It seems that it's photo night tonight so we can make our final bartender internet famous.
Meet Maria from Costa Rica. No really. Come on down and meet her. She's working the night shift today and from 2 to 8 tomorrow. She's a go getter she is.
And while we're at it Sandy wanted a better photo.
And an oldie but goodie, a little remembrance for Sieg.
Ok, well that's better. The third shift hasn't even shown up yet and everybody gets to be paid today. Time for a nap in the hammock methinks. My work is done. Still some radishes in the bowl so maybe I do still have some work to do. Yum.
Updated below with better directions.
Starting on Friday the 22nd of February Bajo Boquete's newest dive will be testing the waters on its opening weekend shakedown cruise by offering two for one libations to all alcoholics and wannabe alcoholics in town. We figure we're gonna screw up somebody's margarita the first time around so the second one's on us. Come and play the odds and see if you can get two good ones in a row.
Been jonesing for a caipirinha or a martini or a tequila sunrise? We got 'em. No? We've got wine and beer too. And Pizza!
Traveling on the main road in or out of Boquete proper turn toward the volcano when you see the corner with all the old yellow school buses (across the street from the library). We're less than a hundred meters (or yards) down the road. Look for the two-storey white dollhouse on the right and park like a Panamanian.
Johnny Walker Blue or Green Label, Glenfiddich 12 Year Old, Crown Royal for you Canadians, Bombay Sapphire martinis and Flor de Cana sipping rum is going to be plenty enough to confuse bartender Sandy.
Update:
It's been brought to my attention that my directions to the bar suck eggs. For the first thing the yellow school buses on the corner that I described are for the most part- white, and of course they are no longer in service as 'school' buses. They shuttle to and fro on the Boquete – David route and have the word "Boquete" prominently displayed on the front windshield.
That the described corner also includes Boquete's library was of no help either. The 'library' (biblioteca) is just a small plain building lacking much in the way of visible signage noticeable as you drive. And to my consternation 'Cocktails' in Boquete doesn't have a real sign yet either. Airbox international mail and package services decided not to open Saturday, for reasons yet to be explained, so the fake neon 'Bar' sign is still in a box there.
"White two-storey dollhouse" seemed to be another problem. It's not really a 'dollhouse,' it's a real house with a sharp-peaked red tin roof with a rock garden in front. At night, lights follow the roofline and there are garden lights along the side of the road. Cocktails is next to the bar Recuerdos, which is the building with all the tigers painted on the front of it.
So here goes again, and my apologies for trying to be cute instead of more informative:
On the main road in or out of Boquete take the turn just south of the Hotel Fundadores. Head west (toward the volcano) across a little bridge for a hundred yards or so. Right in front of you will be a building with large colorful tigers painted on it. Cocktails is next door to it on the right, attached by a red awning. Park anywhere you can find a space.
If you know where the Union Fenosa electric company is: From there head south down the hill and around the bend for a hundred yards or so. We are the first building on the right.
The 'two for one' drink special has proven quite popular with couples, and as today (Sunday) is the last day you can take advantage of this particular madness we're going to go one step further and have a 'two-beer-and-a-pizza' special for ten bucks until six PM this evening. Si hay Panama.
Our hours are noon to midnight Tuesday through Thursday. Fridays we're open until one AM and on Saturday until three or there are no more customers. Sunday we open at noon.
We will be closed on Mondays until enough clients begin knocking on the door to change my mind.
Sorry to those that spent time trying to find the place and couldn't. I'm guessing Amigos picked up the slack smartly.
Monday morning fun employee update: We have none. After winnowing themselves down to one employee (having nothing to do with my grueling interview process which has come to consist of groveling and begging please) Sandy called this morning at 8:15 AM to tell me that she needs to go visit her girlfriend in the hospital.
I had asked her to come in last week for three (paid) days to familiarize herself with the place and get an idea of things helping me put things together before she went to visit her family for a four day weekend in Santiago. She showed up with her husband and kid on Thursday, then she went home to visit. I had chalked it up to a misunderstanding until I asked her and she gave me a sheepish look.
Me: "You have to go to the hospital to visit your girlfriend?"
She: "Yes."
Me: "What time will you be coming back?"
She: "Tomorrow."
So we won't be having the company of an official bartender today.
Ok so the back roof is done, the side roof is done and the fellas were working deep into the night to get the front awning up. It will be done by tomorrow night.
That big pile of rocks in front is to fill in the ditch in the street where the drunks sleep so we have better parking for the clients. It's 4 cubic meters, or it was. I managed to move about half of it before I was done.
Here are pics of the bar from a couple of days ago. Gary was by grouting today, thanks Gary, and I think he's done helping as he threw his back out helping get the side roof up and over the support. Ouch.
Tomorrow should see some pictures hung and tables and chairs. More shots then.
Roof stuff finally came around 2 PM today.
So what the lighter gage roof steel means is that I can do it myself. Hah. Here's a shot after three eighteen foot sections are in place.
After the first two were up there I decided another cross beam was in order, and since they hadn't delivered my screws with the panels I had to go back to Karen anyway. I must have been a sight walking up the road with a twenty foot beam over my shoulder.
While waiting for the panels I painted some more. There's still lots of painting left and I'll just fill in between jobs while I'm waiting for something.
Roberto Carlos came by to do his thing again today, and looked like he was going to make it. But something went wrong and he was back and forth to the shop twice. After the panels were delivered he said he had to make another run. I asked him if he was going to return today and he said, "What time is it? About four?" This was at two so I knew he had run out of gas.
Here's where we left it.
The following pic is some construction that had me thinking and gave me confidence to be walking around on the corrugated today.
You can see the iron beams coming straight out the front underpinning the second storey, but if you look above those you can see the same 'C' shaped beams I'm using for my roof, supporting the corrugated, which is then supporting cement block construction. Amazing.
Off to David, really, tomorrow.
Lost my temper today. Roberto Carlos came over with the bar stool covers and the corner piece for the benches (he needs a pickup for the larger sections) and said he'd be back in a bit to do the bar bumper. He never came back, but that's not what set me off.
I asked Primo to put the corner cushion in one of the bathrooms while he did the second coat of yellow on the walls. He put the cushion outside in the back. I went out there for some reason around lunchtime and saw the corner and a sharp bracket from the stainless steel sink sunk deeply into the cushion. I was positive there was a hole in it. I lost it. (Ultimately there was no hole.)
Hidalgo was there and denied involvement, and thirty seconds later Primo ran up as I stopped myself from throwing a chair. He had nothing to do with it as well. I fired them on the spot. It's finishing time and I don't have time for do-overs. It's going to be fun putting up the roof by myself, but likely faster. Which, by the bye, did not come in today. What else is new? Had it come in…..
Anyway, Roca Phil came by with the bar shelf (thanks Phil), I installed it and cut the last couple of tile pieces to fit. The other (moto) Phil came by to say that his wood guy for the window frames has moved and he doesn't know where he went.
Small changes to the bar, did some adjustments to the roof framing in the back and it's ready for panels, cleaned up some of Primo's paint problems and a few other things including finally sawing off the tops of the wooden roof posts. Cement work filling in holes from the old rotting posts. I just may be done with Phil's sawzall. Done with the crazy dangerous tile cutter. We're back to the drill and circular saw for the rest.
Tomorrow just waiting in the morning for the roof panels and then on to David for stuff.
First coat of paint is pretty much on everything as of today, and if I'm feeling frisky I may just finish it tomorrow. Corners and stuff like light switches can wait until I'm done drilling holes in the wall and we're ready for finishing.
So I figured what the hell, I'll actually read the instructions on the bag of mortar for the tile, and the first thing that stands out is that I shouldn't use this product directly over wood. Being that I'm not going to rebuild the bar out of some other material at this point I decided that I would use the product directly on the wood and just see what happens. Living on the edge baby.
I forgot to mention that the Viejo with the upholstery did come by (we will refer to him as Roberto Carlos from this point on), did take money, did buy supplies, showed me a swatch, took the bench tops and bar stool cutouts, and will be back in a day or two with the finished pieces and to put the elbow rest on the bar top.
The lines look mostly straight, no?
While at the bar for 'lunch' today Motorcycle Phil (to be abbreviated from now on as Moto-Phil as opposed to Roca-Phil) like most visitors is fascinated with Punja the ocelot. After she was done checking out the chickens she came over to the table to hang out and see what was up.
Phil took the leash and walked her around Recuerdos for a bit until she came upon Paco the dog. She freaked. Now Punja is no ordinary cat. She's strong, assertive, and though she has yet to use her claws to my knowledge, has plenty of them.
I took the leash from Phil, but basically read in her eyes, "You yank me back to the table I'll scratch your eyeballs out." Well that's what I thought I saw, and not taking any chances I put her leash around a table leg and left her until my landlady came back to deal with her. I ain't no Marlin Perkins.
So just a few minutes ago (10:30 PM) I heard some racket out the front door and found my landlady and one of her employees washing Punja under cold water, with the regular housecat looking on seemingly quite amused. Apparently Punja had gotten into something messy.
One of the things that freaked me and Phil out is that Punja has something between a purr and a roar when she talks. It's not a meow type of thing, and this afternoon she was sounding off loudly.
From my front porch tonight I heard the same growl when she was being washed off. I don't know if I was more amused at myself for being timid today, or at the housecat sitting there not three feet away watching, and imagining the internal dialog going on in his head.
Wall is rocked (yea!) Mud goes on tomorrow, paint the next day.
Benches are there except for a little bit in the corner. Got new screwdriver bits for the drill, but one is on its way out already.
Security screens will be dry enough tomorrow to reinstall and we can get to work on the outside of the windows and trim.
Big work will either be the blocks and roof support or if Gary comes by we'll have another attempt at the front beam. Got the longer bolts ready for that as well.
It's almost going smoothly this week, and if that keeps up maybe el Viejo will come by on Wednesday as planned to start on the tile for the bar. One can only hope.
Another Viejo came by today with an interest in the upholstery work. Told him to come back tomorrow and we'll talk. Lots of big black ants with red behinds wandering about today. Killed a bunch of them, but it's a never-ending battle. I've got to order up some of my favorite ant stuff Terro. Once it works it's good for about three months, good stuff, highly recommended.
This is a plant (tree?) out in front of the place. As I walked up to it today it just reminded me of that plant in Little Shop of Horrors.
*Late Update Below:
Just because I mentioned it before, here is a photo of the 'cute' washing machine. The left side does the washing and the right side does the spinning to toss off the extra water.
These are, um, air plants. At least that's what Sandi told me. She's got them artistically sitting on a couple of pieces of suspended wood. I don't get it, but she pointed out a bunch of them from the car the other day. They were just hanging out on some trees. As long as I don't have to water them they'll live I guess.
We cut out a notch in one of the roof posts today to accommodate the beam going between the buildings.
But at the end of the day the beam still rests. The buildings just aren't exactly even and I've got to reposition the holes. Oh well, Monday I'll be bien fresco.
Damn near got the benches finished and covered, but when I came back downstairs from lunch both screwdriver bits were toast. Got to buy a couple more, also on Monday.
Fernando the electrician also decided to put in an appearance today and told me I had the wrong electric boxes for lights. As my brain cleared and I looked at them again I noticed he was correct. Below are examples of right and wrong.
Here we are all changed out.
Shuffled around the blocks today to figure out where I wanted the last post but didn't get to the actual mixing mortar stage. It's Saturday dude.
Good news is that Fernando is going to play our inaugural. Better news, that I'm still waiting for, which would be he gets his band to play. I'm appealing to their sense of justice that the Boquete Jazz Festival doesn't have any Boquetenos playing jazz. Problem is that they had played Zanzibar back in November and actually got paid. We'll see what the bill is.
*Update late: I was in a rush to get this posted and my ftp program froze up transferring pictures while my dinner companions waited in the car. I just wanted to thank Gary for coming by today and humping the beam up the ladder (mmmm… more than once) and instructing Hidalgo in the finer points of not binding up a circular saw while cutting two by fours.
Tomorrow will be dark.
To say that today went to hell in a hand basket wouldn't be much of an exaggeration considering what I had planned. It was supposed to go like this: The two guys were to sheetrock the back half of the wall while I wired it, then do the front. Then cut the plywood for the benches, then get the beam up out front and call it a day or do the block-in for the middle roof support in the back, if the blocks showed up. Tomorrow would see the rest of the roof supports go up.
Come ten o' clock however, Primo hadn't showed up. I had put Hidalgo on the bricks again, having bought a wire brush attachment for the power drill. And even after having him watch me do it for ten minutes, and then another ten minutes with suggestions about how to 'get into it' by letting his mind wander while doing the rote movements, it just wasn’t going well at all. I decided to go to El Constructor a little early.
My plan was to be real calm about it, not yet having the blocks on this the third day, and soften the blow a bit by buying some stuff there first, instead of at Karen. On the way there, by chance I ran into--- Primo. Walking his girlfriend to work (which happens to be at the Century 21 office, which I found out by having a late lunch at Choko Chettas). He seemed as surprised to see me as I was to see him. He waved, I called him over to talk. He kept walking. The fucker blew. Me. Off
I continued my trek to Constructor. I got Verushka and pointed at some wire hanging from the ceiling that was exactly what I wanted: flat, white, three wires. Then I asked for 'caneleiras,' the name I actually don't know in English because I never used them before coming to Central America.
They are those white plastic molding strips that attach to the wall or baseboard that hide electrical wires. As everything is made of block or concrete down here it's a lot easier than taking a hammer and chisel to the wall. She said she'd go and make sure. About five minutes later she emerged with fifty feet of white cable with two wires, not three. I pointed again and mentioned that the cable I wanted had three wires.
She said that it wouldn't fit in the caneleira. Command decision time: two wires were just peachy, as I was only wiring up lights. OK. Then the electrical boxes for the light fixtures. As I went to pay I said I'd be back to talk about my 'problem.' Very long story short, no matter how much I said it wasn't her fault, she took it personally, was close to tears, said a couple of things I won't repeat, and pointed back over her shoulder to a woman that I should tell my sad story to.
Oh well.
So I did go tell my sad story and it turns out that neither 4 inch nor 8 inch blocks were actually residing in the depository out back. They gave me my money back.
I returned home with my wire, electric boxes and caneleiras only to find; wait for it, Primo hanging outside chatting with Hidalgo. I called them both inside and explained the facts of life. I went on for about thirty minutes and realized that it was only with great restraint that Primo wasn't rolling his eyes. He just wasn't getting the fact that I didn't appreciate his behavior. I asked him how much I owed him for (I knew it was two days) and how much I was paying him per day. I then handed him his money and told him if he really wanted to he could come back on Monday, as he had blown my plan for the day.
As the phrase goes, 'shock and awe' appeared in equal proportion on his wide-eyed gaping face. It took about a minute to sink in and he took off. I'm pretty sure he ain't coming back. After about ten minutes it was apparent that Hidalgo wasn't going to be worth anything, so I paid him for the day and told him to come back tomorrow.
He later showed up with a woman friend of his and asked if she could come and work tomorrow. Not knowing what she might possibly do but not knowing anything else to say, I said 'sure.' Tomorrow promises to be tricky.
But then the lovely Sandi showed up with her gardening implements and greenery and I at least got to tell my tale of woe as she planted and watered and cut. Finally I went inside and started drilling and attaching the fixture boxes to the wall and wiring up the joint. Then Gary came on by and introduced himself. We chatted and he offered to help but by that time it was a one-man job.
Then we went to lunch at Choko Chettas. The day was officially done.
I'll hit the drywall and the plywood tomorrow morning and then in the afternoon we have 'tentative' plans to go pick up the errant tile and laminate for the bar in David. And pick up some concrete blocks. Gary said he'd be by again on Saturday so we'll see if four of us can get at least one metal beam up. Oy.
While Pete is working away assiduously on the Cocktails bar-to-be in Boquete, straining to find this or that, constructing something or another, putting up with scorpions and ocelots and enjoying visits from another species called 'lovely Sandi,' I sit here in Canada and stew. I want to be in a warm place too. I can't remember ever having met an ocelot or a scorpion face-to-face. I've known a Sandi or two in my time, but judging from the picture Pete kindly posted of the lovely Sandi helping in the garden, I suspect that the caption should probably have been 'the lovelier Sandi.'
I understand, from Pete's writings here, that Sandi has a boyfriend named Bob, so let me say to Bob: My friend, I am a curmudgeonly old coot, but please don't take offense if I compliment your girlfriend. She is indeed lovely; it appears that she has horticultural talents, and judging by her comments and posts at http://boquete.ning.com she is smart as well. I just call 'em as I see 'em. I will be happy to share an drink with you two and to get to know you both when I am in Panama in late February.
I know that a number of other folks who hang out at http://boquete.ning.com are in the loop with this Cocktails bar project, and I hope to meet those of you who reside in the Boquete area as well.
I love Panama, but like some others I have difficulty getting some things done there. I will appreciate being able to share experiences (good and bad) with others, perhaps get some advice (or at least commiseration) and generally use any excuse to have a friendly drink in the tropics with some interesting people. I will have some friends and/or partners with me and they will enjoy the experience as well.
So... Pete, keep up the great work. I look forward to reading about your daily adventures here. And, I am oh so jealous.
Didja' ever notice how everything stops when you get a splinter? I tried to take a picture of the one I pulled out today but it was so small and the camera wouldn't even focus on the end of the Q-Tip where I put it. I've been injured, but pound per pound that tiny little piece of wood stuck in there under the skin, just by brushing up against something, visits more pain upon a person than a Celine Dion concert.
Punja came by to visit today and I finally let her inspect the premises.
She attacked the hat soon after this shot.
Approving the bar.
Made three trips to the hardware stores today. These will be the fasteners used for the front beam to go between the two buildings. The second trip was to make sure my hammer drill would accept this monster 3/4 inch bit.
Then they ordered up the wrong size blocks, which I noticed only after I paid the bill. Did they show up this afternoon? Um, no. That meant a fourth trip at the end of the day to plead with them to deliver first thing in the morning.
Third trip was to buy a posthole digger. I was hoping to appropriate my electrician's, but he still hasn’t got back to me. At least the last 4 by 4 post is in the ground now.
My drudgework for the day was wire-brushing the cement off of the bricks out front.
But it wasn't all dusty dreary work as the lovely Sandi came by with plants and assorted gardening implements to start putting the finishing touches on the garden out front. God bless the horticulturists among us that make the world pretty. Me? I just kill the stuff without even trying.
And the debris in the corner of the yard was finally removed, but only to the far end of the back yard. There will be a bonfire one day soon, or, 'en la madrugada' I should say, so the neighbors won't be awake to complain.
Materiales Karen was having an unexpected inventory today so I wandered up to El Constructor to chat up Verushka. Uphill, in the wind, with plenty of dust in my eyes. You can't swing a cat in this town without hitting a big pile of sand on or near the sidewalk waiting patiently to be mixed with cement. And go figure, the plywood was cheaper, by a lot.
A couple bags of screws later and I was back. I started building this particular bar in a fit of pique. I was anticipating a finished bar made from two large pieces of wood put together in a 'wing' shape and had made the place ready for it. On the day I went to get it I was informed that it was no longer available.
Stopped cold, I went home and stared at the eclectic collection of lumber I had laying about, for about an hour, then got out the saw and a hammer and started banging away. By the end of the day I had my basic shape, and then just kept adding to it. Today I can finally see where it's going, and I've discovered the two cardinal rules of building things: 1). If you keep on adding more wood and more nails / screws, everything will be fine. 2). Plywood can cover a multitude of sins.
A few days ago I wandered up to Banistimo on the north side of town and noticed that my second choice Laundromat had relocated. I looked at the little map they put in the window and thought "that location seems familiar." Yesterday I checked it out and waddya know? It's the first building I rented in Boquete before the Mayor told me to stuff it.
It's only a couple hundred meters from my place now which means no necesita taxi on laundry day.
Was going to shoot some local color in David today, but when I got to town realized I forgot my camera. I forgot about that quickly enough as the heat began to introduce itself to my scalp. Living here in Boquete and not leaving town too much it's easy to forget that the rest of the country, including just down the hill, is hot.
Found the bartending/ restaurant supply company and it had a small-ish selection of needed implements. They promised that if I brought back photos and descriptions of what I need they would get it for me. From what I can gather it should only be a small shipment needed from the States (or Canadia) that should get us up and running. They even have martini and margarita glasses. No glass straws or stirrers though.
I found a place that could at least 'order' a reciprocating saw (sawzall) for two hundred bucks, so I'm going to have to do a quick assessment of the value I place on my digits and maybe practice a couple of 'quick-drops' of my cheap circular saw from the ladder to see if I 'really' need it. What the hell am I talking about? I've got four of these four-by-four posts that will be helping hold up a tin roof and I need to shave a bit off the top. I hate buying a tool just to do a one-time job.
I walked from one end of town to the other and stopped in about 10 different hardware, paint, lumber and novelty stores picking up little items like lemon peelers and squeezers, a couple of hand graters and different size shot glasses- along with pricing some wood and tile. I smiled and genuflected as a couple of the more excitable sales people wrote up quotations 'including installation.' They're going to be disappointed.
But I did find some really cool black ceramic tile and grout and some semi-cheap rosewood laminate. Decisions, decisions. Next venture downtown will be to search out fake leather for the seats and the elbow rest for the bar. And foam. Lots of fluffy foam.
Also did a reconnoiter of the two big supermarkets downtown where I checked out the lemon and lime supplies. They don't use lemons and limes here, they use limons (lee-moans). They look like and taste mostly like a lemon but they're green like a lime, and they don't cut it. Super Baru didn't even have limons, and Rey had three sad looking bags of expensive 'organic' lemons.
I talked to a couple of guys in the produce department at Rey and they assured me that I could put in a standing order for a case of each every two weeks. I need to go back on Monday before lunchtime to talk to the big cheese to make it happen. Maybe I'll head up to Zanzibar or the Bistro this weekend to see what they do, if anything, about the 'citrus' problem and if they would want to get a piece of the action.