News From Panama…June 2015

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Dear Panama Insiders,

In the June edition of your Panama Insider monthly missive (heading to your inboxes via email as I write this), we feature a section about Panama’s climate. We had so much to tell you, we decided to post an addendum right here on the forum.

Read on for some tips and please chime in. Your comments, questions, and feedback are always appreciated, so don’t hesitate to post.

Happy reading!

Jessica Ramesch
Your Panama Editor

NOTES ABOUT PANAMA’S CLIMATE

Wet season:

In Boquete, some areas—such as those on the Caldera River—can experience flooding. The flooding doesn’t necessarily happen every year. When it does, it’s typically sometime between September and November. So I recommend exercising caution when buying property close to a river. Talk to people in the neighborhood who can tell you how high the water reaches, or talk to local builders about how best to protect your property. That said, flooding in these parts of Boquete is usually manageable—not damaging enough to be termed “disastrous.”

Since Bocas del Toro (on the Caribbean) gets rain all year, it’s pretty much always the wet season. Though again, mornings are typically sunny, with rains coming in the afternoon. If you want to explore the idyllic islands of Bocas, my advice is to go for at least three or four days. Every time I’ve gone, one of the days has been very rainy, with the rest being quite sunny.

Dry season:

The Azuero region can sometimes experience droughts, as it’s Panama’s driest region. (It’s also home to the Sarigua National Park, a semi-desert).

During especially dry summers, the reservoirs that provide large portions of Panama City’s energy can run low. That said, I’ve never been required to ration water or power. Plus, Panama is extremely proactive in adding to its power supply.

There are new hydroelectric, solar, and wind energy projects in the works. In fact, Panama recently became home to the largest wind park in Central America. Because of the Panama Canal, this country has always prioritized the preservation of its sizeable watershed…something not all countries do. With the canal expansion nearly complete, abundant water is more important than ever. So I feel confident that, here in Panama, I’ll always have access to excellent drinking water and reliable power.

*Note that many parts of Panama–like the mountain town of Santa Fe, in Veraguas–are known for having microclimates. “This side of the mountain gets less rain”…that sort of thing. So it’s always worth talking to potential neighbors, before buying or renting, to see if they have insight to offer!

**Read more about Santa Fe and all the other regions mentioned above right here, on your Panama Insider website!

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

P.S. Remember:

No matter where you go in Panama, consider bringing a light cardigan or jacket. If you’re coming back from the beach and are wet from swimming, the breeze can feel cold…especially in Bocas, where people spend a lot of time on motorboats, whizzing across the water, with the wind blowing cold and strong. Also air conditioning in restaurants, hotels, etc., can be cold with a capital “c.”

Cheers,

IL Panama Editor Jessica Ramesch

[COUNTRY EXPERT – LINDA CARD]

Hello Readers- I just thought I’d chime in here about Panama’s tropical climate, particularly in Chiriquí Province where I live.

Our hottest, driest months are March and April, when the summer season has taken its toll. With little to no rain and hot, sunny days the foliage tends to wither, and frankly, on some days, so do I!! But then May comes around and the rain returns and it truly brings everything back to life, including me!

I love rainy season. Typically the rain comes in the afternoon or evening, so the temperature drops and we feel refreshed.
That coolness lasts all night and into the morning, and I love the crispness of the early morning at this time of year.

Once the sun shines it warms up and I generally do my errands and chores in the morning. Then I can relax at home and wait for the dark clouds to roll in, the air to cool off, the breeze to pick up and that scent of rain on the earth… ah, lovely rain!!

My home is in David, in the lowlands, and keep in mind that it’s noticeably cooler all year in the highland towns of Boquete and Volcan. Also, there are numerous “microclimates” in the highlands, which can affect the amount of rainfall, clouds and wind.

If you’re planning to move to Panama it’s a good idea to visit at various times of the year, during our “summertime” and “wintertime” so you know what to expect in your new home.

Hope to see you in Panama some day!
Linda Card, Your IL Chiriquí Correspondent

[CARYN M.]

Hello there! This Caryn Kathryne MacFadyen, I am indeed new to this fantastic forum and the very informative details of this wonderful country. I would like to introduce myself, and to share that I was very fortunate to have visited Panama City 4 times. My first 3 were between 1998 and 2003 and my most recent in 2012. I could not agree with you more about the abundance of opportunity and the goodness of this gracious country. I am formatting and preparing my exodus from the U.S. to Panama within the next 24 months if not sooner. I am what Panama considers a pensioner for I am beyond age 50. I would like to know more about my transitions to Panama. I am unfortunately by myself for my family is deceased so I would like to focus on Panama City and would like to hopefully rent and or share a nice condo or town home in or near Panama City part time to really get my feet wet. I am conterplating on coming down for 2 visits the next coming year. I currently am employed with United Health Group and I am a published author with a 3 novel series being released currently. I am looking for both part time retire, part time work & part time independant projects like my books and my music, for which I do have Entertainment business that I would indeed reactivate and expand with the goodness that Panama provides for those who are very proactively engaged in multi professional activities. I also love to travel and cruise, so I am all ears and I am looking forward to seeing, meeting and bonding with many of you who are graciously appreciated. I originally from Glasgow, Scotland. Adopted and came to America back in the late 50s early 60s, left America for Britain to study and optained my education in Both Mechanical Engineering in Aviation as well as I am accomplished in music, in voice, piano, Music Theory as well as comtemporary and classical music. I would love to get involved with the Music, vocals, etc. I have several power singles on YouTube which followers have posted. I have an established both band name ‘ADDMORO’ as well as a progressively exciting entertainment company of the same name; ADDMORO Entertainment Group! ADDMORO GROUP (Which is the current and permanent name change)! So my focus for the next 12 to 18 months is my smooth semi to permanent transition between the U.S. and Panama and especially Panama City and just outside of the city. I am focused on sharing and renting either condo high rise or low rise depneding of the property as well as town houses and single family houses again depending on the property and their location and amenities. When I came to Panama City the first time in 1999! I sailed with a very high profile cruise for we were the first to come to Panama City directly from Miami, FLorida. We had a fantastic time, I remember the gorgious old ruins and walking amidst the turquoise waters just in front of the many high rises then. We had a big dinner and gathering at the Radisson Hotel, I am not sure if there are more then one currently. I have seen the one we were at in various brochures and online sites. They were go gracious and so wonderful. We had such a good time, and our cruise helped truly start opening Panama City up further for the robust influction of travelers and cruisers ever since, even more now then just those going thru the Panama Canal, which we were so honored to view and visit. Please do forgive this lengthy post. I wanted to give you as much about me and my goals for coming downt to Panama and Panama City in the next year. I would eventually love to see more about Chiriqui, for I have seen some gorgious houses and property there. Again, being alone, not just single, Panama City would be best for me at this time. Thanking you kindly indeed I am. I am looking forward to reading more, meeting you sometime soon. Most excitingly get down to Panama soon.

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Thanks for posting Caryn, it’s always nice to hear from readers and we love seeing you all interact with each other on the forum. For future reference, shorter posts (one topic per post) tend to get more interaction but no worries at all, as you said you wanted to introduce yourself so we totally understand.

Take care and remember we’re here to answer your questions about life in Panama as best we can. If and when you do post questions, please post by topic. (Search for existing threads and post your questions in relevant threads or in new threads…one topic per thread).

Best,

Jessica Ramesch
IL Panama Editor

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