Panama Living Newsletter

Catch the wave in Panama

Continental Airlines inflight magazine is carrying this article about Real Estate in Latin America. There is a nice feature on Panama.

Excerpt;
“Both the ex-pats and the Costa Ricans themselves who live near the border were saying you should be looking in Panama,” he recalls. The reason: Costa Rica had been so successful at making its beachfront real estate appealing to North Americans that bargains were becoming harder and harder to find. Panama, on the other hand, has many of the same attractions as Costa Rica — including mortgage financing, title insurance, and an easy process for buying a second home — but at much lower prices.

Go here for the complete story.

Now you can bet on turtle races

Here is a facinating science story of tracking Leatherback turtles and watching their progress on the internet. You can even bet which one will win!

From NSNBC

MSNBC staff and news service reports

Updated: 10:55 a.m. ET April 10, 2007

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - Eleven leatherback turtles are swimming across the Pacific Ocean to the Galapagos Islands in a "race" that will be tracked online to draw attention to the plight of the critically endangered creatures, which have inhabited the oceans for 100 million years.

Colliers Int'l Pushing 167 Acres on Panama Canal

Globe St.com
PANAMA-One of the world’s greatest engineering feats is now yielding a humongous commercial real estate opportunity. The 167-acre Isla Margarita is considered the last remaining developable waterfront parcel on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal, according to officials at Colliers Multimodal Services Group, which has been retained as brokers for the property.

Port and terminal operators and similar firms involved in maritime industries are among those expected to pursue the one-time US naval installation, says John Carver of Colliers, executive director for the multimodal services division. “Furthermore,” he adds, “the Isla Margarita has more than 2,000 meters of pristine coastline offering the potential for other forms of development, such as beachfront hotel, restaurants, retail or entertainment.”

Banana train of Almirante

Last Year John Goldrick of Ledbury, England visited Panama and rode the Banana train in Almirante near Bocas del Toro. John  heard that the train would soon stop running and be disassembled and sold for scrap metal. Being a train buff he tried hard to find anyone who could forestall the demise of this historic relic. Unfortunately scrap prices and other costs made it impractical to save. Even so, John saved a bit of the history by photographing and making the story available on the net. Here is his note to me and his photos site. If you like trains you should visit.

Hi Sam,

It is amazing how my 2005 visit to Panama keeps on running………………….

As I understand it, the Almirante Railroad is now no more. It drew to its inevitable conclusion and went the way of most, if not all of the other Central American Banana Railroads, with the last of its locos being dispatched to Mozambique. Realistically nothing could have been done. Complete closure was inevitable.

However, I found the correspondence that ensued to explore the chances of alternative options very rewarding. I have particularly enjoyed conversing with Clyde Stephens of Bocas and Florida. I now have a copy of his fascinating Banana People book and copies of a railroad chapter from an earlier publication.

This has inspired to me document my visit in more detail and I have chose an Internet format to do this. It is my contribution to Banana and Panamanian History!

I wish to share it with you, too, because I also much appreciated your interest. Without it, this small contribution would not have happened.

I hope you enjoy it,

John

 

http://www.ledbury.plus.com/arra.htm          

Cross the Panama Canal in just 2 minutes

I stumbled on this interesting video on UTUBE that is a 2 minute time laps of a ship passing through the canal from the Pacific to the Atlantic ocean. Very cool.

Quetzal a symbol of Panama beauty

This article is really about the Quetzal's of Costa Rica, but we have them near Boquete in the Quetzal's national forest. They are so common that almost all our visitors to the park get a look at them. Great story....

Here is a link to my photos of a hke through the park.
Excerpt; The bird signifies adventure in Costa Rica. To see a quetzal in the wild requires a journey to forested mountains at elevations of 4,000 to 10,000 feet.

I'm always amazed at how such a brightly plumed bird blends in with the rain-forest scenery. Despite the male's luminous green head and back, accented by intense tones of violet and offset by a radiant crimson belly, the quetzal can be virtually invisible as it perches against a forested backdrop.

New York post on Panama

Panama Panorama         
Beneath the towers ofthe capitol lies a historic nabe that is growing in leaps and bounds, write David Appel.
March 6, 2007 -- DON'T know about you, but when I think "stunning colonial architecture," Central America doesn't even crack the five that come to mind. And Panama? Isn't that the place with the big canal, some rainforests, and skyscrapers? Yep.
Read the whole story here...      

Mirror of Panama

Local opinion makers have taken to comment on the recent stories in major US publications and TV networks. Interesting take on things from this side of the border.

Machine English and Spanish follows.

Panama, Saturday 24 of February of 2007

The DESCRIPTIONS Of the COUNTRY HAPPEN from DIVINE to The RIDICULOUS SITUATION. The mirror distorted in the last days have appeared different articles about panama on US media. ` cheap paradise or a poor country, but less, are some of the headlines that are repeated.

La Prensa

Some medias measure the prosperity of Panama by the buildings that are built. More cement attracts more investors.

Being in fashion has its consequences. Panama is at its best and is around the world. The main argument: the real estate boom. The distortions: many in the last weeks, prestigious medias of the United States have published articles on the country. One is a mirror to watch Panama where the image is distorted by work and grace of the media, just as sometimes narrates war from a taxi, without many elements of judgment.

Hacienda de Molinos receives praise

Local press has done a nice story an a very nice project just outside of Boquete. Hacienda De Molinos is well planned and executed and deserves the praise. Be sure to visit them if you visit and check out the bar and view. Incredible! See my photo album here...

Machine translated to English. Spanish follows
Tourism today
They remove brightness to natural treasure in Boquete The volume of the visitors comes from all parts of the world, mainly of North America and Europe. Courtesy of the Molinos ATTRACTION. In the area there are footpaths to walk towards the tube, the gorge and jardines.
813914 Mario To Muñoz andresm@prensa.com

When journeying by the way that leads to Boquete, in the province of Chiriquí, hardley anyone can notice that to two kilometers towards the northwest there is an impressive cliff. He happens inadvertent through the visitors and single some villagers know it like "the tube". In the place, the river flows between the canyon from where several cascades at rainy time arise.

Everything you will want to know about cruising the canal.

This article is from smartertravel.com.

Cruise destination spotlight: Panama Canal

by Erica Silverstein, SmarterTravel.com Staff - February 27, 2007

Cruising the Panama Canal is a once-in-a-lifetime experience reserved for only the most determined travelers. While anyone is allowed to go, 14-night itineraries and pricey one-way airfares have a way of weeding out many potential cruisers. Retirees with a lot of money and time to spare make up the largest part of this cruise audience.

The Panama Canal's cruise season runs from late September through April. The best time to visit Panama is in the winter and spring, especially since the country's rainy season lasts from March through December. For the best weather, cruise after November.

read the rest of the article here....

Crossing A Continent In 57 Minutes On The Panama Railroad

Nice article on the Panama railroad with a bit of history thrown in. If you like trains you will love this ride! From Playfuls.com

Every day after 5 p.m. thousands of cars snake from Colon, on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal, to Panama City, on the Pacific.

Many people who work in the Colon Free Trade Zone or at one of the big container terminals prefer to live in the Panamian capital. So they shuttle the 80 kilometres, on the country's only toll road, between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

People have always used the Isthmus of Panama, the narrowest part of North America, to get from one ocean to the other - first on foot, then on horseback and with horse-drawn carriages. A railway line was completed in 1855, allowing the transit of bulkier goods from ships on one side to ships on the other.

Alien object crashes in Rio Hato

This just in from China view....

                                                                                                                                                       

               Geologists find meteorite on Panama beach

                                                                                                             

    PANAMA CITY, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Panamanian geologists have found an meteorite at Rio Hato, a coastal town west of the capital Panama City.

    The meteorite fell onto Rio Hato's beach last Friday, geologist Juan de Dios Villa told the press on Wednesday.

    The landing was witnessed by a security guard, who described it as a ball of fire crashing down from the sky onto the sand.

    The 4.2 kg red object, measuring 20 cm in diameter, will be X-rayed for more details, said Villa, chief geologist at the National Mineral Resources Directorate.

    The meteorite shows burn marks on its exterior, and appears to be mainly carbon-based, in contrast to most meteorites, which mainly contain iron.

Direct flights to Cali announced

Passengers Will Be Able to Connect With 36 Destinations and 21 Countries Through Copa Airlines' Hub of the Americas in Panama City

BOGOTA, Colombia, and PANAMA CITY, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AeroRepublica, subsidiary of Copa Holdings S.A. (NYSE: CPA) , began direct daily service from Cali to Panama City on February 14, 2006. This new route is served with one of AeroRepublica's brand new EMBRAER-190 aircraft with a 106 all-leather seat, single-class configuration.

Security issues in the city

I have posted several security stories in the last few months and this latest warning from the Embassy wardens office goes into detail on the tricks used by those who would break into your homes while you are there. There have been more than 20 of these incidents reported.

Date:        28 February 2007

To:          U.S. Embassy Warden System

Subject:  Security Update – Pre-operational Criminal Surveillance Prior to Home Invasion

Dear Wardens:  Please disseminate this message to U.S. citizens in your area.  Thank you.

The Embassy would like to inform all members of the U.S. Citizen Community to be aware of pre-operational criminal surveillance that local law enforcement authorities have identified in Panama City in recent months.  The criminals appear to be clean cut, well dressed men.  They are believed to be Colombian or Costa Rican.   They gain entry into homes with ruses of: the word of God, sales of household cleaning supplies, carpet cleaning, etc.

Hike Up Volcano In Panama Turns Into A Strange Adventure

This is an interesting story of hiking to the top of Baru Volcano. My wife and boys have done this in a two day trip. It was tough going and I was happy that I had a previous engagement. If you are considering this trip you may want to read this adventure.

My father and I, in Panama for a week during Thanksgiving last year, decided to make the ascent of Volcán Barú part of our itinerary. It seemed like a snap, given our more strenuous previous excursions: hiking the Inca Trail over four days in Peru in 2004 and scaling peaks exceeding 16,000 feet in Ecuador in 2005.

Wrong.

What's up in the Azueros?

Here is a machine translation of a local article on the Pedasi area in the Azueros.

In Pedasí winds of change blow:

By the streets they are intermingled the artisan fishermen, the producers of corn and the cattle farmers with the new renters of the place. One treats, in his great majority, of Americans, Canadian French and, who got tired of the low temperatures of their countries and preferred the tropical climate located coastal district only five hours from the capital city. The foreigners are arriving in order to acquire second residence or to invest in a tourist project.

Now you don't have to learn Spanish

One of the most frustrating things is having to learn a new language after your 50 years old. Many foreigners come here fully intent on learning the language and quickly find that it is not easy and they give up. Sure, they learn how  to order food and drink, find a bathroom and other basics, but becoming fluent is not in the cards for most of us. In the hundreds of gringos I know in the area I would say only five are fluent and can carry on a casual conversation with the locals. My 6 year old speaks fluent English and Spanish and frequently translates for me, to my embarrassment. In my case I have managed to accomplish much here by learning the basic language of construction and development. I call it "industry specific" Spanish.

Now I read an article in the Economist that describes a hand held direct speech translator. Sounds like Star Trek, but apparently it is coming to a store near you in the not to distant future. That will make moving to a foreign land even easier!

Read

Soon, nothing need be lost in translation

The Washington Post asks, Is Panama the new South Beach?

With Panama's president Torrijos  in Washington with President Bush the main stream press comes out with great articles about Panama. This one is very good.

By Ceci Connolly

Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, February 18, 2007;  Page P01

 

It was sticky hot, and I was grungy after a morning exploring the cobblestone passageways of Panama City's Casco Viejo, a 300-year-old cross between the crumbling charm of Old Havana and the restored glow of New Orleans's French Quarter.

Read the complete article at ...

Broker between extremes

The Financial Times has an interesting and positive article about Panamanian President Martin Torrijos. Prima's Paul McBride is quoted as well.

Excerpt; “The flow of investment dollars into Panama continues at a breathtaking pace,” Paul McBride of the Prima Panama consultancy told the Latin Business Chronicle website.

Meanwhile, the canal project and the real estate boom will promote huge capital flows for a nation of only 3.2m inhabitants.Construction jobs, albeit low-paid, can also be expected to be created on a massive scale.

Read the entire article here...

Hot Second Home Locations Around The World

CENTRAL AMERICA: High prices in Costa Rica and Mexico have sent buyers to Panama, with Nicaragua, Honduras and Belize not far behind. Boquete, in Western Panama, has an eternal-spring climate against the backdrop of an extinct volcano and an artistic community, complete with access to the Pacific coast. A typical lot goes for about 40,000 dollars.

The above is from Playfuls.com about hot spots to buy a second home around the world. Boquete gets top honors for Central America but visitors may get upset when they find little to buy for $40k.

US Dreamland South Of Rio Grande Has Downside, Too

The tree hugging press always points the finger of guilt at developers and land promoters as taking from the locals by paying them peanuts and making a fortune off the sale and development of the land. What B.S.. The locals are selling land at prices that make them rich by any standard and they are making the choice without coercion. The developers take tremendous risk and efforts to turn jungles into and ever producing cash flow for the locals. The developments help bring the local population out of the third world with poor education, health and no opportunities into the first world with virtually no cost to them or their governments. If you want to talk of destruction of jungles, just fly over Panama and look at the trees decimated and land erosion caused by cattle ranching. This agricultural industry is completely run by locals.
From the Playfuls.com team.

North Americans robbed in Punta Pacifica

This brief story came out in the local press this weekend and goes to show that you must take precautions when moving abroad, even when there is security in a high rise tower.  We are starting to see more reports of home intrusions in Panama, especially the city. Panama still has a significantly lower crime rate than the U.S., but if North Americans are being targeted because they are percieved as beng easier targets, the crime statistics against them may be considered high. The lesson is to be careful no matter where you live. Your not in Kansas anymore!

Punta Pacifica Robbery
Eight men armed, and dress in blue, break in yesterday directly in the apartment of the North American citizen Angela Cristian Vincent, located in Punta Pacifica, where they managed to steal $1, 500 in cash and more than 27 thousand dollars in jewelery. The assault was registered in the building Bellagio Tower, located in luxurious residential area of Punta Pacifica in Paitilla, at 7: 15 in the morning, where the thieves identified with a white panel with a signboard of oats cream entered the building. (El Panama America)

YouTube Panama Video

Here is something to make you feel good. A catchy tune, great lyrics, vocals and video work You will be singing this all day.

Go'in down to Panama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzr_fJVYbg0

For more traditional Panamanian music and culture go here:

Music of Panama

My apartment in the city

As many of you know, I believe Panama City is being overbuilt and much of the building boom is being driven by speculators rather than end users. Even so, many people are buying for their own use and I am one of them. I have to travel to Panama City regularly for business and my wife likes to come to the city to shop and visit her family. We decided it was time to buy an apartment rather than staying in hotels as we have done for the last 5 years.  Even with all the speculation, I believe if I buy the right place at the right price it will be a good long term investment.

I wanted a small apartment in a good location away from the noise of the city streets. I had rented an apartment in the city when I first came to Panama in 1997 and I could hear the noise even up on the 17th floor. After a lot of research we decided on the Allure.  With all of the buildings being offered, why this one? Location, view and value. This building is to be located on the park on Balboa avenue near the Hotel Intercontinental.  It is within walking distance of dozens of great restaurants  and on the easier side of town for my travel to and from the regional airport. Along with the location it has great views that will never be blocked. The beautiful  "Central Park" cannot be sold and built on and it acts a a 500 meter wide buffer from the traffic noise on Balboa. They also include the air conditioners, stainless steel appliances and a huge list of amenities. I know this sounds like a commercial, but I can't help but sell something I am sold on. If you are considering an apartment in the city, you should look at this one and become my neighbor.

Sam is on the radio

If you are looking for great information about living and investing in Panama, you may want to visit Window2Panama, a web radio program. They have interesting stories and interviews with people who live and work here in Panama. This week, I did an hour long interview about the Boquete area specifically and Panama in general. You can go to this website to hear it.

Promo: Window  2 Panama  This week                 we have

Sam Taliaferro,

 the                 creator of Valle Escondito and the person                 credited with starting the mass retirement movement to Panama.                  This is an information rich show and you wont want to miss it.                

In Panama City's old quarter, a rebirth takes place

Boston Wold news has a nice story on my friend K.C. Hardin and his efforts to revitalize the old Panama. K.C. has been hard at work here for 4 years and is a driving force in that part of the city. Congratulations to K.C. and to Patrizia for their great work.

American helping restore buildings

By Indira A.R. Lakshmanan, Globe Staff  |  January 22, 2007

PANAMA CITY -- As the fast-talking, big-money barons of a full-throttle property boom noisily transform Panama City's bayfront skyline into a shiny facsimile of Miami's, a different sort of developer is quietly revitalizing the city's crumbling, charming old quarter nearby.

Panama City's casco antiguo, as the old quarter is known, is home to 780 historic but mostly dilapidated buildings, from Spanish colonial dungeons and churches to French and American townhouses with wrought-iron balconies built a century ago during the construction of the Panama Canal.

Read the whole story here...

Latin America Real Estate: Continued Growth

Another good article from Latin Business Chronicle on Latin real estate for the boomers.

Excerpt;"The fundamentals of the region continue to be sound, despite some concern on the potential collateral effect of the slowdown in the

U.S.

real estate market in other regions of the globe," says Rogerio Basso, an analyst at Ernst & Young's real estate advisory services. "The baby boomer generation will continue to retire in large numbers in the next coming years and they will have a substantial amount of disposable income available to them. Many of these individuals are looking for opportunities to purchase second homes that they can use either for vacation or retirement purposes, and as such

Latin America

will continue to be an attractive proposition."

Read the whole story here...

Where in the world?

Another positive article from

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

about travel in Panama. Keep them coming!

Excerpt;

Panama. It's getting increasingly popular as a warm-weather destination, but it's still something of a bargain: Sherman Travel offers a five-night getaway, including air fare, for $899 (shermanstravel.com/editor --review.php). Seven years after the U.S. government handed the Panama Canal back to the Panamanians, and 17 years after dictator Manuel Noriega exited the scene, this country has suddenly become Central America's newest place to play. It boasts a full complement of beaches, islands, rainforest, indigenous tribes, multiethnic culture and duty-free shopping. Panama City's skyline is like Miami's and the city's multicultural mix is reflected in shops and restaurants, says Norman Vanamee, editor in chief of Sherman's Travel. You can tour the 90-year-old Panama Canal, still an amazing feat of engineering.

You can explore the country's Pacific side, with some of the most pristine jungle landscape in the world and Native American tribes who live in remote wilderness villages. Eco-tour groups abound, and one of the largest is called Ancon.

Buying in Central America

The New York Times has an article about buying property in Central America. Seems almost daily I read an article in various papers about this subject. If Americans really discover the advantages of International Real Estate in mass there won't be enough land to satisfy the demand. Each article like this helps get the word out.

New York TImes
By AMY GUNDERSON

Published: January 10, 2007

 

When Steve Carl steps out of his three-bedroom beach house in Ambergris Caye in northern Belize, snorkeling at one of the largest barrier reefs in the world is just a short swim away and going to dinner means leaving footwear behind.

      

“Everything is barefoot here,” Mr. Carl said. “There are fantastic restaurants nearby and I can walk in there with bare feet for white-linen service.”

Mr. Carl visits his vacation home in Belize with his family four or five times a year. The cost of labor in the country is low enough that he and the five other homeowners in his community can house two full-time caretakers in the development to keep watch over the homes and manage renters. Also, property taxes are “virtually non-existent,” Mr. Carl said.
Read the rest of the story at NYT online.

Poverty in Panama

Bob Baker writes an excellent article in Latin Business Chronicle about how poverty is measured and how that measure might apply to Panama. I have often defended Panama as not having as many really poor people as other Latin countries I have visited or lived. As Bob Points out, by many standards, those who appear poor are rich in many ways. It all depends on the benchmark. There are certainly areas of poverty by any standard in Panama, and most of it is with the indigenous peoples. Here in the interior we work with a number of private organizations who help with nutrition, education and other pressing issues that are a result of, or attributable to poverty. Even so, by any measure Panama has much fewer people living in poverty,  simply because it has a relatively small population compared to other Latin countries.
Thanks Bob, for a very insightful article.

Occasionally,  income does not provide a true indication of rich and poor and a quality lifestyle can be defined differently.

BY ROBERT E. BAKER

While Panama is experiencing better than 8 percent growth and our future looks brighter than ever,  a  foreign visitor recently lambasted Panama regarding our level of poverty and warned that we had better watch out because 47 percent of our population lives in  poverty. He based this on the low dollar  income of  almost half of our citizens. Furthermore, while espousing his  reactionary values that  eluded both interpretation and prophecy,  he went on to suggest that Hugo Chavez-type, leftist leaders could be  the future result of our 47 percent poverty level.