew I would never crate him and turn him over to an airline. I had heard far too many horror stories about pet deaths in transit. Ecuador was simply too far to drive. The mere thought of navigating the all the different regulations for transporting pets through each country we would have to pass was the decider. Ecuador was out--despite all its obvious benefits. So it was time to revisit Mexico.


Despite having been in Mexico several times I knew less about it than other places I had gone. In other places I had not gone as a tourist, but as a potential future resident and so sought out information on living conditions. But my trips to Mexico were strictly tourista oriented. I had been to Tijuana in my younger years and to Cancun and Chetumal, but only to party. My best Spanish was limited to "Uno mas cerveza, por favor. Muy frio," and "donde esta banyo." Hardly enough knowledge to use as basis for a decision. It was time to begin digging deeply.


Next: Where to live in Mexico? A Pleasant Surprise.

News/Noticias

Endings and Beginnings

In January of 2007 I retired from my job as a United Auto Worker representative at the General Motors truck plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Thirty years was enough, and besides, since 1999 I had also served as lay pastor of a small United Methodist Church in Wolf Lake, Indiana. Holding down both jobs was a bit of a strain--even at the relatively young age of fifty-eight.

I love the job at the church. The people are great, the job was challenging, meaningful and I felt more than a little blessed. But by June of 2011, as I completed my twelfth year at the church, I began to feel restless. It seemed to me that there wasn't the same drive and excitement either in the congregation or in my ministry. By December I was seriously considering moving on, and by January had made up my mind to do so. But move on to what or where I had no idea.

Leaving the church would not be easy, I knew. I truly loved the members--even the ones who didn't necessarily reciprocate. Breaking the ties would be hard for me and for many of them. All the more so since in the Methodist system pastors may not return to a church once they had been reassigned. Still, I thought the church needed the stimulation of a new pastor/leader and I was unsettled as well.  The question was whether I should ask for an appointment at another church or look for something else entirely.

When younger I had planned to retire either in the Caribbean or Central America. For a number of years I spent my vacation time visiting different countries/islands, looking for the perfect spot. I checked out Nassau and Freeport in the Bahamas, St. Martin/St. Maarten, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Curacao, Belize and Mexico. At that time I was teetering between St. Martin and Belize. I had fallen in love with St. Martin when I had gone there to play in a chess tournament in 1989 and had returned several times. Belize had real appeal because English was the official language and their rules for ownership of property were simple and strong. I even made an offer on some property there, but the deal fell through.

Eventually I abandoned the idea, choosing to remain near my family--particularly the grand kids. As time went on it became clear that I was more of a fifth wheel than an essential part of their lives. I began to lean more and more toward re-visiting my old dream of retiring abroad. After long thought I notified my district superintendent that in June of 2012 I would not be renewing my ministerial commitment and needed a year off to recharge my spiritual batteries. He understood my needs and left the door open for me to apply for a new appointment after a year. In order to avoid being a lame duck pastor for too long a time I was asked not to notify my church immediately, but to wait for the OK from the district. It was difficult not to tell my church family right away. I was not used to keeping secrets from them but I understood the reasons.
 

Now I needed to decide where to go and the search was on!

Next: The Search & Decision