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.