Employee of the Month: December

With the craziness of the holidays over and a little time to breathe and recuperate before the next wave of guests start arriving, I wanted to post (and boast) about our employee of the month!

A couple of weeks ago, when the resort was full of guests, I had many things running through my mind. I watched proudly as our staff handled the many and varied requests of our guests. I was supervising the logistics of handling 42 guests all wanting to go on excursions with our boats at the same time people were checking out and checking in. Katie was busy proofing menu orders for the kitchen and organizing the Bistro's seatings. Executive Chef Ben was slammed in the kitchen, busily breaking down lunch and simultaneously prepping for dinner.

As a couple hundred items scrolled through my head like a mechanical rolodex, my glance landed upon one of our four housekeepers, Floralba Bonilla. Flor, or Rosita, which many of us affectionately call her, was breaking down assignments for the other three housekeepers, taking care to appropriately assign the tasks based on seniority and skill. She then hustled her way off to her own assignment, with a small smile towards me as she passed. I stopped her and said, "Rosita, tengo menos estres cuando estas aqui." Rosita, I have less stress when you are here. She just laughed and hustled off with her basket of cleaning items, mop and broom.

I was serious though. Flor has been with us for a year and a half. She came on the invite of her boyfriend, Eduardo (Employee of the Month, October), whom she is now married to. They live together at the resort, saving money for the house they are buying in Changuinola.

Flor is a great housekeeper. At seven, she cleans the clubhouse and dining area with the other housekeepers, then is off to supervise the cleaning of the rooms while the guests are at breakfast. As people leave at different points throughout the day, she quietly organizes the cleaning of their rooms, so as not to disturb the guests. She always makes sure that there are plenty of pool towels laundered, as well as fresh linens for the dining room, and sheets ready for any guests checking in. At the drop of a hat, she can give you an up-to-the minute progress report on how everything is going.

During the month of December, she did all this and more. In realizing that the kitchen was busier than ever, she thoughtfully laundered the kitchen towels and the chef coats for the cooks. She also supervised the efficient and thorough cleaning of 16 rooms during our peak times. Most of all, she did it with a smile on her face and without ever lowering the standards of perfection we maintain here at Popa Paradise. I can't tell you how proud it makes me to hear when guests remark on the cleanliness of the resort, or the care that is shown in arranging our guests personal items, when cleaning the room. It is due in large part to the presence and hard work of Flor Bonilla, Employee of the Month for December.

Holiday Wrap-Up

Christmas and New Year's Eve was a blast this year! We were fully-booked (which means, 42 people), yet the staff stepped up to the plate and made sure that every guest experienced the same level of attention people normally get here when it is not so busy. It was a challenge meeting so many different people's needs (including a family reunion of 14 people), but the great personalities that we shared our holidays with, made up for it.

Our staff lives with us on the island and we often refer to them as our extended family. So it was on Christmas Eve, the traditional celebratory day in Panama, that we had a second seating for dinner. The first was at 7:30 for the guests and then at 10:30, the staff came down to enjoy a roast pig, with all the trimmings with us. Then at 11:30, a tanned, younger Santa Claus made an appearance and handed out gifts to all of the staff. Following a big toast at midnight along with a few hearty guests who were enjoying some drinks at the bar, we continued with a Secret Santa. Each of the staff presented one other staff member with a small gift. It was so cool to see the creativity that went into their presents and brought us all closer on a day when we were all separated from our families.

During the busy period, we had a masseuse on-site who kept people relaxed (I am waiting for my massage, as soon as I get some down-time). Junito, is a Bocas del Toro local, who came out to give massages and on some of our busier nights, helped out by serving some killer cocktails. We are now happy to say, he works for us as our full-time bartender, still able to give incredibly relaxing massages on the side.

We rang in the New Year's with a delicious six course dinner provided by Executive Chef Ben Jones. My mouth still waters at what the guests and I enjoyed that night: King Crab salad, yucca gnochi with a pesto cream sauce, mushroom streudel with blue cheese fondue, filet mignon with fried shallots and yucca puree, a mango sorbet intermezzo, and a flourless chocolate torte with ice cream. Everything was made the day of, including the pasta, the chocolate itself (from cacao), the sorbet and the ice-cream!

We couldn't wait until midnight, as everyone had been busy island-hopping on day trips earlier and were tired, so at 10:38 we rang in the New Year with a 10-minute firework show and champagne toast! For an amateur show, we pulled off a pretty grand finale for 2009, in my humble opinion. Katie and I and a few of the staff rang in the real New Year at midnight, watching the ball drop in Times Square.

Throughout the whole time we had the large crowd, we had boats going back and forth to town to pick up and drop off guests, guests enjoying the beauty of Bocas on day tours to see dolphins, go snorkeling or hiking in the jungle. We also had some fishing enthusiasts who got up everyday at 6am to fish with Gumey and Martin, reeling in some delicious mackerel and barracuda that was brought out in creative dishes prepared by Chef Ben.

The weather was unusually cooperative and we are still in the middle of a three-week long dry spell. While I fret about the level of water in our storage, the guests are thoroughly enjoying the three-weeks of sunshine!

From all of us here at Popa Paradise. we wish you a Happy and Healthy New Year. Feliz Ano Nuevo!!

And the winner is....

We are pleased to announce the winner of the first Annual Popa Paradise Beach Resort Photo Contest! First of all, thank you to all those who participated. The theme of the photo contest was "A Day In Paradise," which was very subjective. So we asked participants to send photos of what they considered a "Day in Paradise." Many of the submissions were sent along with little stories of why this photo meant so much to the person who took it. Although it was hard to choose, we had to pick one winner! The winner of the first Annual Popa Paradise Beach Resort is...Riley Poff, from Carlsbad, California! Riley and her mom and Dad all sent photos in, but Riley's was the standout. Her picture of Playa Guiones, in Costa Rica, where she spent enjoyable days looking for shells, was a beautiful shot, especially considering the fact that Riley is only 10 years old!
Riley and her family won a free room night in our Executive Suites. Congratulations!!!

The first runner-up is Emily Metcalf, from West Yorkshire, England. This picture of the early morning sun, shining down on her English garden, where she likes to take tea in the mornings, earned her a free trip to the Zapatillas, on her upcoming visit to Popa Paradise Beach Resort.

The second runner-up is Cassidy Faulkner, from West Albany, New York, with her submission from her travels from India, where everyday was "day in paradise." She also will enjoy a trip to Zapatillas on her upcoming trip to Popa Paradise Beach Resort.

Once again, thanks to all those who participated. It was very hard to choose the winners. Congratulations to those who won, and we look forward to seeing you soon!!

Christmas Greetings

If it weren't for the Spanish Christmas Carols and the colored lights hanging around the resort, it would be hard to remember it is Christmas. Aside from the increasing amounts of people checking in everyday, ready to celebrate with the staff and us, everything here is the same as normal. The sun is shining brightly and the sky and ocean is blue. As those on the East Coast are shoveling the drive-ways, I was shoveling the sand off the pathways by the beach.

We want to wish all of our friends, relatives, vendors, employees, and most importantly our guests. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We will share pictures of the celebrations next week as well as announce the winner to our 2009 photo competition. Keep sending in your pictures, we will have a hard time choosing.

Merry Christmas!!

When it's raining...

“I guess it is called a rainforest for a reason,” responded one of the guests, when I gave an ambiguous answer to whether the rain would indeed let up that day, the fourth day of her so-far rained out honeymoon. Had this honeymoon couple let it get to them? Not at all. And although, we had provided them with as many activities you could do rain or shine, it was mostly their positive attitude that made their vacation.

Managing Popa Paradise Beach Resort, in Bocas del Toro Panama, is a dream job. Except when it is raining, which can be often. Unlike other parts of Central America, Bocas del Toro does not have strict dry and wet seasons. We think of it this way: sometimes it rains a little less than other times. We are lucky to say, most days the sun does have a starring role and many times, when it rains it is at night or in the mornings, but rain is definitely part of the whole truth. So what do you do when your guests are drenched every time they dare to venture outside their casita without an umbrella? Have a positive attitude and hope they follow along. That, and provide as many activities you can to keep your guests satisfied.

“Yoga, massages, matinee movies with popcorn, ping pong tournaments, billiards, board games, spa services. These are the type of things I am offering to guests when it is raining,” says Katie, my wife and co-manager of Popa Paradise Beach Resort.

“If they are particularly active and it is just a rain shower and not a storm, we take them hiking in the rainforest, snorkeling, kayaking, or they swim in the pool,” she says. “It’s a completely unique experience to be snorkeling in the rain. It is so peaceful and serene under the water, compared to the loud slapping of rain against the surface of the ocean.”

Encountering the same problem in my last career as a Tour Director, where an entire week of leaf-peeping in the New England states could be ruined by inclement weather, I have honed my foul-weather smile to perfection. I learned that if you don’t let the rain bother you and do everything as planned, everyone else follows suit. I have carried that same attitude into managing the resort with the same results.

“People just need reassurance that they can enjoy themselves regardless of the weather,” says Ben Jones, executive chef at Popa Paradise Beach Resort, who has been know to conduct cooking classes or have kids in the kitchen to bake chocolate chip cookies to occupy a period of inclement weather.

So if you do find yourself in Paradise and the weather turns sour. Throw on your fair-weather smile and sign up for a massage.

Off-site Excursion: Comarca Ngobe Bugle & Playa de Uva

Peninsula Valiente loomed in the distance, growing higher, as we bounced from wave-top to wave-top, on the one-hour ride from Popa Paradise to the mainland of Panama and the indigenous reserve, Comarca Ngobe Bugle. Gumercindo "Gumey", our Ngobe boat captain, steered the boat and it's seven passengers, two couples from Texas and a young couple from Manhattan and me, effortlessly until we reached the grandeur of the edge of the Peninsula, that juts out into the Carribean, looking like an island from afar.

The first sign of a village, was the blue roof of an elementary school, that juts out of the hillside of Punta Valiente, one of the many villages in the Comarca. The wood and thatch houses clung to the steep hillside, as if planted their by giants. A small clearing around the village was the only thing that separated it from the dense jungle surrounding it.

The Comarca Ngobe Bugle is an indigenous reserve created by the Panamanian government in 1997. It stretches from the middle of this part of Panama right to the coast, bordering the islands of Bocas del Toro. The Ngobe Bugle who live there are some of the earliest inhabitants of this part of the world. Many of our employees, including our boat captain, are Ngobe, and still speak a dialect called Guyami. Their traditions, culture and way of life have been preserved for generations and this is what we had come to experience.

Gumey expertly navigated the boat around the point and we passed hillsides dripping with foliage. It seems every inch of land was densely covered with forest, the trees in particular, looking Seussian in nature, as they vied for the attention of the sun.

Soon we were at the mouth of Bahia Azul, with small, houses lining both sides of the bay and Gumey pointed the boat towards a small viallge called Punta Alegre. Greeting the boat at the dock were about twenty school-children, who had run out of the classroom at the foot of the dock. They eagerly grabbed the boats lines to secure us to the dock, while Gumey's small son and two daughters jumped into the boat to greet him. Gumey's wife is from Punta Alegre, and it is here that Gumey calls home on his vacations and days off.

After apologizing to the school teacher for disrupting class, we followed Gumey and his young daughters to their home. Constructed out of the native hardwood in the area, Gumey proudly gave us a tour of his environs, complete with kitchen, dining area and shaded patio. Built on stilts to keep it dry from the surrounding marshy land, it picked up the breeze coming off the ocean. Although simple, considering the surroundings, this truly was a dream home.

Gumey walked us further to show off a cooperative project in the village, run by an aunt of his wife. With funding from philantropic donors, she was trained by experts on how to increase the agriculture of their village, increasing their self-sufficiency.

She led us to the chicken coop, showing off the healthy chicks, while Gumey's daughter exhibited the proper way to hold a chick in her little hands. We also witnessed a growing garden, full of taro, plantains, bananas and other vegetables. They were most proud of the aquaculture project that had been started and we were impressed to see tilapia swimming through the man-made ponds.

As Gumey caught up with his wife and checked on some work being done to his house, we ambled slowly through the village, with Gumey's daughter and niece pointing out animals along the way.

Gumey caught up with us at the end of the road, bringing the boat up alongside a dock, so we wouldn't have to double back on ourselves.

We pulled off, with two extra ship-mates, our tour guides, Gumey's daughter and niece, who babbled on and on, their enthusiasm needing no translation.

Pulling into Ensenada, another village, about five minutes further south, we again readied ourselves to apologize to the teacher as another classroom emptied itself onto the dock, the classmates eager to greet the newcomers.

We were met by a local village leader and the American Peace Corps Volunteer who lives there, who collected and explained the reason for collecting admission to their village ($3 per person). The small fee goes to bettering the infrastructure of the village and they led us to the path that goes through their village and across the penisula to the open beach.

With cooler, surfboard and towels in hand, we crossed the trail that goes through the peninsula at its narrowest point to the beach on the other side. Traipsing through incredible jungle vistas with not a worry of a turned ankle or muddy shoes, it felt like we had walked straight into a Disney World theme-park.

The illusion was shattered the moment we crossed the apex of the trail and saw an amazing sight: Crystal clear waters breaking on golden sand at our destination for the afternoon, Playa de Uva. This was no theme park, this was nature at its best.

Playa de Uva is about a half-mile long, with wide sections of soft sand, with blue, clear waters washing up on the beach. We spent the rest of the afternoon shelling, surfing, picnicing and enjoying this unspoilt wilderness.

We had to tear ourselves away from the beach when the sun started sinking into the horizon. We made our way back to Ensenada and were greeted this time by the sounds of musica tipica. The traditional Panamanian music was being pumped out of speakers inside one of the classrooms, which was attracting many of the elders of the village to poke their heads in the windows and watch the spectacle inside. When we made our way to the front of the crowd, we could see the little boys and girls being encouraged to dance together ballroom style. The children needed no coercing and after each song ended they would race to pair up with a new partner.

At the suggestion of the Peace Corps Volunteer we made our way to the little artesania, where they were selling bags and purses made out of natural materials and decorated traditionally. We were treated to a fresh cup of..... made with boiled bananas and coconut milk, a refreshing treat after a long day in the sun, while the PCV regaled us with tales of being so far removed from her past life.

Feeling the breeze pick up, Gumey lead us back to the boat and after a short stop to drop off our little tour guides, we motored home, quietly reflecting on the day we had all just experienced (and for me at least, planning my next day back in the Comarca.)

(For more pictures of the trip, click here.)

Photo Contest: A Day in Paradise

We are pleased to announce our first exclusive Popa Paradise Blog Contest!

The theme of the contest is "A Day in Paradise." We will be accepting photos of what your version of a Day in Paradise is. It can be a cup of coffee and the newspaper on an unusually warm winter morning. It can be a day at the park with your grandchildren. It can be a walk on the beach at sunrise, an experience many of our guests start their day off with at Popa Paradise.

Obviously the theme is quite subjective, so we will be judging the photos on their creativity as well as their quality. The winner will be announced on January 1st, 2010 here at Popa Paradise and soon after on the blog.

What's in it for you! For the winner of our first photo contest, we will be offering a free room night in one of our Executive Suites!* For the two runner's up, we will be offering a free Day Trip to the Zapatillas, during your stay.

All submissions** can be emailed to popaparadisebeachresort@yahoo.com, with Photo Contest in the subject line. Please send photos in the .jpeg format and note that the winner and runner-up will have their photos (with credit) published on our blog. All submissions must be sent by December 20th, 2009.

Good luck to all!

*Some (very few) black-out dates apply
**One submission per person.