Yes, a little bit of Broadway was in Boquete last week and it was really a good time had by all with over 50 members between cast and support and a sold out crowd every night! The common thread heard every night was “Boquete has never had such a great production as the Broadway Revue” and was it ever great. Even some of the professional actor’s group out of the City including the director came to see what the fuss was all about.
One of the most exciting and technically challenging productions ever attempted by BCP ! The X-Team (Amelia Stroup, Susie Brymer and Lane Suarez) assembled a massive cast and team of production staff of over 50 people to bring Boquete theater lovers the BROADWAY REVUE on September 2, 3 & 4 at the BCP Theater & Events Center. The stage was not only alive with non-stop entertainment, but creative and exciting Pre-Play events at various restaurants for all three nights were also a hit .
Yes, my wife Susan Brymer was part of the “X- team” that had this crazy idea that they could put on such a production in Boquete. Susie started six months ago with the idea and for the last three months I got to see her now and then between formatting the show, casting calls, rehersals, rehersals, rehersals and finally the big opening night followed by two more nights where the show got better and better. Seven years in New York City practicing dance and two years on Broadway in the musical, Cats finally came back to Susie, who not only was the choreographer for the Revue but stood in and performed in Cell Block Tango from Chicago.
I have written about Boquete on numerous occasions and how current events in the world played into our decision to move here Panama News – March 2010 . The choice of Boquete as our home and an everyday reminder of why, is the reoccurring theme of Social Community. Some people moved here to get away from it all and live in a remote area to enjoy that life style. We wanted to move into an area where we could be embedded in a the local community, both domestic and foreign and enjoy a full social life with new friends. We found that place in the sun and each day we thank God for leading us to this wonderful country and town we live in. Another weekend of fun, a night cap at the restaurant on the river, whether it rains or the moon and stars are out, a fire was crackling in the fire place (remember we live in the mountains) and we are always just ecstatic that we can spend a lovely evening with friends. We enjoy such good company and we all comment about the better quality of life here, social life where friends regularly gather for a night out, parties, simple socials, whatever, things that on occasion we all did back home but not on such a routine basis and not at the cost of say $60 per couple for an incredible evening of enjoyment. Many of our friends back home would have to graciously take a pass as they are trying to stretch the dollar to cover necessities, and forget about the cost of doing this in a place like Miami where you would spend $60 on the bottle of Argentinean wine that we had at dinner which costs $15 down here.” Boquete is our place in the sun.
Good News for Boquete
We have discussed the infrastructure improvements coming to our area including the four laning of the road to David and the expansion of the International Airport there. We heard news of direct flights from the US for the future but for now we will be getting connector flights from Tocumen where you can arrive from Miami, Houston or Amsterdam for that matter and switch gates and fly to David. My friend Sam Taliaferro spotted the new 70 passenger jet that they will be using in December when the flights start and reported the news in his blog this past weekend…
SEPTEMBER 04, 2010
32 minute Flight from Tocumen to David to start soon
According to the Panama Tourism manager and this article in Panama America, jet service will be starting in mid December from the International airport in Panama City to David. This is most welcome news as it will reduce time and cost for folks coming to our neck of the jungle. I saw the 70 passenger jet that Air Panama has purchased for this project at the airport in Allbrook this week, just waiting for a new paint job.
This ends the first stage of enlargement Enrique Malek Airport
The new runway will be used for takeoff and landing of aircraft, while rebuilding the current one.
The new section, one thousand 800 meters long that was built for commercial flights at the Enrique Malek in David airport , Chiriqui, was delivered yesterday. This is the first stage of modernization of the airport. Modern asphalt concrete runway is in use today, was designed for takeoff and landing of aircraft, while rebuilding the current is part of the second stage of the project. Rafael Barcenas, national director of Civil Aviation, explained that the second stage will be delivered in December 2010, while the third and fourth, on November 29, 2011. The work is in charge of the company Riva Argentina Real Estate Company, Industrial, Commercial and Agricultural (SAIICFA). With this upgrade the airport will have the capacity to receive aircraft of 240 passengers, and then rises to category 7, which agree to comply with international standards. Moreover, it was an investment of 3 million dollars to have two fire trucks with capacity for 3000 gallons of foam, chemical and water, which would be used in an emergency. According Barcenas, within a few months will offer jet service from the capital city and vice versa, travel will take 32 minutes, because the intention is that they may direct flights from Colombia and the United States. Aixa Santamaría, governor of the province of Chiriqui, explained that this extension is part of the development that this province needs.
Sam also reported the news about Health Care in Central America Projects and “let the cat out of the bag” as he is doing a project here in our community of Valle Escondido. Good news Sam, this is huge!!
Developers Integrate Health Care Into Central American Projects
This story was carried in the New York Times and will probably get a lot of views and inspire other developers to look seriously at a new development model, one that will include a medical component in their project. This article points out several developers who are working on just such a plan, including ourselves.
We are mentioned in this article as we are in the process of creating a treatment center within our resort that will deal with regenerative medicine and degenerative disease. I will share more about this project at a later date, but as the cat is out of the bag, I will re-post the article here.
By KEVIN BRASS
Forget golf courses and fancy spas. The hot amenity for second-home resorts in Central America these days is a medical facility. “People are asking for it,” said Kevin Fleming, who has included a 40-bed clinic in plans for Seaside Mariana, a 923-acre, or 374-hectare, project he is building on the coast of Nicaragua. “We’ve seen a real shift in consumer response.” With second-home sales sluggish, an array of developers in the region are planning health care tie-ins, from Botox clinics to assisted living centers for retirees. “In every development we have a say in, we’re promoting the idea of including a medical facility,” said Bill Clover, president of Panorama International, a consultancy with headquarters in San Antonio, Texas. One of those projects is Playa Secreta, a resort with a marina, cruise ship dock, golf courses and more than 2,000 residential units now under development in El Salvador. Plans call for a clinic or small hospital on the grounds. “Developers are looking for an edge to attract people,” Mr. Clover said. “They are also aware of the aging buyer in the residential market.” This is new territory for developers of Central American properties. While many hotels in the region promote packages tied to health treatments and weight loss programs, only a handful include a medical facility on site. That is a contrast to countries like Thailand and India, which have well-established medical tourism industries, primarily catering to Europeans. But the United States — the key driver in the Central American market for second homes — is only now embracing the concept. With health care costs rising, 1.6 million Americans are expected to leave the United States for some form of medical treatment by 2012, up from 750,000 in 2007, according to Deloitte, which tracks the industry.
The cost of care in Central America and Mexico is at least 25 percent to 40 percent less than in the United States, says Paul H. Keckley, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. But the trend could slow if more insurance companies decide not to cover procedures performed overseas, Mr. Keckley said. And there is little solid evidence that medical services can sell vacation villas. “We haven’t been able to translate demand for health and wellness into second home demand,” said Chad Martin, global research analyst with E360, a North Carolina company that regularly surveys buyers of second homes. Still, developers in Central America are embracing the concept, eager for any way to jump-start sales. Last year a discussion about how to integrate medical tourism into developments was one of the best attended sessions of the annual Central America Tourism and Hotel Investment Exchange, said James E. Burba, president of Burba Hotel Network, the California company that produced the event for developers and investors. In the past, medical tourism did not surface as an opportunity for developers “because regular real estate was so strong,” Mr. Burba said.
In many ways, medical facilities are a natural fit for tropical resorts. Patients can convalesce in style; retirees can live inexpensively in an exotic location, without worrying about the availability of medical care. From a business standpoint, a health care facility attached to a second-home project can attract local citizens and expatriate residents, serving as a hedge against the ebbs and flows of the tourism market. A health care component can also make a project more appealing to lenders, some of whom are wary of financing vacation-home developments. Larry Foster, a consultant based in Mazatlán, Mexico, is helping developers convert projects once planned as second homes into assisted living centers. “There are a ton of condominium projects in Mexico that are half-finished that would lend themselves to retrofitting,” Mr. Foster said. Developers are also trying to innovate, targeting different niches in the medical treatment market.
Read the rest of the story here….
More News in Boquete JUST SOLD!! and For Sale.
I have been working on a finca here in Boquete with my partner Rolando Miranda who owns almost 3,000 acres of land in the area and one of his fincas adjoins the huge Las Huacas project. Rumor has it that the 700 Hectares or approximatley 1,725 acres has just sold.
Originally purchased between 2006 and 2008 (Sale #1) by Antonio Fernandez, the father of first lady Vivian Fernandez de Torrijos and better known by his stage name “Tony Fergo” along with some partners, they proceeded to build a four lane road down the middle of the property that looks like a highway in the mountains. Subsequently, Tony parcelized the property and sold off 130 hectares or roughly 320 acres for $3.75 per square meter or $o.35 cents per square foot.
My partner Rolando could not be happier as the new owners will be completing the roadwork and will probably continue parcelizing and selling large tracks. Furthermore, as his 509 hectare property lies at the end of the road, he is directly “in the path of progress” of the Las Huacas project. At $0.98 per square meter or roughly $0.09 cents per square foot, his property is a bargain! Mountains, rivers, streams, waterfalls, pine forests, cattle pastures, deer, pheasant, monkeys and more!!
El Penon
For Sale, 509 hectares or roughly 1,250 acres in Boquete for $5,000,000
OK, you have heard this before, but it is worth repeating as Boquete is a very special place in the world.
“Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high…There’s a land that I heard of, once in a lullaby. Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue. And the dreams that you dare to dream, really do come true. ” – E.Y. Harburg
There is indeed a land where rainbows often grace skies that are unencumbered by pollution, life is unhurried, and retirement dreams are fulfilled for many, in the Chiriqui highlands of Panama. Here’s the story…
Ex-pats, for those who are unfamiliar with the term, are those who leave one’s native country to live elsewhere. This unique breed may have a few motivational variations for permanently traversing beyond borders, but they tend to share a common character trait – a great sense of adventure in abandoning what is socially, culturally, and geographically familiar to pursue their dream of a healthier, happier, less hectic lifestyle. And, given the current economic state of affairs, perhaps they share the collective desire to avoid a possible catastrophe.
They seek a better quality of life married to a lower cost of living. They’re confident enough to start over in a new environment, making new friends. Ex-pats likely possess a libertarian streak, a do-it-yourself mentality that propels them to create their lives anew, whether it means transforming a piece of property into a model of green energy self-sufficiency, launching a new school for local kids, or opening a new café. And characteristically, they want to integrate into a community of similar-minded souls.
What gives a particular area the gravitational pull for ex-pats? It often starts with a warm climate and beautiful scenery surrounding a charming, affordable city or town. An abundance of fresh water sources, locally grown food and reliable hydro-electric power. Add a big welcome mat to foreigners from the local people, and a government actively enticing you to stay with such incentives as no property tax for the first 20 years, a generous program for newcomers to guarantee permanent residency, equal rights under the law, discounts for products and services across the board, plus excellent asset protection and maximum privacy from the banking institutions. Welcome to Boquete, Panama, and leave the door open. There’s more coming.
WELCOME TO MY HOME IN THE LAND OF THE RAINBOWS
Very truly yours,
Tom Brymer
In the US call 305-448-1003
In Panama call 507-6810-1074