Episode Summary
In this episode, Johnny Mueller addresses a range of topics that reflect the complexities of expat life in Latin America. He begins by responding to a listener named Dina, who criticized his show for fat shaming. Johnny acknowledges her concerns and shares his own experiences with body shaming, noting that it is a common part of life in the U.S. and that many Latin Americans may not fully understand its prevalence due to cultural differences. He concludes that while body shaming is hurtful, it is a cultural norm that has not significantly damaged his self-esteem.
Johnny then shifts to discussing the dynamics of Latina communities in Latin America, highlighting the tension between social justice movements and the realities of the region. He notes that while social justice warriors are emerging, they are not yet prevalent in Latin America. He also responds to an email from an 'altiplano drifter' who warns about the risks of investing in property in Guatemala, particularly in the context of climate change and potential societal collapse. Johnny acknowledges the drifter's concerns but points out that many Latin Americans are already in a survivalist mode due to frequent power outages and reliance on rainwater collection. He emphasizes the importance of preparation, such as having a rainwater cistern, and discusses the cooler climate of Lake Attenlan, which could support local food production even in the face of climate change.
The episode continues with Johnny discussing the potential impacts of climate change, using the example of a three-degree temperature increase over five years instead of the projected 200-year trend. He contrasts the effects on coastal and low-altitude regions with those in the Altiplano region, such as Lake Catalan, where the temperature increase would be less severe due to altitude. He suggests that while coastal areas would face extreme heat and hardship, life in the Altiplano would be relatively unaffected. Johnny then shifts to discussing the considerations for choosing a 'Plan B' location, emphasizing factors like cost, location, weather preferences, language skills, and the ability to live in remote areas. He highlights the importance of self-sufficiency, security, and adapting to local conditions, especially in rural or remote settings.
In another segment, Johnny shares his experiences with snakes and insects in his 28 years of living in the region. He emphasizes that snakes are not a major threat to expats, as they generally avoid humans and only pose a risk if stepped on. He also addresses the prevalence of insects like mosquitoes, flies, and cockroaches, noting that while they are common, they are not typically a danger to humans. Johnny provides a non-toxic recipe for making 'kooka balls' to combat cockroaches, explaining the ingredients and their effectiveness. He also touches on the cultural acceptance of these pests in Latino communities and the importance of taking precautions to minimize their presence in homes.
Finally, Johnny discusses the diverse climates and weather conditions across Latin America, emphasizing the variety of climates within a short distance. He mentions that Central America, in particular, offers a wide range of climates, including tropical, desert, and high-altitude regions. He also touches on the challenges of living in certain areas, such as water shortages and the need for proper planning. Additionally, he addresses the topic of insects and how they vary depending on the climate, and he highlights the importance of consulting locals for information on flood risks and other environmental factors. He concludes by promoting his health care report and other resources for expats planning to move to Latin America.
Topics
Body shaming, Cultural differences, Expat experiences, Social dynamics among Latina communities, Emergence of social justice movements in Latin America, Investment risks in Latin American property, Climate change and its impact on Latin America, Survivalist practices in Latin American households, Plan B for expats, Altiplano region, Self-sufficiency, Remote living
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:31 Dina's Email About Fat Shaming 00:01:33 Johnny's Response to Dina's Complaint 00:03:05 Johnny's Reflection on Body Shaming 00:06:02 Tensions Among Latina Communities 00:06:19 Fat Shaming and Social Justice 00:06:57 Survivalist Mode in Latin America 00:11:12 Cooler Climate and Food Sustainability 00:11:52 Climate Change and Temperature Trends 00:12:18 Life in the Altiplano Region 00:14:22 Choosing a Plan B Location 00:17:34 Snakes and Their Behavior in the Region 00:18:19 Insects and Pests in the Region 00:20:17 Recipe for Non-Toxic Cockroach Control 00:23:11 Finding the Maintenance Guy in the Laundry Room 00:23:18 Climate and Altitude Variations 00:23:24 Diverse Climates Within a Short Distance 00:23:33 Snow and Frost in the Andes 00:23:38 Mini Climates and Weather Forecasting 00:23:42 Variability of Climates in Central America 00:23:49 Weather Forecasting in Latin America 00:23:56 The Easiest Job in the World
Transcript
Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.
[00:00] South of the border down Mexico way That's where I fell in love when the stars above came out to play and now I wonder Hello there all you ex-pat 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 All right. Here's an email from an irate young lady. She's got something to say about my show presentation techniques She says Johnny. I like the way your show is not at all PC I appreciate that most of the time but it's not fair when you fat shame people
[00:48] I've been a slightly overweight lady all my life then have had tremendous Battles trying to get down to what people say or think is a so-called normal weight. It's not easy It feels bad and it's nothing to make fun of Johnny I'm specifically referring to that show where you talked about airports and overweight people flying coach Aside from liking or at least finding amusing everything else you talk about on the show Practically everything else mostly just one thing Johnny. Can you please knock off the fat shaming? Remember we have feelings too and if we had a mind to we could take you down All right, that's from Dina in Washington the state. All right. Thanks Dina. You really want to take me down? So Dina your beef is no pun intended fat shaming. Oh boy. Let me tell you something. You've never considered
[01:41] Though it's true. I've never been fat or even slightly overweight a so-called skinny people get shamed too In fact over the years I've been skinny ass skinny-legged and skinny bone shamed all my life Oh and since I've been losing it on the top over the years I've been hair shamed a lot lately, too And you know, I've got kind of a honker too. So yes, I've been no shamed many times I've even been silly walk shamed by my sisters and a previous ex you wonder how people can cut up on you for that Well, it turns out my whole family in one particular ex who deserves no further mention They say they can spot me in a crowd blocks away simply because I've got kind of a funny walk So Dina if fat shamans are you got to worry about you just might be a little too sensitive
[02:28] Oh, and if you're wondering if all that ass leg hair Honkers shaming etc. Have hurt my feelings or damaged my ego Well, maybe in today's world if I was the kid up in Chicago, my mom would say Johnny We'll get a lawyer and take their parents to court and these days there are plenty of stories like that And that's why so many Latin Americans when they hear those stories think it's some kind of a joke That can't really be happening and when you tell them it's true and it happens all the time They still don't want to believe it. After all 90% of Latin Americans would love to live up in the United States Swenio a medicano, you know American dream and all that But back to the question was I damaged in any way by all those little digs people threw at me Well, not really not anymore than the next guy. Anyway, I certainly wasn't the only one getting picked on or sometimes bullied
[03:18] That was a way of life with kids growing up in the States way back when in fact I can't think of a single one of us kids who ever saw a shrink in fact when I was a kid We didn't even know what a shrink was in reality. It was nothing but boy stuff We all did it to each other and I probably felt no damage at all because I never got dick shamed and the gym class locker Yep, there were always one or two kids who fell victim to that man I'll tell you the other stuff may have heard a little but you could defend yourself Though it was a given in a harsh wake-up call in the gym class locker room If you didn't hang with the boys that was the kiss of death by the way ladies And I'm directing this mostly to ladies if you haven't figured it out already Body part shaming is part of guy humor. We do that to our buddies all the time
[04:05] In fact, that's how some guys get their nicknames. I remember in my old neighborhood There was a guy named ears a guy named chalk Which was short for chalk teeth because his teeth look like powdered chalk and another one named pie face What's that tell you? So ladies if you're wondering what guys do at exclusively male get-togethers They talk about sex sports work gadgets and they spend a hell of a lot of time cutting up on each other I know I know sounds awful infantile and it is But hey, that's what men do That means if you're a guy with a fragile eagle and you can't take some ribbing and some body shaming occasionally, man You're in for it because your buddies will pile it on even more Of course the smarter the group of guys you hang with the more cutting and clever the insults again
[04:51] It's a guy thing. Oh and how about this for a male cultural observation? I've got a couple of good Latin buddies children of the rich you could call them They went to private helicopter schools all their lives and University up in the States So they're a hundred percent fluent in English bilingual They're smart guys and can play give-and-take insults in English as good as many gringos and expats Except I've noticed when they switch back to Spanish with their own buddies who aren't bilingual They still joke around in banter in Spanish But the jokes and insults just aren't as clever or cutting as when they're doing the same with the sing which speak in gringos So, what do you make of that? Sounds like a good sociology master's thesis doesn't it? Okay, so I'm one 2436 Polynesian. Where's my grant money? Just kidding. Hmm. Am I?
[05:43] But I digress as usual. Where are we? Oh, yeah, body shaming Oh, and I know this since I have three sisters and a mother. I remember this from back in the States Stateside ladies will rarely body shame another lady to her face But man daggers would often fly when someone would leave the room and as far as Latinas go They throw their daggers at other Latina ladies, too But mostly with their eyes not their tongues that is unless they've encountered another Latina who's been messing with their guy Then all bets are off. Believe me, man. You don't want to get in the middle of that Oh and get this Dina says in her email. There's a fine line between fat shaming and bullying Oh, no, Dina Dina sounds like a little of that social justice. Warrior ring is rearing its ugly head, huh?
[06:31] Well, thank God Buddha Krishna your lucky stars and everyone else that there's a huge light time here in Latin America regarding social justice warrior ring LGBT WTFs safe spaces and all that that stuff just does not seem to exist down here yet Though like everything from up in the first world It'll eventually land down here though in muted form on college campuses I guess we can call that reason 4256 why you just have to get that plan B going and get the hell out of Dodge as soon as you possibly can speaking of plan B's just got this email from the famous altiplano drifter as Usual I'll paraphrase a bit and cut out the parts where he's skinny ass shaming me. Just kidding. He says Johnny
[07:18] what are your thoughts about living in Latin America specifically Guatemala over the next five plus years as Tipping points fall up in the first world as things and systems Deconstruct and climate change kicks into high gear that being said I'm feeling like buying a house or any kind of permanent property Purchase at all even in Latin America might be unwise Especially if you buy or build and plan on renting it out First of all when the Mierda hits the fan tourism would Undoubtedly be affected because nearly all the tourism to Latin America is coming from first world countries And at that point if you have a property and you're trying to sell it It'll likely be more not less difficult as time goes on thus I think a year-by-year lease is the way to go Then he says do you feel places like Lake Attenlan and Guatemala are remote enough and self-sustainable enough to do well
[08:09] When that truck stopped rolling for a say a year or so and what about water? Is there enough to go around and is there enough locally grown food to feed all the towns around the lake? And what about all the many small towns all over the place they need to eat and drink too So I'm thinking when the big collapse comes there Just might be roving bands of scavengers all over the place looking for food and other items. This would create a survivalist type scenario Basically the same thing. They'll be dealing with up in the states only up there You'd have that plus bad weather and heavily armed big brother Then he finishes by saying it's not fun to talk about this stuff, but better now than never Alright, thanks for that. Mr. Drifter. So what do I have to say about that? I've got something to say about everything, right?
[08:56] Well, no comment Just kidding for one thing here in Latin America. People are always in Survivalist mode and they don't even know it. That's just the way it is though They don't use the word survivalists or prepping that's not in their vocabulary yet But what you don't realize is that most of the households in Latin America still have routine power outages For minutes hours sometimes longer. Of course, you won't as an expat with a plan B You'll probably living in a gated guarded community or a decent housing development that has its own generator Or you'll have solar or your own generator, too But 95% or more of Latin American households have no such backup plan They just deal with the fact that once a month once a week or once every couple of days at least for a few minutes
[09:44] Anyway, there'll be a power outage and do they complain about it? Never It's only us gringos that complain and about the rainfall. Well, once you get south of south of the border That's south of the Mexican border with Guatemala. There's in fact way too much rain Why do you think they call that six months of the year the rainy season? Of course, there's also six months of dry season to where it almost never rains at least not heavily Well, that just means you need a big-ass cistern to tide you over when the world does take a crap You've heard me talk about that and how to set up one of those systems for yourself Collecting your own rainwater from your roof on past shows It'd be stupid not to have one and believe me if you have one, you'll be just fine So what about food and sustainability if things really heat up that is climate change kicks in in a big way
[10:34] Well, here's a fact that I don't think one in ten thousand people even know that is unless you happen to have your pilot's license There is a rule of thumb in science that you lose about three and a half degrees Fahrenheit That's two degrees centigrade for every thousand feet in altitude above sea level And in the case of Lake Atelan the most beautiful lake in the world. It's right smack dab in the Alti Plano You'll be up around five to about seven thousand feet above sea level Depending which little town you happen to be in some of them are right on the lake and some of them are higher up in The mountains so figure it out do the math if you're at five thousand feet Which is probably the average if you're right on the lake that puts you at around 17 or 18 degrees cooler Then at sea level at the same latitude on the earth. Can you handle that?
[11:22] What about plants? Can they handle that of course just have a look at all the little markets in the Alti Plano They're bringing that stuff in from just a couple of miles around those little markets have unbelievable Quantities and types of food and it's all coming in from little truck farms very nearby also in the Alti Plano So think about it even the worst-case scenario Let's say in five years the temperature of the entire earth was raised three degrees Fahrenheit That would be an unheard of increase that would generally take a couple of hundred years In fact according to the intergovernmental panel on climate change in the last hundred years the earth's temperature is risen 1.33 degrees Fahrenheit So a three degree increase of trends continue would take 200 years But let's just say for the sake of argument. There was a huge three degree increase in just five years instead of 200
[12:13] if you're living out your plan B at 5,000 feet in a typical Altiplano region like Lake Catalan What's a general three degree increase gonna do to your lifestyle and the crops they grow there? Well, here's how it would work out when you're up there at 5,000 feet 17 to 18 degrees cooler than your friends who elected to have their plan B Sucking down my ties by the pool at the beach house Which is now reaching daily highs of 90 degrees when it used to be only 87 just a few years ago So definitely people living on or near the coast or in very low latitudes will suffer the most if you've ever been there You know that 87 degrees is almost comfortable if you're sitting in the shade doing nothing and if you're directly in the Sun It's unbearable, but now we're assuming daily temperatures aren't 87, but 90
[13:03] Meanwhile in the Altiplano while your friends are suffering 90 degree weather at the coast Your daily high temperature is a mere 73 degrees that's 17 degrees cooler due to your altitude at 5,000 feet and That's of course up 3 degrees from your normal high of 70 Bottom line for people at the coast and at sea level. It's a terrible thing But for you up in the Altiplano big deal. So then what about those bands of apocalyptic zombie scavengers? Well, maybe at sea level if the crops start failing, but I can't see that happening in the Altiplano But again, you should have a nice big cistern some auxiliary solar and maybe two 100 pound tanks of propane gas
[13:49] That would just be for cooking and would probably last you two years So it's my guess that in the Altiplano life will go on though It won't be a painful and frantic life Like it'll be for people living in low altitudes and on the coast and that brings us to another question I often get from people and emails and otherwise they're always asking what's the perfect plan B, man? That's like saying what's the perfect car or the perfect job or the perfect mate the answers are so individual But there are some important things to consider that'll get you a long way on the road to figuring out what your perfect plan B Is of course cost and location are the biggest considerations for most people Especially when looking for a property because eventually, you know Even though we recommend to rent for six months to a year
[14:34] Gringos and expats usually end up buying something if not as an investment just to diversify their assets and not keep it all in Cash or gold or a retirement plan IRA or just one thing and again, you have to decide which elevation you're comfortable with What kind of weather do you like? Do you want four seasons? Do you want rainy and dry season? Do you want Altiplano? Do you want to live by a beach? Another thing is many Gringos and expats plan to have a garden or even a little farm But what crops do you want to grow or what plants or trees or fruits you want to grow? And how good is your Spanish? As you know, there are a lot of places in Latin America You can get along without any Spanish at all Of course, those will be gringo wise areas that are a lot more expensive, too
[15:19] What about your hobbies suppose you want to own some guns, you know There are lots of Latin countries where it's difficult to own a gun and others where it's quite easy All you have to do is be a resident Another big consideration, especially with new green Gringos Is that they sometimes need to have a soft landing and therefore prefer to be around Gringos at least at first So they start out with plan B on or near a well-known Gringo tourist trail One of the problems is though that after a while some Gringos and expats become disillusioned with living around all those Gringos and tourists And they give up and move back to Cleveland instead of doing what I always recommend Moving farther and farther away from the gringo tourist sites where it's cheaper and more relaxed And of course the farther away you get the more real your Latin American experience is
[16:06] Not to mention the farther you get away from gringo tourist sites the stronger your gringo advantage Only if you choose to homestead that is live in a pretty remote area A lot of gringos want to have a big spread. That's nearly self-sufficient fruit trees vegetables animals dogs horses dorks However, if you choose to live in a remote area So called campo how comfortable are you with living near and around other country folks or campesinos? Who in some ways might seem like they're living in the 1940s nothing wrong with that they're true survivors You could learn a lot from them, but they're not gonna speak English In fact the nearest house just might be an adobe hut with a wood plank floor That means to your neighbors you seem to be living in a mansion nothing wrong with that either
[16:52] There's always some rich guy in the neighborhood. Why can't it be you for a change? Oh another thing if you live in a remote area, how good are you at do-it-yourself stuff? Are you pretty much self-sufficient or are you figuring if something breaks? You'll just go on YouTube and suss it out. What I mean is can you change the oil in your car or do a break job? Can you change your light bulb don't lie to me now? Oh, and if you live out in the boonies What's your security plan? You have to have one You know a good start is getting a nice big dog or a not so nice big dog that would be even better When here's a question for expat gringas if you're thinking your plan B is gonna be out in the boonies How well can you handle insects and snakes or just a thought of insects and snakes now? I don't want to get you paranoid about snakes. I've been living here 28 years now
[17:38] And I've only seen maybe five snakes fairly up close and personal and all that time But not that close to scare me only put me on alert so five snakes in 28 years That's about one every five or six years now get this through your head They don't want to mess with you. They see you they want to turn tail and run that is if they had feet The Bible says they used to right anyway The only time you're ever gonna have to really tangle with one is if you happen to step on it and the good news Is I don't know of a single gringo or expat who's ever been bitten of course? It seems every gardener and maintenance man has his story. I mean, that's why they have machetes, right? But as for gringos and expats once in a great while we do see one Thankfully at a distance however regarding insects man. There are a lot of bugs down here
[18:24] But surprisingly there are few in the Alti Plano however if you live next to any kind of body of water or river That's another story then again There's always certain people who seem to attract bugs like mosquitoes luckily. I'm not one of those I must be too caustic for them. They usually go for someone else then there's those ever-present Cucaracha's man. I hate those things. I'll tell you it's because of the existence of flies mosquitoes and cucaracha's I doubt the existence of God or if he does exist. He's a hell of a trickster You have to ask yourself why do such disgusting creatures exist? Oh, it's true There's lots of disgusting despicable creatures out there, but very few of them bother us like flies mosquitoes and cucaracha's However if you take minimum precautions and have a decently sealed up house
[19:12] You won't have flies or mosquitoes, but Cucaracha's man. Some houses are so full of them It's like they own the place and you're the guest though. It does not have to be like that at all However as far as Latino culture. They just learn to live with them I mean look they've even got a hugely popular song about him like Cucaracha Of course there are gringos and expats that come from the southern states that seem to tolerate Cucaracha's a hundred times more than us gringos and expats from farther up north You know there's a completely cheap and non-toxic way to get rid of them in two weeks little Cucaracha balls you make up a batch of this stuff kind of like cookie dough consistency roll up about 25 little pea-sized balls But a more Cucaracha's like to run at night. That'd be in kitchen cabinets behind the stove microwave and refrigerator
[19:59] Don't forget to put them in the corners in your bathrooms, too You could whip up a batch in five minutes for around a buck And I'd say a batch lasts you maybe two months and after you've killed off the first wave and the next generation or two You probably don't have to put any down for another year or so. All right, Johnny. What's the recipe? Well, you take a small cereal bowl put a level teaspoon of brown sugar in there Add two level teaspoons of regular flour and finally one level teaspoon of boric acid That's b-o-r-i-c acid boric acid it's a powder and you can get it at any welding supply because it's used as a flux or Order it from Amazon for around ten bucks a pound and a pound that will last you a lifetime. Believe me So it's one part boric acid two parts flour and one part brown sugar
[20:47] Then you start adding a little water until you have the consistency of cookie dough or play dough and do use rubber Gloves while you're mixing it not that it's toxic It just sticks to everything like cookie dough does you see boric acid is a very sharp-edged crystal? And when they eat the stuff it tears up their guts and kills them So then what about toxicity to humans? Well, it turns out the LD 50 on boric acid is around 50 grams now LD 50 is a common term in chemistry. It's the dosage you need to kill 50% of any humans exposed to it. That means you'd have to down around 12 level teaspoons of the stuff So for all intents and purposes the stuff's non-toxic except to kookarachas and other insect pests that might want to nibble on it
[21:37] By the way, just to prove how safe that borax really is remember 20 mule team borax It's still around I guess you can get on Amazon too But it was a very popular laundry detergent consisting mostly of powdered boric acid Chances are your grandma used it all the time used to be a lot of ads for it on TV when I was a kid Though the question of the ages is how many kookaracha balls that are so effective on cockroaches? Would you need to kill Keith Richards? Because you know what they say after a nuclear war only two things will survive cockroaches and a certain rolling stone By the way the kind of kookarachas I particularly can't stand at those big ass ones that could be up to two or three inches long I tell you when I go into a person's house gringo or latino And I see one of those things scurrying around man your first instinct is to step on it, but don't do that
[22:27] Unless you don't mind his disgusting munged up guts and possibly his carcass stuck to the bottom of your shoe Solution easiest thing in the world make up some of your own kooka balls now I know I mentioned this on a show maybe four or five years ago, but it's worth repeating I'll tell you talk about first impressions how would you feel if you were in someone's kitchen you watched and put something in the microwave oven and as they open the Door a cockroach scurried out or worse yet scurried in well I've seen that more than a few times and it ain't pretty I guarantee It's gonna weigh heavily on your decision to eat over and don't give me that crap about how they're everywhere And you just have to get used to them I gotta tell you it's the absolute truth that I've probably seen two kookarachas where I live in the past year And where do you think I found him in the laundry room where the maintenance guy eats his lunch?
[23:18] What's that tell you all right speaking of climates altitudes and altiplanos one thing is certainly true Within an hour's drive of practically anywhere in Latin America, especially Central America. You'll find every different kind of climate there is firing snow and frost of course except down in Argentina and Chile and Certain mountains in the Andes so if you're out driving for even an hour Sometimes especially in Central America you could hit three or four different mini climates or in Spanish mini Klimas, and that's why all those hot looking Latina TV weather ladies are always right and they're always wrong, too Talk about the easiest job in the world. They don't have to be Meteorologists like they do up in the states. They only have to be retired asian like physically and read at a fourth grade level
[24:07] But back to insects for a second I get a lot of questions about insects especially since almost everyone who's never really visited Latin America thinks it's like the Latin America You see in James Bond movies a lot of desert cactus rattlesnakes and big-ass disgusting politicians I mean scorpions. Well. Yeah, that's what a lot of Mexico's like and parts of Chile and Peru, too But for the most part the rest of Latin America's got those two seasons heavy rain and dry So where you've got lots of rain You'll have lush greenery in lots of insects and in those desert areas almost no greenery or insects to speak of at all You see in most of Latin America. They've got annual rainfall of 30 to 100 inches a year That's a hell of a lot that means absolutely no Shortages of water if you plan right and have a nice big cistern and if you're in the desert area
[24:58] Which I don't recommend at all, but some people will choose to live there You could have less than 10 inches of rain a year. That means you'll definitely need municipal water or a well Probably a very deep well down 500 feet or so again You have to do some investigating and rent for at least six months before you buy Do you want to have a plan be in a place where you're always short of water? I don't think so naturally your preferences are personal and if you're looking for property You shouldn't let the opinions of others influence you too much. You have to live there at least six months yourself Why because some people accept insects as a trade-off because they like sub tropical hot climates and being close to the ocean At least that's what some people tell themselves before they actually move down there and experience it for themselves
[25:43] Whereas others like me prefer the Elsie Plano with cooler temperatures Spring like weather all year round where you don't have a heating or air conditioning bill Of course, you have to plan to have air flow and skylights and stuff But you long-term listeners knew that already, right? Then there's other expats and gringos who like to live very high up at 10 or even 12,000 feet That means no air conditioning, but a heating bill because it will get cold Oh and remember no matter where you plan on renting or buying you have to depend on the locals mostly the old-timers to tell you how the flood Conditions are because during the rainy season even if you're way up on the Elsie Plano if the angles and the drainage paths Aren't right. There'll be temporary floods. You'll find that out the first time you drive during the rainy season
[26:33] Turns out for an hour or two. Anyway roads are always getting flooded out Of course, that's due to bad design bad road construction bad civil engineering Nevertheless, even when you're up five or six thousand feet things flood So what to do? Well ask the oldest guy walking through the neighborhood with his machete He'll have the longest memory and be an eyewitness to at least the 50-year floodplain All right. Once again, we're getting towards the end of the show We'll finish off this little bit on sustainability on the next show There are lots of points to consider when mapping out your own plan B We'll get to that but before you go I'd like to remind you to pick up my hundred page Latin American health care report Learn how you can get first world health care at third world prices with third world prices being around a fifth of what you'd
[27:20] Pay for the very same thing up in the first world You'll learn about how to select doctors clinics health care plans, etc Check it out by going to the expat files comm slash health care You've been listening to the expat files living in Latin America If you need some help with your own plan B, you can schedule a one-on-one phone call with me But first download my free plan B questionnaire at www.the new expat comm better Yet if you want to get your plan B going from right up there in the states Just sign up for my 9-hour expat essentials course get the perfect plan B blueprint by going to the expat files comm Academy, Los bemos