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August 2010 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 2010The 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 2010I 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.
Donna and I spent some time
going through all of the
pictures we took in 2009 and
created a slide show - we hope
you enjoy it.
http://www.whypanama.net/2009review/index.html
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.
Donna and I spent some time
going through all of the
pictures we took in 2009 and
created a slide show - we hope
you enjoy it.
http://www.whypanama.net/2009review/index.html
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.
Donna and I spent some time
going through all of the
pictures we took in 2009 and
created a slide show - we hope
you enjoy it.
http://www.whypanama.net/2009review/index.html
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 finished our 2009 review
in pictures - we hope you enjoy
them -
http://www.whypanama.net/2009review/index.html
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.
Read the comments from the other
years
More
News - 2010
More
News - 2009
More
News - 2008 & earlier
|