Well, I asked (via Facebook) after my last Q and A, if people found these useful and it seems that most people do, so I'll keep doing them, but maybe just spread them out a bit, so not every Monday. Whenever I round up a decent selection of questions and answers, I'll put a new post together.
So here's what I've gathered over the past month. The first one is a doozy and actually got me a little bit fired up:
Paul (via email) wrote:
"I was seriously considering retiring in Panama in less than two years
(from Tulsa), but after reading several pages at the following link ...
".... about the severe trash and sewage problem, high crime problem,
the high number of Americans who moved there then return home after several
years, etc, etc, I'm wondering why anyone in their right state of mind would
ever want to live or visit Panama.
"I am very disheartened and do not know where the best place to retire
would be.
"If
you would read the first two pages at the above link and give me your opinion,
I would greatly appreciate it very much!!!"
I replied:
"Hi Paul, a fellow Okie! That's awesome. Hey, I can definitely see why you'd be
concerned after reading the post at that link. So, I'll do my best to address
the issues in that article. Remember, this is Panama For Real, so I have to
keep it real.
"First, it's important to realize that post, which basically bashes
the hell out of this country, was written in 2009. That's 5 years ago, and
things are constantly changing here...like seriously, constantly, lol.
Panama looks pretty to me
"Okay, so let me address what's in the article, by number, the way the
original poster did.
"1. The poster wrote that you'll find a lot of Americans in Panama,
but not the kind you'd want to associate with.
"Is it just me or is that a pretty shitty attitude to have? I don't
want to bash anyone, but come on, that's really negative. I've met quite a few
Americans here and only a few I'd really try to avoid. Ouch, 'They
couldn't afford to retire in a real place, so they came here.'
"What would
be considered a real place? Rome? And what does he mean can't afford a real
place (as I blow the dust out of my empty wallet, maybe he has a point).
"Will you find
unpleasant Americans in Panama? Sure. But will you find much much more in
America? Ha, damn right you will. So, to that, I say you'd need to visit
Panama, scope out an area you're truly considering, and see if you like the
in-crowd.
"2. Again, wow. Okay, yes, this is a dollar-based economy (the poster wrote about Panama falling apart if the U.S. dollar tanks). But that's
kind of what makes it cool (at least in my book). I don't have to worry about
an exchange rate or try to figure out how much 300,000 pesos is when all I want
to buy is a loaf of bread.
Use U.S. and Panamanian money interchangeably
"And as far as this country not being able to feed
itself? I constantly write about the farmer markets. I was in Penonomé, a small
town in the interior, a few months ago, and I went to their Saturday market. It
was full of people and had so much affordable produce on offer that I was like
a giddy little child. I bought a bunch of stuff for only $6.
The only problem I've had getting food is
trying to get this damned mango out of the tree
"A few weeks ago I
was in Cerro Punta, an awesome, cool-weather mountain town and bought a
gigantic bag of vegetables for $6. This thing could have fed a retired couple
for at least a week. And at most of these markets, huge bags of rice are sold
for very cheap.
Here's that big $6 bag of veggies from Cerro Punta
"Panama City has an awesome seafood market, plus a big
drive-through fruit and vegetable market...I could go on and on with this one.
Panama can easily feed itself.
"3. Yes, Immigration is a pain in the ass. It is almost everywhere.
But, you can definitely get a visa here in Panama, and nowadays it's easier
than ever. However, you need to be able to afford it. You're best off getting a
good lawyer who knows the system. Will this cost you? Of course. But I paid A
LOT of money trying to put my wife through the U.S. Immigration system in
Alaska, then in Chicago, then in South Florida. Immigration issues are not
unique to Panama.
"4. Violent crime. Does it exist in Panama? Yes. Are we targets? Yes,
we can be. But the one sentence that bothers me is when he wrote, 'No
matter how bad you think it is where you live in the USA, I assure you it's
worse here.' Come on. Seriously? Ok, if you live in small town Kentucky,
sure, you probably know everyone and things are good. But again, I've lived in
Chicago and I've lived near Miami. I've lived in some seriously shady areas of
South Florida. These were areas where I was afraid to go out at night. I'm not
afraid in Panama.
A gated community in Condado del Rey (part of Panama City)
"I've said it many times before. If you don't go into the areas known
as red zones. And if you don't flash around your diamond encrusted Rolex while
playing Candy Crush on your brand new iPhone while strutting down the Panama
City streets while you occasionally make it very obvious you're checking out
someone else's wife or girlfriend, you should be fine.
"There is crime here and gringos can fall victim to it. But like
anyplace else, it happens, but it's less likely to happen if you use common
sense and don't go wandering into unknown places. Just ask around and people
will tell you where to go and where to stay away from.
"5. The poster started this one off with, 'This is a filthy
country.' Again, this was written in 2009. I've addressed the garbage
issue in Panama several times. It does bug the hell out of me that people
litter here. I saw, maybe two days ago, a taxi stopped at a red light. The
passenger opened the door and set a whole styrofoam food container (you know the
big ones with the separate compartments) on the ground, right there on the
street, and closed the door. I wanted to scream! That's just ignorance.
"It bothers Panamanians as much as it bothers foreigners, maybe even more since this is their country.
"I've written before about the areas that have become trash dumps for
entire neighborhoods, mostly because the city doesn't have enough trucks or
just doesn't provide service like it should to certain areas. But I promise
you, the government seems to be trying to fix this. I posted a photo of an area
close to my house (the photo below) that's just a
filthy area because residents just toss their garbage on the ground beneath
this tree.
This is what it used to look like, but there's a dumpster there now
"Yesterday, I drove past that area, and there was a sign posted saying
they were working on cleaning it up, and I noticed a new dumpster was in
place.
"I used to complain that people didn't clean up after their dogs. And
for the most part, that's still true. But the good news is I've noticed signs
up telling people to clean up after them.
"I've also noticed recycling containers in a lot of the parks and in
the tourist-heavy areas.
"Just like crime, there are pockets that are just nasty, but it seems
that Panama is working hard to fix this issue. Michigan Avenue, The Magnificent
Mile, in Chicago is beautiful. You always see city employees outside sweeping up the
garbage. But if you venture into some of the not-so-tourist-friendly areas,
you'll find plenty of spray painted walls and litter on the ground.
"6. Haha, Panamanian women USE AMERICANS is what the poster wrote
here. This, unfortunately, can be true. I've seen it and have definitely heard
about it. And it's not just Panamanian women, but many women from other
countries residing here.
"But again, this frustrates me because it's true
everywhere. How many young, hot blondes are with old, luxury-car-driving men in
LA? It kind of goes both ways too when you think about it.
"How many American
men come here, wanting a young, sexy Latina, because they're pretty sure the
girl is going to be great in bed and could probably cook amazing meals?
Right?
"You just have to be careful, like anyplace else. Are there women here
who will use you to get out of their situation, whatever that may be? Sure. But
are there also loving, beautiful women, who just want to be with a man who will
treat them with respect? Of course. I'm married to a Panamanian (and as I again
blow the dust out of my wallet, I'm pretty sure I have a keeper).
"7. I'm not going to spend too much time on this one. He wrote that
people hate Obama and run here to escape corrupt politicians and how Panama is
no better. Politics are politics.
The Transistmica Metro train going through a practice run
"The one thing I can say about Panama's
current administration (which is almost over) is they seem to love having
Americans around (they've made it easier for us to get visas and the pensionado
program is awesome) and this place has been upgrading like you wouldn't
believe. You should see the metro train and its elevated tracks and stations. Things are getting better here.
"8. He mentions here how people think Panama City looks beautiful at
night, but that it's basically rundown and ugly. Lol. Panama City is a major
city.
"The Cinta Costera looks amazing at night and you'll see swarms of people
out there rollerblading, jogging, riding bikes, playing basketball...it's
really cool. Chorrillo doesn't look so great at night (that's one of the areas
most people try to stay away from).
I think the Cinta Costera looks pretty darned cool at night
"South Beach in Miami looks great at night.
Liberty City? Not so much.
"Paul, I hope I was able to clear this up a little bit. Sorry I got so
heated, but it just frustrates me that people move here, live here (in Bella
Vista, according to the poster's profile, which is one of the nicer areas of
the city) and then bash the hell out of Panama. I'm sure I could live in Paris
and pick the place apart if I put that much time and effort into it.
"Everyone
is free to have an opinion. Is Panama perfect? No, it's definitely not. But
it's working hard to live up to its hype. The people are lovely and if you live
within your means, you'll find that this place is surprisingly affordable.
"Everything this poster mentioned is true in most places in the U.S. and in most
countries. Panama, unfortunately, is the place up for question so naturally
you'll have people who love it here and people who hate it. You honestly need
to make a trip here, now that you've heard both sides of the story, check out
the city, check out the interior, and just like any place you consider moving to,
spend time in that area during the day, see it at night, talk to people living
there, and decide if it's right for you.
"I hope this helps a little bit. Oh and I just scrolled down to see
everyone else's comments on that post, and the most recent was written in
January of 2010. So, again, these are old posts, some still hold true (kind
of), but overall this sounds like someone who has had a very bad experience
here, is very bitter, and needed to let his feelings fly from his fingertips.
Keep an open mind and visit Panama."
Kevin (via email) wrote:
"I'm planning to visit Panama with my wife and have a quick question. Will we need to book our hotel stays ahead of
time or can we pick a spot when we get there? (not sure if they gouge you if
your a last minute arrival) I can always send my fiancé in, she is Peruvian, vs
the American Gringo, like myself."
I replied:
"Most hotels here you can book just by walking in.
If you're able to, it's always a good idea to book in advance though. You never
know. In El Valle, the last time I was there, I booked in advance at Rincon Tableno, which was an okay place to stay (not great, kind of pricey), but they did have the best steak
I've had in a long long time (try the bistec encebollado).
Our Las Tablas hotel came with condom instructions on our nightstand
(but hey, it is a carnaval town)
"In Las Tablas, I think we just walked into the
hotel, Hotel Piamonte. It too
was just okay. I'm usually on a pretty tight budget on my trips so you might be
able to find something better. Our place had only a bed, TV, and warm water. It
was a place to rest your head.
"So you can do either really, book in advance or
walk in...unless it's carnaval time, then you need to book like a year in advance, lol."
Keith (via email after reading the Shipping vs. buying new article) wrote:
"I noticed when we came down in 2011 the Samsung washer/dryer that we
have has a cricket board and the same item that was in Panama was a
dial. Is it better to have dial verses a computer touch control?
"At least here in the states you have American Home Shield which is a
company that you pay monthly in case something goes wrong in your home. For example
when our refrigerator went out and it couldn't be fixed AHS paid us the retail
value for it.
"Is
there something like that in Panama?"
I replied:
"Hey Keith that's a great question. To be honest, most of what I've seen is the
board with the dial. I'm not sure if I've ever even seen the computer
control here. I've never looked specifically for that though so I could be
full of it. I'll try to keep my eyes open the next time I'm in the store, but
I'm sure the dial is a lot more common here, which means it'd be a heck
of a lot cheaper to fix. You know how that computer stuff is. One bad
board and you're talking some major change to get it fixed.
Standard dial controls in Panama
"I haven't seen anything like American Home Shield, at least not an organization that covers you like that. I'm pretty sure some of the stores offer their own similar deal (if any readers know of anything like this, please let us know in the comments below), in addition to the regular warranty. However, even without coverage, you can usually find repairmen willing to work for a lot less than what you're used to paying in the U.S.
"I was buying a bunch of ceiling fans one time and the service charge for having someone come out and hook them up was like $50
each or something like that. The guy selling the fans pulled me aside and
told me he'd come over after work and take care of it for like $20. Find one of the workers in a hardware/Do it Yourself kind of store, and they'll probably help you
with the repair or know someone else they can refer you to. Everyone has
an Uncle Peto, lol (that's my wife's uncle who can fix just about
anything). In that case, you'd probably just have to supply the parts and pay the repairman's fee."
Cindy (via email) wrote:
"Hi, Chris. I just discovered your website today and am very impressed
by the wealth of information and great thoroughness of your posts! With our
Connecticut streets piled high with snow, I am starting to get serious about my
plan to move to a warmer climate in about five years. I'm a writer and so don't
intend to retire then and will hopefully still be doing freelance gigs. But
I've had it with the cold.
"I'd like your advice on the best places for a single 50-something
woman to move to in Panama, from a safety and community perspective. I have a
second cousin who retired in the ex-pat community of Volcan, so I'm picking his
brain as well. But I thought you'd have some valuable thoughts here.
"Thank you for any direction. Keep up the great work!"
I replied:
"Hi Cindy, thanks so much for checking out the site and for writing. I can't
imagine what it's like in Connecticut right now. In some ways I'm kind of
envious. I'd gladly take the cold and snow...but can we trade for like 4-5
hours only?
"Hmm, the best places for a single, 50-something, female writer. Off
the top of my head, I'd probably say Coronado. Just because I know
there's a great community of expats there and it's on the beach. It's not super affordable though. It's definitely not somewhere you'd retire on a shoestring budget.
Expats hanging out at a rooftop pool in Coronado
"Volcan might be a bit cut off for you. I don't know exactly what you
have in mind, but Volcan is kind of spread out, very quiet, not a big
social scene. At least in Coronado the expats gather for karaoke nights and things like that in some of the restaurants in the area. It seems
like there's always something going on there.
"I've heard there's a decent sized expat community in El Valle, which
is another beautiful place, but in the mountains. And of course,
Boquete, is probably the most expat-friendly mountain/hilltop community.
"If you're considering moving to Panama City, you'd probably want to
stick with El Cangrejo or maybe San Francisco.
"Just reading through your email again, if your cousin is in Volcan
and is happy there, maybe you should consider giving Boquete a try. At least that's very close to Volcan and has one of the largest expat
communities in the country.
"I hope some of this helps. I might've just confused you even more,
haha. You basically need to first decide what kind of lifestyle you're
looking for (city, beach, mountain, farm?), then find the safest and most expat-friendly area based on that decision.
"So:
"Panama City: El Cangrejo or San Francisco.
"Beach: Coronado or maybe Pedasi (I love Pedasi, but it's a mix of
expats from all over the world. A cool place, but the expat community
doesn't seem quite as organized as it is in Coronado).
"Mountain: Boquete or maybe El Valle.
"If you haven't already, check out the other Panama blogs on the
following page, these people live in some of these areas, so reading their
posts might help you with your decision. I've visited all of these areas,
but I live in Panama City, so I don't have my finger on the daily pulse if
you know what I mean. Click here to go to those other blogs:
Jerry wrote:
"Love,
Love, Love the blog. It has answered many of our questions about
moving to Panama -- which we plan to do in June, 2014. We will be
locating in David or Boquete. Our dilemma concerns buying a used
car. We had planned on arriving in David and finding a car -- but
the more we think about it we are thinking about staying in PC for awhile and
buying a used car there --- then driving on to David/Boquete.
"Would you please
offer an opinion? Perhaps it may be better choices and prices for a car in
PC.?? Thanks again for all the help available to Expats on your
site. Jerry"
I replied:
"Hi Jerry, thanks so much for checking out my site and for writing.
"Hmm, used cars. David is the 2nd largest city in Panama, so you could definitely find a used car there. However, you will have a
lot more options in Panama City.
"Check out the following website. You can
look for used cars here ahead of time. And you should be able to even
switch the area of your search from Panama City to David or wherever else
you're looking. This is a great site for finding real estate, cars, electronics...whatever you want. I've found jobs on it and recently
bought the kids a used Playstation 3 off this site. You can also check Panama's craigslist and the Panama related facebook pages. Oftentimes, when someone is leaving Panama, they sell their car for a reasonable price."
Zach (via email) wrote:
"We visited the city, Boquete, Bocas,
and San Blas. All of those places were great but living wise we were drawn
to the Boquete area. We love the mountains and the easy access to the
coast.
"One question: The only thing that we really have of value or
I'd want to take down, other than our clothes, is my Jeep. It's
brand new and seems like a great ride for that area. I have gotten mixed reviews
on taking a vehicle down. Ship, drive, sell.....any advice? You may have
covered it already. Thanks Chris."
I replied:
"Hi Zach, Yes, Boquete is great. To answer your question, I've never shipped a
vehicle. I couldn't bring mine because I was still making payments on it. So, readers who've shipped a vehicle may feel differently about what I'm going to say. If so, please write in and let us know in the comments.
"I'd say
bring your Jeep if you can, just so you don't have to deal with the hassle of buying
one here. People drive down all the time, but I've heard it's a rough ride.
Make sure you do some research though and see if you'll be able to get parts
for your Jeep here.
"I don't know anything about Jeeps, but when I went to buy a
Dodge Caravan (like we had in the U.S.), a couple of years ago, the dealer pulled me aside and kind of whispered that I should think twice
about buying it because getting parts for it could be a real pain.
"I ran into
the same issue with our used Mazda 323. When the ac compressor went out,
the mechanic took one look at it and basically said, 'Good luck. You won't
find that compressor in Panama.' I eventually found one, but it was no easy task."
Sheila (via Facebook) wrote:
"We
are a family of 5 moving to Panama City in July. We have three kids -- all
girls ages 10, 12, and 14. Where is the best place to live with teen girls? Many thanks."
I replied:
"Hi
Sheila! If you're moving to Panama City, I think the
best places to live with a family are Costa del Este or Condado del Rey (if you
want to live on the outskirts, kind of the suburbs of the city). If you want to
live downtown or close to downtown, I'd say probably San Francisco. El
Cangrejo (and nearby El Carmen), Punta Pacifica, and Punta Paitilla are great areas too.
"I did reports
and videos on Costa del Este and Condado del Rey. If you haven't already seen
them, check out our website at www.PanamaForReal.com or to go straight to
the videos, check out our Youtube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6N7Ih2bjD0FjOBnDg_-Flg."
Well, that's it for this Q and A session. Thanks for reading and I hope some of this helped.
If you haven't already, check out our website at www.PanamaForReal.com. It has a ton of info and enter your email address into the field below the red suitcase (in the top right corner of the page) to start receiving our bi-weekly newsletter.
And check out our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Panama-For-Real/418977398194595
Our Youtube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6N7Ih2bjD0FjOBnDg_-Flg
Thanks for reading,
Chris
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