Taking a Tour South of the Border

For many retired Americans dreams come true in Mexico where, according to the U.S. State Department, more than a million Americans and Canadians live permanently. Since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), interest in Mexico has increased among seniors, and many are traveling there for vacations with the added purpose of scouting potential retirement sites.

An area preferred by many retirees is in the state of Jalisco, which includes Guadalajara, nearby Lake Chapala and the lakeside colony of Ajijic.

Estimates of the number of retired expatriates in this area range from 40,000 to 80,000. Visitors find clean, modern shopping centers and such familiar names as Sears, Price Club, Taco Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken. There are about 80 English-speaking fraternal organizations and social clubs for language study, dancing, bridge, charities and other diversions for English-speaking residents.

Nine cultural and educational tours of the Guadalajara area are being offered in 1995 by South of the Border Tour & Travel. The tours address such issues as costs, living conditions, finances, investments, cultural differences, safety and inexpensive, quality medical care.

The tour includes 13 meals--five breakfasts, four lunches and four dinners--in restaurants. The completely escorted tour with bilingual guides is $1,269 per person double occupancy. For single supplement, add $289. The price does not include transportation to and from Guadalajara.

For information and detailed itinerary on the Retire in Mexico 1995 tours, call (800) 570-6111.

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Another view of Mexico will be a two-week tour April 5 in eastern Mexico sponsored by New Hampshire-based Interhostel, which offers educational travel programs around the world. The programs are designed with the cooperation of a foreign educational institution, which on this tour is the Cemanahuac Educational Community. The focus of the trip is the culture of several native groups, including the Mayan, Zapotec and Olmec. Lectures and presentations include topics on contemporary social issues in Mexico, early church history and political history. Field trips and excursions offer visits to Indian marketplaces, archeological sites, churches and monasteries, monuments and natural scenic vistas.

There are visits to a number of unique museums, as well as social and cultural activities. The tour includes comfortable hotels with private baths, three meals daily, all admissions to museums, galleries performances and ground transportation. City visits include Oaxaca, Palenque, San Cristobal de Las Casas and Tuxtla Gutierrez.

The tour departs from Dallas, and the cost, including round-trip air fare from Dallas, is $2,395 per person. Single supplement is $395. For a copy of the Interhostel catalogue, call (800) 733-9753.