Santa Fe and Los Islotes

July 2014

We have really settled into our new life here in Santa Fe and couldn't be happier with our living arrangements.  We have been able to keep our shopping trips to Santiago down to every two weeks which is great.  Peg is still making her yummy salsa and cooking delicious meals with our much limited fresh vegetable selection.  I have been trying my hand at pizza dough and even made a chicken pot pie with homemade crust.  We have had deliciously cheesy meals with all of our homemade cheese from Lucho and Janice; mozzarella, queso fresca, and a cheese she calls feta that is mixed with fresh basil.  They are fabulous people with a farm out in the country that is pretty much self-sustaining.  They even grow their own coffee.  We found a beautiful spot on the river where Calcite can swim and Zoe can sniff her way around.

Better picture of our kitchen

Dining area

Downtown Santa Fe

Beautiful river 

Calcite loves playing fetch in the river

Pristine water and no people

After being here three and half months we were both in desperate need of hair cuts.  Our land lady recommended a salon in downtown Santiago so we made the drive in, found parking and walked in with our prepared Spanish words: cut, shorter, layered etc.  We were taken in immediately, the stylists wet our hair down with a water bottle and cut away.  Peg's looks great and mine is a little shorter than I like, but a very good cut and they only charged us $5.35 each!

The drive to Santa Fe is so green

Beautiful view on the drive into Los Islotes

Zoe checking out Patricia's lot - this is what the rainy season does to the plants.

We have signed an agreement with our architect and will be making a trip into the city the first week of August to go over the first preliminary drawings.  We are very excited to get this process going.  We have been spending a lot of time working on the marketing materials for Los Islotes.  We spent two days at the property last week and two more this week putting up lot markers and making sure all of the lots are marked correctly.  We took the dogs and with the help of Karen (the project manager's wife) and Hermelinda (his assistant) we had a really great time driving around the property.  The Founder's Lodge construction is in full swing and Gary is working like crazy planting trees and putting pipes in the ground.  It is so fun watching our dream come to fruition.

Of course had to have a sold sign on our lot 

We made and posted over 70 of these signs all over Los Islotes

Welcome to the neighborhood Campbell's!

Stuff is happening on lot 131 

The Founder's Lodge is all graded!

The Los Islotes Project Manager Gary and his wife Karen live about 30 minutes from the project in a great house that overlooks the ocean.  They graciously let us stay in their guest room with our two furry canines while we are working so we don't have to drive all of the way back to Santa Fe every day.  It was fun getting to know them better and we are a lot more aware of the pitfalls of building an American style house in Panama.  For example, when all of the closets and cupboards are enclosed the lack of circulation causes a mildew and mold problem on everything including clothes and cooking utensils.  I think there will be a dehumidifier in our future.

Things grow so fast even in the potholes

US Shout Outs.... Alex and Jacob had a fabulous time in Romania sharing Jesus' love and made it home safe and sound.  Thanks to mom Leslie for the beautiful pictures taken with my birthday present!  Congratulations to Paul and Caitlin Harbison married July 26th.  Happy birthday to my niece Hadly!  As always missing our family and friends.