This was our first Thanksgiving in Panama, as well as our first-ever Thanksgiving outside the United States. Thanksgiving dinner -- turkey, cranberry sauce and all the fixin's -- is a uniquely US traditional meal. So much so that, years ago, we celebrated Thanksgiving in August with our French exchange student so that he could enjoy a truly American experience. For me, Thanksgiving was always the one holiday when my family made a big effort to get together. Although that happened less …
Las Tablas, Panama Celebrates Independence with Parties and Parades
It's been a noisy weekend here in Las Tablas, Panama. On Thursday we learned of some upcoming holidays here -- being newbies we're still not very tuned in to the country's calendar. Friday, November 2, was a half-holiday, with stores closing in the afternoon. No liquor sales permitted at stores or restaurants during the day, which was Panama's observance of All Souls Day. Everything was very quiet. . . Until midnight. November 3 was Panama's Independence Day celebration, and the party …
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Medical Tourism in Panama
Guest Post by Kathryn Aragon The idea of traveling to a foreign country for medical care -- known as medical tourism -- may seem extreme or even unnecessary. But in some cases, it’s your best option. For me, it was a spinal cord injury that prompted the trip to Panama. My condition isn’t treated in the US. Fortunately, Panama’s Stem Cell Institute (SCI) is a world-class facility with skilled, caring doctors who know their stuff. Looking back on the experience, I can highly recommend …
A New Visa for Panama
In May, Panama president Ricardo Martinelli signed an executive order that created a new type of visa. It's a visa that will be relatively easy to get, and will help to solve some of Panama's shortage of skilled labor. There were more questions than answers about it initially. A couple of weeks after the order was signed, I went with a native Panamanian to the local immigration office to try to get specific information. I was interested to see if this was a visa that would work for …
Taxis, Busses and Automobiles — Getting Around in Panama
There's been a fair amount of car talk around our house recently, for two reasons. First, I'm planning a trip back to the US in another month. My primary mission will be to retrieve my car (our daughter's been using it over the summer) and sell it, so we'll have some funds. Second, we've decided it's time to get our own wheels here in Panama. We've gone carless since March. We've saved a lot of money as public transportation here is plentiful and inexpensive. And we've been able to go from …
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Saying Goodbye to Flies and Mosquitoes
As an expat, small things can have a disproportionately big impact on your happiness. In this case, the "small things" all had wings. One of the first things I noticed about our rental house in Las Tablas, Panama, was the absence of screens on the windows. At first this wasn't a problem. Even with windows and doors open all the time -- necessary to allow the cooling breezes through -- bugs weren't a problem. Smugly I thought, "this is great." Then the rainy season started. Suddenly the house …
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