The Mail

Fly fishing?

Hi Richard-I came across your site and blog. What fun being an expat in Boquete!

My husband and I are travelling to Panama in January, 2010. We are taking the all day canal transit tour on Jan. 16th. ( We are not cruise ship people) We live in the Sunriver Resort, south of Bend,Oregon. Perhaps you know of it or have been here.

We were thinking of visiting the Kuna Indians at one of the San Blas Islands. i.e. El Porvenir or Playa Chico or ? Can you recommend which island to go to for a night or two to experience their culture? Also, my husband is an avid fly fisherman. Do you know of fly fishing either in the ocean or rivers in ALL of Panama?

Next, we have friends that live in Boquete (your home) where we want to explore your area. See a coffee plantation, etc. We don’t know how many days to allocate to see your area. Any ideas? Then we fly from David to San Jose, Costa Rica. Thanks in advance for any assistance, guidance, recommendations you might have for us. We’ll only make this trip once in our life time so we want to do/see all we can. Haley Dahlquest

Hi Haley! Well, let’s start with your last comment . . . “We’ll only make this trip once in our life time”. That’s what we and a whole lot of other folks who live here now as expats thought! So, good luck! I know Bend is nice . . . my daughter went to Willamette . . . and you may be surprised by Boquete. We’d lived in Colorado for six years, and many times as I’m driving down the mountain I think Boquete is like Colorado without snow. I’d plan on at least 4 or 5 days in Boquete . . . there are coffee tours, river rafting (our water is warmer than yours!), hiking . . . lots to explore. I’m not a fisherman and know nothing about fly fishing, but I have heard that if you get high in the mountains above the coffee farms that there are native trout and fly fishing. My neighbors in Boca Chica, Bruce at www.gonefishingpanama.com can give you the lowdown on fishing in the Pacific.

Unfortunately we haven’t had time yet to get out to the San Blas. We had a trip all planned, then something came up. I know that it is pretty undeveloped as a tourist destination by choice of the Kuna. There are some small hotels that are run by the Kuna and they would be your best bet.

I’m sure some of my readers know a lot more about this than I do, so maybe they will chime in and share some advice, which I will pass on.

On Carnival Miracle . . .

Hi Richard! I have enjoyed your links through Cruise Critic as I being my research for our upcoming cruise. We are sailing on the Carnival Miracle in February 2010, this will be our first time visiting Panama, and we are scheduled to be in port from 0700 to 1700. Traveling with me are my 77 year old mother (who is in good shape!) and my two sisters. My youngest sister is a stroke survivor, and has some mobility issues, but she can walk distances, albeit a little slower than most. We always make a point of enjoying some of the culture of the country we are visiting. Do you have any recommendations for tours to avoid (because of age/mobility) or ones we should consider. We usually venture out on our own and steer clear of the ships excursions because of the size of the tours, so we are not fearful of doing that. Our safety is of utmost concern to us (and my husband, who is not coming along on this cruise!) My mother would like to see the canal and locks, my sisters the wildlife, and I am easy to please! Is there any tour you are familiar with that would cover those particular sights? Thank you for any advice you may have for us! And we will happily stick with the ships tours if you think that is the best option for four women! Thank you in advance! Gail Foley

As an aside . . . I’m glad Carnival has started coming up with names like CARNIVAL DREAM and CARNIVAL MIRACLE . . . the old run of ships . . . ECSTASY, FANTASY and SENSATION . . . all sounded like condom brand names!

Hi Gail! For wildlife I would suggest the “Gatun Lake Safari” where you go by a small boat – 20 or so people – out on Gatun Lake. The guy who runs this tour lives on a houseboat in Gatun Lake and knows where the monkeys and stuff hang out, so you will see wildlife. They do a nice Panamanian lunch on his houseboat, and you will be crossing the Canal itself at several points and see the ships going across Gatun Lake and some of the work going on to enlarge the channel. You won’t see the locks. You will have to get in and out of a boat, but the boat guys are very helpful and the only walking involved is on and off the bus and to and from the boat.

To see the Canal there is a tour that will take you by ferry-boat through Pedro Miquel and Miraflores. You’ll see the locks and the main part of the Canal and get a glimpse of Panama City. Again the only walking is to and from the bus. Experiencing the Canal on a small ferry-boat is different from on a large ship and you can reach out and touch the sides of the Canal. Unfortunately, no wildlife.

So it is a choice which you want: wildlife or Canal. I would definitely recommend going through the ship and not attempting this on your own.

Looking for a deal . . .

My husband and I want to do a trip to the Panama Canal in Jan or Feb. We have only done one cruise before to Acapulco. Now I am looking for a good deal—to maybe only do part of the canal and more ports in the Caribbean. My husband just was forced to retire—laid off from his job. Lily

Life is change and growth and there is no growth without change, so good luck to both of you and I know you will make the best out of your situation and hopefully look back someday and think that was the best thing that happened to us. [Check out my earlier post on THE AGE OF THE UNTHINKABLE, an interesting book which applies not only to geopolitics and economics, but also to the challenges of our personal lives.]

Right now there are still some good deals . . . steals? . . . out there as cruise lines fill their ships at any price.  I’d look at the 10-day cruises that go into the Canal and are round-trip from Florida, like ZUIDERDAM. 

Any insight into . . . life??

Aloha Richard, We are considering a Panama Canal cruise this March-May. I think one leaves on May first. Are there must see, should skip ports? And also any insight into ships? We have been on Princess and HAL only, but not these ships. Thank you, Sharie

Sharie . . . Sharie . . . Sharie.  Try my Panama Cruise page, my Cruise page, or just click on the sidebar to the right on Cruising and Travel and you can enjoy all my fount of knowledge and insight.  That’s kinda why I took the time to put all that stuff here.   Then, if you have more questions, shout.  Aloha.

Snakes . . .

Richard, We will be on HAL Oosterdam (11/02/2009) and will enter Canal at Cristobal at 5:00 a.m. 11/08, exit Canal at Balboa at 7:00 p.m. and depart Fuerte Amador at 5:00 p.m. 11/09. I really want to visit the Embera Village but am very concerned that I may see a snake! I am terrified to even be in the vicinity of one that may be brought by me for viewing! At a distance I would be ok. Is it “safe” for me to make this tour? Any other suggestions for what to do at this stop? My husband will probably do one of the other tours – Observation Center or Panama Railroad.  Thank you for your help. Lynne

Lynne, you should be so lucky as to actually see a snake in the wild.   Go in peace.  It is a very “safe” tour for you and others.  The only tour I know where they bring out a snake . . . a nice boa . . . and let people who wish hold it, is on the “Gatun Lake Safari” tour.    People who take the Embera Village tour love it!  And no snakes!

Smaller ship in Canal . . .

Hi Richard I am doing some background work on cruising thru the Panama Canal. My husband is not interested in cruising on a large line but we also have at most 10 days to play with. We are also bringing my 76 yr old mom with us. This is one of her dream trips she is in good shape but does tire. Can you suggest where to look and what to look for I was reading thru cruise critic and it seems you know a lot but the trips thru the canal. Any help would be appreciated thanks Dawn Davis Keidawn

Princess has four ships described as being like “a day aboard a 5-star country inn”.  One of these is the ROYAL PRINCESS where I am heading in exactly . . . 21 days.   These ships hold only about 600 guests.  The ISLAND PRINCESS is doing 10-day trips into the Canal round trip from Florida and would be ideal for you.

Injustice . . . what’s new?

Richard:  I read your blog today on the above subject [US drug strategy] and thought I would add another recent twist. Not only is Prohibition not working in America it is also affecting the sovereignty of the country to the north. In a complete act of injustice (because we in Canada have reciprocal laws of extradition with the US), the Canadian authorities have been forced to hand over Marc Emery (the Prince of Pot) for selling marijuana seeds south of the border.

An act, that at worse would maybe get a month in jail in Canada, has netted Mr. Emery (a Canadian citizen who has never even been in the US and an active advocate of marijuana legalization) a sentence of 5 years in an American prison! This is wrong!  I am ashamed of my country for allowing this to happen to a Canadian citizen and am completely at odds with the complete waste of money and short-sightedness of my American neighbours in this regard. Garth Liseth,  B.C., Canada

Garth, I too am often shocked and ashamed by the injustice of the US court and legal system.  We do not behead people . . . but we do take their lives, sentencing them to life in prison without possibility of parole for simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time, like Brandon Hein.  What makes it worse is that the US sets itself up as the judge of perceived injustices in the rest of the world, while committing atrocities like with Brandon here at home.

“You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” -Jesus, Matthew 7:4

Karl, who disagrees with me on Brandon, but is not an ogre . . .

Here’s a low-cost drying solution for your coffee. Probably too late this year with your planned work ahead, but fine for next year. This type of dryer will work rain or shine, and even if overcast, will collect sufficient heat for drying coffee in Panama.

http://www.fao.org/ class=”hiddenSpellError” pre=”">docrep/T1838E/T1838E0v.htm

( I’m not always an ogre, and enjoy the majority of your posts. )

Thanks, Karl.  I will check that out.   We need all the help we can get drying this stuff.  And, for the record, I didn’t call you an ogre . . . almost everything else, but not an ogre.  Thanks for thinking of me . . . and hanging in here!

“Gatun Lake Safari”

I saw your comments about wildlife during a Panama Canal cruise, and specifically “Gatun Lake Safari”. I searched the Internet, but could not find the tour operator. can you give me contact information.

I’m not sure that you can book this tour independently since it requires a certain number of participants and the availability is limited.  If a ship is in the ship’s tour operator has booked the tour completely.  You need to book it through Shore Ex on your ship, either in advance on the Internet or on board.

Day in Puntarenas . . . with kids!

Richard, I know that you’re the expert on Panama, not costs Rica but….. we’re in port @ Puntarenas for one day. Would you have any suggestions of things that we should do w/ twin 11 yr old boys in tow? Thanks so much! Bonnie

There’s really not much to do in Puntarenas.  There is beach, right in town, within walking distance of the ship, that’s used a lot by locals.  On weekends it’s crowded with families.  There is a zip line tour, depending on the size of your twins and the requirements.  The tropical train, rafting (again depending on size requirements) and eco-jungle river tour would be interesting.   A lot of the Puntarenas tours require a lot of bus time so it depends on how your kids do on buses.

A dildo by any other name . . .

I was in the U.S. Air Force and assigned to Japan in 1950. I did some train rides during my off duty days and on one of my adventures I chanced to be in Komaki in the middle of March. The city was at a standstill with the parade and crowds all celebrating Honen Matsuiand. I took some pictures of young girls walking out of the crowd and smooching giant replicas of the male organ. While wandering the crowd, I bought a small cardboard box inside of which was a 6″ hand carved wood penis. I still have it. One of the only things I brought home from the Korean War. J Morris

Man, are you lucky the TSA wasn’t around when you came home from Korea!   “Attention all TSA personnel: we have a dildo alert at position three.”   

So the 240 pound highly trained and educated TSA screener with tight black pants, a shirt with the tail hanging out in back and overbearing military manner says, “So, sir . . . you look like a straight shooter, and having survived Korea . . . what the hell are you doing with a 6″ dildo in your luggage?  Flesh-colored, soft latex we can allow provided you keep it in your luggage at all times and do not remove it, use it, or fondle it during the flight, but, but a 6″ wooden dildo.  Sir, that’s a dangerous weapon of terrorism and must be confiscated.”

Later . . . in the break room, “Hey Mabel, look at this baby!   This straight-looking Air Force dude . . . I didn’t ask and he  obviously wasn’t telling . . . tried to smuggle this onto the plane.  Come to momma, baby . . . “

Counting the days . . . until I leave on ROYAL PRINCESS . . .

So whose calendar has the bigger X’s on it marking off the days until you leave for your big trip..yours or Nikki’s? Dinah

Nikki’s, I am sure!

Coming home . . .

Hi… I just found this site of yours through Google. Amazing! This is what I’ve been looking for many months now! You are a gem of knowledge to me. I am a Panamanian native, born in David Chiriqui. I have lived in California for many years and now wish to move back to my country, yet I am very, very Americanized. Even though I am Panamanian,with dark skin, they still look at me  ”>differntly. I was in David and Boquete two years ago with my wife and first son. I am 29 years old, married with two small children …. I want to move to Boquete! My plan is to build and pastor a church in David. I was considering to buy a house in “Los Montes Del Caldera”. I have many questions before I sell everything I own in California to move back to Panama and do a work for God and be with my family. Would you, sir be willing to assist me with the practicalities of a Panama life style. Thanks, Arcinio Arauz

Arcinio, welcome home!  I took my car to a local “shade tree” mechanic the other day and bumped into a friend of his, a young Panamanian guy who’d gone to the states, fallen in love, got married, and had lived about 15 years in the States.  About 8 months ago he’d come back home to Boquete and was so happy to be back in Panama.  I know that people leave Panama, just like they leave the States, for many reason.  And for many in Panama the States seem like the promised land of opportunity.  But . . . good Panamanian friends of ours have family that live in Simi Valley, California, close to where we lived for 18 years in Ventura.   They LOVE Simi Valley.  Simi Valley!   They talk as if it is almost heaven!  And they are from Boquete!!  Go figure!   I guess to each his own.

I’m sure that many folks who are looking to “escape” to what they perceive to be a “better life” will shake their heads.  But home is home and right now I think there is increasing opportunity for Panamanians who understand the anglo world outside of Panama to come home, bring back some of their experience and apply it here.  The current mayor of Boquete spent time as a young man outside of Panama and as a community we are better for for it because he has brought ideas from North America to Boquete that are tremendously helpful in this time of growth.

Like moving into any community, even if you are coming back, it takes some time to fit in and adjust.  Acknowledging your Americanization is a good start.  Frankly, aside from the fact that you speak Spanish, you may have the same troubles adjusting to Panama as the rest of us.  It ain’t California!  But if God is calling you . . . what can you do?    Let me know how I can help.  What church or denomination are you affiliated with?  Training?  Background?

Working in Panama . . .

hello im thinking of moving to david. i am a university trained american nurse with a speciality in cardiology. is there much employment for nurses in david? Or do you know of any web sites i can Judy

First, the bad news. If you are not a Panamanian you can’t be employed in Panama. Even as a nurse. We have a friend of ours, Dr. Newton Osbourn, who was born up the road from David in Concepcion. He got a scholarship to Yale, then went on to the University of Michigan, and practiced in OB-GYN ending up at Walter Reed. He is one of the world’s experts on treating women with AIDS and lectures all over the world. When he retired he moved back to Panama and was our neighbor when we lived in Valle Escondido. He wanted to be of service and to work in the local Indian clinic, but Panama would not recognize his medical training or experience. He would have to intern in Panama! Incredible, but true! And so, determined to serve, he did! He jumped through the hoops and now is offering his expertise on the staff of the Women & Children’s Hospital in David. But he is Panamanian. Judy even if you were to jump through the hoops here, as a non-Panamanian citizen my understanding is that you could not be employed.

However . . . the work around is to consult. You can set up your own business of one and be a consultant. Or you can develop a related business, like being a “visiting consultant” (“visiting nurse” would imply a medical practice, which you don’t want) who assists and consults primarily with some of us “aging gringos” who now need, or are going to need, that kind of assistance.

Just when you thought flying Delta was as bad as it can get . . .

I really hate to fly Delta. No food. No service. Surly in the air and on the ground. Dependably late. But the cruise lines all love Delta and even if they have to fly me from Panama via Timbuktu to get to Ft Lauderdale . . . and the cruise lines always buy the worst seats in the back of the plane and usually your assigned seats is between two folks going to the “Big Is Better” annual convention. Maybe Princess will be different . . . we shall see. And to think that at one time Delta was a great airline! Such is life on that great subway in the skies . . .

Well, now comes reason to really think twice before flying Delta.

(CNN) — Police met a wayward jet that overshot the runway by 150 miles — while not responding to control tower communications — and said the pilots were “cooperative, apologetic and appreciative.”

Authorities are reviewing the plane’s cockpit voice recorder as well as its flight data recorder.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul [Minnesota] Airport Police report on the incident, released Friday, said officers asked flight attendants to keep passengers in their seats while they checked out the cockpit, where, they said, “the door was standing open.”

The police report identified the pilot as Timothy B. Cheney and the first officer as Richard I. Cole.

“The pilot … indicated they had become involved in conversation and had not heard radio communications,” the report said . . . Northwest Flight 188 flew past its Minneapolis airport destination during a mysterious 78 minutes of radio silence beginning about 7:56 p.m. ET Wednesday night . . . The Airbus A320 was carrying 147 passengers and an unknown number of crew members . . .”

Isn’t that reassuring?

So the shop talk . . . “Should Delta fire dumb-ass flight crews who aren’t paying attention to the safety of 150 plus people on board?” . . . gets in the way of driving the frickin’ plane? OK, this guy’s tail was painted Northwest, but Northwest is now owned by Delta. Maybe they were discussing the buy out, or kids, or wives or whatever . . . point is they should have been paying attention to driving the plane.

Earlier in the week another ace Delta flight crew managed to miss the runway at Atlanta entirely and instead landed on the taxiway. Just what some poor pilot easing out onto the taxiway needs . . . a frickin plane landing at zumpteen miles per hour in his face.

Who’s running the asylum anyway?

OK, so Princess will probably stick me on Delta to Europe and I will be strip-searched, denied my 10 peanuts, bitch-slapped by surly flight attendants, denied use of the restrooms, and seated beside the blue waters with strips of used toilet paper flowing out of the nonfunctioning rest room all the way to Europe . . . then met by flashing blue lights and escorted off the plane because I questioned the accuracy of the male flight attendant’s explanation that, “Darling, those tiny little pieces of brown floating in the blue waters are definitely NOT poo, honey, believe me . . . but just a tray of brownies I spilled on my way to First Class.”

Pleeeeeeeeeeease, KLM me, make me a Virgin, even the unfriendly skies of United, anything but Delta!

But now

Sometimes things do happen on schedule!

Even in Panama!  Not often, but sometimes they do!

It’s raining in Boquete . . . all day . . .

But that’s pretty much according to schedule.  This is the rainy season, and October is usually the “worst” month.  Well, October and November, and sometimes December, but hey, the rain makes things green and makes the coffee grow.  And usually it doesn’t rain all the time . . . but sometimes . . . it’s been raining for two days.  But at least that’s on schedule . . .

And we’re picking coffee . . .

And that’s on schedule . . . well, maybe a little early . . . and we’ve been experimenting with removing the cherries ourselves, now that we have finally adjusted the machine that’s to help us.  I’ve found a motor, so that’s the next step.  Now, if we could only have some sun to get this stuff dry!   Fortunately I have good neighbors in Palmira who are willing to help out with this stuff.

The coffee cherries get dumped in the hopper and then pressed against the copper screen which pops out the coffee seeds or beans.  Then then need to be washed by hand to remove the sticky “honey” and then dried . . . hopefully in the sun.  In the commercial beneficios they are put in big revolving drums like a huge clothes dryer for about eight hours.  These are usually fired with dead wood or gas.

And I’m getting my lectures  . . . well, not “done”, but making progress . . .

I’ve been in India for a few days!  What a fascinating country!  I can’t wait to get there.  Not only do the cruises give me an excuse to travel, but they give me a reason to get caught up on all the stuff I missed learning about!  I consider myself an “educated man” [AB, MDiv, MBA, PhD] but there is so, so much I know nothing about.  Sometimes I think the older I get the less I know, and it’s not that I’m forgetting, it’s just that there’s so much to know.  When I was younger I used to think I knew all the answers, now I’m just struggling to figure out some of the questions!

With theology . . . I would have been a fantastic “boy preacher” with all the answers!  Now I struggle with the questions.  In life . . . I’m reminded of what a Facebook friend posted . . . “I like the characters in my life, I just wish I knew the plot.” 

I’ve given myself until November 10th to work on the world cruise on DAWN PRINCESS, then all that goes on hold, and I just focus on reviewing all the lectures I’ve already done that I’ll be using on the next series of voyages on the ROYAL PRINCESS, the Tri-Continent (Europe, Africa, South America) and the Amazon.  Then I start packing . . . you’ve worried about what to take on a two-week cruise, try four months!  Actually, you take a LOT less and just wear the same stuff over and over and over.  Formal wear is good . . . and easy . . . and doesn’t take any imagination, and nobody cares if it’s the same every night!  And with a couple of suits, where the slacks and jackets mix and match, and a bunch of different ties, and a few shirts . . . and free dry cleaning and laundry (that helps!) . . . you’ve got it made.

Also predictable . . . though not always on schedule . . .

A quake last night. We were sitting in front of the fire watching DVDs of “Gray’s Anatomy”, where doctors occassionally treat patients between episodes of sleeping with one another or sleeping with anyone who comes within 6″ of another, preferably breathing, human being. Anyhow, sitting there enjoying the wine and the fire, and the chair starts feeling like a massage chair, which it isn’t. 6.1 About 180 km South of David, where three tectonic plates come together. No big deal. The dogs stuck their heads up and looked around, the cactus plant waved around, but we didn’t want to miss a single moment of who-is-sleeping-with-whom, which is a little like having dinner in the crew staff “fishbowl” on the ZUIDERDAM.

This may not be a static image, but we will give it a try . . .

This one will give you an idea of the seismic activity off in the Pacific Ocean south of David . . .

Mastering The Pace

I am busy with a million things that have to be done before leaving for four months on the ROYAL PRINCESS in 34 days. I’ve finished all my lectures for ROYAL and am trying desperately to cover as much of the world as possible since, when I get back from ROYAL I have only a month before I do the world cruise on DAWN PRINCESS. So for the past few days I’ve been working on India, while trying to keep up with life on the farm in Palmira.

Just a year ago I was desperately trying to finish up construction of my house before leaving on the ZUIDERDAM. What’s wrong with me?? Here I am yet again having bit off more than I can possibly chew.

Anyway, while I’ve finished the lectures for ROYAL, I’m still doing some reading relevant to the cruise. This winter we I will be regularly visiting Devil’s Island, the site of the former French Penal Colony in Guiana, so I’ve been reading the books that have been written by former inmates of the French Penal Colony. There are three main books, each with a slightly different perspective depending on what things were like when that particular inmate was “in residence” and his personality.

The one I’m reading now is FLAG ON DEVIL’S ISLAND by Francis Lagrange. Lagrange is interesting because he was sentenced to the French Penal Colony for art forgery and counterfeiting. He was incredibly good at the art forgery business and one of his works eventually turned up in a respected museum and was eventually exposed as a forgery. He created the forgery so the original could be stolen from the museum and sold to a private collector in California and replaced on the museum wall with the forgery. The forged painting hung on the museum wall in Europe until the California collector’s original went up for auction and suddenly . . . viola, there were two! Lagrange is also interesting because he painted, with house paints and whatever materials he could lay his hands on, a crude artistic record of life in the penal colony. Eventually these paintings have made their way to the University of Missouri and are now available to be viewed online

When Lagrange first arrives in Guiana he is given some advice on how to adapt to life in the islands by an experienced con . . . “Adopt the colonial pace, my friend, and you’ll get along all right.”

When Lagrange asks, “The colonial pace?”, the man gives a description which describes not only the pace of life in Guiana, but the pace of life in most of Latin America.

“Never run if you can walk, never walk if you can stand, never stand if you can sit, never sit if you can lie down, and never do anything today you can put off until tomorrow.  That’s the colonial pace.  Master it and things won’t be so bad.”

Master it living in Panama and things won’t be so bad either.

Two Years!

OK, questions and comments . . .

Plan my cruise . . .

Hello sir, After reading your interesting blogs in cruise critics, I would like to ask you for some suggestions/tours to take. We are planning to take a Panama Canal Cruise on early Dec/January/Feb, we are on our early 40’s, in a tight budget but would like to have some unforgettable time on the following ports.
ARUBA
FUERTE AMADOR, PANAMA
PUERTO CALDERA, COSTA RICA
PUERTO QUETZAL, GUATEMALA
PUERTO CHIAPAS
HUATULCO
ACAPULCO
This will be our first Panama Canal Cruise. Thank you. Julius Cristobal

Hey Julius, like your last name, Cristobal . . . as in Christopher . . . as in Cristobal, the section of Colon where there is a pier that many of the Canal ships use. Check my page Panama Cruise for more . . . depending on how long you have in Fuerte Amador, which is really the Amador Peninsula area of Panama City, I have some suggestions for you on the Panama Cruise page. Aruba . . . go enjoy the beach! Take a $2.50 city bus from the station across from where the ships dock and have fun! Acapulco . . . the best view is from the ship IMHO. Cliff divers are highly overrated, again IMHO. Huatulco, not much to see where the ship docks. I usually just spend some time on the tiny beach. Puerto Caldera . . . beach in town, but other than that there’s nothing there unless you take a tour. Guatemala . . . definitely get up to Antiqua! If you don’t want a ship tour, get a few other couples together and rent a van. It’s worth the trip. Enjoy!

Get off the ship!

Hi…i really love your blog. Could you please tell me if you would recommend that I stay on the Mercury to cruise through the Panama canal…or should I take a shore excursion? any help would be great! thanks, Irene

Irene, I don’t know what itinerary every ship is doing . . . depends on MERCURY itinerary, and what your options and choices are. My Panama Cruise page gives a lot of information that will help. Generally I think you should be on for at least one lock experience, and then, when possible, take advantage of the opportunity to see some of Panama . . . you’ve come all this way! Suggestions for Panama tours depend on your areas of interest . . . again, that’s why I wrote the Panama Cruise page! You’ll love MERCURY!

Popular retirement destinations . . .

Didn’t know if you’ve seen this. Re: recent retirement rating destinations.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/RetirementandWills/RetireInStyle/the-worlds-best-places-to-retire.aspx

Iaorana! Bob P.S. Can you tell we’re getting ready to go on a 33 day HAL Rotterdam/French Polynesia cruise in January?

You’ll love the ROTTERDAM Bob! Susan Wood, one of my favorite cruise directors, is often on the ROTTERDAM, although I heard she may have left Holland America, and I understand that Joseph Pokorski may be heading to ROTTERDAM. I’ve worked with Joseph as cruise director and also as one of the stars of the new entertainment approach Holland is rolling out on the smaller ships. Joseph is a fantastic tenor with experience in opera and Broadway. You may be in luck!

That’s an interesting article . . . and you note that Ecuador is just a few points higher than Panama on International Living’s rankings. I know several folks who’ve moved on from Boquete to Ecuador. One is back in the States . . . the other hasn’t been there that long. 8,000 feet elevation rules a lot of retired folks out . . . I understand the cost of living right now is cheaper. The fact that Panama uses the US dollar was an advantage . . . I thought. Time will tell. You gotta find a place where you feel comfortable.

Elizabeth Taylor (really!) asks . . .

Hi I am going on a cruise around the Caribbean to Aruba,Colombia, Cristobal pier, Costa Rica and Gran Cayman I am coming from England and leaving from Miami.Could you please tell me if I need any Visa please Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth, I’m not the person to ask about this . . . for US citizens I know that no visas are required. I would doubt that it’s any different for UK/EU folks, but to be sure you need to check with your travel agent and/or the cruise line. I know cruise lines are increasingly ducking these kind of questions, telling you to check. The fine print in most cruise contracts tells you that the cruise line isn’t responsible for anything, and I suppose their lawyers have told them to shift the burden back on the passenger. I’ve found some of the bigger visa service sites are a quick and easy way to find out and generally very accurate and up-to-the-minute. Enjoy your cruise!

Responding to my post about hospital costs in Panama, David says . . .

Do not forget about Jubilado Descounto. If you are over 55 for women or 60 for men you can ask for a discount at pharmacies, hospitals and hotels which can range from 10 to 50% off. David Maples

Technically, you are correct . . . BUT . . . in my opinion the “Jubilado Discount” . . . offered to Panamanians who are over a certain age and to expats who have been granted a “Pensionado” visa, is the most overhyped thing in Panama. Folks selling Panama love to opine about the “Pensionado” benefits . . . There are sometimes you would have to be totally insensitive to ask for the discount, other times . . . like with medical stuff . . . you have know way of knowing what the regular fee is. Maybe they’ve just inflated the regular fee since you are a gringo and “all gringos are fabulously wealthy” and they figure you’ll ask for the discount anyway, so you still end up paying more than a normal, working Panamanian who walks through the door. I know that’s not the law, but unless you’re ex-Canal, know these people, and speak Spanish fluently . . . how are you going to complain, much less discuss it. Most restaurants in Boquete automatically up the price to adjust for the discount, especially if they have a big “gringo “clientele. I look at the prices and can tell pretty quickly if they are “gringo” or “Panamanian” prices, and we have both . . . although not legally . . . on everything. Send your maid to the farmer’s market, and if they don’t know she’s working for a gringo, you’ll be stunned at the prices she’s paying for produce, compared to what you pay. Unfortunately there are some Panamanians who aren’t sure how long all this is going to last, so they want to get theirs while the getting is good. I have a neighbor who was going to lay cement blocks for me and agreed to work for $15 a day. A fair rate. The next day when he was supposed to start work he didn’t show. I’m sure he went home and his wife said, “For a gringo! They have all kinds of money! You should have asked for $30!” And I just might have paid it then . . . not now. I’m scouting around for shipping containers and the going rate is about $2500-3000. I was talking with the wife of a local guy who brings these up from Colon when he’s making a trucking run empty. She had quoted me $3000 for a 40-foot container, delivered to my farm. I went back to see her and a so-called “friend” of this family was there, and the wife wasn’t. And he, knowing I was there to see the wife said, “Oh, I can get you a container!” trying to beat out his friend for the business. I asked, “How much?” And I could see the wheels turning as he paused to consider just how much he could get from this stupid gringo while at the same time beating out his friend. “$10,000.” I could go on and on, but won’t.

2 years and 200,000 visitors!

Who knew? Certainly not me when I started this October 16, 2007, not sure anybody would read it! 200,000 visitors later, and folks from all over the world, all I can say is “Thank you!” It’s been fun, a lot of work, but still fun. And what I enjoy most is meeting folks on cruises and around Boquete who first met me online and when we talk about something, or I say, “Nice to meet you”, respond with something like, “Oh, I know all about you!” scary, huh? And I enjoy your comments and questions, so keep reading, and keep the comments coming!

Reluctantly I have concluded that at this point, and with my commitments to cruise lines, I just can’t post a new blog every day . . . so, starting today I will be blogging on even-numbered days only . . . whenever that is possible. There are times onboard ship when we’re not getting the satellite signal, or there is some interference, and the Internet is down, but as much as I possibly can, I’ll be here on even-numbered days.

I thought you might get a kick out of seeing how all this has played out!

Three Stooges Coffee

After yesterday, if we ever start producing our own brand of coffee, I think we should call it “Three Stooges Coffee.”

Alfonso, Sabino - my Gnobe Bugle Indian coworkers - and I were trying to process coffee cherries using our newly acquired, antique, hand operated depulping machine . . . in the pouring rain . . . what a mess.  Supposedly these machines when operated by hand should process 400 pounds of coffee cherries an hour.  What the machine does is tear off the husk of the coffee cherry leaving only the beans.  The beans then need to be washed to remove the sticky “honey” and dried, after which they rest for 6 to 9 months before having the parchment removed and then, at some point, being roasted. 

What should have taken us two hours has taken three days . . . of frustration.  But our goal was to experiment and to learn . . . and along with that came getting soaked, and smelling like rotting coffee husks.

Today is my day to start working on Darwin, Australia.  These 15 to 30 minute port talks take about two full work days to research and prepare . . . For the world cruise on DAWN PRINCESS I have 35 port talks to do, not counting 12 full-blown hour-long lectures which can take almost a week sometimes.  I leave for ROYAL PRINCESS in less than 40 days . . . then am home for a month . . . and then leave for the world cruise and need to have all this stuff done.  You’d think I’d have time on the ship to work on this stuff, but not so since it requires either a real library or fast Internet . . . neither of which is available at sea.

Times like these I wonder why I always bite off more than I can chew . . .

And it’s not just the cruise stuff . . . it’s also all the projects I’ve got going in Panama!  What ever happened to a nice, quiet, relaxing retirement laying in the hammock and reading?  But that’s me, and it always has been . . . so I guess I’m too old to change.  Maybe it’s inherited.  I remember going to visit my Dad in Altoona, Pennsylvania, shortly after he had retired and he was residing the house himself with aluminum siding.  I remember thinking that it was nuts for an “old man” to be taking on such a project.  “Like father, like son” I guess.

But the end result of all this is that while I don’t always get everything done . . . I do get a whole lot more accomplished than a lot of other folks.  But it is frustrating at times . . . and there are times, like now, when I wake up at 2 AM and lay in bed thinking of everything that “has” to be done . . . and finally say, “What the hell . . . ” and get up and start working on stuff.

Oh well, I guess there are worse illnesses!

Panama Dreamin’

I know that many of you who’ve stumbled on this blog over the past two years, and continue to read it regularly, so so with your own dreams of coming to Panama.   And in spite of my adventures . . . and misadventures . . . you’re still dreaming of retiring in paradise.  “Good on you mate!”  [I'm working on those Aussie expressions since most of the guests on the DAWN PRINCESS world cruise will be Aussies!]  The other night I had dinner with a couple who have just moved to Panama and told me that they had read my blog continually during their long struggle to sell their house and free up and move to Boquete.  So for all of you in that situation . . . I thought I’d share this picture with you . . . taken in our living room in Palmira.

  When I had finally sold enough real estate that they gave me a tiny little office, instead of just a desk out on “the floor”, and I was dreaming of Panama, I found this old cruise line poster of a toucan, with a ship in the Canal or on the Amazon . . . and the poster reflected everything I was dreaming about.  So I had it framed and put it on my office wall and dreamed about Panama while shuffling paperwork and working the phones. 

The dreamin’ works folks!  Here we are!

And with all the hassles, the biting off more than I can chew, and the challenges . . . AND FUN! . . . of producing “Three Stooges Coffee” . . . it IS paradise!

If you doubt it,  take a look at this picture of my driveway that I took yesterday morning . . .

 

Tomorrow, I promise . . . your emails and questions!

Tuscan Dinner, LA, Bali and Palmira

 

This has been a very hectic weekend, and I do apologize to all of you for missing a day of blogging!  Somehow I always manage to get too many projects going at once, even in retirement.  What ever happened to sitting around on the rocking chair doing nothing?  Well, I’d go nuts, so I suppose it is better to have too much going, than nothing.

I leave for the ROYAL PRINCESS for 4 months in 40 days.  All my presentations for that trip have been done for a while, but I need to get at least two thirds of my stuff done for the world cruise on DAWN PRINCESS.  I have only month’s vacation . . . translate: working time to prepare for the next cruise . . . when I get back from ROYAL, before I’m off on DAWN.  This weekend it was a port talk for Los Angeles . . . really a talk for Aussie’s about California, since there is absolutely nothing to do around Los Angeles Harbor.  You either take a shore excursion, or sit on deck and watch the seagulls poop!  Now I’m on to Bali!

Saturday night we attended Lauretta Bonfiglio’s Tuscan dinner at the Bistro, a little “gringo” restaurant in town. This is the second one of these we’ve attended. The first was great, so we anxiously awaited her Tuscan dinner and were not disappointed. 

I started off early chatting with friends and drinking three glasses of champagne.  I should have learned on cruise inaugurals . . . go easy on the pre-dinner champagne.

Since I’m deathly allergic to shrimp . . . not that I didn’t consume more of my fair share of the world’s shellfish before developing this allergy . . . I wrote off the appetizer, “Grilled Prawns with Tuscan White Beans” with a Placido Pino Pino Grigio 2008. I like Pino Grigio, so I drank my appetizer.  Nikki gave the prawns an unenthusiastic, “OK”, and she’s the shellfish fan.

The soup was fantastic!  “Summer Potato Soup with Tomatoes and Parsley Sauce” . . . chunky, hearty, and delicious.  The accompanying wine was “Banfi Fumaio”, probably my favorite wine of the night.  A fruity blending of Chardonnay and SauvignonBlanc. They kept pouring and I kept drinking.

Two of our table companions were a couple from San Diego whom I had met through this blog, but whom I had never met in person!  They were fun folks who had encountered great difficulty selling their California home, so in the struggle kept dreaming of Boquete and reading my blog!

Speaking of blogs, our friends Dave and Cora Kent were there, and Cora told me that she has started a blog . . . www.boquetegourmet.com . . . inspired by me!  “I figured if you can do it, anybody can do it!”  Hmmm . . . anyhow, it is a neat blog, so check it out.

The pasta as far as we were concerned was the hit of the evening . . . I think one of the best pastas I’ve ever tasted!  “Penne with Roasted Butternut Squash, Toasted Waltnuts, Brown Butter and Sage” . . . superb!  The wine Placido Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2007. 

The main course was “Pesto Fillet Mignon with Sun Dried Tomato Demi Glaze and Grilled Polenta Cake” . . . excellent, except the fillet was way overdone.  I realize with a group there are different preferences, but I think it would be safest to do a medium on the rare side, than to overcook the fillet.  The demi glaze was excellent, adding to, but not overpowering the other flavors.    The salad was “Grilled Eggplant Salad with Pine Nuts and Capers” and this being Boquete, you always need a “Plan B.”  Pine nuts it turned out were not available right now, so Lauretta substituted peanuts, but it worked.  Wine: “Banfi Centine 2006″

By this time I was remembering cruise ship inaugurals where the wine and conversation is flowing so quickly that you forget just how much you are drinking.  The trouble is I liked the desert wine, Banfi Brachetto Brachetto D’Acqui 2008, a delightful rose wine “made from Brachetto.  This extremely aromatic, complex and historical grape variety grows only in the area of Acqui Terme, in southern Piedmont.  The cold maceration of the grapes, followed by a soft pressing, allows the extraction of the typical intense aromas from the skins and gives the wine its characteristic light ruby red color.  Very pleasant and extremely elegant . . . berry flavors and a touch of almond and nutmeg.”  Translation: excellent!  I liked it and could still taste. 

The desert was “Chocolate Cherry Cassata” which Nikki was too stuffed to eat, so brought it home.  And this morning, as I write this, I’m eating her desert.  Goes great for breakfast!

Cost $35 per person, up from $25, but this time included tip.

Today is a day of continuing to work on the despulpadora machine . . . figuring out how best to depulp, wash, and dry our spectacular coffee.  Eventually we will be picking too much to do it all ourselves, but this is an experiment and we will see how it goes and where it leads.

“If I can just get this damn thing working!”

The story of my life with machines . . . old machines, new machines, computers . . . whatever. So, we found a machine that will remove the hulls from the coffee cherries leaving us with coffee seeds, i.e. coffee beans. This is supposed to do 200 kg per hour by hand, 400 kg per hour hooked up to a motor. Right! At the rate we are going maybe 10 kg per day! So lots of taking apart, cleaning, re-assembling, adjusting . . . with more adjusting, mounting, yada yada necessary.

We’re not about to put Ruiz, Sitton or Duran out of business! Actually we’ll still be selling most of our beans to the big producers, but we want to learn the entire process and hold out more for our own use.

For the birds . . . and bird watchers . . .

We’ve got some Motmots that hang out around our place . . . and yesterday I was sitting in the spa, without my camera of course, and there was a beautiful male Rufus Motmot hanging out in the garden, then he flew over to pose on a fence post . . . by the time I waddled naked and dripping wet through the house for the camera . . . of course he was gone.  We also have the Blue-crowned Motmot.  They are interesting birds, brightly colored with ping pong paddle tail feathers.   We have squirrels in Panama, not a lot like in the US, but some.  We have some black squirrels living by our house and I once saw a black squirrel chasing a Motmot out of what the squirrel considered to be “his” tree.

I must take my binoculars when I get into the spa, since yesterday I also saw a beautiful Rosy Thrush-Tanager.  These are bigger than a lot of our birds, and the male has the most vibrant red/orange breast imaginable with jet black wings.  One of the trees on the fence line gets a little seed fruit at this time of year which draws lots of birds.

Today . . . “The Big Apple!”

Today I get to do my presentation on New York, fun, since most of the folks on the world cruise of DAWN PRINCESS will be Australians.  This early out there is no way of knowing if we will be docking in Manhattan or Brooklyn.  The view of the Manhattan skyline from the Brooklyn pier is fantastic, but . . . Brooklyn is Brooklyn, and actually docking on the West Side is SO much more convenient for guests. 

Time just flies by anymore!  What ever happened to my dreams of a retirement sitting on the porch reading?  I know it would drive me nuts . . . but fantasies are good . . . aren’t they?   In preparation for my stint on ROYAL PRINCESS in now 7 weeks (!!), I’m reading the trilogy of books written by men who escaped from the French Penal Colony in Guiana and lived to write about it.  Fascinating reading!  What amazes me is how much of our approach to prisons today is really the same . . . deprivation and incarceration with no attempt at rehabilitation. 

An excellent choice!

And, oh yes, I think Obama was an excellent choice for the Nobel Peace Prize!

Thank goodness it’s Thursday . . . NIGHT!

We always love Thursday night!

The maid is gone!

Thursday is the day the maid is here. Nothing against any of the gals who’ve worked for us, but . . . Both of us grew up without maids . . . unbelievable to most middle and upper class Panamanians who’ve had live-in help all their lives. We raised two kids, both worked full-time, and we never had any help of any kid. Pastor’s didn’t have maids! So now that we’re in Panama, and almost everyone has a maid at least sometime, and we’ve got a house that’s too big for us, and three dogs tracking in dirt and shedding all over . . . to say nothing of the fact that we can get a made for $15 (including cab fare) . . . we have a maid one day a week. On Thursday. We love the results, it’s just that neither of us can get comfortable with someone else in the house. It took Nikki a while to stop “entertaining” the made with coffee and snacks and lunch, and cleaning the house herself before the maid arrived. Me . . . I like to wander around in my underwear or jump in the spa buck naked . . . so it’s just intrusive having somebody around.

By Thursday night the maid is gone.

The house is clean!

Now we can start to mess it up. Let the dogs in!

The “staff” is gone!

For people who like to be alone . . . it seems like we’re running a cruise ship sometimes. Alfonso, our Indian farm worker, always has questions. His son, 18, likes to find excuses to come back and ask school questions, or want a copy of this or that, or to get some paper. Sabino, who is living on our finca, and is a great all-purpose worker, but always has a question or needs this or that tool, and now we have coffee pickers and their kids and dogs running around.

And I’m back from Newport, RI . . .

No, I haven’t actually left Panama, but I’m working on port lectures for my round the world cruise on DAWN PRINCESS ins 2010.  I don’t do these in the order in which they will be presented, but just pick one of the places that seems interesting to work on.  Last week it was Dubai and Boston.  This week it’s been Newport, and tomorrow on to the Big Apple.

Newport is interesting to me because one of the mansions there is “Rough Point” which one of the many homes of tobacco heiress Doris Duke.  Duke was a little like the Paris-Hilton-Madona-whomever of her day, with a little of Michael Jackson’s weirdness thrown in.  The press and paparazzi couldn’t get enough of Duke whom they dubbed the “million dollar baby.”  She was a shrewd businesswoman who turned a small fortune into a huge fortune, but whose main business was “being Doris Duke.”  

Once in order to close a business deal with a wealthy Arab, Duke agreed to adopt his two camels, which she subsequently brought to this spectacular “Rough Point” estate in Newport and allowed the camels the run of the property.  Once when a hurricane was beating down on Newport she brought the camels into her huge living salon to ride out the storm!

One of the family estates where she grew up was Duke Farms in Hillsborough, New Jersey. where I lived in high school.  While I was in high school Duke had the idea to restore the huge conservatory greenhouses which he father had used to grow oranges.  Her intent was to make these beautiful indoor show gardens that would showcase various gardens of the world, similar to what the DuPont’s had done at Longwood Gardens.  And during summers I got to work as a gardener for the “Duke Garden Foundation” helping to create and maintain these spectacular gardens.  

Wikipedia notes,

“At age 46, Duke started to create Duke Gardens, an exotic public-display garden, to honor her father James Buchanan Duke. She extended new greenhouses from the Horace Trumbauer conservatory at her home in Duke Farms, New Jersey. Each of the eleven interconnected gardens was a full-scale re-creation of a garden theme, country or period, inspired by DuPont’s Longwood Gardens. She designed the architectural, artistic and botanical elements of the displays based on observations from her extensive international travels.She also labored on their installation, sometimes working 16 hour days . . . Duke was a hands-on homeowner, climbing a ladder to a three-story scaffolding to clean tile murals in the courtyard of Shangri La[Her home in Honolulu] and working side by side with her gardeners at Duke Farms.”

As a teenager who loved gardening, I got to work under the supervision of a guy she brought in from Keukenhoff in Holland, and got to help creating the desert garden, French garden, and Oriental garden. Duke was a clothes horse who always dressed in the latest designer fashions and left behind closets full of designer dresses, some of which are on display at “Rough Point.” But when she came to work in the gardens she came to work, dressed in ratty old jeans like the rest of us. She had beautiful Rolls Royce with chauffeurs . . . and had affairs with some of them . . . but around the farm she drove an old Buick convertible, inevitably with her mutt dog in the front seat. The estate was guarded in part by beautiful, pure bred German Shepherds who were the best behaved dogs imaginable. Her mutt . . . was a pain in the butt! She’d arrive, we’d both be down on our knees digging in the dirt, planting . . . or replanting . . . and that mutt of a dog was always in my garden messing things up.  Every time  ”Miss Duke” wasn’t looking, I’d give the dog a swift kick.

Duke was a great philanthropist, like her father who endowed Duke University, and when she died her money went to her foundations, but she also left that damn mutt of a dog $100,000!!

So it’s been fun working on Newport and I can’t wait to take our guests there. Since DAWN PRINCESS is based primarily in Australia, many of the guests will be Australians, so Boston, Newport and New York will be new and different adventures.

And most importantly, we survived the day!

Getting through a day in Panama with no great crisis is good!

[Unfortunately the Foundation that was entrusted to maintain the gardens Doris Duke personally created at "Duke Farms" have decided to rip them all apart, sell off the valuable sculptures, garden art and plants, and turn the greenhouses into some kind of showcase for environmentalism.   Nothing wrong with saving the environment, but talk about going totally against the wishes of the Foundation's creator!  I'm surprised Duke hasn't come back from the dead to hant them all! Photo: some of the items that were auctioned off after ripping up the gardens.]

Thank y’all for the mail!

As a Southerner born and bred, I’d like to set the record straight on “y’all” and “all y’all.” “Y’all” is NOT singular. It denotes a number of persons greater than one. “All y’all” means everybody in the room (or wherever). Bonnie Williams

Ignorant, naive or both?

In response to my request for prayers to correct the horrible injustice visited on Brandon Hein . . . life in prison without possibility of parole . . . I received the following:

Your blog entry doesn’t give all of the facts, and its incompleteness serves to blunt the truth. I read the trial documents and the appeal documents, and I don’t agree.

This couldn’t happen to me because I pay attention to what my kids are doing, who they are with and where they are. I am instilling values in my children – that’s MY job, not someone else’s or the government’s. MY kids won’t be out looking for pot, or getting in fights, whether it is to buy it or to steal it.

I too wrote a letter to Gov Schwartzeneggar , but asking him to ignore this appeal. Karl

Karl, I’m going to try to be nice here, not that you necessarily deserve it IMHO. You certainly have a right to your opinion, but . . .

You “read the trial documents and the appeal documents” – I congratulate you, since the trail took 10 weeks and the court record for the trial alone is over 40 volumes, over 10,000 pages. And that’s just the trail, and you read all the appeal documents too! Wow! Who is watching over your kids while you are doing all this reading?

You state, “I too wrote a letter to Gov Schwartzeneggar , but asking him to ignore this appeal.” Thank you and I’m sure the Governor’s staff will give it full consideration, especially since the “appeal” is with the US Circuit Court of Appeals 9th District . . . which is something quite different than the Governor’s office. And it is a federal court, not a state court. And by the way, his name is Schwarzenegger, but not to worry, I’m sure he is used to a zillion variations . . . “If I am not me, who da hell am I?” –["Total Recall"]

Lastly, about your kids . . . I certainly hope you are right! But I suspect you are a pretty young parent with a whole lot to learn about raising kids, and life, for that matter. ALL of these parents . . . the parents of the murdered boy, the parents of the drug dealer, the parents of the boys, now men, in prison . . . ALL of these parents tried to do what was best for their kids! They ALL could have said, just as you say now, “This couldn’t happen to me because I pay attention to what my kids are doing, who they are with and where they are. I am instilling values in my children – that’s MY job, not someone else’s or the government’s. MY kids won’t be out looking for pot, or getting in fights, whether it is to buy it or to steal it.” But guess what, Karl . . . shit happens! You can’t be with your kids 24 hours a day! When your kids get into their teens you just got to pray a lot, listen a lot and hold on tight and hope they live through adolescence! These were all goodkids, who just got tragically lost and all ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time. The cop and his wife were secure knowing that their son was hanging out with his childhood friend . . . never knowing. The drug dealer’s mother was a teacher, busy molding kids and grading papers . . . no idea. All of these parents were bush wacked! So you’d better get a grip now, Karl, and wise up or you are going to be the one facing tragedy. For the sake of your kids, don’t be naive and stupid. Your kids and any other kids out there can find themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I’ve been amazed through the 14 years I’ve been friends with Brandon, associated with this case and his Web site, and reading comments from around the world. A lot of comments have come from kids who knew and went to school with these guys in Agoura Hills, and were into the same stupid teenage shit . . . and who managed not to be caught at the wrong place at the wrong time . . . and are now parents themselves (who hopefully won’t forget what it was like when their own kids become teens), are professionals, active and engaged citizens contributing to the world.

These guys were at the wrong place at the wrong time and singled out by the rage of folks like you.

Karl, I was trying to be nice . . . that was the “nice” me response to your comment. Not being the President, I can’t invite you to the White House for a beer . . . but we obviously see the world from two very different viewpoints.

To the rest of you . . . thank you!

I feel that nobody should have to be put through this even if they commit the crime or not its wrong and the court is wrong. Even though Jimmy’s dad is a police he should of known what his son was doing and not so much of judgin other people of their kids. Its was wrong what happen to his son but his son was no angel – he wasn’t perfect because everybody is not, but you can’t be like that. Everybody is entitled to speak the truth and to be able to be free to speak without nobody callin them a liar, but to tell the truth because the truth will sent you free . Angelique Holman

Thank you Richard for bringing this injustice to thousands of people. I wrote to the Governor of California and forwarded the information about his case to all my California friends. Brandon is in my hopes and prayers. ” As long as hope remains, only the coward will despair.”—Bertrand Russell Teresa

I have prayed and will continue to lift this young man up to the Lord. Dinah

Coming to Boquete . . .

Hi Richard, Is it easy to “Rent by Owner” for a couple of months in Boquete or would Isle Verde be the way to go? My husband & I would love to visit Boquete for the months of Jan. & Feb. in 2011. I used to live in Panama City in the 70’s and Boquete was my favourite get-away. The Panamonte was the only hotel at that time and I loved it. My husband has never been to Central America so I would love to share this with him. I would also like to take a Spanish course at the Boquete Language School. I find your Blog so interesting – thank you so much! Margot Williston

Hi Margot! Welcome back! There are lots of rentals that might be available for two months . . . some folks have casitas on their property that they rent for short periods and there are some nice apartment rentals as well. Isla Verde has the advantage that it is within walking distance of “downtown” Boquete. Check out www.boquete.org  where there are frequently postings by folks who have places for rent.

Church . . .

Does Boquete have a center of activities for Christians? Wendy

Wendy, I assume you’re referring to services in English? For locals and Spanish-speaking there is a very active Roman Catholic church, a large Assemblies of God church that is affiliated with the mega-church Hossana (Panama City – over 25,000 members), and smaller Baptist, Seventh Day Adventist, Mormon and a number of other independents. There is no English church per se, but there are several groups . . . There is a large mission effort out of the US working with Gnobe Bugle in Volcancito, and they have a Sunday evening service in English. There is a missionary-type family affiliated with Trinity Broadcasting that also has a service in English in their home. And a new “home church” has started meeting Sunday mornings in the Fundadores Hotel. I know of at least one women’s Bible study, and I’m sure there are other things as well. So you will find lots from which to choose.

Thank you!

So glad I stumbled into your website. Its 7:30 pm Sunday in San Francisco Peninsula town of Redwood City, cA – am trying hard to find interesting tours for my husband Bob & I on our 1st Panama Canal cruise on Princess departing Oct 31st. Kept reading about Embera Village in Tripadvisor.com – will contact Ann as you suggest then read your fascinating blogs! Love what I’ve seen so far…. best wishes from California. Pamela Ezra

REALLY enjoyed your site! I was stationed in Panama (at Ft. Clayton and Amador) in 1988 and 1989. Reading your page was like reading a science fiction novel. Its amazing how the country has rebounded in 20 years. I loved the people and the culture and have been contemplating going back for a visit. I would like to show my wife the “real” Panama, and not the made-up touristy places. Thanks for the information and the entertainment! Casey Duncan