About tombseekers

Status:

Expatriate  

Gender:

Female

Currently Lives:

Boquete, Chiriqui, Panama

Citizen Of:

United States

About tombseekers

We are retired high school teachers who sold everything and moved to Boquete, Panama. We are living the dream! I began a blog http://tombseekers.wordpress.com detailing our move once we made the decision to relocate to Panama

My Website:

http://http://tombseekers.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/retirement-15-months-away/

Advice for New Expats

Rent before buying.

Some Forum Posts:

Panama: Buying Cellphone on Visit to Panama:

Get your smartphone unlocked before you get here. You will want apps - WAZE, Whatsapp and others. You will use it when you come here for an extended time. Then you just need a chip - Claro, MovieStar etc and buy more time when you need it. Otherwise, just get a cheap phone ($20-25) here and use the wifi function on your US phone.

Colombia: Bringing my cat from Panama:

We are taking a 2 month vacation fro Panama and I would like to bring my cat if it is't terribly tedious or expensive. I will have all the mdical forms required for re-entry to Panama. I cant seem to find anything online except companies. I just need the requirements. tyia

Panama: Scratching Post:

Usually Melo in Boquete has flat scratching rectangles. Look on the top shelf above the leashes and such

Panama: retiring there:

There's a link to blogs on the left side of this page

Panama: Any success with Tunnel Bear VPN:

Unlocator hasn't worked for me in months.

Panama: Bringing a pet to Panama:

Pets with container can't weight more than 20 lbs. My cat didn't make it by about 2 lbs but American had no problem. Hopefully your dog is small and can fit into a soft-sided carrier. If not, PTY has restrictions if the flight lands when it is very hot so consider an early morning or late evening arrival. When we came to Panama 3+ years ago, no animals were allowed in the cabin on Copa.

Panama: In the Throes of Moving:

We've all been there and the overwhelming stress is normal. You can get a room in Santiago, which is about 3 hrs. from PC but the dog situation may prevent that. By the time you get through the airport customs and the vet, you may want to stay in the city. We stayed at the Balboa Inn bc they allow pets and it's not too far to get to the bridge in the am. You won't face much traffic leaving the city in the morning either which can be backed up for hours in the afternoon. We got our car from Keith in Boquete and it was ready when we arrived. I can PM you with his info if you are interested. Happy packing!

Panama: Seeking house/apartment nr Boquete:

Those kind of places are rarely posted but rented by word of mouth. They are sometimes advertised on the boards at Romero's, Mike's and Sugar & Spice. Feb is still high tourist season. You could try to find a hostel until you get here to look around.

Panama: Inquiring into Dolega and Santa Fe (Veraguas):

Dolega is expanding so much that it won't be long before it's either David north or Los Molinos south. It is a Panamanian community so you would be much more comfortable if you have some Spanish knowledge. I don't know how easy it is to get a rental there as it is really just a middle class town with few tourist attractions.

Panama: transportation:

Take a cab or metro to Albrook and take the night bus. You will arrive in David about 5 AM. Bring a jacket - it's freezing.. At the far side of the bus station in David, get on the Boquete bus. It's usually a yellow school bus. When you return, reverse the steps. Night travel saves you a few days of siteseeing. You won't need a car in Boquete as it's small and taxis are cheap. Are you scouting Panama or a tourist? Do you want to meet people or do some of the many things available in Boquete? You could spend all your time in Boquete with all the things there are to do here. Where else do you plan to visit? Ten days is not enough time for multiple towns.

Date Joined:

5/6/2011

Total Posts:

285

Posts/Day:

0.13