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.