Off to explore Panama on November 3...

Now that I have finally decided that I will be going to Panama I will be copying my posts from this blog on a separate one dedictated solely to the trip, Ten Days in Panama.  There, I will enter the posts in reverse order so anyone who is interested can read from beginning to end, from planning through the actual travel including the day-by-day account of my journey complete with photos.

I had read a lot about Belize and decided this would be my first country to explore.  I spent eight days exploring coastal Belize last February, which placed it firmly on my list of possible future homes.  Now I will do the same in Panama between November 3 and 13. 

As with my Belize trip my goal in Panama is to do a bit of sight-seeing but mainly just wander around through various coastal towns, see what the stores are like, check out some real estate, have a few beers with the locals and generally just get a feel for whether or not this is a place I would feel comfortable living for my remaining years.  If I like what I see I will come back in the future after doing more research on specific locales.  Outside of Panama City a major interest will be just how difficult it is to get along without Spanish.  While I intend to learn Spanish at some point, who knows how much I will be able to absorb.

Over the coming weeks I will post information as I come across it and start to plan my trip.  I'll give you the links to important web sites and lay out my thought process as I finalize the details.  And finally I will do a day-by-day posting of my trip along with many pictures.  I learned a lot when writing my Belize blog (Belize in Eight Days) and hopefully will do better this time.  I imagine my readers will be a handful of friends and others, like me, who are interested in eventually retiring in Panama or just going there for a vacation.  If you have been there and have some advice or want me to check something out while I am there, please leave a comment -- I would love to hear from you!

A potential game changer...

I haven't written for a while because I had a seizure on August 6th and a lot has been happening since then.  At least I thought I had a seizure.

I was volunteering at a back-to-school wellness event with a couple of colleagues.  All was going well when I collapsed around 11:15 a.m.  I woke up to find two EMTs and my colleagues hovering over me and I was being wheeled out to an ambulance.  My colleagues informed the EMTs of my history of epilepsy (I had a seizure in November 1979 and a second one in February 2009) and coupled with the short-term memory loss I was experiencing, they naturally concluded that I had had another seizure.  As I was recovering on the way to the emergency room I came to the same conclusion.  The ER ran an EKG, did a CAT scan and did other routine tests and ultimately released me after a few hours.

Once I got home and the gravity of the matter began to sink in I was absolutely devastated.  After my last seizure I couldn't drive for a year.  It was a total pain in the ass but having to go without driving now that I am living alone would be very difficult.  I don't like having to depend on others… it makes me feel useless and lacking control over my life.  The next morning I noticed that the pill box I use to hold my collection of prescription medicines and supplements was missing my seizure medication.  I use two pill boxes (one for morning and one for evening) that hold two weeks of medications and I was 11 days through the boxes -- 11 days without taking my  anti-seizure pills.  So, not only was I exhausted from working hard and getting very little sleep, I had unwittingly gone cold turkey from my meds.  On the one hand this is good news, but on the other hand I still might have to quit driving depending on what the doc said.

Not only would this have a big impact on my November travel plans since I would have to use public transportation instead of driving -- this could be a total game changer.  What would the inability to drive do to my retirement plans?  Would I have to live in a city instead of on the water?  Would I have to give up my plans of moving abroad altogether? 

Waiting a week to get in to see my neurologist seemed an eternity as I dealt with various waves of emotions.  I went from just starting to feel good about my life again after losing Andrea to feeling depressed and full of self pity at the prospect of seeing the rest of my life altered -- again!

After describing my collapse and the week that led up to the event, my doctor said he does not believe I had a seizure.  He is not exactly sure what happened but has ordered up a series of tests to first rule out heart problems (an echocardiogram and a 24-hour ambulatory heart monitor) and to get a fresh reading on my brain (an ambulatory EEG).  Fortunately his admin was able to get these scheduled for the same time so I will go in next Monday morning to have the echocardiogram and get wired up for 24 hours for the other two tests, and I will return on Tuesday morning to get un-wired.  Hopefully all these tests will be revealing since I am sure I will still bear some significant cost even after what the insurance pays.  The most immediate and critical impact of my doctor's conclusion is that I can still drive.  I will go see my in-laws this weekend (they live about an hour or so south of me) and do some long-term shopping just in case he changes his mind.  I am convinced that the lack of medication and border-line exhaustion caused a collapse and I am not concerned about a relapse.

I am not exactly sure how I came to my decision, but I am booking flights to Panama for November using miles on either Delta or American.  I will go on November 3 and return on November 13.  I will keep playing the booking hold game until it is evident that I won't be able to get a Delta flight for 45,000 miles since the Delta schedule is not as good as the American one and I only need 30,000 miles on American.  Saving the Delta miles also makes sense if I am able to use them next year for that trip to Morocco, which I r-e-a-l-l-y want to go on.

So… Panama it is.  I will start a new blog in tandem with this one to track my planning and the trip itself.  More to come.

Morocco... maybe not

OK…  I got a quote from a Morocco tour guide that came highly recommended on TripAdvisor.  For a comprehensive 10-day tour including lodging, a guide all to myself, transportation, most meals and an overnight trek into the Sahara desert via camel the cost comes to (drum roll) €​2180 or $3100.  That is more than I want to pay.  Actually, that probably isn't bad for what you get but it is more than I can afford.

I will check out a few more guides and see what I can find.  It may not make any difference since the hold I have on a flight to Rabat expires tonight.  I checked and there are no miles flights available on Delta or American today.  I searched for itineraries through Rabat, Marrakech and Casablanca… nothing.  If it doesn't happen I am OK with that.  I have done some decent research and at least know that it is a possibility for the future and could go next year or the year after.

If Morocco doesn't pan out I will go back to Plan A and go to Panama.  I have flights on hold on American for both Panama City and Belize City and I place new flights on hold every few days.  So the absolute worst that could happen is that I go to Panama or Belize at a cost of 30,000 frequent flier miles.  There are flights from time to time available via Delta for 45,000 miles, which I would prefer since I am less likely to use my Delta miles.

By now you must think that I am a total yo-yo…  I'm going to Panama; no, definitely Mexico; no, wait it's off to Morocco to ride camels; no, I really should go to Panama.  Yes, I am being more than a bit fickle.  My last big trip (to Belize) was easier because I was so focused on that possibility as a retirement destination.  Now I am torn between just going on an amazing trip and buckling down to some serious research.  I realize what I should do, but can't quite bring myself to pull the trigger.  Maybe I am still upset about the house situation and I am looking for some escapism.  Whatever it is, the decision will likely be made for me in short order if a miles ticket is no longer possible to Morocco.

Another reason I am looking forward to my Key West trip is that Craig and Joyce have suggested we all go to the Amazon next year.  Between the prospects of exploring the upper Amazon by river boat and talking about Panama, it is sure to be a fun trip.

Heading to Key West in August...

I need some downtime to relax and just kick back.  So I'm headed to Key West for five days at the end of August.  I thoroughly enjoyed flying on SeaCoast Airlines last time so I'm going with them again.  If you fly down at the beginning of the week and back before the weekend you can fly each way for $99.00; you can't beat it.  On top of an inexpensive fare, you fly at a low altitude and hug the coast until you hit the Everglades so you can see turtles, rays and sharks in the Gulf below.

Last time I stayed with my friends John and Bonnie and I met up with them at Siesta Key this last weekend as well.  This time I will be staying with Craig and Joyce.  Craig has promised we will go bug hunting (catching lobsters, for the uninitiated) and I look forward to picking both their brains about my eventual trip to Panama.  Craig and Joyce both lived there back in the early 90's and still have friends there.  They can tell me the best places to look and what to avoid.

I'll have to make a list of folks I need to see while I'm down there.  There are several former guest house owners, a couple of bar owners and folks in the sail/dive/fishing industries I need to look up.  Last time I got to see photographer Alan Maltz at his shop on Duval Street.  Alan is an amazing photographer who did the photo shoot for our first brochure for Duval Gardens B&B.  If it weren't for Alan and his ideas to make the property photos really pop, I'm not sure we would have done as well as we did our first couple of years.

In the mean time, I still have tickets on hold with Delta.  I wish Delta's system were more like American's.  At least with American you can tell when the hold will expire.  I tried to place a new hold on a ticket to Casablanca, Rabat or Marrakech today but nothing was available.  If my hold expires tonight and I can't get a new ticket then I guess Panama will be my home for ten days in November.

Morocco it is... for now

I realize I am a bit off course from doing my long-term retirement research, but I may not have another shot at going to north Africa so as of today I am going to go for it.  I have tickets on hold to depart via JFK on November 3 and return on the 13th.  Every couple days I place another ticket on hold and release the old one.  I will keep doing that and keep my options open while continuing to research.  At some point I will no longer be able to place the reservation on hold and I will have to make a decision.  I am a little nervous that the layover at Charles de Gaulle is only an hour and a half, but I think it is doable and there is another flight on Air France a few hours later.

The way I figure it, my travel costs to get there are zero.  If I rent a car and explore on my own, the car would run around $400.00 plus add the cost of gas, hotels and food.  I am trying to think this through while I have tickets on hold and I have concluded that wandering around Belize, Spain, Hong Kong and elsewhere is one thing, but Morocco on my own may be totally different.  I've been to Tangier and I am fairly certain I would have been totally lost in short order without a guide.  The inner city of Seville is reportedly "laid out" (that is to say, no plan at all) much the way the inner cities of Morocco are.  Seville was at times difficult even with a map (and my wife spoke Spanish), so I think it is fair to assume Marrakech, Fez, Rabat, et al would be near impossible.  If I wanted to spend three or four days in each location, that might be different but not at one to two days per city.  I also want to leave time for a desert trek of a day or two.

On the other hand, there are many tours that may run only a bit more than the cost  for a car, gas, hotels, etc.  The other advantage to a tour is that I would pack more in during the time I have; a guide would ensure I move between places of interest as efficiently as possible.  I'm not talking about a tour in a big air conditioned bus with a couple dozen other tourists… I am looking at a customized tour just for me like I did in Burma.  Tour guides in Morocco, like many countries, must be licensed and their vehicles are inspected twice yearly.  I understand it is probably not the same as having an inspection by Mr. Goodwrench, but just the same there is some control over who you end up with.  I will check out reviews and advice on TripAdvisor and elsewhere to make sure I am getting someone solid.

Morocco, instead...

I know what I said earlier about my finances and doing the trip on the cheap, but I found a deal flying on Delta miles to Morocco -- 60,000 miles round-trip.  I started looking at renting a car but it might be just as cheap to hire a guide that will include ground transportation everywhere I want to go.  I can fly into Casablanca or Rabat.  Either would be a good starting point, but Casablanca has a better schedule.  I would fly through JFK and have a short layover in Paris.

Traveling on my own means I can stay in simple, low-budget lodging and make the most of every dollar.  When traveling with Andrea we always had to stay at upper mid-level hotels because she figured it would guarantee cleanliness and a higher quality experience.  I don't care that much.  I don't want to stay in filth, but I don't demand the same level of luxury she did.  Now it was different when she had her travel agency because we wrote off everything.  Staying in a 5-star hotel in Bangkok didn't cost as much since we deducted it against her income.

Ever since we took the ferry over from Algeciras, Spain to Tangier for a day trip several years ago, I have always wanted to go back.  Exploring the souks and Kasbahs of Fez and Marrakech, driving through the Atlas mountains and riding a camel into the western Sahara have always been on my travel to do list.   This could be an opportunity to spend time in a safe Muslim country and soak up the culture; who knows what things might be like in a few years.  While we all hope Muslim extremists are overwhelmed by moderates, that hope seems to be fading fast. 

So, I have flights on hold and will spend a day or so researching the on-the-ground costs of such a trip.  

Go on a date? Seriously???

There must be something in the water at work. Over the last couple weeks two different friends came to me asking if I would like to meet their friend or sister-in-law. Yes, it has been over a year since Andrea died but I was still surprised that they thought this was a good idea. I have been thinking about the possibility and am not opposed to it, but have held off on acting on my desires because I want to make sure I am doing it for the right reasons. Nonetheless, I remain surprised that these two women think it is time. Both of them are Latin, one from Columbia and the other from Dominica, so maybe there are cultural differences that come into play.

I have to admit I have also been concerned that others might think it is too soon and haven't paid as much attention to what I feel.  As I have toyed with the idea of dating again the biggest road block is how to tell my in-laws. I think my brother-in-law and his wife would be fine with it and my sisters would think it is great. My concern is telling my father and mother-in-law, who have over the years become my parents since my mother and farther have both passed on. This is a toughie.

Anyway, my reaction to these dating overtures was interesting. I didn't laugh and suggest it was a silly idea.  I wasn't horrified at the prospect.  I was actually excited about the idea of dating again. You know how you may be thinking about something but it isn't until someone else suggests it that you get a true gauge of your emotions. My emotions about dating are... good. My loneliness has lessened over time and I think I can honestly scratch that off my list of hindrances (in other words I would not be dating to sooth the pain of being lonely).

I don't think you ever truly "get over" the loss of your spouse, you just allow it to affect your life less as your heart heals. You move on and find a new woman take into your life and your lost spouse becomes a fond but dwindling memory while you build a new life. I knew a couple in Key West that faced serious challenges because she remarried when she should not have; she wasn't over the loss of her husband and brought him up in conversation all the time. She just wasn't ready.

I find myself both excited and terrified at the prospect of dating again. It's been twenty years since my last date and I'm having to remember how to do this. Maybe it's like riding a bicycle... you never fully lose the ability to make a total fool of yourself in front of the woman you're trying to impress. That should tell you a bit about my dating skills in years gone by. Wish me good luck!

Go on a date? Seriously???

There must be something in the water at work. Over the last couple weeks two different friends come to me asking if I would like to meet their friend or sister-in-law. Yes, it has been over a year since Andrea died but I was still surprised that they thought this was a good idea. I have been thinking about the possibility and am not opposed to it, but have held off on acting on my desires because I want to make sure I am doing it for the right reasons. Nonetheless, I remain surprised that these two women think it is time. Both of them are Latin, one from Columbia and the other from Mexico, so maybe there are cultural differences that come into play.

As I have toyed with the idea of dating again the biggest road block is how to tell my in-laws. I think my brother-in-law and his wife would be fine with it and my sisters would think it is great. My concern is telling my father and mother-in-law, who have over the years become my parents since my mother and farther have both passed on. This is a toughie.

Anyway, my reaction to these dating overtures was interesting. I didn't laugh and suggest it was a silly idea; I wasn't horrified at the prospect; and I was actually excited about dating again. You know how you may be thinking about something but it isn't until someone else suggests it that you get a true gauge of your emotions. My emotions about dating are... good. My loneliness has lessened over time and I think I can honestly scratch that off my list of hindrances (in other words I would not be dating to sooth the pain of being lonely).

I don't think you ever truly "get over" the loss of your spouse, you just learn to deal with it better every day. The further you are away from the pain, the more that pain recedes into the furthest reaches of your memory. At some point you come to realize that if you can make it through this, you can survive anything.

Maybe I'll join one of those online dating sites. Yeah, maybe not.

Narrowing the choices on my November trip...

The more I look at my finances, the more I realize my November trip will have to be done on the cheap.  That means that I will have to fly on miles and stay at el cheapo lodgings.  So if I can't get there on American, Delta or one of the airlines that I can use my Amex awards points for, I'm not going.

Fortunately, I know I can go to either Belize or Panama on a minimum of American miles.  I can get to Cancun on miles but it would nearly exhaust all the miles in any three of my awards accounts, so that doesn't make sense.  It is looking more and more like Belize or Panama and I have to say that I am leaning more towards Panama simply because I have never been there before.  The timing is good because I will be outside of hurricane season at home so I can leave without worrying about someone having to batten down the hatches in my absence.

So if getting there costs the same in terms of miles, the decision may boil down to my other costs including car rental, gas, food and lodging.  Gas was around $5.00 per gallon in Belize when I was there in February.  I haven't been able to get a recent price, but prices have risen in the US since then so I will assume $6.00 for the time being and probably won't be too far off.  The best I can figure for Panama is roughly $3.50 per gallon.

If I go to Belize, my driving will likely be in and around Corozal along with a trip to Chetumal so the bigger cost is probably the car itself.  Car rentals are cheaper in Panama where I would also be driving around the whole country, just like I did on my first trip to Belize.  The differences are that while the highways are better and more extensive in Panama, the country is also more than three times larger than Belize and with two coasts to explore.

Hotels and deciding where to go is easy and can actually be done close to departure time.  I'll have to do some research on Panama lodging to get some ideas on prices.  In Belize I have a pretty good idea of what to expect and where I might stay.  My guess is that there won't be too much difference between Belize and Panama on food and lodging, but I'll have to check it out more.

If I go to Belize, I might go to Corozal first and explore a bit and then drop the rental car off in Belize City  and grab a flight over to San Pedro.  I have a total of ten days, so six in Corozal and four on Ambergris Caye might work out.

The rainy season hits Ambergris Caye...

Those of you who follow my blog on a regular basis (that's right, I'm talking about both of you) may recall that when I was on Ambergris Caye in Belize I noted the poor state of the "roads" north of San Pedro.  Within a very short distance of the bridge you end up on a sand packed trail that is full of ruts and pot holes.

Now remember that I was there during the dry season, in February.  Well we are now into the rainy season that continues for another four months and I am seeing reports that the north road is more akin to a path of mud and very difficult for the main form of transportation, golf carts, to negotiate.  Wait until the height of the rainy season hits in September and October.

In fact, one local reports that if you don't have a four-wheel drive all terrain vehicle, you may not be able to venture out from your house!  That means you can't go into town for dinner, shopping or entertainment. 

This situation might not be so bad if you had a car or truck, but only a handful of non-taxi cars are allowed on the island and 99% of the trucks are strictly commercial vehicles.  While I did not use one while there and I did not price them out, my understanding is that water taxis are somewhat unreliable and expensive, so the only alternatives are to use regular taxis or stay home.  

Concerns regarding Panama...

As I continue to think about my November trip, I feel pretty good about returning to Belize or driving through Mexico.  I have a general idea of where to go and what to look for.  I don't have the same feel for Panama.  I have come to realize that I need to do a lot more research before I could go to Panama.

It also occurred to me that most of the major expat web sites that talk about various cities to move to, focus almost exclusively on three areas:  current hot spots, large cities or areas that have new developments being marketed to the expatriate community. 

This is fairly understandable since this is where many folks want to live and most of these sites are marketing their own brand of "how to retire abroad or become an expatriate in three easy steps. "  But I am looking for a smaller town.  I don't want to live in the central area of an old Colonial city.  I would like to visit many of these cities as a tourist, but that is not where I want to live full time. 

Don't get me wrong; I enjoy reading the pages of International Living, Retire Worldwide, Escape Artist, Expatify.com and others.  I have learned a tremendous amount from them about both specific countries and the general process of retiring overseas.  I credit all of them with creating a niche and developing their expertise.

But  what do you do if you're like me and prefer to live in a smaller town?  These smaller locales generally  don't get written about except in travel sites because they have no glitzy developments to peddle.   I guess I will just have to read what is available and use other sources like TripAdvisor and the usual travel guides to get a feel for the smaller towns and communities that don’t receive the focus from the broader expat community.

2nd thoughts on selling the house...

Based on the fact that I have not had the time to make the repairs and do the things necessary to put my house on the market, I am seriously toying with just sitting tight until the market rises a bit or until I retire.  This is a tough decision. 

On the one hand, if I don't do anything I will not lose by selling in a down market but will also not take advantage of lower prices available due to the number of short sales and foreclosures still out there.  On the other hand, purposely waiting may yield better long-term gains, especially if I replace my horrible old single-pane windows and make sure everything is up to par and in perfect working order before selling.

The problem I run into is day-to-day upkeep.  I simply can't handle the routine cleaning and maintenance.  Maybe if I have a maid service come in once a month it will buy me the time to do some remodeling such as replace the windows (which will yield savings in terms of AC costs), replace the kitchen cabinets and maybe put in a pool.  These are all value-added and I could enjoy them while still living here.  

I guess I will have to add up the costs and see what makes sense in the long-term.  If I stay here, it will have to be for another two years in order to really make it pay.  Another two years would take some of the pressure off of me and I can get rid of excess furniture and things in an orderly fashion so that when the time comes to move it will be under my own terms and not those of a self-imposed deadline that really has no basis in necessity.

My location is good and many of my neighbors in this area are making improvements, expanding or remodeling during this down time.  Although I only go in once or twice a week, I am only 25 minutes away from the office.  My next time off is in late August.  I will keep plugging away until then and if I make significant progress I can still put the place on the market.  It may make sense to hold off until next Spring, which is a traditional home-buying time. 

Thoughts on my November trip

OK…  I've been doing some thinking about my next trip.   I would be surprised  if prices did not come down for Cancun between now and November.  So, I have come up with three scenarios based on the three countries I could potentially visit.  Each scenario has it's plusses so any of them would be fun and educational at the same time.

Mexico:  I continue to be intrigued by the area around Tulum and going south towards Chetumal.  If I can fly into Cancun for a fairly low cost, I can rent a car and be in Tulum in a couple of hours.  The southern Yucatan area still offers some decent real estate deals and possibly the opportunity to buy now and rent it out until retirement.  I have been in touch with realtors in both Playa del Carmen (although I think I would ultimately be happier further south) and Tulum.   From  Tulum I wouldn't mind checking out Xcalak and Mahahual on the way to Chetumal.  It's only about three hours from Tulum south to Limones and another hour east to Mahahual where you can get on the paved road that runs North to South from Punticulb on the southern end of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve down to Xcalak.

Spending time in Chetumal would be a good idea since I could check out the stores, pharmacies and medical facilities I would depend on if living in Belize or the southern Yucatan.  If time permitted, I could go across the border just to see if it is a hassle or not and maybe check out the free trade zone.  Continental car rental agency in Cancun allows border crossings with no additional charge and no prior notice is required.  If I decide it wouldn't be worth the time to duck down to Belize for a day, I can save on my rental car by getting it from Blueway.  Anyway, there are many small towns and areas to explore so it would be great fun.


Belize:  I would definitely spend my time back in San Pedro or Corozal.  If I can afford it, San Pedro would be my choice for retirement;  like I've said before, it reminds me a lot of Key West.  However, affordability is a major consideration.  Living on any small island is more expensive because everything is imported -- everything.  For this trip though,  I would probably spend my time in and around Corozal.  I would like to spend more time poking around town, take the ferry to Chetumal and get a better feel for the area.  Chetumal Bay is not the same as being on the ocean, but it is better than being inland.

There are many areas around Corozal that deserve a closer examination and this time wouldn't be so rushed.  I can make contact with a few local bloggers and see if I can pick their brains for the price of a few Belikins.  There are places in Corozal that are cheaper to stay than Serenity Sands, which I loved but did not need that level of comfort.  I know more now and I also know that I can get a cheaper car than I did last time.  I am glad I picked up the Belize phone book while I was there last because I can do a better job of research before going.

Panama:  I've never been to Panama but it gets strong recommendations on many Expat sites and blogs.  Here I would be more of a tourist and just explore.  A day in Panama City would be plenty because I really can't see myself living in a large city, but it is the locus for many services that I might need so I should poke around a bit just to get a feel for it.  Then I would like to explore both coasts but will have to do more research before I can really say what my plan might be.  I suspect I would like to head west at some point and maybe drive through Boquete or other areas in the highlands since I hear it is quite beautiful.

Miscellaneous thoughts...

On Friday I had a two-hour conference call with our legal team and had my phone on speakerphone so I could multi-task.  In the middle of the meeting my most pesky cat decided it was time to play.  She brought a toy into the office and wanted me to toss it so she could play fetch.  When I was not obliging  she jumped up on the desk and started wailing like a Siamese -- that was fun to explain to everyone.

We live in an amazing world.  Yesterday I ordered a book with maps of the Yucatan peninsula through Amazon at 2:15 p.m.  At 2:16 p.m. I got an email confirmation of the order.  While I slept they sent an email that I received this morning saying that it shipped at 3:10 p.m.  Bloody amazing.

Wanderlust strikes again...

I am toying with another trip in early November.  I'm afraid I've got more than a bit of the travel bug.  There are just too many places to go and only so much time to see it all.  So, do I check out another country on my list of possible future homes?  Go back to Belize for a closer inspection?  Or just head somewhere that I might not get to later in life? 

I've always wanted to check out Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan; that would make a nice trip but I only have ten days and it would be at least a day and a half each way.  The same is true for returning to Burma or trekking through India.  No, those trips and anywhere else in Asia will have to wait.  But there are plenty of places within a half day's journey that I have not yet seen and could fit nicely into a ten day trip.

As I think about going to Uruguay, Columbia, Ecuador or anywhere in Central America, it really strikes me that I should have seriously been studying Spanish all along.  I got the first three levels of Rosetta Stone last week and I will learn enough so that I won't totally embarrass myself… eventually.  I just wish I knew more right now.  I am planning on taking  two weeks off next year to attend a school somewhere in Central or South America so that I can immerse myself in study once I already know a bit, but that's next year.  So for now, I will get more for my money by going someplace where I feel comfortable or at least confident that I can get by.  That probably narrows it down to Belize, Panama, Mexico, or Costa Rica.

I have points with AmEx,  Delta and American Airlines.  I checked all three and the best options keep coming up as American Airlines.  Round-trip to Belize is around $700.00 or 30,000 frequent flier points; to Panama is about $550.00 or 30,000 miles; Cancun is between $400.00 and $500.00 or 60,000 miles; and to San Jose is around $400.00 or 45,000 miles.  Looks like the two best choices s as of today are Panama or Belize, but airline prices change constantly so I will do a bit of thinking about all four options.