Episode Summary
In this 400th episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller dives into the world of 'clueless gringos'—first-world individuals who move to Latin America and repeat the same mistakes due to a lack of cultural understanding and language skills. He highlights how these gringos, especially those on the tourist trail, tend to emulate each other's mistakes, such as eating street food without proper precautions. Johnny also critiques the use of products like Pura Vida disinfectant, pointing out the irony that the brand, which is associated with the Costa Rican national anthem, is often used by clueless tourists rather than long-term expats. He emphasizes the importance of adapting to local practices and avoiding the repetition of unproductive behaviors.
Johnny then discusses the overpriced disinfectant products like 'Porta Vida' sold in Latin American countries, particularly in tourist areas such as Panama and Costa Rica. He highlights that these products are essentially diluted bleach (sodium hypochlorite) and are significantly more expensive than regular household bleach available in local stores. Johnny criticizes the 'clueless gringos' and wealthy Latin Americans who purchase these products, noting that they are paying up to 48 times more for a less concentrated product. He also touches on the broader issue of expats and tourists being unaware of local pricing and product quality, and briefly shifts to discussing drug prices and availability in Latin America.
He then shifts focus to the behavior and experiences of upper middle-class Latin American college students who mimic first-world lifestyles, including their social media habits and spring break destinations. He highlights the economic disparity between these students and their aspirations, noting that Miami is a dream but often unattainable. He then discusses the availability and costs of recreational drugs in Latin America, particularly in Costa Rica, where prices are higher than in other parts of the region. Johnny shares anecdotes about students who have been stopped by police but not arrested, and he explains the local market for drugs, emphasizing that while marijuana is grown locally, it is primarily sold to expats and tourists. He warns about the risks of buying drugs from local vendors and the potential for being scammed, advising caution and awareness.
In a more personal segment, Johnny Mueller discusses his experiences living in Mexico, particularly with his 84-year-old father-in-law, and shares his methods for dealing with ants and other pests. He mentions his initial move to Ecuador, then to Mexico, and his current situation in a small surf town. He also talks about his approach to dealing with ants using cinnamon oil and other natural remedies, as well as the importance of having a water purification system. He concludes by offering advice on setting up a water purification system and the benefits of using cinnamon as a natural deterrent.
Finally, Johnny discusses the popularity of cinnamon as a health-conscious ingredient, highlighting its status as a 'miracle drug' in alternative medicine. He notes that cinnamon is readily available in Latin America, both in bulk and in small packages. However, he warns against buying pre-packaged cinnamon from supermarkets due to the presence of artificial additives and potential allergens. Instead, he recommends purchasing cinnamon in bulk from local markets to ensure it is natural and unprocessed. Johnny also criticizes the lack of label-reading habits among both expats and locals, drawing a comparison to the U.S. in the 70s and 80s. He concludes by promoting his 'Expatriate Wisdom Seminar' as a resource for expats to prepare for unexpected situations.
Topics
Clueless gringos, Cultural adaptation, Language barriers, Pura Vida disinfectant, Expatriate experiences in Latin America, Disinfectant pricing in Latin America, Expatriate and tourist behavior in Latin America, Drug prices and availability in Latin America, Behavior of upper middle-class Latin American students, Drug availability and costs in Latin America, Experiences of expats and tourists with local vendors, Risks and warnings for expats in Latin America
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:48 Introducing the Topic of Clueless Gringos 00:02:19 Example of Clueless Gringos: Montezuma's Revenge 00:06:17 The Problem with Porta Vida Disinfectant 00:06:31 Who's Buying the Overpriced Disinfectant? 00:08:28 The Price Difference and Its Implications 00:10:23 The Overpriced Disinfectant and Its Market 00:11:24 Drug Prices in Latin America 00:12:26 Upper Middle Class Students Mimic First World Lifestyles 00:13:34 Availability and Cost of Recreational Drugs in Latin America 00:15:44 Drug Market for Expats and Tourists in Latin America 00:18:19 Introduction to Mexico and Expat Life 00:19:21 Ants and Pest Control in Mexico 00:21:59 Water Purification and Health Concerns 00:24:16 Introduction to Cinnamon's Health Benefits 00:25:54 Recommendation to Buy Cinnamon in Bulk 00:27:19 Promotion of the 'Expatriate Wisdom Seminar'
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 wander 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 With today's show we've kind of reached a milestone with the expat files living in Latin America This is my 400th show meaning we've been doing this thing for almost exactly four years now In fact, I think I've only missed three shows in all that time that said today
[00:48] I'd like to hit on the topic of clueless gringos It's understandable that when any first world person gets down to Latin America There's gonna be a big period of adjustment and if you stick it out after a couple years You'll look back on certain things that you didn't say God was I stupid now? Not stupid in the sense that you moved down to Latin America. In fact, most of us find out It's the best thing we ever did However, when we're first down here dealing with a completely new and different culture and our language skills suck Looking back sometimes with embarrassment We've all done some pretty stupid ass things and the trick is to either recognize them as unproductive Or wastes of time and money and not to continue doing them
[01:35] However, I find that when you're on the gringo tourist trail, like for example in Costa Rica and Panama, etc Etc gringos and expats there keep Repeatedly doing the same dumbass things over and over again Because you see there's so many gringos around on the tourist trail that newly arrived gringos Just look to them as an example and do what they do thinking. Hey, they've been down a while. They're in the group They must know what's going on. So I'll just do what they do Meanwhile us gringos and expats off the gringo tourist trail where there are virtually no clueless gringos to emulate We can evaluate things more realistically and see how the locals do things and adapt and adjust our ways accordingly Now, let me give you just one example here on how clueless clueless gringos really are
[02:26] Now the truth is that every gringo who's ever been down to Latin America has had a bout or two or ten with Montezuma's Revenge and soon enough learns if they eat food from a street vendor They're taking a chance and in the end pun intended. It's just not worth it now in our discussion We'll leave out backpackers here because it seems no matter how many battles They've had with Montezuma's revenge that temptation of an ultra cheap meal from a street vendor often overrides common sense So I'm talking about your average gringo visitor or tourist so that said Expats soon learn that once they buy their fruits and vegetables at the market or wherever when they get them home They have to disinfect them or risk a date with the porcelain goddess So then we have on the shelves in the produce department of every Latin grocery store
[03:16] various bottles and brands of liquids and sprays General food disinfectants just for that purpose So you soak and agitate your fruits and vegetables for five minutes or so then rinse them in pure water And they're all set to go Anyway, when you're on the gringo tourist trail at one of these grocery stores You'll see as gringos mosey through the produce aisle that they and the wealthier latin classes will buy bottles of this stuff Though the poor and the middle class folks never do that's because gringos and wealthier latins are smarter, right? Well, not so fast. I just happen to have one of these little disinfectant bottles in front of me a typical example And here's what the label says. First of all, the brand name is Pura Vida. Now, have you heard that one before if you've been to Costa Rica you have it's their national anthem
[04:06] You see it on t-shirts and signs and billboards everywhere You know, you don't hear it anywhere else in Latin America only in Costa Rica And usually it's your short-term clueless gringo who's blabbing it all the time But oddly enough long-term gringos in Costa Rica only use it sarcastically as if to say yeah Pura Vida which by the way means the pure life or the good life and that's what it used to be like in Costa Rica before the Gringos invaded which is why when long-term expats in Costa Rica hear someone say Pura Vida They know he's a green gringo tenderfoot and hasn't been here long, but I digress Anyway, I have in front of me a half liter bottle of Pura Vida ultra poderosa, which means extra strong disinfectante for fruits and vegetables and this half liter bottle 500 milliliters is just over two bucks
[04:57] So far so good, right now as for the ingredients It says here the main ingredient is one half of 1% sodium hypochlorite and the rest pure water And you know just one thing here. Why is it they always say pure water? It turns out on food labels and such no one ever just says Agua water like they do up in the first world here. It's always stated as pure water agua Pura So does that mean somehow if only the word water appeared in a product without the word pure or Pura does that mean? It's contaminated sewer water or toilet water maybe oh well This is Latin America now for example if you pick up a bottle of coca-cola It'll have the ingredients etc plus pure water now is it necessary to say that I don't know
[05:46] On top of that is it really necessary when you go into a restaurant and order water that you should have to say a bottle of Agua Pura por favor as if if you don't spell it out like that they might just give you a bottle of sewer water Hmm. I wonder So anyway it says on the label of this bottle of Pura Vida Disinfectant for fruits and vegetables use two spoonfuls in a basin of water Agitate your fruits and vegetables for five minutes then rinse in and you guessed it Agua Pura like if they hadn't have mentioned that important point you might just use gutter water or dish water Right. Yeah, but besides that there's something wrong with this picture And I'll tell you what it is if you haven't figured it out already for one thing It's clueless gringos and wealthy Latins who are buying this stuff
[06:35] It's flying off the shelves by the way on the tourist trail especially like in Panama and Costa Rica So then what's the problem? Why it's pure regular old household bleach Sodium hypochlorite and water of course, that's it So notice just a few steps away in the soap aisle you've got regular old bleach with Exactly the same ingredients. That's if you forgot Sodium hypochlorite Clorox and the house brands and guess what down here you can buy a gallon which is about four liters of said bleach The house brand for about two bucks In other words if you'd bother to have read the label and walked about ten feet You could buy a gallon of bleach and get eight times as much
[07:22] Disinfectant for the very same price or slightly less actually So do note that every gringo in the checkout aisle with one of those porta vida half liter bottles is a clueless gringo No doubt, but it gets worse If you again look at the ingredients on that little bottle of porta vida disinfectant You'll find the sodium hypochlorite the active ingredient is there at a half a one percent. That's 0.5 percent But here's the kicker if you buy regular old kitchen bleach Like chlorox or the store brand you'll find it's at a concentration of three percent three point zero percent Which is six times as powerful and concentrated As that little bottle of porta vida with a nice somewhat first world flowery label on it
[08:11] Not only are you paying eight times as much when you buy the porta vida brand It's one sixth as concentrated as your regular bleach So in effect any clueless gringo or upscale latin buying this stuff is paying get this now and let it sink in 48 times as much as he or she has to So then the bottom line is there are so many damn gringos in places like costa rica That they all kind of follow each other's lead and buy this crap And there are dozens and dozens of other examples like that What a bunch of fools, huh? So then the point is it's not enough to just read the label you got to pull out the calculator or dredge out the old Fourth grade math skills and then as jethro bodeen would say
[08:58] Commence to cipher in are you getting this? I hope you do because there are thousands upon thousands of people in places like costa rica panama mexico dominican republic etc places on the tourist trail where gringos are just not paying attention So then are they being ripped off? No, they're just being clueless and stupid and a little later in the show I'm going to give you another great example of clueless gringos in action. Now. Don't get me wrong I'm, not saying that when you're off the gringo tourist trail where there are hardly any gringos to be found If you go into a place like walmart or a big grocery store You won't find bottles of that porta vida stuff or it's equivalent. You will don't worry You will but guess who's buying it not gringos. There are so few of us around in fact
[09:45] Where i've been hanging around lately I can go into a walmart repeatedly six or seven times in a row and never see a single gringo in the whole place So if that high price disinfectant is all over the place even off the gringo tourist trail who's buying it? Well, of course, it's the upper middle class and wealthy gringo wannabes who Somewhere along the line heard or saw that gringos were using the stuff Probably saw them buying the stuff when they were on a trip to costa rica Who knows can't you see it's part of that gringo advantage? That practically anything that catches on with gringos will catch on down in latin america in a big way eventually No matter if it really has merit or not and about this disinfectant stuff. That's overpriced by about 50 times every time I walk past that little display in the grocery store
[10:34] I'm a little saddened that I didn't think of it first. Oh, well Now shift and gears for a second people do write me emails asking about drugs so-called illegal drugs, you know recreational drugs and in emails people mention that since the northern part of south america and Prices on the street down here in latin america for those same drugs So then are the people who write these emails to me casual users or just curious? Who knows we make no judgments here at the expat files So anyway, I interviewed a couple of latin college kids. I mean, come on Why not skip the bs and go right to the source and I asked them how much they would have to pay for certain recreational drugs
[11:24] Well, first of all, I found out a gram of cocaine which is virtually pure because down here they don't cut it Why would they is around six to ten bucks? And by the way, I also found out they don't call a gram of cocaine a gram They call it a diente a tooth which by the way It turns out to be a clear plastic vial with a little cap on it That looks just like a tooth or more to the point. It looks like a canine or vampire tooth And an ounce of marijuana for a local college kid goes for around 15 to 20 bucks And yes, I just found out they have cracked down here, too Who'd have thunk and that goes for about 10 bucks a gram or diente meaning again tooth? And as for party designer drugs like ecstasy the going rates about seven to ten bucks a tablet
[12:14] Now remember these college kids i'm talking to are upper middle class meaning their parents make 20,000 bucks a year Or more yep, that qualifies you for upper middle class down here It's just amazing These upper middle class guys and gals that go to private universities down here have copied everything first world Or try to at least they copy the way they think first world college students act and dress Along with stupid addictions to pointless social media like facebook and twitter and here's a question for you Where do you think every last one of these college kids wants to go for spring break? Nope, not cancun playa del carmin or costa rica where every last first world college kid wants to go for spring break I'll give you one guess miami
[13:00] Yep, miami But since it is out of the budget for the majority of these college kids I mean, let's face it upper middle class down here is strictly poverty row up in the states So because miami is a pipe dream for nearly all college kids down here Upper middle class latin college kids pester and beg their parents for a spring break trip to cancun or costa rica Why? Give you one guess because it's the nearest place on earth They can rub shoulders with real first world gringo college kids But where was I? Oh, yeah talking about the availability and the cost of recreational drugs down here in latin america So as I was talking to this little group of gringo wannabe college students I also discovered from one of these guys who's been back and forth to costa rica
[13:50] He said the cost of street drugs in costa rica is three times what it is in the rest of latin america Like he said even paying three or four times as much for recreational drugs gringos Think it's a great deal compared to what they pay for the stuff up in the states So this latin college kid and his buddies again proved the point that wherever gringos go Price inflation follows in all sectors of the economy So then I asked this private school college kid and his friends How many people he knew who'd been busted? And between that little group there was three guys and two girls Not one of them had been or knew anyone that had been busted. However, they said they've had a few routine stops That is car roadblocks on friday and saturday nights in the popular nightclub district
[14:37] And two or three times they had to give up a little other stash to the cops that is Which they never got back and never got fined and never got ticketed or even reprimanded Though the one kid said he once paid a cop a 20 dollar bribe Just so the guy wouldn't search his car turns out He paid it to a motorcycle cop who pulled him over for driving erratically and wanted to search his car And the kid said the cop just winked and smiled when he stuck his head in the window of the car Which he said just reeked of booze and bud And for the uninitiated the term bud does not refer to an anizer bush product So the kid pulled out his license then handed him 20 bucks and was on his way Now speaking of drugs here, you might wonder since they grow all the stuff here in latin america
[15:26] Why do people even bother to buy marijuana for one thing since it grows like a weed everywhere? Well, the fact is there really isn't much of a local market for marijuana down here at all But there's a very big market for marijuana within the expat and tourist communities Like for example at all the gringo tourist areas and beach resorts Oftentimes as soon as you land at the airport and you get your shuttle to your hotel And you take your very first walk along the beach if it's anything of a tourist destination at all sooner or later Some local guys can walk up to you More than likely a guy renting beach chairs or selling ice cream and soda and beer from a cooler Chances are he's gonna ask you in broken english if you'd need anything else
[16:14] You'll know what he's trying to sell you just know that if you're in the market and you buy something extra from a guy Like that you're gonna pay three or four times what the locals pay. Oh, and by the way I've been asked this question a number of times too. They say could it be a setup trying to entrap a gringo To which I say well anything's possible, but i've never heard of that happening It just turns out that on the gringo tourist trail It's a flourishing side business to make money off of gringos like that So when you think about it, what's in it for them to entrap a gringo? Not much They just want to make the deal and move on to the next gringo Hopefully some friends of yours and one word of warning here These guys are just small-time businessmen Whose real day job is selling hot dogs or sunglasses or rentin' beach chairs
[17:01] So if you're staying at a hotel or hanging around a beach yourself guys like that will be regular fixtures there But no matter how many times you seem around or how friendly they get to you or you to them If you end up buying something a little extra from one of these guys Don't get into a cab with them and head off to parts unknown Then you'd really be a stupid clueless gringo now, wouldn't you? But you'd be surprised how many stories i've heard that seem to follow that pattern coming out of the country of costa rica alone It's true newly landed gringos with stars in their eyes seeing bird of paradise and palm trees for the first time They're easily spotted by locals and get taken to the cleaners all the time often They don't even know it and actually come back for more
[17:48] Now remember i'm not recommending any of this stuff. Not at all. I'm just telling you what it's like To live down here as an expat or gringo in latin america So now you're a little bit more informed than a little bit smarter, right? I hope Which brings me to an interesting email that's slightly off topic and it starts out like this Johnny we've been listening to your podcast since 2010 Knowing then we would be making plans to move somewhere in latin america to live the good life I've written before about questions on mexico and that's where we've landed for now And yes, I know you don't recommend mexico Anyhow in 2011 we traveled to ecuador sure that it was where we would start our expat adventures
[18:33] But we didn't fall in love with the areas we visited and found that travel there was expensive and complicated Now we have my 84 year old father-in-law in poor health and he comes with us wherever we land So figuring mexico was close and easy This is where we decided to start our trial run until something further south made sense in 2012 We moved to baja california sewer to a small town called loreto and this spring we moved to a small surf town North of porto vuerta We do really hope to get out of mexico soon But again, the old man doesn't travel well and is not crazy about being dragged from place to place So that's our story so far, but not exactly why i'm writing you today
[19:21] So here's the point. I recently heard a podcast you did talking about the ever present or megas in latin america That's ants or megas of different kinds and what to do about them I know when talking about the tiny almost microscopic ones on the counters in the kitchen You just recommend letting them be that they simply take care of any little crumbs and soon disappear Now while i've noticed that is the case It makes my skin crawl to walk in the kitchen and see dozens if not hundreds of them in a pile On a single crumb that I never saw in the first place. Yuck Also when our container that holds the jug of drinking water gets empty on the stand Those damn little ormegas ants make a trail up the legs and end up in our drinking water
[20:10] Even yuckier at first. I did try spraying them with chemicals and sprinkling powders that all claimed to kill them But they didn't stay away and the chemicals are pretty noxious So next my daughter had told me she rubs tea tree oil on surfaces around the house to keep the spiders away So I brought some back down with me when we were last in the states I also brought down some cinnamon oil and a few other essential oils that I brought with me as well So then I wiped down my counters with the tea tree oil on a paper towel But that was only marginally effective with the ants So next I tried the cinnamon oil and it worked like a charm I even wiped the legs of the water stand and no more ants in our water either
[20:57] So now I do this every few days and when I start to see some ants reappear I sprinkle a few drops in the corners and other places where i've seen them making a trail And the cinnamon scent is very pleasant with no toxic fumes Just thought i'd share that with you on the chance you might want to share it with your listeners at some future podcast If not, no worries. I won't be offended Oh and also worth mentioning is the fact that i've seen no spiders or other bugs in my kitchen since Anyway, thank you for all the expat wisdom you share with us. The information has been invaluable For now adios diana Well, thanks for the kudos diana And I do admire you for getting your boots on the ground like that and traveling and visiting a lot of latin places I know it's especially difficult when you have to drag around an old timer like that someone who's 84 you say
[21:47] So just a few things about your email now You say you have a jug on a water stand I know what that's all about You probably have a service or you go to the grocery store and buy those five gallon jugs called harones, right? Well, if you're doing that you're doing the wrong thing because that's not really pure water even though it's called agua pura You know, you really really have to get your own water purification system installed That is making your own water Then you won't have it sitting there in a jug all day You'll just have it on demand from a little spout and it really will be an unlimited supply on demand That means no stagnant water in a plastic jug just sitting there all day waiting for ants or whatever to make a swimming pool Out of it. So if you send me an email request i'll send you the instructions for my own personal water purification setup
[22:35] You can set the whole thing up for a little over a hundred bucks Basically, it's an under the sink job with two standard plastic canisters the first canister with a ceramic filter and the second with a carbon block filter And believe me the water will be so pure you could use it in a kidney dialysis machine I'm, not kidding and for anyone else out there who wants a free copy of my installation Just send me an email. That's the expat files at gmail.com And how long do those filters last? Well, the ceramic filter could last 10 maybe 20 years Now you see when you notice the water flow starts slowing down Then you take the filter out and you lightly sand the outer layer till it's nice and bright white again And you put it right back and you change that carbon block filter every six months to a year and what's that cost?
[23:25] Maybe 15 bucks that's 15 bucks a year to have absolutely pure water That said I didn't know about the tea tree oil thing, which doesn't seem to work all that well But I did know about the cinnamon now, like I said most of us long-term expats Eventually give up on those tiny little ants and just let them splurge on a crumb for a half an hour and then they go Away, however, if in your mind it's truly yucky, you don't have to let it go on Cinnamon is a great solution whether in an oil or a powder And if you got the powder you can make the oil yourself. It's easy Now you might remember at the beginning of the show I said I was going to talk about another clueless gringo move Well in this case it has to do with cinnamon known in spanish as canela
[24:15] canela Okay. Now for all you guys and gals out there who are really health conscious You know that cinnamon should be in your diet The fact is just lately cinnamon has been written up all over in the alternative medicine news as a kind of a miracle drug Along the lines of curcumin and speaking of curcumin down here You can buy a pound of the stuff in powder form for around three bucks Now i'm not going to get into the specific qualities of cinnamon because you probably know all about that already But know this they grow the stuff down here and they sell it everywhere If you go to the central markets down here in latin america Little guys will be walking around with bundles of the stuff and they'll sell sticks Which are actually the peeled off bark of a cinnamon tree. So if you buy it that way, it's totally natural and unadulterated
[25:05] However, if you go to one of these big central markets, you'll be able to buy cinnamon powder in bulk For about four to five bucks a pound and believe me a pound will last you forever Now here's where the clueless gringo part comes in It turns out that 99 percent of gringos who buy cinnamon or other spices in small quantities Buy it in their walmart or in a regular supermarket They come in little hermetically sealed packages from macormic. You know that name. They're down here too and local latin brands, too So the fact is you go to any gringo's house down here and you'll see a jumble of these various little spice packets Scattered around the kitchen and of course upscale latins have switched over to the convenient little store packs, too
[25:54] Well, my advice is don't buy those little packages instead buy bulk in one of the big markets Why? Well, let me just read you from the ingredient list on one of these store-bought little cinnamon packets in spanish Of course, so i'll translate ingredients canela which is cinnamon dextrose which is sugar trigo, which is flour silicon dioxide So it doesn't kick up and then it says this which shocked the hell out of me It says this package could also contain gluten and or pieces of the following fish shrimp milk eggs soy protein sesame or other cooking oils
[26:40] Yuck, or as diana would say what could be yuckier? So how that happened just goes to show you better read the labels better yet Buy your stuff in bulk at the big market. Believe me when you buy it direct from the farmer There's no artificial or processed stuff there That said if so-called educated gringos don't read labels, then what about the latins? Forget about it again in these kind of matters latin america's like the us was back in the 70s and 80s Who read labels back then one last thing? I just want to remind you again about my january 2015 expat wisdom seminar Let's face it when the feces hits the ventilator and it will do you have a plan b? Go to expat wisdom.com and click on the seminar link have a plan b get your ducks lined up and come on down
[27:33] South of the border 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 the expat files at gmail.com And don't forget to check out expat wisdom.com to sign up for your free reports on latin america See you next time. No, suemos