The Panama Adventure

This is summer in Panama and the trade winds are blowing, and blowing, and blowing! This is the third very windy day in a row. Up in the mountains the winds are even stronger, and some areas have also been getting rain. Trees have been blown down everywhere taking power lines down with them. Late yesterday there were people in the mountains still waiting for their power to be restored. Thankfully we were only out for a few hours on Monday.

I don’t mind the wind too much but it sure makes biking more challenging. I can sail down the road with little effort but coming home into that head wind is a different story. Monday I was in my lowest mountain climbing gears and still fighting. Yesterday was better but still a workout. Today I’m sitting on the terrace listening to the wind roar, and the racket as leaves and sticks hit the metal roof. The house has a drop ceiling and I wondered why they glued the panels to the framework. Then I realized that in the windy season, anything that isn’t glued is lifted right out of the framework.

The banana leaves are already quite shredded

The days have been beautiful though, blue sunny skies with wonderful, interesting clouds, and we aren’t far enough into summer for plants to be turning brown. Trees and plants are starting to bud, flower, and fruit and I know there will be more coming.

The clouds yesterday made it look like Volcan Baru was erupting

It isn’t always rainbows and unicorns in Panama. Though, if you are in the mountains in the mist and rain, there’s probably a lot of rainbows. People who don’t like the wind though are definitely not happy at the moment. I’ll take this any day over ice, snow, and cold. These summer nights also tend to be a bit cooler, and the full moon and stars are gorgeous in the clear night sky.

It seems odd talking about summer when so many of you are freezing and shoveling snow up north, but even though we are slightly north of the equator we tend to have more southern hemisphere weather patterns.

The temperature may not vary much here in Panama, but on the Pacific side we definitely have seasons. We have been easing into summer for the last couple weeks and even though we had some rain last night, today definitely feels like summer. It’s clear and sunny, and the trade winds are really blowing hard. The power was even out for a few hours, I imagine because of the wind.

The trees and plants reflect the new season as well. Many trees that are usually green are bursting out with flowers, and some seasonal fruits will become available soon.

I went out riding my bike this morning, which is another story. Whew! Riding against that wind is like climbing a steep hill so even though I didn’t ride many miles, I felt like I got quite a workout. I figure it would be a good day to stay closer to home though, and to see what is going on in the neighborhood.

People are talking about the avocado trees this year because they seem especially full of flowers. Some even have fruit when they aren’t supposed to at this time of year. We may have a bumper crop this June!

Mango trees are covered with flowers now. They look almost like they have sprouted crazy hair!

Some mango flowers are on red stems giving the flowers a different color.

The cashew trees are also budding and getting ready to flower. This fruit grows rather quickly so we should have some in 2-3 months.

Papayas give fruit all year around, but I saw this one today that was really loaded.

The star fruit also fruits multiple times a year.

It’s easier to spot the fruit if you go under the tree. This one always seems to be dropping fruit so if I want to bring some home, I know where to go.

Our guanabana (soursop) tree may give some fruit in the rainy season, but dry season is when it’s really productive. We have already gotten quite a few fruits, and it has many of these smaller ones growing everywhere. If you look towards the bottom of the photo you can see one of the flowers. They are odd looking and grow right on the branches and trunk of the tree, as well as out among the leaves.

I love mangoes! I had my first trees in Florida and it was fascinating to watch them flower and fruit. I had beehives there too. The bees loved the mango flowers and gave me the best honey of the year at that time. It’s better here in Panama though because we don’t have to worry about frost when the trees are blooming, and you can count on fruit at the end of our summer. The trees thrive too, and many of them are huge and decades old.

I love bananas also. Nothing says tropical living like bananas in the yard, and the flowers still look odd and exotic to me. They flower and fruit at any time of year, but right now we have one beginning to flower in our yard.

The flower bud is coming from the center of the tree and going off to the right

The bougainvillea are also at their best in the summer, full of flowers and color. I spotted this one that is already blooming.

This type has both pink and white flowers on the same plant

I couldn’t resist taking a couple photos of my favorite things, Volcan Baru and the huge tree.

When I first came out the mountain was hidden clouds, but after a while they cleared enough to give us this beautiful view.

I never get tired of visiting this huge tree. That house that looks so small is a large, two story house.

So, that is pretty much what is going on in the neighborhood these days. I know there will be more interesting flowers coming, and some trees that are going to be spectacular when they bloom. Summer is not my favorite season, especially when it gets so dry that everything turns brown and brush fires are common, but I will enjoy the good things it brings as well.

Another good thing is the iguanas tend to roam and look for water so you see them more often. This young one has been visiting our yard and hanging out in the guanabana tree.

Panama has so many birds, and most of them are new to me. It is said that there are more different species of birds here than in all of North America! My bird books have a permanent home right by my desk (actually the table on the terrace) because I’m frequently trying to identify another bird.

We also have a guanabana tree (soursop) next to the terrace. For me the fruit has a rather odd smell and flavor that I had to get used to, but the Panamanians absolutely love it. The tree often fruits a lot in summer so I’m pretty popular when I have lots to give away.

A female crimson backed tanager is perched on the fruit

Her male partner waits nearby

Usually the fruit falls to the ground when it is ready, but Wednesday I noticed a fruit directly in front of the terrace that was being pecked at by the birds. On Thursday the birds were lined up to eat the fruit. The squirrels were also very interested, and finally later in the afternoon one managed to knock the fruit off the tree. What fell to the ground was probably 1/3 of the fruit because the birds and squirrels had eaten all the rest!

I think this might be a clay colored thrush. We have a lot of them around here and they love splashing in the bird bath. They also love eating guanabana.

A squirrel comes in for some fruit.

This one chased the first squirrel away and then used an approach from above to get to the fruit.

The squirrel runs off with a piece of fruit in his mouth

It seems like almost everything here eats fruit. When I first arrived I bought some peanuts for the squirrels. They totally ignored them. Put out some fruit though, especially papaya or banana and the squirrels will be very interested, as will most of the birds. That makes sense though since fruit is abundant here and nuts are not.

We also have a lot of doves. One pair has made a nest in the bushes in front of our house.

We get quite a few of these larger doves visiting the bird bath, but they don’t seem interested in the fruit.

These ruddy ground doves visit the birdbath a lot to drink, but they rarely get in the water

Here are some random pictures, some wildlife and some scenery.

That fence post in the bottom center of the photo has a mall hole in the top, and apparently little tiny bees living inside. All those gray spots in the photo are bees flying around. I saw them swarm before and they just flew maybe 2-3 yards away from the post, but eventually all went back inside. I didn’t watch closely this time but just a few minutes later, all was quiet again.

This very interesting and unusual moth was on the wall one night

I spotted our largest iguana buddy on the compost pile.

In January the flowers were looking pretty faded

This hawk grabbed something out of the bushes and went up here to eat it.

Just some scenery outside of town, cow pastures bordered by living fences

Hey there, Mr Cow

There is no ripe fruit in the tree today so the yard is much quieter. The doves have visited though, and a motmot, the chattering wrens, a few thrushes, hummingbirds, the oropendula male was doing his thing in favorite tree beyond the yard, and there are enough bird calls in the area that it is never silent. I love being able to spend the majority of my time outside so close to nature.

Overweight and obesity are such a huge problems for so many people. Eat less, move more. Easy. Yeah right. Yes, there are success stories but they are few and far between. Oprah Winfrey has every resource there is, but she has fought a life long battle. The TV show, The Biggest Loser, they followed up with the contestants and what they found was very discouraging. The contestants had permanently damaged their metabolisms so their bodies were burning significantly fewer calories, and critical hormones were decreased making it impossible to maintain their weight loss without a very restricted diet and constant exercise. The article is HERE. I know people who have had gastric bypass surgery and lap bands, and almost all regained the weight they lost after the surgery and sometimes more.

Last year I resolved to stop obsessing about my weight and ease up a bit on my self imposed restrictions. What I had been doing wasn’t working and I was discouraged and tired of the fight.  I ate pizza and … gasp… pasta! Twice! I didn’t go nuts but I allowed myself a few things on the no no list which was fun, but for which I paid a price. I didn’t weigh myself for most of the year and I was quite unhappy when I finally got back on the scales.

I was always chubby, reaching 150 when I was 12. My mother’s favorite name for me was “you big fat lummux” (what is a lummux anyway??) I started dieting around 12 years old, and I continued off an on until I started having children.  I had four babies and three miscarriages between 27 and 36, and the weight crept up every year. Then I got on Weight Watchers and lost 50 pounds but it was a miserable year. I went to bed hungry every night, my hair fell out, and eventually people were telling me I didn’t look well.

Of course the weight crept back in the following years. I tried Atkins, going to the gym every morning, playing tennis 3-4 times/week, low carb,  you name it I tried it (short of starving) but nothing helped. I was vegetarian since my early 20’s and I don’t know if that had anything to do with anything. Then, I heard about HCG. It worked!! I lost about 90 pounds (and added meat to my diet as recommended). I was so thrilled. I did well afterward until the trip back to FL to help my husband and his mother in their move to Panama. I ate some bread and coffee cake in the airport, and my weight control immediately went out the window never to return. Since then, it seems no matter what I do, it keeps creeping up.

Recently, a friend introduced me to raw food and I found a lot of things I liked. These days, I’m eating mostly raw except maybe some home made turkey sausage or egg for breakfast, and dinner is usually a big salad, a vegetable, and a meat (usually chicken or pork). I don’t eat wheat, sugar, potatoes, pasta, processed food, or anything else I think is not good for me. I’m not hard core nuts or a difficult dinner guest, but I do my best to stick to a very healthy diet. And, you all know how much time I have spent on my bike. You would think I’d be in great shape but the most I can say is I am maintaining, but not losing. I’m sure the many years of dieting have done a lot of damage.

That is my story at the moment. I’m just treading water, not happy, but not unhappy enough to take drastic measures. My (slim and trim takes after her skinny dad) daughter said once – mom, why do you worry about your weight? You are able to do everything you want to do. She is right. I am strong, healthy, and active. My husband likes me. I have a good life. There is general opinion though that if a person is overweight it’s because they are simply lazy and eat too much, and it’s frustrating to be unable to manage something that should be so easy. But on the other hand, if there is a famine I’m likely to survive because my body is very efficient at maintaining with limited resources.

so we bought a whole pig. (Warning, this post has pictures of pork, some of which look quite pig-like)

We bought a pig in the past which worked out very well. We didn’t know how to cut it up though so we froze it, and then the guy at the meat market sliced it with his band saw, turning the entire pig into slices. This time we decided to learn how to cut up the pork ourselves.

My good friend Yaira has a brother who raises pigs. I contacted her thinking it would be weeks of waiting for pigs to get to the proper size, but she contacted me back in a hour to say the pork would arrive the next day at midday! So, at the appointed time, here she comes with her brother in a truck, and in the back is a trash can of ice containing a pig in four pieces. (you can order it whole, cut in half, or in quarters. You also get the feet and head. Joel didn’t want the head though, so I gave it to Yaira. Maybe next time we will tackle that.)

This pig was four months old and the meat weighed 120 pounds. It’s something to think a piglet is born and fed and cared for, and in only four months you have that much meat! We also learned that this farmer raises cows, chickens, fruits, and vegetables, all without chemicals and hormones and the animals are fed natural, healthy food. The pork is $2.50/lb, and the chickens are $1.50/lb. You can get cheaper prices but I’d rather get good quality organic meat and chicken, and support a friend and local farmer.

3/4 took up a good part of our fridge.

We put 3/4 of the meat in the fridge and proceeded to tackle the other quarter. Thank goodness for google and youtube, and some basic instruction from the farmer. We knew there would be a learning curve but now that we are done, we are very proud of ourselves.  And, instead of everything in slices, we have ribs, tenderloins, roasts, pork belly, and soup bones.

We started with a front part. Yes, those are knives, scissors, and a jig saw in the background. Those pigs are very sturdy and have big, strong bones but the saw worked quite well. The vice grips helped to grab the skin as we separated it from the meat.

Ribs! Yummy. Attached to the ribs is the pork belly which is usually turned into bacon.

A back quarter

The back leg is huge. Here I had separated the bones from the meat

One leg made nine roasts of a size manageable for two people

We learned that the tenderloin is found behind the ribs along the backbone. This is where you get pork chops, or you can have tenderloin and ribs. We chose the latter. Attached to the ribs is the pork belly that is used for bacon. We baked some of it with the ribs last night and it just might be the best part of the pig. It was SO good. The fat cooks out leaving very tender meat that is really delicious. Speaking of fat, this pig had much less fat overall than the other pigs we bought.

The legs are used for hams, but since we don’t plan to cure the meat and do whatever is needed for hams, we cut them into roasts and soup bones. The front legs are big but the back ones are huge. We have lots of roasts! Scraps are used for sausage but since we don’t know what we are doing, we probably included things in our cuts that are usually put aside. We ended up with only one quart container of scraps which are delicious just sauteed in the frying pan with a bit of salt and seasoning. (We have been making our own breakfast sausage with ground turkey from Pricesmart, much easier than grinding pork so we don’t need sausage meat).

We spent all Saturday afternoon on the front pieces, and then Sunday afternoon on the back pieces. By the time we were done we were very proud of ourselves. Each quarter went faster as we learned and gained confidence, and I think we have some excellent meat that will last us all year.

Sunday night we had ribs for dinner! On yes they were good, very good.

The freezer is quite full but probably in a month or two I’ll be putting in an order for chickens. He also drives his truck around selling fruits and vegetables but I’m too attached to our current produce guy to change anything.

We have experiences here we never would have had in the US. Meeting the farmer and cutting up your own meat is very different from a plastic wrapped package from the supermarket. I’m glad to be here for so many reasons.

Another trip around the sun, as they say. This is a perfect time to reflect on the passing year and to think about the coming one. What did I say last year?

• Don’t allow the blog to feel like a job. Yes, done. I no longer feel guilty when I have nothing to say for a while, and sometimes I write about something off topic just because I want to. I have enjoyed the blog much more and the response continues to be positive.
• Don’t feel obligated to help everyone with everything. Yes. I continue to enjoy talking with people and answering questions, but if I don’t know something I don’t go research it for them.
• Explore more painting. Yes, in progress. I continue to paint and learn.
• Do a bicycle tour. Yes. I cycled from Seattle to northern California.
• Quit obsessing about my weight. Yes, but…. I suppose any sensible person can guess how that went. This is a subject for another post though.
• Simplify and declutter. Yes, a continuing work in progress.

Overall I am pleased with how I did with the goals I set for myself.

What goals would I like to write for the coming year?

• Time management. There are tons of interesting things to explore on line and I can spend hours. I need to focus on things that are more productive like the points below. I need to unsubscribe from some things and/or set limits, and schedule important things so they don’t get passed over.
• Cycling and exercise. I am not currently planning another tour (though I’m thinking about possibilities). But, without that goal I’m finding it hard to bike the same old routes so I’m not getting the exercise I need. Biking is also a social interaction, enjoyment of nature,  and it clears my head. I need to set an alarm and quit sleeping in all the time, and get back with the program.
• Painting – I tend to put off painting because it’s difficult and I’m lazy. I need to set a time, like two hours a day after lunch and just do it. I don’t think you get better at anything by just thinking about it. I think resuming regular classes would help keep me focused as well.
• Spanish – I still have a lot to learn. With this also, I need to schedule time to study. I do best with a combination of social talking and organized study, and the organized study has fallen by the wayside.
• Continue simplifying and decluttering.

If I can spend two hours a day on the bike, two hours painting, and one hour studying Spanish for five days a week, that should help while still leaving me time to do everything else I need to or want to do. The lazy part of me doesn’t want to put this out there as a commitment, but the part of me that wants to use time wisely will be glad.

Overall though, I am extremely happy. I live in a beautiful country with loving people, I have an excellent marriage, my family are all doing very well, I am healthy, I have been relieved of the responsibility of making money, and I have unlimited possibilities to learn and experience and explore anything that interests me. This time is such a wonderful gift. My heartfelt thanks to the forces of the universe that have landed me in this life. As every year brings me closer to the end of it, I feel a stronger need to appreciate every day and use each one wisely.

Sunday we start the next trip around the sun. Lets make it a great one!

Paso Canoas is the town on the border between Panama and Costa Rica on the PanAmerican highway. I’d been there a number of times to cross the border but hadn’t spent much time exploring the shops there. Many people go there to shop because of the lower prices and good deals.

I’m from the US where you go to the mall and walk down the spacious corridors. If you can’t find something you look for the map – Penny’s is down that hall, the shoe store is up there on the upper level. The bathrooms are by the food court and there are benches in attractive areas if you want to rest.

Now, picture the exact opposite of that and you might be imagining something like Paso Canoas. I would have to visit a number of times more to even begin to make sense of it! There are some larger stores, and tons of little shops in every possible space. If you walk out the back door of some you are in Panama, but the front door is in Costa Rica. There are passageways behind stores crammed with little shops, sometimes with music blaring, and watch your step because there are steps and uneven floors.

I took some photos, though they don’t begin to convey the experience of Paso Canoas

City Mall – we didn’t go in because we couldn’t find any parking anywhere nearby

Jerusalem Mall? I think? There was a parking lot near here which we appreciated.

We walked past the immigration office which was packed with the longest lines I’d ever seen! It was the day after Christmas which I’m sure had a lot to do with that.

I saw a touring bicycle but couldn’t see the cyclist – probably waiting in the long lines

Police, money changers, and other various people hang out in front of the immigration building, which, to add to the confusion, was being repaired or remodeled

We head south to see what we can find down this street

Sugar cane juice, anyone? It’s actually quite good, sweet of course, but with a sort of grassy flavor.

Don’t ask me what this is all about

We passed a number of medical clinics

There were some eating places in one area, and this one had prices posted

We also saw a number of dental clinics. I wonder what the quality of their work is like, and the prices.

We are off to wander around some more

There was a long passageway crammed full of shops. I wonder how they all sell enough to stay in business. If you want to leave, there were tiny narrow passageways leading out to the street that you see in the next photo.

lots more shops facing the street

On the way back the lines to check in to Panama were just as long as the lines to check out.

The truck looks a bit overloaded!

This is only a tiny taste of Paso Canoas. I would have to spend quite a bit more time there to make any sense of it. I wasn’t sure where I was some of the time, and I’m glad I wasn’t there to buy something I really needed to find. I did find a set of sheets for our spare bed though, full size. I passed over the $6 sets for something I liked a bit better for $8.

If you want an interesting experience, go wander around Paso Canoas.

It was a great holiday weekend here! It started Friday night. Joel’s band had a gig in Boquete. I went along and saw some good friends, enjoyed the music, and had a really nice evening. Even the drive up was beautiful.

I love the clouds hovering over the mountains

I never could figure out why police and emergency vehicles often drive with their flashing lights on. For quite a while we thought we were being pulled over, but they just drive right on by. Now we have learned to not be so concerned.

Mountains, clouds, and blue sky

Saturday was Christmas Eve. Some friends came to visit in the afternoon and we enjoyed some nice time sitting under our trees and chatting. Later in the evening we were invited to the home of a good friend in the next town up the road. This is a neighborhood of young families. Kids were playing in the street, setting off firecrackers, riding bikes, and showing off the LED lighted shoes that have become the latest “must have” thing. Dinner was rice and guandu (pigeon peas), potato salad, pork, and tamales, a very traditional holiday dinner. It’s all piled on a plate in the kitchen and handed out to the guests, and it was really delicious. They moved the living room furniture to the front yard which was comfortable and fun, and we enjoyed a few hours of relaxation and conversation.

Hanging out in the front yard enjoying the evening

They had a computer hooked up to speakers to provide the music

My friend’s son plays with her phone

Many kids had the lighted shoes.

Later we came back to our neighborhood to enjoy the fireworks with our neighbors. Christmas eve is the biggest celebration here. People set off fireworks climaxing around midnight. Then, after midnight, everyone wishes everyone Feliz Navidad, they open gifts, and then have dinner with the family.

When we returned the kids across the street were setting off fountains and roman candles. The gal on the corner shared delicious carrot cakes that she had made for everyone. Other people in the neighborhood set off some really beautiful fireworks and we saw a few floating balloons. Those are so pretty! They are little hot air balloons with a fire underneath so they glow in the sky as they float overhead. When midnight passed we returned to our house, but I could still hear fireworks going off for more than an hour. I’ve heard that in some places that goes on for most of the night!

Sunday was Christmas day, usually a fairly quiet day especially for those who partied late into the night. We were invited to another family dinner by another friend, so we set off in the early afternoon. This was a large Panamanian family of siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews, and cousins that I never got entirely straight. It was really interesting to see the photos of all the parents and grandparents on the wall and learn a bit about the history of the family. It was a great house and property with lots of sitting areas perfect for relaxing and chatting.

Dinner was excellent,  partly potluck but still quite traditional – rice and guandu, potato salad, green salad, turkey and stuffing (with green olives and raisins), broccoli and cauliflower, and tamales again all piled on a plate and served to the guests. No one goes hungry around here at Christmas!

Hanging out on the terrace enjoying the day

It was a beautiful property with a large yard, and view of David in the distance

Yummy dinner. I didn’t think to take a photo until after I’d eaten the vegetables.

Everyone was enjoying each others company

After dinner a lot of the kids had a fun and noisy time in the pool

Panamanian families for the most part seem to get along peacefully. Of course there are relationship breakups and other problems that happen everywhere, but both of the families we spent time with felt happy, people were affectionate with each other, and seemed very happy and relaxed in each others company. We were also welcomed with such friendly smiles and genuine hospitality by both the people we knew and those we were meeting for the first time. I so appreciate that we were invited to these dinners. It was a really special time for us.

Next up, welcoming in the New Year!

Of course I can’t leave without sharing a bug and some wildlife 😀

Joel found this katydid with really long feelers in the kitchen.

This iguana likes to walk across the roof and jump into the fruit tree. It’s surprising how much noise a little creature can make on a metal roof.

This beautiful hawk flew silently through the yard and landed on the utility pole.

Joel found a good article about David. You can read it at http://vivatropical.com/panama/david/

It looks like the article is about three years old, judging by the comments. The airport expansion is now finished but there are still no direct flights to the USA. If there were it would be convenient for those of us who travel to the USA, but it would also bring in more people and probably raise prices which might not be a good thing. The article was right that David is a booming area, and is probably is even more so now. There is a new bus terminal under construction, and a mall that is supposed to rival Albrook in Panama City. There are houses and commercial buildings under construction everywhere you look.

I believe tourism is encouraged even more now under President Varela’s administration. Tocumen airport in Panama City has a large new wing and yet another is under construction. There are more flights to more destinations every year. There are also more flights from Panama City to David from Albrook, and also from Tocumen now that Copa is offering that service. The article is right in saying David is not a tourist destination. It is a busy, working city in an agricultural area but there are so many wonderful places in Chiriqui that it’s a great home base.

Under fast facts at the bottom, the temperatures only reach upper 90’s at the height of summer, around March. Most of the time the highs are in the mid-80’s which though too warm for some, aren’t bad as long as you stay out of the hot afternoon sun. At this moment it is 4PM and the temperature on my terrace is a balmy 82 with a light breeze. If you prefer something cooler you can go up the mountain until you find the elevation and climate that is just right for you.

Anyway, good article. Check it out if you want to learn more about David.