Michael: Then and Before Then

Drift toward the sea
Along with the clouds and tears
Leaving these mountains.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

One of the used books I’ve enjoyed reading in Panama is The Animal World of Albert Schweitzer. It was published in 1950 and is divided into four sections; Schweitzer’s childhood experience with animals, his own experiences and stories that were told to him about animals while he operated his hospital in Africa, a comparative religion section that discusses how various religions believe animals should be treated, and finally an explanation of what his ethics, a reverence for life, entails.

It brought back memories of a book I read while I was in college that turned me even further in the direction of vegetarianism, Diet for a New America. At the time, when I was in a more militant frame of mind, that bludgeon of a book really had me clenching my fist in anger and moving me to action.

But now I wish I would’ve read Schweitzer’s book first. It’s slow build from a very personal account through his development of what he believes should be a universal ethical principal, is compelling in a far more compassionate way than Diet is. Schweitzer’s account is far more suited to the tone desired if we are to convince ourselves and others to think and act on moral grounds in our treatment of animals. 

Michael: Books

This little piggy
Was healthy. The others are
A deep shade of blue.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

One thing we are going to buy in the states when we visit are books. They’re in short supply here. There is no bookstore or library in Volcan. I have bought books at the Friday Market in Boquete but that’s a long two bus trip away and it’s a hit or miss collection of used books.

Kimme has downloaded a variety of books onto to her Tablet which is great. But good old fashioned printed books still have their advantages. For example, I want to order some learning Spanish text books that I can both underline and write in.

I also just enjoy the whole experience of reading a tarnished well worn paperback. It’s been an integral pleasure throughout my life. I know the words are the same no matter where they’re coming from, but the feel and connection is different. And I wouldn’t be surprised if that had subtle positive influences on the wonderful endeavor that reading is.

Michael: U.C.M.B.

Washing the dishes
Twice a day everyday
Is therapeutic.

Monday, July 27,2015

I have spent an unhealthy amount of time and energy preparing for our trip to the states on-line looking for items I want to buy there. To try and curb my appetite and save my pocket book, I’ve created a little acrostic like device that I hope will at least give me pause before clicking the submit button.

It goes like this:

U - Use what you have.
C - Change what you can.
M - Make what you need.
B - Buy the best.

Here’s an example of how this should play out in my thought process and possibly inhibit an unnecessary purchase. I’ve been looking at hydration systems for trail racing and running. U - I already have a variety of packs. I should use one of them. C - I can easily modify my favorite vest pack to trim it down and make it more race ready. M - This doesn’t apply to packs, but does apply to what I often carry in them; energy gels, which I do now concoct myself. B - I have. For a single bottle pack, I can’t think of a better one than my Hydraquiver, and for a bladder pack, either the small capacity Hydrapak or medium Osprey work great.

Will this stop me from purchasing a new pack? For the foreseeable future, yes. But equipment wears out, bodies change, significant improvements happen. However, I don’t anticipate any of these occurring for a while.

U.C.M.B. It’s saving me in this case. I need to apply it more consistently and hopefully it’ll allow me to focus using my resources where there’ll be more wisely applied.

Kimme: My Dad's Habits

Today is my father’s birthday.  When he passed away over 8 years ago, I found this on his desk, a simple handmade booklet.  It was three note cards stapled together with the title “How to Keep Resolutions”  In it, he had a list of new 30 habits that he wanted to keep.  I really looked up to my father and admired his passion for self improvement.  During my 108 day health and exercise reboot I started a bunch of new habits.   I know how easily these habits will fall away once I get busy with the rest of my life so I want to make my own booklet to keep me on track. 

My father was very private so I won’t share the habits on his list, but in the next couple weeks I will share some of mine. 

Michael: Other Adventures

Branches and leaves bend
Like a beautiful green wave
Over the pasture.

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Outside of the two trail races planned for back home, Kimme and I are also scheduling a 4 day fast pack trip of the Emigrant Wilderness, which sits just above the much better known Yosemite.

This will be a new type of trip for the two of us; we’ll be semi-solo hiking the middle two days. Our plan is to hike together to the center of the wilderness on the first day, then on the next two days I’m going to try and do a large figure eight around our base camp to try and cover as much of the perimeter of the wilderness as I can. I figure I’ll jog/hike between 20-30 miles per day those middle two days.

Kimme will also be on her own the middle two days and will do slightly shorter loops on different trails.

This way, every night back at camp, we can share pictures and stories of what we experienced and between the two us, pretty much cover the entire wilderness in a 4 day trip.

We’ll hike out together then head for San Francisco where Kimme will meet with old friends and I’ll run one of my favorite trails, Montarra Mountain. 

Michael: Ready or Not

The rush of the wind
Spreads the clouds out like fine white
Strands of angel’s hair.

Saturday, July 25, 2105

By the time I lace up for the Bull Dog 25 K in August, it’ll have been 8 months since I’ll have raced in the states. I’m also planning to race in a very challenging 50k, the Los Pinos trail race, at the end of our three week visit. A week ago I’d have said I was on track to race very well. But now with a week of no endurance work due to an injury, I’ve got only three weeks to gear up and do the hard training necessary to achieve my goals. I can do it, but I can’t afford any more slip ups.

In the Bull Dog race I’m shooting to run under two hours. The best I’ve done is 2:06 two years ago. Ron Paquette, a friend and my arch-enemy, holds the 50-59 age group record at 2:02. His performance is part of the reason why I believe I can run under two hours. He held the old age group record of 2:05, then last year the bastard bettered his old performance. Dammit, if he can do it, so can I.

I haven’t run the Los Pinos race before, though I have run some of the trails and am familiar with the area. The way they rank the runners at the website where you sign up for the race, Ultra-Sign Up, is by your estimated finishing time. Given the challenges of the course, 9,000 ft. of elevation gain and very hot conditions, I’m going to ballpark it at 6:15. Surprisingly, that would have me finishing in second place at the moment. I don’t feel the time estimate is unreasonable given my times over similar courses, but there’s only one way to find out.

Now for three weeks of solid uninterrupted training then back to the races, runs, hikes and rides in beautiful California, U.S.A. 

Michael: The Lazy Man's Way to a Better Diet

Today the rain fell
From the darkness of a heart
Pulsing with anger.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Kimme is a great cook. Since we’ve moved to Panama she’s been preparing all our dinners. That works out to be 6 out of our 7 weekly evening meals. We eat out once a week.

I do the dishes but have promised to pitch in by preparing one dinner a week once we get back from our visit to the states. I used to cook one night a week and was getting better at it and even enjoyed it.

We both want to live long healthy lives together so Kimme frequently refines the ingredients she cooks with to try to make it more nutritious. She’s always been conscious about cooking with whole foods and  excluding refined sugars, wheat, corn and dairy products from our dinners. Now she’s trying to clean it up even more by cooking from scratch which means no more store bought mixes, condiments or dressings.

I have been one very satisfied guinea pig and so long as I get to end the evening with a bit of chocolate, this is a very easy diet to follow.  

Michael: I Wish I Could Cross Train

Dandelions grow
Wildly in our garden
Frightening the grass.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

My last two injuries, one from a fall trail running and Monday’s tumble off my bike, have prevented me from cross training in peculiar ways.

After the fall from a bike you’d think I’d turn to running while a bicycle caused injury heals. But the bruise I suffered on my foot has made running too painful.

Similarly, the last time I fell running I tweaked my wrist enough to make riding very painful.

 If I had my indoor bicycle trainer here, I could hop on that, but that’s in storage in the states. So I won’t be able to ride for a week while I wait for another helmet to arrive.

I can’t jump rope yet either. That frustratingly only leaves me with upper body, core and stretching exercises for the next couple of days.

But all things considered, I can’t get too irritated at this injury induced taper.
I just wish the activities I love weren’t so selfish and would let me cross train.

Michael: If a Tree Falls

The branch fell across
The road and into my path
Leaving me helpless.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

I had my first international bicycle accident yesterday and feel very fortunate to be able to write about it this morning.

Over the years I’ve been separated from my bike on numerous occassions and in various ways; car door opening, right turn in front of me, left turn into me, head on, the classic Jan Ullrich slide, taken out by another rider…
And yesterday’s spill adds a new one to the list; being taken out by Panamanian tree cutters.

The road I was on, from Volcan to Rio Sereno, I’ve ridden just about every week. It’s an undulating beauty of a road. They’ve been putting up new utility poles along this well paved two lane artery so I was used to the downed branches and the need to take a cautious approach. The utility workers put out orange cones at each end of the work area to caution people.

But these were not utility workers, nor had they been working on the trees on my way up to Rio Sereno. If they had, I would have been looking out for them on my return. These were workers from a farm either clearing the trees to save a fence or the utility lines going to the farm.

So when I came around a sharp slightly downhill right hill bender, I was surprised but thought I’d be able to scoot by on the open right hand lane, but when I heard the crack of a branch and saw it start to fall, I knew my fate was no longer in my hands.

The branch fell across both lanes of the road  giving me just enough time to straighten my bike out before I hit it. The next thing I know I was opening my eyes and looking up at three startled Panamanian workers.

I layed there for a few moments until my jostled brain decided that I should sit up and take note of my condition. I touched my lip and saw blood and from my last experience with pavement wondered how badly my face had been torn up, so I tried to gesture to one of the workers, who was very close to my face, how I looked.  He motioned that I had a cut on my lip and above my eye.

After sitting up and patting myself down, I could sense some slight road rash on my right shoulder and below my left glute, but outside of a painful bruise on the bone of the arch of my left foot which I thought might be broken, I was good to go.

Next a look at the bike. It came away even better than I did with just a minor scratch to the seat.

Apparently the only severe casualities were my helmet that cracked and probably saved my life and definitely prevented serious head trauma, mangled glasses and torn shorts. My jersey is white and know had a few blood stains so I’ll probably replace it as well. But I may use it again if it looks decent enough after a wash.

After I got up, a truck had stopped and the three men in that vehicle were considering taking me home but they were headed in the opposite direction, so they talked to the tree cutters to make sure they would assist me. The tree cutters called the farm owner and told me he was on his way.

He was driving a Suzuki Jimny, a very small vehicle that he didn’t think would hold my bike, so he flagged down a passing work truck and the driver kindly took my bike as he followed us to Volcan.

We made small talk as best we could given our language differences and after the half hour drive home, I thanked him and the truck driver, then walked in the door and told Kimme what happened.

She suggested we go to the doctor’s to make sure there was no head trauma, which sounded reasonable enough to me, though I was really more concerned about my foot. Fortunately again, my brain is no more addled than before and my foot isn’t broken, only very painfully bruised. The doctor was considering a stitch on my lip but thought I might get by with just a bandage, which is what I opted for.

Outside of being alive and in one unbroken piece, there’s the bright side of getting a new kit. I hadn’t planned on that, but I feel anytime you get up and walk away from what could have been a disaster, a few slight indulgences are in order.

Michael: San Vito

The botanical
Gardens are a haven for
Wild animals.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Are main purpose for traveling to San Vito, Costa Rica was to find a decent place to stay for a couple of nights in a town across the border from Panama so we could renew our tourist visas. But San Vito turned out to be a real treat. It’s very similar to Boquete in feel but closer to us and has the botanical retreat and research center; The Wilson Gardens, perched above it.

We were also fortunate to stay at Casa Botania, a small bed and breakfast less than a mile from the Wilson Gardens. The Gardens were recommended by an ex-pat. When we booked our stay, we had no idea we’d be within walking distance of the Gardens. It was very nice after the long bus rides from Volcan to stretch our legs a little and walk and not have to wait for either a bus or taxi to go through the Gardens.

Kimme is much more botanically inclined than I, but even I enjoyed the beauty and variety of the Wilson Gardens. Though the highlight for me was seeing two more kinds of wild animals; a katamoundi and an iguoti. The former I thought was a ring tailed lemur and the latter a pygmy capabara.

Our room also had a beautiful view of the valley that San Vito sits in. And we got to experience sheet lightening from a wide view directly in front of us.  We get plenty of lightening in Volcan, but were living on the wide flats there, so we’re always looking up at lightning. But the fog drifting in and out late at night and in the early morning in San Vito was something we don’t get in Volcan. That made for a very picturesque sunrise and sunset.

We’d prefer it if next time we went we can avoid the hassles of going through the immigration offices, and hopefully within a few months we’ll have our Pensionado visas, which should make that possible. But even with the delays of the immigration process, San Vito is worthwhile and I’m sure we’ll get back there early next year.

Michael: Back in Panama

The katamoundi
Walked through the woods below us
Scavenging for food.

Sunday, July 19, 2015

We have returned from a one night stay over in Costa Rica with renewed passports in hand. Here’s an outline of the process going from Panama to Costa Rica then back into Panama at the Rio Sereno border crossing:

1. At the Panamanian Immigration Office we were asked to show our passports and a copy of the information page. We didn’t have a copy. The kind young officer said we could go to a store just down the street to get copies. He suggested we make two copies - we’ll need one for exiting and one for returning.

2. After we made the copies and returned to the office, he stamped our passports indicating we were leaving Panama. He reminded us that on our return to Panama we would be required to show an exit stamp from Costa Rica, a copy of our passport information page, our plane tickets indicating that we would be returning to the U.S. within 6 months, and $500 each. The physical plane tickets we didn’t have, but Kimme had our itinerary on her I-Pad, which was acceptable. You also don’t have to actually have cash. A credit card voucher, money order, or traveler’s check indicating you have the $500 is also acceptable.

3. We then walked about 20 yards to the Costa Rican Immigration Office to enter Costa Rica. There we only had to fill out the declaration form you usually fill out on an airplane when you fly to another country. We had to include the flight number of our arriving plane, which we didn’t have, so we just used the same flight information we gave the Panamanian officer.

4. On returning to Panama from Costa Rica we first needed to stop at the Costa Rican office to get an exit stamp. Before we could get that we had to pay an exit tax of $8.50 each. Naturally, you don’t pay it there. We were told to walk to a store down the street and around the corner and come back with the receipts. We did.  On returning, we filled out the declaration form again and we were off to the nearby Panamanian office.

5. There we were asked for our passports, a copy of the information page, and our flight itinerary. When I took out an envelope and offered to show the officer the required cash, he politely deferred indicating that he trusted me. After worrying about traveling with all that cash, I was kind of annoyed that he didn’t at least go through the motion of counting it.

He did ask us a few questions about where we were residing in Panama, which maybe either a gotcha kind of question or an inside joke kind of a thing, as being Panamanian, he knows that no one has an address in Panama. The best we could do is give a round about description of where our little cottage is located; like in Volcan near Finca …, the fourth house on the right. It’s white with blue trim…across from Mary’s house… and you just keep on going until the officer is satisfied.

6. After that, he stamped us back into Panama and we should be good to go for another 6 months.

The way the process works, at least at Rio Sereno, it would be very easy to avoid the expense of going into Costa Rica just by walking to the Immigration offices, going through the exit process, then taking a bus or driving back to Volcan and returning the next day and go to the offices  again in the order necessary to get the exit and return stamps.  

But we very much enjoyed our stay in Costa Rica and plan on returning. We’re just hoping that we don’t have to go through the walk back and forth between the offices and stores and go through the awkward dance steps required by the process necessary to renew a tourist visa.

Michael: Our First Attempt Fails

Rio Sereno
Is two shacks and a dirt road
From Costa Rica.


Friday, July 17, 2015

If all would have gone as planned yesterday, we’d be sitting in Costa Rica right now as part of our two day escape from Panama to renew our tourists visas . And we were in Costa Rica briefly, but decided to kick ourselves out.

Why? Because we goofed. In our rush to catch a bus to San Vito, Costa Rica, where our hotel is located, we sat and unknowingly rolled by the immigration offices that we should have stopped at and had our passports stamped.

We thought the border crossing would be a bit more obvious and everyone  that needed to have their passports checked would be stopped. But Panamanians and Costa Ricans go back and forth freely and there is no  stopping to show any I.D. or to inquire about passports. The immigration officers are not going to come and look for you, you’ve got to go find them.

About 20 minutes into Costa Rica is when we discovered this. I felt we had traveled quite a distance into Costa Rica and we had already gone through a small town, when I asked the bus driver if there was an immigration office further down the road. No, the offices were back in Rio Sereno. He was very helpful and said he’d be turning around soon and heading back to Rio Sereno. So we sat on the bus and headed back with him.

Unfortunately, the Panamanian office closed a little early. Now it was either head back to Volcan or back into Costa Rica. Either way, we’d have to spend a good chunk of the next morning on a bus back to the immigration offices in Rio Sereno. We chose the shorter route and headed back home to Volcan.

This morning we’re going to try it again and get it right. We’ve read conflicting accounts of exactly how much time we need to spend in Costa Rica to re-enter and have our passports renewed. In David, an immigration officer told us two days. We’ve read accounts that say anywhere from three days to as little as twenty minutes - the time it takes to stand in line at the border to walk back and forth between the two countries and have your passports stamped. 

We’re going to try for one day. If that doesn’t work I believe I have a sneak around that should work without our having to spend an additional night in Costa Rica. I’ll describe that when we get back. Hopefully not until Saturday after visiting and staying the night in San Vito.

Michael: Mystery Solved

From the mountain’s peak
The town below looks lifeless,
Small and trivial.

Friday, July 17, 2015

It is lush and beautiful here, but the highlands of Panama also has it’s strange, mysterious and grotesque side. As just one example of this; Tuesday we unearthed one of the ugliest bugs that must exist on this planet.

 We discovered these creatures because Kimme is trying to grow an herb garden. Her mint wasn’t doing very well. She thought birds, or some small animal was coming at night and eating it. But Tuesday morning, while I sat on our porch, I noticed one of the mint stems twisting back and forth. Aha! There was something in the soil eating the mint from below.

The culprits looked very much like miniature versions of the creatures that popped out of that dude’s stomache in the Aliens. They’re about 1 ½ inch long, a quarter inch wide at its orange head, segmented white translucent body covering its dark obscure internal organs, and with spiny legs only on the first segment of its body.

We dumped them along with the rest of the soil in that planter on the nearby dirt road. The only other creature I’ve seen close to matching it in ugliness is a potato bug. Seeing this bug is one of those images that I’ll never forget where and when I saw it.

Michael: House Planning

An afternoon nap;
A childhood requirement,
Now an adult treat.

Thursdat, July 15, 2015

We want to have our own house. But before we came here we read a few horror stories about how difficult it is to build here, so I thought as an end around those problems, I’d go modular or the container home route.

But now that we’ve had the opportunity to walk through several beautiful custom built homes, and talked to the very satisfied designers/owners, I’m not sure what we‘ll do.

I have shifted away from the shipping container idea. It doesn’t seem as cost effective or as open to the design possibilities that a modular or custom made home has. The idea of a well thought out and resourceful modular home though, still holds a great deal of appeal to me.

I know there are programs out there that allow you to draft a design of your own, but I feel they may fall short of my expectations for two reasons. One, I’m not an architect and there are an abundance of great designs from qualified architects already in existence. I’m doubtful I can create either a unique or as efficient a design as one that already exist. Two, I’m afraid drafting my own plans will overlook or won’t contain many necessary elements of plans that I could purchase, such as plumbing, electrical and foundation plans.

Either way we go, we now feel fortunate enough to believe that either custom or modular, we have a strong possibility of building a home here we’re going to love.

Michael: Burn Baby Burn

The ugliest bug,
Diablo de Tierra,
Ate through our mint’s roots.


Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Here in Volcan it’s very common to burn trash, but I haven’t started a fire for as long as I can remember.

Being a vegetarian, I never saw the point in owning a barbecue. When I camp, I either don’t cook or use a small stove. I’m sure as a child or a teenager I sat around a large bonfire and roasted marshmallows, but I don’t recall the experience.

I know, just like many boys, I went through a pyro stage. But the only evidence of that, that I can recall is an image of a very cheap griddle top on my family’s stove that I warped by leaving it on. It made this rust - orange - deep blue large oval discoloration that was really quite beautiful. My mom wasn’t pleased, but it may have sparked my later interest in abstract and process art.

But over the years I’ve lost touch with that inner demon that enjoys starting fires and watching things burn. I did set aside paper and cartons from the store, but until yesterday, I handed them off to our landlord next door and she burned it with her trash.

The thought of continually handing over my combustables to a woman though felt somewhat emasculating. I thought about googling how to burn trash, but decided why not just go for it? I mean there wasn’t much to it when I was a kid I presume. Just set the stuff in a pile and spark er up.
My only worry was that I was going to get a shoddy burn and I’d end up trying to quickly dump a bunch of paper in the trash so no one would notice how incompetent I was.

But the small stack I gathered burned for a good 45 minutes and took everything with it except a fragment of a raisin box top. It was also enjoyable to watch; the orange flame, the smoke, the transformation of paper into ash… I don’t feel it’s rekindled any lurid unconscious passion for setting things ablaze, but I’m sure I won’t hesitate the next time the trash needs to be burned.

Michael: Odds and Ends

If there’s coffee and
Chocolate, it’s civilized
Enough to live there.

Monday, July 13, 2015

There are things that we no longer have any control over here that we find humorous, mystifying, frustrating and frightening. Sometimes all at once.

 For example, we don’t drive here. We walk or use buses or taxis. If you’re on the bus and it’s moving at a vibrant pace around some treacherous stretches in the road, be grateful. It’s a strong indicator that the driver isn’t texting.

In L.A.  if we had a tech. problem we picked up the phone and they either resolved it remotely or talked us through it. That didn’t happen often and we took it for granted that the same would be true here.

 But that’s not the way it’s done here. After our internet provider called us last week to tell us our internet service had been repaired, it is working better. But it still flickers and goes out for extended hours during the day for reasons we don’t understand. Lately, it’s been on early in the morning and early in the evening. If it stayed that way we’d be fine. There’s no way that would’ve been acceptable to us in the states, but again, that’s out of our hands here.

 The weather, of course, we have no control over. But in L.A. I believe our trail club only cancelled a run once due to inclement weather. Here, we are well into the rainy season and I thought by now the Quetzal trail would no longer be usable as a running trail until December. There are short sections that require a cautious approach due to downed branches and brush, but for the most part it’s holding up pretty well and people are still out there hiking on it. How long that last, I can only be grateful for.

Relinquishing control over the wheel, or the keyboard, or possibly a trail in some ways is a relief. But it also brings very many other emotions to the surface at times as well.

Michael: Homework

The bottle brush tree,
With its stab of red bristles,
Seems to be weeping.

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Our lawyer has assigned us homework.

We thought we had all the documents necessary to apply for a Pensionado visa; F.B.I. background checks, marriage license, and a letter showing I have a pension, but the latter two documents have not been stamped or signed by the necessary officials with a 2015 date, and none of the documents have been authenticated by the Panamanian consulate, or apostilled.

Lucky for us we’re planning a trip home next month. We thought it was going to be family, friends and vacation trip, but now we’ll throw in visits to the court house, CalStrs and the Panamanian consulate. Hopefully, that should do it.

The Pensionado visa will entitle us to a one time duty and customs exemption on the importation of goods up to $10,000, along with several other ongoing discounts that jubilados ( retired people, but shushhhh…Kimme doesn’t like to think of me as retired, but her Spanish is pretty weak) receive here in Panama. I don’t like to think of myself as retired either, more like on a sabbatical. But jubilado does have a nice ring to it.

Michael: The Pecking Order

The dog on the bridge
Is less of a derelict
Than the bar patrons.

Saturday, July 11, 2015

I’ve heard there are people that race every weekend. That’s insane. I use to race over twenty times a year, which suggests I’m only half crazy. This year I’ll enter four to five events, but I’d definitely race more if I could. I miss it.

But I do wonder why I, or any one else, races at all. It’s such a bizarre activity. For a group of people to go all Neanderthal; strip down to our underwear, don our face paint, and run after or away from …nothing. It would probably look and feel more appropriate if we were all given spears before the start.

And couldn’t we all reap whatever benefits we get from racing without the hassle and hoopla if we just chose to run with a group and wear a stop watch?

I can only scratch my head and conclude that discovering where we are officially in the pecking order means something to all of us under wearing frantic beings. That’s not necessarily either a positive or negative observation. But I can’t think of any other significant motivation for stressing out about how I should prepare for my next big event.

Michael: Fleeing the Country

Dark grey centipedes
Tightly clustered together
After the night’s rain.

Friday, July 10, 2015

Our trip to David yesterday to obtain an extension of our tourist visas was unsuccessful.

As soon as we stepped into the Immigration office, located in the Chiriqui Mall, we were asked to come to the counter by a casually dressed young man who spoke a little English and a young woman in a very official light blue uniform who did not. Our conversation went something like this:

“We’ll be leaving the country soon to go back to the United States. Is it possible to obtain an extension on our visas until that date?”

“No, you must leave the country by this date,” the young man replied while pointing to our visas and giving the uniformed woman a quick glance.

“So it isn’t possible to get an extension?”

“No, you must leave the country by this date.”

“What would happen if we didn’t?”

“You must leave the country by this date.”

Then the uniformed woman suggested we go to Costa Rica for two days. After that our visas will be renewed for another 6 months.

They were very polite. The office was easy to find. Hopefully a hotel just across the border will be just as easy to locate.





  



















  








 



















  

Michael: Indian Summer

Uneven wood planks
Make the bridge a perilous
Bicycle crossing.

Thursday, July 9, 2015


The weather, as Mark Twain said, is an interesting topic; everyone complains about it but no one gets up to do anything about it. Kimme and I are not complaining, just observing the differences between what we read about and what we’re experiencing in Volcan.

One aspect of the weather we didn’t read about but that they talk about here is an Indian summer. That’s a typical dry spell in the rainy season that may last up to a few weeks. We may have just gone through it. Up until Sunday we had only two days where there was light rain. Otherwise it was sunny and warm.

But since Sunday, we’ve fallen back into the usual pattern of a dry morning then afternoon rain.

We’ve also been told to expect the rain to intensify as the rainy season progresses. One ex-pat said the worse she recalls it getting is going 13 days without sunshine while it rained. That would be about four times greater than I’ve ever experienced in my life. In Southern California it might rain for a few days, but then there’s a break. And even at that, three hard days of constant rain is unusual. I’m not sure how L.A. would handle a 13 day steady onslaught, but I’m sure it wouldn’t be pretty. I’m hoping I won’t have to find out how ugly I’ll get if I have to sit inside that long.

Michael: Not Wanted

The dog stops, lies down
In the middle of the street
And ignores traffic.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015


Yesterday, after two and half years of marriage, Kimme and I found out that according to the F.B.I., neither of us are criminals. That’s a relief. Not that I was worried I was secretly married to a drug king pin or a hitman, but if I am, at least I know she’s smart enough to hide her true identity from the government.

Actually, the background checks are part of the Pensionado visa program, which I had hoped would have been completed by now, but because it’s not, and our tourists visas are about to expire, we’ve got to figure out what we need do if we wish to remain in Panama.

Initially, I thought our only option to renew our visas was to cross over the Costa Rica border for a few days. When we returned we would be issued new tourists visas good for another 180 days and that would carry us through the time we need to finish the Pensionado visa process.

But it turns out we have two other options that may be more convenient.

One, we could apply for an extension at the Immigration office in David. That’s an hour and half bus drive away, but we go there every once in a while anyway, and it would be much less of a hassle than finding a place to stay in Costa Rica. Supposedly, the process takes about 4 days. I can’t see why we wouldn’t receive an extension. But there’s a lot about Panama I don’t understand, so I wouldn’t be shocked if it took too long or got lost or somehow we weren’t approved.

Two, we could just let our visas lapse and pay the $50 dollar fine for every month we overstay our visit. The risk in that is that we could be deported if we were stopped by the police and they asked to see our passports. Again, being deported for an expired tourist visa supposedly never happens. But again, this is Panama, and though I couldn’t see any reason to make me the example of what could happen to a lazy gringo that lets his passport lapse, I don’t want to take that risk.

So we’ll try option one first. Tomorrow we’ll try to find the Immigration office in the labyrinth that is David and hopefully get an extension of our tourists visas.

Michael: Rural Living

Listen to the rain;
Its somber voice promises
Solitude and peace.


Tuesday, July 7, 2015

This is my first experience living in a rural community. I’m enjoying it but its greatest advantage can also be seen as its largest drawback; kind of a ying/yang thing if you’re inclined to that sort of thinking. And that is living in a rural community is very isolating. For us, living in a foreign rural community, that sense of isolation is upped a notch.

Of course it’s not like I was ever entrenched in an urban lifestyle; going to the latest and greatest that Los Angeles or San Francisco had to offer. And sadly, I feel, living in a city can be even more painfully isolating than living out in the boonies. 

I prefer the space and solitude that a rural community has to offer. But I do miss my family, friends, a few other acquaintances, and some of the amenities we moved away from when we came to live here. That’s why were planning a long visit back home next month. That’s why, ideally, we’d like to live both here and there.

Michael: Going Long

Acorn woodpeckers,
Red crowned with bold white striped wings,
Rest on the bare tree.

Monday, July 6, 2015

Yesterday I talked briefly about why there may be advantages to running longer or for more days than may be required to gain performance increases.
Today I’m going to list some of those reasons.

1. Getting into the “flow“ -  For some individuals longer runs than what is necessary for optimum running performance may be desirable to enter into a flow experience.  And once your there, why would you want to cut it short if it’s not going to hurt you to run longer?

2. To enter a meditative state - I think of many long trail runs as a meditation; as a way of focusing my mind and keeping it in the present moment. When I’m thinking this way, I’m not particularly concerned about how many miles or hours I’m running.

3. Because it’s a religious experience. I’ve always felt that a long Sunday morning trail run is a far better way to appreciate the spiritual aspects of the world than spending time in church.

4. It’s a ritual. Certain trails or destinations are an often repeated and cherished experience for many runners.

 5. It’s a test. Some see running long as a valuable test of their will power and ability to overcome what they see as significant mental and physical challenges.

6. To see how far the needle can go past empty. I often feel people neglect the experience of the runner’s “low”; running until you’re completely exhausted. Finishing a run, then laying down in exhaustion and immediately closing your eyes within stumbling distance of where you stopped, to fall asleep, is quite an experience and not as easy to do as one would think.

I’m sure this isn’t an exhaustive list of why some people choose to run for longer or for more days than would improve their running performance, but I do think it’s indicative of the many healthy reasons runners choose to lace up and get out the door beyond thinking solely about the numbers of running

Michael: Doing the Minimum

The black, blue, and red
Butterfly briefly landed
On my relaxed hand.


Sunday, July 5, 2015

While Kimme makes dinner and I stretch, we listen to podcasts Kimme’s downloaded. A trend we’ve been hearing on several of these podcasts related to running is that it’s not necessary, or even beneficial, to run more than 3 times a week.

When I was working I followed this advice, doing one speed workout, one tempo run and one trail run per week. I’ve raced well and have been pretty much injury free now for over 40 years of competing at various distances up to 50 mile ultras. 

But while I’ve never been a high mileage proponent, I do feel these low mileage advocates are missing several of the advantages of running longer or for more days, and now that I have more time to run, I’ve upped my days to four adding another long run every week. And in Panama, because of the difficulty of the trails, while my distance per long run may not have increased, the time I’m out on my long runs will sometimes be significantly greater than most of the runs I did in the states.

I’ve made these changes because it’s very enjoyable to get outside. And that’s the point I feel many coaches and physical fitness advocates are ignoring. They’re concerned with the performance aspects of exercise. But there is so much more to moving than improving our bodies or becoming more competitive.

There is the joy of moving outside. That’s why I don’t feel I should shackle myself to mileage or a particular number of days. I do want to be healthy. I do want to compete. I keep those aspects in mind when I design my training program. But I’m not going to cut a trail run short if it turns out longer than what would be “prescribed” and I don’t see any evidence it’s hurting me to get out for two long runs per week.

I’m grateful to be able to get outside and move. There is so much more to health than just the measurable aspects of physical performance.   

Michael: Diet and Location

The aviators,
With their colorful wings and
Whistles, rule the skies.

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Before moving here I didn’t think about what the effects on my diet would be. We visited last year and did a cursory check of the grocery stores and they seemed to be just like the stores in the states. And though they are for the most part, they are missing a few of my favorites from back home and I’ve had to make some unanticipated changes.

At home, we shopped at Trader Joes and Whole Foods. They had some breads , trail mixes, coconut bars, and pastries that we (really mostly I) enjoyed.

I don’t like the breads here, so I’ve given up bread.

I still eat pastries occasionally, but not the packaged types from the store. Here, those are pretty much the cellophane kind you find at gas stations. In L.A. just about every morning I’d walk around the corner to the coffee Connection and have a cup of coffee with some type of decadent chocolate monster. But the nearest panaderia here is a 20 minute walk away. They have smaller, less calorie dense sweets, still quite tasty, but not worth the 40 minute round trip. So now, unless we make a trip into town, I’m going without.

And where is my Chocolate Stampede trail mix? About 3,000 miles away. I’ll be diving into a package next month on a return visit to L.A. But that’ll be about it for the year. They’re not big on trail mixes here. Here, I buy a box of raisins and a can of mixed nuts and mix them. I’m also trying to reduce my portion size, which is far easier now that my mix doesn’t have those huge chunks of dark chocolate in it.

No Coconut Dream Bars either. But there are plenty of bananas. We’ve got bunches hanging in our backyard. So as a substitute for the frozen bars, I’m making a banana smoothie everyday; one frozen banana, a little almond milk, a sprinkle of coffee and I’m good to go.

We’re also only eating out once a week instead of the twice a week we did back home. But get ready Chipotle’s, next month as soon as I’m done with my veggie burrito, I’m hopping back in line for an entrée of veggie tacos. After that I’m rolling over to Blaze Pizza for a spicy white cheese fire roasted delight.

I’m sure once we’re back in the nirvana of food choices that is Los Angeles, many other indulgences will come to mind…wait a minute…that Indian restaurant on Lincoln…L.A. Vegan on Centinela…Denny’s…Denny’s? Yes we even miss having breakfast at Denny’s.

Michael: Small Victories

Moments of silence
Drift the maelstrom of noise
Giving us false hopes.


Friday, July 3, 2015

Since Tuesday wasn’t a great day, to get back on the right track I decided to try and fix a few small annoyances Wednesday morning. 

Small success number one was fixing the bathroom door. When we first moved here it wouldn’t shut. That was in January and I fixed it, but a month ago it wouldn’t close completely again.  I presume with the rainy season in full swing now, the door  must’ve swelled. Temporarily, I’ve removed the plate on the door frame and again we’ve obtained a bit of privacy. I’ll just leave it off until we move.

Small victory number two was finding a solution to my gangsta shorts problem. I like to run in long hiking shorts or knickers here to protect myself from bugs and scrapes, but the size 30s I ordered from the states (from two different companies) are really 32s and are two loose around the waist. They keep sliding down exposing my underwear and settling in just above my crack making me feel very uncomfortable. I’ve worn smalls or 30s for a very long time now and the companies I ordered from are well known brands, so I don’t know if it’s a fluke or a trend, but either way it’s annoying.

I have a light-weight belt but it doesn’t stay tightened. If I use it, I only double my problems; not only am I pulling up my shorts repeatedly but I’m also frequently re-tightening my belt. So instead of becoming the Rodney Dangerfield of trail running, I just ditch the belt and have been letting the pants ride where they’d like.

But aha!, one of those light bulb moments. If I fix the belt in place by pinning it, I could have both a functional belt and shorts that suit someone from my generation.

The momentum from these small solutions must have had a carry over effect. Checking my e-mail at the internet café (not having the net at home being one of Tuesday’s frustrations), I had received a notice from my bank that my card had been frozen. I called them and it turns out they put the freeze on because I didn’t give them a travel notification. Having a U.S mailing address but using the card overseas for an extended period of time triggers an alert. Now I know.

Our bathroom door works, my shorts stayed in place on my run, my debit card works again, and even the net’s been up for half a day now and I was able to watch the Daily Show last night. Once again Panama is a magical place.

Michael: Frustrations

The empty whistles
Rise through the background of leaves
Like broken spirits.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Yesterday was a good example of why it’s been very frustrating at times living in Volcan.

Again, the net was down. We’ve only had net service for about 3 days during the past three weeks. We probably would be better off pretending we’re not paying for it and just schedule regular visits to the internet café which is about a 20 minute walk away. But that would be a hassle as well and I’m not as good at pretending as I use to be. I know we’re paying for the net and I want to be able to use it regularly from the comfort of my home.

I’ll talk to our landlord today and hope it can be fixed in the next couple of days.

 I wasn’t able to withdraw cash from any of the three ATMs in town yesterday. That’s a first. If I can’t withdraw cash because my card no longer works or has been deactivated for some reason, getting a new one here is going to be a hassle. It would have to be mailed to my sister first, then to David, Panama where we’d pick it up because we don’t have a mailing address and nobody we know uses the mail system here. The process could take weeks.

Before giving B. of A. a call, I’ll walk to the internet café later and see if I’ve received any notices from them.

After returning home from not being able to get cash, I started reading a new book. Without the net, I’ve been getting a lot more reading in. But there’s only so much reading I like to do in a day, and before going to bed I like to unwind with the Daily Show, which we watch on Hulu. But since the net’s not up, I won‘t be able to.

Initially, not getting the net wasn’t such a dilemma because I have seasons 1-7 of Columbo on DVD. No net; no problem. Just pop in the old detective and joyfully watch him reel in the murderer. But the net’s been out so much here, I’ve become a Columbo savant. I’m now looking for minute faults in the premise of each episode and for clues the frumpled raincoat dude shouldn’t have overlooked.

Today is another day. We’ll run, give the ATMs another shot, talk to our landlord, go to the internet café, and hope for the best. Hell, maybe even someone else beside Janet Leigh, will get away with murder.

Michael: Crunching the Numbers

Over my shoulder
While riding my bicycle
Was an evil wasp.

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

This week my sister told us she had received our F.B.I. criminal background reports. That took over 3 months. The reports are part of the Pensionado visa requirements. The big advantage of that visa in the near future is that it will allow us a one time duty and import exemption on goods up to the value of $10,000. A shipper in the states we got a quote from said it would be worth the wait. That, I believe, depends on a lot of variables some of which are easily to calculate, while many others related to quality of life issues, can’t be assessed purely in terms of dollars and cents .

Right now, I’ll make it easy and only deal with the dollar and cents cost of deciding whether a move to Panama pays off. Looking at our biggest expense here, rent, compared to what it was in L.A. and it’s a no brainer. We paid $1,500 a month in L.A. compared to our $750 here. Add in the $250 in cost that we’re paying for storage, and that’s still a savings of $500 a month. That’s $6,000 dollars savings a year in rent.

However, if we decide to ship our goods here and stay that will easily eat up that savings and then some. The visas are going to cost us $1,700. Shipping will be at least $3,500 but probably more. A cost related to shipping; flying back to L.A. and staying there while we prepare our goods to be shipped, will probably cost over $2,000.

We wouldn’t have to pay storage fees in L.A. any more but we’ll still have to find storage until we either build or find a larger place. I’m guessing that by shifting our storage from L.A. to here, we’d cut our fees in half. That would net us a savings of $1,500 per year. Still, if we do ship to Panama the comparative savings between here and L.A. would be pretty close to a wash in the first year.

So, even without a math degree, we can see that moving back and forth every year, unless we had some bizarre moving fetish, would neither be  enjoyable nor make living in Panama a bargain.

I figure, to make it worth our while, we’ve got to believe we’ll enjoy living here enough to stay for at least 3 years. That’s a big decision for us and involves so many more factors than rent and shipping alone. Right now we’ve only sunk $500 dollars in lawyer fees into the process, but soon we’ll have much larger expenses to pay out if we decide to move forward with shipping our goods here.

And making that decision isn’t going to be nearly as black and white as drawing up a profits and loss ledger.