Are there English-speaking doctors in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?
Gabriel Varela, MD - Gabriel Varela - Neurosurgeon
Yes, there are English-speaking doctors in the Chapala and Ajijic areas. For example, although my English is not perfect, I can generally converse; I don’t have any problem speaking with people who don’t speak Spanish. Also, my staff speaks English.
Here in this town there are many people who speak English because American people have been coming for 60 or more years to retire here. They have the Lake Chapala Society here and many of...
Yes, there are English-speaking doctors in the Chapala and Ajijic areas. For example, although my English is not perfect, I can generally converse; I don’t have any problem speaking with people who don’t speak Spanish. Also, my staff speaks English.
Here in this town there are many people who speak English because American people have been coming for 60 or more years to retire here. They have the Lake Chapala Society here and many of the services we have here are because of American or Canadian people. It’s not a problem for people who don’t know how to speak Spanish to live here.
(English-speaking neurosurgeon, Dr. Gabriel Varela, Ajijic, Mexico, pictured.)
Are taxis readily available in the Panama City, Panama area of San Francisco, and what do taxis cost in the Panama City, Panama area of San Francisco?
David Lim
It is easy to get taxis in the Panama area of San Francisco, Panama as there are a lot of main roads. You can just go out to the street and hail a taxi whenever you need one. They are all over the San Francisco area, and the rate is not more than US $5 inside Panama City.
There are no meters in the taxis, so you need to negotiate the rate with the driver when you have arrived at your desired destination, but the maximum the taxi driver will charge you...
It is easy to get taxis in the Panama area of San Francisco, Panama as there are a lot of main roads. You can just go out to the street and hail a taxi whenever you need one. They are all over the San Francisco area, and the rate is not more than US $5 inside Panama City.
There are no meters in the taxis, so you need to negotiate the rate with the driver when you have arrived at your desired destination, but the maximum the taxi driver will charge you is $5 within Panama City.
For me it is impossible to answer the question what are the best places in the world to live. I think it depends on who you are what you are looking for and what things do you need in your life to be happy. Do you need a common language where you are going? How about family and old friends? Weather, rain, climate,medical and all sorts of things a person should consider.
I made a list of what I wanted and needed in a new country. I...
For me it is impossible to answer the question what are the best places in the world to live. I think it depends on who you are what you are looking for and what things do you need in your life to be happy. Do you need a common language where you are going? How about family and old friends? Weather, rain, climate,medical and all sorts of things a person should consider.
I made a list of what I wanted and needed in a new country. I had traveled to 36 countries when I was a younger adult and frankly I found many different countries I thought I could be happy in. I settled on Panama for reasons that were important to me.
A democratic country, tropical, good services for medical and dental, close to the USA, good cost of living, two oceans with just over an hour driving time between them, good shopping and restaurants, golf, scuba diving, fishing, mountain climbing, availability of different temperatures within easy driving distance, sports, movies, lots of expats (however I don't hang around expat groups much), not much violent crime and an easy going tranquil lifestyle.
For me Panama is one of the best places in the world to retire.
In Portugal, people tend to eat out more than probably most countries in Europe because that is the lifestyle here. I have lunch near my office here and I get a 3-course meal for about €7 (US $8 or £5.20).
Sometimes it is even cheaper to eat out than to eat at home. An evening meal for a couple in a medium-priced restaurant would cost around €15 (US $16.50 or £11) per head.
The reason it is so cheap to eat...
In Portugal, people tend to eat out more than probably most countries in Europe because that is the lifestyle here. I have lunch near my office here and I get a 3-course meal for about €7 (US $8 or £5.20).
Sometimes it is even cheaper to eat out than to eat at home. An evening meal for a couple in a medium-priced restaurant would cost around €15 (US $16.50 or £11) per head.
The reason it is so cheap to eat at restaurants here in Portugal is because there is so much competition. It seems like there is a restaurant on every single corner here in Portugal.
(Restaurant Chez Lapin, Porto, Portugal, pictured.)
Yes, I drink the local water in Belize all the time. The water here comes from the river, it’s treated, and it’s pumped around through the houses. I live in Santa Elena, which is the twin town to San Ignacio in the Cayo District. I never wash fruits or vegetables; I just eat them. I put them under the water that comes from the tap as well and it’s no problem.
However, I tell my clients that they should buy bottled water, not because the local water is...
Yes, I drink the local water in Belize all the time. The water here comes from the river, it’s treated, and it’s pumped around through the houses. I live in Santa Elena, which is the twin town to San Ignacio in the Cayo District. I never wash fruits or vegetables; I just eat them. I put them under the water that comes from the tap as well and it’s no problem.
However, I tell my clients that they should buy bottled water, not because the local water is bad, but it’s just different. If they are here for a week or two I’d say they are better off just buying bottled water and not to take a chance on the local water.
I wouldn’t drink water from the taps in Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker because it’s brackish. It’s just different. The last time I was there, I tried drinking water from the tap and you could taste some salt in it.
(One of the three waterfalls near the eco-village, Better in Belize, situated in the west Cayo District, pictured.)
What's the dress code in Nicaragua? What clothes do they wear in Nicaragua?
Darrell Bushnell
In most Latin American countries, you are expected to be more formal. They wear slacks and they always wear long-sleeved shirts if they are going out to dinner. In Nicaragua, that is just not true. A friend of mine has a saying, “In Nicaragua, you can never be too under-dressed and never be too late!”
I do not really like shorts, but after a while of being here, I also now wear shorts and t-shirts just about everywhere, except if I am...
In most Latin American countries, you are expected to be more formal. They wear slacks and they always wear long-sleeved shirts if they are going out to dinner. In Nicaragua, that is just not true. A friend of mine has a saying, “In Nicaragua, you can never be too under-dressed and never be too late!”
I do not really like shorts, but after a while of being here, I also now wear shorts and t-shirts just about everywhere, except if I am going to an event. It is easier for women to dress up in that they wear dresses. But in general, the dress code in Nicaragua is extremely casual.
Two of the best things about living at the Lake Chapala area have to do with aviation:
1. Through what I can only assume is dumb luck, Guadalajara International Airport was placed at the south side of that huge metropolis as opposed to the north side, so us fortunate enough to live at Lake Chapala can get to the airport without having to first pass through 30 miles of the worst traffic this side of Mexico City.
2. Flying from one Mexican city to another Mexican city...
The video was taken on our street in Medellin Colombia, and it will charm you with its subject matter, and inherent message. Here are five lessons on what we’ve learned as short time expats, thanks to...
I first walked across the border from Costa Rica to Panama in Sixaola with (my now ex) wife. We had some money in our pockets, were vegetarians and vegetarian chefs and wanted to open – you guessed it – a veggie restaurant. It was a risky venture and we were one of the first in Panama and definitely the first in the Bocas province and islands.
So I found 2 shacks connected by an outhouse over the water on Carenero (facing Isla Colon). I signed a 2-year rental...