Nicaragua - Real Men Don’t Carry Umbrellas
If you want to live in the tropics on a budget and don’t mind foregoing certain amenities, Nicaragua might be the place for you. There are drawbacks: the roads are bumpy and sometimes flooded; temperatures range from hot to very hot; utilities aren’t always reliable. Umbrellas are available, of course, but as Randall Wood and Jashua Berman write in Moon Living Abroad in Nicaragua
This is just one item in their list, “What Nicaragua Has Taught Me.” Wood and Berman moved to Nicaragua in 1998 and they write, “it ended up being the perfect fit.” These writers know and understand Nicaragua; it may help that Wood has Nicaraguan in-laws. This the book to read if you’re seriously thinking of Nicaragua as a place to live or even to visit. Part of Moon’s respected Living Abroad series (not related to Network for Living Abroad), it’s one of the best in the series.
Nicaragua is either the second or the third poorest country in Latin America, depending on your source of information. However, low prices should never be the prime reason for moving to a new country and a new culture, and these authors warn against moving to Nicaragua to take advantage of cheap land and cheap labor.
Expats who come here because of the friendly people, relaxed pace and breathtaking landscape won’t be disappointed. While expats often fail at becoming part of the local culture elsewhere, Nicas take an unusual interest in foreigners. Very little English is spoken, and the authors recommend learning at least some Spanish.
Nicaragua has visa and residency programs that allow foreigners to live here. There’s red tap, of course. Wood and Berman suggest getting to know the vendors outside the immigration building because you’ll be making many visits and eating many lunches here. They acknowledge that the process may be discouraging, and they offer some useful tips.
A special program lets retirees bring in a vehicle and up to $10,000 worth of personal possessions. Since cars, electronics, furniture and linens cost more here, this can make sense. These authors note, however, that many don’t take advantage of this.
The book suggests budgeting $800 to $1200 for living expenses, more in some areas, and other sources hae recently pegged the amount at $1000. Individual needs vary, of course. Doing business is possible in Nicaragua, but this book warns that it’s “not for the faint of heart.” Opportunities to volunteer abound, however. Many expats who are far from wealthy come here hoping to make a difference.
Like others in the series, the book gives sample itineraries for trips lasting one week, two weeks and one month. The most pages, however, are devoted to various cities, towns and neighborhoods where expats may want to live. Also included are fascinating profiles of expats with details of their lifestyle along with any complaints and advice to others.
Employed expats are more likely to live in Managua, the capital, and the book describes various neighborhoods. Expats who have a choice may opt for the charming,colonial city of Granada, situated on Lake Cocibolca. Nearby Las Isletas, a peninsula, is a tourist destination with some restrictions on buying property.
The Southwest, along the Pacific and to the north of Costa Rica, draws more local tourism as well as backpackers. The town of San Juan offers rentals and real estate in all price ranges. Note: no building is permitted along the beach. Further south, Isla de Ometepe is a charming spot that has avoided the real estate boom across the lake in Granada.
Leon, the other colonial city, is in the north, with a more pronounced dry season along with higher temperatures. Home to the National University, and a haven of progressive thought, it offers old world charm equal to that of Granada with housing costs are lower. Nearby are beach towns with reasonable rentals.
The Caribbean Coast is a world apart, a rustic spot even by Nicaraguan standards. It was colonized by the British, who left the indigenous peoples intact and armed them with muskets, hence the name “Miskito” (no, not mosquito) Coast.
Also included here are Spanish phrases, basic vocabulary, multiple resources and bibliography. It’s all in a paperback small enough to take with you.