We met the owner and his wife of one of the fincas that grows some of the top geisha coffee. The next day, we went driving to see if we could find it since it was near Paso Ancho where our Airbnb is. It's up a very steep rough road. He had said we would need 4×4 to get up there. He wasn’t kidding. What do ya know…. When we reach the driveway where it says Finca Santa Maria is, we stop. There is a vehicle following us that stops as well and lo and behold the wife gets out. Owner Edwin drives up in his old Land cruiser pickup. They seem enthused to see us and gracefully invite us to follow them into their farm. They give us a tour of their processing equipment and the office and the cupping room with much espanglish. Edwin then takes Ty and I all over the finca in his old truck. He owns land from the river at the bottom to the top of the mountain with the road running about halfway in between and from there they hike up or down. When we get back to the office, his son, who went to Oxford and speaks English, was there and had made a little coffee for us to try. Wow! What an experiencia!

Shayne and Cindy are from Texas. This is their first trip to Panamá. We told them about the Argentina restaurant here called Panamera. They ended up going there for lunch, talked about going fishing, the owner's wife, Marcella, knew someone and got it all arranged for them. They went fishing the next day, caught some fish, and brought it to Panamera where Oscar prepared the fish. We happened to be ’off roading’ and driving through rivers out behind Volcán, whichever way behind is. Ty turned on his phone just in time to get a message from Shayne the Texan inviting us to Panamera for fish. So we turned around and found our way out to the highway and pulled up just in time to enjoy the sashimi and two differently seasoned cooked fish. Absolutely delicious!

It's so small and quiet, we fell in love with it immediately. We stopped for lunch and to check out a mall in David half of which was just one big Walmart-like store on steroids. I thought American consumerism was bad but this was a whole nother level. Going uphill on the way home, the Jimney was a bit gutless but it was much better than having the tail of the Mitsubishi swinging around behind you. Tyler booked an Airbnb in Paso Ancho which is maybe 5 minutes out of Volcán. We couldn't check in till 3 so we went off roading in the Barú National Park. Took a trail through a magical forest with lots of strangler fig trees. They are similar to banyan trees and just so cool. Under the shade of the trees grew coffee plants. Next, we took a trail through the tall grass that wound it's way around a bluff and ended up on this knob that the car and us just barely fit on. Actually that's a bit exaggerated but the wind was blowing with gusto and we held onto each other lest one of us went skydiving without the other. Backed down until we could turn around. Finally called our Airbnb host as we had not got directions and it was high time to find us a home. She had to look it up as she had not been notified that she had guests for tonight. Thankfully the house was ready and her father who lives behind brought us the key. It is an adorable little house. We loved our other casita but this is even better even without the view.

Today, we took a mountain road that turned rough but we kept going to test the abilities of Jimney and see what was around the bend. Google maps didn't even show it but maybe it would put us out on another highway somewhere. 🤷🏽 There were fences around farms and we came upon a village after awhile and a few other scattered houses and farms and fields of coffee. We only met one pickup that we had to wriggle around. And what do you know, we ended up at a blue gate that said it was some finca (farm) with geisha coffee. So we turned around about the time the skies let loose. Thankfully, it only rained for a bit. I got a little freaked out that we'd get stuck back in there. I timed us coming out. It took an hour to get back to the main road. We're pretty sure it took us longer going in and we were pretty ready to be on-road by the time we got out but it was completely worth the drive to be back in where it was relatively untouched by human hands. Ferns were abundant, thick vines draped around the trees and everything was moss covered. Here and there, water seeped out and down the cliffs where the road had been cut through.

For lunch today, we were driving along and stopped at a restaurant we found in La Concepción. Tyler ordered a dried out pork chop and I was the smart one going with the fried fish. I found myself staring down into the eye of a beautiful red snapper. It was seasoned wonderfully and maybe slightly breaded. I was quite delighted at how the fish flaked nicely off of the bones. It was delicious along with the rice and lentils and one piece of sweet plantain for the finale.

PS Last night, we ate a delicious dinner and went to pay. They only took cash and we realized we were slap out of cash. Ran around town trying to find an ATM but our US card wasn't appreciated anywhere. Went back and asked if they took PayPal. No. ‘You can come back tomorrow.’ and she waves her hands like ‘no big deal.’ WOW! So today, we got cash and paid our debt. Now, I feel free again.

Otherwise, we've stuck with our policy of taking back roads as much as possible. We've been down some very rough roads in lieu of looking for land that's for sale. We have enjoyed our fondas, the little typical restaurants which are usually just part of someone's house, I believe. Our first breakfast was $10 for pork chops and hojaldre at La Shalom where you sit on their front porch amid lots of plants. It's a very green house feel. Mid afternoon, we got empanadas for ‘lunch’ for $4 something. Accendo has been an almost daily stop. Get their geisha washed pour over if you ever go …. If you love coffee anyway. Your taste buds will be delighted. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour Taylor and Amber Eidse gave us of their coffee farm. They've got some gorgeous views!

I can sit on the deck of our casita and hear different kinds of birds…or watch the hummingbirds…or gaze at the hills around. And all the different cloud formations are kind of insane… At times, the mountains are shrouded in an ethereal mist that mysteriously wraps it’s tentacles around here and there. Also the sunsets have been gorgeous, setting the sky ablaze with crimson and gold and orange.

Got our vinyl shakes ordered and they showed up sooner than expected. (Meanwhile, I got a fun and relaxing trip to Florida with my mom in our little diesel beetle. Biking and beaching in the sun is my idea of a whole lot of fun.) To get the same color of trim, we would have had to order a whole kit that would have been far more than we wanted so we decided to pick a color that they had in stock so we could buy it by the piece. White seemed the best choice and as the windows are white, it's already in the color palette. It's a bit time consuming with having to cut all the angles but it's a small enough area that it went on pretty fast.

Got both sides done. We just have to do the bit above the hitch yet.

Our first try was screwing a big screw through the end cap into the stringer and then soldering the pipe onto the cap. Well it wasn't working very well and now some of our wood is black with character.

We decided it might work better to use bolts and solder the nuts onto the inside of the end caps and then once the caps were soldered to the pipe ends, we could just put it in place and screw the bolts through the drilled holes in the stringer. But the nuts were not willing to be soldered to the copper. 😤 So Tyler did some more research and him and JB Weld saved the day! Now we have one beautiful handrail.

And I found just about the right amount of somebody's leftover siding for sale on marketplace. It was obviously from his vacation house that was on the lake as he said he didn't actually live there and it took a bit to coordinate a time to run the hour up there and get it. We got one side done and it looks really nice! We've got to go buy a couple more corner and j channel pieces from the supplier but we were stoked because we got it for a great deal!

We were looking for more of a slate blue. We hope to get vinyl shake siding in something like a cedar color for the loft area and we think this ‘stone harbor’ will look amazing with it!

We folded a strip of flashing over the top edge and Tyler screwed on boards for scaffolding to help navigate the steep roof.

Then came time for the metal. We ran to Lowe's with the borrowed old pickup and made our decision and purchase. Back at the shop, Tyler got on the roof and screwed on the first row of metal while I took it up to him on the lift piece by piece.

Tyler split 2×4s, cut notches into the rafters, and added them to the roof framing where we'll need supports to screw the metal to. And we folded flashing over each side and nailed it on as a final defense against moisture or dust or aliens or whatever.

The dealership in Murray that we've been talking to took our Subi. For less than we wanted out of it but we needed to sell it and now we have the funds to completely finish out this tiny dream.

I bought a teak shower mat on the auction one weekend. It was exactly half of the shower floor space so we bought another one for full price on good ole Amazon and tada! we have our shower floor. We just gotta figure out how to build the shower pan underneath it. My Ty has some brilliant idea though so I'm sure it will work out nicely.

Saw some vinyl tile advertised on marketplace at a flooring store in Mayfield so went to check it out and yes it will work beautifully for the shower walls and will create that cozy moody space I'm envisioning. I can't wait to see it when it's done.

I've also spent a lot of time and thought on how to make the closet come together beside the toilet. After talking it through multiple times with Tyler, I think we got a plan that should work exceptionally.

I'm also still working through exactly how I'm gonna execute the kitchen cabinet/counter. I've started but it kinda got pushed to the side for the moment.

*Shawna's kitchen in Walnut Hill served up some scrumptious soup and biscuits.

*Fernweh Coffee Roastery…a coffee shop in Mary Esther, Florida which I was drawn to for the name. We had some good pour over there.

*Stewby’s seafood Shanty had finger licking yummy seafood!

*Slurped deliciously comforting pho at Pho Pier 77 in Panama City Beach run by a couple who barely seemed to know English.

*Grabbed an intoxicating apples and brie crepe and a totally fine Americano that got better with age from The Press Downtown in Panama City, FL.

*Tamara's On The Go….a cute little food truck across the road from the dock along the Appalachicola River in Appalachicola, FL. Well, technically I think it's on a creek that meets the river right there. Tyler got the raved about Cuban sandwich and I got the blackened mahi mahi sandwich. It was amazing. Anyway say the name of that town as fast as you can 100 times and let me know the result.

*We drove up to After Hours Cofé in Perry, FL, parked, and entered the building to find 3 people lounging on chairs and chatting. My first thought was ‘Did we walk into someone's house?’ Nope. The older lady who makes all her own syrups is retired and this is her hobby. Pretty awesome! They found out we were from KY. ‘O yea! I've been through KY before.’ Of course, it was the eastern part but hey that's great! The dairy free option she had was an iced coffee with coconut milk. Delicious!

*Atmosphere in Sarasota, FL. The Most Amazing Brick Oven Pizza Ever. A margherita and a romana which had anchovies. 😍 Washed down with an overpriced bottle of sparkling water.

*Palma Coffee, also in Sarasota, was a little coffee shop. Their precious floor space was packed, the sign of success. I got a cortado 2 mornings in a row but I am going back someday for just a shot of espresso. It's incredible flavor profile slipped subtly through the cortado.

*Had to give Versailles Cuban Cuisine in Miami a visit. While we waited along with the other 50 people who wanted to eat, we walked through their bakery and tried not to slip in the saliva pooling at our feet. We dined on one of our favorites-pork chunks and tried the palomilla steak along with all the good ole fried yucca and boiled yucca in mojo sauce, sweet plantains, and last but not least, exquisite flan Cubano for dessert.

*Cachito coffee and bakery…. I asked if he had cuban coffee. No. Cuban coffee is just gross burnt coffee with milk and sugar added so it tastes ok. He roasts his own coffee and he's very picky about it but if we don't like good coffee, there is a place across the street that has the inferior cuban coffee. Yes we agree even though we do like cuban coffee. He gives us an espresso shot on the house. THE BEST ESPRESSO SHOT EVER! It wasn't over extracted. It wasn't under extracted. No sour flavor. So we got another one and a chocolate croissant.

*Punto Criollo in Coral Gables was a cute little Venezuelan cafe where we got an appetizers sample platter that we thoroughly enjoyed. And I got to practice my Spanish. Bonus point.

*Pupusas in Fort Myers, FL. A Salvadoreña neighbor lady of my friend Whitney makes pupusas to sell on Saturdays. Whit picked them up for me and we devoured them with enthusiasm after we got to her house.

*Los Taquitos Va-K is the best taco truck in Fort Myers. Get lengua tacos and a jamaica. You'll never be the same again.

*Bananas Foster perfectly executed by chef Kenton and eaten with gusto.

*Turmeric Indian Bar and Grill in Sarasota delivered a nostalgically fine dosa but the sambhar left a lot to be desired.

*Sago Coffee in Jacksonville, FL delivered a wonderful Ethiopia Yirgacheffe.

*Ambrosia Kaféneio by The High Country Greek….we shared a sample platter which was full of Greek delicacies. Delicious! Water and tea were free and self serve. Had a nice chat with the owner and got a baklava to go.

*Camp Coffee Roasters-Blowing Rock, NC…. Sipped a hazelberry latte. A delightful concoction of hazelnut, blueberry, espresso, and milk. What's not to love?

*Bald Guy Brew Coffee Roasting Co-Boone, NC… I was searching for a good pour over. Almost gave up and just settled for an Americano but am I ever thankful I didn't. In a bit of a rural area on one of the many winding roads, I found a modern little ‘shed’. There were a nice amount of people sitting around and enjoying their coffee. I walked in and asked if they did pour over. Yup that was the only thing they had at this location as this was their roastery. 💯% worth the search.

*Thai Moon at Blowing Rock was a cozy little Thai restaurant nestled in the side of a hill. Enjoyed every bite of the duck wontons, sushi, and nigiri.

You will find Cafe Babu on an unassuming street just south of downtown. With Greek and Indian inspiration, it has it's own unique vibe. It seems to be popular. When we visited, it's small indoor space was packed. On a beautiful day, which this wasn't, you could have enjoyed the additional outdoor patio. I had a bs latte. Brown sugar and star anise. Absolutely one of the best lattes I have ever had. Not too sweet and my almond milk was frothed to perfection.

Haraz Coffee House is a Yemeni respite in the heart of the city. Looked like it was a middle eastern hangout. A section of their menu is dedicated to ‘traditional drinks’. We got one called ‘Harazi Mufawar ‘. Coffee, cardomom, and cream. Amazing! The perfect accompaniment to the long way home. We definitely have to go back and try more traditional coffees as well as their pastries which I gather are delicious.

Mom had some walnut stain leftover from her porch swing so I did a little treat piece on the one of the strips we had cut off. We liked it. Tyler ran to town and got a 6” hole saw and cut two holes for the lights before screwing it above the kitchen.

I asked a guy I had previously messaged on Facebook about some tires he had listed if he could get us the specific size we needed. He checked with his sales guy and yes, within a couple days they were ready for us to pick up. So we drove, round trip, an hour and a half. We could have bought the exact same tires online for double the price. Weren't we lucky… Tyler went and changed the tires. He says it's a more stable now which is no surprise as the old ones were just longing to burst. I also bought a kitchen faucet that's with over $200 for $30 on this weekend’s auction and I got home and opened the box and it actually lives up to it's ‘appears new’ label. So I'm very happy.

AD BELOW 👇🏽 FOR SALE

‘21 Subaru Outback. It comes fully loaded with everything the Onyx edition can bring to you … a moon roof, Star Tex on the seats which is Subaru's better than leather material, etc. Btw…the seats are deliciously comfortable! This is an adventure car for adventuring in style. We've car camped in it, we've blazed trails in it thanks to Subaru's Superb all wheel drive System, we've fit an amazing amount of stuff in the back, we've put a hitch on it and pulled a small trailer across the US with it. We're super sad to let her go but we had to choose this or that and we chose that so here's this.

If you might be interested, leave me a message here and we'll get in touch with you. Depending on the deal we work out, camping stuff may or may not be included minus the kayaks in the first picture. As of now, she resides in Kentucky but is ready for a road to anywhere.

I finished painting the door and frame. With much maneuveration and a bit of frustration and a lot of determination, we figured out how to attach the hinges to the frame at almost the right place though two of them had to be moved a tad and rescrewed so they could be screwed on the door at the correct place. Then came the move to the door way and we had to do some adjusting and trying to figure out which way to move what so the door could close properly and squarely. And my paint job was scuffed up a bit but that's ok. It's in and I can touch up later. A used door sure isn't the easiest thing to try to refinish and reuse but it has character and a full pane of glass so I'm not complaining. Mom had a door handle she bought for $11 at trade day in Mayfield so I did a trade with her for one of the little touchless automatic trash cans I bought at the online auction. There was a decent smart lock on yesterday's auction and we bought that for less than a quarter of the new price on that specific one. So now we just need to install those on the door and it will be functional.