The Latin American Wind Energy Association, LAWEA; is proud to present the second Latin American-International Wind Power Conference and Exhibition: WIND EXPO Panama 2009. It is a pleasure for us to invite you to this huge event, which will take place in Panama City, Panama, in the ATLAPA Convention Center. The dates for the show are September 02 - 04. (09/02/09 – 11/07/08)

Giving continuity to the development of the first version of WIND EXPO held in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico in 2008, and in which the fulfilling of our goal of "Unveiling the Power of Latin America’s Wind” was a success, LAWEA now invites you to join us at Panama City in our WIND EXPO 2009, to continue with our mission, strengthen the Latin American Wind Power business

The world is now aware of the huge potential and the opportunities of Wind Power generation in Latin America. That is why now we are going to focus on this WIND EXPO 2009 to find successful strategies that will enable us “Integrating Wind Power into the Latin American Energy Matrix”, the main goal of this show.

WIND EXPO Panama 2009 is prepared to fully cover the expectations of those who attend. Among the people who will be present in the event are: experts in the field, leading companies in the sector, project developers, manufacturers of supplies, government agencies, investors, research centers, financial institutions, students, etc. The program consists of three days of conferences and exhibition related to the topic of wind energy, and also counts with a major space for business development.

WIND EXPO Panama 2009 has much to offer for all kinds of audiences; including from beginners in this market, to highly recognized leaders in the wind and renewable energy sector.

It is now the perfect timing to take the chance to meet the products and services of the leading industries in renewable energies all around the world, and to place your company in a leading position in this huge and fast-growing market!

Do not miss the chance to exhibit, sponsor and attend the conferences of the premier, biggest and most important Latin American wind energy show, and thus become a leading player in the sector.

        

This was recently posted on the Boquete Guide Blog and I couldn't resist sharing it here. Be sure to read to the end to capture the spirit of the whole piece. Jennifer and Lee do a great job of expressing my my sentiments in this piece.<< MORE >>

With the US economy on shaky ground many people are asking if Panama Real Estate and in fact the entire Panama economy as a whole will falter and crash now that many Americans can't unload their home to fund a move to Panama. Unlike many countries, Costa Rica for one, who rely very heavily on foreign tourism, Panama has an economy which is based primarily on much more than just tourism or retirement real estate. In fact both of these 'industries' combined don't even come close to generating the amount of revenue the Panama Canal does for ...<< MORE >>

FYI - I just added a new page to Learn About Panama. Check it out - Weather in Panama

        

Hey Sports Fans!  My beloved home land of Canada is taking on Panama in a friendly.  Check out the details by clicking on this headline -

National team coach will juggle roster as Canada plays Panama in friendly

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Discovered this Hot Deal today on TACA Airlines. Now the window which opens will not show Panama in the example but if you input your city of origin, ie. MIA for Miami and PTY for Panama City you will get the fares to/from Panama City. In this case I checked Miami (MIA) to Panama City (PTY) and got a fare of $224 round trip - and Miami to San Jose, CR is just $125 - now that's a Hot Deal! If you are interested in the Chiriqui Highlands - Boquete, Volcan or David area then flying into San Jose makes sense. You can then connect on to the Chiriqui airport in David.

Check it out -

South of the Border Savings! Round-Trip Flights from $125+ w/ Taca Airlines! > Expires 5/28/08

Please note you need to book by 5/28/08 and travel by Dec. 15/08

        

I am loving this new site for

Cheap Airfares to Panama!

As a matter of fact I'm not only getting good deals to and from Panama but finding it excellent for Cheap Airfares anywhere - especially for travel in the U.S.

It is so cool! It automatically searches airfares on all of the discount sites.

Then it scans continuously for the best fares and updates the prices as it works.

I checked for Panama to Miami on the typical consolidator sites the best fare to Panama from Miami was $310

Then I checked Site

Here's what I got: $244

This site is very cool and will definitely save us money flying to Panama or anywhere else for that matter.

Check it out here - Lowest Airfares Online! Oh, and be sure to register for additional perks, benefits and some extra discounts.

        

With the rising cost of health care in the United States I am getting a lot more questions about - Medical Tourism in Panama. I came across this interesting site with a good Q&A about Medical Tourism in Panama. here's an excerpt -

What is Medical Tourism?

Medical tourism, also known as health tourism, offers a different and affordable approach to medical procedures, giving patients a chance to relax, while recovering from or awaiting their particular surgeries.

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Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification

        

Yesterday the Seattle Times Travel Section posted this article answering the question, 'Can I plan my own trip to Panama for bird-watching, canal-watching and culture? Do I need to be on a tour, or can I get my own guides and keep my costs down? What is the best time of year to travel?'

Kristin Jackson, Seattle Times Travel writer provided this informative response. I've added some comments to Kristin's which I hope will help more -

A: Yes, you can certainly go on your own, and Panama has some of the best bird-watching and hiking in Central America. However, when you are hiking or bird-watching in remote areas, you might find it easier — and safer — to go with a group. The advantage of guides is that they can arrange transportation, and they'll know local conditions.

LAP says,  - Good advice.

For instance, some parts of Darien province, near the border with Colombia, are unsafe because of bandits and drug-smuggling. The wild, and wildlife-teeming, Darien National Park is there; you would definitely want to be with a local guide and a group for security.

LAP says, -  Good advice

Some authorities, including the U.S. State Department, advise against traveling to all of Darien province; see its Panama information sheet at www.travel.state.gov. Certain areas of Panama City and the city of Colón also should be avoided, particularly at night, because of robberies.

LAP says, - very true however, take the state department warning with a grain of salt. Remember the US State departments main purpose is to keep all Americans in state of fear so they stay put and put up with whatever the government throws at them! Kristin's comments in the previous paragraph are most appropriate here. There are plenty of safe places to visit in the Darien but a good local guide is a must!

The best time to go to Panama is roughly from mid-December to mid-April, which is the drier season. That's also when hotels are most expensive, however. Christmas and Easter are very busy travel periods, although there are many religious processions and cultural events in Holy Week (the week before Easter). If you plan to visit then, make hotel reservations far in advance.

LAP says, - True, True, True!

For seeing the Panama Canal, you can easily arrange a one-day tour from Panama City. There are many tour/travel companies in the city; hotels will have information. You can get lots of information on Panama through the government tourism office's Web site: www.visitpanama.com/eng/. And you can find all sorts of tours, including escorted nature tours arranged by U.S. companies, if you search online for "Panama and tours."

LAP says, - Using a tour company to visit the canal is really not necessary and will cost you a lot more than doing it yourself. The Mira-flores locks and museum are easy to get to by taxi. Ask around and set a price ahead of time for the taxi fare. It really depends on where you are staying. From downtown hotels expect to pay $15 or less. Entry to the museum is $8. 

There are two indispensable guides for planning such a trip to Panama -

A Guide to the Birds of Panama and The Lonely Planet - Panama

Oh, and don't forget a good Map of Panama.