What's the crime rate against Americans and other expats in San Miguel de Allende?
Debbie Smith
Yes there are crimes in San Miguel, just as there are in the US. HOWEVER, crimes in Mexico are NOT investigated or handled in the same manner as they are in the US. I know a close family friend who has been going to San Miguel since 1996 and was brutally beaten, almost to death, during a home invasion on a Saturday morning at 10am. It was an inside job, meaning the housekeeper who had been with them for 15 years, had let four people into the home to beat...
Yes there are crimes in San Miguel, just as there are in the US. HOWEVER, crimes in Mexico are NOT investigated or handled in the same manner as they are in the US. I know a close family friend who has been going to San Miguel since 1996 and was brutally beaten, almost to death, during a home invasion on a Saturday morning at 10am. It was an inside job, meaning the housekeeper who had been with them for 15 years, had let four people into the home to beat two people and rob them. While the police were well aware of the suspects, NOTHING was done. They didn't even question the housekeeper who was believed to have set everything up. The manner in which crimes, especially violent ones are investigated, is far from the manner that they are in the US. Do not have a false sense of security when you visit and go there knowing that you are really on your own, even when bad things happen.
Do I have to file my Canadian taxes if I retire, work or live abroad?
David Whittington - Tucan Golf Club and Resort
Personally, we have the Canadian Pension Plans plus we have the Old Age Pension, which are considered income so we still have to file on those. I believe that the only time you don’t have to file is if you supremely leave Canada; if you renounce your citizenship, etc.
However, we only have to pay income tax when the money is earned in Canada. We’re paying Panamanian taxes on the money we make here, but not Canadian tax. In Canada you...
Personally, we have the Canadian Pension Plans plus we have the Old Age Pension, which are considered income so we still have to file on those. I believe that the only time you don’t have to file is if you supremely leave Canada; if you renounce your citizenship, etc.
However, we only have to pay income tax when the money is earned in Canada. We’re paying Panamanian taxes on the money we make here, but not Canadian tax. In Canada you only can be taxed once on your income.
(Choosing at lot and home at Tucan Country Club and Resorts, Panama, pictured.)
What's the dress code in Algarve? What clothes do they wear in Algarve?
Luis Teixeira da Silva - Algarve Senior Living
The dress code in the Algarve is “smart casual” or “casual.” There’s no one with a tie here unless that person works in a bank. If you come along with a tie then we’ll know that you’re from another city or another part of the country.
Our clothes style here in the Algarve is generally very relaxed—chinos, beige slacks, and so forth. We also fit in with the season and a very bright...
The dress code in the Algarve is “smart casual” or “casual.” There’s no one with a tie here unless that person works in a bank. If you come along with a tie then we’ll know that you’re from another city or another part of the country.
Our clothes style here in the Algarve is generally very relaxed—chinos, beige slacks, and so forth. We also fit in with the season and a very bright environment, even though the Portuguese tradition is one of wearing fairly dark clothes, particularly in the winter, including a lot of burgundy and black clothing. Generally in Algarve you’ll find a lot lighter colors—the blues, the beiges, the pinks, etc. It’s a very laidback, relaxed environment.
You won’t find the truly sloppy like you would see in Central America with shorts, flip-flops and T-shirts. You wouldn’t have the sort of the rag tag of people mulling about unshaven and with long hair. Having said that, we have a lot of wealthy people who just choose to walk in flip-flops. They will, however, look very proper as they walk in their flip-flops and nice shorts and maybe nice jersey or cardigan hung over their shoulders if it’s a cold evening.
(Traditional Portuguese clothing for women-- not what they wear every day, pictured.)
What's the best way to get around in the Panama City, Panama area of Casco Viejo?
Bill Hamilton - Bill Hamilton
A cab to the Plaza Francia is the best place to get dropped. From there just take a walk around and see the sights. It is not a large area. The best thing to do is to arrange for a guide who will tell you all of the history and take you to places that you may not find easily yourself. There is a lot of history and a good guide is invaluable. Usually you will be charged around $40 for 2 to 3 people inclusive and the tour will last half a day. Be careful in choosing the guide as there are...
A cab to the Plaza Francia is the best place to get dropped. From there just take a walk around and see the sights. It is not a large area. The best thing to do is to arrange for a guide who will tell you all of the history and take you to places that you may not find easily yourself. There is a lot of history and a good guide is invaluable. Usually you will be charged around $40 for 2 to 3 people inclusive and the tour will last half a day. Be careful in choosing the guide as there are some so called guides who are not that good. You hotel should advise you.
What's the cost to rent an apartment in Granada, Nicaragua?
Miguel Moran
There are rental apartments in Granada, Nicaragua, especially in the historical center of town that are mainly for people who come for a longer period of time. Apartments in the historical center could go for $800 to $1,500 a month. There are houses that could go all the way up to $3,000 a month depending on the square footage that you're looking for.
An $800 apartment in the center of town would have two bedrooms, one bath, a small kitchen, and a living room. This would not...
There are rental apartments in Granada, Nicaragua, especially in the historical center of town that are mainly for people who come for a longer period of time. Apartments in the historical center could go for $800 to $1,500 a month. There are houses that could go all the way up to $3,000 a month depending on the square footage that you're looking for.
An $800 apartment in the center of town would have two bedrooms, one bath, a small kitchen, and a living room. This would not include a garage to park a car.
For $1,500 a month, you would get the same square footage as the $800 a month house, but the interior and amenities are nicer. The apartment would have better countertops, more wood, and be more modern-looking.
When you go further away from the historical center, it would be pretty hard to get an apartment. Outside the historical center is where the locals live so there's no demand for apartments in these areas. However, you could rent a house for $300 to $600 a month.
This is not a story about how Mexico celebrates its Día de los Muertos ritual, or how Americans come here to retire... then forget to die. The other day I came across the black-and-white details of how and where US citizens meet their maker in foreign lands. You see, the US State Department is required by law to report non-natural deaths by US citizens in foreign countries.
Anyone who’s explored beyond the comforts of Western Europe knows...
When in my early twenties, after crossing the border near San Diego with my friends and driving south in Mexico, I noticed lots of houses in which the construction had begun, but was not finished.
“How stupid”, I thought, viewing what I believed to be evidence of bad planning on a large scale by lots of silly people. “What a waste! Why get started if you don’t finish?” (I may even have harrumphed, but I don’t remember.)
Below is the second article I wrote for Next Avenue, a website whose media partners include PBS, Huffington Post, etc., and run by very talented and accomplished public television people and journalists.
As always, this article represents the distilled wisdom of the contributors to our site, who I humbly thank. I would know nothing without them.
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared on Next Avenue and Forbes on April 27,...