Step to Life

Notary Public in El Valle de Anton

2011-08-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

Someone recently inquired whether there was a notary public in El Valle. There is not. The nearest one is in Penonome, a little over an hour away.

The Paginas Amarillas gives this listing:

NOTARIA PRIMERA DE COCLÉ
Cl Manuel Amador Guerrero
Panamá, Penonomé
Phone: (507) 9085784

New Health Foods Store in Coronado

2011-05-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

The Organica store in Paitilla

A natural foods store called Organica, located in Panama City (in Paitilla) has been popular with the ex-pat crowd for some time. People often find products there that cannot be found in any other store in Panama, including Riba Smith. It's been the place to go for health foods like brown rice and organic chicken, and specialty items like cherry cider or vegan marshmallows.

Now Organica has opened a second branch in the new mall in Coronado, across the street from the Rey (45 minutes from El Valle). The mall has only a few stores open and not many signs up yet, but if you pull into the mall and ask security, they can direct you to the new store.

Fred from El Valle says, "I requested some brewers yeast and they called me two days later. You can also ask for special orders; Maria at the Panama store has been very accommodating for us. I use a lot of products that they carry and I would like to see the store do well."

Preventing Mold During the Rainy Season

2011-05-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

Tea Tree oil is a pale yellow substance extracted from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia. It's an amazing substance that has antiseptic, antifungal and antiviral properties.

Karyn Saunders of PlayaCommunity.com recently published a very useful article about using natural treatments to prevent and get rid of the mold that sometimes appears during the rainy season. Here it is:

The Moldy Season

Written by Karyn Saunders
Wednesday, 04 May 2011 09:38

The rain is coming and soon we will be amidst green grasses, lush flora, gentle sea breezes and great afternoon storms. The only downside of this season is the unwanted house guest: MOLD. It is a silent house guest, but annoying. By following some simple steps your guest will not stay for long. The following tips and tricks are quite simple and for the most part environmentally friendly.

1. If you own leather, give it away. I am really only half kidding. Leather purses, belts, jackets and untreated leather sofas will become green before your eyes. If you do own leather, get it into an airtight garment bag or in a very well ventilated room. Keeping it in a room that has an air conditioner running every so often, will help keep your leather mold free.

2. Vinegar and Water. Keep a spray bottle with 1 part vinegar 5 parts water handy at all times. Using this in your bathrooms, kitchen and even on your floors. A quick spray around your shoes or in the dark corners of your home, is not only nontoxic but is one of the best mold deterrents on the market, and it is a great alternative to bleach.

3. For those rooms that store a lot of your clothes or linens and may not get a lot of light or ventilation, turning your air conditioner on the dry setting for an hour a day will help to keep the humidity at bay.

4. Never use vinegar and bleach together. However vinegar and baking soda mixes well. Make a paste with the vinegar baking soda mix and gently scrub out mold spots on beds, clothing, shoes and furniture.

5. Tea tree oil is a very important extract to have in your home. Not only does it help in keeping your pets tics at bay, but it can also be used in a spray bottle with water to soak and rid mold from furniture, clothing etc. 15-20 drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle is all you need.

6. Eucalyptus or any fruit seed extract is great as a mold killer. Not only does it kill the mold but it smells great as well. Five drops in a spray bottle and you can spray as little or as much as you want.

7. Borax and Dishwashing liquid. Combine a little of each of these products and use it as a past, like you would comet or ajax. While Borax is earth friendly, it still has some health effects in large dosages.

Mold can be deadly if not kept in check. Many of the products we use can be equally as harmful to our health. It might take a little more spraying or scrubbing. It will also take educating your cleaning lady on the harmful effects that bleach has on pets, humans and the environment. By using the nontoxic remedies as listed above, you can sleep easy knowing you have killed the unwanted guest and you have done your part in keeping your home free from harmful chemicals.

Puente Centenario is Closed for Repairs

2010-12-14T14:03:00.000-08:00

Puente Centario, one of two bridges over the Panama Canal

The Puente Centenario, which is the newer of the two bridges over the Panama Canal and was opened in 2004, is closed for repairs. Apparently large sections of the approach to the bridge were washed out during the heavy rains of the recent rainy season. No word yet on how long repairs will take. A while, probably.

Traffic was always heavy on the older bridge, the Bridge of the Americas, and will now be heavier. If you are a visitor to Panama and are planning a trip to the interior (for example El Valle, the Pacific beaches, or anywhere further), allow extra time for bridge traffic.

It's Fer-de-Lance season, Watch Out!

2010-09-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Fer-de-lance snake in the grass. The fer-de-lance is a venomous species of pit viper. Notice the characteristic diagonal stripes and diamond pattern. Bites MUST be treated with anti-venom, not merely antibiotics.

Dr. Charlie Garcia cautioned recently (on the El Valle forum) that it is snake season now in El Valle. He wrote:

"Be very careful walking your dog. The heavy rains are bringing out the snakes, and it is the breeding season for snakes as well. This past week I know of one Cuidador (gardener) that got bitten by a Fer-de-lance, and several dogs that got bitten. If anyone gets bitten by a Fer-de-Lance you need to get the anti-venon ASAP. Dr. Greco has some with him most of the time. In the past month I have seen several large snakes crossing the street near Greco's home and on the road near our homes, and they are referred to as X's. Be careful."

The fer-de-lance is a highly venomous species of pit viper, and bites must be treated with anti-venom. Antibiotics are not sufficient or proper treatment. This snake is also sometimes known as terciopelo (velvet), or in Guatemala as barba amarilla (yellow beard). Adults generally have a length between 1.2 meters and 1.8 meters. The color pattern consists of diagonal stripes and diamonds in various shades of brown, with pale yellow underneath the head.

The fer-de-lance is mostly a nocturnal species. During the day it hides among tree roots or leaf litter. But the snake may seek refuge in the shade of a home; many bites occur indoors as well. They can be very excitable and unpredictable when disturbed. They may choose to flee, but may turn suddenly and attack.

The fer-de-lance is the most dangerous snake in Central America, responsible for half or more of all snake bites, with a fatality rate of about 5%. So be careful! Don't walk in tall grass unless you're wearing long pants and boots; and steer clear of anything that looks like a large stick. If you see a fer-de-lance don't try to handle it yourself. Stay away and call the local authorities.

Cassava Corn

2010-06-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

Posted by: "ReinhildG" in Yahoo's PanamaForum:

Brown, hairy and ill formed is an apt description of the ubiquitous cassava corn. You can learn more about this foundation food that supports almost one third of the world's population at the Three Sisters next Saturday the twelfth of June in El Valle.

For more info contact:

reinhild.gamboa@gmail.com

Cassava is very common in Panamanian grocery stores and farmer's markets. Here's a recipe by Panama's "Cooking Diva" for cassava chocolate cake with coconut milk and vanilla ice cream. If that doesn't get you interested in cassava, I don't know what will.

Cassava, from the Taino (Arawak) casavi meaning flour, has 5000 wild and cultigenic varieties world-wide, each adapted to a different environment and ecological niche, comprising 30% of the annual reported global tuber harvest.

This perennial root crop is the most prolific calorie producer on the globe and harvesting cassava is highly labor intensive providing jobs for its many small-scale producers. Its breadth of applications and high perishability allows farmers to participate in the marketing chain by rudimentary processing methods.

There are two major classifications: bitter and the sweet, although in truth the bitter is not bitter and the sweet is not sweet, with the distinction relating more to size and toxicity then any palate values.

Low herb like or branched shrubs are usually of the sweet, smaller cormed, less toxic variety while the slender unbranched tree type, usually producing a single corm, represents the bitter. The bitter variety is a higher elevation drier cultivar while the sweet version prefers the lowlands and more irrigation.

Cassava and cheese empanadas from Peru:

Never eat cassava raw! Both varieties contain sharp oxalic acid crystals that can damage the stomach lining and hydocyanogenic toxins that can prove fatal if not removed by either processing or cooking. Most processed products are made from the bitter variety while the sweet type is what is sold in local and stateside markets so don't overreact.

Cassava requires three months of wet conditions to establish itself and then takes 6 to 12 months to mature and the bitter variety can remain in the ground for an amazing 4 years before harvesting!

Bitter cassava usually has a larger, often singular, tuber with 50 times more toxin then the smaller multiple corms of the sweet cultivar. The freshly harvested cooked leaves of the sweet variety are eaten as pot greens or challoos and the raw unprocessed corm can be used for livestock fodder.

Predicting an Expatriate's Level of Happiness Over Time

2010-03-31T13:50:00.000-07:00

Ashok, in his fascinating, informative, and occasionally hilarious blog about life in India, has charted the average level of contentment of freshly arrived expatriates in India. I think his findings are applicable to Panama as well:

"There has been enough expatriate evidence acquired to actually predict and plot an expatriate's happiness or contentment over time.

Because of the excitement of the adventure, you start at a 10. The first month is culture shock. Drop to 7. The second month is honeymoon. Jump to 9. Then real life starts to smother you and you lose your elasticity to novel situations. By the end of the sixth month you are at a 3,but then you begin to understand the situation and what you need to do to succeed. A plateau occurs at the 12th month when you’re at 6.

Three. Today is three..."

El Valle Annual Concert by National Symphony Orchestra on January 30th

2010-01-11T09:43:00.000-08:00

Although El Valle is a small town with a largely indigenous population, it also has a significant population of "weekenders" - rich Panamanians who keep vacation homes in the cool climate of El Valle, as a getaway from the heat of Panama City. There are many palatial homes in El Valle, especially along the circumference of the town, at the feet of the foothills. Some of them have vast, manicured grounds with gardens, streams, ponds and horse stables.

Because of this, things happen in El Valle that you would not normally expect in a little mountain town. Among those is the annual pilgrimage of Panama's National Symphony Orchestra to play in El Valle's little church. The streets outside the church fill up with SUV's as well dressed families fill every pew in the church. Less affluent residents who cannot afford the tickets stand outside the door and peer in the windows to benefit from this special event.

I went once with Laura and Salma, and Salma was initially entranced, but as the evening progressed and we were well past her bedtime she became cranky. I tried taking her outside and rocking her in my arms, but she would not settle down and eventually we had to take her home to sleep.

This year's concert is coming up and will be the 19th annual concert. Here is the official flyer for this year's event:

XIX Festival Musical de El Valle
Saturday, the 30th of January, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Iglesia San Jose in El Valle de Antón, Coclé, Rep. de Panamá
***
La Asociación del Festival Musical de El Valle
y el Instituto Nacional de Cultura (INAC)

Presents
GRAND CONCERT
NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Director, Maestro Jorge Ledezma

Guest Soloist: JINGJING WANG
(CHINA)
First Prize winner of Panama's 2008 International Piano Competition

PROGRAM

1. Astor Piazzola The Death of the Angel
(for string orchestra , soloist Juan Castillo)

2. Georges Bizet Suite from "Carmen"

Intermission

3. Robert Schumann Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54
Guest Soloist: JingJing Wang
(Piano)

TICKETS are available for $15.00:
In El Valle: at Centro Comercial de El Valle or at the entrance of the Church the night of the performance
In Panama City: at Ingeniería R-M or at Joyería Barakat
Email: festivaldelvalle@gmail.com

"Are You Healthy? Are You Crazy?" Getting a Panamanian Driver's License if You're Over 70

2009-12-22T00:12:00.000-08:00

Jan Knight writes on the Panama Forum that her husband, who is 78 years old, recently applied for a Panamanian driver's license. Apparently anyone over the age of 70 must have a letter from a doctor stating that he is healthy and mentally stable (i.e. not senile).

They went to a doctor who looked at Jan's husband and said, "Are you healthy?"

"Yes."

"Are you crazy?"

"No."

The doctor looked at Jan for confirmation of these facts, then wrote the letter out by hand.

Things that take you back: ordering a Subway sandwich

2009-11-19T21:42:00.000-08:00

After a gym workout this evening, I went looking for something to eat and noticed a Subway sandwich shop at Shaw and Palm, across from the Fig Garden Village center. I pulled up just a few minutes before closing and was not surprised to see a young Indian woman behind the counter. So far, every Subway I've visited in Fresno has been owned by Indians. Gotta love that enterprising spirit. Can you imagine going to India and monopolizing the samosa industry?

In Panama I went to Subway more often than I ever did in the USA. When I lived in El Dorado I frequented the one on the "Do-It Center" street, in the small shopping center that has the two Chinese vegetarian restaurants. After I moved to El Valle de Anton, I used to stop at the Subway in Coronado whenever I was on my way back from the city. The first several times I had to ask the names of the various sandwich ingredients, and the staff always answered me with a chuckle or a smirk. In time, as my Spanish improved and I racked up the Subway visits, I became very comfortable ordering in Spanish.

Walking into the Subway tonight, I had a flashback to Panama, and had to resist the urge to order "atun grande con pan integral."

Somehow life in Panama was richer, more full of the "stuff of life" in a way. More friendships, more interesting experiences, more challenges, more frustration and laughter and spirit-lifting beauty.

I was talking to a friend recently, and I said that I didn't know how to think of Panama now. What is it to me? What does it represent? And my friend said, "I think it is your home."

How to eliminate silverfish

2009-09-08T17:18:00.000-07:00

No, not this kind of silverfish:

This kind!

This creepy little insect is a silverfish. I hate these disgusting little creatures. They don't bite and don't carry diseases, but they move in a fast slither that is just plain creepy; and if you're fast enough to smack one, they smear into a grey smudge.

In Panama (especially in rural areas), silverfish will be found in any place that has books, paper, cardboard, boxes, etc. I never saw them in Panama City, but I saw plenty in El Valle de Anton. This may be because of El Valle's elevation and relative coolness. Silverfish don't like temperatures above 80 Fahrenheit.

Silverfish especially eat foods and products that are high in protein, sugar, or starch. This includes vegetable foods, such as flour and cereal; fabrics, including cotton, linen, silk, and rayon; sizing in paper; starch in clothing; and paste or glue. They also eat wallpaper, book bindings, and paper when trying to feed on the glue or paste underneath them. Their damage is usually recognized from their irregular feeding marks and the presence of feces. Silverfish and firebrats can go for months without feeding.

They lay eggs in cracks, crevices, and other narrow, confined spaces. Silverfish prefer cool, moist, dark places with temperatures between 70o - 80° F and a relative humidity between 75% - 95%. They are often associated with basements, closets, bookcases, and storage areas.

How to Get Rid of Silverfish

Silverfish and firebrats are associated with damp conditions. You can reduce their numbers by correcting moisture problems:

Dry out damp areas with a fan or dehumidifier.
Repair leaky pipes.
Ventilate closed rooms.
Repair leaking roofs.
Seal concrete walls and floors.
If the problem occurs in a bathroom, make sure the ventilation fan is used during baths and showers.
If you can not move materials, provide air spaces between boxes and other objects to promote air circulation.
Keep in mind that as air cools the humidity in that air increases, so using a dehumidifier or gently heating the surrounding air can have a big impact on the infestation!

You can also reduce silverfish and firebrats by removing sources of food, especially in damp areas. You can reduce potential hiding places by removing old papers, books, boxes and other clutter. Seal cracks and crevices, including those found in baseboards, cupboards, and walls to limit harborages.

Kill Silverfish with Boric Acid

Last but not least, poison them! This can be done with boric acid, a type of inorganic dust. Common trade names include Roach Powder® and Roach Prufe®. Diatomaceous earth, also known as silicon dioxide, is also available. A representative trade name is Concern®. Follow the label and place the dust in cracks and crevices where silverfish have been sighted. Do not apply dust where children and pets can reach it.

You can also make residual spot treatments along baseboards, cracks and crevices, and other areas where silverfish or firebrats are found. Insecticides, such as permethrin, deltamethrin, cyfluthrin, and cypermethrin are effective insecticides against these insects.

In Panama you can purchase boric acid (acida borica in Spanish) at most hardware stores or Chinos (Chinese-owned corner stores). Buy it in bulk, by the pound if possible, rather than the small packets sold in the Chinos.

Borax Soap for Ants

Doug on Panama Forum points out that you can also use a 50-50 mixture of borax soap and icing sugar to get rid of sugar ants. The ants take this toxic mixture to their nest and share with the colony, and they all die.

On that cheery note, take care and be silverfish-free!

Find a way further in

2009-09-07T00:37:00.000-07:00

I'm watching a movie called The International. A high-ranking executive of a powerful but corrupt bank is teaching his son to play chess. His colleagues call him on a conference call to discuss a messy situation that is threatening the entire bank.

The executive turns to his son and asks, "What do you when you are stuck in a situation from which there is no way out?"

He's asking in terms of chess theory. His son understands this. His son replies, "If there's no way out... you find a way further in."

Whoa. He's exactly right. This is what the chess grandmasters do. They marshal their resources and launch an attack, and press it. They know that once they commit, it's do or die. They sacrifice and drop pieces to the left and right like shattered swords. And if they are clever, creative and persistent enough, they break through and topple the enemy's king. They play in a way that seems brilliant and reckless, but is actually brilliant, calculated and single minded. Bobby Fisher was famous for this.

I've often felt that chess is a metaphor for life. Imagine living your life that way. That would take much courage. But if you look at anyone who has truly made it big in life, you will see the same pattern, the same go-for-broke mentality.

I remember developing the website that is now my primary earner. It was back in 1998 or so. I hired a company in India to build what I needed for $5,000. I had no money and didn't know how I would pay them. Somehow I came up with enough money each month to pay installments until the website was complete.

Now I would not sell that website for less than $300,000.

Do you have a story of committing yourself fully to something, with no backing out? How did it turn out?

P.S. The photo depicts an antique Islamic chess set from Cambodia.

Arroz Con Leche (rice with milk) for a baby's first tooth

2009-09-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

The little daughter of my lawyer and friend Berliza recently cut her first tooth. The baby's name is Maria Fernanda, or Marifè for short.

I mentioned to Berliza that some cultures celebrate this event, and she told me that indeed in Panama there is a custom for this:

"In our culture the tradition is that the first person who sees the tooth has to cook rice and milk (a dessert). We put them in little containers, usually nicely decorated for the occasion and we give them away to friends and family. We are working on that right now."

This rice and milk dessert is called in Spanish arroz con leche. In the photo you see the actual dessert that Berliza made.

And here is lovely little Marifè getting her first taste:

Should We Try to Change Panama?

2009-08-25T23:07:00.000-07:00

There are always discussions on the Panama Forum between those who feel that new immigrants and residents of Panama have a right to try to effect change; and those who feel that we are guests in the country and should not be so presumptuous as to try to change their culture.

Ronald Davis recently wrote an interest post on this subject, and I'm reprinting it here. Comments are welcome:

***

"Those who come from far away lands to these Panamanian shores to seek refuge and a new beginning - and who often times spend a whole lot of their money, time, and effort in this new land, and who subsequently see an "evil" in their newly adopted land - once the rosy colored glasses have been removed - are, in my opinion, honor bound to try and achieve change so that such an "evil" does not continue to occur in the future. Whether you succeed or fail in youir endeavor is of secondary consequence.

However, those ex-pats who sit back and do nothing about said "evil", who merely observe the passing landscape as if said landscape were in a book of fiction they were reading should be, in a more just world, consigned to some inner circle of hell.

Complications and Nuances: Clearly there is such a thing as cultural relativity, even situational ethics. And this is something that must, by all means, be taken into account. To wit: What is good or culturally acceptable in Country A is not always considered good or culturally acceptable in Country B. Some examples of this would be female genital mutilation, consigning newly widowed woman to funeral pyres, eating primates or dogs, beating wives and children, keeping slaves [yes, slavery still exists in parts of this world] and so on and on. Of course, there are many other examples of these cultural differences, some important, some not so important - and thus my use of quotes around the word evil.

Sooo . . . if you are living in such a new land and you were to see something that gives you great distress, something that you see as truly wrong, what should you do about it? Just sit back, look the other way, and accept these practices - whatever they may be - as indigenous to a given culture and, therefore, not worthy of public comment or even public action on your part? That's certainly one way to look at it. But if you were to decide to travel down this path, would you not also be complicit - in part or in whole - in what is - by your own definition - an evil? And would it not be condescending, really condescending, if you were to say that a given culture, a given people, has been doing same for a thousand years and, after all, they cannot/will not change, and, so, who are you, one person, to try and change them?

Puh-leaze!

All cultures, all peoples change, evolve, and metamorphize into something new and different over the years. Some from internal, some from external forces. Some quickly, some slowly.

So the only question for me is how to achieve change when you decide change is really neccesary and to what degree can an individual do so? Trying to ram something new down someone's throat rarely, if ever, works. So the method of going about how to change someone/something need - common-sense should always dictate - be one of evolution, not revolution; one that is carried out with great care and greater tact. And it often needs be shown that there are specific benefits - usually economic - to adopting a new way, a new method, if you are to be successful in your endeavors.

On a tiny, even infinitesimal level, as an example, it is showing visible displeasure when a Panamanian worker shows up three hours late for a job you have hired him/her for. But how to express your obvious displeasure is the key to this kind of situation. Humor, anger, sarcasm, even economic sanctions [i.e., firing the bobo/boba on the spot and telling him/her you will only deal with workers in the future who can tell time, and, in addition, that you find it personally insulting that he/she cares so little about you that he or she can needlessly waste your time like he/she already has], all these methods and others have their place in your possible responses to this kind of situation.

But to just sit back and say nothing, except on this forum, or to stew in your own angry juices and do nothing about this kind of a situation, is to my way of thinking, totally unacceptable. To say that the "manana" concept has been and, therefore, will always be a part of Latin culture is also unacceptable and, again, such an approach, I believe, is to treat people in a condescending manner, much like you might treat a retarded child whom you believe is incapable of growth or change. Tell me that kind of attitude here in Panama does not often border on racism?

England like Panama has been a racist society for many years. There were times in Great Britain when an English worker refused at his place of employment to even sit next to a "Packy" and now, years later, the most popular of all foods sold in Great Britain comes from the Indian subcontinent and who you work besides has as much relevance as where your shoes are made or the color of your socks.

The U.S. like Panama has been a racist society for many years. There were times in the U.S. when having a black president was as conceivable as flying to the moon and then . . . ahem . . . things changed.

My wife and I have had many excellent Panamanian workers in our employ since our arrival here four years ago - and some true slackers too. Many of the best of them were trained in the Canal Zone and are proud of their acquired skills and the importance of being on time. There are also companies here in Panama who have spent considerable time, effort, and money in training their workers to be more efficient and proud of their work. If they can do it, so can you, albeit, on a more personal level, IF the desire, patience, and good will is there. Small changes over time can become big changes.

Else, in my opinion, go quietly into the night and dare not criticize your newly adopted country for any reason, for you have no right to do so - at least not within my hearing."

- Ron

Essential Ramadan Reading

2009-08-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

Some phrase or image on my blog related to Ramadan seems to be sending some serious search engine traffic my way - as in 800 readers in a single day! - so I thought I would give you folks something productive to do with your time, ha ha.

Here are some excellent books that I consider essential Islamic reading. Any one of them would be great to read a little from every evening after Iftar, or to give as a gift. All are available through the link below:

IslamicBookstore.com

1. An Interpretation of the Qur'an : English Translation of the Meanings : A Bilingual Edition (Majid Fakhry) - I have this and I read it often. It's an excellent, modern and scholarly translation. If you're still reading Yusuf Ali's poetic but archaic translation, it's time to check out something different.

2. The Qur'an : A New Translation (Dr. Thomas Cleary) - I would have listed this first except that it's in English only. The language is modern and clear, yet retains some of the powerful poetry of the Arabic. I highly recommend it.

3. Muhammad : His Life Based on the Earliest Sources : Revised Edition : Martin Lings (Abu Bakr Siraj Ad-Din) - All-time best-selling book on the life of the Prophet (pbuh), now the latest revised edition. You may have read some of the briefer Seerahs (biographies of the Prophet Muhammad) such as The Sealed Nectar of The Life of the Prophet Muhammad, but you have not experienced the breadth and depth of Muhammad's (pbuh) struggle and indomitable character until you have read this book.

Well, as you can see my preference is for more scholarly works, but you can find all kinds of good stuff at IslamicBookstore.com, including children's books, movies and CDs, and toys. I have been shopping with them for several years now.

Happy Ramadan and may every year find you well

2009-08-19T21:59:00.000-07:00

The holy month of Ramadan is almost here and I'd like to wish a Ramadan Mubarak - blessed Ramadan - to all my Muslim readers.

Ramadan is such a special, unique time. On the one hand the fast of Ramadan is the most personal and challenging act of worship that a person can dedicate to God, aside perhaps from the Hajj. On the other hand, it is a time of family and community. It builds and strengthens so many of the best aspects of human character: patience, compassion, perseverance, and taqwa (God-consciousness).

We fast not only from food and water, but from anger, impatience, corruption, selfishness, and causing hurt to others. We renew our spirits so that we come out of Ramadan with a new feeling of dedication to God, pledged to do better, and strong to face the challenges of life.

I always have mixed feelings about the coming of Ramadan. After all, it is quite difficult, especially during these summer months when the days are long and hot (not so much for those of you in Panama, lol, where the days are always the same length and the seasons are only rainy or dry - but here in Central California summer days are in the 100 to 110 degrees range).

On the other hand, it's such an exciting time, offering the prospect of spiritual purification and forgiveness from God. And that overcomes any trepidation that I may have.

At the same time, I have a major web project going on - a complete overhaul of the Zawaj.com Muslim matrimonial service. I'm excited about that.

Take care. My best wishes to all of you, regardless of your faith. Keep your heads up, know God, and know yourselves. If any of my Panama friends are reading this: Henry and Nora, Rudy and Christina, Cleo and family, Niko and family, Zach and Danyelle, Berliza and family, Dr. Medrano, Bill and Adam Brunner, Rosa and family, Listo, Ani, Corrin, Rene, and all the rest (forgive me if I did not name you!), you are all dear to my heart and I am thinking of you.

To my non-Panama friends, well, there are too many to list, so: Ramadan Mubarak, and peace be upon you.

I've been browsing the web, reading articles about Ramadan and looking at photos, and I have come across some of the most amazing and beautiful Ramadan photos. Here are the links for your pleasure. The first batch comes from Boston.com, published last year.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/observing_ramadan.html

Next are some outstanding photos from Time Magazine:

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1663022,00.html

And a couple of beautiful images from National Geographic (one photo per URL):

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/enlarge/ramadan-worship_pod_image.html

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/enlarge/ramadan-at-badshahi-mosque_pod_image.html

Keeping Small Children in El Valle?

2009-07-03T09:20:00.001-07:00

I just received this question from a reader:

Hi, I enjoy reading your blog occasionally! and have some questions for you. I would be most appreciative if you could answer some.

How was it having your daughter Salma in El Valle? Did you feel she got enough interaction with other kids? If you had stayed married and lived there, would you have homeschooled? Did you meet any expats with children, or were they mostly retirees? Are there Panamanian families with kids who live in the nicer area year round?

Lot of questions I know; we're thinking of moving to Central America and trying to decide where. We have a 2 1/2 year old and she is our main concern, with kids/school/etc.

Thanks, Saro

Hello Saro. First, thanks for reminding me that that are real people that actually read my blog, ha ha.

Growing up in El Valle was wonderful for Salma. I might have liked for her to have more interaction with other English-speaking kids; but she often played with our neighbor's children (a local Panamanian family), or they came to our house to play. Though I think they came as much for Salma's toys as for Salma herself.

There are so many children in El Valle, that it would be hard not to find kids to interact with. When I went to the Video Store (Videos El Valle, on the Orchideas road), there were always so many kids playing down there at the end of the road, in the ANAM parking lot, it was like a playground. I used to take Salma and let her play for an hour or so. When we pulled up in the car the kids would shout, "Salma! Salma!" and rush to take her hand and play with her.

That's another thing about the local people, they are very warm and friendly and Salma grew up thinking that everyone in the world is her friend and that it's the most natural thing in the world to take another child's hand and say, "What's your name? I'm Salma."

Now that she's been in the USA for several months she's lost some of that natural ebullience and trust and that saddens me. As often as not, when she approaches children here and tries to talk to them, they ignore her.

We also had a very nice local nanny in El Valle who worked five hours a day, five days a week; that's something we would never have been able to afford in the USA.

We often talked about what we would do when Salma reached school age. One option was to put her in the local public school, then homeschool her on top of that. In the local school she would learn Spanish fluently, and the hours are rather abbreviated anyway. Then at home we would teach her in English.

Now there are more options. I've heard there is a good English-language private school in Gorgona now, about 1 hour from El Valle. And at the rate that Coronado (45 minutes away) is growing, I wouldn't be surprised to see a private school there soon.

Best of luck to you and I hope you'll write again later and let me know what you decided and how it's going.

Avoiding Heat Rash in Panama

2009-06-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

On my first visit to Panama, I stayed at the Las Vegas Hotel in El Cangrejo and I walked everywhere around the city. I wore an old messenger bag, made of a semi-waterproof, neoprene like material. It kept my belongings dry in Panama's tropical rains, and was easy to wear. It fit snugly against my back and I could spin it around to take things out without having to take the bag off. Very handy.

In the evening of the second or third day, I noticed that I had developed a bad rash across my back, consisting of horribly itchy bumps looking like mosquito bites. In fact I thought maybe the hotel bed was infested with bedbugs, or a mosquito had feasted on me during the night. I tried applying a cortisone cream and the rash got worse. It was driving me out of my mind.

I talked to a few Panamanian friends but they could not help (have you ever noticed that Panamanians hardly sweat, even on the hottest days?!). I did some research online and finally I realized that I had heat rash. I had never experienced this before. The waterproof bag resting against my back (combined with the constant high humidity in Panama) had caused my back to perspire excessely. Because no air was reaching my back, the sweat was trapped, and that in turn trapped further sweat beneath the skin, causing the rash.

All told I've had heat rash four times in Panama, each time within a few weeks after my arrival.

WebMD describes heat rash thus:

Heat rash -- also called prickly heat or miliaria -- is a common condition in which areas of the skin itch intensely and often feel prickly or sting due to overheating. Heat rash looks like tiny bumps surrounded by a zone of red skin. It usually occurs on clothed parts of the body, such as the back, abdomen, neck, upper chest, groin, or armpits and goes away on its own within a few days. In severe forms, however, heat rash can interfere with the body's heat-regulating mechanism and cause fever, heat exhaustion, and even death.

Heat rash occurs most often in hot, humid conditions. It's most common in infants. Active people, newborns in incubators, and bedridden patients with fever also are more likely to get heat rash.

Heat rash begins with excessive perspiration, usually in a hot, humid environment. The perspiration damages cells on the surface of the skin, forming a barrier and trapping sweat beneath the skin, where it builds up, causing the characteristic bumps. As the bumps burst and sweat is released, you may feel the prickly, or stinging, sensation that gives this condition its common name.

Preventing Heat Rash

Wear light weight, light colored, loose-fitting clothing. Heat rash often occurs in the groin, armpits or elbow creases, under your watch (and under the breasts or along the bra line for women), and believe me, it's no fun.

If you are staying in Panama long term, you will adjust to the humidity and you won't sweat so much. But for short term visitors and those newly arrived, beware of heat rash. If you wear a backpack or even carry a purse, move it around. Don't let it rest against one part of your body for too long. Even if it's raining, don't wear a jacket that will cause you to perspire excessively (stick with a light shirt and an umbrella).

If you are outside and you begin to feel very hot, or you are aware that you are perspiring excessively, go back to your hotel to cool off. Drink plenty of fluids. When you return to your hotel, take a cool or cold shower immediately, dry your skin thoroughly, and allow your skin to be cooled by the air conditioner. A fan alone may not be sufficient. An air conditioner will provide cooling and will also dry the air, reducing the humidity.

Treating Heat Rash Once You've Got It

The only treatment for heat rash is to wash the skin clean with cool water, dry it gently, and keep it exposed to air (preferably cool, dry air).

Do not apply any ointments or creams, as these will block the skin pores and keep the sweat trapped beneath the skin. When you are outside, apply sunscreen to those areas exposed to the sun, and when you return to your hotel, wash it off and let the skin dry and cool. If you've already got heat rash, stay out of the sun as much as possible, and don't drink alcohol excessively, as that may make it worse.

Certain powders, like Gold Bond medicated powder or corn starch, may provide temporary relief from the itching and pain, but do not leave the powder on. Once the itching fades, wash the powder off with cool water and let the skin dry and get air.

In my experience, heat rash properly treated fades within two or three days.

Have you had heat rash? What was your experience with it? How do you avoid it now?

Salma at Casa de Fruta

2009-06-01T03:26:00.001-07:00

Quick Note: my house in El Valle de Antón is for rent. I have dropped the rent a little and it's a great bargain. See it here: http://www.CasaPanama.com

I usually pick up my daughter Salma at Casa de Fruta on the weekends. Located on Highway 152 in the coastal mountains of Northern California, Casa de Fruta is a roadside stand gone wild. True to its name, it sells a vast array of fruits and vegetables, but also sells nuts of every imaginable variety and flavor, condiments, and chocolate covered delicacies; in addition there is a large candy store, an ice cream shop, a burrito shop, a wine shop, a restaurant, a gas station, a motel, a miniature train for children to ride on, a carousel, a playground, a duck pond... it has become a destination in itself. Salma always enjoys her time there.

Here are some photos of Salma taken in early May, the last weekend I spent with her before my Panama trip (and one photo of Casa de Fruta's fruit selection):

What to Bring to Panama, What to Leave Behind (Updated)

2009-05-22T12:02:00.000-07:00

A few years ago a friend from California who was planning a move to Panama asked me what she should bring, and I wrote a post about it. The subject has come up again in the Panama Forum Yahoo discussion group, as it does from time to time, so I'm updating my old post. I have also expanded the list of things to leave behind.

If you live in Panama (or anywhere in Central America since all deal with similar challenges of humidity and lack of local manufacturing) and you have any further suggestions of your own, please add them by commenting to this post:

THINGS TO BRING WHEN YOU MOVE TO PANAMA:

Quality tools of any kind, whether hand tools or electrical tools. The ones here are imported from China and are poor quality.
Quality kitchenware, including pots and pans, silverware, can openers, etc. Again, not the best quality here.
English language books, CDs, DVDs. Even if they're books you've already read, you can trade them at the various book exchanges, like the one at the expat center in Panama City.
Light clothing made of natural materials such as cotton or linen. I recently ordered a bamboo fiber shirt online and found it to be extremely light and soft. Also, you may not find your size here. Panamanians tend to be shorter and more slender than North Americans.
A pair of waterproof boots or shoes for the rainy season.
If you'll be in the highlands, a waterproof or water-resistant jacket might come in handy during rainy season. In Panama City, however, it would be too hot for this.
Comfortable house shoes or house slippers. I have removed three giant spiders from our house, and I always wear slippers now. In addition, floors here are tiled, not carpeted, and so may not be as soft as you are used to. I have a pair of Crocs that I wear around the house and I'm very happy with them.
A computer. The computers sold here have Spanish-language operating systems, so if you prefer an English-language model you should bring it with you. Also, computers and electronics in general are more expensive here than in the USA. Other electronic items I have brought from the states include a digital camera, aSkype-enabled cordless phone and a PDA.
If you have particular cosmetics or skin care products that you like, I suggest you bring a supply with you, since there's no guarantee that you will find the same brand here. Certainly the Farmacia Arrocha is full of imported skin care products, but you may not find that particular brand that you're used to.
High thread count sheets and pillowcases. Hard to find here, I've heard.
Alice, a reader of my blog says: "Face Cloths! When we traveled to Panama in January most of the mid-priced hotels we stayed in did not have face cloths. When browsing different stores for items like towels, pillows, etc there was a VERY small selection to choose from. I also noticed that the quality of plasticware was very poor. I dare say you wouldn't put any of it in a microwave, so I'll bring my own. Just a couple of observations while in Panama."
Richard adds, "Right-on about the face cloths. My wife and I spent considerable time even in Panama City trying to find small wash cloths and just ended up with what we call 'hand towels' that were much larger than needed."
The power goes out here occasionally. On her last trip to the U.S., Laura brought back a hand-cranked lantern and flashlight made by Freeplay. I love these. You just wind them up and you have light. No batteries needed. I take the flashlight with me when I go on my evening walks.
Update regarding hand-cranked devices: I brought back another hand-cranked flashlight and a hand-powered radio and I gave them to my gardener as gifts. He lives in a village in the mountains with no electricity, and walks an hour every day to get to El Valle. And I know that he (like many locals) is too poor to buy batteries for battery-operated devices. He was very happy with them and I believe they will significantly improve his quality of life. I can imagine the whole family sitting around in the evening listening to the radio and taking turns winding it up.
Connie from the Panama Forum came up with the following list: "Lots of refills for anything that requires refills: coffee filters, vaccuum bags, Swiffer refills. They aren't available here very often... I don't think you would want to ship them, but you may find yourself bringing back spices and extracts (just try to find peppermint extract in David or > Panama City) and other goodies like special flours or canned green, chilis or whatever it is you like to cook... Susan G-G would probably recommend a good can opener... Plastic shelf liner from the Container Store (if you have an American style kitchen, you may have trouble finding enough liner of any kind). If you are building, kitchen knobs; without being picky, I could not find enough of any kind in David or Panama City unless I wanted plain wooden ones. Anything for organizing: hooks, drawer dividers, shelves, etc. (very limited selection here). More gardening tools (good quality) and some of my favorite plant pots. An electric space heater (I live in the mountains)."
I second the vote for a good can opener. I searched everywhere for one. Many stores carried electric openers, but it wasn't until I visited one of the department stores on the peatonal (the pedestrial stretch of Avenida Central) that I found a low-quality manual opener. I had to show Rosa (our maid) how to use it because she had never seen one and had been punching cans open with knives!
Susan Guberman-Garcia says, "If you have a high end computer with a lot of data and software in it, bring that. If you have a good saw and a few high end tools bring those. Bring your cotton clothes. If you have books you particularly treasure, bring those. Everything else leave home, sell it, give it away, or put it in storage if you aren't sure whether you are coming back. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. (and I think it's nuts to ship a car here...)."
Another reader of the Panama Forum says, "Well I would recomend being sure to bring all small appliances from the States. We paid good money for a coffee maker at the Do-It Center (in Panama) and it died this morning. Just a short 8 week life span. Yesterday, a $40.00 tower fan died a slow death. Actually it was a massive heart attack and very quick. The fan lived a short 6.5 weeks. Not really long-life appliances."

And a few more unusual ideas:

Are you an ice cream fan? It's hard to get good ice cream here. They do sell Haagen Dazs pints at the Supermercado El Rey, but they are expensive and often have that icy texture characteristic of ice cream that has melted and re-frozen. So Laura brought back a "Lello Gelato" ice cream making machine, pictured here, from her last trip to the States. It makes fantastic home made ice cream. Laura has made coffee, honey and chocolate flavors.
When you're ready to build a house, you want to make sure that any wood used in the construction is thoroughly dried, otherwise it may warp later. This is a problem here in Panama, as wood kilns are extremely rare and air-drying is not effective in this humid climate. If you can afford it, I suggest buying a meter that will measure the moisture level in wood (costs about $350).
A final word from Connie: "What we brought that I am glad we did: books, my husband's tools, my sewing machine (cleaned and checked out before I came), yoga equipment, all my kitchen stuff, our computers. Oh, yes, my husband's box of suits and ties, so I can tease him about never wearing them. By the time we unpacked them, the wool suits were already moldy."

THINGS TO LEAVE BEHIND OR TAKE EXTRA CARE WITH:

If you maintain a home in the USA, or you can leave a few things with a relative, you should consider leaving the following items at home. If you really must bring them, take extra care with them:

Anything that would be adversely affected by constant humidity. For example, a baseball card collection, personal artwork, or family photographs. Of course you want to have some family photos with you, but is it necessary to bring them all? If you have time you could scan them and put them on CD's or a hard drive.
One reader of this blog commented, "With regard to family photos. I totally agree with "not bringing them. My wife and I have spent the last two years, on and off, scanning 22 years and 12 albums onto C.D's. These can be kept forever and with a DVD player viewed on television on the game setting. Works very well."
And Randy added, "Take care with putting archives on cds. I believe removable hard drives are the way to store this sort of thing. CDs and DVDs are not designed to last forever."
Anything fragile, such as glass-framed posters, glass collectibles, or ceramics. These kinds of things are easily damaged in shipping. If you must bring them, pack them very carefully.
Heavy clothing, woollen clothing, jackets, sweaters, etc. Unless you are going to be in a highland town like El Valle, Cerro Azul, Boquete or Volcan, you will not need these things at all. Even in the highlands, a few windbreakers and sweatshirts generally suffice.
Another list by Connie Grant from the Panama Forum: "What I wouldn't bring: Henredon or other brand wood furniture from the U.S. It swells in the humidity... Anything wool; it tends to mold in the humidity... Same problem with some but not all leather goods... Cars (everybody I know who did it wishes they hadn't)... Front loader washers (sometimes special detergent is available, sometimes it isn't in David). Also, last rainy season, our wooden spoons got moldy. Now we use only nylon spoons for cooking."

Bugs on the Brain: Wild life and insects in Panama

2009-05-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

Quick word: I have finished the website that showcases my house for rent and for sale here in El Valle de Anton, Panama. See it at http://www.CasaPanama.com/

Now on to the wildlife:

One of the joys of life in the tropics is the incredible wealth of life, both plant life and animal life. Panama boasts more species of birds than any nation in the Americas. El Valle is a birder's mecca. People come here from all over the world to hike up into the hills and birdwatch. Within a few hours hike you can spot toucans, a huge variety of hummingbirds, herons, eagles, many species of quail, macaws, parrots, cuckoos, owls of all kinds... the list goes on.

In this house, I wake up to bird song. It's a lovely sound to be greeted by. Often when I walk in the evening, I pass horses grazing on the road in front of the house (it's a grass "street"). I see owls, bats, possums, armadillos, ñeques, and the occasional sloth. And I sleep to a symphony of frogs and crickets.

Speaking of crickets, however, that brings me to an aspect of life in the tropics that may annoy some people: the bugs.

Anyone who is afraid of insects would need some therapy here. This is a tropical country, and bugs of all kinds are a fact of life. Right now it's beetle season. Every day I find several in the house, usually upside-down and waving their legs in slow motion, like a drunk trying to flag a taxi. They are beneficial insects, so I pick them up and take them outside.

By the way, did you know that there are more species of beetles than of any other animal in the world? There is a mind-boggling 350,000 known species of beetles in the world, which is 40% of all described insect species, and 25% of all life on earth!

Every now and then I'll find a large spider in some corner. They are gray, hairy spiders the size of my palm. Again, I scoop them up with a dustpan and toss them out.

There are at least four varieties of ants that are common here. One always has to be aware of food storage and disposal. Leave anything sweet or sugary out (even juice residue in a glass) and tiny sugar ants will be all over it within a half hour. Breakfast cereal, candy or sweets, and of course sugar must all be stored in the refrigerator. Leave anything with protein out, and black ants will march in to devour it. The same black ants will consume the beetles or other insects if they die in the house and remain on the floor too long. These blank ants bite, and if you accidentally step in their way they will be all over your leg before you know it, biting like Mike Tyson.

I have my own strategy for dealing with mosquitoes. I have gotten very good at killing them and can snatch one out of the air with one hand. The real problem comes at night, when one becomes an unconscious feast. What I do is, in the evening I keep the bedroom dark, and I turn a bright light on in some other part of the house to draw them out. When I go to sleep I shut the bedroom door so they can't get in. If I do get bitten, I've found that a brief application of ice to the bite will cure the inflammation and itch completely, if you don't scratch.

The mosquitoes and moths attract geckos, which can frequently be seen on the walls or ceiling. Again, I don't know how they get in, but they are beneficial and I leave them alone. In fact in Panama they call them "limpia casa", house cleaner. They have a distinctive call that sounds like a mocking laugh. Occasionally they time it just right, for example after I've said something silly or forgot what I was doing, and I have to say, "Yeah, very funny!"

Outdoors is another matter. There is a teeming variety of both beneficial and harmful insects, with the real pests being ants and noseeums (also called chiggers or sand flies). Leaf cutter ants are everywhere, and it's not a good idea to step in their path. Fortunately they are easy to spot, with their clear-cut trails through the grass, and their leaf pieces moving along as if by magic.

The noseeums fertilize cocoa trees, so I realize that they too have a purpose in God's plan, but their bites are maddening, much worse than mosquito bites. I never walk outdoors (even in the yard) barefoot or in slippers. I always wear shoes, socks and long pants.

Bees and wasps are common, and we have twice had to remove wasp nests from the eaves of the house.

With all that said, you get used to it. It's a part of life here and eventually you adjust. It's the price you pay for the fruits that drop from the trees right into your hand, the profusion of flowers, the hummingbirds that can be seen outside the window every day, the amazing variety of bird calls, and all the other wonderful aspects of life in the tropics.

House for Rent in El Valle de Antón, Panama

2009-05-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of building a website to showcase my house, which is available for immediate rental in El Valle de Antón, Panama.

The website is http://www.CasaPanama.com/

Check it out and see what I've got so far.

Continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi

2009-05-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

This has nothing to do with Panama, but is an important issue. The government of Myanmar (Burma) is bringing new charges against Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the democracy movement there. Ms. Suu Kyi is also the rightful leader of Burma, having won the last elections held in that country in 1990.

The charges are baseless and are merely an excuse to extend her house arrest, which has been ongoing for almost 20 years, and which was due to expire this month.

Update: in the latest development, Ms. Suu Kyi has been arrested and taken to Insein prison.

Learn more and take action here:

http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/index.php/burma/campaigns/aung-san-suu-kyi/

I (heart) El Valle de Anton

2009-05-12T14:11:00.000-07:00

It's so nice to be back in El Valle and this house. I love this place. It is peaceful here. Last night I slept nine hours almost uninterrupted, which is really an unheard of thing for me. The only downside is that I miss my daughter Salma very much. I hope that when she is older I can bring her back to El Valle sometimes in summer to visit. So many people here ask about her.

I walked to my next door neighbor's house and before I even got to the front gate they were all rushing out to see me. Senora Teresa, her daughter Maria, and Maria's children Alba and the baby Emily. Another girl I didn't know, probably a niece. All their faces were shining and they were so happy to see me. I had gift for all of them. A little outfit for the baby, a copper bracelet for Alba, and a big jar of mixed nuts for the ladies (from Cosco). Senora Teresa held up the nuts and said, "Ay, que rico!" I saw Elvin hanging back by the chicken coop shyly. He waved at me and I called him over. He came running and I gave him a pack of Life Savers. Even Kissy the dog wagged her tail at me. As I left Teresa told me repeatedly that they were at my service for anything I might need during my stay here. I walked away with a big smile on my face. Later I saw the patriarch, Senor Rufino, sitting on the porch and waved to him. He doesn't get around much anymore. Last year he fell and broke his arm and I drove him to the hospital in Penonome.

I'm spoiled, used to having a car here in El Valle. I need to buy some groceries from the Centro Comercial but don't feel like walking all the way down there, so I've been going to some of the closer but smaller stores like the Yin. I also need to take my clothes to the laundry and buy a cell phone from the new Digicel store here in El Valle. I'm told I can get a phone for $10. That, plus a $10 card for talk time, should get me through my two remaining weeks in Panama.

I met a fellow at Los Nances named Ray Underwood. He sells medical equipment and knows all the doctors in Panama. He told me there are three dentists in Panama who use lasers rather than drills, and he recommended one in particular, a Dr. Felipe Magh who is located at Consultorios Paitilla. I need to have two cavities filled and a thorough cleaining. Ray says that all this can be done easily with lasers and that laser procedures are almost painless. So as soon as I get a phone I'll call him and make an appointment.

Other things that I want to do during my stay here include shipping some of my boxes back the USA and finding a good storage facility for what's left. And of course find new tenants for the house, and list it for sale.

Adam has been trying to get a carpenter for me to do the closets project for the house. There's a Guatemalan fellow named Emilio who lives here in El Valle, and who, when he is not drunk, is very skilled. He's always busy and we've made an appointment for him to come to the house Friday to see the closets.

I also want to buy a bed. We don't have a bed in the master bedroom, just a box spring and mattress that sit on the floor, and while I find it comfortable enough, I feel it doesn't make a good impression on prospective renters. Adam is going into Panama tomorrow and I think I'll go with him and check out a discount furniture store. We could pick up my friend Tracy along the way, and he and I could hang out together. I haven't seen him since last year.

I've been going out for walks every night. I carry my stick to keep the occasional aggressive dog away. The dogs are mild mannered and even cowardly during the day, but at night they seem to think they own the roads. I listen to my iPod, walk the dark roads past the fruit trees and flowers, and enjoy the sounds of the strange night birds.

Beautiful house for rent in El Valle de Anton

2009-05-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

I am offering my furnished house for rent in El Valle de Anton. For those who don't know, El Valle is a lovely town 90 minutes outside of Panama. It sits at 600 meters elevation and has a pleasant, cool climate. El Valle is a reort town and a popular weekend destination and as a result it has many nice restaurants, a thriving crafts market, a hot springs, waterfalls, and an established expat community.

The lot is 1,500 m2 with beautiful mature trees of all kinds, including papaya, eucalyptus, bananas (the banana trees produce a small, uniquely flavored banana called "guineo de manzana"), and various berry bushes.

The house is 260 m2 with three bedrooms and three baths. Some of the house's features:

* Convenient location two blocks off the main road and close to the center of town. Everything is within walking distance.

* Plenty of windows and lots of light.

* Split AC's and ceiling fans in each bedroom.

* Stone flooring and teak cabinets in the bathrooms.

* A huge kitchen with a large island and plenty of counter space. Refrigerator was purchased last year.

* Large living room built in a unique "patio style" that keeps the room cool year round and allows the breeze to pass through.

* A barbeque in the living room and an exhaust fan to take away the smoke.

* Plenty of closet and storage space.

* Internet ready with a MobilNet dish on the roof and the cable already installed. All you have to do is call them and activate it.

* Furniture includes rustic-style couch and chairs, built in tables and seating, rocking chair, hammock, kitchen stools, two beds plus sheets and pillows, nightstands, large TV and DVD player, small desk and leather office chair, three UPS devices and several surge protectors, lamps, Vornado floor fans, quality cookware and silverware from the U.S., garden shed equipped with tools, and more. It's turnkey. You could move right in with just the clothes on your back.

Our last tenants were very happy and comfortable here.

An excellent maid and gardener work one day a week each in the house, keeping it maintained and clean (you pay them). They have worked in this house for five years and know it very well. You will not find better employees anywhere. By the way, Rosa (the maid) would be happy to cook for you as well if you like. She has really branched out her cooking skills over the years and can prepare very nice local style food, Chinese stir fry, Italian and even vegetarian.

Rent is $1,100 per month (negotiable), plus security deposit.

Cats or small dogs are ok and in fact the side door has a small pet door built in.

If you are interested please call Adam Brunner at 6517-2947 and make an appointment to see the house.

House with a view

2009-05-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

Bill Brunner's son Adam has been managing my house in my absence. When I left I had pakced a few dozen boxes that I was not prepared to ship back to the States, so Adam put them in storage at his house. Adam's house was built by his grandfather and a german engineer in the 1960's. It's on the road to El Valle, high up on a ridge looking out over the Pacific. It was not lived in for many years and it's a mess, but Adam has been gradually fixing it up. Here are some photos of the house and the view:

Los Nances bed and breakfast in El Valle

2009-05-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

Heading up to Los Nances bed and breakfast, I was not sure what to expect as Adam had told me the place was undergoing renovation. I imagined a small, dusty room with furniture covered in plastic.

In fact it was a lovely, large room with attractive wooden furniture, a mini kitchen and a great view. The top photo in this post is the view from my room, through the screen.

Los Nances used to offer four spacious and comfortable rooms for rent. When it reopens, it will offer eight rooms outside the main house, plus a few suites downstairs. They are also building a large deck that will offer a spectacular view of the valley. Although they are not open for business, Bill has been kind enough to let me stay in one of the rooms. They have fed me breakfast and dinner, and I have been able to use their wireless internet network.

Getting a ride to El Valle; Los Nances Bed and Breakfast

2009-05-09T16:23:00.000-07:00

I subscribe to the El Valle Yahoo group, and I noticed in a recent posting that Jackie Johnson, a Zonian who lives in El Valle, was going to be in Panama City on Friday. I emailed her and asked if I could get a ride back to El Valle with her Friday afternoon, and she agreed. I was so happy that I did not have to take a taxi to Albrook mall in order to take the noisy, crowded bus to El Valle, lugging my suitcases with me. Jackie told me she was getting her car fixed and she'd pick me up outside the hotel at 3pm.

I checked out of the hotel Friday at 3pm and waited for Jackie. Time went by. I listened to my iPod: first a Spanish lesson, then an episode of Talk of the Nation from National Public Radio. More time went by. I don't have a mobile phone and could not call her. But I was not worried or agitated. I know how things are in Panama. It could be that her car was not ready when they promised it, or she was stuck in traffic. Jackie showed up around 4:30 and as I suspected, she had had a difficult day. We got on the road, and we talked along the way. I've spoken to Jackie more than once in the past but never in depth. So I got to know her for the first time. Like me, she has had a difficult year, but hers was a matter of fate while mine was more of my own doing. Anyway, we found a lot to talk about.

I was going to be staying in Los Nances, high on a hillside above El Valle, but Jackie didn't want to drive that steep road up to the inn, so we called Adam Brunner and he met us in the center of town, in front of the Supermercado Yin. Adam picked me up, I had dinner at Los Nances, and settled into a very comfortable room for the night.

A lawyer, a chef, printing photos, and a good laptop repair shop in Panama City

2009-05-09T16:19:00.000-07:00

I got an early start the next day and went directly to the offices of Berliza Arosemena, Abogada (Attorney). Berliza has been my lawyer for four years now and I recommend her services to anyone who needs a capable, competent, agressive attorney. Her website is http://www.MyPanamaLawyer.com. Tell her Wael referred you.

Berliza got married recently and just had a baby, and she looked good. Her skin was glowing and she seemed generally more content and easygoing than I remembered. She showed me a photo of the baby and she (the baby) looks exactly like the mother. I conducted some business with Berliza and gave her the gift Laura had sent for her, some nice clothing for the baby. Berliza filled me in on the latest gossip regarding expats that both she and I know. It was a good visit.

I walked up the street just a few dozen meters to La Novena, a gourmet vegetarian restaurant run by Chef Arturo. I used to eat at La Novena often but had not been there in a long time. Arturo was in the kitchen busily preparing the special of the day, a yucca pie. He looked up and saw me and said, "Have mercy!" Later his trainee chef - a tall, painfully thin woman who needs to sample more of her own cheesecake - took over, and Arturo sat with me to talk. "What are your intentions?" he asked me in his clearly enunciated, oddly accented English. I filled him in on some of the changes in my personal life and he was shocked. "Life changes," he said. "That is the only constant."

I mentioned that the Hotel Marparaiso has wireless internet. What I did not mention is that after the first night in Panama, my laptop stopped charging, and the battery life dwindled steadily until the computer shut down. I should have known better. I lived in this country for three years. You simply do not plug expensive electronics into an unprotected wall socket here, unless you want to end up with a very pricey paperweight. The electrical current in Panama is not steady. It sometimes cuts out for milliseconds and then comes back with a surge. It will quickly fry almost anything you plug in, from a floor fan to a refrigerator. To protect your electronics, plug everything into a surge protector, and in the case of computers I recommend a heavy-duty surge protecter and UPS device (uninterruptible power supply) that will kick in automatically if the power fails for even a microsecond.

I got lucky. I wanted to print some photos of Salma to share with friends here. I have a CD with 100 photos on it. I took it to the MultiMax store on Via Brasil near MultiPlaza. I hoped that I could also find a laptop battery there. They didn't carry laptop batteries, but they have a Kodak machine that prints photos from a CD or USB drive. You put the CD in the machine, and your photos come up on a touch screen. You select the photos and quantity that you want, and the machine gives you a receipt. Then you come back a few days later to get your photos. It only cost me $10 to print 100 photos! I couldn't believe it. Other people tell me they've seen these machines in the States, but I doubt they printing for 10 cents a photo.

That's not the really lucky part. Walking back up the street from MultiPlaza, I tried to catch a taxi but could not. It's always difficult on that stretch of Via Brasil. As I approached the Idaan building I saw a small show called simply, "Computadoras." I went in and saw that they specialied in laptop sales and repairs. The young man told me he could not help me without seeing my computer.

I finally caught a taxi back to the hotel. The driver was talkative, praised my Spanish, and told me that he wants to retire and travel the world. I told him that I want to go to Africa, and he warned me that the tigers there would find me to be a fat and juicy morsel. I know some North Americans would find this offensive, but Panamanians are very open with these kinds of comments and I laughed.

Grabbed my computer out of my hotel room, and caught a taxi right back to the computer shop. Traffic was horrendous and it took forever. The driver had his wife in the front seat and his young daughter (perhaps seven years old) in the back, next to me. She had apparently just gotten out of school and was wearing her uniform and trying to sleep on the seat. The driver was listening to evangelical music and when a particular song came on, the girl sat up excitedly and began to sing along. I didn't get all the words, but some of it was,

El es todo,
poderoso,

El es grande,
Invincible...

So the lucky part is that the fellow at the computer shop found me a battery. It's not exactly the right model and charges more slowly than my old one, but it works. And I bought a surge protector this time.

Like I said, it's called Computadoras, has pictures of laptops on the front, and is just down the street from Idaan.

Panama City Hotel Reviews: Hotel Marparaiso

2009-05-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

Henry gave me a ride to ScotiaBank, where I keep a checking account. By the way, I recommend ScotiaBank for personal checking or savings accounts. It's not perfect, but I've never experienced any real problems, the fees are reasonable, and I've never heard of ScotiaBank perpetrating the kind of customer service horror stories associated with many other banks in Panama.

After that Henry was kind enough to chauffer me around Calidonia looking for a cheap hotel. By the way, Henry and Nora run Paradise Services, an expat services and real estate company. They are great people and you simply could not find someone better to help you get settled and find property in Panama. Their website is http://www.PanamaRetire.net

Back to the subject of hotels in Panama: three years ago I used to stay at the Las Vegas (in the heart of El Cangrejo) for $35 per night, but good mid-range hotel rooms have become extremely scarce in Panama due to both increased tourism and lack of new hotel construction. Prices have more doubled at the Las Vegas and it's always booked far in advance.

We drove around until Henry spotted the Marparaiso, which he had heard good things about, so we stopped and I rented a room for $40. The room was not luxurious by any means, but adequate. A bed, chair, a few small tables, a wardrobe, cable TV, and lukewarm water in the shower. I was very happy to find that they have a free internet network for guests. Oh, and check out time is 3pm! My room also had a hole in the wall that seemed to lead to a crawl space, but that's Panama. Unfinished construction and odd flaws are normal. The only real problem was a weak air conditioner that did nothing to moderate the furnace-like heat on one of the hottest days that Panama City has had lately.

I was so exhausted that it hardly mattered. I stripped naked and slept in a light sheen of sweat all afternoon long. Later I got up and showered, and went out to eat. Not feeling like spending the hour and a half that it takes to dine out in Panama, I got a Subway sandwich to go, Went to El Rey supermarket for a soda and chocolate bar, and to Farmacia Arrocha where I bought a strong desk fan. Caught a cab back to the hotel for $1.50.

The next day I asked to change rooms. All the guide books say that you should ask to see a few different rooms first, and I suppose that's good advice. The second room was far better than the first, for the same price. Better furniture, a functioning air conditioner, and a better view.

Summary: I recommend the Marparaiso for the price, but ask to see a few rooms first, and make sure the air conditioner works well. Be aware that the neighborhood is not safe for walking around at night. If you go out at night, take a taxi.

Engine engine number nine: when the train of life derails

2009-03-16T01:15:00.000-07:00

I sometimes recite to Salma a "choosing" rhyme that I learned as a kid:

Engine engine number nine

going down Chicago line.

If the train goes off the track

Do you want your money back?

Then if the person says, "Yes", for example, you would count out y-e-s-spells-yes-and-you-are-not-it. Of course like all choosing rhymes, if you are adept you can manipulate it to bring about the desired outcome.

I wonder about the origin of this rhyme. Was there a real accident in Chicago involving an engine number nine? Anyway, each time I recite it I get to thinking about it in a deeper sense. Because at some point, every train goes off the track of life, and you never get your money back, nor any compensation at all, except maybe the karmic variety. As the Quran says, "Whoever does an atom's weight of good shall see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil shall see it." So yes, everything is counted and weighed.

Nevertheless, in the short run all you get is a pile of tangled metal.

Derailment happens in many ways. You get caught up in the mundane realities of life - work, bills, debt, family - and lose sight of your dreams. Or God presents you with special opportunities and you reject them out of fear of the unknown. Or you suffer an unexpected loss. Or betrayal, that's a big one, especially if it is perpetrated by someone close to you. That's explosive on the tracks. It shakes the ground beneath your feet. So you lose faith in God, or in yourself, or in the world around you, and BOOM, engine engine number nine goes crashing off the track.

What now?

Well, you are still alive. Still breathing. Other opportunities will present themselves. God is still here, you are still here, the world in all its shambling glory is still here. If you've suffered a loss then take some time to grieve and allow yourself to function at less than full capacity for a while. Then get up, dust yourself off and, armed with the wisdom of lessons learned and losses survived, step out into the world bravely, unflinching from what may come. You will recover from your loss in time. Human beings are resilient. After all, we managed to survive saber toothed tigers, ice ages and the black plague to make it this far.

So no, I don't want my money back, thank you very much.

Retirement in El Valle? - Questions from a Reader

2009-03-15T14:42:00.001-07:00

I received an email from a reader named Rick with some questions about life in El Valle. Here are his questions and my answers in blue:

"Hi Wael, Thanks for all the information on your website. I have a few questions regarding year-round living (i.e. retirement) in el valle de anton:

(1) What is the low temperature and the high temperature on a typical day in El Valle?"

Answer: Temperatures in El Valle are extremely comfortable. The wet season (April to December, approximately) is warm, rainy and humid; dry season (January to March) is slightly cooler, windy and dry. Heating is never needed and AC is rarely used. You will often run a fan on a warm day. If you go out in the evening, you might sometimes need a light jacket, but mostly not. I'd say the lows to highs during the day are 65 to 85, and at night 55 to 70.

The humidity of course is high. In the beginning this can be quite uncomfortable, but eventually your body adjusts and you don't feel it anymore, except maybe when it rains on a warm day. The high humidity presents many other challenges when it comes to storing and caring for food, clothing, electronic equipment, etc, but that's a different subject.

Weather in El Valle is mostly lovely and perfectly attuned to human comfort, but at times it can be dramatic. Crashing thunderstorms, heavy downpours, lightning shows... the dry season is also very windy in El Valle - I mean, at times it sounds like it will tear your roof off - and that takes some getting used to.

(2) "Are there any houses to RENT on a long-term basis, or must I buy a house if I want to live there?"

Answer: The rental market in El Valle is always tight, but there are usually a few houses available. They range from "typical" Panamanian homes with small windows, no AC and primitive kitchens, to newer, more upscale houses. Rent could be anywhere between $400 and $1500 or more, depending on the house. In fact my house will probably be available for rent in May. I saw a recent posting on the El Valle forum regarding a house for rent and you should contact Larry and Becky from the Golden Frog Inn about it.

(3) "Since the juice of the green (young) coconut seems to help my kidney problem, I'd like to know if fresh green coconuts are readily available in El Valle - or do I have to go down into the lowlands to buy them?"

Answer: Coconuts grow everywhere in El Valle. You can buy them at the mercado or climb a tree with a ladder and cut them down with a machete. "Coconut water" is also sold in all the stores.

(4) "How long is the ride (by bus or motor scooter) from El Valle to nice beaches with very clean seawater for swimming?"

Answer: It is a 45 minute drive down the mountain to nice beaches such as Santa Clara beach. The bus might take a little longer.

(5) "Are the any freshwater options (rivers, lakes, waterfalls) near El Valle that are clean enough and warm enough for bathing and swimming?"

Answer: There are streams in the hills around El Valle with natural pools (in the photo at top you see a local waterfall called Chorro El Macho). The water would be slightly on the chilly side. I have often seen locals swimming in them, but never ex-pats or tourists. If you hike up the La India Dormida trail, you'll see some natural pools. I don't see any reason why you could not swim in them. There is also the thermal hot springs in El Valle, which charges (last I checked) $1.50 for admittance. Also, a few local hotels have swimming pools and will let you swim for a nominal fee.

Thank you!

Rick

You're welcome.

Panama's Promised Land - Without Water

2009-01-25T15:38:00.000-08:00

There's an article on the University of Miami School of Communications website about a little town called La Tierra Prometida - the promised land - about 30 minutes outside of Panama City. It sounds like it might be in the direction of Darien. It's a village of 500 people with no water. Their situation is rather desperate. People, especially children, fall ill constantly to diarrhea and fever from drinking fouled water.

Please read the article and the accompanying video. I want to know what can be done about this situation. Those of you with experience in such maters, please comment.

Here is the article in full:

La Tierra Prometida: Panama’s waterless Promised Land

By Andrew Donovan & Natalia Vanegas
LA TIERRA PROMETIDA, Panama –
Tucked away among the rolling hills of Panama’s impoverished Sector C countryside rests a small and secluded village known as La Tierra Prometida. Just a 30-minute drive from the sultry skyline of Panama’s thriving cosmopolitan capital, Panama City, La Tierra Prometida – translated means “The Promised Land” in English – represents a far different world than that of the country’s well-known capital city.
Rotting wood and rusting scrap metal adorn the small, dirt-floor shacks that line the rocky and winding dirt roads of this seemingly forgotten shantytown in southern Panama.
However, this represents only part of the cruel irony of the place called The Promised Land. The approximately 500 men, women and children who inhabit the close-knit community of La Tierra Prometida live most of their days without running water.
Water only flows through the village’s pipes once every three to six months and the government car that brings water during the dry times only comes every eight days, if at all, resident Maritza Correa said. Even when the car does show up, that water lasts only two or three days before it becomes contaminated and unusable.
Without the proper means to store and conserve the transported water and without a dependable supply of fresh water from the pipes, citizens of La Tierra Prometida have done their best to cope, but continue to endure unending problems.
Residents collect rain water in large barrels for drinking, taking showers and washing clothes, but due to changing climates and insufficient storage procedures, this water source is not reliable and undrinkable.
“During the winter, we have fewer problems, but during the summer, sometimes it doesn’t rain,” Correa said. “And even when it does rain, the water only lasts two or three days before it starts to smell bad. This has affected the kids. It gives them diarrhea, vomiting and fever.”
Hoping to prolong the water’s useful life, one resident added Clorox to the rainwater, hoping to clear up the black residue that had accumulated at the bottom of the barrel. The residue cleared, but the resident, Clara Santos, was left with rashes throughout her body after bathing in the improperly-treated water. “Look at me how I am,” Santos said, painfully revealing several scars spread across her forearms.
Like the rest of the people of La Tierra Prometida, Santos is fed up with the waterless conditions.
“For a whole week, my grandson had a fever and diarrhea, and he was vomiting,” she said. “There are no more options. The water from the rain is making us sick.”
“When there is no water from the water car, from the pipes, from anywhere,” Correa said. “We have to go to the stream to shower. The stream is in the woods and there could be snakes or other animals. That’s dangerous. Aside from that, there are people with bad intentions living in the woods. They can take a girl and take advantage of her,” she added.
From the car, to rain water, to the streams, Correa said the people of La Tierra Prometida have tried tirelessly to come up with a solution, but have yet to find one. “I have been living here for seven years and the problem is still not over,” she said angrily. “We have tried in everyway to solve this issue, but they haven’t solved our water situation.”
“They,” according to Correa, is the Instituto de Acueductos y Alcantarillados Nacionales (IDAAN), the country’s national aqueducts and sewage institute.
“We’ve ask the IDAAN to do something about it, but they haven’t solved our problem,” Correa said.
Their pleas to the IDAAN – the country’s water distributor – have gone unanswered other than the time some of the villagers banded together in protest, creating a human roadblock on a nearby street.
“When we did that, we got water,” Correa said. “And what does that tell us? That tells us that there is water available because the day we closed the street, the engineer from the IDAAN came here and the next day we had water, and a lot of it.”
But, within days, the village’s pipes were again dry, leading Correa and other residents to believe their situation is the result of a lack of compassion and competence on the part of the IDAAN rather than an issue of supply.
IDAAN officials do not deny the accusations of the village’s residents. However, officials say they have no foreseeable solution to the problem and they do not know when running water will be consistently available to the area. “The people that live in the metropolitan area have different conditions of service of potable water,” IDAAN official Catalina de Guema said.
“There are zones in the city of Panama that always have the flow of water. “There are other zones that have it sporadically.” La Tierra Prometida is located in one of those zones and its lack of water is due to the nature of its establishment said fellow IDAAN official Julio Cefar.
”Those are zones that were not planned and the communities are growing without the government being able to keep up,” Cefar said. “Because of that, we cannot always cover those areas with water.
“Despite that, I believe we have one of the major coverage areas of potable water based on population in all of Latin America,” Cefar said. “That’s what the statistics say.”
But, it’s not the statistics that matter to the people of La Tierra Prometida. “They always tell us to wait and it seems that we are going to stay waiting,” Santos said. “Nobody listens to us or comes here to see the situation. We’re totally abandoned.”

Here is an accompanying video::

VIDEO: Tierra Prometida: Panama's Waterless Promised Land

And here is a blog post about it by one of the university students:

Panama Day 3: Harsh Reality

Why is the rainwater undrinkable? Why does it go bad so quickly? What storage solutions can be implemented so that rainwater can be cached safely for longer periods of time?

Comments please.

Living in the Past, Living in the Future

2009-01-14T06:51:00.000-08:00

Living in the Past

I have an American friend in Panama who seems to dwell in the past more than the present. He grew up in the Bahamas in the 1970's, a particularly carefree place, and his walls are covered with photographs of the days when he flew high in many ways - he was a surfer and a pilot, but also a drug and alcohol abuser and lived in what was essentially a commune. Someone in his life was a painter and he has several of her paintings on his walls, most of them depicting idyllic scenes of the Bahamas: a curving beach lined with palm trees, the water lapping at the shore.

He began to lose his vision in his late teens. It was a progressive condition with no cure. He sobered up and became a drug and alcohol counselor. He can still see, but not well.

His life is very different now. He has been sober for fourteen years, he is divorced, and he lives alone in a comfortable house in the Panama countryside.

He speaks of the past often, and when I visit we frequently end up talking about one of the photographs on his walls or in his albums: him sitting on the stoop of a ramshackle house with a big German shepherd dog on his lap; standing next to a small airplane, wearing shorts and a tank top; sitting in a bar with his arm around Count Basie, a famous jazz pianist who died in the 1980's.

This friend of mine becomes easily discouraged when things don't go his way here in Panama. He doesn't have a clear idea of what he wants from Panama, aside from a comfortable, peaceful place to spend his days (which would certainly be enough for many people, but is not enough for my friend); and I wonder if his inability to visualize his future is what causes him to turn to the past for comfort. Sometimes I think that the loss of his sight is responsible: that in losing the ability to see the beauty around him, he is forced to detour in his mind into the past, where everything is as bold and bright, and pleasantly nostalgic as he wants it to be. Herb Caen, who for many decades wrote a column for the San Francisco Chronicle before he passed away, said half-jokingly that he tended to live in the past because most of his life was there. I wonder if my friend believes this as well.

The Unreality of Linear Time

What is the past, anyway? Sure, there are physical remains of the past all around us, such as volumes of ancient books under glass in museums, or the bricks of the pyramids, or the bones of a dinosuar embedded in the earth. But those things exist in the present. What happened to the past? Where did it go?

Nowhere, according to modern physics. Einstein believed that the disctinction between past, present and future was an illusion, and that all exist simultaneously. It's only we humans who are limited to our linear reality and our moment-by-moment perceptions.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in what Muslims call a "hadith Qudsi," or a statement in which the Prophet is narrating a statement of Allah that is not a part of the Quran:

"Allah said, 'Sons of Adam inveigh against [the vicissitudes of] Time, but I am Time, in My hand is the night and the day.'"

So if God himself is time, and He is eternal, existing in all times and all places, then time must also be unconfined by our incredibly limited linear perspective.

I find it interesting, by the way, how much of modern quantum physics echoes and confirms religious concepts expressed in the Quran.

Coming to Terms With My Personal Past

But I'm thinking more of my personal past, or yours: my childhood, my pains and joys, my humiliations and victories. Are they just chemical markers in my brain, perhaps remembered wrongly, or do they exist? What am I supposed to do with this past, how am I supposed to use it?

You see, I don't have quite as comfortable a relationship with my past as my friend.

I know that I need to come to terms with my past. I have a vast and motley assortment of memories colored with regret, shame, confusion, and yes some happy memories as well but they are widely spaced lights on a dark road.

Virginia Woolf wrote, "Each has his past shut in him like the leaves of a book known to him by heart and his friends can only read the title."

This not to say that I have no worries about the future or that I am supremely confident. But I am strong. I always have been. Watch me wrap my knees and get under a 450 lb. bar on a squat rack. I'm strong, mind and body. I can take whatever the future might throw at me (but that's not a challenge, God)! I can ride it, bust through it, go around it, tunnel under it. I'm strong.

What I want is not to be free of any ill that might befall me, but to conduct myself well. I want to do the right thing and have no regrets. And that's the thing about the past you see, that there are times when I did the wrong thing, and there's nothing I can do about it now.

Like the time, many years ago, that I was walking along Seventh Street in San Francisco with Laura, only a block from our building. We were probably on our way back from the Brainwash Cafe or some SOMA restaurant, I don't recall. Seventh street is a sketchy neighborhood, especially at night. Lots of drug dealers, homeless folks and nutcases. We were coming up to Market Street from Mission, when across the street in the dark mouth of Natoma alley we noticed three men beating and kicking a man who was on the ground. Laura said, "What should we do?"

I could see that this was not a case of some innocent tourist getting robbed. All the men involved looked like thugs. I didn't feel like running over there and getting stabbed or shot. So I said, "Leave it alone, we'll call the cops from the apartment." We kept on walking.

This was not the right thing to do, and I knew that even then. At the very least I could have shouted from my side of the street, or hollered for the cops. Maybe the three men would have run off. I could say that I was thinking of Laura's safety, but the truth is, I was just afraid to intervene.

There are other examples in which my behavior was less understandable or rational, and I don't particularly feel like discussing them. Suffice it to say that I have caused pain to others deliberately and inadvertently, and now that I am older, calmer, wiser, more understanding of other peoples' behavior, and more in touch my own soul, I regret many of the choices I made when I was young.

I can't go back and re-do any of it. I just have to live with the regret. All my strength and courage in the face of the future seems to avail me nothing when thinking of the past.

I know the AA folks say that regret for the past is a waste of spirit. And I believe that. In spite of this post I don't sit around crying over the past. I mostly just avoid thinking about it. And that's exactly my point. I wish I didn't have to do that. I wish I had a better relationship with my own past and could allow myself to experience it, relish the bright parts, laugh over the stupid mistakes, and remember the day to day pleasures. But in fact my memory of the past is very poor, perhaps because I avoid it. I find that when I meet old friends and they tell stories of things we have done together in the past, I rarely remember. I rely on them to be my memory, in a since, which is rather pitiful for someone who hasn't been in a coma or car accident.

I acknowledge that some of the problem may not be my actions themselves, but the way that I veiw them. My life in Panama was full of small joys and happy days, but now that I am back in the USA even that has become tinged with sadness.

Living in the Future

Perhaps because my past is a closed book of regrets, I focus on the future, almost obsessively so. Unlike my friend in Panama, my vision of the future burns like lasers. I am constantly thinking, planning, dreaming. I have bright dreams and no shortage of self-confidence. I am willing to take risks. I try to expand my horizons every day. I try to challenge myself mentally, physically and spiritually. I take tremendous pleasure in parenting my daughter Salma, though she does run me down sometimes like an Energizer bunny on its last legs. I'm a person of faith. I believe in God, the essential goodness of the world, myself, and the people I love.

Still, I need to find a way to come to terms with my past and even find joy in it. Focusing exclusively on the future is like driving a car and never looking in the rear view mirror. There are times when you really need to know what's coming up behind you, for your own safety. I'd like to remember my past better. It's been said that past is prologue, and I'd like to have a clearer insight into my own early chapters. I don't know how to go about this.

Any ideas? And please, don't just say, "Get over it." Give me something real to work with, ha ha. Share your insights, I am open to them.

San Francisco, California, and El Valle de Anton, Panama

2008-10-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

I want a magical room. This room would be fully equipped with a small library, a comfortable reading chair and desk, a small but cozy bed, and a cupboard stocked with good food. And of course a bathroom with a claw-footed tub and large fluffy towels (the room in the photo, by the way, is the Captain's Cove suite at a lodge called A Place by the Sea, in British Columbia, Canada. I've never been there).

You may be thinking, “That sounds like a wonderful room but not necessarily magical.” Yes, but I haven’t told you the best part. This room exists outside of time. You can spend a month in this room, relaxing, sleeping, getting caught up on your work, eating snacks and reading novels, taking hot bubble baths, and when you emerge no time will have passed in the outside world.

And since we’re dreaming, let’s dream big. You can access this room from anywhere, and exit anywhere. Just walk through any door anywhere in the world with the idea in your head that you are going to your magical room, and voila! There you are. When you are fully refreshed and ready to leave, envision any place in the world and when you exit, there you are.

I would use this room to relax, catch up on my work, read, and best of all, to travel back and forth between San Francisco, California, and El Valle de Anton, Panama.

Wow. Wouldn’t that be something. During the day I’d be in San Francisco, maybe exploring the incredible bounty of new restaurants that are giving flavor to the Union Square/Tenderloin area. Union Square itself has been renovated and is now an inviting open space in a uniquely San Franciscan style. Yes, the Tenderloin retains its dangerous edge, but it’s changing. There are Indian, Pakistani and Thai restaurants everywhere, along with cafes, edgy art galleries, smoke shops, and corner ethnic grocery stores (not liquor stores but real grocery stores). And this is considered one of the worst neighborhoods in The City!

The Ferry Building is now a gourmand’s delight. The Yerba Buena Gardens area (seen in the photo) is bustling, with so many new shops and restaurants you can hardly count them, and of course the distinctive MOMA building, with the art deco PG&E building towering behind it. There are a few unwelcome additions as well. The new Federal Building at 7th and Mission is a monstrosity, I’m sorry to say. I haven’t yet had a chance to explore the new Third Street corridor, the lower and upper Haight, the Mission, the new Academy of Sciences at Golden Gate Park, the new Asian Art Museum in Civic Center, or to check on the well established neighborhoods of North Beach, Nob Hill and Russian Hill, the Sunset and the Richmond.

After a day enjoying San Francisco’s bounty, I would walk into my magical room and take a restful nap. Then I would exit in El Valle, Panama in late afternoon, with a light breeze blowing and the mist draped over the forested hills of the caldera. I’d look up at Cerro La Iguana standing proudly in the sunlight, and on the opposite side Gaital hiding behind its shroud.

I’d walk down the main road and stop in at Carlitos and Veronica’s Galeria to say hello and admire the original handcrafts for sale there. I’d buy a candy bar at the pharmacy next door (they have the best selection of chocolate bars in town), and walk further to the Mercado. There I would visit with my friends Cleo and Niko, both of whom are crafts vendors, and enjoy some fresh fruit. I’d go for a short hike in the hills around town, or just a pleasant stroll beneath the mango and acacia trees. I’d check in on Zach & Danyelle and Rudy & Christina and see how their home construction projects are going. I’d drop by my own house and make sure Marina and Alex, my friendly Russian tenants, are happy, and I would see how my home improvement projects are progressing.

In the evening I’d go to Pinochio’s Pizza for dinner, or maybe to Mar y Tierra or El Rancho for grilled corvina and french fries. I’d get a room at one of the many local hotels and sleep to the sound of the frogs, barking dogs, crickets, and cicadas. In the morning I would wake to bird song and rooster calls, ready for my return to the city by the bay, the city of fog, San Francisco.

Differences Between Panama and California

2008-09-28T21:03:00.000-07:00

I'm back in the San Joaquin Valley of California and I miss Panama so much! My first few weeks back in North America were strange. I had forgotten the strange ways of the gringos.

For example, a few days after arriving I was driving along Blackstone Avenue in Fresno and was stopped at a red light. Intersections here in California have these strange four-stage light patterns where people go North-South, then North-South left turns, then East-West, then East-West left turns. Please, could we get any more organized? Can't I just push my way out into the traffic and turn, like I'm used to? So I was waiting and fiddling with the radio. Then I looked up and saw that I had the green light and all the traffic in front of me was long gone. And the people behind me were just patiently waiting! What? Come on people, how am I supposed to know the light has changed if you don't honk at me?

In fact the traffic here is eerily silent. Have we all gone deaf? Why do cars have horns if we don't use them? I feel like I'm in a silent movie.

So that's one thing.

Another is the dryness (see photo above). Ouch! My lips are cracked and my skin is drying out. I have to moisturize twice a day or my eyelids dry out! My friend Nora told me that she has the same experience when she visits Texas. She has to use eye drops every night, and eye gel during the day. I went for a vigorous walk and was breathing hard, and afterwards I had a slight rattle in my throat, almost a cough, from the dry air. Oh yeah, remember that? Never happens in Panama.

Do you have a problem with your jeans and heavy shirts mildewing? Just send them to California for a week, and I'll send them back bone-dry and summer sweet. Only a small fee for this service.

Rain... I miss the rain. I was filling my gas tank in Los Banos last week. The sun was beating down mercilessly, the air shimmering, and everything dry as a cow's skull (again, see photo above). The "Fresno River" outside of town looked like it had last seen water in the Jurassic period. Suddenly I remembered the daily rains in El Valle and I felt homesick for Panama.

People invite you to dinner at 7pm, and get this - they expect you to show up at 7pm! Ha ha! What kind of attitude is that? That leaves me no time to get ready, read a magazine and stop for ice cream!

You can't get anywhere on foot. Even in Panama City I could get around on foot, and in El Valle of course feet and bicycles were the norm. But here, only homeless people go on foot. Even teenagers take the bus if they are girls, or ride skateboards if they're boys.

Yes, so I'm experiencing some culture shock. My three years in Panama are such a sweet memory. I'll be returning soon to take care of unfinished business - I don't meant that to sound ominous - and I'm looking forward to it.

Earl Hall and the Anton Valley Hotel

2008-09-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

I recently sold off most of my DVDs, and in the process I met a number of people who came to the house to browse my collection. One was Earl Hall, co-owner of El Valle's Anton Valley Hotel.

Earl, who is 55 years old and came to Panama from South Florida, has been in the hotel industry all his life. He got his start working as a busboy at the Holiday Inn when he was 15, going to school half days and then working the rest of the day, and working full shifts on the weekends. Most recently he was part of a hotel management group.

Earl says that owning his own hotel is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. I think everyone in El Valle would agree that he and co-owner Les have done a great job with the Anton Valley. The hotel is always busy,and their Sunday morning breakfast has become a popular meeting spot for locals. It's one of the few places in El Valle where you can get an American-style breakfast. My only gripe is that I went there once on a Wednesday morning and was told rather brusquely that breakfast is only available on the weekends.

I looked up a few of those TripAdvisor.com reviews. Here's the first, by "LandCruisers":

We stayed here after a root canal in Panama City, and it was just what we needed. The place is beautifully decorated and maintained, with fresh flowers, towel art, stained glass, metalwork, and a wonderful garden. We took advantage of the free bicycles to explore the valley and had Juan take us birdwatching in the hills on his day off. The reasonably priced breakfasts were wonderful, and set in a lovely room filled with light and the sound of a gentle fountain. Our room was a little small; we "borrowed" a couple of the chairs from the patio, which allowed us to relax in our room without sitting on the bed. We also enjoyed the patio, where one can sip a glass of wine and watch the birds that are attracted to the flowers in the garden. Even without taking price into account, this is a very special hotel. Given the value, it can't be beat.

Rewards and Challenges

When I asked Earl what the best thing about owning a hotel in El Valle is, he responded with genuine emotion that it is the wonderful people who work for him. He pointed out that many of the staff are mentioned by name in TripAdvisor.com reviews. That's something you don't often see.

What's the greatest challenge of owning a hotel in El Valle? "Government paperwork and bureaucracy," Earl replied without hesitation.

What about the guests, where do they come from? According to Earl, about 40% are North American, 15% Panamanian, and the rest from all over the world, literally, with every continent represented.

Please note that the hotel will be closed the month of September 2008 for vacation.

Taking an Animal Out of Panama

2008-08-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

Are you making a trip to the United States or some other country and planning to take your pet? Panama requires that you complete certain procedures and get a license (naturally). Your destination country may have its own requirements but here's what you have to do to satisfy Panama's bureaucratic muckety-mucks.

You need two documents from a veterinarian in Panama:

Vaccination card showing that all vaccinations (especially rabies) are up to date.
General certificate of health.These documents must be dated within ten days of your departure. In other words, if you get them one month before your departure they will not be valid.

Make a copy of each document, and take it to the government office called Ventanilla Unica. This office is in Edison Plaza at the corner of Via Brasil and the Tumba Muerto in Panama City. The office is on the Via Brasil side, a few doors down from Mango restaurant. The words "Ventanilla Unica" are written in large letters on the window. You must pay to park in this lot.

By the way, if you haven't had a chance to make copies of your documents you can do it at the pharmacy a few doors down from the Ventanilla Unica office.

Tell the clerk in the Ventanilla Unica office that you want a "licencia de exportacion." The clerk will give you a form to fill out and a payment slip for the $5 fee. You must take the payment slip to the Banco Nacional, also in Edison Plaza, at the corner, in the base of the tall conical building. The line in the bank is often quite long, unless you are a jubilado in which case there is a shorter line. Wait in line there and then present the slip and your $5 to the teller, who will give you the yellow copy. Take that back to the Ventanilla Unica clerk, along with all your documents including the form that he gave you to fill out. Hand the documents over to him and he will tell you to wait until he calls your name.

Have a seat and be prepared to wait. The clerk will eventually call you up and give you a yellow paper titled, "Licencia fito-zoosanitaria de exportacion." Check the information on the paper and make sure it is correct. If so, you are done. You now have a license to take your pet out of the country.

Of course you should also notify your airline and make all appropriate arrangements with them. Continental Airlines, Copa and TACA allow dogs and cats in the cabin as long as they weigh 15 pounds or less. They must be able to stand and turn around within the carrier.

P.S. The dog in the photos is Molly, a rottweiler from Wales that adopted these two lambs.

Update August 25, 2008: I have completed my trip to the United States with Lil Fishy, my cat. No one asked to see any of my paperwork whatsoever. Really. But of course you have to have it, just in case someone does ask for it.

Poverty in Bocas del Toro

2008-08-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

I spotted this story in an old issue of The Bocas Breeze, and I found it to be rather touching:

A National Geographic Moment, or A Big Wake-Up Call
by someone who cares

Yesterday we decided to have a sleepover and each of our girls could invite one guest. The older one phoned her friend and it was a done deal.

My younger daughter asked me to walk to her friend’s house to ask her parents for permission. Her friend had been to our house many times and she seemed to be a bright and happy child. I suggested we take a taxi, and my daughter laughed, saying, “Mommy, we can’t take a taxi there.” And I soon found out why.

We walked, and we walked, and we walked. Down a dirt road, through the bush, along trails to another path. Along the way I told my daughter to please ask that her friend remember to bring her toothbrush. She said, “Mom, she doesn’t have a toothbrush. They’re poor.” Stupidly I said, “Then be sure she brings her pajamas.” At this point my daughter stopped me and said, “Mom, they don’t have pajamas. They sleep in their everyday clothes.” I thought my heart would fall out of my chest.

Arrangements have been made for our Saturday dentist, Dr. Wong (who I highly recommend), to donate 50 toothbrushes and toothpaste. I have extra fabric that I will sew into clothes. Please look through your closets to find shoes and clothing of any size, or buy a few personal care items. The Bocas Breeze newspaper has graciously agreed to accept these donations and I will deliver them to this village in need.

Good car for sale at a great price!

2008-08-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

As my readers know, I am returning to the USA for family reasons. I am selling my car for only $5,000. This is a great deal! It's a four-door 2003 Nissan Sentra B-15. An excellent street & city car with a great engine, good acceleration, strong AC, and in all-around good condition. Only a few minor cosmetic problems. If you live in a rural location with an unpaved road I don't recommend this car, but if you are in Panama city or on a paved road then it's a good opportunity to get a nice car at a good price. If I were staying longer in Panama I'd ask for more, but I'm leaving very soon and want to get this done before I go.

You can contact me through the email form on this blog or call my cell at 6707-8250 anytime. My name is Wael.

Salma at the Beach in Alameda, California

2008-08-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

My daughter Salma recently attended a birthday party at the beach in Alameda, California. This is not an ocean beach but a bay beach. Here are some photos:

Salma's not in this last photo, but I think it's cool the way downtown San Francisco appears so close, as if it's just across a narrow strip of water, not on the other side of a broad bay.

A Tale of Two Cops

2008-08-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I headed into Panama to once again attempt to get my car up to date. I needed to renew my auto insurance policy, get the car inspected, and then renew my license plate. All are expired. They must be done in that order, as each step is a requirement for the next step.

Past Gorgona, coming over a rise, I saw a traffic cop parked on the side of the road (that's not him in the photo above - it's just a random shot of a couple of Panama Tourist Police). I immediately reduced my speed but I was too late. He had already hit me with the radar gun. He waved me over (that's how they do it here) and I pulled over a short distance beyond him. I've heard of some people ignoring the wave, driving past and successfully evading any consequences, but I also remember one person who did that and then was pulled over by another car that was waiting for him up the road. When I was younger and stupider I might have tried it, but not anymore.

The officer looked at my U.S. passport and California driver's license, told me I was doing 110 kph in an 80 kph zone, and wrote a ticket for $70. Then he let me go. He didn't seem to notice that my plate was expired, nor did he say anything about my visa status. I made a short trip to Costa Rica recently and returned to Panama on June 2, so I have only been here 2 months. The tourist visa is 90 days and I am allowed to drive with my U.S. license during that time, so I am within the law on that.

I will have to go to the municipal office that handles traffic tickets and wait in line for the better part of a day to pay the ticket.

Continuing on my way, I noticed that the traffic cops seemed to be out in force. This is "spring break" in Panama, a two week school vacation, so maybe the traffic cops are targeting young, reckless drivers, I don't know. I also saw many accidents, and the InterAmerican highway was undergoing major roadwork in several places. I quickly realized that it was a bad day to be on the road.

Entering into Panama, I made my way to Avenida Balboa where I found myself stuck in a traffic jam due to a bad accident on the road. I was inching along in traffic when suddenly I was struck hard from behind. I got out of the car. The trunk lid had popped open. I shut it and it seemed fine. I studied the rear of my car but amazingly could see no damage. The driver behind me had not emerged. His windows were tinted and I could not see inside. I continued to check my car carefully and finally the driver got out. I didn't understand everything he said but I gathered that he was apologizing. Since there was no apparent damage to my car and I did not want to spend the next two hours filing reports, I told him to forget about it.

I went to the insurance office on Calle 50 and found that they had moved. Fortunately the new location was easy to find. It took only about an hour to renew my insurance for another year. I chose basic liability coverage only as I plan to sell the car soon.

I needed to stop at a Western Union office so I made my way to the main office at Plaza Concordia on Via España. By the time I was done it was too late to do anything else that day so I decided to go home. I knew that the route that I usually take to Avenida de los Martires (the road that leads to the bridge) was under construction, so I tried a new route and got stuck in a horrendous traffic jam where I was boxed in by diablos rojos and moved slower than the pedestrians on the crowded sidewalks. I spent an hour and a half in that, listening to the radio and watching the pedestrians, and then realized that I was lost.

When I finally got back to a road that I recognized I found myself once again in very bad traffic. Thoroughly disgusted at this point, I said to myself, "Forget it," and decided to go to Albrook Mall where I could eat something and wait for traffic to die down. I headed that way, talking to a friend on my cell phone as I drove. Yes I know it's illegal in Panama. So of course as I'm about to pull into Albrook Mall I pass a traffic cop and he waves me over.

Right away I knew I was in trouble. This cop said to me, "It's prohibited to talk on a cell phone while you drive! Show me your license." He looked at my passport and driver's license and then said, "When did you enter Panama? Show me the stamp." I showed him the immigration stamp that said June 2, 2008. He studied it and said, "You have overstayed your visa. The limit is 90 days." After this pronouncement he folded his arms on his chest and looked up at the sky.

"I have been here just a little over two months," I told him. June and July, and the beginning of August.

The cop squinted at me. "You entered at the beginning of June. So that's June, July and now August. More than three months! Furthermore, your plate is expired and you were talking on your phone. I am calling a tow truck. This car will be impounded."

Wonderful. I didn't try to argue with him on the visa issue. He had me dead to rights on the plate and the cell phone anyway. I began to pack my stuff into my backpack, thinking I would go home on a bus and come back the next day to sort the problem out. I know that some people might try offering a bribe in this situation, but I did not do that for a few reasons:

I don't believe in encouraging corruption. If a police officer is honest and doing his job, then I would not dream of attempting to corrupt him. My religion of Islam teaches that it is wrong to demand a bribe or to offer one. Both are equally corrupt.
If the cop is honest then my offer of a bribe could get me into deeper trouble.
This just perpetuates the perception of the rich gringo as an easy target and can buy his way out of anything.

The cop spoke into his radio, calling for a tow truck. Then he turned to me. "It's going to cost you $80 to get your car out of the impound lot, plus $50 for the cell phone ticket, plus the ticket for your expired plate, plus your expired visa. Altogether about $400."

I don't have that kind of money to spend, but what could I say? I just shook my head and began taking my important documents out of the glove box and putting them in my backpack.

Suddenly the cop said to me, "So, what are we going to do about this?"

Aha. In an instant the situation changed. I understood exactly what he meant, which was, "Make me an offer." Maybe it's hypocritical of me, maybe it makes me guilty, but if a corrupt cop is offering me the option of either suffering some pretty serious financial/legal consequences or getting away with a small dent in my wallet, I choose the latter.

Playing along, I said, "What are my options?"

"Your options," the cop replied, "Are to pay $400 in fines and lose your car for a few days, or if you help me then I can help you."

"How can I help you?" I asked.

"You tell me," he said. "How much can you help me with?"

"Thirty dollars?" I offered.

He raised his chin and looked down at me over his nose. "Only thirty dollars? The tow truck is on its way. It will cost you hundreds of dollars."

"Ok, how about forty dollars?" I said. This was a new one for me. Negotiating a bribe just like I would haggle on a purchase at the market. In a way I felt comfortable, back in familiar territory. It was just a matter of finding a price we could both live with.

"Is that the best you can do?" the cop said. "Maybe you can do a little better."

"Fifty dollars," I said. "That's all I can manage." At that point I took out my wallet and began to remove the money. I held the wallet low, so passers by could not see, but the cop said, "Not here, follow me."

The officer got back in his car and drove several hundred meters to a quiet spot beneath some trees. I followed him. He walked back to my car and said, "Put the money in your passport." I did so. The cop took the passport to his car, removed the money and returned. He gave me the passport and said, "Don't talk on your cell phone while you drive." Then he drove away. Looking back, I suspect that he only pretended to call the tow truck. He probably did not key the radio when he put on that show.

These guys earn maybe $300 per month and nowadays it's impossible to feed a family on that, so "rich gringos" like me are a tempting target. I'm not justifying the corruption, but I do understand it. Anytime you have a society with vast disparities in wealth you're going to have corruption, and a disenfranchised group like foreign expatriates is especially vulnerable. I have a great admiration for those honest police officers who resist temptation.

I finally made it to Albrook Mall, ran into a friend from El Valle and talked, ate at Crepes and Waffles, then on the way home visited with Tracy and Ela in La Chorrera, and a made a final stop at El Rey grocery store in Coronado. I got home at midnight.

If you're driving in Panama, be careful out there. It's wild and woolly these days.

Downside to Life in El Valle de Antón, Panama?

2008-07-31T11:09:00.001-07:00

The boys in the photo above live at the end of Calle La India. They play around there and volunteer their services as guides for anyone visiting either La Piedra Pintada (the Painted Rock) or La India Dormida (the Sleeping Indian, a local mountain). Any one of them can take you to La Piedra (it's a short walk), and then give you a long explanation of all the pre-Columbian petroglyphs carved on the rock. $1 is the usual fee for this service.

A reader recently asked me if there were any downsides to living in El Valle de Antón. The truth is that El Valle is a beautiful, special place and I could go on for hours about all the joys of life here. I must leave for personal reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of life here. But yes, there are a few downsides.

Downsides to Life in El Valle

Annoying weekenders. El Valle is a resort town. Many wealthy Panamanian families have weekend/summer homes here. It's been this way for decades. They arrive here in force on Saturday morning, rolling into town in their big SUVs. That's great for local restaurants and stores, but the problem is that the weekender kids all have ATVs and dirt bikes and they spend the weekend roaring up and down the streets with no regard for safety or peace. The older kids, in their teens and twenties, zoom up and down at all hours in their SUVs. I like to walk in the evenings but I don't walk on Friday or Saturday nights because it's too dangerous.
Why don't the police do something? Because these are wealthy, influential families and the small town cops know better than to interfere in their affairs. Aside from the fact of their status, these families support many local facilities such as the public library and the nursing home. So, like the locals, I put up with it in silence. This is one of those cultural differences that gringos must accept.
No hospital. This is has not been an issue for me, but for many of the elderly retirees here, it is. El Valle does have a clinic that can treat common sicknesses and offer limited emergency care, but for comprehensive medical care one must go to Panama city, 90 minutes away. In a life or death situation, that's a long ways to go. El Valle has an ambulance that was donated by Japan, but it will take you only to Penonomé, which is one hour away and has a hospital but not of the quality you would get in Panama city.
No private school. If you have school age children, this could be a problem. There are public schools here but they are underfunded and the quality of instruction is not stellar. I have heard of a private bilingual school in Penonomé but I know nothing about it. It's possible that within a few years we may see a private school in Coronado. So at the moment you'd better be prepared to home school if you want to live in El Valle with children. You might consider a combination of public school and home schooling.
Insects. This is the tropics, and in a mountain town like El Valle you feel it. The battle against the six-legged kingdom is never ending. Be prepared to live with mosquito bites and noseeum bites, and to take extraordinary measures to keep ants out of your food. Other insects such as beetles, termites, spiders and cicadas can be a bother but are tolerable.
No quality grocery store. This is a minor complaint. There are several local chinos (Chinese-owned mini-markets), but they don't carry higher-end or gourmet items. For those kinds of things you must go down the mountain to El Rey in Coronado (45 minutes away), or for real specialty items to the Riba Smith stores in Panama.
Higher construction costs. I have no direct experience with this, but I've heard that construction costs can be higher here because materials (and often crews as well) must be trucked up the mountain.
No paying jobs. Again, not an issue for me since I work over the internet from home. This is a small town. If you are not retired or rich, then you must have a source of income or be prepared to start a business. I do believe there are business opportunities here (I've been saying for ages that an ice cream shop would do well here, and we'll see since the owners of Pinocchio's Pizzeria just opened one last week).
Life is slow. Everyone is different and I happen to enjoy the easy pace of life here, and like I said I work full time and that keeps me busy. I like going to the market and talking to the vendors, going out to eat, and taking long walks in the evening. But some may find life here to be dull. The important thing is that you have something to occupy your time and enrich your life, whether that is volunteer work, writing a book, or starting a business.

If any of you readers live here in El Valle and can think of anything I left out, please chime in.

Last Month in Panama

2008-07-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

Salma's second birthday is coming up soon. Unfortunately I'm still here in Panama, but I'll be back in the USA in a month and I'll give her another party at my parents' house, Insha'Allah. I have finally begun sorting things for packing, but my first priority is the car. I went to Panama to renew the plates, but I forgot that first I must get an inspection, and also the insurance expired on July 3. Both are requirements, so I will get the inspection, renew the insurance for another year with basic liability coverage only ($150 a year), then renew the plate, get the wiper tank fixed, and put the car up for sale. It's a good car (a great city car), a 2003 Nissan Sentra in excellent condition, and I'm hoping for a good price.

I noticed recently that a leafcutter colony had set up shop in the front yard and was systematically stripping a willow tree. The leafcutters worked only at night, so it took me a few days to realize what was happening and by that time half the willow was bare. I located the leafcutter nests and pointed them out to Listo, and he put some kind of poison in the nests, so they have disappeared.

Rosa's on vacation for a month. Panamanian employees are entitled to a month's paid vacation every year, and this is her second year. The house is gradually getting a bit dirty, though I've managed to keep the dirty dishes from spiraling out of control by using only the same few plates over and over. She'll be back August 3rd, in time to clean the place up for the tenant if I find one. I do miss her cooking. I've been eating cereal for breakfast, tuna fish or peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, and either going to Mar de Plata for dinner or just skipping it altogether. Been eating lots of fruits as well. Between that and my nightly walks (to relieve boredom/loneliness and get out of the house) I've dropped a few pounds. I've become much more regular with my prayers, even waking up at 5am sometimes for the morning prayer then going back to sleep. I feel good about that and I think it's helping me cope with this transition.

I've decided to hire Bill and Adam Brunner to manage the house rental. They have experience with this, they have contracts already prepared, and their fees are reasonable. And it's handy that if anything breaks, Adam himself can fix it and deduct the fee from the rent. He will deposit the rent in my account at Scotiabank and the bank tells me that I can transfer the money by sending them a signed fax request. There's a fee for that of course, but I see no alternative. The Scotiabank ATM card does not work in the USA, and Paypal doesn't work with Panamanian banks.

***

Chris had to drive her car to Panama last Thursday to get it inspected and get a new plate, and she asked me to accompany her as she has never driven in Panama city before, so I agreed. She also ferried me around for my usual errands. I closed the Mailboxes Etc. box, by the way. We ended up in Calidonia in late afternoon where she got a cheap hotel room at a place called La Cantora, at Avenida Mexico and Calle 32. I was planning to head back to El Valle, but Chris suggested that I get my own room and stay the night so I could go to Jumah prayer next day. So I rented a room for $23, a fairly small room with dingy walls and no blankets. It did have clean sheets, a comfortable bed, cable TV and AC. We went to Multicentro in the evening and ate at the food court and then saw a movie! My first movie in Panama since Salma was born. We saw "The Happening" which turned out to be quite creepy, and it didn't help that the picture was slightly out of focus and washed out, and there was a large white streak in the center of the screen.

Back in the room, I discovered that the AC was neither adjustable nor automatic. There was a switch on the wall to turn it on, and it stayed on until I turned it off. The room quickly got very cold and there were no blankets (yes, that's right, no blankets). So I slept in my clothes and when I got very cold around 3am, I turned it off for the rest of the night. All in all it was acceptable for $23.

The next day after Jumah I accompanied Chris to the auto shop, and we headed back to El Valle around 6pm or so. We stopped at Quesos Chela on the way back - Chris had never been there - and I bought some Lebna with Zatar, which I actually have not tried yet. I had not given Lil' Fishy any extra food before I left and she was practically climbing the walls. It's alright, one day without food did not kill her. Not with that belly of hers. All in all it was a good trip and I got to know Chris a lot better. I discovered that the core of her identity is a dedicated teacher. She's very serious about teaching and making a difference in the lives of the children. I wonder how she will cope when she retires and moves down here full time. Maybe she'll get involved in teaching the local children. The schools could certainly use the help.

I eat out with my friend Cleo about once a week. I pay for his dinner but in exchange I get to practice my Spanish. His cute little daughter Anaidili got burned. Somehow some hot soup spilled on her and she was burned on her shoulder and chest. The hospital bandaged her and gave them some salve to apply daily, and Cleo says Anaidili most likely will not have a permanent scar.

I went to the video store the other day and when I was leaving little Alejandro was walking home from school with his mother. He's a little boy who is five or six years old but tiny. He lives near the video store and whenever I went there he would run around with Salma and teach her games. He looked very cute in his school uniform. I said hello to him and he said to his mother, "That's Salma's papa!"

I'm planning to give many of Salma's baby things to our neighbor Maria for her baby Emily, such as the bouncy seat, the blue bathtub, the boppy, etc. I'll bring some toys with me and the rest I'll distribute among babies Katleen, Anaidili, and Ani's son Antoney. As for the crib, I guess I'll try to sell it, I don't know. Very unlikely that any renters would need it, as most of them are retired couples.

Salma's Visit With Her Grandparents in Fresno, California

2008-06-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

Some photos of Salma during her recent visit with her grandparents (my parents) in Fresno, California. We call her grandmother Nena, and her grandfather Giddu.

Entering Panama at the Paso Canoas Border Station

2008-06-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

Buses leave the Ciudad Neilly terminal for the border every half hour in the morning. The fare is only 300 colones (less than a dollar). At the station, two Costa Rican asked to see Tracy's passport and mine. They examined our passports then declared that we were in Costa Rica illegally. I told them we had come in on the Panaline bus, and I showed them the immigration stamp. They finally realized that the passport was legally stamped, but that the stamp was faint and hard to see. Perhaps next time I should make sure the immigration agent has a full inkpad. And I could bring him a morning coffee as well, and a few pastelitos de queso.

The bus dropped us off only a few meters from the Panama border post, exactly in the spot that you see below. On the Panama side of the border there is nothing but the border station, but the Costa Rican side hosts a thriving town called Paso Canoas (Canoe Passage - a very old name, I imagine). There must be an Arab community there, as I saw a large store called "Almacen Jerusalem" - Jerusalem Department Store - with a sign depicting an image of the Dome of the Rock mosque.

We walked back to Costa Rican immigration to get an exit stamp, a simple process. Then walked back up the street a hundred meters, through an area very busy with truck traffic, to the Panama border station. There is no fence or wall between the two countries. You simply walk up or down the street to cross from one nation into the other. You could easily cross without going through immigration, but of course you would then be illegal.

Actually I take exception with the idea that a human being can be "illegal" for simply moving about on this earth that God made. I find the entire concept of borders and immigration controls to be artificial and random. But that's another issue.

At the Panama border station I waited in line for almost an hour to get an entry visa. When I got to the window the agent told me I must get a five dollar tourist card, and I have to go to a different building to get it. He said he would hold my passport and I should go get the tourist card and come back to the front of the line. I wandered around until I found the window where you get the tourist card, and the woman said, "I need to see your passport." So I went back to the first building and convinced the man that I needed my passport back. Returned to the tourist card window, bought the card, back to the first guy, got the stamp. At this point no one had checked my bag yet. I asked the immigration agent, "Do I go through customs now?" He shrugged his shoulders and said, "If you like."

The customs building is a circular room with tables all around. About thirty people were waiting to get their bags searched, and not a customs agent in sight. Tracy and I set our bags on the table and waited. We met a young American named Brian who was looking for a volunteer opportunity. I gave him Corrin Skubin's number, since she is working with the indigenous tribes to help them plant cocoa and coffee trees and develop export markets for the cocoa.

Our plan was to get through immigration, take a local bus to David, then catch a bus from there to Panama. As we were waiting a fellow in a TicaBus shirt came through and asked us where we were going. He told us there was a TicaBus express going through immigration and offered us seats for $17 each. That was a lucky break and we paid him. A few minutes later he had still not returned with the tickets. I began to think that maybe I should have paid on the bus. After all, anyone could put on a TicaBus shirt and pretend to be an agent. In Panama they call that juega vivo - literally something like "sharp game" but refers to a cultural attitude that is all about taking advantage, and if I can screw you over or trick you out of your money then it's your fault for being stupid. Goodbye pura vida, welcome to Panama. I went looking for the agent and did not find him.

Finally a customs agent showed up. We opened our bags and he went around the tables, only glancing at each bag, not even touching most of them. He looked at my bag and said, "Ok." No stamp, no tag, nothing. I could have skipped the whole thing and no one would have known the difference.

We went out to the TicaBus and I was relieved to find the agent who had taken our money. Not a juega vivo after all. We got on the bus, which was large and comfortable, with many empty seats.

The bus showed two movies in a row, the first a dark Italian comedy called "Life is Beautiful," then one of my favorite action movies, "The Transporter." I kept an eye on the countryside, which mostly consisted of grassy hills where cattle grazed. Very few trees.

The bus provided a boxed lunch consisting of a cheese and salami sandwich and some sort of pastry. I passed on it. The driver kept the pedal down, passing quickly through David - second largest city in Panama - then Santiago, and AguaDulce. Before I knew it we passed through Penonomé, where I sometimes go for Friday prayer, and then Antón. I moved to the front of the bus and when I saw the El Valle entrance I knocked loudly on the driver's cabin, and he let me out. The eight hour trip had passed quickly.

I caught a local bus up the mountain to El Valle. The bus was completely full, and the driver kept up an insane pace on the mountain road in a light rain. I held on with both hands to keep from being thrown right and left. Soon enough I found myself home, at 5:30 pm. The streets were full of water, the sky still light, and El Valle was as beautiful as ever. Gaital was covered in mist, and the frogs chorused loudly on the backroads as I walked home. Cleo had left the front lights on for me, and it felt good to be able to call this place home.

Working and Working Out in Ciudad Neilly

2008-06-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

Our plan was to catch the 2pm bus back down the mountain to Ciudad Neilly. We walked in the afternoon heat to the sleepy bus station and found it closed for lunch. Took a taxi back to the town square and I went into the air conditioned internet cafe. They have nice computers with large flat screen monitors. $1 per hour seems to be the standard fee for internet access in all these small Costa Rican towns.

At 1:30 I met up with Tracy and we asked a taxi to take us back to the bus station. "Where are you going?" he wanted to know. "Ciudad Neilly." "I'm going there," he said. "I'll take you both for 3,000 colones."

3,000 colones is only $6 or so. True, the bus would only cost 600 colones apiece, but the bus is slow, crowded, and takes a very indirect route.

Just at that moment a tall American woman approached us. She was only the second gringo I had seen in three days. "Can I help you guys with something?" "Do you live here?" I asked. "Yes," she said, "in Sabalito. We come here now and then to shop."

The American woman told us we must be mistaken, no taxi would take us all the way to Ciudad Neilly for 3,000 colones. "It must be 30,000," she said. I verified the price again with the driver and the woman said, "Well, it's an incredible deal." I would have liked to talk to her further and find out what she and her husband were doing in this remote place - most likely they were farming, or perhaps running a hotel - but the taxi was leaving right away.

The trip that had taken 2.5 hours in the bus took only 1 hour in the taxi, though of course the taxi was going downhill. It rained much of the way and the road was draped in mist and fog. I ate almonds and an apple and listened to Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) songs on my iPod. The driver let us off at the Hotel Andrea, the largest and nicest hotel in Neilly, and we paid him the 3,000 colones. I almost expected some sort of problem, since the American woman had been so incredulous that we could get a ride at that price, but no, the driver said, "Thank you and have a good day."

The Hotel Andrea is comfortable and attractive, and not a bad deal at $40. I went out to find an internet cafe and located one only a few blocks from the hotel, across from the large Loaiza grocery store. Air conditioned, good computers, not crowded. I worked for three hours (again $1 per hour for access), then back to the hotel.

I asked the concierge about finding a gym in Neilly. She was very young looking and I later found out that she'll be 18 in a week, and is working at the hotel in summer, and going to university soon to study journalism. She told me of a gym 2 kilometers down the highway. I decided to look around on my own, and lo and behold, I found a small neighborhood gym catercorner from the Loaiza grocery, just around the corner from the hotel.

The gym consisted of one small room crowded with equipment and almost 20 people exercising, more of them women than men. I paid $2 to use the facility, and proceeded to work out very hard. No one was using the leg press machine or the lat pulldown, so I went back and forth between those two, working them heavy, breathing hard. I must have looked like I knew what I was doing because one fellow approached me and wanted to know if the pulldown is for the chest. "No," I told him. "La espalda." The back.

The walls were mirrored and occasionally I saw that people were watching me, probably because I was a stranger and a foreigner to boot. A gym that small, they probably all know each other. The gym was not air conditioned and soon I was dripping sweat. I did some heavy shoulder presses with dumbbells - there were several sets of dumbbells but no one using them, maybe because many people don't know what to do with them or believe that machines are better (they're not) - then washed up in the tiny bathroom, thanked the clerk, and went across the street to the grocery store.

Again, people watching me, but maybe now because I was drenched in sweat. Maybe they thought, "Look at this sweaty gringo, he can't take the humidity." In reality I don't even feel the humidity anymore, since Panama is the same.

Tracy had the AC on high back at the room, and was already asleep, tucked under the heavy blankets. I've had to adjust to our different sleeping patterns, as he is usually out by 8pm and up at 5am. I quickly changed out of my sweaty clothes, prayed Ishaa (the night prayer), watched a little tennis on TV with the volume on low - Tracy could sleep through a bombing run anyway - then hit the hay at only 10pm, very early for me.

Neilly doesn't have the charm of San Vito, and it's much hotter, but it's a nice town. The people are friendly and curious, and best of all Neilly is a good gateway for trips into the mountains and the parque Amistad, or down to the beaches at Zancudo or Golfito, or across the Golfo Dulce to Puerto Jimenez and Corcovado national park. The food at the Hotel Andrea is not great but the rooms are nice and I am comfortable recommending it.

Canton Coto Brus Real Estate Tour

2008-06-04T16:34:00.001-07:00

The little mountain town of San Vito is part of a larger canton, or county, called Coto Brus. The canton includes three other towns - Sabalito, Agua Buena and Limoncito - but San Vito is the largest, with a population somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000.

Tracy was curious about real estate values here in San Vito and the surrounding area, but we had not seen a real estate agency - we later learned there are two in San Vito - so we stopped in at the office of an attorney that said Bienes Raices (real estate) on the window.

The receptionist turned to the lawyer in the back office, a portly, baby faced fellow, and said, "We don't do real estate, do we?" "Yes, we do," he replied, and she turned back to us with a big grin on her face, and I read her thoughts clearly, "My crazy boss says yes because he can't bear to turn any possible customer away."

We went in anyway. The lawyer couldn't have been more than 30 years old. I later learned he was 28. In Costa Rica, as in Panama, a real estate transaction cannot be completed without a lawyer, so although the attorney - whose name was David Salazar - does not sell real estate himself, he has been involved in several transactions. He told us about those, showing us photos and detailing for us how much the properties sold for. So we got what we were looking for. Turns out property in San Vito proper is surprisingly expensive. A 1,000 m2 property with a small house might go for $150,000. Outside of town is a different story. A hectare of coffee-producing land or of cattle land can be had for as little as $2,000 if it's part of a larger finca or ranch. A stand alone hectare might go for $10,000.

David said he knew of one finca for sale, and offered to take us there. I wasn't too keen on this simply because I knew it would tak all afternoon, but Tracy jumped at it. So we went to David's wife's optometry shop to get the car they share. It was a very comfortable Mitsubishi SUV with leather seats. We headed out of town and along the way David pointed out to us various houses and properties that had sold in the last few years.

San Vito is full of banks, clothing stores, electronics shops and other businesses. Much more than you would expect in a small town. Tracy asked David where this money comes from. David said, "This is coffee country. So there is money for six months, then no money for six months. San Vito is the center of all of Coto Brus, so all the stores are here."

David pointed out a huge house with modern styling that he said was his father-in-law's house. Later on he indicated vast areas of hillside and forest that belong to his mother-in-law. I began to realize that David had married into money. I never heard a word about his own parents. He took us 15 kilometers outside of town to a large sawmill owned by his father-in-law, and in fact we met said father-in-law, who apparently buys and sells the coffee from the finca that is up for sale. The father-in-law said to us, "Let's play a trick on David," and he rushed us out to David's SUV, where the father-in-law got in and started the car, then began to pull out. David came hurrying out and got in the passenger seat.

The coffee finca was quite large, but on a sharply sloped hillside running down to a river. The coffee trees stood in orderly rows, with occasional patches of yucca and corn. The hillside was blanketed in a heavy afternoon mist, giving the area a remote, isolated feel. I would never live there, though David says there is an American couple with a dairy farm nearby, and another wealthy conservationist American couple who have bought an entire mountainside and are reforesting it. Supposedly a jaguar killed someone's horse, and they wanted to hunt the jaguar, but the American said, "No, we'll buy you more horses."

David drove us back to town and dropped us off at Lilliane's pizzeria. I felt a little guilty, as if I had taken up three hours of David's time by pretending to be something I'm not. I tried to give him some money for his time or at least just for gas, but he adamantly refused. "It was my pleasure," he said. That was very generous of him, but hey - can you guess what I'm going to say? - that's the pura vida.

Second Day in San Vito, Costa Rica: Jardin Botanico; Funeral Procession

2008-06-04T12:06:00.001-07:00

I worked out fairly intensively in the room first thing in the morning, doing pushups with my feet elevated on the bed, and lateral shoulder raises with the desk chair. There was a gringa on the hotel computer - first foreigner I´ve seen here in San Vito - so since I couldn't get online, I suggested to Tracy that we go for a hike.

The hotel owner recommended the Jardin Botanico. Took a taxi there, about five kilometers further up into the hills, at 1,200 meters elevation. The air was pure, clear and cool. The Jardin Botanico turned out to be a scientific research station, owned by a consortium of universities based in North Carolina. Sixty years ago this land was clearcut for coffee plantations. An American couple from Florida, founders of something called the Fantastic Gardens in Miami, came here and with the help of a British philanthropist they re-planted the forest. Today there is a healthy secondary growth forest covering many hectares. They also have several areas segregated by species, so for example there is a palm garden with 200 species of palms, a bromeliad garden, etc.

We spoke to the young woman at the reception area for a few minutes. She told us that she had studied tourism in Panama for four years, at the Universidad Latina de Panama. Many of the Ticos I´ve met have either been to Panama or have friends there. Not surprising since this town, San Vito, is only 15 kilometers from the Rio Sereno border crossing in the Panama highlands. That´s not the one we´ll be crossing through on Thursday, unfortunately.

The gardens had a small football (soccer) field surrounded by forest. What a setting for playing football! I went on one of the more difficult jungle hikes while Tracy sat on a bench in the shade. It was incredibly beautiful, deep in the green, with water running and birds everywhere, but the trail was very muddy and my arms were movable feasts for the bugs. I came out of it with several awful bites coming up already on my arms. There was a huge old fig tree which we were told pre-dates the gardens. It was not cut because it provided shade for the cattle that used to be here. Now it´s one of the anchors of the forest, with the figs providing food for hundreds of species of birds and animals. How incredible that one tree could have such an impact. That one tree matters more to more living creatures than many human beings ever do. SubhanAllah.

I realized at some point during the day that I was understanding every word that everyone said. I wondered if my Spanish comprehension had taken a leap forward, but once I began paying attention I realized that the Ticos enunciate much more clearly than the Panamanians. Panamanians tend to drop their s´s and even final consonants. Ticos don´t seem to do this.

Back in town I bought a nice pair of $2 sunglasses at the drugstore. The last pair of cheap sunglasses I bought in Costa Rica survived three years. I hope these will do so well. I have an Ironman watch with a plastic band and the band had broken. I went into a watch shop and in less then two minutes I had a new band, exactly like the old one. Cost: another $2.

A funeral procession came up the street, with young men carrying the coffin on their shoulders. About a hundred people walked behind, mostly women, and only a few wearing black. I guess that is not a requirement here.

There´s more to write about the long real estate tour we got in the evening, but no time now. I have a bus to catch down to Ciudad Neilly. I´ll write more later.

Oh, one more thing. People actually stop their cars here to let you cross the road. That would be unthinkable in Panama. In fact I think you can be stripped of your Panamanian citizenship for such a thing. Also, store clerks come up to you, smile and ask if they can help you find something. Not just in clothing stores, but in large grocery stores! Where am I??? Oh yes, I remember. I´m in the Pura Vida.

Travelling in southern Costa Rica: Ciudad Neilly and San Vito

2008-06-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

After only half a day back in Costa Rica (I spent a week here in 2004) I am reminded of the incredible beauty of this country, the openness of the people and the innocent quirkiness of the culture. It´s the Pura Vida! I had forgotten how different it is from Panama. How can it be right next door and yet so different in every way? Ahh, Costa Rica, how I´ve missed you.

I boarded the Panaline bus at eleven o´clock at night, catching it at the El Valle entrance on the InterAmericana, where it made a special stop for me. Tracy was already on the bus and had reminded the driver to stop there. The bus was huge, dark and cool, but when I boarded the light came on and the sleepy passengers - who had all boarded 90 minutes back at Albrook - squinted at me in annoyance. The bus was perhaps one quarter full, so I took two seats and made myself comfortable. The bus was so dark and I surprised myself by sleeping comfortably.

I woke up to find the bus empty, except for myself. I asked the driver where we were and he said, ¨La frontera!¨The border. I was amazed that I had slept through most of an eight hour bus trip, but annoyed that Tracy had not awakened me when we arrived. He´s done this border crossing before, I haven´t. I hurriedly got my things and the Panaline trip manager, a young woman named Leydis, directed me to the immigration line.

I´ve heard horror stories about the Paso Canoas border crossing, but it wasn´t so bad. Perhaps those people who complain so bitterly have not lived or travelled extensively in the third world and aren´t used to the way things are done here. Wait in one line, get some papers stamped, wait some more. So what, big deal. I listened to my iPod, read a book, stretched my legs.

So, yeah. You wait in line at Panama immigration, get your passport stamped, then literally walk a few hundred meters up the road and you´re in Costa Rica. You walk into the immigration station there, and in our case they weren´t open yet, so all the bus passengers sat or stood waiting for perhaps an hour. I saw one of Corrin´s friends there, a woman named Isabel. Small world, small country. When the agents arrived they stamped our passports, gave our bags a perfunctory search and we were on our way.

Leydis the trip manager was very helpful through the entire process. She noticed my name on my passport and said, ¨Abdel!¨ I said, ¨Yes?¨ She said, ¨Are you Arab?¨¨Yes,¨I replied,¨and?¨ ¨Nothing.¨ ¨Are you Arab too?¨I asked her. ¨No.¨ ... I thought for a moment... ¨Your boyfriend is Arab?¨ ¨My old boyfriend,¨she replied. ¨Same last name as you. Are you Jordanian?¨ I told her no, that my ancestry is Egyptian. She kept up a conversation with me all through customs on both sides, trying out some of the Arabic words that she had learned. Tracy really liked her and as he always does, imagined how it would be if he were dating her. "I´d have to move to Paso Canoas" he said. As for me, my mind is in other places, thinking of my future and what it will bring, and also just enjoying the experience of doing something new.

Immediately upon passing into Costa Rica the difference is striking. Southern Costa Rica is so lush, so overwhelmingly green. The Pacific side of Panama is mostly clear cut and is now agricultural land or cattle country, but Pacific Costa Rica is heavily forested, even in the farm areas. Lovely rivers and streams race across rocky beds on their way to the gulf. Small towns roll by but the natural beauty is persistent and immediately seductive.

Our plan was to disembark at Ciudad Neilly and take another bus to San Vito, a small town high in the mountains. I had read about San Vito in the guidebook and it sounded like a cool place (literally) to spend a few days. At 700 meters elevation it is even higher than my home town of El Valle de Anton. Founded by Italian immigrants, San Vito supposedly has some of the best pizzas in Costa Rica. I was looking forward to finding out.

I was nodding in and out of sleep and at some point I realized that we had just passed a large town called Rio Claro. I looked at my map. We had passed Ciudad Neilly. We had gone too far. I asked the driver to stop and he let us off at a bus shelter in a forested area with few homes. The sun was bright and warm, the wooden shelter was clean, and the narrow road disappeared into the endless green in each direction. There was some graffiti scrawled into the shelter, but instead of dirty words there were geometrical diagrams... some schoolboy practising his lessons? There were several women waiting at the shelter, including a young woman of classic Spanish beauty, with aquiline features and wearing a simple long white skirt and brown blouse. Buses passed occasionally going in the other direction and I noticed every man on every bus craning their necks to look at the young woman sitting next to us. One man stuck his head out of the window of a bus and made funny faces, and the woman laughed. An old man approached the bus shelter and said good morning, and everyone in the shelter replied, ¨Good morning!¨¨How are you all?¨the old man asked and everyone answered in chorus, ¨Fine, thank you, how are you?¨ This is Costa Rica, you see. Land of the pura vida.

Finally the bus arrived to take us back to Ciudad Neilly. It was full and I had to sit on the entrance step. A woman boarded selling bags of plantain chips and pork rinds. She had a large bottle of hot sauce and a bottle of lime juice. Customers chose their poison and she squirted a large helping of sauce or juice into the bag.

Another vendor was practically a walking kiosk. His long sleeved shirt was strung with goods of all kinds. He went to the front of the bus and in a loud voice began proclaiming and promoting his wares. Skin cream to cure any acne problem. A herb called cat´s claw that would soothe any stomach disorder. Indian soap for natural beauty. Hair scissors, leather scissors, pocket knives, nail clippers, pens, cell phone cases, key chains, toys, even a back scratcher. All this came off his shirt or out of his pockets. He sold a nail clipper and a few other items and disembarked at the next stop.

Ciudad Neilly is a lively small town with two or three commercial streets at odd angles. We took a taxi to the Hotel Andrea. Both the bus and the taxi were $1 each. The Hotel Andrea is the nicest hotel in Ciudad Neilly. A large, Spanish style hotel with two stories, it´s $40 per night for good rooms with AC. We made a reservation for Wednesday night, which should be our last night in Costa Rica, then went to the restaurant for breakfast. Omelettes and pancakes, not very good but passable. Afterwards we walked to the bus station which, it turned out, is only a block away.

The bus to San Vito was leaving in one hour. Fare, 600 colones, about $1.20. The station was very busy, with dozens of people waiting for buses going in five or six different directions. A small covered mercado abutted the station and I walked about, passing time. Many small sodas, as they call these tiny local eateries here, and a few clothing stores. I seemed to be the only foreigner in the area and I got a lot of looks. I also saw several Guaymi women in traditional dresses. I had not realized that the Guaymi tribe was so prevalent in southern Costa Rica, but looking at the map later I noticed several Guaymi reservations.

An old woman selling bags of piva fruit (a small, nutty flavored and soft fleshed fruit) persistently tried to convince me to buy some. Finally I told her honestly, ¨I don´t like them.¨She was offended by this. ¨Don´t like them!¨she huffed. ¨Eat them with mayonnaise.¨And she walked away.

We boarded the bus to San Vito and immediately proceeded to climb, climb, climb. The bus rose slowly on a steep, winding mountain road that ascended through stunningly beautiful cloudforest. Soon there were views all the way to Panama in one direction, and the gulf in the other, and then beyond the gulf to the ocean. At one point the road was confined to a ridge with immense drops on either side. The bus was very large and had trouble navigating the gravelled and potholed road. At one point we rounded a curve and came face to face with another large bus. Both buses backed up meter by meter until there was enough room to pass. At times I gripped the seat in front of me tightly, as if that would save my life if we tumbled over the mountain. Soon the air became cool and damp, and the forest disappeared, replaced by cattle land and coffee plantations.

The 33 kilometer trip to San Vito took almost two hours. San Vito itself is a true mountain town, with a small public square in the center and from there five main roads climbing or dropping steeply, each road rising and falling as it curves through town. It´s a surprisingly large town. There are no population signs, but I saw at least six banks, dozens of clothing stores, three large pizzerias, a huge church with a large grassy compound and outlying buildings, a well-equipped grocery store and much more. Also many motorcycle shops. They love their motorcycles and pizza here. Must be the Italian blood.

My hotel, El Ceibo, is at the end of a gravel driveway coming right off the center of town. Surprisingly, it´s very quiet and in fact is backed by forest and a fast running stream. The room is cool without AC, and has a small balcony that looks out onto the forest. At $40 per night it´s a bit pricey but is undoubtedly the best hotel in town and is quite nice. Since I am a traveller I combined the Dhuhr and Asr prayers, guessing at the direction of the Qiblah, then Tracy and I went to one of the pizzerias for a late lunch. It was delicious, with spicy tomato sauce, plenty of cheese, and loaded with broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions. Better than any pizza I´ve had in Panama, and the small was large enough that I only ate half and took the rest back to the hotel for lunch tomorrow. Tracy had a very meaty pizza with chorizo, pepperoni and ham... ugh.

One thing I don´t see in San Vito: foreigners. Aside from Tracy and myself, I have not seen a single gringo, Chinese, Arab or any other foreigner. Very unlike Panama in that respect. The population seems to consist universally of slim, fair-haired, attractive locals. I have not even seen any indigenous people here and I wonder why. Do they live only on reservations? I get a lot of looks as I walk about town. Sometimes entire groups stop and watch as I walk past, not at all in a hostile way, but more like, ¨Oh look, a stranger!¨ Occasionally someone asks me if they can help me find something. No one would do this in Panama.There are no restaurants selling ethnic foods other than Italian and local Tico dishes. Also no call center, which makes sense in a town with no tourists, but I was really hoping to find one. Tomorrow I´ll see if I can purchase a phone card and use a public phone, though talking to Salma without a webcam won´t be the same.

Reading this, I realize now that I have not done a good job explaining what it is about Costa Rica that I love so much. There are so many things, but let´s forget about the stunning landscape for a moment and talk about the pura vida. In the USA when you walk into a store the clerk smiles and offers to help you because that´s what they are trained to do. In Panama they simply gaze blankly. In Costa Rica they smile and help you because they are genuinely interested and friendly. People greet one another in street heartily, and beyond that they are genuine. Costa Ricans don´t wear masks. They laugh, talk, joke, flirt, and they do it all honestly and openly, without pretense. Perhaps because they have been a stable democracy for so long, with no military and no wars, they have forgotten how to mistrust. Their lives are simple.

Sure, there is crime in the cities and in San Jose yóu´d better watch your bags, and you could even get mugged. On the other hand I´ve had someone stop and offer me a ride because he was concerned that I was walking in a bad neighborhood.

And the landscape is part of it too. Costa Rica has done a better job preserving their forests than any nation in the world, because to the Ticos the land is precious, it is pure and therefore a part of the pura vida. Sure, the roads here are potholed, high speed internet is rare outside of the major cities, and poverty exists. But the pura vida enriches everyone.

Salma May 2008

2008-05-29T10:12:00.001-07:00

Some recent photos of Salma at the local park in Palo Alto, and at the Children's Science Museum in San Jose (I think).

Taking the Harder Path

2008-05-23T19:41:00.001-07:00

The other day I went over to the mercado and talked to my friend Cleo for a few minutes. Cleo sells crafts at the market, especially the painted feathers that he makes himself. A teenage fellow there told me that he wants to learn Hapkido. I told him, "Es dificil. Es mucho trabajo." (It's hard, a lot of work). I was trying to discourage him, I guess, but he said, "No importa" (It doesn't matter). I'm not sure I want to take a student at this point. I'll probably be gone in three months. I told him I'd consider it, but in reality I need to spend this time preparing for my move. I´m not looking forward to returning to California but my daughter is there, so my destiny must be there.

Then I went to the Minisuper Yin, one of the five Chinese-owned mini markets here in town, and bought a Hershey bar and a $10 phone card as it was a cuadruplica day (the value of the card is quadrupled), then came home, did my afternoon prayer, and then served myself some of Rosa's food from yesterday. It's quite good: corvina with vegetables, rice and lentils, and some sliced mango for dessert.

I got my food and sat down to watch a movie called, "Himalaya." It's about a village in the highlands of Nepal. Every year they take their yaks on a long, dangerous mountain journey to trade salt for grain. The chief is killed in an accident and they don't know who will lead them. The chief's father Tinle, who was chief himself long ago, insists that he will do it, even though he is old and has not led a caravan in a long time. Before they have to leave he goes to find his second son Norbu, who was sent to the monastery at the age of eight to be a monk. Tinle asks Norbu to come with the caravan. Norbu objects and says, "You sent me here to be a monk. I know nothing of mountains and yaks."

So Tinle decides to lead the caravan himself, even though the villagers have grave doubts. Just before he is to leave Norbu shows up. Norbu comes along and proves to be a big help, once he learns to tie a salt sack properly and to manage the yaks. At one point Tinle asks him, "Why did you decide to come?"

Norbu says, "My master told me, when two paths open before you, choose the harder one."

That's not common sense, but I believe there is a profound truth there. The harder path, the path of challenge, struggle and fear, is the one that allows you to grow as a human being.

Leaving my life in California and coming to Panama sight unseen was in many ways the harder path, but it has proved to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Leaving my job back in 2002 to work on my own business was hard, but now I have a steady income while many people have been laid off or seen their jobs outsourced. Leaving Panama again will also be difficult, but that is where the path leads.

Taking up Hapkido and almost never missing a class, and driving all the way to San Francisco on Saturdays for Master Jung's brutal classes (or Master Forrest's less brutal but still excellent sessions), was definitely the harder path. I was often bruised, and sometimes wanted so much just to skip class and rest... but I went.

Paul Graham wrote in "How to Make Wealth",

If you have two choices, choose the harder. If you’re trying to decide whether to go out running or sit home and watch TV, go running. Probably the reason this trick works so well is that when you have two choices and one is harder, the only reason you’re even considering the other is laziness. You know in the back of your mind what’s the right thing to do, and this trick merely forces you to acknowledge it.

Paul calls it a trick, but it's more than that. It's a discipline, a way of living a progressive life. I am also reminded of something from the Quran, in Surat Al-Balad (Chapter 90). Quoting from verse 8 on:

Did (God) not give him two eyes,
One tongue, and two lips,
And showed him two roads?
But he could not scale the steep ascent.
How will you comprehend
what the steep ascent is?
To free a neck
(from the burden of debt or servitude),
Or to feed in times of famine
the orphan near in relationship,
or the poor in distress;
And to be of those who believe,
and urge one another to persevere,
and urge upon each other to be kind.

So the path to Paradise (or heaven on earth) is the steep road, the one that many people refuse to climb. The hard path.

I suspect this is an essential principle of life. The easy way leads to comfortable mediocrity. To grow spiritually, or in strength, or even materially, or to build something meaningful that will outlast you, you have to take the harder path.

Consider some of the most famous figures in history: Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, Socrates, Alexander the Great, Sheikh ibn Taymiyyah, Galileo Galilei, Joan of Arc, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Marie Curie, Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Mother Theresa, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr... all men and women who took extraordinarily difficult paths in life.

Not that I'm looking to go that extreme. I'll pass on the martyrdom route for now. I'd be satisfied with a happy medium, somewhere in between laying around on the sofa and giving up my life for civil rights. More towards the sofa end of the spectrum.

Frogs; First Rain; Weighted Walks; Rosa

2008-05-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

We had a few light rains last week and the toads and frogs have come out in force. Some are quite large and must have been hibernating all summer long. They are everywhere in the road. Yesterday evening driving home from dinner with Cleo and his son Caliler, I stopped the car four times to shoo the frogs out of the road, so as not to run over them.

We had our first long, heavy rain this afternoon. Looks like we're easing into the rainy season, or perhaps we are already there. I checked the entire house for leaks and so far just the same minor leaks in the foyer area and the center of the living room that we had last year. We meant to have those patched but never got around to it. Now it'll have to wait until next summer.

I did another of my 30 minute "weighted walks" this evening, wearing a pack holding two 30 lb dumbbells. I would have liked to go longer but the strap was really cutting into my chest. I need to figure out some way to carry the weight more comfortably, maybe by padding the straps with something. I enjoy walking at night, and with the weight it's the equivalent of a one hour fast march.

I managed to get Rosa all booked up six days a week, out of which I will employ her two days. I needed to cut her hours back to save money, but I wanted to find other work for her first, and I'm happy that I was able to do that.

Laura tells me that Salma has learned the word "heavy" - more or less - and now everything she carries is "heawy, heawy!" She's been having some long crying fits and nothing comforts her. I know she is missing everything and everyone she has grown up with (except her Mama, of course). I may return to California to be near her later this year, in which case I will most likely rent out this house in El Valle. I will not sell it. This is one of the beautiful, peaceful places of the world and I hope this house will one day be passed on to Salma, who is a Panamanian citizen as well as an American, Egyptian, German, Muslim.

Night Walks in El Valle de Antón

2008-05-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

I have a daily phone call with Laura and Salma. I use Skype and call computer-to-computer to it costs nothing. This morning I sang the ABC's to Salma and Laura told me that she bobbed and danced to my voice. Linda has some potted ficus trees in the house and apparently Salma is getting great enjoyment out of scooping out the soil and dumping it on the floor. Laura took her to Target and chased her through the clothing aisles and Salma loved that.

I have to cut Rosa's hours back to two days a week but I can't bring myself to do it, so I've tried to find someone to hire her on the other three days. I posted a message on the Valleros website. Corrin, who says she desperately needs someone to do housework, has agreed to employ Rosa one day a week. So I still have two days to fill.

I went for a night walk with Rudy. At about 8:30 pm we set out to visit his property. He is in the middle of building a home. The property is in an isolated location. Rudy warned me that the gate might be locked, but that we could squeeze through a gap. It turned out that his workers had strung barbed wire across the gap, but there was a small opening at the bottom so I got on my stomach and shimmied through the dirt. "Go on," I said to Rudy. "It'll be just like boot camp forty years ago." So Rudy did it too, and we proceeded to his property with dirt all down our fronts. The trail crosses a small stream (you hop on three stones), and up through a wooded area to the site of the construction.

There was no moon, only bright stars, though of course we had our wind-up flashlights. We toured the property and Rudy explained the layout to me. The wind has grown quite strong at night lately and it kept picking up fine sand from the construction and flinging it into my eyes. A frog had gotten into the house and was trying to climb the wall. Huge clouds of mist obscured Cerro Gaital in the distance.

I love walking around El Valle at night. It's all wind in the trees, mountains, clouds and stars. Wandering dogs, frogs, sometimes ñeques or opossums, and the occasional silhouette of a sloth if you're lucky. Sometimes youths making out in the shadows.

We walked out the long way, along the Casa de Lourdes road, and parted ways on the Los Capitanes road. Returning home I detoured through the far end of my yard and stopped at Zippy's grave to say hello. I found Li'l Fishy outside and meowing at me her unhappiness at being left alone. Now I'm back in the office and she's in her box next to me, happy and purring.

Lightning Bug, Ani, Voicebox, Heavy Pack, Stars

2008-05-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

Last night there was a bug thrashing on the bedroom floor, apparently dying. I didn't know what kind of insect it was but I stepped on it with my sandal. Suddenly it began shining light and I realized it was a lightning bug, and then I felt bad about stepping on it, as if it were somehow a beacon or a lamp and I were a dark giant.

Ani came by today to get her pay for last week. We won't be needing her services for now, so I gave her a month's severance pay. I could see she'd been crying, whether because she is out of a job or because she misses Salma, I don't know. Perhaps both. She has been Salma's part-time parent since Salma was six months old. I told her that Salma loves her, and that she (Ani) will always be a member of the family, and that when Salma returns I will call her to come back to work.

I decided this evening to go for a walk. I enjoy listening to my iPod as I walk. When I picked up the iPod from the kitchen counter the cord was tangled up with some small plastic box, and the little box suddenly began emitting a loud crying sound. I stared at it in alarm and confusion before I realized that it was the "voicebox" for Salma's doll. She has a doll that used to "cry" when you squeeze it, but for some reason we had removed the voicebox and here it was. The noise was startlingly loud in the large, silent kitchen.

That got me thinking about Salma and how much I miss her. It's very hard, but I know that my bond with her is strong enough to weather this absence.

Just for fun, I decided to put a couple of dumbbells in a backpack and wear that on my walk, to make it tougher. I wrapped two 30 lb dumbbells in a towel and stuffed them in the backpack, then set off on my walk, listening to a novel called "The Traveler" on the iPod. The pain in my shoulders and the hammering of my heart quickly reduced the length of my planned walk from a long circuit around town to a few blocks, and then just around the one block.

A few local dogs befriended me and walked with me, every now and then nuzzling my hands to be petted. One was a large black puppy, and the other was a fat old dog with a limp. They followed me all the way home. By the time I returned home the weight of the shoulder straps had cut off the circulation to my arms and my hands were tingling. Elapsed time: 20 minutes. I don't know how they do it in the army. Don't they have to run 10 miles wearing 100 lb packs, or some crazy thing?

There's no moon tonight and the stars are incredibly bright. The sky is packed with them, stacked on top of each other like apples at the market. SubhanAllah. This is a beautiful place, beautiful people, in the crater of a volcano nestled beneath the stars.

Ants and Pasta, Welcome Home

2008-05-03T21:40:00.001-07:00

Laura and Salma flew to California this morning. Or their plane did, and they just rode.

After seeing them off at the airport I stopped by my friend Tracy's house in La Chorrera. There was a salamander on his kitchen floor and I helped it out into the yard. Two cats lounging about the house on the cool tile floors, and the smell of burning leaves in the air. No sign today of the parrot that calls, "Mama, mama." Tracy is having a running dispute with his Panamanian neighbors. He recently discovered that his property is larger than was previously believed, so he moved the fence accordingly. A large chunk of what was believed to be his neighbor's property is now his. They have responded by loosening the fence posts, breaking into his backyard casita, tossing dogs and chickens over the fence, and on one occasion striking him with a board. The case has gone to the local magistrate and one of the neighbors may face jail time.

I got home just in time to see Henry and Nora Smith pulling up to my gate. They were in town to scope some properties, so I quickly fed the cat and went with them. They brought their granddaughter Ana Sofia with them to meet Salma. Ana Sofia is a happy, friendly little girl, charming in the way that Panamanian children can be.

I guided them to the new place that Silen is building and selling. Silen, who sold me this house, asked me about all my fruit trees. "How's the papaya tree? How's the mango? How's the guanabana?" Etcetera. I told him the bananas, papaya and mangoes are great, but I didn't even know that I had guanabana.

I took Henry and Nora to see the two-story house past Dan & Cherry's that a developer built on spec and is trying to sell. Nora took lots of photos.

Returning home I found Listo watering the yard on his day off. I asked him about the guanabana and he showed me, and he also pointed out a chirimoya tree (another one I didn't know I had).

I opened some windows and the kitchen door and stepped out into the side yard, only to step into a new anthill next to the sidewalk. I didn't even notice it until I got the first bite, and by the time I got my slippers off I had a half dozen bites on my foot. Welcome back to El Valle. In fact the insect population seems to have burgeoned lately, perhaps because of the light rainfall we've had. Termites, spiders, and a mouse-sized cockroach are running rampant in the house. I took off my slipper and aimed it at the cockroach but he escaped beneath the bathroom sink. Such sensitive little monsters.

The sugar-ant super highway has disappeared from the kitchen counter but a few scouts remain.

On the other hand it was nice to look in the fridge and find the delicious macaroni and mushroom dish that Rosa left, along with an olive and feta salad, and the remains of the chocolate cake that Laura made before she left.

The house is large, empty and silent, with a cool night breeze blowing through now that I've opened the windows. Salma's room is dark. There's a scent of jasmine in the air. Li'l Fishy is very glad to have me home and follows me from room to room. I have turned my phone off because I'm not in a talking mood, so if you've tried to call I'm afraid I have not received your messages. I still read my email.

Questions About Life in El Valle

2008-04-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

This is in response to the comments on the previous post:

Hello Claudia,

I went over and looked at the house today. I am amazed that it's for rent. Those types of homes are usually owned by rich weekenders and they don't typically rent or sell them. How much are they asking?

So, the street that goes off the main road is at first unpaved, then paved but badly pitted. An ordinary car can manage it, but in general for living in El Valle I recommend an SUV or 4-wheel drive vehicle.

Once you get near the house the road is smooth. The house itself is nestled in the foothills among the trees and birdsong. It's a lovely location. I viewed the house from the street, but from what I can see it looks large, and the yard is huge.

Seeing the inside is important however, because Panamanian homes are often dark inside (to minimize sun exposure and heat), and some people don't like that.

Answers to your other questions:

American TV: You can sign up for Direct TV (cable service) which offers a wide selection of American programming. I don't know how much it costs.

Internet Connection: The most reliable service provider here is Mobilphone. It's wireless. I don't know if they offer 5mps, but another web developer here (Zach) has 1mps and I think he pays $150/month. I have 256K and pay $45 per month. Are you sure you really need such a high speed?

My internet connection is stable, though sometimes slow in the afternoon. The power goes out often here (a few times a week, several hours at a time, usually at night but occasionally during the day) and of course when that happens you won't be able to use your computer unless you have a large battery back-up unit. I do have one and it provides about 5 hours of power.

Things to bring: for us, nothing but thank you for offering. For yourselves, I wrote a post on this topic some time ago. See it here:

What to Bring When Moving to Panama

Re: Check Out This House in El Valle

2008-04-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

I got this comment recently through my contact form. I've abbreviated it slightly. See below for my response:

Hi Laura. My husband and I myself are coming to Panama in mid May and we are right now deciding if we should rent a house down at Playa de Coronado and/or in El Valle. We found a house in El Valle. I would love if you could tell me on which "side" of the road this property is:

Here's a description: (removed to keep competing house-hunters from getting it).

Laura, since you live in El Valle would it be possible for you to find a little bit more information on the house and the location aside from what our realtor explained to us? I really truly appreciate your comments.

P.S. We have no icecream machine... but if everything works out ...well a dinner in our new home is on us :-)

Best wishes
Claudia

******************

Claudia, thanks for your email. Actually I am Wael, Laura's husband, and this is my blog. Laura's blog is www.CasaSalaam.com.

Yes, I know the street you described. It's a nice, quiet street in a good area. Not so close to the center of town but near the Centro Commercial, which is handy since that's the biggest store in town.

I'll go over there tomorrow and take a look at the house. Thanks for the dinner invitation and I look forward to taking you up on it. Please send me another message through the contact form and leave your email address this time.

Begone, Duende! Let my Daughter Be

2008-04-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

Has Salma seen a duende? More likely she is just going through a phase. It started about four days ago, at least that's when I noticed it. She was in the bedroom watching an Elmo DVD that we recently got. Normally either Laura or I am in the room with her, but at that moment Laura had gone to the kitchen to get Salma a snack. Elmo is pretty harmless anyway. Suddenly Salma came running out of the room, crying.

Ever since that moment, this is what we're going through:

Salma will not stay in any room alone, even for a moment. If we're playing in the living room and I get up to go to the bathroom or get a glass of water, she will whine or cry and follow me.

Salma refuses to sleep in her crib, until she first cries for an hour or more. I (or Laura) hold her, sing to her, she falls asleep, but as soon as I try to lay her down she clutches my shirt and cries. If I set her down she will scream and cry. The only thing that will work is for me or Laura to sleep in the bed that is next to her crib. Even then she cries and wails before settling down.

Same thing for daytime naps. She will not sleep on her own. She cries and screams as soon as I set her down. Even Ani cannot get her to sleep.

She has also become very insecure. She used to be intrepid, exploring everything, approaching everyone. Now all of a sudden everything frightens her. I picked up the vacuum cleaner the other day - it was off - and Salma ran away just at the sight of it.

As a result Salma is exhausted, so she whines cries all the time and doesn't want to eat. She's a total basket case, and I am becoming one too. It's wearing me out. What on earth is going on?

Meanwhile Rosa is out sick, apparently with an infected molar. Her husband Claudio came by today and I gave him Rosa's pay for the week to pay for her medical care. I mentioned to him what was happening with Salma, and he said very matter of factly, "Maybe she saw a Duende."

Because of a discussion I had with Corrin Skubin last week, I just happen to know what this is. A duende is a mythological figure similar to a fairy or goblin. According to some, it's a goblin or elf that appears in the form of a dwarf and takes small children.

Wikipedia says, "They are believed to be of a small stature wearing big hats whistling a mystical song while walking in the forest. Using their talent they are believed to lure young girls to the forest and causing them to lose their way home. Conversely, in some Latin cultures the Duendes are believed to be the helpers of people who get lost in the forest so they could find their way home.

In Hispanic folklore of the American Southwest, Duendes are known as evil, green-skinned, red-eyed little monsters who live inside the walls of homes, especially in bedroom walls of young children. They attempt to convince children to misbehave, and will eventually try to steal a child's soul."

It's true that I sometimes hear noises coming from inside the air conditioning unit in Salma's room. Laura has mentioned that we might have mice in there.

In all seriousness, though, I hope Salma gets over this problem soon, Insha'Allah.

Cicadas, Peacocks, and Frogs with Bad Timing

2008-04-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

We're at the apex of the dry season. The weather is warm bordering on hot, bright and sunny every day. The birds are singing, our resident iguana is growing huge, and Laura and Salma have been making frequent trips to the swimming pool at Aparthotel El Valle, which charges $2 per person for a dip in a pool heated by natural hot springs. Salma wears a flotation device and is gradually becoming more comfortable swimming on her own, with her Mama a feet away watching.

The cicadas have started up and you can hear them all day long. A cicada's call starts out with a sputter like an engine trying to start, then winds up into a long, loud air-raid siren. If you didn't know what it was you'd think it was a machine of some kind.

Summer is mosquito season and the geckos are going to town. They're all over the house, laughing at us with their distinctive call. We've hung a mosquito net over Salma's bed and we make sure to draw it closed every night. I sleep in long sleeved pajamas as protection, with the ceiling fan running on low. No need for AC up here in El Valle, except on the hottest afternoons.

The peacocks at Los Aramos seem to have spring fever. We hear their calls at all hours of the day and night.

We had a few brief rainstorms last week and it seems to have fooled the frogs. Many came out of hibernation and can be seen hopping all around the neighborhood by the hundreds. Unfortunately for them the early rain was a nasty April fool's joke, not to be repeated. The ditches and streams are dry and I'm afraid this crop of frogs will die out. Laura already removed one from our driveway, picked to the bones by black ants.

The termites have shown a few signs of an impending population explosion. We'll see.

Laura is now teaching English two days a week at the public school. It's turning out to be quite an experience for her. You can read about it on her blog, http://www.CasaSalaam.com

Good News: the Golden Frog is Not Extinct in the Wild

2008-04-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

From the English-language section of Prensa.com:

Panamá, Friday April 10 2008

Golden frog may escape extinction

"We could be witnessing the greatest extinction since the dinosaurs," explained Jeff Corwin, host of the popular television show "Animal Planet." Corwin was in Panama to film the first leg of a research project that will take him South America, Africa and Australia as well.

Corwin is investigating the massive and somewhat sudden extinction of amphibians around the world, specifically frogs, toads, newts and salamanders. Panama has not been spared the disappearance of these sensitive and wonderful creatures. The golden frog, the country's most well known amphibian, recognized worldwide for its extraordinary beauty, is on the verge of disappearing.

The species has suffered from deforestation and urbanization, but the principal cause of its demise is an aquatic fungus that adheres to its skin, asphyxiating and dehydrating the tiny creature.

The odds of anyone finding the endemic species where Corwin and his knowledgeable guide and colleague, Edgardo Griffith, director of the Centro de Conservación de Anfibios El Níspero, went looking for them, were miniscule. The frog was believed to be extinct in the area.

"A few years ago I was doing a show in the extraordinary region of Darién," Corwin said, "and we discovered some spectacular species of frogs. Three years later, when I went back to the region to document them, we travelled all over the area and weren't able to find any."

Yet to their astonishment, in the town of Copé in the province of Coclé, they found 15 adolescent frogs accompanied by an adult.

The golden frog will be featured in Corwin's forthcoming documentary, "The Vanishing Frog."

I had heard that these Animal Planet fellows were here in town. A few young American expats here (children of the Blume family) went with them on their expedition to the Darién, and returned vowing never to do it again.

That's great news about the the symbol of El Vallé - the golden frog. I have noticed a dramatic reduction in the number and variety of frogs here in El Vallé, and I understand that many species in the wild have disappeared altogether. Hang in there, rana dorada! Fight the fungus that be!

P.S. Prensa.com's English-language supplement can be found here:

http://prensa.com/hoy/herald.shtml

*

Another Business Idea for Entrepreneurs in Panama

2008-04-06T14:39:00.001-07:00

I've updated my popular post on Business Ideas for Entrepreneurs in Panama (popular in terms of the number of people who have viewed it, though no one has commented yet - grr!).

There are now 28 business ideas, after I added the following to the list:

Same-Day and Next-Day Courier Service - It's true that Panamanians like to take their time with things. What's the hurry? But the number of North American & European expat communities along the Panama-Penonomé corridor is growing, and these folks might appreciate a reliable same-day or overnight courier service that could do any of the following:

Pick up mail or packages in Panama city and deliver them to coastside communities.
Deliver documents to lawyers or banks in the city.
Buy requested items (or even do a full-fledged shopping trip) in Panama city and deliver.

With the rising price of gasoline, a day trip into the city to do any of these things is cost prohibitive. For me, living in El Valle de Antón, a round trip to the city in my 2003 Nissan Sentra costs $30 in gas. That's outrageous. The alternative is a long, tiring trip on the bus.

A courier service, on the other hand, could use fuel-efficient mopeds and small vehicles to keep costs low. After all, Chinese restaurants and pizza parlors in Panama already use mopeds for home delivery, as in the photo above. Why not do the same for documents and packages, like the Thai fellow in the photo at the top?

In addition, courier services combine several deliveries going in the same direction into one run, for the sake of both time and cost efficiency.

Salma in a Guaymi Dress and Playing in the Water

2008-03-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

As usual, click on the photo for a much larger version. This photo below is Salma in a Guaymi dress. The Guaymi, also know as the Ngobe-Bugle, are the predominant Indian tribe of this area.

What is this thing you keep pointing at me, Mom?:

We fill this yellow tub with water and let it sit out in the sun so the water gets warm. By afternoon the yard is shaded but the water is just right. Salma loves playing in the water. Of course someone is always watching her:

She enjoys filling a glass and pouring it out onto the grass, or onto herself.

Some of Mama's creative photography:

Entrepreneurial Spirit--Panamanian Style

2008-03-23T12:51:00.001-07:00

Someone named Bull posted this great story on the Panama Forum, and I thought I'd share it with my readers (the photo is not the fellow in the story, just a random Panamanian farmer whose photo I found on the web). Read all the way to the end. You'll be glad you did:

His name was Joseul and the clothes he wore would've been rejected by the raggediest scarecrow on the poorest piece of hardscrabble farm land in Lower Alabama but I needed a gardener not a GQ wannabe so we cut a deal sans contract for him to mow my lawn in Albrook Air Force Station family housing for seven bucks a week.

A nosy neighbor told us she'd seen his lineup photo in a book the Sky Cops showed around the housing area and she suspected him of stealing a pair of shoes from her clothes dryer. I told her if they were the shoes I always saw him wearing she needed to go to confession as soon as possible since I was convinced she'd reached a point people smarter than me called a nadir. I added for good measure that I thought Joseul's surname was probably Nadir.

He was so rail thin if he turned sideways I couldn't see his shadow. He lived
in an area called Hollywood situated between the vegetable market where Gaillard Highway almost becomes Fourth of July Avenue and a PCC housing area up on the hill behind it. The best thing you could say about Hollywood was it was waterfront property. Course you wouldn't drink or cook with that agua (browner for more reasons than mud) and if you were a reasonable person driving by it you'd pinch your nostrils together if your windows were down in which case you'd be considered less than reasonable.

Joseul wasn't a standup comic but he uttered one of the best one liners I've ever heard. After a particularly strong thunderstorm he said, "My house blew away but I found it."

During the five years he worked for us and other families on Albrook he endured
the violent and tragic death of his wife, run down by a Diablo Rojo, leaving him to
raise their three young children. To supplement his gardening income he fought boxing
matches he almost always lost and on more than one occasion he was mugged by maleantes who knew he was a gardener paid in cash. Yet every time I saw him he was smiling.

If I asked him "Como esta?" he always replied, "Muy bien, gracias!" This all occurred
from July 1984 to July 1989 when I returned to Phoenix and my old job at Luke AFB. We returned to Panama for a second tour in April 1993 and things had changed considerably.

Our family unit was the wife and me. I thought it was the ultimate vacation until my wife pointed out that one of the establishments we hadn't found yet was a laundromat. We lived in the El Panama Hotel for two months while looking for permanent housing downtown.

Every Friday morning I tossed our dirty laundry into the car trunk and on my lunch hour would scoot from Howard AFB over to Albrook where I used the washer/dryer behind the Bachelor Officers Quarters.

One day I'm driving up to that location when I spot none other than Joseul, standing in someone's yard, overseeing his 16-year old son mow the lawn. I pulled to the curb and got out and it was as Yogi Berra famously said deja vu all over again for both of us. The next time I saw him was two or three years later as I walked to my car in the Howard parking lot and here comes Joseul, resplendent in dress slacks, long sleeved white guayabera, looking dapper and contented as all getout.

We chatted awhile and he told me he had his own landscaping business and he was
certainly the picture of success. We exchanged a firm handshake and fuerte abrazo and as I walked on to my car I could feel a bit more spring in my old feet.

Bull

El Valle Hotel Restaurant Reviews

2008-03-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

Although I've lived in El Valle de Antón, Panama, for almost two years now, I've never dined at some of the hotel restaurants here. After all, when was the last time you dined at your local Hilton Hotel?

I've eaten at Los Capitanes several times (mostly to my regret) because the Valleros ex-pat group holds functions there and I've had friends and family staying there.

I've had the well-regarded breakfast at the Anton Valley Hotel and it was quite good.

I often eat at El Rancho (formerly called Niña Delia), which is technically a hotel since it has several inexpensive rooms for rent, but is much better known as a restaurant.

But I've never been to the restaurants at La Casa de Lourdes, Rincon Valley Hotel, the Park Eden Hotel, or any of the various cabañas around town such as Cabañas Las Mozas.

Eventually I'll get around going to those, just so I can blog about them, but in the meantime I spotted these informal reviews on the "Restaurants in Panama" Yahoo discussion forum:

Dining at La Case de Lourdes

"bwh12b" posted this review of La Case de Lourdes, which is the highest-end hotel and restaurant in El Valle:

This past weekend I went to El Valle de Anton to try La Casa de Lourdes, which I'd only read about. Wow. La Casa de Lourdes is the restaurant for the hotel/spa Los Mandarinos (http://losmandarinos.com/), and it may be the prettiest place, architecturally speaking, that I've seen in all of Panama. I didn't stay at Los Mandarinos, because this was a last-minute trip and they were full -- so I can't comment on the rooms. (I stayed at Los Capitanes, which is a reliable alternative nearby.) But I did have dinner there. The food was superb, and reasonably priced; entrees range from $8-18. (I had the pork chop, 1.5" thick, with fig compote glaze; I think that was $13.) The owner/hostess, Lourdes, is charming and attentive to all. And the setting, well... even if they only served sancocho, it would be worth a visit. :-)

Clearly a very positive review. However, I must point out the experience of my friends Christina and Rudy, who went there for Chris' birthday. The meals, they said, were good, but when they received the check and presented their pensionado cards (a retirement visa that guarantees the bearer a special discount), Lourdes became angry and hostile and created a scene, accusing the "gringos" of taking advantage of Panamanians. This spoiled the whole experience for them, naturally.

"Vicki" also had a positive experience at La Casa de Lourdes, saying,

"We'll second this recommendation! We were there last year, our meals,
the setting and the service were fantastic."

"thebeachisgud" confirmed it with this comment:

LOVE this place. If you are staying overnight, request room 4A or 4B
(in the old part, on the top floor where you have a view and breeze,
and close to the spa).

The menu changes with the season. We're looking forward to the return
of the "winter" menu with the "to-die-for" cassoulet + warm mango
crumble (available in mango season). That being said, we were there
over Carnival and our selections off the special Carnival menu
(gourmet riffs on Panamanian classics) and the summer menu were
memorable and luscious, as always.

Dining at the Hotel Rincon Vallero

About the Hotel Rincon Vallero, Vicki wrote:

"We stayed at Hotel Rincon Vallero, which was lovely and the food was excellent in their restaurant. We had the Suite with a bedroom, living room and a fabulous bathroom...the shower is a waterfall. My mom in law was with us and this worked out well for us. She was ready to sleep on the fold out sofa bed but no.....they brought a real mattress to put on top of the lousy mattress for her comfort. Mind you, we didn't ask for it they just showed up with it right after check-in. We would go back there again."

Ok, so that wasn't specifically a restaurant review, though she did say the food was excellent. Anyone else dined at Rincon Valley? Care to share your experience?

Dining at the Crater Valley Resort

I myself have dined at the Crater Valle Resort, along with Laura and her mother Linda. We went over there on a weekday evening just to check it out. There were no other diners there and the hotel staff seemed surprised by our appearance, but they seated us and took our orders. We found the outdoor patio and pool, although quite lovely and scenic, to be too exposed to the wind and rain, so we asked to be moved to an indoor dining room and were accomodated.

I ordered the corvina. It turned out to be not quite fresh, though it was topped with a tropical fruit compote that was delicious. In general I would describe the restaurant as creative but disused. The food was decent, not outstanding. Prices were in the $10 to $15 range, too high for El Valle or for what was served.

28 Business Ideas for Entrepreneurs in Panama

2008-03-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

Panama is booming, with real estate projects going up everywhere and immigrants flooding in from the USA, Europe and South America (particularly Venezuela and Colombia). Panama City is a sprawling metropolis struggling to make an awkward transformation from third-world to first world. There are many people with money, but there's a dearth of high-end services to meet their needs. There's a flood of gringos coming in, but outside the areas of real estate and law, there's a shortage of agencies and services to help them settle in.

This creates many business opportunities here in Panama.

These first eight ideas come from halloranc at Panama Travels, and I'll follow them up with some comments and ideas of my own:

8 Money Making Ideas for Entrepreneurs in Panama
1. Convert Condo to Condo-Hotel — There simply are not enough hotel rooms in Panama City. I run a travel agency and see this first-hand. Scarier still is that there are scant new hotels even in construction, much less nearing completion. So while supply is scarce, prices are rising sky high for room nights at average hotels as demand rises. A fantastic opportunity exists for an investor or developer to purchase several floors of a condo or an older 8-10 unit building and convert it to a condo-hotel. Several smart investors have already done so with great success.

2. A Surf and Water Sports Shop — Sure there area few in the mall in the city, but where’s the nice surfboard repair, bikini, and sunscreen shop at THE BEACH? With as many projects going up in the Santa Clara area, it would sure seem like the first guy to build a proper shopping center catering to tourists would make a bundle. At least that’s how it went in Costa Rica…

3. An Ultra High End Casino-Hotel — The Veneto is well…kinda nice. But the service is pretty shabby, a lot of the common areas are poorly kept and the casino is a gong show. With the high roller money pouring into Panama, it would seem a no-brainer to build a super swanky and exclusive hotel/casino in Panama City. Until then, I’ll have to roll the dice while hearing live salsa music blaring at a volume of “11″.

4. Earth Moving Equipment Rental — It’s hard to even find a backhoe in Panama City right now, much less in more remote locations. With all the construction and land improvement going on, a quality provider of heavy equipment and likely, equipment operators, would net a king’s ransom.

5. Pool Services — There are no firms that I know of who are strictly in the business of design, construction and maintenance of swimming pools. I’ve seen dozens of fantastic and original swimming pools at hotels and homes in Costa Rica, but cannot name three in Panama.

6. Hospitality Training — Wow, does Panama ever need this. From simple “please and thank you” to, “how to handle an angry client”, Panama desperately needs some outside training.

7. Ad Agency/PR Firm — Tons of local businesses are attempting to get their message out to the world, but as confused, misspelled, poorly translated and very often, off-target as the messages are…one can safely assume that talented PR and Advertising consulting would be a hit.

8. Buy Remote Land — Pretty simple advice and one that certainly should entail an entire series of articles. In short, if you have a some cash to invest and know what you are doing, prices seem likely to rise over the next 5-10 years.
I agree with all of the above points, though with regards to number 6 (hospitality training) and number 7 (ad agency), I think you might first have to convince Panamanian businesses that poor hospitality and poorly written ads are indeed hurting their business, and that they could make more money by spending a little on the problem. The fact is that poor customer service and weak attention to detail are simply an accepted part of the culture here and most Panamanians don't view it as a problem.

More Money Making Ideas for Entrepreneurs in Panama

I'll add some of my own business ideas for entrepreneurs in Panama, in no particular order:

9. Employment Agency - providing domestic help to gringos. Many Americans and Europeans arrive here not knowing the language or the culture, but needing some household help right away. Often they end up hiring someone who works poorly, charges too much, or steals from them. There is a need for an agency to provide newcomers here with screened and qualified maids, nannies, gardeners, caretakers, and drivers.

10. Limousine Service - I have seen only one limo in all my time here in Panama. I don't think the problem is the traffic, it's just that there is no perceived need for it. This is one of those instances where providing the service creates the need. There is plenty of money here in Panama. If you can plant the idea in people's heads that certain special occasions require a limo, pretty soon everyone will want one.

11. Quality Furniture in the Interior - Right now quality furniture is available only in Panama city. Furniture in the interior tends to be very rustic, handmade in primitive workshops and sold on the road. But there are growing ex-pat communities in interior cities like La Chorrera, Coronado, Penonomé, and Santiago, and I'm sure these people would rather buy quality furniture locally rather than truck it all the way from Panama.

12. Interior Decorator - Particularly for the new luxury apartments in Punta Pacifica and Costa del Este (Spanish speaking market) and the luxury beach developments in places like Playa Blanca and Rio Mar (English speaking market).

13. Ethnic Food - There is a glaring absence in Panama city of quality Mexican food (or even better, Tex-Mex!), Thai, Vietnamese, or gourmet North-American style burgers. Actually, I suspect a good burger joint could quickly open branches all over the country and make good money.

14. Pet Services - In the past there was not much of a pet culture in Panama, and it still doesn't really exist in the interior, but in Panama city pet ownership is growing rapidly and people are spending more and more money on their dogs in particular. I think there's a market for high-end pet services like dog grooming parlors, luxury kennels ("pet hotels"), and special pet items like outfits, gourmet treats, jeweled collars, etc.

15. Food Processing or Manufacturing - this is not my area of expertise, but I've noticed that although Panama has a thriving agricultural industry, most processed foods are imported from Costa Rica, Colombia, the USA and China. I suspect that there is a huge untapped market for food processing and manufacturing, both for the domestic and international market. Chocolate, for example. Panama has grown cocoa for hundreds of years and more farmers are planting it every day because the price of cocoa is high. The cocoa is exported to other countries who turn it into chocolate for the international market.

Don't Panamanians eat chocolate? Of course. Go into any Farmacia Arrocha and you'll see chocolate bars from the USA, England, Switzerland and the Netherlands. But Panama, which grows the beans, does not manufacture chocolate.

16. Spanish Schools - nearby countries like Guatemala and Costa Rica have scores of Spanish immersion schools, where students of all ages come from North America and Europe and spend anywhere from one month to one year at the school, studying Spanish for up to six hours per day. Panama, however, has only three such schools that I am aware of (Spanish Panama, ILERI, and another that I can't remember). Why? Panama has locations that are just as good as any in Costa Rica. How about El Vallé, where students could explore the forest and many other attractions in their off-hours? How about a Spanish & surf school on the Pacific coast? Or Spanish & dive school on the Caribbean?

17. Offshore Web Development Services - there are a number of good web development companies operating in Panama, several of them based in the City of Knowledge. However, they seem to focus on the Panamanian market only. As far as I know no one is catering to the North American market, which is too bad since labor costs here are low and a good web development firm here could capture some of the business that is currently being outsourced to India and China.

18. Bilingual Education - There is a growing need for quality, private bilingual education, from pre-school all the way through University level. And not only in Panama city, either. More and more expat families are settling in the interior, and middle class Panamanians in the interior need options like this as well.

19. Courier Service - It's true that Panamanians like to take their time with things. What's the hurry? But the number of North American & European expat communities along the Panama-Penonomé corridor is growing, and these folks might appreciate a reliable same-day or overnight courier service that could do any of the following:

Pick up mail or packages in Panama city and deliver them to coastside communities.
Deliver documents to lawyers or banks in the city.
Buy requested items (or even do a full-fledged shopping trip) in Panama city and deliver.

With the rising price of gasoline, a day trip into the city to do any of these things is cost prohibitive. A courier service could use fuel-efficient mopeds and small vehicles to keep costs low.

These last 10 ideas come from Enilda Watson, writing for the American Chronicle (see the original here). I have added my comments in italics after each idea:

10 More Panama Business Ideas:

19. Language Tutoring: With a total investment as low as $2,000 you can start running a language tutoring business. English for executives and tutorials to enter U.S. universities are in high demand, as well as for call center agents. You do not need to rent an office or furniture, you can go to people’s offices or houses for an hour or two a day. This arrangement will only require a small investment, and it will also put you in contact with other prospective clients and allow you to offer other services. (I agree that the need is overwhelming, but I'm not sure you could charge enough to make it worth your time. Perhaps Ms. Watson could have elaborated on the "other services" that one might offer).

20. A Tour Leader Company: You know what tourists like and expect in order to enjoy an unforgettable experience. In Panama, there are all kinds of things to see, places to go, things to shop for and unspoiled beaches to visit, so the opportunities are there for the taking. An investment of $8,000.00 for a small office, renting a car, and a lot of Internet marketing and hotel contacts are needed at the beginning, but referrals in this business are high and you should have a growing clientele in a short time. If you are friendly and like meeting new and interesting people every week and enjoy guiding them around the country, this could be your opportunity. (Yes, I think there is a lot of room for growth in the tour industry, particularly for someone who can market himself/herself).

21. Setting up a Restaurant: If you like cooking and mingling with people, opening a restaurant is an excellent option for you. The Liquor licenses could be expensive, but a Bring-Your-Own-Wine Bohemian Bistro has the smell of success in any part of Panama. To keep your investment to a minimum, you can look for a partner and start by renting a small place with no more than 30 seats. Parking space is of importance, and house courtesies will give you great word-of-mouth advertising. Most entrepreneurs are not wealthy, so, avoid investing too much in decorations, and use your resources for flyers and other forms of direct marketing. (Agreed, I mentioned this one in my list).

22. Business Consulting: If your expertise is in marketing, finance, logistics or technology, there are more than 20,000 small and medium enterprises that could use your experience and advice. Approximate for $6,000.00 or even less, you can rent an office, get a license to operate, buy a computer, office furniture, purchase a business database, and prepare your brochure and introductory letter. Panamanians like to do business with people they know face to face, so you can start getting appointments with members of AMCHAM, professional associations and friends and can serve as referrals. (Just realize that business is done very differently here. It's all about who you know. To succeed at this you must be good at networking and making friends. Also, Panamanians do not have the same concept of punctuality, and are not accustomed to moving quickly in business deals, so you'll need to be very patient and learn to adjust to the culture here).

23. The Import-Export Business: Panama is an excellent service-provider. If you are able to obtain the representation of some products or services, you will be able to market them in all Latin America. For this you will need to invest in office equipment and some databases, but avoid having any inventory, and the credit responsibility should lie with the manufacturer. You should just have to sell and get your commission. Panama is the hearth of the Americas and as you know your home market and have the contacts for some export-quality Panamanian products. Helping exports, from hot sauces to craftsmen’s products, could get you dollars and recognition in Panama. (Agreed. Many opportunities here).

24. Event Organizer: In Panama has need of professional event organizers, so if you are good planning things, have a touch of glamour and can take care of details, you can try this. From parties, weddings, product launches and business meetings, there are very few people specialized in this area, and practically none outside Panama City. You will only need to develop relations with multinational companies, advertising agencies and hotel personnel. This is a business that you can run from your home and outsource all requirements. Your investment of $5,000.00 for a computer, an e-mail database and lots of business cards should be enough to start. You must schedule a month in which you should personally visit a minimum of four prospective clients per day. Thereafter, the guests at your first events should become your biggest promotional asset. (I don't know much about this. See my comments on point number 4 above. Nepotism is an accepted practice here.)

25. The Nursery Option: If you like kids and have experience dealing with them, Panama has a big need of bilingual nurseries. With $7,000.00 or less you can rent a house, hire a teacher and an assistant and purchase the basic furniture and games. You should also invest in some flyers for pediatrician’s offices and be in contact with area schools that usually start at the kindergarten level. (Sure. Similar to my idea about bilingual education).

26. The Golf Pro: There are less than ten Panamanian golf pros trained to teach this sport. So if you love golf and are good at it, this is an opportunity to start a career you can brag about to your friends at home. The initial investment will be in being trained on how to teach and to get some kind of certification. After that, you will be sought by hundreds of locals and foreigners that dream of improving their game without their golf buddies knowing. Night lessons on ranges will become popular. (No idea. Sounds plausible).

27. The Scout: If you love soccer, baseball or basketball, and know how to recognize great athletes, you can become a scout for your favorite university or professional team. There is a lot of untouched talent in many sports, and Panama has a disproportionate number of world-class jockeys and boxers. Your major investment would be your time. Try this! (Again, no idea... anyone tried this?)

28. A Garden Expert: There are plenty of lawns to mow and gardens to take care of, but not enough professional services in this area, especially in the countryside of Panama City. The cost of labor is low, and year round contracts will be the rule. Your start-up investment for equipment probably should not exceed $6,000. You may focus your efforts on small, well-to-do communities, and you should have all your business by the end of the first year. (Yes, or see my idea about an employment agency providing maids, gardeners, etc).

I am sure that you readers have some great ideas of your own. How about sharing them here?

Pot Sellers of El Valle

2008-03-01T08:33:00.000-08:00

A moment ago I was at my computer working, and Laura was trying to put Salma to sleep. It's Saturday, so Rosa, Ani and Listo are off.

I thought I heard someone call out, "Buenas!" I tilted my head, listening. A moment later there was a much louder call, "Buenas!" I hurried to the front door, not wanting any noises to disturb Salma, but I wasn't fast enough. Just before I got to the front door there was a veritable shriek:

"BUENAS!!!"

Two women with clay pots piled on their heads greeted me. "Sorry, I wasn't sure anyone was home," one said.

Vendors often come to the house on the weekends. They are villagers from the impoverished hamlets around El Valle de Anton. They walk into town, often from great distances, hoping to make a few dollars selling their wares, which could be crafts, vegetables, fruits, or flowers.

"Please, can't you help us out?" the smaller of the two women asked. "These pots are very heavy. Only three dollars each." They set the pots on the ground and removed the small turbans that they wore on their crowns to cushion the weight.

I didn't feel that we needed any pots, but I knew that these woman most likely have families, and are certainly very poor. I could find a place for a few potted plants.

I examined the pots and selected two of roughly equal size. They had a nice orange gloss. At this the shorter woman protested.

"But those are both her pots! Can't you buy some of my pots too?"

I didn't want four pots. But the short woman's pots were smaller than the other woman's pots, and I wanted a matching pair. I puzzled over this a moment, then took the largest of the squat lady's pots and the smallest of the hefty woman's pots. I gave them three dollars each.

The women thanked me, re-wrapped their turbans and hefted their pots to their heads. I returned to my office, then had a thought. Snatching up my camera I ran outside.

"Señoras!" I called, and chased after them, catching them at the front gate. "Can I take your picture?"

"But I'm ugly" the taller woman said. Nevertheless they both set their pots down and faced the camera.

"Please," I said. "Could you place the pots on your heads for the picture?"

They graciously posed for the photo above, then continued on their way.

Here are the two pots I bought:

Housebuilder Sets New World Record in Panama

2008-02-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

Via C. Kelly News Service:

Housebuilder Rudy Moberg shows off his New Dream House after only one day of construction, thus setting a new Panamanian record.

Says Rudy, "The contract was signed for a ten month duration starting on Feb 21st, but I never dreamed they could finish so soon."

For those of you who saw a previous foto in November, it confirms the fact that Rudy indeed has set two world records in three months.

Congratulations Rudy! He immediately went out and celebrated with his friends Wael , Laura and Baby Selma by ordering a pizza at Pinnochio's.

MORE FOTOS TO FOLLOW.

*****

(Actually, this type of shack is the first thing that goes up in any construction project. It's merely a temporary place to store tools and supplies).

El Valle for horses?

2008-02-17T09:44:00.000-08:00

Only a few days ago I installed a contact form on this blog (upper left corner) so that readers can send me messages or questions, and already I've received a question from a reader:

Hi, Hope you can help us. Is it possible to find 3+ acres with some sort of home on it in El Valle, affordable to working middle class gringos from California?

Is the grass okay for horses?

Thank you !

- Laura

My response:

Hi Laura,

Thanks for your email. To answer your question in a word, maybe. Depends on your particular financial situation.

There are indeed large lots available for purchase in El Valle, particularly on the edges of town. Land here is priced by the square meter (m2), or the hectare (a hectare is 10,000 m2). An acre is 4,046 square meters. So three acres is about 12,000 square meters, or 1.2 hectares.

The going price for land in El Valle is about $30/m2 and up (sometimes as high as $50). At the lowest price of $30, an undeveloped lot of 12,000 m2 would cost you $360,000.

If indeed you could afford it, I would say it's a good buy. Property values in Panama are constantly climbing. And El Valle is an amazingly beautiful place.

There are many horses here. I often see riders on the roads and side streets, and horses can be seen grazing almost any plot of unoccupied land here, so presumably the grass is just great.

Land outside El Valle is much cheaper. You can get land in other parts of the mountains, or in the lowlands around Penonomé (for example) for as little as $5/m2, and in very remote locations it's even cheaper than that. At that price you could get your three acres for $60,000 or less.

Best of luck.

Wael

James Bond Versus Yours Truly?

2008-02-15T11:51:00.000-08:00

The latest James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, has begun filming right here in Panama. They put out a casting call for extras. With my Hapkido skills perhaps I could be cast as a goon and get beaten up by James Bond. As long as they don't ask me to play an Arab terrorist. What do you think?

What's up with that awful title? It's fine for an Ian Fleming short story, but for a feature film?

"Ian Fleming had written about relationships," explained Daniel Craig. "When they go wrong, when there's nothing left, when the spark has gone, when the fire's gone out, there's no quantum of solace.
"And at the end of the last movie, Bond has the love of his life taken away from him and he never got that quantum of solace."

Ok, I need some quantum of understanding.

They started out filming the former Howard Air Force Base, then moved to the Institute of Culture building, then various other locations. See here for the schedule of filming locations:

http://commanderbond.net/article/4868

Salma Playing in the Yard

2008-02-13T11:24:00.001-08:00

In the afternoon our side yard is shaded and now that it's summer Salma loves to go outside and play on the grass. She plays with her green ball, dances, or tumbles on the grass. Sometimes we fill a yellow plastic tub with water and she puts toys in it and splashes about.

Click on any photo to see a much larger version:

If you'd like to print one of these, I recommend this next one:

This is the yellow tub that we fill with water. Climbing on things is another Salma favorite.

Salma dances at the least provocation. Humming a tune is sufficient to get her going.

We have many fruits growing in our yard and Salma enjoys eating them straight off the tree (we do not use pesticides or chemical fertilizers). Here she is biting into a lemon. She loves the tartness.

What, are you talking to me?

Don't make me come after you:

This last one is my favorite, and another good one to print and put up on the fridge:

My Gentle Tramadol Alter-Ego

2008-02-11T15:23:00.000-08:00

I mentioned that many strong drugs can be purchased here in Panama without a prescription, and that I had bought some Tramadol (a mild opiate) for my back pain.

I took the Tramadol for three days. I noticed during that time that not only did I have no physical pain, I also had no anxiety. I was very affectionate with Laura and Salma, and generally easygoing.

This morning I mentioned to Laura that I had stopped taking the Tramadol because my back is feeling better.

"Yeah, I figured as much," she said.

"Oh yeah, why?"

"You're back to your edgy self. When you were on Tramadol you were totally relaxed and friendly. I didn't like it. Not normal."

Apparently my Tramadol alter-ego is too warm and loving. It's good that I am loved just the way I am.

Rest in Peace, Zippy

2008-02-11T15:10:00.000-08:00

Last night about 10pm our cat Zippy began seizing and gasping for breath. I held him as Laura stroked him and uttered soothing words. Eventually his breathing returned to normal. I laid him down on a cushion in the bedroom, where he remained conscious but quiescent.

Shortly afterwards we turned out the light and went to bed, but no sooner had we settled down to sleep than we perceived Zippy moving. I turned on the light just in time to see Zippy totter over to his favorite bath mat. He heaved himself down on the mat, took one last gasping breath, and died.

While he was still warm, Laura combed out his fur until it shone with smoothness. This morning I wrapped him in a few of my old shirts (Zippy always loved the smell of my shirts), and set him in the hole in the yard along with his brush, a favorite toy, and some catnip. I tossed a handful of dirt and left the rest for Listo.

Zippy's been with us almost fifteen years, through four different cities. I'll miss him, but I'm happy that he is now at peace.

Thank Goodness for Pharmaceuticals

2008-02-08T15:33:00.000-08:00

Many drugs that are obtainable only by prescription in the United States can be purchased over the counter here in Panama. Right now I'm glad of that.

Every two or three years my back gives out on me. I feel something slip at the very bottom of my lower back, and suddenly I can barely move for three or four days. The pain is intense, even when lying down. I've had this problem since I was in high school, and it's not always obvious what triggers it. It eventually goes away on its own, but in the meantime I'm practically an invalid.

Well, it happened again yesterday. Even with ibuprofen or acetaminophen I can barely walk. I remembered reading a discussion on the Panama Forum a few months ago about over-the-counter painkillers in Panama. Someone had said that a powerful painkiller called Tramadol (brand name Tramacet) can be purchased over the counter here. It's an opiate, like a mild form of morphine.

So I asked Laura to check the local pharmacy here in El Valle, and sure enough they had one small package in stock. I popped two of these tiny pills, and within 30 minutes or so I was warm, sleepy and pain free. I napped all afternoon long and when I woke up I was able to walk without pain.

What a relief! When you're healthy you forget what a gift and a joy it is to be free of pain. Thank goodness for pharmaceuticals when you need 'em.

P.S. Yes Mom, I'm being careful, getting plenty of rest, not straining my back. Laura rubbed in some "icy hot" for me. Don't worry, I won't become addicted to Tramadol.

How Many Lives Does the Cat Have Left?

2008-02-05T16:26:00.000-08:00

Above is a photo of Zippy just last year, middle-aged but still in the bloom of health, strong and happy. He may look fat but it's just that thick coat of his.

You may recall my post of November 2007 in which I described how Zippy had suddenly lost his appetite. He has never recovered.

The veterinarian in Coronado, Dr. Jaime Reyes, finally figured out that Zippy has an intestinal tumor. Dr. Reyes operated in an attempt to remove the tumor, but it was too far inside the abdomen and could not be reached. So the doctor sewed him back up and I took him home. That was an ordeal as he could hardly move for days and required constant care.

Zippy has been in bad shape since then. He no longer eats or takes water. He is down to perhaps 9 pounds or less, from his original 18.

I have been worried that Zippy is suffering and is perhaps in pain. So last week I asked the local vet, Dr. Greco, to come to our house and put Zippy to sleep. We dug a hole in the front yard near the fence to bury Zippy, and I gathered a few of his favorite toys to keep him company in the afterlife.

Dr. Greco came to our house Friday afternoon. We said our goodbyes to Zippy and petted him as Dr. Greco trimmed his fur on one leg to expose an injection site. Unfortunately Dr. Greco is rather old and he accidentally cut Zippy's leg with the scissors. I was not happy about that. Because of Zippy's emaciated state, Dr. Greco had trouble trouble finding a vein. He tried three times but was unable to inject the euthanizing drug.

Finally I said stop. I had been deeply conflicted about the whole thing anyway, so I took it as a sign that Zippy should reach his own end naturally.

So the hole in the yard is still there, but Zippy is still here, alive and surviving if not thriving. Since Friday Laura and I have been feeding him an ounce or so of an egg & milk concoction by syringe.

Here's Zippy as he appears now:

Eric and Virginia's El Valle Blog Entry

2008-01-31T17:12:00.000-08:00

I recently came across this travel blog by a couple named Eric and Virginia:

http://www.evcal.org/index.html

They have a nice post, with many photos, about their trip to El Valle last year:

http://www.evcal.org/ValleDeAnton.html

Some serious globetrotters, here.

Wind Like a Freight Train

2008-01-31T17:05:00.000-08:00

There are two seasons here:

"Winter", or the rainy season, which the tourist industry calls the "green season" - 8 months long, rainy, warm, and unceasingly humid.

"Summer", or the dry season - almost 4 months long, dry, cool, and massively windy.

Right now it's summer. The wind is strongest at night and it sometimes sounds like a freight train rushing through the dark house. The other day one of our nice glass-bodied table lamps tipped over and shattered. Opening a window just a crack, especially on the windward side of the house, is enough to start doors slamming.

I had Listo cut back some of the branches from a tree outside Salma's room because the night winds were driving the branches against the roof and waking her up.

Last year we lost two trees, but this year we are still hale and whole, with a few months left to go.

In the daytime, however, the wind calms to a steady breeze and it's actually quite pleasant. All in all, I prefer the dry season. I like the cool breezes, the dry air, and the lack of mud in the streets. It's like a San Francisco summer.

Gringos Moving to El Valle

2008-01-28T20:00:00.000-08:00

There's a new restaurant in town, a little burger & hot dog joint called Massiel. I haven't tried it (not my kind of food) but it's often busy at lunch time. We also have a new pharmacy that has a pretty good stock of drugs and various magazines and snacks.

By the way, I know that many tourists and newcomers stay and eat at Los Capitanes Hotel, but let me just say that it's by far the most expensive restaurant in town and not any better in quality than the other much more affordable eateries in town. Do yourself a favor and go to El Rancho (formerly Niña Delia), Mar de Plata, Don Pepe or Bruschetta.

Gringos (North Americans and Europeans) continue to move here to El Valle in a steady stream. Whether this is good or bad I don't know. Let's examine the pros and cons:

Pros of Gringos Moving to El Valle:

Gives us (Laura and I) a larger pool of potential friends and more people with whom to trade English language movies and books.
Supports new businesses and restaurants here in El Valle.
Provides employment for some jobless locals in areas such as construction, maids, gardeners, etc.
Gringos here organize services such as ambulance service for El Valle, movie nights at the library, a cooking school for retirees, and my own wife teaches an English class for Panamanian children at the library.
Real estate prices continue to climb, which would benefit us if we sell. We are told that our house is worth significantly more than we paid in 2006.

Cons of Gringos Moving to El Valle:

As locals continue to sell their properties to "wealthy" gringos, it changes the nature of the town. Right now there are not enough gringos here to fundamentally alter the character of El Valle, but I would not like to see a "Boquete-zation" take place here, where El Valle becomes an insulated gringo enclave.
The jobs created are primarily service jobs, which means the locals become a population of maids and gardeners in their own land. I know that this bothers some Panamanians. It's no one's fault, but it's a disturbing dynamic, even if it is an alternative to poverty for many.
Spurs inflation. Restaurant prices in El Valle have gone up in the last year, and one restaurant (Bruschetta) has even decreased portion size while raising prices. Of course some of this may be due to the declining dollar and increased costs.

Do you have any arguments in favor of - or against - the increasing numbers of North Americans and Europeans in El Valle or in Panama in particular? Please share your thoughts.

"Real" Spanish

2008-01-26T17:02:00.000-08:00

Today was our friend Rudy's birthday and a Saturday as well, so we took him down to Santa Clara for a day at the beach. It was a beautiful summer day, with a clear blue sky and a steady breeze. The water was wonderfully calm and shone turquoise in places and azure in others. Less than a dozen yards out a "banana boat" owner dropped anchor and dozed on his water ski while he waited for customers. Later a second ride seller cruised up and down in a fishing boat, towing his inflated banana (yes, this is still a G-rated blog - I'm talking about an inflatable boat) up and down the beach just a few yards past the many swimmers. A tall three-masted sailing ship crossed in front of a small island just off the coast and headed out to sea.

We took Salma out into the water and she enjoyed being held by me or her Mama as we played and bobbed in the calm, cool sea.

Later we lazed in a palm-thatched bohio that we rented for the day for $5. There are a score of these all up and down the beach. In the bohio next to ours, two young American girls were playing in the sand as their parents relaxed in hammocks. We could see that Salma was curious about the girls, so we took her over and introduced ourselves.

The couple told us that they were with the American embassy. They had previously been posted to Madrid, and had arrived in Panama only a week ago. They were aloof and not terribly friendly.

"So," I said, "You probably speak Spanish already."

"I speak real Spanish," the husband replied. "I don't know what this is they speak here. It's like the difference between an Ivy League graduate and an Alabama redneck."

The Spanish of Spain is accented differently than that of Panama. The Spaniards enunciate more crisply than Panamanians, but they lisp their c's and s's in a way that Latin Americans do not. Presumably this is what the embassy fellow was referring to.

Later on, however, we heard him on the phone talking to his driver, and his Spanish was not in fact very good.

Rudy, who has traveled extensively, later commented that this behavior was typical of U.S. embassy staff everywhere. "They're cliquish," he said. "They stick to other embassy people."

I suspect that since they go where they are posted and are often moved from country to country, they don't develop deep attachments or friendships.

I found the comment about "real Spanish" to be very off-putting, so I returned to our bohio to lay in the shade and read, but Salma continued to play with the two girls and with just about every other neighbor. She's so amiable and trusting of everyone, even adults she doesn't know, which I think is great, but also worries me a little. When she's old enough to understand we'll have to have a talk about the difference between friends and strangers.

Later we enjoyed a good lunch of grilled corvina and french fries at the seafood grill on the beach, and then we dug into the chocolate cake that Laura made for Rudy's birthday. Instead of the usual sugary frosting, Laura created a gourmet frosting out of melted dark chocolate mixed with honey. It was so rich that I had to have two pieces and then I felt a little sick, maybe because I haven't been eating sweets much lately and I'm not used to it.

We discussed what to do with the rest of the cake. "I thought I'd share it with the other restaurant patrons," Laura said.

"These people can buy their own cakes," I said. Let's give it to Rosa (our maid) to take home to her kids.

"Or I could give it to Ani," Laura said (Ani is Salma's nanny).

"Since tomorrow's Sunday," I said, "Why don't we give it to the Kunas at the market."

Finally Rudy interrupted. "It's my birthday cake," he said. "Why don't you give it to me?"

So we did.

Hey, is There a Kid Stuck in a Tree?

2008-01-25T07:30:00.000-08:00

For a few months now I've been meeting a fellow named Alex and his twelve year old son Keola for long martial arts practice sessions every Sunday. We meet at Tracy's house in La Chorrera since it's sort of a halfway point, and we practice in his carport, on the jigsaw mats that I brought from home.

Alex studied Silat for several years, so we generally do a four hour session where he teaches me Silat and I teach him Hapkido. Alex and Keola are both excellent students, very fast learners, perhaps because of their previous Silat experience.

I've found that Silat and Hapkido mesh quite well. They differ in philosophy, in that Hapkido is a modern self-defense art that offers graduated responses depending on the seriousness of the attack, while Silat is a battlefield art focused on destroying the attacker utterly. There's no restraint or mercy. It is a close-range fighting art that employs rapid blows in succession, both to the upper and lower body, and doesn't stop until the attacker is crumpled on the ground at odd angles.

So it might seem that the two are not compatible. But the interesting thing is that many of the techniques are quite similar. A classical Silat punch defense looks very similar to a Hapkido defense, but where a Hapkidoist might move inside for an elbow strike or a break and then walk away, the Silat practioner would move inside with the identical elbow strike then follow up with other strikes, then whip the attacker's head around one way then the other to cause whiplash or fracture the neck, then throw him while trapping his leg so that he falls badly.

When you add Hapkido joint locks/breaks to Silat techniques (or vice versa), it starts to look scary!

Anyway, I digress. What about the kid in the tree?

Right, so we were practicing last Sunday, and I suddenly realized that I could hear a child crying out, and it had been going on for some time. It didn't sound like a happy or playful cry. It carried a note of fear or distress. It sounded like, "Mama! Mama! Mama!"

I stopped and looked across the fence to the neighbor's property. The neighbor has a sweeping expanse of grass, then the house and a shed, and behind that the land drops down to a stream gully, with tall pine trees all around. The cry seemed to be coming from behind the shed, or perhaps from the stream bed.

Alex and Keola came to the fence to listen as well. "What does that sound like?" I asked.

"Sounds like a kid in trouble," Alex said. We looked all around, but we could not locate the source of the cries. There was no one in sight.

Alex vaulted the fence and began crossing the neighbor's property. As he neared the shed, a woman came out of the house. She and Alex had a conversation and she pointed up into one of the tall pine trees near the stream.

Alex turned to us and shouted, "The kid is stuck in a tree!" The woman touched his arm and pointed up to the tree and they talked some more. Then Alex came jogging back, shaking his head.

"It's a parrot!" he said. "A parrot in a tree."

The neighbors have a few young children and I'm guessing that the parrot has heard them calling for their mother, and has learned to imitate them.

We continued our practice and the parrot continued calling, "Mama! Mama!"

The Hazards of Hiking Solo

2008-01-15T22:25:00.000-08:00

Now that summer's here (January to April, more or less) I want to tackle the challenge of climbing Cerro Gaital, the tallest peak of the caldera around El Valle. You can see it in the photo above. It's a breathtakingly beautiful, heavily forested, mist-shrouded peak. A climb up Gaital would probably be a dawn-to-sunset hike for me, or maybe even a two-day trip.

I'm mindful of an incident that occurred last year.

One day we heard the loud thumping of a helicopter circling over the valley. Salma had never heard this sound before and became alarmed. We went out into the yard and managed to spot it in the distance, traversing the north side of the valley.

A few days later I heard that a North American tourist in his 60's had gone hiking up Cerro Gaital on his own and gotten lost.

The tourist was lost on the mountain for three days and two nights.

I saw Cleo at the market later and I said, "Hey, did you hear about the guy who got lost on the mountain?"

"Sure," Cleo said. "They searched for him by helicopter and then they sent a rescue team to bring him off the mountain. Look, I have the video here!"

(So that's what the helicopter was doing that day!)

And indeed Cleo did have a video on his cell phone of the man being carried down a trail on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance. Turned out the guy was alright, just dehydrated and severely insect-bitten.

I have gone hiking along many of the local trails by myself - I went up Cerro La Cruz alone and at night. But Gaital? No way. I would not attempt that without a guide.

Good Luck Bad Luck Day

2007-12-26T06:25:00.000-08:00

Sunday night Laura, Salma and I spent the night at the Torres de Alba, a comfortable "all suites" hotel in Panama city. They were scheduled to fly back to the USA Monday morning and we didn't want to have to wake up at dawn in El Valle to get to the airport.

Monday was a good luck / bad luck day.

Good Luck: There was little traffic Monday morning - the city always empties out at Christmas time as people visit their families in the interior or take jaunts to the mountains, the beach, etc - and we made it to the airport quickly, where Laura and Salma enjoyed a smooth departure.

Bad Luck: I felt very sad, watching Laura and Salma leave, and walking back to the car alone. True, this is not a matter of luck, I knew I would miss them greatly (and I do).

Good Luck: After Laura and Salma departed Monday morning, I headed back to the hotel and discovered quite by accident that they offer a fairly good free breakfast. I had a plate of scrambled eggs, cheese, toast, fresh pineapple, orange juice and a banana, and took some extra toast and jelly back to the room with me. In the room I relaxed on the sofa, eating toast and watching a bad disaster movie on HBO (though a bad disaster movie is still better than a good romance any day).

Good Luck: I checked out and headed to El Dorado to make the usual stops on my way out of town: Mailboxes Etc., Arrocha, and Price Smart. Mailboxes Etc. often closes early on holidays, but the owner was just locking the door as I arrived and she let me in. I was excited to find the fourth season of The Wire in our box. Something to entertain me in my solitude!

Bad Luck: Apparently all the people who had not yet left Panama were shopping in El Dorado. The streets were choked with traffic, so I decided to forgo the Arrocha stop and just do Price Smart. It took me 30 minutes or so to cover that short distance, but I relaxed and listened to Talk of the Nation on my iPod.

Bad Luck: My office chair began to break down about a month ago. First the right side arm rest cracked, then the entire chair proceeded to come apart. I managed to jury-rig a temporary fix using yards of packing tape, but the chair still lists to the right and will probably collapse under me like a pile of toothpicks sometime soon.

So I went to Price Smart and saw this beautiful, sturdy office chair with brown cowhide leather on the seat and armrests. It looked solidly built and I decided to take it, though the $109 price tag would sting. I got up to the register with the chair and a few miscellaneous food items, and when the scanned the chair the register said $247! I said, "Wait, I thought it was $109?"

"It's clearly marked in the aisle" the register employee said.

But Price Smart is just like Costco and sometimes it's hard to tell which little price placard belongs to which pile of goods.

"I don't want it," I said apologetically.

Bad Luck: So the guy rang up my little collection of foodstuffs and it was $51, but when he ran my Visa card it came up invalid. Now I know there's nothing wrong with my card. I'm not near my limit, and I just used it to pay the hotel bill. "Run it again please," I said.

He ran it again, and still invalid. Everyone in line was watching. I asked him to wait, and I hustled to the store ATM machine and withdrew cash, and got out of there. How embarrassing and annoying.

When I got home I logged into Bank of America online but there were no holds or alerts. I still don't know what the problem was with the Visa card.

How about you, had any good or bad luck days lately? Tell me about it.