# Expats in Uruapan?



## HolyMole

For my wife and I, from the little we know, Uruapan appears to have many things going for it as a location for permanent residence:
--high enough in altitude and far enough from the coast to avoid the really oppressive heat and humidity
--not so high in altitude that winters are too cold, (like Patzcuaro, for example)
--large enough to have some of the "big box" stores when needed
--close to Patzcuaro for atmosphere, and to Morelia for big-city conveniences and cultural life
--only a 2-3 hour drive to the beaches of Troncones and Zihuatanejo
--beyond the 50 or 60 km (or whatever the distance is) from the coast, so real estate can be purchased freehold instead of through a bank trust
--a small enough (we imagine) ****** community that its presence has not distorted home prices and rents, as the ****** presence has in so many other areas of Mexico.

We would be interested in hearing from any expats with knowledge of Uruapan as a permanent place to live for a couple of Canadian retirees with a fairly limited knowledge of Spanish and less-than-deep pockets.


----------



## RVGRINGO

You have done your homework well. Michoacan is a beautiful state and Uruapan is a very nice city; we have visited there several times and always enjoy it. You would need to learn Spanish to live there and I'm not aware of any expat presence in Uruapan, other than visitors. I do suspect that you would need some heat in the winter, probably a small propane heater. If you have not visited yet, that would be my first suggestion; to visit once in mid-summer and again in December or January for a week or so each time. That would give you a sense of the weather differences and enough time to explore the city.


----------



## AdePuebla

We lived in Nueva Italia (which is about a 45 minute drive from Uruapan) and went to Uruapan quite a few times since it was the closest biggish city to us. You are right, it is not too big but it's not too small. The weather there is perfect. it was nice because NI was soooooooooooooooo so very hot. It is beautiful there, lots of trees. We went to the Parque Nacional, which was beautiful and calming.


----------



## Queretaro

I have a friend who was a fellow Peace Corps volunteer who is still living in Uruapan with his Mexican wife. He knows the area pretty well, if you are interested in contacting him, send me a PM and can get you his info.


----------



## lindstr7

Hi, its now 2011 and saw your post re Urapan. Have you moved there? Trying to get information from expats who may have relocated there. Any info you can offer would be helpful. Thanks.




HolyMole said:


> For my wife and I, from the little we know, Uruapan appears to have many things going for it as a location for permanent residence:
> --high enough in altitude and far enough from the coast to avoid the really oppressive heat and humidity
> --not so high in altitude that winters are too cold, (like Patzcuaro, for example)
> --large enough to have some of the "big box" stores when needed
> --close to Patzcuaro for atmosphere, and to Morelia for big-city conveniences and cultural life
> --only a 2-3 hour drive to the beaches of Troncones and Zihuatanejo
> --beyond the 50 or 60 km (or whatever the distance is) from the coast, so real estate can be purchased freehold instead of through a bank trust
> --a small enough (we imagine) ****** community that its presence has not distorted home prices and rents, as the ****** presence has in so many other areas of Mexico.
> 
> We would be interested in hearing from any expats with knowledge of Uruapan as a permanent place to live for a couple of Canadian retirees with a fairly limited knowledge of Spanish and less-than-deep pockets.


----------



## HolyMole

*Uruapan ?*



lindstr7 said:


> Hi, its now 2011 and saw your post re Urapan. Have you moved there? Trying to get information from expats who may have relocated there. Any info you can offer would be helpful. Thanks.


Wow. talk about old postings coming back to haunt you.

Since July/09 we've been to Uruapan only twice - both times just overnight hotel stops on the way south to Zihuatanejo. As a result, we still haven't seen much of the city at all, except that we seem to get lost every time we try to get out of Uruapan, and end up seeing large parts of town we had no intention of seeing.

Our plans to relocate permanently to Mexico are on-hold for several reasons. First, we find that we can afford 5 or 6 months every winter in Mexico and the other 6 or 7 months back here in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. Not a bad lifestyle. Second, we anticipate problems selling our little townhouse in Canada, or getting a reasonable price - and we would have to sell in order to relocate. Third, there's the ever-present healthcare issue. As it is, we try and get all our medical issues cleared up during our half-year back home.

One lasting impression we have from our 3 brief stops in Uruapan over the past few years, (always in late October or early November) is how chilly it's always been in the evenings and early mornings. I think we've decided we prefer a " shorts, t-shirts and flipflops" kind of lifestyle. From the strange looks that kind of garb gets in places like Uruapan, Patzcuaro or San Cristobal de las Casas, we realize we belong back in the beach towns. Now if they could just do something about the heat and humidity from May-to-October.......


----------



## sparks

Things have changed a lot since 2009 and Uruapan is very close to some of the nastiest drug cartel warfare in Mexico. I would pass on much of Michoacan


----------



## HolyMole

sparks said:


> Things have changed a lot since 2009 and Uruapan is very close to some of the nastiest drug cartel warfare in Mexico. I would pass on much of Michoacan


The list of places in Mexico to "pass on" due to cartel violence is getting longer. It's no longer restricted to border areas, or large cities. A friend who wintered in Mazatlan for years decided to go to the Nayarit coast this past winter to avoid what he saw as an unacceptable escalation of incidents in Mazatlan, but now even places like Tepic have seen their own incidents. A week or so ago, just 20-odd miles south of my own wintering spot, Zihuatanejo in Guerrero, there was a shoot-out between alleged narcos and police/armed forces that left 13 dead. 

Any mention of this situation on Mexico message boards usually brings a horde of outraged, (and predictable), generic responses: "Hey, it's still a lot safer in Mexico than it is in (insert anytown USA)...... ".
These protests are wearing thin.


----------



## JoParsons

*Moving to Uruapan*

I don't know how to PM you, but I'd be grateful for a contact in Uruapan who can give me some really helpful hints. I'd like to have an apartment rented before I get there but don't know about which barrio is best. Thanks for any information you can give me.



Queretaro said:


> I have a friend who was a fellow Peace Corps volunteer who is still living in Uruapan with his Mexican wife. He knows the area pretty well, if you are interested in contacting him, send me a PM and can get you his info.


lane:


----------



## TundraGreen

JoParsons said:


> I don't know how to PM you...


PM sent.


----------



## tepetapan

HolyMole said:


> The list of places in Mexico to "pass on" due to cartel violence is getting longer. It's no longer restricted to border areas, or large cities. A friend who wintered in Mazatlan for years decided to go to the Nayarit coast this past winter to avoid what he saw as an unacceptable escalation of incidents in Mazatlan, but now even places like Tepic have seen their own incidents. A week or so ago, just 20-odd miles south of my own wintering spot, Zihuatanejo in Guerrero, there was a shoot-out between alleged narcos and police/armed forces that left 13 dead.
> 
> Any mention of this situation on Mexico message boards usually brings a horde of outraged, (and predictable), generic responses: "Hey, it's still a lot safer in Mexico than it is in (insert anytown USA)...... ".
> These protests are wearing thin.


 You know what the Mexico Marines call 13 bad guys that are dead??..... a good day!:clap2:


----------



## HolyMole

tepetapan said:


> You know what the Mexico Marines call 13 bad guys that are dead??..... a good day!:clap2:


That's exactly what local gringos said. For several years they (local gringos) could get away with the old "there's no narco-violence here - it's all in the northern border cities" argument. When it hits close to home, they're still intent on putting a positive spin on things: "The good guys won!" - as if this is the Wild West, which it obviously is.


----------



## JoParsons

*So many thanks*

I haven't heard from your friend yet; but I've contacted two hotels about extended stays. I've found other information while locating them. I appreciate your advice of waiting to rent long-term until after I'm there. Thanks again. This does feel much more comfortable.lane:



TundraGreen said:


> PM sent.


----------



## JoParsons

*To thank you*

I wanted to get back to you and let you know that your friend from the Peace Corps has become an invaluable asset in my moving to Uruapan. I hope I'm not abusing him with all my questions; but he says not. Thank you again for the introduction.

Jolane:


Queretaro said:


> I have a friend who was a fellow Peace Corps volunteer who is still living in Uruapan with his Mexican wife. He knows the area pretty well, if you are interested in contacting him, send me a PM and can get you his info.


----------



## TundraGreen

JoParsons said:


> I wanted to get back to you and let you know that your friend from the Peace Corps has become an invaluable asset in my moving to Uruapan. I hope I'm not abusing him with all my questions; but he says not. Thank you again for the introduction.
> 
> Jolane:


He is a good guy. I am glad he is able to help you.


----------



## JoParsons

Has anyone else moved or decided to move to Uruapan lately? My flight is getting closer . . . October 29. I've had some of the most helpful information and guidance from people here and from friends of people here. 

I'm staying at the Hotel Plaza Uruapan for 2 weeks while I search for a place to stay. I'm considering hiring a translator for a short period while I look. 

Any tips from anyone will be most appreciated. My blog of my new life is at Home - On The Road to Mexico.


----------



## RVGRINGO

We like the restaurant at Hotel Plaza, but can't afford to stay there. Instead, we use Hotel Nueva Alameda, just off the square.
Uruapan is a nice city; though a bit cool for our old bones in the winter.


----------



## JoParsons

*Hotel Plaza Uruapan*

Nice to know the restaurant is good. I'll check out the Hotel Nueva Alameda. 



RVGRINGO said:


> We like the restaurant at Hotel Plaza, but can't afford to stay there. Instead, we use Hotel Nueva Alameda, just off the square.
> Uruapan is a nice city; though a bit cool for our old bones in the winter.


----------



## JoParsons

*I made it to uruapan*

I'm here, in my hotel room overlooking the main plaza with music playing and a view of the cathedral. It was quite a journey and I was afraid to speak the little spanish I do know but I'm doing it because I have to. I'll start apartment hunting tomorrow or the next day. This festival of the dead is making it a tad crowded in town. 



JoParsons said:


> I don't know how to PM you, but I'd be grateful for a contact in Uruapan who can give me some really helpful hints. I'd like to have an apartment rented before I get there but don't know about which barrio is best. Thanks for any information you can give me.
> 
> 
> 
> lane:


----------



## Isla Verde

JoParsons said:


> I'm here, in my hotel room overlooking the main plaza with music playing and a view of the cathedral. It was quite a journey and I was afraid to speak the little spanish I do know but I'm doing it because I have to. I'll start apartment hunting tomorrow or the next day. This festival of the dead is making it a tad crowded in town.


Since tomorrow and Wednesday are official Mexican holidays, you may find it hard to do apartment hunting then. I would imagine real estate offices will be closed,and anyone with an apartment to rent privately will be busy with family stuff.


----------



## JoParsons

*I'm getting that*

Thanks, I do believe you are right. So, darn, I'll just have to walk around and soak up the culture for a couple days.



Isla Verde said:


> Since tomorrow and Wednesday are official Mexican holidays, you may find it hard to do apartment hunting then. I would imagine real estate offices will be closed,and anyone with an apartment to rent privately will be busy with family stuff.


:clap2::clap2:


----------



## Isla Verde

JoParsons said:


> Thanks, I do believe you are right. So, darn, I'll just have to walk around and soak up the culture for a couple days.
> :clap2::clap2:


The holiday will give you a chance to scout out possible locations where you'd like to live.


----------



## Hound Dog

HolyMole said:


> Any mention of this situation on Mexico message boards usually brings a horde of outraged, (and predictable), generic responses: "Hey, it's still a lot safer in Mexico than it is in (insert anytown USA)...... ".
> These protests are wearing thin.


So, HM, you find these observations to be "wearing thin". Well, OK, we live in Ajijic on Lake Chapala and in the historic center of San Cristóbal de Las Casas well known as the home of the Zapatista uprising and a place with present day notable civil unrest just a couple of hours from the Guatemala border and we have lived in Mexico for over ten years and know it fairly well despite its many complexities - especially in Chiapas. Let me state, although it may be wearing thin with you, that Mexico is a hell of a lot safer than "anytown" USA and that´s a fact. I, The Dawg, am not outraged but I have spent countless hours or even days in the most dangerous and unsettled urban and rural areas of Mexico from the Lacandon jungle to the dangerous pricincts of Mexico City and I spent many years as a banker in Central Oakland and San Francisco and Mobile and will state emphatically that it is a hell of a lot safer in Mexico than in those U.S. places. No contest. Sorry if that information wears thin with you.

By the way - I really like Uruapan and find in the most attractive city with the best climate in Michoacan and wouldn´t give you two cents for Morelia or Pátzcuaro but more about that later.


----------



## JoParsons

OMG I have a quandry regarding complaining about bugs. I'm staying at the Hotel Plaza Uruapan and at 800 pesos a night, I think I can expect an insect free room and bed. There's some tiny ants all over the counters and some little jumping bugs in the sheets. Should I expect more or beg for mercy???


----------



## Isla Verde

JoParsons said:


> OMG I have a quandry regarding complaining about bugs. I'm staying at the Hotel Plaza Uruapan and at 800 pesos a night, I think I can expect an insect free room and bed. There's some tiny ants all over the counters and some little jumping bugs in the sheets. Should I expect more or beg for mercy???


Here's a good chance to practice your Spanish by expressing your displeasure about sharing your room with insects with the management of the hotel.


----------



## TundraGreen

JoParsons said:


> OMG I have a quandry regarding complaining about bugs. I'm staying at the Hotel Plaza Uruapan and at 800 pesos a night, I think I can expect an insect free room and bed. There's some tiny ants all over the counters and some little jumping bugs in the sheets. Should I expect more or beg for mercy???


You should expect more. I have stayed in some really cheap hotel rooms and never had to put up with bugs in the sheets. Ants are always a problem but they shouldn't be in a hotel room unless they are leaving food around. Ask for another room. If that doesn't help, look for a new hotel.


----------



## JoParsons

*Ants*

Thanks guys; I'm translating my note now.


----------



## Isla Verde

JoParsons said:


> Thanks guys; I'm translating my note now.


Let us know if you need any help.


----------



## JoParsons

*New Room; no creatures but me*

I'm in a new room with a view of the national park. Gorgeous. So happy to be here; lots going on in the plaza. Music all night and dancing late last night. So, I'll blog later if I can get back on the internet. 



Isla Verde said:


> Let us know if you need any help.


----------



## Hound Dog

How did this thread about Uruapan deteriorate into a complaint about bugs? I´ll admit that Uruapan is hardly a city worthy of extended conversation being something of an urban dump of little or no consequence but - bugs? 

Nobody who is serious about living really wants to live in Uruapan and this may be the only place where imbeciles can even argue the point. 

So far, the town is mostly famous for having been the place where some goons rolled six recently excised human heads across a bar dance floor like it was a bowling alley. Nice craphole, no? 

Michoacan should be de-stated and designated a war zone under martial law.


----------



## TundraGreen

Hound Dog said:


> How did this thread about Uruapan deteriorate into a complaint about bugs? I´ll admit that Uruapan is hardly a city worthy of extended conversation being something of an urban dump of little or no consequence but - bugs?
> 
> Nobody who is serious about living really wants to live in Uruapan and this may be the only place where imbeciles can even argue the point.
> 
> So far, the town is mostly famous for having been the place where some goons rolled six recently excised human heads across a bar dance floor like it was a bowling alley. Nice craphole, no?
> 
> Michoacan should be de-stated and designated a war zone under martial law.


What happened to you in Uruapan and Michoacan? Or are you pulling our collective leg. Uruapan is a perfectly decent place, and Michoacan is a great state with lots of interesting places.


----------



## Hound Dog

TundraGreen said:


> What happened to you in Uruapan and Michoacan? Or are you pulling our collective leg. Uruapan is a perfectly decent place, and Michoacan is a great state with lots of interesting places.


Well said, TG. Of course, you are right. Michoacan is a fascinating state and, to be honest, Uruapan is one of my favorite cities in that state. Actually, I suppose it is my favorite urban area in the state. I must have been in a sour mood when I wrote that. I would delete my post altogether if I still had that option. 

To make up for my unfortunate post, may I suggest that readers unfamiliar with Michoacan drive from the Guadalajara-Mexico City Autopista down through Nuevo Italia and the Tierra Caliente to Zihuatanejo with a stop off in Uruapan for a couple of days. The city sits in a beautiful agricultural valley with many avocado and macademia orchards and a fascinating river oriented park. A splendid place. 

Frankly, I don´t believe I wrote that disparaging post about this city but that my evil twin, Dr. Hyde wrote that inappropriate comment. He is banned as of now.


----------



## JoParsons

Hound Dog said:


> How did this thread about Uruapan deteriorate into a complaint about bugs? I´ll admit that Uruapan is hardly a city worthy of extended conversation being something of an urban dump of little or no consequence but - bugs?
> 
> Nobody who is serious about living really wants to live in Uruapan and this may be the only place where imbeciles can even argue the point.
> 
> So far, the town is mostly famous for having been the place where some goons rolled six recently excised human heads across a bar dance floor like it was a bowling alley. Nice craphole, no?
> 
> Michoacan should be de-stated and designated a war zone under martial law.


Why are you on this thread? I just moved to uruapan and am unsure about what to expect. ***Excised***


----------



## Hound Dog

JoParsons said:


> Why are you on this thread? I just moved to uruapan and am unsure about what to expect. Please go away.


Just so others reading these posts will know; Jo´s quote of my earlier remark failed to note that I subsequently posted a comment in which I made it clear that my comment about Uruapan and Michoacan in general was off base and that, in fact, I am quite fond of the place despite the recent excessive violence there instigated by some narco gangs. Those of you who read Jo´s remark should read up the thread if you are to understand the context of my remarks which, frankly, were a bit over the top.

That having been said, Dawg is amazed that someone would move to a town about which they no so little as to be taken aback by the remarks of someone who lives in Jalisco and Chiapas but not in Michoacan. Her statement that she just moved to Uruapan and doesn´t yet know what to expect is astonishing.

I am reminded of some events in our past and am not addressing these anecdotes to Jo but to others still planning to move to Mexico or any other place foreign to them. The point will be that one should have some idea of where they are moving before making any commitments to actually move to that place whereever it may be. 

Just last week, while we were traveling between San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas and Lake Chapala in Jalisco, we stopped off for the evening in Tehuantepec, Oaxaca on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and had made some plans to take a drive the next day from Tehuantepec to the indigenous villages of San Mateo del Mar and Santa Maria del Mar on the sea and also bordering the Laguna Superior just east of Salina Cruz. We were fortunate enough to meet a local from Tehuantepec who we knew from previous artisan´s fairs and told him of our plans to visit these two remote villages with an eye toward renting a beach front home this next January to live in for a couple of weeks when things were getting a bit too chilly in the mountains of Chiapas where we live in the winter. He was alarmed at this idea and warned us that the villages of San Mateo and Santa Maria were virtually at war with each other; that San Mateo had cut off the road to Santa Maria and that they were actually killing each other. It is fine to visit, said he, but you do not want to rent and live there at present because there is this war going on and you don´t belong there.

I am also reminded of a story from Corsica where my wife and I have French relatives from the Loire Valley who live there in the winter. These relatives live in Bonafacio seasonally and have for a number of years. They always have told us that if we visit Corsica as tourists with relatives on that island, that we must never presume that those strangers with whom we are speaking are either friends or blood enemies of the people we are planning to visit. Corsica is, after all, the land of the blood vendetta and one never knows whether one is conversing with a friend or sworn enemy if one is a stranger in that land.

For those of you planning to move to Mexico but, as yet, uncommitted to any particular place, do not plan to move to a place with which you are unfamiliar as was Jo with Uruapan according to her own remarks. In my previous comment I was not kidding about the excised human heads being used like bowling balls on a Uruapan dance floor a few months ago. That doesn´t mean that Uruapan is a bad place but don´t think it is going to improve just because you, as Jo, wish Dawg would just go away and not tell you of these incidents that define a town.

I think Uruapan is an attractive city in a beautiful valley but I, who live maybe three hours from there, would think twice before I moved to such a place. There is a war going on there and who needs that.


----------



## JoParsons

The world has so many idiots in it. This site has been so valuable to me, not only for the advice and support of those who use the site; but for those I've been introduced to who live in the Uruapan area. That I have been on this site for months and just now find an idiot is amazing. I couldn't possibly, nor and I going to try to ramble on as you do. I was advised to not have any expectations when I moved down here; so my ignorance about local practices doesn't seem so astonishing. I just ask that you not respond to any more of my posts.


----------



## AlanMexicali

*Pátzcuaro*



Hound Dog said:


> Just so others reading these posts will know; Jo´s quote of my earlier remark failed to note that I subsequently posted a comment in which I made it clear that my comment about Uruapan and Michoacan in general was off base and that, in fact, I am quite fond of the place despite the recent excessive violence there instigated by some narco gangs. Those of you who read Jo´s remark should read up the thread if you are to understand the context of my remarks which, frankly, were a bit over the top.
> 
> That having been said, Dawg is amazed that someone would move to a town about which they no so little as to be taken aback by the remarks of someone who lives in Jalisco and Chiapas but not in Michoacan. Her statement that she just moved to Uruapan and doesn´t yet know what to expect is astonishing.
> 
> I am reminded of some events in our past and am not addressing these anecdotes to Jo but to others still planning to move to Mexico or any other place foreign to them. The point will be that one should have some idea of where they are moving before making any commitments to actually move to that place whereever it may be.
> 
> Just last week, while we were traveling between San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas and Lake Chapala in Jalisco, we stopped off for the evening in Tehuantepec, Oaxaca on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and had made some plans to take a drive the next day from Tehuantepec to the indigenous villages of San Mateo del Mar and Santa Maria del Mar on the sea and also bordering the Laguna Superior just east of Salina Cruz. We were fortunate enough to meet a local from Tehuantepec who we knew from previous artisan´s fairs and told him of our plans to visit these two remote villages with an eye toward renting a beach front home this next January to live in for a couple of weeks when things were getting a bit too chilly in the mountains of Chiapas where we live in the winter. He was alarmed at this idea and warned us that the villages of San Mateo and Santa Maria were virtually at war with each other; that San Mateo had cut off the road to Santa Maria and that they were actually killing each other. It is fine to visit, said he, but you do not want to rent and live there at present because there is this war going on and you don´t belong there.
> 
> I am also reminded of a story from Corsica where my wife and I have French relatives from the Loire Valley who live there in the winter. These relatives live in Bonafacio seasonally and have for a number of years. They always have told us that if we visit Corsica as tourists with relatives on that island, that we must never presume that those strangers with whom we are speaking are either friends or blood enemies of the people we are planning to visit. Corsica is, after all, the land of the blood vendetta and one never knows whether one is conversing with a friend or sworn enemy if one is a stranger in that land.
> 
> For those of you planning to move to Mexico but, as yet, uncommitted to any particular place, do not plan to move to a place with which you are unfamiliar as was Jo with Uruapan according to her own remarks. In my previous comment I was not kidding about the excised human heads being used like bowling balls on a Uruapan dance floor a few months ago. That doesn´t mean that Uruapan is a bad place but don´t think it is going to improve just because you, as Jo, wish Dawg would just go away and not tell you of these incidents that define a town.
> 
> I think Uruapan is an attractive city in a beautiful valley but I, who live maybe three hours from there, would think twice before I moved to such a place. There is a war going on there and who needs that.


Thank you for telling it like it is. I also was in Morelia, Pátzcuaro and Uruapan 1 1/2 years ago on our honeymoon to Iztapa. We planned our trip to match our reservation at the Emporo Hotel at the beach and left Morelia after a couple nights for Pátzcuaros with the plan to spend the night in Pátzcuaro. However when getting up the mountain to there the rain was too intense to do anything but drive around for 45 mins. So because it was early morning keep going and ended up in Uruapan by 11 or so and it was dry. Took a long walk around and got a room. I have to say there was news of some raids in the mountains near there and after in those days for drug production by military and things were heating up quite a bit in Michoacan, false roadblocks and violence started occurring daily and the plaza at Pátzcuaro was occupied by narcos for a day about 9 or 10 months ago. I was going to advise Jo not to mention the growing or cooking drugs when there in a negative tone as ones friend's or family there might be involved. Don't say anything. Good you have brought it out in the open.


----------



## JoParsons

OMG another one


----------



## TundraGreen

Hound Dog said:


> ...Her statement that she just moved to Uruapan and doesn´t yet know what to expect is astonishing....


None of us really know what to expect when we first move somewhere. It doesn't surprise me that someone who arrived somewhere three days ago would still be trying to get their sea legs.


----------



## TundraGreen

This thread is skating on the edge of including personal attacks. Please keep the discussion focussed on the issues and refrain from editorializing about your fellow posters or their choices or what they should or should not do or have done.


----------



## AlanMexicali

*Please*



JoParsons said:


> OMG another one


I am not criticizing your motives for doing what your heart desires, but am just chatting about the area and it's makeup and what the macho culture there considers acceptable. It is not a cosmopolitan Mexico city. It is a place of deep roots in survival of the fittest., just like Sinaloa. Sorry to have been a bore again.


----------



## Isla Verde

JoParsons said:


> OMG another one


Another one, Jo. Do you mean someone else who has posted some negative information about Uruapan? While I am not one who appreciates media and individuals who focus only on the current problems in Mexico caused by the drug wars, it is a fact that certain parts of Mexico are suffering from the actions of the narcotraficantes, and, unfortunately, Uruapan is in one of these areas. It isn't wise to totally discount posts that mention possible problems and dangers in your new home.


----------



## Hound Dog

TundraGreen said:


> This thread is skating on the edge of including personal attacks. Please keep the discussion focussed on the issues and refrain from editorializing about your fellow posters or their choices or what they should or should not do or have done.


TG:

I don´t see where this thread has become an attack on anyone. 

This Jo person has moved to the city of Uruapan and tells us she in unfamiliar with the place. Who moves to a place as violent as Uruapan without any knowledge of where they are moving? That doesn´t make any sense. The fact is that Uruapan has been the scene of much obscene violence peripheral to the disgusting drug trade in the state of Michoacan. Michoacan is a state currently beset by incredible violence. Who would move there unless they were incredibly naive? 

OK, folks. Tell me I´m wrong. Not Jo; she is living among the clouds. Those of you with real experience pass it on.


----------



## AlanMexicali

*Mexicali was under siege*



Hound Dog said:


> TG:
> 
> I don´t see where this thread has become an attack on anyone.
> 
> This Jo person has moved to the city of Uruapan and tells us she in unfamiliar with the place. Who moves to a place as violent as Uruapan without any knowledge of where they are moving? That doesn´t make any sense. The fact is that Uruapan has been the scene of much obscene violence peripheral to the disgusting drug trade in the state of Michoacan. Michoacan is a state currently beset by incredible violence. Who would move there unless they were incredibly naive?
> 
> OK, folks. Tell me I´m wrong. Not Jo; she is living among the clouds. Those of you with real experience pass it on.


I was very cautious when Mexicali and TJ were having the war against two rival cartels, the Federal Police and Military. We got used to the news reports and seeing swat like dressed caravans of police and military flying through the streets and Federal Police dressed like this having breaks in our corner OXXO with machine guns and uzis and ski masks. I really thought it would never end. However it did end, at least in Mexicali more than 2 years ago and is a fraction of what it was in TJ. In 2006 in TJ most of the higher ranking Municipal police were assassinated and a couple State Secretaries etc. I passed by an assassination of a ex State Secretary in Mexicali a few minutes after it happen at 12 noon on a Saturday beside a big mall at the Pemex. Drove past 3 gun battles where they were firing into houses and the TV news showed many more. Saw a car in the middle of the street with drugs piled high on the roof and surrounded my police etc. The narcos would drive around in made to look like the Federal Police black Ford Expeditions with the siren, uniforms and light flashing at one point that people didn't know if they were real or not on their way to do battle with the other cartel. The cartels moto is "Plata o plomo" "Silver or lead" when approaching people they want to corrupt.


----------



## TundraGreen

Hound Dog said:


> TG:
> 
> I don´t see where this thread has become an attack on anyone.
> 
> This Jo person has moved to the city of Uruapan and tells us she in unfamiliar with the place. Who moves to a place as violent as Uruapan without any knowledge of where they are moving? That doesn´t make any sense. The fact is that Uruapan has been the scene of much obscene violence peripheral to the disgusting drug trade in the state of Michoacan. Michoacan is a state currently beset by incredible violence. Who would move there unless they were incredibly naive?
> 
> OK, folks. Tell me I´m wrong. Not Jo; she is living among the clouds. Those of you with real experience pass it on.


Chapala was the site of a grenade attack in a bar not long ago. The Chapala-Guadalajara Carretera has been blockaded by narcotraficantes. Are all the ex-pats living near Lake Chapala naive? There is violence in lots of places. I would not hesitate to live in Michoacan or in Uruapan. I spent some time in Ciudad Juarez this year. It is billed as the murder capital of the world. But nevertheless, ordinary people live ordinary lives there. The winner of the Torreon marathon last year was from Ciudad Juarez. It is not all drug gangs. Jo had extensive discussions with someone who lived in Uruapan recently. She knew what she was doing.


----------



## Hound Dog

JoParsons said:


> The world has so many idiots in it. .... That I have been on this site for months and just now find an idiot is amazing.....


Welcome to Earth.


----------



## JoParsons

Well, I'm in Uruapan and I have the most awful cold . . . my resistance must be down and I've probably come across some new "bugs" here that don't exist in the US. Or . . . often I get sick with a bad cold because I need to slow down. So, easy does it for a couple days. My friend's friend's daughter can't help me until this weekend anyway. Okay, I'm off to find Mucinex(mex). 

Mas tarde,


----------



## RVGRINGO

Look for "Mucosolvan" in any farmacia or large grocery with a farmacia.


----------



## AlanMexicali

*Antiflu Des*



JoParsons said:


> Well, I'm in Uruapan and I have the most awful cold . . . my resistance must be down and I've probably come across some new "bugs" here that don't exist in the US. Or . . . often I get sick with a bad cold because I need to slow down. So, easy does it for a couple days. My friend's friend's daughter can't help me until this weekend anyway. Okay, I'm off to find Mucinex(mex).
> 
> Mas tarde,


I just got over a bad cold 2 weeks ago , probably a respiratory infection, I took Amoxicillin in Mexico labeled Amoxicilina/Acido clavulanico for respiratory infections. I was told to get Antiflu Des after the first days of feeling bad and it worked as well as anything in the US. The time before I took 'Next' tabs $30 pesos or less, and it worked also very well.


----------



## Hound Dog

TundraGreen said:


> Chapala was the site of a grenade attack in a bar not long ago. The Chapala-Guadalajara Carretera has been blockaded by narcotraficantes. Are all the ex-pats living near Lake Chapala naive? QUOTE]
> 
> Well, not _ALL _of them.


----------



## JoParsons

I now live in Uruapan and LOVE IT. However, I am adversely affected by the high altitude. I didn't know I would be; having lived the last several years in low-lying places. Damn! If you don't have that problem, Uruapan loves to celebrate with what they call fireworks. I'm getting used to it. The traditional dress of the mercado vendors is absolutely beautiful. The people are so friendly, but few speak English. So, my Spanish is improving. But, when it matters, I can find someone to either help me in English or translate for me. Cost of living is low and if you LOVE avocados and mangos, come here. 

Now, I'm looking for anyone living or having lived in Tepic. Low elevation, but not on the coast. A little warm for me, but everything else sure seems to click with my priorities. Can anyone give me any information?


----------



## TundraGreen

JoParsons said:


> I now live in Uruapan and LOVE IT. However, I am adversely affected by the high altitude. I didn't know I would be; having lived the last several years in low-lying places. Damn! If you don't have that problem, Uruapan loves to celebrate with what they call fireworks. I'm getting used to it. The traditional dress of the mercado vendors is absolutely beautiful. The people are so friendly, but few speak English. So, my Spanish is improving. But, when it matters, I can find someone to either help me in English or translate for me. Cost of living is low and if you LOVE avocados and mangos, come here.
> 
> Now, I'm looking for anyone living or having lived in Tepic. Low elevation, but not on the coast. A little warm for me, but everything else sure seems to click with my priorities. Can anyone give me any information?


Hi Jo,

I have another friend who spent a couple of years in Tepic. I can write to him and ask him to get in touch with you if he wants to.


----------



## JoParsons

That would be so great; thanks.


----------



## TundraGreen

JoParsons said:


> That would be so great; thanks.


I sent your email address to him. If he is willing you will hear from him.


----------



## JoParsons

He did contact me. Thanks so much. You are a wealth of info.


----------

