In the U.S., small towns are dying. Once lively streets where people stopped to talk while picking up groceries or making deliveries are gradually fading into history. But the ache for that sense of community is as strong as ever—for neighbors you know, for a gentler existence based on strong ties and personal relationships.
In this issue we introduce you to the folks who have discovered that all the warmth of small-town life is out there waiting…overseas.
Growing up in west Georgia, Tony Boatright had a Huckleberry Finn fantasy of floating down the Chattahoochee River to the ocean and finding a tropical paradise. Now, 40 years later, Tony’s finally found it in Penonomé, Panama. “It’s just like where I grew up, the church is the focal point for festivals, store owners live above their businesses, and it’s got a small-town atmosphere.”
Judith Laroue made her home close to the beach in a small Nicaraguan town . “It’s easy to meet other expats and develop friendships quickly. I can walk everywhere I want to and it keeps me healthy.”
In Costa Rica’s Central Valley, 60-year-old Robert Reed enjoys hiking in the cloud forest near the house he rents for $300 a month. He eats many of his meals at the local restaurant run by Walter. The place is called Cero Estrés (Zero Stress) which just about sums up life in the town. “I’m happier than I’ve been since I was a kid.”
About a year ago I was talking with our Ecuador correspondents, Wendy Dechambeau and Jim Santos. It occurred to us that Ecuador’s small towns were drawing expats in droves for all the obvious reasons: low costs, a healthy lifestyle, and good weather. But that there was something else, too. These small towns had what was being lost in the U.S. A strong sense of community, warm greetings, mom-and-pop stores, farmers’ markets…and thus our “best small towns in Ecuador” project was born. The guys have been scouting the country for 12 months or so…and here they reveal their findings.
—Eoin Basset, International Executive Editor
A well-worn tourist path in Vietnam starts in Hanoi and continues south for almost 1,200 miles to Saigon. Along that path, busloads of visitors travel to popular destinations such as Halong Bay, Sapa, and Dalat.
Roatán really is a Caribbean paradise. Warm weather tempered by cool breezes coming off the water. Friendly and fun expats and islanders who welcome me with open arms. I’ve got to say, I’m really enjoying island time on this scouting trip.
With its stunning array of gold-sand beaches and warm waters replete with tropical life, Roatán, Honduras, has a lot to offer vacationers. But if you’re after a great meal while you’re there, do your taste buds a favor and venture away from the popular tourist district of the West End.
Last July, uranium had slumped to an 11-year low. But this puckish little commodity seemed ready and able to climb out of its deep bear market. Instead of pushing higher, however, it has continued sliding…from an 11-year low down to a 13-year low!
Living in the tropics has been a lifelong desire for me. Growing up in west Georgia, my friend Terry and I had our own Huckleberry Finn fantasy. We were going to float down the Chattahoochee River to the ocean, then make our way along the coast until we found our tropical paradise.
The first two times I visited the town of Santa Marta, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, I was a tourist who just wanted to relax on its superb beaches, eat its amazing, fresh seafood, and soak up its vibrant nightlife. And Santa Marta delivered.
“I wanted to live well with less,” says Judith LaRoue of what drew her to a new life abroad. “I wanted to enjoy the life I love and believed I could do that better here in Nicaragua.”
For six months of the year, Owen Hughes spends his days wandering down to palm tree-lined Sosúa Beach, one of the most beautiful in the Dominican Republic.
Living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s historic capital, Eric Ortega can afford luxuries he never could at home. “Every day I follow a relaxed routine, starting with breakfast at one of the coffee shops near my home, where I read the local English newspaper and enjoy coffee with a muffin."
The waves lapped gently against the hull of our 35-foot sailboat, Windfall. My husband, Jim, lowered the mainsail. I took the helm and guided our floating home into the blue smile of Mexico’s Sea of Cortez as our teenage son dropped anchor.