1. Start Dates & Hours Purchased
2. Type of Course
3. Can you guarantee that I will learn Spanish?
4. I don’t live in Boquete, Panama. Can I take advantage of this promotion?
5. I don’t have a partner, what can I do?
6. How do I make it happen or still not convinced?

If anyone has any other questions please reply to info@hablayapanama.com and we will get back to you asap. Original details about the promotion can be found at: www.hablayapanama.com/2×1

1. Start Dates & Hours Purchased

You can start classes on ANY MONDAY during the remaining of the year. Monday September 6th just happened to be our first start date. If you didn’t make it, you’re more than welcome to still take advantage of this promotion. To start a group we need 4 students of the same level (we have several on a waiting list for classmates). Those interested are required to purchase at least 60 hours of lessons in September ($250 pp for group lessons in our Part Time Spanish Course for New Residents) and use them up before the end of the year… but one can still purchase 60 hours (or more) in September and use them in November/December for example. These hours cannot be transferred to anybody else and if they are not used up by Friday December 17th (when our school closes for Christmas holidays) then the hours are considered lost. January – March is high season in Boquete, Panama and the school is always completely booked so we cannot transfer on any hours to 2011.

2. Type of Course

You can sign up for ANY OF OUR SPANISH COURSES. You are not limited to our 3 times a weeks, 2 hours per day schedule. If Monday, Wednesday, Friday does not work out for you, we can arrange something else… although we do NOT RECOMMEND taking less than 6 hours of lessons per week, and we encourage students to have at least 2 days of lessons per week (but 3 is better). If you want something more intense (like 4 hours of group lessons per day), mini group lessons, or private Spanish lessons, then you can also apply the 2×1 special.

3. Guarantee about learning Spanish

No. Put straight: learning a new language is not easy. Like everything in life that’s worth it, it takes a lot of effort, hard work, study and overall PRACTICE. So if you are not willing to at least take 6 hours of lessons per week, our general recommendation would be: wait until you are ready to make the commitment. If you are not willing to force yourself to get rid of being shy, not care and make yourself practice, then don’t waste your money (if you are really shy, formal classes are definitively a step in the right direction). If you come to your classes, do your homework, follow your teacher’s advice, and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, then YES, you will learn Spanish. We will put the best teachers and the best methodology that you will find in Panama (in fact, we are highly ranked in Latin America), but if you don’t work hard, it just won’t happen. Motivation and determination, as well as being relaxed and enjoying the process is very important. Seeing the goal always helps: click here for more info about the benefits you’ll receive from learning Spanish.

4. I don’t live in Boquete. Can I take advantage of this promotion?

YES. This yearly’s special: LEARN SPANISH PANAMA! is open to every PANAMA RESIDENT. If you don’t live in Panama, we will also have a special from October 15th to November 15th. If you live in Bocas del Toro, Panama City, Azuero or Coronado, we can arrange a 3 week intensive course (4 hours per day, 20 per week) for only $297.50 (if you have a partner and take advantage of the 2×1… normal price is $595). We have great lodging options in Boquete, Panama at discounted rates for our Spanish students, so as long as you sign up and pay in September, you can do that course in October, November or even December.

5. Can’t find a partner for the promotion?

No worries: we also have a 30% discount on any of our courses. In other words, if you would like to join our 10 week Part Time Course for New Residents (Mon, Wed, Fri, 2 hours per day), the cost would be $350 instead of $500.

6. How to make it happen or still not convinced?

Just pay us a visit. Our offices at Los Establos Plaza are open everyday of the week (Mon – Sun) from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. If you are still not convinced, we would be more than happy to schedule a 20 minute free demo class. Feel free to give us a call at 720 – 1294 or email us at info@hablayapanama.com and we’ll make an appointment for you. If you already know some Spanish and want to sign up then you can fill out our Online Placement Test.

Once again, this is invitation for PANAMA TO LEARN SPANISH!

It has become a tradition for Habla Ya Panama Spanish School, to launch a special promotion every year to motivate Boquete’s New Residents to learn or improve their Spanish. This year, as we are celebrating our 5 year anniversary, we are opening the promotion up to every resident within Panama under the campaign: LEARN SPANISH PANAMA TODAY!

This promotion is intended for anyone who has relocated to Panama and wants to really learn Spanish! At only $25 per week for a 10 week course ($250 in total) come and grab yourself a bargain… these rates are even more than 30% lower than our rates back in 2005 when we first started!

ACT NOW! CLICK HERE TO CONTACT US & TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY… »

So come on, you can do it: join us and learn some Spanish! At the astonishing rate of $4.17 per hour for group lessons (or even lower if you sign up for more than 60 hours) you will only be able to find better deals with Spanish schools in Nicaragua.

Start dates for groups of various levels, of no more than four students per class, will be on the following Mondays during September: 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th.

* BUT IF YOU CAN’T START CLASSES NOW, YOU CAN STILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE 2X1 OFFER BY PAYING FOR CLASSES BEFORE THE END OF SEPTEMBER AND THEN HAVING YOUR LESSONS LATER ON DURING THE YEAR!!!

This special promotion is intended for those local residents interested in our Part Time Crash Course for New Residents but you can also apply the 2×1 offer to any of our other Spanish Courses (be it our Group 4 Course, private or mini group lessons).

If you don’t live in Boquete, but you are a resident of Panama (and you can prove it), then we can also arrange a Spanish learning vacation for you and you can still have access to the rates in this promotion.

Just to be totally clear, 2×1 means: two students signing up for the same Spanish Course. It doesn’t mean they have to be in the same level or group… it just means they have to purchase the same amount of hours and sign up for the same type of class – group, private or mini group.

If you are not able to find someone to take advantage of our 2×1 offer, we also are offering a special discount of $150 if you sign up by yourself for 60 hours of lessons in our Part Time Crash Course for New Residents (final cost would be $350) or a 30% discount if you decide to sign up for any other course.

For our Part Time Crash Course for New Residents, classes will be on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, for two hours each day. Time slots available are: 8 a.m. – 10 a.m., 10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., 1:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Those interested in our Group 4 Course, private lessons or in our mini-group option (couples who want a teacher just for them) have access to other schedules and can decide to have more or less than 6 hours of lessons per week… though honestly, you are throwing your money away if you sign up for less than 6 hours of lessons per week (unless you already know some Spanish and you just want to improve your Spanish). Really, you are better off waiting until you can invest the necessary amount of time… though you will probably have to wait for a couple of years if you want to get an offer as good as this one!.

"Classes are highly practical, lots of conversation is involved, we get straight on to what you really need in the real world, and last but not least: you will laugh and have loads of fun! Click here to Learn more about our conversational approach…"

We know that committing to a 10 week course can be difficult, but come on, the best things in life require a little bit of effort! In fact if you really want to learn Spanish, we won’t deny it, you WILL have to work hard! You will have to practice outside of the classroom and do your homework. On the other hand, we’ll make sure that you have the time of your life! At Habla Ya there are loads of extra activities, many of them included in your course fees which allows you to take advantage of them at no extra cost (such as Movie Nights, Conversational Sessions and Salsa Lessons, and the weekly Panamanian Dinners only cost $5 per person). On top of that, every Tuesday, several of our staff members will be at Zanzibar hanging out and practicing Spanish with our students and listening to live music.

Getting back to the "Academic" side of things, to find out when we have a start date for you (with students of your same level) we need to find out your Spanish Level as soon as possible! How? Very easy…

1. If you don’t know any Spanish, just let us know by contacting us or by calling us, 720-1294, and tell whoever answers the phone: help, I don’t know any Spanish! Make sure to leave your telephone number so that we can get back to you as soon as we know on which Monday of September will be the Monday for those who don’t know any Spanish
2. If you do know some Spanish, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and complete our Placement Test! Also make sure to leave your telephone number and we’ll call you to schedule an oral interview to confirm your Spanish level. After that, once we got a date for you we’ll call you and let you know!

To have access to this offer you have to prove your "Panama Citizenship"

1. Maybe you already studied at our school and you want to brush up your Spanish, so we know you live here… just show up! Make sure to pay us a visit as soon as you can. Remember the first group is due to start on September 6th.
2. Maybe we’ve seen you at Las Ruinas, Romero or Culturas… or at some other place in town: I mean, it’s Boquete, everyone knows everyone!
3. If you don’t think that you’ve met anyone from Habla Ya, then think about a way to prove to us that you live here. It could be with a utility bill… be creative if you want to… all that matters is that you convince us that you are a Panama Citizen.

The only “special conditions” are:

1. You are required to sign up for a minimum of 60 hours (don’t waste your money signing up for less… you won’t really learn that much and we don’t want you to throw your money away!)
2. You have to use the hours that you purchase before the end of 2010. If you don’t use your hours before Friday December 17th, then we’re really sorry, but you’ve lost them! Our school is almost already completely booked for the first three months of 2011.
3. No refunds (but we can give you a credit that will need to be used before December 17th)
4. No reselling allowed, nor can you transfer your hours to someone else!

To round it up, what do you need to do to not miss out on this opportunity?

1. prove that you are a Panama citizen
2. complete our Placement Test, or if you don’t know any Spanish just let us know by filling out a contact form or by calling us: 720-1294.
3. pay us a visit or call us to discuss course/schedule options
4. sign up
5. make payment

To make it worth (acheive a high Return on Investment) and to become a real "Boquete Citizen" then you will have to:

1. show up for all of your lessons
2. study everyday
3. practice
4. practice everyday and study a bit more
5. and once you’ve finished your Spanish course, keep practicing!

And after these last 5 steps, you should be speaking Spanish…

So come on and Learn Fast, Speak Now, Habla Ya!… and become a real “Panama Citizen”…

DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY! CLICK HERE TO CONTACT US… »

And this is why 5 lucky Boquete residents will be able to win a package of FREE Spanish classes @ Habla Ya!

How? Very easy: just follow these two simple steps:

1. Post a comment on this blog post telling us how learning or improving your Spanish will make your life a lot better. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate: just straight to the point.
2. Join our 5 year anniversary celebration this Saturday August 28th starting at 3 p.m. at Los Establos Plaza where the winners will be announced

Comments will be accepted until noon local time of Saturday August 28th, the day of our party!

And what exactly could you win? We will be giving away 5 packages of group lessons for the following amount of hours:

• 2 packages of 20 hours of group lessons
• 2 packages of 30 hours of group lessons
• 1 package of 60 hours of group lessons

The normal value of 60 hours of group lessons for Boquete residents is $500 so it is definitively worth it

We will also have several “smaller” prizes for those who join us for the party and don’t have a chance to post their comment.

These group lessons can be used either in our Part Time Course for New Residents or in our Group 4 Course. This contest is only open the residents of Boquete, Panama (in October we will have a special for language travelers from other parts of the world). These prizes cannot be transferred to other persons and have to be used by the end of this year.

When you post your comment make sure to do it with your real name because that will be the only way to claim your prize on Saturday. We will elect the winners through a raffle and if you’re not there, we’re really sorry but we’ll have to pass on the prize to someone else.

And if you can’t join us, not all hope is lost! On the day of the party, this Saturday August 28th (from 3 p.m. onwards at Los Establos Plaza), we will also be announcing our yearly special that will be running through the entire month of September. Contrary to last years, this year’s special will also be open to New Residents all over Panama.

So looking forward to seeing you this Saturday: LEARN SPANISH PANAMA TODAY!

It will be submitted to the new owners of Paradise Gardens (Jardín Encantado).

You just have to place your full name, hometown and country as a comment on this post and we’ll take care of the rest. Please feel free to forward to other volunteers and those who may have an interest in conservation.

—————————————————————————————————–

Greetings New Owners of Paradise Gardens,

We, the undersigned, welcome you to Boquete and congratulate you on the
purchase of Paradise Gardens!

We, respectfully, request that you consider continuing the original
Wildlife Rescue and Release mission founded by Paul and Jenny Saban.

Paradise Gardens is more than a property. It is the beating heart of the
conservation community here in Boquete. Many of us, and especially the
children, have an emotional attachment to the animals and the grounds.

We believe we speak for:
Sam, the Cockatoo
Monty, Billy, and Manolo, the white faced Capuchin Monkeys
Muffin, the yellow thighed Caquie
Lottie, the Margay
Peeps, the Jaguarundi,

the other animals in residence, and the many animals restored to the wild,
when we say, “Please continue the Rescue and Release mission“. In these
times of ever shrinking wild spaces, it is critically needed.

The volunteers, are available and ready to assist you with all their knowledge, passion and commitment.

Warmest Regards,

Habla Ya Spanish School

With great gratitude and pleasure we would like to share with the entire community of Boquete, Panama our 5 year anniversary!

We are aware that many of you like to plan ahead of time so please write in your diaries that on the last Saturday of August, Saturday August 28th, all of our friends and ex-alumni (and anyone else who wants to party or become a student of ours in the future) are invited to join us at Los Establos Plaza for a great celebration starting at 3 p.m.

In Spanish we would say: “vamos a tirar la casa por la ventana”, which literally means “we are going to throw the house through the windows”… which basically means: it will be a huge party and we would love it if you could join us! There will be yummy food, “make you want to dance music”, drinks and lots of fun for all!

On that day we will also ANNOUNCE our yearly promotion for New Boquete Residents who want to learn or improve their Spanish. As this is a very special year for us, we might end up going as crazy as we did last year, and just might launch another promotion as special as last year’s 2×1 Special for Boquete Residents (at the astonishing rate of $4.17 per hour of group lessons).

If you don’t remember last year’s crazy special, feel free to visit:
www.hablayapanama.com/2×1/

So we look forward to seeing all of you on August 28th at 3 p.m. to celebrate and tell you more about this yearly’s special called LEARN SPANISH PANAMA that will run through the entire month of September.

It’s been 5 amazing years… not only of teaching Spanish but also of learning from each and every student that has passed through our classrooms… wonderful friendships and great times!

So, thank you very much for your time, stay tuned and see you soon!

There were a decent amount of participants that were VERY close (three teams right, one wrong). There was even one of our current students (from Holland) who had three guesses right but his fourth did not get submitted, and when we later asked him he said that his fourth team was Uruguay. Even if we believe him, rules are rules… sorry Michael! He’s OK with it (at least he says so) and he’s really enjoyed the World Cup so far. As a consolation prize for him maybe Holland will win the World Cup!

If no one had got it right we would have made the draw amongst all of those who had three teams predicted correctly, but that is that: we do have two participants who predicted the four teams that reached the semifinals: Germany, Holland, Spain and Uruguay. What looked like becoming a South American showdown turned out to be a major upset for Brasil and Argentina.

So, the two participants that remain alive are Jennifer O’Maley from Wisconsin and Paul Bakker, former Habla Ya student from Holland! It seems that these dutch people know what they’re talking about. Both of their entries came through Habla Ya’s Facebook Fan Page.

Paul’s case is a bit curious one (and a very lucky one!) because the last prediction that he made did not count. The fact is his last prediction was incorrect but his previous one (his last valid one) was on target and that is the one that counts! It seems that this contest is also a bit controversial just as South Africa’s World Cup has been!

Anyways… CONGRATULATIONS to Paul and Jennifer and good luck to you both! It’s going to be like going to penalties as each of you has a 50% chance to win. We will hold the draw (or since it’s just two, maybe we’ll just flip a coin) just after the final match and will announce the official winner of the two week Panama Vacation once we have a new World Cup champion!

We will accept entries until 11:59 p.m. local time (obviously until today Friday, June 25th). In Panama it is currently:

PREDICTIONS ARE CLOSED!

So hurry up and cast your vote!. Vote as many times as you wish: only your last vote will be taken into account!

As a reminder, you will be able to win:

• A 2 week stay at one of Boquete’s hottest hotels: Isla Verde Roundhouses Inn
• A complete package of Boquete’s Eco-Adventure Tours: a rafting trip with Boquete Outdoor Adventures, a ziplining canopy excursion with Boquete Tree Trek, a horseback riding tour and quetzals trail hike with Explora Ya Eco-Tours & Adventure Travel
• 2 weeks of lessons in our Group 4 Spanish Course
• $250 in cash
• The Spanish Language Holiday of a lifetime!

For more information about this contest click here…

So we look forward to receiving more votes and to watching the last games of the group phase as we’ve been doing everyday at Habla Ya!

Boquete, Panama – June 22, 2010. In 2001, the sleepy mountain town of Boquete was shaken out of its slumber by an article in AARP’s Modern Maturity magazine. It named Boquete as the fourth best place in the world to retire, turning the small town into an overnight sensation.

Fast-forward to 2008, when Boquete, along with the rest of the world, was hit hard by the global economic crisis and housing market crash. Of Boquete’s more than 40 planned residential developments targeted to ex-pats, less than half a dozen came to fruition. In the years that followed, Boquete worked hard to retain its newfound prosperity by turning the spotlight on its greatest strengths: its beauty and potential for adventure.

Boquete is now an eco-tourist destination that attracts a younger crowd

“Boquete has everything an eco-adventure enthusiast could want,” says Julio Santamaria, Co-founder, Habla Ya Spanish Courses & Ecotourism. “Unspoilt nature and wildlife, hundreds of birds and beautiful hiking trails in our National Parks, award winning coffee, world class whitewater adventures, thrilling zip-lining tours, hot springs, challenging rock climbing routes and horseback riding tours. You name it: Boquete has it. Boquete is truly Panama’s Eco-Adventure Capital.”

What seemed to be a disastrous turn of events for Boquete is turning into a positive. Tourists come prepared to spend money and local businesses benefit. Tourism also creates a vast amount of long-term jobs and opens the door for the community to flourish in other industries.

“Five or six years ago, the majority of the storefronts on our main street were real estate offices,” says Jay Thomas, Owner, Boquete Garden Inn. “They’ve been replaced by tour operators, gift shops and restaurants. In our hotel, we have seen a substantial rise in people coming to Boquete for eco-tourism and adventure, discovering more and more of what Boquete has to offer.”

Boquete, Panama is hikers paradise

Boquete seems poised for even greater growth with the announcement that Copa Airlines (a Continental partner) is adding direct flights from Miami or Houston to David, a short 30-minute drive to Boquete.

“We established our business here because we believe in Boquete’s potential,” says Jay Thomas, Owner, Boquete Garden Inn. “It offers first class services while retaining its charm. Visitors love it and there is something for everyone in Boquete: be it bird watchers in search of the Resplendent Quetzal, orchid collectors exploring our gardens or adrenaline junkies wanting to zipline through the cloud forest’s canopy or raft our ferocious rivers.”

And as if tourists needed more incentive to visit Boquete, during the first round of the World Cup in South Africa, which ends June 25, several business owners are offering potential visitors the opportunity win a two week language holiday in Panama. Participants only have to predict which 4 teams will reach the semifinals and their name will be put into a draw to win two-week stay including accommodations, Spanish lessons at Habla Ya, and several eco-adventure tours plus cash in hand. Entering the contest is easy: participants just have to post a comment with the four teams of their choice in one of the sponsor’s blogs: www.hablayapanama.com/blog/

About Boquete: The perfect headquarters to explore Western Panama

Unspoilt nature and wildlife, hundreds of birds and beautiful hiking trails in our National Parks, award winning coffee, world class whitewater adventures, thrilling zip-lining tours, hot springs, challenging rock climbing routes and horseback riding tours. Boquete is truly Panama’s Eco-Adventure Capital.

With its modern city infrastructure and small town charm, Boquete is also the perfect headquarters to explore western Panama-the white sand beaches and turquoise waters of the Chiriqui Gulf National Marine Park are only a 1.5-hour drive away. Las Lajas, Playa Hermosa and La Barqueta are some of Chiriqui’s finest beaches and they are quickly gaining recognition amongst tourists. Boca Chica, a quaint fishing village, is the perfect point to grab a boat and jump to the Paridas Archipielago, Isla Secas, Isla Ladrones or even the internationally renowned Isla Coiba, frequently compared to the Galapagos due to its exuberant wildlife and pristine ecosystems. The scuba diving and sport fishing found in the Chiriqui Gulf are certainly world class and they still remain way off the tourist map.

The islands of the Chiriqui Gulf are just a step away from Boquete

As most of the tourist infrastructure of the province of Chiriqui is located in Boquete, visitors prefer to return in the evening or after a couple of days to the town’s fresh mountain air, breathtaking views, welcoming accommodations and great restaurants. Thanks to its 1,200-meter elevation (3,600 feet), the area’s microclimates deduct 10 crucial degrees (average temperature is 60° to 80° F or 16° – 28° C) from the lowland’s heat allowing visitors to come back to a more pleasant atmosphere.

About Habla Ya, Spanish Courses & Ecotourism

Habla Ya Spanish Courses & Eco-tourism, founded in 2005, is Panama’s premier Spanish school and one of the top specialist Spanish training institutions in Central America and is internationally renown as one of the leading providers of Spanish courses in Latin America. http://www.hablayapanama.com/

Media contact: Evelyne Meyer, Head of Marketing & Sales, Tourism Generation, Inc. evelyne@hablayapanama.com, + (1) – 315 – 254 – 2331, + (507) – 730 – 8344, + (44) – 020 – 8144 – 2785

• A 2 week stay at one of Boquete’s hottest hotels: Isla Verde Roundhouses Inn *
• A complete package of Boquete’s Eco-Adventure Tours: a rafting trip with Boquete Outdoor Adventures, a ziplining canopy excursion with Boquete Tree Trek, a horseback riding tour and quetzals trail hike with Explora Ya Eco-Tours & Adventure Travel
• 2 weeks of lessons in our Group 4 Spanish Course
• $250 in cash
• The Spanish Language Holiday of a lifetime!

Stay tuned for more details about the contest. In the following days we will announce the name of the hotel where the winner will stay at, as well the list of tours that he or she will be able to enjoy in Panama’s Eco-Adventure Capital: Boquete!

Once the first round of the World Cup ends (June 25th) we will no longer accept any more entries. Feel free to change your mind: your last guess is the one that will be considered and after a couple of games your favorite 4 teams might be others! But you would be so cool if you could just guess at your first try!

* Restrictions for the winner’s stay at Isla Verde apply: 2 weeks are only available during the months of September and October. During the rest of the year, only 1 week can be granted. The prize cannot be transferred and needs to be used by June 25th 2011.

So I booked my flight to Panama and the next week I was landing in Tocumen Airport. After picking up my luggage and going through customs, there was a driver called Bladimir waiting for me with a sign with my name on it: easy and no fuss at all. 30 minute drive through modern Panama City, over the bay and enough time to stop for a bite in a trendy restaurant in Casco Viejo. I took my time to admire the colonial feel and walk the cobbled streets with churches full of art, kids playing soccer in an abandoned monastery and a group of old men talking politics in the park’s benches.

It’s only 1 p.m. so there is still time to see the Panama Canal before catching my 4:00 p.m. flight to David. Bladimir makes nice conversation and he tells me tales from another time about Gamboa, Coló, and the Canal’s treaties. Finally I have to say goodbye to my first companion of the journey and I take my 45 minute flight on one of Air Panama’s new aircrafts. I was told that I could also take a bus to David, but as it takes around 7 hours and I only have 10 days of vacation I decided to fly. Even though I thought I would miss some of the beautiful countryside views, I wanted to make the most out of my time in Panama!

At David’s airport Gerardo is already waiting for me. I identify him by his smart Habla Ya polo shirt and we head off to Boquete. After a beautiful 40 minute ride up the road to Boquete (1,200 m above sea level), we make a quick stop at the school where I have a glimpse of the activities of the week (I like what I see). I’m also given some reading material to cover before class on Monday and I sit down to enjoy a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

I can already start feeling how special this place is: everybody is smiling and chilled, the temperature is nice (nor hot nor cold), the skies are blue and the sun is warm, I can see a rainbow over the river and the mountains are covered with greens of all shades. I’m at peace and I decide to find out what is scheduled for tomorrow: an out and back hike to the Quetzals Trail, so I sign up for that.

Now it’s time to go and meet my host family (although I could have also stayed at a Boutique Hotel such as the Boquete Garden Inn or even a Luxury Resort). I get to their house and they were all there waiting to greet me, just like my own family would! We had a fabulous meal and we spent the entire evening looking at family photos. I can’t thank them enough for how they made me feel… I really felt like a part of the family!

On the next morning I was picked up at 6 a.m. Our guide was Álvaro and besides me, there were another 7 Spanish students: a great way to start meeting people! Álvaro gave some explanations in English, French and Spanish, and put lots of emphasis on how quiet we needed to be in order to spot a Resplendent Quetzal. It was our lucky day: as soon as Álvaro started calling the birds we saw five of them perched up in an old tree in the midst of the cloud forest. I instantly realized why everyone wants to see a Quetzal and what’s all the fuss about: it’s a truly magical experience.

After a 5 km hike we had lunch in the middle of the Quetzals Trail in a place called Mirador La Roca. It was nice having a picnic with people from all over the world after such a gorgeous hike. On our way back we got lucky again and saw another two quetzals.

Once I was back in my host family’s house I decided it was time to have a look at my welcoming pack: a nice map of Boquete, advice on how to learn Spanish and motivational material to get students inspired to work hard! We shared a tasty hot chocolate and then saw a movie.

On Monday I paid the school a visit around 10 a.m. after visiting one of the town’s most beautiful gardens called Mi Jardín es tu Jardín. The first thing I noticed is how the school is really well organized, things are clean, feels cozy yet proffesional and everyone in the staff was happy to meet me and they addressed to me only in Spanish (which was a little difficult to deal with at first, but as the days went by the Spanish started coming along more natural!).

I talked with Swan, the school’s Customer Experience Director, and arranged the rest of my extra-curricular activities during the week, and I also had a chat with Roy, Habla Ya’s Volunteer Director, and I decided that I would go and volunteer in Paradise Gardens for a day. It really got my attention how many possibilities there are for having excursions near and in Boquete: no wonder it’s considered Panama’s Eco-Adventure Capital. It’s really great that one can do tours during the morning when the weather is nice, and then have classes in the afternoon (during Panama’s rainy season – May to November – it’s more common for it to rain the afternoons).

After lunch with some fellow students and Habla Ya’s staff, I started my group lessons. My teacher Ericka was great! Everyday at class we would chat a little about travelling in Panama and before I knew it, we were already having a conversation in Spanish (as much Spanish as I could speak, of course). I will never forget how great it was to have Spanish classes everyday! My Spanish definitely got better very quickly by having my host family speak to me in Spanish and having the wonderful teacher that I had!

There was a Social-cultural activity during every night of the week. I particularly enjoyed the Panamanian Dinner and Poker Night at Hostal Mamallena. We also watched a cuban movie called Habana Blues (which comes highly recommended) and we really had a blast after class on Thursday, when we went to Zanzibar’s Charity Quiz and Theme Party (crazy hats was for me). They were all great oportunities to immerse myself a little bit more into the language and into the town’s personality! Many of the staff people at the school ended up being partners in crime as I discovered all the fun things to do in Boquete! Everyone was so friendly and wanting to have a great time.

Besides the lovely coffee, the staff, the Spanish School and the Spanish classes, I really enjoyed doing a couple of Eco-Adventure Tours in Boquete, Panama such as Zip Line Canopy Tour and Whitewater River Rafting which were simply amazing! I can hardly believe that I was zipping down the cloud forest about 50 meters above the ground level. AWESOME!

I also went to the Caldera Hot Springs after some Horseback Riding in the valleys. I can’t describe enough how beautiful the place is and how relaxing it was! We had a little bit of what they call around here “Bajareque” which is a misty rain, very light, almost absent but you can feel it and in combination with the Hot Springs it was a sublime experience…

At the end of my trip I spent two nights in paradise: at Isla Paridita in the Chiriqui Gulf National Marine Park. Five private beaches with white, gold and black sand, turquoise water, colorful fish and coral… bliss. I sea kayaked, hike the islands hidden spots and ate fresh sea food. One day we went to see dolphins and it was so special.

I just love how everything was set up perfectly for me. I didn’t even have to pay in advance! I just signed up, bought my plane ticket and that’s it. Habla Ya was wonderful and they took care of everything!

Since I was having such a great time, I thought about rescheduling my return flight but that would have meant me loosing my job. The only downside of my Panama trip was that I had a very difficult time departing from this enchanting place. I had so much fun studying Spanish, going out with my new friends, dancing and doing some really amazing Panama tours. Just walking around town gave me a great sensation of being in a very cozy and peaceful (“cozy” is my favorite word so far to describe Boquete).

I have such a strong desire to some day make it back to Boquete, Panama. I have so many new Spanish speaking friends and I’m taking home such beautiful memories. Panama has a very special place in my heart and I will always remember the great Spanish Learning Holiday that the Habla Ya people gave me… it makes me want to learn Spanish all over again!