Comments for Things Panamanians Like

Comment on #5 Loud music by Big Browser

Big Browser — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:11:59 +0000

Panamanians celebrate a minute of silence with fireworks.

Comment on #38 Driving places they could walk to by Big Browser

Big Browser — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:09:36 +0000

The 4 main reasons why panamanians like to take their cars instead of walking – even for short distances – are as follows:
1) Panama-City has practically NO decent walking sidewalks,
2) Cars are parked on the sidewalks located in front of stores,
3) Its is too hot to walk in the dry season,
4) It is to wet to walk in the rainy season.

Comment on #38 Driving places they could walk to by Thailane

Thailane — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:11:53 +0000

For Dawn,1. 80% of ppeole in Panama City speaks English, internet is all over the country and cellular phone, Skype, etc.2. It seams that you are looking into areas like Coronado, Altos de Maria, and many beach areas close to Panama City, but I think the biggest expat community lives in Boquete or around the mountains of Chiriqui. Many though, move there and feel lonely or it to be too cold. This is extrange because ppeole from Vermont think it is cold and not for us the Panamanians. Some move then to more hot areas. I have seen many new buildings and gated communities around the beach areas.

Comment on #5 Loud music by Teboho

Teboho — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:09:59 +0000

I am a Panamanian liivng in the USA. Panama has different areas and conditions. Panama City has some 1 1/2 or more million people. It has many malls, traffic (as the big cities all over the world have), and hundreds of private schools. In a private school your children will learn (Spanish, English and the language the school teaches). If you want your children to learn Mandarin…put them in the Chinese School (they will learn English, Spanish and Mandarin, with a trip to China after finishing high school); if you want them to learn Greek, put them in the Greek School (English, Spanish and Greek). There is the Italian, French, etc. Also there are private schools with different religions tendencies, Catholic, Episcopalian, Jewish, etc. In Panama City houses close to the center of the city are expensive ($250s, $300s and up. You can find some, but they will be small duplex, very close together. Remember, there is limited space to build in Panama City because of the Panama Canal (there is a need to keep 10 miles each side for jungle and fresh water for the canal, so the city cannot grow in a circle, but along the coast. There is a Subway or Metro in the planning and construction. That is why there is the tendency for high buildings. High buildings are fine if you do not like to drive long, private schools, universities and more of a first world country, plus liivng close to the banking area, safest areas, and nice malls and restaurants.Now, there is a lot of people from Venezuela(running from Chavez) and Colombians moving into Panama City. Many Venezuelans are choosing the same neighborhoods to live in. Their character is different than Panamanian’s …they complain more and there is nothing like Venezuela for them…so I advise you to avoid those neighborhoods if you want to make friends with a diversity of Panamanian and international people.Panama has the Colon Zone or a Free tax Zone (the second in the world after Singapore’s)…where most of the merchandising coming from different countries is stored and distributed to Latin American countries. So you will find all kind of merchandising, cheap clothing and all kind of electronics (same price as the US, unless you buy free of tax to be put at the airport and you pick it up when you leave…then you bring it back without paying taxes for it). I never bring gifts to my family because they are cheaper there.SURE, if you want to find the roots vegetables you find in the North East, or blueberries, etc…IT WILL BE DIFFICULT…because THIS IS NOT NORTH AMERICA…THIS IS A TROPICAL COUNTRY.IF YOU WANT TO FIND in a MOUNTAIN town (Boquete) or even DAVID the replacement for the rare vacuum cleaner you bought in Chicago, or Canada (believe me this is true)… it will be DIFFICULT…because PANAMA IS A TROPICAL COUNTRY…we do not use VACCUM that much…we do not use carpet because of allergens and humidity. How the newcomers expect the stores to have replacement for something people do not buy, or food people do not eat? Just think about it…Then, if you would like a more relaxing life than Panama City, but to be able to find private schools, need to move to Chitre, Santiago, David or Boquete (from Boquete your children will have to ride some 45 minutes to David). All these are small towns with small airports, restaurants and small town/city life. David is some 7 hours in car from Panama City; Chitre is some 3 hours from Panama City. Santiago some 5. David is one hour from the border with Costa Rica…but unless you travel some 16 hours to San Jose, Costa Rica, you will not see anything. Chitre (some 50,000 people) is in the center of the country, close to beaches, in the Azuero Peninsula (one catholic private school there just won third place in International Math Competition). These areas have much of the authentic folklore of Panama, the carnivals, town festivals and the Pedasi area has some of the most beautiful beaches in Panama (Many artists from LA are buying there now). Chitre had just opened a new mall (the first outside Panama City). The area of the Peninsula is dry tropical, savanna, and it rains less than in David, which is more humid.But if you prefer to live near the beaches of the central Pacific side of Panama, Coronado is a nice small beach area (not like Virginia Beach…not that build up), but is one hour from Panama City and do not have private schools. Many people from Panama City have summer houses there and move for the whole summer with their children. Altos de Maria is an area being developed in the mountains, but also one hour from Panama City…not for children; they will not have much to do.Well, finally, Panama is a SMALL country…some 3 millions people. It is not like the USA…it has its own charm and nice people if you treat them well. I have live in a town of Louisiana where the only thing big is a Walmart…so evey place is different and has its own great things. It will never be like HOME because we will always miss HOME…then will end up comparing what we are missing to feel that we still love home.

Comment on #38 Driving places they could walk to by Patryk

Patryk — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:17:19 +0000

Hi, we are irtenested in Panama and Ecuador. I was there in 1997 and i need to return to explore Penonome, El Valle Chitre Pedasi, and Las Tablas. Any info would be greatly appreciated.** In Ecuador I enjoyed Guayaquil,. pass through La libertad, Salinas and need to go back. Can someone Compare the two.?ThanksJoe

Comment on #6 Barcelona/Real Madrid by Sahara

Sahara — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:30:17 +0000

Hi Tim,I don’t know how I came acosrs 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.

Comment on #121 Random water shutdowns by Allen

Allen — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:01:51 +0000

If you ever think on binuyg 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!!

Comment on #88 Waiting in lines by Hosoon

Hosoon — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:17:46 +0000

Great city ieednd, 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

Comment on #37 White girls by Rashmi

Rashmi — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:11:43 +0000

Hi Jisel, I’m Canadian and been lnivig in Panama for a couple of years. Here are some places you shouldn’t miss in the Coronado area:Restaurants:Cholo’sDon Chacho’sVista MarEl Galleon (Santa Clara)Hotels & B&Bs:Punta Chame VillasEl Litoral, CoronadoCasa del Encanto, in an idyllic mountain setting in Altos del Maria

Comment on #31 Crocs by Oleg

Oleg — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:06:30 +0000

I had to cut mlysef off from the crocs, as well. They were great prego shoes, but I feel like a jackass wearing them now. These are pretty nice, though!