How do I transfer funds to my Mexico bank account?
Gary Coles - Paradise For Gringos
There are several ways that I have transferred money into my Mexican bank accounts.
Naturally, I have deposited cash.
One time I was going to deposit a check but my banker informed me that it would take a long time to clear. With one business account several years ago I used cashiers checks and money orders but even those took over a week to clear.
I've also wired money from my bank in the US to the bank in Mexico and...
There are several ways that I have transferred money into my Mexican bank accounts.
Naturally, I have deposited cash.
One time I was going to deposit a check but my banker informed me that it would take a long time to clear. With one business account several years ago I used cashiers checks and money orders but even those took over a week to clear.
I've also wired money from my bank in the US to the bank in Mexico and found it to be the most expensive method with no benefits that I could see. The cost was approximately $40.
I asked my bank about electronic checks. They did not offer it but told me about another bank which could do an email money transfer (basically an electronic check). They did say this would be much cheaper than the wire transfers.
Last year I learned of two other methods, PayPal and retail money transfers.
The PayPal method works great for transfers under $100.
For amounts over $100, it seemed that the retail money transfers were easier and cheaper than PayPal. I personally am using the retail money transfers through both MoneyGram and RIA Financial Services. I can login to my account online and transfer from my bank or credit card to either my Mexican bank account or a local agency. My last two transfers were with MoneyGram and cost $4.00 each for transfers of $400. This amount is their limit for transfers from a checking account. If I use a credit card, the limit is $2,999 per transfer. I also occasionally get free coupons from them -- so I consider total charges very reasonable.
No matter which method you use, you have several things that you will want to consider. Probably the most important decision is which method is most convenient and easy for you. Another consideration, of course, is the difference in cost. All the methods are different and they may go from a stated fee of zero on up to the bank transfer may be $40 or more. In addition, there are the hidden currency exchange fees and possibly some other fees.
You will need to check and find out exactly which is the cheapest and most convenient for you--- but I bet it will be the retail money transfer.
How's the weather in Ambergris Caye? What's the average temperature in Ambergris Caye?
Matthew Hoy - Pelican Properties
The weather in Ambergris Caye is very consistent. Throughout the year it is about 80 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius). The fluctuations of the weather is around 20 degrees in Fahrenheit or 10 to 15 degrees in Celsius over the course of the year from the coldest to the hottest.
Ambergris Caye is surrounded by a copious amount of salt water so we do get humidity but we also get a great ocean breeze that is fairly consistent. The breeze provides...
The weather in Ambergris Caye is very consistent. Throughout the year it is about 80 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius). The fluctuations of the weather is around 20 degrees in Fahrenheit or 10 to 15 degrees in Celsius over the course of the year from the coldest to the hottest.
Ambergris Caye is surrounded by a copious amount of salt water so we do get humidity but we also get a great ocean breeze that is fairly consistent. The breeze provides natural air-conditioning to the island. Humidity here generally runs from 80% to 100% humidity. On some days we have even had as low as 50% humidity. Humidity is definitely something that exists here along with the beautiful sea breezes.
Most people who come from North America, tend to use their air-conditioning a lot when they first arrive here in Ambergris Caye. But once you have been here for approximately 6 to 8 months, the air-conditioning stops becoming much of a factor. Typically, most people use it at night to sleep and just enjoy the sea breezes during the day. I only use my air-conditioning at night to sleep. I live on the ground floor of a fixed unit condo building.
(First floor condo in Ambergris Caye, Belize, pictured.)
How's the adventure travel and activities in and around Panama?
Judith Tovar - Easy Travel Panama
There are a LOT of adventure travel and activities in Panama...not only in Panama City but also in the other provinces of Panama.
That is one of the beauties if Panama..::not far from Panama City you can do a lot of adventure travel and activities...and then each province has its share too.
Just to mention some: Close to Panama City you can visit the Embera Indians or the Guna Indians, you can go walking in one of our national parks...
There are a LOT of adventure travel and activities in Panama...not only in Panama City but also in the other provinces of Panama.
That is one of the beauties if Panama..::not far from Panama City you can do a lot of adventure travel and activities...and then each province has its share too.
Just to mention some: Close to Panama City you can visit the Embera Indians or the Guna Indians, you can go walking in one of our national parks where you can see birds, monkeys, and whatever nature wants to offer you.
Close to Panama City...at one one of the Pacific beaches..you can go fishing, sailing, surfing, snorkeling, diving.
Each province in Panama also has wonderful adventure activities. Believe me, in Panama you will have a wonderful time finding tons of adventure traveling and activities!
Depends entirely on what you're looking for: Quiet and stimulus free? Cheap and unadorned? Lower cost of living? I can only relate our experience. We lived in Boquete Panama for a year. Then we made the mistake of visiting Medellin Colombia, and fell in love with it. We stayed five days in Medellin, and knew it was the place we wanted to call home. If you're a city person who, like us, loves a good symphony, libraries, parks, public transportation and all other big city...
Depends entirely on what you're looking for: Quiet and stimulus free? Cheap and unadorned? Lower cost of living? I can only relate our experience. We lived in Boquete Panama for a year. Then we made the mistake of visiting Medellin Colombia, and fell in love with it. We stayed five days in Medellin, and knew it was the place we wanted to call home. If you're a city person who, like us, loves a good symphony, libraries, parks, public transportation and all other big city attractions, Medellin may be for you. With 3 million people, Medellin hums with activity, traffic, noise (at times) and the usual chaos of city life. But for a city its size, we've never seen one so clean. It has world class public transport, and that feature is very, very cheap. We can go anywhere in Medellin on the Metro for about $3.00 US. There are 40,000 taxis in Medellin (true story) and they, too, are very cheap, two or three dollars at most to go anywhere.
The downside? Due to its geographical siting, Medellin does have a significant air quality problem. City officials are addressing it in novel ways. For example, all those taxis I mentioned are required to have LP gas instead of gasoline. The buses are in line for that conversion as well. So the air is getting cleaner.
All in all, and again for us, Medellin is the best place we've found thus far.
(The stunning architecture of the library, Biblioteca España in Medellín, Colombia, pictured.)
I actually had a bad experience with a dentist in Granada, Nicaragua. I went to visit him back in 2011. I was more than happy with his work so I decided to come back to get my wife's teeth done. She was very exited about it. We set up an appointment like last time, we agreed on a price for the job he was going to do and as always very pleasant and professional.
However when we got there, first of all the receptionist, who doesn't speak English by...
I actually had a bad experience with a dentist in Granada, Nicaragua. I went to visit him back in 2011. I was more than happy with his work so I decided to come back to get my wife's teeth done. She was very exited about it. We set up an appointment like last time, we agreed on a price for the job he was going to do and as always very pleasant and professional.
However when we got there, first of all the receptionist, who doesn't speak English by the way, was very rude, and they made us wait literally an entire hour because they couldn't respect the appointment we previously set up. I decided to wait, thinking that it was going to worth it. Unfortunately, it wasn't. It was the worst dental experience ever for my wife, he didn't do anything as expected, and she actually got a pretty serious infection in her mouth a day after we visited him. We went back to his office for him to help us fix it, but he alleged he didn't remember her. Two days after her visit, he didn't recognize us!!! OMG. I was shocked!! I don't know what happened to him since my last visit but I wouldn't recommend him at all. He ripped us off!!!
The business culture in Portugal can be frustrating. The biggest problem in Portugal, as in other southern European countries, is that the legal system does not work. If you have a dispute to try and recover a debt, your case could take up to 15 years to get heard and there are people who use that situation to their advantage. The business culture here in Portugal is not at par as with Anglo-Saxon models; it has a much lower level.
There is a growing trend...
The business culture in Portugal can be frustrating. The biggest problem in Portugal, as in other southern European countries, is that the legal system does not work. If you have a dispute to try and recover a debt, your case could take up to 15 years to get heard and there are people who use that situation to their advantage. The business culture here in Portugal is not at par as with Anglo-Saxon models; it has a much lower level.
There is a growing trend towards entrepreneurship here in Portugal, although the problem is that small operations have very little access to funding. It’s not like in America where you have these venture capital and angel capital firms and other companies that help new businesses. Here, you basically have to ask your family to lend you money so you could set up a business.
(Queen Leonor in travel poster set in Caldas Da Rainha, Portugal, pictured.)
I recently got my car towed by the police! What I found out on that fateful day has been a real eye opener that I have decided to share, as many people, including me, will not be aware of these facts…
Firstly, you must have your original driving license with you every time you drive, whether this is your Panamanian driving license or whatever original driver’s license for whatever country you are from.
Since colonial times, Panamá has had a traditional cultural and historical trajectory.
The Torre de Panamá la Vieja (the Old Panama Tower) in San Francisco, Panamá is now a World Heritage site. The importance of this tower goes back to the 16th century when the pirates burned down the city and a new tower was built in the quarter Panamanians now call Casco Viejo.
Other examples of exceptional historical buildings are...