About k2peeps

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Some Forum Posts:

Mexico: Clothing?:

We're are going to be living (at least briefly) in the Lake Chapala area for at least 6 months. My husband and I will be bringing all of our clothes, but we have 2 kids that tend to outgrow their clothes before the week is over, and I'd prefer not to have to pack several sizes for them if we don't have to. We all dress Very casually (t-shirts, jeans, yoga pants, etc.), but we also only wear all-cotton (some of us react to synthetic fibers and some of us just prefer the breath-ability of cotton). We do NOT require name brand items - comfort is of utmost importance. Is it possible to get decent-quality cotton clothing in the Lake Chapala area? I know they have a Wal-Mart there, but do they carry the same kind of items as you'd find in the States (and for the same kind of prices - or are there import fees that make it quite a bit more expensive)? Again, we're concerned mostly about kid clothing and shoes, but it'd be nice to know if we can get replacements for our clothing as well if we lose or damage something. Thanks in advance! :o)

Mexico: This one is for the ladies...:

In case any men are still reading...this question is regarding feminine hygiene products. I have a tween daughter and we will be coming down for a 6-month stay. Are pads (she doesn't use any other products yet) readily available? If so, is there a decent selection (different sizes, thicknesses, etc.) to choose from? I would hate to pack enough to cover 6 months, but it's important enough that we will if we need to. We will likely be staying in the Lake Chapala area if that's necessary to know. Thanks!

Mexico: Arriving near midnight Guadalajara - best options to get to Lake Chapala?:

Looking at current flights, the only options we have for the dates we're looking to come down (2nd week of November 2015) will be landing us in Guadalajara at about 11:30 pm. I've heard horror stories about Guadalajara and everyone, everywhere says to not be out at night, no matter where you are. We have 2 kids (12 and 5), so that increases our anxiety even more. Does anyone have any suggestions on what we should do and/or where we should stay for the night? Our end destination is the Lake Chapala area (still looking at hotels/rentals in that area, but haven't booked anything yet). Should we try getting a taxi from the airport and driving to Lake Chapala at that time of night? Should we stay in Guadalajara that night and take a taxi the next day? If so, does anyone have any recommendations for hotels that are close to the airport so that we can minimize our time out n' about with the kids and all our luggage? Are there taxis that would be able to handle a family of 4 with all their luggage (we're estimating a checked bag each, plus our carry-ons, each)? Last, but not least, is there any sort of "welcome wagon" service in the area that we can take advantage of? I know they have relocation services in some of the bigger cities, but we're not relocating permanently (at least, not yet), and I haven't found any such services in the Lake Chapala area yet. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!!

Mexico: Lake Chapala - kids and the library:

We will be coming down for an extended (6 month) visit with 2 kids (12 and 5). Are there any libraries that offer children's books and/or books for tweens? Obviously, English books would be nice, but Spanish versions (especially picture books geared towards the younger crowd) would work, too - it couldn't hurt in getting them more proficient in Spanish I would think. Would one need to be a resident to check them out? If so, is it acceptable for foreigners to just spend a couple of hours in the library to sit and read while there? I've been reading on the http://lakechapalasociety.com website, but it sounds like it's definitely more geared towards the older generation...am I correct in this assumption? Are there any groups/forums/outlets/etc. that we can get involved in that will provide our children access to other children? We don't necessarily need structured activities - we'd actually prefer them to just be able to play freely. We are a homeschooling family, so schools aren't an option (unless they have after-school activities that other children can participate in).

Mexico: Money access for longer-term visitors:

We are planning on being in-country for up to the 180-day limit on visitors w/o visas. Most of the articles I'm reading in regards to money are for people who are planning on retiring, or otherwise moving, to Mexico long-term. Since cash is king in Mexico (but we certainly don't want to bring enough cash with us to last us the full 6 months), how would someone like us get access to money on a regular basis? Do they still use traveler's checks? How safe are ATMs? Do you need to be a resident in order to set up a bank account (to transfer funds from the US to Mexico)? Can you pay for rent and/or utilities using a credit card? Is it advisable? We're looking very strongly at the Lake Chapala area (with Guanajuato being our 2nd choice).

Mexico: Vitamins and stevia:

I have a lot of vitamins and minerals that I need to take...has anyone had any problems bringing large amounts of supplements into the country? (We'll be flying in and staying for up to 6 months, so I need to bring enough to last me - and they are specific ones/dosages so the supermarket variety won't work - in other words, I can't replace them locally.) Also, is pure stevia available in Mexico, or would there be issues bringing some of that down in our suitcases?

Mexico: Reentry w/o visa:

Most of what I've read indicates that U.S. citizens can enter Mexico and stay for 180 days without a visa. Once the 6 months are over, you have to leave, but can then reenter (paying the $20 fee). However, I just came across a post here that said you might be denied reentry if the customs officer sees that you just spent 180 days in-country. When our 6 months are up, if we've decided that Mexico is "for us," we were planning on flying out to Dallas for the day (or weekend) and then flying back into Mexico. Would this be a problem?

Mexico: Drinking water in rentals:

My family and I are looking into moving to Mexico (initially, for the 6 months allowed w/o a visa to see if it's "for us") - primarily looking at the Lake Chapala and Guanajuato regions. We currently use a Berkey countertop water filter for our water and we're wondering if it's something we should consider bringing. Since we're flying in, it will take up a fair amount of space in one of our bags, so we're wondering about the other options available. I know you can get water filters for under the sink - but we're going to be renting while we're down there, so permanent changes to the unit probably won't be the way to go. Are rentals usually set up with water filters and/or water delivery? When I lived in Mexico 20 years ago, I remember getting a HUGE bottle of water delivered to the house every week for drinking (I was 15, so the logistics were something I wasn't interested in) - do they still do that? What price are they charging? And what guarantees are there that the water is clean (w/ no additives like fluoride and chlorine)? Does anyone know if our bringing the Berkey filter in our bags will cause issues at customs? Would we have to pay some sort of import fees/taxes on it? Thanks in advance!

Panama: Does it stop raining in Volcon/Boquete?:

My family and I are thinking of staying in Panama for 3-6 months and I've been drawn to the Volcan/Boquete region since it seems to be the most temperate area (please correct me if I'm wrong). I've been keeping an eye on weather.com for both cities and the forecast has been 80-100% chance of thunderstorms Every Day for at least a month...! Is this normal? If so, how long does this last? I know many places have "wet seasons" but I've never seen a weather forecast so consistently the same. Does it downpour or just drizzle/lightly rain? Is it all day, all night, or are there a few scattered showers throughout the day with some dry hours in-between? Thanks in advance!

Uruguay: How formal? Usted? Tu?:

In high school, they always emphasized using usted and the formal forms of verbs; however, when I lived in Mexico for a year (as a 16-year-old), I was told to use the informal forms, even when I spoke to "elders." How would you describe the local language in Uruguay? Should we expect to use the formal forms with most we aren't close friends with? Is it considered impolite to use informal verbiage?

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