Girl with the Panama Hat

I've got lots of time on my retirement in Panama to rummage through things. I've gone to some private sales, what you might call "yard sales" and come up with some interesting finds. Kind of like antique shopping. I came upon this photograph that kinda held my attention for a while so I thought I'd share it with you.

It's a photograph of a girl in one of those famous Panama Hats. I don't know anything about the girl or how old the photo is, but it kinda looks old because it's clearly not in the best of condition. It kind of drew me to it. An unknown woman, I don't even know who she is or who owned the photograph but I thought I should put it on my blog. She might of been a woman from Panama or maybe not. It's just a kind of weird photo. Made me think of Panama in the old days.

When one thinks of Panama, one of the first things that come to mind are, besides beaches, besides My Panama retirement (LOL! of course!), besides hunting for real estate, you would probably get an image of a Panama hat.

Something I know is that Panama hats aren't even made in Panama. I heard they're made in Ecuador actually. I know the best Panama hats are woven so fine that they can even hold water. Correct me if I am wrong.

Just something I found on my search for curiosities in Panama, this interesting photo of the girl in the Panama hat. I might get a frame for it. It's just a very interesting photograph of Panama.

Is it Cheap Living in Panama

Is it cheap living in Panama? I am often asked this question by people who are thinking of retiring in Panama or they are just plain curious about my life in Panama. People such as tourists I meet or else people back home ask the question.

So what’s my answer to the question of the cost of living in Panama? My answer is yes and no. It depends where you are, depends where you rent or buy. Panama City and probably Boquete I would have to warn you are expensive places (those quite pretty) for buying property in Panama. The prices are high for real estate but they have come down a bit due to the world wide recession. There are cheaper places to buy in besides Panama City and Boquete. For instance, you could try looking in the Azero peninsula, Las Tablas, Pedasi or Chitre. Look for property inland and Panama and you can still find some bargains. I mean, if you are looking for a cheap house, not in the expensive expat retirement areas, you can still find new houses with two bedrooms and bathrooms for about $50,000 to $60,000 US, if you look hard enough. It helps to have a good real estate agent in Panama and, of course, get yourself a lawyer. But with all the investment in Panama and people snatching up property, the prices will naturally rise and rise they have.

Basic necessities of life are quite cheap in Panama. Groceries cost me about $45 to $50 a week. Beer, a basic necessity in life is about 50 cents when you’re not drinking at the Ritz. Healthcare in Panama is reasonable and of a high quality. If you have health issues, best to have health insurance. For the retired person in Panama, the pensionade benefits from the government helps make things cheaper. Like cheaper public transportation, restaurant discounts, theater tickets and discounts like that. I wrote about the government benefits for retired people in Panama in that article.

Restaurants in Panama City are where you can get a good deal – prices, I’d say on average, for a meal is about $15. A dinner date with my girlfriend might cost me about $18 to $20. Do you tip here? Yes, definitely. These wonderful people all have a hard time making ends meet.

Furniture, clothes and electronics, in other words, stuff you need to buy are all had for lower prices because of the Panama Canal and low tariffs. So life is not that expensive but electricity is. Damn the power bill.

I live in an apartment in El Cangrejo Panama city. It’s not the Ritz, don’t get me wrong and I’m paying just under $500 a month. I’m satisfied. I don’t need all the luxuries. Eventually, I want to buy a small beach house in Panama. Location and price are important to me. I don’t own a car here but I use taxis all the time which is pretty cheap – about $2.00 to $5.00 to get around the city. Taxi drivers are mostly honest and sometimes they might pick up someone else at the same time to make some more money. Sometimes I rent a car for times when I need to go to the beach or travel around anywhere long distance.

Sometimes things don’t run as smoothly and as efficiently as you’d like them, like they were back home. There’s no rush, life is more relaxed here. Who needs the frantic life style anyway? I’m retired in Panama and I’m not rushing for anything. Well, maybe for a plane trip to somewhere, I’ll get to the airport as necessary.

The average wages of a Panamanian is about $250 - $300 a month. If you are a retiree in Panama, they don’t let you move down here unless you can prove you have $1,000 a month of income. That’s the last I heard of it. You can check this out with your local Panamanian Consulate if you are thinking of retiring in Panama. If you need to hire labour in Panama to do some work for you – it’s cheaper than back home. Just as efficient, as in turning up when required, well, not quite. You have to get used to life here. What's the rush?

How much do you need to survive a month to live in Panama city? Well, you can make it on $1000 a month, but just live like the locals and you might get by on less. Eat the local food, live like a native. Can you live cheap in Panama? Yes, would be my answer. Can you work here? I hate thinking about work, but I’ll answer the question. That’s for another article I’ll sit down and write some time.

Til next time. I’m heading out to the balcony with my beer to watch the traffic craziness at rush hour in Panama.

Retirement Life in Panama

It was not a hard decision, the decision to retire in Panama. I guess I got sick of the cold weather like I’ve already mentioned and wanted something really different. Something tropical. Good weather, I don’t mind the rain when it rains. Life in Panama, I am addicted to it.

I first visited Panama City and it was may the friendly people, the smells, the bustling streets, the music, the tropical, Latin American, Spanish, Miami Beach feeling you get when you’re here. This beautiful mix of the city on the ocean bay, the high rises of the banking district, the old world charm of Casco Viejo.

The beer is cheap here, the women are proud to be women. Everybody dresses nicely, clean clothes, ironed shirts, shoes polished. It’s laid back in that Caribbean kinda way, but the city hustles and bustles. The food in Panama is good, from fish to fusion, open air bistros, street vendors. The entertainment scene is always evolving. The night life is jam packed with locals, in the bars, in the streets, tourists, businessmen and women drinking up and having fun. The music never ends, the nights go on forever or so it seems.

In the bay, yachts, boats, fisherman, cruise liners, freight ships lining up to pass through the Panama Canal. Mountains in the distance. Music in the air. The beeping horns of taxis and crazy drivers.

Most of all I don’t have many complaints. Yes, the electricity is expensive, but the food, the beer, the entertainment and health care is reasonable and cheap. My rent is cheap. And life is good, very good.

I’ve been thinking that I’ll write soon about the night life in Panama, the food. Gotta get to it. I’ve not been posting on my blog as often as I wanted to. Just been lazy I guess.

I’m just loving my life from my little apartment in Panama. My Spanish is improving. The air is sweet and humid. I’ve met so many people here, I could never go back to the cold north. Living the life – that’s my retirement in Panama. I’m an ex-pat now.

Retirement Properties in Panama

Lately, I've been looking at properties in Panama. I’m just sitting here on my balcony, reading the paper – La Prensa, practicing my Spanish, drinking my coffee in Panama City, enjoying my retirement in Panama. It’s a Sunday morning, early, about 8:30. It rained for about five minutes earlier this morning but the day is warming up to it’s usual humid, beaming down on your head heat. I like that, much better. Rather have the heat and humidity than the freezing cold wind in your face and trudging over the snow as it squeaks underfoot. Brrrr!

Currently, I’m renting an apartment in Panama, getting adjusted to life in Panama and perfecting my Spanish. I am searching for a property in Panama, but I’m looking around before I buy because I don’t want to make the wrong choice. I want to buy the right house or condo for me. I actually want beach front property, but that’s just my personal choice. There are real estate agents in Panama who are all leaping up to help me. Tomorrow, I am headed up to Bocas del Toro to look at properties there. There’s plenty of websites available about properties in Panama and if you have a look, you can see there are all prices ranges for property, varying locations all over the country, both beachfront and mountain and city locations. The price ranges I’ve seen go from anywhere like as low as $70,000 and up. Much cheaper to retire in Panama than in the United States and there are deals to be had, for sure. I’ve got an appointment tomorrow with one who is going to show me some of the properties in Panama that are available for me to my exact specifications.

So far, I’ve looked at properties in Panama in Playa Serena, Vista Mar, Santa Clara and Coronado and Tucan Country Club on a real estate tour of Panama. I decided to take to get a good overview of what’s available. I want a beachfront property in Panama, nothing too big, just two bedrooms – that’s all I need. An extra bedroom for an office space and perhaps some of my guests. I could get a three bedroom place, depending on whether I think my kids are going to come down often enough. I’ve already got friends emailing me telling me they are coming down to visit when I get my place.

There are lots of benefits added to retire in Panama and the government of Panama made it pretty easy to do so with the Panama Retired or Pensioner visa – the Visa Pensionado. The Visa Pensionade allows foreigners to get legal residency in Panama if they have a pension or are retired. The minimum age is 18. You have to show that you earn at least $500 US per month with your retirement income and that this income last for life. The complete rules for immigration to Panama for retirees are pretty standard and simple to follow. Sometimes you can get a real estate company in Panama or a Panamanian lawyer to handle all this for you.

The Panama government also allows all kinds of discounts and for retirees in Panama which is an added bonus. I haven’t heard of any other country in the world that makes it this easy for you to retire in their country.

Here’s a list of the discounts you can get if you are a retired pensioner in Panama, age 55 or over:

• 50% off entrance to recreation and entertainment activities, such as theaters, movies, sports and other public productions
• Public transportation
• 25% discount off the price of airfares
• Discounts at hotels and motels
• 25% discount at restaurants
• 15% discount at fast food restaurants
• 20% discount for consultation fees for hospitals and private clinics
• 15% discount for dental services
• 15% discount for optometrists
• 20% discount for technical and professional services
• 50% discount for passports
• 25% discount for electricity
• 25% discount for phone services
• 25% discount for the water bill

So, as far as my decision to retire in Panama goes, I’m one happy guy. The prices for property in Panama are very reasonable, the people are friendly, the weather is great. I can’t complain. It’s safe here and the music is drifting out from somewhere. The sun is starting to beam down hot. Living in Panama is a dream come true.