This is my first Thanksgiving in Panama (I had returned to the US for a few weeks at this time last year), and it was especially festive because this year, Thanksgiving Day coincided with the 198th anniversary of Panama’s independence from Spain on November 28. There are several national holidays in November here, but this celebration is the grandest of all.
So it was a mixed bag this year, with American Thanksgiving festivities and Panamanian holidays intertwined. My celebrations began a week before Thanksgiving with a traditional meal with about 20 friends and friends of friends (both expat and Panamanian) at Retrogusto, an upscale Italian restaurant. The food was fabulous and plentiful, and the company was enjoyable also.
The appetizers were presented on an eight-foot-long wooden plank, with many different items that were all delicious.
There were not one, but TWO of the largest turkeys I’ve ever seen. Each weighed about 30 pounds, and was roasted to perfection.
The following Sunday was the Grand Cabalgata, or horse parade. Panamanians are very proud of their horses, and this was a perfect opportunity to show them off. There is a significant expat community of horse people in Boquete also, and everyone came together in this parade that circled the downtown area several times. There were at least 200 or more horses involved, and there was a pickup dispensing rum and beer to the participants, ensuring everyone had a great time. I wrote in more detail about another cabalgata I attended earlier this year.
My friend Corinne and her beautiful horse, Lorenzo.
A rainbow appeared during the cabalgata, making it even more special!
After dark on the evening before Thanksgiving Day, i heard drumming in the distance that got louder by the minute. It was the parade of the bomberos (firemen), carrying torches down the street. It was even more special because I didn’t know it was happening beforehand. Apparently, this parade begins just outside the north end of town, and they march all the way through Boquete.
“Desfile de Antorchas” (Torch Parade)
On Thanksgiving Day, bands from schools all across Panama had arrived and were marching in the parade that started at 10 a.m. I heard reports that there were 82 bands in the parade – that’s a lot of kids, and a lot of buses that brought them here! There were so many people, both participants and observers of the festivities, that officials had to create a plan for traffic flow around the parade route.
Unfortunately, it started raining quite heavily about the time the parade was to start, but I’m sure the bands marched on, rain or shine. The rain stopped around noon, so I took that opportunity to see the parade before meeting friends for Thanksgiving dinner later that afternoon. The crowds downtown were enormous, and were enjoying the spectacle immensely. Last year, I attended the parade on November 3 that celebrated Panama’s separation from Columbia, but this one was much bigger and lasted all day and into the night.
The bands were playing many more different instruments this time. In the last parade, it was mostly just drums.
I don’t know what school these young men and women represented, but I loved their call-and-response chant!
This is another thing I didn’t see in the parade last year – gymnastics!
Another beautiful bit of Panamanian culture at the parade – a traditional dance, with the lady wearing her pollera (dress) and beaded headpiece.
After enjoying the parade, it was time to have a Thanksgiving buffet with friends at Mike’s Global Grill. Mike is a great cook, and he served turkey (both smoked and fried), sausage dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans & carrots, cranberry relish, and pumpkin pie. All were delicious!
So it was quite a day – one to remember, and the celebrations make me love Panama even more!
On Monday I joined some friends, Terri and her husband Brad, for an adventure to Bocas del Toro, a town on the Caribbean Sea.
My friends and traveling companions, Brad and Terri.
Bocas is about a three or four hour drive north of Boquete, and the best way to get there is by taking a shuttle from Boquete. The roads are mostly OK, but there are quite a few places where there are so many huge potholes that it looks like the surface of the moon! The road goes through the mountains to get to the coast, so if the road isn’t winding back and forth, it’s going uphill and down. I learned about an hour into the drive that it isn’t a great idea to drink a cup of coffee on an empty stomach immediately before boarding the bus. I never get carsick, but I did on the way out. Fortunately, Terri had a plastic bag with her, or it could have been a lot more embarrassing than it was!
We went in two vans, this one and a smaller one. All our luggage is on top of this van.
Bocas del Toro is actually a large group of islands just offshore from the mainland. Here’s a map of the area – our hotel was on Isla Carenero, just across the way from the main city of Bocas Town.
This area has a completely different vibe from the mountain town of Boquete – it has a much younger attitude and a definite Caribbean island atmosphere. It seems like a party could break out somewhere at any moment!
The shoreline of Bocas Town.Toro Loco, one of the hot spots in Bocas. Live music, sports on the TVs, and there’s a sign outside that says “Drink like you mean it!”
We stayed at the Cosmic Crab Resort, a cute and funky place just across the water from Bocas Town. Terri and Brad stayed in a casita on the water, and my room was in their garden area.
Terri and Brad’s casita on the water at the Cosmic Crab.Front porch of my casita. Each one has a name – mine was called the Seahorse. See the seahorse designs on the porch railing? Each casita has designs on the porch corresponding to its name – very cute!My room – very comfy, and I was happy it has an air conditioner. It’s hot in Panama at sea level!View of the gardens and other casitas from my front porch.
Since this area is a bunch of islands, the mode of transportation between them is via water taxi. The fare between Bocas Town and the Cosmic Crab is $1 per person, and takes just a few minutes to get there. There’s a phone at the restaurant at the resort to call the water taxi, and they usually arrive very quickly to take us into town.
We arrived on Monday afternoon, and after we checked in and had a light lunch at the resort, we explored Bocas Town for a bit. There are lots of little shops and restaurants, as well as hostels and interesting-looking hotels.
Hotels on the water in Bocas Town.My new friend, an Easter Island-looking pirate carving outside one of the shops.Every pirate needs a parrot, right?
Around sunset, we stopped for dinner at El Ultimo Refugio restaurant. Since we were on the ocean, we all wanted seafood. Brad had seared tuna, Terri had tuna patties, and I had a baked fish fillet with creole sauce. They were all very good, and it was delightful to be seated on the deck near the water, with the cool evening sea breeze.
We were planning to go on an all-day island-hopping tour on Tuesday, but it started raining before sunrise and didn’t stop for several hours, so we couldn’t go. Instead, we had a leisurely breakfast at the resort, then went back to Bocas Town for a little shopping. We all bought beach towels and a few other things, then had a nice lunch at La Bugita Ocean Lounge. Then it was back to the resort for an afternoon nap under the A/C.
Plans changed again for dinner – Terri really wanted coconut shrimp at the Cosmic Crab, but they were out of shrimp. Brad wanted a burger, but they were out of hamburger meat. So we left there and went back into Bocas Town for the second time that day and had dinner at El Pirata restaurant. Since we had shrimp on our minds, we all had fried shrimp for dinner, and were very satisfied with our meal choices.
Wednesday morning dawned clear and bright, so we were finally able to schedule our tour. Our boat arrived at 10 a.m. and we, along with another Panamanian couple who were on their honeymoon, were finally off on our adventure!
On our tour boat, with the captain at the helm. The honeymoon couple sat behind me.
The first stop was to see dolphins, and we were not disappointed! There were quite a few around the boats, and when one of the boats made some fast circles, the dolphins loved to play in the boat’s wake.
Dolphins!!!
Our next stop was Sloth Island to view sloths in their natural habitat. We saw several, and Terri got a great photo of one of them. He was looking right at the camera!
Hi there, little guy! Just hanging around in the trees, taking it easy, huh?
Then we were off to Zapatilla 2 island. It was about a 20+ minute boat ride to the island, and the water was pretty choppy that far out. Terri and I attempted to drink a Coke on the way, but got more of it on us than in us, so we just held on to them until we got to the island.
We had heard that Zapatilla was a good place for snorkeling, but the water was a little murky because the current was pretty strong and stirred up the sand, so I didn’t see much point in keeping my mask on for very long. But the water temperature was perfect, and it was great just to be in the ocean. There was shade on the beach when we’d had enough sun, so it was a very pleasant two-hour stop on the tour.
The beach at Zapatilla island.
Lunch was next on the agenda. There was a nice little open-air restaurant at Coral Key, which is at the southern tip of Isla Bastimentos. We had salad, grilled chicken, rice, and fried plantain (called patacones). More than I could eat, but very good!
Our last stop on the tour was to see starfish. The water was very shallow and clear around the island we visited, and there were lots of starfish ranging in color from pale yellow to deep orange. Some were quite large, and they looked so serene in their little world.
A couple of starfish.
Then we headed back to the Cosmic Crab to take showers and rid ourselves of leftover sand from places where there should be no sand, and take a little siesta.
Dinner this evening was at the Cosmic Crab. I had been told how good their crab claws were, so I had to have them. And Terri finally got her coconut shrimp, which were delicious.
King crab claws (six of them!) and french fries for dinner. Yum!Mosaic dining tables at the Cosmic Crab. The owner created them, and does mosaic workshops at the resort on occasion.
We headed back home Thursday around noon, and arrived in Boquete about 5 p.m. I didn’t get carsick on the trip home, but the girl sitting behind me did. Brad carried a ziplock bag with him this time, and she was much appreciative of his thoughtfulness in noticing her discomfort.
I was proud of myself for using more sunscreen on this trip to the beach, so I didn’t get sunburned like I did when I went to Las Lajas in June. And I had been warned to use plenty of insect repellent so I wouldn’t get eaten up by the bugs in Bocas. No burn, no bites – that’s a success in my book!
All in all, despite the weather delay, a good time was had by all. It was a great change of pace, and very relaxing few days. As always, I’m glad to travel, and glad to get back home.
Housesitting is kind of a big thing around here, since many residents of Boquete travel quite a bit, either back to their previous locales to visit relatives, or for vacations to some exotic place. Some people make their living housesitting for others – they schedule one gig after another, sometimes in different countries, and don’t have a permanent home of their own. Pretty sweet way to make a living and see the world at the same time, I’d say!
I am fortunate enough to house-sit and pet-sit for some friends while they take a few days off for whale-watching in Boca Chica, a couple of hours away from Boquete. The condo I’m watching for them is in an upscale, gated community and is quite lovely, and very comfortable.
The living room.The well-equipped kitchen. The owner is a fantastic cook!The patio. All the doors and windows in the condo have perforated metal security screens, so they can be left open. Security, without bugs!
The back yard is fabulous, also – beautiful shrubs and flowers, many seating areas, a fire pit, lots of hummingbirds, and a view of the canyon just beyond the back fence that’s to die for!
The beautifully landscaped back yard – a tropical paradise!The canyon, just beyond the back fence. It’s fascinating to watch the clouds roll up the canyon in the afternoons.
I’m also taking care of their three dogs, who are very well-behaved and totally pampered!
The dogs. From left to right, they are Max, Chloe, and Jolene. That’s the fire pit behind them.
This is my first time housesitting, but probably won’t be the last. I’m enjoying the change of scenery and the company of my canine friends. Then it will be back to my own home and a more regular routine.
Boquete has many attributes to recommend it, but one of the most prestigious is that it’s the area where the most expensive coffee in the world is grown. This year, it sold for over $1000 per pound! Geisha coffee has consistently won top honors in coffee competitions, and is grown in limited quantities in the highlands surrounding Boquete.
Here is an article detailing the history and production of this specialty coffee, which has a complex blend of floral and fruity aromas, and is sought after around the world by coffee connoisseurs.
I bought some of the strangest fruit I’ve ever seen yesterday. It’s called a rambutan, and looks like something out of the original Star Trek episode “The Trouble with Tribbles”! Very organic and creature-ish looking, right?
Tribble or sea anemone? Surprise – it’s a fruit!
I had sampled one several months ago, when a chef gave a Tuesday Talk about native Panamanian fruits and vegetables. I remembered that I liked it, and when I saw a guy with a pickup-load of them for sale, I had to get some.
Here’s what I saw on the street corner.
Here’s a description:
In Panama, this fruit is commonly referred to as ‘Mamón Chino’ (which literally means Chinese sucker). It is sold with the fruit still on the branches, like Mother Nature’s lollipops. It is related to the lychee.
Flavor: Delicious, tangy, alien invasion-y, sweet/sour with a grape-like texture Season: August, September How do I eat it? Peel off the red fuzzy exterior, pop it into your mouth and eat/suck around the pit Reported health benefits: In traditional medicine in Malaysia and Indonesia (the home of the Rambutan) it is used in diabetes and hypertension treatments. Also purported to boost energy, blast parasites and free radicals and has antiseptic properties
Here’s what the inside looks like….
What’s inside….
I bit through the outer shell just enough to break through it (it’s fairly thick, but pliable), then peeled it back to expose the fruit on the inside. It’s so odd – the fruit isn’t really attached to the shell at all, and lifts right out. The texture is like a peeled grape, and it sort of tastes like a grape, too – sweet, but not overly so.
The fruit has a good-sized seed/pit.
I bought a bundle of these (still on the branches) for a whopping $2.50. After pulling them off the stems, I had a large bag full of fruit. These will make great, healthy snacks for TV watching – they’re sweet and satisfying, low-calorie, and they take awhile to peel and eat. Perfect! And if they deliver the health benefits listed above, that’s a win-win, for sure!
