About kaizencanadian

Currently Lives:

Citizen of:

Some Forum Posts:

Panama: Canadians - any of you having problems accessing money at ATMs?:

I've been in Panama about 9 months now, and have been withdrawing money regularly at ATMs from my Canadian Royal Bank and Scotiabank accounts. However, the last few times I've tried withdrawing money, I've been unable to. I've also tried my Tangerine account a few times, and it's also refusing me. I usually go to an ATM at a branch of Banco General, and up until the last few times, there were no problems. So I've talked to both Royal Bank and Tangerine twice each, and they assure me that there's no problem on their ends. I've got more than enough money in all 3 banks, and my daily limits are well over what I'm trying to withdraw. So I'm curious if any of you have been having a similar problem and have found a solution, or if it's just happening to me. Thanks

Panama: Using Mail Boxes Etc. to receive low-value packages?:

I'm house-sitting a place about an hour outside of La Chorrera. The owner is sending me some parts from the US to repair the ride-a-mower she has here, and so she asked me to register with Mail Boxes Etc., as they now have a branch in La Chorrera. Anyways, that got me thinking about ordering some stuff online from the US/Canada, and having it forwarded to the MBE Chorrera branch. I've been looking through their website, and I'm having a hard time finding estimates for prices. I'm trying to figure out if it's going to be prohibitively expensive for a low-value order. So for example, let's say I just want to order a couple of paperbacks from Amazon, any idea of a ballpark price MBE would charge to move the order from the address in Florida to Panama? The only other thing I think I'd be looking at getting is some vitamins. I've heard there are really high import taxes on electronics in Panama - any idea what the rates are for vitamins and books? Cheers

Panama: Nov. 3, 4 and 5 - store/bank closings?:

I was looking at a calendar for Panama and it says that November 3rd is Independence Day, the 4th is Flag Day and the 5th is Colon Day. I'm just wondering what days are stores, banks, etc. closed for these days? And is anything closed on Monday (due to the 5th being a Saturday)? Thanks

Panama: John Deere distributor in Panama City?:

I'm house-sitting a place here outside of La Chorrera and we have a John Deere ride-a-mower. One of the belts on it went and I need to get a new one. I've checked a few hardware stores, but all they have are belts that are way too short. I know a guy who picked a belt up for us before from the distributor, so I know they have them, but he's out of the country at the moment and unreachable, so I can't ask him exactly where he got it. I went to the John Deere global locator site, and it says that Empresas Melo is their distributor, on Avenida Domingo Diaz, near the Panama Metromall. I've never been into Panama City before, and so I'd like to make sure I'm going to the right place so I don't end up getting totally lost and not able to find it. I'm assuming it's a Melo y Cia, but I can't find one in that area on Googlemaps. Do any of you know if that's the right store, and if so, where exactly is it? (e.g. north or south side of the street, what cross street, nearby store?) Also, any suggestions for the best way to get there, if I'm driving in from La Chorrera on the #4? Thanks

Panama: Mango season - when does it usually start?:

I'm house-sitting a place here long-term on a big piece of property outside of La Chorrera. There are several types of mango trees on the property, and most of them stopped producing around late-July/early-August. I realize that different types of trees (and even different parts of the same tree) ripen at different times of the year. However, I'm wondering when do the first trees usually start producing ripe fruit? The dogs and I are going into mango-withdrawal, so I'd just like to know how much longer we have to wait. Thanks

Panama: Boquete - finding longer term apartment rentals?:

I'm currently living on the shores of Lake Gatun, and I'm thinking of moving up to Boquete in a few months. I have to do a visa run to Costa Rica next week, so I've decided to head up to Boquete for a few days en route to the border. While I'm up there, I thought it would be a good idea to try and get a sense of what kind of apartments are available. I'd be looking for a lightly furnished studio/1 bedroom. I just need something simple - as long as there's a decent bed, a fridge and preferably a desk, I'm set. I've seen there's a few available on craigslist, and I looked at encuentra24 but can't find anything in Boquete. Often in towns with a lot of foreigners, there's usually a cafe, a bakery or a restaurant that usually has ads for foreigners for rentals and other services. Is there any place like that in Boquete? And are there any other places online I could check out? Cheers

Panama: Any good camera store chains in Panama?:

I'd like to buy a polarizer for my camera (Sony a6000), and I'm wondering if there are any good camera chains in Panama. I'm outside of La Chorrera and would prefer to be able to pick one up somewhere there rather than having to go into Panama City. I'd prefer an actual camera store as opposed to an electronics store, as electronics stores usually have very limited accessories. If not, are there any good camera shops in Panama City that would likely carry accessories for the Sony a6000? Cheers

Panama: High-speed Internet in rural areas – options?:

I'm living in the middle of nowhere, north of La Chorrera. I currently have 10GB a month through Claro, but I'm wondering if there are any other options. When Claro is working well, it's great. However I have 2 problems with it: 1) The 10GB a month is not enough for me. I use Skype video quite a bit to talk to people and that eats up the bandwidth. I inevitably end up reaching the 10 GB after 2 or 3 weeks, and am then dropped down to 1995 dial-up speeds for the rest of the month, which is quite painful (often one minute to load a simple webpage). The last time I checked their website, 10 GB a month is the highest they offer. 2) Usually once or twice a month I will just suddenly have no Internet connection at all for up to a day or a day and a half. Even when the weather's fine and there are no power problems. So ideally I'd like something with at least 20 GB a month. Do any of you know of any other options? Thanks

Panama: Kayaks - where to find a used one?:

I’m house-sitting a place outside of La Chorrera on the shore of Lake Gatun. I’ve been here several months and I’m probably staying several more, so I’m thinking about trying to find a cheap used kayak. I don’t need anything fancy, I just want something big enough for a tall adult male, and reasonably stable. I don’t care if it’s a traditional kayak with the hole in the centre you slide your legs into, or one of the newer ones where you basically just sit on top (i.e. you don’t enter it). Any thoughts on where to look for one? Preferably in or around La Chorrera. Cheers

Panama: David - bookstores & health food stores?:

I'm making a run to Costa Rica in a week or two to renew my 90 day driving rights. I'm coming up from outside of La Chorrera, and so I'll be spending my first night in David. I know quite a few of you guys live in the David/Boquete area, so I thought you might be able to help me find a few things. What I'm looking for: 1) health food store – I'm wondering if there's a North American-style health food store in town. I'm looking for a few different things, including toothpaste (without SLS and fluoride) and some body wash for the shower (without all the regular chemicals in it). 2) Bookstore – I'm living on a big piece of property that gets quite a few different types of birds on it. I love taking pictures, so I'd like to get a Birds of Panama or Birds of Central America-type book to help me identify them. It can be in English or Spanish, so I'm curious if there's a big bookstore downtown, especially in the bus station area, as I'll be staying there. 3) Pet store – I've got a couple of dogs on the property and they've got some fleas. I've been able to find lots of flea shampoos, but I haven't been able to find a flea brush anywhere. I'd prefer to see if a brush is going to work first, rather than bathing them in chemicals regularly. Any big pet stores downtown? 4) Hamburger joint – I've got myself on a very strict diet while staying here in Panama, but allow myself to cheat a bit when I do my runs to the border. I would kill for a big, fat juicy burger (especially one with bacon) – any places you can recommend? Thanks for any suggestions

Date Joined:

3/14/2016

Total Posts:

37

Posts/Day:

0.10