Counting the Days....

Tomorrow is Lisle's last day of work in a 33 + year career ..... wahoo!  We are counting down the days until we fly south!

Winter Winter Everywhere....

Oh my,  we were having such a nice long fall without too many major cold spells or inches and inches of snow.  However, that has all changed with the more recent weather and blizzard conditions here in Alberta.

Don't like it one bit..... cold aggravates me both physically and mentally.  I am just frozen and cannot get warm!

That said there remains much to be thankful for as we have sunny skies today.  Clear and cold.  A typical Canadian winter day.

Counting down to January 1!

Plans for Mexico

So found a condo in Playa del Carmen for the month of January... subletting a bedroom with private bathroom and use of the house and condo pool. We are renting from a fellow who happens to be an Albertan. Small world. He is also a scuba diving instructor. So it will be interesting to share his space. Now I need to find a school for Lisle to take his Spanish classes... not sure what I will do with my time but I am sure I'll keep busy enough hanging around the pool, studying Spanish on my computer and using the wifi. The condo is only 5 blocks from the beach and snorkeling opportunities are supposed to be easily found.

We also have booked March in Merida. Found a small apartment at the back of a Canadian couple's property... will share their pool too but still have some privacy with our own little patio. They are located in a Mexican neighborhood without expats so that will be a new experience for us too.

We will be cooking our own food and spending as little as possible. We will be using our two feet and a heart beat to get around except when we use the public bus systems. We didn't intended to rent from Canadians ..... but so far it seems to have worked out that way. I am sure it will also be nice to have that in common. We tend to be friendly folks.

So February so far is a flexible month for us to play more by ear as to where to go and where to stay. . Ahhh adventures.

Rentals

Well now our challenge is to find "affordable" accommodation. Looks as if Cozumel and Playa del Carmen are just too expensive to spend 3 months in. Maybe we can spend a few days on the way home if we have enough money left. Think we may just head up to Merida right off the bat. We viewed a house last year that we really liked and would love to rent it if we could. Have been trying to reach the owner. If they can't find him or it is not available perhaps we will just stay in the Nomadas hostel for a few days after we get to Merida. That way we can look around while there.

In the meantime, I am looking on the Internet and there is so much for sale in Merida but not much for rent in our meager price range. Most everything we would like rents for what we have in total to live on per month.... so that is not going to work. Hoping to be able to find something more reasonable and likely what we can afford is just not advertised on the internet.

Still looking to take Spanish too. Wish I could afford the Habla Language school in Merida as it has unconventional teaching methods which might be a way I could pick up something. Lisle will take at least 4 weeks somewhere.

So the search is continues.....Publish Post

Flight Booked!

After all the angst over where to go we decided to let the dollar make the decision. So Cancun here we come on January 1st. Got a return flight there for both of us with insurance for less than $1,000 CAD. That price beat out Ecuador, Guatemala and Panama as we would have had to spend that and more for just one of us. Someday I hope we can see those places. For now we will go to Mexico.

So still looking around to see where Lisle can spend 4 weeks studying Spanish. Not sure if we will head to Cozumel or stay in Playa del Carmen or head to Merida right away. Lots of options to check in to still.

September 6th Already!

My summer break from work has come and gone. I am so lucky to have the employer that I do. Returning to work is always a bit like coming home... it feels familiar and comfortable but there is always so much to do. Being able to work at my own limited pace is so helpful when every day can be a challenge.

I am continuing to research plane fairs and options for our winter get away. So many choices. Is it possible to do 3 countries this winter? Latest idea is to fly from Calgary to Guatemala City... spend a couple of days in Antigua before traveling to San Pedro at Lake Atitlan to settle with a Guatemalan family so Lisle can take 4 weeks of Spanish. I could spend my days volunteering by hanging out at a school to help children learn and practice English. Surely I could manage that.

Then we could fly from Guatemala City to Quito, Ecuador and spend a month getting to know the many different areas of it. We met someone through the Couchsurfing organization who may be able to give us a few tips. It is wonderful to be able to contact like minded people that way. We could explore the Andes and check out the valleys and the coastal communities. From Ecuador it would be fly to Panama City to spend the last month exploring Panama and finishing off with relaxing on the Caribbean before returning to Canada.

So with that itinerary I am trying to find the most practical and economical ways to get around. Will keep you posted.

Manta, Ecuador perhaps.....

Well I spoke with a lovely woman from Manta, Ecuador through the couchsurfing site who was very inviting and a great ambassador for her city. She was very generous with her time and information. If we can possibly afford to make Manta our destination and still get Lisle into a Spanish school perhaps we will consider going there.

Pros are the weather and a sense of knowing someone there. I would so appreciate being warm for 3 months! Also having a personal contact who knows the area and can provide practical information is invaluable for newbies like us.

Cons are the added distance over Guatemala and the added cost. Guatemala is less expensive all around for flight, accommodation and Spanish lessons. However, we also know no one in Guatemala and going to the interior means lows in the 50's or less and highs up to 70. That weather is cold for me and I get enough of that here in Canada!

Best I can do is continue to save what dollars I can and keep on top of the flight costs. When we get more information about accommodation and Spanish lessons in Manta we will have to decide if we can swing it or not.

Guatemala for Spanish Language Learning

After much researching, it appears we may choose Guatemala to study Spanish this winter. I found San Pedro Spanish School at Lake Atitlan in central Guatemala. That lake is supposed to be one of the most beautiful in the world and we both like being around water.

My learning ability is way lower than my husband's but I can try to pick up a bit here and there. The weather won't be as warm as I prefer but if I take the proper clothing perhaps I can stay comfortable enough in 16 to 22 degree weather. That is not at all warm for me but no different than summer time here in Red Deer. The big attraction is the price is right. Plus we have the option of staying with a local family to gain a bit of cultural experience and apply what we are learning immediately in a Spanish speaking environment.

I am considering rolling up my memory foam topper and bringing it with as I am not sure I would be able to sleep without it. Sleep is an issue for me anyway without the added realities of strange beds that are likely to be far from posh. Ah well, an adventure awaits.

Now to try to find reasonably priced flights. Real deals come up to Cancun occasionally that we have considered but then we would have to bus it to get down to Guatemala City. Not sure we are ready to strike out quite that far without Spanish language skills. I have a little spreadsheet going where I am recording flight prices and currency exchange rates. Both fluctuate all the time and I am hoping I will be able to detect a pattern to know whether to book or not. Guatemala City is the closest center to where we want to go.

Wish me luck!

Shall We Learn Spanish?

We bought a Rosetta Stone computer program a year ago hoping to learn Spanish. We also have several Spanish language course CDs for driving. My husband has faithfully listened most week days with his hour drive to and from work. He has done quite well. He can pick out words now but it still all runs together for me. Unfortunately, I don't retain new information very well these days. Perhaps I could if I really was immersed for months on end. Maybe I could pick up some conversational Spanish out of desperation if it was the only way I could communicate.

I have been looking at Spanish language programs with the idea of studying Spanish during our first month south. Seems it might be a practical thing to do. Not that one can begin to become fluent in a few weeks but knowing more wouldn't hurt us that is for sure. There are schools in Mexico, Panama and Ecuador and I still don't know where we are going to head for sure. It is also hard to judge the quality of these schools based on the internet as of course every school advertises itself as the best.

So the research goes on......

Where Oh Where?

Seems flight prices are not going down.... at least what I have been able to find for the first 3 months of 2010. It would cost substantially more to fly to Merida than it did last year. I look and look but can't find much for under $2,000 return for both of us to fly anywhere and it is more like $4,000! Now that is an awfully lot of money just to get somewhere. And the somewhere keeps being a toss up. Ecuador, Panama or Mexico or maybe even the Orient.

Maybe things will improve this fall as it seems to me that there is an advantage price wise to booking several months in advance. Last minute deals are fine for one week get aways but that is not what I have in mind. Cost is crucial for us as is the weather. It has to be more than the touted "spring like" weather you see for so many places. Here it is mid July in Alberta and we are still getting spring like weather with highs of 15! Hardly what I am looking for in the middle of winter.

I am reading El Nino is going to be impacting Central and South America this winter..... increased rain, winds and abnormal temperatures may make things a bit dicey to figure out. Historically some of these countries have not fared very well with a lack of infrastructure and means to cope with mud slides and water problems and the like.

Well, I will just keep on looking.....

What to do? Where to go?

I am thinking about our next trip south. We are not high maintenance people and do not expect to live fancier than we do at home which believe me is not fancy. So what next?

My goodness but life is full of choices. Return to Merida which we so enjoyed or strike out somewhere entirely new? If so then Ecuador or Panama? Panama or South Western Mexico? Coastal or inland? Rural or urban? B&B or hostel? Or do we just arrive and wing it? Even though we are far from worldly and experienced travelers, the latter is likely my preference.... I guess since nothing bad has happened to us thus far we remain open to adventure.

So where do we go? How do we decide? My criteria is pretty simple:

1. Wherever we go has to be warm by my standards and without constant rain
2. Affordable which includes the traveling cost to get to and from plus around as well as a low daily cost of living while there
3. We must have access to a strong internet connection so we can Skype home

Word of mouth from people who are there or who have been there is always best when facing the unknown. Otherwise one is limited to searches on the internet? There are many, many sites like Yucatan Vacation Rentals or Vacations By Owners to name a couple. Can they be trusted? Be aware and be careful is the best advice.

That said I did book through Yucatan Vacation Rentals last winter when we stayed in Chelem, Mexico, a small fishing village on the coast of the Yucatan. I took a chance and rented a lovely beach front vacation home called the Sapphire Villa from a very nice couple from the UK. My husband was pretty leery of me wiring money to anyone we didn't know but I felt after many conversations via email that they were legit so off went the money. And they were legit and we had their place for a month. It really was lovely and we met some interesting folks while there. We used the beach house as a base and travelled far inland to San Cristobal de Las Casa. We went via bus and that was fun in spite of the necessity of me turning around and putting my knees on the floor and my head on the seat a good deal of the way in an attempt to alleviate low back pain. But we made it and I am glad we went.

Our stays at youth hostels on both our trip inland to San Cristobal and in Merida plus our time at the beach house in Chelem created a great experience overall. We met some great people and gained some confidence while traveling in a country where Spanish is spoken. I learned about being more discerning when researching climates. I thought I had checked things out carefully but the temperature averages I had found were more for Merida than Chelem. Yes, there was a big difference between a beach with a breeze off the ocean and the midst of a Colonial city. Now some people may not have been cold but I need heat and sometimes there wasn't any. I have to clarify for me below 72 degrees F is cold so you need to put into perspective. Temperatures are subjective often even via word of mouth.

The search goes on....

House Sharing is Our Answer

Who would have thought multigenerational living could be such fun? This is the 6th month our daughter and granddaughter have been living with us. This came about after she kindly stayed to look after our house when we went south to Mexico last February. Her relationship had ended so she was glad to spend some time with us while she house hunted. We had made arrangements for a house sitter but when she came available it made sense for them to stay here instead.

After our return the notion came up that perhaps we could house share and that would be of benefit to all of us. We chewed on the idea for a while. There was a lot to consider. My husband and I had really been enjoying having our house to ourselves after almost 35 years of child rearing. We have a 4 level split home with 5 bedrooms so lots of room but but no separate entry or living quarters. However, having our granddaughter around was also great fun. Little ones do keep you young. Plus we are at the age where we know how fast the time flies and how precious these years are.

Long story short we decided to renovate our bathrooms which was a project that had been a long time coming. At the same time we redid the lower level. It was totally gutted and drywalled and new flooring put in. Windows were added which changed the entire feel of the basement adding light and a much needed safety factor. We decided a kitchenette would be useful so there is a bank of cupboards now with a fridge and a sink and a microwave. When all was said and done it looked great. Viola! Practical privacy was created and our house improved at the same time.

So far, so good. This house sharing arrangement is working very well. Our daughter pays rent and contributes to the groceries and utilities. This is a good financial arrangement for all of us as her costs are reduced and so are ours. Her rent goes back towards the costs of the renovations. We can leave knowing the house and dogs and yard will be well looked after. We all enjoy the wee one and no one is feeling taken advantage of. We have had a couple of " family conference talks" to discuss concerns and clear the air and expect that to happen now and again. We have 3 adults and an almost 2 year old sharing space. Lucky for us our daughter is very responsible and helpful so we are truly blessed.

Next winter when we are ready we will be able to take off and they will have the house to themselves. Eventually, when we can fully retire we hope to spend some time in our summers in Canada tooling around exploring with a truck and camper so perhaps someday we will be the ones with the living space downstairs.

Finally Some Warmth

We actually got to 27 degrees today which is the kind of temperature I enjoy. We haven't had much of this even though we are mid June already. Perfect day with blue skies, sunshine and warmth. Had coffee on the deck, ate breakfast on the deck, enjoyed watching the grand daughter play in her little splash pool. Ahhh life is good.

Still can't help dreaming of retirement in southern climates where the weather stays warm throughout our cold Canadian winter months. I readily anticipate walking along tropical beaches, hiking around towns and cities discovering new sites and sounds. I love to watch people no matter where we are at. Town Squares have always been fascinating and there is usually a bench to be had to sit and observe the goings on. I am looking forward to experiencing Ecuador and Panama first hand. They aren't very big countries but they both have lots of variety with coastal areas and inland mountains. So I know there will be lots to see and learn about.

I would love to learn from others who have already been there. I still find myself searching for information and Snowbird related sites. Seems harder to find them than I expected. Perhaps there aren't as many of us boomers seeking the warmth as I thought or maybe they are better connected somehow? I want to know where others have traveled and what their experiences both good and bad have been. The term Snowbird is not new and it seems to be understood in the circles we travel in but perhaps it is purely a Canadian term. One of Anne Murray's contributions to our culture. What do other countries call people who travel to warmer climates to get out of winter cold?

Snowbird travel, Snowbird health insurance, Snowbird RV recommendations, Snowbird Associations, Snowbirds in Central America, Snowbirds in Mexico.... where are you? I can find Snowbirds in Florida easiest but again that may be related to the Winter exodus from Eastern Canada where there are just more people traveling south than from my province of Alberta.

Any suggestions out there?

Air Travel and prices

Seems to me that every site out there claims to offer the best search engines for finding the best prices. Kayak at least quotes in Canadian and includes taxes. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to figure out what the bottom line really is when it comes to cost.

Interestingly enough, when a couple of my family recently visited my son in the Dominican Republic he found it was just as cheap and efficient to buy an all inclusive package and utilize the flights. He just met them at the airport, informed the resort they were with him and off they went to enjoy their time together. The regular airline was all booked up and only had business class left which would have made the trip totally unaffordable. So if you find you are having difficulty locating flights... give a look at the last minute packages. Could be you can find what you are looking for cheaper than if you got a regular flight alone!

Figuring this out....

Please be patient as I figure out how to manage this site.  The directions are all Greek to me so I am struggling.  I want to add information that would be helpful to you, if you like me, are trying to make the Snowbird lifestyle happen.  I am not a quick study so it is taking awhile to find out how to do all of this.  I added Bill Cosby just because I love his sense of humour and find I need to prompt a smile from myself sometimes.  His humour always does that for me.  I hope you enjoy him to.  

I also added adsense which puts advertising from Google on the site.  I am monitoring what they put on to see how it works.  It does have a pay for click feature so if some income happened to be generated from this ... well that would just be a bonus  for me

I also connected to some forums here and there that might be helpful to you if you are wanting to know more from people who are living in the countries we are headed to explore.  I will try to add these to my site as well.  Here is one that I follow as people living in Ecuador are on it: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ecuador_expats/

You have to go through Yahoo to access it.

The weather here in Alberta continues to be cool without much rain.  I am covering bedding plants every night as we have had frost warnings and frost occasionally this past week.  I am far from thrilled with these temperatures.  Makes me think of moving south permanently because we seem to have so little summer weather here.  If we can just get Snowbirding that will be a start.  :-)  I will keep on learning what I can and share my findings with you.  Stay tuned.

What I have found out so far...

Ecuador is promoted by many as the country with the lowest cost of living and the best options for climates. I am subscribed to 3 well known sites and I receive regular updates from all of them. They do promote their products all the time which can be a bit annoying but they also do seem to do thorough research as well.

1. International Living check out Google ads and search Ecuador
   
2. Live and Invest Overseas check out Google ads and search Ecuador
   
3. Search Gary A Scott and Ecuador
   

Panama is also promoted as the retirement haven with all kinds of benefits especially for a retiree. It seems to be a bit more costly to live there. For sure it is in Panama City as compared to the smaller towns or rural areas. It is a bit closer to home though... just a bit. It also may be more developed than Ecuador.

1. International Living check out Google ads and search Panama
   
2. Live and Invest Overseas check out Google ads and search Panama

Mexico has lots of negative press right now but we found it safe and friendly. It also has varying climates. One can choose the hotter climates along the coast line or retreat to the mountain areas for the "spring like climates". Unfortunately, spring like climates are just too cold for me. When we went to San Cristobal de Las Casas we thought it was beautiful. We also enjoyed the beach on the north coast of Mexico but found it surprisingly cold too. The winds blow off the ocean and in February it can feel cold.

Looking for Real Estate? With the help of Mr. Carlos Hassey Esparza from http://www.tierrayucatan.com/ we found a place in Merida that had 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a wrap around verandah and a swimming pool with an asking price of only $67,000 USD. The owner also said if it didn't sell and we wanted to rent it for, say 3 months, he would rent it to us for only $500 CAD per month. He said he would leave it all furnished for us and take the time to go off and investigate Brazil as it looks the most promising to him as the up and coming place. Brazil is just too far away for me.He was a very interesting old guy. A former Canadian diplomat and he had served a lot of places. He seemed very honest with us about the down side of his house and living in Mexico but he also said how much he has enjoyed living there. Carlos was wonderful and we highly recommend him as a realtor. He was so friendly and polite and helpful. He showed us around and answered so many questions for us.

1. International Living check out Google ads and search Mexico
   
2. Live and Invest Overseas check out Google ads and search Mexico

Here I go....

Hi there.  I am new to this so just learning how to post and everything.  My desire is to share my experiences with you as I research everything we need to know to embark on the transition to our Snowbird Lifestyle.  Here we are seniors I suppose since we both are well over 55.   Hopefully we will both see semi-retirement at least, as of December 31, 2009. Retirement planning isn't easy... so much to think about and anticipate.   My husband and I want to escape our  Canadian winters. Frankly, it is more me than him who can no longer stand the cold.  I swear I will not spend another whole winter in Alberta.  The tropics of Central America and South America are calling me and I will do just about anything to allow us to go south where it is warm.

Last winter we spent a month in Mexico so we have gotten a small taste of what it can be like.  We had a ball. We stayed in touch with family by Skype.  Wireless Networking was available many places which was grand. We couldn't afford a car so we used local transportation, of which Mexico has lots of varying styles and types. We squished into small vans with 12 people at a time and also rode the ADO luxury line buses into the mountains of Chiapas.  We stayed in a beach house, a small hotel and 2 different hostels.  We ate quesadillas and other local food and shopped at the market so we could mostly cook our own.  We found a lovely coffee shop in Merida that satisfied our craving for latte coffees.  We enjoyed the hammocks, walked the beach, swam in cenotes and visited with another Canadian couple we met.  They were seasoned snow birders and were so generous with their information.  It was so nice to have someone to ask questions of.

My husband was doing very well learning Spanish.  He could speak toddler Spanish which is way more than I could manage.  He was very brave trying it out whenever he could and the Mexican people were very friendly and helpful.  At no time did we feel unsafe... whether on the streets of downtown Merida or San Cristobal de las Casas or the beach at Chelem.

We have been fortunate, as we have already traveled to the Cook Islands, Belize and the Dominican Republic prior to our Mexico adventure.  But there is so much more out there to explore and we are just beginning I hope.  Luckily we are house sharing with our grown daughter and granddaughter so we can leave our house knowing that it and the dogs and cat will be well taken care of.  What a relief that is!   

Now, I am heavily into researching where to go next winter.  My tentative plan is to go to Ecuador and maybe also Panama and/or Peru.  It all depends on how far I can make our limited dollars stretch.  If you are interested in traveling on a budget you may want to follow along as I share what I learn.