How good are the medical centers, hospitals and health clinics in Yucatan: Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Merida, etc, and how close are they?
Andy James
There are excellent health facilities in Yucatan. My wife is having some medical services here in Yucatan, and I know other people who have as well. The medical facilities in Yucatan are certainly on par with the United States, Canada and the UK. The cost of health services in Yucatan are between 10 and 20% of what they would cost in the United States, Canada, or the UK, and I would have no problem recommending them to anybody.
There are two medical...
There are excellent health facilities in Yucatan. My wife is having some medical services here in Yucatan, and I know other people who have as well. The medical facilities in Yucatan are certainly on par with the United States, Canada and the UK. The cost of health services in Yucatan are between 10 and 20% of what they would cost in the United States, Canada, or the UK, and I would have no problem recommending them to anybody.
There are two medical centers that are large facilities in Merida with all the services you’d expect, both within 10 minutes of the center. If I had a serious issue, I would feel comfortable going to these facilities. I can’t speak for anywhere else because I’ve never seen or been to any of them.
I know of somebody who had a heart attack and received care in a private facility. His bill was US $35,000, and it was estimated that the bill for the similar thing in the United States would have had another zero on the end of it. He may have had some insurance, but here in Yucatan, they don’t change the bill depending on who’s paying, which tends to happen in other countries. The cost is the cost and they don’t care how they get paid.
(University medical facility for the La Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán in Merida, Yucatan, pictured.)
In general, how does the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) affect me if I move overseas?
Mike Cobb - ECI Development
FATCA (or the HIRE Act) requires US citizens to file a new form on their tax returns called the 8938. It is a disclosure form of all foreign financial assets, and includes everything but property held in your own name and gold held in your own name. All other financial assets, trusts, companies, LLC's, stocks, partnerships, etc., must be disclosed on this form.
FATCA (or the HIRE Act) requires US citizens to file a new form on their tax returns called the 8938. It is a disclosure form of all foreign financial assets, and includes everything but property held in your own name and gold held in your own name. All other financial assets, trusts, companies, LLC's, stocks, partnerships, etc., must be disclosed on this form.
What’s the closest airport to Belize and what are the flights to and from Belize?
Desorine Leslie
Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (PGIA) is the airport of Belize. The PGIA is the gateway to our beautiful country, Belize, and handles thousands of domestic and international commercial flights every year.
Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (PGIA) is the airport of Belize. The PGIA is the gateway to our beautiful country, Belize, and handles thousands of domestic and international commercial flights every year.
Is there racial tension, acceptance or diversity in Portugal?
Carol Bartlett Ribeiro - Carol Bartlett Ribeiro, Property Consultant
There never used to be any racial tension in Portugal, but there is a little bit now. In general, however, compared to a lot of other countries, even though some racial tension exists, it is very minimal.
There’s no discrimination like we have in South Africa but sometimes there are comments. The issues we have here are cultural. Portugal used to have colonies in Mozambique and Angola, so you would hear people asking why certain people do things...
There never used to be any racial tension in Portugal, but there is a little bit now. In general, however, compared to a lot of other countries, even though some racial tension exists, it is very minimal.
There’s no discrimination like we have in South Africa but sometimes there are comments. The issues we have here are cultural. Portugal used to have colonies in Mozambique and Angola, so you would hear people asking why certain people do things certain ways. We’ve had lots black clients from the US embassy, however, and we’ve never ever had problems.
We can also have economic issues. For example, there was a time when the less wealthy Brazilians were migrating and taking jobs as maids or gardeners that the Portuguese would have wanted, so here was some resentment there. But now the level of Brazilians who are coming into the country are the wealthy Brazilians who want to get out of Brazil because of the corruption and because of the criminalities. Well, criminalities always been in Brazil but it’s a lot worse now, so that’s why the wealthy Brazilians are getting out. So it all have to do with what level of people are migrating and if they’re competing for jobs.
(Portuguese air force during the 1960's in Luanda Air Base, Angola, pictured.)
What's the dress code in Granada, Nicaragua? What clothes do they wear in Granada, Nicaragua?
Esmerelda Vargas - Schuvar Tours
The dress code in Granada, Nicaragua is very informal. The lake is close by so you will see a lot of people wearing shorts and sandals. Walking down the street, you will see a lot of people wearing summer clothes all year round. It’s always casual.
The foreigners dress more casually than the locals.
(Pictured: Lya Barrioz, Nicaraguan singer.)
The dress code in Granada, Nicaragua is very informal. The lake is close by so you will see a lot of people wearing shorts and sandals. Walking down the street, you will see a lot of people wearing summer clothes all year round. It’s always casual.
The foreigners dress more casually than the locals.
Are there American-trained doctors in Boquete, Panama?
Alberto Socarraz - Panama Vida
I would say that the majority of the doctors in Boquete are either trained in-house here in Panama or in Cuba. A lot of the doctors here study abroad, particularly in Cuba. That being said, some of the best doctors in the world come out of Cuba. The level of education, the level of experience is very good. Unfortunately, they don't have the capability to study in the US just because of the cost.
I don’t have any concerns with the quality of the...
I would say that the majority of the doctors in Boquete are either trained in-house here in Panama or in Cuba. A lot of the doctors here study abroad, particularly in Cuba. That being said, some of the best doctors in the world come out of Cuba. The level of education, the level of experience is very good. Unfortunately, they don't have the capability to study in the US just because of the cost.
I don’t have any concerns with the quality of the healthcare providers in Boquete. All three of my children were born here in Panama in private hospitals. I thought that the service was very good and we were very well taken care of. My wife was extremely happy with the service also. All the kids came out healthy and happy. I have no qualms whatsoever with the healthcare here, and I am originally from Miami.
(Pictured: Alberto Socarraz, wife and three children, all born in Panama.)
Originally from Northern Ireland, and after a 10 year stint of working in the cruise industry and traveling extensively, I decided it was time to settle somewhere and find a "grown-up job"!
I decided on Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. I moved there with little more than two months rent in my pocket and a dream which I was aware would need a lot of luck and hard work to achieve. I arrived in October and was immediately drawn to the climate and the beauty and...
Phil McGuigan has some stories to tell. In this interview, he recounts to Jet Metier about his ties to the man who eradicated malaria in the Canal Zone and about the time he wrestled the richest man in Belize. McGuigan bought land and a house in Panama almost as quickly as he now buys hundreds of pounds of dog food for animal rescue in Boquete. Ask McGuigan about an event, and he probably knows someone involved directly. There is a story about how friends...
Shortly after Any (my wife) and I finished building our new home in Panama, Any's three children and her mother came for a visit from Colombia. We had a great visit for Christmas and the New year at our home on the Caribbean side of Panama.
It was a little bit confusing for me, but no big deal (because of the language differences) and we settled in as a bigger family. It was fun and interesting for me and I enjoyed her children very much. I decided that since...