Rich? Poor? Perceptions of Money

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

We are very rich in the things that matter – family, friends, happiness, a good life, and having what we need. But, this post is about money.

We are in an interesting situation here. We are from the USA but there, we are considered poor, not poverty level but close to it. We are too poor to owe taxes. I am poor enough to have subsidized health insurance. We are poor enough to not want to admit to our meager income.

We could not live in the USA without working. To retire there would mean a large drop in our income, and we would have to give up a lot just to survive. And, even if we were willing to work longer, what if one or both of us was unable to work? We knew we needed to find an alternative and that led us here to Panama.

We live in Panama now where we have more money than many of our friends and neighbors, and probably more than a large percentage of the population. We don’t want to discuss our income because it seems like we’re too wealthy. We have enough to cover everything we need, and even some travel and other fun things.

I’ve thought about this many times and I’m actually thankful that we were forced into this move. It has been a wonderful experience beyond any expectations. If we could afford to live comfortably in the USA we probably would have missed out on all of this.

I have thought about this more recently as the deadline to sign up for Obama Care is almost upon us. I have spent most of my adult life without insurance. As an independent contractor I would have had to pay full price out of pocket and it was an impossible amount. Blue Cross actually laughed at me once when I called them for a quote (I weigh more than their height/weight charts limits – talk about a humiliating experience). Even putting me on my husband’s work policy was about equivalent to our mortgage payments. Thankfully I am healthy and have needed next to nothing over the years because a serious illness or accident would have wiped us out. But now, I have coverage for $1/month, $6250 maximum out of pocket per year (which you can run up just walking through the door in an emergency room!). I am so thankful. If I get in a jam and can make it back to the US, I can get care. Thank you Obama.

Money can’t buy happiness, but not having enough for necessities can certainly buy stress, frustration, and unhappiness.  As a home health nurse I saw plenty of that among my senior age patients. We are so lucky to be here where we have a really good life, and we also have enough money to meet our needs.

I still can hardly believe I have health insurance…

Posted in cost of living, expat, medical care, Miscellaneous, Panama | Tagged , , , , , | 51 Comments

Some Scenery and Some Critters

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

I’ve been up early a few mornings, even early enough to see the sunrise colors! This is out of character for me but I do enjoy seeing the beautiful, cool, calm morning.

The sun is starting to fade the sunrise colors.
After our house, the street leads into the jungle.
A paisano is silhouetted against the morning sky.
Another beautiful day is dawning.
The golden morning light is nice for taking photographs.
These pretty flowers are blooming in the woods.

We also had rain on Monday and Tuesday! It is dry season now so this was a welcome surprise. We really had a good downpour and soaking on Monday. Afterwards Joel grabbed the camera and got some wonderful shots.

A pair of wet Motmots shake themselves off in the tree.
I think they appreciate the return on the sun to help dry their feathers.
One of the motmots perched on the clothesline pole.
Joel got this fantastic shot of the wet motmot!
A wet paisano was also perched in the tree.
Do you see the critter in the leaves?
This is the first time we have seen this type of Jesus lizard in our area! We have the smaller brown ones, but I’ve never seen this bigger green one around here. Thank you Joel for the great shots of this interesting lizard.
The Jesus lizard and the motmot are both eyeing the compost pile. (They are called Jesus lizards because they can literally walk on water. They use their long toes to stay on the surface and run very fast across the water)

After the rain cleared up, I noticed this fantastic cloud over the neighborhood reflecting the sunset colors.

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What a nice end to a nice day – rain, birds, a new critter, and a beautiful sunset. Life is good in Panama.

Posted in bird watching, photography, sunsets, wildlife | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Boquete and More

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

Sunday we all set off for another day trip, this time up the Boquete side of the mountain. Since I didn’t make it all the way up on my bike trip with Jérémy, I figured he should at least have an opportunity see this well known area while he was in town. Lauren also wanted to check it out, and Cedo is always up for a day trip. Joel was at the wheel today (thank you Joel).

First we stopped at Los Molinos. This is a residential area on the way up to Boquete, and there is also a nice hotel and restaurant/bar area where expats tend to congregate for various fun activities. What interested me the most though was the view over the huge canyon. It’s hard to photograph to show the real size of the canyon but I can’t resist giving it a try.

In the rainy season there are also a number of waterfalls.
It would be fun to go walking down in the canyon someday.

After our stop there, we headed up on to Boquete. It was a beautiful day, and they had recently had the Flower and Coffee Festival so the fairgrounds were ablaze with flowers.

There is a bridge in the center of town over the river, which is a very picturesque place to see the flowers and enjoy the scenery.
The mountains in the distance were beautiful.
Jérémy checks out the scene.
The flowers were really beautiful!
Behind the fairgrounds we found these coffee plants in full bloom.

After a nice lunch at Mike’s Global, where you can always count on something good to eat, we headed home.

I have really appreciated having Jérémy here for a couple weeks! He has helped me, inspired me, gone riding with me, and taught me a lot. But all good things come to an end at some point. Tuesday morning we rode up the hill again. I stopped a bit short of Los Molinos because I was tired and slowing him down. Even with his bike fully loaded he can easily outbike me! He headed on to the Caldera Road, then across to route 10 which heads over the mountains to Bocas del Toro. (Yes, he made it! He said it was a very very difficult ride though) From there he will cross into Costa Rica, have a reunion with his family and a couple friends, and then he and his friends will be biking back through this area on their way to Colon, the ferry, and South America.

Hasta lluego
Buen viaje!
Posted in Exploring the Area, Flowers, Miscellaneous, Panama, photography | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Finca (the Farm), and Other Interesting Sights

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

Saturday Jérémy, Lauren (a very recently arrived new expat), Cedo, and I set off to visit the finca. I hadn’t been there in a while so I was interested to see it again. First though, we stopped in Concepción where the government sells food every Saturday. Cedo and I both bought 20 pound bags of rice ($6). They also sell beans and a variety of other food items which I need to investigate at another time.

Bags of rice are unloaded from the truck to the waiting customers below.
If there are hot and thirsty people, there will be someone to sell them a cool treat.

After the market, we stopped by the dairy cooperative so Cedo could pick up a few things like a large bag of salt for the cows, and then we headed to the finca. It was a very beautiful day. Since we had left fairly early in the morning there were few clouds and the views of Volcan Baru and the mountains were magnificent. I was driving though so I waited to take photos until after we arrived. Don’t worry, there are plenty of photos 😀

Baru peaks out from the clouds.
You usually can’t see Baru from the farm so I really enjoyed this view.
The calves are doing OK. The dark one was attacked and bitten by dogs a while back but thankfully is recovering. The dogs had killed other calves and farmers were looking for them to shoot them, but I’m not sure if the dogs were found.
Cedo checks the calves nighttime stalls.
The cows come down the path for lunch.
The bull bellowed most of the time we were there. He was in a separate field (I’m not sure why) and he was not happy about it.
Lunch time for cows.
Lets go visit the pigs!
There were piglets everywhere.
Another mom and her piglets.
These piglets are small and very new.
It’s hard to count piglets when they are all running around.
Do I look good like this?
Or, is this my better side?

By the time we were finished at the farm it was close to lunch time and I was hungry. It wasn’t too hard to talk everyone into driving on to Volcan to visit Burricos, the really good Mexican restaurant on the main street. After lunch, we went on to Cerro Punta. Jérémy probably wouldn’t have another opportunity to see this interesting area, and I am always up for a visit. After that, we visited the Jensen’s Coffee Farm on our way back through Volcan.

I never get tired of seeing the vegetable farms literally on the sides of the mountains!
The views from the coffee house at Jansen’s Coffee Farm are beautiful.
Coffee berries and beans were drying on the cement pad.
Lauren, Cedo, and Jérémy stop for a photo op.
A photo by Jérémy of us gals.
Coffee berries on a coffee plant.

We finished our day with a visit to Macho de Monte, one of my very favorite places.

Jérémy and Lauren make us nervous by checking out the edge of the canyon wall.
Then, they make their way to the point overlooking the canyon.
It is dry season so there was very little water in the stream above, so it was easier for me to also make it to the point and look down at the canyon.

This is only part of the canyon and a spot where I don’t usually go. To see a bit of the real magic of the canyon check out some posts I have written in the past like THIS one, and THIS, and THIS last one.  The last one includes some videos by my friend Ryan who actually went down into the canyon and swam in the river. Take a look because it’s really incredible.

After Macho de Monte we took the new cross road over to Dolega, the one with all the steep ups and downs and sharp curves. It would have been easier to go back to the highway but this route was way more interesting.

Veggies are cheap and delicious in Cerro Punta. I think this bag full was $5.70.
On the way home we picked up this watermelon from a guy by the side of the road in Los Algarrobas. It was SO good, one of the best I’ve had. Summer is watermelon season here and a great time to enjoy them.

This was our full Saturday. On Sunday we took off for a few more adventures so that will be coming soon.

Posted in Exploring the Area, Panama, photography | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The Adventure Continues

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

There continues to be a lot going on around here, much of it bicycle related. We had a great young Polish couple stay with us for a couple nights, and it was so interesting to hear about their experiences and life on the road. They only go back to work to save enough for another trip, and have spent most of their adult lives on the road mainly in Europe, North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean Islands.

The bikes sit in front of their “home” while they are here. They have spent so many nights in their tent that it does indeed feel like home to them, and they said they slept wonderfully.
We cooked one night, and they treated us to this great dinner the other night – home made pizza and salad.
He is packed and ready to go again, except the for guitar which gets strapped behind the seat.
She has covers on her panniers to keep them cleaner, just a personal preference thing.
Packed up and ready to roll!

Our other cyclist friend Jérémy convinced me that I could actually bike from David to Boquete, so that was our objective on Friday. We got off to a great start! I not only made it up the hill to Los Algarrobos, but also the hill coming up to Dolega! That was a first for me. As we continued on up the constant incline, the winds got stronger with each mile. That’s hard work!

We took some rest breaks and I had my first carrot and peanut butter sandwich (which really is quite good). Jérémy kept encouraging me as we biked on, but eventually I was too tired and the winds were so strong it was hard to even walk against them. I was only 3-5 miles from my goal of the tourist center right before you go down into Boquete proper, but it just wasn’t going to happen that day. I was disappointed but also thrilled that I had gone much farther than I ever had before.

The trip down sure was something! When I faced downhill I was afraid to get on my bike with those strong wind pushing me from behind but Jérémy reassured me that it would all work out, and followed well behind just in case. It was a thrilling ride for sure! And, it did all work out. We zoomed down about 40 mph until we reached lower altitudes and the winds calmed, and then we coasted the rest of the way home. We worked for 4 hours to get as far up as we did, and the trip home only took 1 hour.

The scenery along the ride was spectacular!
The clouds looked beautiful and interesting over the distant mountains.
Misty, distant mountains
Jérémy, my always patient and kind biking partner, waits for me to catch up.
Whew! OK, no more. We made it this far.
Selfie at the turn around point.

I really think that if I try it again on a day that isn’t windy I can make it. I know Jérémy is waiting for an email with photo of me and my bike in front of the tourist center, so I will be working on it. He has been here for a more extended stay while waiting to meet his family in Costa Rica and it has been wonderful! He has been so kind and patient – teaching me, working on my bike, riding with me, encouraging me, checking my packing list, and doing anything he can to help me with my travel goals. I never would have made it that far towards Boquete by myself.  He has been equally kind to Cedo (he’s staying at her house) and she is happy as can be to have such a great guy to help her out and keep her company.

I’m happy that after Jérémy’s time in Costa Rica, he and a couple friends will be coming back through here so I’ll see him again before he heads to South America. Check out his blog HERE – http://attrapemaroue.com/  He has news and a lot of great photos, and a really cool map of his route both where he has been and where he plans to go.

This was only the beginning of a very interesting weekend so stay tuned. Other news and photos will be coming soon.

Posted in Exploring the Area, Panama, photography, travel | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Bikes, and New Friends, and This and That

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

I’m in one of those spells where I have been too busy living life to blog about it, and I’ve having too much fun to sit down and write! I have decided to get out there and travel on the bike and my first short trip is planned in a couple weeks. We’ve also had other bikers staying with us, and I have met some really interesting people.

One thing I like, besides riding, is being able to shop and do errands on the bike. I am loving my new equipment!

Home from the mercadido loaded with fruit and veggies. There are three pineapples in the red bag on top.
There is always beautiful scenery, and biking is a great way to enjoy it.

One of our guests was Guillermo from Argentina. He is biking from the southern tip of Argentina to Alaska, and he was a delightful visitor. He worked on my bike and taught me to change tires and adjust things, washed the dishes, did Tai Chi, had many interesting conversations on a variety of subjects and he loves music, among his many talents. He is also making a book. He stops to visit schools and talk with the children, and they write and draw pictures in his big book. I could have spent all day enjoying the many entries!

They guys in the music room.
He plays really well in spite of not having touched a guitar in two years.
Time to hit the road again.

There always seems to be some bit of scenery, even on my familiar routes that I have to photograph because it’s just so beautiful. It’s summer now which is dry season so it is interesting to see how things change. Plants and grass are more brown, but different trees are flowering and fruiting. Skies tend to be more clear and very blue, and sometimes have wonderful cloud formations as well.

This side road was so rocky I had to walk, but it was a beautiful area and I had a lovely conversation with a local farmer.
Baru is often huge, dark, and imposing against a very blue sky.

Another cyclist, Jeremy, arrived when we were gone so he ended up staying with Cedo. He is from France and has biked east from there through Russia and Asia, then through Australia, and is now biking from Alaska to Argentina. He took a short trip to New York and now he is back waiting to bike to Costa Rica for a visit with his family. After that, he will be coming through again on his way south. I think he has been on his bike for 2 1/2 years and Cedo says she is adopting him.

Jeremy and Cedo

Jeremy and Cedo

Jeremy and I have had a couple great bike excursions together. The first was the 45 mile round trip to the beach and I was thrilled to see that it was much easier this time than it had been before. I am getting more strength and endurance. The next day we biked by the airport to Pedregal, about a 25 mile round trip. Friday he thinks we are biking to Boquete. So far I haven’t managed even half of that difficult trip, so we shall see. Whatever happens though I am having fun and also learning a lot by biking with an experienced cyclist, so it’s all good.

Jeremy gets his feet wet in the Pacific waters.
The bird were having a convention.
Blue, calm, tranquil, and so beautiful.
The waves were quite calm and the wet sand was beautiful.
It was a very quiet bird convention. Maybe they also were enjoying the tranquility of the day.
On our way down to Pedregal we saw one of the new Copa flights taking off. These are great if you are flying out of Panama City because they go directly to Tucomen, the international airport. It saves you from having to travel all the way from the local airport on the other side of town, and they are more economical too. We will definitely be considering this on our next trip back to the US.

Right now, we have two young cyclists from Poland staying with us. They have been all over Europe, North, and South America. From here they are headed to Bocas del Toro where they plan to catch a boat to Jamaica.

Relaxing, chatting, and eating sweet watermelon.

Relaxing, chatting, and eating sweet watermelon. (Jeremy, on the right, had also stopped by for a chat)

Last, but hardly least, there is a gorgeous full moon. The days are hot and the sun is intense, but in the evenings it is blissful to be outside enjoying the soft, warm breezes. Life is busy, but life is good in Panama!

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Posted in Exploring the Area, Miscellaneous, Panama, photography, travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Weekly Photo Challenge: Depth

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

Weekly Photo Challenge: Depth Click here to see the details of this photo challenge.

“Depth” immediately made me think of our flight over Cuba on our trip to the US. The clear, blue, Caribbean water is really beautiful, and you can see through the depths of the water to the sand below.

It is so interesting to see through and below the water.
There were quite a few islands on the north side of Cuba.
This is the edge of the Bahamas where the shallow water drops off to much deeper water.
This island appears to be floating on the top of the water because of the shadows below.
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The River, Revisited

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

The river behind our neighborhood is one of my favorite places, but sometimes I don’t go there as often as I should. That’s the nice thing about house guests. As you show them interesting things you get to visit your favorite places yourself!

The river is always beautiful but it changes with the seasons, and with who is there at the moment, the time of day, the weather conditions….  that is my excuse for taking a million photos. Yesterday’s photos don’t work for today because it is different in this moment.

There was a family out enjoying the afternoon.
These three boys came walking by with diving masks on, and then I noticed the poles in their hands. Look closely at the one on the right. He has a bunch of fish, some of them quite large, hanging from his belt! I think they must be out spear fishing.
The dragon flies were having a party on this stick. It looks like they are all laying eggs.
Of course, the best part is the beautiful scenery. That is my cyclist friend Bala enjoying the river.
It was such a beautiful and serene day.
It may be dry season but there is still a lot of green!

I have to post river photos once in a while even though you all have already seen it quite a few times. We are so fortunate to have this literally in our backyard. It is only a short walk down there, and so close that we can hear the water from the house.

Posted in Exploring the Area, Panama, photography | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Cyclists and Warmshowers

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

Warmshowers.org is a website that helps people traveling on bicycles connect with people willing to give them a place to sleep and a warm shower (and other amenities that you are able to provide like a kitchen or washing machine).

It started with the two young women who cycled from Mexico City to Panama City. They stayed with us for a couple days and it was fun and very inspirational. (Their story is HERE) Ever since, I have been thinking about bicycle traveling myself.

We got to bike together! (just into town, but it was still really cool). If they had been biking on from here, I probably would have gone an hour or two down the road with them.

We got to bike together! (just into town, but it was still really cool). If they had been biking on from here, I probably would have gone an hour or two down the road with them.

Then, recently, I just happened to bump into three other cyclists traveling through the area, and their story is HERE. I became even more inspired! I figure if I am seriously interested it would be helpful to meet others doing similar travels, there are hardly any warmshowers hosts in Panama, so I signed up.

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A couple days ago I got a call from Bala who needed a place to stay. He is from India, lives in the UK, and started his travels in June in Alaska. His goal is to bike all the way down to the tip of Argentina. He spent Saturday and Sunday night here which gave us time to talk quite a bit, and he makes some fantastic curry! He said he has been staying with Warmshowers people all along his journey. He has met a variety of interesting people and never has had a problem with anyone he has stayed with.

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Jeremy is expected in on Thursday. He was here while I was gone so he stayed with my friend Cedo. It sounds like they had a good time and she is looking forward to his return. He went to New York for a while and is snowed in at the moment, but hopes to make it out tomorrow  night and return here to pick up his bike and continue his travels. He is from France and is biking around the world.

Tomorrow, Guillermo is expected to arrive here. He is from Argentina and is biking north to Alaska.

It is very interesting to learn about the community of bikers on the road. Jeremy spent Christmas in El Salvador with Bala. Bala knows the three who I ran into and has been talking with them on line. He says you meet other travelers all the time. Everyone talks to each other, shares information, and sometimes travels together for a while. That’s how the other three met, just out there on the road and they continued to travel together until Mike stayed in Panama City, and then Alain headed south in Colombia and Elif went east.

Who would have thought that there are so many people out there traveling on their bikes, or bicycle touring?! It is only a matter of time before I join them. I am working on getting stronger and getting my gear together every day. Meanwhile we sure are meeting some interesting people! I’m sure this will continue since there are only a few hosts in Panama, and only one other in Chiriqui.

If you want to meet some really interesting travelers, sign up for warmshowers.org.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Express Yourself

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

Children are so expressive. They wear their emotions on their faces, and when they are delighted it is impossible not to smile. My grandson loves bubbles, and he was playing outdoors with his dad one afternoon.

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xx

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This is the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Express Yourself. Click on the link to learn more, or on the thumbnails below to see other excellent entries.

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