WHEN WE FIRST CAME TO MEXICO

When we first came to Mexico we went to a state called Chapas.  It is one of the last state in Mexico before you enter another country.  We lived in San Cristobal de La Casas which is high in the mountains.  

While we were there we visited Yucatan, Cuinteana Roo and Oaxaca.  

Then we moved to the state of Jalisco in the area where Lake Chapala is.  We did not do much traveling to surrounding states but mostly traveled within Jalisco.

From Jalisco we have moved now to Michoacan in the city of Patzcuaro and are moving to the city of Morella.

We have stayed mostly in mountain area because of the weather.  Jalisco and Michoacan are in the western central highlands area.  This area has less tourists than the coast beaches.  The locals in the Western Central Highlands are warm, the streets are safe, the economy is alright, and cultural traditions thrive.  The climate is probably the best there is in Mexico and the natural beauty is just mind-blowing.

Both Jalisco and Michoacan hold many of Mexico's natural resources - such as timber, minerals, livestock and agriculture.  Both of these states have seen large segments of their population head to the USA for work.  Michoacan reportedly lost almost half of its population to emigrations and money sent home regularly exceeds US Two billion dollars.  Most of the people (Mexican people) that I have talked with have lived in the USA.  Since the economic slowdown in the US, they have returned to their homeland and most of them have started up their own business.

There are many non-Mexicans that call Mexico their home.  The retired population has flocked to area's in the Western Central Highlands.  The main reason is the money.  It costs them too much to live in the US so they come to Mexico.  The exchange rate is about 12 percent.  So the purchasing power is greater in Mexico than in the US.  Even with the exchange rate being in favor of the expat, many live on very little.  

When we lived in the Chapala area which has one of the largest groups of non-Mexican population, many single woman were living there with very little money and finding life hard.  However, in the states they would find it impossible. These single woman - some living on only five hundred U.S.dollars - basically stay in their one bedroom or rented room in a house and just get by.  Most of the Mexicans that live around them, live better than they do because the Mexican understands how to live on less then the Americans in Mexico.  They will go out and collect their firewood in the forest, they will eat from street vendors for very little money, they will collect food from the hills where things grow that the Americans know nothing about.  The Mexican will walk everywhere and they will not have phones or T.V.  The American still requires this even though they can not really afford it.  

Very few expats come to Mexico and are willing to live as a Mexican.  Very few expats totally integrate into their community.  The couples that come - never really do, some single women and men come here and marry a Mexican and they do assimilate into the society and end up living quite nicely.  What I have observed is that most expats come here and figure out that their standard of living is not what they want so they open up a business and continue to work.  However, there are others that come with large sums of money and live with a very high standard of living. 

The above thoughts are nothing more than just that - thoughts = my thoughts - and reflect nothing pertaining to facts that I am awair of