I thought it would be a good day to update the blog, it being a quarantine day in our province of Chiriquí. There has been a large increase in the number of Covid cases in Chiriquí and Veraguas provinces. MINSA (El Ministerio de Salud) once again decided to lock us down the last two Sundays. Apparently, Sundays are big family gathering and party days here in Panamá and people have become laxer. I don’t have the answers but I do not agree with their solution, as recent history has shown. On the bright side, it is one day out of the week. It gives me an opportunity to catch up on things I would otherwise put on the back burner.
Pfizer vaccines are being distributed province by province. Finally, it is Chiriquí’s turn. Last week, some of the districts in Chiriquí had vaccination clinics being held at many of the local schools. This coming week, Boquete district is supposed to have them available, but for people over 60 years old or people with health conditions. Unfortunately, I will have to wait a bit longer as I am not yet 60, but Craig will be able to get it. We have signed up on the official website and waiting to receive verification that he has an appointment. There is so much news on social media about this from all sorts of sources and I find it very bewildering. Additionally, the latest news is that there has been a delivery of Astra Zeneca available for men over 30 and women over 50 that want to get the vaccine. I don’t understand the age variations! There is a separate website to sign up for this which I am having difficulty with. I have to admit that I am a bit on the fence about Astra Zeneca. I am a proponent of getting vaccinated, but the reported blood clot issues, albeit a very low percentage, gives me a little pause. I do believe the benefits outweigh the risks. Many of our friends and acquaintances here have flown to the US to get their shots and have since returned.
Life goes on and we keep ourselves fairly busy. We had a small gathering of friends in our home last week which was a lot of fun. We also drove to David this week for Craig’s dermatologist appointment which he will report on later. A few times a week we visit the Panaderia and Fruit and Vegetable Market as well as general grocery shopping.
Caldera Hot Springs Hike
Yesterday we drove approximately 35 minutes from our house to Caldera Hot Springs with our Panamanian friend, Mily. What a big difference in climate in that short distance! We hiked along a very rocky road to some areas with small thermal pools. We did not go in as we did not bring our swimsuits. The pools looked a bit tricky to get into without slipping. I am not the most sure-footed person! Then we went further down to see the river. After our excursion, we went out to lunch. What a lovely day spent and bonus of practicing our Spanish.
We also continue to do our group hikes as often as we can. Being one with nature and the comradery of the group is so much fun.
Panama Post Office
We had an interesting experience shipping packages to the USA via the Panamá Post Office. We sent out 3 packages that cost around $11 total. It will probably take 3-4 weeks, but it was not time sensitive. First you do not seal the package. Second you need to bring your own glue, not tape. We walked into the office with our 3 bubble envelopes that were already pre-addressed. The clerk inspected what was going into the envelopes (coffee). She sealed our envelopes and I had to write my name across where she sealed the envelope. She then gave us the stamps that we needed to affix to the envelope ourselves with the glue that we brought. I think this may be because of Covid. No licking! We also had to affix a customs paper that showed what was in the envelope and the value. You cannot use a US address as the return address. Since there are no traditional street addresses and mail delivery in Panama, we used the address for Mailboxes, Etc. as our return address. Mailboxes, Etc. is the company we use to import our internet shopping. Fingers crossed, hopefully our packages will arrive intact!
The weather here has been so nice the last few weeks. Officially the rainy season has started, but not much rain has fallen of late. Various places on the mountain have different climates! You can experience a frequent light misty rain known locally as “bajareque”, and then a few moments later it can get really hot when the sun came out. I found this cool website that explains what influences our weather www.boqueteweather.com/climate. This sort of weather is what makes the coffee from Panamá so good!
If I’ve peaked your interest about Panamá, I recommend Panama Relocation Tours on-line guide where you can learn how to relocate to Panamá with total confidence. We took the group tour almost 3 years ago that cemented our lifestyle here today! The on-line guide will give you all the same information but without the worry of traveling during Covid.
We’re taking things day by day here and enjoying what each day may bring. We’ve been given this opportunity to not have to do the daily 9-5 grind. Panamá isn’t perfect by any stretch, but if you open up your heart and mind, who knows what experience could present itself. There is so much more out there in this great big world than the US and gaining this new perspective is invaluable.
