Back to Panama soon . . .

I'm preparing for my fourth trip to Panama since November of last year. I'll be leaving on December 11th and will be gone for eight days. Things are moving ahead with our Roca Milagro residential project in Rovira Arriba, in the mountains of Panama near Boquete. We have the first draft of our building lot and street layout ready, and are preparing to move ahead with all of the studies necessary to get approval to begin construction of roads, water and electricity and other infrastructure, hopefully by mid-2007.

Beginning a project like this has been quite an education for me. Someday, when things are steaming along full-tilt, and all of the start-up frustrations are out of the way, I might write about it. For now, just let me say that my oft-stated requirement that for me to get involved in any investment, it has to be fun, is being mocked on occasion. What keeps me going is the stunning beauty of the development site, my commitment to my partners and investors, and the general appeal of Panama as a place both economically and politically stable. What are a few small frustrations along the way? Look at the photograph of our site above, and imagine extinct volcano Volcan Baru in the background, and the sound of the Rio David as it rushes along one side of the property. Imagine yourself riding or walking along the trails, through the lush green areas we plan to set aside, all among beautiful homes designed for tropical living. That is the image I keep in mind to keep me motivated.

I'm looking forward to my trip. Panama is such a beautiful place. One of my partners, our project engineer, has already moved into a temporary home in Boquete with his wife, until he can build their dream home on our site. I have met other people in the area, both native Panamanians and some who have moved to the area from Canada or the United States. Everyone is friendly and relaxed. It is quite a change from our hectic and sometimes frantic lifestyle at home.

For now, though, back to real life and a cluttered desk.

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.

Hi, my name is Sieg. Do you want to buy some property together?

I went to an auction sale yesterday. There were three lots of land for sale, configured in an L-shape, two in front and one behind one of the front lots, facing onto a side street. I had previously made an offer for one of the front lots, but it had been refused because the vendor was worried about selling the back lot if the front lots were already sold.

The property owner had instructed the auctioneer to sell all three lots, all or none. Two bidders were present who were interested in all three lots as a unit. When they finished deciding who was willing to pay how much, there was, as there always is, one clear winner. All this had been done very casually, via a discussion with the auctioneer. There weren't enough bidders present to go through the usual 'going, going, gone' routines.

I still wanted the one front lot. Another bidder wanted the other front lot. I asked him if he was willing to pay 'x' for the lot he wanted, if I would pay the same amount for the lot I was interested in. We would then split the cost of the third lot. The total would be a price that was slightly higher than the current highest bid. He agreed. Now, the bids totalled a bit more than the other bidder had committed to, and he had to decide whether to risk battling us, perhaps ending up paying much more than what he wanted to. He folded. We got what we wanted. What he didn't know, was that I would have dropped out at any higher price because, although I would have the one lot I wanted, I would also have a half interest in a lot I really had no use for. That meant that I had to keep the price low.

The guy with whom I will share ownership of the one lot is someone I have never met before. We got to know each other after the sale, over some coffee at the Tim Hortons two blocks away from the property. He is a nice guy and we will get along just fine. Isn't it weird how things work out?

The jointly-owned lot will be put up for sale.

The gentleman with whom I am trying to put together a residential equestrian community in Panama is from Colorado. I met him on a hotel patio, in Boquete, Panama. We chatted for fifteen minutes or less, and decided to go into business together. I haven't seen him since. We speak on the phone or email each other.

I am an 'old school' businessman. My word is my bond. My handshake is as good as a bunch of words carved in granite and witnessed by John Hancock. I only like to do business with people who can be trusted that way. There are fewer of those every year. It's a shame.

I salute everyone out there who is true to his or her word. Teach your children and grandchildren to be like you. We need more people like that in the world.

Productive Use of Human Resources in Panama

My recent trip to Panama got me thinking about a lot of things, including the possibility of starting a business there. My opinion is that there are so many opportunities in that country that any businessman with some drive and ambition would have to be incompetent not to succeed there -- if the right type of business is chosen.

That, of course, is the trick, isn't it, to find a business that has affordable and useful products or services and a market large enough to sustain growth and continuity. There are businesses that we, as North Americans, might see as desirable in Panama, but that Panamanians themselves might have little or no use for at the moment.

As I drove through the country I marveled at the ineffective use of human resources throughout much of the country. Manual labour is cheap in Panama, so men do much of what could be done by machine. Many men are on the government payroll doing menial work, perhaps because it is better to have them working at something and collecting a paycheque, than sitting around at home grousing. If I remember correctly, the unemployment rate in Panama is somewhere between 9 - 10%, which really isn't all that bad given how little industrialization there is in the country.

As I drove west from Panama City, I noticed that there were work gangs, with scores of men using gasoline-powered weed whackers, to clear the median and the roadsides of waist-high grass and weeds. As I got further and further away from the city, the workers used at first scythes and then ultimately machetes to do the clearing. Can you imagine working for eight or more hours in the tropical sun using a machete to cut weeds? I can imagine myself doing it, but I would have to be pretty desperate.

And that is it, isn't it? Panamanians are no different than we are. They want to work towards a better life for themselves and their families and will willingly do back-breaking labour to do so.

The reality is, of course, that one man, driving a tractor equipped with a shoulder mower, can cut 50 miles of roadside or more per day, perhaps 25 miles in one direction, then 25 miles back. Perhaps 50 or 100 men would lose their jobs though, for every tractor used for that purpose.

Would that be a bad thing? I certainly wouldn't want anyone to lose their livelihood, so how about using the labour of these men more effectively, doing something much more useful than trimming roadside vegetation.

And what might that be, you ask?

Fixing potholes.

Panama is pothole hell. Even the main highway has stretches where dodging potholes must occupy your full attention while driving. And how about secondary roads? Some are bad. Really, really bad. All those men working with machetes could be put to work in road crews, with shovels and asphalt, instead. That would mean a big improvement in road conditions.

The roads are so bad in some areas that it is truly dangerous to drive on them. I found that the best way to traverse these roads was to take position behind one of the ubiquitous private buses that run routes between towns and villages and simply do what they do. They drive the routes daily and know every pothole. Zig, zag, to and fro, drive on the right, drive on the left, drive on the shoulder. It matters not how, just get to where you want to go. And get there with yourself and your vehicle intact.

Yes, potholes are a problem in Panama.

Watch out!

Their Stories About Why They're There

I am so tired of seeing the words 'their,' 'there' and 'they're' misused that I thought I would put all three in the title of this post. That way, anyone who might chance on this blog could at least see that each of the homonyms is spelled differently and might also deduce from the example that each has a different meaning.

Besides the purpose stated above, the title of this post refers to the reasons people I met in Panama had either settled there already or were exploring that possibility for the future. The reasons below were given to me either in response to my direct question or I was able to form a conclusion from conversations that left little room for doubt in my mind.

• To find a safe, warm and affordable place to retire.
• To seek investment opportunities, mostly in real estate.
• To get away from bad marriages or relationships while hoping for better luck in a place where more traditional male/female roles still existed.
• To escape increasing state control over the individual in their home country.
  

Consider the quote below from Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged:"

"The only power any government has is to crack down on crime and criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, then one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens. What's there in that for anyone. But just pass the kinds of law that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted and you create a nation of lawbreakers - and then you can cash in on their guilt."

Doesn't Rand's quote remind us of how things have been becoming in Canada and the United States? Is Panama any better? I am unfamiliar with the power of the state in that country. I just imagine that the level of bureaucracy has not yet advanced to the point it is in North America. But it will, eventually. It always does. In the meantime, though, there might be a few years where people can feel relatively free.

Maybe.

I have no intention to cut and run myself. Yes, Canada is cold in the winter. Yes, it is far too socialist for my taste. Still, Canada has been good to me and I will be here for a long, long time.

Cattle Ranching in Panama

The first picture above is one of my favourites from my Panama trip. Riders like the one shown here are everywhere in Panama, herding cattle from one grazing spot to another, often along busy highways.

I came upon this herd suddenly, without time to get out and compose that perfect shot. As a result, I like the photograph even better than I otherwise might have. The additional perspective provided by the rearview mirror adds interest to the composition.

The herd was one of only a handful I saw in Panama that wasn't of the Brahman breed. Countless Brahman herds, with thousands of animals, dot the lanscape of Panama. I'm not sure why the Brahman breed is so popular. They are certainly interesting animals to look at, as you can see from the white animal in the second photograph.

Steak, anyone?

The Future of Panama

The future of any country lies with its children. Panama will be in good hands. I have been to many towns and villages in Panama and my impressions are positive.

I realize that my very short nine day stay in the country is hardly enough to make any sort of definitive statement. I can only say that the children I’ve seen and interacted with were open, friendly, well-behaved and with none of the attitude that is so much in evidence in Canada and the United States.

I roamed the slum areas of Panama City and saw no gangs of disenchanted youth out looking for trouble. Instead, I saw kids dressed in school uniforms on their way to or from classes or chatting and laughing in small groups after school. Older, obviously unemployed young men and women, congregated in their own favourite places, but were never rowdy or disrespectful when I was around. I never felt anything but completely safe.

In rural areas, I saw many children, during school hours, either with their parents who were doing some sort of menial work or, as in the case of the young cowboys pictured here, performing their own jobs. I don’t know what the laws are in Panama about attendance at school. The two boys above on horseback were moving a herd of cattle along a stretch of the main Panamanian highway. They were delighted to be photographed and put an extra bit of swagger into their duties. The couldn’t have been more than thirteen or fourteen years old, about the age of my son, and it was late morning on a school day.

The two young boys in the other picture were standing on a bridge watching some grown-ups herd cattle. When they continued to walk down the highway, I asked if I could photograph them and they were happy to comply. They beamed, ear to ear, when I showed them the photographs.