How much does it cost for a housekeeper or maid in Puerto Vallarta?
Armando Contreras - Galvan Real Estate and Services
A housekeeper’s salary in Puerto Vallarta could differ depending on the size of the house that she will tend to because of the length of time that it will take for her to clean it. The going rate is from US $9 to $18 per day. Housekeepers usually work 8 hours per day. If you have a smaller house then you can negotiate for a lower amount for the daily wage. The same rate applies for the whole of Puerto Vallarta.
Housekeepers here do an excellent...
A housekeeper’s salary in Puerto Vallarta could differ depending on the size of the house that she will tend to because of the length of time that it will take for her to clean it. The going rate is from US $9 to $18 per day. Housekeepers usually work 8 hours per day. If you have a smaller house then you can negotiate for a lower amount for the daily wage. The same rate applies for the whole of Puerto Vallarta.
Housekeepers here do an excellent job as most of them have already worked in hotels. You don’t have to worry about hiring somebody who could have been fired from her previous job because most of them have decided to quit their jobs in the hotel since they couldn’t commit to a full-time 8-hour job because of their families. Many of these housekeepers have newer families and so they prefer to have a part-time job.
(Tile featured in a kitchen in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)
To drive in Portugal, do I need a Portugal driver’s license?
Luis Rodrigues - Gouveia Pereira, Costa Freitas & Associates, Law Firm, RL
You can drive in Portugal with your home country driver’s license. However, if you move your residency to Portugal, it is advisable to either obtain an international driver’s license or register your driver’s license at the Portuguese authorities in order to convert it into a Portuguese driver’s license.
(Old Town Madeira, Portugal, pictured.)
You can drive in Portugal with your home country driver’s license. However, if you move your residency to Portugal, it is advisable to either obtain an international driver’s license or register your driver’s license at the Portuguese authorities in order to convert it into a Portuguese driver’s license.
Yes, you can buy furniture in Placencia. A custom furniture maker named Raegan has made tables and cabinets for me. He's made many of the beds, other furniture, and a lot of kitchen cabinets for people that I know. He doesn't have a storefront, so you just go to him and explain what you want and he designs it for you and makes it for you. He's a Canadian who married a Belizean woman, and they own a bar that's named after her, Yoli. He primarily does woodwork and she runs a little...
Yes, you can buy furniture in Placencia. A custom furniture maker named Raegan has made tables and cabinets for me. He's made many of the beds, other furniture, and a lot of kitchen cabinets for people that I know. He doesn't have a storefront, so you just go to him and explain what you want and he designs it for you and makes it for you. He's a Canadian who married a Belizean woman, and they own a bar that's named after her, Yoli. He primarily does woodwork and she runs a little bar restaurant. He does incredible work.
Belize, was a virtually a logging country, which is why the English settled here. The wood that is available in Belize is absolutely gorgeous and beautiful. Reagan mixes and matches for the furniture he creates. Sometimes, he creates furniture out of tree trunks and branches for people who really want something unusual.
I've had 3 furniture pieces made and designed for me by Raegan, and I was surprised each time with the price as it was lower than I was expecting him to say.
If Raegan is unavailable and you need some furniture, there are a couple of little places along the peninsula that sell some basic furniture. It is interesting that there used to be more of that, but over the years it has kind of dwindled down, so most of the people go up to Belize City or Belmopan to buy furniture. There's a very big store in Belize City, a 3-hour drive away. Belmopan, on the other hand, is 1.5 to 2 hours away from Placencia. There you can find basic furniture, as well as Mennonite furniture. Mennonites are known for making furniture. Mostly, they’re in the northern and central parts of Belize.
(Yoli of Yoli's Over the Water, Placencia, Belize, pictured.)
Are there natural disasters like flooding, earthquakes, fire or hurricanes in the Pedasi, Azuero, Panama area?
Eliecer Vera, Jr. - EQUUS VILLAGE
Pedasi does not get any hurricanes, earthquakes, or tornadoes. Panama is a very special place because of its location and shape. The only thing is that in Pedasi in winter there is a lot of rain.
Pedasi is a very safe place. It has a fire station, a new hospital and the airport. In the summer we have an amazing breeze that you will like.
In certain beaches in Pedasi the current is very strong so...
Pedasi does not get any hurricanes, earthquakes, or tornadoes. Panama is a very special place because of its location and shape. The only thing is that in Pedasi in winter there is a lot of rain.
Pedasi is a very safe place. It has a fire station, a new hospital and the airport. In the summer we have an amazing breeze that you will like.
In certain beaches in Pedasi the current is very strong so you have to be careful and ask where to swim safely. There are also some areas that have larger waves. if you're not a swimmer or surfer beware of these beaches, which can have strong currents:
Are the doctors in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua good?
Eugenio Cortez - Hacienda & Ecolodge Morgan´s Rock
The doctors in San Juan Del Sur are not good for complicated or serious problems. They can treat you if you are stung by a stingray. They will stitch you up, if you have a cut that needs stitching. They can also give vaccinations and ease your pain. But it is not advisable to go to San Juan Del Sur to have surgery done or for dental services. The best place to go to for quality healthcare is Managua, and that applies to most of the country of Nicaragua, not just to San Juan...
The doctors in San Juan Del Sur are not good for complicated or serious problems. They can treat you if you are stung by a stingray. They will stitch you up, if you have a cut that needs stitching. They can also give vaccinations and ease your pain. But it is not advisable to go to San Juan Del Sur to have surgery done or for dental services. The best place to go to for quality healthcare is Managua, and that applies to most of the country of Nicaragua, not just to San Juan del Sur. Managua is about 2 hours away from San Juan Del Sur.
If you have to have a baby in San Juan Del Sur, you could deliver a baby here; that’s not a problem. The hospitals here have doctors and a maternity bed, so they can attend to your wife and the baby. Everything they need to have a safe delivery is provided. For the general population, the quality of the doctors in San Juan Del Sur is not an issue. If your medical standards are non-existent or low, then you can have a baby in San Juan Del Sur and that would not be a problem. But if you know about medicine and you know what happens behind it, you as a normal thinking person, who knows what it takes to deliver a baby, will not have a baby in San Juan Del Sur. You would rather go to Managua. There is a hospital in Rivas, which is bigger and better than anything in San Juan del Sur, but if my wife would deliver a baby, I would rather take her to Managua.
To some degree it is a risk knowing that if something bad happens to you, you are two hours away from the best hospital. It is always at the back of your mind. We know what can be attended to medically in San Juan Del Sur and what cannot.
As an example, my cousin got food poisoning after eating oysters. He went to a clinic in San Juan Del Sur and they gave him an IV and some medication to settle down his stomach because he had a pretty bad case of diarrhea. They stabilized him for a couple of hours and once he was feeling a little better, he went to Managua.
About two and a half weeks ago a stray dog got locked in our landlady’s garage. She howled all night but we thought that our landlady was just keeping the dog for a friend. It wasn't until the next morning, when we asked if we could walk the dog, we realized that she had no idea that a dog was trapped in her garage. She even walked the neighborhood to find the source of the unhappy dog howls.
At that point, she was freed and she became our compound dog. We live in...
I am married to a foreign-born man. My husband is a naturalized citizen of the United States of America. He speaks English, albeit with a bit of a Danish accent, but he does communicate well in English. We both complained about non-English speaking people. A frequent comment from myself and others was "If you are going to live in my country why do you not try to speak English?"
Fast forward to our host country of Panama. Like most of the civilized world, many...
Once Wee-Yiong Fung obtained his education in the US, he headed back to the land of opportunity, the place where his immigrant parents from China and Yugoslavia found hope: Panama. Along with other visitors to the Best Places site who were treated to a video of a narrated car ride Wee-Yiong provided as part of his answer to the question “What's it like to drive in Volcan and Cerro Punta, Chiriqui Province?” Jet now takes us on another journey with Wee-Yiong, one that is marked...