I spent my first days in Bocas Town, Colon Island, Bocas del Toro, in a hotel while looking for an apartment for half a year. I asked around, including at Bocas Info Center. There a young man named Orlando reassured me that he knew everything, would get me the best.
Orlando took me to Marta Gaso’s Calipso Apartmentos, to a man named Josue. Josue demanded a month’s rent for deposit that I rent for six months, and made me sign a contract. I don’t speak Spanish, so couldn’t read it. I signed for two reasons.
1. I had rented apartments in several countries, continents, and political–economic systems e.g. communist Vietnam through capitalist USA and the kingdom of Thailand, as well as next door to Panama, Mexico. I have friends who rented out their apartments both in the former communist and the present capitalist eras in Hungary. Furthermore, being an educated, intellectual person, I comprehend the logic and ethics behind renting. Hence, I’m fairly familiar with the international standards.
2. I trusted Orlando of Bocas Info Center. He was supposed to make his living by serving foreigners. I didn’t suspect he had a peculiar sideline, quite opposite to his official job. Alas, only one of his words proved to be true, that he knew everything.
I set foot in the apartment and pay deposit on January 13th, moved in on 14th and signed contract on 15th. The exact dates were trifling as I knew, and told them, I had to leave a week earlier then my term would expire.
Calipso Apartmentos’ chairwoman, Djamila, was also present on the 15th to help Josue with English. I asked if she cleans my apartment too, she said yes. Then I presumed cleaning was included in the rent, as it often is. It was not, but her affirmative answer proved that she cleans each apartment between subsequent tenants (this became crucial at the end). Characteristic to Marta Gaso’s Calipso Apartmentos is that the cleaner speaks English, the manager does not. Nonetheless, this cleaner does a decent job, this manager, just the opposite.
It was not cheap at all. I had asked, e.g., Swan Key, an apparently splendid hotel / apartment rental; impressive exterior and interior, permanent English-speaking reception. Their rent for an apartment was $500, less than 10% more than Marta Gasco’s Calipso Apartmenos’ $460 + electricity. Alas, they had no vacancy then.
Orlando of Bocas Info Center demanded a handsome tip, he denied to get a commission. He may not call it commission ‘just’ a share from my deposit that they had determined already to steal. They knew I couldn’t do anything when my visa expires and my air-ticket is paid for; especially as I don’t speak Spanish.
The place of the TV set was clearly seen, integral part of each apartment in Marta Gasco’s Calipso Apatmentos, but vacant. Josue promised to replace it next day. He kept promising for weeks, then flatly refused. The fridge cooled 1-2 degrees below the room’s temperature, Josue said it had just been turned on, takes some time to get cold.
On the first evening I found that the water-heater didn’t work, nor the fridge still, nor tow lightbulbs. Everything was worn-out, long overdue to throw to garbage, e.g. the seats of the chairs always fell out, the sockets were so loose, I couldn’t charge my phone, the curtain from the rail around the shower, was missing, etc.
During all my stay, the tap-water was often appallingly brownish, or not running at all for several hours. Electricity went off frequently up to half a day too; sometimes in the neighboring houses too, more often in Marta Gasco’s Calipso Apartmentos only.
Josue and Orlando of Bocas Info center promised fast, reliable internet. It worked at the speed of a rheumatic snail when at all. Often it was off, up to full day periods. After more than three weeks’ struggles for functional water heater and fridge, Josue was capable of writing this about the heater:
[3:54 PM, 2/7/2022] Josue Calipso: Ya te dije no soy el tecnico.cuando este listo ek calentador se te ira a poner enseguida.
As translated by Google:
I already told you, I'm not the technician. When it's ready, the heater will be put on right away.
He didn’t only shrug off a basic obligation, didn’t only smear it on a third party with whom I never had any business at all, not only repeatedly patronized and acted as if he had been the injured party. On top of all this, he flatly declared I would get hot water, a fundamental amenity for which I had paid already in the rent, when this third, innocent party does the impossible, viz., repair the totally useless, obviously irreparable heater.
When a technician first came to fix it, he opened it up showed me the inside. Full of rust and mold. He closed and put it back, said ‘buy new’. Later Josue took it for repair many times. He obviously tried all technicians near and far, but when he returned it, it still didn’t work.
I turned to Orlando of Bocas Info Center. First, he promised help even with the police if need be. Of course, he didn’t do anything. At the end of the whole ordeal he definitely took side with his partners against me. I can imagine now how himself, Josue, and Marta Gasco the owner of Calipso Apartmentos were suffocating of laughter at how guileless I was.
Josue is not a manager educated in business administration, ignorant of technical matters. He himself tried to fix both the heater and the fridge several times and eventually he changed the irreparable part in the back of the latter. What is more, he spends most of his time on repairing cars; right below my balcony where I spent most of my time working on my laptop; more precisely trying to work as the WIFI was extremely slow when connected at all.
Eventually, Josue had to face what was obvious from the first instance, nobody could fix this long-worn-out heater, and he brought another. This was also over-used, and didn’t work either. He took it back for repair and this happened a few more time. After more than a month without hot water I got it. Not proper at all, the temperature of the water randomly fluctuated cool through burning hot, but I had to compromise with this.
The same happened to the fridge. Josue again tried to smear responsibility on somebody else, this case on me:
[8:56 PM, 2/10/2022] Josue Calipso: Alli hay algo derramado
[8:56 PM, 2/10/2022] Josue Calipso: Tu derramaste algo alli q tapo la salida del aire abajo
[8:57 PM, 2/10/2022] Josue Calipso: Pondremos las cosas arriba y mañana .hay q mandar a limpiar li q as derramado alli.
Google translation:
Here is something spilled there
You spilled something there that covered the air outlet downstairs
We'll put the things upstairs and tomorrow, we have to send them to clean up what you've spilled there.
Of course, nothing happened the next day, as Josue was fully aware that nothing was spilled, I hadn’t done anything wrong. Days later he deigned to look for the real cause of the issue. It was a piece under the back cover, far away from the ‘air outlet’, a grid in the front between the freezer and the main compartment, that he had pointed his finger before.
Josue tried to fix it on the spot, then many times took it away and brought back, still no function. Again, it took over a month that he accepted the obvious: irreparable. Another few days later he changed it, again the replacement was apparently not new. With this the fridge worked but with the noise of an armored battalion. I couldn’t sleep even behind the closed bedroom door. This case, like at the improper but working water heater, I had to compromise again.
Later Marta Gasco the owner of Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro referred to this so:
[1:48 PM, 5/5/2022] +507 6 1: I have just been informed that you have a new heater that was put on the first week, the fridge was fixed as well. Even that 2 lights were replaced, and Joshua pays him every month for electricity, things that neither the company nor Joshua deben hacer. Son cortesía de parte de él para facilitarle la vida. Al final Josué es el encargado en todos esos temas.
[1:49 PM, 5/5/2022] +507 6 1: Joshua is in charge, and in his tasks it is not to pay his electricity bill or the change of bulbs.
The Spanish part is translated by Google as ‘they must do. They are courtesy of him to make your life easier. In the end, Josué is in charge of all these issues.’
Outright, offensive lies, as always. The heater was not new, was tried after three weeks, and made to function, improperly though, after more than a month. The fridge was fixed, I never had said otherwise; but also, over a month after numerous attempts to repair its unrepairable part; as well as after false accusations that I caused the trouble.
Josue, of course, never paid my electricity bill. In the first two cases this bill arrived before he came to collect the rent. So, I paid to him both; I didn’t even realize there was another way, nor did he note. Third time this bill arrived after I paid the rent. So, I asked around and from that on I paid in the office; right in the town center where I walked every day, often more than once.
I’m glad to say something appreciative. Josue did change the two light bulbs, that I mentioned above, as soon as two days, indeed.
On top of all these shameless lies, Marta Gasco the owner of Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro accused me of lying, cheating, being utterly dishonest: if it had happened as she said, it had not as I said. My messaging with Josue, partly quoted above, along with their dates, proves that somebody in my correspondence with her was indeed lying, cheating, being utterly dishonest. Not me.
Before leaving, I called Josue to give back my deposit. He stormed in like a victorious warlord, pulled the fridge and the gas-stove off, and triumphantly pointed his finger at some dirt behind them. Then he marched out even more pompously. I tried to stop him, he only said ‘write Marta’ and imitated typing with his fingers; would not stop.
I did write to Marta Gasco the owner of Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro who was capable of answering this:
[3:49 AM, 7/9/2022] +507 6 1: you have to deliver the apartment in the same conditions, in this case you have to do deep cleaning work, change the mattress among other works to be able to rent this apartment again. It is impossible to rent it again in the conditions in which you give it to us. So we can not return the deposit. In addition to the fact that the latest electricity consumption is also paid with the same deposit.
Offensive hogwash, what else from her?
‘deep cleaning work’?? Meaning the tiny dirt deep behind the fridge and the gas stove? I left the apartment clean. A professional cleaner could improve clean to impeccable, which is universal practice in all hotels / apartment rentals between successive tenants. Not only in honest ones but even in Marta Gasco’s Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro. Their chairwoman Djamila herself said so as quoted above.
‘change the mattress among other works’?? I left all in the same condition as I had got; I didn’t do anything with them beyond proper, careful use. And that is exactly what I paid the rent for. How could I be obliged to change them!?
‘latest electricity consumption’ For the last three weeks it couldn’t be more than $8; each full month’s had been around $11. I would have paid that. Note though that I left a week before my payment expired, Marta Gasco the owner of Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro could rent it twice, get a quarter of monthly rent, $115 extra profit as my charity. Disregarding this, deducting my last due of $8 at most, she still blatantly robbed me at least of $452.
Stress again, all this shameless robbery had nothing to do with my stay or leave the apartment. It was premediated, sealed a priori when Orlando of Bocas Info Center sold me to Josue and Marta Gasco the owner of Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro as a lamb for the slaughter.
Two more instances that personally didn’t involve me, but illustrate Marta Gasco’s the owner of Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro basic principle ‘All revenue is my net profit, all expense of deterioration, cost of maintenance is on others.’
1. Josue pointed out that any repair that emerges during my stay is my obligation to have fixed or replace. Marta Gasco the owner of Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro confirmed it.
This is diametrical opposite to international standards as well as ethics and common sense. Furniture, household appliances, etc., are in use for 15–20 years. Occasionally, especially when they are not new anymore, they need repair. How could someone who uses them for a few months bare the cost of decades’ impairment? If, say, not this but another part of the obsolete fridge goes caput that is not available anymore, must I buy a new fridge?
Only the ownership is constant which brings along permanent income as well as the lability to keep everything functional. The tenant pays the former in exchange for the latter. And everything in Marta Gasco’s Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro, is not up to 15–20, but at least 25–30 years old.
From this, Josue’s strategy with the hopeless water heater and part of the fridge became obvious. He, a technically trained man, had been fully aware that those wrecks would never be functional. He hoped though that they would for a few days.
After that he could wipe off any complaint as “I made it work. Anything that happened after that is your responsibility. Find someone who can fix it [hehehe, you never will] and pay him, or if you can’t, buy a new one and pay somebody to install it.” Of course, he was extremely mad at me, that this hadn’t happened his way.
2. Marta Gasco has been trying to sell her Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro for four years in vain (https://www.bocasproperties.com/blank-1). She expects the price of a functional apartment rental. However, the pipes, wires, drains, etc. in the walls are just as worn-out as the appliances, furniture, etc. A hypothetical buyer should renovate, replace all that has been used up in decades; this would probably cost more than constructing and furnishing, equipping a new building. No sane person would go into that.
Finally, a word in defense of Panama; Marta Gasco the owner of Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro is Spaniard.
CALIPSO Reviews
I spent my first days in Bocas Town, Colon Island, Bocas del Toro, in a hotel while looking for an apartment for half a year. I asked around, including at Bocas Info Center. There a young man named Orlando reassured me that he knew everything, would get me the best.
Orlando took me to Marta Gaso’s Calipso Apartmentos, to a man named Josue. Josue demanded a month’s rent for deposit that I rent for six months, and made me sign a contract. I don’t speak Spanish, so couldn’t read it. I signed for two reasons.
1. I had rented apartments in several countries, continents, and political–economic systems e.g. communist Vietnam through capitalist USA and the kingdom of Thailand, as well as next door to Panama, Mexico. I have friends who rented out their apartments both in the former communist and the present capitalist eras in Hungary. Furthermore, being an educated, intellectual person, I comprehend the logic and ethics behind renting. Hence, I’m fairly familiar with the international standards.
2. I trusted Orlando of Bocas Info Center. He was supposed to make his living by serving foreigners. I didn’t suspect he had a peculiar sideline, quite opposite to his official job. Alas, only one of his words proved to be true, that he knew everything.
I set foot in the apartment and pay deposit on January 13th, moved in on 14th and signed contract on 15th. The exact dates were trifling as I knew, and told them, I had to leave a week earlier then my term would expire.
Calipso Apartmentos’ chairwoman, Djamila, was also present on the 15th to help Josue with English. I asked if she cleans my apartment too, she said yes. Then I presumed cleaning was included in the rent, as it often is. It was not, but her affirmative answer proved that she cleans each apartment between subsequent tenants (this became crucial at the end). Characteristic to Marta Gaso’s Calipso Apartmentos is that the cleaner speaks English, the manager does not. Nonetheless, this cleaner does a decent job, this manager, just the opposite.
It was not cheap at all. I had asked, e.g., Swan Key, an apparently splendid hotel / apartment rental; impressive exterior and interior, permanent English-speaking reception. Their rent for an apartment was $500, less than 10% more than Marta Gasco’s Calipso Apartmenos’ $460 + electricity. Alas, they had no vacancy then.
Orlando of Bocas Info Center demanded a handsome tip, he denied to get a commission. He may not call it commission ‘just’ a share from my deposit that they had determined already to steal. They knew I couldn’t do anything when my visa expires and my air-ticket is paid for; especially as I don’t speak Spanish.
The place of the TV set was clearly seen, integral part of each apartment in Marta Gasco’s Calipso Apatmentos, but vacant. Josue promised to replace it next day. He kept promising for weeks, then flatly refused. The fridge cooled 1-2 degrees below the room’s temperature, Josue said it had just been turned on, takes some time to get cold.
On the first evening I found that the water-heater didn’t work, nor the fridge still, nor tow lightbulbs. Everything was worn-out, long overdue to throw to garbage, e.g. the seats of the chairs always fell out, the sockets were so loose, I couldn’t charge my phone, the curtain from the rail around the shower, was missing, etc.
During all my stay, the tap-water was often appallingly brownish, or not running at all for several hours. Electricity went off frequently up to half a day too; sometimes in the neighboring houses too, more often in Marta Gasco’s Calipso Apartmentos only.
Josue and Orlando of Bocas Info center promised fast, reliable internet. It worked at the speed of a rheumatic snail when at all. Often it was off, up to full day periods. After more than three weeks’ struggles for functional water heater and fridge, Josue was capable of writing this about the heater:
[3:54 PM, 2/7/2022] Josue Calipso: Ya te dije no soy el tecnico.cuando este listo ek calentador se te ira a poner enseguida.
As translated by Google:
I already told you, I'm not the technician. When it's ready, the heater will be put on right away.
He didn’t only shrug off a basic obligation, didn’t only smear it on a third party with whom I never had any business at all, not only repeatedly patronized and acted as if he had been the injured party. On top of all this, he flatly declared I would get hot water, a fundamental amenity for which I had paid already in the rent, when this third, innocent party does the impossible, viz., repair the totally useless, obviously irreparable heater.
When a technician first came to fix it, he opened it up showed me the inside. Full of rust and mold. He closed and put it back, said ‘buy new’. Later Josue took it for repair many times. He obviously tried all technicians near and far, but when he returned it, it still didn’t work.
I turned to Orlando of Bocas Info Center. First, he promised help even with the police if need be. Of course, he didn’t do anything. At the end of the whole ordeal he definitely took side with his partners against me. I can imagine now how himself, Josue, and Marta Gasco the owner of Calipso Apartmentos were suffocating of laughter at how guileless I was.
Josue is not a manager educated in business administration, ignorant of technical matters. He himself tried to fix both the heater and the fridge several times and eventually he changed the irreparable part in the back of the latter. What is more, he spends most of his time on repairing cars; right below my balcony where I spent most of my time working on my laptop; more precisely trying to work as the WIFI was extremely slow when connected at all.
Eventually, Josue had to face what was obvious from the first instance, nobody could fix this long-worn-out heater, and he brought another. This was also over-used, and didn’t work either. He took it back for repair and this happened a few more time. After more than a month without hot water I got it. Not proper at all, the temperature of the water randomly fluctuated cool through burning hot, but I had to compromise with this.
The same happened to the fridge. Josue again tried to smear responsibility on somebody else, this case on me:
[8:56 PM, 2/10/2022] Josue Calipso: Alli hay algo derramado
[8:56 PM, 2/10/2022] Josue Calipso: Tu derramaste algo alli q tapo la salida del aire abajo
[8:57 PM, 2/10/2022] Josue Calipso: Pondremos las cosas arriba y mañana .hay q mandar a limpiar li q as derramado alli.
Google translation:
Here is something spilled there
You spilled something there that covered the air outlet downstairs
We'll put the things upstairs and tomorrow, we have to send them to clean up what you've spilled there.
Of course, nothing happened the next day, as Josue was fully aware that nothing was spilled, I hadn’t done anything wrong. Days later he deigned to look for the real cause of the issue. It was a piece under the back cover, far away from the ‘air outlet’, a grid in the front between the freezer and the main compartment, that he had pointed his finger before.
Josue tried to fix it on the spot, then many times took it away and brought back, still no function. Again, it took over a month that he accepted the obvious: irreparable. Another few days later he changed it, again the replacement was apparently not new. With this the fridge worked but with the noise of an armored battalion. I couldn’t sleep even behind the closed bedroom door. This case, like at the improper but working water heater, I had to compromise again.
Later Marta Gasco the owner of Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro referred to this so:
[1:48 PM, 5/5/2022] +507 6 1: I have just been informed that you have a new heater that was put on the first week, the fridge was fixed as well. Even that 2 lights were replaced, and Joshua pays him every month for electricity, things that neither the company nor Joshua deben hacer. Son cortesía de parte de él para facilitarle la vida. Al final Josué es el encargado en todos esos temas.
[1:49 PM, 5/5/2022] +507 6 1: Joshua is in charge, and in his tasks it is not to pay his electricity bill or the change of bulbs.
The Spanish part is translated by Google as ‘they must do. They are courtesy of him to make your life easier. In the end, Josué is in charge of all these issues.’
Outright, offensive lies, as always. The heater was not new, was tried after three weeks, and made to function, improperly though, after more than a month. The fridge was fixed, I never had said otherwise; but also, over a month after numerous attempts to repair its unrepairable part; as well as after false accusations that I caused the trouble.
Josue, of course, never paid my electricity bill. In the first two cases this bill arrived before he came to collect the rent. So, I paid to him both; I didn’t even realize there was another way, nor did he note. Third time this bill arrived after I paid the rent. So, I asked around and from that on I paid in the office; right in the town center where I walked every day, often more than once.
I’m glad to say something appreciative. Josue did change the two light bulbs, that I mentioned above, as soon as two days, indeed.
On top of all these shameless lies, Marta Gasco the owner of Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro accused me of lying, cheating, being utterly dishonest: if it had happened as she said, it had not as I said. My messaging with Josue, partly quoted above, along with their dates, proves that somebody in my correspondence with her was indeed lying, cheating, being utterly dishonest. Not me.
Before leaving, I called Josue to give back my deposit. He stormed in like a victorious warlord, pulled the fridge and the gas-stove off, and triumphantly pointed his finger at some dirt behind them. Then he marched out even more pompously. I tried to stop him, he only said ‘write Marta’ and imitated typing with his fingers; would not stop.
I did write to Marta Gasco the owner of Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro who was capable of answering this:
[3:49 AM, 7/9/2022] +507 6 1: you have to deliver the apartment in the same conditions, in this case you have to do deep cleaning work, change the mattress among other works to be able to rent this apartment again. It is impossible to rent it again in the conditions in which you give it to us. So we can not return the deposit. In addition to the fact that the latest electricity consumption is also paid with the same deposit.
Offensive hogwash, what else from her?
‘deep cleaning work’?? Meaning the tiny dirt deep behind the fridge and the gas stove? I left the apartment clean. A professional cleaner could improve clean to impeccable, which is universal practice in all hotels / apartment rentals between successive tenants. Not only in honest ones but even in Marta Gasco’s Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro. Their chairwoman Djamila herself said so as quoted above.
‘change the mattress among other works’?? I left all in the same condition as I had got; I didn’t do anything with them beyond proper, careful use. And that is exactly what I paid the rent for. How could I be obliged to change them!?
‘latest electricity consumption’ For the last three weeks it couldn’t be more than $8; each full month’s had been around $11. I would have paid that. Note though that I left a week before my payment expired, Marta Gasco the owner of Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro could rent it twice, get a quarter of monthly rent, $115 extra profit as my charity. Disregarding this, deducting my last due of $8 at most, she still blatantly robbed me at least of $452.
Stress again, all this shameless robbery had nothing to do with my stay or leave the apartment. It was premediated, sealed a priori when Orlando of Bocas Info Center sold me to Josue and Marta Gasco the owner of Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro as a lamb for the slaughter.
Two more instances that personally didn’t involve me, but illustrate Marta Gasco’s the owner of Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro basic principle ‘All revenue is my net profit, all expense of deterioration, cost of maintenance is on others.’
1. Josue pointed out that any repair that emerges during my stay is my obligation to have fixed or replace. Marta Gasco the owner of Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro confirmed it.
This is diametrical opposite to international standards as well as ethics and common sense. Furniture, household appliances, etc., are in use for 15–20 years. Occasionally, especially when they are not new anymore, they need repair. How could someone who uses them for a few months bare the cost of decades’ impairment? If, say, not this but another part of the obsolete fridge goes caput that is not available anymore, must I buy a new fridge?
Only the ownership is constant which brings along permanent income as well as the lability to keep everything functional. The tenant pays the former in exchange for the latter. And everything in Marta Gasco’s Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro, is not up to 15–20, but at least 25–30 years old.
From this, Josue’s strategy with the hopeless water heater and part of the fridge became obvious. He, a technically trained man, had been fully aware that those wrecks would never be functional. He hoped though that they would for a few days.
After that he could wipe off any complaint as “I made it work. Anything that happened after that is your responsibility. Find someone who can fix it [hehehe, you never will] and pay him, or if you can’t, buy a new one and pay somebody to install it.” Of course, he was extremely mad at me, that this hadn’t happened his way.
2. Marta Gasco has been trying to sell her Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro for four years in vain (https://www.bocasproperties.com/blank-1). She expects the price of a functional apartment rental. However, the pipes, wires, drains, etc. in the walls are just as worn-out as the appliances, furniture, etc. A hypothetical buyer should renovate, replace all that has been used up in decades; this would probably cost more than constructing and furnishing, equipping a new building. No sane person would go into that.
Finally, a word in defense of Panama; Marta Gasco the owner of Calipso Apartmentos in Bocas del Toro is Spaniard.