Panama

Wednesday, 10/27/10 – Friday, 10/29/2010. Things are looking up. When I arrived in Panama Wednesday night, I had a feeling that I was going to like it here. The hostel I’m staying in is nothing to write home about but I have a bed and a private half bath. I stayed up late bound and determined to find a house close to the beach and I emailed several property owners. One, Carlos, and I emailed back and forth and I found out that he is here in Panama City. He said he would drive me out to see his house and any others I wanted to look at. So I rented a car for today and off we went. He was a wonderful tour guide, taking me past the Panama Canal and telling me the history of it and the explaining the necessity of the nearby jungles. He also told me about the mangroves we passed, where crabs and shrimp abound. Good, I thought, I can make the tasty shrimp ceviche that I got a new recipe for in Ecuador. We stopped first in a beach town called Nuevo Gorgona and looked at 2 houses that belonged to other owners. One was an apartment on top of a hotel and one was in a complex of one bedroom places all attached to each other. Also, neither of them had direct beach access. We moved on down the road to Sea Cliff where his house was. Paradise!! He said he knew I would love it. It is a family beach house on about an acre that they rent out. It is a little one bedroom house with one nearby neighbor and a block away from a white sand Pacific Ocean beach. The house is fairly new and well taken care of, clean and cozy. The landscaping is beautiful. The only negatives are; there is no hot water and it is in quite a remote area. Carlos, the owner, says I will get used to cold showers and all I have to do is walk to the highway, about ½ mile, to catch a cheap bus to civilization. He even offered to take me down there on Sunday to move in as he was going down anyway to install a real stove in the house. Also, I may be offline for a while getting internet service set up as there is none there. He is starting a new tour business and I guess I was his first customer. I told him he was a natural and wished him success.

Beach House