Taking a Break

OK, I'm back after taking three weeks off. I didn't do anything special, just lay around relaxing. I hope yall missed me.

New Arrival

Congratulations to Wael and Laura, our friends and recent immigrants from San Francisco, who live in El Valle de Anton, on the birth of their daughter, Salma. Salma was born on July 20th in Hospital Nacional, weighing in at 7 pounds 4 ounces. Mother and daughter are doing fine. They reported being very pleased with the quality of care and personal attention they received at Hospital Nacional.

Flan Recipe

It's been a while since I printed a recipe, and this one is really good, so for all you flan fans, here is a world-class flan recipe. Thanks to Jocelyn Smith, my daughter-in-law and mother to beautiful 18 month old Ana Sofia.

2 cans evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand or similar)
5 eggs
8 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons sugar

Put all ingredients except sugar in a blender and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until completely blended. Heat sugar over a low flame until it liquefies and turns brown. Pour liquid sugar into the bottom of the flan mold. Jocelyn uses an 8 1/2 in square by 2 1/2 in deep Pyrex dish for a mold. Place the mold into a larger pan with a couple of inches clearance on each side and fill the larger pan about 2/3 full with water. A throw-away aluminum turkey pan works great. Pour blended ingredients into the flan mold and bake at 350~375 F for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a table knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool, then put flan into the refrigerator for a few hours. After it is firmly set, gently run a knife around the edges to loosen the sides and empty the mold into a serving plate. Flan will keep several days in the refrigerator. Cover or wrap it to prevent absorbing flavors from other food.

W A R N I N G ! - This stuff is sinfully delicious and loaded with calories.. Nora made a batch today, and fortunately for me, gave most of it to Henry IV to take home.

New Yahoo Group

I spend a lot of time on the Yahoo Panama groups. Some provide a lot of good information, some are mostly social gatherings and some are slime pits. I find myself spending a lot less time on the social sites and none at all on the less agreeable ones, but I have noticed a tendency among many new members to question whether it is still possible to live inexpensively in Panama. I assume this comes from the plethora of websites selling expensive apartments and the incredible increase in prices of beachfront property in the last few years, but there is a growing perception that Panama retirement is only for the well-heeled. That perception is dead wrong, and so I was happy to see the new group 'lowbudgetpanama' form and take right off. If you want some good info about living in Panama on a modest retirement, this group is for you.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lowbudgetpanama/

Cerro Jefe

One of the perks of being married to a RE agent is seeing some of the most beautiful country in Panama from a perspective that many people never enjoy. I go with Nora frequently when she is visiting clients and taking pictures for the web site. One of her recent trips took us to Cerro Azul and Cerro Jefe.

Since our first trip to Cerro Azul more than 25 years ago, we have been many times and I never tire of the beauty of the area, but in all those years we had never been beyond Melo's Altos de Cerro Azul development. This time we kept going, past the ANAM office of the Chagres National Park.

Our first stop was a beautiful 18 hectare tract of land accessible only by 4X4 or walking, but the view at the top was worth the trip. The owner has prepared a level area at the highest point and from that vantage, the ocean is visible with miles of green between.

Next, we visited a nice home on the main road with a little more than 4 hectares of land. Last, we crossed the road and entered a beautiful 6.5 hectare finca with producing fruit trees and lots of space to walk and explore. There is a rustic house, but electricity is connected and there is well water. This one too is 4X4 access, because the road is steep and grass covered, which creates a rather slippery surface when wet. All these places are over 2500 feet altitude, which makes for a nice cool climate.

You can see all these places and more on our web site, and even if you aren't interested in buying in Panama, I suggest you look them over just to enjoy the beauty.

Service and Assistance for Retirees Who Want to Live in Panama