Best Places In The World To Retire

Never drink tap water anywhere.
 

Always drink bottled water.

 

Enough said.  Avoid problems

Never drink tap water anywhere.
 

Always drink bottled water.

 

Enough said.  Avoid problems

We have had cases of malaria and dengue fever in Belize, but we've had very few cases in the Corozal district (in the far northern part of the country). You find them more in Toledo District (where Punta Gorda is located) and up in the west in the Cayo area.  I can't say these diseases don’t exist because they do, but we never had an epidemic of it.

 

The areas where these diseases are most prevalent are in or near the jungle, and where...

We have had cases of malaria and dengue fever in Belize, but we've had very few cases in the Corozal district (in the far northern part of the country). You find them more in Toledo District (where Punta Gorda is located) and up in the west in the Cayo area.  I can't say these diseases don’t exist because they do, but we never had an epidemic of it.

 

The areas where these diseases are most prevalent are in or near the jungle, and where there’s more water and rain during the rainy season. Corozal, especially Consejo Shores where we are, is the driest part of Belize. As you go to the south it gets wetter and wetter during the rainy season.

 

Overall, I don't think the North Americans in Belize worry about it too much. The local people are always on the radio advising not to leave standing water sitting around your house where the mosquito larvae can grow, and other similar precautions.  

 

I contracted malaria here when I was working in the Cayo area.  I went to the local doctor and he gave me some pills and in three days, I was better.  Getting malaria is not something that life-threatening unless you're a really young child or a very old weak person. 

 

In Central America, getting malaria is like getting a bad flu. What happened with me was I went a little bit delirious and my wife woke me up.  I had cold sweats in the middle of the night and by the morning I was fine.  Given these symptoms, I figured that there was something wrong. So I went to the doctor and he just said, “You've got malaria.  Take these pills and you'll be better.” In three days I was better.  Getting malaria in Belize is not a really serious thing where you have to stay in the hospital or anything like that.  

 

(Malarone malaria pills, pictured.)

The government of Portugal is very stable. Portugal has had the longest period to form a government of any government post the revolution in 1974. We currently have a slightly left of center socialist government, which took over from a slightly conservative government.

 

The government of Portugal is generally stable, although it may change partly left or slightly right of center. The politics as such doesn’t change significantly. There is still very...

The government of Portugal is very stable. Portugal has had the longest period to form a government of any government post the revolution in 1974. We currently have a slightly left of center socialist government, which took over from a slightly conservative government.

 

The government of Portugal is generally stable, although it may change partly left or slightly right of center. The politics as such doesn’t change significantly. There is still very much a central block of political view, opinion, and political management. We have had a lot of strikes but they do not tend to impact the economy much. The number of political parties has remained reasonably stable for the last 40 years. For the first time in many years, we have a new political party in parliament with one seat. Generally, politics is characterized by boring political stability.

 

(Portuguese Parliament building, pictured.)