We’re still in the middle of organizing our stay here, and the emotions swing from one extreme to the other. There is great excitement and joy when, sitting with a coffee on the terrace and looking at the ocean and palm trees, we feel like we’re on vacation. Victor, before school or during his lunch break, jumps straight into the pool—which you could almost call private, since hardly anyone else uses it and it’s cleaned and maintained constantly. We also feel enormous relief that he’s such an easy-going kid and that online school suits him so well.
On the other hand, there’s frustration and the question: what are we doing here? In this big city we find ourselves stuck in endless traffic jams just to drive a few kilometers. We’re starting to learn and adapt our daily rhythm to the rhythm of a metropolis, which isn’t easy after 20 years of living in Swiss “villages.” And their driving style—definitely not for my nerves!
There are, however, things that pleasantly surprise us. The people—helpful, warm, kind, patient.
Let me share one story. It’s a bit long, but it challenges our (and maybe your) belief that Switzerland is always best. Shortly before leaving, I had a procedure done by a dermatologist in Switzerland who frightened me so much about a mole on my back that I agreed to surgery at the very last minute, just a week before departure. After a week in Panama, the wound got infected and opened. Bartek got the contact for a doctor from an Irish woman who works as a legal assistant with one of the lawyers he was dealing with in Panama.
I contacted the clinic via WhatsApp, sent a photo of the wound, and within a minute got a reply: I could come immediately. That already shocked me. An Uber ride later, we entered through a stuffy stairwell, then across a long, roofed, sweltering parking lot into a tiny clinic, maybe three meters wide, where two doctors and a crowd of assistants were working. After an hour of waiting (I had no appointment), I was seen by a doctor who spoke perfect English.
We spent around 45 minutes in his office. He examined everything, cleaned the wound, and together with a nurse applied special dressings. He showed Bartek how to care for it since I couldn’t reach my shoulder blade, gave me two ointments and an antibiotic, and told me to return in three days. He also gave me a card with his personal number and WhatsApp, repeating several times that I could write any time, send pictures if I was worried, and he would respond. In a very subtle way, he expressed dissatisfaction with the Swiss dermatologist’s work and explained why complications had occurred.
Every three days I went back for cleaning and adjustments. Now I only send him photos, and he replies within an hour. At one of the visits, I finally dared to ask his specialization, and to my surprise, he turned out to be a general internist. In Switzerland, one would probably has been sent to a surgeon for such a wound and to a diabetologist for a diabetes, but here it was all managed by one doctor. He explained that their studies here are very practice-oriented, and even minor procedures are part of their training.
Seeing his wide range of skills and friendly attitude, I asked about physiotherapy for Victor’s back. The doctor’s secretary contacted me directly via WhatsApp and offered to arrange everything. She organized it all from A to Z. Through WhatsApp I’ve already discussed Victor’s case with an orthodontist, set up tennis and padel lessons with trainers, and even coordinated with a furniture store. The speed of their replies and their natural kindness is incredible. The tennis coach even followed up, asking whether Victor enjoyed his first lesson, acknowledging it had been intense but adding that this was the best way for him to make rapid progress.
