Having spent three weeks in very tranquilo areas driving back towards Panama City is rude awakening! Starting as far out as Rio Hato the traffic gets heavier, the noise and pollution increases, and the commercializations sprout and spread like a cancer. I saw a highrise - must be next to a beach - that must have had at least 50 floors (similar to the Prudential Tower in Boston). Nothing else reached above the tree line, just this insanity. I can't understand people who like to live in a people coop - Especially, in a place that has such a beautiful landscape and flora! I'd think, I might as well stay in the USA in some highrise condo... But, I guess, different people, different tastes...
I took Rt 4, which turns north-easterly direction about 40 km outside of Panama City, crosses the Canal on another majestic bridge, with excellent views - for the passengers, not the driver! Too heavy a traffic - and then circumvents Panama City. Although traffic is heavy, it is by far not as bad as on the Corredor Sur, which goes straight through the heart of the highrises in the new town center.
Once I leave the Auto Pista, I'm stuck in the typical surface road city traffic; but I don't have far to go unti I reach the turn towards Cerro Azul. Driving up that road I' wondering if I made a mistake to book there! Despite getting up high, it is densely populated city! About 1/2 way to my destination the buildings stop, and there's forest with a few pastures in between. I pass through two villages, which have an awesome tranquilo, peaceful vibe.
My last accommodation is way up on the mountain, amidst the cell towers I had seen already from 50 km away. There is an awesome view of the city at the last intersection, where the common driveway of several properties is meeting the road.
The hosts are a Ukrainian couple, who bought a former country McMansion, which had been abandoned for a while. They are trying to fix the place up, renovate it, and do some organic farming on the property.
Kateryn showed me around: she has a flock of ducks, some chickens, too, even quails! In the green house the tomato plants are big, and so are the cucumbers - after only 2 months they already have some sizable fruits on them! Things grow very easily here: it is a rain forest, so there is plenty of humidity. The Sun passes straight overhead, so there's plenty of direct sunlight as well, even though it is in the forest. She also has some fruit trees planted: avocado, plantain, banana... even maracuja.
They have been working on this for quite a while, I think. But, it is still a huge project! The bungalow that I'm staying in is very nicely done. Basically one big room - about 6 by 7 m - with a small section split off for a bathroom. The bathroom is not like the typical bathrooms here (whatever tiles were available, whatever toilet was available, whatever vanity...), but very tastefully selected tiles, and furniture.
The rest of the property is still a mess! There is a swimming pool, on which Kateryn has started working already - cleaning the walls enclosing the area and the pump house from the moss that developed over the years. But she has still far to go before she can even start working on the pool itself. But, once it is done, it'll be awesome! Similar goes for the landscaping of the rest of the property...
What do I learn from this:
2008 North Jefferson is a small project compared to this one! So, if I were to get something like this it would take a lot of time, and a lot of bought help, to get it enjoyable. I am wondering, though, while you are adding more and more "finished" parts, these parts need to be maintained even while trying to work on the remaining parts. Scary!
Secondly, I notice that everything in the bungalow feels a little damp. The humidity must be close to 100%. Kyle mentioned, that the best way to deal with this is to have air circulating - IOW have fans blowing 24/7. That scares me a little, too.
In the evening I had some mangoes. I rinsed the peeler and put it to try on the counter. When I picked it up in the morning to peel another mango, there were a ton of tiny ants on it. Thus: Bug control is a very difficult issue in an environment like this... I guess, the forest should be left a forest, and not used for housing...
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