A Walk Back In Time...... To Noriega's Forgotten Beach House

Our day yesterday took us from the Pacific Coast beaches of Farallon though the majestic mountains of Santa Fe, Panama. Just down the highway from our area lies several of well-known pricey resorts that cater to the tourist looking for an all inclusive Panama experience. 

Nearby the famous resorts sits the remains of what used to be the weekend getaway for former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega.  After driving by the compound and asking a few locals for directions, we managed to find what was once a majestic beach-front dwelling.

Side View Into House
These Are The Stairs We Climbed To The
Second And Third Floor. They Didn't Look Safe, But We Made It Up

 

 Clyde Went First On All Fours, So I Followed

Made It Up But Going Down Was Even Scarier......

Clyde Went Backwards But I Sat Down And Scooted Down Step By Step

 These Were A Breeze Compared To The Other Stairs

 

Pole Dancing? 

 

Beach View From House

Notice The Three Levels Of The House

Another View

A Skylight Perhaps?

 

Waiting For A Drink At The Rooftop Bar?

Balcony Overlooking The Pacific Ocean

 

Another View Of Rooftop Deck

 

 And Another

An Island In The Distance With A Cross On It

Local Artist's Rendering Of Noriega. 

Perhaps He Was Commissioned To Do This Piece?

 

This Place Went On And On.....Even More Dwellings

Across The Road, Perhaps For The Help?

As we entered the eerie old place we had to climb over rocks, rubble and trash.  Our minds wandered as we imagined what life used to be like in Panama under the rule of the ruthless dictator. Surely it wouldn't be a place for foreigners like us to spend our retirement years, so we're thankful that he's safely tucked away in prison.  We bravely climbed up the rickety steps on all fours, and even made our way to the third-level, outdoor entertainment area for a view of the ocean.

It was eerie walking through this house wich once housed the notorious dictator who was later brought down by the United States.  During his reign, it was reported that many soldiers and civilians were put to death in this very dwelling and it's picturesque grounds.  Although we were walking among concrete ruins, we could still feel the awe of standing in the middle of what was once the upper end of luxury.

The Yard

And More Of The Outside

Notice The Barbed Wire On Top Of Wall

A Tour Bus Sat Empty In Driveway, But We Saw No Tourists

Maybe They Were On The Beach?

Across The Road More Houses And A Watertank



Just down the road from the Noriega home and fancy resorts is the "real life" Panamanian village of Farallon.  Dotted with small, brightly colored cement block homes with hammocks swaying in the tropical breeze, this showed what life here is really all about.  We noticed a few brave tourists that left the comfort of the resorts to experience the small town life.  With it's stores, churches, restaurants and other simplicities the town also featured several shops that sold touristy items as a means of support.

An Internet Café/Real Estate Office in Farallon, Panama

 

Hammocks And Other Touristy Items For Sale

 

Local Home

Massive Windmills Along The Highway

 

 

These Suckers Are HUGE!

 

After exploring the beach area we headed up into the mountains of Santa Fe. Located in the Veraguas mountain range, the temperature dropped about 10 degrees as we made our way up into the clouds.  Surrounded by national parks, streams, rivers and hiking trails it appeared to be a natures lovers paradise. But even in the dry season rain comes in the mountains and it poured hard as we stopped for a cup of mountain grown coffee at a local restaurant. But since it was already late in the day and our trip was not at all planned, we decided to head back home.  Although it would have been great to spend the night, I didn't even have my purse with me which meant that I had no contact lens supplies to take care of my eye care needs.

Mountains Of Santa Fe

 

And More Views

 

But we did snap some photos along the way and managed to borrow others from other online sources for your viewing pleasure.  Enjoy them if you will and come with us on a walk through time......along the gringo trail.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_Noriega

A Golf Course In The Mountains.......Who Knew?

Last weekend we spent a day hiking in the mountains of Altos del Maria with friends who live nearby.  Altos del Maria is a gated community that covers over 7000 miles of land that's scenic enough to be something found in a national park.  The terrain climbs well over 3000 feet above sea level as the lush landscape changes to cloud forest with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean.  With hundreds of miles of hiking trails, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, observation decks, parks and even a mini-golf course, there's always more to be found. 

Friends Paul & Nancy Pose Near A Waterfall

 

Views and More

A Scenic Bridge Over A River

A Creek

 

Lovely Flowers

 

A Mountain Lake

 

 



The mountains of Panama are way to chilly for our comfort but still a nice getaway for a day of hiking to discover new horizons. Las Nubes Adventure Park is aptly named for the clouds that surround it yet seemed to be abandoned some years ago.  Situated near the famous "castle" weekend home of the Melo family, perhaps the mini golf once entertained their family before it was let go? Unfortunately for us the clouds rolled in once we reached the top making it nearby impossible to view the famous castle.  We could make out a bit of the outline ensuring us that there is indeed a castle there, yet it wasn't visible for us to enjoy.

Yep, It's For Real.....Or Once Was?

We're All Shocked.....Mini Golf In The Mountains!

 

More....

And More Golf In The Background.....Nancy and I Stop To Play

 

Strange Fuzzy Flowers

The well-to-do Melo family are known throughout Panama.  They made much of their fortune through poultry farming and since Panamanians eat a whole lot of chicken, there's a huge need for it here. The family owns other businesses throughout the country some of which bear the family name and cater to the needs of animals.

A Swimming Hole?

Waterfalls Everywhere......

 



Just a note worth mentioning is that Altos del Maria IS a private, gated community that restricts access to the public, unless they have a reason for entering. But since our friends know many of the residents we gained legal access into the development with their help.

I think it's best to just let the photos speak for themselves of our day out cloud-tripping through the mountains.....along the gringo trail.

A Little Hug For His Hose........

Summertime in Panama is also known as the brown season since it's the time of year when all the grass, plants, shrubs, and trees dry up from the lack of rain. The four month dry season usually runs from December through April with little to no measurable rainfall to be seen.  Clyde enjoys this time of year since the need to mow the grass ceases, as the green plush landscape changes to hues of brownish yellow.  On the other hand what also dies are the decorative plants around the house along with anything else that we planted.  Since neither of us is good at remembering to water the plants and shrubs, this year Clyde decided to put in a drip irrigation system.  By burying a system of pipes attached to a timer, the plants can receive water each day for a set amount of time keeping them alive until the rains begin again.

So my industrious hubby has been shopping for all of the necessary parts both locally and in Panama City.  In nearby Coronado there is only one normal type of "gringo" store that sells hardware.  It's a store called Novey that displays hardware products on the shelves just like a store would back in the states. They have hoards of helpers standing around ready to pounce on customers to assist them in finding items. But when Novey doesn't have what he needs, Clyde is forced to visit a "chino" hardware store where everything is behind the counter, similar to a pharmacy here.  In this case Clyde must ask the clerk behind the counter for whatever it is he needs in Spanish.  Sometimes that's harder than it sounds when it's something he really doesn't know a name for in English.

A Hose Clamp, This Is What He Needed



Yesterday Clyde was out looking for a hose clamp but Novey was out of them.  He went to another small hardware store and attempted to ask the clerk for the item.  Although he does pretty good with Spanish he was having difficulty explaining what it was that he needed.  He explained that he had a "tubo" a tube (pipe) with a "manguera" or hose over it and needed something to go over that. A clamp is what he needed in English but didn't know the word in Spanish.  Finally the girl figured out what he was asking for and grabbed a box with one in it.  He read the word "abrazadera" on the box which means "clamp."  The next day he realized he needed another one and went back to the same store.  The clever clerk asked him in Spanish if he remembered how to say the word. Clyde admittedly said, "no he didn't remember."  The girl jokingly gave him a hard time telling him in Spanish that she could not write up the ticket and sell him the item, until he could say the word. Eventually she used her arms to simulate a hug "abrazos" in Spanish and reminded him that the word is "abrazadera."  I guess we could say that a "hose clamp" is nothing more than a hug for a hose, and a word that will never again be forgotten.......along the gringo trail.

A Pre Carnival Tent Set Up Alongside The Highway Selling Cases Of Beer

 

Haircut Anyone?  A Barber Shop In La Chorrera

Extra Police On Patrol......Is He Real? 

It's A Cardboard Standup Placed Along The Highway

Carnival, Valentine's Day And Another Year Together.....

When my romantic husband planned our wedding some 11 years ago (yes he really planned the whole thing) he choose to do it on Valentine's Day.  Being a guy his thinking was that he'd never be able to forget our anniversary since the whole world would be celebrating too. The stores would announce our special day months prior to it with hoards of candy wrapped in red foil, flowers, stuffed animals and mugs with teddy bears poking their tiny heads out proclaiming, "I love you," to the world. But then some years later we moved our lives to Panama where Valentines Day is barely celebrated, if at all, causing curious Clyde to contemplate and come up with a new plan.

 

But this year Valentine's Day fell on the very first day of Carnival, a huge country wide celebration that literally shuts down the roadways. Thankfully though, some blog followers, now friends visiting from Albuquerque, New Mexico offered to take us out for dinner the week prior the big event which served as an early anniversary dinner.  Since we hadn't been there in a long time we choose a restaurant called Los Camisones (translated means "nightgowns or large shirts") .  After further investigation it turns out that Mr. Camison owns the place so it's just basically the owners last name.  But anyway, we enjoyed what was by far.....the best meal we've had in Panama ever......seriously!  I choose the corvina (a local sea bass) smothered in a white sauce with mushrooms and shrimp that was absolutely scrumptious.  For a side I picked papas pure (aka: mashed potatoes).  Clyde and our friend Brent had the mahi mahi that was served with the same white sauce.  Brent's partner Kat had lobster which she said was wonderful too. A wonderful pre-Valentines - Anniversary dinner with great friends who are perhaps, maybe now, talking about retiring to Panama someday.

Los Camisones Restaurant



With Carnival comes the crowds that flock to their beach homes nearby, packing the highway with grid-lock traffic.  Gringos like ourselves tend to hunker down at home for the duration of the whole event.  Our first year in Panama we went out to partake and party hardy with the locals since we lived within walking distance of a huge street party.  Other years we stayed close to home, put in the earplugs at night to drown out the loud music and made the best of it. This year surprisingly has been rather quiet in our neighborhood even with the increase of more people.  Our home is surrounded by weekend homes that tend to stay vacant except on big holidays like Carnival.  Nearby homes are loaded up with locals celebrating their days off by lying in the sun, swaying in a hammock and drinking way too much cheap beer. Yet still the music and merriment has been minimal which makes for a nice tranquil time at home.

On Friday we hit the store before the crowds arrived from Panama City.  We stocked up on basic items trying to avoid the need to run out in the midst of the heavy traffic.  On Saturday the 14th I melted some white chocolate and dipped some over-priced fresh strawberries into the sweet mix for a special Valentines treat. Not everything is cheap here in Panama and since strawberries don't grow here (or at least not that I know of) they tend to be pricey since they're imported from California.  We paid $6.68 for a package of strawberries that would probably sell for $2.50 in the US, depending on the time of year. I did manage to find a container of "Dolci Frutta" white chocolate specially packaged for just such an occasion for around $3.50. Actually this is the first time I ever bought fresh strawberries in the almost 4 years we've lived here now.  We do buy the packaged frozen blueberries and strawberries from Price Smart, a warehouse club in Panama City to add to our morning yogurt. though.

The Chocolate Version Of Ours

 



And for anyone interested in what's behind Carnival, it's basically a huge street party of floats, large water tanks that hose down the crowds and play loud music, lots of booze, food and more.  The basic premise is a competition between a Carnival Queen from two different streets of the same town.  There is Calle Arriba (High Street) and Calle Abajo (Low Street). Both attempt to outdo the other with floats, music, costumes, parades and partying for the whole 5 day event.  It's a fun time that's enjoyed by families with kids of all ages celebrating right next to their parents.  Most businesses shut down for the duration of Carnival allowing locals some much needed time off to spend with their families.

Carnival Partygoers

Carnival 2012 in Capira

A Queen On Her Float

 

This Guy Must Think He's In Mexico Not Panama

 

Posing With The Police In 2012

 

But I Want The Male Police Officer To Do This

People On A Float

 

This Is A Real Person

Isn't She Cute?

 

Another Queen

 



So here's to another wonderful year spent having fun with my good looking husband Clyde.  He is my partner in adventure and my best friend who continues to love me, make me laugh, puts me on a pedestal, treats me like a Queen, and is willing to follow me anywhere.  But then again I did follow him to Panama for a retirement full of adventures and fun......along the gringo trail.

In Search Of The Perfect.......Or Throwin' In The Towel In Panama.....

Sometimes I think my life is just one long search to find the perfect something.  That perfect pair of shoes that are comfy yet cute.  The perfect pair of jeans to make my butt look amazingly lifted and luscious. The perfect beauty products to make me look ten years younger and wrinkle free.  The perfect furniture and accessories to make our house look like a page out of Home & Garden magazine. The perfect kitchen gadgets to make every meal taste like something out of a five star restaurant. And the perfect kitchen towel that actually dries off the dishes instead of just pushing the water around. Yes you read that correct, some of us obsesses about finding a kitchen towel that actually does the job it's supposed to do. And no matter what country you live in, buying new kitchen towels that are absorbent from the get-go, is no easy task.

Don't get me wrong there are plenty of dish towels out there in the stores in all colors, sizes and prints but none seem to absorb any water until they're old and falling apart. So anytime, anywhere we'd walk into a store I'd be on the lookout for the perfect towel.  I'd always sneak away from Clyde and walk down the aisle with kitchen wares to fondle the towels. Usually my fondling left me disappointed until  last week.  Clyde wanted to make a  trip to the Discovery Center, a store with a peculiar mix of all sorts of things located in Panama City.  While he went to look for things for the garden I roamed around the store. There on the back wall in between pads for industrial floor buffers and heavy duty shop vacs hung a section of dish towels.  As usual I fondled them all until I found one on the top row that looked different.  It was a two-pack of waffle weave, micro-fiber towels in solid colors.  I had to get a roll of contact paper from a nearby aisle to knock them down since they were out of my reach. Once I had them in hand I read the writing on the label that was in English and it said "super absorbent, quick drying, non-abrasive and resistant to lint."  Made by a company called MU Home out of China the claim on the label seemed intriguing.  The price on the label was  $9.99, in other words $5 per towel, but IF they really worked it would be worth it. So I bought a pack along with our other purchases and off we went. 

Mine Are Red!

 

Here's one of the new towels in it's
special spot in the kitchen

 

A few hours later after arriving home I was eager to try out my new towels.  Quickly, I wet a few dishes and put one of the towels to work. I was amazed at how efficiently the towel dried off the water completely.  I hung the towel to dry on a nearby hook to see IF the towel itself would dry off quickly in this extremely humid environment. Since we live in such humidity towels here DO NOT dry unless we put them in the dryer after each use.  But a while later the kitchen towels seemed dry, once again living up to its claim on the label.

So impressed I wanted to make the 90-minute drive again into Panama City to buy more of these wonderful towels, but I knew that would be silly.  But a few days later on the weekend my tech savvy hubby was talking about maybe buying a new camera for an upcoming trip.  He already has several cameras both large and small. The one he says takes the best photos makes him stand out in a crowd looking like a Japanese tourist on holiday. You all know what I mean since we've all seen them out there at tourists spots. Their cameras usually weigh more than they do as they position their families in front of famous monuments to capture the perfect picture. But while a large camera is nice it screams I'M A TOURIST come rob me because I'm carrying money and expensive gadgets. So we thought it would be better for him to carry a tiny camera that can be safely tucked away in his pocket when not in use.  Of course we'll still be tourists and will look like all the rest, but hopefully we'll be a bit more discreet in flaunting our gadgets.

Being the good wife that I am (just ask me I'll tell you), I suggested that we take a drive into Panama City yesterday so that Clyde could look at cameras. He looked at a few locally but before laying down any money I thought it would be best to compare others out there.  And since we'd be in the city anyway.......just perhaps maybe we could swing by the Discovery Center again so I could pick up some more dish towels.  Clyde was all too willing to oblige so we hit the road for a day out.

Would You Ever Think This Was A Store?

 

 

Housewares Inside Discovery Center

 

Some Of The Stranger Items Found Here:  Ice Scrapers, Snowball Makers (for throwing snowballs), Antifreeze. They Even Sell Hospital Beds, Wheel Chairs And Other Home Health Equipment.

 



When we first moved to Panama we bought a mop with removable, washable heads that I just adore. Soon after I bought another mop stick along with additional mop heads since I tend to use more then one while cleaning.  But over the years of excessive cleaning I broke the stick several times
and Clyde's had to fix both of them. And no I didn't break them from hitting Clyde over the head or from riding them during the full moon on Halloween.  So yesterday HE suggested that we stop at one of the many Do It Centers to find another mop stick.  I had my doubts since I'd already been on the lookout every time I passed a mop aisle, again always searching for something.  But to my surprise this particular store DID have the mop handles and each came with an extra head. And for only $5.99 each we picked up a few to make me happy. But as we were checking out of the Do It Center the light bulb went off and I had an awakening.  Clyde was going to get himself a brand, spanking, new pocket camera to add to his collections of gadgets, while I was getting a mop and dish towels. No wonder my cheap husband was willing to indulge me in spending money on cleaning gadgets when he was getting a more expensive toy. And since our anniversary is only a few weeks away perhaps he's given me my gifts already and surely he's received his.

 

Panama's Version Of The Home Depot

 

 

My Favorite-ist Mop Ever!

 

Another View Of My Friend

The Heads Are Easily Removed And Washed Out

 



He decided on  a camera from one of the many Panafoto stores in Panama City. Similar to a Best Buy in the states, this electronics superstore is a bit different.  Clyde picked out the camera from that department, serviced by a clerk standing behind the counter.  With no product in hand he was to go pay for the item at the register by giving his name to the cashier. Once she typed in his name his purchase showed up and she knew what to charge him for it.  Next he was to go to "entrega" where he would pick up the camera. The clerk behind the camera opened the box and showed him what was included inside. A manager sat beside him watching the whole transaction making sure Clyde received all that was included with the purchase.  In the meantime the power went off and we were all left standing in the dark. As Clyde signed for the camera he could barely see the line to write his name.  But since power goes off frequently here in Panama, the store stayed open and people shopped as usual, as if nothing had changed. My dear husband just reminded me that it WAS MY IDEA for him to look for a camera. So he knew I must REALLY want those towels! I just didn't want him to look like a Japanese tourist!

We felt this camera would be a little less obtrusive walking the streets of Paris
and it's 20 Megapixels!

 



So there you have it, another day of exciting adventures that left us fulfilled in our wonderful retirement years in Panama.......along the gringo trail.

Guess I'll Never Understand.......

After three plus years of living in Panama I've come to realize there are some things that I still don't understand, and probably never will.  The other day I woke up at 6am to the all too familiar sound of fireworks.  Loud explosions of sound burst with color into the dark sky as I lay in bed thinking "why?" Never in my life have I awakened in the middle of the night thinking, "now's a great time to set off some fireworks." Never have I jumped out of bed, dashed out the front door with matches in hand ready to bombard the neighborhood with loud, obnoxious noises at the crack of dawn. Last night around eleven the colorful array of lights lit up our bedroom like a disco as we lie in bed snuggling. I felt almost guilty lying there ignoring the display outside our window.  Doesn't one always stop what they're doing and watch when fireworks are happening? If everyone in Panama stopped what they were doing every time fireworks went off then absolutely nothing would be accomplished. And perhaps that's why nothing does get accomplished here, at least not in a timely manner. But seriously folks, fireworks are a way of life here and can and will happen any time of the day, or night.  Panamanians LOVE fireworks and those of us that have moved here have come to accept them as part of everyday life, even if we question why?

Another peculiar thing to us foreigners is the Panamanian obsession with staples.  Those little pieces of bent metal that get pushed through when a hand-held device is squeezed, the staple is a vital part of life here. Go into any office and surely the clerk will staple the receipt to the bill you just paid.  When any purchase is made the cashier will put the item in a bag, fold it over and secure it with a row of staples across the top of the bag. After that she'll staple the receipt to the bag using three or four more staples.  Just try and get the stuff out of the bag after getting it home.  It's no small feat!  Pay with a credit card and the cashier will staple the receipt to the charge slip before handing it back. Per capita Panamanians use four times more staples than anywhere else in the world. Ok so I just made that up but surely if someone, somewhere conducted a study on staple use, Panama would come in number one. So if your local department store is ever out of staples you know that they're being hoarded here in Panama.

Store bags are closed with millions of staples to ensure that the customer won't add other items into it as they exit the building. Security is taken seriously here and staples are just a little measure to help. Usually everything is bagged here, no matter how big or odd sized the item might be.  Stores here have oversized bags big enough to hold trash cans, comforters and other large items.  The bags are large enough to use as trash bags once we get them home, that is IF we can remove the hundreds of staples without tearing it. But the other day we were shocked by what happened in one store.  Clyde's tummy was a bit upset and he thought eating some mints might help settle it.  He picked up a small bag of starlight mints in a store and went to the register to pay. To our surprise the cashier stapled the receipt to the bag of candy and didn't put it into a bag.  We looked at her in shock as she handed it back to Clyde with his change. Apparently she thought he was going to eat it immediately as one would do with a pack of gum or candy bar and felt no need to bag it. But for us this was a first in Panama!

The exception to this staple thing happens in grocery stores since they choose to tie the bags instead. Unloading groceries in our house involves a pair of scissors used to cut off the knots in each bag. Just recently here the grocery stores are getting into the sale of reusable bags like we have in the states.  But the bag boys aren't quite sure what to do with them yet as they still use the disposable bags first, tying them tight then putting them into the canvas bag.

Speaking of security in stores,  purchases are NEVER taken out of one store and into another.  Instead there are locker rooms called "paqueteria's," where bags are left.  Bags are held in cubicles and in turn we're given a number to identify the location until we return.  It's a rather efficient system that annoyed us at first, but now we realize it's easier than carrying everything.  Stern looking security guards stand tall in the front of every store making sure bags are not brought in. The same guard will give your purchases the once over upon leaving, making sure everything has been paid for.  Throughout the store there are well dressed security personnel with walkie-talkies that carefully watch everything. A few months back one of the guards yelled at a customer that was taking pictures of the Christmas trees that were on sale.  We don't know why that wasn't allowed  but apparently it's not.  But having worked in retail management for many years in my younger days I can appreciate the need for security since I've seen my share of theft over the years.

But as the years go on and we become accustomed to the ways of our new country. So perhaps one of these days I'll buy some fireworks and run outside in the middle of the night to set them off, never asking why.....along the gringo trail.