Comments

guest

Terrific article. I guessed I missed the part where you mentioned that Mexico is essentially a lawless country that has brutal murders and slaughter of civilians in broad daylight. The state dept as the highest warnings about travel to and within Mexico for good reasons. This has affected some provinces worse than others but murder and kidnapping are in virtually every province, even Cozumel. some cities have the delightful diastinction of being the leaders of murder on the planet. Have a good time.

ollieburger

It does my heart good to see an article which brings out the beauty of this wonderful country and its people. I was there as a child and have dreamed of going back ever since. Muchas gracias!

guest

I would like to know what your expenses are running a month there if you don't mind me asking Darrell

guest

I first moved to guadalajara in 1972 mexico in those days was still peaceful,cheap and you could still eat the whitefish from lake chapala. However on my birthday,1973, we went to "carlos & Willy's", about half way through the meal, about five shots rang out as there was an assassination two tables away. I lived in various parts of the country for twelve years. It s nice place but danger is real. For the past five years i have been living in s.e. asia,(not thailand) and feel safe.

guest

Great article and even better pictures.I'm curious about the guest comment about living in asia "not Thailand" Where are you living? I considered Mexico but ended up in Nepal somehow lol

guest

Well documented highlights, and your comment about "don't compare" goes for any place to which one moves. You let yourselves truly feel and experience the places you visited and the home you've adopted, rather than mentally inventory what's different, which so often becomes 'what's wrong with...here'. Congrats on taking the steps, doing it right, making a business and personal contribution to another country.

guest

I really enjoyed your article and most of the comments! The snide one about how dangerous Mexico is did not entertain me. My husband and I have been living in Playa del Carmen for almost two years and we LOVE it here! It is not without its problems but where on earth is? We moved here from Las Vegas, NV, and as far as I'm concerned, this is home.

ftm6899

Nice article but it would also be nice if you would respond to some of the comments below. Thank you.

guest

We are working photographers and have been away from home working and have not had time to respond. Our apologies. We appreciate most of the comments. So here goes. guest #1: no response is necessary here, since nothing I say could penetrate a closed mind. ollieburger: Thank you, we couldn't agree more. guest #2: Tough call on expenses. We work from the home, so don't need to rent office space, but we need a bigger house. We also live in one of the more expensive places in Mexico. A couple could rent a 2-br house here for around $500usd and up per month. More amenities is more expense. Eating out at tourist restaurants is comparable to the US. Food at the groceries a little cheaper than the US (we are on an island, so the costs are higher than most of Mexico). guest #3: So, you happened to be in a restaurant where someone was taken out in 1973? How many people have witnessed the same in NYC, LA, Chicago, etc? guest #4: I like Thailand and Nepal. guest #5: Thank you guest #6: Playa is nice, we work there a lot. Enjoy the TOP this weekend.

ftm6899

Thanks for your responses. Much appreciated.

ashbyt

To characterize the comments of one individual as snyde or closed minded does a disservice to your readers. In fact Mexico is one of the most dangerous places on earth. This is not due to any inherent evil on the part of the citizens but a result of the rampant coruption both in the local police as well as the federal authorities. This has allowed a well armed and ruthless group of drug cartels to run many provinces virtually unchecked.

guest

ashbyt - Our article was about our year in Mexico, what we experienced and what we learned. It was not an essay on the current state of affairs, political, social, economic, etc. The initial comment, and yours, have nothing to do with the story we posted and warrant no further comment.

guest

great artical ... love the information ......i am a transplanted canadian ..... and for the guest that is only talking about the dangers ..... well when i was first coming to mexico .... i was in phonex az ..... burger king .... and there was shots that when through the frount window from some gang fighting .... so i guess people should not go to buger king in the usa because it is very dangerous ....... look in your own back yard and open your eyes ... you could see that it in more dangerous to be living in canada or the usa than in mexico ....... i have been here for over a year .... and have never had any problems .... other than learning spanish hahahahahah ....

ashbyt

In regard to the guest from Canada, his point is well taken (despite the numerous examples of CS Canadian Spelling). Phoenix has had an incredible rise in violent crime in the past 5 years. This is mostly attributed with an overflow of Mexican gangs related to Mexican drug cartels. The types of violence that have increased are kidnapping, murder, and drug related violence. Sound familiar? This is strikingly similar to ....oh yeah right across the border. The northern provinces of Mexico lead the world in murder rate. To compare it with the US crime rate is, as they say in Canada, silee.

guest

Thinking of Mexico/Central America for a retirement locale.

guest

Thank you so much for your comments and articles. I have been considering going to Mexico to live on my social security. I am bilingual Spanish is my second language. I have been to Manzanillo and found the Ocean wonderful but am not sure if I should look around more to find the ideal spot for us. I am in the medical field and was hoping to do something helpful.. I would appreciate any suggestion from you.

guest

Great article! It reflects my experience as well, that is why I'm still here....11 years and counting with twin 14 year old daughters. This is home! I have helped other expats find their home to rent or buy and make the move. We lived in Cozumel for the first 2 years, then moved to Playa. playadelcarmen4sale.com, although we visit Cozumel as often as possible.

Stuart

Very wise not to travel at night. If in doubt overnight at the town before the one you anticipated if it's near dark. There are bad drivers, maniacs and drunks on the roads - not to mention animals. It's just not worth taking any risks. I would take a pinch of salt with the dire warning about kidnappings. i have been up and down to the US with no problems, and if you consult the WHO's world list of murders, country by country (Sept 2013) Mexico is well down the list...even below Costa Rica which was a surprise.

eldante

well written, reflective of adventurous spirits. Seems like realistic encouragement any reflections on access to medical care?