April 2007 Issue of International Living
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In International Living this month: From charismatic and chaotic Hanoi to medieval Ha Long Bay—here be dragons in this mystical land. Greg and Robbie Gunter break ground on their retirement home in Mexico. Yangshou—the China Clinton never got to see
Fairytale mountains and outlandish characters in the backwaters of Yangshuo
The man at the food stall in the night market wasn’t taking kindly to the tourists gathering around his stall. I had arrived first, folding out my camera tripod…then other passing tourists drifted over to seewhat it was all about. More cameras came out, accompanied by much gawking and gasping at the array of meats—snakes, rats, rabbits, dogs, snails, and birds we didn’t re cognize. The man, momentarily d i s t racted by something he had been chopping,looked up—and he looked angry. “Hello,” he hollered, “bye”—and he waved us off with a violent fling of his hand.
Are you paying what the locals pay?
Will Bradshaw and his Thai wife, Nok, walked up to the ticket office at the ancient Khmer ruins of Phimai in northeast Thailand. Will read the price of admission in English and pulled out his wallet. Nok quietly observed a different price written in Thai. Handing over what he thought was the exact amount to the cashier, Will was surprised when she returned half the amount.
A dragon’s flight over Hanoi and Ha Long Bay
It’s 6.30 a.m. in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital. For factory workers, market traders, and bleary-eyed travelers, a lie-in isn’t an option. Not when what sounds like some seriously-aggrieved army general is barking out the local news over Luong Van Can Street’s public address, Tannoy.
AARP cards? No thanks. We’re packing our bags for Mexico…
If you’ve ever dreamed of building your retirement home in Mexico, there’s no better way to learn the specifics than by following the progress of someone who’s doing just that. With construction permit in hand, Greg Gunter and his wife Robbie are beginning that process in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Lucrative trend-spotters cash in on the U.S. ripple effect
The U.S. is still the place where most of the world's new trends are born. Just like the ripple effect of water, new products and services usually originate in America and eventually reach foreign shores.
Don’t be afraid to retire
When Hérnan Cortés, Spain's brilliant but unstable conquistador, landed in Mexico in 1519 he and his men were terrified by what they saw. Montezuma had all the advantages: a huge Aztec army, knowledge of the terrain, and seemingly unlimited resources. He'd likely crush the tiny Spanish fleet and its handful of men like he'd step on a cockroach.
Sweets for my sweet, syrup for my honey
Easter feasts to make your mouth water
Don’t pay the IRS a dollar more than you need to-three ways to limit your U.S. taxes overseas
The United States is the only major industrialized country that claims the right to tax its citizens and permanent residents on their worldwide income, regardless of where they live.