½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Thanks, Gudgrief. Good to know, and as for what you said about banks, I will ask mine here. I am with BofA, in case you know offhand.

I am quite excited. In Mexico City I will be visiting a British friend I knew from the Japan days. Apparently, her hubby is some sort of in-high-demand compu whiz, and so they are here until the end of the year. Then off to Guanajuato and then Zacatecas. After that, I can plan the next exploratory adventure. Oh, and I will be staying at the Villa Colonial while in Zacatecas. Spoke to a fellow named Marco on the phone. Do you know him?

How'd you end up in Ecuador, Jeanfinney, how do you like it, and how would you compare it to your time in Mexico? I ask because I have a friend who seems intrigued by the notion of retiring there.

Hi - I am a traveler. Tired of it but travel head is still buzzing, down to my B list but wanting to complete some ideas before collapsing! Ecuador has been on the list for a long time. I wanted to go in the dry festival season but it worked out like this. I spent seven weeks in Colombia, that was ok, festivals around Christmas, January then good to too hot weather. But here it is raining raining raining! I just arrived from Colombia, only been in Quito (horrible) and now in the rainforest area nearby. Would be pretty with some sun! I I need to spend more time to get a fair and balanced idea, but I dream of Mexico, to be honest. Of course I have always been in Mexico in the winter when it is sunny so it is not fair, but I cannot see why people retire in a country where seemingly most of the year - it is nice in June and July! - the skies are gray and gloomy! I dont get itI I will visit places like Cuenca and Loja and see, but so far the beauty that is Mexico, not to mention the fabulous ruin sites and constant fiestas, seem much more enticing!

I made it to Ecuador in Sept. 2003, on a tight time schedule as usual,
Under the circumstances, I hired a car and driver and covered Quito and the surroundings.  The weather off and on sunny or cloudy but no rain.  When cloudy, it was definitely cold but the scenery, the small towns, mountain lakes and snow-capped volcanoes and Indian markets were fascinating.  An Ecuadorian friend I made years after visiting the country tells me the country is turning toward a dictatorship, perhaps Venezuela style.

Mexico, where I am in Coatepec, Veracruz, alternates cold, dim and rainy for 3-4 days in a row and Spring-like short-sleeve sunny for a day or two.  By rainy, I mean rain for 12 hours or more.  There are a few days when is dawns cloudy and cold, the sun comes out for a few hours and then ends with rain in the afternoon and overnight.  Right now, at 10:30AM, it's overcast and 59 degrees F.

The Mexico beaches were sunny and warm over New Year and probably are still.

You were there in the good season, going towards the bad. It is pouring rain now - of course I am in a rainforest area! - but there is rain in the whole country. It is "winter" - this weather - six months of the year, they tell me - then  then there are six months -of"summer" - or rather wet and dry. Something to consider if thinking of expating here. I think the cycles in Mesoamerica make more sense for Americans - nice weather in winter, then during the rain in summer one can visit in the States where it is beautiful! However in Coatepec it sounds difficult - and unusual? I hope it will improve for you. I am in a state of indecision. I found a cheap round trip ticket on Avianca to Mexico City but that is a big step - more expense for me, and hassle of travel and finding housing. but I would rather be here in Ecuador in June and July. Sigh....what to do?

I think this is getting toward nice weather in Mexico City and surroundings.  The Turibus will take you around to many of the prime cultural attractions without you having to fight the traffic.  Teotihuacan with its pyramids is a must.  Cuernavaca and Taxco are worth visiting.  If you're coming with a view to moving to Mexico, I'm not the typical expat.  I've lived in cities without an expat colony on purpose.  The things that make my day are walking the mile and a half downtown, having breakfast at a small friendly restaurant, browsing the public market, doing some shopping at the supermarket and picking up some take out for supper.  Nothing exciting.

Have fun!

Thanks but i have seen all those places already, spent lots of time in Mexico, all over, as my posts show. I just went through airbnb sublets for Mexico under $400. There are some interesting things but mostly I know the areas! I just need a place to wait out the bad weather in Ecuador. Who knows, I might have lost the ticket already! Eventually - soon - I will probably settle in Mexico. That is another story! No place is perfect....

Hello all,

Well, I started this thread in regard to my then upcoming trip to Mexico, and now having just come back, I figured I'd report back. I started in Mexico City, where I visited my Japan days friend for a couple of days. They lived in swank Polanco, so I got a bit freaked about prices at restaurants. Did the Turibus thing of the city, and that was great, though the traffic in Mexico City - oh my!!! Day two was Coyoacan and the site there. Lots of fun.

After there, Guanajuato with side trips to Dolores Hidalgo, San Miguel de Allende and nearly Atotonlico.  Guanajuato was great - a fun place to walk around people watch. Wide variety of eateries too in all ethnic varieties. I liked it. Dolores Hidalgo is great for ice cream and ONE visit. lol. SMA.... I can see why it attracted expats originally, and I see why the new breed likes it too. It was a bit less intense hill wise than GTO, but GTO had more appeal to me. Funny how so little English was spoken (at least to me) in GTO. Oh, and for better or worse, I was there for the freak snow - the first in 18 years. Glad I had at a little winter clothing with me.

Finally I made my way to Zacatecas, and that was great. I was only there for 2 and a half days, but I made it the day before the festival and was there for the official Day One, so I got a bit of this and that. Did the mine tour, where a guide jumped at the chance to English me, having studied in El Paso at one point in her life. I lucked out on that, and I mean in terms of special treatment and all. Telefericoed over to the La Bufa, and walked down that steep steep steep road. Gravity was really tugging hard on my body, and I felt as if my thighs did more than there fair shared of keeping me upright and off my face. Ha.

Did the mask museum, the city museum (Museo Zacatecano) and the aqueduct. Did a fancy meal at Mythokos,, and then a round of gorditas at Dona Julia, and then a giant breakfast of chilaquiles two morns in a row at a little place on Aguascalientes near the top called El Culiacancito (which was a Corona beer den/fish place by afternoon/night). Dinner night two was near the hostel (Villa Colonial - I had the 2nd floor apt across the street - the one with its own veranda that others here mentioned) called Cocina Economica Casita. Seems 60 pesos gets you a meal that carries you through the day in ZAC.

Anyway, I really enjoyed it all. Zacatecas was great, and the food amazing - the best of all spots for me. I did, however, notice the 8100 ft. I found myself getting winded midway up all hills, which surprised me since I walk a lot here.  Other than that though, it was great.

I now look forward to my next Mexico exploratory journey....

Thanks again to all of you for your help from the start.

Sounds like you had a great time; I think we stayed in the same apartment in Zacatecas!  - but goodness, there was snow in Guanajuato! ???

Yes, it was a great time, and from your description before, I think it was the same apartment. And yes, SNOW!! First one in 18 years they said. The local paper, the Correo, had it as a full page color cover story. It didn't accumulate much, as it warmed up soon in the day, but the surrounding hills had a visible dusting and it was falling in the city outside my window. Pretty wild.

Was it really cold?

It was around freezing for two days, at night, and so I was dressed at night in my fleece jacket, a raincoat on top of that, a knit cap (that I accidentally, but luckily, had packed in my case), my taichi pants covered by my pajamas bottoms. Slept in my socks and taichi shoes. Then it got back to normal and all was hunky dory.

OK, thanks....