# Opinion Plz, Best Places?



## omgirl03 (Feb 19, 2009)

Hello Forum! 
I am a disabled person with a walker, but not elderly. Want to know the forum's opinions of the most "accessable" places to live and retire in Mexico. Also, does anyone know if the stomach medicine Domperidone aka Motilium is available over the counter? It is just about everywhere else EXCEPT the U.S. Thank you for any help. :fingerscrossed:


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Motilium is available over the counter. Antibiotics and opiates need prescriptions.
sidewalks in most places in Mexico are from bad to awful.. I broke my foot and my husband was in a wheelchair for 3 months, I can tell you that Guadalajara, Lakeside or San Cristóbal de las Casas are not for you for sure.. 
The streets in Mexico as a rule are not handicapped friendly.


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## omgirl03 (Feb 19, 2009)

I have traveled quite a bit with my walker, even India. But there, the transpo is everywhere and makes it pretty easy.


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## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

I'd agree that few places in Mexico are friendly to people with mobility challenges, but one does see a lot of them around, somehow navigating treacherous pedestrian routes. I'd be like a minefield as a fresh tourist, but as an area becomes more familiar they get to know every pothole and large crack in the sidewalk, along with my favorite, those 2 cm. diameter threaded bolts that _used_ to anchor something but no longer do, yet are still sticking 3 or 4 inches out of the sidewalk. People can adapt to almost anything. Just find a nice place with things close by and get to know every square centimeter of the routes you would take to get places. Then expand your radius. Best wishes.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Mexico is not very handicapped friendly or even pedestrian friendly..corners may have a small ramp but 20 feet down the sidewalk there might be a light pole in the middle of it or telephone box sticking out so you might hit your shoulder on it plus some sidewalks are so narrow people can not pass you coming or going. Not to mention missing cement covers for telephone or electric lines where you could break a leg or ankle , then there are the slippery cobble stone streets...getting the picture?

It would help to know what passport and visas you have, India is a country where you must visit the Mexican Consulate to start the visa process plus there are minimum incomes to meet to retire in Mexico.
good luck......


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

yes that was one of my pet peeve the street corner where you could go down on a ramp on one side and with nothing on the other side. The therapy place we visited in Guadalajara di not have a ramp and the toilets were impossible to access with a wheelchair tons and the.n 2 bridges down the road that allow 20t..but of course you cannot get there because of the first restriction..
The planning reminds me of some roads in Hawaii where you will cross a bridge that allows 2 tons and then 2 bridges down the road that allow 20t..but of course you cannot get there because of the first restriction..
You may be ok in some places with a walker and people do have wheelchairs and walkers in Chapala, it just restricts a lot where you can go..


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## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

*Orizaba & Veracruz (2016)*

I used a walker this summer in Orizaba & the port of Veracruz. Both places were better adapted than I expected and I got around quite well. However, I did not use any public transportation except for taxis a couple of times. The taxi drivers were very good & helpful in accommodating me, but I mostly drove myself when I needed transportation, and walked everywhere else, usually in the cities & downtown areas. Obviously, some places & sidewalks were better than others once I got off of the main avenues... but still, not bad overall - better than I expect beforehand.

Good Luck to you where ever you decide to travel.


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## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

Howler said:


> I used a walker this summer in Orizaba & the port of Veracruz. Both places were better adapted than I expected and I got around quite well.


Good observation, and your mention of Veracruz--even though I've only passed through once-- reminded me that some of the best surfaces for walking (or skating, biking or wheelchairing) are found on the _malecón_ in coastal cities. I know the ones in Vallarta, Tijuana, Mazatlán and Manzanillo. Even where I live there's at least a kilometer of smooth wide beach walk. That and the 2-lane highway into town are the only areas the municipio makes any effort to maintain or keep clean. The roads and sidewalks everywhere else remind me of someplace that's been hit by a recent earthquake.


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## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

*Check it out ahead of time...!*



perropedorro said:


> Good observation, and your mention of Veracruz--even though I've only passed through once-- reminded me that some of the best surfaces for walking (or skating, biking or wheelchairing) are found on the _malecón_ in coastal cities. I know the ones in Vallarta, Tijuana, Mazatlán and Manzanillo. Even where I live there's at least a kilometer of smooth wide beach walk. That and the 2-lane highway into town are the only areas the municipio makes any effort to maintain or keep clean. The roads and sidewalks everywhere else remind me of someplace that's been hit by a recent earthquake.


Your right, PP - I loved the whole malecon & zocalo area in Veracruz! Orizaba's downtown & park areas were also great for getting around with my walker. However, I forgot to mention to be careful in selecting a hotel or place to stay. My wife booked a nice place in Orizaba for our first week's stay. Yes, it was a great place - roomy, inexpensive & centrally located - BUT, it had no elevators or accommodations for handicapped people. The employees were great & very helpful in carrying the walker for me up & down stairs from the parking area or out the front onto the street. However, it was still quite a challenge to get around in the room (I fell several times) or when I wanted to go out so we found another place with an elevator and no stairs to negotiate.

Sometimes you can't tell what's going to be an adequate place for your needs until you actually visit & see it. If trying to book online, it's worth the phone call to ask questions of concern & accommodations (stairs, elevator, parking, etc.). We didn't lose anything from this experience, but it was a good learning experience for later. Good luck to you (the poster) in where you travel or decide to settle!


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

I'm not handicapped - well unless you consider all the pain from football/rugby related surgeries/injuries - but if I were handicapped I would seriously check out Cancun. Hardly feels like Mexico I suppose - but it is very much like Miami - which ain't so bad. That is probably where we will end up when we can't do things for ourselves - or if something happens to one of us.

Cancun - like Huatulco - are FONATUR built projects. As such - I suspect some consideration was put into accessibility issues.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Yes the relatively new and flat areas are probably the best places to look at..zocalos and malecons are not places that you go too that much once you live somewhere or you can live without having to visit them but I would check out the grocery stores, the farmacies, the banks, the residential areas and shopping areas ,etc..


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

This was mentioned earlier - for some drugs you need a prescription - and unless you are getting them through something like IMSS - they can be rather costly - like maybe $80 USD for 10 pills. And the doctor that writes the script will tack on a (special) fee as well.


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## jackBnimble (Oct 18, 2016)

Hi - in Mazatlán we have 4,5 miles of wide smooth malecon - its a pleasure to move about if you are so inclined - in the zona dorada (tourist zone) sidewalk are good and roomy - downtown centro historic - typical concrete nightmare narrow bumpy uneven - we also have the open-air taxis (pulmonias) which are easy to get in and out of. We used to live in Queretaro - a beautiful city for walking - but probably not with a walker - lots of paving brick and cobblestone


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## Susanmarie44 (Jul 26, 2015)

I'm glad you asked this question. I read it as I was about to post the same one. I've traveled with a walker for several years and recently spent six months in Guatemala. I'd been there years ago but had not remembered the cobblestone streets, the narrow elevated sidewalks with ibstacles every few steps, and the rainy season, which added to the challenge. I decided not to move there, but thought if I did, I would buy a walker with all-terrain wheels, or have someone put some bigger tires in my narrow cart Walker. I'm sure it would have helped a lot. I also learned pretty quickly which streets were easiest, where to live and shop to avoid the worst obstacles. I also agree that a city by the sea is likely to have a relatively accessible walkway, and a city with both traditional and modern areas will probably offer more accessible areas. It makes sense to visit, call ahead to ask a guesthouse about their property and the neighborhood, and then just give it a try. I lived in Thailand and had to walk in the street everywhere, but public transportation was cheap and easy. I'm now in Nice, and walking is a breeze. I think it helps to see it as a great adventure, and if one location isn't right, move on to the next. Good luck!


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## omgirl03 (Feb 19, 2009)

American passport, but thanks for info!


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## omgirl03 (Feb 19, 2009)

Darn, I was looking at Santiago de Queretaro!


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## omgirl03 (Feb 19, 2009)

Thanks! I was able to find a good hotel with an elevator for my second trip. I booked online, but like you said....made that call. I have learned never to trust online booking alone.


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## Azuledos (Jan 21, 2010)

I will chime in to agree about Orizaba, which has a well-tended walk-able central area. Not so great for driving around (narrow streets) but culturally interesting for a non-tourist area. Cost-of-living in Veracruz state is relatively low.

We can buy _domperidona_ (10mg, 30 tabs) for 67 pesos, which works out to about US$0.11 per tablet, comparable to Canadian prices when we imported it into the US when we lived there. That price is from Farmacia Similares, reflecting the 25% discount when purchasing on Monday -- so, about US$0.15 at regular price. Domperidone (for aiding esophageal dismotility) is not on the IMSS formulary, so we now use _cinitaprida_ (1mg) (Cinitapride), provided free as part of our IMSS coverage. Hope this helps!


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