My quick jaunt to Belize is just the first of what will likely be many trips I will take in search of a new home. I have a long list of potential sites, most of them in the Americas, but not all. Malta, Morocco and South Africa are on the list, though I doubt they will remain there long. I would like to return to Morocco and South Africa, but I suspect that once I take a closer look at both of them, they will remain exotic but not the kind of place for my retirement.
Thailand, Malaysia and India are in my Asian research queue and I’ve heard that Bali, Indonesia is quite attractive as a retirement destination. Thailand can be quite cheap and Malaysia has a program created to entice foreign retirees. India is so vast and full of amazing places that it would take years to really see and appreciate the whole country.
Central America includes Mexico, which is technically part of North America, Costa Rica, the bay islands of Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. Panama and Mexico seem the most likely spots among them, but you never know what may crop up as I take a closer look.
South America has Columbia, Ecuador, Brazil and Uruguay. Brazil and Columbia have up-and-coming economies that present many opportunities. Ecuador is incredibly cheap and Uruguay is like a bit of Europe, refined and sophisticated.
Each of these countries in South and Central America, with the possible exceptions of Mexico and Panama, would demand that I learn Spanish. Practically speaking, to get the most of any country would require knowing the local lingo even if English is widely spoken. I found my Berlitz Spanish course as I was rummaging through boxes in my effort to get rid of things I no longer need. I will have to devote time each day to working on my Spanish and engage my Hispanic friends at work to help me out. Learning a new language will be good exercise for my brain; I need to start a physical exercise regimen as well.
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