Food!

The food here is fantastic! The shrimp guy comes straight from catching the shrimp (which are huge), puts them on ice and goes down the street saying "camarones"- you go out your door and one guy has a scale and the other one sizes you up and tells you how much it's going to be- fabulous!

The fruit is like candy-huge and ripe.

Try Pasta e Vino for a fabulous meal- owners are from Italy and the prices are too low- they need to raise them! Say hello to Ilana (sp?) and Daniel. They are wonderful people. (Just heard that they are temporarily closed- they should be opened again soon! 

Playa Rincon

PLAYA RINCON

The little towns here are amazing- we decided to check out a town close to Pedasi called Mariabe. It was named this because as the legend goes, a blind woman went to the stream and saw a vision of the Virgin Mary and was healed.

You turn right at the faded sign that says Mariabe, turn right at the cute fish sign that says “Playa Rincon", go past the open air bar, take a right at the open rancho (palapa) with the upside down toilet and a gorgeous stretch of beach opens up in front of you! You gasp! I say “Steve- put up a tent- I’m staying”!  (everyone that knows me is saying “yeah right”) Ok, I don’t camp but this is a gorgeous place! No electricity, but I can blow dry my hair using the 12 volt plug in the car!

The beach is directly across from Isla Iguana.

There is a darling tiny green house (about 600 square feet)   I that has a “se vende” sign on it- it’s  mine! I make Steve call and I’m saying “I love it here! I don’t care if it’s  tiny and there’s no electricity- look at that beach."

So we keep going down the road and see this 5,000 square foot home on a knoll overlooking the ocean with a cove to the left and the never-ending beach to the right. Edwardo the carpenter lets us in I’m drooling.. the contracter arno  tells us it is an American and I suspect the construction has been going on for several years with no end in sight.  The kitchen will be over looking Isla Iguana, the master bedroom has what looks to be a five person shower, the beams in the living room are 22 feet tall (not my exaggeration, Steve’s measurements!) eight inch hand tooled supports… so I tell Steve “ I have to live here! I don’t care if the walls aren’t in- maybe you could work on it for the next two years- I can clean the toilets when they come in! Just look at that view!!!!!!!

Coming Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are so excited to be coming back to panama!!!!!!! It has been so long. We are going to play tourist and check out areas around Santa Catalina- "Best surfing spot in Panama". I'll also share some pics from Red Frog Beach on Bastimentos Island The Caribbean side- Too much fun!!!

 Red Frog Beach is on Bastimentos Island on the Caribbean side of  Panama- clear water incredible fishing,
snorkeling- fabulous! We are with our buddies Don and Jenny Schauber- the "too much fun" couple and two of the sweetest people you will ever meet.

 Flipflops restaurant on the beach-yum!!

Happy Birthday to Jon!!!!!! And Margie!!!!!And Sarah Grace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our fantastic grandson Jon has a birthday today (20th)!!!!!!!Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!! Wish we were with you!!!!!Have a fabulous day!!!!! We love you, Grama and Grampa!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to my Darling Mom on the 21st!!!!!!!! Would love to be blowing out the candles on you cake!!!!!!!Have a fantastic day!!!!!!!! Love, Susie and Steve

Happy Birthday to Beautiful Sarah Grace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a fabulous fantastic birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We love you so much!!!!!!!!Can't wait to see you again!!!!!!!Grampa and Grandma

Feliz dia de San Valentine and Happy Birthday Ben!!!!!!!

Special happy birthday to our fabulous grandson Benjamin!!!!!

Happy Valentines Day from Pedasi!

These Pictures are from the Pedasito Cafe- Feliz dia San Valentine!

Checkpoint!!!!!

CHECKPOINT

We had our first checkpoint today-I LOVE THIS PLACE! As we drove into Pedasi we saw a few cars stopped in front of us- it was to check for drivers licenses and passports. Sweaty palms, heart racing, thoughts  like “did I put the passports in the car” “hide the beer” where’s that Imodium?”

We were used to Mexico where out of nowhere 20 guys in army fatigues and automatic weapons who look like they are 12 years old stop you and tell you to get out of your car, go through your luggage, and give you the distinct feeling that if you would just give each of them money and a few beers they wouldn’t take you to jail and keep your car.

This was fabulous! We showed our passports and Steve’s US license, the first polite policeman entered the passport numbers in a handheld smartphone type devise, saw that we were legal and that was it! No car search, no inferred need to give them money, NOTHING! Just a polite gracias!  The only trouble I could have gotten in would have been if I did try to give them beer!

TIP- take a few copies of your driver’s license and passports and keep one in your luggage, one in your purse or wallet, one in the glove compartment just in case.

Bingo!!!!!!

Every year in Pedasi there are fundraisers for the biggest event- Carnival!!!! It is in April for several days- and its right outside our door! There are floats and Queens and princesses- it is really fabulous! We got a preview when we were here in October- and the beginning of November for the Miss Pedasi event and the Independence Day parade the following week- everyone in town goes and parades go around the block for hours! Then the music goes on all night! I can’t imagine it being more of a spectacle than what we have already seen, but everyone tells me it is!

This fundraiser was a bingo tournament- we figured we could meet the locals and work on our Spanish at the same. Everyone was so sweet and helpful- they taped down our bingo cards and gave us the beans to put down on them. They helped translate all the numbers and laughed as we tried to say what we thought the numbers were. We met a wonderful girl and her family- she is in her fifth year at the university- I believe her name is Isabel. She is going to be a teacher just like our granddaughter Callie Anne! So fun! (We didn’t win, but had a great time! Next time we will get the shiny stones that several of the gals had- then we will look professional!!!!!!!)