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talosian

Dec 4, 2005, 1:48 PM

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If not Mexico, where would you live?

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If for some reason you could not live in Mexico and had to choose some place else to live, other than maybe going back to your home country for a while, where would you look to live, and why?

I'll start.

I was turned onto Lakeside by the now (in)famous AARP article and fell in live with it on sight.

But if I had to choose someplace else, of the places I have been, I would have to put Belize on the top of my list. Why? Well, I was only there once on a dive trip but I loved the looks of the country and how green it seemed. Next might be Jamaica, again for the beauty of the country, but I would have to look long and hard with respect to the poverty and crime.

I did bail once before to the Cayman Islands (Grand Cayman) for the better part of three-years but it's no fun living someplace where they hate you because you are a foreigner.

So how about you?
"When all logical explanations have failed, we must look to the illogical for the answer.

Rolly

Dec 4, 2005, 2:16 PM

Post #2 of 41 (2976 views)

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Re: [talosian] If not Mexico, where would you live?

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Vancouver, B.C.

Rolly Pirate

julian3345

Dec 4, 2005, 2:24 PM

Post #3 of 41 (2973 views)

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Re: [talosian] If not Mexico, where would you live?

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Sárospatok, Hungary....beautiful small, historic city in NE part of the country. Joan

mariejosee

Dec 4, 2005, 2:36 PM

Post #4 of 41 (2968 views)

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Re: [talosian] If not Mexico, where would you live?

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Ilha Grande, Brasil, paradise on earth.

************************************************************
As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.
"Henry David Thoreau"

Anonimo

Dec 4, 2005, 3:06 PM

Post #5 of 41 (2961 views)

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Re: [talosian] If not Mexico, where would you live?

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Llanes, Asturias, Spain; or a town near it. It's beautiful there, the green clad Picos de Europa Mountains are only 15 miles to the south, the food is fresh, based on seafood and pork and beans ;-)
(Actually, the regional specialty is Fabada Asturiana, a delicious white bean and pork soup. Delicious, although not terribly healty.)

Here's a link to a photo of the town of Alles, in the Picos:
http://www.pbase.com/panos/image/6242207
The downside: it rains a lot in the winter. It's not cheap.
Oviedo, the capital city of Asturias, is another very nice city.

Saludos,
Anonimo

Uncle Jack

Dec 4, 2005, 3:08 PM

Post #6 of 41 (2961 views)

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Re: [talosian] If not Mexico, where would you live?

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Buenos Aires, Argentina

The island of Moorea, French Polynesia

uj

jennifer rose

Dec 4, 2005, 3:21 PM

Post #7 of 41 (2954 views)

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Re: [talosian] If not Mexico, where would you live?

Buenos Aires or Istanbul.

Esteban

Dec 4, 2005, 3:57 PM

Post #8 of 41 (2940 views)

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Re: [talosian] If not Mexico, where would you live?

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Panama City, Panama or nearby up in the mountains.

It's got everything!

tonyburton

Dec 4, 2005, 4:13 PM

Post #9 of 41 (2929 views)

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Re: [talosian] If not Mexico, where would you live?

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Ajijic? San Miguel de Allende? Cancún?[Just kidding]

(This post was edited by tonyburton on Dec 4, 2005, 4:13 PM)

sfmacaws

Dec 4, 2005, 5:50 PM

Post #10 of 41 (2895 views)

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Re: [talosian] If not Mexico, where would you live?

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I've spent some time in Belize and have friends who bought property there. I've thought about it myself. The problems in Belize are some of the same ones you will find in other places around here. On the coast the culture is similar to other islands in the caribbean and you won't be any more welcome there than you were in Cayman or Jamaica. Crime is also a big problem in Belize City and the coastal towns. Inland it is more similar to the Yucatan or Guatemala but there is also a large community of amish and mennonite as well as chinese along with usual mix of mayan and spanish speaking latino and the garifuna. These quite different groups seem to coexist pretty well but with a good deal of mistrust. The govt talks alot about encouraging foreign investment and retirees but I don't think they quite walk the walk. It's a tropical country with laid back casual attitudes about getting things done. There is the overlay of the remains of British bureauocracy mindset but it seems to mainly exist in a stickiness about details that you don't find in the rest of C.A. The infastructure of the country is no better or worse than other countries in C.A. probably coming between the poorer countries of Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador and the richer ones of Panama and Costa Rica. If the new Canadian owned dam is completed in the Maya mountains it will be the only electricity generating place in the country, until then Belize buys all of its electricity from Mexico and takes what it can get when they are short. I would consider living inland in Belize, it is beautiful country with above ground rivers and gorgeous jungle and wildlife. I think though that I would get bored fairly quickly, there is little to say for Belizean food or culture. They do make good beer and they have Guinness on tap in all the bars and restaurants. Oh, did I mention that it is also expensive compared to neighboring countries? The Belizean dollar is pegged at 2 for 1 US and costs for normal living stuff are high.

In your fantasy scenario, I think I would try the Rió Dulce area of Guatemala, along the Honduras and Belize border. I'm going down there early next year to look around a bit. I'm a tropical weather/sea level kind of girl, I hate the cold, high altitudes, like it warm and want to be near the water. It would certainly be warm enough there but I think it might also have a pleasing combination of sophistication, culture and natural beauty, we'll see.

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I'm sitting with Rolly on this one: Vancouver BC. No question.

Marta

sandykayak

Dec 7, 2005, 1:28 PM

Post #21 of 41 (2450 views)

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Re: [Gary Anderson] If not Mexico, where would you live?

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After returning from a visit to Vancouver Island, I requested Canadian Immigration papers. Absolutely beautiful around there. camped at a provincial park for $10 US/week.

Also camped at Doe Bay Resort on Orcas Islands.
Sandy Kramer
Miami, Fla & El Parque

bfwpdx

Dec 7, 2005, 2:30 PM

Post #22 of 41 (2431 views)

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Re: [sandykayak] If not Mexico, where would you live?

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This is why we are planning only to live in Mexico for the winters (much as we love the place)....we also love living "at home" which is an island in between Vancouver Island and the mainland of BC. So it's gonna be a schizophrenic retirement with summers here and winters there....don't know any other way out of the dilemma (except Hobart Tasmania!)

cristalhombre

Dec 7, 2005, 10:59 PM

Post #23 of 41 (2347 views)

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Re: [bfwpdx] If not Mexico, where would you live?

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PLEASE.......all of you Pacific Northwest fans. Zip your lips. We need more stinkin' gringos here about as much as Ajijic does.

OK....off the record, I will agree 100%. Summers here are the best! Winters another story. Grey, damp, chilly (not cold).......generally depressing.

When my friends ask me why I bought a home in MX. I say it's easy. On the average, Ajijic has one day WITHOUT sun each month in the winter & on "average" Portland/Vancouver has ONE day with sun each month in the winter. Pretty simple why we will migrate down for the winters and back home for amazing summers here!

Just waiting for our 14 year old to "shift up" to independence. Crossing my fingers!

Don't see myself as a "full timer" in MX. Too much to do NOB in the summer, and the weather here is outstanding!

Life is Good.

"NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST...."

Bubba

Dec 8, 2005, 10:08 AM

Post #24 of 41 (2277 views)

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Re: [cristalhombre] If not Mexico, where would you live?

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Cristalhombre:

You nailed why I left the San Francisco Bay Area even though that part of Northern California isn't as bad as the northwest. The weather can be spectacular in San Francisco in the winter but the northern coast in summer is susceptable to dismal fog and what is fondly referred to as the "coastal layer" (dreary and incessant overcast without a chance of rain). Many from Oregon and Washington were appalled at the migration of Californians willing to pay top dollar for real estate there but as beautiful as that area is, I have never been tempted to move from overcast dreary winters to even more overcast dreary winters in retirement. Retired folk need sunshine more than working folk.

Since you brought up Ajijic, this town is changing. It is now packed with gringos, is becoming quite expensive and is devloping an unpleasant edge. It doesn't seem nearly as friendly (gringo/local wise) as it was five years ago when we first moved here. I guess this is inevitable as foreigners move in and overwhelm the place. The good news is the tianguis in Jocotepec, just a few kilometers down the road is way cheaper than the gringo influenced tiaguis in Ajijic. We just got back with a weeks worth of groceries and meat we purchased for a song.

Maybe I shouldn't have said that but I really don't think Jocotepec is going to be overwhelmed with gringos. I hope I'm right about that.

(This post was edited by Bubba on Dec 8, 2005, 10:10 AM)

Georgia

Dec 8, 2005, 12:52 PM

Post #25 of 41 (2246 views)

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Re: [talosian] If not Mexico, where would you live?

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Quito, Ecuador or Madrid, Spain. Problem is, my husband is a country mouse. So, I dunno. Maybe Puerto Rico.

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