2 Retire In Panama?
NEWSLETTER
Volume 8 November 16, 2020
My coupon offer this week is exciting...
...and with Christmas coming, everyone knows someone who could use a new pair of running shoes. I already ordered mine on this deal and 50% is deducted at checkout when you click through the link. get offer here. This offer is good through midnight PST on November 25, 2020. While supplies last. So do not dilly dally.
Panama continues to reopen...
...strong with the snowbirds and the tourists beginning to return. With gyms opening officially today, almost everything is opened, except the schools and some indoor events. We continue to adjust to life in the new normal. The 11pm - 5am curfew remains in effect.
The Ministry of Health announced last week that it had a contingency plan in place should incidents of COVID-19 increase in the country. It is based on four indicators, which include RT greater than 1, lethality higher than 3%, availability of hospital beds falling below 20%, and/or the availability of beds in ICU falling below 15%. If one or more of these events occur in an area, restrictions will be put back into effect. Currently Veraguas Province is the only area of the country that has higher restrictions. I view this as good news. The occurrence of COVID in our area remains low, and with the threat of further restrictions people may be more diligent with prevention measures.
In a 24-hour period last week, 971 new cases of COVID-19 were registered, raising the number of infections to 141,302. Deaths from the virus increased by 9 to a total of 2,817 resulting in the fatality rate remaining at 2%.
There is a total of 18,788 active cases and 119,907 recovered patients in Panama.
Our bathroom remodel is entering...
...the final stretch. The tile is finished, the toilet is installed, the bath cabinets were installed last Monday, and the plumbing is complete except for the connecting of the sinks. The sinks cannot be installed and connected until the granite is installed. The guys from Casa Granito are installing the granite this morning and I fully expect to have the sinks set and plumbed in this afternoon. I have been waiting until the granite is installed to order the mirrors. I want the mirror guy to be able to get perfect measurements. If we do not consider the mirrors, we should have the new bathroom complete this afternoon. Check in next time for final pictures.
When our guy opened the box to install the toilet, I was reminded of a hard lesson to learn here in Panama, When we purchased it, we looked into the box but did not open it completely. The lesson is to carefully inspect every purchase before you leave the store. The toilet was broken on the bottom. It would have to have been dropped a significant distance to break it like this. We did not drop it and in fact handled it carefully. See the picture below...the store refused to exchange it. I have heard other stories of difficult returns, so make sure you like what you are buying and inspect it carefully.
Last Thursday I had the distinct honor...
of being interviewed by Cynthia Lehman. Cynthia published the Lore Magazine which highlighted many of the events and business going ons here in the Coronodo beach community. The magazine was popular when we first arrived in the area. She now is a world adventurer and spends less time in Panama, so the magazine has gone by the wayside. She also founded the Beaches Business Network. The interview was to highlight my book "2 Retire In Panama?" for her travel and adventure series on Youtube. She will be sharing the interview with me so I can also add it to my channel. We had a great conversation and I look forward to sharing her interview.
One of my favorite...
...simple pleasures is Black Mountain Coffee. Panama grows some of the best coffee in the world. Black Mountain Coffee is grown on the mountain Volcan. My friend Marc Vargas has a member of his family who operates the small coffee finca and he keeps me supplied. His family member produces a couple of different coffees; however, I have developed a passion for the Black Mountain. You too can score some of this awesome coffee if you are here in Panama. I get mine ground, but it is also available by the full roasted bean. Marc is a guide, and he will arrange some of the most amazing tours if you're so inclined. His Facebook page is called Your Guide In Panama . You can connect with him there to buy coffee, book a tour, get a ride to/from the airport, and a multitude of other things.
November is a big holiday...
...month in Panama. As you may recall, last Tuesday was The Uprising of Los Santos Day. Like the other holidays this month there were no festival activities. It was a very quiet day as the outside workers were not allowed to work in the building on the holiday. Most condo associations do not allow outside workers in the building on holidays.
The next National Holiday is Independence from Spain. Panama declared their Independence from Spain just 18 days after the uprise in Los Santos, on Novemember 28, 1821. Next year Panama will be celebrating 200 years of sovereignty from the control of the Spanish Monarchy.
When National Holidays fall on a weekend, the holiday from work occurs on the following Monday. This year the Independence from Spain is on Saturday causing it to be celebrated on December 1.
My book has great detail of the Panamanian holidays. If this interests you, pick up a copy to read more detail of the events taking place in a normal year. 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.
Blessings from paradise, 
Greg 