Women and girls are treated extremely respectfully in Mexico. The locals always call me "señora" (madam). The respectful way to address an older lady in Mexico is "doña" (older woman of rank). Even though I'm in that age group, I prefer to be called "señora" because I'm hoping that people don't consider me that old, and they do.
If the locals are speaking Spanish to you, they always use the formal...
Women and girls are treated extremely respectfully in Mexico. The locals always call me "señora" (madam). The respectful way to address an older lady in Mexico is "doña" (older woman of rank). Even though I'm in that age group, I prefer to be called "señora" because I'm hoping that people don't consider me that old, and they do.
If the locals are speaking Spanish to you, they always use the formal Spanish instead of the familiar Spanish.
The girls are also very much respected in Mexico. I was talking to a woman the other day who said that when she went to Italy to study, she was surprised that the Italian men would pinch her rear end. I said, "Yes, I've heard of that. I don't know if they still do that, but I've heard that the gesture was a sign of respect in Italy." They would never touch a girl in Mexico. They just do not.
I formed an alliance group here in Cabo San Lucas. My significant other there was a retired Mexican military officer. One of my male American friends took him aside and told him when we were at a dinner, "Please, you're making all of us look bad because if Cathie has to go to the restroom, you stand up and hold her chair. When she comes back, you stand up and hold her chair again. All of our wives are mad at us because we're not doing that." I thought that was pretty funny.
The Mexican people respect everyone, even the women and the girls. It's very old fashioned in Mexico. To me, it's like going back in time.
What are the things I'll be most happily surprised by when moving or retiring abroad?
Kristin Wilson - Orbis Relocation
Living entirely abroad is something I never heard anybody say that they regret. It's just a life changing experience, and a completely different perspective of the world than vacationing in different countries.
US citizen going abroad tend to realize how much better life can be, compared to what we're used to and what the norm is for American life. We are taught that America is the greatest country in the world. It is not necessarily true that America has the greatest in...
Living entirely abroad is something I never heard anybody say that they regret. It's just a life changing experience, and a completely different perspective of the world than vacationing in different countries.
US citizen going abroad tend to realize how much better life can be, compared to what we're used to and what the norm is for American life. We are taught that America is the greatest country in the world. It is not necessarily true that America has the greatest in everything, as you would believe by looking at the numbers and the data. This becomes apparent when you're actually living in a different country. You start to realize that there's a more optimal work - life balance. Things overseas many times don't go at the fast pace that they do in America. Living abroad is a good opportunity to slow down and enjoy life without being in a rat race and around that type of energy.
It doesn't matter where you go. If you go to Switzerland or Nicaragua or Mexico, or any other country, you'll find differences with America. A lot of these differences are positive. Not all of them, but overall I think it's definitely a positive change and the good thing about going abroad is that you can always come back if you want. You can go for a few years or a few months. You can go back and forth from the US. You don't have to stay in any one place forever.
I used to work in real estate, but I have moved to just rentals, and most of the relocation I do are semi-temporary. They can be anywhere from a few months to a few years. I honestly think that is the best way to go these days.
(Pictured: Kristin Wilson and local Nicaraguan kids.)
How much do restaurants cost in Granada, Nicaragua?
Raul Gavarrette - Nicaragua Spanish Lessons
In Granada, Nicaragua there are many restaurants where you can find competitive prices. Prices range between $7 - $10 for a decent lunch / dinner in a nice restaurant.
I have enjoyed dinner in a restaurant called El Zaguan which is very popular in Granada just behind the Cathedral that serves delicious grilled meat, and where there is traditional live Nicaraguan music. Excellent dinner for less than $15.
In Granada, Nicaragua there are many restaurants where you can find competitive prices. Prices range between $7 - $10 for a decent lunch / dinner in a nice restaurant.
I have enjoyed dinner in a restaurant called El Zaguan which is very popular in Granada just behind the Cathedral that serves delicious grilled meat, and where there is traditional live Nicaraguan music. Excellent dinner for less than $15.
Are taxis readily available in Placencia, Belize, and what do taxis cost in Placencia, Belize?
Veronique McKenzie - CTTBeliZe
The cost to ride a taxi in Placencia depends on the distance that you will travel.
As an example, from the Placencia airstrip up to Placencia Village would cost you around US $3 per person. I don’t even know if anyone from the village takes a taxi because most of the time the taxis charge $3 per person and there should be a minimum of two people in the taxi. So it’s a minimum of $6 for a taxi ride to go from the...
The cost to ride a taxi in Placencia depends on the distance that you will travel.
As an example, from the Placencia airstrip up to Placencia Village would cost you around US $3 per person. I don’t even know if anyone from the village takes a taxi because most of the time the taxis charge $3 per person and there should be a minimum of two people in the taxi. So it’s a minimum of $6 for a taxi ride to go from the village to the airstrip.
(Pictured: arial view of Placencia Village, Placencia Peninsula, Belize.)
What's the overall cost of living in Bocas Del Toro, Panama?
Ian Usher - House Sitting Magazine
The overall cost of living in Bocas del Toro, Panama will vary to some degree depending on where and how you choose to live.
If you want to eat in the best waterfront restaurants every night and stay in an apartment with a seaview balcony, as in the picture to the right, which shows the main Bocas del Toro waterfront, then your living costs will be relatively high. You can choose to live a much more frugal lifestyle, and spend much less it cost of living terms.
...
The overall cost of living in Bocas del Toro, Panama will vary to some degree depending on where and how you choose to live.
If you want to eat in the best waterfront restaurants every night and stay in an apartment with a seaview balcony, as in the picture to the right, which shows the main Bocas del Toro waterfront, then your living costs will be relatively high. You can choose to live a much more frugal lifestyle, and spend much less it cost of living terms.
The four main factors in overall living cost anywhere are housing, food, transport and entertainment. Lets have a bit of a closer look at each individually.
Housing
This will be one of the biggest factors involved in your overall cost of living in Bocas del Toro. If you are renting then you can expect to pay anywhere between $300 to $2,000 plus per month, depending on size, location and facilities of your rental property. A small apartment out by the airport can be rented for around $300, but a luxurious waterfront condo will put you in a completely different price bracket.
If you buy, and own your property outright your costs will be significantly lower, of course, and you will only have repairs and maintenance to cover, along with the usual utility costs.
Another popular option for a shorter term is house-sitting. As people head back to visit friends and relatives in the States, Canada or wherever, they often want people to look after their property while they are away. This will bring your cost of living right down.
Food
If eating out, expect to pay around $3 to $4 for a decent meal in a local-style restaurant. In fancier places prices can head up towards the $20 range. Don't forget to factor in drinks too. A local beer will perhaps be $2 in a restaurant, shots and mixed drinks $3 plus.
Eat at home regularly and you will save much money. Groceries are on par with US prices. It is possible to buy goods in bulk cheaper in a big city such as David and have them shipped to Bocas del Toro. With Bocas del Toro being towards the end of the supply chain, and no big supermarkets here, prices are slightly higher here than most other places in Panama.
A case of beer for consumption at home is a bargain $10 for 24 bottles!
Transport
If you live in Bocas Town your transport costs will be minimal. A taxi anywhere within the main town area will cost you 60 cents. Rent a bicycle for a few dollars a day and ride anywhere you like. The bus to the far side of the island is about $5. A water taxi across to Isla Carenero is $1, and $3 to Isla Bastimentos. A fast speedboat water taxi to the mainland will only set you back $3 to $5 depending on which company you go with.
However, if you choose to live further out in the archipelago you'll need to factor in the costs of running a boat and putting fuel in it. Gasoline with oil mix currently runs at about $5 per gallon. Boats are not cheap to run!
Entertainment
Bocas del Toro is pretty cheap in entertainment terms. Cycle, swim, snorkel and wander the beaches - you won't be spending much. Rent a surfboard or go diving and your costs will be a bit higher. For example, a double-dive day out with one of the dive schools will cost about $60, all gear included.
Bocas del Toro, Panama really is a paradise, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised how affordable it can be to live here.
How's the kayaking, rafting, and canoeing in and around Algarve?
Luis Teixeira da Silva - Algarve Senior Living
Rafting is not great in the Algarve because there are not steep and fast flowing rivers here. Kayaking and canoeing, however, are good.
We have two, large navigable courses in Algarve, the Guadiana River on the border with Spain, which is the largest, and the Arade River, which comes down from the mountains and flows into the sea between Portimão and Ferragudo. Those are fantastic courses because they are quite flat and there are a number of courses along the...
Rafting is not great in the Algarve because there are not steep and fast flowing rivers here. Kayaking and canoeing, however, are good.
We have two, large navigable courses in Algarve, the Guadiana River on the border with Spain, which is the largest, and the Arade River, which comes down from the mountains and flows into the sea between Portimão and Ferragudo. Those are fantastic courses because they are quite flat and there are a number of courses along the shores where you can stop your car and load your canoe into the water and paddle from there and back. There are also a number of inlets, which allow you to do even more sheltered canoeing.
There is also a fantastic picnic spot, where there is a boat ramp called Sítio das Fontes, in municipality of Lagoa. This is a wonderful place to take your family out for a picnic and take your kayak or canoe and go out from there even with the youngsters so you could teach them to kayak or canoe for the first time. There is no difficulty or risk of being on a big river.
The Arade River, which is used for the canoeing and kayaking, is also used for jet skis. The daughter of an Italian family that settled in the Algarve was the world champion jet skier for I believe 3 years in a row and she trained on Arade River, so it is big enough for this kind of activity. In the estuary at Portimão, the World Series powerboat competition is held once a year. They come to Algarve every year and people come to the banks to see these very powerful boats on the edge as they drive around the estuary and the river.
In addition to the jet skiing, here is calm kayaking on these rivers. You will see the people paddling up and down from a number of the beaches such as the Batata Beach in Lagos, the Dona Ana Beach in Lagos as well, and others that often have kayaks for rent. On a calm day you can paddle along the coastline and go into the caves and onto the little inlets of the coast. 99% of all kayaking and paddling here in the Algarve is of the quiet type.
There is also some kayaking on the southeast of the Algarve, but strangely enough, not as much as in other areas. The reason is that the whole estuary area called Ria de Tavira, which has low lying islands, sand banks, and the like, is very large and the distances are quite great. You would find that most of the people who explore the river in this area do so in small, motorized boats.
Editor’s note: Mike Cobb is the CEO of ECI Development, which, among other developments overseas, created Gran Pacifica, a master planned community being built on 2,500 acres along more than 3 miles of beachfront due west of Managua, Nicaragua. In this story, Mike tells us how his business partner, Joel Nagel, and the Pittsburgh Rotary Club, brought others together to launch several health clinics that today bring much-needed primary care to the people of Nicaragua. The most...
In every stage of her life, it seems that Michigan’s own, Penny Barrett, always seems to be the intermediary between parties, the go-between that facilitates and makes better communications between interested entities. Read about how Penny's skills with everyone from corporate heavy-hitters to her own dating service / magazine / 900 number company makes her the natural liaison to expedite fund raising for this expat community and help it to thrive. But first, Jet and...
I purchased my first rental property in the ski resort village of Whistler, BC, Canada, when I was 23-years-old with a very small down payment.
At the time, I was working as reservations manager for a property management company so I had first-hand knowledge of the strong returns that could be achieved through rentals. Over the following eight years, I proceeded to buy, renovate, rent short-term and ultimately sell nine Whistler properties.
Women and girls are treated extremely respectfully in Mexico. The locals always call me "señora" (madam). The respectful way to address an older lady in Mexico is "doña" (older woman of rank). Even though I'm in that age group, I prefer to be called "señora" because I'm hoping that people don't consider me that old, and they do. 
Living entirely abroad is something I never heard anybody say that they regret. It's just a life changing experience, and a completely different perspective of the world than vacationing in different countries.
In Granada, Nicaragua there are many restaurants where you can find competitive prices. Prices range between $7 - $10 for a decent lunch / dinner in a nice restaurant. 
The cost to ride a taxi in Placencia depends on the distance that you will travel. 
If you want to eat in the best waterfront restaurants every night and stay in an apartment with a seaview balcony, as in the picture to the right, which shows the main Bocas del Toro waterfront, then your living costs will be relatively high. You can choose to live a much more frugal lifestyle, and spend much less it cost of living terms. 
Rafting is not great in the Algarve because there are not steep and fast flowing rivers here. Kayaking and canoeing, however, are good. 
Editor’s note: Mike Cobb is the CEO of ECI Development, which, among other developments overseas, created Gran Pacifica, a master planned community being built on 2,500 acres along more than 3 miles of beachfront due west of Managua, Nicaragua. In this story, Mike tells us how his business partner, Joel Nagel, and the Pittsburgh Rotary Club, brought others together to launch several health clinics that today bring much-needed primary care to the people of Nicaragua. The most...