Elaine's Panama Adventure

Returning to Panama

2011-12-06T18:42:00.003-05:00

Hello Everyone--
It's been quite some time since I last wrote on this blog. I hope you haven't been holding your breath. I have 30,000 miles left on American Airlines (enough to get me from Kona, Hawaii to Panama City, Panama, and return), so I've decided to have a Panamanian Adventure in March. I'll meet my friend Pauline (you'll remember her from previous adventures) in Miami and we'll travel the wild roads of Panama for 3 weeks. As it gets closer to March, I'll write more in this blog.

More Pictures

2011-02-06T18:26:00.001-05:00

Pictures from the La Loma Jungle Lodge Adventure Blog (previous to this one)

2011-02-06T18:07:00.002-05:00

La Loma Jungle Lodge and Other Adventures

2011-02-06T17:34:00.000-05:00

Hello Faithful Readers--
This will be my last Panama blog because I have moved to the Big Island of Hawaii. My last two weeks in Panama culminated with a trip to the La Loma Jungle Lodge and Chocolate Factory. I have so many pictures from Mono Feliz (I took Allan there before La Loma) and the Jungle Lodge that I'll put those in the next & final Blog Panama Blog.
Allan had a great time in Panama but was somewhat overwhelmed by the diesel spewing out of many of the cars. For a well rounded experience, I took him to Boquete (Tuesday Market & a hike on the Pipeline Trail), Kayaking in the Mangrove near Playa La Barqueta, Mono Feliz, and La Loma. I will talk mostly about La Loma since I've covered the other locations in previous blogs.
I never would have heard about La Loma Jungle Lodge and Chocolate Factory located on Bastimentos Island near Bocas Del Toro had the couple who own and run the Lodge (Henry & Margaret) not needed a place to stay on a beach near David. They found Nina & Richard's condo (where they stayed for 4 nights) which lead them to my condo for another 4 nights last year. I exchanged with them and got to stay at La Loma free.
Lucky for us, it was a beautiful drive over the Continental Divide and the weather remained sunny for most of the 4 days we were there (we had some exceptional hard rain... but that was mostly at night). Since Allan & I are raw fooders, we brought our own food and didn't partake in any of the gourmet meals. The first day we spent snorkeling, sunning and walking around Zapatillas Cays (a set of 2 islands protected by the ANAM, Panama's National Park Service). It was lovely, but somewhat crowded. We would have gone to the less used island, but it was blocked by huge waves. It rained the next morning (Thursday), but was clear by afternoon, so we went on the Cave/Mangrove tour. That was my favorite thing to do because I got to bird on the mangrove as the boat driver paddled us slowly toward the cave trail. We saw several montezuma oropendolas (love their call), one sun grebe (a new bird for my list), eight capuchin monkeys leaping across the mangrove and four 3-toed sloths (one with a baby) eating in their favorite trees (cecropia). The cave was very interesting and endlessly long, requiring some swimming (which we didn't do). There were tons of very healthy bats (including vampires) and bat guano. On Friday, I caught a boat ride to Bocas Town, then a second boat ride to Almirante, then drove to Changuinola where I wire transferred all of my money back to the U.S. (so I can buy land in Hawaii). I didn't return to the Lodge until 4:30 (Allan spent a pleasant day relaxing and reading). We left Saturday morning and had a very pleasant drive back to the beach and my going away party (DJ'ed gringo music where Allan was said to have danced NOT like a white boy).
So, if you want to see what I'm up to, go to my Hawaii Blog at www.hawaii-raw.blogspot.com!

7 Dolphins, 21 Lucky Boaters and 2 Peregrine Falcons

2011-01-14T21:35:00.005-05:00

Seven dolphins! How could we be so lucky? My neighbor John Hahn arranged the trip out to Isla Gomez in the Parque Nacional Marino Golfo de Chiriqui. Twenty-one of us from La Barqueta left Boca Chica via a slow-moving catamaran on January 12 (now don’t be humming the Gilligan’s Island theme song). The weather was absolutely stunning, especially when compared with the day before when I led 3 friends up the Pipeline Trail in Boquete in a constant downpour (it’s the dry season, for God’s sake). Our first stop was Isla Bolena. We didn’t go ashore. Instead we hopped into the warm Pacific Ocean and snorkeled around a small reef. After 20 minutes, we got back onto the boat and headed for Isla Gomez (very close to Isla Parida). Even though this was my fifth time to Isla Gomez, I’ve never grown tired of this lovely island. It’s the perfect island paradise… white sand beaches, palm trees, warm tropical water, calm-clear snorkeling. The last time I was here (with Leslie and her sisters) I saw a huge spotted eagle ray. This time I saw a jewel moray eel hunting in the shallow rocky reef. Tony and Roy saw an octopus… very cool! On the return trip back to Boca Brava and Boca Chica, were thoroughly entertained by 7 bottlenose dolphins that leaped and played in front of the boat for 15 minutes. John took a great video with his camera (I forgot mine). If I get a copy of his video, I’ll add it to this blog.

Today (January 14, 2011) I went on my last (at least for the time being) birding adventure with the Boquete Birders. I’ve never seen such variety. At the first set of ponds, we saw the usual suspects (anhingas, egrets, woodstorks, northern jacanas, purple gallinules) and several very UNUSUAL birds. The most unusual (for me) was the peregrine falcon. I didn’t even know we had peregrines in Panama! In fact we saw 2 different peregrines in 2 different locations. As Ridgely says, they are “uncommon, transient winter residents in coastal areas”. Shari nearly had a heart attack when she spotted a pair of scarlet macaws! Scarlet macaws “now found only on Coiba Island and remote parts of southwestern Azuero Penninsula” (Ridgely) aren’t suppose to be here. It turns out I was the only one who knew there is a group of 15 or so scarlet macaws that were hand-raised nearby and are often seen at a nearby house in the early morning. Hummm. Legally, you can’t put a bird on your “life-list” if the bird is domesticated… which these were. Oh well! We also saw 3 boat-billed herons, 2 roseate spoonbills, black-necked stilts, large groups of flying black-bellied whistling-ducks, huge groups of flying wood storks, Amazon kingfishers and orange-chinned parakeets!

I'm looking forward to Sunday night when I pick up Allan (from Hawaii) and begin the adventure of showing him around Panama.

Feliz Navidad and Mele Kalikimaka

2010-12-24T18:18:00.013-05:00

On the eve of Christmas, 2010, Feliz Navidad from Panama (where I am now) and Mele Kalikimaka from Hawaii (where I'll be next year). It is the beginning of the dry season (December through April), and I've been very busy with activities. Nina and Richard have returned from Alaska (that's Nina & I bicycling in the Alaska shirts). My friends Sandy Itzkowitz and Merill Creaghz (pictured hiking the Pipeline trail near Boquete) just arrived from Oregon for 10 days. Sandy is a total inspiration as she was in a bicycle accident 4 years ago and suffered a spinal cord surgery that made her quadriplegic. With some major tenacity on her part, she is nearly totally recovered (& you wouldn't know it looking at these pictures). If you Google Sandy, you can read her great story of recovery.

We are keeping very busy watching the Solstice Lunar Eclipse (Sandy recorded it with her camera for 2 hours the first night she was here!), kayaking in the mangrove (8 miles) bicycling on the beach at low tide (8 miles), moonlight hiking on the beach (3 miles), shopping at the Frontera (border of Panama & Costa Rica), driving to Volcan and Cerra Punta, and hiking with Chester-dog (today he was driven crazy by an iguana hiding in a log). We have seen loads of wildlife including a Northern Tamandua Anteater, 3 Crab-eating Raccoons, 2 Spectacled Caimans, Howler Monkeys (heard only) and Agouti. This is a lovely location for celebrating Solstice, Christmas and New Year's. Stay tuned! I'll soon be adding a blog about my adventures in Hawaii.

A New Lake At The Playa

2010-11-06T20:25:00.005-05:00

We weren't really that close to Hurricane Tomas, but we definitely got our fill of rain for the past 3 plus days. The glorious sun made an appearance today. At the Playa, we are left with a 3 to 12 inch lake that covers the road and nearby pastures. That's Ken enjoying the lake in front of John's house. Care to go on a kayak adventure, anyone?

Three Hours in No Man's Land

2010-09-18T12:19:00.001-05:00

It seemed like a good idea at the time. My neighbor Frank invited me to join him and his two surfer friends (Scott & Paul) on a day trip to Playa Pavones, Costa Rica. Playa Pavones is billed as one of the most scenic beaches in Costa Rica and famous for having one of the longest waves in the world. We were to drive Frank's car to the border and pick up a rental car for the rest of the drive. We didn't want to drive Frank's car into Costa Rica because of the paperwork, fees and time involved. We left Playa Barqueta at 6:15 a.m. and arrived at 7:15 a.m. Panama time (6:15 a.m. Costa Rica time). Frank thought it was 8:15 a.m. Costa Rica time and worried that we wouldn't be through the long immigration line in time to pick up the rental car at the agreed upon time of 8:30 a.m. Costa Rica time. We made it through the line in 45 minutes (by 7:00 a.m. Costa Rica time). Then we waited... and waited... and waited. Thinking that we missed the pickup (the car was paid for and being driven from Golfito), we called the rental car company. We couldn't get through via phone or email (even with the latest phone gadgetry). During this process, I noticed a man I recognized named Gil (who I hadn't seen in over a year). What a chance encounter! Gil was the caretaker of my Playa Barqueta house when I moved there July 2009. He had recently contacted me via email asking me for a reference to be a caretaker in Costa Rica near Santa Cruz. Because of my glowing recommendation he got the 1 year caretaker job. He had just flown down from the US and was passing through the border today (of all days).

Finally we realized that it was really 7:30 a.m. in Costa Rica, not 9:30 a.m. So we settled down in a restaurant to have breakfast and wait until 8:30 a.m. You guessed it. When 9:00 a.m. rolled around, there was still no rental car. We waited in the immigration area until an expeditor (someone who helps you get through the border) asked why we were stuck in "No Man's Land". Lucky for us, we found the car rental office that we should have found hours earlier. As it turns out, the credit card number used to charge the car was not valid (at least, that was the excuse). We could have another car brought from Golfito, but it would not be to Paso Canoas until noon. After a 2 hour drive to Playa Pavones, we would be left with only 1 hour to enjoy the beach. Needless to day, we turned around and reversed the process for getting through the border. First we went in the Salida (exit) Costa Rica line, then we went into the Entrar (enter) Panama line. Frank & I made it through OK, but Scott and Paul (from Austin, TX) were nearly thrown in Migration Jail because anyone who is not a resident of Panama (with a Visa) has to stay out of Panama for 72 hours once they cross the border (drug trafficking, you know). After mucho talking, Scott and Paul were set free and we returned to Playa Barqueta... Home Sweet Home!

Dancing Merengue Dog

2010-09-04T20:03:00.001-05:00

The 100th Blog

2010-08-28T18:17:00.022-05:00

Welcome to the 100th blog! I've just spent the last 4 days in total bird-bliss... 3 days with 11 other Boquete Birders exploring the wilds of Santa Fe National Park and Las Macanas Refuge, and today on a lovely mangrove system near the town of Santo Tomas. I've been looking for the access point to this particular mangrove system for the past year. Jim (with the fishing pole) stumbled upon the "dock" and boat owner (Oscar pictured with Jim) quite by accident when he was wondering back roads near Alanje. One picture shows the ocean breakers from the mangrove system. The surfing is suppose to be pretty good here. Another picture shows a large male howler monkey, his harem hidden in the leaves.

While hiking the jungle in Santa Fe National Park, we didn't find the elusive Bare-necked Umbrellabird, but we were most definitely in his territory. I'm glad I didn't crash into any large Golden Orb Spiders.... or their webs. The night before our hike (as we socialized in our $8/per person hotel), our guide (his hand in a picture holding a glass-winged butterfly) showed slides on his computer of a Jaguar Study currently underway in the park. Several cameras mounded in strategic locations flash/take a picture when an animal trips the camera. Besides pictures of many beautiful jaguars, there were pictures of margay, ocelot, cougar, jaguarundi, Baird's tapirs, paca, agouti, nine-banded armadillo, anteaters, river otter, and raccoons. Even though they had pictures as evidence, none of the guides/scientists have ever seen any of the cats that use the park.

In Las Macanas Refuge, we saw at least 15 Snail Kites. Ridgely's 1989 Birds of Panama book states that the Snail Kite is "Apparently rare, uncertain and perhaps erratic". One can only wonder if the Snail Kites have always been here (undiscovered until recently) or did someone introduce some snails (from a French restaurant) to the area? We also witnessed a Savanna Hawk capture a mouse and swallow it in under 30 seconds. The view from the observation tower was enchanting as I watched one of my favorite birds, the anhinga.

Long Live Panama Wildlife!!

Panama Generosity!

2010-08-24T15:17:00.006-05:00

I think I’ve said it before, but living in Panama is much like living in a small, rural town in the US in the 1950’s. Last week, I hired some workers to build a wall to hide the huge, rusting air conditioner fans in the front of the house. Those workers brought me 4 beautiful coconuts as a gift. Today, the gardener dropped by with 10 lovely plants (including Mother-in-law’s tongues...one of my favorites) that fit beautifully in front of the new stone wall. The gardener travels with a machete (as do all Panamanian workers), so he offered to cut into my 4 (soon to be tasty) coconuts. The juice (and it’s unbelievably sweet) filled a 2 quart pitcher. I offered my funky, plastic table/chairs set (basically an eyesore on the back porch) to the gardener. He gladly accepted, so I put them in my pickup and drove them to his house. At his house, his family warmly greeted me and gave me 2 luscious hass-type avocados (you know… the rich, fatty ones that happen to be very rare in Panama).

And then there’s the story of my truck being serviced (60,000 KM) last Saturday. Normally, I drive my Nissan truck to David where I leave it in my lawyer’s driveway (all arranged by my wonderful lawyer, Cesar), and the mechanic Jorje (who has Saturday’s off from Nissan) drives over to service it. Mind you, if I took the truck to the Nissan dealer, it would cost twice as much and I’d have to leave the truck there for 8 hours (it takes Jorje 1 hour in Cesar’s driveway). When I called Cesar last week, he said that Jorje was now working Saturdays at Nissan. Oh no…what to do?? Saturday morning Cesar called to say that he would pick Jorje up in Alanje (a 15 minute drive from David) and drive him to my house (another 15 minute drive) so he could service my truck. And that is exactly what happened. I fetched ice water for everyone, and the service was completed in the shade of my house. It was like a big party with Cesar, Jorje, Chin (owner of the concrete business erecting my rock wall). The only damper to the party was the colony of killer bees who decided to land in the almond tree next to my driveway. I noticed them when I hit a few of them with my body as I entered the driveway on my bicycle. Luckily, I didn’t smell bad or make too much noise (that sets them off) so I didn’t get stung. Killer bees are fairly common here, so I called my very generous, experienced (with killer bees) neighbor, John for his advice. He came to my house after 8:00 p.m. when the bees were huddled together, surrounding their queen. He sprayed a simple solution of detergent and water onto the huge colony, and they dropped off in clumps without a fight. I’ve included a picture of their dead bodies. The ants are having a feast.

The two butterfly pictures were taken by me on the August 13 Boquete Birders walk at Volcan Lakes (the only natural lakes in Panama). The black and blue butterfly is a Grandis Eyemark and the one you can see through is (appropriately named) a glasswing called Pink-tipped Satyr. We saw several Blue Morphos as well, but they rarely land for a photo. Stay tuned! Tomorrow I'll travel with several of the Boquete Birders for a 3-day adventure birding around Santa Fe and Santiago in hopes of seeing a Crimson-collared Tanager (not to be outdone by the Bay Headed Tanager we saw near Volcan Lakes).

Adventures At Pauline's Caribbean Beach House

2010-08-07T15:09:00.024-05:00

I just returned from a lovely week at Pauline's (you may remember her from my previous blogs) beach house near Nombre de Dios, a small town with a very interesting history. In 1502 on his final journey to the Americas, Columbus traveled with four ships. The crew was tired by the time they reached Nombre de Dios. Columbus was reported to say to his crew, “in the name of God we will go no further”. Hence the name of the town is Name of God (in English). In 1510 Diego de Nicuesa founded a permanent settlement at Nombre de Dios (the oldest, continually populated town in Panama). In 1519 a road was built to connect Panama City and Nombre de Dios. The road was called the Camino Real. The Spaniards used this road to carry Peruvian silver and gold across the Isthmus. In Nombre de Dios the treasure was loaded on ships for the voyage to Spain. In 1572 the Englishman Francis Drake entered the harbor in Nombre de Dios and attacked the town. After Drake’s raids the Spanish moved to the Caribbean end of the Camino Real from Nombre de Dios to Portobelo --a more secure port against the pirates. Nombre de Dios disappeared under the shadow of Portobelo. Today, Nombre de Dios is not a town that is visited by most Panamanians or foreigners.

As we pulled into Nombre de Dios, we were stopped by 8 Policia with 8 machine guns. Lucky for us, Chester (my famous anti-military English Shephard) was in the back seat and picked up on the bad energy of the Policia. When they surrounded Pauline's truck and got ready to search the contents under the tarp in the bed, Chester went ballistic and they waved us on.

Even though I'm retired and most every day feels like a holiday, a week a Pauline's Beach Resort felt like a true vacation. We snorkeled several times in the crystal blue water (notice the pictures to prove it); walked the beach several times a day (collecting priceless sea glass and beautiful shells); delighted in seeing new birds for me like flame rumped tanagers, buff-throated woodcreepers, golden-hooded tanagers (I confess...I stole this picture from the Internet), crimson-backed tanagers; and swam in warm ocean water with exotic tropical fish like fairy basslets, queen angelfish, striped parrotfish (I still feel badly about eating one in Mexico), and juvenile yellowtail damselfish (the bright blue dotted fish picture I downloaded from the Internet). We even did several art projects including the pictured broken tile table top.

In closing, if you can identify the fish in the second video, please let me know (Pauline & I can't figure it out). The fish in the first video are Sergeant Majors. Doesn't it feel like you are swimming in a huge aquarium?

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2010-07-25T20:44:00.005-05:00

All you have to do is Google the name “Wild Bill Cortez” and you’ll be swept into a story that promises to be featured on “20/20” or “Dateline”. I suspect it may even turn into a movie….! I have mostly written about the good things in Panama since I’m the forever optimist. The longer I live here, however, the more I realize just how “different” it is from middle America. Don’t get me wrong. I still prefer my beach walks to walking the isles in Wal-Mart or Costco. The following link: http://www.panama-guide.com/ has the Wild Bill Cortez story in its entirety. My connection to the story is that Wild Bill and his lovely wife Jane (along with their 2 dogs and various assortment of guns) lived in my house for 6 months before I moved in a year ago. After they murdered the Brown family in 2008, they moved to Playa La Barqueta and “rented” from the owner of the house starting sometime in late 2008. I use the term “rented” loosely because the owner never received rent. I only encountered them once, when I was peddling my bicycle around the neighborhood handing out fliers for the Jazz Night I helped organize. I knocked on their door and handed them a poster. They thanked me and said they were buying the house. Me knocking on the door probably prompted them to paste a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door (the tape marks are still there). Later, when another neighbor knocked on the door asking for help rescuing an upturned boat out of the waves Bill said, “Can’t you read?” and slammed the door in her face. When I moved in last July, there was an unexplained telescope set up in the bedroom. I recently found out that Bill and Jane trained that telescope on the street, most likely watching out for the Bocas Del Toro Police. They left here quietly (I imagine because the electricity was finally turned off) and moved back to Bocas in early 2009.

And for the ugly: this is a picture of a dead olive ridley turtle that washed up on my beach last week. It looks like she died of old age rather than being caught in a net. It's still sad though. Before very long, the incoming tide turned her onto her back (as in this picture), providing easy access for the hoard of vultures waiting to reach in for her meat (via her legs).

The scary: Last week, one of my neighbors had both front and back doors open (to create a breeze). While relaxing in his chair, he noticed a Fer-De-Lance snake crawl up the step and into his house. He found a sharp, long tool and killed it. Yikes! Maybe I shouldn't leave my doors open any more!

The rest of the story: I've added two more pictures since I started this Blog last night. One is of the vultures lined up to eat the olive ridley turtle. The other picture shows the telescope that Bill and Jane left in my house.

Good news: 3:29 pm - MANAGUA, Nicaragua. (AP): Army spokesman Col. Juan Ramon Morales told AP that military forces captured two individuals identified as William Cortez, American, and his wife Jane, apparently Holland, traveling in a boat on the river San Juan.

Go Nicaragua! I"ll sleep better on the beach tonight!

Back Home At The Playa

2010-07-19T21:30:00.004-05:00

After spending two lovely weeks in Washington and California, I'm happily back home at the beach in Panama. Some memories include: birding with Carol in Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge (saw my first Yellow-headed Blackbird and Common Yellowthroat); jumping into Kelsey Creek on the Fourth of July (after a hiatus of 45 years); travelling with Mom through airport security (yes, Mom really did tell the TSA agent who patted her down that she thought she was falling in love after all the "touching"); finding a plethora of bikinis to buy at Wal-mart because nobody who shops there is my size; birding with Chris Thaub and talking with him about his feature film Samira (wishing I could invest in the film before it becomes a hit); spending a week at True North Health and finally perfecting my diet (good-bye salt, sugar and oil); buying "The Kiss" from Artist James Zimmerman (Santa Rosa High School classmate) after seeing it in a San Francisco art gallery in 1978 for $300 and not being able to afford it.

The weekend I returned to Panama, I had the pleasure of "hosting" two Learning Enterprises (http://www.learningenterprises.org/) interns named Kelsey and Emma. Kelsey is from Anchorage (her mother works with a Dancing Bear friend named David) and is a Junior at Brown while Emma is from DC and a Junior at Georgetown. They are teaching English in the province of Los Santos for 6 weeks. While at the beach they enjoyed kayaking (pictured), eating vegetables (it's rice and fried food when you live with Panamanian families), and dancing at the Las Olas bar (it was karaoke night).

I am back into my routine of walking the beach with Chester (yes, he did miss me), birding with the Boquete Birders (we will walk the Caldera River this Friday), catching up with friends (Pauline is in Panama for a couple of weeks), and enjoying the sun/fun/adventure of living in Paradise!

Simple Pleasures

2010-06-25T11:55:00.003-05:00

The more time I spend in Panama, the more I appreciate the Panamanians and their simple lives in this rich country. It touched my heart when 2 workers from J&J Windows walked down to my beach after repositioning the screens on my windows from inside to outside (better for keeping bugs out). They returned from the beach with a very used, deflated soccer ball. They wanted to know if they could have it....! Sweet, small pleasures.
Soon I return back to the US for the 4th of July. I'll be with Mom for a few days in Washington, then escort her to Sacramento (my brother's house) then on to Kelseyville, CA for a family reunion. The week of July 7-14, I'll be at True North Health Center in Santa Rosa healing from whatever bad things went into my mouth this last year (mostly chocolate bars and sugar). I always have fun there making new friends (with like-minds), birding, shopping and reuniting with old high school buddies.

Lunch With Noriega's Ghosts

2010-06-07T11:00:00.010-05:00

Yesterday, I had a very interesting lunch that included a few ghosts who were murdered by Noriega in the 1980’s. A friend of mine (Dr. Jennifer Daniels who you might recognize from previous blogs) is caretaking a house (pictured) that was once “owned” by Manuel Noriega. I use the term “owned” loosely because he really seized the house when he was the military dictator of Panama from 1983-1989. Dr. Jennifer prepared an amazing lunch (at least if you are vegan like me) that included cucumbers dipped in guacamole, out-of-this-world split pea soup (which I hope to duplicate), a huge fresh fruit salad (with star fruit from her neighbor) and her famous oatmeal cookies. After lunch, she and her new husband Gary took us on a tour. The views were unbelievable (I could almost see my beach house) and the garden was one of the nicest I have seen in Panama. One of the bedrooms once housed Fidel Castro. It was a much better outcome for us than for Noriega’s guests of years past. They would be invited to the mansion for a meal followed by a party. You guessed it. They would be lead out to a beautiful vista and killed.

Sunny on the Divide

2010-06-02T10:27:00.017-05:00

It was a perfect day on the Continental Divide trail… highly unusual any time of the year and particularly unusual in the wet season. Fourteen of us saw 57 species of birds. Almost more enjoyable than seeing golden browed chlorophonias and hearing prong-billed barbets was simply being immersed in the lovely cloud forest on a sunny day. All pictures are mine except for the broad-billed motmot that was taken by Kay Wade.

Three Marks and a Black George

2010-05-23T15:25:00.014-05:00

I know, the title of this blog sounds like a deadly cocktail, or at the very least, a hallucinogen. And in a sense, it is. My five week visit to the States culminated in an 8-day Colorado River trip through the 277-mile long Grand Canyon. If you’ve been on a Grand Canyon river trip, you’ll remember the hallucinogenic quality of that time.

It started with an Arizona Shuttle van ride from my sleazy motel room on Rt. 66 in Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon. Mark Harris was the driver and within a very short period of time, we were reminiscing about “the good old days” in Yosemite (after he discovered I was once a ranger there). You see, Mark Harris spend a lot of time climbing in the Valley in the early 90’s. He taught me some “tricks of the trade” climbers use to stay in the Valley for free (like nailing the recycling bin closed, forcing park visitors to leave their nickel cans and bottles in the nearby trash can; climbers gather the goods and take them to the recycling center for payment). Eventually, rangers (no doubt some of my friends who still worked there) escorted Mark out of the park… to greener pastures.

The other two Marks (Pillar and Yeston) were boatmen extraordinaire who lead the 32-person (River Management Society professional river managers), 8-day/300 mile, 4 motorized rafts (3 J-rigs/1 S-rig) trip through the Canyon. Piller was the trip leader and drove the 37’ S-rig. I rode on his boat a lot because he was always telling jokes, reciting cowboy poetry (how does he remember it all?) or recounting stories of the gazillion (or was it a Brazilian) days he has spent on the river in the last 11 years. Yeston was even funnier because his stories were based on real life….! Yeston’s description of taking a Government “bean-counter” down the river (she only made it one night before she had to be hauled out by helicopter) had me laughing so hard I was crying!

Black George is a legend (see http://www.hcn.org/issues/355/17258 or http://www.22local.com/2009/07/08/the-legend-of-black-george/) and a good friend of Yeston’s. He will be 87 years old in September. He told some absolutely amazing stories around the “propane” campfire. All I can say is Yee-Haw!

In case you are wondering about the pictures, in order from top to bottom, left to right is: Martha Moran in National Canyon, me under and next to waterfalls in Travertine Canyon, Rob and Jason on the front of the S-Rig, view from Nankoweap, Deer Creek Falls, Yoga on the beach lead by Rachel Peters, graneries at Nankoweap, Vasey's Paradise, and Black George (new boyfriend) and yours truly in Redwall Cavern.

So, I’m back in Panama, enjoying every second of the ocean, my friends, cool breezes and walks with Chester. After suffering through 3+ weeks of bronchitis in the states, it’s good to be back to such a healing place. I head back to the states July 4 to take Mom to the family reunion in Kelseyville. Will I be ready?

True Love

2010-03-30T07:57:00.003-05:00

I have found a lot of love here in Panama, and this is the truest! A few Blogs ago, I talked about Chester (the larger English Shepherd) and Miss Piggy (Jim's Panamanian wild puppy). Although Miss Piggy lives in Boquete with Jim, she often finds her way to the beach where she spends some quality time with Chester. If you see her hitchhiking along the Pan-American Highway, please resist the urge to pick her up!

The Dentist Dr. Spiegal

2010-03-17T12:51:00.000-05:00

Yeah, yeah... it's been a while since I last blogged. Sorry! It's the busy life of a retiree that gets in the way. Hummmmm... Since I last blogged, I joined Jim Hatch's acting class in Boquete, took on a mini-job as Associate Producer of Jim's latest play "Sylvia" (a huge success that ran for 6 sold-out nights in Boquete), put many miles on my cool new Kona bicycle (riding around this flat farmland, waving to the friendly locals is fabulous), studied more Spanish, and was voted back on to the Las Brisas Del Mar condo association board (lucky me). Of course, the most rewarding thing I’ve done recently was going to the dentist in David. How could that be, you ask? Well, not only is Dr. Spiegal a good dentist (highly recommended by many of my gringo friends), he’s efficient, friendly and replaced two damaged crowns for only $250/crown. Right before I left Alaska, I had two crowns put in for $1,200/crown. The savings more than makes up for the cost of a plane ticket, if you get my drift.

Speaking of drift, I’ll be drifting back to the US in less than a month. My last trip there in October involved snow in Montana, so I’m hoping for better weather. Here is my itinerary:

• Leave my beloved Panama and dog Chester in the hands of Jim Hatch – April 13

• Spend time with Mom in Winlock, WA April 14 to April 21

• Attend the Juice Plus Conference in Phoenix April 21 to April 25 (I’ll get to see Pauline!)

• Back to Winlock to see Mom & dance at some Portland contra dances April 25 to May 6

• Return to Panama by way of a week-long Grand Canyon River Trip May 7 to May 16

• Back home May 17

I'll only be back home in Panama for 6 weeks before I head out again... this time to take Mom to California for the yearly 4th of July celebration.
Time to take the dogs on yet another beachwalk!
P.S. if you are wondering about these 2 pictures, the first one is Jim, John, Pauline, me and Chuck at Pauline's 50th birthday party (Thai catered food) and the second one is a picture of killer bees that my friend Nina took (this tree is located just a few houses from me). If you study up on killer bees, you'll find out that they swarm at several locations before they build a nest (the queen is in the middle of the swarm).

Islas, Wind, and Water

2010-01-29T11:13:00.001-05:00

It’s always a good day when it begins with putting on a bathing suit under my exterior outfit. Yesterday I dressed the same way in preparation of a kayak trip with Nina and her friends Kay and Mary from Alaska. Today, I went with Leslie (who has that great house in the Villa section of Las Olas), her sister Kim and 4 year old son Liam, her sister Dina and 7 year old daughter Becca on a boat trip to Isla Gámez. The protected area (Gulf of Chiriqui National Marine Park) is well-known as the archipelago of the Páridas and includes the islands Parida (the greater of all), Paridita, Santa Catalina, Pulgoso, Gámez, Tintorera, Obispo, Obispone, Los Pargos, Ahogado, Icacos, Corral de Piedra, Bolaños, Berraco, Bolañitos, San José, Linarte, Saíno, Sainitos, Iglesia Mayor, Carey Macho and Carey Hembra. The boat was named Mr. Bean (maybe beans made the Panamanian owner rich?) and captained by Tomito. The weather: perfect; Isla Gámez: a lovely white sand beach; the ocean: full of tropical fish. This was my forth trip to Gámez and first time I had seen so many fish there. I was especially lucky and saw a huge (5’ across) spotted eagle ray (no, I did not take the above picture). I was only a few feet away and thought about Steve Irwin and his deadly encounter with sting rays. Cool fish included: Golden Jack, Panama Graysby, Green Jack, Cortez Rainbow Wrasse, Panamic Sergeant Major, Giant Hawkfish, Panamic NIghtsergeant, Spotted Porcupinefish, and King Angelfish (no, I didn’t take that picture either… let me know if you want to contribute to an underwater camera). We left Gámez at exactly the wrong time. As it turns out, the North Wind is at its fiercest between noon and 4:00 p.m. Of course we had to get back, so we took off. At first it was fun, bouncing in the whitecaps. But as the waves broke over the front deck, we all gladly moved to the back of the boat, huddling together like refugees from a foreign war. We had a reprieve when we stopped at Boca Brava to look for howler monkeys (which we found in trees above the water). Glad to return safely to my truck parked in Pedregal, I’ll think twice about boating in the north wind months of January through March.

Pure, Unadulterated Fun! Or Panama Beach Life

2010-01-21T17:22:00.009-05:00

My intent is not to make you envious. I just have to share some of the good times I continue to have in Panama. Last Sunday, Chuck and I drove to Sitio Barriles (archaeological site dating back to 734 B.C.) and Parque Internacional La Amistad (a UNESCO World Heritage Site that lies partly in Costa Rica). The gigantic leaf covering my body was along the trail. Comment inserted after I published this blog entry: John DeLapp from the US Fish and Wildlife Service verified this plant is in the Haloragaceae family, genus Gunnera. The common name "Poor man's umbrella" seems utterly appropriate.
Last night was John's 70th birthday party, complete with Mariachi band (that's Chuck, not me with the beer next to the horn player), great Panamanian food, fabulous beach neighbors, and some of the best fireworks I have seen. I left before la fiesta was over so I could get an early start on today. So far, I walked Chester about 2 miles on the road in front of my house (I was early enough to see the lovely lights of Conception and a beautiful sunrise). At 7:30 a.m. Nina and I went on a 30-mile bike ride. Along the way, we had a pineapple smoothie while listening to a hog being slaughtered across the street (you had to be there). I returned at noon, got a quick bite and took Chester for a beach walk at low tide (my favorite time on the beach). I walked about 2 miles but he ran closer to 5 miles chasing birds. While still with Chester, I saw John (it was his party) and Elizabeth body-boarding. I returned Chester to the house, grabbed my board and proceeded to body-board with them for the next hour. I left Chester behind for fear he would drown trying to "guard" me from the surf. I just completed my second shower of the day (plus 1 shower for Chester). Sunset is approaching, so now I "have" to go enjoy that. Yes, it's a tough retirement, but someone has to do it!

Las Brisas Del Mar Condo #101 Fire Sale

2010-01-01T13:20:00.002-05:00

As a January 1, 2010 present to everyone reading this blog, you are the first to know that my condo has been reduced from $289,500 to $239,000. For more information, go to:
www.choosechiriqui.com and click at the top on "Playa La Barqueta".

Now is a good time to buy before House Hunters International (hgtv) exposes Playa La Barqueta real estate to the masses!

Once in a Blue Moon on a Panama Beach

2010-01-01T08:37:00.007-05:00

I can't imagine seeing another New Year's Eve and night before New Year's Eve that was as beautiful as last night and the night before! Was it the Blue Moon? Since the moon was nearly full December 30, Chuck and I walked on the beach from my house to the condos. Between the warm ocean, full moon, low tide and tropical air it was sensory overload. We dangled our feet in the pool at the condo, chatted and watched bats and toads feeding on insects. On our return we spotted a firefly upside-down on the beach, exposing his blinking abdomen to us. Did he get too much sex or was he simply hit by a wave? After seeing the firefly, I said, "maybe we'll get really lucky and see an Olive Ridley sea turtle". As we got closer to my beach house, we saw 5 young men messing with something and following it to the ocean. My God! An Olive Ridley mama sea turtle returning into the ocean! The 5 Panamanians were harassing the turtle, and I asked them (in my broken Spanish) to leave her alone. They had bags with them (which I assumed were turtle eggs) that contained small crabs. I was later told that crabs sell for $1.50 for a dozen & taste terrible. It was even brighter New Year's Eve. We didn't see another turtle, but we did see another (the same?) firefly blinking on the beach, abdomen exposed to the sky. We walked from my house to Sharon and Ken Sample's beach party, complete with GREAT fireworks.

In case you are wondering about the stuffed karma dolls pictured above, they are called munecas (Spanish for dolls). The tradition (at least in this part of Panama) is to stuff a life size doll and place it in your front yard. The doll represents all the bad things that happened in the previous year. At the stroke of midnight, you burn the doll and send all that bad karma into the ether. Pretty cool traditions. We did something similar but different at the beach party. Sharon had prepared a batch of origami creatures that we wrote 2010 wishes on. We took them (like prayers) and tossed them into the bonfire.

Will I still be here for the next December 31 Blue Moon in 2028? I think so. I'll be 77 years old and still wandering this 16-mile long beach paradise.

Christmas Bird Count Near Cerro Punta... Pure Joy!

2009-12-27T20:02:00.006-05:00

I expected a good day of birding when I volunteered to help on the annual Panama Christmas Bird Count, but I didn't expect the day to be this extraordinary! Fifty of us met in the town of Volcan, then split off into smaller groups going to different parts of the Chiriqui Highlands. I lucked out and ended up in a small group (Chuck, Craig, Karen and I) with a professional birding guide named Chaly from Highland Adventures. We saw 54 species (many of them "Life" species for me). My favorite sounding bird was the Prong-Billed Barbet. I didn't realize that I had heard this bird for years on a CD titled "Simbiosis - Piano and Rainforest" by Manuel Obregon. As the Ridgely "Birds of Panama" book says, "Heard considerably more often than it is seen, its very distinctive far-carrying call being one of the characteristic sounds of the humid mountain forest; it is a deep cwa-cwa-cwa-cwa... repeated many times and often given by two or more birds at once, and which Slud describes as having a special character, like an Indian yell in which the palm of the hand is rapidly and repeatedly pressed against and removed from the mouth." Lucky for us, Chaly had a recording of the Prong-Billed Barbet that drew the "real" Barbets in. I happened to be the first to spot them... and I couldn't believe my eyes. Wow!! The most beautiful bird I saw was the Golden Browed Chlorophonia. A male and female were feeding on some in-season seeds. The Respendent Quetzal was not to be found because their favorite fruit (the wild avocado tree) won't be available for another month. I was on this very trail birding with Paul Bakke several months ago. Then, as now, I heard but did not see the Black-faced Solitare (lovely, watery sound) and did see the very cute Yellow-thighed Finch. Today, the weather was perfect and sunny. With Paul, it was foggy, rainy and cold. Please don't believe for a minute that I took any of these pictures. I took only binoculars and no cameras!

Navidad es muy especial en la playa!

2009-12-25T19:11:00.012-05:00

Before Christmas is over for another year, I wanted to wish everyone love, peace and happiness. I continue to feel so blessed to live on this very special beach in Panama. I celebrated Christmas with a long morning walk and a longer afternoon walk with Miss Piggy and Chester. I've included a few parting shots from 2009: Dr. Jennifer Daniels and I behind colored posts in Aruba; Pauline holding a passion flower near her beach house on the Caribbean side; a long tailed hermit hummingbird trying to escape through Pauline's kitchen window (he escaped with help from Pauline); a showy pink hibiscus flower near Pauline's; the wonderfully fragrant and beautiful passion flower; me at the Juice Plus+ headquarters in Tennessee; mi casa en la playa; snake grass (where a huge boa was found); my friend Lora (from Hawaii) in my plunge pool. Feliz Navidad!!

The Beach Has Gone To The Dogs!

2009-12-16T20:31:00.009-05:00

It all started when I agreed to take care of Jim Hatch’s dog named Miss Piggy. I didn’t mean to, but I fell in love with her. She is a very intelligent wild looking Panamanian dog (see the picture in her doggie bed before she ripped it apart the next night). Maybe it was all of those long beach walks that bound us together. Or was it the time she worked through her total fear of the ocean and plunged in anyway? Now she practically body surfs! When I realized that Jim would return in mid-January, and I would have to move to Colombia to keep Miss Piggy, I decided to start looking at the dog adoption sites. The only dog I was attracted to was Chester, a 2-year old male English Shepherd. Before I could act, he was scooped up by a family from Bocas del Toro. A week later, I found out that Chester’s adoption had fallen through. So, I adopted him! We’ve only been together 1.5 days, but already we have bonded. Of course he probably would have bonded with anyone. As the book says, “As far as your English Shepherd is concerned, you are the center of the universe. A desire to be with you is fundamental to his character.” He and Miss Piggy are getting along fine as the video shows.

On a different subject, Richard and Nina have returned to the beach from Alaska. They were my first visitors last year and bought a condo (on the opposite end from mine) a week after they got here. Richard will be here 2 months and Nina 4 months. So far, we have been having a ball: 60 mile bicycle rides; 11 mile mangrove kayak trips; rumba and bolero dance lessons; salsa dancing; long beach walks. Tomorrow, Chuck Frey from Montana (and former Forest Service colleague from Alaska) arrives. Maybe I’ll have a dance partner for a couple of weeks!

In case you are curious, the bird is a Brown Booby (male Pacific race) that Nina captured (with her camera) when we were biking on the beach. He didn't move and I wonder if he was injured. We also saw a Roseate Spoonbill flying high above the mangrove system. What a beautiful pink bird, especially in flight. Last but not least, above are olive ridley mama turtle tracks I captured this morning in front of my house!

I'm Back!

2009-11-11T21:08:00.012-05:00

Did you miss me? I apologize for my long blog absence while I travelled around the US visiting friends, family and taking care of business. Highlights included attending my 40th Santa Rosa High School Reunion; spending a week at TrueNorth Health meeting new friends and eating gourmet vegan food; dodging snowflakes at Flathead Lake, MT during the River Management Society board meeting in October; spending precious time with my mom in Winlock, WA; attending the Juice Plus + conference in Memphis, TN (no, I didn’t make to Graceland); and finally spending my birthday week in Aruba with friends Pauline and Jennifer. Yes, I am a year older and still having loads of fun! I’ve included some pictures (mostly of Aruba and the Lower Salmon River) that shows the contrast between cold temperatures in Idaho and warm temperatures in Aruba.

I am so happy to be home at my beach in Panama. It is the tail end of the wet season. While we were in Aruba, Ville Escondido in Boquete (where Pauline's house is located) experienced several land and mud slides. They are still digging out! Another good reason to live at the beach.

Isla Paridita -- The Lost Island of Baru

2009-09-13T16:05:00.008-05:00

OK...I didn’t exactly get videos of humpback whales breaching out of the water, but I did hear a very satisfied male humpback from Antarctica groaning after coupling with his girlfriend. Yes, Isla Paridita and Kristin Rasmussen (the research whale biologist who was our guide) provided high adventure for 2 nights & 3 days. After meeting Sandy & Dan Shepherd from Boquete (who joined Pauline & I), we left Boca Chica at 11 a.m. on the small boat named “Baru” (after Panama’s tallest mountain/volcano). Pauline & I planted ourselves on the front of the boat (our favorite spot) to enjoy the 40 minute ride to the Island. From the moment we stepped onto the white sand beach we were certain this was paradise. Isla Paridita (125 acres with 5 beaches) is the only island in Chiriqui Gulf National Marine Park where accommodations are provided. We got settled into our Swiss-Family-Robinson style palapa on the beach then went for a walk with Jeff (the host extraordinaire of Isla Paridita). What a lovely island... complete with 2 lagoons, 2 kayaks and loads of hiking trails. After our hike, we showered in hot water while overlooking the ocean. And them I saw them... 3 humpback whales! They were very close to our palapa and appeared to be a cow, calf and one lone male (a distance from the cow and calf). They were playing (especially the calf)... smashing tails (also called flukes) and pectoral fins into the water and generally having a good time. We had a lovely dinner that included roosterfish (somewhat tough like sword fish), rice and veggies. The next morning (9/9/09...hard to forget that date) we left on Kristin's whale research boat about 8:00 a.m. and headed toward Isla Ladronas (Thieves Island). Very soon, Kristin dropped her hydrophone into the ocean, and we heard the lovely songs of male humpbacks (only the males sing). We saw a total of 9 whales throughout the day (the group previous to us saw 21 whales!). Often we followed whale "footprints" (slick circles on the water where whales dive) or looked for iridescent blue pectoral fins. Humpback whale pectoral fins are usually white and 1/3 the length of the body (the longest appendages in the animal kingdom). I found it very odd that pectoral fins turn iridescent blue when they are just under the surface of the blue Pacific ocean. After watching and recording whales for 5 hours, we stopped at Isla Gamez for swimming and lunch. A rainy, tropical storm was brewing, so we headed back to Isla Paridita and hot showers. What a fabulous trip! We returned to Boca Chica and Playa La Barqueta the next day. I can't wait until I return to the island with my next "company".

Footnote: The three lovely whale pictures at the top of this blog were taken on our trip by Kristin with her mega telephoto lens (thanks for sharing your pictures, Kristin).

Whale Watching Expedition Coming Soon

2009-08-28T16:56:00.002-05:00

I can't wait!! On September 8, Pauline (you may remember her from previous blogs) and I will board a boat for a 2-day whale watch off Isla Paridita. The humpback whales are calving near the island! Plus, we will stay at primitive huts on Isla Paridita for 2 nights. On the Island, we will hike, kayak and snorkel. Check out these links for more information on Isla Paridita (a biologist's dream).

http://carldealphotography.blogspot.com/2009/04/isla-paridita-pictures.html
http://carldealphotography.blogspot.com/2009/04/isla-paridita.html

Stay tuned! I hope to have videos of whales doing their thing when I return from Isla Paridita September 10!

House Hunters International Comes To Playa La Barqueta

2009-08-19T22:38:00.006-05:00

It should be illegal to sit on my back porch as I eat delicious squash stew and stare into the ocean sunset. In case you haven’t gathered from my previous blogs, I absolutely LOVE my new beach house. I hung the hammock hooks, artwork and Hawaiian whale (who has been with me since the early 90’s), so my move is now official. Speaking of official, House Hunters International (www.hgtv.com) just filmed three houses on the beach here (see pictures above). The Playa La Barqueta episode is scheduled to air in fall. This is the third time House Hunters International has come to Panama (before they filmed in Boquete and Panama City). From what I understand, the crew was very impressed with the 16-mile long beach and the gorgeous beach houses. Also, once House Hunters International exposes an area to millions of the viewing public, prices and house sales tend to sky-rocket (i.e. buy my condo now if you want a good deal).

You might be wondering what this picture of a 5-foot long boa is doing on my blog. I had the pleasure of meeting him the other morning when I was learning how to clean Mike & Susan’s pool. Roadie (the gardener-worker) said there was a snake in the front yard. The boa constrictor was hidden very well in the “moanie” (snake grass). Roadie grabbed the boa with a stick & placed it on the driveway. The boa actually hissed a few times as he got more agitated with the tormenting stick. The boa was released across the street where he can continue eating unwary rodents, birds and lizards.

Life continues to be a total adventure as I learn the Argentine Tango, watch an unsuspecting Collard Forest Falcon swooping through the Las Olas canopy, spot 50 species of birds (including my favorite -- Violaceous Trogon) with Jacob Ortega (www.birdinginpanama.com) on the Pipeline Road near Panama City (thanks Jim & Lora), learn Spanish (I’m finally devoting myself to that necessidad), and open my heart to all the new friends coming into my life.

Warm Turtle Eggs

2009-07-16T09:10:00.004-05:00

This of course is turtle season, but I spaced out that fact when I walked the beach this morning. It was 6:15 a.m. and the tide was coming in (low tide was at 4:00 a.m.). I was enjoying the morning coolness and hunting for sea beans when I heard a low whistle (not of the bird variety). It was Marciel trying to get my attention. I had just walked by these huge tracks (Leslie & Doug's Villa in the distance) thinking they were tire tracks. He expertly dug up the Olive Ridley turtle eggs and needed a place to put them so they could be carried. He took off his shirt but was wearing only a thin tank. Hummm... I was wearing a double layer stretchy top hidden by my weight vest. So I whipped off my weight vest and top (yes, I was wearing a jog bra) and donated the double layer top to the cause. He dug up 63 eggs which were easily & safely held by the top. I carried the eggs (weighed over 10 pounds) back to the turtle nesting nursery (in front of Marciel's family restaurant) and waited a few minutes for him to return from the rest of his running beach patrol (he found no more nests). The nesting sanctuary that he constructs every year for the turtles is fenced with string designating individual nests. He's on his 7th nest hole. With any luck, the first turtle release will happen by the end of July with my friends Jim, Lora and Forrest are here.

Amazing Connections

2009-07-09T21:50:00.003-05:00

It's been exactly 1 month since I wrote the last Blog! Thanks for hanging with me in spite of long transgressions away from Mr. Computer. My iTouch iPod got me by (it still amazes me that I can drive up to a Winlock, WA gift shop, park outside & check/respond to my email). This trip seemed to be all about connections. Highlights were reconnecting with my Lady of the Lake dancing friends (since I was last there in 2004 right before Alaska's worst fire season); seeing Carlette and Larry in their beautiful new house near Rose Lake, Idaho (we worked together in Fairbanks); celebrating July 4 in Kelseyville, CA with my cousins (like Debbie Murphy who I hadn't seen since the 1960's). Yes, that's my official family picture with brother Michael, me, brother Neal & Mom. I'm the one without a beer. By far the weirdest connection occurred when I got Mom on the Horizon flight bound from PDX to Sacramento. As I boarded I belatedly remembered that I forgot Mom's medications. To complicate matters, the woman in the seat just in front of Mom looked deep into my eyes and said, "Elaine... Is that you? What are you doing here?" I recognized her but couldn't figure out the connection. Luckily, she started talking about Panama and I remembered (rather quickly for my age) that it was Amie Zawacki who shares a condo with her dad Ken in my condo development. I last saw Amie in March in Panama. And since Amie and her dad are both doctors (Amie in Portland & Ken in CA), they helped with the proper steps for getting Mom a 2 day supply of meds. My parting connection was a 2-hour cell phone call (this was the first time I had a sore ear from talking on a cell phone) with author Frank Romano who was on tour promoting his book "Storm Over Morocco" (a very good read by the way). Frank & I went to Santa Rosa HS together 40 years ago & will see each other "in the flesh" at the SRHS 40 year reunion on September 26.

Now I'm back to my "normal" fantasy retirement life... leading a bird walk for 10 birders (behind my condo) tomorrow, booking a few kayak adventures for next week, preparing to move into my beach house in a week and sharing Panama in all of her glory with friends from Hawaii starting June 20.

Rio Chiriqui Nuevo

2009-06-10T20:30:00.005-05:00

Wow! I had another wonderful adventure today when I joined forces with 3 new couple friends and fellow retires Phil and Susan, Joyce and Nick, Tammy and Mitch. We spent several hours floating the Rio Esti and Rio Chiriqui Nuevo near David. It was a lovely trip full of 1 spill (Joyce and Nick got sideways in their inflatable kayak & went for a swim), great weather (overcast with no rain), and green Panama scenery (I love the rainy season). When I opened Google Earth in search of where we had floated, I was surprised to see these pictures of the Rio Chiriqui Nuevo bridge when it failed in 1984. I couldn't find anything else about the catastrophe. I also had to include a picture of the beach house I am buying. Plans are to move in once I return to Panama July 8.

Dancing with Turtle Tracks

2009-06-02T21:42:00.004-05:00

Wow! I just missed Ms. Tortuga’s journey from the ocean to the Playa La Barqueta sands to lay her baby olive ridley turtles this morning. She timed it just right, emerging from the ocean around 4:30 a.m., pregnant with her 100+ eggs, swiftly digging a hole and laying the sexless eggs. Smartly returning to the ocean just before the tide changed, she hid her tracks with the incoming sea. According to the literature, Ms. Tortuga will return in 14 days to lay a second clutch. Besides sharing the beach with her, we have something else in common. We both dance. I love this quote from the book Sea Turtles by James R. Spotila: “The Olive Ridley is a beautiful dancer. On certain cloudy, moonless nights you can hear the female’s dance as she covers her nest of eggs. Long before you see her a series of thumping sounds can be heard in the night air. Then you spot a little (by leatherback standards) turtle bouncing on the sand, pounding it flat and hard with her plastron. Propped up on her front flippers and hind legs, she alternatively bounces her plastron side to side in a little dance that seals the site where she has just deposited her offspring. It strikes one as unusual and unexpected: Look at the silly turtle dancing on the sand.” Thanks, Leslie, for giving me this great book!

Speaking of dancing, I’m excited about returning to the US in two weeks so I can see family and dance at the weeklong Lady of the Lake Dance Camp in Idaho. I’ve had the pleasure of dancing there twice before and always enjoy the new steps, beautiful setting, music and new friendships.

Last week I accompanied my friends Sherri Ann and Ken to Panama City where we discovered the Granclement Gourmet Ice Cream & Sorbets shop in Casco Viejo (best gelato I’ve ever tasted made by a French couple who moved to Panama 4 years ago), a $5.00 dinner show (more dancing) at the Pencas Show Tipico on the Amador Causeway (see the video below), and the largest produce market I’ve ever encountered. I’ll be back…especially for the gelato!

For Sale: My Beloved Condo

2009-05-30T21:51:00.004-05:00

Where else in the world could you own a titled oceanfront condo on 16 miles of Pacific Ocean beach? As you know from reading my previous blogs, I fell in love with this breezy part of Panama's coastline several years ago. I feel privileged to live here and love sharing Playa La Barqueta with friends (known and yet to be known). Since I plan on spending the rest of my life here, I took the "plunge" last week and bought a beach house one mile west of the condo. By owning a bit of property around the house, I'll be able to landscape, plant a small garden, start a compost pile (to feed the garden) and gaze at stars from an enclosed porch. It sure seems like a good time to invest before Playa La Barqueta properties sky-rocket in price. I am offering the following two properties for sale:

1. Las Brisas Del Mar #101: It's a downstairs corner unit that is right next to the Las Olas Resort. Because it's so close to the Resort, it feels like I'm on vacation every day. It's totally furnished, monthly condo fees are $215 (includes high speed Internet, water, garbage, pool maintenance, maintaining condo grounds, etc.). The porch/side windows face the Resort gardens rather than another condo. My electric bill is around $60 (I don't use much AC). If someone bought this unit, they could literally rent it out or move in the next day. Two websites: http://www.lasolasresort.com/ and http://www.labarqueta.com/ will give you an idea of what the Las Brisas Del Mar condos are selling for.

2. La Estrella Del Mar #3-7A with a pre-construction price of $250,000. I bought unit number 3-7A. It's in the middle building on the 7th floor (the middle building is 9 stories, side buildings are 8 and 7 stories). I have included a conceptual drawing above. Pre-construction prices on the 7th floor were $374,000 last year. With the drop in the economy, a 7th floor condo was offered to me for $250,000 in November, 2008. If you wanted to buy that same pre-construction condo 7th floor condo today, the price would be $300,000. I need to sell my interest ($37,500 down payment) ASAP in order to buy the beach house. Once they "break ground" in a few months, another payment of $37,500 would be due. After the building is complete (roughly 2 years), a third payment of $37,500 would be due along with securing a mortgage or paying it off with cash. My plan was to "flip" it at that point (for $350,000), and make around $237,500 (to pay off my Las Brisas Del Mar condo).

So my plans have changed.... perhaps to your advantage!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8lQav0Q2mc&feature

Sherri Ann Feeds the Happy Monkeys

2009-05-15T19:33:00.002-05:00

I just had to include this joyful video of Sherri Ann Bennett (of Juice Plus fame) feeding the red-backed squirrel monkeys at Mono Feliz. Tomorrow we head for Volcan, Cerro Punta and Sitio Barriles.

Punta Burica Adventure or Where is that Happy Monkey?

2009-05-14T13:23:00.007-05:00

What I love about my “retired” life in Panama is that I can have wild and joyful adventures every day. That is exactly what happened the last two days on my second trip to Mono Feliz. If you want to follow along on Google Earth, go to Puerto Armuelles, Panama and follow the Burica Peninsula (go south) to Punta Burica. Fasten your seatbelts!
We (my guests Sherri Ann & Ken Bennett & I) left Playa La Barqueta at 8:00 a.m. in order to catch low tide at noon. To reach Punta Burica where Mono Feliz is located, you need three things: a high clearance 4WD vehicle with good suspension and a powerful engine, a lead vehicle (in this case provided by my great neighbor Ken Sample), and lots of adrenaline. Mono Feliz (happy monkey) is roughly 3 hours from my front door. This was my second trip to Punta Burica (my first trip was in January with friends Pauline & Bridget – see the January 3, 2009 Blog).
Timing and driving was perfect (only getting lost once in Puerto Armuelles), and we made it to Mono Feliz by 11:30 a.m. We didn’t see any monkeys right away, so we went for a beach walk. The Samples (lead truck) and their friends (in the third vehicle) had to return on the same low tide, so they stayed close to Mono Feliz and left by 1:30 p.m. Our beach walk was lovely. It was overcast and windy so we stayed nice and cool. We found many treasures (including one rare piece of blue sea glass). After two miles of walking toward Costa Rica, we reached Dave’s eco-hotel (http://www.tigresalvaje.com/about-us.htm). This was my second visit with Dave. Had we walked 20 more minutes, we would have reached Costa Rica. By-the-way, Dave is getting frustrated with the Panamanian Government and is willing sell the hotel, all buildings and 5 hectares of untitled land to an interested buyer for $1,000,000 negotiable. I’m sure he would take $500,000 or less if you have that kind of change lying around. Dave showed us his boarders: a very cute baby white-nosed coati, the older and more cantankerous margay (Sherri Ann was somewhat freaked out when she entered its cage to get pictures), and incubating black sea turtle eggs (a subspecies of the green sea turtle with the scientific name Chelonia mydas agassizii). On the return walk, we almost ran into the jaws of a baby Alston’s mouse opossum (don’t ask me how he ended up on the beach hissing at us). We returned to Juancho’s Mono Feliz by late afternoon and discovered that both the red-backed squirrel monkeys and white-faced capuchins had visited in our absence. They put on quite a performance for the Samples and their friends before they had to leave. Within the hour, thirtyish squirrel monkeys returned and put on a delightful show (see the video below). In the course of the afternoon, we met another group of adventurers: Costa Rican Mr. Rafael, surfers Amy and Emma (on vacation from Florida and California), and the Limones Police Chief Mr. Lopez. Amy and Emma finished up surfing after high tide rolled back in so it was too late for them to return to Limones. We got to know them as they waited for the tide to recede. Unbelievably, they made it back to Limones in the dark after a few cocktails!
We stayed in the same cabanas used by my group the last time I was here (perched above the crashing surf) and enjoyed a peaceful night. My 6:00 a.m. walk gave me several treasures including land crab pictures (above) and three species of feeding monkeys on the hillside trail. After breakfast, we did one last beach walk. As we were saying our good-byes, Rafael reappeared (minus the surfer-girls who had moved on or Chief Lopez who was back to his police work). He was there to take Juancho and his wife on a road-trip to his house located in Costa Rica (west over the Burica Peninsula from Limones). Lucky for us, we were invited to follow along… hence another adventure! First we drove along the ocean to Limones where we stopped at Rafael’s house (he has several). He loaded his truck with supplies for the Costa Rica house and we were off. Within 30 minutes, we were in a new country (at least for Sherri Ann and Ken, pictured above on Rafael's porch). We were treated to several views of playful chestnut-mandibled toucans before we had to leave ahead of the climbing tide. Once we left, heavy rains followed us home. We stopped briefly at the Frontera for some duty-free shopping and were home by 5:00 p.m. Sherri Ann and Ken summed up the adventure as a combination of Robinson Crusoe, Gilligan’s Island, Survivor and Lost!

I Am Real... Just Like the Velveteen Rabbit!

2009-04-28T20:14:00.005-05:00

It happened yesterday, April 27, 2009. I received my Pensionado Visa! Now can live in Panama indefinitely (or at least until politics get weird and I have to move to another country like Ecuador). Normally a Pensionado Visa only takes 4 to 6 months...but immigration laws were changed in late August, throwing a wrench into the works. Lea (my highly paid lawyer) said if I didn't get my Visa before the upcoming elections (May 3) I risked never getting it. So, I had the interesting experience of flying to Panama City where I met Jorge (taxi driver arranged by Lea to take me to the Migrations Office). It only took 2 hours (a record) of standing in circular lines to get my photo taken & placed on the card. I'm in deep dudu if I ever loose the Visa because it will take the Migrations Office 6 months to a year to replace it...better to just leave the country!

If you are wondering about these pictures (and the video) they were taken at the Las Garzas Jazz Night (April 25) that I helped organize. We even made $300 which will go to the lifeguard fund (to build a lifeguard station and hire lifeguards since many people get caught in the rip current along my beach). The first picture is of Dr. Jennifer Daniels & yours truly in front of the huge bonfire (taken by my new artist friend Patricia). The second picture is the Fantasy Jazz Band.

I had some interesting bird experiences today. Maybe it's because we are going from the dry to the wet season (no rain in 5 months) & the birds are getting anxious. Anyway, I was walking along the beach at low tide (heading east) when I spotted a low flying Brown Booby heading directly for me. I had to duck to avoid being hit (at least it "looked" like he might hit me). Weird! As the bird books say, "Brown Boobies rarely come very close to shore". Last year at this time I nearly ran into a Brown Booby sitting on the beach, looking like he was about to die. My evening walk took me to the farm behind the condo. I saw record numbers of birds (Yellow-Crowned and Red-Lored Amazon Parrots, a Lineated Woodpecker, loads of Red-Crowned Woodpeckers) and a new hawk... the Savanna Hawk. Very cool! They are "distinctly scarce in Western Chiriqui" (where I am) so I consider myself extremely lucky.

I'm headed to David tomorrow to get my Panama Driver's License so I can legally drive my truck & pick up my next company, Sherri Ann and Ken (Juice Plus friends).

Enjoy the music!

Earth Day and Happy One Year Anniversary

2009-04-22T20:31:00.014-05:00

Because it's Earth Day and my one year anniversary of living in Panama, I decided to make this collage of pictures taken by friends who chose to come visit.

I'm also trying to figure out how to add pictures and text at different times, so please forgive me while I play. It's always a learning process! I had a great day getting my truck serviced, walking around David, having lunch with Dr. Jennifer Daniels (author of "Do You Have the Guts to be Beautiful?"), and being introduced to guaba (Google it) as well as sugar cane juice (which is green).

And thank you, dear reader, for keeping up on this Blog which is nearly one year old (as of April 25).

The Darien Plan

2009-04-18T22:32:00.002-05:00

This is just a quick blog to link you to www.thedarienplan.com. Before I journeyed back to the States in March, Paul Bakke and I met a wonderful couple named Chris and Kristin at Paradise Gardens (I was their official tour guide). Chris and Kristin have taken a year off from "normal life in a cubical" to experience travelling in their very cool Honda Element Camper from California to the tip of South America. They named their Blog "The Darien Plan" because they had to figure out how to get their vehicle/home around the Darien Gap located in Panama. Their blog is wonderful to read and will make you wish you were 25 years old again.... Just remember, it's never too late!

Back to the Loving Arms of Panama

2009-04-17T21:45:00.007-05:00

One of the fun things I did on my visit to the Pacific Northwest was getting together with Nancy O'Gorman (previously known as Nancy Rudolph & on the left in this photo) in Port Angeles. We had a very short visit, and I can only hope that she comes to Panama for a longer visit. Nancy is famous in several places (including Port Angeles) for her work on a calendar (http://www.charitycatcalendars.com/story.html) that featured nude men, women, cats and dogs. She gave me the 2007 calendar (possibly the last one available). I will display it proudly in my condo.
Plus I had a nice visit with Mom in Washington state (Winlock if you are curious), but I must ask, why would anyone live in a place where it rained or snowed 19 out of 21 days & you had to build a fire every morning? Luckily, I left warm clothes at Mom's.

I am euphoric about being back home. Mangoes are heavy on nearby trees, cashew trees are still producing red fruits, the Pacific surf is pounding in my ears when I drift off to sleep, and I am busy planning another Las Olas jazz night for April 25. My first day back, I walked 6 miles and road my bike 16 miles on the beach. Such a joy to have this 16 mile beach all to myself. Today I found three lovely pieces of sea glass (a very rare find on the Playa la Barqueta). I have two kayak trips lined up plus I'm in the process of importing (via a container) several more kayaks for my friends & I.

I worked at Paradise Gardens yesterday and had the unique experience of leading a tour through the aviary only to have Clyde (the toucan featured in this picture taken by Paul Bakke when he visited in March) nipping on my toes. Did he think my toes looked like worms? I thought toucans only ate fruits? OK... Google says, "Along with fruit (95% of their diet), toucans also catch and eat small animals including songbirds, crickets, cicadas, spiders, termites, lizards, toads, frogs, and snakes. They raid eggs and nestlings from other birds' nests. Some species catch bats as they sleep in daytime roosts. Some follow columns of army ants to eat the insects stirred up by the ant swarms". I'll be more careful on next week's tour!

A Tragedy That Could Have Been Prevented

2009-03-17T08:43:00.005-05:00

As you might have gathered from my last blog, I was pretty impressed with Pacific Bay Resort. So I returned a week later with friend Paul from WA. Frank was the perfect host, and we had a great time watching birds (got to see nesting Crested Oropendola this time), monkeys and an anteater! Plus I ran into a friend named Eric who I hadn't seen since 2004 in Anchorage... small world! The last night we were there (right before dinner), Frank was frantically driving the road (in a golf cart) down to the dock. He muttered, "It's a tragedy. The boat sank and a baby drowned." It turned out that at 9:00 a.m. that morning, 11 Panamanian friends/families loaded into a marginal fishing boat for a day of fun and recreation. Around 10:00 a.m., the seas got too rough and they capsized. They had no life jackets and none of them could swim. It's a wonder that only 3 died (2 small children and their 39 year old aunt). The youngest child (less than 2 years old) washed up on Frank's property. Very sad. Frank will probably never get over seeing that dead baby. I'm thinking of starting some sort of Panamanian Foundation that would teach boaters about the importance of wearing life jackets. On a lighter subject, I'll be away from my blog until April 13 when I return from WA (where I'll be visiting my mother). As a parting shot, I've attached a picture and video of Leslie Koleda (from Olympia WA) riding in the ocean at Pacific Bay Resort.

Pacific Bay Resort

2009-03-04T22:11:00.006-05:00

I've been hearing about Pacific Bay Resort (& Frank who runs it), so I tried it out for 3 nights last week. What a find! Shush... don't tell anyone! For $50/pp per night you get a nice casa overlooking the Pacific Ocean (the view is equal to the more expensive $1,000/night view from Islas Secas), 3 gourmet meals prepared by Frank who owns 3 restaurants in Boston, plus all the kayaking, horseback riding, monkey watching, birding and sea turtle experiences you could ever want in Panama. I will return! In fact I'm thinking of renting out my condo for a fortune while I rent a small casa at Frank's! Of course, I'll have to teach him the art of Vegan Cooking! It's worth your while to check out this place before it gets overrun (only a matter of time after the most recent write-up from the Moon Panama book). Where else can you listen to howler monkeys howl while you are sleeping?

A Cabin in Volcan Baru National Park

2009-03-04T21:09:00.004-05:00

I know, I know! It's been nearly a month since I last wrote. As usual, I'm just having too much fun! My latest adventure was taking my 4WD love truck up the side of Volcan Baru in order to stay at the Peterson family cabin for 3 nights. You see, Luisa "won" a week at the Boquete Auction in December. So I split the week with her. Carol & I spent our days birding (my favorites were Flame-colored Tanagers, White-winged Tanagers, Slate-throated Redstarts, and the Black-and-white Warbler), watching the ever-changing gorgeous view (notice the pictures), and hiking. We spent our nights (after we went to bed at 8:00 p.m.) watching the stars and fireflies. I had no idea fireflies hung out in such high (5,700 feet) locations. When we returned to Boquete, we made the mistake of having lunch at Finca Lerida (located on the road to the Quetzal Trail that is now washed out from the November flooding). We heard the Three-Wattled Bellbird on the way into the restaurant & we could barely concentrate on lunch after that. We ended up spending the night so we could take a birdwalk in the morning. After lunch, we actually saw a Bellbird "singing". What a find! And in the morning, I saw a female Quetzal fly overhead and a whole tree-load of Trogons (Orange-bellied and Black-throated). On to the next adventure!

What Happens When Two Birders Get Together??

2009-02-07T16:16:00.006-05:00

Two see many more species of birds than one! Hence, Carol (my latest guest & from WA) and I have been seeing incredible number of birds and other wildlife. She flew into Panama February 27 and it's been non-stop birding since. We saw a Slaty-tailed Trogon on the Pipeline Road (Panama City famous birding area), my first Panama Anhinga (water turkey) in the mangroves, and a Pearl Kite (the smallest raptor in the Americas and relatively new to Panama) very near my condo. Our first mangrove kayak trip together was a few days ago and Carol went wild looking at birds and animals. After the first bend of the river, all Carol could say was "mammals!" She was ahead of me & saw 4 crab-eating raccoons high in a tree above the water! It only got better. We got deeper into the mangroves and both saw what looked like a seal poking its head up. When the huge head (I'm talking 10" tall with a diameter of 5") dropped back into the water, we both wondered if there was a Loch Ness monster in the Panama mangroves. A few minutes later, a head came out of the water again, this time looking like a large turtle head. He (or she) was definitely curious about us. I finally figured out the species of turtle (surely he wasn't a sea turtle) when I looked on the Internet for snapping turtles. By the way... I took none of these pictures as they were pilfered off the Internet. Upcoming adventures include 3 nights at a rustic cabin on the slope of Volcan Baru and 3 nights at the Pacific Bay Resort (a lone island in the Pacific). More Later...!

Playa La Barqueta to Boca Brava & Beyond

2009-01-25T22:44:00.004-05:00

Today my company (Jeff & Amy from Washington state), Dr. Jennifer Daniels and I took a boat ride from the mangroves behind Playa La Barqueta to a private beach near Boca Brava. We started at 7:00 a.m. and were on the water by 8:15 a.m. There were tiny no-see-ums everywhere, so we were anxious to get on the water & moving. I've been on enough kayak trips through the mangroves to recognize side channels and generally know where I am. It was great to finally get the big picture and understand without the benefit of GPS (coming soon). Alexander (his is 2 brothers) drove us expertly to a private beach (owned by their partner Douglas). We spend the next 2 hours beach combing, swimming, snorkeling (though the visibility was poor), and sharing stories. We returned to Boca Brava for lunch (where the above picture was taken from). The surprise for us was a beach party on an island in the mangrove system. We were heartily welcomed, given coconut juice (even though mine was a bit fermented & tasted alcoholic) & danced with the local talent. Jimmy (disc jockey from David radio station 92.8) played the music. We had a great time, as seen in the following video.

Tesoro Escondido (Hidden Treasure)

2009-01-24T20:44:00.011-05:00

After three days in Boquete, we headed for Bocas Del Toro for three great nights at Tesoro Escondido (http://www.bocastesoroescondido.com/). I've been to Bocas before and didn't want to return to Bocas Town (too much of a scene). Lucky for us, Melissa did the research and came up with this great location near Bluff Beach. Monique opened Tesoro Escondido several years ago and has been providing out-of-the-way lodging in a beautiful location with GREAT meals ever since. A big treat for us was seeing this mama slouth with her baby. In their nocternal comfort zone, they moved surprisingly fast. We also saw (& heard) loads of howler monkeys. The beach walking was endless as were surfing opportunities if you were so inclined. Our favorite swim was this long bay pictured above. I will definitely return when the waters are calm (for snorkeling) and the weather is sunny (September/October).

Boquete Tree Trek Adventure

2009-01-19T07:14:00.008-05:00

The pictures are pretty self-explanatory. To say the least, we had a BLAST! This adventure is highly recommended.... it's pretty safe (safer than driving the CPA/Pan American Highway), the scenery is beautiful, and thrills are well worth the $60 price tag. If you look closely, you will see pictures of Melissa & Jake (visiting from Alaska & on their way to Columbia to para-sail for 2 weeks), Pauline, and me. I have to close with this excellent video that will make you feel like you were on the trip!

Islas Secas

2009-01-12T21:31:00.006-05:00

This says it all! We had a wonderful Boquete Chicas Islas Secas trip on January 11. The weather was perfect, the water warm-calm-deep blue, and the snorkeling was some of the best in Panama. Carlos Spragge from Buzos Boca Brava took 15 of us Chicas out in his 50' boat for a day of adventure at Islas Secas (a group of islands 1.5 hours away from Boca Chica). I spent over 2 hours in the water and saw a stingray feeding, several giant parrot fish chomping on rocks, at least 20 varieties of fish I couldn't identify (where was that fish ID card?). On our return, we trolled at 10 knots per hour & caught 2 dorados (or mahimahi/dolphin fish). The first one was brought in by Pauline & weighed in at 25 pounds. The second was brought in by Penny and weighed at least twice as much. Boca Chica is close to my condo (only 1.5 hours away) so I will return.

Fer-de-lance and More Happy Monkeys

2009-01-06T12:12:00.003-05:00

I couldn't resist adding this continuation of the last video (go to the bottom of the previous blog). This is what happened when happy red-backed squirrel monkeys met Bridget on their way to eat bananas. Just as I was beginning to miss the wildness of Mono Feliz and Punta Burica, I stepped outside my condo (about 11:00 p.m. the night before last) and ran into a fer-de-lance snake. It was a 2-foot long juvenile (the worst kind because they don't know how to regulate their venom). According to the Internet (so it must be true), "the fer-de-lance is the most dangerous snake of Central and South America, and causes more human deaths than any other American reptile. On average, a fer-de-lance injects 105mg of venom in one bite, although a venom yield of up to 310mg has been recorded while milking them. The fatal dose for a human is 50mg." I couldn't find anyone at that late hour to tell about the snake, so it is still free. I believe your chances of dying in Panama are much higher by car accident than by snakebite (just ask Pauline about our 2 near misses on the way to Puerto Armuelles).

Ultra Adventure at Mono Feliz

2009-01-03T21:23:00.008-05:00

I just returned from a 2-day adventure at Mono Feliz located near the Panama/Costa Rica border on the Pacific Ocean. WOW! After following Ken, Sharon, Rick & Nancy for 3 hours over freeways, back roads, dirt roads and beach, we arrived at Mono Feliz, run by a gringo named Juancho. The only way to get to Mono Feliz is to wait for low tide, then rock & roll over beach sand, interesting rock formations and streams. This was a good test of my new truck (a 2008 Turbo Diesel 4WD Nissan Frontier). Minutes after our arrival, the herd of 35 Red-backed Squirrel Monkeys arrived (to eat bananas). Red-backed squirrel monkeys are endangered & quite rare in Panama. They make nice pets (for a few years until they reach puberty) & fit nicely into illegal animal trade that pervades Central America. In order to get the cute little squirrel monkeys, poachers kill the mother and "rescue" the babies. Hence, there are fewer & fewer females and the race declines or becomes extinct. This is the same type of monkeys as Bengie who lives at Paradise Gardens. We spend the night (Pauline, Bridget & I) while Ken, Sharon, Rick & Nancy returned to Playa Barqueta. We had a fabulous 2 days & I can't wait to return. Besides the squirrel monkeys, we encountered howlers and white faced monkeys... not to mention the red-eyed tree frog (that Juancho brought to the dinner table), scorpion, wolf spider, and hords of scavenging land hermit crabs. We spend the afternoon of January 2 collecting beautiful shells & sea glass (we even found 3 pieces of rare blue sea glass). Everything was so beautiful and perfect, we found ourselves wondering if it was real. After a stunning sunset (we came close to seeing the fabled green flash), native dinner and refreshing shower, we retreated to our beach-front cabins. There were no screens on the windows and there were no bugs. Our morning walk took us to Dave's place (a 40 minute walk toward the border). We found Dave in the raw feeding white-faced monkeys (more bananas). He showed us his margay (rescued from Bocas del Toro 3 years ago), hotel (with electricity & hot water) and baby Olive Ridley turtles (about to be released). We returned to Mono Feliz for a great breakfast followed by more beach combing. We left around 2:00 p.m. (for beach driving at low tide) & returned to Las Olas at 5:00 p.m. I'm already planning my next trip to Mono Feliz. You can be assured that if you come visit me for any length of time, I'll take you to Mono Feliz, the place of happy, laughing monkeys.

Fireworks, Bonfires, Mariachi Bands & Friends

2009-01-01T08:50:00.009-05:00

December 31, 2008 started out like almost any other day on this glorious beach. Pauline & I went for an early morning walk (that's Pauline in the sunrise picture), then cooled down at the pool. I dashed into David for a few hours in the afternoon (buying some list minute items for Richard & Nina's rental along with these apple bananas for $1.50) and finished up the day with a second beach walk (you guessed it, this is a picture of the last sunset in 2008). The fun really got underway around 8:00 p.m. when I went over to Ken & Sharon's beach party. The bonfire was lite right after I showed up, shedding some light on who was there (a wonderful group of people, I might add). Ken set off the fireworks (illegal to purchase in the U.S. but perfectly legal and available year-round here) around 9:00 (so that some of us could go to bed at our normal 10:00.... we are retirees, after all). I followed Leslie's family to the next party given by Roy & Ron (at Ron's beach house). This was an extravagant party (which I crashed since I knew neither Ron nor Roy) which included a 6-man Mariachi Band (above), drinks, dinner, dessert & fireworks. While drinking my agua & feeling the magic of the night sky, I saw a comet (Wow!). Mike (who shared my table) said that a really big comet show will happen this Saturday night (so I'll be looking for that). I returned home to my condo just before midnight so I could see the Las Olas Resort fireworks (the best I've ever seen at a close distance). Enjoy & Happy New Year!

Feliz Navidad y La Playa es Tuya Cuidala

2008-12-25T10:17:00.005-05:00

In case you are wondering what the title says in English, my translation is "Merry Christmas and The Beach is In Your Care". This morning's beach walk was the best Christmas present ever! From this perfect sunrise to Mr. Mangrove Hawk perched on the "La Playa es Tuya Cuidala" sign, God's gift was signed, sealed & delivered perfectly to me. I feel incredibly blessed and hope that all of you can share this early morning beach walk experience with me sometime in your life. The first picture shows the mangrove hawk standing on the Turtle Preserve sign. The second picture is yesterday's sunrise and the third picture is today's sunrise.

Merry Christmas 2008

2008-12-21T10:46:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Swimming in the Mangrove Lagoon

2008-12-14T22:34:00.005-05:00

Here are some pictures from yesterday's trip with Tammy (from Tasmania who has a condo here), her friend Nancy (retired & living near Bend, OR) and Beth (who lives in a great house on the beach about a mile from me). Beth suggested we jump in the water to cool down. I sat there for a few minutes before I started thinking about leaches and spectacled cayman. Being attacked by neither, I will live to kayak another day. As you can see, Beth was proud to get 5 kayaks in her truck.

Richard (from a previous blog) just put together a really cool website with loads of pictures of my homeland (Playa la Barqueta). Go to www.playalabarqueta.com and you may see pictures of yourself (secretly taking by Richard).

Another Beautiful Sunrise

2008-12-13T21:32:00.003-05:00

Opps... I forgot to include this cool sunrise picture (I took 2 mornings ago) in the last blog. Also, I forgot to mention several interesting websites to check out. Go to www.tartakoff.com and click on Panama or Playa la Barqueta Info at the bottom of the page (nice catalog of Richard & Nina's trip in November). Also check out www.paradisegardenspanama.com and www.ecowatch.ning.com.

Full Moon

2008-12-13T20:46:00.004-05:00

In case you didn't notice, last night's full moon was the closest to earth it has been in 15 years. If you missed it, your next chance to see the moon this big will be November 14, 2016. It was 14 % bigger and 30% brighter than normal. Hence, it was a fabulous night to walk the beach. Plus the tide was extremely low when Pauline Jones and I set out for our walk around 8:00 p.m. Within 5 minutes of walking, we saw a huge comet streak across the sky. Wow!! Imagine walking on an endless beach (here at Playa la Barqueta you can walk 8 miles in either direction before encountering a river), with warm temperatures (80 degrees at night), and a plethora of stars (a few shooting). We returned to the condos after 9:45 p.m. so the walk was a respectable distance. Fishing boats anchored up for the night were so close we thought we could swim out to them (of course who would want to with sea snakes hunting in the dark ocean waters).

In case you are wondering... no, I didn't take the comet picture (although this is a close-up of what it looked like). I did take the green iguana picture. He was waiting for lunch in a palm tree next to my condo lanai (or porch).

Another great day today filled with a morning beach walk (the bright moon was still up), mid-morning mangrove kayak trip with friends (we saw osprey, mangrove black hawks, multiple species of kingfishers, herons and egrets...plus on the drive back we saw the forked tail & the less common scissor-tailed flycatcher), all topped off with a nice bicycle ride.

Magic Leatherbacks

2008-12-09T19:45:00.003-05:00

The dry season is here. So until further notice, I start my beachwalks at 5:45 a.m. instead of 6:30 a.m. to take advantace of cool morning temperatures. Everyday is an adventure, of course, and today was no exception. As the sands grew lighter, I noticed baby turtles at my feet... magic turtles with big front flippers. I followed their tracks to the nest where I saw just a few turtles emerging. Marciele (benevolent keeper of the Las Olas turtles & marathon runner) was on his usual beach run, making an abrupt right turn toward me when he saw the turtles. He dug them up, and we spend the next few minutes taking batches of them closer to the incoming tide. What a delight! I saw my first (& only) leatherback turtle in Costa Rica near Tamarindo many years ago. Now I live on a turtle beach!

Whirl-Wind Month with Nina & Richard

2008-12-01T21:43:00.007-05:00

What can I say! Nina & Richard from Alaska would have to agree that the past few weeks in Panama have been pretty exciting. I didn't keep a log (& yes, I've been delinquent keeping up with this blog), but here are some snippets of our adventures...

We were witness to several Olive Ridley turtle releases (natural & human-assisted). Believe it or not, the turtle releases have become political and filled with intrigue. The person in charge (who works for ANAM - Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente, the Panama park system) of the nearby Turtle Refuge may be harvesting eggs for profit. Under his direction, several turtle releases have occurred at 9:00 a.m. in the bright sun (much to the delight of frigate birds) because he doesn't want Las Olas Resort gaining monetarily by advertising evening turtle releases followed by Happy Hours or discounted overnight stays.

Nina & Richard fit right in to the relaxed life of Playa la Barqueta. Within a week, Richard became king of beach bike rides, often bicycling 18 miles at low tide. Before long, he was buying tools and servicing the Las Olas Resort rental bikes. He rode my mountain-type bike on most roads going inland from the condo & became friends with many of the locals. Meanwhile, Nina & I walked several miles each morning on the beach. She has adopted my habit of picking up sea beans & sand dollars.

Also within the first week Nina & Richard were introduced to the rich kayaking opportunities within a few miles of my condo. Our first trip was into the mangrove lagoon system (which I've talked about on a previous blog). They paddled the two recreational kayaks (a Perception Sundance & Old Town Loon) I recently purchased from fellow Rotarian Jerry while I paddled the 5-pound Alpacka Raft. Our second trip was the brainchild of neighbors Beth & John. We ended up with a grand floatilla of 9 Playa la Barquetains on the Rio Chico between the towns of Alanje and Querevalo. The big excitement before we even put on the river was John trying to feed a huge green iguana. Thinking they were vegetarians, he tried to feed one some bread & the iguana bit (hard) into 2 fingers. Nina patched him up with her first-aid kit and John was able to complete the trip.

We got to know Salsa Dancing neighbors Hector and Nivia. One Saturday night we followed them into David and had a great time Salsa dancing for several hours (until the music got too loud). Now that I know where to go, I'm sure I'll return & practice moves I've learned on Dancing with the Stars!

Needless to say, after so much fun in such a short period of time, Nina & Richard decided to buy a condo in my complex (Las Brisas Del Mar). I have Unit 101 (1st floor, end unit on the east side) and they purchased Unit 704 (1st floor, end unit on the west side). In just 2 weeks, they have totally furnished their condo & plan to rent it through http://www.vrbo.com/ (look under Panama - Playa Barqueta if you are interested in renting this great condo from them).

I had already planned a 4-day trip to Boquete before the purchase, so we got to Boquete just in time to experience Panama's largest earthquake (6.2), followed by Boquete's biggest flood. If you go to http://www.boqueteweather.com/ you can see some of the Rio Caldera flood pictures. I had purchased lodging at Boquete for 4 nights, but we returned home a day early because we missed the wonderful Playa Barqueta sunshine.

On Wednesday, we'll fly to Panama City for our 2 last days together (eating, dancing, visiting the Canal visitor center, shopping for beach bikes). I'm already looking forward to their return next November (4 months this time). With our dancing/Alaskan background, we meshed well together.

2008-11-10T14:46:00.007-05:00

Where else can you hear toucans and car horns at the same time? Why that’s Panama City of course! I knew I was home when I went on my morning walk up Ancon Hill located just outside my door at La Estancia Bed & Breakfast. The first bird I saw was a grey-blue tanager (out my bedroom window) and the second was a keel-billed toucan. Welcome home, Elaine! The walk was beautiful & as you can see, provides one of the nicest views of Panama City. I’m currently waiting for my friends Nina & Richard to fly into Panama. We’ll spend the next month together-- birding, hiking, kayaking & exploring.

If you are wondering why I’ve included some pictures of Yosemite on my Panama blog, it’s because I attended the 2nd “Employees of the 70’s Yosemite Reunion” at the end of October. Pictured are Karen von Kempf (my roomie), Walt Dabney, Mark Forbes, Dusty & me. The closeup is Karen & I. It was great to be reunited with so many friends from 35 years ago. I worked in Yosemite from 1975 (winter) to 1980. While there I got “permanent” status with the National Park Service (no small feat), joined the Badger Pass Ski Patrol (where I worked for 3 winters), got married to Peter Fitzmaurice, carried a 2” revolver to enforce the law, and supervised 15 (mostly women) fee collectors who worked in the Valley campgrounds and at the Ticketron Reservation Center. Since I was there, several of the Valley campgrounds have been washed away [flood of 1997 -- I just watched a YouTube video (search Yosemite Flood of 1997) that was pretty good if you are interested)]. Anyway, I had a great time (including hiking the 9-mile Panorama trail) and hope to return to the next reunion.

We’ll head back to my beach condo on Saturday (& hope that the condo has been cleaned). Since I wrote the above, our return was fine. We left Panama City at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday morning and got as far as Santa Clara where we spent the night & enjoyed the white sand beach/gentle waves. The truck gave me some grief on the return, but we made it. I have an appointment at Nissan on Tuesday.

So good to be back home. We enjoyed a vegetarian dinner & retired early to sounds of the ocean. I'll talk about the 8:00 a.m. Monday turtle release on my next blog. Stay tuned.

Alaska & Hell's Hole.... Not the same place!

2008-10-16T14:32:00.003-05:00

Hello! This is a picture of Hell's Hole Reservoir, the location of the 2008 River Management Society board meeting. Hell's Hole is only 13 miles from Lake Tahoe & skiers often get lost from Squaw Valley by skiing toward this location. Before Hell's Hole, I spent the weekend with my close friend Patrice. Needless to say, Alaska looked much like I left it in April. Now I'm in WA at my mother's house in Winlock. At the end of next week, I'll head for Yosemite for the reunion. I'll try uploading the turkey video again. Wish me luck!

Jimmy's Caribbean Resort & Other Pleasures

2008-10-16T14:22:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since I last posted a blog... mainly because I've been traveling. I am currently in WA visiting my mother. Here is the blog about my travels to Jimmy's Caribbean Resort, a 9 hour drive from my condo in Las Olas:

I was thinking the drive between Las Olas and Nombre de Dias (oldest settlement in Panama) would be uneventful. Think again… I left at 6:30 a.m. with Pauline’s directions to her house near Jimmy’s Caribbean Dive Resort in my head & my truck. I packed the previous night with everything from snorkel gear (for the Caribbean) to a down jacket (for Alaska). I was somewhat concerned about taking the Nissan Frontier Truck because the transmission had been acting up. On two occasions, the truck was stuck in 3rd, refusing to shift, with RPM’s approaching 5,000. I couldn’t take the more-trusted Kia because it needed to be registered in the month of October (every year, Panama gives you a new plate). Keith (who is selling the Kia for me) will register it while I am gone. Sure enough, for the first 3 hours, the Nissan pulled various stunts like downshifting when I had my foot on the gas & was cruising at 120 KPH. For some weird reason, after 3 hours all problems with the Nissan vanished & it became the perfect truck. Were we forming a relationship & growing closer? The next 2 hours were bliss… until I stopped at the Reys grocery store near Santa Clara. The truck went back to the previous poor behavior and I found myself constantly downshifting to 3rd against my will. As I neared Colon & the turnoff to Portabello (of Columbus fame), I was seriously stuck in 3rd gear. Only shifting to neutral would set me free (not a good idea when going uphill). The last few miles were shear torture. Luckily I was going very slowly over a dirt road & didn’t need a higher gear.
In contrast to the drive, Pauline, her house and this location on the Caribbean was a delight. We went for a long beach walk the first morning & she showed me her secret stash of sea glass (which I love to collect). We also saw green sea turtle tracks (pictured here), a turtle’s bottom shell (which Pauline collected), and some turtle scales (which I collected). After breakfast, I went for a bird walk where I saw some outstanding birds—chestnut mandibled & keel billed toucans in the same tree (& I thought they didn’t like each other), a gorgeous green-headed/purple bodied hummingbird, Panama flycatcher, and various birds I’ll look up when I return home. We went swimming after my sweaty walk (which was wonderful until we got out of the water & were attacked by no-see-ums.
Pauline’s SUV started squealing (disc brakes going bad), so we took both vehicles into Colon the day after I arrived. I followed her to Jimmy’s favorite (excellent) mechanic. He fixed Pauline’s SUV easily, but told me to take the Nissan to the dealership near 4-Altos shopping center. Nissan took one look at me & couldn’t fail to see economic possibilities (dollar signs) stretched over my body. Of course they wanted me to leave the truck overnight so they could give me a very large bill the next day. I refused & called Keith (who purchased the Nissan in Panama City a few months ago). Lucky for me, Keith knows the lead mechanic at the David Nissan dealership, so I will meet him there when I return in November. Needless to say, the Nissan drove perfectly on the drive from Pauline’s to La Estancia B & B (where the truck is parked for 5 weeks).

I couldn’t believe the snorkeling right off the beach that I experienced my last day at Jimmy’s. Incredible coral, bright blue fish and warm Caribbean water will bring me back before too long. Dare I dream of owning two houses in Panama – one on the Caribbean side (great snorkeling, diving & sailing) and one on the Pacific (great boogie boarding, beach walking & ocean sounds). If I was successful in uploading this video, you'll see the hopping turkey show.

A Ray on the Beach & on my Cedar Chest

2008-09-27T20:23:00.005-05:00

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a small 1.5 ft. ray washed up on the beach this morning. It looked most like this bat ray, but I don't know that we have bat rays in Panama (according to Wikipedia, they are in the Eastern Pacific between the Oregon Coast & Gulf of California & also the Galapagos Islands). The scary thing for me was touching him with a stick to check out his underside (pinkish). I barely touched him & he moved. Yikes!! On a different note, my ultimate art piece - a 5 sided painted/carved cedar chest - arrived today (carried down the hill via Tom & Terry's SUV). I need to find the Panamanian artist & get him to sign his beautiful chest. The 5 underwater scenes include: a turtle & clown fish, the ray, 2 dolphin, and two sides with tangs, scorpion fish & raccoon fish. Thanks Mom for this great birthday & Christmas present! Since Mom has consented to visiting me in Panama (late January), she will actually get to touch the chest. I'm leaving tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m. for my drive to the Carribbean side (hope to arrive around 3:00 p.m.). I'd better go pack. I'll write if I have an Internet connection from Jimmy's Dive Resort (doubtful).

Bengy + Yampi, Guavabana and Chiromoya

2008-09-26T21:08:00.007-05:00

It's a trick question... what do Bengy, Yampi, Guavabana and Chiromoya have in common? Probably very little, except they all live in Panama. Actually, Bengy is in jail (for a picture of Bengy look on my September 1 blog). He's a pick-pocket squirrel monkey who has developed some bad habits & is being "retrained" by Sue (an ex-primate trainer who lives here at Las Olas). A new, improved (i.e. less humanized) Bengy will return to Paradise Gardens in a couple of months. Yampi is a root vegetable (similar to a yam) I'm going to cook tomorrow. Chiromoya (similar to Moya I've had in Hawaii) is a white, sweet fruit I'll have for breakfast, and Guavabana was served juiced in Columbia (delicious, but I haven't seen it at fruit stands since I returned from Columbia, ready to try my own juiced version). I couldn't resist including this picture of me being "pinned" by the Panama Rotary Governor. We had a lovely catered lunch at Dr. Newton Osborne's house (he's the Boquete Rotary President & pictured to the right of me & the Gov.). I still can't get over the diversity of people in the club. They are all very interesting and becoming my close friends. On Sunday, I'll drive to Nombre de Dios (you can find it on Google Earth) & spend 4 nights with Pauline (snorkeling, SCUBA-ing & other lazy pleasures). Then it's on to Alaska, California, Oregon & Washington. I'll try to keep up on the blog, but you won't be reading about Panama. I may do one last Panama Blog tomorrow so you can see a picture of my beautiful cedar chest that is arriving tomorrow (thanks to good friends Tom & Terry).

While I Was Sleeping....

2008-09-22T08:43:00.005-05:00

As you can see from Marcial's grin, last night was very productive for the Las Olas turtles! Over ciento dos (200) turtle eggs came out of this one hole and will be incubated in Marcial's nursery for the next 35 days. There will be another turtle release this Wednesday (if you happen to be near Las Olas). I knew something was up when I looked out my bedroom window (getting ready for my walk) & could see Marcial poking the sand with a stick. When I got on the beach with my camera, I could capture the turtle tracks & my condo (bottom floor) in the same frame. There was also a natural turtle hatch that happened right in front of the resort, as evidenced by a 2 foot hole, broken eggs and a gazillion little tracks. While I was helping Marcial with the eggs, Anthony Arauz was surfing. I know it's not the greatest footage of him surfing, but it's all I could get at the time. I keep pinching myself... I couldn't have retired in a better place!

Tis the Season

2008-09-21T09:58:00.005-05:00

For the second morning beach walk in a row, I saw turtle tracks leading to a nest & returning back to the sea. Most likely they were Olive Ridley tracks, but I'm told that Leatherbacks nest here as well. Both nests were located above high tide and had been disturbed by humans (probably young, male Panamanians because eating turtle eggs helps maintain one's virility + turtle eggs fetch a high price at the bars). With any luck, the eggs were collected by Marcial Rojas, a local Panamanian marathon runner who's been saving baby turtles from extinction for over 17 years. After he collects the eggs, he brings them to a secure hatchery where baby turtles are safe from predators and poachers. We are coming up on the wettest month of the year (October) which coincides with the best time to lay your eggs (if you are a turtle who was born at Playa Barqueta). When I got close to my Condo, I saw a very uplifting sight... 20 to 30 Panamanians picking up trash from the beach! In case you are wondering, this picture was taken by talented neighbor-photographer Frank. This is a Laughing Falcon eating his favorite food... a small snake (appropriately, these falcons are also called Snake Hawks). This picture was taken right behind my condo on the mangrove access road. I couldn't resist adding this picture of Michelle (with her bird Precious) and these Scarlet Macaws (pets of a Drug Lord who is now in jail) at Paradise Gardens. My days continue to be filled with adventure, love & beauty. Yesterday friends Tom & Terry showed me a nearby part of Panama I had not seen before... a back road/trail that parallels the paved road to Volcan. From their lovely house on the ridge, one can see all the way to the beach were I live. We had a wonderful Thai lunch in Volcan (the only Thai restaurant in Panama). Paul (who I met several months ago at the David Immigration Office & wrote about in a previous blog) is the owner/cook. He showed us his carnivorous plant collection and sold me the most beautiful piece of art I have ever seen (watch for a picture on an upcoming blog). The sun it out, so I must go get my vitamin D! Have a great Sunday!

Slothing Around

2008-09-19T07:54:00.004-05:00

Here's the latest addition to Paradise Gardens. His/her (?) name is Tember (for September since that's when he/she came to the Gardens). Very cute and cuddly. Tember is a 2-toed sloth (I believe). Two-toed sloths have 2 fingers & 3 toes. Three-toed sloths have 3 fingers and 3 toes. I'll count Tember's fingers when I see him/her next Thursday & report back. I had to add this other picture as well. It's a weird hanging flower that hits you on the head as you leave the bird aviary (where I was watching Thick-billed Euphonias and Green Honeycreepers). I continue to have way too much fun!

40 Year SRHS Reunion

2008-09-19T07:54:00.002-05:00

My 40-year Santa Rosa High School Reunion is coming up next year (Wow! Am I really that old?). I'm involved in the committee helping to plan that event (which will probably happen in October, 2009). Since it's illegal to leave an email address or website on Classmates.com, I've directed classmates to look here for my email address (which is grossmo@gmail.com). I'm putting together a spreadsheet of 1969 SRHS Graduates. If you are one of my classmates, please send me your email and snail-mail addresses. See you next year!

Open Wide

2008-09-14T09:08:00.004-05:00

This is just a short blog (well, not really that short) about some minor oral surgery I experienced yesterday in David. Through the Chiriqui Chatter blog & recommendations from my neighbors, I found Dr. Miriam A. Rodriguez Gonzalez. I went there last week and got my teeth cleaned for a mere $30. It's a very nice/clean office, so I decided to ask about the receding gums on my lower front teeth. After talking to Dr. Miriam (who could speak a little English), I decided to get minor surgery on my lower gum. I was somewhat nervous (I mean, who wants gum surgery...even in paradise?) as the Dr.'s assistant welcomed me into the "relax" chair. She pointed to the nearby TV screen where a very handsome (and topless) Latin man was teaching Yoga. She asked if I liked him, to which I laughingly responded, "Si, mucho gusto." The music on the Spanish Yoga DVD was good at least... very New Age. Dr. Miriam came in & immediately put numbing ointment on the inside of my lower lip. A few minutes later, she gave me several TOTALLY PAINLESS Novocaine shots to my lower gum. I don't know about you, but the most painful Novocaine shots I have received in the past have been to the front of my mouth. Never in all my dental experiences have I experienced such a painless shot. For the next 2 hours, Dr. Miriam worked very hard bleaching (with light) the discolored portion of my lower teeth, pulling back the lower gum, scrapping the tooth, "harvesting" other gum material to graft onto my lower teeth, and grafting it on (stitching it in place). I was never uncomfortable during the whole procedure. I'll see Dr. Miriam again next Friday for a follow-up visit. She gave me detailed instructions so I will heal properly & not require a second grafting procedure. The hardest part for me is No Physical Exercise for 2 weeks! I'm not a very good patient. Instead of walking hours each day on the beach, I'm wearing my weight vest around the condo, hanging out by my computer, and watching videos while holding ice to my chin. I just hope I can talk OK when I give my "How To Stay Healthy Through Good Nutrition" talk (where I'll give information about Juice Plus to the Boquete expat community).

I'm also getting ready for my next trip - almost 5 weeks in the States. I'll leave here September 28 & spend 4 nights at Caribbean Jimmy's Dive Resort (tuning up my SCUBA skills & hanging out in the warm Caribbean water), fly to Fairbanks on October 2 (arriving at my friend Patrice's house October 3), fly to Sacramento on October 7 for the River Management Society annual board meeting (since I'll be the National Secretary for the next 3 years), fly to Portland October 13 to visit my mother in Winlock WA, drive to Yosemite October 26 to attend the Yosemite employee reunion from Oct. 27-Oct. 30 (I worked there from 1976-1980), drive back to Winlock October 30, and stay with Mom until November 6 when I fly back to Panama. Richard & Nina (from Alaska) will fly into Panama 1 day after I return, and we'll be together for the next month hiking, kayaking & exploring. I won't return to the States again until March, 2007 when I attend the Juice Plus Conference in Long Beach, CA. One last thing before I close... I just purchased a Skype phone #: 1-360-262-6016. That means you can call me from your cell or land-line phones (especially handy for my mother) any time you feel the urge. Have a wonderful Sunday!

Llana Nopo -- The Heart of Panama

2008-09-09T21:06:00.007-05:00

Lucky me! As I said in my previous blog, I joined the Boquete Rotary (Club Rotario de Boquete) last Thursday and was immediately invited to join them on a 3-day, 2-night trip to investigate the needs of the Ngobe-Bugle who live in Llana Nopo (a small community within the Comarca (similar to a Native American reservation in the States). First some brief background information: Llana Nopo (a double "l" is pronounced like a Y) is located in the highlands of the Comarca (roughly a 4-hour drive on paved & dirt roads from where I live). The Comarca is mostly inhabited by the Guaymi or Ngobe indigenous Indian tribes. Their land was set aside by the Panamanian government in 1997... only 11 years ago. The Guaymi's and Ngobe's live in extreme poverty in small family clusters of several "homes" without a defined town center or centralized community. They have been left by the government to fend for themselves. Charitable and religious organizations (like Rotary) have been working in the Comarca, but it is so large and the people so scattered, it continues to be difficult to help large numbers of the population through one central project. The Boquete Rotary recently stepped up to the plate with a plan to help. This trip was a fact-finding trip to record the needs of the community. Llano Nopo is fortunate to have a large (over 800 students) school that was created many years ago with help from Catholic Charities and the Diocese of David. But it's not easy to get to school. Most students have to walk an average of 4 hours (one-way) to attend school. Students come from all over the Comarca. Imagine negotiating very difficult terrain with extreme weather (heavy rain) and poisonous snakes (the medical clinic sees 2 bites per month that result in death and loss of limbs). Grades 1-6 attend from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm and grades 7-10 (grades 11 & 12 will come in the next 2 years) attend from 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Recently a dormitory was built to house 25 children (they are selected based on grades... boys only for now). An expansion to the existing dorm and more dormitories (even a girl's dorm) are planned, and this is where the Club Rotario de Boquete comes in. This club (with the help of other Rotary clubs) wants to fund a project that addresses several problems: Malnutrition (often severe, creating an average mortality age of 40), lack of housing for the children to attend school, lack of school supplies and lack of water storage for the community. On this trip, I had the great privilege of seeing small children receive shoes for the first time (notice the bright green Croc in the first picture), the medical clinic receive 15 viles of snake anti-venom, and the school honor us for donating our time, energy and money to them (see pictures of lined-up students in their blue uniforms at the "ceremony" to thank us). I tell you, it brought tears to my eyes! Anyway, if you have any desire to donate money or materials to this project (especially you, my rich Uncle Bruce), contact me. P.S. This is the rainy season, so the Rio Rey (pictured above) must be crossed by the Indians every time they take supplies (often rice) from Llano Nopo to their homes many miles away or bring in supplies (like the wood pictured with this Indian couple about to cross Rio Rey...she got her dress wet to her shoulders). Plus, as we drove up the very poor road, we saw Guaymi's and Ngobe's voting (lined up in these "forever" lines) as this picture taken at the Llano Nopo school shows. I hope to be back in mid-November (hopefully with friends Nina & Richard who are visiting from Alaska) as the people of Llano Nopo asked us to return for the fair/ceremony that will honor Club Rotario de Boquete. Panamanians love an excuse to party!

Meeting GREAT People at Paradise Gardens -- Monica

2008-09-09T20:31:00.003-05:00

This is just a short post (before I go on to my longer post about travel to the heart of Panama) to let you know that I met a great woman Monica when I "worked" at Paradise Gardens last Thursday. She's written some lovely blogs about Panama (could it be because she is a journalist for a metropolitan daily in New York?). She just found her way into Costa Rica & that will be interesting to follow as well. If you want to see Monica's blog, just click on her highlighted name.
"See" you at the next post!
Elena

Service and Blue Skies

2008-09-01T09:20:00.005-05:00

In spite of Hurricane Gustav and my mother (in WA) buildng fires to stay warm over Labor Day weekend, I'm blissfully walking the Playa Barqueta beach looking for turtle tracks (like this picture of tracks I snapped in Costa Rica right before seeing the Olive Ridley going back into the ocean after laying her eggs) collecting sea beans (for my ever-growing collection pictured here with fake orchids), and hoping to see a humpback whale breech (several neighbors saw them breeching Friday night). I am continually amazed at the great weather we have here on the Pacific side of Panama. While friends near Boquete deal with downpours, power outages & eroding topsoil, I'm birding, body boarding, maintaining my vitamin D levels (sunning) and flying kites. When it does rain (which an be very hard ... i.e. tropical), it's usually late afternoon or after the sun goes down.

Last week became a full-fledged volunteer of Paradise Gardens and a member of Rotary Club Boquete (the David Rotary is closer to me but the meeting is conducted in Spanish). Paradise Gardens is so peaceful (except when this pictured red-backed squirrel monkey tries to pick-pocket you). I spent my first day getting acquainted with the occupants of this lovely wildlife rescue santuary near Boquete. I watched in awe as 7 year old Dollar & 9 year old Ruby (Greenwing Macaws bred in England) tried to "feed" each other. They reached into each other's beaks & acted like feeding mothers. I asked Jenny (who owns/runs Paradise Gardens with her husband Paul) what was going on. She was very excited to hear about this behavior because it's a sign they are going to breed and raise baby macaws (since they are practicing feeding). Go to http://www.paradisegardensboquete.com/ if you want more information. I also joined the 15 member Boquete Rotary Club. It meets every Thursday at 9:00 a.m., so I can easily attend the meeting & volunteer at Paradise Gardens after the meeting. As it turns out, I went to Santa Rosa High School with the great nephew of Rotary Club founder Paul P. Harris. Since I'm planning the SRHS class of 1969 40-year reunion (for July 18, 2009), I've been emailing various classmates, including Chris Traub (the great nephew). Seems like we are all so connected. The sun is out so I'm headed for the pool. I hope everyone had a fine Labor Day Weekend. Of course, in my blissful state of retirement, every day is a holiday!

Caribbean Blue

2008-08-27T10:30:00.005-05:00

Little did I know that the best day in Columbia was yet to come. One of my favorite songs is Enya's "Caribbean Blue" (Great music video to google & watch if you haven't seen it) & my day with Cartegena Diving Planet was beautifully Caribbean Blue. Jennifer was my "guide" & took these great pictures of me snorkeling. I met Diving Planet at 7:40 a.m. & they shuttled me to the marina where a 30-passenger boat was waiting to take me to Isla Grande (near the protected Rosario Islands). Their diving center is co-located with the Cocoliso Resort on Isla Grande (45 km & a 45 minute boat ride from Cartegena). We had 2 snorkel/SCUBA dives -- one at 10:00 a.m. and one at 12:30 p.m. Each snorkel trip lasted 1.5 hours (I can SCUBA dive but prefer snorkeling because of its simplicity/longer time in the water). Imagine perfectly clear water, WARM water, gillions of species. The 10:00 a.m. trip was comprised of Jennifer, me & a couple. The 12:30 p.m. trip was larger & in rougher water... but still beautiful. I even saw a cuttlefish (!), jellyfish, loads of parrot fish (forgive me for eating one with Tara when I was in Loreto), and a lovely black tang with florescent blue spots. After 2 dives, I was treated to a lovely salad (after explaining that I was the only vegan in Columbia) under the palms. I returned to Cartegena around 4:30 p.m. Louise & I spent a lovely last evening eating dinner in the Santa Clara Hotel courtyard (listening to frogs & smelling jasmine), watching tango dancers, jugglers and mimes perform in the streets, and feeling the tropical pulse of Cartegena. I'll return, but next time it will be on a sailboat from Colon, Panama.

More Pictures + Leaf-Cutter Ant Video

2008-08-22T07:40:00.005-05:00

From what I could tell, the video didn't upload last night so I tried it again (successfully it seems). There's also a sunrise picture over our beach, a picture of Louise, our cook (from across the street) & Penny at dinner, and me standing with the dolce (sweets) lady. She carried the sweets on her head & sold them on the beach. I never got her name, but she liked me cuz I bought homemade tamarindo from her. I'm off to meet the taxi!

Mysteries of Tayrona National Park - Colombia

2008-08-21T16:30:00.007-05:00

The promised Mendihuaca Tour to Tayrona NP never materialized, so Louise & I took matters into our own hands this morning. At 9:00 a.m., we stood in front of the hotel and caught a bus (as if we were locals) to Tayrona (5 KM away). The cost was 2,000 Pesos ($1.25), and we waited less than 5 minutes. The entrance fee was pretty steep, however. Colombians pay $9,000 Pesos to our (foreigners that we are) $25,000 Pesos. Unlike Yosemite, there was no transportation provided to the trailheads, so we walked about an hour to the "9 Stones" trailhead. It was beautiful hiking, even on the main road, because it was shaded with huge rainforest trees and very peaceful. I just wish we had more time here to explore & understand the Tayrona ancient civilization. We saw 3 of the 9 stones (see the pictures above). The Tayronians somehow shaped the stones, mounted them & drilled holes into them. They foretold the future by facing the holes toward certain stars. Lots of mystery going on here. I'll have to return & camp on the beach next time (I can't afford the eco-lodges pictured here). We also saw loads of leaf-cutter ants (see the video). We'll head to Cartegena (the historic section -- where Louise & I will stay for 3 nights) tomorrow & drop Penny at the airport so she can catch her flight to Panama. Wish us luck!!

Mendihuaca Caribbean Resort 35 km from Santa Marta

2008-08-18T18:08:00.007-05:00

What can I say...it's been interesting so far! From Cartegena, we arranged for a mini-van ride through our hotel to Barrinquilla. Once we got to Barrinquilla, we negotiated (luckily Louise speaks Spanish pretty well) for a taxi ride to the Mendihuaca Caribbean Resort (pronounced "Mendihuwaca"). Of course the taxi driver had never been to our particular resort, but he found it (after just 1 cell call back to his company). He even took us by a shopping mall where we could change dollars into Colombian Pesos (around 1650 pesos/dollar). It took 15 minutes to change the money because Louise (our money changer) had to be finderprinted, etc. We got to the resort around 4:00 (after 6 hours of travel). The staff checked us in to a pretty low-rent room that was dark, smelled of mildew, had 2 bedrooms with 2 twin beds & 1 bath(after being promised a 3 bedroom/2 bath room by the timeshare company that arranged the trade for me). After complaining about the poor room (again thanks to Louise), they moved us into a 2 bedroom/2 bath room on the second floor & promised they would move us into a 3 bedroom/2 bath accommodation by Monday (that's today & they did..plus the unit is closer to the beach). In case you are wondering about these pictures, one is of the resort, one is an olive ridley turtle (a grown-up version of the ones released at the Las Olas beach) that we found at the aquerio, and the 3rd is Playa Blanca beach (& yes, it's as crowded as it looks). We took a tour offered by the resort thinking we'd be going to a pretty nice beach. On the way, we stopped off at the aquarium where we saw a dolphin and seal show (again with lots of people), I'm finally starting to understand that Columbia is very crowded compared to Panama. It's so nice here, we probably won't go on many more "tours". Tayrona National Park is on the agenda for Wednesday. Too bad we won't be able to see the Lost City within Tayrona, but that requires a 7 day hike, complete with guides. Well, it's almost dinner time. I've been getting by with green & fruit salads at the salad bar & supplementing with cooked potatoes. Most people here can't understand how I can even be alive eating just veggies. In fact, most of the restaurant staff don't even charge me cuz I eat so little. Last night the woman who owns the restaurant across the street, opened her long-closed restaurant just for the 3 of us (after giving her 20,000 pesos so she could buy food). She fixed me a lovely (& delicious) bowl of mangos, fried plantains, rice & an iceburg lettuce salad with tomatoes. She too wondered how I could be alive & healthy. "Why are you a vegetarian?", Louise interpreted. I responded with "Pura Vida". We are having dinner there again tomorrow night (there's something cool about having a restaurant opened just for you), & this time I'll tell her I'm 85 years old!
Signing off from the Mendihuaca!
Elena

First Day in Cartegena

2008-08-14T19:33:00.005-05:00

Wow! This is quite the place. Cartegena is only a 1 hour flight from Panama City, but it is very different... much more European than Panama. I travelled down here with Louise & Penny (two of my Boquete Chica friends). Apparently it gets more European the further south you go (according to Louise). So I am officially in South America. That means I've been in Russia, China, Mexico, Canada, Switzerland, The Netherlands, France, Germany, Costa Rica, Panama & Colombia. Maybe by the time I hit 100 (& I fully expect to now that I'm on Juice Plus), I will have been around the world & seen most countries. Panama sure is a good place to be based. Here are some pictures of the Boca Grande (Spanish translation = Big Mouth) section of Cartegena. When we return from 7 nights at the Mendihuaca Caribbean Resort (35 km from Santa Marta), we'll spend 3 nights in the old part of Cartegena, a World Heritage Site that is truely remarkable. Luckily, it's much more expensive to live here than Panama, so all temptation to move here has been removed. I'll try to keep up on my travels as long as I have an Internet connection.

Signing out from Cartegena!

Elena

Tagua Art & Wayne's Word

2008-08-12T21:56:00.007-05:00

My great addiction for collecting seeds continues to blossom. The latest seed to catch my fancy is Tagua (from the Tagua Palm Tree). Tagua is also called vegetable ivory (vegans like me can relate) because it is so easy to carve it. The pictures here show tagua before it's carved & after it's carved into an egret. Plus you can see that my love of necklaces continues with this orchid tagua nut piece. According to Wikipedia: The tagua nut is an extremely hard nut that comes from the ivory-nut palm. Its endosperm can be carved and polished like ivory, making it a botanical alternative to elephant ivory and giving rise to the name "vegetable ivory." Before carving, the nut is covered with a brown, flaky skin and shaped like a small avocado. Tagua nuts can be found in the rainforest, typically on the ground, where their outer skin is eaten by the various animals populating the region. Another favorite collectable of mine are sea beans (see earlier blog). Most sea beans are in the species called "Mucuna". According to Wayne's Word: Most species of Mucuna are climbing woody vines called lianas that twine through the rain forest trees like "botanical boa constrictors." Their bat-pollinated flowers and pods are produced on long, rope-like stems that hang from the forest canopy. The seed pods are covered with microscopic velvety hairs (called trichomes) that can be extremely painful if they get into your eyes. In the Caribbean region and Central America, the hairs were stirred into honey or syrup as a remedy to dispel intestinal parasites. The dense covering of irritating hairs may help to discourage seed predators, particularly when the seeds are soft and vulnerable. At maturity, each pod produces several hard, marble-like seeds. The seed is called "ojo de buey" because of its striking resemblance to the eye of a bull. The seeds are also known as "sea beans," because they are commonly carried by rivers into the ocean.

I have collected so many sea beans, they threaten to take over my condo. I have purchased several large glass containers where I display them. I've been keeping pretty busy with barely any time to keep up with this blog. Today I spent 4 hours in David (not my first choice) getting my multi-entry passport stamp, provisional visa & Panama driver's license up-to-date for my travel to Columbia on 8/14 (one can't get in our out of the country w/o the passport stamp). Tomorrow I'll go back in to register my new 4WD Nissan Frontier.

Some of my other activities include: joining the Boquete Rotary Club (meets every Thursday at 9:00 a.m.), volunteering at Paradise Gardens animal rescue center (Thursday after Rotary), kayaking the lagoon in my newly purchased kayaks (I especially like the Perception Sundance), daily bird walks in the mangrove and twice-daily beach walks in search of seeds. I'm looking forward to the Columbia trip so I can "relax"! I'll keep up on the blog while I'm in Columbia because I'll have the computer with me (& there is hopefully a high-speed Internet connection as advertised at the resort). Today I signed up for a Panamanian post office box. In case you want to send me a letter or Christmas Card... or even birthday card (instead of email), here it is:

Elaine Mayer

P.O. Box 0426-1419

David, Chiriqui

Republic of Panama

If you want to Skype or call me, the number is 011-507-772-8028. If you buy Skype Credit & click that you are calling Panama, the only number you type in is 772-8028.

Till I Blog from Columbia...

Elena

Kayaking in Mangrove Land

2008-08-03T10:44:00.004-05:00

Boy, what a GREAT day in Paradise (August 1, 2008)!! Ken & Sharon (she's my neighbor who does the fabulous stain glass work pictured in a previous blog) took me kayaking in the mangrove system that starts behind my condo. They borrowed a kayak from another neighbor (Frank) so the 3 of us could all go on the trip. We put-in around 8:15 a.m. (roughly 2 hours before low tide) and had a pretty good current for the first hour. Once the waterway became wide, we slowed down & had to paddle in earnest. It was so peaceful & beautiful. Luckily there was a cloud cover, so we didn't get too hot. We turned around about 10:30 and made it back to Ken's truck at 12:30. I probably could have found my way back by myself, but it would have been iffy. It's very easy to choose a dead-end channel & end up miles from where you want to be. As we were paddling back along the mangroves, Ken decided to imitate a male howler monkey. Within seconds of his call, we were answered by some very agitated male howler monkeys that were saying "Leave our women alone!" They were right next to us, and we could see them once they gave their locaton away. They kept howeling until we had paddled around the corner & out of sight. While we were paddling, Ken said he noticed some used kayaks (that looked good to him) for sale on the Boquete Shopping website. I got home & immediately found the kayaks & called Jerry (who had them for sale). Yes, they were still available - an Old Towne Loon & a Perception Sundance (plus paddles & life vests). Jerry & his wife are downsizing so they can go travelling for the next few years. So, I'm the proud owner of 2 kayaks. Now I can take you kayaking when you visit me in Panama. I'm also the proud owner of a 2003 Nissan Frontier 4WD Diesel King Cab pick-up truck. I've been wanting a 4WD (so I can explore birding roads & drive on the beach at low tide). The best way to haul kayaks (especially short ones like mine) is in the back of a pick-up. Jim Kennedy (who sold me the Kia on Craig's List when I arrived here in April) purchased the Nissan thinking he wanted to build his own house & haul building materials. That was too difficult, so he bought a house & now wants an SUV. So I've gone from a Prius to a 4WD diesel truck in one year. Of course, I've also moved from AK to Panama in less than a year.

Olive Ridley Turtle Release at Las Olas

2008-07-31T10:16:00.003-05:00

Hello from Paradise! This was my first attempt at "turtle video". It you listen closely, you will hear me say that the turtles were touching my feet! At that point, I lost control of the camera. Anyway, it was another lovely day at Las Olas. I was pleased that I had survived the drive home Tuesday from Boquete to Las Olas through the heart of a lightening storm. One bolt was so close, I thought I was a goner. When I got to David, I thought again about that FWD SUV I want to purchase. My Kia made it home OK, but it was definitely touch & go through the flooded streets. When I reached my condo, it looked like nothing had happened--no storm, no flooding...there were even pockets of sun. Las Olas/Playa Barqueta is definitely blessed with GREAT WEATHER. I've added a turtle picture in case you can't play the video. Approximately 150 of the baby turtles were released. Sadly, only about 15 of those turtles will survive to maturity & come back to Playa Barqueta to lay their eggs. Maybe it will be one the turtles I held in my hand & released!

Tomorrow I will venture into the mangrove system with friends/neighbors Ken & Sharon (the same woman who did the fabulous stained glass on a previous post). I will borrow one of their plastic kayaks & test the waters for future use of my inflatable Alpacka Raft. We will get on the water 2 hours before low tide so we won't be fighting the river current. Stay tuned & wish me luck. It's reassuring to know that the spectacled caimans (small alligators) are mostly under 5 feet long & don't normally attack anything bigger than they are. Still.....

I'm Back! Did you miss me?

2008-07-26T11:32:00.005-05:00

I stopped at my favorite produce stand yesterday and found this beautiful fruit which I had last seen in Hawaii. It is called Lychee (Litchi chinensis) and is native to Southern China. I last experienced this lovely fruit in Hawaii where I paid 50 cents for each fruit. Yesterday I bought a huge tree branch with over 100 attached Lychee fruits for a dollar! According to the Internet, Lychee is very rich in vitamin C and phytonutrients. Speaking of phytonutrients, I had a lovely time visiting friends and family in Washington and California. I even started a new business (check out my website at www.elainejuiceplus.com) that suits me perfectly. I've always been interested in health & nutrition (to the point of being a food Natzi around some of my loved-ones...forgive me!). JuicePlus is basically a whole food supplement that is made from fresh, high quality fruits and vegetables that are juiced then low-temperature dried into a concentrated powder. Now I carry health insurance that ensures I am getting 7 different fruits and 10 different vegetables/grains each day! There has been a ton of research on the effects of taking JuicePlus (it's been sold & studied the past 15 years & is the most thoroughly researched namebrand nutritional procuct on the market today...where have I been?) & the results are fabulous. Basically, JuicePlus delivers key antioxidants/phytonutrients that are absorbed by the body, reduces oxidative stress, helps support a healthy immune system/protects DNA, and positively impacts several key indicators of cardiovascular wellness. Pretty cool stuff!

Anyway, I had a lovely time in Washington where I watched "So You Think You Can Dance" with my Mom, went contra dancing (twice) in Portland (with friends Amy & Carol), Zydico danced with friend Pat Sousa at the Portland Blues Festival, shared an afternoon lunch with my brother Michael, Mom, Uncle Bruce, his partner Lise (who prepared the lunch), Cousins Belinda & Becky, and Aunt Anne and Uncle Tuffy (that's Mom, Michael & me in the picture). I spent a week at a "health retreat" (TrueNorth Health) in Santa Rosa where I met many wonderful people who are all interested in getting off the Standard American Diet (SAD). That's also where I started taking JuicePlus. TrueNorth is actually located right across the street from the Presbyterian church I attended when I was 7! It was very haunting to look inside the church after all those years. While I was in Santa Rosa, I decided to help organize the Santa Rosa High School Class of 1969 40th Reunion. With help from the Internet & people in Santa Rosa, I might actually be able to pull it off! I shared my last meal at TrueNorth Health with my junior high school best friend Jeanne Lieberman and my 11th grade boyfriend Alan Britton. I hadn't seen Jeanne in 28 years or Alan in 20 years (since the 20 year reunion) so it was great to reconnect. Well, I'm off for a bird walk. My friend Louise saw a Laughing Falcon in the mangrove area behind my condo while I was gone... So I must go find him!

Stay Tuned!
Elaine

Separation Anxiety

2008-06-25T17:37:00.003-05:00

I'll start packing for my upcoming Washington trip tomorrow, but I'm already feeling separation anxiety from Las Brisas Del Mar & Panama in general. I had the most magic bird walk this morning. It seemed like I was invisible or perhaps the birds have grown accustomed to me. They were everywhere... singing, posing, mating, fighting, eating. I even saw the elusive Gray-necked Wood-rail who "usually keeps to thick cover and not regularly seen; known in Panama as 'cocaleca' or 'cocle' because of its calls." I also saw 2 Bare-throated Tiger-herons! If you are wondering about this picture, it's a sea snake whose latin name is Pelanydrus platurus. Yes, it is highly venomous, but no one in Panama has ever been bitten. I saw him when I started my afternoon beach walk & had to run back to fetch my camera. He was still there when I returned 1.5 hours later, so I assume he's dead. Now he will become food for the vultures & yellow-headed cara caras.

When I return from the USA, I'll be coordinating a 2-day river trip for the Boquete Chicas (August 3 & 4), then I'm heading to Cartagena & Santa Marta, Columbia for a 10-day "vacation" with 2 of my Chica friends (Penny & Louise). I know, how can it be a vacation if I'm already on a permanent retirement vacation? Cartagena is billed as one of the most beautiful cities in South America. We'll spend 7 nights at the Mendihuaca Caribbean Resort near Santa Marta & Parque Tayrona (where I hope to see the fabled Lost City), then we'll go to Cartagena for 3 nights. Yes, Columbia is the land of "unmistakable dangers and forbidden fruits" (as another person's blog says). It's gotten better since 2003 & they are actually starting to cater to tourists. Still, don't tell my mother I am going there...! Copa Airlines is charging a ridiculous $500 to fly between Panama City & Cartagena (a 1-hour flight).

Wish me luck on the "express" 6-hour bus ride to Panama City on Friday 6/27. If you are reading this blog from California, Oregon or Washington, I hope to see you soon!

Adios,
Elena

Alanje or Bust

2008-06-21T17:51:00.005-05:00

After my morning bird walk where I took these photos and a mid day (because the tide was low) beach walk, I couldn't resist a bike ride to Alanje.

Ajanje is the closest town and 7 miles away. My proper address is Las Brisas Del Mar #101, Alanje, Chiriqui Province, Republic of Panama. I had a delightful ride (especially after changing out my narrow, hard seat for a wide, cushy one). All around me was the sound of parrots (Brown-throated Parakeets, Orange-chinned Parakeets & Mealy Amazons). If I wasn't hearing parrots, I was hearing lively Latin music... especially as I neared the bars of Alanje. I crossed a river (Rio Chico) right before I got to town & noticed they mine the rivers for gravel just like we do in the USA. I passed many others on bicycles (the main form of transportation in Panama since only 25% of the people own cars) and people walking. Everyone said Hi, Hola or Buenas Tardes. I saw another White-tailed Kite (yes, I bicycle with small binoculars around my neck stuffed into a shirt pocket) and got to observe it hovering (watch out little animals below). As the bird book says, the White-tailed Kite "has a graceful flight with deep wingbeats; often hovers, the body then angeled at about 45 degrees (not horizontal as in kestrel)."

By the way, I did close on the condo... but it was one of the most painful experiences, ever! The bank made me hire a translator (a Boquete Chica friend named Mitzy who did a great job) since I'm not from Panama. Mitzy translated every word (13 page legal-sized document) & there was endless lawyer-eze. It took 3.5 hours & I paid Mitzy $70 (very reasonable fee but it was still painful). With any luck I'll pay the condo off in the next few years.

Tomorrow I'll spend the night in Boquete (with Penny B.) so I won't have to drive back after the June Birthdays (there's 2) dinner. The bonus is that I can take a bird walk up the substantial hill by her house. Just think, in another week I'll be landing in San Francisco, spending the night with long-time friend Paula, then heading on to PDX Sunday (June 29) afternoon. Another adventure! The real adventure will be taking the bus from David to Panama (a 6-hour ride on a modern, overly air-conditioned bus). Wish me luck!!

Chica Adventure on Isla Gamez y Isla Bolanos

2008-06-16T18:40:00.002-05:00

Since I arranged dance camp weekends in my previous life, I decided to coordinate my first Boquete Chica event. I had been wishing for a boat ride out Chiriqui Gulf to visit the Parque Nacional Marino Golfo De Chiriqui (a 14,740-hectare marine park that encompasses two dozen islands). So I contacted Boquete Outdoor Adventures (an up-and-coming outfitter-guide business) who put together a great trip. It all came together yesterday & eight Chicas (including me) had a great time on two white sand beaches. As the Moon Panama guidebook says, "It's a bit of an adventure to get to the islands that start just off the coast east of David; that's half the fun of visiting this area". We definitely got the sense of being in the middle of nowhere. We spent most of our time on Isla Gamez. I got some great pictures of the island, but..... my computer died & I had to totally wipe it's hard drive. In the process, I lost all my recent pictures. Oh well, I'll just have to travel back to the Islands!! It was quite the location, though. Unsurpassed white sand beaches, calm/warm water for snorkeling, brown boobies flying overhead, hammocks in trees, home-made brownies for lunch! I'll be planning another Chica event that involves rafting a beautiful, easy river.

I close on my condo (finally) this Wednesday, so I'll be the official owner of #101. I'm still seeing great birds on my walks. My most recent "finds" include the White-tailed Kite (very cool bird) and immature cattle egrets. Tomorrow I head to David to get my multi-entry Visa from the Migrations office (fun, fun, fun). I'll need it for coming back into the country July 22. I'll be in WA from June 29-July 13 visiting my Mother, then in the Bay Area from July 13-21. So, I'll discontinue the blog for the next few weeks.

Mi Bicicleta es roja - Enter The Rali Eclipse

2008-06-08T17:18:00.003-05:00

I had quite an experience just finding the Bicicleta Tienda in David last week. I was told the bicycle store was located near the bus terminal, so I drove my car into David, parked in my favorite parking lot by Hotel Gran National & walked to terminal location (according to the Panama Moon book). The bicycle store was not obvious, so I asked a friendly-looking man, "Donde esta bicicleta tienda?" Rather than just point me in the right direction, Armando decided to walk me to the store. After several blocks, we were in an appliance store that carried a couple of cheap bicycles. I said "No, solomente bicicleta tienda." He walked me a few more blocks in a different direction and we found "TOMY" - a true bicycle store. Armando waited around while I looked at bicycles, acting like he wanted a tip for his trouble. I have him $5 (probably too much) & promised I would call if ever I need a taxi ride from Las Olas to David (since Armando is a taxi driver). One of the salesmen spoke broken English, so I proceeded to find the right bike. I was considering a classic one-speed, but when I realized that it cost the same as the 21-speed Rali Eclipse mountain bike, I went with the Rali. After adding a few modifications (padded handle bars, front & rear fenders, & a gel seat cover), the total cost of the bicicleta was $250.00. It's definitely not a Bike Friday (nor is it a Raleigh), but it's a good bike for running around Playa Barqueta and Alanje. This morning I did a bird-ride rather than a birdwalk & saw 4 Roseate Spoonbills, a Red-breasted Blackbird (very bright), and a Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher, not to mention my old friends the woodstorks, herons and egrets. Bicycling is quite nice on these mostly flat roads that meander the agricultural countryside. Next, I'll ride to Alanje (where I have yet to drive) so I can sit by the river and watch the wildlife.

Talent in the Neighborhood

2008-06-07T19:45:00.003-05:00

This has got to be one of the most beautiful stain glass art pieces I have ever seen. It was done by Sharon Sample who lives with her husband Ken just down the street in Barqueta Nice. It took Sharon about a year to complete this huge project. The crane stain glass hangs on the wall in their third-floor bedroom because it was too big to hang in the living room. The piece was assembled in Oklahoma (where they are from) and moved to Panama in a container. The good news for me is that Sharon is willing to give stained glass lessons. Maybe that will be my next hobby!

4 Male Quetzals and a Baby Howler Monkey All in 1 Day!

2008-06-07T18:49:00.006-05:00

I woke up at 4:45 a.m. and started driving to Boquete at 5:40 a.m. -- all to arrive by 7:00 a.m. for the Boquete bird walk last Thursday. We were in search of the Three-wattled Bellbird, known to reside above 5,000 feet & seen a month before on the same trail. The presence of Mr. Bellbird is usually obvious from the male's call. However, they are much harder to see since they perch high in the canopy. The question on everyone's mind.....would we be lucky & see one? It was a drop-dead beautiful day as we walked up the steep hill. The first bird seen was a Flame-colored Tanager (muy bonito)! Such a wonderful group of birders. Everyone was extremely welcoming of me (the newby) and made sure to point out the birds. As we climbed higher, we got closer to the unmistakable sound of the male bellbird. Dale was the first one to see the bellbird high in a tree above us. I couldn't believe it! Talk about wattles! He flew off, so we climbed higher. Dale & I were in the lead and being drawn in by the sound of the Black-Faced Solitaire. It sounded like fingers rubbing crystal glasses. So magic! The rest of the group grew near and were talking about turning around before the rains hit. Just as we were about to leave, Dan said, "There's a Quetzal!!". All binoculars were trained on the Quetzal. Within a few minutes, we saw 3 more males... that's 4 total! Does it get any better than this? The bird photos and group picture was taken by Jack Doyle. He and his wife Shari retired in Panama after spending most of their lives in Kodiak, Alaska. Small world! The first picture is J.J. He is a 2 week old howler monkey who I met at Paradise Gardens after the birdwalk. J.J. was intentionally or unintentionally dropped by a mother in a group of howler monkeys near Panama City. An observer went to see what was dropped & found J.J. The family didn't come back, so he called Paradise Gardens & had them pick him up. He is receiving loving care from Jenny (Paul & Jenny run Paradise Gardens) so his changes of survival are pretty good.

The Green Season is the Best Time to see Birds!!

2008-06-02T20:41:00.005-05:00

I just bought a new 40" flat screen TV & hooked it up to a DVD player so now I can supplement my bird & wildlife viewing with the BBC Planet Earth Series (truly the best DVD series ever produced). Last night I was watching the "Water" part of the series & felt like I was in my own backyard when a Spectacled Caiman ate a juvenile Wood Stork (it feel out of a tree). The cameraman even got in the water with the caimans (because caimans less than 2 meters long & they consider humans too large to mess with...now I won't panic if I fall into the water when I kayak the mangrove system). Yesterday I walked over to the flooded field area and saw a Roseate Spoonbill hanging out with the Wood Storks! Yesterday and today I walked into the Mangrove area (the dock and some of the mangrove trees are pictured above). As it turns out, the mangroves that are near my condo are part of a system that is the second largest in the world!! My, my!! Did I retire to the right place for a wildlife biologist/birder or what? Yesterday was pretty exciting, but today was even better because I saw a troop of White-throated Capuchin monkeys (5 swinging around the trees), saw & heard a troop of Mantled Howler Monkeys, could barely make out a Crab-eating raccoon up in a tree, saw & heard a gazillion birds. Some of the birds I saw include: Great White Egrets (hundreds in trees), Green-backed Herons, one Bare-throated Tiger-heron (very lucky to see him because he's "rare to uncommon in Pacific coastal lowlands"), loads of Wood Storks (their cute babies have pink beaks), a few American White Ibis, Black-bellied Whistling-ducks (their local name is "wichity" because of their whistle-call), Mangrove Black Hawks, Yellow-headed Caracara (2 in the same lens of my binoculars), American Purple Gallinules, Common Moorhen, Northern Jacana, American Golden Plover, Rudy Ground-doves, loads of Orange-chinned Parakeets (they made as much racket as the Howler Monkeys!), Smooth-billed and Groove-billed Ani, Pauraque (friends call them dare birds because they don't move until the last minute), Green & Amazon Kingfishers, Red-crowned Woodpeckers, Social Flycatchers, etc. etc. On Thursday, I'm heading out with a Boquete Birdwatcher Group & we hope to find the Three-wattled Bellbird!! Wish me luck!

Just Me And The Oystercatchers

2008-05-30T21:47:00.004-05:00

Today made up for all the rain I experienced the last few days. The sun woke me up at 5:45 a.m. & I was off for my morning walk. All of the critters were extremely happy. Vultures were cleaning up vertebrae just off the trail; social flycatchers were socializing; pelicans were fishing in formation; I was walking without an umbrella in my pocket. After breakfast, I went into David to retrieve the 40 inch flat-screen TV that did not fit in my car when it was loaded with computer furniture 2 days ago. I've been without a TV for almost 2 months & haven't really missed it (except for episodes of So You Think You Can Dance & Dancing with the Stars). I brought the BBC Planet Earth DVD's with me, so that will be nice to see. Mainly I got the TV for guests (if I choose to rent this place out while I'm gone). When I returned from David, I noticed a whole series of lakes (that 2 days ago were fields). What a golden opportunity for pictures! I grabbed my camera & shot pictures of Wood Storks (pictured above). The local farmers are working hard to recover from the heavy rains. I wonder what effect the rains will have on crops (& my vegan diet). Parts of Costa Rica were hit with 25" of rain! I talked with Eliacer (who runs the front desk at Las Olas) & he said he's never seen a storm like this one (global warming?) It was still clear in the afternoon, so I went for an extra long walk (6 miles). What a feeling.... just me and the Oystercatchers sharing the expansive, sunny beach! I don't think I'll ever grow tired of the changing scene where I'm happily retired and the grand beauty of Panama!

Cyclones in Panama?? La Nina is Visiting Me!

2008-05-29T10:02:00.004-05:00

I'm learning more about weather patterns in Panama each new day of the "Green" season. If memory serves me right, I was told by Susan (realtor-friend who sold me this condo) that it rarely rains here. Her exact words were something like, "The worst month is October, and then it only rains at night". And the huge billboards advertising Las Olas Resort throughout Panama say "Want Sunshine? Come to Las Olas Resort at Playa La Barqueta!" So what's with the continual rain that threatens to send me back to Alaska (at least for the green season)? The rain and more time indoors with my computer have given me some weather enlightenment. The average yearly precipation for Panama is just over 3 meters (that's 118 inches!!). I just moved here from Fairbanks where it was a desert with only 12" of precipitation/year (yes, a cold desert). In Boquete, it's more like 163". And of course in Bocas del Toro, we're talking over 200". It normally is very dry on the Pacific side (where I am), but like Juan said yesterday, "It's La Nina!" When I returned from my expedition to David yesterday (to buy a 40" Sony TV so I can watch Animal Planet and my Planet Earth DVD's), I found Cyclone warnings on my computer! Of course the tropical cyclone is suppose to hit further north & west than my little condo, but still!

In spite of the threatening weather, I am still having a lovely time here. I enjoyed a 1.5 hour morning bird walk this morning & only had to open my umbrella once (for a very short period). I saw Yellow-headed caracaras, Wood storks, Parrots, Social flycatchers, some kind of a brown hawk (Savanna Hawk?). The water in the mangrove system behind my condo is VERY HIGH. I wonder if the Spectacled caiman (which I normally see) have gone elsewhere?

The good news with all this rain is that I have ordered Rosetta Stone's 3 levels of Spanish lessons. They were expensive, but came highly recommended. I learn intuitively, so this should be the ticket. With any luck, I'll be pretty fluent by Christmas!

Stay tuned! I'll let you know if I blow away! In case you've read this far & wonder about the photo.. it's a male howler monkey in a nearby tree calling for his harem.

Paradise Gardens, Weddings & Fireworks

2008-05-24T22:20:00.005-05:00

New Rules..! Only hike on the beach when the tide is low! I've been hammered twice by brutal sand flea bites (that cause incredible itching & red bumps on my lower legs) because I love to walk the beach. Well, no more! I'll hike the road system during high tides & walk the beach at low tides. Female sand fleas are just doing their jobs (of course) harvesting a rich protein source for their babies. They can also leave you with a malaria-like disease (which I hope I don't get).

I had another great day in Paradise... Paradise Gardens that is. Louise (who volunteers there) took me on a great tour. Paul & Jenny Saban (who retired in Boquete from England in 2005), created Paradise Gardens to house their own pets and exotic birds. People started bringing them birds and animals that were hurt or abandoned. One thing lead to another, and now they run the only bird/animal rescue center in Panama. Here are some pretty cool pictures of birds that live there. The blue macaw is a Hyacinth Macaw (only 500 remain in the wild in South America). These keel-billed toucans were rescued from bird pet trade. It's really sad, but some kids will capture parrots (that are green in Panama), dip them in bleach, then dye them yellow. Why yellow? Because then they are exotic parrots & fetch more money. Several parrots at Paradise Gardens are recovering from a bad dye job.

When I returned home, I noticed wedding music coming from Las Olas Hotel. Sure enough, there was a wedding being conducted in the sand by the ocean. There was lots of "Here Comes the Bride" music. Just as I sat down to dinner (trying to drown out that music with some of my own), there was a loud "Pop" as if someone was throwing rocks at my window. It was a HUGE fireworks display. Very cool! That's probably the tradition here in Panama... Get married, set off fireworks. It lasted about 10 minutes & some of the fireworks were bigger than what I saw in Fairbanks.

Adios!!

Brown Boobies and Flying Round Stingrays

2008-05-22T20:53:00.003-05:00

I was pretty startled this morning... just walking along the beach, minding my own business when I looked up and saw a brown booby less than 5 feet away. I'm use to seeing frigate birds, brown pelicans and American oyster-catchers... but brown boobies! Sure enough, consulting my Panama bird book, brown boobies are the most common booby in Panama. Most boobies hang out around islands. This particular booby must have been taking a breather.

I took off for the day to take an art class that was offered in Caldera at a beautiful setting (Rancho de Caldera). There I met a woman who moved from Kodiak 2 years ago. Diane (who gave the class) moved here from England with her husband Michael fairly recently. I didn't win any gold metals for my artwork, but I had fun and met some new people. I returned by way of David where I went to the Chiriqui Hospital. Yesterday, when I walked the beach at high tide, I stepped hard onto a thorny tree branch that was hidden in the brown sand. Ouch! I punctured the skin & realized I hadn't had a tetanus shot in the past 15 years. Luckily, I spoke to a doctor who could habla some English. They had me go to the Farmecia down the hall, purchase the "Tetavax Vacuna Amp Cx1" for $8.45, return to the nurse who "shot" me for $6.00. I figured none of you would be able to come visit if I died silently in my condo of Lock Jaw!

Returning to the beach in time for a short walk, I got talking to Scott & Deb (Canadian surfers/yoga instructors) as they were evaluating the surf. What was that? A flying stingray!! We must have seen 20 stingrays (smaller than the one who killed the woman in Florida) flying out of the water. They must be looking for food? I looked up flying stingray on the Internet & found several YouTube videos of stingrays flying out of the water. Very Cool!

Tomorrow I'll head back up to Boquete where I'll spend the night with my new friend Louise. She will show me around Paradise Gardens (an animal rescue center) & we'll talk about upcoming trips with Panama Audubon Society (we both recently joined). On the way to Boquete, I'll stop in David where I'm picking up a hoard of Caribbean Organic Chocolate (very hard to come by, especially if you live outside of Panama) from its inventor (Nancy).

Have a good weekend & watch out for those flying stingrays!
Elena

Help! I'm Having Too Much Fun!

2008-05-20T21:08:00.004-05:00

What can I say! I'm definitely keeping busy! Here I am at my first Chica event. We are eating at a very nice secret Italian restaurant in Boquete. Notice the open windows behind me that lead to a soothing river. After the dinner, several of us went to a cute "adult" play called Social Security. I spent the night at Penny's house (she formed the Chica group & is sitting to my right). Instead of the ocean, I listened to a babbling brook while I slept that night. The next day, Penny graciously gave me the VIP tour of Boquete, then she left for a 10-day vacation in Cuba (why? because American's aren't allowed in Cuba & she likes to go where she is not allowed). I drove back home to prepare for my midnight hike up Volcan Baru. I "thought" the midnight hike left at 12:00 a.m. on Saturday. I drove back up to Boquete & met with Gordon, the leader. I spent 4 hours sleeping at Penny's house, then drove to the meeting spot (near the turnoff to Volcancito). When my watch said 12:30 a.m., I called Gordon's cell phone (thank God for Panama cell phones). He answered after a couple of rings & said, "Elaine, you have the wrong night!" OK! Now I had to face one of my biggest fears - driving at night on a WEEKEND just after payday! Luckily, it was a beautiful moonlit night (perfect time to ascend he volcano) & I made it home without killing any drunk walkers. I drove up the next afternoon (after consulting the email that said the hike left at 12:00 a.m. on SUNDAY), stopping along the way to visit friends Don, Mirna & Wesley. They have a finca (farm) full of pigs, chickens, and cows. I had a nice visit and tried to drive back up to Boquete to sleep again before the hike. Hummm. The keys are locked in the car! The Kia automatically locks & I had left the keys in the car! Don used a slim-Jim & opened the car, but by this time, it was dark, raining & I was loosing my motivation. Mirna suggested that maybe God was trying to tell me something (like don't go up the Volcano, you idiot). So, I spent the night, putting off the climb to another day. I don't know if Gordon's group went up the mountain or not. I could see moonlight at 3:30 a.m., so maybe the trip was a success. I'm hoping for a more mellow weekend with a new Chica friend, Louise. Maybe we'll play some bocci ball, bird watch and eat some Caribbean Organic Chocolate.
Saludos,
Elena

Beach Walks/Migrations/People (the Rich & Famous)

2008-05-14T09:25:00.007-05:00

My morning beach walks continue to be quite enjoyable (especially at low tide). I think about previous beach walks and what I have learned along the way. Lately I've been finding 20-30 sand dollars each morning. I bring them back to my lanai where they are bleaching in the sun. Soon I'll paint them with Elmer's Glue to preserve them from cracking. I joke with my neighbors that I'll be using the sand dollars to pay my mortgage. This sign was recently erected between the beach and Las Brisas Del Mar. Apparently locals were showering and washing clothes in the shower by the pool.

I continue to meet pretty interesting people (often in some pretty weird circumstances). On Monday, I drove into David to meet my lawyer's assistant Khadine (so we could go to the Migrations Office & get my Provisional Visa). It's always nerve-wracking driving in David (traffic, horn-honking, one-ways). I was feeling pretty confident until I missed my turn (to the Gran National Hotel where I always park). So picture me driving around the streets of David frantically looking for something familiar. Luckily I saw the lawyers office & parked before I had an accident (at one point I was driving in the left lane on what I thought was a one-way.... blaring horns & oncoming traffic got the point across). We waited in the Migrations office for nearly 2 hours (typical). They call it Migrations (instead of immigration)... maybe because of all the migrating jubilant Americans. While in Migrations, I got talking to a Cuban (with the help of Khadine's helpful translating) about salmon fishing in Alaska. Then I saw an interesting guy with solid tattoos on both arms. He heard me talking about Alaska and chimed in that his brother lives in Homer. I talked more with him & found out his name is Paul. He's from Hollywood (where he ran a tattoo shop and supplied marine animals to zoos)... kind of a combination tattoo artist/marine biologist. Now he lives in Volcan and runs a Thai restaurant. I had just heard about the Thai restaurant the previous day from Annette. It turns out that Annette & her husband Dan along with Mike & Susan (more friends from Playa La Barqueta) just ate at his restaurant the night before. When I saw Dan (after Migrations) he said that Paul's Thai food is definitely the best in Panama (& possibly the world). Paul even makes his own coconut milk because you can't buy that in Panama. Dan & Annette (on the 3rd floor of my building) will be leaving for Queens, NY next week & won't return here until December. Dan said that Paul's Thai restaurant is better than most Thai restaurants in NYC! Back to Migrations.... After all that talking and waiting, I didn't get my Provisional Visa (good until I get the Pensionado Visa in October) because my file was in a supervisor's hands & the supervisor was gone. Wish me luck... I head back tomorrow & hope for easier parking/less waiting.

The other picture is Leslie's house. It's a mansion on the "villa" side of the beach (east of my cheap-seat condos). I just met Leslie yesterday. She's from Pennsylvania and renting the condo next door while she checks on the progress of her villa. Even with such a nice house, Leslie will only live down here part time because she is raising 3 kids in PA. I also met her friend Karen (from Canada by way of PA) who was amazed I was from Alaska. I probably "got in" at just the right time. Yesterday, an Italian was here shopping for a villa (& of course, money is no object). He wants to move his family from Italy, build a big villa and open a fabulous Italian restaurant in the commercial section of Playa La Barqueta. I can see it all now... golf courses/fancy restaurants/loads of vacationers. I'm going to enjoy my little piece of heaven while I can. I checked http://www.vrbo.com/ last night (stands for vacation rentals by owners) & noticed that the next door condo is for rent. The banner said "Summer Sale -- only $995/week". Wow~~ in the high season (Nov-April) that condo rents for $1995/week!! I wonder how successful they will be asking for such high prices. Maybe I'll go live with Mom in Winlock & rent my place (which is a corner unit & should go for even more!!). Come visit before things get too crazy around here.