B&B Hotel Cerrito Tropical on Taboga Wedding Event Reception

Happy bride to be on Taboga Island in Panama

Our last guests checked out from this week´s Destination Wedding Event at our B&B Hotel Cerrito Tropical on Taboga in Panama.

Here is the link to the photo album with photos ranging from the Luao Rehearsal Dinner to tropical flower arrangements, to beach ceremony, to jungle reception site and dance party. We hosted 36 guests from all over United States during the 3 day event. Our staff worked very hard to make it all happen and the wedding event was a great success. Check out the great photos.

For more information on a destination wedding or other events email us at: info@cerritotropicalpanama.com

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Taboga Island – Panama Festivals: San Pedro Day – June 29th, 2010
San Pedro Founder’s Day Festival, June 29. Celebrated with mass as well as a Boat Procession where local fishing boats are decorated and then parade around the island, followed by islanders´ festivities – this festival celebrates the first patron saint of Taboga and the namesake for the village. Please confirm the schedule that week with the Taboga Island Church (second oldest in the Americas) or municipal office.

Background: San Pedro is the Spanish name for Saint Peter. He was one of Twelve Apostles according to the Bible and was chosen by Jesus from his first disciples. He was a fisherman assigned a leadership role by Jesus and was with Jesus during events witnessed by only a few apostles.

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We have always offered FREE Wireless Internet at B&B Hotel Cerrito Taboga in Panamawhen you have your own computer with you – now we have improved our wireless internet service for our guests. We suggest you bring your laptop to keep in touch with family and friends while you are on vacation.

Now our Internet speed (2 mbps) and service is even Faster and Still FREE at B&B Hotel Cerrito – Taboga, Panama!

With our new provider our Internet is FAST, symmetric (same down/up speed), works perfectly with VOIP, online video, big downloads, P2P, and large multiplayer games.

Connectivity is delivered using advanced terrestrial (no satellites) wireless technology that minimizes installation time and maximizes uptime.

A high speed Internet signal is sent from one or more transmitters and picked up by a receiver which is mounted on our building.

With this service you can even work at B&B Hotel Cerrito – many guests have chosen to come and work with an oceanview from our balconies. We have even hosted NGO organization and business retreats where the attendees brought with them a number of their work computers. On request, we can increase our internet speed capability for your meeting or work at extra charge.

Feel free to contact us with your questions!

Note: We do not have computers available for public use. But if you do not have one there is an internet cafe on Taboga island, Panama.

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12 TIPS on BUYING ISLAND REAL ESTATE IN PANAMA

Living on the Pacific Panama Island of Taboga, I speak from my own experience and that of our neighbors.

When buying Island Real Estate in Panama – or real estate in any Latin American Country, the buyer must be extremely careful. You can find great deals, fair deals and rip offs.

1. If you are going to look at real estate, first, find yourself a good lawyer – experienced in real estate issues – recommended by someone or an organization you trust in the country. The best are not always the most expensive. If you are English speaking make sure that your lawyer speaks English very well.

2. Use a reputable real estate agent.

3. Do not pay any money down until your lawyer has researched the property in question and written a binding contract. If you can, keep the deposit money in escrow.

4. You may be advised to have a survey done of the property and check with the municipality regarding the property of your future neighbors – if thier property lines match yours or if they have any problems. There are cases of problems where surveys were not originally done correctly and where property has been sold twice to different owners at the same time. Have the lines checked.

5. Some island property cannot be titled or have problems with the titles (Caribbean and Pacific islands). Check this out.

6. Check on the legal distance from the high water mark and how that affects the property you are investigating.

7. Ask about taxes you will be liable for.

8. Calculate the 10% earnest deposit and have it available – but never in cash.

9. Don´t expect to get a mortgage; if you do apply and qualify it will not be easy in Panama.

10. Ask other foreigners-expats living in the area, what have they heard (then take it with a grain of salt – sometimes unscrupulous realtors from North America can be found in Panama as well). Word of mouth in Panama is a very powerful indicator about the market and the latest developments. Ask, listen then sift through it. By consulting various people you should uncover the truth.

11. All this research will take time, so allow for it. Don´t submit to pressure until your research is done.

12. If you are traveling to Panama with the intention to buy real estate, and deal with banks, bring all your documents with you to Panama. Recommendation letters from banks, lawyers and accountants in North America, passport and ID copies, tax returns for the last few years, plus all this documentation for your wife/spouse as well. There are some new laws in place now regarding banking for those who are not residents; check this with your lawyer.

A few tips from experience which may help in your Panama adventure. Hope you find them helpful.

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From early morning on we spotted Tall Ships in front of Isla Taboga heading for the Panama Canal (you could ship-spot them from our B&B Hotel Cerrito Tropical). Some anchored off Taboga Island for some time, and others headed straight for processing to pass the Canal. Spain’s four masts Juan Sebastian Elcano leader of the race so far and La Esmeralda (Spain), followed by Libertad (Argentina), Guayas (Ecuador) and Cisne Branco (Brazil).

Most of the ships are expected to enter between Sunday and Monday. Monday they’ll begin entering Miraflores locks at dawn.

The ships will continue with the race upon completing transit through the Canal. The race will finish June 28 in Veracruz, Mexico afetr passing through Cartagena, Colombia and La Guaira Venezuela, Santo Domingo Dominican Republic.

“Velas Sud America 2010” is one of America’s most important nautical events. Through this event Latin America celebrates its independence as the ships travel the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Velas Sud America 2010 is an international bicentennial celebration event in remembrance of the Spanish Colonial era of discovery in the 15 and 16 centuries. The Tall Ships are sailing around America, each of them representing a different nation.

The journey began February 7 when the ships left Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They are among the largest Tall Ships in the world with sailing crews totaling around 1000.

The organizer of the Velas Sud America 2010event is The Chilean and Argentinean Armada, lead by Commander in chief of the Chilean Navy Admiral Edmund Gonzáles Robles, and Admiral George Omar Godoy.

They are continuing their transit of the Panama Canal today.

Excellent information can be found on their official webpage for this International Event.

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The hunt takes place at night as soon as the rainy season starts as the crabs exit the rainforest jungle. Islanders scramble around the hills and at the jungle edge armed with buckets, flashlights and sticks.

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Once their buckets are full the crabs are taken home to meet their steamy fate in pots of boiling water or reversely straight to the freezer for future use.

We will do more research to get the special Tabogan Recipe: Guacho de Cangrejo and post it here.

We did speak to a young boy yesterday who decided to keep one of the beautiful crabs as an unusual pet – perhaps he is a budding vegetarian?

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Following is a photo of a Female Land Crab – our staff tells us they are the most delicious and you can tell by their underside which is flat.

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If you don´t want to keep the crabs as pets, here is a delicious Rice with Crab recipe from Isla Taboga.

GUACHO de CANGREJO (Panama) RECIPE

* 7 land crabs, cleaned,segmented,fat removed
* 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil or Corn Oil
* 1 White Onion or Yellow Onion, finely diced
* 3 cloves garlic chopped
* 1 green pepper chopped
* 1 stalk celery, chopped
* 4 stalks Panamanian culantro (tastes similar to cilantro) chopped
* salt to taste
* 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh Ground Black Pepper
* 1/4 – 1/2 Scotch Bonnet Pepper, finely chopped with or w/out seeds (optional)
* 1/2 cup Tomato Paste
* 1 packet Caldo Rico
* 1 packet/cube Shrimp consume
* 1 cube chicken broth
* 5 cups hot water
* 2 cups parboiled long-grain rice or 2 1/2 cups long-grain rice
* 1 small can of tomato paste

Directions
1. Wash live crabs under the tap using a toothbrush to wash sand from under band and from between toes until completely clean.
2. Turn crab with eyes away,upside down,slipping a blunt knife (a butter knife is ideal) between the shell’s seam,push upward to separate the crab’s shell in two.
3. Be careful not to push the knife too far (the gall sac is in the direct path of the knife!).
4. Pull apart.
5. Scoop the fat from both sides of the shell into a bowl using the knife or a spoon.
6. Discard the empty half shell,band,mouth,gills and all other remaining internal organs,leaving behind the toes.
7. Break the two segments in half by holding each half securely and snapping apart.
8. This can also be done by chopping the segment with a cleaver.
9. Wash the toe segments under the tap and put them in the bowl with the fat.
10. This process is to be repeated until each crab is processed.
11. Place a large pot over medium high heat, adding the vegetable/corn oil.
12. Allow the oil to heat until a drop of water sizzles when dripped in the oil.
13. Add Onion, celery,garlic, green pepper, salt, black pepper, seasoned salt, Scotch bonnet and stir – save a tablespoon of each vegetable for the refrito (see end of recipe).
14. Saute ingredients until Onion is transparent, stirring constantly,about 3 to five minutes.
15. Add crab fat and segments, saute, stirring constantly until fat is liquid, about 7 minutes.
16. Add tomato paste, stir ingredients together for another 5 minutes.
17. Add water.
18. Stir ingredients with the water,taste, adjust salt to taste,bring to a slow simmer.
19. Gently pour rice into pot, stirring slowly to ensure even distribution of the rice in the liquid.
20. Turn heat down to low and cover pot with a tight-fitting lid to prevent steam from escaping.

** While the guacho is cooking, make a “refrito” with the vegetables and tomato paste. Put a big tablespoonful of “refrito” on top of each serving of guacho.

21. Cook for about 20–25 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed.
22. Do not lift lid while cooking.
23. Turn heat off and let rice stand covered for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
24. Fluff and serve hot with a glass of cold, crisp Sauvignon Blanc.

ANOTHER DELICIOUS RECIPE FROM TABOGA IS STUFFED CRAB………..

TABOGA STUFFED PACIFIC CRAB
INGREDIENTS:

* 1 pound crab meat
* 6 – 8 cleaned crab backs
* 3 tbsp butter
* 1 cup mixed diced onion, green pepper & garlic
* 1 cup chopped tomatoes
* 1/8 cup chopped culantro
* 1/4 or less scotch bonnet pepper(if desired)
* 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
* 1/4 – 1/2 cup mashed potato
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
* Unseasoned dry bread crumbs

METHOD:
Preheat broiler to 450 degrees F. Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, tomatoes, pepper and garlic. Sauté 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add lump crabmeat, culantro and Worcestershire Sauce blending well into the vegetables seasonings. Once crabmeat is thoroughly heated, season to taste using salt and black pepper. Remove sauté pan from heat and stir in approximately 1/4 – 1/2 cup mashed potato. Blend well, then stuff the crab shells with the meat mixture. Top the crabs with bread crumbs and brown under a pre-heated broiler. Serve with a cocktail or tartar sauce.

seco-sugar-cane-liquor-Taboga-Panama-seco-sour

“Sour mix” is used by bartender’s to make many cocktails which would use a combination of lemon juice and sugar syrup. Sour mix can be purchased already made but here is our own Taboga Island recipe version to be used in our own Taboga Island Cerrito Seco Sour.

I don´t like commercial mixes much, not only expensive but not natural or fresh tasting normally, so I experimented making my own finally settling on this one.

Taboga Island Sour Mix
Makes 1 quart (1 liter):

18 oz Water
12 oz fresh squeezed Taboga Island limes or other fresh limes or lemon juice (or if really desperate a good quality bottled lemon juice)
1/2 cup sugar
Mix well and use in the Taboga Island Seco Sour.

To make a Taboga Island Seco Sour:
The blender helps achieve a nice froth; no shaking required.

1 serving
Ingredients:
2 ounces SECO
2-4 ounces of Taboga Island Sour Mix (to taste)
Ice
Dash Angostura bitters
Directions:

Combine the SECO, Taboga Island Sour Mix in a blender or a shaker; process for 30 seconds. Add a handful of ice and process for 1 minute, then pour into a highball glass. Garnish with a dash of bitters atop the foam. CHEERS!

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