Tropical Abandonment for Icy Welcome Home

Truly bittersweet to leave David and my parents in law's house which really started to feel like home. The oranges and grapefruit falling grenade like on the tin roof didn’t even wake me up the last couple nights and I also learned to sleep through the tireless roosters of David which are truly legion. I'll miss my constant trips to the Chinese run corner convenience store where I was consistently impacting on their supplies of diet coke (coca cola light in panama) not to mention my good friend Atlas.

It's the people I'll miss more than anything and especially the remarkable members of my wife's family. As usual they made me feel so welcome and bent over backwards to tolerate the big gringo in their midst. Each time I come to Panama I feel more at ease and at home. This was my longest stay in a while and the longest I've gone speaking Spanish exclusively as well. I got to the point I was ordering my meals without help and conversing with store clerks.  At times I even found myself thinking in Spanish which is reassuring in consideration of my future plans.

My Completely Awesome Brother In Law Dropping us Off at the Bus Station

My brother in law gave my wife and I a ride to the bus station on Wednesday morning where we hoped to catch the 10am bus. When we showed up, after the inevitable delays while my wife accomplished some last minute errands, there was a long line that looked to fill even the huge double deck 10am bus. My wife stood in line while I guarded luggage and she secured seats on the 11am bus. The Panamanian bus system runs pretty efficiently by their own standards. Since so many people wanted the 10am bus, as soon as they filled up another bus they sent us on our way, leaving David at 1045. I had to perform my usual contortions to fit into the seat but another benefit of the weight loss made the trip entirely more bearable than past efforts.

The Line for Tickets

As soon as we got on the road they popped in a series of three movies dubbed into Spanish. Kind of weird hearing Tom Cruise hiding forth as a Latino and after Jack Reacher the next two movies were too bad to even consider watching.  The InterAmerican highway between David and Santiago is in just terrible shape with gaping pot holes which brought traffic to crawl a bunch of times.

Inside the Bus Watching Cruise

I spent a lot of time gazing out the window watching the beautiful Panamanian countryside flow by.  It's the height of the dry season so everything was pretty parched and brown but the mountains were spectacular in the distance. There were numerous spots where some of the Panamanian "Indios" took advantage of one of the ubiquitous potholes to set up a roadside booth selling trinkets including their colorful long dresses. You also see a dramatic range in the houses along the road ranging from palatial to primeval. There was even a small castle with drawbridge that seems to have fallen on hard times. I took a bunch of pictures during the drive and I'd like to share the with you.  Take a drive with me down the InterAmerican Highway from David to Santiago, Panama:



The Castle

The bus always takes a. 45 minute meal break in Santiago. I think it might have something to do with the free meals provided to the bus driver but it is a welcome leg stretch after three hours. There was a large open air lunch platform for the passengers as we waited for the trip to continue. Apparently our bus was operated by a Panamanian relative of a character my mother used to call John P. Madbastard because we'd caught up to that 10am bus and we eventually passed it and arrived in Panama City a full half hour before it, so kismet!

The Santiago Break

The closer you get to PC you really sense the immense population and energy of the Capitol. I find it hard to recognize the city each time I return because of the seemingly endless construction going on. I was able to glean memories from the few landmarks remaining from the American Canal Zone where a young lieutenant cut such a wide swath in the early 1980s and discovered his destiny along the way.

Searching for a Cousin in Albrook

We got to the bus station and I asked the wife where we were supposed to link up with her cousin. Apparently that insignificant aspect was never discussed between them and we spent the hour successfully avoiding each other over the vast mall attached to the bus station. After linkup was eventually effected and we made out way through the always entertaining Panama City traffic we assembled a representative collection of family members at a nearby restaurant deep in the heart of the casino district.

Found!!! (After an hour search)

In the Casino District

My wife's brother in law was a no show which surprised us until we learned there was some kind of drama with this usually ebullient personality. I was a little bummed by his absence since he has a lot of construction experience and I wanted pick his brain about a certain future house.  He is also a lot of fun to hang out with.

One Last Family Dinner

I said goodbye to my wife early Thursday morning because my cousin had an clearly morning meeting a work which meant I was dropped off at 630am for my 1145 flight.  I was initially concerned that my usual go to restaurant in the terminal was gone (remember Panama is always under construction) but I eventually found a state of the art food court hidden above the gates and all was well. That is except for the only reading material left was the Angelica Huston autobiography which is fascinatingly unreadable for long stretches.

My First Sight of the Good Ole USA - YIKES!

The flight was awesome and I had the entire row of seats to myself.  I cannot remember the last time I’ve been on a flight where that has happened.  I didn’t argue with the space which was a great way to spend the five hour flight.  I didn’t look out the window for a few hours but when I did I was kind of shocked (although I shouldn’t have been) when I saw a series of ice flows off the New Jersey coast.  It kind of brought home that my tropical getaway was truly over.

My son was waiting for me when I walked out of the terminal and as we walked to the car I was screaming like a little girl at the cold.  Well, that might have been an internal scream (not going to show weakness in front of the first born son).  My son cheerily opined that I was lucky since it had significantly warmed up prior to my arrival.  It was 23 degrees, for God’s sake!

My Wife Snapped This From the Top Floor of Her Bus as They Crossed Panama Canal

We stopped for dinner where we learned via daughter text that my wife had arrived back in David and she even sent me some pictures to show her beautiful country one more time.  She got the double decker bus this time and spent the trip in veritable luxury which made me feel a little better about the sacrifice she made accompanying me to Panama City. 

I Have it on Good Authority There is a Driveway Somewhere Under There

I was a little optimistic about the snow as we approached the house and then we turned onto my street all the hopes were dashed.  I swear I live in some sort of snow funnel.  We parked down on the street and slogged through the snow to the house (the plants all survived but my wife has already demanded photographic proof).  I got the trusty snow blower out and cut a path through the two foot drifts at the base of the driveway that had prevented entry.  It really brought home the fact I wasn’t in the tropics anymore.  I can’t wait to go back.

I Miss Panama

Davidian Pre-Deployment Day

Yesterday was my last full day in my wife’s home town of David.  It was also the hottest day of the visit which put everybody in what I call the “siesta zone”.  There wasn’t a lot of physical activity going on.  I checked the weather back home and it was literally a ninety degree difference, 5 degrees there and 95 here.  I’m not sure I’m entirely prepared for returning to that type environment, especially after all the snarky comments I’ve made here over the last couple weeks while sitting out the vortex in Panamanian paradise.

I spent the morning packing and then we took my mother in law out to lunch.  She loves to get out and about but since her husband’s infirm state she’s kind of  been trapped at the house.  She’s the only one that can reason with him and he gets extremely nervous if she’s out of the house for any extended time.  We returned to El Fogon and had a very pleasant time.  I could tell she really appreciated the break.

My Lunch Dates

The afternoon was spent out on the front porch where my wife says she spends most of her time during her visits.  There was almost a constant stream of people walking by and several stopped by for extended conversations.  It was always a lively exchange and I got a real sense of neighborhood.  I think the US was something like this before we were all imprisoned inside our houses by technology.  This also afforded my wife the opportunity to tackle the roving shave ice guy for a treat.

The Victim of my Wife's Ruthless Attack

My brother in law took all of his sisters and I out for a farewell dinner at Gallardo’s where I had the best steak I’ve had in years.  There were a baffling number of drinks as well as I drank in the exceptional comraderie that is always present when I’m hanging around with these people.

The Gallardo Crowd

I'm Not Sure Why; Alcohol Was Involved

And We Had Boy George Looking Out for Us!

My brother in law picked up the tab which was substantial by Panamanian standards.  It was more than my sister in law paid for the new metal parking space cover next to the house. 

The New Double Car Port Which Cost Less than Our Meal

I’m really going to miss these people.  Today I have my necessary trip back to Panama City for the flight tomorrow to the frigid USA.  This is probably the last blog post from Panama as there will not be time or internet connection tomorrow morning.  The next time I write will be a little chillier and in deep regret for my tropical snarkiness.

Tacking Frontiersman

Yesterday was another restful day in Panama until the PanaGals asserted themselves for an afternoon run to the Costa Rican frontier.  Earlier in the day the wife and I took a drive into the center of David.  My wife’s elderly father has always played the weekly lottery but since his health declined he’s been unable to make the trek into town to get his beloved tickets.  Usually one of his kids will try to purchase his tickets for him and yesterday was our turn.

Downtown David - Lottery Vendors in Shade on Right

I’m not exactly sure how the lottery system works, my wife has tried to explain it to me with limited success.  All around the sidewalks of central David there are vendors selling lottery tickets for minimal prices.  My father in law has some favorite numbers so we had to visit a number of booths until we found someone with the right numbers; I still don’t understand it.

My Wife Finding the Right Numbers

The trip into town was interesting to show how much David has changed (along with the rest of Panama).  Traffic is much heavier and near the center of town most of the traffic lights have been removed.  When I commented that they could use a light at an intersection we’d been stuck at for a while, my wife said there used to be one.  No one paid any attention to the light so they removed it and there were fewer accidents.  It still made for some interesting and eyes closed (for me as a passenger) decisions.

Traffic in Central David

After returning home to recover some of my shattered calm my wife reported that we were going to take the short trip to the Costa Rican border in the afternoon.  I hadn’t been up there in over thirty years so I thought it would be interesting.  My wife also said we would be accompanied by her sister and two of her sister’s friends.  I thought this was weird and asked why they wanted to come.  My wife reluctantly revealed that there were some great shopping opportunities in the border area (warning claxons started pealing in my head at that moment).

Coordinating the activities of four Panamanian ladies is not a task to be taken on lightly.  We went to pick up one of the PanaGals only to find the road blocked by construction.  After several attempts to find a way around the block my sister in law grabbed my hat and told us to wait while she walked in.  The only problem is that she left us parked right in the intersection where people were trying to get around the detour. 

This was another failure in US-Panama relations based on the number of dirty looks this dumb gringo got by cars trying to maneuver around us. The gals eventually arrived and we set off in search of the final member of our traveling party only to hear a desperate shriek from my sister in law.  She had forgotten her cell phone which was cause for a minor emotional breakdown until we agreed to return across town to police it up.  Apparently there are some very important personal calls (mysterious pilots?) that she didn’t want to miss.

We then made our way once again back across town and met up with the final member who’s car we were taking.  We parked at one side of a parking lot and she was at the other.  After five minutes of waiting, a linkup was arranged and we were off to the border.  I was surprised as it was only a thirty-five minute drive from David, I thought it was further.

Costa Rican Side of One of the Border Malls

The border itself was very interesting.  A series of duty free malls that have grown up on either side of the entry point and these were surrounded by what could only be described as shanty towns of small vendors, bars, and houses.  I don’t think the Panamanians are that worried about Costa Ricans sneaking into their country and vice versa.  You go into a mall on the Panamanian side and can exit directly into Costa Rica.  Instead of greeters there were solders on each of the doors.  There are two roads paralleling each other along the border with numerous un-policed crossing spots along the way.  You can literally dodge between countries if the traffic is too bad in one. 

The Border - Car on Right is In Costa Rica While Picture Was Taken in Panama

The PanaGals immediately launched into shopping mode while I took in the sights.  We were so traversing a seemingly endless maze of shops that wound through and around the malls and was never really sure what side of the border we were on.  This endless warren of booths reminded nothing more than an Arab souk where vendors ply many of the same things to a constantly passing, over heated crowd. 

Inside the Souk

Overall it was pretty tacky.  Cleanliness was not an important aspect for the owners and there were some fairly ominous looking flows of liquid making their way down the street at times.  Each hallway we walked through also had beggars, women in native garb, holding out cups, usually with a baby accompanying them.  The hopeless look in most of their eyes was semi-rending and allowed a brief prayer of thanks for my own place of birth. 

Panamanian Side of Border

I had steeled my soul for the inevitable shopping time the PanaGals would require but had hoped there would be some more interesting sights to take in. We wandered around for a few hours with my wife sampling more than a couple of the food vendors.  At one time I was carrying a half finished coconut with a straw in it so she could consume a freshly bought and rapidly melting ice cream cone.

My Wife With Her Costa Rican Coconut

And Then Her Ice Cream Cone

We ended up walking into a bar that was also a children’s swimming pool resort that had a huge metal scorpion on the roof; that was kind of cool.  The day wasn’t a total loss shopping wise as all purchases in this border area are tax free and there were several places that had top quality stuff for reasonable prices.  This will come in handy when we have to stock up our future house hopefully next year.  There were even top notch selections of large LED TVs that I already have earmarked for the home theater.  The wife was more circumspect but did latch onto a certain refrigerator.  I had to throw cold water on her purchase plans by reminding her we had to get the house built first.

The Cool Metal Scorpion (Okay it might be an attempt at lobster but a scorpion sounds so much better)

My Wife, Assisted by the PanaGals, Selects Our Future Fridge

I was eventually able to extricate the PanaGals from their shopping mecca and we started back to David.  The PanaGals decided to try another route back which was fine since I would get to see more of the countryside.  The thirty-five minute trip evolved to an hour and half with their short cut but they are an entertaining bunch.

The Main Entry Point to Costa Rica

Costa Rican Side of Border

We passed through a number of small Panamanian villages and the vast sugar cane fields owned by the Carta Vieja rum company.  It was a side of Panama I don’t get to see very often but a reminder of a completely different life style.  We eventually reached David and went through the process of divesting ourselves of the PanaGals who had been so much fun to hang out with, even if we were engaged in the soul searing process that is shopping.