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!

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

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

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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Cheap house in Florida on 1 1/4 acres!

Interested – just let me know!

Technorati Tags: Add new tag, real estate Florida

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.

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

It IS Time to think about our planet!!

Goodbye General Motors

I am a fan of Michael Moore but even if you are not a fan he makes some really valid points in this letter and has some great suggestions for what we, the country, can do to turn GM’s failure into a positive for the future.

Technorati Tags: US Economy

This is clean and too much fun! When sheep herders get bored!

Trust me on this one!

Click & Enjoy

Technorati Tags: extreme sports

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

Technorati Tags: spanish, 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