Feeling Very Mexican Today

Pasaporte....check
Two local references....check
Name of beneficiary....check
Copy of water bill or electricity bill that has a Merida address....check

And just like that we opened a Mexican bank account. Technically we didn't even have to deposit pesos in the account but what's a checking account without a couple a pesos??

It is a lot like knocking over dominoes. You realize each local person you meet connects you with another person. They are all of equal importance to you, and open the door to the next important person. We had been "referred to" Jesus by Adriana. Jesus opened the accout and didn't speak a lick of English!!!Historically, the references given is referred to as a Letter of Marque. Enna had given the Letter of Marque to Adriana.
We had decided if we plan on continuing to come to Mexico on a regular basis, it's advantageous to have a Mexican account. We avoid both paying foreign bank ATM fees and we avoid experiencing unknown exchange rates. We had only two simple choices in accounts - a "savings" account which is essentially a checking account with no paper checks or a checking account where you are given personalized paper checks. Since few people or businesses accept personal checks here anyway, we opened a savings account. Each of us was given an ATM card on the spot and we were instructed to go the ATM machine and change our PINs right away. Then, we used our ATM card as documentation for the account no. along with the depositing pesos to make the initial deposit into the account at a tell window back inside the bank.
We have heard that it can be difficult to open a checking account when you show up at a bank blindly...we don't know.
We do know - We are feeling very Mexican right now!!!