Touching Ground

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Touching ground in a new country is electrifying. Although I enjoy the whole experience--my curiosity, sometimes apprehension, about the person sitting next to me, the low rumbling sound when the captain starts the engine, and the aerial view of the land below--something about touching ground really excites me. Such is the case for touching ground in Panama.

Like past times, I was ready to assume my role as (humor me here) the savvy traveler, but more importantly, as a temporary resident of Panama. With a college semester’s worth of Spanish and two immersion weekends behind me, I was ready. Well, well, well… I had to tweak my readiness a bit. So now there is a new readiness about me. It comes with a new favorite statement, “habla mas despasio por favor.” Yep, you said it right. Speak more slowly please. In Panama, like in many Latin American countries, Spanish is spoken with a swift tongue. All the syllables seem to latch onto one another without ever letting go. It didn’t take much for me to notice this. After an extended transaction with the nice smiling man who collected the entry fees and who spoke almost no English, and with the customs officer who could have spoken to me in English, but instead spoke Spanish at my request, I decided that habla mas despasio por favor was the way to go. Needless to say, by the time I exited customs and headed outside to search for a taxi, I knew just what to do.

My ride from the airport was quite adventurous. My driver, Leonardo, had never heard of my destination nor its address. So, he did what any sensible Panamanian taxi driver would do (as I’ve come to realize), he called for directions. That didn't help much though. We drove around for quite a while before we finally found the place. Leonardo was polite but visibly frustrated. I imagined that my trip probably took him away from making another fare. For me, the little segways and detours gave me an immediate sense for the varied and plentiful flora in Panama. We drove past giant bamboo trees that I proudly recognized. We passed tons of other trees, a few of which I recognized from the U.S., and which I embarrassingly had no clue about their names. I also spotted several handsome birds. Our being lost not only exposed me to rare species of birds ans greenry, but it also exposed me to the warmth of the Panamanian people. We stopped at least five people and asked them for directions: two military guards (armed mind you), a curbside vendor, a housekeeper, and another taxi driver. They were all eager to help us. I’m sure that there some clever quote out there about encounters when lost, but my situation was so refreshing that I made up my own quote. It goes, “the best way to learn about the natives of a place is to approach them for directions. If they all try to help you without hesitation, then you’ve landed in a place of good graces." Corny, I know.

I finally arrived at my destination, B&B La Estancia, to find that the owners, Gustavo and Tammy, were waiting for me. They knew that my taxi driver had difficulty finding the place, so they kept an eye out for me. This couple is as charming and as beautiful as their domain.

La Estancia is nestled in a secluded, and much protected, area of Panama called Ancon Hill. While giving me a quick tour of the hotel, Gustavo explained that Ancon Hill is designated as reserved property by the Panamanian government since it is home to a wide array of plant and animal species. He mentioned that there are monkeys, sloths, and various birds making their home here.

At 654 feet from the bay, Ancon Hill offers a 360 degree view of Panama City; ultimately the best view of the Pacific Ocean side of Panama. Small wonder that the place served as a hub for the US Military in Panama. The military occupied the area from the Panama Canal construction era until 1999 when the canal was given over to Panama. Gustavo also told me that Panama’s president sometimes holds meetings in the Security Council building, a building that is within visible distance from La Estancia.

After checking in, and after a nice warm shower, I called for a taxi and departed for one of the causeways for dinner. My driver this time was an older gentleman by the name of Senior Rubio. Senior Rubio and I had a lengthy but insightful conversation about Panama. He had worked for the military as a civilian and had much to share about his experience and about Panama. The senor is also a Rotarian businessman and a well-respected man in Panama. I was not at all surprised since I suspected him to a retired professor or something of the like.

All in all, my reaction to Panama is que bonita!

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