As the H1N1 Swine Flu enters its second full week of being the world’s #1 news story, Mexico – ground zero of the whole mess – continues to be hit the hardest.  Mexico City is still in full lockdown mode in an attempt to contain the virus, with nearly all commerce stopped.  Despite not reporting large numbers of H1N1 cases, the tourist and epxat hotspots on Mexico’s coastlines are reporting incredible losses as gringos stay away: Rodrigo de la Peña, Cancun’s hotel association president, says that reservations are down 30% and still dropping quickly.  Here’s a rundown of how Mexico’s top destinations are being affected.

Acapulco

99.9% of the time its good to be the favorite beach destination for a city of 25 million, but alas the coastal resort town is experienceing that .1% right now.  As wealthy residents of the capital enjoy a mini vacation, and with much of Mexico City closed, many are flocking to ‘Pulco for some fun and sun….but in the eyes of the town’s residents, they are potentially bringing the dreaded flu along with the sunscreen and beach towels.  And they aren’t happy: Police report that as many as four cars with Mexico City plates have been stoned by Acapulco residents as they entered the town. So much for a warm welcome…

Despite Covadonga Gomez, the town’s hotel and tourism cheif, publicly pleading with capital city residents to stay away from Acapulco, a steady stream of vacationers made the five hour trip from Mexico City last weekend.  And while Apaculco officials reiterated the fact that every restaurant, bar, and disco were closed, many establishments deemed the almighty dollar, er, peso, was too much to ignore.  High profile places like Señor Frog’s and Sibu were open for business and reportedly quite crowded.

Cancun

It’s without surprise that Cancun, which relies so heavily on foreign tourists and expats, is getting economically kicked all over the place by the flu outbreak.  As soon as news of the flu began, most cruise lines cancelled their stops in Cancun and the rest of the Maya Riviera, taking away the lucrative invasions of cruisegoers.  Hotels are reported to be half empty with cancellations coming in every hour and outbound flights are jam packed with tourists trying to flee.  Additionally, many European and U.S. airlines have cancelled or cut back the number of flights to Cancun since the confirmation that several New York students have the H1N1 virus and also just returned from the resort town (no official link between the two has been found, however).

Mónica Roberts, operations chief for Real Resorts in Cancun, reports only 20% of the rooms are full at a time when 80-90% should be, according to the Washington Post.

Following local leaders’ insistence that not one case of H1N1 has been confirmed in Cancun or the state of Quintana Roo, tourists and expats in the area report that there seems to be a hush-hush attitude held by hotel staff, restaurant waiters, and just about everyone else with vested interest in the tourist industry.  Without foreigners, Cancun will suffer terribly, and for now it seems like it is just doing enough to keep its head above water…

San Miguel Allende

San MA, and the state of Guanajuato in whole, has not confirmed one case of H1N1 and the population is reported to be quite healthy.  Despite this, fear and panic have taken over many of the citizens of this popular expat and retiree destination.  Like Mexico City, many of the public sectors have shut down and, unlike in the coastal resort towns, green facemasks have become the new fashion craze.  As with the rest of the country, schools are closed for the foreseeable future, but for the time being there is no H1N1 in the area.

Cabo San Lucas and the Baja Peninsula

The expat and tourist mega-destination that is the southern Baja Peninsula, including Cabo San Lucas, has been confirmed “Swine flu free” by the Mexican government, however, this did not stop Rosarito officials from cancelling Cinco de Mayo celebrations or several cruise line operators to cancel stops in Baja.  Tourist numbers are reported to be slightly down in the last week, but again, there have been no confirmed cases.

Have more information about the H1N1 flu in Mexico? Are you an expat, retiree, or tourist somewhere in this great country?  We want to hear your story!  Let us know whats going on in your community.

photo provided by Current News Stories at http://www.flickr.com/photos/currentnews/3489545692/

Now that the holiday season´s started tons of people are still wondering where to spend their vacation. Well, here is my personal top three places you cannot afford to miss while visiting Mexico:

Cancun

By far, one of the best beach resorts in  Mexico, well known among foreign visitors, Cancun is a good place to start the new year laying down on white-sand beaches and surrounded by the kindest people in the country.

Tulum

Not so much into the sun and beach kind of vacation? Tulum is the place to go. Enjoy discovering the marvelous Mayan ruins and learning all there is to know about one of the most legendary civilizations in Latin America.

Los Cabos

Looking to have fun on the beach and not going broke in the process? Then Los cabos is the stop for you; with its great beaches, white sand, crystal clear water and the wildest nightlife out there Los Cabos will provide you with a lifetime experience at a relatively low cost.

By Carol Stanley

Contributing writer to Latinworld.com

You are finally retired, and want to find a new and exciting life. The house is sold, the family is spread out, and frankly you feel like it is time for you to kick up your heels.

There are many attractive places to relocate south of the border. This is the time to investigate, check out real estate prices, and find your perfect lifestyle. Almost anywhere you look there will be a wide selection of homes to choose from. Most cities in Mexico boast of economical living in comparison to the United States real estate prices. Generally speaking food costs, utilities, transportation, entertainment, and health care are fairly reasonable.

Be aware that moving to a foreign land has some challenges. The language is probably one of the biggest challenges. In Mexico many people speak English, but there will be times when you struggle to communicate. Also, there are cultural differences with regards to time. Things move a little slower in Mexico so don’t be surprised if 9am is really 10am. Things are different south of the border and you will have an adjustment period to go through, however, this is part of the learning experience.

Some of the things you will have to look into are as follows:
1. Laws of the country and how they apply to U. S. citizens
2. Banking in a foreign country and where to have your direct deposits go
3. Pet laws
4. Taking your automobile to a foreign country and costs
5. What you can bring, and what is best left behind
6. Papers that need to filled out before entering your place of choice
7. Medical care including medicare benefits
8. Learning the new language
9. Finding affordable housing that suits your needs
10. Activities
11. Traveling (back and forth to the U.S.) flight availability and costs

There are more things to look into, but this is a beginning. All relocating experiences offer challenges and can be exhausting; and moving to a foreign country will just offer a few more things that need to be addressed.
Here are some suggestions for retirement destinations in Mexico:

San Miguel de Allende
Puerto Vallarta
Loreto
Lake Chapala
Cancun

Check out the many websites, make some calls, find expat forums and ask questions. The best advice is to spend some time living in one of these exciting places. Actually it is a good idea to visit several places, and the longer you stay you will get a true feeling for the place. You may be willing to give up certain comforts, but there are some things that are important to you, and those things should be addressed.

You could very well have that adventure of a lifetime.

Featured Blog Contributor:
Carol Stanley is a well known speaker and author. She writes frequently on baby boomer and retirement topics. Her latest book, For Kids 59.99 & Over can be found at all online bookstores. www.babyboomerpower.com, www.boomercarol.com

Moving to a new country after having spent most of your life in the same place surrounded by your friends and family is not always an easy decision to make. Getting to know a new culture can take some time, so it is always advisable to take this step very cautiously so it doesn’t turn out to be a cultural shock and overall a bad experience. After all one thing is to just visit Mexico for a week or on a short vacation and a completely different thing to pack up all your belongings and move there.

One of the first things you should bear in mind when considering moving to Mexico is the language. While not a necessity, a good grasp of Spanish can come in quite handy when living in Mexico. Learning some of the most common expressions a list of  “modismos” (which could turn out very, very, very long) is always useful.  Although learning Spanish is not a requirement, (there are many Americans and English speakers) it’s best to have some basic conversational skills down to help you find your way around the country.

Where to Live

Before making the decision it’s best to visit Mexico several times before even thinking about moving there. It is always a good idea to stay for an extended period of time so you can experience and get the feel of what it would be like to live in Mexico, that way your move will not result in such a big shock when you make the decision.

In a next entry we will be looking into the legal process behind getting all your paperwork organized.

The picture used on this entry was taken from Flickr, kindly provided by user: Photoscott at http://flickr.com/photos/scottandress/1289720929/sizes/o/

Many people move or retire to Mexico to take things down a notch and relax. The pace of life here is slower and schedules aren’t all that important. Of course, there are many differences between Mexico and the U.S. and Canada; some have their advantages, others disadvantages, but overall it is about embracing the experience. In the United States, Canada and many other countries around the world, it is not very common to hire someone to do laundry, cook, and clean for you on a constant basis (unless you are on the wealthy side). Perhaps you have someone who comes by and cleans your house twice a month.

Many middle and upper class Mexican families have someone that either lives in the house full time to take care of cleaning, laundry, and cooking or spends the day tending to these duties returning to their own home at night. This kind of employee is known as “un empleado de servicio” o “empleado interno.” They are usually considered a part of the family. Maybe you like doing these types of daily chores, but if you don’t, it is a good option that is relatively inexpensive (and a good way to practice your Spanish). You may have much more time on your hands and don’t find a need to have someone help with these tasks, but if you are like me and hate doing laundry and cooking, then this is something to consider.

What can you expect to pay for this type of service?

In Mexico, minimum wage is broken down into 3 different zones – A, B and C, but they are all right around $5 a day depending on the exchange rate. You are going to want to pay more than minimum wage. If you are in a big city, the cost of living is also much higher so you will want to pay accordingly. Wages in Mexico are considerably lower than the United States or Europe and if you can afford it, be generous. Ask around about what other people are paying.

When we think of the Caribbean, most of us think of only Islands. Countries like the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, The Cayman Islands, Jamaica, The Virgin Islands, etc. come to mind.

But what about Central American countries like Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, etc., and South American countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana, etc???

These are also part of the beautiful Caribbean. We just don’t think of them as such. Yes, the Caribbean is mostly made up of island nations and territories but the following continental countries also have Caribbean coasts and islands within the Caribbean:

* Belize
* Colombia
* Costa Rica
* French Guiana
* Guatemala
* Guyana
* Honduras
* Mexico
* Nicaragua
* Panama
* Suriname
* Venezuela

So the next time that you are thinking about embarking on a Caribbean journey, why not look toward some of these places as well. You’ll find the same tropical climate and beautiful beaches you’ll obviously find in the island setting and you’ll also find access to a vast new continental territory.