www.ArcoProperties.com Right in front of the basketball field at the corner of 8th and Eloy Alfaro is Cafe Morales, Casco´s newest bakery. Their cheescake is really to die for, but they make you feel less guilty also serving nice salads. I´m yet to try all their breads, but they look really good. Super nice staff, some bilingual. [View Full Entry]

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www.ArcoProperties.com Last night, everyone in Casco Antiguo dressed up and went for a "chic" night out. Starting with a fashion show at the Municipality (antigua Casa Arias Feraud) and later to a special sushi night at the Deli Gourmet. The fashion show featured French designer Helene Breebart and Madeleine Cranfield from San Diego, California showed their best collections. Helene´s specialty is ethnic inspired clothing. For years, she´s been working with the kuna indians in Panama to create stylish clothing. Latelly, I´ve even seen swimming suits with mola designs! Madeleine´s spe [View Full Entry]

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www.ArcoProperties.com A while ago I watched a TED Talk (very interesting) about happiness. Their basic statement was that we have come to a point where the mere fact of having thousands of choices to, for example, pick a napkin did not contribute to our happiness, but in fact did exactly the opposite, leaving us anxious if we did or not the right or best choice. Their studies revealed that less options made people had a higher satisfaction rate because they KNEW either they made a good or bad decision. Until a month ago, Casco Viejo only had two choices in terms [View Full Entry]

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www.ArcoProperties.com Any excuse to party in Panama is a good excuse... and to dress up? wao! winner combination! I saw people impersonating amebas, zebras, blue painted singers, naughty nuns, tons of witches and vampires, classic skeletons (in the closet?) and serial killers (they just look like everybody else). [View Full Entry]

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www.ArcoProperties.com In the last few years, Panama has slowly become the hub of the Americas. This year it is said that the local airline COPA was Boeing´s bigger client. What is certain, is that the country is actively working to expand the airport, at a time where most of its peers are either cutting corners. According to the note at La Prensa, the new dock will include twelve new positions, with 20,850 mt2; 50% more than the actual capacity. at a cost of $68.65 million dollars. Tocumen, Panama´s international airport received in 2008 more than 4.5 million passangers between [View Full Entry]

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www.ArcoProperties.com It was said that when this ballet was first performed by Margot Fontayne and Rudolf Nureyev, the public was in such spell that they kept quite for a full minute after the curtain went down. And then, they couldn´t stop a 20 minute explosion of applause. And it wouldn´t surprise me, Giselle´s second act is one of the most dramatic ballet´s I know, next to Swan Lake. The basic script is the following: sweet girl in town falls in love with not so inocent Prince. He was supposed to get married with a princess. When she finds out, she dies [View Full Entry]

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www.ArcoProperties.com I just spent three fantastic weeks in Europe. For those who don´t know, there is a great direct flight hosted by KLM/ AirFrance directly from Panama to Amsterdam. So, it took me only 11 hours to pass from my cozy tropical weather to chilli Amsterdam´s autum. I took the plane at night and my breakfast was already dutch pancakes. It made me think a lot about what people travel for and what they consider "exotic". Being from Panama, for me, cold is an exotic destination. Examples of exotic animals include (and are not limited to): sheeps, furry cows (or furry [View Full Entry]

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www.ArcoProperties.com "The neighborhood has received its share of hype over the past few years. Travel writers have mused that it might become the next South Beach. Real estate investors, thoroughly enchanted by its romantic balconies festooned with colorful flowers, have called it one of the hemisphere's best-kept secrets. So when a working trip to Panama City materialized, I jumped at the chance to stay in the Casco Viejo." See More at the Miami Herald webpage! (Google: Miami Herald Casco Viejo) [View Full Entry]

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www.ArcoProperties.com Ciao Pescao, the new restaurant at Plaza Bolivar specialized in ceviches got a review today at La Prensa by "Aristologa" the Panamanian culinary terror (well, only if your restaurant isn´t that good). The menu was described as "short and uncomplicated", where the "oriental ceviche and the langostinos on green sauce are indispensable". Another favorite was the "Italian" ceviche with ribbons of aji chombo (for those who like spicy). For dessert, her star goes to the Panamanian classic "No me olvides", an updated version of the old icecream classic at the Mari [View Full Entry]

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www.ArcoProperties.com A small café with modern ambiance, Mayal´s made it´s debut this week at A Avenue and 8th street, a few steps away from the Iglesia de San José which is widely known in Panama as the Altar de Oro (Golden Altar). Joining other businesses in the same area such as art gallery Diablo Rosso, Super Gourmet, Canal House Hotel, Pana Art and Wolfschoon Architecture. [View Full Entry]

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