Discovering Chiriqui

Chiriquí is the province of Panama that we live in. Tierras Altas is the district. Volcan is the town.

We have spent some time recently exploring parts of the area we live in. Boquete is a town about an hour from here where a lot of retired ex-pats live. This is a great place to go to see other Americans, Europeans, Canadians and more. We know quite a few families in this town. David is the second largest city in Panama and it is about an hour from us. It has many American eateries, like McDonald's, TGIFridays, Dairy Queen, Dominos, Pizza Hut and Subway. It also has a lot more options for grocery stores. We recently discovered the indoor air conditioned Mercado Publico which has venders of fruits, vegetables, fish, chicken and meat. It is near a large park that we haven't been to yet since it's around 95 degrees in the afternoon.


We are just getting into rainy season. From what we have heard, it starts in March or April and goes until December. No wonder the annual rainfall totals for the area is around 200"! This means that sometime in the afternoon, it will more than likely rain. It rains for anywhere from an hour to three or so. Sometimes it's just a sprinkle, and sometimes it's a downpour. It also depends on what area you're in as there are a lot of microclimates. In Volcan, the daily average temperature is in the 70's and it's very pleasant. We were out at the park yesterday for two hours and it felt great. In the evenings, it's sometimes cool enough to wear a jacket.

A lot of people in the area can understand and speak some English. It is relatively easy to get around without knowing Spanish at all.

We attended a church in David on Sunday where the pastor preached in Spanish and translated himself into English. It was Iglesia Bautista Biblica. The songs were all in Spanish and so were the children's programs. It was a friendly church about 45 minutes from our house on a Sunday.

We have visited the Janson Coffee Farm in Volcan. They have a great nursery where we plan to buy some plants for our yard. There is also a nice park to play at as well as two smaller ones that we've seen. There are a few other sites in Volcan, but he haven't visited them yet.

Our (still nameless) two kittens are doing well. All three pets seem to be adjusting to life in the family! The kids are still enjoying digging in the dirt as you can see. We also have some type of nature study regularly. This little bird was found on our back porch and all the kids got to hold it before it flew away. They thought that was really cool.

I was hoping to have internet at home and checked last night to see when it would be installed. They informed me that they didn't have us in the system so I sent them the request for internet that we received in the store the other day. Now they said they'd get to us as quickly as possible. Let's see how long that takes!! Our container should also be arriving at our house in the next few days. The kids are excited to see things that have been packed away for months...or more! Some stuff we haven't seen in a year!! Thanks for keeping up with us here. Let me know if you have any questions I can answer in a future blog post!

Panama Canal and Other Information

Recently found and uploaded Panama Canal pics for your viewing pleasure! In this one you can see the little tug trains that are attached to the boats going through the canal to help pull them along and keep them in the center of the lane. It's a gray color. This shows the gate that opens up after the water is level. There is a nice overlook spot where you can see it all take place. We went on a Saturday, so it was crowded in the main area.

 The three story museum was very nice. One level showed fish and other insects (dead) that are in the area. In another level, they had a few areas that were hands on, like the "control room" of the ships and one of the canal. The kids also got to see the difference in a manual and electric opening of the bridge gate.

 

 They use underground tubes to push water back and forth to whichever side needs the water. When the gates open, both sides of the (green colored) water need to be the same. So in some spots, they will raise the boats up 6 meters and in some spots, they will lower them. They are raising the left side water in this pic because after a boat leaves the right side, it goes into the lake in the middle of Panama to go to the Canal on the other side of the country. They just opened a third lane a year ago that's a little farther in the background (the long red boat). It handles larger, heavier boats. Here you can see the closer lane and a boat (blue and red) going through the second lane. Each section takes about 15-20 minutes to pass through. Most boats take 6-8 hours to go through the Canal.

A little taste of driving in Panama City

 Here are my McFries. We are loving the David McDonald's right now, thanks to their free Wifi!

 You see the difference in David's temperature and Volcan's? Can you see why we chose to live in Volcan?

 This is my favorite little van here. I want one! The tires are a little bigger than a wheelbarrow I'd say! So cute and seats 6! Perfect for Mama and kids to get around town, don't you think??

 Bienvenidos a Volcan! When are you coming to visit us??

 Resurrection Sunday in Volcan was so nice. The weather was perfect, but the kids thought it was a little too sunny when I wanted to get a pic with the volcano, Baru, in the background. The town of Volcan is back there as well.

 Lunch after church at Casa de Luz, a bilingual church in Volcan!

One last thing. We loaded up all of our stuff at the end of March (thanks to a lot of helpers from our church and friends) in a huge, 40 foot container. It's on it's way to Panama now and then it will be loaded onto a truck and brought to our house. We brought a lot of things for ministry that I'll share in a later post. Here's a pic of the container after it was loaded!

The Legend of Roca del Tesoro – Treasure Rock

Legend (or at least Brian, the guy we bought the land from) says that long ago, Spanish explorers, perhaps even Conquistadors, found hidden Indian gold under a massive rock on the hill overlooking Corazon del Cielo. Today, concealed behind tall grass and brush, we found the opening to a small cave under the boulder that is the highest point on the hill. The kids started digging in the bottom of the cave, until the call for dinner was made to halt the hunt for yet undiscovered treasure. We may or may not update you later if we find something… We don’t want the Ministry of Panamanian Antiquities after us! * I did not get a picture of how black their hands, feet, faces, legs and arms were!! Digging in the dirt is dirty work! They did tell me they'll put down a tarp or some cardboard in their secret hideout so it won't get them so dirty...

Our first home cooked meal, spaghetti

Making lemonade with the lemons from the tree in our yard. Tasted sort of like Chick-fil-A!!

Setting Up House

After arriving on Monday, Tuesday was the day set for going to David and Boquete to get some stuff done. Tuesday Gringo Market is held every week where other ExPats sell their wares, meet up and just go to hang out for a little while. We decided to go so we could see some people we’ve met there before. On the way down the mountain, we ran into a herd of cows walking down the middle of the road. Apparently, you just slow down and keep going and they get out of the way! It takes about an hour and twenty minutes, more or less, to get to Boquete from Volcan. I guess it depends on who you get stuck behind on the way down!

At the Tuesday Market, we found some kittens. I had been wanting to get a cat or two, so the kids all got to help pick them out. We think they are 4 weeks old! Yikes - I didn’t mean to get such young ones but couldn’t pass these up! We also got to talk to a few of our friends who live in Boquete and had lunch at a place called The Garden that has a salad bar, baked potatoes, hamburgers, etc. Yum!

Settling in another city is always a challenge. One must get stuff done at the bank, buy necessities and learn ones way around town. In Panama, this is definitely not an easy, quick task. One great place to shop in David is called PriceSmart and it’s the same as Costco. They carry the same Kirkland’s brand and it has everything. I don’t know if this is normal, but the lines there are outrageous on Tuesday afternoon! We loaded up on a lot of things to get started. Important stuff like soy sauce, EVOO, plates, fans, spices, meat, etc. Do It Center here is kind of like Home Depot in the US. It has everything you need, plus more, to do home improvement projects at mostly decent prices.

We arrived Monday and on Wednesday, we finally called the gas company to fill our tank so we could have hot water and cook. They show up, change out the tank for us and are on their way! Good thing I speak Spanish and they knew where the neighborhood was. Did I mention that Panama doesn’t use addresses? You can’t tell someone, “I live at 2 Buchanan Pl.” You say, “I live in Volcan. You go through town and turn at the Super Berard to the left. Then go about .5km and turn at the park. My house is the third one past the park with a blue door.” I may never drive here since I am constantly turned around. So we have gas but still no hot water because it looks like the batteries are out on the heater. Time for another trip to town.

Everyone here uses a lawyer for pretty much everything. You need a lawyer to help buy property and get visas. Our lawyer is in Boquete, so we had to head there to pay him. That’s another thing, everyone gets paid in person, preferably in cash. A plus of this trip is lunch at Ricos Pizza. Well worth the trip over!

We decided to spend a little time driving around Boquete while there so we went to the natural rock wall. It’s amazing to see in person! The kids love to try to climb it! The natural water fall is also beautiful. We have one more stop before heading back to Volcan. I met a lady at Do It Center who said to buy curtains at a place called El Campeon in David. Seriously, this place is the Champion. It had everything, including items on sale, at amazing prices! We were able to get curtains, curtain rods, silverware, glassware and tons of other things for around $100! We didn’t even shop the shoe or clothing floors! Bad thing about this place is that it’s in downtown David, which has traffic like Panama City. I will, however, be back!

It takes about an hour to get back to Volcan from David at times, depending on who you’re stuck behind while driving up the mountain. We decide to hit McDonald’s for dinner. They currently have this deal of the day for $3.99 for a combo. It changes daily, but Wednesday is a Big Mac, fries and a drink. Feeding a family of 7 for $16 isn’t bad.

Our New Home in Volcan

Monday morning, we started out early to Volcan. There is basically nothing for the 3 hour drive between Santiago and David. We were a little bit outside of David when we ran into a protest on the highway. An indigenous group had closed down both sides of the highway protesting something. We didn’t get close enough to see their signs. Someone tried to drive through the barricade which started a big fight, which we were nowhere near. We jumped the curb, turned around and found an alternate way around. We got to go on some back roads and cross a rickety old bridge that we never would have otherwise seen. Who knows how long the protest lasted!

We finally made it to Volcan and loved watching the outside temperature drop as we got closer. Going from the 90s in David to low 70s in Volcan was great! We made it to our new house which had been cleaned and prepped for our arrival by our friends, John and Megan. They even made the beds for us and replaced all the burned out lights. It was nice to walk into a house that didn’t require much work to get it up and going! Many thanks to them!!

We stopped by the store for food, and, being the attraction that we are, met another Ex-Pat from Sweden. I’m sure we’ll be seeing him around!

That night, Ben and I were out walking in the neighborhood. The moon and stars were so bright. We looked up and saw the biggest shooting star we’ve ever seen. It was amazing!

We thank God for orchestrating everything so far and working everything out for our good.

Things we learned while in Panama City

Things we learned while in Panama City:

* It’s illegal to talk on the phone and drive. You will get pulled over and get a ticket. Even if you can’t understand what the officer is saying.

* Ella’s Guest House was great for us. If you’re ever in the City and need a place to stay where you can use the kitchen, laundry and have secure parking, I know just the place! And she's a tour guide!

* The Panama Canal is really interesting! I can’t believe it has been around for 100 years and is still in great working shape. Maybe someday we will get to ride through it. If you’re a resident, it’s $3 for adults and $2 for kids. If you’re a tourist, it’s $15 per adult. Our whole family got to see the museum and canal for $10!

* Panama City has everything. Dr Pepper, Chuck E. Cheese, Little Caesar’s Pizza, Wendy’s, huge malls, nice people, play dates, fun parks. Everything. Traffic and hot temperatures are also a given.

* Ben learned how to install a Panamanian hot water heater. He was helping Ella out right before we left!

* Even in such a huge city, you still run into people you’ve seen before. We received help at the bank from a really nice guy and then saw him the next day at the Canal. We then learned he’s a tour guide and knows some of our friends in Volcan. Then we saw another guy twice that we had just met. The connections we had with Ella also helped us see what a small world it is!

* You haven't seen traffic or construction until you've been in Panama City. Constant. Everywhere. If it's a 2 lane road and there's traffic, make a third lane.

* Having 5 blonde, curly headed children makes everyone stare, smile and ask questions. We constantly get asked if they’re all ours and if they’re all siblings. I thought this would stop in the US, but apparently having 5 children is considered a large family here as well.

* 7 people, 2 double strollers, 3 suitcases, 7 backpacks, groceries, a dog crate, a large dog, 2 booster seats, and 2 car seats will not all fit in a 7 passenger vehicle. You will have to strap 2 bags, a dog crate and a stroller to the roof. Then the dog will have to sit in your lap for the entire trip. Brutal.

We got to do a lot of fun stuff in Panama City. It’s a great place to visit and Spirit can get you there pretty cheaply. I highly recommend both! We went to the Old Down Town part which was interesting to see how they’re trying to fix it up. We attended church on Sunday morning at Iglesia Bautista El Dorado before heading toward Santiago to spend the night.

On our way to Santiago, we stopped at a beach called Farallon to let the kids play for a little while. We were running a little later than we wanted to be, so it was a quick stop but they still got to get in the water and look for shells. Then we had Pio Pio chicken before heading to our AirBNB stop for the night. It was a nice little place and the lady said we were their last customers because they’re moving to Germany.