We got our weekly pictures sent up to us today and they continue to make good progress.  Given some recent discussion with friends about the way they view Mexico, I thought I’d give my perspective on the five real truth’s about Mexico.

 

There are very few data points that can change your understanding of a place more profoundly than actually living there and seeing for yourself.

For a few years now my personal and ever-increasing “eye opening”  realities of Mexico have been examined closely.   We got to know a group of American expats having a great time in a small, spectacularly beautiful village near Guadalajara Mexico called Ajijic.  They were enjoying the food and the lifestyle for about a quarter of what such a vacation would cost in the US and had been coming down to the same place and enjoying themselves in approximately the same way for more than ten years. Yet, about half of their family and friends refused to join them because they believed it would be terrible, for all sorts of inaccurate reasons.

Those in The “club” were having a great time, while those outside the “club” were not. The only difference was their knowledge. With this article, after a quote by Mark Twain, I will give you the knowledge to join the “club” if you choose to.

Mark Twain: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

Health Care

In the past, the superior health care in the US and Canada compared with places like Mexico was one very good reason never to move to Mexico.  This reality is now completely reversed.  In recent years, for most US / Canadian citizens, health care costs have risen dramatically, access has been reduced, and the quality has suffered.  In Mexico, for expats, costs were always low, and access was always great, which leaves us to discuss quality.

From my experience and after speaking with several of the expats living here I can report that in the vast majority of cases, expats report not equal, but better health care quality in Mexico than in the US/Canada.  Very well-trained doctors (many of whom studied in the US and speak English) use the most up-to-date equipment and techniques, will routinely spend an hour with you, give you their cell phone number and make house calls, all for a $30 out-of-pocket / no insurance office visit.

Violence

It would be easy to believe, just like the friends and family of those expats that tell that you should be afraid for your personal safety in Mexico.  Before embarking on our trips, we were warned by very well meaning and (as it turned out) very misinformed friends not to do it for this same reason.

They were all wrong.

Of course, there is very bad drug cartel-related violence in Mexico and there are places in cities it would be very unwise to visit, but isn’t this the case in the US and Canada as well?  Personally, we don’t get involved in drugs and we don’t walk down dark allies of large cities at 2 AM, so this violence doesn’t affect us.

Here in the well-known expat destination of Merida in the Yucatan we have many senior citizen single women walking around by themselves, with no concerns at all.  I know.  I see them all the time.  (They’re in The club.)

Never once in our four years of traveling through and living in Mexico have we ever felt concerned for our personal safety. Not once.

The Mexican People

Having grown up in Canada , enjoying Cheech and Chong movies and getting a good laugh at the “low riders” I had no reason to believe that all Mexicans weren’t like these.

I was very wrong.

It would be fair to say that, culturally, the Mexicans living in the US are quite different than many living in Mexico and that the Mexicans living in the border areas are different as well.

But most of Mexico is not on the border and most of the population of Mexico lives well south of the border.  Culturally, there is a world of difference. The Mexicans we have come into contact with are so unaggressive and non-threatening that the average American/Canadian is pushy by comparison.  They are also more traditional, very family-oriented, and very friendly, open, and welcoming.  Any Spanish you try, regardless of how mangled it comes out is almost always met with a happy, gracious response.  It’s easy to enjoy being around the Mexican people.

The Mexicans where we live in the Yucatan don’t even look like what most North Americans expect.  For the first few months I were there, if I thought someone were an English-speaker, I would say “Good morning” instead of “Buenos dias.”  More often than not, I was wrong—that blue eyed, light-skinned woman I just wished a good day was a native-born Mexican.

Welcome to the real world.

The Weather

Like most people NOTB, my experience with Mexico prior to the last few years we consisted of cruise stops and one-week visits to the more common beach vacation places.  As such, it would be easy to just assume that Mexico was continually hot and that most of the important places were near the beach.

Not even close to correct.

Almost all of the places we most associate with Mexico (Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun) barely even existed 40 years ago and even today, hold a small portion of the overall Mexican population.

Most of the Mexican people live in the mountains.  As we drove through the body of Mexico, we saw countless miles of gently rolling agricultural land, pierced by soaring volcanoes (many times, snow-capped), huge valleys, more mountains and more high plains.  Then, a city would emerge, such as Guadalajara (next to where we used to vacation at Lake Chapala; 5,100 feet elevation and about 5 million population), San Miguel de Allende (popular expat destination at 6,200 feet elevation), or even Mexico City (7,300 feet elevation, 9 million population).  For comparison, Denver sits at 5,200 feet elevation.

The Cost of Living

I left this one for last because many people NOTB would already think that Mexico has a low cost of living.  However, the extent of the difference doesn’t really dawn on you until you live it away from the major tourist traps.

I’ve already mentioned health care costs, which, for the same or better quality, are about a quarter of what a typical American would pay. Dental care is the same, in ultra-modern facilities.  Property tax is about $200 per year (that’s right; per year) for our 5,000 square foot home.  Going out to dinner would cost you about 60% less than if you were in the US, and you can have your house cleaned and garden worked for the equivalent of about $3 per hour plus a piece of fruit.

That’s even lower than I had dared to imagine… and a nice surprise.  So don’t be afraid of Mexico.  Try it, You’ll LOVE it.