Finally! The rains are back...

Never thought I'd wish for rain in Boquete, but there's been a severe water shortage this year and Panama City has entered energy crisis mode on a few occasions.  Businesses and schools closed down, shop hours were shortened, and air conditioning was rationed in the warmer areas.   This week holds the promise of heavy electrical and rain storms, according to the national weather and news.    Took advantage of the overcast skies and cooler weather to work in the garden, transplanting numerous rose bushes and plotting areas for new fruit and vegetable plants.   

Hoping things don't pan out as they did back in November 2008 when the Caldera river flooded and wiped out two bridges plus several business establishments and a few homes.   That year, people keep reminding me,  summer was unseasonably dry like now, and then winter came back with a sudden vengeance around August or so.   At least, with the new boulder reinforcements along the river banks in town, the bridges and businesses are probably safe.   

We need the rain at this time and so I welcome it.    Here's a photo of my latest blooming orchid,  enjoying the customary dampness of Boquete.   I never grow tired of looking at them.  

Friday Night Fun at Amigos

Stopped in at Amigos to enjoy some live music with a few friends.  Was pleasantly surprised by the Adam Reach Band, which was really cooking this evening.  They were slotted to play from 7 pm until 10 pm, but   continued to entertain us until a quarter to midnight.  Another surprise was an impromptu performance by a visiting recording artist from Canada,  Jacelyn Holmes, who sang a few of her own songs accompanied by the Panamanian band members [who had never previously heard them].  Ms. Holmes has quite the stage presence and as the night wore on, the musicians really clicked.  They were playing more  for themselves than the audience, and the result was absolutely delightful.  

I've made a few attempts to upload a cell phone video of the jam session, but it just isn't working.  So I've added the link below, which will take you to a site where you can hear a sampling of  those songs which  Ms. Holmes sang for us.

http://www.reverbnation.com/jacelynholmes

It was a truly enjoyable evening---the kind you tell your friends about, and one of those that happen often in Boquete.  But as is also the case, it was an improvisational one that can't be pre-arranged for out of town guests, or recaptured for those that missed it....

Boquete Flowers

Boquete's high altitude and cooler climate discourage the growth of many tropical flowers found in Panama's lowlands and in warmer-climated Costa Rica.  It's been a trial and error process learning which flowers will flourish in my yard and which ones won't make it.  Orchids, of course, thrive in Boquete.  Any reasonably prudent gardener can achieve success with them here.  Roses and anthuriums also do fairly well.  So do lillies.   But the flower most characteristic of Boquete, in my humble opinion, is the hibiscus.  Put any old stick or cutting of a hibiscus in the ground here, and it will reward you quickly with sturdy bushes and a myriad of delicate blossoms.  One can see the wide variety of colors, textures, and petal formations for this genus on any short walk through Boquete neighborhoods.  Below are a few photos I shot recently while working in the yard or running around town.  

Lillies 

Excursion to Gamez Island

Today was Labor Day in Panama.   What better way to spend the last day of a 3-day weekend than at a secluded beach on an uninhabited island in the Chiriqui Gulf?  Thanks to the efforts of Antonio Singh and Lideres en Tourismo,  five of us enjoyed a relaxing, refreshing, stress-free day in the sand and warm surf of an absolutely perfect location. Plans are now in the works to make this a monthly event, while the future also holds promise of a trip to Coiba Island in Veraquas.  It's a rough life, but someone has to live it.

Coffee Tour at Cafe Ruiz

Having heard that the Cafe Ruiz coffee tour in Boquete was one of the most complete and informative, a friend and I chose to spend a half-day  learning what we could about growing, processing, and enjoying locally grown arabica coffees, including the world renown and highly sought Geisha beans.  Our guide, Carlos, was very knowledgeable and informative regarding all aspects of the industry.  He taught us how to recognize varied tastes and smells in ground and brewed coffee, plus dispelled a few myths regarding caffeine content and roasting process.  At Cafe Ruiz, a coffee bean goes through sixteen different steps from the time it is picked until it is packaged for purchase. Because I cannot remember them all, I can only encourage those interested to go on their own guided tour. 

Did you know:

That espresso and french roast coffees are less caffeinated than latin or european roasts?

That the stronger the flavor, the more burnt beans are processed in coffee? 

That the darker the roast, the less caffeine per cup of coffee? 

That many ground coffee mixtures contain fillers such as corn, stems and twigs?

That european roast coffee has a citrus-flavored undertone?

That Geisha coffee originally comes from Ethiopia?

You can learn this and much more during a coffee tour with Cafe Ruiz.  It's a great way to spend a spare afternoon in Boquete!  Below is a link to get you started.

http://www.caferuiz-boquete.com

Easter Services in Boquete

After an ashamedly long absence from worship services, I returned for Easter Sunday service.  I was surprised by the size of the crowd in attendance, and chagrined to realize I only recognized perhaps 4 or 5 faces in the entire lot.  Granted, some attendees were possibly tourists or first time visitors to Boquete, however it also was very apparent that the expat community has grown exponentially and many younger families are now moving into the area.   The congregation was pleasantly blessed with a Children's Program skit regarding the crucifixion and resurrection. Something that couldn't have happened a few years ago, as there were few children in the area then.  There is also the promise of a choir group in the works.  All this has been happening over the last 10 months or so.  

In addition to these services, I've learned there is a small fellowship forming in Volcancito, and there has been a long-standing English mass in the Catholic church in the center of town with a few expat participants.

Orchid Expo Off to a Slow Start

What used to be known as the Feria de las Orchideas, in Boquete,  has been renamed the Orchid Expo.  This year it's running from March 22nd to March 31st.  Regardless of what it's being called, we're five days into it and the fairgrounds almost resemble a ghost town.  This has been the most meager exhibition I've observed in seven years.  Today as I strolled through the grounds,  I did see a few vendors unpacking large boxes, and some carpenters installing temporary kiosks, but there were practically no plants or flowers to be had.   We still have one weekend to go, and it's still possible the expo will evolve and  close out with a larger impact.  There was almost no publicity regarding the event this year, and I can't help but wonder if better PR could help.

I spent about 30 minutes in the Orchid Salon and snapped these photos of winning plant entries.  

Bromeliads    

Orchids

Beware of Boquete House Sitters

After a very enjoyable visit to California, Arizona and New Mexico,  I'm back on home turf. My garden greeted me with the above orchid blooms from plants I've been babying for about a year.   Such a warm and pleasant welcome!

On a less positive note, the house/pet sitters I left in charge while gone were a major disappointment. The neighbors on three sides bent my ears about what went on in my home while I was out.   Pets were left unattended for days,  people came and went constantly when the sitters were here, my washer and dryer were made accessible to strangers as a laundromat, and they sunbathed nude in the back yard for the gardener and all others to see.  A very sensitive issue for this small, very religious neighborhood.  My furniture was shredded by my frustrated felines, left indoors alone for days, and my washing machine is no longer functioning.  It was used so heavily it overheated and burned out the switch and connections.  Minor articles of kitchen cookware and alcohol from the bar seemed to have marched off.  My choice of sitters was a regrettably poor one.  I thought the couple I enlisted were good friends, but they were just good at pretending to care.  It all came down to their having fun and letting the chips fall where they may.   These same people have successfully marketed their services upon returning to Boquete after a brief attempt to establish themselves in another country.  Word is they've logged several other assignments with expats in the area.  My only hope is that they respect these new opportunities more than they did mine.  I could have hired a vet to come and live with my cats for less than what these people have cost me. 

California Coastline near Half Moon Bay

Beautiful to behold, but the frigid waters and cold, damp northern California clime make for a brief sojourn.  Longing once again for the Panama version...Happy to be heading back in 32 hours.

Back to Bay Area en route to Boquete

Returning to Boquete in another five days and very anxious to be home.  I've heard the Boquete Blues and Jazz Festival is going well.

The photos below, taken in Castro Valley, certainly shed light on my preference for Boquete and Chiriqui province!