A lost reservation in the rainforest

Hotels.com confirms a rate of $140 a night at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort in Panama for Donna Katos, but when she checks in, the resort doesn’t have a reservation for her and insists she pay nearly double her rate. She pays, hoping to get things sorted out when she returns to the States, but things aren’t getting sorted out. Is she out of luck?

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Panama vs. Nicaragua

Here’s a brief analysis of these popular retirement and second-home destinations by International Living.

Interesting… I prefer Panama but I admit I’m a bit biased. :)

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Is Panama the Americas’ Hong Kong?

The groundbreaking at the Panama Canal on Sept. 3 won’t involve the usual golden shovels; instead, dignitaries of the order of Organization of American States Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter will be treated to a large explosion. And while the detonation is officially meant to kick off a $5.25 billion expansion.

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Panama, Beach and Forest

HERE was a time, back in the mid-70’s, when the tiny island of Contadora was an ”in” place, the kind of trendy tourist mecca that Panama is now desperately eager to recreate. Hollywood stars and international jet-setters — John Wayne and Christian Dior among others — visited. An international treaty was signed there. In 1979, the shah of Iran lived here.

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Fiestas.com? Evidence of “Dot Com” as Its Own Brand

What? Does Fiestas.com operate a small storefront in Panama? Actually, no. This store does not own the Fiestas.com domain name, they just use it as the name of their business. This is further evidence that “dot com” has become its own brand. Interesting… I have seen this not just in Panama but throughout Latin America.

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