The economy of Chapala and Ajijic has been up and down but we’ve seen a tremendous amount of change here over the last 15 years. We have a healthy flow of people from Guadalajara every weekend who love to retreat to the peacefulness of the lake and this is a great stimulant for local businesses. We do have quite a lot of new construction, a very attractive mall area with an outside food court, two movie theaters, Dominoes Pizza etc., so things have grown and changed, but we still...
The economy of Chapala and Ajijic has been up and down but we’ve seen a tremendous amount of change here over the last 15 years. We have a healthy flow of people from Guadalajara every weekend who love to retreat to the peacefulness of the lake and this is a great stimulant for local businesses. We do have quite a lot of new construction, a very attractive mall area with an outside food court, two movie theaters, Dominoes Pizza etc., so things have grown and changed, but we still seem to have managed to keep the small town feel.
There are about 120,000 people living here between the four towns across the Lake Chapala: Chapala, Ajijic, San Juan Cosala, and Jocotepec. People love it here because you’re 45 minutes away from Guadalajara by car and from the international airport, which makes travel back to loved ones pretty easy. That’s one of the reasons my family likes Chapala; easy access to an international airport can make life a lot simpler.
The economy here in Chapala and Ajijic is somewhat based on tourism. This is a weekend retreat for many of the people from the big city of Guadalajara. They have houses down here and on the weekends the families arrive and bring friends to relax and enjoy the lake. This is the biggest lake in Mexico and it is well used by boats and people enjoying water sports. There are some super restaurants here with awesome lake views . All of this means that on the weekends, things get a little hectic but it also means that the town certainly feels a lot livelier.
We do have every business we need to sustain a great life for the locals pet shops, veterinarians, doctors, restaurants, organic market, bars, furniture stores, hardware stores, etc. Our largest industry here now is the berry industry. We produce some great berries, most of which are exported. Another positive of the industry is the great availability and price of these berries lakeside. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are all about 20 pesos a liter.
How are the stores and shops in Belize? How’s the shopping in Belize?
Macarena Rose - Rainforerst Realty
If you are a mall shopper and you are looking for big names like Louis Vuitton, Belize is not the place for you. I have a client in New York City that I was able to keep married because his wife is a high-end shopper. She wants big names, she wants the malls, and I kept telling my client, “You can’t move to Belize. You will be divorced because we don’t have malls here.”
Belize is not a country that has McDonald’s. We...
If you are a mall shopper and you are looking for big names like Louis Vuitton, Belize is not the place for you. I have a client in New York City that I was able to keep married because his wife is a high-end shopper. She wants big names, she wants the malls, and I kept telling my client, “You can’t move to Belize. You will be divorced because we don’t have malls here.”
Belize is not a country that has McDonald’s. We do not have fast food and we do not have big chains. If there is a party and I want to buy a new dress, I will go downtown and walk into a little shop that might have a hundred dresses to choose from and yet there is all different sizes. They won’t have a size 14 and or have a huge selection in any size.
What I recommend for people to do is to bring their clothes that they have to have and then just start adopting the local culture that we are not looking to see what you are wearing or what style of shoes you are wearing. We are not looking if they have a certain emblem on their shirts. Belize is just not that place. So if you are a mall shopper, you will not enjoy being in Belize. If you like to talk to people while you are shopping and not have a thousand choices, well then, Belize is absolutely for you.
The number one best reason to move to Nicaragua is safety. It’s the safest country in Central America and one of the safest countries in all of the Americas. The overall crime rate here is low. I feel very safe where I live in Nicaragua. I leave my door unlocked sometimes and don’t even think about the possibility of being the victim of an aggravated assault or being burglarized. I feel as a Nicaraguan and an American citizen extremely safe where I live; much safer...
The number one best reason to move to Nicaragua is safety. It’s the safest country in Central America and one of the safest countries in all of the Americas. The overall crime rate here is low. I feel very safe where I live in Nicaragua. I leave my door unlocked sometimes and don’t even think about the possibility of being the victim of an aggravated assault or being burglarized. I feel as a Nicaraguan and an American citizen extremely safe where I live; much safer than I did in certain parts of California.
Another reason would be your dollar goes a long way in Nicaragua. It’s very affordable compared to other countries like Costa Rica where prices have been getting close to what you would be paying in the US for a good standard of living. You can rent for as little as $500 or $600 for a two bedroom in a nice gated community like the one where I live. For a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2,500 square feet home here, it would cost around $1,000 a month.
The third best reason to retire to Nicaragua is that we have a lot of beautiful, open virgin spaces, virgin beaches, and a lot of good opportunity for somebody looking to retire in a quaint, little, quiet country.
The scenery in Nicaragua is gorgeous. Right now we just hit the rainy season so everything has turned very green; everything is alive. At night there will be small trickles of thunderstorms. It rains in the morning so I will wake up to it being gorgeous and green. The water is crystal clear right now outside of my house. I can see blue waters and nice white sandy beaches. I see monkeys all the time. I see different types of birds, so if you were a bird fanatic or a bird watcher this place would be ideal. For me it’s very easy to go to the beach and then, for example, to our lake house that’s only about 30 minutes away. Nicaragua is a country that offers a lot of natural beauty and very little population density.
(Vacation rental on the beach,Guacalito, Nicaragua, pictured.)
What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a second passport?
Ian Usher - House Sitting Magazine
I believe there are many advantages to having a second passport, but few, if any, disadvantages. I've had two passports for over seven years now.
I was born in England, and through marriage I ended up living in Australia, where I became a citizen and received a second passport and dual nationality.
Since leaving Australia in 2008 I have traveled extensively and always carry both passports with me.
I discovered one of...
I believe there are many advantages to having a second passport, but few, if any, disadvantages. I've had two passports for over seven years now.
I was born in England, and through marriage I ended up living in Australia, where I became a citizen and received a second passport and dual nationality.
Since leaving Australia in 2008 I have traveled extensively and always carry both passports with me.
I discovered one of the great advantages to having a second passport when traveling through South America with a friend from the States. Each South American country charges for an entry visa a fee equivalent to that charged for it's own citizens when traveling in the other direction.
So, for example, entering Argentina the cost might be $40 for a citizen of the UK, $0 for an Australian, and $125 for a person carrying a US passport. Obviously I'd decide I was Australian at the Argentinean border.
On our journey this became a bit of a standing joke. "Oh, free for me if I'm English coming into Brazil. How much for you Val? $125 again? Oh dear!" I didn't pay one cent in visa fees in South America by chopping and changing my citizenship as appropriate. My friend shelled out over $500. I'd say my second passport certainly paid for itself on that trip.
Of course there are all the other advantages too. I can choose to live and work in either location. I have the freedom to go and live elsewhere if a country becomes intolerable for political or financial reasons, or for any other reason at all.
I can also choose where I live for tax purposes, and to whom I report my income. I believe this isn't a luxury afforded to holders of a US passport, who have to report all income, no matter from where it is sourced, and where they are living.
Disadvantages? The only one that comes to mind is that on occasion I am asked a few pointed questions at borders, particularly the US. If I fly from England, obviously I leave as a UK citizen, but I have to arrive in the US as an Australian, as my Australian passport carries the electronic authorization that the US insists I have to pay for every few years.
With my Australian passport showing no evidence of where I have been just before arriving at their border sometimes results in an invite into a small office. Producing the second passport usually clears the issue pretty quickly.
However, I have had quite a few amusing border incidents, and have written about them at length in my latest book, "Paradise Delayed".
If you have the opportunity to get a second passport, I'd highly recommend it, just for the extra options it gives you.
In Portugal, do I have to worry about malaria, yellow fever and other diseases we don’t generally have in North America or other parts of Europe?
Luis Rodrigues - Gouveia Pereira, Costa Freitas & Associates, Law Firm, RL
No, if you move or visit Portugal, you do not have to worry about diseases that are typical in tropical countries, which is not the case in Portugal. Although the climate is hotter than in most European countries, Portugal has a temperate climate (it has the same latitude as Virginia or Maryland), which does not allow such diseases to exist. There are no medical restrictions or warnings for travel to Portugal.
(Sao Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal, pictured.)
No, if you move or visit Portugal, you do not have to worry about diseases that are typical in tropical countries, which is not the case in Portugal. Although the climate is hotter than in most European countries, Portugal has a temperate climate (it has the same latitude as Virginia or Maryland), which does not allow such diseases to exist. There are no medical restrictions or warnings for travel to Portugal.
How many Americans and Canadians, and other expats live in Bocas Del Toro, Panama?
Anne-Michelle Wand - United Country Bocas del Toro
There are many expats here in Bocas Del Toro but I do not know the exact number. It is in the thousands for sure, just between Colon and the other islands.
I would say 80% are Americans and Canadians and the other 20% is from all over the world like South America, Europe, and Australia.
Three years ago, the expat population was 1,200 but they were moving here steadily.
There are many expats here in Bocas Del Toro but I do not know the exact number. It is in the thousands for sure, just between Colon and the other islands.
I would say 80% are Americans and Canadians and the other 20% is from all over the world like South America, Europe, and Australia.
Three years ago, the expat population was 1,200 but they were moving here steadily.
The first Christian worship service in Mexico was in
1519 in La Antigua, Veracruz. Four years later the first chapel in the Americas was built by Hernán Cortés and is named the Chapel of the Rosary (Ermita del Rosario). It is a picturesque tiny church in the beautiful lush green setting of the tropical rain forest.
The town of La Antigua is considered to be the first real Spanish town in the country and was established...
The Guna Yala´s, from San Blas, Darién, Republic of Panamá
Ethnic facts:
The people living in this region were first called "Tunelagá". Then after their 1925 rebellion, their name was changed to "Republic of Tulé". According to historical information, this community was helped by a Canadian adventurer named Richard Marsh . Then, they were known as the "San Blas district", and their name was based on the first name that...
I absolutely love this part of Panama! Playa Venao is an excellent surf spot, a lovely beach, the crowds are very relaxed and chilled out. El Sitio is a great beach side bar restaurant with the best view of the surfing on the beach. If you plan on a visit to this part of Panama on the Azuero Peninsula, this is also where I would recommend you stay.