Bill Uhlman

I follow CL nearly daily and almost exclusively start by clicking "unread content". I immediately see and can click on new posts that are fresh and new posts to old threads and can back them up to the entire thread if I don't remember or want to review the context. This seems to me to be a very sophisticated and efficient feature and one I really appreciate. It also lets me know I have had too much time on my hands and have been on here too much when there is very little "unread content" to view.

Thanks for this discussion. I am not sure I know exactly what to do next (once we arrive), but I have a good idea of the pitfalls.

this thread is so central to our decision to live here. We are struggling to learn more Spanish and see it as central to our ability to adapt to a new culture and country. As wannabes, and only visitors to date, language preparation seems key to us. Thank you for this discussion!

Sorry folks, i thought i was "on topic" as i was suggesting something for Fenix to offer. I sincerely apologize for breaking protocol. However, as a result, i found a great source of exactly what i want when a member kindly PM'd me.

One of the products offered by LaVilla was shipping Boquete Coffee to those of us still in the USA so we can pretend we are in Boquete on Sunday mornings as we savor a cup of local coffee. I have really missed that since Lee has been gone, was excited Lucy was offering it, and I would really like buying coffee direct from Boquete again if offered.

Hi Bonnie, yes, that was what i was referencing. So if the temporary visa is issued after the submission of the documents you referenced, then waiting till the 90 day stay is over to decide, ensures that there will be a period of no driving. it would require arriving for the trial visit with the documents in hand - which is good to know.

So let me try out this scenario (which is hopefully ours). After several years of annual vacations, we arrive for a 3 month trial life sometime later this year. Just before the end of the 3 months, we decide whether to apply for pensionado visa and engage a lawyer or go home. If we stay, at that point, instead of making a "hop" like the olden days, what i understand from some sources but not others, is that our lawyer can issue a statement at some nominal cost that allows us to remain for the duration of the process without risk, and either a) continue to drive legally on our US drivers license, or b) do the work to obtain a Panamanian license, or c) still not be able to drive legally until the process is concluded and we are residents eligible to apply for a drivers license. Which is true?

So after several years of visits, we are contemplating a three month trial in late 2017, followed by (hopefully) an application for a pensionado visa. It seems to me that process will require one or perhaps three border hops before all is done. Given the current hysteria, if it is true, we could be taking a risk each hop of being denied re-entry and perhaps throwing all our efforts to waste (not to mention rental agreements, auto purchases, etc). While fortunately we have 9 months or more before our three month start for all of this to settle out, it is really concerning for people like us who intended to do things right to possibly be locked out in the middle of the process. We will have to closely watch how this plays out before we commit to selling our house, and trying to settle in Panama.

The ones that Morts had last week were delicious - they even held over well to the next day. They said they were a new item because of their new "guest" baker.

There is pepper jack at Jamon

We just stayed for less at the new PC Crown Plaza - nice pool - including free shuttle to and from Tocumon, than we do at a rural and shabby Best Western in Oregon. however the food and drink downstairs was fairly expensive.

Thanks for the advice Alison, i have seen the pictures of this place and it looks intriguing. We are used to wind where we come from but the past few days have been brutal so i get that it could be nasty.

Hi, we are on our third trip to Boquete and checking off our list of things we have not yet done. What is the best nearest beach for a day trip? General directions would be helpful. We are not interested in the Bocas Del Toro side. Thanks in advance for your kind advice...

Could someone give me contact information for the fundation pro integration? Preferably an email address, as we currently are in the US.

Thanks for this conversation. We are getting our ducks in a row for a potential move, and after a few visits using ATMs we had a similar question about why have a local account. Two Sailors makes a good case to have one if the fees are right and the required balance is low. We also appreciate the idea of a Schwab account and a Barclay or similar account. These are mostly things we can do before a move to ensure the greatest financial flexibility we can get moving to a new country.

So, help me understand. They are charging tourists $10 a trip to promote tourism? While I don't care much about a $10 fee added to my trip, it seems kind of backwards to me...

We are "liberals" from the US who have been visiting Panama for almost 4 years with the intention to live here after retirement. Richard Detrich, in his two books, references the trend being discussed where every 4 to 8 years expats arrive due to the political situation in the US. i assume in his relatively long tenure that he has seen enough to know that this is a real phenomenon. I am kind of happy to contemplate that Boquete has been in an out cycle, lately, as rents still seem to be on the increase. So when you see us "liberals" around town in 2017, just know that some of us were on our way here after a long path of discernment and not due to the change in administration! Retirement for us just happens to coincide with the change in the political winds...

So if we are visiting for a few weeks in early 2017 and want to check out price smart ( as a part of determining if we want to live here) could we join price smart? If so how? Their website is not very clear. And we understand a Costco membership from the states is not transferrable.

Doesn't this thing blow about once a year?

I just read this earlier today and went to show it to my wife and it was gone. Fortunately the link was still in my browser.

According to money magazine today, Social security has dropped the texting requirement: The Social Security Administration has dropped a measure to boost its website security that had the effect of locking some people out of their online accounts. About two weeks ago, the agency began requiring people to use a security code sent by text message to a cellphone—in addition to a user name and password—to log into a “my Social Security” account. That requirement was problematic for some people, including seniors, who don’t have reliable cellphone service or text-enabled phones—or who simply aren’t comfortable with this means of communication. That “multifactor authentication” rule is now gone, the agency website declares:We removed the requirement to use a cell phone to access your account. While it’s not mandatory, we encourage those of you who have a text capable cell phone to take advantage of this optional extra security. We continue to pursue more options beyond cell phone texting.

Thanks for all your comments. We are looking forward to our rainy season trip. While we are more cautious than many of you,I have to admit that i admire those of you who just jumped into your dream. But we will probably take the advice of many of you and keep dipping our toes in a little deeper each visit until retirement, and then make a 3 to six month trial stay before deciding if purchasing is right for us.

Yep that is a place we have looked at and there are still quite a few opportunities on air bnb and other places. I was just surprised that Expedia kept saying things were booked and wondered if any of you knew about the demand during this holiday.

We were trying to schedule the third visit of our annual discernment process during the rainy season in 2016. We had picked Oct 9th through the 22nd, 2016 due to our own work schedules and to be sure we experienced the rains. Expedia told us that rooms were at a premium those weeks, which surprised us. I checked holidays, and Dia de la Raza is on the 12th. Is that a big deal in Boquete? If we can find a place, will there be parades and other celebrations? Thanks for your help...

We have a paperthin bowel (Like the lower left) we bought from you on our second trip to Boquete. Friends remark about it on our coffee table, but to us it is hard to describe, as it represents the beauty of not just a bowl but of where we want to be once we retire.