I should add that we came back to el norte during the dog and pony show Nov 2008. There is a whole industry for gullible gringos with stars in their eyes about living in Latin America. So beware.
As far as legal status, we just made the visa run every 90 days. In Mexico the visa run is every 180 days. For the first year or so that meant the Honduran border 12 km away. Honduran immigration would stamp your passport with another 90 days. I would just take a tuk tuk / Moto taxi. After that I had to go to Belize, Mexico or Guatemala and return to Honduras for another 90 days. That was when NAFTA kicked in. Just to give you an idea about how things work in Latin america, after awhile a service sprang up, they would collect your passport and for a few bucks get you stamped in for another 90 days. When I took a vehicle down to get my wife (she caught dengue) crossing the border at Brownsville, a Mexican told me everything is for sale in Mexico.
I don't know about the cartels but probably best to be wary. Understand that as a gringo you are a potential target for scams and the like or worse. I could speak passable Spanish but there were many gringos who couldn't speak a word. The general advice is go there for six months before you burn any bridges.
That's really good to know. I've never been to Mexico, but I've heard good things about living there. I'm mainly interested in being in a smaller town, not a large tourist town.
Thank you. Great information!
I should add that we came back to el norte during the dog and pony show Nov 2008. There is a whole industry for gullible gringos with stars in their eyes about living in Latin America. So beware.
As far as legal status, we just made the visa run every 90 days. In Mexico the visa run is every 180 days. For the first year or so that meant the Honduran border 12 km away. Honduran immigration would stamp your passport with another 90 days. I would just take a tuk tuk / Moto taxi. After that I had to go to Belize, Mexico or Guatemala and return to Honduras for another 90 days. That was when NAFTA kicked in. Just to give you an idea about how things work in Latin america, after awhile a service sprang up, they would collect your passport and for a few bucks get you stamped in for another 90 days. When I took a vehicle down to get my wife (she caught dengue) crossing the border at Brownsville, a Mexican told me everything is for sale in Mexico.
I don't know about the cartels but probably best to be wary. Understand that as a gringo you are a potential target for scams and the like or worse. I could speak passable Spanish but there were many gringos who couldn't speak a word. The general advice is go there for six months before you burn any bridges.
That's really good to know. I've never been to Mexico, but I've heard good things about living there. I'm mainly interested in being in a smaller town, not a large tourist town.