May 1st is worker’s day in Mexico and tomorrow people are taking a well deserved day off. So, if you are retired in Mexico, just relax; banks are closed, schools are closed, you name it is closed–it’s quiet out there.

SEP (the public education system) is giving students an unheard of 5 day weekend starting tomorrow. Since Thursday the 1st and Monday the 5th are holidays, they are canceling classes on Friday and calling it FREEDOM! So if you are traveling, take it easy and expect lots of traffic and delays. The great thing is that it’s a perfect weekend to stay home and enjoy your new home. Expect parades and fun events in your zocalo.

Here are some photos of one of Mexico’s best treats. One of the benefits when you retire in Mexico–that you can’t get anywhere eslse are these delicious tacos served hot and fast, called tacos al pastor. The thin strips of pork are seasoned and mounted on a spit. A pineapple is placed at the top. The cooked meat is sliced off directly into the tortilla by the experienced taquero (man who makes tacos). Finally, he quickly snicks off a slice of warm pineapple and it flies down into the taco forming in his left hand.

Next, he puts finely chopped onion and cilantro onto the taco.

He has to sharpen his knife regularly to keep it sharp.
The tacos are served with a variety of salsas so that you can put your favorite one(s) on. Many people from outside of Mexico forget to squeeze on the fresh lemon juice. This is the most important step, so don’t fail to try it.

Then you fold up the taco and hold all that delicious stuff inside.

We were watching the parrots (these ones called loros) eating from the seedpods from our neighbor’s Guamuchil tree (also called a Pinzan, and who knows how many other names it has). They are such interesting birds, with real characters. When we have our own house in Mexico some day I want one of these trees because there are ALWAYS birds visiting it. People can eat these too, but it’s not the seeds you eat. It’s the white spongy stuff that surrounds the seeds. Here are some pictures. Please don’t copy and paste them without permission.

May 10th is Mother’s Day in Mexico and it’s a very special day in Mexican families. If you are living in Mexico and want to give your mom a special treat, start thinking of ideas now. Many people in Mexico sing their mom Las Mañanitas on Mother’s Day. If you don’t know the song yet you can start studying now.

If you wish to retire in Mexico you may ask, “Can you get your social security benefits in Mexico?” The answer to that question is “Yes.”

According to the the Social Security Online Electronic Booklet you have three different ways to receive your benefits in Mexico:

1. Have a check mailed to you in Mexico.

2. Receive a direct deposit into your account in Mexico.

3. Receive a direct deposit into your account in the U.S. (and use a cash card to access your money).

For more information you can read the booklet to learn more about your rights, residency requirements for some recipients, and other topics.

Personally, I recommend option three for the majority of people from the U.S. Option 1 involves depending on the Mexican mail system, and while it’s not that bad, it’s smart to use it for things you don’t depend on. I get 98% of my mail here in Mexico, but I received one letter about two years after it was sent! Obviously when you retire in Mexico, you wouldn’t want the thing that comes two years late to be your social security check. Option number 2 involves the slippery slopes of banks in Mexico with their often non-existent customer service and their frequently high/surprise charges involved in currency exchange, receiving transfers, scratching your nose, etc. Each bank is different in Mexico and sometimes it’s hard to know ahead of time what exactly you will encounter with a particular transaction at your particular bank. I created a section on banking in my book, Mexico: The Trick is Living Here, that includes tips on how to choose a bank in Mexico based on your particular needs. Having a bank account in Mexico is a smart idea and you can use that section to help you once you retire in Mexico, but again, when it comes to receiving your social security payments there is nothing like a cash card (and online banking through the internet) so you can work with a bank you are familiar with in the U.S. Cash machines are widely available throughout Mexico and are the best way to access cash.

Well, there you go, you can check that worry about retiring in Mexico off of your list. What else do you need to know about living in Mexico?

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If you are planning to retire in Mexico, but aren’t quite retired yet, you’ll be glad to know that we are seeing a steady improvement in efficiency. With the increased use of computers, and a new generation of younger people working in official positions, things are getting easier to do–at least here in Morelos. A conversation that I overheard between one of my neighbors and my husband this morning provided evidence of both the efficiency and the newness of it. Our neighbor had gone to get the new license plates required in Morelos (which I wrote about in a previous blog entry) and had taken the entire morning off of work just in case it took as long as he expected. My husband saw him with the plates in hand and confirmed with him that it hadn’t taken long. He happily reported that it had only taken 30 minutes to get the plates.

If 30 minutes doesn’t sound like a short trip to you, compare it to 4 hours or to two trips! You’re going to love it when you retire in Mexico.

When you are planning to retire in Mexico, it’s easy to forget that you will be living in territory patrolled by police with very different modus operandi than those in the U.S. and Canada. Earlier this year I wrote a blog about how difficult it is to drive in Mexico and I mentioned a variety of factors that make it so, including the police, who can and will stop you for any reason, then deliberately try to find something wrong, wheedling and threatening in hopes that you will get tired, scared, or be in enough of a rush to give them a bribe.

It’s a topic that I’ve avoided giving specific advice on for those who are retired in Mexico because it’s such a slippery slope and every situation is different. I haven’t been able to find any “magic bullets” that would work in all situations.

I think my husband finally did get it worked out. In short, you must have ALL of your paperwork in order for your vehicle.
“Yeah, yeah,” you say. “Of course I’ll have all my paperwork in order. I always do.” Well, let me tell you, when you retire in Mexico, it can be hard to know about all the paperwork you are supposed to have!

He has a small pick up and is therefore an obvious target for police — because they like to stop people carrying loads, because trucks drivers are likely to be missing some official document or other (more on this below), and because it’s not likely to be some mucky muck lawyer driving a pickup (my guess here). As a truck owner he is subject to more permits and requirements than are car owners. Trucks must have a paper proving they’ve had a recent safety check. The safety checks are supposed to verify the presence of a fire extinguisher, etc. in the truck, but, unfortunately, are rarely done correctly. Also, trucks, when carrying a load, should have a special permission for that particular load.

It seems crazy, but get this: when you live in Mexico you aren’t allowed to move YOUR stuff from one house to another without a special permission. So, when you retire in Mexico, let’s say you start out at a nice little apartment until you can build your dream home on a nearby view property. So your retirement mansion is finally completed, and you own a pick up truck. You want to drive your things from the apartment to your new house, making a trip a day, and taking your own sweet time to set up your new cozy place. Can you do this? NO! The police might see your couch sticking up in the bed of your truck and pull you over. They would ask you for this and that and that and that until they finally find something you don’t have and can start to wheedle for a bribe. Obviously, the average Joe from the U.S. and Canada isn’t into paying bribes, and besides it’s CRAZY because it’s YOUR stuff and YOUR truck. So, you can go to the transportation (transito) office and get a permission to move your stuff, called a menaje de casa (It’s the same name as when you got your permission to move your stuff to Mexico when you first retired here.). Just to make it a little harder, you can’t get the menaje de casa without a current safety check, so if you don’t have that, get that first.

You learn all sorts of things when you retire in Mexico. Who would have thought that there was such a thing? My husband found out about it when he went for his safety check and mentioned to the guy there that he was trying to keep the police from harrassing him. The guy told him about the menaje de casa, otherwise he would never have known.

Well having it really made our latest trip with a load a lot easier. We were stopped by the police twice in the State of Mexico! (Generally, you need to have your paperwork for out-of-state trips because the police pick on people who are outside of their comfort zones and who can’t really come back to pay a ticket later and are thus more likely to bribe). It was like being in the Twilight Zone. Police in the same area had been rude, pushy, threatening, etc. This time, they could find NOTHING wrong with my husband’s documents (he had the menaje de casa) and they were so nice, joking with him, and offering their support if he ever needed it.

In fact, the first police who stopped were really interested in his little half-sheet of paper giving him permission to move his own stuff. They asked him where he got it, how much it cost, etc. Then, they asked him to follow them to a copy store so that they could get a copy of his document so that they could show it to other motorists — all the better to bribe them with, says my husband. They managed to waste a good thirty minutes of our time, but at least they were nice.

Sheesh. What’s the moral of this story? Don’t retire in Mexico without a Mexican spouse!

Well, here we are, well into April and it seems like it’s been 90 in my house for months, though it’s only been weeks. We beat the heat at night by placing a fan near an open window and directing the cooler air inside. I often find myself tossing and turning and have to get out of bed and lay on the cool tile floor with a pillow under my head and a light blanket over the top of me. The tiles feel so good because they pull the heat right out of me, especially my feet. Then I soon drift off to sleep. Later, in the wee hours of the morning I wake up with some body part tingling and sore from laying on the hard tiles and drag my stiffened self, my pillow, and my blanket into bed. Last night I just skipped the lying awake step and laid down on the floor in the first place and drifted right off to sleep. Now doesn’t THAT make you want to retire in Mexico? Just kidding. Unlike me, you will be able to afford a house with a cement roof, that can be painted white. You also might be able to plant some trees to grow up and shade your house to keep it cool. I’m just here to tell you that you’ll want to plan how to keep cool during March, April, May, and June.

Early this morning, we in Mexico joined the rest of north America in daylight savings time. Mexico springs ahead today, Sunday the 6th of April.

First Published on Mexico Connect March 1, 2008

Family Fun is the Heart of Parque Aquatico Oaxtepec near Cuernavaca, Morelos

By Julia Taylor © Julia Taylor 2008

As soon as you walk in the gates of PAO (Parque Aquatico Oaxtepec) you know that everyone in your family is going to have fun. Right in front of the entrance is a sparkling pool with child-accessible water slides under towering palm trees surrounded by an impeccable lawn. All the paths are swept and, if you were to take your shoes off right there, you could comfortably go barefoot all day. But don’t take your shoes off quite yet. The park extends 24 hectares (59 acres or almost 78 American football fields with the end zones included) and is divided into three different sections. You have a lot of exploring to do!

The Bugambilia Zone

The first section, called the Bugambilia Zone has two shallow pools for young children, equipped with water slides that are just right for children of elementary school age. One of the pools even has water sprayers that the little ones love to play with for hours, redirecting the water with their hands and tummies. There is also a deeper lap-pool, a chest-deep whirlpool that carries swimmers in lazy circles, a curlicue water slide falling into its own pool, an Olympic high dive, and two ankle-deep wading pools with fountains that move and fall in cascades that are fun to touch and explore. There are a number of covered picnic areas with tables, grills, and tile covered preparation areas. These are clearly numbered and are available for the additional cost of 50 pesos, payable at the front gate.

The Orange Zone

Young children, older children, teens and adults will all like the orange zone. The pools and water slides are clustered so that swimmers of all ages and skill levels can find enjoyment within sight of any shady spot that their family might stake out in the surrounding impeccable grassy areas. One of the pools is shin deep with an arch from which falls a curtain of water that children can turn on and off by rotating a wheel, as well as a set of large cones that fill up and spill randomly. There are also two different pools with floating pads that are connected to the bottom of the pool. Overhead bars are mounted above these pads for people to hold as they cross the water without falling in. Of course falling in is accompanied by splashing, and peals of laughter. The author’s favorite water slide was in this area, too, with a fast corkscrew that dumps you out energized and ready to run back up the stairs for another trip.

The Blue Zone

The Blue Zone is the most exciting. Arriving, you see water falls pouring down on bathers floating on yellow inner tubes. There are a variety of places where you can access this slow-flowing river by simply walking down some stairs built into its bank and climbing onto one of the many inner tubes as they go by. The river is shaded and surrounded by trees and plants creating a very relaxed feel. For excitement, on the straight stretches the inner tubes are perfect for kicking, splashing races. Crossing a bridge over the river you see an extensive wave pool creating huge waves that will lift you right off your feet with shaded lounge chairs lining the beach. For younger people there is a large colorful play structure in a wading pool with slides, wheels and bridges. Further along the trail there is a long, tummy slide that you go down on a sled-like mat. The wind whistled in the author’s earrings as she zipped down that one. Next to this are two steep slides that are almost free-falls, but the author recommends avoiding these because people exiting had huge, red patches on their backs. The blue zone also has two very large water slides with multiple loop-the-loops.

Overall Park Experience

The entire park has plenty of trees providing shaded areas on the grass surrounding the pools. In Oaxtepec, you don’t have to worry if the weather will be warm enough. The average temperature is 27 degrees Celsius (over 80 Fahrenheit). The author and her family visited on a Sunday in January and there were no lines to any of the water slides. Sundays are typically busy days at parks in Mexico, though the slightly cooler days in January might have reduced the number of visitors that day.

There are restrooms, snack bars, and souvenir shops selling water toys in each of the three areas of the park. Some areas have piped in non-intrusive music that adds to the feeling of relaxation. Visitors are allowed to bring in food, water, portable barbecues, and other things to make a picnic lunch (as long as they bring it all in with them the first time they enter). To protect the feet of bathers, no glass containers are allowed and there is no garbage in sight.

Small lockers are available to store your valuables all day for 15 pesos. The dressing areas provide limited privacy since they are large rooms with benches along the walls. The shower area is visually separated from the changing area, but doesn’t provide privacy among those showering simultaneously. The restroom area adjoins the changing area, but there are few stalls. At 5:00 p.m., the pools close and the bathrooms are suddenly very busy. Since the dressing areas don’t provide privacy, many people were changing in the toilette stalls, causing quite a wait.

Safety at PAO

The stairs leading up to all of the slides have handrails and are made of comfortable, non-slip plastic. Rubberized non-slip matting covers most of the pools. The cement walkways are level and not too rough for tender bare feet. There are ample personnel and life guards stationed throughout the park, particularly at the entrances and exits of water slides. The exit pools are dedicated to the slides. Park personnel at the top of the slides maintain strict control; no one can enter the top of a slide until the person before them is in the water and moving toward the ladder to exit the pool. The author didn’t notice any wiring or outlets where little children might touch it, nor any major tripping hazards on the ground.

Getting to Parque Acquatico Oaxtepec and Entrance Fees

PAO and another water park, called the Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec*, share an entrance in the town of Oaxtepec marked with huge stone arches. If you drive to Oaxtepec, head in the direction of Cuautla and, before you get there, follow signs to the town of Oaxtepec. Parking costs 24 pesos.

The Pullman bus line provides service to the town of Oaxtepec from the Cuernavaca Centro and Mexico City Taxqueña bus stations. The station in Oaxtepec is very close to the entrance to the park. Additionally, there are reduced price all-inclusive tours that provide transportation from various points in Mexico City. For more information visit the website. Some promotions aren’t listed on the site, so it may be necessary to call the staff at the park to find out more. Park fees (as of February 2008) are 135 pesos for adults and 65 pesos for children under 1.20 meters tall. There is also an option for an all-you-can-eat buffet that can be purchased at the restaurant for an additional 100 pesos for adults and 70 pesos for children or at the park entrance as a package that includes both entrance fee and buffet for 205 pesos for adults and 135 for children.

Between the hours of 11:00 and 4:30, the buffet is the only meal served in the restaurants. While the buffet seemed of good quality it may not be right for everyone. The only other foods available inside the park were hamburgers (35 pesos), French fries (22 pesos), and Foster Farms corndogs (20 pesos). A package deal of burger, fries, and pop was 65 pesos. The reader should choose their preferred meal option ahead of time, since no one is allowed to leave and re-enter with food.

Following is PAO’s weekly schedule (entrance fees are the same throughout the week):

• Saturday, Sunday, and Mexican holidays – all three zones open
• Monday – closed
• Tuesday and Wednesday – Bugambilia Zone open
• Thursday and Friday – Orange Zone open

Sneak a peak at the park on flashearth

Oaxtepec – Home of One of the World’s First Botanical Gardens

According to the National Commission of Protected Areas, the Mexica emperors preserved natural areas throughout their lands. The concept of the preserves was similar to that of today’s botanical gardens and in fact was begun centuries earlier than in Europe. The Mexicas limited hunting and gathering of resources within their gardens and even conquered a place in Oaxaca to get a sacred tree that grew in that area. One of these preserves was located in what is now Oaxtepec, Morelos in the area of the current Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec. When the Spanish arrived, the garden in Oaxtepec was under the control of Moctezuma Xocoyótzin and had been functioning as a protected area for more than 75 years. In 1522, Hernán Cortés wrote that the garden was “the best, most beautiful and fresh ever seen.” He continued to say, that “there are pools, and very fresh gardens, and infinite numbers of diverse fruit trees, and many herbs and aromatic flowers.” A phone call to someone at the Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec seems to confirm that the springs and possibly the oldest trees are the only things left of Moctezuma’s original preserve.

*The neighboring, Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec has rustic pools, a convention center, a camping area, hotel, cabins and houses that can be rented for larger groups. Guests at these facilities are entitled to a 50% discount on their entrance fees to PAO. To learn more about this area see the web site (in Spanish) or send an e-mail.

Source (quotes translated by the author of the article)

De la Maza Elvira, Roberto and Javier de la Maza Elvira. Comisionado Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (National Commission of Protected Natural Areas). “Historia de las Áreas Naturales Protegidas de México” (History of the Natural Protected Areas of Mexico). Accessed February 9, 2008.