Nicaragua? I'm thinking of retiring there in about a year. What advise ...?

Question

... do some ex-pats have who have lived down in Nicaragua? Should I drive my 6-yr old Ford down there from the US or are cars just targets for thieves? I'd like to live with some native family for the first year to learn the customs and language. Is there any way of connecting with them?

What smaller towns, under 40,000 are suitable? I'm not interested in working down there, but maybe as an adult English tutor.

Answer 1

How well do you speak Spanish?   If you don't you will need to spend some time at a language school before you can even think about living in a smallish city. .  Most language schools provide homestays with families and after you finished your studies you could probably stay on with them if it were mutually agreeable.   As long as you don't ever park your car on the street as night, you will be safe from theft.  

I would start your searches by looking at Granada or Masayas or San Juan de Sur.  They have relatively large expatriate community and there are language schools there.

Answer 2

Good for you wanting to go and live there. Nicaragua is a beautiful country; it is like some other country by having its advantages + disadvantages.

People are so much nicer in small cities. I strongly recommend for you to visit: Granada, Masaya, Leon, Bluefields.

Perhaps you should search or google where are the schools and the types you would like to work for (junior high, high school or university).

You can purchase a piece of land for less than ten thousand dollars. There are vehicles there for purchases too; but I strongly recommend for you to get to know the place and where exactly you are thinking in living (if there a space for your vehicle). Otherwise, you can ride autobuses, taxis or express vehicles between one to four dollars the most per ride; depends on what city and where you heading.

Having a vehicle sometimes may give others the wrong idea (they may think you are loaded with money and take advantage of you - money wise).

Always dress casual - Jeans, T-shirt and Tennis Shoes. No jewelry nor watch or fancy clothes with brand names.

I'm pretty sure you will love the whole experience and I am hoping that soon I will be in your shoe by planning my own retirement in Nicaragua :-)

Answer 3

I'm thinking that if you stay in urban areas, and are an English instructor, you could live real well.  Hopefully, you are also proficient in Spanish, that will help you fit in better.

I would not recommend driving, because of the road conditions between USA and there, there aren't any "super highways", and many roads are unpaved, or get washed out in rains, mudslides, or get attacked by guerrilla-like bandits.

Contact the U.S. State Department for "terrorist" alerts, and about whom to contact about teaching jobs there.  You may be able to connect with a USA Food for Peace, or Peace Corps like program down there, which can give you better advice than I can.

I've heard better things about the once British controlled  Belize, or Costa Rica.  You might want to compare these before moving there, I would.  

Nicaragua went thru some uprisings and such back in the 1980s and some people still blame the USA.