Do I need to own a car in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?
Centeya - Radisson Blu Ajijic
In Ajijic, you do not need to own a car. Everything in Ajijic is walking distance. If you’re living in Chapala as an expat, you may want to visit Ajijic more frequently because of the higher concentration of restaurants, shops and event galleries, and if you don’t mind taking the bus, you won’t need a car.
There’s a bus line that runs from Chapala to Jocotepec (most of the main area where expats would go) on the main road, and it...
In Ajijic, you do not need to own a car. Everything in Ajijic is walking distance. If you’re living in Chapala as an expat, you may want to visit Ajijic more frequently because of the higher concentration of restaurants, shops and event galleries, and if you don’t mind taking the bus, you won’t need a car.
There’s a bus line that runs from Chapala to Jocotepec (most of the main area where expats would go) on the main road, and it also goes through town, at a cost of ten to fifteen pesos (about 50 to 75 cents). You tell the bus driver where you’re going, and they tell you what the tariff is. When you’re ready to get off but don’t know where your stop is, you can ask the driver. For example, you can tell them you’re going to San Antonio, and they’ll let you know where to get off, or somebody on the bus will help you. Otherwise they have buttons that you can pull for your stop.
Bus drivers in Chapala and Ajijic don’t like carrying a lot of loose change. For example, my cleaning lady who has to take the bus to go home was telling me how the bus driver was giving her grief today. She asked me if I had any loose change because I gave her a 50 peso paper bill (about US $2.50). She said, “Do you have any change? The bus driver doesn’t like giving me change for high notes.” She pays 15 pesos from Ajijic to Chapala.
(The Waffle House, or better known as La Casa del Waffle, a popular landmark on the main road of Ajijic, Lake Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)
Are gays, lesbians and others in the LGBT community accepted in Portugal?
Carol Bartlett Ribeiro - Carol Bartlett Ribeiro, Property Consultant
Yes, absolutely; gays and lesbians and others in the LGBT community are accepted in Portugal. In Portugal you can have gay marriages and they have just passed a law to say that gays can adopt children as well.
The attitude towards gays and Lesbians has changed a tremendous amount. Perhaps 30 or 40 years ago, not, and maybe not even 20 years ago, but now they really are, not just legally, but culturally as well.
Yes, absolutely; gays and lesbians and others in the LGBT community are accepted in Portugal. In Portugal you can have gay marriages and they have just passed a law to say that gays can adopt children as well.
The attitude towards gays and Lesbians has changed a tremendous amount. Perhaps 30 or 40 years ago, not, and maybe not even 20 years ago, but now they really are, not just legally, but culturally as well.
What are the best and worst things about living and retiring in Fort Clayton / Clayton, Panama Canal Zone?
Carlos Garcia de Paredes, MD - Hospital Santa Fe
Living and retiring in Clayton, as well as several other places near Panama City but not in the downtown area proper, will keep you away from heavy traffic and close to places where you can relax.
There are also good schools and shopping areas in Clayton, where you can find things from all over the world. The best shopping area close by is Albrook Mall, ten minutes away by car, which is full of stores and also some good restaurants.
Living and retiring in Clayton, as well as several other places near Panama City but not in the downtown area proper, will keep you away from heavy traffic and close to places where you can relax.
There are also good schools and shopping areas in Clayton, where you can find things from all over the world. The best shopping area close by is Albrook Mall, ten minutes away by car, which is full of stores and also some good restaurants.
Can I receive my Social Security checks or benefits abroad, as an expat, outside the US and if so, how?
Alan Filliger - Alana la Casa del Arte
You can receive your Social Security check benefits in Panama. I feel the best way is through direct deposit into your Panama bank account. It is easy, safe and reliable. I can only receive Social security via direct deposit in Panama. All other benefits need to come by wire transfer or a mailed check. I use a mail service out of Miami, Florida which sends my mail to a location close to where I live. Mail Boxes, etc. seems to be good...
You can receive your Social Security check benefits in Panama. I feel the best way is through direct deposit into your Panama bank account. It is easy, safe and reliable. I can only receive Social security via direct deposit in Panama. All other benefits need to come by wire transfer or a mailed check. I use a mail service out of Miami, Florida which sends my mail to a location close to where I live. Mail Boxes, etc. seems to be good and reliable in Panama.
Daniel Bolanos - Hacienda & Ecolodge Morgan´s Rock
It is much cheaper to live in Nicaragua than in Florida, where I come from. Food is cheaper here. The way of life and probably everything else is cheaper here in Nicaragua, with the largest possible exception of buying a car, which is probably more expensive in Nicaragua than in Florida.
Food, restaurants, service, etc. is much cheaper in Nicaragua than the States, so it means you could live better in Nicaragua.
Nicaragua has...
It is much cheaper to live in Nicaragua than in Florida, where I come from. Food is cheaper here. The way of life and probably everything else is cheaper here in Nicaragua, with the largest possible exception of buying a car, which is probably more expensive in Nicaragua than in Florida.
Food, restaurants, service, etc. is much cheaper in Nicaragua than the States, so it means you could live better in Nicaragua.
Nicaragua has its quirks and its pros and cons. If you want to go shopping for clothes, it is cheaper in the States and in the States they have better brands and better quality. But if you consider the cost of food, groceries, houses, and even taxes, it is cheaper here in Nicaragua than in the US.
In my personal opinion, in the US, you are just a number, while here in Nicaragua, you are somebody. At least here in Nicaragua, you are a name because Nicaragua is a small country with a smaller population. The population of Nicaragua right now is about 6 million.
Editor’s note: We had the privilege in early March, 2017 to talk with Michael Eager. The Eager family is a bit of an institution in the Ajijic area, where Michael’s brother Mark owns a real estate sales company and Michael runs the business that started it all in the 1970s, formerly the Posada, and now the Nueva Posada. In this interview, Michael tells us the unlikely set of events that started it all when Ajijic was just a small, out of the way village and well...
Las Posadas is the name for the popular celebrations in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia, the United States and Panama during the nine days before Christmas (December 16-24). Las Posadas (which is Spanish for the “inns” or “lodging”) relates to the search by Joseph and Mary for a place to stay in Bethlehem.
This tradition began in Mexico in 1586 when Catholic...
In Ajijic, you do not need to own a car. Everything in Ajijic is walking distance. If you’re living in Chapala as an expat, you may want to visit Ajijic more frequently because of the higher concentration of restaurants, shops and event galleries, and if you don’t mind taking the bus, you won’t need a car. .png)
Yes, absolutely; gays and lesbians and others in the LGBT community are accepted in Portugal. In Portugal you can have gay marriages and they have just passed a law to say that gays can adopt children as well. 
It is much cheaper to live in Nicaragua than in Florida, where I come from. Food is cheaper here. The way of life and probably everything else is cheaper here in Nicaragua, with the largest possible exception of buying a car, which is probably more expensive in Nicaragua than in Florida. 
Editor’s note: We had the privilege in early March, 2017 to talk with Michael Eager. The Eager family is a bit of an institution in the Ajijic area, where Michael’s brother Mark owns a real estate sales company and Michael runs the business that started it all in the 1970s, formerly the Posada, and now the Nueva Posada. In this interview, Michael tells us the unlikely set of events that started it all when Ajijic was just a small, out of the way village and well...
Las Posadas is the name for the popular celebrations in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia, the United States and Panama during the nine days before Christmas (December 16-24). Las Posadas (which is Spanish for the “inns” or “lodging”) relates to the search by Joseph and Mary for a place to stay in Bethlehem..png)
At each of the stops on