Best Things About Moving To Panama

What do you do if you don't die?

London's Calling; We are off to London in a week to showcase our new musical. – Best Places In The World To Retire – International LivingI survived my heart attack.  Some of you may have read my harrowing story on this site about my ambulance ride to Panama City (Why are you shaving my testicles?), which is why I founded The Panama Helpline. 
 
I didn't die - so... What"s Next? Bucket list time: "I have never won a TONY - so let's go get one" I declared to my wife.
 
I was undeterred that I had never written a musical, I can't play an instrument, I don't...

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Everything Changes, However Slow it Might Be

Welcome to Boquete. This charming town View is a side street in Boquete. – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living has changed a little and a lot in the last four years. We have watched as the economy has improved for the community. A great deal is based on tourism and the influx of expats. There has also been a worldwide increase in the higher-end coffees that grow in the mountains that tower over the towns of both Boquete and Volcan. Many small businesses have come and gone in the last four years. Growth is evident as the high school is currently...

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Wonders Right On Our Doorstep!

We have just had the most amazing weekend without having to go away, pay expensive hotels or drive for hours!
 
Saturday we took a trip to La Laguna in Las Lajas… we have wanted to go there for ages and had heard all about this stunning lake. 
 
It was approximately 40 minutes’ drive heading from the entrance of Las Lajas and following the road all the way into the mountains… the scenery was breathtaking! Eventually you will come to a...

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A Seven Year Old Photographer in the Making

My husband recently purchased  me a new camera to replace the one stolen on our last trip to Tocumen Airport in Panama City. I haven't had much chance to use it because I had been sick with bronchitis. I love the Nikon Coolpix P600, it is brand new but he got it cheap because it is a discontinued model. It is fabulous, a very easy point and shoot with 60X zoom and audio-video at 1080p.
 
Today Mary, my housekeeper, brought her sweet seven-year-old son. He...

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Panamá Family Values

Fundacion Ayudando A Vivir – Best Places In The World To Retire – International LivingIn these days that moral and family values seem to be hiding in different ways, we are responsible to fight back to ensure that the new generation has a place where they will raise their children that will be safe, not only from crime or violence, but the safest place we can provide to give them values, as the best legacy we can give them.
 
The decrease in marriage has been considerable.  Divorces have increased incredible fast.  Abortion is something that women take...

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The National Dress, Dance and Heritage of Panamá

Woman wearing a traditional Panamanian dress-- the Pollera – Best Places In The World To Retire – International LivingThe official national dress in Panamá is the pollera. This dress is unique and takes between two to three years to make by hand. Polleras are passed from generation to generation, making them more valuable as the years pass by.
 
What it makes the pollera unique are several things:
  • Artisans make them individually.
  • The material is of extraordinary beauty with different styles and colors.
  • The pollera is many times embellished with real gold and pearls...

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Azulejo Tale

We remember as youngsters being told that if you pick up a baby bird that has fallen from its nest and put it back, the parent birds will abandon it. We believed that to be true until this past week when the myth was debunked by a couple of Azulejos (Tángara Azuleja, English: Blue-gray Tanager).
 
Last Saturday, April 25th, my wife was watching the neighbors trim a large overgrown bush on our property line. While picking up branches that had fallen on our...

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I Love Las Lajas Beach

We recently enjoyed a day trip to Las Lajas Beach, a lovely beach on the Pacific Ocean just two hours from Boquete. Oh yes, I fell in love with it! So the next week we got a chance to go overnight. We arrived on Wednesday morning with our wonderful next door neighbors. We checked into our rooms, which were very clean, had nice large big screen TVs, and comfortable beds; adequate in every way. We did take a coffee maker, as they do not provide those. It looks like they have about...

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Why Did I Choose To Live In Panama?

Presented with permission from Bob Adams, of Retirement Wave
 
People often ask me why did I choose to live in Panama.  Well, there’s a whole series of reasons.  I want to pull one out and give special mention to it.
 
Panama High Schoolers – Best Places In The World To Retire – International LivingThat is the willingness of people to look forward into the future with a very positive attitude.  And that’s one thing I look for in any country where I’m going to live.  It’s the local people and how they...

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How Our Quality of Life Improved in Panama

Boquete, Panama, mountains and sky – Best Places In The World To Retire – International LivingOutside a cafe' in Old Town Panama – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
From Boco Chica Pacific side of Panama – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living                Our move to Panama happened after the economic downturn of the Obama administration took its toll on our quality of life. Yes, it was more than that, too. The cost of medical care skyrocketing, the cost of everything going up never down. Increased taxes, poor air quality, too many sick days and frankly after two...

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