ruthkennedy2020

A Panamanian house. Almost DIY

Sometimes it is better to buy a ‘fixer upper’ than trying to build from scratch. This lovely little gem was a new build that has been sitting empty for the last 10 years. It came with a good size lot. The location is also perfect, it is on the edge of town but only aContinue reading “A Panamanian house. Almost DIY”

DIY: Making a Mandala

There might actually be something artistic in me! Making the mandala was fun and not difficult, as long as you followed the pattern. The instructor suggested I take the beginner lesson first as I had no idea of the process involved. I did (me and a nine year old with his mom). Basically we wereContinue reading “DIY: Making a Mandala”

DIY outside seats

Once I realised how satisfing it was to take a raw piece of wood and change it into something useful, I was hooked. Daryl and I went back to the same lumber yard looking for wood for another project. I had this visual image of making stools to use outside, preferably under a big shadeContinue reading “DIY outside seats”

DIY woodworking

A while back I needed a project. We are in a country with lots of beautiful wood. I needed something small and easy to make as I had zero tools. Daryl and I stopped by a lumber yard to see what was available. The workers were more than helpful and we were given two endContinue reading “DIY woodworking”

Venao has both hiking and surfing

As a change from all beach days, we decided to do a small jungle hike. Eco Venao Lodge has a short hike we have done a couple of times. Thankfully for the most part there are shade trees. Not long after crossing this stream we came across several howler monkeys. Pictures sure don’t do justice.Continue reading “Venao has both hiking and surfing”

Sand, Sun and Waves

Family visits are a great time to showcase local beaches. There are so many choices and each with different highlights. Cheryl, Adam, Hannah and Davis recently visited. They made it to Pedasi at 3AM, after two long travel days. Our first beach was Playa Playita. Always a favorite for me as it has the mostContinue reading “Sand, Sun and Waves”

Ox Cart Parade

Each year Pedasi holds an ox cart parade. I did not have much luck finding out the history of this parade. Except that the carts are pulled by bulls and celebrates folklore history, and the different agriculture of surrounding villages. The different parades follow a similar route, a big square that encompasses the town centerContinue reading “Ox Cart Parade”

The Parade of a Thousand Polleras.

What a parade! We watched for 4 hours and there was still more. Las Tablas is the capital of Los Santos province in Panama with the city and surrounding area having a population of about 30,000. Every year Las Tablas hosts a parade celebrating the traditional dress (polleras) of Panamaians. This year the parade hadContinue reading “The Parade of a Thousand Polleras.”

Alaya Panama, so much more than a restaurant

Daryl and I went for lunch at a restaurant in Cañas called A Taste of Alaya. It is so much more than an amazing restaurant. Its website describes it as “Panama’s first luxury glamping resort and retreat centre”. It is perched on the top of a mountain. After entering the coded gate, we parked partContinue reading “Alaya Panama, so much more than a restaurant”

Building a mud house

Pedasi hosted a special event: Junta de Embarra. An embarra is the building of a mud structure. The story goes, years ago a community would get together and build a mud house for newlyweds. It was constructed of clay and straw that was made into mud and plastered against a frame. This was a standardContinue reading “Building a mud house”