Posted by Lee on September 7, 2010
I was not looking for this, in fact I wanted to write about the Boquete Tuesday morning meeting, and will soon. This just kicked me in the teeth. Although from the UK this article echoes what I hear from people in the US and Canada and because two of my children are visiting and their world is not the same as mine.
“Nearly three quarters of people believe retirement as we currently understand it will not be possible in the future, a BBC Newsnight poll has suggested.
Some 70% of the 1,000 asked thought it would not be feasible for people to stop work then live on a pension for up to 30 years, the ComRes survey found.
Some 72% of those in work were also worried about not having the funds to live as they would like in retirement.
More than three quarters (77%) thought younger people would get a worse deal.
And more than half (54%) thought it was unfair that younger generations would be worse off than those currently approaching retirement age.
Pension changes
The poll of a cross section of adults this month follows a number of changes to retirement announced by the previous and current governments against a backdrop of an ageing population and public spending cuts.
“ Whereas it used to be the case that up and coming generations tended to be more prosperous than their parents, now we’re going to be in reverse ”
Historian Jeremy Black
The coalition government confirmed in July that it was planning to scrap the default UK retirement age from October 2011, which means employers would not be allowed to dismiss staff because they had reached the age of 65.
Ministers hope the change will encourage people to work for longer, easing the strain on public finances as more people continue to pay tax.
The coalition also plans to raise the age at which people are eligible to draw the state pension faster than the previous government planned to do. Labour had proposed to raise the state pension age to 66 in 2024, with the pension age eventually reaching 68 by 2046….. “
BBC Link
As a parent with four adult children all trying to survive this quote strikes terror.
“ Whereas it used to be the case that up and coming generations tended to be more prosperous than their parents, now we’re going to be in reverse ”
Historian Jeremy Black
Posted by Lee on August 30, 2010
Health is the general condition of a person in all aspects. It is also a level of functional and/or metabolic efficiency of an organism, often implicitly human. Wikipedia
Health should be about feeling good not just the absence of diseases as defined by a medical doctor and his battery of tests.
If you do physical exercise every day, know, and eat a healthy diet, get enough sleep and have time to unwind and relax, you are on the road to good health. Unfortunately if you are a normal person in a Western type society, you do not get enough exercise, do not have a concept of a healthy diet and are too stressed to care about any of the above. Most likely you are not healthy even if you think you are and don’t be fooled that being fit is being healthy. Youth can hide many of the errors of youth, but as we age the body begins to show the scars of stress, weight and poor nutrition.
An annual trip to the doctor, who sadly probably knows no more about health than his average patient, as their expertise deals with identifying and treating disease is not the road to health. Only you can do something about your own health, hopefully before the time and errors catch up with you and cause irreparable damage or death.
For almost forty years I lived in Tucson Arizona. When I arrived the Old Pueblo, as it is called, had what many considered a magical healing quality. Over the years many people moved into the serene valley to enjoy the climate and slower pace. One business encapsulated the spirit of healing, Canyon Ranch. Today Canyon Ranch has become world famous and spread to many other locations. Canyon Ranch has become a top end, expensive, quality health Spa. Tucson, although still a desert sanctuary for many has become a big city.
In a small remote town in Panama Boquete, there is a carefully nurtured seedling that has many of the common elements that made Canyon Ranch famous. The Haven is nestled in the incredibly beautiful Boquete valley, in Western Panama. Boquete has for many years been the vacation spot for well educated Panamanians because of both its serene beauty and temperate climate.
Sonia and Howard Jones discovered Boquete as new immigrants six years ago and like so many people who find this valley, they stayed. In time they decided Boquete is the perfect location for a natural health clinic and spa. After earning experience operating a spa in both the famous Panamonte Hotel and in elegant Valle Escondido they have ventured into creating the new Haven in Boquete. They wanted to do something modern, interesting and a place of tranquility and they believe they have found just the right place and that tranquil feeling they wanted. The construction was a painstaking process of over two years and they are still enhancing the place as we speak.
Sonia is a naturopath and a nutritional therapist, she understands food and natural medicines and how you can attain changes in your personal physiology and health state by changing what goes into your diet. Eliminating foods that don’t work well for your body are as important as adding better food choices. I first learned of her skills and knowledge while reading the local Bajareque Times. She had an article about something common enough, Grapefruit. I was interested since my grapefruit tree supplied what I thought was a healthy drink every day. What I, a trained biologist, did not know was although healthy; the juice interfered with a medicine I also take. The juice amplified the medication indirectly in the blood stream. If I had not read the article I would never have known. Until that time I would have considered myself fully competent on diet, after all I remember to take a multivitamin and fish oil daily. Since then I research everything before I eat it or combine it with medications or even herbal supplements.
Howard has been practicing acupuncture for almost 15 years, we comes from corporate background and tells us he understands stress, from personal experience, and how that affects your whole being. He works closely with Sonia to help clients with a whole variety of chronic complaints including chronic stress with a view to managing or even reversing their condition. They do this with natural means only. Also a large part of what they do is preventative medicine, during an in-depth consultation using, naturopathic and Chinese diagnostic methods, Sonia and Howard are able to put together a lifestyle plan and where necessary treatments that will help you get protection against many common complaints. In essence this approach is also very anti-aging.
Mark Perren-Jones, who also works with Sonia and Howard for many years and is an experienced therapist who works wonders with massage, acupuncture and other non-traditional medicine. His years of experience have provided relief from pain and good solid advice to many local clients. Many of his clients suffer from things like sciatica and shoulder problems things we seem to affect us all as we grow older.
The Haven also has a small team of women who provide the spa treatments, these treatment include all you would expect from an international standard of spa, massages, facials and all types of body treatments.
Together they have created the Haven. For many local people it is a relaxing place to go for exercise, they have a complete weight room, exercise pool, Jacuzzi, steam rooms, infrared saunas and racquetball court and enjoy a massage or two. They also have consultations on nutrition and general advice on how to maintain a healthier, happier life as well as being able to help with a wide variety of muscular problems. Now with the addition of five new deluxe guest rooms the Haven is a boutique destination health spa resort. In addition to resident guests, local residents and tourists in Boquete can use the facilities and see the staff. Memberships can be daily or annual, or anything in between. Guests can use the complete facility and then enjoy a massage and lunch from the new kitchen.
For those who would like a complete health experience, a new healthier lifestyle, can come and spend a week at the Haven. In your week you will receive, lodging in the facility, an in-depth health consultation and assessment, seven sessions with professionals in nutrition, exercise and healthier lifestyle.
Your significant other can join you or just enjoy the pleasures of Boquete at the spa, on tours, hiking, river rafting, rock climbing and savoring the unique location. The Haven offers a choice of programs and packages designed to help many situations from the longer stays to the shorter 4 day detox and the 3 day alternative stress management course that takes a new approach to stress relief. Much more info on these can be found on the website.
Even more exciting is that a week as a guest, including seven sessions/treatments with a healthcare professional and unlimited use of all the facilities has to offer, is approximately $1,600 for single occupancy and much less if two people share a room.
Posted by Lee on August 26, 2010
I am having a busy month, visiting children, writing a newsletter about Bocas del Toro and watching the increasing interaction both positive and negative on Boquete. Ning. I created Boquete Ning to allow for interaction of residents living in Boquete Panama, people considering a move to Boquete and tourists. It has achieved those goals and more.
There are a few current discussions, one started by a person using the pseudonym, A.V. Felton, Being the Devils Advocate, that in many ways is an effort to discourage new people from moving to Boquete. I have also written several times saying “ Don’t Move to Boquete”. My message is that is different here and it is not for everyone. It is not, nor is any other place on the planet perfect. Perfection, if you can ever discover it, is in a higher place than a physical location.
In my Bocas research I discovered this quote:
“Nobody seems to like Boquete much. The complaints center around the fact that Boquete is a very boring place. I first heard this complaint from George Grant, Richmond Hill, Georgia in an International Living Readers Article more than a year ago. I’ve begun to receive other eMail along the same lines. Comments such as, “..I wish I never would have bought in Boquete. It looks pretty, and it does have a nice climate, but there isn’t anything to do. My wife and I are not enjoying ourselves.” Escape Artist
The quote is attributed to Terry Hennessy, Bee Staff write. I looked at the archives of the Sacramento Bee and could find neither the article or writer. Still, this is a wonderful place to continue a discussion.
In the past few months I have visited several locations in Panama to write for a Panama Newsletter. I have visited Isla Colon, Volcan and David for research. In the past four years I have visited much more of Panama, Costa Rica, Argentina, Ecuador, Chile and Guatemala. This blog is full of those adventures.
Each place I visited is either boring or exciting, depending upon what you want and what you find of interest. If you like sand between your toes, surfing, fishing, snorkeling and swimming for entertainment, then Boquete might not be your perfect choice. If you want to live on a beach, try another place and you still might find yourself bored in a month.
If your primary entertainment is shopping, let me suggest a bigger city. If you need an international airport close, try again; it’s not here.
In Boquete people can find other adventures to entertain themselves. If you are a gardener, this is heaven. If you wish to run a farm, it’s a great place. If you like hiking, birding and just exploring this might a place for you. People have created restaurants, tourist businesses and built hotels; they are not bored.
What makes Boquete unique in Panama is that it is hours away from Panama City and San Jose, Costa Rica, the two flanking metropolitan areas. Yet although remote Boquete does have good infrastructure and proximity to David, a regional shopping center. Boquete is also unique in that it has two cultures.
Boquete and all of Chiriqui has a unique Chiricano culture, a fusion of Panama and Costa Rica. This culture is seen in seasonal events, fiestas, cuisine and music. Boquete also has a unique “gringo” culture. There are enough English speakers here, in a small area to have created community theater, a farmers market, weekly meeting with speakers, an evolving culture of English language activities.
Still, Boquete is neither Panama City, nor is it Bocas del Toro. We have little traffic, little crime and no beaches. It is easy to be bored here. If you do not involve yourself in the community and cannot self entertain, you can be bored with sand between your toes or in New York City as well. As for me, I cannot seem to find enough time to be bored.
Posted by Lee on August 17, 2010
I looked at the calendar and discovered I am rapidly approaching my 62nd birthday. This despite the fact I have been assured by family and friends I am looking younger each year I live in Boquete.
Friends reminded me that I can apply for Social Security at 62. I did the calculations and determined that considering the improbability factor of life span, I might recover more of my forced $200,000 investment in Social Security, if I start early than if I wait and start later. The issue was how to apply.
There is a simple way, online at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/applytoretire/ and I made it through until they asked me to enter a US residence and swear to it. I do not have a US residence. My mailing address although in Florida, is Mail Box Etc and I do not live there among the cartons and packages.
I then followed advice given on Boquete.ning.com and contacted the US Embassy who happily provided a list of what is necessary for their assistance. The list included such things as an Original Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate and other documents that I do not have and are costly and difficult to obtain without being in the US. Link to Embassy list.
FEDERAL BENEFITS UNIT
Social Security Administration
Benefits
An applicant residing in the Republic of Panama may apply through the Federal Benefits Unit of the Consular Section. The FBU will complete the applicable forms, make copies of the required supporting documents, certify the documents, and mail the entire package to the SSA. Copies of the forms and supporting documents are kept on file. It can take 6-8 months to receive a final decision on a new application. The most commonly required supporting documents are:
“Copia Integra” of birth certificate if you were born in the Republic of Panama. If you were born in another country you should bring your original birth certificate.
U.S. Passport or Alien Card.
Social Security Card or any Social Security Administration document reflecting your Social Security Number.
Original Marriage Certificate.
If applying for spouse or child benefits:
“Copia Integra” of the birth certificate for your spouse or child who is under 18 or disabled, if they were born in the Republic of Panama. If they were born in another country you should bring the original birth certificate.
Social Security Number for your spouse and dependent child, if available.
If you are applying for Disability Benefits for yourself, spouse or child, you should bring an updated detailed medical report, including a list of all medications you are taking.
Divorce certificate if applying as a surviving divorced spouse.
Death Certificate (if applicable).
If you were in the Armed Forces, Form DD214.
If you receive a pension from a U.S. Federal Agency, your annuity or pension number.
If you receive a pension from a non-U.S. Federal Agency, including the Panamanian Social Security System, the award letter or resolution indicating date the pension started and amount of the pension.
Last pay slip.
If possible, any supporting document that is in a foreign language should be translated into English by an official translator. The SSA sends all foreign language documents to their Central Translation Section which could cause a delay in the processing of your applicat |
In addition I would need to appear in person in Clayton at the embassy.
The final suggestion was to call Social Security and schedule a telephone interview. I did just that, and they followed the online form to the letter. The difference was that I was able to provide a US mailing address and my Boquete residence address and swear to it online.
The message is, if you follow in my footsteps the easiest way to resolve this rather simple issue is to use the telephone not the embassy.
Posted by Lee on August 6, 2010
After a week of crime and criminals in Panama I really wanted to find something upbeat happening in Boquete. Rob Pickett has shown me the way. I first met Rob at a meeting in Los Molinos at a meeting in October 2009. At that time I wrote,I have never heard of GHA, and can find little about them online. This Facebook page seems to say more than most.”
Since then I have watched Global Humanitarian Adventures blossom and become something every community should want. The latest project being facilitated by Rob and GHA is the addition of a much needed clinic at Casa Hogar Trisker. Casa Hogar Trisker is a facility for abandoned children on the road between Boquete and David. I have written about Hogar Trisker before, several times. They always need help.
Rob and GHA have seized the moment and making things happen. After visiting Hogar Trisker and taking this photo at a planning photo op I contacted Bob Moyle. Bob and his wife Pat have dedicated years to working at Hogar Trisker and asked about this new project.
This is Bob’s response.
“ Robb Pickett has been very successful coordinating the Panamanian Red Cross and MIDES. He was able to connect the President and Director of the Red Cross with the Minister of MIDES. Prestige Builders will construct the 500 square foot facility. Donations collected have already surpassed $2,500 (requesting $20.00 per concrete block or $5,000). I believe they will complete this project in less than two months.
Robb was also clever in physically taking the President of the Panamanian Red Cross directly to Trisker. This suddenly changed the opinion of an important ally after he focused on “reality”. Facts: 72 children housed in a facility designed for 40. The Red Cross will staff the new facility with a “qualified ” medical person. The facility will also have beds for to two people to allow overnight lodging. Adding one or two adults on the weekends is a major improvement supervising 72 children who frequently see no more than one adult in attendance. The Red Cross has also indicated their willingness to provide an ambulance on site for daily emergencies.
I applaud Robb’s persistence! One year ago I personally took Guillermo Ferrafino (Minister of MIDES) and 2 other SUV filled with MIDES employees to Trisker. He / they were not pleased with their observations and took many photographs and videos. It has taken a full year to witness results but I am now delighted that “finally” something definitive is happening. ”
Rob these words from Bob Moyle are a real tribute to you and how much you have helped make things happen in Boquete.
I urge people to support this project. The information below is “on the Volunteer Boquete Website.
”Casa Hogar Herbert; Selma Trisker is a children’s home located here in Boquete, Panama. Currently it is home to 71 children (capacity is only 40). It lacks the money & staff it needs to carry out even the most basic child care
I feel that the medical situation is of the greatest concern & in need of HELP immediately. With more than 65 children ranging from 6 months to 17 years old, the medical needs are tremendous. Children are suffering from lice, scabies, herpes, parasites & many other easily treatable conditions.
Having seen the same children sick for months seems in-humane to me, so we’re doing something about it. We are building an on-site Red Cross Medical Clinic.
In addition to the many health issues, many nights there is only 1 staff member on-site… Well, we have provided for that as well. The medical station will also serve as housing for overnight emergency Red Cross staff. It will be equipped with direct communications to Red Cross Medical Support Staff in Panama City & future Red Cross Ambulance support will be provided as part of the on-going support. The clinic will be staffed with medical staff & supported additionally with various Medical Specialists.
We have the opportunity to change the world for these children. This gift of health will improve their daily quality of life, as well as provide for improved educational & learning experiences.
We have come a long way; plan to begin construction next month. To cover expenses we are launching the “Buy-A-Block” Program. Our goal is to raise $5,000 to cover materials & start-up costs. We are doing this by placing a $20 Sponsorship on each of the 250 blocks needed to enclose the area for the clinic. There is no limit to the # of blocks sponsored nor is there a minimum. It is my goal to make projects like this accessible to everyone, from large donors to those on a tight budget.
If you could change the world for $20 would you? I bet we all would… that’s all it will take if we all join in. They have already lost everything, lets give them back their health!
TRISKER MEDICAL STATION (BEFORE PHOTO)
BUY-A-BLOCK ($20) or (open amount)
Thank you to all those who have already donated and support this cause!
Please feel free to contact me directly regarding this project & the ongoing needs associated with it.
D. Robert Pickett“
www.gogha.org
Posted by Lee on August 5, 2010
This week I was walking through Bajo Boquete and noticed that they were scraping the old paint of the Municipal Palace. Under the paint I spotted this old sign.
The Municipal Palace was once the station for the Ferrocarril Nacional de Chiriqui. I was aware the railroad served Boquete but I not previously aware of the station.
I did a little digging and discovered a little more about this railroad.
“Ferrocarril Nacional de Chiriquí
| On the basis of a concession by the Republic of Panama dated 19th February 1913 the firm of R.W.Hebard (Heabord according to other sources) and Co. carried out studies for the construction of a railway through the province of Chiriquí and from there to the Caribbean coast. In 1914 the Minister for Development of the Government of Panama conceded this firm the right to construct the planned railway, and in 1914 work started on four railway lines:
Ciudad David – Pedregal, 6,5 Kilometres, opened at the end of 1916
Ciudad David – La Concepción 29 Kilometres, opened in February 1916
Ciudad David – Boquete 45,1 Kilometres, opened on 15th April 1916
Dolega – Potrerillos 12,1 Kilometres, opened on 15th April 1916
The official opening ceremony for the Chiriquí Nacional Railway System took place in the presence of the president of Panama, Dr. Belisario Porras on the 22nd April 1916 with strong participation of the inhabitants and of guests from Panama and other countries.
In spite of the fact that the railway bore the name of “National Railway of Chiriquí” it was a firm under private right and without financial support of the state when service started. Only 5 pct. of the shares were owned by the Republic of Panama, 95 pct. were owned by the National City Bank of New York….”
“At the end of the seventies (between 1977 and 1979) passenger transport on most of the lines out of Ciudad David was stopped as private bus lines were competing strongly, and the goods traffic suffered from the competition by lorries and the recession of the banana transport in the immediate neighbourhood of the FNC lines. ”
http://www,ferrolatino.ch |
It is a pity that it is gone. A railroad from Boquete to Puerto Armuelles would be fun and great for tourism. I have been told the two new highway lanes from David to Boquete will be following the old right of way for at least part of the route.
Posted by Lee on August 1, 2010
It might seem that I have been deaf to the discussion about the cultural impact of new immigrants to Boquete, I am not. I have written about it several times, including this piece on the Ripple Effect.
It is a major issue and started as soon as one tribe discovered and attacked or befriended a neighboring tribe sometime in prehistory. Nothing has changed much except for the impact of modern travel, modern communications and the globalization this has allowed.
Personally the local people I know are not upset about the new immigrants, Panama is a country of immigrants. Immigrants have been coming here with their cultures and languages since the pre-columbian times. A visit to the site of the barrels in Volcan is an excellent lesson in Panamas archeological history.
What is different today is the media and discussion in public international forums and those businesses that have learned to profit from selling international living.
Whether the impact of new immigrants is good or bad is the debate going on right now in Arizona. In Arizona they seem to have forgotten that the State was part of Mexico until 1853. The culture and language in Arizona was Mexican for far more time than American. In Panama the country was a part of Columbia until Teddy Roosevelt decided he wanted to continue building a canal the French had started. Panama the nation, has just over one hundred years of history, and much of Panama has been created by immigrants.
The impact on the country is that it is a fusion of cultures. The impact on the immigrants has been a change in lifestyle. What makes this new wave different is that many of us are retired. For the most part, non child bearing and we will not add to the gene pool for the generations to come. Our impact is financial, we spend money, money creates jobs and allows for opportunity and lifestyle changes.
Shortly after arriving here I visited a local kiosco, a small store on Jaramillo. The lady who owns it said thank you. I asked for what. Her response was simple, before the new immigrants arrived on Jaramillo the local people had no cash income. Now she said they can afford to buy things. She and they, are the beneficiaries of the change.
Some people might say so what, all the “gringos” are providing are $10 a day jobs, her response would be $10 a day is better than nothing, and before it was nothing.
As the world economy is still reeling from the economic blowout that started in the excessive spending and lifestyle habits of the US, Panama is continuing to grow. It is not perfect here but for me and many others it is a great place to live. For others it is not; to each their own.
I have said and will continue to say if you are just moving her to save money stay in the US because you will not be happy here. Those who are happy here have a spirit of adventure and can roll with both the disappointments and the pleasures.
Posted by Lee on July 27, 2010
In June 2008 I wrote a post called “Don’t Move to Boquete”. I updated this in September 2009. In light of the current AARP suggestion that Boquete Panama is a prime choice to retire I need to once again publish this, updated version.
So, if you are considering a move to Panama for only economic reasons, don’t come here.
Not everything is cheaper here, it never was. With the decline in housing prices in the US you might be able to buy well there; if cheaper is your goal, stay there. Electricity costs more per kilowatt hour in Panama, ignore the fact we in Boquete do not need heat or cooling. If the cost of electricity is the deciding factor, stay there. Imports of all kinds including cars cost more here, fuel costs more here, so if those are the factors stay there.
If you like second class healthcare at the highest prices in the world, stay there. If you need to go to see a doctor in Boquete expect to pay $7 for a consult, if you need health insurance expect to pay less than in the US. If you do need a hospital the closest is in David. If you need a world class hospital you need to go to Panama City. If you want to wait in an overcrowded emergency room, stay there.
Much of our food is grown in this area so if you don’t like fresh vegetables but prefer food designed for shipping not flavor, stay there. If you prefer your beef with hormones and antibiotics, your chicken grown in a cage, your pork never having had the room to walk, stay there. The farm animals here are content until they reach the slaughter house.
Laws are different here, they are enforced differently and nothing is more frustrating than dealing with the government; it moves like frozen molasses. If you prefer to deal with your Federal, State, County and Municipality, stay there. Here in the wild west of Panama we rely more on our neighbors than the law. If you prefer government in your life everyday, stay there. Don’t check your brains at the airport, be sure to know the laws and how they will apply to you before you venture into investments; just like home.
Culture is different here. The majority culture is hispanic and Catholic. There are minorities from around the world. A trip to a shopping mall in Panama is like a walk through the United Nations. This enriches the culture beyond expectations. If you are a racist, you do not want to be here.
If your goal is to come to Panama so you can live like you do there, stay there! Half the people that move here leave, half stay. Marriages fail, new relationships are born. Unless you are ready for major life changes, stay there. Panama is not Kansas and ruby slippers don’t work here.
Those who thrive here are those who have decided to make their new life a different adventure. Come here to explore a new culture, make new friends, be part of a community, enhance your knowledge, share your life experience, enrich your life and most important do not feel that you come from a superior culture, consider Panama. If those are not your goals, you know the refrain, stay there.
Our new President is making changes, not everyone likes the changes; I don’t agree with many of them. Most people will probably benefit from some of the changes. . Some will propel the nation into the 21st century. Some of that is good, some of it might be what you a fleeing from. Panama has a good infrastructure for power and communications, not so good for water, but the country is in the process of spending vast sums of money for water, sewage and health education. Panama is racing forward, it is imperfect, but if you think where you live is perfect you should stay there.
Those of us who have made Panama our home are not the typical cross section of any country, we are the restless, the open minded and those with a spirit of adventure; pioneers in a new century in which everything moves quickly. If you fit the profile, there is opportunity and a vacancy in the inn; if not, just stay there because you will not like it here.
Posted by Lee on July 26, 2010
AARP The Magazine Travels the Globe to Reveal the Top 5 Best Places to Retire Abroad
WASHINGTON, July 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Experts in celebrating the next chapter in life, AARP The Magazine traveled the globe to discover the ultimate retirement destinations abroad. Factoring climate, expat community, cost of living, housing, health care, access to the U.S. and culture and leisure, AARP The Magazine reveals the top five locales in its September/October issue (www.aarp.org/magazine), available in homes and online today. See what regions in Mexico, France, Panama, Portugal and Italy have to offer—castles, palm trees, rain forests, grilled lobster—in their unique and unparalleled retirement experiences.
3. PANAMA—Boquete
Panama is a smart choice for retirees who want it all. Not only does it feature attractive retiree destinations, Panama also offers an unbeatable package of retiree benefits and discounts. Boquete has a unique range of back-home amenities, from a golf course to high-end gated communities.
Some Reasons we love it:
Expat Community: An estimated several thousand
Housing Costs: A small house goes for $175,000; in a gated community, $250,000 and up. Rentals: about $600 a month for a two bedroom house
Culture and Leisure: Rainforest hiking, river rafting, bird watching and coffee plantation tours keep Panama a bustling location for leisure
Posted by Lee on July 25, 2010
I have written recently about the effort in Boquete to foster and enhance ecotourism. Without a question ecotourism is a good thing for Boquete. Carlos and Julio of Habla Ya have been very successful drawing people of all ages to Boquete for language classes. Now they are adding to the message by adding the dimension of selling what we all love about Boquete, the environment.
With the addition of this small store front on Camino Principal in Boquete they are making a loud clear statement of belief in a possible future in Boquete.
Others are making other statements about their vision for Boquete. The Mayor envisions a pedestrian mall around the Central Park in Bajo Boquete, landlords are increasing their dreams of sugar plums. Commercial rents are increasing rapidly in the town. As these rents increase marginal businesses are disappearing, successful businesses are disappearing and vacancies are erupting.
Yesterday Mayra and I went to Las Ruinas to hear the Fantasy Jazz band, they are excellent. There was no cover charge, we stayed about three hours, and I am going to speculate about two hundred people came and went in that time, mostly expats. It is off season, many seasonal visitors are gone, others stay home when it rains. There was going to be another event in Tammy’s, it was cancelled because the promoters understand the reality of the marketplace.
There is little evidence that there are more than a few hundred full time expat residents in the Boquete Area. The last semi official number I heard was from the mayor, he said about five hundred.
I have no idea but judging from the scramble to build and rent high cost commercial space in town I think people have other fantasies. Instead of listening to the music, they are dreaming of a reality that does not exist. The reason businesses fail in Boquete is because there is a very small market; Boquete is a small town. When rents were low people could risk a fantasy business, now with rents doubling or more, the risks become too great.
It seems some landlords prefer a for rent sign to a tenant who is willing to pay a reasonable monthly fee. We will see if the ecotourism business can fill the many vacant spaces dotting the town at the inflated rents being requested or if the fantasies will remain vacancies.
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