Newsletter #96

Shall We Gather by the River

In the last Newsletter I wrote about going to Altos de Cerro Azul with our friends from Canada. On the following day, Tom, Corrine, Elu, Nora, and I met Lysbeth at the El Rey in Eldorado to drive to her and Ricardo's finca near Sajalices. Regular readers may remember the Pineapple Tour of January 14, 2007, (http://www.panamaretire.net/living/pineapple_tour/) which was organized by Lysbeth. From that experience we anticipated a very enjoyable outing, and were not disappointed.

We left the highway at Sajalices and travelled about a mile down a rough road until we came to the finca, which sits right on the bank of the river, covering a bit over 1 hectare. There is a marvelous, very steep palm thatch roofed rancho with a concrete floor and an attached cinder block bathroom with shower and toilet. Cooking is done on a large barbecue grill, and the caretaker was tending the fire when we arrived.

A pleasant strong breeze was blowing and wood smoke flavored the air. We settled in with beer and wine, and after relaxing an hour or so, took a walk down to the rock strewn river and then around the finca. The caretaker does a good job of tending the plot of 'guandu', also called 'chick peas' or 'gungu peas'.

Later, about a dozen of us took a walk of a few hundred meters to the swimming hole, a natural pool about 10 meters long and 8 wide, fed by a small waterfall. It's a very pleasant place and the breeze and cool water kept everyone comfortable. The group returned only when the ladies exhausted the two bottles of wine they took along.

We were treated to a sumptuous feast of chicken, spicy sausage, steak, bolos (a local corn dish), and new-to-me, grilled corn on the cob, all delicious. Once again, Lysbeth and Ricardo arranged a marvelous outing for our Canadian friends.

As we were loading the cars, we were treated to the sight of the sun setting behind Cerro Campana, and we drove home in a state of sated appetites.

Home Invasion

Violence is a fact of life, no matter where we are, but it always seems worse when it happens to us or someone we know. Debbie was a co-worker at the 56th Signal Battalion where I worked for the last 10 years of my working life. She's been living in Majagual, up the mountain behind Veracruz. Recently, she was talking with a friend and went outside to close the front gate. There she was attacked by four men, who beat her, ransacked the house and stole her car to get away with the loot. Her friend heard her say 'They're beating me, please come now', before the phone went dead. Debbie spent several days in the hospital and is now under private guard until she can find a new place to live that is not so isolated.

Be careful out there, folks. Those of us who live in less affluent areas may well be viewed as targets. To poor locals, the average ex-pat looks wealthy and, to the criminal, an easy target. Resist the temptation to not adorn your house with window bars and ornamental steel doors. They are there for a reason.

Los Lagartos

This is the first of several restaurant reviews I have planned for the Newsletter. Last week I took Mike, Nancy, John, and Dorothy to Gamboa for lunch at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort Restaurant, Los Legartos. To get there drive to Gamboa and turn right after you drive over the one-lane bridge over the Chagres River. Be careful on the short drive from the bridge to the restaurant. This is a favorite spot for large Iguana, and while the likelihood that you will run over one of them is very low (they run quite fast), if you drive slowly and stop soon enough, you may be able to get a reasonably close picture of them.

The restaurant has a covered deck sitting over the water, and one of the attractions is the Caymans, birds, fish, and turtles which come to be fed table scraps. Sometimes you can see Caymans, but on this day, only one was visible (barely) and he was lounging about 30 yards off-shore with only a bit of his head visible.

I had their Jungle Burger, which was way too much food for me, but I ate it all anyway. I eat burgers maybe three times a year now, and when I do get to chomp on one, I don't waste any of it. Mike and Nancy are vegetarians, and were more than pleased with the selection of food at the buffet. ($23.00 per person, includes 10% tip and 5% sales tax) and John and Dorothy expressed satisfaction with the meat selections. (beef, chicken, seafood, and pork) The salad bar includes Ceviche, and one could easily make a delicious, filling meal from the salad bar alone. Service was very good, but like most restaurants in Panama, if you are in bit of a rush, it's advisable to ask for the bill 10 minutes before you're ready to leave.

The bridge which we crossed to get there is visible from the dining deck and for a few brief minutes, we were treated to the spectacle of a train, cars, and a ship, all lined up in a row, with the cars and train on the bridge and the ship in the canal. All that was missing was an airplane flying overhead.

I rate Lagartos Restaurant three thumbs up, plus you get the bonus of a drive through the rain forest.

Bring Back the Magic