Posted by Lee on March 29, 2010
Shortly after Ricardo Martinelli was inaugurated as President of the Republic of Panama he gave a speech to the United Nations. His was reported as saying “Panama is open for business”. Aa year into his presidency he is starting to fulfill his promise of change and growth. In the Capital it is buses and a commuter railroad. In the interior, roads and more roads. Whether it is good or bad only time will tell.
On 27 March La Prensa reported that the government has allocated $283 million dollars to expand several highways. The size of the expenditure and the location of the changes broadcasts the intent. Panama wants more residential tourism, more immigration of people with money into the interior of the country.
Divisa to Chitre gets four lanes, this is the gateway to the Azuero Peninsula, a rapidly developing area of beaches.
San Felix to David gets four lanes, this part of the Interamericana between David and the Capital currently has no passing lanes. This will make the trip to David from Panama City much faster and safer.
Finally four lanes from David to the little mountain pueblo of Boquete Panama. I can report the survey crews are all over this project already. I have no idea how or even why they are doing this unless they also plan to eventually continue the road on to Bocas del Toro.
Boquete is now a dead end and although four lanes will make the ride to David faster and less dangerous the current need is not there. This is an investment in Boquete.
If you are here and can remember 3 years back in time and look at the changes and investment in both David and Boquete over three years the effect is startling. David has a major shopping center with a large three story department store, Conway. It has new hotels, it has new restaurants, now retail stores. I notices today a BMW dealer is opening, Honda opened last year. The cow town is in transition, fast.
This government is following through on the expansion of the David Airport so Copa and other airlines can stop here. They want the wild west of Panama to grow, fast.
If you are from the school of thought that says get in when things are about to explode and profit from it, this is the time to jump on Western Panama. If however you are from the group that came here because it was not Florida or Arizona, it might be time to start looking for alternatives.
When I arrived I felt I had entered a time machine and went back fifty years, now it is only thirty, soon there will be continuity with North America. I am not sure if this is good for anyone, except the investors and the people who want to terraform Panama into another mini USA. Panama is an opportunity now but the change might destroy the very essence of why I am here.
Posted by Lee on January 21, 2010
Intelligent people visit Panama during the winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Being an exception, I have for two sequential years, done the opposite. Yesterday I left the Grand Canyon behind and drove into the frigid Navaho Nation.
I left six inches of fresh snow at the Grand Canyon. My first stop was the Cameron Trading Post on US 89. It is now more a large tourist store with a live weaver working, than a trading post.
I remarked the tragedy that the indigenous in Panama lack some of the great artisans of the Navaho people. I was saddened to see the made in China tag on many items in Cameron.
Then on to Tuba City, a place I worked once years ago. I passed up the McDonalds for a lunch of mutton stew and Navaho fry bread, the memory was better than the reality. I decided to continue the drive into the frozen desolation of the Hopi Reservation. It has been years since my last visit and I wanted to see if the life of the Hopi had changed. Everything was closed, the poverty obvious and although there were signs up not to take photos I took one of this dwelling.
Americans do not need to wander far to find poverty and people in need of assistance.
My journey for the day ended in Flagstaff Arizona. One major goal of this trip was to visit my daughter. After replenishing her supplies at Sam’s Club, we had dinner in a typical University brewery and hamburger joint. The company was far more important and far better than the food.
Today I woke to this sight out the motel window. I remember one more reason people choose to move south to Panama when they can.
As I sit here trapped until the snow stops, the roads are plowed and I can clean off the car, I pledge again. Next year Panama for the winter, I must be at least as smart as the average snowbird.
When I moved to Panama one of the reasons was the weather, in my case the heat and drying of Tucson. I moved to Boquete Panama to rehydrate and cool off. After this I can see why people move to Panama for the warmth of the beaches. Compared to this scene from a modern Norman Rockwell painting Boquete is tropical.
Posted by Lee on March 22, 2009
After returning to Boquete Panama from our cruise we stared a most unusual cruise. It was a don’t stop the party continuation. Our house is under construction and tomorrow I will do a two week update on the progress but we expect to be vagabonds for another month as walls are removed and replaced, doors are moved and added, tile is laid and paint is applied.
We had house guests from St. Maarten, Jane and Wayne and no house. Fortunately we found a roof for them and one for ourselves also. On Tuesday we took them for an ill fated trip for corned beef and cabbage at a local restaurant, a St. Patrick’s Day massacre, the food was inedible and of the three members of our party who ate it all three suffered a bad night of paying for my error.
By Wednesday noon everyone had recovered and we started touring Boquete. First adventure was to drive up the Palo Alto loop and have lunch at Auras, an excellent choice for a great slow paced meal especially after the prior night of culinary terror. Then off toward Bajo Mono see the waterfall and castle. We discovered that the road is back at least that far and work is in progress in the river bed.
As Jane and Wayne looked at purchasing some trinkets at a very low priced stand near the waterfall, I saw this young girl sitting and almost coaxed a smile.
The waterfall is a shadow of it’s past self, not only due to the dry season but also the piles of debris at its base. We drove back to town without completing the loop. Saw some friends and joined them for dinner in Caldera, a great evening.
Thursday was a morning visit to the Feria in David and the Horse Parade. If you missed the Feria you missed the ice cones.
Wayne was so impressed by the $0.75 beer at the fair that he had to drink a few before we re-entered the heat of the day.
Being up close and personal with a prize winning Brahma bull
and the shock of learning this was planned for David near Super Baru .
At least in the mind of a developer David is ready to become a suburb of Panama City.
Jane was to be a rider in the horse parade, but the super glue did not hold her in the saddle which is how I found myself wandering the streets of David on a horse.
Friday, well a late start a visit to Paradise Gardens which has more and more happening. New animals, new structure, some old friends gone, released into the wild and a new tiny baby any eater. In April Paradise Gardens will be releasing several jaguars into a remote area now that they are mature enough to hunt. If you have not been to Paradise Gardens it has become a must see stop in Boquete.
Saturday night Heather and I returned to the fair, a very different, very crowded Saturday night and enjoyed the company of friends and the high energy of David’s Feria.
Posted by Lee on October 1, 2008
This past weekend the Mayor of Boquete Panama had an epiphany, he realized Boquete has tourists who might be interested in local artisans. 
For three days last weekend a small and intrepid band of locals setup shop in the large school in Bajo Boquete. About twenty artisans, some cultural events and at least when I visited about 1pm Sunday no tourists, no locals, no buyers, nada.
I do hope it was more productive at other times because the people displaying had high hopes for the show. It was not well promoted in the target community and the crafts were weak compared to similar events sponsored by other groups such as the Boquete Community Theater.
Posted by Lee on October 28, 2007
I have been told that there are areas not recommended for pedestrian transit, certainly not tourist friendly. Being a Poco Loco I decided to walk a path not in any guide book. I took a quite a few pictures.
For a much larger version of this map click here.
After leaving the Mercado de Mariscos I found myself looking something I had not expected a large urban municipal market in a new facility. First a food court.
Vegetables and Fruits
Lot’s of meat. In all a very nice new clean facility.
When I walked out I found myself in a very old part of the city and decided to follow the commercial streets toward Casco Viejo.
A steady street of colorful retired school buses was coming toward me and my nose detected a wonderful aroma.
I was sorry I just ate a fish! Memories of China town.
Narrowing streets, no tourists, lots of traffic and more old school buses.
Then I spotted a narrow street full of market stalls. So I walked down looking the the wares. Not too much of interest there.
I found myself on a wider very busy street approaching a park.
I spotted the Coca Cola Cafe. I have never been there but I read about it. I just kept looking and walking. From this point things started to bring back some memories of shaky times in NYC.
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