Gamboa Rain Forest Resort

One of the most peaceful places in the world is the Gamboa Rain Forest Resort. perched on the edge of Gatun Lake which is the freshwater lake that feeds the Panama Canal, Gamboa is in the heart of the rain forest, but it is often sunny and beautiful like you see here.

Gamboa is also home to one of the best collections of local butterflies and local orchids. There are way too many of each to even begin to count but both the butterflies and the orchids are so fragile and beautiful, with such incredible colors. My favorite butterflies are the huge electric blue Morph butterfly. Lots of natural wildlife abounds in the rain forest and you will most likely see giant iguanas, several f variety of monkeys and birds of every hue.

Take the Zip line and sail into the rain forest’s canopy. You may find yourself face to face with a monkey or two.

If you are a golfer, bring your clubs as there is a world class golf course, called Summit Golf about 10 minutes away, with regular shuttle service from the hotel

There is lots to see and do here at The Gamboa Rain Forest Resort and once you have had your fill of nature you can come back and enjoy the sensational swimming pool or just tan in the sun.

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A Day with the Devils in Portobello

it was a hot day and a friend, Sandie and I were off to Portobelo for the Diablos and Congo Festival.

Many of the folks who came to Panama to work on the canal were from the Caribbean but had African heritage. They came to work but they built homes and raised their families and have stayed to add to the color of Panama. This particular festival is designed to honor that heritage and the energy is amazing.

The Congo dancing is full of color and lots of animation unlike the formality of the folkloric dancing which is done with the Polleras and is a form of courtship.

This entire day was full of color and action but our personal favorites were these two little “diablos” (devils)

If you get a chance to go to the Portobelo show next March be sure to take it in. It is a day you will not forget

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IT’S EARTH DAY!! Reduce Reuse Recycle The Three R’s

In Spanish the message is REDUCIR, REUTILIZAR Y RECICLAR Los Tres R’s

Yesterday at the regular monthly meeting of the Environmental Committee of Panamcham, Jennifer Simpson the Committee chairperson convened an exciting meeting where 4 different groups form Panama all came together to confirm that Panama was awake to the importance of the environment and there were programs and products that could help us achieve and maintain a clean and green Panama.

Our first speaker was Denisse Jurido from ANAM the environmental agency from Panama who gave us a wonderful guide to all the places in Panama where you can recycle various solid and liquid waste products from old batteries and old paint to glass and plastic bottles. This was an extensive guide done impressively on recycled paper. She also offered us a presentation on the garbage in our oceans and the damage it is doing to our ocean borne friends. Remember when you take that plastic piece that holds you rcans of soda together and cut it up fully before you throw it in the garbage becuase when it has wrapped itself around a baby turtle the disfigurement that is caused is lifelong and impedes the turtle’s ability to live in the wild and reproduce. She also reviewed the plastic bag problem which is overtaking our world with up a to a ti rillion plastic bags put nto the environment each year. Get a recyclable bag that you can take with you when you shop and use it, not more plastic bags. currently all major supermarkets in Panama, the Rey, Riba Smith and Super 99 are offering these recyclable bags.

Our next speaker was Mariela Frutto from FAS Panama (Fundacion de Accion Social por Panama) FAS is definitely putting recycling into action and they do pick ups in the city of Panama when you have things to be recycled. This is a non-profit Foundation and they have many corporate sponsors. They are creating programs to get more education out into the communities of Panama and into the school system. They are well aware that they need to enroll the population of Panama into the importance of protecting the environment and to think recycling right at source. Sort your garbage, and call FAS to come and get it but if you can’t sort it out or you are not sure what you are dealing with, email them faspanama2003@yahoo.com to pick it up and they will sort it and hold it until they have enough of one sort of recyclable to call the right organization to come and pick it all up.

They support the project in Parque Omar in Panama City where there are bins to help you to sort your recyclables and to allow you to dispose of all your recyclables in one trip.

We then heard from Erika Velasquez of Reciclaje PTY, a group of young people who are actively trying to let other young people in Panama know that they should get involved and start to encourage recycling wherever they are. They work on the computer and in the social networking site Facebook. Once a month they organize a recycling drive at Parque Omar and encourage all of Panama to come out and learn about what they can do to help keep Panama green. To contact Erika and her group email: planeta.mio@gmail.com Erika also works to get great homes for cats and dogs needing a home.

Our final official speaker was Sarah Mendoza from Tierra Natural whose company produces bio-degradable products for use in place of the foam, paper and plasiticized plates and glasses we use when we are having a crowd or in a setting where temporary dishes, and cutlery are required. Most of the so called products we currently use will not breakdown for months and years so clog up our landfill and pollute our world. the plastic bags and plates, cups and cutlery produced by Tierra Natural which will completely break down in 90 days leaving no contaminated landfills in their wake. These products are made from sugar cane fibers and bamboo fibers and are designed to be as cost efficient as the toxic products we currently use so we can “do the right thing” and it will not affect our pocketbook adversely. For more information email: info@tierranatural.net

However, Roger McMullen an invesntor of the McMullen Process spoke to us briefly as he has helped to invent a combustible process where all waste, be it batteries or sewage, plastic bags or broken cement are combusted at incredibly high heat and the by-products are electrical energy which can add to the electrical grid of a city or an area, inert carbon which of course can be used to removes toxic gases from contaminated sites and products and potable water. Even if you do not really want to drink this water, certainly you can use it for your plants and clothes washing. For more information contact Roger at his email: mpatusa@yahoo.com

It was an incredibly exciting meeting and many of these groups did not know about one another, and no one previously knew about Roger as he has just recently come to Panama from New Zealand.

Good things are in the offing

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This Environmental Committe is Making a Difference

AMCHAM Environment Committee is a powerful force
13 April, 2009 12:00:00 Luis Miguel Blanco / The Panama Post
luis.blanco@rimolamedios.com
October 2007, the Environmental Committee was resurrected

The Committee also plans a special event featuring the creative side of being environmentally aware: an Eco Fashion show

The PanAmCham Environmental Committee has begun 2009 with a great series of presentations and renewed energy focused on bringing a heightened eco-friendly awareness to Panama.

January and Aqua-Terra

In January, the Committee hosted an outstanding presentation by Aqua-Terra, a company with an environmental vocation, made up of professionals and certified technicians with backgrounds in Urban Planning and Engineering and headed by Jose Angel Taquechel.

Forty members of the Environmental Committee watched an excellent audiovisual presentation on the technologies Aqua-Terra incorporates and the successes they have experienced in Panama. Some of their highly visible projects are soil erosion remediation along the Panama Canal and the new Colón highway.

Since 1997, Aqua-Terra has specialized in soil erosion and water management solutions. Building on key strategic alliances with world renowned eco technology developers. They have developed green engineering approaches and used bio engineering techniques to successfully achieve environmentally sustainable geo and pipe systems. More available on them at www.aqua-terra.ws.

February was Green Globe Certification month

February’s meeting covered the Green Globe Certification process developed for the Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Green Globe Certification is a global certification system that performs third-party audits and verification of environmental practices for businesses, hotels and tourism companies, based on criteria from the United Nations, ISO 9001 and 14001 and the Rainforest Alliance. The certification covers issues such as Energy, Environment, Social Responsibility and Conservation.

The Caribe Hilton wanted to take their efforts to an internationally recognized level, so they committed to getting Green Globe Certified. Originally built in 1949 as the first ever Hilton outside of the United States, the Caribe Hilton had brought a strong environmental initiative to all aspects of its operations.

As it has been growing to over 800 rooms, the Caribe Hilton has reduced energy consumption by 10-15% in just the first year through simple projects such as compact fluorescent light bulbs, digital and programmable guest room thermostats, linen reuse/water conservation programs, and low flow toilets, faucets and showerheads.

They have also taken recycling to the next level by developing creative solutions when resources weren’t available, with food scraps going to a local farm, unused cooked food to a local charity, and glass bottles to a local artisan for meltdown and conversion into glasses and vases.

The first hotels in Central America to commit to Green Globe certification are right here in Panama: the Canal House, Rancho de Caldera and the American Trade Hotel. More information at www.greenglobecertification.com.

March and Mar Viva

Gabriela Etchelecu, the Executive Director of Mar Viva, was the guest speaker for the March meeting of AmCham’s Environmental Committee. Mar Viva is an NGO working in Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia to preserve and sustain marine resources and coasts and to protect and manage marine areas.

Since its inception, Mar Viva has successfully expanded to encompass a fleet of ten boats equipped with advanced navigational technology, allowing them to work in conjunction with local Coast Guards in controlling illegal fishing and guarding marine national parks. The principal objective is the recuperation of the ocean’s biodiversity.

Mar Viva has developed successful community programs on teaching sustainable fishing practices and marine conservation, including developing community pride in cleaning and maintaining beaches. They have also been a strong voice for positive legislation in Panama on protection of the Isla Coiba environment. More on Mar Viva at www.marviva.net.

Future plans for the AmCham
Environmental Committee include recycling initiatives in Panama and a Green Building Forum that will include international speakers on various aspects of the industry and permit local businesses to showcase their green products and consulting expertise.

The Committee also plans a special event featuring the creative side of being environmentally aware: an Eco Fashion show and competition where local designers will have the opportunity to create couture with an environmental theme.

The AmCham Environmental Committee meets at AmCham at 12 noon on the third Tuesday of every month for a light lunch, presentations and project development. For additional information, contact Jennifer Simpson at jsimpson@simpsonnfurones.com

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Panama Real Estate Sells in Canada

I live at the Royal Decameron Resort in one of their golf villas. Decameron was one of the first companies to really advertise Panama heavily in Canada. Teaming up with Noli Tours from Canada, Decameron started 8 or 9 years ago to really make sure Canadians had an alternative all inclusive resort to consider rather than Mexico and the US when they thought to escape Canada’s winters. In fact there are probably more Canadians who live full time or part time in the golf villas here at Decameron then there are Americans. The rest of the owners are Panamanians who own the villas as weekend retreats and Colombians, and a variety of other nationals make up a small portion of the owners.

It is a wonderful community and there is no reason that other Canadians would not want to come and live here, or at other resorts nearby. Panama is such an affordable alternative to living in Canada, with affordable world class health care available when you need it, not when the “system” has time to give it to you.

So it came as no particular surprise wen I saw this article in the Panama Star
Panama Star PANAMA. Panaexpo 2009, the real estate fair will take place at the International Mississauga Center, in Toronto, Canada from April 24 to 26. The fair aims to show Canadians that Panama is the ideal place to retire or have a second home on the sun.

The General Consul of Panama in Canada, Gilberto A. Boyd said that the fair is the perfect platform to promote the country. Representatives from real estate agents, property developers and lawyers will be at the fair ready to give advice to prospective buyers.

The executive director of Panaexpo, Vladimir Reznik said that Canadians are very interested to invest and live in Panama because of its stability and a fair is the best way to promote the country and to be able to compete against its principal rivals, Costa Rica, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Five years ago only 17,000 Canadians came to Panama. In 2008, more than 47,000 visited the isthmus for their holidays or looking to buy property.

I know the Decameron resort, all 850 rooms of it and many of the homeowners rental units are filled by Canadians in November, December and from January into April each year. I would strongly recommend that you really come to Panama and take a really close look at all Panama offers. There may be many good reasons for making Panama at least your part time home.

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Tax Havens—Whose Money Is It?

As times get tougher for many people, the governments seem determined to take more money from anyone who has any money and then they will happily distribute it as they see fit. If you think this sounds like Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” you may be shocked to find it is happening right here and right now in all of the countries of the G20. They, the ubiquitous “they” although I am thinking governments, have determined that they know what is the best use for your money and you should not be able to put your money anywhere that they have determined is a “tax haven”. A Tax Haven is anywhere that the government does not see fit to tax you heavily on every cent that appears in your hand.

Panama is one of those countries. You can receive income from other countries and pay no tax on it in Panama. You can deposit your money in Panamanian bank and receive interest on it and pay no taxes. But the big governments of the world do not like it. So far Panama is resisting the pressure to give in to their demands to start taxing and/or tell the other governments where your money is so they can track it and tax you. Personally I hope they can continue to resist. I look at what the BIG governments are doing and it looks a lot like they are taking money from anyone they can find who has any money and is not in their circle of friends and cronies and giving it to people who are in that circle.

Here is an article on Tax Havens and the pressure they are facing that I found in the Times Online
From The Times
April 13, 2009
Panama holds out against campaign to end era of banking secrecy
Elizabeth Judge

Faced with the growing hostility of politicians, some tax havens quickly crumbled under the pressure.

But while countries such as Switzerland have bowed to demands to end the era of “no questions asked-banking”, Panama is digging in its heels and touting for business as one of the few places where money can still be safely stowed away.

Leading tax advisers report that lawyers from the republic — which has so far failed to make good on promises of greater transparency — have been e-mailing them to highlight its credentials as one of the last remaining tax havens.

The Group of 20 industrialised and developing nations agreed this month to end “an era of banking secrecy” by unearthing billions of pounds thought to be hidden from tax authorities in offshore banks.

Panama was among the countries singled out as an offender — despite the fact that it committed itself to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2002 to improve the transparency of its system and to establish an effective exchange of information. But such e-mails would seem to undermine Gordon Brown’s declaration that it is “the beginning of the end of tax havens.”

Mike Warburton, senior tax partner at Grant Thornton, said that they would prompt concern that individuals intent on evading tax might simply move their money.

“People intent on illegally evading their taxes will move their money to places prepared to take it,” he said.

The OECD identified Panama as meeting the technical criteria for being a tax haven in June 2000.

The country came under the spotlight last year as the location chosen by John Darwin, the canoeist who faked his own death, to salt away assets totaling £500,000 including an apartment in Panama City and an expanse of rainforest in Escobal that he hoped to turn into an eco-tourism resort.

At the G20 summit politicians threatened to take action against “non-co-operative jurisdictions”.

The OECD has been asked to investigate and report back by November when finance ministers meet in Scotland.

Pressure on tax havens

- About $11.5 trillion is held in havens, according to the Tax Justice Network

- The OECD says its crackdown is bearing fruit. Ireland recently took $1 billion that would otherwise have escaped the taxman’s net

- Seven UK overseas territories including Anguilla, Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands stay on an OECD “grey list” for falling short on information-sharing agreements

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Where the Wealthy Buy Real Estate in Panama

This lovely property is owned by one of the world’s wealthy individuals some of whom are getting themselves positioned on some of the best beaches in the world here in Panama. A lovely cove protects the yacht and the deep sea fishing close to the Azuero peninsula is amongst the finest found anywhere in the world.

The wealthy can always be on the leading edge of development anywhere they choose as they have lots of money to risk and if their investments do not always work out it is no problem. However, choosing this beach area overlooking the Pacific ocean not far from Pedasi in the province of Los Santos is one of those investments that will likely work out very well.

In general real estate developments in this area are just now getting started but who would not want a location such as this one pictured above. The water is warm and the skies are almost always sunny especially here in Azuero peninsula where you find one of the driest regions in all of Panama. In fact a little to the north is a real true desert area. It is amazing when you think of this tiny land mass that is Panama and yet the variety of conditions that can be found, from tropical rain forest to desert, and from beach to mountainside.

near this estate lies one of the developments that is catering primarily to the wealthy of France. that develop0ment is l also located on a beautiful property perched high above the Pacific with a wonderful beach just at the foot of the cliff. While prices of some Panama real estate may slow down for a while, given the world-wide financial problems, there is no question the wealthy will still be out looking for those real estate opportunities like the one pictured above. What better time to buy then when others are fearful? However, the climate and the many gifts that Panama has been given will continue to attract people, particularly as the cost of living is so much more reasonable here than it is in most places and the climate is so much more pleasant.

if you have been to Panama and have not visited the Azuero peninsula you better return and if you have not yet been, be sure to put it on your agenda. Accommodation is still very tight as there are probably less than 300 hotel rooms in the entire peninsula, and most of them are not near the beaches. Expect that to change. Here are some of the finest beaches in the world, surely the hotels and resorts will not be too far behind particularly in this time when prices for this beach front are becoming more and more reasonable.

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Panama Real Estate Odd Couples

Sometimes developers ideas look too funny once you see them built out.

Here in Punta Pacifica, the rich and famous congregate either in beautiful new condos or in their large private homes. As the space on Punta Pacifica is small no matter how you cut it, there is simply not a lot of space for any one dwelling no matter how rich you are. This point of land that juts out into Panama Bay (Punta Pacifica) is one of the most desirable locations in Panama City for the views of the bay and for its proximity to the heart of Panama City. Punta Pacifica Hospital, the John Hopkins affiliate in Panama is just down the road and the high end Shopping Mall, Multi Plaza is just beyond that. The banking and business centers of Panama are located within a mile of this location.

So to try and accommodate the wishes of the most people the developers end up putting gorgeous private homes in locations where they are dwarfed by the towers rising around them. They may be lovely places to live but through the camera lens they make an interesting picture.

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First Ever Recycling Benefit and Concert

RECICLATE!
La primera fiesta en Panama totalmente dedicada a reciclaje! Arte, musica, artesania – todo verde y reciclado. Celebramos nuestra conciencia y creatividad el dia 18 de Abril en La Casona de las Brujas. Si haces tus creaciones con materiales reciclados, estas bienvenido a participar! Intercambiamos las ideas y ensenamos que la basura puede servir para belleza!
VEN, PARTICIPA, CELEBRA CON NOSOTROS!

it is wonderful to see the energy around recycling and going green starting to build in Panama.  if the Martinelli team, Cambio Democratico, is elected in Panama and they lead by 15% over their nearest rivals, the incumbent party, we know from the man who will be named Tourism Minister that they will begin a big push towards “Green Tourism” and really putting Panama on the map of countries where being green is important.  There is lots of work to be done.

But as Luis Palomo and his company Aqua Terra are beginning to show the people of Panama thinking environmentally friendly long term solutions to big environmental problems like they have around the Panama Canal where the earth wants to constantly slide into the water, there is no other reasonable way to go.

The Environmental Committee of Panamcham is having a meeting on April 21st,  Earth Day, where they are introducing the Recyclers of Panama to the environmental committee so that we can help them get the word out.  Look for lots more information here on these pages.

Keeping Panama clean and green is everybody’s business.

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Water Fun

I have no ideea why, but we get asked al the time what do you do all day in Panama?  I sometimes just turn and ask, What do you do all day in Vancouver, or Toronto or Miami?

The biggest difference for me and how I spend my day is that when I lived in Vancouver, I never swam in the ocean or walked the beach.  The beach was too yuchy and the water was WAY too cold.

Now each day I can choose to swim in the ocean, walk the beach, swim in the pool, go para-sailing or sea kayaking, go sea canoeing, rent a wave runner, go fishing or play golf.  You can even combine a couple of those things, I love my beach walk, then I enjoy dinner outside at the best time of the day, and watch a gorgeous sunset.

How do you spend your day?  The opportunity to spend a day here on the beach or golfing or maybe both, a trip to El Valle to visit a friend for lunch or maybe you would enjoy a day at the pool, or shopping in Panama City.

IN Panama it is pretty easy to feel like you have a lot to do.

What would you like to do?

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