The day in pictures

There was not a cloud in the sky when we awoke this morning. A hike to Alto Boquete (Upper or High Boquete) was the agreed destination.


Looking down on Boquete and the river


Looking downstream


We paused at the visitors center.


The trail back down. We did not have to walk in the road at all today!


These little shelters are along every road for bus and taxi stops. Most are not as nice as this one.


We see many air plants in the trees, but not blooming air cactus.


Exotic tropical flowers


See! Flowers everywhere.


Back to town to join the festival already in progress


These cute little boys are dancing with cute little girls. Look close - those are real machetes in the little boys hands.

Off to the big city

Today we hopped on a red devil (former US school bus) for a trip to the 3rd largest city in Panama, David. Pronounced Dah-vide

Last week the laundry shorted us a washcloth. Yes, we drop off clothes at a laundry for washing, drying , and folding – all for $3 a load. No problem until now. De Anne went back to the laundry – no washcloth. She scoured the local stores – no white washcloths for sale.

Off to the big city! The bus ride was $2 cheaper this time. I guess we now look like we know what we are doing and less like gringo rubes. There is a lot to be said for not swivelling your head all around with your mouth hanging open.

We found the right washcloth at the first stop – El Rey, a very large and modern supermarket, for the princely sum of $1.44. Of course factoring in the 42 km bus ride for a round trip total of $7.00 for two did increase the overall cost, but we decided to do some sight-seeing too. Besides it gave De Anne a chance to play one of her favorite games - “Look, we could have bought it for less here!”. The winner of the game was a street vendor downtown who was selling 4 washcloths for a dollar.

We left the suburban mall and hailed a taxi for the trip downtown – NO, WAIT! That was my idea, instead, at De Anne's insistence, we walked to town thus saving the $2 cab fare. Along the way we were honked at by about 100 taxis who obviously thought there was some problem with Americans walking.

Downtown David was a disappointment. Lots of blue smoke belching traffic, trash, and mud. Still, even in the city folks were friendly.

After assuring ourselves we had seen the best of downtown David (see pictures below) we made our way to the bus terminal and got back to Boquete in time for a late lunch at Big Daddy's where drinks are half-price if it is raining (which it was).

Mosquito threat indicator


Fancy downtown hotel


The other nice spot in downtown The plaza


Now normally a traffic light is not considered photogenic; however, this is the only one in the entire province. It's been over a month since I have last seen one.


Pulling out of the bus station

Shopping day

Shopping day starts with a trip to the bakery on the south side of town. We tried the bread baked in the grocery store and found that although the bread came in all shapes and sizes it was always the same, soft white bread.

Being filthy rich (that's Panamanian standards – not American) we have been buying bread from the gourmet bakery. Big unsliced loaves of 9 grain and sourdough, plus the occasional fresh-baked brownie are wonderful.

Next stop is the dollar store for paper goods and soap. Aisles are setup for the average Panamanian who is 5'5” and about 100 lbs. I crab around sideways trying not to be the bull in the china shop.

A few blocks north is the 3rd stop – the grocery store. We wander around to find where things we need have been moved to since our last trip.

The forth and final stop is 4 blocks west. The produce stand. We like this one because unlike the other dozen stands in town they usually have bananas with a touch of green. Everyone else sells them half black.

Chores done we head back, stopping by the stream for De Anne to cool her toes.


This house, across from the stream, is unusual because it is wood siding. 95% of homes are concrete block with a parge coat. Roofs are corrugated metal. Clay tiles are installed over that on the expensive homes.

Big brains

According to a study out of the University of Pittsburgh “ Healthy people who walk at least six miles a week have bigger brains, better memories and improved mental function compared with couch potatoes.”

This week I have hiked 18 miles. Monday 6, Wednesday 7, and today 5 miles. Of course, a heart attack might offset these brain improvements; however, barring that or falling off the cliffs along the roadside or getting splattered by a taxi, I think I feel smarter.

De Anne walks 3 times as much, so..... applying the aforementioned logic I am still a dunce next to her. OK, I hear the snickering, and was that an “amen!” in the back row?

Scenes from today's walk:

A stand of bamboo


Lazy flowers- can't even stand up!


Valcano Baru hidden by clouds. We hope to avoid a Pompeii moment. After all if we are dug up in 2,000 years I can imagine some PhD saying "Examining these two figures proves men got most of the food and women were forced to live on table scraps".


Sugarcane field


Looking down on Boquete. Also proof of my hill climbing. Some road side drop offs are steeper than this.


One lane is plenty

Change you can count on

Panama is a cash based society. A very few, upscale places take credit cards; however the places we frequent are cash only. We pay off our credit cards every month; but this was the first cycle in a decade with no charges. I could get used to seeing zero balances!

Change is a problem. I have learned to carry a couple dollars in change everywhere. My first learning experience regarding the need for change came at a fruit stand. De Anne bought 2 bananas for 15 cents. I handed the clerk a quarter. She looked puzzled for a moment, then handed me another banana. We left before it dawned on me that the first two bananas cost me seven and a half cents apiece and the third ten cents. I hope to survive the financial loss of two and a half cents.

Even at the supermarket the cashiers will ask for exact change. They will wait until you dig into your pocket, pull out your change, examine it with you, and only after verifying you can't make correct change will they part with their precious coins.

Speaking of fruit stands... We have figured out the produce market here. All fruit stands sell bananas individually here. They get the bananas that fall off the stalks during picking. Stalks of bananas are shipped off, but those that fall off are sold local. We see trucks go by with sacks of softball size onions while all we can buy are the golfball size.

I'm not complaining – the wide variety of produce we get is fresh and cheap. Pineapples are a real treat. One dollar gets a just picked, perfectly ripe pineapple that is sweet as candy.

Cultural Differences

De Anne likes to take hikes with me. Even though I slow her down and she can't cover 10 or 15 miles with me in tow, she can wear shorts when I am along as bodyguard.

Panamanian men seem to think that exposed knees and thighs are the mark of a loose woman requiring horn honking and catcalls. I have yet to see a Panamanian woman in less than capri pants.

Tops are a whole different issue. Young Panamanian women can wear the barest of flimsy, plunging tops without causing a stir, but show a little knee and the men go wild.

De Anne packed some jeans; however, for the longer hikes they were too warm later in the day. We found a pair of cotton capris in a local store for $10 and that solved the problem of her solo walks.

Tuesday morning Ex-pat market:


The view from our front porch:

How old do you think I am?

De Anne and I were hiking (uphill) when we were stopped by 2 Panamanian ladies. After a few pleasantries one turned to me, pointed to her friend and asked the question all men dread “How old do you think she is? After rapidly performing the necessary mental calculations all men learn the hard way – namely, perform an honest evaluation then subtract 20% , I answered 28. Both maintained a poker face and the questioner compounded my discomfort by asking “How old do you think I am?” Now I was boxed in because she looked a little older than her friend. In a true male performance I pretended to study her while trying to figure a way out of this trap. I took the cowards way out and answered, “You both look the same age”. It turned out both were in their early 40's so I was allowed to leave without creating an international crisis.

Happy with my narrow escape we hiked further up the hill. A man stopped us and wanted to practice his English. Once again, after pleasantries, came THE question “How old do you think I am?” Now I was on safe ground guessing a man's age. I studied him, noted he was walking difficult terrain, and answered 60. I missed by 27 years – he was 87!

As we continued on we discussed and decided that the moisturizing effects of the rain forest, lack of much direct sunlight, and walking hills every day must have some rejuvenatory effect. On the way down she was looking at every For Sale and For Rent sign.

Kids on the road:


Not an uncommon sight:


This castle is real- turrets on each corner and battlement walls 12 feet high. Ready for the end of civilization:


....and speaking of civilization.... one of the 3 main streets in town:

Well....it is a tropical rain forest!

The past 2 days have provided just a few dry hours. The average annual rain fall in Boquete is 28 feet.

We managed a few trips into town to re-stock the larder and try out a new diner.

Cafe Nelvis is a local-owned restaurant serving a small selection cafeteria-style. The beauty of this is just keep pointing until your plate is full. I had the fried chicken, rice&beans, and salad with a glass of very good, but mysterious fresh juice. The chicken appeared to have been (and likely was) chopped by a machete- no distinguishable pieces like you get in the US. The meal was tasty, portions large, and the price unbeatable at $3.25.

Today has been dry so De Anne walked about 8 miles, and in the clear air got her sight-seeing in.

Island paradise

After careful study of bus routes and taxi rides I took the easy way out and booked a beach trip with a local tour firm. Two bus rides would leave us in the middle of nowhere hoping to find a taxi for the last 10 miles to the beach. Looking for a fun day at the beach – not an adventure in exotic travel – made the easy way out, well...easy!

It was worth every penny. We left Boquete at 7:00 am and arrived at Boca Chita, a coastal village, an hour and a half later. Our boat was waiting for us.

As we sped downstream we passed a dozen cruising boats, some of whom were restocking and waiting for a weather window for a Pacific crossing.


Even though it was overcast (as you can see in the pictures) the ocean and many scattered islands were beautiful. We arrived at “our” island which had a protected cove on one side and a rocky beach with crashing waves just 100 feet away on the other side.




The guides set up a portable table loaded with sandwich fixings, lots of fresh fruit and drinks. De Anne went kayaking while I tested the weight bearing load of a hammock.

Another couple from North Carolina was with us and they are contemplating a move to Panama with their nine children. We went for a swim after lunch on the tranquil side of the island and then moved to the other side for some wave action.

Returning in the late afternoon, our boat stopped at a remote hotel, high on a bluff, for a snack. The stairs climb alone was enough to build and appetite. I stopped half way up claiming to need a picture, but also needing a climbing break.

Gardening – Panama style

Normally seeing men in full slickers with machetes would invoke thoughts of a slasher B-movie; however, in Panama it is just a gardener.


In our walks we have seen many gardeners. In the tropical rain forest the trick is not how to grow things, but how to hold the greenery at bay. The only two gardening tools we have seen (except on the the golf course) are machetes and huge, shoulder-slung, double-handed weedwackers.

Everyone here owns a machete. The first time I saw a man walking down the street with one I was a tad nervous. In fact, the first 10 or 20 times I passed a man carrying a machete I felt a flutter. After a couple weeks of not getting hacked to pieces I can now issue a hearty “Hola” in passing and move on down the street without a care.

100 yards apart

The walk between our enclave and town is the equivalent of maybe 6 blocks, but shows the vast differences between rich and poor. The first picture shows the fine homes along a clear mountain stream. The second picture is of a plywood and plastic sheeting shack across the street and not more than 100 yards from the stream.




I took these two pictures yesterday on my way to the barber shop where I got a decent haircut for two dollars. While goods are somewhat cheaper here the real deals involve cheap labor.

Uphill and down

De Anne rousted me early this morning for my longest hike yet. The only redeeming factor about marching my massive bulk 3 miles uphill is that the return trip is gravity-assisted.

We took several “Y's” and at each one the road got progressively narrower, until we were on a road that required us to step off whenever a vehicle approached. Since vehicles in Panama have abbreviated exhaust systems you can hear them coming and smell them going.

We (actually I) declared the uphill portion of the hike complete at a quaint (read dilapidated) steel, suspension bridge. I walked across gingerly feeling the steel plates rock under my feet. My comfort was having seen a car cross it a few minutes before; however, if it had been my car I would have had the passengers get out and walk across to lessen the vehicle weight.


We stopped for a break near the bridge at a volcanic rock formation. I have seen a similar, but much larger formation at Devil's Post Piles in Mammoth Lakes CA.
Some tourists were being guided on a rock climbing adventure, but the high-light was watching the guide free climb to install the safety rope for the others.




We completed our trek with a stop at the grocery store. When you want bread you pick up a metal tray and tongs then go to the bread shelf and load your breads and pastries onto the tray. The lady behind the counter wraps them and you pay on the spot, then continue your shopping. I always buy the one Diet Coke sitting on the soft drink shelf. Because so many Panamanians spend half their income on food I suspect that spending money on non-caloric food is a frivolous waste and Diet Coke tops the frivolous list. You can buy 2 pounds of rice or 3 loafs of bread for the price of a 2 liter bottle.

Valle Escondido

Our new “home” for July is Valle Escondido (Hidden valley). We have rented a furnished condo overlooking the 5th green of the golf course that winds through this enclave.
The view from our condo:


Valle Escondido (to be referred to as enclave from now on) is a mix of resort/condos/townhomes/private homes. Access to the 3 level outdoor pool, saltwater indoor pool, sauna, whirlpools, steamrooms, etc are included with our condo.

One of the private homes:


Downtown Boquete is now a 10 minute walk away.

We celebrated the Fourth in town at our favorite Restaurant/Bar called Baru. De Anne had the best Margarita (two actually) and I drank the local beer – Balboa.
Baru in downtown Boquete:


We strolled back to the enclave for a buffet Bar-be-que of hamburgers, steaks, sausage, and chicken. The american fare included baked beans and a couple odd items like yucca with verde sauce. Steak here is different too. I suspect the cows work out daily and have never seen an ear of corn. Totally lean meat, cooked well-done, but highly seasoned and quite tasty.

The $10.95 price of the meal included house wine and a fabulous dessert of apple tart with ice cream, artfully drizzled carmel and a couple mint sprigs. We were served by vest wearing waiters and ate on white linen tablecloths. I mention this because I was in tennis shoes and shorts. The other patrons were likewise attired. It was amusing to see all the customers dressed so scruffy while the setting and the staff were so elegant.

The hotel entrance:

Side roads

I understand folks might be skeptical of my hiking abilities, and it is true that next to my long-legged wife I am woefully deficient; however, I can on occasion walk a couple miles with her - as long as she maintains a slow pace. As prove thereof I offer the following pictures of our morning stroll:

(Click on any picture to enlarge)

We started by crossing the bridge a couple blocks from the center of town.


A little ways out of town is a development like so many we saw in Florida. Looks good but no houses.


The next bridge 2 miles up the road is out, but still in use. While we were there a man in a small van with lots of kids aboard asked my help. I guided him across with hand signals. With one tire against the curb the other tire was one inch from the hole. We soon left because De Anne did not like the responsibility and did not want to be there when a load of people went 30 feet over the edge into the river.


Back to civilization! I'm winded but she has not broken a sweat!