Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller delves into several unique aspects of life in Latin America, offering both humorous and insightful observations.
Johnny begins by discussing the experience of outdoor exercise in the region. He acknowledges that people do engage in activities like jogging, biking, and power walking, but highlights the dangers and peculiarities of doing so in Latin America. He describes the chaotic environment, including busy highways, chicken buses, and the risk of being hit by debris. Johnny also comments on the social dynamics, noting that only the wealthy engage in such activities and often do so with expensive gear, while the less fortunate do not have the means to participate. He humorously suggests that joggers are less likely to be targeted by thieves due to the low demand for their gear and the fact that they are often out of sight during the week. Johnny also touches on the display of wealth by the affluent, who use bodyguards and private SUVs to show off their status.
He then moves on to discuss the culture of wealth display in Latin America, particularly focusing on the phenomenon of joggers with bodyguards. He critiques the ostentatious behavior of these individuals, highlighting their lack of fitness and the inconvenience they cause to others. He shares a humorous anecdote about expat Eddie, who throws an egg at a group of joggers and their bodyguards to disrupt their showy display. Johnny further elaborates on the availability of high-end sports equipment and car culture in Latin America, noting the presence of specialty shops, racing circuits, and car clubs catering to enthusiasts.
Next, Johnny discusses the cultural and practical differences in classic car ownership between Latin America and the United States. He highlights that in Latin America, classic car enthusiasts often lack the technical skills and dedication to maintain their vehicles, relying on hired help instead. This results in cars that look good from a distance but have poor mechanical condition. Johnny suggests that expats, with their attention to detail and restoration skills, can easily outshine local owners in car clubs and competitions. However, he also notes that the satisfaction of such victories is often hollow, as the standards in Latin America are low. Additionally, he mentions the affordability of classic cars in Latin America and the challenges of sourcing original parts, which have been mitigated by the availability of local machine shops.
In this segment, Johnny also discusses the practicality of restoring or selling classic cars in Latin America. He highlights the potential for profit by selling car parts, but also notes the challenges of restoring a car in a region with poor road conditions and limited use for classic cars. He then transitions into a discussion about asset protection, referencing an article about Argentinian farmers hoarding food as a form of protection against currency collapse. Johnny acknowledges the value of physical assets like food and gold over fiat currency, especially in times of economic instability. He also mentions the challenges of living in Argentina, despite agreeing with many of Doug Casey's views on economic collapse and gold.
Finally, Johnny discusses the unique characteristics of Chile compared to other Latin American countries, emphasizing its higher level of organization, lower corruption, and more efficient government services. However, he warns that this increased efficiency leads to a growing 'big brother' effect, where the government becomes more intrusive. He suggests that expats prefer chaotic, less organized countries with smaller, more corrupt governments, as these environments allow for more freedom and less regulation. Johnny also references Doug Casey's advice on internationalizing one's life, highlighting the importance of political diversification and the high cost of living in Uruguay and Costa Rica. He concludes by promoting his upcoming Latin American seminar.
Topics
Outdoor exercise in Latin America, Safety concerns for joggers and cyclists, Social dynamics and class differences, Display of wealth and status, Cultural observations and humor, Wealth display and ostentation, Cultural critique of expat behavior, Road rage and social inconvenience, Car culture and sports equipment in Latin America, Classic car ownership in Latin America, Cultural differences in car maintenance and restoration, Expatriate advantages in car clubs and competitions
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:01:06 Outdoor Exercise in Latin America: A Mixed Bag of Safety and Class Dynamics 00:02:42 The Wealthy Joggers: A Symbol of Status and Privilege 00:06:17 The Rise of SUVs and the Decline of Hummers in Latin America 00:07:08 Jogging as a Status Symbol and the Role of Bodyguards 00:10:02 Car Culture and Racing in Latin America 00:11:45 Introduction to the topic of classic car ownership in Latin America 00:12:26 The gringo advantage in classic car clubs and competitions 00:12:57 The rich man's game of classic car ownership in Latin America 00:14:23 The low standards of classic car owners in Latin America 00:16:06 The enduring passion for classic cars despite the challenges 00:17:55 The Practicality of Classic Cars in Latin America 00:18:47 The Value of Physical Assets in Economic Collapse 00:23:19 Chile's Public Services and Efficiency 00:23:26 Chile's Police and Bribery 00:23:32 Chile's Organized Government 00:23:39 Chile's Corruption and Cost 00:23:45 Chile's Government Efficiency and Big Brother 00:23:48 Expats' Preference for Chaotic Environments 00:23:51 Expats' Freedom in Less Regulated Countries 00:23:56 The Irony of Government Efficiency
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 up to play and now as I wonder My thoughts ever straight Hi everybody I'm Johnny Mueller and you're listening to the expat files Living in Latin America the show that tells you what it's really like to live work play and or retire in Latin America I tell it just like it is so let's get started Now I get emails from exercise enthusiasts all the time asking me if they can jog bike power walk mountain climb or do any kind of outdoor exercise in Latin America safely and conveniently like they can do in the US on some of the roads and trails and wide-open spaces outdoors
[00:50] Yeah, I guess if you're up in the states in the boonies or in a smaller medium-sized town You can jog or bike safely pretty much anywhere So I've heard but I could be wrong and I'm sure I'll get a few emails from people putting me straight on that And to answer those questions concerning Latin America I'd have to say yes people do it all the time and no They're not too smart about it when they do not generally you do see lots of brave souls running and jogging and biking and the reason why I call them brave souls is because most of the time you see these guys running and jogging and power walking on the sides of busy highways with the usual crazy Latin American drivers just whipping by and blowing clouds of smoke in your face Not to mention there's always those chicken bus death traps that whiz by and then stop and pull over to pick up people
[01:36] always packed to the gills with Passengers and people hanging out the windows and doors wide open not to mention since basically you have the lowest classes of people riding Those chicken buses, they're always throwing cups and plastic and garbage out the window And if you're jogging alongside you just might get beamed by an apple core or an avocado pit or worse But I guarantee you this you won't get beamed by an empty Starbucks cup because no one riding the chicken bus can afford a frappuccino And if they could they'd have their own cars And you know every time I see one of these crazy-ass joggers puffing away in the madness of the big city I'm thinking they're better off sitting on the couch back home Sucking down a bag of Doritos that way you have your choice between colon cancer and lung cancer You know though I have to say there are a lot of nice safe small country roads and laid-back nice
[02:23] Subdivisions where people do jog run and bike together, but being that this is Latin America There really are some strange goings-on in the world of outdoor exercise for one thing You can be sure that only the upper classes and the very wealthy are actually getting out on the road and doing any kind of Outside exercise at all and how can you tell that well? It's easy because you see the vast majority of these guys and gals have all the right jogging and running paraphernalia The same trendy stuff and brands serious upscale joggers have in Anaheim or Cleveland where you live Oh, and by the way due to many listener requests in Cleveland I promise I won't use the C word more than once a show okay I guess I'll have to find some other town to pick on huh anyway when you see hardcore joggers down here And the guys and gals that are biking for exercise well
[03:10] They're all duted out with color-coded spandex outfits with matching water bottles and helmets and sometimes with built-in Two-way radios, and it's a funny thing you know because you see people like that jogging and biking all over the place yet You rarely ever hear of one being assaulted or robbed even when so many folks jog in iffy neighborhoods I guess that could be because there's very little demand for used sweaty spandex Crouchhuggers in the petty criminal community. I mean what's a poor guy do with that stuff once he's stolen it who's gonna buy it? I think it all goes back to Adam Smith really he would have said in that case There's a ton of supply, but zero demand and at least the joggers I know are smart enough not to carry any real valuables on them like watches or jewelry or wallets now That would really be asking for it and crooks know that oh and by the way
[03:59] I do see a lot of joggers doing it all by their lonesome men and women which I think it's kind of nuts in the big Chaotic city, but they're doing it and getting away with it, and they're not getting mugged so go figure and of course expat Eddie Who can't jog a block without hyperventilating since he smokes he has a theory as to why joggers almost never get mugged He says that joggers run all the time and since it's their hobby They can simply outrun and outmaneuver anyone who tries to screw with them So crooks and thieves just don't bother now the funny thing is you almost never see these guy and gal Joggers and bicycle riders during the week, but they're out like clockwork on weekends Nothing odd about that you say right there's plenty of weekend warriors like that in the States Well, I'll just bet you that your weekend warriors up there. Don't have bodyguards stationed nearby while they run. That's right
[04:51] I said bodyguards bodyguards in bulletproof black SUVs following them around hanging back a half a block at six miles an hour while these pompous jerks They're supposed to be guarding nearly all of them thieving politicians jog through the streets in their $500 jogging outfits and I'll tell you when long-term expats see that we just want to vomit on The jogger and if you think about it, you gotta wonder why do these pompous assholes do that? Which doesn't seem to make sense at first you think with their kind of money They could be jogging around in their own private gated community at will Completely out of view of the general public, but you see that's just the point They want you and I to see them They want to show you how much money and power they have because in Latin America. It's all about the show
[05:41] it's all about your bodyguards and the type and class of your bodyguards and what they're wearing and of course the make and model of Your SUV or better yet SUVs all paid for or stolen from the public trough, of course now used to be a few years ago Hummers were all the rage until their stupid fallically challenged owners finally figured out. There's no place to park a hideous Monstrosity like that without risking a fender bender every time you entered a parking lot not to mention garages are always a bit undersized here In Latin America and a tank like a Hummer just doesn't fit and of course now Mercedes and audio SUVs are all the rage with the fallically challenged since they are a bit smaller and more maneuverable Still those greedy thieving bastards are always looking to move up to a Porsche Cayenne
[06:30] Which down here is considered the tits of the ritz But back to that truly odd topic of joggers with bodyguards now Like I said these guys have $500 stretch spandex jogging outfits too with matching water bottles, of course Oh, and let's not forget that expensive Swiss biometric wristwatch gotta have that and you gotta let everybody know you've got it Oh, and by the way, these pompous jerks with the bodyguards following them. They're not really in shape They got the pot belly going and they eat the pork and the bimbo bread and the double frappuccinos Of course for the majority of them. The jogging thing is just a show too. I mean after all for upscale gringos It's the thing to do right even Bill Clinton used to do it Remember with his bodyguards in tow then he'd head over to McDonald's for a junk food fix
[07:17] Excellent role models those Clinton's aren't they? I Tell you if you're in any big city in Latin America if you're doing any kind of errand running or normal driving around you're gonna see The occasional bodyguard caravan of pompous jerks showing off their wealth and power and stupidity So get used to it, but I bet if you're like me, you never will and here's something funny You know I told you in a show a long time ago that expat Eddie always keeps a couple of eggs in an egg carton on the Backseat of his car and over the years he's found dozens of non Gastronomic uses for them once you know and I'll never forget this We're driving down a nice quiet tree-lined street and from a couple of blocks away We could see in the opposite direction two overweight joggers in very expensive jogging outfits followed by an SUV bodyguard brigade
[08:07] They were in the other lane across the Boulevard coming right toward us and just then Eddie looked at me and said Alright, and he slowed down and reached into the backseat of his car without even looking He pulled out an egg and lobbed it underhand just as we were passing the joggers and darn it He missed but he did nail his secondary target the bodyguards in the SUV Now Eddie's reason for messing up their day was not at all to punish them for being pompous show-offs Which they were but Eddie just doesn't have any patience for idiots who hold up traffic and guess what? Anytime idiots like that are out on the road going five or six miles an hour clogging up a lane like that Just to put on their show. Well, that's when Eddie's road rage kicks in
[08:52] So the fact is Eddie would never think of doing anything like that to a normal jogger or bike or just out on the road Getting some exercise, but it's about the inconvenience caused by the idiot and his bodyguards going six miles an hour Impeding traffic and blocking the lane now I've been in Eddie's car plenty of times when he's bitched about the very same thing and I've heard his girlfriend lay into him About it. She says what are you taking it out on the bodyguards for that's their job They got to eat too, you know and Eddie knows she has a point to which I've heard him say to her Listen, you're right next time. I promise I'll have better aim practice makes perfect Now I have to mention too that in upscale commercial centers and shopping malls You'll find any number of specialty shops catering to mountain bikers and surfers and joggers and power walkers
[09:43] You name the outdoor sport or exercise and they've got specialty shops for them Just like they do up in the states and they stock all the high-end products necessary to accomplish that sport in style So yes down here you can find and buy a $5,000 mountain bike if that's what you're into and believe it or not all throughout Latin America, especially near the bigger cities. They've got a pretty extensive racing car circuit I'm talking stock cars to drag racers to high-powered go-karts in fact you name a brand of a high performance car or even a car that we up north would laugh at as a high-performance vehicle like a Volkswagen Beetle or a British Mini or a Honda Civic well they've got car clubs for all kinds of makes and models down here even for cars that we'd consider a joke and
[10:30] A lot of them even have their own racing circuit. And of course, it's more or less an upper-middle class or rich man's game Only about the top 2% of the population could afford to have a hobby like that. And yes here I should mention if you look at the classified ads in the newspaper under the car section You'll find that down here, too You can buy high performance modules and chips all that aftermarket stuff for car freaks to pump more RPMs and horsepower out of your engine So if that's your thing, they've got it all down here, too Oh and by the way in every country and every big city you'll find Antique car clubs and they'll have their meetings and rallies and special events too. So for example, if you have an old 1963 Corvette or even a Corvair. Well, don't worry. There's a car club you can join so you can be with like-minded people
[11:16] But let me just point one thing out here in my past life when I live back in Chicago I had two very very nice classic cars myself And I mean fully restored down to the corners in the trunk and the glove box and the chromed screw heads under the hood Because you know, that's what you do when you're into restoring old cars I mean your goal is to make them absolutely pristine Like brand new off the showroom floor if you've got the time the patience and the money, of course Well, I could tell you this if you have an old car down here like a 65 Mustang For example, and you're in Buenos Aires and you join a Mustang Club and Buenos Aires is huge so you'll have about 15 Mustang clubs to choose from and One thing you'll notice on day one when you first meet up with those guys as they proudly show you their own beautiful Mustangs
[12:05] well you'll discover instantly if you're anything like me that your car is Far and away the best of the bunch because you see once again Latins are just not into the details sure their cars will look beautiful from a block away But as you walk closer, you'll start seeing little things that you'd never let pass on your own car And that's why when you're down here in Latin America, if you belong to one of those car clubs You'll be the guy that wins all the prizes nearly all the time And believe me, it won't take much effort and it's something more than the gringo advantage Really the difference between you and the rest of the guys in the club is that you probably did all your own grunt work and patiently Restored your car step by step in your own garage. I mean, that's generally what classic car nuts do
[12:52] I'm talking first-world classic car buffs that is but down here in Latin America Like I said, it's a rich man's game and again 99% of these guys are weekend warriors guys with maids and gardeners and bodyguards Who do all the dirty work for them? In fact, I don't think I've ever met a guy who's into classic cars down here who's ever even waxed his car himself Much less did bodywork or took a transmission apart. God forbid. You might break a fingernail In fact the whole classic car business down here is a lot like the Latin Harley Davidson clubs that I spoke about on a past Show a year or so ago These wealthy guys buy nice bikes and they buy all the get-up the leather pants and the vest and the chrome Buckles belts and badges and stuff to try to buy the Harley Mystique, you know
[13:37] They look the part but their leathers look way too clean if you know what I mean And their bikes are not part of their personas like they are with Harley drivers up north if something goes wrong with it They send it out to get it fixed or they buy a new one. They'd never work on it themselves That's what you pay your gardener for to wash and wax your hog So bottom line if you're into classic cars If you really want to be the king of the hill Come on down to Latin America and exercise your gringo advantage in that department to only one caution here And it's a big one like expat Eddie says he was restoring a 1948 Lincoln town car up in the States Though he never had enough money to finish it off to show quality He's told me more than once that he'd never want to get into the classic car thing again down here because it would just
[14:23] Disappoint him he says and he's right that guys down here with classic cars have very low standards And even the best of them wouldn't even be in the running in a real bona fide competition up in the States But again like expat Eddie says if the classic car thing is in your blood Oftentimes you really feel like jumping back into it even though in the end it leaves you feeling kind of empty So maybe you win first place in a car show down here, and you continue to win It's like being the smartest guy in a room full of morons, and how good does that make you feel? And yes, you can find a lot of very cool classic cars down here in the papers in car lots in old barns Just like you find in the States only a lot cheaper But down here until just the last few years you just could not get original parts for old classic cars for example
[15:14] It would be virtually impossible to get a replacement bumper for a 56 Chevrolet Bel Air And even though nowadays you can get all that stuff on the internet and have it shipped down Latin classic car owners have found It's a lot less hassle even though the results aren't nearly as good to get one of the local machine shop guys to Fabricate a part for you down here instead of spending the money and actually ordering an original part from one of the big car parts catalogs up in the States like Hemings or JC Whitney for example now take Cuba Where you see a lot of older Detroit heavy metal that look really great from a distance and as you get closer you notice They're not quite as stock as they seem Most of these cars have seen 60 years without any original part replacement all they had was a bunch of machinists and mechanics
[15:59] Duck taping and chicken wiring things together, and if you lift up the hood on any one of these cars You'll see exactly what I mean Now just to prove the point that being a classic car lover never really goes out of your blood Sometimes when I'm riding around with expat Eddie We'll see a nice whole classic car parked in a driveway or at a gas station and Eddie'll pull over and poke around at the car And nearly always someone will walk over and say how much you give me for it and again I'm talking about classic cars that have been kind of pasted together being maybe a 60 on a hundred point scale or even less a hobbyist dream if you got time money and a garage if you restore it to stock like a first-world person would do Now for example about five or six months ago We were driving in the boonies in Honduras and we saw an old Packard in a farmer's driveway now
[16:47] This thing was pretty rough But it actually ran and the guy seeing that we were gringos and figuring the car probably was collectible Or maybe we were just stupid gringos looking for transportation who knows anyway He said give me 3,500 and you can have it and Eddie said I wouldn't give you 15 and the guy said okay I'll take it Which again reinforces the point that it's a haggler's world down here and seeing that it didn't take five Seconds to get the guy down to less than half now the thing is Eddie knew that it would take easy Five to ten grand to restore this thing to being cheery But he also knew that just scavenging this thing for parts the engine the block the transmission the Transaxle and drivetrain he could easily make five or ten grand just selling it for parts
[17:32] It was a Packard, you know, but that takes work too and getting it out of there bringing it to another country Storing it breaking out the parts and putting it on the internet and all that entails Well in the end and he made the right decision and said who's got time for that? What was I thinking and I agreed with Them I said look Eddie if you part that thing out, that's a lot of work And so what you make a little money But if you restore it It's even worse because there's no place to drive a car like that down here in Latin America What with all those tumelos those giant unmarked speed bumps remember and those man-sized potholes So in the end it's only a parade car and it's gonna sit in your garage all year and the only road It's ever gonna see is the road on the way to the car club meetings So yes, you can find nice cheap classic cars down here some of them in pretty good condition since there's no snow and ice
[18:22] They don't put salt on the road So there's not a huge rust problem and remember these days you can get all original replacement parts right off the internet So you can restore any classic car to like new and since labor's so dirt cheap down here the stuff that you can't do yourself Like the upholstery recroming parts and the paint job. Well, Latins are absolute experts at that kind of stuff At about a fifth of the first world price And if you don't mind it sitting in your garage ninety nine point nine percent of the time well then enjoy Now moving on I like to read an excerpt from an article sent to me by a loyal listener who I think wants to remain Anonymous anyway, you're gonna like this now This has to do with what we're all concerned with our assets and our money and safe places to keep those things
[19:10] And of course what people are doing in other countries namely what wealthy locals are doing with their assets in Latin countries The title of this report is farmers hoard food to protect from currency collapse. This is from April 29th 2013 now for all of you guys who listen to Doug Casey, and I'm a huge follower of his myself Please pay attention to this carefully now as you might know He's bought something like 1,500 acres in the northwest area of Argentina to set up his own self-sustaining colony or village attracting many like-minded libertarian folks like him It's first world all the way with luxury housing in a golf course and spas and all that and they're farming their own organic produce and growing grapes for wine very cool, right and
[19:57] For what it's worth. I agree with about 90 to 95 percent of what he says and does I'm all on board on what he says about gold and silver and commodities and the imminent crash of the world financial system for all those reasons you guys already know and the part I have to disagree with him about is living in Argentina So let me get on with this report and you'll see why it starts by saying Which asset is more secure than money in the bank? The answer is simple It's the asset that will still have value when the money or the bank collapses All over the world when people have been faced with the prospect of having their savings wiped out or confiscated They've turned to hard assets physical goods They could hold in their possession and trade if necessary as protection Argentina a country
[20:47] That's no stranger to economic hard times and hyperinflation Gives us a prime example of what becomes money when the system collapses Argentina now at an inflation rate of 25 percent or more while their currency loses significant purchasing power Argentines have made a mad rush into gold silver and other tangible goods that retain their barter value Like many Greeks who have headed to the countryside to grow their own food in the midst of a complete economic destruction Farmers in Argentina are now hoarding the one tangible investment They know will not lose value no matter what their currency does With world food demand on the rise growers in the argentina pompous grain belt are filling their silos with soy
[21:38] Rather than converting their soy crops into pesos The argentine peso is a currency that hit a new all-time low in the informal trade this week Considering argentina's high inflation clocked at about 25 percent by private economists To farmers who've been so hurt by this They say money in the bank is not as secure as storing their soybeans in silos next to their fields And I quote here we're going to hang on to our soy One can see higher prices ahead said jose Plazebot who along with his partners farms 3 000 hectares about 7 500 acres near the town of chukabukko in buenos ares province And the article goes on to say with argentina's currency in meltdown and food demand around the world rising
[22:31] Farmers understand where the real value comes from their food can't be lost in the stock market Its intrinsic worth cannot be vaporized in a banking collapse and they do not need to wait for anyone to deliver it to them They hold it in their own personal possession The article states that argentina again is going through the classic stages of economic collapse First it was currency control and now the government has seized all private pensions So there's this week's analysis of what's going on in argentina right now And for all of you who've been sending me emails asking me about uragoya and chili Just let me mention that chili is now more expensive than the united states and believe it or not One country in latin america where everything seems to work, you know
[23:16] You flip a switch and the light actually goes on the electric power Never goes out and the street sweepers and the garbage men actually keep the place clean and guess what? It's the only latin american country where the police will actually find you if you take a leak on the side of the road If they can catch you and the cops are less inclined to ask for a bribe than any other latin country, too So in fact chili is like a much more expensive more organized version of the rest of latin america And it's much less corrupt, but you're gonna pay for it So if you've got first world money go on down You'll love it except for the fact that big brother is growing by leaps and bounds and unfortunately That's another irony of latin america As soon as a country becomes more organized and less chaotic everyone and everything including government tax collections become more efficient
[24:06] And when that happens government becomes more organized and more big brother-like and takes off like a cancer And what that tells us expats and expat wannabes is that where we prefer to be is where the society is Chaotic and the government is small and corrupt with a lot of people working off the books Because in countries where government is small and disorganized We expats and gringos can really flourish Even if they have a ton of laws on their books like first world countries do there's just no possible way they can enforce them Now getting back to doug casey again Now the reason I bring him up occasionally is because I get emails from people saying But doug casey says this and doug casey says that which is fine Because i've been following him for 25 or 30 years, too
[24:53] And maybe if I had a couple million bucks, maybe i'd build a house right next door to his But the problem is you see argentina's government is so lopsided and top heavy with big brother So out of control doug casey and his rich buddies up in that northwest corner of argentina Are going to be sitting ducks when the government comes around and tries to milk them for all they can get And even though their little wealthy enclave could be totally self-sufficient in almost everything The one thing they don't have is an army or a militia to stand firm when the government comes for their assets And they just might in fact Let me just read you something from an interview with doug casey that happened just about three weeks ago Now the question put to him was this what are the first steps to take to internationalize your life?
[25:41] And casey answered first you've got to get out of the u.s And second you have to open a bank account or brokerage account in some other country Any country you like spending time in and has reasonable banking laws where you are not a cow to be milked And then he says this is getting harder and harder for people with u.s passports political diversification is even more important than investment diversification at this point And then the interviewer asks is it better to build a house on the beach in thailand or costa rica? And casey says personally I wouldn't pick costa rica these days because it's totally overrun with gringos and way too expensive And then he talks about urugui The questioner says doug would you say that costa rica is more expensive than urugui?
[26:31] And doug casey says Nothing is more expensive than urugui now I think urugui is about three times as expensive as argentina and 50 more expensive than the u.s Urugui is no bargain. Now. Did you get that? He said urugui is three times as expensive as argentina And at least 50 more expensive than the u.s So listen all you guys out there quit sending me emails asking me about urugui chile in argentina Because unless your retirement income or your pension will kick out a hundred grand a year for you Forget about going down there and hoping to live like a first world person You got it?
[27:17] And now an update on my june latin american seminar It's more than half filled now So if you want to grab one of the remaining spots Just go to expat wisdom.com and click on the latin american seminar link and get the details You've been listening to the expat files living in latin america Coming to you each week from somewhere south of the border And don't forget you can email me on anything at all about latin america the expat files at gmail.com See you next time on expamels