all 11 comments

[–]EVERYBODYPANIC 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

Costa Rica is affordable, pro-western and lovely. Very affordable medical too. Has no army which is awesome. Mexico is also good if you stay way from the tourist traps, American communities and the borders. My uncle married a real Mexican and lived among them. Took guitar lessons thee and learned to play and sing all the popular traditional ballads. He loved Mexico and Mexico loved him. So if you ever do move to either country, do something to get noticed and welcomed. Joining a church in either place is fine. Mosques? Maybe might bring suspicion on yourself.

[–]fschmidt[S] 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

My wife is Mexican and I have traveled enough in Mexico and I live in El Paso now which is on the border. I actually don't think Mexicans would care about my religion, but American expats might. I don't know nearly as much about Costa Rica since I was only there for a week a long time ago. I need to go back and take a deeper look.

Of course I welcome anyone here to travel abroad and report back what they find.

[–]mlr 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

Thanks for the update.

As I understand it, Mexico mask enforcement is similar to USA and only enforced in urban areas. I've traveled before as an isolated individual, but it was so... isolating... I don't want to do that again if I can avoid it. I've heard good things about Costa Rica before.

How large of community are you looking to join? Do you want urban, suburban, rural?

Have you considered Colombia?

[–]fschmidt[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

I personally don't care much about urban, suburban, rural - except that Mexicans are very noisy so that would be a consideration in Mexico. I don't know how the noise is in Costa Rica. For community, I would expect that to come from a church, so the churches have to be open. I don't mind traveling as an isolated individual, but to live somewhere I need to find at least some people that I can have a meaningful conversation with.

Colombia has a few issues. One is that I have never been there, so I don't know much about it. It requires a Covid test for entry which isn't an issue for me but other people may object. Also based on Google Earth, they really focus on high rise housing which isn't my ideal. And finally I can't drive there. I could drive to Costa Rica if that turns out to be the best way to move.

[–]mlr 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

Yes, Colombia is very urbanized. High rise apartment blocks are everywhere. Even the less urban areas like the outskirts of Medellín were wayy more urbanized than I anticipated. The reason I bring up Colombia is that they are a rather religious (Catholic) country and in the rural parts, people are very friendly and welcoming.

[–]fschmidt[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

[–]mlr 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Bogota is a huge city. I suspect any large city is going to be that way. Panama City is the same with absurd rules about who can go out and when, but I'm sure the rules are not enforced outside the metro areas.

I stopped at a store in Las Vegas a few weeks ago and it was insane. I'm an hour from Las Vegas now near a small town and it's mellow and friendly and no mask enforcers.

[–]mlr 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Scratch that about "not enforced outside the metro areas" -- LATAM is insane.

[–]fschmidt[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Scratch that about "not enforced outside the metro areas"

Do you have a link to more info?

LATAM is insane.

This is global, humanity has gone insane. But there is some variation. San Jose, Costa Rica will hopefully be less insane. And of course I will also look outside the city. If Costa Rica fails, I may look at Belarus next.

[–]mlr 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Do you have a link to more info?

No. I looked into dive shops in Bocas del Toro, which is a small town in Panama near Costa Rica. They are all "closed for Covid" by law and there does not seem to be anyone going around the law, at least in Panama.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Nice research man