The Bocas Breeze
Just wanted to post a quick note thanking The Bocas Breeze for re-printing the Hola! Guide article titled “A Guaymi/Ngabere Language Lesson” both on their website and in their printed version.
Click to read the June 2009 issue of the Bocas Breeze, including the article from Hola! Guide.
May went by in a flash! Time for some traffic stats and awards.
Traffic Stats — May 2009
We saw some improvement over the numbers in April, and hope to continue growing over the coming months. Please help us out by spreading the word about Hola! Guide. If you’re interested in promoting Hola! Guide (read: earn $$), contact us for more information.
Awards — May 2009
Current award categories include: highest rating during the calendar month and most views for the calendar month. As time progresses, we may add more categories to our awards list. Monthly winners will receive an award badge to put on their website, blog, etc., like the one below.
Hola! Guide Award
Our May award winners swept both categories in the same exact order. Congrats to Bocas Water Sports, Bocas Yoga and Hotel Lula’s! Keep up the great work!
Highest Rated Businesses On Hola! Guide
1) Bocas Water Sports — Scuba Diving (Bocas Del Toro, Panama)
2) Bocas Yoga & Massage Center (Bocas Del Toro, Panama)
3) Hotel Lula’s Bed & Breakfast (Bocas Del Toro, Panama)
Most Viewed Businesses On Hola! Guide
1) Bocas Water Sports — Scuba Diving (Bocas Del Toro, Panama)
2) Bocas Yoga & Massage Center (Bocas Del Toro, Panama)
3) Hotel Lula’s Bed & Breakfast (Bocas Del Toro, Panama)
If you’re business is listed on Hola! Guide, ask your customers to check out your profile and leave reviews. Who knows, your business might be a winner for the month of June!
Located right off main street in downtown Bocas Del Toro, Panama, the Bocas Condos Hotel is truly your home away from home. Built by American engineer and owner/operator Jim Ansay, the Bocas Condos Hotel is a beautiful three-story complex with 18 different studio and 1-bedroom units.
Guests of the Bocas Condos Hotel enjoy many amenities including:
The Bocas Condos Hotel staff is very friendly and helpful. Local Bocatorranean Iveth Mitchell manages the hotel and is happy to help guests make their time in Bocas Del Toro one to remember.
Nightly rates for the Bocas Condos Hotel start as low as $20 (depending on # of guests and length of stay). The combination of amenities and value at the Bocas Condos Hotel is hard to beat!
For more information about the Bocas Condos Hotel, check out their Hola! Guide profile:
Bocas Condos Hotel — maximum value and comfort in Bocas Del Toro
Rigoberto - Bocas Del Toro, Panama
Over the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know a number of members of the Guaymi (pron. ‘why-me’) indigenous culture. The Guaymi, also known as the Ngäbe (pron. ‘naw-bay’), are mainly concentrated in the Western Provinces of Panama and the Southern Part of Costa Rica. Their history is rich and dates back many centuries. Through all of my interactions with the Guaymi peoples, I have become deeply fascinated with both their culture and language. So much so, in fact, that I have learned to speak many basic words and phrases, which help me communicate and bond with members of the Guaymi.
The Guyami language, known as Ngäbere (pron. ‘naw-bay-ray’), is part of the Chibchan language family and is only spoken by roughly 250,000 people. Ngäbere sounds very different than any language I’ve ever heard and from my limited knowledge of it, seems to have a very basic grammatical structure. Also, from what I gather, the Ngäbere language does not have a written form — it is only meant to be spoken.
I thought it would be fun to document and share some of these Ngäbere words and phrases with the hopes of encouraging others to strike up a conversation with members of the Guaymi. In my experience, it is quite a bit of fun to say hello to a Guaymi stranger in their own dialect — you should see the look on their faces when they realize you’re speaking their language!
All the words and phrases below are spelled out as phonetically as possible. Some of them may not be perfect, but these words should be a good start if you want to learn some Ngäbere!
General Conversation
Bocas Paradise Hotel & Cafe
The recently opened and brand-new Bocas Paradise Hotel & Cafe gave Hola! Guide a sneak peek at their new hotel brochure. For more info on the Bocas Paradise Hotel & Cafe, click the link below.
Hostel Heike
We’d like to welcome the Hostel Heike to the Hola Guide directory! Hostel Heike is a hostel located in downtown Bocas Del Toro, Panama.
Hostel Heike is located right smack dab in the middle of all the action on main street in Bocas Del Toro. On top of having a great location, Heike offers guests free wi-fi and free breakfast for each night’s stay.
Hostel Heike is extremely popular with travelers coming through Bocas, so if you’re visiting Bocas Del Toro on a budget and looking to meet some fun and interesting people, check out Hostel Heike — you won’t be disappointed.
For more information about the Hostel Heike, check out their Hola Guide profile:
Hostel Heike — Clean, fun and cheap hostel in Bocas Del Toro, Panama
Bocas Yoga & Massage Center
We’d like to welcome the Bocas Yoga & Massage Center to the Hola Guide directory! The Bocas Yoga & Massage Center is a brand new yoga studio with a separate massage room and bookstore in Bocas Del Toro, Panama.
Bocas Yoga is the first and only traditional Yoga studio in Bocas Del Toro. Classes, some of which are led by instructor and owner Laura Kay, include Hatha Yoga (beginners), Vinyasa Flow (intermediate) and belly dancing! Bocas Yoga is an open and welcoming environment for Yoga students and practicioners of all ages and skill levels. Get over to Bocas Yoga and get started!
For more information about the Bocas Yoga & Massage Center, check out their Hola Guide profile:
Bocas Yoga & Massage Center — Yoga Classes & Massage in Bocas Del Toro, Panama
El Ultimo Refugio Restaurant & Bar
We’d like to welcome the El Ultimo Refugio to the Hola Guide directory! El Ultimo Refugio is a bar and restaurant located in Bocas Del Toro, Panama.
El Ultimo Refugio is a wonderfully delicious restaurant located right over the water in Bocas Del Toro. Katherine, the chef/owner of the restaurant, takes great pride in serving dishes with the freshest local ingredients. Consequently, the menu at El Ultimo Refugio changes regularly, so eating there more than once on your vacation is not a bad idea! On top of that, they serve delicious drinks and desserts (watch out for the peanut butter pie, it’s unbelievably addicting).
For more information about the El Ultimo Refugio, check out their Hola Guide profile:
El Ultimo Refugio — Bar & Restaurant in Bocas Del Toro, Panama
Hotel Lula's Bed & Breakfast
Hotel Lula’s recently announced a Summer Surf & Stay Package for travelers visiting Bocas Del Toro. Details below:
15 June to 15 Aug.
3 day lessons with 5 nights stay is $499.00*
4 day lessons with 6 nights stay is $599.00*
5 day lessons with 7 nights stay is $699.00*
*Includes tax and breakfast, accommodation in a private room with 1 double bed, private bath with hot water, air conditioner, ceiling fan, WIFI access, free use of a community kitchenette, surf lesson, surf board, instructor and transportation to and from the surf break. (A 10% deposit is required at the time of booking)
Bocas Condos Hotel
We’d like to welcome the Bocas Condos Hotel to the Hola Guide directory! The Bocas Condos Hotel offers studio and 1-bedroom units for short or long-term in Bocas Del Toro, Panama.
The Bocas Condos Hotel is a brand new 18-unit complex located right in the heart of Bocas Del Toro. They have studios and 1-bedroom units with kitchens, free wi-fi, air conditioning, satellite tv, clean water and much more. They’re rates are reasonable and their staff is friendly!
For more information about the Bocas Condos Hotel, check out their Hola Guide profile:
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