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You are welcome to use the icontainers.com quote request located in the sidebar on this page.
We are are not officially endorsing the company. However, as you heard in the video, Sheryl had a wonderful experience shipping her stuff with icontainers.com
Also, you should check out my Moving To Panama Checklist.
It outlines what you need to do and when. It also includes some advice on what to bring with you to Panama.
Also, stay tuned for Sheryl's video with her advice on "What You Should Bring With You To Panama".
Make sure you don't miss that video. Sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Betsy: Sheryl moved to Puerto Armuelles, Panama about a year ago.
In this video, she shares her experience and advice on shipping your stuff to Panama. Sheryl didn't want to be videotaped, so you'll hear her, but you won't see her.
I'm Betsy, from Living in Panama, the place for information and advice on being an expat in Panama. Interested? Click subscribe, and hit the bell so you don't miss a video.
You seem to be an expert on shipping your stuff down to Panama. Tell us what do think somebody who's thinking about moving to Panama should know about shipping?
Sheryl: When I decided I was gonna move to Panama, my next big question was,
"Am I gonna take anything or am I gonna leave it all here and start over again in Panama?"
And of course, for me I don't have an abundance of money, so it's a matter of economics.
Can I afford to ship to Panama? Do I have to leave all this stuff, even the furniture my father made for me that I love looking at? My car that is so reliable? And what should I do?
Of course, you look on all these forums, and you see people saying, "Don't bring anything. Just start all over again. It's too expensive. It's way too expensive. Bringing your car is too much of a hassle. You just stay all day at the port, and you just have to stand there in the scorching sun all day."
Those things weren't very promising in terms of bringing it.
Then I started checking prices for shipping.
And in the United States, the shippers make it like super, super hard to get that information.
They won't just quote you a price over the phone. They want to come to your house. They want to check it out. They ask you a gazillion questions. "What do you have here? How many rooms? What are you doing?"
And then they end up quoting you something like $11,000 to $14,000 from door to door. From door in the United States, to door in Panama. And that was just wasn't gonna happen. Just was not gonna happen.
I got so tired of dealing with these shippers.
And then one day I found something, a shipper called icontainers.com. Icontainers.com.
They're actually a company out of Spain, and they don't deal with all that malarkey about, "How many rooms? How many pieces of furniture? How many this? How many that?"
They'll quote you a price. "Do you want a 20 foot container? Or do you want a 40 foot container." It doesn't matter how many pieces of furniture you got.
It doesn't matter the weight. All they wanna know: 20 or 40 foot container.
Betsy: That's simple
Sheryl: Very simple. They ask you where you're moving from, and the port you're shipping to. And then they give you a quote immediately.
They send a truck to your house, it's up to you to load it or get friends to help you load it. Or in my case, I just hired a local moving company to load all my furniture, all my household goods, and my car. 'Cause it was a lot easier for me.
Ports of destination, where it's moving from, where it's going to is gonna make a difference.
If you're about 2 hours from a port, your house is like 2 hours from a port, a 20 foot container is gonna run you about $2,700. And a 40 foot container is gonna run you about $3,100.
Now, I can't say those will be the same prices if you're shipping out of Kansas, because that's a long haul for a truck driver to take from Kansas to a port, so you would just have to go online, and get the quote online. You can call them. They're very friendly and they'll just give you the price.
Sheryl: Then the next question was,
"Take my car, or don't take my car?"
I knew I had a super reliable car, but you read all this stuff on the forums, "Oh it's too much haul. It's too expensive. Blah, blah, blah."
But, you know, it's not true.
I shipped my car in my 40 foot container, along with my household goods.
There are 2 ways. I came in on a Pensionados Visa.
On a Pensionados Visa, I could've done a situation where I didn't pay any taxes on the car coming in because it was over 7 years old.
However, if you do that, it puts you into a different process where they will keep your car for 2 -3 weeks. And you have to pay the daily cost on it. Storage.
My customs lady, and it's very important to have a very good customs lady who gets back to you with all your questions immediately, calculated the cost of what I would pay if I paid all of the duties.
Not just the tax, but tax and all the duties versus what it would cost me to go through the other process for a Pensionados Visa.
What people don't say on all these forums is that with the Pensionados Visa you have to hire an attorney to do half of the customs work to bring it in duty free. And you have to pay a customs person to do the other half. Then you have the daily storage fees.
By the time you calculate all these costs, you compare it with what would happen if you just paid the full amount of duties, it came out to be about $150 difference.
What do I want? Do I want my car in two days? Or do I wanna wait 2-3 weeks and go through some hassles?
Needless to say, I paid that $150 extra dollars.
My car and my container arrived in Panama City on a Wednesday. It was here in Puerto Armuelles by that following Saturday.
The same Saturday. Same week. Got the car off. Got all the goods in. Piece of cake.
A good customs agent will also help you find local moving companies from Panama City to wherever you're moving.
Bringing my car here was one of the best things I ever did.
They say you have a lot of problems with parts and everything else.
Paso Canoas Car Part Stores
Well, here in Puerto Armuelles, we live very, very close to the border, called the Frontera or Paso Canoas. And there are these huge, huge car parts places, stores down there. It's huge.
And I did need to get some parts for my car. They'd finally worn out.
I went right down to Paso Canoas, for my Honda. It was a Honda. Went right down to Paso Canoas, they had the car parts, they put right in. No problem.
Anybody even that lives anywhere in the Chiriquí region, before you freak out and think you have to go to a dealership or you have to go somewhere else, check with Paso Canoas first. Because chances are those big parts stores will have the part that you need.
Betsy: Okay, that's good.
Sheryl: Yeah.
Betsy: Thank you.
Sheryl: Thank you.
Betsy: For more information on living in Panama, please click the link below. Thanks for watching.
To get your questions answered, check out my FAQ about Living in Panama page.
I bought my property long before I retired and moved here, but I made frequent trips to “window shop”, as they say.
I selected the delightful beach community of Puerto Armuelles as my retirement haven. I have never looked back.
I retired from my real job to my hobbies – and there are many. I am well suited to entertaining myself. And that is fortunate as Puerto Armuelles is almost completely void of entertainment.
I do not consider eating out a pleasant pastime. There are several excellent restaurants in our community, but since cooking is one of my hobbies, I prefer to prepare my own.
There are no movie theaters (rely on your DVD collection or Netflix) and the closest “mall shopping” is a 30 to 40 minute drive from Puerto Armuelles. Although, with our new 4-lane road the drive is much more pleasant (it used to be only 2-lanes).
There are movie theaters in David, but mostly in Spanish and reportedly the sound system is awful. I would not know as I do not care to drive 1 ½ hours to watch a movie when I can sit in the comfort of my home with Netflix!
Panama cable television is primarily in Spanish with a few English channels – I tried it for a while, but just did not derive enough benefit. Reruns of programs that I had no interest in the first time around!
Cell phones are the primary means of communication. Almost the entire country relies on Whatsapp. Whatsapp is a free application that allows people to talk and text, send photos or videos, etc.
Best of all if you are outside the country and have your phone, your WhatsApp will continue to work as it does in Panama. At least it does in Canada, the United States and Colombia – that I can attest to. I have no reason to doubt that it works the same elsewhere.
Panama is not a country of seasons – it is always hot! While it does cool off pretty quickly at night – if you are outside a major city – because there is little concrete – including paved roads, it will always be warm during the day.
In the mountains it is cooler, but it is also rainier.
The beaches are delightful here in Puerto Armuelles. And there is always some shell collecting to be done.
The tide drop is huge and I generally take advantage of this to walk on the firmer wet sand for exercise. Slogging through dry sand is its own special type of intense workout.
Find out what is and isn’t available to you in Panama.
Not everything you are accustomed to finding easily in your “home” location is readily available in Panama.
If you have items and/or services (reliable high speed internet springs to mind) you “cannot live without” then you may possibly want to reconsider your decision to move here, learn to live without some of those luxuries, or adapt to what is available here.
Fruits and vegetables are readily available from truck vendors in our town. Many of them drive through the neighborhoods, which I find extremely convenient!
Fish
There is a fish market is in town. But again, there are also neighborhood vendors. The fish you buy was generally caught last night. The boats go out at night and return in the mornings.
Do not let them convince you that a rooster fish is good to eat – it is not. I am not sure I would even want to make a soup with it!
Red fish, tilapia, shrimp in season, lobster in season, tuna, mackerel are some of the more readily available varieties.
Small stores
The small grocery stores, called tiendas, are generally well stocked, albeit in the small size. They are a handy source for staples – chicken, rice, sugar, milk, onions, carrots, green peppers, etc. None of the tiendas near my house sell beer, but they may in other areas.
Goods from USA
PriceSmart (like Costco), and supermarkets such as El Rey/Romeros, Super 99, Extra (I am told), Dorado (I am told) and several other stores seem to be adding more and more U. S. items to their shelves.
That being said, you must remember that just because you find it one day does not mean you will find it again at a later date. Sometimes it is really hit or miss. If you find it, buy it is a good rule of thumb.
If internet is important to you, be sure there is availability in the area you are considering.
Not much has changed in the last several years in the way of improved service, if you are considering living outside a major city. While there have been some improvements, a lot must still be done to improve the standard of Internet service in the outlying areas of Panama.
The dogs roam freely here as many are compelled to forage for their food.
The dogs are sometimes a noise issue. Learn to sleep with ear plugs or put a pillow over your head!
Panamanians like their music loud!
There is a law in our town and you can call the police who may or may not come to your aide. The police are required to take down the name, address and identification number of the person in violation and report that to the local Corregiduria for further action. Eventually, the neighborhood will be quieter, but it does take some effort. I just learned to basically tune it out.
Panamanians love to celebrate their independence from both Spain and Colombia (both events occur in November). The school bands start practicing well in advance!
I love the enthusiasm and the parades. It reminds me of the 1950s when people weren’t so consumed with their lives and had time for family activities and major celebrations.
Panamanians typically view Gringos as ATMs. They think that all Gringos are rich.
I have been told that the preachers in some churches have told their congregations, if a Gringo has it and you want it, just take it. I cannot personally vouch for that, because my Spanish is not that developed and I do not attend the “local” (read that, neighborhood) churches.
Panamanians also have little regard for borrowed property. If you loan something, you will have to ask for it back. And it will not always come back in the same condition. There will be no offer of repair, replace or reimbursement.
/panama/frustration-employees-appointments-electricity-internet/Best rule of thumb – if you don’t want to be without it, don’t lend it.
We welcome your contributions. We are looking for points of view and experiences that would be beneficial to our readers. We can name you as the author or give you some anonymity by using the "guest contributor" byline. There will be mild editing of all contributions to help readability.
Please let me know if you would like to write something - or do a video - on a topic that would benefit other readers of this site. Thank you.
You may also want to check out a post I wrote recently about other not-great-parts of life in Panama.
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There had been murmurs around Puerto for the past 2 months that Heavenly Hotel’s founder and owner, Milton Hutto, was in the process of negotiating a sale.
And now, last week, the rumors became true. Milton has sold his 11 room beachfront hotel and restaurant.
The new owners have renamed the hotel/restaurant.
It is now called, Big Daddy’s Beach Resort.
I have had several opportunities to chat with the new owners (Chris, Dave and Justin). They are young, friendly, energetic, and very approachable. And they have lots of experience in hotel/restaurant management, tourism, and culinary arts.
If you have eaten at the hotel recently you have experienced 1st hand the delicious food they are already serving.
These guys are well aware of what it takes to be successful in the hospitality business in Panama. And food is a critical element of that success.
According to the new owners, they have had their eye on Puerto Armuelles for the past 10 years
Like Betsy and I, they recognized Puerto’s potential the 1st time they came to town. However, 10 years ago, Puerto was not ready to give them a good return on their level of investment.
But now, they feel the time is right. It is the ideal time to invest in Puerto Armuelles.
The new owners have hit the ground running. They are getting all their systems set up, connecting with the community, and fine-tuning their plans. Once they do that they will have a Grand Opening event.
At least for now, they have will continue to have the hotel host the Puerto Armuelles Saturday Market.
Click to watch a short video of the 1st Puerto Armuelles Saturday Market
The new hoteliers want to invigorate tourism in Puerto Armuelles.
Boquete to Puerto Armuelles Link
The new team is going to work hard to get their many Boquete friends to Puerto Armuelles. This should strengthen the already existing highland/beach tourism link between the two towns. Expats & locals from Boquete have been increasingly coming down to enjoy the beach life in Puerto Armuelles. Boquete is a mere hour and a half drive from Puerto Armuelles.
With 3 well-known Boquete hotel/restauranteurs promoting the connection, it is likely to become even more popular.
Puerto Armuelles to Boquete
It works into the other direction too. I have been going to Boquete for years to hike, particularly in the dry season, when it is hot here and the surf is flat.
Also, as much as I love Puerto, sometimes it is just nice to blast out of town in the morning, walk in the mountains, and come back in time to jump in the ocean before dinner. Or even go for the weekend. For me, this can be just the refreshing reset that I need.
I know it sounds like an exaggeration. But Panama is such a small country that you can easily get from beach to mountain and back in one day. A couple of years ago I wrote about day-trips to Boquete from Puerto Armuelles.
I have not gotten in contact with Milton Hutto to congratulate him yet and ask him what he plans to do next. One thing I am sure of is that Milton has no plans to retire.
Milton is not quite as young as the new hotel owners, but he, too, has boundless energy and enthusiasm. He is never still, and he has a million good ideas that he follows through on.
Milton Hutto has been an amazing contributor to the development of our expat community in Puerto Armuelles. Milton has been a great “connector” of people here in Puerto, which has been a great help to our expat community.
Milton has built and operated Heavenly’s Hotel and restaurant, at least a couple of other business, as well as building a few houses. We are very grateful for Milton’s many contributions.
It is my understanding that Milton will continue to live and invest in Puerto Armuelles (This is only rumor)
The sale of Heavenly’s Hotel is a “win-win-win” for Puerto Armuelles, Milton, and the new owners.
You can find more information on the hotel here.
Thanks for reading,
Reyn
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Below is a partial list of some recent positive developments in Puerto
(Please note: We are investors and builders here. Plus we really love our town. So our views are bound to be biased. We encourage you to ask others familiar with Puerto Armuelles for their views).
Obviously, the biggest news is that Del Monte is actively preparing to use the old Chiquita Banana plantation lands.
We are told that work has already begun to restore the plantations to an arable state.
All signs seem to point to Del Monte successfully setting up shop here in Puerto Armuelles.
However, I tend to agree with my Panamanian neighbor, who says he won't truly believe that Del Monte is coming to Puerto Armuelles, “until I have tasted my first locally grown Del Monte banana”.
The issue is that there is too little access to reliable news about this deal. For the most part, you need to rely on what you read in the political party-controlled national news.
Please read our other posts on Del Monte in Puerto Armuelles.
Regardless, I believe that there is much more than “just a banana deal” underway in Puerto Armuelles.
It has recently become more difficult to find a good mason in Puerto Armuelles. This is good news.
The reason for this is because the construction of a modern new hospital has required the hiring of numerous skilled masons, electricians, plumbers, welders, etc…
This project is predicted to take two years to complete. Read more about Puerto Armuelles new hospital here.
I am looking forward to rehiring one of my favorite masonry workers when the masonry phase of construction at the hospital is complete.
All of that digging up of our local roadways appears to be bearing fruit, as the improved fresh water supply and waste water removal systems are starting to come online.
Granted, the final waste water disposal plant, a couple of miles south of town, is not yet up and running. But, there is noticeable improvement to our fresh water supply, and pressure. It seems almost inevitable that both systems will soon be complete.
At the entrance into town, there is now a big new Terpel brand gas & service station.
This might not seem too significant; after all it’s just a gas station.
However, when the main national fuel brand decides to build a large new gas station, with a mini mart and an automotive repair shop, right at the main entrance to a town, it's a good sign for future development.
I imaging that the executives at Terpel are privy to more development information than the rest of us. The fact that the big players are purchasing strategic pieces of Puerto Armuelles, can only be considered a positive growth indicator.
The gas station was completed late last year. Now, almost suddenly, a large traffic circle, right in front of the gas station, is nearly complete (see photo).
The traffic circle (or roundabout) is a good choice for this busy 3-way intersection.
Unlike past traffic improvements, the traffic circle looks like the kind of quality forward-thinking decision that is made when it is known that car traffic will definitely be increasing. The last time that this sort of planning took place in Puerto Armuelles was when Chiquita Banana Co. was here.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, in 2006, when our family arrived in Puerto Armuelles, literally a third of the downtown retail shops were closed and their store fronts covered with plywood (the look was like New Orleans, post Hurricane Katrina).
Fast forward 11 years:
In all cases, it is crystal clear that local business owners are now willing to invest in their town again. In my conversations with local business owners, they have told me that they now feel confident about expanding their business and even opening new ones.
So it is not just Del Monte and the Government investing in Puerto Armuelles. It is local and outside of Puerto business people too. Private investment of this scale builds its own momentum.
It seems clear that Puerto Armuelles is on an up escalator.
Another sign of the increased activity in Puerto is the very noticeable increase in the number of the 'For Rent' signs you now see. As well as a few more 'For Sale' signs.
In the past, people who were looking for a rental, just asked around. News of rentals was mostly word of mouth. There weren't many rentals, but there weren't many people looking for rentals anyway.
Now that has changed.
A new influx of Del Monte employees are coming in, and more are expected. But it is more than Del Monte workers. More people, both expats and Panamanians, are coming to Puerto Armuelles looking for rentals. As well as property to purchase.
So now people who had not considered being landlords, are preparing vacant houses for rent. Landlords who have rented out houses, are now turning those houses into duplexes to capture the increased demand.
Also, since there are now there are more buyers, more sellers want it to be known that they are willing to sell. That is why you see more for sale signs as well.
Of course, many people here do not want to sell. People here generally love Puerto Armuelles. As a general rule, Portenos only leave Puerto if they cannot find work here.
Along with the increased demand for services comes, obviously, an increased demand for places to dine out. There have been new restaurants sprouting up all over town.
Of course, not all are of a quality that is of interest to most expats. However, there are a few good, but not great,places to eat out.
Most recently, we have a new chain restaurant, Rosti Pollo. I have not eaten there yet.
I could add many more development details. But I will close with a couple that appeal to me personally.
First, there is an expat woman, Joan, who is opening a yoga retreat center here in Puerto Armuelles. She is opening it in partnership with the Tsunami Inn, which is located in the San Vicente neighborhood.
Joan is a yoga practitioner who was looking for a retirement business, as well as a retirement location that really attracted her. She chose Puerto Armuelles.
Betsy and I have both taken yoga classes in the past, so we are especially interested in the arrival of such an opportunity. Please see Betsy’s video interview of Joan here.
I recently learned about another great development. Milton Hutto, owner of Heavenly’s Hotel, is purchasing a 30' boat for use by visitors. I did not ask him for details when he mentioned this, because we were having a planning meeting for the upcoming Flea market/artisan market on September 2 at Heavenly’s Hotel.
Which is anther sign of the times. On the 1st Saturday of every month, Puerto Armuelles will now have a artisan & flea market. The first one is in just a few days, Sept. 2nd, 2017. You can learn more about The Puerto Armuelles Saturday Market here.
I am thrilled that Milton is getting a boat as a first step to kick off a marine tourism business here in Puerto Armuelles. In addition, he will be creating a floating dining area, on the sea, just outside his hotel/restaurant. His hotel is located in the San Vicente neighborhood.
We have plans to open a small boat launch at the Corazon De Oro development. However, we are waiting to see how many people are interested. We have already heard from 5 or 6 that say they are.
Currently, we are focussed on building our first Living In Panama House. We have had nothing but positive feedback from the people who have visited the site. Click to see the 1st phase of construction of the Living in Panama House.
We knew, in our hearts, that if only we lived in Paradise, we would automatically be happy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Even our dreams would be perfect
(And best of all, we would remember them!).
For our part, Betsy and I try to do everything we can to encourage people to take a deep breath, slow down, and not to rush the process.
We want to help potential Panama expats to make sure that theirs is not a rash, emotional reaction to just having finished a whirlwind tour of sandy beaches, luxury hotels, and afternoon cocktails all over Panama. Then climaxing in an impulsive decision to sign a purchase contract. And then find themselves suddenly living in Central America for the rest of their lives. Perhaps wishing that they had never left Cleveland, or Indianapolis, or Toronto.
There is nothing wrong with Central America, per se. In fact, there is a lot of good to be found in
However, none of these “little perks” should be confused with HAPPINESS.
After all, we are not actually moving to the tropics for birdsongs, warm sands, and beautiful sunsets. Most of us, if only in our secret hearts, are moving here because we want to be HAPPY. Because without happiness, we have nothing.
For some people, what they find in Panama is the perfect recipe for them to pursue their ongoing happiness.
For others, a move to the tropics will prove to be isolating, disorienting, alienating, and ultimately tragic move.
However, in all fairness to the tropics, for some of these unhappy people, their own personal life trajectory was inclined toward unhappiness before they arrived in Panama. So tropical living cannot really be blamed. For people in that situation, finding themselves retired and living in an unfamiliar environment, only contributes to their isolation and negative mindset. Also, some expats’ loose interpretation of when the "cocktail hour” begins can greatly contribute to their ultimate state of unhappiness, all while living in Paradise.
Happiness is something that every person on earth is interested in. However, happiness comes more easily for some, than for others.
I have generally been a pretty happy person. However, I have to admit, that I have always found it easier to be happy when things are running smoothly. I guess I am like a lot of other people in that I prefer to have things go my way. When that happen, it is easier for me to feel gratitude. I definitely notice that I get a “jolt” of happiness when I am grateful for something.
Gratitude is a sense that there is abundance, and that all is well with the world. It means that I am being taken care of, or at least regarded as being worthy of consideration.
A very simple example is seen in the following instance. I go to eat in a restaurant where the service and the food are excellent. I am very appreciative, so I feel inclined to leave a big tip for the waiter. I might even thank the owner of the restaurant personally. Asking them to thank the chef for a wonderful meal. I thoroughly enjoy the event. I feel HAPPY.
It seems pretty obvious to me that my state of happiness derives from my having received something I wanted, a good meal.
I think that most of us can relate with the notion of happiness deriving from our having received something that we wanted. We want something, We get it, We feel happy. And we are therefore grateful for our good fortune. This seems obvious.
However, there is a whole school of psychology which declares that we have it all backwards.
Positive Psychology posits that our happiness derives, in fact, not from having gotten something we wanted, but from the feeling of GRATITUDE that infuses our entire being for having gotten that “something” that we wanted.
Positive Psychology suggests that I don’t actually need to get anything that I want, in order to feel that magical “buzz”of gratitude. I can manufacture gratitude, right here at home, in my very own mind, and in my heart. Best of all, I can do this all the time.
According to positive psychology theory, the gratitude that I produce in my mind, artificially without the stimulus of having actually received anything tangible, is just as potent in triggering the happiness as the gratitude that arises from having received something tangible, and desirable. It can just be produced in our minds, by our own willpower. Of course, this willpower can be greatly enhanced, if we practice feeling grateful every day.
To see proof for this theory, we need only look around us. You see many people who appear to have everything that a human being could possibly desire, yet, these fortunate people are desperately unhappy. On the other hand, we know people who suffer great poverty, or terrible health, or family tragedy, and yet they are deeply happy. How do these happy people do it?
How, you might ask, does Simulated Happiness Theory relate to our decision to move to the tropics?
Well, it is not surprising that many of us who move to the tropics assume that by moving here, to our very own private piece of Paradise, we will experience far greater happiness than we could have by staying put in our previous location.
What is surprising is the number of people whose experience of life in Paradise falls far short of the life that they had envisioned, in terms of their overall happiness.
This happens primarily because these people have the happiness/gratitude connection reversed. They are caught in the false model of happiness that says that when everything finally begins to go their way (as it should), they will then, and only then begin to feel happy and grateful.
Those of us who have discovered the technique to cultivating our own happiness, realize that we might have waited many lifetimes for happiness to suddenly arrive on its own.
Once we realize that happiness is not an end result, but an ongoing effort, we are able to control our own happiness. It is not up to the specific ups and downs of our day.
Believe me, even here in Paradise, days have their inevitable ups and downs. But my happiness does not have to gyrate up and down like a yo-yo, depending upon what is going on in my day.
Happiness, like any worthwhile goal, requires effort.
Surely one would not expect to learn to speak Spanish just by waiting for Spanish language fluency to spontaneously arrive in your brain. It is the same with learning a musical instrument, or learning to meditate.
If we invest as little as 15 minutes every morning in practicing gratitude, we will very quickly begin to feel happier.
If you haven’t tried this, you will be amazed. This good feeling just grows, the more we practice. It doesn’t go away with the arrival of illness, or the death of a loved one. It doesn’t go up and down with the stock market. If we practice cultivating feelings of gratitude, every day, for 15 minutes, we feel much, much happier.
This practice does not require moving to Panama; You can do it right there in New York, or Seattle, or Detroit.
If you wake up in the morning and express your “thanks” to God, or whatever your higher power might be, for the mere fact that you are alive for another 24 hours with all its joy, sorrow, sunshine, and rain, then you are off to a good start to experience a day filled with Happiness.
One thing you will notice in Panama is the number of locals who, when asked “how’s it going?, will respond,
“Very well, thanks to God” (Muy bien, grasias a Dios).
For years, I just let the significance of this seemingly perfunctory response go right by me. It was just what Panamanians said, because of their Catholic/Christian background. It did not apply to me.
However, as I have delved deeper into my practice of gratitude, I have discovered that I also wanted to join in the group who gives thanks to God every time I am asked “How’s it going?”.
Now I say, "Muy bien, grasias a Dios" too. (Very well, thanks to God).
Just by speaking those words, I feel much better. If I were having a less than perfect moment in my mind, these simple words set me straight right away.
It doesn’t matter that my precise interpretation of God may be different from someone else’s. What matters is that I am taking this opportunity to vocalize my gratitude for all that I have today. I have a lot to be thankful for .
Mostly, my days are wonderful. I have my health. I have my wife Betsy. I have my children, Skylar and Blaise. Oh yeah; I almost forgot the least important item on my gratitude list; and I live here in Paradise.
What could I possibly have to complain about? The answer: Nothing.
As long as I don’t go searching for something to feel bad about. If I continue to look for and to focus on the good things in my life, and remember to practice GRATITUDE every day, my days are generally excellent!
Thanks for reading.
Reyn
Life in Panama is not all roses.
It can seem that things take forever to happen here.
But once something does happen, you are often required to act quickly, if not immediately.
Life in Panama can be like playing right field in baseball. Mostly you get to hang out, but you never know when you will be required spring into action and catch a fly ball.
2 things happened last month. 2 events that stole time I had allocated to doing last month's Living In Panama newsletter.
Both times we were suddenly notified that we had an appointment, with just a few hours notice.
Such short notice announcements are not uncommon. It is simply expected that you will rearrange your schedule. Getting mad about it will do no good. Of course, if you really cannot make the meeting, it can usually be rearranged.
But in general, if you can, it is best to make the appointment. Especially if it is something you want to resolve. Sometimes the meeting won't be rescheduled for a quite a long time. Plus you are not guaranteed you will get any greater advanced notice of that meeting either.
The first sudden notice of an appointment happened at our house. A policeman, who we know, showed up on his motorcycle about 8am one day. He was giving us notice that we needed to show up at the Ministry of Labor (Ministero de Trajabo) at 10am. Yes, in 2 hours.
We all shook our heads and shrugged over the notice. And we had a nice chat together.
So many things in this particular scenario can be frustrating, especially to expats. That is, in addition to being exasperated over the very short notice.
The worker who had the dispute did not even work for us. He worked for a local contractor. Our only connection was helping to set up the local contractor with an expat's building project. We also helped communicate between the parties.
The worker knew he was very unlikely to get any money from the local contractor, so he didn't cite him. The worker also knew he wouldn't get anything from the expat who had the building project. Not only was that expat not in town, but the worker had stolen a sodering machine from the expat.
Basically, he was looking around for someone to get money form and the only person around who vaguely fit the bill was us.
So we all met at the Ministry of Labor here in Puerto Armuelles. We have had dealings with the Labor Minister over the years. Also he lives right next to our Casa Sunshine property.
The worker said his piece. We said our piece. The Labor Minister asked us all questions. Then we had to wait while the Labor Minister slowly typed up a document on his computer. It was a document that basically said that all the parties had discussed the problem and we had come to no resolution. Then we all signed it.
The Labor Minister told the worker, these are the wrong folks for you to lodge a complaint against. Call in the local contractor, or the expat who the contractor worked for. The worker was a bit shame-faced when we explained he couldn't go to the expat because he had stolen from that expat.
The whole procedure probably happened faster for us than it would have if the worker had called in an expat unknown to the Labor Minister. As I said, the Labor Minister knows us. He knows we are good employers who treat our workers well and always pay a good wage, in full, and on-time.
The Labor Minister seemed to acknowledge that the worker had no real claim against anyone. But he never said it outright to the worker. He simply told him all the avenues he could pursue his claim, not that his claim had no basis.
So nothing bad occurred to us from being called to the Ministerio de Trabajo. But it did cost us our morning.
But it could have been worse.
We could have spent time and energy being upset about the short notice and the ridiculousness of having to defend ourselves against a baseless claim.
Everything takes much less time and energy, if you just go with what is actually happening. Personally, I find it both exhausting and demoralizing to keep insisting that reality should happen in some other way.
And it is possible to turn the event into a relatively pleasant experience. During the time we were waiting at the office, my husband and I chatted pleasantly. I actually rarely get a chance to simply hang out with my husband. I was even able to use my phone to respond to some emails. It is unlikely I would have done either of those items if I had been all scrunched up with anger and exasperation.
Something you should know is that you do not have to pay any money at the Ministerio of Trabajo. No matter what they tell you. Do NOT sign anything saying that you owe any money or other item. The Labor Ministers are mediators only. They have no authority to make you pay anything to a worker. However, if you sign something saying you owe money, then you are on the hook for that payment.
Often both parties meet after going to the Labor Minister, but not with the Labor Minister, to settle for lessor amount than the worker(s) were demanding in front of the Labor Minister. If you do that, make sure the worker(s) sign a document saying you no longer owe them any money in any way. However, settling with the worker is totally optional.
If the workers are serious, they will make their claim at Labor Court. The Labor Court is generally fair, so if you don't think you owe anything to the worker(s) don't be afraid to be taken to court.
That same week, our lawyer Whatsapped us at 6am saying we needed to sign a form at an office in Puerto at 9am. Yes, that same day; a 3 hour notice this time.
It is a good thing that Reyn and I are early risers.
So we quickly rearranged our morning and went. It turns out that it was much more than signing a form.
According to our lawyer, signing a form was all that was really needed. She said that in David the same procedure only requires a signature. But, for some unknown reason, they made a whole meal of this simple procedure in Puerto.
NOTE: Generally, when dealing with officialdom in Panama, just do what they request. No matter how wrong-headed you think it is. Having good relations with those officials is much more important than being right.
The lawyer had also arranged for an official translator from David to be there as well. The translator wasn't really needed, but he was there. I asked the translator when he had been notified of this event. He said 2 weeks ago!
He had 2 weeks notice and we had 3 hours. Okay, another frustration. I, of course, mentioned this to our lawyer. The explanation the lawyer provided was unsatisfactory. In my opinion, she had simply forgotten to notify us.
This event took many hours. Part of that time was spent waiting for the office staff to get ready for the appointment they had set themselves. Oh, well.
You should know that "playing right field-type" things will happen in Panama. You may have been talking with someone for months, maybe years, about buying or selling a property, or setting up a boy scouts pack. Then one day they will show up at your house ready to make it happen. And they will expect you to do it now. Right then.
My advice, if you are sure you want to make it happen, do it right then.
Things change. Some folks will take offense that you won't do it right then. You need to know the players and how they are likely to respond to you delaying action now that they are finally ready to take action themselves.
This month, like most months, no sudden and unexpected appointments occurred.
This month's frustrations mostly involved electricity and Internet. Or rather, the lack of those items.
We had a few electrical outages this month due to trees falling during storms and work being done on the electrical lines. The electricity was never out for long. Well, not more than 3 or 7 hours. But still.
FYI - It is unlikely you will be notified in advance of an electrical out-age due to work being done. There is not alot of emphasis on customer service in Panama.
Of course, when there is no electricity, there is no Internet either.
This month we have also lost Internet alot. Much more than usual. Months can go by without any failure in Internet. But this month, we lost Internet multiple times for significant periods of time.
In an unusual situation, 2 times in 2 weeks someone decided to steal the Internet cable that feeds the Las Palmas neighborhood. I live in the Las Palmas neighborhood. They stole it for the copper.
The 1st time it took 3 days for Cable & Wireless (nicknamed Cable & Worthless) to replace the cable. The 2nd time it took them 5 days. 5 days! I was not happy.
Milton of Heavenly's Hotel lent me his Claro hotspot router. He said it always worked great for him. But Claro must not have much coverage in my neighborhood because trying to make it work was just another source of frustration for me. Though, I do appreciate his thoughtfulness.
Cable & Wireless's Internet failed a few other times during the month. When we called about it, there was an outgoing message notifying us that a significant portion of Panama was experiencing similar problems. They said they were working on it. Typically, they had it functioning again within 24 hours, at most. But, of course, each time you have no idea how long it will be until they can fix the Internet.
Find out more about Internet in Panama here.
I have the most difficulty in being patient when there is no Internet. I find being tolerant of sudden and urgent appointments and bewildering decisions by officials to be much easier. But after 5 or 6 hours of no Internet, I have to start reminding myself to breathe and to accept the reality of the situation.
It will come as no surprise to you that I am going to change internet providers! I am going to switch to Cable Onda. I have been considering this change for quite some time.
Some people love Cable Onda, and some hate it. It is the typical dilemma of staying with the devil you know, rather than switching to a devil you don't. But this month's Internet issues has strengthened my resolve to switch. Plus Cable Onda has been promising faster speeds in our area. Definitely faster than Cable & Worthless.
We will see whether their promises and reality coincide. I will let you know.
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I (Reyn) decided to walk down the beach to investigate. Betsy suggested that I take her camera to get video of this unusual event. Hopefully the video came out okay.
There had been pretty good surf for over a week in Puerto Armuelles. It being a Sunday we sometimes see surfers from Playa La Barqueta (near David) here. These, mostly young, Panamanians drive to Puerto Armuelles to surf when their own break is too big and “gnarly” to ride.
Since Puerto Armuelles is sheltered by Punta Burica from the prevailing southwest swell, we have more days without waves than less protected surf locations.
On the other hand, when the surf gets big and and ugly at other spots, we still have a relatively playful wave suitable for less than expert surfers.
Plus, our beach is always safe for swimmers.
Playa La Barqueta is generally considered to be too dangerous for swimmers. There are annual reports of swimmers and even beach walkers drowning at La Barqueta.
I have body surfed at La Barqueta before, and it was intense. I would never swim there without swim fins; The current is too strong.
So, it was Sunday, and the waves had been pretty good all week. But still 12 surfers in the water was an all time record for Puerto.
“What was up?” I wondered. I walked up to a woman surfer standing on the beach and asked her “why the big crowd?”
She explained that the entire Chiriqui Surf Club just happened to be holding a big get-together this Sunday. They caravaned down from David to surf in Puerto Armuelles. This was not a regular event.
Secretly, I was relieved that our “old guy surfers’ paradise” had not been discovered by the mainstream surf population. Yes, it’s true. Even we old guy surfers have a hard time sharing our local surf spot with a sudden invasion of out-of-towners.
Not surprisingly, when I went surfing at the same spot on Monday morning, I was the only surfer in the water. Victor, an expat who lives nearby and who surfs every morning, is out of town, or there would have been 2 of us.
The waves were still 3-4 foot, as they had been on Sunday, but they were much cleaner. This is the kind of surf session that I treasure in Puerto Armuelles.
In all honesty, conditions are often flat here even during our surf season of June- November.
If you take a look at the video, the waves I filmed are pretty good size for our area. I would say 3-4 feet. We definitely have more flat days in Puerto than we have days like this.
However, even when the waves are small, our swell is generally a lot cleaner than the waves pictured (not so many closeouts).
We generally have glassy morning surf with nice peeling rides….even if the waves are only waist high they are often clean and “rippable”.
Puerto Armuelles is definitely not a destination surf spot. However, if you are a surfer, or you would like to learn, there is uncrowded small surf at many locations here.
Plus, within a half hour drive (Manaca) or boat ride, you can get into some big waves, if that’s what you are looking for.
I generally surf right at our local break at Corazon de Jesus, when there are waves.
If the ocean is flat, I swim.
Surfing is exhilarating. Swimming is relaxing. Both help remind me of how lucky I am to be living here.
Thanks for reading
Reyn
To learn more about Puerto Armuelles, start here.
With Puerto Armuelles, there are now 3 towns in the Chiriqui Province with monthly or weekly markets.
In fact, some of the vendors from both the Volcan and Boquete Markets will be selling their wares at the Puerto Armuelles Saturday Market.
We hope to grow as big as the Boquete Tuesday Market is today. But as someone who went to it years ago, Boquete's Tuesday Market was not always as big as it is today.
Puerto's Saturday Market will be held at Heavenly's Hotel. Heavenly's Hotel is a beachfront hotel in the San Vicente Neighborhood of Puerto Armuelles.
It is easy to find. And there are signs giving directions to the hotel on the way. The image below has a map with the route to Heavenly's Hotel marked in red.
On sunny days, it is an outside event. On rainy days, it will move inside.
I also have directions to Puerto Armuelles via this link.
8am to 1pm on 1st Saturday of every month
If you have something you want to sell, you are welcome to sell it at the Saturday Market.
There is no charge to set up your table. But you do need to bring your own table and chairs.
Will you be at the market?
A baker from Boquete, Morton's Bakery, will be here too. If you want to pre-order from him, let me know and I will send you the menu/price list and pre-order contact info. You must get your pre-order to him by Thursday.
If you have any household goods or other items you want to donate, there will be a donation table. All proceeds will go to benefit the monthly spay and neuter clinic of Puerto Armuelles.
I made a video about the spay and neuter clinic of Puerto Armuelles.
I hope to see you on Saturday!
For more information, please comment below.
or contact Milton @ 6843-3250 or Sheryl @ 6828-2605
