by Marie Dwyer-Bullock, Lake Chapala, Mexico
www.focusonmexico.com
The below Interview about living in Lake Chapala, Mexico was recently posted on an Expat website: http://www.expatinterviews.com/mexico/marie-dwyer-bullock.html
The beautiful scenery, the abundance of sights to see and activities to do, and the warm, friendly people are only some of the many, many things Canadian expat Marie and her husband love about living in Mexico. Here, Marie shares her observations about living in the Lake Chapala area, her advice for those considering moving to Mexico, and the business they put up to acquaint others with Mexican life and culture. | |
-Where were you born?
Nova Scotia, Canada
-In which country and city are you living now?
Lake Chapala, Mexico
-Are you living alone or with your family?
I live with my husband and two dogs.
-How long have you been living in Mexico?
We have lived here 13 years.
-What is your age?
From my birth certificate it shows I am 59, but last February I celebrated my 36th birthday (again). 
-When did you come up with the idea of living in Mexico?
Attracted to Lake Chapala, Mexico because it has the 2nd best climate in the world, has a lower cost of living, excellent health care and mostly because the Mexican people are so welcoming and friendly.
-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
No, it is easy to get a visa and working permits in most fields are not difficult.
-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
There are a number of options for medical insurance and we currently have international private insurance, which is affordable because we live in Mexico and outside our passport country for more than 6 months a year.
-How do you make your living in Mexico? Do you have any type of income generated?
We have a company called FocusOnMexico.com. We offer 8-Day Educational Tours to Lake Chapala, Mexico to see if this is a place to live. This generates our income. We created Focus on Mexico after we moved here and saw how difficult it was to get accurate and up-to-date information. Through our 8-day program, people get a crash course on Mexico and all the information, knowledge and experience in one fell swoop, and have a lot of fun in the process. There are a number of job opportunities in Lake Chapala and we cover Working and Doing Business as part of our program.
-Do you speak Spanish and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
Sadly, you can get away with not speaking Spanish here as so many of the locals speak English and we have a large expat community living here. I learned enough to get by (and get myself into trouble sometimes), but very recently I made the commitment to learn to properly speak Spanish and fully integrate. I do think it is important to try and learn the language as your experience will be so much more enjoyable. As part of our Focus on Mexico program we speak about the importance of not only respecting and observing the local customs, but embracing the customs, the culture and the people.
-Do you miss home and family sometimes? Describe your favorite recreational activities there or those that are available.
Our kids are grown up and have lives of their own and we visit back and forth so see them and friends frequently - and now with Vonage we can talk back and forth on a regular basis.
For recreation I like to read (non-fiction), meditate, exercise, dance and brainstorm, not to mention work as this is also a passion. In Lake Chapala, there is an unlimited number of activities available: Every type of dancing, wonderful restaurants, tennis, golf, basketball, soccer, swimming, water sports, bridge, card games, nightclubs, over 50 English speaking organizations to belong to, many charities to get involved in and much, much more. The list is endless.
-Do you have other plans for the future?
We like to travel and see different places, especially in Mexico. Each region of Mexico is like going to a different country; very diverse and fascinating. We have driven our Motor home throughout Mexico and never had a bad experience.
We are growing our business through Internet Marketing and really enjoying the learning experience.
-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
We bought our home. This is our third one in this area, since we moved here 13 years ago from Calgary, Alberta. We don't believe in renting as it is money down the sewer and if you get out of the housing market and it takes off, you have a hard time catching up. Our retirement revenue is accumulating from buying a home in a newer community before all the amenities are in, waiting a few years for the appreciation to cap, then we sell and go on to the next. We don’t mind moving and usually double our money in the process each time.
In Lake Chapala to get a good quality nice home in a good location would range in price from $180,000 to $300,000.
-What is the cost of living in Mexico?
The cost of living in our area is at least 30% less than north of the border, depending on where you are from. During our Focus on Mexico program, one of our Expert Speakers gives a seminar about Cost of Living and does a comparison between her lifestyle here and cost of living compared to where she came from – Denver, Colorado. Here it costs here $1800 US a month (plus she adds another $400 for travel per year) and in Denver the same lifestyle would cost her $5000 MORE per month. Cost of Living is one of the major attractions for moving to the Ajijic and Lake Chapala area of Mexico.
-What do you think about the Mexicans?
The local people are the nicest and friendliest in the world. They welcome us with open arms and treat us with love and respect and kindness. We learn many lessons from them as they have a great value system, aren't near as materialistic as we are and they are really into family and friends. The foreign population living in this area do a lot of great charity work, create jobs by living here and the locals live a better lifestyle because of us. There are people here from 31 different nations and the multi-cultural experience is part of the attraction.
-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Mexico?
The positive aspects of living in Mexico and Lake Chapala in particular are:
- Climate – Rated by National Geographic as having the 2nd Best Climate in World.
- Sunshine more than 300 days a year, no humidity, Land of Eternal Spring.
- Mexico Rated two years running (2007 and 2008) by International Living as best place to retire in the world.
- Excellent and affordable health care.
- Lower cost of living.
- Can reinvent yourself.
- Indoor – outdoor living.
- No air conditioning or heating and property taxes under $150US a year.
- Friendliest people in the world.
- Real Estate - Well built and interesting, affordable housing with lots of amenities. Gated communities with swimming pool, Jacuzzi, Fully equipped Fitness Club, Spa services, Health services, Cinema, Concierge services, Club house with billiards, lounge rooms, fully equipped kitchen.
- Over 50 English speaking organizations to belong to.
Color everywhere – flowering plants and trees every season, colorful housing and shops, colorful clothing. Color is very therapeutic. - Working and business opportunities.
- Incredible sense of Community.
- Large single population.
- Very easy to get to know people.
- Can get by without speaking Spanish (unfortunately).
- Wonderful charities to get involved in.
- Great infrastructure with excellent restaurants, many with live entertainment.
- Great shopping, including foreign imports. They are more expensive, but here if you must have them.
- Live theatre in English, Opera, and many high quality musical entertainment is brought into the area. We had the Russian ballet a few months ago. One of the charities hosted a New York Supper Club dinner and dancing with world renowned entertainers who live in the area.
- Lots of art, Writers Club, poets, Computer Club, Bridge Club, Red Hat Ladies clubs (4), French Club, German Club, American Legion, Canadian Club, Navy League and the list goes on and on and on…. Really an unbelievable number of things to do.
- Airport only 30 minutes away.
- Guadalajara (2nd largest city in Mexico) is only 50 minutes away.
- Great returns on investments.
Negative aspects
- Things don't always happen in the time you expect.
- Streets in villages are mostly cobblestone, although personally I don't consider this a negative. It is great for the ankles.
- Operating a business in Mexico can have its challenges, especially with accounting and taxes. Not for the faint of heart.
- Driving in Guadalajara (2nd largest city in Mexico, 50 minutes from Lake Chapala) can be a challenge. The Mexican people are wonderful mild, passive people – until they get behind the wheel of a car. They tend to toot their horns a lot if you are slow to go through the light, etc.
- Shortage of rentals, especially in the high season – Oct to April
To be honest, we have lived here for 13 years and I struggle to find the negatives. We most sincerely feel like we are living in one of the best kept secrets in the world, in our very own little pocket of paradise. We consider it a pleasure to offer our 8-Day Focus on Mexico Education Programs and share what we have discovered to others that may be looking for that special place.
-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Mexico? Mexico is not for everyone, to be sure.
- If you decide to live here, don't bring your rules and regulations with you. Come without judgments.
- Things are different, not wrong – just different.
- Embrace the people and culture.
- Don't try to change everything to the way it's done back home. And don’t say "Why doesn’t everyone speak English?"
- If you are a Type A personality, drop it at the border on the way through, and reinvent yourself when you arrive in Lake Chapala.
- When something happens that tweeks you a little, like the electrician didn't show up on Monday morning like he said he would, just say "Oh Well, it’s Mexico."
- Bring patience and a great sense of humor.
- Remember, life isn't a dress rehearsal. Enjoy the moment.
-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Mexico?
Focus On Mexico: http://www.focusonmexico.com/index.php
- This site is filled with an abundance of information about Mexico in general and Lake Chapala in particular. You can sign up for a free newsletter by clicking here: http://www.focusonmexico.com/newsreg.php
- Focus On Mexico offers 8-Day Educational Tours to Lake Chapala Mexico – a crash course in Mexico for people who are trying to decide if they want to live or retire there. Everyone in one fell swoop.
Focus on Lake Chapala: http://www.focusonlakechapala.com
- Blog on Lake Chapala, with great stories, articles and pictures
Focusing on Real Estate in Lake Chapala: http://realestatelakechapala-mexico.blogspot.com
- Includes stories about real estate.
Focusing on Lake Chapala: http://focusonlakechapala.blogspot.com
- Includes human interest stories about living in Lake Chapala, Mexico.
If you have interest in Lake Chapala, Mexico, please feel free to contact marie[at]focusonmexico[dot]com. You can also call our Vonage numbers which ring in our home here in Lake Chapala:
From the U.S.: 210-745-1404
From Canada: 416-619-9310
