Best Places In The World To Retire

In order to discuss crime against foreigners in the Yucatan Peninsula, let’s talk first about the state of Quintana Roo, where you will find Tulum, Playa del Carmen and Cancun (all of which are on the Riviera Maya), etc. The number one source of revenue in these areas are tourism, so the Mexican government needs to protect this industry to the maximum. In the recent past, the number one source of revenue has been the oil industry. At this time, the oil industry is getting beat up...

In order to discuss crime against foreigners in the Yucatan Peninsula, let’s talk first about the state of Quintana Roo, where you will find Tulum, Playa del Carmen and Cancun (all of which are on the Riviera Maya), etc. The number one source of revenue in these areas are tourism, so the Mexican government needs to protect this industry to the maximum. In the recent past, the number one source of revenue has been the oil industry. At this time, the oil industry is getting beat up very much because of the low cost of petroleum so now, even more than before, Mexico has to depend on what has been their number two or number three revenue source, which is tourism, which makes protecting the tourism industry more important. As a result, you’re going to see a lot more police, even police dedicated only to tourism.   The government spends a lot of resources towards insuring the safety of visitors – Americans, Canadians, Europeans, and everybody who comes to town.
 
I’ve been living here in Mexico for 20 years. I’ve lived in Mexico City and then out here on the coast in Quintana Roo, and just like anywhere in the world, there are sections where you have to be on guard and be smart. Here in Quintana Roo, my own direct experience is that I’ve never been worried at all for my family’s safety and I have two kids that are 10 years old, who were born here in Mexico. We’ve helped a lot of expats move here to Mexico, specifically here in Yucatan; Merida, and Quintana Roo. I’ve seen situations where there has been a car accident and an expat has call me up for assistance on an issue but it was nothing serious. It was a fender bender so it could be a little stressful, but apart from that, I can’t remember any life-threatening situation in the 10 years that I’ve lived in Quintana Roo and the other 10 years in Mexico City.
 
What’s interesting about Merida (the largest city in the state of Yucatan) is that it kind of encompasses all of the Yucatan. Merida has the least amount of crime in all of Mexico. The population in Merida has really grown. Over the past 5 years, you may have read some news from the news sources in the States and in Canada that there has been a cartel war that happened four years ago and there was a lot of violence in the northern states like Monterey, and places closer to the border of Texas. There were a lot of people who moved out of Monterey and went south, including many who went to Merida, aiding in the increase of population in Merida.  People choose Merida because of its control of security. In the Yucatan Peninsula, the security is kind of a repeat of what you will see in Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, where Mexico does a good job in protecting the tourism industry.

 

(Beachfront condos in Akumal, south of Cancun, Mexico, popular with expat residents and tourist, pictured.)

You will find lots of beautiful plants and trees in the Algarve. One example is the carob, which is the same fruit that exists in the Caribbean.  (The name of the region “Caribbean” comes from the word “carob”.) The carob bean in the Caribbean is longer and flatter, so the carob bean in Portugal is a shorter version of the Caribbean version of the carob. It’s kind of a scimitar-shaped bean around 15 centimeters long. Most of it is green and when it...

You will find lots of beautiful plants and trees in the Algarve. One example is the carob, which is the same fruit that exists in the Caribbean.  (The name of the region “Caribbean” comes from the word “carob”.) The carob bean in the Caribbean is longer and flatter, so the carob bean in Portugal is a shorter version of the Caribbean version of the carob. It’s kind of a scimitar-shaped bean around 15 centimeters long. Most of it is green and when it ripens it becomes brownish or dark reddish. It’s a very interesting product because it can be used in a number of things. It has an enzyme that is used in the pharmaceutical industry and as an additive for the drinks industry. It is also used as a substitute for chocolate in producing a sort of cocoa-tasting product used in the making cakes. Portugal is the third largest European and North African producer and exporter of the carob plant. There is quite a lot of tradition in Portugal linking back to the land.

 

The best time of the year to come and see flowering plants in Algarve is just after the rains, around autumn and again in the spring. We have a flowering area in the western Algarve called the Costa Vicentina, which is a natural reserve of many square kilometers with very little construction. Costa Vicentina has millions of very pretty wild flowers. You will see myriad colors. It is a wonderful place to go to for walkers, cyclists, ramblers, or even if you are just driving through.

 

In the mountains, in traditional areas like Alte, Salir, and Monchique, these are places that because of their height, elevation, and humidity tend to get a lot of flowering plants. Algarve is generally quite consistent with the rest of Portugal but it has a very dry climate. We don’t have much rain or cloudy days. The type of shrubs that exist here are small-leaved plants because these plants tend to do well in less humidity because the evaporation from the leave surface is lower, so they tend to survive better in dry climates. Many of these shrubs are very pretty. Portugal also has the olive tree, which blooms and is fantastic. We also have the almond tree, which is very famous. Probably Japan is the most famous for its almond and orange blossoms but Portugal has beautiful pink, lilac, and white almonds. We also have citrus trees like the orange trees, and a range of other flowering plants, which are very pretty.

 

Among the most famous local plants in the Algarve are the carob plant, the orange, almond, olive, and the fig tree. These are the traditional fruits of the Algarve and they all flower in a different way, which is very pretty. I have all these trees in my own garden.

 

(Carob plant, pictured.)

First off you have to remember that when talking about mosquitos and other bugs in El Valle de Anton, you're living in a rain forest.  That being said, the mosquitoes at my home in Arkansas and in Tennessee were so bad at dusk you had to go inside.  Down here we sit out on the porch and in the hot tub and even sleep outside in our hammocks and are not bothered by them at all.  Each year we have a bunch of small black flies that come out that are everywhere for...

First off you have to remember that when talking about mosquitos and other bugs in El Valle de Anton, you're living in a rain forest.  That being said, the mosquitoes at my home in Arkansas and in Tennessee were so bad at dusk you had to go inside.  Down here we sit out on the porch and in the hot tub and even sleep outside in our hammocks and are not bothered by them at all.  Each year we have a bunch of small black flies that come out that are everywhere for about two weeks and then you don't see them any more.  Also during a week period you will see flying termites looking for new places to set up housekeeping and they too are gone very soon.  Now as to ants, well that's another story.  We have tons of those, from fire ants to cutter ants and you will never get rid of those.  Nothing here goes to waste which I like.  If a insect dies or you drop a bit of food on the front porch there will be a whole crew of ants to clean up your mess.

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. 

 

(Pictured: Lya Barrioz, Nicaraguan singer.)