OUR RETIRED ADVENTURE
qUEREMOS VIVIR AL SOL
KSha
Costa Rica is amazing! Beauty abounds.
Panama is "home" for now. Loving life!
South America is next! Columbia here we come.
Costa Rica is amazing! Beauty abounds.
Panama is "home" for now. Loving life!
South America is next! Columbia here we come.
The airport pickup was a little delayed as wheelchairs were in high demand and dad's attendant was trying to push two at a time. A recent cortizone shot to ease his back pain wasn't doing the trick; and the wheelchair allowed a pain free way to get through the long walk from the gate. We finally had a happy reunion outside the terminal and enjoyed the sights on the way through and out of the city (we took the "back way" home and drove along the Panama Canal and got to see 2 large ships) and then to our house. We have been enjoying eating at our outside table for our meals and it has doubled as our game table when it is in the shade. Rummikub (thanks to Randi & Ed for suppling us with this fun game of sets and runs.) battles have been occurring each day. Mom has been deligent about working on her tan. Her and dad are both taking it slow with the sun as it has been in the 90's and the sun has been intense. Morning walks on the beach have been a nice way to get some sun and enjoy the waves, the breeze and sights on the beach. Pool lounging has to be timed so nobody gets a sunburn! Their first Saturday here we took mom and dad to Tichanan, a Thai restaurant we enjoyed with R & E; and the entertainment that night was the Three Tenors. We all had a great meal and the Three Tenors were amazing! Their powerful voices blended so well and were mesmerizing as soloists. Dad asked them to sing a love song (was sung in Spanish) for their upcoming 64th wedding anniversary in June and it was so awesome! They even got to meet the owner Freddy, who gifted us champagne in their honor. We have been to the rooftop to look at the scenery and the stars; as well as looking down from the roof at our house and pool. We've had a bunch of friends visit all of us at the house during this first week; including two humming birds and a starling inside the house, multiple geckos inside and outside the house, two bright green iguanas that like the wall by the pool, yellow bellied small birds in our trees and tiny green birds that nibble on our mangos; with a recent sighting of a pair of tiny blue birds (presumably mother and offspring) that lunched on a mango that had fallen from our tree to our lower deck. NGG has been busy and maybe earning a new title as the Iguana Whisperer (IW). Our beach walks have also kept NGG on her toes (literally so you don't step on something you don't want to) during low tide. In addition to the already shared creatures we've seen washed up on shore, here is another collection of NGG's findings on the sand (10 new findings!). Mom and dad have really enjoyed sitting by the beach and watching the tides coming and going...and just listening to the waves. Sha is making some chili for our Sunday dinner; and when mom and dad get back from the beach we'll soon be vying for the Rummikub title once again. "5 Crowns" (another card game supplied by R & E) will also be on the game table before the day is through, I'm sure. It will be a little cooler here today with a high of only 86 degrees (feels like 90).
Hope all is well with you and yours...until next time! Pura Vida!
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The big house is quiet again as the two of us are returning to our daily routines. Walking on the beach is a daily must...just to be sure I'm keeping the midsection in good enough condition to fit into my swimsuits. We are keeping tabs on our squadron of pelicans that hunt the tops of the incoming waves and then in the afternoon, effortlessly ride the warm air currents along the beach. Our beach is a beautiful stretch of black and white sand that can be walked in both directions for more than an hour during low tide. During high tide, rock formations and water levels reduce the area available to walk. So, we are getting good at reading the tide charts and hitting the beach at the proper times to ensure a pleasurable distance to walk each day. The area is quite beautiful and daily viewing of it does not get old. Pictured below are some beach views on our walk to the "west" of our house (that is, coming to the beach and walking right). Every once in a while we also find some nature that washes ashore and NGG can't pass it up without documenting. A complete stingray...before the birds and buzzards got to it. A Cannonball jelly. A moon jelly. A tiny squid. (The 2 depressions are little crab holes). Various kinds of birds can also be seen most days hunting for crabs and clams in the sand as the waves come in. At first it looked like they were pulling up rocks until they flew a bit higher on the sand and we could tell they were eating something. We are expanding the normal things we are doing like people who live here. With the help of our rental agent, we've changed the internet to our name at the Tigo store; we also feel comfortable going to and using the bank. You wouldn't think that the bank would be anything to worry about, besides the language difference; and after experiencing our first visit it won't be. However the entrance was a different kind of process that should be adopted everywhere. Each person individually enters the bank in a scanning tube; much like the scanners at the airport security entrance points to the gate areas. Hopefully the pictures will help you understand how it works. It is nearing the end of the dry season and we've seen some and smelled more area fires over the past month. April is the hottest month in Panama, and the wind is blowing daily at 20 or more mph. Things burn differently and more slowly here than what you may associate with fires in the States. We watched a dry grass area from our rooftop burn slowly out into a circle that covered a half an acre, for more than an hour. I was too engaged in watching that I forgot to take a picture. On the 7th we had our first rain clouds and afternoon rain. This was the first rain since we arrived in Coronado, and lasted all of 20 minutes. The frequency is expected to pick up in May and locals say that afternoon showers are quite frequent between 2 PM and 4 PM. I'll fact-check that as we proceed. We enjoyed a wonderful Easter weekend, and enjoyed seeing a great many more people and families at our beach. Monday is haircut day for Sha and I am currently on location in Nuevo Gorgano as I update this post. I just saw my beautiful bride and her haircut looks fabulous! She was able to double down and get a pedicure as well, so she's back in the spa as I await her return. She looked so pretty I had to take her out to dinner! We are awaiting the arrival of my parents in a few days and will update after they experience our home and Panama.
Pura Vida! We just returned from Panama City; having left the house at 9:30 AM this morning, and as I write this post it is 4:30 PM. Our wonderful Georgian friends Randi and Ed left for home on a 2 PM flight after spending 12 great days at our beach house (more about that in a minute). After we dropped R & E at the airport, we were able to reconnect with our Panama City friends Dan and Lucy we met in Chitre during our exploratory tour of Panama a few months ago (we had Xmas dinner and New Year's Eve dinner with them). Sha and Lucy coordinated a lunch get together at their home just outside the Panama Canal area. We were able to catch up and enjoy a home-cooked Panamanain lunch of salad, chicken, rice, plantains and carrots-yum! Sha even gleaned a few secrets about preparing some of the side dishes. Just have to say, very proud of Sha for her navigational skills in finding their house...turn by turn perfection! Returning to Coronado from their house took us a new way that let us see the "backside" of the Panama Canal! Saw a huge cargo ship with two large tugboats assisting it in the Canal and another one about a half a mile away waiting its turn-better than our first visit!! Gotta give another shoutout to Bri, Veronica and Madison for the cool gift of the electronic picture frame! Already loaded a bunch of pics! If you would like to add a picture(s) to our revolving slideshow from the comfort of your current location; please contact our Media department's WhatsApp number or email (better known as NGG's info) to receive the secret transmission code to connect to our Frameo so you can share some of your family treasures with ours. So...you might be wondering what we have been doing for the last almost month. I have been made aware that one avid reader has expressed some concern as to the lack of publications coming from this desk. I do apologize Sharon...no not mine. I have to interrupt this narrative as I just felt our house moving...specifically my chair, and the floor were moving in a gentle circular motion! "Earthquake!", I shouted. Sha was engrossed in laundry and missed the movement by the time she returned to the (inside) dining room where this post was being authored. Skeptical, as I'm sure you are; she wasn't sure she believed me until we used the Google machine to verify... This is the 3rd earthquake that we have experienced (One in Reno NV '88, one last year in Costa Rica, and this one). Luckily and strangely, each episode has had the floor/chair/ground move in a circular motion. Very subtle, but very distinctive movement. Knocking on wood that we have been in the outer regions from the epicenter of these occurrences. So that you all can breathe easier...all is well and the house is still standing. We had a blast with Randi and Ed while they were here! We played tons of games morning, noon and some at night including Five Crowns, Rummikub and Cribbage (we taught them this game). Ate out at some old favorite restaurants of ours (from our first stay here) and explored some new restaurants; as well as firing up the grill for some great seafood dinners of sea bass, salmon and shrimp. We also had some great walks on the beach and even found a few "treasures" in the sand. Took a day trip up into the mountains to visit Anton Valle, a town in the crater of an extinct volcano (about 4000 ft. elevation) and their famous farmer's market and hiking trails...we did an "easy" one with a cool waterfall you can see below. Not only the game table, but also had most of our meals out here as well. You just can't overemphasize the importance of a good nap! Beach treasure...krugerrand??? (I hope the captions on the above pics are visible as you hover on them) Planet Palooza, as I named it, happened last week. Five planets (Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Uranus) were to be in the western sky and visible after sunset. We took advantage of the 24th floor pool deck to view this for ourselves. Didn't see them all; but pretty cool! We are really enjoying our Panamanain lifestyle and our wonderful house and pool. Late night dips in the pool have been a great way to cool off before hitting the sack. We have had a few of NGG's friends visit us in the house with our open door policy where we let the breeze run through the house...nothing too major, but a little iguana, a few geckos, some dragonflies, an occasional fly and my little friends the ants. These are not even slightly bothersome as we enjoy open air and outdoor living. We have a short drive to multiple restaurants--two we can walk to, and in a few minutes we can get to two large grocery stores, banks, a dollar store, return and get new jugs of water and stop at multiple roadside food vendors and little markets. It is an ideal location! Lois and Willie, my parents, will be joining us for a visit in the middle of April. Before signing off, I need to acknowledge the perfection and continuation of a treasured Lowe family tradition. My niece Lisa has accomplished what only one Lowe family woman (Sha's mom) has ever successfully done that has brought joy to all family parties prior to her passing. I am speaking of none other than the famous pink jello! Many have tried...and many have failed. Bozie you did it! Yes, yes, yes, yes!!!!! I hope you will request the secret code soon so we can see you on our revolving picture slideshow.
Until we cross paths again (figuratively or literally)... Pura Vida! |
Kevin & Sharon SeibelBeginning our next big adventure! Archives
December 2023
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