Taste of Playa 2013

I’ve been reading about the Taste of Playa for the last couple of years.  Each time I looked at their website or viewed a video, I always started to drool. 

GRATITUDE

As we reflect on the day, we are thankful for the privilege and opportunity to live in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.  To experience this culture, its people and their beautiful country they are sharing with us, is a reminder that we are truly blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

With much gratitude,

PuertoDISE

The top 10 things to do in Playa del Carmen, Mexico when it's raining outside.

In spite of the fact that we live in one of the most beautiful places in the western Caribbean, everyday cannot be a beach day.  So we've created a list of the top 10 things to do in P-L-A-Y-A-D-I-S-E while we’re waiting for the sun to come back out.  ENJOY!

What day of the week is it?

I have a confession to make.  Since moving to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, I have completely lost track of time.  I mean, I rarely know what day of the week it is.

Blessings!

Each and every day we are blessed with the privilege of walking through this beautiful tropical tree-lined community.  We feel such gratitude to have the opportunity to live and experience this new place we call home. To see and experience such beauty is a reminder to count our blessings! 

Squid & Chips Anyone?

Well, I've heard of "Fish & Chips", but never "Squid & Chips".

We are learning something new everyday about our new home!

Saludos from the beach!

Welcome to Playa del Carmen, Mexico!

WOW.  What a whirl-wind.  It's been a short six weeks since our arrival.

We are on our way to Playa del Carmen, Mexico!

After all our research the time has finally come.  We are on our way to Playa del Carmen, Mexico with the warm sun, pristine beaches and the sweet breezes of the Caribbean…follow our adventures and experiences in the Riviera Maya!     

Adiós

What to Pack?

Let's face it, when you're talking about relocating to another country and all your worldly belongings have to fit into four large suitcases, the task at hand can seem overwhelming. After all, everything you own is important...right?  It was time for us to really decide what stays in the U.S.A. and what goes to PDC, Mexico.

Money, Money, Money, Money, M-O-N-E-Y

Or so goes the song "For the Love of Money" by the O'Jays.

It is all about the money isn't it when you move to Mexico. You need money to get there and live there. But what "money" do you use. Many Americans may not think about this.

When moving to a popular tourist destination like Playa del Carmen, you really need to think about it. Most of your big living expenses like rent, utilities, groceries, etc will almost certainly need to be paid in pesos. Pesos are the Mexican currency, learn more about pesos here.  They come in paper bill denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000. Coins come in of 5, 10, 20, and 50 cent (centavo) pieces; and 1, 5, 10, 20 peso pieces.  To see pictures of all Mexican paper bills and coins, click here.

Bathrooms and toilet paper

One of the first words we learned when we decided to visit Mexico was baño (bathroom).  Let's face it, being in a foreign county and not knowing the most basic words is a real challenge.  We know what you're thinking...learn the basics like hello, goodbye, thank you, etc.  Nope, that's not what we wanted to learn.  We wanted to learn how to read, recognize and say the word BATHROOM in Spanish.  So between our Spanish/English dictionary and the Spanish websites we frequented, we learned the word baño.

¿Hablas español?

So we are moving to Mexico in just over a month...with all the research and preparations, learning a new language seems to have slipped through the cracks.  However, it's never to late to get started. A plus for us is that in Playa del Carmen, in the heart of tourist-heavy Riviera Maya, most locals understand at least a little English; and some can communicate in English quite well.  

Are there Cooties in the water?

One of the big fears when going to Mexico is "are there cooties in the water that will make me sick"?   We've all heard the horror stories of "Montezuma's Revenge" when drinking water in Mexico.  The "cooties" are things like bacteria, viruses, and parasites.  Water (and food) in less developed countries does tend to have more cooties than in the United States.  

Our Visit to the Mexican Consulate Office in Washington, D.C.

A few weeks after getting back from our vacation/research trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico,  it was time to move on to the next step; understanding the legal processes and requirements of going to another country as a resident versus a tourist. 

Wedding Renewal & Research Trip in Playa del Carmen

As we mentioned in our previous post, visiting a place is not like living there.  With all the research we were doing online, it was time to take a short trip to do some hands-on research.  In addition to doing research, we also decided to turn our trip into something really special and fun.

Researching Playa del Carmen - Part II - Medical and Dental Services, Internet Access and Phone Service, and Transportation

4)     Medical and Dental

During our research and decision to relocate to Playa del Carmen, Mexico we had planned on seeing our current health care provider and dentist once a year, when we returned to the States during the summer months.  But in reality, you never know when the need will arise for health care or dental services.  So now the challenge was to identify a medical doctor, hospital (in the event of an emergency) and a dentist.  These providers would have to be able to speak English (since we can't speak a word of Spanish) and come highly recommended by the expat community.

Researching Playa del Carmen - Part I - Mexican Legal System, Prescription Medication and Housing

You can't begin to imagine the different paths our research took us.  The more we researched and read information, the more we continued to have questions.  There are so many things that have to be considered when exploring the option of living in another country.  In this post (Research Part I), we'll attempt to give an overview of some of the main questions we had and what our research found.

We've Got A Winner!

In addition to the pristine beaches, warm sun and sweet breezes of the Caribbean, we also had to take a good hard look at other features that are important to our transition:

•   High-speed internet
•   Easy access to an international airport
•   Modern transportation infrastructure
•   Low to moderate cost of living
•   Access to quality health care
•   Relaxed environment
•   Vibrant expat community

But Where in the Caribbean?

Whenever we think of the Caribbean, which is often, we are reminded of a couple of songs. Kokomo by the Beach Boys and Caribbean Queen by Billy Ocean.  These are the songs we listen to as we pack for our next Caribbean adventure!

It started as a thought.

We've often thought about it, if only to ourselves at first. Fleeting thoughts while wandering a beautiful beach or strolling through an open market. And then later, after the vacation was over while putting together a scrap-book or looking at photos and remembering the warm sun on our skin and the air between our toes of our sandals and flip-flops.  Yes, just a thought.  But every once in a while one of us would say "wouldn't it be nice to live there?"