Boquete
27 February to 2 March 2007
Boquete is a pleasantly cool hill town about one kilometer (3,300 ft.) above sea level.  Many
retired foreigners have been attracted to the area and are moving into gated subdivisions
promoted by strong marketing campaigns.  We saw many signs and advertisements for the
sale of real estate developments, both existing and planned.  Much land, mostly former
coffee plantations,  bear "se vende" ("for sale") signs.  For so small a town there are many
real estate offices.  There definitely is a real estate boom in Boquete.
John and Judy enjoyed on an all-day white-water rafting adventure near the Costa Rican
border,  conducted by Panama Rafting for an all-inclusive price of US$90 per person;  
While John and Judy were away on their adventure Virginia and I walked crossed on the
suspension bridge over the Rio Caldera and were impressed by the many flowers is the area.
After re-crossing the Caldera River we took a taxi (US$1) to "Mi Jardin es Su Jardin"
("My Garden is Your Garden").  This is the private garden of an obviously wealth individual
employing three full-time gardeners to care for this showplace with many beautiful flowers,
topiaries, fishponds, bridges, sculptured and painted animals and birds, etc.    Even more
impressive than this magnificent garden is the fact that  the public is invited to enjoy it at
no charge and without even an opportunity to make a donation.  Truly the creation of a very
public-spirited citizen.
We walked back downhill to the center of town and again had an enjoyable lunch at the "Deli
Baru" restaurant, whose clientel seems to about half of well-to-do Panamanians and half of
foreigners.
Dinner at the "Restaurante Sabroson" located across the street from the "Deli Baru".   The
Sabroson is a buffet restaurant offering good food at low prices, attracting a typical
Panamanian clientele.  
The next morning we were picked up at our hotel by "Cafe Ruiz" for a three-hour
comprehensive coffee tour.  First we visited one of the coffee plantations owned by Cafe
Ruiz, then to the Ruiz processing plant, followed by the facility where the coffee bags are
printed and filled, and where also beans for the Ruiz gourmet coffees are hand-picked.  
Every one of the fifteen or more production steps is explained in detail by an excellent
tour guide; we were fortunate to be there while the coffee was actually being processed,
from October to March.   The lasttour stop was at the Cafe Ruiz shop, the weak link of the
tour;  no samples of any kind, and when we wanted to buy a pound or two of the best coffee
we were told that it was out-of-stock.  The price of the tour was US$25 per person.
We enjoyed our stay in Boquete.  However,  we wondered what effect the large influx of
relatively wealthy  English-speaking foreigners (many speaking no Spanish) will have on the
social and economic structure of the area
Bridge over the Caldera River, Boquete, Panama.
The Caldera River, Boquete, Panama.
Bridge across fishpond, "Mi Jardin es Su Jardin",
Flowers in "Mi Jardin es su Jardin", Boquete.
Waterfalls in "Mi Jardin es su Jardin", Boquete
Statues in "Mi Jardin es su Jardin", Boquete.
Flowery hillside. "Mi Jardin es su Jardin", Boquete.
Coffee seedlings, Cafe Ruiz, Boquete, Panama
Mature coffee plants, Cafe Ruiz, Boquete, Panama
Coffee bean, Cafe Ruiz, Boquete, Panama.
Cafe Ruiz processing plant, Boquete, Panama.
On the left, coffee
beans drying in the
sun, Cafe Ruiz,
Boquete, Panama.
On the right, coffee
beans being
hand-picked for the
Cafe Ruiz gourmet line,
Boquete, Panama.
We then visited Boquete's small public market.  
Produce for sale in Boquete's public market.
The yellow dress displayed in Boquete's public market
is typical of that worn by some traditional women in
the countryside.