I’ve been threatening to go fishing for months now, but hadn’t gotten my act together until this weekend.

I did make it out, and I feel pretty safe in saying that this kind of fishing is like no other in the world. It’s extreme, just like everything else in Burica. But this took extreme to a different level for me.

When Casey and I arrived on Saturday morning, I asked our caretaker to setup a boat to take us out fishing. He said that the water was too muddy with all of the rain that we’ve had lately, but we were not to be deterred.

The 15′ panga with a Yamaha 15 pulled up at high tide, to the front of the cabana, with some pretty crazy waves crashing on the shore. Just getting in the boat was difficult enough as it was tossed around by the waves.

We made it in without event and headed out. The swell wasn’t big by Burica standards, but in that little boat it was pretty crazy heading up and over the waves.

We made it around the end of the peninsula, inside the island, and over towards the border of Costa Rica. Having to get a little farther out from the shore and away from the muddy rivers so that we could see with our snorkeling masks, we found some rocks jutting out of the ocean 150 yards off shore.

We pulled the boat just outside of them and the waves were even bigger at this point. The locals that were with us asked how deep we could dive and when I said I didn’t know, they died out laughing! When i asked them in return, he replied with a giant grin, “15 brasos”, which is 15 lengths of a man’s body…90 feet!

He then says, “Don’t worry, you only have to go 30 feet to get these fish.”

I’m in good enough shape, I thought, and how hard could it be. So I jump in with the snorkeling gear and my pole spear and immediately noticed the crazy current that comes at the changing of the tides. It took some effort not to get washed in the direction of the rocks, but I was able to get a feel for it after a few seconds.

Then it was time to put my mask under water and see what was below. I did, and it was so murky that I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. Remembering what the guys had said about the depth of the fish, I decided to dive down and for 20 feet I couldn’t see much. Then the cloudy water cleared and there must have been hundreds of fish around me!

The problem was that they were another 10 feet down and I was already out of breath. So I headed back up. When I resurfaced the current had washed me 30 yards from where I had started!

Then it was time for the boat to swing around and get me so I could make another pass. We did this several times and although I didn’t get a fish, I do think got the hang of it a little better each time.

The locals were another matter entirely. “Chombo” was the name of the guy who was diving down with us. He went down 5 times, got 5 shots, and came up with 4 fish! The guy just made it look too easy!

I did learn on this trip that the right time to go is January through April, when it’s not rainy season. Then you can spear lobster and fish near the shore, with better visibility.

This works out great since the swells for surf come the opposite months of the year.

Even though I didn’t shoot one, it was still a great experience and throwing the fish on the grill at night (I’m still not exactly sure what they were) while hangin’ in the Cabana’s hammocks is hard to beat.

Here’s a quick photo that we took the other day of the town taking a look at the new road that has finally made it to Bella Vista.

They are understandably elated at having a road to their town for the first time in its history. The 200 or so residents previously had to travel several miles down the beach at low tide to access the rest of the world.

Playa Burica is proud to announce Phase 2

We will be offering 10 lots for sale, each lot will be around a half acre they will be divided into 6 ocean front and 4 ocean side lots. We are working out pricing and updating the site as this is being written.

There are have some changes since Phase 1

We have added a new cabana on lot 12, this is an ocean front two-story cabana. We have learned from building our first cabana and have changed the design slightly to be more comfortable and take advantage of the long bay views of Bella vista. It is expected to completed soon.

There is large bodega on lot 13, we built space for storing things like surfboards, kayaks, and gear. This space is now included on lot 13.

Playa Burica has purchased all the materials for the internal road, the road crew is scheduled to be back soon to complete the project. If the crew doesn’t get back during rainy season they will be back during dry season.

The new road to Bella Vista still has not been completed but it is expected to be finished soon, our contacts have confirmed that funding for final bridges has been given to complete the project.

Playa Burica is also excited to announce financing for phase 2, details are forthcoming.

Keep an eye on the site to keep up with coming changes, pricing, financing, and new video.

Thanks again for your support.

We look forward meeting new community members.

Phase 1 has sold out.

After a few months on the market Phase 1 of Playa Burica is completely gone. We thank everyone for making making this offering a smashing success. We have no plans at this time to sell any more lots. We will keep everyone posted if decide to do a phase 2. Once again thanks for your support.

I’ve done a lot of exploring lately – the place is wild! It’s almost untouched and undiscovered, and it’s almost hard to imagine the adventure potential I can live while I’m here.

There aren’t any tourist traps around here at all. The people who do live here are good, rural folk who run small farms, and there are some ex-patriots living in small houses, too. It’s like an escape, a tropical haven that was never really developed, but at the same time it’s safe and friendly.

Eventually it will be, of course. Who wouldn’t want to live here? The peninsula is surrounded on three sides by water, with Panama on one side and Costa Rica on the other. Someone is going to realize the potential and start to develop this place.

Ha. I’ll be waiting for them with this piece of real estate to offer up. It’s a great opportunity, and I can’t believe it’s mine. I was talking to a local who mentioned that prices for beach land are starting to go up, and he pointed out how lucky I am to get in now while real estate prices are low.

I can see that interest in the area has already begun. They’ve laid down a new road recently and they’re working on getting the road construction as far as the tip of Punta Burica. To reach the tip right now, you have to wait until low tide and drive on the beach.

The David International Airport nearby had some upgrades done recently too. Access is opening up, and this place is going to turn into an exclusive resort, I bet. I’ll be waiting. This investment is going to pay off for sure.

We’ve done some more exploring in the meantime, and it’s amazing. The fishing here is great. Some farmer was fishing by the shore the other day and I saw him pull out this huge tuna. It weighed in a 24 pounds – caught right from the shore!

The crazy part is that the fishing camps nearby charge up to $8,000 a week – and I can fish right here from the reef break if I wanted to. Free.

I’m there. Fish on.

I have to write about the first time we arrived here. The drive from the airport to our property was like something out of a movie – I thought I knew what this place would be like, but it was more than I ever imagined.

The airport (Enrique Malek airport in David) was small, but it was really nice for a Central American airport. They keep it clean and everyone’s very welcoming.

The espresso we had while we were at the airport comes the Kotowa coffee company, and it’s considered one of the finest coffees in the world. It’s amazing to think that the coffee fields are only about 30 miles from the airport. You can’t get fresher or more organic than that.

David Panama Airport

David Grocery Store

David itself is the third biggest city in Panama, and it was great to know that even though we’ll be out in a tropical area, civilization is right nearby. We stopped at a grocery store for some supplies, and the place was modern – nothing lacking here.

I don’t think I’ll be hanging much around the city, though. There’s way too much exploring to do around the property.

The drive winds through these small towns that dot the area here and there. We could see this huge volcano off in the distance. I stopped to ask someone about it and they said it was Volcan Baru, which has a height of about 12,000 feet. Amazing.

The landscape kept changing as we drove, moving from jungle to towns to ocean-side road and back to jungle. We crossed the Chiriqui Viejo river, which I’ve since found out is a whitewater rafting river with over 90 class II to V rapids over a 13-mile stretch.

I’m there.

The peninsula is split between two countries, with Panama on one side and Costa Rica on the other. There’s a duty-free zone at Paso Canoas, and I heard someone mention at the airport it’s a great place to get cheap liquor. We didn’t stop this time, but next trip, we’ll stock up for sure.

I got lost at Puerto Armuelles, which is a freakin’ maze to navigate. The streets don’t really have a pattern I could follow. But getting lost gave us a good chance to take a tour of the town.

Chiquita (yeah, the banana company) built the town for its workers and executives. The company moved out a few years ago and left the town, so the place looks a little bit down and depressed.

On the other hand, there’s a feeling that it’s going to take off again. Everyone looks happy and the place is right on the ocean. I can see how easily it’ll become a nice coastal town within a couple of years.

Once we got past Puerto, there was this big tanker checkpoint, which was cool. It’s a petrol station that you have to drive through, and there are these huge tankers from the Pacific docked about 50 yards from shore.

The tankers hook into the station’s pipelines and they send petrol through the pipes. The pipes cross the whole country to the Caribbean, where other tankers are hooked up to pick up the petrol. I’ve never seen anything like it.

We took the new road after that and headed in. It’s still under construction, and the drive takes you right onto the beach. (Beware chicken crossings.) If the tide is in and high, you can’t cross, so you have to catch the low tide to get through.

That five-mile drive down the beach was truly amazing. The ocean with its sand and rocks and waves was on one side and the palm trees, locals and animals were on the other. Suzie kept taking pictures because she figured no one would believe us if we told them about the “road”.

We had to drive right through a river, too, which was wild as hell. By the time we got through the first one, my heart was pounding like I’d been bungee jumping. It was great. There were a few more small rivers after that, and by the time I crossed the last, I had the hang of it (but I could still use some practice.)

We arrived at the end of the peninsula about two hours after we left the airport – and man, that’s when the real fun began.

This afternoon, I felt completely at peace. I love my job and the city, but there’s nothing like the feeling you get here, just relaxing and lazing in a hammock strung beneath two coconut trees.

That’s what I did this afternoon – recharging my batteries before we head back home tomorrow.

Suzie put up the hammock this morning and spent a few hours reading a book while I bush-wacked around in the jungle (with my Indiana Jones hat on, of course).

After lunch I commandeered the hammock while she went for a swim and I just lay there watching the ocean and the birds. The water here is clear, blue, and warm as can be. The sun makes the ocean sparkle, too. Pretty.

I had a moment today where I stood still, just looking around. This place is nothing like the city. Everything is so wild and primitive. I couldn’t believe that this place belongs to me. It’s like living a dream. Anytime I feel like it, any time I need a getaway from the office, I can just fly down here. Amazing.

Sometimes I think about whether I could live here full time. I decided that I don’t ever want to. I like the city, we have a great apartment, and I love the fast pace. Suzie does too. I have a solid job, I’m moving up fast and there are opportunities to make it big in the corporation.

Buying this place was the best idea ever, though. Buy cheap, sell high. This place is brand new and once the area starts being developed more, people are going to want this – and they’ll pay the price for it, too.

In the meantime, I get to live the good life. Best of both worlds.

This place is amazing. I can’t believe that I’m standing here on my own piece of tropical beach.

We were having lunch on Friday at that little restaurant downstairs and Randy asked, “So what’s everyone doing this weekend?” You should’ve seen the looks on their faces when I said, “Oh, I’m heading out to Panama for the weekend.”

That’s the best part of this. Suzie and I were thinking of buying some land by the lake and building a summer cottage. It would’ve been twice the price of this place just for real estate, and then I’d have to invest in building. The contractor I spoke to said I was looking at spending an easy $200,000 for just a small two-bedroom cottage.

Here I’ve got the surf, the palm trees, the warm air and sun, and it’s a fraction of the price. I can fly down for a weekend or even a few weeks anytime I want. Amazing.

The place is wild, too. It’s like a jungle. Hey – it is a jungle. There are toucans in the trees, and one of them landed right by the breakfast table this morning. Suzie took some pictures.

There are howler monkeys too. I never thought I’d wake up to the sound of monkeys instead of that damned alarm clock. The experience is crazy good. I get a kick out of watching them play – they’re all jumping about and swinging from the branches.

Randy was saying I’ll be like the Indiana Jones of the corporate world. The joke stuck and Friday after lunch, the guys left one of the Indie hats on my desk. I brought it along to wear, and it’s actually perfect for the sun.

The cabana’s great. It’s rustic and makes me feel like this place is some tropical jungle adventure. Ah, but with the little luxuries of easy living – Suzie made some of that great coffee with the French press this morning. I’m going to buy one of those for the apartment when we get back.

We sat together with our coffee and watched the sun rise over the ocean this morning. It was nice. The waves were swishing up on the beach and we could hear the crash of bigger ones on the reefs nearby.

The surf here is amazing, too. I’m going to head out later and catch some waves. First, time for a nap.

I headed down to the end of the peninsula the other day with one of my new local buddies, Juan. When he showed up, Juan had these knee-high boots and a machete, and here I was feeling like a real gringo with my flip-flops.

“No problem,” he said, but let me tell you that it won’t be long before I get my own boots and machete.

We headed down the beach, and as I walked, I realized that I’m already becoming accustomed to the sound of monkeys and waves. It made me feel a true Panamanian.
There is an island that sits off the end of the peninsula, and Juan pointed out that it’s home to nesting turtles that come every year to lay their eggs. No one lives on the island and it’s covered in jungle.

You can walk out to the island from the mainland at low tide, and you can see most of the coast of both Panama and Costa Rica, especially the Osa Peninsula. We didn’t visit the island this time, but I want to go back to explore the place soon.

We passed Mono Feliz hotel (translation: happy monkey), which is a small place with open-air rooms. Juan mentioned it’s popular with the surfers and backpackers that have been coming here for years.

It’s a cool hotel, because they feed the monkeys bananas there every day and they draw in the animals from all over the peninsula. Suzie’s going to get a kick out of that.

The tide was high by the time we reached the tip of the peninsula, so we took an awesome trail the rest of the way. Only the locals use it, and not very many. The trail is right on the edge of the jungle but still close to the beach.

I felt pretty good about that, because Juan mentioned possible animals coming from the jungle. “What kind of animals,” I asked, and Ivon just shrugged. “Snakes,” he said, like it was nothing, and he held up his machete. (So that’s what it was for…)

The trail was pretty interesting, and we had to cross a few rivers. Alright, not rivers, exactly, but wading through the knee-deep water in flip-flops sure makes it feel like you’re crossing a river.

One river was sweet as hell, with this 50 foot waterfall pouring into it. That’s something else I want to explore next time I head out. (With better shoes. And a machete.)

There’s an American who has lived out here for a few years now, and we visited him for a while. He opened an animal sanctuary some time back, and he hopes to revitalize the area’s animal population.

He introduced me to his cat, which turned out to be an ocelot that the guy had rescued as a baby. I could go right into the cage with her, and the “cat” jumped on my shoulders right away to be petted.

She wasn’t very happy when she figured out I didn’t have a snack, and the guy said if I wasn’t interested in wrestling with her, I should think about leaving. Fair enough; sounds good.

By the time we made it back to the beach, I realized that the beach has about five different characteristic areas. Big waves to small waves, rocky beach to sand… this place really has it all and there’s something for every taste.

We made it to the border of Panama (and I use the term border loosely, because it’s more like guessing the last farm is in Panama). That’s about the point when I slipped on a rock and broke one of my damned flip-flops.

Great. An hour’s walk from the cabana through all sorts of terrain, and now I had to go back barefoot.

Ha, not so fast, buddy! Juan whipped out his machete, and before I knew it, he’d found a piece of rope, cut it, made this surgical incision into my flip-flop, tied it back together and I was good to go.

Yeah. I need a machete. Big time.

Construction is progressing nicely on the road. The next leg of the road scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2009.