Moving to Latin America...help!

[Sarah in SC]

These are great, thanks! I already picked up the Motorcycle Diaries but haven't watched it yet. We are also suffering through the Destinos series each week at the behest of our tutor. Love the 80s! I'll see about the others, as we have a fairly decent Spanish language section at the local regional library.
Ha, it is going pretty slow, but anything is better than nothing as far as our skills go! If I can get tot he point where I can understand directions, numbers, and distances when we get lost in the Andes, then that will be a major victory. Oh, and parts for the motorcycle!

 

[MichaelB]

La Ley De Herodes. It's not in Netflix but I'll keep a watch. We enjoy many of the same films and directors.

Mexican films are quite good, and the better ones are critical views of Mexico. They focus on corruption, exploitation of the poor, lawlessness, and other social themes. The fact that they enjoy both critical and popular success suggests the issues they portray reflect one view of reality. Just something to keep in mind for those planning on relocating to Mexico.

Ha, your spanish might improve if you spent less time at the bar. By that I mean, start at the bar, but then continue your evening practicing your spanish in a more personal setting. It's amazing how a couple of drinks can help loosen one's tongue.

 

[haha]

It's amazing how a couple of drinks can help loosen one's tongue.

Beautiful set-up, Michael, and normally I would spike it, but I may be on probation so I reluctantly pass...

ha

 

[Surfs_Up]

The three top 3 things to enjoy your overseas experience are learn Spanish, learn Spanish, learn Spanish. The fastest way to learn is to have a girlfriend that only speaks Spanish. Also, Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish is an excellent way to learn faster. This is a good time to remember that no good deed goes unpunished. Many expats lend money/things or go into business ventures with locals and lose their a**. Many folks don't realize that in some Latin American countries, if you get taken advantage of, its seen through the eyes of many in that culture as your fault. Juego Vivo. Remember, this aint Kansas.

 

[obgyn65]

Good luck, Surewhitey. Please let us know how things go for you.

We are moving, likely to Playa del Carmen, Mex. We've visited there a lot over the years and we have hooked up with 2-English congregations for local support and volunteering.

 

[ItDontMeanAThing]

... any other Spanish language films that have English subtitles that you'd recommend as we prep for our trip to Peru, Michael?

Have you considered a language exchange website? Use skype to speak with someone who is a native speaker of the language you're learning and who is learning your native language. This site is free. Right now there are 8743 Spanish speakers who are learning English, including 9 Peruvian members on the first page of results. I think results are ordered by time since last logon. sharedtalk.com. I haven't tried it yet, too much procrastination.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Have you considered a language exchange website? Use skype to speak with someone who is a native speaker of the language you're learning and who is learning your native language. This site is free. Right now there are 8743 Spanish speakers who are learning English, including 9 Peruvian members on the first page of results. I think results are ordered by time since last logon. sharedtalk.com. I haven't tried it yet, too much procrastination.

We actually meet weekly for 1.5 hour private lessons with a Peruvian who teaches and translates here in town. She is married to an American and was trained to teach (and worked at) Berlitz when they had an office here. Vanessa is a great teacher but we are slow students. We really need the motivation of the private one-on-one type experience but I love the idea that skype is enabling this sort of exchange.

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

The three top 3 things to enjoy your overseas experience are learn Spanish, learn Spanish, learn Spanish. The fastest way to learn is to have a girlfriend that only speaks Spanish. Also, Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish is an excellent way to learn faster. This is a good time to remember that no good deed goes unpunished. Many expats lend money/things or go into business ventures with locals and lose their a**. Many folks don't realize that in some Latin American countries, if you get taken advantage of, its seen through the eyes of many in that culture as your fault. Juego Vivo. Remember, this aint Kansas.

Had one of those. She did help me learn lots of Spanish. It was an immersion program and a half. However, I don't think that's a realistic option even here in Florida because most of the Spanish-speaking population's English is way better than my Spanish, so even if I do land a Puerto Rican or Dominican girl, it's not going to help my Spanish that much.

I looked at a conversational Spanish meet up, but it's only for intermediate to advanced speakers. I also don't feel like forking over $500 for a community college course only to find that I'm sitting with a bunch of non-motivated students who are there simply to get the credits. That leaves CD courses, Google Translate, watching Univision soaps with subtitles, and getting private tutors for $20/hour. Any other options?

 

[ItDontMeanAThing]

That leaves CD courses, Google Translate, watching Univision soaps with subtitles, and getting private tutors for $20/hour. Any other options?

I used Learning Spanish Like Crazy (LSLC) CD course to revive my High School Spanish. Their technique is different. After the teaching part of the lesson one then has to respond to questions before the recorded voice. Every other CD lesson plan I looked at is the 'repeat after me' type. LSLC forces one to generate and say answers. Only way to do that is to both know the material and not think too much.

A spaced repetition flash card program. The program uses elapsed time between card presentation and user clicking to see the answer and the user's self grading of how well he knows the answer to determine the elapsed time until the card is shown next. For example, I've known 'con' means 'with' ever since I started eating Chile con Carne as a boy. My flashcard program is due to show it to me next in 6.1 years. I use Anki, it's free. Runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android phones.

A free online language exchange community.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

I just found this discussion of expatriating to Costa Rica.

Expat Experiences: Costa Rica - Andy and Fran Browne | Move Abroad, Live Abroad, Work Abroad, Retire Abroad

Several interesting comments there that are in line with my thinking.

 

[kcowan]

... I also like the KCowan approach.... but we would rent.

Yes many rentals are quite inexpensive. In our case, because we rent up north, buying a place for $150/sq.ft. was cheaper because of our length of stay in Mexico. And DW had a place to call hers.

Rentals for that class of place in season are $150 a night so it was an easy decision.

For OP, make sure to visit Mexico Expat Forum for Expats Living in Mexico - Expat Forum For Expats, For Moving Overseas And For Jobs Abroad for more general questions.

 

[Surewhitey]

Agree.

Renting for a year or two when you first become an expat has a double advantage:
1) You can decide if it's the right move for you, as mentioned above, and
2) You get a feel for the local market, and will likely get a much better deal on the property you do buy (including possibly the price for a local, versus a foreigner, because you can make friends and get them to find out the local's price before you inquire)

Well worth renting for at least a year, to save money and make sure it's the right move (BOOM pun)

Agreed on much of your thoughts. We've already made contact with some locals and they have been very helpful without looking to profit from our coming down.

We'll definitely rent for at least a year, probably for even longer unless we just come across a smokin' deal.

Mexico has been our destination of choice (just below Hawaii) and the cost of living, food & area has been our favorite for 12+ years. Not to mention the endless places to see & visit (Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, etc.) We plan to possibly live in any one of these places for a month, so our "living" costs will not be in addition to our travel costs.

 

[Surewhitey]

We have spoken with a few in the area, some have been there for 9 years and still happy there (they're in their 50's now, originally from WA). They did not mention any violence and we have never felt unsafe when walking / biking the streets.

We also have found places from $600 to $1k monthly a few blocks from the Caribbean. The street taco / torta guys are awesome too. We are budgeting $2k-2,500 monthly and will live "under the radar" with the poor people...so they won't want to kidnap us...

 

[friar1610]

I haven't visited this web site in a while, but you may find it useful:

paulvicgroup

The people who run it are perpetual travelers and have been so for many years. Some of their time has been in Latin America.

Good luck!

 

[kcowan]

I haven't visited this web site in a while, but you may find it useful:

paulvicgroup

The people who run it are perpetual travelers and have been so for many years. Some of their time has been in Latin America.

Good luck!

Neither had I visited for a while. Their Chang Mai visit was at least two years ago...but they are definitely on the move and a useful resource! I think their home outside Buenos Aries is a sign that they needed some roots.

Billy and Akaisha Kaleri are also a useful resource. They got their start in Ajijic.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I remember reading their book early on in my ER study. Great for you to resurrect the link to their website. It has been a while for me as well.

 

[Surfs_Up]

Had one of those. She did help me learn lots of Spanish. It was an immersion program and a half. However, I don't think that's a realistic option even here in Florida because most of the Spanish-speaking population's English is way better than my Spanish, so even if I do land a Puerto Rican or Dominican girl, it's not going to help my Spanish that much.

I looked at a conversational Spanish meet up, but it's only for intermediate to advanced speakers. I also don't feel like forking over $500 for a community college course only to find that I'm sitting with a bunch of non-motivated students who are there simply to get the credits. That leaves CD courses, Google Translate, watching Univision soaps with subtitles, and getting private tutors for $20/hour. Any other options?

Yes, it's much easier to get immersed in a Spanish speaking country like Panama where I live. A good start is the library IMO. You can get Pimslers CDs for free and listen to them to get basic travel phrases dialed. Also, read and study Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish Book (excellent). Then, find some areas in your city where they speak allot of Spanish and practice (allot).....everyday if possible. I've also found reading in Spanish (outloud, everyday) for 15 minutes or more is helpful. Rosetta Stone helps and the soaps/news too. It wasn't easy for me to learn Spanish, it took a few years of living in Panama full time to really start to click...and a girlfriend that only spoke Spanish.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Those are all great ideas, Surf! We watched another Spanish movie last night, La Dame de Noches and it was awesome. We have Madrigal's as well, but haven't spent as much time with it as we could. The local Mexican restaurant is a favorite and all of the waitstaff go out of their way to teach us new words and help us order in Spanish.

We also picked up some children's bilingual books so we could read Spanish to each other over breakfast each day. I'm sure my DH would be happy to get him a Spanish-speaking girlfriend but it might cost him the house!

 

[mexico]

We are moving, likely to Playa del Carmen, Mex. We've visited there a lot over the years and we have hooked up with 2-English congregations for local support and volunteering.

Has anyone got advice for us in their transitions to another country? If you have stories of Mexico (no doom & gloom about body parts, please), please share them.

We are also planning on visiting a few other places, say, Lake Chapala (Mexico) or north of San Jose (Costa Rica) in the summer (cooler there) and coastal regions in the winter, maybe Belize too.

We will have a budget of living on $2-2,500 in areas outside of tourist spots. We've spoken to a few we know personally who talk about $1-1,500, so we're trying to be reasonable & conservative.

We do not have a home to leave (aka renters) and our kid-o is married living in Dallas, so we can get back quickly if need be.

Our financial situation is appx. $950k (pretty liquid on half) and no "assets" to speak of. Planning on selling everything but what we can fit in one car and driving it to Dallas to leave at our daughter's house. We have appx. $6k annually in dividends coming in currently with $115k invested, another $180k in cash accounts & a small loan to the kido's; the rest is in CD's & 401k's. All in all, I expect a modest 4-5% on average or $38-47k annually.

We should be able to not touch our principal for the most part and our returning to the states is undetermined right now. I have a hunch, maybe 2 years.

What our your thoughts

Hi

I moved to Mexico 2yrs ago and while I still w*rk, selling into L.A, I plan on hanging it up in 1-2 yrs but staying down here. If I move, it will be to another country and most likely not back to US anytime soon. Here are my thoughts:

Safety- I got tired of defending Latin America as a safe place to live but it sounds like you have done your research & looked at data versus anecdoctal comments. I live & work here, travel throughout the country-both flying & driving- and have never felt threatened. My company, which is conservative & mathematical, wouldn't allow it if they thought there was a risk of getting dragged through the streets naked.

Budget-2k sounds about right without travel but depends on variable costs such as housing etc. Keep in mind that living in a tourist place /beach could involve a higher electric bill.

Medical care is good but I am mid 40's & have not had any major medical issues besides the standard stomach adjustments that is typical when you move to another country.

Playa del carmen- Have been to Tulum but not playa del Carmen although hear good things. It does get humid. IF you like the Yucatan also check out the city of Merida which has about 700k people, 22 miles inland, spectacular homes, great food, and very nice people. Again, it does get humid.

Chapala- Home to largest ex pat community outside US, dry climate, close to Guadalajara ( my home). I personally prefer town of Ajijic which is on the lake but few miles from town of Chapala.

Everytime I go back to the states I meet people that are really struggling, some in their 60's, but they won't leave for various reasons. If the cartel freaks you out, many other places such as Equador, Panama, Thailand, that offer lost cost of living & high sense of adventure. I would also check into Belize as you mentioned. If you are not buying anything, you can probably do it with your savings.

Let me know if you have any other questions & best of luck with your new adventure.

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

Those are all great ideas, Surf! We watched another Spanish movie last night, La Dame de Noches and it was awesome. We have Madrigal's as well, but haven't spent as much time with it as we could. The local Mexican restaurant is a favorite and all of the waitstaff go out of their way to teach us new words and help us order in Spanish.

We also picked up some children's bilingual books so we could read Spanish to each other over breakfast each day. I'm sure my DH would be happy to get him a Spanish-speaking girlfriend but it might cost him the house!

Thread jack alert: So what does a tornado and a marriage in common? In the beginning, there is a lot of blowing and sucking, but at the end someone loses a house.

 

[CoolChange]

...
Keep in mind that living in a tourist place /beach could involve a higher electric bill.
...
IF you like the Yucatan also check out the city of Merida which has about 700k people, 22 miles inland, spectacular homes, great food, and very nice people. Again, it does get humid.
...

Thanks for the pointer about the higher electric bill in the tourist/beach areas. I did not realize that would be an issue.

Do you have any specific thoughts and/or suggestions about the little beach towns close to Merida? Basically, I would be looking for something that I could rent monthly within an easy walk to the beach as well as being an easy drive/bus-ride into Merida. That area is on my to explore soon list for Mexico; but, I haven't had much free time lately to address that list.

Thanks again.

 

[mexico]

Thanks for the pointer about the higher electric bill in the tourist/beach areas. I did not realize that would be an issue.

Do you have any specific thoughts and/or suggestions about the little beach towns close to Merida? Basically, I would be looking for something that I could rent monthly within an easy walk to the beach as well as being an easy drive/bus-ride into Merida. That area is on my to explore soon list for Mexico; but, I haven't had much free time lately to address that list.

Thanks again.

I have friends that live in La Cruz ( pacific coast) and have a high electric bill because of 2 things; the humidity, and the fact that as usage goes up, so does the rate per kw. The assumption is if you can afford a lot of usage, you can pay more. There are tricks to get around some of this if you own, such as 2 meters, etc. but expect other things, such as food, to be more expensive because of the amt of tourists. Personally, I wouldn't live on the beach because of the humidity but I understand the draw to the water. Also, like other places with extreme heat or cold, you stay indoors during the rough months.

I don't know Merida area well enough to offer any advice except that half the fun is researching and exploring especially if you are renting.