Expat in Panama

My 2006 Nissan Xtrail Now For Sale

Hi all – I’m returning to the States in a couple of months (mostly for health reasons), so I’m selling my beloved Nissan Xtrail. For those of you in the States where this car was not available until recently, it is equivalent to a Nissan Rogue.  I dearly love this car and wish I could keep it, but even if I could get it into my suitcase, it exceeds Delta’s weight limits. (Je je.) So. For anyone…

Are YOU a Tax Evader? Pointing Fingers in Panama

With the release of the “Panama Papers” the world is full of pointing fingers seeking yet another tax evader. Everyone, it seems, loves a juicy scandal, especially a fiscal one in Central America. But according to this article, few of us here are not guilty of corrupt behavior.  Could you be one of the hypocrites?  Read on… (more…)

Becoming an Absentee Voter from Panama

Becoming an “Absentee Voter” and registering to vote from outside the US is a snap these days. The easiest way to do this is to file a federal “postcard” by going to http://fvap.gov. The “postcard” is a both a registration and absentee ballot request form, and handles both tasks simultaneously. Generally, you will have to download, print, physically sign and return the form by mail to your…

How to Bank Online in Panama

Being able to bank online and pay your bills in your pajamas is such a joy.  Compared to the alternative in Panama, it’s heaven.  I’m not naturally blessed with unlimited patience.  I don’t do waiting in line particularly well.  And that’s pretty much what it takes here, to pay your bills.  On the appropriate day, you find an ePago kiosk at the grocery store or at the electric company or…

How to Keep Your Internet Up in a Panamanian Blackout

UPS with Modem and Router So now you have your precious electronics protected by surge protectors, but a fat lot of good that does for your entertainment needs when the lights go out and so do the modem and router.  Sometimes you just don’t feel like honing your conversational skills.  Or there’s nobody around to hone them on. If you are like most of us, you have a laptop and it has a battery, so…

A Simmering Healthcare Crisis for Expats in Panama

A Simmering Healthcare Crisis for Expats; photo from Best Places in the World to Retire Linda Jensen at Best Places in the World to Retire has some excellent information on healthcare in Panama.  This is an article worth reading. In Panama healthcare is much more affordable, over- all, than in the USA. Of this, I am fairly certain. On the other hand, there is a serious need for health care reform…

Why You Need New Surge Protectors

Metal-oxide varistor (MOV) manufactured by Siemens & Halske AG.Photo courtesy Wikipeda If you are not using surge protectors for your electronics and appliances in Panama, you’re nuts.  The power supply wavers a bit during any part of the year, but during the “summer” months (late December, January, February, March), violent wind gusts play havoc with the power lines, aggravating an already…

How to Live with a Water Shortage

Water Bucket Stack with Spigot If there is anything you can count on this year (2016), it is that if you live in Panama, your water will probably be shut off at least once.  Unlike the US during a water shortage, in Panama folks are not politely asked to conserve and possibly fined if they are caught watering their lawns. Things are lot more serious here – because the situation is more serious.…

Las Tablas Carnival Begins Tomorrow Night

Queen on Display for Carnival 2014 Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016.  Although Carnaval (Carnival) is technically celebrated the four days preceding Ash Wednesday (i.e., Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday), in Las Tablas everyone knows it really starts long before that.  The weekend before it, the drums and the hollering and hooting are significant. By Friday night the crowds will be rollicking through…

Going to the Dentist in Panama’s Interior

Toothy Smile Panama is a popular destination for “medical tourism,” especially for dentistry.  The price of getting your teeth fixed in Panama is significantly lower than in the States or Canada, and probably than in many other countries as well.  However, unless you are in the City of Panama, finding a dentist can be intimidating.  First of all, you want to be sure your dentist is competent.…

Why Your Bank in Panama is Mean to You

Drawing Courtesy of Pixabay.com Have you found it tough dealing with the banks here in Central America? A few months ago, one of my friends here in Las Tablas told me the bank she and her husband used here had been shut down by the government and all funds frozen.  My first question was, “Do you need help?” and my second one “Why did it happen?” She told me they were OK because they had kept…

Why You Should Carry Your Passport (Really)

Are you walking around with a copy of your passport? There are a few websites out there that will tell you it’s a perfectly safe alternative, especially if you copy the stamp page too. I know a couple of gringos who would tell you they will never do that again. Let’s call them Mary and Joe so this story won’t follow them anywhere, but this actually happened this past week, in mid-January of 2016,…

Why Signs Are Not Important in Panama

Universal Signs Suggested for Panamanian Highways: Maintains Status Quo While Satisfying Gringo Desire for Signage One very big element of cultural shock for most norteamericanos (and possibly, to many Europeans as well) new to Panama is the lack of signs – street signs and road signs. Finding a street sign in town is cause for celebration. On the highway there is almost never a sign that tells…

Mordor Offers a Reason to Learn Spanish

Early Computer (Public Domain) Last week Google publicly chewed its own toes when Google Translate referred to Russia as “Mordor” and named the Russian Foreign Minister a “sad little horse.”  “Mordor” is, of course, the land of monsters and evil wizards in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. But, dear heavens, how could such a thing have happened? An evil wizard hacker, perhaps? No. It seems that…

Why Riba-Smith is My Favorite Store in Panama

Produce at Riba-Smith in Chitre I don’t care how tough you are, everybody gets “homesick” sometimes. A couple of really smart entrepreneurs, Señores Riba and Smith, decided to be the solution to that problem for expats — and for Panamanians who just like foreign food. (Yes, I know.  You thought Riba was a super savvy daughter of the Smith tribe.  So did I.  Nope. We were both wrong. Riba and…

January Garbage and Mail Reminder for Panama Expats

A Modest Amount of Garbage in the Garbage Thingie Expats living in Panama sooner or later notice they are not in Kansas any more. It’s more than the weather, the scenery, and the language – things are done a bit differently here.  One of the differences involves things like bills for certain services.  Your garbage bill, for instance, is annual here. Right now, January, is a good time to pay it,…