Christmas day 2010 has come and
gone. Today is our 35th
anniversary - I can't believe
how lucky I am to have found my
life mate on the first try :}
We had a great Christmas with
our friends and neighbours. The
dinner was a combination French
Canadian, English Canadian,
Panamanian and Argentinean.
Pretty hard to get much better.
Our office is closed here in
Panama today as we still
celebrate Boxing Day in Canada -
not a tradition known to most
Americans let alone Panamanians
but it was a tradition brought
to Canada from Britain. Nice to
have a four day weekend.
I
had a great time baking some
bread this weekend - I love it
from the oven but I think I like
the nut bread even better the
day after toasted - here's a
sample of some of the home made
buns and bread.
I had fun driving Alan &
Geris relatives yesterday - we
did the tour from Panama Viejo
to Miraflores. We wandered
around Casco Viejo and Amador. I
really like showing off Panama -
I know it's so unlike anything
they are expecting.
I splurged this
year and bought myself a
Christmas gift - it's called the
Car Black Box - it's a video
camera designed to be mounted on
the front windshield and turns
on automatically when the car
starts and turns off when the
car is turned off. Depending the
size of the SD card it will
store from 20 minutes to 320
minutes in one minute
increments. It's HD so the
quality is top notch. I bought
it so it could run all the time
the car is in operation - that
way if, heaven forbid, there is
an accident, we have video
evidence of the accident. With
the new changes to the traffic
accident laws coming into effect
this February it is going to be
even more important to have a
camera with you at all times. I
had it running yesterday and
checked out the video later last
night - pretty cool.
I was also
introduced to Pinot Noir and wow
- I really enjoyed it - I'll
have to find more to try.
Every year at
this time I make a plea to all
our friends to think about
supporting the animal shelter at
Arraijan - there are hundreds of
dogs and cats Mari has rescued
from the streets and starvation.
She cares for them, feeds them,
nurtures them back to health,
heals their wounds both physical
and emotional - and she does
this with almost no help - the
money comes out of her pocket.
Imagine feeding 200+ dogs every
month - even at a meager 20 per
month per dog that's 4,000 - not
counting vet and paid helpers.
Can you help -
Can you spare $20,$50 or $100.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
-------
I haven't posted some comments
for almost 2 weeks as it has
been nutty around here. Alan &
Geri are finally in their condo
with power and water after 2
weeks of waiting every day to
hear if the papers were
completed, inscribed and if they
could actually move in and start
to enjoy Panama.
I am sure they were
frustrated beyond words, but one
positive thing came from the
experience, their two little
pups and Cricket got to bond and
get to know each other. Cricket
is such an old lady and they are
so young. Cricket finally
decided that Mr. Lucky would
make a good toy boy :}
As I started to write this
note today I had started with
"the rainy season is over" but
then it started to rain again.
This has been one of the
heaviest rain we've seen and the
shear volume has caused a really
interesting problem - a very
large percentage of the
population in Panama City and
the surrounding suburbs have
been without water - yes a water
shortage in amongst the heaviest
rain. Apparently what happened
was the volume of rain and
runoff overwhelmed the water
treatment plants filters and
they had to shut down to clean
them. I know some people who
went 4 days with no water at all
and yet here we were in Costa
del Este oblivious to the lack
of water.
The rains also caused some
real tragedies - in Portobelo a
Canadian lost his wife and
family to a mud slide that wiped
out his home and their
restaurant. It put him in the
hospital with a shattered
pelvis. I understand his dog
survived too but no word on if
it was injured. A number of
expats contributed to a fund to
help him and his Canadian family
that were traveling to Panama to
see him. There is also a
function tomorrow night we are
going to that will be raising
some additional money we hope. I
can't imagine how in one instant
your life changes forever.
I've probably mentioned a
long time ago how automobile
accidents are handled. Both
vehicles stop wherever they
situated at the time of the
accident, regardless of the
impact on the traffic flow,
until both their insurance
companies representatives arrive
and the traffic police have
shown up and sorted out their
report. In our case when we had
an accident it took 5 hours to
get this done. Starting February
the government has changed the
rules. If there are no injuries
they are supposed to take photos
of the scene, the vehicles are
to be moved out of the way of
traffic, a form is to be
completed by both parties and if
they agree on a party at fault
they can move on. If they don't
agree then they need wait for
the transit authorities to
arrive. I presume the insurance
representatives may have
something to say on the guilt or
innocence of their client :}
You can download a copy of this
form by clicking here.
Next year should bring a host
of changes to Panama.
We went shopping
with our friends yesterday to
the Albrook Mall. We had
prepared them for how much of a
zoo it would be but it proved to
be even more so than we had
expected. It is the first time
I've ever been in a mall where
there was a live 100+ piece
student marching band parading
through the mall playing
Christmas music. Alan & I had
the pleasure of hearing them
twice as we waited for Donna &
Geri to have their purchases
rung through - turns out it took
them 1 hour 15 minutes standing
in a check out line :} The band
was actually pretty good - and
there was one young guy who had
to be maybe 10 yrs old playing
his heart out on a set of 3
snare drums - he looked so
serious :]
On our way back
from the mall I decided to go
back the way we came along the
Cinta Costera - bad choice - I
had forgotten that the
Centennial Bridge was closed for
construction so everyone leaving
the city had to use the old
Bridge of Americas which means
they were all heading the way I
chose to go - it took us more
than 45 minutes to go a few
blocks as the traffic was more
and more congested near to our
exit. Oh well, that will teach
me to think and not just use the
same old route.
Another bit of
good news as a result of helping
Alan & Geri with their new condo
ordeal is we found out even
though we purchased our condo in
a companies name which meant it
was not eligible for the
penisonado discount on
electricity that we could apply
to have the account put in our
names and get the discount.
Cool.
We had a lot of
fun with the folks that showed
up to our 5th Panama Open House
on the 9th - I really enjoy this
time to chat with our friends
and give them an opportunity to
meet some of our other friends.
We had the pleasure of meeting
some new tenants in our building
from Argentina and introducing
them to Jose Luis & Sandra.
Christmas is
almost on us and we're almost
ready :} We'll be having an
interesting Christmas dinner as
it will be a combination of
Canadian, French, Panamanian and
Argentinean. Love it :}
Every year at
this time I make a plea to all
our friends to think about
supporting the animal shelter at
Arraijan - there are hundreds of
dogs and cats Mari has rescued
from the streets and starvation.
She cares for them, feeds them,
nurtures them back to health,
heals their wounds both physical
and emotional - and she does
this with almost no help - the
money comes out of her pocket.
Imagine feeding 200+ dogs every
month - even at a meager 20 per
month per dog that's 4,000 - not
counting vet and paid helpers.
Can you help -
Can you spare $20,$50 or $100.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
-------------
Christmas has arrived in Costa
del Este :} - at least at the
stores. The huge reindeer has
appeared above Arrocha, the
Christmas tree lot is stocked
with trees (funny enough they
are Canadian and American trees)
and every store is chocked full
of Christmas goodies. We haven't
seen any sign of the lights on
our main street that normally
are underway by now.
Christmas has arrived at our
condo as well. At least a start
- I pulled out the tree and
moved the living room around in
anticipation of Donna doing the
decorating. Anyone that knows me
knows I don't have a decorative
bone in my body ":}
We sent the invitation to our
annual Open House this past week
- if you are in Panama City the
9th of December - join us and
meet some of our other friends.
Email
donna@icangarden.com for
directions. We've had an open
house at Christmas for more than
15 years. we started this in
Canada as we had such a diverse
set of friends and we'd never
really met our neighbors. It was
a great time for Donna's
gardening friends to meet my
business acquaintances. When we
moved to Panama we decided to
continue the tradition.
Our friends Alan & Geri are
scheduled to arrive in Panama
this Wednesday but this past
week has been an exercise in
frustration trying to finalize
the purchase of their new condo.
Everything from the banks, to
the real estate agents to the
seller. When I see this kind of
stuff I wonder how anything gets
done. In hind sight our purchase
seems so uneventful.
In the four
years that we've been here we've
always lived without air
conditioning except when we have
company over for dinner or
during our weekend naps but
we've decided to use December as
a test and see what it would be
like to have the a/c on full
time. I have no idea what kind
of electrical bill this would
produce but we'll find out I
guess. We wanted to see if it
made a difference in noise,
dust, dirt and moisture. Our
average electrical bill has been
around 140 per month.
I read an
interesting article in the
Visitor this past week about the
new road to the San Blas area -
apparently it is paved right
through although it has some
extreme hills so I
understand they only permit 4 x
4 vehicles. I hope when Donna
gets back we will have an
opportunity to venture done this
road to see what its like. I
understand it takes about 2
hours to reach the end and
apparently there are no real
amenities so it will be like an
adventure.
Are you a
Canadian living in Panama? - Do
you live here part time or full
time? What made you choose
Panama over so many other places
in the world. Do you operate a
business in Panama? Is it a
support arm to a Canadian
company or is it a company
exclusive to Panama. Have you
taken advantage of the Canadian
Panamanian chamber of commerce
PanCanada? Have you met our
Canadian Ambassador to Panama
her Excellency Ms. Patricia
Langan-Torell? I ask because I
would some feedback.
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
November 2010
Cricket is almost over her last
bout of tick fever - we had her
blood checked after 10 days of
treatment and she is back to
normal levels. Now we just need
to wean her off the prednisone
as it has given her a monumental
appetite :}
Donna headed out to Morocco
this morning to check out the
hotels and gardens her tour
group will be visiting next May.
I always miss her when she
travels but I am so proud of her
and how she has taken her
passion for gardening to a great
vocation where she can visit
spectacular gardens all over the
world and introduce other
gardeners to how others garden
in different climates and
countries. Let me brag a bit -
Donna is a published author (3
books - 1 in reprint), owner of
Canada's largest and oldest
gardening resource site,
ICanGarden.com and she was
one of only 65 gardeners chosen
by the
TV program, Recreating Eden,
as someone who had a global
impact on gardening.
I was reading an article this
week that said the Panamanian
government has earmarked over
1.5 billion to fund road
development in Panama City to
help reduce the traffic snarls
and areas where the traffic gets
crazy during rush hours. I know
that with this comes a year or
so of disruption, just like the
overpass on tumba muerto last
year, but when the work is done
the pain disappears and we enjoy
the benefits.
Almost every week I read
postings of people interested in
Panama wondering what kind of
income they need to live in
Panama. The answer almost always
is - "it depends". What it
depends on are the answers to
some pretty basic questions.
Here are a few of the questions
that will influence the answer.
What part of
Panama are you wanting to
settle in - the city, the
beach, the islands, or the
country side?
Do you speak
Spanish or are you willing
to make it a priority?
How many
creature comforts do you
need?
Can you
acclimate to the
climate/humidity?
Do you have
any special health needs?
Do you have
any special food
requirements?
Depending on
your answers, I could make a
case for income requirements
from as little as 1,000 per
month to as much as 2,500
(without considering a need for
luxury as that could drive the
needs way over the 2,500).
While we're on
the note of moving to Panama, it
never ceases to amaze me that
some people move here and then
spend their whole time
complaining that Panama is not
like it was back in their home
country - isn't that the reason
they moved?
I think of it
like this, you can't choose your
family (country of birth) but
you can choose your friends (the
country you move to). If you
find you don't like your new
friend - move back to your
former home.
I feel sorry for
the ones that come here as a
result of false promises or
claims. That's part of the
reason we decided to build this
site to allow anyone thinking of
moving to Panama to ask us
questions and we'll answer
honestly and to the best of our
knowledge of being here over
four years. We have no agenda
other than to help.
What are you
doing for Christmas this year?
December we will have our open
house again - we love this
chance to get to meet other
Canadians living in Panama. We
expect this year the open house
at our condo will be 9th. If you
are available, please let me
know so I can send you an invite
and directions.
Are you a
Canadian living in Panama? - Do
you live here part time or full
time? What made you choose
Panama over so many other places
in the world. Do you operate a
business in Panama? Is it a
support arm to a Canadian
company or is it a company
exclusive to Panama. Have you
taken advantage of the Canadian
Panamanian chamber of commerce
PanCanada? Have you met our
Canadian Ambassador to Panama
her Excellency Ms. Patricia
Langan-Torell? I ask because I
would some feedback.
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
--------------------
Well we've made it half way
through
November and Cricket is not too
stressed with the fireworks.
Although that might have
something to do with the bout of
tick fever she has this past
week.
You know it talk about a lot
of great things in Panama - well
one we have grown to dislike is
the vast numbers of ticks and
how they are on Cricket. We
check her often, use Frontline
and feed her home prepared dog
food not store bought and still
shed gets tick fever. The vet we
took her to this time said he
believes more than 80% of the
dogs and cats in Panama have
tick fever - as Cricket is older
she is more susceptible to it
and as such suffers more. It is
hard to imagine all the strays
running around without any
proper food or protection.
Over and above the tick fever
so many suffer from distemper
because they were never
inoculated from it when they
were a pup.
It's one of the reasons we
push to help Mari Pily at her
animal shelter - at least there
they get food, protection and
vet care. Help if you can - they
appreciate it --
Baking bread again today -
looking forward to it coming out
of the oven later. I am still
don't bake as often as I used to
in Canada - I can't blame the
weather as I don't find it
difficult when I get to it -
maybe it is just laziness :}
As if there aren't enough
towers and condos built over the
past 5 years with thousands of
them to come on the market in
the next 12 months it seems we
need several new islands off
Punta Pacifica - go figure - but
I've come to believe there is a
lot more wealth and paranoia
here than I ever believed - and
what better status of wealth and
paranoia then your home isolated
on a man-made island - away from
the rable :}
What are you
doing for Christmas this year?
December we will have our open
house again - we love this
chance to get to meet other
Canadians living in Panama. We
expect this year the open house
at our condo will be either the
8th or the 9th - I am just
waiting for Donna to decide how
long she needs after her return
from Morocco to get organized. I
will let you know next week.
I updated the
"changes around Costa del Este"
pictures this week as I do every
month. Have you checked out this
pictorial log? We decided when
we moved her over 4 years ago to
chronicle the changes we could
see from our balcony
around Costa del Este every
month at about the same time.
What is amazing is the when we
first arrived there were almost
no occupied towers other than
ours - there are now over 30 in
our area alone - and there are
still 14 or more yet to be
occupied. We've also seen the
commercial towers grow from the
4 Copa buildings to 6 or more
under construction. Quite the
changes in such a short period
of time. The next four years
will see the Santa Maria
development next to Costa del
Este take shape. Incredible -
where are all the people coming
from ???
Are you a
Canadian living in Panama? - Do
you live here part time or full
time? What made you choose
Panama over so many other places
in the world. Do you operate a
business in Panama? Is it a
support arm to a Canadian
company or is it a company
exclusive to Panama. Have you
taken advantage of the Canadian
Panamanian chamber of commerce
PanCanada? Have you met our
Canadian Ambassador to Panama
her Excellency Ms. Patricia
Langan-Torell? I ask because I
would some feedback. Surely
Donna & I are not the only
Canadians in Panama :} ( this is
definitely tongue in cheek as we
already know many fellow
Canadians , but would love to
know more )
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
_____________________
November in Panama - such an
interesting time. I love the
empty city - I hate the closed
stores and restaurants. I
am surprised we haven't had more
fireworks so far. Maybe they are
to come.
In case you don't know
November in Panama is holiday
month. There are 5 official
holidays - yes 5. They all have
something to do with the
national independence - from
Spain, from Columbia.
When I read the news and
reports on the various weather
problems around the world I
remember one of the main reasons
we chose Panama - we might have
a rainy season but we don't face
hurricanes or other such crazy
weather. Before Donna and I
chose Panama we had picked out
two properties in Mexico - one
close to Belize and the other
closer to Cancun. Since we've
been in Panama both have had
numerous hurricanes go right
over where we would have built
our home.
On another note, I am still
not conversant in Spanish - I
still spent time almost every
day in some lessons to make up
for the fact I am immersed in
English everyday and I have but
a few friends that are Spanish
only. But I am comfortable
that over time my Spanish will
improve :}
Next year could bring some
interesting changes to Panama
City and to the country as a
whole. I read recently the
government is changing the
uniforms of the police to a more
police blue look from the
current almost, army look. If
they go through with this it
will be a huge improvement in my
mind, even it does not actually
change the character of the
police it will feel better.
Add to this the government is
introducing the Metro Bus as a
replacement to the existing
Diablo Rojo's (or Red Devils -
the old painted school buses
that run amok all over the
city).
The biggest
change in 2011 should be the
titling of the current derecho
posesorio land - the old ROP
(Right of Possession) land that
makes up almost 80% of the land
in Panama. Up to now it has been
very difficult for anyone,
Panamanian or foreigner, to get
a piece of ROP land titled. The
newly formed group ANATI has
been created to replace all the
old groups of ProNat, Castastro,
& Anam - and has been charged
with following through with
surveying and titling the ROP
land. This is a huge undertaking
but in my opinion it will be the
greatest achievement of Panama
since the creation of the canal.
This will be a huge for the
farmers, the average Panamanian
and people like us that would
love a piece of Panama.
What are you
doing for Christmas this year?
December we will have our open
house again - we love this
chance to get to meet other
Canadians living in Panama and
with Alan & Geri here we will a
fantastic Christmas dinner with
our neighbours. A great fusion
of Panamanian, Argentinean,
French/Quebec and English
dinner. Last year we were
introduced to many dishes, each
one of them were excellent - I
can't wait to enjoy this years
feast.
Are you a
Canadian living in Panama? - Do
you live here part time or full
time? What made you choose
Panama over so many other places
in the world. Do you operate a
business in Panama? Is it a
support arm to a Canadian
company or is it a company
exclusive to Panama. Have you
taken advantage of the Canadian
Panamanian chamber of commerce
PanCanada? Have you met our
Canadian Ambassador to Panama
her Excellency Ms. Patricia
Langan-Torell? I ask because I
would some feedback. Surely
Donna & I are not the only
Canadians in Panama :} ( this is
definitely tongue in cheek as we
already know many fellow
Canadians , but would love to
know more )
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
-------------------------
This week reminded us again in
such a clear way that we are no
longer in Canada. What we used
to take for granted as was such
a simple task can be so
complicated here. I've told you
last week our friends decided on
a condo near us in Costa del
Este. All that was needed was to
finish the agreement. In the
bulk of North America when you
decide to purchase some real
estate all you need to do is
sign the offer, provide a
deposit in escrow and let the
lawyers complete the necessary
paperwork. Any mortgage gets
paid off, the title is verified,
the final funds are paid through
the two lawyers in trust for all
the signed documents and the
land titles office registers the
transfer of title.
Here the process is slightly
different to say the least. Just
getting the offer signed and
accepted can be a challenge.
Right down to who holds the
deposit. As the confidence in
lawyers are somewhat different
the payment of funds through
them can even cause some
concern, let alone the final
payment. Here there are at least
2 documents. The first is s a
simple offer letter outlining
the intent. The second is the
more formal agreement that binds
the seller and buyer and allows
the money to change hands in
anticipation of land titles
finalizing the title.
Some of the complications
come from the real estate agents
:} But that's another whole
story for another time - maybe
after all the deal is done.
Have I told you how much I
like my new Kindle. I heard
Susan G talking about her's and
decided to finally try one. I
can't believe it took me so long
:} I love the fact there are
actually free books and even the
full priced ones don't require I
wait for them to arrive from
Amazon or have to pay shipping.
While Alan & Geri were here
we had the pleasure of going
with our neighbours Sandra &
Jose Luis to the Orchid Society
of Panama's Orchid Show at the
Metropolitan Park - I finally
uploaded Donna's pictures -
check them out here.
I had some
interesting discussion this week
by email with a fellow who
operates a business in the City
of Knowledge - the Ciudad del
Saber - a very unique area in
Panama that allows businesses to
hire foreign workers who may
otherwise not qualify for
working in Panama.
During our
morning walk today it was
interesting to note that almost
all the cranes have been removed
from the apartment buildings
under construction. Since we
moved here 4.5 years ago we've
watched almost 35 towers being
constructed. When we used to
drive in from the airport or the
city we never had any grief
spotting our condo tower as it
was the only one you could see -
now its only one in a sea of
towers.
What are you
doing for Christmas this year?
December we will have our open
house again - we love this
chance to get to meet other
Canadians living in Panama and
with Alan & Geri here we will a
fantastic Christmas dinner with
our neighbours. A great fusion
of Panamanian, Argentinean,
French/Quebec and English
dinner. Last year we were
introduced to many dishes, each
one of them were excellent - I
can't wait to enjoy this years
feast.
Are you a
Canadian living in Panama? - Do
you live here part time or full
time? What made you choose
Panama over so many other places
in the world. Do you operate a
business in Panama? Is it a
support arm to a Canadian
company or is it a company
exclusive to Panama. Have you
taken advantage of the Canadian
Panamanian chamber of commerce
PanCanada? Have you met our
Canadian Ambassador to Panama
her Excellency Ms. Patricia
Langan-Torell? I ask because I
would some feedback. Surely
Donna & I are not the only
Canadians in Panama :} ( this is
definitely tongue in cheek as we
already know many fellow
Canadians , but would love to
know more )
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
October 2010
It's been a busy couple of
weeks. We took a week and spent
some time on the beach near Los
Santos. We rented a house from
another Canadian. I think we
drove Alain crazy with our
fixation on making sure we had
Internet connectivity. I am sure
he kept wondering why this
couple would want to get away to
the beach only to be on the
Internet. Well, that's our life.
Both of our businesses depend on
Internet access. While we were
away we had our condo painted
and some minor construction
done. It's nice to have it
redone and have a fresh new
colour.
Our friends Alan & Geri from
Ontario Canada stayed with us
this past week. They are moving
to Panama in December and they
were here to find and purchase a
condo. We're thrilled they chose
to buy one near us in Costa del
Este. To celebrate we had our
neighbours Jose Luis and Sandra
join us for some wine and for
all us to practice our spanish
:} I am sure we will have many
more evenings to partake and
practice.
We introduced our new friends
Gary & Bev from Calgary (Gary
has been working to develop a
new seaplane service in Panama)
to Alan & Geri over dinner at
Steinbocks.
This past week was
interesting with Alan & Geri
completing their pensionado,
opening a bank account, closing
on a purchase of condominium and
organize all the necessary
things so when they arrive they
will have TV, phones,
electricity and water it
reminded me of how different
Panama is and how accustomed
we've become during the past 4
years.
The weathers
been about what you'd expect for
October - sunny days interrupted
by thunder storms and overcast
skies, but compared to what our
friends in Alberta are
"enjoying" I'd much rather be
here :} As I write this on
Sunday it is 2 degrees in
Edmonton. Our great friends
Wayne & Elaine are packing up
and heading out for warmer
climes this month. They will be
in Arizona for a month or two
then join us here in Panama
after Christmas. We always have
a great time with them when they
visit.
What are you
doing for Christmas this year?
December we will have our open
house again - we love this
chance to get to meet other
Canadians living in Panama and
with Alan & Geri here we will a
fantastic Christmas dinner with
our neighbours. A great fusion
of Panamanian, Argentinean,
French/Quebec and English
dinner. Last year we were
introduced to many dishes, each
one of them were excellent - I
can't wait to enjoy this years
feast.
Are you a
Canadian living in Panama? - Do
you live here part time or full
time? What made you choose
Panama over so many other places
in the world. Do you operate a
business in Panama? Is it a
support arm to a Canadian
company or is it a company
exclusive to Panama. Have you
taken advantage of the Canadian
Panamanian chamber of commerce
PanCanada? Have you met our
Canadian Ambassador to Panama
her Excellency Ms. Patricia
Langan-Torell? I ask because I
would some feedback. Surely
Donna & I are not the only
Canadians in Panama :} ( this is
definitely tongue in cheek as we
already know many fellow
Canadians , but would love to
know more )
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
---------------------------
Several things happening around
Panama City this coming few
weeks related to gardening.
First,
the 25th Orchid Expo at the
Parque Natural Metropolitan
Saturday October 16 and Sunday
October 17th. Click on the image
to the left or visit the
societies website at
www.orquideaspanama.com to
see more details. Donna is
really looking forward to
visiting and maybe seeing if
there are some orchids she just
has to have for the condo :}
She's always had some orchids
even in Canada but was never
able to really enjoy them until
we moved to Panama - now they
love our balcony and its so much
fun to see new shoots appear and
flowers bloom.
Another
event Donna wanted to let you
know about was the upcoming
Ikebana workshop October 22nd at
the Hotel Continental on via
Espana. If you are not familiar
with Ikebana it is the ancient
Japanese art of flower
arranging. You may have seen
Ikebana arrangements and not
known it but if you have then
those arrangements always caught
your eye as they are always
spectacular and memorable. The
course is being hosted by a
licensed Ikebana instructor.
Click on the image for contact
information.
Lots of other fun things
going on in our lives as well.
This week we are having our
condo repainted and some other
work done while we explore Los
Santos and the Azuero peninsula.
We've never spent much time in
this area so we decided to take
a week, rent a beach house and
explore. Other than a few
challenges initially we are
enjoying ourselves. What's odd
is that in a tropical country
bursting with fruits we've had
the most trouble finding fresh
fruits - can you imagine? When
we get back I will have pictures
and more on our experience and
what we felt about the area.
In the four
years that we've been in Panama
we have watched and even
participated in the process of
migrating the hundreds of
thousands of land parcels from
the old derecho posessorio
(Right of Possession) to a full
legitimate title held at the
public land registry.
After over
100 years since its independence
it has allowed the largest
percentage of its land to be
held in this "quasi" form of
land ownership. ROP is
recognized in the constitution
but the actuality is that it is
very tenuous at best, even for
Panamanians let alone
foreigners. Every government has
known it needs to deal with this
issue for the sake of the future
and its people but there have
always been "hurdles" - mainly
the small slice of the
population that owns the largest
percentage of the country. Most
don't see a need personally and
some feel that it simply end up
costing them. Two times in the
past 3 years the government has
tried to enact a law to make the
transition from ROP to titling a
reality. Law 23 was passed and
then later overwritten by law
80. Since the introduction of
law 80 virtually nothing has
changed so a new law with a new
body is currently being debated.
I hope for Panama's sake they
allow this law to pass and allow
the new body ANATI to actually
get on with titling. This
Wednesday we heard the new
amendment to law 80 had third
and final reading so all that's
needed is the signature of the
President.
A bit more on
Donna's experience with Optical
Lopez - I reported last week the
service and price were excellent
- well she got her glasses a day
earlier than expected and they
are great. She is thrilled and
will go again I am sure.
Some good advice
this week from the Expat forum
about what to make sure you have
in your vehicle - a) your
vehicle ID card, b) copy of
title document c) current
insurance, e) insurance company
sticker / contact info f)
traffic rules book and when they
become available the new form
for minor traffic accidents.
This is the kind of stuff it is
nice to have the expat forum for
- real life helpful hints and
suggestions.
We've met
another Cdn couple living in PC
via email and they are a wealth
of information on restaurants so
in the Food section called "Reviews
by Sara" and from the first
couple I know you will enjoy her
take on the restaurants. Also,
we met because Sara emailed me
her experience with PaNetma so
I've added her comments below
mine in the Services section
just to be fair. I also
asked Roman from PaNETma to
repsond - and I posted his
comments as well as I know there
are always two sides to a story.
If you've followed us for a
while you know we have PaNETma
in our home and office and have
recommended them for almost 2
yrs.
Are you a
Canadian living in Panama? - Do
you live here part time or full
time? What made you choose
Panama over so many other places
in the world. Do you operate a
business in Panama? Is it a
support arm to a Canadian
company or is it a company
exclusive to Panama. Have you
taken advantage of the Canadian
Panamanian chamber of commerce
PanCanada? Have you met our
Canadian Ambassador to Panama
her Excellency Ms. Patricia
Langan-Torell? I ask because I
would some feedback. Surely
Donna & I are not the only
Canadians in Panama :} ( this is
definitely tongue in cheek as we
already know many fellow
Canadians , but would love to
know more )
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
----------------------
We had an interesting week with
my Canadian business partner in
town to spend some time at our
office with the employees. He
was also here to visit his
soon-to-be-complete condo in
Costa del Este. We've watched it
being built from the ground up
in our 4 years living in Costa
del Este. While I've read some
not so nice stories about some
developers in Panama,
unfortunately it is rare to run
across people handing out
accolades to the good ones. Well
here's one - F & F Properties,
the developers of Ocean 2, 1,
Titanium, Revolution and
numerous others around Panama.
I've had the pleasure of dealing
with the owner of F & F on
behalf of Ted and I have found
him professional, responsive and
a true gentleman. How many
business people do you know that
fill all of these attributes -
especially a developer. If we
were going to buy again, I would
buy one of his.
I had the pleasure of reading
Bob's latest Retirement Wave
newsletter. I hope you
subscribe, Bob Adams's articles
are interesting and informative.
If you don't get his newsletter
and you live in or are
interested in Panama - you
should. Check out
www.retirementwave.com - I
don't always agree on his final
analysis - but he warns about
that too. His latest newsletter
outlined a litany of projects
currently on the books for
Panama. From the new "city" near
the airport, to the rapid
transit, new sewage/bay clean
up, to a new bridge over the
canal on the Caribbean side to
new paved roads and of course
the new canal expansion.
I agree all of these will
bolster the economy and while
the overall economy has shown
continual growth over the past
number of years, the real estate
component is almost impossible
to graph as there is no
available, reliable data other
that ones own personal
experience. So many stories
float around about pricing, who
sold what for how much, but
there is no one place to go to
get data on how much the market
jumped from 2006 to 2008 and how
much it has softened already or
how much it still may soften in
the coming 12-24 months. I still
believe long term the market
overall is is pretty good shape
but it is not a speculators
market for sure.
The overall recommendation of
Bob I do agree with - move to
Panama because of a variety of
elements not just the real
estate. Make an informed
decision on the culture,
climate, economy, safety,
comfort and whether you feel you
will enjoy your new home
country. Come, spend time, check
it out - long before you invest.
Continuing on
real estate, if you have been
reading my notes over the past 3
years you will know that I've
been actively involved in the
goings on with regard to derecho
posesorio (or Right of
Possession type land holdings)
particularly on the Caribbean
side of Panama. At the end of
the Torrijos years the
government passed a law
mandating that all ROP land get
titled for a minimal cost and in
an efficient manner. Even the
incoming new president Sr.
Martinelli echoed this in his
inaugural speech. However as
things go that didn't happen.
The new minister of finance
vetoed the titling law and
introduced a replacement law
that allowed for titling but
with conditions and with a cost.
I understand that to date there
have been almost no titles
issued. As a result, the
president suggested a new entity
be formed to manage all the land
in Panama vs the current
fractured groups that are
responsible for various elements
of land. The combined entity
would more closely resemble
ProNat not Catastro - and from
what I've seen that would be a
good thing. This week they begin
discussing the new proposed law.
I am sure there will be lots
more on this to follow. I still
firmly believe that Panama will
not see any major socio-economic
change until it provides a full
title to its farming community
that will allow them to invest
in their properties without fear
that it will somehow be taken
away.
We asked on the
expat forums for recommendations
for an eye glass store - and the
resounding recommendation was
Optical Lopez - we visited their
Costa del Este store and Donna
was so pleased she ordered 2
pair. They are to be ready this
week so I will report next week
on the final results. The price
and service so far were
excellent.
Are you a
Canadian living in Panama? - Do
you live here part time or full
time? What made you choose
Panama over so many other places
in the world. Do you operate a
business in Panama? Is it a
support arm to a Canadian
company or is it a company
exclusive to Panama. Have you
taken advantage of the Canadian
Panamanian chamber of commerce
PanCanada? Have you met our
Canadian Ambassador to Panama
her Excellency Ms. Patricia
Langan-Torell? I ask because I
would some feedback. Surely
Donna & I are not the only
Canadians in Panama :} ( this is
definitely tongue in cheek as we
already know many fellow
Canadians , but would love to
know more )
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
September 2010
Just sitting here watching a
real system arriving across the
mountains from the Caribbean and
it has already hit downtown. We
had such a great morning out
walking on the causeway and then
driving through Casco Viejo and
the downtown area showing my
business partner the changes in
Panama since he was here last.
We reserved our social area
last night so we could host a
small BBQ and have our employees
and their families over to meet
and get to know Ted. It was a
great time - the weather
cooperated and lots of people
enjoyed the pool -including
myself. I have to admit that was
the first time in the four years
we've lived in this building
that I've ever used the pool. It
was so refreshing I went again
this morning after our driving.
Friday we all went to
Steinbachs, a great german
restaurant/pub on via Porris -
between us and downtown. The
food is excellent, the prices
are good and the beer is
wonderful. Victor had the ham
hock - he thought he was in
heaven. He shared a bit - it was
great - but I like my schnitzel
:}
We visited Ted's almost
complete condo in
Ocean 2, Costa del Este - it
should be ready for him to take
occupancy in 2 weeks - he's
pretty excited as it's been
almost 4.5 years since he
purchased it in
pre-construction. It's been
built by F & F Properties, and
we've seen many of their
projects and they are one of, if
not the best developers in
Panama when it comes to
reputation and the quality of
their finishing.
Sadly he is selling it and at
this point looking to recoup his
money as he and his wife bought
a new home in Vancouver and
don't think they will be moving.
Make him an offer.
While driving through Casco
Viejo this morning we saw where
they are going to end the Cinta
Costera in Casco Viejo - it will
make for a nice drive along the
sea wall into the old city. If I
was 30 years younger I would be
looking to buy and renovate a
building in Casco Viejo as I
really believe it will be
"jumping place" in 20 years.
Alas - sigh - not in my plans :}
Since I've been writing the
weathers gone from a storm
coming to serious rain - the
great part is the temperature is
the same and the rain will
diminish in an hour.
We continue to
meet some nice people in our
neighborhood and we're still
thrilled we chose Costa del
Este. The latest couple are from
the LA area although she has
Panamanian roots. Easy couple to
chat with and get to know.
I do enjoy going
downtown (other than to the bank
:}) and I like visiting all the
restaurants but I really look
forward to coming back out to
our area as it seems so less
hectic and cleaner. I am not
sure what it is going to be like
in 10 years with the current
development but for the time
being I will enjoy it.
Donna got back
from Thailand last week so she
is still recovering from her
trip although she had a great
treat on the longest leg of the
flight from Narita Japan to
Newark, she got upgraded to
business first with lay flat
beds - how great is that. She's
home for a while which is really
nice.
We've spoken
with a number of friends in
Canada and fall has definitely
arrived in some areas and some
have reported frost already =
yikes.
I met a Canadian
in Panama working on starting a
new air service for some of the
more unusual spots and as one of
my long friends in Canada, Peter
is a veteran of this type of
business I had the pleasure of
hooking the two of them up to
chat. One of my motives beyond
helping Gary with Peters
expertise is to find a way to
have Peter visit frequently -
that's not a bad thing to be
that selfish is it ?? ":}
Are you a
Canadian living in Panama? - Do
you live here part time or full
time? What made you choose
Panama over so many other places
in the world. Do you operate a
business in Panama? Is it a
support arm to a Canadian
company or is it a company
exclusive to Panama. Have you
taken advantage of the Canadian
Panamanian chamber of commerce
PanCanada? Have you met our
Canadian Ambassador to Panama
her Excellency Ms. Patricia
Langan-Torell? I ask because I
would some feedback. Surely
Donna & I are not the only
Canadians in Panama :} ( this is
definitely tongue in cheek as we
already know many fellow
Canadians , but would love to
know more )
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
---------------
The rainy season (or green
season as Donna loves to say)
was in full force this past week
- in 4 years I've never had 3
days in a row where I was not
able to walk to the office -
except for this past week. We
had some doozeys of rain storms
- thunder, lightning and lots of
rain. Doesn't stop us from
enjoying our walks or getting
out. It does mean we are using
our dehumidifier more than
usual. But compared to our old
home in Alberta well what can I
say - I was watching the news
this morning and they were
predicting snow in Glacier
National Park this long weekend.
Rain - Snow - no comparison :}
One of my business partners
is coming to Panama next week to
take possession of his newly
constructed condo as well as
spend some time with our staff
here in Panama. Like many
others, he has been waiting
almost 4 years for the condo. I
had the pleasure of visiting it
last week - wow - what a view
from the 32nd floor - makes our
7th floor view seem so much less
:{ I am looking forward to the
annual general meeting of our
building as I am going to try
and lobby for some changes -
like a gym and the ability to
take our little "crickey" on the
social area - she is our little
one just like others have their
sons and daughters. If you've
read this site for any amount of
time you know both Donna & I are
dog people :}
We are also looking at making
some changes within our condo
over the next couple of years.
One thing Donna really wants is
a balcony - well we might just
make one. I want a bigger
kitchen so I can bake and cook.
One thing that you will likely
not find in homes or condos is
an open floor plan as you might
be used to in North America -
like "Great Rooms". Here it is
common to chop the home into
discreet rooms for a couple of
reasons. First, it is easier to
cool a home if there are a
number of small rooms that can
be closed off and in the case of
the kitchen, they prefer to have
the hired help kept in the
kitchen or other utility rooms.
And to be honest, the hired help
prefers to be set apart in a
closed room as well.
Been working on updating our
other sites as Donna has been
busy traveling and getting ready
for 2011. I just finished adding
several thousand new photos from
England and Ireland. If you
haven't checked them out take a
few moments -
www.ICanGarden.com - the
site that started it all in 1995
- yes 15 years ago - when the
Internet was just a babe - and
www.gardeningtours.com - for
over 13 years Donna has been
taking guests to the some of the
most amazing gardens all over
the world - so much so she was
asked to be the gardening
contributing expert for a site
call
World Reviewer
This week we kept up our desire
to try out a new restaurant at
least once a month. We had been
watching the construction of a
new restaurant here in Costa del
Este during the past month. We
chose last Friday as our night
out - we were thrilled to find
it was their opening night. Il
Grillo (the cricket in Italian -
we loved it as our little dog is
named "cricket" - we just had to
try it). The owners are from
Venezuela and they own 8
restaurants in Caracas - and
that shows - the food, service
and prices are amazing. We will
be back. Check more in our
Food review
area to read about all the
restaurants we've tried so far,
there are so many and we look
forward to so many more in the
coming months.
In the news this
week the government continues to
make announcements. Unlike other
weeks when I thought the
announcements were positive,
this week I think the news I
read was terrible. In world
where "green is good" Panama
seems to be living in another
dimension. The government just
announced that up to 44% of the
land in Panama was "on the
block" for mining. Mining - yes
mining - in a country that has
some of the most amazing flora
and fauna, beaches, and history
- they decide to open up the
land for mining. Shocking in my
opinion. There may be
environmentally conscience
mining companies, I personally
don't know of any. All I ever
read and hear are about mining
companies that abuse the land
using arsenic and other horrific
chemicals that leach into the
ground water. And when you look
at the land they've decided to
open up you have to shake your
head - beach property - really.
The article and map can be found
at the
La Prensa web site. Read the
article and the map showing the
areas that are open to mining
companies making a bid. One
person commented recently - "how
interesting that Castastro has
been so slow in titling all the
ROP land since law 80 was passed
and since President Martinelli
said he would title all the land
held in ROP. A coincidence" hmmm
maybe - maybe not - you decide.
Why Panama - Why
mining ??
Why not aim to
be the most green country in the
world - make Panama a model for
every other less developed
country. My vote - Go green -
Not mining.
I received a
notice from a new company this
past week -
PanaGuard - an alternative
to home security - all wireless
to make it simpler to install in
a concrete world. The prices
look reasonable. It is based on
a self monitoring system where
it calls up to 6 numbers. We've
never installed a system up to
now as we've never seen any
commercial response to any
alarm.
Some of the
other services you should
investigate that we've certainly
come to appreciate. We tried
many of the internet providers
until settling on
PanNETma Roman and his team
offer a great service at a good
price - not the cheapest, but
when you need them - they are
there. Donna also had to take go
to our dentist again this week -
how great to have someone like
Dr Lee that you can just pick up
the phone, call Jaime and know
you are going to be taken care
of professionally. Check many of
the people and services we've
come to rely on over the past
four years of living here.
Are you a
Canadian living in Panama? - Do
you live here part time or full
time? What made you choose
Panama over so many other places
in the world. Do you operate a
business in Panama? Is it a
support arm to a Canadian
company or is it a company
exclusive to Panama. Have you
taken advantage of the Canadian
Panamanian chamber of commerce
PanCanada? Have you met our
Canadian Ambassador to Panama
her Excellency Ms. Patricia
Langan-Torell? I ask because I
would some feedback. Surely
Donna & I are not the only
Canadians in Panama :} ( this is
definitely tongue in cheek as we
already know many fellow
Canadians , but would love to
know more )
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
August 2010
We had some great news this week
- friends of ours from Ontario
have finally sold their home and
will be moving to Panama full
time this fall. Their pensionado
application is complete and
approved - all they need to do
now is decide where in this
incredible country to reside. We
are so looking forward to them
being in Panama - regardless of
where they end up choosing as
the location for their home.
Also, after 4 years of
struggling trying to find some
beef that was tender we found
our solution - papaya. In the
past the quality and tenderness
of the beef has been hit and
miss. On some occasions we've
been fortunate enough to find
some that is tasteful and tender
- however other times with
exactly the same cut from
exactly the same source it was
tasteless and like shoe leather.
I know we could probably break
down and buy the $25
pre-packaged frozen usda beef
but if I am going to spend 25 on
a steak we might as well go to a
good restaurant enjoy someone
else doing the cooking and
cleaning. We are going to give
it another whirl tomorrow night.
I did a short video from our
balcony last night I thought you
might enjoy. It gives you some
idea of what development has
occurred in our area - Costa del
Este. Be sure to check out the
month by month pictorial review
we've been doing for almost 4
years -
click here
In the news this
week the government continues to
make announcements about new
mega projects for Panama. In
addition to the new clean up of
Panama bay which includes
addressing the treatment of
sewage (versus dumping the raw
sewage directly into the bay),
they announced their plans to
further expand the Tocumen
airport with the idea that they
will eventually grow a small "blurb"
around it with hotels, shopping,
convention centre, and of course
more airport facilities. They
also announced the successful
completion of the order for
almost 1200 brand new buses to
replace the aged old "diablo
rojo" buses that are a menace
but add lots of local "colour".
The government has committed to a
rapid transit train running from
some of the poorer areas to main
terminals to help relieve the
traffic and they envision
creating a new bridge over canal
to open the new Panama Pacifico
area (the old Howard air force
base). Downtown on the site of
the old US embassy they plan on
building a mega-tower to
consolidate many of the
government offices. Lastly they
will be extending the Cinta
Costera to reach Casco Viejo.
All of these funds coming from
?? well I'm not really sure
except I think they are banking
on sustained growth and the
impact of the expanded canal.
This week at the
Atlapa Convention center is the
international fair put on by all
the embassies and consulates in
Panama = great food and a one
stop place to get to know the
countries with an interest in
Panama. This is generally packed
- lots of people, lots of great
food - well worth the time. Last
week they had the annual book
fair - really well attended as
well.
Are you a
Canadian living in Panama? - Do
you live here part time or full
time? What made you choose
Panama over so many other places
in the world. Do you operate a
business in Panama? Is it a
support arm to a Canadian
company or is it a company
exclusive to Panama. Have you
taken advantage of the Canadian
Panamanian chamber of commerce
PanCanada? Have you met our
Canadian Ambassador to Panama
her Excellency Ms. Patricia
Langan-Torell? I ask because I
would some feedback. Surely
Donna & I are not the only
Canadians in Panama :} ( this is
definitely tongue in cheek as we
already know many fellow
Canadians , but would love to
know more )
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
This last Wednesday we had the
pleasure of once again enjoying
a concert put on by Frank
Casagnet. The concert was held
at the National Theater in Casco
Viejo. The featured artist was
Alexander Panizza. Sr
Panizza is an amazing pianist.
His fingers flew over the piano
and he infused the entire
performance with enthusiasm and
passion. I wish the foundation
that was the recipient of some
of the concerts funds great
success in their pursuit to help
young people with criminal
records reintegrate into
society.
Everyone who knows Donna
wondered how she was ever going
to satisfy her need to get into
the soil when we chose to move
to a condo. I wanted them to see
that her passion for gardening
is very much alive and well.
Following are some pictures of
Donna in our social area keeping
them weeded. Several months ago
we purchased a number of
hibiscus and bougainvillea for
these beds in the social area in
the hopes we would add some
colour. The beds were fine but
very bland. Mostly green from
the palms.
This week I had
another lesson in "Panama". My
business partner purchased a
pre-construction condominium in
Costa del Este. As the building
is almost complete we needed to
determine the process of
completing the sale. We met with
the representatives of the
developer to ensure we knew how
and when the funds were to be
delivered and how my partners
interest were going to be
guaranteed throughout this
process. Many people look at
Panama and wonder if one can
really guarantee their interest.
After meeting with these people
and reviewing the contract and
talking with our advisors I am
very comfortable that my
partners interests are
protected. Is this true with
every deal in Panama, I am not
sure I could say yes. I am just
pleased he chose the developer
he did. Next month the developer
will indicate they have obtained
the occupancy permit from the
Panamanian authorities and with
that they will be in a position
to complete the title transfer
and accept the final payment. We
then have 12 months to have them
complete any repairs we find.
What is amazing is that there
almost 30 towers in Costa del
Este that will going through
this process with their buyers
in less than 12 months. Some of
these towers have up to 70
stories.
Are you a
Canadian living in Panama? - Do
you live here part time or full
time? What made you choose
Panama over so many other places
in the world. Do you operate a
business in Panama? Is it a
support arm to a Canadian
company or is it a company
exclusive to Panama. Have you
taken advantage of the Canadian
Panamanian chamber of commerce
PanCanada? Have you met our
Canadian Ambassador to Panama
her Excellancy Ms. Patricia
Langan-Torell? I ask because I
would some feedback. Surely
Donna & I are not the only
Canadians in Panama :} ( this is
definately tongue in cheek as we
already know many fellow
Canadians , but would love to
know more )
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
-----------------
Another first this week. Donna &
I went to the opening
performance called "Noises Off".
A comedy about the goings on of
a troupe of actors performing a
play over an entire season. The
first act introduced us to the
actors and the plot of the play.
It wasn't until act 2 and 3 that
it became hilarious.
Intermission provided lots of
opportunity for beverages which
were very reasonably priced.
Opening and closing nights
provide an extra treat - each
have a restaurant provide free
nibbles. Our night's restaurant
was Secundo Muelle in San
Francisco. Great food. It
will be a restaurant Donna & I
will try out as a result of
their offerings. I was really
pleased with the mixture of
patrons. From older expats to
young Panamanians. We will go
again. In fact we will likely
purchase a season pass come
January.
Next Wednesday, August 11th
there is another concert similar
to the we attended last fall.
The promoter, knows how to
combine a class act with a good
cause. In this case the good
cause is the Fundación Jesús Luz
de Oportunidades - essentially a
group in Panama that assists
young with criminal records to
become part of the working
society. The concert showcases
Alexander Panizza, an
Argentinian pianist playing
Schumann and Chopin. While it's
not important to Sr. Panizza's
credentials, I am kind of
pleased to say he was born of
his Argentinian parents in
Toronto, Canada - this is
a world class artist - and it is
to be held in the National
Theater - how cool. Get
your tickets at Blockbuster or
on-line at
http://www.tuboleto.com/
just be careful as we got some
security warnings on the site.
All you fellow Canadians in
Panama - check this concert out
and look for Donna and before,
during intermission or after -
please say Hi - we'd love to
meet you and find out what your
experience in Panama has been
like.
During our walk
yesterday morning Donna
commented on how fortunate we
are in Costa del Este to have a
virtual army of workers who keep
our grass cut, the street
cleaned and just generally looks
after our area. Also, as a
planned community, Costa del
Este enjoys a wire free view.
All the electrical wiring is
buried versus overhead as in the
rest of the city.
Donna asked me
to put a link in the "other
sites" area on the "Signs and
Symptoms of Dengue Fever".
I know this is
the "rainy season" but this last
week was very sunny and dry. We
got some rain and thunder storms
last night but that was the
first in several days. This is
something that comes up all the
time when I talk to friends in
Canada - "doesn't it rain all
the time during the rainy
season?" Unlike the pacific
northwest of the USA and Canada
during the winter, we don't
experience days, weeks and
months of grey overcast days.
The rainy season means
everything is lush and green and
you are assured of some rain
every week.
Are you a
Canadian living in Panama? - Do
you live here part time or full
time? What made you choose
Panama over so many other places
in the world. Do you operate a
business in Panama? Is it a
support arm to a Canadian
company or is it a company
exclusive to Panama. Have you
taken advantage of the Canadian
Panamanian chamber of commerce
PanCanada? Have you met our
Canadian Ambassador to Panama
her Excellancy Ms. Patricia
Langan-Torell? I ask because I
would some feedback. Surely
Donna & I are not the only
Canadians in Panama :} ( this is
definately tongue in cheek as we
already know many fellow
Canadians , but would love to
know more )
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
------------------
I was in Canada last week
visiting my sisters. While I
love Canada, it is still good to
come back to Panama. I can't
believe I went swimming in a
lake with 76 degree water :}
yikes - if I hadn't jumped in I
would never have been able to
walk into the lake :} - I think
my blood has thinned since
arriving in Panama :}
On a more serious note ---
Next Wednesday, August 11th
there is another concert similar
to the we attended last fall.
The promoter, knows how to
combine a class act with a good
cause. In this case the good
cause is the Fundación Jesús Luz
de Oportunidades - essentially a
group in Panama that assists
young with criminal records to
become part of the working
society. The concert showcases
Alexander Panizza, an
Argentinian pianist playing
Schumann and Chopin. While it's
not important to Sr. Panizza's
credentials, I am kind of
pleased to say he was born of
his Argentinian parents in
Toronto, Canada - this is
a world class artist - and it is
to be held in the National
Theater - how cool. Get
your tickets at Blockbuster or
on-line at
http://www.tuboleto.com/
just be careful as we got some
security warnings on the site.
All you fellow Canadians in
Panama - check this concert out
and look for Donna and before,
during intermission or after -
please say Hi
Another serious note - and
fun too - the last week saw some
great contributions online to
the Arraijan Shelter - it's not
the amount that matters, it
thrills me to see so many people
being exposed to the great work
Mari does at the shelter. Mari
promises that she is going to
take some video of the shelter
and share that with us - as soon
as I get I will post it on the
shelter website at
www.theyneedyourlove.org -
tell your friends - donate - the
dogs and cats need your love.
On the titling
front the government is trying
to put a new department in place
to make law 80 a reality. So far
the ones charged with actually
titling the land has a less than
stellar record. More to come on
this as the government debates
this new group.
I've added a new
site you should check out called
living in panama by Sandra
Snyder.
I also added
another link to the videos of
Allen Hawkins - he has over 130
videos of Panama on youtube. If
you join any of the Panama Yahoo
groups you will find more on
Allen. Speaking of Yahoo groups,
I mentioned this before but it
bears repeating - there are
dozens of Yahoo groups dedicated
to Panama. From groups focused
on the laws of Panama to
gardening in Panama. Each group
has an eclectic group of expats
and locals who provide their
views on virtually any topic. I
think they are a great resource
but you have to be careful and
be aware that not all advice is
good advice. For the most part
it shouldn't take you long to
work out who are the flakes, who
are the frauds and who are there
to genuinely help. Just because
it fraught with potential
problems, this should not stop
you from joining.
Are you a
Canadian living in Panama? - Do
you live here part time or full
time? What made you choose
Panama over so many other places
in the world. Do you operate a
business in Panama? Is it a
support arm to a Canadian
company or is it a company
exclusive to Panama. Have you
taken advantage of the Canadian
Panamanian chamber of commerce
PanCanada? Have you met our
Canadian Ambassador to Panama
her Excellancy Ms. Patricia
Langan-Torell? I ask because I
would some feedback. Surely
Donna & I are not the only
Canadians in Panama :} ( this is
definately tongue in cheek as we
already know many fellow
Canadians , but would love to
know more )
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
July 2010
After two weeks of the new 7%
sales tax in Panama the world
doesn't seem to have come to an
end. The protests have calmed
down as well.
The news forecast for this
rainy season seem a bit bleak -
something about el niño - we're
supposed to be in for more than
usual rain and in areas other
than Panama - a much worse
hurricane season. One of the
reasons we settled on Panama -
no hurricanes.
Donna loves the green season
(as she calls the rainy season)
more than she does the brown (or
dry) season. I do like
everything being green during
the rainy season. Even when I
say rainy season you shouldn't
be thinking of constant, day
after day rain. No, the rainy
season means it rains sometime
(generally in the afternoon)
almost every day - but not every
day. I am partial to the
dry season - sun, a bit more
wind and great times at the
beach.
We had our neighbours over
for some nibbles, wine and great
conversation last night. I love
having them over - I get to
practice my Spanish
comprehension and my spoken
Spanish. Still very poor on the
later but not bad on the former
- but then Jose Luis is so kind
and so well spoken, he
enunciates clearly, is succinct
and speaks slowly. I am sure
anyone who knows even a bit of
Spanish could keep up with him.
We went down the street to a
new restaurant/take out food
place called Caminito - which is
a term referring to a street in
Argentina known for tango. And
interestingly enough the image
the restaurant used for their
logo is the great uncle of Jose
Luis. All this to say that this
restaurant offers incredible
take away empanadas and quiches
- they must have at least 25 -
30 different varieties - and all
of the ones we tried were really
yummy.
Are you considering Panama as
a new home? Have you already
made the move to Panama from
Canada, USA or Europe? Why not
share your experience with our
readers to help them understand
the issues you faced. We added
one from Reggie -
read
it here. I've also added an
email posted on the
Panaforum about the health care
experience of one person.
Why not share
your "why I moved to ... " story
so others can be inspired -
write us at
tomd@whypanama.net and we
will put it on the site so
everyone can read it and learn
from your experience.
Funny, when we
talk with people interested in
Panama or our friends in Canada,
after they ask about health
care, they then ask if Panama is
safe. I guess I always answer -
"compared to what?" - when I
read the local newspaper back in
Edmonton, Alberta, I read about
disappearances, killings,
shootings, and thefts - so again
compared to what - any city of 1
million people - probably about
the same.
You
probably remember us talking
about the couple of dogs who
lived next door with a security
guard and how we tried to find
them a home when tehy decided to
demolish the guard house. We did
find them a home -
check out some of the pictures
we took when we visited them
yesterday.
-------------------
I hope you all had a great
holiday weekend whether you
celebrate Canada Day or USA
Independence Day.
Lots of news this last week
in Panama. July 1st the
government of Sr. Martinelli
increased the sales tax from 5%
to 7%. Lots of people all across
Panama were not happy and some
voiced their displeasure in an
outward fashion, some even
rioting. The students in Panama
City were one of the more vocal.
There was also some uprisings in
Bocas del Toro. I read lots of
very different accounts of how
bad Bocas was, but because there
was such a wide difference in
reporting its hard to say how
bad it really was, so i will not
offer an opinion. I don't like
any increase in taxes especially
when it affects everything I buy
or use, but if I had to live on
the income that some Panamanians
have to live on, 2% less would
be a hardship. Maybe I've missed
them, but it doesn't seem to me
that many of the campaign
promises of lower costs have
come to pass. Admittedly, I
think Sr. Martinelli has made
some moves to cleaning up some
of the corruption and moving
necessary laws forward like the
land titling. I guess the couple
of years will see how the new
government delivers.
Another hot topic is the
changes to the gun laws in
Panama. Again, I am not a lawyer
and have not read the new law,
but to me anything that helps
remove some of the guns in the
country is a good thing. Yes, I
am a Canadian, so my beliefs on
gun laws are different than
Americans so take this with that
in mind.
Are you considering Panama as
a new home? Have you already
made the move to Panama from
Canada, USA or Europe? Why not
share your experience with our
readers to help them understand
the issues you faced. We added
one from Reggie -
read
it here. I've also added an
email posted on the
Panaforum about the health care
experience of one person.
We've added a new link - a
spa in Boquete called The Haven
- check it out. Donna and Elaine
enjoyed the spa at the Panamonte
Hotel when we were there last,
but from the looks of this one,
they would have enjoyed it as
well.
One thing we've had to learn, a
little but the hard way, is the
labour laws of Panama. When we
first arrived in Panama we were
told to be well informed on the
labour laws as to not be could
be disastrous. If you hire
anyone for any kind of
continuing work, make sure you
hire a lawyer, ask to have your
obligations explained fully,
have them draw up a contract and
have it registered with the
Ministry of Labour.
Just a
quick primer on the labour laws
- this is not from a legal
perspective - just mine
understanding from being here
for almost 4 years and having
numerous employees in our
Panamanian company.
First, as I said, have a
lawyer create a contract for
every employee. The first
three months are designed as a
probationary period for both
employee and employer. After 3
months the contract is generally
set to expire in 12 months.
Between month one and month 23
you may dismiss the employee for
any reason as long as you pay
the necessary severence amounts.
After 2 years of employment the
rules change. You may not fire
the employee without cause or
mutual consent or the employee
may request the Ministry of
Labour to give them their job
back.
Salaries are low in Panama,
yes, but take into account the
following. Every employee is
entitled by law to the following
additional benefits.
1 full month vacation
every 12 months of work
1.5 days of sick leave
per month that may be
accumulated for 2 years
1 month of "pension pay"
for every year employed
severance pay if
dismissed after 3 months
10 statuary holiday days
per year (3 in November)
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
----------------
Happy Canada Day and US
Independence Day - regardless is
you are still in Canada or the
USA or if you are in Panama I
trust you celebrated your
heritage. Both countries are
special. So too, is our new
home, Panama - each in its own
way.
I am sure everyone in the
world is aware of the horrible
disaster of the oil spill in the
gulf but did you know there was
a major spill in Panama. True. A
good friend found this article
on how bad this spill was and
how it affected the eco system
in Panama. In 1986 a spill
occurred on the Caribbean side
of Panama near the opening to
the canal at Bahia Las Minas. It
let 38.3 million litres of crude
oil from a storage tank and it
affected the coral reefs and
mangroves. Apparently even today
you can see the after effects
and find oil in the water in
places. Imagine the damage to
come from the gulf oil BP spill.
You can google more on this or
read this article by the
Smithsonian
People always ask about
health care and other
professional services here in
Panama - well this week brings
another example of the level of
service. Somehow I cracked the
entire side off one of my molars
- no pain but very
uncomfortable. So I emailed my
dentist Dr. Lee Friday night and
he immediately responded to say
I could come in Saturday or
Monday. So far my doctor,
dentist, lawyer, accountant -
all are very competent,
reasonable and attentive
professionals.
One of the things you should
consider doing is taking a tour
of the Panama White House - the
Palace of Cranes in Casco Viejo
- well worth the time. You do
need to request a time and
provide your passport
information before they will do
the tour - Send an email of
request with your name,
nationality and passport number
to
gabrego@presidencia.gob.pa
to be assigned a day and time to
visit. Send this in early.
Are you thinking about Panama
as a new home - have you already
moved here - why not share your
story with us so others can
benefit from your experience.
Send us a note and tell us what
made you consider Panama or why
you chose Panama. We've been
here almost 4 years and its hard
to believe how fast time has
flown. When we first chose
Panama we knew we would have
some adjusting to do and we
have, but we have been so
fortunate in the people we've
met that we are happy to share
what we can with anyone thinking
of Panama.
--------------
Quiet week unless you consider
the thunder. We've had a few
good nights of thunder and
lightning.
Monday, Donna & I went to the
restaurant La Posta in Marbella.
I've seen their ads for a long
time in the Visitor and thought
it would be a really nice place
for Donna's birthday. The food
was very good and certainly
affordable but I guess I was
expecting something a little
quieter. On a Monday night the
place was sold out. Amazing but
really, really noisy, to the
point Donna couldn't hear me
without leaning over so I could
speak loudly in her ear. We may
go back with friends but not a
special night with just the two
of us.
I went to Cable & Wireless to
cancel our local land line at
the condo. I had tried to send
Nino to do this for me as he
does with so many things. All I
wanted to do was cancel a simple
10.00 per month account but C&W
insisted a letter of
authorization was not sufficient
it needed to be notarized. So
off I went with Nino. Three
times we had to return to the
C&W office to cancel the account
and get the deposit back. What a
challenge. So why did we cancel
the phone. We really don't use
it - the only people that seemed
to have used it were
telemarketers and I couldn't see
paying 10 per month to hear
telemarketers. :}
Last week the Visitor ran an
article about the state of
affairs of the residential condo
market in Panama City. With 10's
of thousands of units coming on
the market in the next 12 - 18
months it seems reasonable that
a correction has to take place.
What's hard to fathom is when I
look at what some of the
developers are asking for their
last units it seems to me they
still think they are in a
sellers market not a buyers
market.
We've been missing our
times out at the beach in recent
weeks. I hope in the coming
months we can get back into the
groove of heading out to
Caribbean at least once or twice
every month. We've also made a
commitment to each other that we
will explore at least one new
restaurant a month. We both work
hard and we don't get out often,
so this will force us to take at
least one night a month off.
Are you thinking about Panama
as a new home - have you already
moved here - why not share your
story with us so others can
benefit from your experience.
Send us a note and tell us what
made you consider Panama or why
you chose Panama. We've been
here almost 4 years and its hard
to believe how fast time has
flown. When we first chose
Panama we knew we would have
some adjusting to do and we
have, but we have been so
fortunate in the people we've
met that we are happy to share
what we can with anyone thinking
of Panama.
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
---------
Happy Fathers Day to all.
It's been over 13 years since
my dad passed away and almost 18
months since Donna's dad died.
Dad is still "alive" in my mind
and what's so funny is I know
see so much of him in me when I
look in the mirror - the one
regret is not telling him that i
loved him as often as i should -
if your dad is still with you -
hug him today and tell him you
love him
The latest Visitor had an
interesting article on the state
of affairs with the real estate
in Panama. Like everything else
there are many opinions - the
half empty or the half full
views - no one has a crystal
ball to know for sure what is
going to happen here or anywhere
else in the world. Who predicted
the state of affairs of the
Euro. The ones that are going to
face a bit of tough time in the
short term will be the ones who
speculated on Panama 3 years
ago, just before everything
started to come apart in the
world. I believe if they can
hang on then they will come out
ok, but if they have to bail,
it's going to hurt.
The rainy season has been in
full force these past few days -
and yesterday was the first time
I've felt the rain was "chilly"
(albeit it was still 80+
degrees), the wind made it feel
that much cooler.
We're going to be trying a
new restaurant this week and
we'll report back on how we felt
about it.
Donna & I had some fun Friday
afternoon - we played hooky from
work and went to the Panama
Gastronomica 2010 at the Hotel
El Panama downtown - we sampled
some great food and learnt more
about the state of the food
industry in Panama.
See the pictures here.
This week I also received a
great set of photos showing the
old Panama back in the late
1800's -
check them out - pretty cool.
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
-----------------
I love when i talk with friends
from Canada or the USA who are
investigating Panama. This past
week two friends of ours were
sharing information between
themselves on their times
exploring Panama. The focus of
their attention was El Valle, a
small town about 1.5 hours from
Panama City that is up in the
hills and has been the weekend
retreat of many of the wealthier
Panamanians over the years.
I've put a couple of new
sites on the "other
sites" page - one is called
Oakleaf Creations - great
creations by Jim & Ann
One interesting tidbit I
learnt from the discussion was
the fact that there is a couple
building a container home. We've
often thought that with all the
containers sitting empty in
Panama (and all over the world)
that they should be used more in
building. If we could ever find
a piece of land on the coast
we'd use containers to construct
a home. They are durable,
inexpensive and very plentiful -
recycle, reuse, reduce. There
are some great examples of what
can be done with containers -
check some of them out. Start
with Fred & Cynthia's blog
called "Shipping
Container House in Panama"
and then look as some examples
they've posted to see what can
be done with containers.
Something else I believe
Panama will adopt at some point
in the future will be floating
homes much like they have in
Granville Island, Vancouver or
all over the USA. There are so
many potential areas where the
beach is not so great but the
water way is perfect for this
kind of development.
Football (Soccer) is everywhere
in Panama - everyone has an
opinion on who is going to take
the world cup - all the bars
have 2 for one national beers
during the games. I am sure
there are soccer fans in Canada
but I've never seen anything
quite like this. Not even the
grey cup, or the stanley cup can
compare. It's like a national
fever - but a good one.
On a totally different note -
baking bread. Since moving to
Panama I have been challenged
like I've never been challenged
before in making good looking
bread. It tastes fine but its
anemic. I just finished another
batch and its getting a bit
better with a bit more color. I
really have to find a way to
make an outside wood fired oven
- this baking bread in 30+
degrees is not great :}I also posted a new article on
strawberries I hope you enjoy.
Donna & I live in Costa del
Este, supposed to be one of the
more sought after areas of
Panama City for its layout,
planning and amenities but one
thing I am so surprised they've
never been able to control - the
trash that floats down the river
and ends up on the coast line
right in front of million dollar
condos.
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
-----------
Donna arrived home this week so
life gets back to normal for
another few weeks before she
heads out again.
We went for a drive out to
the causeway to take Cricket for
a walk and to see what was new.
It's interesting how some of the
areas have cleaned up along the
walkway - if the ice cream shop
could just take a few minutes
and pick up the trash their
clients toss away across from
their store maybe people would
learn not to throw their garbage
on the ground. When we first
walked along the causeway 3 plus
years ago there were park
benches everywhere now there are
3 lone benches. I hope they
chose to replace them as people
used to use them. I thought you
might like to see the new
"twist" building - Revolution
being built on Calle 50 and the
state of the new Trump Tower in
Punta Pacifica
When is the rainy season not
the rainy season - when you go
several days with perfectly
sunny, hot weather. It's so
different than back in Canada on
the west coast in winter. The
clouds arrive in the late fall
and it stays gloomy and either
pours or drizzles virtually
every day. It never seems to let
up. Add to that it's cold and it
makes for a difficult time to
really enjoy. Sure people endure
it but it is not enjoyment.
Here, the rain arrives sometime
during the day with a vengeance
but it is warm and the rain
rarely lasts for more than an
hour. So walk in the rain, go
shopping, people still enjoy the
pool, all because it is still so
warm. The one thing that does
take some getting used to during
the rainy season is the humidity
and how much less wind there is
to cool things off. We are
constantly using our
dehumidifier to keep the mold
off clothes. Small price to pay
for the warmth in my opinion.
Football fever is all over
Panama - not being a sports fan
I really don't "get it" but you
are either a football fan or a
baseball fan - period :} The
world cup in South Africa is on
everyone's mind and you can see
it in the vehicles.
It seems
like every car tells a story
with its country flags. One one
car you will see a German flag
and an Argentinean flag - what
an interesting couple that must
be :} Too bad Panama wasn't in
the game :}
It's also whale watching time
on the Pacific side of Panama
near the Pearl Islands - one
group that offers 3-5 day tours
of this event is
www.WhaleWatchingPanama.com
run by Anne Gordon. The sailing
school in Panama City also
offers some trips and tours to
see whales.
Over the past few years I've
mentioned the land titling
issues here in Panama - from
what I hear it sounds like that
phase of Panama's past will be
over soon. With proper land
title certificates on every
property in Panama I am certain
that in 10 years they will
wonder why then never did it
sooner.
I had the pleasure of
emailing with a fellow Canadian
looking to retire in Panama in a
few years. My typical advice, if
you haven't spent anytime in
Panama then the best thing to do
is start somewhere, rent and get
to know the country and the
culture. Do not buy before you
try.
I also met with a fellow
Canadian who has been working on
setting up a new service in
Panama and I am sure after our
chat we'll see a lot of each
other over the coming months and
years. I wish him well with his
new endeavor. He promised that
when he got his new business
running one of the charitable
groups his company would support
would be the Arraijan shelter.
We need more companies to step
up and help with something every
month.
One last bit while I am on a
business note. This week was
another learning experience
regarding the labor laws in
Panama and how in some respects
they are so focused on employees
rights and protection it almost
feels oppressive to a company.
It also another reminder why it
is so important to make sure you
have a good accountant and a
good lawyer - in that order.
-----------------
Cricket and I walked along the
causeway this morning. Donna is
away so we went by ourselves. I
am really pleased to see so many
people out on a Sunday morning.
When we first arrived almost 4
years ago there almost no one
early on a Sunday am. What I do
miss is there used to be dozens
of park benches all along the
walkway, now there are just a
handful. I hope it is something
they decide to replace them,
maybe with something like ones
made from recycled plastic -
there are lots of plastic
bottles and bags lying around.
I was also wondering why with
all the shoreline around the
causeway and so little land to
build on that someone hasn't
decided to create a village of
floating homes like they have
all over the USA and Canada.
They are such a tourist
attraction and they provide an
interesting area like the
Granville Island in Vancouver.
Maybe someday :}
On our way back into the city
we drove through Casco Viejo.
This is area I could live in.
It's so funky and unique. I know
it will take another 10 years to
become something as vibrant as
old San Juan Puerto Rico or old
town in Cartagena Columbia but
every time I drive through I see
signs of improvement and
vitality. Yes there is still a
lot of poverty and run down
buildings but the change in the
4 years since we came to Panama
is amazing.
I had the pleasure of meeting
a fellow Canadian this week from
our home province of Alberta. He
and a some friends have been
working on starting a new
service in Panama for the past 2
years and he is 2/3 the way
through the process. He has more
patience than me.
This week as well brought some
great news. It appears that
Catastro is now taking
applications to title derecho
posesorio land (ROP). What a
huge step forward. I've not
heard anyone who has actually
received a title. If you know
anyone, I would love to hear the
results. To read the information
on line:
Web page:
www.mef.gob.pa/ Follow
through these items : 1°
“Quienes Somos”, 2° “Direcciones”,
3° “Direccion de Catastro”, 4°
“Si”, 5° Titulacion de Islas y
Costas, 6° Requisito y Aviso
If you participate in the
Yahoo goupi - Panama Laws for
Expats, you will find a series
of files Susan Guberman Garcia
posted to explain this titling
process.
I also had another pleasant
email this week from a lady in
California wanting to adopt one
of the dogs from the shelter.
She found it online at the
www.theyneedyourlove.org - I
put her in touch with Mari - I
hope when she arrives in Panama
some lucky puppy will find a
great home - please keep
spreading the word - there are
so many needy pets.
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
Cricket and I also had the
chance to visit with the two
dogs we "adopted" and are now
living with a family that do
caretaking work here in Costa
del Este - man do they look like
a million bucks - i was so
pleased.
May 2010
The rainy season is definitely
upon us - I got caught in it
during one of my walks the other
day. When I left the condo it
was just a "sprinkle" - by the
time I made it half way around
it was pouring, to put it
mildly. :}
During our walk yesterday,
Cricket & I witnessed another
crane being removed from another
condo that is nearing
completion. In our little area
of Panama called Costa del Este,
there are over 30 apartment
towers in various stages of
completion. When Donna & I
arrived almost 4 yrs ago there
were 3 complete and another 4
under under construction - you
can see the progression of the
condominium construction from
our apartment balcony in our
Pictures
area under
Changes in Costa del Este.
It really is remarkable to see
the changes.
I reported an article in La
Prensa a couple of weeks ago
indicating they believed there
were some 5-8000 excess luxury
condominiums in Panama City -
from our area alone its not too
difficult to believe.
As you may recall Donna
& I have taken the Royal
Caribbean cruise from Colon on 2
occasions and have booked for a
third. I was really pleased to
read recently that the
Pullmantur Lines will be using
Colon as home port for one
of their ships, Ocean Dream. So
far their web site does not have
it listed.
There are reports of numerous
tax law changes in Panama but I
have not sat down with our
lawyer and accountant yet to see
how they might impact most
expats but as soon as I have I
will report back. These taxes
affect land, buildings,
earnings, and goods and services
- the later sales tax has been
raised from 5% to 7%.
Doesn't
seem like a lot, but 2% to the
average Panamanian worker on all
their purchases will make a dent
in their disposable income.
They're painting our building
these days. What I can't figure
out is why they would have
waited for the rainy season to
start. Oh well, one of those
things I guess I am not meant to
grasp:} We also had a really
bizarre incident this week. We
were informed by the building
administration that the garden
hose Donna bought to help the
building maintenance people
water the plants that the
building had bought its own as
it was against the "rules" for
tenants to buy items for the
building - incomprehensible, at
least to me.
I added lots of new photos -
and a new section called "I'm
Fonda Food" a play on the name
of local on the street food
locations called "fondas". Donna
& I are visiting a local fonda
sampling the food and commenting
on it so you can get to know
some of the local food fare.
There are almost 4000 pictures
to browse through. We've broken
them down into sections like
Around Panama City, or the
Pacific and Caribbean. Within
each there are a number of
specific pages. We've even
included pictures that friends
have given us to share with you
and its always fun to see other
peoples perspectives on Panama.
Enjoy.
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
Why not share
your "why I moved to ... " story
so others can be inspired -
write us at
tomd@whypanama.net.
------------
Census day in Panama. Every ten
years like most countries,
Panama takes a census of all of
its residents. What's different
is that in Panama they choose to
do it all in one day - today.
All over the country people are
hired to take the census. The
residents (us) are forced by law
to remain indoors until the
census takers have completed the
form. They then give us a "pass"
to allow us to leave our condo
and not be arrested. :} Only in
Panama. Our census taker, a very
pleasant young man, arrived at
our door at about 3 pm and as we
had downloaded and completed the
entire form the process took
about 10 minutes. How great. :}
Yesterday Donna & I took a
sailboat from the Amador
causeway to get an up close view
of the tall ships that are going
through the canal on their way
to Cartagena, Columbia -
http://www.velasudamerica2010.com/index.php
- while we only got to see 4 of
the 12 ships but it was really
cool non-the-less. The sailboat
we went on was owned and
operated by a husband and wife
team of Patricia and Joel - what
is amazing is he had a baby
grand installed in his 44 ft
sailboat - no small feat as it
meant cutting the boat to allow
its insertion.
We also drove out to the
causeway Wednesday night to see
the Clipper ships that were in
Panama on their epic journey
around the world. Ten
teams battle in this race around
the world on 68 foot racing
yachts - crewed in part by
amateurs who paid to
participate. We wanted to see
the boat from Cape Breton Nova
Scotia which we did - how cool.
We were also fortunate to talk
to one of the volunteer crew.
The lady was Britain and had
paid something like 32,000
pounds for her 12 month voyage.
After reading the website makes
I understand a bit more of her
comment that there were "good
times and bad times".
http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/index.php/home
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
It's definitely the "green
season" (read rainy season) as
everything is green and the
humidity is certainly up there -
and after a few years we're at
least prepared for it and now it
doesn't drain us near as much as
it did the first year. This
change from brown to green is
much more evident on the Pacific
side of Panama versus the
Caribbean side.
-----
Mothers Day in North America but
not in Panama - both Donna & I
no longer have our mothers alive
to call and celebrate Mothers
Day with but we both remember
them and in those memories they
both live on with us.
It's good to be back to
baking buns again. I've been
working on getting a sour dough
starter and we'll see how they
turn out in buns today.
One of our friends in Canada
emailed to say they had great
news about a medical result -
and we we were thrilled to be
happy with them.
I told you last week about a
stray Shar Pei roaming around in
Costa del Este. We went back a
couple of times to see if it
would take food but it was so
timid it just moved away
whenever we got close. So we
pleaded in the hopes of finding
its owner of a home. Within 3
days I was not able to find him
and for the next several days
without seeing him wondered if
indeed he did find a home. On
Friday night I stopped at the
Super 99 and when entering the
store saw a note on the door.
The note was from a person who
found the same Shar Pei but
unfortunately too late to help,
it had already passed away and
the note was in hopes of finding
the owner.
I admit it still makes me sad
and angry. How can someone lose
such a nice looking dog without
finding it especially in an area
like Costa del Este that is
almost a closed environment. And
if he was purposely abandoned
then I am afraid I have no nice
thoughts about a person that
would do that to a dog.
The only comfort is that poor
dog will no longer suffer hunger
or lack of companionship.
Which brings me again to
remind you about "They Need Your
Love" - the web site we built to
help raise money for a shelter
here in Panama that almost 200
dogs call home at any one time.
Donna & I are
going to take either Wednesday
or Thursday off to go the Amador
Causeway to see the 11 tall
ships as they arrive to traverse
through the Canal.
The ships will
not dock in Panama and Panama is
not an official port of call for
the voyage but there will be
impressive vistas of the ships
docked out at sea and as they
enter the Panama Canal. For more
information about the regatta’s
Canal passage please contact
commodore@panamayachtclub.com
, 6616-2408. For more
information about the ships and
this epic voyage please visit
http://www.velasudamerica2010.com/index.php
.
Donna also put up an article she
did on our Cruise in 2009 and
I've uploaded pictures of both
cruises we took - 2009 and 2010.
We're booked to go again in
2011. Do you get the idea we
like the cruise :} We do.
An article in a local paper
(click to read complete article)
this last week quoted Wilson
Ruiz, Vice President Panamanian
Association of Real Estate
Brokers, as saying there is an
oversupply of between 5,000 and
8,000 luxury condos in Panama.
In our area of Costa del Este
alone there are 16 towers
ranging in size from 20 to 70
stories. All of these are
residential, high-end condos.
Since we moved here in 2006 we
seen our little area grow from 3
apartment towers to almost 30 -
a 10 fold growth in less than 4
years. A growth rate that is
hard to understand and sustain.
There is another
event that is echoing this
madness. Four years ago it was
almost impossible to find
available office space. Today it
seems there is a tower springing
up on every corner. It will be
interesting to see what happens
in this market over the coming 3
- 4 years.
--------
May Day - Labour Day - May 1st
in Panama - a day off for almost
everyone. Quiet n Costa del Este
-
You may recall Donna & I
asking about finding a home for
two dogs that were losing their
home as the security shack that
they lived in was being
demolished – we found them a
great home here in Costa del
Este and we just returned from
visiting them – it was great to
see them in their new home
enjoying the run of a huge area.
Now we need your help again --
during our walk this morning we
saw a black shar pei dog (not
sure if he is pure bred or
mixed) walking very slowly along
one of the side roads near a
construction site – we know
almost all the strays in this
area as we feed them when we see
them – and we’ve not seen him
before – he is very shy, very
thin and does not appear to be
very old (I am not a great judge
of dog age but he has no graying
of the muzzle) – his coat is
matted with mud so he’s not been
sleeping in any dry places – he
would not take our food when we
offered it as he was too shy and
moved away
If you know anyone who lost a
Shar pei or is wanting one –
call us and we can give you some
idea where we’ve run into him.
We've started into our "green
season" and what a difference.
In just a couple of weeks we've
gone from mostly brown to green
everywhere.
The Tall Ships are Coming to
Panama - May 13th & 14th they we
will be arriving on the Pacific
side of Panama canal and will
traverse the canal on their way
to Cartagena Columbia. We missed
this the last time they came
through and we're not going to
miss it again.
May 16th the Census is coming
to Panama - every person in
Panama will be enumerated in one
day. The information to be
gathered is really interesting.
To make the time go by more
smoothly we've downloaded and
printed out the form. You can
too from here
http://www.censos2010.gob.pa/cuestionario.pdf
During one of our sojourns
downtown this week we stopped
and had a quick lunch at the
Marbella La Emaculada - pleasant
and prompt service, hot, tasty
food - and cheap - great
combination - we both had a
bacon cheese burger with a
chocolate shake - yum.
We received an email from a
lady visiting Panama City and
staying somewhere along the
Cinta Costera - she'd been
feeding a pup she befriended
that was homeless but was
worried about its well being
when she left Panama. Peter & a
friend went to find it without
success. She wrote back to say
she noticed the pup and its dish
was gone so she hoped someone
took it in.
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
On a sour note,
a couple of years ago we noticed
an event in Panama called Casa
Cor that was going to take an
old run down building and
renovate it using local
designers, open it to the public
for a period of time and then
turn it over to Panama. Cool
idea we thought. We missed it
and we missed the one they did
last year in Casco Viejo by
days, so this year we decided to
make sure we got to it. We
arranged the time and made our
way to the building. We bought
our tickets - $25 and proceeded
in only to be stopped whey they
saw Donna's camera - "you can't
take pictures" we were told -
apparently the organizers and
designers had a magazine coming
out next week. First, an article
said "bring your camera",
second, there were no signs on
the premises to say no photos.
Third, we witnessed, and so did
the security guard several very
well dressed women wandering
about snapping pictures with
their phone and not being told
to cease. Very poor organization
in my opinion. Poorly managed
and we will not be returning or
supporting and any of the
companies we notices
participating we won't be
supporting either.
April 2010
I continue to be amazed at the
banking environment in Panama.
We've had an account with one of
the banks for over 3 years and
we decided to open a new account
at another bank just for our own
piece of mind. You would think
this would be a simple matter
especially with over 3 years of
banking history. Well no, not
quite that simple. Donna & I
both needed a reference letter
from our current bank addressed
specifically to the new bank. We
also needed 3 personal
references each. Along with 2
pieces of picture id, the new
bank would consider our request
for an account and let us know
in 5 business days if we
qualify. If you are considering
Panama for a new home, consider
opening several accounts with
several banks as soon as you
arrive as you will have all the
necessary paperwork. Over the
coming years you will be able to
assess which bank you want to
chose as your long term.
There are a number of lessons
like this that you would think
we'd have learned by now but it
seems we continue to stumble
upon items like this that are so
different than Canada. Most of
these types of things are simply
a matter of us understanding how
things are done here. It isn't a
matter of right or wrong, it's
just a matter of them being
different.
On the other hand there are
other things that we don't agree
we should adjust to like the
quality of service or the
attitudes toward trash and
animals.
No matter how many years we live
hear and no matter how many
times we hear - "that's just the
way it is done in Panama" we'll
never adjust.
It seems in a few of the
locations along the upper coast
"costa arriba", that the beaches
will get titled. Some people are
are preparing by having their
own independent surveys
conducted. I still have not
heard officially that the
regulations for law 80 have been
passed or enacted.
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
---------------------------------------
In the almost 4 years since
Donna & I chose to move to
Panama City we've seen a number
of changes. One change -
hundreds of towers have been
built - we were chuckling about
this when we drove to the
causeway along the Corridor Sur.
We had looked at a condo in
Punta Pacifica when we were
doing some condo hunting
originally. We had asked the
salesperson - 'will there be a
number of towers in front of
this condo' - his response was
something like "maybe a few" -
well today there is almost a
solid wall of buildings today :}
we were very happy with our
choice to buy in Costa del Este.
Then we talked this morning
about trash - no question litter
has dropped in some areas,
especially again in Costa del
Este and places like the new
Cinta Coastera but some areas
like the causeway are just a
mess. We took a number of
pictures this morning. Check
them out for yourself. Remember
this is one of the first places
tourists see especially when
they arrive on cruise ships. Why
the merchants don't take it upon
themselves to self regulate this
litter/trash is beyond me. One
store, the Gelarti Shop on the
second
island. Their cups and cone
holders were littered all over
the walk way across the street.
Imagine what tourists think when
they stroll along and see this
type of litter.
Check out some pictures here.
There was an letter to the
editor in the Visitor last week
that commented on how poor the
port in Colon was as a first
impression to cruise ship port.
We heartily agree.
On
our way back into the city Donna
stopped to take a shot of the
new Gehry Museum of Biodiversity
designed by
Frank Gehry, that is under
construction. It is coming along
but as you can see there is a
lot left to be done. It will
pretty amazing when it opens.
The new museum is to be called
the
Bridge of Life Museum.
Donna & I spent some time
planting new hibiscus plants in
our social area yesterday - we
really need to get some color
and plants growing as the social
area right now just looks like a
kindergarten back yard :}
Further
along the causeway is the new
Zona Viva night club area. We've
not visited during the night,
but I think it's a great idea to
put all the night clubs in one
place as it makes it easier for
cabs and police :}. Right now
the main area for night clubs
are downtown near or on Calle
Uraguay. This makes for some
very noisy neighbours and for
lots of congestion as these are
very narrow streets. The Zona
Viva is a huge area out on the
causeway that could easily
handle hundreds of vehicles.
Donna
also spotted a hawk, we don't
know the variety but it was
pretty cool. Within 2 minutes
two small birds chased it out of
their area.
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
Donna was reading a Maeve
Binchy book once when she ran
across a quote she has taken to
herself and helped me embrace it
Eventually
is Today
If you have
something that you keep putting
off or you keep saying "we'll do
that eventually" - do it now
Why not share
your "why I moved to ... " story
so others can be inspired -
write us at
tomd@whypanama.net.
March 2010
Donna & I need your help - here
is an open letter from Donna -
Can you or someone you know
help.
We
knew it had to happen. You see
for over two years now we have
been taking care of two of the
most wonderful dogs that have
been living with the workers in
a construction hut while condos
have been built around us. We
have taken care of them since
then, making sure they have
food, vet care, that they were
both fixed and had their
distemper shots.
Pastor is a wonderful male, pale
in colour and colourful in
personality. He bounds up to us
when we come to visit him.
Gentle in spirit.
Pastorcita is a precious female,
half the size of Pastor and very
loving.
They are happy dogs and healthy
dogs and now dogs that are
losing their home because they
are tearing down the
construction hut.
We would love to find them a
home together where they can be
loved and taken care of and be
together as they have always
been.
If you can help us, it sure
would be appreciated.
Do you know anyone that could
provide a home for these two -
email or phone us please
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
We spent last weekend on the
Caribbean at the house of a
friend. The house is located on
an isolated cove with an
incredible beach. Needless to
say we had an amazing time. We
had nothing pressing to do but
walk on the beach, eat and nap.
People ask why we moved to
Panama - this is one of the
pleasures. To be able to get up
Thursday morning, pack the truck
and drive for less than 2 hours
and unpack at the beach. Coming
from Alberta Canada this was
only ever a dream. Now it's a
reality.
I had the pleasure of
finishing the latest book by
Frances Mayes, the author of
Under the Tuscan Sun. Her
latest book is Every Day in
Tuscany. I am sure books
like this and "A Year in
Provence" by Peter Mayle (he
also wrote "A Good Year"
that was later turned into a
movie with Russell Crowe), and
The Summer of My Greek
Taverna, by Tom Stone all
had a hand in shaping Donna & I
into the mind set that allowed
us to make the decision to move
to Panama almost 4 years ago.
Donna was reading a Maeve
Binchy book once when she ran
across a quote she has taken to
herself and helped me embrace it
Eventually
is Today
If you have
something that you keep putting
off or you keep saying "we'll do
that eventually" - do it now
-----
Panama is changing. Lots of
these changes are to the better
in my opinion. Even in our
area Costa del Este it is
obvious that there is more
attention to litter than there
was as little as 3 years ago
when we arrived. There are
cleaning crews and even a street
sweeper that motors its way
around the community at least
once a week.
The construction boom is
slowing as well. Fewer new
starts on residential buildings
but several new starts on
commercial buildings. All of the
20+ buildings that started since
our arrival are all coming to
their conclusion with only 2
exceptions. These two built the
first few floors and have
stopped for over a year.
I am sure there were many
anxious buyers of
pre-construction units. When
they put their money down 3 or 4
years ago I am sure they were
both excited and concerned. I am
sure they knew they were getting
a great deal compared to where
they came from in North America
or Europe. Over the last 2-3
years I am sure they wondered
about the wisdom of this
purchase when they saw the real
estate market in North America
go through melt down. If they
were coming to live in Panama
and if they got their money out
of their home before the melt
down I know they are still
thrilled. If not- I wonder.
Are you one of these people
that bought a pre-construction
unit in Panama 2-5 years ago.
Are you willing to share
your experience with others. I
would love to start a section on
the site just for this - My
Story - share you story.
Our only challenge since
coming to Panama, besides my
inability to master spoken
Spanish (that will come - just
lots of work) - is to find a
place on the beach.
Anyone who's read my notes on
this site over the past couple
of years know our angst.
The current government passed
law 80 last year after killing
law 23 of the previous
government but to date they have
not passed the regulations on
the implementation. As recent as
a couple of weeks ago we had
another report of some land
being stolen by a well connected
person. This is one of the main
reasons why Panama needs to
title ALL of its land - not just
some for the privileged few. No
one is going to seriously
consider Panama outside Panama
City without titling.
Do you own land held as Right
of Possession? Derecho posesorio?
Are you concerned? Have you had
any problems with this type of
ownership? Send us your story
and we will include in the new
area - My Story.
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
Don't forget to join me
on Twitter. I enjoy meeting so many
interesting people in Panama and
around the world. If you
are on Twitter let me know - I
can be found as "PanamaTweet".
Donna's Twitter handle is "ICanGarden"
- follow us.
-----------------
I am always amazed when I read
emails from people looking at
Panama as possible home. My
first inclination is to provide
them with information but temper
it with something like "you
really need to come to Panama to
check it out, live with it for a
while, get to know some people
here" before you make a
decision. Then I remember how
Donna and I moved to Panama.
After vacationing in Mexico for
almost 25 years and after
deciding on two locations in
Mexico to buy and build, we
visited Panama City and within 4
days made up our mind this was
the place.
Within 4 months I was here
purchasing a condominium,
finding office space and hiring
employees. All this without ever
going outside Panama City. All
this without meeting anyone
other than real estate agents.
So it can be done. Do we
regret it - no way, but we are
so lucky - so blessed - our
neighbours across the hall
turned out to be exactly who you
would want for neighbours. The
building, despites its few
challenges is still the best buy
in Costa del Este.
So follow our advice not our
example. :}
Our only challenge since
coming to Panama, besides my
inability to master spoken
Spanish (that will come - just
lots of work) - is to find a
place on the beach.
Anyone who's read my notes on
this site over the past couple
of years know our angst.
Not only is finding a
suitable location a challenge as
we want something that we can
build on, something that is
located within a reasonable
driving distance from our condo
on the Caribbean side but that
has a good likelihood of being
titled when the current
government gets around to
fulfilling their campaign
promises. Lucky for us we have a
friend who has a Caribbean beach
house that lets us use it once
in a while.
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
Don't forget to join me
on Twitter. I enjoy meeting so many
interesting people in Panama and
around the world. If you
are on Twitter let me know - I
can be found as "PanamaTweet".
Donna's Twitter handle is "ICanGarden"
- follow us.
February 2010
Thanks to everyone who read and
responded to the plea for a home
for the 4 sistesDonna & I took
the Royal Caribbean cruise out
of Colon again this year with
our friends Wayne & Elaine. The
second time was equally as good
as the first, so much so we have
booked 2011 already. Lots of
pictures to follow.
We're half way through the
dry season and its brown. I
still find it so odd that we
live in a tropical country yet
every year for 3 months
everything is brown.
Carnival is over for another
year. We love Carnival -
everyone in Costa del Este
leaves the city and is so
peaceful on our streets. I know
lots of people who live downtown
that just hate it as the traffic
is horrible and the noise never
quits.
Bill Cortright of BioFit is
coming to Panama City Feb 24th
for a book signing, no word yet
on where but likely his club.
One more tidbit of
information if you are
considering Panama - make sure
you set up multiple bank
accounts when you arrive and if
you can - keep your USA or other
bank account. You may not ever
have a second chance.
I've added several articles
from Pet truama to the annual
crab run on the Caribbean.
There continues to be lots of
news and promises of change
coming from the new government
of R. Martinelli but from my
perspective i have not see
concrete results yet. Maybe I am
expecting too much for a new
government. They did after all
get the cabbies to paint their
cabs yellow. Sure makes finding
a cab a lot eaiser.
An interesting article in La
Estrella by Marlene Testa titled
Cangrejos del Caribe - Donna & I
have seen this migration first
hand - like a horror movie - it
was pretty spooky to see an
entire yard moving as the crabs
came out of their holes.
Just read a note that the
German government is on the hunt
for tax evaders using stolen
Swiss bank data. Some countries
are sure heating up their
efforts to find tax cheats.
Please don't forget the Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
----------
i will be
updating the site this weekend as it's
been over 2 weeks. Amazing how time
flies, especially when you're away for
more than a week.
I wanted to call your
attention to an urgent need -
here is an email Donna got
today.
Dear Donna:
I am looking for good hearted
people willing to incorporate
any of these 4 sisters into
their families.
They are de- wormed, vaccinated
and sterilized. They are three
months old and would not grow
taller than the knee height.
Short hair, mixed breed.
If you can please help me find
these people, I would appreciate
it very much.
Please let me know.
Their names are from left to
right:
Luciana (Lucy)
Navidad (Navi, como en la
película AVATAR)
María Guadalupe (Lupita); y
Gloria.
Regards,
Mary
I am hoping to hear from some
people that have untitled land
on the coast or island to see if
they know anything more about
the implementation of the new
law 80. So far I haven't heard
anything but as soon as I do I
will
The new land titling law was
passed by the Panamanian
legislature last week - the new
law 80 will allow all lands
owned under derecho posesorio
(right of possession - ROP) -
lots of changes were introduced
and hard fought by the
opposition groups and in
the end any land up to 5
hectares will be titled without
fees, whereas any land holdings
above 5 hectares will be subject
to a fee based on where the land
is located. Some of these titled
lands are going to be very
expensive. The government just
released the final piece, the
regulations or implementation
guidelines and I have not had an
opportunity to review them yet.
As everyone knows, the devil is
in the details.
January 2010
If you live in Panama City = are
you seeing yellow :} everywhere
--
For more than 3.5 years we've
heard that the government had
regulated that all cabs would be
painted yellow - but we never
saw them getting painted - then
all of a sudden there is a
deadline of December 31, 2009
and lo and behold - all the cabs
are yellow. Nice to see some
regulations being followed.
The Martinelli government
released the plans and route for
the proposed rapid transit
train. It seems by the route
that it is designed to move the
largest groups of people who
generally use the diablo rojos
or the cabs it is unlikely it
will reduce the car traffic but
it should cut down on the buses
and that's a good thing. It
should also make the lives of
these people easier as the
trains will have schedules and
they will not be packed in like
sardines.
In our 3 years here in Panama
we have seen many changes but
one of the most encouraging is
the shift toward being aware
that trash and litter is
unsightly and causes health
issues. We are seeing signs on
highways admonishing not to toss
trash and in our area, trash
cans being placed along
roadways.
One more thing I hope evolves
and changes is the attitude
toward dogs and cats - it makes
my heart cry when I see the
strays and the unwanted.
I am hoping to hear from some
people that have untitled land
on the coast or island to see if
they know anything more about
the implementation of the new
law 80. So far I haven't heard
anything but as soon as I do I
will
The new land titling law was
passed by the Panamanian
legislature last week - the new
law 80 will allow all lands
owned under derecho posesorio
(right of possession - ROP) -
lots of changes were introduced
and hard fought by the
opposition groups and in
the end any land up to 5
hectares will be titled without
fees, whereas any land holdings
above 5 hectares will be subject
to a fee based on where the land
is located. Some of these titled
lands are going to be very
expensive. The government just
released the final piece, the
regulations or implementation
guidelines and I have not had an
opportunity to review them yet.
As everyone knows, the devil is
in the details.
Please don't forget the
Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
Don't forget to join me
on Twitter. I enjoy meeting so many
interesting people in Panama and
around the world. If you
are on Twitter let me know - I
can be found as "PanamaTweet".
Donna's Twitter handle is "ICanGarden"
- follow us.
-----
2009 was a great year - the end
of a decade and with 2010 we are
looking forward to even better
things.
It seems Panama is settling
in to a year of solidifying
versus the previous 3 years of
hectic growth. Here in Costa del
Esté we can see that all but 2
projects will see their
occupancy being completed by the
end of this year. That means we
will have watched over 30 towers
be built in the scant 3 years
we've lived here.
New Years eve was insane as
usual - the entire city blasts
off fireworks starting early -
anytime after the sun goes down
and reaches a crescendo at
midnight - and was still going
when we went to bed - and not
amazingly we awoke to fireworks
still going in the morning.
We had a great day with Paul
& Maryann visiting from St.
Albert. They spent 2 weeks at
the Decameron resort. Last we
picked them up and we toured
around the city seeing Panama
Viejo, Casco Viejo and the
causeway before taking them back
to the resort.
Tuesday we pick up our old
friends Wayne & Elaine. They are
going with Donna to Ecuador next
Friday, but they will be back on
the 17th and will spend almost a
month with us. We always have
lots of fun with them.
The new land titling law was
passed by the Panamanian
legislature last week - the new
law 80 will allow all lands
owned under derecho posesorio
(right of possession - ROP) -
lots of changes were introduced
and hard fought by the
opposition groups and in
the end any land up to 5
hectares will be titled without
fees, whereas any land holdings
above 5 hectares will be subject
to a fee based on where the land
is located. Some of these titled
lands are going to be very
expensive. The government just
released the final piece, the
regulations or implementation
guidelines and I have not had an
opportunity to review them yet.
As everyone knows, the devil is
in the details.
Please don't forget the
Arraijan Shelter for rescued
dogs and cats.
www.TheyNeedYourLove.org -
if you can spare as little as
$10 a month that would make a
huge difference in the life of
one dog or cat.
Don't forget to join me
on Twitter. I enjoy meeting so many
interesting people in Panama and
around the world. If you
are on Twitter let me know - I
can be found as "PanamaTweet".
Donna's Twitter handle is "ICanGarden"
- follow us.