I have a couple of questions about the safety of the drinking water & a couple other things about the Boquete area. Do most people use filtration systems? I'm a little concerned because I have a pretty sensitive digestive system. Also, I noticed that while no vaccinations are "required", only "suggested for things like "typhoid, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, yellow fever, rabies, and influenza." I'm not big on vaccinations and just wondered what your take is. Have you known many people in the Boquete area who have come down with any of these health issues, some of which are from improperly washed produce, etc. Just doing a little do diligence. What concerns along this line do you feel are important? I appreciate your feedback.
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If you have a sensitive digestive system, buy a water cooler and the large purified water bottles. I only had various vaccinations when I worked in Nigeria. None in Spain and the Caribbean. No need for them here.
If you have a sensitive digestive system, buy a water cooler and the large purified water bottles. I only had various vaccinations when I worked in Nigeria. None in Spain and the Caribbean. No need for them here.
When is 'the truth' not quite the whole picture?
Don said:
Here’s a new rabbit hole to venture down: Try to imagine all the things (and stuff) you will no longer have access to that North Americans take for granted in the USA. Picture a situation where you now have to communicate in a different language,(yes, although many people in this area speak some English, and they are very helpful if you try out your limited Spanish) adjust to a Latin American culture with all its norms that can differ greatly from the North American norms that you are familiar with. (again true, the music is different, they will party at the drop of a hat, and they think the expats are all millionaires, and so on)
You will have to adjust to a new diet,( that's news to me) new weather patterns, ( well, we lived in Ohio with -70 degrees windchill in winter, and Phoenix, with regular 110 degrees temperature in summer, so I think people expect different weather when they move to a different place) cope with the loss of first world public services (true, the electricity does cut out, with us, usually for 10 minutes at a time, but every 2 -3 months we will have an outage of several hours. Also, depending where you live, the water situation varies, but we, and most other expats, have a reserve water tank. Right now, in England, they are on water rationing in parts of the country, due to less rainfall than usual) and accommodate infrastructure reminiscent of the Stone Age. (Yes, but again, we have just had a lovely new bridge installed in Palo Alto, and they are building a new bridge by the Panamonte. The Boquete streets are torn up right now as they are installing a new sewer system) Don’t be alarmed when you see gigantic holes in the sidewalks,(true, hope this will be improved when they have finished with the roads) missing man whole covers in middle of the streets,(yes, here and there, they seem to be adding them now bit by bit.) trash everywhere, (not really in Boquete, which is all I can talk about. We have a man who does nothing but push his cart up and down the streets of the village every day, keeping it clean. He is a fixture here, and I see people handing him water and soft drinks as he does his job. He is a local character) flooded intersections, (not sure where this is??) public busses & taxi operators who couldn’t care less about red lights (we don't have any traffic lights in Boquete. They seem to obey the 5 or 6 that are in David, although I don't go down there much) & stop signs or speed limits, (true) trees that fall across the roads that nobody does anything about, (trees do fall since we live in a region covered by trees, but if you call, I think it's MINSA, they seem to do a good job around here) power lines lying in the roadway,(not seen that personally, but lines fall no matter where you are) dogs,(yes) horses,(not unless they have escaped, by adn large Panamanians seem to be very proud of their horses) cows, (ditto) drunks,(WHERE do you live, and what time are you out and about) bicycles and children (yep, those darn kids do like to play outside their houses) all over the roads with no regular for traffic especially at night. (You forgot the chickens)
There’s more: Consistent power& water outages,(it happens) internet and cable TV outages,(It happens) no more USPS, (no more junk mail, haha) ATM’s that swallow your card and sometimes fail to dispense the cash all the while charging your account, (I've heard this, but I just transfer money down in a lump sum and go into the bank to draw out my money) warranties on new items that venders routinely refuse to honor, (yes) unbelievably fouled up Government bureaucracy, (nothing new there, and not only Panama) extremely dangerous driving habits by locals (they will stop suddenly in front of you to talk to a friend that they see,etc. Also, their attitude is manana, until they get behind the wheel.) and the list goes on and on.
So make a list of all the information you want to know and questions you want to ask then check it twice. After that create a second list outlining all of the norms from North America including common every day things that you require or are accustomed to back home then try and determine how many of them will vanish once you relocate to Panama.
Keep in mind that there is a big difference between vacationing some place and living in that same location full time which can turn out to be wildly different from what you thought you understood as a tourist.
Without a doubt living in a place like Panama will test your endurance and patience in ways that you most likely have never experiences before.(Now this IS true, especially now with the road situation)
In summary, Panama is NOT N. America, nor do the Panamanians want it to be. Most expats who move here either permanently, or for a year or two, do so for the adventure of it. Why leave your current place if you want everything to be the same? It can be extremely trying at times, and the temptation is to say - back home we do it this way - but you will never receive every good thing that this country and people have to offer if that is your attitude. What Don says is true - kinda - but we, and most others here, would not have missed it for the world.
Of course, this is all only my opinion, from my perspective.
Good thoughts from Don & Maureen -- especially the question on "why leave if you want it to be the same". I see comments on this and other forums from people who have lived here for 10 years or more that still question why things are the way they are. The answer is that things will change on Panamanian time and you won't do well here if your clock permanently set to a different time zone.
I have lived here off and on since 2012. I do not believe in vaccinations, so have none. I drink all the water. I do have a filter system and UV filtration on my house. I have not been sick or had parasites.
What do these diatribes have to do with drinking water, vaccinations and tropical disease?
Come on Keith, Greg is just getting warmed up. Let him run!
Gosh Don, why are you still here if you think Panama is that bad?
..because he’s the Potentate of Potrerillos
Thank you Don. We're taking relocation very seriously and it seems doing the homework is what's necessary. Scary the whole thing of home invasions, however, as you say that happens even in the U.S. I do have one question for you speaking of safety. What about leaving windows open for fresh air, whether it's day or night? If a person lived in a little rental house and has their windows open are we generally safe? Wouldn't most people do this there? Thanks much.
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