I Need Hot Water!

I know. Your Airbnb doesn’t have hot water. You can cancel, sure, but the next one won’t have hot water either, trust me. You could get a hotel, obviously, but even then there’s no guarantee that they’ll have hot water. You see, most of them don’t. It is, as they say, a roll of the die. Hey, I know. I know. Put down the torch and pitchfork. I am, as they say, just the messenger. But, honestly, I lived in Panama for two years before I was in a position to install a water heater in my apartment and finally be blessed by the kiss of hot water.

What’s going on here? Why doesn’t anyone have any hot water? Well, culturally, Panamanians don’t get the American obsession with hot water. I mean, I guess I get it: the cold water here never really gets cold and the weather can be hot and sticky. From the Panamanian point of view, why would we want to go from the hot and wet to the even hotter and wetter? And, again, I need to underscore that this is a cultural thing, not a socioeconomic thing. It doesn’t matter how poor or wealthy a Panamanian is: hot showers are anathema and they think that your love for them is possibly a mental illness.

So, what should you do? Well, try calling around to find a hotel with hot water. It might not be as hot as you’re used to, but it’s possible that you’ll luck out and find one. This is a bit harder to do with Airbnbs, but, well, since most Airbnbs are illegal anyway, how conscientious of your comfort are these absentee criminal landlords going to be? Don’t bother. You’re better off with a hotel.

If you’re looking for an apartment to rent, make sure you verify that the unit has hot water or negotiate the installation of a water heater. Like I said, I went sin agua caliente for two years before I finally found an apartment with a landlord who let me install a water heater, which I’ve been able to do everywhere I’ve lived since. If it’s something that you can’t live without, then draw a line in the sand and make sure your real estate agent knows this.

I know and commiserate with your pain. Stay strong. You’ll get through this.