Penny

I seem to remember that all packages mailed out through the local post office have to be wrapped in brown paper and no tape is allowed. I guess you have to glue the paper. Can I use string to hold the package together.

Can anybody guess why the weird regulation against tape?????

I swear to God I have to ask this every year. I poke around in the IRS web site and follow lots of links but I just can't find this damnable form that has to be filed electronically apart from your 1040 Tax Return. It almost makes me want to renounce my citizenship but as of now no other country will have me so that's a false threat.

In the past Lee always gave me the link. This year I'll have to rely on the rest of you guys.

They should rename this thing the FUBAR instead of the FBAR

Apparently I wasn't suspended from NING earlier when I though I had been. What they had done was delete the little block ad about News.Boquete that Lee had always carried for free. I thought their message to me meant that I personally had been deleted. This time I got deleted for real because I wanted to post a discussion about signing up for the News.Boquete free service and they don't like that.

As of February 15, the CableOnda office has moved again. A Panamanian friend says the move is temporary while they remodel the current office. However, my billing SNAFU can't wait until they're back in the office I know how to locate. Here's the address left on the door:

Ave 28 este y calle Aristedes Romero a lado la Panaderia La Castellana

Does anybody know where this is and can you give me directions on how to get there?

Thanks much.

You have been suspended from Boquete Panama

Sorry, Penny Barrett, you can not access Boquete Panama as you have been suspended. If you think you've been suspended in error, you can contact the administrator.

Message to the Administrator

La Jungla is an animal rescue place on the Palmira Road. Turn onto the Palmira road at Plaza San Francisco in Alto Boquete. Just past the crossroads known as Palmira Centro is La Jungla on the left side of the street.

Alberto and his family are my neighbors. I have two tenants who do a lot to support and assist Alberto and his family. Although this family lives in abject poverty, the kids all seem happy and healthy. And Alberto is a sweetheart. He studies his English every day. He is never down or depressed. Quite amazing !!!!

Geovana is the best and we really, really miss her in the C&W office.

There is a box for mail on the table in front of the theater door. Best to get your mail there before the meeting starts at 10:30.

Guilt by association. Nothing negative about NING has ever gone out on News.Boquete. It's no secret that Bud is the technical guy behind News.Boquete but that is totally unrelated to Chiriqui.Life.

Who would have guessed that we have a facility right here in Boquete searching the sky for signs of alien life. And this ain't no wacko dude, either. He's a real scientist with real equipment and he's going to tell us all about it Tuesday morning at 10:30 in the BCP theater. Check it out:   http://www.optical-seti.org

6 hours ago, SweetCityWoman said:

I haven't eaten there because I find the prices totally ridiculously high.  I am not willing to support people who want to go after the Gringo's.  As was said, there are lots of other places to eat with really good food - including Pianista.

Ley6Jubilados Feb 2016.pdf

I love the Pianista but I think Doris is very reluctant to give the pensionado discount. Am I wrong???

For all of you who so smugly say that all U.S. parties are the same and it doesn't make any difference who gets elected, I have just two words for you -- Supreme Court.

The long term future of the U.S. will be vastly different depending on who gets appointed to fill the newly vacated position.

6 hours ago, Bud said:

Yes, yellow fever shots are available in David. Never checked into hepatitis shots.

When I got my yellow fever shot a couple of years ago, I asked at Dr. Chen's office here in Boquete. He referred me to a hospital in David, but I cannot remember it's name. It is a government-run hospital in David, and is where the morgue is located. The shot is not available at Hospital Chiriqui or Mae Lewis; at least it wasn't at that time and I suspect still not.

When I arrived I was told that I needed an appointment, but I took on a dismayed expression and commented that I had driven "all the way" from Boquete. The nurse said not to worry, and she asked me to wait. I did wait, but only for a few minutes. It turned out she was preparing the shot for me. After the shot, I was asked to pay a small amount, which I recall was only about $3.00.

Take your yellow international immunization card with you when you get the shot. They will annotate the card after administering the shot.

I guess everyone knows that yellow fever shots are good for ten years.

I also got my yellow fever shot at the place in David which is the Public Health Department. You drive down the road on the back side of Super Baru. You will pass Clinica Cattan. On the corner where the private Club David is, you turn right and then immediately into the driveway of the government building. The Health Department is around back (next to the morgue). At one time you needed the shot to return to Panama after visiting Colombia; I'm quite sure no longer is this the case.

This is somewhat old news but worth repeating. Please take a look at this professionally made video (thanks Beth Corwin):

https://youtu.be/t3CZ_HeHNdY

If you're moved by it at all, you can stop by La Villa Coffee shop in the BCP and buy a couple of books and definitely you should attend the huge book clearance sale at BCP on Thursday from 9 - 2.  Thousands and thousands of books priced at ridiculously low prices and all proceeds go to the Handicap Foundation (FPI)

On 2/13/2016 at 10:31 AM, Woody said:

One-eyed Frank, had my favorite approach to the "law" on this always-contentious topic.  He gave the 25% jubilado discount, and if you weren't a jubilado he gave you a 25% discount too.  Everyone was special.

I'm glad to hear that some jubilados will avoid Retrogusto because of their policy.  It's getting harder to find an unoccupied table there.

Neil who used to own the Branding Iron in Dolega had a similar approach. He had 4 signs posted:

1. Pensionado = 25% discount

2. Locals = 25% discount

3. Tourists = 25% discount

4. All others = 25% discount.

Of course, although humorous, it makes the pensionado discount worthless.

What's the deal with RetroGusto not only denying the pensionado discount but actually stating on their menu that they will not honor it.

Shouldn't somebody take a copy of the law to the restaurant and show them?

Good Lord, their prices are high enough to absorb the occasional discount.

BTW, despite what games restaurants play, the discount is applicable to all food items and all beverage items except alcohol and soda.

Panama has no coherent plan to market it's coffee. Basically, that means no "Juan Valdez" and no marketing budget. Panama has SCAP (Specialty Coffee Association Producers -- or something like that) but to the best of my knowledge they have no cohesive marketing plan.

Anybody else see the irony (and hypocrisy) in this news.boquete email ????

Enjoy a month (or more) in Panama. We have permanently parked our fifth wheel 2007 Sportsman LX RV beside a little stream and under a large tree on our very safe and secure fenced property. The RV is a spacious 38' x 8' with 4 push outs.

You will find this is a convenient location for exploring Panama – about halfway between the large shopping area of David and the quaint tourist area of Boquete. We would like to rent it for a minimum of a month to one or two non-smoking adults. The RV is fully furnished with cooking supplies, bed linens, and towels. The following amenities are also included in the $750/month rent:

-          Air Conditioning

-          Hot and Cold water

-          Full size shower

-          Flush Toilet

-          TV

-          CD player

-          WIFI

-          Water and electricity

-          Surround sound

-          Washer/Dryer

-          Microwave Oven

-          Gas stove and oven

-          Queen size Bed

-          Fire Place

-          Furnace

-          Storage

-          Outside deck with lawn chairs

Rent is $750/month plus a one-time cleaning charge of $25 and a $200 refundable deposit. Available March 1. Email pjbarrett@aol.com

Two friends and I recently booked Copa airlines all the way from David to Medellin. The total round-trip ticken cost was $208. A super bargain !!!!!  We booked through Anavilma at Viajes David in downtown Boquete. We then booked a luxury 3 bedroom, 3 bath apartment for 5 days for $140 each. The apartment building even includes a swimming pool and gym. We booked through AirBnB. As one of our group said "At these prices I can't afford to stay home."

Yes, I think Keith is right. Bob Wilson (or whatever his name is) thinks I am one of the owners of Chiriqui Life although I've repeatedly told him that such is not the case. I have absolutely no power or authority on Chiriqui Life.

The really unfortunate thing is that newcomers to our area (either actual or potential) don't find Chiriqui Life because they will do a google search on the word "Boquete" and ning comes up but not CL.

I haven't been one to bash NING in the past even when they deleted the display ad Lee was running for news.boquete. As most of you know, News.Boquete is a free community service run by Bud Huber and me and paid for by me. Apparently NING feels it's somehow competing with them. Today I posted a new discussion advising the NING readers how they could sign up for this free community service. The very community minded folks at NING immediately deleted the discussion. Guess they will next ban me for being a trouble maker.

What in the world is wrong with those folks if they delete announcements about community services????

I say you guys should be happy you have water. I don't think anybody in Santa Lucia has had water for a month.

Dr. Chen speaks very good English. Dr. Gomez is usually in the office in the mornings and Dr. Chen in the afternoon. They are both excellent doctors.