I can't call it "work".

We started helping out at the Bahia in Gorgona by accident: we met the right people (the good folks at Inside Panama) who asked us to do the right thing (show people the models at the Bahia, would you?) at the right time (now). Consumed with our own projects, and unsure at the time if we were even going to stay in Panama, we hadn't been looking for that kind of work, but after we saw the place, we were hooked.

And now, our "job", if you can call it that, is showing people how to get out of their rut back home and into a new beach life at the Bahia. Or not the Bahia. Who cares? It's fantastic place for those who want high-rise condo living with all the amenities, and we have our eye set on living there one day when our current arrangement is over.

But it's not for everyone, and that's okay. Find what is. Living abroad has enriched our lives beyond words, and we want everyone to have that experience, even if it's just for a short while.

The not-quite-triumph of Volcán Barú.

With our friends in Boquete, we got to reminiscing about our own little trip there back in March. We had been in Panama for about a month, and things were starting to get really, really busy for us with work at the Bahia and keeping up with our social activities. We figured we'd better take a trip while we were able to do so, before it got too hard to get away.

Brent was raised a mountain boy in the Rockies, and I had the Black Hills in my backyard, so as much as we love the beach, it's a great treat for us to be in the mountains. We enjoyed the cool, misty weather; I put jeans on for the first time since we landed at PTY.

We ate a lot of good food and especially are in love with a little bakery called Sugar and Spice. Their breakfast was fantastic, and we bought a loaf of raisin walnut bread to take home. The coffee was fantastic, as well, but that's pretty much to be expected in Boquete, which is serious coffee country.

Our highlight and lowlight was the same thing: Volcán Barú. We left early in the morning and saw a lot of people gathered at the trailhead. We're both fairly experienced hikers, and we work out regularly, so we found ourselves more concerned about how some of them were going to make it to the top -- and not in the least concerned about ourselves. But, we should have been.

As it turned out, those folks had no trouble getting up there, because a lot of them (and all of their luggage) were passengers in the Jeeps that passed us by. As for ourselves, Brent's knee started hurting -- an aftershock of an old injury -- and we were forced to turn back around kilometer 9.

I'm slow to admit athletic weakness, but I can't say I was all that disappointed. I mean, it would have been amazing to see the top, for bragging rights if nothing else, but that climb is no joke. I was pretty worn out, and not looking forward to the fact that we had to go back down. It's about 13 kilometers to the top, quite steep at times. I was on my toes for much of the trip, a fact my calves were still reminding me of four days later. That same steepness is even more brutal on the way down.

Even though we came up short, we had a good time, Brent's knee recovered, and we were rewarded with some beautiful views from the trail.

Bahia Thursday: Volleyball and Happy Hour

I usually go for a margarita, but when George
said his most popular drink is a pina colada,
I had to find out why.

Our long-held vision (okay, about two months) of a Happy Hour at the Bahia finally materialized last night. We combined it with our deep-rooted love of volleyball, and had a great game going until we had to interrupt it for margaritas. What can I say? Life gets rough.

George fired up his poolside grill and offered free chicken wings before making his regular menu available to order. We had a great turn-out, especially considering that this was our first Bahia Thursday and we just managed to get the word out on Tuesday. Lucky for us, it doesn't take long for mention of good cocktails and good friends to make the rounds in the beach community.

Beaching it.

If there's one thing I can't help but love, it's a good day at the beach. We live very close to the beach, but it's one of those things you still have to make an effort to enjoy. We're looking forward to the day we can walk out our back door and hop in the sand, but for now we settle for packing up some beers and snacks and driving down.

We went to Santa Clara, near where Brent's dad lives. The beach there is gorgeous -- and popular. It was a weekday afternoon and there were quite a few people there, but we were still able to secure a little hut for our usage: two hammocks, a table and chairs, and the all-important shade.

We had heard these would cost about $5, but we were charged $10 when the guy came over about an hour or so after we had settled in. We speak Spanish, but couldn't gather why we were charged extra. Maybe our original information was incorrect, or maybe it has to do with the time of day or year.

At any rate, $10 was still worth it for the shade and the simple joy of reading a book in a hammock and glancing up to see the blue Pacific.

Plus, there are bathrooms there.

Verve BOLD

If you love Verve -- Verve Bold is just the next step: a little extra caffeine kick with the same Vemma formula. Yes, your energy drink can be healthy: this is it.

Look for me in the pool.

I grew up in a landlocked state way out in the country. There was no public pool within 90 minutes in any direction, so I didn't grow up learning to swim before I could walk. I remember that I was not, and am still not, a very big fan of putting my head under the water. In fact, when I finally learned to swim as a pre-teen, I taught myself quickly out of fear of my grandmother making me take lessons where they would, of course, make me put my head under water.

Therefore, to this day, I swim an inefficient stroke with my head held high above the surface. Brent is determined to fix this.

The trouble was, I'm still no water baby. I don't really enjoy pools as much as some people seem to. I don't love being in the water.

Rather, I didn't.

Panama is plenty warm, and we try not to run the air conditioner all that much. If I'm home during the hottest parts of the day, I head straight for the pool. And I love it.

The house we're taking care of right now has a glorious pool, as does the one we're moving into tomorrow. In fact, most houses around here do, because a backyard pool is JUST THAT AWESOME.

So Brent's faith in my ability to learn to swim more efficiently with my head under water has been renewed. I am going out to practice my bubbles.

Moving day!

When we arrived in Panama at the end of January, we weren't planning to stay very long, so our hotel room-sized casita with kitchenette at Paraiso was the perfect spot. It was a bit of a drive into Coronado, but our little home was lovely and clean and there is a restaurant right there on site, as well as lots of other guests who became our friends.

Fast-forward two months, and we were ready to spread out a little bit -- and we finally got to do that yesterday when we moved into a house!

We worked out a stellar deal with the owners (wonderful people from Canada), so we have what might be the lowest rent in Coronado in exchange for doing some work on their yard. Brent is going to landscape, and I'm going to paint some murals on the pump house.

The best part? Not the pool (though that is awesome). Not the space (though that was necessary). Not the full kitchen (though...wow. Wow, it's nice to have a big fridge and a stove again). Rather, the best part is the location: right on the golf course in Coronado, and just a ripe mango's throw from Gorgona, where we are spending an increasing amount of time...