Bill Uhlman Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 (edited) We were trying to schedule the third visit of our annual discernment process during the rainy season in 2016. We had picked Oct 9th through the 22nd, 2016 due to our own work schedules and to be sure we experienced the rains. Expedia told us that rooms were at a premium those weeks, which surprised us. I checked holidays, and Dia de la Raza is on the 12th. Is that a big deal in Boquete? If we can find a place, will there be parades and other celebrations? Thanks for your help... Edited May 12, 2016 by Bill Uhlman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoSailors Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 Hi Bill, Did you google it? Look for a place you like to stay at and then contact them direct. Have you tried casademontana.com? Great place and owners. Very close to town. Manzar and Terry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Uhlman Posted May 12, 2016 Author Share Posted May 12, 2016 Yep that is a place we have looked at and there are still quite a few opportunities on air bnb and other places. I was just surprised that Expedia kept saying things were booked and wondered if any of you knew about the demand during this holiday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bud Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 October is the height of the rainy season here in Boquete, and my experience is that it is a low tourist time in Boquete. Dia de La Raza (Day of the Race) is not a national holiday in Panama. (BTW, national holidays are posted on the calendar here on CL.) I have not done an exhaustive study of the lodging occupancy rates in October, but would be really surprised if there were a shortage of rooms during October. For those interested in reading a bit more about Dia de La Raza, you may wish to visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Day for an overview. It is nice to read that some people do a fairly thorough due-diligence prior to transplanting themselves. My recommendation is to spend a minimum of six months here prior to making a big decision. But I also admit that I did the exact opposite. My decision was made literally on the same day that I saw Boquete for the first time back in 2001. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 2 hours ago, Bud said: It is nice to read that some people do a fairly thorough due-diligence prior to transplanting themselves. My recommendation is to spend a minimum of six months here prior to making a big decision. But I also admit that I did the exact opposite. My decision was made literally on the same day that I saw Boquete for the first time back in 2001. Like Bud, I too made a rash decision to buy a house in Boquete. Sometimes it's just love at first sight. Sometimes that works out as it did for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 We, too, bought our property on our first trip to Boquete. It is not something I recommend, however. We were extremely lucky that the area of town we chose suits us perfectly as we knew nothing about microclimates, water, noise, incidence of crime, etc. at the time. It so easily could have gone wrong. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyS Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 5 hours ago, Bud said: My decision was made literally on the same day that I saw Boquete for the first time back in 2001. We did that too. I don't figure being spontaneous has worked out any worse for us than it did for the methodical and careful people who ended up leaving anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Tyler Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 We came in March '05 for 5 days before had an offer in on some land. Completely out of character, but we haven't regretted it 1 moment. I believe following your gut trumps rationality in cases like this. Just go for it. Don't rent, buy. Get good advice though, from reliable professionals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brundageba Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 (edited) We did the "see it - buy it" insta-move to Boquete as well. That was 9 years ago and we have not regretted the decision. That said we had excellent advice from folks here in Boquete. We learned about micro climates, water shortages here and there etc. It was the "Cliff's Notes" introduction to Boquete and it served us well. Now there are more resources like the Boquete Handbook and sites such as CL where a question turns into a cool project that benefits the group, like the vet/pet help list that's going to be made. Doug is correct...get good advice from several people. Best from those folks who have been here for some time. Edited May 12, 2016 by Brundageba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twin Wolf Technology Group Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 I must be the odd man out. I have been here for seven and half years. I have lived in more than a dozen places in and around the Boquete area as well as in Panama City. Everyone of them dramatically different even tho they are all within the same community. I have been amazed at the differences a mere few hundred feet down the road much less a half mile or mile away. After all of the moves and all of the various micro-climates, not to mention services available or not available in a given area - I have finally found the right spot. It took about two and half years to find it but it fits me perfect. Personally, I would never buy without being here for a least a year. Seasons are dramatically different as are how they effect everything surrounding you. If you were to come during the rainy season and find a home close to a school or fair grounds you would be in for an ugly surprise that come the dry season when the noise from celebrations can last until 4am making sleeping impossible. There are things that happen only during a certain month that can greatly impact your life here. I am a gambling man by nature and I fell in love with this area. I got lucky to find this area but I did a great deal of searching locally before putting down roots. I chose to rent and move around to get to know the area first. Then again others have gotten lucky and found just the right spot on their first visit. The ability to adapt, accept and change is as important as finding that perfect spot. You have already found a great resource with the wide variety of people here at Chiriqui Life. I wish you and hope to see you posting here more as you begin your exploration of Panama. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF13 Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 Well, we are a bit " different" . As police and military background people we don't much care about " community" we can happily make our own. We don't like people much, having seen close up what they can do to each other. We don't ask much, mostly to be just left alone and quite frankly, find the " Boquete" experience to be a tad too much. We don't need sugar and spice, nor do we need the " Tuesday experience" . Those that do, go for it, but have you really left your home place? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoSailors Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 Different strokes for different folks! Your Nirvana is what you make of it. Personally, there is a lot of great and interesting people here. Gringos and Panamanians. Just another of the many attractions about living here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 But not so different that you interact with the community via CL? Your stance puzzles me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoSailors Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 Bonnie, Are you referring to me??? My Stance?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 (edited) No. Sorry. I was referring to JohnF13 and forgot to quote his post. I'll try again below to ensure that he knows the question was put to him. Edited May 13, 2016 by Bonnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 3 hours ago, JohnF13 said: Well, we are a bit " different" . As police and military background people we don't much care about " community" we can happily make our own. We don't like people much, having seen close up what they can do to each other. We don't ask much, mostly to be just left alone and quite frankly, find the " Boquete" experience to be a tad too much. We don't need sugar and spice, nor do we need the " Tuesday experience" . Those that do, go for it, but have you really left your home place? But not so different that you interact with the community via CL? Your stance puzzles me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Uhlman Posted May 13, 2016 Author Share Posted May 13, 2016 Thanks for all your comments. We are looking forward to our rainy season trip. While we are more cautious than many of you,I have to admit that i admire those of you who just jumped into your dream. But we will probably take the advice of many of you and keep dipping our toes in a little deeper each visit until retirement, and then make a 3 to six month trial stay before deciding if purchasing is right for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Admin_01 Posted May 13, 2016 Administrators Share Posted May 13, 2016 4 hours ago, Bill Uhlman said: Thanks for all your comments. We are looking forward to our rainy season trip. While we are more cautious than many of you,I have to admit that i admire those of you who just jumped into your dream. But we will probably take the advice of many of you and keep dipping our toes in a little deeper each visit until retirement, and then make a 3 to six month trial stay before deciding if purchasing is right for us. I suspect that few would have expected 190 views of 16 replies (so far, and still counting) for this simple question. But we do have a special community here of caring and sharing people. Thank you for starting this topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF13 Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 10 hours ago, Bonnie said: No. Sorry. I was referring to JohnF13 and forgot to quote his post. I'll try again below to ensure that he knows the question was put to him. What I was trying to say, perhaps inelegantly, is that the Boquete expat group seems to me to be a bit closed and introspective. If you are living within that community and not really interacting with Panamanians, then have you really left home? Your comment is a perfect example, a passive aggressive response to a simple statement of our preferences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Woolford Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 (edited) 2 hours ago, JohnF13 said: What I was trying to say, perhaps inelegantly, is that the Boquete expat group seems to me to be a bit closed and introspective. If you are living within that community and not really interacting with Panamanians, then have you really left home? Your comment is a perfect example, a passive aggressive response to a simple statement of our preferences. Edited May 13, 2016 by Admin_01 uploaded missing image Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 2 hours ago, JohnF13 said: What I was trying to say, perhaps inelegantly, is that the Boquete expat group seems to me to be a bit closed and introspective. If you are living within that community and not really interacting with Panamanians, then have you really left home? Your comment is a perfect example, a passive aggressive response to a simple statement of our preferences. John -- do you have a Panamanian wife? I would guess that you do if you are interacting mainly with the Panamanian community and want to chide the rest of us who neither have married into a Panamanian family nor speak fluent Spanish. One of my best friends is my neighbor who is Panamanian. However, I know I will never be integrated totally into her social circle which consists mostly of family gatherings and celebrations. My language is different, my background is different, my culture is different. I know many, many Panamanians with whom I do a few minutes of small talk. However, for my social needs, I rely mostly on the English speaking community (some of whom are Panamanians). If I was married to a Panamanian, my take on all of this would probably be different. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 And one other thing. Boquete is nothing like where I lived in the states and nobody I know is is trying to make it so. It sounds like you think all of us living in Boquete live an insular life in a gated community and and that description doesn't apply to at least 99% of us. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WryAwry Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 Personally, I enjoy posting meaningless quips in forums like this because I don't like people much, thinking them a less-civilized type of primate than their cousins, the Howler Monkeys. I understand that the Howlers are migrating en masse to Scandinavia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 10 minutes ago, WryAwry said: Personally, I enjoy posting meaningless quips in forums like this because I don't like people much, thinking them a less-civilized type of primate than their cousins, the Howler Monkeys. I understand that the Howlers are migrating en masse to Scandinavia. Oops .......this must be Friday the 13th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brundageba Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 22 hours ago, JohnF13 said: Well, we are a bit " different" . As police and military background people we don't much care about " community" we can happily make our own. We don't like people much, having seen close up what they can do to each other. We don't ask much, mostly to be just left alone and quite frankly, find the " Boquete" experience to be a tad too much. We don't need sugar and spice, nor do we need the " Tuesday experience" . Those that do, go for it, but have you really left your home place? Yeiks....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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