We are moving

Well, not exactly "we". Only the blog is moving. I like WordPress and it's too much work to double post everything to cover both sites, so I'm going to stick with WordPress. The link is http://thepanamaadventure.wordpress.com/   When you get there you will be able to follow it or sign up for notifications by email if you wish.

Thank you for your patience while I get myself together! The story has only just begun, so there will be lots more to talk about.

A Morning in Boquete, Panamá

http://thepanamaadventure.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/a-morning-in-boquete-panama/   This blog is in the process of being transitioned to WordPress, so the same posts are also being published there. Those pictures should open in full size if you want to take a closer look at anything. 

November 13th, 2012

Boquete is about 45 minutes up the road, up in the mountains. Many Americans and Canadians live there because of the cooler climate, and it is breathtakingly beautiful!

How many pictures can a person put in one blog post?! The header photo is my favorite one for today. We stopped at the Tuesday market and I took it from the parking lot.

Anyway, let me start from the beginning. Every Tuesday there is a market in Boquete. Last week our car blew a radiator hose and we didn’t make it, but now that we are mobile again we wanted to go. My Spanish school,  Habla Ya is also there. I was planning to have class in person instead of on the internet for the first time, but unfortunately my teacher was out sick. Wish her a speedy recovery and we’ll do that next time.

Heading out of town to Boquete

So, we head out of town. They are making the two lane road into four lane, and of course we confused ourselves and missed a detour but it wasn’t long as we were on our way.

On our way

What a beautiful country!

What do you mean I can’t put every photo I took today into my blog??

So, we keep driving, or rather he keeps driving and I keep looking at the beautiful scenery, camera in hand. I just love the mountains with the clouds hovering over the tops. It’s hard to get a good shot without all the utility wires, but one of these days I’ll have to go on a photo excursion where I get out of the car and walk a bit for better view points. But, even with wires you can see how beautiful it is.

The market was fun. There are many vendors with hand made art, crafts, food, jewelry, plants, coffee, soaps, clothing, a big variety of things. We were looking forward to seeing our friends Donna and Ray  who were there with their ceramic work (click on their names if you want to take a look). These are the good friends who put me up when I first got here, and Joel hadn’t seen them at all since he arrived.

I should have taken pictures of the market but I was too mesmerized by the view from the parking lot. Next time, market pictures, I promise.

After the market we drove around the town a bit. It’s a beautiful little town that reminds me a bit of some I’ve seen in northern California. Others call it the Switzerland of Central America. It’s also a big tourist destination so backpackers are common, like the two walking here.

This is one of the back roads in town. There are flowers everywhere and it’s really beautiful!

We stumbled across a cemetery on one of the back roads too. All the graves appear to be above ground, and it looks like each grave site has space for more than one person, maybe 2-6 people? Most of the boxes are covered with tile, and have colorful artificial flowers in front. We saw another similar cemetery in Dolega on the way back. One day i will have to come back with my camera for a closer look.

Another beautiful back road with many flowers

Some of the ride home was interesting. There is a section where it looks about finished and it will be two lanes each way, but they are still using only half the road for all the traffic, so one side is two lanes and the other is unused. Or it is supposed to be but there were a few people driving in both directions on that part of the road too. It looked like two, two lane roads side by side! Then there is the part with the utility poles that looks like a slalom course. Construction is always such fun but it’s going to be really good when it’s done.

Of course the ride home also had some great views.

Later in the day we started looking at motorcycles, and I sat on one for the first time! They are big and look a bit intimidating at first, but I can also imagine driving one through this beautiful country and how fun that will be. First, I have to learn to ride though. People have asked me – if you aren’t working, what are you going to DO down there??? Don’t worry, finding something to do has never been a problem!

Be careful what you wish for!

November 12th, 2012

(to see full size pictures, see the blog at http://thepanamaadventure.wordpress.com/2012/11/13/be-careful-what-you-wish-for/

I was saying something about adding more fun to our daily life of chores, errands, and necessary tasks. Today we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. It was really nice to see more of our area and we are glad to be in such a nice place.

A nice house in our neighborhood. what pretty flowers! the dog doesn’t seem the least bit concerned about a couple strangers walking around the neighborhood.

Walking down the street towards our house

Then, we figured that since our neighbors had told us there was a smooth path to the river at the other side of the woods, maybe we could find it. We walked all the way to the wall around some big mansion just beyond our neighborhood, and were about to give up when I spotted what looked like a path. We followed it for a while and sure enough, it started to head downhill towards what had to be the river.

Walking through the woods looking for the river

It was just starting to sprinkle, but what the heck. Getting a little wet wouldn’t hurt anything so we proceeded down the path which became increasing steep. We climbed over rocks and under fallen trees until after a little while, sure enough, the river!

We found the river!

Joel thought he had a good idea. Rather than clamber back up the rocky and difficult path, why not just follow the river around the bend until we get to the steps we had taken with our neighbors. It couldn’t be that far. Now it was really sprinkling but the area is gorgeous, breathtakingly beautiful!

What a beautiful place!

It’s really starting to rain but who cares when you are in such a beautiful place

So, we proceeded along the path by the river as the rain increased, and the path became more challenging. After a while we were climbing over more rocks and tree trunks, hoping not to fall into the water.

Check out this amazing, huge tree trunk!

At one point it looked like a good idea to head uphill to what looked like a field with forest on the other side, and we guessed our neighborhood had to be on the other side of the trees. But, the farther we went, the thicker the vegetation in the field until it was very difficult to make much progress. We decided the better thing to do would be to head back toward the river and continue with our original plan.

I had my cell phone in one pocket and the camera in the other, and by now I was really soaked. I was hoping I wasn’t going to ruin either one but there wasn’t any other reasonable place to carry them since I was equally wet under my clothes from sweating and the rain. But, every time I opened the camera it continued to work, and I couldn’t resist getting a shot here and there because rain and all, it was so beautiful.

It’s really raining now, but it’s so beautiful!

Eventually we did indeed make it to the stairs. Near the stairs were a couple equally drenched guys happily fishing in the river. From there it didn’t take long to make our way up to the street and back to our house. We must have been a sight for our neighbors! I am happy to report that both the cell phone and the camera survived the excursion, as did both of us. I wasn’t worried about us though. How bad can it be to be drenched in warm rain in 80+ degree weather in a beautiful place?

I am looking forward to going back there again. I want to see more, swim in the river, take more pictures and videos, and explore the place. One of the things I really want to do in Panama is explore interesting and beautiful places, and this one is literally in our own back yard! How cool is that?!

Organization, or lack of, and sounds in the night

November 12^h, 2012

I have also posted my blog at WorldPress, but I will continue to post at WorldPress and on blogger also for a while and see how it goes. I find WorldPress a bit easier and more flexible so I may end up staying there.

It's Monday, not that the day of the week makes a big difference these days (except for Spanish lessons that have resumed now). I thought we would stay home today for a change, but someone with a car that might interest us is coming to town so we can take a look at it. Every day seems to be something we need to do. I'm still not very organized either. Maybe if I could manage to have a shopping list in a certain place where I could find it, I wouldn't forget things and I could organize our days better.

I keep forgetting it's only been ten days since we all got here. It seems every day we have a list of things that spills into the next day or two because I wear out before we get to the end of the list. Can we get a butter dish so we don't have to use an eating dish for the butter? Dang, I forgot oregano again. We really need a medicine cabinet or shelves or something for our toiletries in the bathroom. Ma wants dresses, with sleeves. Where is a good place to buy clothes? Does anyone even have such dressed or do I need to buy a sewing machine? Where do they sell sewing machines? What do you mean we are out of onions? When do we get to chill out and do all the things we planned to do here?

I have been trying to slow down and put some fun things into our days now. Saturday we took a walk in the woods and explored the beautiful area across the street. Yesterday, I did a bunch of computer stuff that I'd wanted to do for a while. We are starting to get a system of chores in the house, sharing the cooking, washing up, etc. so no one has to do a large amount. I know we are making progress and this is a process that doesn't happen overnight.

Panamanian houses are built differently than houses in the US. Ours is cement walls covered with a tin roof. The rooms have thin, lightweight drop ceilings, and above the ceilings is mostly open space between the ceilings and the roof. Sound carries! It's almost like there are no walls. Ma doesn't have good hearing and she loves to watch TV, so now that we have figured out how to get some US English channels there has been a lot of TV in the house at a fairly high volume. I don't like TV. There are people hollering from that box in the living room and I have no interest in anything they have to say, especially since the easiest news channel for her to get is the F channel. Blech. I want to study and write and do my own thing and I can't concentrate, so I do much better on the back patio.

There are advantages to the back patio! I was out there last night listening to the sounds of the night. What is this? VIDEO LINK I am still amazed at the variety of birds around here. It seems I am always hearing something new and different. Our neighbors invited us over yesterday for a tour of their yard. They told me they have many many birds that visit when they cook outside because he usually tosses them any leftover rice or other treats. They also have humming birds and when the feeders are full, there are many of them in the yard. Now I need a humming bird feeder! I was really interested to see everything they are growing too. The little things I thought were red peppers grow on a small tree, and there is also another kind of bean/pea that also grows on small trees. There was a lot of more familiar things too, though I don't know all their names in Spanish – avacado, rambutan (same family as the lychee I had in Florida), papaya, pineapple, yucca (he says you need to cook it with pork), tomatoes, peppers, plantains, and probably many other things I've forgotten. He has the equivalent of an empty lot next to the house which he uses as his garden, and his property backs up to the woods across the street so it's a really beautiful place.

One of these days, we are going to get it together!

November 9^th, 2012 David, Chiriqui Provence, Republic of Panama. 

Yup, that's where I live. 

Tomorrow will be one month since I left Florida. Tonight will be one week since the whole family came home. In some ways it has gone so fast, and in others so much has happened its hard to believe it's all taken place in less than a month.

Maybe we are going to get things in order here. Maybe... someday. I can see that there is an end in sight, maybe not close, but certainly closer than it was. Today we bought shelving, the other big thing missing from the house. It gets old having everything in boxes the floors. We still need a table in the living room, more dishes, and other things but they are smaller and less urgent. I still want to finish cleaning and painting the house but we can live with it as is for a while.

Basic things are getting easier. I bought a second gas can for the house today, and found the shop in just a few minutes!! The first time I looked for three days without success and finally got a cab driver to take me there. It's close to KFC. No, it's not close to KFC. It's behind the FUR place (he meant the Ford dealer!) It's on the highway. It's not on the highway. It seems directions are a challenge for everyone here, and the locals don't have the same sense of explaining where things are that we do. The language barrier doesn't help either.

Today ma decided it would be fun to go out for lunch, so we headed for a restaurant we'd been to in the past and liked a lot (El Fagon). We had a general idea where it was but couldn't find it, so we stopped to ask a police man. He was wonderful! He got on the phone to check the location, and then told us in great detail three times. Then he asked for paper and drew us a map, explaining twice more exactly where we needed to go. This way... turn right, then 5 blocks turn left, car dealership on the corner, to the 4 lane road, etc etc. we head down the street ready to turn right, glanced to the left and THERE it was! We were just around the corner. Where would we have ended up if we followed his directions?

We did find the restaurant and we had a very nice lunch. I had something like lemonade but it was made with pineapple (the fresh fruit). wow! It was great. I will have to try and make some of that at home. I bought a juicer yesterday so I can do things like that. But, I digress... 

We also found the gas can place. Today we, also found shelves, a laundry basket and trash can, and more pineapples, papayas and other produce. Priorities, you know! If you have amazing fresh pineapples and papayas every day, you have to smile. 1 large papaya, 2 pineapples, 4 very large tomatoes, a cucumber, a dozen oranges, two grapefruit $8.25. Everything is grown nearby, picked ripe, sold fresh, and it tastes amazing. 

We also had another wonderful conversation with our neighbors. Maybe I have an idea now where to find a gardening store, and if not he offered to go with us. I also have a lead on where to buy ma some dresses that she would like for the warm climate here. Maybe tomorrow we will go scope that out.  

I think it's time I try to slow down and start doing some of the things I was looking forward to doing here. This afternoon we took a walk in the woods across the street from us. It is mostly huge tall pine trees and some of the biggest banana trees I've ever seen. Yes, that fuzzy little thing is Joel standing under the banana trees. 

 I also want to go back to the river again, and walk around the neighborhood more.

I'm still amazed by all the birds! I've seen these birds walking but they are so shy that by the time I get to the street they are in the woods. I got lucky yesterday though and caught a decent picture of one.

I also saw this bird on the utility wire. It was tiny. I thought it was a humming bird but I don't think they usually sit on wires.

Of course I'm still in love with clouds, and sometimes there are some awesome clouds around here! We are still in winter which is the rainy season. I understand that summer, the dry season should start in a month or so, and last maybe three months. It will be a bit warmer, but dryer and more windy so it's actually more comfortable. So far we have managed fine without AC, so it will be interesting to get the electric bill.

Speaking of bills, when we got home today, the water/sewer and trash bill was stuck in the gate. $24.12 for water (that is for THREE months), and $15.36 for bi-weekly trash pickup (also for three months). It's included in my rent so the landlords pay it on line.

I'm going to try to work a bit more on my blog, and maybe try some more videos. I've been starting to put my blog posts on WordPress also. I think that site will be a bit easier for me to use. So, little by little, things are getting done.

this is a test

I would like to include some information that is more static, things that might be useful to others, things I would have been happy to know when I arrived here. If I can get them to post on the info page, this will be great. But, for now, ignore all this because I am just fiddling around with things.

The household - the long process!

11/8/2012

Just an update, still trying to get settled, still feel like time is in short supply. Every day there is a list of things to do, and things don't happen quickly so by the time we get home and settled I'm out of steam and don't get much written here.

It looks like Ma may be staying here with us at our house. I think this is much better for everyone. She doesn't speak Spanish, and sometimes technology is difficult especially since her eyes aren't the best any more. What if she was alone and had a problem, and couldn't figure out her phone? Here, if she is alone its only a short time while we are doing shopping and errands. I wasn't looking forward to the prospect of setting up another household when we don't even have this one put together. How many waste baskets and frying pans and tables and chairs would that take?! You don't think about how much is in a house until you are faced with a totally empty house. How much would we worry and check on her, and split our time between two houses? We always have the option to change minds but realistically, I think this is the easiest and most sensible for everyone. So, we shall see how it goes.

Ma is very happy here in general. She loves the climate, the warm weather, the humidity high enough that your skin can't possibly dry out, the birds, the fresh fruit and produce at every meal, and the general feel of the country. She lived and worked in Guam for many years and loved it the best of anywhere she lived. She says this feels very much like Guam. It's hard to put your finger on exactly what it is, but I feel it too and know what she means. I think the main factor is the people. When you go in town you are not just a customer. You are a person and a friend. When you see your neighbors, you are not just a neighbor, you are like family. 

Spanish classes have started again for me this week, thank goodness. I am SO thankful for what I know, but I still struggle constantly to express myself and understand people. I admire anyone who is fluent in another language. It is so much to learn, and it's going take me years! But, little by little, I will keep at it and get better. Ma is studying now too. She has a book with print large enough to see, and she is practicing the phrases and knows some basic things. She thinks it is fun, but being the speech and English teacher she has a brain that works for this sort of thing. Me, not so much. I'm math/science oriented so language is a struggle.

Little by little the house is coming together too. We bought a sofa and recliner yesterday so the living room is starting to look like a living room. Unfortunately the chair isn't a good fit for ma though, so maybe tomorrow we can take her to the store to pick out something different. We still need storage though, and most things are still in boxes on the floors. I wish we could wave a magic wand! But, little by little we find our way around town, find more things we need, and get a few more things done.

Today, I hope to plant some plants I bought, and maybe start figuring out my website. I need an on line "home" for my writing, photography, pictures, and videos. I'd like to explore the woods around here a bit too.  And, of course Spanish homework continues and work on the house. Poco a poco! 

Settling in with The Family

November 6^th, 2012

I haven't written much since we arrived back in David. I think I needed some time to rest and regroup, process everything that has happened recently, and the errands and shopping also continue. Now I hardly know where to start. A lot has happened, there are a lot of thoughts going around in my head, and a lot of things I plan to do.

Ma and Joel love the house! They also love the neighborhood, the neighbors, everything about this place. I thought they would but I'm glad to know they do indeed. I'm glad I got Ma's room all ready so she can settle in, put her things away, and rest. That was quite a trip for anybody. Of course there are still a lot of things needed in the house, and we all have different priorities. Lately we have been getting fans, lights, and storage continues to be a concern. We need to get shelves and places to put things! And, we found a sofa we may end up buying so we will have a living room that can actually be used as a living room. We brought a TV down on the plane so right now there is an empty room with a TV on the floor and whatever plastic chairs we drag in from wherever else they were being used. You don't think about how many things are in a house until you have a house with nothing and have to start from scratch!

We have been talking with the neighbors more. Next door to us is Carlos. He works in Bocas during the week so he is only home on the weekends. He works in food – grows bananas and I think other food plants, and has a business selling his produce. His wife is a beautician. He, like all the neighbors, is warm, friendly, couldn't be more welcoming. He has also fixed me up with his yard workers who are out there right now doing an excellent job of cutting the grass and cleaning up the yard (with machete, weed wackers, and rakes)



I also talked with my neighbor across the street this morning. She is an English professor (surprised me that her English isn't much better than my Spanish) and her husband is a professor of agriculture. I had dashed out there, camera in hand to investigate those amazing sounds from the woods, and she confirmed that they are indeed birds.

Yesterday my other neighbor invited us to go to the river with her and her 4 yr old grandson. If I understood what she told me (which is a big IF in any conversation I have with anyone) an American lived here for 15 years and loved the river so much, he put in the steps to get down there. There are 200 steps, and they go to the most beautiful setting on the river than you can imagine! The water is cool, the woods are beautiful, and we loved seeing the place. I enjoyed spending time with my neighbor talking and getting to know each other a bit. Her grandson is darling too, and I was encouraged that I could understand almost everything he said too.



I could continue working on this post but then it might never get up so I'll stop here for now, and see if I can write a bit more later. As I said, there is lots and lots to talk about! Every day is something new, something interesting, new experiences, new people. What fun!

The Final Leg of the Journey!

Friday 11/2/2012

We are in Panama City!! So far, so good. We are making it. Tonight it is going to feel SO good to be back at our house. Right now we are chilling at the hotel. Everyone is tired and needs a break before we head out for our flight to David.

The rest of the trip went smoothly. Thanks goodness for strong guys with vans who are used to travelers with too much baggage. I usually travel light so I have no experience with this.

Immigration was easy. The guy was friendly and welcoming, and was happy we like his country enough to want to live here. There were luggage carts at baggage claim ($3) which were great. We couldn't have managed without one. Then it was the short line through customs where we had to put the luggage on the x-ray belt but the guy barely paid any attention to any of it.

As we left the airport we were immediately approached by the taxi coordinator who saw right off that we needed a van. Four strong guys loaded our luggage, and one rode along to help unload at the hotel. So what I feared the most, the airport to hotel trip, went off without a hitch! Whew! Thank you strong guys with a van.

We had breakfast at the hotel and spent the rest of the morning just relaxing. Ma has been doing fine but we are all tired, and figured we wouldn't plan anything except the necessary travel today.

Lunch was next door at a little fonda – chicken, rice, beans, plantains, very yummy. Two heaping plates and three drinks $8. The corner fruit stand behind it was selling containers of pineapple for $1 and of course I could not pass that up.

The hotel called us another van to go to the airport. $209 later all our luggage is checked and ready for the flight, and we are chilling in the waiting room until time to get on the plane.

It feels good to be back in the city. The air is warm and balmy, and activity is all around. There are flags everywhere, and red white and blue banners because of the independence day celebrations this weekend. They are going to celebrate their independence from Spain, and later from Columbia, and I think the third day is maybe flag day? I still need to learn a LOT more Spanish! Everyone here is so much more friendly though. No one passes you in the hotel with wishing you good day. Anyone who sees you need help hurries to do so. The hotel maid gave Ma a big hug and wished her a good trip. There just seems to be very much a community spirit here, a sense of togetherness even in this big city. It's really nice.

I expect the next update will be from David after we get settled a bit at home. I am very thankful for the many people who have helped us along the way in so many ways. We are almost there!

the End is In Sight! Leaving the US

Wednesday, 10/31

We are getting things wrapped up little by little and I'm crossing things off the list one by one. Our friends invited us to stay at their house last night and it felt really good to be with friends in a comfortable home. We had pizza and relaxed, and got to spend the night in a comfortable room. I also had internet access so I could do things like look up phone numbers, submit change of address, etc. We spent most of today switching utilities and wrapping up loose ends. It's so nice to be on friendly terms with the buyers because we have talked frequently to help each other transfer utilities and answer questions.

Tonight is dinner with friends, and probably a night in a hotel. I just can't get excited about sleeping on the floor, being old and spoiled and all that. One more day to liftoff!

Thursday 11/1

Today is THE DAY! I can't believe it. I think we are pretty much ready except for a few last minute phone calls and a bit of packing. I am trying to remain calm. I haven't been sleeping well. I seem to wake up very early with my brain in overdrive every morning, so I'm really tired. I was pretty exhausted even before I left for the US so by now I am really looking forward to getting back to the house! I need to rest and regroup for a while.

I am thankful for some very good friends, very very very thankful. My friend Karen invited us to stay at her house last night, so we didn't go to a hotel after all. It felt good to be with friends in a comfortable house, where she could keep patting me on the shoulder and reassuring me that the trip is going to go fine. My other friend Kat has been invaluable with helping ma clean out her apartment and tie up loose ends. Ma is all about helping people and being thrifty, and she just couldn't bring herself to pay someone to take all her stuff to the dump. She is so happy to know her things went to people who could use them. And, she got to keep a few essential things until the end. After we leave Kat is going to come get anything else that is usable and tie up loose ends. And, she is also buying Joel's car which is a huge help to us. We got to use it up to the end and leave it in ma's parking lot, so all we have to do is get a taxi to the airport. It's been such a huge help to have not only these wonderful friends, but many others who have helped us along the way. Friends have helped us get things done, shared experience and advice, and most important, been there for moral support and encouragement. Moving is stressful enough, and to be moving to another country with a 92 yr old mother, it's a bit crazy. Is it any wonder I'm feeling a bit stressed and exhausted?! But, most important of all, I have my best friend and partner with me again. The two of us are a force and can get most anything accomplished! We can do this. We are going to sleep in Panama City tonight, and tomorrow we are going to sleep in our own house in PANAMA!

Check in at the airport was a relief, and expensive one but it felt good to unload all that baggage. Three people, seven pieces of checked baggage, two of them overweight - $470 in excess baggage charges. We had enough time to relax for a bit, get something to eat, and just chill – literally. Do airports think everyone is wearing winter coats so they need to crank up the air conditioning? But, it felt good to have nothing to do for a change but wait for the flight, and then sit back and let someone else drive. I know we have the Panama City challenge with all the baggage, but that's for later.

(Joel and Ma waiting in the Miami airport for the flight to Panama City)

The Insanity of Moving and Selling the House

10/31/2012

Whew!!

Moving has insane moments. Ours definitely has not been an exception, but I think the worst may be over? One can always hope!

I arrived in Tampa on Monday late afternoon, stopped by Clearwater for a visit with ma and dinner out, and headed to Sarasota for our last night in the house. I knew there was still a lot to do but I was too exhausted to be of any help that night. I was almost too tired to appreciate being back together for the last night in our house, and I knew tomorrow was going to be crazy with a lot more to do before we were ready to turn over the house.   

Tuesday, 10/30 was closing day!

That was an insane day. There was still too much to clear out of the house. Thank goodness for our neighbor Mary who took a whole lot of stuff to her house, lots of kitchen things, everything from the fridge and who knows what all else. Our other friend Elka stopped by to say hi to Joel, thinking he was still home alone and would enjoy some company and maybe a hand with something. What a surprise to walk into chaos and a bunch of crazy people running around! She also helped enormously by taking a bunch of bigger items that she knew she could find homes for, lamps, end table, etc.

(Mary, one of our assistants and our former dog Pongo, who now lives with her)

We were so thankful that closing was postponed! They needed a couple extra hours to get all the paperwork in order, and this was exactly what we needed to get everything done. By the time closing was over all we needed to do was put our luggage in the car and leave. When I left the first time I didn't expect to see the house again so it was strange to be back. It was even more strange to see the house totally empty and be there for the moment we locked the doors behind us for the last time. What a good feeling though to have finally arrived at this point! We DID IT! We got everything finished in the house and got it sold, closed, done, finished. Wow.

I was also glad to be back here for closing because I was able to meet the buyers. They are really nice folks. We knew it would be someone unusual who would appreciate our unconventional house and yard, but the right people would come along and really love it. Sure enough, they did, and they do.

The Long Trip to the US

10/29/2012

Today is my second day of travel. I left David yesterday by air. I got nervous on Friday when there were demonstrations and road closures so I bought a plane ticket. It's expensive but at least I knew I would get to Panama City without incident, which I did.

It felt good to be in the city, especially since I didn't have to do the driving. Panama is going to celebrate their independence day next weekend and the whole city is getting ready. One street was almost closed because school kids were practicing that evening for the parade. Flags and decorations are starting to appear everywhere. It's the same in David. I've had to take detours a number of times because people were using the street for parade practice.

I stayed at the same hotel and the same nice desk clerk checked me in. I got to chat with him quite a bit this morning while waiting for my ride to the airport. He couldn't find an available taxi that early (5:30 AM) so he called a friend to give me a ride. While I was waiting he made me a cup of tea. I practiced my Spanish and he practiced his English, which is better ever time I see him. Hopefully it is the same for my Spanish. Again though, everywhere I go in this country people are so nice, the desk clerk, the security guard, the friend who took me to the airport, seems like everyone I meet.

At the airport though I was almost embarrassed to be American. There was a gal at the check in counter having trouble with her reservation and she was whining and complaining loudly, and giving the guy at the desk a terrible time. We all know it's frustrating when travel plans get messed up but giving the desk guy a mountain of grief doesn't help. He was doing his best to solve the problem (in perfect English too). Then, in the security line, there were a couple young guys with backpacks. One in particular who was complaining (with colorful language) about the gal at the check in counter, waiting in line, the security requirements, pretty much everything that was happening. He said the few words he knew in Spanish sarcastically with terrible pronunciation, and seemed to expect everyone working there to understand English. Again, how embarrassing.

The flight was uneventful except I was disappointed that I did not get a window seat, and the people by the windows kept their shades down. I so love to look out when flying, but maybe I'll have better luck on the return trip. Customs at MIA is a process. I think it took an hour to do the 5 mile walk, the lines, collect luggage, the next lines, recheck luggage, and another hike to my gate. I was surprised at all the questions at both checkpoints – What were you doing there? How long were you there? Where did you stay? Where did you go? Who were you with? Goodness. I realized as I was heading toward my gate, I was a floor below where we'd done the initial walk in the other direction. This has to be hard on people who don't like to walk a lot.

But, I made it through the whole process with enough time for lunch before boarding the short flight to Tampa, and the much awaited reunion with my partner! I expect the next few days are going to be pretty crazy with getting out of the house and the final stages of moving everything, but I'll get back to writing more sooner or later.

Catching up again - machetes, hurricaines, travel, and skype

Sunday 10/28/2012

Yes, you can cut the lawn with a machete

This seems to go on a lot around here, lawn care by machete. Lawn care by machete and weed wacker is also common. I met a guy working in our neighborhood the other day. He has a bicycle with a trailer, and in the trailer are a couple weed wackers and machetes. Some homeowners with more upscale homes seem to have lawn mowers but among the average locals, no.

I have boots and a machete, so why not give it a try? It is surprisingly effective! I have more weeds than grass in my back yard and they are starting to get out of hand. A few swipes of the machete and the weeds are considerably shorter! I really don't want to buy a lawn mower after all the years without one, so I think I have a solution. Until I get the place replanted in mani (aka perennial peanut, same thing we had in FL), it's machete time.

There are no hurricanes in Panama.

This is true. We are out of any hurricane paths. But, this does not mean we don't feel the effects. When Sandy was northeast of us, it rained for two days straight, often raining very hard. Rivers overflowed and there was flooding in some parts of the country. The rain is warm and not unpleasant but I was getting tired of driving in it to get things done.

Don't get me wrong! I am very thankful, especially now as I see the east coast preparing for what might be a huge situation. It would be nice if no one ever had to deal with a hurricane. I'm not going to miss all that for sure, but I never thought about us being close enough to get a good soaking if one happens to be nearby. It's pretty hard to complain about any of it though, when I think about how many people are watching Sandy bear down on them.

Back to the US

Other than that, it's been quiet the last couple days. My traveling companion left for a visit to Boquete, so I have been working hard on the house. I got oil paint for the doors and storage areas on the back bedroom and wanted to get that done so it would be dry and less smelly when we all come in. I tried to clean and organize the house in general a little. It's definitely a work in progress but hopefully it will be tolerable. The new paint on the doors sure looks good!

I continue to be impressed with the kindness of the Panamanian people around me. I went to the neighbors to let them know I was going to be away for a few days. They said they would watch the house. And, they called a taxi driver friend to take me to the airport, gave me the phone numbers of their favorite taxi drivers, and wrote out directions to the house if I need to call and direct the taxi driver, something I'm not sure about doing over the phone in my limited Spanish. What nice people.

Skype

Skype is a wonderful thing. I “had dinner” with one of my daughters yesterday. She was on the computer screen in front of me, but we were almost as together as if we were in the same place. She gave me a tour of her new house. I showed her the papaya I was eating. I could have given her a tour of my house too but I'm still stuck to a cable until the router gets down here.

I bought a plan on skype where I have a USA phone number and I can call anywhere in the US as much as I want. I can't remember how much it was, but a year was about half what I paid for my cell phone in the US for a month. OK, so my old cell phone was a smart phone with internet and all that, but still, in Panama, my internet/TV, my cell phone, and my skype plan all together are a lot less than what I paid for just the phone. The internet and TV, if I remember, are about $35/month. One of these days I'll have to start an accounting of all our expenses, just to see how big the different is from what we used to pay to live.

Friday 10/26/2012 David, Chiriqui Province, Panamá

The internet came yesterday, and I haven't written anything since! I have been busy uploading everything I wrote before internet, and sorting through pics, uploading videos, etc. So, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Lost in the city

Things continue to feel better every day, but finding things continues to be the biggest challenge. Thursday morning Lorraine had a dentist appointment. We figured we had better find the place ahead of time, so we called for directions. Go to KFC on the highway (yes there is a KFC here, and a number of other familiar fast food places). So, go to KFC, go 3 blocks, past the baseball field, and it's a white building with two floors, no plants. We went 3 blocks up the highway, and more... nothing. We went 3 blocks down the highway... nothing. We went 3 blocks north of the highway and then some, still nothing. We went back up the highway. I called again for directions and couldn't get any more than I did the first time. I swear she said 3 blocks, white building, no plants, 2 floors, baseball field. What baseball field??? Finally I gave up in frustration.

Plan B – get a taxi, ask him to take us there. We find one, hop in, he radios his home base for directions and off we go to KFC, turn SOUTH of the highway (the only direction we didn't go) and sure enough. There's a large ball field, and on the other side of the street, a white sign with the dentist's name. White sign... white building.... whats the word for sign?? Akkkk. So, since we were having such luck with this taxi guy I leave Lorraine at the dentist and ask the driver if he knows where to buy a gas can. He drives a few blocks more, and we have a gas can in the trunk and he's taking me back to my car. Now that I can easily find the dentist I can go back in my own car and pick up Lorraine.

So, days of asking and driving around to find gas cans and dentists... DONE in minutes with the help of a cab driver. We are now cooking with GAS. Heh 

Selling the house, and the joys of doing business in another country

The other big thing is the house in Florida is selling and heading towards closing very quickly – next week! I thought I had it all set up when I left. Sure, we FedEx you any papers, you sign them, FedEx them back. No problem. We do it all the time. Uh huh. This is Panama. It is a problem. 

We set off to find the David FedEx office. I know you can imagine how that went. What finally solved it was Joel at home doing research on the internet, giving me the best directions he could, us finding Romeros, the grocery store landmark we needed, and walking all around the store. Sure enough, on a back street behind the store, FedEx!! 

So, keeping in mind this is Panama, and this is happening on Thursday, if Joel sent documents immediately they would maybe get to Panama City on Saturday. They would sit until the office opened on Monday, and would get put on a truck to arrive in David on Tuesday. If I sent them back the same day, they would arrive back in Panama City on Wednesday, and maybe get to Florida on Friday. Maybe. So at best, 8 days round trip for documents involving offers and counter offers that are supposed to be signed and returned in a day. Don't forget also that there are major Panamanian holidays coming up in a week and an extra long weekend. All offices will be closed. 

Plan B – get our lawyer to give Joel POA for me so he can sign for me. The lawyer needs a day to get the paperwork in order. I sign things and they need to go to the government office in David to be notarized. Then they need to go to the American consulate in Panama City to be apostilled, something like notarized but for international business. Who knows how long that would take? 

So, the final plan – buy a printer/scanner. Email me documents, I print them, sign them, scan them and email them back. This will do for negotiations but for closing, it must be actual signatures, no scanning and emailing. It's becoming clear that the only way to work this out is for me to buy plane tickets and return to Florida for closing. Who would have thought you can get a person to the US faster than you can get papers there! But, if I do this, I can also help Joel and ma with their trip down here which is a good thing. And, I will be back with Joel in a matter of days. 

So with a bit of looking, a couple conferences on skype, I have tickets and a plan. I will take the bus to Panama City on Sunday, fly out on Monday morning and be in Florida in the afternoon. We will all be together on the same flight returning to Panama City on Thursday, stay overnight there and head to David on Friday. 

An aside, a bit of advice.... get POA for your spouse, partner, parents, anyone for whom you might have to sign. We have thought about doing this just because its good to have, but we never got around to it. On my return trip, we will be getting around to it! 

The best laid plans.... 

Friday we drive off to see our friends, the ones who put me up when I first arrived. On the way to their house the road was blocked. Someone said something about indians, Colon, and protests. There was a protest near where I live last week by people from Colon. The government has made a law that says they can sell land in Colon, and the people don't like it. It seems the only way people think they can be heard is to cause major disruptions and problems. 

Since we couldn't get to our friends, and couldn't find a way around the blocked highway, we headed in to town to do a couple other errands. Every shop we went to had people watching TV news about terrible protest all over, especially in Colon and Panama City. People were telling us the roads were blocked and the only way to Panama City was by air. The last time we were here there were protests and the highway was shut down for days. I was getting really anxious about my upcoming trip so I came home and bought plane tickets. That's a lot more money but it's sure better than me not making it to closing.

By Friday night it seems the government has backed down on the new law so hopefully peace will return, but who knows for sure. I feel better having that airline ticket.

The people here 

We went to town to do some errands, one of which was to get Lorraine some boots like the people use to work outdoors. They would be good for walking and exploring the area. I started by asking a guy shining shoes on the sidewalk, since he was shining boots and I could find out the word for boots. When he figured out what we wanted, there were a couple other guys in the conversation directing us to a store nearby. These were lady's dress boots, not work boots so when we returned we explained that these weren't what we needed. A discussion followed and one of the guys said he knew just the place for us. He came with us, or rather went there as we did our best to keep up. He explained to the shop people what we needed, and stayed with us until she found boots that fit. By now I was thinking boots would be a good idea for me too. Something has been biting my toes and feet, probably something in the grass, so I got a pair for me too. He noticed the bites and a discussion followed about that, and insecticide was recommended to be mixed with water and sprayed in the yard. (I declined but good to know if the boots don't solve the problem)

During the boot fitting, a discussion evolved about socks. I know you need them under boots. What is the word for socks? Calcetines? No? Medias?! Never heard that one. So, next, he takes us to the store he says sells the cheapest socks. I get a package of 12 pair - $5. I am expecting pretty crappy socks but they are surprisingly good! They are light weight but soft, and with the socks on the boots feel comfortable and functional.

By this time he has been taking care of us for at least ½ hour, probably more. Once we have our boots and socks, he bids us goodby, good day, and walks off. I figured he might be hoping for a buck or two from the gringo ladies but apparently not. He was just being a nice guy. He said he was a truck driver but with the road blocked he wasn't working, so he was just hanging out downtown and was happy to help. This seems to be fairly normal behavior here. People take the time to help and are happy to do it.

Well it is getting late so I should post this and get to bed. Tomorrow we get out the oil based paint for the closet and drawers in the 2nd bedroom, put together the desk we bought for in there, and get ready for my trip. I don't think we have any errands or things to do in town so hopefully we can make some forward progress on the house. It's nice to have a traveling companion and house guest who likes to help fix up houses!

Just for fun

Look what we found at the grocery store! People in my generation remember this. We drank Boones Farm apple wine a lot!

Look what we found at the bus terminal. There are vendors there who sell snacks, I suppose for people who want something to eat on the long bus ride. There seems to be a little fruit, lots of candy, some bread, cookies, and unidentifiable things like this wrapped in banana leaves. It tasted like firm pudding, not too sweet. I liked it a lot. Lorraine didn't like it at all. 

Of course, this blog wouldn't be complete without a bug, and we spotted this very interesting fellow on the front window.