From the horse’s mouth… Expats living in Panama

Hello,
I am married to a panamanian woman since 1965. We have left panama in 1966. I was stationed in the old Canal Zone. We have been visiting Panama for the last 20 years. I like Panama but my wife doesn't. We came to live in December. We had purchased an apartment in the City in July. We went back sold everything and came down with 2 suitcases and shipped my car. Shipping the car was a mistake. I should have sold it and purchased one when I got here.
Be prepared for Cuture Shock. Things don't operate as smooth here as where you come from. I miss the order. I chose the city because in the interior you have to go to bed with the chickens. Here in the city if I want to go get something to eat in the middle of the night I will find a place to eat. That said I pesoanally woul like to live by the beach, but my wife doesn't. We will prbably stay here for about 2 years then we may head back to the states. We miss Walmart and our other family.
The weather is Humid and hot. There is a lot of friut you can purchase but the food in general is no cheaper than in the states. The electricity is very reasonable if you are retired you get 25% off your bill. We have a 2 bedroom apartment on the 19th floor turn on the air condition during the night and very few times during the day and our largest bill has been $67.00
As has been pointed out in other forums, you may want to come down and rent for a while before taking the plung. Hope that this tidbit helps. Good luck.
jrod

Thank you jrod1944.  Interesting perspective and much appreciated.  Actually, we like going to bed with the chickens and we don't like Walmarts!  I have experienced culture shocks (Haiti and Tunisia) and I am prepared for that.  I am not sure how prepared I am in leaving my children and five grandchildren with whom I am very, very close.  What I am most concerned about, besides the cost of living, is the heat and humidity and it is for this reason we are thinking a bit more in the interior.  Having said this, I am not liking the idea of too much rain either.

We were planning on spending a month there in October travelling from Panama through to David and then towards Boquete.   Then we would return to Montreal, sell our home and actually move to Panama some time next spring.  And like you mentioned, we would rent a place for about a year.  My daughter currently lives with us and she would temporarily inherit all our furniture etc., so that won't be a problem.  And if we eventually decided Panama wasn't for us, we would still have our belongings here in Montreal.

We are looking for a quiet retreat – gardening, writing, reading, walking, cooking and enjoying nature.  I am curious and concerned about the weather; is the rainy period really that rainy?  Is the rainy period in the Panama City area the same as the rainy period in David or Boquete?  If we go for a visit in October what kind of weather could we expect?

Heather

I doubt my previous reply was sent (error on my part I am sure), but my husband and I are planning a trip in September with the intentions of early retirement in few short years to Panama.  Have you discovered the blog "Along the Gringo Trail" by Clyde and Terry Coles?  They moved to Panama last September, so it is very current and always up to date with what's going on in their transition from Texas to Panama.  They also are great with responding to any questions you ask when you post to them, etc.  They recently bought a house after renting a short time and will be honest with you about the move, etc.
I would expect, as far as weather, rain during the day but not consistently.  It seems to rain a lot in afternoon but is over quickly from what I keep reading.  It seems (since I don't have the experience of living there but it's all I seem to read these days!) that Pacific gets half the inches of rain that the Caribbean does (60 inches a yr compared to 140 inches) and that Boquete can be a lot wetter during rainy season and downright chilly at nights and even during the day.  Also the beach and Azuero Peninsula seem drier.  Good luck with your trip!  And with getting our answers!

And another great blog for me has been xpatescape.com (Stephanie is the writer)--also from Texas and relocated to Panama.  She and her husband own a Mexican restaurant there (Pacos) and has been so sweet to respond to my questions as well

Hi,

And I did receive your previous message AlliG but in a private email message and I also replied to it in a private email.  Twice, once in error (me too – I am new at this!).  So you may have already read this:

I have read so many blogs and researched so much that I am getting dizzy.  However, I have not seen the blog Along the Gringo Trail and have just now loaded it onto my screen.  It looks very interesting – thank you!   I agree; Panama City is way too hot, and probably too hectic for us..  I wouldn't stay on the Caribbean side as I hear there is more crime in that area.  We are also considering El Valle, Las Tablas, and the David/Boquete area.  The Azureros Penisula is a bit more remote and that has a certain appeal to me too  I have so much to learn.

I read a blog recently and it also provided me with a lot of insight, and I would like to share it with you.  Or maybe you have already seen it.
yourpanama.com/seven-pillars-of-relocating.html

We were considering taking our first trip in Oct/Nov but that is definitely the worst months in regards to weather, so we have settled on January 2013.  Since you are visiting in September, hopefully you will be able to give us some first-hand information!

And good luck to you and your new adventures.  And if you learn anything else that you think may be of interest to us, please do not hesitate to contact me.

PS – I am not sure if I have read any of Stephanie's posts but I will certainly have a look – thanks!

Just wondering if a GPS would work in Panama?

It will work if you cna get a Panama map. I understand that Tom Tom does not have a panama map, but Germin does. Google map also is an excellent way to get around. In Panama most people don't go by steet names and address, they use reference points mainly for directions. Most of the streets have signs but sometimes they are hard to find.

I have read that GPS is difficult because there aren't street names (basically it's "go to the square building and turn up there by the angel statue on the corner")--it will be challenging but I plan to upload mine with maps to try it.  (We used ours in Sweden--they have street names but boy are they long names!  So it's always worth a try and just to have a good laugh! lol  Never know if it can be done unless you try it!).

We can buy a Map of Panama for the Garmin GPS (which is the one I have) for about $40.  And apparently it works very well considering all the missing road signs etc.  We will invest in one before we go on our exploratory trip and let you know how it really works (like, I have absolutely no sense of direction!).

Hi Heather and Dan,

I just saw your post.

I came to Las Tablas two months ago. Within a couple of weeks I had found a furnished house to rent, and my husband and our 3 dogs came down in April.

We're still finding our feet, but liking it very much so far. We're on an extremely limited budget, but managing ok so far.

You mentioned healthy diet -- that's a big concern of mine, too, and we've been disappointed in the availability of fresh vegetables, although everything else is great.

We're about 6 miles from the beach and a few miles from the mountains. We can buy most of what we need here, and Chitre is only half an hour away if we need to find more.

People here are friendly and the area is extremely safe.

I'm writing about some of our adventures in Panama at- futureexpats.com if you want to check that out.

All the best,
Susanna

Hi Suzanna,

I joined the Future Expats forum and I am about to read some of your blogs.  So glad to hear that you found your little dog!  I am not finding a lot of blogging on your own experiences in Panama – maybe I am not navigating through the site properly?

The one consistent advice I find within most of the blogs is that it is good to interact with the locals.  We really need to learn Spanish!  Regarding the vegetables, some bloggers claim an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables.  Maybe it is more fruit and less vegetables?  Or maybe it depends on the area?  Oh I would be so disappointed if the area we choose lacked in fresh fruit and vegetables.  I seek organic living and I am also looking for energy healing, ie. acupuncturists, reflexologists, massotherapists, etc.  Do you have any information on this?

You have recently rented a house in Las Tablas.  That appears to be a nice area.  We were originally looking at the David/Boquete region but find that it has become more expensive there, plus there appears to be more expats.  How do you like your new home?

Thank you so much for contacting me – and I hope to continue learning!

Heather

Heather, you're definitely going to find more in the way of organic fruits and veg in Chiriqui Province. I have no idea about the alt. medicine practitioners you're looking for, but suspect you'll also find those where there's a greater concentration of expats than there is in Las Tablas.

Boquete is definitely more expensive -- that's what happens when the expats move in in large numbers. We enjoyed visiting there, but it was out of our budget. And I honestly did NOT like David. It's much hotter there, for one thing.

I really like it here in Las Tablas. It's got a lot of small-town benefits, and some of the small-town drawbacks as well. We've had to go to Chitre for some things we wanted to buy, and I suspect a trip into Panama City will be necessary before too much longer as well.

My best advice is, find someplace you think you'll like and rent for at least 6 months. If you don't like it after that time you can move on. If you do, you can look for something more permanent.

Al the best,
Susanna

Hi Heather and Dan,
We are planning an exploratory trip to Pnama in July with an eye to retiring sometime in 2013.
The schedule really depends on how fast I can sell my house.
In addition to locale, we will also be looking at prices on everything in hopes of deciding what to take, sell and buy new.
As for the actual move, we are planning to drive from Baltimore as this is the only way I can get my dogs there (they are too big for the airplane).
I will try to keep in topuch, but I am a lousy letter writer - either electronically or on paper.

Hi Shalom,

An exploratory trip in July – oh that is coming up quickly.  I hope you will tell us all about it – and don't worry about your writing; it is fine.  It is interesting that when you move you will be driving.  That is something my husband was considering also.  One thing, to get the car there, and secondly to bring as much smaller stuff as possible.  But I am a bit hesitant travelling through Mexico.  Us too – the big move will be in 2013.  For Dan, the earlier the better, but we will see.  I am anxious to hear your opinion on, like you said “what to take, sell and/or buy new”.

What area are you most interested in?

Yep – July is just around the corner and I am sure many members will be anxious to hear about your adventures – take notes!  And thanks for sharing.

I will keep you posted.
We have a pop up camper that we just bought with the idea of driving to Pnama.  I have seen several blogs from people who made the trip (some even all the way to Argentina).
They all camped along the way.  Also, once we leave the states, I don't know if we will find hotels where we can stay with the dogs.
Just a random thought, but if the timing works out, perhaps we can caranvan there together.

As Sandy knows this already, I wanted to pipe in that my husband and I traveling to Panama in October (end of month).  We are in contact with a woman that owns a  two bedroom condo in the Solarium complex in Coronado where we want to stay for five of the nights.  My sister and her son are going along for the trip and just for the heck of it.  (She wants to see and learn what we see and learn, and he just gets a free trip!). At the end of the week, we hope to return rental car back and stay close to airport (probably using points with a Marriott or Hilton).  This way we have some time in Panama City. We are searching and taking notes in our hopes to retire to Panama in the next few years.  Anyone who wants info from me upon our return, let me know and I will give you all of the details.  We are going to drive as far as Las Tablas or Pedasi to see those towns, but we won't make it to Boquete (save that for another time and we don't think we want to reside there).  Also want to see El Valle and drive up into the mountains there.  I would love to hear from others that visit Panama as well in their quest to retire there someday and the do's and don'ts or likes and dislikes of it all.  Need to get the good with the bad to make the best decisions.

Interesting travel site for a first exploratory trip to Panama (or simply a vacation):  http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Ca … anama.html  I am using it to help plan our first visit; we are now considering October/November 2012.  And who knows, when there I may hear someone speaking English, turn around, et voila! It could be you AlliG!  There is lots of info on this site for all the different Panamanian destinations, photos, restaurants, hotels, tips and reviews, etc.  This site may help you too rebshalom for you upcoming adventure in July!

Hello,Heather &Dan,
Just starting our explorations of Panama,as our preferred retirement location....exciting & scarey,at the same time...there sure is alot of info out there...now,to sift through it all!!!
Myhusband,Roy & myself,Suzanne,have a little time before making the plunge,so to speak..soo,we'll be reading your experiences over the next few months,just to see how difficult this transition is gonna be.....

I haven't retired yet,but my husband has...guess he's gonna wait for me...Were from Newfoundland,so I guess I don't have to explain our reasons for wanting somewhere half warm to live out our retirement......sick of snow...sick of fog!!!! Enough said. ...

I'm looking forward to reading your blogs...thanks everyone for your info thus far....and to those travelling there soon....have a blast..hope it's everything you'd hoped it would be...

Cheers
Sue

Hi Madmomma!  Our time frame is about 2-3 yrs to retire to Panama.  We are "watching" the International Living Conference that was held in April (we ordered the seminar and downloaded in onto computer so we hear all the presenters and see the power points basically), taking notes and find it amazing that laws change so often!  It was reported in Panama Guide today and a lawyer emailed me that there is another Visa that can be obtained as of this past May.  So stay tuned, good luck with your research and I will definitely post what new things I find out and learn as I learn them (especially after my visit to Panama in October).  Have a wonderful week! 

Allison

Hi Allison
We are leaving for our exploratory trip this Sunday.  Originally, we were going to spend the entire time in the area of Panama City, but now we are going to spend a few days looking at the David/Boquete area as prices seem to be cheaper there.
I'll keep you posted about our experiences.
regards,
Shalom

Oh My Goodness--Have a wonderful trip!  The IL Conference did restate that if you are on Pacific side and it is rainy season you should see sun daily but get rain for hour or two (might be hard rain but not all day).  This sounds tropical and good to me!  Boquete will have a little more and the Caribbean will have rain all day, so here's hoping you are the Pacific side a lot and have dry days!  Have safe and fun travels and post when you get back.  Will you drive out to David?  Wow!  We may only go as far as Las Tablas using Coronado as our base for the week.  Let us know how renting the car goes, where you stay, what restaurants you try, and how you like it overall once being there

Have a wonderful trip!
Allison

Yes. It works. But people don't understand it: no one know how to get anywhere in Panama.

A lot of nice areas. Boquete is of course, popular but don't overlook areas that aren't already overrun with expats.  If you want to go to local bars that are full of graying boomers and cover bands playing Clapton, you'll like it. It's a great place to vacation but if you are like me and are happiest at home, consider the less popular and less expensive areas. Volcan, Concepcion, Las Tablas, Santiago, etc.

Hey! I was just practicing a couple Clapton songs, learning bass so I can cover when my husband's bass player is out of town.

@FutureExpat dear Suzanna, how did the dogs do? How is the climate for dogs there?