Greetings from Colonia San Antonio. Nice job on the video. We spent two months here last summer and now we are here for three months. We've done lots of research on this great little city before, during, and after our arrival. But your video has shown us just how much more there is to see. Going to Don Lupe's Grill tonight to perform at their open mic night. What a town!
Hey Tim and Susan! Sounds like you’re really enjoying SMA and getting to really live there versus just visit, which is our approach as well. We agree there’s so many different facets to experience in the area, which is really the fun part. We’d love to hear about what you’re learning and your experiences! We are exploring more of Mexico and hope you’ll check out upcoming videos in Merida. Best to you and stay in touch! M and C.
close to Queretaro. I have been coming to Mexico, mainly Acapulco since 1962. I do speak Spanish as a second language. I moved permanently to Queretaro, Mexico on 11-2-2021 at 79 . I moved because of the deadly crimes and the rents, utilities etc. taking almost all of my retirement income. It is safer, beautiful and cleaner here, and $850 per month less expensive. There is not any shortage or limits on food, and I use home delivery, as I did in the USA . I use Amazon-Mexico to order the foods, that i miss from the USA, and are not sold here. Grits, Louisiana hot sauce, Hormel Beef tamales, Libby's Corn Beef hash, Red chili flakes, and Campbell's chicken noodle soup.. Pork is all that I do not eat, and I cook 99% of my food. Argentina's Mercado Libre was a BIG disappointment. They never delivered my packages, and has kept my money as a credit. I gave them an address of a friend, yet no delivery Butterball has the best turkey bacon! The earthquakes were the deal breakers for Acapulco, but I will always love her. Grilled Red Snapper and Pollo Felez are my favorite foods, that I order for take out. My apartment has a fantastic view of all of Queretaro, all utilities and WiFi, maid service, and 100% furnished with everything, and a beloved king size bed, like at home. I am working on my temp retirement visa, since I did get 180 days, but at this age, I do not want to do visa runs, and never know how many days I will get. It is better, if you can to get the temp retirement visa. God bless the world,and please behave. Hands are for helping and not hurting. Put a d before anger, and you get deadly danger. Do not argue! No one can ride your back, unless you bend over. Only the strong survives. Treat everyone, the way you want to be treated. Karma never loses an address, and we will reap what we have sown. DO THE RIGHT THING ALWAYS! No complaints in my Queretaro apartment . I love my apartment, and my new friends, who treat me like their great grand mother. People are so respectful of the elders. I paid to have my apartment emptied, and i gave away my food , kitchen and bath items. I did not sell, because of criminals and fake money. I do speak Spanish as a second language. I am addicted to your videos. A Move to Mexico: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6fg_SiHHCOs.html
Blessings to you and thank you for sharing a bit of your story. We are so happy that you found a lovely place to call home. You are an inspiration in so many ways, but in particular to those of us who love Mexico and who can see making it an affordable home. You made us so happy to hear that you are "addicted" to our videos! Yay! Thank you for virtually traveling with, and learning, and laughing with us.
Viva Mexico, Ralph! So glad you loved San Miguel. You’ve introduced us to a new Mexican destination that we weren’t familiar with. Zihuatanejo looks terrific. We may have to put this on our itinerary. I see it’s about four hours from Acapulco. Someone was just telling us in a comment that they left the area in part due to crime. How would you respond to someone with that kind of concern? Now I lived in Chicago and now DC so I know it’s all relative, but would love your perspective.
I live in Independencia near colonia San Felipe and have a great view which is the mirror image of el Mirador on the opposite side of town. I love my neighborhood with its mix of Mexican celebrities, working folks and expats from all over the world.
Hey! Thanks for the comment. We love it as well, and have friends who own a home there and have lived there for decades. Definitely a wonderful, beautiful and authentic neighborhood. So glad you are coming along with us!!
Beautifully shot video guys! Thank you - was terrific seeing the neighborhoods and definitely got a richer view. Looking forward to exploring more of your content.
Estamos muy contentos de que hayas disfrutado de los videos. Intentamos lograr un equilibrio entre divertirnos un poco, pero aprender algo al mismo tiempo.
Very nice video and very good presentation. We like the colorful streets of historic center. Barrio del Chorro the view is splendid. We like the street art of Guadeloupe. Top video 👍👍👌
Hey Hassan! Thanks for the comment and good words:) We are so glad you found value in the video and hope you’ll keep the feedback coming:). Thanks for coming along with us!!
I’m so glad that it was helpful. Our favorite thing is to lace up our shoes and walk around every inch of a new place. You never know what you will discover. Enjoy your next visit…and potential move maybe!
@@dchiddengems which neighborhood was your favorite which was not super noisy and had the best overall livability factor . Your criteria are similar to ours.
We loved Centro with access to everything but yes it’s pretty noisy. Guadeloupe was definitely our favorite. Super livable, great hip vibe, wonderful people, mix of Mexican families and expats. Guadiana is another favorite and might be the best investment for many others. Spoiler alert you are going to want to see next weeks video.
@@dchiddengems Thank you so much for the info. We will be watching! We love seeing places, streets and landscapes from a different perspective that capture the unique. Thanks again!
Fabrica la Aurora, shown in your video, is a very old textile factory where many San Miguel citizens used to earn their living. It has since been turned into a center for arts with design studios, shops and restaurants. Many of the old textile machines are still in place among the many art galleries.
Hey. Thanks for the comment! Yes we learned it was one of the primary factories in the day and employed many many local families for generations. It’s well-done and interesting to see elements of the old factory among the design center and shops today. A great place to visit for history and today.
Hey Maria! Thanks for the comment. We have a video about our Airbnb in town posted (Our Airbnb in San Miguel) but like the idea of showcasing different airbnbs in different areas. Thanks for coming along with us!!:)
Good luck with the trip! Nice to hear that you are making it to SMA as well. So much to see in that area of Mexico, and even more after that. We are at the beginning stages of getting a permanent residency visa in Mexico so we hope to see as much of that wonderful country as possible.
Hey and thanks for the nice comment! We are having fun, learning a lot and love to have folks like you coming along with us! We really enjoyed SMA and the surrounding areas. Stay tuned and look forward to sharing more adventures and experiences with you:)
Hola chicos, si que es hermoso San Miguel de Allende, solo comentarles que la Aurora fue una fabrica Textil, ahora convertida en galerías y hermisas tiendas, un gran plan para pasar un día en esta bella ciudad
Hola! Si, we discovered the Aurora was the major textile factory that was the primary employer for generations in SMA. For sure it’s a beautiful place today with wonderful art and shops but still with so much of the history remaining. We really loved it and recommend it! Gracias por venir junto con nostros:)
I think you did a great job. I have a channel called Going Walkabout and I just did a video on SMA, it’s totally different approach then yours however that’s what I love about RU-vid , so many interesting point of views! Well done.
Hey! Thanks so much! We checked you out and you’re great! I can relate to the “Good Footwear”! I actually twisted my ankle on a curb and took a few days to recover. Heres to a never boring retirement! Glad you found us and look forward to sharing adventures out there:)
Hey, Kathlyne!! Thanks so much for the comment, and we are SO happy you’re coming along with us!!!:). So many beautiful places in Mexico, SMA and the world!! Glad you’re on the journey with us:)
Yes this is a wonderful video I’ve only been for a couple days before we just stayed in the central area. I’ve got an Airbnb house with a couple of friends and we’re coming for Day of the dead festival. I have a small poodle do you think they’re allowed in the restaurants. Just wondering. I’m really excited to go back to that beautiful place. Thank you again for this lovely video
Hey Catherine! You’re gonna love it. Let us know how the DOD festival goes. We didn’t see small pets in any restaurants but we really love and follow the channel “Our Freedom Years” here. They have two small poodles they travel with and we’re just in SMA. Reach out and tell them DC Hidden Gems sent you😀. Have fun!!!
Hey! Thanks so much for the comment and feedback. We are having fun and are happy to get to bring you along with us. Please keep letting us know what you think and we love ideas on how we can make things better:)
Thanks so much! Yes we flew into Queretaro and had a car booked to take us to SMA. Alternatively you can fly into Quanajuato and get a car from there. In both cases there are also nice buses that you can take as well and at a cheaper price.
I spent my time around the San Francisco Church,,..go to main market..Mercado,,where you. buy great produce..and vendors..then as you approach. Along side of good meat markets..the plaza area where the busses are ..iis nice. I stayed next to chicken store Baja Restaurant Looking to go back this information was hekpful
Hey Pat! Sounds like you had a great time. There’s a lot of great markets that are very local, not touristy at all, and then of course more that tend to draw tourists primarily. We loved the food in the local markets. So good! Glad you’re coming along with us and let us know when you get back!!
Hey, thanks for the comment. Yeah, we hear you:). We’ve learned a little about the sound editing and have made changes. Thanks for coming along with us.
Hey Susan! Yes, we are forever working on our pronunciations! Thanks for the comment and coming along on our adventures. How long have you been there? Do you love I? Please keep the comments coming, and maybe we will see you there in the future!!
@@dchiddengems I was here from 12/16/21-2/16/22 this past winter to scope it out. I returned, with my Visa Temporal, on 6/20/2022. Yes, I love it! I plan to stay, with only an occasional visit back to the USA! So great to feel safe and welcomed. I come from a city I had lived in all my life; but between politics, ridiculous growth and danger wherever, this is my place!!
Hi there, thank you so much for this video! At El Mirador, what do you think the haze is? Is it pollution, by chance? How clean is the air? Thanks for any info!
Yes at least I believe it to be a moderate amount of air pollution. According to my limited research SMA has been experiencing occasional amounts of moderate PM2.5 particulate pollution that is higher than recommended amounts (US standards). It seems to be stemming from gasoline engines and probably the occasional burning of wood. The elevations and valleys probably captures it in pockets and prevents it from dissipating. If anyone else has information or thoughts please share.
The air quality in San Miguel changes all of the time depending on the weather and air currents. That haze looked like early morning fog to me but I don't know what time of day that video was taken. We do get some heat haze from time to time, especially in April and May, our hottest months. Occasionally we get some pollution coming from other more industrial areas, and perhaps from Mexico City, depending on the wind flow. Some days are so clear, especially in the winter, that the far mountains are crystal clear. Sunsets are amazing!
@@lauriedawes6003 Thanks for the thoughtful response, Laurie! From here in the US, I figured out I can monitor air quality for all of Mexico via the weather app on my iPhone. It seems that Mexico overall has great air quality, but that patch around San Miguel and south of it seem to have not so great air regularly. I notice that with rain (which has been happening often), the bad air gets cleared out. It looks like an amazing place to live.
Hey! Thanks for the comment. You’re correct. They call it Féria de la Candelaria in SMA and it’s in Parque Juarez. Huge and beautiful selections of all kinds of plants, flowers, trees, etc. A beautiful setting and much to do and see including good food, music and fun for everybody:)
As esthetically attractive San Miguel is, it is not accessible -friendly. Hilly streets and sidewalks that are narrow, cobblestoned, uneven and broken are just not for anyone with any difficulty walking. No good for canes, walkers or wheelchairs. Stairs everywhere with no railings to hang onto. The only alternative is to forget all the great hype regarding the expat community and move on perhaps to Queretaro. That's my take on this.
Hey, Dovy. Thanks for the comment. Yes, SMA is for sure hilly and with uneven surfaces that come with a smaller historic town. We did find Queretaro easier to navigate as it’s more modern and a larger, working city. We love the whole area and all of Mexico. Have you been to Mexico City?
@@dchiddengems Unfortunately I haven't been anywhere yet. :-(. However from my online travels to several important locations, I cannot find anywhere besides Queretaro that is suitable for older people. I love the folks who put out videos describing how much they love all the locations, including older people my age. But I don't understand how they succeed to handle all the obstacles that require so much adaptation. I admire them, but cannot understand how they do it, coming from the US and Canada. Perhaps the overwhelming benefit of financial savings eliminates the obstacles to everything I enumerated.....
@@dchiddengems Not to mention crowds, car congestion in narrow streets, noise, being far from ordinary conveniences, intense heat, problems with water supplies , electricity, toilets, and ABOVE ALL THE LANGUAGE! And I know Spanish muy bien, gracias a Dios. Como amo el idioma. But even my brain gets tired of working in Spanish.
Hello. While legal requirements may be relaxed in some areas, we still take precautions depending on the situation. Also, the requirement to test negative for a flight to enter the US is still in effect. A friend of our got COVID right before flying home and he had to change all of his plans and stay in a hotel until he tested negative again. It was awful, but thankfully he didn't get super sick.
Hey Tom. Yup, you’re right:). We are working hard on our Spanish and our pronunciation, especially when we are speaking English. Thanks for coming along with us!
It is properly respectful of Sanmiguelences to learn the spelling and pronunciation of the names of these sights that you featured in this video. The video is beautifully recorded; the spelling and pronunciation, a massacre.
Oh you are totally right! I try so hard but my pronunciation can be awful. I used to only do videos with artificial computer voice because I was so afraid of sounding bad. I’ll keep trying. Thanks for calling me out, Sally.
@@dchiddengems We do appreciate your videos and enjoy the places shown. The pronunciation may not be the best, but it is understandable, no judge, as we are not judged by our English pronunciation.