You can get many things in Panamà City. The malls here are terrific, and very American-ized (suffice to say you won’t go through Olive Garden, Applebee’s, or TGIF withdrawal here). Their version of Costco (PriceSmart) is excellent. The grocery stores are very well stocked, but not always consistent. We have learned that if we like something and we see it in the stores, to buy it. There’s no guarantee it will be there the next time!

There are some things, however, that we haven’t been able to find here in Panamà. Some (such as half and half), we have resigned ourselves that it’s just not available here. Some things we can get on Amazon. Amazon does deliver here, but there’s a limited selection and you have to watch for fees and import charges (more on that in another post).

But for those things that Amazon can’t/won’t send, and you still can’t find here, there’s FastBox.

One of the very surprising things that I can’t find here is sterile saline solution for my contact lenses. I’ve searched countless stores – here, the contact lens solutions are behind the counter in the farmacias. I’ve asked for solución salina para lentes de contacto many times. The answer has been always a very puzzled look, and a proffering of disinfectant solution.

Enter FastBox!

FastBox is a freight forwarder that gives you a shipping address in the U.S. Setting up an account is free. You order something (in my case, saline solution on Amazon), and it gets delivered to that address. They then send it to Panamà City to their holding facility, and send you a notification it’s arrived.

In the case of my saline solution, I ordered it on Thursday. It arrived at the forwarding facility on Friday. It arrived in Panamà City on Tuesday, and I was able to pick it up on Wednesday.

FastBox has a well marked building in San Francisco to pick everything up.

It’s a secure building, and the staff are quite friendly. Give your name, and in no time your package is in your hands.

The cost for the service is $2.50 a pound, with a surcharge for larger items. In this order, in addition to my saline solution, I had ordered some weight-lifting gloves and some topical ointment, and my total was $8.03 (three pounds, plus tax). If I wanted to have the order delivered, it would cost another $1.50.

There are many similar services here in the City – FastBox is just one.

I will still probably continue to ask for solución salina para lentes de contacto at the farmacias, but thanks to FastBox, it’s a much less urgent ask.