Any part of Mexico in general has a horse culture. So you can always find someone horseback riding, be it on the mountainsides or along the beach or in private haciendas. People have ridden horses in Mexico to maintain their farms, haciendas, and their cattle.
Believe it or not, in a modern city like Merida you might go into some neighborhoods and see people riding horses. And we’re talking about Merida, which is a pretty sophisticated,...
Any part of Mexico in general has a horse culture. So you can always find someone horseback riding, be it on the mountainsides or along the beach or in private haciendas. People have ridden horses in Mexico to maintain their farms, haciendas, and their cattle.
Believe it or not, in a modern city like Merida you might go into some neighborhoods and see people riding horses. And we’re talking about Merida, which is a pretty sophisticated, cosmopolitan city. In many towns outside major cities in Mexico you still see a lot of people on horseback going alongside the street or along with their cars.
It is very common for expats to come to Mexico and purchase a ranch or a hacienda and have horses. There’s a great deal of expats who are participating in polo here in Yucatan. Polo has become quite popular across Mexico and a lot of expats have joined a lot of polo teams in Mexico. Horses are readily available and there are many different sports involving horses. One that’s becoming quite popular especially with expats is being able to play polo, which is a lot more affordable here than it is playing in the US.
Here in Yucatan, everything grows like weeds, be it grass, vegetables, or fruits, which is one of the reasons it’s so very easy to feed a horse here.
Do I need to renounce or relinquish my US citizenship or get a dual citizenship to move or live abroad?
Zach Smith - Anywhere
Under most circumstances, having a dual citizenship is the preferred way to go about when moving abroad because formally renouncing your citizenship is actually a rather complicated process. Dealing with the IRS is never fun and pre-paying future taxes in order to relinquish citizenship is a significant burden vs continuing to file taxes as a US citizen despite living abroad.
There are some tax advantages living abroad. Most notably, if you’re out of the country for more...
Under most circumstances, having a dual citizenship is the preferred way to go about when moving abroad because formally renouncing your citizenship is actually a rather complicated process. Dealing with the IRS is never fun and pre-paying future taxes in order to relinquish citizenship is a significant burden vs continuing to file taxes as a US citizen despite living abroad.
There are some tax advantages living abroad. Most notably, if you’re out of the country for more than 330 days, you will get a tax exemption called the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. In a nutshell, if you have low income then you are not going to be paying the US taxes. The Foreign Income Exclusion stops a little over $100,000 in earned income for a single US taxpayer. What’s nice about it is that you pay 0% on earnings up to the amount of the exclusion and then that first money earned above that is taxed at a lower rate. This is what I understand but it’s probably something that is best to revisit from a financial perspective especially when you are getting closer to making that decision. You do not need to renounce or relinquish your US citizenship in order to live in another country. Making this decision is not something to be taken lightly as revoking your citizenship is a big deal. Certainly review all matters tax related since rules definitely change and how your income arrives, w-2 vs. investment, vs foreign payroll are all factors that should be considered and advised by a tax professional.
Is the electricity reliable in Ambergris Caye? Are there blackouts or brownouts in Ambergris Caye?
Melisa Ayala
Electricity in Ambergris Caye is perfect. It’s been a long time since we had a blackout here. The only time that we get problems with electricity is when they are trying to put more electricity up north as to meet the demand here.
The last time we had a blackout, we spent two hours without electricity. After that, everything went back to normal. That was about 3 months ago.
(The glow in the dark eyes of tarpon fish at night in Ambergris Caye,...
Electricity in Ambergris Caye is perfect. It’s been a long time since we had a blackout here. The only time that we get problems with electricity is when they are trying to put more electricity up north as to meet the demand here.
The last time we had a blackout, we spent two hours without electricity. After that, everything went back to normal. That was about 3 months ago.
(The glow in the dark eyes of tarpon fish at night in Ambergris Caye, Belize, pictured.)
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.)
How bad are the mosquitoes and other bugs and insects in Algarve?
Luis Teixeira da Silva - Algarve Senior Living
The mosquitoes and other insects are not that bad here in Algarve. We are not Florida and we are not Central America. Anyone who is accustomed to living in those places would find Algarve to be a welcomed relief. We clearly do get some flies and mosquitoes in the summer but they are not at the epidemic level. Some houses here have pools so sometimes mosquitoes breed in the water and we have to swat them away but it’s not a big deal. People here often get wax candles that have a...
The mosquitoes and other insects are not that bad here in Algarve. We are not Florida and we are not Central America. Anyone who is accustomed to living in those places would find Algarve to be a welcomed relief. We clearly do get some flies and mosquitoes in the summer but they are not at the epidemic level. Some houses here have pools so sometimes mosquitoes breed in the water and we have to swat them away but it’s not a big deal. People here often get wax candles that have a scent that repels mosquitoes. These candles are easily available at the department stores or hardware stores and cost between €1 (US $1.10 or £ 0.75) and €5 ($5.50 or £ 3.69) depending on the size of the content. It’s a very efficient way of getting rid of mosquitoes.
Inside houses, you can also have electric, plug-in mosquito repellant units, but overall, there is no need to use mosquito repellant all the time here in the Algarve. To date, there has not been any outbreaks of any kind of diseases which are brought about by mosquitoes, such as malaria or dengue.
(Medieval castle, Castelo de Alcoutim on the San Marcos River, Algarve, Portugal, pictured. )
The question about the quality of the dental care in Panama is apropos because I’m just now starting a dental procedure that I’ve long needed and put off until I found the right place to have it done. And that place is here in Coronado, Panama, over Super 99-- Coronado Dental Clinic. The doctor, the attending staff, the location and price, all meet my criteria for excellence, not least, the small pill recommended to quell my nerves before the surgery.
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The question about the quality of the dental care in Panama is apropos because I’m just now starting a dental procedure that I’ve long needed and put off until I found the right place to have it done. And that place is here in Coronado, Panama, over Super 99-- Coronado Dental Clinic. The doctor, the attending staff, the location and price, all meet my criteria for excellence, not least, the small pill recommended to quell my nerves before the surgery.
This is going to be "it"… finally… and I can go back to New York with a fresh smile, created without a dental debt or horror story.
Yesterday was the last Sunday of the month which means it is the Amigos de Animales Spay and Neuter Clinic.
The day actually begins on Saturday when it is time to take a small day care center and turn it into an in-take processing area, pre-op area, surgical room, post-op area and recovery room. Every square inch is used in the most efficient manner possible.
On Sunday, the veterinarians arrive from Costa Rica to begin operating on at least 100 animals....
The Flower and Coffee International Fair in Boquete is one of the most important in the region. The town of about 25,000, plays host to an expected 130,000 visitors during the 10 day run, which estimates about $2 million dollars to the economy. The floral offerings come from Canada, the US, Central and South America. The crowds come quite literally from around the world.
One of the wonderful advantages of living in Panamá is the variety of lifestyles and environments in this small country. Think of California on a smaller scale. You can live in one of the Pacific Coast beach communities, in the cool highlands of El Valle or Boquete, the islands of Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean side, in a country home in the interior, or in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Latin America. When my wife and I first moved...