It is important to note that the Portuguese are extremely helpful and respectful towards foreigners. Obviously, if an American or English person or other foreigner spoke to them badly or rudely a Portuguese person would reply in kind. But in many cases the Portuguese are far nicer to foreigners and more helpful to them than they are to many of their own people.
Here’s a story to illustrate the point. We have a bridge here that goes over the river that is like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco except that it’s about 2 meters longer. An American company contracted to build it. At the time our president was Antonio de Olveira Salazar, who said, “I would like you to do this so that one day they’ll be able to put a railway line underneath it.” That day came about 15 years ago when they put the railway underneath. Many of the same people that did the original construction came here and I was going around with a lot of them looking for accommodations. Many of the Americans were a little bit surprised because they kept saying (about the country in general), “This isn’t like America.” And I said, “Well, it’s not America but if I could offer some advice it would be to find something to like.” I’ve lived in quite a few countries and I think it’s so important from the minute you arrive to find something to like—bottle of wine, a person, a place.
(Antonio de Olveira Salazar in 1940, Prime Minister of Portugal from 1932 to 1968, pictured.)
A couple of months later, one of the people I offered this advice to called me and said, “Caroline, I was riding my bicycle and had an accident. This Portuguese couple stopped and took me to a hospital. The man took my bicycle to have it fixed and the woman called me every day to ask me how I was recovering. And the only thing I could think of was to phone Caroline to say thank you I found something to like.”
There’s a lot more English spoken here now than there was several years ago. If a Portuguese person doesn’t speak English well, they will still try. And most of the people now speak English so they are very, very nice to all foreigners.
We live high on the hill in Puerto Vallarta overlooking the Bay. When it rains and the cobblestone streets are wet, we almost always need our four wheel drive. Otherwise, it is no problem. However, I am glad we have our four wheel drive because it eliminates any concerns about getting places. 
If you buy a house in Panama, it would be better to hire an attorney. This is highly recommended for expats..JPG)
I have not been back to Europe for many years. But when I was there, it was already expensive and I think it is even more expensive now. Many places are expensive. I have also lived in Australia for five months and in New Zealand for two months and both these places have gotten expensive now. I think it also depends on your budget but I love Australia and New Zealand. 
Expats are mostly treated well here in Belize. Everyone pretty much respects each other here. There are certainly some people who are not as nice to other people but it is just fine.
The expats here in Nicaragua are different from town to town. The expats in San Juan Del Sur tend to believe, “I am here and I am going to make Nicaragua fit my needs,” whereas expats in Leon or Estelí, for example, have more of an attitude of, “Well, if it is not available, then we’ll just have to adapt to what’s here.” The expats in Managua also tend to adapt to their surroundings and go with the flow. 
Not even Goldilocks would have a problem with Ajijic. It’s “just right” and in the middle: not too cold, and not too hot. Ajijic is not too crowded, but with enough residents to have services: there’s a Wal-Mart close by, and dozens of great restaurants, day spas, etc. Guadalajara, at 40 minutes away by car, provides an international airport, high-end shopping, culture, first rate medical care, etc. just close enough to be convenient but not too close to be an...
If you’re an expat, you may not want to read this. If you’re considering becoming an expat, you need to read it. Here’s what I’ve taken away, thus far, from my recent heart attack, and a very real brush with death in Medellin Colombia. Some of these insights I never imagined. Some of them were almost worth the roller coaster ride and associated pain and concern they presented. 
