What are the traditions of Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?
Rosa Elia Cepeda - Charter Club Tours
Chapala and Ajijic have many traditions and religious celebrations. They have lots of fiestas where the patron saint of each church is celebrated. During fiestas, they decorate the streets, play music, dance, and light up fireworks. It’s very noisy during fiestas.
Some of the strongest traditions here happen just before the rainy season starts where they have a big procession to celebrate the Virgin of Zapopan, which is the patron saint of...
Chapala and Ajijic have many traditions and religious celebrations. They have lots of fiestas where the patron saint of each church is celebrated. During fiestas, they decorate the streets, play music, dance, and light up fireworks. It’s very noisy during fiestas.
Some of the strongest traditions here happen just before the rainy season starts where they have a big procession to celebrate the Virgin of Zapopan, which is the patron saint of Guadalajara. Every year, during this time, they bring the original statue of the virgin from Guadalajara all the way to Chapala. People decorate the streets with flowers and they celebrate for about 3 days. They also take the virgin on the water asking for a good rainy season. It’s a really interesting ceremony and one of the most important ones, too.
Chapala and Ajijic also celebrate Mardi Gras because the people who are native to this area live close to the ocean and this is the beach for them. They have a big carnival, which happens before Lent.
The biggest tradition in Ajijic is the festival of Saint Andrews, which is on the 22nd of November. The full name of Ajijic is “San Andres de Ajijic.” During Saint Andrews, all the expats that live here go to the beach so it is very traditional that people like us organize trips to the beach to take these people away from the noise of the celebrations. There are fireworks and non-stop celebrations, which usually start at 6 AM. Since the town is next to a hill, the hills bounce off the sounds, which make it even louder.
The greater Chapala and Ajijic areas have a celebration for every patron saint that you can imagine. And if they don’t have it, they’ll invent it.
(Float at a parade going through Ajijic, Mexico, pictured.)
How easy would it be for me to find a job in Panama?
Charles Conn - The Visitor
To find a job as a foreigner in Panama, you have to be legally employed. As a foreigner, you have to have a company that has hired you from the outside, so you have to secure your job before moving here. Otherwise, if you are already here, you need to apply for a work permit, which can take time. It depends on which country you are from. You might find a big lag in getting your papers, in order to be employed.
If you live in Panama and you want to work, I advise you to...
To find a job as a foreigner in Panama, you have to be legally employed. As a foreigner, you have to have a company that has hired you from the outside, so you have to secure your job before moving here. Otherwise, if you are already here, you need to apply for a work permit, which can take time. It depends on which country you are from. You might find a big lag in getting your papers, in order to be employed.
If you live in Panama and you want to work, I advise you to get hooked up to the expat networks. There are different sites on Facebook that can help. You just put out the word that you’re looking for employment there and see what’s available.
There is under-the-table work as well, where you do odd jobs. I think the best thing to do is just to do it properly, because, otherwise, you may find yourself in a shady situation. If you work under-the-table, you really don’t have rights if you don’t get paid.
A lot of foreigners living in Panama are self-employed, so they’ll create their own businesses and then work.
If you’re just down here to make quick money, there are lots of different avenues to explore. For instance, at the marinas, there’s a bulletin board where people post their jobs. They need someone to help as a cook onboard or help crew on a sailboat journey. Little things like that, you can find where you can get around the rules, but again, it’s best to have your paperwork in order before arriving.
You will get paid a lot less in Panama, relative to the United States. It’s really not comparable. I remember making more than twice as much in terms of wages when I lived in the States. But then the cost of living here in Panama is a lot less in that respect. I would say it really depends on who’s hiring you. If it is a multinational, you will have comparable wages to what you would get paid Stateside. But if it’s a Panamanian company, your wages will be well below what you haven come to expect, probably in the range of US $5-10 an hour.
(The marina at the Panama Yacht Club, Panama City, Panama, pictured.)
What's the closest airport to Algarve and what are the flights to and from Algarve?
Luis Teixeira da Silva - Algarve Senior Living
The only airport in Algarve is the one in Faro. Faro is probably the busiest airport in Portugal after Lisbon. It serves flights from many destinations. They have all year round flights into Portugal from many European destinations, including the UK, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, and the list goes on. There are also seasonal flights from as far away as Canada. There are times when there are direct flights into Faro from Toronto, Canada. It’s quite interesting to see that there...
The only airport in Algarve is the one in Faro. Faro is probably the busiest airport in Portugal after Lisbon. It serves flights from many destinations. They have all year round flights into Portugal from many European destinations, including the UK, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, and the list goes on. There are also seasonal flights from as far away as Canada. There are times when there are direct flights into Faro from Toronto, Canada. It’s quite interesting to see that there are already some companies in North America that have identified the opportunity of the Algarve for the North American market and they are putting up flights to address those opportunities.
The population of the Algarve is about 300,000 and there are between 5 and 6 million arrivals at Faro Airport per year. It is a fairly substantial airport, which has undergone a number of renovations and expansions.
There are a couple of small airstrips in the Algarve as well, which are used for private planes, parachuting activities, and helicopters. The next closest airport is in Beja, which is the province above the Algarve and in Baixo Alentejo.
Many people drive in order to catch a flight to Lisbon and then rent a car and drive down to the Algarve or catch a bus going to the Algarve. Lisbon is 300 kilometers, or 180 miles more or less from the Algarve. There are many flights from the US into Lisbon and to Faro. The East Coast of the US is fairly well connected to Lisbon. We have flights from New York, JFK, Miami, etc. On the other hand, we don’t have flights coming from the West Coast. If you are going to Lisbon from the West Coast, you have to go to the East Coast first then take a flight from there into Lisbon.
What is Belize’s economic system? More free market, capitalistic, socialist, etc.?
Ryan Wrobel - Wrobel & Co., Attorneys-at-Law
The economy in Belize is pretty much free market and import-driven. Basically, anything goes.
Much of the major industries in Belize are controlled to some extent by monopolies. In the past, industries such as soft drinks and beer were more closed, but in the last few years, more and more products have come in and we’ve seen a lot of competition, which is good for the economy.
If, as an American, a Canadian, or a...
The economy in Belize is pretty much free market and import-driven. Basically, anything goes.
Much of the major industries in Belize are controlled to some extent by monopolies. In the past, industries such as soft drinks and beer were more closed, but in the last few years, more and more products have come in and we’ve seen a lot of competition, which is good for the economy.
If, as an American, a Canadian, or a European you have great ideas, you can do well here. This is a market well acquainted with the United States because of television. People on the ground here know what is available outside the country even though it might not be available here. There are a lot of businesses or business ideas that could be implemented here that would be successful. With the right amount of capital and the right ideas, doing the proper amount of due diligence to ensure that you are dealing with reputable people, there are business opportunities here and it’s pretty much a “hands off” free market. The government is not going to get involved as much as it would in other countries. Belize is a great place to do business.
What's the language most often spoken in Granada, Nicaragua? Can I get by if I just speak English?
Carmen Sequeira - Avenicaraguita Spanish School
In Granada, you can get by with just English, but we highly recommend that you to learn Spanish because that is the language that you will hear around town. Not only do we speak Spanish, but we only have our own colloquial language that you as an expat would need to learn, especially if you decide to live and stay here in Granada.
Learning Spanish makes a huge difference for an expat because you can learn a lot about the culture easily and you would...
In Granada, you can get by with just English, but we highly recommend that you to learn Spanish because that is the language that you will hear around town. Not only do we speak Spanish, but we only have our own colloquial language that you as an expat would need to learn, especially if you decide to live and stay here in Granada.
Learning Spanish makes a huge difference for an expat because you can learn a lot about the culture easily and you would be able to talk with your neighbors. It will make your time and stay here in Granada more enjoyable and satisfying.
Most of the staff in the restaurants here in Granada speak English, but if you want to pay your electric bill or if you go to the bank, only some of the cashiers do speak English. and some do not. There is only about a 60% chance that you will get somebody in a bank who speaks English.
(A commemorative stamp of Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, who founded Granada and Leon, Nicaragua.)
What do I need to know about living overseas and retiring abroad?
Keila Mulero - Savvy Link
Hi I moved to Panama a year ago and I love it. I have lived in Puerto Rico, Peru, Miami, Atlanta, Indiana and Panama is by far the best choice for retirement. You must remember, and a lot of people often forget, that Panama is still a third world country. BUT with lots of advantages like currency, cost of living, life style, and much more. It's a lot safer than Puerto Rico and Miami. You can have a maid for $350 a month. Fruit and vegetables are always fresh. I even became...
Hi I moved to Panama a year ago and I love it. I have lived in Puerto Rico, Peru, Miami, Atlanta, Indiana and Panama is by far the best choice for retirement. You must remember, and a lot of people often forget, that Panama is still a third world country. BUT with lots of advantages like currency, cost of living, life style, and much more. It's a lot safer than Puerto Rico and Miami. You can have a maid for $350 a month. Fruit and vegetables are always fresh. I even became vegetarian in Panama. If you like sports, every weekend there is at least two sports events in the City or at any of its provinces. Panama has a lot of beauty. I do agree that the service industry needs a lot of improvement. When it comes to people and manners the average Panamanian is behind. However, my close Panamanian friends are well educated with manners, very good people. Traffic is an issue, like any cities such as Miami, New York, Atlanta. I have learned 'short cuts' and always managed my way out of it. One more thing, I have visited 75% of the country, I have been to places like Torrijos Carter, San Miguelito for business as well as Boca Chica, Las Lajas, Boquete, San Blas and great resorts. In summary, I know Panama very well and my experience has been fantastic.
I am permanent resident of Panama and US citizen. During my 15 years career in Corporate America I was expatriated to the US, Peru and the Dominican Republic. With the world economic situation, I found Panama as “the land of opportunities” and decided to move abroad. My family and I have experienced the whole process of relocating ourselves. We have learned the Panamanian “system” and requirements. I must admit it was frustrating and disappointing. Finally, after loosing lots of time and money, we met the right people and were able to process our residency. There are lots of scam out there, lots of attorneys that just take your money and disappear.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW - THIS IS HOW WE DID IT!
Executive Decree No. 806 October 9, 2012 - If you are citizen of any of these countries you can opt for residency like we did. The process takes 6 - 8 months depeding on how soon you present the paperwork. COUNTRIES: Canadá; Confederación de Australia; Confederación Suiza; Corea del Sur; Estados Unidos de América; Estado de Japón; Estado de Israel; Gran Ducado de Luxemburgo; Hungría; Latvia; Nueva Zelanda; Principado de Andorra; Principado de Liechtenstein; Principado de Mónaco; Reino de Bélgica; Reino de Dinamarca; Reino de España; Reino de Noruega; Reino de Suecia; Reino Unido de Gran Bretaña e Irlanda del Norte; Reino de los Países Bajos; Región Administrativa Especial de Hong Kong; Republica de Argentina; Republica de Austria; Republica de Checa; Republica de Chile; Republica de Chipre; Republica de Croacia; Republica Eslovaca; Republica de Estonia; Republica Helénica (Grecia); Republica Federal de Alemania; Republica Federativa de Brasil; Republica de Finlandia; Republica Francesa; Republica de Irlanda; Republica de Lituania; Republica de Malta; Republica de Montenegro; Republica Oriental de Uruguay; Republica de Polonia; Republica Portuguesa; Republica de Servia; Republica de Suiza; Republica de Sudáfrica; Republica de Taiwán; Serenísima República de Marino.
My wife Jet and I had just left a party in an expat community with mostly retirees when she asked me an obviously rhetorical question.
“Did you notice?”
Of course, the very broadness of the question made it essentially impossible to give her a specific answer, so I gave pretty much the only response possible. “Notice what?”
“How almost everyone we’ve met here seems to be so happy and at ease. They’re all telling us about how they love it here and...
In January 2013, Archaeologists working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, discovered a cluster of 12 unusual stones in the back of a small, prehistoric rock-shelter near the town of Boquete. The cache represents the earliest material evidence of shamanistic practice in lower Central America. Ruth Dickau, Leverhulme Post-doctoral Fellow at the University of Exeter in England, unearthed the cache of stones in the Casita de Piedra rock-shelter in 2007. A...
(This video is of the Panamanian band that will be at the 2014 Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. Make sure to click the "make full screen" at the bottom right of the frame so you can see it better. More at bandaherbertolopez.edu.pa)
Pride is a very common trait among the human race. Everyone shines when they talk about their grandchildren, children, pets and accomplishments in their life. But, what about when...