Best Places In The World To Retire

We have all types of expats in Chapala and Ajijic. The expats here are a mix of younger, older, very young, very elderly, and they come from all over the world. There is a good representation of Europeans here. Certainly there are Canadians and Americans, too.  We have all types of religions, all types of persuasions covered here as well. 
 
At the end of the day, the expats in Chapala and Ajijic are a pretty interesting group of people. They are fairly well educated....

We have all types of expats in Chapala and Ajijic. The expats here are a mix of younger, older, very young, very elderly, and they come from all over the world. There is a good representation of Europeans here. Certainly there are Canadians and Americans, too.  We have all types of religions, all types of persuasions covered here as well. 
 
At the end of the day, the expats in Chapala and Ajijic are a pretty interesting group of people. They are fairly well educated. They are a group of people that have traveled a lot and we all have things in common. We are from different areas and we have different outlooks in life, but we all left our comfort zone and our home country and in many cases, left our families and our lifetime friends in order to come down here. The expats in Chapala and Ajijic have a bond. We help each other out. We become each other’s family when we are sick or have a need of some kind or if we want to celebrate a holiday or a birthday. That makes for a fun and interesting lifestyle for the expats. 
 
The expats in Chapala and Ajijic are very social and there are a lot of A-type personalities so that people like me, who were introverts back home, become extroverts here because of our lifestyle and the fun people around us. Part of that are the Mexicans who always want to find a reason to celebrate, which kind or rubs off on the boring, old gringos.

 

(Thomas Hellyer running into friends in and around Lake Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)

In the oceans of Portugal, there are no harmful animals like sharks but we do have jellyfish starting in the winter season. From November to January, you will find quite a lot of jellyfish on the shores. Some are still whole and some are bits but you just have to avoid them. Don’t step on them, which is easy enough to do because you would see them on the shore.
 
You’d usually see jellyfish on the rough beaches and where the sea is rough. You won’t see them on...

In the oceans of Portugal, there are no harmful animals like sharks but we do have jellyfish starting in the winter season. From November to January, you will find quite a lot of jellyfish on the shores. Some are still whole and some are bits but you just have to avoid them. Don’t step on them, which is easy enough to do because you would see them on the shore.
 
You’d usually see jellyfish on the rough beaches and where the sea is rough. You won’t see them on the bays. Cascais (an upscale area just to the west of Lisbon) is all bays. If you go up to the coasts of Sintra, where the seas are very rough and where they practice the radical sports, there is where you will see the jellyfish.
 
The waters in the ocean of Portugal are cold so sharks do not like it, especially on the west facing coasts, including the beaches west of Lisbon.  Because the air temperatures can be a maximum of 35 to 37 Celsius (95 to 98.6 Fahrenheit), it’s hot, so it’s a pleasure to go into that cold water.
 
The oceans in the Algarve (which face south) are completely different from the oceans in Lisbon.  The Algarve gets warms waters because of the Gulf Stream and because of the Mediterranean. The temperatures in the waters of the Algarve could be around 20 to 22 degrees Celsius (68 to 71.6 Fahrenheit) and up here in Lisbon, it’s around 17 to 18 degrees Celsius (62.6 to 64.4 Fahrenheit). It’s hotter and less windy in the Algarve as well. Lisbon is a windy area because we are on the westernmost part of the European continent. There is also a breeze here so we don’t use air-conditioning in the summer because we don’t need it.
 
The coasts of Sintra get rough waves but overall, the other coasts of Algarve and Lisbon are perfectly safe for swimming.  

 

(The village of Azenhas do Mar on the coast of Sintra, Portugal, pictured.)

Crime in Nicaragua exists as it does everywhere. However, as reported by the UNDP (United Nations Development Program) in 2013, Nicaragua had the second lowest overall crime rate in Latin America, only behind Chile. Crime against Americans is rare but does occur, usually in conjunction with the procurement of drugs and / or prostitution.

Crime in Nicaragua exists as it does everywhere. However, as reported by the UNDP (United Nations Development Program) in 2013, Nicaragua had the second lowest overall crime rate in Latin America, only behind Chile. Crime against Americans is rare but does occur, usually in conjunction with the procurement of drugs and / or prostitution.

We have the excellent vets here in Belize, and they take their time with your pets. 
 
Many of the vets here are from the States and they practice here. You just walk right in or you call in, and they’re ready and available for you.
 
Many of the vets here in Belize make house calls. We have 4 dogs, so because it’s very hard to get into a car and to the vet. When they all need their monthly pills, shots, or whatever, then the vet will visit us here and...

We have the excellent vets here in Belize, and they take their time with your pets. 
 
Many of the vets here are from the States and they practice here. You just walk right in or you call in, and they’re ready and available for you.
 
Many of the vets here in Belize make house calls. We have 4 dogs, so because it’s very hard to get into a car and to the vet. When they all need their monthly pills, shots, or whatever, then the vet will visit us here and not charge extra. It’s a very low price.
 
To give you an example, we had a vet visit our home here in Corozal and take care of all the dogs. One was a little bit sick so he had to give him a shot right away and the vet had all the medicines with him.  The charge was only BZ $80 (US $40) to get my pets taken care of, looked at, and they weren’t afraid.  In the US, when you take them to the vet they know they’re going, so they are afraid and anxious, but here in Belize, the vet comes here and it’s like he’s part of the family.  The dogs don’t get all scared and freaked out so it’s very different feeling. We really enjoy this better than in the States with our pets because we consider our pets our kids. We really take care of them.  

What you will be most surprised about after moving abroad will depend on how open-minded you are, and of course as mentioned above, where you will be moving. But if you are open-minded and flexible, and don't put yourself into an expat bubble, you will be surprised how many of your basic assumptions will be called into question.

 

For example, many people tell me that they can't travel for a long time because they cannot imagine life without (then they name...

What you will be most surprised about after moving abroad will depend on how open-minded you are, and of course as mentioned above, where you will be moving. But if you are open-minded and flexible, and don't put yourself into an expat bubble, you will be surprised how many of your basic assumptions will be called into question.

 

For example, many people tell me that they can't travel for a long time because they cannot imagine life without (then they name certain possessions, habits, conveniences, their present friends and family, their native language, etc., etc.) You will be amazed how many of these things are either there when you thought they wouldn't be, or that you can, indeed, do without, or replace by others. True, many expats never let go, so if all you are moving for is to have the same things but maybe cheaper, then you will be missing out on the greatest rewards of moving.

 

(Jet Metier of Best Places in the World to Retire, talking to a woman from Oaxaca, Mexico, pictured.) 

Who lives in Clayton, Panama? Well I do!!

 

Working class and retired people live around Clayton, which is a suburb of Panama City, Panama. You can find almost everything in the area (mall, movies, restaurants, bars, hospitals, schools, university, church, etc). Hey It´s Clayton baby!!! ;) .

Who lives in Clayton, Panama? Well I do!!

 

Working class and retired people live around Clayton, which is a suburb of Panama City, Panama. You can find almost everything in the area (mall, movies, restaurants, bars, hospitals, schools, university, church, etc). Hey It´s Clayton baby!!! ;) .