Last week while visiting Canada, I was flipping through TV stations when I came across an episode of an MTV show that was shot in Panama. The show is called “Exiled - The Real Deal” and takes spoiled, coddled, rich kids and puts them in a trying situation for a period of time.

Filed under: Culture, News on November 21st, 2008 | No Comments »

Panamanians who live in coastal villages often rely on the sea to earn money and feed their families. Fishing is a common practice in Panama, but there are a variety of other delicacies Panama’s Pacific Ocean offers on its menu.

Filed under: Culture, News on November 17th, 2008 | No Comments »

Driving in Panama is a challenge to say the least. Panamanian roads and highways are in much better condition than in many other Latin American countries, but they are still not comparable to North American roads.

Filed under: Country Guide, Culture, News on November 14th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Panama has a pretty extensive holiday schedule. November and December are the two months with the most national holidays. It’s pretty tough to get much done between now and the new year due to all of the holidays.

Filed under: Culture, History, News on November 2nd, 2008 | No Comments »

A Traditional Embera Greeting
A visit to a Panamanian Embera village will leave you feeling like you have stepped back in time. These friendly, smiling people live with less than you or I could imagine, yet they are some of the happiest people you could hope to meet.

Filed under: Culture, News on October 22nd, 2008 | 1 Comment »

The Black Christ Of Portobelo
Every town in Panama has their own patron saint, and Portobelo, a small town on Panama’s Caribbean coast, celebrates theirs today. The Black Christ is the religious symbol of Portobelo and has been since 1658. More than 30-thousand people are expected to partake in today’s celebration in Portobelo.

Filed under: Culture, History, News on October 21st, 2008 | No Comments »

Do Panamanians Earn Enough Money To Survive?
Panama’s minimum wage is much lower than in first world countries. The argument used to be that the cost of living is much cheaper in Panama than in North American and European countries. Though that still holds true in some instances, prices are skyrocketing in Panama. Should Panamanians be [...]

Filed under: Culture, News on October 14th, 2008 | 3 Comments »

The Author With One Of Her Adoptive Panamanian Families
Panamanians place extreme importance on family. In North America family is important, but careers, money and keeping up with the Jones’ sometimes put family on the back burner. For most Panamanians, family is of utmost importance.

Filed under: Culture, News on October 2nd, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Cucuas From Penonome in Guarare
The Festival de la Mejorana took place this weekend in Guarare, a small town just outside of Las Tablas. Though Panama has many annual festivals and events, the Festival de la Mejorana is certainly one of the best.

Filed under: Culture, News on September 29th, 2008 | No Comments »

Panama Needs To Learn From Dubai’s Mistakes
Natives of Dubai are facing a situation that could soon be seen in Panama. Dubai and Panama already have a lot in common as Casey Halloran pointed out in an earlier entry. Like Panama, Dubai has an ever growing population of foreigners. Though Panama is relatively welcoming to expats, [...]

Filed under: Culture, Living & Retirement, News on September 24th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Panama’s Party Buses Are Unlike Anything You’ll Find At Home
The very purpose goes against everything North Americans have been taught about safety. You are not supposed to drink alcohol while in a motor vehicle; you are not supposed to be jumping around a moving vehicle; it is frowned upon to be obnoxious while leaning out [...]

Filed under: Culture, News, Reviews on September 23rd, 2008 | 2 Comments »

Traditional Panamanian Dancers- One Of The Many Groups To Appear At Festival de la Mejorana
Mark your calendars - one of Panama’s best festivals takes place next week. Festival de la Mejorana runs from September 23 to 28 in Guarare, Los Santos. This national festival is a great place to learn about Panamanian traditions and folklore.

Filed under: Country Guide, Culture, News on September 18th, 2008 | No Comments »

Getting Around In Panama Can Be Tricky
One of the many things I love about Panama are people. In specific areas of the country you will find locals have their own idiosyncrasies. One of the most endearing is how many Panamanians in the interior provinces give directions.

Filed under: Culture, News on September 15th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

How Much Freedom Of The Press Exists In Panama?
Panama is a country that has so much potential, yet once in a while someone in the government makes a decision that gives Panama a true “Banana Republic” image. Last week a Panamanian civil court ordered the seizure of assets belonging to a weekly newspaper, in response [...]

Filed under: Business, Culture, News on September 9th, 2008 | 3 Comments »

PanaMatt Helping Out Behind The Bar At A Popular Expat Hangout in Panama City
Panama’s expat culture is a difficult thing to explain. There are tens of thousands of foreigners living in Panama for various reasons. Multi-national companies have recruited business people, there are young entrepreneurs and retired folks all living in Panama.

Filed under: Country Guide, Culture, Living & Retirement, News on September 4th, 2008 | 2 Comments »