Safety is a concern to all of us. Especially if we are in unfamiliar surroundings.
The biggest safety concern is crime -- but your personal safety involves much more.
It is interesting how many people are terrified of Mexico and if you talk to a person from the United States or Canada they will be very concerned about safety in Mexico.
Meanwhile, if you talk to someone in Mexico or in any other Latin American country, they will be terrified of going to a big city...
Safety is a concern to all of us. Especially if we are in unfamiliar surroundings.
The biggest safety concern is crime -- but your personal safety involves much more.
It is interesting how many people are terrified of Mexico and if you talk to a person from the United States or Canada they will be very concerned about safety in Mexico.
Meanwhile, if you talk to someone in Mexico or in any other Latin American country, they will be terrified of going to a big city in the United States.
The big thing is perception. The media in all countries will sensationalize everything. In the United States and Canada, the news media loves to tell horror stories of Latin America. It seems they can't print enough about drugs and drug related crime. At the same time, the media in a country which is south of the US border will sensationalize school shootings and disasters in the US cities.
Right now, I am in Tijuana, which has a horrible reputation according to the United States media. But if I talk to other expatriates who are living here, I get a completely different opinion. The most common comment from an expatriate is that it is more dangerous to cross the border and go back to the United States.
In reality, Mexico is a safe country but there are dangerous neighborhoods. It is the same in every country of the world.
Safety also includes many other things besides crime. Your biggest safety concerns in Mexico should be the common everyday concerns.
Auto accidents are a major source of injuries and death. Common accidents such as tripping and falling can occur anywhere in the world. How many of you know of someone who died after a severe fall?
I have a few tips that I give all my friends about safety in Mexico (and everywhere else).
When driving in a foreign country or even a strange city, you are at a disadvantage -- so slow down and be extremely careful. It is best if you not to drive at night.
It seems that there are a lot more hazards on the sidewalks when you leave the US. if you're not paying attention it is very easy to trip and be injured.
In a strange country or city, you need to be careful not to make yourself a target for crime. Do some research and find out what neighborhoods may be dangerous and stay away. Do not display anything that makes you look like a wealthy tourist -- I don't even wear a watch.
Above all just be careful and you will find that Mexico or anywhere else in Latin America is just as safe for you as the United States or Canada.
What is the typical Panama church like? What is the religion of Panama?
John Gilbert - PanamaKeys
Their religion here in Panama is predominantly Catholic, but they’re open to all the Protestant faiths. Here in Panama, people are very happy to talk about God, your faith, and their faith. It’s much easier to strike up conversations with people about their faith here.
All the Protestant faiths are available here in Panama. There’s also an Islamic community and a Hindu community here in Panama. You will find Panama to be very...
Their religion here in Panama is predominantly Catholic, but they’re open to all the Protestant faiths. Here in Panama, people are very happy to talk about God, your faith, and their faith. It’s much easier to strike up conversations with people about their faith here.
All the Protestant faiths are available here in Panama. There’s also an Islamic community and a Hindu community here in Panama. You will find Panama to be very tolerant of religion no matter your religious persuasion.
(Missionary Elvira Corbello ministering at the vacation bible school in Puerto Armuelles, Panama, pictured.)
The architecture in the Algarve is quite Mediterranean. We have whitewashed houses, and white is still the predominant color for the exterior of the houses here. We have pretty large windows. Although there is an increasing number of structures in the modern architecture style now, 90% of the buildings and houses here are still quite traditional.
Sometimes, they paint in two tones but white is still the main color; they only paint a different color on the...
The architecture in the Algarve is quite Mediterranean. We have whitewashed houses, and white is still the predominant color for the exterior of the houses here. We have pretty large windows. Although there is an increasing number of structures in the modern architecture style now, 90% of the buildings and houses here are still quite traditional.
Sometimes, they paint in two tones but white is still the main color; they only paint a different color on the windowsills and door ledges. We still have traditional tile pitched roofs that are often made with traditional tiles made in regions such as Santa Catarina, which is a very traditional tile and aesthetically very pleasing. Many new homes here in the Algarve are still built in the traditional way.
The architecture also depends on if you are building on an apartment block in a city, in which case, these structures tend to be more modern. You will see that there is more use of glass, stainless steel, and they do not build large balconies. But when you are talking about villas, you will see that there is still a very big demand for traditional-looking properties, even if their interiors are modernized.
Is the electricity reliable in Belize? Are there blackouts or brownouts in Belize?
Mark Leonard
Belize has electrical blackouts for a variety of reasons. Recently, at least in the Corozal area, they are localized due to infrastructure improvements underway. Mexico supplies about 60% of the power coming into Belize, so sometimes at peak times they do cut things off. Belize is now working on their regulations to allow more suppliers and methodologies to enter into the picture.
Cerros Sands, for example, where we are...
Belize has electrical blackouts for a variety of reasons. Recently, at least in the Corozal area, they are localized due to infrastructure improvements underway. Mexico supplies about 60% of the power coming into Belize, so sometimes at peak times they do cut things off. Belize is now working on their regulations to allow more suppliers and methodologies to enter into the picture.
Cerros Sands, for example, where we are working, is off the grid, so we don’t have blackouts, and its no issue for us.
If you are on the grid, there are some months when you don’t lose power at all. But there are days when you may not have power from 7 AM to 7 PM while they are working in your neighborhood.
The larger scale blackouts where something major goes down from Mexico to Belize or something in Belize to Belize is rare. Years back, Ambergris Caye was without power for days at a time, but that is no longer the case.
On a typical month, a blackout happens maybe once for a couple of hours.
(Pictured: off the grid home being built at Cerros Sands, Corozol, Belize.)
How's the hiking and camping in and around Nicaragua?
Dr. Carlos Alemán - Centro de Diseño Denta (Clínica Dental)
Hiking is starting to get popular here in Nicaragua, even though it is not yet very popular. You would see more foreigners go hiking and camping than local Nicaraguans.
There are places in the northern part of Nicaragua that are natural parks where you can go and spend a day or two. People go camping in tents there.
(Mogoton, the highest point in Nicaragua, near the border of Honduras, pictured.)
Hiking is starting to get popular here in Nicaragua, even though it is not yet very popular. You would see more foreigners go hiking and camping than local Nicaraguans.
There are places in the northern part of Nicaragua that are natural parks where you can go and spend a day or two. People go camping in tents there.
(Mogoton, the highest point in Nicaragua, near the border of Honduras, pictured.)
Do I have to file my Canadian taxes if I retire, work or live abroad?
Karyn Saunders
If you become a non-resident then no you do not have to file taxes. Becoming a non-resident is a matter of selling all property and closing all personal accounts. You can leave your RRSP's in Canada but no other ties to the country can remain. Once you become a non-resident then you do not need to file yearly taxes. If you are not a non-resident then you will need to file your taxes every year.
If you become a non-resident then no you do not have to file taxes. Becoming a non-resident is a matter of selling all property and closing all personal accounts. You can leave your RRSP's in Canada but no other ties to the country can remain. Once you become a non-resident then you do not need to file yearly taxes. If you are not a non-resident then you will need to file your taxes every year.
The first Christian worship service in Mexico was in
1519 in La Antigua, Veracruz. Four years later the first chapel in the Americas was built by Hernán Cortés and is named the Chapel of the Rosary (Ermita del Rosario). It is a picturesque tiny church in the beautiful lush green setting of the tropical rain forest.
The town of La Antigua is considered to be the first real Spanish town in the country and was established...
While I'm not a big cigar user, I like to visit one of the newest attractions in Nicaragua. We have, in the years past, driven all the way to Esteli to purchase cigars for resale or for gifts to my golf buddies back in the states. And my son Josh gets some real mileage when he produces a handful of freshly rolled Nicaraguan tobacco to his golf friends. So I'm always on the hunt for new product.
Good roads leave no traces in the memory – smooth, seamless, without jarring bumps or sudden twists, they are the silent asphalt arteries that carry us from one place to another as we go about our daily lives, never calling attention to themselves. Not so with bad roads. A bad road, like a bad marriage, feels endless, terminal, and impossible to escape, even years later.
I have seen many bad roads around the world. Some in Central America are...