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potatohead · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 14

Hello All -
Does anyone know anything about Ciudad Valles? Has anyone ever been there? What is it like? What is the flavor of the city? What would you compare it to? I can't find much at all on the internet. Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks!

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Never heard of it.

That tells me something.

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

Found this on an internet advert.....

Location information:

Ciudad Valles is located in a beautiful area of Mexico called Huasteca Potosina.

Population: 250,000 aprox.

Located 1.5 hrs away from Tampico, 3.5 hors from San Luis Potosi city, 5 hours away from Monterrey city, 6 hours away from McAllen, TX, 9 hrs away from Mexico City (all driving).

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Then it's in an area classified as extreme poverty in the mountains.

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

It seems odd then that this particular school would be advertising for foreign English teachers if the area was so poverty stricken. Someone must be wanting to learn English and paying to do so if a school has made a go of it there.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

MixtecaMike · Joined: 19 Nov 2003 Posts: 643 Location: Guatebad

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

In addition to the Oaxacan system of universities that Mike referred to, I happen to know of a university in an area very similar to the Huasteca, but in the mountains in northeast Puebla.

This one is a classic:

1. The rector supposedly spent 7 years at Harvard getting his undergrad degree and PhD, but he doesn't speak English. (He inherited his job from his father.)

2. They pay a DOS there 6,000 pesos a month (half of what a teacher makes in the system Mike mentioned)--and do not include housing (non-existent in the town) or meals!--to be a soccer mom for the "teaching interns", who, in turn, are paid a tiny stipend and given insecure housing and cafeteria meals and who do the teaching.

This is an equal-opportunity deal: They rip off everybody.

Kristy Love · Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 9 Location: California

I teach in Valles. It is not a poverty stirken town in the mountains! Valles means Valley, it is in a valley! Their is a belt of poverty on the outskirts of the town, but for the most part it is not an impoverished city. Many people work in ranching, and their are quite a few wealthy families here. The students who attend the provate bilingual school which is looking for teachers, CEESUV, are mostly from the Mexican middle and upper class, their parents are ranchers, doctors, lawyers, many work for CEMEX. The school provides a nice furnished house for its teachers, four weeks paid vacation, and relatively good pay. The people here are so nice. Also, the town is dusty and HOT.

But the great thing are the rivers. The area the Huasteca, is full of amazing waterfalls and rivers. I have never been into watersports, but just last week I went repelling down a fifty meter waterfall, it was amazing. If you are not one of the fortunate ones to be able to teach here, you should visist for Semana Santa.

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Sounds like a fun place.

Valles means valleys--plural.

FreddyM · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 180 Location: Mexico

Hi all,

I'm reviving this thread because I will be going to Cd. Valles for Semana Santa. I was actually born there and still have uncles, aunts, and cousins living in the area. Right now I am in Mexico City searching everywhere for a better position than where I am working now. Since I will be in Cd. Valles for a few days next month I figure, why not look there as well? Or perhaps even Tampico, which is not too far away.
I've inherited some property in the city as well (nothing fancy, my family comes from a poor background), and I have to take care of some legal matters regarding it, especially since there is a family already living there (and has been for a couple decades, but legally, the property is mine now).
Cd. Valles is hot, very hot, and can be very uncomfortable. But there are nice things about it as well.
I am wondering what sorts of job opportunities are availalble there, perhaps in the colegios. And maybe what sort of salary to expect.
The last time I was there I was sort of surprised at some of the houses I saw. My family told me the value of some of those places, and I am shocked that people could afford those prices. There doesn't seem to be a lot of industry around there, so I do wonder where all the money is coming from for some families to afford to live like I saw some of them living. As an example, several of my cousins there work in blue-collar jobs, requiring no education....and if their average pay is about $100 pesos a day. yikes!

Hmm....anybody know anything about the ITESM campus in Tampico? I would love to get my foot in the door of that system, but am finding it difficult right now to find specific contact information for most of their campuses.

lmpotter · Joined: 03 Sep 2005 Posts: 8 Location: Rioverde, SLP

Jobs now... I can recomend looking on goabroad.com... that is where i found my position not too far away (Rioverde) and i know the company that recruited me also recruits for some schools in Valles... the recruiter�s name was Monica with Global-ERS.
Rioverde is too far for a commute obviously, but if you are looking for jobs anywhere in the area, I know of some that might open up for the coming school year... good luck

J Sevigny · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 161

To the OP, forgive those who know little or nothing about the north. This forum seems to be pretty DF and Guadalajara-centric at times.

Ciudad Valles is a sweltering town -- city is a bit of an exaggeration -- in a fantastic, tropical area called La Region Huasteca, which is like the intersection of the states of San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas and Veracruz. The people in Valles are very friendly and I imagine it wouldn't be a bad place to live except for the aforementioned heat.

The region is peppered with wonderful little places that would make great day trips -- valleys, a rainforest, waterfalls -- and the beach is not far away.

snorklequeen · Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:57 am Post subject: Cd. Valles

does anyone know the range of temperature/humidity in the area from "hottest" month to "coolest" month?

About the worst i've been in here in Houston, TX has been 105 degrees F and 100% humidity, which doesn't happen every year, thank God! that's stewing weather -- just put an apple in my cheeks and cover me up, and i'm cooked!

Queenie

dreaming of the beaches near Cd. V!