Tag: beach

Exploring in The Peninsula De Azuero

We are continuing to explore the beautiful Republic of Panama. Our travels are taking us from Playa Boca Chica, where we explored magnificent islands and a remote resort, to Pedasi. Pedasi is also a quiet community where we found a few small bed and breakfast type resorts. Our reservation is at Punta Franca Hotel. We found Punta Franca rustic but adequate. There were over twenty guest rooms, a pool, and a restaurant. We had panoramic views of the ocean, but the resort was sitting on a rock cliff. A visit to the beach involved a long walk or a short car ride. Although the remote location was nothing compared to Regalo where we stayed in Boca Chica, it was on a washed out road about 5KM from the pavement. We met our good friends (adventure partners) Ty and Lyn here, and spent a relaxing afternoon in the pool. We decided to enjoy the restaurant at the hotel for dinner. The food was good but the service left a bit to be desired. Our long wait for dinner gave us time to set a plan for our adventure the following day.

Our hope was that we would get a boat tour to Isla Iguana, but the timing did not work out. We decided to drive south along the coast and explore. After breakfast, we set off in Ty’s truck for a day of awesome adventure. The road was sometimes good and sometimes not so good. We drove past Playa Venao which is probably the largest resort community on the peninsula. There were a few people around, but the activity was light. The main reason we decided not to investigate living here is the proximity to airports, health care, and grocery stores. It is an awesome place to visit but too remote for us. As we drove south we moved away from the ocean and into the mountains. We were speechless at the amazing mountain views and farms along the way.

We knew that the ocean was just on the other side of the mountains where it was obvious to us the most important thing to these people is farming. We rarely saw any houses. When we saw people they were friendly and welcoming even though it was obvious to us that they didn’t often see “gringos” driving around here. At some point we decided to drive until we reached the end of the road. We now refer to this adventure as the “end of the road adventure”. We knew that if we continued south we would reach the south end of the peninsula. We emerged from the mountain road onto a beautiful beach at a town called Cambatul. From there we drove west for a couple of Kilometers on a two-track until the road literally ended. Before it ended we did pass through two small rivers. We turned back and went back to the place where we emerged from the mountain road onto the beach. There we found a quaint little resort with tile roofed cabins on stilts and a restaurant. We took a swim on the beach and were welcomed into their establishment through a path from the beach. Along the path we found showers to rinse off the sand. The Panamanian owner waited on us and he spoke perfect English. His wife was cooking and the menu was exceptional. We had no problem agreeing to return to this place for an entire weekend.

This adventure ended much to soon. As we headed for home we agreed to take another adventure together very soon. We have yet to see any of the Caribbean coast. Our next adventure will be to Portebello on the Atlantic coast, east of the Panama Canal. There are some ancient ruins there and opportunities to explore the  islands.

We are quickly learning that this life is a daily blessing. At times we miss our family, but the world is so small now we can talk as often as we wish. We have a lifestyle here that far exceeds anything we could afford in the States. We have chosen to live in a high end resort community where most of our friends and neighbors are English speaking, but we have the ability to go off on adventures that remind us where we really are. In a few weeks we are going to explore in Costa Rica for a few days. There is a whole big world to explore. We encourage you all to take some chances and spend some time outside your comfort zone. Life is too short. We have been reading in Ecclesiastes during our journey through the Bible and chapter 3 verses 11-13 reminds us that “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God.” There is nothing more true for us today.

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Blessings,

Greg and Jen

 

We are Settling Into Our Condo at Coronado Bay

 

Since arriving in Panama we have been crazy busy. Saturday we were picked up by the car rental driver who took us to our condo in Coronado.  The process was painless. We completed the rental documents and paid for our car then the condo rental agent showed us where to park and took us to our condo. We have spectacular views out every room,  and the balcony is awesome. The housekeeper was finishing up and we chose to get out of her way. We went for a nice lunch and bought a few groceries. We found the grocery store convenient and adequate. Many American brands were available next to the local brands at a premium price. We chose as many local brands as possible. When we returned to the condo we were able to unpack and take care of the groceries. The day passed much too quickly and we didn’t get much time to explore the area. We were able to cook our own dinner and relax for the evening.

Sunday we drove back to Panama City. Driving here is generally a challenge for the most experienced driver. Needless to say, we were a bit nervous to take our first drive. It went off without a hitch. We learned of a great app for navigating Panama called Waze. We downloaded it onto Jen’s phone and it took us right back to the hotel for the night. We had to be at Sevicio Nationale de Imigracion in the city at 7:30 Monday morning to complete the Visa process. We finished up the day Sunday in the hotel with a pizza and enjoyed the Super Bowl on Fox Sports Vivo which broadcast in Spanish (no subtitles). This is another great argument for learning more Spanish.

We were told to expect to spent the entire day at Immigration. I cannot say enough about how awesome our attorney has been. She has been there every step of the way and made the process run smoothly. She had us out of Immigration by 10 AM. The application process is complete, however, they retain our passports for 2 days for the multiple entry visa.  The attorney will courier them to us on Wednesday.  Now it is a waiting game while immigration decides to approve or deny our application.  We have appointments at the American Embassy in 2 weeks to get our Panamanian drivers licenses. As a tourist you can drive on your American drivers license for 90 days. With the Visa process we are no longer considered tourist so it is important to also get our drivers license. The attorney is walking us through that process as well.

 

This was the prize for all the time we spent at Immigration.

With the Visa application process complete we were free to return to Coronado. Although it was stressful getting out of the city, the drive wasn’t bad.  We were back in Coronado in time for lunch and a little exploring around the complex. We walked out to the ocean (the tide was low), then down the beach to the west a ways. We decided to walk east on the beach this morning. Upon our return to the building we relaxed by the pool and met some great people. Our lack of Spanish skills doesn’t seem to matter as much here at the condo. We swam and soaked up some sun for most of the afternoon. The sun is strong here and a little goes a long way. We  are so happy to be able to cook our own meals and we finished up the day by having a great dinner. We went to sleep last night with all the windows open and enjoyed the sound of the crashing waves.

Today we plan to explore the immediate area a little more. This area is pretty expensive. The beach, tourists and expats drive the prices higher. Ultimately, this is not probably going to be where we would live. We still want to immerse ourselves into the culture more. It is an honor that all of you are following with us. Please send e-mail or make comments if you have questions that we can answer. As always, like and share so everyone can find us.

Buenos Dias,

Greg and Jen