…is without excuse. I have been attempting to provide a weekly newsletter that is being enjoyed by nearly 600 people every week. The newsletter is morphing into quite an undertaking, and while I vow that it will not replace my blog, I will probably blog less with the newsletter providing brief up to date information for would be expatriates and many on the ground here in Panama.
If I had to offer up an excuse for the lack of recent blog posts, I would say that I have been less than inspired by the pandemic and politics of late. I am deeply concerned for the United States. I am amazed that the country would ignore the recent failures of Socialism around the world and vote it in to their own back yard. The protests are okay as long as you are the party of the media and not if your not. It has become okay to censure anyone not fitting into the game properly. I have been careful to remain neutral on most political matters here, however this is something that people in the United States seem to be missing. I have friends here in Panama who have escaped the political situations in places like Venezuela and South Africa. They are beside themselves that the great country of the United States would go the way of these and other countries. That is all I am going to say about that here. If any of you want to debate any of these issues with me it will have to be on some other platform. I want this space reserved for positive experiences and adventure.
The pandemic is the other issue causing my reluctance to blog. I have been posting the statistics of Panama weekly in the newsletter. Please take a look, if that interests you. I am like many who are frustrated about the lockdowns and quarantines. The bright side of all of that is that we are possibly in one of the safest places on earth. Panama has contracted with Pfizer to buy vaccine and Jen and I are already on the list to receive it. We are too interested in adventuring, and without the vaccine it is frightening to climb aboard a commercial flight or go with a group into the jungle.
This past weekend we were supposed to be on adventure in Bocas Del Toro. It was one of our adventure buddies birthday and her surprise was this awesome trip. Due to the extended weekend lockdowns and difficult travel (even domestically) we were forced to cancel the trip.
Jen and I did travel to the States for the holidays. It was quite a stressful time with all the covid-19 restrictions and mandatory masking. We visited with several people who are high risk so we did a voluntary test prior to our departure. Testing upon our return was required by the Ministry of Health in Panama. One of the worse parts of the experience was the swab probe up the nose into the nasal cavity. When asked about future International travel, I have been reluctant to say positively that I will do it. I do not blame any of you who refuse to travel back to Panama, or come for the first time, until all this crazy pandemic business is in the rearview mirror.
Our trip started on Christmas Eve and we traveled from Panama to Miami on Copa. We booked Business Class at $6.00 each more than Coach. It always pays to check both prices. Business Class on Copa proved to be almost the same as Coach except they gave us a food box. Only water was available. The advantage was that we were in the front of the plane for easy departure of the aircraft at Miami. Planes are being unloaded by row to keep people distanced as best they can. We were surprised to find the International Terminal empty and we breezed right through Immigration and Customs. We picked up our luggage, rented a car, and were bound for Punta Gorda, Florida within 30 minutes of landing.
Florida does not have masking requirements, however masks are required by many of the shops and restaurants. We were able to relax for Christmas with some of my family under much less restrictions than we have become accustomed to in Panama. We were very selective where we went to avoid being exposed to the virus. It was really nice to visit with my parents and sister. We got a bunch of new fan photos for my book, and took care of some business that could only be done in the States. We learned that even temperatures in the 70’s F are a bit cool for us. We never even took any of our shorts out of the suitcase.
After Christmas we drove north. We made an awesome lunch stop to catch up with some friends in Homosassa. After lunch, we continued north to Orange Beach, Alabama. I did not figure out the mask requirement there, but every where we went, outside of our friends condo, required masks. Our friends just recently purchased their condo on the beach of the Gulf of Mexico. They are taking their first stab at being snowbirds. They considered Panama, but they ultimately chose a place that is driving distance from Michigan. Their condo is delightful, but the temperature outside while we visited was 50 degrees F during the day and down into the mid 30 degree F range at night. Despite the cool weather, it was really nice to see and catch up with our friends. We did a little shopping and enjoyed the beautiful little beach community where they are spending the winter.
On January 4th we departed early for the airport at Pensacola, FL. The temperature in the car was reading 37 degrees F and we were freezing as we turned the car in and checked in for our flight home. We were again in Business Class. We knew that we would be doing a little shopping while in the States and a 1st Class ticket allows more bags at a higher weight. That is something that also merits consideration. The return flight was on American with a layover in Miami. I give American high marks for their hospitality on the flight. Despite the covid-19 restrictions, they did everything possible to make us comfortable. They did serve drinks and gave us a choice of a sandwich or a cheese tray. The flight was almost completely empty. I settled back in my seat and watched a movie. By the time the movie concluded we were on approach to Panama City.
The flight from Miami to Panama City was shorter than our experience with the covid-19 testing center at the airport. I have been advising people in my newsletter to get the test free if possible before leaving home. If that is not possible it is available at the airport upon arrival for $50. Jen and I could not get a free one so we opted for the airport option. We had been told that the testing center was easy to find with a lot of signage. We did not find adequate signs, but followed the crowd. We joined a line that may easily have been 300 people. I felt that the most likely place to be infected with covid-19 was the line at the testing center. The Ministry of Health should evaluate the system in place there and seek to improve it. We were there for over 3-1/2 hours from start to finish. Most of the time was spent in a crowd waiting for test results. We were there so long that we figured out who was delivering the negative results and who was delivering the positive results. Periodically a man would come out and take people away while there was a woman who brought out paperwork for those testing negative. You cannot get through immigration without a paper showing a negative result. Those people being escorted away were being taken to a covid-19 hotel to spend 14 days of quarantine at their own expense. I am told that they will give you a second test after 7 days and release you if it comes up negative. I am sharing the pictures from the testing experience below. If you choose to arrive and be tested this way I pray that your experience is better than ours.
In November when I last blogged, outside of the newsletter, Jen and I were finishing up a bathroom remodel. It was one way we could give back to the local workers while getting something that we have had on our wish list for quite some time. Prior to our leaving on vacation the work was completed. Many of you followed along in the newsletter, but in case you did not see the newsletter and want to see the final result I wanted to share a few before and after pictures. It came out beautiful, if I do say so myself.
Book sales have remained strong through the holidays and into the beginning of 2021. For this I feel blessed. Thank-you to all of you who have bought a copy and/or suggested it to a friend or acquaintance. I would like to extend a special thank-you to any of you who left a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Those reviews help others find it. I never wrote the book to make money. It was something that I had to prove to myself that I could accomplish. It may never turn a monetary profit, but the profit is the knowledge that it touched a few people and helped others in their quest toward expatriating. Click here to see a montage of selfies that book readers have shared.
I guess that I had more than I thought to say this time. I hope to share some real adventures soon. It means a lot to me to have you all following with so much intention. I had a couple of people let me know that my last post (with advertisements) caused them some grief. Apparently, one of the advertisers nabbed them and made it difficult to get away. I took those comments very seriously and discontinued almost all of the advertisers. Please forgive me if you experienced anything less than you deserve. If you are finding my blog and/or newsletter inciteful and informative, please, share it with friends. Also check out, like, and share my 2 Retire In Panama Facebook page. I am closing with a link to a video trailer for my book. The book is without pictures so the video trailer contains a few pictures of past adventures.
Blessing From Panama,
Greg and Jen
