Marcelyn and I were at Juice Mi last Saturday for several hours because we were volunteers for the "Poker Fun Event" that was sponsored by Amigos de Boquete Comunidad (ABC). Juice Mi was a business supporter of that activity. During our three hours there for that event, we chatted with David Hatton, the owner of Juice Mi. He told us about a new breakfast menu item, which is basically an omelet but with an outer shell (a kind of cocoon) of shredded potato.

We were so intrigued that we stopped by Juice Mi this morning for breakfast, and to try out the new potato encrusted omelet item. We arrived about 9:00AM, and placed our order. It turns out that he will prepare that omelet with whatever inside fixings one asks for. Since Marcelyn doesn't do well with onions, we said to put everything on it except for onion. What came out was a huge omelet that was as tasty as any omelet that I have ever had. We cut it in half for a picture so that you can see the innards. Note the bacon on the far edge of the plate, which also comes with this menu item.

Oh, and Marcelyn's coffee was again served in a French press, and tasty. My freshly squeezed orange juice could not have been better.

If you haven't tried a breakfast at Juice Mi, you don't know what you are missing. Good service, good food, and very reasonable pricing.

Thank you to all who have come to our assistance. Many good thoughts here.

Marcelyn and I have discussed these new options, and we plan to follow through. Will post the results when we get to that milestone.

RANT MODE ON.

For the past three weeks we have had horrible electrical service. Again this morning, just a bit short of four hours with no electricity. Service outages, brown outs, and surges are frequent occurrences in our area. I have used my label printing machine to permanently put the Fenosa telephone numbers and my NIS number on the edge of my built-in desk in the office.

A few days ago we took delivery of a replacement washing machine. I can't say definitively, but I strongly believe that power was the cause of that casualty. Before anyone chastises me, YES, we have surge protection and voltage regulators.

Besides the inconveniences of doing our Spanish homework by lantern, worrying about loosing frozen foods, replacing lots of batteries in our flashlights and lanterns, and light bulbs blowing out (yet another two just a few days ago), appliance replacements are more than petty cash. And our poor generator really got a workout when our electricity was out for four days.

Enough is enough. It can't be all because of winds and tree limbs. I can't imagine that there are that many trees in all of Panama.

RANT MODE OFF.

We are not happy campers. Are others in this area similar victims of poor electrical service?

To end on a positive note, the customer service people at Fenosa do answer their telephones 24x7 when I call in my trouble calls.

Judy, when I voiced similar concerns recently about street blockages the result was that I was taken to task via email messages direct to my inbox for my lack of understanding of the situation. Hopefully you will not get the same feedback.

It seems to me that a bit better planning, advance notification, and signage is warranted. We have been led to believe that Mayor Walker is getting similar feedback from the residents in this area (obviously the case, given Keith's posting just above), and further that there are some announcements on local radio stations.

Thanks Siempre.

Marcelyn and I had to go unexpectedly to David this afternoon (don't ask), and on our return to Boquete we stopped by this new coffee shop. The name is Delicias Chiriquí. The owner is Oscar, along with his partner, whom we did not meet. The chef is not Oscar's wife, also not met. Oscar has been in business one week as of today, and is from Venezuela. There probably is a story there, but we didn't inquire further because he was busy taking care of us and other customers.

The menu is on the wall. Here is a (admittedly poor quality) photo that was stitched together from some quick grab shots. Oscar sounded like he would fix just about anything a customer asked for, assuming he had the ingredients. He also mentioned offering a limited  breakfast menu. We did not ask about the hours of operation, but assume early morning to late evening.

And here is Oscar, who speaks good English (although we talked in my poor Spanglish):

And then the business sign over the entrance door:

And finally, a panorama of the store front. I had to stand very close because of the cars being parked so close, but you get the idea what the coffee shop looks like.

I asked that of CableOnda a couple of years ago and got a negative response. We use our own routers and gateways, etc.

Maybe things have changed in the intervening years.

We do understand about personal sensitivities to heat, cold, humidity, dryness, etc. A good friend moved back to the USA because of such an issue. There are two sides to this story, however. Recommend that you do some due diligence regarding utility bills for this kind of equipment before making such a commitment.

Posted by someone who typically has $200/month electric bills, and we have no heating or air conditioning (nor swimming pool, etc.).

Personal reflection here. Glad to see that the national level ministries are trying to help resolve problems and improve various issues outside of Panama City. However, the timing for this specific project really caused me to pause for a moment. I refer here to the recent murder of a tourist in exactly this same place. The killing of Catherine Johannet has had very broad international coverage, and included having the US FBI coming in to assist local authorities in the investigation. For more details, see:

14 hours ago, Keith Woolford said:

This article today from the National Post includes some of Catherine Johannet's Instagram photos and messages from her siblings and gives a bit of insight into her vibrant young life. I checked out some of her other pics on Instagram, she was an excellent photographer.

---

Globetrotting Columbia grad, 23, strangled to death with her own sarong on Panama island: reports

A globetrotting 23-year-old who had already visited six continents was having the time of her life on a Caribbean island before she was strangled to death with her own sarong.

...

Keith,

Thanks for posting this article about Catherine -- the person. She apparently was an ardent globetrotter as the newspaper article labeled her. And as you said, she was a very good photographer as well. Such a tragic loss of a young person with so much talent and energy. A sad story indeed.

With all of the really high winds and strong episodic rain lately, I have been checking out some weather websites looking for causes. I must be overlooking something. I can't find the cause. Hmmmmm. Can anyone help?

Some report sustained winds at 20MPH. Okay. I see that. Some say wind gusts to in excess of 81KPH. Okay, we see those too.

I'm still looking for a Caribbean storm but can't find one.

What gives here?

P.S., it seems to me that this kind of weather could bode ill for BJBF activities in various venues around town, e.g., in the Amphitheater at VE.

Marcelyn and I have been shopping around for a new washing machine because of a catastrophic failure of our current machine (probably due to electrical surges* and brownouts, , again and again!). When we go to the various dealers in Chiriqui, we ask about the delivery and installation of the new machine, and the removal and disposal of the old machine. We universally are being told that delivery is an added cost option (okay, we understand, and it is a reasonable charge anyway), but in no case can we find a store that will commit to installation of the new machine, and to removal and disposal of the old machine. Are we expecting too much?

What do people do with old appliances such as a clothes washer? We presume that the Boquete garbage service wouldn't touch such a task.

*P.S., yes we have dedicated electrical protection devices for these appliances, but obviously they are not up to the task presented by the power grid.

4 hours ago, Trish Christofferson said:

I live in Potrerillos Arriba and have talked at length with my Panamanian neighbors about Noriega. There are two houses in the area that belonged to Noriega. One property which is just above El Banco is called Pagoda. It was basically Noriega's party house. He entertained guests from various countries and it is rumored that Fidel Castro was there at one time. This house is owned by Americans.The other property is the white house above Pagoda that you can see from the road on the highway to Boquete. The house was built by Noriega but it is questioned whether he spent any time there. I have been on that property several times. The latest I have heard is that the house is owned by the owners of Tia Maria rice company. It has been awhile since I've been there but at the time I was there a caretaker was living in the house. Noriega had another property in Potrerillos Arriba proper called Escondido. It was a farm that had a type of zoo in it. According to my neighbor he had a lot of exotic birds and animals in cages on the property. That property is now the location of the Teen Challenge facility.

Thanks for the additional information about Noriega's land holdings in Chiriqui.

My prior posting was pertaining to Finca La Pagoda.

3 hours ago, Keith Woolford said:

There is also a Noriega property in Dolega next to the cemetery which became problematic when expansion was necessary a few years back.

Pretty sure we can assume he didn't actually purchase too many of these properties.

Was not aware of the Dolega holdings.

With the high winds and the bajarecques, this is the time of the year for rainbows. Here is a quick grab shot with my iPhone while we were going into town for errands recently. Not one of the more spectacular rainbow shots I have ever seen, but still worth sharing for our newcomers to enjoy.

On a really good day, I have seen double (and very infrequently triple) rainbows. The real treat is a moonbow, which is extremely rare here.

I agree. John does very good videography and postproduction work as well. (I'm jealous.)

What most people don't know is that this kind of media is very detailed and time consuming (well, to do it correctly, that is). The audio part typically is the hardest to get good and clean tracks.

We know the people who own the former Noriega estate in the Potrerillos area. There is a fence and gate around the property, and knowing them as we do we suspect that they would not appreciate someone trying to visit the estate. I acknowledge that you were not asking to go by for a visit. If you are interested in communicating with them, then let's take this into the PM (private message) mode, and we can discuss further.

I find it interesting that I am posting on the subject of coffee. Consider for a moment these contradictions. Most importantly, I do not drink coffee. I don't even like coffee. I do enjoy smelling the coffee beans while they are roasting. I live in an area of the world where, as discussed in the above article, some of the world's most expensive coffee is produced. Just 20 feet from our kitchen door is a coffee finca. I grind and brew coffee for Marcelyn's morning "fix". On Wednesday mornings I have breakfast with a group of hombres, among which is Price Peterson of Finca Esmeralda fame for having helped introduce the world to geisha coffee. I don't understand the fascination with (addiction to?) coffee. I know very little about coffee other than Marcelyn prefers a "French Roast", whatever the heck that means. Etc., etc.

Why am I posting here? There is an interesting book by Michaele Weissman entitled God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee. That book was published in 2008. Because of my breakfast conversations with Price I downloaded the Kindle version and surprised myself in that once I started reading I simply had to finish it. That book is not a definitive essay on all things to be known about coffee. But I did find it interesting, probably because if the contradictions mentioned in the above paragraph, and that I did learn a lot about coffee. For example, coffee's roots (pardon the play on words here) are in Ethiopia, and coffee is the second most significant commodity (after oil) that is traded in the world today.

There is an interesting sidebar event based on my having read this book. One of the "players" in the coffee world is called Stumptown Coffee Roasters, which is located in Portland, Oregon. That is where Marcelyn is from, and we go back there periodically for several reasons. After reading the book I insisted that we visit Stumptown the next time we were in Portland. And so, there we were at the counter with Marcelyn sampling a cup of the famous geisha coffee from our area, just hanging out with the yuppie cult snobs (my terminology, not trying to be condescending but simply describing how I felt), when in came a team of TV reporters to interview the yuppie cult snobs about the world's most expensive coffee. Who did they include in their broadcast. You guessed it -- me. And I don't even like coffee! 

The bottom line here is that if you like coffee or are intrigued by this topic, then you might consider reading the book God In A Cup. It is available through Amazon. And no, I am not associated with the book (other than as a reader) and I get no compensation for this recommendation.

As an aside, there is another recent posting here on CL about coffee at http://www.chiriqui.life/topic/4862-a-call-to-coffee-people. Boquete and coffee go together.

15 hours ago, Marion said:

I like the "Future Organ Donor" definition of FOD -- anyone who ever worked for an airline would know that FOD is an acronym for "Foreign Object Debris".  Both of our definitions are appropriate as the end result would be the same.  Hope life continues to be kind to you and Gillian.

Marion,

Thanks for your posting. I/we have not been associated with airlines other than as frequent travelers on many different carriers. Thus the airline definition of FOD has not been part of our everyday lexicon. However, in reading your posting I seem to recall reading an article about foreign object damage. I think it came about the time that Captain Sullenberger (see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesley_Sullenberger) safely brought down an airplane in the Hudson River in New York City after having a flock of birds destroy both engines in the plane that he was piloting. Perhaps the term FOD was bouncing around in my mind while we were visiting Medellin for the first time several years ago. That was when we became aware of the high number of incidences of motorcycle crashes leading to Colombia getting a moniker as the organ transplant capital of the world. Interesting story, but way off topic here.

In closing, you probably have me confused with Keith Woolford. My wife is Marcelyn. But thanks for your kind wishes for both the Woolford family and the Huber-Jandreau family. Igualmente. I wish we had met while you were still living here.

On 2/4/2017 at 5:25 AM, JimAndNena said:

http://blog.timesunion.com/homerestoration/removing-soap-scum-from-shower-doors-4-methods-and-a-winner/2804/

I've never heard of the Bar Keepers Friend. In checking the Internet, I see two versions of that product: 

• liquid, and
• cleanser and polish.

The picture in your referenced website shows the liquid version. Can we presume that is the version that works best?

The most important question is whether Bar Keepers Friend (either version) is available here locally. If so, where? Or does it have to be ordered online?

Can anyone provide answers as to version to use and more details on local availability?

6 hours ago, Keith Woolford said:

In excess of 1,500 drivers were sanctioned for using a celular device while operating a motor vehicle during the month of January.

 

http://www.tvn-2.com/nacionales/conductores-sancionados-hablar-celular-noticia-Panama_0_4681781876.html

Maybe I am just getting senile, but as of the recent past it seems to me that the driving skills of the people around me on the road is declining.

Just this morning while returning home from the Potrerillos area from a dog training session we had three (yes 3!) near accidents, mostly from overly aggressive drivers. Two of those incidents were gringas (yes, females). And those three incidents do not include the high performance motorcycle that had to be traveling at least 125 KPH (admittedly my imprecise estimation) going (screaming) up the steep incline just after crossing the bridge over the Rio Cochea heading north from Dolega. We call those kinds of cyclists "FOD" (future organ donor).

I'm happy to report that this power box has recently been removed. In fact, the entire pole on which the power box was installed has been removed. A side benefit, beyond the safety issue, is that it freed up another parking slot.

Good job for whoever took care of this problematic power box.

There are a lot of hardware stores in our area, and they all carry various sizes and styles of screws, nuts, bolts, washers, etc. Needing some uncommon size nuts and bolts for a minor repair on our emergency generator, I got tired of going from hardware store to hardware store, both in Boquete and in David, with no luck in finding everything that was needed. A couple of the attendants in some of the stores that I visited kept mentioning the same name for "the place" to go for specialty screws, nuts and bolts, etc. That name was TorniCentro, which is located in David. (El tornillo is the Spanish word for screw, bolt, nut, etc.)

Yesterday we found TorniCentro, and are we ever so thankful. Not only did they have exactly what was needed, but the attendant was incredibly helpful, friendly, immediately understood -- all in English -- what I was trying to fix, and produced said items in less than 2 minutes.

If you need nuts, bolts, screws, and similar type of hardware store items that you cannot find in your local store, then give TorniCentro a try. TorniCentro SA is located on Avenida Obaldia, fairly close to Rodelag and on the same side of the road as Rodelag, and in the same building complex as Felipe Rodríguez tires. Across the street is a Delta filling station, and a jumble of streets that intersect in a triangle. TorniCentro's telephone is 775-5313.

My total bill was less than $6.00.

Here is a picture of the storefront.

Marcelyn and I started an eight week long dog obedience training course for Anouk today. On our way home we stopped by Café Ruiz to replenish her supply of French roast coffee. Café Ruiz's coffee is her second most favorite here in this area. And so, being the big spender that I am, I decided to treat her to a cup of coffee and a cookie before departing for home with several bags of fresh coffee beans.

Unexpectedly, Sr Plinio Ruiz (the senior Sr Plinio Ruiz) was there and stopped by our table to greet and chat with us. For those who are not aware, Sr Ruiz is a third generation Panamanian and the patriarch of the Ruiz family. He is, we believe, 95 years old. Oh to be that spry and alert. He is still going strong.

Here is a picture taken about an hour ago of Sr Ruiz and Marcelyn.

Does anyone have any comments about El Rio Encantado "Nature Resort" that is located in the Caldera area?

Here is a scan of their marketing brochure.

I tried researching this on the DGI website. No joy.

We also would like to know the correct website address.

Marcelyn and I are pleased that Bajareque started this topic. We had driven by Juice Mi (actually, I believe the full name is Juice Mi Restaurante and Deli, according to David) on many occasions, but thought little of it. Then with this topic we stopped by (as documented above) for some nachos and smoothies. Not only was the food good and the prices reasonable, but we really enjoyed the conversations with David (David Hatton is the owner) and Josmin (not sure of the spelling of his name). All conversations were in English, but when I practiced my [admittedly poor] Spanish, they responded in Spanish and helped me with the pronunciation.

So Marcelyn and I went back for breakfast yesterday morning. They are open 8:00am to 8:00pm everyday except Wednesdays (as noted above). It was our second very pleasant experience at Juice Mi.

Marcelyn had fried eggs and her usual black coffee. I ordered the breakfast burrito and asked for orange juice. On the OJ thing, I asked if the OJ was canned or carton, and the look on Josmin's face was what are you talking about; we only do freshly squeezed orange juice. Oops, pardon me. With a smile of satisfaction, I said "bring it on".

Marcelyn's coffee took several minutes, and so she asked me (having an empty cup delivered to our table) if it was self-serve. I had no idea, and then out came the freshly brewed coffee in a "French Press". I had never seen such, and so Marcelyn explained it to me. Her coffee was really top notch, so much so that she wanted to know what brand the restaurant uses. Josmin said it is unlabelled, and organic.

In short order our main courses were delivered, along with my fresh OJ. Here are some pictures of them.

We certainly will be going back. If I was forced to find something to fault, it would be that the servings are quite large. I could eat only 1/2 of the burrito, but then took home the leftovers. Parking (lack thereof) would be the only other complaint. What is wrong with this scenario? Good food, good prices, nice and quiet ambiance, customer oriented staff! Of course, we will be be going back.

Here is one last picture of the outside of the building, which is immediately across the side street from Banco Nacional.