Hotel Plaza Paitilla

Paitilla is VERY upscale..... Also, close to my two favorite restaurants (mentioned in previous posts)..... :o) If ANYONE here can find a room in/near the Paitilla area for $45... you should BOOK IT NOW!!!! What a deal!!!!!!!!! :)

I just went to the website and had a TOTAL memory recall!!! Not only is Bennigan's right across the street, but SO IS THE AMERICAN EMBASSY!!!!! O.k... well... across and down the street a LITTLE ways......... There are ZILLIONS of things to get to from this location... to include TGIF, Mangos, and Gouchos.... Bennigans has a kid zone (downstairs, right Janemarie?? Am I thinking of a different place? We had my daughter's birthday party here once). This is the hotel where we attended a formal military function...... it was held partially out on the balcony........ GORGEOUS hotel inside. EXCELLENT LOCATION to one juvenile/family court in particular (just down the road maybe a mile or two). The only thing with the "bay" is that at low tide, it's a tad icky. Low tide in Panama is NOT a pretty site, unfortunately. They've had MANY a PUBLIC discussion about dredging it. IT APPEARS TO BE $45......... TO ANYONE OUT THERE.... YOU'D BE SILLY NOT TO JUMP AT THIS DEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe agencies and attorneys could contact the hotel and see if they'll lock ADOPTIVE FAMILIES IN AT THIS PRICE regardless of when you're coming? Since you'll be there so long - I can't imagine they wouldn't take advantage of the opportunity of having a room booked for a month!!!?? :) GREAT SUGGESTION JANEMARIE - you're on it, girl!! ~k.

Kim, you mentioned booking the hotel room for a month, and I read another post before that mentioned staying for a month. Where did you hear that the stay is one month? Our agency (and others) are telling us it will either be one trip of about two weeks, usually for infants, or two trips, the first being a week or less and then another trip two to three months later for about ten days, usually for an older child. This is one of the reasons we chose Panama, because we can't leave our bio children for more than a week or so at a time. We have no family in town and don't want to mooch off of friends for longer than that. Joan

O.k.... well.... I read it here somewhere.... it was quite a while ago though.... I know someone said that you have to be in Panama a month w/the children (court ordered)... Anyone out there know where I read this at? Or who has mentioned having to do that? Don't want to get you worried..... it was never a requirement with our adoption. In fact, we have never had to send in any post-adoption follow ups, either.... And - while on the subject - I am surprised Panama Courts can require adoptive families to have follow up reports done!!!!! Once a Panamanian adoption is done... IT'S DONE... and cannot be reversed, nor can the birth parent try to retrieve their children post-adoption. If you guys were to miss a follow up report - what would happen? This requirement has been baffling to me... can anyone explain it to me? thanks..... :)

I think it's just with toddlers and older.---Judge orders you to remain in Panama with the children at your hotel and calls it a "hogar sustituto" (substitute home) until the child feels comfortable enough with you to fly home for "temporary guardianship" until you return to Panama to complete the adoption. For infants, it looks like you will have to make two trips, but you probably won't be able to take the child home with you between trips. At least that's what the first Commonwealth family had to do. Sara (spanzeri), did this happen with you, too??? Also, Isworan, have you heard, yet, whether you'll be able to bring your baby home with temporary guardianship and what's involved with that (any additional BCIS forms that would have to be completed/paid for in Panama)? Rebecca