The fun side of the wall.....

This is a close-up photo of the back of one of our t-shirts. It says it all...

Before you think about visiting Mexico or making the big move here, there are tons of things to consider before embarking on your journey.

Above all, RELAX and Remain Calm... we are on the fun side of the wall... life here is awesome. All of those exaggerated stories about danger are just not true for people who come here using common sense to have some fun, or to retire. So, lay back, enjoy the sun, and have another cerveza...

You might not be fully prepared for all the new things coming your way, but you can't get anywhere by hiding in your basement or under the bed.

So, some immediate thoughts come to mind that you may wish consider such as:

• Do you speak Spanish? (maybe not, but you'll generally do just fine).

• Do you need a visa for Mexico? (most don't for a short visit).

• Will you like the food? (most probably - delicious!).

• What’s the cost of living in Mexico? (cheap).

• Will you get shot? (probably not).

• Will you become an alcoholic? (most probably) ... Si Senior...

We have some basic knowledge in all of these areas that might be causing some concern. We spent a year living in PV, and now have found a nice place to live in Mazatlan for yet another year. ....Bliss.

There are plenty of things that no one tells you about living in Mexico, and it might be a good idea to get to know some of them before you decide to come here.

As we all know, there is a large White House on the east coast, close to 40 N. latitude, where a few elected people make decisions to waste tax payers money. One of them is building "the wall"... there is just no need for that. Mexicans have long ladders...

However, there are a few things that some might consider weird, wonderful, quirky and perhaps a little frustrating about Mexican culture and life. There are also certain common northern luxuries that we have learned to give up. And, there are some different things we just had to accept that you might wish to know about... fellow expats who are already here will be able to relate.

Water

It's the first thing they tell you - don't drink the water! And yes, we do miss the great tasting tap water we had in the Caribbean and in the Great White North. This is a controversial subject to some people as they might never have known life without pure water in the taps. But it’s something that’s worth knowing before you arrive.

Buying drinking water all the time gets a bit tedious but we can tell you from first hand experience that it's much better than the alternative time you might spend in the bathroom. While some people do drink the tap water without boiling it or filtering it, it’s not really advisable to newbies, so it's best stick to bottled water. Once your stomach gets used to it, then you’re probably going to be OK in Mazatlan. There can be plenty of nasty extras in the tap water in some Mexico destinations, ranging from bacteria and parasites to heavy metals, so you’ll probably want to steer clear for reasons going beyond a sad tummy.

Having said all of that, we did drink the water in Puerto Vallarta in small amounts (for brushing teeth or taking our vitamins) and we had no ill effects. Here in Mazatlan we brush our teeth, take showers , make tea, coffee and do all of our cooking with tap water. Some days we just take a sip of tap water when we are too lazy to open the fridge where we keep bottled water in a handy jug. Bottled drinking water comes in all sizes including those large blue 20-litre bottles that you see in homes and offices. They are known as jarrafones (pitchers) and cost $22 pesos each. We need a new one every few days. They are recycled - buy one and bring it back for a refill, or have the local water delivery guy stop by. That's doable.

Toilet Paper - don't flush it

Yes you read that right – don't throw it in the toilet. Almost every expat living in Mexico knows exactly what we're talking about. That sign you will see in public bathrooms that says "Please do not throw toilet paper in the toilet." makes you immediately think “WTF - OK so where do I put it? This must be a joke! Call me crazy but isn't that what sewage systems are for?! Other signs say please don't put anything in the toilet other than toilet paper... Ya..OK... so what do we do with the poo..? I digress....

Yes, but alas, there is method to their madness as many of the old Mexican pipes in their plumbing and sewage systems can't handle the paper, and it would clog them if flushed. The real reason is from the old days when the method of directing blackwater to the septic tanks was by using hand formed concrete troughs running under the floor. Whenever two troughs met they used a square box called a "registro". Nasty things collect in the registros. Since it was easier, they made the troughs and registros with square corners and the troughs were not troweled smooth. Of course that made it easy for fiber, hair, paper, frogs, snakes and alligators or whatever to get hung up in the corners. Over time, if you flush the toilet paper it can build up and eventually block the trough. Since the troughs and registros have square corners it is impossible to run a snake through them to clear the blockage and you end up tearing up the floor to get to it. Four inch diameter plastic septic pipe has only been used for about the last 20 years or so in newer construction.

Back to our story....we moved into a shiny new condominium building where toilet flushing action included gurgling sounds of water and air that emit from all nearby sinks and floor drains. Then that is followed by alarmingly large air-bubble-burps in both toilets even though only one was used. The usual cause of this exciting and entertaining activity is improper venting of the sewage pipes, and that leads us to believe that it could be self-induced madness. I digress again... But then we found out that the absolute newness of our building just meant that the contractor didn't properly flush out the construction debris from the pipes when they were done, and it caused all sorts of commotion and flurry when people moved in... that would be us.

So back to older locations... no, really, don’t flush it. Just throw it in to the bin at the side of the toilet and be done with it. If you’re planning on living in Mexico in an area where flushing is a problem, you might wish to buy the vanilla scented bin bags - they’ll make everything smell fresher. Bottom line - If there’s a bin in the stall it means you can’t flush the toilet paper. If there’s no bin, flush away.

Leisurely Grocery Shopping

In Mexico, pay days come twice a month on the 15th and 30th... for everyone. These are known as quincenas (fortnights), and on these somewhat holy days when the sun shines a bit brighter each month (and generally one or two days after), grocery stores, malls, Sam's Club, Walmart and all ATMs are swarmed with people. Lines are horrendous, leaving us to ask the burning question: why don't businesses randomly stagger their paydays for their employees so they occur on different dates? The up side for us crafty expats is to make sure we hit the grocery stores right before the quincenas and shop without any waiting... Yes!

Paying bills

In Mexico the most common method of bill payment is to visit the office of the company, in person, and paying in cash, which can be very inconvenient. Online banking and bill paying is possible but most people choose not to do this because of systems frequently being down, or being charged extra fees by the bank. Even as recent as April 27 this year, the media reported that internet connections to the Mexico's central payment system at two banks and at a brokerage were compromised. No details were given except that “some clients saw a delay in executing transactions” due to the issue. And last January, hackers attempted to rob the government-run export bank Bancomext, but officials said they were unsuccessful. So everyone uses cash here. The concerns are real and this could happen in any country.

The practice of wandering about the streets with thousands of pesos in hand or hidden in a bulging pocket is also somewhat inconvenient even though it is still expected and preferred in most places. As an example, if you’re renting, you’ll be expected to pay your landlord cash in hand on the first of each month. As per our lease contract, we had to assemble three months rent when we moved in. And that was after paying a one month security deposit to book / hold the apartment until we arrived in Mexico and were handed a key. That's a lot of cash.

When it comes to paying electric bills, you have to go to the nearest Oxxo (like a 7-11) and pay there. You can’t pay by credit card or bank card, and Oxxo will charge you a handling fee for the pleasure of doing your business. You will also be asked a few questions by the clerk so be sure to have your google translate device handy.

Change

Do you have a smaller bill? ...Do you have exact change? If you live in Mexico you're probably used to hearing those questions. One of the things that makes us a bit weary is the fact that businesses, restaurants, convenience stores, and even taxi and bus drivers hardly ever have change when you go to pay, and they all ask us for exact change. So we have learned to horde small bills and loose change to the point that you’d think we have a problem.

We have a small bowl that we toss our change into when we come home and make sure we take some with us when we venture out again. It's such a great commodity to have a few small peso coins kicking around in our pockets that we get a bit anxious when we spend the last of it before we are done shopping. The obvious question is WHERE does all the change go and WHY doesn't anyone have any??... ?? So, as it turns out, most cashiers get interrupted by management several times per day to "cash-out" to balance their cash registers. This happens when you are standing in line waiting to buy groceries. So you just wait. The problem is that most of the cash is now taken from the register and you have to arrive with close to the right change for your purchase.

We can’t reiterate this enough to visitors coming to Mexico. Cling to your small bills and change like it’s the precious commodity it is, because there are so many places you need either exact change or close to exact change in order to make your purchase. And don't forget that it's best for bus trips to have exact change as they don't give any back, and in times of desperation you don't want to have to fork over $50 to $100 pesos for an $11 peso bus ride. For tipping toilet attendants and bag packers in the supermarket, you want to have a few pesos to hand out, which brings us to our next point…

Tipping

It’s common to tip roughly $20 to $30 pesos to your takeout food delivery driver, around $10 pesos to your bag packer in the supermarket, and 10% to 15% on sit down restaurant bills, whether you ate tacos or a fancy schmancy three course meal with mucho cervezas and tequila. We always tip taxi drivers about 10% of the fare, and maybe more if they help with your over-abundant grocery bags, and you really should give something to the ushers who show you to your seats at sports games or concerts.

For the Love of Limes

It's a pretty well known fact that limes are a big staple food here. You don't understand how big until you move here. And, they are delicious. Limes are in EVERYTHING. Mayonnaise has lime, salsa is made with lime, there's lime soup, lime goes on fruit, chips, peanuts, candy - you name it, it has lime. Limes are used to treat a variety of ailments as it helps to kill bacteria. Limes are also served with all types of meals like tacos, seafood, salads, and in cocktails. We enjoy four to five drops of freshly squeezed lime in our cervezas. Careful... make sure to count them.

Summer rains are sometimes hot and bring out the mosquitoes. We were told to put lime juice on bites to relieve the itching and calm the area. We thought that was weird, but it worked!

Antibiotics = Candy

If you get sick and visit a doctor while you are here, we provide the following heads-up as a gentle public service. Please don’t always take antibiotics if you find yourself on the unexpected receiving end of them in Mexico. A common cold will go away by itself. Doctors here have a knee jerk reaction to handing out antibiotics like candy to expats. There are times when you do need them so it's a bit of a crap shoot to decide when you really are sick enough to take them. Try not to run to the nearest pharmacy and pop them for every little thing as they stop doing their job properly during those times when you do need them.

Disclaimer: We're not doctors and you probably shouldn't take medical advice from retired bloggers on the internet, but keep the Mexican fascination with antibiotics in mind if you’re planning on moving here. If you do need them, we have found that generic brands are a lot cheaper. When you arrive you will find that you get almost anything pharmaceutical across the counter. Yes, almost anything... just ask for it by brand name or generic name and it pops right on the counter for you.

Police Presence

We are always surprised by the amount of police officers that are around the city and on major highways, literally anytime of the day or night. You will be too when you first come to Mexico. But now, some people (like us) see this police presence as a reassuring thing to help make us feel safe. We just smile at them when they drive by and hope that we will never need them to help us in a sticky situation. And we're not talking just normal uniformed police officers either. We're talking heavily armed officers and pick-up trucks full of dark khaki-wearing military types carrying automatic rifles.

We all know there are bad hombres everywhere you go in the world. And bad hombres who have business dealings where big money is at stake will usually try to stop their competitors from getting in their way. So they shoot each other. This happens in Canada too. So a word of caution - just don't buy or sell drugs.. I mean, duh?... But stupid people still do it, so it needs saying. With the tense drug situation as it is in Mexico at the moment, stop and consider whether it’s worth paying the price if you get caught... it’s not.

But then many people who live in small-town Mexico will tell you that sometimes police are involved in corruption, drugs and kidnapping cases, and they may be leery about their presence in their community such that they become disenchanted or skeptical about their dubious role. We have not seen or experienced that ourselves. A record 39.3 million foreign visitors came to Mexico last year, seemingly indicating that by and large international travelers are undeterred by the reports.

Even with the media blowing things out of proportion (...cartels shooting other cartels does not equal dead tourists, but that's what they print...), we feel very safe here and enjoy the beach and shopping daily and get out for fun night life. No problemo - just come and enjoy.

Pesos

Learn to say “PEH-sos” instead of “PAY-sews”. If you can, try to pronounce it correctly so you don't sound like too much of a newbie Gringo. Think of the way some folks from NYC say "meh" when they are not enthusiastic or are perhaps bored with something... it's the same sound ... meh / peh-so. ...And there is no "w" sound on the end.

Yes, there are some things to learn, and some things to ignore, if you come for a short visit or an extended stay. Some of this might seem just a bit depressing but it pays to learn new things sometimes. And, there are also many great and wonderful things about living in Mexico, otherwise there wouldn't be so many of us foreigners here!