Panama Week 13

The 

On our Sunday evening walk, we met a lovely family from Panama City fixing up their beach house. She is a civil engineer and the family all speak very good English. The husband introduced himself by saying "I am Panama Fidel, not Cuba Fidel....I'm a good guy". Too funny!

After the walk we saw our friends from Quebec who surprised us with a picnic on the beach.

With a cooler full of cold beer, wine, rum, sprite, limes, potato chips, cheese and crackers, we sat and watched the tide come in, the sun go down and the cooler empty. We had a lot of laughs and hope to visit Quebec City next year to see our new friends, Aline and Michel.

On Friday Bill had his last appointment at the dentist office in Coronado. He was 4 hours in the chair, but his beautiful dentist was with him all along. They both were tired by the end of the session but happy with the results. Coronado Dental Clinic, Dr. Julia De Leon Cano.

Our last week was spent saying good-byes to all the amazing people we met during our 3 months. Plans to reconnect and hopes to cross paths with all sometime, somewhere.

There has been a change in the weather. Lots of clouds, colder ocean temperatures and what appears to be a great migration of birds....maybe cormorants on mass on their way to Lake Ontario. The advent of the rainy season in Panama is a cue for the birds to start moving.

It has been a fabulous visit to Panama and our experiences of the country, cultures and people are all special and memorable. Maybe, someday we will have the pleasure to return.

Panama Week 12

Another week of dentist appointments for Bill, first on Monday with a positive report and then on Saturday when it was confirmed by the specialist that his implants were secure, so impressions for caps were made and after 2 hours in the chair, the dentist advised we would be able to return to Canada as scheduled on March 31, all work successfully completed.  A 3 month procedure, finished in 2-1/2!  A big thank-you goes out to Dr. Enzo Cano, his beautiful wife Dr. Julia DeLeon Cano and their professional staff at Coronado Dental Clinic.

Me trying to get a "leg up" on Bill at the dentist office.

Following the dental news, we decided to splurge on a $5 taxi ride instead of the 2x$.75 bus back to the condo. The cab driver we hailed didn't speak English, but he indicated to us that glass block tiles were on one of the back seats, the trunk was loaded with boxes of glass tiles and so we didn't have a lot of room for our groceries. But, we and all the bags fit in ok with Bill riding in the front seat. The driver chatted away in Spanish with Bill understanding every tenth word and politely answering "si". It turned out that the cabbie was making a delivery in the gated area where we were staying and needed our help. He had a hand drawn map but had no idea where he was going. Only the main streets have signs here, the homes have no numbers. So with map in hand, and the only clue of the destination was "casa verde", we went on the search for a green house. We finally found it, the English speaking owner was delighted to have her delivery. Bill helped unload the taxi and after 45 minutes we arrived at the condo. Bill asked "cuanto cuesta?" and after all our help finding the house, helping him unload the boxes, knowing he had already been compensated for the delivery by the hardware store, and taking far too much time to bring us home, he requested the normal fee of $5.Lol Oh well, it was a fun experience and reminded us to always negotiate the price first.

Bill guarding the glass block tiles

All week we enjoyed joining friends for dinner, Wednesday at Picasso's for pizza, Thursday for "Happy Hour" at the Blue Water just a 5 minute walk down the beach, and Friday at Cholo's for the best Mexican food in the area.

Our local fruit vendor...lovingly known as Senior Fruto, has been teaching us of new fruits coming into season. So far we have tried Cherimoya or custard apple which looks like an artichoke and has a pineapple-banana taste. Mamet Sapote (mahMAY saPOtay) which has an outside appearance of a brown avocado with 2 shiny walnut coloured pits and tastes like sweet potato pie.

Cashew Apple shaped like a pear with the nut on the bottom which is poisonous if eaten raw, but we all know how good cashew nuts are roasted. The apple part can be eaten raw. They grow on the side of the road so we can pick them off the tree on our morning walk.

Pistachios are coming into season, but we haven't experimented with them yet.

A lot of the fruits grown here have thin skins and are not suitable for transport so it's fun to try them in Panama while we can. 

We are going into our last full week and already looking forward coming home to family and friends.

Panama Week 11

On Sunday, we enjoyed hosting a brunch in our condo to celebrate the pool of new found friends and to repay kindness bestowed on us during our stay at the secluded Coranado Country Club. In January, we had quickly transformed from "visiting snowbirds" to being part of a community of vacationers, semi-permanent and permanent residents who all shared a love for Panama. We traded our experiences of the area and of adventures and travels around the world, giving us new ideas for, or confirming our choice of, future destinations to explore. At our brunch we began saying "goodbye-bye" to friends who were returning home. Similar to Our group of four, many had opted for a 3 month condo rental to escape the northern winter. And from the news of southern Ontario's temps, it was a good choice for like minded a meak Canadians!

On Tuesday morning we caught a bus to Panama City for few days after first being picked up by a gentleman who insisted on stopping at a local bakery and buying us a treat! We had a choice of cranberry and oatmeal or a huge cookie so full of chocolate chips I thought I must be in heaven. 

After checking into the Toscana Inn Hotel, we taxied to the Miraflores locks on the Panama Canal to enjoy hearing the history of the original construction (in operation since 1914) and to learn of the ongoing construction of a wider and deeper lock to be completed in 2016. Our timing was such that we witnessed a container ship entering and exiting.  Notice the "mules" or locomotives on the railroad tracks pulling the vessel through the lock.

On Wednesday, a tour guide walked us through Casco Antiguo (aka Casco Viejo, aka old city). From several vantage points in this quarter you observe the tradition and transition of the original Spanish settlement founded in 1673. The modern Panama City now boasts a population of over 1.5 million people.

Spanish and French style balconies and narrow streets invoke a New Orleans French Quarter vibe.

In the entrance hall of the Canal Museum, an Italian sculpture "bathing between the seas". She is on the beach surrounded by sand, surf and shells. I thought she was a beautiful interpretation of the link between 2 oceans.

Bill and I hanging out with the rich crowd in a gated community west of Coronado.

Panama Week 10

Hello all: we are off to Panama City this morning and I will blog the events later. In the meantime, enjoy pics of butterflies seen on a trip to Butterfly Haven in El Valle.

The native word Panama has many meanings one of which is "abundance of butterflies".

Butterflies are pollinators, second to bees. The Postman does not taste very good and predators leave him alone.

A male and female Malachite playing tag?

Some species are camouflaged to appear larger, deterring predators. This wing looks like a snake.

This is an Owl Butterfly

I shot the pic while this guy was sun bathing on a screen

Eating lunch

The Blue Morph can have a wing span of 6" and is very rare. The irrodecent colour is awesome.

Panama 2015 Week 9

Here we are, the beginning of March and already 2/3rds into our adventure.

After 2 nights in Boquete, we jumped into our trusty Kia and bumped and jostled for 3-1/2 hours over the continental divide to the Bocas del Toro Archipelago.

When we arrived at the water taxis in Almirante, we were all excited to find the banos!

The men step through the door, careful not to fall into the river through the hole in the floor. As the water taxi races down the channel and the water spray hits you in the face, you have to remind yourself of delution in parts per million.

Our accomodations were on the island of Bocas. The hosts at Lulas B&B are 2 ex firemen from Atlanta, escaping the crowds and city life. Josh said "the only traffic here in Bocas is the weed and cocaine". Town is full of hostels dedicated to young surfers on a budget. We walked along the beach and came upon a great spot to drink a cold beer and watch the surfers.

A water taxi took us to the Blue Coconut on the remote island of Solarte for lunch where we all went snorkelling in crystal clear, turquoise  water with starfish and bright coloured fish swimming close to the coral reef. 

It was the perfect afternoon with a climatic sighting of a dolphin as we raced across the open water. Our driver slowed the boat and gave a dolphin call to attract his attention.

In Boquete, an indigenous lady, her arms and legs adorned with beautiful beadwork,works on a Malo, patterned art which is stitched and cutout to expose the different colours of each layer of cloth.

After leaving Bocas we decided to return to Boquete for a couple of nights. On the road back in the midst of rugged countryside, we were surprised by a checkpoint where we all had to produce  our passports. As we were unable to communicate, the officer seemed more interested in reading the stamps of where we had been in our lives rather than where we were from. 

On returning to Isla Verde Hotel, Beth and Nigel stayed in this cute little Adobe, surrounded in beautiful lush gardens. 

Bill relaxing after the long drive in front of our own tranquil abode.

While there we witnessed the migration of thousands of Green Page Moth that could be flying from as far a distance as Guatemala to Columbia. Beth was able to lift one up for a closer look at its iridescent green and black wings. The larvae feed on a plant that is poisonous and therefore they are protected from predators. The poison becomes more toxic in time and can kill the moth. The adults then migrate to find plants not previously eaten by the Green Moth on which to lay their eggs. In March, they migrate back to where they came from, Costa Rica, some lovely mountainous lush Central American area....anywhere a Canadian might choose to be in winter! This migration occurs every 4 to 8 years so we were fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.

A shy girl from Ngabe-Bugle Indian tribe is selling Bill beaded bracelets made by her mother and sisters. The women wear brightly coloured flowing dresses with embroidered necklines and waistbands. The men are dressed in straw hats, bell bottom pants and rubber boots.

Panama 2015 Week 8

You are all probably asking "Garbanzo! Where have you bean?"

Well Chicas, chicos and chickpeas, I apologize and thankyou if you have checked everyday for the update. 

Week 8 started off uneventful as we were staying close to the condo due to high traffic on the roads during the 4 days of Carnival. We had already stocked up on groceries and wine to keep us going until Thursday, when we jumped into our rusty-orange coloured Kia Sole and hit the PanAmerican highway and headed west.

The PA hwy has been under major construction for years, widening 2 lane sections to 4 lanes and when completed this will be a lovely drive to link Panama cities. In the meantime, we faced bumpy, potholed sections and lane restrictions that slowed our progress but (except for Bill, who had to keep a steady eye on the road) the mountain views and lush green vegetation was almost worth each and every bounce and jolt.

Cold drinks being delivered to road crew.

7-1/2 hours later we reached our destination - the bio-diverse region of Boquete (bouquet-ay), flower capital of Panama and largest expat community of Panama. A travellers paradise 4000ft above sea level, surrounded by views of rain forests, volcanic peaks, parks, and coffee plantations. 

Gardens of orchids and magnificent colours of bougainvillea were everywhere.

In the evenings, a mountain mist called "bajareque" (baw-haw-RAY-kay) decended on us and we were rewarded with full spectrum rainbows and clean fresh air. 

On Saturday, we were on the road again, only this time to the surfing town of Bocas Del Toro (mouths of the bull).

After a brief stop for directions at the local police station in the town of David (Dah-veed) we resumed our trip. For anyone not familiar with travelling on Panamanian roads, street names, major intersections and most roads are missing from the map. There are very few, if any, road signs to assist with directions or names of towns. In fact we saw our first traffic light when we were lost in downtown David. Our GPS was a great help although we lost satellite reception on numerous occasions.

Narrative of Bocas and our return to Boquete to follow in week 9 blog.

Panama 2015 Week 7

Yesterday was Valentines Day and we celebrated with sparkling wine and chocolate cake. Romance in the air and stars in the sky. Bill quoted - "Last night I looked up into the stars and matched each one with a reason why I love you. I was doing great until I ran out of stars"🌟 Ahhh!

Speaking of the night sky, we met some star gazers who advised us how lucky we are to be so close to the equator at this time of year. Above is an image of the sky visible to us this morning at 1am. You could actually see Polaris (ursa minor) and of course the Big Dipper - Ursa Major, and pointing to the South Pole is the Crux or Southern Cross and to the west we recognized Orion's Belt. I'm not sure how much longer these constellations will both be visible simultaneously, but it's an amazing sight. Note, all you would be sailors, these aforementioned stars will help quide your course should your compass go missing.

"Carnival" began on Friday in Panama and will last until Tuesday. Carnival celebrations in Panama City are second only to those in  Rio and the partying similar to Mardi Gras. On Friday night a Queen is crowned, Saturday morning the water hoses come out and people got soaked from fire trucks or garden hoses. (Copy of pic from newspaper). We managed to avoid these festivities and cooled off in the pool instead. It was suggested that we do any shopping in town before Friday to avoid long lineups and heavy traffic.

Walked the beach to the local village of Gorgona, where we found an excellent beanery. True "home cooking" with owners living in the back.

The Doors were singing  -"Show me the way to the next whisky bar, Oh don't ask why!" 😊

One of the few restaurants we can walk to from the beach.

Shave and a haircut...2 pesos! Carnival festivities are about to begin, as the guy with the clip board makes his final rounds.t

 Path access to Serena Beach, just west of Coronodo Beach.

Party time on the roof of a neighbouring condo. 

The sunset was unbelievable, shadows and clouds making a criss-cross pattern.

Panama 2015 Week 6

Hi - what a memorable Super Bowl, even for non-devoted fans like us the game was terrific even down to the last few minutes. We enjoyed ourselves poolside with plenty of good food and snacks and lots of comradory.

On Tuesday we rented a car for the day, Bill skillfully transporting us up the mountain 750 meters which offered us some amazing views of the area. 

We then ventured out onto the main (and only) highway, heading west along the coast. The Pan-American is a 4 lane divided highway, no stop signs or traffic lights, almost non-existing on/off ramps and u-turns are illegal. So we did the safest thing, drove as far as we wanted go, took 1 dangerous left hand turn in front of oncoming traffic 🙀 and then on the way home, we stayed in the right lane and made several right hand turns to investigate other beaches and developments. 

The PanAmerican is 48,000km, worlds largest motorable road, connecting all the Americas.

We stopped for lunch at Playa Blanca at a famous Canadian beach bar called "Woody's", which was recently purchased by 2 couples from Pickering. They even serve "poutine"! 

After our adventure Bill and I cooled off at the pool watching the gardener on a ladder lop coconuts from the palms with a machete. The danger being that with these strong wind gusts (they were reported to have been clocked at 164 km/hr) if a loose nut fell from the tree and landed on your head.....well, you can imagine! Ouch! The gardener took 2 coconuts and chopped off the top so we could drink the fresh water right from the coconut. A little warm, but refreshing and full of electrolytes! How good is that?!

It is the season for watermelons, cantaloupe, oranges, papaya and the sweetest pineapple. We enjoy purchasing these right off the truck or at a roadside stand. We can't wait until the mangoes and avocados are in season.

"Panama" literally translates to "bounty of fish". In the town of Coronado, the local fishermen were selling Red Snapper and Spiny Lobsters (clawless). They scaled and cleaned the fish for you at the back of the truck, ready to be cooked for tonight's dinner.

A couple of the best fishermen, brown pelicans and a happy tourist.

Buenos noches, a view west from our balcony on the 16th floor