Spanish Version vs English Version

Whenever looking at Panamanian website, don't assume the English version is up to date. English is not the language here, so when things change, the Spanish version of a web page will likely be changed, but the English version may not.

Prime example: Multiplaza shopping mall (I needed to go this morning, so I looked up the hours):
English version: Sat: 8am-7pm
Spanish version: Sabado: 11am-8pm.

I KNOW THAT MALL IS NOT OPEN AT 8am!!! That's why I looked at the Spanish version to be sure. :) You gotta love Panama!

Bicycling in Panama City - Risky, but Possible

I live in a section of Panama city where everything is close, but too far to walk if you are short on time. My girlfriend keeps the car and I bike when we need to go to seperate places.

Everyone says "Biking in Panama is dangerous!" I agree and disagree. It is dangerous, but it can be manageable if you don't mind a little excitement and you follow these simple rules I've developed:

1. Do not EVER ride you bike in the street (cars will honk and run you over or off the road).
2. Stick to main streets (they are likely to have sidewalks).
3. Always ride on the sidewalk.
4. When crossing a street, make sure its safe, then GET OFF your bike and WALK IT across the street (people can have time to see you if you are walking).
5. When on the sidewalk, slow down and proceed cautiously when you come to a driveway.
6. If people are walking and blocking the sidewalk, get off the bike and walk it around them then get back on it.
7. ALWAYS keep an eye out for **potholes, open drains, manholes, etc** in the sidewalk and street. (Garbadge bags and other debris might also be in your way).
8. If its raining, do NOT ride your bike...OR ride it very slowly and cautiously.
9. Always wear some sort of athletic shoe and don't carry anything in your hand (use backpack if needed).
10. Be prepared to get off your bike to get on/off the sidewalk (or be ready to jump up to get on the sidewalk)

Common sense stuff:

Wear a helmet and bike light.

Get a bike chain and lock your bike in a visible place.

Follow these rules and you will be fine.

***If you are looking for a casual, worry free ride, then DO NOT BIKE in Panama unless you go to a park.

"Cable and Wireless" = Cable and WORTHLESS

Unless you are going to buy a simple pre-paid phone...DO NOT use "Cable and Wireless" aka "Mas Movil" for anything. Their customer service is terrible! Panamanians and foreigners all agree...their service is terrible.

*Terrible service = extremely long wait times when you go in their store.

*Terrible service = not having phones in stock (happens regularly, but NOT all the time)

*Terrible service = one employee having no clue what the other employee is doing

*Terrible service = not keeping adequate records

*Terrible service = employees making claims that are not true

*Terrible service = corporate accounts run by employees who have little integrity or professionalism

If you don't believe me, be my guest and go to Cable and Wireless and try them for yourself.

My Chinese Cell Phone with a TV in it

Yep, I'm too cheap to buy a Blackberry.  I refuse to play over $300 for a phone or sign up for a plan I don't need.   

All I wanted was a phone with a full keyboard (so I can send text messages easily) and a camera.  I don't care about internet and Facebook and all the extra stuff that I already have on my laptop.  I looked at all the major stores and they only had Blackberrys or phones over $200. 

So I decide to check out the Chinese electronic stores (you can find them in El Dorado or on Via Veneto).  Sure enough, they had a Chinese fake version of the Nokia E71.  The phone has a full keyboard, camera, video recorder, FM radio and bunch of other things I don't really need.  It even has a TV in it.  I can push a button and raise the antenna (yes it has a TV antenna) and watch TV.  The phone also has dual sim card capabilities, meaning I can add a completely different number to the same phone.  Pretty cool.

Problem solved.  Thank you my Chinese friends!

No Car in Panama? - Can You Run Like Usain Bolt?

I was walking down Via Espana last Friday to pick up a rental car when it started to drizzle very lightly. I was about 4 blocks away from my destination. I was in my work clothes and in the beginning it wasn't bad, but I've experienced this before and knew what was coming...

Literally 2 minutes later, it turned into the Apocalypse. The rain was coming down so hard it didn't even seem real. And of course, I was no where near any type of coverage to stand under, so I turned into Usain Bolt and did a full sprint for 2 blocks.

If I would not have ran, I would've been completely soaked in a minute.

Lesson #1: Unless you have a car, ALWAYS have your umbrella (which may not be enough).

Lesson #2: When it starts to drizzle, worst case scenario, you will have 1 minute before it becomes a monsoon.

Lesson #3: Don't be in a rush when it rains. You have 3 options: Wait it out, run like fugitive or get soaked.

Lesson #4: Even though it is bright and sunny, in less than 1 hour it can turn to a complete downpour.

*** That's NOT ME in the photo*** I don't look like a black "Dr. Evil" (from the Austin Powers movies)

The Weather - I Love It

Its always warm.  Rain, sun, night or day...its always warm.  I love it.

No REAL Apple Stores in Panama

Here in Panama, the Apple store does not exist.  Here, they only have authorized Apple resellers.  Sounds good right...wrong!  If you wanna buy an apple product here, expect to pay a lot more for some products. 

I needed a to by a power cord for my Macbook.  In the US, the retail price is $79.00 (which is still high because I found it online for only $39.00).  I went to 2 different Apple resellers, the price at one was $94.00 and $99.00 at the other one.

If you live in Panama City and have no other options, expect to pay a much higher price for some Apple products.  If you are fortunate enough, just buy the products in the US. 

*Note:  Some things in Panama are sold at low or reasonable prices.  However, based on lack of competition...some things are a rip off!

Dance Classes - Finally We Found You!

My girlfriend has been looking for a good dance class since we got here.  Of all the places she found, they were either for kids only OR they were in the midst of preparing for a performance so they were not accepting new students.  Ironically, my gf has danced in a number of PROFESSIONAL shows, so if they gave her a chance, she'd probably fit right in instantly.

Anyways, last Sunday, she found a dance class at the University of Panama Curundu.  It was an open class that mainly consisted of serious dancers or dance students.  The instructor/choreographer was impressive and really knew her stuff.  It was just the class that my gf was looking for...a dance class for serious dancers!  It took 3 months of searching, but she found it...thanks God!

Holes on the Sidewalk - Don't Fall In

My brother asked for a photo of an actual hole in the sidewalk.  Here it is.  I took this in El Dorado.  The hole was at least 6 feet deep and there was another just like it no more than 5 feet away.  This might be one of the reasons you don't see people just casually walking or biking down the street.  Just the other day, an  acquaintance of mine said a woman fell it one just outside his building!

The More Artsy Side of Panama City - La Musa de Chai

I like this place!!!!  Its got soul!

Its a cool artsy spot in El Cangrejo on Via Argentina.  The night we were there, they had a great DJ named "A Long Days Journey".  The crowd was mellow and chill.  Panama city can sometimes be a place where people can be a little superficial...this place is nothing like that.  There's "good" graffitti on the walls, and lots of cool art all around.  They sell drinks and Puerto Rican food.  This is the perfect place to meet up with friends for a relaxed good time.

If you wanna a little art and soul, then go to this place.  I'll definitly be back!  I gotta find more spots like this.  This is the side of Panama city that I wanna get to know more about.

The Gamboa Rainforest - A Quick Getaway From the City

Gamboa Rainforest and hotel.

This place is about 25 mins (or less) away from Panama City.  We got lost on our way there, but I'll take full responsibility for that.  We stayed one night at the hotel because we got a good low season deal.

Word to the wise: get exact directions BEFORE going to Gamboa.  Its easy to get lost.  Thank God we had a GPS.

My review:

-->Pool was very nice, but a little cold.

-->Free canoe trip was very low key and casual.  Not a whole lot of canoeing or adventure.  Apparently crocodiles were in the water, but we didn't see any.   Our guide didn't seem to be worried, since she dangled her leg in the water for quite some time!

-->Hotel was good.  Facilities were very nice.

-->Room was quite comfortable.  

-->The spa was okay.  The men and women's spas our seperate, so my lady and I were in the hot tubs alone.  :(  They also have a (seperate) sauna and steam room.  I liked the steam room, but it took a WHILE to get it to work.  My gf could NOT get her steam room to work.  The hot tub jets were terrible.

-->Massage at the spa.  According to my gf, it was not impressive and NOT worth the price.

-->Tours: Free ones: Canoe, Bike, and Night Truck Ride.  Pay ones: Monkey, Bird Watching, and others.   Can't comment, didn't go on any except the canoe tour.  HEADS UP, sign up for the tours early, because once they are full, you are outta luck.

-->Hotel restaurants were good.  We might have got sick from the food, it was hard to tell cuz it happened when we got back home.  The restaurant by the lake is the ONLY place we saw any crocodiles.  I was told they just hang out there because people toss them food from the balcony.

My recommendation:

1. This place is a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the city and its very close.
   
2. Come here if you want an easy, quick getaway from the city.
3. Come during off season and try to get a good rate.
   
4. Get there early.  It seems like the best part of the place is enjoying the scenery during the day.  Give yourself enough time to explore the area.
   
5. Venture out and explore the area...its pretty big.
   
6. Skip the massage.
   
7. Keep in mind that couples can not enjoy the hot tub, sauna and steam room together.

  

Do NOT Leave Uncovered Food Out!!!

I'm in the kitchen today and I notice a bunch of rice on the counter near my empty container of protein powder.  I thought that was kinda of odd, so I take a closer look and notice that THE  RICE IS MOVING!!!!  Turns out that that wasn't rice...it was maggots!!!! Not Cool!!!!  

After more investigation, I remember that 3 days back, I used that container to hold some extra oil that I poured out while cooking.  Apparently, I didn't close the lid all the way, flies came in and laid some eggs and BOOM...maggots!  Again NOT COOL!!!

Lesson learned:  Its easy for flies to get in your house through and open window.  In panama, lots of building have windows that do NOT have screens.  So, do not leave any food out, or any food uncovered.  Also, do not leave dirty dishes in the sink!  If you do, get ready for some "rice that moves!".

MY APOLOGIES...

So many blog-able things happen here in Panama City. 

 I'm sooo busy still getting settled in that sometimes it takes a while for me to find the time to blog about them.  Sometimes when I do find the time, its LATE at night and I'm tired, so I post things in a not the most well thought out manner.

For this I'm sorry.   

I really do appreciate all of you who take the time to read my blog.  Thank you!!!

Mr. Answers

Used Car Adventures - Did a Cockroach Just Crawl Across My Lap???

We bought a used car.  Nothing special, a 2004 Nissan sentra.  Good car, but the body and interior of the car look FAR from new.  When we bought the car, one of our first thoughts was to clean the interior.

Fast forward 2 weeks later.  We park the car and I'm sitting in it for a few minutes while I mess with my cell phone.  While messing with the phone, I look down and see a quarter size cockroach crawling across my lap!  I hit the roach with my phone, but then it disappears.  Not sure if I got it or not, but I definitly got up quickly out of the car.  The next day, I looked for the dead roach...no luck.

DEFINITLY TIME TO GET THE CAR CLEANED!!

Stalker in the Window - Time to Put Up Some Drapes

Background: I live in one of two twin tall buildings.  I have no drapes on any of my windows, so if they wanted to, anyone can look in my place from the other building. 

Its late at night and I get up to go to the kitchen.  I look out my bedroom window and see a guy in the apt building next door staring into my apt.  The light is on in his apt, so I can his silouette in his window.  No big deal, but then I go to the kitchen and look out the window and see the guy still staring at me.  Now its getting strange.  I go back to my room and see the guy STILL staring at me.  Now I'm thinking to myself, "this guy isn't even trying to hide".  Time to hassle with my concrete walls and put up some drapes.

2 days later, its day time and I decide to look into the stalkers apt window.  This time I see a big empty fruit basket in the window.  I go into the kitchen and look from there.  Sure enough, from a distance, that FRUIT BASKET looks like a person who staring out the window.  Ooops!  Worried for nothing, but I'm still putting up some drapes.

Grocery Store Adventures - Alcohol Samples???

Its Saturday night and I'm in the grocery store (Super 99) and I walk by the alcohol section.  I see a woman wearing a "Bacardi Rum" shirt so I assume she's there to promote the alcohol.  I take a second look and realize, "no she's not just selling alcohol, shes's MAKING and GIVING away free drinks...in the middle of the grocery store!"  Sure enough, people walk up, she asks them what they want and she makes them the mixed drink.  I had to get a picture and blog about this...

Driving in Panama - You Better Have a Plan

I'll keep this very simple...

When driving in Panama:

1) KNOW exactly how to get to wherever you are going (partially knowing the way is not enough at times)

2) Get a GPS with a good map of Panama

3) Street signs 

a) are generally not very clear

b) don't exist

c) will tell you where to go, but then as you get closer, there are NO more signs

4) If you go the wrong way, you might get caught in HEAVY traffic, end up in a dangerous neighborhood or spend forever trying to make your way back

My story:

I was driving one day trying to get to Gamboa.  I was looking for the Corredor Norte.  I followed 3 signs that all said "To Corredor Norte".  As I got closer to what I thought was Corredor Norte, there were no more signs, but the road split into 3 different directions.  On that same trip, I drove past Gamboa so we had to come back.  Well coming the back way, there were NO signs that said Gamboa.  In other words, the road signs were only helpful if you were traveling in one specific directions.  On the way back, thank God I use the GPS, because again the signs were unclear about how to get back to the city.  In the end, I spent 2 hours driving to a place only 30 mins away.  No one to blame but myself!

It is what it is...just know exactly how to get to where you are going.  Plain and simple.  If you have a lot of free time, then learning by getting lost might be okay.

Patience and Energy versus Money

TRUST ME. If you live here, sometimes you will have to decide whether your want to give up money or patience & energy to do things.  

A few examples:

If you have no car:

• Pay a high price for a good car or save money but spend a lot more time waiting for and dealing with taxi drivers who sometimes won't pick you up.  Before we had a car, we would lose about 1-2 hours a day due to extra travel time.
• Rent a car for at least $50/day or take a cab to the grocery store, then the mall, the phone company etc, then back home.  Like above, having no car, you need to add an extra 15-30 mins for every place you plan on going to.  Trust me, unless you have a LOT of free time, this will make your life very difficult.
  

Shopping ("the peanut butter here is a $1 more than at the "El Rey")

• Pay the extra dollar or spend time driving/walking/cabbing to the "El Rey" which may or may not have the peanut butter and you end up with nothing.
  

Renting an apartment:

• Pay higher rent and live in an apartment with security, swimming pool, back-up water supply and nearby conveniences or save a $100 on rent and live in an unsafe neighborhood, travel 30 mins through bad traffic to to get to a grocery store, gym, park, mall, etc  and have NO water when the city's supply runs out.
  
• Pay higher rent and live on a high floor in a building (or away from construction) or save money on rent, but have construction guys staring into your apt while they work AND have to deal with their loud noise on Saturday morning while you are trying to sleep in.

Buying things you need:

Paying $20 extra for the quality green vegetable supplements or save the money but be stuck with rarely having green vegetables with your food because very few restaurants use them or always having to get the poor quality ones from the store. 

Mini vacations after a few hard months of nonstop work:

Pay $60 more for a luxurious hotel near the beach or save the money but stay at an run down hotel with nothing to offer and take a 15 min cab ride to the beach or to the restaurants for all your meals and entertainment

You get the picture...but keep in mind that sometimes no matter how much money you pay, sometimes you might still end up getting bad service and spending a lot of patience, energy.

***I also acknowledge that a lot of people without much money have no choice so they have to be patient and expend energy.  If you have a choice consider yourself blessed.

Getting the Details - Patience Required

I'm a details kind of guy...it helps me make smart decisions in life and avoid misunderstanding and wasting of time.

Here in Panama City, sometimes the details are very hazy.  Let's start with some examples:

There are no real EXACT addresses.  Address here are like this:  

McDonalds

73rd Street

San Francisco 

NOT 

McDonalds

1212 73rd Street, 

San Francisco, 

Panama City, 

Panama 32156

Location of things:

"The rental car place is a few blocks from here"  when it really is a 2 miles away.

How much something cost:

"I know this car dealer that sells used cars for under$5,000" when you get there, they only sell NEW cars and the starting prices are $9,000.

Getting things done:

"Just call and they will switch the electricity into your name"  when the reality is you need to go to the main office and wait for an hour, then come back another day.

"The repairman will come by tomorrow to fix the AC at 6pm, I will call you when he is on the way"  when the reality is the repair guy will come 3 days later, you will not get a courtesy call informing you of this, then when he comes, he won't have any tools, so he'll have to come back another day.

"I will take the paperwork tomorrow and switch the car into your name.  You do not need to go" when the reality is, they will take the paperwork when its convenient for them and it turns out that you need to go down to the registration office yourself to switch it into your name.

"Don't worry, we'll pay the old water bill" when the reality is 2 weeks have passed and the bill has not been paid, the new bill is here and you've called multiple times to find out when the bill will be paid and you get no response.

These are just a FEW examples of how things go around here.  You have to be VERY clear about what you want AND then follow up to make sure its going to happen.  Sometimes, people will get annoyed when you ask questions to clarify what they are saying or they just gloss over the details.

Unless you have a lot of time on your hands and patience, I suggest getting clear details AND following up right away to make sure they are actually happening, especially before you hand over any money.  NOTE: sometimes you can't get any detailed info and you have to be okay with that.

Observation - Panama CITY Dress Code

People here (Panama City) always are dressed up.  Let me explain:

->Employees always have a clean (and usually pressed uniform).

->The only time you see people in sports/atheletic clothes in when they are working out.

->Even people who work hard labor jobs (janitors, security, cafeteria, construction) are always dressed nice on their way to work.

->Guys are usually wearing some sort of polo shirt or a very nice t-shirt and jeans.

->You rarely see anyone wearing shorts or sloppy clothes.

->Men and women typically do not wear baggy or oversized clothes.

-> Its uncommon to see men in flip-flops.

->Its very common for women to wear high heels or some sort of nice footwear and have their finger and toe nails manicured.

->Its uncommon to see women wearing athletic shoes unless they are working out.

->Women and Men tend to always have their hair freshly cut or styled.

->Black Women tend to have their hair straightend (its rare to see a "natural" or "locked" style which I think is a great look)

Panama Customer Service - My report card

This is my opinion of the customer service here based on my actual experience. I will try to review this in chronological order.

Hotel (for tourists): A- (no complaints, all request were filled)

Taxis: D+ (for $2 a ride, its hard to expect more)

Cable and Wireless (cell phone company): C (you have to wait a long time before you get served. The sales lady was decent once we finally saw her)

Grocery stores: B (they bag your groceries for you and are pretty friendly, but you will have to wait a long time if someone in front of you tries to pay with a $100 bill)

Real Estate Agents (apts): C+ (some are good and will show you places you ACTUALLY want others will take you places that are out of your price range OR are not what you are interested in)

Restaurant (normal to middle class): C- (you have to be VERY CLEAR if you want a substitution such as "extra broccoli", they rarely come back to check on you after you get your food, they don't refill your glass with water unless you ask)

Restaurant (high end): A (Great service. Note: I've only been once for my gf's birthday)

Rental Car Companies: C (They are not upfront about all the fees when you reserve in advance. When you are in the rental office, prepare to wait a long time. The rental agents are friendly and helpful)

Property Managers (the people who you sign the apartment contract with): D If you don't THOROUGHLY check your apt BEFORE you sign your contract, you might find lots of problems after you move in (even high end apartments). Once you give them the money for your apartment, its very difficult to get them to do/fix anything afterwards)

Auto Mechanic (Pedro near El Cangrejo): A (He will evaluate cars for you for free. Honest guy who is honest and very helpful)

Cable Onda (internet/cable company): D (You will wait forever on the phone if you call customer service. They come to install your cable/internet when they feel like it. If you try to set an appointment with them, you need to triple check the date and time and then keep calling them to make sure they are coming. The guys who installed my internet did not fully know what they were doing. I had to help them!)

Department stores: C- (They do not offer to help you, you must always ask first. The cashiers seem pretty unhappy)

Hardware stores: B (Service overall is pretty good. Sometimes the employees won't help you even though they clearly see you need help)

Corner Stores: B- (Not bad. But if there is a line, you might be waiting for a long time. One time there was a long line at the cashier and an employee just stood there. No one was helped until the OTHER employee came out of the bathroom)

Banco General (bank): B- (Overall, pretty good ONCE you have an account. Sometimes you will have to wait a long time to get helped. Extra services can be difficult to obtain if you are not a local.  We had to wait an extra month,  because THEY lost all the paperwork to start our new accounts)

Sound and Music - A Cheapskates TV Paradise

Now that we were starting to settle in, it was time to buy an TV. We didn't need a HD flat panel or anything fancy, just a basic quality TV so we can play the Xbox360 and watch DVDs.

A co-worker hooks me up and says the best place to go is "Sound and Music" in Los Pueblos. We go check it out and sure enough, they have normal TVs for pretty reasonable prices. The people are pretty friendly too. We buy a "Sankey" 29" TV and a couple other kitchen appliances. Before buying them, the salespeople take the appliances out of the boxes and test them for us right in the middle of the store.

I was pretty impressed with this store.

You may think you can buy lots of things here cheap...don't be fooled. They might call this place "3rd World", but they sure have a lot of "1st World" prices. Thank God for this hookup.

Hopefully this Sankey TV holds up...because I think most companies are now only making flat screen TVs and mine is back in the US, so I refuse to buy another one.

Power Club Gym - Training for a Kung Fu Movie

In Panama city, the main gym is the Powerclub. There are locations in most of the major parts of the city.

The first Powerclub I went to was in El Cangrejo. I was not impressed by this location. The place was kind of small and the facilities did not look great and there is no hot tub (yes I was spoiled by the one at the YMCA back in the SF Bay). Plus they wanted $600 for a year membership...not a chance!!! I will keep doing Capoeira and P90X.

My girlfriend bought a membership to the PC through our job for lower rate. I refused based on what I saw at the El Cangrejo location. Fast forward to this past Weds. Needing a different workout, I decide to go with her to the Paitilla location and do the "Combat Fit" class.

We get there and I'm immediately impressed. This location is pretty big and the facilities look very upscale. A lot of the people in here were attractive and in pretty good shape (some weren't). We start the class and it turns out to be a kick boxing type class. We are the only Black people in the class and I'm the only guy. The workout was not very challenging, so my gf decides to leave. Since the class involved punches and kicks, I decide to stay. Now I'm still the only guy in the class (besides the teacher) and I notice a bunch of people staring at me while I do the class (probably thinking, why is that guy in there?). By the way, this is my first aerobic type class.

So I'm working out doing these cheesy moves to the techno, when I start hearing kung-fu sound effects as we throw the punches and kicks. Yes the workout actually included sound effects (the ridiculous kind you hear in those old Kung Fu movies)! Also it was strange that after finishing the different chunks of exercises, the ladies would start clapping (as if they finished some grueling workout. :) The sit-ups were the only part of the work out that was any good.

After the "Combat Fit", I decided to check out the rest of the gym. The weights area was pretty modern and the bathroom looked like a hotel.

I'm still not signing up for the Powerclub, but at least if you are into weights or aerobics classes, go to the Paitilla location.

Observation - Where are the hats?

I've been in Panama city for 2 months and realized something...WHERE ARE THE HATS?

Its very rare to see someone wearing a hat, I mean ANY kind of hat. I think I've seen a couple guys in the mall wearing a hat, but I don't think I've seen a single woman wearing a hat.

I don't think it has anything to do with the weather. Its warm here, but its not blazing hot. I believe that its a cultural and style issue. Since most people here always have their hair cut or styled well, I guess they don't bother wearing hats.

Hmmmmm...


***Update 10/7/10
I have seen some guys wearing baseball caps, but thats about it. No Kangols, fedoras, wavecaps, etc. I still have yet to see a woman wear a hat.