Retire - Brasil or Colombia?

[Sailover]

As I think about what I miss here in Cali, it is a combination of things. Some simple, others not so. A quiet Saturday night without the having to hear every neighbor's party/fight/yappy dogs etc. A bowl of Cheerios. (just can't get much besides corn flakes or granola here). A yogurt that doesn't pour. A business investment that might actually work. Riding the bus without looking at each kid as a potential robber. (although I can't do that in Miami).
Oh, and work. I can't retire yet so I need to find something to keep the wolverines away.
Maybe it is time to head Stateside to reset the gyros.

[Sailover]

And yeah, for me, the ocean always wins.
Key West anyone?

[John Wayne]

Been there and clapped with the hippies as the sun set in the Gulf of Mexico sitting on Mallory Square, with all the brush fires burning....(Joints fired up).....

Wasting away again in Margaritaville.....

[Sailover]

But the Backside of Paradise is the place to be. And could be again.
The siren call of the sea is getting stronger with each day.

[John Wayne]

I got my "Getaway Boat" under construction.......

Heart pine keel, natural crook mango ribs, and cedar planking, decked over with plywood and Glas.......

35' x 9'.....

[Catameran]

Thanks for the responses.

HarryL69 – I live an hour from Amsterdam. Negatives: cold, windy, and rainy. I am actually not considering anywhere in Europe because of the expense and I want to get away from the culture of developed countries and of course the lack of eligible women for older men. Don’t say Russia – I hate cold weather.

I have been considering Thailand. Positives – world class medical facilities, inexpensive, good public transportation in Bangkok, safer then South America, great food and culture. Negatives – political instability and my doubts about the women there.

Encinoman – what I mean by “normal” Brazilian women is not prepagado or prostitute, and a woman who is seeking to be a wife.

Philippines – Jim, the women sound good, but I have a friend who went to Philippines and Thailand and choose Thailand – he said because it was safer and better public transportation.

One of the problems is how an outsider meets “normal woman” without agencies or Internet sites. I have been looking into this program in Brasil where you live with a middle class Brasilian family while learning Portuguese. I am looking for angles to get into the mainstream culture.

[HonkyTonk]

Sail, "I've got to go where it's warm". Boat Drinks by...oh never mind. You know the drill

[Jim]

I miss some of the same things you do Sailover although I can find American style groceries here. The only Naval base is now SBMA (Subic Bay Municipal Authority) and it has some grocery stores which are loaded with import items. My necessities which I pay the extra for are cereals, margarine (US style…the stuff here is inedible), equal and cheeses. I live on a quiet safe street so I don’t mind that and worry more about beggers than thieves on the street.

Businesses here have a maximize the profit on each transaction philosophy and do nothing to engender repeat business. Restaurants need to be told to bring everyone’s order at the same time or they just start everything at once and everyone gets their meal at separate times.

As far as investments and earning a living in a developing country, forget it. In 2003 I earned $750 a month (adequate to get by on) in CR teaching English part time. I was better paid than a full time Costa Rican HS teacher so earning much money here is normally illegal and problematic. It has been said that the best way to have a million dollars in CR is to arrive with 2 million. Same goes for anywhere in the third world.

Lots of people here love Americans which is a redeeming feature.

[Jim]

Catameran,

Thailand hasn’t been politically unstable except for the last six months. Probably long term, this won’t be much worse than most developing countries. I would say great food definitely puts it above Colombia or the Philippines. How many Pinoy or Colombian restaurants do you see in the US? I need to leave the country once every sixteen months and am considering a trip to Thailand in August.

One similarity is Bangkok and Manila are a different place than the provinces. There is the home of “world class medical facilities” but both are dirty and overcrowded and not ice places to live.

Compared with the Phils, I know public transportation here is adequate but can’t compare it with Thailand. By reputation the women are prettier in Thailand but many feel that are superior to western men. Thailand has never been colonized (and was under foreign rule only during WW II). The Phils was a Spanish colony until 1898 and a US possession until 1946 and under US economic domination until the 60s.

You definitely should travel for a few months before you decide where to live. Talk to ex-pats, meet women, check prices for getting the things you need to live a normal life. You can meet women everywhere, you just need to be friendly and go up and starta conversation.

Correct me if I am wrong but, the Philippines were a United States colony from 1901 - 1935. The Philippines went to war with the United States to get their independence. Well, they got it. Most people of Philippine descent, living here, will not usually acknowlege their country fought the U.S. for independence. I guess looking back it could have been a mistake. Remaining a U.S. colony might have been a better deal.