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Home Retirement/Living

Retire To Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Kathleen Peddicord by Kathleen Peddicord
Jun 26, 2012
in Retirement/Living
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Majestic Lake Atitlán, in Guatemala
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Retire To The Most Beautiful Lake On Earth

“The caldera created by the massive volcanic explosion, one of the strongest explosions in earth’s history, formed the basin for the evolution of what is arguably the most beautiful lake in the world, Lake Atitlán in Guatemala,” writes Guatemala Correspondent and expat Mike Anderson in the July issue of the Overseas Retirement Letter, in production now.

“Beautiful by day and stunning at sunrise and sunset, with a near-perfect climate, easy access to North America, a moderate cost of living, and reasonable access to health care, for the adventurous eco- and nature-lover, this could be the ideal new home.

“Indeed, Lake Atitlán has just become my second home, cleverly disguised as a 45-foot motor launch. After all, if you’re going to live on a scenic lake surrounded by 12 distinct indigenous villages, why not live on all of it?

“In fact, for me, this is a return to Guatemala. I lived here for 5 years 35 years ago and am married still to my Guatemalteca. After enjoying three months visiting indigenous villages, swimming, kayaking, hiking, horseback riding, and making new Guatemalan and expat friends, I realized that Guatemala was calling me back, and I jumped at the chance to purchase an old cargo boat for conversion into a live-aboard.

“If the natural attractions of the lake weren’t enough to remind me daily that I’ve made the best possible decision returning to Guatemala, I’ve met the most interesting people since I’ve been here, both expats and locals.

“At the San Pedro La Laguna market one day, for example, I observed an old American bargaining in rustic Spanish with small indigenous children selling oddities and antiques. The children were easily besting the old man (‘Kini,’ the children called him), leading him in circles due to his poor Spanish.

“I ran into Kini days later as he walked up the hillside to his cabin, and he invited me along. He rents a small furnished bungalow, with thrice-weekly housekeeper service. We rested there in wood-slat arm chairs. Tall glasses of fresh fruit juice appeared magically beside us, and Kini began puffing on a previously smoked cigar, telling stories.

“He told me he has lived here for three years supported by a modest pension and a few thousand in savings. He was forced into retirement in 2008. His pension was not enough to live on in the States, not even in Indiana. He is a widower; his children are scattered across the great North American landscape, and they have never found the courage to come down to visit. His children think he is crazy for choosing to live in a Third World country and constantly beg him to go back to the United States.

“As he told his story, his Tz’utujil housekeeper swept by and plucked the cigar right from his hand, delivering a barrage of reproaches, half in mangled Spanish and half in Tz’utujil, as she disappeared. Disregarding her naggings, Kini retrieved and lit another half-smoked cigar. He was totally at ease, without care or worry, far from the screeching news of national debt, unemployment, and presidential campaigns. He has let go of keeping-up-with-the-Jones pretensions and is both completely unencumbered by possessions and wanting for nothing,

“We sat quiet for a while and watched the lake. The sun’s reflections off the waves flitted across the walls of the bungalow in mesmerizing fractal patterns in rainbow colors, hypnotically, dreamily. Kini fell asleep, dropping his cigar on the floor. I let myself out, as the housekeeper swooped by again to scoop up the smoldering cigar, fixing me with a fiercely protective look as I closed the door.

“Walking back down the hillside to my boat, I reflected on my life and Kini’s. We have found a place far from politicians conspiring against our pensions, insulated from economic and currency crises, removed from everything that we both once believed to be so important. Somehow, here in what many would dismiss as a most unlikely spot, we have managed to arrive at that most elusive of all destinations: home.”

Kathleen Peddicord

Editor’s Note: The July issue of the Overseas Retirement Letter is a special bumper edition featuring a complete guide to retirement on and around Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. Correspondent Mike Anderson interviews fellow resident expats, provides detailed monthly budgets (retirees here agree that their cost of living is 30% to 50% lower than in the United States), gives an overview of the rental market (you can go local and rustic for less than US$100 per month or choose something more comfortable for as little as US$400 or US$500 per month), and paints a complete and completely infatuating picture of retired and expat life in this peaceful, beautiful spot.

If you’re not yet an Overseas Retirement Letter subscriber, become one now!

Continue Reading: Banking, Residency, And Taxation In Uruguay

Tags: GuatemalaLake AtitlánMike AndersonOverseas Retirement letterRetire To Guatemala
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Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord has covered the live, retire, and do business overseas beat for more than 30 years and is considered the world's foremost authority on these subjects. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 21, established businesses in 7, renovated historic properties in 6, and educated her children in 4.

Kathleen has moved children, staff, enterprises, household goods, and pets across three continents, from the East Coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland... then to Paris, France... next to Panama City, where she has based her Live and Invest Overseas business. Most recently, Kathleen and her husband Lief Simon are dividing their time between Panama and Paris.

Kathleen was a partner with Agora Publishing’s International Living group for 23 years. In that capacity, she opened her first office overseas, in Waterford, Ireland, where she managed a staff of up to 30 employees for more than 10 years. Kathleen also opened, staffed, and operated International Living publishing and real estate marketing offices in Panama City, Panama; Granada, Nicaragua; Roatan, Honduras; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Paris, France.

Kathleen moved on from her role with Agora in 2007 and launched her Live and Invest Overseas group in 2008. In the years since, she has built Live and Invest Overseas into a successful, recognized, and respected multi-million-dollar business that employs a staff of 35 in Panama City and dozens of writers and other resources around the world.

Kathleen has been quoted by The New York Times, Money magazine, MSNBC, Yahoo Finance, the AARP, and beyond. She has appeared often on radio and television (including Bloomberg and CNBC) and speaks regularly on topics to do with living, retiring, investing, and doing business around the world.

In addition to her own daily e-letter, the Overseas Opportunity Letter, with a circulation of more than 300,000 readers, Kathleen writes regularly for U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.

Her newest book, "How to Retire Overseas: Everything You Need to Know to Live Well (for Less) Abroad," published by Penguin Random House, is the culmination of decades of personal experience living and investing around the world.

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