# Expat forums in Oaxaca?



## RatRaceNoMore (Jul 26, 2011)

Hola, everyone. I'm thinking of moving to Oaxaca city (or perhaps elsewhere in the state, or indeed the country) but need to learn more before committing. Was last in Oaxaca about ten years ago but have traveled around Mexico many times since then. Can anyone recommend sites or forums where I can connect with people in Oaxaca? Or interesting sites about Mexico generally? There are so many gorgeous places to live in Mexico.....decisions, decisions. I'd like to be part of a ****** community, but not a community which shuts itself off from Mexicans and Mexican culture (you all know what I'm talking about...).

Tropical weather and vegetation would be perfect. I really like Merida (was there a few months ago), but the surrounding countryside is a bit dry and scruffy for my taste. Plus, I couldn't get frijoles in the market--imagine that!

Thanks.


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## oaxacaone (Aug 2, 2011)

*Oaxaca*

I have lived in Oaxaca for more than 10 years -- just became a Permanent Resident. Oaxaca offers the best of both worlds. The Oaxaca Lending Library (oaxlibrary.org) provides a great place for keeping contact with the expat community. It offers many seminars covering Mexican history, art, and other topics and its outstanding Saturday intercambio program matches English speakers with Spanish speakers. I had considered returning to the States until I joined this free program and met someone who helped me get a handle on Spanish. My buttons pop when I think of all the good works of the expat community in Oaxaca. Through the Libros Para Pueblos, more than 50 libraries have been built in towns throughout the State. Many Mexican students come to the Library for its English program or just to hang out. The Library has more than 30,000 books, a coffee shop, the best bulletin board in the city, free computers, and books for sale.

Although my first major contact with a Mexican family was through the Library, I have met and been adopted by other Oaxacan families. Unlike many Mexican cities, Oaxaca's expats blend in. Oaxaca's zocalo is considered the most beautiful in Mexico and certainly is the most active. It is always predominately Mexican although we are grateful for the tourists.

I hope this helps you make your decision.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

oaxacaone said:


> I have lived in Oaxaca for more than 10 years -- just became a Permanent Resident. Oaxaca offers the best of both worlds. The Oaxaca Lending Library (oaxlibrary.org) provides a great place for keeping contact with the expat community. It offers many seminars covering Mexican history, art, and other topics and its outstanding Saturday intercambio program matches English speakers with Spanish speakers. I had considered returning to the States until I joined this free program and met someone who helped me get a handle on Spanish. My buttons pop when I think of all the good works of the expat community in Oaxaca. Through the Libros Para Pueblos, more than 50 libraries have been built in towns throughout the State. Many Mexican students come to the Library for its English program or just to hang out. The Library has more than 30,000 books, a coffee shop, the best bulletin board in the city, free computers, and books for sale.
> 
> Although my first major contact with a Mexican family was through the Library, I have met and been adopted by other Oaxacan families. Unlike many Mexican cities, Oaxaca's expats blend in. Oaxaca's zocalo is considered the most beautiful in Mexico and certainly is the most active. It is always predominately Mexican although we are grateful for the tourists.
> 
> I hope this helps you make your decision.


Did you realize that you're responding to a post that's almost 2 years old?


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## officiantaj (Jul 17, 2013)

How is the medical care in Oaxaca?


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

officiantaj said:


> How is the medical care in Oaxaca?


Compared to where?


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## officiantaj (Jul 17, 2013)

Medical Care in Oaxaca is what quality compared to USA. I read posts here where it's stated that "some" of the doctors are trained and attend seminars etc to update their techniques. What about specialists such as Cardiologists, Gynecologists, GP's........are there specialities in these disciplines available in Oaxaca or does one end of being referred to Mexico City?


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

officiantaj said:


> Medical Care in Oaxaca is what quality compared to USA. I read posts here where it's stated that "some" of the doctors are trained and attend seminars etc to update their techniques. What about specialists such as Cardiologists, Gynecologists, GP's........are there specialities in these disciplines available in Oaxaca or does one end of being referred to Mexico City?


I thought you wanted it compared to the US, just wanted to make sure
I would not dare to give a straight answer just to seem knowledable
My opinion: not very well compared to the US and yes, as most places in Mexico, they end up in Mexico City


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## officiantaj (Jul 17, 2013)

Thank you for your honesty. That is what I feared.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

officiantaj said:


> Thank you for your honesty. That is what I feared.


Why?
Are you looking to move there?


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## officiantaj (Jul 17, 2013)

Considering a move but also looking farther south. This trip, July 20-25, is exploratory. Been to Mexico many times but not Oaxaca. We hope to educate ourselves on this trip to determine whether this city remains on our radar or we move south. Obviously we can't make a final determination based on one visit but we'll see how we feel about the area. We have been back in the USA (after 3 years in France) for 18 months and experiencing "again" wanderlust.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

officiantaj said:


> Considering a move but also looking farther south. This trip, July 20-25, is exploratory. Been to Mexico many times but not Oaxaca. We hope to educate ourselves on this trip to determine whether this city remains on our radar or we move south. Obviously we can't make a final determination based on one visit but we'll see how we feel about the area. We have been back in the USA (after 3 years in France) for 18 months and experiencing "again" wanderlust.


By south you mean...?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

GARYJ65 said:


> By south you mean...?


No doubt all the way to Tierra del Fuego  !


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## officiantaj (Jul 17, 2013)

Southward search will continue with Guatemala, Ecuador, Chile, Nicaragua, Uruguay.........I used to work in Santiago, Chile so am partial to the Latin world.


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## oaxacaone (Aug 2, 2011)

Yes, there are specialists in Oaxaca. I have had cataract operations on both eyes in Oaxaca by an eye surgeon trained in Texas and Paris. I fell and broke my femur four years ago and received excellent medical care and surgery at a cost incredibly below what it would have cost in the States. Many of my friends also have positive reports of medical services in Oaxaca. My gripe is medical care in the States. I call two to three months before going north and still can't get an appointment and I'm not talking Medicare. When I was bitten by a dog several years ago in Oaxaca, I had to wait less than 5 minutes in the clinic before I saw a doctor. You can buy a policy which will airlift you out of Mexico if you have a serious accident or illness. My vote is for medical care in Oaxaca.


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## officiantaj (Jul 17, 2013)

Good medical care in Oaxaca is excellent news.
Is there a central meeting place where expats hang out on specific days of the week?
We would like to learn as much as possible about life there before we "begin" the decision
making process of where we might want to settle.


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## Anonimo (Apr 8, 2012)

I think the Oaxaca Lending Library, on Av. Pino Suarez is what you might check out.


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## officiantaj (Jul 17, 2013)

Thanks, we'll check it out.


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## officiantaj (Jul 17, 2013)

So what?


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Oaxaca 12 years ago did not have really good hospitals according to our insurrance plan. Our insurrance company gave us a listing with ratings of hospitals in the larger cities in the country and Oaxaca did not shine in that field. It may have changed, I have not looked at it lately and do not care because I know we have good hospitals in Guadalajara as we have experienced them and poorly rated in San Cristobal de las casas and we have experienced those as well..
We have a new hospital in San Cristobal so maybe that one is better but what we now know is that you first need to have a good doctor and or surgeon and if you have the money and or time you can fly to DF if not you are out of luck and you do with whatever is available.


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## oaxacocruz (Jan 9, 2012)

*oaxaca*



RatRaceNoMore said:


> Hola, everyone. I'm thinking of moving to Oaxaca city (or perhaps elsewhere in the state, or indeed the country) but need to learn more before committing. Was last in Oaxaca about ten years ago but have traveled around Mexico many times since then. Can anyone recommend sites or forums where I can connect with people in Oaxaca? Or interesting sites about Mexico generally? There are so many gorgeous places to live in Mexico.....decisions, decisions. I'd like to be part of a ****** community, but not a community which shuts itself off from Mexicans and Mexican culture (you all know what I'm talking about...).
> 
> Tropical weather and vegetation would be perfect. I really like Merida (was there a few months ago), but the surrounding countryside is a bit dry and scruffy for my taste. Plus, I couldn't get frijoles in the market--imagine that!
> 
> Thanks.


hi there, I am also thinking on moving to oaxaca, i was born and raised in oaxaca and have many family member there still , i am thinking on little towns near the city like zaachila, etla, or tlacolula where the rents are cheaper than in the city and also very little traffic and noise weather around there is dry and sunny for most of the year, if you want humid then. cuicatlan or tuxtepec could be better for you, feel free to contact me if in need of more info , best regards, Antonio.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

Oaxaca is a nice and beautiful state but Oaxaca City is largely an endless and unpleasant hilly and mostly treeless scrubby slum for the most part except for the beautiful and stunning historical center which is limited in scope and where properties are expensive and hard to find unless one is lucky with good timing. The traffic there in the city is the worst we have ever experienced in Mexico, including DF, or, for that matter, France or even Egypt. The rude and agressive drivers in Oaxaca City , where there is nowhere to go in a car, is indicative of an uncivilized sub-sociiety unaquainted with even a modicum of civility on the road. What is amazing is that. as pedestrians one might pass on the sidewalk, Oaxaquenos are polite and defferential. Why is that town such a trial through which to drive and why are most of the neighborhoods so noisy (as in drivers desperatley trying to get from nowhere to another nowhere gunning their cars noisily and unecessarily to acheive nothing) , polluted and unpleasant? 

The town we chose, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, is far more civilized in comparison (in our view). It´s a shame because Oaxaca City is the urban area we came here from California in which to settle and we had never even heard of San Cristóbal when we got here in 2001. It´s a bit colder than Oaxaca City but at least we are not joining other " ancient hip gringos" sitting around the Oaxaca zocalo all day sipping cervezas and pretending we know where we are.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

By USA or Canadian standards, there isn't "good" medical care offered in either Oaxaca city or las Casas. las Casas is rooted in Guatemala more than it is in Mexico, so if your interest is Mexico... the choice is clear. Oaxaca. If someone hasn't traveled much in Mexico and thinks Oaxaca is representative of the country .. I'll suggest they explore a bit more before making a final choice. Mexico is a country which offers more than one finds in Oaxaca. To each his/her own, though ... and I understand that. A good forum for Oaxaca state is found at The Pacific Coast of Oaxaca, Mexico


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Chiapas is just as part of Mexico as Texas is part of the US or Alsace part of France : border states are influenced by the country they border but they are part of the country. I do not find any anything inTuxtla resembling Guatemala and if you travel through Guatemala and come back via Chiapas there is no doubt that Chiapas is part of Mexico. There is more to Mexico than the interior.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

Deleted by the poster as as having been assigned improperly inadvertently.


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