Expect the Unexpected!

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(Barb) The Purple House is a pretty neat place..Almost everything is a shade of purple. I think it's cool, especially since that's my favorite color! Andrea, who is originally form NYC, is the manager and the mover and shaker of the place. She was a Peace Corps Vounteer stationed in David who always wanted to open a hostel. When she opened the Purple House it was the first in David and the second in Panama. It seems to be a very popular place, clean and hospitible. Nice galley kitchen. We have the only private room with a bathroom. Air conditioning is $5 a nite..available 12 hrs...if you want it started at 7 pm..it goes off at 7 am. Hot water is $2 extra for showers. The air is a blessing believe me!
After we arrived we went to the Super 99 which is a very nice modern grocery store and bought some groceries....we haven't really found any kind of food that we have been crazy about yet (except the empendadas which are fried and the omelettes)..so Skip decided to do some cooking. He made rice, chicken and beans and we shared our meal with Greg the guy we mentioned earlier. He was grateful and offered us the groceries he had bought to make pasta to us but we paid him for them. He was an interesting guy. He was gone when we got up Wednesday, headed for Costa Rica.

Wednesday morning found us drinking coffee outdoors and chatting with a guy from NYC. He has traveled all over and was giving us some good stories. I drank 3 cups of coffee and had 2 toast with peanut butter. Skip offered to cook eggs but I told him I was not really wanting eggs.
You see from all we had read and even learned from the Health Dept. nurse who gave us our shots before we came here (shots not required but recommended) we were under the impression that our biggest problem would probably be needing Imodium AD but alas the oposite happened and I needed help. Skip was starting to have problems too. I had to ask Andrea what to ask for at the Pharmacie at Super 99...she had no idea as she never had the problem. She is completely bilingual, so she asked if I minded her asking the Spanish lady who cleans here. I said ok and she told us...Andrea wrote it down and off we went to Supper 99. I had to stand in line ...there always seems to be a line at the Super 99 by the pharmacie and at the check cashing. The lady smiled at me when I handed her my little note and gave me 4 pills in a blister pack and indicated to take 2. Cost: 60 cents. Skip bought some prune juice and we went back to Purple house to spend the rest of the day 'in waiting' ….I realize this is a very personal thing...and I hope no one is offended...but I thought I should include this because it is something to think about when traveling...bring both Imodium AND Correctol!!! We did a lot of reading on Wednesday!! But all is well that ends well ...and it did!

Also while waiting in line I saw the prefect mirror in the automobile section of Super 99 and Skip bought it and duct taped it...YES duct taped it, to the side-mirror holder....the one that got broken in Chitre. We simply cannot find a Suzuki dealer anywhere (and we looked online too) so we have to jerri-rig this mirror thing. It works so that's all that counts. Our car rental saga will be coming as soon as Skip completes it...buyer beware!

Another thing I wanted to mention that is kinda funny....I know a little French and Skip knows next to nothing except merci and oui. Well we keep using French instead of Spanish...for instance...when I order an omlette with veggies, I'll say omulet avec vegtales....duh...avec is French for 'with'...or we'll say Merci..oh no..I mean Gracias!!! It's kinda goofy but it keeps happening and we both crack up over it. Just thought I'd throw that in.
Ok..it's now Thursday morning and we are ready to do some exploring...See ya later gater!!!

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Comments

[Kathy]

Glad you cut loose, Barb. I know how painful it can be....... Sounds like you are getting around just fine.............