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Pedasi Panama
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Written by Matt
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Saturday, April 18 2009 |
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It's got a great name. Not unlike the parents that named Madonna, it's as if her founding fathers knew Pedasi was destined for something special. This coastal region, roughly five hours from Panama City by car, has evolved as something of a oxymoron amidst the great commotion that is Panama hype: the spotlight in an off-Broadway circuit, the most familiar of its uncharted waters. It's attracted both avant-garde travelers in search of something original and cutting-edge investors with a taste for the old-fashioned. Everything moves slowly in Pedasi. Everything.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, April 23 2009 )
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Pedasi Panama
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Written by Big Al from Pedasi
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Wednesday, March 25 2009 |
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March 23, 2009 (Panama) Musings from my voyage of discovery throughout the Republic of Panama; may it never end. A couple of years ago, I decided to drive most of Panama with the exception of Darien to see for myself this great land of opportunity. I also sailed San Blas Islands as part of this trip and I guess you can say that I got the best first hand look on everything the guide books and internet forums talked about when it came to places to invest in real estate. Knowing of course, many of the internet sites touting places to live and retire also have real estate developments to recommend -How nice. I guess that's legal as long as you know who/what you're dealing with.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, March 25 2009 )
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Pedasi Panama
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Written by Jesse Levin
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Tuesday, October 14 2008 |
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It's been rumored for at least three years that a new "international
airport" was going to built in Pedasi, Panama. The current airstrip is on a
private farm and has been sold. As part of the transaction, the
purchasers of the old airstrip, Pinnacle Properties, agreed with the
government to finance and facilitate the construction of a new strip.
Currently a 1.2 kilometer road is being cut from behind the school in
Pedasi out into the surrounding pasture where a 1,000 meter strip will
be laid (hardly long enough to be international).
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, October 14 2008 )
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Pedasi Panama
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Written by Jesse Levin
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Friday, September 26 2008 |
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The tip of the Azuero peninsula is a place of raw beauty. The forest still reins supreme where it runs headlong into the unspoiled jagged coastline. The mountains that rise up behind the coast afford incredible views and cooler climates. While infrastructure in the way of restaurants, health facilities and stores are next to non-existent, the attractiveness of the area is indisputable. Throw a copper and gold strip mine into the equation and the areas appeal may change, just a bit!
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Last Updated ( Friday, September 26 2008 )
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Pedasi Panama
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Written by Jesse Levin
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Thursday, September 18 2008 |
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Panama has always served as a safe haven of sorts. It is a financial bastion that seems to be more insulated to the volatile markets and unstable political situations of its neighbors to the north and south. There is no question that the world over is being affected by the tumultuous market downturns in the US, further exacerbated by the collapse of the pillar institutions, however Panama appears to be benefiting.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, September 18 2008 )
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Pedasi Panama
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Written by Jesse Levin
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Thursday, September 11 2008 |
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Things tend to happen in phases and Pedasi is no exception. I am optimistic that in the relatively near future the whole area between Pedasi and Playa Venao will see increased activity, but if your are a speculator (not that I encourage it any more) looking for a shorter term play, or a retiree wanting to live in an area where the expatriate community will grow the quickest then you have to have an understanding of what is currently transpiring behind the scenes in each respective neighborhood.
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Last Updated ( Friday, March 27 2009 )
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Pedasi Panama
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Written by Jesse Levin
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Thursday, September 04 2008 |
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Pedasi Panama is a real world, real time example of the dichotomy of the clashing worlds of today. There is no question that progress is upon the sleepy little town, but a few of those heading the development charge represent a new breed of thought leading pioneers who uphold an entirely different paradigm in regard to development. There is a harmonious synergy between the old and new world in Pedasi.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, September 04 2008 )
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Pedasi Panama
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Written by Jesse Levin
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Wednesday, September 03 2008 |
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There is a massive construction boom occurring in Pedasi. Massive is a relative term, but for a one horse town the amount of building activity is impressive. There are three new bed and breakfasts, and all of the retirees, investors, and individuals who have been renting for the past year waiting for the town to become a bit more developed are now starting to build their homes.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, September 03 2008 )
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Pedasi Panama
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Written by Jesse Levin
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Friday, August 29 2008 |
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The frontiersmen have arrived in Pedasi in the form of the blue collar Canadians, retired Floridian contractors, eccentric Venezuelan artists, and riley US, Israeli, and European entrepreneurs. The expatriate community has really started to take shape in the one horse town.
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Last Updated ( Friday, August 29 2008 )
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Las Tablas
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Written by Robert Dawson
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Monday, August 25 2008 |
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Parita, the oldest settlement in the Azuero Peninsula, celebrated its 450th birthday August 18, 2008. Its rich history, not to mention its friendly, fun-loving residents, make it an attractive destination for the growing number of visitors to the region. Moreover, it’s located on the Carretera Nacional, only 15 minutes north of the city of Chitré, where a number of quality lodging and dining options can be found.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, September 16 2008 )
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Pedasi Panama
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Written by Matt
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Monday, November 05 2007 |
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We got out of the car at the base of a long stretch of rolling hills, atop from which were supposedly the most spectacular ocean views in the entire province. Tied up were a team of horses, and as if choosing a taxi driver, I petitioned for the quiet one...
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Last Updated ( Thursday, August 21 2008 )
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Las Tablas
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Written by Matt
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Monday, February 05 2007 |
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Chitre is anomalistic. Its large, bustling town square, modern grocery stores, and bevy of restaurants and hotels are perhaps more urbanized than any other pueblo in rural Panama. This capital of the Herrera province is vibrant with an odd farmer-meets-city charm, and its maze-like streets will swallow you whole if you don't know where you're going.
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Last Updated ( Monday, August 11 2008 )
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Pedasi Panama
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Written by Matt
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Tuesday, January 09 2007 |
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Pedasi at first reminded me of a ghost town on Percocet. Streets of symmetrical little houses painted clementine-oranges and apple-greens, perfect little squares with fountains and beautiful flowers but all the while, not a person in sight. I came to two foregone conclusions when I saw all the town people and town dogs crammed into the pews of an open-air cathedral: either they were all there gathered to test drive the new 328i, or church was in session.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, August 20 2008 )
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Las Tablas
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Written by Matt
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Tuesday, January 09 2007 |
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Las Tablas is one of the most traveled towns in the Azuero Peninsula. Not unlike a primed fraternity brother it is most famous for its wild parties during which people from all over the country pack its tight streets like meat in an overstuffed sausage casing. From rum, to vodka, to national grain alcohol, upon visiting Las Tablas you can rest assured you'll be welcomed in good spirits.
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Last Updated ( Monday, August 11 2008 )
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Las Tablas
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Written by Matt
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Friday, December 22 2006 |
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For some, the small Azuero town of Tonosi is known to be the subject of travelers remorse—this far away and seemingly-imaginary community near the bottom tip of the peninsula that is not nearly as exciting as it could be. For me though, a trip down to Tonosi is a charming jaunt back in time.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, September 10 2008 )
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Las Tablas
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Written by Matt
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Thursday, December 21 2006 |
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It's a region of unrefined beauty where jagged shores meet smooth rolling hills, where humble farmers go about their business as if this was how beautiful life was intended to be. It sits about 3 hours from cosmopolitan Panama City but appears to be a world away. Its virgin coastline of secluded beaches and waterfalls mysteriously resembles those of Costa Rica, Belize, and California: a developer's topological pipe dream. This is Azuero.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, August 20 2008 )
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Las Tablas
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Written by Matt
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Friday, December 08 2006 |
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Being hungover is such a funny phenomenon because while the body is unable to do even the simplest of things, like tie a shoelace or put together sentences, the brain is capable of such deep and evocative thought that sometimes you are too profound for your own good. It was during one of these stupors, these dizzy and mischievous dazes that I decided to effectively make myself disappear.
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Last Updated ( Monday, August 11 2008 )
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Las Tablas
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Written by Matt
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Monday, July 31 2006 |
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I had been wanting to get away from the everyday annoyances of working in the city—the car horns and the phone calls and the 6 AM roaming broom merchants. More specifically, just over the past week or so, I had been exhausted from that fast-paced work atmosphere of the city, of pesky people scheduling meetings. I hate meetings: “Rome didn't create an empire by having meetings,” I'd tell them. “They did it by killing people.”
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Last Updated ( Monday, August 11 2008 )
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Las Tablas
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Written by Matt
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Sunday, July 30 2006 |
 After a breakfast of ripe mangoes and lychee nuts, we packed our bags and headed out for more adventure, stopping at the island store to buy our wonderful hosts some cookies and soda—probably the last thing that those energetic squirrel children needed. Before we said our goodbyes, all the little kids brought us going-away-presents of freshly-caught sand crabs. Since Greeny and I had no use or real hunger for them we declined the offer, leaving more for them to enjoy. As we left, the kids and their tiny fluttering crab bodies waved adios.
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Last Updated ( Monday, August 11 2008 )
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Las Tablas
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Written by Matt
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Saturday, June 10 2006 |
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We decided to stop for the night in Santiago—Veraguas Province—a province named for its hearty rainfall during the winter months. Fittingly, when we arrived, water was coming down so hard that gum wrappers and potato chip bags and even some boots were floating down the street. Even the Panama road map that we were living in had even gotten wet. I was getting ready to get out and enter our hotel when Jim said something that threw me off.
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Last Updated ( Friday, September 05 2008 )
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Las Tablas
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Written by Matt
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Sunday, June 04 2006 |
Panama culture is quirky and counter-intuitive so it seemed fitting that my decision to venture to the southern-most tip of the country—the remote and seemingly inaccessible village of Cambutal—evolved from the lone reason that most people won't go there.
If you picture the country of Panama as a stubby, wavy version of an uppercase “T”, Cambutal sits neglected at the bottom—the part where you pick up your pen and move on to the next letter. It lies approximately seven degrees above the equator on this knobby peninsula that juts out into the Pacific Ocean.
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Last Updated ( Friday, September 05 2008 )
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Las Tablas
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Written by Matt
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Sunday, June 04 2006 |
Continued from Part I: The Road to Cambutal
The annoying yet somehow endearing bark of the hotel rooster woke us up around six. After a breakfast of champions—steak—we set out south for the last little leg of our trip to Cambutal. The dirt roads were pothole-ridden while chickens and puppies scampered in and out of our path. We eventually came to what we had been searching for—a fork in the road—a checkpoint we were to meet a man in a black Nissan Sentra. This man Campo, which means “field" or "farm” in Spanish, was a small little farm owner who was looking to sell a lot of over 300 hectares. He stood welcomingly and asked us to follow him to his ranch.
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Last Updated ( Monday, August 11 2008 )
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Pedasi Panama
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Written by Matt
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Sunday, June 04 2006 |
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Driving through the countryside of Panama is adventurous and as an explorer of Panama I could ask for no more. It's wholesome. A simple drive from one destination to the next is bound to discover scenery, people, and animals that to me, at one point in my life, were reserved for independent films and the pages of National Geographic.
We left the small town of Tonosi, with a full ride. In the front sat Rebecca and I, and in the back, three full-grown farmers showing us directions to their properties up for sale. I don't have a whole lot in common with rural farmers, or middle-aged men for that matter, so topics like the disappointment of this season's Real World cast nor the clarity of Sony's new plasma TV were subjects that would get anywhere.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, August 21 2008 )
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Azuero 
