About WMBGamboa

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Citizen of:

Some Forum Posts:

Panama: Gated Comunities:

Get thee to a nunnery...one in a gated community, of course. I know of none here.

Panama: Non-US residents, visitors/tourists, etc........any problems at the borders?:

PLEASE NOTE: This complaint/reply is directed at the moderator of the Panama Forum (if there is one) and not at any of the participants. As the title of this topic states clearly, it is an inquiry about how entry into the US from anywhere in the world is being conducted. It has nothing to do with Panamá specifically, or about expat life and living in Panamá. It is inappropriate for this forum and should not have been allowed to run.

Panama: Currency use in Panama?:

Cash, credit & debit cards are all you need. DON'T bother with travelers' cheques - they are difficult to use. We've lived here for several years and found little difference from the US in this respect. When using a debit card to get cash from an ATM, take out the max. (usually $500) to minimize the % cost of the fees. Long term, get a Panamánian bank card and avoid the fees altogether when you use your bank's ATM.

Panama: Panama or France,which is best to retire to?:

Although CBRUNO gave us a comparison that he/she acknowledged was illegitimate, I certainly agree with one part of it. Having lived in both of the countries, I'll posit that the difference in climate is a, if not the, major factor to consider in choosing between them. "Civilized amenities" are more accessible in France, although they are also available in Panamá - as long as you live near a major population center. Both have lovely beaches (don't forget France's Riviera on the Mediterranean and Biarritz et al. on the Atlantic) and both have lovely mountains (the French Alps and Central Massif certainly count). Panamá is way better in terms of flora and fauna, but has no winter or winter venues, which France has. The cultures are different from each other, but both are similar enough to US culture to make that a toss-up, at least near population centers (in the countryside, they're both pretty different!). Ditto health care, as long as you live near Panamá City (I don't know about David et al.). Panamá is closer to the US and travel to & from involves very little to no jet lag (Panamá is on EST all year long). All in all, I'd rate both highly as places to retire to AND as places to grow old. In either case, your lifestyle will be very different than it is where you are now.

Panama: My favorite eating places in P.C.:

AVATAR on via Argentina - superb east indian cuisine. Owner is Indian and former restauranteur in Toronto. We've eaten there often since he opened and sampled most of the menu, with nary a bad choice yet. The wine selections are few & need upgrading (they're OK, but not great). All else is excellent.

Panama: Scuba Diving:

sealodgeg9 and FredFromArkansas have both given you good info., and Fred's advice is excellent. You have a year before you come to Panamá, so plenty of time to take a PADI, NAUI, etc. course in the US, where the training might be better (but not necessarily!) and where there ought to be no linguistic problems. A full certification course is what you want, not a "resort course", and that will require all of the time you've allowed for your vacation and look-around in Panamá. And there is good diving here, but none of it is close to most of the places you are likely to want to live (Panamá City, Boquete, David, etc.). Coiba has superb diving, but the point of departure is on the Azuero peninsula, which is relatively undeveloped and, unless you crave isolation and speak a fair amount of Spanish, you would probably find challenging as a place to live.

Panama: Boquete's Economic Refugees:

Jubilado discounts are given to all Panamanians, not just to expats. I found that many businesses (resort hotels not included) gave me the discount without my asking for it, even before I got my Jubilado visa or cedula, simply because I look (and am) old.

Panama: Advice on where to live in Pamama:

I have found Ranadelnorte's advice to be accurate and well thought-out. His last post on this topic may be accurate, but posting it, and especially in public forum, was not well thought-out. By advising Ranran to seek to employ a corrupt lawyer, he has unwittingly made himself party to a possible criminal conspiracy to circumvent Panamanian law. I have seen similar posts on this forum advocating bribery of police, with examples and details of how that can be done. If you are compelled to give this kind of advice, do it in private, so that if it becomes subject to legal action, the entire expat blog community isn't brought on the carpet.

Panama: El Valle for the weekend:

Check out Altos del María, a huge, gated community in the mountains very near El Valle. Cooler than the coast (parts are cooler than El Valle), less dense population, plenty of expats and less than 20km from Coronado.

Panama: Nightmare at the "Do-It Center" - Gringos Beware:

It is good to learn about these things when they happen. However, we've been shopping at Do It stores all over Panamá City and also in Coronado for years and have never had a problem, so what you experienced was not SOP for Do It. It was an aberration. However, you should definitely never shop in that particular Do It store again, which I'm sure you wouldn't. And don't ever be dumb enough to flash your money, here or elsewhere, unless you enjoy being a target.

Date Joined:

6/21/2014

Total Posts:

48

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0.05