What are the outdoor activities in and around San Miguel de Allende?
Carlos Williams
One of the best outdoor activities in San Miguel de Allende is to go walking. You can go to museums and learn about the Independence of Mexico, which did not start in San Miguel but we were part of it. In 2010, we had a bicentennial here in San Miguel to honor the cry of independence.
San Miguel de Allende attracts a lot of tourists and one of the activities that they do is four wheeling. They also do motocross and other similar sports. We also have clubs that we...
One of the best outdoor activities in San Miguel de Allende is to go walking. You can go to museums and learn about the Independence of Mexico, which did not start in San Miguel but we were part of it. In 2010, we had a bicentennial here in San Miguel to honor the cry of independence.
San Miguel de Allende attracts a lot of tourists and one of the activities that they do is four wheeling. They also do motocross and other similar sports. We also have clubs that we can go to at night, there are restaurants that are excellent, etc.
Canada de la Virgen, which is located about 45 minutes from San Miguel by car, has hot water springs and underground tunnels. One of the most popular hot springs there is La Gruta, which a lot of people frequent. Another hot spring that is very attractive to a lot of Americans is Mayan Baths. It is a great place to relax and get massages. I have been to the Mayan Baths and I found it to be really relaxing and I enjoyed it. These are naturally occurring hot springs. It’s something that you would come back to again and again.
(Canada de la Virgen, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)
Are there English-speaking doctors in Ambergris Caye?
Lisa McCorkle Guerrero - DIAMANTÉ
All the doctors I’ve come across in Ambergris Caye speak English.
We have a few doctors that are from Cuba who moved down to Belize to work, and even they speak English. A lot of the reason is because we’re such a big tourist destination but, believe or not, a lot of people, especially the younger generation still speak Spanish in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Even my kids’ first language is English. I grew up speaking Spanish in my house but our school...
All the doctors I’ve come across in Ambergris Caye speak English.
We have a few doctors that are from Cuba who moved down to Belize to work, and even they speak English. A lot of the reason is because we’re such a big tourist destination but, believe or not, a lot of people, especially the younger generation still speak Spanish in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Even my kids’ first language is English. I grew up speaking Spanish in my house but our school system is based on the British system so all of our schools are English speaking. You have to know English to get around here. So even when doctors come from Spanish speaking countries like Cuba or Mexico, they eventually have to learn English to work.
Belize is the only English speaking country in all of Central America. Its official language is English. All the contracts for our condos are in English.
(Sign in English of a historical artifact in Burrell Boom, Belize, pictured.)
Do I need a second passport if I retire, work, or live abroad?
Darrell Bushnell
You can be in Nicaragua legally for a long period of time on a visitor visa as long as you leave from time to time and come back. You do not necessarily have to be a legal resident to stay here.
Most of people receive a three-month visa when they arrive and they usually renew it once so they can stay for another three months, but then they would have to leave Nicaragua for three days. If they just passed over to Costa Rica, the requirement there is that...
You can be in Nicaragua legally for a long period of time on a visitor visa as long as you leave from time to time and come back. You do not necessarily have to be a legal resident to stay here.
Most of people receive a three-month visa when they arrive and they usually renew it once so they can stay for another three months, but then they would have to leave Nicaragua for three days. If they just passed over to Costa Rica, the requirement there is that you be out of the country for three hours and then you can return. This rule is now changing. The Nicaraguan government is now questioning people who come here as tourists and they are starting to apply pressure for people to apply for residency. But for now, you can live in Nicaragua even if you do not have residency.
Brett DeGreen - Century Twenty One Gold Coast Realty Nicaragua
There are only two generalizations I can make about the expats in Nicaragua:
They are people from all over the world, but they all have the same adventurous spirit.
They ALL fall in love with Nicaragua!
All of my expat friends share the same passion and enthusiasm for their new home as I do. I have met expats from all over the world who have been inexplicably drawn to visit Nicaragua, ultimately being seduced to start a new life here.
...
There are only two generalizations I can make about the expats in Nicaragua:
They are people from all over the world, but they all have the same adventurous spirit.
They ALL fall in love with Nicaragua!
All of my expat friends share the same passion and enthusiasm for their new home as I do. I have met expats from all over the world who have been inexplicably drawn to visit Nicaragua, ultimately being seduced to start a new life here.
Nicaragua has a variety of locations to suit many different personalities, so you will find expats of all different personalities to match. Some areas cater to those who like the city life, late night parties, international dining and beaches where you can see as well as be seen.
I, as well as my friends, have chosen the northern Pacific coast. The surf starts early, the beaches are often for your eyes only, and the party often consists of just a few close friends enjoying great food, drinks and each other's company as we gaze at yet another amazing sunset.
What are the worst places in Panama to live and retire?
T Rob Brown - Panama Helpline
We are Canadian - we moved here to get warm. So the mountains were out - too rainy and too cold. Nice places to visit.
The city was out - but again - great to visit. The city has it all - theatre, shopping, great restaurants - but the traffic, noise, rain, garbage and stress are too much after 2 - 3 days - So the beaches were it - 90 minutes from the City - and as for too hot - isn't that why you're here? We are seven steps to our pool. We have air...
We are Canadian - we moved here to get warm. So the mountains were out - too rainy and too cold. Nice places to visit.
The city was out - but again - great to visit. The city has it all - theatre, shopping, great restaurants - but the traffic, noise, rain, garbage and stress are too much after 2 - 3 days - So the beaches were it - 90 minutes from the City - and as for too hot - isn't that why you're here? We are seven steps to our pool. We have air conditioning at night if we need it. But walking with our four dogs on the beach, having a poolside cocktail - that is living! Surfing, sailing, and the fishing is awesome - remember - give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day - but teach a man to fish and he will spend years drinking beer in a boat.
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.)
Beautiful Playa Venao has been my passion for many years,
and this is the area I moved to a long time ago, in 1985. I was lucky to get to know Panama from the "inside out", being exposed to the folklore of the Los Santos Province and its music and festivities.
Getting to know some deep traditions was the highlight of my move abroad, my kids growing up in a sane and safe environment with Spanish being...
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.
Sometimes when you read about a country, many times you only find the "tourist" attractions. But I want to introduce a little bit of history about Panamá that is not mentioned in many books or tour guides.
Recently, in a popular newspaper in Panamá, the "La Estrella de Panamá" there was an article about a very particular history that was, until now, little known, but nonetheless, is a magnificent piece of a glorious past.