Living in Panama

Visited: 2013-16, 2017-20

Duration of travelling: 45 days

Duration of living: 2,040 days

Capital city: Ciudad de Panama

Population: 4.2 million (2020)

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

• Panama becomes my second home in 2013.
• Crossing the Panama Canal on a sailing boat – one of the most impressive engineering achievements that impacted global transport.
• Visiting paradisiac San Blas Islands on various occasions to fully appreciate the pure nature and Kuna culture.
• Encountering the enormous leatherback turtles on Playa Armila.
• Political campaign along Rio Calovebora – a week long expedition to the Caribbean coast.
• Solo trip to Darien Gap for less than 200.00 US$ – complete improvisation to reach remote Emberá communities.

I visited Panama on various occasions for pleasure and business. The first time, in 1996, Panama was part of my American Big Tour, which started in New York and finished in Buenos Aires 15 months later.

In 2013, our family made the decision to establish a permanent residence in Panama. During the next 7 years, I familiarized myself with every part of this stunning country, which has much more to offer than just the Panama Canal and luxury found in the capital’s upscale districts.

In this article I describe the following topics of my Living in Panama experience: Definition of juegavivo, surprises and challenges of living in Panama, crossing the Panama Canal twice, budget trip to Darien, Emberá community near Sambú River, navigating Rio Calovebora.

More articles about my Panama adventures are available here:

In 1997, I never thought that it would become my second home, when visiting Panama for the first time. It turned out that meeting a young architect who was on a business trip to Bocas del Toro was the turning point in my relationship with this country. Years later, the young architect became my lifetime partner, and Panama the country where I spend most time outside of my homeland Slovenia.

I soon realized that there is a notable difference between traveling throughout the country, visiting it for business engagements, and actually living in that environment.

Upon relocating to Panama City permanently as a family in 2013, I was convinced that I knew everything about Latin America and Panama. As an experienced backpacker, businessman and also living in Ecuador for four years, I had numerous opportunities to get in touch, live and experiment Latino culture.

How wrong I was!

Panama challenged me so many times, changed my perspective on weather, communication, but also gave me plenty of new experiences, access to high society and opportunities to grow my assets.

Panama is a great country to live, if you have money. In order to educate kids, receive a proper medical care, live in a safe community with Western standards or mingle with educated people, you need much more money than in Europe.

A capitalist system creates natural selection that no written rule can match. It all starts with education. Public education is not good; every parent’s dream is to send their kids to a private kindergarten or school. The more exclusive educational centers open doors to access more prestigious schoolmates, make better connections, usually enable better education and provide opportunities to enroll in top universities in Panama or abroad. Better education leads to better jobs, more income and the circle is closed.

Of course, there are exceptions, but a substantial part of your destiny is marked by education and connections.

My working habits are very professional, I am punctual, offer great support to my customers, and respect to suppliers I need to work with. I used to work in South America for many years, before settling down in Panama, where the creativity for excuses, unethical behavior, taking advantage and lack of professionalism reached the historical heights in my personal career.

Juegavivo is a magic word that defines many Panamanians – take advantage of the situation, even if it is unethical.

Combined with high rates of corruption, it is amazing how prosperous the country is. Well, at least it looks from outside. Panama always offers a good opportunity to make money, but only for certain activities where bigger investments are needed.

While I was living in Panama, San Blas emerged as one of my preferred destinations. When a road connecting Panama City and the port of Cartí was finally paved, San Blas islands became accessible in 3 hours drive + 30 minutes boat ride. This provided me with the opportunity to visit San Blas on multiple occasions, from Isla Perro Chico to Los Cayos Holandeses. With easy access the number of visitors has increased drastically, but during the week it is still a paradise on earth.

I first visited the Panama Canal in the Miraflores area back in 1997, and this remarkable engineering achievement continues to captivate me. I have observed it numerous times while driving across the Puente de las Americas, strolling along the Amador, or simply passing by in my car. Additionally, I navigated the full length of the Panama Canal from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean on two distinct occasions.

The first time was by a touristic boat with a guide who explained all details about construction, history and process of crossing the Canal. It was an instructive experience that enabled me to get to know this amazing construction project from a different perspective.

The second time was even more exciting for me as I was invited by Jasmin Causevic, a Slovenian adventurer, to cross the Canal on his sailing boat.  We needed the whole day from Colon in the Atlantic Ocean to Balboa on the Pacific Ocean. I cooked food for the whole crew and two Canal employees who were giving instructions and guiding us in the exclusive area.

In the late afternoon, when the last locks at Miraflores opened, the boat engine caught fire and stopped working. We were lucky enough to be towed by a friendly sailor to Balboa Yacht Club, where we laughed and shared impressions on the unbelievable experience of crossing the Panama Canal and almost put it on fire.

In 2009, while residing in Ciudad de Panama, I made the decision to escape the chaos of the capital city and venture into the jungles of Darien. I packed a couple of t-shirts, underwear, shorts and swimming suit, put 200.00 US$ in my wallet and took a Diablo Rojo bus to Meteti in Darien province, where I quickly connected with mini bus to Puerto Quimba. It was already late in the afternoon, but still on time to catch the last boat that brought us to the town of La Palma, only accessible by sea.

Drastically losing the population due to emigration to main cities, La Palma is still the main trading center for the large sparsely populated region that surrounds it. I walked along the unimpressive main street, lined with small stores, hotels, restaurants, and bars to find the only guesthouse. My room was simple, fish for dinner was good. As one of few gringos that occasionally pass through the town, I was in the center of attention.

“Why are you here Gringo? What is your plan?”

An elderly man was wondering what brought me to the mouth of Tuira River.

“I have no fix plan. Visit the area, observe life around and stop in some smaller villages around.”

I knew that La Palma is a jumping off point for visits to the Punta Patiño Nature Reserve and Emberá villages along Río Sambú, but there is no consistent public transport in the area.

“I can help you my friend. There is a pickup truck leaving tomorrow morning to Sambú,” was the offer of my new friend that I couldn’t resist.

“Sure, I am in.”

It was a tough ride on an unpredictable jungle road. I was holding strongly to the metal case bars at the back of the truck with a mixed group of locals and Panamanians from the capital, who were on the way to visit their families. From Puerto Indio I continued upstream Sambú River in a motorized canoe. I didn’t have any idea where I was going, but people were telling me that I should arrive to Emberá community in Emberá-Wounaan Comarca, where they offer accommodation and food to visitors.

In the last leg of our expedition, we walked through the jungle for about 30 minutes. The small Emberá village had not attracted many foreign visitors, and the children were eager to engage with me.

I was offered a small bungalow, food and warm welcome. The kids invited me for a swim in a nearby river, where I spent the rest of the day.

The Emberá community settled in the Darien Province in the 17^thcentury. Their life is strongly depended on a river; they practice shamanism, survive with fishing and agriculture, live in wooden houses that are elevated from the ground floor on sticks to avoid floods in the rainy season.

I was guided to other remote villages more upstream, painted temporary tattoo or relaxing in a hammock of chief’s house for three days. Jagua tattoo is a temporary form of skin decoration resulting from the application of an extract of the fruit called jagua – Genipa Americana. This fruit has been used for body ornamentation and medicinal purposes in many areas of South America for centuries. The pigment of dark blue or black remains embedded in the skin until the external layer is naturally exfoliated, generally lasting between 10 to 12 days.

After a week of exploring Darien, I flew back to Panama City from overgrown Sambú airport by Air Panama. Incredible trip, full of unexpected treasures, friendly people and amazing nature. I still had some coins in my pocket, when landed at Albrook airport in the Manhattan of Central America.

Santa Fe is a small town in Veraguas province, where a paved road from the Pan-American Highway ends. I visited it once as a daily trip from Panama City and found out that the only way to continue travelling further to the Caribbean coast was on a dirt track through rainforest or navigating the Calovebora River. I exchanged contact number with Manuel, a local farmer, who assured me, that he would call me, when the next expedition to the Caribbean coast would be ready.

I received a call by Manuel two months later:

“Hi Rok. In three days, a delegation from Santa Fe will be travelling to Playa Calovebora. You can join if you want. You only need to pay for transport. Bring water and some cookies!”

After some thoughts, still surprised, I confirmed my participation:

“I am all in. I will be there.”

The mayor of Santa Fe, Señor Gustavo, Juan from Ministry of Hacienda, accompanied by a supportive team of 6 people and myself were ready for the trip that could take 4 to 5 days. Although it was the conclusion of the rainy season in 2010, the sight of a pick-up truck with exceptionally large, high-profile tires indicated that the road was not in optimal condition.

We needed two hours to get through the first half of 40-kilometers route, which would bring us to the navigable part of Rio Calovebora. After a short break the driver took out tire chains and fixed them around the rear wheels.

“From here on, the road is really bad!”

Ups! I thought that the road so far had been bad.

He was right.

We needed five hours for the last 20 kilometers. On various parts the passengers were recommended to walk on the side of the path, because it was too dangerous in the trunk of our pick-up truck.

Steep slopes were filled with water, the soft mud sank up to a meter deep. I believe, this part is completely unpassable in the rainy season.

We arrived exhausted and hungry to the first settlements in the evening. A small indigenous community was happy to host us in the local church, where mattresses were waiting for us. The shower was cold, but refreshing. As night fell, a hearty dinner was presented, and preparations for the following day were established. We were making fun about our first day of adventure late in the night.

From here on, we navigated on the Calovebora River.

We separated in two motorboat canoes. In the beginning the river was predominantly calm and easy to navigate, later the rapids on the river were getting stronger and stronger. Upon reaching the most tumultuous section of the river, we had no choice but to leave the boat and make our way through the jungle on foot, while the boatmen expertly navigated the most dangerous section without any passengers.

We stopped in several villages for lunch, dinner and lodging. Somehow, the communities were aware of our arrival, always welcoming us with open hands. Political discussions, promises, negotiations and future investments in local infrastructure were the main topics of conversation with locals.

On Day 4 we arrived to the community of Playa Calovebora, where the river converges with the Caribbean Sea. We were invited to a dinner of the local baron, who owns huge areas of land, animals and also serves as the mayor of the village. A cow was slaughtered, tables and chairs prepared on the terrace, vine, cold beer and soft drinks served.

I was informed that the sea had been extremely rough recently and boats could not leave for the open sea. It was too risky and too far to the first town that is connected by road to the rest of Panama, Vista Hermosa.

I didn’t want to return back to Santa Fe on the same route by the river, neither could I continue by boat due to the rough sea. I remained in the village for several more days, enjoying the view from the estuary. The main activity was swimming with the local kids, switching between warm river and rough sea. I was one of the very few foreigners that had ever visited the area by then.

On Day 7, the boatman knocked on the door of my simple room very early to announce that we would depart soon. The sea was not ideal, but the village was staying out of supplies, so he was decided to leave for Vista Hermosa with some passengers and bring goods on the way back.

It was a long journey on the rough sea. Long waves were attacking our boat from all sides. Sunshine and rain were changing my mood.

I was uncomfortable, but happy to receive a ride on my way back home. After 6 hours we arrived safely to Vista Hermosa.

A return to the civilization was marked by cars, canteens, paved road and loud music. It didn’t take long before a Diablo Rojo bus picked me up and drove me to Colon. With loud reggaeton playing from the speakers, the wind blowing through the open windows, I picked up my phone to let my family know that I was OK and back in modern world.

A week without mobile phone and internet coverage, no vegetables, hardly any fruits. A lot of fun and adventure though. I was happy to live this experience in Panama.

Since my first visit of Panama in 1997, the country has changed a lot. Constant economic growth, and lack of investment in public infrastructure increased the country’s wealth, but at the same time decreased the quality of life of their inhabitants.

Tremendous traffic jams are extending commuting time to work, schools or activities. High prices of real estates, lack of accessible apartments in the city and expensive + inefficient services, have positioned Panama as the most expensive country in the region.

If the first two decades of 21^st century were about economical growth, Panama will face tough years when the Canal will stop producing golden eggs due to climate change. And this might happen sooner than we all expect.