Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller explores the unique experiences of expats in Latin America, focusing on cultural and social dynamics of being a 'gringo' in countries like Venezuela and South America. He highlights the visibility of expats, the challenges of blending in, and the differences in migration patterns between South and Central America. Johnny also touches on the situation of illegal immigrants in Europe and the U.S., emphasizing the educational and cultural differences among these groups.
In a separate segment, Johnny discusses the unique characteristics of Latin airlines compared to North American airlines. He highlights the use of Spanish as the primary language among crew members, the cultural expectations around stewardesses, the quality of food, and the level of friendliness and professionalism among flight crews. He also touches on the maintenance standards of international Latin airlines and contrasts them with airlines that operate exclusively within Latin countries.
Johnny then shares his experiences with the 'gringo advantage' in Venezuela, recounting an incident on a tram where he noticed a Venezuelan man with a broken iPad screen, which he explained was a way to prevent theft. This story sparked business ideas among expats, highlighting the unique perspective and opportunities available to gringos in the region.
He also discusses his recent travels in South America, focusing on Panama, Colombia, and Venezuela. He highlights the challenges of living in Panama, including its high cost of living, the real estate bubble, and the changing attitude of Panamanians toward gringos. He recommends shopping in the Zona Franca in Cologne, Panama, and promotes his Expat Wisdom Seminar as a valuable resource for expats looking to settle in Latin America.
In another segment, Johnny shares his hotel recommendations in Panama City, particularly highlighting the Hard Rock Hotel and the Trump Tower. He emphasizes the value of the Hard Rock Hotel's all-inclusive package, which offers meals and drinks at a reasonable price compared to other options in Panama. He also provides information about the free trade zone in Cologne, noting that it is a small area within the city and is safe to walk around.
Johnny then discusses his experiences with hotel lockboxes, emphasizing the importance of using them securely and providing tips on how to access hidden items. He mentions the prevalence of digital lockboxes in modern hotels, the common passwords people use, and the possibility of finding lost money in these lockboxes. He shares personal anecdotes about finding cash in lockboxes in various locations, including Panama, and advises listeners to check the lockbox for potential hidden items.
Finally, Johnny shares his experiences on a cruise ship traveling through South America, particularly focusing on Venezuela. He shares anecdotes about finding money in different countries and offers advice on what to do if someone finds lost money. He reflects on the economic situation in Venezuela, noting the country's struggles and the surprising presence of Venezuelans on the cruise ship, which he attributes to their participation in various scams to survive.
Topics
Cultural identity of expats in Latin America, Social dynamics of being a 'gringo', Migration patterns between South and Central America, Illegal immigration in Europe and the U.S., Language barriers and integration in the U.S., Cultural differences in airline operations, Language and communication in Latin airlines, Crew behavior and professionalism, Food quality and cultural offerings, Maintenance standards and international regulations, Gringo Advantage, Cultural Observations
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:01:19 The Visibility of Expats in Latin America 00:01:56 The Cultural Significance of Being a Gringo 00:02:21 Differences in Gringo Interaction Between South and Central America 00:03:10 The Legal and Illegal Migration Patterns of South Americans 00:05:28 The Future of the U.S. for Long-Term Expat Life 00:05:36 Reason Number 526 Why We're Down Here and You're Not 00:09:12 A Unique Experience on Copa Airlines 00:10:16 Is There Something Wrong with That Guy? 00:10:43 The Broken iPad Incident 00:11:35 The Gringo Advantage and Business Ideas 00:12:41 The Gringo Advantage Before and After Chávez 00:13:13 The Gringo Advantage in a Department Store 00:14:59 Combination of a Luxury Cruise and Travel to South America 00:15:14 Focus on Panama, Colombia, and Venezuela 00:15:23 Promotion of Expat Wisdom Seminar 00:16:00 Johnny's Dismissal of Panama for Expats 00:16:19 Real Estate Bubble and Economic Issues in Panama 00:17:57 Recommendation to Shop in the Zona Franca 00:18:57 Cologne's Free Trade Zone 00:19:18 The Hard Rock Hotel in Panama City 00:22:54 Recent Hotel Stay Incident Reminder 00:23:05 Lockbox Security and Common Passwords 00:24:59 Finding Money in a Lockbox 00:25:35 Finding Lost Money and What to Do with It 00:25:58 Cruise Line and Travel Experiences in South America 00:26:10 Economic Deterioration in Venezuela
Transcript
Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.
[00:14] Hello there all you expat wannabes, I'm Johnny Mueller and you're listening to The Expat 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. Okay now in keeping with the theme of our last show on Venezuela mostly, since I'm recording this show from Caracas right now, if you recall on the last show I mentioned that there are so few gringos in Venezuela, and Caracas being the largest city you should see some right? Well I saw none. Anyway if you ever find yourself down here which I don't recommend, you are really kind of an odd sensation, especially if you dress and act like a gringo tourist. Which I try not to under any conditions, but however because this is Latin America that
[01:03] generally means you're going to be taller, lighter skinned, and well just have that first world kind of look and attitude about you. In other words no matter how you try to blend in, you really just can't. So be prepared because you will know what it's like to be a B grade rock star. In fact people walk right up to you, smile and say gringo huh? The fact of the matter is more than one young adolescent kid came up to me in Caracas on the street and said gringo huh? And pointed proudly to the English lettering on their scruffy t-shirts. One was a bar team baseball shirt and another advertising a roofing company in Queens. By the way both t-shirts were way past their prime and I'm sure it would never make it through this sorting process at Goodwill or Salvation Army.
[01:51] But you know the drill down here, anything gringo is rare and cool. They figured they could bond with me because they had a t-shirt in English. Now of course that sort of thing is going to happen to you all over South America as well as in Central America, except there's a big difference. In Central America when locals try to make small talk with you, that is if you know enough Spanish or they know enough English, which is rarely the case unless you're on the tourist trail. Like I may have mentioned before, in South America anyway you're not going to get anyone saying to you, so you're a gringo huh? Well I have an uncle Julio in Chicago. You're just not going to get that because South Americans have very few relatives and friends up in the states to brag about. Which is of course totally the opposite for Mexicans and Central Americans.
[02:39] Remember South Americans would love to get to the states but they have because of very difficult logistics, no easy way of slipping through Mexico and getting across the border to the states. For them it's almost impossible unless they try to get there legally. That is they need a much better than average paying job, not to mention credit, references and money. Meaning they can not only swing the visa but the airfare too. And that's why there are so many illegal South Americans in Europe. Not that they start out illegal, they never do. But once there they overstay their visa and become illegal. But to get to Europe from South America the ticket could run almost 2,000 bucks. Though the advantage for them is South Americans need no visa to go to the mother country Spain.
[03:29] Except for Colombians because of that Colombian drug connection thing and such, which is a special case. Then once you're there you get a 90-day tourist visa and free entrance to any other Eurozone country. So South Americans always end up in Europe legally on a tourist visa. Then they just seem to disappear. Well a good majority of them anyway. Some say over 80 percent. The fact is there are millions of illegal South Americans in Europe right now. Not tens of millions of illegals like they've got in the states but millions nevertheless. So Europe does have its problems. So anyway as it turns out if a South American can afford that nearly two grand to pull off that trip that will really leave out the very lowest classes and dirt poor who've
[04:15] got nothing to lose and who'd like to escape to a first world country. So in effect the millions of illegal South Americans living in Europe are better educated and more cultured than the dirt poor illegals that end up in the states. Illegals in the states are almost always the poorest of the poor and the most under educated. And another big reason why 99 percent of South Americans who want to get the hell out prefer saving up their door for an air flight to Madrid is because unlike in the U.S. there is no language barrier at all. They can instantly communicate. On second thought maybe I should take that back. I've been hearing now that the southern states that border Mexico have been so Latinized that not knowing a bit of English is no longer a barrier once you get in.
[05:02] You can correct me if I'm wrong on that but that's what I've been hearing. And I even heard that in some of those states you never have to learn English at all. They teach public school in Spanish and you could take your GED exam in Spanish too. Not to mention your driver's license test in Spanish. Oh man. Think I'll clam up about that now before I step into some deep doo doo. Suffice it to say that me and all my long term expat friends agree there really is no hope for the U.S. as we once knew it. Not anymore. Which makes that. Let's see now. Reason number 526 why we're down here and you're not. Not yet anyway right. And here's something really interesting. I wonder how many of you listening to this have ever flown on a Latin airline.
[05:49] Like Copa or Taka or Avianca along with a dozen others. Now all the big major Latin airlines do end up touching down in the states in Chicago Miami New York and LA. So what makes these Latin airlines different than the ones you're accustomed to up there in the states. Well for one thing the captain and the crew and all the auxiliary personnel speak Spanish as their primary language. Yep and that means they speak Spanish when they're having conversations with each other too. Meaning if you don't know your Spanish you'll never be able to eavesdrop on someone if you think they're talking about you. Yes I know even with all the usual North American airlines they have Spanish translations of all their cabin messages on these Latin airlines like Copa and Taka. You'll hear the English messages with a heavy Spanish accent.
[06:36] And if you're paying attention you'll notice that the stewardesses are still hired somewhat the usual macho Latin way. In other words they're almost always thin and good looking. Like stewardesses in the states used to be in the 60s 70s and 80s. Which I know I know totally violates the equal opportunity laws you're used to up in the states but in Latin America things are quite different. Also do realize that no one's complaining. Except maybe the plainer ladies that never got hired. But we'll never know that. Now note as from my experience the meals aren't nearly as tasteless or cardboard textured as the ones you get on American airlines. It won't be the same old same old. They'll throw in an empanada and a tortilla here and there. As well as refined beans occasionally.
[07:23] Even fresh tropical fruits and real 100% natural fruit juices. Stuff you know that you'll never get on the menu at Delta or American. And about that maintenance issue which we talk about here all the time or the lack of it in Latin America. Since they're international airlines too. These Latin airlines that land in the states Europe Canada etc. They have to strictly hold to international airline regulations. Or they'll never get permission to sit down in an international airport. So yes if you take a Latin airline that touches down the states there will be maintenance and it will be up to first world standards. However you are taking your chances if you fly an airline that's exclusively within one Latin country. I've been on a few nail biters myself where they're nothing more than chicken buses with wings.
[08:10] Just a little word of warning there. But note that when you're on a Latin based airline. Everybody's just a thousand percent friendlier. I mean you'll get no fake smiles from the stewardesses. They're real because they're happy to have that kind of job. For one thing down here a stewardess job is like winning a lottery. And as for the pilots in the flight crew. I don't know how they are up in the states. But down here in Latin America when you board the plane. They're right at the entrance to the door shaking your hand and smiling at you. It seems like every time you get on a Latin plane. It's like a TV commercial or promo for how great the airline treats its people. But there's nothing fake about it. They actually seem to love their jobs. And it's really not a staged event either. They're just standing there greeting you.
[08:56] And telling you to have a good flight and all that crap. And you'll also get that on the way out of the plane too. The flight crew will be standing at the door. Not just rattling off that have a nice trip. Hope you make your connection crap. Again with actual genuine smiles. And this you're probably not going to believe. But in my very last trip on Copa down to South America. When the plane landed the pilot got on the microphone. And said in three languages. Spanish, Portuguese and English. You know the usual spiel. We're glad you chose Copa as your airlines. And we hope you'll fly again with us sometime. Sure they said that alright and in three languages. Every airline goes through that spiel. But get this. After that the pilot said. You know we at Copa Airlines really love our jobs.
[09:41] And we love all of you our passengers too. And I'm not kidding when I say I really love you. And he stood there up at the front door for a second or two. And looked out at everyone. And the whole Latin crowd listened and accepted it. Just as if it was a normal everyday thing. Now I know if that kind of thing happened up in the States. I mean let's say a pilot for United or Southwest Airlines did that. They'd probably ground him and give him a psychiatric evaluation you know. Every American passenger on that plane hearing that. Would think and look to each other and say. Is there something wrong with that guy? And by the way if you think that was a one time event. I've had similar things happen to me in at least a dozen Latin American flights. And not just Copa either.
[10:27] And you know I really think some of these guys and gals would invite you home for dinner if they could. Not just because you're a gringo or a gringa either. Though don't forget you got that gringo advantage so it does help. Anyway you might remember from last show. I mentioned that in Caracas Venezuela. I was in a six-person tram going up a mountain. And I noticed right away that one of the Venezuelan guys taking photos. Had a new iPad with a broken screen but it still worked. Or seemed to since he was taking photos and checking out the pictures. And if you remember I said to the guy had some bad luck. What'd you do drop it? Then the guy managed a half of a laugh and said these days when you buy an iPad. The best thing you could do is wrap the screen with a piece of metal and fracture it a bit.
[11:14] Then it won't get stolen. In other words you crack the screen not enough to break the thing but just to make it unsellable. And I said what? He said his iPad won't get ripped again because there's no market for iPads with broken screens. So why am I bringing this up again? Well the other day I was talking about this very incident to a couple of gringo expats living in Central America. Talk about the gringo advantage. Both of those guys instantly thought of business ideas. And that's why I always say you gotta come down here and see things with your own eyes. Then you're gonna get those business ideas. They're gonna flow like water. Now this is what one guy said. Why doesn't someone, like a gringo of course, make some plastic decals that look like broken glass
[12:00] that you could sell to people with iPads at the dealer. They could just transfer it on the screen and walk out with a brand new iPad that looks like it's broken. But only when you want it to look like it's broken. Like when you're out on the town. Or even better yet, why doesn't somebody develop an app that you could set up to make the screen look like it's broken but it's really not of course. Now I'm telling you it takes a first world gringo to come up with things like that. Anyway you get the picture. Why not make it look like it's damaged when it's really not? Oh and since we're talking about that gringo advantage. Specifically the gringo advantage when you're down here in a place like Venezuela. Last time I was down here when Chavez was still alive. Back then his repeated anti-gringo propaganda and slogans
[12:48] on TV and in the news every night kind of put the kibosh on the gringo advantage and gringos in general. I kind of felt that last time I was down here. I knew Venezuelans still loved gringos but they just couldn't show it. They just had to tow the party line in front of others if you know what I mean. But now he's been dead a couple years and I'll tell you already I personally experienced the gringo advantage on steroids. For example I went into a big mall the other day and stopped into a department store and I saw there was a huge sale on pants and since I had dollars on me and everything's priced in boulevards I'd get at least four times as much if I paid in dollars than I would in boulevards and although that's a huge part of the gringo advantage down here that's not the gringo advantage I'm talking about.
[13:34] Now while I was there I saw a big sign on the door in the fitting rooms. It said you were not allowed to try on underwear, lingerie or white clothing of any kind in the fitting rooms which was news to me. I never saw a sign like that before in my life. Of course I understood about the underwear and lingerie thing but the white clothes part I didn't get and the lady explained to me that crackers is always hot and humid 88 or 90 degrees and when people try on white clothes they often smudge them up and get them dirty from sweat etc. Therefore it's not allowed. You have to take your chances and just buy it. You can't try it on and of course you can't return any items that you bought either. That's a given in Venezuela but in the very same breath she said
[14:21] you're a gringo right? Don't worry for you you can try on anything you like. I looked at her and said really? But you know since I wasn't into buying anything white and certainly wasn't into trying on any lingerie not this time anyway I just said no thanks I'm just looking. So there you have it. The locals cannot try on white because well they might smudge and ding him up a bit but us ever so careful and sanitary gringos at least in their mind no problem. Now you might call that reverse classism but I just call it the gringo advantage. Now like I mentioned on the last show or the one before on this latest trip to South America I flew in combination with a luxury cruise and like I said I'll be talking a lot more about that cruise which I believe is the best cruise deal in the world right now.
[15:10] I'll get to that probably in a show or two but I've got a few things to get settled about Panama, Colombia and Venezuela first. Oh and I almost forgot if you want to sign up for my July 2014 Expat Wisdom Seminar a very special intensive week in Central America off the gringo tourist trail just go to www.expatwisdom.com click on the Latin Seminar link near the top of the page and check it out. Previous attendees have told me that it's the very best way to get a two to five year head start on being an expat in Latin America. And of course I'll be talking about a lot of things I can never talk about on the radio show so come on down and see for yourself. Just go to www.expatwisdom.com click on the Latin Seminar link and check it out.
[15:56] Alright enough said about that. Now you all know by now I don't recommend Panama for expats. It's now blown way out of proportion and super expensive and in some ways actually higher priced than things are up in the states except for a few glaring exceptions which we'll go into. If I mentioned the biggest problems in Latin America the first one would be this huge real estate bubble that's about to pop. Number two there is no Altiplano so it's terrifically hot all the time and then there's the negative social aspects. Panamanians are so used to gringos and the gringo dollars they've become jaded by it and are no longer genuinely friendly or happy-go-lucky like they were 10, 15 or 20 years ago.
[16:42] Now they're all stressed out about money accumulating things and making ends meet. Sound familiar? As you know the economy is dollarized and that's their unit of currency so at least as a visitor you won't be confused with exchange rates and it's one of the few Latin countries that will accept bent folded and mutilated money U.S. money but don't load up on change that is nickel's dime's quarters in that because you'll find that your coin change is not always U.S. change. Panamanians stamp their own so you'll have U.S. change and their change mixed in. So do look at your coins a day before you leave and make sure that you dump all the Panama ones because even though they're equal to U.S. nickel's dime's in quarters down here they're not worth squat out of Panama
[17:29] and you know it's easy to accumulate 10, 20 or 30 dollars in change especially if you do a lot of clothes shopping or electronics shopping there. Now if you're in Panama you definitely have to do some shopping it's highly recommended but now you're thinking wait a minute Johnny just said Panama is first world expensive or more so why shop for anything? Well let me tell you they have about a one square mile free trade zone in the city of Cologne Panama that have some of the best deals anywhere in the world. Because it's a free trade zone and you'll pay no taxes and everything I mean everything comes through the Panama Canal so you've got massive choices. I'm saying do your shopping in that Cologne free trade zone called the Zona Franca.
[18:16] Everywhere else in Panama is expensive. Like in all the huge first world shopping centers you'll be paying a lot more. Now the city of Cologne is on the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal and it's an ugly kind of dingy little city. It's not where tourists go to stay they go to Panama City on the Pacific side of the canal. So if you want to get to Cologne to do some shopping it's about a 30 to 45 minute ride and that's why so many visitors miss it because they stick around Panama City a place with all those first world skyscrapers and hotels and restaurants. Anyway just don't forget there's a free trade zone in Cologne. And don't think that all of Cologne is a free trade zone it's just a small one square mile district
[19:02] in the city of Cologne. Just ask anyone they'll lead you to it. And by the way once you get in that zone it's completely safe to walk around. But as for the rest of Cologne I wouldn't walk it alone. Now very recently I stayed again I've done this three times now in one of the very best hotels in Panama City the Hard Rock Hotel. Now don't laugh it's not that I'd buy into that Hard Rock theme or any of the media hype around that it's that there's something quite special about that Hard Rock Hotel. And again I don't make a cent for saying this I'm just telling you like it is. Now if you just purely booked that hotel it's maybe 120 bucks a night for a double and it's a very very deluxe hotel so that really is a nice price you'd probably pay twice or three times
[19:48] that up in the states. And the Trump Tower in Panama City yes they have a Trump Tower is about 150 to 200 a night and it's not really noticeably better than the Hard Rock. Now don't get me wrong I hate spending more than 100 bucks on a hotel room but when you're in Panama and you get a deal like this you just have to splurge. Normally I'd pay anywhere from 30 to maybe 60 dollars a night for a really great hotel because of course I'm nearly always off the gringo tourist trail and I know which places are very cool and inexpensive but you're not going to get those prices in Panama. So when in Panama why do I select the Hard Rock? Well here's the thing that makes it different and special it's one of the few luxury class hotels
[20:33] in the world where you can buy an all-inclusive plan for one day a month a week or however long you stay there. That means breakfast lunch and dinner like a cruise ship including drinks etc. Just like any of the all-inclusive resorts you may have been to. Only better much better. Since it is truly a four-star hotel and some people say it's a five that means they have a lot of exotic stuff and everything is gourmet. The dinners, the lunches, breakfast I'm not going to go into it here but just believe me I've been around and there isn't a deal like it that I've ever seen. Not for the price or even twice the price. And that all-inclusive plan will set you back 50 bucks more so it's like 170 or 75 dollars a day
[21:20] for a double that's for two people. Like I said Panama is expensive and if you go out to dinner just once for two it's going to cost you way over 50 bucks if you go to any decent restaurant and here we're talking three meals and more much more for only 50 bucks extra per room per couple. Now like I said I don't like Panama but sometimes you're stuck going there because it's a international travel hub. For example that's where a lot of cruise lines take off from so if you want to take a cruise through the canal or down the tip to South America you're going to somehow have to find your way to Panama. So if you do be sure to book that hard rock hotel but don't do it without getting the all-inclusive package. I believe if you're there
[22:06] for a couple of days it's the best high-end deal there is. You might be wondering why would the hard rock hotel chain offer such a tremendous deal? Well that's easy it's a 66-story hotel and at least 20 of the floors are not even occupied though it could be 40 you can't really tell. Like I said in the past show they ran out of money and since there's such a huge real estate boom and office and hotel bubble too you know what that means hotel room and convention space competition is getting fierce in fact with the last room I had on the 40th floor just looking outside the window I counted 11 giant building cranes putting up skyscrapers and that was just a view
[22:51] through a limited window shot to the ocean which reminds me of a recent hotel stay where there was an incident. Anyway since I assume all you folks listening to these shows are pretty well traveled you know that these days almost all hotels have a lockbox usually attached to the wall by the bed or in a closet cabinet and these days most of them look pretty much the same and most of them are digital jobs with a keypad you know the type now I know a lot of cheaper hotels don't have the digital kind or maybe they don't even have a lockbox at all but in the last five or so years even down here in Latin America many hotels have upgraded to these things and by the way if you've got one in the room I always suggest you use it but never never use one of the common easy
[23:37] to break passwords like 1234 or all even numbers or odd numbers and never your birth date now you know you can go to the internet and find the most commonly used passwords for lockboxes in fact there's a number of sites that'll list that stuff so don't think that people that work at those hotels don't know about that anyway just be smart now if you notice the inside of these lockboxes are always covered with a kind of a dark felt well here's a tip I always suggest when you first open your lockbox you stick your hand in there and try to work your finger under that bottom piece of felt if you notice many times you'll be able to pull that felt piece right up in other words it's not attached or glued down
[24:23] to the metal surface on the bottom it just kind of lays there covering the whole bottom but it's not actually attached ever since I've run into these lockboxes which I think the first time was about 20 years ago back then they looked exactly the same except for the fact that you had an actual funky looking key remember that? ever since the first time I ran into those lockboxes I've been running my hand along the bottom and pulling up that felt piece and so far three times I've come up a winner what do I mean by that? Cash money of course and this last time in Panama a small jackpot 400 bucks stuck under there because if you think about it it's a good place to hide a few flat bills not that you're doing anything
[25:08] more secure by putting bills under that flat felt piece but obviously some people do and that's the third time I was able to collect so do have a look because it's really finders keepers in that sense because if you find something who knows how long it's been sitting in there though I have to admit when I found that 400 bucks I was somehow expecting a knock on the door or the desk to ring up but it never happened nor did it happen the other two times I found money by the way once in Costa Rica and once in Cartagena, Colombia now if you're the kind of person who finds something like that and you don't feel right about taking it just give it to your favorite charity or some poor unfortunate on the street or don't touch it just leave it there in the lockbox then do send me an email
[25:54] and tell me which room you stayed in okay enough said about that now like I said I'm on a cruise line stopping off at various countries in South America and I've been giving you firsthand reports on what's really happening down here in Venezuela reporting how the third largest oil producer in the world is rapidly deteriorating and everyone's unhappy even beyond unhappy and just to survive everyone's in on some kind of scam now I got to tell you when I first got on this cruise ship and they told me there were 3,000 plus people on it and that five or six hundred of them were Venezuelans I wondered how in the hell could that be? how could they afford a cruise? even though it's a very reasonable deal we're talking about a country where there are huge shortages and everyone's scrambling to get by
[26:40] look over 90% of the population makes minimum wage which is only about 50 to 80 bucks a month that's a month not per week how come five or six hundred very happy Venezuelans are hanging out on the cruise ship oh and just for your information this cruise is nothing like one of those carnival cruises to the Bahamas all the people on this ship seem to be in families or coupled up with what seems to be very few single guys but a lot of groups of single young ladies in their late 20s and early 30s what looks like junior executive type young women on a vacation of a lifetime but what about those Venezuelans on board? well here's what I found out they're not local corrupt politicians who are using their spoils
[27:26] to go on vacation the truth will surprise you and I'll get to that next week so do stay tuned you've been listening to The Expat Files living in Latin America coming to you twice a week from somewhere south of the border email me theexpatfiles at gmail.com and don't forget to check out expatwisdom.com to sign up for your free reports on Latin America see you next time nos vemos