Retirement Abroad

Retiring abroad is not for everyone.  It takes a certain kind of person to leave his or her country for retirement in another one, even one close to home.  

The primary reason that people retire in another country is to find a lower cost of living.   Many South American and Central American countries offer just that, including Costa Rica, Belize, Uruguay and Panama.  It is true that many parts of these countries have been "discovered" and are nearly as expensive as areas of the U.S. and Canada, but it is still possible to find reasonably priced spots where real estate is still affordable.  As is the case in most countries, property near the water usually costs more than property inland.

People considering retirement abroad are also often looking for a less stressful lifestyle, warmer climate and universal health care.  While life in the U.S. and Canada offer conveniences and opportunities not found in large areas of the world, a stressful and hectic lifestyle often go with them.  And by retirement time, many folks just want a place where they can relax, sit back and watch the waves, leaving the trials and tribulations of modern life to others.

Often people travel to foreign countries on vacation and decide that the country would be a great spot for retirement.  And this may indeed be true, but visiting a country for two weeks while on vacation and living there day to day, using the local public transportation, learning the language and being completely immersed in the culture, are two entirely different things.  Make sure you have extensively researched the local ways and customs before making any move.  Better yet, rent a house for 6 months before relocating to make sure the country is right for you.

Life in Belize, continued....

It's the rainy season for a lot of the year, with from fifty inches to one hundred and eighty inches falling annually. The dry season lasts from a couple of months to about four months. Belize has more than forty-nine kinds of forests because of its varied climate. The second largest barrier reef in the world is off the coast, so this provides many opportunities for water sports lovers. The ecosystem along the coast is mostly intact. 

There are three quite large coral atolls around the barrier reef. After that, the ocean floor drops to over ten thousand feet. Many islands and the reef run the length of the country, and outside of any towns or cities, mangrove trees shelter the entire shoreline. Mayans lived in Belize and the country hosts the oldest known one of these settlements. It also has the biggest jade ornament ever found from this centuries-old civilization. New Mayan sites are being found regularly, with over six hundred known already. 

Tourists and residents may visit some of these sites and this provides ample opportunities for exploration. 

Belize is a true democracy in Central America and operates its government much as the British do. Human rights are respected and there's a free press. There are six represented districts in the country. Each of those has a main town and officials are responsible for each of the six district's social services. Any citizen over the age of eighteen can vote.

Belizeans are young and a majority are under eighteen years of age. Many cultures make up its population -- East Indian, Mayan, Creole, Spanish, Mennonite, European, North African, Chinese and Garifuna. Any retiree landing here will have a rich and culturally-enhanced group of peoples with which to interact, converse and live. There's a lot to both learn, and enjoy, in Belize. 

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