Siempre Soluciones

16 hours ago, Erin Ross said:

Hurrah hurrah hurrah!  Every time I get home I breathe a sigh of relief having "run the gauntlet" safely once again. Then I negotiate the curve at Otto's and la Posada dodging the cars pulling into and out of their "parking spots", and the cars barrelling down from Alto Lino ... in order to turn right. Then just one last hurdle as I pass the Panamonte and peer slowly and cautiously thru the Bushes to see the oncoming traffic zipping over the new bridge (and annoying the taxis that back up behind me). Whew!

Certainly keeps my mind alert and my driving skills sharp.

We love it here anyway.    Just ....Keep safe out there.

 

 

Your "run the gauntlet" description is spot on!

Well at least now we can drive down restaurant row without risking our lives.

And they finally corrected the lane striping on our one way roads.

Photos courtesy of Fran Hogan Photography

https://www.facebook.com/franhoganphotography/

We've all driven some pretty steep roads here in Volcan and Boquete.

*

Welsh town Harlech claims world's steepest street

Amy Woodyatt and Lauren Kent, CNN Updated 16th July 2019

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/welsh-town-world-steepest-street-intl-scli/index.html

(CNN) — The seaside town of Harlech in Wales is now home to the world's steepest street, Guinness World Records has ruled, knocking a New Zealand road off the top spot after more than a decade.

Ffordd Pen Llech, a winding street through the historic part of town, has a gradient of 37.45%. That means for every 2.67 meters a person travels horizontally on the street, there is a one-meter rise.

"I first realized this street was a contender for the steepest street in the world when my car slid straight down with all four tires locked," Harlech resident Gwyn Headley told Guinness.

The Welsh street beats the record previously held by Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New Zealand, which has a one-meter rise for every 2.86 meters.

Residents of Harlech came together to apply for the official record, which required verification by an expert surveyor.

The record is measured based on the steepest 10-meter section of the road, according to Guinness World Records.

"It was a lot tougher than we thought," Headley said. "Guinness World Records was ultra-specific in the criteria demanded for it to qualify as the steepest street in the world, and although we were confident in meeting or exceeding nine of them, we were worried about the tenth."

Resident Myrddyn Phillips, who took the measurements that led to the world title, said: "To have the steepest street in the world, recognized by Guinness World Records, is brilliant for Harlech, it's brilliant for Wales."

Residents are celebrating the new record with a "street" party at the end of July. And in August, Welsh Cycling will visit the town to hold uphill time trials on the street, according to the town's website.

The title of steepest street is just another accolade that Harlech, already a UNESCO World Heritage site, can add to its collection.

"I am super proud of the achievement, it will really put our small town with a big heart on the map. It's amazing news, the town is buzzing today," Judith Strevens, local resident and business owner, told CNN.

The title of steepest street is hotly contested. The World Atlas gives the accolade to Canton Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but it is the Guinness World Record that is the most sought after.

Residents of Ffordd Pen Llech didn't seem to feel too bad about taking the title from New Zealand's Baldwin Street.

"I'm thrilled for us but in every game there has to be a losing team," Headley said.

"I feel sorry for them, but a record is a record, figures are figures -- it's inarguable."

CNN's Amanda Sealy contributed to this report

*

President Trump was wise to rely on an international accounting firm which absolves him of any wrong doing.

48 minutes ago, Evelyn Kendall said:

I  bought a power washer at Do It Center only to have the hose burst.  With the right couplers and installment it could be made useable again, but I have not been able to find out where that could be done.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. A replacement hose cannot be bought because of course "they" don't make this model any more.  Also if I have to buy a new power washer I would be grateful for any recommendations.  Thanks!

42 minutes ago, Moderator_02 said:

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/taxi-uses-sidewalk-shortcut

Years ago in Panama City a taxi that I was driving in did just that, he hopped up on the sidewalk and drove about a half a block to bypass traffic. 

On 12/7/2017 at 5:44 PM, TwoSailors said:

There goes the neighborhood! 10 thousand passengers. Good thing they widened the roads on the causeway. If 5000 of them decide to go into Casco Viejo, that is roughly  83 buses!!  Think you should put in a light rail connection? Just saying.

That's not the worst of it.  I remember when a coastal city in Florida was elated to get a couple of cruise ship docking contracts.  The docks were along a boardwalk with restaurants, shops, and hotels, with beautiful water views that were completely blocked when the cruise ships docked.  They didn't realize that cruise ships are upwards of ten stories or more tall.  I remember the first time visiting, it was a shocker, a 100' tall wall blocking the view and daylight.  It made the water front businesses look like they were in an alley.

I wonder what view will be eliminated at Amador.

2 hours ago, Joyful said:

Finally!  Does anyone know the reason for the significant delay in opening.  We heard it was because Naturgy wanted an exorbitant fee to connect the electric, but can anyone in the know confirm or deny?

That is the exact reason, a disagreement over excess construction charges with Naturgy.

Does anyone know where the "garden district" is in downtown?

40 minutes ago, Keith Woolford said:

Apparently politics got out of hand at a cabalgata yesterday in David. One of the horses went down.  ☹️

I sure hope the horse is okay.

5 minutes ago, Penny said:

It's very easy on a PC with either Windows 10 or Windows 7 to change it back and forth between English and Spanish.  However, it you buy a new PC or Mac in Panama, the keyboard will most likely be a Spanish version and that is more difficult and expensive to change.

It's easy on an Apple too:

Change System Language:

    Click on the Apple Menu on the top left of the screen. ...
    Once in System Preferences, click on Language and Region. ...
    Once in Language and Region, add a new language by clicking on the + icon.
    Pick the desired language from the populated list and click Add.

The Apple store in Terronal Plaza will swap out a Spanish keyboard for an English keyboard at no charge at purchase time for a desktop.  For a laptop, they'll order an English version from Panama City.

9 minutes ago, Keith Woolford said:

If at all possible Bonnie, I would recommend you hang on until you're back in the States to make a purchase.

Everything sold here has the Operating System installed in español.

Also ..any warranty issues would be easier to resolve.

Excellent advice.

19 minutes ago, Penny said:

Do yourself a favor and get  a PC (non-Apple). You pay twice as much to purchase the Apple initially and twice as much to fix it when it's broken.

I've sold more than 100 computers for the Handicap Foundation. These computers were donated in all states of disrepair and almost all of them were resurrected by purchasing parts on Ebay. We've never been able to resurrect an Apple donation. To purchase the parts is almost always more costly than the computer is worth.

The ones we've found most easy to repair are Dells. Many of the parts are interchangeable and readily available at reasonable prices. I just sold an almost new Dell computer for $340 which would have cost about $1200 new.

Penny,

How long do Windows PCs last?  I just retired my Apple iMac, it worked flawlessly for 9 years, 9 months, and 3 weeks and still to this day.  It never needed any repair or maintenance whatsoever.  I would still be using it today however my model was limited to 8 GB of memory and I needed more for a new application.  I guess I shouldn't bother donating to the Handicap Foundation.

And for the record, 10 years ago it cost $1,499 and today they sell used on Ebay for $250 to $450.  How much is a 10 year old Windows PC worth?

11 hours ago, Bonnie said:

I need help from those of you more well-versed in technology than I. I haven't had a laptop in a long time, but I need to get one. I'm not looking for anything fancy, but I do want a reliable machine that will handle most things. Also, I need help with availability. I would appreciate any advice any of you can give. I currently have a Windows desktop, an iPhone, and an iPad.

Do yourself a favor and purchase an Apple and pay one of the local techies for an overview since it is a bit different than a Windows computer.

1 hour ago, Joyful said:

Generally, these are held on file, and only scrutinized if and when you are subject to a tax audit. 

Well that answers that.  It's a shame that they've got this system in which a very small percentage of the information is used, you'd think they'd have it automated.

I file US FATCA FBARs for several of my "digital homeless" friends here in Boquete.  The term "digital homeless" is not a derogatory term, I first heard it from an MIT professor by the name of Dr. Nicholas Negroponte that I was honored to have worked with.  The term refers to people who haven't embraced the computer age, he specifically used it to address the problem of corporations being run by executives who knew little of the benefit of emerging technologies thus hindering progress.  As many of you probably know, filing these online is pretty easy these days unlike five years or so ago.  We simply cut and past the information from the previous year's filing.  Well low and behold, we found a minor error on one of the account filings, we added an extra zero resulting in an account balance of $2,171,000 instead of $217,100.

One must ponder, does the US government even look at these?  This erroneous filing was entered and submitted over a year ago, they certainly had plenty of time.  I would have to assume no because if they did see a foreign bank account increase from around $200k to $2 million with no corresponding IRS tax filing wouldn't that be flagged?  Doesn't Panama have kind of shaky past with banking? 

15 minutes ago, Keith Woolford said:

These are the same folks who told you there would be flights to the U.S. from David.

As well as the tunnel from Boquete to Bocos del Toro.

I purchased 8.5 pounds of tuna and marlin today.  I'm eating fish this weekend!

Miguel is the best!

2 hours ago, Uncle Doug said:

Well, it's been rumoured for 3 years now. Until someone sees a plot of land they have purchased, I'll remain skeptical.

Yes, rumors.  Casa Solution mentioned it on their website a couple of years back but since then nothing.

In lieu of new construction, I bet the folks at Federal Mall in David probably offered them a sweetheart deal to choose them for their new store.

Does anyone have an update on the new Ribasmith in David?

Does anyone have any updates on the relocation of the mayor's office to Alto Boquete?

26 minutes ago, Keith Woolford said:

Regularly scheduled flights into Panama are too expensive. Tourists can find cheaper locations with more developed activities elsewhere.

Too expensive?  COPA's flights to the west coast of the US have more than doubled since I've moved to Boquete.  That on top of atrocious rental car rates and poor customer service Panama's tourism industry will continue to suffer.

Bud,

I've experienced the same over the last couple of years with Cable Onda.  They have in fact reduced their rates but in lieu of lowering your monthly bill they increase your speed.  I subscribed to their 30 meg service three years ago and twice they've increased my rate to 60 meg and then to 100 meg without notification or changing my monthly bill.

I'm a retired EE with CCIE and MCSE certifications (both long expired), I must say you've got a nice network.

Attached are Cable Onda's rates as of January.

55 minutes ago, JohnF13 said:

And yet, how about the simple explanation - the new locks use a remendous amount of water but lake Gatun was not increased in size to provide it....

It's been years since I've read the contract for the new locks but one of the fundamental differences between the old and new locks is that the new locks use pumps versus gravity to fill the locks via dedicated reserves outside of Lake Gatun.  Drought should be much less of a concern.