a great weekend in Boquete

A weekend getaway.... Trent style.

Trent came home last Friday and told me we were invited to Boquete for the weekend (a mountain town in northern Panama).... nothing like last minute (Trent style). Trent booked our plane tickets Friday afternoon and Saturday morning we were boarding the 50 min plane ride to David ( a city in northern Panama) We landed in David not quite sure what to expect since I did not have time to really prepare for this quick getaway (not my style) but it was fun!

I had never met these people who had invited us to Boquete and all I knew was that they had two small children and they were kind enough to say "lets get together". At the airport their driver picked us up and we headed towards Boquete which is a 40min or so drive from David. Boquete has been put on the map in the last few years with North Americans. It is a town that is crawling with Americans and Canadians because it has been voted one of the best retirement spots by a very popular retirement magazine... International Living for a few years.

Boquete is a town surrounded by coffee plantations. Some of the best coffee in the world is harvested here.

(here is a view of the town of Boquete from a look out point... a cute coffee town)

(this is main street of Boquete... little America now)

(a little local coffee/burger/shake shop that has had many international visitors... food is an universal language)

On our way into Boquete we stopped at recovery centre for animals that a couple from the UK run. They have been in Boquete for a few years and this rescue centre just fell into their laps. They are very sweet people and have an interesting story. The kids loved this place, we all did.

When we first drove up it was in a picture perfect location. Lush gardens surrounded the roadway as we walked up and our first visitor to greet us was MAZZY a little rescued Monkey. She was very cute and very rambunctious. Mazzy was rescued and there is a chance she may never make it in the wild that is why she wears a pamper, she has the run of the house :-) The kids thought that was very strange (the pamper). Alot of the animals at this centre have been either given to the UK couple because the original Panamanian owners grew tired of the animals or they were found abandoned in unnatural places.

(here Trent is holding Mazy... Trent was the only one who could hold her and it was for a brief moment)

(Mazy crawled down the Mrs. shirt when it started to pour rain... it was a down pour)

(the kids touring around the butterfly house. The butterflies here are very colorful... they were to fast for me to get a picture)

(this beautiful cat was given to the centre after being held captive by a local farmer. This beautiful animal was never let out of her cage for months and the neighboring children were not very nice to her. Now the cat's tail will not go straight because it was curled in a ball for so long. It took months for the centre's volunteers to get this animal to come out of her enclosure. We petted her.... she loved the affection and was so beautiful)

(these love birds were pretty cute to watch... they stick very close to each other but are free to roam where ever they wish)

(this monkey also was rescued from a local Panamanian... his name was MONTY (the same as our dog) The kids had a great time having him climb all over them)

(these little creatures LOVED Trent, they would not leave him alone. They kept trying to take his sunglasses and loved to sit on his big shoulders)

Boquete is known for its beauty... it is much cooler up there as it is in the mountains and people do not need either air conditioners or heaters... perfect temperature all year round. I froze when we first got there, it is a big temperature change from Panama City, it took me over an hour in a a hot tube to warm up.

Since it is perfect temperatures in Boquete all the beautiful tropical flowers grow plentiful here. The gardens are breathtaking... I love tropical gardens!

(at the rescue centre... just walking around surrounded by absolute beauty)

(it is very very beautiful... this is why Boquete is the number one retirement place in Panama. It is crawling with foreigners... who feel you are in paradise here)

I have finally figured out... or found the time to figure out how to get a movie on my blog... It has been fun putting some old videos together... Hopefully I will have more in the future. This is very exciting!!! TURN UP YOUR SPEAKERS...

Our accommodations were arranged for us in Boquete, we stayed at Valle Escondido. This development is out of a story book... literally. This vision started years ago by a gentleman by the name of Sam Taliaferro, he developed a town with in a town. Valle Escondido is an amazing little place in the mountains. In this community of residence you have a spa, restaurants, golf course, amazing swimming options, fitness classes and a cute hotel. Trent said if we were old this is where we would be spending some of our time. It is a much slower pace of life but you are surrounded by amazing beauty, it was nice hanging around for a few days. Trent and I had the pleasure of being invited to a cocktail party one night and it was interesting to see the very large age gap between us and the rest of the patrons... This is a retirement place!

(the hotel we stayed at)

(our walk to the restaurant to go get breakfast... B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L)

(the kids at breakfast)

(the church at Valle Escondido... this little village is like it's own little town)

(there is a medieval looking theatre that over looks the "village centre")

(we are trying to warm up in the hot tub while over looking the golf course outside our room)

(my cuties out for a walk with me one morning.... a perfect way to spend time with my kiddies)

Trent was busy so I had the pleasure of acquiring our our new friends diver and he took me and the kids for a tour of the surrounding areas of Boquete. It was a picturesque drive even with the rain. You will have to excuse some of my next few pictures as the clarity is not so good... it was raining cats & dogs at times so my pictures are not the best they could have been.

(you are looking at rows and rows of coffee plants. Boquete and area has the largest area of coffee plantations that the native Indians work during coffee season. Some of the most delicious coffee is grown here. Year after year Panama growers win some the highest awards for coffee... we drink it everyday :- )

(here is a coffee plant up close. The coffee berries are almost ready for picking, for the best tasting coffee the berries are picked when they are red. I did not know this prior to this day. Fransisco (the driver) told me to eat a berry, I tasted it and as I bit into it the taste was sweet but you only eat the meat under the skin, I then spit out the seed which is the bean)

(the coffee berries up close... almost ready for picking)

(here is the bean that was inside the red berry. Once all the coffee berries are picked they are taken to a large processing plant and put through the coffee process. Unfortunately the day I was there the plant was closed (Sunday) so I can not give you an in-depth detail of the process from personal experience just what I have read. Next time we go back up to Boquete or area I will forsure visit a processing plant)

Coffee berries are most commonly picked by hand by labourers who receive payment by the basketful. A report in 2003 said payment per basket is between US$2.00 to $10 with the overwhelming majority of the labourers receiving payment at the lower end. An experienced coffee picker can collect up to 6-7 baskets a day. Mixes of green and red berries, or just green berries, are used to produce cheaper mass consumer coffee beans, which are characterized by a unpleasant bitter/astringent flavour and a sharp odour. Red berries, with their higher aromatic oil and lower organic acid content, are more fragrant, smooth, and mellow. As such coffee picking is one of the most important stages in coffee production, and is the chief determinant for the quality of the end product.

Coffee cherries must be processed soon after harvesting to prevent the pulp from fermenting around the bean. There are two types of processing known as dry and wet processing. Dry processing is sometimes called "unwashed" or "natural" processing. Cherries are spread outside for 15 to 20 days. The cherries are exposed to the sun and stirred regularly to help them dry evenly. The dried cherries are then hulled by hand or by machine, removing the dried out pulp and parchment. This is the way coffee has been processed for centuries.

The other type of processing is know as wet or "washed" processing. A few hours after the cherries are harvested, the pulp is removed from the cherries. The beans are then washed in a process that involves cycles of fermentation and rinsing. Small amounts of fermentation don't hurt the bean but softens the remaining pulp and skin, making them able to be easily rinsed off. This is a better type of processing because it causes less damage to the bean than dry processing.

Once the coffee beans have been processed, they are sorted by size and looks, then bagged ready for shipment. Coffee beans that don't make the "grade" for export are normally used on a local basis.

The most important step in getting coffee into your cup is the roasting. Roasting coffee is both an art and a science, requiring years of experience and the right type of roasting equipment.
Green coffee beans are roasted at temperatures ranging from 370 to 450 degrees for up to 20 minutes. During this time they lose 18 to 23% of their weight and increase in size by 35 to 60%. They change color from a light straw green color to medium brown or dark brown, depending upon the degree of roast.The bean splits open and brings out the rich aroma of the coffee.

Roasting is merely the "cooking" of the bean. How much the bean is roasted is what called the degree of roast. The less it is cooked, the "lighter" or "milder" the roast. There are different terms used for the degree of roast. Some use the words Mild - Mild-Medium - Medium - Medium-Dark - Dark. Today, another common naming of roasting is after countries -- American roast, French roast, Italian roast, Turkish roast. These all go from light to dark, from mild in taste to down-right burnt tasting.

On our afternoon drive I was very intererested in the Castle I kept hearing about. Fransisco took me right to it and yes in deed this couple from the UK built a castle over looking coffee plantations... in an area that I personally would feel very guilty building a large very obvious house in. The surrounding areas of this house is fairly local people just making it by on roughly $200/month if they are lucky. For me this would not be the way to go but everyone finds happieness in thier own way :- )

(it is a beautiful setting among the coffee)

(Fransico said they have not completed the house and it is just two very large rooms inside... it would be very interesting to take a tour of the house. Boquete is a VERY small place where everyone knows everyone so maybe Paul and Linda will stumble upon them and be invited in :- )

Another tourist spot in Boquete is "My Garden is Your Garden" A wealthy family has opened their amazing garden to the public to see... It is inconceivable the amount of time they have put into this garden, it is absolutely a green thumbs paradise. The kids had fun running around playing on the playgrounds and finding all the lawn ordiments spread over the property. There is quite a few "painted cows" like you find all over Calgary.

(a quick family shot of us... Everett was in no mood for pictures :- )

(a beautiful little chappel tucked away in this perfect setting. This illustrates so much of the beauty God created)

(the kids riding away into the sunset...)

(a fun picture from the look out tower... I said it was an interesting yard)

(as we were walking no one noticed anything about these row of plants but then it dawned on me as I walked up the steps looking back.... it was a Christmas tree. I would love to see it all lite up at night... it would look pretty spatacular I think)

(the flower is almost the same size as Emma's head. My Gramma Edmundson would have LOVED this place)

We had a great few days in Boquete... thank you to our hosts... we had a great time :- )

(Daddy and his little girl... Em will be 8yrs. old in about a week... How can believe she is 8 already... time really does slip by fast)

(my worldly traverlers saying good-bye to Boquete ... "until next time" East says.

To catch our plane we needed to go through the city of David which was a perfect excuse to meet up with the Day family again. Fransisico dropped us off at the Day's hotel and the kids did not skip a beat...English speaking kids love spending time together... I think they appreciate it subconsiously so much more. The Days were our tour guides for a few hours. For lunch we went to their favorite resturant and had some yummy pasta for lunch.

For all who have asked about them. They are doing great, they have secured a house for most of their stay in Panama up in Boquete and they have bought a car. Other than that until they are settled it is sparce communication right now. Trying to get settled can be a lengthy process especially in a foreign country but they have been blessed with some great people around them up in David and area and the kids seem to be doing just great.

(A very delicious resturant in David... all of us ate for $25.00, everyone had their own dish... good cheap food)

(The Day kids got pop and my kids gave me the look... they were in heaven having orange pop...funny what makes them happpy)

(Emma could not take the smile off her face because she got to spend time with Sydney and she wanted me to tell you "she does not like pop... it tastes yucky" she is the only child I know who does not like it... what a smart girl :- )

After lunch the kids had another round of swimming before we caught our plane. They all have so much fun... even with my stinker boys... yes boys... I love them so much but ohhhhh are they teasers like their Daddy. (anyone who knows my husband knows what I mean)

(1-2-3 GOOOOOOO)

(a little meditation before we rush and not miss our plane.... the common theme with us... rushing to catch planes... I am preparing for the Amazing Race! I wish!)

(East says "Respect the classics man" - Easton is forsure classic... not one else like him - he is a very cool kid.

We are trying to get away next weekend... we will see ... flights are pretty booked since it is a national holiday weekend around here. The kids have been so busy with this International festival it has been hard to go away on weekends because of practice (they take this stuff very serious here) but the festival is this Sunday then it is OVER. Baseball takes a lot of time also... three times a week for little boys but East & Ev love it though. Tonight Trent and the kids are at church enjoying a carnival, I have been batteling a fever so I stayed home...

Nothing else is really new other than life with three munchkins... busy busy :- )

Love hearing from you so if you can drop a line at schmulandj@gmail.com or reply on this blog under comments. If you have any questions about Panama or anything else email me and I will answer them. I feel sometimes that it is just regular life for us but then I will remember that so many things are very different back home.. ie.. people drive semi- normal back home. haha

Well a great weekend to you and your family. All our love to you all... miss everyone and talk to you soon.
xoxooxo
Jody . Trent . Emma . Easton . Everett