Brainstorming sessions here at Los Cuatro Tulipanes are generally organized and to-the-point. And while we tend to diverge from the traditional style of meetings in that large quantities of domestic beers are generally consumed, we do regularly come up with useful ideas that make Tulipanes a better place to stay.

I will take this rare opportunity to defend myself and my eating habits.

Commercial space for rent is getting more expensive in Casco Viejo and we figured it fair to give a shout out to our favorite friends who run great small businesses that don't get the attention they deserve, so that perhaps you'll go there and spend your money.

In sharing an office apartment with him, I quickly realized it was Keenan's belief that putting anything in a refrigerator will keep it from growing old. The refrigerator is like a time stop for him, and once that door closes and the little light goes off, all bets regarding the conventional aging process are off.

When it comes to sneaking onto the set of a major motion picture, finding myself on the set of the James Bond's new film ‘Quantum of Solace' was about as symbolic as they come.

They're filming portions of the next James Bond movie here in Casco which, if nothing else, gives me something new to make fun of.

Moments after I purchased my new juicer, I realized I had been doing myself a serious disservice by living so long without one. It opened up new doors and inspired new ideas not unlike the way some people regard a spiritual advisor.

Casco Viejo real estate is a niche market indeed, and this interview with field expert Patrizia Pinzon of Arco Properties can help educate future investors on what to expect.

It has been my long time belief that living near a historic landmark or large commercial attraction for a prolonged period of time eventually induces a sort of trivial relationship between you and said landmark/attraction. The kind of thing that, when asked by visitors, you'll casually respond to as, "oh, that?"

Not unlike investing in real estate elsewhere in the world or purchasing an expensive car, it makes a lot of sense to try it out before you sign the check. But due to a limited supply, how does one go about renting an apartment or room in Casco Antiguo?

Casco Viejo real estate is a niche market and, not unlike standing at the shore of a murky lake, it's important to understand what's below the surface before you dive in. You think you know Casco Viejo real estate. But you have no idea...

It was not so much a dream but rather a goal of mine to carry around a hammer for a living. As a child, plumbers and painters would regularly come into our home wearing tool belts equipped wrenches and screwdrivers and bolts, but a hammer to me was the ultimate status symbol. The ultimate emblem of power according to The Thor.

Adam stayed here for 10 days so... he deserves two shout outs. As Matt has wrote, there are times at the hotel when we're not exactly busy. Now that's not a good thing at all, but because it's the middle of the low season, we take it with a grain of salt, tequila and some limes.

It was a gloomy Saturday afternoon when Elida, our maid, approached me in a seemingly-concerned state to reveal she had found something alarming in the Mendez apartment.

A friend from college came down here a few weeks ago. Adam is his name, being doctor is his game. Adam is studying to be a Pediatric Gastroenterologist. He's been in school for the past 22 years and he's looking at 9 more. He loves it. He even helped realign my spine and informed me on the benefits of Flaxseed oil. Even better, Adam is blind. He can't even see his patients, he just knows.....

I arrived in Panama with no knowledge of the Spanish tongue. However, for only being here a few months I've made ample progress and as can be expected, hilarious moments are a plenty.

It was during my first week in Panama. Matt went to the gym early and told me to meet him at the Bagel Café. He asked me if I knew where it was and how to get there. Of course I said.

Today I needed to change locks on a set of doors and had planned on using a man recommended to me by a friend. The seventy year old man, supposedly the best of his locksmith kind in Panama, was named Sr. Jaimito which roughly translates to Little Old Man James.

Last weekend Casco Antiguo hosted a festival of the crafts. The day was characterized by scolding hot sun, frantic snow cone salesmen, and some of the neatest crafts I've seen in the country to date.

Whichever of us happens to be in Panama City running the hotel, Keenan and I split time living in the office which is a room slightly bigger than two bowling alleys put together. While not a lot of time is actually spent in the space, we take solace in knowing that while yes, what we live in is equivalent to a shoebox, it is 100% our shoebox. And no one else's.

In the heart of slow season, there is a lot of down time during which I like to bond with Elida the maid. Well, it isn't as much bonding as me trying to think of useful things for her to do during the six hours she's scheduled to work everyday.

For the longest time, I was under the impression that SUNTRACS was a kind of chips. "OK" I'd say to friends arguing so vehemently over them. "So they're healthy and all. But is it really worth shouting over a baked snack?"

Living in Casco Antiguo, I am privy to a lot of things people in the "modern quarter" are not. Things like beer parties at noon on Tuesday, frenzied domino matches that last long into the night, and soccer games that long withstand their ghetto veneer.

So you know what you are getting into before you decide to visit or invest in Casco Viejo, here are 5 good rules that may save you the trip. If any of these apply to you, Multiplaza Mall or Decameron might be better places for you to spend your valuable vacation or investment time.

For two weeks I adopted the job of walking my neighbors’ two cocker spaniels, Kizzy and Ouija. Because the Los Cuatro Tulipanes hotel office is practically next door, I found it no problem, even a bit flattering, that they’d trust me with their two dogs, affectionately referred to as “the kids”.

In constantly searching for ways to better promote Los Cuatro Tulipanes, we were recently approached by FASHION Magazine to be a feature hotel in an article they were doing on Panama. When one editor arrived wearing a cowboy hat and bug-eyed glasses, I knew from the start that we’d never live up to their standards.

Keenan forgot his favorite watch back in the United States, and by the way he spoke of it, I would not have been surprised should the thing have been able to cook dinner. “It is an amazing watch,” he said, the way most people speak of their children or spouses, “and I feel uncomfortable without it around my wrist.”

Amidst all the hype surrounding real estate and renovation in Casco Antiguo, it can be easy to overlook some of the neighborhoods most authentic artists, and no I’m not talking about the guys who strum a guitar then ask for tips, nor the ones who paint larger than life canvases. No, I’m talking about true artists like this one I met just the other day. Frank he’s called.

There’s a man known in Casco Antiguo simply as Bocas. His look is non-threatening like that of a dove and he knows, or at least pretends to know, everything important about the old quarter.

The title of owning a hotel sounds as impressive as that of a racecar driver. And while this isn't exactly a hotel in the traditional sense, the actual particulars of it are about as sexy and glamorous as Victoria’s Secret senior citizen line of lingerie. 

It was a busy week at Los Cuatro Tulipanes and four of the apartments were occupied when Elida the maid called in sick. I phoned frantically the several other maids I knew and trusted, but each of them seemed to have prior cleansing engagements. I even offered a free bottle of Windex, but no dice.