Bette Brazel, Author at Focus On Mexico Page

16 Tips to Maximize Your Visit to Lake Chapala

Coming to Lakeside on an Exploratory Visit? Here are some tips to help you maximize your stay. If you are looking at a possible move to the Lake Chapala area, we recommend two main steps. First, plan an exploratory trip to "kick the tires" and see what everyone is talking about. Just why is Lakeside the number one lifestyle destination for people moving full time to Mexico? The second step is to take our interactive online program - ideally before your visit. In this way you will know what you are looking to confirm and can make your visit more than just a pleasant vacation. There … [Read more...]

Piñatas and Posadas – Christmas in Mexico

Christmas in Mexico is similar yet different from the U.S. depending on what part of the country you live in. Large cities such as Guadalajara tend to have a similar U.S. like frenzied shopping atmosphere, but Christmas in smaller towns and villages is quite distinct. There is much less emphasis on gifts and more emphasis on the family celebrations and traditions surrounding Christmas. I took an informal poll of my ESL students to see what family gifts they were giving for Christmas and was charmed with the simple answers - a bottle of cologne, a shirt, a pair of shoes, a necklace, etc. - … [Read more...]

Rainy Season at Lake Chapala

Here in Mexico's Lake Chapala area our rainy season runs from approximately June 15 to October 15 varying slightly from year to year. For instance in 2018 it rained all the way through Day of the Dead in November, and 2017 when the rainy season was mostly over by September 30. In 2019, we saw serious flooding in many areas of Mexico and several severe hail storms including one in Guadalajara that left almost 4 feet of hail on the streets. That one made the international news! 2024 was another near record amount of rainfall - good thing, since the previous year had very little and the Lake was … [Read more...]

Getting Your Mexican Resident Visa

Once you are within no longer than six months of your proposed date to move to Mexico, the next step is to apply for either a temporary or permanent resident visa at the Mexican consulate nearest to you in your home country. While the process may seem daunting at first, it is rather straightforward at most (but not all) Mexican consulates. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that some consulates are easier to deal with than others, and much like any other process involving government bureaucracy, patience and calm will help you navigate the visa process. The consulates vary widely in their … [Read more...]

Assisted Living in Mexico

One of the expert speakers at our Focus on Mexico fast track learning seminars, Wendy Carrel, recently published an article in Senior Living Foresight. We thought our readers would enjoy this look at the current and future assisted living landscape in Mexico including Lakeside and other locations. In 2018, there were 11 assisted living facilities in Lakeside and in October 2024, there are over 35! … [Read more...]