Beach Return

Needless to say, yesterday was not a “fun” day. We traveled back to David for the funeral of beloved Tio Julio. This was the first Panamanian funeral I’ve ever attended. We started in Tio’s house where his body was lying in state. The casket was carried across the street to the neighborhood church for the funeral. The church was not air conditioned which did not make the priest any less long winded but at least he obviously knew Tio well and spent most of his time talking about what a special guy we were honoring. At the end of the service three different groups came up to read proclamations, once gain honoring Tio. It was a fitting send off, if very long in the heat.

Lunch at El Fogon

After squiring the seniors back across the street for a bathroom break I was charged with catching up with the funeral cortege which had left a few minutes earlier. Luckily, they drove slowly and only made one turn. I say lucky because no one in the car knew the way to the cemetery. It was fascinating to watch the busy David streets as we drove along. People would stop what they were doing, remove their hats, and bow their heads when the hearse drove by. I compare that to the States where there would only be a complaint about traffic jamming. We arrived at the cemetery and I was volunteered to help carry the casket down a very narrow path to the family vault.

Tia Loca Next to the Vault

The cemetery was composed of thousands of family vaults, ranging from very humble ones to others looking like small houses. When we arrived at the vault, the cemetery workers took over and inserted the casket into the vault. While the subsequent prayers were going on the workers smoothed a cement seal around the door of the vault. It was so different than what happens back home where all this usually happens after the mourners have left. After the cemetery we took the family out for lunch at my favorite David haunt – El Fogon. While it was more subdued than these gatherings usually are, it gave everyone a chance to be with each other for the collective taking of a large breath once all the details of saying goodbye to Tio Julio had been done; and done well.

Rainy Season has Started
From my Mother-in-Law's Front Porch

My Favorite Panamanian must have been doing a rain dance in order to delay our return to the beach. Tia Loca was in town for the funeral and my wife wanted more hang time with her younger sister. While we were sitting around my mother-in-law’s front porch after lunch some impressive rainy season level storms blew through. I knew it was impossible to ask my wife to move through the rain to the car, even with an umbrella, so our stay was extended. As I’ve written before, despite coming from one of the rainiest countries on earth, my Favorite Panamanian absolutely refuses to let falling rain strike her head. There was an eventual break in the storm and I was able coax her into the car.

Little Chillier Up North
FBR Heading to School This Morning

Sunset Last Night

Large Cloud is the Storm

The rain was isolated to David and we sailed back to beach just before the sun was setting. Our upstairs neighbors returned from their own trip to David ten minutes after we pulled in so the sunset ceremony was possible. Unfortunately the same huge storm that had afflicted David had drifted out to see and covered the sun as it set. We still had some nice colors in the obscuring clouds as well as the lively conversations which is what makes the daily ceremony worthwhile. I was back into my normal morning workout routine today and received an unexpected gift. As I made my way back during my beach walk, fortunately alone, I passed by the first topless sun bather (eminently qualified as well) I’d seen this year. I was trying to what the PCR used to call “’chalanting” it by not seeming too interested. Thank God for sunglasses. Somewhere upstairs Tio Julio is smiling.

Beach this Morning - Obviously No Sunbather Photos
I'm Not an Idiot - Wife Reads the Blog

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course