Written by a talented young writer in Coronado, Panama. I have a lot of the same feelings but she explains it better.
More freedom in Panama as a foreigner than in the U.S as a citizen? Sure feels that way..
Last weekend we visited our friends at Las Olas, which is at Playa La Barqueta about 40 minutes southwest of David. There was a beautiful sunset in the evening (some photos are on my last blog post). The next morning was also very nice so we went walking on the beach, and later played in the waves with the boogie boards (great fun!!)
We were lucky to have such a nice weekend. The weather was perfect and the surf was fun, not crazy and dangerous like it is sometimes. There were more people than I’d ever seen but it’s summer, a weekend, and there are more people in the area because of the Feria in David.
We’re in such a good spot in David. We can get to both the mountains and the beach in a fairly short time. And, best of all, we have really nice friends to spend time with when we go!
Our friends have a place at Las Olas, at La Barqueta beach and invited us out for a visit. It was such a beautiful evening!
If I’m inside, I’m probably looking outside. This was especially true this morning when outside was a beautiful view of the beach at La Barqueta, Panama.
My husband drinking his morning coffee.
Sometimes just the little things are interesting, things you pass as you go through your day. These photos are some of my last day or two.
Always keep a camera with you!
When there is no more fish in the freezer, it’s time to go to Pedregal to buy more from the fishermen. My friend Cedo wanted to come along too, so off we went.
Pedrigal is a town just a few minutes south of the David airport. It’s not hard to get to, but we never would have found this particular market if we didn’t know someone who knew someone was was acquainted with someone at this shop. If you don’t know anyone though, you can usually find fish by looking for “Se Vende Pescado” signs. We’ve found two or three other fish shops but this one is our favorite because they always seem to have the best selection.
First though, Cedo wanted to visit the marina.
There were some really big yachts at the marina. We spoke to one man who was taking care of the farthest one in the first photo, and he said the boat was from Ft Lauderdale, FL. I expect there were more boats than usual because it’s cold up north now, and people prefer to be someplace warmer at this time of year.
After the marina, we set off for the fish market.
I like this fish market because the prices are much better than in the supermarket, and the fish is always fresh. We’ve bought fish quite a few times from the boxes as they are being unloaded from the boats, before they’ve had time to put the fish in the coolers (like the pargo in the photo). Even in the coolers, you know it was caught only hours before. You can’t count on them having anything in particular on any given day because it depends on what they catch, but we’ve always found something good. And, they’ve always been very nice to us.
Since we were driving right by my other favorite market, the fruit and vegetable market, we stopped there too.
I’ll have to do a more extensive post on this shop one day soon. We’re there probably twice a week!
Summer in Panama is the time for cashews, both the nuts and the fruits. It’s really interesting to see how they grow!
Before living in Panama I didn’t know there is also fruit, usually called a cashew apple. It’s very delicate and doesn’t travel well which is why you only see it on the trees, not in the supermarkets. The locals here often make drinks out of it and believe it’s good for your health, especially for your stomach.
The nut itself is found on the end of the fruit. There is a toxic substance in the shell so the nuts have to be roasted. After roasting they are no longer toxic, and it’s possible to crack the shell to get the nut. No wonder cashew nuts are a bit expensive.
This week’s photo challenge is about perspective: post a photo which is not what it seems to be. Make sure you share what the photo actually is of in its caption! For those who are looking for an extra bit of challenge, show us two photos, each one showing a different angle or interpretation of the same subject:
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Wednesday I went to Boquete to see Holly and Emma, a couple blogging friends. There is a related post HERE. Our stop at El Explorador was so interesting however, that it deserves a post of its own.
I’m not sure how one would describe El Explorador – a botanical garden? a playground? an inspirational place? all of the above? It is definitely unique. I wish I had learned the name of the lady it belongs to. She was so delightful! She told me that she has been there 50 years. She just loves working outside, and she has made the place what it is for everyone’s enjoyment. She is very happy when people visit and have a good time.
There are 28 pictures, and then 11 flower pictures in a slide show.
Please correct any errors I may have made in the translations!
There were a lot of beautiful flowers so I couldn’t resist taking some photos of my favorites.
That’s just a taste of this unique place. It should be even more beautiful after the rains return. If any of you have a chance to visit, I would highly recommend it!
Emma of A Woman, A Plan, a Canal… Living in Panama! had a bit of vacation, and decided to spend it in Boquete where Holly of Let The Adventure Begin lives. Of course we had to take this opportunity to get together, and we had so much fun!
We met for breakfast and then set off to check out Holly’s land and site of their new home which has recently begun construction.
On the way down, we stopped at El Explorador. This is a unique and fascinating place, and will have a post of its own shortly.
After that it was time for lunch at Big Daddy’s. I was told that margaritas are required because they are the best in town (so of course I had to comply). They were right. The margaritas are excellent!
Three bloggers all talking together without typing!
Next, we stopped at the Boquete Country Club where Emma and her friends had rented a place. They have stables, so Emma grabbed her bag of carrots and we went off to visit the horses.
After the visit to the horses it was time to end our day together. But, plans have already been made to get together in June! It is so fun when you meet someone you have known on line, and then have an even better time in person. I’m sure there will be many more adventures together in the future!
The Panama Adventure 