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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

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Boquete – Expat Haven in the Chiriqui Highlands
Part 4 of 4

Boquete – The Expat Interviews

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My interviews are relatively short and sweet but I like engaging in them
because I learn something from every one of them. It is this little bit
of knowledge that I would like to share in my blogs.

Any commercial enterprises mentioned in my blogs are included because
they are a part of the lives of expats. I do not endorse any of the businesses nor
have I received any benefits.
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Alex Shöb

The Allgäu Region of Germany is located in southern Germany and is characterized by rolling foothills, forests, verdant meadows, striking backdrops of the Alps and sparkling lakes. It is one of the most beautiful regions of Germany also known for its abundance of outdoor activities and its many spas. 

http://www.google.ca/images?q=Allgau&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=THpdTI6eGJL6swOnw8WqCw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CDAQsAQwAw&biw=1280&bih=557

It was a region that Alex Shöb loved in his native Germany. When he came to Panama in 1975 it was not surprising that he would put down roots in Boquete a region that very much reminded him of the Allgäu. To him it was a dream come true as the found in Boquete a friendly atmosphere, a great climate with refreshing cool air and lots of possibilities for hiking. 


Hospitality is a major industry in the Allgäu since many vacationers are attracted to its beauty. They all need a place to sleep and to eat. Since the Boquete region shares many of the same characteristics, what better way to benefit from this than to participate in the hospitality industry of Boquete by opening a "pensión"?

That is exactly what Alex Shöb did in 1978. It would be an understatement to say that Boquete was not the tourist/expat mecca in 1978 that it is today. It is for that reason that Pensión Topas did not become a full-time operation until 1992.

The hostel is located just a couple of blocks from downtown but nevertheless it has some ofl the characteristics of a country estate that is located on a large piece of property surrounded by fruit trees as well as lots of local vegetation with a smattering of birds and animals.  
 

Pensión Topas has a pleasing architecture that combines natural stone and wood creating an exterior that blends well into the large surrounding garden. 


The characteristic that comes through in speaking with Alex Shöb is his strength of character. In Pensión Topas he seems to have created a little 'Germano-Panamanian”  island in Boquete. The “Germano-Panamanian” is reflected in the family name “Fam. Shöb Diaz-Phillip” that is attached to the front door and particularly in the beautiful German that is spoken by all the children except for the youngest one.


Speaking German seems to come naturally to the kids and that is an amazing accomplishment in the middle of Boquete. From what I could hear, German seemed to be the family's first language of communication. As a matter of disclosure, I speak fluent German so it was a pleasure to hear the language of Goethe and Schiller spoken with such ease by the younger generation.

According to Alex Shöb, Pensión Topas is a great place to raise kids as tourists from all over the world beat a path to the front door bringing the world with them. 

The Pensión Topas does operate as a bed and breakfast, although the cost of the breakfast served by Alex himself in the beautiful garden is not included. As I mentioned in the last blog I did not stay at the Pensión Topas since all eight rooms were occupied but I did eat breakfast there the next morning. At $6 the breakfast was expensive by Panamanian standards but I must say it was a delightful selection to start the morning. Unfortunately I had very little time to enjoy breakfast as I was in a hurry to catch the coffee tour at Café Ruiz (see previous blog). I say unfortunately because every bit of the breakfast was tasty and the surrounding lush gardens made for great ambiance.


Groceries for the Pensión Topas are available at the nearby Romero Supermarket and for major shopping there are the large stores of David that is about an hour away.

As a final note, in the evening I saw a man roll up in front of the Romero supermarket on a motorcycle. The appearance of the motorcycle, the helmet and the manner in which he was dressed elicited flashes of the dashing Peter O'Toole in the opening scene of Lawrence of Arabia – it was Alex Shöb.


http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g298424-d1140209-Reviews-Pension_Topas-Boquete.html

schoeb@panama.net

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Jean-Marie LaGrange

Lobo’s pre-amble:

I have fond memories of Nimes, France. It was the summer of 1980 and I was in Aix-en-Provence taking my first French Language summer course at the l’Universite de Provence. Aix is a great city but the surrounding Provence has many attractions as well. Part of the language study program included excursions to see the sights and one of the destinations was nearby Nimes. If there was any doubt that the Roman Empire extended to Nimes, the forum right in the middle of old town, the ramparts and the towers dispel those doubts. Most notable is the aqueduct that brought water into the city and the Pont de Gard that brought the aqueduct over the Gard River.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%AEmes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont_du_Gard

It is the historical city of Nimes, France that was the home of Jean-Marie LaGrange the owner of Boquete’s only French restaurant. Brandishing the motto “El Arte de la comida francesa” it is known at “Art Café La Crêpe."



Originally it was the beautiful characteristic colours of Provence that attracted me to this restaurant and after speaking German at the Pensión Topas this was an opportunity to speak a bit of French.

It was there that I met Jean-Marie LaGrange.

He came to Boquete four years ago after widely travelling around the world. Among other things he was in Montreal in 1976 during the Summer Olympics where he worked at the Four Seasons Hotel. He also has a long culinary background operating a restaurant in France for 22 years. More recently he has been splitting his time between Costa Rica and Panama before settling on Boquete in Panama. He cited lower cost of living, security and tranquility as reasons for choosing Boquete as the site of his restaurant.

So does he feel lonely here as a French expat? Not really, as there are about 30 other French expats who call Boquete home.
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Christophe Giroud

Another French expat that I met at the restaurant was Christophe Giroud, from Bordeaux.

Christophe came to Central America in 1996 and also spent 6 years between Costa Rica and Panama. Costa Rica was very easy to work in as a chef with not too many regulations. He eventually chose Panama as his permanent country of residence and got married here. He says he did not choose Panama because of the lower prices but because he likes it here.
 

He has travelled all over Central America and Mexico without problems. Once he went back to France and was assaulted and robbed in downtown Bordeaux. Ironically, like Jean-Marie LaGrange, Christophe Giroud also started a French restaurant in Boquete but closed it down last year as two was probably more than the market could bear. He now works at the Hotel Ladera where you can taste his cooking.
www.hotel-ladera.com

I commented that as a French chef he could probably find work anywhere to which he replied, not so. French cooks are known to be very truculent and inflexible when it comes to their cooking. It is their way or no way that is the way that they have been trained. So even if a guest asks for ketchup on a certain dish it is not going to happen. It is a matter of principle. Over the years he has learned to become more flexible.

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“Mango” Steve Kaczor

While walking about Boquete I also met Steve who came to Boquete for its family values, its weather and the cost of living.


I was somewhat amazed when Steve told me that he was, among other things, a gentleman farmer. More specifically he had bought a small coffee “finca” or farm. The Boquete region is known for its coffee as my previous blog attests.

For excitement Steve also conducts tours throughout Central America www.changesinlatitude.org

For more information about “Mango” Steve:

http://www.changesinlatitude.org/about_us.htm

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 Chris McCall

My final encounter with an expat was Chris McCall who was in the process of renovating a commercial property on the main street near the northern end of Boquete. 

Further enquiries revealed that he would be soon opening a studio for arts and crafts. It would be called Boquete Arts and Crafts and it would be a place where clients could take lessons or use the facilities to work on their arts and crafts.

He actually lived near Boquete in a small lovely town called Caldera because it has a microclimate that he describes “like Hawaii” with less rain than Boquete. Unfortunately I did not have the time to take him up on his offer to hitch a ride to have a look at the town.

http://boquete.chiriqui.org/attractions/chiboque-caldera.htm

He is also associated with Rancho de Caldera a tranquil resort in a beautiful setting.

http://ranchodecaldera.com/

Check out the links, of particular interest is the “Area Links”. It gives useful info about Boquete weather and activities as well as Panama Bird Watching and Information.

Like many of us at some point in our lives, Chris had just gone through a difficult separation that found him going through rough times. He cited Edgar Tolle’s The New Earth as providing a solace.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01HWjhd3Y1c
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Feedback: travelswithlobo@yahoo.com
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Coming Soon:

Volcan – The Other Boquete