Canal Renovations and a closed fish market

It has been a crazy  few days since flying into Panama City. Each day it we were up early and on the road for adventures than each night we had a wonderful dinner with Goldie and Mary- some nights in the dining room and others Kaiden's favorite, getting to sit on the roof and eat.  After supper Goldie and Kaiden sat side by side and played their games on either an ipod or and itouch.  I sometimes felt sorry for Goldie as it was like he had a miniature shadow - that was around even in the dark!!!.

So on Monday I decided to slow down a bit and not get going until around 11.I had arranged for Jose to pick us up and take us to the Panama Canal. At the appointed time we were outside on the narrow street waiting for him to pick us up.  But we opened the door only to nothing but a long line of traffic- across the street we went and sat down in the empty lot and waited.  It was funny to watch the people on scooters weave in and out - up and down off the sidewalks to bypass the standstill traffic.  Kaiden just kept looking and pointing and saying " look grandma here  comes another one get a picture" - the trouble was that as they traveled in and out of the cars it was almost impossible to get a good picture but they entertained Kaiden as we sat - and sat - and sat.  When all of a sudden up WALKS Jose - he had gotten stopped in the traffic blocks away and knew he could not reach us so he just walked.  Our trip to the canal started with about a half of a mile hike.  It did keep us out of the traffic though and off we went to the canal which is really very close to where we stayed.  Jose dropped us off and we went to get a ticket and hurry up the steps to see the ship that was in the canal right then. 

Up the one flight of steps and I kept thinking why was the  elevator blocked off - out the door we were only at ground level with the canal - not above it .  Back inside we went and asked - well no one had told me they were remodeling the place so the only view was at ground level and let me tell you THAT is not a good view.  Kaiden keeps looking at me like THIS is the canal.
 All it looked like was a lot of concrete and the top of a big ship.  It was hot we were thirsty and hungry and neither of us were enjoying ourselves. 
We went back into the air conditioning and took a tour of the museum.  It was very nice and it was new to the place so that was good but it did not too long to look through it.
Back outside we found Jose and took off - of course as we were pulling out we looked out and going thru the canal was one of the Windstar  Line ships with all the tall masts - darn it!!!

A  small selection from the meat market

I had planned on showing Kaiden around the fruit and vegetable market and a few other things but Jose looked at me and pointed to the back seat and here sits Kaiden eyes half closed and a gummy worm stuck in his hair.  At that point I made a grandma decision and told Jose to just take us to the fish market and we would walk back to the house.   Needless to say this was not met with much happiness from Kaiden but I prevailed and we pulled up to the fish market -only to find IT was closed for cleaning for the day.  The day was turning into a real bust.  Jose said he had another idea and took us to the meat market.  This was open and was met with a few ewwws from Kaiden as we looked at all the fresh meat sitting on the tables but most of it was gone and the smell not too bad.  But it was a quick trip thru and out the other side.
The meat market is  located close to the area know.n as China town and none of the restaurants looked too appealing to either of us so we just kept walking.  Past all the trinket like shops and the shop with a dead skinned duck hanging head and all - now THAT fascinated him.
The walk back was nice though and he got to see some of Casco Viejo but all too soon we were within a couple of blocks of the house and still had not eaten. I suggested a sandwich shop I knew but his eyes lit up as we passed the ice cream shop and he innocently said "I would be okay with ice cream for lunch" .  My first response was no way then I thought oh what the heck - one lunch of ice cream was not going to kill him and after all I was grandma so cookies and cream come  it was.  Me I went to the sandwich shop.

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