The Panama Adventure

It is the last week of March, the height of summer. By this time every year I am very tired of summer. It’s hot, windy, and very dry. It rained a month ago while we were away but otherwise, since late December, we have only seen a couple sprinkles. It seems like most days we are without water for part of the day which isn’t a huge deal, but it’s inconvenient. Thankfully though, they still haven’t fixed our electric meter so the extra AC isn’t costing us more.  And, thankfully, it seems like there have been few problems with brush fires this summer, and least in this area.

But, for all my complaining there are good things, like new flowers and fruits that you don’t see at other times of the year. I have some random photos of these and other things I found in my camera.

This one isn’t a Panama flower, but I did get it here are La Feria. It’s a carrion plant flower, or Stapelia Gigantea, a native of Southeast Africa. The flower has a mild (thank goodness) smell of rotting meat, but it did a good job of attracting flies and ants. The third photo is of heliconia roots. We had some heliconias just appear in the yard and though they are pretty, they sprouted in places we would rather use for something else. I sure was surprised at the extent of the root systems though! This is only one of many we dug out.

One evening we had a gorgeous sunset. We are in a lower part of the neighborhood, not high enough to see the setting sun but sometimes we see some beautiful colors in the sky anyway.

OK, some flowers, as promised!

one of the many bougainvilleas covered with flowers

I’m not sure what these are but they are very pretty

Here’s another, not as full of flowers but still pretty

I don’t know what this purple tree is either

We went to Pricesmart yesterday. We got there earlier than usual, and I had forgotten about the rules that say you can’t buy alcohol before 11AM,so I had some time to kill. I wandered over to Chiriqui Mall to see how the construction was coming along. I noticed sertracen was packed and people were waiting outside to get in. This is where you get your drivers licenses. To the right is a bank, and to the right of that the immigration office. Both of these were fairly quiet. If you are looking for these offices, stand in front of the movie theater and they are right across the parking lot.

The addition looks huge, like it will double the size of the mall! It’s not ready but it’s definitely coming along.

Sertracen was packed

since I was there, I figured I’d wander through the mall on my way out.

There wasn’t a whole lot going on, but it was morning

Most of the people here were going to the office of transportation

ok, back to Pricesmart

Since we are checking construction sites, here are a couple more.

Yeah!! this is where I saw the Walmart sign in the past. Thankfully there is no more Walmart sign, or any signs of construction in progress.

This tall structure is going up a couple blocks behind Cochez in a mainly residential area. I’m not sure what it is going to be.

They have been working on the ball stadium for a long time. On the far side I see some bleachers going on, some benches, and on the opposite side is a square looking structure. Parking? boxes?

I’ve been trying to get back to biking more. I do enjoy seeing what is going on around town and exchanging greetings with everyone. It’s just getting started… it’s hot, it’s too windy, I’m not feeling energetic today… I can make lots of excuses. But once I get out there I always enjoy myself.

In our neighborhood there are a couple mariñon (cashew) trees starting to fruit. I never thought about how cashews grow until I discovered them here. Each nut grows individually at the bottom of a fruit. The fruit very delicate so it doesn’t transport well at all. People here use it to make a fruit drink, and sometimes chop it up and cook it with some cinnamon and sweetener. For me it has an odd almost musky taste and smell, but it’s not unpleasant. The nuts have a toxic substance so they must be heated to neutralize it. Traditionally people roast them over a wood fire until they are pretty black and burned looking, and then crack the shell to get the nut inside. Roasted this way they have a wonderful smoked flavor and I like them better than cashews from the supermarket. It’s no wonder they are expensive though. One tree doesn’t produce that many nuts and they are a lot of work.

A mature yellow fruit (they are usually yellow or red, or a combination of the two colors. They are all the same in flavor though)

green cashews on immature fruits

a yellow and red fruit nearby

our pretty yellow tree

The last photo is one of those yellow flowering trees. I’ve seen others with many more flowers that look much more spectacular, but this is our neighborhood tree and we love it just the same.

There is an excellent article today on Chiriqui Chatter. 
http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2017/03/26/observations-regarding-moving-to-panama/

Here’s just a little of it:

“I know I haven’t posted much lately, but I have several items consuming my time. However, I have had some time to observe several Yahoo groups and the Internet conversations about the frustration of the new immigration laws that Panama is enforcing.

For those considering retiring in Panama, this should have no major ill effect. I still maintain you should live here, as you would if you were a permanent resident, for a minimum of 6 months, prior to deciding to move here.

You should use that time for a test run to allow experiencing both the rainy and the dry seasons. That is not hard to do, but it does require effort. You should keep in mind that some locations have extra risks during the rainy season , such as bridge outages or land slides.

During that time you need to do a real due diligence to see if Panama is right for you.

I suggest several items for your due diligence.”

Read the rest of the article at the link here. If you are considering moving to Panama, (or anywhere for that matter,)  it is well worth your time.  http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2017/03/26/observations-regarding-moving-to-panama/  Also read the comments.

The Ministerio de Salud (Health Department) paid us a visit yesterday. They were going house to house to check for standing water and to educate people on mosquito control.

The first time they did this was last October which made sense. It was the height of rainy season and the Zika virus was a big topic of conversation and worry. A very nice man walked around the yard, educated me about the dangers of standing water, and explained how he was doing all he could to teach people about controlling mosquitoes which helps prevent the diseases they carry.

My house was numbered #115 (nothing to do with #110 on the post in front, or #90 that has been scratched out. 115 is only for the health department records) He stuck a paper high on our laundry room door. (It’s looking a bit worse for wear after being out in the humidity for months.)

The paper says you are prohibited from destroying or damaging the paper, under threat of a fine.

Yesterday we had another visit from the health department. The lady marched right into the yard, turned over my gardening bucket, dumped out a glass of water we had next to the potted plants, signed the paper, and left. She said she had been out all day working in this hot sun though, and was trying to earn enough money to go to university so I can’t blame her for not wanting to hang around and chat.

It is the height of dry season now and I think I have seen one mosquito in the last two months. My “office” is outside on the terrace so I’m quite aware of what is flying around. Even in the rainiest part of the rainy season, I would see maybe 3-4 in an evening, usually around dusk, and rarely the aedes aegypti, the type that carries zika, dengue, yellow fever, and chikungunya.  They are easy to spot because they are larger and have the white bands on their legs (photo below from Wikipedia)

By Muhammad Mahdi Karim – Own work, GFDL 1.2, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9556152

I am very surprised at how few mosquitoes there are here. Everywhere I have lived in the US has had enough mosquitoes that staying outside as dusk approaches is about impossible. I remember visiting the Florida Keys where a truck came around twice a week to spray, but swarms of mosquitoes started attacking as soon as dusk approached. Here, I have never seen mosquito spraying. It is possible that they spray and I have missed it, but I don’t think it has happened in my neighborhood because I spend a lot of time outside and notice who comes and goes.

We do have mosquito born diseases here though. The death rate of people building the canal was very high, and mostly from yellow fever. Today however, it is not a problem unless you go to the Darien and jungles of eastern Panama, where you are not supposed to be anyway.  (according to this CDC page here)  Malaria is also not considered a problem, except again in the Darien (it is carried by a different mosquito though, the Anopheles mosquito)

But, it is possible to get other diseases. There have been a few cases of Zika in Chiriqui according to the reports, though I don’t know anyone personally who has been affected or who knows of someone affected. Zika is usually a mild illness but it has been reported to cause birth defects, so pregnant women are advised to take all possible precautions.

Dengue is also possible, but again I don’t know anyone affected in this area. A friend in Pedasi got it a couple years ago though, and said there were quite a few cases there at that time. Dengue can make you very sick for quite a while. From what I understand, there are different varieties of dengue and you will be immune to the one you got, but if you get one of the others you maybe be sicker than you were the first time, and even develop dengue hemorrhagic fever which can be deadly.

There is also chikungunya, a very nasty illness. I haven’t heard of anyone in Panama getting it, though I know it is possible. Friends in Nicaragua and Ecuador have had it though, and suffered terribly with joint pain to the point that they needed help taking care of themselves at times, and the pain lasted for many months. Of course no one wants any of these illnesses, but chikungunya seems to have caused the most havoc to those I know who have gotten it.

So, that’s all I know about mosquitoes and mosquito born illnesses in this area. This is the rainy tropics for most of the year so I never expected so few mosquitoes. Maybe a thank you is in order to our lizards, birds, and bats for keeping the population down.

The day started with a motmot eating his breakfast as we ate ours. I couldn’t see exactly what he had, but I think it was a butterfly.

After breakfast I set out for a ride. As I left the neighborhood, I came across the neighborhood cows loose in the street. They are quite shy so I got off my bike and stood by the side of the road as they walked by. We found out in the past that they will stampede away in fear if they see a cyclist riding towards them!. They didn’t seem happy to see me today but at least they managed to stay calm.

I decided to check the site where they are building the new bus terminal and the Federal Mall. They were moving dirt around for the longest time and it didn’t look like much was happening, but now things are definitely happening, and happening fast!

The site of the mall is on the right where they have poured a lot of concrete, and the bus terminal is farther back on the left

Here is a closer look at all the activity at the bus terminal site

I went to a different vantage point where you can see the terminal, but not the mall site

Of course with anything new, there are different opinions. Right now all buses go to the terminal downtown so it won’t be as convenient for many when that changes. But, downtown is crowded and congested and there is minimal parking. The new site will have a lot of space, parking, and easy access to main roads.  Below is a promotional video showing what the terminal will be like when it is finished.

I couldn’t find much to share about the mall, but word is that it is being built by the same people who built Albrook Mall in Panama City, and it may be as big.

I also checked on the huge palm tree that has been doing interesting things.

This is from last October

Then, in late November it had flowers

Late November flowers

In January the flowers were looking pretty faded

Now in March, the top seems to be full of little berries or seeds

You can see the seeds better here

I don’t know what is going to happen to the tree eventually. Since all this flowering and seeding is going on at the top where new leaves usually emerge, it could be the final stage of its life.

A couple days ago we saw a plane flying overhead. I know to most people this isn’t remarkable but here, we almost never see that. We can hear some of the flights as they land and take off at the airport, but we usually don’t see them. We don’t see contrails in the sky either. That was strange at first. I don’t think I’ve ever lived anywhere without contrails.

Last, but not least, I was sweeping and accidentally tossed this bug on its back. I rescued it on a leaf where it was kind enough to stay for a while so I could take some photos.

The Feria Internacional de David (the International Fair of David) is a big event held every March. It is attended by around 350,000 people, and attracts 500 vendors and exhibitors from Panama and many neighboring countries. New ideas and technologies are on display, and there are many local business promoting their products and services. At night, it is party central with both live music and recorded music for dancing and enjoyment of everyone (except maybe not nearby residents because it goes on all night and it’s LOUD!)

I went with my friend and neighbor, and a couple new expats who live nearby. I didn’t expect to see anything different so I didn’t plan to take photos but of course, I found a few things after all.

There was ice skating. I don’t remember seeing ice skating before. The kids seemed to be doing very well! They either learn fast or they had skated somewhere before.

Of course there was shopping. There are a number of buildings totally full of vendors with clothes, jewelry, shoes, bags, toys, and other things too numerous to list. I don’t think I have ever seen so many shoes! This time I did well to resist all the cute little girl clothes (I already bought some unique hand made dresses for my granddaughters in Cuba, so I won’t arrive empty handed).

There was a stage with children performing traditional dances. The little girl in white was beyond adorable!

There were a few other things I didn’t remember. I’m sure the train has been there in the past, but the zip line? I don’t remember that. It wasn’t in use at the time though. Since this is an agricultural area there was a lot of farm equipment on display, and “furniture row” with the huge selection of furniture is always interesting. It must be a hard life for the workers though. In the back they were busily working on more furniture, and I can’t even imagine the logistics of loading all that up and taking it from place to place. As far as I could tell, they were all from Nicaragua.

There are fun things for the kids, a little amusement park, and I was going to say pony rides but as you can see, there are more than ponies. The tiny kid on the huge bull was so cute! The kids on the mechanical bull were also fun to watch. It was slow so they didn’t have trouble staying on it.

Of course there were animals. We didn’t spend a lot of time there but I caught a few on camera as we strolled though.

cows

goats, who liked to climb on the enclosures as you approached

sheep (ovejas) not to be confused with bees (abejas) 😀

naked sheep

We wandered on and completed our circuit of the fair grounds.

portable milking machine, anyone?

My friend Haydee (striped shirt) takes a picture of boots for her husband

We wander through the large plant and garden area. I wasn’t going to buy anything but this very exotic, unusual, and strange plant just had to come home with me. I will share photos later when the next flower opens.

By now it was getting dark, and my friend who gets up at 4:30 for work was fading fast.

There was more activity at the amusement park

I need one of these hats!

Performances were still in progress on the stage

It was a fun time at the fair wandering around and seeing everything, and I enjoyed spending time with the people in our little group. And, with my old retired people discount it only cost $1 to get in, so why not go!

It seems like the recent immigration changes are the biggest topic of conversation lately. Nothing new has happened in the last couple days so I’m happy to turn my attention to just some mundane bits of life that have been my recent experience.

We had an interesting thing in the neighborhood a few days ago. They were filming a reenactment of a crime for a TV show. Apparently there was a home invasion in a nearby town a year or so ago. The neighbors heard the woman screaming, called the police, and they came in time to rescue the family and arrest the criminal.

There was a bit of a crowd down the street

Plan and prepare the next scene

Action! (yes, those are real policemen)

Review the results. Repeat the plan, action, review multiple times until we figured we had pretty much seen it all, and decided to go back home.

On the way home I noticed the neighborhood horse was in the front yard.

I stopped by a vacant lot with some huge mango trees the other day, one of the places I go to look for fruit. If mangoes are on the ground and no one is picking them up, I figure they are fair game. I picked up so many last year that I still have some in the freezer.

One of the many huge, beautiful mango trees in the area

Look at all the mangoes up in the tree! Many trees are just loaded with fruit this year

the big tree is already dropping these huge mangoes. They are green and I don’t know if they will ripen well, but there will be more over the next 2-3 months

I’m back to painting class. I’m feeling in a bit of a rut, but I discovered a collection of books at the school and brought one home. I need to learn about techniques, composition, etc. lots of things I haven’t covered yet. I know there is more to it than finding something I like and trying to paint that. But, I did finally finish my latest, a request from a good friend.

Last night we drove up to Boquete. Me3 (Joel’s band) had a gig at Mike’s Global and it was fantastic. With various travel plans they hadn’t played together for a while, and it was like they were on fire with energy. The place was standing room only and the dance floor was packed for every song. It was SO much fun! (If you missed it come back on March 1st. They will be back)

It’s always a beautiful drive into the mountains in the late afternoon. It’s hot and dry down here but in the mountains, even in summer, sometimes there is rain and often there is a wet mist. This can make for fantastic rainbows and last night we were treated to an especially beautiful and vivid one.

We head into the clouds and mist

and then this starts to appear on our right

When we arrived in town, we could see this from the parking lot

The rainbow went all the way across the sky

Of course if there is an interesting bug I will be reaching for my camera. Joel spotted this one on our potted plants.

It continues to be summer down here. It’s dry, the winds are blowing hard, dust clouds are blowing down the street and my neighbor is very frustrated that it’s impossible to keep her house clean. The cucarones are whistling up a storm, even at times in the daytime.  The water was on long enough to water plants, do some laundry, and clean up the kitchen but now there isn’t a drop coming out of the faucet. We have water on hand so it isn’t a big deal, but it seems to be happening almost every day lately.

Today is the Calbalgata, the horse parade in town. Thousands of horses and riders from everywhere come to participate. I don’t think we are going since we have been before. The Feria is also going on, and we do plan to go with some friends tomorrow afternoon after the sun is lower in the sky, but before the night time crowds arrive. I don’t plan to buy anything because I don’t need anything (my neighbors think this is very strange). It’s always interesting to look at everything though.

Retirement, when you wonder how you ever had time to work.

This article HERE was published today in La Prensa. It basically says that if a tourist is in Panama for 5 months, they must leave for 30 days before they will be allowed back into Panama. But, if they are close to their 180 day limit, they won’t be allowed back at all.

These are new changes and there is a lot of confusion, of course. The article says a tourist who is here for a brief period and then wants to come back later won’t have a problem. (define brief – a week, a month, 3 months?)  If you are close to 180 days and aren’t allowed back, for how long? months? a year? ever? How close to 180 days is too close?

The feelings I have been hearing from Panamanians is that the people from Venezuela and Colombia are the problem. They work illegally, commit crimes, and deal drugs and Panamanians want something done, and done now! (Of course this is generalization and perception and I don’t know how much, if any is based on facts). Panamanians are very happy about these new regulations that close the “border hop” loophole. But of course, all expat-tourists affected by these changes.

There has been a lot of talk among the expats in the usual forums and discussion groups. How will this affect tourism? the Panamanian economy? Will many leave, and will Panama miss the money they spend here? Myself, I can’t imagine it will be a huge impact. All the homeowners I know are legal. Perpetual tourists generally don’t live in hotels and spend every day doing tourist things. Maybe lawyers will be busier with residency applications? Time will tell, and time will help sort out some of the confusion.

This message has been shared in a few places, one of which is the blog of our David embassy warden. http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2017/03/15/message-for-u-s-citizensinformation-on-panamanian-immigration-regulations/

The short version is that tourists are allowed to stay for 180 days, and then they must leave for a minimum of 30 days before they will be allowed to come back into Panama.

Here is the full text of the message.

U.S. Embassy in Panama

Message for U.S. Citizens

March 15, 2017

The U.S. Embassy in Panama would like to inform all U.S. Citizens in Panama that on March 6^th 2017, the Panamanian Immigration Authority (Servicio Nacional de Migracion-SNM) announced new guidance for Panamanian immigration officials on the enforcement of pre-existing regulations.  According to the SNM, immigration officials have been instructed to be stricter about the enforcement of the regulation that foreigners entering Panama with tourist status prove that they are in fact entering Panama as tourists and not residing in Panama.  Since the announcement, the Consular Section has received many questions from U.S. citizens about this new guidance.  Below are the most frequently asked questions along with the responses the Consular Section received from the SNM.  Should you have further questions, please reach out to the SNM directly via phone at 507-1800 or visit their website at: http://www.migracion.gob.pa

In order to re-enter Panama on tourist status, does a U.S. Citizen need to return to their country of origin (the country from which they came into Panama) or can they return from a third-country (example: Costa Rica)?

Answer:  In the new guidance SNM does not specify if the tourist needs to return his/her country of origin. What is being implemented is that, in most cases, the person needs to leave Panama for a minimum of 30 days before reentering as a tourist.

In order for a person to re-enter Panama on tourist status, what is the minimum amount of time the person needs to spend outside of Panama?

Answer: The new requirement that is being implemented by SNM in reference to time spent out of Panama is a minimum of 30 days before applying for admission, in most cases.

In order for a person to re-enter Panama on mariner visa status, what is the minimum amount of time the person needs to spend outside of Panama.

Answer: According to SNM, mariner visas are valid for 90 days and must be renewed on the 90^th day, or the day before, from the date of the previous mariner visa stamp.  Mariner visas can only be renewed once before the visa- holder needs to exit Panama. The amount of time the person with the mariner visa needs to stay outside of Panama is not specified by SNM.

If entering Panama on tourist status, does the method of entry need to match the method of exit (i.e. can a U.S. Citizen enter Panama on a plane and use as proof of exit evidence that they own a boat in Panama and plan to exit via boat)?

Answer: The method of entry and exit into and out of Panama does not have to be the same so long as the entries and departures are met legally by using established Ports of Entry – land, maritime or air and admitted by a Panamanian immigration officer.

Do U.S. Citizens with legal Panamanian residency status also require a roundtrip ticket when entering Panama?

Answer: No.  A foreigner with legal residence in Panama does not need to show proof of exit from Panama.

Is a person applying for Panamanian residency required to stay in Panama for the entire duration of time required to complete the residency process? If so, what happens if the process takes more than the allotted six months for tourist status.

Answer: If the person has an ID that shows that his/her residency is in process, the person is fine to leave and return to Panama.  If there is no ID, then the person should exit as a tourist (i.e., before the sixth month approaches).

How long does the FBI Identification Record process, required for purposes of obtaining residency in Panama, take? Can this process be expedited?

Answer: For information on the FBI identification record process, individuals may visit https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks.  According to the FBI website, the current turnaround estimate for these records is 12 to 14 weeks plus the amount of time the results may take to arrive in the mail.  Currently there is no option to receive the response electronically. For questions on this topic, individuals may call (304) 625-5590 or write an email to identity@ic.fbi.gov

Tourists are only allowed to drive in Panama for 90 days.  Is there an exception for this given that tourists are allowed to stay in Panama for 180 days?

Answer: According to the Transit authority (http://www.transito.gob.pa/sites/default/files/reglamento_decreto_640..pdf Artículo 110) foreigners that enter Panama as tourists are not permitted to obtain Panamanian drivers’ licenses and are only allowed to drive with a foreign license for 90 days.  There are no exceptions to this rule.

Can SNM waive the FBI Identification Record process if a person does not exit Panama for two years? If so, would there be an exception to the 180 day stay limit for tourists for a person trying to obtain this waiver?

Answer: If a person stays in Panama for more than two years then the FBI requirement does not apply.  The waiver of the FBI requirement applies to those people that stay in Panama two years, without exiting.  In these cases, a fine is paid by the person for overstaying their tourist visa and the person is only required to present a PNM police record rather than the FBI check.

 

I hadn’t been out on my bike for SO long! I don’t know, inertia, laziness, busy… but yesterday Joel gave me the boost I needed to get out there. We didn’t go far but it felt great! I took my camera so here is a little bit of what we saw.

There is a new neighborhood going in not far from ours. Just across from our neighborhood is another of single family homes but they are building an apartment building there. It doesn’t seem like it will fit in but we’ll see what it’s like when it’s done. The last photo is the hill with the cross on top that you can see as you go up the road to Boquete. We are on the back side of that hill. It is the height of summer dry season and you can see how brown and dry everything looks.

an apartment building?!

nice houses in the new neighborhood

well done street

a playground in progress

we are behind this hill

There are some gorgeous trees at this time of year. The most spectacular are the yellow ones that are about done for the season, but pink and white ones are still blooming and looking beautiful.

a pretty pink

and another

a white one in our neighborhood

Joel on his way home past a pretty pink one

the yellow one in our neighborhood is done for the year. On windy days the flowers can be blown off in a day or two.

There are quite a few other things blooming as well.

the neighbor’s bougainvillea continues to come through the fence and bloom like crazy

Some more bougainvilleas and other flowers

I’m not sure what these are

I don’t know what these are either but many of these are very big trees covered with these pretty flowers

this huge tree is making new lacy leaves and dropping seed pods everywhere’

Mangoes! they are getting big all over town

By March I am always tired of dry season. I don’t like everything brown and dead, and the constant heat and sun is getting old. But, there are upsides like all these beautiful flowers. If I whine, remind me of all the people in the northeast USA who are getting a blizzard!

We stopped by to visit my friend Avionetta

Her friend, who’s name I can remember, wanted some lovin too.

Our neighborhood hourse

This mom and baby are just outside our neighborhood. The young one is getting as tall as mom.

The church down the road is decorated for Easter

I wouldn’t want that job in this hot weather

Joel stops in front of the view of Volcan Baru

I went to a store that sells clothing for road workers and construction workers, bright safety oriented things. Check out my new shirt. it’s very comfortable, breathable, reflective, and bright. It was about $10 and I’m very happy.

(Bug warning below!)  This noisy bird was sitting on our front fence the other day, and one night I came out to see this cool bug sitting on one of my solar lights. It was very nice and let me get as close as I wanted, use a flash, turn it this way and that, and it didn’t even move.

these grackles can make a lot of noise

Here is my nighttime visitor with the long feelers

I’m not sure I would call the face handsome though

Just another day in the life of a retired expat in Panama.