Penny In Paradise

Posted by: pennyinparadise | May 1, 2009

Hello 2009

How in the world can it be 2009? When someone talks about the 80’s I still think that was yesterday! It’s over 20 years since the 80’s…how can this be? Well, there’s no choice but to keep on keepin on as the years roll by….so here’s a few things I’ve been up to so far in 2009.

The saddest part of the new year is that, on February 13 at 3:45 pm my step-dad, the marvelous Leon Wilson, transitioned to the other side of the veil. He has been very ill for the last 3 years, and since November when I visited, he had gone further downhill. I took the first plane I could get out of Ecuador and arrived in The Villages, FL 24 hours later. Mother only had 9 years with Leon, but they were the best 9 years of her life. She loved him dearly and he worshipped her. Now she is alone once again. Leon’s daughter, son, niece and nephew flew down for the funeral. As he wished, he was cremated and there was a beautiful ceremony at the National Military Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. Leon was a retired Naval Commander, having trained pilots in WW2, so both he and mother have the right to be buried there. The ceremony was followed by a 21 gun salute, and presentation of the American flag to my mother.

Leon's Urn with Military Guard

daughter Chris, mother, son Vernon, me, nephew Dan & his wife Paula, niece Toni

Here’s the last photo I took of Leon, on his birthday December 5, 2007. After that his health was so poor that he didn’t want any more photos taken of him. He will ALWAYS be in our deepest heart!

Leon's 83rd birthday, 15 months before his passing

Back in Cuenca, the Easter holidays brought much celebration. There have been concerts in all the cathedrals, art shows and dancing in the streets.

Art show in the park

Friend Natalie & me at crafts faire

Cuenca Ensemble and 25 voice chorus performed Mozart's Requiem in the city's oldest cathedral

People in the US and in Panama are always asking me about the food here…..so here are some of my favorite restaurants and their food!

Akelarre Bistro

Akelarre Courtyard

Villa Rosa

Villa Rosa Interior

Corvel in Paute

Mediterraneo

Patio at Vino y Olivo

El Rey del Mariscos

And food…..you wanna see the food in Cuenca? Well here is some.

Salad and Salmon

Trout with Seafood Sauce

Mexican Food

Filet Mignon with Mushroom and Wine Sauce

Chicken Dish (notice the popcorn....this is common here)

And still more seafood...

So, as you can see….we don’t starve here!

My very best friend in High Springs, FL is Judi Kearney…..she gave me the MOST fantastic 60th birthday 6 years ago and this April 26th was her 60th. I decided it was an event I just couldn’t miss, but since I had assured her I was unable to attend (since I had just been there in February/March). Our friend Joan Ashley kept the secret and I flew to Miami, rented a car and drove up for Judi’s party. She almost fell over when I walked up to the fire circle where our women friends were celebrating with her, especially since I emailed her from Joan’s house that morning telling Judi how sorry I was I couldn’t be with her. LIAR!!! she called out to me and then threw a big hug around me.

Judi was REALLY surprised!

My wonderful circle of friends celebrate Judi's 60th

My wonderful circle of women friends celebrate Judi's 60th

The next night we bbq'd at Judi's house...here she is with Joyce

Then, I drove down to my mom’s house and spent a night with her.

Mother and me....

And finally, I ended up in Miami to fly back to Ecuador….spent time with my ex-husband, David Ripple. It was great seeing him again!

David Ripple on his 65th birthday last year

I leave for Panama and will stay in beautiful home in Boquete for 6 weeks, turning the house over to a new tenant for another year. It will be great to see my home, my friends and yes….if I can work up the courage to see the world’s most fabulous dog….Ms. Zap, I will do so. I just don’t know if I can stand again having the broken heart I get when I leave her behind. But her new parents love her and she is well cared for.

My friend Wanda Stoll has finally received word that her Residency Visa in Panama is ready to be picked up….she got in just under the wire last June when she visited. We’ll meet in Panama City and fly together to David and then drive up to Boquete…she’ll spend a week with me and then return to the US….she still has a few years to work before retirement. She is a good friend, and drove up from Miami for Leon’s funeral….

Wanda and me at Leon's funeral

I hope you all enjoy this posting, and remember…..COME ON DOWN!!

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Posted in Cuenca, Ecuador | Tags: azuay, cathedrals, colonial, Cuenca, Ecuador, expat, expatriat, expatriats, expats, festival, Food, latin america, retirement, south america

Posted by: pennyinparadise | January 18, 2009

Holidays 2008 in Cuenca

As with all Americans, my holiday season begins with Thanksgiving, moves on to Christmas and New Years. I tack one more major holiday onto these, to include my birthday in January. So below is my report of my first holiday season in Cuenca….hope you enjoy. Be sure to Comment…..I love hearing from you.

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American tradition, and in both Panama and Ecuador, the ExPat community welcomes this opportunity to share a meal together and be with friends. This year I was included in a big Pot Luck Thanksgiving dinner, complete with turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings. Here are a few friends and I at this event, held in a fruit orchard in a town called Paute, about 45 minutes outside of Cuenca.

L to R...Bill, Patricia, Christa (one of my favorite new friends), me and in back David and Alan

Me, Chela (a fabulous Ecuadorian friend) and Bill Bushnell (we call him Bush)

WOW…..what an outstanding holiday Christmas is here in the Andes…..Cuenca celebrates Christmas in a big way. The Christmas Eve Children’s Parade is televised throughout the entire country and I got to see it in person!! Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are a few thousand words in picture form.

Children are dressed in costume….angels, gauchos, wise men, spanish grandees, bullfighters, etc.

Tiny Chica

Tiniest Nino

nino2

Some of these have been in the family for generations

Notice all the umbrellas…..no, it’s not raining. In the rain these are called ParaJuvias and when used to protect from the Ecuadorian sun here on the Equator they are called ParaSols. The word “Para” means “for”, and the word “Juvia” means “rain” and “Sol” means “sun”….so they are “for the rain” or “for the sun”.

Some costumes have been in the family for years

These umbrellas are for the sun here on the Ecuator

They ride for hours in this parade

And these little ones are so patient!!

Balcony dwelers have the best view (can you pick out the gringos?)

Balcony dwellers have the best view (can you pick out the gringos?)

Floats of all kinds…..this would be the Egyptian contingent below….

float2

balcony2

The real “eye candy” comes in the form of giant blankets on the horses….candy, cookies, fruits, peppers and every imaginable type of food decorates the horses….this is a tribute to the abundance of Ecuador.

horseback21

Even the little bitty kids get their vehicles decorated

kiddykarts

horseback

You gotta love the one below….if you don’t have the money to buy all the stuff…you can just open up your kitchen cabinet, take out the jello, canned peaches, Coke, etc. and decorate a shopping cart.

cart

And, if you’re a dog….just hang a couple of your chew toys on your little coat, get your hat and boots and join the parade….

dog

Cuenca’s mounted police were in evidence during the holidays….to maneuver around the crowds.

horse-police I went to the parade with my Spanish teacher….a young Ecuadorian woman who lived in San Diego for 2 years. Her name is FABIOLA TOLEDO! Say it yourself and let it roll off your tongue…Fabiola Toledo!!!

Fabiola with one of her MANY admirers!

Christmas Day, a small group shared a cozy dinner….our hostess, Mary Ann isn’t in the photo

L to R...Patricia (Seattle), Mark and dog Happy (Montreal), Greg (Vermont), Marie Claire (France), me and David (Tallahassee)

Topping off our holiday celebration was New Year’s Eve at my house…..a tradition here in Latin America is to create an effijy to burn at midnight.

Last year, in Panama, I showed you my neighbor’s effijy of Osama Bin Laden sitting on the hood of his car and explained the Latin custom of burning in effijy a life-sized doll representing a person you’d like to get rid of.

new-years

This year, the group here decided to burn, well…..at the risk of offending my NeoCon friends….guess who we chose?????

Here he is in my place before midnight.....can you guess now who it is?

We watch on…..hoping for a better New Year.

burningbush11

The finale to the holiday season was my birthday….January 20th….they threw a BIG party on my birthday in Washington, D. C…….but I was here in Cuenca, where my friends Mary Ann and Marie Claire threw me a little birthday party…..Feliz Cumplianos means Happy Birthday (the banner above our heads).

Do I look 66????? I sure don't feel it!!

Love and Blessings, and hope you enjoy this post!

Penny

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Posted in Cuenca, Ecuador | Tags: azuay, Christmas, Cuenca, Ecuador, expat, expatriat, expatriats, expats, festival, folklorio, latin america, Parade, paradise, retirement, south america

Posted by: pennyinparadise | December 2, 2008

Back to the USA in 2008

I arrived back in the USA on November 4, 2008 at 6:30 pm……election day! It was immediately obvious that the country was in a festive spirit which was capped later that night with a huge party in a park in downtown Chicago. Barack Obama and John McCain showed exactly where their hearts lie by the election night parties they planned well in advance of the election results. John McCain’s party was held at the exclusive Biltmore in Phoenix, with a guest list of the country’s most influencial Repubs. Barack Obama’s party was held outside, downtown in the middle of Chicago with everyday folks in attendance as he made himself available to the people of the US…ordinary citizens like me. That said it all for me!!!

I returned to the US to visit my family; my dad back in the hospital, my mom taking care of him and my son and his family where we watched the first night launch of the Space Shuttle since the tragic Challenger which exploded shortly after takeoff. My son works at Cape Canaveral and lives nearby, and we viewed the launch from just across a lake on the edge of the Cape. Here are photos of the Shuttle lift off and first few minutes

Space Shuttle just after liftoff, 11/07/08

Up, up and away!!!

From this point on, the Shuttle became a rapidly diminishing light in the sky…..amazing to see so close up.

The shuttle is going straight up, but the earth is rotating, so it looks as if the shuttle is curving

Of course, I also went back to my home town of High Springs, north of Gainesville, in North Central Florida (GO GATORS!!). My friend Judi Kearney gave a big Obama Victory Party at her horsefarm, where I got to see all my old buddies…..here we are dancing to the music of John and Raven Smith’s band, Quartermoon!

L to R: Me, Sharon, Linda and Joan (Judi was taking the photo)

Quartermoon Band (John on left, Raven in the middle, Mike on the right)

Judi’s husband Mike (collector of antique cars) wasn’t at the party because he was driving this roadster in the drag races that night.

Mike Kearney on the way to the drag race in his roadster!

The next morning, Judi fixed breakfast for the girls, and we watched the video I created of my new condo and new city, Cuenca, Ecuador…..these smiling faces make me miss High Springs from time to time….

L to R: Valerie, Pat, Sharon & Joan. Judi in the background with one of her dogs

Mike & Judi live on the beautiful Santa Fe River…..here’s an afternoon shot of the river from their backyard. Just as the sun was going down, and the water was as smooth as glass…the reflection on the water looks real.

Crystal clear reflection in the waters of the Santa Fe River

I left the US with sadness in my heart at leaving my friends and family…..but eager to return to beautiful Cuenca and my life there. The exciting news was…..my new residency visa had been approved and was waiting for me upon my return. I now begin the 9 months each year for 2 years, required residency within Ecuador.

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Posted in Cuenca, Ecuador | Tags: Cape Canaveral, Cuenca, Ecuador, Florida, High Springs, retirement, Santa Fe River, Space Shuttle, The Villages

Posted by: pennyinparadise | November 28, 2008

Natural Disasters of 2008

WOW…..seems like I turned my back to go to Ecuador and Boquete exploded in Natural Disasters. First there was the the 6.2 earthquake just off the coast of the border of Panama and Costa Rica. Read the Reuters News Report on this. Here’s where it hit (map courtesy of USGS).

The black line just left of the epicenter is the border between Costa Rica and Panama

David is Panama’s third largest city and is just 23 kilometers from this border. Boquete is 20 miles up in the mountains above David….so this was REALLY close. That blanket of clouds you see over Panama brought the next natural disaster just a few days later….

A 48 hour downpour of monumental proportions came down right in the area of Boquete where I live. It is said to be the worst flood in 40 years in this area. I haven’t seen my house, but neighbors report it looks okay. My tenant is not in town, so I’m hoping for the best when she returns. I may need to fly back to Boquete to check on it soon. Here are some photos courtesy of www.boqueteweather.com and other sources that are posted on the internet.

River behind the place across the street from my house

Normally, at this time of year (dry season) this river above is hardly a trickle. Below is an aerial view showing how the river split into two parts.

Aerial view of the river

Many roads washed out, like this one

This hotel is brand new and is now ruined....water above first floor

Those who have visited in the last 2 years will recall this new hotel (above) took 2 years to build and was just opened in May of 2008. There was a front lawn, then the road, and then a big parcel of undeveloped land before the banks of the river. The waves crested over the bottom floor….the entire building has been ruined. (see last photo below of clean up of this road).

This road into town completely washed away

Our brand new bridge was totally covered destroyed

Some of you have visited and remember the old bridge…..some visited while the bridge was closed for new construction….some have enjoyed the brand new bridge that opened in early 2008. Well, here it is (or not) completely being destroyed by the force of the flood (above). Below is the bridge after the water went down.

Once the water receeded it left the bridge collapsed

Tragedy upon tragedy…..then, when they immediately began to clear things with big yellow machines, one of them working on the bridge above had it’s own problems (see 2 photos below)

Machine clearing bridge rubble tipped over

Luckily it had a friend nearby who helped bring it back standing

Palo Alto Restaurant down the road from my house

View of nearby land that became river

The trout farm in nearby Bambito was totally ruined. All the trout were killed. An annoucement was made that they were giving away free fish and both people and animals came from all around to take their fill. Now the trout farm will have to begin anew.

People taking trout from the farm

Trout didn't survive the floods

You may recall that I owned one last piece of property on the other side of the Volcano, in Bambito. It was on the river!!! The good news is that I sold this to the neighbor on September 1, ask I left Panama to come to Ecuador. I don’t know the status of that property, but below is the road leading to it.

Road leading to the property I just sold that was on the river

Unfortunately, many animals were left homeless like this little dog below…..but some horses, dogs and pigs who were tied up did not escape and were drowned in the floods. As true Boquetenos, the ExPats have pitched in with food, clothing, furnishings, etc. in relief for humans. And Fundacion de los Animales de Boquete has begun a fundraising to collect money for food for those unfortunate animals who are now homeless. That’s the best thing about Boquete…..the immediate response of the ExPat community to help their new country.

Our animal friends are also affected by the flood

The US Military was called in to assist in disaster relief…….they came with helicopters and medical personnel from a ship in the east Pacific. It’s this kind of military action that makes us proud to be Americans.

US military help with bringing dehydrated baby to the hospital

Although most things in Latin America move slowly, the post flood cleanup and repairs began immediately and are progressing quickly. This is the same road (below) to my house as shown above as repairs began.

The post flood road repair work started immediately

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Posted in Panama | Tags: Boquete, chiriqui, disaster, Flood, floodwaters, Panama, rains

Posted by: pennyinparadise | November 13, 2008

Penny’s Jewelry Work

In 2006 I began to take courses in beading jewelry, and am having a wonderful time doing it. I’ve developed a unique process for my jewelry customers. When a couple has been together for many years, men often have a challenge finding something to buy for special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, etc. So….a man can come to me and give me a budget (or not) and contract with me to create an original piece for his woman. Then, the woman comes to my studio and goes through the many, many focal beads and other elements. She will tell me the colors, length, etc. that she likes and then she goes away….I then create and make the piece which usually is a necklace and earrings. The man then comes to pick it up and pays for it, and when he presents his woman with her gift, she is sure to love it because she was part of the process, but it is still a surprise because she didn’t know how it would be put together.

I have donated many pieces to chartiy auctions in Boquete, and am pleased to see how excited people are in bidding for my one of a kind pieces. Below are some of my creations….

My exhibit at the Boquete Art Expo

My booth was busy all the time, and I worked on pieces right in front of the visitors

The beautiful Lola bead in the center is hand blown glass

Torquoise features a Reprosa of a real orchid in silver lost wax process

PreColumbian frog bell and tubes with fuschia crystals and art glass

String of Hearts...sterling silver and fused glass

Hopi overlay silver eagle with red and blue torquoise

Eyeglass holder of sterling silver and multi colored crystals

Handblown glass face with multi colored stones and silver dangles

Black freshwater pearls with sterling silver points

Hand carved Tagua nut frog with pearls and fused glass

Carved bone strung with chocolate tiger eyes

PreColumbian figure and tubes with black lava rock

Sterling silver cat strung on oval and round torquoise

Black fused glass with silver and glass beads

Fresh water pearls set in sterling silver with glass beads and pearls

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Posted in Ecuador, Panama | Tags: beads, jewelry, Panama, retirement

Posted by: pennyinparadise | November 13, 2008

People, Places & Things in Ecuador

Here’s a look at people who have visited, places I’ve been to and things that don’t fit in any other place on the blog.

Mosiac fountain in central plaza in Chordeleg

Cathedral in Chordeleg

Donkeys in residence on the beach in Olon

Downtown Montonitas (beach town on the Pacific)

Rental beach house in Olon

Mary Ann and me lunching on the beach in Olon

Salinas Harbor on the Pacific

Roasted Guinea Pig anyone?????

Pick your Pig!

Museum in Cuenca

Artesan Market in Cuenca

Waiting At The Gate

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Posted in Ecuador | Tags: Ecuador, retirement

Posted by: pennyinparadise | November 11, 2008

Plants & Animals

In Panama, I live in the rainforest community of Boquete…..where 950 species of birds (more than US, Canada and Europe combined) live. Abundant tropical plants prevail including heliconia of all types, birds of paradise and of course, the hundreds of orchid types.

In Ecuador, I live in the dry foothills of the Andes…..not as many birds or plants, but still a beautiful place.

Below are the plants and animals (and insects) I have encountered…..

Huge Moth on my BBQ grill cover in Boquete

Strange bug also on my BBQ grill cover....I

My neighbors in Boquete move their cows from up the road to grazing across the river

My neighbors in Boquete move their cows from up the road to graze across the river

We had a dog show in Boquete, where my sweet little girl dog Zap made her debut

This is the dog who won the Halloween costume contest at the dog show

These Panamanian young men had trained their dog to jump over them all

Howler Monkeys live free in the trees at La Playita in the Azuaro of Panama

Free flying Macaws live at LaPlayita too

This Emu lives at LaPlayita too

Baby Howler Monkies are often left as orphans when their moms are electrocuted on electric wires that run through the jungles. My friends in Boquete's Paradise Gardens rescue them and release them into a new tribe.

Boquete is located in the Chiriqui Province in Panama, which is known as the Texas of Panama. Rodeos and calf roping are common

Paso Fino (dancing) horses are the breed common in Panama...they are beautiful to watch

Sloths have the lowest metabolism of any animal....there are 2 toed and 3 toed sloths..we came across this one on the road in Panama

Back to the subject of the world

Here's Zap when she first came to live with me

Here is Zap when she very first arrived to live with me

Little Zap sleeping like a baby with her toys

Zap grows big, but still loves her toys

Zap's friend Rocky...they LOVE to play and kiss alot

Zap and her friend Rocky play and kiss

She's a big girl now

Now for some photos of my beautiful orchids in my garden in Panama

This is really a Lady Slipper that grows all over my garden in Panama

These aren't animals or plants, but shells that I picked up on the beach in Panama on the Pacific

These aren't plants or animals, of course, but are shells from the Pacific in Panama

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Posted in Ecuador, Panama | Tags: beach, birds, Ecuador, monkeys, orchids, Panama, retirement, sloths

Posted by: pennyinparadise | November 11, 2008

People, Places & Things in Panama

Here’s a look at people who have visited, places I’ve been to and things that don’t fit in any other place on the blog.

My son Paul was the first one to visit me in Boquete....here at the Bistro

More time with my son Paul

Paul at a place overlooking the valley of Boquete

An auction in the gardens of the Panamonte Inn for a local charity

Don & Nancy Huff and me in Bocas del Toro

Fixing breakfast during a visit to Portobelo

Luncheon with friends Georgiann, Olga, Helen, me and Kitzie

Canadian friend Annette Preston bought a house at the beach for us to play in

Airport runway on Contadora Island ends at the ocean

People always ask me "What do you do down there in the 3rd world?" .....here's one answer

The Shah of Iran was exiled to this house on Contadora....poor him!

One day I heard a noise in the road outside my house...here's what I saw!

Waterfront buildings in Bocas del Toro

Allison & Scott Fratcher (she's a 500 ton ship's captain and he's her engineer) tell what they did last summer on www.earthrace.com.

Allison & Scott Fratcher (she's a 500 ton ships captain, he's her engineer) with Don & Terry Murray and me at dinner in PC. To see what Allison & Scott did on their vacation, go to www.earthrace.com. You'll be amazed!

Back to that question..."What do you do down there in the 3rd world"? Girl's party at a friend's house.

Back to that question..."What do you do down there in the 3rd world?"...a girl's party at a friend's with a surprise guest!!

Girl's party at friend Elizabeth's birthday on her coffee plantation.

Girl's party at friend Elizabeth's birthday at her coffee plantation

Parade girls

Cousin Joy visited and went on the Tree Trek

Cousin Joy & daughter Tracy - Boquete

Mariellen, Dana and Pamela at Boquete

Boquete's Renaissance Fair

This warhorse had a colt the day before the Fair

Elizabeth's costume for the Fair matched my bedroom perfectly

Elizabeth's costume for the Fair matched my bedspread

Boquete Community Choir

Christmas at the orphanage in Boquete

Latin tradition is to create a dummy of a "bad" person and burn them at midnight on New Year's Eve...my neighbor made one of Osama Bin Laden

Latin tradition is to create a dummy of a"bad" person and burn them at midnight. My neighbor made this one of Osama Bin Laden

Welcome to Playa Blanca on the Pacific

Lunch spot in Bocas del Toro

Pat Behnke from High Springs came to visit....and of course, she went on the Tree Trek

My friend Wanda Stoll (we worked together at Eastern Airlines in the 70’s) came to visit and applied for her Residency Visa while she was here….good thing because 2 months later they changed the laws and now residency is more difficult to obtain.

Wanda at one of our rivers

Wanda and me at a waterfall near my house

And, of course, Wanda went Tree Trekking too....

This is what Tree Trekking looks like from afar

LaPlayita is a great place on the Azuaro Peninsula on the Pacific

Pedro, our boat captain, catches fish for dinner in the waters off Contadora Island

A residential street with unusual mode of transportation

A residential street in Boquete with unusual mode of transportation

Some beaches aren't for swimming...Cocodillo means Crocodile

Some beaches aren't meant for swimming...Coiba Island in the Pacific

The lunch bunch at Playa Blanca

This big, burly Panamanian policeman was buying flowers for his sweetie!

Me fishing at the trout farm (where it

Did you ever see a tropical desert? Near Chitre in the Azuaro

A float in the parade at the Pollera Festival in Las Tablas

Even the bathrooms are beautiful in the Azuaro

Friends Bob & Dana played at their own wedding in the park in downtown Boquete

Friends in my kitchen creating their favorite Thai recipe

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Posted in Panama | Tags: Boquete, Panama, retirement

Posted by: pennyinparadise | November 11, 2008

Casa Ripple in Cuenca

In September of 2008 I expanded my living adventure in Latin America by purchasing a condo in Cuenca, Ecuador. My plan is to spend part of the year in Boquete, Panama and part of the year in Cuenca, Ecuador. Their rainy seasons are opposite, so I can have great weather all year around. In order to get my permanent residency visa in Ecuador, they require I spend 9 months out of 12 in the country, for the first 2 years. During those months, I rent out my Boquete house. I brought nothing but my clothing from Panama (except for one painting by my favorite Panamanian artist, Cynthia Freiburghaus, so it has been fun finding furniture, fixtures and art in this beautiful South American country. Here are some photos to tempt you into coming to see it yourself.

This is my building...2 condos per floor, 5 floors

Walking in you see a wall of glass overlooking the city

There's a greenhouse roof over the living room to let the sun's warmth in

The greenhouse roof in the living room lets in the sun

The view of the city is outstanding, with the foothills of the Andes beyond

Behind the painting is the Social Bath

This big mirror reflects the view of the city onto the opposite wall

Front Door

Social Bath

This whimsical painting was done by a big strong Inca man

These are the MOST comfortable dining chairs...the terrace door opens wide

They don't look it, but these are the MOST comfortable dining chairs

The glass doors pock to open the terrace to the dining room

This painting is the only thing I brought from Panama, other than clothes

This kitchen is one thing that sold me on the condo...

The other side of the kitchen

Guest room with twin beds, and Panamanian molas on the wall

Guest room with Queen bed

Hall to bedrooms

The hall has a place for an office, so I didn't have to use one of the bedrooms for the computer

The hall has a place for an office, so I didn't have to use a bedroom for my computer

My bedroom

My bedroom has an alcove for my dressing table

My bathroom is small, but functional

I have ALOT of closets in my bedroom...this hall leads to my bath

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Posted in Cuenca, Ecuador | Tags: condo, condominium, Cuenca, Ecuador, residence, retirement

Posted by: pennyinparadise | November 10, 2008

Casa Ripple in Boquete

In November of 2005 I moved into my house in Boquete. My house isn’t in a gated community or gringo development….it is in a Panamanian neighborhood in the beautiful Palo Alto section, which we call “the back of the bowl”, meaning the far edge of the valley in which Boquete is situated.

The house was very charming, but of course, I had to “do my thing” and renovate it…..mostly the kitchen, laundry room, outdoor living spaces and of course, new floors. It was a 2.5 year labor of love, and I am grateful to all those who helped get it done…..here are some photos of the project, followed by photos of the finished product.

First priority....change these floors!

New floors going in the Living Room

The living room really needed a fireplace

So...we put one in

The finished living room, complete with fireplace

The other side of the living room

In Panama, outdoor living is wonderful…..the original patio was small and not used much….sooooo, work began to make it bigger…

The patio begins to grow

Living next to a volcano means BIG boulders need to be removed

The old septic needed to go....poor Gary!

As the patio grows, the roof must grow too

And grows.....

Then the patio roof needed drywall

And more drywall....

And, of course, there must be a hot tub……

Trench for pipes to heater and pumps

The trench goes around the corner

Zap watches the hot tub case getting built

And then covered with stones

Ready for use.....por fin!

Back to the patio renovation……

Mario chinking out patio wall for new plaster

New patio looks great

More patio

Patio dining area

And even more patio

So…..back to the inside….anyone who knows me knows that a new kitchen is almost always called for….here’s how it looked to begin with

Unpacking fun!!

This window needed to be a door….out to the new, improved patio

The window came out, and french doors went in...oh yeah, the cabinets and sink went away too

Let's replace that other kitchen window too

Now the window is a door

So....here it is now!

The other side of the kitchen was pretty sparce

So...there wasn't much to remove on that end

So...there wasn't much to remove on that side

But that doorway was a waste of space....so we blocked it up

Then, the block was sealed

The refrig was relocated to the space where the door was blocked up

The old refrig was here....

Of course all new tile was needed

Where old refrig used to be, and a new pantry

So....new kitchen overview

These dry rock walls are amazing…..these guys are real specialists and it’s all manual labor

The wall begins

Making little ones out of big ones

And then it was finished

Now, the house is as good as I can get it…..here are some other photos

Front of house

Dining Room

My office

My Bedroom

Other end of My Bedroom

Hand carved door to Social Bath

Did you want a closer look at those masks in the dining room….these are the devil dancer masks made of paper mache by a VERY talented Panamanian guy…

My gardens are beautiful….there’s a little stream running on the side of the property that I can hear babbling

Left side back yard

Center back yard

Right side back yard

Beside my bedroomGarden near front of property

Peeking over the rock wall

View of Volcan Baru from my terrace

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Posted in Boquete, Panama | Tags: Boquete, chiriqui, Panama, paradise, retirement

Penny In Paradise

Hello 2009

Holidays 2008 in Cuenca

Back to the USA in 2008

Natural Disasters of 2008

Penny’s Jewelry Work

People, Places & Things in Ecuador

Plants & Animals

People, Places & Things in Panama

Casa Ripple in Cuenca

Casa Ripple in Boquete

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