Going Back In Time.....To Granada, Nicaragua

We arrived in the colonial little village of Granada, Nicaragua around one in the afternoon.  The tropical sun was blazing down as our driver let us out in front of our apartment complex.  The receptionist was waiting with our keys in hand and quickly showed us to our apartment.  The small compact villa was modern and came fully equipped with all the necessities of home.  A tiny kitchen, living room with pull out sofa-bed, and the master bedroom with a king sized bed with bathroom nearby. 

Buying A Chip From Movistar for Our Cell

Cathedral In Granada, Nicaragua

Parque Central

One Of The Local Beers

Plenty Of Horse Pulled Carts



Quickly we dropped off our stuff, changed into shorts and headed out to explore the city.  As Clyde went to lock the door the key broke inside the lock.  Now what? Just then we noticed a gringo coming down the stairs from the upper level of apartments.  We stopped to talk asking her where the manager or owner was to help with our key issue.  Apparently the owner of our apartment was not on the premises, neither was anyone else that could help us.  She suggested we just hide any valuables and go on with our day as if nothing happened. The outer perimeter of the complex was behind a locking gate so the only ones that might steal from us are the people that live here. So with no other choice we took our passports with us, hid our electronics and went out to explore.  Fortunately when we returned later that evening everything was as we'd left it and someone was on the grounds to lend us a new key.

Arroz Con Leche (Rice & Milk) For Sale Sitting In The Hot Sun

The Marketplace

They Use Banana Leaves To Wrap Many Foods

Bras Anyone?

Walking Through The Market

Cart Load Of Something?



The apartment rented for only $53 per night and comes equipped with air conditioning and even a pool right outside our door. While we might think Panama is HOT.....Nicaragua is even HOTTER.....or so it seems!  The days are scorchers here and sweat just drips off every inch of our bodies while walking around, even in the shade. So coming back here to a/c and a dip in the pool after sweating all day is a welcomed treat.  While we do have WIFI it's been rather sketchy, on and off and basically lousy.  As I write this I need to stop and reconnect every few minutes, hoping to save what I've written.

One of the reasons we wanted to come here was to see how our friends Pat and Rich from Austin, Texas were enjoying their retirement here. We met up with the ambitious duo for drinks and dinner at a local expat hangout, a regular hotspot here on Friday nights.  Soon after meeting many of their expat friends we discovered many other Texans here, just like we have in Panama.

Terry With Friends Rich And Pat











The next morning with the help of friends Pat and Rich Buff we headed out to have a key made. First they took us to a hardware store but they didn't have the blank to make the key but sent us to another.  The second store, so to speak, was in someone's living room with the equipment to make keys in one corner of the room.  Clyde and Rich went inside and said the man's sons were watching tv and had to move over to let the guys sit down while waiting.

Getting A Key Made Inside Someone's Home

The Living Room Of The Key Maker

Yes, This Is A Real Home







Yes this place is third world and probably what Panama was twenty years ago.  Locals get around using public transport or horses.  Time to move, have furniture delivered or anything else.....it's done with a horse pulled cart of some type.

The next morning we met up with Rich and Pat for breakfast before they took us around the city to explore.  Our first stop was the marketplace where locals sell everything from bras to produce, and we even saw freshly made "arroz con leche" rice and milk sitting out with no refrigeration in the heat of the day.  Yuk! Not for me but perhaps Nica's have stronger tummies that us foreigners and can handle curdled milk? We walked down to Lake Nicaragua and around the malecon, a path that goes along the lakefront.  There we saw cows, horses and even pigs feeding near the waters edge.  Later that evening after leaving our friends Clyde and I headed to the grocery store by foot.  For just $18 US we picked up several bags of groceries that included breakfast items and snacks to use in our apartment. Tired for a day of walking we opted for a taxi back to the apartment, at a cost of a buck or two.  Taxi's are in private cars here that are......rather rustic looking to say the least.  Equipped with NO a/c, our driver had his wife and daughter in the front seat going along for a visit.

Couple of little piggies eating grass near the lake

View of lake, those are cattle grazing along the banks of the lake





Clyde and I made it back to our apartment around six in the evening, tired from a long day of having fun.  For dinner we walked a few feet from our apartment to pick up some Nica street food.  Chicken taco's, although much thinner than the Mexican version, along with an enchilada all topped with cole slaw, sour cream and wrapped in huge banana leaves.  The leaves serve in place of foil or plastic wrap and I had to wonder if they were cleaned before hand?  Probably better that I don't know the answer to that.

Street Food For Sale

Taco's,  Enchiladas Wrapped In Banana Leaves

Our Dinner

Nicaraguan Tacos Topped With Cole Slaw

Enchiladas Topped With Cole Slaw



Everything is much cheaper here than Panama, and since Panama is much cheaper than the US you get the idea.  Meals out can be enjoyed for $2 to $4 US.  The local money is called the Cordoba and the current exchange rate is $1 to .28 Cordobas.  For a nice comparison local Panamanians make around $400 per month in wages while Nicaraguans take home just $200 per month! But the people of Nicaragua are friendly, inviting and accepting of foreigners that invade their space.  Since Granada is rather touristy many of the locals speak some English, not something we often see in Panama.

Time to get ready for another day out sweating, sightseeing and enjoying life in Nicaragua with friends.....along the gringo trail.

Terry and Clyde are able to "Travel The World House Sitting"  and so can you!  We have created a website to help people who want to learn about house sitting.    Information for both the prospective house sitter and for someone who needs a house sitter.

the New Website                          -->  CLICK HERE

How to Get Your First House Sit -->  CLICK HERE

How to find a house sitter          ---->  CLICK HERE

How Panama Changed The World.....The Biodiversity Museum

Last week we set out on a road trip into Panama City to visit the Museum of Biodiversity.  Designed by famous Canadian architect Frank Gehry who's married to a Panamanian, he chose to donate his design to his wife's home country. While the idea of the museum was first discussed in 1999, it wasn't until 2014 that it first opened to the public.  Construction began in 2004 with a 60 million dollar budget, but setbacks occurred pushing back the opening until 2014. Built at the end of the Amador Causeway facing the Pacific Ocean it sits near the entrance to the Panama Canal. The building offers panoramic views of ships transiting the canal and feels like it's floating on water. The unusual design of the building employed techniques never before used in Panama which left many an architect confused.  Each panel was painted a different color giving the building a tropical look so common in the area, although the design is like none other seen around here.

Biodiversity Museum Panama City, Panama

More Of Its Strange Design

Panoramic Views Of Ships In The Canal

View Of Panama Skyline

While the museum still has plans to expand over the next few years by adding two large aquariums, what has been completed was nicely done. If nothing else it made it's point of how important this little country of Panama is to the rest of the world.  Not only because of the canal but by forming this narrow, snake-like land bridge that changed the formation of the earth. Below is some of what we learned about how Panama changed the world.

Oops There Goes Another Rubber Tree Plant
Yes....A Massive Rubber Tree Used For Making Latex

Millions of years ago there was a gap between the continents of South and Central America filled in by water from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  Under the water two plates of the Earth's crust were banging into each other, producing heat and pressure which lead to the formation of underwater volcanos. Some of the volcanos grew tall enough to break the surface of the water forming islands as far as 15 million years ago.  The movement of two Taconic plates was pushing up the floor of the sea, eventually pushing some areas up above sea level.

Giant Animals Once Roamed Around Panama

Over time large amounts of sand, mud, and soil were pulled away from the two continents and added to the islands helping them to grow. Eventually over time the islands were connected and formed an isthmus or land bridge, the country that we know today as Panama.

Giant Shark Mouth

A Giant Sloth With Little Clyde

Scientists believe that the formation of Panama is one of the most important geological events to happen on earth in the last 60 million years. Although small is size the impact Panama had on the rest of the world was massive.  The land bridge shut down the flow of two oceans which re-routed currents in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Atlantic currents were forced northward and developed into a weather pattern currently known as the Gulf Stream. With warm Caribbean waters flowing toward the Atlantic, temperatures in northwestern Europe became warmer.  And since the Atlantic Ocean no longer mixed with the Pacific, it became saltier too. These changes regulated patterns of rainfall which in turn created new landscapes.

Recreation Of Giant Sloth That Once Lived In Panama

 

The land bridge called Panama played a major role in the biodiversity of the world.  By connecting two continents animals and plants were able to move from one continent to the other. Animals of North America today like opossum, armadillo and porcupine all came across from South America.  Likewise animals such as bears, cats, dogs, horses, llamas, and raccoons all came from the other side.

The Great Migration Of Animals

Views From Nearby The Museum Overlooking The City

Boats Waiting To Transit The Canal

MS Albatros Cruise Ship

Operated By Phoenix Reisen Our Of Germany

High Above Panama City We Found This Spot Set Up On The Edge Of A Cliff

Complete With Tiki Torches, Chinese Lanterns Hung From A Nearby Tree,

Seats And A Silky Sheet On The Ground

A Place To Get Away With Friends Or Lovers?

Another View From The Side

For anyone visiting or living in Panama a stop at the Museum of Biodiversity in Panama City may provide a nice break from daily routines. All exhibits are in both Spanish and English and the staff all seemed to speak both languages too. A future exhibit includes two large aquariums, one featuring marine life from the Atlantic and the other featuring the same from the Pacific. Although they are not scheduled to be completed for years to come, surely we'll be long gone from Panama exploring other parts of the world........along the gringo trail.

Terry and Clyde are able to "Travel The World House Sitting"  and so can you!  We have created a website to help people who want to learn about house sitting.    Information for both the prospective house sitter and for someone who needs a house sitter.

the New Website                          -->  CLICK HERE

How to Get Your First House Sit -->  CLICK HERE

How to find a house sitter          ---->  CLICK HERE

Like So Many Others We Live.....At Home Abroad

It's been well over four years now since Clyde and I decided to step out of our comfort zone and move to Panama. Even before we left Texas I began writing about our adventures along with the ups and downs of living in a foreign country.  It started with this blog, then to my first article, second article and more..... published in International Living, either in the magazine, website or e-postcards. Then one day I heard about a couple named Betsy and Mark Blondin, expats themselves who were putting together a book of stories told by the expats themselves. So I submitted our story over a year ago and finally the book is being published, soon to be released on April 8th and the ebook to follow.

Although we don't benefit from the sales of this book I thought it only befitting to write a short blog about it.  After all it is cool to have our story, one that I wrote put into a publication that will be around for all eternity.

So whether you're already an expat living abroad or perhaps thinking about moving out of your home country, pick up the book and read the stories of those that have already taken the plunge. Like I've said many times before, living abroad is not for everyone but for those willing to take the plunge it will change your life forever.  It has forced us to think and do things differently every day and realize that just because things here in Panama are different, doesn't mean that they're wrong.

And as many of you know we are trying to sell our house here so we'll be free to travel the world one country at a time.  It's a big, interesting world out there and we'd love to see it all, or however much we can get to in our lifetimes. I had no idea when we first left Texas that someday I'd be a published author, from articles to an anthology of expat stories for you to follow........along the gringo trail.

Terry and Clyde are able to "Travel The World House Sitting"  and so can you!  We have created a website to help people who want to learn about house sitting.    Information for both the prospective house sitter and for someone who needs a house sitter.

the New Website                          -->  CLICK HERE

How to Get Your First House Sit -->  CLICK HERE

How to find a house sitter          ---->  CLICK HERE

Memories Down The Right Road To Write......

A few weeks ago while stuck in the house during Carnival, the biggest street party of the year we decided to go through some old photos and memorabilia. Instead of getting stuck in traffic and dealing with drunken partygoers we took a trip down memory lane. The journey took me back to the days of my brief career in journalism and my days at the White House. Yep, you read that correctly and I do mean THAT White House. 

I found an old scrapbook filled with newspaper clippings of my first "by line," when I worked for The Dispatch a daily newspaper in Patterson, NJ.  Also in there were some articles I'd written along with White House Press Briefings.  I handed one to Clyde who began reading and said, "what the heck is this?" So I had to explain to him how famous I once was......a long time ago.

Back when I was in high school between junior and senior year, I chose to attend a six-week summer school for journalism program.  The pricey, exclusive program was geared for writing geeks like myself that intended to change the world someday as journalists.  In my case writing seemed to be one of the things that I was good at in school, so counselors encouraged me to pursue journalism.

So during that summer while my classmates were partying hardy at the Jersey shore I was acting as a pretend journalist.  Along with about 50 other students from the greater New Jersey-New York area who attended the program, I was covering stories and conducting interviews.  The program was held in Blairstown, New Jersey about an hour from where I lived in metropolitan Jersey City. That in itself was culture shock enough.  The tiny, rural, farming community had a few stores, restaurants and shops and not much more.  There might have been more cows living there than humans although I never had to do a story about that, so who knows?

White House Press Briefing

My First By-Line April 6, 1979 In The Dispatch, Paterson, NJ

We were housed in the dormitory's of Blair Academy, a hoity-toity boarding school that was empty for the summer months. Our faculty was a team of journalists and other writing professional from all over the US. Along with classroom time we were sent out into the town to cover local events, police calls, the senior center, farming issues and such. I found some old articles I'd written on the local community action program and senior center, where I had to interview its' director. Along with that was another article that I'd written on feminism which was titled, "My Father Is Having A Baby."  The strange title seemed to have nothing to do with the contents of the article but it still was fun to read after all these years.

Surely the highlight of the program was a three-day trip to Washington, DC where we'd be allowed into the White House as Press.  This was a big deal as our backgrounds were checked, social security cards were submitted, fingerprints and photos were taken to assure the safety of the President Carter.
Once inside we attended special briefings and were handed press releases just like real working journalists. We were given a tour and told where we could and could not go. It was cool to be on the inside and feel as if we were special, real-life reporters covering important events of the President.

Because one of our teachers worked as a reporter for the Washington Post we were allowed a tour of their newsroom.  I recall it being a massively large room full of people, chaos, and noise as typewriters clicked and reporters talked on phones.

My old scrapbook was protected all those years by my mother who later returned it to me.  Inside was an assortment of pages from The Dispatch bearing my "by line" along with a few old articles that I had written. When I was just 19 years old I dropped out of college after a year of studying communications having decided that journalism might not be for me. While I wrote well in high school and was always good with descriptive, flowery writing, in college I discovered that I was not so good about writing just facts. To me it was boring writing that I didn't want to write and surely no one else would want to read.

But as fate would have it someone came into my life that just happened to work for The Patterson News, the sister newspaper to The Dispatch. About the only thing I remember about this person is that her name was Pat and she worked for a newspaper.  She suggested that I apply for a position for the summer at The Dispatch and gave me the name of the managing editor who I set up an interview with.  Excited I drove my giant Chevy Impala to Patterson, NJ and went inside the newspaper office.  The editor was easy to talk with, seemed to like me and offered me the position.  Back outside I went only to discover that my car had been broken into.  Alone and scared I felt as if I was being watched by people hanging out on nearby porches or stoops as they're called in New Jersey. I put the key into the ignition to discover that the car wouldn't start because they had stolen the battery out of it. Quickly I high tailed it back into the newsroom to ask to use the phone to call my parents. As I waited I remember the editor said to me, "I hope this won't keep you from coming to work for us?"  Later I found out that the neighborhood was so unsafe that the newspaper had a guard to walk women to and from their cars which were kept in a secured, guarded lot that we had to pay for.

Surprisingly enough I was hired as a "gopher" or someone who would do research and help out the reporters. I was thrilled to be working in a real live newsroom and proud to go to work everyday. After working there for a month or so the Entertainment Reporter took ill and left on medical leave. I was called into the editors office and offered the job as a fill-in until she returned.  After a few weeks of filling in I was informed that she would not be returning to the job and it was offered to me full time.  I would be responsible for a two-page pull out entertainment guide that ran every Friday. It was a collection of happenings and events around the community that were sent to me in the mail.  As this was back before computers I would have to type the information, write some information and put it all together with the help of the other staff. Also on a daily basis I was responsible for posting the wedding and engagement announcements in the paper.  As time went on the editors trusted me enough to allow me to write some articles featuring people, events and other things.

Later that year I became involved with a biblical research ministry and decided to leave New Jersey and go follow the ministry.  While my job at the newspaper seemed exciting I really wanted a position as a reporter.  But those positions were only granted to those with college degrees and since I wasn't ready to finish college I decided to leave and pursue other interests.

I spent a year in Idaho which changed my life in many ways.  There I met my first husband who was also involved in the ministry. Soon after I was pregnant and married and went from Florida to New Hampshire where I ended up working in retail management.  Life happened and I never focused on writing again until after retiring to Panama.  It was my wonderful second husband Clyde that noticed I had a knack for writing who suggested I begin a blog.

It was this blog that helped me reconnect with my love of writing which later led me to submitting my first article for publication to International Living. That was over four years ago and since I have had many articles published by them.  Also I've become a featured expat speaker at their conferences here in Panama for three years in a row.

And little did I know at first that my blog was being followed by an old friend named Chris back in Corpus Christi, Texas.  Chris worked as a teacher her whole life and became my early morning gym buddy for a while.  After following the blog for some time one day she sent me a private email complimenting my writing skills.  It went something like this, "Terry you really write well and you should pursue this." Of course I said, "thanks," but really just thought she was being nice.  Again I received an email saying, "Terry I'm serious, you really are good. I taught writing on a college level and I know good writing, and you're good," she raved.  So if you're reading this now I'd like to thank you Chris for giving me the nudge that I needed to submit my writing for publication.  I have since had several of the editorial staff at International Living praise my writing skills recently and maybe I never would have submitted my first article had it not been for your nice comments.

It's funny how life takes its twists and turns and sometimes leads us down unknown roads, to strange worlds where spectacular things happen. Today I'm truly blessed to say I'm making money as a travel writer who will soon be roaming around the world with my wonderful husband. Here's to that young, insecure little girl that wanted to change the world through her writing.  While her life took her in other directions it eventually led her back to a writing career after early retirement in Panama.......along the gringo trail.

Terry and Clyde are able to "Travel The World House Sitting"  and so can you!  We have created a website to help people who want to learn about house sitting.    Information for both the prospective house sitter and for someone who needs a house sitter.

the New Website                          -->  CLICK HERE

How to Get Your First House Sit -->  CLICK HERE

How to find a house sitter          ---->  CLICK HERE

Love Is In The Air And The Joys Of International Living.......

Love was in the air on Sunday as Clyde and I celebrated our 12th Wedding Anniversary.  My knight in shining armor took me to the very fancy Hilton Hotel that sits along the waterfront in Panama City.  Our room overlooked the water and featured a king sized bed and plenty of room to stretch out in comfort and style. For dinner that night I was instructed to order anything that I wanted off the menu. Clyde said, "and we don't even have to share a meal tonight." We both decided on ricotta and spinach ravioli alongside a glass of red wine. For one of the few times in our lives we didn't have to worry about the prices on the menu since we weren't paying anyway.  Yes that's right the whole weekend was free for us since I was a featured expat speaker at the International Living Fast Track Panama Conference. 

With over 400 attendees the conference was sold out once again!  People come from all over the US and Canada to hear expat speakers, and the International Living staff.  Also in attendance are an assortment of realtors, tour companies, lawyers, a Spanish school, investment firms and so much more.

My talk was on Sunday morning and I was given 20-minutes along with a power point presentation to tell our story. Throughout the rest of the conference that ran from mid-day on Friday through late on Sunday, Clyde and I chatted with the attendees.  We sat at a table with a sign that indicated who we are, "Coronado Area Expats," and enjoyed chatting with conference goers when they were on break.
We welcomed questions that attendees had about a little bit of everything and gladly shared our story and ideas with them.  I think they appreciate our, "tell it like it is" attitude since we don't hold much back.  There is no perfect place to live and they need to weigh all the options before deciding for themselves.

As usual it was a great opportunity for me to mingle with the International National Living editorial staff.  While most I'd met in previous years during the conference there are always new faces.  Many of the IL staff lives in Ireland since that's where the company is based but others live all over the world. I had not met the current editor that I submit articles to so it was lovely to get to know her in person.  She is as sweet in person as she in via email. It's hard to imagine that I've been writing for International Living for over four years now as a freelance writer. It will continue to be a skill that I can do from anywhere in the world as Clyde and I begin to travel more through our house sitting adventures. I'm thankful for the connections that I have with the International Living family and hope to work with them for many years to come.

For Clyde and I the whole concept of living abroad has presented us with many more opportunities than we'd ever imagined. Surely I never imagined becoming a travel writer in my retirement years of living in Panama and enjoying the benefits of International Living.......along the gringo trail.

Terry and Clyde are able to "Travel The World House Sitting"  and so can you!  We have created a website to help people who want to learn about house sitting.    Information for both the prospective house sitter and for someone who needs a house sitter.

the New Website                          -->  CLICK HERE

How to Get Your First House Sit -->  CLICK HERE

How to find a house sitter          ---->  CLICK HERE

http://internationalliving.com/author/tcoles/