Panama Real Estate, information about Panama Travel and Panama Vacation Investment opportunities

Spending Christmas in Panama, I recently came across an article that listed Panamanians as the fourth happiest people in the world. When I envisioned this study, I saw hundreds of little surveyors running around the city with their clipboards and nametags shouting, “Hey, come back. It'll only take a few minutes.” Actually though, the study was done by the British think-tank New Economics Foundation (NEF), a group that puts together a Happy Planet Index every year, and they do so by evaluating a population's satisfaction, life expectation, and environmental footprint. A pretty legit census.

To me, the Caribbean coast of Panama is a sexy mo-fo. From the hurly-burly real estate boom of Panama City, to the gold rushed Pacific beaches an hour East, it seems that many areas on the Atlantic side are experiencing this delightful feeling of disregard; one in which local families can eat their dinners by the sea, void of the jabbering chitchat and talk of investment that is the fast life.

So I went to do some spelunking last week in the caves of Lago Bayano down near the Darien Jungle. Yea, that's right: the place where all the drug-smuggling Columbians and their automatic weapon-wielding minions like to play dominoes and Candyland while they snack on Oreo cookies. My (now) dear friend, Ivan picked us up in his beat-up brown van—the kind of old rickety thing that appears to lazily heave along the pavement rather than actually roll. We headed west along the Pan-American highway until about thirty minutes outside the city, where all of a sudden, the landscape turns terrifically rustic and rural—sort of like a Latin-style Vermont: rolling hills, deep green foliage, army-looking man in camouflage holding an M-16...wait, what?

Day 1 ----------

Left Chepe 7:10AM arrived Paso Canos 2:00PM. Beautiful day all day, maybe the most tranquil trip yet. Border crossing 25 minutes, so far every thing on schedule. Stopped in Volcan to chat with Orlando and his daughter Tehany, (Tahitian name) of Chiriqui Reality. The trip up to Volcan today was just supreme; I mean this area is absolutely beautiful. I can see my self doing something here.

Day 3 -------------

Punta Duarte in the province of Veraguas, this is the part of the Azuero peninsula--a peninsula that I have been yearning to visit.

The boat nudged up against the fresh-looking dock and I hopped aland. There was this relatively narrow wooden boardwalk that escorted me through droopy tropical trees and over intricately woven mangrove roots. About 100 feet ahead I stumbled upon this unexpected view of the resort's main building: which is an act about as breathtaking and climactic as any blockbuster big reveal scene. I climbed up the stairs to the top deck where, with the two golden labs, I scanned the panoramic view of, what felt like, the edge of the world: a far off horizon which, for all I knew, could have been the end of everything. It was the kind of view that would have seriously dissuaded Columbus from trying to prove that the world was round.

The friendly and astoundingly tri-lingual staff at Bocas Water Sports offered to take me out on a day tour—exploring the great secrets that the Bocas archipelago had to offer. The first stop was Dolphins Bay, a stop that was made that much more entertaining considering we were right in the heart of dolphin mating season...

I motored up to the island of Mamitupu and entered a storybook: hundreds of thatch-roofed huts with bamboo walls and smoky puffs billowing out from all of the little straw cracks. A foggy haze suspended over the village. Narrow waterways spilled into the community making for Venice-like passages. Giant palm trees sprung up from the middle of the island like flagpoles. On the shores, little naked boys played in the sand with a beat up soccer ball. Drifting off the coast of the village were Kuna boaters going out and coming in. The Kuna people seem to have this innate navigational ability—this instinct that allows them to get from one place to another using only nature's cues.

I boarded the plane, a wobbly, achy looking prop jet which appeared to have been discarded by some American airline some time back. The seams that held the plane together were rusting and the tires could have used new treads. The plane actually reminded me of the ones I used to take when I was really young, from LAX to John Wayne Airport in Orange County—but the key part being that I was really young, perhaps 15 years ago. This plane looked like it had been sleeping for the past century. It looked as unused as the shower cap in a hotel bathroom. Though when it was time, the take off was quick and relatively painless—as we flung off the runway like a slingshot and climbed several hundred feet before the airstrip even ended.

Sunday, 6AM

Sleeping was a little tough as it was darned hot there w/o AC or fans. Not as many bugs as you'd expect but I'd advise guests to bring DEET. I think it was an abnormally hot night, but everyone commented that they still slept great. Crashing waves feet from your bed will do that. Early in the AM we had a light breakfast and departed. The tour guide, waitresses and manager were really, really nice people. We went back to the airport and flew a few islands over to Dolphin Lodge.

Oh sorry, Today I went on a belated introductory tour of Panama City...

Leading Candidate: Ceviche at Carnaval