How are the stores and shops in Puerto Vallarta? How's the shopping in Puerto Vallarta?
Sheryl Novak - SOLutions Mexico Furniture Store
The shopping here in Puerto Vallarta is really amazing because you can go from a high end mall with brand names that you would see in major cities to the local farmers’ market where the locals shop.
We have a new mall that just opened up here in Puerto Vallarta called La Isla, which is amazing. La Isla is a wonderful and state-of-the-art open-air shopping mall that sells different brands. La Isla is one of the best malls that you will see anywhere in...
The shopping here in Puerto Vallarta is really amazing because you can go from a high end mall with brand names that you would see in major cities to the local farmers’ market where the locals shop.
We have a new mall that just opened up here in Puerto Vallarta called La Isla, which is amazing. La Isla is a wonderful and state-of-the-art open-air shopping mall that sells different brands. La Isla is one of the best malls that you will see anywhere in the world.
In Puerto Vallarta, you can see so many amazing things. Can you ever say that you’ve been to a place that has that one store that only sells blender parts? How many blenders are there in Mexico? There must be a lot if there’s one guy that only sells blender parts.
You can find everything from beautiful little singing birds in little cages, fresh fruits and vegetables, to new clothing at the farmers’ market. We also have fantastic artisan markets here in Puerto Vallarta. There are a lot of people here who are either retired or artists who have come down here to have a different lifestyle, so you can pick up jewelry and works of art for your home. It’s stunning.
The different types of shopping in Puerto Vallarta means you can go to a little bodega store owned by a woman who sells beddings, or to a high-end mall. It’s everything that you can imagine for shopping. You never get tired of the different types of shops you can go to in Puerto Vallarta.
(Artwork found in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)
If I rent a house or apartment in Nicaragua, do I need to hire an attorney?
John-Marc Gallagher - GPS Real Estate
If you are going to rent for a long time in Nicaragua, you have to have a contract. An attorney will draw up the contract. The contract will outline all the responsibilities, the amount of the security deposit, the date when the rent is due, the date when you are supposed to move in and when you are supposed to move out. The security deposit may be first month, last month or whatever you have negotiated with the owner. Those kinds of contracts are extremely easy to enforce, negotiate, and...
If you are going to rent for a long time in Nicaragua, you have to have a contract. An attorney will draw up the contract. The contract will outline all the responsibilities, the amount of the security deposit, the date when the rent is due, the date when you are supposed to move in and when you are supposed to move out. The security deposit may be first month, last month or whatever you have negotiated with the owner. Those kinds of contracts are extremely easy to enforce, negotiate, and create. It is not a standard agreement; it is not a standard form that you can pick up at a bookstore. They are all individually done and are always done by an attorney or a notary and all these contracts are notarized.
Therefore, do you need an attorney to get this done? Well, it is like Brandy and Cognac. All Cognacs are Brandies but not all Brandies are Cognacs. In order to be a Cognac, you have to come from Cognac, (a town in France) but it is a Brandy. In Nicaragua, all notaries are attorneys but not all attorneys are notaries. There is no such thing as Notary Public in a bank or in an office. In Latin America, you have to be an attorney for so many years in order to be a notary. So going back to contracts, yes, you will need an attorney, who is also a notary. In order to buy a house or a car, you have to have a notary. If you are going to rent a house, you have to have a contract that is notarized. Hence, everything has to go through an attorney.
If you are renting a house, the owner will let you know the terms of the rent and if you agree, then you can both go to his/her attorney to write the contract and notarize it at the same time. If you do not read Spanish, the law is that you need someone who will translate it for you. If that is the case, then you will need your own attorney.
If you are just walking through the door of a real estate company and you tell them that you are looking for a house to rent, chances are you should also have found an attorney-notary. It that is not the case, you can have the real estate agent supply you one to make sure that you have read and understood the contract that you are going to sign, before you sign it.
Yes, there is diving, scuba and snorkeling in Portugal.
We have this little Portuguese island about an hour flight from the mainland called Azores that was selected last year by National Geographic as being among the top five richest sea wildlife areas to dive in the world.
On the mainland of Portugal, there’s a wonderful place called Sesimbra about 40 to 50 minutes southeast of Lisbon. Sesimbra is a protected...
Yes, there is diving, scuba and snorkeling in Portugal.
We have this little Portuguese island about an hour flight from the mainland called Azores that was selected last year by National Geographic as being among the top five richest sea wildlife areas to dive in the world.
On the mainland of Portugal, there’s a wonderful place called Sesimbra about 40 to 50 minutes southeast of Lisbon. Sesimbra is a protected land that is surrounded by really beautiful green mountains. No building or construction is allowed over there and fishing is allowed only 4 or 5 miles off the coast. So that means the area in between the land and about give miles to sea is the perfect diving place for snorkeling, diving, and everything else.
We also have diving schools here in Cascais and Estoril in the Lisbon area, but the waters are a bit darker than in Sesimbra. The reason for that is because under the ocean when there are rocks the sea becomes darker and when there’s sand the sea becomes lighter. There’s a huge sandbank in Sesimbra, so therefore, the water is much more clear.
I’m 37 years old and I’ve lived always in front of the sea and I’ve been surfing since I was 10 or 11 years old. When I was young, I never felt the need to use a wetsuit, but as the years have been passing, I started to feel the water getting colder. Of course it’s not the water getting colder, it’s just me getting older. So in the winter, I use a 4/3-millimeter wetsuit for surfing or snorkeling or for when I go spear fishing. I use a 4/3-millimeter in winter and a 2/2-millimeter in the summer.
What’s the language most often spoken in Belize? Can I get by if I just speak English?
Christian Burn
The people of Belize speak the same English as we do in North America. If English is not the person’s first language, he or she will have an accent when they speak English. Some of our Spanish neighbors and their descendants may have a bit of a Latin accent to the English they speak, but you will still understand them.
The Spanish that is spoken here, from my understanding (because I'm not a Spanish speaker), is not the Spanish from Spain by any...
The people of Belize speak the same English as we do in North America. If English is not the person’s first language, he or she will have an accent when they speak English. Some of our Spanish neighbors and their descendants may have a bit of a Latin accent to the English they speak, but you will still understand them.
The Spanish that is spoken here, from my understanding (because I'm not a Spanish speaker), is not the Spanish from Spain by any means. We get a few Spanish speakers coming through from Spain and some of my team do not want to speak Spanish to them because the Spanish from Spain is so different from the Mexican, Guatemalan, Honduran, and the overall Central American Spanish. However, they can of course, communicate. We have two families combined who are guests here from Guatemala. My team and the families were exclusively speaking Spanish yesterday when they checked in.
English is easy here in Belize. Their English is North American English, but do not expect it without an accent. The Belizeans have either a Spanish accent or a Creole accent, which is just a little more colorful. The accents that you will hear people speak here in Belize are very manageable. I guess for some people who have never traveled before, when they come to a different country and they experience speaking to someone with an accent, they feel like it is some kind of impediment from enjoying the area, when it is not. The accent is just a little bit different, so you just have to adapt.
If you go from region to region in the US, there is often a considerable difference in the way they speak English, too. Likewise, I find it very difficult to understand southerners because my ears aren’t tuned to the way they speak English. I think those comments from people who first get here and say that the English here in Belize is difficult to understand are those who do not hear the exact same accent that they are used to, so they find it difficult. It is really just a matter of getting out of your comfort zone. You are trying to understand and interpret another person. They are speaking the same language as you, but they just have a different intonation.
There's no problem with speaking and understanding English here. Some people in Belize aren't really educated, but you can't tell me that that Honey Boo Boo on the television is educated, and she lives in a first world country. They have to put subtitles underneath her, even though she is speaking English into the camera. It is a lot easier to understand people in Belize when you get off a plane than Honey Boo Boo on reality TV.
If I want to live in Panama, do I have to become a permanent resident?
Itzel Bultron - Activentas, S.A.
According to Panamanian law, tourists can stay in Panama up to a maximum of 180 days.
Panama offers a variety of options for those seeking to reside permanently; it’s very easy to apply and is the best option for staying. Most types of visas are designed to promote investment and stimulate the local economy in one way or another.
The Panamanian Constitution guarantees the right to own property, and...
According to Panamanian law, tourists can stay in Panama up to a maximum of 180 days.
Panama offers a variety of options for those seeking to reside permanently; it’s very easy to apply and is the best option for staying. Most types of visas are designed to promote investment and stimulate the local economy in one way or another.
The Panamanian Constitution guarantees the right to own property, and equality between nationals and foreign residents.
What do I need to know about international pet shipping, international pet travel, and international pet transport?
Angela Passman - World Pet Travel
Pet travel into or out of another country can be tricky. To be properly prepared you should seek out as much information as possible from those that have done this before. In addition, you should seek the assistance of a professional pet travel agent.
With all international pet travel it is required that your pet have vaccinations that meet the country's requirements you are traveling to. At the very least a pet traveling should have a rabies of more than 30 days or less...
Pet travel into or out of another country can be tricky. To be properly prepared you should seek out as much information as possible from those that have done this before. In addition, you should seek the assistance of a professional pet travel agent.
With all international pet travel it is required that your pet have vaccinations that meet the country's requirements you are traveling to. At the very least a pet traveling should have a rabies of more than 30 days or less than one year. A three year rabies is not acceptable for international pet transportation at any time.
Also needed for most countries are the DHLPP for dogs and the FVRCP for cats. Again, both of these must be under one year at the time of your pet's travel.
Some countries require that you have an import permit before your pet arrives in said country. You must check with the Ministry of Agriculture to see if this is applicable to the rules of your new location.
From an interview in early July, 2016 by Jet Metier with Bill Edsell, pioneer, innovator, and proprietor of the Ventana Bay Resort.
Jet: I there any innovation that you’ve learned over time regarding the best way to situate a house in La Ventana?
Bill: Well, yeah. It’s pretty simple here. You want to face east for the view obviously and this nice breeze we’re getting today. They also face the way they do because of...
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...
Calling yourself an ex-patriot does not necessarily mean you renounce or reject your home country. An expatriate is any person living in a different country from where they were born as a citizen. Recently, the term "expat" is often used in the context of professionals working abroad such as oil workers or missionaries.
What About Obamacare and the Expat?
In the new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax code, expats are...
The shopping here in Puerto Vallarta is really amazing because you can go from a high end mall with brand names that you would see in major cities to the local farmers’ market where the locals shop. .png)
Yes, there is diving, scuba and snorkeling in Portugal. 
From an interview in early July, 2016 by Jet Metier with Bill Edsell, pioneer, innovator, and proprietor of the Ventana Bay Resort. 
Who Is Considered An American Expat?