Whenever I travel anywhere in Latin America, I’m always intrigued by expats I meet who’ve chosen to leave everything behind in the U.S., Europe or Canada to settle in Central or South America. And I don’t mean backpackers or embassy employees stationed somewhere for a couple of years; I mean those who back up their bags and set up their lives and livelyhoods abroad. I recently spoke to Canadians Jane and Barry, owners of the Coffee Estate Inn, about their decision to move to Boquete and the experiences and challenges they’ve faced living and working abroad.
What motivated you to move to Boquete?
In 1994-95, we were travelling on a sabbatical, reassessing our lives in our mid-40s without any intention to relocate. After eight months of travelling throughout Mexico and Central America, we came to Boquete and realized that this was the most appealing location that we had visited. We saw opportunities to create a business and decided that we could establish a new life here.
What was Boquete like when you first moved there?
Driving into Panama was a striking change to the rest of Central America! Good roads, small, but well tended homes, “pride of place,” fresh milk in supermarkets and a wide selection of goods other than the basic necessities. It was five years after the removal of Manuel Noriega. Panama had returned to a democratically elected government, with a stable currency and a population with a broader outlook.
Boquete was a genuine blue-color agricultural town with coffee, oranges and vegetables. It was a town populated by real people doing real things. The tourists arriving in Boquete were Panamanians, U.S. military and Panama Canal resident employees, international backpackers and a few more well-to-do adventure travellers.
What are some of the challenges you faced moving to a foreign country?
We could write a book on this. Off the top, here are some of our thoughts:
-Language and culture; we didn’t know anyone living in Boquete who spoke English for a year after our
arrival. In hindsight, this was good because it forced us to speak Spanish.
-We learned quickly that we could not rely on anyone except ourselves. This made us
unwilling to consider any expansion beyond our original plan.
-Partying is more important than working.
-The work ethic is completely different in Canada where people we knew and worked
with took pride in their output.
-We remember our lawyer telling us that we were very serious people for a county like
Panama. Fifteen years later, we fully understand what he meant. Follow through and
commitment are of little interest.
-There is a general bureaucratic attitude that rights are actually only
administrative privileges.
- Our time has no value. If our time had too much value in Canada, it has no value here.
-Curiosity is a rare trait.
Do you ever miss Canada or question your decision to move to Panama?
We never miss Canada. At times, we do question our decision when we get entangled in the bureaucracy.
Was it your original intent to build a hotel? Or was that idea born after you moved to Boquete?
The decision to stay in Boquete and to build a small inn was determined at the same time.
How has the Coffee Estate Inn changed since it opened?
We changed from the original “cabana” model to a deluxe bungalow offering. We market to “dual income, no children” couples. We upgraded the accommodations, offered more sophisticated food services and expanded the gardens and trails. We have roasted our own private estate coffee since 2000 and included a coffee and nature tour to our inn guests for as many years. We created a limited availability coffee liqueur, ”Barubica” in 2006.
How would you describe Boquete today, particularly the dynamic between expats and locals?
It is a community moving forward. Coffee and agricultural products are still very important to the economy. Tourism and tourism services have grown to attract a larger number of adventure tourists. Fortunately, we no longer hear the buzz words “residential tourism” (making a buck on a second home) coined and promoted vigorously by less than desirable development entities. Over the years, the relationship between expats and locals has been up and down. We seem to be in a more “up phase” since 2008 and the burst of the money-from-nothing real estate bubble. We have more ex-pats here now who are making Boquete their home as opposed to ex-pats and transients who only came here to make money quickly and leave.
Advice for someone considering moving abroad?
If you are sure that you want to live abroad, do it while you have the energy needed to establish a new life in another culture. Don’t wait until you think that you have enough money because you never know what may happen.
For more information about my travels in Panama, check out my blog. Or, check out related articles on customer service in Panama and abroad and information about Panama coffee from a coffee shop owner. To visit the Coffee Estate Inn official website, click here.
