What is Portugal's gun ownership policy and gun laws?
Carol Bartlett Ribeiro - Carol Bartlett Ribeiro, Property Consultant
In order to have a gun in Portugal, you have to have a license. Foreigners can own guns in Portugal.
Most of the people who have guns in Portugal, and how gun ownership started is that the guns were for hunters for the hunting season, but there are very strict rules for that.
The actual details of what would be required to get a license to have a gun and what it would cost, I don’t know. The reason...
In order to have a gun in Portugal, you have to have a license. Foreigners can own guns in Portugal.
Most of the people who have guns in Portugal, and how gun ownership started is that the guns were for hunters for the hunting season, but there are very strict rules for that.
The actual details of what would be required to get a license to have a gun and what it would cost, I don’t know. The reason is we don’t really discuss guns very much apart from if you see on television that they’ve arrested people because of drugs or something similar. Apart from that, fortunately, at this point in time, I think when you see what’s going on in the world, we feel reasonably safe without guns.
(1934 photo of a hunter in Peralcovo, Portugal, pictured.)
How's the kayaking in and around Ambergris Caye and the rafting in and around Ambergris Caye?
Allan Lima
We have two single kayaks for rent at the Blue Tang Inn in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. People come here and rent these kayaks and they usually just kayak along the coastline or they kayak out to the point before you get out to the reef and then they come back. People do not kayak on the other side of the reef because once you go past the reef, the water is extremely deep and the waves are huge. You are in the open ocean once you cross the reef. A little kayak will turn over as soon as...
We have two single kayaks for rent at the Blue Tang Inn in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. People come here and rent these kayaks and they usually just kayak along the coastline or they kayak out to the point before you get out to the reef and then they come back. People do not kayak on the other side of the reef because once you go past the reef, the water is extremely deep and the waves are huge. You are in the open ocean once you cross the reef. A little kayak will turn over as soon as it crosses over to the other side of the reef.
Most water activities are done within the reef. Nobody crosses to the other side, unless they are going deep-sea fishing, and for that, they will need a big boat. Scuba divers also go outside of the reef because that is where some of the best dive sites are. But other water activities, such as snorkeling, parasailing, kite sailing, and kayaking are all done within the reef area.
What are the best things to do in and around El Valle de Anton, Panama?
Ursula González - casa mariposa the swiss guesthouse in el Valle
Some of the best things to do in el Valle are to relax and enjoy the nature. There are so many different hikes in el Valle - we will pleased to show you where to go.
Here my friend at the waterfall of Bocas de la Mina.
Some of the best things to do in el Valle are to relax and enjoy the nature. There are so many different hikes in el Valle - we will pleased to show you where to go.
Here my friend at the waterfall of Bocas de la Mina.
Are there any English-speaking churches in Nicaragua?
Valeria Espinoza - Gran Pacifica
Yes, there are a few English-speaking churches in Nicaragua. You only have to make sure you are attending the correct schedule, since the English service may be a special service.
Some of the churches in Managua where they offer an English service are the Catholic Mass at Devine Mercy Church in Villa Fontana, the Covenant Church Inter-Denominational and the International Christian Fellowship.
I...
Yes, there are a few English-speaking churches in Nicaragua. You only have to make sure you are attending the correct schedule, since the English service may be a special service.
Some of the churches in Managua where they offer an English service are the Catholic Mass at Devine Mercy Church in Villa Fontana, the Covenant Church Inter-Denominational and the International Christian Fellowship.
I know there is one or two in Granada that offer an English Service, but I don't have the names right now. I will be adding them once I find them.
Catholic Mass at Devine Mercy Church in Villa Fontana:
Address: From Club Terraza, 3 blocks West (Towards UNAN) / Time: Sundays at 4:00 PM / Father Raul Zamora.
Covenant Church Inter-Denominational
Address: Universidad Americana UAM / Time: Sundays at 10:00 AM Pastors David and Claudia Albrecht, tel (505) 2-263-2667 or (505) 8-484-4607
International Christian Fellowship
Address: Nicaraguan Christian Academy, Km 11 Carretera Viega a León / Time: Sundays at 8:00 AM / Pastor Mike Havlin, tel (505) 8-869-2367
Can I receive my Social Security checks or benefits abroad, as an expat, outside the US and if so, how?
David Drummond - Georgetown Trust
Most Belize banks will allow you to have your social security check deposited directly to your account with them.
But if you have a local bank account, that US dollar is going to get converted into the Belize dollar with a 2% conversion fee, and then that money will be sitting in your local Belize bank account, denominated in Belizean dollars. Instead of doing this, if you don’t need the money to pay for items in Belize dollars, you could just as easily...
Most Belize banks will allow you to have your social security check deposited directly to your account with them.
But if you have a local bank account, that US dollar is going to get converted into the Belize dollar with a 2% conversion fee, and then that money will be sitting in your local Belize bank account, denominated in Belizean dollars. Instead of doing this, if you don’t need the money to pay for items in Belize dollars, you could just as easily have your social security check go into your foreign bank account, an offshore bank account in Belize, or international bank account in Belize. Those institutions will also accept those transfers or you can simply have your social security check deposited into your US bank account first, and then have it transferred.
One thing that you have to realize when you go offshore is that banking in Belize is different. Banks don’t have a ton of risk on your money, so they make money by charging fees. Fees tend to be a little bit higher when you get offshore. People in the US are used to having a free checking account or free savings account. When you go offshore, you are going to pay a monthly fee, typically somewhere around $12 to $15. Whether it is in Belize or somewhere in the Caribbean or out in the world somewhere else, you have a fee.
(For a discussion of what bank to use when you move to Belize, please see my answer under “When I move to Belize, should I open a bank account or should I open a bank account in Belize?”)
If you’re considering a move to Colombia, here’s part of what you’ll need to know about taxation. First, a disclaimer. I’m not an expert, and there’s a ton of false information on line and elsewhere about Colombian taxes. To get the most recent, and most accurate info, consult a Colombian attorney who specializes in taxation law, and who is bilingual. Do not listen solely to expats who claim to know. Tax...
It is really difficult to get to know the people around you when you don’t speak the same language. You can be speaking the same native language and not understanding each other. Words have meaning, but if you think about it, how many times have you said something to someone who interpreted it entirely differently than you intended? And you had to say, “That isn’t what I...
At the edge of the Atlantic, which a persuasive current has aided the migration of Europeans to cleave the Isthmus of Panama for the Canal, and now mid- stream central to the modern jet route along the north/south latitude of the Latin regions, Manual Baruco is in the perfect position to contemplate his country’s position in the world. Jet Metier also discovers that Manuel could be also considered an all- American boy.