Papa's Suitcase

2010-03-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while. I seem to be too busy with retirement in Panama! We really don't know where the time goes.

I went to St. Petersburg Fl. for a masters swim meet about 10 days ago. My biggest accomplishment was buying a size 32 racing suit. My times, especially in the shorter events, were not that good. The longer events were about what I did a few years ago, so I can't complain there. I have changed my workout routine to include more weights and the use of hand paddles several days each week. This should increase my strength. I'm still swimming between one and two miles each morning in the ocean, a five minute walk from here.

The swimming pool sign represents one of the contentious issues at our homeowner's association in Gorgona. We had adopted rules that limit loud music, but many Panamanians want to come to the bea

Thai food, carnivorous plants and Los Quetzales

2010-02-20T09:47:00.000-08:00

On the way to the mountain village of Guadalupe we found one of the few Thai restaurants in Panama. The owner is from Hollywood, appears to be tatooed from head collarbone to ankle, and has some very nice curry. He also has imported some very interesting carnivorous plants, which is he proud to show. World of carnivorous plants.

We stayed in the Los Quetzales lodge. It had a mountain ski resort feel, with a game room, reading room and library. The food was locally grown and organic, and was quite good.

This is a simple plate of vegetables which were outstanding. Much of Panama's vegetables are grown in this region of Chirqui, which borders Costa Rica. Each region is very distinct from its neighbors in terms of geography and plant life.

Our room was upstairs. Small but nice.

We stayed a second night, but could only get part of a cabin with no electricity. It doesn't get that cold, but since we were surrounded by forest, it gets dark early. We actually made a fire.

Birding is very big in Panama. We met many birders and even went on a bird walk. We haven't been birders, but the diversity and beauty is inspiring.

We were at 2000 meters, or about 7,000 feet, up from the 2,000 foot level for Boquete. The elevation change affected Jayne, and she spent time playing with the many humming birds, while I went on a guided bird walk. We had children in our group, so I think Jayne saw more birds than I did.

Boquete building, flowers and tiles.

2010-02-20T09:26:00.001-08:00

An interesting building in Boquete. Many buildings are done in wood in this area, while almost none even have wood as part of the building in our beach area.

There are interesting flowers everywhere in Panama.

We bought a few of these tiles to place around the bathroom mirror.

This frog will go in the bottom of our pool.

Also, this turtle.

The artist is from New Mexico and is training some local girls to paint and glaze the tiles.

Trip to Caldera, Boquete, Volcan, Guadalupe, Los Ollas

2010-02-20T08:22:00.000-08:00

This past week was Carnival, similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. There are parades and queens, and water sprays, and drinking and noise. We have experienced it before in Gorgona.

Thousands of people inundate our little community from Panama City. There are 5 or 6 cars in every yard, and Diablo Roja busses parked everywhere. The people come to party, and are loud about it. Not my kind of festivities.

We had an enquiry from a family in North Dakota who wanted to experience Panama Carnival by renting our casita. We agreed, and rented our home for three nights at a good rate. If I had been renting to unknown Panamaniana I would have had to worry about the 25 friends they would bring with them to spend the weekend. I didn't worry about North Dakotans.

We headed west toward Boquete, Volcan, Guadalupe, and then Las Ollas, none of which celebrate Carnival with much vigor. It was a quiet, relaxing trip. We had only a taste of Carnival on the road home on the day after the official holiday. The traffic was heavy and many gas stations were out of gas.

We got out of town at the crack of noon for our 5 hour drive to Caldera, a small town near Boquete. It is in the mountains, but not at as high an altitude as Boquete, so it receives much less rain. Our cabin was very nice and situated a few dozen yards from a mountain river.

There was a very nice swimming hole, of about 50 meters. The water is just rain runoff, so not the snow melt one would experience in many parts of the states. The high altitudes can be cold, but there is no snow in Panama.

Volcan Baru is near Volvan, abut an hour from Boquete. It is the highest point in Panama, at about 11,000 feet, compared with Mt. Rainier at 14,000 feet.

We had left on Friday. On Saturday morning we drove about 20 minutes to Boquette, where we linked up with Donna and Dave and their friend Bryan for breakfast. Donna and Dave bought a lot in the Boquette are a few years ago, but have since purchased some apartments in Panama City and are selling their lot. They love Boquette, but have chosen life in a larger city.

Boquette from the tourist center outside of town.

Our cabin in Caldera. Caldera also has a four star eco lodge, and a very large housing development.

The river near our Caldera cabin. The owner of the cabins told me he bought 100 acres here in 1994 for $40,000.

The Caldera river.

Altos Construction Progress

2010-02-20T03:42:00.000-08:00

This is the view across the valley to Picachu.

Here is Jayne standing on the deck in front of the doors to our bedroom, There will be three sliding doors that will open a 9 foot expanse, plus windows on each side, and above. The area next to the blue tarped shed will have a wall, and the head of our bed will be there. To the right on the photo, and behind Jayne are two closets. I am taking the photo from the wall behind the kitchen and in front of the bath room.

The view from here, looks across a creek and up the valley. We see clouds moving from that direction, but they seem to disperse when they reach our lot.

This is the view from the bottom of our lot. The bedroom is to the left. The living room is the right. They are almost mirror images of each other. The living room closet is in the far right corner, next to the entry. Both rooms have doors that lead to the bath, and there is a door from the living room to the galley kitchen, which is in the middle of the house, with an open deck in front, and the bath behind.

If you can see a tab sticking out from the center of the deck, that is a place for the BBQ. We mostly cook outside.

Here Jayne is standing in the terazza in front of our galley kitchen. The view is to Mount Picachu directly across the valley.

The foundation was meant to be much less massive, but the Panamanian builder we started with last year did not believe in cantalevering. We were only able to do the BBQ deck.

We are almost set to pour the concrete pool floor on Monday. The pool seemed to be getting smaller and smaller as we watched the steel and forms being put in, so we opted out of the extra area that an infinity edge would have required. The view from the right is over our house to Picachu.

There will be a small sitting area added on the the far end of the pool, among the rocks. There will be one light on the left wall. We are planning on using a copper ionization treatment process to avoid the use of chlorine. It is cheaper and better. Nasa used it for treating water for the astronauts.

I don't know where the time goes! The standing joke among retired expats here is that none of us know how we ever had time to work.

It has been over a month since I posted.

Our life has been more or less the usual. The significant happenings have been board activity with our small condo association, a trip to the other end of Panama, and checking on the construction of our new home and pool in Altos.

Panamanian Martyr's Day

2010-01-10T20:18:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a holiday that commemorates the death of some 20 Panamanian students who tried to storm a US military position in the Canal Zone. They sought to place a Panamanian flag next to an American flag, something that was guaranteed by treaty. Their deaths is generally thought to be the beginning of the movement toward the Carter - Trujillos treaty which returned the canal to Panama.

It is meant to be a somber holiday, but it is really just an excuse for loud music and much drinking. The Panamanians we meet and speak with, deplore this behavior, but it is very common. The beach was crowded, and we had loud music in our complex until 4:00 AM. We will complain to the owner of the offending unit. He was not here, himself.

Today we sought to avoid the crowds and noise and went up to Altos.

We sat on our lot for a while, talking about our building plans. We need to emphasize the view, the light and the air, and minimize the problems caused by the small size of our house.

We stopped to visit Damani and Ife Soralpina. We might rent their apartment in February/March when our exchange couple from Goteborg are here. We would then be close to our construction in Altos. Damani and Ife are a great couple, a few years older than we are. We share our support for Obama and health care reform. We even have a friend in common from Howard university.

We visited with Audra and Jose, our next door neighbors in Altos.. We brought them some fish from our local fish coop.

We also brought some fish for Inez and Gil and took it up to them at their rental house. They showed us the plans that they will execute on a nearby lot. Construction should start in a few weeks. We helped them find the lot last year.

The four of us then stopped in to see Richard and Bella from Iowa. They have been working on their view home nonstop since we met them, and it reflects their efforts. Richard is a retired farmer and professor and Bella has an artistic flair.

Inez and Gil and Jayne and I then went to dinner at a local Chinese restaurant, where we witnessed some of the previously mentioned loud and drunken behavior. One of the crowd called out "China" to our waitress, not a favorable expression. She was very irritated. Her family has probably been in Panama since the French tried to build the canal.

Friends in December

2010-01-09T18:57:00.000-08:00

Before our family arrived, we had Cliff and Debbie over for brunch.

Here we are exploring our Gorgona beach.

We checked out a condo unit that a friend of their's is buying. It is just up the beach from our place.

Cliff and Debbie on our rustic furniture.

Shopping for gifts in Portabelo.

Lilly and Jayne picking a wave.

Portabelo

2010-01-09T18:20:00.000-08:00

Lilly lazing on the hammock in Portabelo.

Shells for sale. $5 for the large conc shells. I used to buy these in Key West in about 1955 for $.50

Clay learning fishing from his Dad.

John with Linda and Doug in front of the Church of the Black Christ. It is a carving of Jesus, shown as black. It is quite famous.

Our house where we stayed in Portabelo.

The bay in Portabelo, which was discovered by Columbus on one of his later excursions.

Portabelo was a significant fortification. Gold from the slave trade was stored here. The escaped slaves' descendants account for the darker skinned Panamanians on the Caribbean coast.

Lonnie and Stacia in the fort.

Caribbean Trip and More of December Holidays

2010-01-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

I managed to make it to the dock and sit down before my timer took the picture. We are on a dock just outside a house we rented for two days near Portabelo, on the Caribbean coast. We planned to do some snorkeling in the clear water, but there was an ongoing light storm which stirred up the water, and we didn't get to snorkel. We did see fish and sting rays from the dock, and our family tried a lot of fishing,

We did a zip line for the first time. Very exciting and fun, but not a way to see nature.

Us, dressed up for a Christmas party. I wore my new $12 Panamanian shoes, not shown.

Clay taking to horseback riding on the beach like a regular cowboy.

The movie is of Lilly riding on the beach. The zip lining did not phase her, but she was concerned about the horse.

Family Visit, Embera village

2010-01-03T17:29:00.000-08:00

Our older daughter and her family were here in Panama from December 13 to 31st. We had a great time, but did not have time to blog. I'll do some catching up.

One of the best things we did was to take a trip

to see an Embera village of indigenous people. About 10% of Panama's 4 million people are indigenous. One quarter of these are Embera.

The indigenous people seem, in many ways, to have a better life than indigenous peoples in the US or Australia, two cultures we have had some exposure to. They are still caught between preserving their culture and joining the dominant culture. They seem to want to maintain their culture, which the tourism dollars helps them do, and begin to send children on to higher education. We heard of two advanced students who wanted to return to the village as teachers. The tribe is very family and child oriented.

The Embera use extensive, temporary tatooing. Tatooing a newborn from head to foot is a good luck omen. Here Lilly and Jayne are having their arms tatood.

Anne was our initial contact. Next to her is her Mother in Law and a Brother in Law who gave us a talk on the basics, and answered any questions. Anne met her husband while filming a movie at the tribal village.

Our trip to the village was about an hour in a dugout canoe, which had followed an hour car ride to the area near Colon. The traditional dugout canoe had an outboard motor. Otherwise, the hour ride would have taken a full day of paddling.

The children greeted our dugout canoe when we arrived. The men had a band playing for us.

The film which I have uploaded shows the men playing their traditional instruments and the women dancing a dance of healing.

2009-12-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

Above are a photo of the turn off from the Pan American Highway, and the last turn from our Gorgona road on to the Calle de Ocean Front.

A few weeks have passed since I last wrote.

The time in Panama passes quickly, though the schedule is less than hectic.

This past week we renewed some old and new acquaintances. We had dinner at Doug and Linda's rental place, while they wait for the closing on their new home in San Carlos.

On Wednesday our new friends Donna and Dave came for a swim. Both are good swimmers, especially Donna, and we had a great time swimmng a mile or so up the beach and returning. We then served them usual brunch of fish, plantains and fruit smoothies.

On Thursday we had dinner with Clifford and Debbie at Cholos, a Mexican restaurant in San Carlos, a fovorite of ours. Afterwards we had coffee and desert at their home in San Carlos. It is a neighborhood that has mostly weekend homes for Panamanians. One is owned by a girlfriend of Noriega. There are quite a few interesting stories about Noriega in this community. It is said to be where he kept a good bit of his arsenal.

Friday was a very nice day. Just the usual, but especially nice. A swim and walk, a brunch, a nap, some errands (shopping for furniture and shelving) and an early dinner at La Corretas, which is associated with the equestrian center in Coronado.

On Saturday we went with Jeanette and Neil to see the Christmas parade and pageant at the Coronado Club. Afterwards we had dinner at the club.

Today we lazed around the complex, going in the pool a few times. We made our version of some Sancocho. Sancocho is the Panamanian national soup, made with chicken, a few vegetables and yucca. It is served with a large piece of chicken, and a side of rice. We made ours with extra vegetables and very little salt. We served a late dinner to Moti and Susan, and had a nice chat about many things, including our efforts to elect a new board for our HOA and set up some new management protocols.

More of First Two Weeks: early Thanksgiving

2009-11-22T20:05:00.000-08:00

We dropped by our local bar/restaurant La Ruina. Frank had made an attempt at setting up a market across the street. It rained his first attempt, and he was somewhat discouraged. I have been trying to get him to get a board of advisors to help him find the keys to creating a consistent clientelle. Like most business owners he is looking for the single magic bullet.

Our caretaker Dimas was up in the Mango tree in our parking making a preemptive cut of the brances before the branches and leaves fall on the lot and the cars. No ropes. Just a machete.

Our friends Rob and Donna had purchased some tickets for us to attend the American Society Thanksgiving dinner in PC. Rob and Donna live above the newly completed major street in downtown PC. They are waiting for their condo to be completed so they can move in. It is a year late now!

At the dinner we met several new couples, including another Donna and her partner David, on the left. Jayne, Donna and Rob are on the right. The food was good Thanksgiving fair. We had a very nice evening.

Our Altos lot has some new flowers since last Spring.

First Two Weeks in Paradise

2009-11-22T19:39:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago yesterday we flew into Panama. For a place that lives on Manana time, we have had a very hectic and enjoyable two weeks.

Our mechanc, Alvara, had dropped us at the airport last May and kept our car in our absence. When he dropped us off, the fuel pump had failed just as we arrived a the airport. Before picking us up he repaired that and replaced the worn tie rods. He charged us $.50 per day for storage, which he had not told us about. The total bill was just under $500, which we were glad to pay. We dropped him off at one of our favorite restaurants, Nikkos. We had a quick meal and headed for Gorgona.

In our absence Panama has elected a new president: Maratinelli. He is quite rich and says "you may catch me with my foot in my mouth, but not with my hand in the till." We are looking for changes. We noticed better roads, with reflectes, more traffic cops, missing toll booths.

In our first few days we began our routine of a morning swim and late brunch, paid our manager, put money in the bank, paid our plant lady in Altos, visited our Altos lot....Our Costa Grande casita was rented severa times in our absence. We made some money before paying the mortgage. Our lot in Altos looked good. The plantings of Vetive and Mani kept the hillsides from eroding.

Our first lunch was at Don Chachos. We had the usual: pollo entero, vegetales, and two frosties. After jubilado discount and tip, about $17.

We always meet interesting people who rent the other casitas in our complex. Here are Mike and Angie from DC. We had some good talks, and took them to Don Chacho's!

Ty's Choice: fishing above the crocs!

2009-10-28T23:39:00.000-07:00

Ty chose to go fishing with us, and include his brothers and father. Ty is very inclusive and a great older brother.

The fishing place was outside of town. It was an old road tressle that has been replaced by a concrete bridge. The fishermen love this location, but it will probably be destroyed because it will be very expensive to maintain it in a safe conditon.

Jayne and I held our collective breath as the granchildren came perilously close to the edge. Below was a fast moving river. If one fell in I would have been right behind them, but the current would have carried us a half mile downstream, and there would have been no good place to get out. The problem would be the crocs!

Ty seemed to have a good time sharing his special day with everyone. He is very special, and is very good to his brothers.

Grandparents' Day with Maverick

2009-10-28T23:16:00.000-07:00

The next day we made a few phone calls and found a lady named Bunny who took in stray Wallabies and hand raised them. People would bring them to her, often having found the still warm body of a dead Mother on the road. A tiny Joey would sometimes be found in the pouch. She has she can successully raise them if they have a weight of 180 grams or more. She has special formula for the Wallabies.

Bunny has a few hundred acres next to 3000 hectares (approx 2.5 acres per hectare) of park land. When the Wallabies are ready to go they just leave. Some return months or years later to say Hi. Her local phone is 4069-6012 if you are in Cooktown. She is on Cameron Reek Rd, out past the airport. Tell her we said Hello, and give her some money for her good, selfless work.

First, we picked up Mavie at his school. Her, Nama is helping him find his back pack at the outdoor storage area.

Mavie helped open the gate to Bunny's land. Note the No Dogs sign. Dogs are not generally welcome in most stores, and they would be dangerous for the baby Wallabies.

Here are three Wallabies resting in the pouches of baby's clothing on hangers. They are born very tiny, the size of your little finger, and grow to independence in their mother's pouch, suckling her milk.

Maverick was in heaven. He asked to come back the next day. He is great with animals, and would love to have a dog or some other pet. His brothers' allergies limit that possibility. Even a python has to receive mice for food. We have talked about a lzard as a pet.

Bunny is retired with great grandchildren, She has given her life to saving these Wallabies. She is an intersting lady, and has been featured on Japanese TV.

Here I am with a baby Wallaby.

It was great day.

Our day with Grandson Mason

2009-10-28T22:55:00.000-07:00

We are back in Seattle now, coping with the darkness and the relative cold.

The flight back and the jet lag adjustment was much tougher than going to Australia. I am seriously considering limiting all future flights to 7 hours, and doing at least mult-day stopovers. Getting an around the world ticket, broken into 5 or more segments of less than 7 hours each has great appeal.

As our time in Cooktown was winding down, we offered each of the grandchildren a day that they could do whatever they wanted to with us. Mason chose golfing. Maverick chose seeing baby Wallabies. Ty chose fishing with everyone.

First, we went to downtown Cooktown and had a lunch on the wharf.

There are crocs everywhere, real and fake.

The road signs for watch out for kangaroos and the smaller wallabies, are frequently upgraded with items such as a back pack, hat and skate board. Nicely done, don't you think.

Mason is a natural athlete. He could dribble a basketball before age one. He caught on to golf quickly, and his score was better than his grandparents.

The fairways are narrow, and you don't want to search too long for your ball in the rough because of the possibility of snakes.

Golfing was one of our economic bargains. A round cost $15 for 9 holes, and $15 for the cart.

Masons favorite part was driving the cart.

Cemetery Visit

2009-10-15T05:06:00.000-07:00

One of the things we enjoy doing when we travel is to visit the local cemetery. We do not have gruesome preoccupation with death, nor are we fixated on religious beliefs. We view the cemetery as an expression of culture. They very greatly from country to country.

The Cooktown cemetery dates back to around 1800. It is segregated by religion and ethnicity: Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Chinese. About three thousand bodies are there, but only a few hundred markers.

There is one Jewish marker, though Jews have been prominent, including being mayor of Cooktown.

There is a Chinese marker, but almost all the Chinese dead have been returned to China. The Chinese were numerous during the 1870's when there was a gold rush.

The Catholic Church was always a presence in the town.

Aboriginal Tour

2009-10-15T04:43:00.000-07:00

After our near disastrous Outback experience, we decided to try the local aboriginal tour with Willie at Guurbbi Tours. Do a search for Guurbbi tours and you will be directed to www.pigswillfly.com.au

The car, by the way, was repaired by attaching a clip that had come loose. It had not been attached properly when it was installed during some repair work.

We met our guide about 45 minutes North of Cooktown, just past where we had turned when we had our disaster. Easy driving!

We spent our two plus hours walking among some interesting lava formations, and visiting three caves that had drawing on their walls. Willie said he had grown up just among these formations. He as very erudite, and had visited the world, exploring the stories of creation and life. This, plus a little politics, is what we discussed during our time together.

One of the great things he showed us was how to get a lizard to drink water from a leaf we give him. This will impress the grandkids!

Our Last Few Days in Cooktown

2009-10-15T04:16:00.000-07:00

It is now Thursday evening. On Saturday we catch a plane to Cairns, where we spend two nights and fly our for the States on Monday.

Our time in Cooktown has revolved around soaking in the essence of Norther Queensland and having family time with our daughter Sarah and her family. We have had some great moments with the grandkids.

Today we took Mason out of school early. We explored downtown Cooktown a bit, had a soda, and then headed out to the golf course.

The golfing was a real hit. Neither Jayne nor I have ever taken up the game, but Jayne did take a PE course in college! Mason actually scored better than we did for the four holes we played. Mason is a natural athlete and is good at any sport he tries.

An even bigger hit, was us letting him drive the golf cart. Both our daughters have fond memories of my parents taking them golfing and letting them drive the golf cart at their retirement home in Cherokee Village, AR. One of the favorite stories is when Sarah took off in the golf cart while my Mother was still standing, and Mom fell out! I don't think we heard that story until years after it happened.

We had a great day with Mason!

Exploring Brisbane

2009-10-11T03:45:00.000-07:00

We spent the week exploring Brisbane, a city which we found very enjoyable.

Our home was in the Paddington neighborhood. On the edge of it was the city stadium. We weren't there on a Saturday night, when the playoffs for the Rugby League championship, was being held.

The first thing one learns about Australia is that, besides that it is surrounded by water, as Paul Hogan told us, it is very expensive. Everything is expensive. We can't compare it with Panama. We can barely compare it with Seattle.

Even after factoring in that tips are not necessary for meals, and that the sales tax is already included in the price, and that now $.90 buys $1 Australian, a simple meal costs about twice or more what we are used to paying.

The same applies to clothing and shoes.

Tourist attractions are routinely $40 or more for a one hour exposure. Somethings are worth it, since they are not available anywhere else. I would include our Great Barrier Reef snorkeling experience in that category. It was about $170 for an adult, a little less for a child. In Panama we are used to that buying a snorkeling tour for four.

The only bargain we have found so far is the public swim pool in Cooktown ($1.80 for Seniors) and the one day bus pass to get around Brisbane. The bus pass included two zones, which got us from our neighborhood to downtown, and the Metro Cat which goes up and down the Brisbane river.

We explored in both directions from downtown. One took us to the U. of Queensland, where we spent and enjoyablle afternoon. It is a beautiful campus.

Riding the cat the other direction, we ended up in Bulimba. We explored the neighborhood, a gluten free hamburger joint, a nice movie theatre, and some delightful shops. We bought a gift for our hosts and an anniversary present for Sarah and Paul at Thousand Island Dressing, which imorted crafts from islands near to Australia.

Directly across the river from downtown is the South Bank area, where the 1988 World Expo was held. There was nothing surrounding the area back then. Now it is a delightful strolling area along the beach, surrounded by a private University, an opera/symphony house, and multiple museums.

There was a dispaly of American Impressionist Painters that all the Brisbanites were quite proud of, and urged us to see. We had just been to DC, and preferred to see indiginous art and local artists in the GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art). The displays, other than the American dispaly, were free. We thorougly enjoyed them.

Arriving in Australia

2009-10-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Australia on Sept. 9th, after leaving from Seattle on Sept. 9 and flying overnight. After our 13 hour second leg, preceded by our 3 hour flight to LA, we arrived in Brisbane. We cleared customs easily. We are always concerned about weather a customs agent is going to consider our vitamins and supllements worthy of his consideration. But no worries.

Customs seems to use more dogs here than in the states. No silly removal of shoes! I have always thought that police and customs should more dogs. Their noses are thousands of times more sensitive than the machinery they usually relay on.

We took a cab to our home away from home in the Paddington area of Brisbane. Robert and Katherine Norton, both PH.D.'s in areas related to business consulting, had stayed in our apartment in our home a few years ago. We did not know then just when we would be in Australia, but we knew we would someday. They stayed with us for a month, and we will use their home for about a week, so we will have some more time coming for our use, or perhaps our daughter Sarah and her family's use.

The home is very spacious, with two levels, a front and rear deck and a back yard with small pool. I tried swimming once, but the water was acually cold, even by my standards. The house had many fans, which we were used to from our time in Panama, and was very open to capture the breezes.

Robert and Katherine dropped by to say hello.

Shortly thereafter Graham picked us up for a pre-scheduled visit to his home. Graham was involved in the Rotary which sponsored Sarah's Senior Year of HS visit to Ayer, Queensland, back in 1988. Sarah and his daughter had gone to the Brisbane World's Expo together. She is recently married and has been living in London, but is relocating to near Brisbane. We also met Graham's wife, their son, and his wife and newest of three children.

We had a fabulous buffet lunch in their lovely new home. This lunch helped us to stay up for our first full day in a time zone 17 hours behind Seattle. We had gone through 7 zones and lost one day. We think that, plus our sleeping on the plane as much as possible, plus our use of some homeopathic travel pills, allowed us to avoid any serious jet lag. We were on schedule and alert from our first day.

Graham called today to say hello and see how we were doing.

Outback (near) Disaster

2009-10-08T03:02:00.000-07:00

We have been in Australia for about a month now. I'll retrace our path in future entries, but yesterday's experience is fresh in my mind.

With a week to go before returning back to Seattle, we had decided to take a small outback adventure. We planned a three hour drive over non-all-weather roads to a roadside tavern, probably similar to the Lions Den, which we had visited. We left early (at least by our standards) and made several stops to photograph interesting places.

Not too far out of Cooktown I saw what looked like a Confederate flag. The photo reveals that it is a modified confederate flag with "The South will rise again" incorporated into the center. This may be someones idea of a joke, or it may be that Australia also attracts some Right Wing nuts to a land that is mostly empty.

The York Penninusula which is Northern Queensland has about 18,000 people and 45,000 square miles, or about 1 person for every three square miles.

The road had been smoothed by graters, but had a washboard texture that kept us at about 40 Kilometers per hour (25mph). This stretch of road had a very red color. Other stretches were green. Our grandson Ty's performance group is named The Red Dirt Players.

The scenery was more or less like the photo with the warning sign for a crest of a hill. There were many small trees and a background of granite boulders. It reminded me of scenes from the early Westerns.

We would occasionally come to a compelling place to rest our backs from the vibrating caused by the washboard pattern of the road.

Our first major destination was to be a lake inside the Lakewood National Park. A good portion of the York Peninsula is National Park or Aboriginal Land. There seems to be a cooperative administration of these lands.

We crossed over the beginning and end of the Battlecamp Station (Ranch),

and then went no further.

Our daughter's Mitsubishi Pajero stopped. With no sign of impending doom, it just stopped running. We spent the next 2 1/2 hours waiting for a car to pass.

The first of the only two cars we saw was a truck driven by a Queensland Wild Life Ranger (I could tell by his uniform) and an aboriginal cohort (no uniform). They tried to figure out our problem, but could not. They let us use their satellite phone to call our daughter. She and her husband enlisted the aid of some friends and promissed that someone would be to us within another 2 1/2 hours.

While we waited in the heat, with very little shade, a second car passed us. It was occupied by a French couple. They asked if they could help, but we assured the we would be okay. If they had been the first car, we could have hitched a ride to a phone, another hour down the road. Cell phones don't work in the outback. One needs a satellite phone. We could easily have spent the night in the car. We had food and water, and the nights are still warm, and there are no aggressive preditors (just don't step on a Taipan going to the bathroom! It is the world's most poisonous snake, and we had seen one in Kuranda). Sarah and Paul would have organized a search for the next day.

In almost exactly 2 1/2 hours, Paul showed up driving Ray and Nanette's Mitsubishi Somethingoranother,that isn't sold in the states. Ray had helped us plan this trip. Nanette is a PA like Sarah, and Ray is a retired airline pilot, who is enjoying being a kept man. Paul had all the equipment he could need to tow his car back to town.

We dropped the car at the local repair station, where it sits no. On of Sarah's co-workers loaned her a car, so we will be able to get around. Today everyone was walking and bicycling to cricket, swimming, the market and the IGA (Independent Grocers of Australia). I had been coming down with a cold, which I nursed today with my 1000 units of C every hour.

It took us several hours, with many stops to reconnect the broken hose-like cord that we used to connect the cars. By the end, we had learned to coordinate the towing process so as to not break the connection.

A little more DC

2009-10-07T16:57:00.001-07:00

We tried to get into the Library of Congress on Sunday, but it was closed. The exteriors of the government buildings are very interesting. This water sculpture is just outside the Library.

We did the double decker bus tour, as we always do in the cities we visit. It is a great way to get oriented, and at least get a view of the things you won't have time to visit or examine in detail.

You may notice that Clay had long hair. He has since cut it for football. His mother cajoled him to get it cut. We told him that the security people would want to see his face. Sure enough the airport security person, asked him to show his eyes! He wasn't joking, either.

The way to get around in DC is definately the Metro. We travelled on the Metro, Amtrak, the Long Island RR, and the NY subway system on our trip.

Harper's Ferry was interesting. It was a nice drive out to see it. I had not known that it had been the point where Lewis and Clark received most of their supplies.

We visited Arlington. Clay was quite moved by it. A few weeks later when Edward Kennedy was buried there, he was able to say that he had been there.

More DC

2009-10-07T16:33:00.000-07:00

We did the ususal things in DC.

I was able to make contact with my college roommate. He and I had become political rivals later in college. We ran on opposite tickets for student government office. He went on to law school and had a career as a staffer in Packwood's office and then became a tax judge, with the help of another mutual college friend who had become a Senator from North Dakota. We explored a very interesting air museum out near the airport.

We used our exchange hosts' car to get to this site and to Harper's Ferry. For everything else we took the Metro. Getting a week pass is the way to go.

We saw most of the usual monuments, including the moving tributes to the Viet Nam casualties, and the new tributes to the Korean Conflict victims. Part of it does record the deaths of civilians and UN troups, other than Americans.

A lesser known memorial is called the Rooms. It has several open air "rooms" dedicated to the various eras within FDR's presidency. That's me joining in a bred line. We enjoyed the monument.

We did the museums, of course. The science museums are terriffic. All the Smithsonians are free. Did you know Mr. Smithson had never even visited America?

On to DC

2009-10-06T16:29:00.003-07:00

We took the train from NY to DC. It takes you directly into the Central Station, which is also where one catches the tram around DC.

We had not had any luck finding an exchange for NY, but we found a very nice simultaneous exchange with a couple with a house in Takoma, which is just outside DC, and is on the Metro line. There house was a ten minute walk from the Metro, and we included cars in our exchange. We used their car to go to the store and one trip to Harpers Ferry and the Aero Space museum.

We were able to see all the usual things in DC. We saw both houses of congress. The house was having one of their lightly attended debates. The Senate was actually having a vote on a gun control issue, so we saw all the Senators. Clay was quite impressed with seeing John McCain.

We missed our tea with Patty Murray, but one of her new staffers gave us a tour.

Summer Trip to New York and DC

2009-10-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

Over the summer I made three trips to California to play in water polo tounaments. About four years ago I received notice that my HS swim and polo coach was being inducted into the Water Polo Hall of Fame. That got me thinking about playing again.

I had been back to competetive swimming for about 8 years, but going to swim meets is not all that much fun. One sits around a lot, waiting for one's event. The results do let you know how your fitness program is doing at fighting off the aging process. Polo is a lot more fun.

Next summer I am planning on participating with a California team in the World Masters in Boras, Sweden, near Goteborg. We will probably spend 3 or 4 weeks prior in Oslo, where we have some time coming on an exchange.

For this summer we had planned to take a trip to NY and DC with our two oldest grandsons, both 12. One of them is in Australia with his family for the year, so we had a great experience with Clay.

For NY we stayed in Flushing at a place we found on VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner). $100 per night with two bedrooms and a kitchen. Our host even showed us around the local China town. Flushing has changed from a predominantly Jewish commuinity (I did see a temple) to a predominantly Asian, with concentrations of Korean, Chinese, Viet Namese and other groups. Each has its restaurants, which makes for some great choices.

Our ride into NYC was on the train. The station was less than a two block easy walk. The train went past the 1962 World's Fair Globe and the USA Tennis Open Stadium. The ride was about 25 minutes to Grand Central Station.

In NYC we wandered around. We saw Times Square. We did the Empire State Building. We walked to Central Park. We rode the subway. We went to see The Fantastiks, which was a reasonable price compared to most of what was available. I remember sitting in the third row to see Barbara Streisand in Funny Girl in 1965 for $23. Tickets to The Jersey Boys were about $150, and we would have been a football field away from the stage. For Fantastiks we were in the 2nd of four rows.

We were able to spend some great time with two of Jayne's nieces. One is a daughter of her brother Byron, one a daughter of her sister Kitty. It is incredible to see how these girls have matured into beautiful women who are coping confidently in New York.

Panama Goodbyes

2009-10-06T03:58:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about living in Panama for half the year is that one meets many individuals and couples from all over the world. To be honest, most of the people we meet who are not Panamanians, are usually from Canada. They are serious about escaping the darkness and the cold, just as we are serious about getting out of Seattle's darkness. They all have interesting stories and attitudes.

There is a community near ours called Coronado. It is primarily an expat community and seems to attract expats who are relatively conservative in their thinking, some holding a semi libertarian view. I'm big on freedom, myself, so I can relate, but as a couple we are progressive Democats. I am very open in my communication, and often surprise the libertarians with my view that govenment has a role in helping people.

Before we left for Seattle we had last visits with some of our new friends.

Catching Up: Altos Construction....Australia

2009-10-04T04:14:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a while since I posted a log entry. We are currently in Australia visiting our daughter and her family. Over the summer I played a lot of water polo and we took our oldest grandson to New York and DC. But more about that later.

We spent our last several weeks in Panama trying to build a house in Altos, a community in the mountains, about 40 minutes from our Gorgona casita. We feel we need it as an escape from the noise of the Panamanian holiday revelers. The advent of advanced electronics enables them to blast their music to very uncomfortable levels, and they do it at all hours.

We thought we had a good Panamanian crew with an American who understood American quality and could translate our wishes. Through building the foundation we were about 50% over budget and way behind schedule. We shut down the project and came home to Seattle.

The small are is our small bath room. We are hoping it will be large enough

Our design is for a simple 50 m house with about an additional 50 m of deck around it. We built on the bottom of our lot to gain an unobstructed view of up and down the valley. The house will have a bedroom with a walk through open air closet, living room, kitchen, bath with shower, and lots of deck space. The front of the house will be mostly glass. We are working on what type of windows to use. We have seen some bi-fold and multi-fold garage doors that could work. I don't know if we can get them in Panama.

We decided to tint our floors. If it doesn't come out well, we can always lay tile.

Above the house on the lot, we plan to build a pool among the boulders.

From our lot we can hear the water fall that fills a lovely swimming holes. We and our grandchildren hae enjoyed it immensely.

March 09 Carribbean

2009-03-31T02:34:00.001-07:00

March 09 Carribbean Cruise

2009-03-31T02:17:00.000-07:00

Our balcony view.

Cartegena, Columbia.

There were 2700 people on board, including 500 kids. The families, mostly form Panama, seemed to enjoy the pools and the music.

Colon, Panama, before departing.

I have been remiss in updating this blog since our friends Stan and Camille left in early February. We enjoyed their company and seeing Panama through their eyes.

Our major activities since then have been our cruise and beginning to build our casita in the mountain community of Altos del Maria.

The cruise left from Colon on Sunday morning, March 1. We had lucked out with an upgrade to a balcony suite. A balcony is the only way to go. We spent many enjoyable hours sitting on our balcony as the ship sailed to each port: Cartegena and Santa Marta, Columbia and three Netherland Antilles islands of Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. Each port was different and we enjoyed our day exploring.

Stan and Camille's Account of Panama

2009-03-20T18:47:00.000-07:00

The Hermans, Stan and Camille arrived in beautiful, warm, Panama on Jan. 28th. We had a 6:00 am flight out of St. Louis and left our house in the last gasp of a snowstorm. It was 28 degrees! We had to wear heavy jackets, gloves, etc. We tried to dress in layers that we could shed on our way south. We stopped at an Xtra Market on our way to the casita to stock up on the standard Herman breakfast fare, cereal, milk, bananas, eggs, bacon, juice, and bread for toast. John & Jayne's breakfast of fish and fruit around 11 sounded much more like lunch to us! We stayed in Casita #4, just 2 doors away, but spent most of our time together in their Casita. Stepping out our front door gave us a lovely view of the pool and ocean beyond. Everyday we were there brought sunny skies, warm temps & cool breezes. John & Jayne were great hosts. We alternated days of lying around the pool/ocean not doing much of anything with visiting some of the local spots and also tourist attractions. We took two delightful trips into the mountains, one to see El Valle and enjoy the views as well as their open air market. The other was to see J&J's lot in Altos and go to a party at the top of the mountain that placed us squarely in the middle of a cloud! We visited a variety of local restaurants eating everything from native Panamanian to Italian food! J&J knew all the good spots and we enjoyed every bite. We really enjoyed brunch at the Leet's Casita and the VERY fresh fish John cooked along with his fruit smoothies and fresh fruits and vegetables.Of course, Stan couldn't miss the Super Bowl so we left the countryside for Panama City on Sunday to cheer for Arizona & Kurt Warner in the Marriott Bar. On Monday, we made a visit to a National Park and also Old Panama City and the President's Palace (at least we got to walk past it). Very interesting to contrast the old with the new. Tuesday morning, before we left, John & the Hermans paid a visit to the Panama Canal. We got to watch 3 ships move through the Canal. This was fascinating. Stan especially loved the little engines that pull the ships through. We visited the wonderful museum that is there and learned all about the history of the Canal and the new locks that are being built. We met up with Jayne, who spent the morning in PC handling real estate and legal business, in time to head for the airport and our trip home. Worst part of the whole trip was coming back through customs in Miami. You have to walk - forever - to nowhere. Then it was back into our winter wear for a 26 degree arrival in St. Louis!We had a wonderful, relaxing time with John & Jayne. They are great hosts. They showed us some of their favorite places and took us places where we could discover things on our own. It's doubtful we would ever take the step of retiring to a foreign country but it's nice to have friends who have. We found the people very friendly and the drivers worse than New York City, although probably not as bad as Rome!! All in all, we came home relaxed, refreshed, and glad to have been warm for a week - Camille & Stan

Stan and Camille come to Panama

2009-02-11T17:49:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday afternoon we picked up Stan and Camille at the airport.

We stopped for dinner at Niki's, one of my favorite places for simple, good Panamanian food, open 24/7. It reminds me a lot of Popes in St. Louis where my family would often dine before a movie on a Sunday.

We drove on toward home, stopping in La Chorrera at XTRA for provisions.

XTRA is like Machetozo, though not as new. It is similar to a target with a grocery store, meet department, hardware store, bulk supplies (like rice or beans), and a typico restaurant.

Thursday morning we swam, walked on the beach and had one of our standard brunches of fresh fish, fruit smoothies, watermelon and tortillas. As with all our shared meals, we had great conversations, renewing our friendship fromwhen we last saw each over in the early 80's. Both couples had some stories to tell.

We alternated our days between resting and going on outings. Thursday was stay at home day. On Friday we headed up to El Valle to the market and another nice lunch at Bruschettas.

Here is Stan in his new Panama hat helping Cam negotiate the purchase of a beautiful shell.

El Valle is about an hour drive up winding roads up and over the mountains that remain from a very ancient volcano. On the way back we stopped for dinner at one of our favorite spots, the Bayview hotel. The water was at extreme high tide and we watched some young men surf almost up to our dinner table.

Cam's Pina Coloda in a Pina.

After another rest day we drove up to Altos del Maria on Saturday. We have a lot up there we would like to build a weekend house on. From it one can hear the sounds of a waterfall. Stan and I went swimming in pond at the base of the waterfall.

When we returned to Gorgona we stopped for Flan at La Ruina, a restaurant built on the ruins of a very old bar. Frank and his wife Delcia are very proud of what they have done. Frank is a former military man. Delcia grew up in the village of Gorgona.

On Sunday we headed into PC to see the sights there and find a spot to view the Super Bowl.

Altos del Maria Visit

2009-01-25T10:22:00.000-08:00

Moti talked us into going up to Altos on Friday, but when it came time to leave, his plumber arrived and he couldn't go. We went alone and made some calls as we drove up the hill to see who was home that we could visit.

One stop which didn't need an appointment was Moti's bunker which he built in the side of a hill. It is about 50 meters and he says it cost about $20000. We me the builder.

We have been thinking that we could build a very simple house on our lot in Altos. This would give us a cool place to go to on party weekends when many Panamanians crank up the music.

We stopped in to see our architect Cesar. This is his house in Altos. We love his use of colors, shapes, and textures.

Cesar suggest we consider a small 25 meter house that is a small version of our original design, instead of the bunker. Having the bunker double as a parking space would require a retaining wall which is costly. His plan would have an open air living area, a small 4m x 4m bedroom, and a pass through kitchen. If it has some storage, it could work.

We visited with Audrey and Jose who own the house next to our lot. We looked at our lot. The area around the bolders could be a swimming pool. The house wold go just to the left. Our original plan was for a much larger one bedroom house much lower on the lot for a better view, but with nothing selling in the states, we just can't part with the cash.

After visiting our lot, we visited our new friends Richard and Bella. They just moved into a lovely home, higher up in the valley than our lot. They are just getting moved in. We met them at Twisters and helped them find the fish coop. They are from Iowa and have just moved down to Altos after visiting Panama and othe Latin American countries several times. Both have an interest in photography. Bella was a commercial photographer and Richard taught creative photography at the high school level. They are great fun and make a good Black Russion. The view from their house at sunset is spectacular.

TV Installation

2009-01-19T10:10:00.000-08:00

Today the connection of our TV to a dish network was completed.

Jayne and I had debated whether or not to get network access for some time. In the end she won, but I received some concessions. Among other things, we have agreed to not surf the web. We will only turn on pre-determined shows for a limited time.

The motivation included a desire to see the innaugural events and the Super Bowl when Stan and Camille are here.

We won't be tempted too greatly. The only news stations are CNN international, CNN Spanish, local and Fox (ugh!). Oh, and also BBC, which could be good.

Today's effort to conclude the installation took four workers about two hours. The installation effort had left off at 11:30 PM after a two our three hour effort.

Mason's Report, Jayne's Gardening, John's Swimming

2009-01-19T09:39:00.000-08:00

This is our grandson Mason delivering his report on Panama. His Mother Sarah says he was quite the performer. Mason is pointing at a picture of himself and his brother Maverick with our caretaker Dimas, after Dimas had prepared a coconut for each grandchild to drink.

Other pictures in his presentation include, from bottom left, a fruit stand, Mason and Maverick with a large insect at the Altos waterfall, a beach shot, the coconut picture, Mason in a sombrero at Cholos, Mason with Ty's insect collection, and a picture of our casita.

Notice the use of the microphone and the rapt attention the report is given. This kid could be president someday!

Jayne has been buying and planting numerous plants around our casita. Below is a picture of the flowers surrounding our short front walkway. Durinjg the day there are beautiful, delicate, purple flowers. They all fall off in the evening, and reappear the next morning.

We have had a small palm in front of the front bedroom, but it will never grow tall enought to shade the window. So, we have planted a larger palm which has the potential to grow tall enough. The small palm in front of the taller one has been transplanted to a neighbor's yard. The remaining tall palm will be surrounded by flowers.

Sarah gave me a gift of an emergency life vest to use while I swim. I did not use it immediately, as I have no real fear of what could happen to me in the Ocean. To make her and others in my family feel better about what could happen to me on my hour plus swims each morning, I have begun wearing it. The yellow vest folds into a small camaflage colored packet, which is on a belt around my waist. It is inflated by activating a gas cartridge. Hopefully, I will never need it.

Wednesday Evening, January 14, 2009

2009-01-14T18:20:00.000-08:00

The new $189 million road project involves filling in the bay from just off the existing road. There will be six lanes in each direction. Balboa avenue is always packed. The statue one the left was on a point extending into the bay. It will be moved.

The odd shaped pieces are made in a plant on the construction site (see below) and dumped on the water edge of the landfill, down to the earth, for stability. The odd shapes stick together.

This is the view of the plant that makes the pieces above. They also mix the concrete, using the large bags of material in front of the plant.

To see a video of the project go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7z6cK_q5b8

The video is less than three minutes long and gives some idea of the size of Panama City. We get a real kick out of how orderly and courteous the driving is. To survive driving in Panama or PC one has to be very aggressive.

Rob and Donna sent us the video.

The photos above were taken from the balcony of our new Christmas day arrival friends Rob and Donna.

We had a very nice lunch at their apartment yesterday, followed by a shopping trip to Riba Smith's Supermercado, where one can find all the items one cannot find even at the better grocery stores. We were looking for molasses and some gluten free items and were successful.

We had gone into PC for a dental appointment for me. I had my teeth cleaned. Getting there was an adventure, as driving in PC often can be. A demonstration relating to Social Security benefits had caused our main street to be closed. We had forgotten our map, so we were guessing which one way street to take when.

While I was in the dental office, the senior dentist, Dr. Eisenmann volunteered some help regarding my search for a water polo team. What he found for me was the coach of the national Panama team. We drove out to the pool. I volunteered my help. I don't know what level the players are, so they may be far beyond my skills. They have won the South American Championship. We will see. I will do what I can as time permits. It is quite a drive from Gorgona to the pool which is near the airport. I would also hope to participate in some scrimmages.

Today we slept in late, 9:00, exhausted by the driving yesterday in PC. We had our swim, or course, and had a breakfast of Salmon, purchased yesterday at Riba Smiths'. We spent the day, and then went to dinner at Chollos, a Mexican restaurant near San Carlos, where we had some fine dinners with our family over the holidays.

Gorgona to Coronado and Malibu

2009-01-09T17:20:00.000-08:00

Back road from Gorgona to Coronado

View of Coronado from Gorgona land

2000 meter lot at Malibu

Jayne examining Malibu lot. See the Ocean?

Today we took our 4 wheel drive Pathfinder on some lesser used roads.

After exploring in the Malibu area, including driving back to where the Chame river turns back toward Gorgona before entering the ocean, we headed to the off road from Gorgona. We discovered a road through a large tract of open land and some teak farms. There were some cattle grazing. The road had not been driven recently, and I would not want to drive it in the rainy season. It forked numerous times. Our choices took us to the back road at Coronado, near the beach club and the home of our friend Jeanette, who's party we attended at Christmas.

If anything we own in the states, or here, sells, I would love to buy some of that land.

PC Outing for Our New Car

2009-01-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

Our new 2001 Nissan Pathfinder at Costa Grande.
Note the window sticker: Fla. Intl. University

Yesterday we went into PC to purchase a car. We boughNew t a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder, with about 60K miles for $7200 from a private party. Alex spoke perfect English, as a result of his having been in the US for a good part of his life. He was in the army, went to Viet Nam, and later had a job as Children's PE instructor with the US department of defense.

The car has a Florida International University sticker on the back window. The seller's son attended there, as do many Panamanians. I am hoping that this sticker will decrease the number of stops by traffic police.

We spent the day standing in several lines to facilitate the transfer: a line for him to relinquish title, a line to make copies of my passport and his drivers license, a line at his bank to deposit the money, a line to create paperwork for me on the car, only to be told we had to first deposit $20 at a nearby bank, where we stood in line for an hour to deposit $20, and then stood in line to get to the person who would issue the title in my name. She was in a big hurry and had to redo my address and phone number on a second title.

We had planned on spending only a few hours with the help of an employee at a car dealership, but we would have had to return to PC on another day to pick up the paperwork. Both sides of the transaction wanted complete the deal yesterday. We wanted, among other things, to return our overpriced rental car.

By the time we finished up we were too tired to meet Rob and Donna for dinner. Instead we did a little shopping at Los Pueblos after taking in a movie: The Day the Earth Stood Still. It was worth the $3.50 we paid for the two of us. We splurged and got a large popcorn and two large sodas for $6.

My shopping find was some excellent thongs (flip flops!) for $1.99. They fit and did not rub the sides of my feet. I left them in my usual place this morning while I swam. When I returned they were gone! No repacement shoes, either, like the last thief who stole my shoes!

The car drove well on the way home. The potholes seem smaller. Our gas mileage will drop to about 15 mpg, but we can go more places off the main highway.

The Kids have gone home!!

2009-01-03T14:19:00.000-08:00

Boogie Boarding at Gorgona!

Lilly listening to the Ocean.

Pre-New Year's Eve Brunch

Mavie, Mason and Ty playing a computer game.

Mason in Pike Position!

Mavie flipping with help by Paul.

The kids have gone back to Seattle now, and we are sad. We had a great time while they were here. The cousins really enjoyed each other's company. Mostly we spent time on the beach the pool and preparing and eating family meals. Computer games and movie are also a big item with the kids.

We talked to them on skype today, which makes things easier.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

2008-12-27T17:36:00.000-08:00

Picture of me taken at a pre-Christmas party last week. The small tower to the left of my elbow is the 10 story Ocean Front condo which is one short lot from our casita. The party was in Altos, at one of the houses along the highest ridge road. The house obviously has a dramatic view. It is also quite windy, occasionally blowing out windows. We saw several old friends and met a few new ones.

Clayton diving into his birthday platter at Don Chacho's on Dec. 23. Lonnie started with a hamburger.

Mason and Maverick showing off their new tatoos.

Mason and Lilly examining our friend Ty's bugs which he collected in Altos. Mason asked some great questions, like whether similar looking bugs in a row were in the same family! Lilly was quite thrilled by the bugs. She and Mason are good friends. Ty is a retired physician who loves collecting the enormous number of bugs one finds in Panama. He had several scorpions, and Jayne has just given me a short lecture on not leaving open containers on the floor!

After looking at the bugs everyone went for a swim in the river nearby. One can hear this waterfall from our lot in Altos.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T09:51:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas All!!!

December 25, 2008

It is mid-day and we are all doing low energy things like reading, writing on the computer and playing e-games.

We had our celebrations last night. This morning Jayne and I took a walk/swim and returned home. We me a couple exploring our beach, Rob and Donna. They have a place in PC and are looking for a beach place. We showed them Costa Grande. They are from Vancouver, CA, via a 5 year stay in Costa Rica. They feel crime has gotten bad in Costa Rica.

Rob and Donna mentioned Betty and Craig in Altos. We had me them a few days ago. Rob and Craig and I are all old Rugby players!

In the pictures you will see grandson Ty surfing at Malibu.

The dolls begin appearing on the roadside just before Christmas. About new year's they will be be burned. Last year we saw a W doll.

Jayne and me on the beach.

Some of the many colorful birds we see in the green space near our casita.

Pre-Christmas Week Actities

2008-12-24T19:16:00.000-08:00

Wednesday Evening, December 24

It has been a while since I posted.

Our daughters, their husbands and our five grandchildren are here for the Holidays.

This evening we celebrated Christmas. We pooled our resources and had a family meal of rice, cole slaw and Langastinos. Before our desert of icecream and cooked pairs by Jayne, we distributed Christmas presents and Sarah's birthday gift. Santa Claus is still coming for the little ones, either tomorrow morning or when then return to Seattle. Our gifts were purchased primarily at the Machetazo in La Chorrera: balls, pencil holders, pencils, clay, journals, lego kits, dolls... The kids seemed to enjoy them.

Stacia and family gave us a very nice book they had created on the internet. It featured our travel photos from last year in Panama, and three years ago in Puerto Vallarta. The cover had a picture of Jayne and I kissing. The youngest grandchildren were appalled!

W have had some good laughs over the Seattle weather, but both families must return to it around the New Year.

Yesterday was grandson Clay's 12th birthday. I think it had to have been an almost perfect birth day celebration. We spent most of the morning boogy boarding and body surfing at Malibu, about a mile walk up the beach. Lonnie ferried the grandkids by car.

The birthday dinner was at Don Chacho's, chosen by Clay. We had frozenfruit drinks they call Frostys, roasted chicken, an assortment of meats, and fried yucca and plantains. The lunch went very well.

For desert we returned home and his mother baked a flourless chocolate cake, which Clay loves. Like me, both our daughters, and one other grandchild, Clay has a gluten allergy, so the special cakes are really appreciated.

Another highlight of Clay's birthday celebration was having our caretaker Dimas open some coconuts for all the children to drink. Maverick had come to me asking for the the machete man. I hade told him Dimas could open a coconut for him. Maverick had wanted his old stale coconut opened. Dimas opened some fresh ones, and also opened the old one, so that the kids were able to see the coconut they see at home in Seattle

Wednesday Morning, December 17, 2008

2008-12-17T08:35:00.000-08:00

Since my last entry our older daughter and her family arrived from Seattle, just escaping a very snowy storm. Our younger daughter and family will arrive on Saturday.

We are getting settled in. Stacia's family is staying in our house, but our extra rental does not have the accomodations we are used to, like a working bbq, a good kitchen, fans in each room, etc. We end of using the kitchen in our house for most of the meal preparation.

Above is Clay with a Langostino from the fish market. Lonnie made Pad Thai with Langostinos, sans wheat, since three of us are gluten sensitive.

Before meeting the flight I shopped at an old mall we like, El Dorado. There was a string orchestra playing Feliz Navidad. We hear that song a lot. A lot of the Christmas decorations have pine trees and snow, which we don't understand.

We went to a big party on Tuesday night at Jeanette's house. She knows everyone, so there were at least one hundred expats attending.

We have had an hour or so of rain each day for a few days now. We are nearing the end of the rainy season.

I a few hours we are going to drive to La Chorrera. We hope to find a fishing rod for Lonnie. There is some good fishing nearby at Malibu. The co-op fishes these waters with nets, but there should be some for catching on a line. No permit is required.

Altos Visit

2008-12-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

Thursday morning we drove up to Altos del Maria to visit with our ardchitect Cesar Ituralde. Next trip I'll take a picture of Cesar's house. We love his work, and think building what he designed for our Altos lot would be great fun. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be in the cards. We love living near the beach, though we enjoy Altos and its cooler weather, whenever we visit. Perhaps if something we own actually sells, we will think about building the house. Above is Jayne on a boulder located more or less where our open air living room would be.

Today we had lunch with our bird watching neighbors Larry and Maryanne. See photo above. We at at a very fancy restaurant in the Vista Mar resort, a twenty minute drive down Highway 1. Each couple had 4 appetizers. We were very full, and the food was excellent. The bill for Jayne and me was less than $30 with tip. We are thinking of going back for the boulliabaise, which costs $10.50 per person for a minimum of 4 people, and requires a days notice. They have several types, including Kosher and vegetarian!

Our AC man came by to touch up his work and ask about payment. We expect our managment company to pick up part of the payment. They did not solve the problem very expeditiously, creating more problems.

I've received some information regarding water polo in Panama. I had emailed the Mikasa company, which is a well known manufacturer of water polo balls.

Tomorrow our elder daughter, Stacia, her husband Lonnie, and their two children, Clay and Lilly arrive for a three week stay. I will pick them up at the airport at 8:00 PM. I know the road well enough to drive them back to Gorgona in the dark.

Before going to the airport I am going to search for a used car with Alvaro, a mechanic recommended to us by an Australian couple who live here half the year. Alvaro keeps their car when they are gone, and services it while they are here.

A fun couple was here for two days this week. Pat and Gary are from Florida and are exploring Panama. The unit they stayed in had been oversold. They were expecting a private beach, wi-fi, and a concierge! We are a 5 minute walk from the beach, and we can see the water from our front porch. We have DSL, but their unit does not, and there is no concierge, unless it is us! When there car wouldn't start, we invited them for breakfast. They took us to dinner the next night at the Bay View, one of our favorite local eateries. We hope they will be back soon. Their stories of their world travels, including Turkey, were fascinating.

We have learned that our friends Camille and Stan from St. Louis will be coming for a vist at the end of January. We have only seen them once in the past 25 years. We have some catching up to do, and are excited about sharing Panama with them.

New Cushions and adding some Color

2008-12-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

We picked up our four chair cushions in La Chorrera. Unfortunately through some miscalculations on our part, and some poor communciation with the upholsterer, the pillows will not work for our chairs. Instead we are using them as back cushions on one of the sofas. Jayne also hemmed some material for a pillow cover. We have added some funcional color to our already bright living room.

Jayne also painted the interior of the shelves, as well as parts of the wall. We like to effect.

We will order some more pillows for the chairs.

Pre-Christmas Shopping

2008-12-07T17:55:00.000-08:00

Sunday Evening, December 7, 2008

On Saturday we went to La Chorrera to pick up our sofa cushions. They had been ready on Friday as promissed, and Dionisio had delivered them to the fabric store.

We are pleased with the cushions and the workmanship. We ordered 4 small chair cushions, for which we were quoted $5 each in labor. The cover material is $4.95 for each, and the foam is something less. We also brought home some sample materials for some additional cushions.

The overhead shot of a El Costo, a low price store, indicates how busy shopping is on a Saturday before Christmas. We learned last year that there are no post-Christmas sales, only pre-Christmas. We found some items we wanted, but there was a s30 minute wait for the cashier. Too long for Gringos!

We drove a short way to the Machitazo for lunch: $5 for the two of us. The bottom picture shows the cafeteria. The food is good. For desert we bought two scoops of ice cream (quite good) for $.40.

On Thursday we had gone into Panama city to have the new crown installed by my dentist. The office is pictured at top. That went well.

Afterwards we went to look at a condo, which I think I described earlier.

At the large malls we see Christmas displays that look like they belong in Wisconsin. The images contain snow and pine trees. One can buy a 7 foot pine tree here for about $28. We bought some palm trees which we will decorate. How did a country that has never seen snow come to associate Christmas with snow and pine trees?

Tree Cutting and Lunch with Bill and Lyne

2008-12-07T17:25:00.000-08:00

Sunday Evening, December 7, 2008

In addition to our morning exercise and breakfast, we spent the day supervising the cutting of our tree, and having lunch with Bill and Lyne.

We had originally chosen the lot on which we built our casita because it has a large Mango tree on it. We named our corporation Gorgona Mango Villa.

We are sad to cut the tree down, but we need the space to build our additon to our casita. In addition, the tree was constantly shedding dead limbs which would fall on our roof and our neighbor's roof. We have not been here in June and July to sample the mangos, but others tell us our mangos were no good. Our development has and is surrouned by many other trees, so we won't be losing any shade.

This is our second crew for cutting. This one agreed to $300, which seems to work out to about $100 per day for a crew of 3 or 4 workers. This is a holiday weekend, with Monday being Mothers' Day, a very big deal. The holiday gives our crew three days to complete the work. All that remains to do is haul away the pieces of the tree and get a permit to cut the tree in the first place. This seems backwards, but the leader of the crew assured me that he could do it. The office for this was closed over the weekend and probably for the holiday. We have paid them $100 for each of the two days worked, and I told them I will withhold the last $100 until the work is complete and the permit is secured.

We took a break for lunch at La Ruina with Bill and Lyne. They are returning to Calgary in a few days. We have had some good times and will miss them. We are hoping they will return soon.

El Valle Artisan painting feathers

2008-12-05T17:53:00.000-08:00

Friday Evening, December 5, 2008

Today was an easy day. We swam, walked, had breakfast and negotiated with a fellow named Andres regarding cutting down our tree. He left saying $450. Cliff, who referred him, called later and said $380 was his best price. This evening our caretaker, Dimas, said he had someone who will come tomorrow, with a permit, for $300. Part of our thinking when negotiating is that we don't want to disturb the local economy too much.

This evening we did some grocery shopping in anticipation of the holiday weekend which will bring hoards to the store. Monday is Mothers' Day. The beaches will probably be crowded.

Speaking of beaches: someone stole my thong sandals this morning! They left a mis-matched pair with a missing heal. How considerate! The road back to our casita is rocky. My habit is to leave the sandals on some black sand while I swim. I often leave my hat also, but Jayne had the hat this morning. We meet a mile or so down the beach and walk back together.

Yesterday we drove into PC for my dental appointment. They finnished my crown and did one small filling.

After the dentist, we spent several hours meeting up with, and then riding with, an attorney who had the keys to a condo we wanted to see. It was a good price, $160,000, and in a good location, but it was very dated and the surrounding buildings blocked the sunlight. We have been interested in owning part of a condo in PC, along with two or three other couples, so that we can come into PC and stay late for theater and other events. PC is second or third in the world for hotel occupancy at 83%. It is difficult to get a room.

After the Condo, we walked to the nearby Multi Plaza mall and had a late lunch. I had Pescado Frito with Yuca and Arroz for $5.29. Not a bad price for a mall, and good food.

Our last errand was to drive out to near the airport, using the Corridor Sur toll rode, to exchange our rental car. The one we were driving had 4 bald tires! Our contact, Irsza, had to depart, but left a key at the desk of the hotel. No paper work!

There is an element of trust in the business dealing we have had. Tonight we ordered 4 large plants for delivery tomorrow, and no money was required until delivery. Last week we took two cars for test drives without any ID.

We had planned on binging our friend Kenya back from her meetings in PC, but she had to stay for another night at least. She gave us two shopping bags to keep for her.

I think I wrote about the couch cushions we ordered. They are ready, after only two days. We will pick them up tomorrow. First thing in the morning, hopefully after our swim, we will meet the tree cutter, accept delivery of the plants, and see that the Orkin man sprays the house. One would like to avoid such toxic substances, but avoiding the bugs is a higher priority.

Thanksgiving Dinner

2008-12-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

PC Outing

2008-12-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

Monday this week we drove into PC to return our rental car and get another one. We had an expensive one from the airport. We picked up a new one at the Rionde Hotel, where we have stayed before fllying out.

We gave a ride to our neighbor who is renting one of the casitas in Costa Grande. She calls herself Kenya for simplicity, because she is from there. She is in the safari business and offered take us on a safari if we could get to Kenya. She reminds us a lot of our friend Karen Kalish who visited us here last year. Both are strong, independent women, with strong opinions. Both are great fun.

We dropped her off at the Rionde and she went to see a friend. We will be back in PC on Thursday for my dental appointment, so we may be able to give her a ride back. There had been some concerns about traffic into and out of PC because of flooding that washed out some ramps to the two bridges which connect PC to the rest of Panama. Things seem good now.

We test drove some cars, used rentals, a Renault and a Nissan. Many cars do not have airbags, which we think is important.

On our way to the cinema we were stopped for the second time at a particular intersection on Toumbe Muerte. It was a National Policeman, so I don't think he could actually give me a ticket, but I gave him $14 anyway. The traffic ticket concession has been sold to a private party.

We continued on to the cinema where we saw the Bond film Quantum of Solace. It was filmed paratially in Panama. We recognized the national theatre as a hotel, and the public housing where the boxer Roberto Duran grew up as dangerous, drug-infested public housing.

Recent PC Outing

2008-12-03T13:00:00.000-08:00

Trip to La Chorrera

2008-12-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

Wednesday Afternoon, December 3

We have returned from our trip to La Chorrera.

The car was somewhat beat up for the low mileage. The Rexton is a bigger car than we are used to driving. It seems to be a well made car, though this one had some compression issues. I recognize this from diesels we have owned in the past.

The seller's brother, who showed us the car, pointed us to a tipico Panamanian restaurant. Jayne had chicken and plantains, and I had arrroz con frijoles, and we each had soda, for a total of $3.50. The food was quite good, and we were welcomed as always. A young man who was soon heading for Miami for aviation training in the hopes of getting a job flying came over to us to practice his English.

We next stopped at a fabric store, searching for material to cover our pillows. We chose some bright blue outdoor fabric, purchased some 5 inch thick foam, and contracted with Dionisio, an upholsterer who frequents the store often, and was there when we were there, for two sofa cushions. We forgot to bring the pillows. If he does a good job, we will have him make some covers. The five and a half yards of fabric cost $27.50. The foam cost $40, and the labor for the project will cost about $40. We think it is a good deal.

On the way home we experienced a very hard rainstorm. It is sunny again now.

We ran out of propane last night. The gas company was supposed to bring us a new 100 pound tank this morning, but did not show. Hopefully tomorrow.

PC Taxi Ride

2008-12-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

2008-12-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

Saturday Afternoon, November 22
We are sitting in our living room of our casita reading our most recent newspapers while we listen to the noise of the motorcycles racing on the property next door. Our neigbor, JB, is a Panamanian plumber who spent years working in the states and has returned to his land that he inherited with his two siblings. He races motorcycles as a hobby. When the sun goes down, we are invited to a party at his place. His workers have been sprucing up the grounds for the last few days. They painted and filled the swimming pool and cut the grass. There is a large wheel loader parked behind our property that was being used to move some dirt.
The ten floor condominium development called Ocean Front is the next property over from JB's. The developers have been giving JB many truckloads of dirt which his is using to fill in some contours on his land. The Ocean Front developers did not make adequate arrangements for parking or a suitable sewage system, so now they need to dig some large holes. The development is a few months past the promissed occupancy. The building itself looks almost complete. We haven't been in the building since we were here earlier this year since it is now locked up and guarded. In fact most weekends there is work going on.
The noise is something one has to get used to. It is not constant, but the Panamanians love to crank up the music for parties. JB says his will not be too loud. We will see.
–
We had several breakfasts with friends this week. We started on Monday with Ty and Kris coming over for a swim and breakfast after buying fish at the co-op. Friday we stopped by Kurt and Kimi's house to complete our walk, went to the co-op, and had breakfast at our place.
This morning we went to Moti and Sue's casita in our development. We brought the jucie and Sue prepared Huevos Rancheros. The meal was good. We had to laugh about our last experience with Huevos Rancheros. We were in Mexico and the dish we were served was a plate of tomato sauce with submerged eggs. It was awful.
Our breakfasts start about 9:30, after our swim and walk, possible co-op visit and a cooling splash in our pool. We finish up about noon.
__
Moti lives in one of the end units of the two rows of casitas. His and the unit directly across from his have more land than the rest of us, and each has added other structures to their casita. I am using his architect to produce drawing for our proposed addition above our terrazzo. She has missed two opportunities to meet with us at scheduled times, and has not sent us any drawings by email as promised. Her price is very reasonable, and if we paid more there is no guarantee that things would go any quicker. I called her today and she says she will be here Monday Morning.
I say that Moti lives here because his wife Susan is only hear a few days each week. She teaches English for the U. of Louisville, which has a campus in Panama City. She comes out to Gorgona a few days each week, and Moti goes into Panama City a few days each week. They seem to have a loving and respectful relationship. They have college age daughters who are exploring their options. One has completed a year at the local campus of Florida State and is therefore eligible to attend FSU in Florida while paying in-state tuition.
Moti and Jayne and I are among the ones who spend the most time here, so we end up discussing administrative issues for our complex. We have made some great strides since construction was completed one year ago. There is a fence all the way around the property, with a remote controlled gate. We have a full time worker on the property. Plantings have been done, though some more would be good. The pool is being handled by a contract and is kept clean.
The association has been paying one of our members $500 per month to make sure things get done. He is only here on weekends. You can tell when he is coming by how hard
Dimas is cleaning. Onel thinks Dimas is overworked. Moti and Jayne and I think we need to create list of things for him to do and fire Onel. With one of more residents here most of the time, we should be able to see that the work has been done. As it is, we end of completing with each other and paying Dimas to do little things for our individual casitas. We just need to pay him a fair wage, which we are already doing, and be clear about what needs to be done.
Anyone who has lived in a condo or a co-op can relate to these issues. This being Panama, the emphasis is on freedom. The board has just endorsed a resolution that we supported (we are not on the board). The resolution says basically that any owner can do whatever they want to do with the back of their property, including adding on, but that the fronts and common area are restricted.
__
On Thursday we drove into La Chorera, which is a large suburb of Panama City. We have shopped in the local shops and the large XTRA store, where we bought soccer gear for Sarah's boys last year. This day we drove through town the the Machetazo. Bill and I had stopped there a week or so ago.
We spent the afternoon looking for Christmas lights and presents. There is quite a selection. The store is a big box store that is like a Target with groceries. There is also a Pharmacia and a Cafe. Jayne and I had lunch for $5.08. I had Puerco, Plantainos, and juice. Jayne had Arroz con Pollo, beef and a drink. The prices are subsidized so that the workers, and shoppers, can afford to eat there. It is quite nice.
The Machetazo had a small section for religious candles, another for religious books, and another for religious statues. In some ways the country is less Catholic than Mexico. We don't see streams of people going into the churches, and are told that is in part because there are not enough priests. I had made some inquires regarding the presence of Unitarian-Universalists in Panama, but have not found any so far. There is a “non-sectarian” service in Coronado, but personal testimony is that the service is fairly conservative protestant. I should give it a try and see for myself.
__
We ran into Don and Eileen at Mail Boxes. They are from the Seattle area.
On Wednesday evening we had dinner with Bill and Lyne and their friends Greg and Sharon. The discussion turned to politics and I think Greg and Sharon are more conservtive than the rest of us at the dinner. The people who come here are generally very adventurous. Some have a libertarian streak that finds resonance in Panama. Panama is about to have a presidential election. The woman who is the front runner from the major party has been accused of being too close to Chavez, and therefor a communist. Sound familiar? I have my doubts that there is much truth to the assertions.
Panama has outsourced some interesting items. The traffic enforcement is handled by a company based in a South American country. Two major toll roads in PC are owned by Mexico. The tolls are fairly expensive and the traffic enforcement is dominated by bribes. We paid two last year, twenty and ten bucks each.
We are trying to finalize our building plans for our Altos lot. We hope that might help us sell it. We are not very interested in building that far from the beach. Once our addition is completed for our casita, we will have most of our personal accommodations handled. The other piece might be part of a small condo in the city, so that trips in would be less stressful. It is a long day to drive in and back in one day, and reasonable hotel rooms are difficult to find. Beyond that, we will buy some land for development.
__
We will head over to the party soon. Tomorrow we hope that the Cable and Wirless installer will arrive to hook up our DSL.
End Dispatch 2.1
Saturday Morning, November 29, 2008
It is one week later.
The cable and wireless people did arrive. They couldn't find us, so I had to drive to where they were, which was nearby, and lead them back here. After overcoming their objections that there was no phone or internet service here (we had them call the original technician who examined our situation), they began working on the hookup. At one point we had the two of us, the three of them, and two bi-lingual neighbors, Moti and Onel, discussing and pointing.
The technicians discovered that our dedicated cable from a distribution point in our complex to our casita a was “rotten.” We assured them that a temporary one could be run over our neighbor's lawn. The line has worked well. We have had good internet access for the entire week. We listent to NPR from an East Coast city every morning and are able to call our kids on Skype and generally surf the web. We are thrilled. One of our surfing efforts is a search for a car. We need to return our rental and buying a car will be much cheaper.
Today, Franco, the electrician who installed our ceiling fans last January, is here working on installing a permanent line. Kathy, who manages several other units in Costa Grande, thinks she may need the same service to replace what she suspects are bad cables, asked me to call her so that she could negotiate a deal with Franco. I called, but got her answering message.
I am past my swimming time. I try to go to the beach by 7:30 or 8:00 and it is now 9:00. On normal days this is very important, as the sun begins to beat down passionately by 10:00. We have been having an abnormal period of almost continuous rain since Tuesday. It is still 80 degrees and bright, but not so sunny as normal. Jayne tells me that she is fine with supervising the cable installation and that I can go swim. If I don't get my morning exercise I tend to be grumpy, even when we have good sun
__
It is 5:00 PM. I had my swim and walk on the beach. The waves were very large and strong today, as a result of the low tide being at 11:00 AM and the stormy weather that Panama has been experiencing. There has been flooding in Bocquete and the road to Panama City is down to one lane because of mud slides.
We had Victoria clean the two casitas that we will be using when our daughters and their families arrive.
We had a pleasant visit with Larry and Marianne who are renting #12. They are birders who have travelled quite a lot. They RV'd for 4 years in North America. He is an American who has adopted Canada as his country. He has a PH.D in computer use in literacy
The leader of our tree cutting tree dropped by with his own translator, his sister in law. They showed up last Sunday and got most of the agreed on work on the tree done. They were a crew of four. One climbed up in the tree in his bare feet and used a machete to cut the limbs. The other three handled the ropes which were designed to keep from damaging the roof. They did a good job, damaging only one tile section.

We have expanded our thinking on our addition. This will necessitate cutting down the entire tree, so we are negotiating a new price for that. The tree seems to have some disease issues, including not producing very tasty mangoes. We are surrounded by other trees and greenery, and will be planting some other trees. One will be our Christmas tree
To cut down an entire tree wee need to get a permit, but this should not be difficult.
We will leave shortly for dinner and a small festival at one of our new restaurants: Twister, which I think I have described.
__
Thanksgiving was a day like most days. Things seemed to be moving slowly, perhaps because of the additional Independence Day that is coming up on Monday.
We prepared our two lobsters we had purchased at the co-op last week. They were frozen, not fresh, but were very good. Two of them weighed one pound and cost $5.
We talked to one daughter and family on the phone, and made contact with the other on Friday. The Skype with video is really a treat!
On the evening before Thanksgiving we had attended the monthly ex-pat dinner at El Rincon del Chef. It is a good restaurant and the chef is good. He helps me with my gluten allergy. I don't think he really understands the typical side dishes that go with Thanksgiving. The crowd was about 70, substantially less than normal. It think the rain kept people away.
We have been having an abnormal amount of rain. I have heard that this may continue for two weeks, but this weather is still warm and bright. One just has to go inside more often, but not all day.
The expat dinners are always fun. We meet new people and renew acquaintances with others. Many come from surrounding communities, include Altos del Maria, which is about 40 minutes away and where we have a lot that we had bought for building on. With the economic scenerio and our love for Gorgona and the beach, it is unlikely that we will build there. We will probably put it on the market and use the cash, if it is sold, for other Panama investments or paying for our addition.
At the Ex-pat dinner we met Anthony and Sue from Great Britain who want to be somewhere warm and relatively near their family on the East Coast of the US. They seemed to like our life style in Gorgona more than the condo style that some promote. A young American man named Steve was their while his Panamanian wife is back in the states. He is working on his visa paper work and planning to begin an agricultural endeavor with some land near Chame. He is thinking about growing pineapples and/or some coffee. He has been a mortage banker in the states! We saw Gary and Sharon and their daughter Haley, whom we met at the Twister. We saw Lesly and Eldon who live in Vista Mar. Ziggy and Howard of the pink car and who used our architect Cesar to build their house while they were in Canada. We saw Mike and Janet. Bill was their without Lyne.
__
Last Tuesday we skipped our swim and drove into Panama to meet with our attorney to finalize our Pensionado Visa card. An associate in Carlos's office drove us to Migration. In about 40 minutes we had picked up our papers, which had been there since shortly after we left Panama last march, had our pictures taken, attached to a form we signed, platicized and given to us. We have heard some real horror stories about this process, but it was good for us.
We had an early lunch at at vegetarian restaurant on Calle D near our attorney' office, price $5.50 for two. We walked a few blocks to the Alhambra cinema, but found it didn't open till late afternoon. We walked a few blocks to Price-Smart, formerly Price-Costco. We bought a router for our wireless connection.
End Dispatch 2.2

First Three Weeks in Panama

2008-11-19T13:31:00.000-08:00

Papassuitcase.blogspot.com
Wednesday Evening, November 5, 2008
We flew into Panama one week ago tomorrow.
It has been an eventful/uneventful week, mostly spent dealing with the issues that need to be resolved.
One of the issues that needs to be resolved is our need (desire) to have internet. Last year we coped successfully by using the Mail Boxes Etc. and the local Gorgona internet cafes. We have been hoping that we could have internet in our little casita. Our Home Owners Association made arrangements for a service, but it is not really working at this point. Moti, our local internet guru, has bailed on the service and purchased his own individually. We may do the same.
One of our desires for the internet is based our our desire to keep in touch with the US politics. Last night we were able to watch the election returns on MSNBC, or TV channel of choice in Seattle, over the internet at Bill and Lyne's place. They are from Calgary, but are interested in US politics. By 12:30 McCain had conceded and Obama had given his victory speech.
We are delighted in the outcome. Now we can move on from the neocon's Fascism (corporate domination of a government) to what the Republicans have been calling Socialism. The bailout of the banks, so that, among other things, the CEO's could receive their bonuses, for some reason, was not considered to be socialism. Corporate welfare is not socialism. It is only socialism if the little guy benefits, like universal health care.
Our local restaurant La Ruina has installed WiFi. This means that we can get on the internet their for the price of a meal, but the menu is too limited to do that very often. It is a good place to get an evening drink or flan. They have even installed real saloon doors. Frank, the owner, frequently asks me for advice on what to do with his business. He and Delcia have the look that Jayne and I showed when we were running our adult family home 24/7 from 1997 to 2003. A lot of the fun has gone for Frank and Delcia, and the money has not come in yet. They are in the middle of a very substantial condominium building boom, but it will be a while before the thousands of units are occupied and the traffic streams into La Ruina. If they can hold on, they will prosper. They also own some land across the street which I suggested they could offer as a place for a weekend market. The would bring in customers. The primary thing I have advised him to do is form an advisory panel to serve as his board as directors.
We are still trying to air out our little casita. I'm not sure it was given much attention by our manager while we were gone. We rented it twice through our own marketing. Even with the low traffic, a surprising number of items are missing. We can't figure out what someone would do with a refrigerator door shelf. Some silverware and bowls and cups are also missing. It is not a big deal, just part of being a landlord several thousand miles away.
These past three days have been one of Panama's Independence celebrations. This one is from Columbia. Later in the month there will be a celebration of independence from Spain. There is also one from the US, when it is a good time to be scarce as Americans. We hope that our image will be improved by Obama.
Panamanians take these holidays very seriously. Everyone leaves the city and goes to the country, which is where we are. Gorgona swells from a few hundred to several thosand people. Every front yard has several cars parked in it. The highway is crowded with cars heading west. The beach is filled with partyers of all ages, and the night with very loud music until the sun comes up around 6:00 AM. People back up their cars, mounted with major sound systems, to the beach. Occasionally one of them will get caught I the high tide. In the morning the people depart, leaving trash strewn beaches, which the Ocean tides will remove in a few days.
When I go out for my morning swim, the few revelers are always fascinated. I receive inquiries and hand shakes. This morning a man wanted to know if I was in the army. I said, no, I just like to swim. Most Panamanians don't swim very well, and seem to fear the water. They talk about the undertows, and seldom venture beyond some wave play. One reveler washed up on a nearby beach this morning, presumably done in by excess drinkingl. For the most part the participants are peaceful, but there will be several deaths each holiday. It reminds me of the reports of Labor Day
Weekend death when I was a boy. Come to think of it, we still have that phenomenon.
Our casita development of 18 units filled up for the Holiday. Little two bedroom units were home to a dozen or more people. The put mattresses in the living room and elsewhere. Most of the sleeping is done in the day.
This influx of people makes everything difficult, especially sleeping during normal hours. Our plan for future holidays is to rent a condo in Panama City and stay there. Most of the restaurants etc. are open, and there are very few people, and no traffic jams. The traffic jams are all out the country. The police even put up barricades to prohibit all major left turns. This means one goes right and then does a U turn to get where one wants to go.
We have settled into our basic routine: morning swim and walk, purchase fish at the coop, prepare a brunch (of fish, tortillas, blended juice, green tea), rest, do errands such as shopping for food, check the email, meet with friends, possibly for a late lunch or dinner, retire to our casita shortly after sunset for an evening of reading, writing, conversation and a possible DVD. The 8 gig MP3 player I purchase is a real plus. I loaded 59 CD's onto it. We have only played about 300 of the 1300 songs. It is like having our own radio station playing a very eclectic selection of songs from classical to country to rock. I program the playing so that it is basically random. I enjoy being surprised.
Our manager didn't handle things too well while we were away. One of the things I asked her to do was keep our two phones running by putting a few dollars credit in each every month. She didn't, so the phones were dead. We can solve the problem, but it will take some time, and will mean getting new sim cards and thus new numbers, so people who try to reach our old number won't get us.
On Monday we drove up to Altos with Lyne and Bill to see a Flamenco presentation, a fund raiser for a small Catholic school in a local village. It was a trio of a dancer, a guitar player and rhythm/singer. All three were excellent and I believe it was more authentic than the touristic tripe we were offered in Seville. We saw many of our old friends from the Altos development.
The weather has been similar to what we experienced last December. The temperature is cooler than the dry season. There are two or three major or minor thunderstorms every day. The major ones are very major compared to what we experience in Seattle. Even the minor storms are heavier than the heavier Seattle storms. St. Louis had some great storms, but these are heavier. They don't seem to last much more than an hour, an many are much briefer.
Jayne and I have been working on our housing and transportation issues. We have our daughters and their families coming for the three weeks around Christmas. We have arranged for them to stay in other units in our Costa Grande development. We haven't inspected the units yet, but will soon. I'm sure they are nice.
We have rented our unit for February, so we will need to find somewhere else to stay. We are hoping that our friends Stan and Camille from St. Louis will be visiting us around the end of January and the first part of February. There are plenty of interesting places to stay and visit. There is a lot of Panama that we have not seen yet.
I'll try to attach a photo, but I haven 't taken any yet.
Tomorrow I am going with Bill to Panama. He is seeing the dentist, and I am interested in setting up a consultation or some actual dental work. The cost hear is about a third what we pay in Seattle. The providers are trained at good institutions, including the US.
End Part 1, Panama 2008-09
Part 2, Thursday Evening, November 6, 2008
I was able to get in a short swim and a good breakfast before meeting Bill for the trip to PC. The drive took about an hour and we drove over the old bridge which goes directly into a very congested section of PC, past the projects where Roberto Duran grew up.
The dentist office is Eisenmann and Eisenmann, a husband and wife team. I had originally found them as an office that uses some high tech dental equipment. I called the office from the road and was able to have an appointment. I had brought a DVD of my Xrays which they were able to read. The dentists I met spoke good English and communicated the issues very well. The office does not use mercury fillings, which was another of my requirements. The diplomas on the wall were from major US Universities.
I received an itemized estimate for one major filling, one minor filling and a crown for a total of about $650 and two visits. This is less than a third of what my outstanding dentist in Seattle would charge, and I am confident the quality will be good. Many expats in our area have had good experiences.
We stopped for a lunch at a Pizza restaurant and sports bar. Behind my seat was a picture of Mohammed Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard from 1983, and also a picture of Roberto Duran when he tossed pizzas before climbing the boxing ladder.
The next stop was at PriceSmart, which is an affiliate of Costco. In Panama, the companies must be owned by Panamanians, but often have strong ties with the pseudo-parent company. One easily sees the similarities between Costco and PriceSmart.
I bought some storage containers to ward off the mold from our clothing during this rainy season. I priced a dehumidifier for the same reason, and will probably buy it next week when I return to PC for my dental work. Bill bought a bit of beef, but we are not big red meat eaters.
We drove out of town without incident and stopped to see the new SuperMercado in Cherera. It is a like a huge Target plus a grocery store, pharmacy and cafeteria. We had heard that the cafeteria was good and very reasonable because it is subsidized so that the store's workers can afford to eat there. I bought some earphones with a microphone to use with Skype.
As I write this we are listening to Chris Mathews, Keith Olberman and Rachel Madow, our favorite commentators from MSNBC. We were able to download their most recent pod casts. Jayne has been threatening to order cable television if she can't get her fix of political discussions. The pod casts are a step in the right direction. I continue to work on getting us a quality internet service. With that we can get everything we need, and hopefully it will meet the needs of renters when we are not here.
We could be renting our casita soon. Bill and Lyne are seriously considring returning to Calgary befause of problems caused by the credit crunch and possible depression. If they do they would want someone to take over their lease. The rental income from our casita would be enough to pay their lease cost. Their home in Coronado has several bedrooms, a large yard, a medium sized pool, and a staff of a husband and wife for cooking, cleaning and gardening. We could house our families over Christmas and our friends who visit. We hope Bill and Lyne stay here, but they will do what they need to do.
We had a pleasant dinner of left overs from our Las Palmas Chinese restaurant. The prices are up, but we still purchased two dinners (last night and tonight) for two for less than $8. They remembered us from our last visit and are very good about working with my gluten allergy.
I took some pictures on Calle Brasil in PC today and one of the new SuperMercado. I'll try to attach.
End Part 2.
Friday Evening, November 7, 2008
Jayne and I just spent two hours on Skype with Stacia and family back in Edmonds. Clay had been trying to reach us and we just go on the internet this evening. As I write this, I am off line, as the connection has been lost. We had a great conversation about all the things we have missed.
Earlier in the evening we had a pleasant swim in our community pool and had a discussion with Moti, our neighbor. He has built a second casita behind his first. This is allowed because each owner actually has title to his land. We don't have enough land to build behind, but we could build up, putting a master suite above our terrazza. We think this would be a great idea. We could probably do this for less than $10K, and would add four times that to the value of our casita. This would also allow us to house guests more easily. If we move quickly we would have a shot at completing this within two months or even less. We are excited about the possibility.
We did not venture far from Costa Grande today. We had an 11 AM meeting with our property manage, Charla, her A/C contractor, Manuel, a translator, Juan, and our original A/C installer, Bernal.
One of our split A/C units had gone bad because there was a splice in the electric wire and water was not prevented from coming in to the conduit. This was an error by our original contractor, but our manager should have contacted us before proceeding with a major repair. We would have steered them to Bernal. After much discussion Bernal agreed to pay us for the compressor that was shorted out by the bad wire.
The other problem with the A/C is that the repair involved moving the interior part of the unit to an outside wall,and the compressor from the back of our yard to the exterior of the wall, which, unfortunately is our neighbors property. We need to seek our neighbor's permission to leave the compressor there, or hang it on the wall over her ground, or dig a trench through her ground to the original compressor location. More negotiations!
We had a good morning swim toward Malibu, and a nice walk back. Breakfast was red snapper, white corn tortillas with peach preserves, blended papaya/banana/mango juice and ice, blended in our $16 blender, and green tea. All prepared and consumed on the open air terrazza.
Currently no internet and no fix for the photo handling software.
Tomorrow we go to a bazaar in Coronado and take a drive to El Valle with Bill and Lyne. We may also look at a truck that is for sale. The hefty price of insurance on rental cars is making purchasing a vehicle look good. We would have to arrange for storage while we are in Seattle, but the insurance for a year would be about what we pay for 1 month insurance on the rental.
End dispatch #3.
Sunday Morning, November 9, 2008
Yesterday, after our morning swim, walk and breakfast, we went to the Coronado Club for the bazaar. We bought some books, DVD's and some small gifts. There was quite a selection for their first fund raiser of this type.
We ran across several old friends, including Clifford and Debbie who live in San Carlos. When we saw them last, he was in great pain from a shoulder problem and seemed to need the same surgery I had for my rotator cuff. He has since had it done. His bill in Panama was about $8,000, compared to my $25,000 bill for my surgery. His was a more complicated: 5 pins vs. my 2. His shoulder was just hanging there! He had a career as an undertaker, and, I learned yesterday, had a hair salon! He had told us some interesting stories of being in disaster areas to help with handling the dead bodies. This may sound a bit grim, but they are great fun. We like the San Carlos area and the Rio Mar area next door.
We met Kathy Kress whom we have heard about for her excellent property management business. We had met her husband Michael yesterday while he was supervising the installation of dish TV for a unit in Costa Grande. She has now opened a multi-year school which I think will be a great asset for the community. We also me one of her teachers: Linda.
We met Linda and Dave from Monterey CA, Jennette whom we had met at an ex-pat meeting previously, and Beth whom we met at the Flamenco show in Altos. Terry who helps run the Neuter and Spay project was manning a booth. They are beginning to expand into the small villages like ours.
After the show we rode with Bill and Lyne up to El Valle. We bought some fruit and vegetables at the market, had a nice lunch at El Bruchetta, and found two local nursery where we bought some orchids and other plats for the yard.
On the way back we stopped at Allen and Elizabeth's dream house which they completed recently and are now selling because the area is too isolated. They have built a very nice home with a pool and a distant view of the ocean, but they are 20 minutes drive from the beach, and 40 minutes from good shopping. They had developed several lots around them which they bought at $7/meter and sold for $14/meter. The lots were about an acre, which I complete to be about 4000 meters. No one else has built yet. Things are a bit slow in the real estate market presently, so their $600K price may keep them there for a while.
We stopped for dinner at Choros, a new establishment on the highway. It is run by an American married to a Panamanian woman. Her Mom works in the kitchen. It is a Mexican restaurant, so there some Mexican or Tex-Mex blood in there somewhere. He is quite outgoing, as is she. He greets everyone enthusiastically as they come in the door and give good service. They had run a day spa in both Panama and the US previously. Business was swift, including take-out. The food was good and priced fairly. The four of us had a bill of $34 for 4 dinners and a total of 6 drinks and two cokes. I think they will do well.
We used Bill and Lyne's internet to send off a few important messages and download some MSNBC podcasts. We are a few days behind, but we are enjoying the political discussions. We ended up having dueling songs from our computers. They knew a couple who married after they met in a cancer support group. They had a Western theme wedding and had a song they had shared with guests: Still Gonna Die, by Shel Silverstein (Where the Sidewalk Ends). We each had a version in our collection. Mine is on a CD Bob Gibson sings Shel Silverstein. It has many songs that I love: Killed by a Coconut, Nothin's Real Anymore, The Man Who Turns the Damn Thing Off and On, and Golden Kiss. We were really laughing. I recommend the CD.
We stopped to refresh our water supply at the Rey and came home. At home we managed to get on our local internet and had a brief conversation with Sarah and her boys before we lost our connection.
This afternoon we plan to go to Coronado to play (learn to) Bocce. We see a similar game when we have traveled to France and Spain.
End of Dispatch 4
Monday Evening, November 10, 2008
Yesterday's bocce game was called on account of rain, but we had a big day today.
After our swim, walk, and breakfast of bacon and eggs, fried plantains, blended fruit juice, and green tea we met with the architect, Sandra, who will be working on our plans for putting the addition over our terraza, along with her young niece and Moti who introduced us to Sandra, and also served as tranlator. We agreed that a translatator would not be a big requirement in the future as we will be communicating by email and can use Google translator, which I have found to be quite good. She will give us an initial drawing sketch, which she called a croakie, and then a final adjusted and engineered set of drawings for $350, and will take the plans through the permit phase for another $150. Nothing is due until complete. We should have the sketches by Saturday.
We are very excited about the addition. We will need to trim back our Mango tree a bit to make room, but there will be plenty of tree left. There is some possibility that someof our fellow owners will complain about out addition, but it is permitted. In fact the original drawings for this development showed larger units. Larger units would not lead to crowding since the place is virtually empty all week long, and only crowded on holiday weekends.
Our Spanish teacher Jasmine called at 1:30. I picked her up at the highway and brought her back to the casita. She gave us a quiz to see where we stood, and then began. She uses a technique similar to ESL with some explanations in our native tongue. We learned a bit about conjugating some basic verbs and some useful phrases and vocabulary. We will study her notes and practice until she comes again next week.
We dropped Jasmine off near her home in Coronado and went to lunch at a new Mexican Pizza place called Twister. They had a simple menu that included a fried plantain the size of a small plate, covered with beef, chicken, port, shredded lettuce and cheese, with a spicy taste. It was like a small pizza and was quite good. We bumped into a couple whom we had seen last night at La Ruina. He looks like he should be on a Harley (overweight though muscular, tatooed, poneytailed and pale) and she is a very dark skinned Panamanian with braided hair, very attractive. The drove off in a non rental Volvo stationwagon, or what looked like one. Next time we need to talk with them.
Our next stop was Mail Boxes Etc. where we spent two hours on the internet. What did we do before the internet?
After buying some water, a rubber tube for exercising and a notebook for our Spanish at the Chinese Mercado we went next door to get some Chinese takeout from Las Palmas and then dined at home with the addition of Sangria and fresh Papaya and Pineapple. We began a movie that I bought at the bazaar on Saturday. It stars John Travolta and Charlotte Johansson: A Love Song for Bobby Long. The Spanish marketing title is Secretos del Pasado (Secrets of the Past). It is building very slowly and has some interesting New Orleans scenes. We will finish it another time. We are both reading our books. Mine is a Susan Isaacs piece of fluff: Long Time No See.
I hope I can figure out how to load this on to the blog. When I bring it up the directions are in Spanish for some reason.
End Dispatch #5.
Wednesday Evening, November 12
We spent most of yesterday and today doing the usual.
The big event yesterday was having our first day with a cleaning lady. I think Veronica is the mother or mother in law of Dimas our full time (24/6) maintenance man. We don't have enough work for her to do, so we will share her one day per week with Moti. The price per day has inflated from $10 to $15.
This morning on the beach I met a couple from Hawaii: Curt and Kimmie. They seem to be a relatively young retired couple. They bought a beach house, just East of us, a few years ago and are now retired here year round. Their house is about 5 houses on our side of the new high rise near Malibu. They say they recently repainted it white, with chocolate trim, and that we should drop by for coffee any morning. Meetings like this are frequent and enjoyable.
We had lunch with Bill and Lyne at Rincon del Chef. I had a sliced beef with a tamarindo sauce, accompanied by arroz con pollo and cole slaw. The others had a large serving of the arroz con pollo.
Afterwards we went to Mail Boxes Etc. to check email and call Sarah about her job interview. I also met with Alex about buying his father's 2001 Pathfinder. It is probably more care and a greater expenditure than we need.
We are spending this evening writing, reading and listening to Podcasts from MSNBC, NPR and Democracy Now. We read a lot more books here, though fewer newspapers. The American paper that is available daily is the Miami Herald International edition which arrives after one day. I learned that the New York Times may be available at the Coronado Club. I have missed my Sunday Times.
Tomorrow I have my appointment for my dental work. Jayne and Bill and I are all going in. We had hoped to pick up our Pensionado Visa, but we will need to begin that process much earlier in the day. So, another day.
We continue in or efforts to get reliable internet service!
Adios.
End Dispatch #6
Saturday Evening, November 15
My appointment with the dentist was relatively uneventful. I had the preparation for a crown done on an tooth near the molars on the upper left side. The dentist and staff were very attentive to my pain needs, and gave me additional anesthesia when I showed signs of pain. They were very good about administering the medication. The dentist was also good about explaining what he was doing and what my choices were.
Jayne and Bill and Lyne shopped at the local affiliate of Costco, PriceSmart. Panamanian law requires that such companies be Panamanian owned. After the dentist we went for lunch at a nice Italian restaurant near our Lawyer's office, Monolos. Afterwards we got lost a bit, but found our way to Albrook Mall. We found a swim suit for our granddaughter for about $4. The new 007 movie is in the theatres, but we did not have time to see it. This Bond film was made in Panama while we were here last year. The tourism board hopes the exposure will be better than that from The Taylor of Panama, which we enjoyed.
We spent Friday signing up for internet service at the local Cable and Wireless office. We had to demonstrate to the office that there was actually a phone line near our casita. We did this by locating the local C&W technician who examined our connections and said we had what they needed. We purchased one Gig for $28/month. We also have to buy a land phone line for about $7/month, which gives us 200 free minutes a month, or 3.5 cents per minute. Our cell phones charge 10 cents a minute for calls made and received. They tell us we will be good to go in 3 to 5 days. Something close to that would be great.
Friday afternoon we met at Bill and Lyne's for drinks with two other couples we knew: Barry and Clamencia and Allen and Elizabeth. Afterwards we had dinner at the Malibu which has good Sancocho (Panamanian chicken soup, with large pieces of chicken, including the bones), and a good Greek Salad (Salada Griega).
Today we waited for the architect bring our sketches, but she was a no show. We called, and I think she said she would email us something soon. She needs to come by for some more measuring. We are anxious get this addition done, but that doesn't speed things up at all.
After our swim/walk this morning we stopped to see Kurt and Kimi who live down the beach. I met them a few days ago on the beach. It is always interesting to learn the stories of the other couples. They gave up the rat race in real estate on Hawaii for a more leisurely pace with a similar climate. They are now actually closer to their children and grandchildren on the US east coast. They have plans to build a B&B on their beach front property.
We checked email at Mail Boxes Etc. and then explored San Carlos and El Palmar and stopped for dinner at Colittes. Jayne had a nice vegetarian pizza. I had pork ribs with “chimi chutney” sauce, which seemed like basil, and a salad. We shared a coconut flan. Less than $20.
End Dispatch 7
Tuesday Evening, November 18, 2008
Sunday was a lazy day. We followed our routine, of course, and did some shopping, followed by a dinner at Don Chachos.
The initial attraction of Don Chachos was their delicious chicken. Unfortunately, the chicken was dray. Even the replacement chicken was dry. The Pineapple Frosty as terrific, as were the plantainos.
Monday was a big day. Ty and Kris came over for a walk on the beach, a swim, a trip to the fish coop and breakfast. It is our biggest, most elaborate meal that we prepare, so it is fun to share it with others.
At 1:00 we had our Spanish lesson with Jasmine. We are making progress. We took her to her home in Coronado and stopped at Bill and Lynes for conversation and some computer time. They have good internet and Bill is a computer guru.
At dinner time we convinced them to try Twister. It was excellent again, and while there we met the owner, whom Bill already new from the owner's real estate office. With two for one margaritas our bill came to less than $13. They gave us the jubilado discount, for which one rally needs the pensionado visa. We have been given that status, but have not had time to pick up our car in Panama City. We had planned on doing that on Wednesday, but our attorney Carlos called today and the day has been changed to next Tuesday.
It is just as well that our pensionado visa day was changed. We had been unable to procure a room in PC. PC is the second or third most booked hotel city in the world, about 83%. There was some kind of event going on. We would like to buy a condo in PC and own it in partnership with some other couples.
Today, Tuesday, was another lazy day, other than having the cleaning lady come. We are sharing Veronica's services with Moti. It is hard to read while she is working, but I suppose we will get used to it.
I finished my second book today: The Turtle Warrior by Mary Relindes Ellis. It was quite good. The narrative voice was rotated among the several characters, each describing the same events. It is the first book I have read that involved the emotional impact of Viet Nam. Having grown up during that period, it has always been too painful an issue to look at very carefully. The war is only a part of the focus.
We also met with someone who can cut down part of our tree. This is necessary for us to add our addition above the Terrazzo. He is supposed to give us a price tomorrow. We hate to cut the tree at all, but we need the space and I think the rest of the tree will flourish if we remove some of the dead wood. The tree has a termite nest, which indicates a lot of dead wood.
End Dispatch 8

2008-06-27T23:19:00.000-07:00