Retirement Tales: Two Gringos Living in Mexico [Paperback]

Charles Montemayor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 29, 2003

Join Charlie Montemayor and his wife Carole in his Retirement Tales-Two Gringos Living in Mexico. Charlie and Carole moved to Guanajuato, Mexico in 1995. From the time they started to pack for their move to Mexico, until the present, Charlie sent stories to family and friends in America via a newsletter that chronicled their adventures. These newsletters were often copied and passed around so that the readers could share these interesting and funny stories with their friends. Retirement Tales-Two Gringos Living in Mexico is a collection of the best of the articles from their newsletter.For anyone who likes to visit Mexico or has ever thought that they might like to retire there someday, the book provides practical information on living in Mexico, the experience of building a house in Guanajuato, living costs and government regulations, things you need to know, all done with an insightful wisdom about the country, and a friendly view of our neighbor to the south. The book is instructive, interesting, and hilarious.In addition to an appealing sense of humor, you will find a refreshing insight on Mexico and the Mexicans, and Charlie and Carole's love for their adopted country.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The author retired as director of the Dane County Regional Planning Commission in Madison, Wisconsin. He and his wife moved to Guanajuato, in the central highlands of Mexico and published a newsletter, Letter from Mexico. They built a house, became a part of their new community, and continue to enjoy their retirement in Guanajuato.

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (August 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 059529281X
• ISBN-13: 978-0595292813
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,606,761 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyday Mexico, August 3, 2004

By 

An Armchair Traveler (New Mexico, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Retirement Tales: Two Gringos Living in Mexico (Paperback)

This book relates the experiences of one American couple who take the plunge and retire to Mexico. It is not a comprehensive guidebook to retirement south of the border, and readers looking for that kind of information would be well-served to look elsewhere. But even the best guidebooks often fail to give their readers a real "taste" of what day-to-day life will be like in their chosen retirement haven. So, if you're considering retirement in Mexico, it helps to have both a "guidebook" and "guide." Charlie Montemayor is a great guide! His tales, told with wry humor and equanimity, reveal the everyday obstacles and frustrations, but also the small insights and large rewards, of navigating in a culture not one's own. These tales, told in the author's distinctive voice, ring true. Recommended!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Information for us hopeful Mexican expats, January 7, 2004

By 

K. Hogue "kevinigloo" (Spokane, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Retirement Tales: Two Gringos Living in Mexico (Paperback)

I loved this book because it gives anyone toying with the idea of relocating to Mexico the experiences of a real person who has done it and doesn't look back. Since I am in my early 40's, I view this as a great primer to plan with as well as being an informative "story" of how they went about it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Window to Life in Mexico, April 11, 2004

By 

Marie McC (VA, United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Retirement Tales: Two Gringos Living in Mexico (Paperback)

If you're looking for an A to Z how-to-do-it guide on moving to Mexico, keep looking. If you're looking for a more personal story of what life might be like south of the border, this is it. There are facts and figures on the cost of living and the logistics of moving and living in Mexico that are useful, but it's not really what this book is about.

This account of retired life in Guanajuato, taken from a series of newsletters to family and friends, is charming, thoughtful and uplifting. The author's warmth and humor comes across on every page, and his curiosity and keen observations make for interesting reading. Despite growing up in Madison, Wisconsin, with a Mexican cultural influence (his parents immigrated from Coahuila), Mr. Montemayor experienced frustrations in adjusting to some aspects of life south of the border, recounted with his usual droll asides. His reactions to Mexican life and his interactions with the people he meets offer good examples of successful cultural adjustment.

The book is self published, and it shows in that there are numerous grammatical and spelling errors. It could greatly benefit from professional editing. However, if you can get past that, there is a lot to like about this book.

This collection of anecdotes opens a window to what life in Mexico is really like for a retiree the way that the Move to Mexico guides aren't meant to. If the Guanajuato Chamber of Commerce has any positions open, they should consider Mr. Montemayor for a job. His book will make you want to move there!