16 June 2008 668 views 3 Comments

Rosana Hart lives near Lake Chapala, in San Juan Cosala, with her husband Kelly, two dogs and two cats. She’s been there for two and a half years, and before that had traveled around many parts of Mexico at various times, ever since she was a child.

Hola Rosana! Thanks for talking with us. First off, why would you recommend Mexico as a place to live?

Mexico has many advantages as a place to live. It is close to the US, and one of the few places in the world that you can easily get to by car as well as by air. With our family and friends scattered around the US, we often find it easier and more economical to drive than to fly. Yes, even with high gas prices — but then we do drive an economical car. We also like driving because we can bring a lot more stuff back with us!

Of course, ease of access wouldn’t matter if Mexico weren’t a good place to be. The main thing that makes it enjoyable for us is that the Mexican people are very warm and caring. This shows itself, for example, in how they will go out of their way to help out. As one reader of my blog on life in Mexico commented about a trip he took around Mexico, people “almost pushed each other out of the way to be of assistance.” The warmth also comes out in how pleased they are when you speak even a little Spanish, and how patient they are if — like us — you mangle the language frequently.

Cost of living is another important factor. We live relatively simply compared to most Americans, but it’s rare for us to spend over $2,000 a month on everything, including our travel to the US (averaged out over a year) and a part-time gardener and a part-time maid. Whatever your level of living, it does tend to be more economical here. That said, buying a house here is actually more expensive than in many parts of the US. We vacationed in the Ozarks last summer and were amazed at the low real estate prices. But rentals are at very good prices here compared to the value of the house, and many of us who live here do recommend that if it is at all feasible, people coming here from up north rent for a while before buying. It’s not at all uncommon for one partner to love it here and the other one not to. Plus, where you want to be can change once you get to know an area.

The climate is heavenly. The arts flourish. I could go on.

What is the most difficult thing for newcomers to adapt to?

There is a lot of individual variation in what newcomers find difficult. For me, it was the Mexican traffic, which has a more — shall we say — free form style. It doesn’t faze my husband in the slightest, luckily.

I’m really not sure what one thing would stand out as a difficult thing, but there are major cultural differences between Mexico on the one hand and the US and Canada on the other. We northerners tend to expect the abstract concepts of fairness and consistency to be how things should work, for example in government offices. Mexicans — including the people who work in those offices — don’t always see it that way. Their attitude has more to do with who you know and what little gifts (we would indignantly say bribes) might be involved, plus a hefty dose of randomness. I’ve noticed many North Americans (myself included!) get huffy about the inconsistency that takes place between how one person might be treated and what another one would encounter.

Something else that can be difficult is being away from family, especially grandchildren. Luckily, with inexpensive internet-based telephone services, it’s easy to talk with family a lot.

What would you advise people who move to Mexico to watch out for?

I would advise people who move to Mexico to give themselves plenty of time to beware of quickly falling in love with Mexico, or a particular part of the country. Just as falling in love with a particular person doesn’t always work out, once you get to know what daily life is like here, you may fall out of love. Or you may not!

While violent crime is extremely rare here, there is plenty of theft. You do have to think about keeping your home secure (dogs, perhaps alarm systems, never leaving any part of the house unlocked when you go out, etc.) and being alert to possible pickpockets and such yourself. Basic precautions take care of most of the problems. As an example, we raised the height of the stone wall along our property, and put the typical broken glass on it, after my husband’s tools were stolen from his unlocked workshop in our yard one afternoon when we and our dog were in the house nearby. We also added a second large dog.

Can you estimate a general range on what an average person can expect to spend on utilities in Mexico?

Generally, property taxes are way lower than in the US. Ours, for a small house on about 1/4 acre, are under $100 US per year (The downside of this is that local governments have way less money to spend on police, roads, etc.).

Electricity and water can be expensive, and that Mexican arbitrariness can come into play. Our electricity runs about $125 US for two months, but we are habitually very careful about how much we use, just a habit we have had for years; much of that expense comes from running our pool filter. I know others without pools who are paying a lot more.

I understand you wrote a book titled Mexico With Heart about your experiences in Mexico. What are the best tips you can share from that book?

Well, the title is a pun on my last name but it is also the first tip. If you come here with an open heart, you will have so many wonderful encounters.

I guess that leads to my next tip, which is to start conversations with Mexicans you meet, no matter how little Spanish you speak. Many of them worked in the US, and it’s surprising to me that all over this country we run into Mexicans who speak very good English. One of the best ways to start a conversation is simply to ask a question, about anything. I’ve found that once I break the ice, conversations happen.

A third tip would be to work on your Spanish. No matter what level you are at, learning a few words a day will improve things a lot. Don’t be timid about trying out what you do know.

Can you talk about your impressions on the quality of the infrastructure in Mexico: e.g. roads, water, hospitals, etc.?

The roads are a mixed bag. We have twice taken a small motor home south from Texas and the main highway that is closest to the coast was not in good repair. For many long-distance trips, you have a choice between rather expensive, privately-run toll roads in good condition and with relatively little traffic, or much slower truck-clogged free highways. We always spend the money for the toll roads.

You don’t drink tap water or even brush your teeth with it. Bottled water is available everywhere, from small bottles of a liter or less in grocery stores to large bottles that are about 5 gallons. We have several 5-gallon containers and whenever we go to nearby Ajijic, we stop in at our favorite water purifying place and have our containers cleaned and refilled, at about a US dollar per bottle. Water and ice served in restaurants are required by law to be purified.

We are favorably impressed with the high quality of medical and dental care available in our area and with outstanding specialists in nearby Guadalajara. In remote areas of the country, it would not be the same. The price for a consultation with most top specialists is about $45 US, and you can generally get an appointment within a few days. These specialists have often worked in the US and typically have excellent English, while most of the regular doctors have at least adequate English. Many of the Guadalajara hospitals are new and built to very high standards. Even the simpler clinics are usually very clean and well run. One interesting difference here is that the clinics are usually owned by one or more of the doctors who work in them.

My husband fell off a roof when we first came to this area, and he broke a rib. Total cost of all doctor visits, X-rays, and meds? Just under $500 US.

Thank you for taking the time to share your wisdom with us!

You’re very welcome.

Rosana Hart blogs at www.mexico-with-heart.com/blog. You can read her book online at http://www.mexico-with-heart.com/book/0-intro.html