Travel To Panama

Here is a slideshow of our New Eco project

Linda — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:55:30 +0000

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.

Technorati Tags: caribbean views, eco park, eco park and resort, eco resort, land for sale bocas del toro, real estate in panama, reawl estate for sale panama

Great news from Bocas

Linda — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:53:20 +0000

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

Be Careful When you travel to Panama – Know the rules of the road

Linda — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:41:18 +0000

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

Technorati Tags: Travel Safety, travel to panama

Please not another Bubble to Burst! Retirement Bubble from Bob Adams for Barrons

Linda — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:26:27 +0000

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

Technorati Tags: retire in panama, travel to panama

Ultimate in recyling

Linda — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:03:19 +0000

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!

Technorati Tags: environmental travel, panama travel

President Martinelli – will he make good on promises?

Linda — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:47:04 +0000

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

Trip to Playa Blanca and Pedasi

Linda — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:48:32 +0000

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

Travel to Boquete & Enjoy The Shopping Experience

Linda — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:29:41 +0000

There are many things I really love about Boquete. Today I took dozens of wonderful bird photos with out leaving the backyard. Then it was time to run into town to pick up a few grocery items. Back in Florida if I had to make so many stops I would have been complaining. Here I look forward to the multiple stop shopping. The list was made and Eric driving so we don’t have to park at every stop, we set out for “downtown” Boquete.

First Stop the Global Bank. Here there is no mail service so bills are delivered to your gate and you have to take them downtown to stop in the bank or a store to pay. There is almost never a line for this task just a smiling face / guard at the door and more of the same inside. Eric had to go to a different bank across the street to cash a check and then we met back at the van for the next stop; the phone company. Yep, I was losing sleep over that $4.70 phone bill so had to get it paid! I gave the clerk $20.70 and he had to use the calculater to figure out the change. Think of that next time you wonder about the educational system in the states.

Then off to the fabric store where they have the least expensive honey in town (don’t ask why I have no idea) – a large jar for $5.25.

The next stop is one of our favorites – the indoor farmers’ market. Lot’s of stops and greetings in here as we are regulars and most of the time we now pay “local” prices for our veggies. Tourists and visitors usually pay a bit more – it is just the way it’s done. Here we visited 4 booths and talked with the owners of each (in Spanish) No one speaks English in there. We spent less than $15 and came home with a cucumber, 20 bananas, a pineapple, 3 avacados, 3 mangos, celery, 4 large potatoes, 3 onions, 2 tomatoes, a huge zucchini and 2 large peppers. Fresh from the farm, yummy! Oops, I forgot – also a bag of fresh pinto beans.

Next to walk across the street to the Romero Grocery Store for raw sugar, great homegrown coffee and a few miscellaneous items. Normally the next purchase is from the fish mongers selling from the trucks outside the farmers’ market (big negotiations there will usually net you tuna for $3.50 a lb or fresh red snapper for $2.50) but today I have fresh trout on my mind and have just found out where to go to buy it!

Stop number 6 is the chicken store for fresh pork, eggs and chicken. Broke the bank and spent $12 there and left with 3 thick pork chops, 4 chicken breasts, 2 huge pork steaks (to feed 4 people) and a dozen farm fresh brown eggs (they are all brown here and they don’t cost more).

Last but not least is the trout processing house on the edge of town. This farm provides trout for Publix in Florida and I think we get it just a bit fresher. it was practically swimming when we got it at $3.50 per lb.. Freshly filleted pan seared with butter and almonds for lunch was a great reward at the end of our errands.

We stopped at my CENTURY 21 Office on the way home to pick up a sign; chatted a little everywhere we went and arrived home in less than 1 1/2 hours. Unbelievable! You just have to love a small town with perfect weather, no AC needed, just fresh mountain air and friendly people. not to mention great freah food!

Technorati Tags: travel boquete, travel to panama

International Penis Day Celebration

Linda — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:35:59 +0000

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

Technorati Tags: travel boquete, travel Panama, travel to panama

Great Deal on House in Florida 15 minutes to Gulf Beaches

Linda — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:00:07 +0000

Cheap house in Florida on 1 1/4 acres!

Interested – just let me know!

Technorati Tags: Add new tag, real estate Florida