Dec 2007
Natural Energy Drink
Monday, December 31, 2007
Coconut water or as we call it here in Bocas del Toro
Panama - Agua de pipa is the liquid inside young
coconuts. As the green coconut matures into the brown
coconut one eats, this liquid is partially absorbed
into the flesh.
Agua de pipa has long been a popular drink here in Panama. Coconut water is naturally fat-free and low calorie (46 calories per 8 ounces).
You can buy agua de pipa that has been freshly packaged in many places here in Panama. Outside of the tropical environs you can buy coconut water in cans or tetra paks. Coconut water is often marketed as a sports drink because of its high potassium and mineral content.
In Bocas del Toro Panama you can get coconut water in the most sustainable packaging there is – the coconut. Once you let us know you are interested we will have one of our employees get you a fresh coconut and you can watch how the indigenous people prepare a coconut for drinking and eating.
In emergency situations coconut water has been used as a liquid in intravenous therapy due to its sterility, pH, mineral, and sugar content.
Doctors here in Panama often recommend it for dehydration therapy as it is a natural form of electrolyte replacement.
Agua de pipa has long been a popular drink here in Panama. Coconut water is naturally fat-free and low calorie (46 calories per 8 ounces).
You can buy agua de pipa that has been freshly packaged in many places here in Panama. Outside of the tropical environs you can buy coconut water in cans or tetra paks. Coconut water is often marketed as a sports drink because of its high potassium and mineral content.
In Bocas del Toro Panama you can get coconut water in the most sustainable packaging there is – the coconut. Once you let us know you are interested we will have one of our employees get you a fresh coconut and you can watch how the indigenous people prepare a coconut for drinking and eating.
In emergency situations coconut water has been used as a liquid in intravenous therapy due to its sterility, pH, mineral, and sugar content.
Doctors here in Panama often recommend it for dehydration therapy as it is a natural form of electrolyte replacement.
Pineapple Country
Friday, December 21, 2007
Bocas de Toro Panama is pineapple country. There are
over 35 different varieties of pineapple. Listed below
are some of the more popular types from around the
world.
Smooth Cayenne
5 – 6 pounds, pale yellow to yellow flesh. Cylindrical in shape. High sugar and acid content. Well adapted to canning and processing. Its leaves do not have spines. This is the variety most often grown in Hawaii and is the most easily obtainable in the United States.
Hilo
Compact 2 – 3 pound plant. This is a small variation on the Smooth Cayenne. Grown mostly in Hawaii.
Red Spanish
2 – 4 pound plants. Pale yellow flesh with a pleasant aroma. It is semi square in shape. It is well adapted to shipping to distant markets.
Natal Queen
2 – 3 pound plant with a golden yellow flesh, crisp texture and a delicately mild flavor. It is best for fresh consumption and keeps well after ripening.
Kona Sugarloaf
5 – 6 pound plants with a white flesh and no woodiness in the center. It has a cylindrical shape. This plant has a high sugar content with little acid. This is an incredibly delicious fruit.
St. Michael
This is another strain of the Smooth Cayenne. It is generally grown in the Azores. It can be very sweet.
MD2
This is a variation on the Smooth Cayenne which is grown here in Panama.
Smooth Cayenne
5 – 6 pounds, pale yellow to yellow flesh. Cylindrical in shape. High sugar and acid content. Well adapted to canning and processing. Its leaves do not have spines. This is the variety most often grown in Hawaii and is the most easily obtainable in the United States.
Hilo
Compact 2 – 3 pound plant. This is a small variation on the Smooth Cayenne. Grown mostly in Hawaii.
Red Spanish
2 – 4 pound plants. Pale yellow flesh with a pleasant aroma. It is semi square in shape. It is well adapted to shipping to distant markets.
Natal Queen
2 – 3 pound plant with a golden yellow flesh, crisp texture and a delicately mild flavor. It is best for fresh consumption and keeps well after ripening.
Kona Sugarloaf
5 – 6 pound plants with a white flesh and no woodiness in the center. It has a cylindrical shape. This plant has a high sugar content with little acid. This is an incredibly delicious fruit.
St. Michael
This is another strain of the Smooth Cayenne. It is generally grown in the Azores. It can be very sweet.
MD2
This is a variation on the Smooth Cayenne which is grown here in Panama.
Talamanca Range
Monday, December 17, 2007
We are fortunate here in Bocas del Toro Panama to have
a world heritage site. The Talamanca Range – La Amistad
Reserves were initially designated as a UNESCO world
heritage site in 1983 and then extended again in 1990.
The park lies on the edge of the borders between Panama and Costa Rica. The governments of Costa Rica and Panama declared their intent to form the park in 1979. Over a period of not quite 12 years the different parts of the park were established and inscribed in the World Heritage List.
The Talamanca Range is the highest and wildest non-volcanic mountain range in Central America. This arc type mountain building was formed by a combination of marine deposition and marine volcanonism and the uplifting of the entire area to some 4000 meters above sea level. The area has gradually eroded due to heavy rainfall.
Tropical rain forests have covered most of the area since at least 25,000 years ago. There are at least eight different life zones in the park including lowland tropical rain forest, cloud forest, sub-alpine paramo forests, pure oak stands, lakes of glacial origin and high altitude bogs. Nowhere else in Central America can you find sub-alpine paramo forests, pure oak stands, lakes of glacial origin and high altitude bogs. The area also contains all five altitudinal zones found in the tropics. Species diversity is amazing. There may not be any other reserve of equivalent size in the world with so many different species, due to the convergence of the floras of North and South America and varied climatic and soil based factors. The park includes some 9,000 flowering plant, more than 4,000 non-vascular plant, 80% of the country's moss, about 900 lichen and approximately 1,000 fern species.
The park lies on the edge of the borders between Panama and Costa Rica. The governments of Costa Rica and Panama declared their intent to form the park in 1979. Over a period of not quite 12 years the different parts of the park were established and inscribed in the World Heritage List.
The Talamanca Range is the highest and wildest non-volcanic mountain range in Central America. This arc type mountain building was formed by a combination of marine deposition and marine volcanonism and the uplifting of the entire area to some 4000 meters above sea level. The area has gradually eroded due to heavy rainfall.
Tropical rain forests have covered most of the area since at least 25,000 years ago. There are at least eight different life zones in the park including lowland tropical rain forest, cloud forest, sub-alpine paramo forests, pure oak stands, lakes of glacial origin and high altitude bogs. Nowhere else in Central America can you find sub-alpine paramo forests, pure oak stands, lakes of glacial origin and high altitude bogs. The area also contains all five altitudinal zones found in the tropics. Species diversity is amazing. There may not be any other reserve of equivalent size in the world with so many different species, due to the convergence of the floras of North and South America and varied climatic and soil based factors. The park includes some 9,000 flowering plant, more than 4,000 non-vascular plant, 80% of the country's moss, about 900 lichen and approximately 1,000 fern species.
Idyllic
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
It is a perfect description of the archipelago of Bocas
del Toro Panama. Each of the beaches should be on a
post card. Once you get away from the main island of
Isla Colon, they are basically uninhabited. You
generally do not see any other people on the beaches
unless it is a big holiday weekend.
Mirriam Webster’s definition of idyllic is pleasing or picturesque in natural simplicity. Because most of the islands and peninsulas which are home to the beaches of Bocas del Toro cannot be accessed by automobiles, they have not been exploited in such a manner as to take away their natural simplicity. They are absolutely charming. When you add a picnic lunch and a few beach toys, a day spent on one of our beaches is perfect.
Each of these beaches and the islands which house them suggest a mood of peace and contentment. It is impossible to worry when you are visiting one of these locations. You forget about your responsibilities and day to day life whilst you are on one of these beaches.
You deserve a few days of simple and carefee life.
Choose Bocas del Toro Panama for your family beach vacation. You and your family can relax and enjoy the serenity that engulfs the entire archipelago.
Mirriam Webster’s definition of idyllic is pleasing or picturesque in natural simplicity. Because most of the islands and peninsulas which are home to the beaches of Bocas del Toro cannot be accessed by automobiles, they have not been exploited in such a manner as to take away their natural simplicity. They are absolutely charming. When you add a picnic lunch and a few beach toys, a day spent on one of our beaches is perfect.
Each of these beaches and the islands which house them suggest a mood of peace and contentment. It is impossible to worry when you are visiting one of these locations. You forget about your responsibilities and day to day life whilst you are on one of these beaches.
You deserve a few days of simple and carefee life.
Choose Bocas del Toro Panama for your family beach vacation. You and your family can relax and enjoy the serenity that engulfs the entire archipelago.
Questions to ask before you begin your search for a hotel
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Once you have decided upon the island that is right for
you, you need to decide which type of lodging best
suits your individual requirements. Are you looking to
find a place that is clean and doesn’t cost much? Are
you looking for a nice place that is quiet and has air
conditioning? Are you looking for a place where you are
immersed in nature? Do you want to go out to eat for
each of your meals or do you want a place that includes
some if not all of your meals? Do you want to set up
your own tours? Or do you want someone to handle it for
you? Are you a seasoned international traveler? Do you
speak Spanish?
You need to ask yourself these questions so that when you check out the various portals and other areas to gather information about the available options you know what you need, what you would like and what would be nice to have. One of the nice things about Bocas del Toro Panama is that there is something for everyone. There are places for those backpacking throughout Central America to stay and there are places fit for the pickiest of travelers. Ask questions, make sure that you are getting all the information that you need to make your decision. It is much easier to make sure you are going to be staying at the right place before you arrive in Bocas then it is to make changes after you arrive.
If you are trying to find a vacation spot that offers the best of haute couture and all its accompaniments then Bocas del Toro Panama is not the right spot for you.
You need to ask yourself these questions so that when you check out the various portals and other areas to gather information about the available options you know what you need, what you would like and what would be nice to have. One of the nice things about Bocas del Toro Panama is that there is something for everyone. There are places for those backpacking throughout Central America to stay and there are places fit for the pickiest of travelers. Ask questions, make sure that you are getting all the information that you need to make your decision. It is much easier to make sure you are going to be staying at the right place before you arrive in Bocas then it is to make changes after you arrive.
If you are trying to find a vacation spot that offers the best of haute couture and all its accompaniments then Bocas del Toro Panama is not the right spot for you.
Which island is right for me?
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
How do you choose which island is right for you? Do you
want nightlife or silence? Do you want a beach or a
view?
If you are the type of traveler who would rather get away from it all, consider basing yourself out of Isla Bastimentos. There are lodges concentrated on Bastimentos. Because of the distance from Bocas Town on Isla Colon, most of the lodges include meals as part of a package. There are several which include activities as part of the package as well. Depending upon the location you select, your transfer from Bocas Town may take as long as 45 minutes to reach your destination.
On Isla Carenero there are a variety of places to choose from. You can stay here and find a more tranquil evening than staying on Isla Colon. Carenero is about a two minute water taxi ride from Isla Colon. You can catch a water taxi all day long until about 9:00 pm each night.
Isla Colon is the main island in the archipelago. Here you will find a variety of places to stay. There are many different restaurants to choose from and several bars and nightclubs. It is the best place for people looking to party.
Cristobal and Dolphin Bay are beautiful locations with very limited access to accommodations.
If you are the type of traveler who would rather get away from it all, consider basing yourself out of Isla Bastimentos. There are lodges concentrated on Bastimentos. Because of the distance from Bocas Town on Isla Colon, most of the lodges include meals as part of a package. There are several which include activities as part of the package as well. Depending upon the location you select, your transfer from Bocas Town may take as long as 45 minutes to reach your destination.
On Isla Carenero there are a variety of places to choose from. You can stay here and find a more tranquil evening than staying on Isla Colon. Carenero is about a two minute water taxi ride from Isla Colon. You can catch a water taxi all day long until about 9:00 pm each night.
Isla Colon is the main island in the archipelago. Here you will find a variety of places to stay. There are many different restaurants to choose from and several bars and nightclubs. It is the best place for people looking to party.
Cristobal and Dolphin Bay are beautiful locations with very limited access to accommodations.
