Life's a beach

Decided to head over to Las Olas for the day and enjoy a picnic at the beach.  It takes about an hour to get there, so we packed a cooler of goodies, grabbed the sand chairs, a good book and lots of sunscreen.  We 'rented' a palapa for the day, which basically means you have pleasant shade, a wooden bench, and a spot to hang your hammock.  We had our chairs, so didn't use the bench, but really really appreciated having a cool spot to hang out in and enjoy the day.  There were so many other families enjoying the beach as well, and it made for a truly wonderful day.  The kids were happy, the parents were relaxed, the teenagers were teenagers, and the old folks wisely looked on.  Several young gringo girls, who obviously had not experienced the equatorial sun before baked on the sand, while the rest of us looked on in dismay.
In between chapters of my book, we had fun swimming and catching waves with the boogie board.  We bought it for Caleb, but someone had to break it in, right?  Dennis is hot on tracking down a surfboard suitable for his age, weight, and current physical status.  Wishing him luck on finding the perfect board and the perfect wave.  Now he will live up to his nickname, 'The Big Kahuna'.
As the tide was coming in, we noticed lots of little starfish floating around in the water.  It was awesome.  There is a beach in Bocas Del Toro called Starfish Beach where this is a usual occurence, but for us at Las Olas, it was a real treat.
Joining a local gym close by called Curvas Bonitas ( http://www.curvasbonita.com/ ) and have been enjoying latin style Zumba classes.  To say they are kicking my bee-hind is an understatement, but they are fun, the teacher is great,  and today I actually finished the whole class today.  GO ME!  Had to work off my great dinner  at the Panamonte Inn,   (panamonte.com ) a very elegant plantation style hotel and restaurant where the Newcomers met last night.  Each Friday is a different restaurant and we pick and choose when we want to attend.  There are many wonderful restaurants here and this is a great way to try them out and meet new people.  Dennis ordered a special fettucine dish and when it arrived, it was a tiny tiny portion on a huge plate.  You should have seen the expression on his face.  Priceless.  One of the other folks there was telling Dennis the key to longevity was under-eating, so Dennis got a jump on things.  All was well and a peanut butter sandwich at home filled the spot where his dinner should have been.
Wishing you all a prosperous, healthy, and joyous New Year.  APPROACH THE NEW YEAR WITH RESOLVE TO FIND THE OPPORTUNITIES HIDDEN IN EACH DAY. Michael Josephson

busy day

bonita caballo blanca

shopping at Romeros

Iris and Lesia have a shopping moment

That's gonna leave a funny tan

Christmas sandwiches

Police keeping everything family friendly

a good book and a xmas cookie

Las Olas Beach

happy little starfish

on the road to the beach

Border hop to San Vito, Costa Rica

Dennis and I had to make a border hop in order to keep our driving privileges legal here in Panama.  There has been a lot of chatter on the local website 'Boquete.ning giving all kinds of advice on how to avoid delays and problems and we made sure we had everything we thought we would need.  (cash, return airline ticket, credit card, copies of bank statement and passports) We decided to travel by bus and enjoy the scenic drive through the mountains with our friends Linda and Gary.  They, too, had to leave for a short period as tourists are only allowed a 6 month stay.  Many take a short vacation, get their passport stamped, and return to Panama for another 6 months.  We are working on obtaining our pensionado visa, so that is not a concern for us, but until we have completed the process, we could only drive legally for three months.  Confusing you say.......you don't know the half of it.  Anyway, the trip was awesome.  One bus to David , and another to Rio Sereno , a border town.  We had to pass through several small towns as well as Volcan and Concepcion, which are more populated.  The buses bounce along,  and everyone is sandwiched together and very sweaty, but it's still a lot of fun.  We then walked up to the Panama immigration office and got checked out, walked down the street to the Costa Rica border office and went through a slightly different process.  We decided to hop a bus into San Vito   and take a taxi from there.  

San Vito was originally settled by Italian immigrants and still retains its Italian roots.  Town was bustling with Christmas shoppers while we were there and there was music and vendors and loudspeakers and traffic everywhere.   One fellow had opened a shoe store in his van and was selling everything from sandals to cowboy boots and I was very very tempted.
We took a cab out of town to Cascata Del Bosco, a wonderful spot in the jungle.  George, our host, was awesome.  He and his girlfriend, LeReggie, cooked  all of our meals on a wonderful outdoor grill.  We were the only guests, but many of the locals stopped by, so we got to meet quite a few people and found out that San Vito was another expat destination where many folks come to spend the winter.  Like Boquete, they are only a short distance from wonderful beaches and offer cooler, more comfortable weather.  I was sad we would miss their Christmas party.  They were roasting a pig named Floyd for the occasion.  Pink Floyd......think about it.
We hiked up the road to the Wilson Botanical Research Facility and took a self guided tour there through the park.  I get very excited over the different exotic plants and their seeds.  Just a plant nerd, I guess.  We also found some jungle trails at the place where we were staying and walked a few of those as well.
We breezed through customs on our way back and no one wanted to see all the documentation we had so diligently collected.  Still, I was glad I had it all with me.  Traveling at Christmas time made it a bit more hectic than it might have been, but it worked out beautifully.  We're back home and legal.  A nice feeling. 'THE CLEAREST WAY INTO THE UNIVERSE IS THROUGH A FOREST WILDERNESS.' John Muir

Bus selfie

Flower  street vendor in David

On the way to Rio Sereno

Little guy got separated from his mami'.  Not happy.

Linda stretches from the long ride

Traffic stop

Vista bonita

No long lines.....yay!

San Vito town center

Our balcony

A little gritty from the bus ride

view from the deck

Our cabana

Dennis and George discuss grilling techniques

George has roasted marshmellows.  How do I say no?

View into the bar/restaurant

cool seeds

more cool seeds

Dennis is 5'10"

love this

Wilson Botanical Gardens

Channeling my inner Jane

San Vito melon cart

Shoes, anyone?

Bus stop in San Vito heading home

Santa touring Boquete by train

my favorite fruit stand.  Edgar has the best stuff.

My neighbors down the road...John and Brandi

Santa dude

On the medicine way trail

Just got back from a great little herb walk way up in the cloud forest of Boquete this morning.  Volunteered to drive a group up the ever so windy road to Finca Luz for an early morning guided talk on the native plants and herbs of the area.  Diane and Elizabeth have lived here for the past 12 years and it is obvious what a labor of love this place is.  There was so much to take in and the views are breathtaking.  I hope to go back again and maybe learn a little more about their practices in preparing their tinctures.  I've taken some pics and will try and label them appropriately, but there was so much information, I am sure I've mixed a few up and so I apologize ahead of time.  Most of you won't know the difference anyway as I haven't seen them growing in North Idaho, except maybe the lichen and the rose hips.  Still, I will try and be accurate.
Wrestling with a tummy ache today, so chewing on  healing leaves while walking the medicine way trail was so perfect.  'WHAT IS A WEED? A PLANT WHOSE VIRTUES HAVE NEVER BEEN DISCOVERED.' Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ngoble children get treated to a holiday event at San Francisco Plaza

Guaco - snakebite cure,  bronchitis, colds & allergies

Usnea - old man's beard - tonic, blood purifier, cleans kidneys, uti's, circulatory, & anti-bacterial

walking the medicine way trail

red bananas - birds love them

rose hips & gotu kola

green house

rosemary

some people make Ayahuasca (hallucinogen)

view from the Finca

water plants - natural filters

ice cold fresh water spring

finishing up the tour with homemade goodies

Christmas on the Finca

muscle testing for gluten intolerance