Author: Craig

The other day I asked Nancy if it was Saturday and she answered “Every day is Saturday.  What difference does it make?  It feels like Groundhog Day over and over…”.

Here in Panamá a few weeks ago we had hopes that things were slowly starting to return to normal, or at least “The New Normal” as people seem to be calling the post virus world.  Since then the cases here have been increasing almost every day, parts of the country have returned to total lockdown, and the situation seems out of control.  Availability of hospital beds are getting low, people seem incapable of social distancing, mask wearing seems to be a problem (for reasons that escape us), what contact tracing is occurring doesn’t seem to be having any impact, and there does not seem to be any solutions in sight, other than maybe a vaccine – whenever that may happen.  There are rumors that the Chiriqui Province where we live may be going back into total quarantine “for fifteen days”.  We can see that fifteen days turning into weeks and then months, just like the first total quarantine.  Nancy is part of a couple of local Facebook Groups and I stay on top of the news and its easy to see people are really getting more and more restless and angry.  We are starting to believe that when this pandemic starts to draw to a close the damage to the Panamanian economy and people’s lives is going to be lasting and brutal.

It is the rainy season here and the weather seem appropriate for the situation.

We are hoping we have some more positive news soon…

Saludos, Craig

I was originally planning on adding a blog post today about the light at the end of the tunnel getting farther and farther away.  Due to the expanding number of Covid case in Panamá the date for the borders and airspace reopening was moved form June 22 to July 22.  We are really looking forward to getting back to the USA to see family, friends, and just doing some different things.  When the date was moved we were very disappointed but looking at the surging new Covid cases in the US maybe its just as well we hold off for now.  Somehow, that does not make us feel any better, but here we are.

Late yesterday we read on the local news that President Cortizo has removed three cabinet ministers:  The Minister of Health, the Minister of Social Development, and the Minister of Housing and Land Management.  Rosario Turner, the Minister of Health, has had an almost impossible job trying to control the spread of the pandemic and balance the means to do that with the economic and social needs of the people.  We will see how the incoming Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, manages.

Its early to tell exactly what this means for us, but I believe that here in Chiriqui the schedule for moving forward with reopening sectors of the economy may be accelerated.  This will certainly be welcome news to us.  Certainly, some changes will be forthcoming.   

We have seen friends here hightail it back to the US on some of the humanitarian flights, and some will probably not return.  Nancy and I are not sure how much greener the grass is back in the states right now, but its home and we do miss it.  We are hopeful the governmental shake up here will change things for the better.  Time will tell…

Saludos, Craig

The quarantine where we live here in Chiriqui Province was lifted on June 1, 2020 as advertised.  We are now allowed out from 5 am to 7 pm every day, and we are actually allowed out together.  At first this was a real novelty and it has been great to go out, but there are still very few places to go, and not a lot of things to do other than grocery shopping, picking up mail, and picking up take-out.  (Thanks to Mike’s Global Grill and Big Daddy’s for the great food and friendship!)  Masks are required when we are out, and most places will take your temperature and give you hand sanitizer before you can enter.  We have no problem with this, everything that helps keep us and others safe and healthy is a small price to pay.  We still spend most of our time at home, reading, exercising, working on our Spanish, and this and that.  Still not great, but most definitely an improvement over the total quarantine!

The number of daily cases here in Panamá have been increasing almost every day since the quarantine was relaxed.  We cannot tell you how disheartening this has been.  We feel like we have endured one of the strictest quarantines in the world for nothing!  There are even a couple of places in other provinces where the quarantines have been reinstated.  It seems like this is happening for several reasons:  people here (and probably everywhere) just find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to social distance, people live in too close quarters to make social distancing possible, there has not been sufficient follow up contact tracing, and there has been not been sufficient testing.  Testing here has increased lately, and this partially explains the increase in positive tests, but this community spread is turning into a huge problem, here and around the world.

We really hope this situation starts to resolve; we are really looking forward to a trip back to the States as soon as the borders open.  We are hoping to buy plane tickets soon, we are waiting for when we can travel safely (relatively) and without undue restrictions.

We finally want to say a word about George Floyd.  What happened to him was very wrong; it does not matter what he did nor what happened beforehand, to watch him get killed with his face pushed into the asphalt and a knee on the back of his neck was horrifying.  Hopefully, some changes for the better will start to come about.

We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!

Saludos, Craig

Some good news…a few days ago it was announced that starting this Monday, June 1, the lockdown/quarantine will end, and instead, a curfew from 7 pm until 5 am will take its place. Children will be allowed out accompanied by their parents in the late afternoon hours.

Yay!

We have been under virtual house arrest since April 1 and curfew prior to that. Nancy and I will actually be allowed out together for the first time in eight weeks. Masks will be required and social distancing rules will be in place, but its going to be a welcome taste of freedom.

During the lockdown we have been diligent about keeping to daily routines and exercising regularly (lots of aerobics on our terrace).  Somehow, we have both lost some weight and, more importantly, avoided conflict with each other.  We may be in better shape now than we were before all this started, although we REALLY miss going to the gym.  No news on that opening yet.  We are luckier than most people in that we have a piece of very private property to spread out on.  Our Panamanian neighbors have been good to us and our working on learning Spanish has really helped.  The government expected everyone to stay in their homes or apartments for the duration which would be almost unimaginably difficult.

Going out during my allotted day/time for shopping has been interesting.  Lines waiting to get into stores, temperature checks, police checkpoints, hand cleaner everywhere, and having to make do with what products were available became the new normal.  Over the past couple of weeks we have seen a lot more activity on the streets, signs of some relaxation of the quarantine.

For us, the most disappointing aspect of this entire crises has been the lack of news, conflicting news, and conflicting directives coming from the various divisions of government. We have followed the rules here as best as possible and we don’t disagree with the goal of controlling this virus, but the way it is being handled here is lacking at best in our opinion. We feel like we are being treated like children – nos tratan como niños – as our neighbors and friends say. The no alcohol sales, the oppressive rules, the lack of coherent communication, and the perceived attitude of the powers that be have been very disheartening.

It is too early to tell how deep the scars left by this economic and social shutdown will be, and how long it will take things to rebound.  I am sure there are a substantial number of businesses that will not survive.  Some of the individual hardships we have seen have been heart wrenching.  We have provided rice, beans, and some other staples for some friends of ours just so they would have food in their bellies.

So we are optimistic that things here are slowly starting to return to normal – or the “new normal”.  How long and what shape this will take remains to be seen.

Saludos, Craig

Here in Alto Boquete we are now in week six of total lockdown/quarantine and life is becoming more and more stressful as the days go by.  We are confined to our house and property and as of now there is no indication of how much longer this is going to last.  Panamá stopped all sales of alcohol on March 17 supposedly for three weeks but still being enforced over six weeks later.  The following week total quarantine was put in place supposedly through April 15 but still ongoing with no end in sight.  The uncertainty and lack of coherency and clear communication from the government makes everything very difficult to deal with. Nancy and I are continuing to follow the rules and hanging in there as best as we can. To make light of the situation, it sure feels like we are in the movie “Groundhog Day”.

We are also doing our best to get enough exercise.  Aerobics on the terrace, push-ups, yard work, and walking the property like tigers in a zoo (next time I see a pacing tiger in a pen I will be far more sympathetic to its plight) are the main ways we burn off energy.  Reading, watching TV, working on our Spanish, cooking, keeping an eye on the news, and keeping in touch with family and friends are the things that, for the most part, round out our days.  We have also made a couple of batches of pineapple beer with mixed results.

The number of daily new cases of Covid-19 have been fairly steady lately, and Panamá is purportedly past the peak of the pandemic.  There are also hundreds of daily arrests of people for violating the quarantine, and this seems to really incense the powers that be.  I read on the news the other day there is talk of making violators subject to prison terms of up to eight years which strikes me as excessive to the point of insanity.  Both the government and the populace have limited funds and resources and they are going to start to run out in the very near future.  What we find disturbing is that there seems to be no game plan in place to wind the quarantine down and get the economy running again.  How much longer is this sustainable? Nancy and I are hoping our next post brings better news!  In the meantime, we wish health and good things to all!

Saludos, Craig

In Spanish, “toque de queda” means curfew, and since earlier this week it is what we have been living under in Panamá.  This is unlike anything Nancy and I have ever experienced in our lives and it is very unsettling.  There is no time limit to this lockdown, it will last as long as the government sees fit.  We are confined to our house and property and only allowed to leave for “urgent” reasons at specific times during the day.  Because I am over sixty, I am allowed out between the hours of 11 am to 1 pm.  Nancy is allowed out from 7:30 am to 9:30 am (based on her passport number).  We cannot go out together, and when we do go out, it is only supposed to be for groceries, to go to the pharmacy, to seek medical treatment, or for whatever other reasons may be deemed urgent.  There are checkpoints on the roads where we must show ID to get through and there are police in many of the stores (the ones that are still allowed to be open) also checking ID’s.  No leaving for walks, exercise, or even talking the dog out.  Several hundred people have already been detained for violating the curfew.

In Panamá the number of Coronavirus cases has been increasing daily.  As of today, there are close to seven hundred cases and nine deaths in the country as a whole. 

Our hearts go out to everyone who has been touched by this virus.

Yesterday I went into town during my allotted hours to pick up a few items we had at Mailboxes, Etc.  (They are still open, and we really hope they stay open – a lot of people here depend on MBE for medications among other things).  I waited outside the door in a short line until it was my turn and then they brought our packages out to me.  I stopped in a couple of pharmacies and grocery stores trying to find masks and gloves but there were none to be had.  I brought some fruit from our friend Manuel (who sells produce from his truck).  He also gave me a couple of masks, (thanks Manuel!).  A tank truck came through with some men in white suits hosing down the sidewalks with some kind of soapy solution.  The whole town of Boquete was so quiet it was almost surreal.  I stopped at another grocery store on the way home for some snacks for Nancy and me – I had to wait outside in another line until it was my turn to go in.  At least the shelves were fairly well stocked.  Being out almost felt like being in an episode of The Twilight Zone – I was glad when I got home.  Nancy opened the gate for me and wiped everything I brought home down with disinfectant wipes.

Nancy and I are following the rules and taking this all very seriously.  We both are as healthy as ever as far as we can tell.  It’s only been a few days of total quarantine for us and, for me anyway, a bit of “cabin fever” is already setting in.  I miss going to the gym (really miss the gym), going for walks, going out for drinks or dining, seeing our friends, and mainly feeling like we’re part of everything.

I’m not sure how long this is sustainable.  A substantial portion of the economy is at a standstill, not just here but across the world, with closures and quarantines and curfews sweeping across the planet in waves.  People are suffering huge economic losses and setbacks and there must be some level of desperation starting to take hold.

I’m sure we are far from alone in our feelings.  The uncertainty of it all is the hardest part.

Nancy and I wish health and happiness to everyone!

Saludos, Craig

I’m writing today from our home in Alto Boquete.  The last few weeks and especially the last few days have certainly seen some major changes around the world.  Here in Panamá where there are not a lot of cases of Covid-19 (yet anyway), schools have closed for the foreseeable future, travel in and out of the country is restricted, bars, restaurants, most businesses, gyms, and almost anywhere where people gather for commerce or socialization is supposed to be closed or restricted.  Here in Panamá the guidance from the various levels of government are constantly changing and evolving, and social media is rife with the latest rumors, especially fearful and scary ones (like no travel, no getting into Boquete district without proof of address, riots and social unrest, stores running out of everything, etc.).  We have not really experienced any of these things yet, and hopefully we won’t although here in Central America it’s still very early in the evolution of this pandemic.  Time and patience will get us all through this.

The global economy is certainly under a great deal of stress, as are personal finances around the world.  I wish I could expect calm and rational behavior from people everywhere, but that may be asking too much.  There are statistics broadcast that change and contradict themselves almost hourly.  I personally don’t believe the lethality of the Covid-19 virus is extremely high although that changes depending upon your demographic.  I have also heard its ten times more lethal that the flu which means that roughly two out of one hundred will die compared to two out of one thousand.  Of course, it also seems to be extremely contagious so I’m sure common-sense hygiene and “social distancing” are important for us all.  Even if we happen to feel well, we certainly don’t want to infect anyone else who may become seriously ill, or worse.

We are planning on riding this out here at home in Alto Boquete and we will do our best to stay safe and healthy and we wish safety and health to all our family, friends, and everyone.

All for now until our next post. Stay well!

Saludos, Craig

Well we’re back in Panamá after a good trip back to the states and we apparently arrived in the rainiest part of the rainy season. The first thing we did when we got back to the house was to make sure our car started, which it did with no problem. But it had quite the crop of mold growing in it from being parked in our carport for a month! Nancy was a bit freaked out, but after some solid airing, vacuuming, cleaning, and deodorizing the car is pretty much back to normal.

As we were settling back in to our new house we discovered mold and mustiness throughout our house; in some of our clothes, our books, bed sheets, cabinets – everywhere! The mold was pretty light and easily cleaned for the most part, but its probably a good thing we were only gone for a month.

It rains a LOT here this time of year, usually in the afternoons, but sometimes at night, sometimes in the morning, sometimes when the skies look clear. The rain can be drizzly, light, sporadic, or really heavy; “aguacero” is the term the locals use, which means downpour. And downpour is what it is! I grew up in South Florida and have seen rain this heavy; just not every day.

We have been learning how to manage all this moisture and constant humidity. We run a dehumidifier, keep everything dry and clean, keep air circulating, put Damp Rid in our closets, etc. A learning curve no doubt!

The dry season is just around the corner and we’re looking forward to some rain free days. We can’t help but wonder what new challenges the dryer weather will bring…

Saludos, Craig