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JohnF13

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Everything posted by JohnF13

  1. JohnF13
    We are just going through this process now to move a car from Panama City to Dolega. I seem to remember that the last time we did this ( courtesy of Keith Woolford) it wasn't nearly as complicated. The only steps we have left to do is the DIJ inspection, then wait a few days for the official paperwork then go back to Dolega and get the revised title for the car. A friend of mine doing the same thing appears to be caught in some kind of black hole, he cannot get his plates even though he went theough the steps at the right time. He figures he has around 35 hours invested in the exercise. Moral of the story, if you don't have to do it, just don't. We have fun with this kind of thing, others may see it as a huge irritant.
  2. JohnF13
    The 27% doesn't surprise me. After all, a lot of the U.S. Folk live nowhere near a border and don't have an exploring spirit - apart from the U.S of A.
  3. JohnF13
    But not all of those 4500 are border hoppers. That makes the impact of the new regulations much less extreme than you are suggesting.
  4. JohnF13
    Roger, speed most certainly, but also poor maintenance and a cavalier attitude towards driving - and that's not just Panamanians!
  5. JohnF13
    My memory bank (Jocie, my wife) just kicked in. When we first went to enquire about driver's licences we picked up the pamphlet explaining what was needed. One of those things was having our licences certified by the Canadian govt., so I had to go to Panama City, get that done then off to the appropriate Panamanian department on the Tumba Muerta (?) to register the certification. After receiving their blessing (and yet another stamped document) we could then get our Panamanian licences. An aquaintance of mine tried to get around that by making a scene at the David licence office. It did not go well. As I said above, Panama has rules and you have to cross every "t" and dot every "i" or you won't get the desired result. Do that and everything will go smoothly. Don't know about other Countries, but I was able to get both my and Jocie's drivers licences certified by myself, they did not need both of us there.
  6. JohnF13
    FWIW, before arriving in Panama for the first (and only) time in 2013, we had conversed extensively with both the Panamanian Embassy in Canada as well as our Panamanian lawer, Mario Fonseca (I dont think he has any connection to Mossack Fonseca). With their help I managed to get all of the necessary documents together, got them apostilled by the Canadian government and couriered them down to Mr. Fonseca. He checked them over and said we had everything needed. After arrival we spent three days in Panama City during which time Mr Fonseca or one of his assistants ferried us around the City to various government departments. At the end of the third day we both had our one year temporary carnets (Pensionado cards). We did have a bit of a problem in the ensuing months due to the fact that the Panamanian govt. did not recognise my pension source as coming from a government agency, but once we got that figured out everything else went smoothly and we had our permanent cards after 8 months. As for driving on your "home" licence I am a bit fuzzy on that. When we went to Sertacen (?) to check on a Panamanian licence one of the ladies there enquied why we did not already have a Panamanian licence - can't remember when that was in the process. Anyway, we did go through the process and got our Panamanian licences a short time later. The first one had an expiration date that coincided with the expiration date of our temporary carnet. After the permanent carnet arrived our next licences were for 4 years. upshot of the story is that it is easily possible to have everything done before arrival and if that is done then the process should go easily. The SNAFU with my pension income showed how the govt. is VERY strict with paperwork and will not brook even the slightest deviation from the "norm". Just our experience from 4 years ago, as usual, YMMV.
  7. JohnF13
    Bonnie, FWIW, my lawyer told me you need a special rider on your temporary carnet if you are going to leave and re-enter the Country. That was a few years ago so I do not know if it is current, might be worthwhile checking if anyone is in that situation.
  8. JohnF13
    Embry was just here for coffee, was at the beach yesterday so out of cell range. He should be available early this morning before he goes to Church.
  9. JohnF13
    Try Embry Koonz, 6758-6701 - he has whatsapp on that number. He has done a few kitchens with granite. Usual disclaimer, I am not involved in his business etc, etc, etc.....
  10. JohnF13
    I do not know how Mae Lewis calculates initial charges, but as an example, when I went in with my neighbour they demanded $4000. The transfer ambulance was waiting outside to take her to Regional if we didn't pay. So as Bonnie says, have a healthy daily draw limit on your card or have good recognised insurance.
  11. JohnF13
    Ahhh, the vagaries of the interweb. Personally, I blame Al Gore...
  12. JohnF13

    until

    "Someone" broke in overnight and cleaned the place out. I know who did it, Lucy knows who did it, the police know who did it, nothing will be done.
  13. JohnF13
    Jim, just checked the link and it says nothing available. I saw a whole bunch of them in DoIt a few weeks ago on sale, maybe they ran out? There is a lighting store on lhe left side just over the new bridge in David (I think it is the LED store) near the Beverly Hills Plaza. They have a good assortment of lights in there, prices a bit higher than DoIt, but stuff is available. DoIt does have small UPS units for around $50, will run one of my big TV's for 15 mins during a power outage. For those with UPS units that have bad batteries, Casa de Batteria has new ones for about $25.
  14. JohnF13
    Bonnie,. to save a bit you could put one of the battery powered lights outside at your door "IF" you can cover it from the weather. Only drawback to that is that it will remain on until the power comes back. If you can run an extension cord ( or you have a plug out there) it is a quick and easy fix. I'm a big fan of Yvans, especially after the expansion and as Judy said, they likely have them there.
  15. JohnF13
    Pat, I use a high powered animal fence. If it keeps cows in, I am sure I will hear the squeal of a maleante as he climbs over it. It is unobtrusive, so you dont really know it is there. Won't kill anyone, so no need for insurance. Total cost, including battery backup is less than $1000, and that's my estimate for covering over 3 acres. Bonnie, look at a motion activated light backed with a small UPS at your entry door. It will come on as you approach and stay on for whatever time you set. They have a second purpose too - if it doesn't come on it is time to be suspicious and call a friend without getting out of your car. For those a bit unsteady on their feet, the plug in lights that come on when the power goes out (Do-It, around $25 or less) will give plenty of light and security. In a power outage of less than 4-5 hours there is no reason why you should have to fumble around in the dark.
  16. JohnF13
    Pat, Keith is probably a lot more "peopl-ey" than I am ( not that that says anything about his choice of hockey teams) If you can get past my electric fence and the alarm system ( both on back- ups) there is always the "Secondhand lion" sitting on the front deck.
  17. JohnF13
    I am not really understanding this whining about the electricity being out. If you live in the right location you do not need electricity for heating or cooling. Nor for water delivery or cooking, unless you have chosen to live at the top of a high rise with an electric stove. So that leaves lights and entertainment. Some battery powered devices should fix the former and if you can't exist for a few hours without USA Today (or whatever) then you really shouldn't be here. Cheap battery back-ups will power computer equipment for a couple of hours. If you are a person to whom electricity is a necessity (medical springs to mind) then either invest in a generator or move to Panama City. Yes, the power is going out with greater regularity these days but, in the grand scheme of things, it is not essential 24/7. It's all about self-reliance folks.
  18. JohnF13
    It is one thing to fail to prosecute crimes against Expats, but if that extended to murders against Panamanians, then this indeed must be classified as a completetly lawless Country. That would bring the attendant bad publicity that would surely destroy the tourist industry. I do not think the President had any choice but to react to reports of judge threatening. Now, let's see if there are any results instead of hiding behind process as has happened locally to the Expat community.
  19. JohnF13
    Most modern panels range between 200 and 300 watts. My micro inverter system in Ontario had 40 panels for a total of 10 kilowatts. Efficiency is usually around 20-40%, depending on location. While prices have come down drastically in the last few years, it is still a large up front investement. Right now, I still dont think they can compete with hydro or nuclear, but that could change.
  20. JohnF13
    Touche, Keith! Bonnie, apart from the truism that "A plan never survives first contact with the enemy" it would seem that your definition of adequate and mine differ substantially. While not a "prepper" I am a bit more cautious than most folks. Even then, I have caught myself slipping on the security side, forgetting to lock doors or turn on certain systems because one unit was malfunctioning. It gets tiring and I'm sure most folks don't really want to be bothered. Everyone prepares at their own level, that's the libertarian approach but you have to wear the consequences. This place is a lot less dangerous than some and a bit more than others.
  21. JohnF13
    Nine year old kids shooting people are not prosecuted in a large number of Countries. In Canada, the age of responsibility is 12, meaning that a 9 year old cannot be held responsible for anything. Between 12 and 18 youths are treated differently in court than adults, ofter garnering very light sentences for major crimes. Same here, although it is a bit more extreme. Of course crime has gone up from 2000 to now, it very rarely goes down ( people get frustrated and just stop reporting, but that's another story). Any crime is upsetting, but if you expect to live in a Crime free place, then perhaps Panama is not your best choice - but neither is the U.S., Canada, England, Australia, heck, you get the point. There is nowhere in the World you can avoid crime, it is just a fact of life. Quoting individual crimes only serves to induce fear and panic. Yes, they are tragic and should not happen, but in almost all of your quoted cases you will find that a major causative factor was lack of security on the part of the victim. That isn't victim blaming, merely stating facts. The police here are less effective than most, that has to do with several factors including low pay, lousy morale and lack of direction from upper management to name a few factors. Government is doing very little to address these problems, and when the average police officer sees the scale of things such as Odebretcht it is no wonder they get discouraged. We can debate for hours about what "should" happen, but it's not going to. So, two choices, accept that it is what it is and take suitable precautions, or head off for supposedly safer places.
  22. JohnF13
    JimandNena, Security is, indeed, the responsibility of the owner/resident. However, I think that your assessment is a little bleak. Yes, any security measure can be defeated but the all take time. The more difficult you make it to get into your premises, the more likely the maleante will go somewhere else. Unfortunately some people have a Polyanna attitude, i.e. It won't happen to me. Others either don't want to, or cannot afford to spend the money to add security systems. In my area the two houses that were invaded had little or no security and, most likely, the bad guys knew that and chose the softest target. Happens all the time with thieves, they are notoriously lazy and will always pick the low hanging fruit. You talk about the level of security as an "unknown", that is not really correct. Stage your house in circles, outer fence, dogs trained not to accept food from strangers (yes, it can be done) inner electric fence, yard alarms, lights, sirens and finally, an interior alarm, although I am not a big fan of those, too little, too late. Then on to personal security, whatever you can handle. Guns, knives, stun guns, high intensity flaslights and safe rooms. Again, yes, all of these can be defeated, but at the cost of negating the surprise factor. Do not rely on police response, they are merely after the fact report takers. Having said all of that, this place is relatively safe but, people being people, they will want what you have. A thief is merely a worker doing a different kind of work. Make it difficult for him and he will look elsewhere.
  23. JohnF13
    Came past the Caldera checkpoint a day or so ago and noted that the relatively new Ford police cruiser had a rock under the back wheel to prevent it from rolling away. Wouldn't a bunch of the Odebretcht bribe money come in handy for vehicle maintenance?
  24. JohnF13
    As far as the invasion of Marion's home goes and her subsequent attempted murder, I do not think anyone has been prosecured for it even though the police caught at least two of the perps. Just prior to Marion leaving the Country she was called back in by DIJ for a further "interview" and she did mention that she was uncomfortable with the way it was conducted. I would suspect, that since she has gone to Mexico, that nothing further will be done. This was my first (and so far only) introduction to Panamanian detectiving and as a retired police officer I was not terribly impressed. It seemed to me that everything was about "process" and not much about investigation. Lots and lots of police officers on scene, many at the hospital, numerous long interviews done where the preamble to the interview ( both verbal and written) seemed to take much longer than the interview itself. I couldn'd help getting the impression that everything was being done for show. Given that experience, I would not trust the Panamanian police to investigate and prosecute expat crimes. Yes, there are a ton of people in the David jail, but for what, exactly? Seems to me most of them must be on remands waiting for trial, heck if Wild Bill hasn't been tried yet after admitting murders it does not bode well for a contested prosecution. I guess all of the above can be distilled down to "you are responsible for your own safety". Indeed, this isn't Kansas, or Canada, or Britain. Look after youselves and take care.
  25. JohnF13
    I have eaten there a couple of times sincs Chris took it over. Impressed both times, the food was good.
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