This is a tale of getting lost, finding out and making a mini-adventure out of a shopping trip to "town."
Besides having some funny parts, this post might also prove helpful for those who are seriously considering a move to Panama and are interested in such practical matter as: "How do we get around?, "Can I buy mayonnaise down there?" and "How much is the rum?"
Our story begins on a Tuesday morning; needing to bring the infamous broken laptop to Punta G Computers (the place that was recommended to us by "everyone" in Panama) and assay the big, fancy supermarkets for items such as meats (for Tom), fancy cheese (pour moi), and - dare I dream? - Hellmann's mayonnaise, we caught a ride to Coronado with our land-persons, Michele and Ken.
The plan: to compare prices at all of the grocery stores, then grab a cab to La Playa, explore the beach, come back to town by cab, and then buy all of our groceries and take the bus back to El Valle. While we did end up accomplishing much of this, it did not go exactly as planned....
The 40 minute ride down the mountain from our volcano-crater home was winding and scenic, and before we knew it, we were at the Coronado Mall. We immediately took note that a McDonald's McNifica burger would run us about $1.59 each, should we feel the need to partake in some fast food (we did not, but we reserve the right to have a taste of the USA if we need to!). We then took the dastardly Dell up to nearby Punta G Computers, where a cheerful, English-speaking lady named Ruby took the demon off our hands with a payment of about $25 for diagnostic services. (Ultimately, the diagnosis was "dead hard drive", and we are having Punta G install a new (bigger) hard drive, Windows and virus protection for a bit less than this would cost in the States.)
With that bit of business behind us, we crossed the Pan-Americana Highway to the new mall that is still being finished. This mall houses the much-hyped El Machetazo store, and some of the hype is indeed warranted. It's basically a grocery store on the first floor with 2 upper floors of toys, housewares, electronics, clothing and "what-not." Sort of like a Target store in the States (but NOT Target...the Conway stores in Panama City are owned by Target). So what's the big deal, right? Well, for ex-pats who yearn for the modern grocery shopping experience, complete with Hellmann's mayo, good quality meats and "luxury" items - not to mention armed guards at the front of the store (de riguer in Panama) - this place is PARADISE.
Before our faithful readers point out our previous ramblings on this very blog about how Tom and I want to learn to live with less and consume less, there are times that we are just comforted to know that if we want this experience, this mayo, this CHEESE (yes, I like cheese), it is here. And for the record, we did come home with 3 logs of herbed chevre, some wine, a spatula (our well-equipped rental cottage was lacking this essential implement), some art supplies (!) and POUNDS of various meat. No mayonnaise; alas, I had already bought some at the Super Mini Centro Hong Kong Market in El Valle, and thus could not justify buying more.
Now for the million dollar question - how are the prices? First thing to know about shopping ANYWHERE is that you need to know what things cost typically. For example, in our little town of El Valle, a pound of papas (potatoes) can run .65/lb up to .95/lb, depending upon how close the market is to the "tourist" section of town. This is not considerably less than the cost of potatoes in the US. When you get into a store like El Machetazo, the cost of food can be close to US prices. There are some big, IMPORTANT (to some) exceptions. Booze is much cheaper here, even in the "fancy stores." Regular white table wine (they do have bottles, not just boxes!), runs about $2.15 (the "B" in the pictures means "Balboa" -this is what the dollar is called in Panama) for 2 liters. Liquor is also cheap by comparison to the US; this is a local brand of rum, priced at $3.89!
After El Machetazo, Tom and I had a quick lunch at Don Lee (think "down-scale" Pei Wei), which was cheap and good. Then we headed back over to Coronado Mall to check out Rey and Super 99, the 2 main grocery chains in Panama (the family of Panama's President, Ricardo Martinelli, owns Super 99). We found a lot of items in these stores that we were used to "back home," and made sure to grab a coveted bottle of Hershey's chocolate syrup for Tom, who'd been jonesing for it!
Bottom line: if you move to Panama, and shop at "fancy" markets and buy imported foods, Panama will not be a bargain for you. If you go "criollo" (local), and shop the mom and pop stores (look for the words, "super" and "mini") and Super 99, you will do better. Eat local foods - fruits and veggies in season, rice (don't ask me how to cook it perfectly; I am still trying to figure that out), fish - and you'll be healthier and richer. Try and stay away from the sugar-y juices that Panamenos love!
In the Coronado Mall there is also a Dollar Store - the presence of which, we hope, will entice Tom's parents to visit us! This place is crammed to the limit with unnecessary plastic objects, and even some useful stuff. Tom didn't find any useful stuff.
After the inspections of the supermarkets and such were completed, we stopped into the Mailboxes Etc. store and spoke to the owner about their services. For those who don't know this yet - not every country in the world has door to door mail service, and Panama is one of them. Heck, many places in Panama (such as our house) don't even have street addresses! When we tell folks where we live, it is usually, "the casita in the front yard of the big green house on the road next to the Yin Market; the house that Doreen used to own but now Michele does." So, there is a dilemma that exists for those who need to receive mail, which is usually resolved by renting a post office box. Since Tom and I are currently having the tiny amount of mail that we receive sent to a friend's house in the States, and we will be apprised of anything "urgent," we didn't feel the need to rent a PO box just yet. In the unlikely event that we start ordering stuff from Amazon and EBay, we will have to revisit this. We did find out that if you only order things every now and then, Mailboxes Etc. will let you have it shipped to them on a "by the piece" basis.
And now the fun begins! After grabbing a refreshing libation at the Sunset Grill and Bar, we jumped into a taxi on the road that "appeared" to lead to the playa. Those who know me know that I tend to conduct careful due diligence before travelling to places - on a recent trip to Greece with my daughter, I researched every grain of sand on every island we visited before we left the US. Those who REALLY know me, know that I have a mischievous side, and sometimes I like to just "get lost." Tom probably thought I had studied the map and knew exactly where "la playa" was, but he quickly learned that I had no idea where we were going. The long, bumpy ride through residential neighborhoods and the cackling laughter of the driver and his front seat passenger soon revealed to us that the taxi driver had no idea where "la playa" was either, but was up for some fun.
As we rounded a corner, we spied a bit of sky and water in the distance. There was an alleyway leading between 2 houses that led to the promised land! "Aqui, aqui," we exclaimed, and hopped out of the cab. Headed in the direction of the golden sand of Playa Coronado, we figured that we'd take a nice stroll on the beach, dip our toes in the water, and take those kinds of photos that make the folks "back home" green with envy. After that, we'd duck into one of the many resorts that we just knew would be beachside, have a cold drink and maybe a nosh, and then have the door man hail us a taxi.
After the required rituals of beach frolicking, toe dunking and picture taking were completed, we set off on our stroll toward what appeared to be luxury hotels in the distance.
Looks good so far... except that these are all private homes on the left (see photo above), and continued access to beach was blocked by rocks. And the beach was quite deserted for such a lovely day, so we figured: well, the best thing to do would be to go back to the road and try to find the "resorts" from the front. After a long, sweaty walk down a street with lovely seaside homes, we arrived at the Sands resort and cut through the property to the beach. As we strolled down the beach for quite some time, looking for that perfect resort at which to alight, we noticed that the sand was gradually getting blacker and blacker; I knew that Gorgona had black sand, but we couldn't have walked to Gorgona... or could we..? Seeing a fancy staircase leading up to what appeared to be a posh hotel, we decided that this would be the place to stop. Arriving at the top of the stairs, we saw tanned people lounging by the pool, a lovely bar area, children playing in the pool and uniformed waiters attending to the needs of all.
As we sashayed across the pool deck, looking for all the world like we "belonged", a gentleman addressed us from his lounge chair. "Can I help you?," he asked. To which my dear husband, in a slightly veiled smartly-alecky tone, replied, "Why, is this your house or something?" [Tom sez: "Hey, it was hot out and I was frustrated..!] I can't make this stuff up, folks... of course this guy (a New Yorker, no less) replied, "Yes, it actually is."
With feet in gaping mouths, we were speechless. The man got up from his chair and asked if he could get us each a glass of water, which we accepted gratefully before we slunk away, wishing we had remembered to pack those cloaks of invisibility.
On down the now-black sand beach we continued, in the direction of three naked, laughing children, and when it become apparent that we were at the end of the world and there would be no resort (those tall buildings are condos that are still being built -argghh!), no cold drink, NO TAXI, we headed off the beach and down a local road.
As we wandered with wet sandy feet down the rural streets, we were indeed "lost," but not overly concerned. We knew that we could muster enough Spanish to ask a person (should we encounter one!) how to get back to the Pan-American Highway, and a bus. For a while, we walked with only the chickens and country dogs as company. Eventually, we came to a fork in the road - which we took. A few buildings (one with the bible verse John 3:16 beautifully painted on the side of it), kids on bikes, people relaxing in hammocks, even a car or 2, appeared - but no buses or taxis yet. Seeing a "Super Mini" store, we stopped in for a cold drink and asked the young lady inside for directions to the Pan-Americana. With hand motions and the few words we did understand, she helped us get on our way. Another young lady we met on the road communicated that it was very far to the highway, but that a bus would come soon. We walked and walked, and sure enough - a bus came and on we jumped. 5 minutes and 30 cents later, we were at the highway, where we grabbed another bus right back to Coronado, and the meats and cheeses of El Machetazo.
After all of the shopping, walking, self-inflicted embarrassment, lamentable speaking of Spanish to smiling, helpful strangers, the 40 - minute bus ride back to El Valle was a welcome respite!
Sometimes it's ok to get lost -- you never know what you might find out.
Besides having some funny parts, this post might also prove helpful for those who are seriously considering a move to Panama and are interested in such practical matter as: "How do we get around?, "Can I buy mayonnaise down there?" and "How much is the rum?"
Our story begins on a Tuesday morning; needing to bring the infamous broken laptop to Punta G Computers (the place that was recommended to us by "everyone" in Panama) and assay the big, fancy supermarkets for items such as meats (for Tom), fancy cheese (pour moi), and - dare I dream? - Hellmann's mayonnaise, we caught a ride to Coronado with our land-persons, Michele and Ken.
The plan: to compare prices at all of the grocery stores, then grab a cab to La Playa, explore the beach, come back to town by cab, and then buy all of our groceries and take the bus back to El Valle. While we did end up accomplishing much of this, it did not go exactly as planned....
The 40 minute ride down the mountain from our volcano-crater home was winding and scenic, and before we knew it, we were at the Coronado Mall. We immediately took note that a McDonald's McNifica burger would run us about $1.59 each, should we feel the need to partake in some fast food (we did not, but we reserve the right to have a taste of the USA if we need to!). We then took the dastardly Dell up to nearby Punta G Computers, where a cheerful, English-speaking lady named Ruby took the demon off our hands with a payment of about $25 for diagnostic services. (Ultimately, the diagnosis was "dead hard drive", and we are having Punta G install a new (bigger) hard drive, Windows and virus protection for a bit less than this would cost in the States.)
With that bit of business behind us, we crossed the Pan-Americana Highway to the new mall that is still being finished. This mall houses the much-hyped El Machetazo store, and some of the hype is indeed warranted. It's basically a grocery store on the first floor with 2 upper floors of toys, housewares, electronics, clothing and "what-not." Sort of like a Target store in the States (but NOT Target...the Conway stores in Panama City are owned by Target). So what's the big deal, right? Well, for ex-pats who yearn for the modern grocery shopping experience, complete with Hellmann's mayo, good quality meats and "luxury" items - not to mention armed guards at the front of the store (de riguer in Panama) - this place is PARADISE.
Before our faithful readers point out our previous ramblings on this very blog about how Tom and I want to learn to live with less and consume less, there are times that we are just comforted to know that if we want this experience, this mayo, this CHEESE (yes, I like cheese), it is here. And for the record, we did come home with 3 logs of herbed chevre, some wine, a spatula (our well-equipped rental cottage was lacking this essential implement), some art supplies (!) and POUNDS of various meat. No mayonnaise; alas, I had already bought some at the Super Mini Centro Hong Kong Market in El Valle, and thus could not justify buying more.
Now for the million dollar question - how are the prices? First thing to know about shopping ANYWHERE is that you need to know what things cost typically. For example, in our little town of El Valle, a pound of papas (potatoes) can run .65/lb up to .95/lb, depending upon how close the market is to the "tourist" section of town. This is not considerably less than the cost of potatoes in the US. When you get into a store like El Machetazo, the cost of food can be close to US prices. There are some big, IMPORTANT (to some) exceptions. Booze is much cheaper here, even in the "fancy stores." Regular white table wine (they do have bottles, not just boxes!), runs about $2.15 (the "B" in the pictures means "Balboa" -this is what the dollar is called in Panama) for 2 liters. Liquor is also cheap by comparison to the US; this is a local brand of rum, priced at $3.89!
After El Machetazo, Tom and I had a quick lunch at Don Lee (think "down-scale" Pei Wei), which was cheap and good. Then we headed back over to Coronado Mall to check out Rey and Super 99, the 2 main grocery chains in Panama (the family of Panama's President, Ricardo Martinelli, owns Super 99). We found a lot of items in these stores that we were used to "back home," and made sure to grab a coveted bottle of Hershey's chocolate syrup for Tom, who'd been jonesing for it!
Bottom line: if you move to Panama, and shop at "fancy" markets and buy imported foods, Panama will not be a bargain for you. If you go "criollo" (local), and shop the mom and pop stores (look for the words, "super" and "mini") and Super 99, you will do better. Eat local foods - fruits and veggies in season, rice (don't ask me how to cook it perfectly; I am still trying to figure that out), fish - and you'll be healthier and richer. Try and stay away from the sugar-y juices that Panamenos love!
 |
| Tom found a steampunk-style Iron Man statue in the El Machetazo toy department! |
In the Coronado Mall there is also a Dollar Store - the presence of which, we hope, will entice Tom's parents to visit us! This place is crammed to the limit with unnecessary plastic objects, and even some useful stuff. Tom didn't find any useful stuff.
After the inspections of the supermarkets and such were completed, we stopped into the Mailboxes Etc. store and spoke to the owner about their services. For those who don't know this yet - not every country in the world has door to door mail service, and Panama is one of them. Heck, many places in Panama (such as our house) don't even have street addresses! When we tell folks where we live, it is usually, "the casita in the front yard of the big green house on the road next to the Yin Market; the house that Doreen used to own but now Michele does." So, there is a dilemma that exists for those who need to receive mail, which is usually resolved by renting a post office box. Since Tom and I are currently having the tiny amount of mail that we receive sent to a friend's house in the States, and we will be apprised of anything "urgent," we didn't feel the need to rent a PO box just yet. In the unlikely event that we start ordering stuff from Amazon and EBay, we will have to revisit this. We did find out that if you only order things every now and then, Mailboxes Etc. will let you have it shipped to them on a "by the piece" basis.
And now the fun begins! After grabbing a refreshing libation at the Sunset Grill and Bar, we jumped into a taxi on the road that "appeared" to lead to the playa. Those who know me know that I tend to conduct careful due diligence before travelling to places - on a recent trip to Greece with my daughter, I researched every grain of sand on every island we visited before we left the US. Those who REALLY know me, know that I have a mischievous side, and sometimes I like to just "get lost." Tom probably thought I had studied the map and knew exactly where "la playa" was, but he quickly learned that I had no idea where we were going. The long, bumpy ride through residential neighborhoods and the cackling laughter of the driver and his front seat passenger soon revealed to us that the taxi driver had no idea where "la playa" was either, but was up for some fun.
As we rounded a corner, we spied a bit of sky and water in the distance. There was an alleyway leading between 2 houses that led to the promised land! "Aqui, aqui," we exclaimed, and hopped out of the cab. Headed in the direction of the golden sand of Playa Coronado, we figured that we'd take a nice stroll on the beach, dip our toes in the water, and take those kinds of photos that make the folks "back home" green with envy. After that, we'd duck into one of the many resorts that we just knew would be beachside, have a cold drink and maybe a nosh, and then have the door man hail us a taxi.
After the required rituals of beach frolicking, toe dunking and picture taking were completed, we set off on our stroll toward what appeared to be luxury hotels in the distance.
Looks good so far... except that these are all private homes on the left (see photo above), and continued access to beach was blocked by rocks. And the beach was quite deserted for such a lovely day, so we figured: well, the best thing to do would be to go back to the road and try to find the "resorts" from the front. After a long, sweaty walk down a street with lovely seaside homes, we arrived at the Sands resort and cut through the property to the beach. As we strolled down the beach for quite some time, looking for that perfect resort at which to alight, we noticed that the sand was gradually getting blacker and blacker; I knew that Gorgona had black sand, but we couldn't have walked to Gorgona... or could we..? Seeing a fancy staircase leading up to what appeared to be a posh hotel, we decided that this would be the place to stop. Arriving at the top of the stairs, we saw tanned people lounging by the pool, a lovely bar area, children playing in the pool and uniformed waiters attending to the needs of all.
As we sashayed across the pool deck, looking for all the world like we "belonged", a gentleman addressed us from his lounge chair. "Can I help you?," he asked. To which my dear husband, in a slightly veiled smartly-alecky tone, replied, "Why, is this your house or something?" [Tom sez: "Hey, it was hot out and I was frustrated..!] I can't make this stuff up, folks... of course this guy (a New Yorker, no less) replied, "Yes, it actually is."
With feet in gaping mouths, we were speechless. The man got up from his chair and asked if he could get us each a glass of water, which we accepted gratefully before we slunk away, wishing we had remembered to pack those cloaks of invisibility.
On down the now-black sand beach we continued, in the direction of three naked, laughing children, and when it become apparent that we were at the end of the world and there would be no resort (those tall buildings are condos that are still being built -argghh!), no cold drink, NO TAXI, we headed off the beach and down a local road.
 |
| Happy children! |
 |
| Gorgona sands. |
As we wandered with wet sandy feet down the rural streets, we were indeed "lost," but not overly concerned. We knew that we could muster enough Spanish to ask a person (should we encounter one!) how to get back to the Pan-American Highway, and a bus. For a while, we walked with only the chickens and country dogs as company. Eventually, we came to a fork in the road - which we took. A few buildings (one with the bible verse John 3:16 beautifully painted on the side of it), kids on bikes, people relaxing in hammocks, even a car or 2, appeared - but no buses or taxis yet. Seeing a "Super Mini" store, we stopped in for a cold drink and asked the young lady inside for directions to the Pan-Americana. With hand motions and the few words we did understand, she helped us get on our way. Another young lady we met on the road communicated that it was very far to the highway, but that a bus would come soon. We walked and walked, and sure enough - a bus came and on we jumped. 5 minutes and 30 cents later, we were at the highway, where we grabbed another bus right back to Coronado, and the meats and cheeses of El Machetazo.
After all of the shopping, walking, self-inflicted embarrassment, lamentable speaking of Spanish to smiling, helpful strangers, the 40 - minute bus ride back to El Valle was a welcome respite!
Sometimes it's ok to get lost -- you never know what you might find out.
 |
| For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 KJV |
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