Happy New Year!!

Surfing Paunch Beach Bocas Del Toro

Christmas in Bocas.

Great Sound track provided by Shorty & Slim

www.shorty&slim.com

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http://www.retirementwave.com/panamadifferent.htm

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We almost had to turn back to Bocas when we attempted to go over the mountains to return to Boquete after our Christmas Holiday.

My son was surfing Paunch Beach in Bocas Del Toro for his holiday from college in Orlando Florida so instead of him traveling to Boquete we thought a beach Christmas would be just right this non- traditional year.  Admittedly we needed a chance to “thaw out” from The Boquete climate that many of our Canadian friends seem to think is just wonderful. Unfortunately for our middle aged bones and bodies accustomed  to sunny and tropical Florida this “eternal spring” gets a little cold and damp for us. Yes we do love the rainbows but really how many do you want every day when you have to have the Barajeque (misting rain) to get the rainbows? Oh well, a butt for every seat as they say.

We drove to Almirante and took the Taxi 25 to Bocas, Isla Colon where our son and his friend met us in a 4 wheel drive ready to get some sun, salt air and sand.

We spent time at a lovely hotel called La Coralina right on the beach near Paunch and had great food, outstanding company and a memorable lobster dinner with outstanding side dishes. The owner Stacy works really hard to see that everyone is happy and comfortable.

La Coralina from the bottom of the driveway looking up.

We stayed in Bocas for 2 wonderful nights and then headed back over the Bay to pick up our truck in Almirante. We arrived in Almirante to a friendly face telling us that we had left our lights on and had a dead battery so immediately began to look for help and as is typical in Panama (even in Almirante) we quickly found some. While this transpired we were told that the road was closed over the mountains and I was thankful for earlier lessons learned in Panama. We are always ready with some drinks, extra clothes and the attitude necessary to sleep in the truck if the need arises.

Once we arrived in Punta Pena we stopped to visit with a friend for an hour or so and found out that the road over the mountains had just opened and would not stay open for long since it would soon be dark. So off we went to get on our way to Boquete.

The road has gotten much worse since the previous landslides. Willie Mazu which was a lovely little eco birding park in the National Forest on the Bocas side has been turned into a lake, cabins are under water and the “moving lake” continues to wash over the road creating havoc.

Here is what we found along the way….

Our first indication of the traffic jam

Approaching Willie Mazu on the Bocas side above Mali.

I have never seen so much mud!

This pipe is taking some of the water but with no where to drain really.

Off to the right is where Willie Mazu used to be; the road washed away on both sides.

And it is as nerve wracking as it looks, really a white knuckles ride!

Everybody is either working or waiting.

This was the next big problem area.

What is left of the road is the little part to the left of the yellow tape.

There is a lovely but very busy waterfall right there just around the bend.

I am not sure why the front end loader is working on the waterfall but I am sure there is logic to it somewhere that I am missing.

This washout opposite the waterfall.

Yikes! Looking back is no less scary!

From here we had relatively smooth sailing and luckily there was no rain or fog.

If you are going to the Bocas Del Toro mainland side just be very careful and plan for delays. You will want to plan your crossing for daylight and have water and snacks just in case. More rain will mean more damage and slow the work down so if we have more rain on that side it would be good to check to see if the road is still open. Once again these guys working on this road mess are amazing in a crisis and working so hard to make the road right again. I can’t help but think though that It would just be grand if PTP (the oil company that is responsible for the road maintenance) would grasp the concept of “maintenance” rather than emergency management!

Too much to hope for???  Oh well, Happy Holidays and safe travels!

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Here is a link to Panama Guide and a great article that addresses  concerns about the real estate market here. Don Winner’s analysis of the economy in Panama I believe is right on.

Here’s what Forbes has to say about doing business in Panama. And More encouragement from Forbes.

Here at a great price is our property for sale in Rambala.

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Embedded Video

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Happy Holidays Everyone!

Here is one of my favorite Christmas songs from LeAnn Rimes.

Take a moment to enjoy and sing along!
Hope that during these difficult times you are all happy, healthy and looking forward to a great new year with the ones you love!

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The past few days have been mostly sunny especially in the mornings and the crews are working diligently to get all the roads open and people moving freely throughout the countryside. Click here to visit some of the latest reports on that progress in the Panama Guide. The Panamanians are strong and wonderful in crisis. They always seem to have such an “in the the moment perspective” that will sometimes drive you crazy and at other times you realize how beneficial and positive their attitude is.

My good friend in Punta Pena Bocas del Toro mainland lost part of his house and 3 cabanas that were right on the river. He was building these to have for rentals. When I asked him how everything was on his side of the mountain he said something like this. The cabanas are gone, the back of the house is partly gone but my family is fine, we have enough food for 15 days and the electric is on, cell phone is working and the new view of the river out of the back of the house is amazing! Panamanians typically find the rainbows or as they say in Panama “Arc de Iris” in every day regardless of what curve balls life throws them.

Here in Boquete as the community pulls together to provide relief for the people affected, it is otherwise business as usual. We attended a wonderful benefit concert for a children’s music camp – Hogar Trisker & Casa Esperanza- last Saturday at Finca Azul in Dolega with 9 local bands; some foreign (music typical of the US) and some Panamanian bands. All who played especially the children were really talented and everyone enjoyed them.

This weekend will focus on the annual local play at the fairgrounds. A musical called Reflections Musical Memoirs of the 50’s and 60’s told by the people who lived them. I’m just glad to hear someone actually remembers the details!

The fairgrounds are right on the river and in protest to the river’s contrariness of late the residents have pulled it together, cleaned and organized, practiced and practiced and the show will go on! Right now they only have tickets available for Thursday as Friday and Saturday are sold out.

Yes it is the holiday season in Boquete with the normal charity fund raising garage sales, mother’s day brunches and the usual attending hoopla. Please let everyone know that Boquete is open for business for this season and will experience a full recovery hopefully aided by a good tourist season.

Recent news from Bocas on the mainland is good too. Although things are not back to normal yet the roads are good enough that lives are beginning to get back to normal. The rivers are starting to subside in Rambala and Punta Pena and most utilities are working fine.

As news trickles in we will keep you informed; in the meantime come on down to Boquete Chiriqui, the weather is fine and the hotels and restaurants will welcome you.

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