Keith's Panamanian Travel Ramble

The wanderings of Andrea and Keith around Panama

Posts tagged ‘Panama’

Impressions of Santa Fe

Howdy All,

Sadly, today we leave this beautiful place and head for our next destination which is at the beach in Gorgona and is about a three-hour drive without stops.  After another great breakfast, we packed up and hit the road.

Yesterday, I mentioned a blockade of the Pan-American, west of here closer to David.  It turns out that the local Indians (Ngobe-Bugle) had blocked westbound traffic on the highway for several days.  They were protesting the changing of some legislation around mining and the Cerro Colorado mine, which has one of the largest copper reserves in Latin America.  There have also been some short-term interruptions to traffic eastbound headed for Panama City.  The westbound blockade has held the second largest city in the country, David, hostage and there are reports of stores being short of food stuffs and fuel stations closing as they are out of fuel.  The police were directed to clear the road last night and the ensuing scuffle resulted in a number of injuries and one death.  Several police were hospitalized.  Further investigation into the death found that the bullet was of a caliber not used by the police.

President Ricardo Martinelli has blamed the opposition and “foreign elements” for inciting chaos.  I did a little Internet research and oddly found that an Indian band in Ecuador held a protest at the same time over a similar issue.  When you look at the pictures of the Panama protest, I cannot help but draw the conclusion that this was organized by someone or group other than the natives that knows the techniques of how to successfully protest today.

Now our friend Octav that left Santa Fé a couple of days ago, was headed to Boquete.  He took the bus from Santa Fé to Santiago where he found out busses were not running due to the blockade.  He had some quick scrambling to do but managed to secure a place back at the Bayview Hotel in Santa Clara, the other direction.  As it is on our way, we decided we will stop and see how he is doing.

We have only been in Santa Fé for a few days and most of that time was spent at the Casa Mariposa Boutique Hotel.  Our top 10 impressions of Santa Fé are:

1.  Book a few days here at the Casa Mariposa.  You won’t believe the experience.  See the link at the bottom of the right column under Businesses We Support;

2.  Don’t miss the “Lunch with the Toucans” at the Mariposa. You will love it;

3.  Be sure to top up your gas tank in Santiago before leaving for Santa Fé. There are no fuel stations in Santa Fé;

4.  Santa Fé is a hilly mountain frontier town, full of friendly locals, around 3,000 of them;

5.  This area is starting to develop, thanks to publications like International Living Magazine.  There is a growing expat community and people from all over the world are starting to settle here;

6.  There is lots of hiking and things to keep you busy in the area;

7.  Check out the Santa Fé National Park.  If you are a birder, your hotel can help you pick up an inexpensive guide to make sure you get to see what you want;

8.  Expect the place to be a bit remote.  There are only cell phones and a high-speed internet connection is still in the future;

9.  On the way to Santa Fé, don’t miss stopping to see the restored old church in San Francisco.  It dates back to 1621; and

10. Be open to all the rugged natural beauty and incredible variety of birds that you will find here.

The trip back to Santiago takes us through Santa Fé and the rolling hills as we proceed southbound back to the Pan-American. Along the way we met a herd of cattle being driven right up the road to us. The guys were friendly and waved as they forced the cattle off the road on the far side to allow us through. One of my favorite pictures so far is this one of the rider on his horse climbing the hill after crossing the bridge. It really kind of describes the character of this area; slow, casual and laid back.

Further down the road, we spotted a hawk flying beside us.  We went around a corner and Andrea said the hawk had landed and was standing beside a blue bag on the road behind us.  I grabbed my long lens and got out of the car as quietly as I could.  This is a Yellow-headed Caracara, a beautifully marked bird.  He was very cooperative.  He posed on the road for a bit then took off away from me and circled back.  I think the markings on this bird are magnificent!

After negotiating Santiago we were again eastbound on the Pan-American, headed for the Bayview.  Watermelon is now in season and it is starting to show up in markets and roadside fruit stands.  We stopped at this place to stock up on some fruit for our next week and bought one cantaloupe for $1.50, three pineapples for $1 and a good-sized watermelon for $3.

We found him on the deck of the Bayview, entertaining a couple of young women from the US!  Octav wasn’t expecting to see us but was glad we stopped by to visit with him on the way to Gorgona.  We made plans to get together over the next couple of days for dinner and a visit then were off to Gorgona to find our new home, Sueno Mar, which means sunny beach.

On the Road to Santa Fe

Hi Travellers,

We checked out of our little resort and went for breakfast around 9AM.  We were at the Artash Restaurant to get one last bacon wrap and an Internet connection to catch up my posts before we left El Valle.

We had agreed to pick up Octav from the Bayview Hotel on the beach in San Carlos at around 11AM to give him a ride to Santa Fé.  Its only a couple of kilometers out of our way just off the Pan-American Highway.  We have been here before.  It has a restaurant right on the beach with a magnificent view from the deck.

On our way to Santa Fé, we decided to check out a little restaurant in a place called La Pintada (pronounced La Pin Tada) that we really enjoyed the first time we were here.  When we were here the second time, we drove up to find it closed and out of business.  Now, I read that it is open again so we want to check it out for a potential day trip with our friends who are coming in mid February.  La Pintada is 13Km north of Penonome (pronounced Pen a no me), which is on the Pan-American.  La Pintada is a beautiful small town with really nothing much to draw people but the restaurant.  We arrived to find the beautiful little town was once again equipped with a great little restaurant.  Restaurant Casa Vieja La Pintada!  If you are in Panama, this place is well worth the little scenic detour you will take to get here.  There is a beautiful small recently painted white church on one side of the well-kept square with this restaurant on the other side facing the church.  The restaurant appears to have fresh paint and our server was a little Panamanian girl who was attentive, had a big smile and spoke enough English for us to get by.  We just had a cool drink, snapped a few shots and were on our way.

On our way back to the Pan-American, Andrea spotted a small fruit stand in front of a house at the side of the road with a supply of grapefruit stacked on the shelf.  We stopped and this little guy sold us six beautiful big grapefruit for $0.50, (total, not each) once he had his mother’s permission.

We continued back toward Penonome but in a few minutes our GPS wanted us to turn west.  We looked at the road and found it wide and paved but with no lines.  Now normally, Andrea won’t take advice from the GPS but this time, with two of us encouraging her, she agreed to follow it.  It turned out to be a nicely paved secondary road that our GPS called “Road”.  It basically, just cut off the need for us to go back through Penonome.  It brought us out on the Pan-American 20 or 30 minutes west of Penonome after taking us through beautiful rolling hills and past lots of fields of cattle and horses.  Out in the back country I might have thought we would find unkempt properties and homes but that was not the case.  Homes were neat, tidy, artfully landscaped and painted bright colors.  There was no junk lying around.  Then I remembered, we were in Panama not Mexico and this is the norm here!  There is a pride of ownership that shows everywhere.

Shortly after getting back on the Pan-American, a motorcycle carrying a police man passed us at a high speed.  In a few minutes we came around a bit of a gentle curve and saw a little white car of some kind on its side in the middle of the median.  The shot is a bit blurry but I think you can get the idea.  There was shattered plastic everywhere.  We wonder what actually happened because the road was flat and almost straight. In a few minutes we saw an ambulance approaching from the other direction.  It was not in a hurry and the emergency lights were not on.

We arrived in Santiago on the Pan-American which is where we turn north for Santa Fé.  We joined a line of mostly little yellow taxi cabs at a service station to load up our trusty Toyota with fuel before leaving Santiago which, we were warned, is the last place we can get gas.  Strange!  This busy little fuel stop was the first service station we have found that takes credit cards.  We left Santiago, heading north along a nicely paved two lane road with yellow center line and white lines at both edges of the road.  The hills are rolling and every now and again you get a chance to see the beautiful hilly vistas from the road.

We had planned to stop in a place called San Francisco which is 17 Km along the road from Santiago, to see a very important historical church that dates back to 1621.  Restoration work has been recently completed.  San Francisco is a tidy small village with narrow roads.  The whole place looks recently paved and again we find the homes all beautifully landscaped and well-kept.  Here are a few shots of the church.  The interior is amazing.  It is full of beautiful intricately carved pieces that show so well because of the fresh restoration work that has been done.

We continued north on the little hilly road for the remaining 35 Km to Santa Fé.  The GPS is not up to date with the roadway.  It looks like the road has been modernized somewhat and the map has not!  It showed us travelling in the general area of the road but not on it.  We eventually met one of the little Toyota Coaster busses that runs from Santiago to Santa Fé and followed it part of the way.  There is very little on this road.  No houses, no cows, no people, just tall grass, fields of nothing, lots of vegetation, beautiful distant hills and one small Toyota.

Our resort had provided us a map to get us from Santa Fé to their property, which is just a little over two kilometers.  We got to within a couple of hundred meters from the main gate and, following the map, turned off the paved road onto a dirt one with a hill on it.  Now a dirt road here means slippery red clay with no gravel and lots of deep ruts.  When you add an incline and water from a recent rain to this recipe, you need four-wheel drive, which our little Toyota doesn’t have.  Andrea managed to get us almost up the hill before we lost traction and could not go forward.  I hope no one from Budget is reading this!  We were probably 20 meters from the resort gate.  I got out and walked to the resort to get help and she backed the Toyota back down the hill.

As I walked through the front gate of Casa Mariposa, I was immediately faced with terrain sloping off into the distance and an  amazing view of hills, mountains, and jungle that unfolded at my feet.  First impression?  I was mindful of Shangrala!  It was stunning!

I met one of the owners, Kevin, who said to take the car back to the intersection with the pavement, and that he would meet us there with his four-wheel drive to bring us and our luggage to the resort.

There are two new villas right inside the gate at the top of the hill.  Each is beautifully landscaped to maximize the privacy between them.  Our villa is called Toucan and the larger one is called Motmot, after the bird.  I will show you a couple of pictures of the Motmot in the next post.  We were warmly greeted and oriented to the ways of the Casa Mariposa by the owners Kevin and Erica, who are from Ontario.  The routine here in this brand new resort is like in a five-star resort.  We sat and visited with Octav on the large deck of the Motmot, where he is staying, trying desperately to take in all the amazing view.  Rachel came to explain the dinner specials and to take our order.  They have a menu of around a dozen items or so.  Graham, the chef will prepare the meals and he and Rachel will them serve them to us on the Motmot deck.  So far we have experienced friendly helpful owners, who are attentive and follow-up on every small detail as well as a wonderful gourmet dinner capably served in the most beautiful restaurant, the deck of the Motmot!

The dinner selection I chose was horseradish and parmesan encrusted red snapper filet with home-made rye garlic bread and braised green beans.  Andrea chose the homemade french onion soup featuring Erica’s homemade bread, then the stuffed chicken with mozzarella, shiitake mushrooms, olives and bacon served with a shiitake mushroom white wine sauce along with purple nayami (a local root vegetable something like potato)and braised green beans.  For dessert we chose the pineapple upside down cake with a ginger sauce.  Amazing!  Now tell me!  What other jungle can you think of that serves gourmet food like this with such a view from the dining room?

Speak Kind Words, Receive Kind Echoes

Hi Fellow Travellers,

“Speak kind words, receive kind echoes” the decorative plaque on the wall of our little room here at Cabanas Potosi says.  That phrase is descriptive of the attitude of the owners of this place.  Their helpfulness and concern for their guests manifests itself in many ways.  We have seldom experienced this kind of service and attention at any of the places we have stayed.  They make El Valle extra special for anyone visiting here.  I put a link to them under the Businesses We Support heading in the right column.  If you come here, we would highly recommend Cabanas Potosi and the rates are, to say the least, reasonable.  For $44.50 per night, with the 7th night free, you get an extra clean room with a fridge, fans a bathroom with hot water and louvered windows that let the breezes through.  There are two beds per room and the mattresses are firm and comfortable. There are only four rooms so you get to meet everyone else that is traveling through.  Also, the grounds are beautifully landscaped and impeccably maintained.  You also get an endless supply of cheerfully provided helpful information from the English speaking owners Mireya (pronounced Marayah) and Dennis.

I have told you about the beautiful birds here in Panama but there is so much more.  Today we went to see the Orchid Garden here in El Valle.  We were told that about 12 years ago, the Japanese government sent a high level agriculturist here to help Panama with their orchid cultivation.  They built an education center and rather than collecting local samples, they started all their plants from seeds.  Apparently there is a problem here with locals collecting orchids from the wild and selling them and they did not want the Orchid Garden to contribute to that problem.  Apparently the Orchid Garden will lose its Japanese funding this year in March and nobody knows what will happen to it.  Without the grant money, or another benefactor stepping up, the center is expected to close and much of the knowledge to be lost as the Japanese agriculturalist will return home.

Our guide for our walk through the Orchid Garden tells us that there are 1,500 native orchids to Panama.  Almost all orchids attach themselves and grow on existing trees.  There are very few that actually grow in the soil.  They attach to the bark of their host and grow.  Other than for some medicinal uses, orchids are simply decorative.  They do not harm the trees that they are attached to, with the exception of one species which kills the tree but continues to live on the dead host.  Orchids need a humid lightly breezy environment with not too much direct sunlight.  They draw their nourishment from the air as the breezes  pass them by.  Here are a few pictures of some of the vegetation at the Orchid Garden.  They have much more than just orchids.  I think it is as beautiful as the birds here.

We have been searching for a good massage since arriving here in Panama.  When we first arrived here in El Valle, we asked around and were told that there was only a few places that provided massage.  We checked the new spa in town run by some European doctor.  It is a splashy new building with lots of staff but at $100 per hour for a massage, we kept looking.  Next we checked the spa at Lourdes.  It looked adequate and their offering was $65 for an hour, the same as we pay at home.  We decided to try it but were really disappointed.  This is a case of somebody finding out the going rate for a proper massage in North America and applying that price to massages performed by staff who have no idea what they are doing.   We have had better $15 beach massages!  It was at best disappointing and I am not used to having the zits on my back popped during my massage, but that’s what you will get here.  If you need a massage, give this place a pass!

Eventually, we were told about Natasha, who performs a Thai massage that was supposed to be good.  We decided to give it a try.  Now my recollection of massages that we got while in Thailand was that there was lots of rubbing and slapping involved and you couldn’t go near a pool for about a week afterwards without leaving an oil slick.  For our Panamanian Thai massage, we were taken to an outside raised platform on a shaded covered deck with lots of gentle cool breezes.  The vegetation around the deck providing good privacy.  The atmosphere was perfect for a massage.  This experience was different from other Thai massages!  It involved assisted stretching, firm muscle presses along with limb manipulation and deep tissue massaging of problem areas.  There was no oil used.  I came away from the experience feeling like I had actually had a massage.  My sore neck was back to normal.   Natasha learned this skill while living in Thailand and she appears to have learned it well.  I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a massage that is effective and a little different.  A one hour massage will cost you $28 which is a very good value for what you get.  Just go to the Artash Restaurant and ask for Natasha.

For dinner tonight we decided to check out Casa de Lourdes, the most expensive place in town, but it has been worth it in the past.  By the most expensive place in town I mean a fine dining restaurant with prices that we would expect at home.  Generally speaking we are finding restaurant meals at about half of what we pay at home.  We have been here before for Sunday lunch and have needed reservations.  It is an opulent European style building with thick stone walls and a beautiful lobby full of gigantic cut flower arrangements.  The eating area is outside on a covered deck beside the pool.  We have friends coming to Panama in mid February and wanted to check if the place was still as good as it had been in the past.  We arrived just when they opened at seven PM and were the only customers for the evening.   I had the roast pork while Andrea had the chicken with goat cheese and a tomato sauce.  We shared a salad with apple and pecans and a desert of pear crumble with vanilla ice cream and a caramel sauce.  Along with two very tart lemonades and a coffee, the total ran us around $63 for two.  Our impression is that the place is slipping a bit.  The building is getting to the point where it needs a paint job and many of the magnificent flower arrangements in the lobby were well past their expiry dates.  The food was good however the lettuce in the salad was a bit wilted and the ice cream had been frozen and thawed and contained ice crystals.  Now I think most of the food deficiencies can be written off to this being a Monday night after their busy time on the weekend and that we may have got leftovers.  We will bring our friends here on a weekend during the day so they can see the wonderful setting, perfectly manicured gardens and impressive mountain views and hope that the flowers and food problems do not repeat.  Until then, you will just have to use your imagination to picture what this impressive place looks like because I won’t have and pictures of it until then.

The Mystery Car

We awoke this morning to the distant beat of jungle drums echoing off the mountain walls as the sounds made their way down the valley to our ears.  When I opened my eyes, I realized it wasn’t jungle drums at all but rather the base from some Panamanian dudes stereo off in the distance being played at the only volume setting permitted for music in Panama, that being maximum!  The always barking distant dogs were strangely silent this morning as if they knew why the veterinarians that I told you about yesterday were in town. Oh well, there was still the roosters!

Breakfast today was at the Restaurant Artesanias in the Hotel Residential El Valle.  It’s right on the main drag and looked inviting.  It was also close to the already busy public market where we were headed after breakfast.  The menus here, as in most other places have the offerings written in Spanish with the translation to English in brackets following.  It works pretty well and we have not had too many surprises yet.  Today we ordered fresh fruit smoothies, pancakes and coffee.  I can’t believe a day without bacon!  The food was fine, nothing special but the smoothies were huge and very flavorful.  Breakfast for two $10.  This place would be worth another try but we are running out of days to double up on restaurants.  Give it a try if you are in town.

Last night, while at dinner, we saw a beautifully restored old car drive up and park in front of the Catholic church.  The occupants headed in for Mass.  I had left my camera in the car and the lighting was poor so I did not get a picture of it.  Today, it was loaded aboard a trailer hooked behind a Toyota Tundra capped pickup and parked by the side of the road.  I got a couple of shots of it but still don’t know what make it is.  There was no recognizable (to me) insignia on the car to identify it.  Maybe someone out there could tell me what it is so I can pass it on to the other readers.  I took a pretty close look and the quality of the restoration workmanship was perfect.  Even the wide white wall Firestone tires were in perfect condition.  I love the color, which I know could never have been authentic.  Can anybody help?

The main drag was starting to back up with all the traffic headed to the market and the church.  Crowds spilled over into the street.  Lots of small vans from resorts in other places arrived filled with tourists looking for bargains.  A couple of large tour buses were parked in an empty lot across from the church.  When we walked around the market it seemed a bit smaller than we remember from earlier years.  The back part of the market behind the plant section is empty and not full of vendors selling plants and flowers.  The tent behind, where many of the Kuna artisans display their Molas had fewer tables.  Up front, in the craft area was still busy with many good quality Panamanian crafts being offered.  The fruit and vegetable part of the market is a bit bigger with fresh product piled high on the tables and lots of locals availing themselves of the expansive choice.  I prowled and got a few pictures to give you an idea of what goes on here on Sunday at the market.  Tomorrow, the streets will be empty again and El Valle will return to its more normal slower pace of life.

We headed back to the resort for a little quality hammock time.  I have to keep my tan up!

For dinner tonight we decided to try Chinese.  There is one Chinese food restaurant in town in a new mall called Pekin.  It has a convenience store, hotel and a Chinese food restaurant all called Pekin.  We went in and ordered.  We found the food a bit disappointing compared to the other meals we have experienced around town.  They don’t take credit cards as many of the restaurants now do and the servers appeared to speak no English where most other places we have been they can at least speak some.  The food was hot and the service adequate but we wouldn’t bother with it again.  It was an unremarkable meal.  Dinner for two $23.

Fierce Mud Covered Natives of the Backwater Jungle

Hi All,

Today we awoke to a bright sunny perfect day here in El Valle.  There was quite a wind storm last night and one of the metal roof panels got pretty noisy during the night, rattling with the breezes but by morning we still had a roof and everything was back to normal; that being perfect!

We went to Artash for breakfast and an Internet connection again and got talking to Natasha.  She is a pretty Russian born Canadian girl who is now living in Panama and has an interest in Thai yoga!  She speaks several languages.  Sounds a little united nations like to me but she has a studio out back of the restaurant where she practices her yoga and even leads an occasional class or two.  She gave me a short tour and posed for a few shots of her in a couple of yoga positions.  She has striking big blue eyes and a huge smile!  Here in Panama you find people from all over the world.

Later in the morning we decided to check out the local hot springs.  It is located in a small public park down by the river and is a popular spot both for tourists and locals.  You park at the end of the road and run a gauntlet of small boys all offering to watch you car for you.  I think it is the only English they know and they all have huge friendly smiles.  It’s not really about security but more about trying to separate a few coins from the wallets of the patrons.  After paying the $2.50 entrance fee you walk across a small bridge that spans a lazy small river and leads to an area containing covered picnic tables, change rooms, a massage room, showers, and a number of concrete pools of varying sizes.  The place is well used but neat and well-kept.  There is no trash around.  The bathrooms were immaculate and cleaned after each use.  I was surprised at the number of people around wearing the official purple park golf shirt signifying they were staff.  They are there to direct the public in the use of the facility.  There is a mud bath that seemed to be pretty popular.  I got a couple of shots of people with mud covered faces looking a lot like the fierce natives of the backwater jungles in the past must have once looked except they wouldn’t have been wearing the designer bathing suits sported by todays users.  The sign said the temperature of the pools was 38C, which is not really hot but just kind of warm.   I didn’t do the mud facial, even thought somebody I am travelling with told me I needed it but I did try the pool which was a comfortable temperature for a warm day.  After being in the hot pool for about 30 minutes, the shower, when you get out of the pool was very cold!

I told you the other day that I would try to show you some of the elaborate estates around here so on the way back to the hotel we stopped a couple of times for some pictures.  Girls, if you are looking for sugar daddies, it seems that this might be a promising place to start.  What do you think?

When we got back to the hotel we met a new couple that had just arrived from California so we joined up with them and our friend Octav for dinner.  Tonight we chose Brochette’s Restaurant on the main drag right across the street from the library.  It is the restaurant that is part of the Anton Valley Hotel.   As their name implies, they specialize in brochette, five different kinds and they are all scrumptious and loaded with garlic.  We ordered main courses as well and enjoyed a leisurely meal of excellent food and good companionship.  Dinner for two, including drinks, appetizer, main courses and coffee $26.  We have eaten here before and they consistently produce good food to an often full house.  Don’t miss this place for at least one meal.

El Valle is actively working on some things to improve their community.  One such thing is to try to get the large population of dogs under control.  There is now a local ordinance where owners of dogs not tied up are subject to fines.  Tomorrow about 50 veterinarians will arrive for the day to spay as many female dogs as owners will bring to the free clinic.  The population here is quite progressive in tidying up some of the annoying problems that seem to get ignored in many other places.  Impressive!

The Spring Fed Pool

Hi Travel Fans,

We thought we were the only people in our little resort until last night when we heard a vehicle drive in and then drive out.  This morning, there was a new face here.  Octav is from Victoria and had recently lost his wife.  He decided he needed to get away so came here to Panama, all on his own.  He is 78 years old and, we are told, probably would not be able to rent a car due to his age.  He had a bit of a bad experience in Panama City when he arrived to find out his hotel didn’t have his reservation and he needed to find an alternate in a rush.

Panamanians show a lot of respect for older people and the owners of this resort, to their credit, are typical examples.  They were concerned about this older man traveling on his own and without a car so had decided to make him breakfast, to his surprise.  We offered to take him into town and got talking with him.  He is a fascinating man, born in Romania and having worked all over the world as an electrical engineer.  He speaks several languages but his Spanish is limited, he says.  He speaks far more than us.  He tells the most fascinating stories about some of the projects he worked on in various parts of the world.

He decided to join us while we had breakfast at the Artash Restaurant in town.  We had been there once before and enjoyed the casual friendly atmosphere.  The restaurant is located on the covered patio outside a Panamanian house.  The property is elaborately landscaped which provides a privacy separation between the eating area and the rest of the property.  It is run by a young couple.  Arturo and Natasha.  He is Panamanian and she is, more recently, from Canada.  The restaurant runs in his families old home.  The food offering is a bit different.  Arturo characterizes it as casual international.  Arturo’s experience as a chef includes Panama and Spain.  Everything is fresh and quite creative as prepared by him.  Natasha, provides a friendly attentive service to the guests.  The food is reasonably priced and very tasty.  If you are in El Valle, pay them a visit, it will be a great experience!

Octav left us after breakfast to walk around town and we returned to our resort.  After talking with the owners, we decided to take a short hike down to the river to see some falls that are close to the hotel.  By the time we were ready to leave, Octav had returned to the resort so he joined us for our walk.  We never actually found the falls as it required  a bit of rock hopping on wet rocks and the footing was not very good.  We elected to sit in the shade by the river and enjoy the sound of the water making its way down the channel and the cool breezes that have been with us all day.  On return to the resort, we decided to try the pool as the afternoon was warm.  Cabanas Potosi have an arrangement with another hotel in town that has a pool so we got directions and made our way to an empty resort with a beautiful big pool.  We were told it is spring fed and there is no chlorine in the pool.  The pool is shaded by one of the largest trees I have ever seen.  I can’t even imagine what it must be like to keep that pool clean when the leaves all decide to drop!  The water was refreshing, not too cool and not too warm and the pool was nice and clean.

The three of us went to Capitones Restaurant for dinner.  It is a pleasant place where you can dine inside or outside on tables scattered around the property.  They specialize in German food.  We ordered our food and were all impressed with what was provided.  They provided the best cup off coffee I have had since we arrived here.  It was coffee from Boquete, which is in the hills in the west of Panama.  Andrea had jumbo shrimp while I had garlic chicken.  Oh and then there was the strawberry cheesecake.  Yum yum!  Dinner for two $36.  This will get a return visit from us, particularly for the coffee.

I know I promised you some shots of some of the beautiful big estates here today but I just never got around to it!  I think I am settling into the Panamanian lifestyle!  Manana.

The Rincon Vallero Banditos’

Hi Travellers,

Today is our second full day here in El Valle de Anton, commonly known as just El Valle.  Just where is this place?  If you look at the small map below, you will see the route we took from Cerro Azul to El Valle (look for the red push pins at either end of the magenta route).

Here at Cabanas Potosi, the owners keep a few birds.  Today’s feature picture is of the one who actually runs the place.  He lives in a cage for the night but when he wants his breakfast, he just makes it so noisy that the owners bring him food.  He spends the day out of the cage, in a large tree and is somewhat temperamental.  He will visit the guests with the owners sometimes and will show a full range of behavior from being fun and chatty to being miserable and ornery.  He sometimes plays games with people with cameras and likes to hide from being photographed.  Andrea was patient enough to get these shots of him today.  When he deems it is dinner time, he calls for his dinner, which is promptly delivered to him and then retires to his cage for the night.  Quite a life!

El Valle is a place we have been before but we have never stayed here, just day tripped from other locations.  It is growing dramatically but still maintains it’s small town charm.  Weekdays are not very busy here but on the weekends it is a popular place for the Panama City folks to head to beat the heat.  You also get tour busses full of tourists stopping by on the weekends so the visitors can shop at the market.  On a holiday weekend it is common for all the hotel rooms in town to be full!  One of the popular draws here is the large public market where you can buy hand crafts from all over the country, plants, fresh fruit and vegetables.

The owner of our resort, is from an old Panamanian family that has been in El Valle for generations.  They are owners of large tracts of land here which has become very valuable over the last few years.   She tells us that people usually stay here for just three or four days because that is how long it takes to see everything here.

The town site is primarily on level land on the floor of the valley.  Mountains surround the town so it is really quite picturesque.  The weather is cooler than Panama City and this is one of the few places in Panama where you will find fire places in houses.  Both days we have been here it has rained for a short time late in the afternoon.  Today, I took some shots of the main drag here.  It really doesn’t do the town justice because there are some beautiful large “old money” homes here down some of the side streets.  I will see if I can get you some peeper shots tomorrow.

Today, I experienced some typical Panamanian bureaucracy.  I was looking for a WiFi connection, which is still not too common here.  We found a couple of restaurants that have it but the library advertises free WiFi service for everyone.  I went to the library, a nice airy one story building with wired computer workstations around the perimeter of the large single room.  Book stacks were neatly arranged into the center of the room and there were lots of tables and chairs for the use of the patrons.  I walked in, sat down, and started to fire up my computer.  I found the WiFi network and tried to connect to it but it failed.  After a few moments, one of the librarians came over with a scribbler, looking for the MAC address of my computer so they could authorize it’s use on their router.  I scratched my head and tried to figure out why they would bother with such a step as the service is free and available to everyone that wants it.  Why not just have an open public connection?  Oh well, I guess it must give someone a job!

For dinner tonight, we headed to a restaurant that we have been to on other trips.  This is also a favorite, we found out, of Antonio, our friend from Cerro Azul.  The hotel is a little too Panamanian for our taste (yes it’s possible) but the restaurant is awesome!  This restaurant is at the Rincon Vallero Hotel.  Outside the main entrance is spectacularly landscaped with some beautiful local species and the entrance has a mature vine sporting lots of large blue flowers covering the entrance trellis.  Once through the front door you will see a multi level restaurant divided in half by carp pools.  There are plants everywhere and the sound of a small waterfall off in one corner.  The set tables are dressed with bright red and white table coverings, glasses and place settings that just invite you to sit and have a meal.  Soft Spanish music plays from the sound system.  This place creates an impressive atmosphere!  We were the only patrons in the restaurant.

While looking at the menu, a duck and a goose waddled in from the hotel courtyard entrance.  It looked like they knew exactly what they were doing… heading for a table of pastries wrapped in plastic wrap.  The goose looked like the instigator as he could almost reach the basket of goodies by stretching his neck through the wrought iron railing.  He was just about to snatch his snack when the server came back and shooed the two would be banditos back into the hotel courtyard.  We saw one other thwarted attempt later in the evening.

I didn’t order duck or goose for dinner but the corvina (sea bass) special along with a sumptuous papaya fruit shake.  Here is a picture for a certain person in the audience!  The service was excellent as was the food.  Dinner for two, including tip $33.  Once again, this place gets a double thumbs up for landscaping, atmosphere, service, food and pricing.  Don’t miss it if you come to El Valle.

One Very Special Property

Hi Travellers,

I have one more thing to cover before we close the book on Cerro Azul.  Last Sunday, in my post “The Expat Affair”, I mentioned a special property that is now for sale in Cerro Azul that I wanted to tell you about.  I have made it the topic of this whole post due to the extraordinary value and beauty of this property.  I want you to see that this area is not for Hillbillies.  This home is the quintessential entertaining center.  I now have the details so here we go.

“This air-conditioned 3-bedroom/3-bath house is situated on 2,580 square meters (0.60 acres) of pristine land.

The home is designed in stunning contemporary Spanish architecture with 390 sq. meters (4,100 sq. feet) of grand living in 3 levels with slate floors throughout, Berber carpet in all three bedrooms, and protected by electric gates and an exterior wall.

 

 

 

The main level consists of a large open concept Living/Kitchen/Dining area complete with fireplace and a bar with plenty storage for liquor and glasses. The new Italian Scavolini gourmet kitchen has gorgeous granite countertops, plenty of modern space-saving storage, a stunning amount of counter space and stainless steel appliances. Frosted glass upper cabinets allow filtered light to keep the kitchen bright and airy.  Conveniently next to the kitchen is a huge pantry complete with Washer/Dryer and storage for kitchen appliances. The dining area has built-in storage for china, linens and silver drawers.

Also on this floor are a guest bedroom, bathroom and garage with a tool room.  The balcony runs completely across the house with sitting, dining and barbecue areas. Each room on this level has its own access to the balcony. The sunset views from this balcony are breathtaking.

 

 

 

There is a grand staircase in the foyer that leads to two bedrooms with private baths in each. The master bedroom is over sized with a sitting area. The master bath is very unusual with a walk-around shower. Both bedrooms have balconies and amazing views.

Downstairs are an air-conditioned darkened home-theatre room and a game room with pool table, gym, and a Yoga area also with spectacular views from its balcony.
This level also has large storage room with a 7000 KW generator hooked up to the house and designed to keep the entire house with power.

In the backyard an unbelievably immaculate garden with flowers, orchids, orange and lemon trees and a seasonal swimming area with a deck. A concrete bridge leads you to the gazebo with patio furniture and hammocks…perfect for reading.  Also included is a caretaker’s cottage at the very end of the property completely removed from view.

Priced to sell this home is offered partially furnished at USD $315,000 firm.

The property has excellent drinking water, electricity, telephone, two separate Internet providers, (ADSL and Wireless provider for backup), and satellite TV.

“Los Altos de Cerro Azul” is a private residential development in the mountains of Chagres National Park: one-hour east of Panama City (40 minutes from Tocumen airport). This gated community is guarded with 24-hours security and has an impeccable record for safety.

A January 2012 property appraisal estimated the market value at USD $411,000.”

Contact information:
Bernardo Lopez
(507) 6766-5970
panalat69@gmail.com

Now imagine the price of this property at home, and remember it comes with many of the furnishings you see in the photos!  There is a caretaker living on the property who looks after the exterior of the property and landscaping as well as other tasks designated by the owner.  He  is paid $350 per month.  This could easily be equated to condo fees in many of todays modern complexes and would be at a bargain rate when you consider all he does.

Cerro Azul Final Impressions

Hi Fellow Travellers,

Today, we leave the beauty of Cerro Azul and the perfect climate we have experienced for the last couple of weeks.  We have decided to move a little further west to El Valle, a beautiful small mountain town that is a popular day trip destination for locals and tourists.  It tends to be cooler than the city, at 800M elevation, and there is always a pleasant breeze.  There is a popular farmers and craft market here that bustles with activity on the weekends.  During the week, this sleepy little mountain town is slow-moving and enjoyable.  There are lots of walkers on the street and bicycles are a popular method of transpiration.

We have one last stop to make so I can get a couple of shots of, what I think is a spectacular property here.  It’s an old property that l think was built in 1985 and is supposed to have won an architectural award.  It is beautifully sited on six almost totally level lots and provides an unobstructed 180 degree view from the wrap around deck that includes the City.  There are two apartments in a separate building and one other out building.  It has been well maintained and includes beautiful heavy wood furnishings.  Apparently it has been on the market for a long time and we think the price is at about $235K.  Amazing value if its true!

As we pack up our little Toyota and say good-bye to our now quite large group of friends, I would like to leave you with a few of our impressions of this area.

1.  It is an area that many, unjustly, consider to be quite remote, even though it is only about 45 minutes drive from Tocumen airport.  It will take you longer to driver across the city than to drive here;

2.  If you are going to visit here, you need to have a car and be comfortable driving mountain roads;

3.  Remember that you are in a National Park and conduct yourself accordingly;

4.  Accommodation here is difficult to find before coming to Panama.  There are no hotels except a hostel that we found in our Moon travel guide but it is outside the park and it looked closed when we drove by it.  Try the Canada Panama Realty website, as they have rentals available (See the Business we Support list at the bottom of the right column of this blog for a link).  You can also contact Antonio, who has a couple of suites available in his home with Internet (See the post called “Another Place to Stay in Cerro Azul” in this blog for information);

5.  Be ready to cook most of your meals while in Cerro Azul.  The only restaurant (of sorts) is at the Club, but it closes at four PM daily and is not open on Monday.  You can pick up lots of supplies at the Super 99 or Super Extra markets at the bottom of the hill before you come up.  Of course, you could drive the road into town for dinner but the road is not good to drive in the dark.  It is narrow, hilly and curvy and there are very few street lights.  Locals walk on the side of the road and they don’t seem to be aware of the need for light-colored clothes to be able to be seen at night.  Drivers here tend to drive in the center of the narrow road and are slow to move back into their own lane when they approach traffic going in the other direction.  Be careful;

6.  Don’t come here if you are looking for a partying infrastructure.  There are no clubs.  If you want to party, bring it with you.  This place will appeal mostly to people who love the outdoors and those that enjoy nature and hiking;

7.  Take a few moments and get to know some locals.  We found them to be extremely friendly and helpful in providing information about the area and suggestions of things to do.  There are lots of Expat Canadian and Americans here so English-speaking people are relatively easy to find;

8.  If you need an Internet connection, there is one available at the restaurant in the Club.  It works great when it is working but has been subject to a bit of down time;

9.  Do take advantage of the beautiful big pool in the Club area.  It is quite cool, as Panamanian pools go, due to the elevation here; and

10. We have seen many places in Panama and this one is our favorite!  Partly because it is a well-kept secret and is not busy and partly for the perfect climate.  Be sure not to miss it when you come to Panama.

Our trip to El Valle takes us down the mountain and across Panama City to the Pan American Highway. This is the highway that runs from here all the way to Canada! We met some people here that drove down from Quebec… 9,700K. We cross the canal on the newest and only other bridge, the beautiful Centennial Bridge and head west on the recently improved modern four lane divided highway. Be careful of semis hauling containers. We passed two along the way where the container tipped off the chassis on a curve. Its 175K to our destination but it takes us about three hours due to traffic and a lunch break in Coronado at one of our favorite restaurants. We left the Pan American Highway and headed up the newly paved two lane road for 25K to El Valle.

Andrea booked our accommodation over the Internet.  It’s a place called Cabanas Potosi and the rate was $44.50 per night.  Oh, and you also get the seventh night free when you book a week.  Now I don’t know about you but that rate made me nervous until we read the client reviews and found that almost all of them raved about the place.  After finally locating it and turning through the main gate, you could tell the place would be fine.  The gardens are elaborately planted and manicured perfectly.  There are four units arranged in two buildings.  The grounds are massive and there are little round concrete tables and benches scattered around the property, each set in a perfect place such as sheltered in the shade under a tree, nestled in the center of ring of tropical plantings, out in the open or secluded.  There is a covered patio with a ping-pong table and hammocks are stretched between trees in groups or singly.  The place is neatly painted and the rooms, although not elaborate, are neat and clean and contain a fridge.  The place is casual and everything you see suggests relaxation!  I love it all ready.  What do you think?

The Expat Affair

Hi Everyone,

Today is Sunday, here in Hillbilly Heaven and the weather is again perfect for this busy day in Cerro Azul.  There are lots of families and groups of people up from the city to spend the day in the cooler weather here, escaping the sweltering Panama City heat.

As we made our way over to the club for breakfast, you cross a bridge over the river and when you look down river you see little covered picnic areas with barbecues.  One was occupied by a larger Panamanian family group with mom and dad in the small shelter with the barbecue smoking, and the rest of the group were sitting below in the river, chatting and playing as the cool clear mountain water rushed by.  They were a friendly bunch and waved while I took their picture.

In the late afternoon around three, we made our way to Jim’s house, where we and 50 or so other expats from the area were invited for a little pot luck dinner and get together.  There really was no particular reason for the gathering, according to Jim other than to say goodbye to a couple who were returning home after several years in Panama.  Now this is one of the things that I really like about this place.  There are lots of Canadians and Americans living here and all that we have met are friendly and seem willing to be helpful to new people.  We met lots of new people today and found it a really interesting bunch.  Some are permanent residents while others just part-time.  Some own homes in the area while others rent.  All seem to have interesting stories and they all love the Cerro Azul weather.  Here are a few shots from the party.

At the party, we met Greg, who has a very unique house for sale.  Several people had suggested we have a look at his house because of the landscaping, architecture and decoration.  It’s one of a kind, we were told.  I’m going to save the pictures for a day or so until I get some more information from Greg and then I will dedicate one whole post to this incredible home.  The house and property are appraised at much more than the selling price.  You will be amazed at the value for the money here as many of the furnishings are included with the house.