SUMMER FINCA LERIDA FOOD FINDS
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INSIDE PANAMA THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING SPANISH THE NATIONAL THEATER RANDOMLY GOOD PART 6
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FOOD FINDS PEARL ISLANDS LOS MOLINOS BOUTIQUE HOTEL EMILY HAWORTH THE HONEY LADY! A BETTER FUTURE FOR PORTOBELO
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A WALK IN THE CLOWDS FINCA LERIDA
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BOCAS DEL TORO DINING IN CHIRIQUI EL VALLE DE ANTON PANAMANIAN EYE CANDY AZUERO
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panama’s lifestyle & travel magazine The name 9°80° is derived from the country’s location on the world map – 9 degrees north of the equator, 80 degrees west of the prime meridian.
GENERAL MANAGER
Irma Marengo
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Falina Pérez de Valverde SALES EXECUTIVE
Jorge Sánchez WRITERS
Irma Marengo Amanda Sides Priscilla Clare Nash PHOTOGRAPHY
Irma Marengo Jorge Sánchez Maudy Bom Inside Panama Real Estate PEPPOPHOTOGRAPHY COLLABORATORS
Andrew Wilkins Asia Sherman
CONTACT INFORMATION
Phone: (507)394-3452 info@panama980.com www.locationpanama.com Panama 9°80° es publicada por Avenue A. Publications, Inc. Las opiniones y recomendaciones de los autores y artistas que aparecen en Panama 9°80° no necesariamente reflejan las opiniones de la empresa. Panama 9°80° no asume responsabilidad por los productos o servicios que se anuncian en la revista, ni por errores de contenido impreso. No está permitido reproducir, total o parcialmente en contenido de esta publicación sin previo permiso escrito de Avenue A. Publications, Inc. © 2013 Todos los derechos reservados. RUC: 1119547-1-564065 D.V. 92 Impreso por Panamericana Formas e Impresos, S.A. quién solo actúa como impresor. Impreso en Colombia Panama 9°80°
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A WALK IN THE CLOWDS
FINCA LERIDA In the early 1900’s, Tollef Bache Mönniche, a recently retired Panama Canal engineer from Norway, purchased land from a local farmer in the highlands of Boquete.
Named after a city founded by Moors in Spain, Lerida sits over 5,000 feet above sea level in the lush cloud forest of the Chiriquí province – bordering the Amistad National Park and just six miles from the picturesque mountain town of Boquete. Mönniche and his wife Julia Trible Huger, a descendant of one of the colonial families of the United States, first moved to Lerida as a temporary retreat from the hard work of the city but ended up owning 900 acres of green coffee, vegetables and fruits - including strawberries, pears, blackberries, plums, and some varieties of avocados brought from Guatemala. They raised cattle, turkeys, chickens and horses. Even though infrastructure was limited, Mönniche established a thriving and beautiful coffee farm. The 1929 harvest was remarkable, producing 204,600 pounds of coffee from 12,000 coffee plants. The best batches were exported to Germany where they sold at three times their market value.
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Photo by: IM
Tollef himself built most of the machinery at the farm and invented the “sifon”, a machine that separates the good coffee beans from the bad. To this day, it is used in Boquete and coffee plantations throughout the world. In addition to creating a 40-square foot pond, Mönniche conserved 247 acres of virgin rain forest as his primordial reserve, providing the water supply for his coffee operation.
Mönniche and his wife returned to The United States in 1956, and the property was sold to Alfred and Inga Collins in 1957. Alfred Collins, an American-Panamanian whose father came to work for the Panama Canal as a lawyer in 1908, and Inga Collins, born in Panama to Swedish parents, settled into Lerida and continued to harvest high quality coffee, which they exported to The United States and Europe. They became active in conservation and played an important role in organizing the coffee community.
Mr. Collins, along with others, helped coffee producers label their coffee according to altitude and brought together 168 shareholders to create The “Beneficio Central de Café” or Coffee Central Beneficiary to help small producers export their coffee. Farm workers vividly recalled Mrs. Inga’s festive Christmas parties and all of the gifts she gave to the children on the farm.
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Today, tours of the coffee plantation are available with knowledgeable guides who explain how the beans are hand picked and the steps of the coffee growing process. The healthy hike through the plantation finishes in the original processing plant where Mönniche created, dreamed, processed and brewed his high quality coffee. The tour also includes a tasting and a short course on coffee quality, varieties, aroma and roasts. Currently owned and managed by the Chiari family, descendants of Italian immigrants and two presidents of The Republic of Panama, Finca Lerida is now home to a 21-room boutique hotel and restaurant, inspired by the cottage architecture of the first house built by Tollef Mönniche in 1929.
Inside is a warm classic country décor with all of the necessary amenities for a comfortable stay. And outside, on the idyllic grounds, squirrels prance through the perfectly manicured gardens, while dozens of hummingbirds hop from one flower to the next in an endless nectar binge, and farm workers busily prepare to harvest some of Panama’s oldest and finest coffee.
Photo by: IM
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Contact information: Tel: (507) 720-1111 info@fincalerida.com www.fincalerida.com Rooms, facilities and amenities: 1 Historic suite 6 Suites 4 Standard rooms 11 Deluxe rooms 42” LCD TV with satellite signal Safe box
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Deluxe toiletries Wi-Fi Internet Coffee shop Gift shop Mönniche restaurant La Amistad bar Shuttles to and from the local airport Activities: Bird watching Coffee tours Hiking
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Photo by Maudy Bom Inside Panama Real Estate
INSIDE PANAMA REAL ESTATE By: Amanda Sides
It’s not just North American retirees who are making their new homes in Panama. People from all over the world are recognizing the incredible benefits of giving up the middle-class struggle and venturing to a place where their money stretches a bit further, where life is enjoyed rather than survived. Panama City, Coronado, Boquete and everywhere in between are more than just vacation destinations: each can provide the setting for an early retirement, a family home, or an entrepreneurial idea.
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Those great ideas are in demand. As the ex-pat community fills up with people who are ready to stop working, the need for goods and services is rising. Panama is starting to see many young singles and families making their way to the city, beach and mountains to start a simpler, Panama 9°80° www.locationpanama.com
richer life abroad -- in a place where a simple business venture might be the first of its kind, rather than the fiftieth. With fantastic international schools throughout the country and a variety of options for visas and work permits, moving to Panama has never been easier, and Inside Panama Real Estate is here to make sure of that.
Though the company was founded by North Americans in a Spanish-speaking country, the Inside Panama team comes from all over the world. Between them, they speak nine languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Serbian, Portuguese, and Croatian. Let them know which of these languages you’d like to do your searching in; they can accommodate you -- because no matter how old you are or where you’re from, you need a place to live.
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Photo by Maudy Bom Inside Panama Real Estate
We’re not talking about just a place to hang your flip flops -- we’re talking about a real home. Whether than means a quiet beach house with a big yard for your dogs, or a posh condo in the middle of all the action, the IPRE team will help you find it. Along the way, they’ll help you find your place in the community, as well.
Do you love pets? They’ve heard that someone needs a dog sitter and they can get you involved with the local animal rescue efforts. Do you play the guitar? Several local restaurants feature live music for brunch or in the evening and your IPRE relocation guide can introduce you to the restaurant owners. Do you want to make sure your child experiences a smooth transition into this new culture? Several of the IPRE team members have children as well, and can point you in the right direction. With offices in Panama City, Coronado, and Boquete, IPRE has the scoop on what it’s like to live in each of these unique places and they’re familiar with every neighborhood and new development. They can tell you where to eat, where to shop, and when happy hour begins.
Most importantly, the team at Inside Panama recognizes the reasons why people leave their home countries in the first place -- indeed, most of the staff members did it for some of those same reasons -- and they want to help you find the kind of lifestyle that they themselves enjoy. Whether you’re a beach person or a mountain person, a golfer or a tennis player, a city mouse or a country mouse, Panama offers something for everyone -- and every day, more and more people come to that very realization. IPRE recently attended the fourth annual Expo Turismo Internacional in Panama City. This event brought about 150 tourism service providers together, all of whom shared the same great idea: Panama is the place to be and now is the time to be here! 18
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Inside Panama also launched Real Estate Tours in Panama to offer visitors a look at what life here is really like. A variety of tours are available, each focusing on what’s “real” about ex-pat life in this country. You can choose a pre-designed tour lasting from one day to one week, exploring the areas of the country you most want to see. Private tours are also available, where you have the expert’s undivided attention and you can design the tour according to your precise interests.
Panama is beautiful and inexpensive and a host of other wonderful things, but even in the tropics we are faced with some common daily challenges: a dead car battery, an appointment no-show, a tedious visa process. It happens! But it happens everywhere (in Panama, it’s just especially worth it!). Real Estate Tours in Panama believes that every potential resident or investor deserves to see Panama as it is, both pros and cons, so as to make well-informed decisions.
In November, Real Estate Tours in Panama hosted its first Coronado Lifestyles Conference; a three-day event in the beach community. Attendees enjoyed informational sessions that focused on making wise real estate investments. They learned a little Spanish while they visited a variety of beach and mountain properties and got to know each other, as well as current ex-pat residents, over lunch, dinner, and cocktails. Be on the lookout for more conference dates, coming soon! From the incredible luxury of the Trump Ocean Club and Costa del Este in the city, to the great layouts and topnotch amenities of the Bern and Corcione properties in the beach area, to the stunning Lucero Golf and Country Club in Boquete, Inside Panama Real Estate knows just the place to fit your lifestyle and desire. For more information contact: Mike Vuytowecz Tel: (507)6756-5850 mike@ipreinfo.com
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Take any promotional piece on Panama, telling you why to move here, and I will bet you money that one of the stated benefits of living here is that English is ‘widely spoken’, or ‘almost everyone speaks Spanish’. First of all, let me clarify this point. English is definitely widely spoken. However, those speaking English are not so easy to find (although they are becoming more so), and generally speaking, the people you encounter daily in customer service roles will not, as a rule, speak English. So, while you will easily find lawyers, doctors, dentists and bank managers/mortgage advisors who speak English, it is unlikely that the customer service representative at your cable provider, the person taking your pizza delivery order, a taxi driver or, generally speaking, any person providing a day-to-day service will speak English.
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Now, translation and interpretation services are readily available in Panama, and for a small price you can enjoy the company of an interpreter escorting you around as you embark on your new lifestyle, removing the obstacles that lie in your way and solving the problems you will come across, but this might take away from your experience of moving to this new country. The alternative, of course, is to learn Spanish.
We all know that as we get older, our aptitude for learning new things decreases significantly and that the best time to learn a language is before age 5, when our brains our like sponges. The good news is, you can still learn Spanish at any age if you put your mind to it and whether you choose to learn just enough Spanish to ‘get by’ or you pursue absolute fluency, the rewards you will reap from learning this incredible language will be endless. First of all, the people will respond to you much more if you show some attempt to learn their language. Even if it just a simple “Good Morning”, “Please” and “Thank you”. Panamanians are used to seeing foreigners in their country. They are especially used to foreigners who speak no Spanish and they are simply delighted when you can speak to them in good, comprehensible Spanish. It shows you have a level of respect for them and their country and it shows a willingness to learn about them and their culture. Think of a vacation you have spent in another country, or even another state or city in your own country. Probably, you learned something interesting about that place from a local resident. It may have been a taxi driver or it may have been a waiter, but it probably made a difference to your experience there. Well, this situation is perhaps even truer in Latin America, where people are friendly and eager to share their anecdotes and history with you and these stories may be even more interesting for you. Imagine what someone can tell you about the times of Noriega in Panama, the expansion of the Panama Canal, the old American Canal Zone… The list is endless.
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If you are thinking of doing business here in Panama, learning to speak Spanish is really not an option. There are people that manage to get by, but very few are successful. While “doing business” in English is not unheard of, all legal documentation will always be written in Spanish, and most likely, your business associates will be Spanish speakers. Signing a legal agreement in a language you do not understand, even if accompanied by a legal translation can be a daunting prospect.
Fortunately, Spanish is one of the easiest languages to grasp. Its similarity to English and other romance languages means that many of the words are instantly recognizable. While you may not think this at first, pronouncing Spanish words is simple. Once you master the sound of each letter in the Spanish alphabet, (identical to the English one, only with two extra sounds), you will be able to pronounce each and every word correctly, just by looking at it. There are no confusing pronunciation rules like those found in English and French. Thanks to Spanish being one of the world’s most widely spoken languages, learning resources are endless. Before your trip to Panama, you can pick up endless educational tools online or at any bookstore in the US and even take classes at your local school. You will most likely find that you don’t really see much progress in your fluency of the language until you are emerged in a Spanish-speaking country, using the language every day. However, the initial education that you can give yourself before you come will serve you well, especially in terms of grammar, reading and writing.
Once in Panama, you can continue your education at a Spanish school, you can hire a personal tutor, continue with your online studies and embrace the media – it’s surprising how much you can learn from reading the newspaper or watching the television. Even try using the Spanish subtitles when you watch DVDs – this is a helpful way of learning new vocabulary.
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Photo by Jorge Sánchez
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THE NATIONAL THEATER Designed by Italian architect Genaro Ruggeri, Panama’s National Theater is a beautiful example of the neoclassical architecture that arrived to the isthmus at the turn of the 19th century. Commissioned in 1904 as part of a package of infrastructure improvements, the theater was built on the site of a former convent in Casco Antiguo, Panama City’s old town. The project was awarded to the Duque & Arias firm and supervised by Panamanian engineer Florencio Armodio Arosemena. It opened on October 1, 1908 with a presentation of Guiseppe Verdi’s Aida to celebrate the inauguration of President Jose Domingo de Obaldia, the second president of the republic. Admission that night was $1 for gallery seats and $40 to sit at the front of the house. Inside, the theater can accommodate over 850 spectators under a magnificent plafond fresco by the Panamanian master Roberto Lewis, who also painted much of the artwork in the Presidential Palace, including the murals in the Yellow Room that depict the discovery of the Panamanian Isthmus and the Pacific Ocean and Panama’s independence. Lewis studied art in France under Leon Bonat and later with Albert Dubois-Pillet.
It has undergone two renovations and continues to host a variety of national and international productions including classical music concerts, operas, ballets and theater.
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RANDOMLY GOOD part 6
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THE FISH MARKET
A photographer friend suggested we try the Fish Market, a new restaurant in Casco Antiguo. To our surprise, we stumbled upon a familiar face, the talented Mike Thompson. We met Mike nearly ten years ago during one of the magazine’s first food reviews. After traveling and living throughout Southeast Asia, this young British transplant had just opened the Lemongrass restaurant in Bocas del Toro, and we were immediately blown away by his fresh and creative approach to pan-Asian food that capitalized on the Caribbean’s fresh seafood.
Five years later, Mike moved from to Panama City and wanted to do something different than the traditional bricks and mortar restaurant. He was drawn to the more casual food truck concept sweeping much of the rest of the world. So, he and business partner Maurice Cohen built out a truck themselves and opened to rave reviews in Clayton, where they operated for two years before moving to a more permanent location in Casco Antiguo last July. Set in the ruins of a colonial building in the old town, the décor is casual and inviting, with white picnic tables topped with blue parasols and Japanese paper lanterns hanging over two communal counters.
The blackboard menu serves up rotating dishes based on whatever seafood is fresh at the local market that day, including what we believe is the best Thai green fish curry in the country.
The fish tacos are also a delectable standard - a mix of seasoned grilled fish, lettuce, shredded cabbage and carrots, Mexican salsa and a very special chili and garlic aioli - served with a side of flavorful vegetable rice with a hint of fish sauce. Depending on the day, there may also be fish gyros inspired by Mike’s time in Greece, a Hawaiian tuna poke, a Vietnamese shredded pork sandwich or Thai-chili prawns.
“After living in Thailand and Indonesia, I’m naturally drawn to cooking Asian food, but I try not to do that solely,” Mike said by way of explaining the flavorful variety on the menu. He goes on to indicate that The Fish Market will spice things up with Saturday seafood barbecues during Panama’s summer months. The Fish Market is open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and Thursday and Friday night with live music and a good selection of craft beers and wine by the glass. Mike and his team also offer customized 9-course tasting menus for groups of six or more and have created a popular venue for private parties. The Fish Market is by far the hippest, coolest and most delicious food truck in Panama City. Hours Lunch: Tuesday to Saturday from 11:30 to 4:00 p.m. Nights: Thursday & Friday from 6:00 p.m. to midnight Location: Casco Antiguo, Ave. Central Tel: (507) 6721-6445 thefishmarketpanama@gmail.com
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Photo by IM
CERRO BRUJO GOURMET Cerro Brujo Gourmet is by far one of the main reasons to visit Volcan. Chef Patricia Miranda believes in sustainable gastronomy where the chef, producers and diners are part of a harmonious experience that cultivates local, seasonal ingredients. Chef Patricia not only creates a rotating seasonal menu of fresh creative cuisine but has an award-winning cookbook and exudes a positive energy and a love of what she does. She is not only a passionate chef but a wonderful storyteller, adventurous, funny, witty and a down-to-earth community leader who works to promote self-improvement in the local Ng채be Bugle community. Carried away by our own sense of adventure, we tried every dish on the menu:
Spectacular Salad!
This spectacular salad combines the freshest herbs, red pepper, fennel seeds, carrots, onions, kale, tossed in a light and delicate dressing and served with honeycomb and papaya - a killer combination.
Vegetable wrap
Edible art! Delicate and refined rice paper filled with rosa fina petals, lettuce, basil, sweet yellow peppers, alfalfa sprouts, and a touch of white truffle oil, served over an electric blue light custard cream with a garlic base.
Chocolate curry chicken
Chicken strips cooked and seasoned to perfection, topped with the most decadent and creative chocolate curry sauce. An incredible burst of flavors. 30
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The Rabbit stew, a pleasant surprise.
Tender and juicy, cooked with beer, ginger and coriander - mouthwatering and quite a treat for game meat lovers.
Pork belly
A signature dish of slow-roasted pork (8 hours) prepared with white wine, mustard, oregano, tarragon, salvia, roasted garlic, basil, rosemary, olive oil and peppers caramelized in artisan butter.
Irish coffee:
Locally grown organic coffee, served with whisky and a decadent and indulging French crème. Location: Brisas del Norte, Volcan Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Tel: (507) 6669-9196 cerrobrujogourmet@gmail.com Facebook: Cerro Brujo Gourmet You can find them in Google map, Waze and Youtube.
Photo by IM
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LA TECA
La Teca was created by friends for friends and brings a refreshing beach bistro concept to Coronado’s Pacific beach community.
Our first course was fresh shrimp, lightly battered and tossed in a creamy garlic and chili sauce with just the right amount of heat. The yuca brava, served with garlic and tomato aioli, was perfectly executed, a simple but delicious Panamanian twist on the classic Spanish papas bravas. The tuna and pork rind sandwich proved to be a perfect marriage of fresh tuna and the salty crisp of the pork rinds.
We also discovered the Fideuá, a decadent noodle paella with a rich mix of peppers, shrimp, mussels, scallops, served with a side of house aioli, an instant favorite.
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The suckling pig was cooked to perfection, tender and juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, served over rustic mashed potatoes with seasoned apples and topped with spicy pickled onions. We get excited when chefs express creativity through a standout dish – in this case the strawberry taco filled with caramelized strawberries sautéed in balsamic vinegar, deep fried and served à la mode.
Coronado has come a long way!
Location The Village shopping mall, 1st floor, Coronado Beach Hours Tuesday to Sunday: from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Tel: (507) 240-2101 reservations@latecarestaurant.com Restaurante La Teca Twitter: @LaTecaCoronado Instagram: Restaurante La Teca
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RINCON ALEMAN GASTHOUSE One of the most rewarding things in our line of work is not only that we get to sample amazing food and visit beautiful places but that we get to know some really fun people. Fritz is definitely one of them. Originally from D체mmer, Germany, Fritz arrived to Panama in 1974 to work for the Swiss Bank Corporation. He loved Panama and stayed.
Fritz and his business partner Willy Diggelmann started the restaurant as a hobby back in 2006 when they used gather with their German friends for a regular Friday luncheon. Today, the authentic German menu includes traditional dishes like the Kasseler Kotelett, a cured and lightly smoked pork chop, accompanied by boiled potatoes and rich and flavorful sauerkraut imported from Germany. Our favorite item, however, is the Schweinshaxe, a three-pound pork knuckle with a crispy crust cooked with a hint of juniper berries and a healthy helping of the tangy kraut.
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And, last but not least is one of Fraulein Maria´s favorite things…the schnitzel! Cooked to perfection, thin and breaded, with a sautéed German potato side.
Out back, the Bavarian-style beer garden, complete with traditional Biergarten tables is open during Oktoberfest and is a popular outdoor drinking destination during Panama’s summer months. So, stop in and sample over 45 types of beer from around the world. They are primarily German of course, but there is a nice offer of Dutch, Belgian and Czech brews, as well as a number of beers on tap. Hours Monday to Saturday: from 11:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. Location: 51st Street, Bella Vista Tel: (507) 264-2590 rincon-aleman@hotmail.com Facebook: Rincon Aleman
Photo by IM
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MIRANDA BAKERY
Miranda Bakery is one of those places where everything is special, a cozy and popular family-style café where people wait for tables.
The menu is small but big in flavor and quality, and the atmosphere is extremely welcoming. Four out of the nine menu items are burgers with homemade buns, including the decadent American Burger served on a homemade Parker House Roll and topped with sautéed red onions, cheddar, bacon and a fried egg. The Polish Boy Burger is also served on a Parker House Roll and topped with potato pierogi, sour cream and sautéed red onions. We ordered the turkey dinner sandwich with tender chunks of turkey, real stuffing and cranberry chutney served between thick slices of pumpkin bread and gravy on the side. Perhaps better than this Thanksgiving-dinner-in-a-bite are the sweet potato molasses fries. The roasted chicken salad with sweet peppers, hearts of palms, red onions served over pain-au-lait is also a must try.
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Photo by IM
Ohh! Don’t forget this is a bakery. There is an entire counter of bake goods including the house favorite chocolate chip and mudslide cookies.
On display at the dessert counter is a sweettooth assortment of angel cakes, cupcakes, carrot cakes lemon pies and a chocolate tres leches, along with jars of honey and apple butter spreads. Both Chefs, Ana Cristina Henriquez and Jonathan Bito, studied at the Culinary Institute of America. *Catering also available Location San Francisco 75 Street Hours: Monday to Friday: from 9:00 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Saturday: from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tel: (507) 226-4014 Cel: (507) 6677-9951 mirandabakery@gmail.com
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FOOD
FINDS Pork Belly Cerro Brujo Volcan, Chiriqui Brisas del Norte Tel: 6669-9196
Roasted chicken salad Miranda Bakery Panama City 75th Street, San Francisco Tel: 226-4014
Thai green fish curry
Melanzane Sandwich
Fish Market Panama City Casco Antiguo, Ave. Central Tel: 6721-6445
Da Noi Pizza Panama City El Cangrejo Eusebio A. Morales Street Tel: 392-6530
Chick Fille
Corpachi Honey
Chickaffe Panama City Centenial Park Tel: 396-9192
Mediterranean Paella La Teca Coronado Beach The Village Mall, 1st floor Tel: 240-2101
Yogurt Parfait Yogurt Berry Panama City Multiplaza Mall, 2nd floor Tel: n/a
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Curry wurst Rincon Aleman Gasthouse Panama City 51st Street, Bella Vista Tel: 264-2590
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Clams in the shell The Rock Boquete, Chiriqui April 11th Ave. Tel: 720-2516
Miel Boqueteña Boquete, Chiriqui Casita de Miel Tel: (507) 6669-9196
Steak Parmigiana Napoli Panama City 57th Street, Obarrio Tel: 263-8800
Pixbae, pivá, pifá All over the country Sold by street vendors
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PEARL ISLANDS
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One of the country’s best kept secret is only 15 minutes by plane from Panama City and just over an hour and a half by ferry through the Bay of Panama. The Pearl Islands is an archipelago of hundreds of islands and islets, many uninhabited. Although located off Panama’s Pacific Coast, the islands have a distinctly Caribbean feel, with white sand beaches lapped by turquoise waters. Offshore, however, waters are teeming with a rich Pacific marine life, perfect for diving, snorkeling, sailing, sports fishing and spotting dolphins and whales.
Named by Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa for the abundance of pearls he encountered upon discovering the archipelago in 1513, the islands are also known for producing the largest recorded pearl in the world, ‘La Peregrina’, which once belonged to Elizabeth Taylor. The most developed island is Contadora with its luxurious villas and a handful of hotels and restaurants. In the days of the Spanish conquistadors, the island was used to store and count gold (hence the name which means bookkeeper in Spanish). It remained relatively undisturbed until the1960s, when construction began on a large resort, and Contadora became the choice getaway for wealthy Panamanians and foreigners, including Jimmy Carter, Julio Iglesias and Iran’s exiled Shah Reza Pahlavi. And south of Contadora is Isla San José, the second largest island of the archipelago and home to one of Panama’s most exclusive island resorts, Hacienda del Mar.
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Set on what was once a private cattle farm is Hacienda Los Molinos, an exclusive residential community and boutique hotel, surrounded by a beautiful highlands landscape of gardens and lakes. Photo by: IM
Photo by: IM
Development of the community began about 10 years ago with the construction of a lodge to host potential real estate buyers. This way, they could experience life at Hacienda Los Molinos before buying into the community, which has sold all of its first phase homes and half of second phase properties. A third phase launch planned for the near future. From this initial experience came La Casa del Risco, recently renamed the Los Molinos Boutique Hotel, which overlooks the 360-foot high Cochea River Canyon and offers panoramic views of the gulf of Chiriqui, the Baru Volcano and the shimmering city lights of the city of David below.
In response to demand, Hacienda Los Molinos is updating its hospitality offering – previously six comfortable and well-outfitted rooms, a bar and a restaurant- to include 13 villas with a total of 35 rooms, an event space for social and corporate events with capacity for 200 people, a private dining area with a cellar and a fireplace, the club house including a spa, a gym, a VIP lounge with a media room, a tennis course, a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi. Although the hacienda delivers leisurely living at its best with great food, amenities and service on site, adventure-seeking guests may also venture off the hacienda to take a 15-minute guided forest hike to the waterfall for an invigorating and memorable dip in the mountain river. Contact information: Tel: (507) 730-8313 lacasadelrisco@losmolinos.com.pa www.lacasadelrisco.com
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EMILY HAWORTH THE HONEY LADY!
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“To me one of life’s most innocent and greatest pleasures is to eat!” Ever since I can first remember, I have had a love affair with food, as a child I am sure I put things in my mouth before I would smell or do anything else with them. I have been fortunate to have been able to travel all over the world and experiencing different cuisines has just reinforced my love for great food products. And great honey has to rank as one of my favorite foods.
I was able to move to Panama on a permanent basis about 3 years ago and I started to work with local bee keepers, having kept Italian bees in the past, with just a couple of hives. This new venture however, was my first experience in keeping African bees but once I tasted the honey they produced, I was hooked. These wonderful bees produce some of the very best quality honey I have encountered. There are several reasons for the quality of the honey produced here in Boquete; the bees live on small farms and are able to forage amongst a wide variety of food sources, the bees themselves are very vigorous and healthy, they are not fed sugar and pesticides are not used to remove mites common amongst bees in other parts of the world. In Boquete, our lucky bees are able to feed on such a wide variety of mostly wild plants that they thrive, stay healthy and this allows the bee keepers to limit or eliminate the use of harmful chemicals in the areas the bees forage.
In many honey producing regions in Europe and America, honey production is a byproduct of the crop pollination business and this usually involves large expanses of a single or mono-crop. This may mean for example, that the bees only get to feed of almond trees, and while almonds are a great food and high in protein, no animal can survive in an optimum condition with no variety in the diet. This reflects in the quality and flavor of the honey produced. This is the reason you will see terms such as orange honey or alfalfa honey as these are the main crop the bees have to collect the pollen and to create their honey. The older generation of Panamanians really identify with honey because they can remember when almost every farm had a small bee hive, everyone was into bees and back then, the bees were very gentle. In the 1980s African bees started migrating north from Brazil, through Colombia and eventually overtaking the Panamanian bee population.
African bees are a lot more aggressive than other bees and when they first arrived in Panama, people still had their hives close to houses, animals and people and there were quite a few accidents. Our bees have to be tucked away, out of sight and I work with them at night or in the early morning when they are less aggressive – working with these bees is completely different and most people do not want to take the trouble.
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Photo by: IM
You need to taste these incredible products to appreciate the difference; Corpache offers a very cool, fresh, floral flavor in its very high glucose honey and Amargocillo is a favorite amongst the locals who have been using this honey for years. Amargocillo comes from a large family of plants that have little yellow, daisylike flowers. In other parts of the world these plants can be poisonous and the honey from those particular plants should not be consumed. Here in Boquete, we are lucky in that the Amargocillo plants are not poisonous and they produce a honey with the most amazing almond flavor – a superb honey that is also very rare. There are three things that make Boquete honey unique; the very high and consistent quality that our bees produce, the wide variety of honeys we are able to produce due to the variety of micro-climates and unique eco-systems and the third aspect is in the production of honeycombs. While this not unique to Panama, we are the only ones in Panama who have brought in the equipment to produce full honeycombs, or panels.
This was an experimental year for Miel Boqueteña. I had no idea what was going to happen although I knew I was really excited about the honey, but I really didn’t know if anyone else would be. To our great surprise, what we found is that a lot of people who love food are just like me; they love great food products, are looking for something healthy and they have found both in our honeys. Bee keeping has become a bit of a lost art, there are really very few with high skill levels left. There are those that manage a few hives, maybe 40 or 50, but when you move to an operation with hundreds of hives there are not many of us around. Panama has relied heavily on Cuban keepers as they have been very well trained in apiculture
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We believe strongly in the potential for honey in Panama and we are extremely excited about producing a very patriotic product – Panamanian honey is a true taste of your country. Panama 9°80°
Boquete is a special place for keeping bees for another reason; the different eco-systems and micro-climates that are found around Volcan Baru. This creates an opportunity for our local bees to create different types of honey as different plants flower at different times, or there are some plants that only exist within small geographic areas. One of the things that excites me most about keeping bees in this area is the fact we have a few single eco-system honeys – two in particular are very special to Boquete; Amargocillo and Corpachi – as these are plants that only grow here and in parts of Costa Rica. We can find clover honey and orange blossom honey almost everywhere, even coffee honey is found in many different tropical areas but Boquete is the only place you can find these two outstanding honey varieties – don’t forget their names: Amargocillo and Corpachi.
Photo courtesy of Emily Haworth
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Photo by: IM
Emily offers offer honey tours by appointment, tastings and exhibits at her home in Boquete. The home of Miel Boquetena is the Casita de Miel, Boquete. Tel: (507) 720-2939 mielboquetena@gmail.com www.honeybeepanama.com
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Miel Boqueteña is artisan, that means it is raw, cold processed and unfiltered. It is highly active and medicinal as well as rich in texture and full of flavor. They have 20+ varieties of honey in a relatively small area around Baru Volcano.
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Photo by Bobby Pereira
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A BETTER FUTURE FOR PORTOBELO
For years, the colorful town of Portobelo has been a drive-by tourism attraction, known primarily for the fortress ruins of Spanish conquistadors of a century past and the Black Christ that draws thousands of pilgrims every October 21st. Once a primary port city of the Colon Province during the Spanish colonial period, Portobelo (which means Beautiful Port) has a rich history and Caribbean culture, but was never more than a quick stop for a modern tourist on the way to some of the nearby islands or marinas. But this is changing.
Over the last few years, the Portobelo Bay Foundation (Fundación Bahía de Portobleo), has been actively working to improve Portobelo’s quality of life by promoting comprehensive and sustainable development through culture, while preserving the community’s identity.
One of the foundation’s projects is the Escuelita del Ritmo or Little School of Rhythm, founded in 2009 to promote culture, art and discipline through music education – stimulating creativity and an aesthetic appreciation. Free classes are available, including piano, percussion, saxophone, violin, dance, base, singing trumpet, clarinet and even woodworking lessons. So far, the facilities house five music rooms, a dance room, workshops, study halls, English and computer labs, a recording studio and a multi-use room for recitals, concerts and cinema. The result is an inspiring environment brimming over with positivity, as young boys and girls build their knowledge and self-esteem through art and music. There are now over 90 students. The foundation also works to promote Portobelo’s biodiversity and cultural richness as a fundamental practice for sustainable development, particularly in the tourism industry - an important income source to help revitalize the area, which continues to struggle to improve education, health and overall wellness in the area. And the change is apparent, evident in the success of the teachers, students and ultimately the community, who working together to grow a better future for this sleepy but still beautiful port.
Congratulations to all involved in Fundación Bahía de Portobelo. Hat’s off to you! For more information go to http://www.fundacionbp.org/es/
The foundation also operates two hotels in town, Casa del Rayo Verde and Casa Congo from which all proceeds are reinvested into the work of the foundation.
Casa Congo also houses some of the foundation’s workshops, as well as a restaurant and art gallery. Panama 9°80° www.locationpanama.com
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Photo by IM
BOCAS DEL TORO The archipelago of Bocas del Toro lies just a few miles off the northern coast of Panama and is made up of several large islands and many smaller islands and cays. The largest is Isla Col처n, and most services are available here (airport, hospital, bank, supermarket, etc.). There is a good selection of restaurants and accommodations catering to most budgets and it makes an excellent base for exploring the rest of the islands.
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Daytime fun Boat Tours:
All of the activities may be organized through the various tour operators on the islands. Cheaper water taxis also make exploring the islands on your own a more affordable option. If you plan on a more leisurely exploration of the islands, sailing may be the best option for you.
Popular destinations: Isla Colón: Bluff Beach:
On Isla Colón is the easiest nice beach to reach. Good for surfing but not for swimming.
Punch Beach:
On Isla Colón is becoming a hot for beach lounge chilling and has a reputation for great surfing
Boca del Drago:
Is a 45 minute drive from town on the other side of Isla Colón. It is a beautiful palm-fringed white sand beach. Prime for swimming, snorkeling, and relaxing. Starfish Beach: on Isla Colón is a great place for swimming. Many starfish hang out near the shore. It can only be reached by water taxi.
Isla Solarte:
The island directly across from town has swimming, snorkeling and diving at Hospital Point.
Wizard Beach:
On Bastimentos offers swimming in certain areas, diving at Dolphin Rock, snorkeling and surfing. This beach is good for learning to surf as there are no rocks, and the waves aren’t high.
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Playa Largo:
Is another lovely beach on Isla Bastimentos. At night you may see the famous sea turtles.
Red Frog Beach:
On Bastimentos Island is one of Panama’s most beautiful surf and swimming beaches. This is the only place in the world where the red poison dart frog lives in its natural habitat. Food and drinks are sold in the recently refurbished bar. There are high-end rentals available as well as a hostel for budget travelers, a deep water marina, and soon to open Zip lines.
Coral Cay also called Crawl Cay:
The small Island near Bastimentos is a Perfect snorkeling destination where you can spot all kinds of coral and fish. This is one of the few places where you can grab a meal while out on day tour and therefore almost always a regular pit stop for most boat tours.
Cayos Zapatillas:
Offer some of the best skin diving in the marine park, windward from Crawl Cay. The variety of underwater ecosystems includes fan gardens and coral reefs. Choose from a variety of depths and currents to suit your skill. More intrepid and experienced divers can explore a series of nearby caves, at a depth of 40 feet. and require underwater lights. Cayos Zapatillas are part of a National Park.
Sailing:
One of the best ways to get to know the islands is by sailing. It is a low impact voyage that allows you to snorkel, relax and learn about the ecosystem.
Diving:
Since Bocas is an archipielago, there are many places to dive. Depth ranges from six to 60 feet inside the bay area. Wildlife is abundant as coral reefs shelter a wide variety of fish, sponges, crustaceans, even sea horses.
Surfing:
Bocas is one of the very few Caribbean surf spots with good size waves. There may be better and bigger waves in the Pacific, but here, when you surf, you do it in turquoise waters, while you ride above colorful coral reefs or white sand. There are beach breaks, point breaks and reef breaks, lefts, and rights for all tastes and preferences. You can find breaks three minutes away from Isla Colón. The preferred surf spots are Wizard, Bluff, Punch, The Point at Carenero and Tiger Tail.
It is important to visit these spots with somebody who knows the area, especially if you will be surfing over a reef break. Panama 9°80° www.locationpanama.com
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Photo by IM Finca Los Monos Botanical Garden
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Finca Los Monos:
David and Lin Gillingham arrived in Bocas in 1998 after years of traveling around the world in search of the perfect place to settle. Over the years they created a magnificent garden located on Isla Colon, with large collections of heleconias, gingers, palms, flowering trees, fruits, spices and ornamentals. While hiking through the finca you may see howler monkeys, sloths, iguanas, and tiny colorful frogs. There is a wide variety of fruits such as cacao, guava, mammee also known as mamey, nutmeg, passion fruit, pineapple, papaya, tamarind, nine varieties of bananas, amongst others. A wide variety of birds call the farm home, drawn by its abundance of fruit and flowers. Finca Los Monos is the perfect venue to celebrate special events. www.bocasdeltorobotanicalgarden.com
Panama 9°80° also recommends a visit to the butterfly farm and the bat caves.
Bocas Nights
Isla Colón nightlife is without a doubt the most exciting and interesting of all destinations in Panama. This is the perfect place to go bar hopping and to meet all kinds of people from locals to expats to tourists from all over the world.
Barco Hundido
Is the most popular nightclub where music blasts on the dock’s dance floor surrounding a shipwreck lit by spotlights.
La Iguana
Is the place to dance to the best DJ in town, what a great selection of music! Hundreds of one dollar bills cover the walls and the bar, all signed and doodled by happy and enthusiastic travelers from all over the world.
Toro Loco:
Good old rock and roll, a cold beer, great food, a dartboard, live music, and your favorite sports game on the TV….hey what else do you need?
Lili’s Café:
This restaurant is famous for its “Killing me man sauce” and breakfast “Crab Benedict”, but if you are lucky enough, you will witness the best live music jam in Bocas del Toro. These events don’t take place every Saturday, but when they do, you will be a happy camper. Talented local musicians entertain themselves and the general public, who comfortably and enthusiastically spend an afternoon out at a great waterside hangout. Panama 9°80°
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DINING IN CHIRIQUI BOQUETE
Panama 9°80° Recommends
DAVID
Mosto Bistro Fusion Tel: 730-4852
The Rock Boquete International Tel: 720-2516
Stylo (Hotel Ciudad de David) International Tel: 774-3333
The Panamonte New Panamanian Cuisine Tel: 720-1327 Sugar & Spice Bakery and cafeteria Tel: 6967-7933
Barú American Tel: 730-9294
Restaurante Mango Asian Fusion, Vegetarian Tel: 720-1539 Big Daddy’s Seafood Tel: 6683-3354
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Larios American Tel: 730-3621
VOLCÁN Cerro Brujo Gourmet Tel: 6669-9196
Photo by IM
EL VALLE
DE ANTON Just two hours away (78 miles west) from Panama City, El Valle de Anton is a picturesque town nestled inside a three million-year-old, three mile-wide volcanic crater. Nearly 2,000 feet above sea level, El Valle has a cool and pleasant climate year round and a lot to offer both locals and visitors. Its major attractions include the petroglyphs, the famous golden frogs found only in this area of Panama, El Nispero Zoo and the Sunday handicraft market where people from all over the region gather to sell their fresh produce and locally crafted souvenirs. There is a good offer of hotels and restaurants that caters to every budget from backpackers to the traveler in search of more luxurious amenities. El Valle, with its beautiful mountainscapes and rich flora and fauna, is a paradise for nature lovers outdoor enthusiasts, especially birdwatchers, hikers and horseback riders.
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PANAMANIAN EYE CANDY Rolando De Sedas is a multifaceted and talented Panamanian artist who has traveled extensively, proudly taking a colorful part a Panama along with him on his voyages. Rolo found his identity and style while studying in Barcelona.
“I was trying to show people how the Panamanian traditional dress looked, and the outcome turned out to be my first “mamis” (a colloquial term of endearment for ladies)”.
I don’t like labels, but if I must, I would say that my style is
eco-neo-pop! Eco because my “mamis” are the archetype of nature, re-invented by me; Neo-pop because it is a return to pop art, something that people can relate to, instead of dealing with so much senseless art out there. As a Panamanian, I’m inspired by our women, colors, way of life and our personality. All of these things are represented in my art.” Rolo de Sedas has presented multiple exhibitions in Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Argentina, Honduras and of course Panama. A mural at the Republic of Panama Plaza in Cordoba, Spain, was recently dedicated to and inspired by his work.
If you want to learn more about Rolando De Sedas and his art, go to www.rolodesedas.com Panama 9°80° www.locationpanama.com
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AZUERO The Cultural Hub of Panama By Priscilla Clare Nash
Photo courtesy of Cubitá
Archeological findings in Herrera show traces of giant mammals dating back to the quaternary period; this area is also home to the oldest pre-Columbian pottery of all Central America, among other findings, amazing petroglyphs describing the native daily life of the times.
The Spanish conquerors were very impressed with findings of the Gran Coclé civilization, revealing a fully developed culture and their precious metals work, specifically gold. Travelers who visit the Azuero will have the opportunity to rekindle all its history including one of its most important chapters, the tales of the native chiefs Paris and Atara who bravely won the first few attacks by the Spaniard Gonzalo de Badajoz before finally succumbing to his quest to conquer the Azuero peninsula.
The Azuero is also home to a diverse flora and fauna in its national parks and wildlife refuges like the Montuoso Forest Reserve and the Cerro Hoya National Park, to mention a couple. The Azuero coastline is ideal for a myriad of watersport activities such as surfing, fishing, diving, snorkeling and and other leisure activities. Portions of the southern coastline, better known as “Bahia de Atun” or Tuna Bay, are located partially within on the Coiba National Park Marine Reserve, considered the 5th richest in the biodiversity of marine species in the world. 62
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The Azuero peninsula is generating a lot of expectations and beyond its impressive and thriving socio-economic growth in recent years, there’s still so much to learn from its traditions, culture, history and natural legacy. In 2010, The Gorgas Commemorative Institute named Chitre the “best city to live”.
Chitre is the economic hub of the peninsula and its growth is not limited to the new infrastructure being built by the government, but it has also attracted multi-million dollar investments with a huge commercial expansion as many of the leading merchants from Panama City such as Novey, Do it Center, Farmacias Arrocha already opening stores in the area. Riba Smith, one of the country’s leading grocery stores will soon open in the exclusive Cubitá Plaza. In addition to these retail investments, tourism and real estate are also seeing a boom with project such as the Cubitá Boutique Resort & Spa, a 100-room hotel complex that also offers a museum portraying the history of Azuero, a chapel, a Panamanian gourmet restaurant, an event room and an exclusive residential development with 26 houses and 64 apartments.
For someone looking to explore the region, arrangements can be made through Cubitá Tours, so that you can experience the diversity and richness of the Azuero peninsula, the cultural hub of Panama.
Photo courtesy of Cubitá
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