# Is 500 pesos / day a decent wage ?



## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

So we live in a house which was built by a Swiss guy - maybe 20 years ago. It is kind of like a Swiss chalet that someone took a mallet to - to flatten. The roof structure of the house is many many vigas. It has probably been perhaps 10 years since the exterior (the part exposed to weather) of the vigas were serviced. So a friend recommended a carpenter who had done similar work for him. The guy came and sized the job and quoted 2 people @ 500 pesos each for a 9 to 5 workday - hour off for lunch - perhaps 12 workdays.

He is here now working but he is having trouble finding a helper. Yesterday I was the helper - applying two coats of varnish (the easy part I know) as we go.

I thought 500 pesos for a day's work was a fair wage for a carpenter's helper ? Yes there is dust - but we have masks. And you couldn't ask for better weather to work in.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

It sounds very generous to me.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Sounds about right for the carpenter but a helper in my area usually gets about 200 a day, what area are you in?


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

I was shocked at the labor cost my landlord paid to have two apartment build over those on the ground floor. He paid the master and the worker each 4,000 pesos a month and these guys worked hard. The landlord also fed them lunch. What I don't know is if these workers got kickbacks from the provider of cement and concrete blocks.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

chicois8 said:


> Sounds about right for the carpenter but a helper in my area usually gets about 200 a day, what area are you in?


Morelos - eternal spring ! I'm not sure if he is passing along the 500 pesos - or if this is some sort of extortion for MORE (which I doubt to be the case).


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

chuck846 said:


> So we live in a house which was built by a Swiss guy - maybe 20 years ago. It is kind of like a Swiss chalet that someone took a mallet to - to flatten. The roof structure of the house is many many vigas. It has probably been perhaps 10 years since the exterior (the part exposed to weather) of the vigas were serviced. So a friend recommended a carpenter who had done similar work for him. The guy came and sized the job and quoted 2 people @ 500 pesos each for a 9 to 5 workday - hour off for lunch - perhaps 12 workdays.
> 
> He is here now working but he is having trouble finding a helper. Yesterday I was the helper - applying two coats of varnish (the easy part I know) as we go.
> 
> I thought 500 pesos for a day's work was a fair wage for a carpenter's helper ? Yes there is dust - but we have masks. And you couldn't ask for better weather to work in.


I agree with others. $500/day is good for a crew chief; it is high for an assistant. I have a guy that helps me. Sometimes he works alone; sometimes we work together. He started at $350/day and I raised him to $400/day about a year ago. He usually works 7 hours a day, 9 to 5 with an hour off for lunch, three days a week. I probably should pay him more but he gets a few other benefits and seems satisfied with the arrangement. We often split a caguama after work and last year I loaned him some money interest free to buy a Harley.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

TundraGreen said:


> I agree with others. $500/day is good for a crew chief; it is high for an assistant. I have a guy that helps me. Sometimes he works alone; sometimes we work together. He started at $350/day and I raised him to $400/day about a year ago. He usually works 7 hours a day, 9 to 5 with an hour off for lunch, three days a week. I probably should pay him more but he gets a few other benefits and seems satisfied with the arrangement. We often split a caguama after work and last year I loaned him some money interest free to buy a Harley.


I should add that the relationship I have with this carpenter is VERY temporary and we do not intend on providing any sort of termination pay / health care etc... We went down the share lunch with a gardener early on - never again.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

chuck846 said:


> I should add that the relationship I have with this carpenter is VERY temporary and we do not intend on providing any sort of termination pay / health care etc... We went down the share lunch with a gardener early on - never again.


You might want to be careful with the termination pay. If he works for you on a regular basis, I believe you are on the hook for termination pay if you let him go.

Does anyone one know what the law on termination pay is if it is the employee who decides to quit as opposed to the employer letting them go.


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## TurtleToo (Aug 23, 2013)

chuck846 said:


> Morelos - eternal spring ! I'm not sure if he is passing along the 500 pesos - or if this is some sort of extortion for MORE (which I doubt to be the case).


If you are paying him, and he is paying the helper, it's a good bet that the helper is making far less than the $500 you are paying.

.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

TundraGreen said:


> You might want to be careful with the termination pay. If he works for you on a regular basis, I believe you are on the hook for termination pay if you let him go.
> 
> Does anyone one know what the law on termination pay is if it is the employee who decides to quit as opposed to the employer letting them go.


I'm sure that there is no termination pay for a 2 week job.
Even if we have him come back again in another 6 months for another 2 week job - he is a contractor - not an employee.

Just as our fumigator who visits one day a month - for a couple hours.

Here is an opportunity for an expats-mexico sticky.


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## coondawg (May 1, 2014)

chuck846 said:


> I thought 500 pesos for a day's work was a fair wage for a carpenter's helper ? QUOTE]
> 
> That is about $3.50 USD an hour. You are the only one that can judge if that is a fair wage. If you give that amount to the jefe to pay the Chelan, he will not get it all.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

coondawg said:


> chuck846 said:
> 
> 
> > I thought 500 pesos for a day's work was a fair wage for a carpenter's helper ? QUOTE]
> ...


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## coondawg (May 1, 2014)

chuck846 said:


> coondawg said:
> 
> 
> > You are avoiding my question. I specified the task. What is fair compensation ?
> ...


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

chuck846 said:


> I'm sure that there is no termination pay for a 2 week job.
> Even if we have him come back again in another 6 months for another 2 week job - he is a contractor - not an employee.
> 
> Just as our fumigator who visits one day a month - for a couple hours.
> ...


I agree, if someone comes in only occasionally and irregularly, you should have no problems with termination.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

coondawg said:


> chuck846 said:
> 
> 
> > Yep, Chuck, avoiding.
> ...


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## coondawg (May 1, 2014)

chuck846 said:


> coondawg said:
> 
> 
> > And this is your 'family' ? I went years not speaking to close 'family' for less.
> ...


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## qvivar (Mar 20, 2016)

I asked my husband (Mexican, born and raised) about the $500/day carpenter and $500/day helper and he said, 'estan locos', and that only maybe on the carpenter but he would pay $150/day tops for the helper. And he didn't know anything about 'termination pay'. But we don't live near any expat communities or a large city, so that probably makes a difference.


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## RPBHaas (Dec 21, 2011)

*Double*

The amount seems excessive. 500 pesos per day is about double the amount workers receive in my area.

Where is the work located?


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

Chuck is near Cuernavaca and I'm in Tepoztlan, 20 minutes down the road. I think labour costs for construction tend to be more expensive around here than a lot of other regions in Mexico. In this region $500 daily for the jefe is not uncommon, but it would be less for the assistant, based on my experience in Tepoztlan. My (Mexican) husband prefers paying by the job, or by square meter built, rather than the daily wage. He feels the work is done more efficiently that way, and he has more control/predictability over the labour costs.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

ojosazules11 said:


> Chuck is near Cuernavaca and I'm in Tepoztlan, 20 minutes down the road. I think labour costs for construction tend to be more expensive around here than a lot of other regions in Mexico. In this region $500 daily for the jefe is not uncommon, but it would be less for the assistant, based on my experience in Tepoztlan. My (Mexican) husband prefers paying by the job, or by square meter built, rather than the daily wage. He feels the work is done more efficiently that way, and he has more control/predictability over the labour costs.


That would be what we call "a destajo" sometimes the problem with that is quality of the job, they try to finish it fast


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## coondawg (May 1, 2014)

ojosazules11 said:


> Chuck is near Cuernavaca and I'm in Tepoztlan, 20 minutes down the road. I think labour costs for construction tend to be more expensive around here than a lot of other regions in Mexico. In this region $500 daily for the jefe is not uncommon, but it would be less for the assistant, based on my experience in Tepoztlan. My (Mexican) husband prefers paying by the job, or by square meter built, rather than the daily wage. He feels the work is done more efficiently that way, and he has more control/predictability over the labour costs.


I've tried his way, and find that the work became rushed, so they could get more meters done by the end of the week. The quality suffered. 

Now, we do it by the day. If I don't like how you work or your quality that day, I give you an explanation, and an opportunity to do it the way I want it the next day, or I find someone else. Some have decided not to come back the next day. When I find good ones, the next job I use them on, I pay more. Works for us.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

GARYJ65 said:


> That would be what we call "a destajo" sometimes the problem with that is quality of the job, they try to finish it fast


We've done it both ways. I agree, you don't want a rush job where quality suffers. But paying by the day can also mean the workers drag a project out to be paid more in the long run, especially if they don't have another project waiting in the wings... The advantage in our case is that my husband is on-site the whole time, so he has quality control (and he knows construction, as he has done a lot of renovations himself). He has currently found a small crew whose work he is very satisfied with. He finds they work hard, do high quality work, and don't waste materials. He's had workers that he paid by the day, and they did not necessarily do high quality work. I think the most important factor is finding someone who you trust to be honest and who takes pride in doing good work. 

Our little house was originally built by the previous owners (who knew very little about construction), and nothing was squared or plumbed, the materials used were low quality, the work shoddy, etc. I sometimes think it's been almost as expensive to renovate to get it up to standard as if we'd torn it down and started over! (Probably not...) The part of the house he is currently working on had the external walls already built by the previous owners (just a shell), so we are now finishing that. Again, nothing squared or plumbed, Armex in the _castillos_ instead of stronger rebar to be able to support a second level someday. So he's had to do a lot of retrofitting, but at least we know it is now sturdy!


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## dwwhiteside (Apr 17, 2013)

coondawg said:


> I've tried his way, and find that the work became rushed, so they could get more meters done by the end of the week. The quality suffered.
> 
> Now, we do it by the day. If I don't like how you work or your quality that day, I give you an explanation, and an opportunity to do it the way I want it the next day, or I find someone else. Some have decided not to come back the next day. When I find good ones, the next job I use them on, I pay more. Works for us.


We have also done it both ways; paying by the day and paying by the meter. Then there is the third way, paying by the job. This is the best way in my opinion. You find someone you believe is capable of doing the work (this comes with its own challenges) explain your expectations and get a quote for the job. Expectations should include the expected finish date and should also include how, how much and when payments are to be made.

To address the original question, here in Colima, $500 per day would be a bit much for the maestro and way out of line for the chelan. I would expect to pay $400 - $450 for the jefe and around $200 for his helper. I would also expect work to start around 8:00 and finish at around 6:00 with a couple of breaks during the day; maybe half hour to 45 minutes early for breakfast and then an hour or so between 1 and 2 for lunch.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

dwwhiteside said:


> We have also done it both ways; paying by the day and paying by the meter. Then there is the third way, paying by the job. This is the best way in my opinion. You find someone you believe is capable of doing the work (this comes with its own challenges) explain your expectations and get a quote for the job. Expectations should include the expected finish date and should also include how, how much and when payments are to be made.
> 
> To address the original question, here in Colima, $500 per day would be a bit much for the maestro and way out of line for the chelan. I would expect to pay $400 - $450 for the jefe and around $200 for his helper. I would also expect work to start around 8:00 and finish at around 6:00 with a couple of breaks during the day; maybe half hour to 45 minutes early for breakfast and then an hour or so between 1 and 2 for lunch.


We've also done it by the job, such as a specific section of _barda_ (the stone fence around the property). I think the key is to know the work quality and work ethic of the person you are hiring. Or hire them for a smaller job, and if you like how they work, bring them back for some of the bigger projects.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

We pay by the job if we have something made. We are within a long walk of an excellent herrero who has made a lot of different things for us over time. He comes to the house, takes notes / draws pictures. Goes back and determines his cost of materials etc and then calls us with a price.

Perhaps it is my crazy mind but - when someone walks to our front door I expect a cheaper quote for labor than if they drive here. That is usually the case anyway. We have a GREAT albanil, who also does some plumbing and roofing. He also cleans out the cistern / tinaco. We pay him 350 pesos for a half days work (he comes on Saturdays) - but he does very good work. He walks to the door.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

chuck846 said:


> We pay by the job if we have something made. We are within a long walk of an excellent herrero who has made a lot of different things for us over time. He comes to the house, takes notes / draws pictures. Goes back and determines his cost of materials etc and then calls us with a price.
> 
> Perhaps it is my crazy mind but - when someone walks to our front door I expect a cheaper quote for labor than if they drive here. That is usually the case anyway. We have a GREAT albanil, who also does some plumbing and roofing. He also cleans out the cistern / tinaco. We pay him 350 pesos for a half days work (he comes on Saturdays) - but he does very good work. He walks to the door.


I don't understand what the mode of transport has to do with the cost of labor. However, incidentally, the plumber/albanil/painter/assistant that I use all the time carries all his tools around in a big box on the back of his bicycle.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

No one has ever come here via bicycle. Even our guards walk their patrols. I suppose if you were young enough it might be good exercise though.

I guess my point was - when a worker drives a car here - they tend to cost more.


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## el_chavo (Apr 20, 2016)

chuck846 said:


> No one has ever come here via bicycle. Even our guards walk their patrols. I suppose if you were young enough it might be good exercise though.
> 
> I guess my point was - when a worker drives a car here - they tend to cost more.


I am curious if the carpenter is also supplying the tools used for the repair work?


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

el_chavo said:


> I am curious if the carpenter is also supplying the tools used for the repair work?


No - but in fairness there really isn't much more than the 6" dewalt rotary sander - which I already had - and lots of 40 / 60 grit sandpaper. Comex varniz / some sort of chemical for insects / thinner / paint brushes / filler. Perhaps all together we will spend 2000 pesos for materials.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

Well and the ladders - of which we have 3 of various lengths.


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## LuvBugLiz21 (Mar 5, 2016)

That seems fair. You would be paying triple that in the states... The cost of living is just cheaper here, thus so are the wages. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## cscscs007 (Jan 8, 2011)

FYI - I am in the process of house construction now for myself and my father. The daily wage for the supervisor (jefe) is 350 pesos/day. His helper(s) 200 Pesos/day. It is what everyone pays here. 500 pesos for him and 500 for his helper, he is trying to pull a fast one. You can't blame him, it never hurts to ask, heck he might get it.

Also, I ask what is needed for materials and I handle all of the ordering, payment, and delivery of materials. This way they can focus on the job. For my dad's house I hired a construction project manager who must work at the house everyday for 350 pesos/day. 

And Armex are castillos. You order them at different sizes. If someone is sticking rebar in there, this is a waste of money. Of course they will do it however you want, but find someone who will tell you the truth. I am lucky enough to have someone like this but he always says he will do it however I want after our conversations. It works well. 

I prefer to pay by contract, if it is fair both the workers and I are happy at the end result, and I have always gotten good work. It helps to monitor the work, they see you are watching and tend to do a good job. And it sure doesn't hurt to compliment them on the job as it progresses. Everyone likes to hear how good they are, even me.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

cscscs007 said:


> FYI - I am in the process of house construction now for myself and my father. The daily wage for the supervisor (jefe) is 350 pesos/day. His helper(s) 200 Pesos/day. It is what everyone pays here. 500 pesos for him and 500 for his helper, he is trying to pull a fast one. You can't blame him, it never hurts to ask, heck he might get it.
> 
> Also, I ask what is needed for materials and I handle all of the ordering, payment, and delivery of materials. This way they can focus on the job. For my dad's house I hired a construction project manager who must work at the house everyday for 350 pesos/day.
> 
> ...


$500 daily for the maestro or jefe is pretty standard in Morelos, at least in the Cuernavaca / Tepoztlan area. I agree that the same amount for the ayudante is high. 

In terms of the Armex vs rebar - it depends on how high you want to build. The Armex used in the original construction on our house was not adequate to put another floor on top and be sure it was earthquake resistant. The decision to put in rebar to strengthen the castillos was made by my husband (who has done a fair amount of construction) in conjunction with the experienced albañiles and a close family friend who is an architect. Pretty sure everyone was telling the truth. And I'd rather be safe than sorry.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

ojosazules11 said:


> $500 daily for the maestro or jefe is pretty standard in Morelos, at least in the Cuernavaca / Tepoztlan area. I agree that the same amount for the ayudante is high.
> 
> In terms of the Armex vs rebar - it depends on how high you want to build. The Armex used in the original construction on our house was not adequate to put another floor on top and be sure it was earthquake resistant. The decision to put in rebar to strengthen the castillos was made by my husband (who has done a fair amount of construction) in conjunction with the experienced albañiles and a close family friend who is an architect. Pretty sure everyone was telling the truth. And I'd rather be safe than sorry.


Well our jefe solicited the help of his son-in-law to work on our vigas. I generally don't like to watch over people while they are working - but I happened to be cleaning the pool at the time. I watch this 'kid' on the ladder applying varnish to the same 2 ft long viga for 15 minutes. I'll bet he had his eyes closed. I had my big droopy hat on so he couldn't see me see him. 

That was his last day. So I am the new ayudante - and I am dirt cheap. The old man got at least twice as much work done as the kid.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

ojosazules11 said:


> $500 daily for the maestro or jefe is pretty standard in Morelos, at least in the Cuernavaca / Tepoztlan area. I agree that the same amount for the ayudante is high. In terms of the Armex vs rebar - it depends on how high you want to build. The Armex used in the original construction on our house was not adequate to put another floor on top and be sure it was earthquake resistant. The decision to put in rebar to strengthen the castillos was made by my husband (who has done a fair amount of construction) in conjunction with the experienced albañiles and a close family friend who is an architect. Pretty sure everyone was telling the truth. And I'd rather be safe than sorry.


Am I reading it right?
That would be 12,000 pesos a month salary to a maestro de obras?


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

I don't know Gary, seems more like 13,000 Pesos a month...


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

GARYJ65 said:


> Am I reading it right?
> That would be 12,000 pesos a month salary to a maestro de obras?


Yes, according to my husband who has asked around. We are currently paying by the square meter or specific job, and he found a hard-working crew that is doing good work (even my untrained eye can see the difference in quality comparing the recent work to what was done on the original construction). This crew actually charges a little less than what most albañiles are charging in our area. My husband is on site and does all the procurement of materials, etc, shopping around to find the best prices. It's cheaper to go to a place about 15 minutes outside of Tepoz, than the suppliers right here in town. Even so, the cost of cement has gone up in the past 2-3 months due to the decreased value of the peso vs the US$.

Wages for labour in Tepoztlan are definitely more than they seem to be in other parts of Mexico, including the neighbouring Edo. Mexico. They've gone up from a couple of years ago, because I remember they were around $350-400 daily before (for the maestro, about $200 for the ayudante). Maybe it's what the market will bear. Real estate prices have also been steadily increasing in Tepoztlan.

What would the going rate be in Queretaro? And out of curiosity, Gary, do you know what the rate in your area would be by m2 for laying cement block, for _el aplanado_, and for the _castillos y cadenas_?


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

GARYJ65 said:


> Am I reading it right?
> That would be 12,000 pesos a month salary to a maestro de obras?


Here is what we pay in Cuernavaca :

- As I stated earlier - the guy who is servicing (filling/sanding/treating with insecticide/varnishing) our vigas is getting 500 pesos. He shows up at 8:45 and takes an hour for lunch and leaves at around 5PM. He is now managing himself - no helper (well me). 500 pesos is what our Mexican auto mechanic paid the same guy to do the same work on his house. In fact he paid more because he paid 500 pesos for a half-day's work on Saturday. We take Saturdays off. He is NOT a carpenter (it turns out).

- When the albanil comes (as needed) we pay him 350 pesos for a half days work. He pretty much brings his own tools - and does excellent work. He was referred by a Mexican neighbor.

- When the fumigator comes (for the garden) he spends between 2-3 hours spraying the trees etc. We buy the chemicals - he brings his backpack sprayer. We pay him 600 pesos twice a month (or so). That can be nasty work.

- The same fumigator also brings 2 guys (usually) and does some of the gardening every other Tuesday. I generally mow the lawn (good exercise). The 3 of them work about 3 hours and we pay 600 pesos total.

Those are really the only kind-of recurring visits we have. All of these people are contractors (not employees).


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

ojosazules11 said:


> It's cheaper to go to a place about 15 minutes outside of Tepoz, than the suppliers right here in town.


If it is on the 'old road' that is where I go. Very nice family. 

btw - Colorines was excellent this morning !


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

chuck846 said:


> If it is on the 'old road' that is where I go. Very nice family.
> 
> btw - Colorines was excellent this morning !


It's on the old road. Are the owners three fairly young brothers? Near Santa Catarina?


Another note - when I asked my husband about the going rates in our area, he said increasingly this work in Tepoztlan is being paid by square meter or specific job as opposed to a flat day rate.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

ojosazules11 said:


> It's on the old road. Are the owners three fairly young brothers? Near Santa Catarina?
> 
> 
> Another note - when I asked my husband about the going rates in our area, he said increasingly this work in Tepoztlan is being paid by square meter or specific job as opposed to a flat day rate.


The place I go to is on the old road after Santa Catarina in the first little stretch of 'civilization' after the meandering road through the 'woods'. If you look at google maps it is right about at the 'Canal de Civac'. Just before the hill up to Ahuatepec.

Teopoztlan is kind of like its own little world. There are many people (non-Mexicans) living there who probably don't even ask how much something costs. In some ways it reminds me of Woodstock NY - not the farm but the town of Woodstock - lots of artsy fartsy type hippies (and I'm not being derogatory). But that could just be due to the places we've been in Teopoztlan.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

chuck846 said:


> Teopoztlan is kind of like its own little world. There are many people (non-Mexicans) living there who probably don't even ask how much something costs. In some ways it reminds me of Woodstock NY - not the farm but the town of Woodstock - lots of artsy fartsy type hippies (and I'm not being derogatory). But that could just be due to the places we've been in Teopoztlan.


I remember visiting Tepoztlan many years ago before it became a mecca for New Age types of foreigners. Then it was a small, quiet village with a lovely old colonial-era monastery in need in repairs but with lots of "ambiente". Now the monastery has been restored and the central plaza is cluttered with of vendor stalls. I'm sure the influx of hippies, aging or otherwise, is good for the local economy, but I liked it better the way it used to be.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> I remember visiting Tepoztlan many years ago before it became a mecca for New Age types of foreigners. Then it was a small, quiet village with a lovely old colonial-era monastery in need in repairs but with lots of "ambiente". Now the monastery has been restored and the central plaza is cluttered with of vendor stalls. I'm sure the influx of hippies, aging or otherwise, is good for the local economy, but I liked it better the way it used to be.


Tepoztlan has long attracted artists, poets and literary types. And the "esoteric" aspect of Tepoztlan has been around for several decades. The influence of Eastern religions apparently dates back to the 60's or 70's when some devotees (either Buddhist or Hindu nuns - I don't remember which) settled in Tepoz. The hippie element was certainly there when I first arrived in the early 1990's. It is not just foreigners, there are also plenty of Mexican New Age/ hippy/ esoteric types. Tepoz is the only place I've seen a poster of La Virgen de Guadelupe indicating her various chakras (that was actually hanging in our house when we bought it, but the previous owner took it with him). You can also get your chakras aligned or your aura photographed (the woman who does the aura photography is Mexican from Mexico City). Then there are the more traditional activities like the temazcal. 

If you only go on a weekend when there are so many tourists in town, you may not sense how magical the town really can feel. It definitely has a strong element of "je ne sais quoi" (or in Spanish "No sé que"  ). I remember how even on a mundane trip to the gas station I was looking around and suddenly caught my breath, as there was a clear view of Popocatepetl behind the Tepozteco mountains. 

And the vendors in the Zocalo are not permanent fixtures. The Zocalo remains a vibrant community hub. There was recently a Sunday afternoon concert of the local youth symphonic band. I have heard plenty of youth bands and orchestras in my day, and was not expecting to be impressed, but I was. They were good! 

The restored ex-convent remains an oasis of calm _ambiente_ in the middle of the bustling town. I love to duck in there - even 10 minutes feels restorative. Our Colombian-Canadian friend commented that it reminded him a lot of places he had visited in Morocco.

The community festivals and rituals rooted in centuries of tradition remain strong. Each barrio has its "Fiesta del barrio" at different times of the year. Our barrio has 2 - one just passed 2 days ago, the next one is the end of June. In addition to processions, music, dances, juegos, etc. various homes prepare special foods and open their doors for people to come eat. A friend of mine generally prepares enough mole for about 300 people. My neighbour Doña Clara remarked that in Tepoztlan "Somos bien fiesteros pero también gastalones" - because they are always spending money on fiestas del barrio, baptisms, 3 year old birthday parties (which is the other significant birthday along with 15 year old parties), quinceañeras, weddings, etc. 

I can assure you that in spite of the influx of expats and of Mexicans from outside Tepoz, some very wealthy, others not so much, the town retains its strong community spirit and traditions. Hopefully, Isla, someday you'll come visit me and be able to feel that the magic of Tepoztlan has not been lost.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

ojosazules11 said:


> Tepoztlan has long attracted artists, poets and literary types. And the "esoteric" aspect of Tepoztlan has been around for several decades. The influence of Eastern religions apparently dates back to the 60's or 70's when some devotees (either Buddhist or Hindu nuns - I don't remember which) settled in Tepoz. The hippie element was certainly there when I first arrived in the early 1990's. It is not just foreigners, there are also plenty of Mexican New Age/ hippy/ esoteric types. Tepoz is the only place I've seen a poster of La Virgen de Guadelupe indicating her various chakras (that was actually hanging in our house when we bought it, but the previous owner took it with him). You can also get your chakras aligned or your aura photographed (the woman who does the aura photography is Mexican from Mexico City). Then there are the more traditional activities like the temazcal.
> 
> If you only go on a weekend when there are so many tourists in town, you may not sense how magical the town really can feel. It definitely has a strong element of "je ne sais quoi" (or in Spanish "No sé que"  ). I remember how even on a mundane trip to the gas station I was looking around and suddenly caught my breath, as there was a clear view of Popocatepetl behind the Tepozteco mountains.
> 
> ...


Ojos, thanks for taking the time to compose this heartfelt praise of Tepoztlán. I'm in the middle of a couple of big editing jobs, so I don't have time to reply in kind. However, I do want to mention that I first visited Tepoztlán in 1971, when I was living in Cuernavaca for the summer, not in the early 1990s, the time of your first visit. In many ways, the monastery then had more atmosphere in its semi-ruined condition than it has now, especially in terms of it being inspiration for my photography. It is true that my last visit took place on a weekend, which is probably why I was dismayed at the changes I saw.

I would love to visit you the next time you're back in Tepoztlán - thanks for the invitation!


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## HolyMole (Jan 3, 2009)

I realize this isn't a general discussion of wages in Mexico, but just to give some perspective:

An acquaintance's son works fulltime at an OXXO. He earns 117 pesos per day, presumably for an 8 hour shift. 

As for skilled trades, I recently had new front disc brake pads, new front struts and new rear shock absorbers installed on my car in Zihuatanejo. The labour cost me 1000 pesos, or ballpark $75-$80 Canadian, or $60 US.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

HolyMole said:


> I realize this isn't a general discussion of wages in Mexico, but just to give some perspective:
> 
> An acquaintance's son works fulltime at an OXXO. He earns 117 pesos per day, presumably for an 8 hour shift.
> 
> As for skilled trades, I recently had new front disc brake pads, new front struts and new rear shock absorbers installed on my car in Zihuatanejo. The labour cost me 1000 pesos, or ballpark $75-$80 Canadian, or $60 US.


Where we live - you would typically tip the guy in the parking lot 3-5 pesos. Take a parking lot like a Costco - They can easily pull in 80-100 pesos per HOUR.

Edit : well maybe 50-80 pesos.


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