Ajijic, Lake Chapala Jalisco, Mexico

Living In the World's Best Climate

If you are retired or mainly just plain tired of refrigerated, oven baked summers, and other human aspects of the rat race, remember there is a warm welcome in this southern half of our hemisphere - especially so if your children have flown the coop and you are free to explore a stimulating, fresh environment with new friends making the same adjustments. Put aside your climatic worries. National Geographic affirms that the Guadalajara area is blessed with the world's best thermometer readings - a mean of 74 degrees Fahrenheit. Most long time residents and newsmen are predicting Mexican stability is here to stay, with the country's political institutions, tourists highlights, cultural activities and colorful traditions intact. Also, some seasonal visitors and prospective expatriates say that Mexico's bureaucratic bark is worse than its bite in these days of government reform and decentralization. For more information on the area, the Guadalajara Colony Reporter is published on a weekly basis, giving an overview of all those events affecting foreigners living in Central Mexico. This newspaper covers cultural and political happenings, investment news, activities of organizations, churches, idiosyncrasies of the language and more or less where to go, what to see on a daily basis. Please feel free to e-mail us any questions about any aspect of living in the Lake Chapala area. AMERICANS LIVING IN MEXICO - They love the climate, relaxed atmosphere, good food, reasonable costs, availability of maids and gardeners, and friendly people. LOCALES AMERICANS GATHER IN - Ajijic and Chapala primarily. Tourists, seasonal residents, and year round residents. BEST PLACE TO LIVE - It depends on your lifestyle and budget. Generally people prefer the Chapala-Ajijic-Jocotepec area, although, now some are branching out to the south shore like San Luis Soyatlan and San Pedro. IMMIGRATION STATUS - Foreigners, regardless of their immigration status, can now own their homes in their own names in the interior of Mexico. There are three general categories of immigration: FMT (Tourist): These documents are issued for up to six months and can only  be renewed by exiting and re-entering Mexico and securing more documentation.The fee is $210 pesos each time - 2011 price. Can be applied for only at points of entry to Mexico. Extensions can be applied for within Mexico for a total stay of up to 6 months, but only if the FMT granted upon entry is valid for less than 6 months. No working privileges. FM-3 (Visitante Rentista): This is a five year period for foreigners to live in  Mexico, drive their foreign plated car, have multiple entry privileges, and have a  one time duty free import of a household shipment of personal effects. Annually  you must apply for an FM-3 renewal. The FM-3 status is the stepping stone for  those who want to work in Mexico. Cost for FM-3 is $3500 pesos initially and then $2300 pesos renewal per person per year - 2011 prices, without work permit. Documentation of minimum income requirements must be provided; if you own your residence in Mexico the income requirement is significantly reduced. Note that fees and income requirements are subject to annual change. There is no minimum age requirement for an FM-3. Can be applied for within Mexico when you arrive. One can repeatedly apply for the 5 year FM-3's every 5 years and thus have FM-3 status for an indefinite period of time. FM-2 (Inmigrante): The requirements for the FM-2 are the same as the FM-3,  except that the income requirements are significantly higher and you cannot leave  the country more than 18 months total over the 5 year period. The advantage of  having an FM-2 over an FM-3 is that you can exent Property Tax As with the FM-3 status, one can apply for a work permit with an FM-2. Cost for FM-2 is $4600 pesos initially and then $3800 pesos renewal per person per year - 2011 prices, without work permit. Note that fees and income requirements are subject to annual change. There is no minimum age requirement for an FM-2. Can be applied for only within Mexico. Can be applied for directly from FMT status, although more typically one applies for FM-2 status after having an FM-3 for 5 years. Inmigrado: Applied for after holding an FM-2 for 5 years. There are no annual  fees or paperwork. You may not drive a foreign plated car in Mexico. One  can go into most businesses open to a Mexican national or work as an employee  without applying for permits for foreigners. There is no minimum age  requirement for Inmigrado status. Can be applied for only within Mexico. Note  that Inmigrado status can be ideal for "younger" full time residents; there can be  significant monetary savings (compared to having FM-3 status for many years) in the long run because there are no annual fees to pay, and there are no annual paperwork or income requirements. MEDICAL - Numerous private English speaking doctors, dentists, optometrists in the area. A good clinic is located in Ajijic, Jocotepec, Riberas del Pilar and Chapala with specialists coming from Guadalajara every week: urologist, cardiologist, dermatologist, endocrinologist among others. The Red Cross in Chapala and Jocotepec are available for 24 hours emergency care in the clinic - ambulances are also on call for any kind of emergency. Guadalajara has many modern hospitals for all types of care. Dentists are up to date, and are generally much less expensive than in the U.S. US MEDICARE - The United States government does not honor Medicare in Mexico. PRIVATE MEDICAL INSURANCE - Some US insurance companies/policies are honored in Mexico. IMSS (MEXICAN MEDICAL) - Many foreign residents of Mexico are not aware that the Social Security System of Mexico (IMSS) medical coverage is available to all. Guadalajara's IMSS hospitals are well equipped with many staff doctors known for their practices in private hospitals. All residents of Mexico are eligible without exception, other than those who suffer from chronic disease such as diabetes, cancer or heart disease. Requirements for proof of birth date, nationality, etc. can be satisfied with a current passport. Doctors at the clinic can conduct the necessary examination and determine eligibility. Age is not a consideration. Upon acceptance, cost is per person per year and according to age: as much as 4500 pesos for age 60+ to as low as 977 pesos for age 19 and under (these rates are for September 2011). The cost is subject to change from year to year.  PHARMACIES - There are many pharmacies at Lake Chapala. Walmart farmacia, Farmacia Guadalajara on the Carretera in Ajijic is well stocked, open 24/7 and also has food, a "swiper" ATM, and photo development. Except for controlled substances, most drugs are available over the counter in Mexico without a prescription. Some drugs are cheaper in Mexico, especially "older" ones. Newer drugs might be unavailable or more expensive than in the USA. There are also several drugstores selling cheaper generic drugs. BANKS - Banca Santander, Banamex, Bital, and Bancomer at Lakeside are full service banks. Chapala has four banks, Ajijic one, and Jocotepec one. Non-banks offering financial services include investment firms, and various casas de cambio. The latter will do currency exchange and cash travelers checks. ATM'S - All banks have ATM's with inter-bank service. A few lakeside businesses (e.g. Farmacia Guadalajara in Ajijic - 24/7 and Superlake Grocery in San Antonio) and the airport now have ATM's. Favorable exchange rates when drawing on US or Canadian banks. Note that in Mexico you ATM PIN must be four digits and numeric. EXCHANGE RATE - Currently about 12.55  Pesos to the US dollar. EXCHANGING MONEY - US cash is easiest to exchange to pesos. For travelers checks use only US dollar checks - AMEX is easiest to cash. Passport is needed to cash travelers checks. Foreign personal checks are be very difficult to cash, even if you have a Mexican bank account. Credit cards are not accepted in most places. TELEPHONES - Purchase pre-paid phone cards at many local small shops to use public telephones for local, national or international calls. Also there are several places where you can place a call in a shop and pay cash on the spot. Very economical callback services are available for international calls from your residence. Although your foreign cell phone might work in Mexico, the cost can be higher than expected. Beware of public "call collect" or "credit card" telephones as they can be very expensive. PUBLIC FAX MACHINES - There are several places where you can send and receive faxes at about $1.50 US dollars to the US or Canada. INTERNET SERVICE - Available at many Internet cafes all over Lakeside at dial-up or high speeds for about $1-3 US per hour, usually prorated for partial hours. Service providers run about $10-30 US a month for dial up, about $40-60 US a month (plus installation costs) for high speed wireless or ADSL. AIR TRAVEL - Guadalajara International Airport is a 30-45 minute drive from Lakeside, all rural and village driving mostly on a four lane highway. There is short term in front of right at the terminal. Good taxi service is always available. There is no bus service from the terminal. Many non-stop flights to USA and Mexican destinations. There is an international class hotel at one end of the terminal, an easy walk. BUS SERVICE - Mexico has excellent bus service from regular local runs on the main highway to the first-class Mercedes buses with television and bathrooms for touring. TAXIS - Operate from stands in plazas of main villages such as Ajijic and Chapala. Taxis also can be called by telephone. Also there are professional drivers (some also are highly qualified bilingual tour guides) available by appointment at reasonable rates. TRAINS - No passenger train service is left in Mexico. An exception is a tour from Guadalajara to Tequila. CARS, INSURANCE, REPAIR, DRIVING CONDITIONS - Bring your own car down, at least initially. You just have to register at the border showing proof of ownership with original title, registration papers, have a valid drivers license, show you have a Mexican car insurance (which can be obtained in the U.S. from a number of sources before you leave, including Sanborn's and AAA), and show a credit card that is in the same name as the title on the car. Repairs are readily made for less than in the U.S. (but there are some makes and models that are more easily worked on here than others). Driving conditions on the toll roads (cuota) are excellent but tolls are high but worth it. Other roads often don't have shoulders and many are not fenced - so animals roam. Recommend defensive driving and not at night. DRIVING DISTANCES FROM GUADALAJARA - Pacific Coast Cities are about 4 hours west, San Miguel de Allende about 5 hours east, Mexico City 7 hours east, Tijuana 1,700 miles, Laredo 12 hours. BEACHES - About a 4 hour drive (45 minute plane trip) to Puerto Vallarta or Manzanillo, 10 hour drive to Mazatlán plus many other smaller beaches along the coast.  FISHING AND HUNTING - Fishing is mostly the coast, less than six hours away. Many take weekend trips. Barra de Navidad is a favorite spot. A panga boat, guide, equipment and bait can be rented for $40 US per hour. Bass fishing on some lake reservoirs has gained popularity in recent years. Generally there is no hunting. RECREATION - Recreational facilities in the Guadalajara area are both numerous and diverse, including four 18 hole golf courses, 2 courses at Lake Chapala, private and public tennis clubs, private swimming pools and gyms for both men and women, hot mineral springs at San Juan Cosala Balneario, health and weight reduction clubs, zoo, observatory, and public parks. Tourist attractions include open air markets, churches, historical buildings and many museums of different types: art, science and culture.  ENTERTAINMENT - Right here at Lakeside there is good live entertainment most nights of the week: music from 40's and 50's, rock 'n roll, karaoke, jazz, country, and dancing. Also at Lakeside there two movie theaters showing the latest popular movies; usually 2 of the 3 movies are in English. In Guadalajara there are state and city bands and orchestras, choral groups, ballet and theater groups, sports stadiums, bull fight arena, as well as movie theaters and video stores. Guadalajara's Degollado Theater features top-flight local music and dance groups as well as groups from all over the world. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AT LAKESIDE- There's an appeal for almost every taste and we haven't even noted the daily round of luncheons, cocktail parties and fiestas in private homes attuned to a mariachi beat. For good neighbors, the menu is rounded out by social assistance programs for needy children, international church groups, schools offering adult classes in Spanish, ceramic and handicraft centers LAKESIDE CLUBS - American Legion, animal shelters, art groups, book clubs, bridge clubs (duplicate and progressive), British Society, Cards and Domino club, Colorado Club, Canadian Club, computer clubs, cooking groups, dance groups, exercise groups, Daughters of the American Revolution, French speakers, friendship groups, garden clubs, Genealogy Club, gourmet clubs, German Speakers, Hash House Harriers walking club, Irish Society, Karate Club, Lake Chapala Society, Lakeside Little Theater, Masons, Mixed Volleyball, Music Appreciation Society, Navy League, quilting groups, North Shore Auto Enthusiasts, Seniors, sewing groups, Shriners, Tai Chi & Yoga, Tennis Club, Viva la Musica, writers' groups, just to name some. LAKESIDE COMMUNITY SERVICE - ACA (agricultural education), Ancianos (elderly home for Mexicans in need), ecology groups, educational assistance programs, HELP (equestrian program for handicapped children), Hospice Group, Lake Chapala Society, Niños Incapacitados (for children with serious or chronic medical problems), Niños y Jovenes (orphanage support), Red Cross, Rotary, scholarship programs, Samaritains Sans Frontieres, School for the Deaf, Villa Infantil Orphanage and various umbrella charity organizations. There are special events such as the February annual Mexican International Chili Cookoff which raises funds for 13 different local charities. PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT - Al-Anon, Alcoholics Anonymous, CODA, Gamblers Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Weight Watchers, Women's Support Group. LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY - The LCS is the biggest association of Americans, Canadians and Mexicans in the lake area with approximately 3,000 members. The LCS offers a wide variety of services including English language library, talking books library, video library, computer courses, life long learning workshop, Spanish lessons, Open Circle meetings, consular visits, blood pressure checks, diabetes testing, hearing testing, group insurance program, skin cancer screening, sales of specialty non-profit items, immigration assistance, monthly newsletter, annual directory, newcomers desk, post life planning, amateur radio club, film group, book group, medical professionals club, medical forum, writers group, scholarship fund, and loan of baby furniture and medical equipment. The associated Wilkes Education Center offers free programs to Mexicans including teaching English language, art, computers, cooking and nutrition, library, and reading and writing in Spanish. The LCS offers many volunteer opportunities with over 42 clubs listed. AMERICAN LEGION - Post 7 is the largest post in Mexico with over 400 members and is located at Morelos #114, Chapala.  RELIGIOUS AND DEVOTIONAL SERVICES - Within a five mile radius at lakeside there are various Catholic, Baptist, Anglican, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Jehovah Witness, Presbyterian, Seventh Day Adventist, Jewish Synagogue, Baha'i Community, and Interdenominational services. ARTS & CRAFTS ACTIVITIES - Ajijic and the Lake Chapala areas includes an artist colony of expatriates and Mexicans involved in a wide range of creative pursuits. Painting of all sorts, murals, drawing, photography, sculpting, pottery, miniatures, quilting, knitting, embroidery, sewing, weaving, bead art, and others. Some is done as individual activity and others have groups. Some sell their work - a few have galleries. Exhibitions and workshops are common. ENGLISH LANGUAGE LIBRARIES - The Lake Chapala Society (LCS) in Ajijic has the largest English language lending library in Mexico. The American Legion also has one in Chapala. English language lending libraries can be found at many clubs in Guadalajara (AMSOC, Legion) ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS - The weekly Guadalajara Colony Reporter is available at local news stands and supermarkets as well as USA Today, and other major U.S. newspapers. CABLE TV - Cable Television is about $30 U.S. to hook up and $30 US per month. There are 50+ channels, 10-15+ in mostly English including CNN, Headline News, CNN Financial News, WGN, TNT, Superstation, Sony, Fox, Discovery, Film & Arts, Hallmark, WB, Film Zone (movies), Cinema Platino (movies), Golden Choice (movies). Movies are often in English with Spanish subtitles. Service tends to be available only in and near major villages. SATELLITE TV - Satellite television (DISH) is available with all major U.S. channels and Canadian (Start Choice) TIME ZONE - Guadalajara and Lake Chapala are in the Central Standard Time (CST) zone. ITEMS TO BRING TO MEXICO - Much more in the way of consumer goods is now available in Guadalajara and lake side than formerly. Smaller appliances cost no more than in the USA. There are many American  in Guadalajara stores such as Wal-Mart, Sam’s, Costco, Home Depot, Office Depot, OfficeMax, Sears, and Radio Shack. Selection and pricing might be different than in the USA. Availability of certain "specialty goods" and English language books is limited. For serious hobbies one usually needs to bring the materials with them. It can be very hard to generalize about what to bring to Mexico as it can vary widely depending on the particular item, and the individual's circumstances and desires. Please feel free to e-mail us any questions regarding availability of particular items and what to bring. FURNISHINGS - Many residences for sale or rent come fully or partly furnished. Economical rustico (functional heavy pine) and lightweight equipale (wood lattice covered with leather) furniture of all sorts are manufactured locally at Lakeside and can be custom made. Other kinds of new furniture are available at Lakeside but a much greater variety is available in Guadalajara - with much of the styling comparable to in the USA. The same is true for appliances; some at Lakeside with more choice in Guadalajara. Resale shops at Lakeside have a wide variety of all kinds of used merchandise for the home - big and small, elegant or basic. There are a few upscale import furniture stores scattered around Lakeside and in Guadalajara. If, for your home, you have exact furniture requirements or treasure certain unique furnishings or antiques, do NOT plan on replicating it by purchasing locally - you are most likely not going to find it. Instead, plan on importing such furniture yourself to Mexico. BEDS - Most Mexican beds are mattresses on a wooden or concrete platform. This arrangement is comfortable as long as a better quality mattress is used and these are readily available locally. Box springs and custom mattresses are sold locally. The Mexican twin, queen and king beds are the same sizes as in the USA. The Mexican double bed (matrimonial) is smaller than an American double. Queen beds and bedding are available but king size is much more popular. King size is very popular and often a single king mattress rests on two side-by side twin platforms (with or without twin box springs). California king size is very rare - the few you find are usually brought down by individuals from the USA and sold in consignment shops. WASHER, DRYER, DETERGENT - Most homes have modern washers and dryers as well as a “Mexican washing machine” which is a rinse tub and scrub surface. Some homes do not have dryers with owners preferring “sundried”. Detergent of all makes is available in the stores. MAIDS AND GARDENERS - Cost about $3-4 US an hour. They work from 1 day a week for four hours to six days a week for eight hours each day. Live-in maids are also available. Maids here do wonderful cleaning, washing, ironing, cooking, and more. SOAKING PRODUCE - Anything cooked is fine. Raw vegetables and fruits that you peel are fine. Produce such as lettuce and tomatoes should be soaked for 20 minutes in a gallon of water mixed with readily available disinfectant liquid or Clorox DRINKING WATER - Unless the neighborhood or home has a purification system, drink bottled water which is about $2 US per 5 gallon bottle delivered to the home. Smaller bottles of drinking water are available all over from the smallest corner stores. Any ice purchased in bags is made from purified water. Restaurants serve purified water and ice. COMPUTERS - Bring your computer - laptops are easier to "casually" import than desktops. There are computers sales here at lakeside, as well as repair service, Internet access, clubs. SECURITY - Several housing areas have roving security and gated entrances. Villages are relatively safe as neighbors watch out for each other. Most houses are walled and fenced with lawns inside where it is more private, have wrought iron grillwork on windows and doors. This security deters break-ins. Do not leave your brains at the border. Common sense rules your safety – lock your house, your car – don’t brag about how much money you have. PLUMBING - All the modern conveniences - indoor plumbing. Common enhancements are water purification and pressure systems. Some subdivisions have community water purification but this is the exception. Many people drink bottled water delivered to the home at very reasonable cost. HEATING AND COOLING - Usually not cold enough to warrant additional heating. Some use supplemental heat on a few "winter" days: fireplaces, or small gas or electric heaters. Not hot enough for air conditioning although fans are widely used for the warm dry time of mid-April to mid-June. UTILITIES - Electric approximately $50 US monthly (depending on your consumption).Gas approximately $30 monthly. Telephone about $18 US per month for basic service. Long distance telephone calls without a callback service are expensive by US standards. With a callback service, calls to the USA are about 20-30 cents per minute. Many computer owner use Skype on arrange for Vonage phones. CLOTHING - Dress is very informal and varied. Available for purchase is a wide range of styles and cost. Large sizes can be hard to find. For example, men's shoes over size 11 or 12 are almost impossible to find in Mexico, although the Nike store in Guadalajara carries sizes up to 15+ in sports models - they service the Guadalajara basketball players! Some choose to have clothes tailored at several competent Lakeside tailor shops - it's best if you can provide them a sample item for duplication. A fairly wide variety of fabric commercial and hand-woven are available in Guadalajara. BARBERS AND BEAUTY SALONS - Readily available - haircut about $3-6 US, manicures are about $6 US; pedicure $7 US, wash/set/comb $7 US; permanent $20 US. A variety of other body care services such as massages are available. Many offer home service. DOGS AND CATS - English speaking Veterinarian care is plentiful, wide variety of pet food available and some rentals - but not all - will take tenants with pets. Many people have locally acquired birds also. Some community associations (usually for the smaller gated ones) regulate pet ownership. Some restaurants and businesses allow dogs, some do not. Dogs are sometimes not allowed on with passengers on public busses and often taxis will not accept dogs - but there is wide variation on drivers enforcing this. GROCERIES - Numerous stores ranging from small corner shops and deli’s to larger grocery stores in most lakeside towns to the full sized Soriana  or Walmart supermarkets. Some cater specifically to the expatriate community. Fresh vegetables can be purchased at a lower cost at the street market every Wednesday in Ajijic, Monday in Chapala, and Thursday in Jocotepec. Guadalajara has very large food stores such as Sam's, Costco, Wal-Mart and many large Mexican chain supermarkets. Guadalajara also has a huge farmers market (Abastos), a fish market, numerous smaller farmers markets, various street markets, and a giant general merchandise market (Libertad). There are also several upscale specialty deli, import, oriental, and liquor stores in Guadalajara. RESTAURANTS - Lakeside has a wide variety of dining and many eateries to choose from: from fine restaurants to cozy small sidewalk cafes. Nice dinners are about $10-15 US and up. Breakfast and lunch run about $3-5 US and up. COLLECTIBLES - Pottery, hand woven items, blown glass, wrought iron, tapestry, paintings, Indian art, unique crafts, silver - many found in local street markets.   (Last updated: Sunday, February 19, 2012)