SunsetSteve

On 12/05/2016 at 5:56 PM, JohnF13 said:

Well, we are a bit " different" .  As police and military background people we don't much care about " community" we can happily make our own.  We don't like people much, having seen close up what they can do to each other.  We don't ask much, mostly to be just left alone and quite frankly, find the " Boquete" experience to be a tad too much.  We don't need sugar and spice, nor do we need the " Tuesday experience" .  Those that do, go for it, but have you really left your home place?

 

Judgemental much?

Thanks for all the good info folks. I do wonder whether and how OHIP monitors compliance. 

IIRC the evidence suggests that speed differentials, rather than speed itself, increase the risk of collisions. Also, 4-lane highways have a much higher safety factor than 2-lane roads. The evidence suggests (and this corresponds to my own observations) that drivers stubbornly sticking to posted limits or lower, in the face of higher speeds in the environment, pose a higher danger to all motorists than those following the flow of traffic even if the flow is significantly higher than the posted limit.  

Most of the expat HC discussions centre around the implications for US expats who are familiar with a number of insurance programs that are foreign to us more familiar with cradle-to-grave health care. it would be good to have an in-depth discussion about this topic for Canadians, both for long term "visitors" and those with pensionados.

Bless you. Check is in the mail.

I will be exploring Volcan as a possible alternative to the higher costs of accoms in Boquete. Several comments (somewhere) have referred to an as-yet unopened new hospital building in Volcan. Does anyone have info as to the status of that facility?

Sometimes I feel that I.m operating in a parallel universe. I upgraded back then to 8.1 right from XP (IIRC) and work from a familiar desktop, no changes to my usual so far as I can tell. Both home and office. But when I jumped on the W10 when it first came out everything froze and I had to restore back to 8.1. So that's my story and I'm sticking to it! I do not understand why anyone thinks there are difficulties with 8.1. Unless you go to the start screen it is no different from 7. And the start screen is kinda fun.

The maps work well and the book is very useful. Well worth it.

Will definitely seek that out.

No doubt, but when I return to Canada I miss the lush mountains. So where do I find an area with mountain lakes beside the ocean? 

More than anything I will miss boating.

Well I certainly hope to run into some of you in January. We booked at Isla Verde this time because you get a good rate via Habla Ya. So we thought we would spoil ourselves while scouting more modest digs for the longer term.

It speaks well for the success of this forum that I received so many helpful comments so quickly.

Keith - very warm! A little west of Smiths Falls and a little more backwoodsy: Sharbot Lake area.

Power outages? Hah! I have a generator at home because you don't know "power outage" until you have one in the dead of winter. A power outage in summer is to laugh at!  

I have not looked into the cost of health insurance in Panama. I hope there are decent plans available a a reasonable cost. I will try to find a consultant to discuss this with in January. I have see a recommendation for an insurance broker located at Plaza San Francisco. 

Thanks again everyone!

These warnings to prospects are timely and useful, but are starting to make me wonder what I am not getting. We spent a month in Boquete last January and are scheduled for another 3 weeks this coming January, including a week at Habla Ya. We tried to do some exploring last year and plan for more this year - mainly the area between David and Boquete. I would also like to confirm whether or not my impression of Volcan was fair. I thought it was kind of dismal overall.

Where we live now we have basic services - one each of grocery, pharmacy, bank, post office, and a whole buncha churches. A few restaurants but none worth eating at. Several real estate offices, a part-time vet, medical clinic and one lawyer (me). No garbage pickup. Heat is by propane. Water is lake intake with filter and UV, but for drinking we use refillable exchangable large jugs. Just to be sure  We are surrounded by lakes and forests and little traffic except summer long weekends when the tourists come. For restaurants, movies and shopping we have a choice - 40 minutes south or 90 minutes east to the city.

This is in the heart of eastern Ontario and the city I referred to - the one that is 90 minutes away - is Canada's capital city.

So you might understand that for me, moving to a mini-tropolis like Boquete is a significant step up in terms of lifestyle and in terms of infrastructure. I was very impressed with the roads and public transportation in Panama.

We have been broken into while away 3 times in 10 years and had our ATV stolen. My bad, that one!

So: need I fear culture shock? Am I unprepared for life in the Chiriqui Highlands? (honest question, I don't do snark)

Stephen