Retiring in Mexico: The Good

By Stephen Anderson

There are a lot of bad and ugly things that a person retiring to Mexico needs to be aware of and they have nothing to do with the drug cartels. However, there are also some tremendously good times to be had here. Let me tell you about our last two weeks.

I will begin on a Saturday evening when we went to see No Clue at the Lakeside Little Theater. Now in its 47th year, it is the oldest English speaking theater in this country and the plays are always excellent with good directing and acting. The following day, Sunday, my wife Sarah and I were invited to our friends’ restaurant for their Sunday brunch buffet. Afterwards, we played pinochle with the owners for several hours and had a lot of fun.The week’s activities included spending time with friends; Sarah’s knitting group and a visit to my favorite barber for a US$4 haircut; sightseeing to a new area for us, not too far from Lake Chapala; and some excellent restaurant meals. The foods we enjoyed varied widely, from kielbasa and potato soup to tiramisu to birria (goat or veal meat served in a soup like broth with tortillas). At one restaurant, our friend had an order of pork in a red sauce, her husband had chicken mole, Sarah had a chicken filet with a walnut sauce, and I had a large fish filet. All meals came with a small bowl of the soup of the day (cream of mushroom), 2 cheese quesadillas per person, 2 pieces of baked cheese bread per person, rice, beans, vegetables, and hot tortillas. Also included were two pitchers of fresh pineapple flavored water, coffee, and rice pudding for dessert. Total cost, per meal, $3.85 inclusive. You have to love some of the prices here.Friday was a rough day. After a good breakfast at home, we had to suffer through our semi-weekly massages, which last from a full hour to an hour and fifteen minutes (about $20 each with tip). Then, it was off to join the 10 or 12 people that meet every week for pinochle. Saturday arrived, and we decided to go to Guadalajara, about forty-five minutes away. Sarah I went bowling and then tried out a Mexican owned hamburger joint we heard about. Their huge sirloin burgers are cooked on an outdoor grill over fire and then we could add as much or as little of the 40 toppings that we wanted. Two delicious burgers, a very large order of fries, and a diet Coke came to $8.40. Afterwards, we ended up shopping at the newest Costco. Sunday was a day of mixed emotions. The good was that we picked up our daughter, June, who we have not seen in nearly two years, at the airport. It was great to see her and I loved the fact she had a suitcase full of new clothes for me, having lost 90 pounds in the last year. However, the reason for her visit was not so good. June was in a serious accident a few months ago and has no insurance in the US. So Sarah and I flew her down to have all her tests done here in Mexico. June craved Peking Duck, (the cost here is half of that in Oregon), so our day ended with a superb meal and a long awaited visitation. The following days were spent seeing doctors with June. The first appointment was with our doctor, who was also June’s before she moved back north of the border. After doing a complete examination of her, which lasted over an hour, and ordering a whole series of blood work, he made an appointment for her to have a dorsal and lumbar MRI done in Guadalajara for the same afternoon. Tuesday morning, with her MRI in hand, and the results having already been faxed over, it was back to the doctor’s office to go over the causes of her problems and a more thorough physical. Then we went to the dentist, where June had an examination, x-rays, her teeth cleaned, and a filling replaced that had fallen out.This may not sound exciting until you consider the following factors. Sarah and I got to spend a few days with our daughter. It felt great to finally find out what was causing her ailments and how to correct them. And, here is the real kicker: the costs:Actual Costs                                                   Average Costs in USRound trip plane ticket            $ 368               Plane               n/aMRI                                       $ 638               Average cost of MRI             $ 2000 2 doctor’s visits and exams     $ 30                 2 doctor’s visits and exams     $ 300Several weeks of medication   $ 50                 Medications                           $ 200Dentist                                    $ 50                 Dentist                                   $ 200Physical Therapist                   $ 30                 Physical Therapist                   $ 150Total cost, including plane   $1166             Total cost, without a plane    $2850The figures on our actual costs are accurate. The costs for the US, particularly Oregon, might vary slightly, as all the information was taken from the internet. But any way you cut it, we saved a lot of money over US prices.We got to just stay home the next day. It was the type of day we used to spend together quite often when June lived with us, so we thoroughly enjoyed it. We were sad on Thursday to have to take her back to the airport after seeing the physical therapist.But Friday was one of those days that exemplify what retirement should be like. After a good breakfast, Sarah and I pampered ourselves with what has to be one of the world’s best pedicures, including a partial massage and reflexology, for under $10 each. Afterwards, it was off to our weekly pinochle game. The next day, we went with friends to the fairly new Andares Mall in Guadalajara. It specializes in upscale stores and restaurants, including a PF Chang’s. Thanks to a coupon, four of us had clam chowder soup, a large shrimp cocktail, stuffed shrimp dinners, apple strudels, cappuccinos, and non-alcoholic drinks for a total of $62. Our day ended with a movie at the Imax Theater.There are certain times it is wonderful to be retired and living in Mexico.Stephen Anderson’s new book, Retiring in Mexico: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, provides a comprehensive view of the benefits as well as the challenges that he and others have faced while trying to establish their retirement dreams on Lake Chapala, Mexico. You can contact him at:

Note: Stephen submitted this article to us just after we published my interview with him. However, as anyone who is aware of the goings on in the area will know, there have been some disturbing problems there in the past few weeks. This is not meant to downplay any of that. I am very greatful to Stephen for presenting a balanced picture of what retirement life around Lake Chapala can be like. Muchisimas Gracias, Stephen!

[images via Wikipedia]

We would love to have your feedback on this post so leave your comments below.
We are also happy to answer any questions about life in Latin America. Send us an email - julie@expatdailynews.com or jamie@expatdailynews.com If you like what you see here at Expat Daily News Latin America, we ask that you donate whatever you feel like to help us to continue producing interesting articles for you. Thank you!

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.