I Dreamed A Dream

Good morning to everyone around the globe who reads our blog. Today, I am going to depart from the usual message because something occurred to me recently to inspire this slightly different blog. Please bear with me throughout this message. Hopefully you will see at the end why I wrote this in the way I did.

The dictionary describes a dream as "a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal" among other things. In other words it is something in your mind that you yearn for. All I can say is thank goodness we have dreams. 

Dreams or aspirations provide every one of us with the opportunity to strive for a goal we may not normally entertain.  Dreams are a kind of moving target in life that can keep us on track, help us to keep going in down times and generally give us something to aim for.    

It has been a couple of months since I wrote my last blog. Unfortunately during that time I have seen some changes. I have seen friends and acquaintances stricken by Cancer and pass on and one particular very good friend of mine trying hard to deal with the onset of Dementia in the form of Luey Body Disease. All he can do realistically is to be up and wait out his fate born up by his faith.  

Experiencing all this has left some emptiness in our hearts. We know it's a part of life's journey we all embark upon from the moment we are born but it hurts nevertheless when we lose someone or see someone suffer who is dear to us. As we age we begin to realize that time is precious and that it is important to make the most of what time we have left.   

I can only hope that everyone we know can at the end of their time here say to themselves in one form or another, - "I dreamed a dream" (the title of this blog). We all deserve that in life, to fulfill at least one cherished aspiration or ambition during our time here.        

Our dreams and objectives sometimes change direction through life and we, like others are no less susceptible to those changes. 

During the past 16 months (the first 16 months of our retirement journey) Donna and I have had to make changes to our plans in order to keep on track. Our dream, is to live life to the full, be happy and enjoy our families and our time together while we have the health to do it. 

We have had many conversations about what we do once our current adventure comes to an end. Where do we go next? How do we get there? How long will our journey take? What are our objectives on the way? And, when we finally arrive at our destination what will it be like? - lots of questions that cannot really be answered until we arrive.  

Recently, during our due diligence about where we should live next we both thought a change of direction might be on the cards. The result of some good open, honest and fun conversations we have had while we have been alone.     

Originally we had thought we would move to Panama lock stock-and-barrel, but on giving this further consideration we thought this might be the wrong approach i.e., placing all our eggs in one basket and definitely against what I wrote about in my previous blog when I said, "do nothing that cannot be undone in a half hour or less". Maybe we should take our own advice. That ladies and gentlemen is precisely what we did.      

We have to face facts. What happens if we get down to Panama and after a year of so life is not up to our expectations? It can and does happen to many individuals and families who travel to pastures new.  More than you would imagine. We know, we have spoken to lots of people who are doing the same as us. So we thought we would take baby steps for now and be careful not to leave ourselves open to any uncomfortable situations that could potentially end up costing us a lot of money later on.  

We will still go to Panama but when we do go, we have decided that we will rent there instead of buying so we can check everything out without being under any pressure because if we purchased, we will have invested everything we had in something without doing our due diligence first. We feel much more comfortable with this decision.     

We also decided that to be out of the real estate market in Canada would not be helpful or wise so we will take another second look at Vancouver Island in the Coastal regions of Nanaimo in order to get away from the cold Alberta winters, should we be in Canada at that time of year.  

We hope to find something nice on the island that will also permit us to continue following our dreams yet keep a closer connection to the families we have here in Canada.  

Believe it or not.  Our world in not all beaches and palm trees. There's lots more to see around the world which is why we are studying further options....where to next? Hmmm! That's the $50,000 question.

Getting back to the title of our blog and departing somewhat from our retirement update, you may also remember that the title "I dreamed a dream" was also a song sung by a lady named Susan Boyle - a Scot. from Blackburn, in West Lothian, Scotland when she appeared on "Britain's Got Talent".  

All I can say is that what she did on that show that night made a huge impression on me. I have re-visited her performance time and time again and this is partly the reason why I made this the title of our blog which does actually have something to do with our journey.  

Susan Boyle was a nervous lonely lady who was quite clearly uncomfortable with the position she was placing herself in - singing to such a large audience, but she wanted it with a passion.  

The moment she opened her mouth and began to sing, she stunned a pretty sceptical audience and also the judges - all of which were clearly thinking this was going to be another one of those hard-to-sit-through performances. I believe they saw Susan Boyle as as a bit of a joke. Another reminder of the saying "don't judge a book by its cover" and don't prejudge what you know nothing about.  

Boyle epitomizes everything about dreaming a dream.  She sung the song that was named those very words, but more than that, she acted out or participated in her dream that night by doing what she did on stage. All I can say is well done Susan Boyle. 

It was a simple dream. To sing in front of and wow a large audience. Listen carefully to what she says when she speaks to the judges then take the time to listen to her sing - even if you have heard it before. There's method behind this believe me, but before you go, watch the video then return here, because there's more..... 

 Video # 1

Susan Boyle I dreamed a dream

Do we all have dreams? Who knows!, but as sure as the sun sets every day we will hopefully continue to strive for something - to keep going in this busy world we live in.  

I would personally like to ask all of you take the time to view the second Susan Boyle Youtube video - the one below, after you have seen the first one. It will show you a huge change that has overcome this woman who had a dream.  

You will immediately see how this meek lady followed her dreams and the amazing changes that took place during that undertaking. Maybe at the end you will understand why I was so impressed and impacted by her and why I wrote this out of character blog for our readership.  

Video # 2

Susan Boyle reaching for her dream

_________

Susan Boyle - Today 

In the epilogue to this blog, I would just like to say that it is truly amazing that such a drastic transformation of one person has taken place.

Susan is now over 50 years old. Today, she has an estimated net worth of over $33,000,000. I would say at least one of HER dreams has been fulfilled. It wasn't about the money though. That came after she walked awkwardly onto that stage and gave the performance she did in pursuit of her dream. How brave. How wonderful.  

Before we bring this blog to a close, may we say how much we have appreciated your feedback.  Many of you have sent us personal emails of support and words of encouragement for us on our journeys some, even saying how much they enjoy reading our blogs. 

In this shorter than normal version, all I can say is that Vancouver Island and Panama are still there on our bucket list. Then where too? Well, Let's say we have a dream but we aren't making that public until later on because it is more complicated than the other journeys we have undertaken. 

Once the plans for the next adventure are made and finalized we will be sure to let our readers know in a timely fashion what the next part of our journey will be. 

In closing, we would like to say God bless you all.  Most of all, stay safe and...... don't forget to dream those dreams. Just like Susan Boyle, you never know what will happen until  you embark on that journey.

Tomorrow the adventure will continue as we depart for our Nevada home for the next four months and we prepare to hand over our most treasured possession to new owners. It will give us an opportunity to plan out our next adventure to Vancouver Island in March.

Until our next blog. Adios Amigos.  

Ken and Donna Carter. 

Back To North America......For A While!

September 1, 2014.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the crew of this aircraft would like to welcome you today to our COPA Airlines flight to Las Vegas Nevada. We will be pushing back momentarily. We request everyone please fasten their seat belts, ensure their seats are in the upright position and all tables are securely fastened.  Please sit back, relax and enjoy the safety video. Attendants - prepare for takeoff..... That's how the next phase of our retirement adventure kicked in.

As we lifted off from the runway at Tocumen International Airport, Panama and we became airborne gaining height as the aircraft banked heavily turning towards our destination, I cast my mind back to the array of experiences we had enjoyed over the past 16 months. 

I recalled many of the people we had met during our journeys around the various countries we had visited in South and Central America. Most were either from Canada and the United States - all with one common goal - to explore opportunities in other countries. Some of these exploratory journeys taking us occasionally out of our comfort zones. 

Quite a few had come to investigate possibilities such as working or building a business in another country. Others like us were looking critically into the advantages (and disadvantages) of relocating to these countries to retire. We were certainly not on our own in this regard. 

It has surprised us as to how many people are doing this nowadays. Literally tens of thousands do it every year and the numbers are increasing steadily in both Canada and the United States as many (especially in the US) are finding it harder to live on their retirement incomes or on the money they have saved up over their working lives. 

Some don't have retirement pensions and have to get by on their Social Security payments alone - a pretty scary thought from our point of view but with prices rising so fast and the US national debt now over 17 Trillion Dollars, many younger  Americans are wondering if they will ever see their Social Security come to fruition. It's a real worry for them. We can only be thankful we aren't in the same boat.     

  

The Arenal Volcano, Lake Arenal, Costa Rica

On a more positive note, I also thought about all of the gorgeous natural beauty we had both enjoyed in the countries we had visited, and of the diversity of the nature we had seen over the course of the past year and a quarter. 

Our brief trip to Ecuador in South America, and more recently to Costa Rica and Panama in Central America had introduced us to environments we had only experienced by watching The Discovery Channel on television. Now it was real. We were in our own movie so to speak.  

Three of these wonderful birds would come to our yard every day
twice a day in Panama

We have been incredibly lucky to have experienced first hand the sheer beauty and diversity of the gorgeous birds, fish and wildlife we had encountered on the way. We could not have wished for a better show. We were both grateful for the fact that we had the health to undertake this journey. If nothing else - we are richer for the experiences we have had.   

The Malinchi Tree seen in both Costa Rica and Panama

The diverse types of flora were amazing and seemingly unlimited. We could now identify a Teak Tree, a Malinchi Tree (pronounced Malinchee), Banana Palms, Plantain Palms (and know the difference between the two), Coconut Palms, Bamboo, Avacado trees, Pineapple bushes, Rice Paddies, Mango Trees, the treasured Noni Tree and its strange looking fruit. All a wonderful learning adventure. 

We had delighted in the joys of seeing a troop of roughly ten Capuchin Monkeys at close range - just 12 feet away from our breakfast table.  All of them sitting in the trees watching us as we ate breakfast at our hotel in Costa Rica. We watched as they tried to taunt the Golden Retriever sat with his owner below at a table adjacent to us.  

We had seen Cranes, Sea Snakes, Turtles, Humpback Whales, Dolphins, Black Buzzards, Ospreys, Iguanas and Parakeets of varying colours, Toucans, Sloths, Humming Birds, Ring-tailed Racoons and so much more - all living in their natural environment. It could not have been any more perfect.    

The first of our haul of Mahi-Mahi

Donna and Kathy displaying their first catch of the day

Brad with his Red Snapper - Delicious

Ken with his Yellow Finned Tuna

More Mahi-Mahi and another Yellow Fin Tuna taken when Jerry and Liane Visited us in Panama.

We had revelled in the experience of the deep sea fishing trips both in Panama and in Costa Rica and in the number and diversity of the fish we had caught and eaten, like the numerous Mahi-Mahi, Yellow Finned Tuna, the enormous Red Snapper that Brad Ellis caught while visiting us in Costa Rica with his wife Kathy.  

We were amazed at the 150 - 200 lb. Nurse Shark brought in by Brother-in-Law, Ib Moller before we cut the line and let it go (as it was a protected species). And of course there's always the one that got away story. The one that almost crippled me trying to wind it in before the hook became detached from the line - That hurt the ego a bit but boy, it was great fun. 

And then there was the the different lifestyles of the local people we had met. Some wealthy, some not so wealthy and some incredibly poor - living a day to day existence on their meagre pay-cheques but happy non-the-less with their lives. 

Many work as gardeners or handymen and labourers, spending a whole day at residences to be paid $20 per day, some of the ladies who clean homes work for as little as $5 an hour but they are happy to be living in their part of the world doing what they do.

These Fishermen are often in their boats and off out to sea by 4:00am

Many people have roadside tiendas where they sell their veggies

Most have never seen or never will experience real snow or Ice or minus temperatures and are very content with their way of life. 

As we headed back to Las Vegas I could not get the thought out of my head that a reality check must surely be in the works in the not-to-distant future. 

We were levelling out at 37,000 feet while the familiar dinging sound indicated that it was now OK to recline our seats and relax for the six hour flight north to Las Vegas. We were homeward bound and heading back to the future. 

Neither Donna or myself has missed work for one second of our retirement, but during that time we have become aware of a few things we had missed while we were busy earning a living.  

Trimming Expenses - On A Fixed Income

Something we have learned over the past year and a quarter is how to save money more easily now we are travelling and living off a fixed income. 

The reason we can do this is that we now have the time to sit and think about saving money instead of just spend spend spend as we had been doing during our working lives when we had the funds to do so.  

One thing we found useful was to sit down and take a really hard look at our "needs and wants" or put another way "must haves and would likes" - two totally different requirements we all to often mix together.   

    

Travelling means spending money on airline tickets. If we purchase everything on our credit card and then pay it off immediately, you amass lots more "Air Miles" each month. Of course you must discipline yourself to pay off everything right away but the air miles soon mount up and the result can be an occasional free flight back home or to another destination. Something not to be sneered at in this day and age especially when the price of airline tickets and the associated taxes are factored in. 

UNLOCK YOUR PHONE

Another good move was to have our iPhones unlocked so instead of paying our cell phone provider high fees for their monthly plans, we can either purchase or be given a SIM card.  In some cases in other countries SIM cards are given out free by the cell phone providers instead of charging their customers. This makes sense. Why would you charge for a SIM Card when if they give them away, they gain a customer and the companies get paid when you make calls. Obviously cell phone providers in the US and Canada have not seen the advantage of doing this yet, but I am sure it WILL eventually happen in their bid to gain more customers. 

After we put in the new SIM card we go on a pay per use deal which is what we did in Ecuador, Costa Rica and Panama. That move alone saved quite a lot in the cost of calls and roaming charges. 

The Dreaded Bundled TV Package

Then we looked at the $150 monthly fee for the bundled TV programming we pay for at our home in Nevada.  We used to pay for all these bundled channels many of which we never ever viewed or wanted. 

The bundled deal also included a land line and telephone number which we did need and did not want to lose. How could we solve this problem?  

In this day and age one does not need a land line especially if you have a computer. The alternate way is to phone through the internet on a soft phone or on your home phone plugged into your laptop. It's easy to do and very inexpensive. 

In order to save even more money we went to Best Buy, purchased a MagicJack for $49, ported our home number to the magicJack for $10 and cancelled the phone through our supplier - a savings of around $35 - $40 per month. Now, all our calls to North America are free and our international calls are 2 Cents a minute. You can't beat those rates.

One other advantage is that our friends and family in Canada can call our Alberta MagicJack number and it reaches us anywhere we are in the world. But for them it is like calling us as if we were still living around the corner in Calgary. We purchased two magicJacks, one with our Canadian number and the other for our US telephone number so we could also stay in touch with our friends in the USA.

While we were in Panama, we met a Canadian who lives there. He sells a neat computer and very compact system which provides us with live English TV, Live News, Sports, thousands of movies, TV series and as much music as you can handle. 

The system cost us $695 but now, all those items above are totally free (and with no Ads) and better still, it rids us of the need to have a $150 monthly charge for a bundled TV Package only part of which we were using. Better still, it works anywhere in the world as long as you have a wifi connection with reasonable broadband. 

We now had no further use for the Personal Video Recorder (PVR) which we had been renting from the cable company - Another $25 a month saved. Another item we could give back to the cable company was their modem. We went to Walmart, purchased our own modem, took the MAC ID number to our cable provider so they could register it in their system, plugged it in back home and have no issues with receiving our internet feed at all. As a result another rental charge we pay for each month has been eliminated. The savings on the cable bundle - approximately $1,800 a year and we get to watch what we want, not what the company wants to bundle together.

There are lots of other items that we have learned how to save with but one thing became crystal clear to us - over the years we have been bombarded with advertising. Every time we read a newspaper, open up a magazine, turn on the radio or TV the advertising has been relentless and we, like millions of others fell for all the promo stuff, hook, line and sinker. 

To be fair, we also participated in the advertising to earn a living so it's not all bad, but as retirees, we have learned to look at life differently and not to impulse buy.   

Preparing to go South

In our last blog, we said we had made a decision to move to Panama. We are working on that right now. We did receive a message from one of our contacts in Panama that the new government is reviewing it's immigration policy for those moving to Panama. 

From our point of view, we hope it does not affect the Pensionado Visa requirements but we cannot change what decisions come out of the Legislative process in Panama so there's no point in worrying about it at this stage. 

If it is meant to be it will happen if not, then there's always plan B (maybe a look at Belize or Mexico might be on the cards) but we doubt we will need to do this. Only time will give us the answer to these questions.      

Now our home in Mesquite is sold, we have time to think about the prospect of another adventure so we are now turning our heads towards a specific property in Panama. Until a suitable one becomes available at the right price and the right model, we will have to rent for a while which is not a bad thing.

Renting will give us the opportunity to ensure this IS the right move.  Not everyone can move to another country and like it.  Some get homesick, others just cannot fit in or have a problem learning another language. They move, buy a home, furnish it and then realize that the lifestyle is not what they had imagined it would be.

These people are usually the ones who end up losing a lot of money, as having to re-sell home and furniture then move back home can be costly and is often referred to as "the $50,000 vacation trip".

So it is a good thing to rent for a while to ensure that it's the right move.  You cannot find out if you don't live in a country.  You can read all the magazine articles you like, but there's only one way to find out and that's to move there.

One really good piece of advice I gained off one American fellow who lives in Costa Rica is that "when you initially move to another country, don't do anything that cannot be undone in under a half hour".  Good advice for those who do have doubts or who are moving on impulse having never been to the country before.  

Once in Panama, we will wait until our Pensionado Visas come through. We must be present in Panama to apply for the Visas and it is important for people who are reading this blog and intending to move to Panama to know that if they want to leave during the pensionado application process, they had better pay for a Multiple Exit Visa for each person, because if you leave Panama having started the process and before the Pensionado has been granted it's an automatic $1000 fine upon your return. A second offence would be $2000, so it is not worth it.  

 

After we are settled in Panama and furnished our new place with top-of-the-line furnishings, we will be looking for a long term renter prepared to pay a reasonable price for what will be a fabulous vacation apartment, short of nothing and offering unmatched comfort levels.   

We intend to wait until we can rent it out for a year as we have eyes on something else which we will blog about later on once we have the planning stages firmly mapped out. It will be fun. The journey will be in a far away place and will last approximately one year.  We are looking forward to that adventure.  .   

That having been said, on Sept 20th, we closed down the Mesquite home and headed back to Canada and Calgary and that's where the reality check came in.....

As we drove in through the neighbourhood we would be staying in, we noticed thousands of tree branches lying on the boulevards, some of them 8 and 10 inches across.  These branches had been snapped off the trees like tinder after the first snow storm of fall in September.

The Mayor of Calgary told the public that the first priority was to get power back to the thousands who had lost power during the storm but he also told the media and the public, that it may take up to a year to clear up the mess left by the heavy snowfall. Yes, the reality check had arrived.

Another wake-up call was the prices we are having to pay.  At breakfast at Denny's in Calgary for example, we paid $23 for one and a half Eggs Benedict and one coffee.  Back in Mesquite, we could go to the Eureka Hotel and Casino and have a nice leisurely breakfast for $5.95 each.  Well, not in Calgary.  See below.

And people wonder why we are moving on.

So, with our reality check firmly registered, we will spend one month here and then return to Mesquite, Nevada around Oct 25th to enjoy the last months in our home before it changes hands in February and we move on to pastures new.

On the way down, we hope we can call into Yellowstone national Park in Wyoming and take in the beauty of the hot pools, animals and geysers there now the crowds have left.

Hopefully we can touch base with a bunch of our friends before we leave and on that point, we will close this blog and bid you goodbye until our next blog which should be out in a couple of months.  In it, we hope to include the plans for our next adventure, a very different one which will not take place in "The America's". We are sure it will be a lot of fun and a whole set of new experiences.

Until next time, be healthy and stay safe wherever you are in the world.

Best wishes
Ken and Donna Carter.

Panama - The Awaking Small Giant.

Helpful Hint  If you would like to read this occupying the whole of your computer screen, then press Control+ on a PC or Command+ on a Mac. repeatedly until the blog fills the whole the width of your screen.

Panama City - July 25th

We had been in Panama for about a month now. For the uninitiated, Panama is located in Central America, between Costa Rica, Central America to the west and Columbia, South America to the east and south. 

It was almost 8:am as we pulled in to Tocumen, International Airport, Panama City, Panama, to pick up Jerry and Liane when they arrived from their home in Mesquite, Nevada. It was a relatively cool day - high 70's, low 80's.  The sun was shining and it was warming gradually as we drove into the free parking area right outside the doors of the arrivals level at the airport. 

We glanced at the arrivals screen. Our friends had landed minutes before after a five and a half, to six hour flight from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. We knew it would be 30 minutes or so before they were fingerprinted and photographed as every person entering Panama is when they initially arrive at Immigration and Customs.

The fingerprinting and photographing of new arrivals certainly sends a message to those would-be criminals that if you are going to do something illegal here in Panama, it is highly likely, you WILL be caught.

We had checked into our apartment in Panama City the day before in order to do a dry run to the airport so we would know our way the following day.  We intended to stay for four or five nights so we and our friends could view some of the local attractions and places of interest in Panama City.   

Donna was getting hungry so she googled places to eat locally. She quickly found an Indian Restaurant just three blocks away so we decided to go there to sample the food. If it was good, we would take Liane and Jerry back there one evening.  

As we walked toward the restaurant door, it was strange to see the owners standing at the door ready to unlock it so we could enter.  Must have just opened I thought to myself as we walked through into the reception area, but no, there were a couple of East Indian families eating at tables inside with their families. 

I turned as the lady closed the door after we had entered. The thought crossed my mind that the restaurant must have been robbed at some stage if the owners are acting like this. One thing would be for sure.  a locked door in a restaurant would never pass fire regulations back in the US or Canada.  We took a seat in a pleasant area at the back of the room as the lock on the door clicked shut once again.   

To say the food was below expectations would be an understatement.  I ordered the Lamb Vindaloo.  Donna ordered a chicken dish cooked in Mustard leaves.  We also had some veggie pakoras, saffron rice and some aloo parathas.  Unfortunately we left most of it. It was not authentic and virtually tasteless. It was not like any Indian restaurant we have ever eaten at before and we have eaten at many.  We would not be returning.  

The doors to the main concourse opened and there they were with their inimitable smiles.  "Welcome to Panama - Long time no see" we said as we shook hands and gave them a welcoming hug as they came through from the customs area having had their bags scanned.  

It was a smooth flight they told us, but they looked tired so without further delay we left the terminal, jumped into the SUV we had rented and drove back into the city centre.  All I can say is Thank goodness for WAZE, the navigation system APP we had used in Canada and the US.  It even works here in Panama.  

While driving, Jerry mentioned something that we would continually hear over and over again during his time in Panama.  "It's just like Mexico" he would say at every turn in the road. It soon became our in-house Panama joke saying which would always produce a smile on everyone's face.  


Casco Viejo - Old Town

Having had some shut eye, we decided to go out and look around at a part of the City we had been advised to go to, the old town - a walled area called Casco Viejo.  This is a popular tourist attraction visited by thousands ever day.  it is steeped in history and has some really nice architecture in the  buildings, many of which are   being renovated into gorgeous homes, restaurants and hotels.  This is a place to go to during the day and at night as the whole place takes on a completely different romantic flavour at night.  

Taxi

Not wanting to drive in a city that appears to have no rules of the road whatsoever and very few signposts telling what street junction we are at, we hailed a taxi. There is a rule in this part of the world i.e., Mexico, Central and South America. One never gets into a taxi without first agreeing a price. "Cuánto cuesta un viaje a Casco Veijo" I asked.  "Quatro dollar" was the reply.  OK, let's go. We jumped into the taxi and were gone. The ride was about 6 kilometres up the road, so $4 was a steal but quite normal for Taxi costs here in Panama City.

Night time takes on a flavour all of it's own here in Casco Viejo

We alighted in the Centre of Casco Viejo in front of an Iglesia (Church) built in 1672.  It was gorgeous as were all the surrounding buildings. The four of us strolled through the streets then called in to a bar for a cool drink as even later on at night, it was very warm. We had a couple of drinks and walked some more then noticed an attractive restaurant a few steps away. It had tables on the sidewalk and others within.  We opted for the inside where there was air conditioning. We ordered drinks and a platter of seafood. Donna opted for chicken wings. During the evening we discussed some of what we would do over the next five weeks we would have together.    

The platter arrived shortly after. On it we had Lagostino (giant shrimp), normal sized shrimp, Calamari, Oysters, Clams, Red Peppers, Octopus (pulpo), Plantains and Yucca......Oh was it ever delicious! After an hour or so, I hailed the waiter. Senior, La cuenta por favour.  The waiter promptly produced the bill.  This was looking good.  Including the cost of the drinks at the previous bar (two each), then a nice cool glass of Vino Blanco (white wine) at the restaurant and four good size meals it cost under $100 between the four of us. There's no way you would get away with prices like that in Canada or the USA.

Our Lawyers

Before we picked up Jerry and Liane, we had arranged to meet with our lawyers who would process our Jubilado or Pensionado Visas to gain permanent residence into Panama should we decide to come.  

Ricardo Caballero and his wife Esmarelda are both Panamanian born lawyers.  They are also Canadian Citizens having lived in Toronto, Canada along with their children for 15 years. They took the time to drive into Panama City and called into our apartment spending over an hour with us explaining what paperwork we needed to effect our residency and giving us some really good general advice about Panama.  

Our Tour Guide - Carlos Caballero. 

Ricardo has a cousin Carlos.  He runs a tour company in Panama.  We explained to Ricardo  that while we were in Panama City for four days, we may as well visit as many places as possible. Ricardo called Carlos immediately. He handed me the phone and I talked briefly with Carlos. Within a minute we had organized a complete tour of Panama City. 

Carlos told me that he would pick us up at 10:00 am Sunday (Domingo) morning and it would be a five hour tour in around Panama City including the Panama Canal, the Mira Flores Locks on the Panama Canal and lots more for just $120.  We were delighted and so we went on the tour.  Carlos is very well read and he knows a lot about the history of this fascinating city.  All four of us learnt a lot. He was a cheerful guide too, telling us jokes as we sped around the city.  Referring to the traffic as he drove us he said "I don't know if you are aware, but no-one robs a bank here"  "why's that"? I asked, stretching his upturned palms toward the front window pointing towards the gridlock....."That' why" he said, you would never get away in a getaway car. The cops would only have to walk to keep up with you".  We all laughed as we waited for the lights to turn green. Point taken.  

All in all, it was well worth the tour.  I can highly recommend Carlos and his tour.    

Jerry, Liane and Donna at the restaurant waiting for our supper

Ah yes, the Panama Hat.  Almost all of them are made in Ecuador.  Not all, but most of them.  They make a different Panama Hat on the Azuero Peninsula

Standing at the entrance to Casco Viejo

Some of the streets are very quaint, some buildings still need renovating on the inside and out, but it is changing rapidly as the tourists come and pressure to upgrade these areas of the old town increases.

Lookiing back at Panama City from a viewing platform on one of the hills

We saw these boats coming through the Canal.  It took about an hour from start to finish to pass through one set of locks.  

While on the tour, we saw these very strange rodent looking animals as big a small dog.  they look like a Capybara, but they aren't the same animal. If you get to close to them, they spray like a skunk. Needless to say we kept our distance from these free ranging animals. We also saw two Toucans in the trees before they flew off - Wonderful.  

Return to Gorgona 

On the fourth day we returned to Gorgona to the house we are renting.  The four of us enjoyed lots of time in our own personal private swimming pool often spending an hour of more three times a day in it. It is a hot and very humid country.  The humidity makes it feel far warmer than normal and with no air conditioning in the living room, the fan just did not cut it so, into the pool we would go.    

Heat & Water Intake

We all have homes in Mesquite, Nevada where it is currently 107 degrees but it is very dry.  You can cope more easily with the heat in a dryer climate running in and out of air conditioned shops and houses. Here its not quite the same and unfortunately, Jerry got heat exhaustion right away.  He needed to drink lots of water to bring his water levels back up to the point where he could sweat once again and also some Gatoraid to increase the electrolytes in his body. It took him almost three days to recover.

Heat exhaustion is a very dangerous affliction which can kill if it goes on for too long, so our friends quickly became aware that one must always drink enough water to replace the amount we lose in perspiration every hour.  Fortunately for us, the water is really good nationwide, so you can drink it right out of the tap unlike Mexico where one can easily suffer Montezuma's Revenge from the Ice cubes in the drinks or from the water used to wash lettuce and salad stuff, but not here or in Costa Rica.  The water right out of the tap is very drinkable.   

A Tour Of Some Real Estate

We have been out and about looking at some real estate.  The houses in the nicer areas such as Coronado seem highly priced to us but people are still buying them up.  Many Ex Pats who have lived here for years tell us that they believe property values in Coronado to be out of line and inflated so we may well take our time and rent for a while until we are comfortable and more familiar with prices in general.    

Many of you who know us personally, know we aren't the types to play the game of overpaying for property. Paying to much at our stage in life doesn't work for us and in any case, both of us having been selling real estate for the past 25 years we should know better than to add to the problem.    

The Real Estate person we used for Coronado, Sarah was a very pleasant Canadian lady.  She took us around and contributed a lot to the amount of information we have about the area generally.  We are aware that when one begins to look, we are really seeing a lot of what's left over, so it will take some time upon our return, to find some of the newer listings that are more realistically priced.  

Another difference in buying a home here is that as we understand it, a lawyer must write up the actual contract and it must be written in Spanish. That's the law. The real estate person has a simple form, a kind of letter of intent to purchase stating the price offered, the possession date, deposit, inclusions and any other important terms or conditions that a buyer wants included in the actual contract.  Once an offer/intent letter is accepted, the lawyer will write up and formalize the contract reflecting the buyer's and seller's needs and wants.    

Mid-way through the looking process, we switched our thinking to encompass apartment living as well.  We did find some really nice nice apartments offered by a developer on our own and have them on our list for when we come back in March.  These properties rent for as much as $2500 to $3,000 a month in the high season which would be when we will be away out of the country. These apartments overlook the Southern Pacific Ocean with unobstructed views.

One can find an 1800 sq.ft, apartment with three and a half baths, Central Air, two or three bedrooms, six pools, restaurant, spa, gated and full time security 24/7 offered from the mid $300,000's to the low $400,000's. Not bad when you consider there are no taxes to be paid for the next 15 years either. As previously stated though, we will rent until such time as we find a place (home or apartment) that we consider acceptable to us in terms of price and utility. There's no point in rushing into this.    

Socialising With The Locals

During the first part of August, the four of us invited Frank and Dilcia, the local bar owners over for Sopa de Camarones (giant shrimp soup). Donna and I first had this dish in Ecuador, South America. The dish is a meal in itself. I liked it so much I memorized the recipe, determined to make it upon our return to Canada.  Frank, Dilcia, Jerry and Liane, Donna and myself all had a large bowl of this soup. Everyone loved the recipe which I have reproduced below.  

Ken's Soupa de Camarones Recipe

_____________________________________________

Wedding Anniversary August 7th

An important day here in Panama, not for the Panamanians, but for Donna and me. This was the day 21 years ago that I married my best friend.  We celebrated with Jerry and Liane. I cooked an Indian Curry with Rice, Papadams, Pakoras and accompaniments.  

Everything tasted great except that the moment the papadams were taken out of the oil being really crisp, within minutes, with the humidity, they flopped and became very soft. I tried in vain to re-crisp them in the oven but you cannot beat nature and the humidity.  They just would not re-crisp up. Oh well, Chalk one up for nature.  

A Wonderful Find For Our Entertainment.  

We had been speaking about the lack of English Speaking TV and programming when I had learnt through Sarah, our real estate representative that she had a system that was capable of getting literally hundreds upon hundreds of Movies, TV programs, Music Videos, U Tube, live TV, Live News and Live Sports and lots lots more.  

I contacted Jeff, the Canadian designer of the software and system. He came to our home to give us a test drive. All I can say is FANTASTIC. The Apple TV worked well for us but with  this new system we can access literally every movie ever made and it's all free. We purchased a unit at a cost of $695 immediately. We will take it back to the US and Canada with us when we leave.  

For anyone else living in Southern Panama who is wanting to know about the system you can always contact me but Be aware that it will not work, if you don't have at least a good bandwidth with a minimum of 10 Mbps download speed or above. If you do have, it will become your complete home entertainment system. 

Jerry and Liane brought one the very next day. We sold our Apple TV within seconds on Facebook.  I could have sold it several times over.  If you would like the contact details of this person who installs the equipment, email me here

Our Long Awaited Fishing Trip

Tuesday August 12. We awoke had a quick breakfast, threw some underclothes and a change of shorts and T shirts in a suitcase then we all headed south to Pedasi, a small fishing town on the southern coast of Panama 250 Km's or 150 Miles west and south of our base.  Pedasi is on the Azuero Peninsula. This area is famous for it's different type of  Panama Hat and great fishing. The drive would take us about four hours.    

We booked rooms at Casa Lajagua, an attractive and very well cared for B&B/motel owned by a Canadian couple.  The grounds to the B&B are gorgeous and the prices are competitive but better than that, the rooms are very clean.

The owners also own a boat.  Craig the husband, skipper's his own boat out for hire. We checked into our rooms then took a short walk to a local Italian restaurant in anticipation of the following morning's fishing trip. We enjoyed a superb supper there and then walked back to the hotel.

It started to rain during the night. The thunder and lightening offered up an amazing light show. The rain came down in torrents and kept us all awake as it hit the roof above. Pretty typical for this country and time of year. I awoke again at 4:am to the noise of the rain still falling outside. 

At exactly 5:00 am, the rain ceased. It was still dark at that time but by 6:15 am it was light. I glanced out to see a mixture of white clouds and blue skies above. We all grabbed a quick coffee and by 7:00 am, we were in the boat speeding through the waters of the South Pacific heading way out into ocean.  

The boat was bouncing around as we crested the swells that seemed to be coming at us from straight ahead. Onwards we went until the coastline completely disappeared either because of the distance we had put between it and us or because of the worsening visibility.

The skies darkened and by 7:30, the rain came back with a vengeance.  I am sure you can imagine the six of us in a boat with cover enough for the skipper to steer a course and see and shelter his instruments.  

The rain was coming down like there was no tomorrow.  Within minutes we were soaked, from head to toe, vests, shorts, underclothes the works and that is how it would be for the next four hours but the rain was warm.  

The driving rain wasn't all we wondered about.  The skies turned dark grey and fork lightening struck the seas around us. To make matters worse we had two steel extender rods sticking up way above the boat. These rods allow us to keep the fishing lines apart while trawling but when Craig mentioned that they could potentially be lightening rods, it got me thinking. I moved my hands away from the metal handrails I was holding onto to steady myself as the boat rolled.  

The thunder and lightening continued. The swells increased and the boat was cresting the waves then sinking down on the other side.  Craig did a great job altering the speed of the outboard engine to lessen the impact it had on the water as we hit the lower far side of the swells with the bottom of his boat. Good job it was a self bailing boat with this volume of rain falling.    

All of a sudden the local fisherman who was accompanying the skipper and us pointed into the distance.  We looked and saw huge water spouts ahead.  Whales - huge Humpback Whales. All of a sudden one breached in front of us, its massive body rising maybe 12 or 15 feet out of the water then it came crashing down, tons of weight hitting the seas turning them a mixture of white and azure blue due to the amount of oxygen in the water from the immense size of the whale's body crashing down onto the water.  

The babies could be seen mimicking the mother whales.  We saw this time and time again.  It was a wonderful spectacular show which delighted us all as we all let out loud cries of glee and amazement as the whales rose up out of the water and crashed back down over and over again.  Craig even said that this was probably THE best show he had seen.  We were privileged. 

It had been about an hour and a half, and we had caught nothing, then one of the rods made a zinging sound as the fish hit the bait.  Jerry was first up.  Placing the rod into the belted rod holder around his waist, he begun to reel in. The boat engine was cut while he reeled in his catch, a nice looking Mahi-Mahi (Dorado).  

It wasn't long before another rod snapped into life, Liane grabbed the rod and brought in our second catch of the day.  Great I thought casting our worries about the thunder and lightening and swells aside for a moment.  Then, all of a sudden one, two, three rods were all going at the same time.

Donna grabbed one rod, I grabbed the other and Gerry the third......This was fun I thought to myself.  We must have hit a shoal of Mahi-Mahi I thought. Jerry's fish was in danger of getting caught in the propellors so he gracefully handed over his rod to Abbydale the fisherman who in turn handed it to Liane who was waiting with baited breath. 

We all brought in good sized Mahi-Mahi.  Liane landing the largest of the catch.  You could see she was happy as a broad smile emanated from her face as they shoved the fish into the hold - Jerry eying her sideways as to what could have been as the fish's tail slipped beneath the floor of the boat.

By this time it was close to 11:00 am.  The whales were still breaching, crashing and rolling, showing their massive tails and occasionally a huge side fin as they disappeared beneath the surface of the water.  

All of a sudden there were Dolphins, one, two, four, ten and many many more.  They seemed to be everywhere - all around us.  They were swimming beneath the boat so close, that with a little effort, Donna, Liane and Jerry could have reached down and stroked them as they easily kept pace with the boat while on the surface of the ocean.

When there are Dolphin in the water, there is very likely to be Tuna which is the Dolphin's staple diet.  The local fisherman suggested we retool the lines and throw out a couple of lures for Tuna.  Quickly, he let out the lines and not five minutes later, bingo, one of the rods bent.  Abbeydale handed it to me as I was the closest.  

There was something powerful on the end.  I wound it in, and in a few minutes, I saw a gorgeous Tuna approaching the boat, glistening as it changed direction on me. Definitely a keeper I thought to myself.

It was now past the time we had booked for the trip, so Craig, looked at Marine Garmin Navigation system on board and pointed it along a red line, the route he had programmed in for the journey out.  We headed down the line in the reverse direction.  Slowly, the coastline re-appeared in the distance.  

None of us had a clue which way the land was without that wonderful device.  Having taught advanced navigation in whiteout conditions and in the darkness on high mountains for years, I appreciated the fact that we were totally disorientated.  I would have been completely stumped if that system had gone down, then I remembered we also had a gyroscopic compass on board, so I would have not been as stumped as I first thought, just follow a line on a NE tack and we would eventually have made land.   

Back on Terra Firma, we went back to the hotel Casa Lajagua where the local fisherman Filleted the fish for us. Below is a picture of the proud drowned owners of the fish we caught.  

We said our goodbyes to the owners of Casa Lajagua, Craig and April then we departed, taking the road north back to the Pan American Highway before turning east and heading back to our Base in Gorgona with some of the fish we had caught frozen in plastic bags.  

On the way back, we had promised ourselves that we would call in to the Mercado de Pescado (Fish Market) at Rio Hato. There we quickly honed in on some Lagostino's (Giant Shrimp) so we could cook up a curried shrimp supper that night.  

We also purchased a very nice looking whole Red Snapper weighing in at 8 lbs.  The fellow behind the counter skinned and filleted the fish for us giving us two massive fillets in a bag.  He also suggested we take the remainder of the fish to make Sopa Pescado de Marisco (fish soup of the ocean).  We agreed, so he deftly cut up the fish, de-finned it, cut the head down the middle and smiled as he handed us a bag and told us to enjoy.......

The Fish Market at Rio Hato has all sorts of wonderful Fish and Camarones, Lagostinos, Crayfish etc.

As we left the fish market and told the girls we were going to cook up fish soup, we suddenly heard cries of "Eeeewww" and "NOT HAPPENING".  "I am NOT eating an animals face" Liane said and "I am NOT eating eyes floating in soup" were the words added by Donna.  We quickly realized that Jerry and I would be the only takers for the fish soup then - they laid it on us.

It was as if they had planned it all along.  "when you have fish soup, WE are going to the Casino" they said.  It was like they were both waiting for the "perfect storm".  We were dead in the water. There WAS NO COMEBACK. Oh well, can't win em all I thought as I drove towards home.

We have had a ton of fun together here. We have been very lucky to have had two people as easy to get on with for five weeks as Jerry and Liane.  They have been great company.  Would we do it again.  In a heartbeat.  Thank you both, and we also include those of you who visited us in Costa Rica - Kathy and Brad. and Carol and Ib.  We had a riot with you all.  

While we have been away, We have had some ups and downs.  Tragically, I lost my dad while in Costa Rica May 25th. He remains in my mind every day. On a more positive side, we have celebrated our 21st. wedding anniversary and my 66th birthday here in Panama.  

For those who have been reading my blogs, I gave a full summation of what it was like for us and how we felt about the Costa Rica part of this four month journey so I will leave that part out. You can always read them as the links to those blogs are posted on the right side of the page towards the beginning.  

Have we decided what we are going to do.  Yes! but before we tell you that part, here are some honest facts about our take on Panama.  Remember, this is not an authoritative guide on Panama, it's how WE saw it. Some people may differ with our viewpoint and that's just fine, but only we know what we saw or how we viewed our trip to Panama. So here it is.  

• First and foremost, Panama is a wonderful country and the people are very nice.  
• Is Panama dangerous? We have NEVER felt threatened once. Yes there are places in every city where one should not venture.  
• In our opinion, property prices in and around the Coronado area are inflated. We think they are like this because potential buyers coming here aren't properly prepared, don't know how to or cannot be bothered doing their own due diligence regarding what they are buying and the prevailing prices in the area.  While you have that situation, buyers will continue to pay inflated prices. Yes! Market Value IS the price a willing knowledgable and informed buyer and seller agree upon in terms of price, but there are two elements of this equation that seem to be missing here in our view and those are the words "knowledgable and informed".  Most buyers purchasing here are not informed nor are they knowledgable.  How can they be with no MLS statistics or historical values to go on.  We all need to be careful.   
• If you are buying real estate you should be aware that some real estate representatives here have no formal real estate training, but that having been said, if you are comfortable with that, then it's fine.  just be aware.  Ultimately it is our own responsibility to asses the level of expertise we each require.  We must say, we were happy with our real estate representative Sarah. She was a great help. 
• There is no doubt, the real estate representatives have a difficult job under sometimes stressful circumstances. They call for appointments days ahead and wait for calls to be returned that sometimes never even get returned even though they have buyers in tow and they are waiting to show property to.  
• The real estate representatives are asked to price property without having good statistics to work with.  Not a good position to be in when asked to perform a market analysis. This is certainly not organized real estate as we North Americans know it.  
• So why be in a rush to buy?  You could save many thousands of dollars by doing your homework before making an offer when moving here.
• I read a very interesting statement written by an American who lives in Costa Rica and who has lived there for many years.  He offered some advice on his blog. This is what he wrote.  "When you first move to Central America or Costa Rica, it would be very wise that for the first two years, you do nothing that cannot be undone in a half hour or less".  It's certainly advice worth considering if nothing more. How do we know that in two years time we will still like the prospect of living here?  Many people do, but a lot don't. Those are the people who eventually end up packing up and leaving.  Many end up taking large losses on their homes because they purchased without doing any due diligence on price, paid too much and purchased to soon. This is definitely worth thinking about especially if you have not lived outside your native country before.    
• Everyone should also be aware that anyone legally entitled to work here, can hang out a shingle and call themselves a real estate representative. Some even do who are not entitled to work here period. These people are living right on the edge, but they do it nevertheless. Is it wrong? Well, the powers that be aren't enforcing rules so I suppose it is not. Let's say it's a grey area.      
• Can you buy a property in Coronado in the $300,000's Yes, but be prepared to do lots of work. Good properties at that price are few and far between, so it's important not to come to Panama with rose tinted glasses thinking you are going to pick up a property for a song.  It likely will not happen. Leastways not in Coronado.  
• What you can find in and around Coronado are some very nice spacious condo apartment units as previously indicated.  You can also find apartments in the 200's too but they are smaller.

This is a gorgeous home.

Just a small portion of the land

Another part of the Lot

And still more - Heaven on Earth

The Above Home Offered For Sale at

$249,900

• Property prices are a different story the further away you go from the Coronado area.  You can find reasonably priced property but still have to hunt it out. During the last ten days, we took a ride up to Altos Del Maria (pictures above).  It seemed a bit out of the way for us but, we did view a property that was being sold privately and it was a good deal, so good prices do exist.  You just have to look for them.        
• MEAT. We did not find the meat in Panama to be as good a quality or as tasty as that in North America.  A beef tenderloin is nothing like you will find in Canada or the US.  They are a lot smaller, thinner and tougher and all too often, they are missing the Chateaubriand part of the tenderloin.  What you have left is the Filet Mignon part and the end cut.
• Chicken and of course fish are at the other end of the scale.  Very tasty and fresh as you can get it.
• You would think vegetables and fruit here would be less expensive. Well, some are if you know your prices and buy from the roadside places but the freshness and quality of some of these items are suspect. They also don't look as nice as the stuff in the supermarkets which is more expensive as a result.
• Cilantro is harder to come by here.  the Panamanians have a substitute they love called Cylantro. It is different and not as tasty but they seem to really like it.  
• Electrical items are expensive but if you get a Price Smart card (Price Smart is Costco just under a different name). It carries a lot of the brand names Costco in North America carries i.e. Kirkland. You can find TV's, computers and the like at reasonable prices. Maybe slightly higher than in the US and Canada.  
• Can you get US and Canadian TV here? absolutely as indicated above.  
• Taxis and buses are inexpensive here too.
• As a Pensionado, you can avail yourselves of many discounts which by law you are entitled too and must be offered. 
• The government here really does hold out a welcome mat for us foreigners but with the recent change in government, who knows how long this will last.  
• if you qualify as one of the friendly nations or Pensionado or Investor Visa's it is fairly easy to obtain residence here as long as you don't have a criminal record.
• The most disappointing issue about this lovely country is the amount of garbage lying around. The lack of consistent regular services to pick up trash and dispose of it is very noticeable and quite honestly it is frustrating. This is compounded by the lack of garbage containers into which to place garbage.  As a result, litter is very apparent.  Unfortunately, throwing garbage by the roadside is ingrained in some of the people. We believe that the only way to change that picture is to educate the youth to pick up after them right from their early schooldays. The older people are not about to change so this will take time to change people's view of garbage. 
• I have said before in previous Facebook group blogs, that if the Panamanian leadership would realize that they would enhance the value of all Panamanian's properties if they cleaned up the place by picking up and disposing of garbage efficiently, it would result in more tourists which would bring more business and wealth for the locals as demand for everything increases as more tourists come such as food, haircuts, taxies, gas, homes etc. Eventually, everyone would win in the end.
• One thing we saw that we liked was the fact that every school has a uniform and all students wear it.  It is great to see all the kids at school all dressed the same.  The kids take great pride in wearing their uniforms which I believe are mandatory here.  I am not completely sure about that fact but it seems that way. I wish it were that way in North America.  

The Big decision

To summarize. We have decided to move to Panama.  We will move to somewhere on the southern coast, probably about an hour or so west of Panama City. We have a pretty good idea where, but who knows - nothing is settled yet.  We have to find the right fit in a home or Apartment. We are very comfortable with that decision as we would be within striking distance from the City and the airlines leading back home.

 Thank You

Finally, we would like to say thank you to the people of Panama for allowing us into your wonderful colourful country. We have enjoyed our stay as we have also enjoyed the people.  We also thank the myriad of people we have met who made our stay more comfortable and who in many ways shortened the learning curve for us.  

We say thanks to Frank and Dilcia - owners of La Ruina Pub/Restaurant in Gorgona, who were so friendly towards us and who looked after our every need and answered any questions we had if or when they arose.  

Thank you to Sarah Booth our real estate representative who showed us around the Coronado real estate scene so diligently (all is not lost Sarah). We never intended to buy this time around.     

Thanks also To Craig and April - Owners and hosts for our stay at the Casa Lajagua in Pedasi who provided accommodation and the boat for our fishing trip and who gave us a great opportunity to see the many Humpback Whales and their babies breaching in the waters off the coast. And of course Craig again, for Skippering his boat so efficiently so we could catch the Mahi-Mahi and Tuna. 

Thanks also go to Carlos Caballero, Tour Organizer and budding comedian, who gave us a great tour of Panama City, Casco Viejo and the Canal and who introduced us to the history of this wonderful place.  He kept us laughing all day long speaking excellent English. 

And thank you to Carlos's Cousin Ricardo Caballero and his wife, Esmerelda both Canadian and Panamanian Citizens and both Abogados (Lawyers) who took the time to come to our apartment in Panama City to introduce themselves and who spent well over an hour of their time explaining in great detail how they will manage our application for our Pensionado Visa's and how they will diligently check everything when we buy a property here.   

To Chris and Richard Durose who befriended us through Facebook, who came here the same day as us and whom we have visited with on a couple of occasions at our home and theirs since we arrived. We have enjoyed your company and our chats on Facebook. We feel we will see much more of you in the future.

Thank you to Dave Filing. A real character who is a prolific poster on Facebook and who opened our eyes a lot about all sorts of facts about this country.  Dave is prominent on the Ex Pats Panama Facebook page. He contributes a lot to those of us who want to learn. I am pleased to have met him personally and I look forward to getting back to meet him again. Dave, we simply ran out of time this time around, but we will get together when we return. We value your opinions and we respect them.  

It would be wrong to leave without saying thank you to the literally hundreds of Facebook contributors and group members and the organizer of Ex Pats Panama, Canadians in Panama and Tropical Cowboys who have provided us with the medium from which to learn about this country and from whom we have learned so much from over the past year and in our run up to this fact finding trip.  

Thank you also to Panama Road Runner for picking us up and dropping us off on our arrival and departure from Panama.  We will use you again. It's a great service. You have Sarah to thank for that referral.

And last but not least, to Brian and Judy Ham, back in Canada, the owners of the Casa we rented in Panama.  Thank you again Brian for putting us in contact with Ricardo and Esmerelda.  We will use them when we apply for our Pensionado Visas in April and of course, thank you so much for allowing us to use your home.  We really appreciated it.

Thank you, thank you and thank you all again.   

So as we prepare to head off to the hotel Aeropuerto Riande in a few days time for our last evening here, we can say we have thoroughly enjoyed everything we have seen, and,  almost everyone we have met during our time here. 

We will see you all again soon.  Now, it is time to pack up and head back to our home in Nevada and back up to Canada where we will enjoy Canadian Thanksgiving there, then US thanksgiving in Nevada, Christmas and New Year in Nevada then prepare to hand over our treasured home to the new owners come February.  

Adios Amigos.  We will see you again soon. 

Donna and Ken enjoying Ken's 66th birthday in Panama.

Donna and Ken Carter

Retired Canadian Real Estate Brokers 

The views expressed above are entirely our own, written from our own perspective, in good faith and not prompted or influenced by any other person, persons or entity. Copyright by © Ken Carter.