Expat Experience Ep. 7: Tim Walker
[00:00:00] Narrator: Welcome to the Expat Experience, your Essential Guide to Relocating, living and Thriving in San Carlos, Mexico. Join seasoned real estate professional Robert De Forge as he pulls back the curtain on seamlessly transitioning from dreamer to doer, whether you are eyeing a retirement bliss. Seeking the perfect work from anywhere set up or hunting for your ideal vacation escape.
[00:00:28] This podcast is your compass to navigating the exciting journey to San Carlos, Mexico living. Get ready to turn your relocation dreams into sun soaked reality.
[00:00:43] Robert DeForge - Host: Good morning, Tim. Welcome to the Expat Experience. Uh, great to have you on today. Thank you for accommodating us.
[00:00:51] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: Thank you, Rob. You know, it's, uh, fun to do. Thanks for inviting me. So,
[00:00:56] Robert DeForge - Host: so Tim, I know you've been in San Carlos for quite a [00:01:00] while, and I wanted to get your story and find out a little bit about how you found San Carlos and what brought you to the area.
[00:01:10] Tell us a little bit of your, your backstory, if you could.
[00:01:12] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: Well, my backstory is absolutely unique and, um, pretty long. So the condensed version is that we did charity work, faith-based, uh, work with tribal people in Venezuela. For years we lived in the jungle of Venezuela. And, um, through the years, the political environment and the security, uh, was such that I could no longer work in Venezuela with the people group that we worked with.
[00:01:42] But a colleague of mine had moved to San Carlos and started a bible school for the Mexican community. And so being from Canada. And my work location being in Venezuela, uh, my [00:02:00] colleague Howard facilitated in between here in San Carlos, uh, location where I could continue on working with the native people of Venezuela.
[00:02:11] And um, so we started coming to San Carlos, and that was about 12 years ago. So you've been coming here for quite a while. You've
[00:02:19] Robert DeForge - Host: probably seen lots of changes. What, what kinds of things have you seen. That have changed.
[00:02:24] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: Construction is just through the roof. It's just growing rapidly. I just wonder like, how can so many people be needing homes here?
[00:02:34] Robert DeForge - Host: Well, it is a beautiful place, you have to admit, I know you've traveled throughout Latin America and San Carlos is, is very special. Uh, we have the mountains and we have the ocean. Beautiful beaches here. I feel like it's a very unique place, uh, regarding the, you know, the state of Mexico. There's a lot of beautiful places, but this is a very special place [00:03:00] and I think you probably feel the same way too.
[00:03:03] So it's sort of expected, you know, people want to be here. That's a beautiful place to be.
[00:03:08] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: Well, I have nothing to compare it to really in Mexico 'cause we haven't really explored the other parts of Mexico. But I will say that it is very unique in that it is a harmony between desert. Mountains and sea, and that creates a incredible physical landscape backdrop.
[00:03:29] But then the people that come here are, um, they have time and it creates a unique community where. People are not driven by their jobs. They have time to be a person and, uh, you just never stop meeting amazing people.
[00:03:52] Robert DeForge - Host: Yeah. I've met people from, well, Canada, we have a big Canadian presence here. Also a lot of people from the [00:04:00] United States, but I've noticed that there are a lot more, uh, Mexican people from throughout the country that.
[00:04:08] Or buying property here and, and vacationing here. And we just finished up with Sam Sanda or Holy Week as it's known, which gives us a taste of, uh, well extreme festivities. How would you describe it?
[00:04:27] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: Yeah, I mean, the Mexican culture is. Just full of, uh, Fiesta. Like they love to party. They love to have fun.
[00:04:37] Ev almost every weekend there's a little party going and some weekends are more pronounced than others and is like the mega grand culmination of all of those together. And, uh, we walk the streets, uh, a couple nights and just. Saw the vibe and saw the, the, I mean, I've never seen this anywhere else in the world [00:05:00] where elderly people will be sitting there playing chess.
[00:05:04] Families will be, um, sitting eating food and young people will be dancing and everybody has their little, uh, spot of music. And so there's. And somehow they don't compete with each other. You walk from one to another and that's the one you hear. So it was a really fun experience.
[00:05:23] Robert DeForge - Host: And the, uh, the popups that occur all along the, uh, the Malcon and the Boulevard, it's amazing.
[00:05:33] It people show up from everywhere, selling goods and lots of food, different types of food. It's, it's really something to, uh, to see. Now I live in a g gated community here, and the people, they've come and rent homes in here, they have their own private parties, you know, within the community. So it, it becomes quite boisterous, but it, it's, uh, [00:06:00] with the Mexican culture, holidays and celebration are.
[00:06:07] I feel like it's much more magnified than it is in the United States. And it, yeah, it's kinda like a celebration of life. And I never felt that in all the years I lived in the States, you'd have holidays and things, but it was never the quite the same experience. And the other thing that I've noticed here is there's a holiday, an official holiday at least once a month.
[00:06:30] It seems like, you know, they're, they're everybody. Exactly. Everybody stops and enjoys life. And, uh, you know, it's a wonderful thing and it's one of the things that drew me to it's there, it's the sense of being present in your life and not delaying enjoying your life until you have that two week vacation or, or whatever's coming up in the future.
[00:06:55] And I, it's a way life, I. It's a way of life, right? Yeah. [00:07:00] One of the other, and I'll tell
[00:07:01] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: you, I'll tell you, coming from other Latin American cultures, that the Mexican culture, so what we're talking about is really an expression of the Mexican heart, which is another term for culture. And they are such a happy people, generally speaking.
[00:07:20] Yeah. Uh, we were blown away the first time we crossed the border. These people were so happy and respectful toward us. I, I mean, this was totally different than Venezuela. And so I think just that happiness, it just, they love it. They love to be happy, and that's probably why they love the music and the parties on the weekends.
[00:07:42] Robert DeForge - Host: And the food, food is very important.
[00:07:45] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: And food, food, family.
[00:07:47] Robert DeForge - Host: Yeah. That's a, that's a central, uh, component. Tim, you and I have a mutual friend, Jorge, and when he gives us an invite to [00:08:00] come to his home, we know it's gonna be special, don't we?
[00:08:03] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: This is another manifestation of the Mexican culture. I mean food and family and friendships.
[00:08:10] It's right up at the top and yeah, you see that, you experience that.
[00:08:14] Robert DeForge - Host: Yeah, I really enjoy it and uh, yeah. So what kind of changes other than construction? Have you seen any, anything else happening here that, that pops to the top of your mind in the last
[00:08:29] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: 12 years? As far as changes? Um, well, the population has increased.
[00:08:35] Um. The economy, um, for a while got stronger than our North American economy. Just slightly. I saw a change where it was more expensive than for Canadians to come down here than it used to, which I think is probably a good thing, uh, for, for Mexico. Um, and. As far as [00:09:00] changes, the thing about San Carlos for us, Rob, is that you never know what you're gonna see every year.
[00:09:07] There's always a box full of surprise. It's not just one, but there's just a box full of new, uh, things that, that you connect with. Um, I love the fact that you can do so many things, whether, whether it's boating and fishing or beach life. Or, uh, nature or hiking or mountains? Uh, the estuary is incredible.
[00:09:30] The bird life is phenomenal. We go to the estuary often and, and just. Never get enough of the energy that you feel from all of the life just flying around in the fish, in the water. And um, then the activities that are available. The Mexicans are so talented, they're a talented people. The athletic club, the sports activities.
[00:09:54] I mean, we didn't pick this place. We came here, like I said, because my colleague was here and it [00:10:00] provided a facility. But having lived here, we've grown to really appreciate all that it has to offer.
[00:10:06] Robert DeForge - Host: I think I heard you talk about pickleball. Can you elaborate on that a little bit?
[00:10:10] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: Well, you're asking the wrong person because I'm, uh, um, a loyal tennis player and, oh, what's that?
[00:10:18] I have played pickleball and it isn't. It is a fun game. There are all sorts of levels. It's incredible. Um, here in San Carlos, they have some incredible new courts, like 14 new courts. Um, but I don't involve myself very much because, um, pickleball will take away a little bit of the timing and the feel, the touch of, uh, your tennis.
[00:10:46] And so. So you're more of a tennis player
[00:10:50] Robert DeForge - Host: then, it sounds like.
[00:10:51] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: Yep. I play tennis, yes.
[00:10:54] Robert DeForge - Host: And we have facilities here at the athletic club and yeah, there's
[00:10:59] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: a, [00:11:00] there's a court at the athletic club. There's a nice court out at the Condominios. Bilad and there are a few other private courts. Um, in San Carlos is enough for somebody like me to be playing tennis pretty much as often as I can.
[00:11:17] Robert DeForge - Host: Yeah, the athletic club is, uh, is really a nice setup over there, and I know it's grown over the years and I hear a rumor that there'll be potentially another one opening up over here on the boulevard, uh, the new construction. So we'll see what happens with that. So, progress, I didn't know that. Everything, everything keeps expanding.
[00:11:40] Now, would you visit, how, how many months a year are you here, Tim? Typically five. Okay. The other part of the year. Where are you?
[00:11:50] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: We're itinerant. We're, so we're usually traveling through the United States. I do travel to Columbia, but then we base out of Canada and we try to be there for six months [00:12:00] of every year in Canada where my family is.
[00:12:02] We have a home in Canada. I'm Canadian born. Okay. Yeah.
[00:12:06] Robert DeForge - Host: Now, when you visit, I guess you rent? Yeah, we rent a house here. And how does that work out for you? Has it been. Pretty easy to find a place every year.
[00:12:15] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: Yeah, you can always find a place to rent, but as you, as you rent, uh, you obviously you have preferences and so the closer you get at finding something within your budget that suits your needs, then you just book it in advance and you hold onto it.
[00:12:33] I've
[00:12:33] Robert DeForge - Host: noticed that rents have been increasing primarily with the waterfront, uh, homes and condominiums. But it seems like if you get away from the beach a block or so, the prices are still very reasonable. You mentioned, uh, living down here being like, uh, it's like going back to the good old days when you have more personal freedoms to do things and there are a lot of differences between north of the [00:13:00] border, Canada, the United States, and down here.
[00:13:02] And what are the main things that you see in terms of like daily. Daily living.
[00:13:07] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: We enjoy the fact that it is a little bit more organic and old fashioned. And so those things are things that we overlook for the reward of just having that kind of freedom of life. Right.
[00:13:22] Robert DeForge - Host: Yeah. It's not a sanitized, that's the big thing I noticed.
[00:13:26] 'cause I travel to the states quite a bit and it feels. Very sanitized and yeah, sort of prepackaged, uh, to try to attain, I don't know, some sort of perfection or an ideal of perfection, you know, perfect manicured everything, everywhere you go. And, and that's not Mexico. You can have, for instance, there's a house across the street that's a million dollar house and you know, then you have.
[00:13:56] A smaller house next door, not quite as [00:14:00] elaborate or luxurious. Now there are neighborhoods where everything is more perfected, but in terms of the, the. Way of life. The regulation and the government oversight and, uh, you know, people giving you tickets for speeding or turning at the, you know, wrong time.
[00:14:19] You know, just all of those traffic monitoring and things like that. It's, it's, it's a much different lifestyle. I had a phone call yesterday from a gentleman in Austin, Texas, and you're. Probably familiar with what happened there. Post COVID, that city exploded, and he called me, he's about 50 years old, and he said, I'm, I'm just tired of all the, everything.
[00:14:45] So he's coming down here in two weeks and we're gonna go around and I'm gonna show him all the neighborhoods and he'll bring his boat with him and, uh, he's looking forward to it. He has a teenage son that he is going to put in school in the [00:15:00] bilingual private school in Yma. Hmm. And he's ready to, uh, establish a new way of life down here.
[00:15:08] That's one of the big things that drew me here is that the constant increase in government oversight and regulation. Yeah. And it just, people don't realize it. There's different descriptions of freedom. And it feels to me that north of the border, it's been a consistent creeping of taxation and permitting and et cetera, et cetera, and it just keeps growing and growing.
[00:15:38] And I made a decision several years back that. I didn't want to have that kinda life anymore. Uh, the gentleman was asking me, well, what happens if I pull my boat in front of my house and I wanna wash it off? And I said, what do you mean? He said, well, is everybody gonna come out and scream at me and tell me I have to move my boat?
[00:15:57] And I said, no, [00:16:00] that's in the United States. And I dealt with that. When I would, I would have my boat in front of my house and my neighbors would come out, you know, what, what are you doing? You know, and Mexicans are, are. Live and let live sometimes to the extreme. But overall, I think people are, are pretty courteous and, and, you know, respect people.
[00:16:23] I think respect is a, is a big, big thing. I, I don't know if I've shared the story on the podcast, but Eric, we both have a friend named Eric and, and he, uh, broke down in the Costco parking lot in Ermo and. It was in the middle of the summer and he had his whole family in the car. He had just picked them up from the airport and a Mexican man was, his family came over and said, what's the problem?
[00:16:49] And he said, I don't know. And the, and the guy opened the hood and he figured out what it was, and they got the car back to the gentleman's house and he fixed a car. And then his wife [00:17:00] took everybody in the car inside. Fed them and he said that they were there for three and a half hours enjoying a meal with this family.
[00:17:08] Now, I'm not saying that couldn't happen in the United States, it very well could, but my experience has been that that's a much more common occurrence here in Mexico. You know, everybody is family.
[00:17:21] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: So it's a, and again, it's uh, you know, to the point of the Mexican culture, very high values in food and family and friendship.
[00:17:32] Robert DeForge - Host: Very important. I took a trip last year to the, uh, copper Canyon with 50 other Mexicans, and we were all immediately friends. Some of them from Mexico City, some of them from Monterey. Everybody telling me, you have to visit. Here's my phone number, I've got an extra room. Come and stay with us. Just a, a very welcoming culture.
[00:17:56] Fantastic people. I love it. That's what I love. Yeah. One of the [00:18:00] things I love about Mexico.
[00:18:01] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: Yeah, me too.
[00:18:03] Robert DeForge - Host: Well, Tim, is there anything else that you'd like to share? I don't wanna take up too much of your time.
[00:18:10] Tim Walker - San Carlos Expat: Um, no, I think, I think that's been a, an enjoyable conversation. Um, if you have any more questions, I.
[00:18:18] I'm glad to, like I got all the time you need.
[00:18:22] Robert DeForge - Host: No, I'm happy to have you on and I know I'll see you around the neighborhood soon and uh, thanks again for being on the Expat Experience. Tim. Thank you for having me. It's been a joy.
[00:18:37] Narrator: We appreciate you joining us. Visit expat Experience podcast.com for more practical tips and insights on making your move to paradise. We are here to help navigate the process of relocating to San Carlos every step of the way. Start your journey toward living the dream in [00:19:00] Mexico.