Brundageba

Ones wonders why local drivers take such chances on a turn or a lane change when they are generally so careful not to go over a bump or a pot hole at more then 2 mph.    You know, like wee little  teeny tiny bumps and mini holes.   If you are not careful while driving  you can rear end these folks....or worse run flat square into the other ones that decide to cross in front of you at 5 mph....Its a loooong list as we all know. 

This is horrible.  Makes me sorta queezy.  Bad tires....now what's the chance of that?

I have no doubt continued investigation by the beer drinking local community ensued. 

Well judging from how fast my grass is growing lately, the jungle will fill it all in in no time flat !

Underestimated the jungle methinks.   Not to mention the weather that creates a jungle...plus a few more underestimated factors.  . (  I seem to recall a similar story regarding the construction of the Panama Canal.....)    😓

Humm .   I found an article that states Astaldi Construction Co filed for ]bankruptcy last Oct 2018 . ..... Slim chance that road will ever get done..think?

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4210387-astaldi-files-bankruptcy-bonds-worth-investigating-shares-worthless

Cleveland Ohio cleaned up it's sanitary landfill that was on the shore of Lake Erie right a stones throw from Cleveland central.   It was a smoldering hell.  It became an Airport that is now a degraded strip of asphalt from disuse.  They now ponder what to do with it?  I'm sure nothing a tax dollar can't solve...for a time.

Imagine a smoldering landfill on fire right on the Lake wafting greyblack smoke into Cleveland....    Right, Clevelanders were real happy to have it flattened and turned into an airport. Hats off to Panama City for the proposition to restore a once beautiful shoreline.  Next a plastic recycling plant !

Not a heartening report or account of the Pain in Tail POL procedure. 

One might assume if you are paying taxes to the USA  and signing the form , that should be proof of life...no?  Am I missing something?

Alison

19 minutes ago, Jim Bondoux said:

I am responding with what I remember from my past research, the record of which is not readily at hand since I am traveling. The form is supposedly mailed out in July, with an October deadline for the return. Downloading the form and mailing it in most likely does not satisfy the requirement, which is based on the physical round trip of the form via postal service. The form cha-cha cycles every other year, depending on your social security number. Both of ours arrived in October of last year, and we promptly turned them around. Previous phone messages and emails to both the FBU and the SS headquarters yielded zero responses.

On 5/14/2019 at 1:25 PM, Adam said:

My wife and I are planning to move from the USA to Boquete this July (2019) and I'm having a hard time figuring out how I will get insulin pump supplies at a reasonable cost. It seems like no one will insure me with a pre-existing condition. I thought I could maybe qualify for Obamacare in the states and have my pump supplies mail forwarded through Miami, but I've heard MINSA will either charge me 30% duty tax (on about $2,000 worth of supplies for 90 days) or even confiscate or return to sender because they want me to buy from Panama. Not sure if that's true - just what I heard. 

I know some folks fly home to get their medicines and smuggle them back into the country in their suitcase. Seems kind of ridiculous, but it's better than dying I suppose. 

An even less desirable option would be to go off the insulin pump and return to daily injections with significantly worse blood sugar management. I'd rather not consider that option, but I do recognize it as an option. 

Does anyone out there have an insulin pump? How do you live? What are my options? Please help!

Please do not sell all and move.  Do yourself a favor and allow yourself time to visit here, talk to folks with similar issues and possibly other chronic health problems, get accustomed to life in a foreign country.  Of the two most common reasons people leave HEALTH CARE  and FAMILY are leading the list. Pharmacies are not as you know in the USA or Canada.  Meds are generally a bit expensive and the available list of meds available is a shorter one.  Recently, for example, some 50 different blood pressure meds were removed from shelves here. Customs can hold items ( meds cosmetics)  sent from foreign countries for a time that are on their watch list...which seems to change at a whim.   My husband and I are both in our 70s we are healthy and active.  That said, we are now at the stage of our lives where we look to return to the USA for our more golden years.  

Yah I want to be dead of natural causes first...before Baru proves itself....one way or tuther. 

As a Registered Nurse nurse having lived here for 12 1/2 years I would not recommend Panama as a retirement choice for folks with serious chronic medical conditions.  Bottom line is to rent for a year and find out how it goes for you.  You may private message me if you wish.

ALISON 

11 small ones better that one huge big one.  right?   Plates moving I guess....or is this a Baru thing?

I am amazed our house and walls etc are intact.  No cracks.  Pictures on the wall are tilted every which way..  No landslides that I see  anywhere around me.  So all is well at our household in Brisas in Alto Boquete . 

Strong earthquake  About 2:20 pm .  Brisas Boquetenas:  long very strong shake.  Strongest we have had in awhile.  

I have a recumbent for $75

Personal message me

Yes...the last gasp and the Hail Mary at the end of election period.  Build build build and open even if it is ...so so at best.  It is like the overpass Martinelli built by KFC....great idea but a bit half a**ed   And his "hospitals" ...wonder what percent got opened......

Let me guess...does it serve a corrupt govt to keep the mass of citizens dumbed down .....

For an added attraction for opening day they need to have a cardiologist on top for an after the treadmill EKG eval for all Jubilados climbing

miracle !

A gas tanker and hauler truck collided in the west bound lane in the area of the Regional hospital around 10 am this morning.  Gasoline poured onto the highway from the overturned gas truck and traffic was stopped. ( This is not a good day to do your PriceSmart shopping.)  We were stuck in the jam for over an hour and fortunately were able to get out .  Some were not so lucky.  I saw the lady behind me get out of her car and pour water over her overheated radiator.  Attempts are being made to not only redirect the traffic jam but as well to contain the flow of gasoline .  ( it's a no smoking zone now) Regional Hospital ER was reportedly closed and patients redirected elsewhere.. 

We just spent 1 1/2 weeks on the coast of Veraguas.  This time of year it's always dry but this year it's extreme.  Palm trees and Mangos remain green but pasture lands and grass are a dead dust bowl for the most part.   Rivers are rock trails .  Private wells are compromised.    Serious !  Folks are advised to collect water when it's on in any container they have because there is no guarantee when it will run again.  Electricity is off a lot...and it is mighty HOT!   We have much to be thankful for living here in Boquete.

A neighbor who is out of the hospital for recent surgery asked me to buy some chewable tablets for intestinal gas.  The pharmacy wanted 80 cents for each tablet.  Ridiculous!  I bought 3.

58 minutes ago, Jim Bondoux said:

Complying with the SS administration's requirement to communicate a mailing address in one's country of residence doesn't affect the freedom of choice for a depository bank. Your mailing address can be in Panama, and your bank account for receiving social security payments in the US. That's my situation.

As to "procedural difficulties with government", those are pretty much universal...

Your vote.   We told them we were traveling around the world and on an indefinite schedule receiving our mail by mail forwarding.   They were AOK with that.   That puts our addy in the USA...Miami.   11 years and so far without Proof of Life filing we have been receiving our Soc Sec notices and as well our IRS docs through MBE.   

Bonnie....yes.  I signed up our Soc Sec  before we had left the states and set up deposit to Wells Fargo Bank.   That's the way it's been for me since we left the USA 11 yr ago.  Now my husband signed up after we moved here 7 yr ago an he was able to sign up for Soc Sec on the VOIP  phone from here......giving them a USA addy  ( relative ) informing then that we were in retirement and traveling the world and that addy would be our home base.  No problem they said...it was a done deal and the Soc Sec checks have been entered into our USA bank ever since. 

That said....everything seems to change in time but so far so good.   When we get our Soc Sec information each year it's sent to the PTY MBE addy the one we gave them telling them that it was our home base for mail.

1 hour ago, Siempre Soluciones said:

 

Well that answers that.  It's a shame that they've got this system in which a very small percentage of the information is used, you'd think they'd have it automated.

 

Yes...and one would think a tax audit flag would go up on that situation.  I know one of our attorneys here and a good friend, told us years ago that the US tax investigation team came into his law offices asking to see account records of clients.  ( he did not share them without a warrant )   His point of view on this was the US was pretty invasive and he was very very wary of not filing  whatever forms required by the US Feds  and accurately. 

Goes to show you how very closely we're being scrutinized.