Brian Stoll met me slogging up the road toward Boquete Tree Trek Mountain Resort. I’d been walking about 40 minutes when I heard a car approach, and not thinking he would stop, stuck out my thumb. Brian pulled over, and with an easy smile, said hop in. He asked about my travels, and by the time we were seated for lunch overlooking the immense canopies of trees and occasional zip liner, I felt like old pals. He shared about his work on Vamos! and how he missed his wife, a Russian lawyer who had returned to Moscow to be close to her 20 something son serving in the military. He had been waiting for years for her to move to Boquete. Ironically, she had been the one to suggest they move there from their home in Los Angeles.

Over the next few weeks he made time to hang out with me on a daily basis. That was no small thing as he was in the middle of a huge remodel, turning a humble building across from the Feria de las Flores y el Café into Vamos!, a stunning, tasteful bar and taco place with a lovely back garden. He confided how important it was to make this place a community gathering spot, attracting people with live music, dancing, and a friendly atmosphere. He was also in the process of building a state of the art brewery and spared no expense in getting the best equipment available.

A local man worked diligently to transform that humble building, building beautiful planter boxes and a trencadís, a lovely mosaic of broken tile, out in front. I saw big improvements every time I stopped by. I remember how he transformed the back garden, adding a gurgling wall fountain, wooden tables and benches hewn from local lumber, and a high fidelity sound system. He loved music, especially Reggae. Bob Marley was king. Brian was a Southern California surfer dude through and through. I’d find him out in the back with a beer and cigarette, listening to the rhythmic beats of Jamaican rap.

Through a series of twists and turns, I ended up staying with Brian. Richard had been a kind host but had maxed out on having visitors, and said as much. I briefly stayed with a Swiss/Afrikaner couple (2 nights), then wondered whether it was time to leave Boquete.

That’s when Brian stepped in. After our chance encounter on the road to TreeTrek, he made time to hang out with me on a daily basis. That was no small thing as he was in the middle of a huge remodel, turning a humble building across from the Feria de las Flores y el Café into Vamos!, a stunning, tasteful bar and taco place with a lovely back garden. He confided how important it was to make this place a community gathering spot, attracting people with live music, dancing, and a friendly atmosphere.

He regularly did acts of kindness without being asked. He knew I loved a good latte and took me up the steep windy roads of Alto Quiel to Boquete Coffee Estate/Finca Lerida. We sat on the deck overlooking the beautiful valley below, tasting amazing coffee which was grown on the premises. And we came back a week later with his friend and had a delicious breakfast at the La Brûlerie, a fancy restaurant located at Lerida.

When he found out about my birthday, he surprised me with a wonderful drive to the narrows along the Caldera River. We body surfed down the river – or rather I did, while he hung out. Then he introduced me to El Rio Encantado, a lovely mountain retreat with immense grounds and a large pool. As if that wasn’t enough, that night he took me to a lovely dinner at Ngädri Gastronomía Panameña.

And when he found out about my love for tropical plants, he took me on the long drive to Cerro Punta, telling me of a mysterious orchid nursery that housed Dracula orchids. We arrived at the gates of Finca Dracula, and I was swept into the world of specialty orchids and stunning botanical gardens dripping with mist and mystery. I’d never been treated with such kindness. That was the kind of person he was.

He was funny and liked to laugh. He loved Gato, his ancient kitty, and did all he could to make her life comfortable to the end. While I was staying she had a kidney infection and ended up peeing all over the house. He wasn’t angry, just concerned.

I had a mishap while in Boquete. I was invited to stay with a couple, and then summarily asked to leave without being told why. I racked my brain to understand what I’d done to put them off, and blamed myself. Seeing my distress, Brian invited me to stay over, offering his sofa out of respect. He told me to forget it and tried to reassure me that I wasn’t at fault, trying to distract me from my self recrimination.

When I finally left Boquete in mid September 2023, he said I was always welcome. He gave me a ride to the bus stop in David and we hugged goodbye. I dreamt of the day I would return to see the fruits of his labor and his joy at manifesting his dream. Little did I know the finality of that goodbye.

We checked in every few weeks on WhatsApp.  He’d send me videos of the torrential rainy season, news about the restaurant and events, and appreciation of his employees. The following year I drove all the way to Puebla, Mexico, and shared my fears of being stopped by narcos and federales. He said you’ll be fine, just use common sense. That was all I needed.