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Chronicle of the process of moving from USA to Mexico
Sunday, March 28, 2004
I have been on the ground in Merida for almost 2 full days now. Have started my walking / bus visits to scout out some of the neighborhoods. Garcia Giñeres stands out as a really nice area, somewhat like what I perceive Alameda to be in the Bay Area. I was told that it has a fairly large mix of people of different nationalities.
Today I revisited the neighborhood of Vicente Solis where the yellow house on which we placed an offer (owners decided not to sell) on my list visit is. I continue to like this area quite a bit. The lots sizes are relatively large, there is some of the older colonial style construction, local businesses and there is the quieter neighborhoold feel than the heavy traffic areas of the central city.
Yesterday Enrique our friend who used to work at the Casa San Juan bed and breakfast where I am staying called to ask if I wanted to go out to a dance club. He arrived at 11pm along with 2 of his amigos and we took a cab to a club which is a ways out of the city (beyond the airport). It was fun but not something I would do on a regular basis - loud music, latin dancing and muchos cervezas. Got back to my room at 5am. Fortunately the aqua caliente was working again this morning as the hot shower was an important factor in bringing me back to life after a few hours sleep.
Also yesterday I decided to get my haircut since I never found the time before leaving (was busy last weekend with yard sale which yielded about $400 USD). Stopped in a barber shop on Calle 62 that was open fairly late into the evening. The barber who was from Guatemala but a long time resident of Merida spoke no english but with my minimal spanish was able to explain what was desired. The sideburn trim style was negotiated from a picture book. Including tip the cost of a haircut is about $2.75 USD.
I also visited an expatriate friend who moved here a few years ago and we talked about his current restoration project and various other topics including costs of medical procedures. He told me of going to the destist and getting his first crown about which he was aprehensive. Ultimately he was very happy with the whole process. I believe he said the total cost was about $160 USD. No, thats not the deductible. I have been told that people from the US sometimes come down here specifically to get dental work done because of the quality and low cost.
Bud also mentioned a 73 year old mother of a friend who recently had a gall bladder removal surgery. She stayed in a very good hospital for 3 days to assure a good recovery due to her advancing age. They did a modern technology lapriscopic procedure which involves minimal incisions. The total cost was in the area of $2600 USD. I am guessing that in the USA that we have been more like $35,000 -- gotta pay those attorneys and drug and malpractice insurance companies. Do the math -- if you calculate the cost of health insurance at 4 to 5 thousand dollars per year in the states the idea of being self insured seems like it might be a reasonable thing to do down here when the costs are so much lower.
My meeting with our realtor Mitch has been postponed from Monday until Tuesday.
Tomorrow I hope to get my cell phone activated here by purchasing a SIM chip that drops in it and makes it work on the local phone system. Later in the week I will go to the imigration office and see if I can activate the FM3 visa.
I have been defining waypoints into the GPS and have found it more useful than expected for finding my way around.
Well thats all for tonight.
Today I revisited the neighborhood of Vicente Solis where the yellow house on which we placed an offer (owners decided not to sell) on my list visit is. I continue to like this area quite a bit. The lots sizes are relatively large, there is some of the older colonial style construction, local businesses and there is the quieter neighborhoold feel than the heavy traffic areas of the central city.
Yesterday Enrique our friend who used to work at the Casa San Juan bed and breakfast where I am staying called to ask if I wanted to go out to a dance club. He arrived at 11pm along with 2 of his amigos and we took a cab to a club which is a ways out of the city (beyond the airport). It was fun but not something I would do on a regular basis - loud music, latin dancing and muchos cervezas. Got back to my room at 5am. Fortunately the aqua caliente was working again this morning as the hot shower was an important factor in bringing me back to life after a few hours sleep.
Also yesterday I decided to get my haircut since I never found the time before leaving (was busy last weekend with yard sale which yielded about $400 USD). Stopped in a barber shop on Calle 62 that was open fairly late into the evening. The barber who was from Guatemala but a long time resident of Merida spoke no english but with my minimal spanish was able to explain what was desired. The sideburn trim style was negotiated from a picture book. Including tip the cost of a haircut is about $2.75 USD.
I also visited an expatriate friend who moved here a few years ago and we talked about his current restoration project and various other topics including costs of medical procedures. He told me of going to the destist and getting his first crown about which he was aprehensive. Ultimately he was very happy with the whole process. I believe he said the total cost was about $160 USD. No, thats not the deductible. I have been told that people from the US sometimes come down here specifically to get dental work done because of the quality and low cost.
Bud also mentioned a 73 year old mother of a friend who recently had a gall bladder removal surgery. She stayed in a very good hospital for 3 days to assure a good recovery due to her advancing age. They did a modern technology lapriscopic procedure which involves minimal incisions. The total cost was in the area of $2600 USD. I am guessing that in the USA that we have been more like $35,000 -- gotta pay those attorneys and drug and malpractice insurance companies. Do the math -- if you calculate the cost of health insurance at 4 to 5 thousand dollars per year in the states the idea of being self insured seems like it might be a reasonable thing to do down here when the costs are so much lower.
My meeting with our realtor Mitch has been postponed from Monday until Tuesday.
Tomorrow I hope to get my cell phone activated here by purchasing a SIM chip that drops in it and makes it work on the local phone system. Later in the week I will go to the imigration office and see if I can activate the FM3 visa.
I have been defining waypoints into the GPS and have found it more useful than expected for finding my way around.
Well thats all for tonight.
