My apologies, I don’t have a lot of words or pictures to share this week, just a few thoughts…
Nancy and I have been in Panamá for the past month and a half, before that in Florida for a time, living our lives and pursuing our goals and ambitions. We try to avoid discussing politics or national and world events with too many people because different opinions can lead to arguments and bad vibes. Sometimes however there is no escaping what’s going on in the world.
We have been watching the situation unfold in Ukraine this week. As you all are probably aware, Russia invaded Ukraine after a troop build up that lasted for months. This invasion should have caught no one by surprise given Russia’s history of aggression. There are no possible moral or legal justifications for the actions being taken by Russia. The brutality of this aggression is deeply troubling and the lives being lost have been as heartbreaking as the heroism and the resolve of the Ukrainian people has been inspirational. From the president to the people from all walks of life are rising up to defend their homeland. We hope and pray that their efforts and resolve and sacrifice are not in vain.
We were troubled by the lack of more international effort to aid the Ukrainian people and their country. At first it seemed as if Russia was getting the equivalent of a parking ticket as punishment for invading a sovereign nation. Thankfully the sanctions are increasing in potency and more aid appears to be on the way as international anger grows.
We have been in our new rental in Volcancito for just about a month, and I want to share some of our thoughts and experiences.
sunset through the clouds
Although getting to our house involves a 1.4 kilometer drive over some very rough roads without a guardrail to be seen, once we’re here its a great house to be in. We have the last place on the road, and there is almost no traffic and very few people. We have a lot of privacy and splendid views of part of Boquete from our terrace and even more spectacular views of the downtown from a lookout point just across from our driveway. We are in the middle of the dry season but its also the windy season and from our vantage point the weather is endlessly fascinating. In the mornings and evenings we can see bajareque rolling down from the mountains to the north of town and covering much of the downtown in a cold damp drizzly mist with beautiful rainbows above. Sunrises and sunsets are accompanied by precipitous rises and drops in the temperature with changes in the light and clouds happening minute by minute. The weather and climate are one of the things that draw us to the highlands of Panamá and reminds us how lucky we are to be here.
We have been hearing from some long term expat residents Panamanians we know how demographics seem to be changing rapidly here. There are a lot more expats (gringos) here now and more on the way, judging by what we hear about the real estate market. We have heard of some people actually buying property sight unseen, and just pulling up stakes and moving here. We would never advise anyone to move here without visiting, getting to know the area, getting to know the culture, learning some Spanish, and just taking things step by step. Unfortunately there seem to be a fair amount of expats here who have no interest in learning the language or the culture, and even worse in our view, bringing their politics, biases, prejudices, and pettiness with them.
Panamá is a great place to be, but it’s not the United States or Canada. Electricity and internet tend to go in and out, sometimes for extended lengths of time. Water may be off unexpectedly, also sometimes for extended lengths of time. On one occasion a few years back we were without water for eight days. We used what we had in our tank for flushing toilets and cooking and we took showers at our gym. Some of the roads here are beyond sketchy and if you stray off the beaten path at all a four wheel drive with decent ground clearance can be a necessity. Panamá seems to be a country where no one ever looked at a hill or a mountain and said “That’s too steep for a road”. Off the highway a lot of two lane roads are about a car and a half wide, often with a cliff on one side, a steep drop off on the other, and tremendous potholes in between (if the road is paved at all). A lot of the drivers here do not drive slowly no matter what the conditions may be, which just adds to the excitement.
But with all that being said, we love being here. We enjoy learning Spanish, leaning the culture, and meeting new people and making new friends. The people of Panamá are, in our experience, some of the friendliest and nicest people we have ever met. Everything it has taken for us to be here has been well worth the effort and investment and we’re moving forward with our adventures.
We took a drive this week to the new Federal Mall just north of David to check it out. We had heard there was a nice new grocery store, El Fuerte, that was 2 floors. I was very impressed with the selection and prices. The first floor is all groceries, and the 2nd floor includes clothing, shoes, and various other items. They had an escalator-type walkway going to the second floor. A few flagship stores had taken residence in the new mall right before Covid hit, then everything was at a standstill. Things seem to be back on course and filling up. The mall itself also has 2 levels and once fully occupied, will have over 300 stores. It is advertised as a world-class shopping experience that is completely closed and air conditioned throughout. In addition to El Fuerte is Titan, El Costo, Steven’s, Felix, Arrocha Pharmacy, Madison Store, and Cinépolis movie theaters with the latest audiovisual technology. In addition will be a Food Court and entertainment venues for children and the whole family.
Craig’s favorite…63 cents a can
Jaramillo Hike
my new friend
Today we did over a 4-mile hike on some back roads in Jaramillo walking on mostly gravel. The highest point of our hike was 1700 meters (5577 feet) above sea level and the views were spectacular. We passed by beautiful pastures with cows grazing (and seemingly anxious to say hello), as well as some friendly domesticated dogs.
Weather / Fires
Our weather here has been beautiful with no rain, maybe a bit of bajareque (fine and light rain that falls in the mountain areas of Panamá). Bajareque brings lots of beautiful rainbows! Since it is the dry / windy season here in Panama, fires in the canyons occur. The fire department (los bomberos) do controlled burns, but so do land-owners. It’s very possible for a fire to get out of hand. Here is a view from our terrace of a fire in the canyon.
fire burning in the canyon
Working Out
Free weights
One of our favorite places in Boquete is The Haven Gym and Spa. In between hiking, we work out at the gym there. Upstairs they had recently upgraded all their cardio equipment and have Echelon bikes and a rower that connect to the internet. They have also upgraded their treadmills and elliptical machines. Downstairs are weights and various weight machines for all areas of the body. In addition, they have great masseuses in their spa, Fatima and Angelica. We treated ourselves this week to 1-hour deep tissue massages for $49.50 each.
cardio machines upstairs
Hasta luego…
JUST FOR FUN! On one of our recent trips from David, this man is entertaining people in their cars with machetes.
When I was younger, I used to enjoy traveling much more but now its just turned into something I dread. Of course, traveling with Covid-19 in the world doesn’t help, but it seems getting anywhere these days is just one annoyance followed by waiting, followed by another annoyance, more waiting, more annoyances, and all the time hoping everything goes more or less according to schedule.
waiting for David flight (muy aburrido)
So we are back in Panamá, after two long days of planes, delays, and automobiles. We were scheduled to fly from Fort Lauderdale to Panamá City on Saturday, and then to David Panamá on the COPA Sunday morning flight, and then get picked up by friends and driven to Alto Boquete where we are renting a house. Our Sunday morning flight was cancelled but we managed to make the afternoon flight, our friends who were picking us up came down with Covid-19 symptoms so we had to find a new ride, and we had to make quite a few changes on the fly. Luckily, we have enough friends and contacts and we were able to make everything work.
We had left our car with our friends at Value Motors in Boquete (Thank you Victor and George!) and yesterday we were able to pick it up and finally get to our rental. We spent a couple of hours with the owners (who are themselves traveling back to the United States) reviewing the water system, power, internet, security systems, etc. Houses here tend to be a bit more complicated, with various water filters that need cleaning and maintenance, back up tanks, pipes and valves, unique plumbing requirements, electrical systems and back ups, pest and insect barriers, and peculiar individual quirks that all houses here seem to have. Then of course it was time to look up some friends we hadn’t seen for the past six month or so, buy some groceries, and finally try to get a good night’s rest with nothing important pressing for the next day.
Although its only been a few days since we arrived in Panamá it feels really good to be back. Getting to our house is interesting with over a kilometer of very sketchy access roads and driveway, but once you’re here the view is spectacular and the privacy is almost total. We are directly above Bajo Boquete and we can look down on the entire town.
My apologies for the lack of blog posts lately, but now that were back you can expect a lot more activity and blog posts to be forthcoming. We welcome any comments and we will answer any questions, so please reach out to just say Hello!
Time sure flies and I have been neglecting our blog. My apologies for the lapse in our posts.
Due to a family emergency, we returned to the U.S. in July. We spent 4 lovely months in Boquete, but an unexpected death in the immediate family brought us back. We’ve pretty much been laying low since then. We had to let our Boquete rental go as we are planning to be here in the US until the end of the year. We boxed up our things to leave with good friends. We also left our car with another good friend. This will make things a lot easier on us when we come back to Panamá. We love Panamá despite its imperfections, the people that we have met there especially.
Something I have been giving much thought to these past 2+ years since getting our residency is I really do miss family. I thought I could deal with it better and of course I expected all of them to just fly on down to see us. Like on episodes of International House Hunters, they all say “I want extra space for all the company we’re gonna have”! Well, that just doesn’t happen unless money is not an issue. We were blessed to have Craig’s daughter visit us but that was our one and only visitor. Just seeing them once a year when we flew back just wasn’t enough for me. The financial burdens for family to fly down, especially with young children, it was very daunting. Between 4 children and 7+ grandchildren (another on the way), I was always thinking what I was missing. I felt a strong need to have a home base in the US once again (and get our things out of storage). Craig acquiesced and here we are. Yes, I know some of you might want to judge me on this…the problems here in the US are hard to dismiss. I had to look past this and do what my heart was telling me. We purchased a home in Florida close to Craig’s family, yet easy enough to take trips up north to be with the kids. And vice versa, the kids always have a place to come down south to for get togethers. We are heading back down to Panamá after the Christmas holidays and have secured a rental for half a year. The best of both worlds. We miss our Boquete family but we will be back!
Enough about that…what have we been up to? After spending some time in Pennsylvania, we started furnishing our new Florida home and are acclimating to our new reality. The beach is a short drive away, family time with the brothers-in-law, going to the gym, walking, cycling, tikis, etc. I’ve also been doing a lot of crochet projects as there are new babies on the way.
I hope you are all well and staying safe. Oh, and by the way, before we left Panamá we were able to get our second Pfizer shots (yay!) Here are a few random pics of family and what we’ve been up to.
It is Father’s Day here in Panamá and back home in the States. We hope all you fathers out there have a great day!
We are still living in Valle Escondido here in Boquete Panamá and we are currently spending our Sunday under curfew/lockdown, which means we cannot leave the house. This is the fourth or fifth Sunday spent under lockdown and we hope it ends soon, although it is bearable for one day a week. A day in lockdown does make it OK to be lazy for the whole day.
As Nancy mentioned in our last post, late last month we received our first shots of the Pfizer vaccine which means we are due for our second and final shots withing the next week or so. We are waiting for news as to when those shots will be available for us. We hope we hear something soon as we are anxious to get fully vaccinated. Here in Panamá masks and social distancing are still mandatory, although other than that (and Sunday lockdowns), life is normal. We go to the gym several times a week, we go to restaurants, we go on hikes, we go to our medical appointments, and our freedom of movement is mostly unrestricted. We still hope more vaccines will be available here soon. The more people who get vaccinated, better off we all are.
El castillo embrujado de Pepe
Hiking
Last Thursday we went on a hike up to El Salto, which is a mountainous area very close to Volcán Barú the highest peak in Panamá at 11,398 feet. According to the altimeter ap on my phone at the highest point on our hike we got to almost 6,500 feet after starting at about 5,900 feet. The hike was uphill almost all the way, and I could feel the altitude. The views were spectacular, the scenery was beautiful, and the exercise was great. We left early to beat the rain and we were back before it started. We are getting rain almost every day now as the rainy season picks up momentum. A couple of weeks before we went on a long hike up to an abandoned building that is know locally as El Castillo embrujado de Pepe or The Haunted Castle of Pepe. It is the remains of a huge house next to a coffee farm that was started, but never completed, and it is an interesting site. Of course, the locals say it is haunted. There are many places here that are worth seeing and they can be anywhere. You can turn off one of the main roads around here and start down a rocky narrow road the does not seem to lead anywhere, and it takes you to sights you would never expect to see, and neighborhoods that you would have had no idea were back there. A sturdy vehicle with four-wheel drive is a good thing to have as many of the roads are pretty sketchy and this seems to be a region where the hills and mountains never looked to steep to put a road on.
El Salto
Life goes on for us here, and every day brings something a bit different. We are hoping we will have good news about our second vaccine shots very soon.
In my last post I touched on the Covid 19 vaccination situation here in Panamá. At that time, we knew that Craig would be able to get the Pfizer vaccine since he is over 60 years old. They opened things up in our province of Chiriquí a few weeks ago, however we needed to wait until it was time for Boquete district. This past week there was mass vaccine distribution of the Pfizer vaccine at the local schools. Craig had his appointment on Thursday and I went along to see if they would allow me to receive one. I am under 60 by 1 year and 2 weeks. I’ve read some online posts saying that they knew of people under 60 who had gotten vaccinated so I thought I would take a stab at it! Craig’s appointment was at the school in Bajo Boquete close to where we are living. There was no line to speak of. I was very hopeful that it would happen. Alas when they saw that I was 2 weeks short of 59, they turned me down and told me I would have to go to the David Fairgrounds to get the AstraZeneca. I had signed up on the website to receive the AstraZeneca but hadn’t received an appointment time yet. The next day friends of ours called and told us about a possible opportunity to get the Pfizer shot at the school in El Francis south of us. Minsa was trying to round people up to receive the shot. Apparently, they had extra and looking for volunteers but we needed to get down there quickly (maybe because it was a Friday afternoon?) Exceeding the speed limit, we rushed down there. Fingers crossed, I got in line and they led me along from checkpoint to checkpoint. There was a moment where I thought my age would be an issue once again, but they made it happen. After they filled out my paperwork, I was seated with a socially-distanced grouping of 6 chairs. The nurse went from person to person and when all 6 of us received our shots, we were led into another room to sit and wait 15 minutes in the event we had any side effects. Exiting the door, Craig was outside waiting for me with umbrella in hand to escort me to the car. The next day I had a little soreness in my arm but no other side effects.
We’re off for little beach get-away for a few days at Playa Barqueta. Feeling relieved and hopeful. Loving life, what a great feeling.
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.
Fungi on the hiking trail
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.
We have been back in Boquete for over six weeks, and things feel a bit different than they do when we were here last year. Just about everyone here is very diligent about wearing their masks and practicing social distancing. There is a temperature taking station at every store, bar, and restaurant we have been to. We are living in Valle Escondido and the weather here seems to be much damper and chillier than at our last house in Alto Boquete. When we got here, we had some excellent weather for a couple of weeks, but since then things have been much damper and rainier.
After our first month here, we were able to negotiate a rental in the large house below the apartment where we were originally staying. This house is certainly the largest house we have ever lived in and its very nice, with high ceilings, big rooms, beautiful floors, and a nice kitchen. It does have its quirks, however. It tends to be chilly, the furniture is not to our taste, the hot water in the showers is inconsistent, and it echoes. Sometimes we feel a bit out of place here. But it is a nice house in a quiet neighborhood.
rental in Valle Escondido
Leaky Windshield
The windshield in our car developed a substantial leak right in the center over the dashboard during some of the heavy rain we have had. It was quite inconvenient, but we took the car down to Value Motors in Boquete and they took care of it for a whopping $15. We have had nothing but good experiences with Victor, George, and the whole crew at Value Motors.
New Family Doctor
We have been to see a local doctor for check-ups and minor medical issues, and we found a new doctor in town. Dr. Tuer speaks perfect English, she takes time to figure out what ails you, she answers her emails, and is very attentive.
Playa Barqueta
Last week we took a drive to the beach at Playa La Barqueta to visit some friends who have a condo right on the beach. The drive was an hour and a half right through heavy traffic in David to get there, but it was quite a nice place. It was our first glimpse on this trip of the ocean on the Gulf of Chiriqui, and it was beautiful. Warm weather, the beach, good friends and, best of all, no rain all day. Even though we are only seven or eight degrees from the equator here there is something to be said for living near the beach, as long as you have AC!
Playa Barqueta
Three Lost Waterfalls Hike
The other day we went on a hike with a local group to The Three Lost Waterfalls in Los Naranjos. It was quite an adventure in a very Panamanian way. Just to get there the drive is up some very windy, narrow, and steep roads, and once you are there the parking situation is pretty sketchy. Then take a walk over a suspension bridge that could use a little maintenance and up a very steep rocky trail that takes you to the booth where you pay your $8 fee. I was almost worn out from the walk to the pay station, but I had not seen anything yet. The trail was very narrow, very steep, very rocky, and, because of the recent damp weather, very muddy and slippery. We made it to the first waterfall, and it was nice. We made it to the second waterfall, and it was beautiful. Then we set off for the third waterfall and the trail immediately became almost vertical, rocky, and slippery. “Trail” is probably a kind word for this obstacle course. There were some knotted ropes in seemingly random locations to help with the climb. We did eventually get to the third waterfall, and I see why it is “lost”. It is beautiful and you certainly get your exercise getting to it. The trip back, although physically easer, is far more challenging because going downhill it is very easy to lose your footing and take a serious tumble. Help would be a long way away in the event of a serious accident. After almost four hours of trekking, we did succeed in getting back to our cars, although one or two of our companions had some nicks, cuts, and bruises. What an adventure!
It’s been three weeks since we got back and we have been settling in like we were never gone. Finding a place to rent, visiting with old friends, hiking, shopping, exercising, and of course relaxing, have been on the agenda. We wake up every morning to the songs of so many kinds of birds…¡PARAÍSO!
Valle Escondido
We have landed in the gated community of Valle Escondido in Bajo Boquete on this particular stay. Browsing through a short-term rental website gave me a lead in finding our small one bedroom, one bath apartment attached to a grand home (up twenty-nine stairs…very good exercise!) We rented this apartment for one month while we were searching for something longer term. It really has a splendid view on the terrace and is my favorite part of the apartment. As luck would have it, we were able to negotiate a great deal for four months on the house downstairs as it is currently vacant. In Panamá it really is about connections and word of mouth as little is actually advertised on the internet. After that rental we will probably return to the US for a while for some business matters, but we will go with the flow.
Banking
One major thing that we needed to do was go to our Banistmo bank office in David and straighten out a problem we were having with our “soft token”, which is a two-factor security authentication that is used to authorize the use of their service. I had been using my banking app to make payments and transfers while we were in the States without a hitch until about a month before we arrived. I was getting all kinds of error messages. I needed this to work as this is how a lot of banking and payments get done here. As part of the Covid protocol, only one of us was allowed in the bank, so I masked up and waited in a socially-distanced line for my turn to speak with a customer service representative while Craig went to Panafoto for a battery back-up and some other miscellaneous items at Do-It-Center. There were actually two lines at the bank, and I really hoped I was in the correct line. One was for customer service, and the other for teller business. When it was my turn, I spoke (in the best Spanish I could muster) to the rep about my issue. He had me replicate what was happening by doing a transfer from my checking to savings which did work, however the proof of its success was whether I could make a third-party transfer or pay a bill, which I did not try there as I had no one to pay. I was pretty flustered, and I guess satisfied at that point that the soft token was going to work. So, I thanked him for his help and out I went. This had taken quite a bit of time and Craig was done with his business, so he had walked to the TGI Fridays in the same strip mall and I met him there for a beer (which I really needed at this point)! I am happy to report that my soft token is working, and I can accomplish everything I need to, so it was not a waste of time.
Groceries were another big to-do and required visits to several different stores to stock up on supplies. You generally will not find everything you need at one store, and if you are looking for particular products, grab them when you see them because who knows when you will see them again. I had really missed the fruit and vegetable stalls at the public market in town. We stock up there about once a week with plenty of fruits and vegetables for less than $6!
We were also anxious to get back to the gym! We had a membership at The Haven before Covid hit last year and gyms were forced to close. The people there are so warm and friendly and they have good equipment for our needs. And, they recently purchased all new treadmills and ellipticals! They had put our membership on hold last year and let us use up the days we had previously paid for! They also have an exercise pool, hot tub, infrared sauna, steam sauna, various exercise classes and treatments including massage (which was one of Craig’s first priorities).
view from hike
Hiking was another activity I was ready to get back into and we were able to hook up with a small group of people who meet every Wednesday, rain permitting. I had really missed the social aspect of this as well, catching up with people while enjoying nature. Today’s hike was cancelled due to rain, so Craig and I went out in the rain on our hike own close to home. The rainy season seems to have started early this year! It does make the landscape more beautiful with vibrant and lush greenery.
Boquete 110th Anniversary Concert
Last weekend we attended an outdoor concert in the town square with friends. It was part of the celebration of Boquete’s 110th anniversary. The band was comprised of some very talented local expats who performed some jazzy numbers. Of course it was drizzling, and as it got heavier, we headed out and grabbed some burgers at La Cuchilla (a nice new burger joint in town) then continued the festivities at Boquete Brewing Company where a live Panamanian band was playing both American and Spanish rock music. What a great night! It was so great to see things open and people going out and having a good time. They do take Covid seriously here and it is mandatory to wear a mask even while you are outside walking around town. We feel it is a small price to pay to get back to normalcy.
