Mexico Musing

Exploring Remote Baja: Cave Paintings and Old California Culture

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:21:00 +0000

There is a treasure trove of cultural history hidden in Baja's Sierra San Francisco: isolated ranches, a thriving cowboy lifestyle, and centuries-old rock art sites with extraordinary paintings of animals.

Exploring Remote Baja: Cave Paintings and Old California Culture
9/2/2008 7:00 PM

Tonight, Baja resident Trudi Angell, mule packer and founder of Paddling South?outfitter for REI Adventures, will introduce you to Baja?s rich cowboy culture with a screening of the documentary film she co-produced last year, Corazón Vaquero (The Heart of the Cowboy). Following the film, she?ll share slides and information on hiking/riding pack animals into Baja?s remote canyons to visit the remarkable cave paintings of Cueva El Palmarito, Cueva Pintada and Cueva de Las Flechas.

* Location:REI Concord, CA
* Contact:REI Concord Customer Service at 925-825-9400
* Cost: Free

Also check out The Cave Paintings of Baja

A Mexican Exotic - El Mastretta MXT

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:20:00 +0000

This aggressive looking coupe debuted at the Mexico City Auto Show in December. Mastretta Design has produced Mexico's first home-grown sports car with deeply sculpted, energetic stance. Mastretta is involved with all sorts design and manufacturing, ranging from bottles to buses and had produced a VW Bettle based sports kit-car called the MXB. This latest model is dubbed the MXT (for Mastretta MeXico Transverse). Like expensive exotic cars from Europe the body structure is bonded aluminum and the power train is a transversely mounted 2.3 liter Ford Duratec unit making 200 HP. First year production is targeted at 150 units per year with the first units going on sale in the UK shortly at a rumored list price of £32,999.
Exports to the US are planned, with a price of $55,000. Mexican pricing looks to be around $500,000 pesos.

Mexico's Best Zocalo?

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Sat, 31 May 2008 14:14:00 +0000

The Zocalo (or zócalo, a town plaza) is a central (and crucial) feature of every town and city in Mexico. It is literally where it's happening - the focal point for both organized and casual social activity. Most Mexicans take great pride in their zocalo, and it is often the best kept area of town. Warm evenings will find vendors of every sort, clusters of young adults flirting and strutting, venerated Dons and Donas holding court at their exclusive benches, small children racing around

Every town's zacalo is characterized by its own distinctive meeting area - and of course, large cities will have numerous plazas, many of which might have a unique architectural aspect or singularly beautiful garden (jardin). The focal point might be a bandstand (as in Oaxaca) or a fountain (like Puebla), it might be in the layout of the paths crisscrossing the square, perhaps interspersed with trees, or it might be a vast open space dominated by the imposing edifices that surround the perimeter (as in Mexico City's main plaza, the Plaza de la Constitucion).

So where in Mexico exist the best zocalos? As is most of the cases beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and arguments can be made for numerous stellar candidates among the hundreds that might be put forth. Perhaps the most famous is Mexico City's, because of it's immense size, it's location (on the spot where Cortes met Montezuma for the first time).

Arguably the most beautiful is Patzcuaro's Plaza Vasco de Quiroga - a Mexican colonial classic, surrounded by period buildings and filled with trees. Often, it's just a small mountain town's humble offering, set against the fog enshrouded backdrop of the surrounding Sierra Madre Mountains, such as the little puebla of San Sebastian de Oeste, in the mountains of Jalisco east of Puerto Vallarta. Founded in 1605, San Sebastian was once mining centers of Mexico, the gold and silver giving this one time provincial capital a population of nearly 40,000 people it's now virtually deserted with only 600 or so people living there now, but with the opening of the highway between PV and the lovely inland valley town of Mascota (whose plaza is pictured at the top, and is also enjoying a tourism boost from the highway - it is gaining some notice as an eco-tourism destination) San Sebastian de Oeste is now back on the map as a tourist destination.

Another interesting zocalo can be found in the mountain town Tapalpa. While it's not particularly intimate area, it has an interesting, multi-level layout, an imposing church, is surrounded by interesting stores and restaurants and quaint calles that provide delightful walking opportunities for the small town exploration that make destinations such as Tapalpa so rewarding.

Evenings can provide the most satisfying people watching, culture absorbing zocalo experience - especially during festivals (which can last for a week for the town's patron saint). Carnival attractions, numerous band competitions, nightly (and even early morning) fireworks are all part of the mix, such as this lively scene from the Lake Chapala town ofAjijic attests.

A Useful Resource for Travel in Mexcio

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Sat, 03 May 2008 16:18:00 +0000

I recently came across another site of interest to anyone wishing to explore Mexico. Mexico Vacation Travel has frequent posts about various travel destinations in Mexico, most recently about Monterrey - evidently Monterrey is considered one of the safer Mexican cities and has attracted many high-tech industries. I had no idea it had over three and half million residents! Additionally, you'll find some interesting pages dedicated to more often topics such lagoons, ruins, diving, colonial cities, and budget travel.

This site also has a bevy of interesting travel links for Mexico that are worth checking out...and speaking of links and resources, Explore Retire Mexico has recently added a Links and Resources about Mexico page.

Learning Spanish

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Sat, 03 May 2008 00:47:00 +0000

Recently I resumed taking an evening class in Spanish at our local JC, the College of Marin. Previous classes, while in the community education system, used a serious college textbook (Como se Dice - very expensive @ over $150) and had an emphasis on learning grammar.

What a pleasant surprise this semester to find an instructor that took the course description to heart and actually was teaching conversational Spanish. No textbook - 90% speaking with handouts for homework exercise that form the basis of the next week's conversation. Two months into the class I'm already comfortable enough to converse in Spanish with little or no stammering. I making intelligent conversation. Asking questions. My recent trip to Cabo, while very resort oriented and not conducive to connecting much with an authentic Mexican experience, still afforded me many opportunities interact and speak Spanish. It sure opens doors to a friendly interchange - every Mexican I spoke with seemed to appreciate my efforts to converse.

So I owe a bit of thanks to my instructor, Patricio Tapia, and I'm now motivated enough to take an additional private classes from him through his "Spanish in Marin" program in San Rafael, CA.

Esperanza - A Perfect 10 Resort

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:53:00 +0000

Far be it for me to claim to be a connoisseur (or even a frequent visitor) of high-end resorts, but I have had the pleasure of staying in many 5-star hotels and resorts in the past 20 years (an awesome perk when your wife works as a consultant to such hotels as Four Seasons, Ritz-Cartlton, and the like). So for whatever that's worth, I feel confident in declaring Los Cabos' Esperanza Resort a perfect 10.

As they say in the real estate biz, it's all about location, location, and location - Esperanza occupies some of the choicest real estate in Baja California Sur's Corridor, the 20 mile stretch of divided highway between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas (ergo Los Cabos). Set above the ocean, with stunning views of the rocks and arches at land's and occupying some 40 plus acres, Esperanza is divided into two distinct but visually integrated areas: the hotel proper with 56 rooms to the east and 60 fractionally owned one to four bedroom residences grouped in 12 buildings around three sublime swimming pools that climb in succession up the gentle slope from the cliff side playa.

Perhaps it's the hotel's incredibly well situated infinity pool, offering the lounging guest a tranquilizing and mesmerizing view over the edge of a sometimes seething azul and white surf that makes Esperanza so special.

It also could be the absolutely perfect architecture and landscaping - really nothing is out of place or over the top - it's tasteful and attractive.

But it really can be defined by the exceptional service one receives as a guest there, although this probably is an expectation that you have if you know that Esperanza is an Auberge run resort. No matter beautiful a place is, if the staff is surly (Kona, HI anyone?) it will surly spoil the experience.

The Delightful Mountain Town of Tapalpa

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 04:07:00 +0000

Old brick arcades line the sidewalk of Tapalpa, a small alpine town in the sierra of west central Mexico. Surrounded by pine forests, lakes and streams, Tapalpa beguiles the traveler with its peaceful landscape, quiet pace of life and tradition of colorful arts and crafts.

Nestled in the hills atop a plateau, Tapalpa is a town of some 16,000 inhabitants sitting high at 1950 meters (6350 feet). A gorgeous two and a half hour drive, 81 mile (130 kilometer), southwest from Guadalajara. When Guadalajara heats up in the late spring, the tapatío (as Guadalajarans are known colloquially) flock to the fresh water and air of this beautiful and restful village. The pueblo’s name is derived from náhuatl word, 'Tlapalpan', which translates as “Land of Colors” and is know locally as by the same appellation in Spanish, Lugar de Tierra de Color. The ascent up the twisty road to the sierra de Tapalpa from the San Marcos valley is quite dramatic; a glance back at the impressive view is best left for the return trip, as this road requires all the driving attention you can muster.

Once there, park where you can, and take to the streets, as Tapalpa is for walking. Stroll along the quiet cobblestone calles, poke your head into numerous small tiendas offering local crafts, take in one of the impressive churches (such as the Templo San Antonio at the right), sample the delightful wares, the wide variety of fruits, nuts and vegetables and tempting aromas of the luscious dishes being served up by the vendors off the jardin principal, that surround the main zacalo (plaza)

We had a fabulous lunch in a delightful courtyard at a nearby restaurant called Girasol (sunflower) that features one of the mouthwatering local specialties, tamales de acelgas, stuffed with swiss chard.

Surrounding Tapalpa are other attractions that will engage the adventurous hiker. In a small village known as 'La Barranca De Refugio’, about six miles (ten kilometers) from the plaza you’ll find an impressive waterfall called El Salto de Nogal that plunges 341 feet (105 meters). Nearby the are the crumbling ruins of the 'Taberna' or saloon, where a mezcal named "Barranda' was produced until the late 1940s. Local guides are available in nearby La Barranca that can assist you in visiting the waterfall.

Four and half miles (seven kilometers-the first being the worst, rut wise) northwest of the town from town is the Valley of the Enigmas, where you’ll find the enormous Piedrotes, an unusual outcropping of volcanic rock. Also nearby are the ruins of the Tula ironworks, destroyed in the revolution of 1917. Numerous hiking trails crisscross the local hills and circle the small lakes located nearby.

Tapalpa is definitely worth a full day trip, more like two or three if you really want to savor this Mexican masterpiece of colonial charm and endurance

Mexican Volanco Popocatepetl Erupting

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:58:00 +0000

Earthweek reports that Popocatepetl, Mexico's 2nd tallest volcano @ 17,634 ft. (5426 meters), has erupted, spewing ash across neighboring villages. Popo is one of Mexico's most active volcanoes, last erupting in 1994 and having done so 15 previous times since the Spanish conquest in the 1519. It's located 45 miles (70 km) southeast of Mexico City, and 30 miles (45 km) southwest of Puebla.

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All of central Mexico teems with Volcanic activity, and I had an opportunity to view the effects on a recently trip to Michoacán, where I visited the village of San Juan Parangaricutiro, almost completely buried by the young Volcán de Parícutin that rose out of a Tarascan farmer's cornfield in 1943. It was eerie to hike across the craggy lava field to visit all that remains of the village, the church spires rising out of the once molten rock.
As I researched for more information about Popocatepetl I punched Mexico Volcano into Yahoo!. Not surprisingly, ads appeared on the right hand column, and how well remembered your thoughtful gift of a Mexican Volcano will be - just like VD, a "Give the Gift that Keeps on Giving".

This underscores the pitfall of blind keyword insertion (not that the search engines mind:$$$) It seems we have more and more inexperienced marketeers (mouseketeers, perhaps?) that have no grasp of using negative (exclude) keywords to forestall gaffes such as these. Even the National Geographic Ad, which did lead to an article on volcanoes, did not deliver on most of the ad's promise: the article provided a few facts and one photo, but no volcano "news, wallpapers, videos and safety tips" were to be found.

Driving in Mexico - Siempre Mas Rapido

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:58:00 +0000

Getting behind the wheel in Mexico is definitely an adventure, and while not for the feint of heart, is really one of the better ways to really explore and discover rural Mexico.
That said, driving isn't essential to see the real Mexico, as this is a country with the largest (and one of the most efficient) bus systems in the world, and a bus will get you to the remotest parts of Chiapas or Baja - but it can take a while.

The cost of driving in Mexico can actually be relatively cheap - gas prices are not subject to onerous taxation (there is only one supplier, the government owned Pemex) and the price is currently about $2.35 a gallon, car rentals can be relatively cheap (recently I rented a Dodge Attitude @ the airport in Guadalajara for $85 a week) and if you avoid the autopista (toll roads) the highways are free, albeit two-lane, clogged with trucks and pot-holed. The biggest headache is driving through any sort of town or semi-populated area and encountering the ubiquitous "topes" or speed bumps. If you're lucky they're marked with a sign, but usually there is no warning, except maybe the car in front bouncing in the air. These things are lethal, break an axle, certifiable road hazards. Occaisonally, there is a warning sign saying "reductor de velicidad" so for gringos tourists who may be all eyes on the sights it's essential to learn to watch for them. Another warning sign is the collection of roadside vendors that cluster about them, hoping that the slowdown will give you an opportunity to consider their wares.

On Lake Chapala

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 13:14:00 +0000

Lake Chapala is Mexico's largest freshwater lake, 50 miles (80km) in width and a surface area about twice that of California's Lake Tahoe. Fed and drained by Mexico's longest river (called the Rio Lerma coming in, Rio Santiago on the way out), it is very shallow and is ecologically challenged in many ways. As you can see in the photo on the right, water hyacinths are a huge problem, choking the windward shoreline in many areas, agricultural run-off and the water demands of nearby Guadalajara are stressing it even further.

Despite whatever stress it may be under Lago Chapala is extremely beautiful and yesterday saw us take a boat trip in a hired panga to Isla de los Alacranes (Scorpian Island), one of two islands on the lake (the other, Isla Mezcala, is about an hour by boat from Chapala, and is of interest for the Battle of Mezcala in 1812-16 during Mexico's war of independence). Fifteen minutes over to the island found us marvelling at the incredible views back towards the Sierras El Travesano, El Vigas and El Mandrono mountains that front the northwest shoreline behind the Chapala Riveria. The island itself is occupied by three or four small restaurants and numerous small huts used by local fishermen and we walked the length of it in a half hour. We found the island charming but typically littered with trash, an unfortunate aspect of Mexico that is still in evidence everywhere (although improving glacially in some areas).

The ride back was equally pleasant with numerous bird sightings of fishing egrets and alcatrazes (white pelicans) and we followed with a delicious lunch of red snapper ala veracruz and brochetta sierra y mar on the expansive veranda of the resturant Los Cazadores in the historic Braniff (of aviation fame) mansion facing the lakeshore on Paseo Ramon Carona.

Thanksgiving in Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 13:22:00 +0000

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, the first I've ever spent spent away from a family gathering. How come it took so long? My wife asked if this might be the most memorable one we've ever spent - without a doubt it is. The highlight was getting fresh frambuesas (raspberries) directly from the farms near Jocotapec, the western most town along the Lake Chapala shore. From across the lake in Ajijic you can see the shimmering reflection of the white plastic toldos (sunshades) that cover the rows of berries. Pick a farm, drive up a dirt road and look for a sorting hut between the rows. You need to bring your own pail, and hopefully they've got extra berries to sell you. What the sorters do is set aside the ripe berries as they pack the unripe ones for export to the US; the best berries are the rejects.

It took us two tries to find a hut that had any, beating out a couple of other cars with norte americano plates. We picked up a half gallon of the freshest, most delicious berries imaginable, for forty pesos (less than 4 dollars) - about the price you pay for small plastic tray at the supermarket at home.

As Ajijic and Lake Chapala are the winter home to numerous gringos and many of the local restaurants run by expats offer a Thanksgiving feast - we booked a 7 PM seating at Pedro's Gourmet on Calle Ocampo. An absolutely gorgeous day yielded buen tiempos for the evening as we sat outside sipping our limonade and tamarind margarita. We soon enjoyed a sumptuous buffet that included scallion souffle, gorgonzola cheese mashed potatos and as tender a pavo (turkey) as I've ever had. Pedro's grew up in Canada, parents of a Toronto oil executive and a Mexican mother (his father's translator). His madre, determined to bassimulate, learned to cook a Canadian Thanksgiving, and last night's menu was redux of the recipes she had mastered.

Greetings from Ajijic, Jalisco

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:02:00 +0000

This post finds me enjoying a beautiful day in sunny Ajijic, on the shores of Lake Chapala. A town of about 15,000, it's population swells during the winter season as migratory snowbirds from all over North America come to spend winter here basking in the winter sun, grooving on the mild climate and taking advantage of the (relatively) inexpensive cost of living that can be found here.

We're staying in the Jewel House, one of two casas owned by Leo and Sheila Gutman. A pleasant 2 bedroom abode, well appointed and within walking distance of town, CasaGutman is one of many rentals catering to wintering norte americanos.

While we aren't here for the entire winter (yet) we are spending a week here and finding out what the pace of life in a small Mexican town is like, interacting with Ajijic residents, both native and expat, to find out about the quality of life here. So far, so good. Early morning found us hiking for the second day high above the town, this time beyond the little chapel that the locals trek up to on Easter week. Thick cloud cover made for a dramatic red sunrise and obscured our views across Mexico's largest lake, but still rendered an awesome vista that was very surreal . The trail up is steep after the 12 shrines one encounters on the way up to the chapel, but the scenery is dramatic, the mountains rise sharply behind Ajijic and Chapala.

Later that morning, after a delicious breakfast of fresh bodillos from the panaderia (bakery) around the corner, we trekked down to the Ajijic village street market, held every Wednesday and stocked our cocina (kitchen) with plenty of fresh fruit and veggies, and numerous varieties of queso (cheese). I'm thinking that there is an entire web page for the site on Mexican cheese in the not so distant future. We also picked up some green tortillas that were 1/4 corn and 3/4 cactus - we made open faced quesadillas smothered in fresh tomatillo salsa.

Our afternoon was spent getting fabulous massages at a spa in town for 250 pesos each (less than $25US). We followed with a beautiful sunset stroll along the Chapala Riberia waterfront park between San Antonio Tlayacapan and the town of Lake Chapala. Life is muy bueno in Mexico right now.

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Home Ownership for Expats in Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 23:58:00 +0000

A recent series of articles by San Francisco Chronicle busines section columnist Kathleen Pender has highlighted overseas real estate ownership by Americans. This past Sunday she presented two additional articles specifically about buying real estate and living in Mexico.

She cites Mexico and Central America as being attractive for American buyers, because of their relative closeness and that real estate is relatively inexpensive (the relative is conditional, however, because if you currently live in Michigan and are thinking of buying in San Miguel de Allende you might pay more for something comparable in size - thankfully there is no comparing the climate).

In one of the articles, Tales of buying property south of the border, Pender has two Americans discussing their experience buying property in Mexico, one man bought coastal property in Baja with the other couple purchasing in San Miguel de Allende. Both stories were positive, the common theme being the difficulties encountered, paritcularly navigating Mexican laws and customs.

We'll discuss her other article in a future post.

Our Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 04:21:00 +0000

You'd think that after 12 years of working on websites nearly 24/7 one might get a bit sick of it all...but no way, Jose. Everyday there's some new site to be found, some interesting thing that can suck you int to a topic or place that you may have never heard of or always wanted to check out.

So today, I discovered another web site with a fair degree of similarity in purpose and creation that this one has (although it predates explore-retire-mexico.com by more than a few years). It's called Our Mexico and I'll be exploring the site a bit more in the upcoming weeks - after I return from a week in Ajijic, on the shores of Lake Chapala, a little burg of 15K that has become an expat haven for norte americanos. I visited Ajijic briefly at about this same time last year and definitely found it deserved a repeat visit, albeit one of longer duration. We'll report on it's charms in the next few days.

The Ultimate Guide to Living, Working, Traveling, and Retiring in Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 16:04:00 +0000

This past Wednesday my wife and I attended a 3 hour seminar at our local JC, the College of Marin, entitled "The Ultimate Guide to Living, Working, Traveling, and Retiring in Mexico" given by Paul Heller, author, world traveler and web journalist and founder of the "Big Blue Marble" website.

Despite the rather large scope of the seminar's title, on the whole it was a very informative presentation, not prone to hyperbole about any aspect of the Mexican expat experience. Paul gave a really broad overview, focusing first on the benefits and pitfalls, and thankfully saving logistic info like real estate prices for last.

I felt that one insight that made it particularly worthwhile was that Paul really got the audience to consider the "why" of making Mexico a retirement destination decision. He related both his and other expat experiences - that moving to/retiring in Mexico is not really about cost, per se, although on the surface that might be a most people's primary consideration for taking the plunge. It really is about personal growth - what happens to you when you transport yourself into a situation, circumstance, an existence that may be out of your comfort zone, but allows you to examine and shed those things that may be stifling your own development as a being (and world citizen).

Anyway, I'll muse more on these and other topics that Paul brought to discussion as I plow through his extensive hand out booklets and reading list. Check out his website and seminar page to see if he's coming to your community anytime soon - it's definitely worthwhile if you're considering Mexican retirement.

Follow the Reader

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 03:22:00 +0000

As a San Francisco Bay Area resident and a longtime reader of the SF Chronicle, I'm a regular reader of their Sunday travel section - and I was do a quick scan of a feature they've had for years called "Follow the Reader". I've frequently found gems within that interested me, and few that I even motivated me to go/book/act/travel/stay. An Agriturismo in Umbria, great condo in Yosemite, a beach house in Sayalita Mexico, and more.

This past Sunday, I spied one that I'll bookmark for a future trip to the Yucatan Peninsula - Michael Guenza of San Francisco shared his experiences in the of Valladolid and in particular the Hotel Zaci (which means white hawk in Mayan). With rates in the 250 to 350 peso range, it's muy económico. Valladolid is almost in the center of the region, at the intersection of Mexico Highways 295 & 180, halfway between Merida and Cancun and well situated for exploration of Mayan ruins such as Chichen Itza and Tulum.

Fluency is on the Horizon

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:11:00 +0000

It's been three years since I my first Spanish class and I am making progress. Sometimes it's hard to tell - there have been plenty of times in class that I have experienced complete brain freeze, it doesn't help that classes are in the evening after 8 plus hours at work and a fairly long commute.

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area does help - there are numerous opportunities to speak Spanish if I make the effort and I find that native speakers are pleasantly surprised when I blurt out "Que tenga un buen dia" after buying strawberries at the farmer's market.

I also find that just listening or reading for 10 to 20 minutes day helps keep me connected with the process and builds vocabulary. I usually visit the about.com Spanish guide a couple times a month. A great learning tool that can be accessed anytime, anywhere - from my laptop at a boring work meeting, por exemplo.

I aspire to at least two weeks in Mexico at an immersion school - living with an local family and being forced to do all my communication in Spanish should push me to the next level - to start thinking in Spanish. I've actually found myself dreaming in Spanish on more than a couple of occasions, and I realize that often when I over hear conversations that I've understood some or most of it without actual makingthe mental translation. I know what the words mean. Quite satisfying.

Another Post from Down Under

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Sat, 12 May 2007 04:51:00 +0000

My recent trip to San Jose del Cabo revealed yet another aspect of globalization, the destabilization of the local economy. We went out to dinner one night at a fairly upscale establishment with a reputation for haute local cuisine and an excellent Tequila selection. Both were in ample evidence, and we had a fine meal, and I had what might have been the two best Margaritas I've ever consumed, but the bill came to $124 US, no appetizers and a $14 bottle of Perrier. Whoa, this ain't the Mexico I remember.

But, the locals aren't eating here, and the prices across town at the local Pollo Loco are still "mui bueno". And the new Home Depot and Costco have more Mexican customers than gringos, so who's to say exactly if the boom is detrimental.

Mexican Muse #1

noreply@blogger.com (Chasmo) — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 16:30:00 +0000

My reasons for launching Explore and Retire in Mexico are really as basic as the site name. It's a country I've visited numerous times since the early seventies, and with each visit I've found both the country and the people more inviting. So much so that I'm considering the possibility of living there in the near future. More on this later as this is the initial post to launch the blog aspects of the site.