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 . . .

David and The Mail

Ah . . . David! Turns out we need 22 more thingies for the ceiling at 39 cents a piece, and HOPSA only has a showroom in David. So I either let the project redoing the casita for my brother stall, or drive all the way to David, $20 worth of gas, to pick up the damn thingies! Panama’s new President, Ricardo Martinelli, has promised a new four-lane highway between David and Boquete, with construction starting next year. The construction period will be a zoo, but the existing highway is inadequate and unsafe for the volume of traffic.

David is booming! As an Panamanian attorney friend told me, next to Panama City, Chiriqui is the richest province in Panama. The chance since we moved here over 5 years ago is amazing. Despite the world wide financial problems, there are tons of big new shopping areas being built in David, and a lot of big stores from Panama City are opening in David. Now if they only keep some inventory in Chiriqui, so that you don’t have to wait for everything to come from the warehouse in Panama City.

And, again despite the world wide financial meltdown, Panama isn’t doing badly, with 2.4% economic growth during the first half of 2009.

OK, on to the fun part . . . the mail!  And the Shady Lady from Costa Rica . . .

Ooops!  Make that “Shade Lady” from Costa Rica!    Shade Lady coffee from Costa Rica . . . I like this stuff, even if it is grown in neighboring Costa Rica, and not Boquete. Actually it is grown in the same type area as Panama, just across the border. An expat gringo buys beans from local farmers, roasts the beans and then takes them down to Puntarenas to sell when the ships are in. Whenever I’m in Pantarenas I buy a bunch for my wife. Yes, we grow gourmet coffee, but coffee like wine has different flavors depending on where it is grown. If you had a winery in Napa, you’d still appreciate and want to taste fine wines from other regions: same with coffee. So Francine asks . . .

Hello. I live in Canada and have purchased Shade Lady Coffee in the past. I really enjoy the flavour and sadly, I have now run out. I’d like to order more. Can I order through you or can you can direct me to someone I can order from? Francine Kurk

The last I heard John was selling his Shade Lady Coffee directly and shipping to the US. [We've looked at doing the same thing with our coffee but the cost of shipping anything from Panama to the US is horrendous! I'm not sure why Costa Rica gets to do it cheaper, but they do . . .] Here’s the last email I had for Shade Lady . . . cofejohn@racsa.co.cr  Tell him I sent you [Richard who used to be on Holland America]. 

I received a couple of nice comments about my blog “Through The Fog” . . .

Very well written, Richard. We have all done things in our youth that we would not consider doing when we gain experience and “worldliness”. That your father passed from this world at the age that he did is testament that trial lawyers are not as smart as we think. They are, however, more selfish than we think. It’s all about them! Someday we will find out that plastic shopping bags are more hazardous to the environment than paper bags; that whole milk, eggs, and butter are better for us than skim milk, egg beaters and margarine. Until then, live life, enjoy life, and share your love. Just as your father did. And don’t worry about the smoky fog in the morning. Enjoy the view of the stars at night. Radar

And if they did, Dick, you will still follow your Father’s voice and remember to Lean on the Everlasting Arms…with that kind of comfort, what more could you ask for. Dinah 

“Steamship Row”

I will be on the Zuiderdam cruise in Nov 2009. I was born in Colon, lived in Cristobal for 9 years as a child. What is left to see in Cristobal on Steamship Row. Will you be with us as our guide. Thanks L P Helgason

LP, I will miss seeing you on the ZUIDERDAM . . . as well as all my friends on the Zuidy crew! Right now I’ll still be on vacation in November, and the end of November head off to Rome to join the ROYAL PRINCESS.

Of course everything has changed in Panama since the US left. Panama suffered the US invasion, which altered the landscape heavily in areas in the line of fire, and since then has been on a building boom. And the shipping industry is part of that boom. There are huge container ports on either end of the Canal. In Colon you have the Colon 2000 port, the new port facility Royal Caribbean built for it’s own ships, and Pier 6 Cristobal, which is the one shown in the old “Steamship Row” post card. Of course the steamships are gone, but ships like the QUEEN MARY, the CORAL PRINCESS and the ZUIDERDAM use Pier 6.

Finding a driver . . .

I am traveling to Panama 11/30/09 to 12/6/09 with my husband and 6yr old twins and two other couples. I will be staying at the new resort ”breezes” in Santa Clare. I would like to have a private driver for us [prob. two cars] can you please suggest a company or person. My travel agent is not sure who to contact. Thanks alot . Jeannine Iorio

My suggestion would be to either work through the resort, or the way I would do it, is wait until you get to Panama and talk to the Bell Captain. He will have a couple of cousins who have vans and who will do this for you . . . a lot cheaper than setting it up in advance.

“Cuidado!”

Hello Richard Detrich, Whew, needless to say you have some well written and interesting articles regarding Panama and all are a reminder to me how true you speak of Panama. I spent sometime there while serving in the military at Ft Clayton. I am considering purchasing a home site at Altos Del Maria do you know of any interesting factoids I should be aware of when considering purchasing property/living in Panama? Thank you for your time. Karl Merritt

Hi Karl! Check out my page on “Real Estate in Panama” . . . have a good lawyer, and proceed with caution.

The big question . . . what is a “farrier”?

Hi Richard, I really enjoy your blog, particularly when you talk about your experiences owning horses in Panama. FYI, a farrier is the person who keeps your horses hoofs in order and shoed, assuming you keep shoes on your horses. Bringing an expert in from the US is a great idea as there are constant new discoveries on how to deal with problems that cripple many horses. A real winner for everyone. Chuck Hart

Well, you learn something every day! Thanks! Chuck, We never owned horses . . . we just rented horses, and my wife was thrown off because the bit was old, wired together and came apart.

Check out my blog!

Hi Richard, I got your e-mail off your posts on Cruise Critic (OhioLair on CC). I have been doing research on what to do, where to do it and so on by scouring the boards. Every time I found something informative and interesting, it was one of your posts!  Thanks for all the info, and if you have any other suggestions I would appreciate a reply. We are sailing on the Statendam Oct 30th from San Diego… with stops in Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco (I liked your Corona suggestion), Puerto Quetzal, Puerto Chiapas, Fuerte Amador (The causeway sounds like an interesting area) and Cartagena! Always on a budget, any inside suggestions, hints or tips will be greatly appreciated. I am also going to check out your blog when I have a few minutes. Thanks, Larry Potts OHIOLair

Hi Larry! First, start with my Panama Cruise page . . . My general advice, “Get off the Damn ship!” Cartagena, particularly the old city, is wonderful! Don’t miss it. Puerto Vallarta and Huatulco . . . sorry, I’m not a big Mexico fan. Sit on the beach and sip Corona with lime! Panama City, without knowing your exact itinerary . . . would depend a lot on how long you are in Panama City (a/k/a Amador). Some ships stop there for only a couple of hours, and I’m not sure what the point is of that. Enjoy! The old STATENDAM was one of my early HAL ships.

My MBA cohort friends in Europe want me to do their work . . .

Dear Mr Detrich, thank you for your prompt reply and of course we will give you credit.   1. In addition to this what in your opinion, which are 5 most important issues that will affect Panama´s development in the next 10 years? Why?
2. What measures should be taken for these issues to be properly solved? Thank you very much for your reply and kind support.  Kind regards, Hanne Pinholt

Well for extra credit, I’ll do a lot.  Actually, I’ve been so busy with the casita renovations that I haven’t gotten around to this.  It turns out that they asked the same question of Valle Escondido developer Sam Taliaferro, and although Sam didn’t have time to do their homework for them either, they did cull through Sam’s Panama Investor blog and came up with a pretty good, if pretty long, summary of the things Sam has been saying.  “What are the top 5 important issues that will affect Panama’s development over the next 10 years?”

* * * *

Thanks to you, we pushed through 180,000 visitors!  Writing a daily blog is a little like grabbing a tiger by the tail!

Well, it’s off to David!  Whoppee!

Who Let The Dogs Out? and Teamwork

 

Who Let The Dogs Out?

Me! A lot of times I love my dogs, but NOT last night! All was quiet. Everyone was in be asleep – me, and the three dogs . . . and Nikki came home from her latest theatrical activity . . . in addition to managing BCP’s new Community Theater and Arts Center or whatever . . . she’s taking an acting class. So she comes in, the dogs get up and go out . . . not that they needed to since they had just peed 20 minutes earlier . . . the Dalmatian starts barking at the Rottweiler . . . now I’m awake . . . and I never really got back to sleep.

You know how it is . . . that magical moment when you’re drifting off . . . and if you lose it and are awakened . . . rudely, I might add . . . then you start figuring what you need to do tomorrow on the current project, and 27 other projects you should be doing, and adding up the losses in your stock portfolio, and dreaming about the ship rocking you to sleep . . . So I kinda drift off and Spot, the neurotic/psychotic Dalmatian (aren’t they all?) starts barking at the Rottweiler again . . . nobody barks but Spot, and she barks enough for all three. Now they want to go out yet again . . . it’s a moonlit night, and there is a stalk of ripening bananas in the carport, so maybe the koatis are grabbing bananas, I don’t know.

So I let the dogs out! Actually I throw them all out for the night. They bark and chase whatever . . . and I try and go back to sleep. Only they want to come back inside, and the spokes dog for the group, Spot, stands at the door barking. I roll over, pull my pillow down over my ears and doze for 30 minutes and wake up to one very pissed off Dalmatian barking like crazy to come in.

Now it has become a battle of wills: who will give in first, me or the Dalmation. I’ve learned with Spot that if you give in just once, she has you for life. So it’s a long . . . long night. And I’m sure some folks across the valley are pissed as well.

So now a full day of work ahead . . . with no sleep. Maybe I need to hire Michael Jackson’s personal physician. Although at $150,000K a month, doesn’t look like it did Michael much good.

And speaking of animals . . .

Horsing around!

I wrote about our disasterous experience renting horses in Boquete when we first came to Boquete, when the faulty equipment caused my wife to be thrown off a horse that never should have been rented to an amateur, and she ended up being seriously hurt. Unfortunately I still see the same guy, renting the same horse to unsuspecting visitors. But there is an alternative . . . we have a local tour company called Boquete Mountain Safari Tours  that offers some really neat things to do in Boquete [hiking tours to a cloud forest, hot springs, the famous Quetzal trail, 4 x 4 Jeep tours , wildlife tours,

coffee tours and tours to Golfo de Chiriqui National Marine Park] and in addition to all these other opportunites they offer horseback riding with adequate equipment and horses trained for amateur riders.  To raise money “to bring a bring a horse expert down from the U.S. for a week in January offered free of charge to all local Panamanian farriers [Believe me, I have no idea what a "farrier" is or who is is or what he does!], horse managers, and groomers . . . We will also have a ‘gringo’ day in English for anyone interested in learning more about their horse; the fee for this will help sponsor the locals.”

OK, got that? Well to raise money they are offering a special for locals only . . . during September on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays they are offering a 90-minute guided horse back tour from Rancho de Caldera for $25, and if you want lunch and to use the pool $35. 

And now, teamwork!

There is nothing quite so beautiful as to watch a huge cruise ship function! The ZUIDERDAM pampered 2,000 guests and to do that had over 800 crew members from at least 15 different countries all working together as a well-oiled (I was going to say well-lubricated, as in “Crew Bar” or “OB” . . . not obstetrics, “Officers Bar”) team. I think a ship’s crew can do almost anything it sets its mind to doing . . . even a rap video about ship life behind the doors marked “Crew Only.”

This masterpiece was created by crew on DAWN PRINCESS . . . enjoy!

Did we all “get played”?

“As The World Turns in Dolega”

This is the last I will comment on this story, but since I shared the problem of the Miller’s . . . who may go down in Panama’s oral history like “Canoe Man & His Wife” . . . and in fairness to Citrico, who certainly looked like the big bad wolf and maybe does need a new PR consultant . . . here’s the latest take of Don Winner of Panama Guide [a commercial Panama news, rumour and opinion site and not just a personal blog with no financial interest, like me] . . .

“We All Got Played: Everyone who owns a website and covered this story. Everyone who wrote and email in support. Basically, I’m not happy. Can you tell? Screw this… I still get suckered into this kind of bullshit every now and again. The only difference is that now it takes me less time to figure it out.”

You can read the latest chapter on Winner’s site here.  I’ve never met these people, the Millers, and I’m sorry that the story seems to end in this way.  It certainly does illustrate both the power of Internet social communication on tools like blogs, Twitter, Facebook and the like, and the need for companies to be cognisant of and utilize electronic public relations.  It also illustrates the perils of commenting or expressing an opinion on “news” . . . but that’s a risk you always take when you express any opinion.  It’s just that online . . . it’s out there!

However, the point I made in “Things that go bump in the night” remains . . . as expats we are living in a strange country, with laws and ways of doing things and a legal system which is totally different than what most of us were accustomed to “back home”, wherever that was.  To these kind of issues . . . and the confusion of the Miller issue remains, regardless of whether or not all of the “facts” and background were disclosed in the online discussion . . . still give expats sleepless nights.

OK, on to happier things!

Well, almost!

Comments

I received this email from an unhappy Alma **** . . .

“Why are you using my name on line and private information, when I don’t know who you are.”

So after my initial thought, “Who the hell is she and what is she talking about?” I did some searching back through my blogs and found the initial comment she had posted using the “Comment” section of the blog, and it read . . .

“Could you recommend a doctor for a hernia operation? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Valma”

And the Comment showed the user name on her computer which included her last name. So, since she had read my blog and responded, she obviously knew who I was. When I responded to her question I did not use her last name and just answered her question as best I could.

Well I removed her initial “Comment” post, and we are now friends . . . again, and hopefully her surgery went well. But to this Valma, and all the thousands of other Valmas out there, just remember that when you post a comment on blogs and Web sites it is likely that it is going to be “public” and online for all to see.

Arthur asked,

We are booked on the 10 day Panama trip on the Zuiderdam in November. I have narrowed down Gatun Lake tours (51/2 hrs) to either the Gatun Lake Safari or the Canal Experience. What advice can you give me?

Hi Art! You’ll enjoy the ZUIDERDAM and the cruise! Answers at http://richarddetrich.wordpress.com/canal-cruise/  Just FYI, neither tour is generally sold out before the ship sails, so don’t feel pressured to have to book on line. If you like you can wait and chat with the shore ex people and listen to the lecturer, and make up your mind then.

Concerns from Down Under

Dear Richard, I don’t want to sound like a repeat album but I am an Australian citizen travelling on a cruiseship AND going on a pre organised tour to Miraflores THEN REBOARDING THE SHIP IN colon. I AM WONDERING ….Do I need a tourist card for Panama.??? The embassies don’t talk about cruise ship situations or maybe you know a link that does.?? We appreciate people like you who help the misinformed or not so informed like us !! I Blame it on the cruise lines for not wanting to commit an answer. They should tell us what docs are required. Many Thanks once again, Mel cruise person. !!

Mel, The “Port Paper Officer” on the ship prepares a pile of paperwork for the Canal and Panama authorities with print outs of crew info and guest info. Generally they don’t want to see anyone or any passports, unless Interpol is looking for you or something. The cruise line should be able to advise you of what you need . . . and I’d push them hard for an answer.

I have never seen anyone actually checking anything for tour guests. If you have your cabin key card and a copy of your passport I would think you would be fine. I knew Aussie crew members who were on and off in Panama all the time, and I don’t think they had any special visa.

I know you don’t need to purchase the tourist card when you are on a cruise ship and get off for a tour. I doubt very much that you need any special visa, but the cruise line has the final answer since they must answer to the local authorities.

Tired of the Samba in Brazil

I JUST FOUND YOUR WEBSITE AND I AM TRYING TO READ IT COMPLETELY. OF COURSE IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME AS THERE IS A LOT TO READ. I AM CURRENTLY LIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS NEAR RIO DE JANEIRO, BRASIL. AN AMERICAN TRANSPLANT FROM DESTIN FLORIDA WHO HAS LIVED HERE FOUR YEARS. I HAVE MADE A TRIP TO COSTA RICA AND RULED OUT THAT AREA. I HAVE MADE TWO TRIPS TO PANAMA AND HAVE DRIVEN FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER AND RULED OUT ALL AREAS BUT THE DAVID AREA. I AM AMAZED AT THE REALTORS AND HOW HARD IT IS TO FIND PROPERTIES. I WONDER IF YOU HAVE NOTICED THE PROPERTY ON THE RIGHT AS YOU COME FROM BOQUETE TO DAVID CALLED ****. I HAVE STOPPED BY THERE AND SPOKEN WITH THE OWNER/BUILDER. HE STARTED AT **** AND HAS NOW COME DOWN TO **** AND I THINK HE COULD DROP TO **** BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SECURITY AS THERE IS NO GATED ENTRANCE AT THIS TIME AND I WONDER IF WE EVER WENT TO A MOVIE WOULD WE RETURN HOME TO FIND THINGS MISSING? THERE IS NO YARD AND THE ROCKY SOIL SOMETIMES MAKE ME THINK PLANTING A TREE IN THE YARD MAY REQUIRE DYNAMITE. SINCE I LOVE A NICE YARD WITH PLANTS I MAY HAVE TO REQUEST A LOT OF DYNAMITE. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE AREA AND ARE THERE MUCH BETTER AREAS TO PURCHASE?

MY HOUSE IN BRASIL IS 5 BEDROOMS, 5 BATHS AND A PRETTY WELL LOADED WITH CREATURE COMFORTS SUCH AS JACUZZI AND SAUNA. IT IS 406 SQ METERS (4076 SQ FT) IF YOU INCLUDE THE HUGE VERANDAH AND 334 SQ METERS (3594 SQ FT) IF YOU DON’T COUNT THE VERANDAH. THE PROPERTY IS 1400 SQ METERS. THE BEST I CAN SELL IT FOR IS **** DOLLARS. YES, IT IS TOO LARGE FOR ONLY 2 PERSONS. IT IS HARD TO LEAVE THE NICE HOME TO GO TO DAVID BECAUSE I WOULD BE GOING DOWN IN SIZE AND INTO THE UNKNOWN OF THE AREA. SOME OF THE REASONS TO THINK ABOUT MOVING FROM BRASIL ARE THE EXPENSES OF THE AREA DUE TO THE GOVERNMENT IS FLUCTUATING CURRENCY. WHEN I PURCHASED MY HOME IT WAS ONE DOLLAR EQUALED 2.7 REAIS AND NOW IT HAS DROPPED TO 1.83 REAIS. LAST YEAR CAR TAXES/PLATE COST $875.00 AND HOUSE TAXES WERE $425.00 GASOLINE IS $5.55 PER GALLON BUT ALCOHOL (WHAT I USE IN MY FLEX ECOSPORT) IS $3.40 PER GALLON. FOOD IS VERY REASONABLE BUT RESTAURANTS ARE GETTING HIGHER ALL THE TIME. PASTA DISHES AT THE MALL FOR 2 IS $22.00 INCLUDING MANDATORY 10% TIP…… A BRAZILIAN BARBECUE RESTAURANT IS A LOT OF FOOD AND 2 CAN EAT THERE FOR $49.00 INCLUDING TIP. ANY VISAS FROM THE GOVERNMENT ARE VERY DEMANDING, INCONVENIENT AND COST YOU OUT THE YING YANG. IF I STAY HERE MY NEXT VISA WILL COST ME ABOUT $3,300.00 AND IT WILL BE VALID FOR 2 YEARS BUT WITH SOME RENEWAL FEES WILL BECOME PERMANENT.

SINCE YOU ARE STILL THERE YOU MUST FIND IT ENJOYABLE. WHAT ADVISE DO YOU HAVE FOR ME? STAY PUT OR MOVE TO DAVID? BEST REGARDS, RAY

First of all, Ray, Ray, Ray . . . LEARN TO USE THE DAMN SHIFT KEY! When you write online in capital letters IT IS SHOUTING!! . . . and bad form. Now, Ray sent me pictures of his gorgeous home in the mountains outside of Rio!! I think his house is now under contract, but it was beautiful! So here’s my response . . .

First, ****. Right now nothing is selling and I’m sure you could get a “deal”, but is that really where you want to live? Frankly, I’m not impressed by the development or the location. The yard in your home in Brazil looks lovely! It’s not just the rocky soil at ****, but it is the wind. We get strong Northerly winds in the dry season, winds peaking around January, February, March, and I mean STRONG winds!! Some areas nothing grows except a few types of trees. We have a friend who has a gorgeous home overlooking the quebrada (in the same area) . . she has tried all sorts of things, and spent lots of money on plants . . . all of which have died. About the only thing that grows is ficus . . . which could be why the landscaping there looks a little bleak.

The only development with any kind of real security in Valle Escondido . . . just sticking up a gate, and a gate house, and a few Price Smart cameras, with a sleeping guard isn’t going to do much. And Valle Escondido has even had occasional problems. But if you come back home and are suspicious . . . we never were . . . but we have friends there who have called security, security has come out with a shotgun and gone through the house first to be sure it is “clear.” Just having a guard means nothing if he has three jobs and sleeps all night. Valle Escondido has guards, fences, a naturally protected setting, and patrols all night. When we lived there I sometimes got calls from neighbors who were out of the country, and when they left they had forgotten to lock all the windows . . . and Valle Escondido security called them.

Boquete has tons of micro climates, so you need to do your homework. For instance where we now live in Palmira it is VERY dry during the dry season, and windy. Whereas in Boquete you get almost daily bajarique in the later afternoon. Over around Arco Iris it rains constantly. So you need to check things out and see what fits your expectations and lifestyle.

Your house in Brazil looks awesome!! There are always folks in the expat community who are looking to move on, maybe it’s just that the grass on the other side always looks greener, or it’s that their situation has changed, or they just like new adventures and new cultures. You might think about joining Boquete.org and listing your Brazilian place there. You just might find someone with a nice home in Boquete who’d like to try Brazil, or even work out a home exchange for 6 months with someone to see if you like it here, and if they like Brazil.

Prices are going up in Panama as well because we use the US dollar and as the dollar devalues, and since we import a lot, prices go up. The price of oil is another factor. Right now diesel is about $2.47 a gallon. It costs me about $80 to renew my car registration. A pasta dinner is going to run about $20-22 at Valle del Rio, plus mandatory 10% tip. A Brazilian barbecue is a whole lot of fantastic food: I can taste it now, and you guys have good beef! Dinner at Panamonte, probably the nicest restaurant in town, is going to run about $55 with tax and tip. You can of course eat at Central Park or Sabrosa (local Panamanian places) for less than $4 a person. So it is a matter of choice. The reason to come to Panama is the lifestyle, not the cost.

We like it here. It’s not perfect, but no place is. Hope that helps!

OK, now I’ve got to stop having fun and go get some work done!

Celebrating 95 Years . . . in The Dentist’s Chair

Happy 95th!

Yesterday was the 95th Anniversary of the first transit of the Panama Canal by the SS ANCON in 1914.

Although the building of the Canal had been a worldwide dream, and although the whole world watched the failed efforts of the French, and the successful US effort to ,in effect , “sponsor” a revolution to acquire rights to build a Canal, and then bring off one of the greatest engineering feats in history, even to this day. . .  the actual opening of the Canal was eclipsed as a news story by news of a world on the brink of war.

Although I won’t be on a ship doing the Panama Canal this season, I decided to use some of my time off to reread the three primary books about the Canal including Matthew Parker’s PANAMA FEVER which I had not read before.   

If you are only going to read one book before taking a Panama Canal cruise the one I would recommend is PANAMA FEVER instead of the oft-recommended, including by me, tome by David Mc Cullough, THE PATH BETWEEN THE SEAS.  Parker gives equal time to the awesome effort and tragedy of the French attempt and is a much more readable and engaging work than THE PATH BETWEEN THE SEAS.

So if you’re planning a Canal cruise, here’s the reading list . . .

David McCullough, THE PATH BETWEEN THE SEAS – “The” definitive history of the construction of the Panama Canal. A little tedious at points. As the Captain of the ZUIDERDAM once told me, while he was reading McCullough, “It puts me to sleep.” If you get through the first 200 pages, you will be hooked.

Douglas Galbraith, THE RISING SUN – No, it’s not about Japan. “The Rising Sun” was the name of a Scottish ship that established the first settlement in Panama with high hopes of digging a canal by hand! Based on actual notes of the expedition’s clerk who was one of the few to survive, this is a fantastic historical novel and amazingly is a “first book.”

Matthew Parker, PANAMA FEVER – Another version of “The epic story of one of the greatest human achievements of all time – the building of the Panama Canal.” Of the three books – McCullough, Green, and this one, this, in my humble opinion, is the most interesting read. If you are only going to read one, this would be my recommendation.

Julie Green, THE CANAL BUILDERS – The newest “groundbreaking history of the Panama Canal offers a revelatory workers’-eye view of the momentous undertaking and shows how it launched America’s Twentieth-Century empire.” Heavy on the sociology of the social stratification during the building of the Canal. Helped me understand the genesis of some of the issues we still face in Panama.

Almost a million passages have been made between the oceans using the Canal since it opened, and sometime next year . . . probably the ZUIDERDAM and I won’t be there!! . . . the millionth ship will make the passage. And what will happen? Free passage? Probably not. Probably just balloons and free key chains. The big celebration will be in on the 100th anniversary and when the new Canal expansion project is completed.

So how did I celebrate?

In the dentist’s chair in David having implants put in. Yuk! My dentist is great, but his assistants . . . I think graduated from the Dick Cheney International Correspondence School of Waterboarding. I grimace at the cost . . . $1500 per implant. However a dentist from St. Louis who was on the ZUIDERDAM last year told me how much he charges . . . and told me my dentistry in Panama was a bargain. This could be the reason why medical tourism for elective proceedures and dentistry is becoming a big business in Panama.

Ok, I’m off for another pain pill, and to smell and drool over my wife’s left over supper while I feast on yogurt and soup.

Authentic Embera Indian Village Tour

This is my favorite Panama tour for a number of reasons:

• It is an authentic cultural experience, visiting folks who are trying to preserve a lifestyle that has existed pretty much the same since before Columbus came to the Americas.   That’s tough in a country rapidly moving from “second” to “first” world status.
• It is something “right out of  NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC” and unique to Panama.
• These are warm, welcoming people who love to share their heritage and since their homeland is now part of the Panama national park system are unable to hunt as they traditionally have done and support themselves from tourism.  It is a good model for sustainable tourism which has been good for the Embera, good for the country, good for the environment and good for Panama.
• These people are our friends and in large part the reason why we discovered Panama as a retirement destination.
• This tour is a unique experience and folks come back to the ship saying things like, “That was the best shore excursion I have taken – ever” and “That was the best experience of my life.”

There are about 7 Embera Puru villages in Chagres National Park that are used by the various tour operators.  You never know which village(s) are going to be used.  Often, so as not to overwhelm a single village, a ship will use several villages.  The decision as to which village will be used is made by the tour operator, the Embera village chiefs, and environmental considerations such as the depth of the rivers that must be navigated to reach the villages.   And to answer the question guests always ask, “No, there are no highways to the villages that you can’t see.  They are what they are.”  The villages are different.  Some have very primitive facilities for guests and others have put in flush toilets and tiled bathrooms for guests.  I prefer the primitive!  The villages are all authentic where the people live and work.  Some have small schools in the villages or nearby that are provided by the government.  A few have Peace Corps workers in residence.  There are variations in the traditions of the villages in terms of dress and ceremonies, but they are all pretty much the same. 

I have a friend who is the head of the anthropology department of a European university who has studied the effect of tourism on the Embera.  His research indicates that it has been very positive.  Traditionally in Panama Indians are looked down on, and particularly the Embera since they were viewed as being more “primitive” because of their style of dress, or lack of dress.  Suddenly these people are popping up on tourism posters and videos and the country is waking up to the tremendous treasure of Indigenous peoples.

There is little oral history of the Embera people.  Long before borders, and long before the creation of a country called Panama, these folks lived primarily in what is called Columbia, and remember that before the US-encouraged “revolution” in 1904, Panama wasColumbia.  Today the Embera are strongest in the Darien region along the Columbian border, but about 50 years ago a few Embera, looking for a better way of life, came down from the Darien and settled in the Chagres River areas of Panama, in and around what is today known Lake Alajuela originally constructed by damming the Chagres by the US as an additional water reserve for the Canal, and known as Madden Lake. Several of these pioneers worked for the US Army teaching jungle survival techniques to soldiers and the first US astronauts.

In spite of this valuable contribution, many of the US Zonians looked down on the Embera, primarily because they dressed with few clothes. They were looked on as savages, and there are accounts of people who grew up in the Zone who were told by their parents not to leave the US Canal Zone because there were “savages” and “cannibals” living in the jungles.

These were hunter, gatherer people who, yes, did use arrows dipped in poison made from some of Panama’s notorious poison tree frogs. They settled around Madden Lake and the tributaries that fed the dam. They hunted, farmed, and fished, fish being one of the staples of the Embera diet. After the US turned over the Canal and US-occupied territory to Panama, Panama realized the rain forest and watershed around the Canal was essential to Canal operation, and so much of the area, including the areas in which the Embera had lived, suddenly became protected national park. So, no more agriculture and no more hunting. This was a bleak and hungry period for the Embera who suddenly saw their livelihood taken from them. A few adventure tourism groups began visiting the jungle villages, and eventually tourism has become the livelihood of the Embera living in the Chagres. They welcome tour groups to the villages where they live, introduce guests to Embera culture and sell their amazing hand-crafted baskets and carvings.

This is not a “Polynesian Cultural Center”: these are real Embera living in real villages who are committed to preserving a traditional lifestyle and sharing their traditional values and art with the more “civilized” world. They are articulate, sensitive, intelligent people who are very aware of the world outsidetheir village, yet manage to preserve a culture, and maybe even an innocence that is welcoming and accepting of others who come from outside and who have different lifestyles and values.

I have often pointed out to my friend, Erito Barrigon, who is the chief of one of the villages, how ironic it is that here he lives in a tiny palm hut in the middle of the jungle, and people come from all over the world to listen and hang onto his every word.

If you are on a cruise, or visiting Panama, a visit to an Embera village is an experience not to be missed. It is like stepping into the pages of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. It is an experience that is unique to Panama. And the amazing, and tragic, thing is that so few Panamanians have ever taken advantage of the opportunity to visit and get to know their Embera neighbors.

The Embera Puru community of San Juan, with only 123 people, is the least touristy of the Embera villages, probably because it is a little more difficult to reach, but these are wonderful people, warm, hospitable and anxious to share. It is well worth a visit!

Passengers on cruise ships stopping in Panama often have the opportunity of visiting an Embera village. You can also make the journey yourself. From Panama City you take the road to Colon, outside the city past where Corridor Norte intersects the road to Colon, you turn off to the tiny village of Nuevo Vigia, on Lago Alajue or Madden Lake. From here you take a dug out canoe across the lake and up the river for a spectacular 1.5 hour trip. On our most recent trip we saw amazing birds, turtles, even a monkey and a huge alligator!

Anne Barrigon [ http://www.emberavillagetours.com ] does conduct independent tours to the authentic Embera Indian village at Rio San Juan de Pequini. You can contact Anne directly for information. Hers is an interesting story. In 1956 five missionaries were killed in Equador and their story was immortalized in a book written by the wife of one of the martyred missionaries called, “THROUGH GATES OF SPENDOR.” In 2004 a Christian movie company decided to make a movie about that story and used the Embera village of Rio San Juan de Pequini as a setting for filming, using the Embera to play the role of the Ecuadorian Indians. The movie was eventually released in 2006 as “THE END OF THE SPEAR.” Anne Barrigon worked on the film . . . and ended up falling in love with and later marrying one of the Embera men.

And and her husband live in Panama City and she conducts tours to the village. Prices depend on the number of participants, but for 6 to 8 people run around $75-90 per person.

I recommend getting to Nuevo Vigia about 9:00am which will put you back about 4:00pm. The Embera have spectacular baskets and carvings that they offer for sale at the village. Tourist money is pooled but the money from the craft work goes directly to the seller. Take enough money because the Indians don’t take American Express, or Visa or Mastercard, just US dollars (which isthe Panamanian balboa).   Ship guests would always complain to me, “Richard, you should have told me to take along more money!  There were so many beautiful things I wanted to buy!”  Take some money and spread it around.  Don’t assume . . . well, I paid $95 for the tour . . . of that amount only about $15 goes to the Embera tribe.  And if you buy something, have your picture taken with the person who made it: it will make the souvenir so much more meaningful!  And this is not Mexico, so don’t bargain.  Sometimes the artist will offer you a “special price” on the spot: take it!  If not, it is polite to say you really like something and ask for a “special price” and they may knock off 5%.  Some of my worst souvenirs are where I beat someone down on the price to save $5 . . . and then went back on the ship and dropped $20 into the slot machines without thinking.  Am I shilling?  YOU BET!  These are my friends and when you see the quality of the craftsmanship, you will be happy to pay them for their work.

You will be amazed to learn of the many plants the Embera use for natural healing and to hear the stories of modern pharmaceutical companies who have visited to learn the secrets of jungle plants.

WOW!!

Cinta Costera (literally “Coast Belt”) . . .

I was in Panama City last week and it is the first time I have been there since the new Cinta Costera has been completed and all I can say is WOW! What an amazing difference $189 million can make!

I used to dread going to Tocumen International Airport and having to drive through Panama City. [Yes, I am one of the few Boquete gringos who drives in Panama City! I'm an ex-New Yorker what can I say.] The Corredor Sur, a toll road ($2.75) linking downtown Panama City to the airport is a smooth ride, but the ride from Paitilla to the Bridge of the Americas was absolute chaos. I spent an hour one morning going a few blocks from the Corredor Sur exit ramp to Avenida Balboa. Avenida Balboa is one of the busiest roads in Panama City carrying 70,000 vehicles daily at a rate of 49 cars per minute.

Now when you get off the Bridge of the Americas you still have a chaotic drive on Avenida de Los Martires until you get on the new elevated highway that takes you over Avenida Central and takes you to the spectacular new Cinta Costera. Not only is it beautiful and a great improvement for traffic, it was fantastic to see so many people out enjoying the park areas.

Stepping out . . . and looking great!

A year ago, when I was getting ready to go on the ZUIDERDAM, I needed to come up with a tux. Finding a tux in Chiriqui is a challenge, since in much of Chiriqui “formal” is wearing a clean T-shirt without an old Presidential campaign slogan. So with great fear and trepidation I ordered the tux that looked least like a tux online from an outfit called www.MyOwnTuxedo.com.  The price was right, and they promised to ship it directly to the ship in care of the port agent in Ft. Lauderdale.  Having never tried that before so that was scary enough.  But when I put it on for the first formal night, would it fit?   Well it turned out that it fit well, I loved the tux, and thought MyOwnTuxedo did a great job of customer service.

A month ago I ordered some additional accessories from  My Own Tuxedo and had them shipped to my daughter in Seattle, where my wife was visiting.  Although the label on the formal shirt was the size I had ordered, the label and the actual shirt didn’t match: it has been mislabeled.  So I emailed the folks at MyOwnTuxedo and they quickly shipped a replacement shirt to my wife before she left Seattle.  Kudos for a job well done.  

The picture?  Me and my tux that doesn’t look much like a tux.  It was Oscar Night on the ZUIDERDAM and I was playing around with the photographers who thought I deserved an Oscar for my lecture performance.

Isn’t he great?

And since my wife was visiting my daughter in Seattle she came home loaded down with pictures of the grand kid which, being a dotting grandfather, I can’t resist sharing with you. Here’s Rian Patrick . . . ready for Panama!

Tomorrow I’ll get to some of your letters and comments!

Reading The Mail

This is from Dixie Elwell via my wife, Nikki, and I thought you’d enjoy it . . .

Getting used to new technology is difficult . . .

more so for some of us than others.

I was in Starbucks yesterday when I suddenly realized I desperately needed to fart. The music was really, really loud, so I tried to time my farts with the beat so no one would notice.

After a couple of songs, I started to feel better. I finished my latte and noticed that everybody was staring at me.

Then I suddenly remembered that I was listening to my iPod.

It is hard to believe that when I was in the dot com business, near the beginning, folks were making extravagant predictions to the effect that someday the Web would be as ubiquitous as refrigerators, and just taken for granted. When I try to talk with my 18-month-old grandson, Rian, via Web cam, when he sits still long enough, he is immediately grabbing for the keyboard. I suspect he will be emailing before he can read. The computer is just another part of everyday life . . . I was going to say, like the telephone, but who has a telephone anymore outside of the office? And even offices are going to cell phones. My daughter, Noelle, tells me that there is a whole line of retro-toys, including the little toy telephone that she used to have as a kid. Crazy!

From Beverly . . .

Hi Richard, Hope you’re enjoying your family, Panama, and time off the ship. I was on the Zuiderdam sailing the end of March into April, 2009.

I bought the large Embra Peru basket from the chief’s wife in the village; she made the basket. I think the chief’s name was Claudio. I am attaching a picture of myself with the chief, his wife, and the basket. If possible, would you email the exact name of the village and the correct name of the chief and also his wife’s name. I know it may take some time to come upon this information. I’m very patient. I consider myself fortunate not only to have the basket, but also the pictures attached.

I’ve been singing your praises on www.CruiseCritic.com. You did so much to add to the cruise. Without your lectures, the cruise experience would not have been the same. The Zuiderdam is a very happy andfriendly ship….makes for a great cruise. I appreciate any information you can provide. Regards, Beverly Achenberg 

Thanks, Beverly, for the nice complement! One of the things I suggest is that when people buy a basket or carving from the Embera, that they have their picture taken with the artisan. It makes the item so much more meaningful if you remember the person who made it. I’ve met these folks when I visited their village, along with 60 of my ZUIDERDAM friends, but I didn’t remember their names, so I called on my friend Anne Gordon for help. Anne is married to the brother of the chief of another Embera village and conducts excellent independent tours to the village.

Hi Richard, No problem. This was in the village of Parara Puru, the 2nd one on the Chagres river. The chief’s name is Claudio and his wife’s name is Ubertina. They are dear friends, and very nice people. Claudio is a very sweet and warm man. Anne
Anne Gordon de Barrigon
Embera’ friend and family member
Panama cell 011 507 6 758-7600
http://www.EmberaVillageTours.com  

Jan wonders about Mario and Old Panama

Hi, I enjoy your comments on www.CruiseCritic.comand want to thank you for all the information you have given. I have a question. I am on the Princess cruise in September that is a full transit. This year the ship is docking at Amador one day and transiting the canal the next day. We will have a day to tour. The tour of the old city with “My friend Mario Tours” lasts 6 hours. I have some mobility problems and use a cane. I need to rest sometimes but just for a few minutes. If you are familiar with this tour or one similar, do you think it is too strenuous? I realize that you do not know me and my capabilities. Just want to know if it is rough terrain, stairs,cobblestones, broken pavement, high curbs? Fast paced walking? Also, how hot and humid will it be in September? Thanks for your help. Jan

I know nothing about Mario. I see him mentioned a lot on Cruise Critic . . . he must have either a lot of family members commenting, or a lot of loyal former customers. For whatever reason a lot of folks on Cruise Critic have an aversion to ship-sponsored tours. Maybe it’s the cost issue. There is no question that just like a bottle of beer or a can of Coke, it costs more on the ship. The cruise line does have to make some money, but there are the added costs of organizing the tour, doing all the work, controlling the quality, and making sure the operators are licensed and have insurance. Some people claim that it’s not the cost, but they just don’t like being with a “group.” OK, so you go to Ephesus or the Colosseum and there are 50 million tour groups, and your little “independent” group is sandwiched in amongst the bus load groups. I frankly don’t see the difference.

Anyway . . . I digress. Panama City, or just “Panama” as it is known within the Republic of Panama, is actually three cities . . .

• Modern Panama with all the people and skyscrapers
• Casco Viejo, the old city from the French era reminiscent in many ways of New Orleans
• Old Panama, the original Panama City dating back to the 1500’s that was burned in the aftermath of the raid by the pirate, Henry Morgan.

Sometimes it tour groups Casco Viejo and Old Panama are confused. In the Casco Viejo there are tiny streets that really don’t accommodate buses, so much of the tour is a walking tour over uneven and some cobblestone surfaces with steps, etc. It is the only way to really see Casco Viejo. While there are some places to sit down, unless you are on a private tour you will find yourself left behind.

Old Panama is a UNESCO site and a restoration, in progress, of the ruins of the old city. There is actually a bridge you can still walk over from 1513! Again it is a lot of walking, and some uneven and gravel surfaces. There are no benches or places to sit down.

And Panama City, being 9 degrees off the equator and at sea level is always hot and humid.

My advice, Jan, take a ship-sponsored tour, maybe the train, that involves less walking. The concept of “accessibility” is pretty much unknown in Central America making it difficult for people with limited mobility or walkers, scooters, and wheel chairs.

Costa Rica tours . . .

Greetings, We are booked on the Zuiderdam for the 10 Day Sunfarer in February. With all your Z’dam experience I’m guessing you may have been to Puerto Limon. We are looking for recommendations for one of the shorter excursions. Do you have any comments on the “Off Road Adventure” or “Pineapple Farm – A Taste of the Tropics”? I’ve posted the question on Cruise Critic Ports of Call and had no responses. Thank you very much, Mike Weddle

You’ll have a great trip on the ZUIDERDAM, Mike! “Puerto Limon”, literally “Lemon Port”, not because they raise or ship lemons, but because years ago there was a big lemon tree downtown, since obliterated by the town hall. But “Lemon Port” is a good name for this place, because it really is a lemon of a port. If you stay on the ship and just walk around town, not necessarily recommended, you will be VERY disappointed, particularly if you judge all of Costa Rica by Puerto Limon. But, if you “get off the Dam ship” and take a tour that takes you out into the real Costa Rica this will be a highlight of your cruise. Although I’ve done most of the tours in Puerto Limon I’ve never done the Pineapple Farm or Off-road Adventure. My wife, and the ZUIDERDAM shore ex staff went ont he Pineapple Farm and loved it. The Off-road Adventure is always sold out, which is why I never got to tag along, and guests have always come back and raved about the adventure and the funny guides. My personal favorites are the Veragua Rain Forest and Tautic Hacienda.

And finally . . .

Can you please furnish contact info for my Carl (Calley Janson, Cafe Volcan Baru, Chirqui province? Thanks, Tim Killen

Sure enough! Google . . . Carl Janson, Vice President, Cafe Volcan Baru, S.A., 011.507.672.2018,
carl@estatecafe.com

“Genius is . . . “

I had a professor in seminary who used to tell us, “Genius is applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair . . . and staying there.” 

It was the “staying there” that always conflicted with my ADD personality!

Right now I’ve got tons of stuff on my plate. My wife is in the States, so I’m managing the farm, feeding the dogs, taking care of the house, and our farm manager is finishing up his contract (don’t ask, it’s an impossible quirk of Panama’s labor laws . . . no matter how much we may like someone, we need to terminate them every so often or we are responsible for them and their welfare . . . for life!  I know, it sounds like the CIA, but it’s not that bad). We’re renovating the casita on the farm for my brother. I’ve got guys doing the work, but I’m the “contractor”, so they have tons of questions and always need me running to David or Boquete for stuff. Plus, I need to sit at my computer and create lectures and PowerPoint for my contract on ROYAL PRINCESS this fall.

So far I’ve completed . . .

• “Naples: History, Risk and Pizza”
• “Palermo: Forget the Godfather”
• “Tunisia: Bargaining Paradise”
• “Casablanca: Rick Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”
• “Adventure in Dakar”
• “Cape Verde: Slaves & Whales”
• “Santarem: Meeting Place of Rivers and Ideas”
• “Manaus: Heart of the Amazon”

Some of these will be done before a live audience and recorded to be shown on TV, and others will just be stand up before a camera and recorded for TV. So basically I have the port talks for the 28-day Tri-Continent cruisefinished, and now I need to move on to the more substantial informationaland culturaltalks. Needless to say it takes a lot of time, and work, and “seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.”

While you are sipping your morning coffee . . .

It looks like the coffee harvest will be early this year . . . and our Indian farm worker is spotting cherries already turning red, and picking them, cleaning and drying them.  Today I got my first look at the first beans from this year’s harvest.  All I can say is WOW!  Wait until my wife gets home and sees what she has been growing!  Beautiful, top grade beans!

Bitchin’ about the road to David . . .

I know that yesterday I was complaining about the trip to David . . . turns out Panama’s new President, Ricardo Martinelli, plans to make things a whole lot easier . . . eventually.  Word yesterday that the new government intends to build a four lane road from Boquete to David.  Of course the last government promised the same thing, but failed to deliver.  We shall see.  The Martinelli government also plans to invest in enlarging the David airport and enhancing radar to be able to accommodate large jets.  Don’t hold your breath, but . . . it just may happen . . . someday.

Speaking of Martinelli, when I was in David I had a frustrating time trying to find something in Super 99, Martinelli’s super market chain.  It is the most frustrating, disorganized store I’ve ever been in!  I hope he does a better job organizing his government!

Boquete Property Taxes

Hi Richard, My husband and I are beginning our investigations into life in Boguete, from the perspective of a full time resident. However, as you must know, we have zillions of questions….but just this for you. How much is the real estate tax for your Casa #56 and what is the Boguete realestate tax rate per $100K value? If you can steer us to any particular website that would give us a good overview of such a move (including available medical facilties), it would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Linda & Josef Bruder

There are lots of exemptions for property tax for agricultural properties, and properties with improvements under a certain value. There are incentives for building new houses with 5 to 15 year exemption, depending on the value of the improvement. The more expensive houses get the shortest exemption, and the least expensive get the longest exemption. Normalproperty tax is about 2%, but to encourage people to update the value of theirlots and properties, in order to increase collection, Panama is offering a maximum 1% to thosewho go to the expenseand trouble of having their properties appraised and the value updated.  According to Osvaldo Lau, the 2% real estate property tax is the highest of the region, and Panama would be more competitive with the 1% tax incentive.

In the case of my property for sale in Valle Escondido, it already has a exoneration until 2023, since it was built when there was a 20-year property tax exemption for new construction.

Trying to go bi-lingual

Not only am I trying to learn Spanish, but I’m also trying to get my blog translatable, even if it is a Babelfishcomputer translation.  My friend Jubal writes from Madrid . . .

Hi Dick. well, in order to give you my opinion, about the babel fish translation, i will send you and alternative proposal.  First i want you to read my translation, i want you to know that it is as literal as possible, considering the international readers that you may have in your website. There are some phrases that can be said in a different way not literally translated but preserving the message essence.
Anyway here it is:

Nuestroamigo Jubal estuvo visitándonos en Palmira recientemente, y le gusta tanto leer mi blog que quiere traducirlo a español. Eso parece mucho demasiado trabajo, así que eso, me motivo a pensar en como crear un enlace a Babel Fish para que todos puedan leerlo todo en español. Bueno, más o menos español… es una traducción computarizada que no es perfecta, pero, es mejor que nada!

Jubal es un chico interesante. Le conocimos hace muchos años cuando visitaba nuestrosamigos en común, Brad y Jackie. Jubal nació en la Ciudad de Panamá, pero hace unos años fue a España para trabajar y estudiar un Doctorado en Finanzas. Debido a que actualmente, no hay mucha demanda de Doctores en Finanzas, ha hecho una pausa en sus estudios. Vive en Madrid y ahora tiene un pie allí, y otro en Panamá. Es muy elocuente, y es muy ameno estar con él.

Cuando nos conocimos, y vivíamos en ValleEscondido, Jubal quería que enseñar a mi esposa Nikki como cocinar comida panameña. Así que vino a casa para prepararla. Para cuando tenía la mitad de los enseres y platos sucios, y había ensuciado la cocina; quería saber donde estaba nuestra “piedra”. Le miramos asombrados y dije, “¿Nuestra piedra?” El nos dijo que una cocina panameña no estaba completa sin su “piedra”. Así que, salió encontró una piedra lisa y negra, la lavó y la utilizo para aplastar alimentos. Desde entonces, hemos encontrado a “la piedra panameña” muy útil en la cocina. De hecho, he pensado comercializarla en las tiendas gourmet de Estados Unidos. La “piedra” es magnífica para suavizar, machacar ajo, y si se pone peor, hasta para espantar a los perros.

Para cuando Jubal terminó disfrutamos de una deliciosa auténtica comida panameña…aunque con cada cacerola y utensilios sucios, y como si hubiese pasado un terremoto por la cocina. Lo siento Jubal, es la verdad!

Jubal es la razón por la que tenemos nuestra querida finca en Palmira. En un viaje anterior, mientras estaba de visita, use sus conocimientos de español para ir a ver propiedades. Nunca olvidaré a un señor mayor en Boquete que vivía en lo que muchos gringos consideraríamos una “cabaña”. Regresaba de haber trabajado todo el día en el campo, estaba desarreglado y sucio, y Jubal le pregunta por propiedades en venta. La realidad era que este señor era dueño de alrededor de un 15% de Boquete. Comentó a Jubal en español (señalándome): “La próxima vez que mires propiedades no traigas gringos”. De hecho, mi presencia hizo que doblara el precio de la propiedad! Hubo y todavía hay, aunque en menor cantidad, un precio para los panameños y otro para los gringos, y son muy diferentes.

Jubal y yo viajamos por Chiriquí a través de caminos intransitables. Yendo por Boca Chica, buscábamos una propiedad y nos detuvimos para preguntar direcciones, se nos dijo “seguid el ripio”… y era una palabra que en el contexto no tenía ningún sentido para Jubal. Averiguo el uso de los lugareños para esta palabra, la cual hace referencia literalmente a una abertura entre la maleza, y casi inapreciable camino entre la hierba alta.

Jubal estaba de camino a casa en un autobús desde David y escuchó una conversación en la que un hombre decía que tenía una finca en Palmira puesta en venta. Jubal pregunto al propietario por su número de celular, vino a casa y dijo: Están interesados? Vimos la propiedad… y aquí estamos! Así que si no hubiese sido por Jubal, no tendríamos nuestra finca y casa en Palmira.

Gracias Jubal! Y gracias por animarme a tener mi blog disponible también en español.

So that would be my Spanish translation, which i think can also be used by English speakers interested in Spanish to understand better the language by comparing the English and the Spanish version.

You write a lot, so, you are right it would be too much work, but before posting your articles in the blog you can send them to me so that at the same time they can be posted in English and in Spanish, not all the articles should be in both languages, I think that thoseones referring to Panama, and its politics, economy, people, would be very interesting to tourists and Spanish speakers.

Well, my best wishes to you Dick.  a big hug, Jubal

Jubal is such a dear friend, and I’m touched that he would want to translate parts of my blog, but, really, I don’t want to put him to all that work. If you speak and read Spanish . . . I know Jubal’s translation is MUCH, much better . . . but can’t you get the gist of what I’m saying with the computer translation? Let me know . . . Si or no!

A Costa Rica shore excursion question . . .

Greetings, We are booked on the Zuiderdam for the 10 Day Sunfarer in February. With all your Z’dam experience I’m guessing you may have been to Puerto Limon. We are looking for recommendations for one of the shorter excursions. Do you have any comments on the “Off Road Adventure” or “Pineapple Farm – A Taste of the Tropics”? I’ve posted the question on CC Ports of Call and had no responses. Thank you very much, Mike Weddle

Hey Mike! I try to follow, more or less, the Holland America, Princess, and Canal boards on Cruise Critic, at least when I am not on the ships. At sea . . . with the cost of Internet and the slow connection, I’d go broke if I tried. I don’t usually look at posts on the other port boards. Puerto Limon, “Lemon Port”, not that they evergrew lemons there, but it really is a lemon of a port if you stay in town, but if you “get off the Dam ship” and take an excursion it may well be the highlight of your trip. I, personally, haven’t been on either of the trips you mention. The “Pineapple” trip sounded like a lemon to me, but my wife loved it, and the shore excursion gals loved it. Perhaps more importantly it got great reviews from the guests who took it. The “Off Road Adventure” was always sold out, so I couldn’t get near it to actually go on it myself, but again all the guests who took it loved it. The Pineapple trip is a little more tame . . . but either would be great fun. The others I really like are the “Tautic Hacienda”, the banana train coupled with the Tortugero Canals, and the Veragua Rain Forest. The zip line is fun as well!

Hard to believe it is almost August already . . .

My time flies when you are having fun!  I’ve still got lots of projects to complete on the farm, stuff to get ready for my lectures on ROYAL PRINCESS . . . and, just so you know already for August we’ve hit a new record of blog visitors!!  Almost 13,000, and the Map (which started all over again July 13th) is already looking like a world-wide pandemic.  Thank you so much!!

And now I’m off to visit the Boquete “We love to Garden” Club!

Clearing My Desk

My allergies are killing me.  July is the worst month.  Note to self: get contract for next July and be at sea!

To escape working on the 15 new lectures I need for ROYAL PRINCESS this fall, I will clean off my desk . . .

Thank you! Thank you!

I love your website. I have been researching Panama for the last 2 years. My husband and I are making our way down there in 01/10. We will be staying in various areas throughout Northern Panama. I am AF retired and my husband will be retiring in 2011. I am also a teacher with certification in ESL and ESLBL. He does remodeling jobs on the side. We look forward to our relocation adventures and thank-you for the vast information your site provides. Pam

Embera Canoes . . .

Thank you for this great blog. One question about the Embera Indian Village Tours – if you have difficulty with getting in and out of a canoe would there be an alternative to see the village? Not sure I could do that , especially if there was no dock available! Ginny

Actually the “canoes” are great big trees that have been chopped down and hollowed out by hand. Each one seats about 20 people two abreast, so they are very sturdy. You get in from shore, not from a dock, so it is very stable and easier than getting in from a dock. There are lots of Embera folks to help you in and out and getting up and down. They are used to hosting older folks with weak knees. Go for it!

And what about the ZUIDERDAM . . .

Richard, I follow your posts on Cruise Critic and have learned so much from your website. I hope you will be on the Zuiderdam’s partial canal transit in April 2010. Carol O

Thanks for asking Carol, but I will be on the ROYAL PRINCESS at that time. Princess and Holland America are of course sister companies, both owned by Carnival. And before anyone asks, Princess asked first, and as my friend at Holland America observed, “The early bird gets the worm”, me, I guess, being the “worm.” You will have a great time on ZUIDERDAM Carol, even without me. Great ship, great crew, super itinerary!

Retirees or Beach Bunnies???

To echo many others on this site, thanks for all the wonderful information you are providing. For most of us, this cruise is the one time we will go to Panama, so we want to get the best out of it we can. Your blog helps so much.

We love Holland America (and wish we could see you!) but on this trip we chose Princess because we liked the ports better. The 7 hours at Half Moon Cay was the deal breaker. What is the thinking, when most of the passengers will be retirees and not beach bunnies?

Jo-An, I will actually be on Princess this winter, on the ROYAL PRINCESS doing primarily the Amazon. Your thoughts about Half Moon Cay as the first port of call, the day after embarkation, were initially mine as well. In reality, it works wonderfully! I would greet everyone coming off the tenders on Half Moon – almost to a person they looked tired, hassled, a little shell-shocked. When I’d remind them they were going to a “beach party not a wake” you’d see a hint, just a spark mind you, of a kick-back, fun, vacation mood. By that evening when I’d see the same peope before the show they would be a little red, but relaxed, ready to have fun and on vacation! Half Moon had worked it’s magic!

For Brent . . .

Brent is the “Techspert” on Holland America’s ZUIDERDAM who assists all our special guests in undertanding and using Microsoft’s photo and video software . . . and it’s free!  Brent is amazing!  Eight hours a day he takes the same questions over and over and over again!

So for Brent, and anyone who has ever called a computer help desk . . . only difference being these guys speak English and not Hindi or Spanish . . .

Canal Question . . .

Hi Richard, we are a youngwed couple from Poland and will do the full transit with the sea princess and have the following schedule
04.10.09 PUERTO AMADOR, PANAMA (8AM-6PM)
05.10.09 PANAMA CANAL (5AM-4:30PM)
Can You recommend me a tour to see panama city on the 04.10. ? are there some ancient churches, sites and stuff from colonialization times to see? what else could we do with the day at Puerto Amador. I think the 05.10. will be reserved for the transit and we can not get off the ship, isn´t it? thank you in advance..
Thomas Lodzinski

Thomas, check out my page Panama Cruise for ideas . . . You might find it worthwhile to hire a taxi at Amador to show you around the both the Old City, the remains of the original 1500s city, and Casco Viejo, the old French section. I’d guess about $20 an hour for cab and driver. And you are correct, on the fifth you will actually be in transit through the Canal.

There was a lot of interest in my comments about fly traps . . .

Bonnie Williams . . .

Where does one get those fly traps? I haven’t seen them.

Bonnie, We bring them back when we go to the States. I haven’t seen them in Panama. They are a seasonal item at Home Depot. Ah, Home Depot . . .the things you miss!

Great idea from Shirley . . .

I use those same traps here in Alaska. They do get the flies, but if I cook meat with the door open some still come in. I hang the traps in trees so they are out of sight and I don’t have to smell that awful odor. I also use a little meat, with a little water, so it doesn’t dry out. What ever draws those flies into the house will also draw them into the trap. Here in AK I take the traps down at the end of the season, empty them into the burn barrel, while the fire is going, and reuse the traps the next year. Probably no burn barrels in Boquete, in Costa Rica we had the only one around.. . .

Thanks Shirley, I’m going to try it! Now why didn’t I think of that???

Try hanging plastic bags (like zip lock bags, or something similar) filled simply with pure water, wherever you don’t want flies to bother you. This works for my grandfather – he hangs them from the cover of his porch and wah-lah – flies don’t come there – and there are always flies in the area where he lives.

Probably looks like hell, but if it works . . . hey.

OK, it’s back now to working on my Port Talk for Cape Verde . . .