Tag: learn the language

2 Retire In Panama? celebrates its 1 year anniversary

It was an easy decision for us to decide to retire in Panama. We continue to learn; and will continue to share. We just renewed our domain for 5 years and will continue to operate under the same address even though it is no longer a question for us. We realize that many of our readers are doing their own due diligence and are reading for information. We have shared our experience and it is mostly positive. For those following along who want to learn from our mistakes, we are trying to share those as well. We have done extensive research so, fortunately our mistakes have been few. We are currently on the ground in Panama. We have completed the visa process and are officially expats in Panama. Our visa is issued based on a pension we receive in the States. The Panamanian government gives us a ton of perks to get us here spending the pension. Please, feel free to check out our archive post from November 2017 Pensionado Visa Process to get a feel for the visa process and the benefits. We are finding that the whole thing is very much as we expected. Keep in mind that we used a very reputable attorney for this process. The government does frequently change things here so when things change we just have to accept it. We also have to learn how to take full advantage of our discounts. One example is Copa Airlines. They offer a 25% discount for expats with a pensionado visa. You have to purchase tickets in person at a Copa ticket counter or a sales office. This was one of our hard lessons. We purchased tickets on-line to return to Michigan in a few weeks and went to a sales office within 24 hours after purchase to receive the discount.  Because we had already paid for our tickets, Copa would not give us the discount. Lesson learned…cost $320. We have responded to every legitimate question from our readers. If you are interested in a recommendation about anything we write about, send a message and we will do our best to accommodate.

We are hesitant to say we are fully moved from the States, as we still have our home there so officially we have two homes. The sale of our house in Michigan was solid and after almost six weeks our buyers financing failed. We lost the most valuable window of time to sell lake property in Michigan. With the home back on the market we are committed to making frequent trips back to keep things moving along. In Panama, we are renting. This takes the financial sting out of the fact that our Michigan house is still not sold. To put things in perspective for cost: we save enough on insurances in Panama to more than pay our rent. Really, nothing here costs more than in the States, except maybe electricity. Yesterday I bought 2 pairs of flip-flops and 3 t-shirts (practically all I wear here) for $9.58. Groceries cost about the same. We get a lot of fresh seafood and there is very few preservatives in anything. We find vegetables at the market straight from the farm. We get fruit (pineapples, melons, avocado, bananas, etc) at stands along the roadside. Our lifestyle/diet is better with very little effort.

Delicioso
fresh catch of the day
fresh vegetables

We have started settling into the community here. Coronado Bible Church has provided us with relationships that extend far beyond the community of faith. We have been able to find English-speaking people to refer us to nearly everything one needs on a regular basis. Yesterday we had our car serviced at a shop owned by an American family. They did a great job. We have also attended a couple of meetings of English speaking business owners here on the Panamanian Riviera. These meetings are intended to help people like us find local vendors who make it easy for us to live here without speaking much Spanish. Even though it isn’t really a business, the folks in this group are showing a great interest in our blog. We are connecting with our Panama insurance agent later this afternoon. It appears by the quotes we saw, that we will be insuring our car (full coverage) and getting a renters policy for a total of under $600 per year.

We have been able to go into Panamanian businesses and successfully communicate. We bought a 2nd key for our car at the Nissan Dealership yesterday. Some things are not without challenge. The key had to go to a locksmith to be cut. We will have to return to the dealer to have the key-fob programmed.  The dealership is over an hour from our house and we had to schedule an appointment for the programming. Our cable speed was 5mb and we were having a bit of trouble streaming U.S. TV programs. A visit to the cable company proved to be a challenge, but we were able to up our speed to 100mb for about $10 per month; problem solved.

CableOnda

In our last post we alluded to having to renew our drivers licenses. We bravely went to SERTRACEN (Panama’s DMV) to renew our drivers licenses. Without an interpreter, we had success. There was no English-speaking people in there, and we were able to make ourselves understood. Jen is much better at this than I, but we are both working on our Spanish daily.

Our visit to Sertracen
Panapass installed
Installation Center at Panapass

One other experience that merits mentioning is our trip to Panapass. Panapass is the toll tag for toll roads here. There are no attended lanes so it is important to have this for using the toll roads. We had to go to the place in order to have a new tag installed on the car.  The story was the same there and we found nobody who spoke English. We got it done and set out for our commute home. The traffic had cranked up pretty bad and it was difficult to navigate out of the place. Using our navigation app Waze, we went right through a transportation hub. There were hundreds of buses, taxi cabs and people walking everywhere. Waze kept taking us around and around until we were nearly crazy. We finally figured out that with five lanes of traffic gridlock all going in the same direction we just needed to be in a different lane to get where we were going.

We find ourselves considering every day an adventure. Most days we set out to do far more than we actually accomplish. It is beautiful here so we love to spend time at the pool or beach. This time of year there are very few tourists here so we have the place to ourselves. Last night we enjoyed fresh lobster at the beach club Terazza Restaurante. There were only 3 other couples in the place. As we complete this post it lacks photos. We will gather some appropriate photos today and publish later this afternoon. We appreciate that all of you are checking back, commenting, and asking questions. We know it sounds like a broken record, but please share and like if you’re reading on Facebook. If you haven’t joined the blog, please do so to get e-mail notification when a new post is available. This also helps us recognize our audience. We will never spam you, and you can unsubscribe anytime.

Chau,

Greg and Jen

 

We are about to experience Carnival full blast.

We have been hearing for several days that Carnival in Panama is quite an event.  As I was writing our last post, Carnival began to sound like a winter storm in Michigan. The stores run out of supplies, there is no gas and traffic is at a standstill. Carnival starts officially today and ends on Tuesday night. That’s a 4 day party across the entire country. Many people here call it a drunk-fest and “no place for children”. You all can probably imagine the kind of Mardi Gras type stuff that will be going on. We understand that yesterday they turned all the lanes of the Trans American Highway to head out of the city for a period of time so that all the people could get to their weekend homes. The condo we are renting is owned by an American, but most in this building are owned by Panamanian people from Panama City who come here for vacation and weekends. It seems that the building is full now and the party here will be mild compared to elsewhere in the country. We are comparing it to our home on an inland lake in Michigan where a large percentage the properties are owned by non-residents. We only see them on the weekends and 4th of July. This week is like the 4th of July; they call it high season here.  The fireworks started on Thursday night. We think it must have been some kind of kickoff celebration.  Needless to say, we will be staying put here until Wednesday morning. We went out yesterday morning to pick up a few last minute supplies and driving here was like demolition derby/gridlock.

The main reason we went out yesterday was to go to our 1st meeting with our Spanish tutor, Jasmine. We were interested in learning more Spanish and Jasmine came highly recommended. Jasmine was all business, and our 1 hour session was packed full of important Spanish that we are to learn before next time. We are already finding it helpful, and are attempting to converse with one another as much in Spanish as possible. The Spanish here has a bit of its own Panama flare and most people here know a little English which gets mixed into conversation. The more we get away from the tourist area the less English speaking people we find. While we were out, we also filled the car with gas and picked up our passports from the courier. We found them stamped with our multiple entry designation. This will make customs easier, because we will be allowed to go through the line with residents. We can also enter and leave the country on a 1 way ticket. Tourists must have a return ticket when entering the country or they will not be allowed through customs at the airport or any check point at the border. Once a person gives up the tourist designation they are required to get a Panamanian drivers license. That process starts at the American Embassy in Panama City and ends at the local version of the Department of Motor Vehicles. We both have appointments at the American Embassy 1 week from Wednesday in the early morning so that we will hopefully complete the requirement and have our drivers licenses by the end of the day. The last stop of our excursion was to grab a few last minute supplies. We were literally scared to try to pull into the grocery store. The street out in front and the parking lot were gridlock. We ended up at the corner grocery by our condo. We have compared it to a 7-11, but by no stretch of the imagination is it a typical American curb store. We found it to have an ample supply of anything a person may need and fairly priced. We thought that the vegetables were even better there than the grocery store in town. We wanted to stop for lunch, however that stop was as equally frightening as the grocery store situation.

We have shared our research on the Fonda and even visited one earlier in the week. We learned that the translation for Fonda is food. These eating establishments intrigue us and we love to try them. There is one at the end of the street by our condo and it is our new favorite place to go. We can walk there and it is tasty, cheap and friendly. Our first experience with it was Wednesday. The offerings were Pollo Fritas (fried chicken) and Pollo Salsa (broiled chicken with Salsa). There was also some kind of boiled meat that we did not try, and Sopa (soup). The soup offering was Sopa de Costella (rib soup). We did not try it but others around were eating it and it looked good. All meals come with rice, beans, salad, and plaintain. Jen had the fried and I had the salsa chicken, we both had bottled water and our bill was $9.60.

After we took care of our groceries we walked down for lunch yesterday and had a similar experience. Jen again had the fried chicken and I had the Cinta Guisada (steak stewed). The steak was tender and delicious like swiss steak. We brought our own drinks and our bill was $7.50. Don’t let anyone tell you it is expensive to eat out here. You must be open to new experiences, and ready for adventure. We will try this place for breakfast soon, and let you all know how it goes.

We have been guilty of not taking many pictures. We wanted to share a couple of more photos on the roof. It is absolutely beautiful up there, and where we will be spending the majority of the next 4 days.

 

Our next Session with the Spanish tutor is Wednesday. Thursday we are planning to head to the Azarro Peninsula about 2-1/2 hours to the West and South. This will be our 1st official adventure excursion.

The most important thing we have learned is:  me gustaria el cuenta por favor (may I have the check please). That is the simple Spanish lesson for today.

que tengas un buen sabado!

Greg and Jen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

w

We are Settling Into Our Condo at Coronado Bay

 

Since arriving in Panama we have been crazy busy. Saturday we were picked up by the car rental driver who took us to our condo in Coronado.  The process was painless. We completed the rental documents and paid for our car then the condo rental agent showed us where to park and took us to our condo. We have spectacular views out every room,  and the balcony is awesome. The housekeeper was finishing up and we chose to get out of her way. We went for a nice lunch and bought a few groceries. We found the grocery store convenient and adequate. Many American brands were available next to the local brands at a premium price. We chose as many local brands as possible. When we returned to the condo we were able to unpack and take care of the groceries. The day passed much too quickly and we didn’t get much time to explore the area. We were able to cook our own dinner and relax for the evening.

Sunday we drove back to Panama City. Driving here is generally a challenge for the most experienced driver. Needless to say, we were a bit nervous to take our first drive. It went off without a hitch. We learned of a great app for navigating Panama called Waze. We downloaded it onto Jen’s phone and it took us right back to the hotel for the night. We had to be at Sevicio Nationale de Imigracion in the city at 7:30 Monday morning to complete the Visa process. We finished up the day Sunday in the hotel with a pizza and enjoyed the Super Bowl on Fox Sports Vivo which broadcast in Spanish (no subtitles). This is another great argument for learning more Spanish.

We were told to expect to spent the entire day at Immigration. I cannot say enough about how awesome our attorney has been. She has been there every step of the way and made the process run smoothly. She had us out of Immigration by 10 AM. The application process is complete, however, they retain our passports for 2 days for the multiple entry visa.  The attorney will courier them to us on Wednesday.  Now it is a waiting game while immigration decides to approve or deny our application.  We have appointments at the American Embassy in 2 weeks to get our Panamanian drivers licenses. As a tourist you can drive on your American drivers license for 90 days. With the Visa process we are no longer considered tourist so it is important to also get our drivers license. The attorney is walking us through that process as well.

 

This was the prize for all the time we spent at Immigration.

With the Visa application process complete we were free to return to Coronado. Although it was stressful getting out of the city, the drive wasn’t bad.  We were back in Coronado in time for lunch and a little exploring around the complex. We walked out to the ocean (the tide was low), then down the beach to the west a ways. We decided to walk east on the beach this morning. Upon our return to the building we relaxed by the pool and met some great people. Our lack of Spanish skills doesn’t seem to matter as much here at the condo. We swam and soaked up some sun for most of the afternoon. The sun is strong here and a little goes a long way. We  are so happy to be able to cook our own meals and we finished up the day by having a great dinner. We went to sleep last night with all the windows open and enjoyed the sound of the crashing waves.

Today we plan to explore the immediate area a little more. This area is pretty expensive. The beach, tourists and expats drive the prices higher. Ultimately, this is not probably going to be where we would live. We still want to immerse ourselves into the culture more. It is an honor that all of you are following with us. Please send e-mail or make comments if you have questions that we can answer. As always, like and share so everyone can find us.

Buenos Dias,

Greg and Jen

 

The Panama Adventure Guide is here

We have been stressing over getting around in Panama. We were told that google maps and Garmin will not help us much. That being said, we will be taking taking our Garmin and google maps along, however, the need for a back-up plan was definitely on our radar. We love Amazon Prime, and that is where we found our detailed road map and lots of other goodies. It came from National Geographic. Now we can match up our destination and adventure list to create a plan that makes sense. This will also help with scouting out places that we may want to live. In the very near future we will be unfolding the map for you to show where some of these great adventures are going to take place.

Today’s Spanish lesson is this: Por favor, poder usted la ayuda me encontrar la centrar de el pueblo…translated Please, can you help me find the center of town?

Today’s post is short and sweet, but we must keep things rolling. Next time we will return our focus on adventure planning. Thanks for continuing to follow along and please remember to like, share, and comment. For all our Spanish speaking friends, please feel free to weigh in on our Spanish lessons. Learning Spanish will probably be easier when we are on the ground in Panama, however it is important that we get the essentials down before we leave. Adios

Sopa en la Fonda (Soup at the Fonda)?

We have explored the breakfast offerings; now lets see what’s for lunch. We know from previous posts that most fonda’s will have a sopa offering every day. Sopa is the Spanish word for soup. Wow we learned another Spanish food word. Sancocho or sopa de mariscos are a couple of sopa’s popular in Panama. Sopa de mariscocs is seafood soup. We searched the internet for a great recipe for this, and can imagine that a typical fonda in Panama would have something similar to the recipe below. Seafood in Panama is plentiful. The fishermen sell their daily catch right on the beach near our condo so we will definitely be giving this recipe a try.

sopa de mariscos

Sopa de Marisco Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 red bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 1⁄2 white onions, chopped
  • 1 poblano pepper, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
  • 1 1⁄2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1⁄2 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons saffron threads
  • cilantro
  • 1 dozen fresh muscles
  • 1 lb fresh shrimp, with shells and heads on
  • 2 large clusters snow crab legs or 8 salt blue crabs
  • 2 -3 fresh white fish fillets
  • 1⁄2 lb fresh scallops and or 1⁄2 lb fresh squid
  • garlic sea salt
  • 4 cups fish stock

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot and add onions and red peppers.
  2. After they have softened a little add the poblano pepper, jalapeno, garlic and saffron threads.
  3. Let soften a little and add the tomatoes and heat through.
  4. Place all of this in a blender with the cilantro and puree.
  5. Return to  pot and add the fish stock.
  6. Heat to boiling and salt to taste.
  7. Add mussels, shrimp, fish and top off with crab legs or blue crabs.
  8. Cover and heat up to near boiling again.
  9. Add scallops and cover for just 2-3 minutes.
  10. Serve in bowls garnished with cilantro.

The second sopa that we have decided to talk about today is sancocho. Panamanian Sancocho is considered Panama’s national dish and it can be made using a variety of ingredients depending what you have on hand. The fonda may make a version like the recipe below using chicken and other ingredients on hand. In Panama you will find that the sancocho is not spicy like other parts Latin America. The Panamanian people prefer less kick than Mexico and Columbia. Just like the U.S. chicken soup is considered to be a cure for all that ales you. This one looks like a soup we would make using fresh chicken and vegetables that we can buy at the farm market.

 

Sancocho-Recipe

Panamanian Sanchoco Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 chicken, cut into pieces
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 Tbsp fresh oregano (2 tsp. dried)
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 4 Tbsp cilantro
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 pounds of starchy vegetables (otoe, name/yams, yuca/cassava, green plantains)
  • 2 ears corn, broken into 1″ pieces
  • salt

Instructions:

  1. Season the chicken with the garlic, oregano, and pepper.
  2. In a heavy pot, brown the seasoned chicken in the oil over a medium flame and allow to sweat.
  3. Set a little cilantro aside for garnish at the end. Add the rest of the cilantro, onion and water. Make sure water covers the chicken.
  4. Bring to a boil and reduce to a low simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, peel the root vegetables and cut into bite-size pieces.
  6. After chicken has simmered for 20 minutes, add the root vegetables.
  7. Cook until everything softens, about one hour. Keep adding water so the veggies stay about an inch under water.
  8. Add the corn and cook 15 minutes more, until corn is tender.
  9. Stir in salt to taste.

After the sopa there will be a meat option. We will explore the meat options and how they are prepared next time. We hope that all of you will some day be fortunate enough to visit a Panamanian Fonda and taste the flavors of Panama.

Let’s review our Spanish lesson. Today we learned sopa de mariscos is seafood soup and sanchoco is soup that can be made with a variety of ingredients; probably chicken in Panama. Our Spanish vocabulary is rolling.

Thanks for checking back, liking, and sharing. Try these recipes and let us know what you think. Are you ready to prepare authentic Panamanian cuisine? We have come to the realization that the vegetables and meats available may differ from what is available here in the U.S. These posts are preparing us for an awesome adventure.

Panama Vacation Day 1

We are just starting day 2 of our Panama vacation. Personally I love to vacation  at all inclusive resorts. The cost seems prohibitive when making the reservation, but when you are there you never have to reach into your pocket for money. I am not going to review our resort other than to say it is nice and we are being well cared for. It is the rainy season here in Panama and the resort is less than 1/3 capacity. We relaxed by the pool most of the day yesterday and it sprinkled for about 2 hours in mid afternoon.

Our resort is close enough to the Panama Canal that we are watching the huge ships line up for miles to await passage. I am impressed by the engineering of this great wonder. On Saturday we will be taking a full passage tour of the canal. I am excited to share what I learn on that trip. I am planning to also share some video and fun facts about the canal. If I Google Panama Canal I get Wikipedia telling me it is about 48 miles long. I am not a big fan of Wikipedia so I will refrain from just regurgitating what it says there in favor of waiting until I can see for myself how it works.

Tomorrow we are planning a trip to Coronado to look for a place to spend part of the winter. Coronado is about 1 1/2 hours west of Panama City on the Pacific ocean. We chose to look there because it is closer to where we think we may ultimately want to live. There are also entire communities of English speaking people. We are working on our Spanish language skills, however we realize that it is a slow process. It is important to the Panamanian people that we try to speak a little Spanish. Our server at dinner last night was very appreciative when I ordered in Spanish. She helped me when I struggled for a word for something, and complimented my effort. I have found at this resort there are many employees who speak no English. I encountered 1 employee yesterday who spoke about as much English as I spoke Spanish. He wanted to have a conversation with me in English so he could work on his English skills. It was amazing, to me, how well we could understand one another. Kudos to you Vladimir! You are a great asset to this resort. While we are in Panama this winter we will be traveling around the interior where there will be less people who speak English so we know that our ability to communicate in Spanish is a must.

Please, remember to like and share our blog. We would love to have some participation here in the way of comments and advice. We are so appreciative of our new friends here in Panama who are joining in and sharing. As we grow and become better at this blogging thing our content will improve. For now it is our hope that you find it entertaining.