Penny

The Dignity Battalion was popularly referred to as the "Ding Bats".

Yes, it's Dr. Serrud and he's in passage way B at Hospital Chiriqui. He has a brother who is a pediatric pulmonologist. He is also an internal medicine specialist. I got several good recommendations about him.

Irma recommends Dr. Cerrud in David as a pulmonologist. I think that's close to what she said his name is. Does anybody have any information on him. He's not in the Health Care Referral List.

There is a complete other side of this menu with more dishes (including all the pork dishes). Four of us ate there last night and we all found the prices a little steep. In fact, my two guests were from San Francisco and observed that you can eat more cheaply at a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco. To their credit, when two of us asked for the pensionado discount on our meals, they gave the discount to all 4 of us including the two younger visitors. That brought the bill down to $37 for four people which isn't too bad. Of course, if they had their alcohol license, the bill would have been considerably more. The consensus was that all 4 dishes were pretty good, the sweet and sour pork was the best (and the priciest).

I've been hearing about this place for a long time. Fanny sold her gourmet goodies at the BCP market for many months until the drive became just too much. On Saturday my visitors and I made the trip to Volcan. First we stopped at Raquel's Ark to hug a sloth or two: Then we motored a little ways up the road towards Cerro Punta to visit Fanny's Terrace Bistro on the right side of the road: The food here is great. Wish I had taken photos of the interior and of the menu. Next time.

Well, inquiring minds, here's the answer. Following a recommendation by my friend Joyce who used to live in David we went to Mezcla Gourmet for a wonderful breakfast. I knew this place was great for lunch (super hamburgers) but didn't realize they were also open for breakfast. Had an omelet and the biggest hoholdre (spelling?) I've ever seen. It was great. Mezcla Gourmet is on the old David-Boquete road, on the left side when going to Boquete. Past the mosque and diagonal to the used car lot.

Does anybody truly believe that the Panamanian government would know if you had a previous shipment of cosmetics that month???? This sounds like another unenforceable edict.

Exactly -- Olga's in el Alto is in the El Dorado strip mall at the end. Olga's in Bajo Boquete is actually named Punto del Encuentro but everybody calls it Olga's. Olga gives free hugs to all her customers.

I was leaning towards Hotel Nacional to treat my two kids after I pick them up from the early flight into David. Now, I'm not so sure. May just swing into La Tipica on Calle F Sur but that seems to be better for lunch and dinner than for breakfast. I guess we may go to Hotel David and try out their breakfast menu. Personally, I'm a Mickey D's kind of person, but ex-vegetarian kids from San Francisco probably wouldn't like that. There's a good little open air restaurant just south of Dolega where the old road merges with the new road. Wonderful hohadres (spelling???) Maybe we'll eat there. Also, the place in the Dolegita Super Baru building is pretty good for breakfast. If they can hold off we'll go to Olga's in Boquete (the one behind Todo a dollar, not the one in Alto)

Inquiring minds want to know.

It's a common mistake to call Hogar Trisker an "orphanage". It isn't an orphanage and the children housed there are not up for adoption. It's a home for neglected and abused children and for some runaways. The really sad thing is the number of very young girls there who are pregnant or have just given birth. There are facilities there for babies. Their goal is to return the children to their families when conditions improve. Having said that, they are always in need of help to make the conditions sanitary and to provide healthy food to the children housed there.

I always recommend Optica Lopez behind the F Sur Super 99 store in David. The optometrist speaks English and is very honest about telling you if you need a prescription change. They also have frames other than the designer expensive ones.

Karl Parker died in San Diego yesterday, Friday, December 1. Karl and his wife Liz were half time residents in Boquete and own a home in Alto Boquete.

My advice to everybody who has ever asked me is to leave your SS deposit going into your US account. It's a whole lot easier than dealing with a Panamanian bank. Also, in my 14 years here I have witnessed at least 3 Panamanian banks closing either permanently or temporarily because of various problems. The best advice ever is to get yourself a Schwab or Fidelity account with an ATM/debit card and have your SS deposit go there. You then pull out your money with the ATM card and these investment companies immediately credit your account for the ATM fees (which are now around $5.25).

I had lunch at the Clubhouse at BCP yesterday and it was delicious. I had the Caesar Chicken Wrap and it was full of a good amount of chicken and lettuce and topped with a caesar salad dressing. They gave me the jubilado discount without my asking. A friend was having a hamburger and it smelled wonderful and was huge. This place is worth patronizing. They're open every day except Tuesday afternoon and all day Wednesday. They'll be selling their food from behind the counter at the Tuesday market.

Thank you John for posting this excellent video. I understood that you were drawing a parallel that U.S. citizens could relate to.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION The Mermaid Casita has just became available for weekly rental for one or two guests. This beautiful casita is just steps away from the main shopping plaza in downtown Boquete, yet all you will hear at night is the gurgling brook that runs outside your front door. The bedroom has a queen sized, hand-crafted bed frame with an orthopedic mattress. Amenities include wi-fi, cable tv, and a microwave oven. Your hostess will serve a continental breakfast each morning. The bathroom is modern with a nice shower. The property is fenced with a security gate. Inside the gate parking for your car. $400/week with a $100 security deposit due upon booking. Your hostess is a 10 year resident of Boquete and can give you advice on activities and tours. Email beverleym@aol.com for more information.

I heard she got about 49% of all votes cast. This is a great victory for the local Amigos de Animales who promoted voting for Pat Chan.

I've been voting for Pat Chan for weeks. I think the contest ends today.

Her name is Diane Fessenden and she lives in Potrerillos.

Dr. Angulo in David. That is why he is entitled to be called "Doctor". He received his doctorate of jurisprudence in the United States -- In Louisiana, I think. I doubt he pays annual dues to be a member of the U.S. bar association.

There are 3 charges: 1) fine for not complying with the law, 2) towing to David, and 3) storage charges for the impound lot.

I believe it's no longer at Valle Escondito because the venue was too small and the rental price too big. I also believe the Panamanian government puts no value on what they see as a "gringo event" such as the jazz festival. Note that the mayor let the contracting company completely tear up the road to Valle Escondito on the first day of the festival last year.

Jason Boss is going to explain all about bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies at the BCP Tuesday Talk on January 2. Put it on your calendar.