With our FM3 Visas that we obtained in Seattle, we had 30 days from crossing into Mexico to register our address in Mexico. We crossed the border at Laredo, Texas on May 23rd so our time was running short. I'm happy to report that this morning we finished the process - after just 3 trips into the Immigration office!
Then we went to open a bank account...we found that we need our passports PLUS a utility bill in order to open an account. We're not sure that we'll have a utility bill in our name (we need to clarify that with our landlady) so we're not sure what to do. Anyone have any ideas?? We went to Santander Bank...another gringo in the Immigration line suggested it because of the relationship with Bank of America (our bank in Duvall.)
On Sunday we signed up for an account at Blockbuster Video - which is funny because we rarely rented or purchased videos in our previous life. But without cable we have been entertained with movies. We have a Spanish Scrabble game that we need to break open and I'm still waiting for Mike to teach me how to play chess with the chessboard I gave him years ago...
We have gone to the 4 main grocery stores and we have purchased our first 5 gallon water thingy. It's much cheaper than buying it by the bottle - DUH! Yesterday we stopped in a second-hand goods store, looking for a floor lamp. We found a really neat one, we tested it, it worked, and we said we wanted to buy it. The store owner smiled big and I thought she said $85 pesos (about $8.50 US.) HA. I handed her $90 pesos and she looked worried. She clarified that she had said $850 pesos ($85 US), but then she reduced the price to $500 pesos ($50 US.) We laughed and said no thank you. We would not have paid that much in Duvall...I wonder if she was thinking we were rich gringos (we're not!) Overall, we are not finding a lot of things to be as inexpensive as we had expected. We'll have to keep poking around, looking for the best deals - I'm sure they are here.
The school I applied at doesn't begin again until early August...but I haven't heard from the Director since my interviews last Friday. It would be great to have that time before starting work.
The heat and humidity take some getting used to. Our apt has an older air conditioner in the bedroom, a brand new air conditioner in the living room and a ceiling fan in the living room. Also, the apt has 3 beds - 2 in the bedroom and 1 in the living room. The first night we slept in the bedroom, but ever since we have slept in the living room bed with the AC running all night. We pay rent, electricity and gas (for the stove and water heater) so we're a little nervous about running the AC all night, plus anytime we're in the apt during the day. Gulp. And we're not sure that we have an actual electrical meter to our apt so therein lies another question...
But to answer Steve's questions - it is a lot different than in the Great Northwest. I am wearing tank tops and shorts and Mike's in shorts too. I haven't worn long pants since the day before we left Duvall. We use Sitka's kerchiefs to wipe our brows and necks. And drink lots of water. We understand that Guaymas is just beginning to heat up so I'm sure we'll report more about the heat as time goes on.
We went to the public beach on Sunday - Father's Day which I'd forgotten all about. And we had shrimp cocktails and waded through the warm water. The place was packed with families. Maybe next year we'll go there on Father's Day with Mexican friends!
I'm really enjoying exploring Guaymas. I feel like a kid in a candy store. Yeah, we make mistakes, but nothing serious - yet anyway. Today we're having a latte, mocha and sandwiches in a coffee shop with free internet. Yeah for free!!
Sheets tell the story
3 weeks ago
5 comments:
To open a bank account you should just need a utility bill for the address you're living at. If your Spanish isn't fully up to scratch yet, Scotiabank has an Ingles version to it's website. In real English. The rest are pretty poor.
The utility bill is to prove your address,they don't care whose name it's in. You get used to carrying one with you if you are doing something legal. Personally, I recommend against getting a Mexican bank account unless you need one for some reason. It's a cash economy, no one takes checks, they charge you for the account, savings accounts don't pay interest and your employer will be paying you in cash anyway.
Using ac 24/7 will push you up into the top tier of electricity, and they leave you there for 3 months, so all your electricity gets charged at the highest rates.
I have met gringos here in Merida who routinely have CFE bills for 4000 or more pesos a 2 month billing cycle! while our highest bill was 600, ac is expensive.
regards,
Theresa
The first few months are so complicated and strange....believe me when I say that when you get through all these first time chores it will just be HOME.
Email any time you want, we aren't experts but you never know...
Take care and see if you can get a through breeze going for part of the time, anyway...
I don't have my name on my utility bill, it's the name of my landlord, and they still issued me an FM-3.
You need to discover tianguis! It's a Mexican outdoor market, Wednesday morning about a block up from the Malecon and Friday evenings in Guaymas Norte (I'll give you directions). There's also a huge one on Sundays in Empalme, just across the causeway. Clothes, food, household goods, etc. Go early, wear hats and carry bandanas for the sweat.
I have my account at Santander, it's worked out ok so far. I was advised to get a Mexican account for the FM-3, to prove income. You just have to be very careful making out checks--any slight blooper and it's returned. I only write them for rent.
During the summer months the electric bills are subsidised so that you can afford to pay them.
Last summer our highest bill was $138.00 for 2 months. Not sure about this year; but so far has been lower than that. I think that we use our A/C units less than most people though and probably have them set at a warmer temperature. We have ours set at 29C. all the time. We have mini splits which are cheaper to run though than the wall units.
You will find as you acclimatise that you won't need it set so cold.
Don't worry, you will adjust, it just takes some time.
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