DIALING TO/FROM MEXICO Even though 90% of all land line telephone service and 80% of the cell phone service in Mexico is ultimately controlled by the same person (Carlos Slim), dialing other numbers is bizarre and confusing.  SOME HELPFUL TIPS YOU NEED TO KNOW IF YOU ARE GOING TO CALL TO, FROM, AND WITHIN MEXICO.  I’ve been down [...]

You really don’t need a Mexican driver’s license to drive legally in Mexico.  Your license from the U.S. or Canada will work just fine, but I have always found that having a Mexican license has its benefits.  For example:  if and when you get pulled over for an infraction (and eventually you will be pulled over..it’s [...]

The following information about the impending international air travel from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California makes me want to throw my arms in the air (if I were about 20 years younger, I’d throw my whole body in the air) and shout “Hallelujah!” To quote a line from the movie Field of Dreams, [...]

Pay Your Mexico Property Taxes Online Now you can pay your Los Cabos Mexico Property taxes online. The website is in Spanish but it’s easy. Log on to www.eloscabos.gob.mx  on the right hand side of the screen, click on the box that says Predial (property taxes in Spanish). Enter your Clave Catastral Number (tax ID [...]

Dia de Los Muertos Artist: Francisco Cabello Or for the Spanish impaired, Day of the Dead.  Celebrated from October 31 (think Halloween) through November 2nd, these days allow the departed to return to the mortal world to visit loved ones. The spirits of babies and children who have died (called angelitos, “little angels”) arrive on [...]

SO YOU GOT PULLED OVER:  It’s very easy to commit a traffic violation in Cabo…so many of the one way streets are not marked  (see my Navigating Cabo Blog).  The fact that you, in most cases, need to be in the left hand lane of the access road in order to make a left hand [...]

PASSPORTS and TRAVEL DOCUMENTS:  Make a few copies of page 1…just in case. Keep one copy with you and leave the rest in your hotel safe or if you are renting a house, villa, condo, leave the original in a safe place. NEVER, EVER leave your passport or anything of value or importance in your [...]

This should be categorized in a “I couldn’t have said it better” column.  Charles Simpson worked on Wall Street for a quarter of a century, and then retired to Puerto Vallarta where he has been living with his wife and daughter for 8 years. He feels an education about Mexico is the first step for [...]

Driving from Cabo San Lucas to San Diego, May 2011 While this is a blog about my last drive up Baja from Cabo to San Diego,  it is really my chance to vent  about the rude, inconsiderate, hostile attitude displayed by one of our border agents.  I was embarrassed by the actions and attitude of this [...]

2010     Wind Farms in Baja        Mexico is quickly breaking ground and moving forward to join others in the pursuit of clean energy. Wind energy is fast becoming the optimal way to produce clean and green electricity. The much anticipated Aubanel Wind Project is set to be constructed near La Rumorosa, which will put the [...]