One ”must not miss” place to visit in Boquete is the Paradise Gardens.

The owners started out with importing their own exotic birds from England and as events will unfold in Panama they ended up with people bringing animals one by one that needed to be rescued and the animal retreat grew. Donations keep this place going and has turned this house and grounds into a busy liltle park/nursery. Below are a few photos of our visit and you will find more photos and the rescue stories iby visiting their website.  One really important “take away” from the Gardens is a good understanding of what not to do with the exotic animals here. When you travel to Panama you will sometimes see the locals along the road selling exotic birds. They actually often stone these birds to get them down from the trees and then they glue their feet to perches to display them for sale. Now many of us would be thinking that if we buy and rescue one bird by the road and take it to a good home we have done a good deed and they are so very pretty. Unfortunately this is like buying cocaine from the dealer in the street to stop drug trafficking! It only means that the market for these birds increases and more birds will die. In order to get the one they are offering for sale they often had to kill a few in the process of liberating the babies from the tree by use of the stone or slingshot method. So Just say no! Do not think that you are liberating the animals; you are just encouraging the illegal and inhumane wild animal trafficking. Don’t be misled. Withour further adieu here are my photos from Paradise Gardens - keep up the great work Paul, Jenny and all your wonderful volunteers!

Here is my personal favorite! A baby 2 toed sloth. She is nocturnal so just barely tolerating us disturbing her in the daytime, sweet and cuddly!  Her fur feels like lambs wool and I just loved petting her. How could you not love a face like that? Never mind that in the wild she will be slow as molasses and covered with green mossy looking goo! Best to enjoy her now while she is still an adorable baby.

This macaw is part of the family and seens to be the official greeter when you enter the Gardens!

Fruit loops anyone?? These guys are so-o-o cool! Outstanding colors and I think the red on his tail is some kind of mating plumage but I don’t know for sure. Anyone have the answer?

No idea what kind of bug but he is interesting and colorful. 

Mountain black squirrel.

Kinkajou baby - also nocturnal and have a prehensile tail so swing through the canopy like monkeys but mostly at night! If you are as fascinated as I am

by these little guys visit National Geographic’s Mattias Klum wildlife photographer  on Panama’s kinkajou

We had the most amazing sunset this night. It was like “sunflares” bits of rainbows at the top of the clouds! 

Be sure to enjoy and support Paradise Gardens and the efforts of Jenny & Paul by visiting next time you travel to Boquete, Panama.

Next up will be some of the wildlife from our property in Punta Pena and a little update on the building of our eco adventure park. Hope we can be as good stewards of our land and animals as Paul and Jenny have been with their little piece of Paradise. Be Careful when you travel western Panama as you will find we are a big bunch of “nature freaks”  here. I have even been spotted cleaning up litter by the roadside when our vehicle broke down. I had garbage bags, a bottle of wime and time to kill, why not? You should have seen the reaction of the kids at the bus stop; do hope they took a lesson.

Technorati Tags: boquete panama, travel to panama, wildlife of panama

Carl Hansen with the Smithsonian Institute (click for more) shares his photos of the jungle canopy taken from a giant construction crane. Good idea for getting up close and personal with the birds. They are so difficult to photograph since they live way up in upper story of the canopy. I never expected to become a bird watcher since I like things like kayaking, white water rafting and snorkeling, you know; low to the ground and water filled type activities.

Living in panama with so many wonderful birds has changed me for sure. I have never seen so many amazing colors in nature like I have seen with the birds of Panama. When you travel to Panama you could decide to be a bird watcher to. Below are some of my new favorites. It is very Zen like to watch the birds and patiently try not to stir so you don’t scare them off. Relaxing and exciting at the same time. Right now many species are migrating so we get new ones all the time.

Here is our favorite hummingbird who lives in the yard and hangs out on the open porch.

His name is “socks and he let’s us get within 4 feet of him and talks back when spoken to.

This is an immature male red legged honey creeper; slightly larger than a hummingbird and smaller than a sparrow.

He loves bananas. When mature he is irridescent blue and outstandingly beautiful.

Always bright and lovely this is one of the many colored tanagers from the back yard

who come to eat at the feeder every morning.

This balsam tree is a favorite of many different kinds of birds.

But this particular “star throated” hummer likes the banana blossoms best.

Our Banana tree in bloom - invitation to the birds.

I never knew that Meadowlarks like to “graze” their way across lawns and fields.

They cruise along collecting bugs and are not shy at all.

Colorful tanagers - they stay in pairs most of the time. 

Here is one more of our star hummer- the “snowy breasted!”

This is a rufous tailed hummer. They think big and are very aggressive but are very small, about 4 inches and very fast traveling up to 35 MPH as they chase their adversaries. It is sometimes like a landing strip in the yard and they often zoom very close to our heads as they defend their turf.

The blue tanager!

I hope you enjoyed this little bird preview. In my next post I will be featuring an animal rescue center located here in Boquete called Paradise Gardens. I fell completely in love there with a baby 2 toed sloth.

Technorati Tags: birding in Panama, travel to panama, wildlife of panama

We were from Florida before we moved to Panama. In Pasco County, Florida this year the naturists (or nudists - it seems they have changed their name for a better image) got politically organized and spoke their piece on this Election 2008. And here is what they wanted! The right to vote in the buff! You have to admit this really is a great way to market their nudist camp and get a lot of attention for free. Read the article in The Tampa Bay Online. The reader comments make it worth the read.

Keel Billed Toucann

One of the most amusing things about the government here in Panama is they love to make laws quickly and regularly. It is sort of like market testing - they write a new law, throw it out there in public and see how the public responds. Now this is the best part- the foreigners - us- always panic and go around for days or weeks calling attorneys and reading every English news we can get our hands on to try to find out what really is the new rule. Then just about the time we think we have a handle on what it is, who might be affected and who might possible be enforcing; they decide it was a bad idea and just take the law off the books.

So good news! According to everything I have read this past week the Panamanian government has decided against implementing the yellow fever shot requirements. Now please stay tuned because you just never know what is next but for now the only people affected were the poor unfortunates who were recently preparing to travel soon and just figured they should get the shot, no problem. I prefer to skip the shot unless there is a real risk since too many people get sick from shots.

It’s amazing how quickly laws will change here (sort of) but how slowly the government really moves to serve the public. Just something to get used to and at least they don’t smother the TV with election news even though we are in the midst of presidential campaign here also. There are so many people running I cannot keep the ballot straight but a friend’s uncle is running for president and our dentist is running for a post similar to mayor so we are just hoping to know some good people who have influence; after all it can’t hurt! Important to remember though that the country is the size of South Carolina just to keep perspective.

In the meantime we just read, laugh and wait until the dust settles before we get too concerned about any new rules. And since I have discovered how to get Saturday Night Live on my computer there is plenty of political and election excitement right here at home in Boquete.

Important safety tip when you travel to Panama; NEVER EVER sweat the small stuff; not here; it just isn’t a part of the culture and you will feel strange and get strange looks if you do .

Technorati Tags: Travel Safety, yellow fever shots

I have had a lot of questions lately on the yellow fever vaccinations so here’s the scoop. You do not need a yellow fever vacinnation if you are traveling between the US and Canada. However if you plan to Travel to Panama via Chile or Ecuador for example then you will need to have taken the shot a minimum of 10 days prior to arrival in Panama.

See this article in Panama Guide for clarification and a map of some of the countries in question. Also to keep updated click on this link to the World Health Orginization for more than you ever wanted to know about Yellow Fever!

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Maybe it is because the Chiriqui Province supplies 50% of all the fruits and vegetables for all of Panama. Or maybe it is because the Chiricanos are known for their beautiful horses and good horsemanship. Just Possibly it’s a result of the large and successful coffee plantations strewn throughout the countryside. The natives of this wonderful province that boasts beautiful black volcanic soil think there is no better place in the world.

Apparently there are many of us Norte Americanos and a lot of Europeans who agree. The most famous and 3rd largest city in the Province is David. Pronounced with the accent on the 2nd syllable. David is in the lowlands and is hot and steamy. A realtively pleasant city especially if you walk and do not drive through all the narrow unplanned streets. David is so typically Panamanian in that there was no plan to it - it just sprouted up.

As a rule Panamanians don’t do a lot of pre planning. I haven’t discovered why unless it is how much in the moment they live. But it’s mostly true that even if there is a plan it is always subject to change at the drop of a hat; Panama hat that is. But that is another topic to address later. We once had a whole family coming for dinner and they just decided not to come; didn’t have phone teception at their house, did not drive down the road to phone; just didn’t come. It is accepted and that is how it sometimes happens in Panama.

Admittedly the joy of not planning is that a local will almost never get upset by a landslide or a road closure that totally changes their day. I do mean totally changes it; as in they are no longer able to reach their destination. Most Panamanians will just adjust their attitude to the situation and do something different. As someone who is used to the pressure cooker of the US business world - this was astounding to me! Of course like most Latin cultures being on time is not revered or expected. Even with the Chiricanos.

Back to our Chiriqui geography.

Going North from David about 40 minutes you will come tho the lovely mountain town of Boquete. Ah, cool fresh air, 70 degrees F everyday and misty mountains in the morning and again in the afternoon. This is a truly magical place. Here many expats heve convened to make a new life. Boquete was discovered primarily due to the marketing efforts of one man who built an outstanding, beautiful, amenity filled gated valley community called Valle Escondido.

Since we primarily wanted to be very close to beaches when we first visited Boquete we thought it was nice but not so special. we now know that it is a place that grows on you like the moss grows on the stone walls here. It boasts a small town atmosphere with everything you need so you almost never have to leave, surrounded by exquisite mountains, nice people and lots of other expats so you can get a chance to speak English and sing a few tunes.

More tomorrow on Chiriqui.

In the meantime for some great Chiriqui facts please go here to World Headquarters site:

Planning to Travel to Panama? Get great travel deals here.

Technorati Tags: Boquete, chiriqui, panama

My husband and I are seriously thinking of cashing in and heading down with our two sons. We think we want to be on the Pacific coast so we can surf and fish. We are going down in November to check things out. We are unsure where to start looking. Any advice out there?

Well I'm not an expat, but I'm in the relocation business here in Panama. I'm very glad you're considering relocating here, and trust me you won't be dissapointed. Panama has a lot to offer, but you do have to consider certain things before settling in.

You mentioned you have 2 boys. If they are still attending high school, I'm very sorry but moving to the beach is out of the question. The only English speaking high schools are in Panama City, unless you plan to do home schooling. Now if they're fluent in Spanish then that's another issue. You could get them into any school, however be advised that in Panama private schools are better than public schools, and if you don't live in a major town or city, you will only get public schools.

As for you guys surfing and fishing, well you'll get a lot of that. If you want to buy into some of the major developments that are going on right now, consider visiting the strip of beaches that start in Gorgona Beach and end up in Buenaventura beach. if you want to buy a piece of land and build your house by yourselves, or hire a contractor to do it for you, then please hire the services of a reputable attorney, a reputable real estate broker, or someone like me in the relocation business that won't scam you. There are a lot of issues to deal with if you want to buy land on your own, and you must have the right guiding hand to do so, or you might end up empty handed.

There are other interesting place where you can get some land, and for that I would recommend you talk with a real estate broker that can show you what's available.

If you need help contact me through yahoo! answers.

Do you remember the scout moto? - Be prepared!

Here is help to eliminate many of your packing hassles! I have one friend who almost never travels due to the horror of packing. Most of us aren’t that overwhelmed with the packing but it can be stressful. I found this article in Travel & Leisure with great tips on how to lower your pre- travel stress with simple packing preparations. When we would travel to panama I found it could be difficult to remember all we needed and fit it all in without costing a fortune for extra baggage. Then of course who wants to lug extra stuff around with you everywhere. That can be very restrictive when you are trying to see the scenery and enjoy the journey. It took a few trips and a 1 month trip to Panama helped me pare our luggage down to the necessities. Years of traveling for business had taught me that I wanted to keep my cosmetics and bath items in my carryon. We had it all in hand and arrived at the airport in Panama to fly back to the US and found out that the rules had just changed the day before our return flight. Of course we hadn’t heard a word about it. Probably the most important travel necessity is flexibility! Carry plenty of that with you and it will go a long way toward you having a great travel experience. Fortunately on that trip we were able to repack in the airport just prior to boarding the plane. Whew! Remember when you are ready to travel Panama see our great travel packages or email for personal help.

Technorati Tags: travel Panama, Travel Safety, travel to panama

We decided to travel to Volcan & Cerro Punto, Chiriqui at the base of Volcan Baru 2 days ago to look at an Eco Lodge to include in one of our soon to be released tours. It turned out to be an amazingly beautiful ride and the entire day was just as spectacular. I want to share some of my “windows to Panama” with these photos. This beautiful farmland is the “Bread Basket of Panama”. Remember if you are ready to travel to Panama we can help.

The colors of Panama are always spectacular!

Even when they are the shades of gray!

I am sort of fond of blue……

Some times you just have to get behind the 8 ball!

The results of their Labor is obvious

Lovely Cerro Punto Farm You can Click to enlarge and really enjoy the photo

They call it Mellow Yellow

Art created in Nature -Awesome & Edible

Back in Boquete at the Boquete Garden Inn

Technorati Tags: travel to panama, Volcan Baru, Volcan Chiriqui

What next? I guess you can’t be too careful where you sit on a plane anymore. This article just struck me as bizarre but maybe that’s just since I didn’t even have internet until my kid was in junior high school. Ladies and Gentleman - just say no! Certainly you can last a plane ride without your porn.

Check it out here:

Technorati Tags: travel Panama, travel to panama