Getting a US number via Skype! What a great idea! Every time I come back I get a prepaid phone number, but it's always changing, and I cancel it when I leave. A Skype number would stay the same and make some things easier. Thank you, sloopskipper. The rest of my financial arrangements are similar to yours.

I would have expected the Panamanian banking system to be fairly efficient, since they handle all that drug money, or at least used to.