My American colleague Michael used to tell me that the bus service in Chicago is sometimes better than the bus service we have here and sometimes worse, depending on the bus you get. For instance, if you get a bus to go to places like Nuevo Vallarta or Punta de Mita, the buses are very nice and very comfortable. They have air-conditioning, cushioned seats, they smell good, it’s not very crowded, and they’re usually filled with expats and well-educated people. If you take a bus...
My American colleague Michael used to tell me that the bus service in Chicago is sometimes better than the bus service we have here and sometimes worse, depending on the bus you get. For instance, if you get a bus to go to places like Nuevo Vallarta or Punta de Mita, the buses are very nice and very comfortable. They have air-conditioning, cushioned seats, they smell good, it’s not very crowded, and they’re usually filled with expats and well-educated people. If you take a bus in other places in Puerto Vallarta, they are also okay, however, I couldn’t compare them to the bus service in the US. Taking a bus within Puerto Vallarta costs 7.50 pesos (less than US 50 cents).
(Bus with hood open, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)
How much does it cost to go to the movies in Portugal?
Carol Bartlett Ribeiro - Carol Bartlett Ribeiro, Property Consultant
If you’re retired or a senior citizen, the cost to go to the movies in Portugal is €4 (about $4.20 / £2.80). If you are not a retired person, it would cost you €5 (about $5.30 / £3.50).
Sometimes we have concerts here directly from the Royal Opera or from the ballet for €10 (about $10.60 / £7.00), whereas in England you’d pay £45 (around $64 / €68.) for it.
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If you’re retired or a senior citizen, the cost to go to the movies in Portugal is €4 (about $4.20 / £2.80). If you are not a retired person, it would cost you €5 (about $5.30 / £3.50).
Sometimes we have concerts here directly from the Royal Opera or from the ballet for €10 (about $10.60 / £7.00), whereas in England you’d pay £45 (around $64 / €68.) for it.
We’re very fortunate because the language of the film will always stay in the language of the country of origin, and they’ll have titles. So all the movies for English-speakers, whether they are from the States or from England are all in English with subtitles. The same is true for all the movies on television as well.
(The movie poster for Lisbon, starring Ray Milland in 1956, pictured.)
How's the kayaking in and around Nicaragua and the rafting in and around Nicaragua?
Joseph Bowersmith
The only two tourist areas in Nicaragua that I know that have kayak tours are Granada and the island Ometepe.
There was a tour promoter doing kayak tours of Lago Apanas in Jinotega that may still be around. There was only one tour operator that advertised river rafting in Matagalpa on the Tuma river. It mainly comes down to if you want to explore independently you will have to bring your own equipment.
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The only two tourist areas in Nicaragua that I know that have kayak tours are Granada and the island Ometepe.
There was a tour promoter doing kayak tours of Lago Apanas in Jinotega that may still be around. There was only one tour operator that advertised river rafting in Matagalpa on the Tuma river. It mainly comes down to if you want to explore independently you will have to bring your own equipment.
If you are a resident in Panama, you can get a loan through the bank. In order to get a home loan, you have to be a legal resident of Panama. The down payment is 30%, the interest rate is around 6% and the closing costs might be a little less than it is in the US.
They do not have title insurance here even though there is an advert that First American Title is here. But we have what is called the "rehistro public" or, in English, "the public...
If you are a resident in Panama, you can get a loan through the bank. In order to get a home loan, you have to be a legal resident of Panama. The down payment is 30%, the interest rate is around 6% and the closing costs might be a little less than it is in the US.
They do not have title insurance here even though there is an advert that First American Title is here. But we have what is called the "rehistro public" or, in English, "the public register." The public register will not register the property under your name unless all requirements are met and everything is paid current.
After they write up a contract of purchase / promise to pay you usually have 45 days to get the loan approval with the bank. You will submit all the required documentation and they will loan you the money, the same way banks do in the US. The seller will get the money between the down payment and funds from the bank. They still have to pay their commissions in selling the house, which is 5%. The seller pays the listing agent directly. The seller also has to pay 2% and 3% to the government.
What do I need to know about living overseas and retiring abroad?
James David Audlin - Editores Volcán Barú
Do you remember the Biblical story of the Exodus? The Israelites managed to escape Egypt, its bureaucracy and crime and unpleasantness -- and through the forty years of wandering in the wilderness they whined and complained for ever having left, and, when they got to the Promised Land, they proceeded to set up a country with a king, bureaucracy, crime, and unpleasantness.
There's a moral in this story for expats moving to Panamá or any other foreign country. Don't expect it...
Do you remember the Biblical story of the Exodus? The Israelites managed to escape Egypt, its bureaucracy and crime and unpleasantness -- and through the forty years of wandering in the wilderness they whined and complained for ever having left, and, when they got to the Promised Land, they proceeded to set up a country with a king, bureaucracy, crime, and unpleasantness.
There's a moral in this story for expats moving to Panamá or any other foreign country. Don't expect it to be your home country. Think of yourself as a guest, and respect the way things are done here. You will certainly conclude that some things might be done better; but, if you keep your mind open, you will realize that some things are, in fact, done better in your new country. Don't rush to judgment, and don't sneer or criticize your new neighbors. Don't leave the United States (or wherever) for various reasons (high costs, political turmoil, psychological tension, crime, etc.) and then demand the same kinds of services here in Panamá that lead to the same factors!
The community of Boquete, for example, is about half "gringo" by now, with the proportion constantly increasing. As an inevitable result, the cost of living is higher there than in other parts of the Tierras Altas - and crime is more common, government is more irritating, and the pace of life is far less tranquil. The gringos there, sadly, have been creating a new "Egypt" in imitation of the one they couldn't wait to get away from.
My advice is come with few preconceptions - and come with few physical possessions. You can buy what you need when you get here. Start fresh!
Do your homework. If you rely on Social Security or Medicare, get solid information on their availability to you. If you have medical needs, consider proximity to a good hospital. (There is a top-notch facility in the capital city of this Chiriquí province, and a new hospital is about to open in Volcán. Don't rely on other gringos for information; I have lost track of the completely erroneous un-facts given to me by gringos living here.
Above all, be gracious. On my first day here I began the practice of walking about my new neighborhood - for exercise, and to get to know my neighbors. My Spanish was at the time execrable, but by this means I quickly improved, and speak it fluently now; I find it abhorrent that some gringos expect everyone here to speak English, and start angrily shouting at Panamanians as if that will somehow improve their ability to understand English. By walking about, I also became known to my neighbors, such that they looked out for me as good neighbors do.
Become used to how things are here. The electric power and internet services often quit for a few minutes or an hour -- that's life here, so don't whine about it. Panamanian homes often don't have hot showers; if that's how it is for you, enjoy it (I find it's better than coffee in the morning). Shops and services often make promises and are rather flexible about when they keep them or whether they will keep them at all; don't let this get you angry; it's just how it is here. You do better to ask someone knowledgeable for a recommendation of a good service provider.
What's the best way to get around in Ambergris Caye?
Bob Hamilton - Century 21 Coral Beach Realty
The best way to get around in Ambergris Caye is by driving a golf cart.
The new traffic cops are trying to tighten up a little bit here, but it is not unusual to see two couples driving in the middle of the afternoon and all of them have an open beer in their hands. That is not technically legal but the traffic cops are trying to make the drivers not hold a beer when they are driving around.
It’s not necessary to...
The best way to get around in Ambergris Caye is by driving a golf cart.
The new traffic cops are trying to tighten up a little bit here, but it is not unusual to see two couples driving in the middle of the afternoon and all of them have an open beer in their hands. That is not technically legal but the traffic cops are trying to make the drivers not hold a beer when they are driving around.
It’s not necessary to have a golf cart. You can walk, depending on where you live. If you live within the town core of San Pedro (the only town on Ambergris Caye), you don’t need a golf cart. If you are going to stay at a hotel that is located 2 or 3 miles north, you can take a water taxi that goes about every half hour. It goes north and comes back and charges $10 BZ (US $5) each way. If you want a little more freedom, perhaps to go exploring, you can get a golf cart and rent that for a day or two and just drive around. It’s perfectly safe.
If you decide to live here, you would need a golf cart the same way you need a car back home. A brand new golf cart will set you back for about US $11,000 or $12,000. We are getting some of the old golf carts off the golf courses in the US that were manufactured in 2007, 2008, up to 2010 to Belize to get refurbished. Those ones will set you back about $6,000 to $7,000.
The maintenance of golf carts is cheap but the main thing here in Ambergris Caye is that because there is so much salt in the water, air, and sand, a cart will rust out in 3 years. If you buy a golf cart here, if it has an aluminum frame on it, it doesn’t rust out. There are some golf carts here that run on electric and others run on gas. I have two golf carts and both of them run on gas.
Generally, people here in Ambergris Caye do not have cars, but instead have golf carts. You drive around with the breeze on your face. You don’t need air-conditioning because golf carts are open. Most of them have a windshield to stop the rain and keep you a little dry.
(Golf carts parked along businesses in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, pictured.)
Even though we thoroughly enjoyed our six-plus weeks in Baja (my wife, Jet Metier, wanted to buy some land there immediately), it was time for us to move on to experience new things. The desert and relative isolation we enjoyed as newbies in Baja would have to be gently placed into the past as we ventured forward to new experiences, also in places we had never been-- the jungles and more populated areas of mainland Mexico.
It is really difficult to get to know the people around you when you don’t speak the same language. You can be speaking the same native language and not understanding each other. Words have meaning, but if you think about it, how many times have you said something to someone who interpreted it entirely differently than you intended? And you had to say, “That isn’t what I...
We were very pleased when Robert Adams offered us the YouTube video below, in which he puts the Panama Papers into context. Bob is an expert in economic development and has a great perspective. We invite you to watch and listen as Bob provides a balanced view, not only of the Panama Papers, but also where it fits within the larger stories of, on the one hand, corruption, incompetence, short-sidedness and hypocrisy, and on the other, his admiration and...
My American colleague Michael used to tell me that the bus service in Chicago is sometimes better than the bus service we have here and sometimes worse, depending on the bus you get. For instance, if you get a bus to go to places like Nuevo Vallarta or Punta de Mita, the buses are very nice and very comfortable. They have air-conditioning, cushioned seats, they smell good, it’s not very crowded, and they’re usually filled with expats and well-educated people. If you take a bus...
If you’re retired or a senior citizen, the cost to go to the movies in Portugal is €4 (about $4.20 / £2.80). If you are not a retired person, it would cost you €5 (about $5.30 / £3.50). 
The only two tourist areas in Nicaragua that I know that have kayak tours are Granada and the island Ometepe. 
The best way to get around in Ambergris Caye is by driving a golf cart. 
Even though we thoroughly enjoyed our six-plus weeks in Baja (my wife, Jet Metier, wanted to buy some land there immediately), it was time for us to move on to experience new things. The desert and relative isolation we enjoyed as newbies in Baja would have to be gently placed into the past as we ventured forward to new experiences, also in places we had never been-- the jungles and more populated areas of mainland Mexico. .jpg)