# Living in tampico



## Mike2017

Hi, I have been living in tampico for six month now, I actually find it pretty safe opposite to what I heard before I came here, am I right or there's more to the story than what I think?

Any advise is appreciated


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## horseshoe846

Mike2017 said:


> Hi, I have been living in tampico for six month now, I actually find it pretty safe opposite to what I heard before I came here, am I right or there's more to the story than what I think?
> 
> Any advise is appreciated


Would seem that YOU are the expert. A few times a week I check the local 'police' page where we live. You might also consider signing up for US State Dept alerts.


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## Mike2017

horseshoe846 said:


> Would seem that YOU are the expert. A few times a week I check the local 'police' page where we live. You might also consider signing up for US State Dept alerts.


First of all, thanks for the response, I actually thought I'm posting to a void! 
The US dept site gives all kinds of bells and whistles for living in tampico, it says it's not SAFE at all, I don't know what to think, I took an appt in the safest areas in tampico and haven't been going out after 10 PM but life is becoming a bit unsupportable, Am i doomed? I'm seriously thinking of ending my time here and go home!


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## Isla Verde

Mike2017 said:


> First of all, thanks for the response, I actually thought I'm posting to a void!
> The US dept site gives all kinds of bells and whistles for living in tampico, it says it's not SAFE at all, I don't know what to think, I took an appt in the safest areas in tampico and haven't been going out after 10 PM but life is becoming a bit unsupportable, Am i doomed? I'm seriously thinking of ending my time here and go home!


I doubt you're doomed, Mike.  As far as going home is concerned, that may depend on why you moved there in the first place.


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## TundraGreen

Mike2017 said:


> First of all, thanks for the response, I actually thought I'm posting to a void!
> The US dept site gives all kinds of bells and whistles for living in tampico, it says it's not SAFE at all, I don't know what to think, I took an appt in the safest areas in tampico and haven't been going out after 10 PM but life is becoming a bit unsupportable, Am i doomed? I'm seriously thinking of ending my time here and go home!


I wouldn't place more confidence in the State Department warnings than what you see around you. They tend to be extremely conservative.

What is it about life that seems "unsupportable"?


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## Mike2017

Isla Verde said:


> I doubt you're doomed, Mike.  As far as going home is concerned, that may depend on why you moved there in the first place.


Hi verde, thanks for the reply, you guys give me hope! I moved here because my company asked me to, but frankly I am a bit paranoid of all the stories I hear about Mexico and tampico in particular, just want to know if anyone lived here before and lead a NORMAL life, or its simply not possible in this country, I mean do you have always to be on guard? I know that anywhere in the world bad things happen but from what I hear about Mexico, it seems to be a lawless place! Sorry for all the Mexican people in here but that's what I hear.


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## Mike2017

TundraGreen said:


> I wouldn't place more confidence in the State Department warnings than what you see around you. They tend to be extremely conservative.
> 
> What is it about life that seems "unsupportable"?


lol, this forum is really alive! Insopportabile in italiano means unsustnabale , means I can't go home and lock my door at 10pm every night, I want to live, go out,know people, ...you know live!


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## Isla Verde

Mike2017 said:


> Hi verde, thanks for the reply, you guys give me hope! I moved here because my company asked me to, but frankly I am a bit paranoid of all the stories I hear about Mexico and tampico in particular, just want to know if anyone lived here before and lead a NORMAL life, or its simply not possible in this country, I mean do you have always to be on guard? I know that anywhere in the world bad things happen but from what I hear about Mexico, it seems to be a lawless place! Sorry for all the Mexican people in here but that's what I hear.


In general, Tampico is not a place that most expats would choose as their home in Mexico. So I had the feeling that you are there for work, and I was right. Don't focus so much on what you "hear about Mexico" (from Mexicans?, from other expats?, in the news?, on the internet?), but rather use your common sense about how you are feeling while you're actually living in the country. I am a single older woman, happy to be living here, in a safe pleasant neighborhood. But I don't go out alone at night and there are areas of the city where I would never venture. But that's just being careful. not paranoid. What do you mean by lawless? Do you have an example or two you could share with us? Don't make a run for the border just yet!


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## Mike2017

Isla Verde said:


> In general, Tampico is not a place that most expats would choose as their home in Mexico. So I had the feeling that you are there for work, and I was right. Don't focus so much on what you "hear about Mexico" (from Mexicans, from other expats, in the news?, on the internet?), but rather use your common sense about how you are feeling while you're actually living in the country. I am a single older woman, happy to be living here, in a safe pleasant neighborhood. But I don't go out alone at night and there are areas of the city where I would never venture. But that's just being careful. not paranoid. What do you mean by lawless? Do you have an example or two you could share with us? Don't make a run for the border just yet!


Hi verde and thanks again for the reply, yea I'm here for work, however I do go home every four to five month so you can say I'm on rotation basis, by lawless I mean that although I see military and police cars (heavily armed) roam the city, my Mexican fiends tell me not to show I'm a foreigner in public, keep a low profile and stick to well known places, but that means that I have to live in Miguel hidalgo street which is (after a while) pretty boring, I am an outgoing person and I like to meet new people but living here is altering my chrachter in a way,...I don't know what to say but Maybe I'm over paranoid, anyway thanks for the advise and it really really helps knowing someone is in here sharing my feelings, thanks again.


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## Isla Verde

Mike2017 said:


> Hi verde and thanks again for the reply, yea I'm here for work, however I do go home every four to five month so you can say I'm on rotation basis, by lawless I mean that although I see military and police cars (heavily armed) roam the city, my Mexican fiends tell me not to show I'm a foreigner in public, keep a low profile and stick to well known places, but that means that I have to live in Miguel hidalgo street which is (after a while) pretty boring, I am an outgoing person and I like to meet new people but living here is altering my chrachter in a way,...I don't know what to say but Maybe I'm over paranoid, anyway thanks for the advise and it really really helps knowing someone is in here sharing my feelings, thanks again.


I've never been to Tampico, though I know that in recent years, it has become a somewhat dangerous place, at least for certain sectors of the population, though not necessarily foreigners like you. The idea of hiding your identity as a foreigner in public sounds odd to me. How do your friends expect you to do this? It's not a comment that anyone, Mexican or foreign, would make in Mexico City. What sort of people are your Mexican friends? Middle-class? Wealthy? That could have something to do with the advice they have been giving you.


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## Mike2017

Isla Verde said:


> I've never been to Tampico, though I know that in recent years, it has become a somewhat dangerous place, at least for certain sectors of the population, though not necessarily foreigners like you. The idea of hiding your identity as a foreigner in public sounds odd to me. How do your friends expect you to do this? It's not a comment that anyone, Mexican or foreign, would make in Mexico City. What sort of people are your Mexican friends? Middle-class? Wealthy? That could have something to do with the advice they have been giving you.


Well they are mainly middle class ( I assume) because they work with me. I don't quite get why does it make a difference which class they are in? I know Mexico is a class society but I m really confused now. I actually learned Spanish (close to Italian) but they say my accent gives me away.


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## TundraGreen

Mike2017 said:


> Well they are mainly middle class ( I assume) because they work with me. I don't quite get why does it make a difference which class they are in? I know Mexico is a class society but I m really confused now. I actually learned Spanish (close to Italian) but they say my accent gives me away.


I have lots of Mexican friends who think it is dangerous where I live. But really all it means is that they live in a more suburban part of the city and do not know much about Centro where I live. I walk home alone late at night (as in after midnight). Nothing is certain in life, but I have been doing it for 10 years and haven't had a problem yet. A better indicator of the safety to me is what other people who live in a neighborhood do. I often see other people on the street late at night in my neighborhood, couples, women walking alone, etc. From that I conclude that it must not be too common for things to go wrong. I have had several friends who were robbery or mugging victims. The most recent was a youngish Mexican couple who were held up on the street about six months ago. They had gone out for the evening and were walking about 2 in the morning. They were in a section with lots of fancier restaurants, the center of night life in Guadalajara. I see that area as a target rich environment for thieves so I tend to stay away from it late at night.

I guess my main point is that, while I am aware that there is risk in some behaviors, I don't let it rule how I live. Incidentally, none of this is unique to Mexico. I used to have to walk through the South of Market area in San Francisco during the time period when the Zodiac killer was active. That made me more nervous than I feel at night here.


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## Mike2017

TundraGreen said:


> I have lots of Mexican friends who think it is dangerous where I live. But really all it means is that they live in a more suburban part of the city and do not know much about Centro where I live. I walk home alone late at night (as in after midnight). Nothing is certain in life, but I have been doing it for 10 years and haven't had a problem yet. A better indicator of the safety to me is what other people who live in a neighborhood do. I often see other people on the street late at night in my neighborhood, couples, women walking alone, etc. From that I conclude that it must not be too common for things to go wrong. I have had several friends who were robbery or mugging victims. The most recent was a youngish Mexican couple who were held up on the street about six months ago. They had gone out for the evening and were walking about 2 in the morning. They were in a section with lots of fancier restaurants, the center of night life in Guadalajara. I see that area as a target rich environment for thieves so I tend to stay away from it late at night.
> 
> I guess my main point is that, while I am aware that there is risk in some behaviors, I don't let it rule how I live. Incidentally, none of this is unique to Mexico. I used to have to walk through the South of Market area in San Francisco during the time period when the Zodiac killer was active. That made me more nervous than I feel at night here.


Thanks Tundra, what you say makes a lot of sense, in my neighborhood people do walk alone at night and it seems to be ok, I would never go to the center of tampico especially at night although i haven't heard anything happening there since i came, my concerns are not getting robbed or so, this can happen in Rome too and sometimes in broad day light, what im worried about here is all those news about kidnappings and extortions, I dated a couple of Mexican girls when i first came but actually never felt quite at ease, now i just stick to my work and home which is pretty boring, but I guess from what I heard in here things are not as bad as I thought.


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## RVGRINGO

Mike,
The more you listen, the more you will hear. I suggest that you listen less and avoid the US consular notices, explicit photos in Mexican press, etc. Walk with confidence, never looking concerned; but with normal situational awareness and you will begin to enjoy yourself more; wherever you are. In thirteen years of living in Mexico, I was only accosted once; by a large drunken young man. I asked him if his mother knew what he was doing and he paused to think and I walked off. I heard his buddies chuckle.


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## horseshoe846

RVGRINGO said:


> Mike,
> The more you listen, the more you will hear. I suggest that you listen less and avoid the US consular notices, explicit photos in Mexican press, etc. Walk with confidence, never looking concerned; but with normal situational awareness and you will begin to enjoy yourself more; wherever you are. In thirteen years of living in Mexico, I was only accosted once; by a large drunken young man. I asked him if his mother knew what he was doing and he paused to think and I walked off. I heard his buddies chuckle.


But I've got to ask - isn't living in Lake Chapala (with 40,000+ expats) significantly different than living in Tampico ? Is it fair to draw comparisons/make recommendations ?

I did have a look at elsoldetampico website and I have to say - it looks tame compared to our local newspaper's crime page.


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## TundraGreen

horseshoe846 said:


> But I've got to ask - isn't living in Lake Chapala (with 40,000+ expats) significantly different than living in Tampico ? Is it fair to draw comparisons/make recommendations ?
> 
> I did have a look at elsoldetampico website and I have to say - it looks tame compared to our local newspaper's crime page.


Where did the 40,000+ estimate come from. It sounds high to me. Wikipedia says the total population of Ajijic is 15,000. Somewhere, I heard an estimate of 7500 foreigners in the summer and 11,000 in the winter. But I have no idea what the real numbers are.


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## citlali

No matter what the numbers , I bet it is a whole lot different than Chapala.. I cannot imagine making recommendations on how to live in Tampico based on life in Chapala..


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## Mike2017

citlali said:


> No matter what the numbers , I bet it is a whole lot different than Chapala.. I cannot imagine making recommendations on how to live in Tampico based on life in Chapala..


I assume you mean that chapala is a lot safer?


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## citlali

I assume so but I really do not know since I do not know tampico. Tampico is a large city in my book and Chapala is not. It is true that the body language and the demeanor is important but when someone is after you , they are after you..


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## TundraGreen

citlali said:


> I assume so but I really do not know since I do not know tampico. Tampico is a large city in my book and Chapala is not. It is true that the body language and the demeanor is important but when someone is after you , they are after you..


I can't compare Chapala/Ajijic to Tampico since I have never been to Tampico. But I can compare Chapala/Ajijic to Guadalajara. C/A are small towns with some prosperity and sophistication lent to them by the tourists (mostly Mexican) and the immigrants (mostly US and Canadian). Guadalajara is a large city with wealthy areas and poor areas, upscale shopping malls and rundown neighborhoods. I have never really felt unsafe anywhere in Gdl but once a friend (US) and I were walking through a neighborhood when a taxi driver and his passenger, an elderly lady, stopped for us. They said it was too dangerous, that several people had been killed in a robbery a few days before. They gave us a ride. C/A seems to hit more of a median between the very wealthy areas and the very poor areas you see in a bigger city.


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## horseshoe846

TundraGreen said:


> Where did the 40,000+ estimate come from. It sounds high to me. Wikipedia says the total population of Ajijic is 15,000. Somewhere, I heard an estimate of 7500 foreigners in the summer and 11,000 in the winter. But I have no idea what the real numbers are.


I have no idea what the real numbers are either. I just did a quick google search and came across articles such as this :

Can Lake Chapala Really Be That Great? 40,000 Expats Think So (Video)


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## TundraGreen

horseshoe846 said:


> I have no idea what the real numbers are either. I just did a quick google search and came across articles such as this :
> 
> Can Lake Chapala Really Be That Great? 40,000 Expats Think So (Video)


That number sounds like pure fantasy to me. According to Wikipedia, Chapala and Jocotopec have a combined population of around 80,000. Those are the two municipalities (counties) with most of the foreigners. A very small fraction of them are non-Mexican. Ajijic, the village in Chapala municipality with the largest concentration, has about 15,000 people total and a foreign population of maybe 10% or some 1500

Wikipedia put the number of foreigners in the whole Chapala area at about 5000. See the article on Ajijic. All of these numbers grow with time, but it seems hard to believe that there are 40,000


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## citlali

I live in Ajijic where the greatest concentration of foreigners is and there are many days when I do not speak English except to my husband.. Even in Ajijic the majority is Mexican. If you go to the restaurants at the hours foreigners like to eat then you will only hear English but we do not eat out anymore and I rarely speak English in Ajijic... 40 000 is fantasy..


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## xolo

The 40.000 number was in that article, but without any citation, just made up I suppose. Well, Citlali, I accept you comments,very cogent. However, I think I could never live in the Chapala area. Too boring with all the people from north of the border, or maybe I am in error?


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## citlali

It is only boring if you make it boring.. I am involved with the Escuela Nacional de Cerámica in Tapalpa. I have friends in Guadalajara and I spend a lot of time, half of my time or more in Chiapas so frankly I have no time to be bored .
I love the climate there and I am looking forward to be there on Tuesday relaxing for a while..


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## TundraGreen

xolo said:


> The 40.000 number was in that article, but without any citation, just made up I suppose. Well, Citlali, I accept you comments, very cogent. However, I think I could never live in the Chapala area. Too boring with all the people from north of the border, or maybe I am in error?


I don't think of boring as a good description for the Chapala area. There are all kinds of things going on there, far more than typical for a town that size. At least that is the impression I get from the Lake Chapala Society web page. A lot of the activities seem to be driven by the foreigners living there and are probably in English. 

One of my reasons for staying in Mexico was that I have always wanted to be bilingual. Since I am not a fast learner with languages that goal is taking me a lot of time to achieve. If I lived in a place where it was easy to get by without learning Spanish, it would take even longer. And also, I just like big cities with all of the variety and convenience they offer. So the Lake Chapala region doesn't interest me much, but I don't think boring would be a problem. I noticed that there are a couple of groups there dedicated to eradicating graffiti. It made me think, I should start one in my neighborhood. I have tried painting it out myself, but a group effort would be better.


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## Howler

*You're doing fine!!*

Hi Mike! Just saw your post & the replies you've received. I have to agree that you must go with what you see & follow your gut on what you do, when & with whom... and where. I've visited Tampico many times back when my BIL used to live there and it was a convenient stop for us on the way to Veracruz.

The problem is that, yes, it did get violent & dangerous awhile back... so much so there was a "recommended curfew" for local residents. The recommendation was not to be out late, and if you found yourself out late - consider staying where you were (with friends or family) until the next morning. My BIL & his family fled the area about 4 yrs ago when he ran afoul of some "bad guys" by turning down work from them (to repaint perfectly good or new cars). He was tipped off that his daughter was to be kidnapped & his business targeted. Within a few hours they left with what they could carry & resettled in Queretaro. Since then they've returned a couple of times very discretely to check on their house & get more of their personal belongings. But the word from their neighbors & friends makes them wary of the idea of ever moving back.

That said, this was a case of someone who ran afoul of someone else even though he/they (my BiL & family) weren't doing anything wrong. Again, if you are not making yourself stick out any more than necessary, keep good company & hours then you shouldn't have much of anything to worry about. Still, keep a good eye out for what's happening & who is around you and you will be okay. That's about the best advice that even the locals give there.

Regarding what you see or hear in the news & from the State Department, if we let that guide us - we'd probably never go back! In other parts of Veracruz we have family & business where a lot of violence, danger, etc. has been reported recently. When we are there we see it in the newspaper & hear it from the locals - but have not seen it happen in front of us, or personally felt in danger. It's like living in the LA area or some other big city - it usually seems to happen somewhere else instead of where you are. Again, timing & company kept are probably the biggest factors for your safety. Something I love about the Mexican people is that as you make more friends at work & around you, they will also help & look out for you too.

So take care, relax - but be aware - & enjoy your stay there! Also, take advantage of your time there to see other parts of Mexico and its culture, history & people. It is bound to become among your fondest of memories!


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## xolo

citlali said:


> It is only boring if you make it boring.. I am involved with the Escuela Nacional de Cerámica in Tapalpa. I have friends in Guadalajara and I spend a lot of time, half of my time or more in Chiapas so frankly I have no time to be bored .
> I love the climate there and I am looking forward to be there on Tuesday relaxing for a while..


Citlali and Tundra, sounds like you are both busy and engaged, good for you, but your activities and much of your time is _not_ chapala centered. It's only my opinion, but the visits I have made to the Chapala area show it to be boring, at least to me. Of course, my interests in government policy and indigenous peoples and languages would be boring to a lot of people, I accept that.


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## TundraGreen

xolo said:


> Citlali and Tundra, sounds like you are both busy and engaged, good for you, but your activities and much of your time is _not_ chapala centered. It's only my opinion, but the visits I have made to the Chapala area show it to be boring, at least to me. Of course, my interests in government policy and indigenous peoples and languages would be boring to a lot of people, I accept that.


I should clarify that I don't live near Chapala. My comments were based on a few visits and some knowledge of activities sponsored by the Lake Chapala Society.


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## xolo

And I am sure Lake Chapala is an excellent location, those were just my personal comments (and I am stressed right now with my qual exams).


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## jenny10707

*i also live in Tampico*

I have been living in Tampico since March 2016 and i actually really love it. Are you still here? I haven't met any expats yet and ive been here over a year.


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## jenny10707

Mike2017 said:


> Hi verde and thanks again for the reply, yea I'm here for work, however I do go home every four to five month so you can say I'm on rotation basis, by lawless I mean that although I see military and police cars (heavily armed) roam the city, my Mexican fiends tell me not to show I'm a foreigner in public, keep a low profile and stick to well known places, but that means that I have to live in Miguel hidalgo street which is (after a while) pretty boring, I am an outgoing person and I like to meet new people but living here is altering my chrachter in a way,...I don't know what to say but Maybe I'm over paranoid, anyway thanks for the advise and it really really helps knowing someone is in here sharing my feelings, thanks again.




I have been here over a year now and maybe i can help you with some things. I have never had my guard up. i am here if you wish to chat.


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