i just read your blog for the first time and i had to write and tell you how much i thoroughly enjoyed your postings. i am moving to panama this spring and it has been very difficult to find anything written about panama where some expat is not trying to peddle something. I have not laughed this much in a long time. i do have one question, is arraijan a reasonable place for a retiree to live? (Chuck in Belize)

thanks Chuck,

i know what you mean. i couldn’t find any honest writing on Panama before i arrived. and it’s still in short supply. the truth is, we’re all whores chuck. i just happen to be one of those stupid whores who’s still giving it away for free.

i’ve not spent much time in Arraijan. a couple of visits only. it’s on the other side of the canal. my girlfriend’s lived there. she describes it as - “un pueblo muy feo.” the short answer to your question is, no, its not a great place for a gringo to retire.

back in the day there was a military base nearby and many americans had girlfriends in Arraijan. things were better then. but now it’s a mostly poor area. if you’re going to live there i’d suggest you live like a native; that is, on the cheap.

if you buy a nice house and car to live in arraijan you may run into trouble. with so many poor people living nearby you could become a target for robbery. my girlfriend’s brother still lives there. he wants to move out because it’s gotten dangerous. if it’s dangerous for a poor panamanian imagine how it would be for you. there’s a reason they all carry machetes chuck.

there may be some nice parts of Arraijan that i’m not aware of. but you should travel, and spend some time there before you decide to buy. if that’s not possible find someone you trust to do it for you.

anyone else have some thoughts on arraijan?

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