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80skeys = "...the farm you own has a house on it. The house is where the employee and his family lives." Um, where would I live?
If you're a spry guy who is capable of walking up and down steep hills all day long to tend to the plants, you can live with your own family on the farm. But if you aren't working the farm, you aren't going to live in the house. The house is for the employee and his wife and kids. Typically the owner lives in town; the employee lives on the farm.
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What is the infrastructure like around Armenia (roads, water, sewage, electricity)?
It's very good. Excellent roads. Cold water (there's no hot water, get used to bathing in freezing water). The quality of the water is very good, it's drinkable from the tap. All other services are on par with what you're accustomed to in the U.S.
The infrastructure of that region is very well established. Those coffee farms are well-organized, they've been operating continuously for many, many decades. You get better cell phone service out in the middle of the mountains 40 miles from Armenia than you get here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Property values in that whole region have been going up a lot in recent years. It's always been desirable, and only becoming moreso. Fertile lands, beautiful surroundings, etc.
If you don't speak Spanish already, get a fast-track course in it quickly. Almost nobody there speaks English.
First on my list would be Ecuador.
Use the dollar, very diverse country, relatively cheap compared to any other country your looking at. Very diverse, great mountains, beaches, Amazon jungle. Lot's going for it.
Colombia is as diverse, but still problems with a lot of the cartels and FARC. Mostly in the Pacific Coast area, and where the government does not have a good presence with the military/and or police.
Chops shops in Buenaventura on the west coast is not for chopping up cars. People are dumped in the ocean after being "chopped".
I spent a year in Colombia - I'd go back again. But, like going to Detroit or Chicago - just watch where you go to in the country. In a year's time, I never had any hassles.
Mexico I spent 18 months in. Love the country- doesn't have the Andes, but it does have the Copper Canyon. Deeper than the Grand Canyon. Quite an amazing place. Jungles, beach front, great bird watching.
Guatemala's got a lot going for it.
Panama - half the country lives in Panama City, so, the rest of the country is pretty sparsely populated. The Peninsula outside of Dave is becoming very popular with the rich and famous. Some of the best surfing in the world can be found there.
Islands are always going to be more expensive - they have to ship everything in - makes sense, right?
Currently in Peru - and you can have it. Reminds me a lot of Nicaragua or Honduras. Government does not seem to have it's act together. Roads are poor outside the cities. Now, I'm not sure if this is because of the flooding they had in 2017 or not. But,I've been here close to a month - and besides some great waterfalls, I'm not impressed.
I've been traveling around the northern part.
Haven't made it to Lima or any of the other big cities. So, they might change my mind.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!! LOL
Cheers,
John
Currently in Peru - and you can have it. Reminds me a lot of Nicaragua or Honduras. Government does not seem to have it's act together. Roads are poor outside the cities. Now, I'm not sure if this is because of the flooding they had in 2017 or not. But,I've been here close to a month - and besides some great waterfalls, I'm not impressed.
I've been traveling around the northern part.
Haven't made it to Lima or any of the other big cities. So, they might change my mind.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!! LOL
Cheers,
John
I spent a month in Peru...You'd think it SHOULD be a top destination that people would talk a lot about....I mean, technically, it has everything that Ecuador does and more, being a larger nation and with the Macchu Picchu and such.
But yeah, after spending a month there, I have no desire to return. I definitely liked other parts of South America a lot. When people tell me, "Hey, I'm going to Peru," I kind of stay silent out of lack of interest on my part. But before I went, I would have thought it could possibly have been one of the coolest countries in the world. It has the ingredients for it. But, yeah, something is lacking. I haven't put much thought into what is lacking, as there are so many other more interesting places in South America that I experienced. But your post made me think about my own feelings for that country.
I spent a year in Colombia - I'd go back again. But, like going to Detroit or Chicago - just watch where you go to in the country. In a year's time, I never had any hassles.
If you go to Colombia, don't get involved in things you shouldn't be involved in: selling drugs; dating married women; working as a police or judge in opposition to organized crime; cheating people out of money. Doing these types of things in a country like Colombia is liable to get you killed. And yes, dating married women is firmly on that list.
Cuba is the only one of the tropical countries listed in the OP's first post that really interests me. I work in design and have always been drawn to historic architecture and preservation.
Havana is unique because it possibly the best preserved colonial center in all of the Americas. Because of the revolution, development in the old city center was halted. Castro directed funding towards educational and healthcare meaaures in the countryside.
This spared the old center of the capital from insensitive modernist interventions that would likely have taken place during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Although the center narrowly avoided the modernist urban renewal plan commissioned by Batista in 1955, the architecture was left to rot in the humid salty air.
Thankfully the office of the city historian in Havana has done a fantastic job of restoring the old center and every year they continue to restore and rehabilitate more historic buildings.
The building stock of old Havana might be the biggest advantage Cuba has over most of the Carribean. If restoration of the historic center continues to accelerate and draw more tourism Havana could easily become the Barcelona of the Americas.
A beach city with splendid architecture. I have high hopes for Havana.
Last edited by sf_arkitect; 12-21-2018 at 04:49 PM..
Cuba is the only one of the tropical countries listed in the OP's first post that really interests me. I work in design and have always been drawn to historic architecture and preservation.
Havana is unique because it possibly the best preserved colonial center in all of the Americas. Because of the revolution, development in the old city center was halted. Castro directed funding towards educational and healthcare meaaures in the countryside.
This spared the old center of the capital from insensitive modernist interventions that would likely have taken place during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Although the center narrowly avoided the modernist urban renewal plan commissioned by Batista in 1955, the architecture was left to rot in the humid salty air.
Thankfully the office of the city historian in Havana has done a fantastic job of restoring the old center and every year they continue to restore and rehabilitate more historic buildings.
The building stock of old Havana might be the biggest advantage Cuba has over most of the Carribean. If restoration of the historic center continues to accelerate and draw more tourism Havana could easily become the Barcelona of the Americas.
A beach city with splendid architecture. I have high hopes for Havana.
Well-said! Yeah, it certainly captures me as well - that architecture...and that seems so strong, that I often forget it also has Caribbean beaches...
If you go to Colombia, don't get involved in things you shouldn't be involved in: selling drugs; dating married women; working as a police or judge in opposition to organized crime; cheating people out of money. Doing these types of things in a country like Colombia is liable to get you killed. And yes, dating married women is firmly on that list.
not sure if you are being serious about that but, just in case, no, it's not common at all that someone would get killed for messing with married women. Maybe you heard about some case and you are extrapolating it to the whole country, but it's not like that at all.
judges getting murdered is not very common, I can't recall a single case in months. Being policemen is risky in some specific areas. Selling drugs... nah, unless you are part of some armed gang. but the average dealer in most places is just some kid with long hair.
I've been to CR, loved it, took 500 pictures and would go back in a heartbeat. Actually my plan D is to retire there. I will PM anyone the long version if they PM me any questions. Generally the west coast is the surfer/party town, but I spent most my time in the rain forests/cloud forest and central mountain region. The capital city San Jose can be dicey for the inexperienced, but me coming from "Los Angeles" I seen some $#^% in my time. San Jose is not worse than Snoop Doggs "LBC" or Chicago in 2018. 98% of the country is safe as can be, minus the risks outdoors. Class IV+ rapids are not for the beginners or weak swimmers... and I hope you like snakes! And poison frogs! And Howler monkeys in the distance! And...
Panama:
several people in my tour group were headed to Panama on the next leg of their trip. Slightly more malaria risk, and their are consequences/risks to the vaccine for females of child-bearing age.
Colombia:
I've seen one too many Pitbull and Reggaeton music videos, but for a single man I think Colombia has some of the most beautiful latin women in existence. I've actually researched a couple destinations and traded emails with an expatriate guy who lived there & surrounding countries.
15 years ago I think this was one of the most dangerous possibilities, but the risk has fallen relative to then. I had some backpacker college girls laugh in my face when I suggested Colombia was not safe (they spent last summer there). I trust the US State Dept Travel advisories for where the current hot spots are: https://travelmaps.state.gov/TSGMap/ https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...-advisory.html
Objectively, Colombia is safer than Mexico in 2018. I wil probably make a trip there in the next few years.
Cuba:
Oh, just to see Hemingway's old haunts and smoke a cigar hand-rolled on a cuban woman's thigh... yeah I'd go on a short trip.
Dominican Republic:
I'd go if I had a travel partner who wanted to go, but it's not high on my list.
Puerto Rico:
Friend of mine raved about it before the last hurricane. Would give me pause in the near term for that reason.
I had some backpacker college girls laugh in my face when I suggested Colombia was not safe (they spent last summer there).
Lol funny. I like that plenty of the newer generations in the US are not living on this fear propagated by the US media. Older generations in the US just seem more susceptible to brainwash.
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Countries to retire to
