Mac Group presentation from Panama to CA
Being out of the US for nearly a year, I have not been able to do my usual Macintosh User Group presentations. So, a couple of weeks ago I did a presentation for SMOG (So Cal Mac Owners Group) over the web.
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Panama City coast with friends
There is a beautiful greenway and walkway being developed along the coastline of Panama City. Four of us from Los Mostros hostel had lunch at the Mercedo de Marisco (Seafood Market), then walked along the coast to the old city.
Friends in common – travel style
Today I went walking along the Panama City coastline and skyline with 3 friends. Stopping to take a group photo, we picked up another traveler, Miranda. A few minutes later, each was finding himself on my Facebook. (I had a cellular data connection to make it easier for some of us to meet up.) So Miranda finds herself to invite herself to friend me and says “We have a friend in common.” I ask who. She checks. It is my friend Carola, with whom I remain in touch. We never would have realized this. Pretty cool.
Great start in Panamá City
My stay in Panamá City is off to a great start. I am in a beautiful hostel – Los Mostros Hostel. Good swimming pool, plenty of places to sit, no dog, fans and fresh air. It also has a great kitchen (2nd only to Cumbres del Volcan in San Salvador). I will get to go through the Panamá Canal. I have hope for sailing. I know good people. I have a friend from San Salvador who lived there and now lives here so I came here knowing I will get to know the city with him. My first morning I met a few people at synagogue that I am happy to know and a new friend to explore and enjoy the city with. And we both have Claro Panama phone numbers so we can actually be in touch! Boy, does that help! She and I talked last night and today […]
I’m going to transit the Panamá Canal!
One of my dreams coming true! I have been invited to be part of a Catamaran crew as they travel through the Panamá Canal from Panamá City to Colon!! Today is my first day in Panamá City – and what a fantastic day! Everything about my time in Panamá City is looking promising and exciting!
Nice private rooms in Boquette, Panamá for $15
I did not get to stay at this place but my new friend Mike knows Boquetti very well and took me here to show me this hotel — Pension Marilos. For $15 you get a private room with a very good bed and bath. (I didn’t test the water pressure but the bathroom I saw looked very nice.) You will find Pension Marilos on the street that has the police station. it is a bit further from the town square, and is also en route to the Library. The owner speaks. Like many places to sleep in Central America, there are dogs inside. I did not ask if the dogs are permitted on the furniture.
Dorm & private rooms in David, Panama
It is easy to take a nice direct bus from San José, Costa Rica all the way to Panama City but there is much to enjoy before Panama City as it is far south. I opted to go only as far as David, Panama’s second largest city, and see some of the north en route down. This is the view from my lounge chair as I say and wrote one day. This is the back yard of Bambu Hostel – low-cost accomodation in David, Panama. Bambu is a hostel — casual and budget accomodations. There are some private rooms with and without private baths for $25/$30. There is an indoor 6-bed (3-bunk) dormitory with a bathroom (not shower) for $11. The lowest cost accommodation ($9) is the hut-style dormitory they call the “Jungle Lodge” out back. You see it pictured above. This is partial open-air, 10-bed (5-bunk) room in which […]
Great meal off the beaten track in Boquette
Boquette is a small mountain-surrounded town a 30 minute drive from David. The volcanic soil there and its climate make it the vegetable garden of Panamá. The climate is beautiful as ate the vistas. Most short-term visitors dine on the park at Central Park or two blocks up the road at a choose-your-food buffet that my meal companions and I enjoyed. However, my friends Mike and Mike live and work in Boquette and took me to a favorite place of theirs — Nelvis — that Mike says is always great. I did not take photos of my meal but have photos of Nelvis’ facade to share with you. (And yep, that is Mike and Mike in the photo.) About the food: There were several good looking meat dishes in offer as well as fried (not greasy) chicken — and side dishes. As I do not eat Cilantro, the meats’ sauces […]
Fab fish dinner, $3 in David, Panama
Having traveled all the way down from Mexico to Panama,* I can now say that I believe Panama has the best food for the least cost. At least I can say that for the local small eatery food in David and Boquette. This was my dinner today, and two other evenings. It is served at a small restaurant on a residential street, not a commercial strip, across from Bambu Hostel in David. It is: • A fish filet, fried but not at all greasy. Just a perfect, crispy light breading. • Thinly sliced pickle with a mustard dressing. • Patacones – Green Plantains that are fried, then smashed, then fried the rest of the way. (My iPhone photo didn’t do it justice or you would be drooling right now.) Water is free. The water here is clean volcano water. No need for plastic water. A Balboa cerveza is $1.00. Wondering […]
Beautiful budget accommodation in Boquette, Panama
While in Boquette, Panamá, I forgot that I had made note of a fellow traveler’s recommendation — the Hostal Rio Refugio. He described it as “a hotel and hostel where the hostel is not second class.” It is right on the river, which runs alongside the town. I was told that in December (now) a hot tub will open there too. From what I was told, the only drawback was lack of free coffee. It appears to be budget accommodation with a touch of luxury. I was content to stay in a simple hostel right on the park in the center of town for $8.50, but I do wish I had remembered this place.
Travel packing tip for everyone!
Deb’s Travel Tip: Do something to customize your luggage, suitcase, or backpack and your day bag or day pack in a major way. Backpackers, especially: Get yourself to a fabric store and cut the fabric and sew unique patches onto your pack on all sides. Buy flags of favorite countries and sew them on. Less effective, but maybe helpful would be to get handing dongles and put them on your pull tabs. This can work for soft luggage as well. Hard luggage users: Get some stickers and put them on all sides of your luggage so something is visible from all views. Just make your luggage or bags or backpacks unique!
Updated my Twitter profile
Until today I forgot that it can be fun to change the photos that represent me various places. My photo of my giant backpack (which I should post here if I can find it) was fun but today I decided that my Twitter profile should more reflect the reality of my life these days. Here it is:
Texting while bicycling
Today as I took a walk in a side street of a small city in Panama, a guy on a bicycle rode by at a decent speed. I looked over to him as he approached and traveled past. He was sitting perfectly erect, holding a smart phone and texting. And riding a perfectly straight line down the middle of the street.
A tiny bit of backpack downsizing
As you quickly learn when you travel with just one bag — for any amount of time — every bit of space matters. As I was packing to move from Costa Rica to Panama, I had one of those moments of celebration… The celebration when you gain a bit of space, when you get to downsize even just a tad. Most of you will laugh at this one. I did. But my finally! grin was ear to ear at the time. The moment? When I finished a pack of dental floss and was able to fit the floss from my bigger container into the smaller one. I know you’ll wonder why I’d I brought two. It was because I had them when I left LA, each was partially used, and I was sure neither would last long. I am seriously amazed how long each lasted.
The first Mac I couldn’t make more efficient
After years and years of helping people make their Macintosh computers more efficient, I finally came across one that I couldn’t set up for more efficiency. I met a new Mac user who has a beautiful MacBook Pro. When I hit Command-N to start a new browser window on his Mac and see his default settings, he asked how I did that. So now he knows about keyboard shortcuts and how to learn them. But… I was not able to set his Finder settings and customize his menus. His Mac is in Japanese. and my Spanish isn’t good enough to explain where he needs to go and what he needs to do. OK, truth is, given time, I would be able to recall menus or change the language and set it up for him. But that just wouldn’t be appropriate while he needed to do his work. He is another […]
Bus from San Diego to San Jose, 60 cents
I loved this sight… a bus from San Diego to San Jose for about .60 cents. This is the fun of visiting places that have the same names as other places you know. In California, San Diego is the south-most city, while San Jose is in the north. The ride between the two is at least 7 hours. But in Costa Rica, these are areas of greater San Jose. Anyway, when I noticed this bus one day I wanted to take a photo. So, one day, the bus was parked right in front of me and I had my opportunity.
A friendly ride in Costa Rica
The other day as I was rushing to be somewhere in San José, Costa Rica, a large dark car pulled over and the front passenger door opened. Each time I have walked this route I have noticed the cars pulling over and picking people up. With each car that pulls over I look and wonder for a moment if that car is someone from the synagogue pulling over to give me a ride but it is a silly thought; I am not well known and few people make this drive. This time I glanced at the car that stopped and suddenly realized that I recognized the man and the car HAD stopped for me. It was a nice feeling to be recognized and to have someone stop for me.
Life before these travels
Once upon a time I was a successful young professional living and working in NYC. I loved my life and the perks of being in the media in NYC. But the world beckoned loudly, and even more so as I traveled Israel and then coming out of Egypt and upon my return to my homeland of NYC. So I left and traveled — for three years.
I independently traveled the world solo starting in the mid 80s when each traveler’s notebook of people we met was our own couch surfing site.
Then I settled down to a life as a world-renowned book/magazine/web author, instructor, and consultant in the field of Macintosh and Web. This was the comfortable home and life that I left to travel again.
Thanksgiving
Being out of the United States, I barely realized Thanksgiving was coming, But the message did come through and I must admit it was a lonely feeling to realize I would be alone and not have a Thanksgiving Dinner. And then a huge surprise – an invitation from a CouchSurfing hostess who lives near my hostel. She invited me on Wednesday night. Of course, the dinner was delicious. Turkey, stuffing, and more. Something new for me: Costa Rican sweet potato mixed with orange juice baked and served in orange halves. Topped with marshmallow, of course. I really enjoyed the company too. I even learned a new game sort of like charades. Are you wondering how I realized Thanksgiving was coming? For one, via TV. (Gotta keep up on the Middle East and I have been catching a couple of my old Soap Operas while working online during some days. Also, […]
Two backpacking iPhones
Two backpackers explore their next destination as they share information. A typical scene on today’s travel scene. None of them travel with Lonely Planet or other guidebooks.
My bed in San Jose, Costa Rica
I think some of my friends will get a kick out of this, This is the bed I had in a small home hostel in San Jose, Costa Rica. There were three bunk beds in the room. Most of the time I had this room to myself. A few nights there would be another woman in the room. This room would have been a children’s bedroom before the house became a hostel, but the room has no closets. As is typical, bunk beds in hostels double as closets for clothing in use. Notice the flower. Flowers were a gift from my friend Kidron. Having a flower in my room was a unique travel experience. It isn’t too often that I sleep in a bunk bed, but at least when I do I typically get the bottom bunk!
Double Rainbow – Costa Rica
Friends and I went to see a volcano, called Volcán Poás, near San Jose. ($7 round trip bus nice ride in a comfy bus, $10 admission.) My friends and I ever saw the volcano lakes due to rain. But this is a vivid part if the ride home. I suddenly noticed this amazingly real rainbow out the bus window behind two of the guys.
Volcán Poás, Costa Rica – in the rain
On November 19, during the raining season, but on a day that was beautiful in San Jose, Costa Rica, a couple of brothers, another guy at the hostel, and I set out to see Volcán Poás, in Poás Volcano National Park, in Costa Rica. It wasn’t necessary to take a tour as there is a $7 quite comfortable (clean and in great shape) public bus that takes you there from downtown San Jose, gives you a few hours as it waits for you there, and then returns you to San Jose on the very same bus. Unfortunately, we forgot to realize that when you travel to the top of a volcano, you ascend into the clouds – and rain. The bus driver didn’t mention this to us, but of course we didn’t ask. Then at the entrance to the Poás Volcano National Park, we all willingly got out of the bus and paid our $10 […]
Heavenly sounding Panama marina
As I get ready to head to Panama I am hoping to see boats again, to get out on the water in a kayak or canoe, to snorkel — and hopefully to finally sail. If I am very lucky, I will soon be seeing this hurricane-free Caribbean marina at Bocas Del Toro, which sounds so fantastic to me. The Marina at Red Frog Beach (part of Island Global Yachting) at Isla Bastimentos in Panama. Per the website, it “offers unparalleled access to beautiful sandy beaches, resort amenities which includes 2 new restaurants, a large island activity lounge, small general store and boat service to Bocas del Toro town.” The site goes on to say: “…you can spend time exploring the pristine beaches of Bocas del Toro and the towering rainforest preserve at Red Frog. The islands in Bocas del Toro in Panama offer everything you need to relax. The 250 […]
MagicJack provides US phone while traveling abroad
I have been enjoying calling the US for business and to speak with friends once in a while via Vonage Mobile app, but that communication was one-way unless the other person had the app too, and had my registered phone number in his address book. Now people can call me again right from their own phones — because I finally got around to setting up MagicJack. Funny thing… To test my MagicJack phone (on my iPhone) I dialed my mom’s home number. I have been calling here for months via Vonage so I dialed just like I am used to: 001 (the US country code) and then her area code and phone number. But the call did not go through. I only got a message that I had reached the MagicJack test center and my call was successful. And then I learned — with MagicJack I am not calling from […]