The Move Form Kansas

Well, we've experienced something interesting, exhausting, sometimes frightening, unforgettable, and full of pleasure. No... it wasn't that. We drove two vehicles from Iola, KS to our home in Ajijic.

We were on a time schedule, so I'm sorry, very sorry, we weren't able to stop and take pictures. We saw some of the most amazing things. First of all, you haven't seen poor until you've seen how some of the Mexican people live. We've seen the homeless people in the streets of the U.S., living in cardboard boxes, pushing their belongings around in a shopping cart. They've lost their job and home and I sympathize with them. I wish our government would concentrate on helping all of them. However, unless you've driven through the heart of Mexico, you haven't seen poor. Most of these people never had a home, or a job, to lose. There is no soup kitchen, no Shelter, and no Salvation Army. We saw huts along the highway, built out of shipping skids, tree limbs, Adobe, and/or anything else they could find. They were covered with blankets, old tarps, scrap tin, and even palm leaves. How they survive, I have no idea. The climate, of course, isn't real harsh, but still? Most of them are standing out by the highway, trying to sell anything they can for a couple of Pesos. Some try to flag you down with a rag, to let them wash your car. It really made me think just how lucky we are.

Now..., driving in Mexico. Have you ever driven in Detroit, Kansas City, Tulsa, Houston? I have, and believe me, this is a whole new experience. First off, I wasn't two blocks from the border crossing and got stopped by the Policia. I didn't have my seat belt on (the only time during the whole trip I wasn't wearing it). Fortunately, there was a young Mexican man in the truck with me. As soon as you cross the border, they swarm your vehicle to show you how to get to the automobile import department (which isn't simple to get to). The cop let me go, but I had to tip the kid $10 for his help and to pay the cop (well worth it). I never figured out, if the kid talked the cop out of a ticket for me, in exchange for half the tip, or if he pointed out that I didn't have a belt on when we went by. The next problem was trying to explain, to the import authorities, why my drivers license says I'm Clarence Leroy Rafferty, but the title to the truck says I'm Lee Rafferty. That took about 25 minutes, but I finally convinced them we were the same guy. Next, you have to get through Nuevo Laredo and the first check point. At this point, I had my white knuckled hands at 10:00 and 2:00 on the steering wheel and I'm sure I was grating my teeth. After a nerve wracking, yet convincing conversation with the border guard, who was curious about why I had brought a ShopVac, step ladder, and hand cart on vacation with me... and didn't figure I had to pay duty taxes on them. It took Roseanna and I, both, to convince him we weren't bringing them down here to sell. After re-packing a few boxes into the truck, we were on our way. Actually, he was a pretty nice guy, just doing his job.

You've heard the phrase "always drive defensively". When they say that in Mexico, they're very, VERY serious. It doesn't just mean protect yourself from the other motorists. It means be aggressive yet cautious and know how to get out of the way in a hurry. If you drive the speed limit, someone will try to hurt you. At one point, an SUV passed us. When he was about 1000 yards in front of us (maybe 2 or 3 seconds), a cop passed us with his lights on. After the SUV, right? Nope; he passed the SUV too and drove along in front of it for about 2 miles (lights still going). Then, the SUV passed him (lights still going) and pulled out of sight. After another mile or so, the cop pulled off the road and parked; apparently to wait and catch some body doing something wrong.

They also tell you not to drive at night. Why? There are Banditos at every turn.No, not really, but like anywhere else, don't flaunt what you have if you want to keep it. Actually, the reason is livestock and drunk drivers, in that order. In the high desert regions, grazing grass is limited. However, there is usually an abundant supply, right along the highway. Therefore, you will see horses, mules, cattle, and goats grazing along the highway; most of them unrestrained. At night, you might not see them, or you might get a real close look.

Every where you look, they sell cervesa. If you go through a little village with three buildings, a couple of houses and several huts, all three buildings have a bar. Even here, in Ajijic, there are very few blocks without at least one bar. Thus, drunk drivers. Ya gotta watch for them.

The highways, except for about 100 miles, were all four lane, and most were toll roads. From Laredo to Guadalajara, we paid around $120 US per vehicle in tolls. One place cost us 26 Pesos to get on the turnpike, so we could get to the right off-ramp 1/2 mile away.

Though it was exhausting and nerve wracking, it was a good and beautiful trip. Roseanna took the lead (the speedometer on my truck doesn't always work) and navigated the entire trip. I'm very proud of her. We only made a couple of wrong turns, but caught them almost immediately. We kept in touch on our cell phones and never once did either of us get upset. It's really good to be home.

See the Yucca tree? See how it leans to the left? See how the pot tapers to a small pin-point at the bottom? Guess what. The Yucca tree is top-heavy and off balance. When bumped on the right side, it can and will fall over. Luckily, no one got hurt and the pot didn't break. The Chase lounge, on the other hand, took a beating. Actually, we can thank it for the pot not breaking (if indeed thanks need be given). I don't know which would cost more to replace, but the lounge would certainly be easier to handle. It took both of us to stand the tree back up, then the rope to make it a little more stable.












On a more pleasant note, we've (Roseanna) added some color to the place. It's looking pretty nice out here, and becoming an enjoyable place to drink cerveza.

This area in Mexico, Ajijic (pronounced ah-he-heek), is actually a tourist site. There are between 14,000 and 18,000 English-speaking ex-patriots living here year round and more during the winter months. About half of the Mexican people you deal with will speak some English. Some speak fluent English, but if you don't speak Spanish, it's difficult to impossible to make yourself understood. Therefore, Spanish lessons are almost a must; not to mention the respect you display by learning the language of the country. If you're only here for a visit, or extended vacation, don't worry. You can get by with "Gracias" (thank you), "Por favor" (please), "Uno cerveza" (one beer), "Donde esta un bano? (where is the bathroom), and a bit of sign language.

Most people who relocate to Mexico prefer to rent a house, rather than buy, and for good reason. Number one, it gives you a chance to feel the area out, without limiting your movement much. Number two, $$$$$$$$$$$. In this area, at least, a small one bedroom/one bath house or condo will cost you $125,000 and up. The interest rate is high and financing is difficult.

At the same time, you have to be careful when renting. For instance you can go to www.ajijicrentals.com and see this place.

We fell in love with it. When we actually went to see it, I didn't know we were in the same place, until Roseanna told me later. The pictures don't tell the real story. Now, check out our place. This is the picture on the website.

Now, imagine the fruit tree, at the corner of the house, all diseased and rotting fruit and leaves all over the place. You'll have an image of what it looked like when we walked in. A month later (yesterday) and a lot of hard work and it looks like this.


The hard work, I might add, was ours (mostly Roseanna) and not that of the rental agency.

So, after owning a home for the better part of 30 years, we've learned some of the watch-fors of renting. Be cautious.

We're paying a little more per month than we want, or will be able to afford later. For now, though, it's our home, it's a beautiful home, and we love it. You spend most of your time outdoors here, so the courtyard is just what we were looking for.

More later... Lee

Yes, we've joined the expatriots and retired in Mexico. A great deal of research followed by a week long vacation, followed by more research, and we were hooked. Here's a couple of reasons why.
However, these are just a small part of the reason. The real reasons are all mixed together in a word called Adventure. It's a different culture, language, life, climate, and a whole lot of other stuff.

Roseanna and I met late in life. I turned 61 in June of this year and we celebrated our first wedding anniversary in November of last year (I won't tell you how young she became in December, only that we attended the same high school, at the same time, and didn't know each other). She's the love of my life and I'm hers. We wanted to spend the years we have together enjoying life and each other. We found the opportunity in Ajijic, Mexico. The average, year around, temperature is 74 degrees F. The altitude is 5500 feet and we live on the shores of the largest lake in Mexico. The people are very pleasant and the village is very quaint and beautiful. You can afford to retire here, as opposed to any comparable place in the U.S.

We'll talk more later. Lee