Pathways Abroad: Starting the New Year in Panama

Monday, February 4, 2013

Starting the New Year in Panama

Our home in Panama

Our move to Panama has been great and gone very smoothly. We have a comfortable, spacious ranch-style home with sunny porches wrapped around three sides of the house. There is a huge garden space out back and the yard is covered with plants and fruit trees. Our first project in the garden space was to clear out and till the land in preparation for planting. Currently we're in the process of creating raised beds and we will soon plant after they are completed.

Located between the mountain town of Boquete and David, we are rural but close enough to town to access the gym, shopping, and community service opportunities. We are also within quick striking distance to hiking trails, rivers, mountains and the Pacific beaches to the south.

Coffee beans in Boquete

An interesting note is that our location places us right on the edge of two different climates. In the rural landscape known as Algarrobos, we experience the heat and warm breezes of the lower coastal plains; dry season lasts from December through March and we've mostly had temperatures in the high 80s. On the other hand, just down the road the town of Boquete finds itself in a mountainous valley where there are breezes and temperate weather throughout the year. A very international town known for its flower festival and coffee cultivation, Boquete is often a whole 15 degrees cooler than our location and provides a nice break from the heat.

Hiking in Boquete

Since we arrived in Panama, we've encountered friendly and welcoming people as well as more American expatriates than we are used to. Some of the highlights of our first month include doing volunteer work at a animal shelter, camping on the beach at Las Lajas, hiking to a prinstine waterfall beyond Boquete, and getting to know the owner of the house, Anel and his family. Below are pictures of some pictures of the house and things we've been up to.