Serendipity

The word "serendipity" arose more than once on my recent trip to Panama. The two partners who travelled with me and I were struck by how some things just sort of fell together for us. It was a welcome change from the usual frustrations I face while trying to do business in a country where the people are lovely, the climate and scenery are beautiful, but customer service and any sense of business responsibility are almost non-existent.

I have been trying to find trees to plant at our development for about 18 months, perhaps longer. I have written emails and made telephone calls. My Spanish speaking friend and associate has done the same. Many calls, many emails. Promises of help were made by the occasional person we contacted but after each promise no further information or help was forthcoming. Now, finally, after all this time, we have found our trees. There is a large, government operated tree nursery about an hour's drive from our development. Yippee!

Not only have we found our trees, we have found a local man in Boquete who is going to work with us to plant the trees. He is also going to help us build a greenhouse and site nursery on our property and to make walking trails around our site, especially in what we call the jungle area down by the river that runs alongside much of our property. He is a graduate of an American university, really knows his stuff, and will be a great help to us. We met him serendipitously, by accident. He owns the hotel where we stayed on this trip.

See? To me this illustrates the fact that it never pays to give up hope. Eventually, just what you need will pop up from just around the corner. Of course it might happen after you are already dead or have spent yourself into bankruptcy while seeking a solution, but the answer is out there somewhere. All you need to do is to look for it, to recognize it, and be ready when it arrives.

Wearing rose-coloured glasses might help too.

A Short Story

Larry, Curly and Moe went to Panama. Oops, wrong Three Stooges. OK, Herb, Wilf and Sieg went to Panama. There was much buffoonery, but surprisingly some actual business was transacted. Then Kent arrived. Hilarity abounded. Sides ached. Many good meals were eaten and a bottle of wine or two were consumed.

Soon the trip was over. Goodbyes were said. Everyone went home. The end.

There was, of course, much more. But you are going to have to check back in coming days to find out what really happened.

Taking 'it' with you, sort of . . .

One of the reasons people are flocking to Panama is for an affordable retirement. With prices quite low compared to what we are used to in North America and Europe, it is easier to maintain a comfortable lifestyle as we prepare to ride off into that final sunset. I know we can't take 'it' with us when we go on to the next world, whatever 'it' means to each of us, but for those of us who prefer a saddle over riding bareback, perhaps we might be allowed to saddle our apocalyptic mount with one of the Panamanian saddles pictured above. I asked the proprietor of the saddlery the price of the saddles shown and he said $105.00. That can't be right, can it? I had him repeat the sum for me, and I'm sure that's what he said. How much are similar saddles where you live? They are at least five times that amount here in Ontario, I think.

Of course, I would rather saddle up a horse of flesh and blood, rather than a phantom steed assigned to take me to my just reward, so I would look to purchase a suitable mount in Panama. One of the horses shown here, near Cerro Punta, would likely serve my purpose just fine.

While riding my horse in the warm Panamanian sun, I might have need of some cool refreshment. How about an ice cream cone for 25 cents, as advertised on the sign above? Sounds good to me. My friends in Boquete were complaining that ice cream cones had gone up from 25 cents to 35 cents at one of the local hangouts. What a shame!

A dollar goes a long way in Panama. The line forms over there.

Reflections on Panama

I'm back in Canada. I missed my wife and son while I was in Panama, and knew I had lots to catch up on when I got back from my latest trip there, but part of me didn't want to leave. I envy my partner Phil and his wife, who now live in Panama and get to experience the relative tranquility and beauty every day.

The two Canadian friends I took with me on this trip loved the country and our Roca Milagro project so much that they have decided to join us not only in our venture but to build a home in our development eventually and perhaps retire there some day. Who can blame them? Not I.

Many people have this idea that Panama is a backward place with grinding poverty, poor infrastructure, political instability and lots of risk for investors. In fact, while there is poverty there in relative terms, the people are happy, relaxed, friendly and open. Much of the country is pretty much like parts of California or the American south, and was so, long before swarms of gringos arrived at the start of the current economic boom. The picture displayed above was taken near Cerro Punta and, I think, illustrates my point.

What is happening in Panama is truly amazing. The entire country is a beehive of activity. Billions of dollars are puring into the country and those dollars are being spent on projects of every description. The increased tax revenues to the Panamanian government allow for dramatic improvements to infrastructure. In the Boquete area, near our development, there is zero unemployment. Everyone who wants to work is working. Panamanians are industrious and quite entrepreneurial, so this generation is going to benefit significantly. The next generation will benefit beyond what we can imagine. All this while other Central and South American countries are moving backwards. The difference is entirely due to the infusion of capital because of the welcome given to capitalists and their money.

One of the things I like in Panama is that everyone is treated the same. There is no racial tension. Blacks and whites and Hispanics and orientals all mix and live together and treat each other with respect. I'm sure that if Martians or Vulcans showed up in Panama some day, they would get a few curious glances for a day or two, then become part of the general milieu in no time.

I will post more as I get caught up a bit, and will also try to catch up on posts written by all my blogger friends while I was off in paradise.

Make a Joyful Noise!

Christmas is a time for celebration in Panama: big, noisy, joyous celebration. Last Saturday night, I roamed the streets of Boquete as thousands of celebrants gathered to watch a parade, eat delicacies from the carts of street vendors, and throw firecrackers. Yes, fireworks appear to be an integral part of Christmas in Panama. Panamanians must all have read the passage in the bible (in Psalms 98:4, I looked it up) where it says: "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise."

On the day before the parade, one of the female attendants at the inn where I was staying, beckoned me over to look at something she was taking out of a small box. Several bright red and very tiny components of what I took to be a Santa's elf costume appeared, and she held them up for me to admire. I am very scientifically-minded, and in the interest of being able to report to you, dear reader, the absolute unvarnished truth about everything on which I report, with every detail just as accurate as it can possibly be, I suggested to her that she don the costume and that I photograph her in it. I was curious to see if the tiny bits of cloth would actually cover all of her interesting bits. She giggled, and informed me that the costume was actually for her daughter. Drat! Another scientific opportunity lost.

Dressing up in costumes and marching in parades is as big in Panama now as it was in the U.S. and Canada back in the 1950's and 1960's. Many of you might be far too young to have experienced life in that era, so I will tell you that it was a time of parades, marching bands and baton twirlers -- things considered archaic and uncool by many of our jaded and disconnected youth. If you miss that noise and excitement, off with you to Panama where they will hold a parade at the slightest excuse.

Things in Panama are simpler in many ways. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, we all need to uncomplicate our lives just a little.

Let's all raise a glass to the simpler things in life!

A House in Panama

I'm back, safe and sound, in good old Ontario, Canada. I had a rather hectic week in Panama, dealing with various business matters, but it was fun, overall. It would have been nice to have had a little more time to enjoy the sights and do some more exploring, but that will have to wait until next trip.

I bought a house while in Panama. I haven't told my wife yet, though. I'm a bit worried about how to break the news to her. According to her, I once bought a 17-unit apartment complex without warning her in advance, and I am therefore understandably nervous about repeating the error of not preparing her for such a large investment. The complex I bought years ago was in a town called Bothwell, Ontario, but my wife always called it 'Botswana.' Do you sense that somehow she wasn't overly fond of the investment I had made?

My new house in Panama didn't cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. It cost considerably less. I purchased it from a nice Panamanian man who, with his entire family in attendance, was selling it and other similar constructions along the road that leads from David to Boquete. Yes, it's a bird house. What did you think?

Over the years, my wife has learned to deal with my acquisitions. She is by now quite used to my meanderings, with both feet and mind, and trusts my judgments and instincts. Thank goodness for that! A guy like me could drive a less understanding woman to drink, or worse.

When I eventually build my real house at our Roca Milagro property in years ahead, the little bird house shown above will be placed strategically somewhere, where I can always see it. It will remind me of my Panamanian trip at Christmas time, 2006.

Dreaming Big

Two little birds were our breakfast guests this morning. My partner and I ate on the patio of a local restaurant called ‘Olga’s,’ after the owner, by everyone in Boquete. Although there is a sign out front with the actual name of the establishment, I’m sure no-one actually knows what it says. Olga, or one of her helpers, puts out some fresh fruit for our little feathered friends every morning, and these two birds were among several who came to feast.

Boquete is changing at a dizzying pace. New buildings are going up everywhere. New residential developments are being planned, our Roca Milagro project among them. Many of the locals dream of making that one big property sale, and then having a pile of money to live on. This, after likely having eked out a subsistence lifestyle for decades, or possibly even through multiple generations of the same family. Everyone has big dreams.

That’s OK. Everyone should have big dreams. What if no-one dreamed big? We wouldn’t have cars, airplanes, space travel, computers and cell phones. And we wouldn’t be able to play Super Mario on our personal video game console. Of course, some think that we would be better off without all these things. Not me. I could do without video games, but I like the rest of the things that we all get to take for granted, all because a bunch of someones dreamed big.

My father, born in 1904 in Poland, ploughed fields with horses, rode to town in a horse-drawn buggy, and basically lived through the age of the automobile, the airplane, the jet, the rocket, the advent of computers and much more. To him, the changes in lifestyle that we all take for granted were astounding. We all get pretty blase about these things, don‘t we? Perhaps, in our own future, we will also see dramatic changes that will appear as strange and new to us as many of the things I mentioned did to my father.

In my father’s youth, it was a really big deal to travel twenty kilometres by horse and buggy to shop in a larger town. Today, I think nothing of hopping on a plane to Panama to take care of business. I wonder what he would think of all this. He died before I started this latest adventure of mine. Maybe he would simply think that I was being foolish, and that I should stay closer to home. But that wouldn’t be as much fun. Dream big, remember? And we have to enjoy ourselves, because one day it will be too late for anything but regrets. And then, someday, even regrets won’t be an issue. Dead brain cells don’t think. Nothing will matter.

I’m meeting a lot of people here who are chasing their dreams. Some dream of doing what I’m doing, or something similar. Some have other dreams. We’re all different, and that is how it should be. One man I met today wants to move here, live on $2,000 per month, and work in an orphanage. That’s his big dream. He worked as an energy trader in the United States, made a caboodle of money, now he wants to change his lifestyle completely. Maybe the fact that he is going through a divorce has something to do with it. Or, maybe, he really has had a lifetime dream of helping orphans. Who knows? That would definitely qualify as a big dream, in my books. What could possibly be of more value than helping little kids without parents get a proper head start on life? Not much!

Let’s all dream big. The world will be a better place for it.

What's this guy babbling about today?

I just finished a sandwich at my desk. Made it myself. Whole wheat bread, Havarti cheese, slathered with Dijon mustard. Only a man could dream up something like that, right?

Our individual preferences when it comes to food and drink say much about ourselves. While in Panama, I like to try local dishes, or at least local variants or interpretations of things that might be available at home. I don't want my meals to be 'just like' what I am used to. If I want a McBurger, I'll wait until I get home.

I had some great meals in Panama, often sea bass prepared in various ways. At The Bistro, in Boquete, I ate one of the best filet mignon steaks I have ever tasted, anywhere. Cost: $9.95.

The evening before I left Panama City to fly back home to Canada, after not having eaten for nearly 48 hours because of a bout of something that caused my body to be somewhat hostile to food (or even the thought of it,) I had a delicious meal too. What was it? A Mr. Sub vegetarian submarine sandwich, including some extra jalapeno peppers. Comfort food.

There are foods that I won't eat. Oysters, lobster, crab, clams, octopus, eel, frog, escargot, are all on my "are you kidding!?" list. Why? I get the creeps just looking at these things. Why would I eat them?

Irrational? Perhaps, but so what?

When it comes to fruits and vegetables, I will eat just about anything. Even Brussels Sprouts and Broccoli. I love the textures of fruits and vegetables almost as much as the taste. I love biting into some fruit with which I have had no prior experience, just to experience for the first time its unique flavour and texture.

It is like that with people too. I like meeting people for the first time. I have no expectations, just curiosity. I like to be pleasantly surprised, and often am. Sometimes I'm not.

Like food stuffs, people are unique. They each have their own flavour and texture when you take your first 'bite' of them. Stop blushing, please! I'm not speaking here about some deliciously decadent and intimate oral adventure. Nor am I promoting cannibalism. I'm engaging in analogy, so bear with me.

Some people are sweet and airy and fluffy and nothing else. No solidity, no substance, no satisfaction. They provide momentary diversion and not much else.

Some people are sweet to the taste, until you sink in your teeth to savour the experience, and recoil in horror to the bitterness inside. Never met one of these delightful creatures? Look me up. I'll introduce you.

Some people are a bit sour or perhaps salty on the surface, but are solid and fortifying inside. If you get past the first taste, you will ultimately be fortified and satisfied.

Some people are savoury on the surface, and have a satisfying, complementary interior. They are pleasant to be with, interesting to interact with, and make great friends or spouses or partners.

I was reminded of all of this as I spent time in Panama. I met many people there, as I usually do. My main purposes on this particular trip were to take care of the legal 'closing' of the real estate for our project and to meet with potential investors. When not occupied with these pursuits, I also met people at the hotels I stayed in, restaurants I ate in, at the bank I use, and so on. Everyone I met could reasonably be slotted into one of the categories enumerated above.

The fact that these people are in Panama, even if only momentarily in some cases, naturally has no bearing on anything. People live everywhere, not just in Panama. But people world-wide tend to have the same general characteristics.

So, what were my impressions of the people I met for the first time? Generally, positive. Some, delightful. One or two, with whom I would normally avoid contact. About average, wouldn't you think?

This all begs the question, of course, of what they might think of me. Does it matter? Do I care?

Yes and no. I am trying to teach my son that he should not live his life in a way designed solely to ensure that he is liked by his peers. He should live his life based on values: honesty, integrity, reliability, responsibility, compassion, and so on. People will judge him on what he is, and will still like him or not based on their individual prejudices. They might not like him because his hair is the wrong colour, or because he wears blue shirts, but they will tend to respect him and trust him because of his behaviour and values. That is what matters.

I try to live my life the same way. I don't care much if I am liked, although it is obviously not a bad thing. I do care that I am respected, and trusted to behave responsibly and ethically.

That's what this guy is babbling about today.

Boquete Again

I'm in Boquete, Republic of Panama. My partners, Phil and Temy, and I arrived early in the evening. The temperature here in the highlands is considerably cooler than it is in the coastal regions. It is a welcome change.

Temy is off staying with his relatives. Phil and I went to dinner together, in one of Boquete`s charming restaurants. The bar area was packed with American expats. We`re both bone tired, so we stopped in at a variety store for some snacks, then headed to our usual abode while in this area, the Boquete Garden Inn. At the variety store, I bought two packages of local ground coffee, totalling about 680 grams (Panamanian coffee is excellent,) two packages of local cookies, a large Snickers bar, and two cans of fruit juice. Total cost: $5.29. Translation: it doesn`t cost much to live here.

Tomorrow, we`re off to look at our land, chat with the surveyor, and hopefully meet some people who are interested in investing with us, or in purchasing building lots at Roca Milagro. It should be a fun day.

A few moments ago, I chatted with my wife and son back in Canada. My son made me promise to bake him homemade waffles "until they come out my ears," so of course I agreed. As my wife and son appear well, and everything seems as it should be, I am going to cut this short and get some sleep.

More in the coming days.

Trees

Roca Milagro Residential Community site - Rovira Arriba, Panama

I have made my lists and checked them twice. I have printed out reports, maps, projections. I have packed my laptop. I have located and packed my passport. I have a supply of U.S. dollars. I am ready to head off to Panama again, to deal with my Roca Milagro project.

I feel guilty, though. Yes, it's a business trip, with a very hectic schedule. But I am leaving a house full of unpacked boxes for my wife and son to deal with, while I entertain clients and investors in Panama. Yes, I know, life isn't fair. I will have to make up for it all somehow, when I get back.

I am taking my laptop and my digital camera. Maybe, if I can organize my time well enough, I will get time to take some photographs and write some blog posts. I hope so.

My family and I made our last visit to our old home yesterday. There were lumps in throats and tears in eyes. Nearly fourteen years in one place. A long time. Lots of good memories, and even some not so good memories. All together, it was a slice of a sometimes too eventful life.

As it got darker outside, we strolled around the property and I remembered planting some of the trees that were now twenty or more feet tall. The Chestnut Tree, I transplanted from my parents' yard, something to remember them by. The Larch Tree, I planted because my mother often spoke of the Larches beside the river in Poland, where she grew up. The Tulip Tree found a home with me because I loved its large glossy leaves, and its tulip-shaped blossoms in the spring. It is a Carolinian tree, and I was afraid at first that our climate might be too cold for it. No problem. All the evergreens around the perimeter of the property protected it and it flourished. It will be 90 - 100 feet high one day. The Linden trees were reminders of my family's' time in Germany, where Lindens abound. The varieties of Locust trees were planted because I loved the thin, feathery leaves and the speckled shade they provided. The Dawn Redwood was planted because I thought a tree that would tower over 100 feet high would be just the thing, in one corner of the yard. I am going to miss those trees. They grew up with my son. They grew older with me.

Now I have a featureless back yard. No trees, no shrubs, no flowers. No room for more than perhaps a single tree and a few shrubs. Less work, though. More time for living.

And living is what I hope to do, for a long, long time. I want to enjoy my family, my work, my life.

And I will... all of those things. Occasionally, though, I think I just might drive back to our old home, cruise around the block, admire the natural beauty of it all, and remember.

Good memories.

In the meantime, there are lots of trees on our property in Panama, and I will enjoy those.

Holy Cow, Batman

Can it be? Is it time to go home already? I miss my wife and son and look forward to seeing them, but I don’t really want to leave Panama, at least not yet.

After breakfast this morning, it’s off on the Trans-Panama highway again, back to Panama City. We’ll spend the night there and then fly home on Wednesday. By Thursday morning, I’ll be back at my desk in Canada.

This has been a fruitful and rewarding trip, and we have all had a lot of fun. I hope to be back here in the Boquete and Rovira Arriba area again soon, possibly before the end of the year. By then, my partners and I hope to be in ownership of our proposed Stonehedge Estates, and doing the bureaucratic boogie while trying to get official approvals on a site plan for the property.

The psychedelic cow in the picture can be seen at the Villa Marta garden in Boquete. It is a private garden that is a ‘must see’ in Boquete.

A Door to Nowhere?

I’ve been there. You, if you are in the habit of being honest with yourself, have likely been there too. Perhaps we have scurried past each other while there, each in so much of a hurry that we missed the chance to get to know each other.

Where, you ask, is the ‘there’ of which I speak?

John Lennon visited the place, at least in his mind: he was a nowhere man in a nowhere land.

Nowhere. No, not nowhere in the sense that the place doesn’t exist, more so in the sense that it is a real place which itself does not lead anywhere else. It is a dead end, a dream gone bad, perhaps a failed
relationship, a meaningless job or a bad business deal.

Yes, I’ve been there. It is not a place I plan to visit again.

I am not one to second-guess myself. If I make a bad choice, a bad deal, make a wrong turn in any way, I never berate myself. If our lives are broken, if our finances are crumbling, if our relationships sour, it is up to us to remedy the problem. We can lick our wounds if we must, but please let us do so quietly. Let’s not impose our problems on others, they already have enough of their own.

I plan to embark on this new voyage of becoming a land developer in the mountains of Panama. I will have at least two partners, perhaps more, but I will be president of the corporation, in overall charge of the project. My partner Phil, the engineer, will take care of all the things I have no clue about. Roads will have to be built. Electric power will have to be available at every lot line, as will be potable water. Phil is capable, has had lots of experience in such things, and will do a great job. Another partner will be Temy, a native Panamanian and the current owner of the land. He now lives in Virginia, but will be moving back here soon. He will be a tremendous help with local authorities, labourers, and suppliers.

There are several other potential partners but we have yet to get a firm commitment from them. Whatever happens, if necessary, Phil and Temy and I will go it alone. There is still some due diligence to be done, but so far things look good.

The land that we propose to develop is spectacular. It has great views, ravines, a river, a stream, stone walls everywhere, beautiful trees, and has been cared for lovingly. There is an orange grove with 400 fruit-bearing trees, dozens of pineapple plants, plantains, mangoes, some fruit I can’t remember the name of and a garden area with vegetables. We hope to make that entire area a communal ‘green space’ and make all these things available to anyone who builds a home in our community. We want to do so many things that our ideas have run ahead of realities like how we are going to pay for everything we propose to do without first having sold a bunch of building lots to raise some operating capital. We can’t sell lots until we have an approved site plan. We can’t get a site plan approved until we submit the plan to Panamanian authorities. Thank goodness, one of the partners is a Panamanian. That should help, I think.

We’ll manage. As long as nothing pops out of the woodwork that would shock me sufficiently to drop the deal and go away, we’ll make things work. It will be probably at least a year before we can start selling lots, but I’m an optimistic sort of guy. Maybe I’ll start buying lottery tickets to give us more working capital. Do you think that might work?

I don’t want this project to be like the gate leading to nowhere, shown in the photograph above, and don’t think it will be. Serendipity, or providence, or something, has been at work leading to the circumstances described here. It all seems almost too good to be true.

No, I think this is all leading somewhere, somewhere good, not nowhere.

I asked the surveyor today, after trekking through the property again, if he thought we were crazy.

He didn’t think so.

I hope he’s right.

We're Here -- Rovira Arriba and Boquete

Well, here I am in Boquete. In Panama City, my partner Phil and his wife Susan and I rented a Toyota Land Cruiser, and we drove to Boquete on Thursday. It is a nice trip of seven hours or so, even allowing for a leisurely lunch along the way. I drove, and took it nice and easy, not wanting to have to deal with a Transito policeman again, as I had on my last trip here in November.

I drove at a very moderate speed of 100k/h (about 60 mph,) and was one of the slower vehicles on the road. The official speed limit is 80 k/h. My good intentions didn’t help much. As we passed the half-way mark or so of our journey, a Transito parked on the other side of the highway flagged me down. He told me that I had been travelling at 115 k/h and asked to see my drivers licence. He motioned for me to walk to his car (no witnesses that way) and made as if to start writing me a ticket. This would cost me $100.00, he said, if I paid the fine in Panama City. I told him I wanted to pay right now, and asked him how much it would take to make the situation go away. $20.00, he said, the same as the Transito had charged me on my last trip. I told him that there was no way on earth I was going to give him $20.00, but I would settle for $10.00. He agreed, admonished me to stop speeding (wink, wink) and waved me on. I laughed and drove on. It was still a better deal than what I would have had to pay, had I been stopped by the uniformed bandits in Ontario, Canada.

We all got a good nights sleep at the lovely Boquete Garden Inn, and on Friday morning we headed off to Rovira Arriba to inspect the property we want to buy, to meet with the owner, talk some business, and make some decisions.

It is impossible to describe the property and do it any justice. There are stone walls everywhere. In one direction, Volcan Baru looms in the distance, much of its bulk obscured by clouds. The Rio David’s rushing waters can be heard where it delineates one border of the property. Elsewhere on the land, a stream bubbles away. In one area, a spring gurgles its welcome. Everything is green and fresh. Birds sing. The whole situation is somehow almost silly. It is hard to imagine that something so pretty exists in the first place, and that over many decades owners of the land have worked to preserve its natural beauty. The stone walls don’t seem at all out of place. There is an organic feel to everything. The walls meander everywhere. Few run in a straight line. They weren’t built to hold anything in, building them was simply an expedient way to use up some of the rocks on the land. Where did all the rocks come from in the first place? Volcan Baru. Up until 800 years ago or so, it was an active volcano and every now and again it would spew lava everywhere. The result? Rocks. Lots of rocks.

We walked and walked and walked. 108 acres. As I walked, I schemed. Could we actually pull this off? Could we attract retirees and others who want to live in a mountain paradise here, to Rovira Arriba in Panama, and compete against all of the other developers who are chasing their money?

Why not? Over the course of the day, I think we have come up with a workable plan. A surveyor accompanied us on our tour of the property and the first step will be to get him to lay out a proposed site plan for us, based on our ideas of what we think the place should look like.

Then, we'll see what to do next.

A Volcan Baru Welcome?

I'm off to Toronto tonight. After a good night's sleep, Continental Airlines will take me to Houston, where I will meet my American partner and his wife for the final leg of the trip to Panama City, in the Republic of Panama. The current owner of the land on which we hope to build our Stonehedge Estates residential community, will meet us in Rovira Arriba on Friday. If all goes well, he will join us in our corporate partnership, and the lengthy process of seeking official blessings from appropriate authorities will begin. I wish we could just skip that last step and simply do what we want.

Life isn't like that, though. Wherever there is a government, there are delays. There are unnecessary procedures to follow. There are reams of paperwork to fill out and submit. There is work for politicians, bureaucrats , lawyers and accountants. There is aggravation for people who want to get things done, quickly and efficiently, without fuss.

We'll deal with it. You may hear me grumble, though, from time to time.

Volcan Baru, the inactive volcano that is visible from the Rovira Arriba and Boquete areas, may be grumbling too. It must have heard that I am coming to visit. There has been no volcanic activity from Volcan Baru for over 800 years, but there is some concern that it might become active again. Considerable earthquake activity has been reported in the area recently. Nothing serious, folks. Feeling the earth shake under your feet on occasion is a lot cheaper than seeking thrills and excitement at your local Six Flags theme park. And Volcan Baru, I hope, will keep on snoozing.

The whole Stonehedge Estates project is by no means a sure thing yet. There are a million things that could still get in the way of making it happen. Hopefully, by the time I get back after the 8-day trip, I'll have a better idea.

We'll see. Either way, it will be a break from the everyday humdrum, and I will enjoy the experience. I'll take lots of pictures. I'll post some to this blog, both during the trip and after I get back.

More from Boquete, Panama

I am sweltering here in Boquete, even though the area is touted as having almost perfect temperatures of 65 - 72 degrees Fahrenheit year round. I don’t know what the temperature is tonight, but I am soaked to the skin. It is noticeably cooler than in the Tonosi area though, so maybe I just feel hot because of the very high humidity.

I went for a walk several times tonight, covering most of downtown Boquete. The place was hopping with Panamanians out for a good time. I saw a few obvious visitors from outside Panama, but not many. I ran into Reinhold yet again and he told me that there was a hangout about five kilometres out of town where the expats hang out. I couldn’t be bothered heading out there. I am more interested in the local flavour. I see plenty of North Americans at home.

I did run into one gent at my hotel who told me that he was originally from Vancouver but lived in Utah for the last fifteen years. He is visiting Boquete to see if it might be a good place to live. His first impression: He doesn't think so.

I think Boquete would be a perfectly acceptable place to live, but not necessarily a good place to invest at the moment. Real estate values have spiked because of all the hype about Boquete and I think the market for upscale homes, or even average homes geared to gringos, is overpriced. Prices are not much cheaper than they are in London, Ontario. Of course, they have the perfect temperature here, no heat or air conditioning costs to pay and just about everything except for the real estate is inexpensive. I'm sure the prices will continue to surge upwards here, but if I wanted to invest in a real estate market bubble, I could just as easily do so at home.

I'm still going to look, though. Maybe I can find a finca (farm) in the area for a reasonable price and sit on it for a few years. Local taxes are low, so there isn't much in the way of ongoing costs to hold a land investment. Of course, there is the opportunity cost, whatever you could have earned had you invested the money elsewhere.

We'll see.

If you are a young man, looking to come to Panama to make your fortune and perhaps find a gorgeous Latina while you're here, this may also not be the place to be. There is no shortage of beautiful Latin women here, but the ratio is not what it is in the lowlands. I may be a happily married man, but I'm not dead. My eyes still work. My brain still processes data reasonably well. I believe that the area between Panama City and the Azuero Peninsula is the place to find that dream Latina.

I know my wife will forgive me for saying this because, after all, I am merely giving advice, not planning a defection myself. Let me put this all into a context any red-blooded American male can understand: If you like Salma Hayek, Jennifer Lopez, Penelope Cruz or Paz Vega, come to Panama. You will see facsimiles of these beauties in dress shops, in offices, chatting with their friends in public squares, in fact just about everywhere. Now, are you ready for the really good news? You will find their even more beautiful sisters, the ones who adore gringos, right beside them.

Of course that is just my humble take on the subject. I could be wrong.

And that’s it for this time... Good night.

Boquete, Panama

Well, here I am in Boquete. Time is going by way too quickly. I drove from Tonasi, about seven hours with frequent stops. This is a beautiful and lively little place with lots of gringos around. Reinhold, the guy I mentioned in an earlier post, was walking up the street in front of my hotel just after I checked in. We chatted and later had coffee together.

Many Canadian and Americans have bought land here. I will be looking around myself, although I am not sure that I want to buy a second property in Panama. Still, it is very pretty... hmmm.

I took quite a view pictures on the drive. The one in this post is of a howler monkey baby and its mother. They were sunning themselves on a bridge over a valley and I was lucky enough to get several closeup snaps. They live in the treetops, which in this case just happened to be the same height as the bridge, so they enjoyed some sun, then swung away into the canopy again. There are howler monkeys in the forest near where I bought my piece of land, but the pictures I took of them were from so far away it is hard to recognize them as what they are.

As you may have deduced, I made several posts today because I finally have high speed internet access. After today, it may be several days again.

There will be more to come, when I can. I am having a blast. This is a great place to visit.

Off to Panama

This weekend I will be off to Toronto. Monday morning, I will catch an early flight to Tocumen Airport, near Panama City, Panama. I think I'm all ready to go. My laptop's browser bookmarks and email address book are updated. My passport is packed. Naturally, I couldn't imagine heading off to Panama without listening to 'Panama' by Van Halen, so I did that this morning. Yes, I know it's silly and that one doesn't have anything to do with the other. I don't care.

The Panama weather forecast calls for rain and thunderstorms. This time of year, that sort of weather is to be expected and is part of the tropical experience. Can't have rain forests without rain, right? I'm going to have a blast, rain or shine. Along with the coastal areas bordering the Pacific on one side and the Caribbean on the other, I plan to visit some inland areas as well. Boquete is one inland town I plan to visit. They have what must be the coolest weather page on the internet.

Over the 10 days that I will be in Panama, I hope to write a blog post or two, if I have internet access anywhere. I will also write about at least some of my experiences, good or bad, when I return. I have rented a Daihatsu Terios for my adventures. I have no experience with Daihatsu, so I hope it is a dependable vehicle. I will be driving many miles along both coasts of Panama, looking for that elusive perfect property to invest in. Whether I am successful in finding something or not, remains to be seen. It will be an exciting experience, regardless. I hope to do some trekking in the Panamanian jungles as well. It would be a shame to visit there and not see the more remote areas and at least some of the exotic birds and other wildlife there.

I'll be back soon.