Boquete Panama 101 Years Old

Today the Land of Perpetual Parades, Boquete Panama, celebrated it’s 101st birthday. I forgot about it. Thanks to an email from Craig at the Bistro, I scurried down the mountain with my camera. I arrived just in time to see the students disbursing.

I realized I have been here for 5% of the 101 years, amazing, I am an old timer already. Time has been going by very quickly, something I think happens with increased age and continuous activity.

If you want to see some photos of a Boquete Birthday parade, I shot photos located at this link at last years parade, which feels like last week.

Boquete Panama Alcalde

While in town I snapped a photo of the Mayor and other dignitaries gathered for the parade and visited the Post Office to send some coffee to the still frozen northlands.

I am not sure why expats do not use the Panamanian postal service, it is less expense to mail a letter to the US from the Post Office in Boquete than within the US and although slow, the mail does arrive. It is usually two weeks. Perhaps it is the burro trip to David, and the covered wagon to Panama City, after that I suspect they are using airlines to ferry the post. Seriously, each week people come to the Tuesday Market to hand off letters to be carried to the US and mailed, I doubt most of them arrive any faster.

There are of course exceptions, like when the Ngobe held all traffic hostage on the road to Panama, or during Carnival when the country took a week off to party and Semana Santa, last week, when the country stopped to celebrate religion followed by a healthy party; followed by a hangover. Still it all seems to work in a country where party and enjoying life is more important than efficiency. I  doubt this will ever change, thank goodness. I came here to escape efficiency and the stress it causes.