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.
Our last night in Panama City we had a "fancy" dinner date at the 7th floor restaurant Azahar. Exiting the elevator, we were faced with only one way to go; into a flower shop. Luckily before I looked stupid, a waiter opened the door in the back of the flower shop and invited us in. Our outdoor seating had us on the balcony, overlooking the city skyline. The food was even better than our view. Our bread came in a mini dresser with drawers; and the butter was pizza flavored! A bottle of wine and some chocolate finished off a fabulous dinner. November 23 was our travel day, and we waited in the lobby to be picked up and taken to our rental car. After some worrying and a little confusion (when no one came for us), we found out our car was being delivered to the hotel. This ended up being quite convenient as we checked out and signed for the car in the parking lot outside the hotel door, and drove away. Locking our new destination into the Waze app, we heard the Wise Waze Woman (heretofore known as WWW), expertly navigate us out of the city and on our way to Playa Caracol and the Punta Chame District. The majority of our trek was to be on National Highway 1; but WWW soon initiated a change in course as traffic and construction delays awaited us if we continued on Hwy 1. Our alternative route immediately appealed to both Sha and I as we took a sharp turn onto a two-lane asphalt road that went uphill from the start. I found myself saying, "We're still going up.", for over a half an hour as we drove along the winding road. Near (what we thought was) the top of the climb, we happened upon a lookout area that we stopped at. As we drove on, we needed 15 more minutes before the road began to decline. The descent was just as interesting-maybe slightly more harrowing, as we twisted and turned our way down the mountain. Houses would seemingly pop out of nowhere (enviable views, but isolated from "civilization") as we descended and then we drove through small communities of houses as we neared the bottom. WWW reunited us with Hwy 1 for a short stint and she then found our turnoff to Playa Caracol. Our Costa Rica research had touted the dangers of potholes in the roads throughout the country. That was helpful to be wary and a defensive driver while we traveled Costa Rica (the first time). If we would have had this same advice in Panama, it would not have prepared me for the road we took to our condo. This road of 15+ miles had more potholes on it than "Carter has liver pills". I don't think my speed reached over 30 mph (50 kph); although I rarely had time to check my speed as I dodged and weaved back and forth on the road. THE absolute worst road I have ever driven! It was a welcome relief to drive into the complex area of our condo. As we opened our condo door, we were glad to have driven (and survived) that road. After we had unpacked the majority of our worldly possessions (two bins in storage at B&N's AirBnB not included), we hit the beach to investigate our new surroundings. Our complex is part of an area that is still being developed; new buildings are being constructed in and around completed buildings. The property currently has about 3/4 of a mile of shoreline it occupies, with 3 distinct areas: our 2-building complex, a second multi building area and an area solely for residential buildings with private access. Construction is occurring intermixed throughout the property. There is a Surf Shop at the far end of the property. We found out quickly that we are far from any supplies one might need in order to use the nice kitchen we have in our condo. White sand with streakings of black volcanic sand make up our beautiful beach. We enjoyed the walk along the beach to the Surf Shop and had a couple of beers (Coors Light cost $2.14 each) and watched the waves come in. Enjoyed talking and making friends with Eyal, a local surfer. The "store" behind the Surf Shop; which we had high hopes of stocking our refrigerator with its bounty, turned out to have dog food, ketchup and a couple of different sodas. We soon realized we would have to retake the road from hell to get supplies from the area we went through before turning to the shore. The trip to get groceries was WAY worse than our first trip in on it. You may ask how could that be? Well, the sun was going down and it was pouring rain! 'Nuf said! Because I'm still writing, you can assume we both survived the there and back excursion.
We didn't have a turkey in our oven this year for Thanksgiving, but our view was the best we've have on the holiday. We also got to video chat with the South Dakota (and Nebraska) Seibels checking in on their turkey and ham feast as they had the marble games going strong. Speaking of games, we have re-engaged the PCC in Playa Caracol and Sha is currently ahead by a slim one game lead. Our days here so far have been sun-filled and warm, generally mid to high 80's with a gentle breeze by the ocean. We try to start the day walking on the beach, with Sha soloing a few times because my knee flared up after a long walk on the beach after we arrived. We find a chair at the beach for tan line reinforcement and then hit the pool to cool off after lunch. Our investigative options to explore the surrounding area is limited. We are located at the base of the long thin peninsula of Punta Chame, so we took the single road in and went to the end. What we found was way more than we both expected. As you enter the community, street signs mark the intersections and signs direct you to different shops and hotels. Multiple restaurants dot the area and just when you think there is nothing "down there", you find property for sale. One half of the community is based around the fishing industry; many boats were "docked" in the sand during low tide. As we continued our tour, we found a second half that appeared to have larger houses and more fare for the visitor (hotels, residential property for sale and restaurants). We spent a couple of hours slowly driving around the end of the peninsula enjoying the sights. BTW, 2 market/grocery stores are also here! We were very happy as we could buy the butter and cooking oil we forgot at the "big" store down the road from hell!! We plan to return to enjoy several restaurants we drove by and then researched in this interesting community at the tip of the Punta Chame peninsula. Will update upon completion. Until then... Pura Vida!
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Hot time in the city...does that remind you of the song from years ago? Well we've had a wonderful time in Panama City (after we acclimated to its size and layout). Clouds have been prevalent everyday, but we found multiple "sunny" afternoons to keep up the tan line definitions. We found time to explore our nearby surroundings (and a couple of restaurants) on foot on the narrow sidewalks that are uneven and required BB to employ his old faithful walking sticks to survive. [There was this one time (not at Band camp) that BB had an incident during a walking excursion where something that rhymes with "down goes Frazier" occurred. Yep, hit the deck again! Just when you thought I was NOT due for another injury! BB, aka BB (that's Blog Boy, aka Bald Bomber) regrouped, brushed off two skinned knees and a sore shoulder to continue on the day's mission.] We found out that there is a walking/bike path that runs along the shore that we had to check out; especially after we found out it would take us to Casco Viejo, ("Old Town") which was first established in 1673. We walked about a half of mile (800 meters for those of you who paid attention in math class) to get to the ocean from our hotel (at about the 50 meter mark the aforementioned incident occurred). Crossing a walk bridge that spanned "Oceanfront Drive", we had a smooth and wide path to follow along the shore. We were disappointed to find out that the shoreline along the downtown area does not have any beaches...we haven't seen one yet... Walking into Casco Viejo, we were transported back in time. Sha said almost immediately that it felt like New Orleans' French Quarter. Narrow red cobblestone streets and tiny sidewalks were lined with terraced buildings that created an almost tunnel-like feel to the streets. Small eateries, pubs and shops seemed to pop up out of nowhere throughout Casco Viejo. We found a bar that was highly recommended online to take a brief rest and enjoy a fancy cocktail or two as NGG researched a dinner option for us. Sha found us outdoor seating at Cascomar, a restaurant at the far end of Casco Viejo that overlooked the bay. Having walked about 4 miles or more throughout the day, we took an Uber home after dinner. The Uber picked us up right in front of our outdoor table for dinner, took about 15 minutes to drive us home, and cost us $3.74 (for real)! We have enjoyed multiple restaurants in the city throughout the week we've been here; trying to sample the wide variety of local cuisines. We walked to a couple (including for lunch) and Ubered to the others including a rooftop with cool views. We enjoyed Casco Viejo so much we had to go back for another dinner before we left. Sha found us a super cool place called La Barbara, which was in the back of a hair salon. Our Uber driver wasn't sure he was in the right place when we arrived as the store front looked closed. Sha reassured him we were here, got out and walked right in the doors. We walked past the hair salon chairs and washing stations to find a small bar and 7 tables for dining. Signature drinks and sushi was the fare. Checkout our cool bartender in the background. We weren't ready to go home, so we found a rooftop bar for a nightcap. We walked to a place called Tantalo, and went upstairs. As the music played, we marveled at the views and met a wonderful couple from Germany named Rafael and Antonia. We had a great time conversing with them; although the volume of the music made that a bit of a challenge. Exchanging contact info, they said before you leave we had to go to the top level to see the views from there. The spiral staircase up to the small platform at the top was well worth the effort... You're probably wondering, did they forget the Panama Canal is here? No we didn't... Our half hour Uber ride cost us almost six whole dollars! Our internet research said best times to visit was 9am-11am, or 2pm-4pm, with an opening time of 8am. Arriving before 8:30, we found the Visitor Center was closed for remodeling. This meant the 3-D movie theater, additional viewing platforms and shops of the complex were unavailable. We were disappointed in what was available to view the canal and only caught the tail end of a single ship passing through the viewable locks we could see (heard an employee tell another visitor on the way out that the afternoon time slot is the best time to come...can't always trust the internet). Regardless, the trip was one we were glad we took, even with our limited viewing. We have 7:30 dinner reservations for our last night in Panama City before we pick up our rental car and head to Playa Caracol. We are excited to have outdoor seating in the 7th floor restaurant. Before I go, I wanted to update the family and let them know that our nephew Michael might have followed us to Panama and is working at our hotel...you be the judge. I will check back in from Playa Caracol!
Pura Vida! We again cut down on the "stuff" we brought to Panama and have a backpack, a small carry-on suitcase and one suitcase to be checked. [BB is on crutches and not much help moving things]. The 4:30 am Uber showed up as the snow was falling! We ended up taking off about an hour later than planned as we needed to be sprayed with the de-icer before we could leave. Panama is in the Eastern time zone; but the five and a half hour flight didn't seem too bad. We landed mid afternoon during a light rain. Panama City is a big, high-rise building city of about 900,000 people. The 30 minute drive from the airport seemed like we were driving on Lake Shore Drive at times; or more accurately, Ocean Front Drive as we made our way to our hotel. Our hotel appears to be in the heart of the downtown area, with a plethora of restaurants, shops and markets nearby. There is a distinct higher level of humidity feel to the air here in Panama. We had to give BB's knee a bit more healing time, so after unpacking we hit the lobby bar and kicked off the PCC; or otherwise known as the Panamanian Cribbage Challenge. It was perfect timing as we sat down for the start of Happy Hour at the bar. Featured were 50 cent wings and 1 dollar local beers...right up our alley! Two games in the books and the bald bomber has two victories and currently leading the PCC! Breakfast is included with our suite, so the long walk to the lobby bar/restaurant was grueling--but worth it as we had choices of eggs, meats, fruits, waffles and juices for our morning meal. We took a casual walk after breakfast around the neighborhood of our hotel and found markets, casinos and other hotels in the 3-4 block area we walked our 1st morning. There is a lot of traffic and the local roads are narrow, prompting Sha to declare that she would not like to drive in PC. Sunshine invited us to the pool after our morning walk, which is on the 4th floor. We are really enjoying the views from the pool deck area. An early afternoon shower brought us back to our room for some Tomato soup Sha whipped up in our mini kitchen. We spent some time after lunch looking at a city map trying to figure out some things for us to enjoy during our 8 days in Panama City...I'll keep you posted.
Pura Vida! Our flight back to the States was pleasantly uneventful and we arrived back in the neighborhood about the same time Saturday night as our "landlords", Bob and Nancy [found out there's a lot of rules at this AirBnB], It was fun catching up; with mostly Nancy, as Bob went to bed and got up three different times!
The next couple of days we "enjoyed" the "warm" weather in Chicagoland as we made the quick circuit of doctor visits and once again realizing that we packed too many clothes for our last trip as we took stock of our worldly possessions in B &N's second floor bedrooms. Being able to walk to most of these neighborhood appointments was a welcome continuation of our daily routine during our 3 month immersion in one location in Costa Rica. Sha, aka: NGG/CB/love of my life, has organized a busy schedule during our time in EP, I was able to fly to Sioux Falls to see my parents and 2 bros and a couple of cousins for 4 days; NGG met up with our good friends John and Angie and went to Lake Delavan for a long weekend with a tour of the color-change on the lake. High winds and white-capped waves sadly, cancelled the tour. I had a blast visiting my family in SF (bro-Kurt & Kourtney, bro-Kyle & KyKy & Crystal, cousin-Wally & Georgene, at mom and dad's house); can't tell you how many marble games we played (we had two tables of games going at once one afternoon), laughing and telling stories. Dad gave us the tour of the former homes we had on the way back from the airport. I saw the very spot I ran over the neighbor girl the first time I rode my new bike when I was five. Mom made some awesome meals and was "vicious" at marbles; I got to be in charge of making coffee. Gotta say, dad, the gopher story with you and little KyKy in ND, with mom watching, was the funniest! Sha is pleading the "5th" regarding her WI trip...but I know she had a good time bowling and enjoying karaoke night at the local bar I should remember the name of; despite not being able to go on the lake tour. After 8 days in the States, I miss Costa Rica...I think Sha does too. We both agree we could live there. Our 3-month immersion adventure in one location went beyond our expectations. Choosing not to rent a car, we were able to walk to any and all things we needed or wanted. Our location and condo were perfect and the two of us were in the pool alone for a good chunk of the days of warm sunshine during our stay (even though it is the rainy season). Norm and Karen were great neighbors, and you may recall they were collectively, our Information Desk we went to with all our questions. It's hard to describe how relaxing walking on the beach in the morning is. "Thirsty Thursday" with Peg O. at Maria's was cancelled due to BB getting about 10 yards away from the house on the walk there, stepped wrong and sprained my knee...down went blog-boy! CB went into high gear and we had a whirlwind 2-days of getting xrays, then ortho visit--jam an MRI in there and a set of crutches...and we're mostly good to go. That did put a damper on my dancing at the Donlan wedding on Saturday-damn! A great party with Kelley and Don tying the knot in the midst of the fun times. Well, the weather is turning colder...I'm leaving...see you in Panama! (Sorry Sharon P., no pictures) Pura Vida! |
Kevin & Sharon SeibelBeginning our next big adventure! Archives
December 2023
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