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I (Reyn) decided to walk down the beach to investigate. Betsy suggested that I take her camera to get video of this unusual event. Hopefully the video came out okay.
There had been pretty good surf for over a week in Puerto Armuelles. It being a Sunday we sometimes see surfers from Playa La Barqueta (near David) here. These, mostly young, Panamanians drive to Puerto Armuelles to surf when their own break is too big and “gnarly” to ride.
Since Puerto Armuelles is sheltered by Punta Burica from the prevailing southwest swell, we have more days without waves than less protected surf locations.
On the other hand, when the surf gets big and and ugly at other spots, we still have a relatively playful wave suitable for less than expert surfers.
Plus, our beach is always safe for swimmers.
Playa La Barqueta is generally considered to be too dangerous for swimmers. There are annual reports of swimmers and even beach walkers drowning at La Barqueta.
I have body surfed at La Barqueta before, and it was intense. I would never swim there without swim fins; The current is too strong.
So, it was Sunday, and the waves had been pretty good all week. But still 12 surfers in the water was an all time record for Puerto.
“What was up?” I wondered. I walked up to a woman surfer standing on the beach and asked her “why the big crowd?”
She explained that the entire Chiriqui Surf Club just happened to be holding a big get-together this Sunday. They caravaned down from David to surf in Puerto Armuelles. This was not a regular event.
Secretly, I was relieved that our “old guy surfers’ paradise” had not been discovered by the mainstream surf population. Yes, it’s true. Even we old guy surfers have a hard time sharing our local surf spot with a sudden invasion of out-of-towners.
Not surprisingly, when I went surfing at the same spot on Monday morning, I was the only surfer in the water. Victor, an expat who lives nearby and who surfs every morning, is out of town, or there would have been 2 of us.
The waves were still 3-4 foot, as they had been on Sunday, but they were much cleaner. This is the kind of surf session that I treasure in Puerto Armuelles.
In all honesty, conditions are often flat here even during our surf season of June- November.
If you take a look at the video, the waves I filmed are pretty good size for our area. I would say 3-4 feet. We definitely have more flat days in Puerto than we have days like this.
However, even when the waves are small, our swell is generally a lot cleaner than the waves pictured (not so many closeouts).
We generally have glassy morning surf with nice peeling rides….even if the waves are only waist high they are often clean and “rippable”.
Puerto Armuelles is definitely not a destination surf spot. However, if you are a surfer, or you would like to learn, there is uncrowded small surf at many locations here.
Plus, within a half hour drive (Manaca) or boat ride, you can get into some big waves, if that’s what you are looking for.
I generally surf right at our local break at Corazon de Jesus, when there are waves.
If the ocean is flat, I swim.
Surfing is exhilarating. Swimming is relaxing. Both help remind me of how lucky I am to be living here.
Thanks for reading
Reyn
To learn more about Puerto Armuelles, start here.
With Puerto Armuelles, there are now 3 towns in the Chiriqui Province with monthly or weekly markets.
In fact, some of the vendors from both the Volcan and Boquete Markets will be selling their wares at the Puerto Armuelles Saturday Market.
We hope to grow as big as the Boquete Tuesday Market is today. But as someone who went to it years ago, Boquete's Tuesday Market was not always as big as it is today.
Puerto's Saturday Market will be held at Heavenly's Hotel. Heavenly's Hotel is a beachfront hotel in the San Vicente Neighborhood of Puerto Armuelles.
It is easy to find. And there are signs giving directions to the hotel on the way. The image below has a map with the route to Heavenly's Hotel marked in red.
On sunny days, it is an outside event. On rainy days, it will move inside.
I also have directions to Puerto Armuelles via this link.
8am to 1pm on 1st Saturday of every month
If you have something you want to sell, you are welcome to sell it at the Saturday Market.
There is no charge to set up your table. But you do need to bring your own table and chairs.
Will you be at the market?
A baker from Boquete, Morton's Bakery, will be here too. If you want to pre-order from him, let me know and I will send you the menu/price list and pre-order contact info. You must get your pre-order to him by Thursday.
If you have any household goods or other items you want to donate, there will be a donation table. All proceeds will go to benefit the monthly spay and neuter clinic of Puerto Armuelles.
I made a video about the spay and neuter clinic of Puerto Armuelles.
I hope to see you on Saturday!
For more information, please comment below.
or contact Milton @ 6843-3250 or Sheryl @ 6828-2605
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And, it is going up very quickly.
This one is going to be our display house. Which we, and perhaps interested buyers, can use for the weekend or longer.
If you have explored our Living in Panama House, you will know that we were only offering 1300 sq. feet 2 and 3-bedroom homes.
However, we have had a number of inquiries from people who would like a smaller version of our Living in Panama House. They say they don't need much room and they want to simplify their lives.
So we decided to offer a smaller, 1000 sq. foot, 1-bedroom model. This smaller model can also be configured as a 2 bedroom home.
Of course, we have also had a few people asking if we can build a 3000 sq. foot model, but far fewer than the smaller house contingent.
Find out more about the Living In Panama House here
We invite you to come and watch the house while it is under construction.
Come back and see it when it is done too.
We want to give you a chance to walk around in the spaces and experience the Living In Panama House yourself. This will help you decide not only if a Living in Panama House is right for you, but what size and configuration is the best fit.
We hope that you can come to visit us in Puerto Armuelles soon and check out the Living in Panama House for yourself.
In the video above, you can see the initial stages of the Living in Panama House under construction. You also catch glimpses of our beautiful Corazon de Oro property where the house is located.
Video Transcript
Enjoy this speeded version of our first Living In Panama House being built.
Our Living in Panama House was designed for the tropics and for you to customize. We build the superstructure for you. That is - roof, walls, electrical, water, and the like and you put in the finishes - or have a recommended contractor do it for you.
This 1 bedroom model is being built on our beautiful Corazon de Oro property in the charming beach town of Puerto Armuelles. The info card in the upper right is a link to a video showing more of these gorgeous beach properties.
We just started this house and it is going up very quickly. I will create another video when it is fully constructed.
For more information on the Living in Panama House, Corazon de Oro properties, or the charming beach town of Puerto Armuelles, go to our site LivinginPanama.com. Explore the information there, or contact us directly.
Puerto Armuelles is not a tourist destination, per se. There isn't much nightlife.
It is a wonderful place just to be.
Thanks for watching.
Please comment below.
More recently, there has been a weather station in David.
But now, finally, there is a weather station in Puerto Armuelles!
We can thank Brenda and Don of the Tsunami Inn for it.
Brenda and Don started visiting Puerto Armuelles years ago. They even bought property.
More recently, they moved down full-time and became part-owners of the Tsunami Inn.
The Tsunami Inn is one of 2 beach hotels in the San Vicente neighborhood of Puerto Armuelles.
Brenda and Don, particularly Don, were also bothered that there was no weather station in Puerto Armuelles. They had had a weather station when they were living in Tool, Texas. So they set one up here.
You can see it in the image above. It is attached to their home, which is on the grounds of the Tsunami Inn.
Brenda made 2 observations about the weather station.
So keep that in mind when you look at the results of their weather station.
Okay, so how can you use the weather station to find out the weather in Puerto Armuelles.
I also have the widget for Puerto Armuelles's weather station on this site. Look in the sidebar on this post.
The information also appears in the sidebar of all my 'About Puerto Armuelles' pages.
If you are interested about the climate and weather in Panama, I wrote a detailed article about the weather in Panama here.
Please Comment Below
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I am very glad that she fell in love with Puerto Armuelles. That she felt that it was the perfect place for her to live.
As you see in the video, Joan is a very positive person and a delight to be around. We look forward to when Joan is living here full time.
Joan doesn't retire for another 13 months, but she is starting her new yoga business now.
She is partnering with Scott, Bonnie, Brenda, and Don of the Tsunami Inn to start a yoga retreat center.
It is called, Asana Panama. You can find out more by visiting the website, asanapanama.com.
Yoga studios and teachers can rent the Tsunami Inn as a Yoga Retreat Center for a week at a time. The yogis will have full use of the Tsunami Inn.
Amenities. There is a newly built outdoor yoga shala (seen in the video) in front of the ocean for their use.
Yogis will also be able to book massages, manicures and pedicures. There will be yoga equipment as well as bicylces available for their use.
Excursions can also be booked. Excursions include: whale watching, bike rides, fishing, surfing, river tours, and more.
Don't worry, the Tsunami Inn is open for regular hotel business whenever it is not being used as a yoga retreat center.
The Yoga Retreat Center is just being launched. So at least for the time being, you can still book a room at the Tsunami Inn in Puerto Armuelles.
I wish her, the Tsunami Inn, & all its owners, much success.
Find out more about the charming Puerto Armuelles here.
If you already love Puerto, check out our fabulous Puerto Armuelles real estate options
I added some topic headings to the transcript to make it easier to skim.
Betsy: I'm talking with Joan about why she fell in love with Puerto Armuelles and why it's the perfect location for her new yoga retreat center.
Joan: I spent 11 years traveling all through Panama, and I fell in love when I came here.
And I knew this was the place that I wanted to have my business.
And this is my retirement business. I'm so excited to retire.
This is the most gorgeous place I've ever been. And I've been all over the world.
In fact , Scott was saying, you've traveled everywhere, and this is where you're choosing to live?
Absolutely. I love the people. I love being with the Panamanian people. They are wonderful people. They're kind and respectful.
And the country: you have fresh fruit every day. And the fishing out here (gesturing to the ocean). You have fresh fish every day.
I had lunch for $2.75 for rice and beans and chicken and a coke. I don't normally drink coke, but that's what they had.
It was so inexpensive and wonderful.
But more than anything, it is just the sense of ahhh - I'm here.
And that's what I think that is what we all need. Especially coming from such a busy lifestyle that we have the States. I know I have that, I am still flying (Joan is an airline attendant). But in my world, everything is time time time time.
It's nice to just sit back here. I sit under the yoga shala (i.e., the thatched gazabo/rancho she is sitting in front of in the video) and just watch the ocean and listen to it.
I am NOT an early riser by nature; on my days off, when I'm not flying.
But I automatically wake up every day here before sunrise.
And I'm out on that beach. I come and do my yoga. And then I start the day.
And I just feel so good!
Betsy: And is that why you started the yoga business?
Joan: Actually no.
It started because I've been in the airline industry for many, many years. And unfortunately, in every industry, there's trouble and they file bankruptcy. And you lose pension.
So I had to reinvent myself.
And I thought, I have to move out of the country. No problem. Where do I go?
Research. Panama. Number one on my list.
And then I thought, I want to have a business. What would I like to do?
Well, I want to be involved in yoga. But I don't necessarily want to be an instructor, but around the people and the community
So I thought thought, a yoga retreat.
Find a place that I can have yoga retreats come to that is peaceful. That people will just be filled with joy when they leave.
And after 11 years, I came and stayed here.
Came back, and stayed again.
I got to know the owners, Scott and Bonnie. And they have new partners, that just came down here, Brenda and Don.
And I just put it out, Would you like to partner with me? This is my idea. And they said, yes.
And that's where I want to spend the rest of my life. Just helping people come down and relax.
Because when you're here, you don't have the airplanes, you don't have the noise, you don't have the news.
You have nothing but peace.
So here we are.
Just opening up and looking forward to being full with Yogi's every week.
Betsy: Thanks for watching!
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The hardest part is using the new-to-me software needed to edit the footage. (At least it is necessary when you take experienced photographers advice and you shoot in dlog. That makes everything "flat", requiring more intensive post-editing!) I attempted to use Adobe Premier Pro. Please let me know how you think it turned out.
I will be taking more and better drone footage. Hopefully soon.
It is the rainy season so I cannot do it just anytime. I need to wait for blue skies in the morning. The afternoons are abit too breezy for my skill level.
Corazon de Oro is really beautiful. Which is one reason we are building our first Living In Panama House there.
The end of the video above, includes footage from Friday, July 28, of the house under construction.
If you are searching for a wonderful place to live on the beach, you should check out our Corazon de Oro properties.
Find out more about the beautiful Corazon de Oro here.
This beautiful beach property (seen in the video above) is for sale in Puerto Armuelles, Panama.
It is just one of the 20 beautiful properties we have here at Corazon de Oro.
Stay to the end of the video, to see one of our Living In Panama houses in the process of being built.
This property leads right down to a beautiful beach. It is the rainy season so, driftwood has accumulated for the time being.
It is only a half-hour beach walk to town, or 5 minutes by car. Check out the video I made of walking on this beach, into town.
This is truly a beautiful place just to be.
The prices for these 20 lots range from under $100 thousand for beachfront, to as low as $32 thousand. You can find out more about these 20 lots by clicking (the link below).
This beachfront lot is 54 feet wide and 140 feet deep.
As you have probably heard, Puerto Armuelles is the charming beach town in the Chiriqui Province that Chiquita Banana built back in the 1920s. It a unique town in Panama.
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The more formal one, followed by the more casual dog show. I have captured the causal version of the dog show in the video above.
It is only in that less stringent show, that our dog, Ziggy, could win the most obedient dog award. Which he did.
The dog show happened in the parking lot of the Romero Supermarket in Puerto Armuelles.
Romero is a major supermarket chain in Panama. They sponsor dog shows throughout Panama.
We meet a young woman at the show who had had participated at the dog show in Bugaba 2 weeks ago.
She had come down to Puerto Armuelles from David to be in our dog show as well. She has 2 dogs. She belongs to a dog club and takes it very seriously. She didn't even bother to have her dogs out during the 2nd, less formal, dog show. They stayed in the shade and in the car.
In the video, I also discuss start times in Panama. How some events start right on time and some don't.
You have to be here for awhile to figure out which type of events will start promptly and which do not. Although, you can still get it wrong when you are not a native - as you will see in the video.
You can hear me, Betsy, doing a voice over in the video. Here is what I say:
You can check out a bit of the dog show in Puerto Armuelles, Panama.
Well, this dog show was really over when we arrived. They were giving out prizes and taking photos.
But it turns out, that even though we had thought it was over, and we'd come late because we didn't think it was starting right away. There's two parts of the dog show.
And we were pulled into it, happily, for my daughter, there, with our dog Ziggy. Because she had wanted to put her dog in.
And Veronique, who is with the cast, we had told about this dog show, so she is happily there.
But Sheryl, who you see there, she was just coming over to have us help her fix something. We had told her we were going to be there so we could fix it while we were there.
But we're all pulled into the second part.
You can see there's little obedient checks. Whether the dog will come to you, whether it will sit...
They do one run of that.
And then they have the audience give their input. They base the 2nd round of prizes on how much applause each person got.
Pretty much everyone got some dog food.
Here's an interesting cultural item.
You can easily think that everything happens late in Panama. You know, its a relaxed lifestyle.
Things tend to be late, but not everything.
When my husband was at Romero's. They said the dog show was going to be starting in a few minutes.
My husband looked around and said it didn't look like it would start for about an hour. But it started right away.
When we showed up, an hour and 20 minutes later, it was pretty much over. The main part at least.
And so, that is something we should have known - that the dog show would start on time. There's certain things that start on time.
It's just one of those things you kind of have to learn over time. What things start on time and what things are likely to be very very late.
One thing I do like about Panama, is that there is no pre-registration. Maybe for the first part, people pre-registered. But I'm sure if you showed up, you could still participate in that. And here, we were completely not prepared for the second part, and it was fine.
It is not necessary to do a lot of pre-planning in your life. And I love that about Panama.
I made a slideshow type video of the 1st annual dog show. The monthly spay and neuter clinic happened on the same day last year and I included some photos of that as well. You can see that video here.
Learn more about Puerto Armuelles by starting here.
If you already love Puerto, explore our Puerto Armuelles real estate.
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As a bonus we ran into a few other people from Puerto who were at the Circus.
This was the first time we have seen Circus Portugal.
This circus has no live animals.
I know there are many reason people object to animals in the circus. But one thing I like about animals in circuses, at least in Panama, is that you get to see them up and personal.
They are housed right outside the circus tent. So even if you don't go to the Circus, you can see the animals. I have seen camel, giraffes, elephants and more housed outside when the circus has been in town.
If you don't want to watch the video, the transcript is below.
Hi this is Betsy of Living in Panama
We went to the circus in David the other day
I just wanted to give a little snippet of what it was like.
The circus comes through the Chiriqui province probably 2, maybe, 3 times a year. Different circuses.
It stops in David as well as in Pasa Canoas, which is at the border.
We really like going to the circus.
We used to love the Circus Renato.
But for reasons that are understandable I don't think they are around any more. They had a many live animals and for obvious reasons, people have objections to that.
But Renato was an amazing showman. He put on a great show.
This was a fine circus.
It was mostly, which I don't capture much here,great for its comedy.
The best comedy we saw, I actually didn't record.
If you ever want to go, it is here to the end of the month. It's right next the Pricesmart and the Chiriqui Mall.
Hit like, if you like this video
subscribe if you want more snippets of life from Panama.
Thanks for watching
We have been there twice now.
It is near ESPA on the main road that runs through Puerto Armuelles.
ESPA is a school in the Los Angles neighborhood. ESPA is across from the fair grounds on one side and the cemetery on another side.
As you will see in the photos they do have a sign on the street, but the restaurant can be alittle hard to see since the land dips down from the road there, so it is not level with the street (see photo).
It is an open air restaurant located in part of an old Chiquita building. I imagine this building was once up on a banana finca and after Chiquita left someone moved it to this spot.
You will discover transplanted Chiquita building in various locations in the Baru district.
The family who runs it are friendly and pleasant to talk with. They live in the Chiquita house.
So far we have only tried their BBQ chicken, fries, and patacones. And we have only ordered it to go. We have not used their delivery service yet.
The chicken has been pretty good. Moist and not too greasy. Much less greasy than the roasted chickens you can buy at Romeros.
However, they do not serve any vegetables. Which is one of the main reasons we order it to go. We take it home to eat with our own vegetables and rice.
It takes about 30 - 45 minutes to get your food after your order. So you may want to order, do some errands, and come back. Of course, you can also use their delivery service or call in your order.
It is typically open after 5pm, 7 days a week.
Call to order or for a delivery: 6802-2163
They offer an intensely meat-focused menu. Pretty typical of a BBQ place.
For those of you new to Panama or Spanish, here is a translation of those menu items.
Ari BBQ is on Facebook. It doesn't have much information on it, but here is the link.
Been to Ari BBQ? Please share your experience below.
Find out about more restaurants in Puerto Armuelles
