Machetes, Birds, and Silver Linings

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

Give a Panamanian man a machete, and I don’t think there is anything he can’t do! Our neighbor hired a man to cut three of her big trees in the back yard.

machete1

This is the man standing up in the tree with his machete. This is no small tree as you can see, and he did all the cutting with only his machete!

At first we thought the loss of shade in both her yard and ours wasn’t good, but we soon realized we could see trees farther away that we hadn’t been able to see before. We have seen a lot of interesting birds in a bare tree beyond her yard, but one of my favorites is the crested oropendola. There is a male who has been there fairly often and putting on his very interesting display.

These are beautiful birds and so far, I only spotted them occasionally and have hardly been able to photograph them at all. They don’t tend to sit still very long. I have heard their calls also but never was able to see the display so that was exciting. Now, I need to find out where they are nesting if I can. They make really interesting hanging nests which I saw once elsewhere, but never in this area.

Life in Panama continues to be interesting every day!

PS I’m not sure why the video is embedded sometimes, and other times it’s only a link. The video is a bit of the bird doing his display if your interested in seeing it.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Layers

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

Weekly Photo Challenge: Layers

Layers. Layers can reveal, conceal, and make something more complex. They can vary in size, texture, color, or functionality. Each layer can have its own story, meaning, or purpose. They can overlap, blend, or be distinctly separate. A layer doesn’t have to be a part of a single object but can even be a slice of a multifaceted image or scene.  In a new post specifically for this challenge, share a photo which means LAYERS to you!

This may not be exactly what this challenge is supposed to mean but for me, it has grabbed my interest more than any other “layer” idea I can think of. I’ve been watching the construction of an overpass over the Pan-American Highway. Over the last weeks and months, layer upon layer of rebar and concrete and blocks and other parts have been added, and it’s growing into something quite impressive.

First we saw this big digger appear and start making big holes in the ground.
Then, we saw cylinders of rebar emerging from the ground.
The huge machine continued to work, and large columns of cement started to emerge where the rebar cylinders had been.
The columns of cement grew and grew, and then they started to build horizontal walls on top of some of the columns.
As the columns were finished, the layers of block were added above and more walls took shape.
Soon, some of the walls were starting to look like some serious supporting structures.
Walls were also built on the ground level at either end of the construction site.
I happened to come by a few days ago and found something really exciting going on. They were installing these huge long concrete beams on the supporting walls. They are so long that you can barely see the truck at either end.
The beam is now being raised by a crane as the truck drives away. There is a truck at either end, and I don’t know how they manage to drive down the highway like that. The two drivers must really know what they are doing and communicate with each other to keep the perfect distance apart. One of them has to do all this while driving backwards! There are men along the route to help and manage traffic, and a lot of guys at the construction site helping to guide the drivers while they move the beam into place. Then two cranes take over at either end of the beam to lift it into place.
The beam slowly moves through the air as the two cranes work together to put it into place.
The men guide the beam into place, making sure it is exactly where it is supposed to be.
The next day they had all the beams on the north end of the site in place, and they were working on the next set between those and the highway.
Another beam is slowly raised while workmen help direct and guide it into place.
This is what I saw at the site today, looking south where they have also placed a section of beams on the south end of the site. It looks like they are working on the supporting wall next to the highway in preparation for the next set of beams.

This construction site is an easy bicycle ride from our neighborhood, so I’ve been stopping by most days to see what they are doing. It’s just fascinating to watch the expertise and teamwork of this crew, especially as they put the beams into place. Those things are huge! There is an even longer span crossing the highway so I hope I get to see them work on that part.

Third world country. Pfffftttt. These people are as capable and competent as any crew anywhere, one more example that Panama has it together more than many people probably think.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Habit

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

Weekly Photo Challenge: Habit

This week, show us something that’s a HABIT. It could be your daily walk to the bus stop, or your daily paper lying on the doorstep. Maybe it’s the guy behind the counter at the deli you always visit for lunch, the stuffed bunny your child must have at bedtime, or the view from your desk as you sit down to blog. Capture a moment both constant and fleeting. We look forward to the glimpses into your everyday.

morning

My morning habit – put extras in the bucket (pencils, mouse, camera, wires, phone, etc).
Carry my computer and bucket to my “outdoor office”.
Eat breakfast, check email, answer messages, figure out my plans for the day.

Days can go in any number of directions, but as it gets dark I’m usually back at my outdoor office watching the birds, enjoying the evening, and doing something at the table. When it’s time for dinner and relaxing in the evening, I reverse the process and carry the computer and bucket back to the indoor office. The next morning the habits will be repeated.

I know this is last week’s challenge but we were traveling, and when you are out of town habits tend to go by the wayside until you get settled back at home. I love being outdoors so going outside every morning and staying out until well past dark every evening is a pretty pleasurable habit.

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A bit about our Travel and Lodging in Costa Rica

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

If anyone is planning a short trip to Costa Rica, maybe this post will be helpful.

We took the bus from the David terminal to the border ($2/each), and did the border crossing on foot.

If you are crossing the border, READ this POST  and also review any other sources of information for recent changes. We needed a print out of our airline tickets back to the US (since we have US passports) and $500 cash.

We needed to change some money before going on to Costa Rica and the banks were closed for lunch, but a helpful snack vendor took me to a money changer. I expected this guy would want a profit but he gave me 20,000 colones for $40, which is exactly the exchange rate I found on the internet that morning. I noticed there were quite a few men around with similar shoulder bags, so I figure they are all there doing the same thing. Use them at your own risk, but we had no problem.

Costa Rica uses colones so the different currency took a bit of getting used to. Do I double it or half it?? 500 colones = $1. If it’s colones double it and take off a couple zeros. If dollars, half it and put on a couple zeros. It was disconcerting to see shoes in a shop advertised for 3500 colones! (until I realized it was really $7). You feel really rich when you get 20,000 from an ATM, until you go through it in a day. Oh also, the supermarket we shopped at in Golfito didn’t look very upscale (more like a really big Chino), but they accepted our credit cards without any problem which was convenient.

So anyway, onward with the trip. We hopped on another bus to Golfito – 2500 colones each ($5). We declined the offers from taxis at the border, but on the way back we were waiting on the sidewalk for a bus to come by. A taxi stopped and offered to take us for 4000 each ($8) so we opted to pay the extra rather than stand around on the sidewalk. We would do this again because it was much faster, no stops, just straight though in about 45 minutes, where the bus took maybe 1 1/4 hour. I also enjoyed a very nice conversation with the other passengers.

We stayed at Terra Mar (Land Sea Travel Services), the Bahia Vista  and were very happy with our accommodations. We had basically a house – bedroom, bath, full living room and full kitchen for $55/night (Green season rates – it’s regularly $65/night). It was very comfortable and I appreciate the little things you don’t always find – a vegetable peeler, little packets of coffee ready to use, cleaning supplies on hand, etc. They obviously made an effort to provide everything a person would need. The grounds are beautiful and full of flowers, and the view is of the bay and the marina. There are two supermarkets within a few minutes walk, an ATM, a fish market, the ferry dock, and the tourist center close by.

On Friday we took the ferry over to Puerta Jimenez, about a 40 minute ride. If you do this be sure you find out the schedule before you plan your trip. There are some websites but none of them are listing the same times that we found, so it’s better to ask at the dock or the tourist center nearby. We got a boat out at 10AM, and caught the last boat back at 2PM.

When we arrived at Puerta Jimenez we declined the taxis and just walked. The place is small so unless you have luggage you can easily walk to wherever you want to go. We happened across a little hotel and decided to stop in, and found a delightful place with an American owner who has been there for 20+ years. He has planted tons of flowers, guests have use of the kitchen and cooking facilities, there is WiFi, and the price is right ($35 now in Green season, but $45 after the first of Dec). We have just made reservations to spend a few days there early next month.

Knowing what I know now, I would prefer to spend time at Puerta Jimenez rather than Golfito. We liked the town and the feel of the area.  Corcovado National Park is nearby and though it’s an expensive plane ride or extensive hike to get there, I figure it will be very interesting to explore the nearby areas easier to reach from town. Of course there will be more news and photos from our upcoming trip back to the area.

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Random Thoughts about Costa Rica

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

I’m glad we visited Costa Rica! Even though it was on our list of countries to consider, we had never actually been there. It was a great visit, but we are not leaving Panama.

We only saw Golfito, about an hour from the Panama Border, and Puerta Jimenez, a short boat ride beyond that so my opinions only relate to this limited experience in the country.

Costa Rica is a gorgeous place. I was surprised at how different it looked as soon as we crossed the border. Joel says it makes him think of Jurassic Park because it is so untouched and jungle-wild looking. There is a lot less cleared land and most areas are thick with trees and vegetation. There also seem to be more hills and mountains. Golfito has barely enough room for a town between the hills and the water, and the hills are covered with huge trees, plants, and flowers. We saw monkeys in Puerta Jimenez, and spectacular scarlet macaws flying wild in both places, and I know that’s only a small part of the wildlife. I can certainly see why people rave about the natural beauty of the country and I am looking forward to seeing more of it.

It looks like life is harder in Costa Rica and there is more poverty. The cost of living is definitely higher. We saw it on our own trips to the supermarket, and people I talked to confirmed this. People in this area often go to the border to shop because the Panama prices make it well worth the trip. We saw some nice homes, but we also saw people living in very poor conditions, even squatters with homes made of scraps and no water or  electricity. I saw less pride in appearance – often very casual to tattered clothing and bare feet. We were warned not to talk with people because a friendly or helpful person was most likely doing it to hit you up for some money, or worse. That was a change for me, coming from Panama where everyone talks to everyone and helps each other without a second thought.

We were also warned by multiple people to be careful of theft. Keep valuables out of sight and secured at all times, and carry as few valuables as possible. We talked with the manager of our villa and one of the staff members and heard stories about dogs being poisoned, people using poles to grab what they could through barred windows, and other such stories which wouldn’t make Gulfito an appealing place for us to live.

Puerta Jiminez seemed different. We only talked with a couple men there, but they told us that crime is rare and their town is safe and quiet. It also looked and felt more comfortable to us. We are anxious to go back and spend some more time there but just for a vacation not as a possible place to live. It’s too small and far from the city things that we prefer.

I know there are many other places to visit in Costa Rica, and experiences to be had, and other thoughts to be developed but this is what I think after my first short visit there. It’s beautiful and has a lot of great things to offer, and though we don’t want to live there, we are happy that it is so close so we can easily visit.

We are currently making plans to go back to Puerta Jimenez the first week of December, and perhaps explore a bit farther into the country as well. So, we were impressed enough to want to go back almost immediately!

I’ve received a few questions about the bus, where we stayed, etc. so stay tuned and another post will be coming on those topics.

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Crossing the Panama – Costa Rica border

Posted on November 17, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

It’s always a relief to make it home, especially when home is another country! There has been a lot of discussion among expats here in Panama about border crossings since the rules seem to be a bit different than they used to be. So, I figured I’d write about how it went for us.

There is a photo of the notice that is posted everywhere on the Panama side with a translation, so if you need this info scroll down to the bottom of this post.

Going to Costa Rica was easy.
Step 1 – Go to the exit window to leave Panama. But there, we were told that we had to have our baggage inspected first.
Step 2 – Go to the baggage inspection room and wait around for someone to show up. When the man came in he looked at us and another couple from Holland who were also waiting, and told us to consider ourselves inspected and go back to the exit window (the luggage was never inspected).
Step 3 – Go back to the exit window, answer a couple simple questions about where we were going and for how long, and our passports were stamped and we were done.

Next, walk to the Costa Rica office to get checked into that country. It seems very strange to me that the borders are separated with a “no man’s land” between, and a person could easily walk right past the checkpoints and into the other country. If you were never stopped for a passport check, who would ever know? But, being old law abiding people with no taste for new experiences with immigration officials, we made the short walk to the other checkpoint.

Step 1 – Go to the entrance window and get an immigration form, fill it out.
Step 2 – Go back to the window with the completed form, and get stamped into Costa Rica (no questions, no problems)

That was Wednesday. Yesterday, (Saturday) it was time to return to Panama. It seems that everyone who has gone to the border to get their passports stamped lately has been required to stay out of Panama for 24 hours. Since we wanted to spend a few days in Costa Rica, this wasn’t a problem for us.

Step 1 – Go to the exit window for Costa Rica, get the form.
Step 2 – Return to the window with the completed form, get passports stamped (no questions, no problems)

Then we head for the entrance back into Panama, and the potentially most challenging part of this process.

Step 1 – Wait in line until we get to the entrance window, present printout of tickets to the US, get told that since they aren’t verified so they won’t do. We also need $500 cash (each). No, a credit card won’t do. Read the sign. Only these things will do (this sign is pictured below).
Step 2 – Leave the window, ask a cop if there is a bank nearby. Yes, but it’s Saturday and all the banks are closed. I explain that I only need to get some cash and need a machine. He takes me to one of the many guys hanging around waiting to change your money. The man leads me to an ATM, I get $500, and we return to the line (giving a man a bit of money for the tip he demands). Joel is concerned that he also needs $500 and would rather not pass money between us so I leave him in line, go get another $500, and return again (Thank goodness I left him in line because it looked like a tour bus had arrived and all the passengers were now in line behind him!)
Step 3 – Wait for our turn again at the window, present $500 cash, get asked for the airline ticket, present the same airline ticket  printout, get told that it is now fine and we are good to go. I ask if only the airline ticket is enough, and the guy explains that we need both the ticket AND the cash.

WHEW!! We are back in Panama.

It’s interesting at the border. It seems that everyone has $500 cash on them, so there are many wads of cash in a lot of hands. We also saw lots of cash changing hands. One person would present their cash, and when they were done they would quietly hand it off to the next person who would present it with their passport, and so on through the whole group that was traveling together. There were some police wandering around but not in sight of the windows and waiting lines. As security conscious as they are in Panama, it is very surprising that there isn’t more security where there is that much cash around.

Also, if you need to get cash from an ATM, good luck finding one! I didn’t mind giving the man a tip since I never would have found it on my own. He led me towards some shops on the right of the building as you exit facing towards Panama. We went through a narrow passageway with little shops on either side, making our way through throngs of people until we entered a newer looking bright and light department store on our right. We went to the second floor in the electronics department, and there right on the center aisle was an ATM!  So, if you get stuck, ask around, and for a couple dollars you can probably get someone to direct you (unless you want to try these directions on your own).

I don’t know how you verify an airline ticket, and the lady at the window who rejected it didn’t seem to know either (even though she was asking for it – or maybe it was too hard to explain across the language barrier in a very noisy environment). In the future we will just take $500 cash AND the airline ticket! I will be happy when I have residency and don’t have to jump through all these hoops. But, I am glad it all worked out. I have heard stories about people who don’t have cash or access to cash, and can’t get through unless some kind stranger is good enough to give them a loan for the time it takes to get them through the process. It would be awful to get stuck like that.

In case you want to see it, here is the notice they have posted in the windows about the requirements to get into Panama.

BorderNotice

Translation:
(legal title stuff )

Article 43  Notwithstanding any existing international agreements in the Republic of Panama, to enter the national territory foreigners must meet the following requirements.
6. Have sufficient funds to cover their expenses while in Panama. Exception from this provision is the passenger in transit who remains in the same place of immigration. (not sure what this means, but it’s the best translation I could come up with)
7. Have a return ticket to their country of origin or residence when the immigration category requires it.

(more legal title stuff)

Article 17 – a foreigner can apply for tourist visa if complying with following REQUIREMENTS.

  1. Proof of economic solvency for support according to the term of stay in the country which MAY NOT BE LESS THAN FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS (B/500.00) and demonstrated with the following options.
    a. Certified check or money order in the name of applicant
    b. Travelers checks in the name of applicant
    c. Bank certificate with statement of the last three months that reflect available balance
    d. Credit card account statement of the last three months that reflect available balance
    e. Income statement or the like for the last fiscal year
    f. Any other proof of income that is acceptable by NATIONAL MIGRATION SERVICE.

So, this is all I know about border crossing at the moment. Feel free to correct any translation errors in the above. Who knows if it will be the same or different the next time someone I know heads for the border. If this affects you check the on line forums and any other resources you have for current information, bring your patience, and be prepared for anything.

An aside and a funny – we talked with an American guy who has a hotel in Puerta Jimenez in Costa Rica. He’s been there 20+ years, and said in the past all you had to do was go to the border with $25. They would adjust the dates as needed, get you the proper stamps, and you were all set. People would take turns taking all the passports to the border, so when it was his turn he’d have this big stack of passports and money! But, that was then, and this is now. Now people living in Costa Rica who need a visa renewed have to spend three days out of the country before they can return.

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Friday in Golfito and Puerta Jimenez, Costa Rica

Posted on November 16, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

We are home again, safe and sound in Panama so I’m catching up on the rest of our trip. Yesterday, Friday, we decided to take the ferry over to Puerta Jimenez and we had a great time. We really like that place, and I’m looking forward to going back and spending more time there. It’s a sweet little town with a hotels, hostels, restaurants, and beautiful scenery. It is on the Osa Peninsula, and area that has a very large wildlife preserve and is known for an outstanding diversity of wildlife. Even in the short time we were there walking around town we saw more macaws, and a troop of monkeys in the trees.

Another pretty morning in Golfito, as we look out our front windows. I’m not sure what they guy was doing on the mast of the yacht down there.
Macaws fly overhead. I know it isn’t a good photo and they could be about anything, but they are fast and hard to photograph. We learned to look up when we heard a certain noisy call, instead of looking for a caged bird which I did at first, not even thinking about them flying wild and free! The best sight we had was as we got off the ferry and a couple of them flew right close over us and we could see their bright colors clearly. They are fast though, so I didn’t have much luck taking photos.
So, after another exciting macaw sighting, we head out on foot towards the ferry dock, taking a couple photos of the town along the way.
We stop at an ATM for some more cash while we wait for the boat. We look pretty rich, huh! But, 10,000 colones is actually $20. It’s different being in a place where you have to do a bit of math to figure out what everything costs.
Since we had some free time, we decided to walk down a side street near the bank.
The town is in a narrow area between the hills and the water, so while we walk through town we have beautiful views through any open area we pass.
Here, we are getting close to the dock. This guy had a woman and a child on his bike! Notice also that he is barefoot. That seemed to be very common around town. Their feet must be a lot tougher than mine, for sure.
We get on the ferry and head out away from town. On the shore nearby are a lot of shacks. We were told that they are occupied by squatters, and there is no running water or electricity. They certainly look like they are patched together with whatever materials people could find.
We arrive in Puerta Jimenez and set out of foot. We thought this was an interesting house, especially since judging by the laundry it looks occupied. The sign says watching whales, dolphins, and more. Sport fishing in the Golfito Dulce, trips to Golfito Caña, Playa Blanca
Dogs tend to be thin. Even dogs who have a family don’t get pampered and overfed. This is the chubbiest dog we’ve ever seen in Central America.
What an interesting little house!
We’re wandering towards the center of town, hear something above, and see a troop of monkeys in the trees!
The one close to us had his eye on these coconuts.
He was an expert at getting into the coconuts and eating the meat, throwing the husks down on us in the street below.
After the monkey excitement, and after spotting a couple more macaws, we continue walking around the area. There are some funky homes and also some very nice ones.
The center of town has a lot of interesting little shops and other businesses.
This school must have had an event going on because there were a lot of people milling about there.
As you can see by the signs, there are a lot of hotels and hostels. I can see why tourists would want to spend time here.
We walked along the waterfront back towards the boat dock. This really is a beautiful area, and the town looks interesting enough that I’m looking forward to spending some time here on another trip.
We found our dream house. What do you think? It just needs a little work and we’re good to go!
This pretty house with gorgeous grounds was for sale.
Relaxing, Costa Rica style.
What a pretty afernoon sight.
We get back on the ferry and head back as the clouds get more and more beautiful.
You know me and clouds and beautiful skies. I can’t resist!
We’re almost back to Golfito here.
We wanted a bit more cash and the ATM was down, so we stopped by the manager’s place. He was happy to change a bit of money for us, and his friendly dogs were happy to hang out with Joel, the big one sitting on his feet.
I took advantage of the spot to take a few photos.
By the time we made it to our villa and got ready to head out again, the sun was starting to set and there were some beautiful colors in the sky.
We went across the street for happy hour and watched the beautiful scenery as the sun set. The green glow is from the Black Pearl, which some research told me is a chartered luxury yacht.

So, that was our day Friday, our last day in Costa Rica since we were heading back to Panama on Saturday. That pretty well covers the photos, but I am working on a couple more posts on my impressions of Costa Rica, and my experience with crossing the border back into Panama. So stay tuned and I’ll be back soon.

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Thursday in Golfito, Costa Rica

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

Today we had a relaxing day and mainly walked around town, which, where we are is mostly one road between the water and the steep hill on the other side. There is a tourist center not far from us, and the helpful woman there told us that it’s good to book tours in advance. She gave us a better understanding of how to get to various wildlife areas around here, and also said they can arrange tours in as much detail as you wish, complete with picnic lunches if you want.

Tomorrow we plan to take the ferry ride to Puerta Jimenez to see what it is like over there. When we make another trip here, we can plan for some other excursions to interesting areas a bit farther from here. Today though, it was nice to walk around and get more of a feel for the area, and just relax a bit.

Of course we had our cameras. When we walked south we saw a few fish markets, and had a very interesting visit to one which resulted is nice conversation and an excellent dinner.

There’s a hotel down the street that feeds the birds and has some beautiful visitors.
The bird feeder full of fruit, very popular with a lot of different types of birds. The one on top is beautiful, all black until it moves its wings and reveals the bright orange underneath.
An iguana scurried away as fast he could along the fence. It’s surprising how fast they can move when they want to.
A bird, a palm, and a guanabana tree.
These huge traveler palms looked impressive against the backdrop of beautiful afternoon clouds. The piece of land behind them is for sale, so we walked around there too. The workmen trimming the grass warned us to stay away from the tall coconut palms, because if a coconut falls on your head it’s like being hit with a large rock!
Later we spotted this huge iguana in a grassy field.
I’m not sure what these boats were doing alongside each other.
Another fishing boat. I’m curious to know what the flags are for. We’ve seen them on a number of other boats as well.
Many of the trees are covered with an impressive number of other plants.
The ferry to Puerta Jimenez is getting ready to leave.
We spotted these big boats at the end of the bay.
A seagull found something to sit on out in the water.
Pretty reflections
The ferry takes off across the bay at a good clip.
Just a pretty scene
Yes, there are leaf cutter ants here, and they are very busy.
The afternoon clouds are getting quite impressive.
There is a cemetery not far up the road.
On the way back we stopped at a fish market that was apparently just bringing in the catch of the day. This is a pile of sharks, and they said they make ceviche out of them. I bought some and it is very good.
The work room at the fish market (taken through wet glass because they were hosing things down) There is a pile of mahi mahi on the floor, and a large marlin on the far work table.
One of the guys cuts up the marlin, and cuts a couple nice steaks for us. He said they catch their fish with fishing poles and lines, not nets.
On the way back we stopped at the office since it’s on the water and it was a beautiful afternoon for photos.
Just some pretty photos of the bay
Enjoying the scenery with my camera
There is a beautiful sky as the sun starts to get lower
Dinner – the fish steaks, a huge pineapple which was really really good, some garlic and limon for the fish, and we also cooked a chayote and a chubby green striped thing that I thought was a zucchini, but had a slightly different flavor. Everything was excellent, and we are going back to the fish market again tomorrow!
As we come back from the supermarket, there is a bright splash of color in the sky.
Night falls, and the lights start to come on.
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We’re in Costa Rica!

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

I’ve wanted to see this country for a long time so I’m excited to be here. We’re in Golfito on the Pacific side, not too far from the Panama Border. This is definitely a beautiful country! On the bus ride we passed amazing trees, lots of rocky rivers and streams, and vegetation so thick it would be difficult to get through.

We’re in a villa overlooking the water and marina and we’re very happy with our accommodations. I will have to take photos and write a bit about it when I have time. So far we’ve just settled in, walked to the supermarket and in town a bit, and had some dinner. We have two more full days here and we are very close to some parks known for their wonderful wildlife, so I’m excited about what is to come.

There are noisy birds that fly overhead and I don’t think they are parrots. They are too big and the calls are different. I think they are wild macaws! I heard they are in this area. How cool is that!

The first photo in Costa Rica!
The bus stop in Neily, a guy and his little boy, and the bean/tomato/onion salesman taking a break.
I took this while we checked in at the office while waiting for the manager to find his shoes. He says he doesn’t wear them enough and tends to lose them.
It looks like the rain is coming this way.
We saw this amazing butterfly in the road! We tried to rescue it but it kept flying farther away from us, so hopefully it made it to safety on the other side.
We crossed a stream and saw this interesting bird walking around in the water.
The rain cleared as the sun got lower in the sky, making for a very pretty view over the water.
There are some very nice boats parked out there! The manager told us that many come here to escape from hurricane season farther north.
The setting sun is starting to color the sky and the mist and clouds hang over the hills.
We walked down by the water and came across this interesting sight.
An old boat in the water makes for a pretty photo.
Pretty sunset colors are reflected in the water.
We’re walking down the main street of town heading back to our villa.
More interesting boats and a pretty view.
Dusk falls, and the light is almost gone.
A couple guys are still fishing as it gets almost dark.
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#ReliefPH Send Help to Yolanda Victims

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Kris Cunningham

We’ve probably all heard about the terrible typhoon in the Philippines, and the suffering of the people affected. A fellow blogger from there wrote this post with information on how to help.

Posted in Panama | 2 Comments