Kiko

If you choose to drive to Petatan from Mazamitla and then thru San Jose de Gracia then the dicey part of the route will be the paved road just NE of San Jose de Gracia that connects to Tizapan el Alto thru the canyon and along the arroyos. The locals call that road Calle Camino Aqua Caliente. This road runs along the state border between Mich and Jalisco so a perpetual turf war. Not a lot of folks on that road in the afternoon and evenings. Safer to backtrack thru La Manzanilla de la Paz and Tuxcueca. The Pemex in Tuxcueca closes often so don't count on gas availability there.

In the past I have found that many stores are closed in Mazamitla on Wednesdays. Seems the most often mentioned restaurant here on this board has been La Troje located across the street a bit from the Pemex in town. I eat in the Mercado upstairs. http://latrojedemazamitla.com.mx/

Frequently you will find good deals on small Japanese SUVs here in the Classifieds subforum. Many with low mileage. Lots of turnover with teflon tourists.

@Hud. I spoke with the FBI at the US Consulate in Guadalajara in 2012, don't know about today though.

I agree with the above comment. Also I would add that some expats who have disappeared do not want to be found. I doubt if most kidnappers would choose an expat over a wealthy Mexican but then it does happen. No one wants the FBI involved because that shuts down their trafficking profits. Guess I'm just getting cynical.

Speaking of tax liability in Mexico, I'm looking for a new local contador who can file my Mexican tax returns. Any recommendations appreciated.

@Usvetsinmexico, My post was not in reference to you so no need to take offense. The post provided some historical reference to the scam in San Miguel de Allende. But never mind, carry on.

https://sanmigueltimes.com/2019/09/the-monex-scam-7-million-usd-vanished-from-expat-bank-accounts/ Yep I remember that. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is too good to be true.

I had a problem with a different solar vendor. I finally emailed/called APS in the US after the APS importer in Mexico failed to answer my emails/calls. Within a few days the installer came and tested all of the APS mini invertors. They were good but we had some defective panels. So another two months of getting authorization from the Chinese manufacturer to replace the panels under warranty. You might want to try Profeco. https://mexlaw.com/know-consumer-rights-mexico/

It's been 12 years or more, but that seems to be about right. The bus driver was the one who announced it was a 14 hour backup and there more than a dozen buses ahead of ours. Some passengers removed their luggage and started walking toward the US.

Not accurate to call it a tunnel, more like we went under the public roadway. I remember there were no cars in line at the bridge so no wait. It was a standalone CBP booth with no others nearby.

That was the same experience I had in Laredo a few years back on Omnibus. A couple of days before Christmas and we were stuck in traffic so far from the US border I could not even see the bridge crossing. The bus driver stood up and said the wait would be about 14 hours but he could call a cab and the cab driver would take us to the US via a short cut. Myself and four others went for it. In a few minutes the cab came driving against incoming traffic in the other lanes to pick us up. In about 5 minutes he drove thru a tunnel and then we arrived at a lone CBP booth at the Laredo crossing. No wait, we were the only vehicle. Flash the passport and boom we are in the USA. 200 Pesos. What a deal. 😁