Carl's Notebook # 7

Are you feeling a little nervous about Mexico? Don't be embarassed; even the most experienced travellers experience an occasional bout of pre-trip "butterflies". Read on and rest easy.....

Excuse the alliteration, but opportunites like this don’t appear that often: beginning this month, many millions of monarch butterflies migrate to the mountains of Michoacán, Mexico. This year, the butterflies that survive the 3,000 mile flight will find a newly constructed parking area inside the forest reserve known as the “Thematic Butterfly Park”. In addition to vehicle parking, there is a playground, restrooms and “zones for the disabled”, the mirador will allow visitors to admire the butterflies without leaving their cars and tour buses.

I was surprised to find out you are at Lake Chapala, it always sounded so "middle-class". :-) ...

Mexico on 5 Tamales A Day:

As we continue research for our book on living, working and retiring in Mexico, the cost-of-living questions rears its head... time and time again. Can I really live like a bachelor king on $500 a month? How about $900? Is $2,000 okay for a family? Did I hear somebody say $4,000? Help!...

We’ve waffled back and forth for months about creating our own discussion forums or interactive bulletin board on this website...Our final decision is a compromise, thankfully offered by David McLaughlin, publisher of Mexico Connect. Henceforth, the People’s Guide discussion will take place on MexConnect.com's forum.

Family Fun, Double or Nothing?

According to a report in the 20 November issue of Guadalajara’s expatriate weekly, The Colony Reporter, Mexico is about to legalize gambling casinos. Federal legislator Mario Haro is quoted as saying, “...it is an opportunity to extend family entertainment by means of a dignified and respectable industry that should be strictly monitored by a respectable, honest and efficient authority.”
http://www.guadalajarareporter.com

Behind The Scenes:

As part of a long-term plan to expand our content, including excerpts from The People’s Guide To Mexico and other books, Lorena has been tweaking the inner workings of The People’s Guide website. You should already notice snappier loading times for our home page and larger images. The (huge) Copper Canyon photo gallery has also been broken into several individual pages, with optimized images for faster viewing. Lorena also has plans for a detailed site index, an online suggestion box, and much more.