SURVIVAL 101 FOR YOUR ARRIVAL IN VALLE ESCONDIDO !

Welcome to your new home in Valle Escondido, Boquete! We have prepared a condensed version of some important phone numbers, contacts, and names for you so that your transition into your new home will go smoothly (we hope!). Please take a few minutes to read this, or keep it on hand for future reference. If you have an immediate emergency (no water, leaking water, no electricity, toilets do not flush/work, etc.) contact Celinda in the Coordination Office between 8am and 4pm. After hours, contact Security.

1. Important Phone Numbers

Valle Escondido Main phone 720-1954 (recording is in Spanish)
Security Gate 720-1954 ext. #102 (limited English spoken)
Coordination Desk (Celinda) 720-1954 ext. #134 (English spoken)
Online Billing (Mindy) 720-2439 (English-speaking)
Country Club/Spa 720-2893 (English spoken)

2. Have an Emergency? Need a Doctor?

Dr. Leonidas (Noni) Pretelt in Boquete at: 720-1881 (8am-5pm) 6616-2177 (after hours emergency #)

Dr. Pretelt speaks fluent English and has an office here in Boquete

3. Tropigas (for cooking, hot water, dryer, fireplace, etc. )

One of the first things you will need/want to do when you arrive in VE will be to contact TROPIGAS to arrange delivery of your initial gas tanks. Tropigas’s phone number is: 720-2801 (cell # 6615-7080). They are located in Boquete next to El Hibiscus restaurant and across the street from Melo’s; they will usually deliver the same day they are called. *You will need to contact Tropigas for the initial installation in order to be outfitted with the required regulator for the gas tanks. For future reference however, replacement tanks can be ordered through Celinda in the Coordination Office or directly from Tropigas. A 2-person household, using gas for cooking, the dryer, and hot water, will generally use one tank every 30-days (on average).

4. Valle Escondido Services

To request any of the following services, please contact Celinda (720-1954 ext. 134; celinda@valleescondido.biz )in the Coordination Office. These services are available at established prices and are provided by experienced personnel. Quotes will be given; prices vary depending on the service and work requested.

Cleaning
Gardening
Maintenance & Repair
Electrician & Plumbing
Garbage Pick up – pick up is on Tuesday and Friday; leave your can at the end of your driveway; if you
have boxes, flatten them and leave them by your garbage can. Words of Caution:
Be sure that your garbage can lid is on tight at all times, and never set bags of
garbage outside the can. We have critters that would love to rip open the bags and
share what you are throwing away with all of your neighbors! Garbage pick-up is
currently paid through your Homeowner fees.

Your electricity and water will be on at the time of your arrival. See “Residential Online Billing System” section for further information on payments of these and other services.

5. Appliances

If you have just arrived and will be looking for appliances to outfit your home, here are some suggestions. There are many places in David that carry a variety of appliances, but the following stores carry good selections at reasonable prices. Warranties and delivery of items may vary by brand or by store.

In Boquete:
The La Reina Annex, across the street from La Reina Department store on Main Street

In David:
The Do-It Center, located next to El Rey Grocery and Arrocha Pharmacy in the mall
AudioFoto, located next to Arrocha Pharmacy in the mall
Price Smart, on the Pan-Am hwy (going west towards Costa Rica) next to the old Chiriqui Mall
Casa Gala
Rodelag

*Just a note about purchasing appliances or furniture……many of the stores on this list do not have “in- house” delivery service; they will, however, deliver your purchases via a taxi. The cost of the taxi may or may not be included in the price of your purchase. Be sure to ask about delivery. Your address, for delivery purposes, would be: Valle Escondido, Boquete, Villa #(your villa #).

6. Linens * Bedding * Towels

Some of the same stores that carry appliances will also carry linens, etc.

La Reina Department store in Boquete, on Main Street
The Do-It Center in David, at the mall *Great selection of pillows and bedding
Price Smart in David *Probably the best quality towels for the money as compared to the other stores

7. Small appliances

La Reina Department store in Boquete *They carry Cuisinart and other brands
The Do-It Center in David
Price Smart in David
Arrocha Pharmacy in David (at the mall)

8. Furniture

Furniture City, located next to El Rey Grocery in the mall in David
Super Baru, located across the Pan-Am highway from the El Rey-Arrocha-AudioFoto complex
Farmacia Arrocha in the mall in David (patio furniture, computer desks, TV’s, baby furniture)

9. Woodworkers & Ironworkers

There are many independent woodworking and iron shops around Boquete. You will pass them as you are going and coming in town. Stop by and view their work or talk with them about items that you want built. Generally, all you will need to do is show them a picture or a drawing of what you want, decide on the wood you want used, and they will do the rest.

To see some finished items, go to:

Valle Escondido Woodshop, located just past the CEFATI building (Visitors Center) in Alto Boquete
*There is a big white sign with black letters out front that says simply “Wood Shop”

10. Grocery Stores

These are just a few of the main grocery stores between Boquete and David. There are many others, as well as some small “Mom & Pop” stores that you will enjoy shopping at. For the purposes of this information packet, we just wanted to provide you with places to get started!

In Boquete:
Romero’s, located one block from the Town Square behind the green Municipal building, open 24-hrs
Mandarin, on Main St. where the buses park, sort of a variety/meat/produce market

In David:
El Rey, in the mall next to Furniture City and The Do-It Center, open 24-hrs
Super Baru, across the Pan-Am highway from El Rey
Super 99, close to McDonald’s on the road leading to the airport
Price Smart, Pan-Am hwy towards Costa Rica, Membership only shopping
Romero’s in three locations in David, open 24-hrs

11. Pet Supplies

If you have just arrived in Boquete with your pet(s), check out Melo’s (here in Boquete), located on the same street as Romero’s Grocery but at the opposite end (closer to the Catholic Church). Melo’s carries a large selection of supplies for dogs, cats, and other animals. For information on Vets, ask around to people who have lived here for awhile.

Farmacia Arrocha & The Do-It Center in David also carry pet supplies

12. Residential Online Billing System (RBS)

For your convenience, we offer a billing system that allows you to pay your Valle Escondido bills from anywhere in the world. You will be given a user name and password that will enable you to access the online system 24/7. At this time, we are able to accept payment for the following:

VEHOA (Homeowners dues)
Utilities
Cleaning
Gardening
Internet (SISA)
Internet (Pananix)
Gas tank replacement
Rental Income (associated with the Valle Escondido Property Management program)
Maintenance & Repair

Contact Mindy @ 720-2439 for further information ( mindy@valleescondido.biz )

13. Direct TV

Each person/household is responsible for their television contract and connection. The only service available at the time of this writing (October 2006) is with Direct TV out of Panama City. Celinda in the Coordination Office can provide you with the number for Direct TV. Once you have signed a contract with them, service will be connected in approximately 5-working days. You must have a television in your home before they will connect your service. VE does not bill this service out on the RBS monthly billing system. The local contact is Luis Nunez. His phone number is 720-4347.

14. Internet Services

Currently there are two main providers of internet services in Valle Escondido. They are SISA, S.A. and Pananix, S.A. Prices vary per company and per speed required. Please contact either Mindy or Celinda for further information on either of these company’s. Valle Escondido does the billing for both of these providers as a convenience for the internet clients. There are other companies that can provide internet service to you within Valle Escondido. They are:

Mobil Net de Mobil Phone, contact Luis Chan @ 774-5355 lchan@mobilphone.com (Spanish speaking)
Cable & Wireless dial-up (if you have a landline phone)

15. Phone Service

Currently Valle Escondido and Cable & Wireless are unable to provide more lines in the valley for landline phones. Most new people arriving are using cell phones for local calls or calls within Panama and they are using a VOIP or internet phone for long distance service. A couple of the internet providers are working towards providing phone service as part of their package. As a side note, Vonage systems appear to work well with the Pananix internet system and with Mobil Phone.

16. Country Club / Spa / Golf Course

At the time that this is being written (October 2006), the Country Club has not yet established the cost of the One-time-only-Lifetime Membership fee or the monthly fees. However, there is a temporary monthly fee that you can pay for the use of the facility. The temporary fee will give you access to the state-of-the-art fitness center, the lap pool, the racquetball court upon its completion, the locker rooms (mens or womens) and the Jacuzzi, sauna, and steam room located in each locker room. Towels, shampoo, hair dryers, showers, and locked lockers are provided in each locker room.

The Haven Spa offers facials, massages, acupuncture, nutrition counseling, weight loss, manicures, pedicures, electrolysis (hair removal), waxing, sports injury therapy, laser therapy, chiropractics, ultra-sound therapy, and many other natural remedial therapy’s. The spa is staffed by highly trained, professional personnel with many years of training in Europe and abroad. To make an appointment, call the Spa at 720-2893 (Country Club phone number). A large and varied selection of health food items are available in the shop next to the Golf Shop. You will find a wide range of vitamins and supplements, personal hygiene items, ointments, and snacks.

The golf course is open 7 days a week. Tee times are not usually necessary during the Low Season. The Pro Shop has a variety of things that you might need for your golf game. There are a limited number of golf carts for rent, or, we also have hand carts so that you can walk the course and enjoy the scenery. If you have your own golf cart, you are welcome to use it on the course. For more information, to reserve a cart, or to request a tee-time, contact the golf shop at 720-1954 ext. 122.

17. The Bookmark in Dolega

For a variety of used and new books (most are in English) on every topic imaginable, stop by The Bookmark on the Boquete highway in Dolega. It is located on the main road about 15-minutes from Boquete as you drive towards David (right hand side of the road). They offer an exchange club so that you can buy your books and “sell” them back at a discount for credit on your next purchase. English-speaking owner/operator; closed Monday’s.

18. Of course, no survival would be complete without a trip to Ana’s Sweets, located just off Main Street directly behind Bistro Boquete! Ana’s has great ice-cream, and it is still only .25 cents!!

19. There are many activities to enjoy in and around the Boquete/David area. Enjoy!

White Water rafting with Chiriqui River Rafters
Tree-Trek canopy tour
Deep sea fishing
ATV rental
Las Lajas beach
Las Olas beach and Resort
Horseback riding
Bird watching
Hiking

We hope this helps get you started in your new home. This was written as a short introduction to where and how to find some things that you may need to get started. As you explore the area, you will no doubt find places that suit your needs equal to or better than what has been suggested or recommended. Have a great time exploring and again, Welcome to Valle Escondido and Boquete!