Blog.PanamaForum.com

Welcome to the 35th issue of the Panama Forum Newsletter!

I’m happy to say that more members have joined us on PanamaForum.com over the last week. A big welcome to all new members!

This week we will go right to the lastest Panama Threads and Panama News.

Have a great time… and see you next week!

TOP PANAMA THREADS:

• Real Estate in Panama
  Wow! This thread is hot and a must read for anyone considering buying, renting or building in Panama.
• Living expenses in Panama
  What are the actual living expenses per month? Go to this thread to find out. As whypanama says: “Panama is our home and we have found paradise!”.
• Panama sounds right for us!
  Indeed it does. Share your advise and Panama knowledge with member kidchico, who is considering moving to Panama. This thread has great information and details on living in Panama.
• Single’s clubs
  What are the best single’s night clubs in Panama? Share your night club experience on this thread.
• Renting apartments in Panama City
  How much rent do you pay on a comfortable apartment per month? Which zone in Panama City is the best to live in? What do you need to know when renting an apartment in Panama City? Find out in this thread.

PANAMA NEWS:

• Leatherback turtle habitats discovered
  Spanish researchers said they’ve discovered extensive leatherback turtle nesting beaches in Colombia and Panama. Researchers from the Spanish Council for Scientific Research documented 6,000 new turtle nests along 60 miles of nearly uncharted Atlantic beach in the north of Colombia and south of Panama in 2006 and 2007.
• AIDS in Latin America and the Caribbean
  An international conference on AIDS opened on Sunday in Mexico City, making Latin America a first-time host for the biennial meeting that is the largest gathering of AIDS experts.
• National Police Respond to Incursion of FARC Guerrillas in the Darién
  Sixty armed men arrived in the community of Bajo Chiquito in the Darién province where they entered the store in the town, took all of the food and threatened the rest of the population before returning to the
• Costa Maya only DAYS away!
  The La Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant promises to be bigger and better this year with eight contestants battling for the prestigious title. For the first time since the inception of the pageant will Costa Maya see the participation of Panama.

Hello!

This is the 24th issue of the Panama Forum Newsletter.

Manuel Antonio Noriega.

I heard so much about him but didn’t really know much of his history, so I did a little research.

Noriega was a Panamanian general and the de facto military dictator of Panama from 1983 to 1989.

Noriega in 1983.

He used to be a strong ally of the U.S. and worked closely with the CIA from the late 1950s to the 1980s.

But by the late 1980s, relations had turned extremely sour between Noriega and the United States government.

Noriega had been working as a double agent, collecting money from the United States, while at the same time working for Communist governments, turning over highly classified U.S. intelligence materials to Cuba. He was also a huge trafficer of cocaine and a big money launderer.

Noriega and Fidel Castro

The U.S. urged Noriega to step down in early 1988, but to no avail. The U.S. then ordered his arrest in 1989 and 13,000 US troops invaded Panama to support the 12,000 already there.

He surrendered in January 1990, and was taken to the USA for trial.

Mugshot of Noriega

Noriega was found guilty in 1992 and sentenced to 40 years imprisonment.

To date, he is still in prison in the U.S., but he might soon be extradited to France were he faces money laundering charges and could get another 10 years of imprisonment. Noriega has also received a long jail term in absentia in Panama for murder and human rights abuses.

I hope you found this interesting and learned something new.

Enjoy Panama and have fun!

Until next week.

TOP PANAMA THREADS:

• Retiring to Panama
  jrmanville and his wife are exploring the possibility of retiring in Panama. He needs questions are regarding living expenses, solar electricity, crime in Panama, and mortgages. Share your wisdom and good old advice on this thread.
• Trustworthy lawyer
  We all know that there are good lawyers, and then there are the not so good and sometimes lazy and greedy lawyers. If you are not sure if you can trust a lawyer, go to this thread.
• Innocent until proven guilty?
  What’s Panama like when it comes to the law?
• What to get involved in, in Panama?
  What can a young American woman get involved in, in Panama City?
• Biggest Misconception/Surprise about Panama
  Panamax wants to know: “What was your biggest misconception about Panama and/or what surprised you the most?”

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PANAMA NEWS:

• Heavy Lift Crane Falls Over on Ave Balboa
  A crane fell over in one of the lanes of Ave Balboa while it was being used to work on an overpass that will be part of the “Cinta Costera” (Costal Strip). No one was injured or killed in the accident.
• Columnist barred from leaving the country
  A Panamanian judge barred sports columnist Bienvenido Brown from leaving the country and ordered him to stand trial on criminal defamation charges filed in 2005.
• Electoral Base in Panama Grows About 11% from 2004
  The inclusion in the primary voting register of more than 65,000 young people who will be older than 18 years of age before 2 May 2009 will life the number of eligible voters to 2,228,377 (2.2 million). That is to say that in the next national election which will be held on 3 May 2009 there will be 229,000 more eligible voters than in the 2004 elections according to numbers from the Electoral Tribunal.
• EU, Latin America close to banana deal at WTO
  European and Latin American negotiators are close to a deal that would end a quarter of a century of “banana wars” as part of mammoth trade talks here, sources close to the negotiations said Sunday.
• Shark bites Panamanian Judge
  An official says a Panamanian judge was bitten by a shark off the Central American nation’s Pacific coast.
• Boquete, Chiriquí: Sabor Escondido, a Restaurant with a Smiling Difference!
  I took Tricia, a professional critic with me, one with years of working in the hospitality industry and listened carefully to how to judge both restaurant and the food. With food photos.

Hello!

Welcome to the 33rd issue of the Panama Forum Newsletter.

Today I’ll be sharing quotes about the Panama Canal by famous world leaders.

“An interoceanic canal across the American Isthmus … would be the great ocean thoroughfare between our Atlantic and our Pacific shores, and virtually a part of the coastline of the United States. Our merely commercial interest in it is greater than that of all other countries, while its relations to our power and prosperity as a nation, to our means of defense, our unity, peace, and safety, are matters of paramount concern to the people of the United States.”
- Rutherford Birchard Hayes (U.S. president from 1877 – 1881)

“It is so manifestly incompatible with those precautions for our peace and safety, which all the great powers habitually observe and enforce in matters affecting them, that a shorter water way between our eastern and western seaboards should be dominated by any European government, that we may confidently expect that such a purpose will not be entertained by any friendly power.”
- Benjamin Harrison  (U.S. president from 1889 – 1893)

“My impression about the Panama Canal is that the great revolution it is going to introduce in the trade of the world is in the trade between the east and the west coast of the United States.”
- William Howard Taft (U.S. president from 1921 – 1930)

“Regarding the Panama Canal Treaty negotiations, they will find us standing up or dead, but never on our knees; NEVER!”
- Omar Torrijos Herrera (was the Commander of the Panamanian National Guard and the de facto leader of Panama from 1968 to 1981. Torrijos is best known for negotiating the 1977 Treaties that eventually gave Panama full sovereignty over the Panama Canal, at noon on December 31, 1999.)

Kick back, enjoy Panama, have fun and see you next week!

TOP PANAMA THREADS:

• Real Estate in Panama
  Wow! This thread is hot and a must read for anyone considering buying, renting or building in Panama.
• The concept of time in Panama
  What does “mañana” really mean? fxtrader just posted a timeline of what a minute, hour, day, etc. really means and we wholeheartedly agree with it.
• What cars do you like?
  What’s your four wheel passion? And what was is the best car type for a humid country like panama? Share your opinion.
• What do you do for fun?
  Panama has a lot to offer for any type of person. Go to this thread to read what other people enjoy doing for fun and share your favorite pastime too.

PANAMA NEWS:

• IHG Expands Career Development Programs for Students from Latin America at the Panama
  InterContinental Hotels Group one of the world’s largest hotel groups by number of rooms, has recently announced that as part of its career development program, it has spearheaded a plan to give employees from Latin America the opportunity to attend The Panama International Hotel School, which opened this past April.
• Soccer - Foreign players flock to Israel for tryouts, but few will stay
  Coach Reuven Atar wanted to upgrade his squad, and no less than 10 players tried out. One by one they came, from places like Panama, Colombia, Brazil, South Africa and Costa Rica.
• Copa Airlines Announces Orders for Two Boeing Next-Generation 737 Aircraft
  Copa Airlines, a subsidiary of Copa Holdings S.A. , and The Boeing Company today announced Copa’s order for two Boeing 737-800 aircraft for delivery in 2010 and 2011.
• Danilo Perez-Claus Ogerman Collaboration
  In his work with the Wayne Shorter Quartet and with his own trio, Grammy-winning pianist Danilo Perez has been acclaimed for his Pan-American originality and musical fearlessness.

Hi Panama friends!

It’s been a while… so let’s get right to the good stuff; Panama News and Latest Threads from PanamaForum.com.

Have fun and enjoy Panama!

TOP PANAMA THREADS:

• Is it worth living in Panama?
  The best advice comes from MRWOOHOO: “Swing on over, be prepared to have a good time.” This thread shows you the pros and cons of Panama, from the people who have seen it, done it and are now living it.
• Stock Brokerage Firms In Panama (COMPLETE LIST)
  A big thank you to BEL-AIR for sharing this list! Do you have any experience investing on the stock market through Panama brokerage firms? Tell us on this thread.
• What can I do with an offshore company?
  More great advice continues to be posted in this thread. Check it out of you’re thinking about doing business in Panama or setting up an offshore company.
• Do Panama girls scam gringos?
  This thread is hot! Read from people with “real” experience. Take the Person on The Take Test.

PANAMA NEWS:

• Panama’s Rural Poor To Benefit From IFAD Project
  A new project backed by the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) aims to improve the lives of some 10,000 men and women in rural Panama.
• Truck Drivers Strike At Panama/Costa Rica Border
  The first major disruption of the nine-month-old Costa Rican-Panamanian free trade agreement came on July 6, when approximately 200 truck drivers from Panama, Costa Rica, and other Central American countries paralyzed cargo crossing from Paso Canoas, Panama to Cerro Punta, Costa Rica.
• Windstar Cruises Unveils 2009 and Winter 2010 Sailing Atlas
  Wind Star’s 14-day cruises features a transit through the Panama Canal with ports of call in Central America, South America and the Caribbean Islands.

Hi gals and pals,

This week I’m sharing part 3 of travel quotes by famous people.

Here goes:

“A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.”
- Moslih Eddin Saadi

“All the pathos and irony of leaving one’s youth behind is thus implicit in every joyous moment of travel: one knows that the first joy can never be recovered, and the wise traveler learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time.”
- Paul Fussell

“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.”
- Bill Bryson

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”
- Lao Tzu

“Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.”
- Benjamin Disraeli

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.”
- Aldous Huxley

Have fun and enjoy Panama!

TOP PANAMA THREADS:

• Panama and IT professionals? Working as a networking technician in Panama? What are the pros and cons. Check out this thread. Mr. Woohoo gives some good advice here.
• Is Panama City Dangerous?
  How dangerous is Panama City compared to other cities? As Lalaguayaba says: “Panama City is far safer than the city in Florida of the same name…”. Go to this thread and find out what parts of the city to avoid if you don’t want to take too many risks.
• Automobile Importing Opportunity
  A good idea or to much hassle? And what about the profit potential? This thread is an interesting read and gives well thought through replies.
• Hiking Day Trips
  Celtic is looking for good day-trip hikes near the city. If you know of any, please share on this thread.
• Is Panama City dirty?
  Panamax answers the question perfectly with “like any other major urban environment on the planet - it is dirty at one time or another, in one area or another until it’s cleaned and the cycle repeats itself.” More members share their views on this thread.

PANAMA NEWS:

• Panama sees strong shipping container growth
  Panama expects its shipping container volumes to increase by around 10 percent next year despite the downturn in the U.S. economy, the country’s maritime authority said on Wednesday.
• Corruption in Panama is Cultural
  US ambassador to Panama, said the problem of corruption in Panama is cultural. He also said corruption in Panama affects the investment climate in the country. “If powerful people continue fomenting corruption, it’s a bad signal which infects the entire population,” he said.
• July 4th Celebration at the Balboa Yacht Club
  The 3rd Annual 4th of July celebration will be held on Friday, the fourth of July at the Balboa Yacht Club on Amador Causeway from 3 to 9 p.m. There will be food, musical entertainment and fireworks. Tickets are $7.00 in advance and $10.00 at the door.

Hello everybody!

I’m happy to say that this is the 30th issue of the PanamaForum.com Newsletter.

The New York Times recently came out with a new book review for DRAWING THE LINE AT THE BIG DITCH - The Panama Canal Treaties and the Rise of the Right by Adam Clymer.

Here are some excerpts:

Panamania

“A seemingly endless nomination battle; a front-runner unable to close the deal; a trailing candidate who stubbornly refuses to admit defeat. Yes, it’s 1976, when Gerald Ford had Ronald Reagan on the ropes until Reagan seized upon an unlikely issue — the Panama Canal — to keep his candidacy alive until the Republican convention.”

“The canal was a treasured legacy of the nation’s glory years. Giving it away would be like sand-blasting Theodore Roosevelt’s face off Mount Rushmore. ‘We built it. We paid for it. It’s ours,’ Reagan declared, and was rewarded with a string of primary victories that reinvigorated his campaign. Ultimately he fell short, but his comeback positioned him as the Republican front-runner for 1980 after Ford lost the presidency to Jimmy Carter.”

This promises to be an exciting read full with well documented facts and laser sharp assessment of events.

Click here for the full New York Times review on the book.

And click here for the Amazon link of the book (you can even Search Inside! the book):

Have a fun week!

TOP PANAMA THREADS:

• Opening a Euro Bank Account in Panama
  Where can you open a Euro bank account in Panama?
• Trustworthy lawyer
  Can you ever trust a lawyer? And if yes, whom would you recommend? Find out what others wrote and share your opinions too.
• Best Night Clubs in Panama!
  What are the best night clubs in Panama? Great links, and the thread takes an unexpected turn. Share your night club experience on this thread.
• Social Events in Panama
  Buddy shared a website that has a Panama social event calender with many fun and interesting activities.
• 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.

PANAMA NEWS:

• Rare Coffee Sells For $15 Per Cup
  A coffee house said they’ve gotten a hold of some of the world’s finest coffee. Wednesday River Maiden Artisan Coffee in Vancouver started selling the Panama Esmeralda Especial Reserva for $13.85 per cup plus tax.
• Panama reports about 60,000 child laborers
  About 60,000 child laborers are working in the streets of Panama, director of the Program Casa Esperanza (Hope Home) Rosana Mendez said on Wednesday. Half of these children are in rural areas, she said a day before the commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Child Labor on June 12. Mendez said that six out of every 10 children quit their studies due to poverty.
• Inspiring teens to spend summer volunteering in Latin America
  AMIGOS has been a life-changing experience, said Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, 19, who volunteered in Veraguas, Panama, last summer. I have improved my Spanish and learned what it means to partner with people from a different culture to accomplish common goals.
• Global Voyage
  Zac Sunderland, 16, began his attempt to be the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe solo at the Marina del Rey harbor yesterday. The Thousand Oaks resident is hoping to break the record held by Australian David Dicks by completing the voyage in 11 months aboard his 36-foot sailboat Intrepid. The lifelong sailor’s trip will take him to Micronesia, South Africa and through the Panama Canal.
• Naso tribe: ‘First we lost gold, now our treasure is green’
  Latin America correspondent Rory Carroll reports from the rainforest of Panama on a new power project deal.

Hello guys!

I’m happy to say that many more members have joined us on PanamaForum.com over the last week. A big welcome to all new members!

This week I’ll be sharing some great travel quotes with you. This is the second part of travel quotes, part one is here: Travel Quotes Part 1

“Now I know why they tell you to put your head between your knees on crash landings. You think you’re going to kiss your ass good-bye.”
-Terry Hanson

“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.”
- Rudyard Kipling

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”
- Jawaharial Nehru

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
- Henry Miller

“A passport, as I’m sure you know, is a document that one shows to government officials whenever one reaches a border between countries, so the officials can learn who you are, where you were born, and how you look when photographed unflatteringly.”
- Lemony Snicket

“The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.”
- G.K. Chesterton

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
- Mark Twain

I hope you enjoyed them as much as I have.

Have lots of fun and see you next week!

TOP PANAMA THREADS:

• Living expenses in Panama
  What are the actual living expenses per month? Go to this thread to find out. As whypanama says: “Panama is our home and we have found paradise!”.
• Real Estate in Panama
  Wow! This thread is hot and a must read for anyone considering buying, renting or building in Panama.
• How Quickly?
  How long did it take you to become fluent in Spanish? Do you have any recommendations on how to fasten up the Spanish learning process? Share your advice, and join this discussion.
• Broadband Internet by Satellite in Panama?
  Is broadband Internet by satellite available in Panama? Find out on this thread.

PANAMA NEWS:

• Copa Airlines Takes Delivery of New Boeing Aircraft
  Copa Airlines, today announced it has taken delivery of a new Boeing 737-800 aircraft, the seventh 800 series aircraft in its fleet. Copa’s fleet, which now consists of 27 Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft and 13 Embraer-190 aircraft, is one of the youngest in the Americas, with an average age of 3.9 years.
• Panama Going Nuts for Football (Soccer) - Euro ‘08
  In case you hail from the United States and don’t have a clue, in Europe the national teams representing sixteen nations are playing the UEFA EURO ‘08 soccer tournament, a warm-up to qualifying for the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
• Tourism in Panama Continues to Grow, up 9% in 2008
  It is estimated each tourist visiting Panama spends approximately $1,500 dollars. The number of tourists coming to Panama continues to increase. From January through April 2008 some 554,126 tourists have arrived, according to statistics provided by the Panamanian Tourism Institute (IPAT.)
• Revenge Suspected as Possible Motive in Assassination of Lawyer in El Cangrejo
  Revenge arises as a possible motive in the homicide of lawyer Manuel Caballero, who was shot in the head this Saturday morning and died hours later in the Metropolitan Social Security Hospital Complex. Judicial sources indicate they are trying to determine if this attack bears any relation to the activities Caballero realized as a lawyer, who was dedicated to the buying and selling of property and land.
• China ingredient supplier gets life for killer drug
  Diglycol made in Jiangsu, which attacks patients’ kidneys, livers and nervous systems, was also believed to be responsible for hundreds of deaths in Panama in 2006 after being mislabeled as innocuous glycerin and made into cold medicine.

Hi PanamaForum.com friends!

This is the twenty-eighth issue of the PanamaForum Newsletter.

This week we’ll get right to the Panama News and Latest Threads from PanamaForum.com.

Enjoy Panama and have fun!

TOP PANAMA THREADS:

• Do Panama girls scam gringos?
  This thread is hot! Read from people with “real” experience.
• Dolce Coffee House on Via Argentina
  A great review of the Dolce Coffee House on Via Argentina with pictures!
• Thinking of Panama
  Panama is a great place to live. “There are many places in Panama that qualify for your entire (somewhat general) list”
• Panama maps here!
  Swedph has some great Panama maps that he was kind enough to share with fellow members. Check out the site where you can have a look at the maps. You can add your own maps too.
• Safety and Security
  What safety and security measures should you take if you travel to Panama or move to Panama? How does the police treat expats? Read this thread to find out.

PANAMA NEWS:

• Chief of Panamanian Traffic Police (Tranisito) Killed in Helicopter Crash
  Sub Commissioner Gerardo Polanco, the Chief of the Departamento de Operaciones de Tránsito (Traffic Operations Department), was identified as one of the people killed this afternoon in the crash of SAN 100. SAN pilot Lt. Juan Delgado Pinzon, who was the copilot of this helicopter, has been admitted to the Santo Tomas hospital with trauma to his head and face. He remains in intensive care in guarded condition.
• Cleanup of Helicopter Crash Continues
  Twelve people died in the crash of a Bell 212 UH-1N helicopter operated by the Panamanian National Air Service, designated SAN 100, occurring yesterday at 2:10 pm in the Calidonia section of Panama City. The pilot of the helicopter, SAN Lt. Juan Delgado Pinzon initially survived the crash but then later died due to injuries sustained at the Santo Tomas hospital. Pinzon told the man who pulled him from the wreckage that he lost power to one of the engines prior to the crash.
• SAN 100 - What Happened?
  The tragedy that hit the country still has not been clarified. In order to determine what happened, the Panamanian government has designated a Commission that will investigate the cause of the crash of helicopter SAN 100 on Thursday.
• Tropical wave could develop to first 2008 depression
  The start of the 2008 hurricane season is less than a week away, and a disturbance off the coast is already threatening to intensify. At 8 a.m. Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center reported a tropical wave creating severe weather, including flooding off the cost of Central America. Countries affected by the wave include Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Honduras.
• Central American office for FDA?
  Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt, who has been working to open Food and Drug Administration offices in China, said yesterday that he believes a similar office should be opened in Central America.

Hello old beans!

Nuestra Señora del Carmen

Here is a heavenly photograph of the “Nuestra Señora del Carmen” church, situated in the heart of Panama City. This gothic church is said to be one of the most mesmerizing churches in Panama.

Photo by mario pleitz.

Enjoy Panama and have lots of FUN!

TOP PANAMA THREADS:

• Help - Stranded Kitten
  RSC just rescued a stranded kitten on the beach in Casco Viejo. Do you know any animal shelters that are open today (Sunday)?
• Panama sounds right for us!
  Indeed it does. Share your advise and Panama knowledge with member kidchico, who is considering moving to Panama. This thread has great information and details on living in Panama.
• How do you find the Spanish Language?
  One thing is for sure, Spanish in Panama is not the same as Spanish in any other Spanish speaking country. Check out this thread for many insightful opinions on Spanish and how to learn speaking it the Panamanian way.
• Movie Theater with Lounge Chairs, Food, Booze
  If you are in Panama City or think of going there, be sure to have the ultimate VIP movie theater experience. More details in this thread.
• Is it worth living in Panama?
  The best advice comes from MRWOOHOO: “Swing on over, be prepared to have a good time.” This thread shows you the pros and cons of Panama, from the people who have seen it, done it and are now living it.

PANAMA NEWS:

• “Corruption in Panama is Cultural”
  William Eaton, the US ambassador to Panama, said the problem of corruption in Panama is cultural. He also said corruption in Panama affects the investment climate in the country. “If powerful people continue fomenting corruption, its a bad signal which infects the entire population,” he said.
• Fare alert: check out those tickets to Panama City
  I hear that Costa Rica is all blown out by tourists and that Panama is the new hot destination in Central America. Why not check things out for yourself with some secret sales going on today bound for Panama City (PTY)? Delta and American Airlines got into it this morning with some discounted fares from each other’s hubs.
• Noriega takes extradition fight to appeals court
  Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega has asked a U.S. appeals court to overrule three federal judges and block his extradition to France to face money laundering charges. Attorneys for Noriega, 73, want the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta to allow him to return home to Panama.
• A Family of Indigenous Artisans Puts Their Crafts in the Global Arena
  The Carpio family, of the Wounaan indigenous group in Panama have recently launched their own website: carpioarte.com. They are the first group of Wounaan artisans to create a website selling handcrafts directly without middlemen. The Carpio family formed its cooperative a few years ago in an effort to receive more equitable prices for their crafts. Binder Carpio says: “It used to be that dealers came to our village to buy our crafts at a fraction of the price and then marked them up many times to sell to resell to tourists.” The family of 2 sisters and three brothers started a store in Panama City where they sell their crafts directly.
• IHG Announces the Opening of The Holiday Inn City of Knowledge at the Panama Canal
  One of the world’s largest hotel groups by number of rooms announced the opening of the 137-room Holiday Inn City of Knowledge at the Panama Canal, in the Republic of Panama. The Holiday Inn City of Knowledge at the Panama Canal is owned and managed by Empresas Bern, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group. The Holiday Inn is IHG’s fourth hotel in Panama through its affiliation with Panama-based Bern Hotels & Resorts, the tourism division of Empresas Bern.

Hi there!

First off, welcome to all the new Panama Forum members that have joined us during the past few days!

Many new threads have popped up and I’ll share some of them below.

Enjoy Panama and have FUN.

TOP PANAMA THREADS:

• Embera Indian Village
  Read about encounters with the Panamanian Indian culture. Tribal dance, body paintings, handicrafts, delicious and healthy ethnic food, traditions and more. Post your photos too!
  
• Taboga Island
  Taboga Island is just 12 miles off the coast of Panama City and as these members say a sunbather’s dream come true. Have you been to Taboga Island? Share your experience here.
• Football (soccer) in Panama
  Soccer is getting more popular by the minute. Go to this thread to find out some interesting facts about it. Is Panama ready to be qualified for the world cup?
• Best Night Clubs in Panama!
  What are the best night clubs in Panama? Great links, and the thread takes an unexpected turn. Share your night club experience on this thread.
• Opening a Euro Bank Account in Panama
  Where can you open a Euro bank account in Panama?
• Do you like to go fishing!
  Where can you go fishing in Panama? Buy fishing equipment? Ask questions and give answers.
• Bird Watching
  Panama is any birdwatcher’s paradise! Some travel to Panama for the sole purpose of watching the diverse birds we have here.

PANAMA NEWS:

• Outside The Locks
  As we relaxed over drinks at Los Lagartos Restaurant at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort overlooking the Chagres River, Norma Ponce mesmerized us by recounting how she and fellow park rangers rescued an enormous crocodile in the Bay of Panama.
• Panama to deploy on Columbian border
  Panama will create an armed border protection force to combat the flow of cocaine and weapons and to catch leftist guerrillas along its jungle border with Colombia, the government said on Friday. Panama is a major transit point for South American cocaine on its way to North America and Europe, but a steep rise in drug-related violence means the force of some 200 agents is crucial, Justice Minister Daniel Delgado said.

• Earthrace through Panama Canal
  Earthrace, the self-proclaimed “eco-boat” attempting to break the Round the World Powerboat Record, has made a fast Atlantic crossing and has made it through the Panama Canal without delay. The boat, which started from Valencia, Spain, on 27 April, is a 24m tri-hull wavepiercer running on renewable biodiesel, with a claimed “net zero carbon footprint”.
• Now (At Least) Ten Running for Mayor of Panama City
  There are now ten people who aspire to be the next Mayor of Panama City as internal party primary elections approach. Panameñista Jose Terán, former Health Minister, formalized his ambitions on Saturday to preside over the Municipality of Panama City which has an annual budget of $80 million dollars. Also running for the Panameñista party are Bosco Vallarino and Pedro Collins. Luis Eduardo Camacho, who also said he intended to run, has since decided against. For the Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (Molirena) Julio Crespo, the former Representative of Bella Vista, is running.
• Martin Torrijos Shakes Up His Executive Cabinet
  Today the Presidential Secretary of Communications announced the changes to the Executive Cabinet designated by President Martin Torrijos. The newly designated ministers are; Housing Minister - Gabriel Diez, Education Minister, Salvador Rodríguez, and Minister of the Presidency, Dilio Torres.