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Happy Holidays!

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adminee
  12/25/2009 08:39 EST

We wish everyone a happy & healthy holiday season! Whether you're basking in the sunshine in an exotic locale, enjoying the traditions of your new country or visiting family in your home country, happy holidays!

Betsy Burlingame
ExpatExchange.com

pato23
  12/25/2009 14:17 EST

Merry Christmas season and Happy New Year to all (Those of us who do not live in USA don't have to say "Happy Holidays" ) Most of my local friends in El Salvador are either Catholic or Evangelical.
Seems to be a "stigma" regarding El Salvador, a really nice place to live, work or retire, really nice and genuinely friendly people, when I was in hospital recently both ex pats and natives came to visit me. I also lived in Guatemala and spent much time in Honduras and Nicaragua. There are many fine working and retired ex pats in these "dangerous" countries as well as long term volunteers for worthy causes, those working with or directing non profits and ngo's. The civil conflicts are ling over, sure we have security issue, but what country does not!!! In fact I recently wrote an article, backed by facts that together, El Salvador and Guatemala have twice as much to offer in ecotourism than Costa Rica at half the price, much more to offer in native crafts and indingenous culture and colonial heritage than Costa Rica, a beautiful country, which unfortunately, due to good "PR" is far overrated, overcrowded with tourist hordes at high seasons of year, where visitors are just another blank face spending dollars and euros. There exists no utopia nor paradise. I have viewed many great common sense posts from Costa Rican Residents recently on this CR forum...good going!!!
Back in the 1990s I was a tourism and travel specialist and journalist (not a "Travel writer") for a multi lingual CR San Jose based weekly print newspaper, before Internet came to cr , first e mail services was racsa.co.cr ICE server in 1994. We used cr server in El Salvador several months until the Salvadorian phone co. established a server. often took half an hour to send an e mail.
The only complaint I have about expatexchange forum is I have only received ONE (1) "thank you" message. For those wishing insider information, making honest ex pata nd local contacts best to to travel first to your target country, join a Hospex Internet Portal or stay in a B & B or Guest House, not a "resort" nor "chain hotel"
learn the basics of the local language, culture and customs, smile and keep smiling, don't whine when things don't go your way. I am still old fashioned, will not deal with anyone until I have looked him or her in the eyes and shaken their hand. Nationality, polics, religon, creed color, economic status means nothing..all fallen leaves in a gale of wind, as my Dad used to stay. If you are sincere and have character I'll be happy to assist you with good advices if planning on relocating to Central America or Panama in near future, especially newly retiring Baby Boomers around my age. Common sense rules in my domain as well, the magic words, please and thank you. I, who have lived abroad 23+ years note some of my fellow US citizens are tasting some humility in present economic situation, much beyond our control.
Sorry for the "lecture" but some us say what we mean and mean what we say. Better to give (time and skills if you have not money) than to receive, and then you will earn respect.
If you have a lot of money, just hire people to do things for you. Simple as that. Good Day.

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RelocateNow Costa Rica's clients who run through the RelocateNow Program get quick results in formulating and successfully executing our laid out plan for moving to Costa Rica! Expert consulting for future expats in Costa Rica who wish to fast track the process of their move by receiving the specialized information they need, trustworthy connections within the country, and high level 1:1 support through the entire process.
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USAtoElsewhere
  12/27/2009 12:08 EST

Pato23, thank you for all the free advice. I think my choice in S. America would depend on medical care almost as much as safety. Concerned in cases where I cannot get to USA for care as well as for my partner who is from a poor country overseas. Was considering Philippines but from internet seaching, the high tech medical care is not good enough. Norway comes up the best for medical care, out of all the countries I'm considering. Panama not as good but may be good enough.

I try to post once in a while on the countries I'm interested in, to help keep the forums active.

To everyone, I hope your holidays are happy.

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