Los Campos is moving

[NanN]

GTO does seem to be a place where family connections come in handy and the "shop" is pretty closed.

After 11 years of very successful operation of my tour company in Jalisco and Colima states I really got tired of the dust, bugs and humidity at the coast and moved to Guanajuato.
Even though Sea to Sierra had been registered with SECTUR as a licensed tour company for over 8 years at that point (the only one in the Costalegre with that registration at the time I moved).
Even though I took and passed (3rd in my class of native spanish speakers) the SECTUR General Guide's Course at the University of Colima.
Even though I had been a Naturalized Tax Paying citizen of Mexico for over 6 years at the time and I paid my taxes as an FM3 holder for five years prior to that.
Even though I could show a track record of employing and providing IMSS for my tour guides all of whom were Mexican by birth and were native to the area we operated.
Even though I could prove how I was well known and recognized for marketing the area where I operated in print and on line in notable publications not to mention my own high traffic and very detailed web site.

To operate in Guanajuato I would have pretty much needed to start from the beginning and I wasn't made to feel welcome. This surprised me because I was well known in many parts of Mexico for eco-tours on bike and horseback - I got referrals from other Mexican companies and guides all the time and I returned the favour. Plus, there wasn't anyone offering anything here that was remotely close to that on any sort of professional level.

So I sold my imported bikes and all of my fancy imported English and Western tack (it all sold like hotcakes BTW as did the contents of my house.) I went to Dolores and bought a ton of wonderful ceramics, mirrors etc. Went to Michoacan and did the same all around the artisan towns near to Pátzcuaro even making it up to Ocumicho for over 60 of their wonderful devil statues - and I packed all of that up and I moved back to Canada. I hope it doesn't come to that for you.