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Published: October 10th 2010
(June 26- July 2, 2010)
Once we were back to Panama City there was only a day and a half before Jeff had to leave. So we only had one real day to do a couple of the major things that we had planned.
We headed out early Saturday to take a ferry ride over to Tobaga Island. There are two ferries out each morning and two back in the afternoon. But according to everyone there’s not much on the island so it wasn’t really an option to stay there all day with the boys. We wanted to take the first morning ferry out and then right back again. Miguel was sure they would laugh at me when I bought tickets to go out and then straight back. They didn’t laugh, but I did definitely get a strange look, they said that we could do it, but not to get off the boat.
The whole idea of the trip was that on the way we would be quite close to all the big ships waiting to go through the canal. It really was a great view. Nathan loved it, but it was really cool for all of us
and the island itself looked lovely as well. And I only ended up a bit seasick.
After getting back we headed to the canal to watch ships at the Miraflores locks. We got there just in time to see the last ship of the morning go through the canal. It was super cool to see the way the locks worked. The ship goes into different sections and each time they have to wait until the water rises to match the other side that it will be heading into. It’s quite complicated (which I suppose is to be expected) and I didn’t really get it until I saw it.
After walking through the museum and watching the movie presentation which had some interesting information about the canal, but seemed like it was somehow mostly propaganda about how great it is (and the new part will be) Miguel came and met us and we headed out to their lot to plant some fruit scraps. Nathan wanted to help with some planting, so they planted a pineapple top amongst various other seeds. Then everyone else headed home so the boys could nap and Allie and I went with Kendi and Miguel
to watch the U.S. play Gana at a Lebanese/Mexican restaurant.
Sunday was mellow. Most people went to watch a World Cup game at a restaurant full of crazy fans while Elissa, Trudi and I walked with the boys down to Mi Pueblito to check out the artesania. Mi Pueblito is a bunch of small artesania shops done in the style of the most prominent ethnic groups of Panama. It’s very charming. Of course, when we got there all the shop keepers were huddled around a tiny TV. with rabbit ears in the center gazebo watching a very fuzzy version of the game. Whenever we went into a shop that person had to leave the group, and run over to us to help out. I felt kind of bad dragging them away from the game, and then it started to rain. At first it was just a sprinkle so we keep wandering, but then it started to really come down and we gave up. We sprinted across to the restaurant and stayed put eating patacones while it poured.
When the game was over we called the others and asked for a ride since walking back with the boys wasn’t
The Gang
Photo from Uncle Donreally and option in that much rain. Just as well, because I wasn’t wanting to be in it either. Jeff headed home that afternoon and the rest of us lazed around.
Monday we headed out on the adventure of visiting Casco Viejo which is an older downtown area that was built after the other, even older, town was burned (leaving the ruins we saw the first week). It is clear that this part of town was not in very good condition (my guide book says that it had “deteriorated into an urban slum”) but now they are trying to fix it up and you can see the restoration projects going on everywhere. They say you still have to be careful, and I’m sure you do, but I thought it was quite pleasant. The old building were very cool and after driving in circles to look for parking we got a chance to wander around and check it out. We spent some time in a church just sitting and taking it all in, then we headed for lunch and finished up with some delicious ice cream.
The rest of the week is kind of a blur. We did lots
of shopping in artesian markets, hanging out at the apartment. One night Aleyda, and Alejandra and her boyfriend came over for dinner. One night we grilled on the back patio and Kendra made the best chickpea cutlets ever. They were so good I had to buy the cookbook and have made dozens of them myself here at home. One night we went to see a terrible movie at an awesome theater that had leather recliners as seats and you could push a button and have someone bring you snacks. We didn’t try that service, but the seats were very comfortable.
I had been really wanting to buy some books for the classroom (can’t go anywhere without hauling a duffle full of books back home). Actually, I like picking up books in Spanish that aren’t just translations from English and that are different than what I can get at home. Miguel had been saying that he would take me to a place to get cheap books, but he hadn’t been able to get off in time. I wanted to just go, instead of waiting until the last minute, but he wouldn’t give me directions and insisted on going with me.
One day he called and said he was on his way to pick me up. Elissa came too and we were on our way to buy books in the sketchy (but cheap) part of town. As soon as we walked onto the street Elissa and I both let out a sigh. We looked at each other and were like, “Now this is the Latin America we know!” We were so happy, it felt like home. The next comment was, “We have to bring Allie here!” It was the Impiales (in Quito) of Panama City. The street was pedestrian traffic only, filled with carts of goods, mostly bootlegged music and DVDs blaring against each other along with other random items and lined with stores selling cheap, oh so very cheap things.
The first place we tried was an alleyway called Salsipuedes (“Get out if you can”) we found some booksellers, but it was mostly text books for school. So we kept trying until we came up with some stores that sold other options. I think I bought about 50 books. I left quite content. Though, I will admit I was less happy about the book buying when I had
to haul the all of them through the airports going home because if would have cost me to check another bag. We also picked up a Spain jersey for Allie.
The next day we told Allie to leave all her money behind, headed down the hill, grabbed a taxi and took Allie for a ride without really giving her much say in the matter. After checking out a new artesian market we’d seen but not gone in the day before (and seeing our first crucifixion scenes on molas) we headed down the same way we’d gone with Miguel. We stopped and some stores along the way looking for and buying some soccer jerseys and then made it to Salsipuedes. I took Allie down the alley while Liss went to make an exchange from the day before. Allie was a good sport and went into the cramped and stuffy alley with me, but she walked down and back up the other side without slowing down. I tried to get her to stop and buy something, but it was a no-go.
Another day we went to the zoo. It was not nearly as disturbing as the one in El Valle,
but it was not without some majorly sad looking caged animals. We did, however, get to see a Harpy Eagle and lots of things quite up close which was fun for the boys. There was a playground along the way and Nathan made friends and played teeter-totter with a Panamanian boy. For me, the coolest part of the day was Kendi explaining how the amazing markings up the side of the trees were really termite trails. She has lots of termite stories!
We stopped to hang out at another playground for awhile and Elissa and Allie also invented a rousing game that reminded me of that gladiator game show on TV. Kendi and I had to yell out trivia questions (Panama related if possible) and they got to advance towards each other standing on these posts in the ground. Then when they met Elissa shoved Allie off. In their defense, Elissa warned Allie that was they way it was going down, but I don’t think Allie really believed it to be true—until it happened!
Friday morning, most of the group took off for the airport at 4:30am so it was just Allie and I left waiting for our
later flight. Kendra and Miguel had stayed the night at our rented apartment and so after packing up, they took us to watch the Netherlands vs. Brazil game. We tried one place but it was crazy packed so we headed to the Hard Rock Café. Sadly, Brazil lost and that did not make for a happy Miguel. They took us to the airport and we caught our flight and made it home without incident (unless, of course, you count me fighting with and sort of chewing out the airline lady in Spanish and then having to lug 40 pounds of books and miscellaneous crap around for hours an incident).
Overall I’ve got to say that this trip was way crazy fun! I’m so glad that I got to go instead of paying for kitty dental work. I had a blast seeing Panama, if only a small bit of it, it was enough to make me want to go back and explore a lot more. Also, it was nice to stay in such luxurious and beautiful places, the kind of places I’d never get to stay on my own. And I had so much fun with the family. I think
that mostly we did a fantastic job of getting along for such an extended period of time, and I seriously have so much fun with them. Sometimes it’s good to have traveling not be such a solitary adventure. The logistics of traveling with such a big group is a challenge, but I liked having reasons to laugh out loud all day long, every day. I am feeling very blessed at the end of this journey.
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