Panama: Much More Than Palm Trees Swaying in the Tropical BreezeWritten by Sydney Tremayne
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Panama is tales of pirates, of Spanish treasure and forts that tried to protect it; it is jungle and monkeys and parrots. It has more birds than all of North America put together, some 960 different species. There is even a jungle preserve right inside city limits. And Darien National Park on Colombian border is a jungle of monstrous size and one of world’s richest wildlife habitats. Panama, that thin strip of land joining northern and southern halves of Americas (yet running east to west) provides a 50-mile wide divide between worlds two largest oceans. And its narrowness has provided ingredients for much of its history. The Spanish used it as a land bridge to transship Inca treasure en route to Spain. This attracted pirates whose exploits here made them household names. The rest, as they say, is history. The French tried to build a canal, and went broke. The Americans, who proved value of isthmus during Gold Rush, succeeded where French had failed. And today, Panama Canal, now run by Panamanians, produces much of country’s wealth. More shipping is registered in Panama than in anywhere else on earth. Panama is a land of diversity. Its people are friendly. If your car breaks down, runs out of gas, or gets a flat, within a few minutes someone will stop to help. Try that in Manhattan! The language is Spanish, but in major hotels and many places in capital, people who serve you speak English. And if they don’t, there’s sure to be a helpful English-speaking person within earshot who will offer assistance. Currency: U.S. dollar since 1904. What could be easier?
Sydney Tremayne publishes http://www.yourpanama.com, a leading website for tourists and for potential ex-pat retirees in Panama. His team of experts gives regular Q&A teleseminars that can save costly mistakes. To find out more, go to http://www.yourpanama.com/fear.html
| | Want to retire at 18? Panama might be the place for youWritten by Sydney Tremayne
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The immigration process must be started before you leave your home country. Once you arrive in Panama as a tourist, you will be able to stay for up to 90 days. This can be extended for a further 90 days if needed. Qualifying for permanent residence takes from 30 to 60 days, depending on time of year and availability of certain key immigration officials. Given all public holidays, November and December are good months to avoid. Although not required, it will be helpful for you to obtain letters of good standing from your bank or banks and any other financial institutions. Do not close your bank accounts. You will need at least one, and preferably two, open bank accounts somewhere in world before you will be able to open an account here. Also, keep at least some credit cards. Getting credit cards in a new country ranges from difficult to impossible. One bank here, HSBC, offered writer a card with a $5,000 credit limit provided $10,000 was placed on deposit. Finally, go to your local automobile association and get an international driver’s license. Your own license is good here for 90 days, but there is no limit on an international license. (Expect lots of puzzled looks from local traffic police as they thumb through multi-page document written in several languages.)
Sydney Tremayne publishes http://www.yourpanama.com, a leading website for tourists and for potential ex-pat retirees in Panama. His team of experts gives regular Q&A teleseminars that can save costly mistakes. To find out more, go to http://www.yourpanama.com/fear.html
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