We are moving to....... wait for it....... Mexico!!!!!

[BrainSurgeon]

Any Mumsnetters there? Anyone? Please?....

I will need one of these

Forgot: take a couple of driving lessons with an instructor. Even if you are the most competent driver known to man, you will not manage in DF and Mexico in general unless someone tells you the basics about how to drive when there are no rules. There are plenty, but noone ever obeys them. Otherwise you will be intimidated and angry and you will find life a chore. There is plenty of public transport and it is very cheap, but it is dirty, crowded and apart from the metro/metrobus (tram), there is no way of knowing the route the bus will take.
The downside to living in Lomas de Chapultecpec is that the traffic there (and also in Polanco and annexes now) is very, very heavy all the time. Mexico City is a giant carpark during rush hour (and there are three 7-9, 2-4 and 7-9) and the rich neighbourhoods tend to be the worst.

at the driving lesson advice. Our housekeeper used to drive around the desert in circles, dust flying in her wake. Us kids would stand on the side of the car (on the running board), hold onto the opened window and scream with joy as she tore about. In a metallic blue Beetle, THE car of seventies Mexico.

A favourite game was to get her to chase the tumbleweeds and dust devils. In her car.

Oh, I am going to have to hide this thread! Too
Staring down the barrel of another winter in the UK...
Good luck, OP! Suerte!

My Mexican driving instructor started asking me to come with him to drink a few tequilas before driving home, I changed instructor!

You have to get in the right mindset for driving, it is a bit aggressive but gas its own logic.

I learned to drive in DF and after 5 years came back to the UK, where I had to get a English driving license. i failed 5 times as I could not curb my Mexican driving style, LOL

Yes, you cannot drink tap water.

My doctor said not to eat salad in restaurants, as they are washed with tapwater.

You can was fruit and salad at home by adding a few drops of iodine (for sake everywhere) to the water.

Thanks for the advice, bit scary about the driving and the water...

I forgot to say this is not our first expat posting, we are currently living in Doha - Qatar.
The tap water here in Doha is not nice to drink as it's de-salinated sea water (!) but it's safe to wash and cook with.
I wonder if I can take my water dispenser, do the have those massive 20liter plastic water bottles there?

Chapultepec is nice - huge park, museums etc close and not far from the historic centre.

Agree with the driving, ends up being quite a free for all. Takes my Mexican FIL 2 hours to drive to us from DF, takes me 4 Metro is easy to use, ridiculously cheap and one of the sweatiest places on earth at rush hour.

Private healthcare is good and easily accessible, though to my horror, they don't have gas and air in labour wards. Prob not a huge priority for you atm!

They have the 20l 'garafones' - the beasts of the water container world. Very chep to refill (under two pounds) and done in many little shops. A lot of people here have started fitting expensive filters to their taps but not convinced they work afterca few too manybathroom trips...

They bring those garafones of water to your house, it's no hassle, you get used to not drinking water from the tap.

I have an upright water dispenser (or water cooler) thing, you put the "bottle" up-side-down on top of it and it has a little tap from which you can get cold or hot water - a bit like this

www.costco.com/.product.11762630.html?cm_sp=RichRelevance--categorypageHorizontalTop--CategoryTopProducts&cm_vc=categorypageHorizontalTop|CategoryTopProducts

Do the "garafones" work with this kind of thing, do you think?

Thanks for the good wishes OhGood

What an adventure! I haven't been to Mexico,but love their ceramics. I currently have this in mind for the downstairs loo

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300646884779?var=600032832311&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648

Willow that is bloody hillarious - I was eating my lunch when I clicked on the link and almost chocked

Isn't it great?! The thing that puts me off is that I'd have to collect it from the docks,which would result in chaos.

Yep, those are the things!

Love it, Willow! A staple of any Mexican home

porcito PLEASE tell me you are joking!!??!!??

Fortunately yes ... my MIL has various hideous ceramic Marys in her house but not one of those...yet!

Heh heh. By the way sent you a pm not sure if you got it?

My friend lives there. He's a teacher. He recently got married to his Mexican girlfriend and seems to love everything about it. Good luck!

Girls! Not taking the piss out of my loo,surely.
I love that you've found contacts Brainy

It's been fascinating reading this thread. Hope all goes well in Mexico for you Brain.

We're in Abu Dhabi at the moment and DH is looking for a new job for next year and we are researching at the moment so this has been really helpful.