The idea of Isla Coiba is like something created in fiction. A 500 square kilometer island surrounded by one of the largest coral reefs on the Pacific coast of the Americas with an ecosystem comparable to the Galapagos.  Combine the ecological wonder with the fact the island was an operational no-cell penal colony until 1994 [...]

Filed under: Country Guide, Culture on October 26th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Teeny boppers and teeny bopper mothers, get ready to scream because the Jonas Brothers are playing the Figali Convention Center in Panama City on October 28th, 2009.  AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  Regular ticket sales start today, and if these brothers are as popular as the world says, I would get your tickets fast.

Filed under: Culture, Living & Retirement on September 24th, 2009 | 2 Comments »

More often than not I wish I had a video camera during my taxi rides. Whizzing around the city while being serenaded, driving the wrong way down a one way street on a non-existent shoulder and talking about female lumberjacks from Oregon (my home state) are just a few of my top taxi experiences. On [...]

Filed under: Culture, Living & Retirement on August 21st, 2009 | 2 Comments »

I recently moved to Pedasi, Panama and within the first week of living here I got caught in the middle of two scary, near accident stampedes.

Filed under: Country Guide, Culture on April 20th, 2009 | No Comments »

Many people visiting Panama rely on taxis to get around. This is the easiest way to ruin a trip. I’ve come to hate taxi drivers. Let me tell you why.

Filed under: Country Guide, Culture, Living & Retirement, News on April 8th, 2009 | 9 Comments »

For those athletes out there, Panama is a great spot to partake in outdoor activities. Hiking, jogging, swimming, and surfing are all great exercise options in Panama. However, Panama does have many gyms available for when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

Filed under: Country Guide, Culture, Living & Retirement, News on March 4th, 2009 | 2 Comments »

The US State Department has issued a very negative report about Panama’s judicial and prison system. Anyone who reads or watches the news in Panama will realize this report comes as no surprise.

Filed under: Culture, History, News on February 26th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Hundreds of thousands of Panamanians and foreigners took part in this year’s carnaval celebrations across the Republic of Panama. Unfortunately, dozens of people were killed during the party and tons of garbage were left behind.

Filed under: Country Guide, Culture, News on February 26th, 2009 | No Comments »

Panama’s annual carnaval celebration is like no other party in Panama. Though it can be a great experience, there are a few downsides to the celebration as well.

Filed under: Culture, News on February 19th, 2009 | 2 Comments »

Panamanians live for their annual Carnaval celebration. The festivities kick off this year on Saturday, February 21th and run until the next Tuesday the 24th of February. Most people actually celebrate carnaval from the 20th to the 25th. Carnaval is marked by parades, parties and heavy drinking.

Filed under: Culture, News on February 11th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Panama’s 6th annual Jazz Festival is currently underway in Panama City. International jazz musicians are in Panama displaying their unique vocal and instrumental talents. This is a not-to-miss event in Panama.

Filed under: Culture, News on January 14th, 2009 | No Comments »

“Dream Girls” at Gay Club BLG Panama
Panama is known for its parties and who better than to help out with the decorations, glitz and glamour than the gays? All joking aside, after experiencing the normalcy here that gay people are treated with, it’s no wonder why Panama is a gay friendly destination for travel and [...]

Filed under: Country Guide, Culture on January 12th, 2009 | 6 Comments »

Many people who live in the small towns on Panama’s Pacific coast are self sufficient when it comes to what they eat. Fisherman catch their food and sell what is left over. Locals in these towns are also self reliant when it comes to other delicacies the ocean offers up.

Filed under: Culture, Food, News on January 6th, 2009 | 2 Comments »

Recently in Panama, a man was killed, his body taken to the Amador Causeway, and disposed of Soprano’s style…well, kind of. Instead of cement blocks to weight the body down, an old rucksack was used, filled with spare car parts, which eventually filled with water and floated with the corpse to the surface where the [...]

Filed under: Culture on December 27th, 2008 | 2 Comments »

Disagreements are settled differently in various regions of Panama. In Panama City it’s not uncommon to hear of foes settling their scores with guns. In Panama’s interior provinces, especially in remote areas, machete fights are pretty common.

Filed under: Country Guide, Culture, News on December 23rd, 2008 | 1 Comment »