Quote:
Originally Posted by Scat in the Hat
How is it like living in Panama as a "perpetual tourist" these days? I'm getting a lot of mixed info online, such as one article i read (can't remember what it was dated) stated that one must return to his country of origin for at least three days before re-entering.
Also I ended up in a jail cell at Migracion for not having my passport on me while I was out, almost missed my damn flight home (was just a week short of the 90 day period I was allowed to stay there so still legal).
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I have to leave the country every three months. I don't have to go to my country of origin. I usually go to Colombia. Cartegena is a great place to kick back and relax, and is only an hour away. Next month I'm going to Costa Rica to hang on the beach for a few days. No big deal.
You definately need to carry your passport, or at the very least, a copy of it with both the main pages (with picture, name, passport number, etc) and the page with your entry stamp. You also need to carry your Tourist Card, the little paper crap that shows where you entered. Make sure the date on this matches the entry date in your passport
I like it here overall, though it's difficult to get things done sometimes. I have a Panasonic split unit AC, and the fan motor is bad. I ordered a new motor and it's been 5 weeks, and nothing yet. I ended up buying a new AC while I wait for the thing to get fixed.
Traffic is horrific. The streets are laid out in a way that makes no sense whatsoever. They have these areas of one-way streets that make it really difficult to get anywhere. The Panamanian people are usually extremely friendly, except when they get behind the wheel. They turn into total assholes and idiots. Seriously, driving here is nerve-wracking, at best.
Service here also generally sucks. Waitresses feel like they are doing you a favor by serving you. It's funny to watch a Panamanian server working next to a server from Colombia. The Colombiana is busting ass, doing her job, raking in big tips, while the Panamana is bitching about how customers suck and waste her time.
Anyway, once you get past the small stuff, it's an OK place to live and work.