Blog.PanamaForum.com

What a great effect! Ever wanted to dream of and imagine animals while looking at clouds? Here is your chance.

Photo by artour_a.

Hello friends!

This is the tenth issue of the Panama Forum Newsletter.

As of December 2007, we currently have 10,885+ visitors and 38,696+ pageviews per month. That’s an increase of 87% from just six months ago. Yay!

Sponsorship opportunities are now available again. If you have a Panama-related business or offer a service of interest to our readers this could be a very efficient way to reach our membership.

For more details check out our thread titled: Become a sponsor of PanamaForum.com!

I won’t wish you a Happy Christmas yet (the next issue will go out on 22nd of Dec.), but do have fun buying presents or whatever you enjoy doing a week before Christmas!

TOP PANAMA THREADS:

• Where does Panama get its name?
  Ever wondered what “Panama” means and where the name comes from? Even if you didn’t, it’s quite interesting to know.
• Meeting Girls
  If you are looking for fun, marriage, or just a good laugh, this thread shouldn’t be missed for the world. Find out about places to meet your new girlfriend or lover.
• Travel during rainy season?
  Lalaguayaba shares new and invaluable details about driving through Panama. This is a “must read” for anyone considering driving outside of Panama City.
• Supermarkets
  What are the largest supermarkets in Panama City? They are in hundreds of different locations, and some of them offer a large variety of foods. Includes links to their websites.
• Are there any good books?
  If you want to read books about Panama or Panama related, go to this thread to get some tips. Share your favorte books about Panama too.

PANAMA NEWS:

• Three Americans Rescued After Yacht Sinks Nean San Blas
  Three Americans were shipwrecked near Isla Duarte along the “Costa Arriba” of the province of Colón at dawn on Saturday morning when their yacht struck a rock and sank. The National Marine Service (SMN) in Colón received a distress call and went to help the tourists.
• Fifth Annual Panama Jazz Festival
  The fifth annual Panama Jazz Festival will not only merge American and Panamanian jazz, but will also bring together artists such as the Stanley Jordan Trio, Dave Samuels and the Caribbean Jazz Project, the Catherine Russell Group and the Tia Fuller Quartet.
• Four Consortiums Compete to Build New Panama Canal Ship Locks
  Panama will take bids from four international consortiums seeking to build new, larger ship locks for the Panama Canal, government officials said Friday. The locks are a key part of the 5.25 billion-dollar canal expansion project begun in September, aimed at doubling the capacity of the 50-mile (80-kilometer) canal connecting two oceans. Panamanian officials hope the project will be finished by 2014.

What a great view! On first sight, the plain lands somehow remind me of the plains or better wetlands Frodo and his friends had to cross before reaching Mount Doom.

Photo by artour_a.

Mesmerizing view from the San Blas Islands.

Photo by SunCat.

Wow! Look at this rusty-coloured moth… it’s posing almost like a professional model,  displaying its elegance and beauty. The photographer did a wonderful job too.

Photo by artour_a.

New apartment buildings in Panama City. They look quite impressive… I wouldn’t mind owning an apartment in one of these buildings myself.

Photo by patotenere.

Photo by Juancho 507.

Great photo of Chiriqui’s landscape of plains and hills.

Photo by artour-a.

Hi Panama Forum Blog readers,

This is Panama Forum Newsletter number 9 and this week we surpassed the 1,000 members mark here at Panama Forum!

We are quite happy about this fact even though only a small percentage of members is actively participating in discussions.

Enjoy yourself and have fun!

PANAMA NEWS:

• Brit ‘returned from dead’ man charged
  A man who “returned from the dead” after apparently being lost at sea in a canoeing accident five years ago was charged by police on Saturday with obtaining money by deception and making a false declaration to get a passport.
• Darwin’s bolt hole
  THESE are the first amazing pictures of death-fake canoeist John Darwin’s secret “tunnel of love.”
• Falling dollar pushing exports to record level
  The U.S. trade deficit fell to the lowest level in 28 months as a falling dollar spurred U.S. exports to an all-time high. The deficit with China jumped to the second highest level on record as imports of toys and other goods surged despite a rash of safety recalls.
• ‘A sense of home’
  “It’s nice, having been a soldier, to know we’re doing something,” Morgan said. “In Panama, it gave you a sense of home.”

TOP PANAMA THREADS:

• Real Estate in Panama
  Wow! This thread is hot and a must read for anyone considering buying or building in Panama.
• Typing in Spanish
  Find out the best way to type “ñ” and other Spanish characters worry free.
• Airport Thieves?
  Great advice… especially on what not to do. But is it really so different from home?
• Best area to purchase building lots?
  To each his own. Gated community? Or experience Panama the Panamanian way.
• Anyone been to Boquete?
  Lalaguayaba shares invalueable details on Boquete. Be sure to check it out.

This island called Isla Grande, altough it’s quite small is overflowing with planted palm trees. This photograph looks really great, but sadly the island doesn’t look very natural… more like a fabricated island.

Photo by artour_a.

This photograph of the green violet-ear (colibri thalassinus) hummingbird was taken on the  Chiriqui highlands. There is a violet patch running back and down from the eye, and the tail has a black band near its tip. The bill and feet are black, and wow is it pretty!

Photo by artour_a.