Reality Resonates Loudly............

As my head sinks into the pillow I'm entertained by the delightful sounds of the night. A chorus of frogs gurgles loudly with a full range of melodic tunes resonating through the night air. A gecko soloist grabs center stage chirping out his lyrics, while a few dogs bark out a rhythm in the background. Usually a relaxing lullaby, some nights the musical serenade gets so loud we almost need to close the window. But nature has no volume control and plays it's music freely throughout the night until first light. As the night sky lightens up and breaks into day the melodies change. Loud birds chirp, sing, howl, yell and talk waking us from a sound sleep. Roosters crow loudly and wild parrots mimic the sounds of children yelling "hey," "buenas" and "hola."

It's a jungle out there and sometimes I feel as if we're living in a tent since the sounds are so real. In our old life we missed so much by closing the windows and keeping the central air conditioner on all the time. But in our attempt to live cheaply here in Panamá we try to enjoy the freshness of the night air using only a ceiling fan.

Earlier this week while we were at the gym the sky grew dark and it began to pour. We expected to lose power but managed to get our workout done while it was still on. Since we usually use the pool afterwards we had our beach bag with us. I wrapped a beach towel around me and ran to the car for the drive home. The highway was flooded in spots so driving was slow and we arrived home to a flooded front yard. As we looked around the neighborhood many of the yards were under water, some of which probably seeped into the houses. Our house is raised up several feet so no problem there for us, but we did find a few leaks in the ceiling along the edge of the house. The torrential rains continued for hours and hours probably leaving a foot of rain before it dried up.

The Rains of Panama

Our Sweetie trying to keep dry

The rains seemed to bring on the ticks and since Venus loves running through the hedges looking for lizards, she's been covered with them. Apparently a flea and tick collar doesn't work here so we've switched to the drops and she's been tick free since. Last night after eating her dog food she immediately ran to get a mango, as if she knew it was meant for dessert.

Clyde's always doing something around the house, and yesterday he worked on hooking up an outside shower. The previous owner had one out there, but Clyde thought he'd move it to a more private spot so we could use it Au natural. He's showered outside after getting filthy working on the garden. It's also nice to have after a trip to the beach to wash the sand off before going inside the house.

A friend called us on Thursday to let us know about a 30% off sale at a store called Saks. Since we were planning a trip to the mall anyway, Clyde made me look around the store. I bought five tops, two jumpsuits, four pairs of panties, a ten pack of socks and some reading glasses for $23.00. Three of the tops were just 70 cents! The clothing selection here is so cheap and some are buyouts from the states. For instance, I saw a ladies Jockey tank top with the original tag on it from Macy's for $24.00. It was marked down to a few bucks and then the additional 30% off of that. Last month we bought curtains for $5.99 that were labeled $35.99 from Bed Bath and Beyond. So your trash becomes our treasures for a fraction of the cost.

Moving to Panamá we've sort of been living as tourists thus far, in that everything is fresh, new and exciting. Now that nine months has gone by and we're settling in to being residents the newness has wore off. We might say the honeymoon is over and now we're seeing life in Panamá as it really is, the good, the bad and the in between. We knew this would happen since all the books we read said so. Into the life of every expat there comes a day when you look around and say, "what are we doing here?" Perhaps I'm missing the kids, family, friends and our old life in the states? Maybe a trip back to visit this summer will snap me out of that. Not that I'm unhappy here because I am happy, but just having a dose of reality that we knew would come.

But also with familiarity comes being less fearful of speaking the language or not worrying about looking stupid not knowing it. Being more comfortable going out alone without Clyde and feeling like I belong in this foreign land that's not our own. Feeling comfortable shopping alone, going into the fitting room and paying at the checkout. There's lots to learn here with millions of new experiences not yet encountered...along the gringo trail.

More Flowers......

Although we're technically "retired" we are not your average retirees.  Since we retired in our 50's we enjoy living the life of a retiree, but still going out on the town dancing and partying.  On Saturday night we joined a group of Young Expats in Panamá (YEP) for a mixer in Coronado.  The crowd included all age ranges so we certainly felt like we blended in well. 

Drove up into the clouds on Sunday, as we made our way to El Valle de Anton for a little shopping. Looking for another end table made of twisted root to match one we already have was my plan. Stopped along the way at roadside wood shops selling tables, chairs and other touristy items, but didn't find the table we were looking for. 

Once we made it to the village of El Valle a stroll through the marketplace was a must. Out of all the things to buy, we filled our car with plants to go into are already full garden. They had many varieties of unique plants for just a few dollars each. Apparently Clyde doesn't have enough to trim, cut and mow now and needs some more. Also found some ceramic birds to hang on the outside of the house to add a splash of color.

A form of ginger these flowers look like plastic

This is a heliconia plant

There are about 40 different species of heliconia. The leaves of this plant are paddle-shaped, and they are related to the banana family. Heliconias are sometimes called "lobster claws" or "parrot flowers "because of their beak-like "bracts" which can be orange, purple, red, yellow, pink, green or a combination of these. A bract is a leaf structure at the base of a flower. The heliconia's flowers are tiny and found inside these bracts, which are so large and colorful that they almost hide the flowers all-together. This keeps the flower's sweet nectar tucked away so that only specialized birds can get to it. Some species of heliconia have upright facing flowers, and in some called hanging heliconia, the flowers dangle down from the main stem.

The flower wilted right before the picture was taken

See the tiny flowers begin to grow inside

Heliconias are found throughout the Neotropics and are actually quite common in the rain forest. They are also often found as ornamental plants in gardens and landscaped areas. People enjoy their colorful, gravity-defying ornamentation. The heliconia, like the bromeliad, can also be home to other living things. Water collects in the bracts of the straight stems, which provides a habitat for many species of tiny aquatic organisms. Many other animals depend on the heliconia as well. Hummingbirds and butterflies like to drink the sweet nectar from the heliconia’s flowers.

A closeup of the flowers inside

These grasshoppers are everywhere eating our plants

Not much to say since it's just another day....along the gringo trail.

Flower info provided by the following:

Jukofsky, Diane. Encyclopedia of Rainforests. Connecticut: Oryx Press, 2002.

Biological Diversity Info: biological-diversity.info/native_heliconia.htm

A Hole In The Dark.......

Driving home last night from the grocery store we turned down our road and the right tire dropped into a hole.  Clyde got out and tried to push the car out with no success.  Although the car does have 4-wheel drive, the sensor is broken and we haven't been to the city yet to have it fixed.

A view towards the hole
NOTE:  I had mowed it the day before!

The HOLE!

Much easier to see during the day.



Since Panamanians live with their front doors wide open, our neighbors were half outside and half inside their house. With no where else to turn Clyde walked toward their house and said "ayudame, por favor,"which means "help me, please?"  A female called to her husband, a big guy who came out followed by a parade of women and children.  They helped Clyde push backward, then forward but the car would not budge.  Suddenly one of the women went inside and brought out a whole bunch more people and they all began to push the car until it slid out of the hole. 

We met one neighbor when he filled our house up with smoke while burning his grass.  Another neighbor watches our trash to see what he can get for free, although he always asks permission first.  And now a third neighbor emerged when we needed help getting unstuck on the road.

The hole was hard to see at night since it was covered by grass and had it been mowed, perhaps this wouldn't have happened.  Yes you read that right, the road in front of our house is a combination of gravel, dirt and overgrown grass that's been neglected for a while.  But today Clyde took care of the problem as he mowed the road with his riding mower.  Although the main highway in Panamá is well maintained, some of the side roads are bumpy, with gravel, dirt or broken up tar.  And most roads have large ditches on either side for drainage from the torrential rains we get here.

Clyde's been shooting pictures of interesting bugs even though they're not as huge as some we've posted before. This week he found some miniature wasps and a hive too.  So this just goes to show you that not all bugs are gigantic in Panamá, it just feels that way when they're biting.

Looks like a tiny wasp

His hive, small perfect hexagons 

Notice the interior layers.



Found these cows loose on our walk
They were more curious about us!

Thought this was funky looking

NOTE:  Not on our property

A hole in the road, we just couldn't see but at least we didn't run into a tree.  We made it home safe although slow as a snail, to bring you adventures.....along the gringo trail.

Caught With My Clothes Off......

Sitting here naked yesterday when a truck pulled up to the front gate.  It was the window installers of course at 9 am.  They told us they'd be here around 1 pm and the man even specified after lunch, but here they are four hours early.  So we both scrambled to put on clothes but since Clyde had it easier he was the one to let them into the house. 

On Monday we waited all morning for the window guys since Clyde said they told him they'd be there first thing Monday morning.  In the afternoon Clyde suggested we run over there to see what time they'd be here.  I asked "did they say....temprano Lunes.....which means "early Monday?"  Clyde looked confused and said "no, they said "Martes."  Well since "Martes" is Tuesday we were just lost in translation again.  But the good thing is Clyde won't ever mix up Lunes and Martes again.

Since early can mean 6 am to a Panamanian, on Tuesday we got up early and put clothes on waiting in anticipation.  It was around 9 am that two young men were dropped off at our house, with their tools and the ten windows.  The truck left them here apparently to go to another job, which made perfectly good sense not tying up a truck on one job site.  Although the windows were numbered the installer had no idea which went where.  Fortunately Clyde was here when the owner measured the windows and he knew which was one, two and so on and told this to the young man.

They went to work installing the windows and caulking around them on the inside and out.  Clyde asked about the screens and was told that the screens and the locks would not be ready until mañana.  Before they installed the glass sliders they carefully cleaned each one using a glass cleaner and I was impressed.  But after they put them up I noticed large, black numbers written on the glass with marker.  We questioned why they left the numbers on and the young man commented that he'd remove those.....mañana.  Yes there's always.....mañana.

They finished up around noon and called the office for a ride while sitting outside on our front porch.  Clyde gave them a bag and told them to help themselves to mangoes which they munched on while waiting for their ride.  Before leaving they told us the materials to make the screens was coming from Panama City in the morning.  Once it arrived they'd make the screens and bring them over around 1 pm and he even said "despues almuerzo" which means "after lunch."  Which is exactly why they showed up at 9 am ready to install the screens and locks.

Yesterday once again they worked until noon and told us they had to leave to get one more screen and would be back in one hour.  So while they were gone we ran off to the eye doctor in Coronado so I could get my eye rechecked.  The doctor saw me immediately and said that my eye was healed and didn't even charge anything.  On the drive back home Clyde said "where could you go in the states to be seen by a doctor immediately and for no charge?" 

The window guy showed up on schedule only to discover that the screen didn't fit which meant he'd have to come back again.....mañana.  And as for those numbers on the glass written in marker, they did clean them off yesterday.  Now instead of numbers we have a big, round smudge on the glass that needs to be cleaned again....mañana.

My afternoon was spent sucking up dirt made by the installers and then washing the floors after vacuuming.  Clyde's been on the lookout for a hedge trimmer and after another expat emailed him about where he could buy one, he was off to the store.  He found a Black and Decker one at a local hardware store that works just fine making him a happy hedger. 

Headed over to Coronado toward evening for an expat mixer. We met a few new people there.  Some thinking of moving to Panama and others already living here.

All projects here in Panamá take longer than expected.  So whether you're visiting on vacation or moving your life here bring lots of patience.  And remember if it doesn't get done today, there's always mañana......along the gringo trail.

New Residency Program Offered.....

The government of Panamá just issued a new order making it easier to obtain permanent residency to live and work in the country.  Up until now foreigners had few options and those that didn't fit into any category had to remain "permanent tourists" living on a tourist visa.  The problem with this choice is that the individual would have to leave Panamá every six months for a few days, then return to set their visa status. 

We live her on a "pensionado visa," which means that we have income coming from a pension or social security outside of Panamá to support us.  We are not allowed to work in the country which is just fine with us.  Other people live on a "person of means" visa which means they invested a large sum of money into a business, bank CD or property here.  There are a few others but those are the two most common visas, until now.

On May 16, 2012 the government issued Order 343 creating a new category of Permanent Residency. In this category permanent residency is offered to foreign nationals from specific countries that maintain friendly, professional, economic, and investment relationships with the Republic of Panama.

These individuals will be able to start a business or obtain a work permit with the status of permanent resident, as long as they're from one of the approved countries.  The intention of the government is to ease their shortage of qualified workers and help keep the economy growing.

The following countries on the list are allowed to apply.

• Germany
• Argentina
• Australia
• Austria
• Brazil
• Belgium
• Canada
• Spain
• United States
• Slovakia
• France
• Finland
• "The Low Countries"
• Ireland
• Japan
• Norway
• Czechoslovakia
• Switzerland
• Singapore
• Uruguay
• Chile

In order to apply a person still needs to involve a lawyer and provide the following:
      1.  three passport sized photographs
      2. document that explains the purpose of requiring the permanent residency
      3. Proof of how much money you have in the bank by showing a bank statement from the  past month that reflects an account balance of no less than four digits, or that demonstrates your income that's acceptable to the National Immigration Service.

      4.  An identification card from your country

Dependents will also be allowed into the country as permanent residents but other requirements are needed.  For the complete article translated from the local newspaper by Don Winner, see the link below.
But before you pack your suitcase remember that Panamá is a Spanish speaking country.  So to obtain a job here one would need to be fluent in Spanish.  And also remember that minimum wage is low here, around $1.75 an hour in Panama City.  So I have to wonder if foreigners coming here will be enticed with high wages to make it worth while, or not? 
Just remember things do move slow here and the kinks still need to be worked out, but it's a sign that things are changing.  As for us we'll just keep enjoying retirement and lazy days under the mango trees.....along the gringo trail.

http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20120521191423780

Through The Looking Glass......

Once upon a time in a far away land called Chame, there lived a beautiful princess named Mangoresa.  The princess and her Knight in Shining Armor lived in a cement castle surrounded by gorgeous gardens and fabulous fruit trees.  Her prince tried to make the princess happy but she was saddened when giant bugs would make their way into her humble abode, since there was no glass in the windows.  But one fine day in the merry month of May that all changed.  The local glass company sent two dark complected lads over with sheets of glass.  They placed the glass and frames into the window slots so the prince and the princess can live happily ever after.  So why then is this fair maiden still unhappy?  Because the young window installers failed to put screens into the windows.  How then can this fragile, fair maiden frolic happily around her castle with bugs nibbling on her sweet, mango flavored skin? 

Alas, the young, hard-bodied window installers shall return to the castle mañana armed with screens in hand.  These will shield the damsel in distress from the colossal creatures crawling around the crevices of the creaky castle, making the perfect princesses' pout perk-up into a pleasant smile.  The fair young maiden and her pleasing prince will then live happily ever after, plodding along their path in Panamá...along the gringo trail.

Land Of Giant Bugs.......

They always said "things are bigger in Texas" but I'm starting to think that things are bigger here in Panamá, at least the bugs.  This place is beginning to look like some movie set where unusually big creatures fly and crawl around.  While sitting in our friends living room recently I noticed something flying around on their balcony that I thought was a bird or bat, turns out it was a big moth.  And they say they've seen an even bigger one than this so I think I need a bigger fly swatter.  This critter was the size of a man's open hand and posed nicely for photos on their glass slider.  Earlier in the week we came across this huge beetle on our walk.  It was dead, but huge and Clyde just happened to have his trusty camera with him.  Later on he posted it on face book to share with the world.  Another ex-pat named Dick saw the picture and had to post pictures of a dragon fly he came across near his place in David, Panama.

One Big Moth on a glass door at night

We came across the dead beetle on our
morning walk

Picture sent to us from Dick Kesterke
near David, Panama

Another View of this critter

This was not a huge bug but
was able to capture his picture

For the past few days I've been seeing the world a little lopsided wearing only one contact lens.  My right eye has been bothering me for several weeks now, feeling like I had something in it or it was scratched. So on Friday I found an eye doctor in Coronado thinking there'd be a good chance that someone there spoke English.  Inside the little shop called "Optica Boyd Diaz" the doctor and his wife both greeted us in English.  After asking me a few medical questions he examined my eye on which he found a scratch and instructed me to not wear the contact in that eye for five days.  He also sold me some eye drops and told me to come back for a recheck in five days.  The visit and eye drops came to $38 and we were on our way.

Since my contacts are mono-vision, one eye takes care of reading while the other see distances, leaving me lopsided wearing only one.  But with a strong dislike for eyeglasses I'm stumbling along only being able to see close up wearing my left lens only.  But around the house I started putting my glasses on but blocking my left eye since it has the contact in it.

Woke up on Sunday around 8 am to the sound of loud latino music pounding from our neighbors house across the street.  It was a dreary rainy day, the kind that makes you want to crawl back into bed and stay there a while, which we did.  Due to the dampness it dropped down to a bone chilling 83 degrees in early evening which actually did make us chilly.  Did a few things around the house and tried to watch a movie in the evening over the music still blasting.  They finally turned it off around 7 pm maybe because they put the smaller kiddos to bed.  Although the music became annoying after a while, during most of the time we did enjoy it and I found myself dancing around the house. 

Today I was up at 6am since the windows are supposed to arrive, and Panamanians usually start work early in the morning.  Hopefully the rain will hold off until the windows are installed so they don't drag dirt into the house.  But since a large porch surrounds the house, the installers will be under cover for most of the job anyway.  At the time we ordered the windows they said two weeks until delivery and it's been just about that now.  Perhaps next time the neighbor is blasting the tunes we'll be able to close our windows if we choose to block out some of the noise. 

Hopefully a little glass will come our way today in the form of windows to keep out the giant bugs here in Panamá.....along the gringo trail.