Yep. That’s where I found myself yesterday evening to celebrate the First Friday of the Week. I’m guessing that will need some explanation. Festivals and or “ferias” are almost non-stop in Panama so when my Favorite Panamanian suggested we attend a local one with our upstairs neighbors I wasn’t surprised. Since we’ve been looking for a way to celebrate finally become legal motor vehicle operators here in the tropics. She’d heard about the festival from a fellow yoga class attendee. I’d learned earlier this year that Las Lajas has a sizable German and Italian immigrant population – color me surprised.
We drove up to the festival location along
a back road about a half mile east of Las Lajas and found a small event called the
Huella Festival. Huella means footprint or imprint so I can only guess the
origin of the title. We walked in and found a large backyard that had been
converted with a couple of fireplaces which were happily cooking typical Panamanian
fare and a series of tables and seats. There was a Panamanian band blaring away
at typical Panamanian decibel levels. I noticed there was a much higher percentage
of gringos among the 40 or so people standing around. In short order my Favorite
Panamanian was happily talking with one of the Panamanian cooks as if they’d
been friends for years. It’s what she does.
Last Night at the Festival With Our Neighbors
Wife with Neighbor and my Beer
I secured a couple beers as it was the
First Friday of the Week and we settled in to watch the goings on. An older German
lady walked up and introduced herself the host and owner of the location. She
teaches eco-farming to the locals and runs a farm herself. A little while later
another lady walked up to introduce herself as an American expat from Seattle.
She’d been wondering who we were as we were obviously not natives. It turned
out she lives just down the beach from us. She was very happily living year-round
in Panama and had no interest whatsoever returning to the States. There’s probably
a story there. 
Festival Grounds
We sat down for dinner and fully
realized just how much we were missing the steady breeze we enjoy at the condo.
Great Aunt reminded me earlier this year of the first letter she ever received
when I first arrived in Panama in 1981. It stated, over and over again, just
how hot it was. I was taken back in time last night as we sweltered, even after
the sun went down. I still classify it as a definite win though as we met some interesting
people and I mentioned the First Friday beers, didn’t I (even though it meant having
to endure a spousal drive back to the condo – inside joke there). 
Wife Started Some Sort of Craft Project with Neighbor
Beach This Morning
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 3rd 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
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