Continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1

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

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.