Well Panama has gone and done it... They are changing their immigration policy, instead of being able to stay 6 months at a time you can only stay 3 months. To my understanding you can leave 30 days an reset the 3 months only once per year. So a total of 6 months in Panama a year unless you have residency which they are making increasingly difficult to get. So when I am out of here at the end of my 6 months ( I assume I am grandfathered into having 6 months here) I am out of here... Perhaps in the future if getting residency seems more obtainable I will look back into it but for now its on to the next one. Geographically speaking it will be Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Belize, and Mexico.
I briefly looked into some of these countries before deciding on Panama being the first to check out. I have herd good and bad about all of them... as all countries in the world have their good and bad. I am a bit bummed out about Panamas new outlook on expats however I am also a bit excited about a road trip across Central America. Although as soon as flu season hits and the "insert variant here" version of covid ramps up because that's what the flu does during flu season... the road tripping and restrictions will probably hinder my travels I imagine.
Now that I am back into researching other countries I found this article posted about Nicaragua that I found interesting and contrary to the usual banter about the country.
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is probably the most surprising country to make it onto this list. For years now Nicaragua has been brought down by a poor reputation due to the civil war that occurred there in the 1980s. Unfortunately, many still see Nicaragua in this light. This could not be farther from the truth.
Nicaragua has made much progress since that time and is now a stable democracy. The government has gone through several peaceful changes of power, as in opposing political parties democratically changing who is in power. In addition, Nicaragua is an incredibly safe country, actually holding the distinction of being the
second safest country in the Western Hemisphere.
One of the biggest appeals of living in Nicaragua is the affordability.
Nicaragua real estate is very affordable. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Americas, meaning that everything there is very affordable. Grocery prices in Nicaragua, for example, are on average 43% lower than they would be in the United States. Restaurant prices on average are 53% lower. Hired help, such as a maid, cook, gardener or personal driver, are all incredibly affordable, and each of these services can be hired out for a few hundred dollars each per month. This can seriously
improve your quality of life. Not having to ever worry about washing dishes, sweeping floors, or doing other household chores is an incredible improvement to one’s life.
Nicaragua is also home to a rich culture. For those who enjoy spending time outdoors, Nicaragua is an excellent choice as it is home to many natural attractions including 19 volcanos, the Bosawás UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and the beautiful Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America, which features the luxuriant Ometepe Island within. For those who enjoy urban fun, Managua and San Juan del Sur both have very active night lives. For those interested in culture and history, León and Granada are two prominent colonial towns, rich in history and full of museums, art galleries and other cultural centers.