About Melvinkelvin

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Some Forum Posts:

Nicaragua: Esteli for the non Spanish speaking Gringo:

I am in your age range, with the same country of origin and a similar budget. I have been living in Granada for about two years now. Here is my advice: First, I want to iterate what has been said here many, many times: You need to come and spend some months here. A tourist visa will give you three months, six with an extension. Sound expensive? Maybe, but still cheaper than moving sight unseen and discovering later it is not for you. Your budget will allow you a comfortable life here. It will not be the same life you've had re: US conveniences, but you will have a home, clothes, food and options in life. The home, the food and the options will not be the same as they are in the US, however. Dating? Without Spanish language skills, your pool of potential mates will likely be limited to single expat women in your age range, i.e., a small number. Regarding May - December romances with Nicaraguan women - Remember to always ask yourself, "Why would a young woman of twenty something years be interested in a sixty something year old man?" The answer should be self evident. You are not that charming and devilishly handsome. Transportation is widely available. Cost depends on how quickly and comfortably you want to get somewhere. A public bus from Granada to Managua is less than a dollar, but you will be crowded and hot. A private car and driver would be in the $30 - $50 range. For non - Spanish speakers, I suggest you first visit and consider the larger tourist towns. Where you find tourists, you will also find more bilingual Nicaraguans. Leon, Granada, Matagalpa and San Juan del Sur are typical examples. You will also find more choices in language schools in such places. You can always move later. Do not underestimate the amount of time, effort and money you will need to develop even minimal language skills. Investigate costs online and budget accordingly. Without it, even a trip to the market to find something as simple as a garden hose can be frustrating and exhausting. Miming will only get you so far. I don't wish to be discouraging. I have lived here for while and I will be staying here. I have been in Spanish class three days a week since arriving. I am happy here. But it is not for everyone. It is certainly not like a permanent vacation. Many things will be a trade off for you. Take your time, invest in some exploration. Keep options open.

Nicaragua: US Migration lawyer in Nicaragua?:

"Blacks decide to quit selling drugs, taking welfare and food stamps and go to work?" Really? I just want to make it clear to any people considering visiting or moving to Nicaragua that this comment is not representative of all ex-pats here. It is representative of the biases of the writer only.

Nicaragua: Asian feelings:

I would reiterate ricktee's response and add a few comments. First, this particular forum consists largely of older, white expats from the US. Take that into consideration when reading the comments. It is unlikely you will find many responses from people of Asian heritage. I have only one relevant personal experience to share: I once spent two days sharing various tours with a young woman of Asian heritage in Nicaragua. Since we were both traveling alone and since many tours require a minimum of two people, we teamed up. I did not perceive any difference in how we were treated, nor did she mention any such episodes during our conversations. As always, your mileage may vary. In the end, only spending some time here will give you the answer you seek.

Nicaragua: Transition:

I cant apologize for someone elses comments, but I would like to encourage you to ignore unhelpful and hurtful comments and continue to seek the information and help you want. I do not have the answers you need, but I can tell you that not all expats living in Nicaragua are grumpy old guys.

Nicaragua: Give me your experience please:):

" X-rays and blood tests to diagnose this are not a sign of good medicine but a crutch that a good doc would not need..." I pity the physician unfortunate enough to have to deal with a patient such as this. They all know going into the fight that this is exactly the person who will sue you when his "diagnosis" turns out to be wrong, claiming you were "negligent" not to take the radiographs.

Nicaragua: airport transportation:

I have used Aventon twice now for airport to Granada transport at 10PM. The driver will be waiting, holding a sign with your name. The cost is $40, I believe. Aventon has a website you can use to make reservations.

Nicaragua: anyone local to phoenix?:

Hi. I lived in Tucson for 34 years before moving to Granada about a year ago.

Nicaragua: Seeking Work:

I see lots of negative responses to your inquiry. Sorry about that, but there is some truth in what they say. My best guesses for you to find employment are in private schools (there are plenty) where your teaching skills might be needed, and in teaching English. I don't know about the wage scale at private schools, but I do understand that teaching English is a lower wage job. I would very strongly suggest that, instead of moving here sight unseen. You come for a prolonged stay or come for several visits. There are plenty who come and don't find it to be their cup of tea.

Nicaragua: Passport Photos:

Anybody know where in Granada I can get photos taken that meet US passport requirements?

Nicaragua: Internet on mainland and Big Corn:

I do not use the internet for work of any kind, so my experience is limited in that way. I spent one week on Big Corn and have been in country for over a year now. The internet has been the same for me in both places. In some places there may be only one modem for all the guests, making connections a problem. You're best advised in those circumstances to find the modem and sit right next to it. In my own apartment with my own modem the biggest problem has been with outages. Most are temporary, lasting from a few minutes to a few hours. However, twice in the last 6 months there have been multi-day outages. One lasted two days, the other 5 days. I live in Granada. I also spent a few weeks on Little Corn earlier this year. During that time I had about ten minutes total of internet connection through Wi-Fi. The hotels and restaurants will advertise Wi-Fi, but only the smart phone connections worked when I was there earlier this year.

Date Joined:

6/11/2015

Total Posts:

16

Posts/Day:

0.02