Spent the last three weeks visiting my in-laws in South Africa. Sunny and 75 F (24 C) each and every day, beautiful scenery, wonderful food and, best of all, a very loving family. The USD is 9 ZAR right now, so SA makes for a very affordable holiday. And perhaps someday it will be my second home.
I have my sights set on an SA retirement visa and "snow birding" (6-8 months here in Minneapolis, 4-6 months in SA). Not sure I could ever be a true ex-pat. Will depend on the cost of health insurance, and the ability to do emergency medical evac back to the US where we can be covered by Medicare. It sucks that Medicare does not cover overseas healthcare, where costs are often only a fraction of US costs. But I guess that makes too much sense! I can understand that US healthcare providers don't want to loose their "golden goose" (i.e., the federal government guaranteeing payment for healthcare provided to people over 65). Still, it just seems unfair. IMO, anyone who has paid into the system for 50 years should be able to get coverage wherever they happen to reside.
Living in SA will also depend on what the ANC does in the next few years. Am very concerned about the national security bill they are now attempting to pass. It would kill an SA newspaper's ability to expose corruption by publishing anything the government deems confidential. Hopefully their judicial branch has remained independent, and their supreme court will declare this bill unconstitutional. Would hate to see SA become just another African dictatorship, and this bill would be a strong step in exactly that direction.
Anyway, don't be surprised if I start a 2nd system thread in a few years. Who knows, maybe the Ovator 200s will be ready by then! ;-)
ATB.
Hook