Scouting Panama - Day 17 - Boquete sightseeing on our own
Hello and Ola from friendly Boquete!
Today I was able to attach photos of a hotel and the fine detail and workmanship it holds!
We have been lucky to stay in good hotels, even this tiny one with only 9 rooms. The detailed decor has been impressive, and each hotel has been staffed by friendly and giving people who have helped us with every step. Most of our rooms have tile or marble flooring, while this has beautiful parquet. I can tell you that cold floors are pretty nice in the afternoon, but they make my feet cold up to my ankles in the morning!
I think I am recovering from the tour today - needing to be on someone else's schedule to rise and eat and be social; I guess it wore me out. Yesterday we walked about and bought me a Panama sunhat, but I discovered that the early dry season winds wouldn't allow the hat to stay on my head, so I chased it; it was kind enough to keep out of the traffic, but it refused to remain on my head!
Today, we read for a bit after a delightful breakfast with only three rooms/tables seated at a time in the small service area (out of the 9 rooms at this hotel). Then Miguel went off to the gym, and I went to have my nails done (I had them done the first day in Panama City while Miguel had his hair cut, but they grew, and the polish got shaggy, just as Miguel's hair already has!), and I found out we are just a block from the dollar store! Whoo-hoo! I got disinfectant wipes for Miguel to use at the gym, hand lotion, croc-type slip-on shoes for the hotel room, bar soap, juice for Miguel, Gatorade for post-workout recovery, little kleenex packets, snacks, a whole bunch of important stuff for the next 11 days, and I felt VERY accomplished!
We went out for Chinese food this evening - there are many Chinese and Japanese people in Panama. Interestingly, the Chinese food is quite Panamanian in style. Corn, carrots, and kale in the wonton soup, salsa picante to add to the soup, golden noodles instead of the rice noodles I expected, and beef wontons in a chicken soup base. It was delicious and a good reminder that we all adapt to our environments.
Libraries: The library of Boquete is right across from Miguel's gym. It is a 3 story public building funded primarily by ex-pat contributions and fundraising, including some grant applications. Boquete never had a library before 2015, so now it is a place where anyone who lives in the Boquete district of 30,000 can come to get books, attend readings, use the computers and the wi-fi, and see art exhibits. They also have a space where classes are given to help people prepare for the workforce, learn English or Spanish, learn about the legalities of purchasing property, and other topics. One recent presentation was "Living and Dying in Panama" for ex-pats about insurance, healthcare, Panama's last wishes documents, living wills, actual wills, and customs around death and dying. An upcoming presentation is "Hiring local workers", on the paperwork, taxes, minimum wage, etc., on hiring people to build a house, repair or upgrade, or cleaning and yard maintenance. The library also offers a "Zoom conference room" dedicated to conference calls where families here can video chat with family who moved to other places, like the USA or Colombia, with technical help and dedicated equipment. Apparently, it is a top-rated service!
When we visited Volcan on Wednesday, one of the ex-pats we met is working with a librarian ex-pat to get the Volcan library on its feet after having been closed for 15 years. They have been going through the books in stock, sponsoring fundraisers and collections to add books they feel are needed, and have acquired funds from the federal government to purchase de-humidifiers. Only a few months underway, they are already hosting storytelling and children's storytime to get people used to coming to the building. A business in Panama City has agreed to donate computers as they replace those used across their company, giving the local school children access to computers at their schools and the library. The Volcan government has started a project to set up district-wide high-speed internet, which is also a federal goal, so the project is subsidized. The federal government has contracts for inexpensive towers and dishes and low-cost and free routers for homes, schools, and the library. The local newspaper is asking everyone to name their favorite books and genres for the library to stock, as well as encouraging donations of books in Spanish and English so the library will have a broad appeal. Cool project, yes?!
Rainbows: This morning, there was a fine mist instead of rain, but we also had full sunlight, so I ran out to catch a rainbow blooming against the mountains. The tour people told us there are many seasons in Boquete; rainy season, windy season, dry season, rainbow season, mango season, quetzal season (the quetzal birds come to mate in southern Costa Rica and Panama), coffee picking season; lots of overlap, lots to see and admire!
Bells: Today there was a blast of bells from all of the churches - at 4:00/16:00 and then at 6:00/18:00 to announce the Saturday masses, and when we went to the Plaza this afternoon, street preachers were out and standing on fruit boxes to tell us about Jesus. Tomorrow is Sunday, so I expect a noisy morning of bell ringing announcing the services in the many churches around.
Have a peaceful Sunday, and an una buenas noches de sabado!
PS: I am getting very good at saying "con permiso" to get around on the sidewalk and in stores - excuse me, excuse me, excuse me! Con permiso, con permiso, con permiso!
Mary Bea y Miguel