Has any one LIVED in central America?Tell me what its like.The good and the bad?

i was born a raised in California LA
and lived in south america for 3 years
Culture is great
the ecnomy sucks
one can reflect alot and appriciate smaller things in life when you come back
to be honest with you i did not want to came back
because in south america one can be poor and happy but in the US one can be rich but it is stressful

I am an American and I lived in Honduras for 4 years. It was very hard to get adjusted to the differences, but most of that was due to my attitude. Now I regret not taking advantage of my time down there. I miss it and wish I could live there again.

Life is definately simpler. There's not as much pressure to "keep up with the Jone's". It also can be easier to make decisions about purchasing things since the options are much more limited. When I moved back to the US, I was overwhelmed with the choices. It took me forever to decide on something I needed to buy. (i.e. furniture, cars, appliances, etc.)

It was a little hard to get used to limited water availability, the electricity going out weekly, businesses closing for two hours in the afternoon for lunch, loooong lines at banks, everything being very outdated and manual, having to go to the big cities for just about everything related to the gov't, and how noisy things are.

I loved the food, the mountains, the people, not having to be SOOOOO punctual all the time, the affordablitiy of most everything, the doctors and dentists (so attentive to your needs, unlike doctors here in the US), the relaxed atmosphere of not having so many rules and regulations over you and the ability to travel throughout C.A. very easily and very inexpensively.

If you have the opportunity to move to Central America (or anywhere in the world for that matter) I would encourage you to do it!!! The majority of Americans don't have the first clue how the rest of the world lives. We live in such a bubble in this country. By living in another country you open up your world view so much. It will change you as a person and I don't think you will regret it for even a minute.

The Bad: GANGS>>>>>>
the good: everything else

That is a great answer provided by the previous poster. I am currently living in Honduras, and most of what he/she expressed is accurate. However, I believe that he/she must have lived here a few years back (maybe after Hurricane Mitch) as some things have changed. In its own way, Honduras (and all of Central America) has progressed somewhat over the past few years, water shortages are rare, electric service has improved, and the mayor cities have begun to grow in a more organized manner. There are definately more options for consumers, entertainment has improved, and a bigger emphasis has been placed on tourism, making it easier to travel within the country to its beautiful national parks and out of this world beaches.
It is completely different than living in the U.S., but if you learn to embrace these differences, your stay here will be enjoyable and definately change your perspective on the world.

I just got back from almost four years living in Guatemala. I loved my time down there but am glad to be back. The weather there is amazing, people are incredibly friendly and the cost of living is extremely low. The food is good, the beer is cheap, the girls are pretty, life is good. The pace of life is slow, things happen slowly, which can be annoying, but you can't let it get you down, just slow your life down and you will feel the stress melt away. Very relaxed time.

The downsides are: it can be hard to make money there, especially as a foreigner. Also, crime is a problem, but mostly just annoying petty theft, not outright violence. You can't park your car on the street overnight or it will get stolen at worst and a window broken at best. For me the worst part was the feeling of being utterly and completely foreign. I'm a 6'4 white guy with blond hair and green eyes. Needless to say I stuck out like a sore thumb. My Spanish is fluent though, which threw people off a lot of the time. You can live there for years and always be "gringo" to some people.

I say go for it and have a great time. Don't expect paradise, because its not, but it is a wonderful place in many ways.