International Living Community

Any suggestion on tour guides for Lisbon Portugal?

Great question! I'm not familiar with any sites or organizations in Spain that highlight accessible housing or communities. I would say that major cities would be the most accessible - Madrid and Barcelona. Smaller towns may be accessible in some areas but overall I find much of Spain was not built with accessibility in mind (except for the visually impaired). Most new buildings will have elevators but the units themselves may not be wheelchair accessible. Buses are wheelchair friendly but not all sidewalks are. I hope this helps!

Thanks for the good response.

It probably wouldn't hurt for some of us to eat a little humble pie. My experience in foreign countries, even 50 years ago, was that a lot of people seemed to feel that people from the United States were rather arrogant, even though we are trying to be friendly. Calling ourselves American can really bother people from Mexico, Canada, Central or South America. The people in Argentina called me Estado Unidense (United Statesian) or Yankee. With the Argentine accent, that sounded to me like they were calling my "junkie". Needless to say, I didn't like the sound of that. So breaking the ice wasn't easy. I eventually made life long friends with them, but it wasn't a great way to start. As far as people from other countries hating our government, especially places like Panama, Canada and Greenland, I can only think to comiserate with them, and let them know that is one of the reasons I'm coming to their country now.

We own a home just north of Coronado at Play Caracol. Our beach access is fantastic, the food is wonderful and it is quite with the most beautiful and longest beach on the Pacific side. It depends on what you want. Panama city is a big modern city where prices are similar to California where we live. We love the beach and the restaurnts in Coronado are great. It is all about what you want out of your time off in Panama. I love making our own food from fresh Longostina and fish 15 minutes away at Punta Chame and the quite of our home in Playa Caracol. We can always drive to Panama City for the day it ia 1.5 hours away for excitement.

il_admin said: Mary L. Says: What is the best way to find a furnished rental apartment in the Cannes/Antibes area of France? It should be at least a one bedroom but could be two.

Thanks I will also that a look! Sharon

Hi I am also looking in tge Algarve region for possible Airbnb.

what is the best way to find a month-long rental near the beach in Nice?

specialists must be Panamanian citizens which means you would not be able to practice in these professions if you become a legal citizen?

Thanks for the on-the-ground input, Jess. For others with the same question for locations around the world, I find that Wikipedia has great charts that show monthly temperature ranges, preciptiation amounts, sunlight hours, etc. Just go to their site and look for the climate section; somtimes it is under geography. Michael

Hi Bekah, Thank you for your reply and the links. We currently own a lake front home in North Florida and are looking to duplicate this in Costa Rica. A condo with nice amenities may be a good choice however we are open. Lake Arenal looks very nice but a smaller lake may be a better option IF actual lakefront property is available at a reasonable cost. There is an almost overwhelming amount of listings on the net for Lake Arenal but seemingly nothing on "other" lakes. We would be selling our home here and likely buying but would like to keep a purchase at or below 300k. We will be at Playa Flamingo in June for several days of world class fishing and some exploring. You can contact me separately at JDStansberry@aol.com if that is more appropriate. Thank you again for your reply! Best, John

Hi Jim. I'm Jim Santos, IL's Roving Correspondent, and we have had to deal with this issue ourselves. You hate to pay for insurance when you are not using the car, but on the other hand, car rental prices in the US have increased greatly over the last two years. So a lot comes down to how long you will be gone on each trip, and where you can keep your vehicle. We have found that if our car is garage-kept, being away for up to three months at a time isn't a problem. We complete any regular service required, and make sure the car is clean and the gas tank full before storing. I've read that reducing the tire pressure a bit helps, but we haven't tried that. We also once kept our car in a rented outside space (with an all-weather car cover) for 5 weeks while we were in Mexico and it started right up on our return. Last April, we did sell our car, because we planned to be traveling for two or more years. However, a medical issue forced an early return, and we ended up having to buy a car again. In the future, we plan to keep our car, and like yourself, travel 8-9 months of the years in 2-3 month increments. Hope that helps, and happy travels!

Hi Deborah, There are many Facebook groups that pertain to Portugal like Americans & Friends PT, Expats Portugal, Silver Coast Our Home and many more. Reach out to expats who live in those areas to find out when their meetups are or to meet with individuals one on one to chat. The first group mentioned is based in Cascais near Lisbon so they can be of help. Happy Travels, Terry Coles Portugal Contributor

Hello, You can use this website for car values: https://serviciosnet.hacienda.go.cr/autohacienda/ As for other goods, will you be shipping on a container or buying abroad and sending to Costa Rica? I suggest talking with a lawyer if you plan on picking things up from customs here in Costa Rica. I love to share my lawyer's contact info: https://themislegalcr.com/ or you can send a WhatsApp here: Rosa +506 8831 2261 Are you a resident? If you are getting your residency, do you know about his Law? Costa Rica's Law 9996 allows qualified residents to import up to two vehicles duty-free for personal or family use and a one-time exemption for importing used household goods and personal effects. It's only in effect for another 2 years I think, so might be something important to consider if you want to bring a car and goods into the country. -Bekah Bottone, IL Costa Rica Correspondent

Hello. There are so much variety here in Costa Rica, so you will need to figure out what your needs are -- get specific and think about things such as climate, location, and healthcare. I suggest spending a month and staying in different places to really get a feel for them and check out the vibe for yourself. I recently visited Atenas and Grecia in the Central Valley and you might want to check them out if being close to health is necessary The best healthcare is in the Central Valley, so keep that in mind. The best equipped hostpitals and most specialists are there. Often times, a specialist will visit a clinic in Guanacaste once a month. So it isn't as conveninet. I met a wonderful woman in Grecia, who specializes in real estate in these areas. I suggest contacting her on WhatsApp: Brooke Bishop +506 8311 5336 In the Central Valley, you will find the country's biggest cities and many bigger towns. That doesn't mean it's all urban. There are plenty of quiet countryside locations, little mountain villages, bustling market towns — you can also get away from it all in the Central Valley. I suggest checking out some other areas, maybe Escazu, Alajuela, Santa Ana, Pavas, Tres Rios, and Cartago. If you stay in San Jose, you might want to stay at the Grano de Oro or the Gran Hilton Hotel. And we hold our yearly conference at the InterContinental Escazu. Another important factor to consider is the weather. What temperatures do you prefer? It rains everywhere, yet some places have more rain than others. The beaches- Hot and humid, and I love them! Guanacaste is the driest part of Costa Rica. The Central Pacific receives more rain. Lake Arenal- Cooler (temperature) than the beach. Nuevo Arenal gets about 50% more rain than Tronadora, located just across the lake. Tronadora is much windier. La Fortuna and the surrounding towns like Chachagua are drier and warmer. The Central Valley- Cooler temperatures - especially from the variety of elevations available. I always recommmend reaching out to FB groups and asking questions. I use those groups to learn about differnt areas and connect with new people all of the time. FB groups are very active here and worth using as a resource. These FB pages might be a good start: Arenal https://www.facebook.com/groups/712758082803982 https://www.facebook.com/groups/270122543035935 Guanacaste https://www.facebook.com/groups/297720547030161 https://www.facebook.com/groups/3442610169117243 Jaco https://www.facebook.com/groups/290260966853843 https://www.facebook.com/groups/711552235579574 There are lots of expat groups too: search 'Expats in... ' As for budget, the best thing in my opinion is to talk with peopel currently living in the area. You can find expat meetups in FB groups. For example, this group posts about a women's would be a great place to get insider info. https://www.facebook.com/groups/663758784658197 Many people find staying in an Airbnb a good way to check out a community, more so than a hotel. I talked with Nick when in Nuevo Arenal and he rent out an Airbnb. https://internationalliving.com/from-deaths-door-to-thriving-in-lake-arenal-costa-rica/ (https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/40036748?source_impression_id=p3_1719933875_P3ic3CyJiPWB-oYF) Let me know if you have any more questions and if you head to the Tamarindo area. Once you narrow down your search, send me an update here so I can share more info. Happy New Year! -Bekah, IL Costa Rica Correspondent