"Attack of the Killer Bees" or " Muchos Bichos" (lots of bugs)

The Carousel at Albrook Mall

Well we weren't exactly attacked but it makes a great title. Finally, the exterminators arrived yesterday to take care of several problems with the "bichos" we and our neighbours were having. Africanized honey bees sometimes called "killer bees", are widely used here because of their superior honey production. We had a colony of bees take up residence under our roof and they were settled in nicely.Our neighbour,who is now looking after the property, got an exterminator to come and the bees are finally gone. They blasted the bees with smoke and then sprayed under the roof. People fear them but these bees didn't seem very aggressive. However we did avoid that area and I'm glad they have been sent on their way. Bob had a plan to dress up the monkey as a bee and get her to lead the bees away, Pied Piper style. Hm..... I think he sat in the sun too much.

Both houses also got sprayed for cucaratchas and ants and the bohio got sprayed for termites so I guess we will be relatively bug free for a while. Dealing with Los Bichos is one of the joys of tropical living. As a northerner I wasn't good at defending myself but I've become quite a bug squasher, much more able to dispatch a poor bug, bold enough to wander into my perimeter. I found a bite on Gracie and the vet confirmed that it was a tick so we have been treating that also. The vet is checking her several times to ensure it is gone. I just have to put cream on the area twice a day. It doesn't bother her but ticks can be dangerous, especially if they carry disease. An aquaintence lost her dog because a tick went undetected. You have to be really vigilant to make sure your pets stay healthy. Our Gracie

We went to the launch of PAL, Panama Animal League, which rescues unwanted dogs from the streets,spays and returns them to good health. They arrange foster care for the dogs until a permanent home can be found. There is a big need here as there is no formal program like SPCA in Panama. Three ladies founded the group and I think they are very worthy of support. You see so many unhealthy, suffering animals trying to survive on the street. The local vets have been very supportive of the efforts and give their help at spay clinics for free.

News on the house: We have a roof and in about three weeks the windows should be here from Costa Rica. There is finally a model house being finished, so we will be able to see what ours will look like inside. The first fifteen , which includes ours will not be finished until September, which doesn't surprise me as there is so much building going on here. Another apartment tower has also been started nearby. We can see a lot of progress on the Town Centre and we are told that almost all of the retail space there has been sold. There will be a pizzaria, a hair salon, a deli, a gelato outlet and a smoothie place. Also a gym, which we will need to use if we sample all the aforementioned goodies. I was very happy that a Canadian woman will own and operate the hair salon. It's hard to find good hair dressers for short hair here as the majority of Panamanian ladies wear their hair long.

In the meanwhile, we are looking into other places to rent and we went to Panama City on Monday to buy a car. Got a nice Hyundai i30 in white and will take delivery soon. After that we will go through the process to get our Panamanian drivers licence. We just read that the subway in Panama City has been started,it will be the first in Central America,and the "diablos rojos" days are numbered, as the new fleet of city buses is taking to the streets. The residents of la ciudad de Panama call the new buses "refrigerators".
A picture of the "diablos rojos" >>>>>>>

Hey folks, I bought a bunk bed for our guestroom today from a friend who is moving from a house to a condo. It's lovely and comes with all the sheets and comforters too. The bottom is a double bed and the top a single. Pretty funny, I have the guest bed, just not the guest room to put it in, Ha ha, ;)

Our neighbour Nappa having some yogourt for breakfast.