Ixtapa /

Zihuatanejo

Imagine not one, but two hidden seaside havens, Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo. Let me share my story with you…     

It’s another early day and already the sun is shining brightly, the cloud layer is quickly dissipating so the brilliant blue sky is appearing.  Our ship is laying in the harbor of Zihuatanejo, 3 ½ hours north of Acapulco,        

Zihuatanejo is a dreamy, picturesque fishing village with a shallow, but inviting bay. Because of this, a tender – a small boat holding 15 to 50,  picks you up from the cruise ship, and takes you to a dock and dry land at Zihuatanejo for the usual tours of the area, shopping, eating, or just walking around and relaxing for the day.    

The transfer from the ship to the tender was one of the more exciting parts of the cruise – bouncing up and down and trying to step from a big cruise ship into a little boat was pretty unique.  

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No one had any real problem, though there was a lot of laughing and gasping by most of the women boarding. We were politely escorted everyplace we toured, filled with information, and were very well taken care of.       

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The main income for this area still comes from fishing and agriculture.  Zihuatanejo, according to our guide, translates to “The place of the beautiful lady”.     

There are many retired N.A.’s who live here both full time and part time.  Because of this not being a major port, costs are lower, and the natives, as well as the retirees here are hoping this part of Mexico doesn’t change, as many areas have, once the ExPats move in, but stays natural as it is now.    

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 Marie, our tour guide, invited us all to come visit her at her home, but she warned us, laughing, that we would have to sleep in hammocks, because they have no beds.  Because of not having air conditioning and because of the humidity and heat, I guess the hammock, with breezes blowing, is the best answer!       

The village of Ixtapa, “place of the white sand”, is just a bit north of Zihuatanejo, along the coast, and is where the more exclusive resorts are located in general. In the 70’s, the government funded the building of some resorts, to help generate additional tourism dollars.  There is an International airport about ½ hour by taxis or bus.    

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 It is very tropical here; today the temperature is 93 degrees with 78% humidity.  But, along with the beauty comes a bit of danger -  you must be aware that there are crocodiles around.   

They are found in the ponds and streams  and can even be found in the shallow ocean waters – so be careful.  Dick and I had already experienced that situation with alligators when we lived in Louisiana.  The animal patrol people were often called to remove alligators from people’s pools.  Actually, the area did sort of remind us of southern Louisiana.  

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Dick and I had a wonderful day seeing more of the natural Mexico.  But it was time to head back from Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, to the little boat for a short water ride back to the ship.     

We would have a few more days being pampered on the ship, and then a trip home, until our next adventure.      

 Do you have a question about retiring to Mexico?   You can do a search with the search box at the top-right of my site.  Type in the subject you are curious about, and you’ll find my articles involving that subject.  In fact, it will probably bring up multiple articles (1,2,3, etc.) which appear toward the bottom of the articles.  If you still haven’t found your answer,  just ask me!  If you don’t see the “write a comment” section below, click on Read Full Article and scroll down. Share your thoughts and concerns with me. I will always reply to you personally.    

    

Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo article by Barbie

Manzanillo

This is the continuing saga of Dick’s and my cruise of some of the coastal cities of Mexico.

The cruise ship itself turned out to be quite a world-wide representation of every nationality imaginable, which was quite interesting in itself.  We found ourselves engaged in some very interesting conversations throughout the cruise.

Now, here’s our stopover at Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico:

The sun was just starting to peak out from behind a cloudy sky, the day we arrived in Manzanillo, Mexico.  With all the water around, the sun seems to shine brighter in the coastal areas of Mexico.  The weather was about 85 degrees, with 70% humidity – but with the ocean breeze, it was perfect. 

Dick and I decided to take the city bus tour, and after having room service for breakfast, we proceeded off the ship and into the line that was headed by a guide holding a large sign proclaiming “Manzanillo City Tour”.   By now, the sun was shining bright!  We relaxed and enjoyed the whole day, letting the tour guides take care of us.  And they did a great job, chauffeuring us around to many points of interest, in a very nice air conditioned bus, complete with rest room!

From Guadalajara, it’s 6 to 12 hours on the free road, but only about 3 hours on the quota (toll) road, which I always suggest tourists use.  Plans are to make the road, or at least a portion of it, eight lanes.  From Puerto Vallarta, to the north, it takes about 4 hours to travel to Manzanillo.

I want to include this email, that I received after the last article I wrote, mentioning earthquakes in Mexico:

The writer, Robert, wrote:
You mentioned that ” Acapulco also has the questionable honor of being named as one of the most earthquake-prone areas in Mexico !”  This brings up the question which retirement area(s) are the most environmentally stable?  That is, least likely to be hit by earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, droughts, lack of drinking water, etc..

My answer:
For earthquake info: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/eqstats.php  
Make sure your home – structure is sufficient to stand up to the quakes that may happen – and they happen all the time, world-wide…did you know that earthquakes hit Yellowstone a LOT!  But, as most earthquakes, they are small and pretty much harmless.  Earthquakes cannot be forecast at this time.

hurricanes:  http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/reports/weather-events.html
Hurricane tracking makes you aware and gives you time to clear out.
 
floods:   http://www.floodsafety.com/national/life/statistics.htm
Don’t live in any designated flood zone.
 
The rest, droughts, lack of drinking water, ….  That’s up to the powers that be also.
 
Pick someplace where the cost of living is what you’re looking for, visit it, study it (read all my articles) and see what makes you happy.  There are lots of people in Acapulco living quite contentedly – also in the Yellowstone area – also along the Mississippi River (big fault there too).
 
And my writer replied with this:
Thanks for taking the time to get this info.  I just thought it might make an interesting paragraph or so in a future article you write.  Media has a way of distorting everything, particularly if it is news outside of our borders.  I do volunteer work in Reynosa each summer and you would think the place had been washed away, or everyone died of swine flu or getting shot by drug lords, or you name it.  It is like you say, do your homework. Thanks again. Robert

After our day of touring and exploring, and soaking up more information, we headed back to the ship for a wonderful dinner in the beautifully appointed dinning room, and then off to our cabin to finally fall asleep, still talking about our fun, exciting, interesting day in beautiful Manzanillo, Mexico.

Acapulco

In my previous post, Explore Mexico on $430, I shared my latest Mexico cruise experience with you.

Like I said, cruises are a great way to explore the coastal cities of Mexico without going out of your comfort-zone because you always have a place (the ship) to go back to when you’re done exploring for the day.

So as promised,  here are some pictures from our first stop in Acapulco! You can click on the pictures to enlarge them. Now let me tell you about Acapulco.

Most of the natives live in apartments in and the surrounding area.  A house may go for $150,000, and a very nice condo may be had for around $120,000, but condos on the beach average between $300,000 and $500,000 and up.

With a population of about 2 million, Acapulco is about a 10 hour drive from Guadalajara and around 4 hours from Mexico City (one of the largest cities in the world with a population of approximately 23 million).

Famous for its nightlife, the area still attracts many vacationers, although most visitors are natives of Mexico, and the  number one economic factor is tourism (number two is agriculture.)  

Like most coastal cities, there is a “golden zone” which caters to tourists with many  resorts, shops, services which cater exclusively to tourists in general.

Located on a deep, semi-circular bay the port began in the early colonial period of Mexico’s history.  It is a port of call for shipping and cruising lines running between Panama and San Francisco, California, United States.

The tourist resort city of Acapulco is the largest city in the state, far larger than the state capital Chilpancingo.

The resort area is divided into two. The north end of the bay is the “traditional” area, where the famous in the mid 20th century vacationed and the south end is dominated by newer luxury high rise hotels that cater to every whim and dream with the most ornate architecture, luxury first-class services complete with all of the shops and stores you would expect to find in a luxury hotel.

Yet despite this, if you shop around you can always find great deals on hotels to make your dollars stretch. Afterall, my husband, Dick, and I bought our cruise tickets for just $430. Quite a bargain if you know your cruise prices. So do shop around. Don’t ever pay full price.

By the way, Acapulco also has the questionable honor of being named as one of the most earthquake-prone areas in Mexico! Yet, despite that, it’s still one of Mexico’s most popular destinations.

How does Acapulco fair as a retirement destination? Well, it’s primarily a tourist trap, but like I mentioned before, expats do live there. You will find such conveniences as  Costco, Baskin Robins, Burger King, Dominos, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Walmart, Home Depot and Block Buster!

All of these help make the small number of North American Expats there feel right at home.

Do you have a question about Acapulco or retiring to Mexico?

Just ask me!  If you don’t see the “write a comment” section below, click on Read Full Article and scroll down. Share your thoughts and concerns with me. I will always reply to you personally.

Acapulco article by Barbie.

Cruise

Going on a cruise is a great way to tour the coastal cities of Mexico and “explore” without going out of your comfort-zone.

A few months ago, my husband and I were both at our computers rather late at night…

We are always looking for deals, any kind of a deal. It could be coupons, specials, offers, or simply the latest deal on WOOT.

Well this particular night, while reading from one of the cruise deal sites, my husband said, “Can you believe an 8-day, Mexican Riviera cruise for $430?”

Now, you are probably more experienced than I am when it comes to cruises.  I have only been on a cruise ship 3 times in our life. Yet despite that, I knew in my bones that $430 for an 8-day cruise was a very good deal.

In fact it seemed too good to be true….

See, my dear husband tends to read quickly — scanning. ‘Comes from years and years of having to read everything that came across his desk quickly, decisively, efficiently.

So we read it again. Checked the fine print carefully and son-of-a-gun!  It really was an   honest, good deal!

We didn’t have anything coming up important, so why not go?

It was the Mexican Riviera cruise and the weather should be perfect for being on the ocean and well, we couldn’t think of any reason why not, so I bought tickets for two right away.

Incidentally, we weren’t the only ones who recognized this was a good deal. The next morning, my husband headed out to get some groceries, and on his way, he stopped at friends – told them about our plans and they said, “Hey, we’ll go with you!  Tell Barbie to get us tickets for that price too!” 

So that morning, I sat at the computer and believe it or not, booked the last room available on the whole ship for our friends –  at the same $430 rate.

Oh, I didn’t mention – this was not an inside room (I don’t think I could enjoy a room with absolutely no natural light) not a balcony either, but it showed the room as having quite a large window — which would be fine — it’s not like we hadn’t see Mexico… it’s just that cruising is a heck of a way to enjoy, explore, and sight-see — while being spoiled.

Well needless to say, we all had a wonderful time. The ship was beautiful, the food was delicious, sights were spectacular  – and I will tell you all about it in my next post.

For now however, I just want to emphasize that cruising  is actually a pretty good way to see several places in Mexico and sort of get the feeling for the different areas.

You aren’t physically limited to the cruise ship and what you can see from your cabin window…

Depending on the cruise you take, you will stop at many ports of call. There you can take off-ship city tours which gives you a great opportunity to ask pertinent questions of the tour guides, who are usually full of extra information.

When you’re done touring for that day, you return to your “home base” (the ship) relax, ponder, and enjoy all the comforts of home… and then some!

Best of all, the next day you can explore a completely new port, a new destination! It’s a very easy way to explore Mexico without giving up your creature comforts.

Just remember: I have always told would-be retirees to visit places as people, not tourists because you are seeking and searching for a new place to hang your hat in your retirement years.

While cruises certainly are “touristy”, they are however a pretty neat way to go and get your feet wet for the first time.

This way you can explore Mexico in a more-or-less controlled environment without leaving your comfort-zone.

I still want you to take your note pads and write down everything you learn and make sure you get your questions answered by people who are in the different locations.

Also you might be lucky and meet other potential retirees on board who are also thinking about retiring to Mexico. Get their email addresses so you can stay in touch. Who knows. You might meet your future neighbors!

A cruise an easy, safe way to explore Mexico. It’s a great way to take a wonderful vacation while loading up on useful info.

So keep an eye out for those specials. You might have to stay up late at night and surf the web for cruise deals.

Shop around. That’s what we do!

What do you think? Do you have a question? Need to know more about retiring in Mexico or Mexico cruises? I will try to help!

If I don’t know the answer, maybe someone else will. My site gets hundreds of hits daily and everybody is free to comment and ask questions – and answer questions, too!

 If you don’t see the comment area below, click on READ FULL ARTICLE and scroll down to the bottom and type your question.

Cruise article by Barbie.

Vehicle

A lot of people have asked me, “Barbie, can we take our vehicle to Mexico?”

The answer is a simple, “YES! YOU CAN.”

Assuming you have your FM3 Visa (180 day plus stay – up to a year –  with limitless renewals) or your FMT Visa (more than 72-hour stay and no more than 180 days) it’s really quite easy to take your car with you.

When you get to the border, you simply register your Vehicle.

This gives you permission to use your vehicle in Mexico.  Here is what you will need:

• Proof of ownership
• Title
• Registration
• If you are still making payments on the vehicle – you need a notarized letter from the lein-holder (financial institution) granting you permission to bring that specific vehicle into Mexico.
• Driver’s license  
• A Visa or MasterCard credit card or check/debit card in the name of the person registering the vehicle.  The charge will be approximately $30US.  The alternative to putting this charge on your card is to post a refundable cash bond of around $400, depending on the age of your vehicle.  I suggest using the good old credit card for the $30.
• Passport (click for more information)
• Your FMT or FM3

That’s all there is to it!

And while not required, it’s highly recommended that you purchase Mexican Auto insurance the instant you enter Mexico with your vehicle. Luckily that’s also incredibly easy. In fact, you can pre-purchase online or stop at one of the many little buildings offering insurance before crossing the border.

Also if you’re concerned about safety or wondering how safe it is to drive around Mexico, read this article. You’ll be surprised — plus there’s a video tour at the end that I shot in our car while we were driving in and around Mazatlan, one of the hottest retirement havens in the world.

Ever since the economy started tanking, it seems like more and more people are writing me and telling me they are checking out Mexico as a way to make their dollars stretch.

What about you?

Are you ready?

Do you need more information?

Is there a question I can answer for you?

Just ask me!  If you don’t see the “make a comment” section below, click on Read Full Article and scroll down. Share your thoughts and concerns with me. I will always reply to you personally.

Remember, I am here to help you make all the right decisions. I’m always here to help.

Sincerely,

Barbie Parks
Webmaster, Author, and Retiree! :)

Vehicle article by Barbie.