Still hanging around Boquete . Found a local insurance office; after a three person conference, they informed me that I needed residency to get the insurance package that I wanted.  
So the next step is trying to find a lawyer to help me with establishing residency. Been to one lawyer and just contacted another lawyer yesterday. Have the phone # for another that I'll try to contact on Mon.  

Trying to find information on the internet about stuff outside the US (and maybe Canada and Europe) is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.  

Researching residency options, for example, I've gone to the US State Dept, Panama (and other countries) gov't websites, tourist and so-called 'information' websites, looking for details. They give you general information, but little to nothing about details of the process or requirements. One of the things I was concerned about was maintaining residency status. Seems most countries require you to be present in their country for at least six months of the year. I read somewhere that Panama requires you to be present only once every two years; but for how long: one hour? one day? one week? You shouldn't have to consult an attorney for information like this. Some information posted on the internet is contradictory, like for visa renewals: leave the country, return, and get another 90 days (or whatever); some people cross the border, go shopping for a little while, return, and get another 90 days; at other times, it's three days: does that mean at least 72 hours, or what?  

Looks like the only way to really know is to try, and be prepared to get stuck somewhere you hadn't planned on .  

Like they say: the devil is in the details!  



So I've been twiddling my thumbs a lot, waiting for email responses that never come. Luckily, I'm in a place that has good temperatures, and is fairly inexpensive, and has enough to hold my interest. There's a small market right next to us (which is great because we're a little over a mile from downtown); for the size of the place, it has a lot of variety and low prices, which makes it easy whip up a meal or get a snack. Going into town to eat or shop gets me away from my current residence for a while. Walks around the town through the hills provide additional attractive scenery and exercise. Most of the mountain trails require a fee, but are more interesting hikes. Even just hanging around the hostel, the views are very nice, there's a continual rotation of interesting people to chat with.  

About every four days I get restless and go on a hike of 3 to 5 hours. One hike of 5 hours took me over a mountain to a town in the next valley; then it was almost 4 hours on buses to get back 'home'. But most of my time is spent reading, outdoors, and enjoying the great weather.  

It took me from Sun until today (Tue) to upload my videos. I moved to a hostel in town and the internet is not as good.