Travel, live, and retire in Mexico!

You're in the part of the site where an online book
tells the story of some of our travels.

with
Rosana Hart

Introduction 2: About Our Trip to Mexico

In 2002, I was determined to return for a (hard to believe!) 50th anniversary visit, and we found time for a short car trip to the world-famous pottery village of Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua, just a little ways southwest of El Paso.

Then early in 2003, we took the trip that is outlined in this book, about six weeks in a small motorhome going down near the gulf coast of Mexico into Veracruz, then turning inland to go to Teotihuacán and San Miguel de Allende. We went north from there, returning to the U.S. via Chihuahua and New Mexico. The trip was designed to be research for this book and also to help us consider whether we would like to live in Mexico part of the year. (We might!)

Our RV was an older Toyota Dolphin, 22 feet long, and easier to navigate than most motorhomes. Its name is Cando, pronounced like "can do," as it has that kind of personality. I also like the connotations of a "condo in a can." Kelly did the driving in Mexico, as he is a better driver than I am when it comes to larger vehicles.

"Cando" at home

Despite these various trips, our Spanish is still pretty basic. I had one college semester and lived in Spain for some months, but essentially it has been a process of being willing to blurt something out and hope it works. Gregarious by nature, I am often frustrated by not having the vocabulary to say what I want, but I have also gotten pretty inventive about using the words I do know. We both can do fine buying things in the shops and so forth, but in conversation we rarely understand everything!

We have met other Americans traveling in Mexico with virtually no command of the language. It can certainly be done, but the more you learn before you go, the more fun the trip will be and the further off the beaten tourist track you may be willing to explore.

The version of the book that is online in these pages is slightly different from the actual paperback, but essentially the same. Now, please join us, just after crossing the Rio Grande…

[Next: chatting with Mexicans and Americans as we wait to enter Mexico]