Big and I Mean Big News and Some Baseball

My Wife Pointing Out Our Future Second Home

Well I can finally disclose some fairly important news about our future home. This is the first in several huge news reveals that my wife, amongst others, has expressly forbidden me from revealing until we are on firmer ground. She’s superstitious to a fault and felt divulging information on this blog could lead to obstacles. Yesterday we finally completed the whole reason we came to Panama for a second time this year and accomplished what was needed so I could share the news (something I’ve been chomping at the bit to do).

Brisas Las Lajas

Yesterday we signed a sales agreement for a beachfront condominium that will shortly be under construction on my favorite beach in the world – Las Lajas! We had been planning on building a house up in the mountains but there were a series of roadblocks thrown up by the local banks, mostly based on bad behavior by other foreigners. I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason and I think these delays were thrown up so we could arrive at the point that this project would fall into our laps.

Signing

We were enjoying our usual fantastic time at Las Lajas back in February when I noticed the billboard announcing the project – called “Brisas Playa Las Lajas” (Las Lajas Beach Breezes). I remarked at the time that it would be so cool to have one of those but we were still planning on building the house. My wife was working on the house after I left and kept running into the roadblocks I mentioned above. On a semi-lark she stopped by the offices of the project and was enthralled.

Overhead View of Plan

When she called me to discuss it, something just clicked in my mind and I’ve been excited about it ever since. This makes so much sense. Las Lajas is my favorite place in Panama and with the improvements to the Inter-American Highway will be only 45 minutes from my wife’s family in David. It also solves the problem of security during the months we won’t be in Panama since the place comes with security. I won’t have to arrange pool cleaning or the other various and sundry tasks of home ownership.

As you can see from the attached pictures we’ll have a pool between the building and the beach. Our apartment is on the third floor on the far left as you look from the beach. It’s a two bedroom place so we’ll assume as many of our friends and family as possible will come to visit and enjoy the majesty that is Las Lajas Beach. Construction starts in June and should be finished in late 2016.

Yesterday was signing day to realize this dream and you’ll forgive me if I feel a little giddy with setting this all in motion. In my twilight years (I’m told they are imminent) I’ll be falling to sleep with the sound of surf breaking, at least during New England winters.

The Condo Plan

View from Rear

The issue then is what to do with the piece of Panamanian mountain land we own. I should have played the lottery yesterday because a buyer showed up through one of my wife’s family’s many connections. We had a late afternoon meeting at a downtown David hotel with a “fixer” who put the deal together with a young guy who wants to build in the area. We’re getting almost twice what we paid for the place a few years ago. We have to get a power of attorney done today so my wife’s brother can complete the sale for us since we’re heading back north tomorrow. We’ll park the money down here and use it to furnish the condo when it’s done and buy a car. It would be a gross understatement that yesterday was a good day.

At The Game with Laughing Cousin

We topped the day off by going to see my first ever professional Panamanian baseball game. Panamanians love baseball even more than Americans and the game was a true event. I always feel a little out of place in a crowd of Panamanians because I’m usually so much bigger and am obviously seriously gringo. After a few innings it was obvious to all I was also a huge baseball fan and that seemed to grant me absolution for the gringoness.

Great Game

We were joined by the cousin of legendary laugh and her husband who kept buying beer until we had a truly impressive stack. There was so much atmosphere and everybody was totally into the game on the field – something American crowds don’t do as well. There was a band playing for most of the game trying to rally the locals and the crowd noise was relentless all night long. The level of play was very good; I’d place it between AA and AAA in talent level.

The police on site were all garbed in starched jungle fatigues, the same uniform I wore in the same place oh so many years ago. There was the usual collection of Panamanian beauty assembled as well which Panama has always had much more than their fair share of. There was a constant parade of pulchritude walking by in what seemed to be the uniform of the day which was a low cut blouse accompanied by push up brassieres even in the startlingly young.

Late in the Game and The Crowd Stayed

The game itself was a taut affair for seven innings, a scoreless pitcher’s duel. In the fourth the visiting team took exception to an umpire’s call and one of the coaches actually attacked the umpire, punching him before the aforementioned jungle fatigues arrived to escort him from the premises. The local teams’ pitching melted down in the late innings but 90 percent of the crowd stayed and cheered lustily to the last pitch. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a baseball game as much as I did last night’s.