Winding Down

We said good bye to the sweetest dog in the whole wide world, Indy,

 and to the gardener, Vincente, who helped us many times during our stay by schlepping heavy things up the hill for us. Our new friends Mary & Carl, took us to Bocas del Toro to begin the long journey home.  It was hard to say good bye, but, Mary will always be a soul sister and I’m sure our paths will cross again.

 We hired a water taxi and headed out for Red Frog Beach for the day. We hadn’t even seen a beach yet during our stay in Panama and really looked forward to a relaxing day being pampered on the beach by beachside waiters offering drinks in coconut shells and fresh fish dinner.

 

But, after wandering down the mangrove entrance to Red Frog, then taking "the short walk" to the beach 10 minutes away (that was more like 30).We found Red Frog was a very little used beach, at least the day we were there, with no services open save a tiny rustic cantina way down the beach, and another back inland on the way to catch the water taxi back to Bocas. So, therewereno waitersoffering fancy drinks, not a fresh fish dinner on the beach, but, the day was not a complete loss! 

 

The ocean was still the ocean and we lazed on the beach all day, in rented chairs, and watched the surf beat its way to the shore.  There is something about salt water, isn’t there, that heals everything? Already we were beginning to forget the many bugs bites and hot days spent at Cerro Velero. 

 

Norm and I played a “Pro-Con” game with him naming all the things we didn’t like about the past six weeks, and me naming the things that we did. He ran out of things before I did, so we decided it truly was a positive experience. We have learned the hard lesson, however, that although we will always seek “adventures,” we will no longer seek “really hard ones.”  We’re simply getting too long in the tooth for those.

 So, we begin our three day trip home. One night in Bocas, one in Panama City and the last one in Chicago before finally catching our last plane home.  Our friend, Bob, will be waiting at the Burlington airport with our warm winter coats in hand.  And home will have never looked so good. We leave paradise today as I click my red flip-flops together and chant…. 

“I want to go home.

  I want to go home.

  I want to go home.”

Nancy & Norm

 

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow. ~ Lin Yutang

Bugs, Beasts and other Beings

Considering all the whining we’ve done about them, you might think that the bugs at Cerro Velero are a major bother, and, to be honest those darned little Chitras (noseesums) are, but the other critters are pretty fastinating.

Nearly every home here on the bay hosts at least a couple of Golden Orb Spiders. Since they are harmless, and eat the smaller insects, they are welcome. Large and fierce looking they can be intimidating, but their most interesting feature is their webs– spun gold! Bothersome to be sure, when I forget and walk right into one -- probably even more so for the spider than myself, but in the sunlight they are beautiful!

And other than the to-small-for-my–naked-eyes-to-see Chitras, all the insects here come in only one size – GRANDE. On a daily basis they surprise us with their shapes and colors. Daily the air is a-hum with freshly hatched life and, while these buccaneers of buzz can be irritating, they are also quite fastinating. One of daily Norm’s mantras (and he doesn’t just mean hear in Panama,) is “In the end, the bugs are going to get us all.”

My favorite “critter” seen while we were here though isn’t a bug; it’s a frog! The Poison Dart Frogs are tiny, but absolutely beautiful!  It’s almost like some kid took a set of Crayola’s and went wild with their imagination. Beautiful!

And, while we’ve been told we’re surrounded by anteaters, armadillos, and other rodents, the only animals we’ve seen during our stay is one Howler monkey.  We hear the Howlers in the jungle nearly every night – roaring  like lions -- but they haven’t come up close to our house during our stay at Cerro Velero.

And, of course, the forest is full of things that slither along the ground. Thankfully we’ve seen no Fer de Lance snakes like the one pictured (Pix from the internet) but, neighbors on both sides have killed them on their property, and that’s waaaaay closer to one of those deadly things than we want to get!  I did get surprised by  4.5 foot long black snake on my way to the outdoor shower the other day, but my Herpetologist, Carl, assures me it was harmless. I guess you just can’t live in Eden without snakes, right?  And after all, every day here is…

Just another day in paradise,

Nancy & Norm

When the moon shall have faded out from the sky, and the sun shall shine at noonday a dull cherry red, and the seas shall be frozen over, and the icecap shall have crept downward to the equator from either pole . . . when all the cities shall have long been dead and crumbled into dust, and all life shall be on the last verge of extinction on this globe; then, on a bit of lichen, growing on the bald rocks beside the eternal snows of Panama, shall be seated a tiny insect, preening its antennae in the glow of the worn-out sun, the sole survivor of animal life on this our earth -- a melancholy bug.
- - - William Jacob Holland "The Moth Book" 1903

Birds in Panama

 

 

Watching birds has become part of our daily routine. It affirms our connection to the earth and to nature in general. And, we couldn’t be in a better place to do it!
 

 Although less than half the size of Iowa, Panama has an extraordinary wealth of birds.More than total of 900 species has been recorded to date! This remarkable diversity owes much to Panama’s location at the juncture between N and S America. As a bridge between the continents, Panama serves as a route of passage for many migrants, and seabirds of both the Atlantic and the Pacific reach its shores. 

Although they are hard to photograph, we’ve been very lucky this winter to see many of the colorful birds of Panama. 

Some of the photos of this post are my own; the better ones I “borrowed” from the Internet. But we have seen each of these birds -- and more!
 

 

As our time here at Cerro Velero draws to a close we are have been discussing what we liked best about this experience. The many birds are among the list of “favorites.”  When your day begins with a cup of hot coffee on the deck and the trees all around fill with the cacophony, and the color, of the birds, we can’t help but know we are experiencing…..

Just another day in paradise.

Nancy 

Birds are a miracle because they prove to us there is a finer, simpler states of being whichg we may strive to attain. ~ Doug Coupland

 

Invasion of the Army Ants

Ants are our co-rulers of the land. An estimated ten thousand trillion strong worldwide, they weigh very roughly the same as all of humanity. From underground to treetops, they serve as the chief predators of insects and other invertebrates and the principal scavengers of small dead bodies.  A few days ago, a whole army of them showed up at our place, circled the deck that goes all the way around the house and then left. We’d been alerted by Mary that this phenomena could happen during our stay at Cerro Velero, so we were more excited than scared. It was like living in the middle of a National geographic show!

 

Forget lions, tigers, and bears. Forget even our own famously aggressive species. When it comes to the art of war, its army ants that will make you break into a cold sweat. Armored tough, with machete jaws, these masterful fighters hack and dice prey vastly larger than themselves by acting in numbers beyond easy comprehension. Imagine hordes of spear-wielding humans at a wooly mammoth's feet. That’s the scale of army ant operations when they're attacking a tarantula or scorpion.

 

The communication systems of ants are radically nonhuman. Army ants are also blind and have to use their antennae to sense smell and touch. Where we use sound and sight, they depend primarily on pheromones. As we watched the column chomping their way around the deck we noticed that most traveled in the same direction, but a few “sentries” went the opposite way and bumped in to all the others. We could only imagine what messages they were passing on.

 Army ants are quite unlike the ants commonly found at family picnics. They have what scientists call the "army ant syndrome," comprising three characteristics: the ants are nomadic, they forage for prey without advance scouting, and their wingless queens can produce up to 4 million eggs in a month. And, they don’t have a permanent nest. What they have is a unique way of forming nests, made up of army ants themselves! The ants form walls and fasten onto each other by using their mandibles. The nest is very structured, as it provides corridors within itself for transporting food and eggs throughout the many areas of the nest. Just how cool is that?!

Just another day in paradise.

Norm & Nancy 

All the facts and everything that sounds intelligent above was taken from various articles in the National Geographic magazine on-line.  

Turn on the prudent ant thy heedful eyes. Observe her labors, sluggard, and be wise.”  ~ Samual Johnson

Special Delivery

We finally got around to having our wonderful neighbors, Mary & Carl over for dinner. It was certainly long past due as they'd had us over several times during our short stay here, but I'd been slightly intimidated over fixing a meal for "company" in my easy bake oven.

But, like most things I fret over, it turned out just fine -- even though the cake came out slightly tilted. It's the company, not the meal that is important.

Once again, Mary amazed us!  She does nearly every time we see her -- amaze us that is. She surprised Norm with his very favorite thing -- fresh lobster!  She bought them from a local fisherman who came by her dock. Because  our house is so far up the hill, we miss seeing those local guys with their fresh gifts from the sea. So, we sure appreciated Mary's gift. What a treat!

Norm promptly pulled off the legs and popped them into a kettle of boiling water. Yum!  He'll be finishing them off for breakfast this morning along with fresh pineapple.  Such is life in the jungle where every day is....

just another day in paradise,

Norm & Nancy

Went to a Garden Party

Yes, we did - go to a garden party, that is.  Now mind you that the Garden Club of Dolphin Bay is not  a lot like the ones back home.  Or, then again, perhaps it is and I just don't know since I've never belonged to one. Anyway, here the club is a font of information and a monthly excuse to gather together with like-minded friends and share what you've learned about the flora and fauna of the area.

First a guy showed a cool "invention" made by using a 5-gallon bucket and PVC. It allows the plant inside to wick up only the amount of water it needs and the rest just drains right through. This gadget is good for garden growing down here because of the enormous amount of rain that quickly water-logs most vegetables.

Next several members too turns sharing a new "mystery"plant for information and also sharing plants and seeds they had surplus.

Lastly, the guest speaker, Carl, our neighbor next door spoke for about an hour about local snakes - poisinous and not. Carl is a retired college biologist with a real interest in Herpetology. What a treat to learn more than I ever wanted to know about snakes from him! I've a new appreciation for taking treks in the forest and will certainly NOT be going again without my knee high rubber boots! We learned that neighbors on both sides of us here have found and killed the deadly Fer de Lance on their property!

After the formal part of the meeting we enjoyed a feast prepared by Vonnie & Ken. Tons of snacks and  YUM! -- ham and bean soup that was to die for! :-)

Then, everyone went together and walked the grounds together - about 5 acres of lovely "groomed rain forest." It is amazing to see how this couple has carved out a park like setting from the jungle.  Their place is for sale if anyone is looking to move to Panama check it out!

It was a lovely day and though we intended to take Crickett around the bay for some exploring, by the time the party was over we were so hot and tired we just came back to sit on the porch and watch  the birds in the trees around us.  It was truly....

just another day in paradise.

Norm & Nancy

"I went to a garden party to reminisce with my old friends
A chance to share old memories and play our songs again
.....
But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well.
You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself. "

                                                                  lyrics from Garden Party by Ricky Nelson

A Birthday to Remember

It's not every year you get to celebrate your birthday in the rain forest. and, it's not every year you celebrate your birthday because it means you finally have health insurance. Yep, Happy 65 to Nancy!

The week before we noticed that Rana Azul had banana splits on their menu, so, all week  we both had been looking forward to splurging on those in celebration.

On the way to Rana Azul's we stopped by Ken & Vonnie's place so our neighbor, Carl, could get his snake slides all set up for the next day. Carl would be the speaker at the local Garden Club. No sooner did we pull up in the boat than Ken came barreling down the hill in a "Mule" to save us the hike up his hill. Service with a smile!

What a beautiful place Ken & Vonnie have carved out in the rain forest!  And, if for sale too, so if anyone is interested just email me and I'll put you all  in touch. Their lovely home is about 3/4 finished , so you  could easily add your own personality with the finishing touches and, trust me, it would be a whole lot easier than starting to build from scratch!  The stories we've heard about even how hard it is to get the building supplies to your site are endless; not to mention the "ins and outs" of dealing with local rules and regulations!  It sounds like there is more paperwork to build here than even in the States!

Anyway, we went on the Rana Azul's for pizza and good company and, of course, a banana split for desert. Then Mary (our angel neighbor) super-surprised me by bringing out a yummy chocolate cake that she had not only baked early that morning, but had smuggled in her boat without me even noticing it! I guess I thought the bag she carried held the slides for the snake program the next day. What a wonderful surprise and delight! Chocolate Volcano, or Chocolate Explosion, or something along those lines is what she called it. I called it HEAVEN.  And what a special treat to be able to share my birthday, and my cake, with everyone at the cafe including the owner and the waiter!.There was enough for all!

Yes, indeed, I will never forget turning 65, in a pizza parlor open only on Fr & Sun, in the middle of the rain forest. It was.....

just another day in paradise,

Nancy

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. ~ Marcel Proust

Respite in the Jungle

We took Crickett for a spin over to the next bay to hike the late Jim Jackson's propert. We could have reached it by simply boating straight across our bay, however, we were told there's a reef in front of that dock and we didn't want to risk it.
 

 

 

We've been told that Jim never actually lived on his property, but he spent  lots of time and energy (translate money) turning it into a wonderful respite for his many friends. The trails are well groomed and even covered with wood chips!  And, when you pull into the quite eleborate dock you see a wonderful cabana complete with rockers and recliners for just hanging out!

 

 

And of course tons beautiful flowers and other huge things that look like gigantic versions of what we call "house plants" back home.

 

 

We only spent a couple hours at Jim Jackson's this first trek, however, I'm thinking it just might be  a perfect place for a birthday picnic for Nancy on Friday. Yep, picnic  followed by a banana-split at Rana Azuls!  And it will be will be

 

one more day in paradise!

Nancy & Norm

 

“Three keys to more abundant living: caring about others, daring for others, sharing with others.” ~ William Arthur Ward

A Bit of Austria

On Sunday's and Fridays, an Austrian couple opens their home, and their pizza ovens, to cook for all who come. Located in the  next bay over -- the bay locals call Dark Land. It's a twice-a-week-open cafe right here in the middle of nowhere! And, after nearly a month of little but pasta, rice and beans, we savored the chicken snietzel and stroganoff srved up with a smile by Joseph.

In fact,we enjoyed it so much, that we'll return on Friday, which is Nancy's birthday, to celebrate with a Margarita pizza....and a banana split!

Who would have expected to find such a place in the middle of the rainforest! Rana Azul's not only provides a nice break from mundane cooking, but more importantly, it serves as the gathering place for the entire bay neighborthood of colorful characters. Yes indeed, Sunday at Rana Azul's  was...

just another day in paradise,

Norm
&
Nancy

“The great difference between voyages rests not with the ships, but with the people you meet on them.” ~ Amelia Barr

Conquering the Kayak

  “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” – Helen Keller

I decided it was time to time to try out the kayak.  It's a bright yellow, sit-on-top one that is much longer than my "Ole Turtle" back home that I sit snug inside.  I was a little uneasy about trying the longer, more narrow kayak and also nervous about how to board it from the dock since there's about a 3 foot drop to the water. Being graceful is not my strong suit.

So, first I "tried it on for size" on the dock and decided I would fit, albeit just barely.  Next, with Norm holding the kayak by a rope, I quickly lowered myself on to it, but of course I missed the "seat part" and needed to wiggled around a bit to wedge myself in the the right spot. As i struggle to park my pooch in the right place the kayak underneath felt pretty tipsy!

But, once I got situated it worked just like Ole Turtle!  What fun I had paddling along the edges of the bay, then back across the bay on return. Coming back to the dock was much harder than going out. I'm not certain if I was just getting tired, or if I was fighting an underwater current. then, of course, there was the challenge of getting off the kayak and on to the dock.  No photo!  Just imagine "beached whale," but anyway you look at it, it was a great day on the water and....

just another day in paradise,

Nancy

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for” – John A. Shedd

Willy Wonka Two Docks Down

The Cerrutti Chocolate Farm just two docks down from ours her in the Bay of Dolphins is a delight!  We visited yesterday and were led around the property – a real Garden of Eden by Linda Cerutti who is simply a font of information on the flora and fauna of the area.

 The day begin as we pulled up to their dock with a man and his son telling us there was a sloth in the trees just off to the right. We backed up, and then pulled around to the area he directed us. And, sure enough, there was a sloth!  We only got a little peek, albeit, not a very clear one, through the trees. He was about 30 feet in the air and the foliage was thick, but it was our first sloth sighting!  

 We saw several different species of mushrooms as we tromped through the forest. They’ve really been popping out since it has rained daily for the past week.  A family from Alaska was walking the tour with us and one young man seemed to really know his stuff about mushrooms.  I’ve already forgotten most of the names he told me already, but the Turkey Tail stands out in my mind. He ways it’s used as a strong immune system booster and can help to prevent/cure cancer. No way to fact checks that in the rain forest, but it sounded believeable to me!

 We wandered among prehistoric looking trees and bushes as Linda named them each and gave us a bit of background on how the Cacao tree is an important part of the rain forest. It is a species that survives only as a “second story” tree – which it grows under the higher canopy, in an umbrella shapely and it provides shade for the growth underneath.  The deep leaves and debris at the bottom of the trees is necessary as the little bugs that serve in the pollination process live there.  A perfect system!

 And now for the exciting part: Just as our tour was winding down and we were headed down the hill towards the shed David Cerrutti does his Willy Wonka work and turns bean pods into chocolate, we happened on a MASSIVE SWARM OF ARMY ANTS!  Yikes and double YIKES!  Walk fast! Linda shorted. And we did, but you can’t walk fast enough to escape a ga-zillion army ants and soon they were covering our legs and biting Norm and I through our swim shoes we’d worn (thinking they’d be good for walking the rain forest and not as hot as rubber boots.)  Wrong!  Those darned boots serve many a purpose and not only will they deter snakes; they make it harder for the ants to get you too.  I personally got 22 bites and Norm must have gotten just as many. They stings hot as a poker!The good news is they only hurt for a couple of hours; then the pain goes away.  No photos of the ants. You understand, right?

 

It was a fascinating morning spent in the rainforest. The day warm but not hot, the sun out but not beating, no rain….and only one army of ants.  It truly was ….

 Just another day in paradise.

Norm & Nancy

Ladies and gentlemen, bums and tramps,
Cross-eyed mosquitos and bow-legged ants.
Pull up a chair and sit on the floor
And I'll tell you an story I never heard before.

                                Nursery Rhyme author unknown