Actually, it's greener on OUR side of the fence!

(Click image to enlarge)

It's May. It is beginning to rain more in Panama. I like the rainy season. Often, all it means is that there is a downpour for a while and then the sun comes out and everything smells fresh and is bathed in sunlight again. Sometimes, it is overcast all day but is still warm and pleasant. If you are past the age when you like to splash barefoot in mud puddles, what do you do when it rains? You go shopping. You meet friends in a restaurant or bar. You stretch out in a hammock with a good book. You stare off into the distance and reflect on your past and future and thank your lucky stars for what you have.

I may be 63 years old myself, but I am just a big kid at heart. If you join my partners and me at Roca Milagro one day, you may just see me walking around in the pouring rain with a silly grin on my face. I may even be barefoot, you never know. Life is too short not to enjoy and to experience the simple, everyday things that often go unnoticed during our more stressful career years.

The view in the photo at the top of this post is from one of my personal lots at Roca Milagro and yes, it was taken during a previous rainy season. Isn't it wonderful how green everything is? The view in this photo is towards Volcan Baru but views in all directions are beautiful, from every single building lot in the development.

We're selling building lots now, folks, and prices are still low as we finish off our roads and services. Take advantage of the low prices. Want to live a perfect life, and like me to pretend you're a kid again? Join us. You'll be glad you did.

Please sign up for our email updates below or visit our website.

Roca Milagro Website

Making Friends in Panama

(Click on image to enlarge)

Even the horse in the picture shown above knows that sometimes having a good friend or two is a good idea. We all need friends on occasion. Getting to know new people in a new country might seem difficult, but in Panama it is really quite easy. Walk around for a bit in Panama City or Boquete or David and you will run into individuals who hail from Canada and the United States, and increasingly from Europe. They will be just as happy to see you as you are to see them. And the Panamanian people are friendly, open and hospitable.

Then there are the social networking groups that will help you meet new friends. Sign up at http://boquete.ning.com and check out the profiles of interesting individuals there. One new friend of mine on that network is Lynnie English. She took the photograph displayed at the top of this post and kindly gave me permission to use it here.

I love that photograph. Where but in Panama could see such a sight?

Thanks, Lynnie!

Welcome to Rovira Arriba

Click to Enlarge

Roca Milagro is situated just a short 3 kilometer or so jaunt down the road from a sleepy Panamanian village called Rovira Arriba. When we purchased the land on which our development is located, in 2006, the last 1/12 kilometers was a pretty bumpy ride. Potholes were everywhere. Rocks jutted out of the road. Driving was slow and dusty.

We didn't like that. So, what did we do? Did we lobby local authorities to fix the road because we were going to be spending millions developing a big, beautiful development in the area?

No, we didn't. We contacted the local authorities and asked for permission to upgrade the road ourselves, at our expense. All we asked was that when we completed the first part of the improvement, which was to bring in over 250 loads of fill, build up the road bed, grade it all smooth and then compact it, that they take the next step and seal the surface to protect it and to keep the dust down. Below is a photograph taken while we were keeping our part of the bargain.

Click to Enlarge

We're still waiting. One must be patient in Panama. In the meantime, we're not letting anything hold up our own progress at Roca Milagro. After all, when the Panamanian authorities finally keep their promise to us, we want to make sure we will have kept our promises to ourselves and to our partners and customers.

Do we get brownie points for setting a good example?

Outside Looking In.

Click on photograph to enlarge

Do you know what it's like when you get so close to something that you miss the 'big picture' significance or total beauty of it all? When I was in Panama in February, my friend and partner Wilf and I took a walk along the service road that runs along one border of our Roca Milagro property. I wanted to get a feel for what it would be like when Roca Milagro is populated with people and someone wants to go for a hike or a ride towards the town of Dolega, where the service road ends, miles away. The photograph above is one I snapped looking in at our development from outside the rock wall that separates us from the service road. The mountain in the background is the famed Volcan Baru.

I enjoyed the tranquility of it all, but couldn't help wondering what it will all look like when the roads and services are complete and people start building homes. We're getting closer every day.

I can't wait!

The new Roca Milagro website is live!!!

I am happy to announce that the new Roca Milagro website is live. Finally! I had delayed launching the site until I thought we had something truly great to show you and I think we have achieved that. The way we have set up the website will allow us to add content as things develop, as construction eventually begins on homes, as we landscape more of the property and so on.

One of the things I like about the new site is that there are slideshows in a number of places with photographs illustrating whatever that page is trying to communicate to you. For example, we try to provide helpful information about Panama generally, with accompanying photographs. We also try to show the various stages of development at Roca Milagro, also with many illustrative photographs displayed in slideshows.

Drop in at www.rocamilagro.com. Tour our website to get an idea of what the physical Roca Milagro development site is like.

Enjoy! And don't forget to leave your name at our Contact Us page to be put on an email update list. As it says on that page:

Contacting us will place your name and information in our email list but there will be no pressure, no harassment, and no nonsense from us. We are a very relaxed group and we respect everyone's right not to be annoyed. We will not share your information with other organizations and your privacy will be respected. We will simply send occasional updates or news about Roca Milagro. You will not be hassled, ever.

See? We don't like pushy people either.

Let's go for a ride

Click on photograph to enlarge

Today is April 8, 2009. It snowed here in London, Ontario, again, as it did yesterday. It didn't snow enough to create any real problems but isn't it time for some nice weather, even here in the frozen north?

It's not snowing in Panama. When I describe Canadian winters to my friends in Panama, they don't appear to be too interested in gaining any first hand experience with snow and ice and slush and slippery roads and shoveling snow. I don't blame them.

One of my Panamanian friends sent me the photograph above. It shows the service road that runs along our Roca Milagro property and all the way to the town of Dolega. There is no vehicular traffic on the road, it is there for local ranchers to move their cattle from one place to another or for hikers and horseback riders to enjoy. On the other side of the rock wall, which runs the entire length of our property, is Roca Milagro.

I wish I were there today. I would love to mount up and go for a ride.

Huh?

Yes, I know that I have been absent for a while. After returning from my trip to Panama in February, I have been working hard to catch up on so many things, many related to the Roca Milagro project and some not. A clone or two would come in handy right now.

As I was walking a round the Roca Milagro site during my visit, I couldn't help but chuckle at the fire hydrants that were being placed along the roads throughout the development, all in accordance with Panamanian building codes and whatnot, ready to help douse any fires that might dare to invade. Why did the sight tickle my funny bone?

I will be happy to tell you.

What is there on the site that is going to burn? Panamanian home construction is almost universally concrete block or cement or stone or some other really hard, non-combustible stuff. The roofs are almost always made of clay tile or steel.

Maybe I'm missing something. I wonder how much all of those hydrants and their installation have cost us. I wonder if any one of them will ever be turned on.

Your patio or mine?

At the beginning of February, I will be heading to Panama again for two weeks. I can't wait. Global warming has forgotten to include Ontario, Canada, it its game plan, and as a result we are freezing our buns off here. We have had a ridiculous amount of snow, unusually cold temperatures, and there is, so far at least, no let-up. At least in Panama I'll be warm for a couple of weeks.

I am discovering, in booking flights and hotels and car rentals, that everyone is a little friendlier and a little more flexible with pricing and making deals. Businesses are hurting, folks, and they are beginning to realize that their customer is truly their most valuable asset. They are beginning, at least in a small way, to act accordingly.

In my Canadian office, every time I have a meeting with one or more of my management staff, I sense some level of worry among other staff members. I reassure everyone that we are a solid company, are in good shape financially, and that no-one is going to lose their job, but people are nervous. Jobs are scarce. I am grateful that we don't have to worry too much about the financial mess out there but I sure wouldn't ever want to become complacent.

There appears to be widespread hope (even in Canada) that somehow President Obama will use his superpowers and superior intellect to solve the worlds' problems. Don't count on it. A mess is a mess and will stay a mess until someone cleans it up. Throwing more money at problems will only delay the inevitable and nothing will be solved. Obama is smart, but he isn't necessarily wise. There is a big difference. Part of wisdom is being able to recognize what hasn't worked and to do away with it, or at least not repeat it. Wisdom often means acting not on expedience, but on the knowledge that it takes time and effort to build anything useful and lasting. Obama has no experience, has never done anything even remotely useful, and is surrounding himself with many 'more-of-the-same' type of politicians and advisers. And no, McCain wouldn't have done any better.

What to do? Move to Panama, friends. Live economically, relax, let the world go by and enjoy yourself. And. . . I can even help you with a place to live, at our Roca Milagro project. You can enjoy our community of freedom lovers and watch from afar as much of the world as we have known it collapses around us. One of my partner's wondered once if our project might not be sort of a Galt's Gulch. She might be on to something, especially in light of what is happening around the world.

So, will we share a drink together on your patio or mine?

Merry Christmas, 2008

Dear friends:

I don’t claim to be a religious person but have to admit that the secularization of Christmas and the marginalization of Christians generally is troubling to me. Christians are oft portrayed as intolerant, closed-minded and, dare I say it, stupid. Having grown up in a Christian home and having seen first-hand how my parents and others in our church community deported themselves, compared to many in the larger community, I can say that in my experience I have found Christians to be mostly tolerant, forgiving and inclusive of those shunned by others. Whatever my personal feelings might be, I don’t want the celebration to be styled as ‘Xmas’ or any other aberration. It will always be ‘Christmas’ to me.

So . . . I am not including the tropical Santa photograph above as a sop to secularism. Nor am I excluding a religious graphic as an anti-Christian statement. I just thought the image to be an interesting juxtaposition of Santa, with his North Pole attire, against a backdrop of tropical shrubbery.

I took the photograph above in Panama City during one of my many trips to the Republic of Panama over the last several years. The setting tickled my fancy and I couldn’t resist taking the photograph to show my friends back home in Canada.

We are living in an increasingly troubling world. Our economies are broken, our governments are trampling our rights and voters are delusional about what politicians and bureaucrats can do to provide remedy. We are in for an interesting ride in the next several years. The world will be quite different from what it was when we were all growing up. With the exception of the gadgetry that we all enjoy today, most of the changes that we will experience, even here in North America, will not be positive.

I know that this Christmas missive from me might seem a bit strange with its subtext of doom and gloom, but it is not my intention to frighten anyone or to promote any sense of hopelessness. I believe that the indomitable human spirit that has seen the world and the human race through so many crises in the past will be triumphant once again, and that during troubled times we should just do the best we can and be thankful for what we have, most especially friends and families.

From me and my family, to you and your family, I would like to express my heartfelt wish for a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May good health and good sense be with you always.

Sieg Pedde
Christmas, 2008

Catching Up

I haven't been around much lately, have I? I've been busy dealing with the minutiae of our Panama Roca Milagro project and other fun stuff. The photograph above shows construction of the wooden cap that will adorn the main entrance way at Roca Milagro. Most of the main roads in the project are cut now and we are preparing the cul-de-sacs that the contractor left until last to complete. We are waiting for a permit to transport and use a huge rock crusher to produce gravel for our internal roads. And it is raining, more and more, as we enter the worst of the rainy season. That slows work down considerably.

It is getting colder here in Ontario and the days are getting shorter. Soon, I will be getting weird looks as I continue to wear the short-sleeved shirts and sandals over bare feet that I favour until my feet turn to icicles. I refuse to give in. I want my summer, dammit, even if I have to try to delude myself that it is still warm outside. I have been attending meetings recently with a financial adviser friend of mine who is suggesting to his clients that they invest in building lots in our project. Each time I show up, he glances down to make sure I am wearing shoes and socks. Don't worry, my friend, I won't embarrass you. But as soon as I leave those meetings, it's back to my usual, more comfortable, and more unusual attire.

What's happening out there in the financial markets and in the economies of the world? Things are falling apart. I have been writing for years about the excesses of our governments and about the foolishness of those investors who assume that there will always be a greater fool to buy their overpriced homes and stocks and other investments. There are interesting times ahead, folks. Strap yourselves in for a bumpy ride.

I'm ready. That doesn't mean, however, that I will enjoy the experience as things fall apart around us.

We're human beings. We never appear to learn from the past. It's a pity.

Another one of life's great puzzles . . .

Cattle eat grass, right? Or maybe the occasional leaf or other vegetable matter, or perhaps some prepared feed designed to fatten them up. But have you ever seen a cow eat a survey stake made of PVC plastic piping? Not I.

The cow above is chewing on one of those survey stakes. So were many of its friends and neighbours in the herd. We had let some cattle on our Panama land to keep the grass down during road construction but the exercise, instead of netting us some extra cash in grazing fees, lost us a chunk of cash. Yep, we have to pay a surveyor to replace all of those stakes at the corners of each building lot and along the roads. The damn cows even ate lot markers, little plastic signs telling us the number of each surveyed building lot. So, the cattle had to go. I wonder if they got indigestion.

We have all heard the 'grass is greener' cliche, but these stakes weren't even on the other side of the fence, nor were they green.

Maybe cows really are as stupid as the many jokes about them make them out to be.

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.

Another Milestone

It's my birthday today. Age 63, if you must know. Don't tell anyone.

I'm still in Boquete, Panama and staying at the Villa Marita, a charming place owned by a man named Rodrigo and operated by his charming daughter Ana. Two of my partners, Herb and Wilf are here with me.

Wilf asked Ana yesterday if she would jump out of a giant taco in celebration of my birthday. She giggled at the bizarre image that suggestion must have created in her mind, but declined. Wilf has a great sense of humour but, frankly, I think Ana has more sense. She and her father have been perfect hosts.

I am rested, psyched about all of the great things we have accomplished on this trip, and am sad to be leaving Panama again so soon. By Sunday night I will be back home. I miss my family, but Panama does hold a special place in my heart and it is always diffcult to leave here.

Pictures and details when I get back to Canada and get caught up again.

Up, Up and Away

Like Superman in the old black and white TV days, I will be "up, up and away" to Panama this weekend. It's business, mostly, and maybe a little fun too, if I can spare the time.

The graphic above shows the layout of our Roca Milagro development near Rovira Arriba in Panama. It has been a little over two years since we bought the property. Now, road construction is underway at the site and things are moving ahead nicely. Hurrah!

I used to own a Superman belt buckle when I was much younger. It helped hold up my jeans for years. It's not that I have ever seen myself as superhuman, it was more a reminder to me that in order to move ahead and accomplish anything in life one generally has to expend superhuman effort. Do nothing, gain nothing. Do a bit, gain a bit. Do a lot, gain a lot. I have always believed that.

It helps to have people around you that you can depend on, individuals who have skills and talents you personally don't possess. I have been fortunate in that respect. I am grateful. Super-grateful.

I had a chat with my son a few days ago. I explained to him that I have this huge 'to-do' list and that one of my greatest fears is that I won't be able to do all of the things I want to do, visit all the places I wish to, experience all of the pleasures that I would like. Getting older, to use the common vernacular, sucks. Never having done anything interesting or exciting or even crazy (to some observers) would, I suspect, suck more. I have done a lot, travelled a lot, experienced a lot. I have stubbed my toes and bumped my head many times. That is how we learn. Life, as they say, is not a rehearsal. We have one chance at it and then we die. Happy thought, isn't it?

I'm not planning on departing this earth anytime soon.

I am looking forward to seeing our project, seeing some of my partners again, and meeting some new people while I am in Panama. Maybe I'll have time to go riding, if I can find someone who will lend or rent me a horse. That would be nice.

Unlike Superman, I can't fly. I can still walk, but riding is more fun. Excuse me while I add finding a horse to ride in Panama to my to-do list.

Pecking for Fun and Profit

I was standing at my kitchen window a few days ago, watching as a finch repeatedly pecked away at a floor mat my wife had left on the deck to dry. The bird was trying, without much success, to pry away a few fibers with which to build or line its nest. Picking up blades of grass or other detritus suitable to its intentions would have been much easier but the allure of clean, white threads made the bird willing to work so much harder.

We humans are like that, aren't we? When we are motivated by desire for something we really want, we are willing to work ever so hard and long to get it.

Or at least that is the way it used to be.

I think that these days we are so much into instant gratification that we want everything right now. Usually, the only way for many of us to get something right now is to borrow money or make a promise to trade something of equal value in the future. Our perception then tells us that the scales are no longer balanced; we have want we want now but we are paying for the thing well into the future and are usually paying interest for the privilege of instant gratification.

I prefer to buy what I can afford, pay for it and forget about it. The resultant peace of mind makes the wait worth it.

This weekend, I am off to Panama again. I'll be gone two weeks. There is a lot happening on our Roca Milagro project and I can't wait to see the physical changes since I was there last, in February. Two of my Canadian friends and partners are coming along and a good time will be had by all.

I am in discussions with friends and associates to form an investment syndicate some time in September or October with the express intent of investing in Panama and other Central and South American countries. Most of what we propose to do will be land banking but we may also be interested in purchasing hospitality businesses or residential rental properties. I don't know yet what the buy-in will be to participate in our syndicate, probably $50,000 or so with ongoing monthly contributions yet to be determined. If there is any interest in this beyond the core group of investors we already have, we will consider extending the opportunity to participate to others.

I hope to take a lot of photographs while in Panama and will post what I can when I can.

I get to meet some interesting people in my travels and projects. One such person is Miguel Bernard. That's him in the photograph displayed above, playing King of the Hill on one of the many rocks in our Roca Milagro development. Miguel lives in the Boquete area of Chiriqui province in Panama and our company uses his services extensively as interpretor and facilitator. That is one side of Miguel.

Another side of Miguel is what he does to help underprivileged kids in the Boquete area. He heads an organization called Panama United Foundation which exists to allow sponsorship of children with help to pay for expenses associated with going to school: tuition, books, uniforms, etc. A PDF brochure is avilable here.

I support Miguels's efforts, both in principle and financially. If you have some cash to spare and an interest in helping kids better themselves, I encourage you to donate to the Panama United Foundation. Every dollar helps.

Another Tardy Post

The photograph above shows the progress being made on the 'entrada' at our Roca Milagro development in Rovira Arriba, Republic of Panama. The view is from inside the development and looking towards the road coming from Rovira Arriba. Rains are slowing progress on road building and other infrastructure development on the site, but my partners in the area are working valiantly to cope and to make us all proud.

We will be selling building lots soon. If anyone is interested in looking at a very basic temporary brochure describing Roca Milagro, you can find one here in PDF format. Better and more comprehensive information will be coming soon and our website at www.rocmilagro.com will be completely revamped by July sometime. If you, or someone you know, is interested in building a vacation or retirement home in the mountains of Panama, near the Costa Rican border, or if you simply want to invest in a building lot or two to hold on to for a while, check us out. We are a group of industrious and freedom-loving Canadians, Americans and Panamanians and we would love to be joined by others who want to own their own slice of heaven. How about some of you from other parts of our ever-shrinking world? Join us!

Pay It Forward

(click on image to enlarge)

The rainy season is coming in Panama and at our Roca Milagro development there is frantic activity to get things done before the annual deluge. In the top photograph, the entrada takes shape, and in the lower picture a worker works inside one of the columns making up the entrada. The insides of the columns will be filled with rubble and then capped with poured concrete, formed into planters.

Developing a project of this size can be daunting, frustrating, sometimes infuriating, but ultimately, we all hope, satisfying and rewarding. I am lucky to have a wonderful group of partners who are supportive and helpful. Thank you all -- you know who you are!

I don't like the passage of time because at my age it simply marks the inexorable march towards oblivion, but when this project is complete I will be happy to walk through all 108 acres of it and revel in what a group of dedicated individuals can accomplish. We still have a long way to go, but we are making significant progress, finally.

I was thinking back today to the days of my early teenage years and remembered a particular classmate who was shunned by others because his family was very poor, he always wore the same clothes, rarely bathed, and was cruelly called "Doodlebugs" by everyone. I was probably the only one who ever talked to him at length and who tried to treat him like a human being. I will always remember the gratitude in his eyes. I won't mention his real name here, but I learned a lot from him. I learned that my parents were right when they told me that a kind word, an act of compassion, a supportive gesture can go a long way. I try to act that way still, even though sometimes I really don't feel like it. I am particularly grateful that people around me are generally kind and supportive of me and projects I direct, including this one. It makes my life and my job much easier.

In that spirit, let's all 'pay it forward,' and extend kindness wherever and whenever we can. It will help make the world a better place, and folks -- the world needs a lot of help.

Have a great weekend.

More Roca Milagro

(click photos to enlarge)

Construction methods in Panama seem primitive compared to what I am used to in Canada. The finished product, whether house or warehouse, usually looks just fine, but the steps getting there are certainly not what I am used to. In the top photo, a workman constructs one of the pillars that will become part of the entrance gate to our Roca Milagro site. The structure will be massive, with a 20 X 20 foot space to drive vehicles as large as cement trucks through and will be surrounded with our ubiquitous rock walls containing shrubs and flowers. It will be topped with an elegant wooden cap made of Nispero, a strong and durable wood harvested in Panama.

The bottom photo shows a road bed taking shape inside the development, heading into the site towards the Rio David and spectacular views of Volcan Baru. The cloud cover in the photograph obscures the views but is in itself very pretty.

We are considering building a pyramid on our site of the variety common to Central and South America, but of course much smaller, say 10 X 10 meters at the base and with about the same height. There would be an observation deck at the top. If anyone knows anything about such structures that might be helpful to us, please let me know.