Panama Day 5: In and around Pedasi

My apologies for how long it is taking to cover my whole trip.  You know how it is… back to work and not much free time.  I have hours of audio notes on my Blackberry that I am going through to make sure I don’t miss anything significant.

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Nice, but rocky, Playa Toro

Hostal DonaMaria is centrally located and convenient, but a bit noisy as well.  Being right on the main road there is a lot of traffic quite early in the morning with some honking of horns and big trucks applying their brakes.  To be fair, my room was right on the front of the building next to the roadway and it may have been much quieter in the back.  While this may be annoying to some, to me it is the sound of commerce and prosperity.  At one point during the day a produce truck stopped by and the owner, Marila, was checking out the cucumbers, onions, citrus and other fruits and vegetables he had to offer.  Marila gives very individualized attention and is very gracious.  There is around back, nice gardens and plenty of space to lounge around.  The wi-fi is strong and you can pay by VISA or MasterCard, which you won't find everywhere you travel in Panama.

Breakfast was very pleasant and cooked to order as guests arrived.  The young lady who handles breakfast provided a menu with six different offerings (complete breakfasts) from which you choose what you want for that day.  I tried three different offerings and all were a great start to the day.  The strong, rich-tasting Panamanian coffee was heavenly.

After breakfast I drove down to Playa Toro (Bull Beach).  As you get to the beach there is a place on the left of the dirt road that has a bar, restaurant and pool; if you want to spend a day at the beach it would be pretty handy since you could go beach combing, play in the ocean, etc. and then have a place to get cleaned up and knock back a few beers.  Even though they were not open at the time I was there, the music was playing and I can imagine it would be a fun place to hang out.  Playa Toro is nice and I enjoyed a great walk checking out the rocks extending out into the ocean and picking up a few shells.  While pretty, this is not a good swimming beach; if you got tossed around in the waves you could easily end up being dashed against submerged rocks, which are everywhere. 

Pedasi Escapes... just a gate and a road

On the way to the beach, if you bear to the right at a fork in the road, you will come to three developments:  Pedasi Escapes, Costa Pedasi and Andromeda Ocean Estates.

Pedasi Escapes is a nice gate and a road.  That’s it.  There are lots of very nice stakes in the ground suggesting lots have been laid out and are already sold.  It’s close to the ocean but unless you have a three-story house and lean waaay out from the window, I doubt you could even see the ocean.  For some people that may be fine, but I would like to be closer.  I don’t know what kind of infrastructure is planned or already in place.  The road was smooth, but basic.

Costa Pedasi has a large gated entrance and some very nice houses either in the process of being built or already completed.  These homes have their own individual septic systems and the development appears, from what I could see from the road, to be very nice.  I’m not sure what the prices are like, but I suspect they are higher than what I can afford.  Besides, I'm just looking for something simple... not a manor with maid's quarters.

Road is graded and almost ready for surfacing

Andromeda Ocean Estates has taken a different approach.  They have their own water and sewer system.   The roads are being built the right way… with a good graded gravel base topped by asphalt.  Quaint looking, gas light-style street lamps are being installed and green spaces are already landscaped and planted.  I watched the men working on the fence and the gate house and my own experience in the remodeling industry tells me that they are doing a first class job.

Since I had managed to get a sun burn while in Bocas, I stopped at the only Farmacia in town and bought some lotion.  I noticed that the town square and the streets surrounding that area were a total mess the night before from the weekend celebrations.  By the time I drove through around 11:00 AM the streets were all swept up and the garbage in piles waiting to be picked up.  When I came back later in the afternoon to do some shopping, it was totally clean.

After my visit to Bull Beach, I stopped in at Panama Property International real estate and met with the agency owner, Alan from England, who has lived in Pedasi for three years.  We talked about the highway construction and other developments as well as real estate in the area.  According to Allen, financing is generally available on parcels with 50% down, and on homes or land with building costs with 30% down; rates are in the 6% neighborhood.  Major shopping centers are in Las Tablas and Chitre; Las Tablas is just a short drive away and many locals make a weekly jaunt down the road to do a large shopping and get minor or occasional items at one of the many small stores in Pedasi.  Ground has been broken on a new hospital and a new airport is close to opening.  Sheraton has purchased 50 hectares near Bull Beach and they are expected to begin building within two years.  Alan will begin doing general contracting for his clients who purchase lots and he now has a guy who builds pools.

Ready for your shower?

Alan said he had a few obligations already lined up, but we agreed to meet at 3:00 for a drive around the area and to continue our discussion of real estate possibilities.  With some time to kill I wandered across the street to Moreno’s hardware store to check what they had and their prices.  I found that most things are reasonably priced and even though it is a fairly small store, their inventory is pretty comprehensive.  Moreno’s is a chain and larger stores can be found in Las Tablas and Chitre along with similar home centers.  Moreno’s had one of the electric shower heads (you read that right) that was in my room in Bocas and at the Dona Maria.  The idea is actually pretty cool… the shower head heats the water instead of relying on a central water heater.  But it is a bit unnerving to see a wire extending from the wall into the shower head, especially when the wire nuts are exposed!

I stopped in at Smiley’s for lunch and after ordering a pork BBQ sandwich a guy walked in and ordered who clearly was an American.  Since he was also alone I invited him to join me for lunch.  It turns out that Ted is also a realtor (Panama Equity) and had been in the business in Hawaii before coming to Panama three years ago.  Ted is originally from Michigan, but spent most of his adult life in Hawaii.  Even though he had spent a long time in Hawaii, he said it was not a very friendly place to live and do business; if you’re not a native you are always somehow suspect and not a “true” Hawaiian.  He visited a friend in Panama several times before moving here permanently.  We also discussed the area and Ted highly recommended looking outside the developments.  Although he did not come right out and say it, he seemed to imply that you could get more for your money by getting away from the pre-planned expat communities, which makes sense.  He said that Pedasi and the surrounding areas are likely to take off over the coming years and provide a good return on your investment.  But the real attraction, he said, is the quality of life.  He goes spear fishing, enjoys the festivals in Las Tablas and the surrounding towns and although he has yet to take up surfing, it is on his to do list.  Lunch with beers for the two of us at Smiley’s came to a grand total of $11.00.

A typical "living" fence

After lunch I drove further to the west and passed a couple of developments aimed at equestrian aficionados – not my thing but they looked nice.  One of those developments was Hacienda los Gavilanes.  One of the cool things I saw everywhere throughout the Azuero was living fences.  They stick saplings in the ground and attach the fence to them.  Most of these saplings grow and turn into a living fence that they cut the tops off occasionally causing a gnarly ball on the top.  What a great concept -- you never have to worry about rotting fence posts.    During my research before my trip, I got the impression from some web sites hawking real estate that Pedasi was a sleepy little fishing village right on the ocean.  It is not.  Pedasi is a nice little town and is close to the beach, but it is at least a ten minute drive to the coast.  Pedasi seems like a very family friendly town – there is a soccer field, a baseball field and a covered basketball court that had a martial arts class going on when I drove by.  There is a public library next door to the Catholic church.

On the way back into town I stopped at a couple of stores I had seen the night before near the town square and the Catholic church.  The first boutique-style shop I went into is owned by a woman I would guess to be in her late thirties.  As I perused her merchandise I was approached by her daughter who asked, in perfect non-accented English, if she could help.  It turns out the daughter had just moved back to Panama after living with her father in Idaho.  I bought a few things for my colleagues at work... including some really nice locally made soaps containing chocolate and eucalyptus.  The other shop I visited is owned by a woman who I believe is originally French; the accent was definitely not Spanish.  She makes a few things of her own but also buys a lot of items from locals who use native materials.  I bought a cool, hand-carved mask made in Chitre that is used in their local carnival celebration.

A hawk I saw on the side of the road

I went back to Alan’s office a few minutes past 3:00 and there was a sign on the door saying he would be delayed and to come back at 4:30.  I went back to Dona Maria and down-loaded my pictures to my netbook, copied them to a flash drive (you can’t be too careful) and generally killed some time until 4:45.  I went back to the real estate office close to 5:00 and the same sign was still on the door and still no Alan.  Well, I guess my business is not needed.  You’ll notice that I did not provide the link to his business.

I walked around town a bit more and explored a few more back streets.  Once again, all the streets are paved and in good shape.  The vast majority of houses are humble little abodes with not much land, but generally well maintained.  There are a number of small, family run grocery stores located throughout the community.  I had dinner at Pedasito Hotel.  The food was just OK and the service was unimpressive.  At the risk of sounding like the consummate American, I was a little surprised that the folks in the restaurant spoke zero English and could not tell me what was on the menu.  Pedasito looks like a pretty nice property and the rates are reasonable.  The fact that they are unable to assist gringo visitors seemed like a poor business move.

Panama Travel Bonus -- Free Health Insurance

Let’s face it, many tourists, especially those who are less experienced, may have concerns about the what happens if they have an accident while traveling.  Even knowing that most of Panama has world-class health care you’re still far from home, your insurance is useless and you’re in a country whose primary language is different from your own.  What do you do?

One of the first things you get upon arriving in Panama is a special card providing free health insurance for 30 days.  This is an absolutely brilliant decision by the nation of Panama.  The choice of countries to visit obviously isn’t limited to Panama.  With health care scratched off your list of possible drawbacks, Panama immediately becomes a more attractive option for any tourist exploring their options for an exotic vacation.

Here are some details:

•  You must enter the country through Tocumen International Airport
•  Carrying the card is not necessary; the entrance stamp on your passport is enough
•  The bill is paid by the Panama Tourism Authority
•  If you have questions or need help, there is a hotline number to call
• The insurance covers all accidents that happen or diseases contracted within Panama
• Coverage of most medical and incidental expenses
• If you kick the bucket while in Panama, they send your remains home

I have never needed a foreign medical facility or even been sick while traveling, but I know if I return to Panama I will rest easier just knowing that if I do get sick, I’m covered.

There are two web sites listed on the Turista Urgencia Medica card:  http://www.atp.gob.pa/ and http://www.generali.com.pa/.  Unfortunately, they are both in Spanish, but if you speak Spanish you may be able to share some info with the rest of us.  

Panama Day 4: Back to Panama City and the drive to Pedasi

I woke up with the roosters at about 5:00 and dozed on an off until 6:30 when I finally decided to get up; it is a good thing I did since the alarm on my Blackberry changed to local time (duh… it detected the local network and set it’s time accordingly, while I had set the alarm for American EST).   I said goodbye to Nairobi after my last breakfast just steps from the warm, clear Caribbean and walked to the airport around 7:15.

I got to the airport before the Aeroperlas desk was open and ended up first in line for check-in.  As before, I had to check the bag I usually use as my primary carry-on because it is too big for the ATR 42s that Aeroperlas uses for the flight to Panama City.   I remember noticing when we flew in that the airport runway is right next to the community soccer field.   An errant ball would roll right on to the runway since there is no fence between the two.  Like so many things in Panama, they take a refreshingly lackadaisical view of safety and depend on the individual to look out for themselves rather than having the government perform the role of mommy and daddy.  I think this breeds a more independent spirit.

As Doug had noted, the airport terminal is undergoing a very nice renovation.  It looks as though there will be two departure lounges or at least separate departure and arrival areas.  In Panama, especially in the areas outside of Panama City, they do what works without regard to esthetics.  In the Bocas airport waiting room there is a CPU for the x-ray scanner under the conveyor belt you put your bags on… right on top of a faded Budweiser box; it works and that’s all that matters.

On the flight back to Tocumen I sat with some guys from LSU who were down for some R & R.  What was really funny is that they were headed to PTY as well, but shortly after getting into the Albrook holding area my name was called and I was put on a plane all by myself (after the drug-sniffing dog checked out my bag) – just two pilots and me.  Needless to say I had my pick of seats.  The co-pilot made sure I was settled in with my seatbelt on and then told me that if we have an emergency just crawl out the window over the wing.  With that said he turned back around and we took off.  We didn’t get to see the skyline from the water this time as we made our approach from the North.  Once we landed we taxied to an area that looked reserved for general aviation and I was met by a young guy in a pick-up truck who took me to the domestic terminal.  I entered through the same door the airport employees use, had my bags run through the x-ray machine again (I’m not sure what I would have picked up on the flight from Bocas, but they were following procedure) and I was frisked just like the employees, but not by a woman near as attractive as the one I observed previously.

I will never reserve a car through Thrifty again.  I had to pay an additional $19.00 per day for liability insurance that was NOT disclosed on the Thrifty web site.  My Citi credit card waived the CDW, but I still had to pay for the liability coverage.  The young lady was quite unhelpful in most other regards… there was no offer of a map (in fact, they didn’t have any) and she couldn’t even describe how to get out of the airport!  Rather than waste my time on this useless woman I asked the tourist policeman in military fatigues out front.  It wasn’t hard to figure it out, but if you are in a location for the first time you don’t know what to expect.

On Corredor Sur entering Panama City

From what I could tell on the maps, there is no bypass around Panama City to get to the Bridge of the Americas and onto the Pan American Highway headed west.  As I was driving down the road leading from the airport I saw a small, faded sign that I thought included the word “cuanto.”   I seemed to recall that this means “pay” or “fee” so I did a U-turn and pulled out my maps.  It looked like this would take me to the Corredor Sur that hugs the coast and leads into central PC, which will get me most of the way through town.  Just to be sure I stopped at a Delta gas station and the guy confirmed my suspicion by drawing a route on the map with his finger to get me to the Bridge of Americas.  I paid two tolls on Corredor Sur, $1.25 and $1.40.

From Corredor Sur you get onto Avenida Balboa followed by Avenida de los Martires, an elevated highway, and then onto the bridge.  The route was actually very easy to follow and traffic was not bad since it was a Sunday morning.  Avenida Balboa is a major street that hugs the coast for a bit and takes you past a marina and a number of major hotels (Le Meridien, Intercontinental, and others).  Before I knew it I was through the city and on to the bridge.  The highway signage is non-existent in Panama except for those areas where it is just bad.  The bottom line is that unless you are familiar with the names of towns or, in the case of Panama City, names of areas you will have a hard time trying to get where you are going.  I pulled over from time to time in order to consult my maps and memorize the next six or seven towns so that I had at least a general idea of where I was.  There was very heavy traffic going into PC from the long holiday weekend that reminded me of traffic returning to Washington, DC from Virginia Beach; it was bumper-to-bumper a good part of the way.  I’m glad I was going in the other direction.

Looking north from the Bridge of the Americas

The Pan American Highway (Carretera Interamericana) is quite good and except when passing through towns, I clipped along at about 110 KPH (a little under 70 MPH).  As I traveled I observed a tremendous amount of construction going on; this is a country that is growing and prospering despite the economic downturn elsewhere.  There are signs all over the place for 4G cell phone service, upscale cars and I noticed the Panamanian version of Levittown... suburbia comes to Panama.  Woody Guthrie may have thought those houses were made of ticky tacky but to the people who move into places like these new suburbs, I am sure it is a move up and towards the Panamanian Dream.


I stopped at a road-side grill for lunch and it was amazing.  Not being familiar with the names of local dishes I chose the one item where I could not possibly go wrong… chorizo!  I was not disappointed.  I had an Atlas beer with my lunch of two grilled, smokey sausages and corn cakes; simple, cheap and delicious.  The corn cakes had cheese in the center and were cooked on the grill along with the chorizo, so they had a nice smokey flavor to them as well.  The grand total for lunch including the beer came to a whopping $3.65.

Not far down the road I took the turn off at Santa Maria to head south down the East coast of the Azuero Peninsula.  The trip to Pedasi took about six hours including the stop for lunch. It would have been less if I had not gotten lost in Chitre (remember that bit about there being no signs?). I drove around various sections of Chitre  before finally giving up and coming to the realization that asking for directions on a regular basis was the only way to go.  I would have to get gas again anyway so I stopped at an Esso station and through the use of pointing to the map and various gestures got directions to get out of town and back on Highway 3 to Las Tablas.  Chitre is a good sized town (I would guess somewhere between 25,000 and 30,000) and has several major shopping centers but there was too much hustle and bustle for my tastes; I am glad I chose to stay elsewhere.

On the way to Las Tablas I encountered quite a bit of construction for the new road going south.  This will ultimately be a four-lane highway all the way to Pedasi and the work that is being done is top notch.  The construction slowed things down some but I easily found the Hostal Dona Maria just a short way into town on the left.  I got settled in and went for a walk to find dinner.  I skipped the Italian place since I was looking for more local fare and ended up at the Corner House hostel.  There are quite a few restaurants in Pedasi; not all of them were open and the days and times the others are open is a bit fluid.  I met a young guy hanging out at the bar who cooks at Smiley’s restaurant and he suggested the fresh snapper.  The fish was grilled with the head on and the skin attached and was nicely crispy on the outside.  The fish was served with pickled vegetables and pantacones, a type of grilled mashed plantain.

Most of the town was pretty quiet, having just ended the holidays, but I spent some time on the front balcony of Dona Maria and ran into a German couple that was staying there.  They had just arrived that day by bus and were only staying two days before moving on to David and Boquete.   The next day I would go exploring and maybe check in with one of the local realtors.

Panama Day 3: Snorkeling, Sloth Poop and a Great Dinner in Bocas Town

Brittany and me

I had breakfast looking out over the Caribbean towards the marina, and then walked down to the water taxi stand located towards the end of Calle 1.  I stopped in at Starfleet to say hello to Brittany and get a picture since I did not think I would see her before I left.  She starts her PADI Instructor Development Course on Wednesday and is taking a few fun dives before getting into her classes.

Ernesto, the water taxi owner, took me to Hospital Point; a spot Brittany had recommended.  I asked to be picked up in two hours and had this beautiful little cove all to myself for well over an hour.  After a while a couple showed up that looked very familiar and I realized that I ran into the taxi driver that morning during breakfast and they were staying at Hotel Olas.

This couple did what I should have done and just rented the water taxi for the day.  When we arrived at Hospital Point my driver pointed out the hand written signs here and there announcing that there are backpack thieves in the area – just great.  I had my camera with me and a few other items that I would have hated to lose.  After taking a few pictures and casually wandering about the area to scope things out I hid my fin bag under some fallen palm fronds and hoped for the best.  I put my water shoes and bottle of water under a big rock.  At this point there was really nothing I could do, so I swam out about 10 yards and put on my gear.

Swimming straight out into the cove I came across some very nice coral heads and the reef curved out around the bend to the left.  The area would be perfect for first-time snorkelers or kids because it was pretty shallow (less than 20 feet) until you came to a drop off that went beyond the visibility, which was about 50 feet or so.   After exploring for a while I went back into the beach and dropped off my snorkel and mask and just swam for a while under the trees that hung out over the water about 30 feet or so.  I thought I smelled something fermenting and noticed that there was a huge sapodilla tree filled with fruit.  There were a few of the fruit bobbing in the water so they were dropping off and, no doubt, beginning to rot and ferment.

Ginger at the cove

Noam, the manager of Hotel Olas, had suggested that I also check out Red Frog Beach for swimming and to see a sloth.  So when Ernesto showed up at the appointed time, I asked him to take me to Red Frog as well.   Noam is an interesting guy… he is from Israel and speaks better Spanish than English.  I wish I had had more opportunity to talk to him about how he ended up in Bocas running a small inn.

Anyway, Ernesto agreed to drop me off at Red Frog and pick me up another two hours later.  This is when I realized I probably should have worked this whole day out in advance with him because I ended up paying him $28.00 for the trip, not including the $3.00 for the Red Frog entrance.  Oh well, live and learn.

A sloth -- very hairy and oddly cute

Red Frog is not just a beach; it is a resort, marina, restaurants, villas, and hostel all with a very well thought out infrastructure.  You could have a truck deliver you to the beach, rent an ATV or walk.  I chose to walk because I wanted to check out some of the jungle on the way and take pictures.   I had seen a sloth on the way in to the complex, which was pretty cool and I saw some interesting gingers and heliconias on my walk to the beach. I had heard that sloths don’t come down from their perch except for maybe once a week.  I don’t know if that is true but I can attest to the fact that they just poop from where they are hanging in the tree.   I know this because in one of my short forays into the jungle from the road I experienced the joy of sloth poop on my head!  Thank god I had just walked past a shower and toilet facility and quickly walked back, hoping that I would not run into anyone else on the way.  Once cleaned up, I continued on to the beach.

I love playing in the waves and Red Frog beach has some great waves.  Just off the beach there is a restaurant and right on the beach there was a guy cooking sausage and chicken on a BBQ along with the obligatory t-shirt shop.

Once I had returned to Olas, cleaned my gear and took a shower it hit me that I had not had lunch.  So I took my netbook down to Casa Verde to see what Jess was cooking up, do some writing and, of course have a few beers.   I knew that I would be heading to dinner in a few hours so I just ordered from the appetizer menu and had some kick-ass jalapeno poppers along with a couple of Balboas to wash them down.  I guess showing up twice at the same place makes you a local because the bartender gave me my beers for $1.00 each.

Heliconia on Red Frog Beach

While at Casa Verde, I struck up a conversation with Beth and Phil who turned out to be from Marathon, Florida.  They have made a few trips to Bocas now and we talked about their search for real estate among other things.  According to Phil there have been some changes to the pensionado program, including changing the total import duty waiver to $10,000.00 total and vehicles are no longer included.  I’ll have to research this more.   Beth is RN in Marathon but they are looking to pack it in and move south soon.  I mentioned that I was planning on going to the Pickled Parrot for dinner (a bar and restaurant on one of the other islands that both Doug and Brittany had recommended) and Beth and Phil were very familiar with the place and highly recommended it.  While I was at Casa Verde, I observed the car ferry departing for the mainland around 4:00 PM.

Banana flower and fruit

I took a water taxi to the Pickled Parrot on Isla Carenero and shared it with three middle-aged Panamanian housewives (I assume) that were going to Bibi, a bar aimed at the younger set offering special happy hour deals.  We were dropped off at the Buccaneer Resort and I walked the roughly 100 yards down the beach to the Pickled Parrott.  There were two guys playing music; a guitar player and sax player.  They were great and George, the owner, said they just showed up and asked if they could play.  I introduced myself to George as a friend of Doug’s and it turns out that Doug and Wendy had just left after consuming way too much rum.  After a few Balboas I had the ceviche followed by the chicken cooked in a mango and bacon cream sauce; it was amazing!  George was behind the bar so we chatted about various things including the fact that he is originally from Topeka and is a forensic diver who has been called in on a couple of jobs to help out the Panamanian police.

Yellow ginger

The Pickled Parrott is a palapa (about 40’ in diameter) on stilts in the water, very clean and with an open, casual atmosphere. The bar is on one side, the kitchen on another and with about half the perimeter facing the open seas.  George’s Panamanian wife was taking orders and serving while their young son was drawing and occasionally making himself a strawberry milkshake in the same blender the Margaritas are made.

George’s wife (I did not get her name) is an administrator at the hospital in town and knows the various local officials very well, including the police.  This came in handy when they had to call the cops because one of the patrons refused to pay her whole bill due to an argument over how dinner was prepared.  I thought she was loud and obnoxious throughout the night and George said he would have worked something out but one of her party started smoking dope during dinner!  Panama has very strict drug laws and just lighting up in someone’s restaurant and potentially placing their business at risk was an incredibly arrogant and disrespectful thing to do.  So George called the police.  The woman, who sounded French, decided it was better to pay the bill than argue with the Panamanian gendarmes.  The police showed up by boat about two minutes after she left. I think they hire the biggest, meanest guys on the island and these guys don’t fool around.  The leader of the trio was only wearing a side arm, but one of his cohorts had an M-5 slung across his chest and looked ready to use it if need be.

A Northern Tamandua (anteater) sleeping in a tree hollow

George’s wife gave a very animated description of the situation in rapid fire Spanish and the appropriate waving of arms while George got them all sodas or water (they declined the cerveza).  After sitting for a spell and having their drinks they wrote down a few details, including the fact that the woman was renting a house on the nearby island of Bastimentos, and went on their way.

Following their departure, George and I talked about fishing for square grouper (a euphemism in both Key West and Panama for drug running) along with other things.  George said he has noticed that there are a lot of Floridians, especially from the Keys.  I guess we are still hanging on to the dream of finding that really unique place that stays unique.  George also makes his own all-natural insect repellent; a combination of neem oil, citronella, cedar oil and other ingredients.  He handles the production and bottling himself and sells it in small spray bottles for $5.00. I bought a bottle and not only does it smell great, it works!  I used the stuff I brought from the States with 25% DEET and it works, but not as well as the Pickled Parrot Oil.  George said he is hoping to begin marketing it more widely next year, first in Panama and eventually to the states.  His product is all natural and has “none of that toxic DEET shit,” to quote George.

I was ready to call it a night and George’s wife got me a water taxi that was there in about 5 minutes.  It was raining and despite getting a taxi with a bimini, I quickly got soaked. It was a warm rain and a warm night so It didn’t feel so bad. I asked the taxi driver to take me directly to the Olas dock.  After arriving I chatted with Noam a bit before grabbing one more beer and tossing myself on the bed.  The whole time in Bocas I never paid more than a $1.50 for a beer and paid only $1.00 my second visit to Casa Verde and at the Book Bar.  A side note regarding Bocas -- bring cash!  There is at least one bank in town with an ATM, but almost everyone deals in cash.  You may recall that I had to wire my deposit for Hotel Olas as they do not take credit or debit cards.

Panama Day 2: Exploring Bocas Town

Being fairly exhausted from the last few weeks at work and getting up at 4:15 AM to catch my flight out of town, I slept in until 9:00 AM my first morning of the trip and felt no guilt whatsoever.  I had a pastry and a great café con leche downstairs at the hotel and then headed out to see the town in daylight.

The marina as seen from Hotel Olas

A word about Hotel Olas.  It has 24 rooms on three floors, is right on the water and while the rooms are quite simple it is comfortable and convenient; it takes all of five minutes to walk into the main part of town.  My only gripe is that the Wi-Fi does not work in my room and I think it may be because I am at the front of the hotel. In the restaurant area downstairs and on the second floor porch overlooking the water, the connection is good to excellent.  I think I can put up with checking my email while overlooking the beautiful Caribbean!  My room had a simple full sized bed with a TV, refrigerator, shelving units and private bath.  The room might be a skosh crowded with two people especially since there are no chairs in the room, although I also had a small porch with a table and chairs overlooking the street.  Although the view of the neighborhood isn’t the greatest, remember that the housing for regular folks here is still better than some of the hovels I saw in San Pedro and other parts of Belize.  Another great thing about the Olas is its location; close to the action but away from the noise.  The town electrical generator is about a block away and you can hear it when in the restaurant area but I can’t hear it in my room.

As I rounded the corner by the Reef Restaurant on my way into the central town area I heard a cheery “hola” as Joel called out to me.  He was waiting for the restaurant to open up and begin his work day. I had seen groups of folks lining up for a parade and found out from Joel that it was Flag Day in Panama.  Joel remarked that this is a very proud day for Panama.

The beginning of the Flag Day parade

I discovered the last time I used my snorkel gear that I needed a new snorkel keeper because the one that come with the mask had broken.  I tried using a zip-tie when I was diving for lobster with my buddy Craig in Key West but it pulled on the snorkel in a way that caused the mask to leak around the edge – I just couldn’t get a decent seal.  Naturally I didn’t get around to getting a new snorkel keeper before the trip and was more or less depending on finding one at one of the three dive shops in Bocas.  I had asked Brittany if her shop, Starfleet Scuba, might have one and she doubted it since their merchandise selection is fairly limited.  I checked with the other two shops in town, La Buga dive center and Bocas Water Sports, but neither of them had what I needed.  So, despite what Brittany had said I wandered a bit further down the main street and the woman who helped me at Starfleet disappeared into another room and emerged with a snorkel keeper for $4.95.  Now, I remember that South Point Divers in Key West had a jar of them on the counter for $1.00 including tax, but when you gotta have it, you gotta have it!

When I checked in with La Buga about the snorkel keeper, I also asked about surfing lessons.   Unfortunately, the seas are flat so with no waves, no surfing.  As long as I am on the topic of dive shops, Brittany assured me that all three are very professional and reasonably priced.  As I discovered, all three are PADI-affiliated and right on the main street and easy to find.

The Bocas Town marching band

Back to the parade.  I was really impressed by the number of participants and their enthusiasm.  I remember going to parades as a kid growing up in a relatively small town in central Montana.  This was the kind of parade I remembered; not the glitzy Thanksgiving Day parades shown on TV.  All the schools were represented and, it appeared, various civic associations.  Lots of young men beating on drums and majorettes-in-training.  Flags and red, white and blue bunting were everywhere you looked.  It was fun to see moms running into the street to take pictures of their 10-year old boy beating a drum or 7-year old girl going through a dance step and it appeared like the whole town turned out.


In the shops that were open there were TVs with local TV coverage of the parade.   The central park was packed with onlookers along with vendors selling icees and ice cream.  The guys at a construction site moving huge steel beams with levers stopped to respect the flag every time it went by (which was a lot!).  I stopped at the Lavazza coffee shop for an espresso and to watch the parade for a while.  Lavazza is a cute place that serves coffee, pastries and ice cream; the windows had curtains made of burlap coffee bean bags.   I sipped on my espresso as the various segments of the parade went by and quickly concluded that this is much better than anything I have ever gotten at Starbucks and I only paid $1.25.

... and marching girls, too

I went for a walk along the main street past the Angela hotel (my other top choice for lodging) and past the sailing club.  Bocas Town is not that big and I walked through most of the town in no time.  While many buildings were in a bit of disrepair and some homes had junk strewn about the yard I had to remind myself that this is not an antiseptic American suburb; the standards are different.

I called Brittany and we agreed to meet at Casa Verde for dinner where a friend of hers was having her opening night as the chef of her own restaurant.  Jess had been at other restaurants and is leasing the facilities at Casa Verde.  The menu is pretty basic, but she serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and the food I had was done perfectly.  A couple of items on the menu I had never seen before were fried green beans and ñame fries.

Over dinner Brittany remarked on the number of Panamanians on vacation.  I admit I was surprised by the number of “locals” here for the holidays.  The bartender for the night turned out to be a woman from Bozeman, Montana.  It isn’t every day I run into someone from my home state of Montana; no less in such an out of the way location!   I noticed that night that I got bit by a few no seeums, but still not what I was anticipating and not much to get excited about.

After dinner Brittany and I went for a walk down the main street and had one last beer at the Book Bar; a book store run by American expats that turned into a bar.  I met one of the owners, Nancy, and we chatted a bit about the business climate in Bocas Town.  She said that the most important thing to realize is that if you are catering to tourists and even expats, volume is more important than quality; this is such a big backpacker destination that there just is not money to be made (yet) in high quality merchandise or services.   I ran into another woman who had a restaurant in Bocas but gave up trying to do business there because the local government was just too difficult to deal with; she now leases out the property and does not have the headaches of running a restaurant.  I would not take this as a sign that it is difficult to do business here – after all, I have no idea what her patience or competence level is.

All in all, it was another good day and I wandered home in the fairly dark streets without a care for my safety. At no time did I feel uncomfortable while in Bocas. The people are very friendly and accommodating, even to a Gringo who speaks barely a dozen words of their language.

Panama Day 1: Arrived in Bocas del Toro

The Panama City airport (Tocumen International) is easy to negotiate… sort of.  I got through immigration with no problem and I waited maybe 10 minutes in line; they added more agents as the line got longer behind me.  Since I had no checked bags I walked pass the luggage carousel and right through customs where I had to wait all of 30 seconds before a security officer could see me.  Once she examined my form she gestured to have me send my bags through the scanner and I was done.  Once into the arrivals hall I just needed to find the check-in for Aeroperlas Regional – this is when the fun began.

More of Panama City from our puddle jumper

Nowhere could I find a ticket counter for Aeroperlas.  Remembering that this is a TACA-run airline, I ventured over to TACA, which has many counters on the second level of the airport.  After several of the agents conferred I was finally directed to “the little white house” that is outside the main terminal to the left past the taxi queue, which is the domestic terminal.  That makes sense that there would be a separate terminal for regional airlines, but there are no signs anywhere.  So I walked the three minutes over to “the little white house” and there is indeed signage indicating that it is for domestic aviation.  In the domestic flight building there is a security check point for airport employees and another room that looks like security with a scanner.

I went up to the only desk in the room and a young woman came over to me to ask what I wanted.  It turns out she is part of airport security and does a pat down of all the airport employees as they come in from the tarmac.  I observed that she did a somewhat more aggressive pat down of young men her own age and they seemed to enjoy it… joking back and forth and engaging in mutual flirting.  I thought it odd that a security person would be dressed in attire quite that tight and wearing four-inch heels but what the heck, this is Panama.  After a certain amount of gesturing and showing her my ticket information (in both English and Spanish) she pronounced that Aeroperlas was “no here” and I returned to the TACA counter in the main terminal.  The TACA agent, who appeared to be a supervisor, assured me that I was to just wait in the domestic terminal until my flight was ready.

This still did not feel right since there is absolutely no signage in the domestic terminal to indicate that any airline, regional or otherwise, would be leaving from that location.  I still had a couple of hours before my flight was supposed to depart, so as long as I was in the main terminal I grabbed something to eat for lunch.  As I was eating the whole situation was gnawing at me and I finally decided to find someone with more authority.

The Tocumen to Albrook puddle jumper

I ran into Doug, a retired cop from Kansas City, Missouri who was supposed to be on the same flight.  Doug had the same mistrust of the just sit and wait instructions and was more aggressive than I.  He found the TACA office and went in to find out what was going on.  It was there that he found out that our plane had been cancelled due to the bad weather.  True, the weather had turned since I had landed and we experienced some pretty dramatic thunder and lightning.  Bear in mind that I live in the Tampa area, which is the lightning capital of the US; it is no coincidence that our hockey team is called the Lightning!  But when a couple of thunder claps caused car alarms to go off all over the parking lot out front, I knew this was a significant storm.

OK, so our flight is cancelled.  Now what?  The TACA lady said she would arrange for transportation to Albrook Airport to catch our flight to Bocas del Toro.  Now the pieces of the puzzle were beginning to come together.  I thought that two hours plus was a long time to fly from PTY to Bocas… that’s because, contrary to what the Aeroperlas website inferred, there are no flights from Tocumen to Bocas; you have to go to Albrook first.  After making a phone call, and with a little pressure applied, she decided to send a plane for us instead.  We were to remain at  the domestic terminal and we would be met there about an hour before the plane was to take off.

Doug and I had time to swap stories and it turns out we were on the same flight originating in Tampa.  He has his 37’ Endeavor sailboat in St. Petersburg and is planning to go back and get it after Thanksgiving and sail it to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.  He is meeting his wife in Bocas to sail a friend’s boat to Tortola in the meantime.

Our new TACA friend showed up a little later than we expected but got us checked in and through security.  While we were waiting another passenger showed up, Brittany from Maine, who is returning to Bocas to continue her dive instructor education at Starfleet Scuba.  The flight to Albrook took all of 10 minutes and took us up the coast past all the Panama City high rise buildings that make up the coastal skyline and very near the Bridge of the Americas.  I am fairly certain we flew right over the Country Inn & Suites I will be staying at for my final few nights in the country.  Fortunately we had a co-pilot on the short trip as Doug confirmed my suspicion about the pilot after we landed… he was quite inebriated.  Considering his condition he made a pillow soft landing in heavy cross winds.  It was kind of fun being the only three passengers on the plane.

Hotel Olas from the street

We were ushered from our plane to a holding room and sometime later our bags arrived followed by two guys in military fatigues and a dog that sniffed our luggage.  This was getting pretty comical.  Our flight left about 20 minutes late but even with all the adventure we ended up making it to Bocas only 8 minutes past our scheduled landing time.  The flight to Bocas was on a much larger plane, an ATR 42, that held probably 40 – 50 people.  The Bocas terminal is a lot like the old terminal when I first arrived in Key West – very small but functional.  The luggage was plopped on the ground outside while the ground crew checked the luggage tags for some but not all and we eventually collected our bags.  Doug met his wife out front and together we walked the 6 or 7 blocks to Hotel Olas and they continued down the road to where their dinghy was tied up so they could go to their boat in the marina a short distance away.

While the Bocas airport lacked amenities and glitz, I noticed that the tarmac was new and, according to Doug, the terminal is in the midst of a make-over.  On our walk to my hotel I noticed, in stark contrast to San Pedro, Belize, the streets are all paved and there is a concrete ditch system along the roads to collect the large amount of rain this island receives.  The ditches were chock full of minnows, which I am sure eat a lot of mosquito larvae. 

Once getting settled in at Hotel Olas and being welcomed by Nairobi (a rather interesting name) I headed into town to walk around and grab some dinner.  Bocas Town was hopping.  I arrived on a Thursday night and there were quite a few people in town strolling up and down the main street and going to the bars and restaurants.  There is also a lot of active construction going on.

View from the hotel restaurant

Nairobi suggested I try the Reef Restaurant, which turned out to be a good recommendation.  I sat at the bar and had a couple of Balboas (one of several Panamanian beers) before deciding to try the ceviche made with shrimp, squid and langostino.  The Reef is right on the water and a couple of times during the night water taxis stopped to drop off folks coming in from nearby islands or perhaps boats anchored in the bay.  The bar tender and server, Joel and Marie, kept me entertained and the Balboas coming.  For four cervecas and a great dish of ceviche served with freshly made banana chips, the bill came to only $10.50.  I like this place.  I met the owner/chef Derek on the way out and let him know how much I enjoyed the food and atmosphere.

As I walked back to Hotel Olas it hit me that I had not seen a single mosquito even though I did not apply insect repellant.  I guess those minnows in the ditches are doing their job.  I had heard that Bocas is one of the few places in the country where you need to be careful about drinking  the water and meant to pick up a big bottle in town but forgot.  Nairobi got me fixed up with a bottle of water and I spent some time sitting out on the second floor balcony enjoying the sound of the rain on the tin roof and just taking it all in.  Not a bad first day.

Panama Day 1: Getting to Panama City

Although I will try to blog daily, I doubt that will happen.  Instead, I will blog when I can and do a day-by-day account of my trip and add pictures when I can.  Once I get home I will update everything and add a full photo journal.

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Of all the airports I have been through around the world, I still think that Tampa International is one of the nicest and most convenient.  Ticketing is on one level, departures and arrivals on another level and baggage claim on yet another… all functions separated from each other.  A tram takes you to the gates and parking is a convenient, short walk away.  The airport is always clean and presentable.  I arrived at about 5:30 am for my 7:15 am flight and there was absolutely no line for security.  One of the things I really appreciate about TPA is the free wi-fi.  Miami charges for internet access as does Atlanta, the other two airports I go through most often.

I usually print my boarding pass at home but for some reason could not on this trip.  I was dreading having to go through the ticketing area even though I have had few problems with American Airlines in the past.  Although these self check-in terminals are supposed to be intuitive, I can never seem to figure them out.   I needn’t have been concerned as I was met by an agent as I walked up to the kiosk and she walked me through the process.

Once I got to my gate I realized that I was not wearing the long-sleeve T-shirt I had planned on wearing.  Planes can often get cold and I usually wear a long-sleeve shirt over another shirt just in case.  Tampa was fine and even the flight was OK, but Miami airport was freezing.  Idiot.  On this trip the long-sleeve shirt was intended to do double-duty – keep me warm on the airplane and to be worn at night to protect against mosquitoes.

Even though I have been through Miami airport a million times, I always forget how huge Terminal D is, the main American Airlines terminal.  This terminal is so large that there is a skytrain with 4 stops between the various sections and 2 Admirals Clubs.  On this trip the timing between flights was perfect.  I had about an hour’s wait before boarding so I had plenty of time to get to my gate, stop in the men’s room and re-arrange a few things in my carry-ons.  I checked my email on my Blackberry (again, no free wi-fi in Miami) and checked the weather in Panama City (90^o with a chance of thunderstorms).  For some reason I could not pull up Bocas on Weather Underground.

Coming into Panama City

Once on board and en route to Panama City, the two and one-half hour flight was uneventful.  I did, however, remember one of the other reasons I like flying American over Delta.  American seats have a handy adjustable headrest.  I brought my blow-up neck pillow since I figured I would want to catch an hour or so of sleep (and did) but the pillow was unnecessary.  Fortunately the temperature on the airplane was considerably higher than in the Miami airport.

So far on this trip my only gripe with American is that although I checked seating about twice a week before flying, I could not get a seat more forward in the plane.  I figured that the plane must be fairly full – not even close.  I would guess that only 25% of the seats were filled, so why couldn’t I choose another seat prior to departure?  The only thing I can think of is that there were large blocks of seats set aside for consolidators and were just not made available.  Anyway, the flight was better than expected because I had three seats all to myself and was able to stretch out and be comfy.