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tripledigitken
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[*] posted on 4-16-2009 at 03:11 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Actually, I seem to recall that the plant in Manzanillo was bigger than the Rosarito one. And for the life of me, it seemed to really belch smoke that drifted over a good portion of town.

What has surprised me in this thread is that it doesn't appear that any La Paz folks took any sort of issue with fishbuck's characterization of La Paz being a smaller version of Tijuana with a better beach. IMHO the only thing similar is that the signs are in Spanish.


Good thing Las Hadas is north of town because I don't remember seeing any black smoke when Bo Derek ran down the beach in "10". But then again I probably wasn't looking at the sky.:coolup:

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Bajahowodd
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[*] posted on 4-16-2009 at 03:22 PM


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How far is GDL from the ocean? I cant be away from the ocean to save my life.

San Carlos does have it's share of gate-guarded enclaves..........but there are far more neighborhoods without them. We live in one of them; the Ranchitos.

I have to concur about Guaymas; not a place I'd want to live. But it's waterfront is going through a major redevelopment. Most all the rusty shrimpers are gone. Still, any concentration of Mexican vehicles creates a hellacious smog. Too many cars that dont change their oil enough means lots of piston blowby. It really adds up.


There is a large lake, Chapala, not far from the city. It's around the lake where there is a huge gringo community. One of the better aspect of the area is the climate. It sits around the same elevation as Denver, but being so much farther South, it really doesn't get cold. Worst weather is probably the T-storms late summer. Puerto Vallarta is a bit far for a day trip, but makes a nice long weekend.
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fishbuck
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[*] posted on 4-16-2009 at 03:31 PM


I certainly didn't mean to insult La Paz by comparing it to Tijuana.
Both are cities. Both are very crowded and busy. The big power plant does leave a big smoke cloud over La Paz bay sometimes. Although I read in here that they did put a scubber on that plant so maybe that helps a little.
Tijuana has a nice Pacific ocean breeze. La Paz can have some very high winds.
I like La Paz and did look for property there but decided it was too expensive and not really the pristine experience I was looking for.
It is a very busy and noisy city and just a little dusty and smokey too.
But the Malecon is nice.
So peace!:cool:




"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.

A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein

"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck

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Borregoman
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[*] posted on 4-16-2009 at 04:04 PM
Retirement ANYWHERE


It is so tempting to dream about living at one of the destinations you have vacationed at over the years...I'm 2.5 years away and believe me, I dream about many places.....checking out the falling housing prices....very tempting to buy a place in a past loved vacation spot now while the prices are low....but how smart is that? I have seen many people from my work, sell, buy immediately in a former vacation spot, then realize that it isn't where they want to be and that they can't move back!
A vacation spot is not necessarily a full-time retirement spot. The prudent prospective retiree will become a nomad for awhile, renting here and there until the most important retirement criteria are met. Some might find out quicker than others what that is, some longer.....My good friend "HOOK" on this board decided that San Carlos met his criteria after a relatively short time....
My GF has a place in San Felipe.....a wonderful place CERTAIN times of the year....retirement...NO. I will be a nomad...renting and camping until I find those two corona bottles in the bucket on the beach.....

Good Luck!
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Bajahowodd
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[*] posted on 4-16-2009 at 04:46 PM


Other than Corona is a crappy beer, I totally agree. My sense is that most folks seeking a retirement setting are looking for affordability, safety, and a certain amount of the amenities they have grown used to. In my mind, such amenities, include, but not exclusively, good internet access, access to a wide variety of TV stations, decent shopping options for both food and dry goods, 21st century healthcare, an international airport, and cheap tequila.
:yes:
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EnseNADAslim
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[*] posted on 4-16-2009 at 05:43 PM


I found it interesting that you did not mention Ensenada, much nicer that TJ, maybe not as nice as La Paz, but then again, not as hot in the summer.
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stanburn
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[*] posted on 4-16-2009 at 05:58 PM


GDL is just a little over 4 hours from Manzanillo, so you could get to a beach from GDL in 3 1/2 hours.

Regarding the power plant. Yes it smokes. They are in the process of building a regasification plant and converting the plant to natural gas. should improve things significantly and is scheduled for a 2011 completion.

Still prefer Manzanilo over San Carlos (tucson south) or Lake Chapala area (gringolandia).

Just my opinions and a few facts. Your mileage may vary
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Fred
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[*] posted on 4-16-2009 at 07:12 PM


Don Jorge................any places to camp in Tequila??
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comitan
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[*] posted on 4-16-2009 at 07:16 PM


The smog you see in La Paz when there is an inversion is from vehicles not the power plant they moved it to the other side of the of the ridge on the east side of La Paz. a couple of years ago.



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fishbuck
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[*] posted on 4-16-2009 at 07:57 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by comitan
The smog you see in La Paz when there is an inversion is from vehicles not the power plant they moved it to the other side of the of the ridge on the east side of La Paz. a couple of years ago.


That is good to know. It may have sounded like I was badmouthing LP but I do like it there.
There were just a few things (like that smog cloud). I really like the Malecon and I know that they were planning on improving the beaches along it too.
On my last trip I only briefly visited and went to the Cortez Club for a beer and then to La Ventana. More my style.




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"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck

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Bajahowodd
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[*] posted on 4-16-2009 at 11:09 PM


Slim- Show me the way. I'd love to live in Ensenada.
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Hook
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[*] posted on 4-17-2009 at 06:33 AM


Quote:
Originally posted by BorregomanMy good friend "HOOK" on this board decided that San Carlos met his criteria after a relatively short time....


Yeah, it "only" took 5 years of vacationing here for a week or two each year, then waiting another 18 months (renting here for 8 of those months) before we decided to start building. The investment on the bare land was minimal.

I will say that you can learn alot about an area, offsite, if they have active message boards. That gave a glimpse of the social scene in SC. It appeals to us mightily. We now have a new set of friends that we have travel plans with within and without Mexico. I began monitoring the SC boards many years ago.

Here is a list of the activities available in SC:

ceramics, yoga, pilates, aerobics, tennis, golf, slo-pitch softball (started by yours truly!), writer's group, fishing tourneys, SPCA organization, men's and women's breakfast clubs, Rotary Intl events for indigent locals (many events!), scuba, marine swap meets, several organized book swap/trade/buy events, a performing arts council, a non-profit ocean camp that conducts free tours and lectures, two working horseback riding ranches, dance lessons, two gyms with workout equipment, organized hold 'em poker (yes, for money!!), Baja rummy, hand and foot games, a chili cookoff, a whole-community breakfast, a casino night, a weekly first run movie at the yacht club, a silent movie night with live piano accompanist, informal ATV rides with nieghbors,informal cruises up and down the coast or over to Baja.

Lots of options. But, of course, one could choose to do NONE of these and still explore the miles of empty sand beaches north and south of here.

Some prefer the off-the-grid, minimalist, lonely beach place to retire. Personally, we prefer to retire with a few more things to do than that and then VISIT those lonely beaches at our leisure.

Borregoman, one problem with the forced nomadic existence that you are referring to was evident last summer..........4 dollar a gallon gas. Do you really think it wont return? That kinda limits being nomadic in retirement; that and the undesireable RV parks that you would necessarily have to check into occasionally.

And I havent met too many people who can cooler camp their way through retirement. :lol: You know there is no RV type vehicle in your future. What will you do when you hit retirement and your Tundra has 300k miles and the NEW Tundras are garbage?

You may actually have to buy something besides a Toyota.:o




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[*] posted on 4-17-2009 at 02:00 PM


Hi There!
I like La Paz because there are cheap flights from TJ to La Paz or LAX to Cabo and then bus to La Paz. I love Loreto too. Living in La Paz is cheap. The real estate prices are cheap if you do a good search and are not afraid of living in a Mexican neighborhood. La Paz has all the administrative offices, plenty of banks, attornies, accountants, hospitals and doctors, architects and contractors, schools, transportation, furniture and appliance stores, pizza parlors, sushi restaurants, Soriana (massive store and a movie theater that rivals the Spectrum in Orange County, California), many big super markets, plenty of places to buy all the food you want at great prices. In short, La Paz has everything that you need to live very comfortably at really low prices. Plus, the fishing is fantastic and the Malecon (boardwalk) is huge.

My friend got a house for $60,000 last year, 900 square feet living space, modern construction (6 years ago), 9300 sq ft lot, in a Mexican neighborhood that is 2 miles from the international airport, 4 miles from downtown La Paz and 1/5 mile from the beach. He spent $40,000 USD to build an 8 ft high cinder block wall all the way around the property, painted it, furnished it, bought all new appliances, plumbed electricity to the entire yard outside, installed 5-1/2 tons of mini-split air conditioning (total cost only $2,800 including installation), new windows & drapes. The place has two large Mesquite trees (barbeque wood!) and 5 fruit trees including a prolific mango tree. I submit this because, if you search properly, these deals are available in La Paz.

That's my vote for La Paz. Hot you say, only for 3 months and with 1 ton of airconditioning per each 165 sq ft of living space - heat is not a problem and electricity is only $.05 USD/KWH.
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Cypress
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[*] posted on 4-17-2009 at 02:15 PM


Any and all Nomads that are under the impression that Mexico is a better country to locate/retire than the USA will recieve a "wake up call" sooner or later.:yes:
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comitan
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[*] posted on 4-17-2009 at 02:37 PM


:o:o:o



Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.

Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)

Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.

“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
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longlegsinlapaz
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[*] posted on 4-17-2009 at 04:38 PM
Cypress, please tell us more about your ominous prediction....


Those of us who live here & have lived for many years need to know if we should start packing! I've got 10 years here under my belt & I believe Comitan is nearly double that. I know a great number of people who have been in the La Paz area longer than myself & many more in various other parts of Baja. OMG!:o:o Is there going to be a total gringo mass deportation?:o:o Please spill your guts! You'd be performing a great public service for current residents & you might save the original poster an unnecessary move!:bounce::lol:

And....IMHO:saint:....comparing TJ to La Paz would be about as valid a comparison as comparing Iraq to Todos Santos!:no::no:
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BMG
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[*] posted on 4-17-2009 at 04:41 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by MitchMan

Hot you say, only for 3 months and with 1 ton of airconditioning per each 165 sq ft of living space - heat is not a problem and electricity is only $.05 USD/KWH.


Not quite. Use an A/C all summer and you might end up with a 2 month power bill of M$24,000 like some friends of our did last summer. Or the other friends that had a M$20,000 bill. And then you get to keep paying that super high KWH rate for the next year until you can reduce your 12 month consumption total. KWH rate is only cheap if you don't use much. Ask your friend in October about the U$.05 KWH electricity after running those A/C's all summer.

It's best to plan on getting out of the heat during the summer or get used to the heat if you stay. Comitan and Baja Dove are so used to the weather here that they need their polar fleece when it drops below 80.




I think the world is run by C- students.
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DianaT
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[*] posted on 4-17-2009 at 04:51 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by longlegsinlapaz


And....IMHO:saint:....comparing TJ to La Paz would be about as valid a comparison as comparing Iraq to Todos Santos!:no::no:


Of course you cannot compare TJ to La Paz---it doesn't get so darn hot in TJ.:lol::lol:

Diane




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fishbuck
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[*] posted on 4-17-2009 at 04:52 PM


I really started to understand the siesta when I spent some hot months in La Paz. I got up early when it was only 80-90 and did stuff. Then home for a cold shower and a nap under my cieling fan. Then back out in the late afternoon. You can get kinda use to it.



"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.

A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein

"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck

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fishbuck
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[*] posted on 4-17-2009 at 05:00 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by longlegsinlapaz
Those of us who live here & have lived for many years need to know if we should start packing! I've got 10 years here under my belt & I believe Comitan is nearly double that. I know a great number of people who have been in the La Paz area longer than myself & many more in various other parts of Baja. OMG!:o:o Is there going to be a total gringo mass deportation?:o:o Please spill your guts! You'd be performing a great public service for current residents & you might save the original poster an unnecessary move!:bounce::lol:



And....IMHO:saint:....comparing TJ to La Paz would be about as valid a comparison as comparing Iraq to Todos Santos!:no::no:


Iraq is a country. Todo Santos is a relatively small village. Your analogy makes no sense.
Tj and La Paz are both cities in Baja. Not that different.




"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.

A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein

"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck

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