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"Just Another Bocas Moment!" (photo by Melody Burt ©2005) |
March 2005 Issue - Vol. 2 Issue I |
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Carnival Time in Bocas del Toro!
By Pauline Persaud Carnival is an annual 5-day religious celebration and is observed all over the world and Bocas started celebrating it 75 years ago. It has to do with the coming of Christianity and getting rid of the devil. The devil represents sin in the old days and is killed at the end of the celebration. Carnival ends the day before Ash Wednesday, representing a fresh start with no more sin.
Boys are selected as children and trained to be devils. They make their own costumes, which evolve through stages of color, based on age, starting with all red, then red and black and finally all black, ending in their 30’s. At this point the men start all over again by choosing a new group of boys.
Carnival starts on Friday evening and continues until Tuesday night with two blocks of Third Street near the main park closed off for this event. It’s an exciting time for everyone in Panama. Many people come to Bocas from other areas of Panama, as this seems to be the hot spot to boogie down and tourists join in the celebrations too!
Streets come alive from early morning and into the wee hours. All the vendors are busy preparing their food and drink. A lot of jewelry and crafts are sold, some made by the local people and some made by out-of-towners. Food and drinks are quite cheap, such as rice and beans, beef and chicken shish kabobs, hot dogs and fried fish, beer and fresh fruit juice.
Non-stop music blares from different booths that line the street. You can’t help dancing to the beat of the different rhythms including Reggae, Rap, Spanish and many other types of Caribbean sounds.
There was also a local group that paraded slowly up and down the street beating the Bongo drums, also know as Tabla by the East Indians, followed by a large group of men and women in costume dancing to the beat along side the Carnival queens. The streets vibrated with people’s energy.
The Carnival queens are chosen by their communities. Selection is based on personality and good standing within the community, along with an expressed desire to be queen. There were three Carnival queens, one for Bocas, one for Bastimentos and one for Carenero. The entire celebration was televised on the local station.
I was surprised to notice that even though a large number of children were on the streets, they were well behaved, dancing and enjoying themselves, causing no problems for their parents. What was quite interesting was that around 10 PM (normally 9 p.m.), the police cruisers passed by flashing their lights signaling curfew for all children 16 years and under. Shortly thereafter, all children disappeared from the streets.
During the heat of the day, a water truck was near by to hose you down if you got too hot and the kids had a great time running in and out of the hoses. Police patrolled up and down the street keeping a constant watch over the celebration. Some businesses closed for at least 2 days for this event and everyone was out on the street having a great time. Local clubs and restaurants that stayed open also had music and dancing during the day and late into the night.
To summarize this event, in my opinion, the streets were jammed with people having the time of their lives with no violence and it was absolutely marvelous and I had a great time!
EDITOR'S MESSAGE
As most people know by now, I'm the new Editor-Owner of The Bocas Breeze monthly newspaper. It's been a lengthy transition with several roadblocks along the way, but, despite all odds, here it is! I’m grateful for your patience! You will notice some changes in this issue, and there will be more thanks to your constructive input.
Thank you to all of you who supported and believed in me during this process, even when I didn’t. I could not have done this alone! Thank you to Phyllis McMillan, who birthed this paper, and who believed I was capable enough to raise it. I hope to continue her good efforts and also to take the Bocas Breeze to the next level.
My goal for this paper is to foster the spirit of community by sharing valuable information to locals and tourists alike. I welcome contributions of articles, photos and any information that encourages and promotes positive attitudes in the community. Constructive ideas are always welcome so please join in and let’s go the distance!
Melody Burt
Editor
NEW BUSINESSES
Hideaway Café – located on South Street past the ferry and Popa Lumber. Hours 8a.m.-9p.m. daily. Phone: 757-9623
La Rumba Hotel and Bar & Grill – Located at the Y – ask any taxi driver. For reservations call – 757-9961
Scuba Snacks – located at the Starfleet Dive shop on 2nd Street. Breakfast, Lunch and take-out. Hours are 11a.m.-4p.m.
Midnight Tacos $1 – located at Barco Hundido on 1st Street. Hours are 11p.m. until close.
Cap’N Don’s Rentals – located on North Street 7 lots past the Cocomo – ask any taxi driver. Hours: 9a.m.-6p.m. Tues-Sun. Phone: 597-0797.
Red Frog Surf Shop – on Main (3rd) Street next to American Caribbean Food-To-Go
Liki-Tiki Bar & Restaurant – Now re-opened under new management! Located at the beginning of La Cabaña Beach – ask a taxi driver. Hours: Noon-9p.m. Fri-Tues. Phone: 578-1653.
BUSINESS MOVES
Super Gourmet Grocery and Deli – located at the south end of Main (3rd) Street next to Hotel Bahia. Hours 9a.m.-7p.m. Mon-Sat. Phone: 757-9357
Bocas Breeze Newspaper – located in the Beyond Bocas Real Estate office on Main (3rd) Street. Hours: 1-5 p.m. Mon-Sat or by appointment. Phone: 683-1369.
Bocas Del Toro – Baby, You’ve Got It!
by Randy Sparks
Bocas del Toro, or “Miami South” as our water taxi “pilot” from Almirante calls it. I’m with 20 people jet-boating into the darkness toward a glow on the horizon from the city lights of Bocas del Toro. Wow! What a beautiful, and exciting way to be introduced to the “island life,” I say to myself. Bocas is along the water like Miami, in the same time zone as Miami, and warm breezes and waters from the Caribbean keep the island warm and green like Miami. However, I know that the hurricane season is not a threat here like it is in Miami. Just then, we zoom out of the darkness around yet another island coast to the bright lights of the city and I can see that there are no high-rise hotels.
My first impression of Bocas is a cross between a Wild West frontier town bustling with activity and a mystical Panamanian jungle town of the interior. Only 12 or 13 blocks long, you will find a bank with an ATM, bars, restaurants, hotels and a myriad of practically every eco-tourism opportunity available to mankind! Real estate is for sale on every corner and truckloads of building supplies are unloaded from the ferry on a daily basis. Yep, the boom is on in Bocas!
There are very few street signs. Architecture is Island Antillean with colorful paint so prevalent in affluent Caribbean island towns. Shopping is limited mostly to necessities, a few niceties, the typical tourist jetsam, and supplies for building, boating or beaching. It’s certainly quaint, but maybe this is how Miami got started.
There are hundreds of anchorages in the protected waters of the archipelago for day sails or secluded places to enjoy the flora and fauna and other natural wonders. You can rent boats or jet skis to see the local waters or hire a boat to see any one of the many outer islands.
Surfing in Bocas is what real wave riders come to appreciate. It is not unusual to see surfers with a film crew headed out on a water taxi to one of the great surf spots for the day’s ride.
At a local dive shop I learned the nearby coral reefs are outstanding; as diverse as anywhere in the world. The quality of the tropical water is rated as one of the top two places in Central America where divers and snorkelers can expect to see every color and shape of coral imaginable in the warm clear waters. Visitors will see an abundance of squid, lobster, giant rays, and colorful tropical fish.
Jungles on Bocas and adjoining islands are just as inviting. Flocks of chatty, noisy green parrots swoop in every direction and green and gold macaws watch you from the canopy. Looking up you might see the slow-moving three-toed sloth in any type of tree, or a family of white-faced or howler monkeys that never stop moving like a 5-year-old boy. Life flourishes everywhere with myriads of vermilions, orchids, ferns, lichens and mosses. Under every footstep, if you look closely, you’ll see a constant battle for survival. The jungle is so alive it appears to vibrate.
Yes, Bocas del Toro is booming all right, not yet Miami South for all the right reasons. With healthy good intentions and a population anxious to help visitors enjoy its fruits, it might become a Miami South someday, but hopefully that would be a few lifetimes away.
Randy Sparks, Vessel Delphinus 1-28-05 Visiting Bocas del Toro while cruising the world. rsparks1@netzero.com
Creative Cooking in Bocas
by Christin Roberts The coconut, or “pipas” as the locals know it, mature all year long and are used for different things at various stages of maturity. When long and green it has the most milk and when it’s brown and weathered the meat has the best flavor and the milk is the creamiest.
To husk a coconut, chop it hard against a rock, or the way the locals do it, hold the coconut with one hand and a machete in the other and hack at it. (Please don’t try this at home!) When cracked, tear the husk away. Puncture the indentations with an ice pick and drain the milk. The secret is to place the coconut in the oven at 225 degrees for 20 minutes and then let it cool. Crack the shell with a hammer and the meat will come out easily. Grate the coconut meat; add boiled water and any leftover coconut milk. Let it cool, skim off the cream and refrigerate. This cream can be added to drinks, curries, ice cream, cereal, etc. 4 cups boiled rice plus a little oil for frying
1 ½ cups diced (chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, etc.)½ cup celery, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh coconut, grated
½ cup tomatoes, diced small
¼ cup onions, diced small
¼ cup green pepper, diced small
soy sauce to taste
2 tsp. cilantro, chopped fine
lemon slices for garnish
Brown the boiled rice in oil, stir constantly, add rest of ingredients and stir for another 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and lemon slices. Serves 4
It is also true what the old calypso song says, “To relieve a belly-ache, put a lime in the coconut and drink it all up.” It actually works (sometimes.)
"The journey home is never a direct route; it is, infact, always circuitous, and somewhere along the way, we discover that the journey is more significant than the destination, and that the people we meet along the way will be the traveling companions of our memories forever."
- Nelson DeMille, Author
"Ho, ho, ho! Who, who, who?"
"For all good boys and girls?"
"New Year's Best-Dressed!"
"Babes in Bocas - An Abundant New Year"
"Phy and JB in Limbo"
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"Newspaper Heiresses - Hello Melody, Good-by Phyl!"
"Liki-Tiki under new managment"
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"Carnival Devi's at Play"
©2005 Melody Burt
"Have you been naughty or nice?"
©2005 Melody Burt
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"Pachamama/Starfish X-mas Open House"
"Another Bocas Moment"
©2005 Melody Burt
"Happy Birthday Trina!"
"Happy Birthday Earl!"
"Larry's getting high!"
...
... Christmas 2004 Project
By Dorreene Reynolds Christmas 2004 marked the 10th year gringos have joined with Bocotoreños to make Christmas Day a bit happier for a number of elderly residents by providing them with a hot meal and groceries. The foreigners who began this Bocas Christmas tradition a decade ago have moved on to new places, but their largesse has been picked up by other gringos who now make these islands their home.
Each year a local church provides a list of elderly people, most of who live alone and without family members nearby to assist them. The number of recipients has varied from 15 to 35 throughout the years. Some years the number is lower because of deaths and moves to the state-funded old folk’s home; other years the list grows when advancing age and financial problems push people to the brink of poverty.
Concerned individuals in the community step forward to organize this annual project. First, money and food donations are collected. A menu is planned that includes meat, salad, rice and beans and dessert and volunteers prepare the meal on Christmas Day. We’ve always been fortunate to get a Bocatoreña to fix the coconut milk rice and beans because we gringas don’t have the technique down to make the flavorful dish like the locals do.
Christmas morning just before noon, the cooks bring their contributions to a central point and we pack the meals in take-out boxes. Along with each meal goes a bag of groceries that contain staples such as rice, beans, sugar, coffee, milk, oil, pasta, tuna and Spam.
For years Ruben Navarro has delivered the food in his taxi. Since he is a native Bocatoreño, he knows just about everyone in town and where they live. This year, however, Ruben’s car wasn’t working so we packed all the goodies into my car and he acted as navigator and handed out the food. Some of the folks who had received meals on previous years were waiting anxiously in their doorways. Faces lit up with big smiles as Ruben approached their houses, called out “Feliz Navidad” and handed them a large bag of groceries. “I love this job,” Ruben said, “because everyone is happy to see me!”
This Christmas extra food was prepared and taken to the “asilo” or Old Folks Home on North St. near MOP. Due to a bureaucratic foul up since the new government took over in September, the asilo has not been receiving the usual funds to maintain operations. For the past several months the asilo has been relying on private donations to continue providing food to the 23 old folks who live there. Hopefully this situation will soon be rectified.
A hearty thanks to all of those who helped contribute to a happier Christmas for the elderly! Moving forward, the national government of Panama is going through a transition, which filters and applies to us also at a provincial level. It has been a challenge for all of us since the start of this new administration and we are making the adjustments internally to be able to better serve the community. There have been hundreds of complaints, a large percentage has been related to land disputes and having proper documentation and permits. This, without a doubt, calls for careful review by the appropriate authorities. I compliment the residents of Bocas Del Toro, foreign and national for showing interest and having the patience of a community that wants a way of life that benefits everyone and the place we live in. I will continue to work diligently towards this. Although there are many things to do on the list, Bocas del Toro will prevail and has a bright future ahead. ***
Annual Bocas Community Fund-Raising Dinner It’s that time again for our community’s Annual Charity Dinner! Each year we try to find the best ways to serve the community. Last year was a record because we raised almost $4000.00! This is how those funds we were able to continue our program of helping the community:
$342.70 - The first recipient (Eugenio Pablo, a Bluff school student) of our “Beca” scholarship was enrolled in high school, including fees, uniform, and PE “gear”, books and a bike
$73.00 - Bluff summer school
$313.50 - Bluff school repair
$600.00 - water tank and plumbing for Cayo Aqua school
$25.00 - city clean-up (garbage bags)
$137.17 - first grade reading project
$300.00 - uniforms for public high school (several students, whose families had only enough money to pay registration, were told not to return to school if they couldn’t also provide the uniform)
$136.15 - Xmas dinners for the elderly
This past year we decided to concentrate our interest on Education. We feel the High School “Beca” scholarship is a most important incentive and if you feel that your school may have a student that would qualify, please advise the committee so that we can consider your applicant for next year. Certain criteria must be met, along with a good scholastic record and school recommendation. The “Beca” would continue throughout the student's 6 years of high school education, subject to maintaining a 3.0 GPA.
While scholarships are part of our plan we also help in other ways, including Internet connection for the high school, book supplies, plumbing, water and anything that will benefit or improve schools. Those receiving aid are doing so because new property owners brought the issues to our attention. We would like to see aid given to more schools, so we welcome your involvement.
On behalf of the committee chairpersons: Dorreene Reynolds, Pat Hermanson, Sumayyah McCarren, Jan Williams and Malcolm Henderson, we thank you again for your support to a cause we consider to be most worthwhile.
And now…IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN SO BRING YOUR “$” TO THE ANNUAL CHARITY DINNER – MARCH 10, 6:00 PM AT THE LIKI TIKI RESTAURANT and join us in a truly fun evening! See you there!
Hors de oeuvres, dinner, silent auction, auction and raffles, followed by dancing. Tickets on sale at: Liki tiki, Buena Vista Realty, Dorreene Reynolds
The First Annual Bocas del Toro Christmas Boat Parade
By Allene Blaker The First Annual Bocas del Toro Christmas Boat Parade was held the evening of December 28, 2004, three days after Christmas. While some wondered why the event wasn't held beforehand, nine-year-old Frieda Luna Kraemer was happy it came when it did.
"This way, when Christmas is all over, you still have some more Christmas to look forward to," she said. Of course! That also explains why some people leave their decorations up until June.
Frieda not only watched the whole parade, she was in it. She and several other children were guests of Courtney and Rosemary Parks whose 54-foot sailboat Kuma Lani ended up winning the trophy for the Yacht division. According to Rosemary, Frieda did a lot of the decorating herself and otherwise supervised the helpers. They used thousands of lights - about 1500 feet of strands - to outline the rails, masts and ropes, then donned Santa hats for the ride along the waterfront.
Cap'n Don and some friends decorated his small fiberglass pontoon boat but almost missed the parade altogether. Not wanting to leave any of his helpers behind he invited them all along for the ride. With fifteen people aboard, they left his dock and water immediately started pouring in over the bow. Everyone scrambled to the rear and Cap'n Don in his Santa suit was able to get them all safely to the next dock where half the crew happily disembarked.
Sandy Morgan-Carter, visiting from Oregon but considering permanent residency in Bocas, was one of Cap'n Don's guests. "We weren't ever in any danger," she said, "We were in shallow water the whole time and we were laughing too hard to worry." What Sandy liked best about the parade was the enthusiasm not only of the participants but of the community who came out to support the event. People filled docks, restaurant decks, balconies and even roofs along the waterfront. "Children were waving and laughing and clapping and it was just a fun of festive feeling ... of Christmas!" Sandy said. Her personal favorites were the ferry with its children’s band and the paddlewheel boat with its brilliant lights.
Lily Kirton couldn't get enough of Gabrioly from Bastimentos, who was also dressed as Santa and danced to loud music as his boat glided along. "He just danced and danced and danced," she laughed, mimicking his side-to-side rocking and waving of hands in the air.
Taxi 25 decorated the roof of their large water taxi with a large wooden display of a sea turtle driving a sleigh pulled by dolphins. The National Police entered their patrol boat, decorating it with palm fronds and strands of Christmas lights that until that afternoon had brightened up the front of the jail.They ended up winning the Panga boat division.
The winner of the Launcha category was J & J Transparante Tours. The organizer of the parade was impressed with the number of boats entered, the donated prizes by so many town merchants, the full cooperation of the officials and community support.
Apparently, the parade was such a complete success there will be a Second Annual Bocas Christmas Boat Parade next December. Whether it will be held before or after Christmas remains to be seen.
Frieda, for one, hopes it's after. ...
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Backgammon Club Starting Soon!!!
Contact Ford at 641-9988 for more information.
Marriages:
Juan Pablo and Kellie tied the knot on January 7, 2005
Shirley and Phillip said their vows on February 19, 2005
Congratulations!!!
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