EXPAT RETIREES IN BRAZIL

OK James....

Yes, I have recently returned to Brasil (Recife) Oct. 2014 and am getting re-used to living here.
I find Brasilians in general the most friendly and helpful people on the planet. Couple bad apples but the 1%. Brasil is really an easy place to live in my opinion. A good exchange rate helps too.

I applied for an RNE, permanent visa, right after I arrived using the new fast track program.
Once I gathered all the correct documents and submitted them to the Federal Police, they stamped my passport the same day !  They were touting a 2 month turn around vs a 2 YEAR in the old days. I got my new RNE ID card in 9 weeks, so now I am totally legal and it feels great ! Glad to see the system works.

I came to Brasil in 2001 after visiting way back in 1980 on a container ship. Loved it. Took 9/11 to get me back here.

Lived in Balneario Camboriu SC for about 3 years and had a great time. Reai was 5 to 1 and hotels on the beach were R$50 a day. Then I decided to jump in my Pajero and drive north till I found another place that suited me. Passed a lot of interesting cities and the first spot that blew my mind was Maceio AL. Prettiest beaches I had ever seen. Didn't much care for the town though so kept on driving.

Ended up stopping in Joao Pessoa PB because it too had fantastic beaches and the city actually looked a lot like the towns near where I grew up on the west coast of Florida. NO big high rises right on the beach in JP, a friendly and safe place to live.
Spent 3 years there, married a Brasilian from Recife and we decided to go live in Florida for a while.

Stayed in the states for 5 years and my wife decided she needed to finish her BS in history.
So now we have returned to Brasil living in Recife Boa Viagem for now.
Finding Recife much safer than when I left in 2008, and it's exploded (so has Brasil). Real estate has gone out of sight and everyone has a car now. Can't imagine how they afford all the glitz. Did hear an interesting show on PBS in FL about the way Brasilians are over extended with credit cards and loans that they can't repay. They say a crisis is looming down the road.
Look on OLX or Bomnegocio and you'll see a lot of ads that say 'repasse'.  That means I can't afford the thing (car, real estate, etc) and I want my money out of it and you can take over the payments ! See what I mean ?

Anyway, I'm plugging along here trying to figure out how to keep busy.
I'm semi-retired but go back to the ships now and then. Prefer to find something here in Brasil that gives me real job satisfaction and some $$. Not ready to quit doing things I enjoy. Find it hard not to be active with projects to do and places to go.

Have applied to build the new Chrysler JEEP here in Goiana PE at the brand new factory, have applied for aircraft mechanic jobs (FAA Certified aircraft mechanic) at the new corporate airport Coroa de Aviao in Igarassu PE. Applying for technical and mechanical jobs I find online (Vagas.com.br).
Am interested in maybe building airplanes for Embraer in SP or working as a technician or Radio Operator out of Macae RJ.

I think one of the most important things living here is owning a car.
I feel like I am in jail without one. Buses are great for getting around in the city, but it's real tough if you want to explore anywhere else. Am working on finding a reasonable car now.
Owned 6 or so different vehicles when I lived here before and drove from Porto Alegre all the way to Fortaleza, so driving here is no problem for me, I always drove like a Brasilian anyway !

Another thing I love to do is sail small boats. They are pretty expensive on the used market here vs the US.
One option I am looking at is buying a small fishing boat. Can anyone make money fishing here ?
Having worked on the ocean all my life and sailed a bit, it's another thing I miss.
Just being ON the water would be a big deal for me, to do something I love.
Maybe I need to start visiting some local yacht clubs.

While I've lived in the north and south, I really prefer the south for a couple reasons. In the south you have actual seasons, a mild winter (or snow in Curitiba) and a warm summer. I think there is less crime there too. Another thing that is big with me is having nice long summer days where the sun goes down at 900pm. In the north it goes down at 530pm ALL year and it's HOT all year.

So, the next question is ;  What do YOU do to keep yourself happy and busy ?

Do you find yourself getting bored like I do ?

What kind of work if any have you taken on here ? Teaching English or some technical profession ?

What part of Brasil is your favourite and WHY ?

Be nice to hear what you're doing to keep sane !

Due to the strongest Dollar in a long time, the exchange rate might bring more foreigners back to a Brasil they could not afford with 1.4 to 1 rates we had here for so long.

Guy Hamilton in Recife (for now).

As you know  William I also Teach English but on top of that in 7 months I can start drawing my Retirement so I plan to travel some because I won't be teaching as much. Might even come to visit you.  My wife owns a car so I do drive here and we have the beauty salon here, part of the reason my wife came back is that she had many years invested in the business, equipment etc. and didn't want to sell it all and move to the states. She would never get what she had invested back the equipment is fairly new but in Brazil people want things for almost nothing when you are selling.
Since I was between jobs at the time I decided to move to Brazil. I got my RNE on the old plan it took 2 years and I am happy the system appears to be fixed. I wish they could do that for other government things in Brazil. Like getting a drivers license. But each of the Brazilian  states are responsible for issuing the licenses even though its a nationally accepted document and each state has its particular rules. That said the rules in SP are different than those of RJ and in AM it is really strange they require a psychological evaluation to determine if your mentally fit to drive a car. (it doesn't matter that I have been driving one for 40 yrs) This is sort of an oxymoron since most drivers here drive like they're insane especially the bus drivers. I know the drivers here wouldn't last a day in the US without being cited.
One of the things I miss is having my ham radio station as I am  a licensed amateur in the US - KB3QHD I know the licenses are transferable to Brazil but the equipment is extremely expensive due to the 60% import tax and the hassle of the bureaucracy. I also don't plan to leave Brazil anytime soon that means I plan to stay with my wife she is my soul mate and quite frankly I would rather cut off my right arm than to be separated from her. I love her what can I say she is the most honest down to earth person I have ever met. I could not imagine living without her. I guess from that you know I love her very much.

Hi JohnC

Your story sounds very familiar to mine.
I am also married to the sweetest Brasilian I'd rather not be away from long term.

As a big ship Radio Officer I am also a ham. Have not been active for 15 years. I think you could bring a small transceiver with you in your baggage without being harassed. I have heard that since changing the perm visa process and upgrading many other governmental processes, they also lightened their customs searches. With an RNE I think they are a lot less concerned about these people bringing in their personal items.
I say that but of course if you're trying to bring in cases of stuff to resell, they will have a different attitude, rightly so.

I lived in Brasil off and on from 2001 to 2008 and only used a temp license from AAA or my stateside license. I got stopped plenty of times for speeding or at checkpoints and never had a problem showing these. If you go back to the states once a year, bingo, go to AAA.  If not, just use your stateside license.

I get my first social security payment next month and will be real happy
We should get together some day, I'm only up here in Recife.

Guy