One Beautiful Day in Panama

Who?  Jeff  Where?  In Boquete in the province of Chiriqui in western Panama, there is an annual “flower fair”.  Due to unusually heavy and destructive rains in November, there had been considerable concern that the fair would not be held this year.   But with great determination, the residents got the job done and this photo displays just one very tiny corner of a beautiful and successful event!

Who?  Bob  Where?  To the east of Panama City going toward Lake Bayano, an old dirt road is being rehabilitated and improved that will take people across the mountains to the Caribbean coast.  Called the El Llano-Carti road for the towns at both ends, this will open not only the Caribbean, but much of eastern Panama to tourists.  The new road is still under construction, but the progress is impressive.  Stopping along the way, this photo is taken directly west toward Costa Rica hundreds of miles away.  It demonstrates that Panama, small as it is, is far from being crowded.  We have room for many more people, including you!

Photographer: Beth Where? Before they first visit Panama, many people think only in terms of tropical rain forests and ocean beaches. A scene like the one above near Volcan in the western province of Chiriqui just doesn’t “look like Panama”, but that’s exactly what it is, along with the rain forests and the ocean beaches.

Photographer: Beth Where? We have modern supermarkets that provide a wide variety of foods, including imported premium ice cream, soy milk, and a whole variety of goodies. But it’s gentlemen like the one above who help us save money and enjoy truly fresh food. In this case, locally-grown onions are being bagged in Paso Ancho, a few miles from Volcan in western Panama’s Chiriqui province, to take into the local market, the kind of market where many of us prefer to shop.

Photographer: Bob Where? We were deep in the mountains of the continental divide. You have to walk or take a horse to get there, your 4×4 is useless. The pensive gentleman is a farmer looking down on some of his land. This is a tough place to make a living and he has sold his land to a gringo who will develop it. He’s getting a good price for his land. I asked him what he plans to do with his money. He answer was immediate. All his children will go to university. His teenage daughter is especially bright. She will be going to medical school. As for him, he will buy a better piece of land and continue farming, but his children come first.

Photographer: Connie Where? Before they arrive and look around for themselves, many people think only of palm trees when they think of Panama. We have plenty of palm trees, but they are one variety of many. This photo taken near La Pintada in Cocle province in central Panama provides two good examples, plus a very nice view of one of our many mountains.

Who? Bob Where? You can find beautiful, expensive homes in Panama. Just look at the Panama real estate websites and you’ll see quite a variety. But we don’t all have the money for a fancy home and some of us have the money, but we’d rather spend it on something else. For many folks who move here, a simple home works just as well. This one is found at Altos del Maria near the village of Sorá in the mountains of central Panama is a good example of a simple, comfortable home. You can even see the single most important piece of furniture: the hammock on the front porch.

Who? Woody Where? When most people first consider Panama, they commonly think “beaches”, but the mountains of Panama are also very popular places to live. Their cooler temperatures and sweeping vistas attract many people to look beyond the heat of the coast and the crowded streets of the city. Due to its width, you will need to click on this panoramic photo for a larger version. It was taken at Altos del Maria, a development near the village of Sorá in Coclé province.

Who? Sharon Where? We don’t have hurricanes in Panama. bit we do have rain and we’re thankful for that. It isn’t just water, it’s the lifeblood of the country, of our Canal, of our magnificent flora. Without it, most of us who have moved to Panama would have moved somewhere else. Whether a rain lasts fifteen minutes or an hour, whether it occurs once a week or four times a week in the rainy season, every drop of it goes to work on arrival to create the physical beauty and the economic opportunities that define Panama. Here we see a rain storm moving along the road to El Valle.

Photographer: Bob Whether it’s a Marriott, a Sheraton, a Radisson, or another of the major hotels, we have them in Panama. But the small country hotels can offer more. Here, from the balcony of Los Capitanes Hotel in El Valle, we get a glimpse of a scene that cannot be found in Panama City.