Okay, I did it. I bought a basic cell phone in Panama totally anonymously...just a phone and a number and no easily traceable paperwork.

The phone is a very simple Siemen's model for under $45 via Panama Cable & Wireless. Easy to operate and nice and small so that it fits comfortably in my pocket. The model has all basic features, LED menus covertable to English as well as several other languages, varying ring tones and volume, and plenty of memory for my phone book...all I really need for two weeks at a time in Panama.

How I did it:

I jumped into a cab and told the driver I needed by buy a cell phone. He drove me a few blocks away to a corner cell phone vendor.

Inside the store I explained in my best Spanish (which was no better than their English) that I periodically visit Panama and I wanted a phone that I could reuse trip after trip.

For under $45 they set me up with the Siemen's phone, $5 worth of calling time preloaded and a permanent phone number that I will never expire.

As I understood from the vendor, when I return to Panama, all I will need to do is reactivate the phone. I am not sure if that simply means reloading pre-paid call time into the phone, or stopping by the cell store and having them reactivate the phone. I'll find out next trip.

Understanding cell phone use in Panama:

In Panama cell phone users do not purchase buckets of minutes like we do in the states. Instead, they purchase Panama Cable & Wireless cell phone prepaid cards in denominations of $5, $10, and $20. Then they scratch the back off the card to expose the multi-number PIN, then they punch-in *167 on their cell phone and hit the call button.

In Spanish there will be a message prompting the user to enter 1 for their remaining cell phone cash balance or 2 to add more cash to their cell phone's balance. Since my Spanish is not that great, I simply waited to hear "entrada dos"...then silence. At that point, I hit the number 2 and heard another short message in Spanish to enter my multi-number PIN. As soon as the message ended, I fingered-in the multi-number PIN from the back of the calling card. Once I entered the number I was not sure if I should hit the # sign, or hang-up. I decided to hang-up, then try again if nothing happened. To my surprise when I hung up, my cell phone chirped with a meesage scrolling on my LED screen informing me that I now had $60 worth of call time on my phone!

Wait a minute! I entered a PIN from a $20 card? Well, it turned-out that I loaded $20 into my phone within a three day promotion window when Cable & Wirless gives 3X credit. Apparently other times of the month they give 2X credit. Most of the days of the month there is no deal. So, as soon as you get to Panama you need to ask when Cable & Wireless is running their special deals...hotel receptionists should have the latest info.

As soon as I got back to my hotel room I plugged my phone in to the wall outlet to fully charge up the battery. But, I couldn't wait to start calling my novias. So, with the cord plugged into the wall socket I started dialing cell phone numbers that I collected last year.

After chating with the first chica on her cell phone for a few minutes and setting up a session for that night, I hung up. My phone chirped. Scrolling across the LED was my new balance. I used something like $1.60 in less than 5-minutes of talking. Okay, about $.40 per minute when talking directly to another cell phone.

I then placed a call to a local club...a fixed business number. After chatting with them a few minutes, I hung-up. Again my phone chirped, and again a message scrolled across the LED screen that I consumed another $.60. Or about $.20 per minute to talk to residential or business numbers.

About an hour later my phone chirped again in a different tone. I had just received a text message from my novia just to let me know she would be 15-minutes late. I hit reply, acknowledging no problema...I sent my first text message. A few seconds later my phone chirped again to let me know that my text message subtracted $.10 from my remaining balance.

Bottom line is, through Panama Cable and Wireless it will cost you about $.40 per minute to talk cell phone to cell phone, about $.20 per minute to talk to a residential or business line and about $.10 or $.20 to send a text message given the length of the text. To receive calls or text messages costs you nothing but battery power.

But, text messaging is where it is at. Almost all of the chicas exclusively text message because it is the cheapest way to communicate. By the end of my trip I was cranking-out one text message after another...especially because I can write Spanish better than speak it.

Key to remember how to load money into your new Panama Cable & Wireless cell phone. After purchasing your Panama Cable & Wireless "MOVIL" (MOBILE) pre-paid calling card at almost any gas station, grocery store, or hotel reception desk, you load the cash value into your cell phone by punching in *167 then hit dial. Wait until the Spanish message ends, then hit 2. You'll hear another short message in Spanish to enter the multi-numbered PIN from the back of the Cable & Wireless pre-paid cell phone card...when you hear silence, enter the numbers and wait a minute or so...no need to hit #. Then hang-up. You should receive an automated text message from Cable & Wireless with your new balance. Your balance is automatically updated everytime you make a call or send a text message...very easy.

By the end of my trip I had about $7.00 remaining from my original $65 balance which in total cost me $64 including the price of the phone! What a deal! My hotel receptionist told me that when I return to Panama next year and reactivate my phone I should see that $7.00 re-appear in addition to whatever extra money I load into the phone. I guess I'll see then.

For those of you who are paying $1.00 a minute or more calling chica cells from your hotel room, an investment of about $60 will give you instantaneous communication convenience just like back home in the States.

If you return for a second trip, you are money ahead.

Hope this helps to give you the communication freedom you need while mongering in Panama.

AJ

(Message edited by alecjamer on July 24, 2005)

Cable and Wireless is not a benevolent corporation. They control communications in Panama. Every legislator gets a check from C&W so they can do pretty much anything they want. Cards in Panama have a time limit. If you don't use the time in the period alloted you lose.