Uncle Doug

If this is happening to Venezuelans today,  is there any assurance that it won't ever apply to other nationalities in the future?    Probably not.   This is a significant news story.

It seems that Panama is trying to stop the border runs for Venezuelans who have come into the country using a tourist visa and taking local jobs. 

I doubt the objection is to "perpetual tourists ." It's about trying to protect jobs for Panamanians.  Just my guess...

Biodegradable plastic  bags are the obvious solution. 120 days is nothing. Many leaves don't decompose that fast. Paper sacks sure don't. 

2 hours ago, Keith Woolford said:

didn't feel a thing

Well that blows my speculation about everyone feeling it. In Palo Alto, it felt (and somewhat sounded) like a large explosion had occurred a mile or two away. Admittedly, the sound could have been entirely within my home.

The aftershock seemed a bit longer in duration, but was silent.  

Well, the location and very shallow depth certainly explains why everyone around Boquete felt the quakes... Great info, Keith.

Even more fun is that the incident actually occurred on February 10.

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/teller-killed-guard-injured-bank-robbery

29 minutes ago, TwoSailors said:

BTW, anyone know what is going into the buildings under construction in front of Skate World and at the left corner at the Caldera check point on the highway going to David?

The sales agent at Boquete Canyon Village told me that the construction at the Caldera highway intersection is a new grocery store. She didn't give a store name.

A mugging is one thing.  It's a violent robbery.  This incident is different because the strangulation shows a definite intention to kill.   The violence here is far beyond what was necessary to obtain whatever valuables she might have had with her.

Someone there is willing to kill a perfect stranger for fun. I don't think there is any other conclusion we can draw.

Thanks for the advice.  I think I will get the pass but will utilize the loop most of the time.  

This is kind of like  having the Super Bowl  on  your front porch, except instead of it being roughly 3 hours long, it's a week and a half.  Small sacrifice to make for the economic benefit it brings to the city....

What is needed to acquire a resident pass to cross the Feria Bridge during peak times during this festival?  I do understand that they can be obtained at the Mayor's office, and maybe even at a building just north of the fairgrounds.  How do I show that I'm a resident on the east side of the Caldera?  My drivers license or cedula sure doesn't prove it. Is any proof required at all?

$5 million is not going to solve very much on a grand scale.  As long as each expenditure is justified in a local sense, it really is peanuts compared to the $20 billion or so that is that is the government budget.

Dang.  I drove my wife to the airport this morning and strongly considered a PriceSmart stop on the way back.  I wish I could say that I had a hunch it would be  a mistake. Instead, I decided I was just too lazy to do it.

If there is a moral to this story, I'm too lazy to articulate it.

I definitely will.   The Missus already made that perfectly clear to me!

About a year ago, I signed up for the Punto de Oro card at the Boquete Romero.  Now, I've accumulated over 20,000 points.

With my limited grasp of Spanish so far, I understand that it's now the program time period to redeem the points.  But how exactly does one do that?

Am I supposed to grab an item from the display shelf at the front of the store and take it to the cashier? Or is that "display only"?

I've tried to decipher the Punto de Oro website, and I think it says that I can apply the points to my current purchase of groceries at the time.  But I'm not sure.  If it's easier to trade points for a couple bottles of Holiday booze, I wouldn't complain all that much.  But the catalog of "prizes" looks like a better bargain.

How do you guys redeem your points?

Thanks, moms!  We wouldn't be here without you!  

The center of Tropical Depression Sixteen was located about 300 miles east of the Nicaraguan Caribbean coast.

Current Storm Status

Tropical Depression Sixteen will move very little the next several days. Late this week, high pressure will build to its north, and the clockwise steering flow around that high will send this system westward towards the coast of Nicaragua or Costa Rica.

Projected Path

Currently, wind shear is keeping somewhat of a lid on intensification.

However, later this week, wind shear is expected to relax, and the tropical cyclone is expected to become a rare, late-season hurricane before making landfall in Nicaragua or Costa Rica.

Current Satellite, Wind Shear

It will be a concern for Central America, however, including Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. This region will be at risk for heavy rain capable of causing flooding and mudslides. 

In addition, areas of heavy rain well to the north of the circulation may trigger flooding in parts of Honduras and Belize. 

Forecast Rainfall

Any wind and storm surge impact will depend on the strength of the system as it moves inland, which remains uncertain at this time.

Weather Underground

Hurricane Otto by Thursday?

The tropical season isn't done just yet. Tropical Depression Sixteen has just formed in the southwest Caribbean.

The broad area of low pressure we'd been watching all last week for slow development as of Monday morning has become Tropical Depression Sixteen.

The system is located near Panama in Central America and is no threat to the United States.

It's center is located at 11.5 north and 79.4 west. Maximum winds of 35 mph with a slow drift to the west at about 1 mph.

The conditions around the storm are forecasted to improve by the middle to end of the week as the storm moves westward toward Nicaragua and Costa Rica. It potentially could become a weak hurricane before it makes landfall in Central America by the end of the week.

http://www.wcti12.com/news/tropical-depression-sixteen-forms-in-the-caribbean-ocean/177682960

The last time I flew into David, we were on final approach for landing when the David airport closed because of weather. The plane returned to Panama City, where we sat for five hours before trying again. We finally arrived at David shortly before midnight. 

I wasn't even sure Enrique Malek airport was equipped for night landings. It is.

I hope you don't have any weather issues. I have family flying in on this Monday on that same late afternoon flight, and I am keeping my fingers crossed.

There is nothing wrong with having strong political leanings. If it is actually a considered opinion rather than groupthink someone simply adopts, that is a very positive thing. We need more thoughtful opinions.

And we need more people who are willing to be open-minded and willing to consider new ideas, even from "the opposing side."

I have liberal and conservative friends here. To me, I am glad to have a friendly discussion if it comes up. Interesting  issues about economics,  sociology, law, morality, whatever . ... I like tossing that around. I  do have opinions.

But, I left partisan politics behind when I  moved here.  It's  like a burden off my shoulders .  I enjoy the freedom I feel from leaving politics on the other side of the border. 

Just another reason  I  love Boquete .  We all moved here for a reason . Nobody forced us.

Galt's Gulch, for some.

I think we were likely to see an influx of Americans regardless of who had won the election. Both candidates had high disapproval ratings and the intensity against each of them was very strong. There are large numbers of Americans of all political stripes who were disgusted with this particular choice of candidates. 

I'm sure we'll  see some "political refugees" visiting the area  in upcoming weeks. We do live in interesting times.

In order for this to make any sense at all, this would have to apply to all border crossings. 

Well, there goes one of the benefits of having permanent residency.  

Is that a location map for this earthquake?  That dot obviously is not in Costa Rica. 

I definitely felt it in Palo Alto. A dish or two rattled in the cupboard . 

That is an excellent idea.   Thanks for suggesting it.

My problem isn't maps; it's that there isn't any such thing as a street address.  Looking sideways out the side window while driving, hoping to spot a business destination, is somewhat out of my comfort zone.