2 Retire In Panama? NEWSLETTER
Volume 16 January 11, 2021
This weeks COVID...
...update is how I am helping to keep readers updated on how "under control" COVID-19 is in Panama. This is the update as of January 6th from Karyn Saunders.Thank you so much Karyn for continuing to keep ex-pats aware of the statistics:
Panama has 264,596 total cases + 5186 new, 4283 total deaths + 45 new, 229 in ICU, 2128 are hospitalized, 52,053 active, 208,620 have recovered + 2533 new, resulting in a death rate of 1.6%.
1) 1,375,143 total tests, 19,830 new, 26.1 positive rate,
2) Mi Diario reported on January 7th that vaccinations will start in the Metropolitan area and Panama West. This is where the majority of patients reside.It is reported that the vulnerable population will be vaccinated first, to maintain the hospital capacity. The second goal is to save lives and the third goal is to impact the pandemic by vaccinating the general population.
3) The first batch of the vaccine, developed by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, will be arriving in Panama between January 18th and 25th.
4) Those interested in receiving the vaccine have been encouraged to register at the government website. Register for the vaccine here. Jen and I registered to receive the vaccine. The website is in Spanish and the translation is difficult to navigate. I would suggest that you keep the form in Spanish while completing it. If you need to translate it, use a separate browser for the translation. The website will tell you if your registration went through. The registration may further be confusing because only phase 4 are being registered. We believe that that is the general population, but questions in the registration will identify individuals who may qualify to be vaccinated in an earlier phase.
My special offer this week...
...is another offer that is different. Let me just start by saying that Jen and I are opposed to promoting credit card use. When you read my book you will learn how we broke the chains of debt to retire before either of us had reached the age of 60. Living overseas causes people to reevaluate some of the ways things get done, and the way people think. The Internal Revenue Service regulates all funds transferred to off shore banking institutions which makes transfer of funds difficult and expensive. We manage our spending with a bankcard that has no foreign transaction fees, covers car rentals outside of Panama, where our car is insured, and has trip cancellation insurance. We use it to pay for almost everything and transfer funds from our U.S. bank account every few days to maintain a zero balance. We essentially use it as a debit card. The card we found, after careful research, that meets all our purposes is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Card. Clicking the link will take you to the site to apply for this card.
This past weekend...
...Jen and I were to be on adventure with Ty and Lyn. I have been careful not to make mention of this prior to today because this was a birthday surprise for Lyn. We were supposed to take a 1 hour flight last Thursday from Albrook Airport to Bocas Town where we were to be picked up and taken to a Caribbean Jungle Island. We had reservations for a resort from which we would explore the wonders of Boas Del Toro. Our adventure had to be canceled due to the movement restrictions and beach closures in Panama. We hope to rebook the adventure when the whole COVID crisis is brought under control.
My book is full of adventures in Panama. If this interests you, pick up a copy to read more about our adventures with Lyn and Ty as well as adventures with others. One of our favorite adventure stories is the end of the road. Jen and I find an end of the road story just about every time we adventure with Lyn and Ty. You can get a copy of my book by clicking the link here, or the link on the blog. It is exclusively available on Amazon or Kindle. Kindle Unlimited subscribers read it free.
Over the recent holidays...
...Jen and I traveled to the United States for a visit with family and friends. We spent Christmas in Florida with my parents and sister. Travel is doable, however it is not nearly as fun as it was before COVID. The mainstream media was reporting crowded dangerous situations in airports, even showing film footage that was outrageous. Our experience entering the United States in Miami International Airport was the complete opposite. The pictures below are the International arrival terminal, Immigration and Naturalization (Customs), and the people mover. We found only a couple of people in line at the car rental counter. This may not be the same at every time and every airport. We felt more safe in the airport than when we stopped at the Walmart on our drive to our final destination. From landing to being in our rent car was about 30 minutes. The moral to the story here is if you feel the need for vacation, just do it. The change of scenery and need for adventure is worth the inconvience.
Our time with family and friend was delightful; and it was totally worth the effort. Suffice it to say that our experience getting our COVID test to return home was a mess. We attempted to get the test in Florida before returning, however the test was only free if you thought you had been exposed. The major drug store chains and other testing sites were charging about $130.- $150 for the test. We opted to get our test at the airport upon arrival in Panama. Our flight home was uneventful, and we arrived early Monday afternoon. We went directly to the testing center in the concourse. It was not that easy to find. The signage was inadequate, so we followed the crowd. We found a very long line and got in it. The whole process ended up taking a little over 3 hours. We watched as they took away people who tested positive and cleared those who tested negative. The testing center was the biggest crowd we encountered during our whole 2 week vacation. I would suggest that the process is badly broken and needs to be fixed. I felt that if there was any chance of being exposed,it was at the testing center where there ws very little ability to social distance.
Another of my readers...
...who was kind enough to send me a picture is Diane Maxwell. Diane is retired and resides here in Panama. She is writing, and will be publishing a book similar to mine. She presents from a different perspective, and has an experience that will be well worth the read. I hope to share early opportunities for readers to get a copy of her book when it becomes available.
Blessings from paradise,
Greg 