March 2014 Visit: A Nature Walk and the New Neighbors

I have had a few days staying in my own condo at Bala Beach Resort. For me, it has been perfect. If you enjoy peace and quiet, nature, a swim in a nice clean pool and a place to explore, come enjoy Bala Beach Resort.

Speaking of exploring, I went for a walk with one of the other owner-residents on the trail and along the beach to the west of the resort. One of the first posts on this blog was from a walk I took along this same route. When the tide is out, often, villagers go to this area to find seafood (octopus, squid, lobster etc.) on the extensive reefs. There are a couple of nice places to swim with a sandy beach and clear water. The reef keeps these areas calm, when the tide is out, and this walk is much easier when the tide is out (low).


A Big Surprise at Trail's End
When this trek was originally done, you came to a spot where mangroves prevent further progress and a small river empties into the bay. On the other side, dense jungle and mangroves made a beautiful site. Now, the land on the west side of this bay has been prepared for a large scale resort development. "Prepared" is a nice way of saying stripped clean of most all vegetation. Palms have been left or planted, and it looks like sand was brought in for a swimming beach.


As an owner here at the resort, I have mixed feelings about these new neighbors. It will be years before anything is actually constructed, and, while I would welcome the possible upside effect on the value of my investment here at Bala, the loss of that beautiful wild coastline is a real loss for the environment. In the meantime the natural coastline and beaches between Bala and the mega development can continue to provide many hours of enjoyment.


I hope you enjoy these pictures from the recent hike on the west trail.

The trail is visible below the restaurant just above the waterline. Look back after you have started down the path and you will see Bala Beach Resort.

It is a nice walk and easy to see where to go. You will always be on the beach or very close to it.

Beach walk looking back toward Maria Chiquita

Many interesting things to see.

Clear water. Perfect for a swim or snorkel.

When you can't go much further you are looking across a bay to the next big development.

There is a white sand beach just visible at the right side of this image. When I first saw this area it was mangroves. It was beautiful. More about our new neighbors later. This walk on the west trail is not overly difficult and it doesn't take long to get to the point where you can not easily go further. It is most easily done at low tide and very low tides make the walk even more interesting. Take your swim suit and enjoy one of the nice swimming spots along the way.  Bring a plastic bag to bring back some trash that has washed up on the beach to make it even more beautiful for the next explorer.

A New Website for Owners at Bala Beach Resort

If you have purchased your apartment at Bala Beach Resort, have a look at this new forum, managed by an owner, for owners:

www.balabeachowners.org

It is a good place to get in touch with other owners who are working on the details of ownership. A recent facility for photos has just been added. I highly recommend it as the site allows for the easy sharing of information. You must be a legitimate owner to join.

Next Visit Coming Soon

I will be visiting Bala Beach Resort for just a few days later this month (March, 2014). Look for more pictures and information on life at Bala following the site visit.

Fun Times Near Bala - Isla Mamey

Things to do near Bala Beach Resort - Isla Mamey

During my recent visit to Bala Beach Resort, I got together with a few friends and we went for a short drive to visit the island called Isla Mamey.  It is easy to find and not nearly as crowded as Isla Grande. Go on a weekday that is not a holiday and you could be sharing the whole island with a few coconuts.

From Bala Beach Resort, drive back through the village to the coastal highway and turn left toward Portobelo.  The drive is very beautiful with many nice views of the water. When you get to Portobelo, you can stop and pick up some snacks and drinks or have a meal. 

Continue on through Portobelo and at the fork, keep to the left going toward Isla Grande. You will now drive inland past some farms. Keep an eye out for some of Panama's great wildlife. 

When you get to Puerto Lindo, you will see a fuel depot. Turn left off the highway and drive to the dock. Parking is restricted, so I recommend you park in the parking lot of the small hotel near the depot. They charge a small fee to leave your car. They will call for a boat if there is no one at the dock, or ask at the restaurant just a few more meters along the shoreline to help you get a boat to Isla Mamey.

The cost when I went was less than $10 per person round trip. The boat will take you and your friends to the island and come back to pick you up at a pre-arranged time. The trip to the island takes only a short time and the water there is fairly protected and calm.

The small island has a nice beach and a sizeable area of shallow water for swimming or snorkeling. We had fun watching the beautiful tropical fish hanging around the rocks.

There is a trail going part way around the island that takes you to a rock spot with some great views of the sea and Linton Island. 

This will be one of my favorite places to share with guests when I am enjoying a stay at Bala Beach. 

Our boat showed up right on time to take us back to Puerto Lindo. If you enjoy a little tropical exploring and the beautiful tropical waters of the Caribbean, you might really enjoy a visit to Isla Mamey.

Getting Around Continued

March 2014 Update: Note: now the major toll highways all require the use of pre-paid toll cards. If you rent at PTY (Tocumen), you will need a card for Corredor Sur. If you use Corredor Norte and the Colon - Panama Autopista, you will need a different card. These cards can be bought and have money added to them at the entrance toll booths. I noticed that one booth on the Panama Colon route was still collecting cash. Save your cards for the next trip as there is a charge for the card also. Oh, and $5.00 will not get you a round trip to the airport from the city or round trip to and from Bala Beach Resort, so you might as well put $10 on each card.

I rented a car while in Panama on the last trip, but based on past experience, driving in Panama City is not recommended unless you:
1. Know the main city streets
2. Know where there is construction and traffic is diverted
3. Have really really really good insurance
4. Know the driving rules of Panama, both formal and informal, and
5. Enjoy stress, you know, the kind of stress that being sandwiched tightly between a diablo rojo and an irate taxi driver can supply.

I could go on, but if you have been there, you probably have got the idea. Driving from Bala Beach Resort to Sabanitas or even to the outskirts of Colon is not too difficult. The traffic can be congested and a little exciting in Sabanitas and at the Sabanitas/ Trasmistica intersection. You may need a little patience at this point.

In any case, try to avoid commute times with both bus and driving, if possible. Traffic lights are often dim, so you must watch for them.

As a future resident at Bala, I plan to go to Panama City as needed, but not often. If you are taking the bus to Allbrook, I recommend the Metrobus for in-city travel. It is great.

Metrobus
The key here is to get a Metropass. You can't get on and give the bus driver money. They only take pre-loaded Metrobus Cards (Tarjeta Metobus). Get a card. They are presently $2.00. Bus fare is $.25 and will eventually go to $.45. They are air conditioned and relatively comfortable.

I always spend my first night in the city and then head over to the Caribbean side. If you are staying near El Cangrejo, you can buy the Metrobus card and load it at the Rey supermarket on Via Espana. (near the original offices of Bala Beach Resort).

As more owners are enjoying their condos I hope that we can work out a cost effective way to share transportation, including airport transfers and shopping trips etc. Until then give the Metrobus a try. Here is the website.

http://www.tarjetametrobus.com/

If you have any other transportation ideas, please feel free to share them. Thanks.

Feed the Hungry Bala Beast!

During my recent visit to Bala Beach Resort, the restaurant was still not open. Without enough guests and owers, I don't see how it could survive. But if and when it does open, it will be fun to try it out. You can drive in the direction of Portobelo and find a several restaurants.

Until then what does one do? Starve? Eat the local vegetation and any other moving thing? Since the apartments come with kitchens, the logical solution is to buy food and cook.

Maria Chiquita has 3 small convenience stores that I know of. If you walk or drive out the gate and continue along the beach road to the small town plaza, there are two small stores stores. You can buy basics such as sodas, a small selection of food items, laundry detergent, candy etc there.

Continue on toward the main intersection on the highway, where the police station is located and you will find a slightly larger convenience store. These are all good, close places to pick up last minute basics.

Across the main highway, just before the police station if you are coming from Sabanitas is a place that sells rotisserie chicken. We had one and it was pretty good. Try to get one when they are just done being cooked. (Fast food - Maria Chiquita style). They charged $8, a little high for Panama, but it fed a whole carload of gringos.

I hope that in the future, the local fishermen will also become a source of fresh fish for Bala Beachers. I haven't had a chance to ask them yet, but plan to do so on my next visit.

Now for major shopping, you will want to drive or Bus your way to Sabanitas. The bus is about 45 cents each way and you have two supermarkets to choose from (forget the ice cream with the bus method). First is Supermercado REY. It is right on the corner where you turn in Sabanitas to go to Maria Chiquita.  If you enter the driveway across the street from REY, you will find Super 99, another supermarket.

Between these two, you should be able to stock up on a good variety of fruits, vegetables, meats, cereals, coffee, breads, drinks, etc.

There we have it. If you are going to Portobelo, there are some other small stores. There is no need perish of starvation, but if you are looking for the truly exotic, like salt & vinegar flavoured potato chips, you may have to search further afield.

Bon Apetite!

Is There Really Life at Bala?

Most of us like to rely on our own eyes and ears for solid evidence.

With all of the opinion going around out there regarding Bala Beach Resort, I thought I would share with you what I saw and what I heard while visiting Bala Beach Resort.

I am a purchaser. The goal of this past visit (November 13, 2013 - 25 November 2013). was to 1) determine that the resort was in useable condition with proof of owner-occupation and to finalize the purchase transaction and get my keys for my apartment.

I stayed with an owner in building one for 4 days. Their condo did not include the furnishing package. They did a very nice job of furnishing it themselves. I will discuss what it is like to stay at the resort in the next blog.

What I saw:
While there, there were two apartment owners in the process of closing staying at the resort. Both are purchasers in building two and one of them is myself. There was an owner (closed) staying in building one, full time for several months. There were owners of an apartment in building two who were staying for a shorter term and would return for a second stay later this winter. There were owners or their guests staying for the weekend in a different condo in building one. There was a third apartment in building one with owner's furniture visible where the owners had stayed on several weekends but were not there while I was there.

In short, the resort is no longer totally vacant. It was very exciting to meet other apartment owners for the first time. They were very friendly and interesting people - the kind of people I would like to hang around with.

We (the owner/purchasers of 3 different apartments) even traveled together on a day trip to a local island to swim and snorkel. I will be talking about this in a future blog.

While there, every morning except Sunday, maintenance staff would begin working to keep the buildings and grounds clean. Building 1 had been painted and re-painting on building two was underway.

the restaurant was not open, but I could see equipment that was not there on my last visit. The beach had been worked on, but was not the white sand beach as promised. I walked on the beach and it was still very nice.

Here is a picture of my new Bala friends. Faces are blacked out as a courtesy to their right to privacy. This is the really cool glass wall in the pool and it is a fantastic place to take pictures. I hope that other owners and purchasers will be able to visit the project and stay if possible for at least a few days to discover life at Bala.