By Liz Small
Contributing writer to LatinWorld.com
Please look before you leap.
After reviewing the many articles that are available on the Internet on the subject of relocating to Panama and discussing the subject with friends and neighbors, we (a handful of full time Panama expat residents) thought we would try to present a realistic view of the “Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” of this major life style decision.
The Good
Depending on your choice of location in Panama, you will find the beaches and the beautiful oceans
close at hand. They are typically warm but breezy, thoroughly refreshing, and relatively clean. Speaking of water, that which is intended for consumption, is fresh, pure, and entirely drinkable. There are areas, however, where thoughtless use of pesticides has resulted in the need for the installation of home purification systems.
If gardening is your thing (or even if your prefer to just supervise), you will find an amazing array of tropical flowers (with orchids being particularly hardy and with many varieties available) and trees to plant throughout the year – different things during the two seasons, the rainy and dry months. The climate consists of these two periods, both lasting approximately 6 months. The dry season (or summer) starts in late December, early January and ends in mid May. The rainy season (or winter) gets going around mid May and lasts until mid to late December. Typically, a day in the rainy season begins with the sun out and clear skies. Then in the early afternoon, there is rain for an hour or so, and then the sun reappears. Temperatures throughout the year (again depending on location) only vary 10 degrees or so (75-85 degrees during the day), the dry season being the higher. The climate encourages a particularly lush environment which, in turn, provides the perfect habitat for a host of colorful birds, native animals, and exotic looking – some say “beautiful” – insects!
We have all found these things (the proximity to great beaches and oceans, the ability to be surrounded by a vibrant landscape while enjoying the magnificent weather) have greatly contributed to an easy adjustment to life in Panama. Helping as well are the great roads which lead to many interesting sites and cities, the moderate cost of living, and the ability to meet and enjoy the Panamanian people.
The Bad
Favorite pastimes (reading best sellers, knitting, gourmet cooking, chatting endlessly with family members on the phone, or even receiving letters) sometimes have to be finessed or eliminated altogether. Bring a good supply of books in the language of your choice – unless it’s Spanish, then “no problemo” – and encourage guests to bring some along with them when they come for a visit. Ditto any special hobby needs or exotic ingredients which may be in short supply or unavailable altogether! Better get hooked up on Skype or some other communication modality and be email literate. Calling internationally and receiving mail is pricey!
Before you buy a piece of ground to begin to have your dream house built, please take into consideration the following: the “ mañana” factor! Everything goes at a slower pace here and there is no sense of urgency. If you have left your ability to be patient wherever you have moved from, please go back and get it. If you were never a patient person to begin with, please think long and hard about building versus buying an existing spec house or resale. Retrofitting an existing structure is much easier than building from scratch. Ask folks who have “been there, done that” and you will soon discover the wisdom of this advice. By the way, those folks you asked for advice, they are your new “family” so try to listen carefully to what they are telling you and profit from their experience. After you have listened and actually followed what they have told you and saved yourself no end of pain and expense, not to mention aggravation, have them over for dinner as a way of saying “Thanks”! They may become your new best friends!
The Ugly
Have you have started to think Panama is synonymous with Utopia? There are a few challenges of which you must be aware. Traffic in Panama City can be daunting. The lack of street signs combined with the curious driving habits of the cab drivers can often result in a hair-raising experience. Are you used to having everything available at all times and in close proximity? Unless you choose to live in Panama City, you will not enjoy that luxury. Many items (produce and paper goods to name two) have to be imported and therefore will not always be on the grocery store shelf and will be a bit more expensive due to importing costs. We have a saying in Panama: “If you see it and want it, buy it!” It may not be there the next time you go looking. Also, there is a suspicion that some manufacturers send goods they would not be able to market elsewhere to Panama. Quality can be an elusive characteristic.
Bienvenidos a Panama!
front photo provided by ethantate at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ethantate/2750089356/
first photo provided by seracat at http://www.flickr.com/photos/mserarolsbcn/3370563337/
second photo provided by Alexander H.m: Cascone at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cascone/1295936293/
Enjoyed your reflections on life in Panaman! Suggestions for a better title…
“AN AMERICAN IN PANAMA”
Do you think it’s original enough?
Panama does have its finer point and its ugly points, however in general I it is overall a great place especially when you factor in the cost of living. While Panama’s cost of living has increased in the past couple of years…it is still relatively less expensive than the US. Examples I like to use are the price of a movie ticket and the price of a McDonald’s Big Mac. Both of these items are the same throughout the world, however they cost differently depending on where one is located.
In Panama you can go see a first run movie (usually a week behind the US on Blockbusters) for as low as $2.15. You can even go to a state of the art VIP Theatre with plush leather recliners and butler service for only $7.50 -again for first run movies. As for a Big Mac, when they are not on special for $1.50, a Big Mac combo can be had for just under $4 at the Via España McDonald in the center of Panama City.
A quick tip for all newcomers – invest in a VOIP telephone adapter from your favorite internet phone company before you leave “home,” such as Vonage. I simply connect mine to my internet connection and instantly have a “local” New York number which I can make and receive unlimited phone calls in the US.
Great place to visit, great place to live and more importantly considering the economy…it won’t kill your wallet.
Writer for A Panama Guide
Hi Alexander,
Thanks for your comments. Good tips. If you would like to write a few articles about Panama, we welcome guest contributors. It seems like you are a pretty knowledgeable person about the country. If you are interested, you can click on Guest Contributors on the top navigation. Cheers, Brian
I have a couple of comments, and I will apologize in advance for the first one, as I am using it to get in touch with Alexander: Alexander – I accidentally deleted your e-mail about adding your link to our web site – would love to do so, and just can’t figure this e-mail system out yet (I know I can retrieve deleted e-mails somewhere, but I’m not using my old standy “Outlook” for this e-mail. Please e-mail me again at hotelcalamia@gmail.com with your contact details.
Second: Great comments about moving to Panama. I’ll add a few myself. I have been fortunate enough to get into a great situation, taking over operations for a hotel in which I have a small equity interest. Being associated with partners that I trust, I have been able to get great recommendations for lawyers and accountants, but the stories that I have heard lead me to believe that the best ones out there today could scam you tomorrow, so buyer beware and triple-check those references.
Now, for the reader’s amusement, I’ll relate my personal story of expat frustrations: Banking. Being in western Panama, the center of our universe is David. By default, HSBC is the most viable international bank available to us in David. Opening an account has been quite an adventure. You must execute a signature within the parameters of a small box, and it must look identical to your passport signature. Being that my passport is 8 years old, and never being forced to make sure that my signature was always consistent, this became quite an issue. I was made to practice it about 10 times while the banker studied various versions and advised me to replicate and/or improve upon certain executions. I had been warned that Panama would try my patience, and thought that I had come prepared, but as the banker was challenging me with this, I really had to fight the urge to stand up, throw the papers in the guys face and say “You’ve GOT to be kidding me?!!” I did give the guy an annoyed look and asked him if he was serious, but my attempts at intimidation were ignored. We finally seemed to get a version that was agreeable.
Then, try to wire money home – I dare you. Another form to be filled out. AND, if you draw any letters outside of the little boxes on the form, start filling out a new one (another iteration of “You’ve GOT to be kidding me!”). There was some “optional” information – my home bank’s street address – that I didn’t include: I didn’t remember it, and it said “optional.” The banker agreed that it was unnecessary, but of course, 2 days later, when I was checking with my wife to see if the wire went through, I got a call from the banker stating that I needed to include that information (“are you kidding me? it took you two days to notify me of this?” I’m seriously going to tear this guy a new one when I go in there on Tuesday – it certainly won’t help matters, but it will make me feel better).
The moral of the story is: It’s true, prospective expats, bring your patience with you. Plenty of it. You’ll hear it repeatedly, but it can’t be repeated enough – you’ll need it.
Thanks for the information everyone. I am laughing at some of the complaints about Panama as I have experienced the same issues on the other side of the world. I am an American ex-pat living in the Middle East for the past 11 years. Living in Cairo, Kuwait, and now Dubai for the past 7 years has been an adventure. But now that Dubai’s economy has fallen off a cliff my family & I are taking a serious look at Panama for a possible move in the future. If there is one thing the Middle East has in common with Panama it is the need to have PATIENCE. You can fight the system but eventually it will break you if you don’t learn to relax. In many respects Panama will be a step up for us.
I just discovered this website. It will now become part of my weekly research on Panama so keep the comments coming…
This is really fantastic!. I anticipate leaving L.A. within a few years and am pretty willing to endure the bad and ugly for the good. If anyone has a lead on how to find houses for under $90,000 in a decent half English speaking part I’m already grateful.
I am a Panamanian born man who is thinking of returning back to Panama to retire. I laugh at every comment that was made about my lovely country, Panama. All in all, it seems like those of you who live there, like it enough to make it your home. CONGRATULATIONS!
Ernesto E.
Great city indeed, I am from Costa Rica and have traveled to Panama and various opportunities, I will say that this is one of the best places to live in Central America, the other option being my own country
I’m thinking of moving to Panama City in the next year or so. What are the best areas of the city to buy a house in. I would like to be near the water if possible and the area needs to be safe. Would like to start looking at realestate on the internet but don’t know the names of the areas I should be searching! Can anyone help?
You “Americans” are funny; you think the US is the best place on earth and complain about every single place you visit but living in the US is the one of the worst experiences someone could suffer…here everything is ruled and regulated and nothing works the way its supposed to. Police brutality and abuse exceeds even soviet times police repression; there’s no freedom to protest against anything as people who decide to protest publicly is brutally repressed by police and national guard; politics are among the most corrupt in the world as you can see almost everyday in the news; social security it works to pay elders expenses, contrary to real social security in latin american countries where social security means public assistance to the people; FEMA is a joke and gives money away to later realize they gave money to people hey were not supposed to; H1N1 vaccine doesn’t exist and when created, didn’t supply to one tenth of the population; policemen are paid to be taking care of workers while fixing a street and they shoot people without any fear nor remorse without substantial reason; there’s more racism here in the US than anywhere else…state and federal government spent money on stupid things like financing a new stadium for the losers Miami Dolphins or sending more money and troops to Afghanistan and Irak while poverty increases everyday in the US…you can see a lot of homeless living under the bridges in Miami and begging to drivers for money while police cars just are standing by to the American Airlines Arena messing up the traffic…USCIS rises their fees about 200% and still are “short on employees” and cases taking over 4 years to be done, when in the most of the cases shouldn’t take more than one or two…The US isn’t a country to be proud of…it is a country of lobbyists and this country is base only on marketability…no real values, no real history…a country build up by immigrants and that discriminate any immigrant even being that most brilliant minds in this country are foreigners, immigrants
Now, you say that living in Panama, or any other country but the US is beyond patience limits…you complain but love to live out of the US…the same as I do, about this country in decadence.
Just enjoy our countries and adapt yourself to our uses and costumes…or leave and go back to your country of origin…
I am planning on retiring to Panama within the next few years. Meanwhile, I would like to start planning for my future. I mimic “Linda, see reply 15 Nov 09.” Looking for something affordable and safe. I am planning a trip to Panama this summer so I can see what may be available and possible options. Would love to find people to correspond with that are willing to answer questions I may have, provide guidance, and share their experiences. Thank you
If you ever think on buying a flat in the luxury and expensive Balboa Avenue looking for a peceful environment, think it twice! I live in one of those since november 2009 and I regret my decission ever since. I am suffering 12 hours of daily noisy christmas carols played through laudspeakers installed by the municipality in front of my building. A permanent fair with other kind of loud live music followed by crowds runs on the weekend’s evenings. Fantastic!!
I am thinking of moving to Panama and have just started researching. Please notify me when there are new comments.
I used to live in Panama when I was 9 – 14 years old. My dad was stationed at Fort Clayton. Now I am near retirement as is my partner, Dave. We are thinking about taking our puppy, a Maltese, and retiring to a beach commmunity. I speak fluent Spanish and I am a Spanish profesor here in the USA.
Any suggestions? Does my dog have to be quarantined? She would have a nervous breakdown! Dave loves to fish and I just want to get away from the ratrace and enjoy warm weather again.
thanks
r
Czeslaw,
Maybe you’re the one who needs to return to your country of origin. You complain about how terrible the US is, yet apparently live in Miami waiting for your green card application to wind through USCIS. If the US is so inferior to (cough) Latvia, maybe you should gtfo of the US and move back there. The people on this board posted about some problems (mostly annoyances) expats should prepare themselves for in Panama. What you did was blast an entire country in a hate-filled rant.
I agree with Spike. What is up with Czeslaw anyway, if you hate the US, go ‘home’, why are you still here?
Central America is a nice place (as far as touring from a cruise ship). Costa Rica has a beautiful rainforest to enjoy! The Panama Canal was very interesting and enjoyed our tour guide.
If you are thinking, like we are, to move there, go rent a house for a couple of weeks before making any decisions and read, read, read, there are plenty of books, just google to find, to get info on everything you could need to know written by US citizens living in these countries.
I found this link to be a bit distrubing:
http://www.panamalaw.org/panama_facts-the_ones_they_do_not_tell_you_about.html
Is anyone in the know on any of these issues?
Hi Tim,
I don’t know how I came across this site… in any case, I am Panamanian born and raised (although I lived for about 7 years in the USA before returning). In general, most of the things on that list are worst-case scenarios that stem from a lack of street-smarts, caution and unrealistic expectations that Panama functions like a 1st-world country.
The law over here functions in a different way than in a developed country such as the US. Nobody here really expects the law to function as it is supposed to, nor is naive enough to expect protection from it.
The upside to this, however, is very big, because if you know how the law works and stay out of trouble, you can pretty much pay no taxes on income, park wherever you want, and basically do whatever you want (not harming anybody obviously) as long as you keep an eye out. Just avoid the law to any extent possible and hire people to do legal transactions for you if they show any sign of complication – it’s really not worth your time when you can get a messanger to do it for you for $3.
Another thing is that people here (including police, civil servants, etc) are generally a lot easier to talk to and negotiate with and they are very sympathetic in general. There is little of the robotic “doing my job so screw you” attitude you find in places like the USA. THE #1 PRINCIPLE HERE is that if you treat people with calm, respect and humility they will generally go out of their way to help you, even if it’s against the law. If you avoid condescending, patronizing behavior, you will be very well off. Just because it is someones job to do something doesn’t mean its a good idea to assume they will do it if you get angry at them.
And speaking about crime: the truth of the matter is that the vast majority of crime here is organized crime related to drugs and gangs in bad areas. If you stay away from unsafe areas (they are easy to recognize) and keep away from anything related to selling or traffiking drugs, you will be very safe (and if you smoke weed in your car, be ware of road blocks!).
You also need to realize is that there is still a large minority of people here that are poor and have hard lives – and you need to realize that just by being from a developed country it is assumed you are rich, which will automatically make you more of a target than average, mostly for petty crime. The main idea is to take precautions and not unnecessarily display signs of wealth or talk about it around strangers (once you know people it’s obviously something else).
The bottom line is, don’t expect Panama to work the same as a 1st world country. It’s a totally different experience over here – and a lot of it is very positive. You just need to realize that it’s not a North-American suburb – it’s much more in-your-face and there are many more startling contrasts and characters, some of them disturbing. It’s also a much smaller country, where everybody knows everybody (even despite social class), where you spend much more time dealing with small companies and less with call-centers and corporate small-print.
Hi I’m Keegan
I was born in Panama and I’m going to move back there when I finsh college and live there the rest of my life. The kids in my school always picked on me. So I’m hoping Panama’s better.
thanks
Keep working ,great job! Will be back.
Hi! My husband and I are considering retiring to Panama. We have about 8 years until SS and our retirement funds are available, so it may be awhile. Considering this we would consider investing in something now that would help support us when we move. We would like to move within 5 years, but may not be able to unless we find the right investment. We need to do much more research and would appreciate any helpful information you may have regarding investing/moving to Panama. We are also looking at Ecuador, but are leaning towards Panama right now.
Thank you.
Hi,
Thanks for the message! I’m going to do a bit of research to see if I can send you some suggestions to help you out with your potential move!
Learning about Panama, considering a home there…sounds like SS might just be enough?