The healthcare facilities in Chapala and Ajijic are the bare minimum, which is fine for issues such as minor infections, diarrhea, scorpion stings and minor trauma. For anything really serious, one needs to go to Guadalajara. The saving grace is that an hour away by car in Guadalajara, we have world-class physicians and hospitals. 
The things you would be most happily surprised by when moving or retiring abroad might depend on what country you ended up in. I’m from Ireland. I’ve lived in different countries and every country has its own idiosyncrasies. 
A. Employment or self-employment (for activities within the official list of high added value activities) 
When I was in Managua, I was not really happy to find tarantulas crawling out from underneath my bed and in the shower. I have an issue with spiders and snakes. Once, a poisonous snake got into our kitchen and wrapped itself around the dish drainer. 
There are banks in Panama offering home mortgage loans. As a foreigner, you need to deposit 30% to do a quick loan. A Panamanian could buy Panamanian home and you could get 90% financing, even up to 95%, but it would be more difficult for a foreigner to buy and get a bank loan. It is accessible nonetheless. How to talk Spanish good... and why. (Como hablar espanol bueno... y por que)
A disclaimer: I’m a capital G Gringo. I’ve been practicing my English skills for many years, and I’m proud to say that I have my native language down pretty well. In other words, I ain’t no expert in español, so keep that in mind. However, or sin embargo as they say, I am learning Spanish paso a paso, (step by step) here in Medellin, and it’s very gratifying to be able to speak with folks in their native tongue. I see questions on various websites, Best Places to...
This was a special day for my friends from Alabama. They had wanted to go visit the Janson Coffee Farm for the last two years. This was a great day for slow drive to Volcan. It was a cool, rainy, gray day but the smiles and laughter made it feel warm and happy. All along the way there was an air of excitement from the two of them. I heard stories about the times they rode horses with the Janson family, picnics and weekend outings; all the memories were so pleasant. Along the way we...