Las Olas

We finally get a break! After the first week of ESL classes all of us headed to Las Olas beach for a the day! A much needed break! Las Olas is 30 minutes south of David and is a beach right on the ocean! It is our first time at the ocean in a long time! We accessed the beach from the Las Olas Beach Resort the only requirement is we had to eat lunch there.

The resort had a pool of turtles and a parrot and toucan in cages.

While we are waiting for the food..... time for the beach!

And after a wonderful lunch, it is back to the beach!!

All right!! This is what I like!!

Finally Daddy, this is the beach I wanted!

We also played in the water, and jumped in the waves. We could not spend a long time in the water because a storm came in and the waves got too big. I wish I had a surf board, and knew how to surf! When the ESL class is over we are spending the weekend at Las Lajas!!!  

ESL Class

We are almost at the end of the 2nd week of the 3 week ESL class; all I can say is- WOW! To be in a classroom as a student again is amazing and hard!  It is full of amazing discovery and surprises.  Discovery of what people see in me, Shelley,  a teacher.  I also am surprised that I am enjoying myself, but I am not enjoying the  classwork and homework; the learning of material is so foreign to me.

The 3 of us discussing classwork.

Dan is really loving it and it is amazing to watch him in his element! He is a very gifted and talented teacher.  We had to do our first lesson plan 2 days ago, and for Dan it was no sweat!!!.... got it done... Myself, a very different story... lets just say if mamma ain't happy (or stress) everyone knows it!  I had to apologize the next day for my ickiness!  It was not pretty-but out of that, I got some tremendous feedback. I taught my first class! YIKES! and was successful!  The teacher said that it looked like a very natural class and that I did a good job! My stress level immediately went down and my confidence grew by leaps and bounds.

The camaraderie between myself, Dan and my Dad has been so great! It is so fun to be learning the same thing and exchange ideas and talk about syntax and methodology!  Who knew that these words even existed! LOL...

Tomorrow we head over to the public school to get ourselves familiar with the school and meet some students, and then I teach my second class.....

I am learning so much about myself, about our family and how much fun we have together, and how we are interacting with Nana and Papa for an extended period of time.

On an entirely different note... we have been in Boquete an entire month and here are some of our discoveries... some good and some well... I will let you decide:

1. Eggs and milk are not refrigerated here
2. The jumbo sizes we find so readily in the states are not found here(unless you go to David and shop at Pricesmart-which is just like Sams Club.)
4. They don't use reusable water bottles or reusable coffee cups here.
5. Hot peppers don't exist.. most peppers here are sweet (poor Dan)
6. Grocery shopping is a scavenger hunt most times, our biggest grocery store here has 4 aisles
7. You can buy most produce and fish off the back of a truck, and it is good!
8.  A lot of produce is organic without the organic price... bought 2 heads of organic lettuce for a buck, a buck for a pineapple, and 12 banana's for a dollar.  Overall we have eaten very well here, and have lost weight!
9. Our gym membership is 25 bucks for a month! Woohoo!!!!! Hopefully when the class is over, we can workout again.

                                                

The Hike that almost wasn't....or shouldn't have been?

              I, Dan, last posted on a grand hike that I was going to take the four of us on- the Pipeline trail. It was suppose to be one of the easiest and best hike in Boquete. The owner of the gym we go to work out even commented on how great it was and it is her favorite hike- the whole family was excited and were going on the hike! We all were dropped off at the designated drop off point so we could carpool up the start of the fun, easy hike; there was about 12 people including us who wanted to participate in this particular hike The bajareque that developed while we waited should have been a foreshadowing of what was to come! Bajareque is the fine rain that feels like a light breeze and is a word which is, from what I have heard, has its origin in Boquete.
             Did you catch the word 'suppose'? As we ventured up in the caravan of 3 vehicles, with the hike leader in the front and us in the middle, the driver commented- "I know we haven't been on the pipeline hike in 3 months, but I don't think this is the way there?" We finally stopped in Palo Alto, Boquete- after we drove up steep, wavy inclines just below the Boquete Tree Trek mountain resort where they have ziplining for the start of our hike. The leader of the hike admitted that he had a senior moment and did get lost and were going to do a different hike. After the news two ladies said they have already done this hike, were looking forward to the pipeline hike and were going to hike back down and catch a taxi back to town.

The start of our hike! All up hill and wet!

Notice the steep terrain.

        We stopped at the office for those who needed to use the washroom before our hike. The leader then said the hike was all up hill! Just like we hiked to get to the offices of the Boquete Tree Trek!

Ian pacing, wondering 'I am not sure about this hike?!'

We then hesitantly started the incline hike when we were stopped by an employee who pointed to the sign in Spanish and English that we not 'authorized' beyond the point we crossed. I wanted to give her a big hug!

After much discussion on what to do next, we four joined a group that decided to hike back down and take a taxi as well. It sounded great, and was great for 10 minutes when Ahna informed us that she had to use the bathroom and many unsuccessful attempts, was not willing to go to the bathroom anywhere but a bathroom. 

We were not sure how long the hike was down the mountain and where the nearest facility was and where to catch a taxi back home.... We were so glad when a people transporter from the Boquete Tree Trek stopped and asked if we needed a ride back to downtown Boquete. I wonder if the driver sensed our need and went through the same thing I did. Or, picked up many gringos like us.

All in all, it was a very picturesque hike, but one not to be repeated. The next day Shelley was in pain from the downhill hiking. 

       I hope, someday, the whole family will accompany me on a hike again in Panama.

Caldera Hike

I (Dan) have joined a group that hikes throughout Boquete, Panama- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The Caldera hike was the second hike I was able to attend with them- and I am proud and overjoyed that Ian went with me. Ahna wanted to but, not knowing the hike, and not knowing how she would do, had to say 'no'.  We met at a Ferretería and carpooled 30 minutes to the starting point of the hike. I talked Ian into going on the hike because we were going to pass a gigantic mango tree that we can collect mangoes to take them home with us and we were going to go to a swimming beach, and a natural hot springs. So the email said.

The start of our hike

The first bridge we crossed.

The view from the bridge

We passed over three bridges and passed through four gates.

Did we cross this bridge? No.........

Got close to many horses and cows. 

Yes, she is wearing a McDonalds uniform

Experienced what a torrential down pour does to dirt paths.

And saw petroglyphs 

It was a great hike, we got to see more of the true Panama- but there wasn't really a swimming beach- by American standards.

"Is this what you called a beach, Dad?!"

The mangoes were not ripe yet and the hot springs???

It looked nice, but nobody went in- not even the dogs.

So... being a good dad to a great son and Shelley away getting a massage... I did what any dad would do to make their son happy. And yes, I let someone bigger then me go first. And then I went before Ian.

I can't wait for the next hike- we are hiking the Pipeline Trail- and I think the whole family will be going on Friday. Even Ahna. 

Búsqueda del Tesoro

Salir de nuestra zona de confort. Which means, getting out of our comfort zone. We four Seavey took the bus to go to Downtown Boquete to practice our limited Spanish and to buy some items. It is best to prepare yourself before you leave the house so you know what you are looking for in Spanish. We knew the basics like huevos, naranjas, manzanas, and jugo de naranja. But, we did not know how to ask for a chess set. We went to 5 tiendas speaking spanglish and doing some creative pantomimes to get across what we needed. We made it to one tienda where the owner was somewhat bilingual and know what a chess set was (juego de ajedrez), and unfortunately did not have one. We did find a few shops that had some, but also found out that there is a toy store in David that may have more selections and better price. A scavenger hunt or búsqueda del tesoro is a great way to learn your Spanish. I also found out that Shelley and the kids grasp Spanish a lot better then I. Our last venture was to Romeros, which is the local grocery store. And yes, we did buy huevos, naranjas, manzanas, jugo de naranja, and cebollas. 
Usually after we venture out of our comfort zone, we are exhausted and need a siesta.

We did stop before we went to Los Establos Plaza for ice cream for the kids and ice coffee for me and my esposa.

We can't wait for our next adventure..... Which is tomorrow when we go back to BCP for the Tuesday Morning Market at BCP, bank, more shopping, meet with the directors of Center for Teacher Development to get the materials for our TESOL class that starts next Monday. 

Ian's First Painting Lesson

Boquete is a great place to find people with many different talents. It is a haven for people from around the world to retire and who have much experience. Carol has a friend named Sally who has lived in Boquete for six years and she is a painter- oil, acrylic, and watercolor. What she chooses to paint depends on what season it is. During the dry season she will primarily use oil, in between dry and raining she will primarily use watercolor and in the raining season when there is a lot of moisture in the air she will do primarily acrylic.

Sally helping Ian preparing his paper

Sally's dogs and Ian's  models.

Artist at work.

Ian's painting after the first lesson.

      Because of the moisture in the air, Ian needed to be careful how much water he used with water coloring and had to use a hair dryer during the different stages. His next lesson is next Saturday and I can't wait to what happens next.