½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Hi Thomas,
I'm moving to Panama in 2 weeks. Semi-retired. I understand that there are lots of English speakers there, mixed in with the Spanish speakers. Within a year, I hope to be conversational in Spanish.
I too, checked out both Ecuador and Panama. Chose Panama because it is friendly, more developed, more English speaking, more mixed cultures etc. So after a year of adjusting to Central America, I may move on to Ecuador where the cost of living has not exploded. Definitely have Italy in my future thoughts.
I'll be posting about the experience in Panama so stay tuned.
Lauren

Thanks for your reply and words of encouragement, StarsNmoon2!  I second your Italy visit.  That was actually my FIRST choice, but cost and other factors pushed it down on my list...for now.  I'll stay tuned for your newbie-in-Panama posts!

Thomas

Hey SmartOldLady!  I'm looking to visit Panama in October for a two week look-see.  Please blog about your September visit to give us newbies your first impressions.

Thomas

Hi Thomas...
First impression of Panama when I arrived in September - wet...very wet. October will be about the same, and November and part of December. However, the rain was nice and warm, and did not last all day (mostly). These months are the rainy season in Panama.  I did not know. I rented a car at the airport and had to be led into Panama City where I had a hotel reservation. (Well, it was dark and I didn't know the way.) People were very nice, helpful, etc.  Since I was looking at moving there, I needed the freedom to move around. Panama City was impossible - and getting out of it worse. More one way streets than Los Angeles. Again someone led me out onto the Pan American Hwy. since I was headed for Anton de Valle.  Prices in Panama City for hotel rooms are like they are here. $134/night, etc., and no coffee makers in the room.   In Anton de Valle I stayed at the Hotel de Valle, and that was $60/night. Mario and his staff and his family were wonderous. Patient, helpful, all of it.
A lot of the cities, like David and Penomene are just that, cities with less appeal along the Pan American Hwy.  I drove around some of the areas, and there are many regular neighborhoods, as well as more expensive areas especially in upper Anton de Valle.  Beautiful big homes, higher rents.  Along the beach I was sooo disappointed because of the horrendous number of high rises that are super expensive condos.  You can find beach area homes, though if you know where to look.  Along Hwy 2. See maps.  Two weeks is not very much time, but you can hit the basics. If you speak a little Spanish that is good. Use it - the Panamanians love it when you do. And you might need to ask for Los Banos (Bathrooms). Try to get an idea of what you would like most, ahead of time.  And if you rent a car, be sure you get a GPS.
Dress is casual overall.  Mostly jeans.  Of course you could hit the fancier restaurants in Panama City and want to dress a bit more. By the way, I did not have and did not seem to need an umbrella.
Have a good time.
SmartOldLady

Thanks for reply, SmartOldLady!  Yeh, two weeks is a REAL short trip but I move fast and I'm well organized...I hope that'll be enough to collect preliminary info.  I also read a lot and I'm going blind reading through the various ½ûÂþÌìÌà sites.  I'm a city kind of guy - I hope Panama City doesn't disappoint.  I'll add David and Penomene to my visit list.

Thanks for city traffic warning - I guess I can scrap my plans to rent a motorcycle!

Bye for now,
Thomas

Hi Thomas,

Welcome to ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ.

A new topic has been created with your post on the Panama forum.

RubixCube49 wrote:

I'm taking clues from International Living magazine & website and seriously looking at Panama and Ecuador for starters.  I'll be visiting Panama for a few weeks later this year for a look-see and reality check.

Preliminarily, what appeals to you for a residence - beach, mountain or urban?

In my opinion:

- Panama City is tops for urban living - lots of restaurants, amenities (transportation, etc.) and choices in housing
- Ecuador is tops for beachfront living if you envision wanting an actual community (e.g., Salinas or Manta, Ecuador)
- Panama and Ecuador are tied for mountain living (e.g., Boquete, Panama or Cuenca, Ecuador - too chilly for me)
- Panama and Ecuador are tied for remote, off-the-grid, living (more like "subsisting") like a local on very little

Great posts - Lots of info. I'm also planning to move to Panama in the next two to three years. I bought a sea-front condo in Panama city (Yoo building) last year, which I'm renting out short or long term. I've placed an advert on this site if anyone is interested in more information.

I live in Panama City and have not been disappointed.  I also started my research on Panama with International Living then added blogs, forums, videos, and anything I could find.  When we were ready for the exploratory trip, we decided on staying in Panama City for a month as a home base to explore a few areas of consideration.  If you do extensive research, you can narrow down the towns to explore when you visit.

By the time we were ready to check out Panama, we had already crossed Boquete off the list, from just the research.  Panama City was not even on our list because PC does not always get a fair assessment from fellow expats.  By spending time in PC and seeing for ourselves what Panama City had available, it was the only choice.  There is so much to do in PC and the city always has surprises, like unexpected firework displays or trips to the grocery store turning into cultural events with music, dancers, and free wine & beer.  Panama City is fantastic and I would not live anywhere else.

About the motorcycles....they are all over the city, avoiding the traffic.  There are always 4-5 big bikes parked outside of my building.  No one tickets them for parking on the concrete, as long as they do not park on the sidewalk.  Dominoes Pizza and other foods are delivered on the smaller, scooter type bikes.  There are several big bike dealers in Panama City.  BMW has a store and sponsors bike trips of 1, 2, 5, and 8 days.  You can take an 8 trip across Panama all the way to Chiriquí.  I think it is called Motor Tours Panama.  Harley has a big shop in PC, too.  They get groups of bikers together and ride out to the beaches and mountains for fun.

You will manage with basic Spanish in Panama City.  It is true that you really do need to know Spanish here.  I am not fluent yet, but I just give it a go and I somehow always pull off what I need to do.  Just learn the basics to start and then add to your vocabulary along the way.  If you will be renting a car, study auto related words.  If you are going to Subway for lunch, learn the menu. I am finding that I learn the words quicker if they are of interest and actual use, rather than book drills.

On the comment about Italy.  My husband and I were originally planning to retire in Germany because we had lived they for many years.  We love Panama even more.  The people are warm, friendly, and kind and the country is beautiful.