Why Panama?

     This is the question that people have asked me time and time again.We started considering moving abroad a couple of years ago.Several names were in the hat, Belize, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama being the front runners.After extensive research, and making our own personal scouting trip, we decided on Panama and started Operation Big Move.
     The advantages in Panama were clear to us.The form of government is a stable representative democratic republic.The weather is agreeable, never cold, with a tropical maritime climate, and is completely outside the hurricane belt.The money exchange is quite simple-they use the American dollar.There are several options for visas, the best one for us being the pensionado visa for retirees.Panama offers an affordable cost of living, good health care, and is consistently rated as a top retirement destination.
    The country itself is beautiful, with mist-shrouded mountains, gurgling cool streams, and tropical and exotic plants and trees, some with gorgeous blooming foliage.The real kicker is 1547 miles of coastline.Who doesn't love a good beach?There is the Caribbean on one side, with the crystal aquamarine waters, and the Pacific on the other, with its variety of beaches.

Pacific coast at San Carlos

     The citizens of this country are very serious about their holidays and festivals.By very serious, I mean that if a pipe in your house bursts on Maundy Thursday, it will be very hard to get a plumber out until after Easter.The hours of businesses can be sketchy.Some are only open around the weekend, some close for lunch, some are completely whimsical.As a result, a bit of culture shock is to be expected, and if you don't roll with the punches, you are likely to suffer some frustration.They simply do not have the intensity of the American businesses.They know how to relax, and don't live for their work.Not a bad concept.
     With all the information we gathered, both with hours of internet research, and a couple of weeks of hands-on-every-minute-was-packed fact finding in person, we chose Panama.