The restaurants in Puerto Vallarta are varied. Of course, we're always told not to eat at taco stands, but now we have such great taco stands. Usually, these taco stands are run by housewives who started their own businesses. Everything is fresh and there are very few problems with food poisoning or other food issues. These taco stands open in the evening and stay open until four or five in the morning.
On the other end of the spectrum of restaurants in...
The restaurants in Puerto Vallarta are varied. Of course, we're always told not to eat at taco stands, but now we have such great taco stands. Usually, these taco stands are run by housewives who started their own businesses. Everything is fresh and there are very few problems with food poisoning or other food issues. These taco stands open in the evening and stay open until four or five in the morning.
On the other end of the spectrum of restaurants in Puerto Vallarta, you've got La Iguana, which is operated by the lady who bought and turned Elizabeth Taylor's and Richard Burton's villas into a restaurant and a little boutique hotel. You can eat dinner for four with wine and an incredible menu in La Iguana and spend under US $200, with high-quality food, incredible service, and live entertainment from mariachis. In LA, the same course meal for four would be about $800.
Then you have all the restaurants in between from casual dining to fish and chips. We have a restaurant in Puerto Vallarta called Joe Jack's Fish Shack, which is known for its fish and chips. There are a few Mexican food restaurants that serve fabulous seafood and food like enchiladas, which we think of as a Mexican dish, but it's not really all Mexican.
Pineapples, papayas, and mangoes are grown within 50 miles of Puerto Vallarta. You see pick-ups with fruits coming in and you can buy pineapples, strawberries, watermelons, and other fruits off the truck if you wish.
There are also several European restaurants in Puerto Vallarta. They're usually very small and would have under 50 tables. There are three Austrian men who came to Puerto Vallarta 20 years ago and opened up three different restaurants that have now been here for years. One serves Austrian-type food; the other serves German food; and, the last one has a Northern Italian menu.
When you talk about average restaurant spending, for example in The Swedes Bar & Bistro that's right next to my office, you can have dinner for $15 a piece, including wine. Comparing this to LA prices, the same package would probably cost $100 apiece. If you went to Los Angeles and had a steak, a side of asparagus, and a side of macaroni and cheese, you would spend for $400 to $500 for four. If you had the same thing at La Vaca Argentina in Puerto Vallarta, you'll spend $100 for four.
(The Iguana Restaurant & Tequila Bar, Puerto Vallarta ,Mexico, pictured.)
Are there rivers, lakes and waterfalls in or around Coronado, Panama?
Nitzia Chifundo - Panama Sol Realty
There are lakes and beaches, of course, in Coronado, Panama. I do not think there’s a river or a waterfall.
(Man-made San Carlos Lagoon, outside of Panama City, pictured.)
If you live in Coronado and want to see rivers, lakes and waterfalls, you could go to Chame or San Carlos, which are also in the same area. Chame is a 15-minute drive from Coronado. It is in the same district that covers the area of Gorgona and Coronado. Chame has rivers and...
There are lakes and beaches, of course, in Coronado, Panama. I do not think there’s a river or a waterfall.
(Man-made San Carlos Lagoon, outside of Panama City, pictured.)
If you live in Coronado and want to see rivers, lakes and waterfalls, you could go to Chame or San Carlos, which are also in the same area. Chame is a 15-minute drive from Coronado. It is in the same district that covers the area of Gorgona and Coronado. Chame has rivers and lakes. It also has a small airport, but it does not accommodate commercial flights, just private ones.
You can also go to Altos del Maria from Coronado, which is a little bit further, but still close enough. Altos del Maria is about 25 minutes from Coronado. To get there, you go up to the mountains, so you could go from the coast (which is where Coronado is), and then your drive your car uphill. Altos del Maria is a gated, mountain community. Inside that community, you will find rivers, waterfalls and mountains. You can see both Pacific and Atlantic Ocean from one of the highest points in Altos del Maria, where there is a lookout.
(A view from the mountain development of Altos del Maria, pictured above.)
A lot of different holidays are celebrated in Ambergris Caye and in Belize in general. They celebrate most of the British holidays like the Sovereign Day, Labor Day, and your classic holidays like Easter.
In September we have what they call September Celebrations, which are really some high holidays like Independence Day in September.
St. George’s Caye Day (depicted on the picture of the stamp) is also a big celebration because that's the day when something...
A lot of different holidays are celebrated in Ambergris Caye and in Belize in general. They celebrate most of the British holidays like the Sovereign Day, Labor Day, and your classic holidays like Easter.
In September we have what they call September Celebrations, which are really some high holidays like Independence Day in September.
St. George’s Caye Day (depicted on the picture of the stamp) is also a big celebration because that's the day when something like 200 men fought off Spanish armada on a little island called St. George’s Caye. They defended the island and had the Spanish back off, so Belize was a free country from then;it's a huge holiday.
We have Garifuna Settlement Day in November.
In Belize we celebrate pretty much a holiday a month, except for the summer months. July and August are the only months on the calendar that do not have holidays. Then in September we have three holidays.
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.
What do I need to know about living overseas and retiring abroad?
By Edgington
My wife and I have lived in two of the most publicized retirement locations, Panama and Colombia. One of the most important things we've learned about the culture, and this applies to both countries, is that we're wealthy gringos. That seems obvious, but there have been interesting, sometimes disheartening implications in this. Compared to the average Colombian, for example, we are fabulously wealthy. In the top 1%, without question. These folks' average monthly income is...
My wife and I have lived in two of the most publicized retirement locations, Panama and Colombia. One of the most important things we've learned about the culture, and this applies to both countries, is that we're wealthy gringos. That seems obvious, but there have been interesting, sometimes disheartening implications in this. Compared to the average Colombian, for example, we are fabulously wealthy. In the top 1%, without question. These folks' average monthly income is currently $239.00 US. (That isn't a typo.) Our combined monthly income is, let's just say, roughly 23 times as much. Colombians work very, very hard for that wage, often seven days a week. Our $$ rolls in every month, no labor required. All we have to do is keep breathing.
Are we ashamed or ambivalent about having this wealth? No, we earned it, after a fashion, in the good old USA, and we are, in fact, entitled to it. But having it demands a certain amount of discretion here in Colombia. It also presents a different perspective, an education in the disparity that exists between us and folks we live among.
Here's a recent example: When we signed for our apartment in Laureles, a reasonably well off barrio of Medellin, I asked about the deposit. 'No deposit,' I was told. Wha..? No deposit, I asked? 'What protection does the landlord have?' My wife and I are landlords, too, having owned rental properties in Ohio, and still having one. We know what can happen if a tenant has paid no deposit. In any case, my question was what happens here in Colombia with no deposit? The answer was that no owner can demand a deposit, because local folks can't afford to pay one. And if a deposit is required, the property will not find a tenant.
Here's another example. It's common in Medellin for store clerks, grocery cashiers, restaurant waiters to ask, when paying with a credit card, how many payments we'd like to make toward our bill? At first, this question confounded us. We'd like to pay it all, of course. The basis for the question is, again, for any amount above about $30.00, it's not uncommon for Colombians to need two or three months to meet it. Considering the monthly wage of $239.00, its easy to see why $30.00 would be a stretch.
In any case, we have had to assimilate that fundamental reality into our daily interaction with folks. Compared to us, and likely most expats, these people are poor. Not poor in cultural heritage, relationships, family and social wealth poor, but cash/financial latitude/discretionary income poor. It's hard to conceive of an inability to cough up $30.00 at one time, but it's their reality. It's hard to learn that lesson, but I believe we expats must make the effort.
How's the standard of living in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua?
Daniel Snider - Snider's Realty Nicaragua
I believe that the standard of living in San Juan Del Sur for the average Nicaraguan is a bit of a struggle just like anywhere else in the country. Although, living close to the ocean, in a beach community, and with a lot of American influence has changed their standard of living considerably. So, I wouldn’t say that the life of Nicaraguans here is a struggle, but living in such a nice place like San Juan Del Sur and finding new opportunities with tourism and foreigners, I would...
I believe that the standard of living in San Juan Del Sur for the average Nicaraguan is a bit of a struggle just like anywhere else in the country. Although, living close to the ocean, in a beach community, and with a lot of American influence has changed their standard of living considerably. So, I wouldn’t say that the life of Nicaraguans here is a struggle, but living in such a nice place like San Juan Del Sur and finding new opportunities with tourism and foreigners, I would say that the standard of living has at least became better in the last two years for the average Nicaraguan.
The standard of living for expats is extremely good because you get a lot of bang for you buck. You can be a retired person in San Juan Del Sur and use your money to its fullest and enjoy an extravagant life. The coastal zones of San Juan Del Sur are very beautiful. There are lots of restaurants and things to do and it all comes at an affordable price. All that equals to a very nice standard of living for the average expat.
Ok, so I’m British, and for me it is all about good manners, I was coming to live in a Spanish speaking country, so the least I could do was to learn the language! “How hard could it be?” I asked myself! Well, when my family and I started this adventure back in 2012, we took Spanish lessons every time we visited Panama, because right from the start, it was apparent that English was not widely spoken and if we were to live here, we really needed to be able to communicate! Of...
While I'm not a big cigar user, I like to visit one of the newest attractions in Nicaragua. We have, in the years past, driven all the way to Esteli to purchase cigars for resale or for gifts to my golf buddies back in the states. And my son Josh gets some real mileage when he produces a handful of freshly rolled Nicaraguan tobacco to his golf friends. So I'm always on the hunt for new product.
My husband recently purchased me a new camera to replace the one stolen on our last trip to Tocumen Airport in Panama City. I haven't had much chance to use it because I had been sick with bronchitis. I love the Nikon Coolpix P600, it is brand new but he got it cheap because it is a discontinued model. It is fabulous, a very easy point and shoot with 60X zoom and audio-video at 1080p.
Today Mary, my housekeeper, brought her sweet seven-year-old son. He...