Blog.PanamaForum.com

It looks like a thunderstorm is brewing over Panama City.

Photo by J Catlett.

A family on wheels enjoys a nice day out in Casco Viejo.

Photo by J Catlett.

Hi friends!

Panama’s Beauty of Birds

This week I’ll be sharing some beautiful photographs of Panama’s birds.

Slate-collared Redstart
Boquete, Panama

Photo by wildimagephoto.

Magnificent Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens)
Chiriqui, Panama

Photo by Hamilton Images.

Green Violet-ear (Colibri thalassinus)
Shot in the cloudforests above Boquete, Panama.

Photo by wildimagephoto.

Pink Parrot
Photo taken at the Paradise Garden Wild Animal Rescue Shelter in Boquete, Panama.

Photo by JCatlett.

Prong-billed Barbet
Boquete, Panama

Photo by wildimagephoto.

Enjoy Panama… have a great week and much fun!

TOP PANAMA THREADS:

• How to Get Credit in Panama to Buy House, Car, etc?
  Carl wants to know how the credit system work here. He is planning on visiting several times in the near future and wants specific details on how to purchase a car, house, etc. with credit.
• Cleaning up Balboa Avenue & Panama Bay
  News on the cleaning up of Balboa Avenue, with links and a great video.
• Panama City: Avenida Balboa Expansion
• It’s baaaaack…The 20-Year Property Tax Exemption
  The 20-year property tax exemption law, first passed in 1990 is back. Hip hip! Hooray!

Threads that continue with more discussion, advice, opinions and experiences.

• Panama sounds right for us!
• Panama Bank Account Opening
• Buying a house and moving to Panama City area
• Real Estate in Panama

PANAMA NEWS:

• Environmentalists Unhappy with Balboa Ave. Expansion Design
  A whole lot of pavement and not very much green space - environmentalist activists are not happy with the design of the new expansion of Balboa Avenue.
• High Tides Flood Balboa Ave Expansion Project
  Work on the new expansion to Ave. Balboa experienced an unexpected setback yesterday afternoon when high tides and waves common to the start of the rainy season flooded most of the fill area. The contracting company completing the work did not report any injuries or the loss of any equipment. The cost of the project is estimated at $189 million dollars.
• A round-up of destinations that are easy on the budget
  Panama. It’s the fastest-developing country in Central America, receiving ever-growing numbers of cost-conscious vacationers, as well as U.S. retirees looking for a cheap second home. The skyline of Panama City is beginning to resemble Hong Kong or New York’s financial district—except that those skyscrapers are residential condos.
• Tropical decay blights McCain’s Panama birthplace
  John McCain’s birthplace in Panama was an idyllic tropical posting for U.S. sailors that the Republican presidential candidate speaks fondly of but the Caribbean port has crumbled into poverty and decay. “It brings back memories of a simpler time,” McCain recently told Reuters on the U.S. campaign trail.
• PANAMA FLAG GOES 24/7
  THE Panama Maritime Authority, which administers the world’s largest commercial fleet, says it is now offering access to the Bureau of Maritime Security (SEGUMAR) on a continued basis, 24 hours a day seven days a week, for the users of the Panama Registry. Previously based in New York, SEGUMAR services and offices have been relocated in Panama, in the new headquarters of the Panama Maritime Authority.
• IDB, CAF, Cabei to fund, promote Plan Puebla Panama
  The PPP initiative includes building integrated highway, electric and telecommunications networks, along with implementing social, environmental and trade facilitation programs, in an effort to support economic growth and social equality in the region, García said.

This photo was taken at Paradise Garden Wild Animal Rescue Shelter in Boquete, Panama.

Photo by J Catlett.

The Bay of Panama as seen from the Panama Canal. Can you spot the Bridge of the Americas?

Photo by Gerryd.

A group of excited tourists can’t wait to get to the Panamanian Rainforest and start exploring its mesmerizing beauty.

Photo by HSGC.

A rose salesman tries to sell roses to couples by creating a compromising situation. He always asks them (or rather the guy): “¿Se la merece o no se la merece?” - “Does she deserve a rose, or doesn’t she?”.

Photo by Wakalani.

Tree-Toed Sloth (bradypus variegatus), mother and its baby in the rainforest of Panama.

Photo by Andre Boffin.

Hi PanamaForum.com friends! 

Welcome to the twentieth issue of the Panama Forum Newsletter!

What’s been going on at Panama Forum this week? New insightful discussions and more photos, and news have popped up! We’ll share some below:
TOP PANAMA THREADS:

• Residency for Investors or Businesspersons
  Any residency related questions. From the easiest, fastest to the cheapest way to get a Panama Visa. Share and learn.
• Buying a house and moving to Panama City area
  What’s the best area to buy a house in? Is it true that purchasing a property in excess of $200,000 allows one residency in Panama? Great questions and great answers.
• Alternative Energy in Panama
  Solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal energy? Sure. Join this discussion.
• Google Earth has added more Panama Hi-Res!
  Google Earth had just added more high resolution areas to Panama. That’s great news!
• Business Loan from Banks in Panama
  Panama Mike wants to hear from anybody that has experience with small business loans in Panama City, and how they affect the small business visa for foreigners.

PANAMA NEWS:

• Panama President to Reshuffle Cabinet
  Panama President Martin Torrijos will start a cabinet reshuffle of his cabinet to match election laws and adjust his last year in office. Torrijos must replace resigning Trade and Industry Minister Alejandro Ferrer, and Balbina Herrera (Housing), who will run for president and Belgis Castro (Education) to run for Congress. Political circles and the media hint that Senior Vice President Samuel Lewis Navarro may run for president as well.
• Ask Travel: How to plan a trip to Panama
  Can I plan my own trip to Panama for bird-watching, canal-watching and culture? Do I need to be on a tour, or can I get my own guides and keep my costs down? What is the best time of year to travel?
• More Land Disputes in Panama
  I just received a heads-up from a German guy named Andreas von Wallenberg Pachaly. He’s invested thousands of dollars on Taborcillo island, spent $350,000 to build a house there, and thought he purchased 4,000 square meters of titled land on the island. It turns out the land was never properly surveyed and the lots never correctly or legally segregated…
• Basic Food Costs Continue to Rise in Panama
  The prices for most agricultural products continue to go down according to the Institute of Agricultural Marketing. But the overall cost of the “canasta basica” (basic food basket) continues to rise. At the moment the “canasta basica” costs $243.29 on average, although in some parts of town such as San Miguelito it can cost as much as $248.22.
• The Official Launch of “Madame Blanche”
  Next week a new magazine called “Madame Blanche” will be launching in Panama. The magazine will cover the music and art scene in Panama, will be directed at readers between 20 and 40 years of age, and will cover, promote, and emphasize local talent as well as international artists.

Enjoy Panama and have fun!

Panamanian Breakfast
In Panama, a poor man’s breakfast is rice with a fried egg. Panfried rice cake, sweet and sour peppers, bacon and a fried egg.

Photo by cookingdiva.

English Muffin Blue Cheese Burger
This English muffin burger with blue cheese looks very tasty and delicious. You can get it at Bistro Boquete. Boquete is the famous highland town in Chiriqui.

Photo by pelleb.

Sancocho (Chicken Soup)
This soup is a very popular Panamanian dish and it’s super delicious! You have to try it.

Photo by holdtheframe.