Adios and Hola en Mismo Dias

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Sunday Oct. 14th. A new era in my Panama adventure. My amigos fly out today back to the safe and insane harbor of those united states. In trade my most beautifuy travel companion has arrived. In the morning we headed to the Bocas "International" airport for a short flight into Panama city. A fairly uneventful flight (which is a good thing) back to the city. I said goodbye after a taxi ride from the local domestic airprot to Tocument Intl. All four of us piled into a Toyota Tercel of sorts with full scuba gear and Berny's exotic wardrobe piled in the back. Of course like all other odd ventures in panama with 5 over size men stuffed into a car made for a single 110 pound woman it was "no problem". The tires rubbed the wheel wells the entire 35 min. car ride and we were the focus of many on lookers upon our gracious exit....Later that day (please see pic for clarififcation). My trip has officialy taken a turn (for the better of course my darling), from dirty clothers and swimming suites soaked with rum and balboa to shopping!! My lovely life companion Sarah has arrived in her most engaging fashion. She brings with her the eager desire to seek out all the shops in Panama that accept visa. We took a trip to see the famous Panama Canal and the Miras Flores locks. The locals were very impressed with there new plans to widen the locks and the whole canal, even without the support of the us. It is quite apparent that there is some lingering effects of the states here. Most Panamanians will say the US never really left Panama. It is an interesting topic which will most of the time end up in a discussion of how the us left many mine fields unmarked in the border areas where they occupied. We stayed in the Continental Hotel and Casino and would forego our luck on the tables for some dinner at the wine bar and italian eatery.Monday back to Bocas. We hopped on the small plane back to bocas (just a twin engine prop plane the first venture of sorts for my bride) to find some rain settling in. We dropped our luggage at the house and scooted back into town to pick up the neccesaties (rum, vodka, cheese and crackers). The cosmic crab was closed so we settled on some dinner in town and drinks at the local seafood resaurant. We visited the local park in the center town square. The school band pracitices there (i think) they are a miraculous group of young men playing mainly percussion and a bugle or two. Their sounds echo through the community and let the entire town know they are practicing for the next march. Young kids twirl their drumsticks in the air and others beat out a rythym ( I can hear them tonight on our island as i write this). Back to the house in time to enjoy some rum punch on the porch and listen to the rain fall on the tin roof. We begin our relaxing vacation.Tuesday.... The rain has arrived. It rained for most of the morning quite hard. No wonder it is this green. It did eventually clear and we wandered into town. We hit a few shoops to get a few gifts for those back home and some playing cards just in case the rain does not give way. Tonight we contimplate three important issues. My bug bites (see pics) of which there are about 300 on my body a very conservative number, our future trip plans for the big PA, and whether or not to tempt fate again on a catamaran ride. Some of you may have heard me drone on how Sarah got extremely sick in Mexico on our last boat trip. I am telling her to toughen up, and she is putting a serious dent in my future plans if she can not seem to stomach the sea. She just told me something about the neck steering the head or something i was not quite listening, i think it is a reference from my big fat greek wedding which we watched tonight.That is is it for now. Hasta la Pasta.

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Photos

Bug Bites
Yikes this is my back. Be sure to bring some OFF if you are headed this way (and use it)! It is amazing what a few drinks does to your judgment and feeling sensations.

Adios Amigos
Back to the states for you

At the Locks
A must see

Visa Anyone?
My lovely wife joins me.

Cayucas
A few indian kayaks of sorts... a view from the front porch.

The front Yard
An indian man comes by almost evey day to keep the jungle at bay. They are paid about $1.25 per hour.

Comments

[tina]

Cup of Joe
Andy - what a darling husband you are, I wish I could say the same of mine... he claims you are making a special trip to a coffee plantation to bring back some Panama black gold. Whether or not this is true - I must insist that you bring back no less than a few pounds of some fabulous coffee... Your humble servant at Clear Blue...

[Jean Livingston]

Hola
Thank God, the voice of reason (I think) has arrived to control the insanity! Sarah, I hope you take your job of finding Visa store seriously. You might begin a book...The American's Guide to Visa Merchants in Foreign Countries. And it would make the whole thing tax deductible, Andy! Thanks for the latest installment. Looking forward to the next.

[Jason Livingston]

reply
Hey Andy and Sarah what's up? Nicole and I have been enjoying your blogs. This is the first blog I have ever seen. Hopefully this is the way to respond. Panama looks pretty cool. I can not believe that the workers work for such a cheap price. By the looks of their houses I see they don't have much. You guys must be like millionaires to these people. If you tip them a ten dollar bill it must be huge to them. After hearing beer was only 50 cents I told nicole we should at least seriously consider our options for taking early retirement and moving to panama. She obviously said no way. So instead I will keep crying poverty and drink cheap wine. Well that's it for now beacause i do not know if you are going to get this. Have fun, JASON