We took a beautiful drive yesterday, and I just wanted to share some pics.
What inspires me? The Special Photo Challenge is asking this question.
the beauty of Panama
Just look behind me. This country is so beautiful. We are in Chiriqui Province which may be one of the most beautiful areas of Panama (though I can’t be sure because I keep finding more and more beauty in this country). But, yesterday, this is what inspired me. This view. My husband and I went out driving and I had to get him to pull over.
Panama mountains
This is one of the pictures I took with the Nikon I had in my hand. One day I need to get off the beaten path more so I can get a shot without the utility wires, but for yesterday, I was happy to have this one. I will post others in another blog post and link it here later when it is finished. I feel inspired every time I go out in this beautiful country!
Here’s the link to some other pictures I took on that excursion HERE
I haven’t been writing as much the last few days. Sometimes I feel like I have things to say, and sometimes I don’t. Or, sometimes I’m just occupied with other things. What has been going on the last few days? A glance through my recent photos will tell.
Volcan Baru
We have a new car, well not new but new to us. Getting it and doing the paperwork involved a fair amount of running around, taking us to Dolega and parts north where I snapped this picture of Volcán Barú in the clouds. One of these days we are going to go UP there!
Hyundai Atos
It’s a cute little thing, drives well, appears to be in good shape, the price was right, and the seller was a musician and great contact for Joel. Doing the paperwork included lunch out with him and his wife and we had a great time!
Speaking of cars, I also got my Mazda back from the mechanic. At first I was upset to learn it was going to cost $235. I thought it was just a matter of new radiator hoses. When we picked it up he explained that there was a leak in the head gasket. He changed the gasket, milled the head, replaced all the hoses, the belt, fluids, and this was the price for his labor and all the necessary parts and materials. Not bad! We’ve done this in the past on other vehicles and it is a fair amount of work, for sure.
So, now, knock on wood, we have two vehicles that run well and won’t give us any problems in the near future.
Then, there was the exciting visit from the motmots mentioned in the previous post Thankful
Ants? Oh right, we can’t forget the ants. I can’t remember why I was outside last night, but I noticed the leaf cutter ants were busy and there was a whole army of them crossing the sidewalk with pieces of leaves. I got a flashlight and went to investigate further. There are trails in the yard but I haven’t seen much activity lately, so I was curious to see what was going on.
start here
It turns out they were next to the patio in back, eating what is supposed to be lawn but it’s actually much more weeds than grass. They were very interested in the plant with the little round green leaves. They weren’t after anything I cared much about, so if they want to clean up my lawn, sure, no problem.
carry the leaves around the house
So, there is this army of ants cutting leaves in the back, and then carrying them all the way around the side of the house. All the round leaves in this photo are being carried by ants.
across the driveway
From there, they are taking them across the driveway, apparently adding a few leaves from the shrubbery along the way.
across the sidewalk
Then, they were proceeding through the shrubbery on the other side of the driveway to the sidewalk.
across the yard
Then, across the sidewalk, and through the front yard.
into the hole!
until finally, they arrived at their hole in the very far front corner of the front yard!
I need to learn more about these little creatures. My neighbors tell me they are very bad and can strip the leaves off a tree overnight. They don’t seem to have destroyed anything in my yard though, yet, so we shall see. Last month when I first got here, they were very busy in the daytime eating my shrubs. But, since then, things have been very quiet. Or, I thought they were until I discovered the nighttime activity.
Last but not least (to change the subject entirely), I found the tennis court, and I spoke with the head of the tennis club! It sounds like they have a fun club of people who meet regularly and, as members of the club, we can play with them or just use the court ourselves any day but Friday. I’m excited. I really miss the activity and exercise, and I love playing tennis. Even better, the group leader speaks perfect English, though I won’t mind also learning what I need to know for a game in Spanish.
I hardly know where to start on this one. I have so many things to be thankful for! This photo is symbolic of the biggest, most recent thing, my new life in Panama.
Two motmots visited our yard!
I had heard about these birds from friends who were thrilled to spot one now and then. We had not one, but two in our yard. By the time we grabbed a camera they were in the yard next door so the photo may not be technically wonderful, but it means a lot to us. We were really happy to see these beautiful birds! Motmot on Widipedia
So, I am thankful to be in Panama in this beautiful country, with so many new things to see, and the wonderful people we meet every day. I am thankful for the internet that allows me to stay as in touch as easily as if I were nearby. I am thankful for my husband and partner who is by my side every day, for two wonderful daughters, and the men who stand by their sides. I am thankful to be healthy, and to have lost enough weight to feel normal. I am thankful to be financially solvent enough to sustain a good life without working until I’m 85. I am thankful to be able to think, to write, to communicate, and for the teacher and friends here who help me communicate in a new language. I am thankful for the technology that I use constantly, and the time and expertise of so many who have made this possible.
I could probably write a book on this theme! I am thankful for those who encourage us to think about this subject, because I think an attitude of gratitude is key to happiness in life.
I’m participating in the online adventure travel magazine LetsBeWild.com’s Wild Weekly Photo Challenge for bloggers This week’s Challenge is: Sunsets!
This photo was taken in Sarasota, Florida, USA one evening when the sunset was so unbelievable we had to pull off the road. I’m so glad I take my camera with me everywhere.
Thank you everyone who helped me chose which of my favorite sunset photos to enter.
I notice that quite a few other entries have more than one photo, so maybe I will go ahead and post my other favorites as well.
#1 – this one make me feel so calm, so tranquil. I love the soft colors, the smooth water, the stillness of it, the boats waiting quietly on the side.
I love the intense color of this one, the vivid color in the sky beautifully reflected in the water. The jet ski going by, the people enjoying the last of the evening, I think gives it that feeling of a beautiful end to a lovely day.
#3 – another very tranquil scene, but with such lovely colors. I love how the wispy color flows across the sky to be reflected in the water below. Again, there are the boats to add to the stillness of the evening.
One of the main reasons I love a vacation in the Florida Keys is the amazing sunsets!
Nick commented on my blog and mentioned the sunset photo challenge on their site HERE I love skies, I love clouds, and I LOVE sunsets! I have a lot of sunset photos, and I’ve managed to narrow it down to four favorites. I love all of them for various reasons.
#1 – this one make me feel so calm, so tranquil. I love the soft colors, the smooth water, the stillness of it, the boats waiting quietly on the side.
I love the intense color of this one, the vivid color in the sky beautifully reflected in the water. The jet ski going by, the people enjoying the last of the evening, I think gives it that feeling of a beautiful end to a lovely day.
#3 – another very tranquil scene, but with such lovely colors. I love how the wispy color flows across the sky to be reflected in the water below. Again, there are the boats to add to the stillness of the evening.
This photo was taken in Sarasota, Florida, USA one evening when the sunset was so unbelievable we had to pull off the road. I’m so glad I take my camera with me everywhere.
Opinions needed. Leave me a comment please. Which photograph would you choose? Help me see them through fresh eyes, through your eyes!
I am having a time with the blogs on WordPress! There are so many interesting people writing here, and don’t even talk about the photos. I could spend all day looking photos. There are some amazingly talented and interesting people in this blog world who obviously put a lot of thought, time, effort, and love into their posts. Sometimes I am intimidated, but usually I am so inspired.
I am only an amateur. I like to write, and I love to take photos. It is a luxury to have time to do a bit of both. But, I’m still busy. I am trying to learn another language, and make a home in a new country and new culture. I have other interests to explore. I am so inspired though that I wish I had unlimited hours in every day! I wish I could elevate myself to the level of the amazing blogs I’ve seen here recently.
But, back to my reality. I will continue to prattle on about what’s on the mind at the moment, and post too many photos and an occasional video. I cannot seem to go anywhere without a camera because whenever I do, I miss an opportunity.
The weekly photo challenge was interesting because new people visited my blog, and in turn I could visit theirs. I will continue to participate in challenges when I can, and I’ll look forward to meeting new people here. I’m afraid that soon my list of followed blogs will be a mile long!
What has been going here the last couple days? Saturday evening we headed out in the rain for Boquete. Look at these mountains in the rain!
We never made it to Boquete though because we had another problem with the car overheating. A total stranger on the street helped us rewire the fan and filled the radiator up with water so we could limp back to town. The kindness and generosity of these people is amazing. I talked with my Spanish teacher about this today and she says “Don’t the people in the US do this for each other?” Sometimes, but usually not. I think most of us are too afraid to stop for a stranger in the street. Here, it’s perfectly normal.
We’ve also become fascinated by hummingbirds. We put out a feeder a few days ago and it’s a busy place! They come to eat and fuss at each other and chirp from the trees. I’ve never known anything about hummingbirds before, and now it’s an all day photo op! They are beautiful, and busy, feisty, active little birds.
Joel took these great photos!
We even put the feeder on the table at breakfast one day so Ma could see them more easily, and they came right to the table.
This was breakfast the other day – beans, corn tortillas, scrambled eggs, pineapple, and Geisha coffee.
The highlands nearby are known for their coffee, and Geisha coffee is the most expensive around. When we found some the other day we had to try it. It is good, very good, but I’m not a coffee connoisseur so I don’t have the fine appreciation for different coffees. I’m happy with the cheap but good stuff from the supermarket. But, I’m glad we had a chance to try this very special coffee!
The woods and the river are still the main fascination though. What a wonderful place!
“I don’t think we can make it down there!” Our neighbor’s dogs came walking with us in the woods too.
These are some BIG trees! (the little green thing below is me)
There are some really big banana trees in this forest too.
This is literally across the street from our house, between the forest and our street.
Yesterday we were jungle people with a machete, and hacked a new pathway from close to our house more directly to the river.
Our challenge! Get through this and make a path.
Joel’s turn with the machete
A huge old fallen tree in the forest covered with amazing plants!
Of course when we got to the river I saw a hundred things I wanted to photograph while Joel played in the water.
I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of photographing the river!
There are so many beautiful and interesting rocks along the river.
I made this to mark the spot where our trail leads back to the house. I think these are called rock cairns.
The water swirling over the rocks in the river is also interesting
We also saw some other people at the river for the first time. Usually we are the only people there. Today there were three young guys swimming and another group who came to fish. People work hard all week here, and often a half day on Saturday as well so Sunday is a day for many people to relax and do something fun.
Boys will be boys everywhere!
he reason for making it to the top of the rock is to jump off into the water!
Of course now that we have made a new pathway, we’ll have to use it a lot to keep it open! I think I’m confident enough in my ability to climb up and down the path to bring the good camera, so I’m really looking forward to those photos. But, meanwhile, I’m very happy with the pictures from our little camera.
Well, that’s it for now. Hasta pronto
The folks at WordPress have a weekly photo challenge, and this week it is “Green”
(Weekly Photo Challenge link)
Green? Do I have something green?
Oh my…
YES
I am in Panama. Our whole world here is green. My big problem is trying to pick out just a few photos for this theme. It’s beautiful here and I love to take photos, so I have a lot of photos with a lot of green!
I found this very large green banana leaf in the forest, and I’m even wearing a green t-shirt!
My husband is looking ahead at the path into a very green forest as we make our way to the river.
I spotted this beautiful dragonfly on a green leaf
I also spotted this little bug as it flew under a leaf. It was so small I didn’t even realize what I had until I got the picture home and took a look at it. Here was this beautiful, interesting, colorful little insect in a forest of green leaves.
Of course I had to include a picture of the river, my new favorite place!
November 16th, 2012
Today we decided to walk around the bus terminal area. I heard there were fabric shops there and I’m thinking of doing some sewing. We didn’t find much fabric, but we found a lot of other things. What a place teaming with people and life and character! There was produce everywhere, and food, clothes, cell phones, cosmetics, handbags, hammocks, plants, chicken feed, chickens, even places to get your hair done. It seems that anything anyone would want could be found somewhere in the area.
The Bus Terminal
Waiting for the Bus
I think buses are also used to deliver things around the area, and this looks like things waiting for a bus.
We also walked around the terminal area, and a couple blocks away I recognized the shop where I bought my work boots. We had gotten there before from the park, so apparently the bus station is within blocks of the park. I need to walk around the area more and get a better idea of where everything is! The streets nearby are equally full of activity.
There were many Ngobe Indians in the area. What fabric we saw for sale looked like what they use for their colorful dresses.
There were also working people, school children, travelers, families, and one guy who apparently had to sleep something off.
Directly across the street we saw chickens and rabbits for sale.
The bus terminal is such an interesting area. Many people don’t have cars so they use the buses for all their transportation. Buses are inexpensive and the service is excellent. All the buses meet at the terminal, the local and a well as the long distance buses, so there are always many people are in the terminal area. Wherever there are people, there are enterprising folks with businesses to provide them with anything they want.
We are having the most wonderful food here!
Dinner last night
Dinner!
Fresh tuna from the Boquete market ($6/lb, and it was amazing), fruit (melon, pineapple), salad (tomato, cucumber, onion) and beer (Balboa, good stuff! $.53/can) I don’t usually drink beer but I really like the Panamanian beer here – light, cool and tasty. The fresh produce is always amazing. The fish was a real treat, but when we find the markets south of us we can bypass the middle man and get all kinds of fish for less.
Breakfast today
Scrambled eggs ($2.09/dozen), soft white Panamanian cheese – really good stuff $2.15/lb), real butter (4.79/lb – I know, margarine is a lot cheaper but this is really good), fruit – pineapple ($1/each for large one), banana (gift from the produce guy), melon and papaya (will have to check exact prices). Lentils ($1.06lb I think at the supermarket, less at the produce stand), coffee (really good specialty coffee from Boquete $8/lb. Supermarket coffee is about $3.50-5/lb, and also good)
I am tracking our expenses and it will be interesting to see how it all works out. Right now things are higher because we have to get the basics on hand in the kitchen, and Ma’s American treats will probably be an ongoing extra but I think in general our grocery bills are going to improve. The more you eat like a Panamanian and shop at the produce markets, and the less you buy imported products from the US, the better you’ll do.
The quality of the food has definitely improved! Those of you who have known me for a while know I’ve lost a lot of weight in the last year, and I watch it closely because I don’t want to gain anything back. I have had some trouble maintaining in the past and have learned to be very very careful.
When I first arrived in Panama I stayed with friends, and I wasn’t about to dictate what they served in their house. I ate fruit, a LOT of fruit, rice, beans, pasta, bread, things I generally avoid because that many carbohydrates causes me to gain weight. We had seco (a sugar cane alcohol product, similar to rum) and fruit juice every afternoon, and wine with dinner and with the evening movie or video.
When I got into my own house, not much changed. I ate mainly chicken, rice, beans or lentils, fresh vegetables, and fruit at every meal. There was often beer or wine in the evening, a couple nights a lot of beer and wine with a friend!
Through all this, to my amazement, my weight remained totally stable!! It definitely was not lack of stress. Moving is stressful at best, and I was alone in another country, in an unfamiliar city, with a language barrier, charged with finding a house, car, and setting everything up for the family, and most of it without internet access for communication and support with people back in the US. (my weight has definitely been affected by stress in the past) It wasn’t extra sleep because dogs and chickens and bird and neighbors wake up at sunup here (in the past I had been affected more than I thought possible by sleep, or lack of). What else could it be but the food?!
An aside, my hot flashes have also improved considerably, I’d guess by 75% or more.
Then, I go back to the USA. I arrived on Monday the 29th, made it back to Panama on the 2nd, so that was about 5 days of US food, none of it home cooked. Again, when I was with friends I ate what was provided – pizza one night, hamburgers another. The rest of the time it was fast food. I tried to get better quality food – Subway, broiled chicken (not that I ever eat fast food and know what is better or worse, but I tried to get what looked “healthy”). In those 5 days, I gained 5 pounds. I was still stressed, not sleeping enough, etc. but the main change was the food.
Now that I have been back in Panama for 12 days, I am again stable. I have lost about half of the 5 I gained, and I am again eating fruit at every meal. I also eat veggies, chicken, some beef, beans, lentils, cheese, fruit juice, beer with dinner, fruit juice/seco at night. How can this work with so much fruit and carbohydrates? We still have a lot to do and are working hard at it every day. Ma is living with us, a new experience for all of us. We still get awakened by the neighborhood at sunup. I’m just now starting to feel less stressed as we get more settled in, and a little more rested.
Again, my hot flashes have subsided a lot. I feel generally very good. The food tastes amazing. I cannot explain in words the difference of a pineapple, a tomato, even an ordinary banana that is raised without chemicals (the farmers can’t afford them here) and picked ripe in the field rather than shipped green to a US supermarket near you. It’s a whole different experience.
I think, and my recent experiences have confirmed for me, that we know very little about food and the effect on our health. What are we doing to our food supply in the US? Why do we have increasing problems with weight, diabetes, heart disease and a multitude of other problems? Why, when our food companies come to other countries, do those people also start having these same problems? Are we screwing up our food and killing our people in the process?? This has always been a concern of mine but I never expected to see such dramatic evidence in my own personal experience. I think I will stay in Panama and buy the local food!
The Panama Adventure 