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Marcelyn

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Everything posted by Marcelyn

  1. To Thomas Yi……why did you reply to my blog on Tocumen Airport with your lottery comment? Are you spamming?
  2. Bud and I traveled from Mexico City to Panama City last week and noticed a substantial difference in the handicap assistance at Tocumen as compared to other airports. (Yes, I know the airport in Mexico is bigger than Tocumen in Panama City.) While waiting for two hours at the Mexico City Airport, Terminal 2, for our next flight, we counted 42 wheelchair assistance operations. In contrast there was Zero wheelchair assistance when we arrived at Tocumen Airport even though we had requested this service ahead of our flight. Every staff person we encountered at the Mexico City Airport spoke both Spanish and English, and clearly understood what they were doing while using politeness and efficiency. Not true at Tocumen. Tocumen is a major airport in Panama and for The Americas. Tocumen needs substantial improvement to welcome travelers to this country.
  3. Bud and I had an interesting experience in airline travel last week. We boarded a crowded plane at Panama City (PTY) and then sat on the tarmac for about two hours! Engines were running and the plane full of passengers were in their seats with seatbelts fastened. The pilot announced the reason for the delay in take-off was a problem at David airport; the destination airport was closed to all air traffic. Finally attendants offered water and a snack. Passengers were allowed to use the plane toilets. We didn’t hear a single complaint from other passengers (predominantly Panamanian) about this long delay. Everyone waited patiently without grumbling. When our flight landed in David two plus hours later than scheduled, an attendant told us the reason for this late arrival was because David Bomberos could not respond. Explanation was if Bomberos cannot respond then no plane can take off or land at the airport. (Never heard of this before!) Another example to support “Panamanians are among the most tolerant and patient individuals in the world”. 👍👍
  4. Last week Bud and I had a scare at a Florida airport for our return flights to Panama. We trust the information posted on Chiriqui.Life and had even called the airline prior to going to the airport to verify the Covid-19 documentation requirements was still current. However when we arrived at the airport check-in counter two customer service personnel refused to issue our boarding passes. The issue was that they believed all international passengers had to show a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of leaving the US. They said we didn’t meet required criteria, walked away and got busy helping other customers. Bud requested to talk to a supervisor. This gentleman reviewed two screen sources on his computer and announced the information did not agree with what the prior two agents had said. We told him what we understood, which also agreed with what we had confirmed by telephone the day prior; what we reported was the most recent version for travel to Panama. We had not yet entered information for this return flight into a Panama website to get our QR codes, which is now a requirement. By using our iPad, and with help from the Supervisor we were able to document our vaccination status and each of us got our QR codes via email. The supervisor issued our boarding passes. When we arrived in Panama our iPad screen information allowed us to pass through passport control without delay. Message learned: Always have electronic equipment (cell phone or iPad, etc.) to collect/document information and request a supervisor for support when encountering a barrier.
  5. Bud and I were waiting in the check-out line at PriceSmart when a Panamanian couple joined the line behind us. She was very pregnant. A birthday cake was their single item for purchase. We asked this couple to go ahead of us. Another Panamanian couple observed our gesture and stepping aside, invited us to move ahead of them. The husband asked the clerk to move his items aside and place our purchases ahead of theirs. We were impressed by this Panamanian style courtesy. They noticed what we had done and repaid our thoughtfulness. A Win Win.
  6. The recent CL posting about border hoppers (Click Here) by Mr. Abel Gomez (a well known Boquete attorney), reminded me of when Bud and I were sitting in the Mexican Naturalization Office waiting for finalization of our Mexican residency visa paperwork. We couldn’t help but overhear four Americans had overstayed their Mexican Visa allowance and now faced a major fine. One woman exclaimed “we can’t pay that much money, we’ll come back later”. The Naturalization Officer told the complainer “come back tomorrow and the fine is higher because the amount due increases each day it is owed”. The American female shouted “we don’t have that much money, what can we do?” The Officer calmly explained “because you remained in Mexico beyond your visa allowance time, now you can pay the fine or go to jail, your choice”. Sensing what would happen next, Bud and I quickly moved to the back row in the waiting room of the Naturalization Office. P.S. Not sure if these four people are still in a Mexican jail !!
  7. Well said, Alison 👍👍 Without hesitation we totally agree with Alison’s labeling Rodny Direct as an “essential necessity” when living in the Chiriqui highlands. Rodny Direct truly is an essential component to achieve a more secure life in Boquete. Questions? Contact Rodny at info@rodnydirect.com.
  8. Excitement in El Santuario this afternoon. We lost electrical service for a second time today (Friday, June 18th), with the first outage being scheduled maintenance. The first outage lasted about seven hours, ending about 2:00 PM. A second outage started about 3:15 PM, and a few minutes later a neighbor called saying a high tension wire was on the ground and “arcing and sparking” in front of his house. We alerted Rodny Direct, who called Naturgy’s emergency number. Rodny called back within a few minutes to report that two Naturgy repair trucks were Immediately dispatched from David to our location. As a sidebar, Rodny informed us that when Naturgy dispatches more than one truck to site that it is called a brigade. Bud alerted our neighbor then drove to meet and direct (using flash lights) the Naturgy trucks when they arrived and moving up the hill into El Santuario. A fire truck arrived in case a fire started, and also to block the area immediately around the downed wiring. That fire truck refused to allow a taxi driver and a few other vehicles from entering into the danger area. Naturgy arrived with two trucks and assessed the situation. Electrical power was shut down to the high tension wiring. Naturgy estimated three hours for the repair to be finished. Great job, Rodny. 👏👏 We’ll certainly renew our yearly subscription for Rodny Direct. This service is the best buy in town. Pictures available tomorrow after electricity is restored.
  9. Have you heard of the “entitled people”? Because of surgery on Bud’s hand and arm, we decided to fly first class on a recent trip in US. During our flight when Bud went to the toilet, a fella from economy section sat down in Bud’s aisle seat next to me. The flight attendant told him he couldn’t sit there. The passenger said that’s where he wanted to sit and started an argument with the flight attendant. I unfastened my seat belt and grabbed my cup of hot coffee because I could sense a fight happening, and I wanted to help the attendant. When Bud returned to claim his seat, the economy customer finally left and returned to his assigned area. On another leg of our travel the attendant requested three times that everyone be seated so the plane door could be closed. Suddenly the attendant from economy section rushed forward and said there was a female customer who didn’t like her seat and wouldn’t sit down. She demanded a “better” seat. The Captain announced “the woman can sit in the seat she paid for or get off the plane immediately”. End of discussion and plane was airborne. Our attendant rolled her eyes and said to me “some people sure feel entitled”.
  10. until

    Please post menu and prices. Thanks.
  11. Could the fact that Chiriqui Province has the highest number of COVID cases is because we still have no vaccine available in this area? Just wondering!!
  12. Why is cost not posted in this advertisement ?
  13. Happy ending to this Boquete fund-raising project. Thanks for posting end results....always interested in knowing how donated time and money is used.
  14. I believe many of these 88+ thousand vehicles arrived in Boquete because there were several traffic jams on the down town streets .‼️‼️
  15. One of my favorite places to buy fruits and vegetables in downtown Boquete is Caballero, located on the left rear corner of the side street where Mascotas is found. We are told that most people call that store “Sarah’s Place” as its owner is Sarah Caballero. Don’t know the name of the street, but you turn off of Calle Principal here in Boquete at the corner where The Perfect Pair is located. Headed to the usual location to purchase cabbage and red onions to prepare a dinner salad. What happened?? The store is gone!! While getting back into the car, I glanced across the street...and there is the Caballero store 👏👏. Larger space on the opposite corner with more room to display produce, more vehicle parking, and still a convenient location. Boy, am I happy...and what a great decision by store owners. Thanks 👍👍‼️
  16. Thanks ACCB for hosting this event and posting this information with results of your recent fund raiser with proceeds to support kids in the Esperanza and Comarca areas. Good job👍👍👏👏🎈🎈
  17. My doctor ordered three pills to be taken prior to a physical examination. The pharmacy clerk in David filled the prescription and announced the cost of “48”. Shocked at the price Bud handed over his credit card. Clerk asked for cash. Bud answered he didn’t have sufficient cash.....so the clerk finally accepted the credit card for payment. On the way home, Bud grumbled about the high cost for three little pills. The next day when checking the credit card receipt, guess what! 😄 The charge was 48 cents (not 48 dollars) 😳😳. Small wonder the clerk requested cash for payment. They probably lost money on that transaction.
  18. Recently a friend gave me a motion sensor light...a really great gift! These are rechargeable LED light strips that are activated by motion during low-light conditions (e.g., at night). We ordered additional units from Amazon. Bud placed several of them along the hallway leading from our bedroom. No missteps or falls at night because of poor (or no) lighting. Installation is easy...no tools needed. Magnetic bar attaches to wall using adhesive strips (provided in the kit). Considering how often we have electrical outages, more of these lights will be placed near the main entrance door to light our path into the house at night. These units are not weather-proof, so they should be used only indoors. The brand is Hysuspeh, and they are available from Amazon - 3 lights per box. Here is the URL link for these lamps at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FD83RXW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. Using that link you can see all of the specifications, pictures, and cost information, etc.
  19. Rodny Direct is a service that every expat should seriously consider. It is much more than a 911 style emergency number that answers in English; most of our calls deal with issues with public services and utilities that answer only in Spanish. Our main benefit by contacting Rodny is that he knows the "systems", what number to call, who to talk to, and how things work in Panama. Our original Rodny Direct placard was faded from being placed on our fence and exposed to the bright sun. Time for a new placard. Contacted Rodny by email. He verified our member number; said he would order a replacement and indicated it would be available in about ten (10) days. We received an email that our new placard was available for pick-up from Mailbox. We placed $10.00 cash in an envelope labeled Rodny Direct and delivered to Mailbox when we collected the new placard. He promptly provided a receipt by email. This new card is made from a laminated material and should last considerably longer than the original one. P.S., Yearly membership dues for Rodny Direct will be $90.00 when we renew in July.
  20. Every resident applying for a renewal Panamanian driver license (good for 4 years) must pass an eye and hearing exam. For people 70-85 years old, a certificate of good physical and mental health from a Panamanian doctor who specializes in internal medicine or geriatrics is required. All this plus an actual test in parallel parking and back-up maneuvers is required for residents over 85 years old. For us seniors the renewed license is valid for only two years. Since I meet the requirements for the actual test, I used my very small car (named Tiny Tim) and practiced for a week prior to my test date. Everyday Bud had me out doing the backing up and parallel parking drill. The word is that if your car even touches a cone on the driving test range then you fail. The cones are sometimes small and generally not visible to the driver taking the test. During my first attempt at test parallel parking on the actual license renewal day the inspector saw me turning my head to look out the rear window. Maneuver was successful, but he made me repeat the procedure and this time I used the vehicle mirrors only....instead of turning my head and looking backwards. Managed the back-up maneuvers, so inspector gave me a thumbs up and approved my drivers license renewal request. I understand that no one 90 years old or older is approved for driving in Panama. Individuals can try to renew a license at 89, but probably won't be successful. Everyone at the David Sertracen office was courteous. The only downside is the very rapid Spanish used by employees when giving instructions for taking the eye and hearing exams. Many people 85 years of age can't pass the health requirements... certainly can't perform the actual test maneuvers, so I'm celebrating my success. 🙏🙏👍👍👏👏
  21. As long term customers of the Box Shop in David, we are happy this service is now available in Boquete. Box Shop Logistics for delivery of packages is now open in Local #5, Plaza Los Establos, Bajo Boquete. Phone 778-0595. www.boxshoplogistics.com. (To WhatsApp the David office, use +507-730-1041 or +507-778-0270.) Arial, the friendly staff person, speaks excellent English. No charge for registering for an account. Credit card accepted for payment.
  22. We shopped at this wonderful fruit/vegetable stand again yesterday. Getting to be one of our favorite places to purchase great produce. Clean, well displayed items, and the guys working there are helpful, speak English and are so friendly. Best prices in the area. Suggest you arrive early for best selections. (P.S.... I found picture-perfect broccoli and carrots plus onions.) Bananas and papaya ready for eating. Plenty of parking, too !! Good addition to Boquete.
  23. For several years early on Tuesday mornings our garbage has always been collected from the elevated wire bin with lid container in front of our electric utility meter. We pay for that contract service through the Municipio de Boquete. Today going outside our gated yard to install the new 2021 garbage contract placard we noticed our garbage in black plastic bags had been removed from the bin, but stacked in a pile near the paved street. That has never happened before, and certainly made no sense to us. The local stray dogs could scatter the rain soaked contents and make a big mess. We called Rodny Direct and requested his help to resolve this mystery. This was our first ever request of Rodny to assist with a routine city service matter. Within an hour Rodny called back saying he had talked with the garbage pick-up supervisor. We checked the street scene and our big pile of garbage was gone! No reason was given for this strange situation, but we are happy. Thanks for great service by Rodny Direct !! For newcomers who are unfamiliar with Rodny Direct (Rodny Moreno), we recommend that you subscribe to his 24x7 Rodny Direct Chiriqui Helpline. Click here to read more about Rodny Direct.
  24. Interesting experience at PriceSmart last Tuesday. After reading the latest Minsa report, Bud and I tried to enter the store. Management type employee (female) indicated men only allowed inside. We attempted to explain current Minsa requirements. Her reply was “You are wrong, goodbye”. I waited in the car (for 40+ minutes) while Bud did the shopping. I observed lots of dog food, laundry detergent, dry cereal, and bottles of water were purchased as I waited in our car near the store exit door. I noticed the female buyers had apparently called in their order and then came to PriceSmart to pick-up their items, which a store employee delivered to their vehicle. A security guard used car license information from his clipboard to identify the purchasers. Many different types of face masks were used by the men entering PriceSmart. Some individuals also had face shield.
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