Two Oceans Property Consultants S.A.

What a difference six years makes. I drove through La Chorrera in Panama yesterday to go see the new casa modelo in the Villas de Ensueno development. The developer is Two Oceans Group and the houses are now under construction. The population has grown 20% in Panama from 2000 to 2010 and is set to grow another 20% this decade also. There are building developers from all over the world investing in this vibrant economy in Panama, property developers are building homes from $65,000 for a three bedroom in Villas de Ensueno in la Chorrera to 2.5 million for a luxury home in Santa Maria.

So back to Villas de Ensueno and La Chorrera, the population has doubled here in the last 10 years and will continue to grow, the largest, most modern shopping mall in central America will open here in December, it is called westland mall and is 10 minutes from Villas de Ensueno. Villas de Ensueno in La Chorrera in Panama is in a great location, it is 5 minutes from the hospital Nicolas Solano and less then 10 minutes from the town center of La Chorrera.

Condado country club in Condado del Rey in Panama city is a lovely new project with a huge swimming pool and the model apartment is now open. in San Francisco, you can see the new model apartment at San Francisco bay just across the street from Bluebay Tower which is where Louis O Connor lives , the nicest guy in central America. There are doing roadworks in San Francisco on 75th street where you have Waterview and Bluebay Tower. There is a UN convention on climate change under way at Atlapa which is the convention centre across the road from the Sheraton hotel in Panama city, republic of Panama.

Also under construction in nearby Arraijan is Aragon , these home are also affordable housing.  There is demand for this housing in Panama for the next 8 to 10 years at least. If you drice from Arraijan to La Chorrera you will see numerous projects with sales offices and model homes, here are a few Amarillo housing, El Naranjan casas, Montelmar, Hato Montana, Brisas del Golf I and Brisasdel Golf II. La Exitoza the radion staion is a great way to advertise in La Chorrera.

Enough about La Chorrera , let us talk now about Panama City, the crossroads of the world and now the most vibrant city in Central America, lots of beautiful new buildings to see on Ave Balboa, Casco Viejo, Coste del Este, the listb goes on and on, come to Panama city and see for yourself, houses , apartments everywhere for sale and for rent.

I always read as much as I can about Panama and the changing demographics and culture are interesting reading.

Panama had a population of 3,405,813 in May 2010. The CIA World Factbook gives the following statistics for the population: “mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 70%, Amerindian and mixed (West Indian) 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6%”. The Amerindian population includes seven indigenous peoples: the Emberá, Wounaan, Ngöbe Buglé (formerly the Guaymí), Kuna, Naso and Bribri. More than half the population lives in the Panama City–Colón metropolitan corridor. The African american population was brought to Panama as slaves.

The culture, customs, and language of the Panamanians are predominantly Caribbean and Spanish. Spanish is the official and dominant language. About 93% speak Spanish as their first language, though there are many citizens who speak both English and Spanish or native languages, such as Ngäbere. Some new statistics show that as second language, English is spoken by an 8%, French by a 4% and Arabic by 1%. The private educational system also offers German, Portuguese and Italian as languages that are available to learn.

Panama, because of its historical reliance on commerce, is above all an ethnic salad bowl. This is shown, for instance, by its considerable population of Afro-Antillean and Chinese origin. The first Chinese immigrated to Panama from southern China to help build the Panama Railroad in the 19th century. They were followed by several waves of immigrants whose descendants number around 50,000. Starting in the 1970s, a further 80,000 have immigrated from other parts of China as well.

Afro-Panamanians have played a significant role in the creation of the republic. Some historians have estimated that up to 50% of the population of Panama has some African ancestry. The descendants of the Africans who arrived during the colonial era are intermixed in the general population or are found in small Afro-Panamanian communities along the Atlantic Coast and in villages within the Darién jungle. Most of the people in Darien are fishermen or small scale farmers growing crops such as bananas, rice and coffee as well as raising livestock. Other Afro-Panamanians are the descendants of later migrants from the Caribbean who came to work on railroad construction projects, commercial agricultural enterprises, and especially the canal. Important Afro-Caribbean community areas include towns and cities such as Colon, Cristobal and Balboa, in the former Canal Zone, as well as the Rio Abajo area of Panama City. Another region with a large Afro-Caribbean population is the province of Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean coast just south of Costa Rica.

Most of the Panamanian population of West Indian descent owe their presence in the country to the monumental efforts to build the Panama Canal in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Three-quarters of the 50,000 workers who built the canal were Afro Caribbean migrants from the British West Indies. Thousands of Afro-Caribbean workers were recruited from Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad.

Panama is the smallest Spanish-speaking Latin American country in terms of population.

The most common religion in Panama is Roman Catholicism – various sources estimate that 75–85% of the population identifies itself as Roman Catholic and 15–25% percent as evangelical Christian. The Bahá’í Faith community of Panama is estimated at 2.00% of the national population, or about 60,000 and is home to one of the seven Baha’i Houses of Worship.

Smaller religious groups include Jewish and Muslim communities with approximately 10,000 members each, and small groups of Hindus, Buddhists and Rastafarians. Indigenous religions include Ibeorgun (among Kuna) and Mamatata (among Ngöbe Buglé).

The culture of Panama derived from European music, art and traditions that were brought over by the Spanish to Panama. Hegemonic forces have created hybrid forms of this by blending African and Native American culture with European culture. For example, the tamborito is a Spanish dance that was blended with Native American rhythms, themes and dance moves. Dance is a symbol of the diverse cultures that have coupled in Panama. The local folklore can be experienced through a multitude of festivals, dances and traditions that have been handed down from generation to generation. Local cities host live Reggae en Español, Cuban, Reggaeton, Kompa, Colombian, jazz, blues, salsa, reggae, passa passa, jerk and rock performances.

Outside of Panama City, regional festivals take place throughout the year featuring local musicians and dancers. Another example of Panama’s blended culture is reflected in the traditional products, such as woodcarvings, ceremonial masks and pottery, as well as in its architecture, cuisine and festivals. In earlier times, baskets were woven for utilitarian uses, but now many villages rely almost exclusively on the baskets they produce for tourists.

An example of undisturbed, unique culture in Panama stems from the Kuna Indians who are known for molas. Mola is the Kuna Indian word for blouse, but the term mola has come to mean the elaborate embroidered panels that make up the front and back of a Kuna woman’s blouse. Molas are works of art created by the women of the Central American Cuna (or Kuna) tribe. They are several layers of cloth varying in color that are loosely stitched together made using an appliqué process referred to as “reverse appliqué”.

The Christmas parade, known as El desfile de Navidad, is celebrated in the capital Panama City. This holiday is celebrated on December 25. The floats of the people in the parade are decorated with the Panamanians colors and the women dress in dresses called the Pollera the men dress in the traditional Montuno. In addition, the marching band in the parade which consists of drummers keeps the crowds entertained. In the city, a big Christmas tree is lit with Christmas lights, and everybody surrounds the tree and sings Christmas carols.

The traditional Panamanian dish for Christmas usually includes chicken tamales, arroz con pollo (chicken and rice), puerca asada, pernil, pavo (turkey) and relleno (stuffing). Bowls of fruits and fruitcake are set out on the tables along with the dishes. Along with these foods and dessert, a traditional drink is served which is called Ron Ponche (eggnog). Which consists of: two cans of condensed milk, three cans of evaporated milk, six eggs and half a bottle of rum and nutmeg for some extra flavor.

A Panamanian women’s traditional clothing is called the Pollera. The Pollera originated in Spain in the 16th century. Later on the Pollera was used as a typical dress in Panama in the early eighteen hundreds. The Pollera was worn by women servants or maids: “it was especially the dress of the wet nurses who nursed the children of the family” (De Zarate 5). As years went on, the upper class women adopted the dress.

The original Pollera consists of a female wearing a ruffled blouse that is off her shoulders. The skirt is on the waistline with gold buttons. The skirt also has ruffle so when she lifts it up, it looks like a peacock’s tail or a mantilla fan. The designs on the skirt and blouse are usually flowers, or birds. A two large matching mota(pom-pom) is on the front and back, four ribbons are hanging from the back and the front on the waist line, caberstrillos (five chains of gold) are hanging from the neck to the waist, a gold cross or medallion that’s on a black ribbon is worn as a choker and a silk purse is worn the female waistline. Zaricillos (earrings) are usually gold or coral and to complete the outfit the female wears slippers which matche the color of her Pollera. Her hair is usually worn in a bun held with three large gold combs which have some pearls and is worn like a crown. The best pollera can usually cost up to ten thousand dollars and may take a year to complete. The men also wear traditional clothing. Their outfits consist of white cotton shirts, trousers and woven straw hat. This traditional clothing can be worn in parades, where the females and males do a traditional dance. The females do a gentle sway and twirl their skirts while the men hold their hats in their hands and dance behind the females.

A pollera is made with a “cambric” or “fine linen” (Baker 177). The color of the Pollera is always white and it is usually about thirteen yards of material. Today, there are different types of polleras; The Pollera de Gala consists of a short sleeved ruffle skirt blouse, two full length skirts and a petticoat. The girls wear tembleques a gold and tortoise shell combs with pearls in it in their hair. Gold coins and jewelry are added on the outfit. The Pollera Montuna is a daily dress, with a blouse, a skirt with a solid color, a single gold chain and a pendant earrings. The hair piece is a natural flower in the hair. This Pollera is slightly different from the rest because instead of off the shoulder blouse, the females wear a fitted white jacket, shoulder pleats and a flared hem.

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Ten homes were destroyed and another ten houses were affected by flooding in the sector of Pueblo Nuevo of Gonzalo Vásquez, in the district of Chiman, by strong waves that have been recorded since last Wednesday. This was announced by the National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC). Another 40 homes were flooded in the area of Gonzalo Vásquez Centro. The Regional Deputy Director of Panama East, Kerly Gutiérrez, together with officials from the Technical Department of the SINAPROC, came to the affected communities to make a report of what happened, and so to present the situation to the authorities, so they may take the necessary measures.

The community of Gonzalo Vásquez is divided into two sectors. The first is Pueblo Nuevo which has a total of twenty houses, and of those ten were completely destroyed. While in the area of Gonzalo Vásquez Centro, the homes suffered minor damage. Officials of the Ministry of Social Development arrived to provide humanitarian aid. Another of the sites affected by strong waves is Puerto Caimito, where there have been waves of up to six meters, which have already destroyed two shops.

Experts have explained this natural phenomenon is a result of a low pressure system accompanied by strong winds, the products of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone, typical of the season, which has produced such damages. It is noteworthy that the SINAPROC staff conducted an assessment of the damage caused by the strong waves recorded during the days August 30th, 31, and September 1st in the early morning hours, in addition to maintaining a continuous monitoring of these affected areas. The Director General of SINAPROC, Arturo Alvarado, recommended that people living in these areas that are highly vulnerable to this phenomenon of nature, should take preventive measures – especially children, people with special needs, and older adults – who should move to a safe place and be alert to the presence of these high tides.

Al Capone wore one. So did Winston Churchill and Ernest Hemingway. We are talking about the Panama hat, which is traditionally made in Ecuador. The elegant headwear woven from palm fibres, considered a status symbol for men for decades, is now making a slow comeback. Custom-woven Panama hats are in worldwide demand and numerous German milliners are in the business of refining ones imported from Ecuador. ‘These days when people want to treat themselves to something special, they buy a Panama hat,’ says Andreas Voigtlaender with satisfaction. He is the chairman of the society of German speciality hat shops (GDH) and runs a hat shop himself in Wiesbaden, central Germany. The headwear, which is also popular as an elegant sun protection, has now found its way into famous boutiques along the Berlin Kudamm and the Kö in Dusseldorf, the main retail and shopping centres in the cities. ‘The Panama hat will never be a mass product like it was in the 1920s and thereafter. But you can definitely say it is experiencing a comeback,’ said Voigtlaender. One man who is pleased to hear about this positive trend is Kurt Dorfzaun, a Bavarian whose company in Ecuador has been preparing these hats for decades. ‘Golfers especially have learned to appreciate our products,’ said Dorfzaun from his company in the Andes.

‘We have been working with the Dorfzaun family for decades,’ said Klaus Rock, sales manager of the company Mayser in the Bavarian town of Lindenburg. Seamstresses in the Mayser factories give the final touch to some 10,000 prefabricated Panama hats per year.

The name Panama hat comes from the times when the headgear was stored in the central American country of the same name prior to being shipped all over the world.

The hats can be wide, skinny, slack or firm. The hat ribbon can be classic in black material or casual from leather. Women’s hats are often decorated with a hand-made flower. The palette of colours is huge, ranging from light and beige hues through to green and bright red.

Men prefer the classic Panama hat and the prices range from 70 to 1,400 dollars.

‘It is all a question of quality. The finer the fibres, the more expensive the hat,’ explains Katt Schweizter-Nacken of the federal hat-makers guild. The customers are usually men aged over 30 but the clientele could change with the hat already being worn as part of the ‘gangsta-look’ adopted by artists such as reggae musician Daddy Yankee.

If you have time to kill and you´re over by Albrook, decide to stop into the Albrook Mall. They have recently opened a new section of the mall, which has been built and managed by the Grupo Los Pueblos. This mall basically “wraps around” the National Bus Terminal and is probably the most popular of all of the new shopping centers in Panama in terms of foot traffic. The stores in this mall are lower priced and aim more for volume than anything else. There are stores like the Oca Loca and Conway which come straight from Ave. Central so you can find very inexpensive merchandise. The only downside to the Albrook Mall is the parking, none of which is under cover which is important in the rainy season. And, this mall is large and long – wear comfortable shoes because you have to do a whole lot of walking to get from one end to the other. You can just want to grab a few happy-snaps and then get distracted by the different shop and then run out of time. Anyway, for what it’s worth…

The lost wreckage of a ship belonging to 17th century pirate Captain Henry Morgan has been discovered in Panama, said a team of U.S. archaeologists — and the maker of Captain Morgan rum. Near the Lajas Reef, where Morgan lost five ships in 1671 including his flagship “Satisfaction,” the team uncovered a portion of the starboard side of a wooden ship’s hull and a series of unopened cargo boxes and chests encrusted in coral. The cargo has yet to be opened, but Captain Morgan USA — which sells the spiced rum named for the eponymous pirate — is clearly hoping there’s liquor in there. “There’s definitely an irony in the situation,” Fritz Hanselmann an archaeologist with the River Systems Institute and the Center for Archaeological Studies at Texas State University and head of the dive team told KVUE Austin. The Captain Morgan rum group stepped in on the quest for Captain Morgan after team — which found a collection of iron cannons nearby — ran out of funds before they could narrow down the quest.

The new funding allowed the team to do a magnetometer survey, which looks for metal by finding any deviation in the earth’s magnetic field. “When the opportunity arose for us to help make this discovery mission possible, it was a natural fit for us to get involved. The artifacts uncovered during this mission will help bring Henry Morgan and his adventures to life in a way never thought possible,” said Tom Herbst, brand director of Captain Morgan USA, in a statement. In the 17th century, Captain Henry Morgan sailed as a privateer on behalf of England, defending the Crown’s interests and pioneering expeditions to the New World. In 1671, in an effort to capture Panama City and loosen the stronghold of Spain in the Caribbean, Morgan set out to take the Castillo de San Lorenzo, a Spanish fort on the cliff overlooking the entrance to the Chagres River, the only water passageway between the Caribbean and the capital city. Although his men ultimately prevailed, Morgan lost five ships to the rough seas and shallow reef surrounding the fort.

The underwater research team included archaeologists and divers from Texas State University, volunteers from the National Park Service’s Submerged Resources Center and NOAA/UNC-Wilmington’s Aquarius Reef Base. And pirate booty or no, they said the story of Captain Henry Morgan was the real treasure. “To us, the ship is the treasure — the story is the treasure,” Hanselman told MSNBC’s Alan Boyle. “And you don’t have a much better story than Captain Henry Morgan’s sack of Panama City and the loss of his five ships.” Artifacts excavated by the dive team in 2010, including the six cannons, as well as any future relics will remain the property of the Panamanian government and will be preserved and displayed by the Patronato Panama Viejo.

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For 10 years, the company Traffic Safety of Panama, SA will be responsible for the application of three types of infractions against the Traffic Regulations committed by drivers. The company will impose fines against anyone caught running a red light, speeding, or obstructing traffic. On 8 August 2011 the company was awarded a contract by the Land Transit and Transportation Authority (ATTT) worth $3 million dollars. According to Article 241 of the Traffic Regulations, the obstruction of traffic and driving with speed exceeding the limit, are infractions carrying a $50 dollar fine. The fine for running a red light is $100 dollars. Manuel Salgado, head of IT at the ATTT said these violations will be detected using video cameras that will initially be installed at the 20 busiest intersections in the country. The first cameras will be installed on Avenida Balboa, Calle 50, in San Miguelito, on Transístmica and Via España. In the interior of the country, away from the capital city, the cameras will be installed in the towns with the most traffic.

Violators Will Be Identified – According to Salgado, the video cameras will be able to identify the license plate number of vehicles. This information will enable the company to issue the sanctions, and the drivers who have committed the offense will be notified through an as yet undefined mechanism. Email is one of the options, he said, and they intend to inform the drivers to keep the fines from going into contempt.

ATTT Will Collect The Fines – The sanctions established using the video cameras will be collected by the ATTT, however the company Traffic Safety of Panama SA will charge a percentage that has not been established. Following the endorsement of the Comptroller General of the Republic, the company will have 180 days to install the cameras at the established sites.

A lot of countries are going to these things. I’ve seen ones that have a large sign saying “the speed limit is 50 mph” and then under that there’s your speed clocked by an automatic radar gun, and “your speed is” If it goes over a present level, it turns red and a message pops up saying “you’ve been fined. Have a nice day´´

Gustavo Garcia de Paredes was declared winner of the Dean of the University of Panama. His followers dressed in red celebrated his fifth consecutive election victory as the leader of the Panamanian house of higher learning. As soon as the official results started coming in at about 9:00 pm last night, Gustavo Garcia de Paredes took an imposing lead over his only challenger, Professor Eduardo Flores, who had promised to overthrow Gustavo Garcia de Paredes, speaking of him as a dictator, he promised to change the face of the institution. However, as the results started coming in from the Central Board of Scrutiny of the University of Panama, the trend was favoring Garcia de Paredes, but not widely, and apparently many people voted against him and the balance was fairly close. When the count began there were many allegations of irregularities and the initial numbers showed 76.51% of the votes for Gustavo Garcia de Paredes and Flores trailing with 22.34%. However with the arrival of more and more results the election tightened up and the suspense grew over who had won, and at the close of counting the score was 52% in favor of Garcia de Paredes and 47% for Flores. The other percentage went to Edgardo Molino Mola, who declined to join the bloc against the current president, but his name appeared on the ballot. Rector García de Paredes was proclaimed the winner of the election at 10:54 pm and the celebration began, surrounded by faculty, staff, friends, and some of the managers he appointed. The Rector of the University of Panama is selected in a weighted voting process – 60% from the teachers, 30% from the students, and 10% from the administrative staff. When proclaimed, the man called the “perpetual president” by his opponents at the start of the campaign, will take over in October this year and will complete his fifth consecutive five year term in 2016.

Bocas del Toro was recently identified as one of the “50 Best Yachting Towns” in an article published by Yachting Magazine. The Bocas related excerpt from the article reads “Bocas Del Toro, Panama – A nature lover’s paradise and one of Panama’s most popular tourist spots, Bocas’ 5,000 residents are still way outnumbered by the surrounding wildlife. Enjoy the town’s laid-back vibe and easy access to the region’s nine major islands, 52 keys and roughly 200 tiny islands. There are two marinas for those who want to explore this archipelago’s treasures. And may I remind you that this island archipelago off the Caribbean coast of Panama is one of the few hurricane-free places in the Caribbean. Panama has an active and vibrant community of full and part time “cruisers” – and it might just be my impression but it seems like there are many more on the Caribbean side than the Pacific side of Panama. They work their way up and down the coast, from Bocas del Toro to the San Blas islands. Hey, how much fresh lobster can any one person eat, anyway…