Orange Lemons, Green Oranges and Green-Yellow Lemons

Here in Panama were have orange lemons (bitter I’m told), ripe green oranges that are sweet and good, and green-yellow lemons that are sweet, and not so good. It’s a bit confusing at first. I have learned about the green oranges from picking them from trees in my back yard, and about the green-yellow lemons from a tree one street over that is in the public right-of-way.

It is all part of getting used to a new part of the world. Our days here are between 11 ½ and 12 ½ hours long and the sun always rises at 6 something and sets at 6 something. Of course we do not use “daylight” savings time as it would be redundant. We have only 2 seasons, green (wet) and dry. The green season lasts from about mid-April until around mid-December and the dry (Summer) season is the other 4 months.

Many folks here do not have the money to buy a car, so they get around in a variety of other ways: walking, bicycles, horseback, motorcycles, taxis that are inexpensive, and small, very inexpensive, buses that run at many times during the day and go almost everywhere. The main roads and city streets are quite good and secondary roads and streets vary from OK to very bad. Our electric power is U.S. standard 115/230 volts, 60 Hz (cycle) AC and seems very reliable (and radio quiet) compared to Nashville Electric Service.

Heating and air conditioning here in the mountains are provided by mother nature, free of charge. If you want even more comfort, a ceiling fan and fireplace will even everything out completely. House construction varies from shacks that provide adequate shelter in this mild climate to expensive villas build by rich locals and foreign immigrants. Most immigrants are from the United States and Europe, although people from all over the world find their way here.

This is a beautiful country with friendly people and a slower paced life style, except when these crazy locals get behind the wheel of a car or pickup. Then everything speeds up considerably. Defensive driving here often means taking the right-of-way if you are there first and (maybe) a huge bumper sticker (in Spanish) saying, “Be Careful, I Drive Like A Local!”

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