Posted by Permanent Message on 12/27/2005, 9:58 pm
Message modified by board administrator 3/31/2008, 7:19 pm

(1) Impressions of Tepic Climate was our most important consideration in chosing our first SOTB home. Cliff and I were born in Central California where summer temperatures are often over 100 degrees in the summer and smog and allergy-producing substances are a big problem. Average daytime temperature in Tepic has been about 83 degrees. Elevation is about 3000ft. Our California allergies and my asthma were left at the border along with the first of my unwanted 120 pounds. Warm days are made comfortable with the use of ceiling fans. We can always count on a cool breeze by 6:00pm. We wished for an electric blanket for a few nights last winter but extra layers of bedding did the job just fine. We deal with insects just as we did in California.We avoid rush hour traffic everywhere. Traffic laws here are different from those in California but Cliff learned them easily. I drive just enough to prove that I can. Our Spanish is adequate and improving. A Spanish teacher/friend in California said we would learn what language we need to survive and go on to learn what we need to thrive. How right he was! Our vocabulary is better than our grammar. Cliff is a whiz at numbers and money in any language and he is a world class hunter-gatherer. I can cook a bit so the combination of talents is a good one. We have seen excellent improvement in the availability of products since we have been here(9/14/99). Friends often offer to bring what we think we can't live without...vitamins and a few spices, in particular. We live in a middle-class neighborhood and have found it easy to become part of the local scene. We know only two other North American families in Tepic. We rarely hear English spoken. We wanted a true Mexican experience and found one here. My one disappointment is the lack of art galleries, bookstores, cultural events and museums of the quality that we had in California. Living within 1.5 hours of San Francisco, we expected similar availability in...at least...large cities here. We rely on American television, the generosity of visitors who sometimes bring reading material and the rare delightful exceptions we find here. Tepic is not for everyone. If I needed glittering nightlife and a daily view of the ocean in order to be happy, I wouldn't get off the plane here. Adios for now, Alice -------------------------------------------------- (2) The List Hola, The decision to retire in Mexico came from our hearts...but where to retire in Mexico came from our heads after we had the good sense to damn the books and brochures and make a list of what we need to be happy anywhere. We researched our criteria until we were nearly blind. We read and reread Carl Franz' 'The People's Guide to Mexico' until it was in shreads. We read everything else in sight, too...but Franz' book is like none other. It is about Mexico without frills and fluff. It remains our best reference today. When the hype about other areas with fewer qualifications but better press agents blinded us momentarily, we were somehow able to get real again and trudge forward. We were able to resist the urge for a pavilion in the rain forest or a cottage by the sea when they didn't make 'The List'. We had vacationed in Mexico many times but the decision to move to Tepic was made sight unseen. It was made just on the facts. Cliff made a trip to Tepic, verified what we thought we knew and rented our first home while I remained in California minding the store. I returned a month later with him and was delighted with his choice. Tepic scores highest even today where it matters most to us: 1. Climate. We were weary of summer temps in Central California that often went over 100 degrees, smog and humidy. An average daytime temperature of 83 degrees with cool evenings sounded like heaven to us. The rainy season is our unexpected favorite time of year. Vegetation is lush and the world outside always has a freshly-washed face. 2. Good Food. I am thought of by some to be a bit of a creative cook and we never met a gourmet restaurant we didn't like. Cliff is a world-class hunter-gatherer so we enjoy a wide range of delicious groceries daily. Three excellent stores have opened since our arrival and the selection improves regularly. Favorite restaurants see us often. 3. Affordable and interesting housing. We wanted no more hunks of dirt with our names on the deed. Freedom from such responsibility and lack of easy mobility were to be things of the past. Tepic offers several interesting neighborhoods with rentals at good prices. 4. Easy access to goods and services. Immigration offices, doctors, dentists, veterinarians, appliance and car repair, regular water delivery and trash removal loom very large when you least expect to need them. We found all of the above in abundance here. 5. Big city culture. Tepic offers live theater, first run movies and musical events. Though not on the level of Mexico City and Guadalajara, there is enough of the good stuff available to keep us happy should the bug bite. 6. Day trip proximity to great "getaways". San Blas, Guadalajara, and Puerto Vallarta are easy-to-reach destinations. 7. Affordability. We are often amazed at how seldom we are faced with gringo pricing here. Cliff deserves all the credit for how far our money goes...I often joke that the only thing he ever paid full price for was me. 8. A Mexican adventure. This was our hill to die on. We were anxious for a complete change from what we left in California and insisted on avoiding communities where serving ex-pats has become a cottage industry. We began our lives in Tepic in a middle-class neighborhood. Our second neighborhood is much the same. We were accepted as part of the local group from the start...amazing because our Spanish is still in the learning stages. Our vocabulary is better than our grammer. Correct pronounciation of vowels serves us well! Luckily, our closest first neighbor spent a high school year as an exchange student in California. Her English is excellent and she is very generous with translation when we need it. Cliff's Spanish is much better than mine. He attended a Spanish immersion class in California and came away with an excellent command of numbers and money...his major strength in any language. There is much to be said for the privacy that we enjoy in our 'no-habla' status. There was nothing fancy about our process. It was quick and dirty and worked well. Hope you found some ideas that will help you make a list of your own. Adios for now, Alice -------------------------------------------------- (3) After "The List" we got busy! The decision was made. We were going to live in an unfurnished casa in Tepic. The preparation began and we: 1. Took care of "the money". Cliff established an account at California Commerce bank in California for deposit of dollars and a "Maestro" peso account at Banamex in Tepic. Both institutions are under the same ownership. Money is transferred from California to Mexico at an excellent exchange rate while we are on the phone with the bank representative. Service to date has been flawless. ATMs are the primary source of money here. Checks are used rarely. Cash is king. 2. Obtained our FM3s. We obtained applications at the Mexican Consulate in Sacramento, California, delivered the required documentation and each received our visa in three days. Cliff's approval was a slam-dunk because he had convincing documentation fron the US government. I had to qualify via current income. I prepared a packet that would have made my third grade teacher proud, arrived dressed as if I was going to court and received approval with no hassle. In retrospect, we now know that what they wanted to see was monthly deposits that totaled the necessary amount. The source of the money was unimportant. This has proved to be true with renewals, also. Mexicans have developed a cottage industry that deals with getting visas, IMSS, etc., for immigrants at a price. We are glad we went the direct route because we learned a lot about how things work in the Mexican world that we would not know from any other source. 3. Downsized. Excess family pictures, etc., were given to family members. Dumped the trash. Furniture and artifacts were sold at a fair price. What we didn't sell was packed for the trip south of the border. Everything with a plug made the cut. Repairs are inexpensive here so even the most humble gadget is a treasure. Keeping a low profile is a priority for us which may explain why we feel so safe in our new land. We are just like regular folks with the stuff we brought to use up and wear out. 4. Arranged for mail transfer. We use 'Mail, Messages and More' in Pahrump, Nevada. 5. Made insurance plans. We bought car insurance from a firm in Arizona. We obtained IMSS medical coverage in Mexico. We re-thought self-funding when we saw the quality of the IMSS system. 6. Took a look at internet and American TV access. Arrangements were made accordingly. 7. Saved enough money to fund move-in expenses and deal with emergencies. 8. Dealt with the language issue. Cliff attended an immersion class in California and learned a lot about numbers, customs and vocabulary. I learned the pronounciation of vowels and some vocabulary. Cliff purchased pocket translators...less than $30 each at Radio Shack, etc...for each of us. They are invaluable. We still use them several times a week. 9. Cut our ties to California and got on our way. We knew we couldn't swim to the new shore if we didn't let go of the dock. Mexico is our home now!!!