Every year, more and more people choose to spend their retirement years in Mexico. Some only live for a month or two south of the border while others pull up stakes in the USA and make the move permanent.

Why choose Mexico? Why not just stay in the old hometown where everything is familiar?

Retirees choose Mexico as a place to live for several reasons.

Some want a new challenge in their lives after years of the daily grind. Learning a new language, experiencing a new culture, and meeting new people keep the mind active and give you a new perspective on life.

Many want a break from harsh winters or blistering summers so they spend a few months in Mexico and the rest of the year in the States. Mexico provides a wide variety of climates so everyone can find the perfect locale to match his wishes. If you want to escape cold, snow, and ice during the winter, Mexico’s beaches await your pleasure. If you want to leave hot, humid summers behind, Mexico’s mountains provide a cool respite.

Yet others choose to spend time in Mexico for financial reasons. With the skyrocketing cost of living in the USA, many retirees discover their Social Security benefits, pensions, and investment incomes (if they are fortunate to have them) cannot support them in the States. More and more retirees find they have to work, at least part time, after they “retire” to meet expenses. This prompts many to look for a less costly place to live.

Almost everything in Mexico is less expensive than in the USA. Unless you want to live in a pricey resort area (and even there, you can find bargains) or only buy imported products, you will see your retirement funds stretching much further in Mexico. Some people find it is possible to live on 25-50% less than the amount they need in the USA.

Finally, some retirees dream of living in a foreign country but don’t want to be too far away from friends and family in the States. What better place is there than Mexico? International airports abound in Mexico so you can return home in just a few hours. Many retirees find they see their friends and family more often after they move to Mexico because their new, exotic location is a desirable vacation spot.

If you want a new life after retirement; a life that is affordable, interesting, and fun; why not give Mexico a try?

There’s something about the Pant’on de Bel’n cemetery in Guadalajara, Mexico that simply takes your breath away. This old graveyard turned museum is a unique attraction and comes with a few old legends and folk tales that have drawn in curious residents and tourists to see if they could actually be true.

The Bel’n cemetery was built in 1848 by brilliant architect Manual Gomez Ibarra who also undertook the rebuilding of the Guadalajara Cathedral towers after the originals were destroyed in a massive earthquake in 1985. The Pant’on de Bel’n served as the cemetery for the Old Civil Hospital which to this day still remains (reconstructed of course) and sits right next to the Pant’on de Bel’n.

Even well after the cemetery closed in 1896, this beautiful landmark is a sight to behold and is truly a magnificent work of art. Upon entering, you’ll be amazed to find a long mausoleum wall on either side of the main entrance. The 100 mausoleum arches which decorate the corridors are painted in a bright and cheerful orange color. They are a welcoming contrast to the somber surroundings and only add to the beauty of the grey and weathered tombs that adorn the cemetery grounds.

The original layout of the cemetery consisted of 2 sections known as ‘patios’, a section for the rich which still remains today and a section for the poor. Unfortunately, the second section for the poor was demolished in 1967, supposedly due to unrecognizable grave markers. The Specialty Tower for the Old Civil Hospital now stands where the second patio used to be.

While walking through the peaceful grounds, the tour guide will recant the rich history of the Pant’on de Bel’n. They will tell you of the great legends that have made Bel’n cemetery quite famous throughout the state of Jalisco and all of Mexico for that matter. (Tours in English are available for larger groups if scheduled ahead of time.)

The legends included are those like the Legend of the Vampire or El Vampiro, who stalked the citizens of Guadalajara and lies entombed under a giant tree in the cemetery. The legend says that if a branch is broken instead of sap you will see blood trickling down, the blood of all the innocent victims. In the past, a large number of visitors tried to break the branches to see if the legend was true. The tree was on the verge of dying from all the damage so a fence had to be built around it for protection. According to the legend, if the tree dies the vampire will be released!

There is also the legend of a young and terminal cancer patient who was treated at the Old Civil Hospital and sadly took his own life in the Pant’on de Bel’n in a gruesome way.

These are just a few among many others this popular attraction provides, and to add to your experience they offer night tours as well. You will be carefully guided through the cemetery in pitch black night with only your flashlight to guide you. I have heard the night tours are especially fun and come highly recommended. To really enjoy the experience you might want to visit during the day first to see everything and then take the tour at night. Let us see if you can catch a glimpse of any spirits!

Make the Belen cemetery (Pant’on de Bel’n) one of the first ‘top things to do’ on your list when you are in Guadalajara, Mexico.

So, We’re off to the Beach in Cancun, jewel of the Yucatan in Mexico ?

You simply can’t go to one of the world’s premiere beach resorts and NOT go to the beach  it’s just downright illegal. From the main bus terminal take any bus headed Southeast (to the right) along the Avenida Tulum that’s marked “Playas” or “Zona Hotelera”. When you get to the luxury-hotel-lined peninsula you can get off anywhere and cross the street to access the beaches. They’re along the left side as you head away from town. Several are specifically set aside for the general public, but you should know that ALL of Cancun’s (and Mexico’s) beaches are public property. You can walk along and swim at ANY beach no matter how much the hotel costs that fronts it.

To access many beach areas, however, you’ll either have to be able to fly or walk through hotel property. Most hotels don’t mind you walking through their premises if you’re unobtrusive and discreet. Local maps, especially of the tourist area, are easy to pick up. There’s a tourism information counter right in the main bus terminal that has them and other useful information at no cost. A map will help you to more readily identify the specific beach areas. A few of the more notable ones are: Playa Las Perlas, Playa Tortugas, Playa Chac-Mool, Playa Ballenas, Playa Linda and Playa Caracol, to name only a sampling.

HOLY HOT FOOT !

No matter how hot the weather gets or how intense the sun is, the sand of the beaches in Cancun won’t burn your feet because the sand isn’t composed of silica, but is instead, the skeletal fossils of billions of microscopic plankton. Not only is the sand always cool, but it’s lightweight as well. Get some hot honey or hunk to bury you up to the neck in it at high noon and you’ll see. (Not that it’ll matter at that point!)

THE LATIN FANTASY: A SCAM YOU MUSTN’T GO FOR: They’re WAITING for you Don’t get caught!

Strolling down a sunlit street in Cancun (or another Mexican beach resort town), a sea breeze gently tossing your hair, window-shopping in a luxurious mall, passing along a beachfront boardwalk, day-dreaming of fresh, succulent seafood as its aroma wafts from a nearby restaurant. “Excuse me”, you hear. You stop and turn to see a smiling face. “Where are you from?”

I’m from ?, you respond politely.

How’s your vacation?, the smiling face continues. You exchange pleasantries.

Can I offer you a free pass’a night’s stay’a free lunch or dinner’a day at this new resort hotel??, the smiling face offers. It’s to promote a new hotel, “resort-facility” or service that isn’t well-known to foreign tourists yet. And we want our hotel-facility resort or service to be known so you can tell your friends about it.?

You receive a genuine-looking piece of paper and perhaps a brochure and map. (somewhere in the back of your mind, your parent’s words- or mine- appear, “There ain’t no free lunches in this world”) But, “Looks good”, you think, and accept.

Take this and go this afternoon-tomorrow or whatever and everything will be taken care of with no obligation, the hook advances.

And then the clincher words strike home, like a harpoon in the side of a great white whale, Be sure to bring your credit card! Oh, it’s not essential, the smiling face continues, Maybe you’ll just have to flash it, to show you’re not Mexican, or a serious tourist, or whatever.

At this point BAIL OUT – drop everything and leave  go, keep going and don’t listen or look back. If you don’t, you’ll be sorry  for years and years to come.

What they want is your credit card number, by any means necessary – your signature too, if possible, on anything; a ticket stub, free car rental agreement or thank you note; anything. It’ll be used to charge dozens, scores, even hundreds of items  next week, next month, next year, etc., etc., etc. Getting the charges off your card will be a next to impossible nightmare and cost you hundreds in legal fees. You won’t be able to get back at them or recover the merchandise, products, even real estate charged off to your account. Millions are made by them and irretrievably lost by unsuspecting tourists each year. Don’t YOU be next! Just say, NO. And keep saying NO.

MORE PLACES TO STAY IN CANCUN:

If you’re still checking out digs in Cancun, here are more inexpensive hotels you can add to your list. No Bunky, you’re still not going to be staying on the beach, but there IS air conditioning and sometimes even a nice pool.

Hotel Novotel
Avenida Tulum No. 75 (near the bus terminal)
884 – 2999
Fax: 884 – 3162

Rooms here are a tad pricier than on the Avenida Uxmal but all rooms are air conditioned and comfortable although rooms fronting the street can be noisy at times. The location is good and transportation conveniently available on the Avenida Tulum for zipping all around town. Expect to pay $300 pesos to $360 pesos during the slow periods from May to June and from October to mid December, which is hurricane season in this part of the Caribbean. The Summer months of June and July are slow enough that you can haggle a pretty good deal for an extended stay of a few days to a couple of weeks or so. Prices will sky-rocket during the peak Winter season.

Hotel Best Western Plaza Caribe
Avenida Uxmal (directly across the street from the bus terminal)
884 – 1377
Fax: 884 – 6352

This is the priciest of the accommodations mentioned in our listings. If you arrive very late into the city and speak little (or no) Spanish, don’t get yourself into a dither or risk any danger tromping around the area late at night. You don’t want to run into any of the “late-night” people who frequent the vicinity. You can just pop right across the street and book a room for the night here (staff speaks English) and do your search in earnest for a more moderately-priced room the next day. Don’t run the gauntlet of undesirables (including taxi drivers) late at night here ? especially without a solid command of Spanish. The $40 USD you’ll pay is well worth your health and safety if it comes to that.

Casa de Huespedes Punta Allen
Punta Allen No. 8 (half a block off the Avenida Uxmal)
Cancun
884 – 0225, 884 – 1001

A small place with economical, but rather Spartan, unattractive rooms. Quality of the rooms varies somewhat, although most I saw were fairly tight quarters and not too well lit. All have at least a fan and many are air conditioned. Their singles are priced at $170 pesos, while doubles go for $230 pesos. And these are the LOW season prices. Negotiate the rate if you’re going to be around more than a few days. Peak season prices fluctuate based on what the traffic will bear and the economy at the moment.

GETTING TO AND AWAY FROM CANCUN:

Getting to and away from Tulum and Playa Del Carmen

Buses headed south from Cancun aren?t that hard to come by. A number leave from the main first-class terminal on the Avenida Uxmal just off the Avenida Tulum. Others across the street on the Avenida Uxmal from one of the smaller bus companies specializing in trips to the surrounding small towns. Expect to pay around $40 pesos one way to Tulum and make sure to leave early and return by early evening if you?re just making a day trip.

To Playa Del Carmen

Playa Del Carmen costs around $15 or $20 pesos one way and takes barely an hour to reach. Frequently you can cop a deal for a slightly better price if you?ll shop around a little (your Spanish permitting!) The Playa Del Carmen terminal is an over-crowded, open-walled eye-sore of a building a block or so from the beach and is absolutely packed during the summer months making it a hot, steamy, sticky experience you won?t enjoy.

Be VERY careful with your belongings. The arrival terminal and the departure terminal are in different locations a few short blocks apart. Don?t forget to ask around for it before you?re ready for the return trip. Go early for more comfort and to beat the heat plus crowds combination. Buses either way depart as frequently as every 15 minutes or half hour. Plan to stay overnight in Playa del Carmen or return by early afternoon on day trips, otherwise? Madre Mia!

Getting to and away from Merida and Chichen-Itza:

Headed for Merida or want to be dazzled by the awe-inspiring ruins at Chichen Itza? No problem. Same terminals but the buses are headed in a different direction. Both Chichen-Itza and Merida are West of Cancun. For a fare in the neighborhood of $70 pesos you can make the four to six hour jaunt to sizzling Merida. From here, the Mayan astronomical complex at Dtzibilchaltun (a definite must-see), the beach-fronted Progresso and other north coastal towns are only a short hop away. Roughly half-way to Merida, along the same route, lie the magnificent ruins of Chichen-Itza, one of the most visited archeological sites in the western world. They?re so commonly known that they?re recognizable by most people in the northern hemisphere. Fares run around $50 pesos to reach the site. Cheaper routes take up to three and a half hours to reach the ruins while the more expensive express buses (up to $70 pesos one way) make the trip in as little as two hours.

Imagine yourself enjoying a warm breeze on a January morning. The scent of exotic flowers taints the air. Although it’s quite warm by mid-day, the evenings are cool with refreshing breezes that cut the sting of the humid air. Hold that thought as we continue. Listen now to sounds of tropical birds flitting through the palm trees lining grassy park where you lazily recline on a soft wood bench. A vendor strolls by with chilled mango, papaya, pineapple or oranges dripping with fresh, natural juices. It’s sweet and bursting with flavor like you’ve never known back home. Delicious, isn’t it ” The price? ” mere pennies! Now add in the friendly people ” unique with their shimmering, straight black hair, tanned, smooth skin and slightly almond-shaped eyes. Everyone smiles at you. Some wink or say “Hello” pleasantly.

“Shine?”, a passing shoeshine boy asks. He’s not a boy though, and when he finishes you swear you can just see your reflection in those snazzy kicks you’re now sporting. He takes the 60 cents from you smiling broadly. After all you’ve been nice enough to add in a 20-cent tip for his quarter of an hour’s work!

Where are you” Heaven” Paradise” Why, the Parque del Castillo, of course! Tranquil and serene, yet full of activity at times, shopping, food, music, or almost whatever else you might like is mere steps away from this downtown oasis in Orizaba. Tourists are sometimes plentiful, but foreign residents are not. You’ll be accepted and appreciated as much as a friend as a neighbor.

If you’re a movie buff, I have great news for you. The movie theater, Cine-magic Aries, on Oriente 6 between Sur 5 and Sur 7, is a first-run theater with movies in English (with Spanish subtitles) and costs only 25 pesos per person EXCEPT Wednesdays when it’s 25 pesos for TWO people! (would you like to guess what day of the week my wife and I go?) Seating and film quality are excellent, (I saw the movie “Vertical Limit” there) and the concession stand sells the usual plus freshly popped popcorn with ” can you believe it ” chili peppers on it! Really, Mexicans will eat almost anything with chili on it!

A TREK YOU SHOULDN’T MISS:  La Cascada

The best hotel in Orizaba is reputedly the Hotel Fiesta Cascada , and only a score of feet beyond the hotel to the west begins a trail through the forest that descends into a stunning canyon that runs beside the hotel. Once near the floor of the canyon, the trail branches off with one path following the river while the other crosses the footbridge to the power station before turning into a rugged, strenuous climb through forest and field then up into the mountains. The name “cascada” means “waterfall” in Spanish. Starting the trek , a beautiful falls greets you as it bursts from virgin forest before plunging into the depths of the canyon before your very eyes – unbelievable! This is definitely NOT to be missed!

For English language teaching leads see the companion articles, “Teaching English in Mexico: Orizaba Language Institutes” and “Teaching English in Mexico: Orizaba Jobs. Additional aspects of living and working in Orizabab can be found in the series, “Traveling in Mexico: The City of Orizaba”, “Traveling in Mexico: Hotels in Orizaba”, and “Traveling in Mexico: The Food in Orizaba”.