Azuero
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 7:49
US style in Azuero
Bonnie Birker, who was a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama almost 40 years ago returned to Panama to operate their very own bed and breakfast in the beautiful seaside village of El Puerto. The village is only a few minutes away from where she served for two years in a real community development as a Peace Corps volunteer. Her Bed & Breakfast is a named after the village, Casa Del Puerto.
Bonnie, who originally hails from Iowa spent most of their working career in Washington DC, and was delighted to return to Panama after such a long absence, quoting that the locals clearly remembered her from her stint in Panama in the late 1960s. Bonnie’s work in Panama, back then included educating and helping housewives to obtain access to clean running water and nutrition. She was welcomed back by the community and is now fully integrated into the community.
The Bed & Breakfast is literally on the beach and provides a panoramic view of the ocean. The accommodations are well appointed and reasonably priced, complete with hammocks on the front porch, where one can relax and marvel at the beautiful scenery. The decor of the establishment is mostly centered on the traditional folklore of the people of the region, and includes a collection of diablico sucio masks, one of which is over 40 years old and which travelled back to the United States with Bonnie and then again back to Panama.
The area is well known for Pollera dress, which has been a tradition for more than 100 years within the region. El Puerto offers three restaurants all closely situated to Bonnie’s place, mostly offering the seafood delicacies that are so popular in the area. Bonnie’s intentions are to increase the size of the bed-and-breakfast from the current three rooms to contain seven rooms in total due to the overwhelming demand and popularity of Casa Del Puerto.
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