We are entering windy season. I’ve only heard about windy season, which lasts from December through February, since we always visited in spring and summer. And boy, is it windy! We are pretty lucky that our house does not face the wind and we only have one window that we have to keep shut to prevent the house from blowing away.
People always talk about rainy season. Windy season is much shorter than rainy season and is also called the dry season. It is a very different climate than just a few weeks ago. Our plants need watering daily and the air is dry. Sometimes the wind is cold, at least to a Florida girl. We were wearing our jackets the other night.
We had a party a few nights ago. There were 50-60 people in the house and the yard. Once the wind picked up, it didn’t take long for people to move inside since the wind was not only strong, but pretty cold. Our tiki lights would not even stay lit. The party was great but good thing we have a fairly large living area because it got crowded quickly.
It’s also Christmas season. Not the commercial extravaganza like in the States. Most houses are not decorated at all, let alone with 50,000 lights and blow up reindeer. If they have a Christmas tree, chances are that it’s on the front patio since living rooms are so small. People buy gifts but it all seems more calm. There aren’t gigantic malls in David but they have smaller shopping areas. There are no malls, or anything remotely like a mall, in Boquete. The tree in Central Park was only put up last week. There’s no Thanksgiving here so there’s no day to “begin” shopping season.
Without all the hype, commercials, newspaper ads, etc. you could almost forget there’s a big holiday coming. This is a Catholic country so there aren’t any lighted menorahs or festivus pole controversy. It’s a family and religious holiday.
We brought only one of our Christmas trees back with us on the repositioning cruise. We used to have six trees all with different themes. I sold two at one of our garage sales. The one we have now is our “travel theme” tree. It seemed to make the most sense when we were deciding which one to bring. And we have a few lights outside. We used to decorate so much it looked like Christmas overload. This year is very simple. 
We are spending Christmas eve at a charity event to help Buenas Vecinas (Good Neighbors) who bring food to needy families. On Christmas Day we are going to a friend’s house. Some expats return to the States for Christmas but most stay here. A few, like me, have family visiting here. My daughter comes in 2 days!!
New Years Eve is only a week away. We will see what differences that celebration brings.
************************************************
************************************************
Link to The Best Places on Earth to Retire
************************************************
Link to Expat Exchange
************************************************
www.PanamaForReal.com
************************************************
We drove across Panama twice in the last few days. Since it is the week between Christmas and New Years, we saw an unusual (and really cool) sight. Around the Santiago area, there were life-sized dolls, Muñecos, dressed as sports figures, action heroes and other personalities all along the Pan American Highway. They are really well done. They are made from paper mache, painted, decorated with clothing, hair and accessories. They take weeks and weeks to complete one. 
Link to The Best Places on Earth to Retire
