Hope you enjoy.  It will be a while and it will only be a farm for now but we will get there in time. This project is for sale – please contact us if interested.

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

Bocas News

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Here are important facts about traffic accidents in Panama. If you drive here as a guest or a resident this is MUST KNOW information.

Driving accidents in Panama

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I started reading Bob Adams here in Panama due to his Retirement Wave site which has great information on retiring in Panama. A financial planner/ retirement specialist Bob is well qualified to expound on the subject and has a direct and interesting perspective on the financial condition of the US, Panama and how this relates to us in our world.  In his latest publication in Barron’s he talks about our next bubble bursting experience. Click below and see his perspective on the “retirement bubble” and his direct approach to telling it the way he sees it! He gives good advice and even more reasons to travel to Panama for retirement and business.

I hope you enjoy his writing as much as I do and as always please let me know what you think.

http://theretirementbubble.com/barrons.htm

Bob’s Bubble Blog – a great read

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I love reading anything that shows people trying to make a difference for our planet. It is amazing how creative some folks can become when they are inspired by a cause. In this great article the “boat builders” have made their creation out of plastic bottles. Living in Panama I am reminded all the time of the need to recycle as any programs toward tht effort, even here in Boquete are dismal at best. Eric recycles bottles and makes hummingbirds out of recycled materials at our house so at least some effort is there. The recycling center in Boquete is always changing what materials they will take as there apparently is no market for much of it! Unbelievable in this day and age that there is such a lack of understanding of the importance of reusing our resources. Do we have to be sitting in the garbage heap before we will get it?

Anyway here are some folks who are trying to make a statement around the world. See what they came up with here:

Recycled Sailboat

As Usual please share you thoughts so I know you are out there!

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Here is a translation of Panama’s new president’s  inaugural speech. We all hope he can keep some if not all of his promises. He is a successful businessman with experience in efficiency and fiscal responsibility and sentiments are high that he can help Panama to benefit from his business acumen by leading the country in a new more responsible direction.  Some tougher economic times are predicted for Panama due to the global crisis but the country already enjoys fiscal stability and low unemployment so things can only improve from here. Most important for expats is open arms policies for foreign investors in Panama and a promise to clean up the bureaucratic bull crap!

Panama News Online

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!

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This hilarious post comes from a blog writen here in Boquete by Richard Detrich who can be really funny. This one caught my attention.

Click here and Enjoy

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It’s the most important concept for me; always was; always will be.

PEACE IN THE WORLD

This simple concept promoted with great music around the world just has to move you! please take time to listen! You will be happy you did.

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Spanish Word for Each Day

Many of my friends are aging like fine wine and me and the idea of learning a new language is a bit overwhelming. We started before we left the US and tried some night classes at the high school. Although they helped, not as much as I had hoped. I thought all those months of Spanish I took to graduate college might finally kick in and have some actual use at last.  Since it really didn’t magically happen like that; after all many years have passed since then (it just seems like yesterday) I take all the help I can get. Here is a great link to a site that will send you for free a word a day and they pronounce it for you to make it easier. Sign up for the feed and it will come to you automatically each day.

Remember you will need Spanish here and as I tell the polite clerks in the store who apologize for not speaking Spanish: No problemema . Es no importante  usted habla Englais, esta Panama, es mi problema por habla Espanol y estudio todo los dias por entender.  Gracias por ayuda.

Just goes to show that anyone can learn it just takes a little longer for me than it used to. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just understood. Almost every problem we have had since we moved to Panama could have been prevented with a better command of the language. Most of us exercise our bodies; think of this as exercise for the brain – it’s good for keeping us young and you will use it somewhere if not here.

For today’s extra word and just so I know you are out there please look up the meaning of apprender and drop me a line with it used in a sentence. Give it a try!

Hasta Luego

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