www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Here's an interesting article I thought some of you guys might be interested in reading.

Next Stop | Panama: The Costa Rica Experience Moves Next Door

IT'S a Friday afternoon in Boquete, Panama, and the main street resembles Anytown, U.S.A. There is a mom-and-pop coffee shop with round tables, premade sandwiches and a dessert case. Nearby is a tiny video store, with posters advertising “Misión Imposible Tres” and “La Guerra de Los Mundos.” And down the block is a small deli that serves cheeseburgers with rice and beans.

At midday, when the air is warm but crisp, a casual pace falls over the town. Crocs-wearing tourists mingle with old-timers, making fishing and hiking plans for the following morning.

What feels at times like a newly minted resort town in New England or perhaps Southern California is actually the latest stop on Panama's growing tourist route. Tucked in the highlands near the Barú volcano, in the western Chiriquí region of Panama, Boquete is emerging as one of Central America's latest eco-tourism destinations.

read full article http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/travel/19next.html

p.s. Admin 1,
How about adding a new section for "news articles" for those members who would like to share ariticles/info with others?
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"If I lived each day as if it were my last I would have been dead a long time ago." - Traylor Park

I've been to that area and it IS pretty nice, with a nice fresh climate like Costa Rica's Central Valley. As far as being the 'next' Costa Rica, there are a few reasons why not. First, Chiriqui Province's highland areas are small, and there aren't really any cities in Panama that aren't lowland and therefore hot and humid. I spent two visits to that area and it's nice enough, but for a monger, it's a non-starter. Boquete has gone through a big real estate price jump lately. If you want to live in a small town like Boquete, you don't need to go to Panama to find one. Panama is a little cheaper in terms of cost of living, and the roads are better. You also get to use US dollars there as the official currency. Other than that, I don't think CRT members would find that area a great place to live until a double dose of Cialis doesn't do it anymore.

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"The only normal people are those you don't know very well." Joe Ancis