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What I’ll Miss About Living At Red Frog Beach

Posted by Dreama Lee on August 16th, 2012

As I reflect on the past three and a half months living at Red Frog I started thinking about all the things I liked about living here and realized that it really has been an orgy for my senses. Every day is a discovery of something new.

Living in a jungle and remote island is one big sensory overload most days. The daily experience is intoxicating.

Palm Trees at Red Frog Beach

Red Frog Beach: An Orgy for Your Senses

Smell:

The beautiful assortment of flowers all over our island – some with incredible smells.
The smell of ocean air mixed with the rainy jungle earthy smell.
The smell of early morning fires of the local Indians.
Saturday morning baking – we started a tradition of trying to bake something tasty each Saturday and it always filled the house with a wonderful smell.

Sight:

This is list could go on forever but the highlights include:

A deserted Red Frog beach during an early (well not even early…10 AM) run.
The abundant flora and fauna – red frogs, sloths, ants marching in straight lines to their queen with giant leaves on their backs, more types of birds than I could even begin to name, palm trees, banana trees, etc.
Stella and Sebby’s face when they embarked on a new adventure
The clear glass like ocean on our early morning boat rides to Bocas
Tasty frozen fruit juices at Cosmic Crab
Lightening lighting up the sky on nighttime boat rides home from Bocas
Star gazing on a clear night – you can see more stars than you think imaginable
The brightness of night-time when there is a full moon – it is more like daybreak or sunset it’s so bright
The darkness of night-time just after a full moon – you can barely see your hand in front of your face

Taste:

Pipa – fresh coconut water that is a definite thirst quencher
Fresh clean water from our local freshwater well on Red Frog Beach
Coconut oil – I cooked with it often
Lemon grass – we could pick it right on our property and I learned to make some pretty amazing different recipes with it as well as lemon grass tea
Fresh juice smoothies – I especially got addicted to the local frozen lemonade and loved La Buga’s “Tiger Tail” which was blended lemonade and ginger
Patacones – such a bland accouterment but very addictive with a bit of hot sauce
Bocas chocolate – tasty, organic and local – it’s an acquired taste but a rum ball or pot de crème from Super Gourmet is incredibly satisfying!
Saltwater in my mouth from a “rocking” by a big wave

Touch

Coconut oil on my skin – coconut oil is used for everything here: lotion/massage oil, bug repellent and of course cooking. It leaves your skin silky smooth.
The sway of the water taxi as we crossed from Red Frog to Bocas and back – took me right back to my childhood on my Dad’s boat or friends pontoon, I wanted to go straight to sleep and Sebby usually did!
Sand on my skin, between my toes and even in my mouth.
Hand in hand into the ocean at Red Frog Beach
The splash of waves against my body.
The hand of Sebby or Stella as we walked to the boat dock, explored the island or went for a swim in the ocean.
Sweat dripping from my body to be cooled by either a dip in the pool, ocean or a breezy boat ride.

Sound

The sounds of Red Frog Beach, I can’t even begin to describe it all to give it justice but I will try.

The sounds of the jungle are so overwhelming some times. Crickets, all sorts of bugs, frogs, birds, etc. All singing at once! Wow. I will miss this the most.
Middle of the night thunderstorms that jolt me out of bed. I lie in bed and just listen to the wonders of nature. They are powerful and amazing forces of nature that have the ability to clean the island, reshape the beach and completely knock down enormous palm trees.
The waves crashing against the beach – we can even hear them from our villa nearly 400 meters from the beach.
Hearing the locals of Bastimentos speak in their Guari-Guari, a local dialect used by Afro-Caribbean Panamanians. It almost sounds like music as they “sing song” talk to each other.
Our family sing a longs – Justin loves to make up new songs to old lyrics and the kids love it too (and I admit, it’s a lot of fun for me too). Our current favorite is “Punta Lava” – sung to the tune of “Oh Pretty Baby” – that we sing as we load up to head to Red Frog and have a drink by the ocean at Punta Lava (the beach bar)
The hum of a boat approaching as we wait on the dock for a water taxi to head into Bocas town.
Boat ride in the early morning on the calm “glass like” water

And my favorite sense of all? The sense of calm we’ve all felt living here. The moments when we can just sit, relax and take it all in without the worry, stress and constant pull of life.

It’s been a great adventure and we look forward to returning here some time soon. We leave a week from Saturday and we plan to enjoy every minute we have left here.

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Side Trips from Panama: Colombia

Posted by Dreama Lee on August 13th, 2012

Living in or visiting Panama opens up a world of other destinations to explore within a short flight (or boat trip). Recently we decided to take a two-week trip to Colombia to explore South America for the first time.

While Colombia over the years has received a lot of negative press and has quite frankly been a very unsafe place to visit we decided to take the opportunity to explore this newly “re-opened” tourist mecca. We were well rewarded, as Colombia is a beautiful country with warm and friendly people anxiously awaiting their country to become a top tourist destination again.

View of Bogota from Monserrate

That being said, we rarely saw any other tourists. It’s unfortunate, as things have turned around for Colombia after years of crime, murders and kidnappings. Though it should be noted that things are still in turmoil out in the countryside and even the cities see some violence. You will see police and military police presence everywhere. Justin found it comforting; I found it as a reminder that Colombia still has a way to go in regards to providing a safe destination for the average traveler.

Colombia can be reached very easily via air from Panama City. There are numerous flights each day into Cartagena, Medellin and Bogota (as well as a few others areas). Each flight is no more than about 1.5 hours (most less). And once you arrive in Colombia air travel is incredibly affordable from one city to the next (we found some flights as inexpensive as $22 each way).

You can also arrive in Colombia via sailboat from Panama. Though we looked into this option we ultimately chose to fly. Many websites and people we met while we were planning our trip said it could be a beautiful but treacherous journey. A lot of people are discouraging the crossing now due to inadequate boats making the trip, making for a less safe journey.

Cartagena

View of Cartagena from the Fortress

Our first stop was Cartagena – a beautiful walled city with a breathtaking fortress right outside the walled city. Here you will enjoy a great little picturesque village within a walled city full of history.

Cartagena is the clear winner for top tourist destination and caters to tourists, both Colombian and international. Prices here are the highest we experienced in Colombia.

Cartagena Highlights:

Women selling fruit in their colorful dresses.

People watching in the many plazas around the walled city.

A sunset drink at Café del Mar.

Horse drawn carriage ride around the walled city.

Renting a bike and exploring the walled city as well as a trip to the fortress.

Cartagena Restaurant Recs

Cande – we ate here on our arrival. Very cute restaurant with local dishes.

Food stands – surprisingly we found the most variety and best quality food stands/stalls in Cartagena. We were unable to find nearly as many in Bogota or Medellin and the quality and taste was not as good.

Bogota

Bogota is the capital city and has the formality you might find in Washington, DC (as well as security around the Presidential Palace) but the business bustle of New York City.

Bogota highlights

Cable car ride pilgrimage up to Monserrate. Breathtaking and overwhelming views of the expanse of Bogota.

Gold Museum Bogota | Museo del Oro Bogota

Ciclovia and Sunday Usuquan flea market – rent a bike through Bogota Bikes and bike to the expansive Usuquan flea market to see local textiles, jewelry and tasty local treats. Cicolovia is a Sunday activity where they shut down large portions of streets throughout the city (they also do this on holidays). Great way to see the city.

Parque 93 – quaint little high end neighborhood with tasty restaurants and a really nice playground/park if you have kids (note: it’s patrolled by a security guard and there are video cameras everywhere).

Zona Rosa and Zona T – great shopping, nightlife and restaurants

Plaza de Boliva – we headed here on Colombian Independence day where there were a lot of festivities going on however, the entire plaza was blocked off for security. We couldn’t get a straight answer if this was due to the holiday (weird…) or what. Some said it was due to heightened security around the Presidential palace and others said due to repairs/renovations going on. Needless to say it was a bit disappointing as we didn’t get to see the plaza.

Museo del Oro – was a nice museum and history of gold in Colombian life. There is also a gold museum in Cartagena but the Bogota museum is larger.

Numerous other museums and plazas/parks – there are tons!

Impromptu Colombian Pride Art in Usuquen Neighborhood Bogota

Bogota restaurant recommendations

Crepes and Waffles – you’ll find this chain all over Colombia. Of course they have a variety of crepes and waffles in addition to a tasty salad bar (think a small slice of a Whole Foods salad bar).

Cachao – a great Cuban restaurant in Zona T – we had great food here, amazing mojitos (you can even order by the bottle) and a wonderful live band started playing at 10 PM!

Restaurants around Parque 93 – if you are looking for some comfort food there are several diners here serving both Colombian and western comfort food. Great sushi place here as well.

Andres Carne de Res – everyone will say “don’t miss” Andres but we felt it was an “over-rated” don’t miss. There are actually 3 different Andres. The original in Chia. The new Andres DC in the Zona Rosa where you can eat lunch and dinner and then party the night away. We had our kids and didn’t realize we couldn’t go there for our 8 pm reservation on a Saturday night so had to return the afternoon the following day (note: kids are allowed in until 6pm so you could technically show up at 5:45 pm for an early dinner and possibly catch a bit of the nightlife scene before you leave if you are with your kids). We unfortunately missed the nightlife scene here so perhaps that’s worth the trip! There’s also a Andres cafeteria like restaurant in the Commercial Mall across from the new Andres DC in Zona Rosa.

Medellin

Medellin is definitely the edgier city of the three we visited given its long history of Pablo Escobar’s reign. However it has recovered and is definitely thriving. It’s the art and fashion capital of Colombia and you can see and feel that as soon as you arrive.

I’d compare Medellin to Los Angeles’ “pretty people/scene” atmosphere mixed with the cool/edgy vibe of New York’s Tribeca. Medellin was the most affordable city we visited.

Medellin highlights

Reclining Lady Botero Statue | Botero Plaza Medellin

Arriving at Medellin’s international airport you have a scenic 30-40 minute drive through the countryside into the valley of the Andes mountains arriving at the bustling city of Medellin. It sits right in the middle of the Andes with breathtaking 360 degree views.

Cable car ride up to Santo Domingo. Highly recommend continuing on to Parque Arvi – a beautiful national park perched atop the mountains outside of the city. Here you can rent bikes (none with child seats), go horseback riding, camp, hike, zip line, escape the bustle of the city, etc.

Botero Plaza – great way to get up close and personal to the many Botero statues throughout this plaza. It’s also full of energy with locals going about their day. There are several museums here as well.

Shopping – great boutiques and local designers – both home goods and clothing.

Medellin restaurant recommendations

Carmen is by far the best restaurant in all of Colombia – a don’t miss. Check out their tacos! San Francisco trained Chef married to Colombian, Carmen!

Hotels in Colombia

A word on hotels in Colombia. If you are traveling with children and trying to book online you will notice almost all sites require you book two rooms if you have two children. We recommend going through a travel agent or booking site that allows you to note the age of your children. Our children were 3 and 5 and clearly not old enough to stay in their own room. We found this a bit frustrating but found two sites that were helpful in booking with children (and had great rates with very nice hotels).

Tablet.com

Hotels.com

You will find that hotels in Cartagena are the most expensive but provide impeccable service and are very nice. Bogota is more of a business hotel destination in general and you can find affordable (for a large city) rates. Medellin, given that it’s just now becoming more of a tourist destination has limited hotel destinations. Though more and more hotels are popping up all the time. You will find the most affordable hotel rates in Medellin as of the writing of this blog post.

You can read our hotel reviews of where we stayed here:

Cartagena’s Quadrifolio

Bogota’s Hotel Charleston

Medellin’s Hotel Charlee

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Video Tour Of Red Frog Beach Villa 62- Bocas Del Toro, Panama

Posted by justin_lee on August 9th, 2012

A lot of people have been asking for a walking “video tour” of Villa 62 at Red Frog Beach. Well here it is (and we apologize for the shaky camera work):

If you’re interested in buying or renting our villa, just e-mail us!

Villa 62 – “Mona Lisa” Features:

3 Bedroom, 2 Bath
TOTAL 2782 sqft. Living Space
1479 sqft. interior and 1304 sqft. exterior

Main Floor Plan

Elevations

Bedroom 1: Queen bed and private bathroom with double sinks
Bedroom 2: KING bed with shared bathroom
Bedroom 3: Double bed with shared bathroom
Partial sea view and great jungle view
Wrap-around covered terrace/Beautiful Patio Area (wrap-around lanai)
Private pool
225 meters from the beach
Internet
Mobile Grill
Swimming Pool
Fully Furnished
Full Kitchen with all house wares
Granite Countertops throughout
Stainless Steel Appliances
Travertine Stone Flooring
Flat Screen TV and DVD Player
Satellite TV Access
I-pod dock
Air Conditioning
Fold out couch

This villa is located on the 1500 acre Panama beach resort community. The villa feature a private plunge pools, granite counter-tops, stainless steel appliances and expansive patios with a partial Caribbean beach view and peaceful jungle view and the sound of a small creek of running water. Our villa can sleep 6 comfortably and we have a fold out couch to accommodate 2 more adults or children. We are a very quick walk to both Turtle and Red Frog Beaches (the closest of 2 villas on the entire property).

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“Water Everywhere And Not a Drop To Drink” – Operation Safe Drinking Water

Posted by Dreama Lee on June 29th, 2012

As many of you know we raised a little over $2500 for Operation Safe Drinking Water thanks to the generous donations of nearly 30 different families, friends, colleagues and even a few donors we have never met. Due to these efforts we were able to install two water catchment systems and buy school supplies and medical kits for the school.

On the morning of the installation (June 28, 2012) we woke to strong rains and heavy storms. It was ironic given that we were on our way to help children and families who were being surrounded by water from the downpour of rain but had not a drop of clean water to drink. We headed out none-the-less along with Justin’s Dad, Wellington Lee.

We set-out at 8:30 AM on our first of many boat rides to get to and from the installation site. It poured rain and we were all quite wet on our first leg from Red Frog beach to Bocas Town. Then it was a wait for our host from Operation Safe Drinking Water, Joe Bass, in Bocas Town while the rain kept pouring. Then on to our next boat taxi to Almirante – another wet ride!

Second Boat Ride to Almirante - MORE RAIN!

On our way to Bocas Town for first Leg of the Trip - Pouring Rain

Waiting for Our Boat to Almirante

We arrived in Almirante on the mainland and met our drivers for the day and installers, Dave Miner and Luis Morgan. Amazing group of hard working volunteers. We all jumped in the trucks to pick-up the tanks and head out to the school with the supplies, tools and piping.

Our school - Miraflores

Truck taxi ride to pick up the 2 tanks at Almirante hardware store

The 2 tanks!

Once we arrived at the school work quickly began to install the tanks. We unloaded the trucks, delivered all the supplies and had a tour of the school and met some of the children. Miraflores school has 141 students aged 4-15. My limited Spanish allowed me to have a few conversations with the teachers, principal and students.

Dave telling us about the old tank and new installation

While we chatted and toured around the school (which also serves as a community meeting area including a chapel and sheltered area for gatherings) Dave and Morgan quickly started installing the first tank (Operation Safe Drinking Water tank #105). This tank would be in addition to the current tank the school had which was inadequate for the high needs of the school and community and needed repairs. These tanks combined would provide about 1200 gallons of water for the school and village for drinking water, cooking and for bathing (many children had scabs and sores due to unclean water – most of the water they bathe in is full of parasites and bacteria).

Hard at work on Tank 1 - #105

We spent most of our time talking with the children and even had a wonderful time sharing Stella and Sebby’s coloring books, pencils and crayons we had brought to keep them occupied with the other children. Joe, the CEO of Operation Safe Drinking Water, said he’d never seen the children so excited and would encourage other groups to bring coloring books/pencils, etc. along during the installation to engage more fully with the children. (I was given a huge stack of their coloring book pages throughout the day – they were so proud – I complimented them as much as I could in my limited Spanish!).

Hanging with some of the children at the school

We were later presented with a scroll signed by all the students thanking us for the installation as well as a hand made “mola” cross body satchel (you can see me wearing it in a few pictures).

Justin having fun with the kids showing them videos of themselves - they LOVED it.

It was nice to meet all the children, teachers and community and learn more about the struggles they face on a daily basis – many of which will be cured by the simple act of having clean water to drink. It is reported that on any given day an average of 75% of students are absent from school due to sickness from the lack of clean water (dysentery, skin issues, etc.). Once tanks are installed the absentee rate drops to almost 10%, or less – a huge improvement. Joe and Operation Safe Drinking Water hope to have hard figures from schools they are working with this year.

While we enjoyed the children, Dave and Morgan and the rest of the team and fathers got started on the second tank (Operation Safe Drinking Water Tank #106) which would be installed near the kitchen so that there would be clean water to cook lunch each day for the children – for many children, their only meal of the day. This tank would provide 600 gallons of clean drinking water. Joe reported that he had visited many schools in the past where there were rice and lentils stacked floor to ceiling but unable to be cooked due to a lack of clean water. This tank will be vital in providing a warm meal for each child each day.

Coloring with the children

Miraflores school recycling program

Dave working on the 2nd tank for the kitchen ("Tank #106)

It was also interesting to note that the school had its own recycling program – take note – if a small village in Panama can recycle – so can you!

It was also interesting to see the older kids pitching in to clean the school and help the younger children out.

We also spent quite some time writing the names of everyone who had donated to the cause on the tanks and where they were from. We had donations from the US, Canada and England – a great amount of giving and this community was very thankful.

We ended our day with some more pictures and Stella and Sebby passing out some lollipops to the kids.

Our donor names on the tank

Writing all our donors' names on the tank

If you are planning a trip or vacation to a third world country I highly recommend taking on a small project like this to give a little bit back to communities that need a lot. Small gestures like installing water catchment systems so that there is clean water to drink directly impacts the lives of so many. There are numerous organizations around the world where you can volunteer your time or resources (even in your own backyard).

And the final list of donors!

If you are coming to Panama and would like to help out with Operation Safe Drinking Water I would highly recommend the hands on experience.

If you are interested in learning more about how water catchment systems work you can learn more here.

Thanks again to all our generous donors. We couldn’t have done this without you!

Donors names on the water tank

Great day as a family helping other children and familiesWe have water!

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How To Get From Bocas Del Toro To Boquete

Posted by justin_lee on June 23rd, 2012

Earlier this week, we decided to leave the heat of Red Frog Beach and Bocas Del Toro, and head up into the mountains, to check out Boquete, the cool, quaint town in the mountains of the Chiriqui province.

We heard so many different things about how to get from Bocas Del Toro to Boquete, that at times, it felt quite overwhelming. In this blog post, we’ll break down your different options from getting from Bocas to Boquete, share with you what we chose to do, and also provide you with some information about the fun things that we did on our journey.

(NOTE: we did this trip with our two children, ages 3 & 4. If you are traveling by yourself, of there are only adults in your party, you might have a different perspective, so please note that we had a party of 4, of which two of them were young children).

We started researching our trip shortly after we booked our hotel: we got a killer deal to stay at The Panamonte, one of the oldest and most famous hotels in all of Boquete (Teddy Roosevelt stayed there back in the day). The great deal we got came from one of our favorite travel sites: JetSetter. JetSetter focuses on high end, luxury properties, and then sells rooms for them, at a large discount! The catch is that you have to prepay (and you can’t get a refund, so you’re locked in), but we ended up saving over 40% off of the hotel’s published website.

(SIDE NOTE: Jetsetter is by invitation only. If you’d like an invite, just “like” our Facebook Fanpage, and leave a comment with your email address and we’ll send you one)

Once we knew that we were staying at The Panamonte, we contacted them directly about transportation. Their quote proved to be far too expensive ($214!) so we started exploring all of our other options. In detail, we’ve covered all of your choices below when traveling from Bocas Del Toro to Boquete.

The Public Bus: This is without question the cheapest way to travel. However, with 2 small children, we decided to pass on this option, especially after hearing that the public buses are quite cramped. This was also quoted to us as being the longest driving travel time (5 hours?!) because you have to go through David
Shuttle Bus: There are several tour companies in Bocas Del Toro offering a shuttle bus to Boquete. We saw prices ranging from $25-35 per person. Some of these fares may or may not include your boat ticket from Bocad Del Toro to Almirante ($5 per adult). More on this segment of the journey below.
Private Taxi: You can hire a private taxi to take you from the dock once you arrive in Almirante straight to Boquete. Prices were all over the board when we were doing our research for the trip. As we mentioned, The Panamonte quoted us $214, which seems exorbitantly high. We heard other quotes of $180-200, from other Bocas “locals” as well, but again, this seemed excessive to us. Upon arriving in Almirante, there were plenty of people offering transportation to David & Boquete. However, we already had our transportation sorted out at this point, so we never inquired as to the cost.
Airplane: Unfortunately, earlier this year, Aeroperlas (a Panamanian airline) went out business. Before they did, however, they flew a couple of times a week from Bocas Del Toro directly into David. Once in David, you still had to travel 41 kilometers to get to Boquete. Since this flight is no longer available, if you were dead set on flying (to avoid the long drive), could still do this. However, you’d need to fly from Bocas to Panama City (Albrook airport), then take ANOTHER flight from Panama City (Albrook) to David, then drive the final 41 kms. Not exactly efficient, certainly the most expensive (over $150 per person after taxes), but you would spend the least amount of time in the car.
Take A Tour: This is ultimately what we decided on, because we knew that part of the fun of heading to Boquete was the adventure travel in and around the area. We booked our tour after seeing a poster and researching a hostel that is on the way, called Lost And Found Lodge. This hostel actually offers a number of tours, and the prices vary depending on what type of tour you want to do with them. We booked a “custom” tour, because we had our children with us, and we also weren’t interested in doing a coffee. Lost And Found put together a great package for us, and it cost us less than the quote from the Panamonte, and also included lunch! (More on the tour below).

So we were to be picked up by our tour guide Nico, at 8:30am in Almirante. This meant leaving Red Frog at 7:30am, taking the 20 minute water taxi over (from our usual boat driver, Cholo, who also takes our kids to school on his boat), and arriving at Bocas Marine Tours just before 8am.

Bocas Marine Tours runs a boat from Bocas to Almirante every 30 minutes. The cost for adults is $5 one way, and we were charged a total of $12 for all 4 of us.

The boat left about 10 minutes late, but if you’re familiar with the water taxis in and around Bocas, this was a much smoother ride. The journey to Almirante takes 30 minutes, but as I said, it was a nice smooth ride. As we came into Almirante, we were even lucky enough to see one of Chiquita Banana’s huge ships!

When we landed in Almirante, Nico was there to great us. (Side note: the locals will grab your baggage out of the back of the Bocas Marine Tour boat and then expect a tip for carrying your bag for you. Normally I really don’t like this, but at the time, we had a HUGE bag (we packed a single bag for all 4 of us), and my back had been acting up again, so I was fine with paying the $1. However, I have traveled in other parts of the part where the locals do the same thing, and I know that it can be annoying, so consider yourself warned).

We got into the car and headed out, driving for about an hour before we arrived at our first stop, which was the La Celestina Waterfall, located in the Palo Seco National Park. The waterfall is actually bid hidden, and when we pulled over the car, Sebastian, our son (3) had fallen asleep. Knowing that we still had a quite a bit of driving left to do, Nico (our guide), myself and our daughter Stella (4) got out of the car to check out the waterfall.

At this point in the day it began drizzling, so Stella (wisely) put on her coat. Being a guy, and from Vancouver, I opted for no rain coat, and we set off to view the falls.

The only hiked in for about 15 minutes, but a note of caution: the rocks are wet and slippery. Half of the time we were walking on slippery rocks, the other half of the time we were walking through water (although it never came up higher than my calves).

About to start our short hike to La Celestina Waterfall in the Palo Seco National Park

Hiking to La Celestina Waterfall in the Palo Seco National Park

Getting closer to La Celestina Waterfall in the Palo Seco National Park

Heavy water flow!

Stella and our guide Nico on the way to La Celestina Waterfall in the Palo Seco National Park

We finally made it to the falls! La Celestina Waterfall in the Palo Seco National Park

By now the rain was really pouring down, and we were getting soaked. We didn’t make it the entire way to the base of the waterfall, as Nico said we’d actually have to swim to accomplish that. On a warmer, drier day we probably would have went for it, but once the waterfall came into view, we decided to turn back around and hike back out.

As we returned back to the car, we began the portion of the journey entering the mountains, and the rain picked up. We were high in the “cloud forest”, and drove on for another good hour. As we began our descent from the mountains, it was time to stop for lunch, at a small town named La Chichicosa, where we had a great lunch (fried pork with beans & rice) next to a rodeo! The seats at the bar were actually saddles:

After lunch, we headed to part of the tour which I was going to be the most excited about: “Los Cangilones”, the river canyon in Gualaca where you can go cliff jumping:

After a half a dozen jumps into the clear, deep blue, refreshing canyon water it was time for our next stop: the Caldera Hot Springs.

(NOTE: if you’re traveling with small children, the hike into the hot springs is about a mile in each direction. We didn’t realize this, and didn’t bring our camera, or anything else…just some water).

The hike went over a bridge, up a down a few paths, and past plenty of wildlife (a pig, some cows and horses, and the local monkey) until we arrived at the farm. The family that owns the farm has a 99 year lease on the land from the government, and “manages” the hotsprings. There are 3 different hot springs, one “medium” and two “hot”. The kids were free, while adults paid $2 each.

Getting into a hot spring when it’s hot and humid out is sort of strange, but it was still nice to sit back and relax in the hot water.

After soaking ourselves, it was time to head out, band hike back out to our car.

From the hot springs, it was about 45 minutes until we arrived at the town of Boquete. Before we pulled into town, we stopped at one of their famous coffee shops, for a photo before we actually pulled into the town of Boquete:

It was a long day, but arrived at the Panamonte safe and sound, and ready for a hot shower!

All in all, we were very happy with the route that we chose to get from Bocas to Boquete, and the tour with Lost And Found Lodge. As a side note, on the return portion, we secured a private cab (straight shot, only 1 bathroom stop) in a nice car for $140 one way (obviously a lot cheaper than what The Panamonte originally quoted us).

We secured this ride from Boquete Safari Tours, who also took us on a mountain tour in Boquete. We also have much more information on our time in Boquete (activities, meals, etc) in this blog post, so be sure to read it as well!

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Updates on Operation Safe Drinking Water

Posted by Dreama Lee on June 18th, 2012

We want to sincerely thank all those who contributed to Operation Safe Drinking Water. We raised nearly $2500. Enough to install two water catchment systems as well as a sizable amount to buy school supplies, first aid kits, etc. for the local school.

As part of our own efforts we took Stella and Sebastian shopping for some of the school supplies while we were in Boquete so that they could begin to understand what we are about to do and be a part of the entire process. Operation Safe Drinking Water will be purchasing the bulk of the school supplies, first aid kits, etc. from the remaining donations in a week and transporting it all to the installation site.

Shopping for School Supplies for Operation Safe Drinking Water

We will be installing the two water catchment systems on June 28. We will be joined by Justin’s Dad, Wellington Lee, who was able to come into town to help us with the efforts.

Preparations are under way by the village as they are laying the concrete that the water catchments systems will be installed upon.

Special thanks to those who donated and will have their names written on the tanks when we install them on June 28.

The Mourabit family

Katherine Andrews

Nery Florez

Brandon Lee, Las Vegas, NV

The Milad family, Seattle, WA

The Howard Family, Vancouver, BC

The Robinson-Castellon Family, Vancouver, BC

The Del Vicario family, Vancouver, BC

Julie & Betty Miller, San Diego, CA

The Dee Family, Pittsburgh, PA

Katie, Maria, and Amanda Eng, Vancouver, BC

Wellington Lee, Vancouver, BC

Angela Lee, Marlow, England

The Allen Family, Virginia

The McCoy family, Cold Spring, NY

Michael Johnston, Vancouver, BC

Accesstheexperts.com

Megan Winsten, Washington, DC

The Wilberger Family, Ashburn, VA

Jennifer Kelly, New York, NY

Adam Grossman, Rochester, NY

Seth Auster, New York, NY

Deborah, Brandon & Alex Harlow, Salem, VA

The Kouwenhoven Family, Vancouver, BC

Tarik Abi-Karam, Las Vegas, NV

Teresa Mund, Vancouver, BC

Schaefer Family, Leesburg, VA

Craig Pentz, Washington, DC

Danny Towe, Salem, VA

Stay tuned for photos, videos and a blog post after we complete the installation.

Again, muchas gracias to everyone who has supported us in this effort.

ank all those who contributed to Operation Safe Drinking Water. We raised nearly $2500. Enough to install two water catchment systems as well as a sizable amount to buy school supplies, first aid kits, etc. for the local school.

As part of our own efforts we took Stella and Sebastian shopping for some of the school supplies while we were in Boquete so that they could begin to understand what we are about to do and be a part of the entire process. Operation Safe Drinking Water will be purchasing the bulk of the school supplies, first aid kits, etc. from the remaining donations in a week and transporting it all to the installation site.

Shopping for School Supplies for Operation Safe Drinking Water

We will be installing the two water catchment systems on June 28. We will be joined by Justin’s Dad, Wellington Lee, who was able to come into town to help us with the efforts.

Preparations are under way by the village as they are laying the concrete that the water catchments systems will be installed upon.

Special thanks to those who donated and will have their names written on the tanks when we install them on June 28.

The Mourabit family

Katherine Andrews

Nery Florez

Brandon Lee, Las Vegas, NV

The Milad family, Seattle, WA

The Howard Family, Vancouver, BC

The Robinson-Castellon Family, Vancouver, BC

The Del Vicario family, Vancouver, BC

Julie & Betty Miller, San Diego, CA

The Dee Family, Pittsburgh, PA

Katie, Maria, and Amanda Eng, Vancouver, BC

Wellington Lee, Vancouver, BC

Angela Lee, Marlow, England

The Allen Family, Virginia

The McCoy family, Cold Spring, NY

Michael Johnston, Vancouver, BC

Accesstheexperts.com

Megan Winsten, Washington, DC

The Wilberger Family, Ashburn, VA

Jennifer Kelly, New York, NY

Adam Grossman, Rochester, NY

Seth Auster, New York, NY

Deborah, Brandon & Alex Harlow, Salem, VA

The Kouwenhoven Family, Vancouver, BC

Tarik Abi-Karam, Las Vegas, NV

Teresa Mund, Vancouver, BC

Schaefer Family, Leesburg, VA

Craig Pentz, Washington, DC

Danny Towe, Salem, VA

Stay tuned for photos, videos and a blog post after we complete the installation.

Again, muchas gracias to everyone who has supported us in this effort.

Related Blogs

A Trip to Boquete in Panama’s Agricultural Province – Chiriqui

Posted by Dreama Lee on June 15th, 2012

We recently took a trip to one of Panama’s top tourist destinations, Boquete – “the land of flowers and coffee.” Boquete is nestled in the mountains of the Chiriqui Province and is a nice break from the heat and humidity of most of the rest of Panama.

Boquete is set amidst mountains with rivers running through the town – it’s very picturesque and from some vantage points you almost think you are in a quaint Swiss Alps village.

The Caldera river runs through the town and numerous restaurants line the river. The locals live off the land (and very well by the way – everyone seemed happy and the level of poverty found elsewhere in Panama is not as prevalent here). Coffee plantations, fruit and vegetable farms as well as cattle farms make up the bulk of the Boquete hillsides. We were told by a guide that the Chiriqui province (where Boquete is located) makes up over 70% of the food production for all of Panama.

Agricultural Hub of Panama - Boquete

Many retired expats have made Boquete their new home – you will see quite a few in town and they are very organized in helping new expats settle in Boquete. Boquete has consistently ranked high in “best international destinations to retire.” If you are curious about moving to Boquete, check out Dianne Hedke’s book, The Insider’s Guide to Surviving Life in Boquete: The Boquete Not for Tourist Handbook.

Where to stay in Boquete

By far the best hotel in town is the Panomonte. We were lucky enough to stay there through a great deal on JetSetter.com. The Panomonte is part of the Small Luxury Hotels brand and you will not be disappointed. From the spacious rooms with porches to the nice bedding and large bathrooms. The best part is the restaurant (see below) and the wonderful bar and fireplace area. We were told kids weren’t allowed in the bar area due to Panamanian law but we easily sat outside where there was additional covered seating and another beautiful fireplace (it rained one of the days we were there so we spent lunch by the fire and then reading and playing games). The staff is very friendly and accommodating.

Enjoying the Fire during a rainy day at the Panamonte Inn & Spa, Boquete

There are numerous other hotels and resorts around the area. Boquete is also known as the “health” and “wellness” area of Boquete so you will enjoy comfortable accommodations there.

If you are on a budget there are several hostels, most notably, Hostel Mamallena.

Restaurants in Boquete
Probably the best and most highly regarded (some say the best restaurant in Central America) is at the Panamonte hotel’s restaurant. You will find local ingredients with an international flair and excellent service. Highly recommend trying their pumpkin soup!

The Rockalong the river is also very good and highly regarded. It is very modern and has a nice aesthetic. The menu provides sufficient variety for everyone in your party and if you have kids they will love playing in the yard and throwing rocks into the river.

Restaurant Nelvis is a hidden gem we were told about via our local tour guide. Great fried chicken and Panamanian food served cafeteria style. It’s a bit hidden off the main drag but you’ll see tons of expats, locals, and students studying Spanish frequenting this establishment.

Restaurant Nelvis Boquete Panama

Macchu Pichu is a great Peruvian restaurant with an abundance of seafood options. If you are ready for something different then this is your place. All of the ceviches are outstanding.

You’ll see several sweet shops and ice cream shops along the main drag and side streets. We stopped for a Sunday afternoon ice cream cone ($.50) at Anna’s Sweets. Seemed like all the locals had the same idea as car loads came through for an ice cream fix while we were there.

If you are looking for a sports bar (and to catch your team’s game) check out Restaurant Baru. They have several TV’s, indoor and outdoor seating and American food (tried the nachos and pizza – both were fine).

Boquete is definitely a nice spot for some good food. Check out Trip Adivsor’s recommendations for the latest on the best restaurants in the area.

Shopping in Boquete

If you are coming from Bocas and don’t want to go into David for shopping (many people make the journey just to shop in David for unique or more difficult to find items, clothing and home goods that aren’t readily available in Bocas). In town you will find numerous stores, including a department store called “La Reyna” that is similar to a JC Penny’s type store you may find at home.

You will find several nice pharmacies in town as well with a variety of offerings in a clean, organized, air conditioned environment.

A large grocery chain, Romero’s, can also be found in town with a wide selection of items and we were told a great bakery – we didn’t try it but it smelled delicious.

There’s also an organic store that stocks a lot of hard to find items that you may miss from home – gluten free, vitamins, acidopholus, oils, even Canadian Maple syrup. The store is called Organica and can be found behind the HSBC in town.

The Muncipal Market in the city square is a nice colorful (and fresh) assortment of the local bounty.

Municipal Market Boquete, Panama | Fresh Produce

The Tuesday Market put on by the expats is more of a craft sale than anything else but we did pick up some real cilantro (hard to find in Panama) and bird chili peppers as well as a couple of Spanish/English books by a local expat author, Pat Alvarado – a great gift or souvenir for children.

There are also several souvenir/local craft stores as well along the main drag.

What to see/do in Boquete

There are tons of things to do in Boquete whether you are an outdoor enthusiast, into coffee and food, want a “spa” retreat or simply sit back and do nothing.

We took a half-day tour while in Boquete with Mountain Safari Tours. The tour took us around Boquete and up into the hillside showing us beautiful scenery, the cloud forest, waterfalls, unique rock formations where Baru Volcan erupted over 500 years ago and a stop at a coffee plantation, Finca Lerida, where we enjoyed a nice cup of coffee and some hot chocolate – as well as sampled some of the fruits and herbs on the property. We of course picked up some coffee and some of their homemade strawberry jam.

Waterfalls Boquete, Panama

For those interested in hiking (unfortunately with small children we weren’t able to do this) there are hikes through the cloud forest, a six hour night hike up the volcano to the highest point in Panama for an early morning sunrise view from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

You can even hike from Boquete to Bocas just like in the old days when gold miners made the same journeys.

There is rock climbing, kayaking and white water rafting options as well.

If you are interested in learning Spanish while you are Boquete there are several Spanish schools, including Habla Ya.

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A Hike to “Up in the Hill” and “Mantis”

Posted by Dreama Lee on June 6th, 2012

This past weekend we had a great trip to “Up in the Hill” on the island of Bastimentos. You can read all about Up In the Hill and how to get there here. “Up in the Hill” is an organic farm shop selling coconut oils (scented for your body or cooking), balms, shampoos, soaps, etc. as well as crafts, seasonal fruits and vegetables and of course chocolate! They also have a selection of drinks to cool down with after your hike up the hill including homemade chocolate milk, noni juice (good for whatever ales you – I went up with an earache and tummy ache and came back feeling great after a tall noni juice with chocolate and honey), lemonade, etc.

They also serve up delicious brownies and truffles along with a few other menu items.

We also stopped in at Mantis – a famous restaurant about half way up the hill. More details on Mantis coming soon!

Up in the Hill Cafe & Store

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We Have Raised Enough For TWO Tanks For Operation Safe Drinking Water (Going For A 3rd)

Posted by justin_lee on May 30th, 2012

We just wanted to write a quick update about the fundraiser for Operation Safe Drinking Water that we are doing. We started this fundraiser over the Memorial Day long weekend (in the US), and as of this morning we are excited to announce that we have raised enough money for not 1, but TWO (2!) water tanks. THANK YOU!

Our fundraising deadline is this Friday, June 1st, and now we are looking to raise enough money for a 3rd tank. If we don’t raise enough for the 3rd tank, we’ll simply use the extra money to buy school supplies for the children of the school where we’ll be installing the 2 tanks.

We just wanted to send out a huge thanks to all of our friends, family members, and business colleagues who very generously donated to this cause. The mantra “every little bit helps” is so true, and even when people donate a couple of dollars, it all adds up.

If you can skip Starbucks today, or drink a glass of water (a given for you but a luxury for these kids) instead of ordering a beverage the next time you’re at a restaurant, you can make a huge difference with your small donation:

A lot of feedback that we’ve received from friends and family has been that they are happy to donate because they know that “we’ll be on the ground overseeing the project” and that their donation is being used to it’s fullest.

To give you an idea of what exactly we’ll be doing on June 28th, I’ve cut and pasted from the email exchange between ourselves and Joe Bass, the Founder & President of Operation Safe Drinking Water.

This is what Joe wrote to us after we had hit our goal of 1 tank, and told him that we were going for 2:

******************************************************************************************
From: Joe Bass <XXXXXX@gmail.com>
To: Dreama Lee <dreama@XXXXX.com>
Subject: Re: Your Plans

Schedule for the day.

Meet you at dock of Barracuda restaurant in Bocas
at 9 AM. We will discharge our departing group there a
8-30.

We’ll be in Almirante ( the mainland port city ) by 9-30, load two tanks, tools, supplies on two pick up trucks and be at the school by 10:30.

Installation should be complete by 2 PM, followed by
“meet the village” and the school ceremony of thanks.

We should be back in Almirante by 4PM and back
at Red Frog by 5 or 5:30 Our boat will take you directly
to Red Frog

This will allow plenty of time to inter-act with the
teachers, students and community.

We would like you to sign the tanks with permanent marker pens.

You’re welcome to video all you wish as well as take photos.

Our installation team will go to the school on the 11th to take
necessary measurements and list all the parts an equipment
needed to install two tanks..

The installation team will be headed by David Miner, an American builder and engineer based in Bocas and his assistant Luis Morgan. Local PTA fathers will help throughout.You’re welcome to pitch in and help to the extent you wish.

My congratulations to the Lee Family.
You will change many lives and
have a remarkable day yourselves.

Your tanks will provide safe, disease-free water
for years to come.

I hope to meet you sometime next week.

With best regards,

- Joe
******************************************************************************************

After we told Joe we were going for a 3rd tank, here’s what he wrote back today (please read this to get the best idea of how your donation can really help):

******************************************************************************************
From: Joe Bass <XXXXXX@gmail.com>
To: Dreama Lee <dreama@XXXXX.com>
Subject: Re: Couple of questions and next payment

Hi,

A third tank would be great.

A little info: Your school and the school for a third tank, if you are able to do a third, are along a dirt road that was once a small-gauge train track, hauling bananas to the nearby seaport. You will still see remnants of the old train tracks embedded in the dirt road.

It’s an extremely poor backwater, abandoned area, with populations of indigenous people with no jobs due to the cutback in banana plantations.

The kids are under-nourished. When the schools can’t serve their normal school lunches due to lack of usable water with which to cook, it impacts the health of the kids.

The reality is, if the kids don’t eat at school they often don;t eat that day.
Your tanks will ensure they are able to eat, as well as have safe water to drink..

This long “road to nowhere” has several bare-bones schools with names like “Seven Mile School & Five Mile School.” This area is a priority for us.
We have already installed tanks at Seven Mile Shool, and on May 23, we installed tanks # 100 and 101 at Five Mill School.

The biggest first-aid clinic my wife has ever had was at Seven Mile School. The lines of sick, diseased or people with cuts, sores and infections nvert seemed to stop or come to an end. Herclinic, planned for an hour lasted 3 hours and people were still coming for help..

They’re far too remote to go to a govt. medical clinic.

Our #100 tank will be the cover story in “The Bocas Breeze” on Friday, the 1st. The “Breeze is the expat monthly newspaper for the Bocas area, with a wide online readership.

Miraflores school is along this road, as are two other schools in need of help. We could pick one of them for the third tank, if you have the donations to do so.

The schools need pencils, crayons, colored pens, notebooks & simple, one-piece pencil sharpeners, stuff like that. We present them to the principals and they see the serious students get them. Artistically inclined students get the colored pens so they can put their talents to use.

One school we went to had nothing. The teacher moved hsi class under a tree where the kids did 2+2 = 4 in the dirt.

The schools need all the supplies they can get.
Miraflores alone has 240 students.

School supplies are relatively expensive in Bocas, due to it being an island — and a tourist center. They are cheapest and most plentiful in Changuinola the provincial capital and main market town.

You can make the trip to buy them, or we can get them in Chanquinola for you from the major suppliers and bring them along on the 28th.

If you allocate how much you want to spend on school supplies, we’ll
get them and bring them along with the tanks.. Whatever you wish to spend can be sent via PayPal, earmarked for school supplies. We’ll bring you the receipts.

Thanks again for opening your hearts to those in need.

- Joe
******************************************************************************************

Even if you’re not in a position to make a donation before Friday, at a minimum, please share this post on Twitter, Facebook, or Linkedin, or at a minimum, “like” Operation Safe Drinking Water on Facebook, or send them a Tweet!

Alternatively, you can make your donation here, using paypal (or your credit card):

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Yoga in Bocas Del Toroa

Posted by Dreama Lee on May 28th, 2012

I’ve had the pleasure of taking a few yoga classes with Laura Kay at Bocas Yoga!

Bocas Yoga Owner Laura Kay and Dreama Lee at Bocas Yoga

Laura provides a pleasant and fun hatha yoga experience.

She can be found in the Big Purple House, Positively 4th Street, Bocas Town, Isla Colon, Parallel to Main Street.

I’ve been told there are a few other yoga classes outside of town for the locals but if you are visiting Bocas or Red Frog Beach then Bocas Yoga is your place.

You can find a full schedule at Bocas Yoga’s website.

You can also find Bocas Yoga on Facebook.