The Real Cost of Living in Panama

Hey friends,

I thought I'd write about cost of living today. I go over cost of living in each destination we cover at Panama For Real (www.PanamaForReal.com), but it's very location specific in those reports. So, here in this blog post, I want to cover cost of living in general. What does that mean?

Things like cable TV, Internet, phone service, cell phone service, gas (for cooking or gas dryers), and many other budget categories won't change much, no matter where you're living in this country. However, some of the others, like rent, electricity, entertainment, and food costs can fluctuate depending on where you base yourself. 

I decided to write this post after visiting a mini-supermarket across the street from El Panama Hotel on New Year's Eve. It was hours before the festivities would begin, the kids were hungry, so I walked across the street with my daughter to get some snacks for the hotel room. While I was there, I was appalled by the prices I saw on the shelves. Everyone knows if you buy snacks in a hotel gift shop, you're going to get price gauged, but a mini-super across the street charging outrageous prices? Come on. 

A bag of Cheetos that would usually cost less than $3 was going for $4.95. A bag of Doritos that would cost $.99 anywhere else, was priced at $3. A six pack of beer, local brand, that would cost maybe $3.50 was priced at $5. Then, I overheard a couple speaking English in the next aisle. I heard the husband ask the wife if she wanted coffee. I rounded the corner and saw that he was holding a medium size bag of coffee that would cost $4.95 in any supermarket in Panama. I heard him say to his wife, "It's $7.95." I immediately walked up to him and whispered in his ear that he shouldn't buy the coffee. I told him that the Rey supermarket was right around the corner and would sell the same bag for less than $5. 

See? Less than $5

This reminded me of how much the cost of living fluctuates across this country. For anyone living right there, in the heart of the city, near the hotels and casinos, price gauging is a way of life. Imagine you're one of these young college-age kids moving to Panama to teach English. Most of them get an apartment in the middle of the city where they think the prices in their immediate vicinity are fair prices, the norm for living in Panama. That might not be the case.

Panama City isn't a low-budget destination anymore

Now, for those living there, in the heart of the city, higher priced foods and utilities is something they have to get used to, because, for the most part, it wouldn't make sense to travel far away for a tub of butter or a gallon of milk. This is important to know when establishing the budget you'll need when moving to Panama. 

So, what I'd like to do is take the general budget that I use when putting together the PFR Location Reports, and break each section down. So, let's start with Rent.

How much will it cost for a roof over my head? 

Rent is one of those things that varies, depending on where you're living. I'm going to be honest here, and tell you, straight up, that Panama City is not a budget destination anymore. Not for most people and definitely not for people wanting to move here on a shoestring budget.

Where we lived in Villa Lucre

Can you find low-cost rent? Sure, well, I guess that depends on what your idea of low-cost rent is. The problem is, in many of the places where the rent is lower, safety can sometimes become an issue. For example, in places like San Antonio, Cerro Viento, Brisas del Golf, and Villa Lucre (this cluster of neighborhoods is located on Ave. Domingo Diaz near the outdoor shopping center, Los Pueblos), it's still possible to find 2-3 bedroom houses for rent, for as low as $700 per month. I've lived in Villa Lucre and had no problem at all. However, right behind Villa Lucre is an area called Samaria, which is one of lower income areas known for being not-so-safe, especially for foreigners.

Samaria, on the hill, in the background

Brisas del Golf has some very nice homes, homes that start at $800 per month and skyrocket from there. I'd live in Brisas del Golf and wouldn't be concerned at all. Brisas is close to Metro Mall and has a Pricesmart (like Costco) and nice restaurants and supermarkets. The traffic into and out of the area is insane most hours of the day. 

Brisas del Golf from above. See the higher-income gated community in back?

My wife tells me all the time about homes getting burglarized in Brisas. And I know it's true. So, you can live there, and probably be fine, but you have to understand that for the lower rent, you're going to be living near the lower income areas and in Panama (much like anyplace else), as much as I hate to say this, a lot of the time it's The Haves and The Have Nots. 

Rent in Marbella's banking district can be quite expensive

So, realistically, unless you're planning on renting a room in someone's apartment (which is a popular set up for single people here), to live in a decent area, you can expect to pay at least $800 per month, and that's very low. Looking online, just now, I saw a 3-bedroom apartment in Juan Diaz going for $650, but in that area you'd be living very local. If you want to live in the nicer parts of the city, downtown Panama City, and want an apartment you should be looking at the following areas, and expect to pay closer to $1,000+ per month: Obarrio, El Carmen, El Cangrejo, San Francisco, Marbella, and Bella Vista, Punta Pacifica (I'm sure I've missed a few, but those are the main ones I can think of right now), going from the lower end to extremely high-end.

Costa del Este, which is a suburb on the outskirts of Panama City (I reported on Costa del Este here), has apartments starting at $800 per month, but you have to search for them.

This place in Costa del Este had rentals starting at $1,200 per month

A good majority of the people wanting to move to Panama have no interest in living in the city. It's the interior of the country that holds great appeal. So what is the rent like once you abandon the high-rise condos and the hectic Panama City streets? Not all places outside of the city are super affordable, but most of the time you will get more bang for your buck. 

Coronado, Boquete, and El Valle de Anton are probably the three most expat-friendly, move-in-ready destinations, which of course makes them a lot more costly. Rent in Coronado and in El Valle de Anton is usually around $1,400 on the low end. You'll find homes in Boquete advertised at $1,000 and up. My friends and readers living in these areas, please let us know what you think about these figures in the comments below as I've visited all three, but haven't done a serious investigation yet (although we definitely will before 2014 is over).

This house in Penonomé was going for $700 per month rent

In smaller towns like Aguadulce (read my Aguadulce report here), Penonomé (read my Penonomé report here), Rio Hato, Anton (not El Valle), Capira, Las Tablas, and many other places, you can find homes for rent for as low as $300 per month. The trick is, in any destination, if you're able to, don't stick to the Internet or real estate agents to find rentals. Sure, if you have no other way to go about your search, these methods will suffice, but the real bargains are found when you visit the area, make friends, and find out about rentals by word of mouth. Sometimes a trip to the local supermarket will yield great results. You might find the advertisement for a two-bedroom house pinned to the wall near the front door, going for only $400, in a market where the lowest price you found online was $1,000 per month. People know there's a good chance that anyone looking for a rental online is probably a foreigner, and foreigners are usually unaware of the going prices and usually have more to spend. 

So, keep reading our location reports at www.PanamaForReal.com, and if you want to compare the cost of living in different towns we've covered, check out our Budget Snapshot here. 

Also, I've yet to find a real estate agent to work with. I've found realtors who are very location specific, but if any readers or friends of readers would like to work with us and are really interested in helping our readers find a home here in Panama (not ripping them off), please get in contact with me at chris@panamaforreal.com. I love the immigration attorney we're working with and it'd be great to find a real estate agent we can have the same type of relationship with.

In the meantime, if you find that you really do need to search for something on the Internet, the two websites I use all the time are http://www.encuentra24.com/panama-en/classifieds and http://www.compreoalquile.com/. 

How much will it cost to power my home? 

Electricity is one of those things that Panamanians have mastered and we foreigners can't seem to get a good grasp on. I know. I'm living it day by day. When I travel around this country, I always try to figure out the average electric bill. That's difficult because one person might run their air conditioner all day long while another might not even own one. Most Panamanians don't use an air conditioner, or if they do, it's usually only in the bedroom. Most have gotten used to keeping the windows open and fans going. This significantly reduces the electric bill.

My electric bill, having a family of six of us, all spoiled by living in the U.S. where we always used our central air system, hovers close to $300 per month. That hits my wallet hard. So, this is something you have to keep in mind when putting together your budget. If you live in Panama City, which is hot most of the time, and you live near the ground floor, you'll need to use an air conditioner or get used to the heat. If you live on the penthouse floor, you might be able to get used to just letting the breeze blow in, but let's face it, if you can afford to live on he penthouse floor, you can probably afford to crank up your AC.

From up here in Nancito you might not need an AC

In places like Volcan (read my Volcan report here) and Boquete and even the mountain town that's super close to Panama City, Cerro Azul (read my Cerro Azul report here), there's a good chance you'd never need to run the air conditioner. In these places, the nights are quite cool, sometimes even requiring the use of a fireplace. You might find daytime temperatures in he 70s and nighttime temperatures in the 50s.

From Cerro Azul the views are amazing and the weather is cool

When I first moved here, I had a container shipped with all of our furniture and stuff, but I decided to buy our appliances in Panama. I wanted everything electric. I'd used a gas dryer and stove when I lived in Aurora, Illinois, and I hated having gas appliances. I was warned, over and over again, that I'd be better off buying a gas dryer and stove here. I eventually conceded and bought gas appliances. I'm so glad I did. Not only has it helped reduce my electric bill a little bit, but it has helped greatly anytime Panama City has had any issue with electric. Power dips and power outages occur quite often. Not so often that it's a concern, but they happen, and every time we were without power, I was so happy I had a gas stove. Plus, for most people without kids, you can pick up one of the $5 propane tanks to cook with and it'll last you at least a month. I use a $5 tank for my dryer and have the gas company deliver the huge 3 month tanks (usually around $45 per tank) for the stove. 

Gas tanks being delivered to Cerro Azul

So, to wrap this electric issue up, I'd say that in most towns, especially the small towns in the interior, you'd be safe to budget about $150 per month. That should give you some wiggle room. Again, remember, if you use the AC all day every day, you can see bills upwards of $300. 

If you've looked at any of the budgets on the PFR site, you'll notice that I've never included water and garbage. I probably should. These are usually very low, especially if you don't have kids and aren't letting them play in the front yard with the hose every day. The costs vary depending in which zone you live. Water and garbage collection are usually combined on one bill and will probably cost you less than $30 per month total. I'm not in the very affordable zone and my current water bill is $20 and our garbage bill is $8. 

Here are a few good websites to know. Just FYI, most of the websites I give you in this blog post will be in Spanish.

Ensa (for electric): http://www.ensa.com.pa/
Idaan (for water): http://www.idaan.gob.pa/
Panagas (gas): http://www.panagas.net/
Tropigas (gas): http://www.tropigas.com.pa/
Union Fenosa (gas): http://www.gasnaturalfenosa.com.pa


Cable, Internet, phone, and cell service? 

Most people living in Panama will either use Cable TV or satellite and the Internet and phone service is usually wrapped up in the package. The basic bundle typically costs about $45 for all three and of course becomes more expensive if you add extra channels and higher speed Internet. 

Cell phone, Blackberry, and Smartphone service really depends on the provider you decide to go with and whether or not you own the phone. If you go with one of those plans where they give you the phone, your bill will be a lot more expensive. A friend of mine got a new Smartphone and one of the more expensive plans and her monthly bill was about $100. 

3 cell phone providers are located at this end of Metro Mall

On the other hand, I bought my own phone, got it hooked up so that I have data for $10 plus tax per month, which allows me to check Facebook, chat with anyone who has the Whatsapp app downloaded on their phone, and lets me check the Internet. I buy talk time minutes at the supermarket cash register. I don't talk on my phone a lot, so I just buy the $5 prepaid card and it lasts me awhile. I put the code into my phone and I have $5 worth of talk time. One cool thing about Panama is you don't pay when you receive a call. So you can literally have no minutes at all on your phone and still answer the phone and talk if someone calls you. I remember in the States, the majority of the charges on my bill were from incoming calls. That's ridiculous. I like the Panama way of thinking. My monthly bill is about $11 per month, plus $5 in minutes if I want it. I chat with everyone through Whatsapp, Facebook chat, and Google chat, so it's rare that I call anyone.

My mom and brother were on the computer 

singing happy birthday with us on Skype

Speaking of calling people, we keep in touch with family back home very easily. I've heard lots of talk about the Magic Jack and other services like it, but we just stick with Skype. We Skype with my mom every Sunday, completely free. Since we both have skype, we connect for no charge. Grandma Jackie gets to see the kids every Sunday. 

Anytime I want to make an actual phone call to the States I just buy one of the $5 Telechip International cards, which gives me 5 hours talk time. The hours expire quickly though so you have to remember to use the card when you have it. So I spend maybe a total of $5 per month to talk to people outside of Panama. You can buy the Telechip International card at the cash register of most supermarkets. They sell $10 cards too. 

Here are the links to the main cable companies and cell phone providers in Panama. 

Cable Onda (cable TV): http://www.cableonda.com/

Cable & Wirless (cable TV and Mas Movil cell service): http://www.cwpanama.net/residencial/

Sky TV (satellite): http://www.sky.com.pa/sky-ca

Claro (TV, Internet, and cell phone): http://www.claro.com.pa/portal/pa/pc/personas/

Movistar (cell phone): http://www.movistar.com.pa/onsite/index.php

Digicel (cell phone): http://www.digicelpanama.com/

Eating on the cheap

The subject of food costs is one that I dread each month when putting together the budget, because it's so subjective. I have no idea how much each person is going to spend grocery shopping each month. So, I do my best to put together what I imagine a couple spending, with a little bit of room to play with the numbers. 

The most expensive budget I put together last year was for Amador Causeway. Most of that was because of the rent. Rent is expensive on the causeway. Unless you're renting a tiny room on someone's parked boat. Even with the cost of living so high on the causeway, I set the monthly food budget at $400. It was the same in Costa del Este, which is another high-rent area. For most of the areas outside of Panama City, in the interior, I set the food costs at about $300. So what creates that difference?

In Panama City, you're more likely to buy imported goods. Velveeta Mac & Cheese, Corona beer, Apple Jacks cereal...the list goes on and on. If you buy things that are imported from the United States or anywhere else, you're going to spend a lot of money. You can reduce your budget while living in the city, simply by not buying so many imported goods. Just take a look at the supermarket tips on the PFR site to read more about that. 

Also, in the interior of the country, especially in places like Aguadulce where vendors sell fresh fish plucked from the sea earlier that morning from coolers strapped to the back of their motorcycles, and other vendor sell nearly every fruit and vegetable you can imagine, you can save an incredible amount of money by buying these fresh items right on the street. In Volcan, vendors sell pre-packaged bags of miscellaneous vegetables to include cabbage, carrots, onions, etc. It's amazing, all very healthy, super affordable, and purchasing from these farmers helps them immensely. It's win-win for everyone. 

Penonomé's Saturday market

In Penonomé (you can see the video report on Penonomé here), I visited the Saturday market, which goes on every Saturday (and happens in many other towns, even in parts of Panama City). I picked up small bags of tomatoes, onions, green beans, garlic, and 2 heads of cabbage for $6. That's awesome! If I lived in Penonomé, I would never buy fruits or vegetables from a store again. Even in places like Coronado and Boquete, it's typical to see small fresh markets set up on the street, sometimes right out of the bed of someone's pickup truck. 

Check out these prices at the Penonomé market

A box of cereal packaged here in Panama might cost $3.65 while the same brand, imported (Lucky Charms is a good example), might cost $6.65. That's a three dollar difference for the same cereal. I have to admit, sometimes the imported cereal tastes better...but then again...sometimes the Panamanian version tastes better. A six-pack of Panamanian beer will cost just over $3, usually about $.57 per can. A six-pack of imported beer can cost around $8.

$4.69 for these Nestle Lucky Charms, while at the same store...

$7.09 for the General Mills Lucky Charms!

If you can learn to stick to the Panama brands, especially on stuff like floor cleaner and toilet paper, you'll find your budget a lot easier to maintain. 

What about having a little bit of fun? What can I expect to spend on entertainment? 

This is another subject that can vary depending on where you live. If you live up on the mountain of Cerro Azul, you'll find that there's very little to spend money on. You'll find a ton of walking trails and places to picnic or bird watch, but you won't spend a dime on entertainment unless you travel down the mountain. So it depends on you.

If you live in Panama City, near Calle Uruguay, you're more likely to head out to the clubs, the bars, and the fancy restaurants. Or even there you can save money by hanging out on the Cinta Costera for free. 

Free fun for the kids on the Cinta Costera in Panama City

If you live in Volcan, you can climb the volcano or fish in the river, or you can go to the pool hall or spend money in the few restaurants around. 

So how will you entertain yourself? Answer this, and you'll have a better idea how much to budget for entertainment. A young man on one of the Facebook pages challenged my budget in Condado del Rey, explaining that my $2,000 budget was not realistic as he easily spends $3,000+ in Panama City. Of course you can spend $3,000+ in Panama City. It all depends on your lifestyle. He likes to go out and have a good time. That requires a significant amount of money. 

If you live in Condado del Rey, a nice suburb of the city (read the Condado del Rey report here), you'll find a lot of small restaurants in town. You really don't have to leave the area unless you want to. You might only spend money on rent, utilities, and dining out once a week, or you can drive to Zona Viva on the Amador Causeway and party every night away. So, again, if you're retiring in Panama, just wanting to chill and relax, you can do that on the cheap, but if you're here to go nuts and party every night, it'll be just as expensive as partying on Miami's South Beach.

Condado del Rey, Panama City

My final thought on entertainment is, if you plan to dine out once a week, give yourself a good $200 extra for entertainment ($50 per dinner), a little more if you're headed to downtown Panama City. At a small restaurant in Las Tablas, I paid $5 for rice, beans, meat, soup, and juice. So you might spend much less than $50, or of course, you can find restaurants where you'll spend more. 

What if I need frequent medical attention?

I'm asked all the time about health insurance and the cost of medical care. I find the medical care in Panama to be much more affordable than in the U.S., and the doctors, God bless them, seem to actually care about solving the problem. I've never felt like a number here in Panama. 

I don't have health insurance. I know I need to with a family, and figure it out eventually, but the cost of medical care is so affordable here that I just haven't done it yet. My son went to the doctor a couple of weeks go and we paid $12 for the consultation and were given a prescription for medicine, which ended up costing about $10. My wife saw the doctor for $12 and then paid $11 for an injection. We took our son to the dermatologist for $40. We had no insurance during these trips. I've written about all this before.

Dr. Tiberio A. Rodriguez Calvo, a great dermatologist

I've seen that you can get full-coverage health insurance for about $140, if you're within the age limit. I honestly don't know much about health insurance. If you want to know more about insurance, the best expert I can refer you to is Kevin Bradley at http://panamakevin.com/. Check out his site and shoot him an email if you need insurance info. 

In every budget I've put together, I always add $50 for doctor visits. I figure, for a routine doctor visit, you'll pay about $25 (of course anything extra will cost more). So, for two people to each see the doctor, that's $50 per month. This is at the small clinics in most towns. If you head to the larger hospitals you might have to pay a little more for a consultation.

I also try to add a little bit for medication. I have no idea what your medication needs are. You might not need medication at all. I have borderline diabetes, so I just take a pill each day and I also take a pill for high blood pressure. I spend about $45 per month on medication. One of the cool things about Panama is the ability to not only purchase many of the medicines right over the counter that you'd need a prescription for back home, but you can also buy most medicines by the pill. So if you're running low on cash and there's only ten days until your next paycheck, buy 10 pills of the medicine you need instead of the whole pack. 

What if I want to check out the rest of Panama?

Cash for travel is another category I've included in the budget, but it's often difficult to nail down a number. In most places in Panama, you can get by without owning a car. This is important because if you're making payments on a vehicle back home, you won't be able to bring it with you. Or if you just don't feel like shipping a car. In these scenarios, you might find yourself without a vehicle. It's not that big of a deal. For me, having a big family, it's a lot harder to get by without a car, but if I were single, I think I'd enjoy taking taxis and taking the bus.

Panama City in the evening

In most of the small towns in the interior, you could easily get by without a car. Taxis to anywhere in the immediate vicinity will usually cost no more than $2 and buses are very affordable, only $.25 in the city. In places like Boquete or Penonomé or Volcan, where things are a little more spread out, it would probably be easier with a car. In Aguadulce you can walk just about anywhere you need to go, then hop in a taxi if you want to go to the beach. In Las Tablas, if you live near the town center, you wouldn't need a car to do most things.

The town center at Las Tablas

So travel inside of town I usually set at about $20 per month. I met a couple living on the beach in Las Tablas, who refused to buy a car. They didn't see the point. They lived on the beach, with great seafood restaurants nearby, and if they needed to head into the main part of town, they either hopped in a cab or took a bus. The cost of maintaining a vehicle, paying for gas and insurance, and renewing registration each year just wasn't appealing to them.

Uverito beach, just outside of Las Tablas 

Traveling outside of the immediate area will cost a little bit too. You'll either spend money on gas if you own a vehicle, or take buses that are very inexpensive. From Albrook terminal in Panama City to Penonomé I paid $5. From Albrook to Aguadulce, I paid $6. From Albrook to Las Tablas I paid $9. So you can see how inexpensive it is to get around. Plus, once you're out in the interior, buses from one small town to the other are very affordable. I paid $2.40 to take the bus from Las Tablas to Pedasi. You can get on a bus in Coronado and head up to the mountain town of El Valle de Anton for less than a tank of gas, for sure. 

I think it's safe to allow yourself $20 for traveling inside of town (a little more if you plan to take taxis everywhere instead of walking a little bit) and $40 for one trip out of town per month. That gives you $20 each, roundtrip. If you travel very far, like maybe from Panama City to David, you might need to allow yourself a little more. 

Any extras 

To make sure you're able to buy some of the extras, like bath soap, a T-shirt, toothpaste, a toothbrush, etc., I always put an extra $50 on the budget.

Other things to consider

I hope that I've been able to give you fair examples of what the cost of living would be like in Panama. Of course there are things I can't account for in every budget. If you're here with school-age children, and you're planning to enroll them in a Panama school (rather than homeschool them), the costs of schooling can be very expensive, so that's something you'd definitely need to add to your budget. For a list of schools, with links to schools and prices, check out my post on that here. 

Something else you might want to leave room in your budget for is your want or need to travel back and forth to your home country. If this is something you imagine doing at least once per year, add a section of your budget for savings. Maybe save $50 per month to add towards your travel fees. If you imagine you'll spend a great deal of time in the casinos (a lot of people do that here) don't start dipping into your food funds, instead, create a casino section of your budget. Oh, and if you're not moving here legally, full-time, as in going for your pensionado visa or something like that, remember you'll need to spend money every 6 months making a border run, so save for that. 

Living in Panama can be very rewarding and it's not as difficult as some people think. I honestly don't recommend it for people needing to work here, as I'm finding out it's very difficult to make money here, but if you have retirement income or any other income to live off of, life here can be great. Just make sure you keep track of your funds. I hope this post helps.

Thanks for reading,

Chris

New Year's Eve in Panama!

Hey everybody,

Sorry it's been awhile since my last post. I took a little bit of time off to spend with the family over the holidays. I'm back now and excited to start the New Year off right. This will be a short, and very quickly written post, as I'm about to head out with the family. We're staying at a hotel and partying tonight. But, I didn't want to go out without wishing everyone a Happy New Year, and writing a quick post about the traditions here in Panama. 

We spent last New Year's Eve with extended family

New Year's Eve is such an extraordinary time of the year here. Everyone is in great spirits and ready to party like rock stars (minus the hardcore drugs and naked groupies). It's rare that you'll find anyone just sitting around watching TV when the ball drops. Why is that? It's because Panamanians believe that how you start your new year is how the rest of your year will unwind. 

Last year, my wife asked my mom how she spent New Year's Eve, and my mom replied that she was so exhausted from work that she passed out and didn't wake up until well after midnight. You should have heard my wife's gasp. She turned to me and whispered, "Your mom was sleeping at the start of the New Year?"

To Marlene, and to many other Panamanians, starting the new year off in bed means there's a good change the rest of the year will be lazily wasted away. Now, if you're in bed doing other things, does that mean that's how the rest of your year will be spent...in bed...not-so-lazily? Hmm...

We always keep the family together to start the new year

Okay, I was about to go off on a tangent again. So, I'm writing this post, early in the afternoon on New Year's Eve, to push you to get out and do something. It doesn't matter if you're dancing in your living room, sipping champagne, just husband and wife. The point is, you're dancing and having a blast at midnight. Just grab some pots and pans and get ready to bang them together like crazy with your neighbors, or relax in lawn chairs and watch the fireworks go off all around you. 

The kids love New Year's Eve!

Panamanians have a lot of fun, and some odd, traditions for the holiday. My sister-in-law, yes, Dr. Dar, held a toy car in her hand until after midnight because she believes that having a brand new car at midnight means you'll soon be getting a real, brand new car. She did that with a house the year before and guess what...she bought a brand new house in David. So, if you haven't already, head out to your local toy store and buy some new toys. I might pick up the Barbie Mansion and hold it in my lap until 12:05 (maybe the 5 extra minutes will help).

Found this car in my sons' toy box. It's going in my pocket tonight!

Another tradition, and if you're living here in Panama you might have seen this already, is the running around the neighborhood with a suitcase. Panamanians who love to travel, or wish to travel, will sometimes grab their rolling suitcase and take it for a stroll. This is supposed to ensure that you'll spend the year traveling. 

Make sure you have 12 grapes (per person) ready, as it's another tradition that you're supposed to eat a grape for each year of the month. This is supposed to lead to good luck and prosperity.

Happy New Year!!!

I could probably go on all day about the traditions here in Panama. I've been told that you have to have on new underwear, and new clothes, and I've been told that it's good luck to have money (bills) between your toes at midnight, and you have to have some money in your wallet, and I can't remember all the others. 

I'm sure you have some traditions of your own back in your country or ones you've brought here to Panama. Share those traditions. Panamanians love to learn new fun ways to bring in the new year. So wherever your new year finds you, whether with family, friends, or complete strangers, make sure you're receiving it well, with smiles, laughter, dancing, and a good mood to set the pace for the coming year. 

Happy New Year and thanks for reading,

Chris

Kidpats, a new kid-friendly video series by Panama For Real

I'm up late again, totally pumped about this new series we're starting. I've been hearing a lot lately about people bringing their kids with them on this "moving overseas" adventure. Well...here's the text from the "Kidpats" page at www.PanamaForReal.com.  I'll be working on putting these videos out, with some others hopefully, between the location reports. 

We moved to Panama a little over 4 years ago, and when we made that decision to move, we tried to make it a family decision. We were lucky in that our kids wanted to move to Panama to be closer to their abuela (grandmother), abuelo (grandfather), and their primas (their cousins). 

Not every kid being whisked away to Panama (or to any overseas location) has relatives already living there. And not every kid gets to be part of the decision making process. I’ve received numerous emails from people stating that they were on their way to Panama because the husband or the wife was hired by either a Panamanian company or an American company with a Panama branch. 

The kids at Parque Omar in San Francisco, Panama City

It’s not only people from the U.S. facing this situation. When I first moved to Panama, I met several of the dads from my kids’ school and we were all in the same boat. My friend from Finland was here because his Panamanian wife wanted to be close to her family. They had two kids. One of the other dads was from Costa Rica and his wife was an American here managing a call center. They had a young son. My Mexican friend is a pilot on contract here and has a wife, two daughters, and a son who’ve all been relocated to Panama. It’s happening and it’s happening a lot.

Estefania (11), Victoria (8), Matteo (5), and Nicolas (5) have all gone through this. None of them spoke Spanish when we moved to Panama. The girls understood it a little bit from hearing my wife speak Spanish from time to time and hearing their grandmother only speak Spanish when she’d come to visit, but they definitely weren’t fluent.

Raspados at Parque Omar

They’ve been through many of the trials and tribulations. They’ve tried three schools here, they’ve taken ballet classes, they’ve swam in the many rivers, played in the many parks, shopped in the many malls, and forced themselves to make it through the countless hours of ridiculous homework. They’ve done it all and they want your kids to know that if they can do it, your kids can too. They’ll show your kids the fun stuff to do in town and give your kids some tips and pointers from time to time. 

In this new video series, Panama For Real presents Kidpats, they’ll be showing your kids what it’s like to live here as an expat kid…or what we’re calling Kidpats.

Here's the link to the new Kidpats vidoe at www.PanamaForReal.com. Check it out and let me know what you think. It's also on Youtube at our Youtube channel: 

http://www.panamaforreal.com/kidpats/kidpats-in-parque-omar/

Attending a wedding in Panama

Hey everybody,

First, I just want to kickoff this post by announcing that finally, I'm ready to launch my brand new website. On November 1st, this Friday, I'll be launching Panama For Real. My wife and I will be hitting every town in this beautiful country, and bringing you very detailed reports, full of colorful photos and raw videos, telling you everything expats and Panamanians would need to know before visiting or planning a life in any province, town, or neighborhood in Panama. It's going to be awesome. 

I've been working 'round the clock to get this thing going and I'm so happy to finally be able to announce the launch date. I'll be mentioning it a lot in the next few days. For now, the site is still under construction, but I've been uploading the videos to Youtube and will open everything up to the public at midnight, 12am on Nov. 1st, at www.PanamaForReal.com. 

Oh, also, it's all 100% free. I hate charging people for info they should be able to find free of charge. But traveling around Panama isn't free, so I will be looking for people to advertise in the sidebar and on my videos. So if you know of any companies that might be interested in advertising on Panama For Real, send them my way. Have them email me at my new email address, specifically for PFR (Panama For Real), at chris@panamaforreal.com. Thanks guys. Now, back to the post...

Paola and Cesario

This post is about attending a wedding in Panama. In most of my posts, I try to be helpful in some way, but every once in awhile I just have to share an experience. I remember when I first moved here. My wife always gave me a hard time because I didn't like to dance. Dancing just wasn't a big part of my family life growing up. If you want to disappoint a Panamanian woman, refuse to dance with her. Oh boy. At some point, probably after I'd had enough beer, I just went for it. 

Like a date night...just with everyone else in the family

Dancing took some getting used to. I've learned that the key is to just get up and do it. Do it before someone asks you to do it. When I go to a party or a shindig of any sort, if I sit long enough, and wait for people to talk me into dancing, I'll never get up. I have to go to that party with the intention of dancing and make sure I'm one of the first ones on the dance floor.  I'm not a great dancer, but I can rock back and forth with the best of them (no spinning or cool salsa moves from this guy...not yet). Now, after getting past that fear of dancing, I kind of look forward to big family gatherings where I know the drinks will be flowing and everyone will be having a great time. 

No, they didn't take the guns to the wedding

Of course my daughters were excited about the wedding because that meant they got to go dress shopping with mom. The boys stayed with their ol' dad and I picked them up some sweet little tuxedos. They easily stepped into their junior 007 roles. 

The wedding of my wife's cousin, Paola, and her new husband, Cesario, was very nice. I snuck the boys' Nintendo DS's into the church to keep them quiet through the ceremony. Horrible, I know...but it worked. See?

As much as I hate these things, the boys' games are life savers

My daughters were flower girls and, unlike the boys,  they didn't need electronic devices to keep them occupied. They were busy lip-synching the Ave Maria. 

Right before lip-synching the Ave Maria

The reception was held at the Sheraton in San Francisco, right next to the ATLAPA Convention Center. It was a blast. I've been to several family weddings and there's always a live band, but this was the first time I've seen so many shows. From tango dancers to folklore dancers to Irish dancers to some kind of circus clown troupe. I'm not kidding. 

Marlene with one of the clowns

One of the best things about a wedding is the chance to get the whole family together. It's been a long time since we've had everyone in the same room. Even at birthday parties it seems that someone is always missing, so it was nice to gather everyone together for this photo. 

The whole family together

The kids had a blast hanging out with their cousins. I had so much fun and danced all night. And I was reminded why I stick to beer. I'M NEVER DRINKING RUM AGAIN!

Panamanians know how to party!

Some of the best parties I've been to were wedding receptions. Someone should open a nightclub/disco with a wedding reception theme. Where every night people show up dressed to impress, pretending they're there for someone's big day. And maybe the entrance fee can be a wrapped wedding gift, that's given to charity later on. That's not a bad business idea.  Hmm...

Thanks for reading,

Chris

Dia del Niño in Panama

Wow, has it really been a month since I last wrote? Sorry it has taken so long. I used to be better at pumping out posts. I need to get back on my game. With this post, and I know I'm a little bit late, I thought I'd bring up the subject of Kids' Day here in Panama. 

Dia del Niño takes place every year here and it's kind of a big deal. This year it fell on Sunday, July 21st. In years past I've gone to Parque Omar, one of the largest parks in Panama City, where they've had free activities for the kids, like face painting, amusement park rides, games, etc. 

This year I made the mistake of taking the kids to the mall. The plan was to eat pizza, buy the kids a toy, and go to a movie. Most of the stores have sales on Kids' Day, like 20% off all toys. We went to Metro Mall, and it was packed. The center of the mall was filled with families watching the events taking place. 

The mall was a madhouse

A stage was set up with costume-clad hosts and animators putting on a show for the kids. Batman, Cat Woman, Superman, and Supergirl were dancing to salsa, reggaeton, and techno. They threw prizes out to the kids and invited some up onto the stage to assist with the show. A bouncy house and video game stations were set up, familiar characters from cartoons were walking around, and snacks were handed out.

During the festivities, I decide to go up stairs to the movie theater and purchase tickets for a later show. I knew if I didn't get them in advance, I might not get seats at all. I wound up standing in line for well over an hour to get movie tickets. It was crazy. 

Enjoying Kids' Day at Metro Mall

I think it's great living in a country that celebrates children. We all have a birthday and we all celebrate Christmas or New Year or whatever your holiday is. We've always celebrated Mother's Day and Father's Day, but what about the kids? Sure, you could argue that every day is kids' day, but seriously, out of 365 days in the year, it's only right to give one to the kids. 

Did you know Panama even has a Grandparents' Day? Seriously, Panama has a Grandparents' Day. 

Just a funny side note. My sons go to a preschool called a Coif, which is basically a very inexpensive school set up for the children of government employees. My wife and my in-laws work for the government, so we got hooked up with this school. So, the school sent out invitations for the grandparents to attend Grandparents' Day at the Coif. I think it was Friday of last week. 

My father-in-law is a very serious guy. He's a lawyer and it's rare to hear him speak in a reasonable tone. Most of the time he's yelling about something. So, he received the invitation, and without telling anyone he'd attend, he just showed up at my sons' school. My wife just happened to decide to keep the kids out of school that day for some reason, and my dad-in-law didn't know about it.

He arrived at the school to find that my sons weren't there. The teachers and the school staff wouldn't let him leave. They made him play all of the games, eat lunch, and dance with the kids. I guess he was a good sport about it, but when he got home, he was pretty pissed that the boys weren't in school that day. 

That's all I've got for right now, but I've got all kinds of blog ideas, so you'll be seeing more from me soon. 

Thanks for reading,

Chris

What's new in Panama?

I’m always on the lookout for something new here. It’s exciting to see familiar businesses open up. In the U.S., a lot of restaurants seem to stick with certain regions of the country. For example, you’ll see my favorite donut spot, Tim Horton’s, in the Ohio area, but not down in South Florida.  Duffy’s, one of my favorite places to go for beer and hot wings, is a really cool bar & grill in South Florida, but I’ve never seen them anyplace else. Red Robin, which has my all-time favorite burger (The A-1 Pepperjack burger) was in Ohio, Florida, and even in Anchorage, Alaska, but they’re not everywhere. Jack in the Box has limited locations, mostly in California and Texas. 

Panama seems to be a melting pot, where businesses from any region can join together. Some of the restaurants you may be familiar with that you’ll find here are Tony Roma’s, Bennigan’s, Hard Rock Cafe, TGI Friday’s, Hooters, Benihana, and of course fast food hotspots like Wendy’s, Burger King, KFC, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Dominos, Pizza Hut, Subway, Quiznos, Dunkin Donuts, and Cinnabon. I’m sure I’m missing a few. 

Papa John’s pizza and Carl’s Jr. have recently joined the ranks. You can find Papa John's in Costa del Este, Punta Paitilla, and now in Brisas del Golf. If you’ve got a hankering for delicious chili cheese fries, you’ll find Carl’s Jr. on the third floor of Metro Mall, in between McDonalds and the movie theater. I read online that there’s a Carl’s Jr. in the Tocumen airport as well, but it’s been awhile since I’ve traveled outside of Panama, so I'm not sure about that. Johnny Rocket’s is a recent addition to the Albrook Mall food court. 

I took a walk through the new wing at Multiplaza Mall last week and I couldn’t believe my eyes. A Chuck E. Cheese is coming to Panama. I’ve been saying for a long time that there’s not enough for kids to do in Panama and how great it would be if a Chuck E. Cheese would open up here. Well the dream has come true. Now, let’s just hope that the prices stay the same as they were back in the U.S., or even lower. And let’s hope that the owners can keep the place clean and in working order. Many of the kid-friendly pizza chain’s locations back home were really rundown. At a couple of their locations I spent more time getting my coins returned (due to broken games stealing change) than I did actually playing with my kids.

Ruby Tuesday will be directly above Banana Republic in the new wing at Multiplaza Mall

Also coming to Multiplaza is a Ruby Tuesday, which I remember frequenting at the Palm Beach Gardens Mall in Florida. They had great bottomless fries. Bottomless fries could be a crowd pleaser here. Businesses change a lot when they open up overseas though, so the name might not mean that it’ll be the same. 

For example, I worked for Tiffany & Company years ago. It’s a great company. I walked into the branch in Multiplaza Mall, to get my watch fixed (a Tiffany Mark T-57), and they couldn’t fix it. I don’t think the salesman had ever even seen the watch before. So not everything is the same here. Some things are better in Panama. I think Domino’s Pizza here is much better than back in the states. Taco Bell tastes a little different, but I’ve gotten used to it. 

I thought this was a Buffalo Wild Wings (the logo is almost exactly alike) but I think it's a different chain. Plus, its location in the mall looks way too small to be a Buffalo Wild Wings. :(

Other stores in town, the non-restaurant type, are Zara, XOXO, Tiffany & Company, Kenneth Cole, Victoria’s Secrety, and many more. Claire’s is opening up in Metro Mall (which my kids are thrilled about). Their selection of affordable and cute earrings and jewelry always drives my girls crazy. A/X Armani Exchange is coming to Multiplaza Mall, as is Banana Republic. 

A few other places I’d love to see in Panama: 

Ikea - As much as I hate having to put their furniture together, I can spend hours going up and down the aisles of an Ikea. Am I that much of a nerd that I have such a great time seeing all the neat, random stuff I could spend hours putting together with an allen wrench? And being able to drop my kids off at the play area is an added bonus. Come on Ikea. Come to Panama. 

Boston Market - Panamanians love chicken. It’s not a stereotype, it’s a fact. KFCs are everywhere and even the fast food joints like McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendy’s sell fried chicken combos. Grilled and roasted chicken is usually handled by local places though. I really miss good ol’ American comfort food, so being able to get my hands on a moist rotisserie chicken, a few slices of meatloaf, or a chicken pot pie would be awesome. And corn bread with macaroni & cheese. If not a Boston Market, even an Old Country Buffet would be great. 

Starbucks - There have been rumors of Starbucks coming to Panama. There’s a special place for Starbucks in my heart as I spent countless hours typing out screenplays at the Starbucks off Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Something about the relaxed atmosphere, the chill laid back music, combined with an apple fritter and iced coffee not only added on pounds (damn apple fritters), but helped me write...a lot. This blog would probably have a thousand posts by now if I had a Starbucks to hang out in.

Arby’s - Would an Arby’s do well in Panama? I’m not sure. I think Panamanians are more open to trying new things now. I heard Taco Bell failed years ago, but they’ve since opened several branches and seem to be doing well. Having a fast food option other than burgers, pizza, and fried chicken would be great. I could go for a roast beef with melted cheddar all over it right about now. And the curly fries...mmmm.

Cold Stone Creamery - Panama has a few of its own ice cream chains. Plus Dairy Queen and Baskin Robbins are in town. They’re all old news though. I think something cool like a Cold Stone with its variety of unique flavors would be a hit here. And the kids always get a kick out of hearing the staff sing "Hi ho, hi ho, we thank you for your dough" every time you tip them. 

Build-A-Bear - Build-A-Bear isn’t cheap. So I don’t know how many locals would want to spend that kind of money on a bear, but it’s something new that you don’t see here. And kids love building their own little animals (at least mine do...the little Frankensteins that they are...love you kids!!!). If placed somewhere in Costa del Este or in Multiplaza Mall, where the higher end stores are located, I think Build-A-Bear would be a nice addition here. Plus, aside from the larger department stores, there aren’t any real toy stores here, except for Felix Juguetes in Los Pueblos. 

A Roller Skating Rink - I heard there was a roller skating rink here in Albrook Mall at some point in time. I’d love to take the kids to a roller skating rink. Or an ice skating rink might be even better. Not sure how well the rinks would do here, but it would be cool to have one. 

A Waterpark - For cryin’ out loud, this is the tropics, why don’t we have a water park? And I’m sorry, but Avalon doesn’t count! I’ve been to Avalon (see my post about taking my kids) and it is technically a water park, but it almost seems as if it has been abandoned. There is water...and it is a park. I guess it’s owned by Avalon Resorts so I don’t know how likely they’d be to sell, but geez, if somebody would just take over the place, slap some paint on it, fix the slides, clean it up, add a few fun twists, it would be so much appreciated...by me at least. 

Like the song goes, “These are a few of my favorite things.” At least we’ve got Chuck E. Cheese and Ruby Tuesday coming in the meantime. 

I’d love to hear from anyone else living in Panama. What would you like to see arrive in Panama? Answer in the comments section below and who knows, maybe someone reading is looking for a business opportunity, and you might be the person to clue them in.

Thanks for reading,

Chris