Last week, a group of about 25 people who were alumni of the Panama Relocation Tour took a day trip (a five-hour bus ride each way) to Las Tablas, the home of the “Parade of the 1000 Polleras.” The pollera is a lavishly embroidered traditional Panamanian skirt and blouse ensemble, worn with an elaborate beaded headdress. See this article for a brief history of this garment, and this article for details on the headdress.

Las Tablas is near the coast, and it was HOT, as well as extremely crowded. This is an important festival, and it’s only one day, so people from all over Panama come to view it.

This festival featured well over 1,000 ladies swaying gracefully down the streets in their lovely polleras, along with their male counterparts, whose outfits pale by comparison. The men wear dark pants and a white embroidered shirt, often with straw hats.

The video below will give you a glimpse of the energy of this event (despite the heat), as well as a bit of the music and the charm of the beautiful ladies who wear their traditional garments so proudly.

The design of the first float in the video shows the Chinese influence evident in Panama, dating back to the construction of the canal. The guys walking in front of the second float are using their long poles to raise the electric lines above the float as it passes beneath them. Several groups also carried mobile sound equipment strapped to dollies to provide music as they move along the parade route. Where there’s a will, there’s a way to make it happen!

The young girls and boys are just so cute in their elaborate outfits, too!

The day was long, but very enjoyable. We arrived back in Boquete about 10:15 p.m. I’m happy to have experienced yet another magnificent cultural event in my new home!

New Year’s Eve began for me with dinner at Terri and Brad’s house with another couple (Lucy and Jimmy), another friend (Rusty), and myself. Terri made lasagna, salad, broccoli, and a delicious lemon dessert.

After letting dinner settle for a bit, we all went downtown to Big Daddy’s restaurant (a popular expat hangout), where they had dancing and a DJ playing some party music. At a little after 9 p.m., we toasted the new year with a glass of champagne – because most of the people there were older, and probably wouldn’t be able to stay awake until midnight. LOL!

Since it was a bit crowded, during the course of the evening three younger folks (a married couple and another guy) asked if they could sit at our table. Of course, we welcomed them, and soon found out they were from Germany. Terri and Brad were stationed in Germany for three years, and one of the guys was from the town where Terri often shopped. So she had a nice conversation with him. Coincidence that people who lived near each other in Germany would meet in Panama? I don’t know….

While at Big Daddy’s, my neighbor let us know that there was a live band at the Boquete Brewing Co. down the street, and they would have fireworks at midnight. So we moved over there about 10:30, and met up with our new German friends there, also. The band was excellent and kept the energy pumping until the fireworks started.

New Year’s Eve was as much fun as Christmas, and if its beginning is any indication of what’s in store for the coming year, 2020 will be a good one!

This Christmas was so much fun – the best one in recent memory! Time spent with friends, meeting new people, a parade, and fireworks were included in the mix. Couldn’t ask for more!

The festivities started on Christmas Eve, with fireworks going off all around my house at midnight for about 15 solid minutes. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to actually see many of them from my house, but the energy was palpable!

On Christmas morning, I attended a fabulous brunch hosted by the friends I house-sat for a few months ago. About 40 people were there, and so much festive food and drink!

I had to pace myself at the brunch, because I had another invitation to dinner at the home of some new friends, accompanied by Terri and Brad, with whom I traveled to Bocas del Toro. More good food – ham, mashed potatoes, veggies, and several desserts. I was wishing for a nap after this meal, but there was still one more event to round out the day.

After dark, there was a “car parade” with a couple of bands and many beautifully decorated floats pulled by big trucks and cars decorated with festive lights. Many of the floats were playing Christmas music, and some people on the floats threw candy to the gathered crowd. We were fortunate to have a front-row seat from a friend’s front porch. So much fun!

With good food, good friends, fireworks, and a parade, this was a day to remember. Now, onward to the New Year!

I confess – I haven’t been to a doctor since I arrived in Panama in August 2018. I can buy the medications I’ve been taking for a long time without a prescription here and have only had a couple of colds that I treated myself, so I didn’t feel like it was necessary.

But lately my blood pressure has crept up a bit, so I figured it was time to get a check-up. So I thought I’d share my experience as to how medical issues are handled in Panama – at least in my experience for routine medical care so far. Fingers crossed that “routine” remains the norm for me for a long time!

I walked into the doctor’s office without an appointment, which is pretty much unheard of in the US, and was seen by the doctor within a minute of my arrival. She led me to her office and took my medical history, then listened to my lungs and heart, took my blood pressure, checked lymph nodes in my neck for swelling – all the basic physical exam stuff.

She wanted to get a baseline EKG, in case heart issues ever came into play at a later date. This was done immediately after my exam in another room at the doctor’s office by the doctor’s assistant, and I was given a copy to take home for my files.

The doctor also gave me a list of about 15 lab tests (complete blood panel, cholesterol levels, blood sugar, liver function, urinalysis, etc.). Since we live in the tropics, she also ordered a test for intestinal parasites. I took this list to the laboratory and they gave me the prices and containers for the samples needed for the urinalysis and parasite check. I took the containers home and collected the required samples, then took them back to do the blood draw. Again, no more than a couple of minutes’ wait, and I was on my way. The test results will be available in three days, rather than the usual two or three weeks in the US.

I have medical insurance, but it’s basically to cover me for major illnesses or hospitalization. So, without using my major medical insurance, how much did the exam, EKG, and lab tests cost me? Here’s the breakdown:

• Doctor office visit – $12

• EKG – $40

• 15 lab tests – $112 (the full price was $140, but since I’m a permanent Panamanian resident and am a woman over 55, I get a 20% discount – sometimes it pays to be old!)

• Return visit to doctor to go over lab results – $12

Total (without using insurance): $176

Back in Oklahoma with insurance through my workplace, my co-pay for a routine visit to the doctor’s office was $35 and required an appointment made in advance. I routinely got a test to check my blood sugar each time I saw the doctor, and even with good insurance, the cost for this ONE test was over $100. I can’t imagine how much all of these comprehensive tests – plus an EKG – would cost!

Needless to say, I’m pretty happy with the cost and relative ease of acquiring medical care in Panama so far. Fortunately, I haven’t had any major events to test the quality of the hospitals here, but I’ve heard from a couple of people who’ve had major surgeries for badly broken bones, and they have nothing but good things to say about their care, both in the hospital and afterward during their rehabilitation.

I have to mention a wonderful volunteer organization we have here – Boquete Health & Hospice. Not only do they provide end-of-life care, but they also organize blood donation events and have medical equipment for use by those in Boquete who need them – things like canes, crutches, wheelchairs, walkers, oxygen concentrators, hospital beds, etc. These items are loaned, and donations are accepted for their use. Many more services are available – they provide such a needed service to the community!

UPDATE 12/8/19: I received my lab results yesterday and went back to the doctor to give her the report. I’m happy to say that the results were pretty darn positive, and I’ll live to see another day!