March 2018
We had an old friend visiting
from Canada the last couple of
weeks. He has been here almost
every year since we moved.
Like most visitors, I really
enjoy when John comes as it
reminds me again why we moved.
He so loves the warmth as it is
minus 15+ below "back home". He
also loves the beaches, the
culture, the food, the people
and the music. It's just fun to
be around someone who really
"gets it". Too often I hear from
expats how they "hate it here" -
"why can't it be like Canada or
the USA?
It is not Canada. It is not the
USA - and thank goodness. We
moved here FROM Canada. Granted
the bulk of the reason was the
weather - but I admit I like the
other perks.
One of our new "must do visits"
when John is here is a night in
Casco with friends, bar hopping.
The first is always the
Strangers Club. A bar started by
6 bartenders from the USA. They
rotate looking after the Panama
bar and it has been fun getting
to know some of them. So far
we've met Steve, Gabriel and
Ulysses. They are all
characters.
The new mall finally opened in
Costa del Este - Towne Center.
We stopped by the other day to
check out the menu for a new
restaurant - Gobe. An upscale
restaurant with what looks like
a great menu. Probably will
visit in the next couple of
weeks.
Went diving for the first time
in quite a while. Portobelo is
not the greatest visibility all
the time, but the water
temperature and the quality of
dive master (Rey Sanchez
from
www.goldenfrogscuba.com ) is
worth the visit.
We are well into a routine now
12 years later. We love our life
here. Almost every week one or
the other of us will make the
comment how great it is to be
here.
Have there been issues - of
course - it is life. But we
don't regret one iota.
We've been so fortunate to meet
and enjoy so many other expats
and Panamanians over the 12
years.
We love to eat and drink and
explore so we make a point of
every month getting out as often
as we can with friends.
We get notes often asking about
something to do with Panama -
because we encourage people to
ask. We've been so fortunate
with our move and the people
that have helped us we are more
than willing to help where we
can.
Feel free to ask if you are you
just thinking of a vacation in
Panama or if you are thinking of
making Panama home we'd be happy
to point you at some resources
or give you some suggestions -
we have nothing to sell and
nothing to gain except maybe
meeting a new friend. We have
been really privileged to get to
know some great friends during
our past 10 years.
Our area of Costa del Este has
just continued to evolve. Not
all the growth has great - the
traffic in the morning and
evening is unbearable. But the
upside is all the new services.
If you want,
write us if you have
questions - we love to help.
We add to the areas
of the site like people, sites,
and services as our experience
with each of them change so you
should feel comfortable dealing
with any of them.
February 2018
I was reminded the other day
that it had been ages since I
posted anything so I thought I
would do some updating today.
It was almost 12 years ago that
Donna and I were in Akumel
Mexico for a very short vacation
(a funny story why our business
partners decided to pack us up
and send us on a weeks paid
vacation - but for another
time).
We must have been ready. I am
sure we must have had similar
discussions during our 20 +
years of vacationing in Mexico
but I really can't say for sure.
This time though we must have
been ready. When we talked about
why we still lived in St. Albert
when in reality we only loved it
for 2-3 months per year because
of the weather something just
struck - well - why don't we
consider moving to someplace
like Akumel?
Funny how such an innocuous
question can change your life.
If you are ready. And we were
obviously.
That vacation we traveled around
looking at properties to build
or develop and we found two.
We flew home and told our
partners - "we are moving to
Mexico". They were a little
phased I am sure but the only
comments outside of "great" and
"where" came from one partner
that said "before you buy in
Mexico get on a plane and check
out Panama."
At the time I am not sure I
could have found Panama on the
map but we did go home and
within a short time we flew here
to Panama City.
We did all the touristy things
in 4 days around the city. The
furthest out we got was
Miraflores Locks.
On our last evening I remember
both of us agreeing "we could
live here".
That was April 2006 - by August
I was in Panama, I had rented an
office, hired two employees and
was finalizing the purchase of
our now condo.
Donna did all the heavy lifting
- she sold the house, the car,
all of our belongings, and moved
here with Cricket (our pet dog)
in October - - six months -
start to finish.
We never recommend this to
anyone - not because we had any
issues or problems - just that
we can't believe our luck with
everything going so well. If you
are considering Panama and don't
have to be in the city, take the
time and "see" Panama first.
We are well into a routine now
12 years later. We love our life
here. Almost every week one or
the other of us will make the
comment how great it is to be
here.
Have there been issues - of
course - it is life. But we
don't regret one iota.
We've been so fortunate to meet
and enjoy so many other expats
and Panamanians over the 12
years.
We love to eat and drink and
explore so we make a point of
every month getting out as often
as we can with friends.
Our last night out was with Rita
and Jordan, a couple we've come
to really enjoy. We went to the
opening night of "Panama - the
Musical" a brand new musical
written by 3 Canadian expats but
with an Panamanian cast and
band. What a fun night.
We love our friends visiting -
and we have one of our old
friends coming from St. Albert
just this week. John has been
coming to Panama almost every
year for more than 10 years.
We still travel, especially
Donna with her
Gardening Tours - we just
got back from visiting our
oldest friends, Elaine and
Wayne, in Sayulita Mexico. It
was a really fun visit and we
were reminded why we loved
Mexico but we still love coming
"home" to Panama.
We get notes often asking about
something to do with Panama -
because we encourage people to
ask. We've been so fortunate
with our move and the people
that have helped us we are more
than willing to help where we
can.
Feel free to ask if you are you
just thinking of a vacation in
Panama or if you are thinking of
making Panama home we'd be happy
to point you at some resources
or give you some suggestions -
we have nothing to sell and
nothing to gain except maybe
meeting a new friend. We have
been really privileged to get to
know some great friends during
our past 10 years.
Our area of Costa del Este has
just continued to evolve. Not
all the growth has great - the
traffic in the morning and
evening is unbearable. But the
upside is all the new services.
If you want,
write us if you have
questions - we love to help.
We add to the areas
of the site like people, sites,
and services as our experience
with each of them change so you
should feel comfortable dealing
with any of them.
2017
It has been months since I've
updated the site. So many things
have taken place since my last
note in October.
Panama is still our home - over
11 years since we first visited
in April 2006. Little did we
know when we arrived for 4 days.
Over those 11 years we've never
regretted our move from Alberta
Canada.
Our life here is not without
some challenges but the bulk of
the challenges are because we
were not a typical retiring
couple. When we moved we opened
an office to work with our
Canadian company.
Without the company the rest of
our time in Panama would have
been really quite simple. The
company would not be so much of
a challenge without the
employees. Don't get me wrong,
it is not the employees
themselves it is the Labor code
in Panama. It is so incredibly
one sided against employers.
The cost of living has changed
dramatically in the 11 years but
we still find it a treat not to
have to deal with taxes.
We get notes often asking about
something to do with Panama -
because we encourage people to
ask. We've been so fortunate
with our move and the people
that have helped us we are more
than willing to help where we
can.
Feel free to ask if you are you
just thinking of a vacation in
Panama or if you are thinking of
making Panama home we'd be happy
to point you at some resources
or give you some suggestions -
we have nothing to sell and
nothing to gain except maybe
meeting a new friend. We have
been really privileged to get to
know some great friends during
our past 10 years.
Some newsy stuff - while the new
3rd lane was under construction
it seemed everyone felt it would
be a boondoggle but in the year
it has been in use it has proven
to be anything but a boondoggle.
The size of ships going through
this new channel is incredible.
Our area of Costa del Este has
just continued to evolve. Not
all the growth has great - the
traffic in the morning and
evening is unbearable. But the
upside is all the new services.
If you want,
write us if you have
questions - we love to help.
We add to the areas
of the site like people, sites,
and services as our experience
with each of them change so you
should feel comfortable dealing
with any of them.
--------------------------------------------
Read the comments from the other
years
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News - 2017
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News - 2015
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News - 2014
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News - 2013
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News - 2012
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News - 2011
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News - 2010
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News - 2008 & earlier
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