The Lastest Boquete Guide
Social Security in Panama, an observers perspective
In my post titled “Reflections upon a return to Boquete” I stated. “ It fascinates me that in Panama workers can have a month off from work each year, that Social Security in a third world country can cover medical care and medicines. Agreed the system is flawed, it is imperfect, but I have friends working [...]
Benchwarmers at the BCP: “Life is like a box of chocolates”
As I went to see the rehearsal of Bench Warmers at the BCP last night I did not think I would be quoting, Forrest Gump. However this describes the Boquete Community Players production Benchwarmers, “Life is like a box of chocolates: You never know what you’re gonna get.” Bench warmers is not a single [...]
Reflections upon a return to Boquete
Most expats occasionally return to their point of origin, at minimum to visit friends and family. I have done it twice in seven years, once in 2010 and once again last week. The visits were wonderful, separation makes the fleeting moments more enjoyable and condenses warmth and joviality. This however is not a post about [...]
Still desiccating in Arizona
I have been touring around Arizona visiting friends and family. I thought I would just post a few photos to say I am still breathing and return to Panama this week.
Return to Tucson Arizona, the only constant is change
It has been more than three years since my last trip to Tucson, Arizona from Boquete Panama. It has been great to see friends, see my son Sebastian and his lovely wife Carol. Sebastian and Carol are back in the University, he in a doctoral program in Biology her in graduate school in Nutrition, I [...]
Water, Water everywhere
Today I flew out of David’s spiffy new airport to the morass known as Panama City. I have grown to dislike the urban jungle. If I want a city there are many I would prefer and tomorrow I will be taking a bigger bird to one of those. On my way out of David I [...]
TCM: World Wide Medical
The presentation today was by World Wide Medical with some new health insurance offerings to the expat community. I am going to try to summarize and below my summary is their presentation. They have a new option for Panama only health insurance that includes Hospital Chiriqui and Punta Pacifica in Panama City as the two [...]
Nobody asked, but here is the Recipe for Boquete Chili Verde
In Texas they have a bowl of red, in Tucson I preferred a bowl of green, chili that is, Chili Verde. Chili Verde is what I make here in Boquete Panama. It takes a little work to find all the ingredients in Chiriqui, but for me it is comfort food and worth the effort. My [...]
Cinco de Mayo a faux holiday for a good cause
Today as we served Chili at Amigos Restaurant for the benefit of Buenos Vecinos, a good cause, Mayra, a Panamanian, asked me about Cinco de Mayo. She asked what it was about, my answer was that it was not really a Mexican Holiday but a something celebrated in the US Southwest. I was not able [...]
I found a Dorado in Bajo Boquete
Dorado is a great firm fish, also known up north as Mahi Mahi it is splendid to see fresh out of the ocean. the photo below is of Mayra’s daughter Karina on a fishing trip we made some time ago. This Dorado was assimilated a long time in the past, but memories still stir desires [...]
Robinson Crusoe never it so good
Isla Palenque is a island in the Gulf of Chiriqui about thirty minutes from the small port of Boca Chica, Chiriqui Panama. This is the last of three posts about what we experienced in one weekend exploring Isla Palenque. Here are links to the earlier posts if you missed them, the first on the hotel, [...]
A great vacation requires great food
There is a current thread running on Boquetening.com with a resident claiming the food in Chiriqui is not equal to Washington State. I am sure there are places in Washington State that have both excellent and awful food. We have the same here, but because there are fewer people in Chiriqui Panama than in Seattle [...]
From survivor to five stars, Isla Palenque, what a difference in two years
In June of 2011 Mayra and I visited Isla Palanque. At that time in a post, I described the vision of the developer and called it “survivor for the jet set”. We were invited to return this past weekend to see the changes made in two years. I am pleased to say Isla Palanque is still [...]
Tuesday Water Update
If you missed the meeting today please read my April 21 post, LINK. What was added to my analysis is that the people here, in Volcan and Dolega are not happy about the proposal. As I pointed out in the meeting, now we resolve our problems locally, as we did in Jaramillo this month when we [...]
Another Friday night
At the peak of rush hour traffic, with police escort, we and a group of 4×4 cars, ATVs and other locos did a cavalcade through David. A crazy beginning to what might be a really interesting weekend. Tonight should be good aerobics. Samy and Sandra are performing at Joron Zebede in David and we are [...]
Saturday and Sunday in Dolega
I will not be there but you can be a Panamanian on Saturday and Sunday if you wish. My friends are having a motocross event at Pista Maxi Barria in Dolega. Saturday bring your ear protection because it is a battle of the music trucks while people practice. You can eat, drink and watch or [...]
Water, a big tempest is brewing
Today, 25 April the National government sent it’s team to Boquete for a public hearing on the new water law. The Mayor was there, the governor was there, many other local elected officials were there as were hundreds of residents. The meeting started late, as usual, and bilingual The lights went out as when power [...]
Recipe: Panama Summer Rolls
Many of my friends here depend on the local restaurants for daily sustenance, I prefer preparing food at home. Using traditional recipes as a baseline and innovating with locally available ingredients is always fun and sometimes makes for a great meal or in this case appetizer. I am not a professional chef, nor did I [...]
Coffee, our elixir
I spent yesterday afternoon with Rich Lipner of Dos Jefes roasting some of my coffee. My coffee plants flowered just a few weeks ago after our first seasonal rain on Jaramillo. I did not know that the rain at the right time of the year triggers the blossoms. The cycle from those blossoms to the [...]
Water in Panama, a new chapter
Potable water is a diminishing resource internationally. As climate change is effecting us, it is also effecting potable water supplies. You do not need to read too much to know Panama has some serious water problems this year. The National Water Authority in most of Panama is IDAAN, the national aqueduct. IDAAN has failed in [...]
Arepas, a rerun of a good breakfast treat
This morning I decoded to make Arepas for breakfast and I thought about how many times people have asked me about them. Many people buy them at the Tuesday market and I make them at home. They are easy to make and tasty. I decided to reprint this simple guide to Arepas with some enhancements [...]
The Boston Tsunami Effect
My deepest sympathies and wishes for a speedy recovery to the people who were injured and to the families who lost loved ones in the horrible explosions at the Boston Marathon. Hopefully you have good medical insurance and lawyers because you will be out of the headlines in a week and sadly like the 911 [...]
Caveat Emptor – revisited
Back in October 2012 I did a post about what appeared to be an new scam in Boquete. The extent of my investigation was to warn the potential victims to tread carefully. The post quoted several “news” sources that in fact printed a PR piece as news. “Panamanian-Swiss Billionairess Analiede Gallardo de English Assumes the [...]
Boquetes carousel of restaurants
Back on Dec 9 2012 I wrote a short piece about five new restaurants that opened in Boquete. Three out of five are gone within four months, Los Faroles, Fuzion Grill and El Sazon de la Abuela, pictured below. The other two Porotos and Cafe and Cacao are still open and hope they have better [...]
It’s not Shakespeare, but …
Not my words but the quotable words of Dana Applegate as she gifts Boquete with her swan’s song in preparation for her migration to Ohio. Did she really say OHIO?!? I just returned from a rehearsal of a very entertaining and enjoyable production called Boquete Burlesque. Although not Shakespeare and I don’t think Gypsy Rose [...]
BCP brings Broadway to Boquete, Rabbit Hole
In March of 2007 I attended my first Play in Boquete Panama. It was a crude amateur production of a light comedy called Boeing Boeing. In that same year a far better play called Rabbit Hole received a Pulitzer Prize. I doubt anyone would have considered bringing Rabbit Hole to Boquete Panama, but things have [...]
Democracy is a lot of thirsty work
I have never been to a New England Town Meeting, I have however been to many meetings of the Alto Jaramillo Water board. Water Boarding is painful, the board of seven is elected to a two year term and we serve without any compensation. We, is operative because for more than three years I have [...]
Two nights on the town, where were you?
We decided to go out and celebrate life again this weekend. I keep rediscovering the pleasures of our sky island Boquete Panama. Friday we went to Mikes Global Grill, ate Fish and Chips and Southern Fried Chicken. We ate to the rhythm of Jazzed up Klezmer Music. Klezmer. If you want to know about Klemer click [...]
Tamales Panama Style
I am very partial to tamales, the type I found in Tucson, Arizona, these are differnet. Panama has a very distinctive way of preparing Tamales. Unlike the Mexican Tamales the wrapping is either a Biajo or Banana leaf. The fillings also vary. Tamales are always a lot of work so make them in quantity and freeze [...]
Enter the Plutocrats
According the the CIA World Fact Book, Panama has 29% of it’s population living below poverty levels, what ever they are. “Strong economic performance has not translated into broadly shared prosperity, as Panama has the second worst income distribution in Latin America. About 30% of the population lives in poverty; however, from 2006 to 2012 [...]
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