Blogs from Las Lajas, Chiriquí, Panama, Central America Caribbean

Geo: 8.24538, -81.8702O.K! It's Barb's turn to report on this great trip, so I'll try to summarize some of the highlights. Yesterday was an idyllic day of relaxation at the beach. Because our house is so close to the beach, there was a lot of back and forth. Frolicking in the surf, with and without boogie boards, beachcombing, etc. Dinner (after an unintentional scenic route to get there) was at an outdoor pizza place, run by a real Italian, waitress Spanish speaking only, of course, so that was interesting, and really good food (not all pizza). Today was our Boca Chica (1 1/2 hours away) adventure, a pre-planned day trip to the marina there where the big fishing trips go out of. Getting places has been interesting because they really don't seem to use addresses around ... read more

Tuesday there is a little local craft market here that we decided to check out. It was somewhat disappointing, as it was mostly the same stuff we can get in our own craft market at home, except for a couple of stands where the Kuna Indians were selling their traditional embroidery work. It is quite colorful, represents Panama and not something we can get at home so I bought a couple of pieces to make pillows out of. It was still rainy here in Boquete, so we decided to take a drive to the Pacific side to a little beach resort another couple had told us about. This place is about 1 1/2 hours south of David, which is 1 hour south of Boquete. After we got clear of the nighmare road construction between Boquete and ... read more

So.... it's been forever. Ha- my last post was in February no? Well ok, after establishing that I am in fact alive and kicking still, I can let you know what I've been up to. I’m living in a beautiful and teensy town called San Félix which is on the edge of the western highlands of Panamá. It’s not on a map but it’s close to the Las Lajas beach on the pacific coast which you might be able to see if you’re trying to find me. What on earth am I doing here? I’m living in a tiny house with a woman named Magdalena, a little 39-year old Colombian doctor who’s doing a research project in the indigenous Ngöbe-Buglé reserve that we’re practically ontop of here. She's maybe 4-foot-11, 90lbs and a serious hoot to ... read more

(con't from boquete) David (pronounced Dah-veed) is a great place to regroup, which i did a couple times. it's in a perfect location midway betwen the mountains and the beaches. a hotel cost me $27 (though the bed pillows were bulky couch cushions in a pillow case) and it gave me another chance to people watch. I explored the nearby Pacific beaches, which are very desolate and rural. this is farm country, and towns are neat and tidy with horses and bicyles more common than cars. The day i was traveling it rained all afternoon and evening and i was glad to find Cabanas de Panama at Las Lajas at literally the end of the road given my small SUV didn't have high clearance (see photo). I paid $30 a night for a private cabana (no ... read more