Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.
Panama Canal does some good while upending historic trade routes.
Fresh from a $5.25 billion, nine-year expansion that’s upending decades-old trade routes, it turns out the Panama Canal is also doing a little good for the planet.
By offering a shortcut to deliver billions of dollars of Asian-made goods to America’s East Coast ports, the waterway has helped its shipping company customers to lower their collective carbon emissions by 17 million metric tons during the first full year of operation. When the expansion was planned, the authority’s internal forecast was 9.6 million tons, according to Alexis Rodriguez, environment protection specialist at the Panama Canal Authority.
For Panama, successfully combating climate change could be pivotal to the country’s future. The canal is filled by waters that have flowed for centuries down from the country’s mountains. There have been times in the past few years when low water levels forced the canal to impose minor restrictions on the ships it allowed through.
Source: Gulf News
Official song of World Youth Day Panama released.
On Monday the Archdiocese of Panama released the official theme song of the next World Youth Day, to be held in Panama Jan. 22-27, 2019.
Reflecting the Marian theme of the upcoming international youth gathering, the song is named for the passage in Luke where Mary agrees to be the Mother of God with the words, “Let it be done to me according to your word.”
“We are excited to make it available today to the young people of the world, so that when they sing, they prepare themselves joyfully and ready to let themselves be transformed by God,” he said.
The refrain of the song, which is in Spanish, is the words from the Gospel of Luke: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.”
Source: Catholic News Agency
Fresh off its crazy Canal expansion, Panama is Central America’s new travel star.
Beyond its complicated history, Panama is a tiny country that delivers far beyond its weight in beaches, jungles, critters and dictator-free politics in the modern world. It’s safe. It’s welcoming. And they even accept dollars. Go forth.
Crash at the 611-room Westin Playa Bonita, only 5 years old, squatting on the shorefront right outside Panama City. Its elevators definitely are on island time, turtlishly taking forever to both move and open. But the wait is worth it as they pour you into a light-filled, airy, fun and stylish space — heavy on the locals as guests — surrounded by a mile-long beach, a triplet of sexy pools and a Sensory Spa by Clarins.
The breakfast at buffet-style Oceanica is bougie and boozy, with a well-visited DIY Bloody Mary/screwdriver station (from $180).
Source: New York Post
Retiring in Panama: How to enjoy your golden years on the Isthmus
Retiring in Panama should be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Panama is full of adventure, relaxation, and great people to enjoy it with. It’s also going to take a bit of getting used to, and that’s perfectly normal. When planning your retirement in Panama, you may think you’ve got all your bases covered, but inevitably, when you’re here, you’ll adapt with your own first-hand experiences, trials, and triumphs. To make things just a bit easier, here are some tips on how to get the most out of your retirement in Panama.
1. Make Friends:
While this may sound a bit tongue in cheek, we’re being deadly honest here. One of the best ways to ease into retirement, and enjoy all of your new free time in Panama is to make friends. Panama has a vibrant retirement community made up of people from all countries, and all walks of life. Go socialize with them as much as you can. People in Panama (both expats and locals) are very welcoming, and will open their arms to new friends immediately if you give them the chance. You can join social groups, local happy hour events, exercise groups, and even bridge and board game groups. As long as you get out there and stay social, you’ll be much happier in the long run.
Source: International Relocation Firm Blog
