Are there American-trained doctors in Los Cabos - La Paz, Mexico?
Paul Clark - East Cape Homes
Yes, there are American-trained doctors in the Los Cabos area. In fact, one of the best hospitals I’ve ever been in anywhere in the world is in San José del Cabo. It’s a brand-new hospital with extraordinary services and the latest equipment. The services in this hospital are also reasonably priced.
We’ve had multiple injuries and family problems over the years, and we have been to one of the smaller hospitals in San José del Cabo. The services of...
Yes, there are American-trained doctors in the Los Cabos area. In fact, one of the best hospitals I’ve ever been in anywhere in the world is in San José del Cabo. It’s a brand-new hospital with extraordinary services and the latest equipment. The services in this hospital are also reasonably priced.
We’ve had multiple injuries and family problems over the years, and we have been to one of the smaller hospitals in San José del Cabo. The services of this small hospital- from taking our medical records to giving us treatment, have been exceptional. These are services that we would expect in Canada, so we are very satisfied with the services here in San José del Cabo.
A lot of the doctors in San José del Cabo have undergone specialized training in Canada or in the United States just as Americans come to Mexico for their medical training. The doctors in San José del Cabo have very good education.
Most of the doctors in private hospitals in San José del Cabo speak English or have an associate who speaks English. My Spanish is rustic- I understand quite well but my enunciation and verb construction are both a little rough. Despite this, I don’t have any problem at all going to the doctor here in San José del Cabo.
If someone who doesn’t speak any Spanish would go to the doctor, he’d be fine because most of the doctors here in San José del Cabo speak 100% English.
(Promotional ad for Hospital H+ Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico, pictured.)
To drive in Portugal, do I need Portugal automobile insurance?
Luis Rodrigues - Gouveia Pereira, Costa Freitas & Associates, Law Firm, RL
Under Portuguese law, each car needs to have a third party’s liability insurance to cover the damages that you may cause to other people in case of an accident. All risks insurance is also possible and common although not mandatory. Please note that these insurances relate to each car and not to the driver.
(Mazda 818 in Portugal, pictured.)
Under Portuguese law, each car needs to have a third party’s liability insurance to cover the damages that you may cause to other people in case of an accident. All risks insurance is also possible and common although not mandatory. Please note that these insurances relate to each car and not to the driver.
How's the hiking and camping in and around Panama?
Mirhanna Sandoya - Lucero Homes Golf & Country Club
In Panama, you can go hiking to the Volcán Barú. There are hiking tours to the Volcán Barú that go on every day. There’s also a trail that connects Boquete to Volcán, called the Quetzales (named after the bird). People from Panama City come all the way to Chiriquí just to walk that trail.
Most of the hiking activities in Panama focus on the Chiriquí area. There is a smaller hiking trail in the middle of...
In Panama, you can go hiking to the Volcán Barú. There are hiking tours to the Volcán Barú that go on every day. There’s also a trail that connects Boquete to Volcán, called the Quetzales (named after the bird). People from Panama City come all the way to Chiriquí just to walk that trail.
Most of the hiking activities in Panama focus on the Chiriquí area. There is a smaller hiking trail in the middle of Panama called “India Dormida” which translates to “the sleeping aborigine.” It got its name because the mountain has the shape of a lady who is lying down. It’s about a 2-hour drive from Panama City, and is located close to the mountain town of El Valle, not very far from Coronado.
As for camping in Panama, you can also do that in Volcán Barú, in Veraguas Province, or at the beach where you basically just go and put up a tent. In Veraguas Province there is this beautiful reservoir that has a lake and a very large green area where people go camping. These are the spots for camping in Panama.
People don’t go camping in Darien. In fact, people don’t go to Darien because that’s where the military has set up a base to protect us from Colombian cartels, so if you’re there and you don’t speak the language, you may be mistakenly thought to be a criminal. Never ever go to Darien. Darien is the region in Panama up to the border with Colombia.
(Pictured: view from Lucero Country Club, near Boquete, Panama.)
What are the things I'll be most happily surprised by when moving or retiring abroad?
Zach Smith - Anywhere
The things that you will be most happily surprised about when moving abroad is understanding that there is a lot of ways to organize your daily life. Most of the time, people get into a rhythm that they inherited from their parents, their community, their job, or their coworkers, and all of a sudden when that is gone, there is an opportunity to reinvent your day and organize based on your interests, or on what is happening in this new location in which you’re living. That is a...
The things that you will be most happily surprised about when moving abroad is understanding that there is a lot of ways to organize your daily life. Most of the time, people get into a rhythm that they inherited from their parents, their community, their job, or their coworkers, and all of a sudden when that is gone, there is an opportunity to reinvent your day and organize based on your interests, or on what is happening in this new location in which you’re living. That is a rebirth process that I think people might find refreshing.
As an example, once you move abroad, all of a sudden your day might revolve around a morning exercise because it is one of the times where it is cooler outside. So you might find yourself getting up earlier and taking advantage of that cool, fresh air, and really enjoying that time of your day, followed by maybe going to a little market and buying fresh produce. There might also be some volunteer opportunity at a primary school or a local community center, or there might be a language practice activity for a couple of hours.
If you live in a tropical zone, the middle of the day is quite hot, especially if you are on the ocean or the beach where there is not elevation. And if that’s the case, you might find yourself taking a nap in the middle of the day and then having the rest of your day organized after the weather cooled off a little bit. Who would have thought that they would decide to take naps for two or three hours a day? That is something that people gets to reinvent when they move abroad. They reinvent how they want to spend their day.
I think retirement is all about making choices about how you would want to live your life now that you have some freedom. You have a new cultural backdrop and you have all this time. It is very important to really reflect and experiment with what routine feels good for you.
If you are eating at a local restaurant in Belize, it is going to be cheaper than if you at a restaurant located at a hotel. A typical meal at a local restaurant would cost BZ $10.00 (about US $5) for a plate of rice and beans, whereas at a restaurant in a hotel, you would pay about twice that.
If you are eating at a local restaurant in Belize, it is going to be cheaper than if you at a restaurant located at a hotel. A typical meal at a local restaurant would cost BZ $10.00 (about US $5) for a plate of rice and beans, whereas at a restaurant in a hotel, you would pay about twice that.
What is the history of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua?
Lance Moss - Surfari Charters
As far as I know San Juan Del Sur was basically the main Pacific port town before the Panama Canal was built. In the 1800s, when there was a gold rush in California, a lot of the people would travel from the east cost of the US to the Caribbean side of Nicaragua. From there, they would travel the relatively short distance to Lake Nicaragua, and then, from Lake Nicaragua to San Juan Del Sur on the Pacific side, it’s only around 15 miles. After that, San Juan Del...
As far as I know San Juan Del Sur was basically the main Pacific port town before the Panama Canal was built. In the 1800s, when there was a gold rush in California, a lot of the people would travel from the east cost of the US to the Caribbean side of Nicaragua. From there, they would travel the relatively short distance to Lake Nicaragua, and then, from Lake Nicaragua to San Juan Del Sur on the Pacific side, it’s only around 15 miles. After that, San Juan Del Sur became the principle hub of Nicaragua on the Pacific side and a tourist town.
San Juan del Sur historically has been a fishing village as well. There are several fishing villages up and down the coast but what made San Juan Del Sur stand out compared to the other fishing villages is how it historically was used as the end point of transit between the Caribbean and the Pacific. Commercial fishing has always been a part of it but I don’t think that was the main reason that it got put on the map.
These days, San Juan del Sur is known for tourism, and as an expat destination or not really. it’s got a little bit of everything. It’s kind of a party town. For Easter Week (“Semana Santa”) it’s the main spot for the whole country to go. On the beachfront, there are tons of restaurants in the beach and tons of bars. It’s kind of like the central spot for restaurant activities but they also have everything else right there—access to all types of other activities as well.
(Traditional Mestizaje costume on Nicaraguan women, pictured.)
I recently had zika, and I can report that zika is not fun.
At the beginning, my symptoms looked like I had pinkeye, but it was weird because it wasn’t a full pinkeye; it was just half of my eye, so I thought I just got some sort of allergy. I was feeling fine in terms of my health; I just didn’t feel well in terms of my eye. Everything else was fine. I was going to the gym, I was going to...
Before we moved to Panama, we spent 18 months to 2 years researching where in the world we wanted to relocate to, Panama was not even on our radar!
We, like most people who relocate, had a long list of criteria, This list included things like: The county must have a growing economy (we were coming here to work and sadly couldn't afford to retire yet!), a good infrastructure, good education (we have school age children), good healthcare, good weather, including safe...
On a windy day in February three of us ladies drove the hour and forty-five minute scenic route to Boca Chica. Bright as a blue umbrella the sky above us was a vivid blue. Strong winds pushed us down the narrow, two-lane road toward the Pan America Highway. it was definitely time for the A/C in the car! We chatted and laughed all along the way. Donna was making the trip to spruce up and change out her jewelry display at the Seagull Cove Lodge gift shop....