Check out Lobo on YOU TUBE:
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
www.youtube.com/user/travelswithlobo
**********************************************************

Panama: Eight Destinations in Which to Spend the Winter Months

First
Time Reader: Why Panama? – This blog explains the rationale of the trip
and this series of blogs.

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lobo/excursions/1266327384/tpod.html

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pedasi and the Azuero Peninsula

Destination no. 4 of 8 (in no particular order)
Part 2 of 2
        
Pedasi: The Interviews 
 

Stanislas - Lobo's Featured Traveler

During my bus ride from Las Tablas to Pedasi I had the pleasure of meeting an amazing young man whose story I found fascinating.

One of the pleasures of traveling is the ease with which conversations are struck up and how quickly barriers are broken down with the result that conversations can quickly go beyond "small talk".

Such was the case with Stanislas who sat next to me in the crowded mini-bus on that 40-minute bus ride. At first I was eager to speak with him as he came from Quebec and spoke French. Then I became interested in his story.


How can you not be interested when someone tells you that they have been travelling for four and a half months and that all the traveling has been done by hitchhiking? Mind you this is not the relatively safe hitch hiking across Canada but across the United States, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, San Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Most people would think twice before choosing hitch hiking as their preferred way of travel through Mexico and Central America.

So - “chapeau” to Stanislas for having the intestinal fortitude to undertake such travels. But wait a minute – that is only part of the story. What about accommodations? Well if you are going to be young and adventurous why not camp? Camping is not bad, just find a camp ground and you have the essentials of food, shelter and safety – right? There is only one problem – even camping costs money. So how does one get around that problem? There is always couch surfing but that takes a lot of friends, contacts and time to organize. The other alternative is what the French call “camping sauvage”. So what is “savage camping? It is not for everybody, in fact it is only for the most adventurous or the most philosophical (whatever happens, happens) for it involves pitching your tent anywhere in a hidden place along the road. In some places it may be legal, in others not, but a traveler has to do what a traveler has to do and pitching a tent somewhere is part of the game plan. That is what Stanislas did for the entire trip, during part of which his girlfriend accompanied him. OK, one night he did spend in a hotel.

It is not for the timid, anxious or fearful. It therefore helps if you are young, invincible and well grounded. I have done a lot of bicycle touring in my younger days in North America and Europe and I always incorporated camping but never "camping sauvage". I just don’t think I would sleep as I would be forever listening and waiting for the unexpected. But what do you expect from a city boy like me?

That brings me to another interesting part of Stanislas’ story. He hails from Frelighsburg, Quebec, a charming small village with a population of just over a thousand located in the Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality that is part of the Eastern Townships.

http://www.village.frelighsburg.qc.ca/pages_anglais/the_village.html

The Eastern Townships are known for the beauty of their rolling hills and beautiful agricultural lands. It is a part of Canada that borders the United States and that invites comparisons with the beautiful state of Vermont.

So what do you associate with Vermont if it is not maple syrup and beautiful dairy farms.

That fits the bill as Stanislas was raised on a farm that counts bee keeping, maple syrup production and beef cattle raising among its activities. I sensed a great pride in his farming background and his French-Canadian heritage.

Here is the most amazing part. What young man has the word “farmer” in his e-mail address? You have to be well grounded to do that, n’est-ce pas?

A proud French Canadian who was exceptionally “ouvert au monde” meaning that he had an outward looking world view that included being the only one in his family who spoke English fluently and who loved to travel.

Now for some of his “bons mots” or reflections that can be described as “beyond his years”.

-       happiness is not a destination – it is a way to go
-       go with the flow – trust life (how else could you do “camping sauvage”)
-       everywhere you go there will be people to help if you get into trouble
-       with respect to camping by the side of the road he says “squatting” is the only crime where you stay on site as long as possible
-       money is not happiness
-       the poorest people are often the happiest
-       you can live happier in a poor country like Panama where people earn $1 per hour not $8
-       money is so impersonal – it is a new kind of slavery

As I say, I was amazed as these are not the words of your typical 23-year old.

It truly was a pleasure meeting Stanislas and it was for that that reason that he becomes Lobo’s First Featured Traveler.

Since I am writing this blog on May 23, 2010 and my trip to Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua ended on March 21, 2010 I can now say that Stanislas was the most amazing traveler that I met during my entire trip.

-----------------------------------------

Lobo’s Featured Local no. 1 – Mirna

“Dim’s Hostal” located on Avenida Central is somewhat of an institution in Pedasi for it has been around for a long time and its owner Mirna Batista has seen it all over the last fifty years or so. She incarnates Pedasi and it is for that reason that I sought her out to get her thoughts about the place.It may be a favorite place to stay but the name –Dim’s Hostal - is hardly catchy. It turns out that Dim’s is an acronym for Mirna’s three children (David, Irene and Mirna).

The hostel has become over the years the expat place to stay while looking for a more permanent residence. It is not a hostel in the traditional sense of the term that implies bunk beds and hordes of backpackers. On the second floor level there are eight air-conditioned rooms that reflect the price of about $35 per night with breakfast and Wifi. The building is unpretentious but the units have been recently renovated. What is impressive is the residential feel of the lovely property on which the “hostal” is located. When I entered the well-landscaped grounds I felt I was walking into someone’s residence with a gorgeous thatched-roof patio area.Mirna remembers when Pedasi was an isolated place untouched by the outside world.
 
 
 

 
 Foreign influence started when the Americans built a naval garrison for 200 sailors during World War II on the coast near Pedasi. Mirna’s grandmother along with many women of the area married an American sailor from the Punta Mala base. Some of the Americans stayed after the war or came back to the area in later years.
 
 For a peek at what $225 per night of luxury will buy you, have a look at:          http://www.kiwicollection.com/hotel-detail/villa-camilla   

Then of course there are the developments, which I spoke of in the last blog, of Philippe Athanatiades. 

One of the discoveries I made almost in the middle of town was “Villa Pedasi” that reminded me of a “French vacation colony”. I use that term “vacation colony” because I have seen similar concepts in the south of France. It has an architectural style that I would describe as minimalist chic that has a European appeal. Unpretentious vacation homes are placed in close proximity and they share common amenities. The esoteric style that conjures up images of easy island living has more of a pre-occupation with fitting into a natural setting or environment than with projecting an image of luxury. Its finishing and furnishings I would describe as bordering on Spartan. This development, not surprisingly, is very un-American. It is not surprising therefore that most of its occupants are from France and Italy.

http://picasaweb.google.com/panamabambu.net/VILLAPEDASIA#

The Villa Pedasi along with many other projects in the Azuero Peninsula and Panama are the brainchild of a Frenchman, surely of Greek ancestry, Philippe Athanatiades.

For an amazing resume have a look at:

http://sites.google.com/site/panamabambuen/about-us

Now according to Mirna the French also invested in local agricultural lands such as teak plantations. They basically came and developed whatever they wanted. Somewhere in there the Italians also saw potential in the area but according to Mirna they “came and they went”. She also pointed to the rich incentives offered by the Panamanian government to foreigners as the impetus for another influx of expats in the Pedasi area. 
 
She was referring to the “pensionado” program that is mostly responsible for Panama being named one of the top retirement destinations in the world.
 
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/RetirementandWills/RetireInStyle/PanamaIsParadiseForRetirees.aspx
 
 How to get it: http://www.businesspanama.com/specials/retiree_residence.php

 Mirna mentioned that she was a friend of the former President of Panama – Mireya Moscoso (1999 – 2004) who was born in Pedasi. During Moscoso’s presidency huge improvements were made to the infrastructure around Pedasi. Also of note is that Moscoso now owns a beautiful house that was part of the Punta Mala naval facilities.

 It was with a certain amount of frustration that she acknowledged the by-product of all this foreign interest in the Pedasi area – rising prices. Real estate prices have been raised beyond the point where locals could buy. So Pedasi is becoming a playground for those with large sums of money and that would be the foreigners.Nevertheless according to her, Pedasi is still a great place to live where locals are friendly and people can live in security. El Torro Beach is only 30 minutes away and the weather is good despite a rainy season that goes from March to December.
 
Other than the tourism, ranching and fishing are the main industries in the Pedasi area. Considering that the Azuero Peninsula and especially Pedasi are just hitting their stride as a mainstream destination for expats, there will be many more people like me asking Mirna for information or staying in her “hostal”. For this lady the future looks bright. Oh yes, the “hostal” is open year round and there are two bicycles at the disposal of guests. My interview with her was somewhat rushed as she had to leave to go to Las Tablas for a meeting of the local tourist association of which she is the president.
 
   http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g608651-d548905-Reviews-Dim_s_Hostal-Pedasi.html

Lobo’s Featured Expats No. 5 and 6 – Nivea and Miranda 

 I hesitate to even include these two ladies as expats as my encounter with them was only a quick conversation as they were leaving their residences at the Villa Pedasi (see previous blog). 

They are included nevertheless for the simple reason that they are female (it seems almost all expats that I encountered and/or interviewed were male) and that they are French. (For the most part my expat interviews were conducted with Americans or Canadians.) Nivea, from Marseille and Miranda from Frejus, on the Cote d’Azur (French Riviera) both love coming here to Pedasi during the French winter months. Considering how I have been both to the Marseille as well as Frejus region and consider them to be beautiful, I found that assertion somewhat intriguing.


 So what made them come here to Panama and Pedasi? It seems that four factors played a key part in their decision: lower taxes, quality of life, the beautiful weather and the cost of living. 

 Unfortunately each of these factors is worthy of a paragraph of explanation but they were just in the process of leaving as I intercepted them and that was as good as it got.
 
Undoubtedly there is a fifth factor. Villa Pedasi is marketed in France and Pedasi has become a little French enclave despite the limp baguettes and limited food selection that are sold in the local supermarket. I suspect that given the increasing French factor in Pedasi, it will only be a matter of time before a decent French baguette will be produced here. When I blog about Leon, Nicaragua I will have a blog entitled “Baking Your Way Around the World”. It is the story of another French expat who established a French Boulangerie and Patisserie in Leon, Nicaragua. Maybe he would be interested in getting something going here.
  

 Lobo’s Featured Locals No. 2 and 3 – José and Pedro
 
 As I wandered the back streets of Pedasi my attention was drawn to a house being renovated. I was particularly impressed with the wooden beams holding up the overhang of the roof and the beautiful wood work of the windows and the door. I wandered by slowly, observing and admiring. Should I or shouldn’t I go back and speak with the men working inside?
 
Under normal circumstances I would have walked by and continued on my way but “I am writing a blog after all and that means you have to have something to write about and if you don’t talk with people, there is nothing to write about” said the little inner voice. So back I went and launched into a conversation in my best Spanish to find out more about the beautiful use of wood on this home.

 The Bible says “seek and ye shall find” and that is how I found the Batista brothers – José and Pedro. I even got lucky because José spoke English and while Pedro eventually went back to work José took his time to give me a tour of the house and tell me bit about his story and that of Pedasi.

 
But first, the wood, what about the wood José?
 
The crooked and gnarled support beams for the overhanging roof came from the “macano” tree. It is a nice natural touch as it incorporates a debarked tree trunk as part of the structure of the house.



 I think it was my interest in the wood that caused José to take me inside the house to show me more wooden treasures – tables and chairs – also made of gorgeously finished natural wood. The piece he was most proud of was the table that was made of wood from the laurel tree and the chairs were made from the very hard wood of the corotu tree.
 
 

I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was proud of the woodwork they had completed in renovating the family home. He was perhaps a bit surprised by this guy who walked in off the street and got all excited over the beauty of the wood in his house. Even so I forgot to ask about the beautiful wood in the door and the window frames.
 


Now why did José speak English? Simple – he spent twenty-two years in Florida where he tried to make a life for himself. That ended last November when he decided to come back to his roots in Pedasi. He was born and raised here in this house that his brother now owns and that they were in the process of renovating.

 There is a lot to do here to keep the brothers busy. After the renovations are finished they intend to open an internet café in the house to tap the computer skills of José and then there is always Quesos Pedasi, the family cheese factory that is located next door to keep them busy. José is glad to be busy here as work is not that easy to find in Pedasi and you have to do something productive in life. 


 One never knows what happens in people’s lives but I sensed that José still had a strong attachment to Florida. He spoke of the great life style that he enjoyed in Miami even though he worked two jobs. He surprised me on several fronts. For instance he preferred the weather in Miami to Pedasi (he must be referring to the rainy season from March till October). In general he felt that Miami was cheaper than Pedasi.

Wow, that blows apart one of the premises that I frequently put forward in my blogs of how Panama is “cheap”.

Some examples he gave: -       groceries are more expensive in Pedasi -       $1.25 for a pound of chicken in Pedasi, 59 cents a pound in Miami -       top sirloin beef in Miami is $1.65 a pound, it is $2.50 here -       one egg here is 20 cents -       25 cents for a lemon in Pedasi, 10 cents in Miami -       he said he was frankly stunned by the grocery prices
 Then he got into real estate -       the small lot across the street was for sale for $100,000 -       their house is valued at $250,000 -       rent in Pedasi is like Miami -       “crappy” homes are rented for $800 - $1000 a month, $2,500 if it is nice -       it was depressing that tourism or expats had brought prices to this level -       the locals are struggling to make ends meet here in Pedasi -       the French bought land in a big way -       farmers can’t make a go of it anymore

 I sensed ambivalence in José’s return to Pedasi. He seemed glad to be back in the beautiful surroundings of the family home and Pedasi. At the same time significant changes had occurred in his absence that made his return somewhat less than what he had expected. I wondered whether José would find his happiness here. Like with all of us, only time will tell. What I appreciated was his openness in sharing with me a part of his life and I can only wish him well in his second life in Pedasi.

Some more photos:
 
 


In my last blog: Pedasi and the Azuero Peninsula I wrote:

To put it another way, no self-respecting young traveler would make Pedasi the end destination. There apparently is a beautiful isolated world out there along the coast that is just starting to feel the influx of adventurous travelers and a smidgeon of expats, one of whom I will feature in the next blog: Pedasi – Lobo’s Featured Expats and Traveler.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Lobo’s Featured Expat no. 7

That would be a confident young American by the name of Kent who was looking into land development along the coast beyond Pedasi.


The most noteworthy quote from Kent was “have respect for developers in Panama; it is a really difficult business”.

I will get back to the land development in a moment but his most recent trip from San Francisco back to Pedasi was made in a commercial vehicle that was over 9,000 lbs. Any vehicle over 9,000 lbs gets special treatment at the border crossings making for a very difficult and long trip. His advice in retrospect, don’t come in anything bigger than a pickup truck.

If that wasn’t enough, the vehicle broke down in San Salvador and it took $10,000 worth of repairs and a month of his precious time to get back on the road.

Cultural differences seem to be the biggest challenge in carrying on business in Panama. Land development after all is a business and you need people on the ground to get the job done. The hardest part is finding people that you can rely on. He went on to say that “there are people who tell the truth. It just takes time to figure out who your team is and whom you can trust. That being said, lying and talking callously are the norms in Panama and they don't just lie to Gringos; they all lie to each other. It is just how they function. I can't figure it out. It is very frustrating for the North American mind. There are people who tell the truth though and perform. It just takes time. Never create a contract with a Panamanian without penalties for tardiness or bonuses for being on time or both.

In my most recent communications with Kent he indicated that he was taking a break and “letting progress catch up to my area which is happening now as a Marina and other hotels and more are being built. I am looking for partners who have symbiotic ideas for the land and who are willing to be developers. I have almost no interest in taking on the 'Developer’ Role. We hope to build a Wellness and Spiritual Center. It will happen when the time is right”.

Best of luck to you Kent in making this happen. When you have a website it will be placed right here.

Now where exactly is Kent’s area?

He describes it as being located “10 km's beyond the town of Cambutal which is located in the most beautiful, mountainous, wild and preserved area of the Panama Pacific close to Cerro Hoya National Park, on the coast”.  

The following site provides a map of the Azuero Peninsula. Use the arrows to move to Pedasi on the east coast. Then follow the coastline southwest to Cambutal (blue marker on the south coast, south of Tonosi)

http://www.maplandia.com/panama/los-santos/tonosi/cambutal/

Move the markers a little further west and you will see Cerro Hoya National Park.

For a description of how enchanting this area must be have a look at this site:

http://www.virtualpanama.com/cerro-hoya-national-park.asp

Thanks to Kent my knowledge of the Azuero Peninsula has been extended a bit beyond Pedasi. It would seem that the best part lies out there somewhere and Kent has come a lot closer to it than I ever will.

 -------------------------------------------

Feedback: travelswithlobo@yahoo.com

-----------------------------

Coming Soon: David - Panama's Second Biggest City (Maybe)

Some more photos: