Bugs and insects do not bother me in Chapala and Ajijic. They are worse than California but completely insignificant if you have ever been to Florida or Alaska or in Manzanillo, or anywhere by the coast. In comparison, San Diego, where I come from, has less bugs and insects because it rains less there. 
Generally speaking, Portugal has a free market and fairly capitalistic system but still with a very strong role of the state in terms of its social responsibility. As a result, you will still see a government that attempts to protect within the financial limits imposed by budgets and other things. You will still see a government attempting to protect the poorest relative to their salaries, the elderly, etc., and although those protected mechanisms have drastically reduced and....jpg)
Politics in Belize is the national sport. There is the red team, the UDP (United Democratic Party), and the blue team, the PUP (People's United Party). There are certain free agents that have crossed over back and forth, but most of the time, people are born wearing their team colors and they stick with it. Death and Life in Mexico
This is not a story about how Mexico celebrates its Día de los Muertos ritual, or how Americans come here to retire... then forget to die. The other day I came across the black-and-white details of how and where US citizens meet their maker in foreign lands. You see, the US State Department is required by law to report non-natural deaths by US citizens in foreign countries.
Anyone who’s explored beyond the comforts of Western Europe knows...
Anyone who’s explored beyond the comforts of Western Europe knows...
I felt sweaty, and my left arm was sore - I thought it was because: A) I live in the beach area of Panama, and B) I had scrubbed the sides of our swimming pool yesterday. However, even after sitting in the air con with a fan, and I was still sweating profusely, I Googled: "Symptoms of a Heart Attack" The final symptom struck home: An overwhelming feeling of doom". 
My family migrated to Panama in the 1930s and I was born in 1942. At that time, Panama was quite a small country, and Panama City itself...