One Magazine, Six Continents: The Lowdown from Around the World

 

Editor-photoPause beside a terrace of elegant 19th-century houses in London just as a damp fog curls past and, even though it’s cold and wet, you’ll find romance. You can imagine the writer Charles Dickens on one of his strolls, or picture some of his characters large as life.

I know London a little. I spent a month there researching a book—perusing the map room of the British Library, attending parties, and poking around stuffy old antiquarian stores.

What I remember most were the maps. I love maps, and in the British Library and the shops around Charring Cross I found many old ones…on paper, parchment, vellum and silk…revealing all sorts of secrets.

There’s more to a map than where a place is, or how to get there. A friend of mine has a map of the world with South Korea in the center. Of course, she’s South Korean so that makes sense. Ever notice how European mapmakers have an inflated sense of just how big the “Old World” really is? And here, on the wall of the International Living offices we chose a map that aims to show the world in its true proportions. Handy for planning where to send our scouts next.

Your issue this month plants the pins in this map far and wide. Six continents are featured—only Antarctica is left out. Join us as we trek from the Mountains of the Moon in Africa to the wineries and stunning hikes of New Zealand. You’ll learn about opportunities to make money in Vietnam and we’ll show you how to overcome Paris’ restrictive rental laws.

South America is a well-trodden beat of ours but it’s a big place and still full of surprises. This issue, you’ll learn about a perfect-weather city in Bolivia where you can live well on just $1,000 a month.

Or venture closer to home on the North American continent, where you can buy a winter retreat for as little as $45,000 beside Mexico’s most popular lakeside retreat.

—Eoin Bassett, Editorial Director

 

Patrick Opened an Irish Bar…in Medellín

Patrick Opened an Irish Bar…in Medellín

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On any Sunday afternoon during football season, you can find Patrick’s Irish Pub full of people wearing NFL shirts rooting for their favorite teams. At first sight, you might think you’re in one of the many Irish bars scattered throughout the U.S. But you’re actually in the thriving metropolis of Medellín, high in the Andes Mountains of Colombia. Medellín has long since shed its troublesome past to become one of South America’s most prosperous cities. Expats now flock here to take advantage of the many business opportunities it offers. And Patrick Dwyer is one of them.

A Land of Primates, Pygmies, and Crater Lakes

A Land of Primates, Pygmies, and Crater Lakes

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You awake to birdsong and monkey chatter. Laughter fills the cool mountain air as local children play hoop-and-pole games. The smell of wood smoke mixes with the sweet, clean scent of grass and fresh rain, even when the day has been bone-dry. Nothing compares to sleeping under the rhythmic drumming of African rain. It is felt, rather than heard, and it can lull even the most restless mind into a hypnotic slumber.

Your Guide to Guatemala’s Culinary Treasures

Your Guide to Guatemala’s Culinary Treasures

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Guatemala attracts flocks of visitors each year who are drawn to its majestic Maya pyramid in Tikal, the natural splendor of Lake Atitlán and its volcanoes, and the stunning colonial buildings of Antigua. And they all have to eat along the way. Fortunately, Guatemala’s rich culinary heritage and abundance of fresh produce create a wide range of tempting flavors to taste. I should know: I’ve traveled and led tailored tours across this country for over a decade, and I’ve discovered more than a few culinary delights along the way.

Ecuador: Retirement Haven That Has It All

Ecuador: Retirement Haven That Has It All

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With sophisticated historical cities, miles of unspoiled, sun-kissed beaches, fertile farm-land, and temperate mountain hideaways, Ecuador has it all. It’s both politically stable and safe. There’s perfect weather year-round. It has a U.S. dollar-based economy. It’s close to home (just a four-hour flight to the U.S.). You’ll find top-notch medical care at one-fourth to one-tenth the cost of that in the U.S., and affordable private health insurance plans. Seniors are treated respectfully (and offered welcome discounts). A couple can live well on $1,600 to $2,000 a month or less. Real estate prices are among the lowest in the world.

Find Your Own Writers’ Retreat Around the World

Find Your Own Writers’ Retreat Around the World

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Writing is a solitary art. The action takes place in the writer’s head…and spills out in the notebook in ink or through the furious tapping of keys on a laptop. For some, inspiration comes from solitude, in a quiet place in the countryside or the jungle. But for many great writers past and present, a big city’s frenetic activity gives them new experiences and memories to draw on. The influence of a new culture and a new way of life can also inspire them. So can writing in a city with a rich literary tradition. In such places, inspiration is in the air.

Your Global Family Awaits You Overseas

Your Global Family Awaits You Overseas

Living the Good Life
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If you feel “stuck,” stressed out, or trapped in your current situation, I can’t say that simply moving abroad will help you. But when you make that commitment… when you make that leap…something does fundamentally change inside you. You’re forced, in a way, to change your way of life. Your day-to-day routine changes. You’re forced outside your comfort zone. You feel a deeper connection with loved ones and new friends, and with your community. And soon a “switch” goes off inside you.