Environmentalist Robert Redford calls for action. There is a bill pending in the Senate. US citizens Let your senators know how you feel.  Help prevent future oil disasters, create jobs for US citizens and a cleaner future for our children and grandchildren.

Check it out here

Lot’s of good things happening in Bocas thanks to the new adminstration. Finally getting one of the best surfing beaches back.

Bocas News

Technorati Tags: Bocas Del Toro, Surfing in Panama, Surfing Panama

Happy July!

On Wednesday Eric & I set out for a few days at the beach. First stop about 4 ½ hours away was Playa Blanca Our friend Wendy has a new villa there and we were taking a few pieces of furniture and tools for her new place in the van. She has rented another villa so we have a great place to stay, cooler packed and off we go. Our plan was to drop off the items, spend a little time at Playa Blanca and then go to explore an area we haven’t been in a while. Pedasi and Cambutal ( see the Panama Report)  both located on the beach at the bottom of the Los Santos Province and in some of the best surfing and fishing areas in Panama on the Pacific side. We have been anxious to see the progress there and since we would be somewhere in close proximity at Playa Blanca  we figured it was a good way to spend the weekend.

About 3 hours into the trip the chauffeur (Eric always does the driving so he won’t sleep) ran into a little problem and thus here is our Spanish word of the day!

Galote = turkey vulture - Here is what happened as I was perusing the map to identify some of the side roads and go down memory lane trying to recall events from when we traveled those side roads before – almost 3 years ago.

About 5 minutes following the accident  and while I was still on the phone with the insurance company we were stopped by the police who said we were speeding. Since there was no sign designating the speed limit and we were on the Pan American Highway I guess it was possible that we were, but highly unlikely since Eric was almost leaning out the window so he could see to drive. Unfortunately in all the hubbub Eric didn’t have any small bills so that stop cost us $20. It is typical to not take the ticket and just pay the cop. We did check on the way back and could not find any speed limit sign in the area nor we could we find the dead vulture – no doubt his friends and family “cleaned him up” so to speak.

Well – the good news is that our insurance company covers this damage with a $75 deductible. The roadside emergency service was great and very helpful, it was not a Panamanian holiday, and we are alive and well. On the down side we did have to continue to Playa Blanca with the windshield vibrating in the wind to drop off the things. There was only Panama City or David to go to get it repaired – one another 2 hours in the wrong direction and the other our “go  to” city.  We had a great dinner treat at Buenaventura Resort, slept over and turned right back around and headed to David in the morning to try to beat the rain so we would not have to use the wipers.  Every time Eric would turn the wipers on, little shards of glass would fall on the dash!

We never even saw the beach!

Eric always used to fish on his birthday which was yesterday and Vulture catching wasn’t quite what he was hoping for – we will have to make that up to him once the van is repaired. Now the challenge is to find a windshield for a 1998 Ford Van in Panama! Below is our culprit – or one like him!

Technorati Tags: pacific beaches, playa blanca, travel to panama

For all my surfing friends out there; here are some absolutely awesome photos from Surfline.com.

Thanks Daniel for passing this link along. Anyone who appreciates good photography will love these! A picture is worth a thousand words and now I understand “green room” as it applies to waves. If I was just a little younger…. Anyway what a great non violent high adrenaline extreme sport that always challenges your personal best!

Also here is a video I made of my son Daniel and his friends surfing in Bocas Del Toro.

Technorati Tags: surf central america, surf panama, surf south america

USA Today article about 5 top eco friendly beach destinations. Fortunately more and more each day travel experts are writing about the wonderful “green” travel destinations which are gaining a rise in popularity. This author picked on of our own Panama Beaches on Bastimentos in Bocas Del Toro.

Read the complete article here:

Technorati Tags: Bocas Del Toro, Caribbean Beaches, surf panama, travel to 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.

Thinking about going to Morro Negrito Surf Camp in Panama this May. Any opinions on the camp?
Thanks in advance.

I haven’t been to this camp before, but I spent ten weeks this summer surfing Panama and pretty much surfed everywhere else. For me, Morro Negrito was just too expensive, and not consistant enough to justify the price.

The more consistant spots on the Pacific side do tend to get a bit crowded– especially Santa Catalina. At the same time, I lived in Santa Catalina and surfed every day for four weeks and spent under $200.

Morro Negrito is sick, and there are a lot of good islands to surf around there. You can take a boat from Santa Catalina to access P-Land though, so if that is going off, you don’t have to be in Morro Negrito to score it (there won’t be any crowd out there).

I also recomend checking out the greater Cambutal area. There are a LOT of really good uncrowded consistant waves there. Check out Playa Guanico too, it’s near there.

If you have time and there is a Carribean swell make sure you get to Bocas del Toro too. And there are really good “secret spots” near Colon and out toward Isla Grande. Absolutely no one will be out there, but if you will have a car there, and somebody to paddle out with, I garuantee you will find sick reef– without a chance of seeing another surfer– over there. There’s not really anywhere to stay over there though.

Have a great trip Panama is really sick. Santa Catalina is a don’t-miss.

Technorati Tags: Surfing in Panama

Sustainable tourism has long been the benchmark in Costa Rica and Panama is finally starting to catch the “green” wave. To find the best beaches anywhere in the world you can always just follow the surfers – if you get them to take you. These healthy athletic thrill seekers know where to go and are always on the lookout for an undiscovered wave. When you“travel to Panama you will find a lot of great places to surf and recently in the news is Azucar Surf Camp in” Bocas Del Toro getting a great write up in Surfline for their totally green surf camp. Sustainable tourism is the very best way to save the Panama we love and still have a profitable business. Hats off to the owners for creating a totally “green” surf camp and I hope for your continued success! See the full article here: www.surfline.com/surf-news/environmental-news/a…

Great Waves and Pristine Caribbean Beaches

Azucar Surf camp is offering a great money saving promotion through November so check it out here: www.azucarsurf.com.

A Beautiful Day at Paunch Beach

Technorati Tags: Bocas Del Toro, Caribbean Beaches, Surfing Panama, Sustainable tourism