What is the culture of Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?
Alicia Gomez - Collins Real Estate
The culture of Mexico could vary from the western culture. As an example, if an American expat wants to give me his card, he could just toss the card in front of me without meaning to offend me but that is rude to a Mexican. For Mexicans, it is better if you give it to me on my hand.
Here in Mexico, if you are walking with someone, don’t walk in front of your companion because that is seen as rude. I have a lot of foreign friends who say it...
The culture of Mexico could vary from the western culture. As an example, if an American expat wants to give me his card, he could just toss the card in front of me without meaning to offend me but that is rude to a Mexican. For Mexicans, it is better if you give it to me on my hand.
Here in Mexico, if you are walking with someone, don’t walk in front of your companion because that is seen as rude. I have a lot of foreign friends who say it doesn’t matter to them but to Mexicans that does matter.
Also, if you are a guy and you are walking on the street with a woman, you should let the woman be on the side that is away from the street. Age doesn’t matter in this case. Even if I am walking with my son, or my father, or my husband, I should be walking away from the street. What that means is the man cares for you, loves you, and takes care of you. That is important in the Mexican culture. Other than that, I don’t see anything different between the Western culture and the Mexican culture.
(Alicia Gomez with very protective men, firemen, the bomberos of Lake Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)
The cost of living in Nicaragua is about 1/3 that of the US. Our family of four, with 2 daughters in private school, ballet class 3 times a week, gymnastics, Girl Scouts of Nicaragua, eating out whenever we want, going to the movies, etc., spends about US $3,500 per month, including our cost of housing.
The cost of living in Nicaragua is about 1/3 that of the US. Our family of four, with 2 daughters in private school, ballet class 3 times a week, gymnastics, Girl Scouts of Nicaragua, eating out whenever we want, going to the movies, etc., spends about US $3,500 per month, including our cost of housing.
How’s the kayaking, rafting, or canoeing in Portugal?
Juan Matias - BLUE Boutique Hostel & SUITES
We have three or four beautiful rivers that cross Portugal. Further south from Lisbon we have the Guadiana River, where I have rafted. Up north we have Mondego River and further north close to Porto we have Douro River, which is where the Porto Wine comes from. And this area Douro; the Douro River and the cliffs surrounding the Douro River, is where they plant the grapes to produce the world famous Porto Wine or “Port Wine” as you call it in America. We do not have the...
We have three or four beautiful rivers that cross Portugal. Further south from Lisbon we have the Guadiana River, where I have rafted. Up north we have Mondego River and further north close to Porto we have Douro River, which is where the Porto Wine comes from. And this area Douro; the Douro River and the cliffs surrounding the Douro River, is where they plant the grapes to produce the world famous Porto Wine or “Port Wine” as you call it in America. We do not have the very extreme classes of river rafting but we do have some mild intermediate class areas. People raft here in Portugal in the winter and spring. You can go in summer but the rivers are very low and it becomes a bit boring for people looking for some excitement.
We have sea kayaking in Portugal. I provide an excursion for my clients that is basically just a beautiful tour around our coastline around Cascais (near Lisbon) in a kayak. There are two levels of sea kayaking. You have the sea kayaking just to wonder around and you have the surf sea kayaking, which is on waves, which is for another level of expertise. You have to have a lot of experience to do that. But for the first timer, you have to do the traditional sea kayak and you’re only allowed to go when the sea is really, really calm. Portugal is close by the Atlantic Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean is quite rough. So 80% throughout the year we have waves in Portugal. The only two months of the year with light waves are July and August. You can go out throughout the year but then you have to go to protected bays, of which there are many throughout the country. The Algarve is the perfect place to do this because the Algarve gets the Mediterranean Sea so it doesn’t get as rough as it gets on the west coast, which faces the Atlantic. The southern coast is much more calmer than it is in the west coast.
(Sea kayaking provided by Blue Hostel and Suites, Cascais, Portugal, pictured.)
Do I need to renounce or relinquish my US citizenship or get a dual citizenship to move or live abroad?
John Ohe - Hola Expat Tax Services
You absolutely do not need to renounce or relinquish your US citizenship or get dual citizenship when you move and live abroad.
I've been living abroad for about a little over five years. Now, I live in Guatemala and have been here for over four years. I am only a US citizen. I'm not even a permanent resident of Guatemala. I've got three children and the last of one was born in Guatemala. Getting residency for my youngest child was very easy based on the...
You absolutely do not need to renounce or relinquish your US citizenship or get dual citizenship when you move and live abroad.
I've been living abroad for about a little over five years. Now, I live in Guatemala and have been here for over four years. I am only a US citizen. I'm not even a permanent resident of Guatemala. I've got three children and the last of one was born in Guatemala. Getting residency for my youngest child was very easy based on the local rules. However, it's not a step that I really needed to take because we frequently travel, whether we're going back to the US or going to other countries on a vacation.
Guatemala happens to have a very generous tourist visa situation where they give 90 days for Americans. If you want, you can get an extension on 90 days up to 180 days in Guatemala without having to leave, which a bunch of countries have. Panama has an automatic 180-day visa for US citizens. Nicaragua and Costa Rica allow 90 days for US citizens. It's easy to leave the country, stay out of the country for a few days, and come back in.
Residency status is certainly not needed. Relinquishing your US citizenship is absolutely not needed. I have some clients who are considering residency and relinquishing their US citizenship for tax reasons, but it could be quite problematic to relinquish your citizenship. There is a lot of paperwork involved. If you have a lot of assets, there is an exit tax associated with giving up your US citizenship that can be quite painful.
Giving up your US citizenship is really not needed for most people and 99.9% of US citizens don't need to do it to live abroad. Depending on the tourist visa situation, you may even need to establish permanent residency status in the local country you're moving to.
(People of Mayan descent in a horse race in Todos Santos Cuchumatán, Guatemala, pictured.)
What's the language most often spoken in Ambergris Caye? Can I get by if I just speak English?
Relmer Arceo
The languages most often spoken in Ambergris Caye are English, Spanish, and Creole. If you’re American, for example, you can get by just speaking English. The English spoken in Belize is a little bit different than the English spoken in the US, but it’s understandable. It just has a different accent.
Around 80% of the people in Ambergris Caye speak English. Everyone in the hospitality field will speak English. The people who don’t speak...
The languages most often spoken in Ambergris Caye are English, Spanish, and Creole. If you’re American, for example, you can get by just speaking English. The English spoken in Belize is a little bit different than the English spoken in the US, but it’s understandable. It just has a different accent.
Around 80% of the people in Ambergris Caye speak English. Everyone in the hospitality field will speak English. The people who don’t speak English in Ambergris Caye speak Spanish.
Creole is another basic language that we speak here in Ambergris Caye. About 80% of the people in Ambergris Caye can speak Creole. Creole is easy to understand because it is similar to English, but with a different accent. If you’re just a basic American and you go up to two guys who are speaking Creole, you’re still going to be able to understand them.
(Holiday greetings from the staff at Grand Baymen, Ambergris Caye, Belize, pictured.)
Is there diving, SCUBA or snorkeling in or around the Pedasi, Azuero, Panama area?
Jade Wills - Maya Moon Marketing
The best scuba and diving in the Pedasi area is in Isla Iguana, an amazing, beautiful and pristine island just off the shore.
Isla Iguana has coral reefs, white sand, beautiful and colorful fish. You can bring your snorkel gear and just spend your day in the water. It’s amazing.
The best scuba and diving in the Pedasi area is in Isla Iguana, an amazing, beautiful and pristine island just off the shore.
Isla Iguana has coral reefs, white sand, beautiful and colorful fish. You can bring your snorkel gear and just spend your day in the water. It’s amazing.
Given that our planned drive from Puebla to Orizaba was only a little more than three hours, that our combination Puebla hotel / restaurant / fraccionamiento was so pleasant, and that the restaurant had an all you can eat Mexican buffet breakfast, we saw no compelling reason to refuse the beautifully arranged food we found so temptingly arranged before us. Even in this upscale restaurant with impeccable service and sophisticated ambiance, they allowed us to dine...
Red wine drinkers delight in proclaiming the benefits of red wine over white wine. Although some new studies indicate there can be some benefits to drinking white wine, red wine wins out above the sweeter white flavors. Some of the important features red wine offers above the lovely whites are:
Red wine has a score of 7 as cited by Prevention; white wine has a score of 1
The culture of Mexico could vary from the western culture. As an example, if an American expat wants to give me his card, he could just toss the card in front of me without meaning to offend me but that is rude to a Mexican. For Mexicans, it is better if you give it to me on my hand. 
We have three or four beautiful rivers that cross Portugal. Further south from Lisbon we have the Guadiana River, where I have rafted. Up north we have Mondego River and further north close to Porto we have Douro River, which is where the Porto Wine comes from. And this area Douro; the Douro River and the cliffs surrounding the Douro River, is where they plant the grapes to produce the world famous Porto Wine or “Port Wine” as you call it in America. We do not have the...
You absolutely do not need to renounce or relinquish your US citizenship or get dual citizenship when you move and live abroad. 
The languages most often spoken in Ambergris Caye are English, Spanish, and Creole. If you’re American, for example, you can get by just speaking English. The English spoken in Belize is a little bit different than the English spoken in the US, but it’s understandable. It just has a different accent. 
area is in Isla Iguana, an amazing, beautiful and pristine island just off the shore. .jpg)
Given that our planned drive from Puebla to Orizaba was only a little more than three hours, that our combination Puebla hotel / restaurant / fraccionamiento was so pleasant, and that the restaurant had an all you can eat Mexican buffet breakfast, we saw no compelling reason to refuse the beautifully arranged food we found so temptingly arranged before us. Even in this upscale restaurant with impeccable service and sophisticated ambiance, they allowed us to dine...
sighting by us near Boquete, Panama, May 17, 2013.