“Hey man where did you get those sweet shades?” I seem to be asked that question almost as often as I get sunburned in Panama, which is on a regular basis. As cheap, nice sunglasses are on the “To-Do” list of most travelers to Central America, Mexico or any country less expensive than their own, I found a gem of a place that I must share with you. Whether you are a traveler just passing through the Isthmus or a resident trying to protect your retinas while looking cool, sunglasses are an important part of your world. While seeing sunglasses salesman on the sides of the road selling their merchandise to drivers is common, these men will never give you Read more
In my explorations of Panama I often find myself on long bus rides in search of the “best” things the country has to offer. Although this often pays off, sometimes you forget to look in your own backyard for beautiful and interesting things. For a nice, easy and very rewarding hike I had to look no further than Taboga Island, just a short and cheap boat ride from the city. While I had been to this island many times before mostly just to drink cheap beers on the beach and escape the heat of the city for awhile, not until a recent journey had I truly explored all this wonderful island has to offer. While there are at least 3 Read more
Figuring out how to efficiently experience the vast plethora of culinary options in Panama City is a somewhat overwhelming task. There are so many different neighborhoods with good restaurants that even if you are able to pin down a location to cure your hunger pains it can be difficult to choose from the array of different choices. From Lebanese to Peruvian, Panama City won’t let your stomach down no matter what mood you are in, but how to decide where to go has perplexed me since arrival in this great city. As I currently do not possess a motor vehicle, my primary form of transportation consists of a pair of worn out sneakers, so the majority of my restaurant experiences Read more
There’s no better way to appreciate and understand a city than a birds eye view and for those of us not financially fortunate enough to possess helicopters I have an easy solution in Panama City. Although it’s a place that us residents of the city see every day not many people take the time to venture up the immensely green hill topped with a gargantuan Panamanian Flag that looms over the city. It almost seems to fall into the background most of the time as we drive around to get wherever we are going that day. Last weekend this Gringo was in a “mountain summiting” type of mood and as Ancon Hill (Cerro Ancon) is the highest point of Panama Read more
One afternoon I was running down Via Argentina, one of the main streets in my neighborhood of Panama City, and came across a pack of 30 or so other runners coming straight at me. Rather than get trampled by this herd of sweaty athletes I quickly performed and abrupt 180 degree turnaround and joined the pack like a fish joining a school of others. At that current point in time my Spanish was slim to none so rather than inquire the reason for this mass session of exercise I just went along with it. After an awesome run of about an hour or so all throughout the city we came to an abrupt halt and everybody started talking about cervezas. Read more
Finding a place to throw money in a slot machine, on a blackjack table or on a roulette number is as easy as getting sunburned in Panama. From the “Vegas-Style” Veneto Casino to the number of smaller Crown Casino’s gambling is a common activity for locals and tourists alike in the great Panama City. For those looking for the rush of making it big, or the more common feeling of losing half a paycheck in 30 minutes, there are a variety of locations to make this happen.
To completely forget you are in a modern metropolis nestled on a canal in Central America, go visit the Golden Lion Casino in El Dorado for a change of scenery. Read more
The tradition of friends gathering around a television with copious amounts of beer and food, screaming for their favorite sports team is universal to nearly every country around the world. Finding the perfect spot to cheer on your squad is a quintessential part of expat relocation in a new country. This is because there is virtually no better homesickness cure than watching your home team destroy their arch rivals…. Now Panama City has a plethora of viable options with decent TV’s, good drink prices and munchies to get you through the game, but the place I have discovered goes beyond all these simple amenities. This place is the mecca for everything sports related in Panama City and whether you want Read more
While articles concerning the cost of buying real estate in Panama are easy to come by its not easy to find out the low down of how much it actually costs for an expat to live in the great capital of Panama. Being a young, ESL teaching, gringo, expat on a budget, the cost of living is an extremely important factor in determining my place of residence. Everything from the price of local cervezas to rent play major roles in why I chose to live in Panama, and here you will find out the true prices of everything from a Panamanian transplant who’s beginning to feel like a local.
As Panama is a sizable city with tremendous diversity in people Read more
This is a question I inquire to locals on a regular basis and I rarely receive the same response. As Panama is an isthmus there are more than a plethora of beaches to choose from so you can imagine many people have different opinions. Another factor that seems to influence people’s decisions is where they are from. Panama City is a massive melting pot of people from all over the country (and the world for that matter) and people from provinces such as Chiriqui, Cocle or Veraguas will all tell you that the best beaches are near to their home. With so many amazing beaches I don’t doubt that each person has reasons to believe they have the best ones, Read more
Depending on your income, lifestyle and fashion sense this can be a difficult question to answer. Panama City’s got it all from modern, luxurious super malls to the lesser known street markets of Caledonia. (Click here to read our article on this off-the-grid shopping spot!) Now being an ESL teaching Gringo on a budget my primary prerogative in searching for clothing is price. I came to this country with very little, and the clothes I did bring were better suited for a holiday by the beach rather than living in a trendy metropolis. My tennis shoes and shorts weren’t adequate dress for educating Panamanian youth or attempting to acquire dates with the beautiful local women so I soon realized Read more
