Once again it is time to leave Panama.  I spent the last day packing up and discovered once again I have way too much to bring back.  I just cannot resist the Indian crafts and all the deals down on the cheap street, not to mention all the pounds - and yes I do mean pounds- of sea glass I have picked up to make jewelry with.
Being this is so heavy I cannot waste the weight in my checked luggage so it is placed in my carry on back pack - does the phrase "oh my aching back" ever apply here! 
And once again I am traveling on the 3 AM flight out of the city, and once again I swear I will NEVER do that again no matter how cheap it is.  When you travel at that time your day is so strange, I tried to nap in the afternoon but that did not happen.  I had one last dinner on the roof with Goldie and Mary as I watched the sun set and the ships pass thru the canal.  I have found that there terrace is one of my favorite places- so beautiful, so relaxing and so wonderful to be with good friends. 
I had arranged a driver again and he was to arrive at midnight- at 11:15 I get a call asking which building I am in as he is outside???? Yes I was packed but had wanted that one last look thru, a brush of my teeth and times for goodbyes in a good way.  I told him I needed a few minutes and would call.  Now I am running around trying to say goodbye and finding myself in tears and unable to talk as I closed the door one final time - or so I thought.  Goldie escorted me to the street and it was then I discovered that I had ran out of minutes on my phone and could not call and of course Goldie did not have his so run back up stairs and yell at Mary to call the driver- oh nothing is ever easy at times.
By the time I got back down stairs though he had seen my luggage and was waiting as he was just down the block.
The good thing about traveling in the city that late at night is that there is no traffic and the trip went quickly and all too soon I was at the airport and waiting in line to check in - the driver had set my luggage up towards the front and I was to just collect it when it was time to check in.  Luckily there was a nice couple who spoke English behind me and we had struck up a conversation when it suddenly hit me I did not have my bag with my computers in it!!!! Panic but then I knew it had to be with my driver and I did have his number but no phone minutes. This was no time to be proud so asked if could use their phone and would gladly pay them. They did not have one but his sister did who had brought them to the airport and they let me use their - I called and the driver said no it was not there but I said please go check it is in a  black bag and would be on the floor of the front seat and sure enough it was - I begged him to bring it back out to me which he was none too happy about but he did and arrived just as I reached the check in counter, and of course my luggage was overweight and I had to move things around. But then out to the car and grab my bag and thank him - oh and it did cost me another $20 for him to return.
Now it was time to settle in for the 3 hours - go thru all the security - and when you are in an airport  waiting at that time there are no store open to speak of and no places to eat so it is boring.
I am returning to the states but going to Atlanta to spend time with Dustin and his family. It is a great stop over and so much fun to see the grandkids.  But before that I once again "lost" a bag by leaving one on the plane at my stop in Ft Lauderdale and remembered it on the walkway out of the plane - I did discover that you CANNOT turn around and go back to the doors but I met the stewardess about that time with my bag in her hand.  Now it was time to get thru immigration and customs.  Back to the good old USA. Time to start living like an American, going to the Walmarts, driving a car and dealing with the fast paced life.  And once again I have left a little of me back in Panama.  Will I return?  I can only let fate decide that but I am sure if it is not for an extended stay it will be to visit my friends. 
I thank all of you who kept up with my writings and who worried about me during the Indian problems ( although there really was no need) It is nice to know that my experiences are of interest to you all.  So for now I say until next time - whenever that will be.

Time to return

As the days passed I tried to soak in more and more of the character of the city.  Hot - dirty - beautiful - fast paced- the list goes on and all seem to be conflicts of one another.  I walked and wondered how a city so full of beauty could also at the turn of a corner be so full of filth and poverty.  This time I had a much longer time to really see and feel how the city really was.  I found that the people are not as friendly in the city as in Boquete but is that so different than here?  I found them a lot less tolerant of my limited Spanish speaking abilities and less apt to laugh with me in my attempts. 
I thought I could walk and be anonymous or so I thought until the day that I was walking the street and heard a "hey lady" and turned to find a police man gesturing for me to come to his truck.  I looked it over saw that there were others on the street and crossed over to see what he wanted.  He asked if I was American and where I was staying then proceeded to tell me that "I have watched you- and you should no longer walk on the beach - no longer walk the streets - do not carry my camera." Creepy right?  I continued on home and could hardly wait to tell Goldie and Mary. 
I did not think anything more of it until the next morning while I was walking the beach and sure enough I looked up and standing by the buildings was the same cop.  This went on for several days and I started to get a little creeped out.  But finally it ended and I was once again "safe" to walk the beach and streets.  I am not sure if I felt safer or not with my guardian but it was different.
There also was the guy who was working construction right on the alley way that I used to access the beach.  The first day when he came down and spoke to me I did a quick check to make sure that there was other people around.  Being there was I had a short "Spanglish" conversation with him.  So each day I received and gave a morning Hola to him and his working companions.  I started to feel safer as he knew about how long I would be gone etc and I would see him watching for me.  Once again I had my own guardian angel looking over me.  I am sure that when I left he looked for me for several days!!!
It is different when you are totally alone and no one is waiting for your return as it was when I was house sitting while Goldie and Mary were gone.  I was aware that my situation was totally different then it had ever been before and that I needed to be more conscious of those around me.  I did have to walk Ouigi at night and that was a little unsettling but the neighborhood even though they did not know me did know Ouigi!!!.
One morning I left the apartment while the cleaning lady was there. Mary had said that it was no problem to leave her alone and to just tell her to lock the door and put the keys in the drawer in the entry- so I did.  Not thinking I did not take an extra set of keys with me forgetting that I had to unlock the door on the street and did not realize it until I went to let myself in while carrying bags of groceries.  There I am standing out side my door and no way in.  No problem I will just buzz the other apartments, explain who I am and they will buzz me in- Not a single person was home.  The doorman was no where to be seen. It is hot and humid and I am starting to panic just slightly when I idea hit me.  I remembered that Mary had mentioned that  the realty office on the corner had sold several of the units. It was a light bulb moment go ask if they had a key - easy right??  Once again using my best Spanish I tried to explain my dilemma only to find that the lady understood nothing I was saying- but luck was with me when out of another office came someone who did speak it.  I explained and she seemed a bit uncertain until I finally said all I need is for you to get me in the outside door that I had access to a key to actually get me into the condo. she looked thru several drawers and much to my relief she found a key.  I was saved and needless to say I NEVER left the place again with out a key!!!! A lesson learned the hard way.

Day to day life in the City

I now settled in for my 2 weeks in Panama City.  Life settled into a routine. I learned that because of the excessive heat and humidity that I would go out in the morning and be back in the air conditioning by noon.  Each morning I walked the beach picking up sea glass, shells and pottery pieces.  But I always carried my camera.  There are areas under homes that homeless people would make into sleeping areas while the tide is out. They lay down pieces of cardboard and covered up with anything they can find.  I watched one man settle in and make his "nest" .  He took great care in making sure that everything was just right even going so far as to line up his shoes side by side before laying down.  He went to sleep ocean breezes blowing and dreaming of life that existed outside poverty.
On other days I watched men working out - having the solitude yet beauty of their own personal beach for that day.  Ooccasionally I was joined by other "tourists" picking up those special pieces of sea glass to take home as treasures.  Even though walked in the morning by the time I had spent walking to the end of the beach and back I was drenched in sweat and ready for the coolness of the apartment.  I did learn that returning and then taking a shower did no good - I had to take the time to let my body cool down completely of the sweat just continued to come out of me.  I would drink lots of water and relax for at least an hour then get cleaned up.
In the afternoon I would walk the streets learning about each corner and alleyway.  Living in Casco Viejo I found that many streets had their own feel.  There was the poverty of alleys where they pulled benches out on to the sidewalks and even the streets to find what breezes did blow thru.  The one street seemed to have all the musicians that all came to life after 5.  The  shops varied from one of a kind artwork to the usual tourist items.  Restaurants were fancy gourmet fare to street side vendors making breakfast sandwiches, snow cones and even children selling pieces of candy.
I loved the iron work in the doors, windows and railings, most old and some new but reproduced to look old.  Casco is going under renovations it has become the new "hot spot"  for renovations- which  means taking old shells of buildings and making homes and businesses.  Even the streets are being replaced which will be great in the long run but causes constant traffic problems, many streets closed as renovations take place causing even more traffic problems, remember the streets are barely the width of one car, and most are one way. Which also means that car horns are constantly blowing, trucks are rumbling down the streets, you have back ground noise of jack hammers and large equipment.  What it really means is that I could not wait until evening when once again the peace and quiet surrounded me. By late afternoon it was back to the rooftop for the gentle ocean  breezes and the calm. 
One evening was a special treat as the night sky was lit up with fireworks as part of Carnival. Other nights was the background music of various outdoor restaurants, but always the beauty of the city skyline and the quiet of the canal.

 -

Bocas Day 2

Friday dawned clear and of course hot.  I spent a lazy day checking out the shops - sampling the food and people watching.  This was a holiday weekend as it was the start of carnival- which is huge.  Most towns have some type of celebration and parades as did Bocas.  It consisted there of men dressed in devil type costumes and dancing around and around - taking a rope type thing and hitting people - and it appeared to really HURT and glad I stayed back.  It started around 5pm and went on most of the night with music and lots of drinking.  But it was confined to an area near the park and where my hotel was and with the air conditioning I did not hear all the carrying on. 
I most enjoyed watching the little kids - many were fascinated yet others were nearly petrified with fear.  I walked the streets taking in all the many people and interesting traditions that seemed to be a part of the days. It was an eclectic group as Bocas being a tourist area for foreigners and Panamanians alike, so people watching was easy.  I sat on benches with my camera and soaked it in.  But also knowing that I was a woman traveling alone because of the amount of drinking etc going on that I needed to be aware of all around me.  I did not have any problems and it proved to be an enjoyable day.

I also spent time watching the kids play in the water - there was a larger than normal group because of the holiday and the little kids were joined by teens and older boys.   Then there were the teens trying to scale the palm tree for its coconuts- they crawled up on a roof of a store and then were pulling the tree sideways only to be stopped by a local policia. 
Supper was once again out at a local restaurant sitting and watching the sunset - cold margarita in hand.  I was thankful that the electricity stayed on all day and that my room was cool. 
The next day it was time to leave- my flight was not until the afternoon so just sat for the most part and enjoyed the views.  My cab arrived to take me to the airport - it was a hefty $1 cost.
I did have something happen when checking it that really threw me. I checked in my bag then he asked ME to get on the scale too - I wondered just how much weight I had put on that  or what.  I think I would rather go thru security than be weighed in!!! I was glad to see others also had to step on the scale though.
I arrived back in Panama City and back to my "home" at Mary and Goldie's and to once again enjoy the view of the canal from their roof top.

My first full day in Bocas Del Toro

After my hot start to my stay at Bocas I got up on Thursday morning and had booked a day on a catamaran.  It was a cloudy cool start but just being on a boat is relaxing for me.  We had no wind so had to use the motor to get to Dolphin Bay - where there are ALWAYS dolphin sightings.  We sailed all over the bay and never did see a dolphin.  We pulled into an area by the mangroves and got to snorkel.  The water is very clear and this area has different fish than out in the open and the coral was magnificent. 
While we snorkeled our captain made us lunch and there is nothing better than food while taking in the views of the bay.  We sailed out of that area to more open waters  and he wind had picked up to get the real feel of sailing.  There is something so wonderful about feeling the water under you and the wind moving you.  It gives one time to reflect and just enjoy the beauty of nature around you.
We pulled into our second snorkeling place and and within seconds we were surrounded by an ever growing flurry of black and yellow striped fish.  Our captain told us how this is the spot that he exclusively uses for snorkeling and noticed that as he threw the scraps from the pineapple these fish would come around- now they wait for him to arrive and more so wait for him to toss the goodies.  There were hundreds of the fish churning the water.  But we came to snorkel and this is where we saw the more colorful fish and fabulous reef.  I even got to see my first stingray- they are huge and so graceful as they skim over the bottom.  I could snorkel for hours but one does not realize while in the water how exhausting it is.  Or maybe it is just my age???? but I finally had to board back on to the catamaran, snack on the fresh fruit and sit back and enjoy a cold beer..  The day was all I had expected if not more.  After a month of being grandma I got to do something just for me but I did wish Kaiden too could have experienced this.
We sailed back to Bocas Town and with skin kissed by the sun and pleasantly tired I made the short walk back to the hotel for a cool shower and short nap before heading out to find supper.

Bocas is a throw back to the 1970s.  College age people are all over selling jewelry, carrying surfboards and skateboards.  The people that are more my age are ones who never grew up, they still think and act like they did in their 20s which can be interesting and also humorous. 
As always I love to watch the kids - across the street from my hotel is the local swimming "hole".  At times 30-40 kids are splashing and  jumping off the dock, and I sat and watching them every chance I got.  Bicycles zoom by, taxis are the main form of transportation as this is an island and the  ferry brings any other vehicles on its once a day trip.  There are shops selling the usual touristy items but mixed in are the artist of Panama with wonderful paintings, pottery, jewelry and more.  English is spoken here almost as much as Spanish so communication is easy.

This is one of the few places that you cannot drink the water- and I did worry about forgetting when brushing my teeth ( you should poor water out of a bottle) and the fact that the fruit and veggies is washed in this same water.  Music is every where from the bars and restaurants to musicians on the street hoping for tips.
The day was near perfect and as evening arrived I sat looking over the water, a margarita in my  and being thankful that there are still places like Bocas Del Toro left in this fast paced world

Finally a trip to Bocas Del Toro

Kaiden had now left and for the first time in 4 weeks I was without my shadow.  Because of the Indian uprising my return to Boquete was in question and the thought of getting stuck in some town along the highway for days did not thrill me and since I had to house sit for Goldie and Mary in another week and a half I decided to treat myself and go to Bocas Del Toro.  I booked a flight, and since we had already paid for a night at a hotel that we were not able to use with Kaiden I was set to go.  There are only 2 flights to the island each day and one left early in the morning but since I had to have Kaiden at the airport that did not work so I took the afternoon flight.  This left from the regional airport which is only a short cab ride from Casco.  I spent the time relaxing and having adult conversations with my hosts.
The planes are small and as usual operate on Panama time - they leave when they want to which in this case meant they left 1 1/2 hours late.  It was hot wih air conditioning not in use since they are remodeling.Finally the flight takes off and I can relax.  It takes a little over an hour to reach Bocas and soon we were landing - but nothing looked right- it was not an island?

It ends up this flight lands first before proceeding on to Bocas - a large number of people got off and many others back on.  But the people in the seats ahead of me ended up being the ugly Americans.
They were upset that we were late - when we boarded earlier they kept telling people to just take any seat and to get the door shut so we could take off - afterall THEY had to take a boat to their private island and it was going to be dark.  They continued with this tirade making comments like " the Indians  must be making a lot of money  since they all  seemed to have phones and computers.
I was so embarrassed and could not believe that Americans would act this way.  I wish I had said something but what - that you cannot act this way, watch your mouth, grow up- all things that I would want to say to a child.  I sat quiet wishing to get off the plane and away from these people. 
We took off in a matter of minutes and arrived at Bocas and of course the same couple felt they should get special treatment and get THEIR luggage off first and they succeeded by paying the baggage people.  These airports are so small that they remove the luggage from the plane put it on a small rolling cart and then pass it thru a doorway to you - This means you have to have your luggage tag to receive it - they yell out the numbers on each tag.  But with only about 50 people on board so it does not take long.
By this point I am hot, tired and want nothing but a cool shower and air conditioning.  Boas is HOT! I am tired and want to cool down and get some supper.  Taxis are everywhere and for an entire $1 I make the trip to the hotel.  But my day goes on as when I check in I find out that the island is without electricity which means I am handled a candle and matches for my room, there is no air and no water and the room is stifling.  My alone time is not starting off well. I could not stay in the room that had turned into a sauna so headed out to find a cool drink and food.  Many of the restaurants are not serving but when I did find one open and cooking I was seated out on the water with candles on my table so the atmosphere was great.  Just as I was finishing the lights came on and I could see my food.  It was a relief to go back to my room, turn on the air and get in to the shower.  So much for a night on the town as I crawled into bed, found a channel on the TV that was in English and enjoyed my first night on the island. Tomorrow would be better!!!

Boys will be Boys

I have written about most of Kaiden's in Panama, the highlights that is.  But there are many small things that happened that made each day special.  One of those moments took place on the beach.  Kaiden had to walk each day there and pick up rocks. shells and sea glass and he loved low tide  when he could scramble across the rocks and walk as far as he wanted ( and often times too far for my comfort). 
We had reached the far end of the beach and all of a sudden this group of young boys was near us- they looked to be around the 10-12 age range and for some reason I just felt uncomfortable and called for Kaiden to come beside me.  Meanwhile the boys were around us speaking in fast Spanish and I realized that they were asking for money .  I have to admit a few thoughts of uh-oh this could be bad.  So in a polite way I grabbed Kaidens hand and started walking.  I made it clear we had no money that I just had the plastic bag for the sea glass and my camera - which I slipped around my neck and held firmly.
The boys then became very chatty and one did speak enough English that we could communicate.  I found out that it was one boys 12th birthday and this was his party.  They walked back with us and I still was not totally comfortable but was less tense.  They wanted to see what was in my sack and when I showed them it was the glass they took off  like little crabs across the sand finding all kinds of pieces.  Most I knew were not the best and  would have not kept but how could I tell theses boys with their smiles no, and so my sack got fuller and fuller. We kept walking until we were back to the area where there are people around and I felt totally comfortable,  By then Kaiden was one of the "guys" so I sat down and let them run . I pulled out the camera and started taking pictures and they started posing. Then they wanted to take pictures - it was a moment to make a decision - did I trust them - could I trust them, and I did as they took turns taking pictures of all of us in a group.

They wanted Kaiden to go with them when I decided it was time for us to leave- which of course was a  big NO so they tagged along with us as we headed back home.When we got to the door they all wanted to come in - wanted a drink of water - you get it anything to just get behind the doors of homes that I am sure their homes are nothing like.  I firmly said no - unlocked the door and receded into the entry way.  Once again our lives had been touched by the youth of Panama.  I do not know if these boys lived in the squatter homes that are behind wooden doors and bars with staircases barely held together or if they had homes with a full family, or if they lived with numerous other families.  What a do know is that they ended up being  normal curious young boys with smiles that would light up any ones day.  I wish my Spanish could have been better or their English but it wasn't and I had to take the day as a gift and move on.  They are the next generation of a growing country and if they are any indication Panama will be in good hands.