The Expat Files - Panama’s Chinese Canal - 07/14/13

-Did you know that with Panama’s new airport taxes, additional charges and fees work out to anywhere between $250 to $500 on top of (but included in) the ticket price?  I found it out the hard way when recently hit with $260 extra on a flight a few weeks ago. Word has it that the most expensive first world airport departure fees and taxes are incurred when flying out of Canada,but even those bloated govt charges don’t match Panama’s new blood-sucking rates.

-And now a few things you should know about the high cost of living in Panama and the cash crunch its having on expats who are in the Panama “pensionado” program… a program once considered a very good deal especially to expats living solely on a social security check.

-Few people realize the Chinese now own the Panama Canal outright (and made local politicians millionaires in the process) but even fewer folks outside of Panama realize the extent of the Chinese penetration and influence in the Canal Zone, and beyond. Now for some examples that may just blow your mind…….

-Let’s demonstrate how predictable the “lag time effect” is in business and how it gives us expats a special leg up. You just have to keep your eyes on what’s been hot or fashionable up in the states and you can bet a badly done Latin version will eventually follow, usually a few years later. So what’s stopping you from being the first (or one of the first) to introduce something thats old hat in the US and do the job right?

-Latin American fashion is all about …fake eye colors, tinted hair, sexy cloths and ultra-high heels. Well how about those Latin ladies and their occasionally outrageous sense of fashion? Though some aspects of the Latina dress code may seem extreme especially to newbee expat women, those transplanted gringas soon realize it’s a cultural thing and get over their first impression that many young ladies are skanks. Nope, they’re not skanks at all according to local standards… just in sexy competition with each other.

-Here’s a new report on my latest trip to yet another Decameron, one of the oldest of their “all inclusive” resorts in Panama. Its less luxurious and more basic than the newer Decameron resorts I’ve seen in other countries but It's got its charms. And I bet you’ll get a kick out of what happened to me when I recently spent a few days there.

-Follow the link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com to schedule a private consultation with me. If you want to discuss the details of living, working, playing, doing business and/or retiring in Latin America, now you and I can talk about your situation one on one.

-And while you’re at www.ExpatWisdom.com don’t forget to pick up your free reports!