Interview with an Expat in Punta Gorda, Belize

Welcome to our Interview with an Expat in Belize series. Our goal is to offer a look at expats who live in different regions of the country, and those who have lived in Belize for different periods of time, both relative newcomers and long timers here in Belize.

The interviews in our Interview with an Expat in Belize series are conducted by email, and we ask the same 10 questions to each interviewee so that those who are considering making the move to Belize can readily see that different people have very different experiences here, depending upon where they live, their interests, and the many choices that we all have made before, during, and after our move to Belize.

The sixth interview in our series, Interview with an Expat in Punta Gorda, Belize, takes a look at the life of an expat in the town of Hopeville, Punta Gorda in southern Belize. Here we have a look at the life of someone who is living in the part of the county which likely has the fewest expats living there.

Romy David, who was working in the tourism industry in Israel, makes the move to Punta Gorda

Romy David is a 60-year-old retired female living in southern Belize. Romy is a US citizen, but she moved to Punta Gorda from Israel. To get to Belize, she took a flight from Israel to New York, and then she drove down to Belize.

Romy drove to Belize because she had a large dog, and she couldn’t find an airline that could get herself, along with the dog, to Belize. She has resided in Belize for almost 8 years now, and she is a Permanent Resident. It took her four years to obtain her Residency.  

She bought a house in Hopeville, Punta Gorda in southern Belize, and after eight years, she says that she is still renovating the house. 

Interview with Romy David

Life before moving to Belize

Q1: Where were you living before moving to Belize? Also, please describe whether you were working, retired, or something in between prior to your move. In other words, what was your daily life like?

I was living in Eilat, Israel, working in the tourism industry. Eilat is a resort town bordered by Egypt and Jordan. I owned my own house and went to the beach every weekend. I also went out at night to the bars with friends.   

Current location in Belize

Q2: Where do you currently live in Belize? And prior to moving here, what were the primary reasons for which you chose this area?

I live in Hopeville, Punta Gorda. I chose this area because it was sparsely populated, quiet, and not touristy. 

Visits to Belize prior to making the move

Q3: How many times did you visit Belize before the move? Which areas did you visit, and how long was your longest stay in Belize prior to the move?

I had never visited Belize before. All my information was from the internet and emailing with a person that happened to be a realtor. When I first came, I checked out Hopkins, but it was too touristy for me. I really wanted to live with the locals.

Own a home or rent in Belize?

Q4: Do you own your current home in Belize or are you renting? Why did you choose either to buy or to rent? If you own a home, did you purchase an existing home or did you build here? What is your strongest piece of advice for someone looking either to buy or rent a place in Belize?

I bought a house on foreclosure, gutted it, and I’m still renovating after 8 years.  I would recommend renting. If I knew then what I know now, I would have rented and never bought. If you are over 60-years-old, rent. You don’t want the hassle of the upkeep. That is not to say that the landlords will always fix anything. I think any way you look at it, even if you have to fix a few things out of pocket, it is still cheaper to rent in the long run, and a lot less hassle. 

The first year living in Belize

Q5: What were your greatest challenges or surprises during your first year living in Belize? What advice would you give to others to help the transition go smoothly?

My greatest challenge was being white. Everyone in Belize thinks white people are rich. Rich white people don’t go to Belize to retire, yes we have more money than the average person here, but that is because we worked for it. They all think it was handed to us and we were born with a gold spoon. They also don’t accept you easily.

All they want from you is your money or what you can do for them. If you give once they keep coming back, there is no limit or shame. Saying all that, everyone you pass on the street says good morning afternoon or evening. Very good manners, even the children. 

Belize Immigration Status

Q6: Describe your experience of acquiring long-term immigration status in Belize, whether that be as a QRP member, a permanent resident, a citizen, or as someone still waiting on residency. How long did the process take, and what challenges did you face?

While trying to get Permanent Residency, my greatest challenge was the Immigration staff. They were nasty and mean to me. I would walk in with a smile and a good morning, as I was usually the only one there, first in the morning. I would then be told to wait, maybe a half hour or more. Going, paying, coming back to get the stamp, to be told to wait again. I could see that the officer was on his personal phone playing a game, with no one else there!

While doing the paperwork for Residency, and submitting all of the papers on the list, I kept being asked to bring more and more documents. This went on for four years until I raised my voice and asked for a manager. It still took me another year to get approved. You need tons of patience to get anything done. No one works on a clock. 

Belize Lifestyle

Q7: What are your favorite things about the community in which you are living in Belize? Be specific about the types of activities you enjoy, the people, the environment, or anything else you care to mention.

I am a bit of a loner. I rescued 4 dogs since I have been here. I love the quiet, the sound of birds in the mornings and evenings. I go fishing right off the pier near my house. The clean air is amazing!  

Current Lifestyle Challenges in Belize

Q8: What are the downsides to the community in which you currently live? Are there any aspects of daily life which you find to be challenging in this community?

I have met many people in the eight years that I have been here. Not too many that don’t have an agenda. I have yet to meet a Belizean that wants to be friends just for the friendship.

Reality Versus Expectations of Belize

Q9: Do you think that your lifestyle in Belize is about what you had expected, very different from what you thought it would be, or somewhere in between? Tell us a bit about your expectations prior to moving to Belize and how daily life here differs from what you had expected. 

It is pretty much as I expected, the slowness of life.  I thought the people would be better and more educated. I thought I would have tons of friends that I could pal around with, that never happened. 

What would you have done differently for your initial move to Belize?

Q10: Now that you are living in Belize, what are the one or two things which you would change about the way you made the initial move if you could go back and do it again? For example, would you ship more or fewer personal items, bring a car, rent instead of buying right away, or perhaps purchase instead of renting?

I would definitely have rented instead of buying. I came with 2 suitcases, and that was too much. We don’t wear the same clothes or shoes that we did at home. I did bring my phone and laptop, for which I am grateful. When I go to the US, I upgrade when need be. You can make your own furniture or have it made or buy it. It isn’t worth the price of shipping to bring anything. Starting a new life should be clean and easy. 

Final thoughts on Interview with an Expat in Punta Gorda, Belize

First, a thank you to Romy David for being willing to participate in our Interview with an Expat series. From my understanding, there are still few expats living in Punta Gorda, so it was interesting for me to have someone from the area be willing to share their story.

Of course, I realize that Romy has shared a few strong opinions here, but the aim of the series is to allow those who have made the move to Belize to share their voice and give others who are considering a move a look into their thoughts about the process of moving to Belize and settling down here.

I hope the Belize FAQs readers who are doing their research concerning a potential move to Belize will benefit from the differing perspectives we present here in our Interview with an Expat in Belize series.

Please sign up for our weekly updates to make sure that you don’t miss the next edition of the Interview with an Expat in Belize series or other new articles concerning living in Belize. Finally, for a full list of all of our previous articles, check out the Belize FAQs’ Blog page.