Since Ray has to check in with work and actually do some work using the netbook at night, I am trying to write down my blog and then type it out when I get a few minutes on the thing. Otherwise, it has to wait until I get home and then it's a lot of typing! I learned this the hard way after the last trip we took to Panama. Let me first say that despite my not liking bugs, and who really does for this matter, and the lack of A/C, the B&B we stayed in was absolutely wonderful. Just like visiting someone's home--we felt very comfortable and relaxed there. Definitely need the netting for sleeping under every night. The winds on Sunday night were crazy strong--instant A/C. Dare I say it was chilly, and we stayed wrapped under the blankets the entire night.
On Monday, we woke early due to appointments we had made with an attorney and realtor. We saw that our one tire was low, oh dear, but since we keep it topped off with about a pound of air, it has been fine. For breakfast, I had decided (and Ray was being supportive) to try a Fonda (a Panamanian roadside stall). I had read in the Playa Community newsletter of four specific Fondas in Coronado. We did a drive by of Rincon Cubano 2, and then we parked in the Coronado Plaza to look across the PanAmerican Highway at Casona and Hinas Mary. We knew that just like the gate attendant at COPA Airlines could tell we didn't speak Spanish fluently by looking at us, we would know by looking at the Fondas if we wanted to eat there. Not really. We parked, and then we ran across the street without any Panamanian policeman yelling at us this time (the overpass wasn't right there though) to read the board. Due to lack of anyone serving anyone (there were two men in front of us) and lack of food in the pans, we changed our minds and were unable to try a Fonda. This is the story, and we are sticking to it. So McD's it was---urg. But I knew what I was getting and really knew how to order it this time.
First appointment of the day was with Tonya Coronado, Attorney with PTY Lawyers (www.PTYLawyers.com) at nine am. We arrived at 8:57 and thought about waiting in the car until 9:00 (we are in Panama so we should have been late) but decided to walk up to the PlayaCommunity office where Tonya works only on Mondays in Coronado (she drives in from Panama City). The door was locked. We figured she was stuck in traffic. While reading the realty listings on the window of the Panama Realty office, Jody and her cute puppy, peeked outside. We reintroduced ourselves having met her and her partner, Kay, this past October. We chatted for forty minutes. She thought Tonya was stuck in traffic, and we thought we had been stood up. She took a phone call outside, peeked into Tonya's office window and guess who was there! Tonya had been there since 8:30. We had tried to walk into the wrong door (these things can happen)! Dumb gringos. She had even seen us walk by but didn't step out to find us. Since we had an appointment at 11:00 and were meeting Leslie, the realtor, in Sora, we talked fast. We really like Tonya and all she had to say. She was referred to us by who else but Clyde and Terry Coles, and she also comes highly recommended on ExpatExchange Forum. She told us (first we had heard of this) we can apply for our Residency Visa while we are in the States. We need to give her five business days (no Panamanian holidays so this could be tough) where give her our passport, and she runs us around to the different agencies and offices applying for the temporary VISA. We like her confidence. She thinks we should be able to get the Pensionado VISA. Here's hoping.
We scooted out of Tonya's office and over to Clyde and Terry's house. They wanted to tag along with us to tour Altos Del Maria. This is a gated community, and this is why we were meeting Leslie in Sora. She would take us through the gates and show us properties for sale. It was really wonderful that Clyde actually drove us. We also planned to meet new friends, Melissa and Bill, that we had met at the party Sunday and tour their home in ADM. Upon meeting Leslie at the market in Sora, Ray and I hopped into her SUV 4-wheel drive XTrail so she could talk to us about the houses we were going to see and ADM itself. Clyde and Terry followed closely behind.
We were shown three properties completely and one we saw just from the outside. The ownere could not be reached, so we just couldn't barge in. Pictures of ADM once home. I will say that I am so happy to have seen ADM and to have toured some of these homes. They run the mix of casitas to large houses to mansions (Panamanian vacation homes!), but Ray and I don't think we will be calling ADM home in Panama. The hills rise and fall too much. In our opinion. It just doesn't seem that we want to be that isolated. Once in ADM, it is stunning. The mountains are gorgeous, and some of the views would be fantastic. But the driving, wear and tear on car, the cost of gas, and the ups and downs make me feel El Valle would be more of the place to be (the inclines are fewer and farther apart) or perhaps not the mountain areas at all? ADM is 1400-3500 feet above sea level (we were told not to live in the Highlands since we would be in the clouds 70% of the time). We were at 2000-2400 feet above sea level in El Valle. I think here it is just the climbing of the mountains in ADM that bothered my tummy. Once we said our good-byes to Leslie, we climbed the steepest driveway ever to Melissa and Bill's house. What a house! The additions are fabulous! I would just live in the master bathroom!
Clyde then drove us up to the highlands to get into the clouds. We saw so much with them that day and around three pm we had lunch. My chicken and fried plantains were spot on (huge servings for Clyde and Terry to have later--where would I keep leftovers), but Ray ordered some kind of meat. He had french fries though as a back up!
Clyde drove us to another friend's house, Daniel, in their neighborhood and gave us a tour of Chame where they live. What a day! At about four pm, we said our good-byes so Ray and I could hit the road again climbing the mountain back to El Valle. It was misting again up there. But when we asked a couple at dinner (we dined at Bruschettas having bruschetta and kabobs--excellent!) what the weather had been like all day, and they reported no rain, just sun. We talked to them about healthcare in Panama and El Valle and wrapped up another wonderful and fulfilling day in Panama! Once back at Casa di Pietra, Luis called us into his home to chat about our day, the winds were light so sleeping was without a blanket this time but still, we slept like rocks!
Out the door with Ray to tour more of the interior with Clyde and Terry! More later!
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