[leadplayer_vid id="5996CF99BA91B"]
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.
[leadplayer_vid id="5981CC8C7A00E"]
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.
[leadplayer_vid id="597FCB01A1DFD"]
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.
[leadplayer_vid id="597620165EFEC"]
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
[leadplayer_vid id="58FF854299CB2"]
The video above was done by elsalvador.com
Tamborito evolved starting in the 17thcentury after the Spanish conquistadors brought slaves to Panama. The slave dance culture blended with the Mestizo (mix of Spanish and Indian) dances to establish a new dance. One that involved percussion instruments, clapping, singing, and lively choreography.
The dance is a romantic courtship between a man and a woman.
The basic choreography of the dance consists of shuffling steps. Every person who wants to dance creates a circle, men on one side and women on the other. Taking turns, one man and one woman will go into the center and dance with subtle movements of their hips and tiny steps. They may dance next to each other or face to face but never touching. Typically there are at least 6 couples dancing.
The male dancer works to impress the woman with fast footwork and by gesturing with his hat. He dances in a circular pattern- almost as if he is chasing her. The female dancer also moves in a circular pattern in accordance to the man. She holds her pollera (skirt) in both hands, letting the long fabric create a bell shape, as she moves gracefully as if gliding across the floor. At times the empolleradas provocatively swish their long flowing dresses. After inviting him closer in this way, she will spur him by turning her back and continuing her circling dance.
Professional Panamanian folk dancer Dimaris Bergeron says that eye contact is key to any Panamanian folk dance between a man and a woman. The woman is not supposed to smile because that would imply that she finds the man charming. It is a playful dance with the man trying to entice the woman while she resists his appeals.
The men are called montunos named after the straw hat that they wear. The women are called empolleradas named after their long skirt.
At the end of the dance, the partners curtsey to each other.
NOTE: The description of the dance above and the customs below are for the more staged and formal performances. Tamborito often occurs much more spontaneously or casually. Much like the video of Tamborito above.
Tamborito music incorporates Panama's African influences. Tamborito means “little drum”. The rhythm is referred to as “Tambor Norte”.
The Tamborito is played with three small drums, one for the high tones, one for the low tones (and a caja), another one for the rhythm. They layer their sounds on top of each other.
Depending on the region, it may also include a Spanish guitar, a violin and an almirez. The almirez is a metal mortar and pestle that is used as a percussion instrument. The instrument is historically Arabic.
There is usually one female lead singer who is supported by rhythmic chorus clapping and singing of the rest of the women. The lead singer, cantalante, may sing about life, work, or love, depending on the type of tamborito.
An important aspect of the dance is the costuming. Women wear La Polleras. A La Pollera is two separate pieces: a shirt and a Pollerón (long skirt). The gowns are detailed with colorful embroidery, lace, and ribbons.
On top of each female dancer’s head rests a large elaborate headdress called a tembleque.
The head decoration is almost as important as the dress itself. The hair is parted into two braids and tightly pulled back behind the ears. The head is decorated with tembleques. They are designed to sparkle. (see photo below).
The tembleques are applied with various types of combs. There can be as many as twenty combs on the head -ten per side. The woman also wears ornate and reflective jewerly (see photos below).
The men’s costume consists of a
There are different patterns of shirt, pants, and shoes, according to the region.
Click on photos to start slideshow.
The Tamborito is especially popular during the Panamanian Carnival, a national celebration that takes place between February and March, just before Lent begins.
Sources:
You can really feel the African influences in the music. El Tamborito is often performed at formal events, but I think it is best when it happens more causally.
In Puerto Armuelles.
It will start at the San Antonio Church. The parade route is from Super Yen to the downtown municipal park (by the waterfront)
The Tourist Development Association of Baru is hosting this "First Parade of Tipica Costumes in Baru". (Note: Baru is a district in the Chiriqui Province.)
You can enjoy people from all over Baru dancing and singing and showing off their best tipica costumes
Saturday, April 29, 2017
The festivities & parade start outside of Super Yen. The parade ends at the Municipal Park (by the waterfront).
El Tamborito is just one of many folk dances in Panama. But this lively dance is unique to the country. As I said above, it is Panama's national dance. The dance symbolizes a romantic courtship between a man and a woman.
Tamborito music incorporates the African influences in Panama. Tamborito means “little drum”. The music consists of three drums that layer upon one another.
An important aspect of the dance is the costuming. Women wear la polleras. Polleras are are long white gowns with colorful embroidery, lace, and ribbons. On top of each female dancer’s head rests a large elaborate headdress. The men’s costume consists of a white loosely fitted shirt, trousers, and a straw hat.
At a casual event, people don't necessarily wear tipica customs. They also don't necessarily do the more formal dance style or dance much at all.
Click for more information on Tamborito dance, music, and costumes.
[leadplayer_vid id="58D819C88D1E0"]
You can find more photos and details about this property by clicking here.
In the video, I mention a few links you may want to click. Here they are:
Hi, this is Betsy of Living in Panama.
About the Property
We have a wonderful beachfront lot for sale in the charming beach town of Puerto Armuelles
This property has everything going for it:
Also For Sale
The 2 adjacent properties you see are also for sale, -- which includes the yellow beachfront house we are currently remodelling. To find out more, click the link below
As I said, this property is in Puerto Armuelles, in the Chiriqui province.
Here we are getting closer; to get a Google Earth view of the property.
Price
It is only $54,500 dollars.
Near Services
This beachfront property is in a great location. Just a block and a half from the Tsunami Inn which hosts a horseshoe game and expat hang out event every Sunday afternoon.
Even closer, in the other direction, are 2 restaurants. Las Juanas which is a seafood restaurant with outdoor seating right on the beach. It is really a great place to hang out.
Next to it is Big Daddy's Hotel, which has a restaurant inside, with air-conditioning.
There are a couple of small grocery stores within a block or two of the property. Puerto also has a great Romero grocery store as well as others about 5 minutes away.
Nearby Things To Do
This property and Puerto Armuelles, in general, can take advantage of all that Chiriqui Province offers.
It is only an hour day trip down to visit Mono Feliz and maybe feed the monkeys.
You can take a swim in front of your property in the morning and then go take a hike in Volcan or Boquete or Cerro Punta and be back at your beachfront home after a leisurely day.
David is about an hour and 15 minutes away. Its the biggest town in Chiriqui, Puerto Armuelles is the 2nd biggest, but David is definitely the shopping mecca. You can get pretty much you’d ever want there. And it keeps growing in that way. (e.g., a huge expansion of the Chiriqui Mall in David is currently underway)
And even outside of the Chiriqui province you can go along up this way to Almirante and take the ferry to Bocas del Toro for maybe a long weekend.
Or you can go right over here and visit Costa Rica.
About Puerto Armuelles
Or you could simply hang out in Puerto Armuelles.
Chiquita banana built Puerto Armuelles from scratch starting in the late 1920s. They put a unique stamp on this charming beach town. Including building whole neighborhoods of wooden houses on stilts.
Today Puerto is a charming beach town.
In fact, it is the only true beach town in Panama.
It has pretty much everything you need to live comfortably, including a great beach life, whether for you that is walking on the beach, boogie boarding, stand up paddleboarding, or surfing, or going there to buy fish from the fishermen.
More Info
For more information on this property, please contact us at our site, LivinginPanama.com or click the link below.
Please give us a thumbs up if you enjoyed this video and don’t forget to subscribe (YouTube).
You can explore more properties in Puerto Armuelles here.
And you can learn more about our charming beach town starting here.
[justified_image_grid lightbox=photoswipe mobile_lightbox=photoswipe lightbox_max_size=large]
The weekends will be especially crowded. More than 300K visitors are expected this year. The David Fair has all sorts of things: horses, cows, car and tractor dealerships, plants, traditional dancing, and much more.
Handicrafts, Art, Furniture
If you are looking to buy some handicrafts, paintings, furniture, or hammocks is it worth your time to check out the stalls. There are both outdoor and indoor stands of a wide variety of merchandise.
Gardening
If you are a gardener, make sure you check out the area of the fair where they sell plants. There is an enormous variety of plants for sale. You may want to go during the day, when it is less crowded.
I believe admission still only costs $2 , $1 if you are retired. Admission is free if you are under 8 years old. If you want to see the "zoo", it is an extra 50 cents, which you pay at the zoo entrance.
I have written about the David Fair a few times in the past. If you are interested, here the links to those posts.
2012 visit including 2 hotel mentions
[leadplayer_vid id="58B33CE6847AD"]
We had fun, and bought a couple of different kinds of fish. Although, we were hoping to find a tuna that day, but no luck.
We love tuna, but it isn't popular here. Which is great for us. It is not popular so they sell it for only 60 cents a pound. Lightly seared and served with wasabi it is delectable.
Maybe next time they will have some tuna.
Where do you buy your fish in Panama?
We like to buy it off the boats. But people will walk or bike around with fish for sale.
We are alittle leary of buying non-iced seafood.
But if you go that route, here is a video that explains how to tell if a fish is fresh.
It is done by one of the YouTubers my daughter Blaise likes, Bart's Fish Tales. He also has alot of receipes for seafood of all sorts.
[leadplayer_vid id="58B33FE64858B"]
Please comment below
