Turning the World Green!

The rainy season is apparently officially here. However in the arc de seca where we live, the rains have been on vacation. We have maybe seen 8 good rain falls in May, and 4 or 5 in June thus far. Regardless, the humidity and the rain we have seen has turned our world green. It is absoulutely beautiful. The Acacia trees are in full bloom, the mangos are falling off the trees by the minute and we found 10 cocunuts in our drive way just sitting on the road waiting to be cracked and snacked on.




Allan and I ventured over to a lunch spot on the side of the road on Monday. To describe it would not do it justice. You are sitting under a palm leafed awning and the kitchen is in a 200 square foot building. Chicken, with rice and a drink came to $3/each. The funny thing about the whole experience is that we saw the brother or mother of our lunch running around, under our table and throughout the open air restaurant. Oh the charms of Panama. This however brings me to my topic for todays blog which is Green - Verde - Vert, getting the world to think Green.

This open aired restaurant with its basic cement structure, produced a very delicious lunch. They energy consumption is maybe a $5/tank of gas, no lights as they only open when it is daylight, and minimal electricity to keep their small refridgerator humming. I love it!! Allan and I have found ourselves living on natural light 80% of our day. While we sit at our computers, oursource of illimunation is the sun. We either work on the terrace or by the huge windows that allow more than enough light. We use the $5 gas tanks for our hot water and cooking (stove, oven and bar bq), which lasts us 3 weeks, and all of our appliances are on energy savers including our lights when they do get put on. Electricity is expensive in Panama, so our recent habits are now only saving us $$ but they are making me feel like I am finally contributing to the quest of turning the world green.

I wish it were as easy as a rainy season to turn the earth green. Here in Panama recycling is only now beginning to become an action. The awareness is there that something needs to be done. In a country where the population is only just 3 million the need to recycle and dispose of garbage in a 1st world fashion was not an urgency. It now is, as the city is becoming more populated with condos and tourists, and the bay in the city is piling up with garbage.

This also brings me to my rant on water bottles. In a country where there is plenty of fresh water and water filter systems for sale for next to nothing, why are we buying bottles of water? I will be bringing down on my next trip about 20-30 aluminum water bottles that are safe and keep your water colder when you are out and about in your day.

We are enjoying the rainy season, we are everyday loving Panama even more, so much so we want to keep in green even in the dry season.

My next blog is going to be filled with cost of living, including grocery lists and costs of everday expenses or luxuries. I am also setting the stage for my newest business venture.....Vendor Broker. Panama Connections is going to be a one stop shopping for furniture making to a free list of vendors for everything and anything you need under the Panamanian Sun.

Abrazos y tiene un gran dia!

Karyn

(photos are of our development in the dry season and the second is 2 weeks into the rainy season. You can almost see the humidity)