Panama’s Endangered Historic Districts

Friday March 5, 2010

Written by Matt Landau
The Panama Report

Two historic neighborhoods in the Republic of Panama are in danger of losing their status of World Heritage Site as recognized by United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Paired together, the ruins of Panama Viejo as well as the historic district of Casco Antiguo will be the subject of a visit this month from UNESCO representatives who will seek resolution to various hazards expressed on a visit last year to determine Panama’s future as world heritage hosts.

According to UNESCO on their last evaluative trip to Panama, there existed several important threats to the sanctity of Panama Viejo and Casco Antiguo. Those threats included, but were not limited to, severe deterioration of historic buildings, conflicting interests with regards to conservation, deficiencies in legal framework, demolitions of urban buildings, as well as forced displacement of occupants and squatters. The report also revealed that, “inappropriate interventions were undertaken at some historic buildings” and cited the extensive interventions at the Hotel Central having “significantly affected an emblematic building.”

Upon returning this coming March, it is speculated that many of the aforementioned hurdles to preservation will prove to have gone unaddressed. From seriously delayed infrastructure issues (sewage, garbage, electricity…etc.) to unnecessary demolitions (in many cases of buildings under the most important category) Panama’s government appears to lack the legal framework to preserve its patrimony.

What it boils down to says Patrizia Pinzon, President of AVACA, a lobbyist group for Casco Antiguo, is a separate and authoritative entity that has not only a sturdy budget, but more importantly independence from political waves. “Everything comes down to continuity,” Pinzon says. “That is to say, we already have laws in place, which, even if they are not perfect, are certainly of international standards.

“But without an entity that has the responsibility, the authority, the independence, the budget, and the qualified staff we are not going to get too far. Every program depends on it. From social housing to commercial development.” If, as some experts are speculating, Panama’s progress is not approved, Panama’s UNESCO status would be demoted to that of World Heritage in Danger, a precursor to removal from the organization as a whole.

Concerns regarding the state’s role in cultural preservation have come not only come from outside groups, but also from inside sources such as María Eugenia Herrera de Victoria, Director of Panama’s National Culture Institute (INAC) who worries there’s no policy in place to recover, restore, or conserve Panama’s rich past. “The absence of cultural politics has marked a major part of Panama’s political history,” Herrera said in an email interview, citing little interest on behalf of the government for the conservation and appreciation of Panama’s heritage.

This would not be the first time sanctity of a World Heritage Site has been threatened. In 1995, the Giza Pyramids of Egypt were endangered by a highway project that would extend eight lanes of high-speed traffic within two miles of its base. Experts and lobbyists from both the United Nations and Egypt knew full well the effects of such a project, both physically (the pyramid’s limestone would crumble further from air pollution and erosion) and in terms of historical value (highways beside historic landmarks are sacrilegious). They rallied against the project for roughly six months before an agreement was reached and the nearly completed highway was rerouted in its entirety. At a press conference, UN and Egyptian representatives said that the decision was made irrespective of the vast costs associated with moving an eight-lane highway. The act of preserving a UNESCO World Heritage Site, they explained, was quite simply priceless.

Similar accounts such as illegal logging in Mount Kenya National Park, and plans for an aluminum plant construction near Delphi in Greece show not only that governments do occasionally overlook threats to heritage and patrimony but also that they are, with the help of such important organizations, able to address and tackle obstacles to patrimony with full force.

According to UNESCO themselves, “often the World Heritage Committee and the States Parties, with the assistance of UNESCO experts and other partners, find solutions before a given situation deteriorates to an extent that would damage the site.” Such would hopefully be the case with Panama where a strong new tourism and investment sector has come to attract the very same foreigners who value such accolades.

“We came to Panama because we are trying to visit all the World Heritage Sites before we die,” said Mimi Lichtman who, with her husband Paul, were touring Casco Antiguo with cameras in hand. “All the guidebooks said we had to visit this place.” When asked if Casco Antiguo lived up to its reputation, the Lichtmans said words couldn’t describe their excitement.

According to statistics provided from Panama’s tourism authority (ATP), roughly 60,000-70,000 tourists visit the country’s capital each month, a large majority of which engages in City tours, which visit both of Panama’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It would seem counterproductive therefore, if not downright ignorant, for the newly minted Martinelli administration to ignore such hazards to the wellbeing of growth.

In a press conference this week, Panama’s Ministry of Finance proudly announced, amidst other large-scale projects, its new metro system that is estimated to cost around $1.5B. However according to authorities like Herrera of INAC, “building Panama’s future is just as important as offering tourists and Panamanians a legacy of its past.”

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74142118@N00/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Planning your trip to Panama

February 28, 2010
By Susan Carpenter
LA Times

THE BEST WAY TO PANAMA

From LAX,
Copa flies nonstop to Panama City, and American, Delta, Continental and Mexicana offer connecting service (change of planes). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $338. Round-trip service to David is available on Air Panama. Restricted-round trip fares begin at $160.

TELEPHONES
To call the numbers below from the U.S., dial 011 (the international dialing code), 507 (country code for Panama) and the local number.

WHERE TO STAY
Finca Lerida, P.O. Box 0413-00146, Boquete, Chiriquí; 720-2285, http://www.fincalerida.com. This is a bed-and-breakfast converted from a 90-year-old farmhouse on a coffee plantation in the heart of Panama’s mountainous coffee-growing region. Doubles $144-$180 a night.

Panamonte Inn & Spa, Boquete, 720-1324, http://www.panamonte.com, in business since 1914, has 25 recently renovated rooms and a spa with two treatment rooms. (The Panamonte felt more comfortable to me than where I was staying, Valle Escondido Resort & Spa, which was nice but too exclusive for my tastes.) Panamonte doubles from $236 in low season, and $295 in high season.

Cala Mia, Isla Boca Chica/Boca Brava, Archipelago Chiriquí, 851-0059, http://www.boutiquehotelcalamia.com. This eco-resort in the Gulf de Chiriquí is on an island where solar power rules. This little bit of paradise is dotted with private cabanas overlooking the Pacific. Doubles $180-$400.

WHERE TO EAT
Panamonte Inn (see info above) offers diners inventive, gourmet fare in a cozy, rustic setting. Entrees $9.50 to $28.

Sabor Escondido, 702-2454, http://www.resort.valleescondido.biz/sabor.html, in the upscale Valle Escondido residential country club, is presided over by chef Melissa de Leon, who also runs foodie tours. Entrees from $14.50.

Restaurant Lourdes, and Sabroson, Boquete, local hole-in-the-wall restaurants serving traditional Panamanian cuisine. Dinner less than $10.

TO LEARN MORE
Embassy of Panama
(202) 483-1407
http://www.visitpanama.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE

This LA TIMES article failed to highlight the stunning SeaGullCove Lodge & Restaurante in Boca Chica, which in my estimation, is the Crown Jewel of all resorts in the area, if not all of Panama.

This seaside mini-resort (5 darling cabañas) is impeccable in every sense of the imagination.

Owners Flavio and Pilar attend to your every need true to their European ancestry.

Whether you care to lounge pool side or beach side, whether you want to sport fish for the legendary blue marlin or do nothing at all – Flavio and Pilar have your covered.

But don’t take my word for it, the following picture only tells part of the story. Visit their website and make your reservations before someone jumps ahead of you!

SeaGullCove Lodge
Phone in Panama: ++(507) 851-0036
USA phone number: 1-786-735-1475
email: info@seagullcovelodge.com
www.seagullcovelodge.com/inglese/index.html

Photo credits: © 2010 Juan Antonio Villegas

Panama’s Crossroads of Dining

Tuesday, February 23 2010
Written by Matt Landau
The Panama Report

It’s rare in Panama City, or really anywhere in the world for that matter, to make reservations at one restaurant and have the subsequent option of dining at six. But after talking to Gary Doherty, a Wisconsin transplant and owner of a new enormously eclectic restaurant in El Cangrejo, the concept for a restaurant as such seemed anything but complex.

“We wanted to offer guests the ability to dine in six different tropical ambiances,” Doherty said quite matter-of-factly as if the challenge of defining one restaurant theme was nothing more than childsplay. From a cushioned wicker chair on the patio in this, the Bombay portion of Pangea’s world tour, Doherty explained the goal of Pangea was to be unique, and unique it most certainly is. Located in a primarily residential portion of El Cangrejo, the semi-hidden entryway guards arguably Panama City’s most diverse dining experience.

We showed up for dinner around 8PM and immediately ran into several unexpected groups of friends having cocktails at the Singapore bar, which has the feel of a dark and cozy old-school Malaysian lounge. Though I’ve never been to Singapore, I couldn’t help but envision, perhaps stereotypically, a team of drunken businessmen in unbuttoned suits, some singing karaoke and others keeled over the bar passed out. Then I realized it was my friends who were the inspiration.

A testament to that which would no doubt earn a failing grade in elementary geography, in Pangea it is the Singapore lounge that sits next to Nairobi, adjacent to which is Habana, then Morocco, then Rio, and ultimately of course (because what else would you expect to border a city of carnival celebrations, samba, Bossa Nova and hotel-lined tourist beaches?), the heartland of Bombay. The charm of Pangea’s décor is in its unpredictability: a sense of capriciousness that is, to a great extent, represented in its food.

Although it’s easy to be skeptical of a restaurant offering pages and pages and pages of widely diverse international specialties, the menu at Pangea is as consistent as it is surprising. The Peruvian style ceviche was one of our table favorites as was the Chiriqui Beef served with a zesty chimichurri, and the Bombay chicken, which, according to waiters, was among the most popular dishes at the time. Besides the VIP rooms, bar and terrace, Pangea also boasts a disco room that gets cranking later in the evening.

Phone: (507) 392-7539
Website: www.pangeapanama.com

Click map for larger view.

Those Whom Panama Frustrates

Monday February 01, 2010
Written by Matt Landau
The Panama Report

In the span of five Panama City blocks lay a multitude of sights, some as beautiful as others are unsettling. The serene presidential palace, a gang house commonly the suspect of errant shootings, an ultra-luxurious fifty-room hotel under construction slated to charge $300/night, and a network of open-air stalls where desperate people sell the odd pair of socks or cheap Chinese imports just to get by. In theory, Panama’s contrasts are some of its greatest appeals. Yet that theme, when examined in greater detail, could also explain some of the country’s most serious impediments to long-term success.

It’s seven AM Monday morning and the grind of life in El Chorillo, one of Panama City’s poorest and most downtrodden neighborhoods, has already begun. Clothes are wrung out atop balconies and set to dry on makeshift wires, children walk through abandoned lots overrun with weeds and heaps of decaying trash. No matter the year in which they were built, all buildings in El Chorillo look categorically neglected and rundown. Its residents, if you were to ask them, would unanimously agree that life in Panama in this day and age can feel pretty much the same way.

No more than three or four miles to the east, Larry Paul and his wife Gretta sit reading magazines on a plush couch at Panama City’s most prominent branch of HSBC, the world’s local bank. The Paul’s, transplants from Southern California, moved to Panama three years ago for many of the same reasons other expats do: low cost of living, good weather, wide business opportunities. They’ve been at the branch for three hours and despite their seemingly supernatural dedication to the task, the Paul’s have still not been able to acquire a credit card processing machine for their small restaurant in a city suburb. “Without a credit card machine, a restaurant can’t make money,” they said. It’s been roughly two years of hounding their bank representatives, but as Mr. Paul puts it, “certain things in Panama feel like a lost cause.”

For some, there is a new, or maybe revamped pride in being Panamanian. The country since the new millennium has institutionalized the art of upgrades: new highways, coastal strips, condo towers, hotels. Buildings as tall as have ever been built in Central America make for an extremely impressive skyline and the illustrious Canal expansion will widen one of the great wonders of this modern world. But opposite such glamorous imagery, what lacks is money spent on primary education for a nation among the worst in schooling in Central and South America. What has evolved amidst a wave of Panamanian growth is the foundation for an idiot savant economy that can strive for the impossible but fumbles with the mundane.

The Paul’s ended up leaving HSBC without an answer. Not unlike their credit card machine, their immigration papers are still being processed meaning, that after two years of investing time and money in the Republic, they are both technically considered illegal immigrants. “We haven’t given up yet,” says Gretta, “but jumping through these kinds of hoops came as a shock. It wasn’t really what we signed up for.”

The puzzle is that while Panama is economically confident (because it has posted extremely good numbers over the past few years) it is comprised of an organizational network sunk in the past: a sort of Dickensian paradox of going both everywhere and nowhere fast. Complaints of incompetence with regards to immigration and banking top the list while other fractures lie just beneath: for those looking to do business, these frustrations can be deal breakers. It is amazing, in a way, to know that such extreme contrasts are at play: progress versus regress, aspiration versus dysfunction.

There is no doubt that Panama offers one of the most burgeoning playgrounds in which to store cash and vacation in style, to open anonymous corporations and to benefit from the Panama Canal. And while glamorous triumphs have been made on a number of fronts, there still exists a diminished ability to focus on the immediate future. It’s like being farsighted: the distance is rosy and clear while the nearby appears to be blurry and overlooked.

In 1958, a young promising American actress named Sherry Rubin had the unfortunate desire to eat what amounted to four entire meals within a time period of several hours. According to the local medical examiner, Rubin’s 100-pound frame was nowhere near accustomed to digesting so much food and in a vain attempt to vomit, her stomach walls exploded and she died. While nothing as serious as death is in its near future, Panama is, in certain ways, becoming a victim of its own rapid growth. It is a case study of emerging infrastructure, both physical and social aspects, that ceases to shed facets of the developing world. It’s not unusual that most large cities have inequalities like these, but rather that the discrepancies in Panama are so big and so startling.

Carlos Ruiz latest to receive three-year contract from Phillies

Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Written by: Ryan Lawrence

PHILADELPHIA — Carlos Ruiz likes horses.

He owns three and often rides them during the offseason at his family home in Panama. But the man affectionately called “Chooch” admitted he resisted the urge to give into his hobby this winter.

“I wanted to be safe since I was getting ready for a contract,” Ruiz said Tuesday afternoon.

Ruiz can get back on the horse before reporting to spring training next month. The 31-year-old catcher passed a physical Tuesday afternoon to finalize a three-year, $8.85 million contract.

Read full article here.

Photo courtesy Daily Times

Government Will Spend $180 Million To Widen Highways in Chiriquí

Monday January 25, 2010
Editor

According to an article in the Panama Guide dated January 10, 2010, the Panamanian government is poised to allocate $180 million toward widening the roads from David to Boquete and from David to San Felix.

Full article here.

Building a Better 2010

Wednesday, January 06 2010y 03 2010
Written by Matt Landau
The Panama Report

When it comes to 2009, Panama was nothing if not an oddity. In learning early on that the financial crisis would hit, the majority of the past year was described in terms of resilience rather than success. In general, Panama’s picture locally shined much brighter than the international scene: the economy was up, employment was down, people weren’t sitting around on their butts (well at least, they weren’t doing so while waiting for the recession to end). 2009 was Panama’s first real exercise in staying power and in terms of fortitude, it wouldn’t be unfair to say that its foundation faired quite well.

Yet 2010 will bring with it a whole new set of challenges for the hemisphere’s fastest growing identity. With President Martinelli’s grace period coming to an end, drama appears to be building to a crescendo on many different fronts, almost all of which revolve around what we’re calling the crux of 2010 and that is the Panama introspection: what does the country really want? Without serious thought, the vast gulf between Panama’s disparities – its haves and have-nots, its ego and reality, its past and its future – will continue to widen, leading to infrastructure evils beyond the repair capacity of a simple road crew.

In a period that many of the world’s previously-relied-upon institutions are failing, Panama’s institutions are improving, significantly, but that doesn’t necessarily say too much. I was tempted to title this article, The Panama Ball Drop of 2009 but in a more optimistic and accurate vein, ideas on how to build a better 2010 incorporate ideas not only of economics and law, but of truth and identity.

1. Rebuild Credibility: 2009 has shown much more meaningful growth than the immediate years before it, but not unlike a morbidly obese guy losing ten or twenty pounds, Panama still has a long way to go. Self-peddled as a banking delight, a cheap real estate haven, an eco-friendly paradise…etc. 2010 will require Panama to either recognize these traits or ditch them for something more realistic. Rebuilding credibility could deal with crime, corruption, eco-tourism, banking, cost of living.  The truth: Panama does have a number of really credible draws, but as it is promoted currently, the experience doesn’t add up. False advertising needs to be dealt with in 2010.

2. Avoid Complacency: As a testament to Panama’s laid-back history, it would not be unfair to say that a threat of complacency is among Panama’s top potential hazards in 2010. In its past, most policy has been driven by short-term necessity rather than long-term planning. Panama has accomplished great things to date. Stopping here to bask in its success though would be cancerous. 2010 must be a drive for realistic initiatives from green movements to shopping malls (or whatever they may be). The truth: Panama has a tendency to take things for granted. In order to build a better 2010, it must continue the motivated drive it has shown impressively in 2009.

3. Embrace Foreigners: After talking the talk and branding itself as a retirement, tourist, and investment haven, 2010 will be the most important year for Panama to walk the walk and cuddle those visitors that do arrive with every might of acceptance in their blood. Immigration and the first impressions of Tocumen must transform as must hospitality training, customer service, and other adaptations that a self-proclaimed role of “international business hub” requires. Bad experiences are the ones foreigners remember most. Polling foreigners for suggestions could be a start on the right track as might initiating an entrepreneur visa (see here for article) for young, talented, and innovative people looking to add to the fabric of Panamanian society. The truth: Tourists are treated like cattle and investors are looked at through dollar sign lenses. More genuine hospitality will be a deal breaker in 2010.

4. Fidelity vs. Convenience: Subscribing to the Panama mantra instead of vacationing or investing somewhere else is not unlike deciding whether to go to a nice movie theater or stay at home and watch Netflix. In 2010, Panamanians must grasp the consumer trade-off between delivering extraordinary experiences and making something cheap and easy (both of which have their place in the world market). As tempting as it is to appeal to everyone, opting for and focusing on one of these is its key for 2010. Panama can succeed at either end of the identity spectrum – whether it’s Latin America’s gambling mecca or the hemisphere’s most authentic tourism spot – but failure awaits those who attempt to mish mash all these attributes together. The more Panama goes in one direction, the greater its chance of success. Read Trade-Off, Why some things catch on, and others don’t by Kevin Maney. The truth: Panama has tried to appeal to everyone and without any kind of specialization in 2010, it may become a homogenous isthmus of mediocrity instead of the powerhouse it is entirely capable of.

The final defining role of 2010, one deserving of far more than a mere number in our list, will be Panama’s people. After all, aren’t they the ones who are really entitled to their country’s fate? Will the increased cost of living prove too much to handle? Would the majority of them prefer life to return to a simpler, more tipico style of living? As much as its foreign entrepreneurs and politicos and the country’s elite would have it their way, the question remains: do the majority of Panamanians really like the direction their country is heading? In the end, this is their, and only their decision to make.

Over the past few years, Panama has emerged as something of a mirage: it’s neither highly authentic nor highly cheap or convenient. Consumers are always willing to give up convenience for great product. They’re also willing to ditch the great product for great convenience. Oddly enough though, Panama has fallen into a no-man’s land of consumer experience. No one gets excited by products like that. At its current rate, Panama won’t provide a compelling enough reason to visit a few years down the line. One real possibility to long-term growth is to focus on excelling at one game-even if it’s at the cost of another. This while realizing its potential, rebuilding the credibility it fully deserves, continuing the drive to better itself, and truly embracing the very foreigners that make most of its growth possible.

I don’t know if it was always this way, but for as long as I can remember, just as the winter cold started to set on the northeast part of the United States, my mother would make it a habit every night to sit in front of a warm fire and watch PBS. The news show she watched was something of a recap of the days events, which were reported by a calming voice in a turtleneck and I liked it because amidst today’s era of flashy news programs, PBS was and still is a simplified, almost outdated throwback to the first days of TV. Visiting for the holidays, it was only about a week ago that I overheard on one of her shows a piece about the Federal Reserve and its chairman Ben Bernake. “Outstanding, with flaws,” was how one of the economists (quoted in a survey by the Wall Street Journal) described Bernake’s record in 2009, which was, I thought, a very nice way of looking at Panama’s progress too.

The test is not did Panama get it perfect? As a new and developing country, this is simply not a fair thing to ask. Instead, the question should be, did Panama get the big things right, with enough efficiency, speed and clarity so that the outcome wasn’t awful? This is a more reasonable litmus test in the current global scenario and in Panama’s case, as with Bernake in the WSJ, the answer with regards to 2009 was yes. The story of 2010, however, has yet to be told.

Proposal: The Panama Entrepreneur Visa

Sunday, January 03 2010
Written by Matt Landau
The Panama Report

I come from a place where some of the biggest, most successful companies were started by immigrants. From Katz’s Delicatessen to Google, stories of smart, motivated entrepreneurs who emigrated to the U.S. and found a better life linger around every neighborhood corner. And while American visa laws and immigration agents aren’t exactly known for their hospitality, they do shed an interesting light on how cosmo-obsessed Panama has the potential to grow in a truly international way.

“Entrepreneurs drive America’s economy, accounting for the majority of the nation’s new job creation and innovations. Self-employed individuals who have no paid employees operate three-fourths of U.S. businesses. Further, America’s 25.8 million small businesses employ more than 50% of the private workforce, generate more than half of the nations GDP, and are the principal source of new jobs in the U.S. economy.” – ODEP, U.S. Office of Disability Employment Policy

It’s no secret that entrepreneurs and small business owners are, collectively, the driving force of innovation and economic progress in many countries. While everyone is motivated by their own set of private and professional agendas, the common drive is to fill niches then make money. From the first time I visited Panama, there flowed an air of creativity and innovation: this sense that if you picked the right function and you did it well, great success was just around the bend. The infrastructure was growing and Panama appeared to be in search of ideas, innovation, talent, and organization.

But there was (and is) only one little hitch. Ask any entrepreneur nowadays in Panama what the most difficult obstacle is to deal with and the answer is united: immigration. Visionaries like these can usually see through the little hurdles – the red tape, the cultural nuances, the fact that nothing gets done on time – because that’s what entrepreneurs do. But for small business owners, immigration in Panama is an extremely hard obstacle to overcome. Not only are visas difficult to obtain for oneself, but the ability to import skilled laborers is virtually impossible.

The potential to make a profit in Panama supplies a huge incentive for entrepreneurs to come up with new and better ideas: thus the giant explosion in new corporations created over the past five years. There is – and will be more and more amidst a recession and tightening immigration policies elsewhere in the world – a mad dash to bring in the world’s skilled foreigners. How can Panama position itself most attractively on that competitive buffet of options?

No one can argue that importing educated people to create jobs and build wealth might be bad for the economy. Chile, for instance, is throwing its doors wide open, offering a permanent visa to entrepreneurs, paying them up to $30,000 to visit the country and another $30,000 to start a business. In some cases, the Chilean government will even pay for office rent for the first five years. Read Chile Wants Your Huddled Masses, Your Tech Entrepreneurs.

A potential problem with such a visa in Panama would be the fact that the Republic’s government historically hasn’t done well with…let’s say…turning down bribes which are inevitable to nuanced immigration. This type of backdoor policy could just lead to more people buying their way in, and more corruption. There’s also the question of how the government determines who qualifies as a legitimate entrepreneur – not to mention if the visa-acceptee fails miserably in his promising start-up.

[Please use the comment section to submit your suggestions on how Panama's government could qualify entrepreneurs for an entrepreneur visa and what effects this might have on development.]

All the potential downfalls withstanding, the prospect for an entrepreneur visa in Panama is not outlandish. Just as Chileans call their country a “land of immigrants,” Panama too is a nation that has historically utilized the aid of foreigners to accomplish monumental tasks. It’s now a time for realizing the expertise that exists (and that can be taught) within its borders, then opening doors to bring in the best and the brightest abroad: to continue Panama down its road of economic and development breakthroughery. Entrepreneurship needs to have a place on Panama’s immigration agenda: it belongs alongside retirees and pensioners as the very alluring building blocks of a sustainable nation.

See here for a similarly proposed visa in the U.S.

Boquete makes Hideaways International’s Top 10 Destinations for 2010

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Boquete does it again…

In October Forbes rated Panama a Top Ten Best Retirement Haven and just yesterday the coffee producing pueblo of Boquete placed number 6 on Hideaways International’s Top 10 Destinations for 2010.

6. Central America–Panama

While the tourists beat a path to Guatemala and Costa Rica, the savviest travelers escape the masses in Panama. Nearly free from the overdevelopment that afflicts many Central American hot spots, Panama is a collection of natural beauties: Beaches, rain forests, and even a volcano. As with all finds, word is getting out, and lots of construction is planned, so 2010 is the year to visit.

Where to hide away: Islas Secas Resort, an eco-resort ensconced within a clutch of 16 islands known for their numerous beaches and perfect barrel waves, and Panamonte Inn & Spa, a historic country inn in Boquete that’s home to an intimate, hands-on cooking school.

Read full article here >>

Taiwan to donate executive jet to Panama

Thursday December 24, 2009
Written by Hwang Kwang-chun and Y.L. Kao
Central News Agency

Taiwan will donate an Embraer Legacy 600 jet to Panama as part of a cooperative program between the two countries, Republic of China Ambassador to Panama Simon Y.S. Ko said Wednesday.

The government’s decision to donate the Brazilian-made executive jet to the Latin American country was based on consideration of the Panamanian government’s need for planes that are safe and can be used for emergency patient transport services, according to Ko.

Most of the Panamanian government’s existing fleet of planes are outdated and last May, a 40-year-old Panamanian National Air Service helicopter crashed into a building in Panama City, killing 11 people, including the head of Chile’s national police Jose Alejandro Bernales, and injuring five others, Ko went on.

The Taiwanese government’s decision to donate the executive plane instead of funds also took into account that in the past, former Panamanian government officials have been accused of misuse of funds donated by Taiwan.

The Embraer Legacy 600, which carries a price tag of US$27.45 million, is capable of carrying 16 passengers in outstanding comfort and has a range of 5,650 km.

The donation will be made at a public ceremony in early 2010, Ko added.

Read original article here >>