Product Description

Panama recently has assumed a new identity-destination for retirees and snowbirds looking for an interesting place to relocate. Expats coming to Panama is nothing new. Whether for business or pleasure, they have been arriving here for the 100 plus years of Panama's existence. They encounter a new country, new language and new culture. And, now they find Panama a dynamic country that is continually growing and changing which is both exciting and stressful. Living in Panama, the totally new, updated and expanded Second Edition is designed to add to the interest and reduce the stress while helping newcomers of all kinds settle in Panama. Over 340 pages of valuable information including guides to obtaining your driver's license, opening a bank account, paying utility bills, shopping, and just blending in. The expanded Panama-on-Line sections provide additional resources through web sites for everything from social clubs to wifi locations, from government offices to repair resources for everything from shoes to silver, from professional associations to social clubs. There is up-to-date information on newspapers, including several new ones in English, to radio stations, also in English, and new live theaters. As always, this new version provides answers to those often asked questions like, "why do Panamanians drive they way they do?"; "where are the schools for children?; the churches?; the shopping?. Whether you live in Panama City, Boquete, Volcan, or Coronado the answers are in this book. As Panama's desirable communities for new comers have developed and expanded so has the resource material in Living in Panama. Sandra T. Snyder continues to be the person to call when you want to know where to go to get the answers, ask where to find something, or who to contact, or how to solve a problem. An expatriate herself, she and her husband have lived in Panama for over twelve yeas and belongs to many of the clubs and organizations that make Panama a delightful place to live. She has had the same questions that others ask every day. The difference is, she has the answers and in Living in Panama, she shares her wealth of information. Living in Panama is an invaluable guide to anyone just arriving, relocating for business or a local looking for insider information.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #147197 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-28
• Binding: Paperback
• 364 pages

Customer Reviews

The bible for people considering Panama
We have lived in Panama for almost three years and bought the first edition before moving here from Costa Rica. That edition had 100 fewer pages and covered only Panama City since, at the time it was first published in 2002, not many Norte Americanos lived out in the Volcan or Bocas del Toro areas. Still, it was invaluable for us and we referred to it often.

We love the insights about the people, places and where to go in order to get acclimated into the community. Getting involved makes life so much more enjoyable here and you meet many new people from all over the world.

Perhaps the single most important benefit of this book is that it is written by someone who actually lives here. The other books we bought were written by people who live elsewhere but claim to be experts. That's less than helpful and they simply cannot know the backstories and other aspects of life in Panama.

Starting from how to get things done like finding the resources you need to what to consider when looking for a place to live, Sandra Snyder has done the homework for almost anyone moving to Panama. It will be particularly valuable for people trying to figure out why things are done here the way they are. It is the subtle nature of getting what you want done that can cause all sorts of headaches for people not clued in. This book is extremely helpful in that regard. Even if you are fluent in Spanish, it will be a good guide, though it really helps those with less than perfect (read little to no Spanish) language skills.

With information about visas, banks, weather, shopping, paperwork, and almost every aspect of actually living in Panama, it sets a new standard for others to surpass. Period.

Bottom line: When researching places to live overseas, look for information written by people actually living in your country of interest and do not believe the hype on the Internet. This book breaks through that clutter and gives you the realities of living in Panama.

Living In Panama
I have read a number of "Living In ..." books over the past few years and this is probably the most informative I have seen. It clearly identified what it would be like to live in Panama -- both Panama City and the outlying areas. The information on the culture was outstanding. For instance, such things as why the attire is more formal (i.e., not shorts and sandals except at the beach) than one might expect, and why everyone is expected to have a maid and not to wash your own car!!! It explains how no one except tourists wear tennis shoes, but to expect that your leather shoes will need extra care to avoid rotting in the humidity. These are just some of the practical things that make this book a must read for anyone thinking about living in Panama.

In-depth guide to living in Panama
I found this book to be a very inclusive guide for anyone currrently living in Panama or planning to relocate there. The author seems to have anticipated all the questions that might come to mind and answered them in-depth.

This book is a must if a person wants to avoid the pitfalls that one might anticipate in settling in a country with a different culture and language. The writing style makes for easy reading.