Category: Experiences and Thoughts about Panamá

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

With everything going on in the world today, it’s not easy task to keep yourself from going stir crazy or falling into a depression. Most of us have never seen the likes of this situation we find ourselves in. People infected with Coronavirus worldwide are now over a million, and deaths over 50,000. In Panamá alone, there are almost 1,500 known cases and death toll is at 37, with 10 recovered cases.

We are going with the flow and following the strict guidelines the government has set to keep us safe. We are in total quarantine indefinitely. There is a prohibition on alcohol, so if you didn’t stock up before hand, you are out of luck for who knows how long. The days and times that we can go out for essentials have become more restricted then ever because of people who have not been heeding the quarantine. Women are allowed out during their specific 2 hour window on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; men on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. No one can go out on Sunday. Exceptions apply to holders of permission letters (salvoconductos) or if you have an emergency situation. If you have a dog, you can only take it out close to your house.

Presidente Nito has launched a Solidarity Plan which includes the distribution of vouchers, food bags, medicines and tanks of gas to at least a million people, including informal workers, lottery sellers, residents of vulnerable areas and those affected by the economic impact of the pandemic. The amount of the electricity bill will be reduced 50% to those whose consumption does not exceed 300 kilowatts. Service will not be cut nor that of water or internet to those who cannot pay their bills in the next three months. Banks will not execute the mortgages of those affected by the pandemic. The use of the government ID (cedula) as a debit card is currently being finalized in the registers of supermarkets and shops.

The U.S. Embassy in Panamá is currently collecting names of people who wish to repatriate back to the United States. There were two flights scheduled this week that have been cancelled, but they are exploring other options for evacuation flights. Craig and I had not considered this. We feel safe and believe that the government is doing a good job. And God forbid we get sick, I’m not sure if our international insurance plan will cover us in the U.S. if one of us contracts the virus.

I’ve been taking this opportunity for self-reflection and self-improvement. Craig and I have been doing Power Walking Aerobics on our terrace almost daily. We are spending more time on our Spanish. We’ve been trying to eat healthier. I feel like a homesteader, freezing all kinds of fruits and vegetables for my Smoothies. Group chats with friends and family help keep us up to date and lift each other’s spirits. Spending time with your family feels more precious somehow rather than mundane. We are all going through this fearful time together. We need each other, kindness is so important.

I’d like to share this poem with you written by Kitty O’Meara, a retired Irish American teacher, that I feel is so relevant today…

And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.

And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.

And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.

 ¡Quédate en casa! We will all get through this together!

In this season of Easter, we have been missing the ability to attend Sunday services. But Father Michael has solved that problem. He will be recording his services which will stream live on Facebook. We thank him for helping us to keep things as normal as possible and to find inner peace.

To our family and friends, we love and miss you all! I hope that God keeps you save and allows your mind to be peaceful.

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

Coronavirus has entered our new home in Panamá, currently with 36 cases confirmed as of this writing. As a perspective, Panamá is roughly the size of South Carolina. Tocumen Airport in Panama City is a very busy international hub. It was only a matter of time. A state of emergency was decreed by Presidente Nito a few days ago. And, according to Newsroompanama.com, “Panama’s government has allocated $70 million to fight coronavirus as 9 more confirmed cases brought the total to 36 by 4 pm on Friday, March 13.  Flights to and from Europe, now the epicenter of the pandemic according to the World Health Organization, have been suspended.”

With schools closed for the foreseeable future, as well as a ban on all public gatherings, it will definitely have a financial impact on the many small businesses and restaurants who do business in our small mountain tourist town. Many events, including the Tuesday Market, volunteer gatherings, the Beaches Jazz & Blues Festival, and the David International Fair have been cancelled. In the province of Chiriquí where we live, there has yet to be a confirmed case. The Mayor of Boquete is asking the President to block the entrance to Boquete at the Caldera checkpoint, of foreign tourists, principally those coming from countries with cases of COVID-19. We will have to show proof that we are residents of the district to pass through. We will see how this plays out. Hopefully these measures will help prevent the spread.

Personally, we have been on pins and needles over our upcoming 15 night repositioning cruise leaving the port of Colon to Lisbon, Portugal in mid April. Due to the escalation of the virus, it is highly unlikely that this will happen. Taking it day by day.

So if you were to be cooped up anywhere in the world, why not Boquete, Panamá? Could be in worse places for sure.

Craig and I are doing some dog sitting in Valle Escondido this week. It got us out of our routine for a bit. I forgot how much I missed having a dog, and Skylar, a golden retriever, has been a pleasure to watch.

I sure have been getting my exercise walking around this little slice of heaven, with its hilly terrain and beautiful vistas. It’s accessibility to town is also a bonus. The temperature is also a lot cooler than our place in Alto, which is great for sleeping with the windows open.

Internet

Another thing we’ve been working on was switching internet providers. Up until now, the only thing available to us was satellite internet with Cable Onda. If we’re lucky, we get 8 mb download and 1 mb upload at a cost of around $62/month. That is just internet, no TV. Over the past month or so, we’ve seen a new provider running lines in our neighborhood, Cable & Wireless Panamá. We went into the local office last week and signed up. We had a good experience at the Boquete office. The young lady who helped us spoke pretty good English, and along with our limited español, we were able to accomplish setting this up! The plan we signed up for is $58/month + tax for 150 mb download, basic TV cable service and phone. Big win!

Now we had to wait for a call for installation. That was interesting. We had an appointment on a Monday morning slot, we waited until 2 PM, and no one showed up. No phone call from them either. I called them using the English option (which is was impressed with), and was told someone would get back to us.

Long story short, with lots of phone calls later, and another appointment set for Thursday, we got a call on Wednesday saying they were at our house, really? Since we’re dog sitting, we had to rush over there to meet them. There was a little bit of a language barrier, but we understood their position that lots of the trees on our rental property needed to be topped in order to accommodate running the line to our house which is set back a way from the street. As well as a large tree of our adjacent neighbor had to be topped. Since this a rental, having to deal with these obstacles and additional expense wasn’t going to work for us. We just have to live with our 8 MB internet. It was a lot of time running in circles.

In my next post I hope to discuss the Corona Virus situation in Panamá.

Living in the tropics, I expected to see spiders, scorpions and snakes. However, when you see them wandering inside your home, it is a very uneasy feeling. We’ve heeded a lot of advice since landing here, in particular regarding pest control. I keep glue traps in stock and place them along the edges of walls in all of our rooms, especially near doorways and by our bed. I’ve scattered moth balls around the perimeter of the terrace where it meets the canyon, as well as outside our doors and windows. I spray lavender essential oil in and around our bedding every night. (Legend has it that scorpions do not like lavender)! And it also smells good.

We had an unexpected guest the other night. Craig is a light sleeper and was awoken to the sound of something moving on the floor. It was about 4 in the morning when Craig shot up out of bed, took out his phone flashlight, and shined it on the floor by his side of the bed. This hand-sized spider was half caught in a glue trap and was moving the trap while trying to get loose.

Being half in a daze and not knowing exactly what to do, we ascertained that he wasn’t going anywhere. He had stopped moving and looked stuck, or was he? We decided to go back to bed and deal with it in daylight. Neither of us could really sleep well after that, but a few hours later, he was still there stuck in the same location. If I had my had on straight I would have got a bowl to cover everything with and pushed it outside onto the terrace and out into the canyon, but that’s not what happened. Craig got out his tape measure to see if he could ascertain its size. Señor Spider did not like this one bit and suddenly became unglued from his frozen position and ran inside the trap, then out the other side. He was making a run for it! I was screaming, Craig was tap dancing. I got out the can of bug spray and squirted it. I didn’t want to chance it being some sort of tropical Panamanian death spider. We saved the evidence in a baggie to find out what kind of spider it was.

After that, we felt it necessary to have an exterminator come in. We were very uneasy about the situation. A friend gave us a referral for an exterminator and we made an appointment. We were assured that this was not a poisonous spider. The variety is called “Tegenaria Domestica”. They eat bugs. A very large female who was just trying to make a living in our bedroom. The exterminator sprayed non toxic solution throughout the inside of our home as well as the outside perimeter. This will become part of a regular routine.

Some important tips we received were not to have a lot of clutter around, and to maintain a clean home, which we do. Also trimming back any bushes and not having junk stacked against the house where these critters like to hide. One thing we need to consider is weather stripping around the doorway as you can see a little daylight peeking through. In Panamanian construction, we have seen very little weather stripping. In the newer North American style homes that are being built in the gated communities they are more prevalent.

Never a dull moment in paradise…

Every January, the Feria de Boquete takes over the streets of this small town. A park beside the river hosted the decorations of flowers of the annual La Feria de las Flores y del Café (Flower and Coffee Festival). The fairgrounds and the neighboring streets were filled with food stands and locals selling their wares and handicrafts. The event lasted 10 days and nights, and attracted a lot of visitors from all over the country!

We visited during the afternoon and was pretty tranquil while we were there. I enjoyed a cocktail in a hollowed-out pineapple. It was muy delicioso! On the weekends, tour buses brought busloads of people in from all over the country. Needless to say, it was not easy getting around town. If you are looking for a party atmosphere, you will find it after dark. The night is when it gets really lively and Latin music plays very loud and to all hours of the night.                   

Here is a video put out by the Ministry of Panamá Culture showcasing the festival. Enjoy!

Learning a second language is no small task at any age, let alone as a retiree. Once we decided the move to Panamá was imminent, I did an on-line search for lessons that would fit into our lifestyle.

Some years back we bought a Rocket Languages Spanish course. At that time, we thought it would be helpful for vacation travel. It was our first foray into learning another language. You were taught common useful phrases. I found it was good for our purposes at the time, but moving to Panamá necessitated another way of learning Spanish. Spanish has many different versions and dialects. We thought learning ideally from a Panamanian would be the best way. I also wanted to learn about verb conjugations. There are 18 Spanish verb tenses and moods, oh my!

I happened upon a blog from an expat living in Panama, Kris Cunningham. She has a great blog called “The Panamá Adventure“. She has lived in Panamá since 2012. I found a post on her blog about how she learned Spanish. Her teacher, Yaira, is now our teacher as well. We started classes with her on-line by video chat months before our move, and we continue to do so. She is a very patient and lovely woman who will go at your own pace based on your needs. We have grown to love her like family and highly recommend her.

We also supplement our Spanish lessons by doing Duolingo daily. Our Spanish is, and will continue to be, a work in progress. We feel we have come a long way and are proud of our accomplishments.

Often times we put our Spanish into practice on the streets of town, at the fruit and vegetable market, and running daily errands. I try to not let any embarrassment get the better of me. I find that our hosts in this beautiful country appreciate that you are trying. And a lot of the time, they are trying to learn English as well.

As we entered the new year, I pause to reflect on the extraordinary life changes we have been through in 2019.

Purging . . . Simplicity . . . Minimalism

In 2019, we sold our home, our cars, and most of our belongings. Years of accumulation collecting in every nook and cranny, gone in a matter of months. Most of our lives spent purchasing things that make us happy. We did not get rid of everything though. We are renting a tiny storage unit in the states to house our most precious things, and they are still there waiting on us.

I find that I am very content in this new lifestyle. I really don’t miss those things. They have been replaced with a new reality, new experiences, beautiful landscapes, and new friends.

I remember when I was going through my things this time last year. It was winter in Pennsylvania. What to keep, what to sell, what to throw out, what to give to the kids. Honestly I think we saved too much. When we finally have those possessions we chose to save, how relevant will they be to me at that point in time? Of course, among the saved items were pictures, family heirlooms, Craig’s tools. Those things mean a lot to us. They tug at the heartstrings.

Moving to Panamá has given me a new perspective on what is truly important. Then there is the family back home, especially our children and grandchildren. Being able to video chat with them has been a godsend. It allows us to still be a part of their lives. At times, not being physically able to see them does gnaw at me. I especially felt it at Christmas time. It has been a little over 8 months since becoming an expat beginning our new adventure in Panamá. After all, experiences are what you make of them!

May you all have a blessed and happy New Year.