The Bocas Breeze April 2013

INSIDE

TAMBIÉN EN ESPAÑOLVOLUME 10, ISSUE 3

ARPIL 2013www.TheBocasBreeze.com

LimpiezArt Project,February 2013, Bocas del Toro

Dish of the Month: Bocas Blended (aka The Batido Bus)

They’re Back!Starfish at Starfish Beach!

The Masked Tree FrogP3

P14

P12P8 P20

VIGOROUS VOLUNTEERS AT ASILO

2The Bocas Breeze www.TheBocasBreeze.com

The Bocas Breeze is published monthly in English and Spanish with a circulation of 5,000 free copies distributed at airports, restaurants, retail stores, and local businesses throughout Panama (Bocas del Toro, Panama City, David, Boquete) and Costa Rica (Puerto Viejo, San Jose). The Bocas Breeze is also online at www.TheBocasBreeze.com

El Bocas Breeze es publicado mensualmente en inglés y español con una circulación de 5,000 copias gratuitas distribuidas en aeropuertos, restaurantes, tiendas y comercios locales en toda Panamá (Bocas del Toro, Ciudad de Panamá, David, Boquete) y Costa Rica (Puerto Viejo, San José). El Bocas Breeze también está en línea en www.TheBocasBreeze.com

Editor / Editora: Casie DeanPublished by / Publicado por: Dean Enterprises, S.A.Printed by / Impreso por: Corporacion La PrensaDistribution Managers: J.B. Seigelman, Bastimentos/Robert Larson, Bocas, Boquete, David/ Ruben Birkley, Panama City and Caribe Shuttle, Puerto Viejo, San José.

Contact us / Contáctenos: [email protected]

2005-2013 The Bocas Breeze all rights reserved. Photos and articles may not be used without permission.El Bocas Breeze Todos los derechos reservados. Las fotos y los artículos no pueden ser utilizados sin permiso.

PUBLISHER INFORMATION INFORMACIÓN DE EDITORIAL

While speaking with friends recently, there was a lot of discussion about “home”. Reminisc-ing over loved ones who are elsewhere, items they keep nearby as small reminders, and past traditions they continue to honor for sentimen-tal purposes. People relocate every day, for var-ious reasons either by personal choice or pos-sible necessity.I’ve always heard that distance makes the heart grow fonder. While this may be true that same distance causes strain on the hearts of those so far away from their loved ones. One resident of Bocas, originally from

Texas (US), explained that the only music she listens to in her home here is the music from her small hometown in Texas. She said hearing the music connected her with everything (and everyone) she missed from there. It gave her a sense of warmth and comfort that cannot be duplicated by anything else. Home is always and forever where the heart is. So wherever you may be, you can always returnthrough the mementos and memories you cherish.

-CASIE DEAN

Hablando con amigos recientemente, nuestra discusión se centró en el “hogar”. Rememorando a nuestros seres queridos que se encuentran en otros lugares, cosas que mantenemos cerca como pequeños recorda-torios y tradiciones que se siguen por pro-pósitos sentimentales. Las personas se reu-bican todos los días por varias razones, por decisión personal o por necesidad. Escuché que la distancia hace que el corazón crezca. Puede que esto sea verdad, pero esa misma distancia causa tensión a los corazones de aquellos que se encuentran tan lejos de sus

seres queridos. Una residente de Bocas, ori-ginaria de Texas, explica que la única música que ella escucha en su casa aquí, es la música de su pequeño pueblo en Texas. Dice que al escuchar la música se conecta con todo (y to-dos) los que extraña. Le da una sensación de calor y comodidad que no puede ser duplica-da por nada más. El hogar es y lo será siem-pre donde está el corazón. Así que, donde sea que estés, siempre puedes volver a través de los suvenirs y recuerdos que mantienes.

-CASIE DEAN

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

NOTA DE LA EDITORA

3 The Bocas Breezewww.TheBocasBreeze.com

LIMPIEZART PROJECT, FEBRUARY 2013, BOCAS DEL TORO

tain from our research find its way to the people that need to know about it?

In our opinion, a helpful way to contribute to sus-tainable environment conservation is to work with people whose everyday lives are strongly connected to what we study, namely tropical marine ecosys-tems. In the region of Bocas del Toro, the inhabitants of the fairly small islands live from and with the ocean they are surrounded by. Here, the generation that will create the future, the children seemed to be the most interesting group to connect with because, “In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we experience.” (Baba Dioum, environ-mentalist from Senegal).

In the workshop “LimpiezArt“ we combined sever-al modules of teaching, environmental games, beach monitoring and art with kids from Isla Colón and Bas-timentos, Bocas del Toro.

Our goal was to fascinate the children for the ma-rine environment they have in front of their doorstep, to raise their awareness for the human impacts, in particular for the garbage problem in Bocas del Toro, and finally to show them how they can personally im-prove and protect their environment.

We started with a movie about coral reefs, letting

Sometimes we ask ourselves how far the science we do can really reach. We wonder if what we find out about the environment will actually help to protect it. Does the knowledge we ob-


the kids describe, paint and write down the organisms they remember and like the most. A garbage game helped them understand how trash reacts in the en-vironment. It improved their awareness of how long garbage lasts in the marine ecosystems and how it affects the ani-mals living in there. Did you know that an aluminium can needs 200 years and a plastic bottle even 450 years until it is gone?

In an outside activity at a local beach, we then held a beach clean up and a sci-entific beach monitoring. The kids were introduced to the general character-istics of monitoring and identified the different biological characteristics of the beach. They learned to distinguish between biodegradable and non-de-gradable waste, the different types and amounts of trash they found at the beach and filled many garbage bags with it. The monitoring sheets will be available for the local teachers and the STRI to embed a regular beach moni-toring and to start a data collection of garbage pollution for this region.

Finally, we focused on strategies on how to reduce waste in our everyday lives. Here, the immense use of plastic bags and their substi-tution through fabric bags for grocery shop-ping was our topic. The group embellished bags we provided with drawings of marine animals and written slogans. Thus now every participant has their individually designed bag to use and reuse instead of many plastic bags. In the public event in the park at Bocas del Toro, Isla Colón we united the kids from both days and exhibited the bags, photos and the essences from the workshops. On site they created posters about the marine environment and the decomposition rate of different types of garbage. This event was hosted by the two groups and reached out to interested locals and curious passer-byes of all ages. We were happy to welcome so many children and their parents to discuss and design bags together. Throughout the whole event, 60 bags were individually decorated! In conjunction with the knowledge from the games, activities and in-formation, they might be a step stone for the people in Bocas on the paths towards a more sustainable future.

Laura Hoerath(Environmental Science Educator, [email protected])Janina Seemann(Marine Biologist, [email protected])

We want to thank the restaurant Buena Vis-ta, the bakery Anna’s Sweet from Bocas del Toro, Uwe Abraham from the BGG (Berliner Gesellschaft für Großaquarien) from Germany and the Foundation SeaArt for their help, their sponsoring and their donations.

ParticipantsBocas del Toro: Valencio Vecord, Jorge Luis Chance, Hira Conrad Samudio Grisini, Keoni Grace, Samudio Grisini, Carlos Alex Chen Chen, Jadiel Baker, Jeremy Baker, Luis Acosta Baker, Josephyn Garcia, Carlos Baker

Bastimentos: Dazneth Gomez, Kduar Gomez, Leonardo Cedeño, Michel Angel Delcid, Orma Davis, Ernesto Narvais, Aniti Wagener, Marco Rodrigue Bomarez, Edgardo Bashes Pomarez, Bebe Luigi, Miguel Molinar, Daniela Poweel, Sahira Poweel, Abel Archibold


PROYECTO LIMPIEZART, FEBRERO 2013, BOCAS DEL TORO

Algunas veces nos preguntamos cuán lejos puede llegar la ciencia. Nos preguntamos si lo que ave-riguamos sobre el ambiente real-mente servirá para protegerlo. ¿El conocimiento que obtenemos en nuestras investigaciones llega a las personas que necesitan saberlo?

En nuestra opinión, una manera útil de contribuir con la conserva-ción sostenible del ambiente es tra-bajando con la gente cuya vida dia-ria está fuertemente conectada a lo que estudiamos, específicamente los ecosistemas marinos tropicales. En la región de Bocas del Toro, los ha-bitantes de las pequeñas islas viven del y con el océano que los rodea. Aquí, la generación que creará el futuro, los niños parecen ser el gru-po más interesado porque “al final, sólo conservaremos lo que amamos, amaremos sólo lo que entendemos y entenderemos sólo lo que experi-mentemos”. (Baba Dioum, ambien-talista de Senegal).

En el taller “LimpiezArt“ combi-namos varios módulos de enseñan-za, juegos ambientales, monitoreo de playa y arte con niños de Isla Co-lón y Bastimentos, Bocas del Toro.

Nuestro objetivo es fascinar a los niños con el ambiente marino que tienen frente a ellos, cultivar con-ciencia sobre el impacto humano, en particular sobre el problema de la basura en Bocas del Toro y final-mente mostrarles cómo ellos mis-

mos pueden mejorar y proteger su ambiente.

Comenzamos con una película sobre los arrecifes de corales, de-jando a los niños describir, pintar y escribir los organismos que re-cordaban y que más les gustaban. Un juego sobre la basura les ayudó a comprender cómo reacciona la basura en el ambiente. Esto mejoró su conciencia sobre el tiempo que la basura dura en los ecosistemas ma-rinos y cómo afecta a los animales que viven allí. ¿Sabías que una lata de aluminio necesita 200 años y una botella de plástico hasta 450 años hasta que desaparece?

En una actividad al aire libre en una playa local, organizamos una limpie-za de playa y un monitoreo científico de playa. Se le presentaron a los niños las características generales de mo-nitoreo e identificaron las diferentes características biológicas de la playa. Aprendieron a distinguir entre des-perdicios biodegradables y los no de-gradables, los diferentes tipos y canti-dades de basura que encontraron en la playa y llenaron muchas bolsas con ella. Las hojas de monitoreo estarán disponibles para los maestros locales y el STRI para incorporar un moni-toreo de playa regular y para iniciar una recolección de información de la contaminación causada por la basura para esta región.

Finalmente, nos enfocamos en estrategias sobre cómo reducir los


desperdicios en nuestra vida diaria. Aquí, el inmenso uso de bolsas de plástico y su reemplazo por bolsas de tela para hacer las compras fue nues-tro tema. El grupo adornó bolsas que les brindamos con dibujos de anima-les marinos y eslogans. De esa mane-ra, cada participante tiene su propia bolsa diseñada individualmente para usar y reusar en lugar de las tantas bolsas de plástico.

En el evento público que se celebró en el parque de Isla Colón, Bocas del Toro, unimos a los niños de ambos días y exhibimos las bolsas, fotos y la esencia de los talleres. En el sitio, ellos crearon posters sobre el am-biente marino y el índice de descom-

posición de los diferentes tipos de ba-sura. Este evento fue presentado por los dos grupos y alcanzó a los locales interesados y a los peatones curiosos de todas las edades.

Estábamos felices de dar la bienve-nida a tantos niños y sus padres para discutir y diseñar bolsas juntos. Du-rante todo el evento, 60 bolsas fueron decoradas individualmente. En con-junto con el conocimiento de los jue-gos, las actividades y la información, ellos pueden ser un escalón más para las personas en Bocas en camino a un futuro más sostenible.

Laura Hoerath(Educadora de Ciencias Ambienta-

les, [email protected])

Janina Seemann(Bióloga Marina, [email protected])

Queremos agradecer al restauran-te Buena Vista, la panadería Anna’s Sweet de Bocas del Toro, Uwe Abra-ham de BGG (Berliner Gesellschaft für Großaquarien) de Alemania y a la Fundación SeaArt por su ayuda, patrocinio y sus donaciones.

ParticipantesBocas del Toro: Valencio Vecord, Jorge Luis Chance, Hira Conrad Samudio Grisini, Keoni Grace,

Samudio Grisini, Carlos Alex Chen Chen, Jadiel Baker, Jeremy Baker, Luis Acosta Baker, Josephyn Garcia, Carlos BakerBastimentos: Dazneth Gomez, Kduar Gomez, Leonardo Cedeño, Michel Angel Delcid, Orma Davis, Ernesto Narvais, Aniti Wagener, Marco Rodrigue Bomarez, Edgardo Bashes Pomarez, Bebe Luigi, Mi-guel Molinar, Daniela Poweel, Sahira Poweel, Abel Archibold


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If you’ve been to Starfish Beach in the last year or so, you, like so many others who have been there previous-ly were probably disappointed. A few years ago, before the pounding music, the abundance of beach bars, and the constant hum from generators that power all those blenders, there were hundreds of starfish; Hence the name Starfish Beach. But as tourist attrac-tions go, there was a profit to be made by ruining this beautiful slice of perfect serenity. A few months ago when I visited, it was com-pletely packed, which is great for business; However I was appalled to learn that due to the vibrations from the constant loud music the starfish decided to migrate else-where. There were garbage piles everywhere, plastic cups floating in the water and glass bottles lying in the sand.I think entrepreneur-ship is great but not at the expense of the environment. There was not a single starfish in sight. If I were

them, I would’ve moved too. Last week I decided to revisit Starfish

Beach in order to take some photos of this travesty. To my surprise, it was pristine. The music was more than tol-erable, the sand was raked, and there was not a single plastic cup out of place. I was shocked. While there are

just as many beach bars as before, they seem to have cleaned up their act. And I wasn’t the only one that noticed, be-cause there were at least 40 starfish in the water nearby. Now, this is nothing compared to before, but it’s a great start.

THEY’RE BACK!

EN PLAYA DE LAS ESTRELLAS!

STARFISH AT STARFISH BEACH!

BY CASIE DEAN

POR CASIE DEAN

Si has estado en Playa de las Estrellas en el último año aproximadamente, como muchos otros que han estado previamente, debes estar desilusionado. Hace un par de años atrás, antes de la música alta, la gran cantidad de bares en la playa y el constante sonar de los generadores que dan electricidad a to-das esas batidoras, había cientos de estrellas de mar; de ahí el nombre Playa de las Estrellas. Pero como van las atracciones turísticas, había que gene-rar ganancias arruinando este hermoso pedazo de perfecta serenidad. Hace unos meses atrás, cuando la visité, estaba completamente llena de gente, lo

cual es maravilloso para los negocios; sin embargo, estaba horrorizada de ver que a causa de las vibraciones de la constante música alta, las estrellas de mar habían decidido migrar hacia otro lugar. Había pilas de basura por todos lados, vasos de plástico flotando en el agua y botellas de vidrio en la arena. Creo que el espíritu emprendedor es excelente pero no cuando se tiene a ex-pensas del ambiente. No había ni una estrella de mar a la vista. Si fuera ellas, también me hubiera ido.

La semana pasada decidí volver a Playa de las Estrellas para tomar fotos.

¡VOLVIERON LAS ESTRELLAS DE MAR


Para mi sorpresa, estaba prístina. La música estaba a un volumen tolerable, la arena estaba rastrillada y no había ni un vaso de plástico fuera de lugar. Es-taba sorprendida. Habiendo la misma cantidad de bares que la vez anterior, parece que han recapacitado. No fui la única que lo notó, porque había por lo menos 40 estrellas de mar en el agua. Ahora, esto no es nada a compara-ción de tiempos pasados, pero es un muy buen comienzo.


PANAMAPANAMA

COSTARICA

COSTARICA

ChiriquiChiriqui Ngobe BugleNgobe Bugle

VeraguasVeraguas

LosSantos

LosSantos

HerreraHerrera

CocleCocle

PanamaPanamaPanamaPanama

Kuna YalaKuna Yala

DarienDarien

EmberaEmbera

EmberaEmbera

ColonColon

COLOMBIACOLOMBIA

Bocas delToro

Bocas delToroWHERE IS BOCAS?


PANAMAPANAMA

COSTARICA

COSTARICA

ChiriquiChiriqui Ngobe BugleNgobe Bugle

VeraguasVeraguas

LosSantos

LosSantos

HerreraHerrera

CocleCocle

PanamaPanamaPanamaPanama

Kuna YalaKuna Yala

DarienDarien

EmberaEmbera

EmberaEmbera

ColonColon

COLOMBIACOLOMBIA

Bocas delToro

Bocas delToro


My mother always warned me never to take candy from strangers and to never get into a stranger’s car, even if they offered me a new bicycle or a cute little puppy dog. Luckily, the Batido Bus isn’t a car, Jess is no stranger and the sweets she promises come in the form of wraps and smoothies; which I can proudly tell my mom about. Don’t be confused now. Just sit down and read about “Bocas Blended”, Bocas’ most in-novative eatery.

Jess left the bustling urban life of New York City in search of a more re-laxed life style. She moved to Bocas in 2009with the desire to learn how to surf and speak Spanish. Three years later, she can proudly say she achieved both goals…and some. She also turned an old rotting bus into a beautiful wrap

and smoothie sanctuary. “The bus was across the street from

my first apartment in ‘Las Cabañas’. My friend told me I should buy it. I told her she was crazy. Clearly I’m crazy too because I ended up buying it,” recalls Jess.

What is now a wrap and smoothie spot, in the 1960’s was a school bus in the US. You can actually find a lot of old American school buses in Central America. You can tell by the instruc-tions written in English directing you to “stay seated, be quiet and listen to your bus driver”. After it was a school bus and before it was an eatery, it seems the Batido Bus was used for tours, as it had “Bocas Trips”painted on the front at the time that Jess bought it.

Jess refurbished the bus and had it towed to the lot next to Mondo Taitu, where she opened in Janu-ary of 2010. She started out selling exclusively smoothies; hence the name Bocas Blended “TheBatido(Spanish for “smoothie”) Bus,” but then soon added wraps to the menu. She is now located on 1st street, next to the El Reloj/Tropical Markets build-ing. Her old location was good but as the business was growing, she needed more space. While it’s not the reason she switched locations, here’s a saucy little an-

DISH OF THE MONTH:BOCAS BLENDED

BY NICHOLAS COREA

(AKA THE BATIDO BUS)

ecdote for you: according to the night watchman,inebriated Mondo guest-shave been known to take part in the occasional late-night hanky panky session on the roof of the bus. So far this has yet to be reported at her new location.

Jess opened her establishment with the mission to provide healthy alterna-tives with only the freshest of ingredi-ents at an affordable price with quick service. Her menu boasts a variety of wraps, smoothies, salads, ceviche, nat-ural juices and much more.Jess and her girls are proud to say that every sauce is made from scratch. Each wrap can be made vegetarian or with chicken or fish. Also available is the locally fa-mous Breakfast Burrito, which is made with eggs, onions, peppers, pico de gallo, hash browns, bacon and ched-dar cheese. My personal favorite is the spicy Buffalo wrap with blue cheese sauce.

The signature recipe smoothies are

made with frozen fruit because using ice tends to water them down. Try the “Hangover Elixir” after that long night of partying that is inevitable in this town. This reporter was a bit under the weather at the time of the inter-view, but luckily Jess’ girls were there to serve me up a nice “Vitamin C Craze” to boost my immune system and give me the strength to write this article. If you’re really into the health thing, you might want to consider adding a spin-ach boost to your batido.

Find a friend and each save a dollar if you order your wrap during “wrappy hour”, which isMonday through Sun-day from 4pm to 5pm. Eat the wraps sitting on the high stools right there at the bus, the tables in front, the lounge area in back or the climb the ladder and eat your meal up top. Just don’t get any funny ideas like those crazy drunkenMondo guests while you’re up there.


Mi mamá siempre me advirtió que no debía aceptar caramelos de extra-ños, ni subirme al carro de uno, aun-que me ofrecieran una nueva bicicleta o un simpático perrito. Afortunada-mente, el Batido Bus no es un carro, Jess no es una extraña y los dulces que ella promete vienen en la forma de wraps y batidos; sobre los cuales orgu-llosamente puedo contarle a mi mamá. No te confundas ahora. Sólo siéntate y lee sobre “Bocas Blended”, el restau-rante más innovador de Bocas.

Jess dejó la desbordante vida urbana de Nueva York en busca de un estilo de vida más relajado. Se mudó a Bocas en el 2009 con el deseo de aprender a sur-fear y hablar español. Tres años des-

pués, ella puede decir orgullosamente que logró sus dos objetivos… y más. También convirtió un viejo bus en un hermoso santuario de wraps y batidos.

“El bus estaba frente a mi primer apartamento en ‘Las Cabañas’. Mi amiga me dijo que debía comprarlo. Le dije que estaba loca. Claramente, yo también estoy loca porque terminé comprándolo”, recuerda Jess.

Lo que ahora es un lugar de wraps y batidos, en la década de los 60 era un bus escolar en los Estados Unidos. En verdad puedes encontrar una gran cantidad de buses escolares america-nos en Centroamérica. Te das cuenta al leer las instrucciones escritas en inglés que te dicen “Mantente sentado, en si-

POR NICHOLAS COREA

(ALIAS EL BATIDO BUS)

PLATO DEL MES:BOCAS BLENDED

lencio y escucha al conductor del bus”. Después de ser un bus escolar y antes de ser restaurante, parece que el Batido Bus era utilizado para hacer tours ya que tenía pintado “Bocas Trips” (Viajes Bocas) al frente cuando Jess lo compró.

Jess renovó el bus y lo hizo remolcar hasta el lote al lado de Mondo Taitu, donde abrió en enero de 2010. Comen-zó vendiendo exclusivamente batidos; de ahí el nombre Bocas Blended, el Ba-tido Bus, pero al poco tiempo agregó wraps al menú. Ahora se encuentra en Calle Primera, al lado del edificio de El Reloj/Tropical Markets. Su antigua ubicación era buena pero como el ne-gocio estaba creciendo, ella necesitaba más espacio. Aunque no es la razón por la cual cambió de ubicación, aquí les cuentouna anécdota pícara: según el guardia nocturno, los huéspedes ebrios de Mondo parecían hacer “fies-tas” ocasionales tarde en la noche en el techo del bus. Hasta ahora esto no ha sido reportado en su nueva ubicación.

Jess abrió su establecimiento con la misión de proveer alternativas saluda-bles con sólo los ingredientes más fres-cos a un precio razonable con un ser-vicio rápido. Su menú se jacta de una variedad de wraps, batidos, ensaladas, ceviche, jugos naturales y mucho más. Jess y sus chicas están orgullosas de de-cir que cada salsa está hecha de cero.

Cada wrap puede hacerse vegetariano o con pollo o pescado. También tienen el localmente famoso Desayuno Burri-to, que está hecho con huevos, cebollas, pimientos, pico de gallo, papa rallada, tocino y queso cheddar. Mi favorito es el wrapBufalo picante con salsa de queso azul.

La receta distintiva de los batidos es con fruta congelada porque el hielo puede aguarlos. Prueba el “Hangover Elixir” después de esa larga noche de fiesta que es inevitable en esta isla. Este reportero no se sentía bien al momento de la entrevista, pero afortunadamente las chicas de Jess me sirvieron un “Vi-tamin C Craze” para ayudar a mi sis-tema inmunológico y darme la fuerza para escribir este artículo. Si realmente estás metido en temas de salud, debes considerar agregar espinaca a tu bati-do.

Encuentra un amigo y ahorren un dolar cada uno si ordenas un wrap du-rante la “wrappy hora”, que es de lunes a domingos de 4 pm a 5 pm. Come el wrap sentado en las banquillas altas en el bus, en las mesas al frente, en el área lounge en la parte de atrás o sube la escalera y come tu comida en el techo. Pero no tengas ideas locas como aque-llos borrachos huéspedes del Monto mientras estás ahí arriba.


“This community is a chorus of compassion for the people who don’t have a voice of their own, and I am just one in the chorus,” says Asilo nursing home volunteer, Tom O’Flaherty. According to Tom, the res-idents at Asilo are a mirror of ourselves. “If you look carefully you can see yourself in Asilo, old, alone, or without a family.” This is why he donates so much of his time to the bodies, minds, and spirits of the peo-ple there.

Tom describes the women who work there, Olga, Myra, and Filamina as “saints”. Usually the Asilo runs out of money, government funding is cut, and they do not know how they will feed the 23 residents the next day, much less for the next month or year. Many members of the Bocas community, who would like to remain anonymous, donate months of food at a time or pay the electrical bill when the funding is so scarce the electricity has been turned off. Tom admits to “shamelessly hustling people” that he sees on the streets or in restaurants to volunteer at Asilo. He says he explains to them that their experience at Asilo will be the one they tell people about when they get home.

Those who hear of the many needs at Asilo want to help. I suppose this is why, most recently, the US Coast Guard dropped in to lend a helping hand. So on March 15, 2013, more than 50 volunteers from the Floating Doctors and the US Coast Guard went toAsi-lo to do whatever possible to improve the lives of the

VIGOROUS VOLUNTEERS AT ASILO

men and women who call Asilo home. They worked tirelessly for hours painting, plumbing, and rewir-ing hazardous electrical situations. I was fortunate enough to be invited yet again to watch the progress unfold and to see what the new volunteers thought of the experience.

I spoke with a few of the United States Coast Guard volunteers about their motivation to volunteer versus that of other ships’ when they set anchor in Bocas.

Here is what James Lacagnina, a Machinery Techni-cian Chief had to say, “I’m considered an old timer in the Coast Guard with 24 years of service, so I’ve defi-nitely seen my share of bad publicity for our ships’ crews. After spending weeks at sea a crew will pull into a port to relax and blow off some steam. Some-times one, or a few members of the crew will go over-board and the host community sees this behavior thus negatively branding our reputation. What these

BY CASIE DEAN


“Esta comunidad es un coro de compasión para las personas que no tienen voz propia y yo soy solo uno en el coro”, dice un voluntario del Asilo, Tom O’Flaherty. Según Tom, los residentes del Asilo son un espejo de nosotros mismos. “Si miras cui-dadosamente, puedes verte a ti mismo en el Asilo, viejo, solo o sin familia”. Esta es la razón por la que él dona una gran cantidad de su tiempo para los cuerpos, mentes y espíritus de la gente de allí.

Tom describe a las mujeres que trabajan allí, Olga, Myra y Filamina como “santas”. Usualmente el Asilo se queda sin dinero, el fondo del gobierno es reducido y ellas no saben cómo van a alimentar a los 23 residentes el día siguiente y mucho menos el mes o el año que viene. Muchos miembros de la comunidad de Bocas, que quieren permanecer anónimos, donaron meses de alimentos o pagaron la cuenta de la luz cuando los fondos eran tan es-casos que la electricidad era cortada. Tom admite “urgir sin vergüenza a la gente” que él ve en las ca-lles o en los restaurantes para que sean voluntarios en el Asilo. Dice que les explica que la experiencia

en el asilo será la que cuenten a las personas cuan-do vuelvan a sus casas.

Aquellos que se enteran de las tantas necesida-des del Asilo quieren ayudar. Asumo que esta es la razón por la que la Guardia Costera de los Es-tados Unidos pasó y dio una mano. Así que el 15 de marzo de 2013, más de 50 voluntarios de Floa-tingDoctors y la Guardia Costera de los Estados Unidos fueron al Asilo a hacer lo que fuera posible para mejorar las vidas de los hombres y mujeres que llaman al Asilo su hogar. Trabajaron incansa-blemente por horas pintando, haciendo plomería y cableando situaciones eléctricas peligrosas. Fui lo suficientemente afortunado por ser invitado nue-vamente para ver el progreso y escuchar lo que los nuevos voluntarios pensaban de la experiencia.

Hablé con un par de los voluntarios de la Guar-dia Costera de los Estados Unidos sobre su moti-vación para ser voluntarios, que es distinta a la de los otros barcos cuando arriban a Bocas. Esto es lo que dice James Lacagnina, Jefe Técnico de Ma-quinaria, “Yo soy considerado un veterano en la

Guardia Costera con 24 años de servicio, así que definitivamente he visto mi cuota de mala publici-dad de la tripulación de nuestros barcos. Después de pasar semanas en el mar, las tripulaciones llegan a los puertos para relajarse y desahogarse. Algunas

communities often don’t know about are the crews that volunteer for helpful service in the communities we visit. We don’t like being known as bothersome Americans or drunken sailors, nor do we want to be. When the offer was announced, the crew of our ship (the USCG Vigorous) decided that we would visit Bo-cas and try to change the opinion that past crews were responsible for.

Volunteering at the Asilo in Bocas del Toro was an extremely rewarding experience. When we signed up for what we call a COMREL project (Commercial Relations Project) no one knew any specific details, just that hard work would be involved. Improving the living conditions for men and women who could have been our grandparents was awesome, but more so very humbling. We did what we could while there from painting, plumbing, and electrical work. We also did some carpentry and helped the Float-ing Doctors repair one of their boat engines. After working at the Asilo and hearing stories of how far it’s come from just two years ago, I cannot imagine what it must have been like before or living that way. We can only hope that our time in Bocas made a dif-ference to the residents of Asilo and that it will be a positive reflection on our men for the future.”

It was a job well done by a vigorous group of vol-unteers.

VOLUNTARIOS VIGOROSOS EN EL ASILO


veces uno o un par de miembros de la tripulación se exceden y la comunidad ve este comportamien-to en forma negativa dañando nuestra reputación. Lo que estas comunidades no saben es que hay tri-pulaciones que se ofrecen como voluntarios para el servicio de las comunidades que visitamos. No nos gusta ser conocidos como los americanos pe-sados o los marineros borrachos. Cuando se anun-ció el ofrecimiento, la tripulación de nuestro barco (el Vigoroso USCG, en inglés the USCG Vigorous) decidióvisitar Bocas e intentar cambiar la opinión existente por culpa de tripulaciones pasadas.

El ser voluntario en el Asilo de Bocas del Toro fue una experiencia extremadamente gratificante. Cuando nos inscribimos en lo que nosotros llama-mos el proyecto COMREL (siglas en inglés para Proyecto de Relaciones Comerciales) nadie sabía los detalles específicos, sólo que se requeriría un trabajo arduo. El mejorar las condiciones de vida de hombres y mujeres que pudieron haber sido nuestros abuelos fue maravilloso, pero fue aún más humilde. Hicimos lo que pudimos mientras estuvimos allí, desde pintar, hacer plomería hasta trabajos eléctricos. También hicimos algo de car-

pintería y ayudamos a FloatingDoctors a reparar uno de los motores de su bote. Después de trabajar en el Asilo y de escu-char las historias sobre cuán lejos ha lle-gado desde hace dos años atrás, no pue-do imaginarme lo que debió haber sido antes o vivir de esa manera. Solo espe-ramos que nuestra estadía en Bocas haga una diferencia a los residentes del Asilo y que sea de reflexión positiva en nuestros hombres para el futuro”.

Fue un trabajo bien hecho por un gru-po vigoroso de voluntarios. Machinery Technician Chief, James Lacagnina and

Chief Warrant Officer, Dave Wilson help repair a Floating Doctor’s boat engine also


ANNOUNCEMENTS

Woodstock Lumberyard is once again accepting your re-cycling. They will take all types of glass, plastic and alumin-ium cans. They are acting as a drop off depot for Robert Bezeau of Willpower who has committed to picking up the recycling from their yard every Monday. So if you don’t al-ready have an agreement with Robert to collect recycling from your business or residence feel free to bring it to the recycling bins located on the front porch of the office during business hours (Mon-Fri 8am-4pm).

And remember, let’s keep it clean folks! Please no rub-bish. Thanks all!

I recently received an email from Joe Bass, founder of OSDW, which stated that the non-profit is moving on after 4 years in Panama. Joe stated, “I came to Panama hoping to be of service and soon saw that safe drinking water education and imple-mentation was the first key to health and progression for the indigenous people. I am pleased to say that in the time we were here Operation Safe Drinking Water installed 118 rain catchment systems throughout the area….I’m glad to report that the stroke

I suffered in late November has largely been overcome and through six months of intensive physical therapy in the hospitals of Costa Rica. I have almost completely re-covered and am ready to go back to hard work again.”

Thanks to Joe Bass, his team, and hundreds of vol-unteers, there are thousands of people who can rest as-sure they can drink and cook with water that will not make them sick. The Bocas Breeze would like to wish Joe Bass the best with all of his future endeavors.

RECYCLE AT WOODSTOCK!

OPERATION SAFE DRINKING WATER MOVES FORWARD WITH THEIR MISSION


On average, a female dog can have 30 puppies in a lifetime. A fe-male cat can have 3 litters a year with 4-6 kittens in each litter. Over the course of 7 years, 1 female cat and her offspring can theoreti-cally produce 420,000 cats, but only 1 in 12 is adopted. So, you were good enough to adopt that kitten, but you don’t want 20 more, right? Are you tired of seeing so many homeless and malnourished dogs and cats on our island? Then please help reduce the number of unwanted animals by getting your own pet sterilized or spon-soring a stray. For only $12 per cat and $25 per dog (regular size, large dogs are more) you can rest assure that you have increased the quality of life for an animal in Bocas. Volunteers are needed for set up, surgery assistance, cleanup, and lots of animal petting. A fundraiser will be held prior to the clinic to help pay for the travel expenses of the veterinarians. Please make your pet’s appointment in advance as this is a one day clinic and the spots fill up fast. If you would like to help in any way or if you need an appointment, please contact Casie Dean at [email protected].

Fundraiser Saturday Arpil 27th @ Lemongrass.

SPAY CLINIC MID-MAY

Como promedio, una perra puede tener 30 perritos en toda su vida. Una gata puede tener tres camadas al año de 4 a 6 gatitos en cada una. En el curso de 7 años, una gata y su cría pueden teóricamente producir 420,000 gatos, pero solo 1 de 12 es adoptado. Entonces, fuiste lo suficientemente bueno para adoptar ese gatito, pero tú no quieres 20 más, ¿no? ¿Estás can-sado de ver tantos perros y gatos sin hogar y desnutridos en nuestra isla? Entonces ayuda a reducir el número de animales no queridos al esterilizar tu propia mascota o patrocinando a un callejero. Por solo $12 por gato y $25 por perro (tamaño regular, perros más grandes cuestan más caro), puedes estar seguro que has mejorado la calidad de vida de un animal en Bocas. Se necesitan voluntarios para montar el lugar, asistir en las cirugías, limpiar y para mimar a muchos animales. Se celebrará una recolección de fondos pre-via a la clínica para ayudar a pagar los gastos de transporte de los veterinar-ios. Por favor, saca la cita para tu mascota con anticipación ya que la clínica se realizará solamente por un día y los puestos se llenan rápido. Si quieres ayudar de cualquier manera o si necesitas una cita, por favor contacta a Casie Dean por email [email protected].

CLÍNICA DE ESTERILIZACIÓN A MEDIADOS DE MAYO


THE MASKED TREE FROG

Strouwen Erwin, a native of Belgium, has been breeding reptiles and butterflies his entire life. What started as a hobby became a second job for him, the Belgian army being the first. Erwin and his family were invited to Bocas by Louis Mou of the Smithsonian Insti-tute almost 10 years ago because of Erwin’s butterfly breeding expertise. Erwin says his fascination for wildlife began when he was very young due to his father’s occupations as a tropical animal veterinarian. Now, Erwin passes on his knowledge to his own daughter.

Erwin’s newest breed is the Masked Tree Frog (Smiliscaphaeota). It is reported that this frog is easily distinguishable in Central

America since it’s the only tree frog that has a dark masklike stripe on its face. This frog is also considered quite large in size as far as tree frogs go with adults reaching up to 78cm. It blends in well with its surrounding as it changes color from pale green to tan. Usually they remain tan during the day and change to green at night which is also when they are most active. After the tadpoles reach early adulthood in frog form, Erwin releases them to his garden that surrounds a pond. They can be found sleeping on large leaves, ferns, or rolled up in banana leaves. (amphib-iaweb.org)


Strouwen Erwin, nacido en Bél-gica, ha criado reptiles y mariposas toda su vida. Lo que empezó como un hobby se convirtió en su segun-do trabajo, siendo el principal el ejército belga. Erwin y su familia fueron invitados a Bocas por Louis Mou del Instituto Smithsonian casi diez años atrás debido al conoci-miento de Erwin sobre la crianza de mariposas. Erwin dice que su fasci-nación por la vida silvestre comen-zó cuando era muy joven debido a que su padre era un veterinario de

animales tropicales. Ahora, Erwin le transmite su conocimiento a su hija.

La nueva variedad de Erwin es la Rana Arborícola de Máscara (Smi-lisca phaeota). Se reporta que esta rana es fácilmente distinguible en Centroamérica debido a que es la única rana arborícola que tiene una raya oscura similar a una máscara en su cara. Esta rana también es considerada bastante grande de ta-maño en relación a las ranas arbo-rícolas ya que las adultas alcanzan

78 cm. Se mezcla muy bien con sus alrededores al cambiar de color de un verde pálido a un canela. Usual-mente permanecen color canela durante el día y cambian a verde en la noche, que es también cuan-do más activas están. Luego que los renacuajos alcanzan la adultez temprana en forma de rana, Erwin los libera en su jardín que rodea a un estanque. Se las puede encon-trar durmiendo en hojas grandes, helechos o enrolladas en hojas de banano. (amphibiaweb.org)

LA RANA ARBORÍCOLA DE MÁSCARA


MONTHLY HOROSCOPES ARIES

March 21 -- April 19You may find yourself doubting the loyalty of your friends regarding information you unwisely shared. Look towards mending fences rather than leaping over them to escape what you see as their confining nature. Don’t forget your animal friends, remember “To air is human, to forgive is canine”.

TAURUSApril 20 -- May 20Taurus, Taurus, Taurus, you may feel as if the cosmos is treating you like a child, well it is. And you deserve it, it’s time, no actually it’s past time for you to put down your toys and pick up a focused desire to succeed. Look around, opportunities abound if only you’ll focus and ap-ply yourself. Expect sad news from a distant friend; try not to over think it regarding your present situation. In this case knowing the past is not preventive maintenance for the future.

GEMINIMay 21 -- June 21Hair gel and flattery will help you slide into an intimate relationship that’s been several months in the making. Be honest if possible, but if not, be enthusiastic. Write noth-ing down that may come back to bite you should this new found love falter. Don’t buy cheap socks. Go to the beach and look for a small rock that you think best reflects your personality. Take it home, wash it thoroughly and hide it someplace you’ll forget like every other stray you’ve taken home.

CANCERJune 22 -- July 22Congratulations Cancer, you’ve taken my suggestions to heart, lost the wig and rethought your mommy issues. Now you are surely on the road to recovery with only some minor roadblocks, standing between you and what passes for marginal emotional stability. For you this is real progress. Now seek out someone with a nervous tic and give it a Prozac.

LEOJuly 23 -- August 22Good for you Leo, your better judgment led you to that sweet little Pisces instead of that hopeless schizophren-ic, Gemini wise. Face it Leo you’re not young anymore, hopefully with age comes wisdom, or at least a discount at Super Gourmet. Now is the time to see the future in a

positive way, rather than like a train bearing down on your fragile existence. Remember, what you’ve lost is nothing in comparison to what you’ve gained.

VIRGOAugust 23 -- September 22Lose the fear, and step away from those with it. You’re attempting a sport you are tooold , and perhaps poor to pursue. A trade you learned in your youth will serve you well at this time. Someone in the shadows is waiting to help you, but before you can find them you’ll need to shine the light of discovery on yourself. For now, cultivate a fear of flies, what’s behind them could be deadly.

LIBRASeptember 23 -- October 22Hey Libra, when dining out, consider using elaborate hand gestures and a shrill tone. Also always ask if they validate parking. Use the word classic to show others how sophis-ticated your knowledge of history is. An example might be “classic Three Stooges or classic Bocas”, or is that redun-dant? Hopefully you’ve learned your lesson about keeping secrets, now don’t forget it. Remember, that was the les-son, and the test is on the way.

SCORPIOOctober 23 -- November 21Sorry Scorpio, I seriously miss read the stars last month. My advice regarding the Chinese grocery could not have been more off the mark. Fortunately to them we all look alike, so there shouldn’t be any long lasting repercussions. But just to be safe, I’d say Super G. might be a good shop-ping bet for the next week. Keep track of your change, some comes from without, and the rest from within.

SAGITTARIUSNovember 22 -- December 21Keep your pants on Sagittarius, both literally and figura-tively this month. I told you before and it’s still true, pa-tience will provide what your abilities cannot. Don’t for-get that Libra with the limp, relaxing your resistance may allow them unfair advantage, remain receptive but aloof until their true intentions are revealed.

CAPRICORNDecember 22 -- January 19Buckle up Capricorn,it’s going to be a bumpy ride. You made an investment a while back. You thought it would be romantic, and now it’s turned financial, or was it the other way around. In either case, each day you wait to resolve this situation, it will become more difficult. Some

form of amputation is imminent, fortunately, it’s up to you who holds the knife. Act now!

AQUARIUSJanuary 20 -- February 18Your best friends seemed to be out of sync with you, astro-logically speaking. But don’t worry, they, like that rash, will be back before you know it. Treat one aggressively, and the other with love, understanding and the occasional home cooked meal. Yum Yum. Snow White for homecom-ing queen, vote and vote often.

PISCESFebruary 19 -- March 20Looking for change begs the question, does observation change outcome? Watch for the next full moon, no dum-my, not while you’re walking. I mean what kind of an idiot does that while walking, especially in Bocas? Right now you’re feeling lonely. Just be cool and look for a shy water sign, you’ll be making waves in no time. Kilroy was here. Jerky good.

MONTHLY OVERVIEW OF ASTROLOGICAL INFLUENCES

With spring fast approaching, the astrological signs, like so many Easter bunnies, begin to circle closer and closer to each other. As I mentioned last month, Venus is on the rise, and this old gal is now nearly at her zenith, and trust me, she knows how to party like a druid. Her rockstar diva influence, plus the decreasing orbits of her buds, Sagittar-ius, Scorpio, and the rest, set the scene for potential unbri-dled whoopee here on earth. And I’m talking jungle fever; lock up your daughters, monkey love and worse. And I can promise you, and you can mark my words, the stars affect us all, animals included. So don’t be the least surprised if you happen to walk out your front door and find it neces-sary to step over your dog and cat lying together sharing an exhausted look and a cigarette. And God help you if you should have parrots, as if the squawking and the molt-ing weren’t enough. They talk through the whole thing, and such language, what the hell is a spread eagle beak job anyway? They’re like Henry Miller with feathers, dear God it’s embarrassing. This monthly horoscope column in no way endorses rec-ommends suggests or in any other form infers actual fact. And under no circumstance should be considered valid in-formation for the purpose of life decision making. Should you have any comments or suggestions regarding this col-umn, please feel free to keep them to yourself. This column is created and written by John Schneider. Mr. Schneider has been down so long it seems like up to him.

APRIL 2013


CLASSIFIEDSVEHICLES FOR SALE

EARLY 90’S FORD TRUCK E350Clunker, good U-haul aluminum body, make offer- need space in warehouse. [email protected]

NIZZAN TERRANO FOR SELL1500$ Call: 6505 0583

PROPERTIES FOR SALE

TITLED BEACH HOUSE/BIG CREEKwww.forsaleinbocasdeltoro-panama.com

BASTIMENTOS LOT FOR SALESeaview, must sell [email protected]

FIVE TITLED AIRPORT ADJOINING LOTSPriced to sell [email protected]

380M2 PROPERTY OVER WATER4 apartments and dock. Good income. $250,000 Call 6218 3219

TITLED BEACHFRONT LOTNext to the best hotel on Bastimentos. Build on land or sea. Contact John 6561-9462 [email protected]

BEACHFRONT VILLA TITLED HOUSE On the windward side of Bastimentos island. Surf, fish or dive just steps away. City water and electric.Beautiful inside and out. Contact John 6561-9462. [email protected].

3 SEAFRONT HOMES21 acres Isla Cristobal, 15 min

to town, also avail 9 acres undeveloped landhttp://www.viviun.com/AD-163613/ [email protected], 69770255

TITLED LOTS ON BASTIMENTOS500 to 1200 sqmts.Incredible sea and mountain views. Located above Bastimentos town.Financing available. $38 TO $49K Call JB: 6583-0037 www.bocasbananahill.com

BIG CREEK, 3 BEDROOM HOUSE With ocean view on titled 1/2 acre lot. Sold completely furnished.Great for a rental property,vacation house or both. Very quiet area, 100 yards to beach, large upstairs deck.Contact Don at [email protected]

BOATS & ACCESSORIES

20’ FIBERGLASS PANGA70 HP Suzuki 4 stroke, Call for photos and specs. 6580-6325

NEW 22’ SELFBAILING CENTER CONSOLEYour engine or mine. Call for Photos and specs. 6580-6325.

PREOWNED 25’ FISHING BOATNorthwest style, aluminum deep V, heavy duty, center console, 225 Yamaha with only 2 hours, Call for photos and specs. 6580-6325

27’ RECONDITIONED PANGA70 tiller Yamaha, starts on first crankCall Earl 6580-3625

NEW 15’ NANACORE PANGASelf-bailing with console, Call for photos and specs

6580-6325

22’ X-WIDE CENTER CONSOLEUS built, 150 HP, Bimini top. Call for photos and specs. 6580-6325

INFLATABLE FOR SALEPractically new 11FT inflatable available with 15HP motor. Call 6480-6325 or [email protected]

FISHING BOAT FOR SALE27FT Boston Whaler set up for fishing.Boat available with or without engines. Call 6480-6325 or [email protected]

27FT POWERBOAT CATAMARAN FOR SALENo engines, $4,750. Contact Earl Meck 6480 6325

18FT CUDDY CABIN FOR SALETwin 4-Stroke 50HP Yamaha low,self bailing, low hours, just in! Contact Earl Meck 6480 6325

CRAIG-CRAFT FUN BOAT 25HP FOR SALE30 hours. Contact Earl Meck 6480 6325

FOR RENT

APARTMENT FOR RENTFully equipped, $400 per month Call 6246 2105

HOUSE OVER THE WATER FOR RENTAvailable for $700 per month. Call 62183219

FOR RENT LONG TERMCabina 2 miles from town road to Bluff. Across street from beautiful beaches. Call: 6713-7310 no smokers. $600/mo

APARTMENT FOR RENT 2 Blocks from Main St.New, Fur-nished w/ king size bed, Sky TV and appliances. Call 6480-6325. [email protected]

HOTEL LULA’S BED &

BREAKFAST$50-60 per night; Private Bath, Air Conditioning / WIFI Hotspot. 757-9057 www.lulabb.com

HOUSE ON SOLARTE FOR RENT2 bedroom house on Solarte with city electric, cable tv and beautiful jungle and ocean views. Long term only- $500 per month. For details contact [email protected] or 6617-6939

EFFICIENCY APARTMENTExcellent security, WIFI, Private bath and kitchen, $350 per month.67250429 or [email protected]

LONG-TERM RENTAL ON PRIVATE ISLANDIn Bahia Honda.$600, single - $700/couple per month plus electric.2 units available.Adults only.Wifi, A/C, hotwater, dock. Call 6915-2040 or email [email protected]

MISCELLANEOUS

YOGA ALLIANCE TEACHER TRAINING Bocas Del Toro PanamaMay 13 to June 8Info - [email protected]

SAFE HOME SECURITY SYSTEMS OF PANAMAwww.safehomepanama.netGSM Wireless Systems, no monthly fees, no land line.Calls up to 6 numbers with built in cell phone, siren, panicbutton.Also have GPS Tracking Units, Video camer-as, Alarms for Elderly.

SERENITY VISTA RECOVERY RETREATIs drinking a problem in your life? We can help. Serenity Vista Recovery Retreat in Boquete. www.serenityvista.com

NATURE AIR TICKETS TO SAN JOSECosta Rica--Bocas. Normally priced at $215 one way , for sale for $160. Contact Carmen or Sasha at Hotel Palma Royale or call--757-9979

100,000 WATT GENERATOR FOR SALELow hours, on pentle hook trailer, enough to light up your life. [email protected]

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS - BOCAS DEL TORO

Fire (Bomberos) 103

Bocas Hospital 757-9201

Almirante Hospital 758-3745 / 758-3286

Changuinola Hospital 758-8232

Port Authority 757-9447

Airport 757-9208

Bocas Marine Tours 757-9033

Electric Company 757-9228

Cable & Wireless 123

Direct TV 758-7090

Banco Nacional 757-9230

Directory Information 102

Air Panama 757-9841

Immigration 758-8651

Ambulance 757-9201

Police (Policia) 104 / 757-9217 / 9485

POLICE OFFICERS:

SGT. ARCHIBALD 6495-3135

SGT. Díaz 6111-6424

Cpl. Sanchez 6649-7581

Sgt. Baker 6823-3603

Cheriff José Acuña 757-9532

Andrés Gallardo 6630-8671

The Bocas Breeze April 2013

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Transcript of The Bocas Breeze April 2013