Weekly Newsletter
May 2, 2005

So you want to retire to Panama.
Paradise Services
Newsletter #6 Volume #1

Shopping Tips and Gorgona

Shopping Tips

There are a few things you need to know about supermarket shopping in Panama, the most important of which is probably 'We're not in Kansas, anymore'. That shiny,well-stocked supermarket in downtown Panama City may look like a supermarket back home, but there are some important differences, and it will be worth your trouble to follow a few simple guidelines.

The first and most important rule is; Check the expiration date on everything, but particularly on perishables. You will notice that eggs are not refrigerated in the stores, so always search for the latest date. Even then, you will likely find that fresh eggs are not as clean and uniformly sized as you are accustomed to, nor will they keep as long. Buy no more than you plan to consume in a week, and be prepared for the occasional runny yolk and thin white.

The freshest milk is usually to the back of the cooler, and most brands taste like they are at least partly reconstituted. Riba Smith's house brand and Bonlac are the only brands I've found that consistently taste like real milk. Don't expect any milk you buy to actually last until the expiration date.

Be wary about buying prepackaged meat. Most store butchers have no qualms about stashing scrap cuts underneath the good looking cuts on top of the package. I've experienced this problem in almost every big supermarket in Panama. Better to buy meat from the meat counter and select the cut you want. Don't expect fresh meat to last long under refrigeration. If you aren't going to use it within a couple of days, freeze it. Do expect all local meat to shrink significantly when cooked. Watch the amount of water that cooks out of a steak or ground meat and you will understand this.

Don't buy seafood in the supermarket. Learn how to tell if a fish is fresh and go to the fish market for it. Don't buy inshore fish or shell fish within 20 miles of Panama City. The next time you drive the Corredor Sur at low tide, take a look at those huge pipes that you see exposed between the tunnel and the first toll booths. Those are raw sewage conduits.

Be careful of imported frozen foods. It is common practice to simply refreeze anything, including Klondike bars, that thaw out on the way here, or suffer from freezer failure in the store.

Try not to buy prepackaged fresh vegetables. For one thing, some stores are adopting Price Costco's nasty habit of packing in much larger quantities than two people can consume, and for another, almost every package will contain at least one rotten or otherwise inedible item. There are lots and lots of vegetable stands in Panama where you can pick and choose the veggies you want, and the fresh air will do you good.

OK, those are just a few basic rules to help you eat better and more economically. You will undoubtedly learn more with time.

Gorgona

To reach Gorgona, drive 73 kilometers (45.6 miles) from the top of the Bridge of the Americas and turn left. The drive in to the Gorgona settlement and beach takes about 10 minutes.

Gorgona has a lot of promise (and some problems) for those who want to live on the beach on a budget. The beach is not the glistening white of some other Pacific beaches, being only what Mother Nature put there, but it is quite acceptable. Indeed, on a sunny day, I find the darker sand of Gorgona much easier on my eyes that the whiteness of DeCameron Beach. Like many Pacific beaches, Gorgona can be dangerous, with a rather steep slope and some tricky currents and undertows. I suggest using the beach for sunbathing and walking and one of the inexpensive pools for swimming.

The roads, once you get off the main one, and head for the beach, are pretty rough, so you will want to go slow. Once you reach the road closest to and paralleling the beach you will see some very nice houses, and more than a few vacant lots. Prices here haven't yet gone through the roof, so you may find just what you want at an affordable price.

Besides some very nice beach houses, there are a number of places where you can rent a cabin for a night or as long as you want. Here is a list of places to stay in Gorgona.

Cabañas de Playa Gorgona
The Canadian (The Canadian appears to have been sold, and was not open for business when we drove by.)
Cabañas Villanita
Hotel Club Gorgona Resort
Cabañas RanchoBonito
Cabañas Las Hadas

Your best bet for finding a reasonably priced lot or house in Gorgona is to drive around and ask folks if they know of a place for sale. DO NOT buy property in Gorgona (or anywhere else in Panama for that matter) sight unseen. Much of Gorgona was public land and sold as parcels usually of about 1000 square meters about 15 years ago, and some of it, bought as an investment, and never developed, has been occupied by squatters. They could be difficult, if not impossible to remove.

Gorgona is a good choice for living on or near the beach on a budget. It is only about an hour from Panama City, land and construction costs are reasonable, the El Rey supermarket in Coronado is less than 15 minutes away, and basic services are available. For pictures of Gorgona, click the following link. http://www.panamaretire.net/pix_gorgona.html.

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