Life is Good Panama

Life continues to be good

2011-07-13T16:13:00.001-04:00

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Life is good tubes for the Rio Guabito

Spectacular views as we drive to Rambala

Ah-h-h-h-h the Caribbean Side

Samuel the sloth in residence near our cabin

One of our little falls

2011-07-13T16:10:00.000-04:00

back

2010-12-10T09:35:00.000-05:00

Been busy with lots of ideas and things here is one of the things we have been busy at. Take a look at the progress pictures of the start of the lodge using wood from the property that was from trees already fallen.

Military News: Continuing Promise 2010 Supports People of Panama

2010-09-29T16:40:00.000-04:00

Military News: Continuing Promise 2010 Supports People of Panama

Manmade Bottle Island - Amazing

2008-12-15T10:02:00.001-05:00

Embedded Video

Flood in Boquete

2008-11-27T22:42:00.005-05:00

Flooding in Boquete

It all started with a tropical storm that caused a heavy 4 days of rain the ground became so saturated that the mountainous roads became quickly impassable with mud slides and the rivers roared and in many cases change course and swept away cars, homes, and in some cases lives. Here are a few pictures that I took along with a news link.

Lined up under shelter watching the event

Down stream from the bridge this is early on

The river rose another 2' higher

This little pig didn't make it

This is the road we used to walk down each morning

The real problem is on the Bocas Del Toro side with the stream behind Mario swelling up over its banks and wiped out the cabanas behind his house. He said he has moved to over the restaurant but we are not able to get over there and check until the roads are open there are various reports on the condition and we are holding out for an eye witness. But in true Panamain style when we finally got hold of Mario he said life was good family is safe and staying up over the restaraunt and they have power but the neighbor Estaf's place was completly wipped out.

What's new From Panama

2008-11-19T20:27:00.005-05:00

Hey all let me catch you up on what is happening now.

We are trying to push ahead with Punta Linda and are searching for some help (investors)but we trust it will come cause it is time for something this good. In the meantime we will be letting you know what kind of progress we are making - we have made tremendous headway with planning already - and what is going on in our daily lives here in Boquete.

We do have a professionally prepared business plan and great compensation for investors who might like to keep their money in a safe place and in a money making project, so if you think of anyone who might be a fit for us please let us and them know. Fortunately tourism in Panama as well as the general economy continues to thrive and we feel very fortunate for that.

Yesterday I went to Punta Linda to show some people the Rambala property that we have for sale and while there talked to Mario who had just had a birthday bash for 5 year old Susan with over 100 people. Linda and I were not able to make the party but are saving ourselves for Mario's birthday on the 23 of November.

After showing the property and enjoying Juana's ( Mario's girl friends) chicken and rice and bidding all farewell I started on the hour forty minute drive home to Boquete and 10 minutes into the drive I reached down for a sip from a drink I had opened in the morning and as I grabbed a big swallow I felt in my mouth what felt like a leaf or something. Then it moved and I felt a sting. After coating the inside of my van with spewed drink turning every thing into a sticky mess I tried sucking on my lip to get the poison and stinger out. Well that didn't seem to help and as I continued driving down the winding 2 lane mountain road with no turn out or shoulders to pull over on I felt my lip starting to swell and swell.

Then I had a brilliant idea and figured I would take some pictures of my lip and the road while I was driving just in case any thing happened they could maybe reconstruct what happened with the pictures. By the time I had gotten home it was so big I could no longer even sip a drink.

The moral of this story is always check your open cans before you drink and if you don't, at least drink through your teeth. The only thing I am happy with is at least it didn't go down my throat and sting me there and I did make it home safely.

Adventure Ideas for Punta Linda Adventure Park

2008-11-07T14:53:00.004-05:00

Hello All!

Here is Eric's latest idea of how to make Punta Linda the best adventure park in the world. He experienced this one - the Winter Park Alpine Slide about 12 years ago in Colorado. Looks like great fun! Anybody have any other ideas for the park? Please send them along in the comments.

Last Day For Now Week 3 day 15

2008-10-19T15:59:00.007-04:00

Trail Photo 21

Trail Photo 23

Trail Photo 24

Trail Photo 25

Week 3 Day 15

Today is the last day of 3 weeks allotted to trail building for now. It was important to get a baseline and to discover how quickly and smoothly the trail work would go. Friday and lunch today is hot dogs with beans and rice a little garlic and onion and you have a sort of chili and of course Justo had to help her and tell her how to cook it - the guy is amazing with what all he knows. Since it is the last day I stressed to Justo to tell them I want to try and finish all we have started and to clean it up so it is presentable to others. I wanted to polish up the gem so to speak. The trail off the main path up to the bamboo is looking better actually it is pretty good and is going to be a little longer distance to get up there walking wise but a lot smoother and easier to walk. The rails are looking good and the trail is not cut as wide giving it a nice natural feel. All day long there are at least 6 workers going to the creek gathering rocks in a bag and carrying them up to the trail dumping them and returning.

It is really looking good and making the trails so much more solid and less slippery. Some of the bougainvillea aren’t doing well and Justo pointed out to me that some leaf cutter ants that thought they were tasty. I can tell already this is going to be tough to write because I just keep thinking not so much about the job they did or the people I just got to know a little but more of the all the individual moments of stellar incidents. I was looking again for details to make it better wondering what would really make the place unforgettable but still haven’t found that special thing so I guess the beauty alone will have to suffice and there is plenty of that. I am still looking for that perfect tree for beginning the zip line runs. I have been lost in the ever changing light under the canopy of trees and how it makes the walk down the same trail seem different each time. Each time I see so many other things in the changing light. I can sense a little bit of urgency as they try to finish or at least make everything look good before the end of the day. After a week of coaching even Celestino’s wife is carrying large rocks from the creek two at a time barefoot. As I walk the trails I find my self thinking about the last 14 days of effort and the mini series of events each day. I am really sad this is coming to an end for now and I am going to miss all these people.

The day ended and Justo and I left a little before the crew to go get payroll ready after telling the guys to be sure to wash all the tools and bring them down. We barely got to the van and had the money counted out before they arrived; guess they were ready too. Oh I almost forgot the guy who was working on sanding and polishing the bamboo rails didn’t show up today and I had some one else doing that job. Well about 2 this afternoon he showed up. He told Justo he had just fallen back to sleep when the others took off and had just now gotten there. He walked 2 hours to get there to work just over a hour and then turn around and have to walk 2 hours back home - that is dedication. Well it was payday too so I guess that counts for something.

Rare Hummer on Punta Linda

Ruffus spreading his wings

I did see another humming bird flit on the way out. I am already counting the days until can restart this project. Benny the biologist is supposed to show up at PL on next Saturday so Linda and I will be anxious to see what he has to say.

Trail Photo 26

Trail Photo 27

Trail Photo 28

Trail Photo 29

Trail Photo 30

Trail Photo 31

Trail Photo 32

Trail Photo 33

Trail Photo 34

Trail Photo 35

Yellow Fever Shots??

2008-10-15T14:16:00.003-04:00

hello all
Please check this link to our other site for all the information you need on the Yellow Fever Shot and if you need one. Coming or going from US or Canada only = no need.
Hooray! But if you are going anywhere else on the way you better check the rules.

Eric's Journal Day 14

2008-10-03T18:00:00.010-04:00

Trail Photo 11
Trail Photo 12
Trail Photo 13
Trail Photo 14

Trail Photo 15

The regular crew showed up Celestinos wife was minus her sister so Justo and I loaded them up with food, chain saw, and a Milwaukie battery saw and sent them up. Justo informed me that the guy with a backhoe and two dump trucks had stopped by last night and was going to come at 7 am to give me an estimate, I looked at my phone to see the time and asked him - is that Panamanian time? He kind of chuckled and I told him we had time to go get the meat for their lunch and be back before he showed up. So off we went today the chicken necks looked the freshest so that was our decision and to be honest I don’t think we have had a complaint since we started buying their food, guess I wouldn’t complain either. No doubt they eat for sustenance not for pleasure like we tend to.
Shortly after we got back to PL the prospective road guys arrived and we talked and headed up to the entrance of PL.

Two electricians and Justo

On the way he was commenting about the conditions and said those wouldn’t be a problem and just hearing that made me smile so we continued upward on the 1 km walk over and back over a stream countless times. All the time he said that isn’t a problem. After every person we have talked to and all that came out of their mouths was how much and how hard it was to build; l it was a welcome relief to hear those words that I once used to chime in my contracting days. Once we got to the entrance of PL he was feeling pretty good that the road was not going to be a problem so Justo and I took him up the hill towards the bamboo. The trail the cows have made over the years is almost straight up the narrow ridge that reaches to the bamboo and I would easily say it is well over 45 degrees -possibly even closer to 60 and remember that 90 is a straight wall. He still seemed confident that this was not a problem so I asked him for two prices. One road just to the entrance and one to the bamboo - he said no problem. I sure hope this is the rainbow I have been wanting so desperately.
Bamboo Groove

After that we went back to the entrance and while Justo walked ahead I took my time, carefully checking and started punching out the work they had done. It honestly looked good but needed a little polishing to really shine so I went to Justo and talked to him about it and said we needed to get Celestino to walk it with us so we could show him the small details we wanted addressed. As I walked back I asked the guys if they had seen Celestino and I kept getting a head shake until finally I got one of the guys who didn’t seem busy and told him to go get Celestino. He kind of just stood there and finally I asked him “Celestino vamanos?” Remember when I tell you that I told the guys to do something its not even a 25% chance that they understand me on the best of days so it’s always pot luck. It did seem to work and in about 15 minutes Celestino appeared and Justo and I walked to the entrance of PL. I began with I wanted him to know about what a good job I thought they where doing. Then I told him I had a few things that needed to be finished up. He nodded and we started. Most of the things were like small making a ditch a little deeper for drainage, picking up the debris from the construction of the bridges and trail, cutting a root back here and there and adding more rock. They are going to hear that one a lot tomorrow “add more rock.” As we continued over all the trails pointing out this and that I remembered Celestino had sent two of his men to work on an alternative trail to the top. I asked Justo about that and saw Celestino smile. I of course wanted to see the new trail to the top and was pleasantly surprised and although it wasn’t any thing special, it was a trail with a switch back that was very easy to walk. I told him I was very pleased when we finished the trail and that we didn’t have time to work on that trail right now but at least we found it. He smiled and I looked at Justo who was huffing and puffing a little bit and realized we had just walked all the way up to the bamboo and climbed down then walked up past the bamboo finding another trail and I knew he had to be exhausted so we headed back down. Life is good.

When we got down to Laguna de Justo and the bench Justo took a break. We talked a bit and then he started moving rocks on his waterfall. I decided it was time to do some work and walked up and grabbed my 18 volt battery saw in one hand and my 18 volt battery saws all in my other and headed up the hill to trim the posts on the rails and cut the ends of the bamboo to be square. It makes them all look a lot better after I do that. I almost forgot when Justo and I returned to the entrance this morning after talking to the backhoe guys we saw a lone guy at the front working on sanding and cleaning the rails. I had given him a sanding block that after the first rail was used up. He had done a good job but was showing me the sanding block. I then grabbed his machete and started showing him how to use the machete to scrape and smooth the bamboo that way. It was like a lighting bolt had just hit the ground next to him he was so startled at how you could scrape and smooth something like that. I mentioned to Justo that he was probably born with a machete in his hand and how he had acted like it was the first time he had ever seen that. Once I had seen him at the entrance to PL I hardly ever saw him again all day so I guess he worked on scraping and polishing the rails all day. Much later in the day I asked Justo if he knew if there were even 12 people today. He thought for a second and didn’t know either so we started counting over and over until finally Justo had to ask Celestino and he told him about the (12)? guys scraping - good thing because I thought I was going crazy.

Salistinos Wife

As long as we are talking about the 12 guys lets talk about the 13th woman. I know she cooks for 12 guys of course she doesn’t have to get any food and Celestino makes sure she has fire wood, we have made a shelter for her to keep dry and to cook under and the tent is right by a stream. This is the stream I have been asking her to clean up for all this time and finally she did. Well for the last couple of days I have been noticing she has been sitting there a lot just talking to her sister or just dangling her feet in the creek. I had told Justo to tell Celestino that if I was going to pay her she was going to need to work the whole time. When I talked to Justo and asked him if he had talked to Celestino he said he had not talked to him yet. Tomorrow that will have to be one of the first things we talk about in the morning.

As the day went on the progress did slow down a lot without being able to communicate I was struggling hard to keep on top of things and I didn’t do too well. I didn’t leave until the day was done and made sure they washed the tools and took what we no longer needed up there down to my van so we didn’t have as much to carry down tomorrow. As I was walking the trails today seeing the ones we had done and seeing the ones that didn’t work out on our exploration for the ultimate path I realized that we didn’t just clear one km of trails we probably cleared 10 km of trails but where only had 1 km or so that really worked well and got finished. Still that’s pretty good and I did a lot of exploration and haven’t gotten to the other side yet which is 4 times the size of this side. What’s cool is I feel sometimes like I am just scratching the surface of a giant gem and sometimes I laugh at my self and think it’s a giant turd - such is a typical day in my jungle life. I don’t really mean that but it is sometimes exasperating not being able to communicate and trying to get the job done.

We all got off the mountain and put some of the tools in the van; I have already loaded what we don’t need in the cabana out in back of Mario’s. I just had one of the best warm showers in the world the day is over and only one more day to go for now. Tomorrow is going to be a great day I just know it is.

Trail Photo 16

Trail Photo 17

Trail Photo 18

Trail Photo 19

Trail Photo 20

Eric's Journal Day 13

2008-09-17T14:15:00.008-04:00

Entrance shot 1

Trail Photo 2

Trail Photo 3

Trail Photo 4

Trail Photo 5

Hey guys we are down to the last 3 days I am going to show you on the next three posts three sections of the trails sure will add some extra pics too enjoy .

Two days left to work on Punta Linda and today Justo and I got them started and went to pick up the necessary meat for lunch. Today it was 8lbs of ribs and with an orange juice I bought the bill at the china market was $8.45. Justo and I were going to go to the agricultural school and give the professor the 800 - 2lb planting bags I got and the seeds we bought in Boquete - an assortment of vegetables. We have three types of peppers, squash, corn, flowers, onions, and carrots. The students are supposed to fill the bags with soil and get the plants started then when they are ready we are going to get the kids up to PL and have them plant them and of course we are going to feed the students too. I have been realizing the last few days that the kids are going to need a place to plant them. I can’t expect them to clear the brush and grass and till the soil then plant all the vegetables. So now Justo and I are on a look out for a good place to start a garden and the one thing we realized too is we are going to need some type of fencing to keep the animals from eating our crops. That will be something for me to work on while I have a break from working with the Indians. Justo said he needed to mail a letter to David and could I take him to the china market next to the Texaco. This particular China market is more of a restaurant and a bus stop. The way the mail is sent here is you just give it to a bus driver that is going to where you want and then he drops it off at the bus terminal - you then call the people you are sending the letter to and they go to the bus station and pick it up. The whole process costs $2 and the letter is in David in 3 hours. It really isn’t a bad system and the nice thing is you don’t get junk mail when you have no mailbox.

We went up to PL to check on the progress that seems okay so far. I talked to Justo about wanting to check on the progress towards the top along the creek so we took off on a stroll heading to the top. I purposely stopped at each bench to take it all in. We followed the trail to the barbed wire fence Justo had told me about where the guys had stopped progress. When we got to the fence I looked ahead and saw that it had been cleared so we proceeded onwards - the trail wasn’t bad for while then it got close to the creek and started getting steeper. I thought we might have found the easy path. We then heard some noise and chopping ahead. When we hollered they stopped and came to us. It was Celestino and two of his guys so Justo asked him how it was ahead and he said it was getting very steep. We turned around to head back down and they followed. I haven’t given up on finding the easy route. We did explore another route and Celestino had two guys chopping on that one as well.

Justo and I then took the route they had cleared the other to the bamboo. It wasn’t a bad route and tied into other routes that we had been making. The paths are almost like a maze the way they start end and never join. Maybe with a big piece of string I will try and tie this thing up by Friday. We headed on down and in just a few seconds more the silent lunch alarm must gone off cause all of a sudden they all appeared on their way to lunch. I can say one thing to be honest they do seem to enjoy the midday meal.

Shortly after snapping a few candid pictures I even got three guys to do the hear no evil see no evil speak no evil pose (that was fun) the lunch was over and the rain started to come down. They all headed out to work without giving it another thought. I was scrambling to make sure that I had nothing out that could get ruined in the rain and pulling under the tarp what I did have. By this time I was soaked and Justo was as well, I really didn’t want him to get wet since he had told me before that it some times made him sick. After about 15 minutes Justo just took off to check the guys working and I stayed under the tarp for about another 20 until Justo reappeared and the rain started to let up some. We then started walking the trails checking on the water flow, in most places it wasn’t bad but we found a couple that needed some more rock and attention to the ditches. Just about the time we got the farthest from the tarp the rain opened up again. Panama! It really didn’t feel bad since it was the same temperature as the air and it even seemed to refreshing but I was soaked to the bone. I can tell the work is starting to take a toll on me. I am getting a lot sleepier earlier and am feeling exhausted, guess I know how a mountain goat feels now. The day ended much like most although again they didn’t make it down to the van till after 4. That is a lot better than the first day when we where sitting at the truck at 3:15. Tomorrow I am going to try and stress putting rock down and finishing the rails and if possible put some rails on the trail to the bamboo. Justo said he needed to wish me luck in getting it all done.

Trail Photo 6

Trail Photo 7

Trail Photo 8

Trail Photo 9

Trail Photo 10

If you don't like Michael Moore

2008-09-16T09:13:00.006-04:00

Michael Moore is at it again. He is working hard to get out the vote and we think it is important to help in this effort. For our "conservative" friends, you do not have to look at this free film. For the rest of you click on the heading, enjoy and get out the vote. Let's get back to our roots and give our country a chance.

Week 3 - Day 12 of Eric's Journal

2008-09-04T21:07:00.005-04:00

For those who have recently started reading our blog, this is currently Eric's journal of building Punta Linda Eco Adventure Park and Canopy Tour in Punta Pena, Bocas Del Toro, Panama

We are really starting to polish this job the rails are going as well as I could have hoped and it’s good to see the crew catching on. When I pulled up this morning Justo and 6 of the Indians were there.

Getting the fire going

I counted forward and backward and still got the same number then Celestino informed Justo that the others had headed up to PL already. After we left and were dropping off the chain saw, the rice and beans; Justo and I went to the store to pick up the meat. Today we bought chicken feet and I watched as Justo told Celestinos wife to cut off the toenails this time. You just have to smile when you see these things happen - life is so good. After we dropped off the food I told Justo to make sure at lunch to count heads, forks, or plates to make sure we had 12 workers up there he nodded and agreed.

Any one seen my feet?

Most of my day was spent with the two Indians who had been doing the rails, I didn’t want to change who I was using since I had invested so much time to see that they finally understood but I never had left them totally to themselves without supervision. We also started chopping some more trails up towards the top and Justo had them chop and widen a trail he had made to get to the bamboo. The trail reaching higher following the stream was really going well and they had the right idea as they started chopping through some dense jungle. They were making sure they didn’t just chop everything with a machete so some of the paths are almost like tunnels walking through. They continued to chop along the creek until they hit a barbed wire fence.

Then, not sure what to do they stopped and I never had a free moment to make it back up to where they had hit the fence to check the situation out. I assured Justo that the fence was probably an old fence some previous owner had put up there to contain the cattle so tomorrow I will check it and make sure. Then I can have them continue onwards and upwards. One thing I noticed that only one of the Indians wears a watch but its amazing that at exactly 12 the guys showed up for lunch. I have no idea how they do that! Maybe they check the shadow on the tree or something. Well at lunch Justo did a head count and there were 12 plates and forks and they all got eaten so I guess I had all my Indians.

Fresh Bamboo handrails scraped and sanded

The trails are becoming so solid and smooth but I told Justo that I really wanted to make it to the top so we could get over the ridge to the other side. Most of the birds to be seen are not in the jungle but in the fringes where the jungle meets the open areas. We are still a long way from making it to the other side but pleased that the paths look as good as they do. I can’t believe I keep saying how good the paths look you all just have to come out and see it for yourselves. I spotted another sloth near the entrance I think it is the same one as we saw two days ago. I even saw a pileated woodpecker today. I heard this unusual sound and asked Justo and he told me what it was and then I actually saw it. It was huge and looked just like woody woodpecker. One thing I don’t remember seeing any humming birds today. I am sure they were probably there but just didn’t notice them since I was working so hard on the rails and steps. Remind me to take time to see the birds. Today everyone was working on the trails, rails, and steps and so involved in it that Justo and I checked the time and it was actually 3:45 so quickly! These where the guys I was just talking about 2 minutes ago always knowing what time it was. I guess they either need to get recalibrated for quitting time or they are enjoying what they are doing.

Jewels of beading water capture the light

One interesting thing happened today was I was working with the Indians later in the day on the rails on the upper side. I was trying to speak to them in Spanish and they wanted to know what the word was in English. I was blown away! Here are guys whose main language is Noble Bugle dialect, some of them speak a little Spanish and they are trying to learn English. I am so disappointed that in the United States our educational system doesn’t stress learning different languages. Over the years I have wished that I had a better handle on languages like people from so many other non English speaking countries where it is typical to always know at least two or more.

Tomorrow Justo and I are going to get the Indians started then go to the agricultural school and drop off 800 plant bags for the students and a large variety of seed we bought. Every thing from carrots to peppers, from zucchini to flowers, we already had Celestino plant all the seeds from one papaya all over PL. I have no idea where he planted them but I will once they start to grow. One of the things I need to put some thought into soon is where to start a garden. It’s really hard to pin down an area when you are still in the developing stage. I am hoping when we find that easy way up to the top of PL on the other side to the large areas of open spaces we will find the perfect spot. I am really going to push the guys some more tomorrow on the exploration of new trails since it seems like the paths and trails we do have are coming along so great.

A crossroad in a bugs life

I had better close this journal down because the sun comes up early in PL and the Indians even earlier. We have a lot to do or let me rephrase that - a lot I want to do whether or not it gets done is another matter. But that’s Panama and to be honest I am truly enjoying their attitude on life.

Eric Journal Day 11

2008-08-13T17:17:00.009-04:00

Week 3 - Day 11

Started like most of the other Mondays with the long drive over the mountains. I left Boquete at 4:45 AM and watches as the sky start to lighten up as I approached the mountains but then as I made the pass the dark sky gave way to multicolored spots of sky encased in dark shades of blue clouds. It’s always an inspirational drive.

Mysterious darkened peaks

Inviting you onward

One after another shrouded in mystery

Today it took 65 minutes from home including a stop in Gualaca to fill up my van - only 65 minutes to make it to Punta Pena. Gualaca is a town on the way that has a gas station -actually it is the only real town on the way.

River that runs through Gualaca

Cut through the rock making interesting canyons and swimming holes

The interesting thing about Gualaca is it is as old as the United States and was founded by some missionaries in the 1700’s but only has a population of about 5,000. I don’t know what they have been doing for 200 years and there is nothing there to give that secret away.

Justo and the girls waiting to carry up the food

As I approached Punta Linda all the guys where there and what was cool was that Celestino even brought some plants and flowers from his home as well. He has really caught on to what we are doing and has proven to be a real asset and a leader among the people he is able to bring each day.

Celestino's insight is always welcome

As I unloaded my tools and then went and got the ones from Justo’s home we went to the “China” market to get the days meat. The “pickens” where slim so chicken necks at $.65/lb it was. I was anxious to get back to PL wanting to see how the hand rails were going to turn out. They had started one already but it wasn’t the way I wanted so I had them start over. I tried to stress how important it was to take our time on the first one and get it right because it would make all the other bridges go a lot faster. After they put the split palm in the ground and made sure they drove it at least 2’ deep and put two at each end then we tied the bamboo handrail on and stood back. WOW!

Carrying the split palm down from up top

Now this is going to look like a rail when i am done?

Whats a rail?

It looked good and was as solid as I could have hoped for. I think I got it now but I knew I would have to stay close to get them started and monitor each bridge rail.

Onward and upward the trails continue on

With a smile ear to ear I walked up to check the rest of the progress, well just as I had feared the plants Celestino and I had brought where being planted in a straight line 6” apart and ran 200 meters up the trail. With Justo having to leave for a while to get the electrical taken care of at his house I was on my own to try to explain that in nature nothing grows in a straight line and I wanted the plants not on the edge of the trail but in a random pattern in close proximity of the trail. Guess there is not a good translation for proximity. I just decided at this point to try and get some of them random and finally with putting steaks in the ground in a random pattern was able to get him to plant them that way. What I am hopping for is at least some of them begin to root and I can have them transplanted at a later time. Celestino was working on some more benches. I had him change the first bench because the direction was totally wrong from how I had shown him last week that this one was supposed to go. When I had him change the bench I spotted a cut off from the Almandro tree that was about 8’ long and would work perfectly for the bench. I had him spread the posts apart some to accommodate it we used that piece for a seat instead and it really turned out great. I walked back to the front to see how the rails were going and helped with the layout and cut back a couple split palm bridge slats and then left them on their own to head back up to help Celestino. On the way up near the huge tree the guys were bringing rock from the creek in bags and emptying them on the trail to make it solid it is really shaping up beautifully.

And I walked 5 hrs to come pick up rocks?

I looked on the bench by the stairs and couldn’t believe what I saw. The guys had a tarantula spider with a string tied around it and the other tied to a stick it was just like walking a dog. I laughed out loud and played a little with the spider before finally making it to Celestino. He had 4 guys working on a trail in one direction and 2 going the other way watching for just a moment I realized they really didn’t have a clue in the direction they where going and thought it would be a lot easier if they at least had one rail up showing them how the path was going to go so I told Celestino and his men I would be back in 10 minutes and on the way down grabbed two guys who where toting rock in bags and took them with me to get some 50 bamboo poles and some twine and 8’ stakes.

Just a second I think I see the perfect piece

Bringing the bamboo to the trails I laid it roughly where it was going to go and told him to have one of the guys drive a stake there and tied the other end of the bamboo to a tree. The rail was solid as a rock as soon as we drove in 3 more posts. They finally got the idea and we were on a roll at last I think. One more piece of bamboo 50’ long tied to a post on one end and another tree.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever

Shaking the rails some I smiled this is going to work great. Then back to the front to check on their progress. We have in about 700 meters of trails so far and with work going on at each end every time I check on one end and then the other I have walked 2 km. I am sitting here trying to think how many times I did it today and have run out of fingers and am halfway through my toes. No wonder I am starting to fade some- I am sure its not that I woke up at 4 AM.

I was very pleased with the progress today the rails I think are going to turn out great. The benches look wonderful and the rock on the trails it going faster than I had expected. As I was working with the guys up front laying out the next rails they had dug 3 of the holes and were sticking some of the split palm in when I realized what they were using was to thin I had told them it had to be at least 3” minimum so they stopped and went to work on digging for the next bridge since that took the longest because of the rock strewn creek bed we were running our bridges in. I asked Justo what time it was he answered 3:15 I hollered good job let’s wash the tools and roll it up. Translated it means scrape the mud off the tools and hide them in the bushes till tomorrow. As they washed up and got ready I walked up front and looked at the rail again seeing how finished it looked now I wanted to get a picture with all 15 people lined up along it.

A happy bunch of guys (and girls)

As one of the guys came he was going to keep walking and I told Justo to tell him to stick around for a picture of every one but he told Justo he wasn’t going to get home till 8:30 and he had a 2 hour walk ahead of him. Lets see 3:30 plus 2 hour walk, oh well guess it’s not important if I miss a few guys. Finally I got about 10 to stop on the bridge and I snapped a few pictures I will hope to get some of every one on the bridge soon.

Little beauty abounds

Oh I forgot to mention last week when they where cleaning out the debris from the fallen tree in the front of PL I saw a little fish floating on top of the water I asked one of the guys what happened and he said something about a vine that I didn’t totally understand. Justo told me that what he meant was that the one of the pieces of vine they were cutting from the tree had fallen into the water and the sap from that vine kills or stuns the fish. They use that a lot when they go fishing to catch all the fish in the streams. Sure sounds ingenious but not to good for the next time you want to go fishing. I am constantly amazed at the resources in the jungle when you totally understand it you have everything you could possibly need right at your fingertips at all times. AMAZING!

The last inspection

Eric's Journal Day 10

2008-08-09T14:24:00.015-04:00

Rain drops on the leaves

Day 10
The start of day 10 wasn’t the best. We woke up in the morning to a heavy downpour and then I saw Mario and Lyn off as they went their way and had a few minutes to spare before it was 7 so I took my machete and started to drive around town looking for pretty trees and bushes that where over grown that wouldn’t mind a trim so I could take the cuttings to PL and plant them.

Hidden beauty everywhere

I hit pay dirt I found several trees and bushes some with pretty red flowers on them and wacked away almost filling the back of my van. When I pulled up to the gate the whole gang was there plus a new face and I opened the back of my van pulling out limb after limb out and telling Justo to tell them I wanted them planted all over PL.

Towering red flowers

Justo then introduced me to the person with him. He was an electrician Justo had talked to about giving us a quote. He had given us a verbal quote based on what Justo had told him and wanted to come out and visually verify. I shook his had in the rain he had his yellow slicker buttoned up tight and the hood pulled down low his glasses rain soaked poking out. Justo then told me he had come from Panama City last night; leaving at 8pm, ridden the bus to Punta Pena - an 8 hour bus ride and had arrived there at 4 am and had been waiting for us since then. The Quote was almost half of the one we had just gotten. I told him to hop in the van while we went to pick up the food and when we returned we would walk the project with him.
Justo and I went to our daily shopping trip and got some meat in a tub that looked like a large sausage but he told me it was just a chopped up meat in a tube and nodded as he bought 6 of them for what he described as a chili.

Would you buy meat from this guy? I did

I don’t think I am going to be trying her food today. Back to the entrance, Celestino's wife was waiting for us and the rain continued to come down hard. Justo had his rain coat I had bought for him and I donned mine and headed up -anxious to see how much the streams had risen with all this rain.

Water water everywhere

It was beautiful! Every one of the little water falls on the way up were magnified by two and the sound was grabbing more than its usual share of jungle noise. The entrance was looking good and the stream was a little higher but not bad at all. I was pleased seeing that the river had not turned into a raging torrent wiping out all of our work. As we approached the entrance to Punta Linda I saw Celestino looking at the base of this large tree that we had a bridge right next to so I asked Justo what was going on and he said they had a big snake.

4' 'X' snake

I ran up to see it as Celestino was telling Justo that the snake had almost tried to bite him in the rubber boots. One of Celestino’s guys was already headed up the side of the hill to cut a forked stick to pin him down so they could trap it. I looked into the base of the tree and could just barely make it out deep inside the roots. When they came back they modified the stick to a fashion they where happy with and then one of them then jammed it into the tree pinning the snake’s body about 12” back from its head leaving the head free to strike at what it could. I watched as this 5’ snake would strike out and of course had to poke my stick at it too. One of the other guys was trying to hit it with his machete but with it being so far in the roots he could hit it but not with enough force to do any real damage. After thinking for a moment he then took his machete and with a couple quick whacks had sharpened the end of a stick. Pushing it close to the snake the snake struck out at it and as he did the Indian pushed the sharp stick into and through the head end of snake. The snake writhed and squirmed and after some patience they were able to get it out of the roots. I am glad they got this one -It turned out to be over 5’ as we put a tape on it but unfortunately with the rain still coming down I was not able to get a picture of it. Well that got every ones blood pumping - okay time to get to work and make good use of all that adrenaline.
Justo, the electrician and I then started to walk up the hill toward where the bamboo was so we could show him where to end the power poles. As we walked up the electrician was almost sprinting up the hill with me 10 meters behind and Justo even further. I hollered up to him that he was in good shape; he then said he was only 24. I laughed and said I was over twice his age and Justo was almost 3 times his age so no wonder! Guess with his yellow rain coat on and the hood pulled down I never did get an idea how old he was. He really seemed genuinely interested in the project even more so than just getting the job that was very refreshing. He was constantly pulling his camera phone out in the rain and taking pictures even on the way back down, as we took a different way he was stopping and taking video of Punta Linda.. He then said he had the first video commercial of PL I told him to show it to all of his friends he said he would. Justo then told me he had to go back home cause the fire department was going to check an electrical connection he had made to make sure it was okay. I asked him to just walk Carlos down and when he was finished to return. He said okay and I watched as the two walked off in the rain at 8:30 am.
As I walked back checking progress, some of the areas that had been muddy before were not bad after they had put rock on them. I was pleased as I saw them shoveling more rock onto the path in the bad areas to solidify them as well.

Packing rocks notice the homemade tamper

The new path we had just made the day before by the large tree on the river was 24’ of water fall cascading down and washing out the steps we had just done the day before. Nothing we could do now but later we will have to come up with some sort of idea to stop this in the future. I smiled as I saw all up the sides of the trail of the steps were the branches that I had brought yesterday and they had planted them in a row up the trail 6” apart and by breaking them into smaller pieces we now had over 400 flowering plants along the path. I am going to give Buckingham Palace a run for their money. Colors abound

After Celistino had seen how nice the benches turned out he was anxious to install some more so I showed him a few places to start putting them. He took 2 guys into the jungle with him in search of the perfect seats. Down toward the front where the two new bridges are that we installed there was one guy working on adding rock to make the path nicer. He was doing a great job picking rock from the creek laying them in the path then hitting them with a sledgehammer pounding them down and breaking them into small pieces.

lacy grace

purple tower

I started thinking that with a couple more guys I could have a road back here in two day I could drive my van down. Well that is wishful thinking but it is the thought that counts anyway. As I watched his progress I saw three guys coming down from the mountain with 8’ pieces of split palm on their shoulders tied up with vines and place them by the bridges. The guy was starting to nail some of the palm down on the new bridges but was obviously going to be short. I was wondering how come the palm they where bringing down was not the right size. Well, with Justo gone I tried to talk to them and ask what they where doing but all I could get was a smile and a “Perfecto” (I have got to teach them more words or I have to learn more). When I tried to talk to Celestino It wasn’t any better. I was starting to panic a little without Justo. How could I tell what they were doing? I checked my phone and I didn’t have a signal so I started walking toward the front holding my phone in the air turning in different directions like radar searching for enemy planes looking for just one bar of signal. At last I found the spot and called Justo to check on where he was. (Guess he was right about the need for walkie talkies.) He said he was on his way back and almost there - I said good. When I saw him I told him what was going on and that I needed to find out what was happeing. We then went and talked to Celestino and he told us they where going to use the 8’ split palm for the posts I told him it wasn’t what I had thought but I wanted him to make one demo so I could look at it and inspect it. He said okay and told the three men to work on that next. Right after that as I was in front where they were going to do the first rail I heard in the distance “HOLA” - alright Linda is here at last.
She was a site that made my eyes jump she had her shorts on and boots with her earrings and bracelets flashing. Dang she looked good. I was anxious to have any one give me their opinion of the progress even more so of Linda. She was smiling big as I brought her through the entrance of PL and showed her the snake we had killed earlier on a stump she actually took her hand and touched it later commenting on how it felt and she had never touched one of those giant vipers before. (I think she is turning native). As we walked into PL the rain had stopped and it was lunch time so we walked by the cooking tent with all the guys sitting eating their food. I introduced them all to Linda and Justo translated for me. We continued up the paths showing her the bridges, the bench we had just made the day before, and the new steps by the huge tree where there is a small cascade of 7” water falls. Then she smiled seeing all the flowers that I had planted along the path and said how good it looked. After showing her how the trails were looking and taking her to the point where the split tree was, we then showed the guys where to put the next bench and we walked down toward the entrance. Celistino said his guys had the rail done on the first bridge and I was anxious to go see it.
When I got to the bridge with the first rail I was a bit shocked. They had taken the split palm that were approximently 4” wide and had even split some of them down further and drove them in the ground and tied the bamboo onto them with vines telling me that they would be using nails. But since they couldn’t find the other hammer at the moment and the other guy was still nailing the split palm on the bridges they had to do it this way. Panama! Well the 8’ split palm for the posts were only barely in the ground 12” and the dirt was still loose around them and 4’ of the post stuck above the bamboo rail that they had tied on. I went up to it and grabbed on to it and it shook like crazy flexing way too much. They could see as I inspected it I wasn’t happy and were busy talking to Justo about why it was that way and explaining that is how they do it. Well with Linda and 7 people around including Justo I started talking about different possibilities to fix it. Maybe we can hire Ernesto to come up and cut the Almandro into the 2x4s I had tried to get Justo’s brother to do to begin with. Guess the Panama translation fairy didn’t get it right. They all nodded saying how strong Almandro was and since they couldn’t nail it cause the wood was so hard they could tie the bamboo onto the post I agreed think that might look okay.

Hidden in the groove or bamboo

With the threat of rain again and having felt a few drops I told them at 3 that they did a great job today and to wash up the tools and bring them all down for payday. Linda and I walked to the truck as the drops softly started to come down. When we reached the bottom I took Linda back to Mario’s so she could shower and then I returned to wait for the guys so I could pay them for the week. They all came down each toting some kind of tool or implement we had been using and loaded them in the van. Then they came to the side window and Justo dished out the money and had them sign the receipt book which he had already filled out.

our bamboo rails

I can say one thing - Justo is efficient. For only having worked 10 days I think we did a lot and with 5 more days to work I think we can get more gravel on the trails and the rails up without any problem. I sure hope I don’t eat those words.

the bridge Celestino walks every day

Moving river at dusk

Majestic views

Visitor checking it out

wet beauty

From the top of Punta Linda

Day 9

2008-08-04T17:43:00.010-04:00

Well day 9 Thursday, it started like any other day. This week after we got the workers the chain saw and met them at the entrance they started up the mountain and we told them to leave the women to carry the food up while Justo and I went to get the food for the day. Let’s see: today it was chicken necks again for $.55/lb, a littlebeans and rice, and some Kool-Aid and 2 lbs of sugar. The Kool-Aid she mixes in a bucket and the guys like the treat.

Koolaid by the bucket

Koolaid is always better from bamboo

We decided to add two more bridges bringing the total up to 9. I sure had no idea we would already have 9 bridges before we had gotten 400 meters into this but they look good and add some nice detail. Now I hope the handrails turn out as well. I mentioned to Justo to have the crew also get the palm posts for the handrail because I would like to get some installed tomorrow and he conveyed the message. We have been cleaning up the front a lot from where a large tree had fallen down and have almost removed all the debris laying the largest logs in the mud at the entry to form a base for the bridge. I told Justo to tell Celestino I wanted to make a bench and to make it right at his little lagoon. So Celestino grabbed the chain saw and a couple of the Indians and wandered off in the jungle to look for the perfect bench. When he came back he had a 4’ piece of wabo a very hard and durable wood and two forks from the wabo tree. This is going to be interesting as I have never thought of making a bench this way. I started watching as they sunk one of the wabo trunks in the rocky ground. Having buried and tamped the first post they showed me how it would go by laying the slab between the forks. I nodded thinking this was going to look good. The second post worked fairly well at first; then they started putting the other hole for the post too far away so I had them move it closer - then they set it after having to dig and chip away at the rocky soil and tamped it down. Well now the problem was it didn’t line up with the other fork. He was about to pull it up and start over when I told him to just hold the slab in the one fork and butt it into the other. I took a nail from my pocket and marked the other post grabbing the chain saw I cut the other post just below the fork but still had a post to rest the other side of the bench on. It really turned out good and we finished up just about at the end of the day. I got my camera and had Celestino and his wife sit on the bench and took their picture. I started laughing pretty quickly as I then watched every one take turns sitting on the bench trying it out to get their pictures taken. They would take their time and sit there and smile while the other would patiently wait their turn. Life is good!!

The start of the bench

Setting the Wabo fork in the ground

The first on the bench

Its a family affair

All and all a good day and I talked to Lyn and she is on her way to Punta Pena to leave from there to go to Changuinola in the morning to get some paper work for the title picked up. I can’t wait to show her what I have been playing in the jungle doing - hope she likes it.

Justo inspecting

Eric in the jungle

Where you want this now?

The keeper of the jungle

A week in Boquete

2008-07-31T23:20:00.010-04:00

Until we update the blog tomorrow with adventures from Punta Linda here are a few pics from our resident hummers and a few pics from our town of Boquete, Panama. We both comented today about how your socal calender can fill up quickly here a huge change from Punta Pena but every thing has a trade off. Now our laundry is increasing too. This week friday morning went to Caldera Hotsprings with Alain and then to Amigos (a local restaurant/bar) and listened and danced to a Panamanian/American Rock and Roll band, Saturday during the day walked all over and explored Boquete, Sunday up to the Volcan National Park at the start of the quetzal trail and then Guari Guari; a small restaurant/bar with a gutair player and open mic where Linda sang, Monday dinner with Alain (the scooter rental guy), Wednesday dinner with Scott and Linda some friends we met at Amigos on Friday. So until tomorrow enjoy these pictures. As always feed back is appreciated and encouraged cause how else will we know.

The sugar shack
Wonder if the umbrella really works?

Rock climbing

It is standing thats all that counts

It says the hot springs are that way <----- Water is hot Life is good!!
Close beauty

Bottle of wine, Hot Springs, Good conversation-- Priceless
Caretaker at Caldera Springs bridge
Caldera Falls
Bridge over the Caldera River

MMMMMMMMM Hot Springs

Fluffy Hummer
Boquete flower complete with Bee
Hummer flying in our house got out okay no damage done
Spread your wings

Leaning Bud
Polination taken seriously
Suprises of Nature
Boquete Door
Morning Rainbow

Every day should start this good

Our Week in Boquete

2008-07-31T21:34:00.011-04:00

Logistics of Traveling to Panama

2008-07-23T13:48:00.019-04:00

As Promised Here are the travel plans to visit us. We have hired these professional boat captains to sail you here from Florida, wind permitting. There is a one bag limit and be sure
to bring your sun screen.

Let us know if you have any questions.

??????????????
Alternatively here are the other possibilities:

Directions for flying to Panama

Since David, Panama is closer to Punta Pena, Bocas del Toro and Boquete the best way we have found to fly to our areas of Panama is to fly to San Jose, Costa Rica and then grab a short flight on Air Panama to David, Panama. If you want to fly to Panama City – American Airlines and Copa Airlines have direct flights from many hubs. The thing to remember is it is almost a 6 hour drive from Panama City to Boquete so for us it makes sense to fly through Costa Rica. Watch Spirit Airlines and even consider joining their $9 club for specials to Costa Rica. Get a flight that arrives into Costa Rica in the afternoon unless you want to do some site seeing in Costa Rica first. The reason for this is they only have one flight and only on M-W- F to David, Panama and it leaves at 11:00 AM Costa Rican time which is one hour behind Panama time. Panama is EST with no daylight savings. The challenge is you usually cannot catch a flight to arrive early enough to San Jose to be able to transfer and catch the flight to David.

Since the flight to David is also an “International” flight the same rules apply - arrive approximately 2 hrs early to the airport.

The airline you will use for this is : Air Panama @ www.flyairpanama.com/

There are many hotels around the San Jose Airport and most offer free shuttle service. One place we stayed at the Best Western Irazu - they are

online: http://www.crica.com/hotels/irazu.html

It’s a bit far from the airport but has a free shuttle, free happy hour, casino, pool, and restaurant with free breakfast - it was $100 when we stayed there. As a bonus we never had to even exchange money as they took dollars. If you want to explore a little in Costa Rica this is a great location to go from and they will exchange your money in the hotel.

The second time we stayed in Costa Rica the young woman at the information booth at the airport gave us the name of a place called Hotel Brilla Sol it is 5 minutes from the airport and also offers free shuttle. Their number is 506-442-5129 or 506-430-5878 rooms are decent with hot water and a nice little garden restaurant at the hotel. It has a casual and friendly atmosphere.

Important to note when planning the hotel is that San Jose is a great hub if you are planning to spend a day or 2 in Costa Rica but the airport is actually in Alajuela so if you are just stopping for the night then it is quicker and less expensive to lodge in Alajuela. The airport in Costa Rica has a great information booth and they are helpful with lots of brochures and info.

After you have arrived in Costa Rica from your carrier you will take the flight #691 on Air Panama leaving at 11:00 AM and arriving at David Panama at 12.55 PM (your lose an hour). On your return flight you will take Air Panama flight #690 to Costa Rica leaving at 10:30 AM arriving in Costa Rica at 10:30 AM. (you get your hour back).

It is easy to get to the airport in David in time to make the return trip in one day as long as you can book a flight out of San Jose any time after 12:00 noon.

You can usually get into Miami airport in time to miss rush hour traffic if all goes really well. As far as other international airports we haven't had the personal experience to advise at that end.

For our Florida friends: We also used a parking service close to the airport in Miami that was much more reasonable than the airport and safe and convenient. They are online or their number is: 954-584-1589 http://www.unitedairportparking.com/ Most large airports have a similar service that makes it affordable to park nearby which we always found comforting. Knowing your vehicle is waiting for you when you arrive is the next best thing to having a chauffeur.

Eric's Journal Day 8

2008-07-22T21:57:00.015-04:00

Downtown Chiriqui Grande Mercado
(amazingly the men can be seen carrying these cartoon bags to work)

Wednesday of the second week. Seven bridges are done we have one more that I am thinking of making. A wooden bridge instead of a rock bridge across the creek because otherwise it might get slippery. Let’s see how did the day start; I showed up at 15 till 7 they were all already there waiting for me, remind me to synchronize my watch with theirs tomorrow. I decided to run to Chiriquí Grande to go ahead and get the payroll changed to $5’s and $1’s to pay the guys on Friday instead of waiting until the last day. I am kind of glad I did now because Linda is going to come to Punta Pena on Thursday to see the project and I have that done and more time to spend on the property.

Local Transportation
She has to head out to Changuinola on Friday morning to work on the title for our other property and because of the lack of rain the reservoirs are too low and the government offices now close at 1:00 now to save electricity. It will be an early trip. Before I left Justo and I went to the China market to get the crew lunch since he had Celestino leave his wife at the gate until we returned to carry the food up. At the store Justo went to the meat case and got 6 packages of hotdogs. I asked him what he was doing and he told be they could cut them up in small pieces and cook them with beans and such. I told him that was okay but he was getting 66 hotdogs for 13 people; wasn’t that a little much? He said okay and returned two so we only got 44 hotdogs 10lbs of rice and some more tomato something to give it color. I paid the lady $13. When I returned it was about 8:30 am and I walked on up, carrying my usual back pack with daily food and water and my camera bag with lens and all -total about 25 lbs. I saw them working on the last bridge at the entrance a 35’ long walkway and they were starting to nail the split palm down and it looked good. I checked in with Justo he was having fun nailing the boards down so I let him continue for a while then finally had to tell him to stop for a bit and let them have some fun to. I asked him to follow me up toward the top ridge to check on progress. I could already see the smoke so I knew the kitchen was warming up. Right past Laguna de Justo I saw one of the guys working on the trails putting gravel down where some mud was forming. A good idea and this thing is starting to run itself. We continued upwards where 4 guys were working on the trails by the big tree.

Beginning of a Palm Bridge

One was by himself working on the stairs and doing a good job and three guys were cutting palm; getting ready for the other guys to come pick it up in a bit. All looked good, I asked Justo what he was doing for his rock steps he was suppose to be designing but we looked at it again and decided that maybe another bridge would work as well since we liked how they where turning out. I walked back up to where they where working on the steps and realized that they where digging down 12” and taking all of the topsoil out like they where putting in a road bed. I looked at what was going on as they worked their way towards what Justo and I had already marked out as a path. Panicking I walked down to Justo and Celestino and told them we had a problem and they both needed to come up. When we came to the area I showed them how much dirt they were taking out and what it was looking like and there was not enough rock in Punta Pena to fill in this road. They both laughed but listened to what I said and began to understand. They started to then use their machetes more and less on the shovel looking for the smoothest area for the trails. I think they have it now, didn’t I just say that the other day, and it is starting to look really good. Shortly after that I asked Justo if he was hungry because I was already. At 11:00 we walked down toward Laguna de Justo to talk and I shared my Van Camps pork and beans with whole wheat bread with him. He seems to like it a lot and so do I or we are just really hungry from the work.

Three Toed Sloth

(notice the green algae growing on its hair)

On the way down Justo pointed out to me right in front of the long bridge with the rock out cropping a sloth up in the tree and told me it had a baby to. I was amazed and took a bunch of pictures. We then started walking back to the stair area to see the progress and it looked great. I then decided to change the trail to the other side to see if a smoother place could be found. We are going to find that high easy way up there yet. On the way back up we looked at the sloth again and saw her baby and the mama sloth was hanging by her back feet scratching her belly; the baby was climbing on a limb above her. The rest of the day every time Justo and I would walk by we would see the baby bad moved a little bit the mother was still always scratching. I told Justo to put on the list for tomorrow to get a flea collar for a sloth he laughed.

As we walked up we saw the guys headed back down for lunch so Justo and I decided to stretch out and take a nap on the pile of almandro. This wood is so tough you can not even put a nail in it unless you drill it first. This wood never rots. We had a large almandro tree down already and that is what I had gotten cut up by Justo's brother. I found Justo a small piece of wood to brace his back against as he lay back since the edges where so hard and sharp. Every now and then I would ask Justo if he saw that or heard this but to be honest just like him most of the time was spent with our eyes closed listening to the Jungle. If you have never done it before there is nothing that can compare. The sounds tell a story of what is going on who is flying by or moving around. We would hear a noise that almost sounded like it had landed on us and comment on it but other than that the time was spent in total silence just enjoying the noises. That alone is another reason to come to Punta Linda.

I walked by the kitchen area later only to see Celestino's wife with a machete cutting back some of the growth by the kitchen area and it was looking fine. I smiled told her how good it looked but got a blank look back. When I held two thumbs up she smiled. Oh did I tell you Celestino’s wife brought her other sister today – she is 13 years old as I was told by Justo. I swear Celestino’s wife doesn’t look more than 18herself but already has three kids - well I guess the math works. She did laugh some when I took her picture and had her pose. She held the hooves of an animal that is similar to a pig but with the snoot like an elephant( I think it was a Tapir) . Some guy had killed it a while ago but held on to the hoofs as good luck and if needed you could grind part of it off and use it for medicine - to help kidneys I think. Think I decided to start a book on some of the healing herbs of the jungle, would probably be a small mini series since there are so many. You know I am starting to ramble but it is wonderful how every story just seems to be better than the last. To be honest I really wouldn’t mind just working with the Indians and making Punta Linda a dream come true, a total nature park highlighting the Noble Indian’s ways. I find my self closer and closer to these people and Justo and I don’t even speak their language, Although Justo can communicate with them a little and I see him often ask what a word in their dialect means.

A bit off the subject but the other day Justo and I where talking and he started saying he had seen fights between the Indians with sticks and he held one up and started showing me how they fought with them. The fights are to determine who gets a certain woman or to win a wife and he said sometimes he has watched a fight where the one guy hit the other in the knee and he couldn’t get up so the victor won his wife for good.

Punta Linda White Hawk with one foot
(wonder if he lost a wife in the battle)

The day went well and we got about 200 meters of trails done, 20 meters of palms cut, split, and carried down, a couple more bridges with palms nailed on them, one man steadily putting rocks on the trials to keep them from slipping and making them solid, the area around the “kitchen” area cleared, and a nap with the likes of I have never heard before.

Just another days journey across the river

Dropped the guys off at the swinging bridge so they could start their walk home and took Justo home; then headed to the China store for some ice and a drink. You know I thought the story would end right about here until tomorrow but I have to tell you about my bicycle ride tonight. It was great! The weather was perfect and I rode down to the local fried chicken and patacones restaurant which is always busy and got a order of 2 chicken legs and about 15 fresh hot patacones – fried Plantains. It really tasted good today and then I peddled down to Rambala and back up to Punta Pena stopping and talking to a couple of young 16ish kids (who I had talked to before) about Punta Linda. They really made me smile when they said that my Spanish was getting better and I told them it was their turn to get their English to be better now. I hope it works! They seem like good kids and hope to at least to get some people up there to see the project. Local in the street marketing! I can honestly say right now I am looking forward with great expectations for tomorrow’s progress. I want the bamboo cut and laid along the trials where it is going to go, the rocks filled in the front, and the entire front cleaned up. I know it’s asking for a lot but I also want a path up to the bamboo stand from below so they can carry it down that way more easily and work on that new trail. I think it will work.

Eric's Journal Day 7

2008-07-16T17:50:00.004-04:00

One of the bridges along the trail!

Tuesday of the second week, after a good start on the first week it is going to be tough to top that but I will try. Today the full crew showed up full of vim and vigor and grabbed the chain saw and a battery Skil saw of mine and headed up the mountain. Justo and I went back to his house to pick up the roll of barbed wire and then to the china market to get some chicken feet, beans and rice. Justo grabbed a couple of small cans of tomato paste that he said would give the chicken feet some color. The total bill for their lunch was 12 dollars working out to roughly $1 per person - guess that’s pretty good. I had 5 guys head up right away to start splitting palms, 4 started back digging and working on the trails, and Celestino started working on the front dressing it up; working on the walkway to the entrance of PL.

I brought up the food for the guys and had left the wire behind at the gate. Justo told one of them to go down and get it and bring it back up to rework the front entry where the large tree had taken out 20’ of fence. After all were started Justo and I went up and checked how the trails where doing then headed up to see the progress on the cutting of the palms. Even though we had cleared a trail to the top it’s still a long hike straight up so we took our time stopping often and talking about the beauty and how lucky we both were.

When we made it to the top you could just look down through the jungle on the other side and see the men cutting the palms and the others bringing them to the top to be split up there, making it easier. We walked just a short way up the hill towards the top and I looked up and saw the branches in a tree shaking and then an animal with a long tail moving to another limb. I hollered to Justo “ Mono”, (monkey) as he looked up and saw it too. We walked up towards the mono and no longer saw him but headed further up also looking for the missing cows.

When we reached the top of PL it was a really clear day with little humidity and we could see way out in the Chiriqui Bay to the Bocas Islands and the channel - it was breath taking! The trip back was nice and slow as we worked our way back down to the bottom. I was kind of disappointed I didn’t see the sloth again as we walked by where we had seen him before, I mean how far they can go in a week?

Justo the magnificent! Could not do this without him!

After the long trek Justo and I sat down next to what I have coined the phrase of “Laguna de Justo”, which is the small pool where we eat lunch often and watch the fish. I opened up a can of Van Camps Pork and Beans and pulled out some bread - it was only 11 but we where both hungry and deserved to eat like kings. Shortly after we finished and checked on the guys once more. They had eaten and headed back to work. I was really impressed. They ate and took exactly 30 minutes to do it. Typically in Panama there are one hour lunches but these guys grabbed hold of the shorter day concept and are acting like it has always bee that way. Gringo ideas! After that the guys started bringing down the palm and we got the front bridge done and I started the second bridge laying the palm out and nailing it down until I ran out of nails! Oops! Guess I will finish it tomorrow. As I was walking by on one of the trips past the kitchen I had mentioned to Justo to tell Celestino to have his wife clean up the creek next to where she was cooking. There were some limbs down in it and it needed some attention but it didn’t work when I tried yesterday. Finally it did today and she was actually cleaning so it looked a lot better and I tried the best I could with a bunch of thumbs up and muy bueno to convey that, but realized she spoke Noble; an Indian dialect and not even Spanish. I sure hope my smile got across anyway. But after an hour of cleaning she sat down she was done. I was happy for a little progress. The days’ progress was ok and I was happy it was over.

Celestino's wife the cook - relaxing

After Justo’s and my walk I was worn out and asking Justo what time it was. I realized they finally put in a really full day - way to go guys!

After we dropped the 13 Indians off at the bridge we headed to the hardware store to pick up some nails and some spray for termites since I wanted to treat the bamboo posts before we set them in the ground for the rails. At the store the nails seemed kind of high in price at $.90/lb so I asked how much for 50 lbs. and they punched it in the calculator and came up with $45. – gosh, I guess no discount for volume. Justo said we could get them cheaper at Chiriquí Grande so no problem we had to pick up some containers for Diesel fuel to mix with the Penitran anyway. When we got to the hardware store in Chiriquí Grande and checked the price it was $1.30/lb, now it was a different quality but I didn’t need it to last 30 years so after we picked up the containers for fuel and Justo bought his usual 2 cigarettes. We headed back to pick up his wife and then to Punta Pena.

Now all we need to do is shop in the morning for food which Justo suggested that this time we might get the guys fish. He said it’s as cheap as the chicken is so why not. I am looking for some good progress tomorrow hope to have all the palms we need split and installed on the bridges, the trail being worked on , and some of the bamboo we are going to use for rails cut as well. May be a dream but heck I am in Panama working with 13 Indians and a Morse code specialist, and watching monkeys in the trees, pinch me because I think I am dreaming now.

The 3 toed sloth hanging
and scratching

Eric's Journal Day 6

2008-07-09T13:16:00.014-04:00

The Entrance - a work in progress
Monday : I woke up at 4:30 am out of the house in Boquete at 5:15 of course the cobwebs where not clear yet and I ended up leaving my clothes behind (oops for the week I mean) but all worked out okay as I had a dresser still at Mario’s with enough to get me through the week. Pulled up to PL at 7:15 after a nice uneventful drive over the mountains and saw Justo at the corner china market as I pulled in and he told me he was getting rice and supplies for the Indians to cook up there today. Justo then told me the Indians where already up there and working and cutting palms for the decking for the trails. I said great and grabbed my camera and what supplies I had in my van for cooking and headed up. Dropping them off when I got up there I realized needed to head to the local hardware store to get some 3” galvanized nails to nail the Palm down on the bridges and some oil for the gas for the chain saw.
So after dropping off one load I headed back down the hill to go to the store. On the way down I saw Justo with a helper carrying up the supplies and told him to have a man back down at the gate in 30 minutes. The trip each time from the street to PL is 1 km up and 1 km back over hills across bridges over a creek numerous times and past a barking dog so it is never a dull hike. Plus lugging up my back pack with a rain coat and some food for lunch
and camera it’s always at least a 30 minute turn around.
(Last week I had a good idea about working with the local agricultural high school in town. We talked with the teachers and we will supply bags and seeds and the kids will start plants and trees to replant the previous cleared part of Punta Linda. Also they brought their cows to graze in the pasture area as part of this cooperative project.
Win win for all as they have only a small space to grow near the school. )
Once I returned with an Indian helping (I will get better at remembering or at trying to remember their names) I started doing a head count: one was building a shelter for Celistino’s wife who was going to be cooking for the guys, 5 working on the trail with shovels and picks, Justo watching the shelter being build, Celistino watching the guys work on the trails, and 5 I was told were cutting palms.

Cutting the bamboo for the hand rails
I had almost forgotten there was also an 11 year old girl who was Celistino’s wife’s sister. Don’t ask; I haven’t figured it out yet either. Okay the head count was there. After 2 hours the 5 men cutting palms arrived carrying their wares, pieces of split palm trunks 48 inches long and about 1 ½ “ thick - not bad . I had a man start working on the bridge by the shelter and in the progress leveling out the logs preparing for the palm. Then after having them raise the beams to match we started nailing them down. As I grabbed a hammer and started fingering the 3” galvanized nails and began driving them into the palm I realized how hard the palm is. You had to beat it hard enough while holding the nail to break through the hardness then you could let it go and drive it into the wood below. Well 25 feet of bridge done and only about another 125’ to go I think this is going to work out good – it’s rustic but very solid. As we were nailing the boards I watched the shelter go up and Celistino’s wife and her sister begin to get the food cooking for the guys. Well lunch time arrived at 12 and she had enough food cooked to feed 20 guys. Too bad we only had 14 including her but still no one went hungry on a meal of Rice, beans and chicken necks that cost me $.65/lb (I wanted chicken feet they only cost $.50 but they were out, I was told, guess you have to treat the help good once in a while.
Everyone with their own refillable bottle - Koolaid today!
After lunch the palm splitters went back to work the trail diggers grabbed their shovels and I had Celistino grab a few guys to go clean up the entrance of PL where some trees had blown down. Well no sooner than we where starting to clean out the brush then I looked up and saw a guy with 12 kids two of which had red flags that I had bought and made. I hollered over to one of Celistino’s guys to run and get Justo - this didn’t look good. Well when the man got closer I realized that it was one of the professors at the school and his kids. The kids stayed out side the gate and I motioned for the professor to come up and see the progress always mentioning about the plants until we ran into Justo who could interpret. Once I found Justo I told him I think he is here for his cows. Then I found out that we had 3 calves missing and that we only had 1 bull and 5 calves total on the property. Justo then told me he knew that and already and had some of the guys go check the fence and the neighbors cows to see if they had gotten to the next farm but with no luck. The teacher did tell me the trails looked good but as far as the plants he is only in charge of cows and I would have to talk to the other professor about the plants. We walked back towards the front and his kids who had already been wandering around PL looking for their cows were rounding up the cows heading them to the gate - guess that was the end of having cows to eat trails for the horse backing riding. Oh well it’s only a speed bump in the road of life. Back to our trails and bridges, I was having the guys clean up the brush and then working on repairing the bamboo gate over the creek and it was looking good when Celistino yelled Sappo and cangrejo which is frog and crab. I ran over to look, camera ready, and saw a fresh water crab as big as a Chesapeake Bay blue crab and a bullfrog in a tussle. The crab had the frog by the foot and the frog was putting up a commotion. I grabbed a stick and pressed it at the crab seeing how big he was and he let go of the bullfrog to have him scamper into the brush; that was cool witnessing that, but to be totally honest it has been cool just being part of this whole thing and witnessing another culture at work.
Justo pointing out yet another medicinal plant
Well I ran off a little early to get a phone card and some ice and beer and told them all “see you tomorrow”. While I was gone it started to rain so after I got what I needed I headed back to PL to see if Justo needed a ride back to his house since he was getting over a cold and I didn’t want him to get sick again. Have you ever wondered how many Indians you can get a van? Well the answer is 14 with their machetes too.

The cooks sister relaxing
I dropped them off at the swinging bridge again to proceed with their 45 minute walk in the rain. I made it back to Mario’s while his electrician was working hanging up lights and putting in outlets and finishing up the lighting in his new bedroom. Talked to him about PL and the work we had done then downloaded the pics and showed him the 4’ snake one of the palm cutters found on his last trip. Justo came up and said wow that’s a ‘X’ snake you get bit by those and you just die before you get to hospital and it’s a huge one - Fer De Lance. I was thinking afterwards I hope it wasn’t pregnant. At the end of Monday the first day of the second week and you know I just realized again how lucky I am to have Mario and all the people he trusts as contacts. That’s where I got Justo, Celestino and the crew.

New blog trick

2008-07-06T21:09:00.002-04:00

Just a tip I found out by accident. If you click on the photos in the blog they will expand which is sometimes great for viewing details. Have fun and here is one from Boquete today.

Eric's Journal Day 5

2008-07-06T20:35:00.011-04:00

Required Jungle Footware
Where do I begin - okay the beginning. I showed up at 10 till seven and the Indians where already there as I pulled up I saw Justo walking up the road with a leather jacket and flip flops. I hollered out I know I told them I wanted Linda to be able to walk up the trails with flip flops but this is crazy and he then told me that he wasn’t feeling good and wasn’t going to be able to make it. That hit me like a ton of bricks I started thinking how am I going to be able to communicate with the Indians? He said no problem just tell them what to do and turned and walked away – saying he would be back in time to help pay them at the end of the day. I have learned since I moved to Panama you have to make the most of every situation and I figured this was a flaming situation that I had to look hard for that silver lining. Once we got up there and all the guys started digging and working on the trails and bridges; Chief Celistino was guiding them I figured I had it licked.
8" Punta Linda Frog
Well then Ernesto showed up after I had told Mario we didn’t need him anymore and thought he had called him for me. Since I decided to use bamboo totally for posts and rails, and instead of using wood for the bridges we are going to use crushed palm - I didn’t need the professional wood cutter. I didn’t have a translator any more and had a heck of a time getting the point across that I didn’t need him today but then finally he smiled and shook my hand and headed back down. One problem averted with only a little time wasted.
One of the longest bridges
(it's a long way down)
Every time I would walk off on one of my explorations when I would return and see the progress they had made I would let out a loud perfecto!!! As the day went on I would hear them talking to them selves and every now and then I would hear a “perfecto” from them as well; it was all I could do to contain the huge smile on my face. As the day wore on lunch time arrived, in the morning I had given them a plastic bag with 4 small cans of pork and beans that Lyn had given me and ¾ of a loaf of bread to have bean sandwiches. After lunch while I was sitting by my new ZEN pool along the trail Celistino came up proudly with the plastic bag in tow with all the trash and said it was good; well he may have said it or not but he smiled and nodded and seemed very gracious so I am assuming. I on the other hand was eating some very stale chips that I would sprinkle on the water so the little fish and crayfish (which they call fresh water shrimp) would nibble on them. (Lyn says: I have to interject here since anyone who ever came to our house in Florida knows that Eric is by nature a “fish trainer”) I handed Celistino the remaining bag of chips and watched him finish the rest of the bag while being careful not to walk around the corner so the others would not see him. As he was eating the chips (a few days earlier when I had opened the chips I watched as a dime slide off the top of my dresser and had fallen in the bag instead of digging it out then I just figured I would find it as I ate and left in there and forgot about it.) You would not believe the face on Celistino when he found that dime. He pulled it out and tried to give it to me - I told him he could have it. I started thinking later if he thought all gringo food had money in each bag no wonder they think we are rich. Spending time with Celistino as he supervises his guys there is so mcuh silence only broken by me trying to say something or convey a idea. Often he will be listening and then his eyes light up and he will say what the animal was he heard, today he was listening and a smile came over his face as he said “MONO” (monkey). I listened hard for the sound trying to differentiate it from the hundreds of other sounds filling the jungle. Little things like this keep reminding me why I am here, the beauty and the people.
Baby Howler Monkey
The monkey was a treasure since the only other “sighting” so far was when our friend Curly discovered one when he was standing under a tree and the monkey was relieving himself and I guess that qualifies…. After lunch we went on a search for the perfect trees for the next bridge these had to be 30’ long and straight. As I walked to PL with the line of Indians following me I decided just for kicks to take a different way up and to see what they would do. As I changed courses taking a different way up they, like their women, just followed me the different way not even breaking stride. I was leading and they where following.

Afterwards I spoke and said Bueno? Celistino nodded and we might have a new trail in the works now.
Did you say you wanted a trail here boss?

Well just as Justo said he met us down at the entrance at 3:30 with his receipt book in hand all the information already filled in and it was time for Payday. Paid out the 40 dollars per person which was 7 - $5 bills and 5 - $1 and to Celistino $44 and Justo $75 so one week of labor making 400 meters of trails in the jungle cost $315.00. Not too bad for 7 people working. Can’t wait to see what next Monday will bring when I increase the work force to 13 I know it’s going to keep me hopping and shooting lots of pics.

Day Four and Starting to Settle Into a Rhythm

2008-07-03T10:23:00.013-04:00

Day 4

I had the regular crew show up with out a hitch, Justo had his camouflage on and when I pulled up I didn’t even see him. Even after he spoke he had to move before I saw him. Sure hope the Indians don’t figure that one out or will never find them up there again. Justo and I went exploring for more potential paths and found a beauty. There is this huge tree with a wide root base (the name I still do not know) that I have always wanted to make the path go by it. Its hard to even describe so will take some pictures tomorrow and hope you can see the magnificence of it then. While I was checking on the guys’ progress I got distracted by a orange butterfly, I got it to land on my finger and was holding it up for the guys to see and then even pretended to talk to it. I then put it on one of the guys hats and they all got a laugh.

With all the climbing around in the rubber boots up the steep hills and through the creeks I got a blister - it was bound to happen but I held tough. After 5 hours I told them I had to go check on some prices of supplies since I also just made a deal with the Indian boss to have 5 more Indians come on Monday to start cutting palms. What I decided to do is use crushed palms like the Indians use for the walls and floors of their homes and this type of palm is so strong that they use it for supports of homes out over the water and to support homes on land. In these conditions it lasts 8 to 10 years and we have lots of it on PL so why not!!! At 3:30 I went to the entrance of PL and met Justo and the Indians as they came down I shook all of their hands telling them what a good job they are doing and how happy I am. Then Celistino, the Indian leader, asked if I would drive them 3/10 of a km to the suspension bridge that goes over the Rio Wabo River and from there they walk 45 minutes to their village I answered sure why not. On the way to the bridge Justo told me that he and Celistino had a talk. When we started PL and talked to Celistino he wanted more than the other Indians since he was in charge and was able to get them so we agreed that instead of $1 per hour we would pay him $1.10 and he agreed happily. Well now things have changed and he wants to get more than $1.10. Talking to Justo we both kind of laughed because when I had made the deal with him that he wanted more we both could not believe that he accepted .10 more so I will give him $1.25 because he is doing a really good job. The truth of the matter is he is doing a great job and seems to be taking personal interest in the job which makes me smile a lot.

Photo: (Celestino deep in thought)

He has even talked to Justo about bringing some plants from home to plant on PL. Now life is good!! Justo and I went to the local china market after work to get him some boots. I told him the guy in charge of PL at least has to have a good pair of boots. His have a hole in them and he told me he has to pry his feet in them in the morning since they are too small. He wears a size 12! We may have to go to David to get them for him since they were no where to be found near Punta Pena. So we continued n to Chiriquí Grande to check out a hardware store there and price some axes we needed for the guys to cut and split the palms on Monday. When we got there we found the axes and also the large cast aluminum pots for cooking up to 14 pounds of rice and some other pots and pans as well. $105 dollars letter with Justo getting me a discount we were going to head back when he said excuse him for a sec he needed to go to the store. When he returned he had one cigarette and lit it up and said he was trying to quit and the best way was to buy them one at a time. I agreed. Then we started to head out as soon as he called his wife to see if she wanted a ride home too. Well she (a school administrator for the Indian schools) had just gotten 3 sets of teachers who had come in on boats from various islands around the area and was busy with them but gave Justo a shopping list. On the way home almost in front of Justo’s home we stopped at another china market ( did I tell you all the stores are owned by the Chinese and everyone calls each one the china market - confusing eh?) When he returned he had a bag with some buns and then he opened it up and showed me 2 pounds of chicken feet. He said this is what you need to get the workers for lunch and its only .50 a pound. He said his wife loves them and chicken necks too. I laughed and said I was going to let him do the shopping for the Indians.

Photo: (Celestino's wife, Justo and Celestino's sister in law - she comes for cooking lessons.)

On another note Ernesto a chain saw man that almost has arms as big as my waist is going to show up tomorrow and cut some wood for me. It’s going to cost me .20/ft but I know him and he is a good man so have no hesitation on giving him the work. The wood his is going to cut is like no other I have ever seen. It’s called almandro it’s one of the hardest woods and is totally resistant to insects. The wood he is gong to be cutting on PL has been down for almost 15 years and is just as good as it was when it was standing. This is what I am going to use as the posts for the hand rails with bamboo on top nailed with a 5” to 6” spike. I am hoping it is not so hard I will have to drill each post.

Photo: Morning Mist

Well, change of plan again as I was talking to Mario about cutting the almandro for the posts and how hard it was and asked him why can’t you use bamboo? Does it rot in the ground or the bugs eat it? He told me the termites eat it I started talking to him about what if we took and cut the posts and soaked them in Penitrol a termite agent. He thought for a minute and said that would be a great idea. So I canceled Ernesto for tomorrow and am going to next week cut bamboo posts and start soaking them. The top rail is going to be bamboo and will just have to keep an eye on it and see if it needs to be sprayed too. Don’t like using insecticide but in this environment you just don’t have a choice.

More soon...............

Day Three - It just keeps getting better

2008-07-02T16:37:00.013-04:00

Day Three
Well day three, didn’t go too badly. I had 6 Indians show up and Justo makes 7. They grabbed the shovels, picks, can and chain saw and headed up the hill to PL. I had to run up to the local hardware store and pick up the wheel barrow that I had been too tired to pick up yesterday. Sitting in front of the store at 7:15 and waiting for it to open I saw a guy show up who had helped me before and asked what time they opened (even though painted on the outside of the store it said 7:30). He smiled and said 8. I laughed and pointed at the sign he laughed too then walked over to a mango tree growing on the edge of the hardware store and started throwing rocks at it hitting the mangos and showers of them dropped to the ground. About 20 minutes later the owner of the hardware store who I know showed up and I explained that I needed a wheel barrow and would come back later when they were open and pay him. He nodded and smiled and I grabbed the wheel barrow and threw it in my van and went to PL. On the way up seeing the start of the trails and bridges from the day before I just smiled seeing the progress and using my imagination to see the completed project. We installed another 2 more bridges today and another 16 meters of switchback trails. I had Justo’s brother show up at 12 and we talked some. He wanted more money and I just wasn’t going to pay any more than we had a deal for which was .10 a ft. We smiled as we parted. Later the weather was really getting nice the sun was shinning and going into the shade of the jungle it almost gave you goose bumps, I decided to head to my van and get my camera a 1 km (.6 of a mile) walk each way. Once I got to my van I drove to Mario’s to talk to him for a bit about one, the wood cutting and two, just cause I had not talked to him in a while since he had been really busy and traveling a lot. I was glad I did. Talking to Mario and telling him about what was going on we started sharing ideas and I told him I wanted to use crushed palm for the decks of the bridges. He said that was a great idea and how come you didn’t use palm for the beams for the bridges too. Duh! We have lots of palm on PL and there would be no problem using it, the palm he is talking about is so hard they also use it for building docks in the water and it holds up for 20 years. It also grows fast so will replace itself quickly. Life is good - little by little we are going to make this happen.

This palm is 35' long - way to go guys!

This is the "green" season - winter -according to some local authorities. The other season from November to April is the "dry season; or so we've heard.

Driving in the post

Make sure you get that post in deep guys. It needs to hold up to the occasional torrential tropical rains.

An Early Guest to Punta Linda - taking a rest.
Don't worry guys just go around me!

Chance Meeting

2008-06-30T11:31:00.005-04:00

Last week we ran into our friend Lori's Mom and her friend in a store in Boquete. Really small world. We had never met her in the US and knew she was building a house here and there she was in the store looking so much like Lori that it just had to be. Here she is with her friend Charles in the Boquete Bistro.

A a picture of the 4 of us at the indoor pool at Valle Escondido - the Bonita Bay of Boquete. They gave us the grand tour of the neighborhood.

More from Boquete

2008-06-30T11:19:00.009-04:00

In the Boquete at the vegetable market. Chiriqui Province is the "bread basket" of Panama so fresh vegetables and fruits are inexpensive and easy to get in town at the vegetable market.
Just an ordinary morning chirper here.

We found a great greenhouse with wonderful fresh herbs to plant here at the house and are able to buy 3 different kinds of hydroponically grown lettuce there. We are having our first real salads since we came here. A salad to most of Panama is iceberg lettuce with a piece of tomato.

If you are lucky there will be something resembling Italian dressing, usually they top it with mayonaise! Ketchup (salsa americana) is served with everything and real fresh salsa is nonexistant unless you make it at home. Spam is available in every (even the smallest) market!

We keep looking for something better that "we Americans" left behind.

Just a few of our neighborhood flowers in Boquete

2008-06-30T11:13:00.005-04:00

These are everywhere when we walk the neighborhood. Met a new neighbor this past week that had us in for coffee (seems he owns a large coffee plantation). He sent us home with the most delicious coffee ever and an armload of fresh cut Calla Lillies. Seems he also has 2 fish farms and sells salmon and trout to Publix! Interesting new friend.

Day Two on Punta Linda already

2008-06-30T11:03:00.006-04:00

After sleeping like a rock got a call Justo had to go to Chiriquí Grande and wouldn’t be there till 9:30 no problem I could handle it. It was like a flash back 7 am 5 Indians showed up and I dole out the shovels and picks and told them to go on up and I would return as soon as I got my gas can and filled it up for my chain saw. I knew they didn’t under stand a single word I had said. Well the gas can with my chain saw gas never made it but I did have another cup of coffee with Juana, Mario’s girl friend, and her little girl Susan who was in an obvious time out chair. As soon as she saw me she let loose with a purrrrrrrrrr-FEC-TO (perfecto) as loud as she could making me smile as I pointed to Susan and asked Juana - time out chair? She smiled and nodded. Back to the job after not finding the gas can I remembered a while back Linda and I had climbed to the top and I had cleared some trees where a possible building site could be and I had stashed a cooking oil container that contained some chainsaw oil and gas. Climbing up to the top retrieving my gas and chain oil I headed down. After talking to the head Indian about the bridges I figured on starting to chop some material for this. Dang being a lumber jack is a tough job. After getting the bar and chain stuck and unstuck numerous times as the tree wanted to pinch and gobble up my 16” chain saw; in a last ditch effort of defiance I had finally cut it into the size pieces we had determined would work. I had let the head Indian use the chainsaw one time after seeing how that went I realized I was the new Lumber Jack, guess my pointing days where over. After we got two trees cut and were working on the third the tree fell off the side of the cliff and was stuck standing straight up caught in a web of vines with no way to make it fall. Back to the hardware store to get some rope which they where out of and then to Chiriquí Grande to buy 9 lbs of rope for $19 dollars. You would have laughed as I tried to explain that I wanted only 20 meters then gave up and told him to give me the rest of the roll which figured was close to that. Back at PL I was watching them try to throw the ¾” rope through the tree and failing then one of the Indians just climbed a tree next to it and threw it through. With 5 Indians, Justo, and I we got it to drop with 10 minutes of tugging. Cutting it up in 18’ pieces they carted it to creek to now begin the bridge.
I am always so happy for little signs of improvement after I had cut up the trees they set them in place and started flattening the tops of the logs for the boards to be later nailed on. When I stepped back to look at what they had done I was happy to see how good it was going to look and I think they also see now what I am trying to do. Where is a wood cutter when you need him? Still no Justo’s brother today either. When I asked Justo he told me he had tried to call him again but he lives where there isn’t a phone signal. He was sure he would contact him soon since he had borrowed $20 from him. I am crossing my fingers with Justo too.
I got back to Mario’s at about 3:30 so tired I could hardly stand up and drenched in sweat and jumped into a warm shower, dang life is good. I lay in bed to fall asleep almost immediately wake up around 5 pm. Guess I will have to go to get a wheel barrow tomorrow. Thank goodness Lyn and I had cooked up extra food before I had left Boquete and put it in Tupperware plates. I am still to hot even after the shower to heat the food up so ate it cold but it was the best food I had ever eaten, grilled chicken, and red peppers and onion. Tried to call Lyn tonight but the phone won't hold a charge and I got through and cut off, and every thing was going so good.
Tomorrow we are going to keep pressing on the trails and may even try and get a rail up. The wooden planks we will have to cut later unless I get a wood cutter tomorrow since these trees are so hard they laugh at my 16” chain saw.

Day One on Punta Linda - Eric's Consturction Journal

2008-06-26T22:38:00.007-04:00

Monday the start of any ordinary work week!
Life is good! Mine is starting in the jungle of Panama with 6 Indians and a 67 year old Morse Code Specialist for a translator. The first day of any job is always one of the most trying but to be honest with you it wasn’t really that bad (that being the key word). I had asked and arranged to have 6 Indians with their boss. So a total of 7 but wasn’t too bad. Half of the crew started right in with shovels and a pick working on a bank to make steps, the boss was with them to make sure they didn’t mess it up. The other 3 went with Justo and me as we explored around The World Famous Punta Linda looking for trails and places of interest. The 3 Indians where amazing they chopped through the jungle like a weed eater on steroids - it was amazing. 3 wide the Indians cutting a 5 meter wide path wherever you pointed them. I had tried to get Justo to convey exactly what I wanted before we got started but guess it lost something in the translation. We where chopping on a trail on the ridge just next to the creek and I wandered down closer to the creek to where this huge tree (whose name I will find out) was. The base of this tree has this ribbon of roots surrounding it, I had always really wanted to be able to highlight the beauty of it and the serenity. I hollered up to Justo where I was and that I had wanted a path to the tree. He hollered up to the Indians on the ridge to make a trail to where I was. They proceeded to stop point towards me and cut a 100 meter trail 5 meters wide to where I was which was over ground that could only be described as a very high ridge and a cliff. 10 minutes into their chopping I realized what was happening and tried to holler to Justo to have them cut a trail back and forth and to find the easiest way to me. Guess that lost something in translation. In 20 minutes they had a 5 meter trail right to where I was standing that only a mountain goat would ever be able to climb back up. I wonder if next time I start at the top and have them cut to me it would work. I am sure I will get several more opportunities to find out. The next exploration we did was around this huge almendro tree that was down that we are cutting our posts for the rails from. Right across from the tree is a valley with the most unique tree. The tree is over 100 meters high but 40 meters up a branch goes downwards then has grown into the ground about 6 meters from the base, Other than a banyan tree I have never seen any thing like this. When we got up there Justo remarked this would be a great place for a cabana which I readily agreed.
Next we continued back to the ridge and continued to chop upwards. I had been here earlier on one of my explorations but when it had gotten too thick I had to stop, but the Indians sure didn’t. They where so busy chopping only stopping to pull their files out to sharpen their machetes that they didn’t see a sloth only 3 meters from us up right at eye level, well I didn’t notice it either but Justo pointed him out to me. I had my camera but as I had found out earlier there was just too much humidity, and with me sweating so much there was nothing dry around to clean the lens from the instant fog that formed on it, I am sure he will be in close to the same spot later. Did you know that sloths only come down the tree once every two weeks to defecate? As slow as they are it almost takes them that long to get down. At last just as I had hoped the trail opened up to just under the ridge of the left hand slide of PL. Making our way to the top I know Justo thinks I was a broken record repeating over and over "suave" meaning smooth, the closest thing I have learned so far to mean not too steep. A quick chop across the ridge, 5 meters wide, and it was lunch time. I hollered to Justo to tell them to chop on the way down must again think it lost something in translation. They where like a horses headed for the barn, their back sides soon disappeared from site as Justo and I made our way down.
I met Justo’s brother, his wife and his step father and mother. To his house we hiked off the main road down a river in a plantain field, it was interesting as I drank a cup of coffee with them while their pet parrot tried to bite my ear. He was telling a few stories which I got a quick translation by Justo as I drank some of the darkest richest coffee I had ever had. We talked for a while as I sipped the coffee and he agreed to $.10 per foot cutting the wood from the tree that was already down on PL, of course I bought the oil and the gas and gave him some money for a new chain which he said he would take off the price I paid him. I shook his hand and said that sounded fair which Justo translated. Well after giving Justo $100 for gas and a new bar and chain he showed up. The first day they showed up a quick storm popped up blowing debris all over and breaking branches they left shortly after that. It isn’t fun to get hit by falling debris from 200 meters up so they next day got a good start and cut 530’ of lumber which isn’t the dimensions I had said but none the less we could make it work. It’s something that is almost growing on me as I softly chuckle under my breath and mutter panama.
Once Justo and I made it down to the bottom where the rest of the guys were I smiled as I watched the guys who had just cut a 5 meter trail faster then I had ever seen take off their boots and where soaking their feet in the creek. Remembered again why I was here. I realized that tomorrow I was going to need to bring my chain saw since Justo’s brother had not shown up to cut some fallen debris which could be used for bridges to. I left while they ate lunch and went and picked up the extra pick axe I had in my van and grabbed some lunch which I had forgot to bring up with me. Before I left I mentioned to Justo to have them cut a path to the bamboo which is a huge grove of bamboo you can see from a long way off where there had once been a corral. When I returned they where gone but I looked upwards and saw a 5 meter path straight up the cliff leading to the bamboo. I have got to find a better word in Spanish to communicate “gentle, easy” trail. Climbing up the newly cleared cliff feeling like was in a gym climbing one of those artificial walls with the only difference being that the gym didn’t have the humidity, or the bugs. Once getting to the bamboo I found them clearing the area around there and be honest it looked great so let them chop away. It wasn’t any thing towards putting in the trails but I was happy to see the progress. Justo told me it was getting time for them to leave and they could head down and we could check out a repair his brother had made on the fence. I told Justo to tell them on the way down to chop the path wider but again something in that translation thing. After making our way down I started talking to Justo about what time it was and he told me 2:45. I started thinking we start at 7 am, 30 minute lunch, the numbers don’t work. As I gave Justo a ride home I asked him about that he said they only took a 30 minute lunch so they could get off early. Not bad work 7, get paid for 8 but he also told me tomorrow they would work longer. All and all not a bad first day.
After work I went to Mario’s where he had given me the downstairs cabana to stay in which I was thrilled about since this one also has hot water and grabbed a shower the best shower in the world and headed out to grab some chain saw oil and some gas "opps" my gas can was missing. When Mario got home later about 9 pm I asked him about it and he said his working Enil had it and called him to have his son bring it in the morning. After going to the feriterria - the only hardware store in two towns and picking up the supplies; I then went to the internet café in Chiriquí Grande and spent some time on the net researching mazes - it’s a idea I had to maybe make Punta Linda different if I could. I always told you I was an idea man didn’t mean they where all good.

Punta Linda progress

2008-06-17T22:57:00.026-04:00

Don't know what these guys are called but aren't they pretty?

This is one of our new benches which everyone down to the last Indian tried out the intitial prototype to insure quality control. Just the right height, big enough for 2 or more using wood from a tree that was already down naturally.

OK Now!

These guys are small in general (about 5' tall) but check out the size of this bamboo. Gives you a little perspective on the enormous job at hand. The Bamboo doesn't get hurt by being thinned out a bit and is being used for the handrails for the bridges and the steep paths.

No problem as anyone who knows bamboo knows you can almost hear it grow.

It is located however a long way from where the guys are working.

This is one of the paths that follows the ridge around the stream. This spot was inaccessible before and now affords such beautiful views. This is the path in the begining stages.

It is much improved now.

This is the cook and her sister who is in training for cooking.
Amazing how they dress for the jungle.
The younger one (14) tells Eric she wants a Gringo man since they treat their women better - translated by Justo.
These girls are often married around her age and sometimes
the men will have more than one "wife".

Here is one of the bridges with handrails ready to install at the entrance to Punta Linda.

Another trail that would be impossible to traverse without a bridge. These guys hand carry every log and rock for this project only using shovels, picks and a wheelbarrow when feasible.

A Colibri or hummingbird - hard to photograph since they always seem to be in motion.
Eric's favorite! So colorful and so fast and tiny as they zoom past your ears.

Another not very photogenic critter playing hard to get.

This is one of our 3 toed sloths (see the toes) hanging from a tree and scratching her stomach!

There was a baby too but too high up to photograph!

There is beauty everywhere! Cool "cricket".

The cook at work, rice and "chicken" will be ready soon.

The only way to move the wood to where you need it is by hand.

This one is really heavy and long!

We love this young guy who works like a mule and always has a ready smile

and wears his Costa Rica "Pura Vida" hat every day!

This guy nobody loves and the natives won't even eat him since he is so poisonous they are afraid that the poison is in the meat! Don't believe it works like that but who are we to say.

We think it probably tastes "just like chicken" and makes a good hatband!

This one was 5 ' long is a Fer De Lance - not to worry we have a handy dandy snake bite kit! Thanks to Charlie's advice! Gulp!

Killing these snakes costs extra so for this one the guys typically get a bottle of rum

at the end of the week as a bonus for their bravery.

2008-06-17T22:38:00.000-04:00

This is the hydro electric damn in Caldera between Boquete and Punta Pena right after a big rain.

2008-06-17T18:47:00.003-04:00

The street in front of the house looks like this at least once a day when the area covers up with fog and then rains a little. Every day the weather here is very dramatic. This is just the begining of the fog coming in in the afternoon. Our neighbors are friendly, no roosters, no pigs, definately surburbia. I can take a cab into town for $1 and a bus into the city of David (1/2 hour) for $1. The town of Boquete is old, quaint and very cool -built around a square park with a gazebo type stage for live entertainment.

Our temporary digs in Boquete

2008-06-17T18:46:00.002-04:00

Here is our little cabin in Boquete. Eric comes in on Friday for the weekends and soon he will be here full time until we figure out our next step to our Punta Linda project.

Written From Boquete in the Province of Chiriqui

2008-06-09T09:13:00.007-04:00

Hola All!

These are all photos of Punta Linda in Progress.

Thanks to Eric for dragging the camera up and down the mountain all day!

Eric will fill in the story detail later when he gets back to civilization

This is Justo our foreman and interpreter

At the entrance - water everywhere

Where is Tarzan for these vines?

Traveling alongside the stream

We rented a house at last and moved to the mountains for the summer and the internet. Finally unpacking our belongings.We are just settling in to Boquete, more or less - I am sitting at the computer with a jacket and hot coffee. Typically it is sunny in the am and the weather changes many times in the day. Very dramatic looking weather and spring like climate year round. Temperature ranges from 65 - 75 daily and the mist rolls in over the mountains frequently and turns to rain.

Eric spent the week in Punta Pena working with 6 Indians and a foreman / interpreter working on the birding & walking trails for Punta Linda and I worked unpacking all our possessions from after Eric hauled them in from the trailer over the weekend. We are working to get Punta Linda to a point where we can ask for investors, share the vision and get the capital to complete the Park. "The World Famous Punta Linda Adventure Park and Canopy Tour" will definitely take more money than we can pull together on our own to make it as spectacular as we want it to be. The canopy Tour will turn Punta Pena into a destination and we are confident with some additional backing it can be done.

One of the workers with the favorite of digging tools

Eric left this morning to go back to work on the trails some more and will return to me in Boquete on Friday. We hate the separation but right now it is necessary so I can be here with internet in a place where I can market the sale of our properties. We are also looking into what other small business we could start here with limited capital outlay and so we am researching a couple of ideas. Boquete is a little seasonal but also has many expats who live here year round. People visit mainly for outdoor adventures such as whitewater rafting, hiking, zip lines, hot springs and birding.
Our little house has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and one bath has hot water so life is good!

No AC needed here at this elevation. We are surrounded by lovely mountains and only 30 minutes to David for all shopping, medical, airport (soon to be ionternational airport) etc. Black volcanic dirt here, lush and everything grows. Coffee, orchids, fruit including oranges, grapefruit and fantastic mostly organic vegetables are readily available and still fairly inexpensive. Prices are rising here like around the world but here it is more affordable to eat than many places. Just don't want to drive around too much as that would blow any budget. You can get a good "tipico" lunch with soup, meat rice and beans for around $3.

Our foreman gets paid so very little and has an 8 page resume ranging from Morse code to supervision of many employees to assisting Americans during the time of Noriega. His recommendations from US military honchos could not be more impressive and he is just what we needed to get this project going. The Indians who are Nogle Bugle and walk 2 hours to get to the job. It is a different world for sure. This past week Eric discovered that even though the workers were told to bring there own lunch; they did not have it to bring. Most have families have many children to feed and so this week there will be a cook hired for $5 per day, pots are bought and she will feed them all with some chicken feet and rice, corn and beans. Additionally 6 more guys will start this week - they are happy to have the work and the pay is what they are used to getting. Lunch is a bonus. As it turns out they are good, hard workers, they come with a "chief" since some of them only speak their dialect and he speaks the dialect and Spanish and is trying to learn a few English words from Eric. Having had much experience carving out communities (they are primarily nomadic due to their hunting lifestyle) these men are experts at thatched roofs, chopping trails with machetes, recognizing and killing poisonous snakes and bridge building with natural materials. When they finish the trails anyone will be able to hike up to the top for the Caribbean views, access all the creeks and mini waterfalls and enjoy the birds from trails that will not require perfect health and incredible stamina to use.

The Invitation

We have the spare room available for visitors and there is so much to see here. White water rafting, kayaking, hot springs and much more. Not to mention Punta Linda and the islands of Bocas!

Here is Eric's Crew week one!

Is it Winter or Summer?

2008-05-25T14:29:00.000-04:00

So many things aren't clear to us anymore. We keep getting different answers on the naming of the seasons and it appears that there are only 2 in Panama. Rainy season and the "dry" season. Not sure what they did with the other 2 and we don't know that we aren't getting different answers depending on which coast we are on when the question is posed. Then there was the misunderstanding at the house today when a young woman asked to borrow a brush and I thought she wanted a scrub brush so when I handed her the scrub brush; not to appear ungrateful she began to brush her hair with it! I then understood the non verbal and immediately provided her with a hair brush.

The neighbor's pig had to be rescued today as it seems our friends Rottweiler isn't fond of tiny wandering pigs. In the end it was safely returned to it's own yard to continue on to it's ultimate destination onto a plate or a spit. Last week our neighbor called us over to look behind the plumbing in their soon to be completed bathroom. There was a tiny nest of tiny birds stuck back there. Eric decided that the right thing to say was to pretend that all would work out fine in a few more days when they grew a bit larger but it looked to me like they were stuck for life, once again no clear solution; the pig was simpler once the dog was corralled and tied up.

Panamanians are truly too polite sometimes. I had read before moving here that this was a normal characteristic of this culture and it has proven to be true. A great quality for sure unless you need a straight answer. Then you just might be in for a surprise as in general they will not disappoint you by telling any truth that might not be what you want to hear. Added to the challenge of us not possessing a great command of the language this can be quite the brain teaser. Additionally they will be very surprised by anyone who is overly direct so of course I usually have my foot in my mouth; Eric fares a little better on this. We will keep practicing and paying attention.

We spent the entire week traveling this past week for immigration and other important business. In the latter part of the week the van broke down and we had so many knid people try to help us (most could speak no English and went to find someone who could) in this tiny town called Rio Hato. We were lucky to find a mechanic there but discovered we would have to stay over and travel by bus and cab to Panama City to get the parts. Normally you can get parts (or anything else, dogs, mattresses, chickens) shipped around the country by the bus but in this case the Ford Dealership did not take credit cards by phone. The parts clerk was kind enough to tell us the whole saga of why they no longer take cards via the phone but we will save you the details and get to the guts of the story. We found a reasonable hotel with optional hot water (extra $5) and jumped up at 5 am for the bus trip to begin. In Panama City and at the Ford Dealership at 8 am and there was our new phone friend Freddie the bi-lingual parts clerk. In his possession were the much needed parts; of course they were the wrong parts (in spite of being told in both languages what exact parts were needed). So the good news was that we did not pay by credit card and by phone for the wrong parts! 4 bus riding hours later we were in a rental car on the way home having made a call to Eric's friend Howard in the US to procure and ship the parts to the mechanic via DHL. We will see how this works as the part is scheduled to arrive tomorrow and we have our fingers crossed! We will be very happy to get Eric's van back since we are moving to new digs on the weekend and will definitely be needing it. No it isn't the pig or the incessant rooster calls at 3 am that is compelling us to move; bottom line is the lack of Internet here. So after June 1st we will be writing from Boquete and I will stay there to market properties, promote the soon to be "World Famous Punta Linda Eco Adventure Park" and Eric will go back and forth a few days in each place as he supervises the building of the trails and bridges on the property. We have hired a great foreman to help with this who is bilingual, used to work in canal zone and extremely over qualified. A person like this gets paid $75.00 per week and we are thrilled to have him!! The manual laborers (Indians) get $1 per hour.

We will write soon from cool, mountainous Boquete where we will be comfortably surrounded by our personal possessions finally albeit temporarily.

2008-05-12T15:23:00.000-04:00

This is a zoomed in photo of the Caribbean view from our property Punta Linda. We have toucanns, three toed sloth, butterflies and white hawks, bellbirds, and of course a few very tiny viper snakes. Eric is getting quite good with a machete and has 2 kills to his name thus far.

2008-05-12T15:21:00.000-04:00

Who took my paddle?
Taken froom a boat near Bocas Del Toro. The Caribbean water here is outstandingly beautiful and the colors amazing!

2008-05-12T15:19:00.000-04:00

Our friend Curly runs a farm for Buffalo de agua!

These guys love to be photographed an have a natural curiosity.

Time sure flies while we move at a snail's pace

2008-05-12T15:05:00.000-04:00

Hola

Well we made it to Panama!!!!
Life is good!!
The trip went well we discovered a new place to stay in Costa Rica was about 5 miles from the airport, had their own free shuttle, and the rooms where okay and was only $60. Most other places we called for a room at that price did not include the shuttle which can cost as much as $30 each way for a taxi ride.
The first day we arrived in Panama we rented a car from Thrifty and got a free upgrade to a SUV it’s a lot nicer than the Toyota corolla we usually get. We stayed at our favorite hotel called Puerta Del Sol room prices increased a little now they are about $35 a night but real nice rooms, great restaurant and the people are very helpful. Our friends Jack and Ruth where staying at the Puerta Del Sol as well so we had a nice dinner together and found a good free place to check email within walking distance from the hotel and can drink a beer while you check your email. The ride over the mountains went well and really seemed to take no time at all (little over two hours). The second day we arrived here Mario took us on a boat ride to check out some friends’ of ours property they just bought 12 acres right on the Caribbean. It is very beautiful and about a 10 min boat ride to Bocas Del Toro. The work at Mario’s is coming along the restaurant is getting closer to being finished and we hope to help him open it soon. Tonight we are cooking some seafood Conch, pulpo (octopus), and lobster and camarone (shrimp) paella. We bought the seafood fresh from Chiriquí Grande about a 5 minute ride down the road. We spent $14 and have enough for another meal and we could serve 8 at each meal. We did find a fast internet café 7 minutes down the road with DSL still trying to figure out how to get that at Mario’s.
Can’t believe what a great response I got on my pictures I sent you all. (Eric)Thank you for the feedback. Here are a few more pictures.
We are doing a lot of bird watching and hope to have some fabulous photos soon – patience and diligence. Starting to relax a little and have installed hot water at Mario’s house. The Panamanians don’t believe in it for the most part but we are spoiled Gringos and will have hot water. The weather is wonderful, a little cool with a tropical breeze so no need at all for AC right now – perfectly comfortable.

Febuary
Wow a lot transpired since we started this letter.
Even though the time seems to go by slowly the days go by quickly. We are working on getting a place of our own to house our possessions and have some privacy, a concept that is foreign to the Panamanians. Mario’s house usually has 8 people minimum in residence which requires a lot of cooking and cleaning and much noise and activity. Also the construction of restaurant and cabanas continues. The great benefit of living with a local friend is that we are having our immersion Spanish lessons daily in both the language and customs.
Carnavale started right after we arrived in Panama thus it was imperative to suspend all business in lieu of drinking and partying; there really was no choice. Time to leave all sense of urgency behind and attend rodeos, bullfights and the constant partying that goes along with the biggest celebration of the year here. On the last day I finally gave up and went to bed early and Eric continued on down the road with Mario who went on horseback. The typical end to Carnival is that they hose everybody down with fire hoses and whatever water hoses they can find. As Eric was doing his photography, he was raised over the heads of about 8 Panamians to go for the required dousing. No doubt it was a compliment of acceptance but with his multi thousand dollar camera in tow he was most anxious to be kept dry. Just in the nick of time one of Mario’s friends noticed the situation called to Mario who rode in on his horse just in the nick of time and stopped the hoseing!! Knight without armor!!
Benny a biologist and birding expert and friend of Mario’s came to Punta Linda found over 50 different and rare birds on the property as well as 8 sloths in less than three hours. It was contagious seeing his excitement about abundance of wildlife. He feels Punta Linda has what it takes to be a birding destination and since he has a successful birding tour business we are inclined to trust his judgement . We will begin soon on making trails and the access easier. We even have teal toucans!
We had our first visitors from Florida. Cindy and Bill from N. Fort Myers came to see Panama for the first time, we certainly enjoyed having them here and judging by their smiles they had a good time. Throwing our fears aside we all went zip lining over the canopy of the rain forest. A few days later we attended a free Jazz concert in Boquette and were quickly caught up in the spirit despite the typical afternoon Boquette shower. Without missing a beat the problem was solved as the promoters just quickly brought every one up on the covered stage with the musicians so no one would get wet. Can you say “life is good!!!”
We finally received our van and trailer with our belongings. After finding the right people in charge and spreading a few of our dollars around we got through customs with much help from our Panamanian friends. As in many things here it required a road trip in this case to spend 2 nights with Mario’s sister’s family who helped get us through the maze at customs. The trip back to David was long and the trailer was over loaded but the van did the job. We left the trailer at our friends Jack and Ruth’s place just outside of David so would not have to take it up and over the mountains until we have a chance to take some of the weight out of it. Leaving the heat of David behind and coming back to Punta Pena we realized again after we took a deep breath of the clean, fresh, cool air why we are so sold on this area. New homes are popping up regularly and the signs of work and improvements going on reinforce this progress as well. I wish we had sound and “smell avision” so you could enjoy the sensations with us as we watch the locals climb in the stream and swim and the air is filled with the sound and smell of the river cascading over the rocks. The neighbors graciously bring any one of their friends or family that speaks English to meet us. We even have an invitation from the school that offers college classes to visit and judge a play which they are performing in English.
Time to wrap up this edition of Life is Good Panama as we enjoy a drink over the Chiriqui Bay at our favorite waterfront (the only one) restaurant and bar.
More soon. Hope all of your adventures are happy ones.

Can't believe it is May already!
Happy belated Mother's day to everyone. We will soon have full time internet connection and promise to get posts done more regularly In the meantime this will catch you up if you have not received our earlier posts and hopefully get a thread going which can be understood. We will have a new post before the end of the week.

Adventures in Panama

2008-01-02T14:08:00.000-05:00

The real adventure begins when we move to Panama in just a few short weeks. After numerous visits we have finally made all the arrangements to move permanently to our new country. Armed with Panamian friends and the knowledge gained from 2 years of researching our new home and numerous visits off we go. We have given up the dog and fish and many of our posessions to lighten our lives and for the most part it feels good. Now that the time draws close we are more anxious than ever to be there.