When writing a novel, there is always conflict. Which means there are good guys and bad guys.
In the Young Adult novel I am writing, some of the action takes place in Panama. I need a good hiding place....and I found one!
A few miles from the Costa Rican border is a sleepy, dusty little town called Puerto Armuelles with a population of 20,000. It is Panama’s only true mainland beach town. Few foreigners live here as it is off the beaten track, at least for now.
Puerto, as locals call their town, is hot. When I was there, the temperature remained steady at 36 C (96 F) during the day. So hot the dogs lie in the centre of the road in a patch of shade and refuse to move. Car drivers, blasting air conditioning if they are lucky to have it, merely direct their autos around them.
In the Young Adult novel I am writing, some of the action takes place in Panama. I need a good hiding place....and I found one!
A few miles from the Costa Rican border is a sleepy, dusty little town called Puerto Armuelles with a population of 20,000. It is Panama’s only true mainland beach town. Few foreigners live here as it is off the beaten track, at least for now.
Puerto, as locals call their town, is hot. When I was there, the temperature remained steady at 36 C (96 F) during the day. So hot the dogs lie in the centre of the road in a patch of shade and refuse to move. Car drivers, blasting air conditioning if they are lucky to have it, merely direct their autos around them.
Because of the heat, Puerto is laid-back. It’s hard to be motivated to move.
The town, founded by the United Fruit Company---later known as the Chiquita Banana Company---developed large banana plantations in the area in 1927. The company built homes for their workers and executives as well as schools, clinics and recreational facilities. Not only did employees have access to these amenities, they were among the highest paid workers in Panama.
The town, founded by the United Fruit Company---later known as the Chiquita Banana Company---developed large banana plantations in the area in 1927. The company built homes for their workers and executives as well as schools, clinics and recreational facilities. Not only did employees have access to these amenities, they were among the highest paid workers in Panama.
Enter labour unions. As they grew strong so did their demands, until Chiquita closed its operations, selling the business in 2003 to an employee cooperative. The agreement required the cooperative to sell its banana crop to Chiquita at less than market price. The cooperative ran up a massive debt even with the help of a government subsidy. A few years ago, the government wrote off the debt, took ownership of the plantations and is now selling off the land. So, yes, there are no bananas!
With money tight amidst a failing economy, homes deteriorated. Many of these abandoned and decaying houses provide perfect hiding opportunities for the characters in my novel.
You can get a feel for Puerto from the photos on this page. Perfect setting for an adventure novel!
With money tight amidst a failing economy, homes deteriorated. Many of these abandoned and decaying houses provide perfect hiding opportunities for the characters in my novel.
You can get a feel for Puerto from the photos on this page. Perfect setting for an adventure novel!
Map of Panama (click on map to view a particular map)
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