Latest Expat Stories

Rainforest and Summit Park in Panamá

Biodiversity in Panamá is well known worldwide.  Case in point: Panamá's prime humid forests, especially in Darién, with one of the oldest jungle areas, as well as Gamboa, Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro.  Rainforest tours are very popular, and many adventure tour operators offer them, in combination with bird watching.
 
But there is a place, almost unknown to visitors and foreigners, called the Summit Botanical Park, situated 30 minutes from the city, with an area...

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BLUE SKY IN PANAMA

I came to Boquete, Panama 4 years ago. Knowing no Spanish and having no friends or relatives here, I then decided to start a confidential Ladies welcome and support group called Blue Sky, so the new Ladies in this town will not go the same way as I did......depression......I made a lot of friends and we as a group help a lot of ladies getting started in Boquete, and meeting friends.....we are now a large group and we welcome and help any Ladies who would like to join...

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Oasis In Panama

Panamá is a charming city.  Bordering the warm Pacific Ocean and at only an hour and a half from Colón on the Atlantic Ocean on the northern side, the breeze embracing your body is one of the most comforting things you can experience, day or night.
 
If you add the biggest park in the city to your neighborhood, San Francisco is blessed to have an oasis, where you can go from 4 AM to 10 PM to do exercises like yoga, tai-chi, sports, walking, jogging,...

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General Impressions of Panama

Many people have this idea that Panama is a backward place with grinding poverty, poor infrastructure, political instability and lots of risk for investors. In fact, while there is poverty there in relative terms, the people are happy, relaxed, friendly and open.
 
Much of the country is pretty much like parts of California or the American south, and was so, long before swarms of gringos arrived at the start of the current economic boom.

What is happening in Panama...

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Pride, Glory and Accomplisment In Panamá

 
(This video is of the Panamanian band that will be at the 2014 Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.  Make sure to click the "make full screen" at the bottom right of the frame so you can see it better. More at bandaherbertolopez.edu.pa)
 
Pride is a very common trait among the human race.  Everyone shines when they talk about their grandchildren, children, pets and accomplishments in their life.  But, what about when...

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Their Stories About Why They're There

I am so tired of seeing the words 'their,' 'there' and 'they're' misused that I thought I would put all three in the title of this post. That way, anyone who might chance on this post could at least see that each of the homonyms is spelled differently and might also deduce from the example that each has a different meaning.

Besides the purpose stated above, the title of this post refers to the reasons people I met in Panama had either settled there already or were exploring that...

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Why Panama?

Beach in Panama – Best Places In The World To Retire – International LivingI have met and spoken with many North American ex-pats while in Panama. I'm a curious guy, and one of the questions I often asked was why they were there. The answers weren't all that surprising to me.
 
A guy waiting to get at his safety deposit box, in my Panamanian bank, told me he retired to Panama at age 58 because he could. He could never, he said, do that in the United States. Was he happy with his decision? Yes.
 
There are a lot...

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Baseball in Panamá

Baseball has always been the main traditional sport in Panamá.  Boys practice it from the time they are very little, with whatever they have on hand, and wherever they find a place.  Little and major leagues compete locally, nationally and internationally.
 
Lately, leagues in Panamá have gone more and more international, with exceptional scoring and winning important games, to the point that Panamá is now positioned as a leader in the region.
 
...

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ExPat Americans and Canadians Can Get Private Health Insurance

If you have recently relocated to Panama or another foreign country, you may have questions about how to purchase an international, private major medical policy.  

Of course no one plans on getting sick or having a car accident, but that is what insurance is all about.  It handles the "just the in case" which we hope never actually happens.  We hope we never have to use our health insurance the same way we hope we never actually have to use our...

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Are You an American Expat?

Who Is Considered An American Expat?

Calling yourself an ex-patriot does not necessarily mean you renounce or reject your home country.   An expatriate is any person living in a different country from where they were born as a citizen.   Recently, the term "expat" is often used in the context of professionals working abroad such as oil workers or missionaries.

What About Obamacare and the Expat?

In the new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax code, expats are...

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