I think it is a known fact that most people don’t really like hearing about other people vacations.
So, to accommodate the majority of my readers (all 10 of you) I won’t recall ,day by day, all the fun that you missed out on =) You already saw all the pictures anyway….
However, to accommodate those of you that actually do want to know about my families vacation I present you, in easy to read format, what I thought were some of the highlights of their visit…..
• It had been raining, hard, for at least the 5 days preceding my families arrival. The night before they arrived I was starting to get nervous. However, someone must have been looking after us, because from the day they arrived until the day they left we had clear blue skies.
• Their Plane from Panama to Bocas was a good 3 hours late (welcome to Panama). When my Grandma asked them why it was late, the airline told here “El Avion Esta Enfermo “ The Plane is sick =) I hope whoever answered that question was not the same person who was flying (or fixing) the plane.
• In order to live up to its name, we had a large family of Dolphins come greet us as we were entering Dolphin bay to go to my Community. Like a dream!
• I am/was so proud of the fact that my house now is equipped with a water catchment system. I was so excited to present my mom with a tank full of fresh clean rain water upon her arrival. Unfortunately, we were greeted instead with the news that there was a dead bird in my tank and it smelt terrible! Trying to get this bird out turned into quite a spectacle, the entire school decided they needed to help out. A good 2 hours later, we were left with an empty tank, a broken pipe and buckets to fetch water from elsewhere. I guess my mom got a good insight as to what my life is REALLY like, always unpredictable.
• My Mom “camped” out with me for 2 nights, My grandparents stayed in luxury at Daivd and Linda’s home, next store. I noticed that my mom conveniently managed to time her bathroom and shower times when we were visiting next door (cheater?)
• My Grandpa Da taught one of the school boys how to tie his tie. It was priceless. Sometime that I will never forget!
• The first Fer-de-lance Snake (very poisonous snake) that I have seen since I have been here, decided that a good time to come into the community was when my family was visiting… This did not help the image of security that I was trying to illustrate. Lucky one of Community members killed it before it caused any harm.
• A few women in my community showed my mom the process of making their traditional Chakras, from the plant to the bag. Check out Miss Vanna White...
• My Mom loved all the kids! I think she wanted to take some of them home with her. One woman in my community got all dressed up to come visit us with her newborn baby, just so my could hold her.
• Back on Bocas island now, I took my family to a beach called Star Fish beach. My Grandpa Da tells us, as we are walking along the beach “This place, right here, is the best place I have ever been in my entire life.” I loved seeing him so happy!
So, to accommodate the majority of my readers (all 10 of you) I won’t recall ,day by day, all the fun that you missed out on =) You already saw all the pictures anyway….
However, to accommodate those of you that actually do want to know about my families vacation I present you, in easy to read format, what I thought were some of the highlights of their visit…..
• It had been raining, hard, for at least the 5 days preceding my families arrival. The night before they arrived I was starting to get nervous. However, someone must have been looking after us, because from the day they arrived until the day they left we had clear blue skies.
• Their Plane from Panama to Bocas was a good 3 hours late (welcome to Panama). When my Grandma asked them why it was late, the airline told here “El Avion Esta Enfermo “ The Plane is sick =) I hope whoever answered that question was not the same person who was flying (or fixing) the plane.
• In order to live up to its name, we had a large family of Dolphins come greet us as we were entering Dolphin bay to go to my Community. Like a dream!
• I am/was so proud of the fact that my house now is equipped with a water catchment system. I was so excited to present my mom with a tank full of fresh clean rain water upon her arrival. Unfortunately, we were greeted instead with the news that there was a dead bird in my tank and it smelt terrible! Trying to get this bird out turned into quite a spectacle, the entire school decided they needed to help out. A good 2 hours later, we were left with an empty tank, a broken pipe and buckets to fetch water from elsewhere. I guess my mom got a good insight as to what my life is REALLY like, always unpredictable.
• My Mom “camped” out with me for 2 nights, My grandparents stayed in luxury at Daivd and Linda’s home, next store. I noticed that my mom conveniently managed to time her bathroom and shower times when we were visiting next door (cheater?)
• My Grandpa Da taught one of the school boys how to tie his tie. It was priceless. Sometime that I will never forget!
• The first Fer-de-lance Snake (very poisonous snake) that I have seen since I have been here, decided that a good time to come into the community was when my family was visiting… This did not help the image of security that I was trying to illustrate. Lucky one of Community members killed it before it caused any harm.
• A few women in my community showed my mom the process of making their traditional Chakras, from the plant to the bag. Check out Miss Vanna White...
• My Mom loved all the kids! I think she wanted to take some of them home with her. One woman in my community got all dressed up to come visit us with her newborn baby, just so my could hold her.
• Back on Bocas island now, I took my family to a beach called Star Fish beach. My Grandpa Da tells us, as we are walking along the beach “This place, right here, is the best place I have ever been in my entire life.” I loved seeing him so happy!
• We meet a guy named Kali on Bocas Island who is a famous Djembe drummer from Africa. He was staying at the same Bed and Breakfast with us, so we got the chance to hear him practice daily. One time, a handful of little local girls came over to dance to the drumming…. Of course without hesitation, my mom joined in the dance party…. Classic! We also received private lessons from Kali…. Of course now I want a Djembe =)
• Our time up in the mountains in Boquette turned in to an international culinary experience. Argentinean the first night, Middle Easterner the next, and then Peruvian to finish the trip. My Birthday celebration dinner was complete with humus, pita bread, tubule salad and baklava… I was a happy girl!
• My Grandma took my mom and I on a sort of scavenger hunt one day in Boqete. She was all excited about something she saw walking back to the hotel. She gave us a hint that it was something that “everyone knows about but has never seen in real life.” It turned out to be and Airplant..Pictured below. After noticing this one, we started seeing them everywhere. Now, I see them daily and it reminds me of my grandmas excitement that day.
• When I asked my mom what she is going to miss about Panama she says “Being able to let me hair dry naturally”…. Oh mom.
• The night before I returned back to my community and left my family in David we stayed in a suit at the Gran National Hotel. Equipped with Jacuzzi tubs, flat screen TV’s, and California King size beds that made me feel like I was sleeping on a cloud.
The next day I returned to my site, and reality, I was feeling a bit lonley and sad. Then, I started unpacking and I found the high class, fluffy and fragrant toilet paper that I had taken from the Gran National Hotel the night before. And suddenly, everything was better….Hey, that stuff is to expensive for the Peace Corps Budget.
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Thoughts from Mom
Seeing Miche in her community was a highlight for me. I spent two nights with her and was able to see her up close and personal with the adults and children. It is quite obvious that the kids love her! We arrived by boat and she pointed out to me that we were being watched from behind the trees as we began to carry my luggage up the hill. It didn’t take long before one of Miche’s friends came to help. We changed clothes and I was scolded for not closing the window before changing. I told Miche no one was out there and she said “oh yes they are, they see everything”. Right away we put on the ever so important rubber boots (mine were two sizes to big) and took off into the jungle. It was hot, muddy, steamy and beautiful! After about 20 minutes we ended up at Dave and Linda Cerutti’s house (where Mom and Art stayed for the two nights). Talk about “from one world to another”! David took us on a tour of the cacao farm and Linda’s beautiful garden. We had a wonderful dinner with them overlooking Dolphin Bay.
The next morning Miche made me coffee and oatmeal (with fresh Cacao) for breakfast and I had to keep pinching myself to remind me where I was. I visited with the kids as they were on their way to school and met the Teachers. We went in search of chakras, the purses that the local women make from the pita plant. I was able to purchase three that were made by two different women. I also saw a pita plant and the fiber that is used to make the chakras.
Some time was spent removing a dead bird from Miche’s rain water catchment system. This involved about four men actually doing the work and about 20 kids watching. Mom and Art painted flowers on the doorways and windows of Miche’s house.
We had lunch with Carl, Mary and Sharon who also live on Dolphin Bay and dinner at the Cerutti’s. George and Sue took us into Bocas the next day where we met more of Miche’s friends.
She has met some wonderful people in Panama, both American and Panamanian. I was amazed at how fluent her Spanish has become and how comfortable she is communicating in her new language. It was a wonderful trip for me and I hope to go again next year. I am so proud of my precious daughter.
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Thought s from Grandma T and Da
We land at the Bocas airport and I see Miche standing behind the chain-link fence with a big smile on her face. I remember 
how she and brother Nick always stood in the window at the Reno Airport when they were little.
Taxi to the Buena Vista Restaurant where we will spend the first night. Owners Kelly and her husband rented us the apartment above the restaurant and we are dazzled by the view from the veranda. This place has a Caribbean beat from the minute you step off of the plane. Sleeping there was another matter. Downtown Hongkong would have been more quiet!
Lunch the next day with " The Gringos" and then off to the Cerrutis slice of paradise where we will be treated like royalty for the next two days. Even the dolphins came out as the boat entered the bay! What a welcome.
We loved seeing Buena Esperanza, where Miche lives and works. The people were shy at first but warmed to us quickly. She has such a presence there and we were proud to be her grandparents.
Our time in Bocas was filled with beaches that surpass expectation. Driving to Bocas del Drago with a taxi driver named David, who serenaded us with Ragge Rap was an unexpected treat. Staying at Cocomo By The Sea was the best choice and we thank Miche for arranging it. People from all over and great conversations around the breakfast table, and in the heat of the afternoon. And believe me there was heat, and humidity!!
After six days " The Gypsies " flew to David, the first leg of our trip to the highlands, and cooler weather!
Miche's friends Karen and Willy met us at the airport. They are a great couple and we spent an evening with them later in the week. From David we were driven to Boquette by Horatio, cab driver and next door neighbor of Karen and Willie. Are you beginning to see that our trip was made very special by the people that were so willing to help us? Instead of feeling like tourists, we felt like adventurers.
Boquette, the highland area, is beautiful in a completely different way. The complete opposite of Bocas. You get a mountain feeling there. The mixture of flowers; trees; rainbows and cool breezes, all set at the foot of a volcano is quite magical. The area is changing and I did hear the term " gated community", spoken like a swear word! Why do we gringos have to be so exclusive??
While there, we visited Paradise Gardens, an homage to both beauty and the humanity of man. The animals that live there have all been rescued from sad situations.
We spent our last day as a foursome in the town of David. That is where people go to do big shopping, but other than that it has nothing else going for it. Hot and way too crowded.
Miche headed for the bus station at 6AM. Peg, Art and I flew to Panama city in the afternoon. We visited the canal the next day. It truly is the 8Th wonder of the world. Picture taking in Cosco Viejo shows ancient buildings that are being restored and used as apartments and shops. The skyline is becoming enormous. But it is not that Panama that I will remember and hope to revisit. It is the rhythm of Bocas-- the vertical farming at the base of Vulcan Baru--- the Ngobe women in their traditional dresses--- the Gringos that have found a good life there.
That is what impressed me. Our trip far exceeded our expectations!!
Thought s from Grandma T and Da
We land at the Bocas airport and I see Miche standing behind the chain-link fence with a big smile on her face. I remember 
how she and brother Nick always stood in the window at the Reno Airport when they were little.Taxi to the Buena Vista Restaurant where we will spend the first night. Owners Kelly and her husband rented us the apartment above the restaurant and we are dazzled by the view from the veranda. This place has a Caribbean beat from the minute you step off of the plane. Sleeping there was another matter. Downtown Hongkong would have been more quiet!
Lunch the next day with " The Gringos" and then off to the Cerrutis slice of paradise where we will be treated like royalty for the next two days. Even the dolphins came out as the boat entered the bay! What a welcome.
We loved seeing Buena Esperanza, where Miche lives and works. The people were shy at first but warmed to us quickly. She has such a presence there and we were proud to be her grandparents.
Our time in Bocas was filled with beaches that surpass expectation. Driving to Bocas del Drago with a taxi driver named David, who serenaded us with Ragge Rap was an unexpected treat. Staying at Cocomo By The Sea was the best choice and we thank Miche for arranging it. People from all over and great conversations around the breakfast table, and in the heat of the afternoon. And believe me there was heat, and humidity!!
After six days " The Gypsies " flew to David, the first leg of our trip to the highlands, and cooler weather!
Miche's friends Karen and Willy met us at the airport. They are a great couple and we spent an evening with them later in the week. From David we were driven to Boquette by Horatio, cab driver and next door neighbor of Karen and Willie. Are you beginning to see that our trip was made very special by the people that were so willing to help us? Instead of feeling like tourists, we felt like adventurers.
Boquette, the highland area, is beautiful in a completely different way. The complete opposite of Bocas. You get a mountain feeling there. The mixture of flowers; trees; rainbows and cool breezes, all set at the foot of a volcano is quite magical. The area is changing and I did hear the term " gated community", spoken like a swear word! Why do we gringos have to be so exclusive??
While there, we visited Paradise Gardens, an homage to both beauty and the humanity of man. The animals that live there have all been rescued from sad situations.
We spent our last day as a foursome in the town of David. That is where people go to do big shopping, but other than that it has nothing else going for it. Hot and way too crowded.
Miche headed for the bus station at 6AM. Peg, Art and I flew to Panama city in the afternoon. We visited the canal the next day. It truly is the 8Th wonder of the world. Picture taking in Cosco Viejo shows ancient buildings that are being restored and used as apartments and shops. The skyline is becoming enormous. But it is not that Panama that I will remember and hope to revisit. It is the rhythm of Bocas-- the vertical farming at the base of Vulcan Baru--- the Ngobe women in their traditional dresses--- the Gringos that have found a good life there.
That is what impressed me. Our trip far exceeded our expectations!!
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My Final Thoughts (really just so I can add the picture of me with the Flower....)
Now that my family has come and gone, I kind of feel like it was a dream. It was all so surreal. It was the first time that my “two lives” came together. The best thing about them being here was seeing their first time reactions to things and places that have become part of my daily life. It was a wonderfully reminder not to take this experience for granted, to enjoy, learn and experience as much as possible.__________________________________________________________
And because a Blog post is not complete without a good scorpion story….. I leave you with this:
In preparation for my Mom to come stay at my oasis of a home, I decided I needed to do some serious scorpion crackdown. I was already asking my mom to live without water, showers, bathrooms etc. I figured the least I could do is attempt to rid the scorpions. What lead me to start this so called "scorpion hunt" in the first place, was I came across another bugger in my clothes, this time in my rain coat. Partly my fault, I will agree. Because I had promised myself to shake out my clothes before putting them on, but this time I failed, and I paid and arm and leg for it. Actually just an arm…. He was in the right sleeve I figure maybe having been stung in the eye for the first time was actually a blessing in disguise, Now all the other stings I get won’t be able to compare. Oh, but don’t get me wrong, it still hurt...bad!
And because a Blog post is not complete without a good scorpion story….. I leave you with this:
In preparation for my Mom to come stay at my oasis of a home, I decided I needed to do some serious scorpion crackdown. I was already asking my mom to live without water, showers, bathrooms etc. I figured the least I could do is attempt to rid the scorpions. What lead me to start this so called "scorpion hunt" in the first place, was I came across another bugger in my clothes, this time in my rain coat. Partly my fault, I will agree. Because I had promised myself to shake out my clothes before putting them on, but this time I failed, and I paid and arm and leg for it. Actually just an arm…. He was in the right sleeve I figure maybe having been stung in the eye for the first time was actually a blessing in disguise, Now all the other stings I get won’t be able to compare. Oh, but don’t get me wrong, it still hurt...bad!
So after this, I decided that instead of the scorpions finding me (or my mom), I will go looking for them, machete in hand of course. So I went through everything in my house, all my clothes, everything in my kitchen... ok well, I guess I dont really have THAT much stuff but it still took me awhile, and guess how many scorpions I found..... 10!!! Ten Scorpions in one day, all within the same quarters of where I either sleep or eat.
So needless to say, I am becoming a professional at scorpions killing. I admit that I had my favorite little boy from the community helping me. After I got stung in the arm by that one, he killed another one, tore off the tail and told me that in order to make the pain go away I needed to spread the insides of the scorpion on the spot I was stung. It didn't take me much time to politely refuse what would have been a great chance for some real cultural exchanged. But the idea of having scorpion guts dripping down my arm was less appealing than simply taking some Ibuprofen to dealing with the pain. I must be American… Just pop the pill to make the pain go away =)
So after finding and killing all those scorpions, my mom tells me after her visit " I am actually kinda disappointed I didn’t get to see a scorpion."
Don’t worry Mom, I will start saving them all for your next visit =)
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LOTS has been going on since my families visit, so I will try to do another update soon.
Thanks to the Hemmings here is the Rain report for March:
"We recorded 11.0 inches of rain for March. Rain was recorded on 10 days with a period between of no measurable rain between March 7 - 19. The year to date total is 34 inches. "
We are entering what is the “wet season” now…. I hope I don’t get washed away.
Peace,
Meti
"We recorded 11.0 inches of rain for March. Rain was recorded on 10 days with a period between of no measurable rain between March 7 - 19. The year to date total is 34 inches. "
We are entering what is the “wet season” now…. I hope I don’t get washed away.
Peace,
Meti
