Mérida - One of the World's Most Underrated Cities...

 This is from a 2011 article in Travel & Leisure Magazine. One of 26 cities throughout the world T& L has named underrated, Mérida, Yucatán shares the honor with a few well known places, such as Philadelphia and Denver, Bordeaux, France and Valencia, Spain, as well as a number of less well known cities like Durban, South Africa and Nara, Japan.  Other cities in the southern hemisphere include Montevideo, Uruguay and Valparaíso, Chile.

It's not likely that we will ever make a trip to South Africa or Nara, Japan, but Uruguay and Chile are certainly in the realm of possibilities, when we soon make our permanent home in Mérida.

Tequila and Passion...

If you are in the mood for a rather good Mexican period film, Tequila: A Story of Passion is currently available through HBO On Demand. It is a beautifully filmed and sensitively acted story of a forbidden love affair between Antonio (Unax Ugalde) and Lola (Daniela Schmidt), the beautiful wife of his uncle Vicente (Salvador Sanchez). The setting is the town of Tequila, Jalisco in 1942 and a grand tequila hacienda where Vincente is engaged in business with two gringos who are invited to stay at the hacienda until the tequila is ready for tasting. While everyone is asleep, Antonio, disguised as a worker sneaks into Lola's bedroom and stays the night. We find out a bit later in the film just why she doesn't sleep in the same room as her husband. Having stayed in Lola's bedroom until dawn, the waking workers think that Antonio is a thief and attempt to thwart his escape. He flees on his horse, but with a tragic consequence. When he returns to the hacienda the following day, having been fetched by his uncle to return to work, he is confronted with unsettling news by Milogros, the daughter of a hacienda foreman.




As the lies protecting his relationship with Lola begin to unravel, the only option is for the couple to flee the hacienda and begin a new life in the city.

Mexico 2012 Awesome!

I'm always looking for new and interesting videos and articles on Mexico. This You Tube video shows the incredible diversity of landscape in this great country -from desert to snow-capped mountains, from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Coast, and from quaint and colorful colonial towns to the vibrancy of Ciudad de México. I can hardly wait to travel and photograph many of these sites.

And some good economic news.

Immigration

The new immigration laws for Mexico have been instituted and are currently being reviewed by the appropriate government agencies for proper application. I've read the new rules, as have groups like Yucatán Expatriate Services (Y.E.S.) and it appears that everyone is waiting for the final interpretation before stating definitive actions to be taken by new and existing expatriates. Click on the link for their website and a thorough discussion of the new regulations can be viewed. In a nutshell, this is the bottom line:

The Migratory status of "Non-Immigrant" (previously known as FM3), "Immigrant" (previously known as FM2) and "Immigrated" (Inmigrado) shall cease to exist and shall be replaced by visas that pertain to the 'conditions of stay.' The new designations will be Visitor (Visitante), Temporary Resident (Residente Temporal) and Permanent Resident (Residente Permanente).

I tend to like the new designations. With the previous FM3 visa, someone with property in Mexico and who resides in the country, up to a period of five years, was considered a "non-immigrant." If so desired, after that period of time, one could apply for the FM2 visa and become an "immigrant." Those terms have been replaced with "temporary" or "permanent" resident. And, if I have read correctly, the length of time required for becoming a permanent resident has been reduced to four years.

Also, a significant change, if I understand correctly, is that the various visas are to be obtained in the United States prior to arriving in Mexico and will be valid for up to 180 days. Once you cross the border you have 30 days in which to make a visit to INM for the permanent visa card. I wonder if this will, in any way, facilitate the border crossing process?

I'm still somewhat confused about the financial qualifications needed for temporary or permanent residency. It does appear that the required minimum monthly income has increased substantially. That could be a deterrent for future Americans or Canadians looking to be expats. How will non-married partners be treated, if living in the same household? I've read that Mexico acknowledges same-sex marriages that are valid in the country of origin. Do we need to plan a wedding in Maryland, or D.C.?

      Update:  I just read that Yucatán implemented the new law on Friday, November 9.