Ten Best Places in the World: One in Ec, Two in Panama

Didn't Honduras have the highest murder rate in the world for 2013?
Have had the good fortune to have visited or spent time in 5 of the places on the list. All nice, but not sure they belong on a list of the best places in the world.

j600rr wrote:

Didn't Honduras have the highest murder rate in the world for 2013?

In a word, yes.

The U.S. State Department says that certain tourist areas, including  Roatan island and the Copan Mayan ruins, have lower crime rates than Honduras overall.
(source: travel.state.gov)

cccmedia in Quito

j600rr wrote:

Have had the good fortune to have visited or spent time in 5 of the places on the list. All nice, but not sure they belong on a list of the best places in the world.

Could you be more specific, and add a couple of your favorites to the list.

Would Chesapeake Bay or the Del-Mar-Va Peninsula make the list....

cccmedia in Quito

cccmedia wrote:

j600rr wrote:

Have had the good fortune to have visited or spent time in 5 of the places on the list. All nice, but not sure they belong on a list of the best places in the world.

Could you be more specific, and add a couple of your favorites to the list.

Would Chesapeake Bay or the Del-Mar-Va Peninsula make the list....

cccmedia in Quito

Actually there are quite a few nice places along the Chesapeake Bay, and would also throw Annapolis, and the Rehoboth/Bethany Beach area of Delaware as quite nice places.

Of the top 10 list there is 2 that I am very familiar with. Nosara which is actually where I lived for a number of years, and Boquete. Nosara is or was a wonderful place. Absolutely beautiful beaches, but bad infrastructure, unpaved roads (at least were, maybe has changed), violent crime is not bad, but petty crime was horrible. Got to the point if you left your house for a day or two it was almost guaranteed it would be broken into. If had any medical problems of any significance the nearest location for somewhat decent (and use that term loosely) medical care would be Nicoya which would be anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour with half the drive on unpaved bumpy road. This is just a few of the problems. Funny thing is I actually loved the place, but wouldn't put it on a top place in the world list.

Boquete I visit from time to time. It's nice, but never really have quite seen the popularity. Nonetheless, while it is nice many areas have water problems, medical care is probably average, perhaps a bit above average in some locations. Crime isn't terrible, but there is probably more violent crimes then people want to admit. The infrastructure is average at best. Outside of Panama City it's probably the most expensive place to live in Panama, or at least in top 3. Again it's not a bad place by any means, but hardly think it qualifies as a top place.

I would take Maui or Big Island Hawaii over any of the places on the list any day. Will throw New Zealand in as well, because it's an absolutely gorgeous country. San Diego, or almost anywhere on the coast in Southern California I enjoy. La Paz in Mexico/Baja California is a great place.

Not arguing that the places on the list are nice, but don't really see them as top places in the world to live (in my opinion).

j600rr wrote:

there are quite a few nice places along the Chesapeake Bay, and would also throw in Annapolis and the Rehoboth/Bethany Beach area of Delaware...

Serial Expats visiting these parts may wish to visit Baltimore, Maryland.  "Charm City" has a tourist-friendly, historic Inner Harbor area...winning sports teams...a new casino near the international airport...and is famous for steamed crabs and crab cakes (some of the crab meat imported from Mexico and Ecuador*), washed down with a mug of National Beer.

"Around Chesapeake Bay,
When you hear people say: 
Goes good with a beer...
Well, the beer that they mean on the Chesapeake scene
Is National Beer, yeah,
Is National Beer."
  -- 20th century jingle
      Copyright c. 1966, National Brewing Company, Baltimore, MD**

*Chesapeake Bay's water quality not being what it once was, seafood is now brought in from such places as Mexico, Ecuador and North Carolina to satisfy the local demand for crab dinners.  (Wikipedia)  Phillips Foods, the world's largest processor of pasteurised crab meat, has 17 plants worldwide, including one in Guayaquil, Ecuador. (phillipsfoods.com)

** As the result of mergers and acquisitions, National Brewing Co. no longer exists, and beer is no longer produced at its old brewery site in Baltimore.

Seeing Boquete, Cuenca, Antigua, Granada, and Lake Chapala on the list makes me think this is an excellent list of places for people who want to be surrounded by lots of other expats.

Okay for what is is, but not for me, thanks.

Obviously this is a list for unwealthy (cheap?) expats who want to live on meager SS and brag that they couldn't live as well in the USA.  The ten best places in the world to live are all in Latin America?  Not unlike International Living, the people who put out this list have some other kind of agenda in mind.  No place in Asia or the South Pacific?  Unreal

mugtech wrote:

Obviously this is a list for unwealthy (cheap?) expats who want to live on meager SS and brag that they couldn't live as well in the USA.  The ten best places in the world to live are all in Latin America?  Not unlike International Living, the people who put out this list have some other kind of agenda in mind.  No place in Asia or the South Pacific?  Unreal

Don´t spoil it for us Mugtech. We don´t like to think of ourselves as economic refugees.  It is not as romantic...........

Nards Barley wrote:

Don´t spoil it for us Mugtech. We don´t like to think of ourselves as economic refugees.  It is not as romantic...........

Please excuse me for raining on the romantic parade.
Hallucinating does not change reality, just your perception of same.
There should be no shame in admitting that one moved to a place because it was cheaper and therefore allowed for a better level of living.  Just a matter of accepting other changes as part of the deal.

mugtech wrote:

Nards Barley wrote:

Don´t spoil it for us Mugtech. We don´t like to think of ourselves as economic refugees.  It is not as romantic...........

Please excuse me for raining on the romantic parade.
Hallucinating does not change reality, just your perception of same.
There should be no shame in admitting that one moved to a place because it was cheaper and therefore allowed for a better level of living.  Just a matter of accepting other changes as part of the deal.

Exactly. It's not like these places are bad by any means, but the thread states "Ten Best Places in the World".

cccmedia wrote:

Serial Expats visiting these parts may wish to visit Baltimore, Maryland.  "Charm City" has a tourist-friendly, historic Inner Harbor area...winning sports teams...a new casino near the international airport...and is famous for steamed crabs and crab cakes (some of the crab meat imported from Mexico and Ecuador*), washed down with a mug of National Beer.

That is some of the good. Some of the bad would be that Baltimore City consistently ranks in the top 50 world's most dangerous cities. The HBO series "The Wire" portrays the Baltimore inner city area,  political corruption, and incompetence pretty well. That's a great show by the way IMHO. In all fairness it's really only a few areas of Baltimore City that really skew the statistics. Is probably not quite as bad a place as it sounds.

Plus Colt 45 was brewed here. Anyone remember these commercials, or were they only played in the Baltimore area?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHtT0x6_MDMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pK5HmuCMBM

j600rr wrote:

Colt 45 was brewed here. Anyone remember these commercials, or were they only played in the Baltimore area?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHtT0x6_MDMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pK5HmuCMBM

The Billy Dee mini-commercial "Why Take Chances" brought a smile to my face.  His delivery was so utterly perfect.

But no, I don't remember those commercials from watching New York City TV stations in that era.

Meanwhile, WBAL 1090 was audible after dark in Town of Cortlandt, NY, where I seem to have heard this jingle during every Orioles night game: 

"The Chesapeake Bay way of living goes good with a National Beer."

j600rr wrote:

Actually there are quite a few nice places along the Chesapeake Bay, and would also throw Annapolis, and the Rehoboth/Bethany Beach area of Delaware as quite nice places.

.

My favorite spot in the lower three counties (What Delaware was known as when still part of Pennsylvania) is Lewes.  It is a quaint old town with great surf, state parks, on the migratory path of birds headed to Hawk Mountain, PA without all the hustle and bustle of Rehoboth.

mugtech wrote:

j600rr wrote:

Actually there are quite a few nice places along the Chesapeake Bay, and would also throw Annapolis, and the Rehoboth/Bethany Beach area of Delaware as quite nice places.

.

My favorite spot in the lower three counties (What Delaware was known as when still part of Pennsylvania) is Lewes.  It is a quaint old town with great surf, state parks, on the migratory path of birds headed to Hawk Mountain, PA without all the hustle and bustle of Rehoboth.

You think Rehoboth has a lot of hustle and bustle? Maybe is because I'm comparing it to Ocean City MD where it can get very hectic, but always found Rehoboth to be much quieter, and laid back. At any rate thanks for the input about Lewes. Might just have to take a trip out there, and spend some time. I enjoy Maryland, but Delaware is a much more friendly tax state. Might have to seriously consider a relocation to Delaware in the next few years.

How about Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay....
,
Anybody been there...

According to my research, it's got waterfront, a mild climate, a casino, a historic Centro (was an old Portuguese fortress town) and almost no air pollution. 

And it's just a 45-minute boat ride from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

cccmedia in Quito

cccmedia wrote:

How about Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay....
,
Anybody been there...

According to my research, it's got waterfront, a mild climate, a casino, a historic Centro (was an old Portuguese fortress town) and almost no air pollution. 

And it's just a 45-minute boat ride from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

cccmedia in Quito

That sounds very nice. Would be interested myself to hear from anyone that has been there.

Looks pretty nice from this short video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgSrCh6WY3g

j600rr wrote:

cccmedia wrote:

How about Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay....
,
Anybody been there...

According to my research, it's got waterfront, a mild climate, a casino, a historic Centro (was an old Portuguese fortress town) and almost no air pollution. 

And it's just a 45-minute boat ride from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

cccmedia in Quito

That sounds very nice. Would be interested myself to hear from anyone that has been there.

Looks pretty nice from this short video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgSrCh6WY3g

WOW Casinos and legal weed, what are you waiting for?

@j600rr -

I don't *know* anything about Uruguay, but when we planned our south American scouting expedition two years ago, Uruguay was on my short list.

Until.....

I discovered it was nearly impossible to get health care coverage at any price anywhere if you were over 60.

Uruguay doesn't have a socialized health care system in the terms we think of. They have a bunch of rather unconnected medicinias which are paid for through domestic wage taxes. The citizen belongs to a particular medicinia. And the medicinias are not obligated to serve privately insured or cash paying customers or even other non-member Uruguyans, only their members. They will not take enrolees beyond the age of 60 of any stripe.

There is also a British hospital and clinic in Montevideo, but they also will not insure nor allow to join, new members over the age of 60. So I'm guessing that most expats who move to Uruguay are rather younger, and/or carry private international health insurance.

And living expenses in Uruguay are much higher than other parts of S. America, the cost of housing is quite pricey.

So we didn't go.

j600rr wrote:

cccmedia wrote:

How about Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay....
,
Anybody been there...

According to my research, it's got waterfront, a mild climate, a casino, a historic Centro (was an old Portuguese fortress town) and almost no air pollution. 

And it's just a 45-minute boat ride from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

cccmedia in Quito

That sounds very nice. Would be interested myself to hear from anyone that has been there.

Looks pretty nice from this short video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgSrCh6WY3g

Don't waste your time on the expat boards on Uruguay, the info is scant, basic questions go unanswered for years.

@gardener Thanks for the info. That kind of surprises me about Uruguay. Not that I particularly know that much, but it always seems like every so often Uruguay will pop up as a place to live, and retire. Can't say that have ever heard a lot of negatives about the place, but doesn't seem to be a real popular place for expats, or at least North Americans. Wonder why that is? Maybe the healthcare situation is a big turnoff? Anthony Bourdain did an episode on it once. Looked like an interesting country. Would appear that there is a pretty good infrastructure and such in place. Suppose thinking about it am just a bit surprised you don't hear Uruguay mentioned more.

Mugtech Thanks for the heads up. No plans to visit anytime soon, but if that changes is nice to know that the Uruguay forum here won't be a place to gather much information.

Well the health dilemma certainly stopped us dead in the tracks. I think it probably has a huge impact on potential expatting.

And a an aside, most of the expat bogs and forums and information I did find in English, seemed to be largely contributed by Europeans of one kind or another. Perhaps their nationalized benefits extend overseas? I don't know.

But I do think there are very few N. American retirees there.

You know and the more I got to seeing whatever I could find about Uruguay and thinking about it, the less appealing it became, especially after we visited Ecuador. (with an utter lack of expertise on the subject) it really seemed like Uruguay didn't really have much of a native culture, kind of like no flavor of it's own. Just a small flat bit of land stuck in between Brazil and Argentina. Not a real there, there.

Ecuador oozes character, all of its own.

Since Boquete was mentioned, here is a pretty well written article about it if anyone is interested. Overall is a pretty objective article. In fact think some of the advice given is excellent overall advice, and much of that advice can also be applied to Ecuador, or wherever else in Latin America anyone might be considering.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/best-pla … 1417408063

j600rr wrote:

Since Boquete was mentioned, here is a pretty well written article about it if anyone is interested. Overall is a pretty objective article. In fact think some of the advice given is excellent overall advice, and much of that advice can also be applied to Ecuador, or wherever else in Latin America anyone might be considering.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/best-pla … 1417408063

It is well written and even handed about the place, 20% expat and growing rapidly.
I was rather amused that it is a dream come true while his wife separated and returned to the USA.
Worth reading.

gardener1 wrote:

Well the health dilemma certainly stopped us dead in the tracks. I think it probably has a huge impact on potential expatting.

Darned good info, Gardener.

And rather surprising, since I had a mental image of Uruguay as a welfare state. I checked it out, though, and it looks like you are right. This article ...

https://www.umhs-sk.org/blog/health-car … al-Schools

... while praising Uruguay's healthcare system overall, mentions that 'mutualistas' have an age cap.

mugtech wrote:

WOW Casinos and legal weed, what are you waiting for?

The highly respected Mugtech was ribbing me, of course.  I have no interest in "weed."

I do, however, like Colonia, Uruguay's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site (a distinction it shares with Quito), the fact that the high temps most months are in the 60's and 70's, and that it's an easy trip  from there to Buenos Aires, Montevideo (UR's capital) and the "Riviera of South America" -- the beaches of Punta del Este.

cccmedia in Quito

Now, anytime someone says they like Uruguay, it must mean they're an addict and want to smoke weed. Just like anyone that's a libertarian is merely a pot smoker. Being profreedom=drug addict.

BrandonBP wrote:

Now, anytime someone says they like Uruguay, it must mean they're an addict and want to smoke weed. Just like anyone that's a libertarian is merely a pot smoker. Being profreedom=drug addict.

Not everyone that drinks is an alcoholic, not everyone that smokes weed is an addict.
I am a libertarian and do neither.  You are overstating the case, the Pauls are not addicts.

BrandonBP wrote:

Now, anytime someone says they like Uruguay, it must mean they're an addict and want to smoke weed. Just like anyone that's a libertarian is merely a pot smoker. Being profreedom=drug addict.

I have always associated the liberal/artsy/hippie as more of the pot smokers. Maybe that's the new thing, associating libertarians as pot smoker/drug addicts, but haven't heard that before.

Getting way off topic, but think the whole drug stigma is more of a generational thing. Not everyone, but pretty sure if you polled most people my age, and younger off the record most would care less is someone did drugs (especially pot). Would say most my age, and younger would also be in favor of legalizing drugs (at least in small quantities).

BrandonBP wrote:

Now, anytime someone says they like Uruguay, it must mean they're an addict and want to smoke weed....Being profreedom=drug addict.

At first reading, I thought maybe Brandon had "lost the plot."

I am now convinced it was just a Moment of Sarcasm.

cccmedia wrote:

At first reading, I thought maybe Brandon had "lost the plot."

I am now convinced it was just a Moment of Sarcasm.

I'm a very sarcastic, dry person, but I didn't intend it in this situation. However, I see now that my tone wasn't clear.

I'm a libertarian. Very much so. I believe that people should be left alone as long as their actions do not infringe upon someone else's liberty or property. If you want to smoke weed or marry a goat or slaughter chickens in your basement, then it's none of my business. And it shouldn't be anyone else's business either, especially not the government's.

Now, I personally have no desire to smoke pot. I tried it once in college and didn't like it. But I will completely defend someone else's desire to smoke pot as a matter of personal liberty. I don't want my Delta pilot to be high or my surgeon to smoke weed at the very moment I'm being flown in a jumbojet or operated upon, but I don't care if they do it when their on their offtime. I don't want my dentist to be drunk while drilling my tooth, but he/she should be able to have wine with dinner.

That being said, my statement about Uruguay and libertarians was from personal experience. As a libertarian, I've had people tell me, "Oh, you're that party that just wants to smoke weed and use heroin." No, that isn't the case at all. I can stand up for gay rights and not be gay myself. I can support the liberty of digesting something into your own body without wanting to do it myself. Supporting someone's freedom to be a free citizen doesn't mean condoning their actions. I don't think it's a good thing to smoke cigarettes, but who is anyone to tell you that you can't?

Since Uruguay has decriminalized marijuana, they're getting the same flak from social conservatives that I received from traveling to Colombia. "Oh, you're going to Colombia because you can snort coke there." No, that had nothing to do with my travels to Colombia whatsoever. If I go to Uruguay, it's not because I want to smoke weed. I don't. I've been to Amsterdam twice and didn't smoke anything there either.

If my tone was unclear, then perhaps this post makes more sense.

In Uruguay one must have perm res status to smoke weed with immunity, they are not looking for stoned tourists, don't want to become the Colorado of SA.

International Living ranks Uruguay 9th on its 2014 retirement index, never mentions health care or legal weed.
Sounds like a nice place to visit, but......
It is ranked behind #8, Malta.  I cannot imagine being trapped there, it does have a 90 minute ferry service to Sicily
IL claims time has stood still, which is not good news since the Luftwaffe flattened it in 1942.

mugtech wrote:

International Living ranks Uruguay 9th on its 2014 retirement index, never mentions health care or legal weed.
Sounds like a nice place to visit, but......
It is ranked behind #8, Malta.  I cannot imagine being trapped there, it does have a 90 minute ferry service to Sicily
IL claims time has stood still, which is not good news since the Luftwaffe flattened it in 1942.

Mugs, that you're referencing IL as a source of 'information'  gives me a case of the snickers.....

But really, how can International Living rate a retirement destination without a single mention of the [lack] of health care availability and cost, as part of their equation?  This would seem like a glaring oversight, or perhaps real estate seminar induced myopia.

What geezer is going to retire to a 'cheap' country in south America where no health care is available??

The pot thing is ridiculous. I can go to the nearest bus stop here and get stoned out of my mind for two bucks. I'm sure as hell not moving 10,000 miles for a sub-par joint that has been registered by the Uruguayan government.

Absolutely farcical. In Uruguay I can smoke crappy pot and buy overprice real estate, but I can't get health insurance. Dude, where do I sign up?     

Since this thread has gone in all different directions, let's do it again.

Would like to wish the fellow residents from the fine state of Pennsylvania a happy anniversary. Since we have been mentioning drugs, on this date in 1933 Pennsylvania ratified the 21st amendment, ending national prohibition in that great state. No word if Mugtech was instrumental in helping them reach that fine decision.

gardener1 wrote:

Mugs, that you're referencing IL as a source of 'information'  gives me a case of the snickers.....

But really, how can International Living rate a retirement destination without a single mention of the [lack] of health care availability and cost, as part of their equation?  This would seem like a glaring oversight, or perhaps real estate seminar induced myopia.

What geezer is going to retire to a 'cheap' country in south America where no health care is available??

     

Not calling it real information, just stating what they told me in my free IL's 2014 Retirement Index, which if you go to their website and sign up for free postcards you can get automatically.  I had been reading books on history of the Philippines, it was good comic relief to read some fiction.

mugtech wrote:

gardener1 wrote:

Mugs, that you're referencing IL as a source of 'information'  gives me a case of the snickers.....

But really, how can International Living rate a retirement destination without a single mention of the [lack] of health care availability and cost, as part of their equation?  This would seem like a glaring oversight, or perhaps real estate seminar induced myopia.

What geezer is going to retire to a 'cheap' country in south America where no health care is available??

     

Not calling it real information, just stating what they told me in my free IL's 2014 Retirement Index, which if you go to their website and sign up for free postcards you can get automatically.  I had been reading books on history of the Philippines, it was good comic relief to read some fiction.

I am actually, sitting here laughing at that. Thanks for the LOL.

hahahahhaaaaa

CC asks about Colonia...been there, done that, and worthy of a visit: nice restaurants with a vibrant art community. Surprised nothing mentioned about Uruguay.
And this space was supposed to be dedicated to Ecuador...seems most are reminiscing about the good oil' US of A....