Most Indians in Panama practice something called ferri. In the U.S. or Europe you would call this lone sharking. Small loans. Say to start $50, then a $100 and over the years if you really create a close relationship with your customer $500 and up. money doesn’t sign a contract so theYou charge interest on the loan which will be paid back the next pay day and start loaning again until you can collect enough interest to invest in some capital, a car, a building, a restaurant, whatever: interest turns into capital. Now the key to ferri is collecting the money: there is nothing legal about this, the person that borrows there is no legal record of the transaction and because the borrower is Panamanian, it is unlikely that anyone will make him or her pay. The Indians that do this don’t use muscle to force payment. What they use as their weapon is first creating a strong personal relationship with their client and then they use tension as a way of making sure of payment. Coming to your work, coming by to see you, even if you live in an extremely dangerous neighborhood: they come. Those that practice ferri are always on the streets on pay day in order to collect their money. And they are fearless. The greatest practitioner of ferri in Panama was once pointed out to me at a Hindu versus Muslim cricket game and I could see immediately why he was so good at his job: the overwhelming sense of tension and dread on his face was suffocating.

The Indians in Panama that practice ferri always make fun of the Muslims because Muslims can’t charge interest on money as the Koran states that interest collecting is a sin. But the Muslims in Panama have other ways of surviving. Off the side streets of Avenida Central you will see young Muslim kids selling perfumes. The inexpensive perfume market is controlled by Muslims. Muslims are also very active in the used car business: many of the cars that are repossessed by the banks are then sold to Muslim used car dealers.

On the back alleys of Avenida Central you will also see Quranic schools for children. And in the warehouse district of Panama City, just off Avenida Balboa, you will see Mosques with their minarets stretching up to the sky, next to warehouses filled with paint and home supplies. Many of the Muslim families in Panama have direct speaker hook ups in their house that allow them to hear what is being said at the mosque throughout the day.

More On Escaping In Panama

There have been a number of famous people who have hid out in Panama in order to escape trouble elsewhere: The Shah of Iran, General Cedras of Hati, Patty Hearst, John Wayne, Graham Greene, Juan Peron and Billy Carter - Jimmy Carter’s brother - he was famous for kicking up all kinds of shit in Panama as well as Carter’s Chief of Staff, Hamilton Jordan. Now Panama is a great place to lay low. Panama has always been a place where you could come and be whatever you want. If you are sick of living inside your skin, sick of your life, your personality, your friends, your name, and if you want to shed your identity for a while, then you will be welcomed in Panama. Hopefully, you don't feel this way about your life. For the most part people in Panama will welcome you as you are. But the price of entry is that you also must respect what other people like. 

Now for some great places to escape to in Panama. Contadora Island is a great place to visit especially during January and February; it is also nice in November and October when it is lush and green. This used to be an escape for people like John Wayne, Mickey Rooney, Julio Inglesia and Joe DiMaggio. Recently the T.V. series Survivor filmed on Contadora. Another spot to escape to would be the beach town of Santa Clara. Located on Panama’s Pacific Coast, Santa Clara is a great beach: white sand, hot sun and blue water. There are a couple of small hotels near the beach that are affordable. Another escape would be Cerro Azul, a small mountain town above Panama City. If you like cool weather then Cerro Azul is the place for you. Cool air and old cloud forests and great views are what you’ll find. The Azuero Peninsula is a great place to visit during January and February: on just about any day of the week you’ll be able to find some town in Los Santos province celebrating some kind of festival. And the beaches in Los Santos, though very remote are great for sun and surf.

Studying In Panama

FSU-Panama is the second oldest University in Panama. It has been operating in Panama since 1957 and offers majors in Computer Science, Environmental Studies, Information Studies, International Affairs, Interdisciplinary Program In Social Science and Latin American and Caribbean Studies. The University is located in the old U.S. Canal Zone and lies directly under the Bridge Of The Americas, the bridge that connects North America and South America. The University provides housing at a very reasonable price and tuition to the school is much less expensive than most universities in the States. Classes are in English and most students that spend their four years at the University learn Spanish. So you get Spanish as well as English as well as a U.S. recognized degree and you also stay out of the cold and get the chance to visit other countries in the region without having to travel so far. Click Here to see more about FSU-Panama

Another popular place to study in Panama is the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian is very powerful in Panama and they have research projects going on all around the country.

Summer In Panama

In Panama the summer months run from January to April. During this time of the year the weather is hot and dry: hammock weather. The winds pick up and the pace of life slows down and people really enjoy themselves. In the provinces – especially Los Santos, Herrera and Veraguas Provinces – people begin to prepare for the fairs in the countryside. The fairs have music, discos, exhibitions and food. Christmas tree lights, wooden stands and hot nights with rum and sex.  If you’ve never been to one they're great fun. Most of the fairs are near a beach so during the day head to the beach and at night head back to the fair. Or check out the rivers of Panama in the summer. Great fun. 

Buying Real Estate In Panama

If you are thinking of buying some land in Panama, and it's not a bad idea, make sure you see the title to the land first. The process here works like this. You have decided to purchase the land: you first see the title to the land, then you turn over your check for the land to the bank, the seller turns over the title as you turn over the monies. Next, the the bank will hold both the title to the land and the monies to pay for the land. Buyer and seller are now in limbo. The title and monies will be held for 30 days until the buyer takes possession of title and the seller takes possession of funds. There are deviations to this outline of buying real estate, but that's the basic formula.  If the title isn't with the bank, you're lost. Don't put monies in bank accounts directly from the States: bye-bye monies. After you buy then you have to build something and this could take years.

I've been asked by lots of readers about what is the best way to buy land or set up a business in Panama and there are two things you need to do before entering the Panamanian market: first find yourself a good lawyer; Panama has excellent lawyers. Second, find a local business contact. If you have these two factors working in your favor, then you'll be able to cut through the behemoth that is Panamanian bureaucracy. 

Quotes

"If ten people came to my office, or a hundred or a thousand, I talked to them. I think I talked with everyone in those months(early 1944). Bit by bit as they say. And if they said to me that this was a long job, I would reply."Don't forget that the parrot, eating one kernel of corn after another, will consume the cornfield. And that's the way I politicized the Argentine masses."