How's the hiking and camping in and around San Miguel de Allende?
Jonathan Peters - Ventanas de San Miguel
There are a lot of hiking options for people who like to get out, especially on the mountains that loom over Centro San Miguel de Allende. I'm not sure of any camping activities in San Miguel de Allende. There are a lot of people who go for horseback riding packages that also include ending up camping in a campsite for the night.
There is an area with a botanical garden in San Miguel de Allende right above the center of town, that's probably 500 - 600...
There are a lot of hiking options for people who like to get out, especially on the mountains that loom over Centro San Miguel de Allende. I'm not sure of any camping activities in San Miguel de Allende. There are a lot of people who go for horseback riding packages that also include ending up camping in a campsite for the night.
There is an area with a botanical garden in San Miguel de Allende right above the center of town, that's probably 500 - 600 acres, and a really cool place to hike. The area is not for a mountain climber looking for a serious challenge but a great place to get some exercise lots of natural vegetation, and you can see some old interesting ruins and an old dam. There are a lot of options in San Miguel de Allende as far as getting off the beaten path and looking around.
(Hiking terrain outiside of Centro San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)
Do I need to own a car in Cayo, Belize, including San Ignacio and Belmopan?
Gwido Mar - Grupo Mar Realty Ltd.
You don't need to own a car in the Cayo District of Belize, but it's convenient, especially if you’re going to live here full time. The reason is that if you want to go out in the weekends, go explore a different area, do something else with friends, it’s best to have your own car. The same would be true if you live 2 or 3 miles out of town, because you would need a car to go to the bank, post office, restaurants, market, etc. You could go with taxis but,...
You don't need to own a car in the Cayo District of Belize, but it's convenient, especially if you’re going to live here full time. The reason is that if you want to go out in the weekends, go explore a different area, do something else with friends, it’s best to have your own car. The same would be true if you live 2 or 3 miles out of town, because you would need a car to go to the bank, post office, restaurants, market, etc. You could go with taxis but, then you'd always be depending on somebody else for your ride.
The Cayo area in general is a low-density, spread-out place. Maybe while you’re at a grocery store, you may think "Whoops. I need tomatoes for my pizza and they don't have the branded one,” which means that you may have to go back to Santa Elena, which is a lot easier to do if you have a car. Things are kind of just spread out here. Sometimes you walk to get some eggs at the chicken place, but if you want to get your chicken meat, you have to drive there.
When you do your errands it's not like you would just go to just one place. There's multiple places you would go, and that's why it would be better to have a car. You would want to have that freedom to check out and go to other places-- stores, a party, restaurants, etc.
(A road that leads to a farm in the Cayo district, Belize, pcitured.)
How's the ecotourism in and around Volcan and Cerro Punta, Chiriqui Province, Panama?
Nelson Vega
If you are into bird watching and enjoy the jungle, Sendero Los Quetzales is a great thing to experience. Quetzales is a hiking trail that goes from Cerro Punta to Boquete, within the north side of Volcan Baru National Park.
The trail is 9.6 km (6 miles) and can take on average four to seven hours to do, depending on your physical condition and the land conditions (you will go slower if it is slippery after a rain).
There is a...
If you are into bird watching and enjoy the jungle, Sendero Los Quetzales is a great thing to experience. Quetzales is a hiking trail that goes from Cerro Punta to Boquete, within the north side of Volcan Baru National Park.
The trail is 9.6 km (6 miles) and can take on average four to seven hours to do, depending on your physical condition and the land conditions (you will go slower if it is slippery after a rain).
There is a considerable change in altitude along the trail because the Boquete side is at 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) above sea level, the highest point in the trail is at 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) above sea level and the Cerro Punta side is at 1,981 meters (6,500 feet) above sea level. This also affects the temperature, which fluctuates from 16-17° C to 10° C (50° F - 60°F).
The trail is named after the Quetzal (in the picture above), the national bird of Guatemala, but that can also be found in high altitudes in cloud forests all over Central America. This is one of the most difficult birds in the world to spot, but if you are lucky, you will get a chance to spot one. You will have more chances to see this and other exotic animals if you go with a guide.
Please be prepared; there are no water or food stops along the way
How good are the medical centers, hospitals and health clinics in Portugal, and how close are they?
Juan Matias - BLUE Boutique Hostel & SUITES
The healthcare in Portugal was a sensitive issue for us for many years because until we joined the European Union we were an undeveloped country. We came from the two world wars then we went through a dictatorship then there was a revolution and the Communists took over and that made our country even poorer. As a result, Portugal’s medical facilities were not top of the line 30 years ago. But then we joined the European Union and as we joined the European Union, there are certain...
The healthcare in Portugal was a sensitive issue for us for many years because until we joined the European Union we were an undeveloped country. We came from the two world wars then we went through a dictatorship then there was a revolution and the Communists took over and that made our country even poorer. As a result, Portugal’s medical facilities were not top of the line 30 years ago. But then we joined the European Union and as we joined the European Union, there are certain rules with which we had to comply, and the quality of our medical systems was one of them. At that moment, there were two or three really famous Portuguese businessmen who invested heavily in medical facilities and systems, so today, and for the past 10 years, we are at the same level as any other civilized European country. So we have very good medical facilities at the moment. We are on par with France, Great Britain, etc.
There was a trend 10 years ago when there was a big boom in the construction of private hospitals. In the last 10 years, the Social Democratic Party took over, and one of their measures was to develop the public medical system, so they built all these new hospitals and clinics. I come from a middle-high class family and I use the public medical system. I compared the public and private system because I have private medical insurance and I have a public hospital near by and I use both. I didn’t used to go to the public system because of it having bad reputation in the old days. But the other day, I had a problem with my son and I took him to the public hospital and I was impressed because I got better service than at the private hospital. I don’t know if it was a coincidence but the hospital was brand new with a very quick reply. I went in and out in an hour and sometimes that doesn’t happen in hospitals around the world. So I am very, very impressed with our public medical system at the moment.
(View of Hospital São José from Castelo de São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal, pictured.)
What's retirement in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua like?
Daniel Snider - Snider's Realty Nicaragua
Retirement in San Juan Del Sur would mean a very quiet and slow-paced life. There are a lot of open areas and you wouldn’t feel the hustle and bustle of a big city. Retirement here would be a very relaxing experience. Your biggest concern would probably be trying to stay out of the sun for too long and finding things that would keep you busy from day to day.
There are a lot of expats in San Juan Del Sur that form communities with other expats so...
Retirement in San Juan Del Sur would mean a very quiet and slow-paced life. There are a lot of open areas and you wouldn’t feel the hustle and bustle of a big city. Retirement here would be a very relaxing experience. Your biggest concern would probably be trying to stay out of the sun for too long and finding things that would keep you busy from day to day.
There are a lot of expats in San Juan Del Sur that form communities with other expats so within San Juan Del Sur, there is plenty of accommodations, restaurants and bars, and local venues that host open mic nights (stand-up comedy nights), or salsa nights. There are a lot of places to go to if you want to go dancing, too.
San Juan Del Sur is one of the few places where you will find a lot of things to do compared to other neighboring beach communities. This is one of those places where if you go out to town, more often than not, you will find something fun to do. And depending on your age bracket, there are some days of the week when the parties in San Juan Del Sur just goes on and on.
But if you are the type of retiree who enjoys your privacy, San Juan Del Sur can also be a great place for you because out here, you can get away from the crowd fairly easily.
A lot of retirees also like to go to neighboring beaches or visit the neighboring colonial cities like Granada or Ometepe Island which is about 1 hour and 20 minutes away from San Juan Del Sur. These are places where retirees can go to and explore to occupy their time. Also, the border of Costa Rica is not too far away from here so you can go there any time and explore.
How does the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion work?
Syl Michelin - Thun Financial
The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion has been increased to $102,100 for 2017, so a married couple filing jointly can deduct up to $204,200.
The excluded amount cannot exceed your earned income for that year, so if you earn $50,000, that is the maximum you are able to deduct. Also, the amount is not "portable" between husband and wife, even filing jointly. So if one spouse makes $500,000 and the other one makes $50,000, they will...
The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion has been increased to $102,100 for 2017, so a married couple filing jointly can deduct up to $204,200.
The excluded amount cannot exceed your earned income for that year, so if you earn $50,000, that is the maximum you are able to deduct. Also, the amount is not "portable" between husband and wife, even filing jointly. So if one spouse makes $500,000 and the other one makes $50,000, they will only be able to deduct $152,100 in 2017 (full exclusion for the highest earner, capped exclusion of $50,000 for the lower earner).
I have just read Tyson's story about how you need to bring chains and dogs and machetes and guns to Belize and I'm just trying to work out which Belize he is referring to.
I have lived in the twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena for almost 30 years and I have never been robbed, burgled, assaulted, mugged, hassled, or whatever - never ever. I don't have a gun and have never felt the need to buy one.
Beautiful Playa Venao has been my passion for many years,
and this is the area I moved to a long time ago, in 1985. I was lucky to get to know Panama from the "inside out", being exposed to the folklore of the Los Santos Province and its music and festivities.
Getting to know some deep traditions was the highlight of my move abroad, my kids growing up in a sane and safe environment with Spanish being...
Get ready for the delays, the costs, fees and cumbersome legal system of Panama. Here you find it wise to use an attorney for all kinds of transactions. However it isn't just the attorney you deal with, it is bureaucracy mumbo-jumbo and administrators! Many are like the angry, underpaid, middle managers of other places. They have a little power, so they love to abuse it!
I interviewed a young attorney that is just starting out. The government sets the...