Thirsty?

Toza is in Aguadulce, 45 minutes away from Los Olivos and host to our mangoes and limes.  Aguadulce means “freshwater”. The legend has it that it was so named by Spanish sailors who, after months of drinking salt water, were happy to find a well of freshwater.  

Why is Toza important? Location, location, location.  The Panamanian authorities are currently planning the construction of a deep-water port to provide shipping facilities for the Pacific side of the country.  Currently, the only ports are located in Colon and Panama City.  

The Farmer´s Hat

Did you know?  The Panama hat you see around is not the Panama, but made in Ecuador.  It was made popular by President Teddy Roosevelt during the building of the canal.  The traditional hat here is called El Sombrero Pintado, the painted hat, and is usually worn by farmers. But it is not only a hat, it is actually a way for the men to express their mood or characteristic about their personality depending on how the brim is rolled.  

To give you but a few examples: 

• Rolled brim in front and back is for successful men, also synonym of masculine beauty. 
• Rolled brim in back is for intellectuals with large knowledge on a specific topic. 
• Rolled brim in front is for men ready to conquer a woman´s heart. 
• Both brim down don´t have any meaning; it is just to protect oneself from the harsh ray of the sun. However, if the hat is inclined towards the front of the face, it means that the person is sad or struggling.  

The tradition is so strong that when a man who has been wearing this hat passes away, the family will buy a new hat to bury him with, while the family keeps the one worn as a sign of respect.   Hats off to you señor.