“Hello, Kathleen. I am a longtime reader of your newsletters, even since before we ventured out on our 34-foot sailboat nine years ago!
“Former Coloradans, my husband and I bought a small boat and learned to sail in the Pacific Northwest. Never in our wildest imaginings did we think we would be visiting some of the places I used to read about in your letters. Now after visiting Guatemala, staying a summer in Nicaragua, visiting Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, and now Panama, all by boat (other than Peru), I am pleased to say that living this life is even more enjoyable than reading about it.
“We visited all these countries by the ‘back door’ and experienced them a bit differently than the folks who fly in. We have no car and have done all our overland journeying by bus.
“You are doing a great job describing Panama, such a beautiful and, for some, not-so-beautiful country, depending on how one experiences it. We love the city, as there is so much to see. We at one time thought of staying here long term, but family and friends are calling us back north. We will be heading back to Mexico (where the food is much more enjoyable!) this fall. Proximity to the States for part-time visiting will be more to our liking, for a while.
“Then we may be interested in coming back to Panama, maybe in a care-taking position, sans the boat. Who knows?”
— Diane B., Panama (for now)
