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•Copywriting, Writing & Editing•Online Content Creation & Management•Business Plans•Social Media & Internet Marketing•Linkedin & Linkedin Profiles
Dennis Dean Smith
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✭ Travel & Tourism
Panama’s Chagres River and Gatun Lake Area ActivitiesPublished by Panama Simple, May 20, 2013 | By Dennis Smith
Embera, Fishing the Panama Canal and MoreThe Chagres River, Gatun Lake and the Panama Canal all meet. Panama’s Chagres River flows into the Panama Canal Watershed and is surrounded by the rainforest of the 320,000acre Chagres National Park, which is the largest of the National Parks protecting the Panama Canal Watershed. Gatun Lake was formed to feed the operation of the Panama Canal lock system. Together Chagres and Gatun provide locations for diverse tours and activities. And best of all, the Basin area is only a 30 or 45 minute drive from Panama City.
You can meet the Embera and learn about their culture. The perennial favorite is boating upriver to spend a day with the local Embera Indians in their village of Embera Drua. You travel the river in a motorized dugout canoe or similar small boat to the village. Once at the Embera village you will be greeted, and delighted with, traditional dances and music.
If you like cultural anthropology, you can learn about Embera customs and their coexistence with the local nature. You can buy baskets and other handcrafts. If you are truly adventurous, you can get painted with the traditional jagua dye the Embera use to tattoo their bodies from the neck down. Then it is a traditional Embera lunch and back down the river, then back to Panama City.
You can go fishing in the Panama Canal. You will be driven along the Panama Canal on the Gamboa road passing the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks to the Chagres marina in Gamboa. There you board your charter fishing boat that comes fully equipped, including tackle and bait.
Then it is into the inlets of the Canal. Your Captain is looking for where twotothree pound Peacock Bass are hungry. You can also troll for snook and tarpon. Who knows, you might even get a Yahoo. Game fish of all kinds are abundant in this area.
You can explore the wildlife of the Panama Canal. Take an expedition boat to explore the waters of the Panama Canal and look for Panama’s countless species of birds, reptiles, monkeys and more.
You can walk in the footsteps of the Spanish Conquistadors. The Cruces Trail at Camino de Cruces National Park is a historical road that was built more than 400 years ago by the Spanish Conquistadors in order to connect Panama City to Fort San Lorenzo on the Atlantic side of Panama. The goal was to transport gold and silver across the Isthmus for final transport to Spain.
Imagine a morning trekking through history – expect to hike of about 9.5 km (6 miles) in around 5 hours, and then taking a rainforest boat tour exploring the wildlife and nature along the Chagres River and Panama Canal. Along the way it is not unusual to see the big ships, Green Iguana, Threetoed sloths, Crocodiles, Ospreys, Toucans and maybe a Harpy Eagle – Panama’s national bird. How is that for variety?
This post was written by Dennis Smith – who has written 60 posts for Panama Simple. Dennis Smith earns
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his living as a copywriter, online content creator & manager, writing business plans for small businesses and editing whatever is necessary. Dennis is also a certified Inbound Marketer. He lives in Panama where he acts as a consultant for foreign businesses that want to enter the country.
Let’s talk about how I can help you at [email protected]?
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✭ Website Copy
Vista Group Panama
Panama has established a rocksolid reputation for doing business in Latin America. The country has showndoubledigit growth in nearly each of the past five years, and it is expected to rank among the highestnations in Latin America in the years to come. Foreign direct investment is equally strong, fueled byPanama’s unique business opportunities and economic incentives. In fact, Panama has proven itself as oneof just five Latin American nations to receive coveted "investment grade" bond ratings in 2010 from the threemain credit agencies (Standard & Poor’s, Moody's and Fitch). Key growth sectors include Panama’sfreezone and special economic zones, like Panama Pacifico, and maritime, logistics, tourism, technologyand energy.
Vista Group sets our sights on Panama's future by identifying current projects that support regional growththat result in job creation, economic diversity and security. Our dedication and expertise creates new andunique business opportunities for Panama’s investors, entrepreneurs, industry leaders and the internationalinvestor community at large.
We serve our clients by leveraging our experience, market knowledge and focused strategic partnerships tomaximize all that Panama’s thriving business climate has to offer. We have a strong track record ofdeveloping, promoting and maintaining Panama as a top tourist, investment and business destination. Ourclose ties within the region’s public and private sectors provide our clients with many vital services,including:
● Business Development● Government Relations● Market Entry and Marketing Strategies● Media Planning and Execution● Communications● Public Relations● Event Production and Promotion
Let’s talk about how I can help you at [email protected]?
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✭ Business Plan
Note: Due to privacy concerns, I cannot publish any of the business plans that I have done here. Theyinclude a ‘Green’ energy generation plant, a wellness center, an equestrian operation, a wholesalemerchandise mart, real estate plantations and others. I can provide you with references from businessowners and funding groups. A representative table of contents is as follows.
● The Company (what the company really will do, no boring mission statements)● Executive Team● The Market● Marketing Strategy● Competition● Competitive Advantage (SWOT)● Social Impact● Legal & Permissions● Exit Strategy● Financials
Let’s talk about how I can help you at [email protected]?
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✭ Legal Brochure
Enjoy Your Interests in Panama
Panama has become the place to do business or to live in Latin America. The country is an offshoredomicile, is investmentfriendly, has a strong real estate market, is a preferred retirement or second homedestination and has the strongest economic growth in the region, among others. Panama is also famous forthe Panama Canal, the Colon Free Zone, the International Banking Center, it’s ‘Flag of Choice’ fleet and itsnumerous Foreign Direct Investor incentives and programs.
It is important to note you will require legal help to take advantages of any of the opportunities Panamaoffers. You can come to us for any of these customized services:
● Corporate & Commercial Transactions● Admiralty & Maritime● Banking & Taxation● Labor & Employment● Management & Administrative● Alternative Dispute Resolution & Litigation● Privatization & Public Bids
● Foundations & Estate Planning● Immigration & Visa● Real Estate● Intellectual Property● Environmental● Mergers & Acquisitions● Energy & Communications
Arosemena Noriega & Contreras (ANORCO) has helped people like you for more than 40 years (est. 1968).Let us do the same for you now? We want to be your team in Panama.
Manage Your Affairs in Panama Successfully, Securely & LegallyContact us for your consultation.
Let’s talk about how I can help you at [email protected]?
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✭ Expat Lifestyle
American Expat in Panama ‐ 17 Years and Still HerePublished by Panama Escape Artist | By Dennis Smith
July of this year is my 17th anniversary as an American Expat in Panama. To me that is amazing since Ididn’t intend to come here ‐ and certainly never thought I would stay. Panama, where’s that? What followsare my observations. If you are interested, join me in my living in the real Panama. If not, so be it.
I said goodbye to the States in February of 1988 ‐ something I have never regretted. I backpacked andputtered around Asia for years until enough was enough. Ended up in Costa Rica. After 3 months, I had todo a visa hop to get my passport stamps renewed. Someone suggested Panama because it was close. Iwalked across the border in Sixaola in Bocas del Toro in sandals and shorts with an Aussie bush hat, andgood or bad, have been here ever since.
Now I live across the Bridge of Americas, which spans the Panama Canal in a small fishing village (pop.around 30,000), a 20 minute drive from Panama City. Happily, I live with my Panamanian wife of 9 years.She has shown me the real Panama since she has the dubious distinction of being from the what the localpapers recently named the most dangerous place to live in Panama City.
Overall, life in Panama is easier compared to other Central and Latin American countries ‐ including CostaRica. And living here is certainly easier across the board than in America, Canada or Europe. What I havefound is that you want to get in trouble here, you have to really figure out how. Think about that.
As ‘Gringos” (Americans) or Extranjeros (foreigners from anywhere else), we are accepted and generallywelcome. (Since I am a Gringo that will be my bias for this narrative from here on.)
In Panama City, a lot of people speak English, or you can get by in ‘Spanglish’. English is easy in Colon,Bocas del Toro or Boquete. If you want talk to Panamanians in the rest of the country, you need at leastpassable Spanish ‐ or someone to help you. The language issue is important as it is in any country whereEnglish is not first.
A couple of phrases to watch out for. ‘Respectame’ is number one and my favorite. In Panaspeak,‘respectame’ literally means ‘respect me’ and Panamanians will pull this jewel on you and otherPanamanians when you catch them lying or cheating. (Respectame should be in the national anthem.)‘Prestame’ translates to ‘loan me’. The underground translation is ‘give me never to be returned’. This rangesfrom money to a cigarette. The last gem is ‘no se’ or ‘I don’t know’. They probably do but are not about totell you.
Another thing to watch for is pre‐conceived notions. There is a long good ‐ bad history between Americans
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and Panamanians that dates back to when T Roosevelt wanted to build the Panama Canal and Colombiarefused to come to terms. In retort T convinced a group of Panamanian leaders to form the country ofPanama with Colombia’s land. It worked and ‘Big Brother’ has tried to dominate Panama ever since. That isresented to this day.
This bleeds down to us. If you are a Gringo, you are rich ‐ period. And in a country where over 50% of thepopulation is listed as below international poverty standards and the average Joe works 42+ hours a weekfor $350 to $400 a month you can see where the perception comes from. You would be wise to keep that inthe back of your mind at all times.
Who are your neighbors? Panama started its trek to international populace when the Canal was being built.Then the Colon Free Zone was formed and that opened the country to savvy foreign merchants. Today,Panama continues to successfully recruit tourists, retirees and top end international companies. The resultis that your neighbor can be from anywhere. As an aside to this you come across some truly multimixnames. My favorite to date is Ishmael Muhammad Winthrop Smith. You just gotta love it.
Finally, you should consider day to day life. Yes, there are megamalls, and you can eat from McDonalds,Burger King, KFC or Pizza Hut. Having said that Panama is not America and never will be. And you are notgoing to change that fact. If you come here and find yourself thinking “Why do they, what in the world...” gohome or somewhere else before you get old before your time.
You should also become comfortable with butting in line. If you don’t, you will be labeled as weak and moreimportantly will probably expire from hunger from being a good citizen and waiting for your turn.
So you’ve decided that Panama is cool and you want to stay here. This little place can offer you lifestyle inthe forms of on the beach (Caribbean or Pacific), island, semi big city, or mountain highlands (high enoughto be cool but no snow). If you go into the interior, rural provinces you can find wide open spaces. Thecountry as a whole has a lot of green and remember Panama is tropical with temperatures hovering at 70degrees plus if you are not in the mountains And what is very important is that unlike other tropical locals itdoes rain for a couple of hours every day for around 9 months out of the year, but no Monsoons. Keeps thecountry green and fresh.
Now cost of living. You can live in your Ivory Tower with Donald Trump in Panama City. You can live in awalled off, secure compound in what was the Canal Zone and other places. You will pay for the privilege butprobably not what you are paying in the States now.
Comparatively prices are so low they will surprise you. Panama has a vibrant and growing economy and weuse and are pegged to the U.S. Dollar. Given the current international dollar situation prices are rising dailyhere. I had to pay around $5 today for enough to cook rice, beans, beef, etc. for my wife and 2 others.Outrageous!
In terms of services Panama is way ahead. You can drink the water from the tap nearly anywhere for $15 amonth. Electricity works at the average of $20 if you are frugal and don’t use air conditioning. If you wantInternet connectivity or HD cable TV, it can be hooked up within a week and costs around $30 to $60 amonth. Garbage will run about $15 per month. Rent, as discussed earlier, depends on your tastes. Havingsaid this plan on experiencing occasional power and or water outages throughout the year ‐ wherever youlive. Hedge your bets by buying bottled water and a candle. Panama is growing fast and is doing its best (atthe tune of many millions of dollars per year) to upgrade its utility infrastructure. Overall it is getting there.
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Lucky for you I am done. Last note: I have lived in 15 countries and still think Panama is a great choice.
Let’s talk about how I can help you at [email protected]?
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✭ News & Politics
Bill Gates Visits the Panama CanalPublished by Panama Simple, June 24, 2013 | By Dennis Smith
Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his family recently took a hushhush trip through the Panama Canal. No,not to buy it but to see most famous waterway in the world firsthand.
The Gates boarded their boat on the Pacific side of the Canal and were transported the Miraflores VisitorCenter at the Miraflores Locks. There they viewed the locks and were allowed to see how the Canaloperates. And Bill got to push the button to open the gates. (While at the Center, Gates was happy to pointout that the Panama Canal Authority uses Windowsbased computers to operate the waterway.) FromMiraflores, the family visited the Panama Canal expansion construction site on the Atlantic side of theCanal. The whole trip took around seven hours.
Gates later published details regarding his visit on his TheGatesNotes.com site under the title“Taking the Family to the Panama Canal” and said how much he liked his visit to Panama. Regarding thereason for the trip, Gates said, “Melinda and I recently took our kids on vacation to the Panama Canal. Iknow it’s not exactly a typical vacation destination (and we did spend a few days at the beach afterward).But we had fun learning about how the canal was built – that in itself is an amazing story of ingenuity andhard work – and what it takes to keep things running smoothly today.”
Gates published an online video to show what he saw along the way and said, “Of all the interesting thingsaround the world, I’d put the Panama Canal in the top ten because you are there with all the commerce. It isthis unbelievably unique thing. I wish that everyone had the chance to go down and see it.”
Interestingly enough, Bill had just finished reading David McCullough’s definitive book about the constructionof the Canal (both the French and American attempts) The Path Between The Seas when he arrived inPanama. Bill stated that it was an eyeopener to the history, politics and investment made on what he calls“the biggest civil work ever.”
Let’s talk about how I can help you at [email protected]?
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✭ Luxury
NOTE: I wrote this article when I was the Content Manager for 300Watches.com.
Arnold, the Governor, Gets His Own Watch
Arnold Schwarzenegger, M47 tank – and a New Watch
A watch to commemorate Arnold Schwarzenegger’s second term in office as the 38th Governor of California,you say? Yes! Of course! But its origins, just like Schwarzenegger’s, go beyond U.S. borders.
I’ll bet you didn’t know that, back in the mid sixties, Schwarzenegger served two years of compulsoryservice in the Austrian military behind the controls of a USmade M47 tank. He completed his two years ofmandatory military service back in 1966.
Fast forward about 25 years to 1992 when Arnold, at the height of his fame, decided to conduct a search forhis old beloved tank. Not a replica, or a similar M47 tank, but the exact same tank he drove back then. As itturns out, he was able to find it buried up to the turret on the AustrianHungarian border. The M47 was thenextensively repaired and restored and taken back to the U.S. and to Arnold.
Back in the driver’s seat, this time on US soil, he felt inspired as he looked at the control panel and figured itwould be a good idea to use those gauges as a model for a watch with all the heft and attitude of his militarytoy. In 2010, the idea became a reality with a watch powered by a “Japanese battery operated watchmovement” (meaning that the watch could come from any number of Japanese manufacturers). We wereinformed that the timepiece features nearly 11 ounces of steel, a burly leather strap, and a precise Japanesemovement. The watch has been named the A.S. M47331 – “M47” for the model, and “331” for the serialnumber of Arnold’s actual tank.
The watch comes in 4 different versions, three of which are made in a limited edition of 500 each. The lastwatch version has been signed by Schwarzenegger himself and includes a professional humidor, Arnold’sown signature Dominican cigars and a picture of Arnold and his tank.
As mentioned before, there is no official word yet on who is the manufacturer. We have only been told that itis from a Japanese manufacturer. Personally I would think that a Swiss manufacturer would generate moreattention to the timepiece, but then I figured that anyone who buys this watch has to be an ArnoldSchwarzenegger diehard fan, or has to be utterly attracted by its rugged looks and its military origins.
An important point to highlight is that all proceeds from the watch go to Arnold’s charity – AfterSchoolAllStars, which provides afterschool programs to 81,000 children nationwide for free.
Let’s talk about how I can help you at [email protected]?
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✭ Maritime Reporting
NOTE: As far as I know, I was the first to coin the phrase “US Ports War”.
The expansion of the Panama Canal is big news for a lot of reasons. The ACP wins with higher toll revenuesand improved service. The Panamanian government wins by getting more money and improved employmentfigures. Most of all the shipping industry wins since they can transit their Super PostPanamax ships (SPP)more cheaply, quickly and easily than before. But where do the ships go to unload and reload once theyreach the United States? That’s where the port war starts. And all involved are taking the issue veryseriously. It must first be clarified that port improvements are being concentrated mainly on channeldredging and facility expansion. Most of the activity is along the southern and eastern coasts in the USsince west coast ports generally are deeper and can handle the big ships. The westerners also prefer totransit cargo overland by train to their eastern and southern neighbors. As of now which ports are thefrontrunners in the SPP frenzy and what are they doing to win the war? On the east coast, Norfolk is in thelead since it already has the depth required for the SPP, and so far is the only port that does. The ports ofNew York and New Jersey meet the depth requirements but access to the container facilities on NewarkBay are limited by the Bayonne Bridge. The bridge is going up 64 feet, at a cost of $1 billion (5 yearscompletion date). Baltimore has finished 50foot channel dredging at the cost of $105 million. The port alsohas purchased four cranes that can service SPPs. Further south, Jacksonville is expected to changechannel depth by 50 feet by 2018. Miami is waiting on federal approval for a $180 million depth change. InSouth Carolina, $300 million has been allocated to dredging. Savannah is taking the lead in promoting SPPexpansion but is the furthest behind with a channel depth of only 40 feet. As a result, Savannah is pushingfor $569 for a comprehensive overall harbor expansion. Houston is also looking for SPP traffic but nonumbers have been released as we go to print.
Now we should look at the battle within the port war, the federal versus state governments. First the feds. Inthe 2010 State of the Union address, President Obama declared that doubling the nation’s exports by 2015was a top priority. And the administration is loudly trumpeting how port expansions will improve economicgrowth and employment numbers. Everyone in the know, however, agrees that this goal is unreachablewithout ports that can service the SPPs. Big words aside, the federal government is doing very little to helpthe states meet the SPP deadline. There is a federal trust fund paid by shipping companies for harbormaintenance and dredging across the States. The trust is expected to have a balance of $8.1 billion by theend of next year. It has been proven though, that around 10% of this money will actually make it to the portsit is supposed to serve. Now the redtape factor. Portdeepening projects generally are proposed by states,but approval has to come from higher up to get a go ahead. Getting that approval requires a sign off from thesecretaries of Commerce and the Interior, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the administrator of theEnvironmental Protection Agency, who generally don’t cross communicate and or cooperate well. Thesefeasibility studies easily take 10 to 15 years to complete and cost multi millions of dollars. Even with the goahead, there is no guarantee that Congress will approve funding since Obama assurances or not, ports arenot perceived as a highpriority sector. Some good news is that the Corps recently used the Charlestonexpansion as a test model for its“3x3x3” rule: Feasibility studies have to be completed in three years orless, cannot cost over $3 million and results have to fit in a 3inch binder. Other ports are hoping to get thesame treatment.
The port States are firing back at federal inefficiency as well. States are looking for ways to squeeze theirbudgets to aid port expansion. Some have even gone into partnerships with private funding sources to getthe job done. The theory here is even though the states cannot move ahead without Uncle Sam’s ‘Yes’, they
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can speed up the process by showing they have the money required in hand. Finally, what does the PortsWar mean to you, the shipping industry? Two things immediately stand out, lower prices and more efficientlogistics capability. Factor in a third category, that shipping companies will be dealing with clients that haveproven that they want to do business with them. In total this makes a very attractive package.
Let’s talk about how I can help you at [email protected]?
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✭ MLM Copywriting
NOTE: This is an excerpt from a fulllength sales page. This never went live but the client did pay for it.
‘Say No!’ To Cancer
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If you have been diagnosed with Cancer, typically the treatment is one or a combination ofthe following methods:
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If you are using these powerful but potentially deadly treatments, why not use the power of the mind toaugment them, and to protect you from the dangerous parts of the treatment?
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Let’s talk about how I can help you at [email protected]?
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