February 1 - we are very much enjoying our jungle location (Briants tree house). The house is very cool. We sleep in a hut, but all our living is done outside, under a roof. The kitchen is nice. The kids are a bit not adventurous l, they constantly want us to entertain them. I wish they played by themselves sometimes. I tried to go for a run down this trail. I ran about 3 km. It was ridiculously hot! We went to El Valle Anton after. We walked around the town, it is truly beautiful. The town is located inside a crater. The drive was very pretty too. They seem poor, but live in paradise. I went grocery shopping on our way home. I tried to buy chicken, but, as I was going to pay, the cashier smelled one pack and told me its bad and only allowed me to buy one. The guy that bagged my groceries was drunk. The drive home was in the dark. The roads out of the crater are so steep! Definitely wouldn’t find that back home, the roads are narrow too. People walk on the roads and in the dark sometimes they are hard to see. The evening was stressful because the babies were upset. The kids were hyper because they had a lollipop. Eventually they fell asleep! It was another great day.
February 2 - Finally a very low key day. We didn’t do much today. We woke up, went for a walk down this path by our place. It led to more houses! People live there and have no cars, they have to walk all there food in. It’d be hard! But beautiful. Then we had breakfast. We did some school work with the girls. Frank and I both took a run in the heat. The kids played most of the day, they finally started to adventure out on there own. At night we watched a movie, the kids did. Frank worked on his coding and I looked up a new air bnb. Night time is a little crazy with the kids being so loud. Somehow we always manage though, and hopefully one day it’ll get easier.
February 3. Today started out pretty early, around 7:30. Everybody woke up, except Alice, she likes her sleep. Sophia was excited that the tooth fairy came for her silver tooth and she got a Panama coin. We went for a small walk in the morning, carrying the twins in the carriers. We realized the trail that is about 1km past our place, leads to 3 houses. They have no cars and have to carry all there stuff in from the road. They have basic homes and dogs. The power went out after our walk. The stove is propane, so we were able to cook. I did some writing and reading with the girls and Frank and the boys ran up and down a hill for exercise. Then I went for a run while Frank thought the girls math. That evening we drove to town (45min) to re stock on groceries and have ice cream. Everyone fell asleep on the way home, except for Sophia, Frank and me. Hopefully the babies sleep at night.
Feb 4 - Danny plus waterfall. He told us that building a house cost 10k. No property taxes. We went to his home. Pretty nice. Big garden is pretty common to have. Lots of concrete. The waterfall was nice, but hard with the babies and Peter. He fell once on the rocks and I couldn’t help him because I was holding the babies. Frank jumped off a big rock to get in.
Feb 5 - Today was a pretty relaxing day. We walked in the morning, down the hill behind our place. Then we made breakfast. I made sourdough the night before, so we had sourdough pancakes. They were good, I thought. Frank took Peter and the babies and I did some reading with the girls. The owner, Briant, dropped by. He told us he needs to come to collect butterfly cocoons, he showed them to us, they are gold coloured! He sells them in Panama City to butterfly expositions. He has a little butterfly home in the air bnb. He put some cocoons in there and the kids love watching and waiting until they hatch. They are supposed to hatch today/tomorrow. We went to Penonname in the afternoon. I did not find it that nice. We went for a walk, sate some chicken, and bought groceries.
Feb 6 - Last day in the treehouse air bnb. My legs have really bad bug bites, I’m excited to leave and try to let them heal. Danny came by in the morning to collect the $40 for the waterfall tour. He stayed for an hour. I made sourdough cinnamon buns. They were really good, I made the starter, it fermented really well in the heat. I also made it in a toaster oven, it worked well too. I was proud of myself. The kids spent hours with the butterflies, watching them Hatch. We then washed dishes. Frank took Peter for his run and I did reading/writing with the girls. Then I went for a run. We then went to town-El Valle. It was actually cold And raining! First time in Panama that I was cold. We walked around and then went back home. Lots of drunk locals walking on the road - Sunday night drinking?
February 7 - Travel day. We left the tree house air bnb and drove down to Las Tables, the beach. It was a 2.5 hour drive that took us 5. We stopped in Peononame To buy lunch - really amazing chicken and fries! We went to a playground. The southern part of Panama is definitely more developed, almost felt like we were back home. The new air bnb is really clean feeling right beside the ocean. It is made out of concrete, I really like it. It has A/C!
February 8-9 We spent the first day settling in. We went grocery shopping and explorEd the beach. We did some school work. Alice got sick. She threw up, and took a long nap in an A/C room. Adam seems off too. I hope they get better! The beach by our air bnb, in Las Tables Panama, isn’t nt super nice. The sand is nice and the water waves are big, the water isn’t super blue, it appears kind of brown…the girls love swimming! The waves are big though and I think I need to teach them that the ocean is very scary, compared to the lakes that they are used too…I ran on the beach and it was really nice. I can’t believe it was so peaceful. The whole time I was running…25 min, I saw one person, it is very deserted. On the 9th, Alice continue Ltd to be sick, we went to town to get laundry done, when we got home, we realized that the puke stuff was still in the tub. we will have to go again. We went swimming in the evening, it was awesome, the water is warm and very refreshing.
February 10-12: Alfa’s beach house.
Feb 19: Adventure Day! We woke up and Alice was bugging me to do her reading. I asked her why, and she said it’s because she wanted to go for a run with Daddy. Usually Daddy and the boys leave after breakfast and me and the girls do school work. So we did the reading and after breakfast it was just me and Sophia. We did some reading and I organized pictures on Franks computer. When they came back I went for a small run. We ate lunch and set off on a hike…we brought the stroller and we were going to turn around when we felt tired. We just kept walking, it was 6.6km. At 3.5km in, we decided to keep going, as it was suppose to be flatter. It was, but it got swampier and it was hard to push the stroller. We had to keep walking though because it was getting dark. Frank carried Peter and pushed the stroller. I carried Alice and B sometimes. B didn’t like the bumpy ride, A didn’t mind. As we got higher it got colder, I wish I brought the kids sweaters, especially Peter and Alice. We made it to the main road. We found a house on google that was also a restaurant. It felt really weird being there, they were really nice. They lent Peter and Alice a blanket and gave us hot chocolate. They called us a taxi. The place was called Fonda Vasques Solis, in Alto de Piedra. The taxi ride was crazy. The turns and hills were so fast, he drove a pick up truck. Me and the kids in the back flew all over the place. We got home and because it was lower elastin, it was noticeably warmer. We had ice cream and showers and went to bed. Here is a video of our hostal and A and B almost crawling
February 20 - What another interesting day! It started with the kids getting up. I did laundry and Frank made pancakes. It is Sunday and there are a lot of people dressed nicely and a lot more families out. In the afternoon there are a lot of drunks. We packed up and went to the Caribbean side. It is only 51km away from Santa Fe. The asphalt road was completed in 2021! Before, the town of Calovebora, was only assessable by boats. When we got there everyone! Was staring at us, and definitely not very friendly. We were so stared at. We had some lunch there, it was expensive and not that great. I find it cool, though, that instead of asking what you would like for lunch, they ask how many lunches you want, because they only cook one meal. The drive across was probably the most beautiful drives I have ever been on. It was so raw and undeveloped, it looked like we were in a Jurassic Park movie set. It was also really hill. The town was small, maybe 100 huts. They really didn’t have much, very poor and dirty. Very unwelcoming to tourists. We saw a guy getting pulled off the street, passed out drunk, and put into a police ATV. They really don’t like foreigners. We swam in the water, but, it was really strong, so we didn’t that much. We saw the river that flows from the mountains to the ocean. There were men in wooden canoes, travelling up and down it. The beach was full of garbage, really gross. We didn’t stay long, and drove back. We were making dinner and Alice put on her PJs and fell asleep so fast, she didn’t even get a chance to eat. I think she’s working really hard, with the hiking and the swimming. I really like Santa Fe and hope to return one day.
February 21 - Travel day. I started the day by going for a 3km run. It was really nice, but, it’s awkward doing it when the locals stare. I usually stop running and walk when I noticed them staring. They say something to me in Spanish and I’m not sure what it is. They have smiles on there faces, so I smile and wave to them and then run again. I know they think I’m crazy! Then we went out for breakfast, since it’s only 2$/person and we didn’t feel like cooking, especially since we have to leave by 12. I learned what empanadas are… deep fried patties with chicken in it. I felt so sick after, so did Alice. I learned I’m not going to order them again. We then packed up and left. I will miss Santa Fe. Frank got a shave at a local barber shop and then we drove to Santiago. It was noticeably warmer…like +30’s again. We had lunch and stocked up on groceries, gas, and cash. Then we drove for another 4 hours. We arrived at the air bnb after dark, it was a long trip! We unpacked and went to bed. The air bnb is really cool, I will post a video soon. We are now at Playa Cambutal.
February 22. Relaxing day. We woke up. I went for a run, first thing. I knew that it gets so hot later in the day, and the morning is probably the only comfortable time to run. We had eggs and toast for breakfast and then went for a walk. Alice is feeling tired and sick, so it was a short walk. I went to the beach with Sophia and Peter. They are very excited to be at the beach again, they love the shells and the waves. The sand is almost black, because it’s from the volcano and the waters are turquoise in areas, it’s really cool. We then went back home because it gets so hot and the sun is so strong. We made lunch and did some homeschooling. Frank went for a run…he said it was really hard due to the heat! Then Alice took a nap. Sophia, the babies, and me went to put a hermit crab back to the water because Sophia accidentally collected a shell with it inside earlier today. We had some fresh fruit juice at a restaurant and went home. We collected the rest of them and went swimming. We walked for about 2km along the water to a resort that has amazing grass. I was able to put the babies on the grass, instead of into sand. We bind out there for a few hours and then went to get dinner. It’s more expensive here…I think we will do more cooking. Then I made cookies and we went to bed. Great day!
February 23: Relaxing day! We started today early, the kids wake up so early. I went for a run and Sophia tried to make cookies. They were very watery…so I backed a loaf out of it. I made sourdough bread too, it was okay. Still learning. We then ate breakfast and Frank went for a run with the boys. I stayed with the girls to do reading/writing. We read the children’s bible too and they are really enjoying it. It makes me happy. We then went to town to get groceries. Hopefully we won’t have to go out again for a few days. Then we went to the beach. We got fries and beers. It was nice to walk home on the beach with my family while the sun was setting.
February 24: Hot day! It is so hot here. We are all suffering a little bit of dehydration. Me especially. I had some beers last night and then went for a run this morning. I went a bit later because I was baking cinnamon buns for breakfast. It was so hot! When I came back we had breakfast and then went for a walk as a family. Sophia and Peter wanted to go on the beach and Frank, Alice, and the twins walked parallel to us, but on the road. it got pretty hot after about 30 min, so we went to find Daddy. I thought he was ahead of us, so I walked pretty far. I didn’t see him, so I walked back. We were so thirsty and I had to carry Peter, he was tired. We finally found each other and hiked home, it took about an hour. When we made it back the kids turned on the A/C in the bedroom and locked themselves in there for a while. They were okay after that. We had lunch and then relaxed a bit. We then drove to the beach and the kids and Daddy went swimming. I stayed by the playground with babies and met another mom! She was Canadian too, she lived here. She is married to a local. Then we went to town to pick up pizza and a few groceries. Then home to bed. Also…the bugs here are so big!
February 25: we started the day pretty relaxed. The treehouse air bnb is really cool, with the walls being giant windows that open up. I work up around 6:30…babies did, not me by choice. I baked cinnamon bread for the family and at 8 I went for a run. Frank had a conference call at 8:30. Then he went for a run and I hung out with the girls. We read a book and wrote I. Our journals. Then we had lunch and went to Guanico beach. It’s about a half hour away, around a mountain. It’s another beach town. Smaller then Cambutal. I met an American girl, with a son, that we’re living there. They have been away from home for over 4 years. She loves it here! I do too, but, I think I love my life at home too. Frank went swimming with the kids. Sophia got stung by a jellyfish. We walked around the beach and then had dinner. I drank .75$ beers. Beer is cheaper then pop and water! We then went grocery shopping in Tonosi and then home. A and B both were crawling today and they saw each other across the room and started getting really excited that they see each other, it was so cute!
February 26: today was a chill day! Well not Chilly, it was actually really hot. It gets so hot here that we usually wake up early do some exercise and then stay inside from about 11-3, just trying to stay cool. That’s the time the kids do schooling and Frank gets work done and I make lunch. We didn’t have to go to town to get groceries, so that was a bonus! We went for a walk in the afternoon on the other side of our house, a new beach. It was very deserted. The kids played for hours in the water and sand. We walked around until sunset and then had fries at a very non touristy restaurant. It is Saturday night! Lots of locals drinking and playing dominoes…it was a really fun place and happy. We then walked home and found out our water didn’t work. Frank talked to the owner and then it worked a few minutes later…he turned a breaker off accidentally.
February 27: Today started with me trying a new recipe. My sourdough starter isn’t starting…maybe not good flour? I have a hard time reading what it says on the package…thus I tried a new receipe for cinnamon bread. I made too much dough but tried to bake it anyway, it was such a disaster! Batter all over the oven, burning, embarrassing….what I managed to save was okay to eat, nothing special. I went for a run and then Frank did. The kids did school work, reading and writing with me and math with Frank. We went to the beach around 4. It is Sunday and it is definitely the local party day. The beaches were packed, people drinking, and couples dancing. There was so much music, I loved it. We made it to our beach we like, with the green grass and playground. We had drinks and then walked home in the sunset. We had some chicken and rice on the way home. The kids are so much, they are really hungry. We love the local place here, down the street. Tomorrow we set off on a 6 hour drive to Bouquet, hopefully it goes well.
February 28: Travel Day! We knew we had to go far today, from Cambutal to Boquete! Google maps says 6hours and 6min of driving. Knowing us, we have to do a ton of stops. We left at 11 after we packed and cleaned up our air bnb. I liked it a lot there and pretty sad to go. We drove to Cambutal and bought some fruit and ice cream. Everyone fell asleep so it was a relaxing 2 hours. When kids started waking up, it got busy! By 2:30 I couldn’t take it anymore so we stopped for lunch. We had chicken and rice…it was a good. We drove further and got some more ice cream. The country is truly beautiful, I never knew that Panama is so mountainous and so green. The highway had random checkpoints. Not sure what the police was looking for, but, they had big guns. We finally made it to David! We were so tired. We immediately noticed how well off the locals were, nice clothes and cars…we saw a Porsche. We bought groceries and had pizza and then had another 45 min drive to the air bnb. I thought boquete was going to be a small town, it was crazy developed and very “North American.” I don’t know if I’m going to like it, I really enjoyed the small towns of Cambutal and Santa Fe. The air bnb was cheap…and I really don’t like it. It’s small and loud and in a town. The hiking is suppose to be awesome here and I am ready to try it!