Larry's Central American Travels

What Is A Good Healthcare System?

 

What Is A Good Healthcare System?

For openers let me assure you this is not a rant or critique about Obama Care, although parts of this discussion may raise some questions to the reader about certain provisions of that legislation. Instead it is my intention that my observations in this discussion will allow readers to evaluate their existing systems and also review their existing healthcare in terms of its adequacy for their healthcare requirements in the future.

I have analyzed my recent experiences and hope that reviewing them here will cause the reader to evaluate their healthcare situation, both present and future. The healthcare I received in Panama was good, it was what I did not receive that was the problem – the coverage was not wide enough. I did not know that, did not have the knowledge required to pursue treatments, or even be aware of them. It was only after I made a return trip to the U.S. specifically to investigate what I might be missing in my treatment plan, that the medical world opened up. I discovered that the ex-pat living overseas is often making assumptions about the adequacy of the healthcare because they do not have the knowledge and expertise to evaluate adequately. And as changes take place in an individual's health, they are often subtle, though cumulative, and do not trigger a re-evaluation of the adequacy of the care being received until the condition has become a crises.

The answer to the question, "What is a good healthcare system?", is not as simple as it sounds.  And, in fact, the answer may not even be an evaluation that can be applied to everyone served by any given system. There are also factors that revolve around breadth, depth and volume of a system that are applicable. But these are all macro types of factors. The real question of importance to most of us is the adequacy of a healthcare system for me and my problems in particular.

I am going to itemize some of my recent experiences with healthcare systems as I continue to fight the battle with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, more commonly referred to in its acronym form, COPD. Though I do not feel comfortable with discussing my personal problem with 'the world', I do feel that I can pass on some important lessons-learned to readers. It is my hope that some of these 'discoveries' on my part may save some of you from the same agonies and frustrations. But this discussion is not meant to target only the ex-pats living in Panama or ex-pats living overseas anywhere. I think my experiences will raise questions for those of you considering extensive overseas travel and those considering living overseas in particular. But I feel that some of my 'lessons learned' can be a tool for all people approaching senior status, particularly with the unknowns surrounding the new U.S. healthcare system.

I want to assure my ex-pat friends and acquaintances in Panama (where I spent the last six years) that this article is not intended in any way to be an indictment of the healthcare system in Panama or my experiences with it. In fact, just the opposite is my point. However, as you will see, the healthcare I received there was excellent, while also being inadequate. How is that possible you say?  Read on.

As I noted in a previous posting, I began to suspect (finally) that there was something I was missing about both my medical condition and/or the treatment I was receiving from my Panamanian medical professionals. With mans' long history with COPD and the large numbers of people who suffer from it, I became convinced that there had to be something available medically to break the cycle of contract pneumonia, spend 3-5 days in the hospital being treated with strong antibiotics, and then  return home to recover for a few days – recover to a lower level of lung health than before I might add. After being hospitalized in Hospital Chiriqui six times for the condition between late December 2012 and the end of June 2013, the suspicion became so strong that I finally made the decision to return to the U.S. and take the fight to COPD.

That decision highlights my first piece of advice - or warning, if you prefer. I stepped off the airplane in Charlotte, N.C., on a Monday evening and was in an ambulance on the way to the hospital at 2pm the next afternoon. I assure you that that is a traumatic way to 'start over'.  It also complicates the medical treatment primarily because the medical professionals are in effect gathering information and treating you simultaneously. Needless to say it simplifies the situation if those 'medical history pictures' are already posted.

In my first three days in the hospital I was literally flooded with information about COPD in general and my condition in particular. The information was oriented both towards treating the disease and coping more effectively with its effects on my day-to-day living. We covered best diet and eating rules of thumb, breathing and respiration tricks, new medicines, proper sequencing of taking meds, daily activity sequencing, weather and environment exposure do-es/don’t s, respiratory exercises, and many more to numerous to itemize here – plus I am sure you get the idea. Keep in mind NONE of these kinds of things were ever included in responses from the three pulmonologists I was treated by in Panama – though all three spoke excellent English, and all had received at least a portion of their specialty training in the U.S.

I will give you a specific example of a problem I was not advised on properly, while simultaneously shouldering a good portion of the blame for failing to research on my own. I am old enough to remember when they finally discovered the cure for TB. I remember as a kid people who contracted TB being shipped off to Arizona to allow that climate to make breathing easier. So hot weather helps breathing, particularly for folks with lung diseases – right? And since I like warm weather (and turn blue in air-conditioned spaces), I was happy to leave my windows open 24/7 in my apartment in David. But to be safe I asked two of my pulmonologists in Chiriqui Hospital if improving on the climate would help my condition – thinking maybe to filter the air better by closing the windows and turning on the air. The answer in both cases was 'No', complete with a detailed explanation of the rationale for the response.

You can imagine my surprise when experts here informed me that the constant hot and humid days in David where absolutely not the environment I should have been in. It turns out that those TB patients of old were sent to Arizona because most were living in cold/wet climates – the worst case respiratory situation. Almost any environment was an improvement. Arizona also did not have one of the other breathing problem irritants – humidity (like say David?). My N.C. doctor hastens to add as possible explanation that the Panamanian specialist were responding to my question in terms of 'their world' – e.g., here in Panama. In their mind the question was, "Is this David climate bad, should I be looking at Boquete or some other cool climate?"

Note that my N.C. pulmonologists also cautions that one should NOT be critical of the treatment I received in Panama because, in her opinion, the difference procedures and therapeutic approachs may just be a function of the maturation of the specific medical system in general. 

It is a given, is it not, that there are differences even between the system in Panama City and David? The system in David therefore is oriented more towards top-flight treatment of patients admitted to the hospital- at least in certain specialties.  The science and practices required to treat the disease in an effort to keep one out of the hospital has less (if very little) priority.

Now that I understand the generality of the term 'medical system', I also have to hasten to add that the statement  in the previous paragraph, "The system in Panama is oriented more towards top-flight treatment of patients admitted to the hospital", is true only as it applies to COPD and to the treatment regiment I did/didn't receive. And that is precisely why it is so difficult to evaluate medical systems for the layman, and particularly difficult to appraise the impact on you and your specific medical condition (much less those that may develop in the future).

The Key To  The Adequacy of Your Healthcare

The real key to the adequacy of your healthcare system ultimately boils down to YOU – like it are not, you are the key. You must stay informed, ask questions, get smart (AND stay smart) about your health problems and those of your loved ones. We in the U.S. have had this preached to us for years, and modern medicine only continues to get more, not less, complex. I suggest to you that you can make NO assumptions when dealing with a medical system outside the U.S. - Panama or anywhere else.

I will give you the perfect example of what I am talking about and you can them apply the potential for 'surprise' I found to your situation.  When I started having real problems with shortness of breath in mid-2012, my Panamanian pulmonologist chose not to increase the dosage of my long-time medication, but to change my medication. He also suggested that when I began to experience discomfort to sit down, get on oxygen, turn up the flow rate and stay quiet for at least 30 minutes.

Imagine my surprise when the pulmonologist here enlightens me to the fact that COPD is such a generic term that different forms require significantly different treatments. My version of the disease (a result of TB damage) dictates that I become seriously winded because I can't get rid of the carbon dioxide, not from shortage of oxygen. The worse thing I can do is turn up the oxygen. In addition the changed medications I had been prescribed were not formulated to target my form of COPD. In addition, it was also important that I get up and get moving around as soon as possible after an attack.  How many marks did we miss?

Also note that every pulmonologists' office and hospital ward I have seen in the U.S. have relatively simple electronic test machines that can spotlight one's COPD problem and its projected effects in about three minutes.  This affords the medical professionals with the precise information they need to build a treatment plan.  I never saw any such equipment in Panama on any of my numerous appointments.

 

So What Is A Good Healthcare System?

I hope that this information will provoke some of you to take a hard look at your situation and consider as much as possible that into the future. Get smart and stay smart.

I also urge each and every one of you to not put off critical decisions concerning healthcare to 'another day'. I can assure you relocating with a medical problem that has reach a critical stage is not the way to go. Trust me – trying to coordinate settling in your new home from a hospital ward is not the best way to go!

 

Till Next Time!  Pura Vida

 

 

The View As I Approach The U.S.

 

After six years living in Panama, I am returning to the United States with the gnawing feeling that I am entering a New World - and not necessarily a Brave New World.

Let me emphasize for starters that I am not of those ex-pats who 'escaped' to live abroad as some form of protest, political or otherwise. In my case, what started out as a couple of weeks visiting a friend in Costa Rica turned into a six year adventure. I did not leave the U.S. with a chip on my shoulder about any personal or political conditions, nor do I return with any.  But I am concerned and definitely feel that I have some adjusting to do because the country I am returning to is not the one I left.

Let me assure you that we do not live in an isolated shell in Panama. The ex-pat population is aware and knowledgeable about what goes on in the world, at least to the degree that one wants to be. The CNNs and FOX News of the world come through loud and clear and newspapers from  around the world are available for daily download on your Kindle. But in simplest terms, reading about it is not the same as being there.

The disengaged feeling I get is similar to what I experienced during my Air Force days involved with being called back home to a friend or relative's funeral - something I am sure most of you share with me.  The logical part of you knows that the loved one is gone, starting right at the moment of notification.  But regardless of how long your travel to the funeral home takes, the loss does not really sink in before you are there - until you walk in that funeral home. And at this point in my return to the U.S., I have not completed this journey.

I will admit I have never fully understood what goes on with our federal government, and plead guilty to the charge that I was never too interested in following the story too closely. But shenanigans in Washington in recent years are not just outrageous, they border on embarrassing in my opinion. Oh no, Michelle Bachman is retiring? I don't know what the gestation cycle for Looney birds is, but maybe there is time to breed a replacement. And I singled her out, not because she is the only wacko in our Congress, or even the worst - just the most recognized of the breed.

The days of the gentlemen statesmen populating our Congressional halls has given way to behavior patterns that would be right at home at  'last call' on Saturday night in any biker bar. Even long-termed congressmen who have evidenced in the past the intelligence and civility to get things done even under trying circumstances complicated by a variety of conflicting political goals, seem to all be reduced to Sunday News shows' talking heads spouting their latest version of 'Nanny .. Nanny.. poo..poo.'

Meanwhile the nation sits mired in the mud while conflicting points of view invent new ways to say that they will never negotiate their position.  What did we Americans do to deserve this?  To date the efforts to improve things seemed to have backfired.

Now to our shock we have discovered that electing a 'crusader' to congress that has no experience is, in many cases, worse than what we had. At least the old comfortable incumbent did not feel pressured to make a name for himself (herself) by insisting on national news programs that something like changing weather patterns were being influenced by something like the competing party's political action committee teaming up with Martians (illegal immigrants at that!).  And the old pros, efficient or not, knew that certain things HAD to get done!

And have you also noticed that personal freedoms seem to be a concept of the past. The government is indiscriminately screening billions of ordinary citizens' phone calls looking for anti-terrorist leads? You're kidding, right? No I am not. They collect an estimated 1.7 billion (with a 'B') pieces of communication a DAY!  Now this is the same group that had information that could have thwarted the 9-11 attacks, but that information was lost - buried - in the volume of information that they had collected. So they need thousands of times more info, right? Government logic personified!

Obviously the people who run this program, and similar ones, in this 'transparent' government of ours, have never heard of the U.S. Constitution!  A simply-stated concept like 'guilty until proven innocent' evidently has some legal subtleties that escape us common folks.  Instead 'collect private info on everyone and we'll sort it out later as we see fit' seems to rule. This program alone stuns me. Programs approved by a man whose only real work experience (in my opinion) prior to being elected POTUS was as a professor of Constitutional Law.  This collection program is even more invasive and massively broader based then the infamous 'stop and frisk' fiasco. And, I predict will be even less productive than the famously failed 'frisking' joke. I am now also convinced the President would fail a legitimate Constitutional law coursse.

By the way, don't start on me with the infamous "Bush is the one that pushed the Patriots Act into our freedoms ..blah..blah..blah." I am trying not to make this a political argument.  I am talking about government intrusions - not Democratic or Republican. Plus Obama not only extended most of the Patriots Act provisions when they came due for extinction, and in fact, strengthen some making them even more intrusive.

The latest IRS scandal is close to the 'straw that broke the camel's back' for me philosophically. The targeting of groups based on political persuasion is in a word - despicable. And not because of the targeting itself. I will put this in military terms only because that is my experience. All of you have similar experiences and will know what I am talking about - specifically for want of a better term, an organization's personality. 

Think of the good companies or organizations you worked in or with.  They had ground-rules, ways of doing things, priorities. and definitely do's/don’ts. Fighter pilots don't decide they are going to modify the airplanes landing configuration. Salesmen don't change the product prices and terms of the sale. Secretaries don't change the company letterhead. There are rules, procedures AND philosophies, many of which are sacred - they ARE the organization!

In such organizations - REAL organizations with a mission - there are NO rogues.  Rogue behavior survives only until it is discovered - usually with the first complaint. "You required they submit the answers to how many questions?" Even discussing some kind of rogue behavior with a colleague could threaten your job.  It is embarrassing that IRS officials would try to explain away  this travesty as so-called rogue behavior.  Embarrassing because it proves conclusively that those highly-placed (and highly paid) senior government officials know absolutely NOTHING about organizational behavior - or assume that we don't.

America is said to be in decline, although we face no devastating plague, nuclear holocaust, or shortage of oil or food -  and in fact recent projections show the U.S. will become a major oil exporter. But we are in decline primarily due to our out of control national debt.

In recent years Americans have never led such affluent material lives -- from houses and cars, to cell phones and big-screen TVs, to cheap jet travel and fast food. Unlike many countries in the world, obesity rather than malnutrition is the greater threat to national health. Americans spend more money on cosmetic surgeries and Botox than many nations spend fighting polio, small pox and malaria.

But the political dialog is not centered on capitalizing and expanding our natural and inherited wealth. Instead, Americans bicker over entitlement programs as the nation continues to pile up trillion-dollar-plus deficits. And a continuing war roars on concentrating on enforced equality rather than personal liberty. As I saw written elsewhere, "The medicine of cutting back on government goodies seems far worse than the disease of borrowing trillions from the unborn to pay for them." Hmm......

While you are thinking about where America is going, think about where America has been. A good example: In August 1945, Hiroshima was in shambles, while Detroit was among the most innovative and wealthiest cities in the world. Contemporary Hiroshima now resembles a prosperous Detroit of 1945; parts of Detroit look like they were bombed decades ago.

I do not embrace the idea that a government's redistribution of shrinking wealth, in preference to a private sector's creation of new sources of it, is the correct answer. As a result I object to the government honing the tools, while simultaneously taking my personal rights so as to facilitate making that approach possible.

 

Till Next Time. See Ya' Later

 

Adiós a Panamá

 

What's The Deal?

They say that all good things must end. And although I have never really bought in to that theory, my run in Panama is coming to an end. After a great six years, on Friday May 31st I am migrating back to the U.S.

Although I continue to love my life here, I finally reached a point where I had to get serious about my situation. My lung condition has started to be a problem, or more precisely is now something I have to deal with. The damage done years ago by the bout with TB is starting to be a problem just as doctors at the time predicted it would - but it was always a question of when, not if.

Due to my limited lung capacity and the inflexibility of the damaged lungs, any kind of a lung congestion/infection, even just a cold, and I may end up hospitalized. In the past years the attacks requiring hospitalization were infrequent, but I have now ended up in the hospital five time in the last 18 months - three times just since the first of this year.

This creates several problems, any of which dictates I need to do something different.

1) First off, they release you from the hospital when the tests show that the infection is killed. But the swelling in the lungs will take several more days to heal - until the lungs heal I am on oxygen and (depending on the severity of the attack) may be immobile. Not an ideal situation when you are solo and living in a hotel.

2) Each attack has a cumulative effect - I never recover lung function back to the previous level.

3) And most important, though I certainly have no complaint with the medical service here, the medical costs are starting to drain me. Back in the U.S. with my dual coverage I don't even pay a deductible, but Medicare does not cover Americans outside the U.S. My Tricare does cover about 70% - but I have to pay the hospital upfront and it takes a while for Tricare to catch up. Plus any kind of catastrophic problem would be a bank buster.

This is a long way around to say that I am now researching 'Senior Living' options back in the old U.S. of A.  I am attempting to find the right area, weather, costs, ammenities, etc. while trying to avoid the stereotype that most of us have of 'senior centers', e.g., a bunch of old people with one foot in the grave sitting around drolling and playing Bingo all day.

 

And The Future?

I plan on making a couple of more posts about the latest from Panama. I also am going to add some of my older postings that I consider the highlights of my life in Panama.

I will also update you on where my search for a new home leads me. Come on down and visit.

 

I May Never Find A Home

I contacted a handfull of senior's retirement comunities requesting information and brochures. One of them responded with no information but attached a questionaire for me to fill out, and requested a photo of me.  You're kidding me, right? I sent them the photo shown here (they did not specify current photo!)

I sent the questionaire back to them but only filled in about three answers.  In the block titled,  'My Biggest Concerns' I raised only three questions

A. What time does your bar close?

B. Does the bar have a 'Strippers Night'?  If so, amateur or professional?

C. What night is Karoke?

That was a week ago and I haven't heard anything back from them? Hmm....

 

The Future For My Blog

I had originally thought that my leaving Panama would be the end of 'Larry's Travels'.  However, I have had several people suggest that I just 'blog on' and just change the venue. I am not convinced one way or the other, if for no other reason I may find nothing to report on at the other end. 

So I will leave that decision for another day.  I also solicit your views. Does 'Larry's Travel In Panama' transform into to 'Larry's Trip Through Geezerville?"  Ha!

 

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's Not All Good In Panama

 

A Electrical Power Crises In Panama

Panama had a very dry 'Dry Season' and the 'Wet Season' is late coming. So among other drought-related problems in agriculture and farming (in some provinces hundreds of cattle have died), the water levels of the two big reservoirs responsible for generating more than 50% of the energy consumed in the country is down to critical levels. And no appreciable rain is forecast for another 10 days.

Last Thursday the President ordered changing the work schedule for government employees, to 7:30 am to 1:30 pm for public offices as an energy saving measure. And the following day directed new measures included the suspension of classes in public and private schools, including elementary and high schools, as well as universities. And the suspension of the use of air conditioners at public and commercial offices, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. was ordered.

Then that evening the government mandated rationing electricity consumption by ordering the closure of all supermarkets, cinemas, bars, pubs, casinos, discos, and nightclubs from Monday through Thursday, from 10:00 pm until 6:00 am. It also ordered all air conditioners to be turned off during the hours of 11:00 am until 3:00 pm for all public and governmental offices, malls, shopping centers, stores, and other activities.

There may be some hope on the horizon. Whoever honored my request for a rain dance - I THANK YOU! By Friday the drought had worsened to where the discussion was about 4-hour nationwide electrical black-outs. But this afternoon here in David it started raining like the dickens (well like it is supposed to during rainy season afternoons). One afternoon doesn't solve the problem and it may not be raining everywhere - but it is a start.

KEEP DOING THAT RAIN DANCE!

 

Nature in Panama's Guna Yala

The Panama's english-language weekly, "The Visitor" had a fascinating article I want to share:

"One of the most impressive sights in nature is when a huge sea turtle emerges from the ocean, almost always at night, and crawls up the beach to lay her eggs. These huge creatures appear to be the size of Volkswagens as they work their way beyond the high tide line. As if in a trance, the big females dig a hole and optimistically deposit their eggs. Then they turn around, cover the nest and forge their way back to sea.

About sixty days later, the little leatherbacks crack their shells and burrow out through the sand. Awakened by the sunrise, these tiny creatures of about six to eight inches long scurry toward the waves and wade into the surf in a cute and inspirational dash for survival.

One of the reasons the fourth annual Sea Turtle Festival is being held from Thursday, May 16 through Sunday, May 19 is so that nature lovers can witness both events in process at one of the most significant nesting grounds on the Caribbean. The big turtles start laying their eggs on the beach near the town of Armila in Guna Yala in late February and continue through May. This means that visitors to the festival have an opportunity to observe the mothers at night and the hatchlings from previous nestings in the morning."

For those of you who are interested this a real 'get down into nature' trip. The festival, organized by the indigenous of Armila, is a four-day, three night even that offers numerous opportunities to have a full ecological and cultural experience among the Guna Indians.  Space is limited partly because keeping the festival small is less disruptive to the turtles. And for instance at night, care is taken not to disturb the females with bright lights or camera flashes.

The cost for a full schedule of events and three meals a day is very affordable at $117 (plus airfare to the island from Panama City). In addition to carefully guided tours to the nesting sites, a cultural program includes ceremonies and plays; native dance exhibitions; a typical town meeting; student exhibits and sports competitions; crafts; boat rides including kayaking on the Armila River and visits to beautiful pristine beaches.

This is potentially one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences

 

World's Best Surfers Battle It Out In Panama

The annual International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games are being held in Santa Catalina (Veraguas province) May 4 thru Sunday, May 12. 

Among the Panamanian surfers is Gary Saavedra who holds a Guinness Book of World Records title for riding a static wave along the Panama Canal for three hours and 55 minutes.

Some 150 athletes from 24 countries are competing for the Fernando Aguerre World Team Champion Trophy, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President’s Trophy as well as individual and team medals. Some 24 countries are represented at this year’s games, include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Switzerland, Italy, Japan and Panama.

 

 

Panama Canal Excavation Unearths Ancient Secrets

The Panama Canal expansion has revealed secrets buried in the ground for millions of years. Scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in collaboration with the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), have revolutionized the thinking scientific world with their findings as the earth was opened to make way for larger ships to transit the Canal. Their discoveries include ten new species of fossils, a hypothesis about the tectonic and volcanic events that helped to create the isthmian land bridge between North and South America and how flora and fauna made its continental exchange here.

Dr. Carlos Jaramillo said that one of the most remarkable discoveries was that the Isthmus of Panama was created 10 million years ago (Previously it was thought that Panama rose from the sea some three million years ago).  This event changed the salinity of the Atlantic Ocean and by deviating warm currents that were coming from the south towards the East Coast of North America and Europe, the climate was transformed from tropical to temerate. Due to this revelation, the hypotheses about how ice was formed in the Arctic have to be reformulated.

They also estimate that scientist wiil be studying fossils that were uncovered during the excavation for years.

 

Panama Is A-Buzz

A couple of things have Panamanians all stirred up:

The 'Rock' is in the house! A new TNT television network series called "The Hero" which features Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson includes some feats filmed here in Panama. The skyscrapers of Panama City and the locks at the canal are the scenes of defying acts carried out by competitors to win a million dollar prize.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson’ provides a look at some of the feats, which include sprinting up the pinnacle atop Tower Bank and rescuing the contents of a safe against time as the water level in the Miraflores Locks rises. The series will premier on June 6 on the TNT television network.

Cirque du Soleil comes to Panama! The famous Canadian circus and dance troupe, Cirque du Soleil, will bring its Orient-inspired "Dralion" production to Panama the end May - Cirque du Soleil’s first-ever appearance on the isthmus. As most of you know, the troupe has become one of the most revered live performance acts in the world.

"Dralion" blends Western and Asian acrobatics in a colorful show of prowess, fusing ancient Chinese circus traditions and the avant-garde approach of Cirque du Soleil. Showings are on Wednesday, May 22 through Sunday, May 26 with two and three presentations daily.

 

Till Next Time. Pura Vida

 

A Lot Is Happening In Panama

 

Electricity Rationing Possible

The lack of rain has forced the National Dispatch Center to declare a state of alert due to the possibility of a need for electricity rationing. Their analysis indicates a deficit of more than 5% over the next 15 weeks.

This warning appears in a note sent to the administrator of the National Authority of Public Services.  Over 50% of the power generation system of Panama works through two hydroelectric plants, and run-of-river hydro power stations.

"The lack of rain, which affects the low hydrology and real power showed in the units linked to the run-by-river hydro power stations, leads to uncertainty regarding having full electric power generated by these plants," says the warning issued.

 

 

Free Health Insurance

Did you know: Panama gives free health insurance for 30 days to all who enter the country through Tocumen International Airport. Cards promoting this benefit are available at the airport. But carrying the card is not necessary to collect on the policy to cover medical expenses for emergencies that occur while in the country.

Visitors to the country who have a medical emergency must simply show the entrance stamp on their passport to the hospital staff and the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP) will cover the cost through a blanket policy.

Through this effort, Panama expects to capture a greater percentage of the tourism market by making visitors to our country feel safer through providing this free value-added service. There is even an exclusive hotline for questions and concerns regarding the coverage.

 

Coffee Is A Big Deal In Panama

Most of you aren't aware that the mountain village of Boquete (just up the road from me) is home to Panama’s coffee production. The climate and soil in the area are ideal for designer coffees, especially when the right coffee agriculture expertise is added to the equation. The annual big coffee event is coming up that combines for the much anticipated annual online auction.

From May 6 to 8, a group of 16 international judges will choose 24 of 78 coffee samples from three categories: natural, traditional and geisha – evaluating aroma, acidity, body, fragrance, uniformity, sweetness, the crispness and the aftertaste of the cup.

So what does this all mean in the big scheme of things? Well last year Finca Los Cantares took first place in the Geisha category with a score of 90.86 and was bought by Saza Coffee of Japan for $90.25 a pound. The Panacoffe Special from Finca La Milagrosa took a close second place with the judges and also sold for $90.25 a pound to Paul Dequidt Torrefacteur of France. Although the Kotowa Don K Geisha Natural came in 6th in the cupping competition, it earned the highest price at auction, selling for $93.25 a pound to Horiguchi Coffee and Saza Coffee of Japan.

Think about that. Can you imagine what that cup of coffee is going to cost when the wholesale price is $90 a pound, and you have to add the shipping cost and then the retail mark-up? Wow!

 

It Seems Nothing Is Easy In Panama

As recently reported in Panama's 'Visitante', the new metro buses changed the face of Panama City.

A visitor with a wry sense of humor once said there was no need for a doctor to give an electrocardiogram in Panama.  "Just take a ride on a ‘Red Devil’ bus for the length of Via España and you will know your heart condition," he said.

As of March 15 this year the colorfully painted "Red Devils" (Diablos Rojo) – condemned U.S. school buses resurrected in Panama with more powerful engines and loud trumpet exhausts – were finally laid to rest in Panama City at $25,000 a piece for their owners, and replaced by the Metro Bus.

The Devils were all privately owned and operated and were, therefore, extremely hard to control in terms of providing a meaningful, coordinated transportation system. In short, drivers all wanted to concentrate on main routes (where the people were), leaving significant portions of the city with sparse coverage at best. Plus the drivers were infamous for often  drag racing to the next stop (the first guy gets the people waiting), which resulted in both  accidents and pedestrian deaths. Proper maintenance of the Devils was always a big question, especially with vehicle safety operating systems.

Thus the opportunity to get a free electrocardiogram no longer exists.  However the Metro Bus is now giving Panamanian commuters a stress test of a different type.

The New Deal

The new buses are made in Colombia by the Swedish company Volvo, and the bodies provided by the Brazilian company Marcopolo. Very modern in construction, they have two double doors, two fire extinguishers, eight buttons to alert the driver for the next stop, and six hammers for breaking the panoramic windows in case of emergency. The buses are air-conditioned with 38 seats and two handicapped spaces.

To use the Metro Bus, it’s first necessary to buy a card with a deposit cost of $2.00 and then the amount the user feels needed. Most trips around the city area cost $0.25, but if using a bus on one of the two corridor expressways (North or South) the one-way trip is $1.25. These costs are heavily subsidized by the government along with the diesel fuel.

So that is the 'new'.  Sounds simple and straightforward.  But the proof is in the 'plan' to phase in the new and phase out the old.  And then there is the implementation of that plan. And it appears that both parts of the equation were not up to snuff.

Troubles Abound

The Colombian operators of the Metro Bus system, the company known as Mi Bus, have come under strong criticism from public transport users for a host of problems in the system.

For starters, there were almost 3,000 "Red Devils" in service that were replaced on March 15 by only 1,200 Metro Buses. Simple arithmetic on the 38 seats on the new buses compared to the 70 or so seats (a low figure) on the "Red Devils" was an elementary indication that there would be trouble brewing from the users.

The new buses were originally introduced late in 2010 alongside the old "Red Devils," which tended to take some pressure off the system. However, once the "Red Devils" were finally removed in March this year, chaos descended on the streets of Panama City with long lines of passengers trying to jam into Metro Buses. Drivers did not stop or open doors for more passengers; adequate covered bus stops were and are still missing with the wet season returning; and even some routes were eliminated and then replaced.

And to make matters worse, passengers are having problems with the fare cards. The cards can be bought and reloaded at many points. According to the Chilean company, Sonda, in charge of the cards, they are making more points available to users such as in malls and supermarkets.  But the company is way behind in installing these machines. And many commuters are extremely frustrated with just trying to find a place to re-charge a card.

Tourist Friendly?

Regardless of all the problems for local commuters, the Metro Bus can be very useful for visitors who are not limited to peak hours and can use these buses when there is less demand. Tourists can take a bus to the airport, with the help of hotel clerks at the front desks in obtaining a Metro Bus card.

Practically all buses circulate through the Gran Terminal at Albrook Mall and if they are going in that direction they show "Albrook" on their rotating destination signs. However, the problem is that they also show "Albrook" when they are going out of town, so it’s still a good idea to ask the driver and avoid surprises.

At the Albrook Gran Terminal, bus dispatchers can be spotted with their clip boards and, although not all are bi-lingual, they are generally courteous in helping visitors along with assistance from the drivers.

Just Hope For The Best

Despite all its deficiencies, the Metro Bus is the first effort in 30 years at modernizing the Panama City public transport system.  The last attempt to upgrade the system was a fiasco that failed. The Spanish "Pegaso" buses, a project of the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, resulted in little more than gigantic scrap graveyards due to bad management and a lack of maintenance and parts.

 

Did You Say A Tattoo Festival?

I had never heard of one, but what do I know?  If you have a tattoo that you are particularly proud of, come down and bare your work of art for the judges at this year’s Panama City Ink Fest to be held in August.

Body art, which has been practiced for centuries in all parts of the world will be celebrated in all its designs, colors and forms at the annual three day festival, now in its fifth year. It aims to provide the best convention for local artists, visitors and clients. There will be seminars for ink artists, live entertainment, international artists from more than 15 countries and competitions.

Check out this one on the right. Very interesting:

 

A special highlight is the Miss Ink Fest contest carried out for the third time on Saturday, August 17. Women, older than 18 years, who have a tattoo, that took at least five hours to insert, can participate. The Ink Fest will take place this August from Friday 16 until Sunday 18 at the Palacio Dorado.

Who knew?

 

 

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida

 

 

 

 

Back Home Again In Panama

 

Back In Panama

I returned to Panama yesterday (Apr 2) after a couple of weeks in Wilmington, N.C.  I had gone to N.C. for medical reasons and ended up in the hospital - The New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington. What an experience!

I was so 'blown away' by the experience that I am working on a separate blog posting to describe the experience. For those of you that have been hospitalized recently in the U.S., this may not be amazing info. If you have not been hospitalized I think you will be blown away just as I was. What  added to the shock for me was that I had been a patient in that hospital about six years ago. My, what a difference!

Stay tuned

The Easter Season In Panama

I am sure it would not surprise you that Easter is a big deal in Panama, as it is in most of the predominately Catholic nations in Latin America.  The Panamanians tendency to 'stretch' holiday celebrations of all kinds over several days makes it even bigger. And it is impossible to predict what businesses will be opened (and when) for the entire 4 day weekend (actually starting for many people mid-day Thursday).

So consider this. A million people (a third of the entire population of Panama) reside in Panama City. So this headline is a real attention getter.

400,000 People Traveling To The Interior for Easter

Yes, almost half the population headed to what is referred to as 'the interior' to celebrate with family and friends. And keep in mind there is only one highway that runs through the country, and only a couple of ways to cross the canal to exit the city. Do you see the potential for problems.

This is a picture taken in the Albrook bus terminal in Panama City on the Thursday before Easter as travelers crowded on to buses heading towards the interior of the country, to participate in the religious ceremonies of Holy Week.

The bus companies put on hundreds of additional buses to try and accommodate the increased passenger loads. Albrook terminal managers noted that about 5,000 buses were made available from different paths working 24 hours a day to move people. However, the highway will only accommodate so many vehicles.

And this is what it looked like on Sunday as more than than 47,000 cars returned to Panama City (as reported by the Transit Authority).  And what you can not see in the photo is that this jam backed up for miles for close to 24 hours. Sound like fun?

Happy Easter.

Ever Heard Of A Cabalgata?

Cabalgata is Spanish for a Horse Parade and the David Cabalgata is the biggest Horse Parade in Panama. And it is a big deal in this country.

The first year I was here for the cabalgata I was slack-jawed at the spectacle. For starters, the parade runs down the street right off my hotel balcony. It took almost four hours for the parade to pass by the hotel.

And every year I am surprised anew by this spectacle. It is hard to believe there are that many horses in all of Panama, much less up in this end of the country.

Panama's Pearl Islands

The Pearl Islands (Spanish: Archipelago de las Perlas or Islas de las Perlas) are a group of 100 or more islands (many tiny and uninhabited) lying about 30 miles (48 km) off the Pacific coast of Panama in the Gulf of Panama.  The archipelago has a rich and long history.

On Contadora Island and other islands in the group pre-Columbian artifacts have been found. The biggest island, Isla del Rey, more than fifteen pre-Columbian recognized archeological sites of the "Cuevas" and "Cocle" cultures have been identified. However none of the original population remain.

The islands were first occupied by Indians who were wiped out within two years of the islands' discovery by the Spanish. Spaniard Vasco Nunez de Balboa named the islands Pearl Islands on his discovery of them in 1513 due to the many pearls which were found there. A local chief, presented the 'visitors' with baskets of pearls, but this simply made the Spaniards want more and hastened the destruction of the native population. The Spaniards then needed workers to harvest pearls and imported slave labor in the 16th century from Africa whose descendants now live on the islands, particularly del Rey.

The Islands were relatively undisturbed until the 1960s and 1970s when the building of the resort on Contadora took place to which the Shah of Iran retreated in 1979.

The islands have a world-famous distinction - a hugh pearl that at the time of its discovery, was the largest pearl ever found. The original weight of this pear-shaped pearl was 55.95 carats. Named 'La Peregrina' was discovered in the early 1500s by an African slave at the Pearl Islands in the Gulf of Panama. Its name means "rare," or "special," and it was offered to King Phillip II of Spain, becoming part of the crown jewels of the Spanish Crown.

Fast-forward to 1969, when it showed up at auction in Sotheby’s. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, who had married for the first time five years earlier, were both still enjoying the success of their movie "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf," which Taylor won her second Academy Award for.

Burton went to Parke-Bernet galleries, to attend an auction of fine art on Jan. 23, 1969. Burton bought and then gave it to his wife on Valentine´s Day. And as had happened a century before, one day the pearl went missing from the couples´ suite at Caesar´s Palace in Las Vegas.

"I reached down to touch La Peregrina and it wasn’t there," Elizabeth Taylor wrote in her book 'Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair With Jewelry'. "I retraced all my steps in the bedroom. I took my slippers off, took my socks off, and got down on my hands and knees, looking everywhere for the pearl. Nothing."

And then, she thought not her husband but someone else in the suite may have it. "I just casually opened my puppy’s mouth and inside his mouth was the most perfect pearl in the world. It was – thank God - not scratched."

 

Till Next Time. Pura Vida

 

 

 

 

There Is A Lot Happening In Panama

  

Modernizing The Infrastructure

Airport Expansion and Modernization

Panama is updating two of its airports to accomodate direct flights from overseas. The New International Airport at Rio Hato is close to Panama City, but its proximity to Panama's Pacific beaches and the tourist industries there is what makes this one a winner.

The update/upgrade to the David airport is completed and just had a grand opening celebration last weekend. (before and after photos shown) This western Chiriqui Province, which David is the capitol, is a key location for both tourists and ex-pats looking for a retirement home. Panama remains the #1 overseas retirement location in the world for American expats and approximately half of the Panama ex-pat community is living in Chiriqui. International flights into David will make trips out of the country for the expat residents significantly easier and should provide a draw for future visitors.

Are international airports critical to tourism? Well it is obviously not ideal for tourist to have to take long surface-transportation trips after they land from a long international flight to get to their tourist target. Lets' look at the Dominican Republic, a country whose economy is about as tourism oriented as you can get. The Dominican Republic has all-inclusive resorts strung all over the country and they get a ton of tourist traffic. They have built and presently operate 13 international airports, obviously strategically located to serve the tourist attractions.

With the completion of Rio Hato, Panama will have its third international airport (compared to the D.Rs 13).  Note that the geographical area of the Dominican Republic is only about 60% of Panama's (Panama's approximately 30,000 square miles -vs- the Dominican Republic's 19,000 square miles.)

Get the picture?

 

New Highway to Boquete

Work has restarted on the completion of the new highway connecting David and Boquete. Completion of the project which transformed the existing two-lane highway into a four-lane divided highway has been much anticipated. In addition to the added safety of the new road, the transit time from Boquete to David should be effectively halved (about 25 minutes versus 45 in the past).  This may 'open up' Boquete even more as a site not only to visit but as a potential place to settled in as a resident. (photos are before/after then though project is not completed).

 

Laws Are Changing In Panama

Location of Bars and Nightclubs

The recent legislation "Act 2 of 5 February" prohibits the location of nightclubs, bars and discos near neighborhoods, schools, hospitals and religious centers. The prohibition is clear, the business of selling alcoholic beverages may not be located in urban or residential areas. The article includes a ban for the location near public or private schools or concentration of workers or peasants in a radius of 10 kilometers.

However residents afflicted by noise on Panama's Calle Uruguay (an 'entertainment area' of the city) think the initiative is good, but that the laws should be enforced, something that is not happening with similar laws now.  "We know that in the Calle Uruguay there are numerous instances nightly involving violating parking regulations, zoning, noise emission, and moral infractions. But there is no authority to turn to when people are breaking the law at 3 in the morning, "said Hector Milanes, who also calls for the implementation of these changes begining in the busy area located in Bella Vista .

 

Immigration Law Changes

This exerpt from Boquete Panama Guide, summarizes a MAJOR change in Panama's immigration laws:

The new "friends of Panama Visa" makes it easier than ever to obtain permanent residency with a $5,000 bank deposit and and either a job or opening a business. Under this visa you can open your own business and work in it, no need to hire employees unless you want them. This coupled with the enhanced access (Ed note: due to expansion of David airport and widening to 4-lanes of road David-to-Boquete) is going increase the growth both in Boquete and all of the "interior" of Panama as people worldwide smell opportunity.

Prior to this you could come down here to Panama and open a business, but the requirement to have Panamanian employees and all the social security costs (and night-mareish bureacracy) that went with it was a business killer for the unintiated (and a no-go for the initiated).

 

It's That Time of Year

Bus Carriers Prepare for Mass Exodus

Starting Friday the exodus of people out of Panama City for Carnival celebrations all over the country will tax not only the highway system, but the bus companies as well.

In addition to deploying extra equipment, buses are scheduled to leave every half hour, as opposed to the normal one hour departure schedule.

A taste of Carnival. Costumes, music, crowds, parades, beer and the 'washdowns' from the water trucks. Good time has by all



 

 

 

Transporting Teachers to Areas of Difficult Access

Starting on February 14, some 648 teachers working in remote and/or hard-to-access areas of Panama will be transported to their workplaces by sea, air and land.  Teachers being transported are working in isolated areas and particularly in the difficult to access areas of Guna Yala, Embera Wounaan land, and the Ngobe Bugle camarca as well as areas of certain areas of Chiriqui Grande, Bocas del Toro and Changuinola.

Transportation methods include everything from air travel to Meduca buses to watercraft supplied by units of the country's Naval Service.

 

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summertime In Panama - And The Living Is Easy

Panama As An International Retirement Haven

The 22nd Annual Global Retirement Index was just published and Panama ranked at the #2 spot. In this study the editors assess a variety of factors such as the cost of groceries and average temperature as well as friendliness and utility costs.

Ecuador took the #1 spot for the fifth year in a row. Ecuador stood out for its low cost of living, how far the real estate dollar goes and for offering attractive incentives to seniors.

Panama’s #2 position was described thus: "Panama is just plain easy. Panama City is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with great restaurants, and excellent hospitals. It’s a banking and commercial hub so you find a real international community there. Panama is committed to attracting foreign retirees and offers the world’s best incentive program to do so, making it convenient and easy to get residence there. Like Ecuador, the cost of living in Panama is significantly lower than what you’d expect back home."

Some 100 countries were considered and here is the final list:

Retirement Index 2013

1.Ecuador

2.Panama

3.Malaysia

4.Mexico

5.Costa Rica

6.Uruguay

7.Colombia

8.Spain

9.Thailand

10.Malta

 

Even Beauty Pageants Can Get Interesting In Panama

The Panama City Carnival queen was crowned last week in a beauty pageant style competition. The 22-year old model and ballet dancer, Virginia Hernández, took the crown (on the right in the photo). Not only will she preside over the capital city’s four-day carnival celebration from February 8 to 12, she will also represent the country at a variety of venues around the world in the coming year.

One of the princesses in her court, however, brought intrigue to the process. A former Carnival queen, Andrea Alejandra Quintero, who was the queen of Calle Arriba de Las Tablas in 2011, took second place. But her parents were not happy with her playing princess to the Panama City queen. The Panama Tourism Authority (ATP) administrator stated that Quintero’s parents obligated their daughter to abandon her role as "primera princessa" because, according to them, the Las Tablas Carnival is superior to the Panama City Carnival. However, Andrea Alejandra’s official reason for resignation was to "save her career," as her work suffered under the time commitment required by her duties as princess.

It ain’t easy being queen. Carnival Queen Hernández has her work cut out for her this year. She will travel with the ATP (National Tourist Bureau to tourism fairs around the world as the Ambassador of Tourism. In addition to being the face of Panamanian tourism, Virginia will also represent the country at the Miss World competition, a beauty pageant to be held later this year in Indonesia.

 

The Continuing Drug War

The authorities seized nearly a ton of cocaine hidden in a cave on the banks of a river in the Atlantic Panama, the first big drug bust this year.

The National Naval Air Service (SENAN) reported Tuesday the drugs were packed in 38 large bundles and hidden in a cave on the banks of the Rio Belén, along the "Costa Abajo" (lower coast) of the province of Colon, where they found a boat nearby and fuel tanks apparently used by drug traffickers.

The seizure of 950 kilos of cocaine was made and on Tuesday the authorities showed the cargo to the news media and provided details about the operation. No arrests have been made. Simultaneously, the SENAN performed another drug operation on Tuesday in the Caribbean province of Bocas del Toro.

Panama, which has traditionally has been used as a bridge for drug trafficking from South America to North America and Europe, seized 34.9 tons of drugs, mostly cocaine, in 2012. A year earlier they had seized 43.7 tons.

The Public Security Minister, Jose Raul Mulino, said recently seizures decreased last year due to intensified patrols by air, sea and land. The authorities are concerned, however, over the vulnerability of coastal communities in remote areas due to the actions of the traffickers.

 

Sometimes Panamanians Are Not 'Big on Minor Details'

About 75 thousand people in Panama have expired driver's licenses, most of them are still driving around illegally, according to a study by the Transit Authority.

To counter the situation during the normal operations they routinely perform, officials say anyone found to be driving with an expired license will have their car towed away and impounded.

The Director of the ATTT called these drivers "criminals at the wheel" and said in his opinion "anyone who is driving with an expired license is doing so probably because they have not paid for their license plates, and if they have not received their license plates or had their car inspected, then they are even less safe."

He said during the upcoming Carnival celebrations they will install checkpoints in La Chorrera, Colón, in the Eastern part of the province of Panama, and in other areas.

He announced on the Telemetro morning news that soon the public will be able to do most of the paperwork for renewals and replacements of lost drivers licenses quickly and easily through the ATTT website. (Panama America)

 

Want A Good Domain Name With Lots Of Potential?

TobyClements.com just sent out his daily domain newsletter and topping the list is the domain name Panama.com.  Toby says the domain name Panama.com has "never been available on the aftermarket and is still owned by the original registrant’. The asking price is $1,600,000. 

Panama has a booming economy and is one of the financial centers of Latin America which definitely enhances the domain name's attractiveness.

As for the domain name, Panama.com is parked (not active), but still has a Google PR of 4, and the domain gets around a thousand visitors a month.

 

Till Next Time. Pura Vida

 

 

 

Health Care Differences

A Medical Saga

I recently spent a few days in the hospital here in David, Panama. This article over-views that experience and is intended to assist other ex-pats living in Panama sort through some of the options available when hospitalization may be required. Let me assure you, from my personal experiences things are not equal in the two private hospitals – Mae Lewis and Chiriqui Hospital.

I am not trying to 'sell' anyone on anything, for I realize that there are a variety of factors that could cause an individual to chose one hospital over another, including the physicians affiliation. All I can do is itemize for you the differences that I experiences in the two private hospital in David in treatment, patient services and (for want of a better phrase) medical professionalism.

As background,  I have a long-standing chronic lung problem, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), the genesis of which was a nearly fatal battle with TB that was misdiagnosed back in 1995. The ravages of the TB left me with approximately 60% lung capacity, a limitation that can be worked around fairly effectively on a day-to-day basis. However, a chest cold is a cause for concern, and any hint of an infection or anything more serious sets off alarms.

A couple of times a year like most everyone, I will get the sniffles and have what could be the start  of a problem, but with the proper medications (and luck?) the situation improves over a couple days. But then sometimes it gets worse and, when it turns bad it gets worse fast!

Four times in the past six years I have had to be hospitalized, and ended up tethered to an oxygen mask while modern antibiotic medications fought to clear my lungs. My first hospitalization outside the U.S. was in Golfito, Costa Rica (horror story), which I mention as an example of how one can get through what could be a crises merely because they have been through it before. So even though no one in the Golfito Hospital seemed to speak one word of English, the treatment and tests were what I was expecting - what had occurred in a USAF hospital – so my limited Spanglish got me through.

The last attack (Jan 2012) I had myself admitted to Mae Lewis because I had used them before for a totally different problem and was satisfied with the experience. I only realized later that my satisfaction level was more a result of the physician, than the hospital itself.

I documented those experiences in a blog posting last January, which you can go to for background using this link. "Healthcare or Horror Story?"

 Healthcare or Horror Story?

 

In doing this comparison I need to emphasize that my 'going-in' medical condition when I processed into Chiriqui Hospital last week was a repeat, a mirror image, of my condition entering Mae Lewis in Jan 2012.  Both times when it hit me, I went from from sitting on the balcony overlooking Parque Cervantes reading the newspaper to (15 minutes later) laying on my bed gasping on an oxygen tube calling for an ambulance.  But after the ambulance ride to the hospital for the next few days, my stay at Chiriqui there were few similarities to my previous experiences in Mae Lewis.

Welcome To The Hospital

Late afternoon in January when I arrived at Mae Lewis in the ambulance I had an immediate problem. The ambulance's oxygen supply was an installation in the ambulance - It was not portable. So although the ambulance techs stayed with me, I ended up sitting in the hallway outside the emergency room facilities without oxygen, turning blue (until I threw a hissy-sit).  Then I sat inside the emergency room basically unattended for about two hours, but at least on oxygen.

I was questioned by an aide of some type, who spoke enough English that my Spanglish got us to the point that I made him understand that this was a chronic lung problem. I only realized later that the emergency room worked more or less on a first-come, first-served basis. They would get to the guy suffering on the end of an oxygen tube right after the lady with the runny nose.

They finally put me in a bed in the corner of the emergency room, hooked up the oxygen and put me on an IV drip to fight off dehydration, and pulled the curtain. And that is where I still was when the hospital-assigned pulmonologist showed up about 10AM the next morning. (It turns out they were waiting for a hospital bed to come available).The doctor was 60ish, spoke no (NO) English, and did not make any attempt to get others help when required to assist in my understanding what he was trying to tell me. (That tendency did not change throughout the week). He studied my chart for a while and then, when it became apparent I wasn't understanding him, he shrugged and left. I did not see him again for about 24 hours, when commenced a repeat performance of the earlier session.

About two hours after the doctor left, a young nurse showed up at my bedside obviously making preparations to move me. When she showed up with a wheelchair, we had a problem because she did not have an oxygen bottle. We 'debated' that subject back and forth (I figured out later that she did not want to be bothered with getting one of the portable bottles. She finally convinced me it would be a quick trip to the oxygen supply in my hospital room – and it would have been if she had not have stopped at the nurses' station to have a conversation.  It also would have been a good idea to have the oxygen equipment in the room when we got there instead of having to go get it someplace.  I was blue! Phew!

Last week when I rolled into the Urgent Care area at Chiriqui Hospital we did not even slow down going through the waiting area. I was pushed directly into the emergency area, transferred to a waiting bed and put on oxygen.  The 'welcoming party' consisted of two nurses, who immediately started doing vital-sign checks, and a young man (who spoke impeccable English) armed with a checklist on a clip board, doing the '20-Questions' thing (history, prescriptions, allergies, etc.)

In the next 1 1/2 hours in the emergency room, I had blood-work done, a chest X-ray,  received two IVs, and two anti-biotic shots. I found out later that this was all being directed by the pulmonologist the hospital had assigned to my case, and his visit to the emergency room was being delayed only until he had the lab results from the blood tests in hand, so he knew what he was dealing with.

Dr. Rafael Rodriguez was THE high point of this entire experience. He speaks English with subtleties and nuances that make it hard to believe, except for his accent, that English is a second-language for him. He described in details my condition, what needed to be done, the sequential steps required and the timing of how it would be done. He also advised me that the daily medical routine I was on for my lung condition was outdated by about three years and what we would do going forward. (I was stunned when I realized how long it had been since I had seen any doctor other than a general practitioner.  A chronic condition and you don't see a specialist for years? Duh!).

At that point Doctor Rodriguez confirmed with the emergency room supervisor that he was admitting me, and within about fifteen minutes a lady from the admissions office was at my bedside with all the admitting paperwork.  Approximately twenty minutes later I was in my hospital room, on oxygen and been administered two shots, three pills and had an anti-biotic IV going.  Welcome to Chiriqui Hospital. 

The Stay In The Hospital

Mae Lewis: Last January I shared my room in the hospital with two other patients, and the small size of the room made for very cramped conditions.  More precisely, I shared the room with about a dozen people as they came/went during my stay. Panamanians are very family oriented – they do a lot of things as a family. And going to the hospital is obviously one of those family things. To say that the room was like a bus station would ignore the fact that the bus station often quiets down between buses.

The visitor traffic volume in a small room induced a claustrophobic effect on me (probably aided by one of the pain-killer medications I was on).  I was in the middle bed in the room and to further  complicate things they would draw the curtains around my bed to provide me 'privacy'.  Gulp! My world reduced to an oxygen hose life-line in a coffin-sized enclosure. I had nightmares for a month afterwords.

The medical staff was also not very helpful and in some cases I thought they were just plain rude. For instance, when they came in to give me an injection, a new drip bag, or a pill I would ask what it was and what it was for.  I got a lot of shrugs, no lo entiendo, or just no answer. I finally cornered one of the nurses who I knew from outside the hospital (knowing she spoke some English) and ask her why they didn't at least tell me in Spanish if they didn't know the English. She said quote, "They don't want to waste their time when they don't think you speak Spanish". Oh?

Chiriqui Hospital:  When the admissions clerk processed me in, she gave me the option of a semi-private room, which I figured for $50 a day had to be worth it. It was!  A large airy room with lots of windows, and just two patients to the room. And as luck would have it I only had two roommates for a total of about 8 hours during the entire stay.

My first visitor was somewhat of a surprise. Dr. Rodriguez brought the head nurse around to meet me. A very nice gesture.

My second visitor was an even bigger surprise.  A young lady arrived bedside with a menu in hand so I could select my choices for the next days meals. She also wanted to know which of the daily newspapers I preferred (it would be delivered with breakfast).  She said she would also be back in a few minutes – she was going to check to see what my choices were for that evening's dinner.  I spent the next 10 minutes waiting for Alan Funt to pop out announcing I was on Candid Camera.  Then I started looking for the hidden camera that goes with getting 'Punked'. No,the young lady was for real.

I also noticed immediately that all the medical staff had obviously been trained to tell you what they were doing. "This pill is ----- and it is for -----". It was a very professional touch. It was in a way comical also (once I got well enough to have a sense of humor). When they take your blood pressure five or six times a day, it is kind of comical for the shy little new nurse to approach with the BP cuff in her hand practically whispering, "presión arterial."  It had also not even occurred to me, until the maids in Chiriqui Hospital came around every day and changed my hospital bed linens, that I spent a week in Mae Lewis and the sheets were never changed.

I also spent the next few days being introduced to new twists to my treatment – so much for previous experiences being predictive of the treatment you are going to receive. A daily injection into the skin on the stomach to open up the blood veins? A large plunger-like injection of a clear liquid prior to receiving an anti-biotic IV drip – designed to protect the stomach so that the antibiotics did not kill the 'good' bacteria. A liquid added to one of the four daily nebulizer treatments to absorb and expel phylum. On and on …..

Discharge – Time To Go Home

For those of you who have missed the pleasure of this type of lung problem, you need to be aware that you are discharged from the hospital when the tests show that the infection is dead. You are NOT ready for the outside world – or at least that part of the world where there are no oxygen tubes. 

But, I knew that going in, so when the doctor at Mae Lewis said it is time to go home, I had, with the help of friends, already had the oxygen delivered to my room at the hotel.

So after seven days in Mae Lewis, I left the hospital on a gurney in the back of an ambulance (with oxygen) back to the hotel. And for about five days I was basically an invalid hanging on to an oxygen line, while my lungs recovered. I weaned myself from the oxygen over about a weeks time. A tough ride made possible by friends and hotel staff that helped me out.

Leaving Chiriqui Hospital was like everything else about this adventure, a different story. I knew I must be going home because when the oxygen tank went empty, they did not come back with a replacement tank right away.  Instead Dr. Rodriguez walked in with a big smile of congratulations, a handful of prescriptions and a follow-up appointment slip for next week. I called my friend and he came by the hospital and picked me up. I walked into the hotel and went upstairs to my room. I then did go to the oxygen for about five minutes since I had been without for over an hour. Today, four days after leaving the hospital I still have a couple of time a day when I need an oxygen boost.

I intentionally saved this as the 'punch line' to top off this experience.  I was in the Chiriqui Hospital for five hours short of three days (3 days!) and practically skipped down the hallway exiting, requiring neither assistance or oxygen!

And, The Bottom Line

So after all of this, what do the numbers look like? What was the cost difference?

The semi-private room was an added expense for my stay at Chiriqui Hospital and I received several more treatments and additive medications so it is reasonable to expect a higher cost. The final surprise is that there was not a cost difference.

What it worked out to is that it cost, all things considered, almost exactly $500 a day in these two instances. So which one would you pick?

Live and learn – maybe!

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida

 

 

 

Another Cruising Adventure (Part 2)

Click on the Thumbnails to See Photos Full-Size

 

Back In Miami

Back in Miami I had some personal diversions and problems with my U.S. Cell phone that took some time and effort to resolve and distracted me. But I did have a chance to see a bit more of Miami – at least the part close to my hotel. And had some interesting moments and equally interesting observations (interesting at least to me).

For starters, I finally got my steak! There was a fantastic steak house a block from my hotel – although a long block. Great food and service - and 'icing on the cake' – a piano bar with a fantastic artist on the key board – my other Achilles Heel. It turns out he had played there 6 nights a week for 15 years. I went back a second night!

I also observed something that was unique (to me). When you have been around as long as I have and been a lot of places you think you have 'seen it all'. Well - I was having lunch in the seafood restaurant across the street from the hotel and a fellow came in by himself, sat down a bar stool away and order a pitcher of beer. When the young lady tending bar asked whether he wanted a regular or a large pitcher, he responded “large”. I thought, 'Wow, this guy is by himself?” When she showed up with his pitcher it was LARGE – she struggled to carry it with both hands.  Then she poured him a mug, handed it to him but did not sit the pitcher up on the bar, and walked off. In a minute she returned with a clear plastic zip-lock bag with a fist-full of ice in it and dropped it in the pitcher before handing it across the bar to him. I had never seen that done before. And it is such an obvious solution for the beer getting warm before you can drink it all. OK, my informal survey since that discovery indicates that some of you have seen that trick and are thinking, “What planet does this guy live on?”.  But I suspect a lot of you would have gazed in amazement right along with me.

 

On To The Grandeur Of The Seas

As is normal, based on my experiences with Royal Caribbean, the loading process was fast and flawless. It was more like a 'just walk on' than a boarding processing. This was the Grandeur's first sailing coming out of a major renovation. I am not certain what all the renovation entailed, but I do know they added some glass elevators in the center-ship atrium (the atrium runs the full height of the ships 10 decks). And, even more important, they added three specialty restaurants – Steakhouse, Italian and French. I was in hog heaven – but only momentarily.

I fully intended to sample all three of the new dining venues, but they were all full. What? I found out that in an effort to fill the ship up, Royal Caribbean had invited 150 travel agents on the cruise. And some bright member of the group had booked 50 people into each restaurant every night. Yikes
 
However, I did manage to weasel my way into the Italian Restaurant on the last night of the cruise. Sad story – Crown and Anchor member – have taken all the previous re-positioning cruises – wa, wa..wa – and surely you have room for a single?

It was worth the whimpering! Oh my was it amazing. This should make your mouth water;

Appetizer: Almond Crusted Scallops with Red Bell Pepper Pesto
Main Course: Maryland Crab Ravioli with Sweet Corn and Crab Sauce
Dessert: Chocolate Cheese Cake with Fresh Strawberries injected with Courvoisier Cognac
After Dinner: Grand Marnier and Coffee

As it turned out, even with Royal Caribbean offering fire-sale pricing and comping at least 250 people I know of, the Grandeur had only about 1,000 guests on board – which is about half the capacity. The ship's crew exceeded the number of passengers. Which at first blush sounds OK, no crowding. But that also meant for the most part the ship was dead- like a morgue. In my previous trips the piano bar would be full and rocking past midnight nightly. This time around there might be no more than a dozen people. And Karaoke Night in one of the big theaters was a big deal. On the first night I went to check it out and there were maybe a dozen people spread around this huge auditorium.

Another interesting occurrence – On the first night the pretty little cocktail waitress serving during Happy Hour in the piano bar looked familiar. I was certain I knew her from a previous cruise and she responded like she remembered me. A few minutes later I heard someone call my name and when I turned around it was Kevin my former bartender at TGI Fridays in David who went with Royal Caribbean about two years ago – partly due to my urging. The cocktail waitress (Kevin's girlfriend) had gone to get him from behind the bar in the VIP lounge to come and say hello. Turns out I knew her from Fridays as well – right face, wrong place. Had a nice visit, albeit short. However, they are both from David and when the ship reached Colon they both were taking a five week vacation, so we plan to get together some evening for dinner.

The disembarking in Colon was flawless primarily due to the way Royal Caribbean does things in cooperation with the Panamanian government. When you board the ship in Miami you give them your passport (in exchange for a receipt). That gives the Panamanian Immigration officers on board three days to sit on the ship and process everyone into Panama. So there are no long slow lines, no forms to fill out, and no stamping of passport – it has all been taken care of. By the way, I talked to one of the immigration officers on board one afternoon. Let's just say he likes his present assignment.

 

Back In Colon
 

We arrived in Colon Sunday morning and it was a gray overcast day. We then discovered that parts of Panama, including Colon had experienced heavy rains for several days. Parts of the city had been flooded - and some low-lying areas still were. Many people had been evacuated had events (including schools) had been canceled. The damage and destruction was enough to require in national government to mobilize federal emergency agencies - and in the following days, relief agencies.

[Don Winner on Panama Guide tried to explained to visitors and the 'un-initiated' expats what 'heavy rain' meant in Panama and the damage it could do. He noted that is was not like standing under a shower going full blast. Instead it is more like being shot with a fire hose. And for a couple of days straight. You can also imagine the effect on rivers and streams. One man credited the fact that he was alive to the fact that he was awake when the water encroached on his house in the middle of the night. He saw water leaking under his front door into his house. Within five minutes the water was up to the ceiling in his house. The guy is convinced he would not have known what hit him if he had been asleep.]

Our taxi cab driver was late, but call me to say he was on his way, but had 'some problems' with the highway coming from Panama City. As it turned out the trip over to Panama City was an adventure. Turns out the problem the driver had was that the heavy rains had caused a huge mud slide that closed the highway to/from Colon. The position of the Canal (it runs from Colon past the edge of Panama City) serves to limit the route alternatives - to practically nothing. But thank goodness, a couple of months ago they opened a new toll road between Colon and the capitol, that doesn't get much business because of the $$$s. But they waived the tolls, and we navigated our way to the toll road, and finally made it to Panama City.

We had decided in advance to spend the day in Panama City and have an 'NFL Sunday' in the Veneto, the big Wyndham Grand Hotel and Casino in downtown Panama City. The sports book is in a big room in the back of their huge casino and it comes complete with not only lots of TVs turned to different NFL games. However, what my friend Michael like even better is that the sports book includes a Vegas-style betting desk that uses Vegas odds and spreads.

The Veneto has become somewhat of a 'required stop' when travels take me to and through Tocumen Airport. As I said earlier, I try to take the 'pressure' out of travel and it is much less stressful to just plan to overnight in Panama City than to worry about whether some glitch (late regional flight from David down to Panama City, traffic jam between airports, etc.) will cause you to miss your flight out of the country. As many of you know, it expensive to have to re-book a flight ($150-200). And the Las Vegas Suites Hotel is our preferred lodging choice.

The Las Vegas is very clean, comfortable and quiet. And it is practically sitting in the Veneto parking area (this photo is looking at the Las Vegas from the front entrance of the Veneto).  Among other goodies it offers free high speed internet. It has a bar and restaurant downstairs, with seating on the front patio (street-side) and and open-air restaurant seating in a courtyard in the center of the hotel. There is also an Italian restaurant that you enter by going outside the hotel to a side entrance. And I like their security procedures. Not only is it unlikely that an un-authorized person would get by the front desk, a security person is guarding the elevator. And You have to swipe your room key card to operate the elevator. It is also about half the price of the 'big' hotels in the area.

We did not break the bank on Sunday and our trip back to David was marred only by some bad flying weather. We boarded our flight in the rain and then  held at the end of the runway on take-off as a thunderstorm moved through (complete with thunder and lightening). But we made it back to David in one piece and in time to see the Monday night NFL game (priorities!).

And now I am getting settled back in. Learning to enjoy again the beautiful evenings in this part of the country, the noisy chatter of the several 100 small parrots that have taken up residency in the park and the view of the park from my balcony.

 

Life is Good. Till Next Time.
Pura Vida

Another Cruising Adventure

 

Click on Photo Thumbs to View Full-Size Pics 

Cruise Ship Repositioning

About 4 years ago Royal Caribbean started operating out of Colon, Panama. They operate for the six month 'cruise season' and then have what in the industry is called a 'repositioning cruise' to its next operating home, usually one of the U.S. ports. Then in the Spring reposition the ship back in Panama.

They have to cut the price to the bone for these repositionings, I think primarily because most people are not interested in not returning to the place they left from. For the first two years these repositionings aligned with my normal Spring/Fall return to visit friends and family in the U.S. So I jumped on the repositionings and not only enjoyed the cruises but could rationalize that it was saving me money because I only had to buy one round-trip airline ticket a year (If I ignore my bar bill on-board the ship?). Now however I can't use that rationalization because they keep changed the 'cruise season' - the late Sept cruise to Panama has now slipped to late Nov.

But I became good friends with a guy who also takes these cruises - a retired British Airways executive who travels a lot. Although he lives in Miami, he spends several months a year in David and plans to retire here. He and I have taken several of these repositioning trips, so I flew up to Miami to make the Thanksgiving repositioning departure back to Colon.

However I rationalized even further, deciding it was not 'cost effective' to go all the way to Miami just to make a three day run back to Panama. So I went early and took a 3-day trip with Norwegian Cruise Line with a couple of stops in the Bahamas. Add a second cruise and 3 days expenses in Miami = cost effective - right? Ha!

 

Off I Go!

My itinerary called for me to depart David on the first local flight on Thursday morning (15 Nov). I had made arrangements for my favorite cab driver at Panama City's regional airport to then take me across town to the international airport.  My flight to Miami would arrive about 5PM and that would give me about a 24-hour pad - since my cruise did not depart Miami until 5PM Friday.

Airport at David. As you can see I try to avoid what I call 'crunch' travel schedules where any little glitch or significant delayed blows up the schedule.

The David airport is supposedly going to start operating international flights directly out of here early next year.  I say 'supposedly' because no airlines have committed to such plans.  That may be because the airport is still in its renovation and expansion phase - changes required to convert it from a regional  to an international airport.  When my taxi pulled up we discovered that the drive in front of the terminal was closed up. So I had to drag my luggage about 100 feet up a slight incline to the terminal. A minor inconvenience?  Except when its raining!  Great start, Grrrr....

After making my way through security (God you would think this local flight was going to fly directly over both the Vatican and the White House). Shoes off, belt off, watch off (watch?), etc., etc....

About the only good part at this point is that now there is only a short wait to board the aircraft.  I arrive at the airport and hour before flight departure - and I was the first arrival. The airline clerks were just turning on the computers and the security gates where not even open. (Panamanians 'know the drill'. Many of them don't even arrive at the airport until about departure time.)

Then when we walked out the door to walk to the aircraft (Yes, walk - no departure 'tunnels' extending to the aircraft door), I see that the aircraft is sitting on the empty parking ramp clear down at the other end of the terminal building - AGAIN??  Don't ask, I don't know and couldn't figure it out.

The flights to Panama City are much more pleasant now that Air Panama has replaced their small two engine turboprops with the twin engine jets - the Fokker 70. Very comfortable, both in internal space and ride. And very fast – it seems the pilot starts letting down for landing as soon as he gets us to cruising altitude.

 

Panama City's Tocumen International Airport

Willie, my cab driver, was waiting for me when I arrive - in fact he had walked out to the arrival gate in case I needed an assistance.  And the 40 minute ride to Tocumen International was uneventful in light traffic on the freeway. (You may find it interesting that the 40 minute ride in Panama City cost $25. A 15 minute ride in Miami from my hotel to the port was $40 including the tip.)

Having a couple of hours to waste in Tocumen airport is not fun. There is practically nothing to do unless you want to shop. But don't celebrate that option until you realize that practically all the shopping venues are high-end duty-free shops pushing designer-type products. Look at the photo - all the shops you can see in this corridor are duty free shops - both floors. Plus this photo only shows about half the aisle - and this is just one of four such corridors. There are not even any news stands, and I have only found two small restaurants in the airport. But at least they have added a couple of fast food walk-up stands since the last time I went through there.

The real 'fun' leaving the airport is the security hassle. Trust me, unless you have been through the 'security drill' in this part of the world - you ain't seen nothing. You have to pass through the full-blown check to get from the airport lobby (where the ticketing and baggage turn-in occurs) into the departure area.

By "full-blown" I mean document checks; then pass through the carry-on baggage scanners (take computer out of bag; empty pockets and take off watch; hats, jackets, shoes and belts off; and walk through the x-ray machine) And if you beep, you get - free of charge - a pat down.

Then the 'real kicker'!  You and everyone in the departure area have already passed through the security check, and that includes all the airport and shop employes. As your departure time nears, airline employees arrive to open up your specific departure gate area (the entrances have been cordoned off till now). But before they open up the departure gate area security people arrive and set up the security equipment - YES. security equipment - everything except the walk-through X-ray stand.  And we do an exact repeat of the previous security check except, since there is no X-ray walk-through, everyone gets a complete pat-down (not the 'wand treatment' - a physical pat-down).  And to top it off, after your section of the aircraft is called, as you enter the loading tunnel, immigration officers double check (triple check?) everyone's passport.

Thank goodness the American Airlines flight was on time, not full and 3 1/2 hours later we landed in Miami. Phew, what a day!

 

Welcome to Miami

I had made reservations at the Fairfield Inn @ Airport based primarily on its proximity to the airport, along with photos and reviews. It was also reasonably priced, at least for the Miami airport area. It does not have a bar or a restaurant (the complimentary breakfast is served in a lounge type of area), so I asked the desk clerk where was a good place to have a drink and watch the football game, preferably a sports bar (NFL Thursday night).  She directed me to a place just around the corner and it wasn't until I got there that I discovered that it was the Airport Marriott - or more precisely a Marriott complex also including a Residence Inn and a Marriott Courtyard (I discovered the next day that, although the Fairfield Inn is not in the adjoining Marriott complex, it is also a Marriott property).

As I walked up the long driveway I was pretty certain the Sports Book was not in the Airport Marriott, but I could get directions. Sure enough I needed to go through the hotel, outside around the pool and into the Courtyard. But since I was standing right next to the beautiful lobby bar, decided I needed a drink.

Bienvenidos a los Estados Unidos. No matter how prepared you THINK you are to return to the States, I think living in Panama spoils you. Every trip back to the U.S. I have to suffer a form of Culture Shock all over again.

Coming from Panama where a mixed drink is $1.50 and a taxi ride to practically anywhere in town is the same - I had not mentally shifted gears and I guess I wasn't ready for a drink in the lobby bar. They didn't have Seagram’s 7 so I 'settled' for Canadian Club. When I declined a refill, the bartender handed me my tab. The drink cost me $10.50 with the tax. I just stared at it for a moment, and thank goodness looked carefully at it so did not say, "I only had one". Gulp!

I made it to the sports bar (finally) and my tab for 2 drinks, a plate of nachos and tip was $40. Phew!  Later as I walked back to my hotel. I felt like I had just fallen off the 'turnip truck'. Duh!

Spanish in Miami. One of the things I find very interesting (never having spent any time in Miami) is that I heard more Spanish spoken in Miami than in Panama. I am serious, in the  3 days I spent there, I am not aware of a single person that I came across that did not speak Spanish. And it was obvious that for the majority of them it was their native language. And no I was not out cruising around in the barrios someplace. The area I was in near the airport was very upscale with big hotels and fancy restaurants. Ironically it was only after I boarded the cruise ship, where the overwhelming majority of the crew members are from foreign countries, that I began to hear English spoken again.  I began to wonder if a person who moved to Miami who did not speak Spanish would have trouble find a job. ???

 

A 3-day Look At The Bahamas On Norwegian

About noon on Friday (16 Nov) I boarded the Norwegian Sky for a three day adventure to the Bahamas (OK, three days is a mini-adventure). The itinerary called for us to spend Saturday tied-up off the coast of a small Norwegian private island to enjoy a day on the beach complete with a BBQ, bands, water sports, etc. And Nassau was on the schedule for Sunday, before returning to Miami on Sunday. Sounded like a good time!

After having sailed quite a bit with Royal Caribbean, I tend to compare all other lines to what I have experienced and expect out of RCCL. My first pleasant surprise from Norwegian was that there boarding process was very efficient – definitely in the same class as RCCL. (On Carnival boarding is such a long drawn out hassle I began to wonder if the boarding fiasco was one of the seven days of the cruise.)

Norwegian's 'welcome process' is even better than RCCL. No they did not have a reception on the pool deck with a free drink-of-the-day, but every bar on the ship was open (not one) and all the restaurants were as well (not just two). And many of the staff were stationed around the ship in the native costumes of their respective countries. In addition, many of them had musical instruments and where singing and dancing. Yes, "Welcome Aboard."

When I got up and started moving around Saturday morning I realized that we were anchored.  "Must be at the island", I thought. So I stepped out on my balcony only to find that it was raining and a fog blanketed the area. There was nothing in sight. About an hour later I heard a boat approaching, and sure enough a shuttle boat was pulling up. The rain had stop and I could see the island. No longer hidden by the lifting fog, the island was less than 100 yards off the starboard side.

However there was a rolling surf ( looked like about four feet) and I watched the people who boarded first turn green while waiting for the boat to fill up. An hour later things had not improved much, so I pulled out my Kindle and made new plans for the day. I also decided that time spent on small islands in the middle of nowhere should probably be set aside for ship wreck survivors.

Since I had been to Nassau before, I had a plan for what I wanted to do.  I decided it would be best to take the cruise line's bus over to the huge Atlantis Hotel and Casino where I had spent a wonderful day before (although it was years ago). And yes,  I could catch a cab out on the street, but that meant I would have to wade through about half the population of the town to get to the street – all selling touristy junk of some variety – and all selling at varying levels of aggressiveness. No thanks.

I was advised that the bus was just for the passengers who had purchased the 'Day-Pass' at the Atlantis – price $79.  "What does the $79 get me?"  Well, a ride over and back, a beach chair, a beach towel, and a buffet lunch. I went back to my cab idea!

However the next morning I discovered that we were tied up and the far end of the pier (from town). I had spent the last three days limping around after having dropped my fully loaded suitcase on my right foot.  For some reason that long walk just to get off the pier ( which looked like ¼ mile) did not seem so inviting.  I suddenly remembered that I had not finished that book I had started. Back to the Kindle. BTW, it started raining right after noon.

One of the reasons I was really looking forward to sailing with Norwegian was the fact that the SKY has three specialty restaurants – a Steakhouse, Italian and French. (For those of you who haven't sailed, the specialty restaurants on Royal Caribbean [my only previous experience] are very upscale, a gourmet touch, only a small charge [$15-30] – a real pampering). Since steak in the part of the world I live in is inedible, I did not hesitate - I picked The Steak House for the very first night. The room and the ambiance were nice, the service impeccable, and the 'main course warm-up' (spinach salad and lobster bisque) outstanding. I ordered the fillet, not because it is my favorite cut, because I longed for a tender piece of beef. It was delivered – a piece of beauty – and totally inedible. Needed a power tool to cut it. Ouch!

I decided to give them a second chance and tried the French Bistro the next night. To rate it 'so-so' is stretching it. Let's just say I canceled my reservation in Antonio' Italian for the next night. Probably just as well, the duck dish in the main dining room Sunday night was excellent..  

I also decided on this adventure that I am not a fan of balcony cabins – at least not the ones on the SKY. First of all the cabin is very small – very small. I the balcony is of little use. It is uncomfortable to sit out there when the ship is underway – windy!  And when you are tied up in port, you are usually not in your cabin. Or as was my case, when you are tied up your cabin is on the wrong side of the ship. You have a wonderful view of endless miles of ocean rather than a view of the city.

 

Back To Miami

Yes, we did make it back to Miami on Monday morning. And all-in-all it was a very fun experience. I will sail with Norwegian again at some time in the future.

To top off the weekend, when I got back to my hotel they let me check-in early. In fact they let me check in several hours early. I guess they got tired of me sitting in the lobby sobbing. Home Sweet Home.

 

To Be Continued

Part Two Coming On Friday (more or less)

 

A National Crises In Panama

 

Crises Conditions in Panama

The country of Panama has been in a turmoil for over a week over a controversial piece of legislation. And as the week went on, things only got worse- and worse. It hass become a national crises and certain parts of the country, particularly Colon are practically under siege. Colon is Panama's second largest city and is the 'mouth' of the Panama Canal (on the Caribbean side) and the nation's biggest port. The Free Trade Zone is the largest such facility in the Western hemisphere and the 2nd largest in the world.

Here is a summary of what has been going on, starting with an over view by Don Winner of Panama Guide, the #1 news source in English in the country.

------------------- 

Protest In Colon Against Sale of Free Trade Zone Lands

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide

This morning protest actions continue in the province of Colon, and the rejection of the government's plan to sell the lands of the Colon Free Trade Zone is about the only thing that's making headlines today. It's important to point out National Assembly already passed this law last week. President Ricardo Martinelli immediately endorsed the Bill and signed it into law, and it was quickly published in the Official Gazette. With those things accomplished, it is now the law of the land. So if you hear anyone using the word "veto" they don't know that they are talking about because that ship has already sailed. .....

About The Protests:

Some of the protests against this law are genuine. However there were a great many people who just took advantage of the chaos to loot stores and steal things. Some of the "protesters" (gang bangers) were shooting their weapons at the police officers from apartment buildings. One 9 year old child was shot and killed in the cross fire. Police officers abused detainees - and one fat coward was caught on amateur video kicking a handcuffed suspect in the face repeatedly and jumping up and down on the back of his neck.

More Coming Today:

All of the "normal" protest groups will be coming out in force today. For example the SUNTRACS construction union will be joining forces with the protesters. It should be pointed out that the SUNTRACS labor union only has about 12,000 members, while more than 250,000 (if not more) are now employed in the various construction projects going on around the country. SUNTRACS is more political than labor union oriented. Then of course there's the FRENADESO - same thing. A small group of minority radicals. The Chamber of Commerce of Panama has also gone political. It's president is now someone who is opposed to Ricardo Martinelli so whatever he does is always immediately "bad" in general. Anyway, you can expect protests and marches and stuff all week long. Just remember - the law has already been passed and Martinelli is in Japan. Great time to protest, against a done deal.

Rent vs Sell:

At the heart of the issue is the question: Is it better to sell the lands of the Colon Free Trade Zone, or to continue to rent them forever. The government of Ricardo Martinelli wants to sell them. Martinelli wants to get as much money as he can from the businessmen in the Colon Free Trade Zone, then in the future they will expand the area (or, make a new one somewhere else) - and they will be screwed. Remember - Martinelli does not like these people. He owns the chain of 99 Supermarkets and he's an "outsider" when it comes to the businessmen of the Colon Free Trade Zone. He wants to hit them where it hurts - in their wallets.

The Colon Trust Fund:

....there is a trust fund that's been established for Colon.  Supposedly, under the old law, 25% of the money paid to the government in rent every year goes into that trust fund. According to the Economy Minister Frank de Lima, right now the government receives about $33 million dollars per year in rent. So therefore - supposedly - the government should be paying $8.25 million into that trust fund, every year. Now with this new law the government hopes to sell the lands of the Colon Free Zone for $400 million dollars. And, they have increased the rate to be paid into the trust fund by 10%, bringing it up to 35%. So therefore, the trust fund would receive $140 million dollars from the sales of these lands. At that rate it would have taken 17 years for the trust fund to get that much money from the rent.

Who Is Really Behind The Protests:

Don't think for a minute that the people of Colon are the ones who really care about these issues - because they do not. The protests are being organized and funded by the businessmen of the Colon Free Trade Zone because they don't like it, and they want it to go away. They are perfectly happy paying the rent on their concessions, as things are now. Once the concessions expire then the government can sell the land out from under them, to someone else (in all practical purposes, forcing them to buy). But these protests are being funded by the businessmen (multi millionaires - if not billionaires) who own the concessions, not the poor people of Colon who are actually out there throwing stones, blocking streets, and burning tires. Don't be naive.

So Once Again, It Comes Down To The Money:

Businessmen fighting over the money. Bank accounts, government contracts, corruption - the spoils of an election victory. I've become convinced that there's no practical difference between any of the political parties in Panama, they are all corrupt, so that becomes the common denominator. So do I care (personally) if the lands of the Colon Free Trade Zone are sold or not? No, frankly I couldn't care less. Martinelli was elected to office, and now he's going after one more source of money - the land of the Colon Free Trade Zone. Is anyone surprised? There will be lots and lots of reporting on the details, at least until everyone runs out of steam. In the meantime, Martinelli is in Japan. Once again, he lights the fuse, then he lights the engines on jet so the doesn't have be around to smell the tear gas...

---------------------------

I thought the best place to start was to let Don outline the problem. And here is a running summary of the highlights (lowlights?) that have been going on since. One of the things you learn about living in Panama is you have to take the bad with the good. And this is defintely not good.

Saturday 11/20 

(Fox News Latino) A 10-year-old boy was killed and at least nine people were wounded by gunfire in protests against a law authorizing the sale of state-owned land in the Panamanian duty-free zone of Colon.

The National Police clashed throughout the day Friday with groups of demonstrators opposed to the law and with looters who ransacked establishments in downtown Colon. Medical personnel at the Manuel Amador Guerrero Hospital told local television that a 10-year-old boy was caught in the crossfire and died of a bullet wound to the stomach, while six people were treated there for bullet wounds and an unspecified number for pellet wounds.

The National Police, meanwhile, said in a statement that three officers were wounded by gunfire and five others by sharp objects. "Three stores were looted and two gas stations vandalized" in Colon, the statement added, noting that "charges will be filed against all individuals caught carrying firearms" in the city.

The governor of Colon province, Pedro Rios, declared a curfew starting at nightfall Friday in a bid to control the situation.

According to local media, the National Police officers used their service weapons after coming under fire from looters taking advantage of the situation. Local media footage of the clashes showed rock throwing and tear gas and shots fired, as well as some arrests made in a low-income area of the city. The TVN network also reported that groups of rioters fired shots at journalists covering the disturbances.

Panama's Federation of Chambers of Commerce issued a statement Friday denouncing "acts of vandalism" in Colon, although it also reiterated its opposition to the law allowing the sale of state-owned land in the duty-free zone and called on the government to repeal it.

A labor leader in Colon, Edgardo Boitier, announced that protests will continue until President Ricardo Martinelli rescinds the law, which the National Assembly approved on Friday.

The president signed the law that same day despite widespread opposition from different political and business sectors, saying it will improve the quality of life of Colon's inhabitants. In an interview with TVN television, the president accused "professional agitators" of fanning the protests for political or ideological reasons and to "create chaos." He defended the sale of state-owned land in the Colon duty-free zone, saying the wealthy cannot be allowed to pay a pittance for leasing land for the import and export of goods, while "the poorest are having problems." "Much better times are ahead" for the Caribbean city, he said in the interview, calling for calm among local residents.

The Colon Free Trade Zone, a port at the Atlantic gateway to the Panama Canal that is located 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Panama City, is considered the world's second most important duty-free area after Hong Kong.

 

Monday 11/22

Protests and demonstrations against Law 72 have continued on Monday, in Colon. The situation became tense when hundreds of people came out of the apartment buildings and rushed against riot control units, after gunfire was exchanged by both parties from the top of the apartments, and they were throwing stones and glass against the National Police officers. It was learned that a National Police officer was injured on Monday in the legs, with a firearm projectile, as he faced youth in the areas

[Don Winner Comments: The fundamental story does not change. There are running clashes between protesters and riot control police in the city of Colon. Roads are closed by protesters, then reopened by riot control police. Both sides are using their firearms. In short, stay the hell away from Colon, or any other protest that might pop up, anywhere else in the country.]

The Presidency Minister, Roberto Henriquez, appealed for calm and sanity to cease recent violent acts that affect everyone, and said there will be talks with the various players in the province of Colon, including Monsignor Audilio Aguilar, who will meet on Sunday afternoon.

"We call for peace, for calm and nonviolence, we must lay attitudes, it is important that we can understand each other," said the Minister, adding that there will be talks with the different players in Colon in order to hear their concerns about Law 72.

Members of civil society and representatives of the Church yesterday showed their rejection of police abuse that became apparent after an amateur video showed the way two men were abused during the riots of October 19 in the province of Colon

A group of lawyers have met and expressed their solidarity with the protesters in Colon and their rejection of Law 72, which allows for the sale of the lands of the Colon Free Trade Zone. The group said this afternoon they would file a suit against the law claiming it is unconstitutional, because the lands of the Colon Free Zone cannot be sold, since they are in a mangrove area, and what's more they say the lands of the area belong to the Panama Canal. They also added there are 11 cases of people who claim to have been taken from their homes in the middle of the protests.

 

Tuesday 11/23

The bridge built by the Government to start a dialog with the forces around Colon over Law 72 authorizing the sale of the land in the Free Zone, failed.

Last night, in a statement, the sectors representing the people in Colon conditioned the meeting with the commission on the repeal of the law. Still, Luis Eduardo Camacho, Communications Secretary of State, said the commission will travel to Colon in any case.

Don Winner (Panama Guide) Comments: The government of Ricardo Martinelli is losing the war of "hearts and minds" on this issue. Informal talks on the street among run of the mill Panamanians think it just "doesn't make sense" to sell the lands of the Colon Free Trade Zone. Their efforts to explain how and why this is a good thing (from their point of view) are failing.

The strike paralyzed trade the city of Colon, and it was accompanied by street protests by the citizens. The police cracked down on the protesters with the support of officers from the State Border Service, an elite group trained in combat against irregular Colombian guerrillas, and yesterday they were was disguised with masks and armed with assault rifles.

At least eight people were injured, including a seven year old girl who was shot in the abdomen. The protests spread to Panama City, where SUNTRACS workers marched to the National Assembly.

Similar demonstrations occurred in Chiriqui, Bocas del Toro and Veraguas involving the indigenous Ngäbe Bugle people.

The unrest in Colon, according to the Chamber of Shipping, is having side effects on the movement of cargo by rail and in the ports of Manzanillo, Panama Ports, and the Colon Container Terminal.

Amid protests that occur in the city of Colon, was the death of the driver of an ambulance while transporting patients from Sabanitas to Colon. The accident occurred in the 4 Altos de Colón, when the driver tried to dodge some stones, the driver ran headlong into another car. The ambulance left the road and hit with the restraining bars. There was a father in the back of the ambulance with his small daughter (the patient) in his arms. He got out of the ambulance, and continued on to the hospital in a taxi. Police and firemen responded to the scene to recover the driver's corpse.

Cargo truck drivers of Colon have gone on strike in support of the people who oppose Law 72, which allows the sale of land of the Free Zone. Alejandro Vanegas, leader of the cargo carriers, said the strike began today at 12:00 noon, for 48 hours, extendable.

 

Wednesday 11/24

The sectors opposed to the sale of land in the Colon Free Zone today rejected the government's offer to repeal the section of the law that permits the sale of the land, and they said they would continue their protests, which have caused deaths and paralyzed the port city, until the entire law is repealed . (Note: The government said it is willing to repeal only the Article of Law 72 which allows for the sale of the lands of the Colon Free Zone.)  The leader of the Broad Colon Front Felipe Cabezas said the forces of Colon will continue with their protests and strikes, which began on Monday, and they will not sit down to talks until after the government repeals Law 72 in its entirety.

Groups of demonstrators marched through one sector of the city of Colon this morning without incident, the city which houses the largest free zone in the continent, in the first of several marches announced for this day in the city. Commercial transportation and classes in schools have been suspended.

In Panama City

The SUNTRACS construction union came out to screw up traffic all over Panama City. They knew all of the riot control police officers of the National Police were deployed to Colon, so they took advantage of the situation to launch simultaneous street closures on every key road and avenue in Panama City.

In Panama City the blocked several streets, including Calle 50 where they burned tires, Via España, Transistmica, Tumba Muerto (in at least two different places), as well as 12 de Octubre in front of the KFC, via Tocumen at El Crisol,

They also closed several highways, including the road from Arraijan to Panama City in front of Howard, effectively shutting down the Bridge of the Americas. They also protested somewhere on the road leading to the Centennial Bridge, which is also now jammed up and not moving. In addition, the Southern Corridor is basically closed, and people have abandoned buses and are now walking on the roadway, trying to get to their destinations.

The leadership of the SUNTRACS said they are doing these protests for one hour as a warning, and if the Law 72 is not repealed then they would close the roads for 24 hours. By now the various roadblocks should have been lifted, but it will take hours for things to return to normal.

Other Protestors

Mi Diario is reporting that at least ten high school students from the National Institute have been arrested by the National Police, as the result of running battles with riot control officers. The newspaper published the following photos. [Larry notes: Don't you think it is strange that these girls don't seem to be the same as the young males who were throwing rocks with their faces covered by masks?] 

[Don Winner - Panama Guide noted: Apparently the television cameras from channel 13 Telemetro captured images of the riot control officers actually throwing the rocks that had been thrown at them by the high school students, back at the students. Yup, eye for an eye, stone for a stone. This might sound like a good plan to the riot control officers at first glance, because they have the advantage of wearing helmets and other protective equipment. But, sooner or later one of those stones is going to hit a kid in the head, and either kill him or cause brain damage. Dumb. Unprofessional. Not thought through. Bad plan. They should stick to rock salt and tear gas...]

The National Police later announced that they arrested a total of 34 high school students  from the National Institute during the violent street protests that took place this morning along La Avenida de los Mártires, Calle J, and other streets near the school. The National Police said the students would be turned over to their parents, and it would fall to the school's principal and the Ministry of Education to take any disciplinary actions against the students.

Riot control officers of the National Police are now clashing with university students  from the University of Panama on Via Transistmica. The riot control forces in Panama City have been drawn thin by the riots in Colon, so they had to first deal with the problems on La Avenida de los Mártires with the high school students from the National Institute, and now they have apparently shifted their focus towards Via Transistmica. Running street battles continue.

A television cameraman from SERTV Noticias was injured while covering the street protests, riots, and clashes between the demonstrators and the riot control officers of the National Police near the National Institute this morning. He was hit by a thrown rock, and required three stitches to close the wound. He is in stable condition.

A large group of protesting nurses have apparently come out of the Santo Tomas hospital in Panama City and are protesting by blocking Ave. Balboa. Thus far, no police officers have responded to the scene, and traffic is backing up. Right now the national police forces have been spread thin due to the problems in Colon, the protests by the SUNTRACS construction workers this morning, and the protesting high school kids. So anyway, as if things weren't bad enough already, you can add Ave Balboa to the list of places to avoid.

 

Thursday 11/25

In Panama City the National Assembly has declared themselves to be in "permanent session" as they await the results of the talks in Colon.

The church is weighing in. The Bishop of Colon Audilio Aguilar is calling for calm, and for the talks to proceed, in order to avoid more violence and deaths. He said "for the good of Colon I am prepared to do everything possible to promote dialog." Right now the Bishop is acting as a sort of "shuttle diplomat" running back and forth between the two groups, trying to bring them together for talks, in order to end the violence.

So far at least three people have been killed, including one nine year old child. As of yesterday more than 20 people have been injured by gunfire, and the police have arrested 275 people.

There was a brief skirmish at the intersection where Calle 16 in Colon intersects the main drag. Protesters had closed the street and were just standing there. Riot control officers arrived to the area but they didn't do anything. When the police officers started to shoot video and take pictures of the protesters, they responded by throwing stones at the police officers. Since then the protesters reopened the street, and the area has since returned to calm.

Back in Panama City, the university students who are protesting on Via Transistmica near the University of Panama have vowed to keep the street closed, saying no one will be able to push them off, and taunting the riot control police. And of course the riot control police responded by pushing them off of the street. Exchanges of rocks for tear gas continue.



Friday (11/26)

Starting at 7:30 Friday morning the SUNTRACS construction labor union came out in force to block practically all of the major streets and highways in and around Panama City. Still blocked are;

Calle 50 in front of the old Dante Mansion (Obarrio);

Ave Balboa and the Coastal Strip;

Via Israel near the Multiplaza Mall;

Via Transistmica at the La Salle school;

Via Transistmica at the Estrella Azul plant;

Tumba Muerto at the Brisas del Golf entrance;

Tumba Muerto at the Roosevelt overpass;

Tumba Muerto closed at Villa Lucre and El Crisol;

The Southern Corridor at the ATLAPA toll booth;

Intersection of Tumba Muerto and Transistmica overpass bridge closed (San Miguelito);

Pan American highway at Westland Mall (La Chorrera);

Pan American Highway at Howard (Bridge of the Americas);

And There Are Probably Others:

The cellular telephone network is quickly becoming saturated to the point of collapse, because everyone wants to make calls at the same time. The streets are full of people who are stuck in traffic, who can't move either forward or back, and there's nothing they can do.

To Be Continued - It's Not Over

Till Next Time. Pura Vida

 

So What's Happening In Panama?

 

Security in Panama

One of the first things you notice when you arrive in David is that there are security people everywhere. The first thing you notice are the number federal police - seldom can you look out on the downtown Central Park and not see a pair of police officers (and usually more than one pair).  This was especially noticeable having just come from Costa Rica where the police seem to be collectively missing-in-action.

Then as you become acclimated to downtown David you realize that there are private, armed security guards in most businesses as well. The pharmacy, supermarkets, casinos, department stores, and many others all have security people as well as the more obvious businesses such as jewelry stores and pawn shops (where you normally have to be buzzed in the front door as well). And if you go to one of the city's malls, you find that evry store, regardless of the type of merchandise being offered, have security people including the restaurants.

According to the latest data just released there are 17,500 people working as private security guards in Panama.  And the security-related companies in Panama billed as a whole $18 million per month. That is big business!

In a country of only about 3 million people, when you factor out the 1/3 (about a million folks) who live in the boodocks, that leaves about 2 million in Panama City and the handfull of other cities (and their suburbs) in the country. That works out to approximately one person in the security business for every 100 residents. And if you then factor out children and retirees, you end up with one person in the security business for every 40-50 working age adults in the urban areas.

U.S. based businesses and chain restaurants have to adapt to the security environment in Panama, particularly in Panama City where crime is more prevalent than in the rest of the country. Last year the owners of a new Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in Panama City decided that a fast food place certainly did not require armed security guards. Didn't take long for the word to get around. They were robbed three times in as many weeks - ugly incidents with armed robbers in broad daylight in a restaurants full of customers. The KFC managers changed their mind on the security issue.

All in all, the security presence makes for a very quiet and tranquil environment. And this is partly due to the fact that the security people, including the police, are very low-key and not in the least bit imposing.

 

Tourism Continues To Grow

 The total expenditure of the tourists who visited Panama from January to May 2012 was 923.8 million dollars, an increase by 21.1% over last year.

A government report also revealed  an increase in the average number of hotel rooms occupiede per day, up from 3,973 last year to 4,831 this year. However, due to the increase in the number of hotel rooms operating in Panama City (a result of the 'building boom') - with 2,137 new rooms added last year- the overall rate of hotel occupancy declined slightly this year.

On average, the total number of visitors have increased by 6.6% every year since 2009, primarily due to the effort to increase the number of air links from various destination, for both local and foreign airline companies.

Don Winner Also Notes An Added Long-Term Benefit To The Tourist Traffic: ...Very often future residents start their Panama experience by visiting a few times as tourists. It's nice when a tourist comes here to spend a few thousand bucks. But it's even better when they come here to spend a few hundred thousand dollars, to buy a house, buy a car, and spend all of their retirement money....... So, while tourists are great, expat residents with an income and money in the bank are even better.

 

A Job Fair In Panama City

 Last Saturday they held a job fair organized by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development at a big arena (Arena Roberto Duran) in downtown Panama City. The numbers are interesting to say the least.

Interested job seekers carrying their resumes, identity cards, previous job references, food handler cards, and a copy of their driver's licenses where out in big numbers. Why the big turn-out? Over 27,000 vacancies were being offered, by 130 participating companies from around the country.

However it is not all good news. Here are the some comments on the subject from Don Winner (Panama Guide): So, if 130 companies are trying to fill 27,000 vacancies, that's an average of 207 jobs per company. The underlying fundamental manpower shortage continues in Panama. There are more jobs available than people to fill them. Sooner or later, something has to give. I have come to the conclusion that the government of Panama wants to keep this shortage in effect. The increasingly intense competition for skilled employees creates an upward pressure on wages, as employees are forced to cannibalize employees from their competitors, in order to obtain the labor force they need to get the work done. This means employees will make more money across the board. However it's a dangerous strategy because it's flirting with inflation, which can be crippling in the long term.

Larry Adds: Panama is going to have to open up their labor market. To protect the Panamanian workforce they have very strict and restrictive laws on foreigners working in Panama. Their economu has now outgrown the available local labor market, and is still growing. The government has already made 'concession' and allowed foreign workers are the big construction projects in Panama (the canal expansion and construction of the Panama City subway).  But something has got to give across the entire labor front.

 

The Continuing Drug War

Panama is making Herculean efforts in fighting drug trafficking. Every day there is at least one big bust and hopefully the word will get out to take your drug business and go elsewhere. On Monday this week, Don Winner (Panama Guide) reported The National Police confirmed the seizure of 406 kilos of cocaine as part an operation in the district of Chepo and one of the Panamanians arrested is a Lieutenant in the National Police, with 26 years of service in the institution. Ouch!

Most of us are not that familiar with the drug business, and some of the details are staggering.  Did you realize that 406 kilos of cocaine has an approximate wholesale value of $1.8 million dollars in Panama. But once it reaches the U.S. the wholesale value increases to about $10.5 million. Even worse, the 'street value' (what it sells for in the alleys and dark parking lots) increases to about $40 million.

 

Till Next Time. Pura Vida

Click on Thumbnail To View Photos

 

 

 

Hola From Panama

 

What's Happening In Panama?

 

Panama Canal Anniversary

On Wednesday, August 15, Panama celebrated the 98th anniversary of the opening of its Canal. It was at the time the greatest engineering feat of humankind of the century and remains one of the world’s wonders today. In 1914 the tugboat Ancón made the inaugural transit that set in motion a great unification of trade routes and ports from east to west and north to south.

Panama Viejo celebrates 493 years

It was nearly 500 years since the founding of Panama La Vieja, the ancient fortress-style settlement whose ruins grace the eastern section of today's Panama City. On August 15, the country celebrated 493 years since the Spanish founded the settlement. It should be noted, because most folks do not know it, that this was the first city on the American Pacific.

New Airplanes for Air Panama

Air Panama began using its new F-1 Fokker jets on Friday, August 17. The airplanes offer 92 total seats, 12 of them are preferential. These newest additions to the rapidly-expanding national airline will be used along its David, Chiriquí and San Jose, Costa Rica routes.

I will admit that this development is particularly important to me. Note the reference to the Costa Rica route? This is how I get back to the U.S. - David to San Jose, then non-stop to Charlotte (U.S. Air). The new jets cut about 15-20 minutes off the flight time to San Jose - an important consideration when you are trying to make connections. In addition, the newer jets are much more reliable. One more reduction in travel pressure.

 

I Need To Tell You About This

You should come with me. The rather plain looking building (shown here) houses one of the best Oriental restaurants in David and by far the largest. Yes it's a Chinese restaurant, but it is a fancy one. The ambience is definitely several 'cuts above' what one expects in restaurants here, with comfortable, cushion armed chairs, white tablecloths, fancy silverware and dishes, all of it tended to by a smartly uniformed and attentive wait-staff. The spacious dining room also features a high ceiling, huge chandeliers, big Chinese prints on the walls, and an array of flat-screen TVs around the room.

The menu is not big - it is massive! Your initial reaction when the menus are presented is that you may starve to death just trying to get throught the menu.  And everything I have tried has been heavenly - as good as any Chinese restaurant I have ever visited, even the very high-end expensive ones that I have sampled in some big U.S. cities. The three bar tenders normally on duty at the long bar across the end of the dining room take their jobs equally as serious as the other help.

By a separate front entrance (the one on the left in the photo) you enter a 'To-Go pickup room' that includes a glass display case (we would call it a butcher's case in the U.S.) full of prepared items (either to cook or warm up) to take with your prepared order. The to-go operation is busy enough that 3 or 4 people are usually working behind the counter.

One of the reasons I thought you all would get a kick out of this posting is due to the fact that this restaurant has a very unique feature. The name of one of the biggest and more popular restaurants in David Panama is neither Chinese nor Spanish - it is English. Even better the best Chinese cuisine in this part of Panama is served at - ready for this? - 'The Steak House'.  Huh? A Chinese restaurant named The Steak House? Yes, The Steak House - go figure!

 

Do You Know Reuben?

The headline blared "Much ahead for Rubén Blades. And most of you are asking, "Reuben who?", because the name probably does not ring a bell. Well, read on - I think you will enjoy meeting a real unforgetable fellow. Meet Rueben Blades (Spanish pronunciation is Blah - days)

In the previous Panamanian administration headed by Pres.Torrillos, Rebuen Blades was the government's Minister of Tourism. In that position, Blades did more for Panama's tourism industry and, by default, the nation's economy then all the previous tourism heads combined - and then some. He came up with the 'revolutionary' idea of a long-term, multi-year Tourism Master Plan. And then spent a lot of time and effort implementing the plan's initial steps.

He set up and sponsored Panama Tourism trade shows in both Europe and the U.S. and made Panama a highly visible player in tourism conventions all over the world. He established forums and committees here in Panama that coordinated the efforts of the separate tourists-related business sectors, such as hotels, travel sectors, fairs/festivals and tourists attractions. He pushed government initiatives that encouraged increased airline travel in and out of the country and made some traveler-friendly changes in airport and immigration procedures.  It has surprised no one that tourism has boomed in Panama, and is projected to continue that growth for years to come.

But, there is more! Reuben Blades is argueably the country's most famous entertainer, as has been for years.  His brand of salsa music took not only Panama, but all of Latin America by storm years ago - and he is still going strong. Panama’s leading renaissance man already stands cool at the center of 15 studio recordings and a world tour with the Roberto Delgado de Panamá big band. There are also rumors that he is going to join up again for duet concerts with the world's other most famous salsa star, Willie Colon. Ruben Blades turned 64 on July 16, and the salsa star, Hollywood actor and former tourism minister says that he still has a lot to do. So stay tuned.

Oh, and did I mention that Blades is returning to the big screen alongside Denzel Washington in "Safe House," Andy García in "For Greater Glory, and "The True Story of Cristiada," as well as the film "The Counselor," directed by Ridley Scott where Blades appears alongside Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender and Javier Bardem. Yes, I said the 'big screen' - as in the movie screen. Blades has been 'doing his thing' in Hollywood and American TV for years as well. This is a listing of just some of his awards (his list of credits run several pages)

Won ALMA Award - 2001 for Outstanding Actor in a New Television Series "Gideon's Crossing".

Nominated Daytime Emmy - 2004 for Outstanding Performer in a Family Special "The Maldonado Miracle". (Showtime).

Nominated Emmy - 1992 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries "Crazy from the Heart". (TNT).

Nominated Emmy - 1991 for Outstanding Supporting Actor "The Josephine Baker Story" (HBO).

Won Imagen Award - 2004 for Best Supporting Actor (Film) "Once Upon a Time in Mexico."

Nominated Independent Spirit Award - 1986 for Best Male Lead "Crossover Dream."

So you have probably seen Blades on screen (big or small), and just did not know who he was.  I just saw him last week in a movie on TV (that I did not catch the name of) playing the police-patrolman partner of Harrison Ford.  So keep an eye out for him.

On the back burner, Blades' plans include finding time to write, a return to the University to obtain a doctorate and a return to public service through a government position. An impressive list. And, I think you will agree with me an impressive fellow. Look for Reuben Blades to 'pop up' in some form in a venue near you in the future!

(click on thumbnails to view pics full-size)

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida

 

How Widening The Panama Canal Will Effect You!

 

Widening of Panama Canal Will Remake World Trade Patterns

 

This was the headline of a recent article by Tim Johnson in McClatchy Newspapers. I was amazed by some of the information included in the article. (click on photos to view full-size)  I was even more amazed when I realized that I knew practically nothing about the canal, even though I have lived here in Panama for five years (and have visited the canal on several occasion). I thought that many of you might find this information as interesting as I did. It really becomes more important when it sinks in that widening a canal is going to change things worldwide. Just one more example of what an inter-connected world we live in.

 

Some of the facts outlined in the article:

Ports up and down the U.S. Atlantic Seaboard are in a frenzied race to get ready for the larger, slower, more efficient ships that one day will ply the oceans. They are dredging harbors, expanding rail lines, taking a look at port facilities and distribution centers and, in the case of the New York City area, preparing to elevate the roadway on the Bayonne Bridge so that bigger vessels can slip underneath to Newark Harbor.

Since the first ship transited the Panama Canal (Aug. 15, 1914), the roughly 50-mile-long waterway has saved cargo lines the journey around Cape Horn and through the stormy Drake Passage at the southern tip of South America. More than a million ships have transited the canal, and roughly 5 percent of all world trade moves across the isthmus each year.

But the Panama Canal was always constrained by the size of its locks, permitting no vessel longer than 965 feet, wider than 106 feet and with a draft greater than 39 feet to pass through. Ships suitable for the canal became known as Panamax vessels and could carry nearly 5,000 20-foot shipping containers.

When the third lane opens in late 2014, the canal’s capacity will more than double. Ships as long as 1,200 feet and up to 160 feet wide, with drafts as deep as 50 feet, will be able to transit. The largest vessels will carry as many as 13,200 containers, or at least double the dry weight of bulk cargo that can pass through today. Shipyards are seeing a surge in orders for what are called post-Panamax vessels.

The Panama Canal widening will affect inland railway hubs such as Kansas City and ports along the Gulf Coast, because as shipping becomes cheaper, rail lines that handle cargo coming from Asia and take it across the country may notice a slowdown. TA the same time however, it will be a boon for the Midwest Farm Belt as grain exports moving through the Gulf Coast become more competitive in Asia.

More goods will move through Texas ports, too, and motorists are certain to groan at clogged highways. Texas officials in May created a Working Group to figure out how such highways as I-35 between Dallas and San Antonio, which already handles some 200,000 vehicles a day, will cope.

Traffic already is bustling at the canal, too. The number of shipping containers aboard freighters transiting the canal has risen from 200,000 in 1995 to 6.6 million last year.

One problem is some of the ports along the Atlantic Seaboard don’t have channels deep enough to handle such seagoing behemoths. The White House announced in July that it had issued orders to expedite dredging projects to deepen harbors and approaches in Miami, Jacksonville, Fla., Savannah, Ga., Charleston, S.C., and the Port of New York and New Jersey.

"It’s not only about the ports," Aleman said. "It’s the roads, the trains, the distribution centers and actually it’s about jobs."

The widening of the canal will affect trade across Latin America. Very large ships carrying coal from northeastern Colombia and iron ore from Brazil will soon be able to take the raw material to China through Panama more cheaply, giving a boost to those industries and creating jobs. Chilean copper producers will find it easier to export to European markets.

Panama, a diminutive country of 3.5 million people, took a huge risk financing the canal widening. But the payoff will be bountiful. The United States ran the canal as a break-even operation, but once Panama took over in 1999, it increased tolls to make a profit. This year, the canal will contribute $1 billion to Panamanian government coffers. By 2025, projections are for Panama to earn $4 billion a year from the tolls.

With the widening, Panama also hopes to transform itself from just a transit point for cargo into a logistical hub where ships can be overhauled in dry dock, containers sorted for onward passage and industrial parks set up for final assembly of goods.  Already, major multinationals, including Caterpillar, Procter & Gamble, Dell and Mexico’s Cemex have turned to Panama as a headquarters for regional operations.

Panama also boasts five fiber-optic trunk cables, giving it the best digital connectivity in the Western Hemisphere outside the United States. Its airline offers flights to 29 countries, more than any other hub in the region. The nation is bustling as new port complexes are being built on both the Atlantic and Pacific ends of the canal.

On the canal itself, pilots await a new era of mega-ships inching ever so carefully through the locks on the larger third lane. "There are lots of questions about how currents, wind and the hydrodynamics (of the locks) will work," said master towboat Capt. Gerardo Martinez, one of 230 tugboat pilots guiding ships through the canal. The one sure thing, he added, is "the stress will be bigger."

---------------------------------

So in a couple of years, major changes are anticipated and there are probably many more impacts that have not been addressed as yet. Will be interesting to see. I imagine that the first 'super-ship' to transit the canal will really draw a crowd. You may just want to put that on your 2014 calendar!

Larry Matthews

 

Till Next Time. Pura Vida

 

Life Goes On In Panama

 

Don't pay the ransom, I ....  I am still here in Panama and kicking. I had a strange several weeks - nothing serious, just a combination of things. I was under the weather for about a week (blah) and then had a computer crash that took a lot of time and effort to fix. Plus, the government WiFi network (which I use) was down for extended periods of time which made any computer work both extremely time-consuming AND frustrating. But - back in the saddle!

 

A New Library - Amazing!

They have just opened a new library in Boquete, the beautiful mountain village up the road from David. And you are probably asking 'what is amazing about a new library'?  Well, actually several things.

For starters the design is eye-catching to say the least. Architect Alfredo Boza, won a competition to provide the design, and incorporated soaring spaces in the 3-story design with lots of space, light and views. In fact Boza borrowed from the design made famous by Barnes and Noble in their stores, right down to the inclusion of a coffee shop. And both books and computers (with internet) are throughout the facility - and free. The theory (which apears to be correct) is that the openess and light tend to attract people and they feel comfortable. Participation and usage figures exceed those of U.S. libraries.

The second thing that really catches the eye is that, for a town the size of Boquete, this library is huge. It competes for one of the biggest buildings in the town. It is the size you would expect for a new such facility in the provencial capital of David, which is many times the size of Boquete in both area and population.

But the really amazing thing about this library is that it is NOT a government facility. A Public Foundation ( a non-profit) was formed about four years ago by a family as a memorial to one of their departed members, and a fund raising campaign was undertaken. The Lions Club was also involved, as they could no longer support financially a small one-room library (of sorts) that for a number of years had been the only semblance of a library in town. The library fund received donations from many quarters, including some large donations, including one that exceeded one million dollars.

The library has become the city's art center, with a new show every month. There are also weekly music classes (free), children's story time (in both English and Spanish), and guest speakers (both authors and artists).

You will also find it interesting that the library is staffed by U.S. Peace Corps volunteers who specialize in literacy and librarian training for the local population. Over 20 'expat' volunteers also devote time every week to various programs.

Probably as amazing as anything about the new library is that patrons can check out books for FREE and are trusted to return them. You Americans who are reading this are probably going, "What?" I know - I know that procedure is standard practice back where you live. But, I assure you it is not standard practice here! Just one more of those little things that say, "We aren't in Kansas anymore, Dorothy".

 

The Shock Of Returning To The U.S.

I have to laugh at myself when I take my 'normal' trips back to the back to the U.S. I normally go back twice a year to visit family, friends and primary care provider (ugh). I usually go in April (when it warms up) and again in September (before he chill gets there). And everytime, in just six months, I have lost some kind of touch with normal life in the U.S. - and have to be retrained!

I know, for instance, that I am going to have to pay attention or I will always say 'garcias' instead of 'thank you'. And that is just for starters. There is also a noticeable lack of trash and trash bags laying around - would think you people must have trash pickup. And everything seems so manicured, even median strips.

For the first few days back in the U.S. it is always a heart-stopper when they hand you your check in a bar or restaurant. You have to catch yourself before you say, 'No, I don't want that big party's check, just mine.' My son and I go in a palce for Happy Hour after he gets off work, and the tab would pay my bar bill for a week down here.

I also find I have to adapt my 'normal' schedule when I return to the U.S. I can not sit down in a restaurant for breakfast (or a coffe shop for a brew) and concentrate on reading the morning paper. I find that, since I am no longer use to it, people around me talking English is a distraction - find find myself evesdropping just because I can. When the chatter is all Spanish it is very easy  to just tune it out.

On the other side of the coin - every trip I am surprised yet again how cheap gas is in the U.S. compared to here in Panama (and Panama's gas is about half the price of gas in Costa Rica).

And it is also kind of nice and comforting back in the U.S. to be able to look around and realize you are not the tallest guy in sight. Ha!

You Want To Talk Traffic?

This photo is of a beam being used in the construction of the new subway system in Panama's capitol, Panama City. This monster is 30 meterslong (over 90 feet) and weighs176 tons. And it is just one of 361 such beams needed to installed over the next 10 months to complete the subway project.

Then there is the 'Bad News'. When the construction schedule calls for it, one of these monster beams has to be transported across Panama City to the construction site. The move is slow and long and absolutley clobbers traffic in the already traffic-congested city.

Obviously the 'Good News' is that when the project is finished, there will be  significant and long-term improvements to the traffic problems in the city. But, until completion it is going to be a daily sruggle for thousands of people.

 

Getting It Almost Right

We just had another one of those little things come up that we gringos just kind of walk around shaking our heads - and locals seem to take instride with merely a shrug.

Down in Panama City they have finished the installation of a number of (ready for this?), High Resolution Automatic Ticketing Cameras (Phew) - yes traffic cameras. The cameras have been installed in high-use roadways and ones that have a history of speeding - both a history of speeding infractions and auto accidents were excessive speed was a cause factor. These cameras automatically hand out $50 stingers - which is a stiff tariff here.

But the 'kicker' is - the system has no way to notify you that it tagged you with a ticket. So they just attach it to your driving records at the licensing bureau. So when you go in to renew your driver's license - BAM!  Can you imagine the potential $$s if there is a camera on the road you normally commute back and forth to work on? Surpise - you owe us $500. Wow!

I have a feeling a lot of these people are not going to be just 'shrugging' if and/or when they get hit with an unexpected bill.

 

Till Next Time. Pura Vida

A Taste Of The United States

 

Back In The USA

I normally leave my comfort zone in Panama and return to the U.S. each year in April (after it warms up) and again in September (before it turns cold). This timing is driven by a several factors: 1) Panama requires that people in the country on a tourist visa leave the country every 180 days, 2) my doctors in the U.S. write my prescriptions for a 90 day supply with one refill, and 3) in six months both my family and my friends in NC have recovered from my last visit and can therefore again put up with me for a week or two. 

The schedule on this visit got disrupted when my daughters in Kansas City decided we needed to have a family reunion of sorts and, since Wilmington, NC was one of my regular stops, Carolina Beach sounded like an ideal place. So I delayed my normal April visit until June and avoided the cost of two forays to the U.S. just a couple of months apart. I also was certain that the previously mentioned family/friends contingent would appreciate one visit -vs- two this summer.

The following is a synopsis of the last couple of weeks:

 

Traveling from David, Panama to Charlotte, NC

Since I have a son in Charlotte, that city is a great initial target for my visit. I normally spend a few days there and then drive across the state to Wilmington (which is the city I now call home) to visit another son and visit my doctor. This really works out logistically as well since U.S. Air has a daily non-stop from San Jose.

However, the trip starts with a little 'hold your breath' factor due to airline schedules. There are really only two ways to get from David to San Jose commercially. The 12-14 hour bus ride (that also includes a frustrating and time consuming border crossing) I reject out of hand. God, what a thought!  The air travel is limited to a one hour commuter-type flight on Air Panama. The problem is Air Panama flys just one flight to San Jose and only on Mon/Wed/Fri. 

The Air Panama flight is scheduled to arrive in San Jose about 11:30AM and U.S. Air doesn't depart until about 2PM. Sounds perfect, right? Wait folks, this is Latin America we are talking about. If Air Panama is late (not unusual) and you don't make the connection, U.S. Air charges you $200 to change the Charlotte flight. You also now have an unscheduled day lay-over with hotel and meal expenses. And you get to spend the day on the phone juggling rental car and other reservations, and notifying family, friends, etc.

Even worse, if the Air Panama flight is canceled for any reason (not unheard of) everything slips two days (from say Mon to Wed), plus you now get to 'sweat out' making the connection all over again a couple of days later.

Thank goodness, this trip back went smooth. Both airlines where on time as scheduled and less than four fours after leaving San Jose we landed after a smooth and uneventful flight.

 

Charlotte - Welcome Back To The Real World

It seems like every few days I have to get smacked in the face with something to make me feel older than dirt. This time it was something as simple as a rental car - thanks Avis.

Let me start by saying, as sort of a defense, that I have never been a 'car buff'.  Iam one of those people that bought a new car (usually a 'new' used car) about every 6-7 years and I paid no attention to the auto industry in between purchases. So the search for a new car was always a 'discovery adventure' for me. Really, no more 8-track players? Or years before - really, there called turn signals? Or, cruise controls? Anyway, you get the idea. Add to that, I haven't owned a car for 5 years, and I have been out of the U.S. (and away from U.S. TV advertising) for that period as well.

So Avis upgrades me to a different car and explains that my Ford Taurus is in spot #6 outside. (Keep in mind, my idea of a Ford is a tinny little thing). There is a big, red beautiful thing in #6 and it is a good thing my son was with me or I would have been back inside looking for help. Also a good thing my son was there or I would still be sitting in the lot trying to figure our a 'keyless' car. You kidding me? - this bob that unlocks the doors and the trunk has some kind of magic in it? As long as that thing is in the car (on dash, in your pocket, in the cup holder), you just push the button on the dash and the thing STARTS! Well, it does if you have your foot on the brake at the time. If you don't have your foot on the brake, it just keeps turning the accessories on and off - I know, I proved it.

Of course that was just for starters. There is a big 9" square screen in the center of the dash board that controls the entire world with visuals and touch-screen technolgy. Various types of radio systems (some of which I have never heard of), the climate controls, etc. etc. My son also loaded my cell phone in there, so that incoming calls could be answered with a touch and the built-in microphone transmitted my voice and the responses came through the radio speakers (which it automatically muted). I could also call any of my 6-8 contacts at the push of a button. There was a computer center built into the center console where you could plug in computer USB drives and plays your own music, etc.

The thing I appreciated the most was a back-up camera that came on the screen when you put the car in reverse. It had lines on it that projected your backup track that was color coded so you could tell distances. It beeped at you as you got closer to obstructions and even better had peripheal visions. So if you were backing out of a spot in say a shopping center lot, it would warn you of cars coming down the row that whetre not yet behind you. A really clever feature was a security measure. If you put the car in park and did nothing for about a minute, it assumed you were waiting so it turned on the rear camera. Would make it harder for someone to sneak up on you in a shopping mall lot.

I drove the car for over two weeks and there were still more bells-whistles that I hadn't even figured out what they were. Ha. Welcome to the modern world, Larry. Think I'll go back to Panama.

 This is a house on Lake Wylie on the south edge of Charlotte. Nice

 

 

Hello Clover, S.C.

My son lives on south edge of Charlotte, so most mornings when I am here I drive south about 5 miles to the little town of Clover, SC. If you need a place to shoot a movie about small town America in the 50s, Clover is waiting on ya.

All the waitresses in the diner call ya 'Honey' (even the ones young enough to be your grand-daughter). And biscuits/gravy is a premium item on the breakfast menu – love that sausage gravy. That is the kind of thing you don’t find in Panama. And in the diner, as in many other places, it is just assumed 'ya want grits with that', regardless of what you order for breakfast. Love it!

 

A Week-Long Party on Carolina Beach

My two daughters in K.C. along with my ex- decided we needed a family reunion (of sorts) this summer, and we ought to do it at Carolina Beach. So I rescheduled my normal April trip to Wilmington to fit their vacation schedules in June and we had a ball.

Turns out there were 22 of us there and it pretty much represented the family tree. All my kids made it - my two girls and three sons with their respective spouses or significant others. Six of my grandchildren, including a year-old and a three month old I had not seen.

 (The famous river walk on the river front in Wilmington)

To me it was a little chilly for the beach, but I am used to the weather in Panama. It did not seem to bother anyone else.

They rented two big beach houses, both of which, as you might imagine, turned into beehives of non-stop activity of some kind. It was a great week – an instant family memory.

 

Back To Charlotte

I drove back to Charlotte on Saturday (my flight back home is from Charlotte) and spent a couple more days with my son and his family – my normal travel pattern when I return to the U.S.

The drive from Wilmington to Charlotte across southern North Carolina has to be one of the most boring trips on earth. For most of the four-hour drive there is nothing to see – nothing! No farms, houses, filling stations, not even any cross roads to divert your attention. Just grind, grind …..

Then you get to Monroe on the east side of metropolitan Charlotte and it is normally a traffic jam nightmare. There is one main drag – a divided four lane that is a constant string, mile after mile, of businesses and shopping centers. It must be 10 miles long, but seems like forty. Ugh! And then you hit the interstate loop around the city, and hopefully not at rush hour(s).

The highlight of the last couple of days in Charlotte was the telecast of the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament.  This year as an experiment, the final two rounds were started later than normal so that the telecast was in prime time on the East coast. Since the tournament was in San Francisco there was little impact on the players. The leaders teed off about 3PM (6PM Eastern), rather than a normal 1PM start. The tournament ended at almost 10PM Eastern time, and according to early indications it may have had one of the largest viewing audiences ever for a golf tournament.

My son and I watched it at his (our) normal hangout, the City Tavern. It was a slow ‘tavern night’, so the viewers included one other customer and a handful of employees. But there was REAL excitement at the Tavern because the young man who won, Web Simpson, is a Wake Forest grad who now lives in Charlotte. Yahoo!

 

An Overnighter In San Jose, Costa Rica.

One minor glitch in my normal travel plans involves the return trip. The U.S. Air flight into San Jose arrives after the flight to David departs, so I have to spend the night in San Jose. By that time you are anxious to get home and a 22 hour layover, with a couple of additional ‘bag-drags’ and two additional immigration processings is an irritant at best.

Plus having lived in Costa Rica for a while I am still shocked at the price escalations in that country over the last four years. Come on - $145 a night Holiday Inn Express and $15 Denny’s breakfasts.

Does make me appreciate how Panama was virtually untouched by the economic crises of the last few years.

 

Till Next Time. Pura Vida

 The 'real reason(s)' for this trip - my kids

My five kids

 

Year old grahdson - Wyatt

 

 3-month old grand daughter- Piper.

 

Another American Murdered in Bocas del Torro?

 

This headline in a recent edition of Panama Guide (the big on-line English-language news publication in Panama) caused my heart to stop.

“Disappearance of Yvonne Lee Baldelli Now Considered A Murder and the Case is Elevated To Superior Prosecutor in Chiriqui”

Admittedly most of the expats living in Panama (and Americans in particular) have been holding their breath since this story came to light several weeks ago. The article continued with the following:

“The Second Superior Prosecutor of Chiriqui will continue the investigation into the disappearance of the American Yvonne Lee Baldelli, who lived in Bocas del Toro. The investigation of this case began under the auspices of the Personality (local prosecutor) of Bocas del Toro, and is now considered a murder, said the Second Superior Prosecutor Nedelka Diaz. She confirmed they have not yet received the results of the DNA tests that were done at the scenes of the investigations. Yvonne Lee Baldelli arrived in Bocas del Toro at the end of September 2011 with her boyfriend Brian Brimager, and she has not been seen since 26 November 2011. (Critica)”

 

Background

Sunday, April 22nd : This story first came to public attention when an article was posted in Panama Guide. The article said in part:

The family of a missing California woman is searching for her in Panama, where she disappeared in late November 2011. Yvonne Baldelli, who disappeared with her dog GeorgiaMae, was last seen on the night of 26 November 2011 on Isla Caranero, Bocas del Toro, in Panama. Her full name is Yvonne Lee Baldelli. She is 42 years old, and an American citizen from Southern California. She is Caucasian with blonde hair and brown eyes, 5' 2" tall, thin, weight approximately 120 pounds. 

The article went on to detail that a Facebook page had been set up by the family to aid in the search and to provide phone numbers for key law enforcement and investigative officers for people who might have any information about her. The article also asked for volunteer help in a physical search effort to be conducted in that area of Bocas where she lived.

Tuesday, April 24^th: Don Winner (Panama-Guide) reported that Panama's Department of Judicial Investigation (DIJ) held a press conference on Isla Colon in Bocas del Toro to announce a $3,000 reward for information leading to the whereabouts of Yvonne. The rationale was that officials felt that people probably had some information because there were reports of a loud and heated argument between Yvonne and her boyfriend, Brian "Brim" Brimager, who had traveled to Panama with her. This noisy altercation in the house they were staying in, the "Casa del Sapo" on Isla Carenero, occurred on Saturday night, 26 November 2011. Yvonne has not been seen since that night. It also came to light that U.S. officials where now involved in that the investigation of the boyfriend was being handled by the FBI because Brimager left Panama in December 2011 and returned to the United States.

-----------------------------------------

Larry adds: It is interesting to note that family members filed a missing person report with the DIJ in January 2012, because they had lost contact with Yvonne, who had typically remained in contact with them via telephone calls and email. I personally think that Don Winner was partially responsible for DIJs ‘sudden’ interest in this case come April. You may remember that Winner was a catalyst in getting authorities to start actively investigating the Wild Bill Holbert serial killer case a couple of years ago. To say that investigations and investigators are not real proactive in Panama is an understatement of the highest order.

One of the incredible coincidences in this case is that Yvonne and Brian were renting an apartment in the house known locally as the "Casa del Sapo"  This is the same house that had been built by Cher Hughes - one of the victims of serial killer "Wild Bill", and his partner Laura Michelle Reese.

By the way, if you are not familiar with the ‘Wild Bill’ Holbert case you can get a quick update at this link.

Wild Bill Background Info

----------------------------- 

Thursday, April 26^th: It was announced that scuba divers from the United States traveled to Panama and were participating in the search for the Yvonne. It was also revealed that the search was being supported by units of the Directorate of Judicial Investigation (DIJ), FBI, Interpol, and the Police from Costa Rica. Officials also conceded for the first time publically that it was suspected that boyfriend Brian Brimager, who had left the country without her, had something to do with her disappearance. (It was later reported that he had also married shortly after returning to the states.)

 

Summary

As you can imagine there is not a lot of optimism about the outcome of this case. Although officials have not released any information on the analysis of DNA collected at various locations, the fact that they have now classified it as a murder case would indicate they have something other than just speculation.

For people who have not lived in Panama this whole scenario must seem unreal. ‘How can someone go missing and it not be noticed’, is probably the question that jumps out at most of you. How in the world can someone go missing in November and nothing seems to happen about it until the following April?

I think it is a combination of several factors. For starters, the Panamanian people are ‘live and let live’ types. ‘It is none of your business what I do in my house and visa-versa’ is their basic attitude. In addition, in places where there is a large contingent of expats (like Boquete and Bocas), the locals kind of see it as more the gringos responsibility to pursue these kinds of problems.

You also have to realize that the Gringo populations ‘come and go’ a lot down here. Some folks get here and decide they don’t like it, and decide to leave as suddenly as they probably decided to come here. Others have something that comes up and they are suddenly gone – a family emergency back in the U.S. or maybe a medical emergency of their own.

There are also a lot of vagabonds (for want of a better term) in the expat community. They are not tied down by a house, household goods or an automobile, and they may be ‘loners’ on top of that. Their long-term plans may be a function of what beer they are this evening. I can’t tell you the number of times that it comes up in conversations that we realize no one has seen ‘Charlie’ for a week and nobody knows where he is. Ten days later someone will get an email (or the story from someone passing through David) explaining that ‘Charlie’ canceled his plans to find a house in David and went to Colombia on a moments notice with a friend who pass through here. It is also not unusual for someone to go back to the U.S. to visit for a couple of weeks and never return.

In addition as I noted earlier, Yvonne’s parents filed a missing persons report with officials here in Panama in January 2012.  It took until April before they got serious about investigating it!

For people who do live here in Panama the idea that Yvonne traveled off somewhere without anyone knowing it seems highly unlikely, if not impossible. For starters, a good looking gringa is very high profile in Panama. In any part of this part of the world Yvonne would be about as low profile traveling around as Shaquille O’Neal or Michael Jackson would be.

In addition, it has recently come out that Yvonne had two dogs. Lets face it a woman does not just give away her two dogs and take off – and no one has come forward saying they have them.  And her traveling with two dogs un-noticed? People would remember seeing them for a long time. Plus you need permits and paperwork to travel with dogs, even if you are just going to go up the road and cross the border into Costa Rica.

All in all, I am afraid we are seeing another one of those really sad situations unfolding.

 

Continuing To Follow This Case

For those of you who want to follow this case further

1)    The family has set up a Facebook page. You can just go to Facebook and enter her name in the search box.

2)    Don Winner will continue to provide updates on Panama Guide. The link is listed in the ‘links listing’ on this page. Since Don posts a lot of articles daily, you may want to enter Yvonne name in the search box on Don’s page so you won’t have to plow through dozens of articles, or risk overlooking an article.

 

Till Next Time. Pura Vida

 

 

A (Long) Day Of Celebration in David Panama

 

David Knows Parades

(Click on thumbnails to view photos full size)

Friday turned out to be quite the festive day here in David – at least the central downtown David. Although there was no advertising of a big event, not even a mention in the various news sources, there was a warning (of sorts) on Thursday afternoon of things to come. Several different crews came in and set up tents in the small entertainment corner of the park – a sure sign that something is on the horizon.

Well sure enough about 9:30 Friday morning I am enjoying a relatively peaceful morning on the hotel balcony overlooking the park, sipping my morning coffee and reading the day’s New York Times (Kindle version), when I hear a siren in the distance. That hardly drew any attention because that is not uncommon. A minute or so later however the siren did have my attention because it did not appear to be moving. Oops – that means (usually) only one thing. The tranquil morning was about to end. The lead elements in all  the many parades here in David is a police escort of some type. The siren sound that did not seem to be moving in all probability was a police car moving at a snail’s pace as the escort of a parade. About 10 minutes later the parade arrived, led by two police escort riding the newest addition to the police force’s fleet – 4-wheel ATVs.  And the parade line went out of sight back up the avenue. Better settle in Matthews, this is going to take a while!

After about 2 ½  hours it seemed to me as if everyone in David must have been in this parade, as well as people from the surrounding suburban areas – and some of them may have come by my vantage point twice! There were civic groups represented, fraternal organizations, special interest groups, government agencies (city, province and federal), universities, both high schools and elementary schools, sports team, business associations, police organizations, fire department stations, various businesses and, I am certain, some I missed and others I have forgotten. Some groups were in costumes of one sort or another. Some came complete with bands, and others were content to just chant in unison (most of which I did not comprehend). And most of the groups carried signs identifying not only their group and/or affiliations, but whatever cause they were pushing today. The police, fire department and military schools provided a number of drill teams.  And those groups, as well as several schools supplied a lot of  marching bands.

 

What Was The Occasion?

What was the occasion, the driving force for this big celebration? I thought that was a pretty logical question. Everyone I initially asked did not seem to see it as such. A lot of Panamanians flocked to the balcony when the commotion started, both hotel guests and employees. I would ask what I thought was the obvious question, “What’s the occasion today?” I would get a cheery response, “It is a parade.”

“Uh….I know it is a parade,” I would try again, “but why? What is the reason?” That is when I would get the look – the look reserved for dealing with idiots. Idiots that operate under the illusion that one needs a ‘reason’ for a parade. So I gave up that research project. I should note at this point that there are so many holidays, celebrations, fairs, festivals, parades, concerts, etc, etc, in this country – some local, others province unique and others with a historical, religious or national basis – that it is not unusual for the ‘man in the street’ to be clueless about the reason the day’s celebration, or store closing or street blockage. Often even people who should know like the people on the hotels front desk or even the policeman in the park just shrug when asked.

As I found out later in the evening yesterday was one of those ‘holidays’ that is not really a holiday common here in Panama. A lot of people celebrating but no businesses closed and no one with a paid holiday off.  And the main idea was it was a ‘Peace Day’ – with ‘peace’ used in its broadest sense.

Here are groups signs pushing for broad goals:

The Fountain of Knowledge

 

  Excellence in Education

 

Strong Value Systems

 

 

And others are pushing specific values

  Honesty

 

Humility

 

End Violence

 

Peace and Friendship for the World

 

 

 

And Then ‘The Show’ In The Park

The parade ended and then both the marchers and spectators gathered in the park for a big hoe-down celebration that lasted for another hour. There was the ‘normal’ bands playing, dancers doing there thing, and speeches and what appeared to be public service announcements. But this hootenanny had a couple of interesting and imaginative twists.

The first surprise was when this float came down the street. It obviously was depicted these fellows partying.  And based on the dress and demeanor of the fellow in the driver’s seat of the car he was depicting the results – a drunk driver. And yes, the police arrived in mass to stop these guys.

 The Party Guys

 

A DUI Coming

 

Police To The Rescue

 

 

The second surprise was when this float pulled up about the time everyone thought the celebration was over. This group of youngsters did several excellent pantomime skits depicting violence, both domestic and the street type, with a concentration on the impact on innocent bystanders. The domestic violence segments concentrated on the kids that were present and witnessing the terror. The photo on right shows how the kids have run from the room and are crouched behind the (cardboard) ‘wall’.  Impressive and forceful.

 

The End Of A Long Day

Friday evening about 8PM several of us where sitting in the bar at the Iris Hotel discussing the earlier festivities. More precisely we were sitting on the bar’s balcony which also overlooks the park (thus its name ‘Vista’) when there was suddenly a commotion coming down the street. Are those slow moving sirens? Yes another parade!

I did not have my camera with me, but this one was equally impressive although only about 20 minutes long. (Which I think pretty much stretched the patience of the vehicle drivers in the downtown area).

In this parade large groups of what appeared to be college students were marching in groups. One group would be carrying flags from countries around the world, the next group would be singing while carrying flaming torches.  That mix was repeated through the entire parade with an occasional marching band intermixed. And this parade did not stop at the park it wrapped around the park and marched back in the direction that it came from. It was a very impressive site. A police officer explained later that this was “The Parade Of Flags For Unity.”

Quite a day in David! And today, as I have been writing this, there have been various groups of kids dancing in the park in what may be the world’s biggest dance recital. Ha

 

My Book – ‘Angels in Panama’

My book is still available at a reasonable price paperback from the publisher.

The book is also available in e-book form as well from both Amazon (for the Kindle) and Barnes & Noble (the Nook).   

The links below are for the various formats of my book.

I have also included a link to my website where you can read excerpts of ‘Angels in Panama’ if you want.

Paperback From Publisher $9.95 

Kindle (Amazon) $15.95 

Nook (Barnes/Noble) $15.95 

'Angels In Panama' Website

 

 

 

Till Next Time. Pura Vida!

 more parade photos

 

 

Unforgettable Characters in Central America

 

I posted this article about my 'new' adventures five years ago, just shortly after I had come down to Costa Rica. I had forgotten this article until a reader sent me an email last week referencing it. I realized when I went back and read it that I had kind of a 'wide-eyed' fascination with my new surroundings back then. But it also struck me that not much has changed in five years. I thought you would enjoy the re-telling.

 

A Sampling From My 'Unforgettable Characters' Inventory

April 30, 2007 

I have been here long enough now to begin to appreciate the magnitude of unforgettable characters I'm surrounded by in Golfito. I guess I shouldn't have been to surprised, let's face it the American expatriate who settles here is not your normal 'breed of cat'. But, as I get to know people better and we start trading stories (and person A starts trading stories about Person B – Didn't you know about the time Ed went out and ..........?), the stories and situations are varied and, sometimes border on the unreal – no - some border on the surreal.

Let's start with Ron Kalman. In an earlier life, Ron traveled a couple of north eastern states in the U. S. as a provisions supplier for school cafeterias. Due to a variety of circumstances ( I didn't press for details), he ended up in Golfito, divorced and starting over. Initially he supported himself (and rather nicely) as a gold prospector – Huh? [This is Ron, on left talking to my Aussie friend, Brad} Yes, 1800s gold rush prospector thing, except the prospecting involved tramping around in the jungles and rain forests of Costa Rica (more on that subject later). He subsequently married a Costa Rican woman and really started over.

In the early 1970s, he purchased his place on 'The Island'. When you sit in the marinas on the bay in Golfito, The Island sets about ¾ mile directly across the bay, and Ron's place is staring right at you. (ironically Gringo logic says that The Island must have a name, but no one knows what it is - so, it is just The Island. Kind of like the highway that runs through town – it is The Highway). Over the next few years, he methodically cleared back the underbrush adjoining his cove to provide for a home site.

About 30 yards behind the house, the rain forest begins and rises sharply to the top [on left, view of the casa from the beach] of the mountain, which than curves clam-shell like around his property back down to the beach. A number of years ago the Costa Rican government's instituted strict new environmental laws that banned clearing of rain forest – type land. So, the tract of land that he had already cleared for his home - that was it – the rest of the property will remain rain forest. So, the bad news is that the present area of his home site (approximately 10 acres of the 200+ acres total) is frozen. However, the good news is that the land adjacent to his property, and most of the rest of the other half of the island [on right, Golfito seen from the front porch]behind him will undoubtedly remain uninhabited, has no commercial or residential value – it can't be cleared so it can't be built on!

Ron made a nice living for about 6-7 years harvesting the coco beans from the trees in his yard and the adjoining rain forest (Did you know chocolate grew on trees? I did not). Then a blight of some kind hit this part of Costa Rica and not only killed the existing coco crop, but rendered the trees sterile, evidently, forever. Not to be dissuaded, Ron then turned to harvesting the fruit of the vanilla trees growing wild in the forest. Though it is on a much smaller scale than his earlier coco operation, he still harvest the vanilla beans to this day.

Ron also got into raising chickens on his place - at one time his flock exceeded 350 chickens. Every day he would load up his boat with dressed chickens and plats of eggs, and steam off across the harbor to Golfito and supply his accounts of restaurants and stores. He was doing quite well at this venture, and then, another crises. The big egg conglomerate in San Jose bought the only chicken feed supplier in Costa Rica. Then, immediately sharply reduced the price of their eggs while simultaneously sharply increasing the price of feed (Wonder why they did that?). Today, he keeps about 100 chickens, producing just enough eggs and fryers for personal use and for friends.

But, Ron's 'real thing' has been, and still is gold. A few years ago he decided the prospecting part of the business was not for him any longer. He felt he was getting too old (he is now 67) for the rigors involved in surviving in the rain forest, occasionally for weeks at a time. For several years after he quit prospecting, he would pack up and traipse back into the forest and find the prospectors and buy their gold on the spot. Now he just lets the prospectors bring the gold to him. He decided even that going into the forest was getting too dangerous – carrying large amounts of cash and/or gold and dealing with people he didn't always know. Plus, as he put it, “A lot of the younger generation prospectors didn't know me by reputation. So they might not know that the pistol I laid on the negotiations table was not just for show. The older fellows knew better.”

What does he do with the gold? Gold nugget jewelry! I am no jewelry expert, but I know stunning.

 

But First

A quick primer on gold – something that I had no knowledge of previously. For those of you that already know this subject, indulge my naivety a couple minutes, and skip on down below.

• Costa Rican gold is some of the purest in the world and is sought after for its subtle color and beauty.
• Much of Costa Rica gold is in nugget form (only about 2% of all the gold extracted throughout the world is in nugget form. Most is in chip and dust form and is then combined with an alloy to produce what we refer to generically as gold.)
• A carat is equal to 1/24^th parts. Thus, a 14K rating = 14 parts gold and 10 parts alloy. The nuggets in Ron's jewelry average 22 to 23K.
• To truly appreciate the rarity of gold, it is estimated that if all the pure gold in existence were combined in one cube, the resultant cube would only be about 50 cubic meters.

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Ron and his son are goldsmiths and their company, Aragon Designs, SA, produces an amazing, though small inventory. A man's ring - 14K gold band (the U. S. standard for gold bands is 10K) with 6 or 7 small gold nuggets inset and affixed with gold solder. A gold heart-shaped 14K necklace with nuggets inset on the face of it. A crucifix necklace of similar construction. Necklaces with matching earrings. How about a necklace that the bauble is a small clear cylinder filled with gold flakes. STUNNING STUFF. I am bringing several pieces back with me in May. I want to get a U.S jeweler to appraise them with the idea of selling them on Ebay, on one of my growing list of web sites, or both.

Meanwhile, back at Ron's spread. It is definitely an idyllic place, his little chunk of heaven.  They have all the creature comforts – running water, cell phone, satellite TV, and electric power (solar panel with generator back-up). And the sea breeze and the proximity of the forest keeps the insect away (the mosquitoes, flies, etc. prefer the forest (the house doesn't even have windows – just openings) But, it is not for everybody. For starters everything comes to the house by boat - groceries, supplies, new furniture - everything. Ron's daughter, Samantha and her son live with Ron and she makes the daily round trip to take him to school in Golfito (just as she and her siblings did when they were growing up here on The Island). A trip to the store involves a round trip boat ride and a trek from the beach up to the house. No small feat even at high tide. But at low tide, you have to park the boat down the beach, so add a journey across the beach to the trek up the hill       [as seen on right]

 

Ron's daughter,Samantha, told me a story that kind of puts what I am saying in perspective. As she recounted to me, [left, Meet Samantha] “About five years ago, my Dad's workers came down the path with a hugh Boa Constrictor they had killed strung across their shoulders to show my Dad. It took the three of them to carry it. My Dad gave them hell. He said that the Boa was not poisonous and , although it was big, it was not big enough to bother them because a boa is smart. It will not tackle anything that is too big for them to eat. He told them that we only kill the poisonous snakes.” Then she adds, “About two months later I went in the kitchen and opened the cabinet under the sink and there was a little boa in the cabinet. He was only about 3 feet long.”

I am trying to keep a poker face during this discussion as if Boas in the kitchen is something we hear all the time in NC. She continued, “I asked my Dad what to do. He said to just leave it alone, he'll take carry of those little jungle rats you have been complaining about.”

She explained to me that she thinks what they call a 'jungle rat' is actually not a rat but some breed of mouse, similar to the field mice in the U.S. They get in the house from time to time and they are hard to get rid of and make a mess.

“So, for a couple of months I just worked around the boa,” she added. “But he stayed pretty much to the kitchen. One time he camped out on one of the counter tops for about three days, but My Dad said just use the other counter top over there. That was kind of inconvenient because we don't have that much counter top,” she added with a shrug.

By now I am waiting for Alllen Funt or someone to jump out and holler at me that I have been 'punked'. But then, Samantha put the topping on the cake when she concluded with, “ So after about 2 months I noticed that I hadn't seen a jungle rat, or any left-behind evidence of them for a couple of days. And 3 days later, the boa was gone. We have never seen him again.” Pura Vida!

 Larry adds: By the way, I spent over 15 years designing kitchens. Over the years I have accommodated (design wise) some pretty off-the-wall, out-of-left field requirements that had to be included in the new kitchen's layout. A place for the dog or cat was not uncommon. Twice a place for the bird cage was included (he gets lonely in the other room). And a parrot roost once. But, I can honestly say that I was never, ever tasked with designing or providing for boa storage!

 

 Till Next Time.   Pura Vida 

Click on thumbnails to view more photo of Golfito