Navigating Cultural Divides, Business Challenges, and Daily Life in Latin America

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller explores the challenges of expat life in Latin America, from small business frustrations to healthcare and education. He delves into cultural divides, inventory control issues, and personal reflections on living in Antigua, Guatemala, providing a comprehensive look at the realities of expat life in the region.

Johnny begins by addressing the cultural divide between indigenous and Ladino communities in Latin America, using an email from Janet, an expat in Antigua Guatemala, who shares her frustration with small businesses not having change for cash transactions. He expands on this issue, highlighting the contrast between younger Ladino entrepreneurs who rely on calculators and cash registers and indigenous vendors who can perform mental math effortlessly. He also touches on the broader cultural and historical context of indigenous identity and the class divide in Latin America.

Next, Johnny discusses the poor inventory control and inconsistency in product availability at large franchises like Costco and Walmart in Latin America. He provides specific examples of products that are frequently out of stock, such as Carrington Farms coconut oil and organic cashews, and questions the competence of inventory managers in these stores. He advises expats to accept these realities and find reliable local workers who meet their standards.

Johnny then recounts his experiences with various tradespeople, particularly carpenters and painters, highlighting his frustrations with poor workmanship and lack of professionalism. He describes a carpenter who, despite his disheveled appearance, is a skilled artist and a referral source. He also shares his negative experiences with painters, emphasizing their lack of preparation and attention to detail, which leads him to take on painting tasks himself. He briefly mentions a dental experience in Medellin, Colombia, which he plans to elaborate on later.

In the next segment, Johnny recounts his experience with a dentist in Medellin, Colombia, who sang and danced while treating him, highlighting the cultural differences in healthcare practices between Latin America and the United States. He contrasts the slower, more personalized approach of Latin American doctors with the fast-paced, high-volume environment of American clinics. He also discusses the concept of 'manana time' in Latin America, where appointments are often delayed, and suggests strategies to minimize waiting times. Additionally, he addresses an email from John about cell phone bans in schools in Las Vegas, Nevada, similar to the policy in Ecuador.

The episode then shifts to a discussion on the use of cell phones in schools, with Johnny explaining that in most middle schools, cell phones are not allowed except during lunch. Some tech high schools, however, incorporate cell phones into daily use, such as using them for hall passes. He shares a story about a teacher in Guatemala City who implemented a strict cell phone policy, confiscating phones and storing them in a drawer. The teacher notes that despite the rule, students continue to bring new phones, often cheaper ones, due to their parents' financial resources. Johnny also advises expats to use cash for small purchases in Latin America due to issues with change and credit card fraud. The conversation concludes with a mention of an email from a listener in Antigua, Guatemala, who is considering returning there and asks about its appeal.

Finally, Johnny reflects on his experiences living in Antigua, Guatemala, and the challenges of being an expat in a tourist town. He talks about his decision to limit Uber use to force social interactions, his improving Spanish, and his participation in an expat signal app group. He also addresses the nature of tourism in Antigua, noting that it's different from typical Mexican tourist towns like Cancun or Playa del Carmen. He shares his personal history of living in Antigua in the late 1990s when it was less touristy and discusses a business partnership that ended poorly, leading to his eventual departure from the town. Despite his fondness for Antigua, he felt uncomfortable seeing his former business partner succeed after he sold his share of the business.

Episode Notes

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Topics

Cultural divide in Latin America, Small business challenges, Indigenous vs. Ladino identity, Cash transaction issues, Inventory control, Product availability, Franchise operations, Expatriate experiences, Cultural and operational differences, Carpenter and tile worker experiences, Frustrations with house painters, Dental experience in Medellin, Colombia

Chapters

00:00:00 Opening
00:00:16 Welcome to The Expat Files
00:00:37 Janet's Email: Frustration with Small Business Cash Issues
00:01:16 Janet's Background as a Small Business Owner
00:01:43 Janet's Frustration with Lack of Change
00:02:53 Johnny's Response to Janet's Rant
00:03:20 Johnny's Observations on Cultural Divide in Latin America
00:04:31 The Cultural Divide Between Indigenous and Ladino Communities
00:05:13 Inventory Control Issues in Latin America
00:06:10 Why Costco Shouldn't Have Inventory Problems
00:07:30 The Reality of First World Standards in Latin America
00:09:15 The Unlikely Carpenter
00:09:43 How I Found the Carpenter
00:10:36 The Artist Who Doesn't Promote Himself
00:11:15 My Lesson with Painters
00:13:18 Strange Scenes in the Neighborhood
00:13:38 Johnny's Background and Decision to Return to Guatemala
00:13:52 Johnny's Experience with a Dentist in Medellin
00:15:35 Cultural Differences in Healthcare Practices
00:16:38 The Downside of 'Manana Time' in Latin America
00:17:41 Johnny's Email Discussion on Cell Phone Bans in Schools
00:18:16 Cell Phone Usage in Schools
00:18:37 Tech High Schools and Cell Phone Use
00:18:53 Strict Cell Phone Policies in Schools
00:21:13 Credit Card Usage in Latin America
00:22:39 Email from a Listener in Antigua
00:23:17 Johnny's Perspective on Tourist Life in Antigua
00:23:45 Antigua's Tourism and Johnny's Personal Experience
00:25:09 Johnny's Reflections on Living in Antigua

Transcript

Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.

[00:00] South of the border, down Mexico way That's where I fell in love when the stars above came out to play And now as I wander Hello there all you ex-pad wannabes I'm Johnny Mueller and you're listening to The Exped Files, living in Latin America The show that tells you just what it's like to live, work, play and or retire down here in Latin America It's a mix of the good, the bad, the ugly and the great And it's all right here so let's get started Alright let's get to a few emails They're always fun and sometimes good for a laugh or two This one comes from Janet, originally from Michigan She says, Johnny I moved to the outskirts of Antigua Guatemala about three years ago

[00:45] And you are really mostly spot on with everything you say And you're right about the fact there are certain things that happen every day But you just can't get used to them If you're lucky they just become part of the norm for you But if you're unlucky, they will just grate on you As for me, she says, I'm a pretty laid back person I can take things as they come, I don't get too upset about things But there is one particular thing that really drives me nuts As a former owner of a couple of small businesses in Detroit A bike repair shop, a flower shop and an exercise equipment retailer My big gripe and it never fails, I go into a coffee shop An ice cream powder, a little craft store or even going to Claro to recharge my cell phone

[01:31] I'd say 25% of the time, one out of four times at least When I try to pay with cash, even a small amount of cash The person behind the counter does not have change That absolutely does not make sense to me, Johnny I remember when I was maybe 10 years old I had a lemonade stand in front of the house I remember before I even got started, before I even mixed up the lemonade My dad loaded me up with a mason jar full of change Without that loose change, I would not have sold a single cup of lemonade Because all the neighborhood adults walking by handed me a dollar bill Johnny, I'd say at least once a week, some small retail vendor here Has to stop what he or she is doing Walk to the tienda next door or across the street and get changed from one of his buddies

[02:17] Johnny, I keep thinking there's something really wrong You run a business, you don't have change No wonder people have a hard time making ends meet Have a hard time running their businesses Anyway, Johnny loved the show Just thought I'd give you my little rant for the day Signed, Janet P.S. I love Antigua, but I'd never want to live in the center of it Living on the outskirts is just fine with me In the center of town, especially around the Central Park Too many clueless American and European tourists Alright, Janet, thanks for that Oh, and to add to your little irritation, that small business rant About that perpetual problem of not having change I assume you're talking about Monetas Monetas are coin change I get that Latinos running small businesses are very short on the details Here's another small detail that sort of drives me nuts

[03:05] Besides the no-eye-cambio thing, which means I don't have change Actually, two things One is that younger Latinos working at these tiandas Don't know how to add or subtract They have to use a calculator or a cash register I'm talking about the under 25 crowd But man, I'll tell you, when there's an indigenous person Guy, gal, kid, whatever Selling coffee or running a fruit stand, whatever, man They know how to do the calculations in their heads They may have a calculator on hand, but they don't need it You should see how fast those indigenous ladies put numbers together In those big fruit markets But the younger Ladino, Ladino crowd Those are Latinos that don't have a lot of indigenous blood in them They seem to be totally dependent on cash registers and calculators

[03:50] Just like American kids, they can't do math in their heads It's a lost art Oh, and by the way, Latinos will never wear indigenous typical clothing In fact, they wouldn't be caught dead in that stuff Because of the class divide here in Latin America You know those bright indigenous colors and weavings? Every pattern signifies an indigenous tribe And I think in Guatemala there's 26 tribes People tell me that's so tribes can recognize other tribes at a distance You know, who your friends and enemies are Of course, that doesn't signify much today But in the colonial and pre-colonial times, man, it meant everything But that's another story Going back to the fact that there are really two cultures here in Latin America The indigenous people and the Ladinos Basically the indigenous people who were the original settlers before Columbus

[04:37] And the conquistadores and their offspring Even these days in the 21st century There are some prejudices and taboos around mixing blood Anyway, to add to your rant, Janet About small businesses not having change What about the fact that they're so often out of inventory? So like, for example, you go to a restaurant You order something on the menu They say, oh, los siento, no hayoy Oops, sorry, don't have that today Then you pick out another item And oftentimes they'll say the same thing No tenemos hoy, don't have it today I don't know about you But when you see something on the menu It should be available, right? Well, not so here in Latin America Even crazier, it's not just small businesses That happens all the time in Costco You know, known as Price Mart down here For example, they sell a really good quality brand

[05:23] Coconut oil, it's called Carrington Farms 52 ounces, organic, cold pressed If you go on the net and look it up You'll find it's very, very low in microplastics, etc Very pure, 100% real, but guess what? Half the time they don't have it in stock Same thing with a lot of other items For example, they sell organic dry roasted cashews in Costco as well They've been out of stock for at least four months now And suddenly when you've learned not even to look for them anymore Because it's been so long There'll be a whole palette of them there Which means you better stock up Because you can be sure in a couple of months There'll be another shortage Now here's the thing Costco is a huge outfit They must have 2,000 stores around the world Probably more And every Costco's got computers and inventory lists, etc, etc

[06:10] Why is it feast or famine in a first world franchise store? I mean look, in a big store like that There's always someone in charge of inventory and ordering My question is, how can that person be such an idiot That they leave a product that everybody wants to buy On backorder and not in stock for months at a time It's simple supply and demand That means they're losing money It's true for their frozen blueberries, too As well as their plain unsweetened Greek yogurt And I'm just talking about a couple of items I pick up on occasion I don't buy much at Costco But, you know, you have your favorites, right? By the way, I always read the ingredients label And that Greek yogurt only has two ingredients Anyway, just imagine if I buy, let's say, 10 things at Costco regularly

[06:58] I can count on the fact that when I go there Three out of four are hit or miss Man, I'll tell you, if I was the big boss at that Costco I'd fire the inventory guy in a second But down here in Latin America, man, I've been to at least 10 Maybe 20 different Costcos over the years And they're all the same, guilty as charged Terrible inventory control Why is it at Costco and Walmart's big, big outfits that you know better It just keeps on happening That's why I always say, man, as much as Some of the people down here want to be first world And they tell me someday they'll achieve those levels Uh-uh, sorry, you never will Well, then what? You'll just have to do like Janet and recalibrate your temperament Accept the fact that you're in the third world Accept the inevitability that even first world franchises will have poor inventory control

[07:49] That mom and pop shops often won't have change And that workers will be sloppy and not clean up after themselves By the way, that's why I always say, if you find a worker That's up to your standards Someone who really does a nice job And you don't have to hover over him and prod him on to do a good job As Pride in his work and knows he's a cut above If you happen to find one of these guys, and they are around Believe me, they're solid gold Keep them on your WhatsApp list Oh, and believe me, some of these craftsmen guys who do fantastic work They don't look the part at all For example, I hired a guy to remodel an old bathroom for me The bathroom was in such bad shape, I figured Even if he does a half-assed job, it's going to be a thousand percent better I mean, it was a complete remodel

[08:35] Rip out all the drains, fixtures Rip out all the tile, put down new tile New ceiling, new lights By the way, a drop ceiling is called a platform P-L-A-F-O-N, platform Anyway, I was out of town for a couple of days When I came back to check on him, he was halfway done Deep in his work, there was dirt and dust everywhere You expect that when there's a complete tear down His shirt and his pants were loaded with that thinset tile cement He looked like a Latino pig pen from Charlie Brown And get this, he was working barefoot Now, this I'd never seen before I mean, working with tiles which weigh a lot And they have, when they're cut, very sharp edges on Plus, he's drilling and using grinding wheels I thought, man, this can't be right

[09:20] His feet were all gnarled, calloused up Discolored and dirty as they would be I mean, he was asking for trouble That's when I got a little nervous I thought, man, is this guy for real? I thought, well, if he screws up, that won't be the first time I had to go back and fix things myself What's that old construction saying? We don't have time to do it right But we always have time to do it over Now, you're probably thinking, how did I find this guy? Well, a while back, I had a carpenter Refinish the doors on some old kitchen cabinets You know, sometimes you don't have to put brand new cabinets in If they're getting old and warped and creaky And all monged up, you could have a carpenter come in And put all new doors on your cabinets And it appears as if the cabinets himself, the whole kitchen, is brand new Anyway, a while back, this carpenter did a really good job

[10:07] So I phoned him up and I said, hey, can you come over and remodel a bathroom for him? He said, he doesn't do that kind of stuff He's just a strict carpenter Strictly a cabinet maker But he knew a guy that could come in and do good work Was an expert tile man, he said He's good, he said, but don't be shocked by his appearance Man, I'll tell you, I got that guy's number down in a safe, safe place Because he did fantastic work Some guys, you know, are just perfectionists, they're artists Doesn't matter what field you're talking about Could be a baker, a car mechanic, a metal worker Anyway, I found a ceramic tile worker who really is an artist But by looking at him, you'd think he was a garbage man Or even a dumpster diver Or even a homeless person, I mean it The thing is though, some of these guys don't promote themselves This guy, obviously, doesn't look the part

[10:54] He wouldn't be able to promote himself So he just gets jobs by referral, which is good for me Because if he did look sharp and knew the ropes on how to advertise He'd be so damn busy, he wouldn't have time to answer the phone Oh, and by the way, I learned my lesson about painting too I mean, been down here long enough I should have learned my lesson a long time ago But I didn't I keep giving these house painters a chance Well, until just lately anyway I decided I'm never going to let anyone paint the interior of my house again I'll do it The exterior, okay At least the mistakes and screw-ups they make on the exterior of your house Can't really be seen much from a distance, from the street But inside your house, when they screw up a paint job, man, it's so obvious Even cringe-worthy

[11:40] And the painter is not even embarrassed about it I'm talking about overspray, getting paint on the windows The lights, the floors, the drapes, the doors, the countertops Man, I'm talking about so-called professional painters People that do this for a living They're like a bunch of ten-year-old kids doing finger painting in an art class You've heard me rant about this stuff before, so I won't repeat myself But I got to tell you, I just painted an apartment And it took me about a day to tape it up before I even got started And I'll tell you, if a Latino painter saw me do that Saw me tape around the doors, the windows, the baseboards And lay drop cloths everywhere And then take a damn cloth and wipe down the walls and the baseboards To get off the dust before you paint They'd look at you like you were nuts Pre-preparation is not something that any of them will do

[12:27] They don't wipe down a wall or a baseboard that's full of dust, they just paint If the old paint has some big chips, they don't smooth it out with spackle, they just paint right over it And when you pull a picture or a mirror off the wall And they've got a recessed hole there, holding it up They don't fill those holes with spackle, they just paint right over them So that's something you don't have to arrange to do yourself or have someone else do it beforehand So it all boils down to the fact that in all these years I have not found my golden nuckered painter That one in twenty guys that turns out to be an artist Now as for me, I'm a real detailed guy, I can really paint well But I hate house painting, it's one of the most boring things I can think of But I do end up doing it once in a while Because the stress of having some idiot melon head painter come in and slap it on like a monkey with a tar brush

[13:15] Uh-uh, I'd rather bite the bullet and do it myself Oh, and speaking of strange scenes in the neighborhoods down here Recently I was in Medellin, Colombia and had a toothache I'll get back to what happened at my dental appointment later Anyway, my regular dentist is in Guatemala You long-time listeners have heard me talk about him many times before Dr. Alex graduated from a prestige American dental school Got a degree, extra degree in oral surgery When he graduated they asked him to stay on at the dental school up there to run a department But he said, nah, I'd rather go back down to my home country You know, family, friends and all that So he moved back to Guatemala Anyway, a little while back I just happened to be in Medellin, Colombia and I had a toothache So you go to the dentist You don't tough it out, you go to a dentist nearby

[14:00] By hook and crook I found a dentist, a lady dentist A period dentist who was trained in the US Now, I'm going to ask you if this has ever happened to you before I bet it has not This lady dentist, who spoke a little bit of English While she was working on my tooth She turned on a stereo, her favorite music A Colombian ballad singer, quite nice I'd never heard of her before, but she was pretty good Now, here's the part I wonder if this ever happened to you before Has your physician or dentist ever belted out a song While he or she was working on you Well, guess what? The lady dentist, as she was working on me Sang every song No, not at high volume, not enough to curl my ears or make me cringe In fact, she could really hold a tune And I thought, man, this is pretty cool I wasn't thinking about the songs or the singing so much

[14:48] I was thinking, now, here's a lady who really enjoys her work Now, there were a few times she had to get up, go over to her computer Mix some filling materials together, whatever And when she got up, she'd dance a little bit around the room, too Rubber gloves, masked up and all She'd dance a bit with an imaginary partner And, man, I'm telling you, she was smooth She must do this all the time, lots of practice I was thinking, man, this lady could have her 15 minutes of fame If someone wouldn't film that and put it up on TikTok Yep, the singing, dancing dentist Only in Latin America, huh? You know, I've got some dentists and physicians in my family And I know they would just die of shame and embarrassment If anyone caught them singing or dancing while working on a patient

[15:35] What a difference in cultures, huh? Oh, and another thing Anyone who's gone to a dentist or physician down here in Latin America knows They spend a lot of time with you That lady spent more than an hour with me And she never jumped from room to room In fact, she never once left the room That means that most, she sees maybe seven or eight patients a day Meanwhile, up in the States, I have looked at my sister's daily schedule book And there's over 25 people in there If that's any indication of a regular schedule That means that the average American dentist or physician Sees three times as many patients a day as a Latino doc So what did it cost me? $90 Would have been at least $300 up in the States And no singing or dancing either Oh, and if you're wondering, she did not dance like Cardi B

[16:23] No assshakes or twerking She danced a nice conservative brand of salsa But remember, nothing's perfect As good as things may be, the downside of going to a Latin American doctor, physician, dentist, whatever Is that they too have a severe case of manana time, though they don't know it Yes, you can get stuck in a waiting room for half an hour, hour, even up to two hours That's why I always recommend Always, always try to be the first patient in the morning or the first one after lunch That way your Latino doc or lawyer or whatever will only be about a half hour late I found out through much experience that if you have a 9 o'clock doctor's appointment He or she won't even walk through the door till 9.30 or so Yeah, and he or she will be a half hour or so late If you've got the first appointment in the afternoon at 1

[17:11] And that time loss just keeps multiplying as your appointment gets later in the day So a 3 o'clock appointment could end up being at 5 Though more likely at 4 An hour is the usual wait But you're used to that, right? Because that's the way it is with doctors, lawyers, and professionals up in the States, right? Except if I remember correctly, if you've got the first appointment in the morning at 9 You will be seen at 9 And then, just like in Latin America, the appointment schedules fall farther and farther behind Alright, let's dig deeper into the email pile This one's from John He's replying to my question of a show or two ago When I asked if any school districts in the States are banning cell phones like Ecuador just did You know, they banned them for K-12

[17:57] In both public and private schools throughout Ecuador Anyway, John says, yes, cell phones are banned in all grades in the school system in Las Vegas, Nevada He says in the Las Vegas school system, cell phones have to be put into Faraday bags And stay there all day The only time you can take them out is during lunch He says, my son called me to change pickup times in place during his lunch time That's good to let them use it, at least for a limited time, he says In the middle schools, he says, if you take out your cell phone in between classes And an administrator sees it, it will be confiscated Though, John says, some tech high schools incorporate cell phones as part of the regular day usage

[18:44] That means things like hall passes might be on your phone Even so, the majority of time, no phones allowed Alright John, thanks for that You know, it reminds me of a helicopter school in Guatemala City A gringle buddy of mine teaches there, he's been teaching there a long, long time He said the school doesn't have that rule, but it's up to the teacher You can have that rule if you decide for your own class Well, he said he made the cell phone rule a long time ago He says, on the very first day of school, he writes on the blackboard If you're caught using a cell phone, it will be confiscated He said, one kid raised his hand and said, if it's confiscated, when do we get it back? And my buddy, the teacher said, at the end of the semester Which he says always strikes fear in the hearts of his students

[19:31] I said, is that legal? He said, probably not, but it does scare the hell out of him I said, how's that working out for you? He said, you should see the drawer in my desk It's filled with cell phones, expensive cell phones, iPhones Remember, he said, we're talking about a very, very expensive bilingual school Their parents are loaded, kids of businessmen, diplomats, ambassadors Kids of narcos, yeah, that's what he said, kids of narcos He was talking about high-end narcos who live in nice neighborhoods Who have a few legit businesses on the side That way, the kids can pretend their parents got their money legit Reasonable doubt anyway, kind of like mobsters in the States, like the Sopranos They always have a legit business or two to launder the money You know, like waste removal, construction So anyway, my teacher buddy said, he's got a drawer full of high-end iPhone

[20:20] But he said, that doesn't deter the kids, they still use phones and I still take them I said, how could that be? He says, well, their parents have all kinds of dough So if I confiscate a phone, the next day, the kid comes in with another Usually a cheaper version, in case I end up with that one too Then he said, you know, parent-teacher conferences are always fun The parents always show up for the money they're paying for tuition they should Well, he said the mother shows up anyway, the dad, rarely And sometimes, sometimes, I show the parents my cell phone drawer As it turns out, most of these parents don't even know I confiscated their kid's phone Their kids have money, their kids have allowances, and they just go out and buy another He said, they don't tell their parents that I have a rule and it's me that took their last phone

[21:06] Wait a minute, wait a minute, I just thought of something You know, the other day, a friend of mine took an Uber He told me at the end of the ride, the Uber driver didn't have any change And my buddy, a gringo expat's a cash guy, he does not like to pay things by credit card Especially nickel and dime things, like Ubers and coffee shops So anyway, he said, the Uber driver had no change at all Another case of exactly what we were talking about before Latino small businessmen not having change Anyway, he said, if the Uber driver does not have change He's supposed to credit your account to the next trip, the next Uber you take When you overpay, and you're supposed to be able to check for that credit on your Uber app Well, that doesn't always happen So my buddy says he was out three bucks Three bucks is no big deal, but those are the little aggravations you put up with down here in the third world

[21:55] But once again, it's recommended you try to use cash for everything Don't give out your credit card for every little thing Especially the small stuff, the Penny Andy stuff, like a fast food joint, a pizza Stay with cash man, you don't want your credit card numbers floating out there everywhere It's bad enough you're stuck using a credit card when you buy stuff online Anyway, Latinos down here are just so willy-nilly about that kind of stuff And they get scammed all the time I doubt most of them even understand the monthly billing statement they get from their credit card company It's so complicated Electric company bills in internet company bills the same way And bank statements, forget about it I know I'm skipping around a bit, but Digression is the name of the game, isn't it? And you know, earlier in the show, we got an email from Janet living in Antigua, Guatemala

[22:43] Well, got another email about Antigua, Guatemala It's not so complimentary It's from Mr. P who says Hi Johnny, I'm here in Antigua, Guatemala for two weeks Guatemala City later on, for the first and last week of February We'll probably do this again one more time later this year before my final move down I'm growing a little bit more familiar with it one trip at a time However, he says, I'm wondering what part or activity of this Antigua tourist town you found most appealing yourself when you lived here As for me, the tourist thing can get pretty boring fast He says, I'm committed to walking about town for this month with as few Ubers as possible So that I'm forced to see people and have opportunities to yap

[23:31] He says, my Spanish is minimal, but thankfully improving fast He says, oh and Johnny, on another note, you mentioned there's a signal app group for expats Is that open to newbies? I'd like to get in on it if I can He says, one more thing about Antigua, Guatemala Although Antigua is charming, I'm somewhat embarrassed by being one of the many gringos I see So many aimlessly wandering through coffee shops and restaurants He says, I guess I'm saying that because they look far too much like me Hope you stay well, Johnny, signed Mr. P Alright, thanks for that Mr. P You know, you bring up the fact that Antigua is a tourist town Well, that may be true by Guatemala standards It's the town in Guatemala that has the most tourists

[24:19] But it's in no way like Costa Rica Or your typical Mexican tourist town like Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta For one thing, it's a small town No more than about 40,000 people And we're not talking about gringo tourists who bring their kids to tag along We're talking about adult, sort of what you might call tree-hugging, echo tourists You know, people that want to climb volcanoes, see pyramids View colonial architecture, go ziplining, hit the jungle We're definitely not talking about the all-inclusive resort beachcomber type There's just none of that down here In fact, I don't think there is an all-inclusive beach resort in the whole country of Guatemala And in Cancun alone, in just one little city, there's 400 of them

[25:04] Anyway, Mr. P, you're wondering what I found I liked about Antigua, Guatemala Being that it is a tourist town What did I find most appealing when I lived here? Well, you have to remember, when I first lived in Antigua, Guatemala And I lived there for around two and a half years Well, guess what? That was way back in the late 1990s, before the millennium Back then, when Antigua was completely off the tourist map I'd say there are about 10% of the tourists that you see today So, Mr. P, imagine walking around Antigua, Guatemala And seeing only 10% of the tourists you're seeing today That's what it was like when I lived there And the only reason I left and I moved to the big city, Guatemala City Or right outside of the big city Is because I got into a business deal with a guy that left a very bad taste in my mouth

[25:51] He wasn't a crook or anything, but he ended up not being a good business partner We built a very nice bar and restaurant business About one block from the Central Park We each put in the equal amount of dough, 50-50 At least that was the deal, but as it turned out, he didn't have the 50% to put in So, as we were building the thing, and the expenses mounted up And I put my 50% in and he put his 50% in Sooner or later, towards the end, he didn't have any money to put in By the way, I warned him when he came up with a figure on how much it should cost I said, let's add 20% to that That's normal Well, he thought that's not going to happen His calculations were correct, and I said, wait a minute I've had 10 or 12 businesses, and that's how it always turns out It's 20%, maybe more, of what you first figured

[26:39] Well, there we were, near the end, and he had no money left I was stuck holding the bag, and I wasn't going to kick in for him So I just sold out my part to another guy And eventually he borrowed some money somewhere or whatever And to my surprise, the place really took off, became a huge hit That is for the new guy who bought me out So I felt pretty rotten about that And didn't want to drive by the place every day It was right in the center of town, so I said, shit, I'm leaving I'm getting out of here That's why I left Antigua Not because it was loaded with tourists or I didn't like the place I really did like almost everything about it But how would you like it if you saw someone else have a tremendous success On the back of what you built? Nope, I didn't want to deal with that Every time I walked through the center of town Hey, you can't win them all, right?

[27:25] By the way, that business partner was not Guatemalan, wasn't even Latino, was half Belgian and half Canadian You've been listening to The Expat Files, living in Latin America If you need some help with your own Plan B, we can schedule a one-on-one phone or Skype consult Just send me an email, theexpatfiles.gmail.com And if you want to get on the waiting list for my next week-long Expat Insider Seminar in Central America Where you're guaranteed to get a 2-5 year head start on your Plan B Send me an email, theexpatfiles.gmail.com No spamos