What's the dress code in San Miguel de Allende? What clothes do they wear in San Miguel de Allende?
Maria Mazarro - Kika's Botique
Most people in San Miguel de Allende wear casual clothes. Women wear very loose clothes and Mexicans wear Mexican clothing, too. I do design my own clothes and we sell them at my boutique.
I used to have a boutique in Playa del Carmen where it was always very hot so I made hippie chic, loose clothes, which I still sell here. You can wear them either in an elegant way or a casual way.
Most of my clients are retirees. They...
Most people in San Miguel de Allende wear casual clothes. Women wear very loose clothes and Mexicans wear Mexican clothing, too. I do design my own clothes and we sell them at my boutique.
I used to have a boutique in Playa del Carmen where it was always very hot so I made hippie chic, loose clothes, which I still sell here. You can wear them either in an elegant way or a casual way.
Most of my clients are retirees. They don’t want to wear tight clothes. They are looking for clothes that would cover their arms and clothes that don’t show too much but looks nice at the same time. Those are the kinds of clothes that sell the best in San Miguel de Allende.
There are also opportunities to dress up nicely here in San Miguel de Allende. There are galleries that hold openings so people go there dressed up.
(Clothing display at Kika's Boutique, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)
How high are the mountains in Panama, and how does the elevation change the weather?
David Whittington - Tucan Golf Club and Resort
I can give the example of Boquete, where I used to live, at about 3,600 feet elevation. We didn’t have air conditioning. There were times when we wore jackets and sweaters at night. The temperature would go down to 65 in the evening and it could be 85 in the day time, pushing 90.
But in the summer time in Boquete, it is the dry season, when it can become very windy. I remember being in Boquete in April one time and there were people from...
I can give the example of Boquete, where I used to live, at about 3,600 feet elevation. We didn’t have air conditioning. There were times when we wore jackets and sweaters at night. The temperature would go down to 65 in the evening and it could be 85 in the day time, pushing 90.
But in the summer time in Boquete, it is the dry season, when it can become very windy. I remember being in Boquete in April one time and there were people from Panama City who had their jackets on.
In the last few years, Nicaragua has greatly improved the healthcare it provides. If you live in or near Managua, Granada or León you will have excellent local dentist practitioners and find personalized care as well as highly-trained, English-speaking dentists. Many people are surprised at the diversity and level of quality healthcare and dental care you can find if you know where to look.
The dental care is excellent, and the prices are very reasonable. As a...
In the last few years, Nicaragua has greatly improved the healthcare it provides. If you live in or near Managua, Granada or León you will have excellent local dentist practitioners and find personalized care as well as highly-trained, English-speaking dentists. Many people are surprised at the diversity and level of quality healthcare and dental care you can find if you know where to look.
The dental care is excellent, and the prices are very reasonable. As a result, Nicaragua has become a prime destination for people coming from other countries to get their quality dental care done here at dramatically lower cost. The savings from having your dental work done in Nicaragua as opposed to in another country can cover the cost of the trip as well.
I speak from personal experience. My family that lives in the US comes to Nicaragua for dental care.
What would my neighbors be like in Placencia, Belize?
Boris Mannsfeld - Boris Mannsfeld & Associates
The thing I like most particularly in Placencia is that there are a lot of interactions between the locals and everybody else. One reason is because the locals speak English; everybody speaks English. In Placencia, we do not have animosity and discrimination, so you can interact with anybody here. I have a lot of friends here who are locals, including a taxi cab drivers, nannies, some of the people who clean rooms in the hotels, all the way to resort owners and businessmen.
...
The thing I like most particularly in Placencia is that there are a lot of interactions between the locals and everybody else. One reason is because the locals speak English; everybody speaks English. In Placencia, we do not have animosity and discrimination, so you can interact with anybody here. I have a lot of friends here who are locals, including a taxi cab drivers, nannies, some of the people who clean rooms in the hotels, all the way to resort owners and businessmen.
In Placencia there is a whole variety of socio-economic, religion, and ethnic diversity and everybody seems to get along. So your neighbor could be a retired American, or it could be a local taxi driver or it could be a guy who owns a coffee shop. We have a whole variety of people down here and everybody really seems to get along and interact.
That is one of the best things about living in Placencia. It is not the “ups and downs” or the “haves and have-nots,” which is very important for me. I do not want to be in an area where I am hanging out with a bunch of Americans and then a local would drop by and point fingers at me. I am glad that that is not happening in Belize, especially in Placencia.
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.
...
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.)
The best reasons to retire overseas have nothing to do with saving money, although that is often a side-benefit.
Nor do they have to do with moving from a horrible, frigid climate (like Canada, my home country) to a beautiful place that is warm and sunny 12 months a year (Panama), although, again, that is a side-benefit.
Nor is the slower, more relaxed pace of life (in places like Panama) one of the most important reasons for moving overseas,...
The best reasons to retire overseas have nothing to do with saving money, although that is often a side-benefit.
Nor do they have to do with moving from a horrible, frigid climate (like Canada, my home country) to a beautiful place that is warm and sunny 12 months a year (Panama), although, again, that is a side-benefit.
Nor is the slower, more relaxed pace of life (in places like Panama) one of the most important reasons for moving overseas, although it is definitely a selling point.
No, the main reasons you should consider retiring overseas are different, and may surprise you:
You have probably lived all your life in the same country, indeed the same state or province, or city. This is a big world. Learn more about it. Expand your horizons. Move somewhere new and discover what it is like to adapt to a different culture. Stretch your mental universe. You will learn lots about your new country -- and about yourself.
If you come from a wealthy and well-organized city like Toronto, as I do, you will be shocked at all of the unmet needs in poorer regions such as Panama. You will see starving dogs on the roads. You will see impoverished indigenous peoples in the countryside, often living in dirt-floor shacks with leaky, thatched roofs. You can react in two ways to these sights: either 1) feel appalled or 2) think of them as opportunities to do something useful with your life, as opportunities to make a contribution. You will be amazed at how much better you will feel about your own life when you start to make a positive contribution to others.
After we bought our property in Belize we were getting excited about building something where we could go and hang out
Initially it started as a cabin with enough room for us and the occasional visitors/family.
We began researching costs and wanted to pay cash for everything. After looking around the country at different types of construction, we realized our budget was not going to let us build a U.S. style home.
One of the great advantages of traveling, or better yet, living in a different country, is to see how others live their lives. If we are open to it, we can gain perspective and insight, not only into the human condition in general, but more pointedly, into our own condition.
I don't spend all of my time in Boquete, even though it is a very easy place to live with lots of good places to eat and the nice weather and cool temperatures there are times I need a little beach. Just two hours southwest of my home in the mountains is Limones, a little beach town that is home to Hooked on Panama, a gringo fishing resort that is finally getting the recognition it deserves and a few local fishermen and a few cowboys, and a couple of rice farmers. Having been born on Cape...
Most people in San Miguel de Allende wear casual clothes. Women wear very loose clothes and Mexicans wear Mexican clothing, too. I do design my own clothes and we sell them at my boutique. 
I can give the example of Boquete, where I used to live, at about 3,600 feet elevation. We didn’t have air conditioning. There were times when we wore jackets and sweaters at night. The temperature would go down to 65 in the evening and it could be 85 in the day time, pushing 90. 
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). 
After we bought our property in Belize we were getting excited about building something where we could go and hang out 
One of the great advantages of traveling, or better yet, living in a different country, is to see how others live their lives. If we are open to it, we can gain perspective and insight, not only into the human condition in general, but more pointedly, into our own condition. 
