Quote from saxon22:
I did not have a bad visit there. I got what i was looking for. The city has some nice places to go but that is it. As for whores, we both know that there is no need to look for them, there are so many, they will find you in no time.
Have you ever been to Panama city at night?
How about Colon?
How about the duty free zone?
Visit those places at night and you will see true Panama.
As for 2/3 of population speaking english. Most of them cannot speak proper spanish much less english. unless you mean the couple hundred words that they operate. That is not being able to speak English, primitive communicating maybe.
Since you are writing so highly about PAnama. How about some facts to back it up:
yearly income, unemployment figure, average wealth, you know figures that would allow one to see the true picture.
Colon is a shit hole so no argument there, I would not go there nor recommend anyone else do so for that matter. In fact most of the country crime rate and poverty is in Colon versus Panama. But Colon is not Panama City and that is the part I am referring to.
I have family in Panama so I go there yearly.
Not sure what statistics I can give you since it will not compare with the US or Europe since the standard of living is definitely lower. Average salaries and wealth are lower as is the cost of living so those statistics do not help. If you make $20k a year you can live well and if you make $50k a year you live like a king for the most part. A live-in who cooks and cleans is $200 a month maybe and average housing prices are well below U.S. market.
Unemployment is somewhere near 8.5%. Literacy rates are aruond 90% and English is widely spoken in business, banking, tourist and international circles. The country has a population of 3 million or so with 1.6 million living in Panama City. It comes as no surprise that most of those living outside the city are in rural conditions. However the city is pretty modern and the U.S. influences from almost 100 years of Canal Zone presence are everywhere. (not just in the former zone areas)
English is spoken in a lot of places and since I dont go as a tourist I dont just go where you would exepct English to be spoken. I speak Spanish so I don't rely on English really when I am there but I here it in many places. I admit 2/3 is an exaggeration (my apologies) but I certainly find many who speak English in business and professional circles. If you move to Panama with no Spanish you can certainly get by. I know a few people who have lived there with no Spanish and although not easy, they have managed to get by and buy a home and go to the stores, etc..
Again, I cannot convince you it is awesome if you dont like it, but it is not a shit hole. Does it have shitty parts? Again, have you been to Newark, Anacostia or South Bronx at night?
Honeslty saxon, I am not trying to convince you it is nirvana, but I disagree that it is a shit hole. I have gone out with friends to Casco Viejo at night and downtown. I naturally avoid the bad parts but that is true in my home city as well.
I am sorry you did not like it there, everyone has their own tastes for sure and that is more than fine
. Panama certainly has some issues to overcome and they have made some great strides since the turnover of the Canal and related properties.
