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Bud

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Everything posted by Bud

  1. Bud
    This raises a question in my mind. Why did the police conduct a raid in his home? Was there a tip off? Was this retaliation? A "deal" gone bad? Angry neighbors? Like Paul Harvey used to say, where is the rest of the story?
  2. Bud
    Great idea for setting up a listing of pet friendly restaurants. I have not heard of an "official policy" at Mike's Global Grill, but several times we have seen [well behaved] dogs walking around, and without complaint. Big Daddy's also, in the rear patio area at the round, fireside table seems to be acceptable. I am of the opinon that restaurant owners have a right to decide their pet policy for themselves. In some jurisdictions perhaps the health code may override a business preference and prohibit such; I do not believe that is the case here in Boquete. Can anyone clarify? And I do know people who are uncomfortable having dogs in a restaurant. Everyone gets to decide for themselves. Will be interested to see how this plays out.
  3. Bud
    Marcelyn and I had a [very late] lunch today at Señor Gyros (SG). It has been a long time since last patronizing SG, and having heard about the change in management we were curious. We had not been avoiding or boycotting SG, but simply had not gotten around to stopping by. (We do not know what happened to Mark Perren-Jones, but wish him well, wherever he is.) It was a wonderful dining experience today. Things have changed a bit with the new owners, however the basic menu is essentially the same. A really pleasant surprise was that Nelson now works at SG. The "olde timers" in this area will recall Nelson as being one of the really good waiters in our area, having worked at numerous restaurants through the years. Nelson is not a waiter at SG, but appeared to be more like el gerente. Nelson told us that the new owners are from South Africa, but we did not meet them, nor do we know their names. Re the menu selection, be advised that you should not eat at SG unless you have been stranded on an island for a long period of time without benefit of food. The servings were huge. The prices were very good, especially given the good quality and fresh ingredients, the portion sizes, and the "delectability" factor. Marcelyn and I had a pollo/puerco gyro, which was very tasty. The ingredients were high quality, fresh, and full of flavors, and well prepared. Another surprise for us was the onion rings, which we are addicted to; SG used large, sweet onions for the onion rings, and it appeared to be a beer batter coating that the onions were prepared with. The onion rings could be a meal by themselves. All in all, this was a pleasant and informal dining experience. We both said in unison as we said our hasta luegos to Nelson that we definitely will be coming back. Here is a picture of their menu (chalkboard style as was used in the original SG):
  4. Bud
    Marcelyn and I know the owners of the property in the Potrerillos area that is the subject of this topic. At the time of the events discussed in Mark's writeup, the owners were Bill Streit and Donna O'Toole. Bill died in December 2009. I recall that exact month because I was scheduled with a few friends to have lunch with Bill and Donna, but higher priority issues intervened in that planned luncheon. Not sure where the name Bill Strong comes from, unless it is simply a pseudonym. Donna remarried after Bill's passing, and we know her new husband. Details are omitted here because they are not important. The owner still lives at Finca La Pagoda (the name of the former Noriega finca there in Potrerillos). Not being a CL member, we provided a link for Donna to read this topic. She responded back to us via email, with permission to publish her words here. In closing, we both know Donna (and I knew Bill, but he passed away prior to Marcelyn's arrival). What Donna writes is truth to the best of our knowledge.
  5. Bud
    Wow, Keith, you are a fountain of knowledge. I plan to pursue this. One thing I do not see in my first look through of the web information is the matter of parking in handicapped blue spaces without the placard. Did I overlook that?
  6. Bud
    I really, as in REALLY hate to keep harping on this, but driving skills are woefully inadequate in this area. Just this morning while running errands around town, we had two -- yes 2 -- near accidents. One was an older blue SUV that clearly was not honoring a stop sign. We got within a few inches of metal on metal. It would have been what is called T-bone hit on our right side. Frightening, to say the least. Our impression of the young female at the wheel was that she was not paying attention to anything. And the second near accident was even more scary. We were returning home from Plaza San Francisco when a big 18 wheeler was trying to enter the highway with a left turn from the Alto Dorado area. The driver just gunned it, apparently not checking for any traffic on the main roadway coming from his right. That easily could have been a fatal accident for us (and Anouk who was in the back of our vehicle). Is there someplace where I can send my dashcam recordings to get these ill-trained people sanctioned, licenses cancelled, or ??? Am I the only one who is having these experiences with recent Boquete driving habits?
  7. Bud
    Where did that come from? Never heard of it before. Is this fact, rumor, or wishful thinking?
  8. Bud
    Notice that it is Price and Susan Peterson sitting at the table with the fire department officials.
  9. Bud
    Multibank does not charge us a fee for depositing a check on our US account.
  10. Bud
    And not return? Hopefully your permanent departure is not because of serious health issues. Wishing you the best, wherever you land and for whatever reason.
  11. Bud
    Concur with Brundageba's suggestion. Another option is that this sounds like a situation where the consular assistance may be helpful. If USA citizens, then contact one of the Boquete wardens (Hank Landis or Bonnie Williams). Bonnie is accessible via CL, using a PM (private message) to her ID of @Bonnie. Good luck -- both medically as well as legally.
  12. Bud

    until

    ARF was at the Biblioteca de Boquete yesterday. We chatted at length with Paula Litt. Didn't look like an overflow crowd coming to adopt or foster the pets, but the volunteers were not discouraged. These volunteers deserve our support and appreciation. Here is a picture of the group at their duties:
  13. Bud
    On a recent run to David, we stopped by the Terra Restaurante & Pizzeria based on a very strong recommendation of a close friend. We arrived at the restaurant about 2:00PM, so we were not sure what would happen. We were greeted with a big smile by one of the staff as he was opening the door for us. Service was very attentive, ambience was warm and friendly. The menu was mostly Italian type dishes, but not totally Italian. As we completed ordering our drinks and starting to look over the menu, the waiter was trying to tell us something but my Spanglish was simply not up to the task. And so he retrieved his smartphone and keyed in a short sentence in Spanish, which was then translated by the smartphone. The message was: If, for any reason, you are not pleased with the food or the service, then there is no charge. That was a very nice way to start our dining experience at Terra, and a first for us here in Panama. We ended up ordering chicken cordon bleu, which was very tasty, and with a nice presentation. A side dish was included, and we opted for a green salad. The restaurant accepts credit cards. We did not ask for a jubilado discount. Price was moderate, but worth it to our way of thinking given the service and the food. We definitely plan to return. Terra is located fairly close to the newer McDonalds (the one located on the curve in the InterAmerican Hwy). Terra is very easy to get to, as it is to the right on the Boquete/David route, just before going over the overpass on the InterAmerican Hwy. It is obviously a home that has been converted, and all parking was off-street, behind a fence that encircles the restaurant. Here is a scan of their business card:
  14. Bud

    until

    Marcelyn likes to read (actually voraciously) and so we were at the Book Sale held at the Biblioteca de Boquete yesterday. In the roughly 30 minutes that she was perusing the books, I kept thinking to myself that this book sale was probably going to be a successful event for the library. I estimate that there were at least 60 people coming through during that time and looking over the book inventory. One man (obviously a gringo) selected at least ten books. But since the prices were very low, he and others were getting a good deal. Marcelyn got some books in English and some in Spanish. The library had staff there to assist, as the books were organized in categories. To my way of thinking, this was a win-win for everyone. Here is a picture that I took:
  15. Bud
    Place yourself at the main town square. Be at the curb on the east side of that parque (opposite side from or away from the main Catholic Church) facing away from the church. Hotel Occidental will be facing you. The block that he refers to is one block further east, going away from the town square.
  16. Bud
    Marcelyn and I had a chance encounter with Geovana while in Bajo Boquete last night. It was a situation where a conversation of any length was not appropriate, but we did have about a 10 second opportunity to ask about that meeting. Geo said that the meeting went well and that about 30 people attended. That is all we know.
  17. Bud
    Here is another picture showing progress on the new lighthouse just north of Los Molinos as of last weekend.
  18. Bud

    until

    Marcelyn and I had an enjoyable experience creating memories at Big Daddy's last Sunday, with Yella and Tom providing some really good music. We had had a personal invitation from Yella for this event, which she called her "Unbirthday Birthday Party". Yella had her real Birthday Party event at Big Daddy's a few weeks earlier, but it was so crowded that we could not get seated. We arrived about 4:30PM and were quickly seated. Service was very attentive, and so Chris and his crew get good marks there. Although it was not our intention to stress out the chef, I had been wanting a chicken dish that was somewhat like a standard menu item at Big Daddy's, but not exactly. And so I asked for a special order. The waiter inquired as to what I was wanting, repeated my special request to be sure he thoroughly understood what I was asking for, and then checked with the chef. No problema. Chris' crew gets really good marks now. I view how a restaurant staff deals with special requests and special events as a true test of how well they treat their customers; Not a single issue here at Big Daddy's! Kudos' to everyone at Big Daddy's. Our drinks were delivered in short order, and then we met some not so new to Boquete people at the table next to ours; they have lived here for about 5 years and yet we have never met before. Great conversation. Then our meals arrived about the time that the singing started, which was promptly at 5:00PM, just as advertised. We have known Tom and Yella for a long time, and are so glad that we went to this event. It was easy listening music, and I had a special request of Yella, which she sang. I have always liked the song "The Auctioneer". Turns out that others at this event also liked that song, and so it almost became a sing-a-long. After we left, we sat in the car for a moment and said to ourselves, wow, this is what good memories are made from. Good food, good service, good entertainment, good conversation, friendly people. What more can one ask for out of life? Yella is a consummate entertainer. She and Tom must have music in their DNA. Here are some pictures that we took of Yella and Tom.
  19. Bud
    I was not aware of the link between diabetes and salt. Thanks for helping me learn about health issues.
  20. Bud
    Both hypertension and diabetes are silent killers. Which is worse? Given that diabetes kills one Panamanian every six hours (see http://www.chiriqui.life/topic/5190-diabetes-kills-one-panamanian-every-6-hours), logic would suggest -- well, at least to me it does -- that sugar should be the first such target, not salt. And then there is obesity, and then .... To me, education is the real solution. It takes longer, and is not flashy and attention getting, but effective.
  21. Bud
    Woody, et al, I agree with you. I made a mistake and apologize. I did not handle this situation properly. Asking for your understanding and forgiveness. Bud
  22. Bud
    Here are some pictures taken this afternoon of the wire mesh that is being installed. We believe that cane toads will find it difficult to come through the fence once this project is completed. The mesh has about 1/4" openings, and goes up about four feet from the base of the fence. The mesh is being tack welded into place. Painting will be done after all of the welding is complete. We are pretty sure that the neighborhood cats will no longer come to the back door for food.
  23. Bud
    Giving a bit of a hint as to why I am working with various US government agencies/departments, and elected officials. Highlighted text below is of my doing. Above quoted text is taken directly from the website for the Office of the United States Trade Representative at https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements/panama-tpa. See also http://www.trade.gov/fta/panama/, among many other website links.
  24. Bud
    An update here. I've been working with both our warden (Bonnie) and the ACS section of the US Embassy in PC. I recently received a two page document (see below download link) from the US Consulate. My view is that we are not making much forward progress on the matter of bringing in medical supplies, prescriptions, etc., without paperwork hassles and delays. I will say that so far none of my medical supplies have been detained or delayed. I seem to be rather lucky, ... so far, that is. Thank you to Bonnie for busting her seams trying to help us. My observation/conclusion is that the consular staff are pushing the wardens aside and wanting to take control, but doing so with the mindset of supporting the new MINSA procedures. It should be the other way around. MINSA requirements for drug and cosmetic importation.pdf
  25. Bud
    De nada. Thanks for being part of the event. It was a great show and a fun time for us. Laughter is healthy, so I'm told.
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