Richard Detrich’s Boquete, Panama Weblog

While I was accompanying a ship’s tour in Costa Rica I realized how fascinated folks were with seeing an actual banana flower.  Realizing that not everyone has a banana tree in their backyard, I thought I’d show you a banana tree in flower. 

The flower is the maroon thingy at the end of the stalk.  Under each “petal” are the flowers, each set forming a “hand” of bananas.  Eventually the flower will stop getting pollinated and fall off when the plant decides there are sufficient hands of bananas.  Commercially the flower is usually cut off at a certain point.  We almost always have a stalk of bananas ripening.  The price of bananas at the market in Boquete is generally 2 for five cents, or $1 - $1.50 for an entire stalk of bananas.  Not only is the price different than in cold climates, but the taste is totallydifferent!  Bananas here taste, well like bananas, not Styrofoam immitation bananas.  Our home grown bananas are left on the tree until just before the birds and coati start after them.

I’ll add in a few photos I took while on tour in Costa Rica of the Del Monte processing plant.

The blue bags are used for commercial growing to protect the ripening fruit from insects and damage in handling.  An insecticide is infused into the blue plastic.

 
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Here’s a shot of an orchid currently in bloom on our trees.  As you can see, many of the orchids are incredibly delicate.

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The BOSTON GLOBE and South Florida SUN-SENTINEL have run an interesting story on Panama and our area, “The continental divide of Panama’s emerging tourism destinations”. Check it out.

[New "improvements" to WordPress, presumably developed by an ex-Mircrosoft employee, make using it much more difficult, since it now has, like Windows, a "mind of it's own" and requires lots of tweaking. This simple post has been a nightmare! Weblog: why "fix" it if it isn't broken??]

Well, more or less.

The road in front of our property has been paved, something I never expected, but there it is!

The driveway to the house is starting to take shape.
 

The pergola and entrance are taking shape.

The stone that will sheath the tower is finally here and should start going up this week. We like this rock which comes from up near the Costa Rican border.

The fireplace is two-sided so it can be enjoyed from either the great room or the back porch.

We got a little carried away on the size of the back porch (here looking toward the master bedroom), but this is where we will live most of the time.

I “recommend” (loosely so) the Riande Airport Hotel in Panama. I am a frequent guest, although you sure wouldn’t know it by the way I am treated. But I’ve concluded they treat every guest withthe same “attitude” so I don’t feel bad. The bell guys who take me to the airport and look after my car while I am gone, are great, the parking is free, and the convenience of a location 5 minutes from the international airport with quick and easy access to Corridor Sur make it hard to beat. And, recently, the hotel has begun a much needed renovation, albeit a minor and relatively cheap renovation and not the massive renovation required.

There are other Riande hotels and I’ve never stayed at any. (Why would I want to given my experiences at the Riande Airport in Panama?)

I arrived home May 8th. The airport shuttle was there almost immediately. When I checked in I received the usual challenge, delivered with attitude - not upscale “attitude” but “DGAS” attitude (nicely put, we don’t give a damn about your business) - “Do you have a reservation?” (If not, we certainly don’t want you in our hotel.) Here goes . . .

Since it’s 4AM I’m up and out of here to beat the traffic through Panama City. Makes you wonder why I stay here, huh? Location, location, location. Any decent hotel that builds by the international airport, offers a modicum of service, a clean and affordable room, airport pickup and parking will make a fortune!

I grant you I’ve just come off of 50 days on the VOLENDAM with Holland America’s truly exceptional service, but still . . .

One of the reasons for Holland America’s exceptional level of service is the Filipino and Indonesian crew who come from a culture where being of exceptional service to another is considered an honor. In Panamanian culture being of service is, well, being a “servant” and while people are certainly willing to perform servant-type roles if needed to survive, it is certainly not looked on as an honor. The Panamanian work ethic largely centers around punching in, putting in your time, and punching out. If Panama is to be truly successful in the tourist and hospitality economic sector there must be a relearning from the top down. At the top corporate executives must understand that the guest is the guest and without the guest there is no business. The standard Panamanian business ethos “the customer is the enemy” simply doesn’t fly in the tourist and hospitality sector in the long term. From the top it has to filter down to the local facility management and the lowest paid employee who, ironically, is frequently the one most in contact with the customer.

So how, you ask, does a hotel like the Riande Airport survive?

A Deloitte report published this week showed that Panama City has the second highest hotel occupancy rate of any city outside of the United States. Panama, which had a hotel occupancy rate of 84.7 percent, was topped only by Perth, Australia. Deloitte says that tourism in Panama increased 27 percent in 2007, much higher than the expected 15 percent increase. In addition to this, Panama City showed an impressive 37.9 percent increase in revenue per available hotel room.

Even in the current rocky economy, Panama is emerging as one of the strongest locations for tourism in the Americas buoyed up by a weak US dollar.

Richard Detrich’s Boquete Blog An Interesting Perspective On Expatriate Life In Panama
April 30, 2008 by patrickwoolford

Richard Detrich’s blog provides an interesting look at the American expatriate life in Panama, specifically living in Boquete. After scouring the internet for interesting blogs on Panama, Mr. Detrich’s blog is a refreshingly honest look at life in Panama, amid a veritable wasteland of commercial and spam filled sites. According to his site, Mr. Detrich is an ordained minister and retired businessman who relocated to Panama with his wife. He often writes about his day to day experiences living in Boquete, as well as his experience owning and operating a small shade coffee plantation in the mountains. His blog is varied and eclectic, with posts on Panama politics and history, photographs of wild orchids, and stories of gruesome battles between spiders and scorpions in his laundry room.

For anyone interested in buying property, building a house in Boquete, or is looking for advice on investing in Panamanian coffee, Mr. Detrich’s Boquete Blog is a valuable resource.

Reading Mr. Detrich’s blog is especially useful for investors interested in Boquete, but also provides general insight for real estate investments elsewhere in Panama. One particularly useful page on his site is an extensive Q&A section that answers many questions people may have about buying property and living in Panama. Some of the questions addressed include “how isolated is Boquete from the rest of the world?”, “Are foreigners allowed to own property?”, and “how is banking in Panama different than in the United States?” For anyone interested in buying property, building a house in Boquete, or is looking for advice on investing in Panamanian coffee, Mr. Detrich’s Boquete Blog is a valuable resource.

Panama Real Estate Investment

Hey, Patrick, thanks!!

This has been a busy few months . . . 50 days on the VOLENDAM, travel time, visiting my grandson for the first time, and building a house! Who knew retirement would involve so much sitting on the rocking chair and thinking?

So, as part of my shifting gears from cruising back to Panama, a bunch of odds ‘n ends.

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If you’d like some “insider” views of the cruise line industry on board here are a couple of blogs that I enjoy regularly:

Captain Albert’s Weblog - Capt. Albert J. Schoonderbeek is a real Dutch captain, currently at the helm of the VEENDAM. If you’ve ever wondered what goes on up on the bridge and what the Captain does all day, Captain Albert has the answers and lots of nautical information.

John Heald is the Senior Cruise Director for Carnival Cruise Line and his blog has become a blog phenomena. Unique and different and although officially “unauthorized”, it has become one of Carnival’s best promotional tools. It’s best when John is actually at sea and not on vacation.

An official, company PR blog (an as such often impersonal and a little boring) is Holland America’s Eurodam blog about the construction and launch of the newest Dam ship.

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As cruise lines try to cope with increasing fuel costs while remaining competitive, there is more and more pressure to “peel the onion” and cut costs where ever possible.  The only problem with “peeling the onion” is that eventually there’s nothing left.  Most of the major cruise lines have started making noticeable cuts in entertainment.  The idea is to create the illusion of big-time entertainment while at the same time slashing budgets.  Production shows are more and more like high school musicals, very well done, but with unseasoned and hardly “professional” talent.  Cruise lines have been hit with lawsuits alleging copyright infringement on Broadway plays, so don’t look for your old favorite and familiar show tunes.  Shows have become thin theme productions using song snippets, presumably to remain within copyright laws.  Variety act more and more feature ex amusement park and street performers who have gussied up their acts to go to sea.  Lecture-type presentations are being cut in favor of art “auctions” and diamond, jewelry and spa “lectures” that produce on-board revenue.

There often appears a distinct disconnect between guest demographics and response and home office perceptions and programs leaving one wondering if the folks at the home office have ever actually taken cruises as passengers.

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“Richard: Let me add my compliments to both you and Cpt. Sarah. Your lectures at sea on board the Volendam were very entertaining and very informative.

You may want to check my review of the cruise in Cruise Critc (Volendam). I am using PenderBender as my call name. You might be interested in my description of one of the guests I overheard on deck during our canal transit trying to explain the workings of the locks. Methinks she should have attended your lectures or (at least) read something other than the comic section.

You may remember that I spoke with you one morning on deck overlooking the bay at Cabo San Lucas and we talked about Canadian bacon. I still don’t know what it is (after nearly 61 years of living in Canada). Regards, Garth Liseth”

Thanks Garth! I will think of you when I eat Canadian bacon! Viz a viz my comments above, guests seem to really appreciate the Exploration Lectures . . . more than a whole lot of other “activities” that are offered . . . but I’m not sure the home office gets it. As a Carnival stockholder I’m all for Holland America hitting it’s “numbers”, and Carnival making money . . . however, guest satisfaction is the key to Holland and Carnival’s success, so there needs to be a balance. Same applies to Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, which stock has also done well in spite of the high costs of fuel.

I thought Captain Sarah Terry did an excellent job! Any ship that can get her on board to provide Canal background and commentary will be very fortunate. I was surprised on the VOLENDAM that the Captain never invited Captain Terry to his table, or even to the Bridge! Nautical faux paux. Several of the pilots both in the Canal and elsewhere did invite her to the Bridge.

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Never did hear anything from Home Depot . . . other than the promise of contact. So my rating of their on line customer service drops back to the level of my rating of their Seattle Home Depot.   The worst thing you can do on line is promise and not deliver.  Maybe that’s one of the stores they are planning to close down anyway.

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“I will be visiting Chiriqui this month. Do you offer tours from the coffee farm? I have visited a few in Guatemala and find it to be absolutely amaizing and an enriching experience… would love to visit yours…. please email me if you do. Thanks! N. Padilla”

There are two excellent tours of coffee farms available in Boquete. The one is by Cafe Ruiz and tours their Palmira farm, just down the road from us, as well as their Palmira beneficio, roasting and packaging facilities. You can actually sign up for their tour online. 

The other tour is by Cafe Kotowa and you can sign up for that tour online as well.  Both of these Boquete coffee tours are of environmentally friendly and family run farms and both are excellent tours.

There’s not much to see at our farm, other than spectacular coffee on the tree and our house under construction, but I’d be happy to hear from you while you are in Boquete!

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OK, about the house.  Disappointing progress.  I’ve been gone a month . . . this morning I will have a “heart-to-heart” with our builder, so I must go and work on my Spanish.    Since he speaks Spanish and I speak English, I pretty much write out what I want to say, auto-translate, then go back and clean up the translation, and “familiarize” myself with what I hope to communicate and then have at it.

What is a surprise is the road is finished, right to my driveway entrance!  Our friend Linda Sanchez used to describe the road to Palmira as a “Zen experience.”  It was a zig zag of pot holes with a few dangerous spots where the soil had eroded and numerous drops off the side.  Now we have a brand new beautiful road to Palmira including a new bridge!  I never expected the little road from Palmira Central to my house to ever be paved, but it is!  Painted lane stripes and all! 

As I wing my way home to Panama, I’d like to share with you a neat picture that Ron Hagedorn sent me, taken on the VOLENDAM early in the morning as we entered the Panama Canal.   Thanks Ron, and thanks to all of you who had good things to say in person, on your onboard comment cards and on CruiseCritic.com about the Exploration Lectures Captain Sarah Terry and I presented on the VOLENDAM.   It was great fun!

For those of who who weren’t with us on the VOLENDAM, a word about the shirt.  I usually wear my Barack/Wolf Blitzer black suit when I lecture, but the day before the Canal I show up to lecture in this wild orange and blue shirt.  I explain that Panama is the end of the line for clothing that does not sell in the US, and that no Panamanian macho man would ever be caught dead in a flowered shirt, making these shirts a good deal for old gringos like me.  This particular shirt, Nautica with the Nordstrom price tag still on it, cost me $1.50!  I wear it on Canal day so people can easily spot me on deck and ask all their questions about the Canal.  I have been offered as much as $4.75 for it!  The folks from Park West Art Auctions have tried to steal it to auction it off at the Art Auctions, but I have successfully fended off their efforts.

Anyhow, it makes for a fun day in the Canal and lots of interaction with cruise guests!   Early morning as the sun comes up and we make our way into the first set of locks is always a very special time on board ship.

See you in Panama!

Wow!  What a kid and what fun to bond with Rian Patrick, my first grandchild!  I can’t wait for him to come to visit us in Panama and go exploring for bugs and snakes and chase our dogs and chickens!  Tomorrow it’s back home to Panama.  Today it’s trying to squeeze all the stuff into my luggage and stay under the weight limits.

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Yesterday I told you about my miserable experience at the local Home Depot.  One of the things that sets exceptional companies apart from mediocre companies on the Internet is that exceptional companies aren’t content just to put up a neat Web site, but they take the additional step of monitoring what is being said about them online and taking proactive customer service steps.  When I was director of eCommerce for 24 Hour Fitness I read every comment I could find in chat rooms and bulletin boards (it was BB - “before blogs”).  It helped us understand our customers and also head off and deal with problems at local stores which may have otherwise taken weeks or months to filter up the chain of command.  So KUDOS TO HOME DEPOT’S Internet monitoring staff: within 5 hours of publishing my post I received the following email exchange.

Richard – I read about your experience in one of our Seattle stores. I work for The Home Depot and am disappointed to hear about your visit. We would like to speak with you directly about your observations to make sure that we address them swiftly and appropriately. Would you mind providing a phone number and a convenient time to speak with you? Sarah, Home Depot Communications information@homedepot.com

Sarah, WOW! I am impressed . . . what I neglected to mention is that I had checked out on the Home Depot Web site some chandelier black shades which I needed to pick up. The Web site indicated they were available in this store . . . I found one cluttered in with a bunch of other stuff. Kudos for contacting me . . . I’m at my daughters and phone number is xxx-xxx-xxxx. . . I’m in and out but you do get credit for contacting me and I’d be glad to share anything futher via email. Regards, Richard

So Kudos to Sarah and her team. Now, the real test will to see if there is actually any attempt at follow up. My visit to Home Depot in Seattle was still disappointing, but I will keep the bumper sticker!

Home Depot is one of the things I’ve missed most since moving to Panama. I’m the only guy in Boquete with a “Home Depot: My Toy Store” bumper sticker on my pick up truck! So, while in Seattle one of the things I was most looking forward to was visiting Home Depot. I had to pick up a saw blade unavailable in Panama and hoped to find some dahlias and glad bulbs. So I visited the Seattle store on Delridge Way. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!

The first thing I noticed, especially since I was pushing a baby stroller, is that 20% of the aisles were blocked! No wheelchair could have gotten through in an emergency or to shop and people had to climb over or go around. Merchandise was strewn around. The display of bulbs was ripped though, most packages were torn, missing stuff, or in the wrong bins. Paint cans had obviously dumped onto the floor in the paint department. Now I know it was Monday, but unless Seattle had a weekend earthquake or tornado, not even the sloppiest of customers could account for the mess!

The second thing I noticed was the almost complete absence of orange aprons! I walked through 4 departments looking for anybody and found only one guy up to his elbows in paint. The front desk found me someone to help me with my saw blade and he told me he had another customer, then had his break, but if I wanted to hang around for 20 minutes he would try and get back! The electronic part finder gizmo didn’t work, so I spent 30 minutes rummaging through saw blades, all in the wrong bins, trying to find, hopefully what I need. This was not the Home Depot I remembered! What always set Home Depot apart was helpful, knowledgeable staff with experience.

The one bright spot was the appliance section where there were real people who were real helpful. They seemed to be the only staff in the store!

Checking out was equally frustrating. I fondly remembered the long lines . . . here there were just automated check outs . . . which didn’t work. The two people manning the area were deep in conversation totally ignoring my pleas for help. A supervisor looking like a prison guard stood staring into space. When I asked her if anyone was working she told me, “We’re ALL working. What is your problem?” She found an underling who kicked the machine a few times and got it to work. He at least was apologetic and friendly. Then . . . naturally . . . as I was walking through the exit doors all kinds of red lights, and horns and sirens started blaring. I just ignored it all and calmly walked my car, commenting to another customer, “Man, am I glad I dumped my Home Depot stock!”

Amen to the Hortin’s letter above. We left a similar note with Holland America. The presentations given by the two of you as well as a couple of conversations with Craig have indeed made the Volendam canal trip one of our most memorable experiences.

I’ll be keeping your blog at the top of my “bookmarks” column for some time to come, and hope to cross paths again someday.

I’ll try to share some pix when we return to WA. Thanks again, best regards, Ron & Sharon Hagedorn

Thank you Ron and Sharon! Glad you had a great cruise!

Hey Richard. Your cruise is slowly coming to an end. Are you going to pass by Fort Lauderdale again? Maybe we could meet for a short while. We are packing and hope to leave for Panama on or about the 15th of May. Here are some more questions which you most likely could answer.

How potable is the water in Boquete or Valle de Anton? Should we bring some kind of filtration system with us?

How come that nobody seems to have a back-up electrical generator? We depend on uninterrupted electrical service and I would appreciate you giving me your opinion about this topic. Should I bring a 6KW to 10 KW generator with us?

Did you have any problems when bringing in your belongings on the trailer? I have read a number of blocks where people’s trailer had been broken into. What safeguards should we take?

We have been offered a 3/3 in el Valle. The owner is also a doctor. It is the right size for us and sits on a relatively large piece of property. It has a gardener and a once a week cleaning lady included. The price is $1,500 p.m. Is that a good deal?

In all the S.A. countries I have been I never found a butcher who knew how to cut meat our way. They only had “carne o suave”. It always gave the impression that the animals where killed twice. How is the situation in Panama?

Is soy milk and coffee creamer available?

What else do you think we should bring with us now.

Enjoy the cruise, looking forward of meeting you in person. With best wishes and God bless, Sid

Hi Sid. Last question, first. What “else” should you bring? A sense of adventure and flexibility!!! You will NOT find a butcher to your liking . . .and you’ll probably find a lot else that is different and frustrating! Learn to go with the flow, relax, chill and enjoy. Everything will happen . . . eventually . . . just not on your time table. Since you are a MD one word of advice: “Delete ‘STAT’ from you vocabulary!”

Water is generally OK to drink, but to be on the safe side, at least initially, I would boil. My tummy is more sensitive than my wife’s, so I boil, she doesn’t. Our new house will have a reverse osmosis system.

Some folks have back up generators, some very sophisticated and automatic. Power goes on and off, but generally only for a few moments, at least in Boquete.

We had no problem shipping our stuff down. Get a reliable shipper, not necessarily the cheapest. The guy who clears customs for you should also travel with your container to your final destination. We had a baby grand piano boxed up and it was the last on, so it was virtually impossible for anyone, including customs, to get by it without a forklift. A friend of ours had a lot of stuff taken, but he suspects it was actually stolen in LA.

Soy milk, creamer, etc., is available at Price Smart, Reys and the big supermarkets. Sometimes things will be out of stock for a while, but generally most things are available. Again . . . sense of adventure . . . and realizing it’s not going to be the same. You’re doing the right thing coming down and renting for a while to check it out. I have no idea of rents in El Valle. It doesn’t sound bad for Valle Escondido in Boquete, but again, I don’t know El Valle.

Good luck, and I hope we meet in Boquete!

I’ve been reading your site. I have been trying to find out how to apply for a chaplain’s position for a cruise line without any success. Can you give me any advice? Thanks, Dave Gale

Holland America generally always has a priest on board, rabbi for holidays, and a Protestant minister when the ship is at sea on a Sunday. Here’s the link for contact http://www.hollandamericaentertainment.com/jobdescriptions/clergy.asp Sixth Star is another possibility, although they mostly seem to have openings for priests. www.sixthstar.com/index.php

Richard, I got your e-mail from one of the Panama webs that I was searching yesterday. My wife and I are going to be in Panama between May 24th (arriving at 11AM) and May 27th (leaving late morning). We were planning to do the Canal Transit tour, but I noticed that all tours are only on Sat. and they start at 9AM, so there is no way that we can make it. I was wondering if you are aware of any other tours that we could take at the Canal either on May 25th or 26th? Because what is the fun going to Panama and not visiting the Panama Canal right??? Any other additional information that you may have related to other tours (CASCO VIEJO, Palace das Garças, MIRAFLORES, Albrook Mall) will be greatly appreciated. Please let me know your thoughts whenever you get a chance.

Most of the hotels can hook you up with daily tours. Folks on www.cruisecritic.com seem to have a lot to say about Mario’s tours, although I have no personal experience. Depending on the time of year there are really neat tours to the Embera village. Click on Cruising Q&A above for info.

I recently moved to Panama City and also noticed HSBC took 3% to withdraw. Have you found any alternative options? Regards, Al

What Al’s referring to is that we had our pensions deposited in our HSBC account in the US and then for about a year were able to just withdraw from our local Panama HSBC ATM . . . until HSBC started charging 3% to take out my own money!!! My alternative . . . move to another bank!!

Hi Richard, I got your e-mail from the website cruise critics and as a result of reading the posts, etc. my daughter and I would absolutely love to visit the Embera Village while in Panama . I was able to find two tours which offer this experience and have confirmed that it is the Authentic village. The first Myfriendmario is the least expenses (he already has people booked for this excursion from the Liberty on the dates we are there) … also provides insurance should be miss the ship (although this has never happened). But I have also been in contact with Anne who you had mentioned in one of your post who would be available for both my daughter and I for $100 each … a bit more but it would be only the two of us. I am torn between the two … any thoughts ? Initially I thought we would go with Mario because of safety in groups … however, I had ready you site and was fascinated with how Anne and her husband moved to Panama after the filming, etc. Danny Dupuis

When are you going? Right now is dry season so the “authentic” village Anne uses may not be available by boat, and may require some walking . . .I don’t know Mario or about his operation other than what I’ve read on Cruise Critic. Anne and her Embera family are wonderful and I would have no fear of security. Whichever, it will be a wonderful experience.

Hola Richard! I included you on a recent review. Thought you’d enjoy. Bon Voyage and Good Health!
Bob
“EXPLORER’S SERIES LECTURES: One of the highlights of our cruise. Richard Detrich gave informative, well organized power point presentations on the Canal (and building thereof), Panamanian history, culture & politics, a focused lecture on coffees and advise on those planning to find new retirement digs. His enthusiasm for Panama was infectious.”

Thank you Bob & Judy!

OK, I’ve been on the high seas with expensive Internet rates . . . so let me get caught up!

Editorial correction, your grandson’s name is Rian Patrick not Patrick Ryan! Just a reminder for when you meet. George

Thank you George! Your son, my grandson IS Rian Patrick not Patrick Ryan! Chalk it up to too much tequila on the VOLENDAM! Mea culpa!

Do snakes ever appear in or near the house, Richard?

Snakes avoid places where people frequent . . . early on we had one in our outside “deposito” or storage shed. The workers building the house next door tipped me off that they had seen it slither inside. My West Indian woodworker, the same guy who ripped me off for $1000, burned garlic to chase it away. I’d have been better keeping the snake and chasing him away! When we were first cleaning out our little place by the beach after nobody had been there for a few years, Nikki found a baby fer de lance in the corner. But snakes are usually smart and avoid people.

Living in Panama with snakes is like living in New York or Chicago or any other city with dogs and careless people who don’t pick up . . . you watch where you step!

Hello Richard, I enjoy very much reading your blog and perhaps you can help me out with an inquiry that a US visitor ask me the other day where to eat in Boquete/David? Where would you recomend you readers to eat , taking under consideration that safety, location some might not have a car etc? any good restaurants that you can suggest? Thanks, David V

Given the fact that truly Panamanian cuisine is somewhat limited - rice, chicken, beans, salad, bananas or for variety beans, rice, chicken, bananas and salad - not sure I have any great tips. There are a few good Panamanian/Chinese places we like in David. Have yet to find good pizza outside of Panama City - Pizza Italiana when are you opening in David or Boquete?? Boquete has gringo and Panamanian restaurants. A lot of the little Panamanian places offer great food at affordable prices. The gringo places tend to offer great food at gringo prices. Unfortunately new restaurants in Boquete open . . . and close . . . in the blink of an eye. I’ve never understood restaurant recommendations when traveling abroad. To me the fun is in making your own discoveries!

My husband is a retired high school principal and I still have one foot in the school system and one on the curb that separates Missouri from Panama. Since my husband has retired he has been talking about moving to Costa Rica or Panama. We are your “typical” (?) older Americans (56) that wish to live a simpler and more peaceful life among like minded humans without the threat of war, gangs, soaring prices etc. After reading many of your writings I feel like I have found one of those humans.

My husband and his brother are planning a trip to Panama in the next six months and I feel that your website will be very helpful. My question or questions are…our total retirement will be around $1300 per month. We will cash in our annuity to be able to set up our household. Will we be able to live on that amount? Are Americans allowed to work in Panama? For myself, I can’t imagine not having a job! (I have to work on that.) I make homemade soaps and lotion bars on the weekends. Would I be able to sell my products…and mainly, could I order from the internet and be able to receive packages from the states? Does Panama have UPS? LOL! I’m sorry if these sound like dumb questions but as you might guess, I’m the one that is hesitant about leaving my comfort zone. Till now we have just researched Costa Rica and getting what I need sounds a bit more difficult…like working! We are not city dwellers. Will live in rural mid-Missouri where my husband grows organic vegetables and sells them and my products at Farrmer’s Market in the city. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thank you~~Garland

Whoa Pilgrim! Lot’s of questions! First, you might really love it here in Boquete or in Volcan since we are a rural farming area. One couple stopped by our home for a glass of wine and to talk about moving to Panama and the gal said, “It’s just like being on the high dive: you want to jump, but you’re not sure that you dare to jump!” Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I would suggest coming down and renting someplace for 6 months or so. At worst it’s a nice vacation experience, at best you might discover your paradise!

You can get a “pensionado” retiree visa if you have at least $600 per month pension income. That doesn’t mean you can live on that amount! Just like in the states there are folks who manage to live modestly and folks, usually Hollywood types negotiating divorce settlements, who feel “impoverished” eeking out an existence on $50K a month! If you like to grow some of your own food, and live somewhat simply, and use your annuity for a house, one car and bring in a container of your household goods (duty free for pensionados), you could do it . . . certainly a lot better here I would think than in most places in the US.

You cannot work as an employee in Panama, however, it is very easy to set up your own business and there are incentives if you hire a few Panamanians. I think in our area there would be a lot of women who would like your soaps and lotions if they were affordable and sold directly. The organic vegetable concept is relatively new and I think that could be profitable if sold directly. UPS incoming is expensive, outgoing it is unbelievably expensive. But there are outfits we use to ship Internet orders to a Miami address and they bring it down weekly to Panama at very affordable rates.

I do a shipboard lecture about this and one of the points I make is that people should “Follow the string!” If you don’t follow the string of an idea you will never know where it might have led. And if you don’t like where it’s leading, just let go!

I actually found your site when investigating cruise ships in 1968 . I’m writing a novel about how two different members of a family deal with grief, irony right. I will read more. Another curious connection , I am an international chef on mega yachts , a little different than cruise liners but we both spend alot of time in style at sea. When I am published I will be sure to send you a link or a book if you’re interested. Kirk

Hey Kirk, I will look forward to it!

Nice notes. Anyone been to David? I live in Costa Rica now, but am interested in meeting online folks from there or who have been there. I contimplate moving there and would like to spend a couple weeks visiting. Tom

Tom, I’m not a big David fan. I go there for utilitarian reasons: shopping, dentist, doctor, etc. But I can tell you that David is booming and I think offers some great opportunities for business and investment. I’ve been on both sides of Costa Rica (Puerto Limon and Puntarenas) this past spring cruise season, and I’ve talked to lots of expats who are anxious to leave Costa Rica because of the high crime problem. You might check out http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/ for more on David specifically.

Hi Dick — this is fascinating! I am Henry Kwant’s brother-in-law (Battle Creek, MI). I am 55 and pastoring a church in a suburb of Seattle. I would enjoy being a chaplain on a cruise ship. What does it take to do this? Pastor Pete

Hey Pete . . . “Follow the string” (see above!) It’s a great opportunity to minister to guests and crew alike. Holland America generally always has a priest on board, rabbi for holidays, and a Protestant minister when the ship is at sea on a Sunday. Here’s the link for contact http://www.hollandamericaentertainment.com/jobdescriptions/clergy.asp