Any condo owners in Panama.

[freeflorider]

Just saying you can legally stay 180 days without a visa but you can only drive up to 90 days here. If you leave for 24 hrs then you can come back into Panama for another 90 days of driving privileges.
I would apply for a pension visa so I could come for 6 month and the do summers back home for 6 months to try it out.
Being a self employed guy my crappy gov cpp won’t give me enough cash flow to apply for the residency visa but if you buy more then $200k of property the amount goes to $750. Most people can generate $1000 can$, to apply.

 

[freeflorider]

What’s the agricultural building like down there? Wonder what there dairy and chicken barns look like down there. Healthcare is also a huge issue for our family. Give credit to anyone that can pick up and go and start a new life.

So far I see skinny cows and chickens, no feed lots. We are going into boquete next week, this is major agg country I’m told. More along the way of slow growing organic farming.
Health care sound great and affordable but off course I’m talking about your day to day issues. Canada is far more developed then here for specialized needs. Definitely a life style decision one has to make.

 

[Trashy]

 

[mathrulz]

I spent some time touring through Panama early last year. Boquete was a nice area. Lots of retired expats there. Weather was cooler and windy, almost too much so for me. Driving from David it’s a continual climb up the volcano mountains to get to Boquete, so kind of depends how far up you go too. Some agriculture on the way up, but mostly just coffee plantations up in Boquete. It’s neat how they can grow and harvest it all in the side of the volcanos. On the other side is the Vulcan valley. I didn’t get a chance to go there, but understand there’s more agriculture there.

Quite touristy, but if you get a chance I’d recommend taking a tour of the San Blas islands. I did a day trip from Panama City (16hr day including driving). The drive was quite the experience. All lifted SUVs going through some of the best off-roading terrain you can find. On the way NE of Panama City there’s more agriculture, but smaller plots and very hilly land. The San Blas islands were some of the nicest white sand and clear water you’ll ever see though. And lots of them are only a few meters above sea level, so they’re slowly shrinking.

Bocas Del Toro was awesome too. Spent time at a couple different islands there.

The Panama government strongly incentivizes small business, so there’s very few larger corporations. Some are owned by the same person maybe, but branded separately for tax purposes. I seen garbage being burned in yards in towns several times, and most places were generally very dirty. Lots and lots of poverty and some petty crime. Some hiking trails had warning signs not to go alone as people have been murdered or disappeared too. Thankfully I never had any issues though. Overall it was a great trip. I’d really have to give it some thought about moving there however. Costa Rica was much nicer I found. I could easily live there. More expensive though.

One place in Panama I regret not going was Pedasi. I didn’t have time to drive from Panama City to David, so I didn’t get to see much on the pacific side. But I’ve since heard good things about this area.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[freeflorider]

Great write up. Yes I have been to bocas and agree 100%. We are driving the coast line or what we can and pedasi is on the list. We are in Santa Catalina right now. Very small area and crappy road but still an adventure. Costa Rica is my favourite to, we have been there 4 times now and logged about 3800 km driving around. We even walked down from CR to bocas years ago.
I will hit both sides of the volcano and do boquete and volcan.

 

[Bnorth]

How is the general attitude towards Canadians or do they even know your nationality? I believe their government just confiscated a large Canadian mine as the royalty agreement was deemed to go against their legislature.

 

[freeflorider]

I just heard of this mine being pulled. Not aware of it but think I’ll do some reading now. Did hear the condo market might be affected by the minning down turn….now this makes sense. Thanks for pointing this out.
I don’t point out my nationality unless I have to but so far very happy and helpful people.
Not like I ware a I Trudeau shirt…be shot for that I’m sure.

 

[freeflorider]

 

[freeflorider]

Santa Catalina…boquete.

 

[lilduke]

people that cant find a garbage can, i will never understand. Lol

 

[Truebro]

people that cant find a garbage can, i will never understand. Lol

You should see the amount of dirty diapers sitting on the shallow ocean floor around some of the less habituated islands in Bocas del Toro….

 

[lilduke]

You should see the amount of dirty diapers sitting on the shallow ocean floor around some of the less habituated islands in Bocas del Toro….

Sounds majestic. Nothing like swimming with.a bunch of dirty diapers.

 

[MP Kid]

What the F is wrong with people…..?

 

[Truebro]

What the F is wrong with people…..?

Poor/ uneducated….

 

[lilduke]

AInt no French Riviera thats for sure.

Doesnt take an education to not live like a slob.

 

[pano-dude]

Poor/ uneducated….

Poor infrastructure maybe too? If there is no landfill ch!t gets tossed wherever.

 

[lilduke]

If there is enough infrastructure to get diapers there is no excuse not to have a dump. Slobs simple as that.

 

[adamg]

That was one question I had for my parents. Where does the garbage go in Costa Rica?

 

[freeflorider]

That was one question I had for my parents. Where does the garbage go in Costa Rica?

Well it’s not good…areas that are off the Beaton path end up like this.

 

[freeflorider]

But other side is its pretty cool to go through a military check point and drive up to Costa Rica boarder and just randomly walk into another country. Not sure how it works but I wasn’t shot at. Fun day out and about.