Retire To Antigua, Guatemala
"Our Families Thought We Were Crazy, But Now They Envy Our New Life"
Sept. 30, 2009
La Antigua, Guatemala
PLUS:
- Panama Remembers The Man Who Launched Her On Her Current Path Of Peace And Prosperity...
- A Hard-Core Sailor's Retirement In The Bahamas...
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Dear Live and Invest Overseas Reader,
"We send you greetings from La Antigua, Guatemala," write new Correspondents Frank and Suzanne Millard, "where we're delighted to report we're now full-time resident retirees.
"The plan began to take shape last December. After living and working the last 35 years in Southern California, we decided to retire. At ages 73 and 74, we were ready finally to cut the cord and said, 'No more work!'
"We had been researching overseas retirement options for about a year, because we knew our Social Security and modest investments would come up short for a retirement in the United States. Mexico and Central America seemed like the logical choices.
"Then we read the issue of Kathleen's Overseas Retirement Letter detailing the virtues of La Antigua. That set us on a path. We sought out every other report and every bit of information we could find to support the idea of La Antigua.
"When we shared our plan with family and friends, they replied, 'You are crazy!' Strangers said, 'Boy, are you brave.' We paid them all no mind and forged ahead. Our discussions were frequent and long. What to do with the cars, the house, our furniture? We handled the house and the cars ourselves and hired an auction company to liquidate everything except some personal items, which we put into a small rented storage space.
"Oh, yes, there were lots of tears and hugs when the loaded truck drove out of our driveway, leaving us in an empty house. But a nice dinner and bottle of wine turned the sadness into a celebration.
"In April, I flew to La Antigua to meet with a real estate agent and to look for a rental house. After the third day, I had succumbed to the charms of this city. I rented a nice two-bedroom house for US$800 per month. It has tile floors, a fireplace, a living room, a formal dining room, a kitchen, 1 ½ baths, and a laundry area, all beneath high ceilings with wood beams. It is completely furnished, walled, and gated, with excellent security.
"Next we had to tackle what turned out to be our biggest problem--arranging to bring our two small dogs to Guatemala with us. The airlines did not want to deal with us directly and referred us to a cargo company. That group was wonderful to deal with, but the logistics did not work out well. On flight day, the airlines, could not accept live pets. Our dogs had to be kenneled and fly the next day. When they finally arrived in Guatemala, it took two days to get them through customs, as documents had to be corrected. They were resilient, though, and recovered quickly. They love their new yard and home.
"The city of La Antigua is nine square blocks of charm, with bougainvillea and other flowers everywhere and cobblestone streets filled with happy, smiling people. It seems there is a celebration every week. Parades, processions, fireworks, and real happy times.
"Our first weeks were exciting as we learned our way around, built up our ability to walk everywhere we wanted to go, and learned the system of the tuk-tuks. These three-wheeled taxis built for two can take you anywhere in the city for US$1.20 to US$1.85. We walk one to two miles each day. It is our exercise program, and, after five months here, we are still discovering new places.
"We have the grocery stores and restaurants scoped out. We're able to find most of what we want in the shops here. We've found a driver who takes us to Guatemala City when we want to shop for things not available in Antigua. He is bilingual and charges US$80 for 8 to 10 hours of service. He negotiates discounts on purchases, supplies the van, and knows where to go for everything.
"We have a Price Mart and a huge Wal Mart-owned Hiper Paiz store. Restaurant meals are $3.50 to US$4 for breakfast, US$4 to US$5 for lunch, and US$5 to US$10 per person for dinner. The most expensive dinner out in town costs about US$20 per person. Recently we splurged at the Maison Panza Verde, the premier dining house in town. We enjoyed a nice bottle of wine and two steak dinners for less than US$60 total.
"Since we've been living here, Suzy has had two bouts of stomach problems and one sprained ankle. The visits to a private hospital for the stomach problems cost US$90, including examinations, lab work, and prescriptions. For the ankle problem, the bill was US$50.
"Strolling into the city center and beautiful Central Park, we found that few people speak English. The Mayan culture is prevalent, along with its many languages. Spanish becomes everyone's second language. So it was off to school for us! After a few weeks at a language school, though, we realized we'd be better off with a private tutor. Now, twice a week for four hours at a time, we have private lessons at our house. The total bill for the two of us is US$50. Today when we walk to the park, we speak Spanish to everyone. It is limited, but we make progress each week.
"We've also taken oil painting lessons. Six weeks of classes for the two of us cost US$100, including supplies. The fruits of our labor (four framed paintings) are hanging in the living room. This has been the fun part of our new life.
"Now for the nuts and bolts. Money!
"Our food budget is US$200. Fruits and vegetables are cheap. I can buy all that I can carry at the local mercado for US$3 to US$4; it's enough to last all week. Products imported from the States cost about the same as they do Stateside. Quality wine is available from Argentina, Chile, Italy and Spain. We're spending about US$150 a month on it, as we enjoy a nice bottle with our evening meal. Eating out is one of our big hobbies, as we enjoy the food and the chance to practice our Spanish. We allow US$300 per month for this.
"We get most of our medications through our senior coverage in the States. We budget US$25 a month for pharmacy expenditures and US$100 for doctors.
"The cost of entertainment is quite reasonable. Last week we attended a performance by a Costa Rican singer. She put on a full stage performance with singers, dancers, and great musicians. It lasted two hours and cost US$7.50. Plan on about US$100 a month for entertainment, and you will be very busy.
"Our utilities are averaging about US$190 a month, including Internet, land telephone, cellular telephone, and electricity. We have a maid who comes in on Wednesdays and Saturdays for three to four hours at a time. We pay her US$1.33 per hour. That's the going rate, and it amounts to a total of about US$35 per month.
"Expenses for the two dogs are running US$60 per month.
"Include US$100 per month in your budget for miscellaneous, because you will always find something interesting to buy.
"In all, we're spending about US$2,100 per month, and we are well covered and very comfortable.
"We don't feel we have shortchanged ourselves in any way by making this move. We eat out more often, participate in more hobbies, and lack for nothing. If we want the company of English-speaking friends, we have no problem finding it. It is easy to meet expats from the United States and Canada and then to participate in all kinds of activities with them.
"The latest e-mail we received from family said, 'With you so happy, and everything that is going on in the United States right now, maybe you made the right move after
all!'
"Would we do it again? You bet!"
Kathleen Peddicord
P.S. You can read our full Antigua, Guatemala, Retirement Report, the dispatch that launched Frank and Suzanne's adventures in this charming colonial city, here.
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The Perks, Privileges, And Peace Of Mind Of Retirement Overseas
The trouble with some Paradises is that they make it difficult for foreign residents to enjoy what they have to offer...
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More Details Here
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I write you not from our offices in the Banesco building in central Panama City, but from Casco Viejo. We, like all Panamanian residents today, are at home. The streets all around are empty and quiet. No construction crews at work...no hammering, no blasting, no digging anywhere.
This city, which seems never to sleep, so intent is it to push ahead with the work and the business of progress and growth, is taking a day off. Guillermo Endara, Panama's beloved first president following the end of Manuel Noriega's military dictatorship in 1989, the man remembered as having restored democracy to this country, died Monday afternoon, in his home, at age 73. Current President Martinelli has called for a day of mourning.
And, so, Panama City is uncharacteristically still, remembering the man who launched her, 20 years ago, on the path of peace and prosperity she has been enjoying ever since.
"Kathleen, maybe you'll remember me from your Panama conference last May. I'm the shark-lover who went looking at islands for sale in Bocas del Toro.
"Loved the area but decided this is not the right time to buy. Will wait until more land in this region is titled. Note, though, that I did not get eaten by sharks.
"I'm wondering now about your thoughts on the Bahamas as a retirement area for a hard-core sailor. My first take is that living expenses are high. On the other hand, I like the closeness to the continental United States--ideal for a couple that has a plane and a boat.
"Thanks for your insights."
-- Bill T., Panama Circle Member, United States
Very glad to hear you survived your visit to Bocas. I'd agree with your assessment of the real estate market in that part of Panama.
Regarding the Bahamas, indeed, these islands can be a convenient retirement haven for an American couple with a plane or a boat of their own. The only real issue, as you've already identified, is the cost of living. This country is a haven--banking, tax, and corporate--so it attracts wealthy people. Plus, because it's a group of islands, everything has to be imported, not only into the country, but from island to island. Finally, the Bahamas is a tourist spot. All of these factors contribute to make the place expensive.
However, you could probably mitigate your cost of living a little by traveling back and forth regularly between the islands and the States. You'd be able to stock up on supplies (even shop for new clothes, etc.) in the States, which is probably a much cheaper place in general right now than the Bahamas.
We did this living in Paris. We traveled back to Baltimore to visit my family three or four times a year. On each trip, I'd shop for clothes for us and the kids, buy toys and electronics, load up on books, etc. I'd even sometimes buy specialty household things that were so expensive in Paris I could never bring myself to splurge on them there. |
