Weekly Newsletter
April 11, 2005

So you want to retire to Panama.
Paradise Services
Newsletter #3 Volume #1

Working in Panama, Gas Prices, the Solar Eclipse, and more.

Working in Panama

I get inquiries from folks who want to live in Panama, but need to work. Frankly, that is a very tough nut to crack. There aren't enough jobs for Panamanians, getting a work permit is expensive and difficult, and what jobs there are don't pay what most gringos consider a living wage. On March 26, 2005 La Prensa newspaper (http://www.prensa.com/) had an article about wages and according to them, 66.3% of Panamanians earn less than US$400.00 per month.

Panama has a number of major call centers and demand for fluent English speakers is high, but starting salaries range from $500.00 to $650.00 per month. There are many language training centers looking for conversational English teachers, but pay is between $5.00 and $17.00 per class hour. The best chance for getting a job in Panama is if you have some skill that is much in demand for which there is a shortage of qualified Panamanians.

As a rule, if a job can be filled by a Panamanian, the chance of a foreigner getting it is near zero. My advice on this question is, if you still have to work to put bread on the table, Panama is not a good choice for emigration.

Gas Prices

Within the last few weeks, a gallon of premium gasoline has gone from $2.18 to $2.57. The impact has been severe. It is noticeable in decreased traffic flow, and while it is a lot more pleasant to drive in the city, it's putting a heavy load on public transport and causing folks to have to leave home earlier and arrive home later. On April 7, the government announced a decrease in fuel taxes from $.60 to $.20 per gallon on gasoline and from $.25 to $.10 on diesel. For some reason, the very same gas stations which raise their prices in lockstep with the price of a barrel of oil have not yet, 4 days later, lowered their prices to match the drop in taxes.

Solar Eclipse

Nora and I spent Friday in Gorgona at a friend's beach house to observe the Solar Eclipse. Early in the day we feared disappointment, because of cloudy skies, but Mother Nature cooperated, and we had clear skies in the part of the sky where the sun was for the entire affair.

While buying a few last-minute condiments at the El Rey supermarket in Coronado, for the barbecued ribs/smoked fish/grilled sausage/potato salad/corn bread feast we were preparing for the event, we met some folks who had traveled all the way from England to see the eclipse. We felt very fortunate in only having to drive a couple of hours to get there.

We don't know a whole lot about solar eclipses, but having seen the '91 eclipse, we were expecting the same thing. The July 11, 1991 eclipse was total and we had a wonderful view of it from Ocu. It was accompanied by a period of a few minutes of darkness and several degrees drop in temperature. This time things were different. Friday's eclipse was what is called an “annular” eclipse, meaning the moon does not completely mask the sun's surface, leaving a very bright ring of sun showing at the short period of totality. We didn't miss any of it, and the welder's helmet glass each of us had proved quite adequate for safe direct viewing.

More

On Saturday, we drove to El Valle de Anton to refresh our memory of this delightful little town tucked away inside the crater of an extinct volcano, and from there to Altos del Maria, a truly stunning development in the highlands. On Monday, April 11, we leave for a week of visits including Royal Decameron Hotel and Beach Resort, Boquete, the Volcan area, and if time permits, Puerto Armuelles. Details and photos of these trips, along with Cerro Azul and Gorgona will be published on the website and included in future newsletters.

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If you find our newsletter interesting and/or helpful, please forward it to friends you think might like to receive it. If you received this from a friend and would like to subscribe, drop me a note at retire@panamaretire.net.

Our website at http://www.panamaretire.net is now on line but far from finished, and I won't be able to work on it for another week, when we get back from our trip. I invite all of you to visit the forum, and tell us about yourself, especially those of you who have lived in Panama.

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