< More Articles On Our Website - Start Page >

A History of Tobacco ~ Seeing the Magic of the Cigar Rollers of La Pintada ~ By Matthew Atlee - Tobacco is a powerful plant. It pulls hard on the nutrients in the soil. It pulls hard on those who roll it into cigars. And those that smoke it are pulled in by its powers of relaxation. In the central province of Cocle, Panama there lies a small-town named La Pintada that few people have ever heard of. And in this small-town a long tradition of making high-quality cigars has persisted over the last two decades. If you like tobacco and beautiful landscapes, then you should visit La Pintada. Dec./02 Alto Quiel ~ Boquete And Isla Grande ~ by Matthew Atlee - I don’t recommend you driving straight through from Panama City to Boquete; the drive is very difficult and tiring and takes six-hours to complete. Fly and then rent a car. The drive to Boquete takes you right down the spine of Panama through the most important provincial towns in the county. One such town is Aguadulce. Aguadulce is a small town famous for its sugarcane plantations, hot summers and summer fairs; if you visit the town you might want to visit the saltwater tide pools nearby. They are located nine miles from Aguadulce after the salt flats, the place is called Las Piscinas. I’ve never been, but hope to go soon. May/05 Altos del Maria - Another Look ~ by Matthew Atlee - I recently visited Altos del Maria and enjoyed seeing how the project is developing. As part of my visit I was able to meet with some of the new residents of the community. All told me they were happy to be living in Altos del Maria: clean environment, friendly neighbors and plenty to do. If you are thinking about investing in property overseas then Altos del Maria might be the place for you.  Dec./03 An Interview With John Carlson ~ Talking With An Old Hand About Investing In Panama ~ By Matthew Atlee - John Carlson has a lot of experience in Panama as a businessman. He came to Panama with his father in 1953 and has stayed ever since. He offers the potential investor in Panama some words of caution about what to look out for if you are thinking about investing in Panama. May/03 Carnaval 2003 - Hanging In ~ By Matthew Atlee - Carnaval turned out fine this year. If you've done a number of Carnavals then you know that sometimes things can go wrong. This year we spent most of Carnaval in Panama at the house on Isla Grande. Later we went to the Pacific Coast and finally ended up in Panama City. And that old Carnaval hangover just won't go away. March/03

Matt Atlee studied Political Science and International Affairs in Dover, Delaware as well as York, England and Stirling, Scotland. He moved to Panama in 1995 to work for two years in rural development with the Peace Corps. Since 1999, he has been a professor of Latin American Studies and International Affairs at the Republic of Panama branch of Florida State University in Panama City. Matt Atlee is a former editor of the  Escape From America Magazine.

Isla Grande ~ The Lost Sides Of Isla Grande ~ by Matthew Atlee - If you are headed to Panama for the 100 year anniversary of the founding of Panama, then be sure to check out Isla Grande. The island has always been a favorite vacation spot for Panamanians and foreigners. The island has a deep history going back to Colombus and the natural beauty and history of the island makes it a great place to relax, have a break and just sit back and enjoy some good clean fun. Hope you visit Isla Grande on your way through Panama. Sept./03

Italy In Winter - From Rome To Venice ~ By Matthew Atlee - Traveling around Italy in the winter, so I'm told, is a great idea because the summer crowds are gone and you have a greater opportunity to see the art and history of the country. The weather is cool to cold but the sites are great and the food is even better. If you've always wanted to go but were afraid of the crowds, you should try Italy in the winter. March/03
John Wayne Island ~ In An Imaginary Tropical Western ~ by Matthew Atlee - It was only after I had been in Panama for three or four years that I began to hear about John Wayne in Panama. A friend told me that he had spent a lot of time in Panama during the 1960s and at one point had owned an island in Panama as well as being a part owner of a shrimp business. Apparently, Wayne liked fishing and of course Panama has the best fishing in the world; in fact, Panama, the word, means an abundance of fish. For years I was unable to decipher which island John Wayne owned or where the island might be located; it was only recently – the last year or so - that I realized that a John Wayne Island did in fact exist and that there was a project being developed on the island by some Austrians. Oct./04
Living And Investing In Panama ~ What To Look Out For ~ By Matthew Atlee - If you are thinking about moving overseas then Panama might be the right place for you. Panama is a great place from which to do business with other countries in Latin America: banking, services and recreation are all things that are highly developed in Panama. You also have the dollar and a great international airport that can take you anywhere you want to go in South America or North America. You should visit Panama just to see what the country has to offer.  June/03
Looking At Property On Contadora Island ~ Exploring The History And Landscape Of An Island ~ By Matthew Atlee - The Villas at Contadora is a great place to buy an affordable second home. The island is peaceful and private: no hassles here. If you want a hideway in Latin America then this is the place for you. The villas are tucked into a hillside and surrounded by palm trees, bamboo and exotic plantings. The island has nice restaurants and the beaches are clean and private. You want to unwind, then you should visit the Villas At Contadora. April/03
Los Santos ~ The Heart Of Panamanian Carnival ~ by Matthew Atlee - Los Santos Province is the center of Carnival in Panama. For most of the year the Province is quiet and uneventful, but as Carnival time gets closer the people and the atmosphere of Los Santos begin to slowly heat up and this was why I wanted to visit Los Santos right before Carnival. The capital of Los Santos is the small town of Las Tablas, a very traditional Spanish town with a central plaza, the church and government buildings surrounding the small square park where people talk and the hot breezes from the nearby countryside blow through the large shade trees. Feb./04
Lost Valley Of Panama ~ Agua de Salud ~ by Matthew Atlee -The house we normally stay on in Isla Grande had been sold and so I decided we needed another place to go for Carnival. Our good friend Ron Keith sold his house on Isla Grande. Ron is from Nashville and is a very well known photographer who worked with Rolling Stone Magazine in the early and mid-80s; he also shot album covers for artists like Ray Charles and Crystal Gale. He was nominated for a Grammy in the 90’s for album design. Ron came to Panama in or around 1974 with the U.S. Army; he was an MP and during his stay in Panama, traveled around the country during his off-duty time. He spent much of his time with the Kuna Indians.  Feb/05
On The Pacific Coast Of Panama - Traveling Through The Mountains And Beaches Of Panama ~ By Matthew Atlee - It's Summer in Panama and everyone is headed to the beach. Very soon Carnival will be here and people will let loose and enjoy the freedom that comes with Carnival. The Pacific Coast is the place to go for Carnival in Panama. If you are headed to Panama for Carnival go to Los Santos and visit the beaches at Pedasi or Venado. Better yet, drive to the interior of Los Santos and find a small village in which to enjoy the summer breezes and strings of Christmas tree lights that blow across the streets of Los Santos during Carnival nights. Anyway, enjoy. Feb./03
Overseas Education For One & All! - MIT To Make Nearly All Course Materials Available Free On The World Wide Web - The project will start with a two- year pilot program that will offer 500 courses on-line. This means that students from all-over the world will have the opportunity to sit-in on MIT classes. A precocious physics student from Chile and a mathimatical genius from Russia will be able to follow a Electrodynamics class at MIT together without paying the normal $26,000 fee that all MIT students pay.
 

Playa Grande - The Beauty Of A Remote Panamanian Beach ~ by Matthew Atlee - Playa Grande is a remote beach on the Atlantic side of Panama. If you are headed to Isla Grande be sure to check out Playa Grande; it has a lot to offer: the beauty and remoteness of the Caribbean side of Panama, along with some great views, wildlife and people. Be sure to bring a picnic and some firends, you might also want to camp out. If you are a surfer then this is the place you've been dreaming of in Panama. Enjoy. Oct./03

Panama's 100 Year Celebration ~ Frank Robinson And San Felipe ~ by Matthew Atlee - The 100 year celebrations of the founding of Panama were great fun. Went to the old town of Panama and took some fun photos and then headed out to the U.S.-Panamanian baseball game and after the game back to Panama City for the marching bands and good times. If you are thinking about heading to Panama for your deep winter vacation in January, February or March remember that Panama is celebrating its centennial for at least a year after the actual date, November 3rd, of the founding of Panama. It's like a good friend of mine in Panama; she celebrates two birthdays each year. Nov./03
Panama's El Camping Resort ~ Chinese In Latin America And A Third Set Of Locks ~ by Matthew Atlee - The idea of going to El Camping Resort was actually hatched in Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta and not in Panama. My wife and I were returning to Panama from visiting my family in Pennsylvania. While we were sitting at the departure lounge we heard a group of tourists talking about how they were going to Panama for the first time and that they were going to stay at El Camping Resort. When I heard the name El Camping Resort I shook my head in disbelief and thought to myself “come again”. Jun/05
Panama And Costa Rica - Thoughts On Both ~ by Matthew Atlee - One of my favorite countries to visit is Costa Rica. It has become a favorite destination for many people: an average of 750,000 people a year visit Costa Rica. In 1994 tourism surpassed coffee and bananas as the biggest industry in Costa Rica: one in ten people work in the tourist industry. Of course, this has meant that the country sometimes feels as though it is being trampled over by tourists, and the ugly side of tourism – prostitution and child sex – are very evident in Costa Rica. Despite all the heavy traffic in tourists, Costa Rica still offers the traveler some of the most incredible scenery in Latin America. April/04
Santa Catalina And Coiba Prison Island ~ Little Known Frontiers ~ by Matthew Atlee - There have been many famous prison islands throughout history: Alcatraz Island in California, Martin Garcia Island in Argentina, Dawson Island in Chile, Devil’s Island near French Guyana, Sakhalin Island in Russia,  and Isla Gorgona off the coast of Peru. And Panama also had its own prison island: Coiba Island on Panama’s Pacific coast. The penal colony on Coiba Island was established in 1912 and closed in July of 2004: the last 8 prisoners were taken from the island in July. It’s obvious to see why the island was chosen as a penal colony; it’s far from the mainland and the waters around the island are infamous for aggressive sharks and strong currents. Nov./04
The Chiriqui Highlands - R&R ~ by Matthew Atlee - When you want to get away in Panama and head for the hills to escape the heat, the sweat and the oily fumes of Panama City, the place to visit is the Chiriqui highlands. Chiriqui is the province that lies along the border with Costa Rica. The highlands are not only beautiful but are in many ways the bread basket of Panama: most of the vegetables that you buy in Panama City come from Cerro Punta and the best coffee in the country comes from the incredibly beautiful town of Boquete. The province of Chiriqui is different from other provinces in Panama in that it has a history – not so strong - of wanting to have independence from the main body of Panama, and become its own country. There is a Chiriqui flag that you see all over the place. July/04
The Panama Railroad ~ Panama City To Colon ~ by Matthew Atlee -  I have been on many great train journeys – Arica to La Paz , Fort William to Mallaig and Los Angeles to Salinas – but I had never been on a train in Panama and had not even thought about taking the train until a friend mentioned we should go. The train leaves Panama City at 7:00 am and arrives in Colon 54 minutes later. The return train doesn’t leave Colon until 5:00. The train travels through a combination of jungle and swamp and looks out over the Canal and Lake Gatun. When we arrived at the train station we noticed that the other passengers on the train were a combination of locals and tourists. The locals were taking the train to work – most worked in the Colon Free Zone as traders. June/04
Travel To Bocas del Toro ~ For The First Time ~ by Matthew Atlee - I had never visited Bocas del Toro, though I had been invited on a number of occasions by friends who went there just about every weekend. I don’t know why, but for some reason I didn’t want to go and avoided any opportunities to visit. After doing some research on the history of the Mosquito Coast of which Bocas del Toro is the southern most point I decided I should go: the history of the place intrigued me and so on August 13th 2004 I flew to Bocas for the first time. Aug/04
Travel To Costa Rica ~ Along The Pacific Coast ~ by Matthew Atlee - We wanted to go to Hungary, at least that was the plan last year, but the plans had changed and so we decided to visit Costa Rica instead. Costa Rica in December is great: the rains end and the dry weather and cool dry breezes begin to blow through the Central Valley of Costa Rica where the towns of San José, Alajuela, Cartago and Heredia are located. Jan/06
Travel To Nombre de Dios ~ A Very Famous Unknown Place ~ by Matthew Atlee - Nombre de Dios is a name that probably doesn’t ring any bells in your head; it didn’t in mine before I arrived in Panama. If you’ve read something about the history of Latin America you may have seen the name: all of the gold and sliver that the Spanish mined in Peru during the 16th century passed across Panama by mule train and then was packed onto ships in Nombre de Dios and sent to Spain. Before the gold and silver was shipped to Spain, there was a two to three week fair in Nombre de Dios; the fairs were famous in the Caribbean, especially among pirates, because anyone was given free passage in Nombre de Dios for as long as the fairs lasted. April/05
Travels And Good Times In Portugal ~ First Time In Iberia ~ by Matthew Atlee - There is a new direct flight from Panama City to Madrid. The name of the airline is Air Madrid: the flights leaves every Monday and Friday; the flight takes 10 hours and 20 minutes: you fly up the Caribbean, over the Dominican Republic and then north past Florida, when you are in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean you turn east and fly straight over Portugal and Spain. When the trip was planned I thought we were just going to Spain and then realized we were also going to visit Portugal, which I really wanted to see because I had heard that Lisbon was a great city. It was! Jan/05
Up On The Contential Divide And Down In The Desert ~ Hiking And Discovering Panama's Beauty ~ By Matthew Atlee - If you want to explore the interior of Panama then you need to get up into the mountains and down on the deserts. There is nothing as wild as the hill country of Veraguas. You should check out the waterfalls and trails of Altos del Maria - this a good place to begin your tour of the mountains and cloud forests of Panama. May/03
Vista Mar Resort ~ Living On Panama's Pacific Coast ~ by Matthew Atlee - I visited Vista Mar on Panama’s Pacific Coast twice. Of all the developments that I have seen on the Pacific Coast of Panama, Vista Mar is the best. Everything is well planned and built and the views of the Pacific Ocean are great. Michelle Shahani, the Sales Manager and developer of Vista Mar showed me around the resort. Michelle told me her father bought the land where Vista Mar is being built in the early 1990s. When he bought the property, she told me, he had had a vision of building a first rate golf course and residential community.  Aug./05
 

< More Articles On Our Website - Start Page >