Thursday, July 30, 2009

Heaven is Only One Hour from Panama City

Heaven is Only One Hour from Panama City

Weekend in Costa Rica

Story by Panama Jack
Republic of Panama

I decided to visit my girlfriend of the last 3 years who lives in San Jose Costa Rica; it had been about 4 weeks since I had seen her, when she came to visit me here in Panama. I made reservations at a hotel in San Jose, the Hotel Del Rey, I know this is the place that American’s find girlfriends in Central America and I already have one, a beautiful one, infract you can see her picture all over the front page of republicofpanama.net she is the beautiful one in the restaurant adds. In fact I took this picture of her next a Blue Marlin in the Blue Marlin Bar in the Hotel Del Rey over the weekend. It was great weekend. The Hotel Del Rey is located in the middle of San Jose and it is only a one hour flight from Panama City, Panama to San Jose, Costa Rica. I picked the Hotel Del Rey because all the Americans that live in Costa Rica go there to play cards in the Casino Del Rey located on the first floor past the lobby and coffee bar of the Hotel Del Rey. You can sit there and play cards and talk to American’s from all over the world and the United States. It is nice to be able to speak English to people and catch up on what is happening in the United States. Also the Hotel Del Rey has several restaurant s, Café Rey, Restaurant Del Mar, both serve the best food in Costa Rica and the Hotel has room service so we could order up and eat out on out patio. Next door to the hotel there is a club owned by the hotel called Key Largo, it is World Famous as the best place for American’s pick-up girls in Central America and dance the night away. I had to behave my all weekend and I feel proud of myself I did not even cheat on my girlfriend. There were 5 girls to every American In key Largo and in Blue Marlin Bar ( Boy if I was Still Single, Would I ) anyway we had a great time great food and great xxx. The weather was wonderful. If you are in Panama and would like information on how to reserve a room at the Hotel Del Rey in San Jose Costa Rica try this Republicofpanama.net

Honduras the Hero of the Americas Honduras the Savior of the Americas

Honduras the Hero of the Americas

Honduras the Savior of the Americas

Story by Panama Jack Republic of Panama

It is about time somebody stood up against what has been going on in Central and South America and Hondurans did it. ( God Bless Them ) They stand for freedom and the free press. They did not allow the gang to take over their territory, you know the gang Chavez and his boys. You give a Baboon a little oil money and he cannot keep his mouth shut. Well somebody finally stood up to the Oil Punk It is about time to call a Baboon a Baboon, at least that is what he looks like. The world let Castro stay in for 50 years and that is a big problem, all these dictators want to stay in power, they say its about the people, but it is not it’s about power. Being the big dog or baboon on the block.

Sad Day for Central America, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Latín América

Sad Day for Central America,
Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Latín América

Story by Panana Jack

Arias and the other nations are backing Zelaya to bring him back into power. I do not understand this, if Arias committed a crime against his nation their would be riots in the streets the opposition would would cry for his blood and here he backs this criminal of the country to get back into power. Sounds to me like he is afraid of Chavez along with the rest of the oil poor nations. Zelaya was on his way to be a dictator to join the ranks of Castro, Chaves, Orteaga and the rest of the skumbags that claim they sand for the people but just want to stay in power and be king. I call this greed and they are trying to disguise it as democracy. Let’s just say if Chavez was to loose power in Venezuela, what kind of work could he do, Maybe work in Circus in the freak show. It is about time that someone stud up to Chaves. The good news is Zelaya is not going to be allowed back into Honduras and that means there will be a free press and you can watch the T.V. station of your choice that means cable T.V. also, something Chaves is trying to get rid of in Venezuela and other dictator nations do not have.
God Bless the Hondurans’ God Bless Freedom in Central America.

Heads of State back Arias in His Efforts to Reinstate Zelaya

Heads of State back Arias
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Heads of state meeting in Guanacaste have issued a 73 point final declaration in which they defend democracy and promote the San José Accord drafted by their host Óscar Arias Sánchez to reinstall José Manuel Zelaya as president of Honduras.

The declaration also said the heads of state would fight against illegal immigration and illicit drugs.

However, the bulk of the declaration supported additional regional integration in highway systems and electrical networks.

They also supported the position of Arias and his iniciative before the United Nations to keep track of international arms shipments.

The meeting at the JW Marriott in Hacienda Pinilla involved most Central American heads of state. The so-called Tuxtla session in an annual event that seeks to further the Plan Pueblo Panamá, which is designed to improve Central American infrastructure and promote economic integration. Álvardo Uribe, president of Colombia, also attended.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Costa Rica Airport VIP Rip-Off

I ended up at the airport in Costa Rica early yesterday, because they had been working on a bridge on the way from the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose, where I stayed at the Hotel Del Rey. This is a trip that normaly takes 30 minutes at the most, but because of th e bridge work it could take 2 hours to get to the airport.
Not wanting to miss my plane I gave myself plenty of time to get to the airport. So I ended up early, 3 hours and I decided to go to the VIP Lounge and kick back. So go to it and it is $30.00 to get in this includes a California Roll and some finger food and something to drink but no booze you would have to pay for that. I paid I went in. Here is how it is. The finger food: Old Cookies and Toast. Fruit juice with no ice. California Roll no one who did not want to get sick would eat one. I saw people order sandwiches and they would not eat them. I wanted some water that cost me $2.00 for a 50 cent bottle. The air conditioning was warmer than in the airport.I left without eating anything and spent $8.00 at the Burger King a much better deal.
Avoid the VIP Lounge at the Costa Rica international airport at all costs. This is tipical Costa Rican business. They beleave in the one hit system. Hurt them so much that they will never come back. Oh by the way Hotel Del Rey has wonderfull Food and the women their are the most beautiful in Central America. Right now if you go on the Republic of Panama website you can get a great deal on a room there.
Just tell them Panama Jack sent you.

Why Panama Is the New Florida

Retirement:
Why Panama Is the New Florida
Panama's quality health care, low costs, and proximity to the states are attracting American professionals as a retirement haven
By Michelle Conlin



Murdock and Johnson on the beach near their home in San Carlos Jeffrey Salter/ReduxProspective retirees: Panama wants you. The pitch? A plane ride just 21/2 hours from Miami enables the newly poor to swap a wretched retirement in the U.S. for one befitting a royal in the balmy Central American nation. Cash out! Emigrate! Feel rich! Panama—the new Florida. Spin aside, Panama is increasingly popular among retirement-age types looking to hedge against—or skip out on—the recession. The Migration Policy Institute, a Washington-based think tank that studies the movement of people around the world, says the chief factors prodding professional-class Americans to flock to Panama include its First World health care available at Third World prices and the country's pensioner program, which offers some of the deepest retiree discounts in Latin America. Seniors get up to half off on nearly everything, including movies, motels, doctors' visits, plane tickets, professional services, and electric bills. Expats also pay no tax in Panama on foreign income. Nor are they required to pay property tax for the first 20 years. The fact that a luxe beachfront manse can be had for the same price as a dump in Daytona doesn't hurt, either. "We would have been looking at $3 million in Miami," says Jon Nickel of his 3,000-square-foot oceanfront penthouse in Panama City. Nickel and his wife, Gretchen, bought the place in late 2007 for $250,000, right after Nickel retired from his corporate law job in Portland, Ore., and sold the family's mortgage-free home for $800,000.
MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK
The skinny isthmus—nearly all coastline, with a mountain range slicing through the middle—boasts some of the best weather and lowest crime rates in Latin America. Other draws include guilt-free conspicuous consumption, with laughably low prices—by gringo standards—on splurges such as a day of beauty ($10) and a maid ($15 a day). A complete blood workup at Panama City's gleaming new Hospital Punta Pacifica, managed by Johns Hopkins Medicine International, is $36. A checkup with a physician is $50. Boomers who say they would have had to pay roughly $1,200 a month in the U.S. for health care say they are paying roughly $800 a year for coverage in Panama. Barbara Dove, a 66-year-old who suffers from Parkinson's disease, worried that she would eventually need in-home care if her condition deteriorates. Researching rates in Seattle, she found that nurses run $25 an hour. In Panama City, where she has lived since 2007, they cost $25 a day. Says Dove: "I didn't want my kids to have to worry about me." According to a 2006 report by the Migration Policy Institute, the number of Panama visas issued to U.S. citizens began to rise dramatically after 2003, and an estimated 25,000 U.S. expatriates live there today. "With Americans aging, the economy in shambles, and, possibly, Medicare benefits on the cutting block, it is reasonable to assume that more Americans will retire abroad, particularly to warm, sunny locations such as Panama, where they can get more value for their dollar," says the Institute's president, Demetrios Papademetriou. That's not to say life there suits everyone. Things in Panama movereallyslowly. A repairman who says he will be right over might show up days later. Water and electricity service can be spotty. In Panama City, drivers treat stop signs as a mild suggestion. "It takes a little bit of balls to retire here," says Matt Landau, a New Jersey native who is the founder of Panama City-based online portal The Panama Report. "This is not for type As. It's not your turnkey Florida retirement." Still, boomers who have recently relocated to Panama say they feel as if they have figured out a successful geographic arbitrage. When Stephen Johnson and Linda Murdock were living in Aromas, Calif., they used to moan half-jokingly about how they'd have to retire to Barstow—the armpit of the Mojave Desert, with summers in excess of 100 degrees and winters that can dip below freezing. Stephen, 63, retired as an executive of the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority in June 2008. His wife, Linda, 57, owned a dog-food business. The pair had watched several friends retire on depleted cash cushions. Many weren't fully eligible for Medicare and wound up spending 50% of their income on health care. The couple's retirement agita was worsened by the fact that they got a late start building equity. "We bought our first house when I was 40 and Steve was 46," says Linda. "We knew we would never have our house paid for by retirement." Over late-night pinot noir on their patio, they started talking about moving to a developing nation to stretch their money further. They had discovered Panama on a trip there in 2004 and saw it as a bargain-basement paradise. The low cost of living appealed to Steve, whose pension amounted to 40% of his pre-retirement income of $150,000. The surf-perfect weather lured Linda, who took up the sport on her 50th birthday. CRACKS IN PARADISEJohnson and Murdock are now known as the gringos who live in the house with the red door. They bought their newly remodeled 1890 hacienda near the beach in San Carlos for $100,000 cash. They moved in last year and rented out their California ranch house. The rent covers the carrying costs on that house. But Panama isn't only about the beach. The Boquete region in the mountains—Panama's answer to Boulder, Colo.—boasts loads of U.S.-style gated retirement compounds. The big draws of the area are tennis and golf. For those who are more interested in urban amenities, Panama City, which is by the sea, is sprouting yoga studios, bohemian boutiques, health-food stores, and artsy coffee houses. Still, there are tradeoffs in this seemingly easy life. "Paradise is just a place you visit," says Johnson. "If you live here, you begin to see the cracks." Those include the three months it took them to get their driver's licenses—a process that involved blood tests, a hearing exam, and lines that make a U.S. Motor Vehicles Dept. seem like a fast-food joint.
But Johnson and Murdock have no major complaints, and Panama is certainly better than the Mojave. Murdock surfs—every single day—and says Johnson looks 20 years younger since retiring. They both love the way their dog can run on the beach without a leash and the fact that their doctors, many of them schooled in the U.S., happily give out their cell-phone numbers and actually answer when called. And their social life is far more active than it was in Aromas. They go out with new friends, a blend of expats and natives, almost daily, often for evenings of fish tacos and endless margaritas—for $20. "We have more time," says Johnson. "And apparently we have more money."

Conlin is the editor of the Working Life Dept. at BusinessWeek.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Manuel Zelaya: I Want My Mommy

Manuel Zelaya: "I am the President"
Editorial / The Panama Post
Story by Jorge Ramos


In a telephone interview Monday, Manuel Zelaya insisted: "I am the president of Honduras, here and in Rome." The problem for Zelaya is that "here" is Costa Rica, not Honduras.
Less than a day earlier a group of soldiers had taken him by force from his residence in Tegucigalpa, still in his pajamas, shoved him aboard a Honduran Air Force plane and sent him into exile in San Jose, the Costa Rican capital.
"I was abducted in a brutally violent act, they broke into my home," he told me from San Jose. "I had never seen such exaggerated brutality: They tied up my bodyguards, there was shouting, intimidation, terror and, finally, I was threatened with rifles pointing at my face, at my chest. These people were wearing masks."
Zelaya calculates there were about 200 soldiers around his house.
"My daughter was with me in the house when the shooting began and people started shouting," he described. "It was a terrifying drama at 5:30 in the morning. I ran from my room, just as I was, in my underwear, to my daughter's room."
He was captured there.
When I spoke with Zelaya, the president of the Honduran Congress, Roberto Micheletti, had not yet been appointed acting president of the country. But there were already rumors in the press that Zelaya had allegedly signed a letter of resignation.
"That is a total lie," Zelaya said about the alleged letter. "That makes me think that this is a political mafia plot, a conspiracy.
"I could never resign because the people elected me," he added, "and my term ends next year. I won't be (in office) one day more, but nor will I be one day less."
Zelaya's opponents say it was Zelaya who brought this upon himself when he wouldn't pay attention to admonitions of the Honduran Congress and Supreme Court. Both institutions had declared as "illegal" the public poll that Zelaya wanted to hold last Sunday. Many Hondurans feared that Zelaya would use the results of the survey to, eventually, reform the Constitution and re-elect himself.
The survey, of course, never came about. And the Supreme Court endorsed the army's action against Zelaya.
But Zelaya insists, "There is no such law in Honduras. This has nothing to do with Honduran legislation, it has everything to do with an arbitrary act. How can anyone believe that you can't take a public opinion poll?"
"Do you want to return to Tegucigalpa and be reinstated as president?" I asked.
"I am the president," he answered. "I am president and they cannot create an illegitimate government. The U.S. Embassy in Honduras has just released a communique which says it doesn't recognize any other government than that of Manuel Zelaya Rosales."
Which is true. Until now no government in the world has recognized Micheletti's government as legitimate. But many nations in the hemisphere are now in the uncomfortable position of supporting a president as unpopular and erratic as Zelaya.
Zelaya not only did strange things -- such as eating a melon while being interviewed on international television -- but recently he declared himself a "leftist" and an ally of the Castro brothers' dictatorship in Cuba. Many Hondurans feared that Zelaya would betray his campaign's democratic promises and use the support of his new friends to go against the Constitution and remain permanently in office.
One of the ironic aspects of events in Honduras is that Cuba's regime has publicly come out to defend democracy, even though Cuba has not defended democracy in its own land in the last 50 years. And another contradiction is that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez described the military who commanded the coup against Zelaya as "gorillas," forgetting that he himself headed a failed military coup against a democratically elected president in Venezuela in February 1992.
But the debate about authoritarianism in Cuba and Venezuela will come later. Right now, the news is Honduras. And the consensus among members of the Organization of American States (OAS) and of human rights organizations is that, if they wanted Zelaya out of office (for ignoring Supreme Court orders) or declared him incompetent, they should have enforced Honduran laws to impeach him in Congress, instead of sending soldiers to remove him by force.
Presidential elections in Honduras are slated for November. So, as of today, Honduras has two men who think of themselves as "presidents" of the country -- and of a split democracy.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Costa Rica Cell Phone Companys Come to Panama to Learn

Telecom officials pay a visit to Panamá to check out cell systems in that country

Special to A.M. Costa Rica


Panama’s telecom regulator received a delegation from its Costa Rican equivalent looking for advice on opening the market for cellular telephones, according to a press release from the Panamanian agency. The visitors were led by George Miley, general manager of Costa Rica’s Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones.

Technical matters relating to spectrum designation, regulation, interconnection costs, minimum rural coverage, and the implementation of all of these were discussed.
The report noted that Panama has more than one cell phone line per person whereas the Costa Rican system has only 40 percent coverage. “Panama is 10 years ahead of Costa Rica and, thanks to competition, has seen the results in terms of price and service quality,” said the press release. Costa Rica’s Superintendencia didn’t publicize the trip with as much enthusiasm.

The four companies active in Panama, Cable & Wireless, Digicel, Claro, and Telefónica, have all expressed interest in the Costa Rican market. The recent free trade treaty with Panama makes it relatively easy to come from there.

Underaged Prostitution Report in U.S. Congress! Panama as well as the United States has this Problem

Underage prostitution report
aired in U.S. congress


By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services


A new report says that more than 100,000 Americans under the age of 18 are victims of sex trafficking in the United States. While the illicit sex trade is often considered a scourge of the developing world, experts told lawmakers on Capitol Hill Tuesday that it is also a serious problem in the United States.

The report highlights a problem known around the world — the prostitution of young women and children.

Former congresswoman Linda Smith, Shared Hope's founder, explained the severity of the problem at a briefing hosted by the Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus.

"Our research showed that it happened all over the United States," said Ms. Smith. "At first I thought, 'No, not in my town.' Yes, in my town."

According to the report, the average age of a child prostitute in the United States is between 12 and 14. Many have run away from home and are lured into the illegal sex trade by men who offer them shelter. Some become addicted to drugs — something their pimps use to keep them under their control. Beatings and physical threats are the norm.

But advocates for child sex trafficking victims say that despite these abuses, too often children are identified as criminals, arrested and put in jail or in juvenile detention.

Ernie Allen is president and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

"These kids are victims," said Ernie Allen. "This is 21st century slavery. They lack the ability to walk away. The pimps who use and discard them are the criminals, as are those who patronize them."

Advocates for child sex trade victims say that charging these children with crimes infringes on their rights and creates barriers to getting them the help they need. They advocate a system that protects and rehabilitates these children.

Rep.Ted Poe of Texas, co-chairman of the Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus, told the panel that there are more safeguards in place for foreign victims of sex trafficking in the United States than there are for American citizens.

"If you are a foreign child and you are in the United States and you are involved in trafficking, the police will treat you as a victim of a crime," said the Republican congressman. "But if you're an American and some trafficker finds you and abuses you and then sells you out through the United States, you're treated as a criminal."

The Shared Hope International report criticizes the U.S. Congress for failing to authorize more funding for social services and shelters for sex trafficking victims.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Condo Prices on the Way Down

Panama Headline News

Condo Prices on the Way Down

Good news for Panama City, the Republic of Panama

Story by Panama Jack

Republicofpanama.net

Well it is about time that things got straightened out here in Panama City, Panama. Everyone was waiting for the current price of condo’s to start dropping, and it is here. With over 120 condo projects under construction and an estimated 8,000 to be put on the market for sale this year alone, the owners of these condos are finally getting the message. They are all not worth $450,0000.00 to $500,000.00. Something that they have been fooling themselves about for the last 6 months. Now with so many units coming on the market the price is dropping fast, a little reality is in the air, they are not going to make those big profits that they have been dreaming about spending. In fact many are going to lose their capital investment of 30% they put down on the pre-sale condos they purchased. This means there will be at least a 30% drop immediately with more soon to come. The people who bought low-end condo units that the $120,000.00 to $250,000.00 are having no problem selling their units for just a little over what they paid for in the pre-sale contract. They made out good. They will get their money back and enough to cover all the trips they made to Panama.Fact is the people who have to sell now are on the short end of the sick. The one who can afford to close and hang on to their condos are the winners.
Reasons.
1. Inflation is about to kit hard and the dollar is going to drop in value making a $120,000.00 worth in 6 years $350,000.00 and with currant high rental market they can went it out for the same as their mortgage payment and take profits at that time.
2. Panama is the capital of Central and South America, Just ask Simon Bolivar. The people of those country’s go shopping in Panama. When they want to go to the big city its Panama City. They have no problem spending their money, Panama welcomes them to shop, unlike the United States that will not allow some young Latin children even go and see Mickey and Donald and Goofy , how rude that children can see them on TV, but never in their live get to go to Tomorrow Land, or Frontier Land or any other fucking land, Like I did as a child. Unless you come from a certain class people, their children have no Problem. ($$$$) Get the picture.
3. The Republic of Panama has the second largest free trade zone in the world, next to Hong Kong. Also do not forget the Panama Canal one of the great wonders of the world. ( How do they do that )>

Monday, July 20, 2009

Apartments For Rent Panama City Slum-Dog Landlords

Story by Panama Jack

Apartments For Rent Panama City Slum-Dog Landlords

Well if you are thinking about moving to Panama City, the Republic of Panama and you would like to rent an apartment there, for ether pleasure or business, for ether working on the Panama Canal or opening a business or just plan looking for cheap prostitutes. Here is some interesting information about the apartment rental market.

1. All the apartments are overpriced in Panama City, You will be shocked when you check out the prices. You get 2 bedroom Shit whole for $1,000.00 a month and then they will ask for a deposit, you will never see returned. For $1,500 a month, you can get in an older building a 2 bedroom with maids closet, not to be confused with a bedroom. This apartment comes very interesting insects, Woodcutter Ants, they make piles just like termites and you can chase them from piece of wood to piece of wood, but they live in your apartment and are not going to leave, no matter what you spray on them or in the wholes they make in anything made of wood. For $1,800.00 you can get a 2 bedroom furnished in a new building, a nice one. These apartments are very small. But do not be surprised if the roof of a high-rise apartment leaks and you are not on the top floor, also do not be surprised if the windows crack or break and the landlord will not get around to fixing if for about 3 months. The construction on the new building is so poor I am surprised they don’t just fall over

.2. Let me tell you about the landlords of Panama Rental Apartments, They are slumlords millionaires. You might move into an older building to find that this furnished apartment comes with a bed mattress that is so stained that if you look at it you through up. I slept on one for three day and then decided to change the sheets and I think someone had died in that bed, the mattress was so stained, with blood and urine. I went out and bought a new bed and so did my roommate that day. In United States they would through a landlord in jail for such a thing. Degusting. I have a friend that rented a apartment in a older building and when he moved in he found out he did not water or power hooked up to the apartment. When he told the landlord she said what did you expect for $1,500.00. She told him to go hook it and pay for the hookup himself. He found out there where no water pipes to the apartment and no electric wires either. To buy the electric box and install pipes would have cost him $6,000.00 he moved and lost his rent and deposit and I am sure the landlord found some other on the same terms without telling them first.

3. So if you are going to rent an apartment in Panama City, the Republic of Panama, you should find a honest real estate company, explain to them you do want to have any problems with the apartment. You test all water and electric outlets. You make sure the air conditioners are all working, your can not live in this country without them. Make sure they hook-up all utilities for you.

4. Now you can get really nice place for $5,000. Unfurnished. Or for $5,000.00 a month you could end up with an Indian from India as your landlord and hate the man by the time your lease is up.

5. some bay-front Water-front condo’s look good, but you may be moving into a condo next to a sewer outlet to Panama Bay, if you do this expect your apartment to stink at certain times of the day and you also will have a lot of headache caused by the smell.

Well good luck. Jack

Friday, July 17, 2009

Inaugural Address of Ricardo Martinelli

Panama Headline News

Inaugural Address of Ricardo Martinelli
Story by editor Boquete Panama Guide

Inaugural address
by Ricardo Martinelli

Today, before God who protects us and my country, I stand here,
honored by the confidence that the people have given us.

I am enthusiastic about the work that awaits us.

This transfer of command is something that we all value. What we
celebrate today is proof that in Panama the voice of every citizen is
heard, and that the democratic principles that unite us are more
powerful than any difference.

Although they are not here, I want to thank President Torrijos and the
former first lady Vivian de Torrijos for their service to our country.
I also thank them for their so generous support in this transition.
Together we have demonstrated that this people respects the political
dignity of every human being.

I also want to take advantage of this opportunity to sent President
Endara our wishes for a prompt recovery.

Here in Panama we have a democratic tradition, which is as solid as a
rock. I am honored that the international community is here to
celebrate with us this great moment. We have never had so many
visitors, from so many parts of the world. All are welcome and we
thank them for participating today, in our first steps toward a new
Panama, which we see on the horizon.

Our country is unique in many things:

It is the biggest inhabited island on the Pacific littoral.

Panama is the only place in the Caribean that has indigenous peoples.

This city was the first to be built by the Spaniards here on the Pacific.

Here Vasco Núñez de Balboa discovered the South Sea.

But we have something more that distinguishes us. We have grown to
become the pass key to the world’s economy. If Marco Polo had lived in
our epoch, he would have used Panama as his modern spice route.

We Panamanians have always played an important role for our neighbors
and the world. And now were are tapped to do it again. In these five
years, we are called to demonstrate how our economic and governance
model can be an example for all who aspire to prosperity and progress.

Juan Carlos Varela and I are two businessmen who have become involved
in politics, to change the way of doing things. We are going to take
hold of our experiences in the private sector and put them to work
where they have never been seen: in the government.

We are going to debureaucratize the state. “Debureaucratize” is a word
that’s a little difficult to say, but he who’s going to work with me
in this government had better learn it.

In the world of business I walked the aisles, asked questions, opened
drawers. I learned to face problems. As my great friend and political
mentor Samuel Lewis Galindo noted, the government of Ricardo
Martinelli will act with firmness and education, but without favors. I
believe that time is gold and very short.

Neither Juan Carlos nor I accept this job to remain seated behind a
desk. I am a simple, plain and direct man. If I fail somewhat in
protocol, I beg your pardon. But we were not elected to add more pages
to the protocol book.

This people gave us a clear mandate to bring change to this
government, from top to bottom, and that is what we are are going to
do. The custom that the politicians put their personal interests above
those of the people is over. The game of having a fat government and a
thin people has come to its end. The era of politicians entering broke
and leaving as millionaires is finished.

In my government, you can put your foot in your mouth, but you can’t
put your hand in the till.

Thus today, we inaugurate a government that’s going to put the
people’s interests first. We know that difficult times are coming. Now
is when the government has to be more agile, more transparent and more
efficient. it is no secret that we are at the beginning of a world
economic crisis.

it is a crisis that we didn’t cause, but all of us are going to
suffer. it is the worst crisis since the Great Depression of the 30s.

In this storm we are all in the same boat, and in the same boat we are
going to face it. The truth is that our government is not going to
have the resources that the previous government had.

But this gives us more reason to act with urgency. The Panamanian
worker sees the storm gathering above. The changes that we have
proposed can not wait any longer. The promises that we made in the
campaign are good ideas. They are the mandate that this people demands

But more than this, they are an integral part of a stimulus plan that
we need to get our economy afloat. Tomorrow we will have our first
Cabinet Council. We are going to be where we were always walking
towards. We are going to be where the change has to happen.

we are going to be the las Garzas de Pacora, not in the Palacio de las Garzas.

That’s where they need jobs.

That’s where they need the subway.

That’s where they lack public safety.

Las Garzas de Pacora is the point of departure for what we are going
to accomplish in the next five years.

I ask you to prepare with me. we will roll up the sleeves and get to work.

We start with this: we are going to raise the salaries of all law
enforcement, because they’re very badly paid. we are going to give
life to one of Juan Carlos’s proposals: we will give $100 a month to
the old people who have not retirement pension.

And for the students who see us on television or listen on the radio,
you can count on scholarships and free books and school supplies. This
we will do for all the poor families in Panama.

We will begin a massive land titling program, so what I can tell
everyone who’s listening who has possessory rights, prepare these
rights because you’re going to have your piece of land titled.

And we are also going to start the biggest jobs program in the history
of Panama after the canal expansion. we are going to start the bidding
for the construction of a new subway that will give the Panamanian
people a better quality of life. But this is just a start.

We have many more things to do. Nothing is more important than to
lower the cost of food. Thus we will augment the sales point for the
Compita program, and with no more “married” products.

we are going to give more credit to the agricultural sector and
support the self-sustaining farms. In this way we will augment
national production and help our farmers produce more food and cheaper
food.

Two years ago, we built a house for a forgotten Panamanian named
Newton Rodney. Newton taught us a lesson: that like him, there exist
more than 165,000 forgotten Panamanian families that suffer the
tragedy of not having a safe roof over their heads. we are going to
start on a massive plan to build houses for the people. This program
will not only go to those families in need of dignified shelter, but
it is going to create jobs for construction workers and reactivate the
economy.

Everyone who lives in Panama, and those who visit us, deserve a safer
country. we are going to turn our jails into rehabilitation centers
and not universities of crime.

Minors who commit crimes like adults, we are going to try as adults.
And we are going to give more resources and more intelligence support
to our police.

To protect the right of citizens to walk along safe streets is one of
the primary obligations of any government. we are going to meet this
responsibility.

And for those who want to come and invest in Panama, I’m letting them
know that our doors are open. I want to leave our mission very clear:
we are going to make Panama the best place in Latin America to do
business.

This is the best way to generate jobs and have a better quality of
life for all Panamanians. And we are going to complement the free
trade agreements, with the United States of America and all the other
countries of the world, including Europe and our Latin American
brothers.

we are proud of our history and our heritage, of our freedom of
expression, of our freedom of thought, and our freedom to decide the
course that the motherland takes. Panama has to maintain itself as a
leader in freedom and justice, not only here in our house, but in our
region and our continent.

As president, I will do everything within my reach to advance the
ideals of a free economy, challenging the different ideological
pendulum that Latin America has.

We are going to be an active partner with Mexico and Colombia in the
battle against the narco-terrorists, who have invaded our country,
bringing crime, mourning and desperation to our innocent population.

We start this government with an unprecedented mandate: a mandate for
change. But this mandate does not go alone. It comes moored to a great
responsibility, the responsibility to work together, shoulder to
shoulder, leaving behind the political egotisms that have divided us.

We were elected for this: not only for our proposals, but also to
change the way of governing. we are going to change the system in
which one political party only to looks for what it can take from the
other, in which the people look for what they can take from the
government, in which the government looks for what it can take from
the people. it is a vicious circle in which we all believe that we
will win like this — and believe me that it is not so. The truth is
that in this game, we are divided one against the others and we all
end up losing.

The government does not have to be partisan. we are going to govern
with the best, no matter from where the come or their political
affiliation.

We are united for something more important than a political party. We
are united for our country, and in this way, putting the people’s
interest first, we are going to govern.

Some say that the challenges that await us are a lot for just one
person. But they are not much for a united people. This government is
going to keep all the promises that I made. This is my commitment.

The only promise that I probably will not keep is to lose weight, but
believe me that I am going to do everything possible.

Until now we have accepted that the destiny of our country is only in
the hand of the government. But I believe that our hopes depend on
something more powerful than any government. They depend on the sweat
and determination of three million Panamanians.

This is the true formula for our success. In five years, another
president will be standing here to celebrate a transfer of mandates,
put what we begin here will not change, not in five nor in 100 years.

From now on, this government and those who follow it are going to walk
in the shoes of the people.

From now on, our governments will not enrich themselves on the people,
but will only serve the people.

This is a time of great challenges and opportunities. The world
economy is put to the test, and that of Panama as well.

I can tell you: I am not perfect. Perfection is something God reserves
for human beings in another life, and I know that we are going to
encounter obstacles along the road.

But the difficulties are not going to stop us. On the contrary: they
are going to demonstrate our determination. We are going to rise above
this economic storm. We are going to come out of it prepared to
compete, prepared to win.

This is the moment to be a citizen of this country, because the
opportunities the await us are enormous.

I see a Panama with more men and women working.

I see a middle class that’s growing and making more money.

I see new technologies producing an unprecedented economic growth.

I see a Panama with better health, better education and more families
united and content.

We can do anything that we dream. Then, why not make our future the one we want?

We dream big. Our best days are to come. We are Panamanians, united
for a change.

And united, nothing is impossible. United, nothing can defeat us!

I thank all of you, and God bless, and long live Panama.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Life in Panama

Story by Panama Jack

News for today is Brian the editor of Templar Times left Panama last week to return to up-state New York after working on this blog for 6 long months and producing 3 wonderful storys. Brian truned over the helm of Templar Times to Panama Jack, editor of the Panama Visitor's Guide www.republicofpanama.net and several other newspapers and websites in the Republic of Panama. Jack's Panama Visitors Guide gets over 400 visitor's a day to his site, Thats over 12,000 people read his website a month. Now some people like to brag about HITS on their website, I would like to break that down in laymen's terms. 12,000 visitors = 30,000 hits a day and over 700,000 hits a month. So put that in your pipe and smoke it. The format has been changed and the name of the blog also. So welcome to the new Panama Times Blog. This blog will supply you with all sorts of information that you need to know when you visit Panama. Along with the right real estate websites and the right restaurant websites and the vacation website, also hotel information and Panama News. Panama Jack would like to thank Brian for his hard work on making this blog the most interesting on the internet. Thank You Brian.
At Your Service
Panama Jack
507-6675-0806 in Panama

Negotiations on Honduras

Panama Headline News

Negotiations on Honduras
Set for Saturday Morning



By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
and wire service reports


President Óscar Arias Sánchez expects to convene the next negotiating session over the future of the Honduran presidency about 10 a.m. Saturday. The opposing sides have selected their designates to represent them at the bargaining table.

Meanwhile, Interim Honduran President Roberto Micheletti said he is open to resigning as long as ousted President José Manuel Zelaya is not allowed to return to power.

Micheletti made the comment to reporters Wednesday in Tegucigalpa. A day earlier Zelaya said that he would accept nothing less than full reinstatement and said Saturday was the deadline.

The new round of mediation talks is aimed at resolving the ongoing political standoff between the two rivals. Aides to Arias said they expected the discussions to continue at least through Sunday.

Zelaya's representatives will be Arístides Mejía, a former minister of defense in Honduras; Milton Jiménez, a former foreign minister, and Enrique Flores Lanza, the secretary to the Presidencia.

Micheletti will be represented by Carlos López, a former foreign minister; Arturo Corrales, president of the Partido Innovación y Unidad; Mauricio Villeda, vice presidential candidate for the Partido Liberal, and Vilma Cecilia Morales, a former president of the Corte Suprema de Justicia. in Tegucigalpa.

Arias is mediating the dispute involving the two men and he called on Zelaya to be patient with the process, as did the United States. Zelaya is not making the mediating job any easier.

Zelaya has said the people in his country "have the right to insurrection" in order to force the caretaker government to return him to power, following his ouster June 28.

Micheletti has said he will only discuss the deposed president's return to Honduras if Mr. Zelaya faces charges of treason and abuse of power in court.

The interim government says it expelled Zelaya from the country last month because he was trying to illegally change the constitution to extend his power.

Meanwhile, a new public opinion poll indicates that Zelaya is more popular than his interim replacement.

Results of the Gallup poll, published Wednesday, indicate Zelaya has a favorable rating of 46 percent, although a nearly equal number of respondents (44 percent), have given him an unfavorable rating.

Respondents gave Mr. Micheletti a 30 percent approval rating. His unfavorable rating stood at 49 percent.

Monday, Mr. Zelaya issued what he called his "ultimatum" to the interim government, saying it must give him back the presidency within a week. Zelaya said if he does not resume office by then, he will consider the discussions a failure.

Zelaya and Micheletti met separately with Arias last week at the Costa Rican leader's home in Rohrmoser.

The United States and the Organization of American States have called for Zelaya's reinstatement. The U.S. also has called for all parties in the crisis to give the talks a chance to succeed.

Spokesman Robert Gibbs Wednesday said the United States continues to believe that Mr. Zelaya's removal is not in accordance with democratic principles.

U.N. Official Wants End
to Honduran Press Curbs



Special to A.M. Costa Rica staff


A U.N. official has called for restrictions on press freedoms to be lifted in Honduras.

He is Koïchiro Matsuura, head of the U. N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

“I am deeply concerned about reports of restrictions on the media and harassment of journalists in Honduras,” said Matsuura.

“In situations of crisis, it is especially important to ensure that the media can report freely and without intimidation,” he added.

Since Zelaya was forced from office on June 28, human rights and press freedom organizations have reported severe restrictions on news media by blocking cable television transmissions and Internet access, as well as arrests of and attacks on journalists, according to a U.N. press release.

Matsuura also condemned the killing, apparently unrelated to recent political events in Honduras, of Gabriel Fino Noriega, a radio reporter, in San Juan Pueblo in the country’s north.

The reporter was shot July 3 by an unidentified gunman as he left Radio Estelar, a local station on which he presented a daily news program. He was also the local correspondent for Radio América, a national radio station.

“Using violence to silence journalists constitutes an intolerable attack on the fundamental human right of freedom of expression and on the whole of society’s ability to enjoy human rights,” said Matsuura.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Beaches and Islands of Panama

Beautiful Beaches in a Pairadice of a country.

This beach is also a great surf spot and collides with Punta Chame, they are separated by a river where there is a great surf spot called Malibu Beach. There are many new condos projects, resturants and hotels being built in these communities.

Punta Chame:
The beach which has some of the best white sand in the Republic of Panama. It is a long stretch with water on both sides and only a few houses compared to the other popular Panama beaches. The place is a world class spot for kite surfing and sport fishing.

Coronado:

Here you will find the most developed of all Panama beaches. It is a gated Panama beach that comes with restaurants, bars, groceries stores, large beach homes and Panama beach condos. Besides from its developments, it has a beautiful bay were you can also find good surfing and it is only minutes away from Malibu Beach.

It is hard to think of any metropolitan city anywhere with so many fine beaches nearby. Along the Pacific Coast just outside Panama City, there begins a string of pretty beaches of white sand and sapphire blue waters. This is the preferred location for the vacation homes of Panama’s wealthiest families. Getting there is easy, just an 45 minute drive from the Panama Canal and Panama City on a modern four lane highway. This lovely coastal area of Panama has Central America's only beach front golf course. Mike Kennedy would love to surf and golf in this community. Malibu, Punta Chame, Gorgona, Coronado, Rio Mar, Santa Clara and Playa Blanca. It does not get any better than this.

Beaches

San Blas
Four beach areas not to miss if you are a beach aficionado:
Isla Contadora, Isla Taboga, Bocas del Toro and the San Blas Archipielago.
Beaches near the Panama City
Within driving distance of the capital and near Fort Kobbe by the Panama Canal is Kobbe Beach. It has dressing booths and other facilities you might enjoy. Playa Blanca, Farallin
Playa Blanca is about a 90 minute drive from Panama City and is an excellent beach and rivals Miami Beach. There are may resorts located here including: Royal Decameron Beach Resort, Golf & Casino and Barcel?? Playa Blanca. Isla Taboga
Located in the Archipielago of Panama Bay and only a fifty minute cruise by boat from Panama City, you will find the stunning island of Taboga (known as the "Island of Flowers"). The boats depart from Pier 18 at the Port of Balboa at 8:30, 11:30 and 14:00 and 16:00 and costs is usually $6.00 round trip. On the way you will pass right under the Bridge of the Americas along with the huge container ships going into to and from through the Panama Canal. This island is one of the most tranquil and quietest locations you will ever visit because it has only 1,500 inhabitants and no cars. Taboga‚ magic will fill you with a remarkable feeling of calm and peacefulness. There are many attractions that can be seen as you walk along its beautiful lanes covered with flowers. Taboga is a small island but is large in history. In 1532 the Spaniard, Pizzarro launched his attack against the Inca's from Taboga and the church of San Pedro is the second oldest building in the western hemisphere. In recent years, Taboga has been a fishermen's village and offers a charming and comfortable environment of sand and sun. Exactly how the island got its name is still a question today. A number of people believe that Taboga is an Indian name for fish, and many others believe it means "mountain of water". Founded in the XVI Century by the Spaniards it has been a history of important events, a strategic port for the people from Spain during the time of the conquest of Inca Empire.
Panama Jack recommends going to the private beach of the Taboga Hotel to the right of the port. An entrance fee of $5.00 is worth the money as you can rent a beach umbrella, enjoy a Pin?° Colada with a seafood lunch and enjoy the white sandy beach where the water is so clear and blue. Word has it that if you reserve a room at the hotel before going there, you can go to the island on the hotel's private boat. Bocas del Toro
Bocas is one of Panama's top tourist attractions and with good reason. Where else can you take pleasure in beautiful beaches with scarcely a person in sight? There are many beaches located on and around the 206 islands. Bocas has not been hit by big scale tourism and its marine environment has remained unspoiled. It is a haven for manatees, tarpon fish, fresh water turtles, caimans, the red frog found only in this region, the beautiful red-billed tropic bird, the brown booby and 131 other bird species, 36 of which are on the endangered list according to the World Wildlife Fund. Over a dozen coral reefs (studied by marine researchers of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute) and the red and white mangrove trees protect and nurture a unique marine environment. Las Perlas
Haceinda del Mar is nestled within a chain of islands known as the Pearl Archipelago (Las Perlas) lays the magnificent Isla San Jose. With gentle breezes and surrounded by warm Pacific waters, the resort boasts of organic home grown food, a spring-fed swimming pool and caba?±as that are awesome. Isla Contadora
Isla Contadora Island Resort is a magnificent facility with old-world charm and elegance. It has a casino, boasts 13 beaches of pure white sand, swimming pool, lighted tennis courts, snorkeling, diving, fishing, and waterskiing, just to mention a few activities and amenities. Isla Contadora Island Resort is awesome. If you are going to stay at the resort a van will pick you up from the runway and transport you to the doors of the hotel. It is a romantic getaway that is worth every cent. Isla Grande, Province of Colon
From Portobelo drive beyond to the village of Guaira and there you can take a small powerboat to the Isla Grande,it is just a few hundred yards offshore). The beach is exceptional and you will probably have to yourself on weekdays. On weekends the locals arrive in force. San Blas Archipelago, San Blas
The San Blas Archipelago is a chain of tropical isles along the Atlantic coast of the Republic of Panama that stretch along approximately 200 miles of Panama's Caribbean coastline. The San Blas territory is defined from the seaward continental shelf to the top of the jungle-clad continental divide. Around 50 of over 365 of these islands that make up the Archipelago chain are inhabited. About half of the islands are within sight and easy traveling distance of the jungle and hills of the mainland The San Blas Islands offer two matchless attractions The Caribbean islands are of spectacular beauty and you have an opportunity to visit the villages of the San Blas Indians to learn about their fascinating culture and way of life. The San Blas Archipelago is situated in indescribably beautiful aqua waters and were selected as one of the top two "best cruising destinations in the world" by Cruising World and Le Monde Voyage magazines. Here you feel refreshingly "away from it all" ‚ ah far from modern civilization and close to nature. The popular CBS‚ Survivor program chose one heavenly San Blas island, Sapbeinega for a thank you reward‚Äù party for the Survivor competitors. The islands have been the subject of numerous National Geographic articles over the years- indeed this is an experience ‚Äúright out of the pages of National Geographic.
Accommodations consist of simple and comfortable native style cabins with roofs and walls made of thatched palm trees. The all natural accommodations blend in perfectly with the tropical scenery and are in harmony with nature. You may find Panama Mel Gibson hanging out with friends on one of these beaches, Mel has purchased a large tract of Panama beachfront.

Kuna Yala Province - San Blas Archipelago
One of the most beautiful parts of Panama is the archipelago of San Blas. Located along the Caribbean coast it is comprised of 365 islands called the San Blas archipelago. It was established in 1938 as an autonomous Indian territory . The land and marine park of Kuna Yala offers both land and sea treasures. On the mainland, the Cordillera de las San Blas ‚mountain range rises above this gorgeous, unspoiled, unexploited and relatively unknown island paradise.

Named the San Blas Islands by the Spaniards, and officially known as Kuna Yala (territory of the Kunas). Its 365 islands spread out along 212.5 km bordering the Caribbean coast. The continental and island territory covers 5,875 km2 and it borders with the Province of Colon on the west, with Colombia at the extreme east and south with Panama and Darien provinces. San Blas has a population of over 32,000 ethnically homogeneous people called Kunas. They are originally from Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia .

The Kunas have a structured society that adheres to strict rules. Kuna elders meet on a regular basis and decide the regulations and programs that need to be implemented. Women are held in high regard and they are considered the pillars of the society. Women wear short-sleeved mola blouses, a long skirt wrapped around their waists and a colorful scarf. Their ankles and arms are adorned with rows of beads.

They are in charge of stitching the bright colored cloths, molas, which they use as part of their own daily wear and which now, with the increasing number of tourists visiting their islands, provide income to the families. Molas are well known in Europe and Japan and are popular in the US through sales made in Costa Rica.

Contestants in the Miss Panama Pageant wear dresses with mola motifs and technique.

The U.S. Armed Forces had a special side-treaty with the Kunas. The men were employed on most U.S. bases, Pacific to Atlantic, and were provided with living quarters. Many worked as janitors and cooks and general handymen. The women stayed back home. After the Americans left, many remained in the vicinity of Panama City and Colon and other towns because of the availability of jobs but this time they brought their families with them. A large number have stable jobs, have bought their own homes and their children attend college in the cities. More and more Kunas are moving to the mainland in search of jobs. In the past, their economy consisted of growing coconuts which were traded for food, clothing or accessories and the mainland territory provided them fresh water and farmland to grow crops.

The Kunas are very protective of their natural resources as they have a special spiritual rapport with nature. Their territory is jealously guarded and no trespassing of the "wagas" (non-Kunas) is allowed. Wagas who have had cottage hotels on the islands (with consent by the Kunas) have had their permits revoked at no notice for not respecting their traditions. Nowadays Kunas have many simple lodgings on their islands. Usually the cost of the lodging includes three meals and excursions to the uninhabited islands for swiming and snorkeling. There are eco-trips to the mainland forest as well. Of the approximately 50 island communities Porvenir, Nargana, Wichub Wala, Nalunega, Carti-Guptupu and Ailigandi are some of the largest. For a fee you can even arrange to camp on one of the nearby tiny islands, but bring your own food and water.

Getting There
Aero Perlas provides daily morning departures to six different San Blas communities. Flights are also available through Aero Taxi and Aviatur. An overnight stay is necessary as there are no afternoon return flights. One of the shortest trips is a 30-minute flight to El Porvenir and there is lodging available at Nalunega and Wichub Wala and at Carti.

A Weekend in San Blas story by Jeremy Shorenstein

In a world where there are few places left that can truly be called paradise, San Blas easily fits the bill with its beautiful sandy beaches, temperate clear waters, and native cuisine. My friend Juan Carlos told me that I must visit San Blas during my one week visit to Panama or else it would be a wasted trip. While driving in Juan Carlos’s truck (a 4x4 is a must when driving to San Blas), we were given an amazing view over the tropical rainforest while en route to Carti, a coastal town with an air strip, where caught a boat with the native Kuna Yala people to Isla Aguja(a-goo-ha). When the boat pulled up to the island I felt as if I were in a fairytale; I thought only places this stunning existed in children’s stories and on postcards. Aguja is one of 365 beautiful small islands scattered with palm trees, giving ample space to set up a hammock and relax. For what felt like a steal of a price, we received three meals a day and sleeping arrangements in a small tent. The food was exquisite! Unfortunately we took our trip during the time of lobster repopulation; however we were pleasantly greeted with fried fish, coconut rice, and patacones (fried plantains). After arriving, eating, and setting up our tent for the night, the rest of the day was spent relaxing in the sun and spying on the secret lives of barracuda, squid, and an assortment of colorful reef fish. That evening we had another delicious meal, followed by conversation with other international travelers varying from Chilé to South Africa. While drinking coconut juice out of a freshly opened coconut, a Russian man named Serge told us how he spends one month of every year in San Blas because it is so gorgeous. Before bed we smoked Cuban cigars on the dock, looked at the stars, and wondered how such an enchanting place could exist.

The following morning we were greeted with an offer to take a ride to Isla Perro (Dog Island) where a sunken ship has become a snorkeler’s paradise. We snorkeled around the entire island, easily seeing down 20-30 feet, followed by a quick nap in the sun, some dinner, and another nap under a palm tree. While leaving that night I felt as if I had been transported to another world and was now leaving what could easily be described as heaven. Fortunately the drive back left for another amazing evening view over the rolling hills of Panamanian rainforest. I have never experienced such serenity as I did on those islands and plan to return as soon as I can for some pure and undeniable relaxation.

Islands of Boca Del Toro

Boca Del Toro the Venice of Latin America

Bocas del Toro is a 500 square km (200 square miles) province in the Republic of Panama located west of the country bordering with Costa Rica between the Talamanca Continental Divide and the Caribbean Sea. It is a land of contrasts. Most of it is covered in virgin forests. People live mainly in the coastal lowlands and on the bigger islands: Isla Colon, Almirante and Bastimentos. The archipelago consists of 6 big islands and over 200 islets. The indigenous groups such as the Ngobe-bugle and Naso-Teribe remain in the highlands and engage in farming or work on the banana plantations.

It was discovered by Christopher Columbus on his fourth and last trip in 1502. Its inhabitants are the descendants of a wave of African slaves brought from the Antilles and San Andres Islands and the local indigenous population. They became farmers and fishermen. At the end of the nineteenth century, the United Fruit Company established its banana plantations and Bocas, particularly Changuinola, became the banana growing center of Panama.

The town of Bocas del Toro is the capital of the province and has recently become a significant tourist attraction. American, French, German, Italian, Dutch and local tourists visit Bocas to enjoy its rustic cane and wood hotels and cottages some of which are built on piles over very calm waters. Restaurants are plentiful and they offer local and haute cuisine. In the daytime visitors engage in snorkeling, diving, fishing, bird and marine turtle watching or fishing, or they just simply bask in the sun on white sandy beaches and become mesmerized by the crystalline-clear waters. Surf lovers (beginners to advanced) can stay at Rancho Paraiso Surfside Eco Resort and get 100 miles of some of the best short boarding and body surfing in the world. The evenings are cool and tourists take pleasure in taking a leisurely walk on main-street stopping for a night cap at one of the calypso bars.

Bocas has not been hit by big scale tourism and its marine environment has remained unspoiled. It is a haven for manatees, tarpon fish, fresh water turtles, caimans, the red frog found only in this region, the beautiful red-billed tropic bird, the brown booby and 131 other bird species, 36 of which are on the endangered list according to the World Wildlife Fund. Over a dozen coral reefs (studied by marine researchers of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute) and the red and white mangrove trees protect and nurture a unique marine environment.

Bocas is an hour away from Panama City by plane. Overland travel can take over 10-12 hours up the Pan-American Highway and then north across the Talamanca Cordillera to a ferry in Chiriqui Grande or Almirante. Water taxis in Bocas are the main means of transportation to the bird sanctuaries, mangroves, beaches and some of the fancier hotels, like Punta Caracol.

Islands of Panama

Coiba: Ecotourism Jewel in the Pacific
Story by Luis Miguel Blanco / The Panama Post
The Island receives visitors in its paradisiacal beaches (Photo courtesy of STRI)
The Management Plan of Coiba contemplates an investment of $ 11.5 million over the next 5 years to improve attention and surveillance

Coiba's National Park of 270,125 hectares in the Panamanian Pacific Ocean, now has a plan that will allow gradual and scientific exploitation for the benefit of all mankind, thanks to the efforts of multiple entities, including the U.S. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), with a site in Panama and the National Environmental Authority (ANAM).
Research to update the knowledge about the potential of Coiba was launched in May 2006 and it was determined that it´s necessary to use only 2% of the area where the camps of a former criminal penitentiary were located, for infrastructure, according to Juan Maté, Director of the plan, which will require an investment of $ 11.5 million in five years.

Maté explained to The Panama Post that the plan will be developed gradually and that the Island now receives one daily visit, of around 120 visitors, mostly seniors, residents of the Granito de Oro Island.

He said that the Island has an airstrip in good condition and that the project includes the transformation of the former criminal penitentiary( which had 4.000 prisoners even though its capacity was for 1,000), into a museum landscape.

Maté, a marine biologist, explained that the main threat to the conservation of Coiba, declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005, are not the visitors, but the 2,500 heads of cattle that roam in the island, a legacy of its former operation as a prison, and that´s why there is a plan to remove them.


A trip by plane to Coiba from the capital of Panama takes about 45 minutes and the experience is worth it because the place has hot springs, paradisiacal beaches, endemic species of flora and fauna, terrestrial and aquatic, freshwater, the largest white coral reef in the Eastern Pacific and archaeological remains of ancient pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Island and its neighboring islets. A permit from ANAM is required for visiting.

Of its total land area, 75% is covered by primary forest, without the intervention of man, which is going to be kept that way.

In terms of marine exploitation, Maté explained that 35 sites have been established for sports and craft marine fishing, all more than a mile away from the shores of the islands.

At the request of ANAM, the Smithsonian led the team in charge of updating the original plan, with funding from the Organization of the United Nations for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), the Foundation of the United Nations and Conservation International.

The team was composed by professionals from various disciplines such as planning of protected areas, geographic information systems, terrestrial biology, marine and fisheries, ecotourism, and legal issues, among others. As defined by Act 44, which created the Coiba National Park, the group worked closely with its Board of Directors, the Scientific Committee and ANAM.

According to Ligia Castro de Doens, outgoing Minister in Issues Related to Environmental Conservation, and General Manager of ANAM, "the Management Plan is the guiding document for the management of the Coiba's National Park," for the preservation and sustainable use of a natural World Heritage.

The director of STRI in Panama, Eldredge "Biff" Bermingham said: "The Management Plan is an excellent example of the union between science and planning for resource management for the benefit of the entire world."

Maté said they need about $ 11, 5 million to implement the plan at a rate of about $ 2, 5 million annually, over the next 5 years, in order to provide Coiba of surveillance and preparation as an ecotourism destination in the Pacific waters, not allowing new buildings, although now two cruises arrive during the season.


This protected area is part of the Eastern Pacific Marine Corridor, along with the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador), Coco's Island (Costa Rica) and Gorgona and Malpelo Islands (Colombia), all but Gorgona declared Natural World Heritage Sites of the Humanity by UNESCO.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Panama Nightlife

Well I have spent a little over a year in the Republic of Panama and have had a lot of fun partying and drinking in nightclubs and discos and houses of ill repute. So I wanted share with all of our friends a list of clubs and nightspots and maybe a weblink where can really get in trouble.
Panama Nightlife and Panama City Nightlife

A list of Nightclubs in Panama

Story Panama Jack

Panamanians love to party. Eating drinking and dancing are all part of the culture. So, it isn’t surprising to find scores of nightclubs, discos, bars and pubs and casinos as well as ballets, theatre and concerts and a lot of other intertaining things to do in the Republic of Panama.

Panama City has two main venues for concerts; the convention center across from the Sheraton Hotel and Convention Center called ATLAPA, which has excellent sound and seats approximately 3,000 and the new Figali Convention Center in Amador Village that seats around 10,000 people.
Here a few nightspots around Panama City. We will be adding content here as it is received, so come back often to learn about the latest nightspot. I also will be adding websites to all nightclubs in Panama City, Panama

But if you are looking for something a little stronger, you need to type into your search engine the words ( Republic of Panama ) click on the one that comes up at the top of the page, by same name and skrool down left side to Adult Entertainment and click on that. But you must be over 18 years of age and you must love beautiful latin women.

Panama City

Night Clubs

Buzz
Plaza Pacífica, Punta Pacífica
226-0217
Lounge atmosphere, with a disco-esque party and bar.

Miyake Club
Plaza Bal Harbour, Paitilla
511-0329
Three different environments. Open until 6am.

Next
Avenida Balboa
265-8746
Panama's biggest night club, with 2 different scenes.

Jazz

Las Bóvedas
Casco Antiguo
228-8058
Jazz restaurant/bar.

Bar Take Five Jazz & Wine
San Felipe, in Front of the old Club de Clases y Tropas
211-0157
Bar specializing in Jazz.

Live Music

Unplugged Bar & Restaurant
Calle 48 Bella Vista (Uruguay)
Rock n Roll, pool table and Beer.

Restuarant/Bar/Lounge

A Billard Club
Next to Banco Nacional in El Dorado
236-7665

All Sports Bar & Grill
Calle 47, Bella Vista
The best in sports with a bar and restaurant.

Anemos
Calle 47, Bella Vista, Next to Limoncillo restaurant
214-6038
The hottest bar in Panama...let the winds take you!

El Pavo Real
Area Bancaria - Behind the Marriott hotel
263-1510
The only Enlgish Pub in Panama, and the cradle of Rock in Panama.

Greenhouse Lounge Café
Calle Uruguay, Bella Vista
269-6846
A bar with all kinds of interesting drinks.

La Cantina
Galerías Marbella, calle 52E
264-4958

La Garota de Ipanema
Paitilla, Vía Italia, in front of the Plaza Paitilla hotel
263-0666

Michelangelo Ristorante Vino's Bar
Calzada de Amador, Causeway , Isla Perico, Brisas de Amador, Ground Floor
314 3377
Specializing in Italian food for casual dining, special events, and private parties.

Mystyc Thai Bar
Calle Uruguay - Bella Vista
Terrace Bar – Natural ambiance with varied music.

Partners Shot Bar
Fuerte Amador, Isla Flamenco
314-1231
The best of Amador

Peach Monkeys Lounge
Hotel Caesar Park, lobby
270-5170
New, modern, chic, and everything's just "peachy".

Restaurante Jade / Greek Tavern
Vía Porras
Greek Restaurant with the best after parties in the city. Starlight
Calle Uruguay
302-7827
For all night singing. Steinbock
Vía Cincuentenario
270-2784
Offering many european beers. Taberna Restaurant
Macarena 1st Street, San Felipe- together with 844
228-0572
Lounge in Casco Viejo.

Wasabi Sushi Lounge
Marbella
264-1863
Electronic music and sushi.

Voodoo Lounge
Plaza Pacífica, Punta Pacífica
215-1581
New and interesting ambiance, open until early morning.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Nightlife in Panama

After We have lived in the Republic of Panama We have compiled a list of nightsport in Panama that I would like to share with the world. For more information on Panama check out this website. www.republicofpanama.net

Story Panama Jack

Panamanians love to party. Eating drinking and dancing are all part of the culture. So, it isn’t surprising to find scores of nightclubs, discos, bars and pubs and casinos as well as ballets, theatre and concerts and a lot of other intertaining things to do in the Republic of Panama.

Panama City has two main venues for concerts; the convention center across from the Sheraton Hotel and Convention Center called ATLAPA, which has excellent sound and seats approximately 3,000 and the new Figali Convention Center in Amador Village that seats around 10,000 people.
Here a few nightspots around Panama City. We will be adding content here as it is received, so come back often to learn about the latest nightspot. I also will be adding websites to all nightclubs in Panama City, Panama


Panama City

Night Clubs

Buzz
Plaza Pacífica, Punta Pacífica
226-0217
Lounge atmosphere, with a disco-esque party and bar.

Miyake Club
Plaza Bal Harbour, Paitilla
511-0329
Three different environments. Open until 6am.

Next
Avenida Balboa
265-8746
Panama's biggest night club, with 2 different scenes.

Jazz

Las Bóvedas
Casco Antiguo
228-8058
Jazz restaurant/bar.

Bar Take Five Jazz & Wine
San Felipe, in Front of the old Club de Clases y Tropas
211-0157
Bar specializing in Jazz.

Live Music

Unplugged Bar & Restaurant
Calle 48 Bella Vista (Uruguay)
Rock n Roll, pool table and Beer.

Restuarant/Bar/Lounge

A Billard Club
Next to Banco Nacional in El Dorado
236-7665

All Sports Bar & Grill
Calle 47, Bella Vista
The best in sports with a bar and restaurant.

Anemos
Calle 47, Bella Vista, Next to Limoncillo restaurant
214-6038
The hottest bar in Panama...let the winds take you!

El Pavo Real
Area Bancaria - Behind the Marriott hotel
263-1510
The only Enlgish Pub in Panama, and the cradle of Rock in Panama.

Greenhouse Lounge Café
Calle Uruguay, Bella Vista
269-6846
A bar with all kinds of interesting drinks.

La Cantina
Galerías Marbella, calle 52E
264-4958

La Garota de Ipanema
Paitilla, Vía Italia, in front of the Plaza Paitilla hotel
263-0666

Michelangelo Ristorante Vino's Bar
Calzada de Amador, Causeway , Isla Perico, Brisas de Amador, Ground Floor
314 3377
Specializing in Italian food for casual dining, special events, and private parties.

Mystyc Thai Bar
Calle Uruguay - Bella Vista
Terrace Bar – Natural ambiance with varied music.

Partners Shot Bar
Fuerte Amador, Isla Flamenco
314-1231
The best of Amador

Peach Monkeys Lounge
Hotel Caesar Park, lobby
270-5170
New, modern, chic, and everything's just "peachy".

Restaurante Jade / Greek Tavern
Vía Porras
Greek Restaurant with the best after parties in the city. Starlight
Calle Uruguay
302-7827
For all night singing. Steinbock
Vía Cincuentenario
270-2784
Offering many european beers. Taberna Restaurant
Macarena 1st Street, San Felipe- together with 844
228-0572
Lounge in Casco Viejo.

Wasabi Sushi Lounge
Marbella
264-1863
Electronic music and sushi.

Voodoo Lounge
Plaza Pacífica, Punta Pacífica
215-1581
New and interesting ambiance, open until early morning.