Here is a post that I read written by a friend of mine who commented about why she lives in Boquete and is very well said.
I have lived in Chiriqui for 8 years, starting out in Volcan where I quickly realized it was not for me. I moved to Boquete and have been happy here ever since. I took a one year move to Cuenca Ecuador, but returned to Boquete to never leave again. Boquete has a very unique community with a rich, full lifestyle. Many gringos who have moved here have taken up a personal interest and created various organizations and groups to pursue those interests and share them with others. Others who move here experience that, and then create their own group interest and so on and so on and so on. The result is lots and lots of things to do, most of which improve and assist the community.
We have a thriving artist community called Boquete Artworks that have classes, groups, meetings and art shows on a continuous basis. There’s Boquete Spay & Neuter clinic which monthly performs over 100 operations on cats and dogs to keep our animals safe and healthy…in addition they have an adoption agency, foster care and other services. Buenos Vecinos de Boquete collects money and food donations and feeds over 100 needy families with basic food stores every month. Bid4Boquete is an annual charity auction with over 200 volunteers that is a 3 day event and this year raised $74,000 for local charities and schools. The Boquete Jazz & Blues Festival provides international music entertainment for several days each year and includes a Mardi Gras style parade around town, ending up at the Panamonte Hotel for a party. Daily concerts and jam sessions take place all over town….profits are given as grants to local schools to provide instruments for school orchestras. The BCP Theater and Events Center was a falling down building that was totally renovated by a large group of volunteers, all with donations of time, labor and materials. It now serves as the community center for plays (we have a professional actor/director serving as Creative Director), concerts, dances, parties and the now famous Tuesday Market and Meeting where vendors sell organic produce, prepared foods, arts and crafts, baked goods, and all manner of wonderful things. Meetings are held when speakers of interest are available. There’s a Photo Club that holds photo exhibits at our new 3 story library building and holds classes to educate and share. There is a very active Bird Watching group…..a group of women known as Knit and Knatters who make blankets, booties and smocks for indigenous babies. We have a monthly flea market at Chiriqui Storage. And many, many more….
Each of these organizations holds a variety of fundraising events during the year that bring fun activities….for example, last weekend’s big Mexican Food Cookoff by Buenos Vecinos de Boquete included competitions for best Chili, Entree, Appetizer and Dessert…YUM! And, there is golf, tennis, poker, Mexican Train, Mahjongg and lots of other games and sports to get involved with. We also have some very nice restaurants around the valley, as well as a bulk food provider, a shop called Bona Foodie that offers prepared meals in cryovac bags that are just dropped into boiling water….A meal in 7 minutes for 7 dollars is their motto. GREAT food, easy to use and affordable. We even have our own monthly news paper called El Bajareque, and www.boqueteguide.com and www.boquete.ning.com and www.news.boquete.org all serve our needs for media and interaction.
With our new 4 lane highway, soon to be completed, it will take just 20 minutes to get to David and El Rey, Conway, Arrocha, Panafoto, Furniture City, LumiCentro, MultiMax, AudioFoto, Subway and many other fine stores, including the new and huge Super 99 that is now being built. There’s a reason all these big Panama City stores located their businesses at the end of the road to Boquete instead of out west where Chiriqui Mall flounders. The reason is simply, it’s close to Boquete. Boquete….the jewel of Panama, and home of happy ExPats.
So….this is the truth, as you are looking for it. Hope it helps.
Penny Ripple
I had commented on this posting on the email list that many prefer the summer weather with swimming pools, outdoor dining and perfect mornings and nights to the often wet, cool and breezy day in Boquete. I also pointed out that David is not dirty and that the most discouraging remarks people make about David are about the center commercial downtown area and that there are many beautiful, well kept neighborhoods in David where friendly, happy and interacting Pamamanians and Expats live.
Penny had since clarified what she had posted and apologized for her negative comments about David.