My Life In Panama

A group of ladies met for brunch this morning. There were eight or nine of us. Topics varied as we enjoyed coffee or tea with breakfast treats of quiches, bread, fresh fruit, even some excellent brownies. We all live in the same compound so it is easy to get together. 

 

Of course, all talk when there is a new person revolves around getting to know that person. We had a lady who has lived in our community for only a month. During one of those times...

Panamá has always been on a global path, “pro mundi beneficio” (for the benefit of the world).
 
Since the 15th century, Panamá was the main route for gold from South America to Europe, mainly Spain.  This is one of the reasons why Panamá was always the center of attacks by the pirates at that time seeking wealth, and the city of Panamá was ultimately burned, leaving only the famous ruins of “Panamá la Vieja” (Old Panamá).  We also have other ruins of...

We were very pleased when Robert Adams offered us the YouTube video below, in which he puts the Panama Papers into context.  Bob is an expert in economic development and has a great perspective.  We invite you to watch and listen as Bob provides a balanced view, not only of the Panama Papers, but also where it fits within the larger stories of, on the one hand, corruption, incompetence, short-sidedness and hypocrisy, and on the other, his admiration and...

Panamá has the privilege of having some of the best weather in the world, as well as having primary rainforest areas, and the most beautiful nature found anywhere.
 
The name “Panamá” means “abundance.” Abundance of fish, butterflies and birds.  We have one of the most complete collection of all of these in the world.  For a visitor who loves bird watching (with over 850 species), or who enjoys nature, this is the place to come.
 
There are many...

(The Btesh family is very tied into the business and charitable communities in Panama.  Mr. Btesh serves on the Boards of UniBank and the insurance company Aseguradora Ancon, and he is a partner in Pacific Developers, one of the largest builders in Panama.  This story is the result of an interview done with Mr. Btesh February 29, 2016.)

My family migrated to Panama in the 1930s and I was born in 1942. At that time, Panama was quite a small country, and Panama City itself...

I am married to a foreign-born man. My husband is a naturalized citizen of the United States of America. He speaks English, albeit with a bit of a Danish accent, but he does communicate well in English. We both complained about non-English speaking people. A frequent comment from myself and others was "If you are going to live in my country why do you not try to speak English?"

 

Fast forward to our host country of Panama. Like most of the civilized world, many...

I first came to Panama City in the fall of 1997.   Even then the city was vibrant, bustling and full of life. The towering skyscrapers that now dominate Avenida Balboa were a distant vision and the high end residential districts of Punta Pacifica and Costa del Este had yet to be built.  Just getting into the city from Tocumen International Airport could be a nightmare.  The toll road leading from the airport wasn’t complete and the notorious city traffic jams were...

After three years in Africa, first with Habitat for Humanity and then with the Peace Corps, Willy and Karan Schreiber again joined the Peace Corps and were embedded with the Embera Indigenous Tribe in the Darien Province of Panama, next to the Colombian border.

They empowered their new neighbors, friends, and the Tribal Leaders to start a sustainable business selling the extraordinary handicrafts that the Embera create. The result was a Tribal Cooperative for the manufacture and sale...

Gonzalo de la Guardia is leaving a video legacy for his grandchildren of their Saturday outings together discovering the meaningful places and communities in Panama.  In Jet Metier’s talk with Gonzalo, or “Allo” as his grandchildren call him, she learns the other side of being an expat from Panama and how Panama is center to larger movements in the world. 

 

Jet Metier: Hello, Gonzalo. I was inspired by the video you posted on our site in the...

At the edge of the Atlantic, which a persuasive current has aided the migration of Europeans to cleave the Isthmus of Panama for the Canal, and now mid- stream central to the modern jet route along the north/south latitude of the Latin regions, Manual Baruco is in the perfect position to contemplate his country’s position in the world. Jet Metier also discovers that Manuel could be also considered an all- American boy.

 

Jet Metier: Hi, Manuel. Good afternoon....