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The other day we woke up to no water. The water from the city wasn't running into the property for some reason. Thankfully, there's a holding tank, but there's only so much in there. We had to be careful with water usage so washing the dishes went right out the window! No one minded - but it did get a little messy.  We've found that bread is expensive here. It isn't unusual to spend $1.75 for regular bread more for some of the better loaves. Flour isn't expensive though so I decided that we should make bread whenever we can. Bailey tried her hand at making it and was very successful. Making bread on a no water day adds to the mess but, hey, why not?!! We're finding that it goes crumbly really quickly. After trying a few different recipes I haven't found one that doesn't. If you have a good recipe and want to try it I'd love to try it!  That afternoon, after Bailey and Keiran were done history class at the neighbour's house, a new friend we met arrived with her 3 horses for the kids to ride. There were around 20 kids here playing frisbee, on the playground and riding horses through the mix. It was great! According to Addy it was 'Awesome' and she 'never wanted to get down, ever'. Loved the smiles on our girls' faces as they got to love on and ride the horses. By late afternoon the water came back on and we were able to do that huge stack of dishes. Most of the loaves of bread were gone - can't seem to get ahead on that one! They eat them as fast as I can make them. It's amazing what you can fit into a day here. We're loving the pace of life! Everything is slowed down and we have time to play and work together a little more.
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By Keiran McNeal.
we got 2 ducks today to keep for eggs. Bailey and I built a cage out of some old pallets that we found, bamboo, and wire with the help of our grandpa. The ducks (Merlin and Eggsy) are still getting used to everything, but they're showing very good progress and aren't as scared as at first. By Keiran McNeal. So far this month has been much cooler than February, most likely because of how close we're getting to rainy season. Going to Cerro Punta made for some really great opportunities for photos, here's what I came up with: As of today, Friday, March 9th, we have had the ducks for five days. They're slowly starting to get used to us, and we're learning what they like and don't. They eat a bunch of the kitchen scraps and watermelon really seems to be a hit with them. One of their favorite things to do is splash around in their water, so we've supplied them with a little pan that they can go dunking in when they want. We're currently working on getting them into the creek so that they can really enjoy themselves. |
| On Fridays there are two markets that open in the morning and offer some choices that are different than the normal offerings at the grocery store. The first one opens early and it's called the "gringo" market. It is mostly gringos selling stuff to other gringos. They have things like homemade cheeses, sauerkraut, kombucha, herbs, spices, local coffee, and amazing bread. The bread is from a bakery in Boquete called Morton's Bakehouse (http://www.mortonsbakehouse.com), the sourdough is really good. The other market is one hosted by the Catholic church. They have various veggies and fruit at the cheapest prices in town. You weigh and bag things yourself, then mark what you have down on a clipboard and take it to the cashier to pay. We picked up some fresh parsley, green peppers, and a couple of other things which, including the $0.50 donation, came to a grand total of $1.05. We decided to walk into town to go to the markets. As we were walking to the gate one of our neighbors drove by and asked if we were going to the gringo market. She said we wouldn't make it in time and to get in for a ride. We got to town and made it in time to get the last little bananas and cinnamon bun! We had time in between the gringo market and the Catholic market, so the ladies we were riding with decided we should go up the road a bit to see some of the other produce stands. Not too far up the road they decided we were just about to Cerro Punta, and should just go all the way. Cerro Punta is where almost all of the produce for the whole country, and a large amount of exports, comes from. It is about 1,000 feet higher up the mountain than Volcán, and is very steep and mountainous. It is beautiful. We stopped at a roadside shop and got strawberries with hand whipped fresh cream. We didn't get our walk in, but ended up getting a tour, some great veggies, and a very nice day! We have heard that typical Panamanian days never turn out as planned. We're kinda glad it didn't! |  |
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My goal is to try and take at least one photo every day that we are here. Today was a fail because by the time I remembered it was getting dark and I was making supper. I might have to get creative tonight to keep my goal. The other day I walked the loop that we live on and took some photos of some of the nature we're enjoying. It's beautiful here, everywhere. The one thing that catches my eye every day is the clouds. The way that they form over the volcano and head down into Volcan is amazing! Some of them are the biggest clouds I've ever seen. So far it hasn't rained on us here but you can see the rain sweeping down into the valley. It's like the clouds themselves are falling. Come and see us so you can see it for yourselves. We'll find you a bed and feed you well. ;-)
Four legs good, two legs better (and sometimes three)
For years, North America has slowly separated itself from the rest of the world. We are different in mannerism, our way of living, and, it turns out, our pets.
The animals were one of the first things I noticed when we got into Panama City. Boasting a population that comes close to Calgary's, the amount of animals running around make it look like there's enough for one per person. There's dogs, cats, and even sometimes chickens wandering the streets. Even just off the fancy hotel we stayed in, you could see all sorts of animals just lounging around.
The biggest population of animals in the city definitely appeared to be the cats. What really surprised me about them was how they look, however.
Unlike North American cats, these felines are not big. They're skinny and sleek, and probably two put together would equal the size of the cats I'm used to. On a slightly different not, the colour variance really wasn't big- many were orange tabbies.
None were pampered, and none of them wanted anything to do with us. But it wasn't just us. These cats were truly feral. Chances were, none of them had a home other than the street. It was cool to see that, despite this, they were all pretty healthy.
I don't think that North American cats could ever live like that.
Maybe it's all the snow.
- Bailey
The animals were one of the first things I noticed when we got into Panama City. Boasting a population that comes close to Calgary's, the amount of animals running around make it look like there's enough for one per person. There's dogs, cats, and even sometimes chickens wandering the streets. Even just off the fancy hotel we stayed in, you could see all sorts of animals just lounging around.
The biggest population of animals in the city definitely appeared to be the cats. What really surprised me about them was how they look, however.
Unlike North American cats, these felines are not big. They're skinny and sleek, and probably two put together would equal the size of the cats I'm used to. On a slightly different not, the colour variance really wasn't big- many were orange tabbies.
None were pampered, and none of them wanted anything to do with us. But it wasn't just us. These cats were truly feral. Chances were, none of them had a home other than the street. It was cool to see that, despite this, they were all pretty healthy.
I don't think that North American cats could ever live like that.
Maybe it's all the snow.
- Bailey
Hey,
I'm Keiran McNeal, the second oldest son in our family. I've been greatly interested in the vast differences in my surrounding here as compared to back home in Calgary. The main differences I've noticed are the way buildings are made and the condition of them. I find that the houses have much less put into them, because of the lack of cold that needs to be kept out. Also, there are no heat vents to be found in the majority of houses.
Weather:
I've heard that it rains for most of the year, from mid March to mid December according to Google. Dry season so far has brought winds and heat that makes it hard to do much outside without getting burned.
Daily life:
School so far has been pretty straightforward and not much different than actually being in classes. After-school activities for me usually include:
Editing photos,
Outdoor games (Soccer, Frisbee),
Photography,
And working out.
Here are some shots I've taken so far:
I'm Keiran McNeal, the second oldest son in our family. I've been greatly interested in the vast differences in my surrounding here as compared to back home in Calgary. The main differences I've noticed are the way buildings are made and the condition of them. I find that the houses have much less put into them, because of the lack of cold that needs to be kept out. Also, there are no heat vents to be found in the majority of houses.
Weather:
I've heard that it rains for most of the year, from mid March to mid December according to Google. Dry season so far has brought winds and heat that makes it hard to do much outside without getting burned.
Daily life:
School so far has been pretty straightforward and not much different than actually being in classes. After-school activities for me usually include:
Editing photos,
Outdoor games (Soccer, Frisbee),
Photography,
And working out.
Here are some shots I've taken so far:
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The house we are in is 2300 sq. feet, 3 bedroom and 3 full baths. Our hot water is on demand. When we arrived both power and water were off because of a downed power line on the way up the hill to Volcan.