The Last Few Days

We're sitting in a Crown Plaza Hotel, drinking champagne from coffee cups and eating Chips Ahoy cookies just outside the international airport.  We're halfway between the 'jet set' and the 'ole Cheverolet set' as John Prine and Iris Dement once sang about. 

Our last few days in Panama brought new observations, experiences and curiosities.

On Wednesday, we experienced the inequity found throughout the world in 3D technicolor.  As had become our routine, we headed out from our cabana in a 'blue collar' part of the island to catch a taxi.  There were lots of kids at the bus stop in their uniforms trying to catch a cab or bus to school.  In this part of Panama, there are no school buses.  It seemed it would be awhile before we would get a cab.

Much to our surprise, a cab beeped at us and pulled over before we got to the bus stop.  We got in, and the cab continued to Bocas Town.  Totally ignoring the kids and their parents trying to wave the taxi cab down in the humid tropical heat.  Parents with frustrated and resigned expressions just trying to get their children to school.  Despite the fact that there was more room in the cab.

We had our suspicions as to the reasoning behind this, and conversations with our Spanish teacher confirmed our thoughts.  The existance of 'The Gringo Price,' is well known.  If you are obviously a tourist not from here, you get charged more for many things, including taxi cab rides.  We rolled our eyes at a well-heeled woman who was outraged at the price given to her for a tour. "I'm Panamanian!"  

HOWEVER, we hadn't realized that, with the gringo price came preference.  Gabriel recalled many times when taxi drivers blew him off in Panama City and picked up tourists (who they would charge a greater fee.)  Who could blame the taxi drivers, who were trying to make a living?  But who definitely suffers are the school children we saw on the side of the road.

Further discussions with Gabriel about Panama were so informative.  He correctly recognizes that Panama is better off economically than many of its neighbors.  However, he is definitely frustrated with how his government is spending proceeds from the canal.  He specifically cited a poor public health system and poor funding for schools.  To our surprise, he said it was better when the Americans ran the canal.  He said the United States invested in the canal zone and surrounding areas, and canal jobs were more fairly distributed.   As it is now, a few elite families profit from the canal, while the rest of the country gets very little.

We also discussed the US invasion of Panama in 1989.  Gabriel was three at the time, and living in Panama City.  Again, to our surprise, he stressed how awful Manuel Noriega and his Panamanian Defense Forces were for the country.  He said he wouldn't be where he is today, and Panamanians as a whole would not be where they are, had the US not invaded.  We're very skeptical of any justification our government gives for invading another country.  How do you know what to believe?  Iraq?  Most often, US or US corporate interests drive the intervention.  And thousands of Panamanian civilians died.  It was nice to hear that at least some Panamanians benefited from our military exploits.

After the 'deep' conversations of Spanish school, we decided to get some dinner on the way home.  Gabriel recommended an authentic local restaurant, so off we went to La Fonda El Fruta de Pan.  The owner greeted us like family.  The traditional Panamanian-Caribbean food was awesome!  What a treat.

The owner and chef is in the background.

Thursday morning came, and we got to thinking...  We are in a little town surrounded by beaches in the Caribbean.  We have Spanish class, but....  when is the next time we will have access to Caribbean beaches?  "Let's skip class today and go to the beach!!"  We texted Gabriel and told him we were ditching class...enjoy the day off with pay.  We caught the public bus to Playa del Drago and hiked to Playa de las Estrellas (Starfish Beach).  Playa de las Estrellas was developed with restaurants and bars and Latino musica.  After hanging out at Starfish beach and not seeing starfish, we bought a couple of cervezas and hiked to a quiet spot and watched the waves.  Una buena día!

Friday was our last day of Spanish school.  We spent the morning going on a walk to Playa Bluff.  This was an area we have run and it is beautiful.  The road along the beach is dirt, and the properties are worth a million+ dollars, even in Panama.   

When we returned, traffic was backed up on the road to town.  It looked like a tree was across the road.

We showered and headed off to catch a cab.  As we headed out, we saw that traffic was still backed up.  Drivers were hanging out.  Older kids in school uniforms were buying sodas at the tienda.  Young kids and their parents were walking into town.  And it was HOT!  We started walking.

As we approached the 'tree,' it became apparent that the downed tree was, in fact, a road block set by cab drivers.  Apparently, we were witnessing a bit of civil disobedience.  Perhaps even a mini-revolution!!  We walked across the roadblock of palm leaves and rope, not knowing if we would be prevented from proceeding. However the six-year-old children and their mothers en route to school gave us courage.  Nobody impeded our progress, so we headed off, into the hot, tropical sun.

And it was HOT.  It was a two and a half mile walk, and we arrived at class drenched head to toe in our own sweat.  Not damp, but soaked.  But we made it.  We made it alive.  And we had a story.  

The rest of the day was uneventful.  Saturday morning, we packed up and Lucas drove us to the airport.  We took a little puddle jumper to Panama City and we took a cab to our hotel.  A hotel that we splurged on for our last night.  We hung out in the old town until we could check in, and went back to the hotel.  

Much to our dismay, our high priced and very attractive 'boutique' hotel suffered the same fate as everything in the jungle.  The room had a strong mildew smell.  Everywhere we've been in Panama has this problem, but we didn't want to pay a premium for it.  So we were difficult.

We cancelled our stay and caught a cab to the new, American owned, corporate hotel near the airport.  It does not feel like Panama.  But after a month we are ready for home, so it feels alright.

Sidenote... For some awesome music recommended by Amilcar, check out Daddy Yankee, Gasolina!

Things We’ve Learned Thusfar in Panamá

There are notable things we have learned or seen in Panamá that haven’t fit into other posts.  

Here they are...  

1. Our Spanish teacher, Gabriel, schooled us on geography last week.  We were discussing how Panamanians refer to US citizens.   Not what they call us behind our backs, but the correct term (Estadounidense es correcta).  Jeff said to Gabriel, “I've heard people from the US are referred to as 'Norte Americanos.'  But we’re all North American.”  Gabriel gave us a confused look.  “I’m not a North American.  I’m a Central American.”  Jeff clarified, “But isn't Central America part of the North American continent?"  To which Gabriel became even more confused.  “What do you mean?  You live in North America.  I live in Central America.  And there is South America.  We’re all part of the continent of America.”  “Hmmmm,” Jeff said. “We learned that there are seven continents,” and he listed them.  Gabriel looked REALLY confused now!  “There are six continents,” he says, as he counted on his hands as he listed.  “Asia, America, Africa, Antarctica, Europe, and Oceania. America goes from Canada to Argentina."  

Apparently, in Panamá, they do not count North and South America as separate continents.  Who's to say?  The land masses are connected.  And maybe there are five continents (Eurasia!) to go with the five oceans.  That would be cool!  One thing is for certain...don't believe anything they teach you in school!

Gabriel and Jeff - Class on Location at Buena Vista

2. Taxis in Bocas del Toro 

Some taxi drivers have the same concept of full as Guatemalans and Sicilians.  In other words, they have no concept.  Jeff and I hailed a taxi, and one with three passengers pulled over.  Jeff and I chuckled a little and squeezed in. When we closed the door, we began to giggle and the Spanish speakers comenzaron a reírse.  Although we didn’t all speak the same primary language, we all understood the clown car ridiculousness of the situation.  I turned to the three passengers in the back who were now squished with Jeff and said, “Lo siento!”  The three of them smiled, laughed, and answered, “Esta bien.”

3. We are privileged in many ways by being American citizens.  If Gabriel wanted to apply for a tourist visa to the US it would cost him $160 and take three to four months to get an answer.  That answer might be no, and he would get no refund.  If he wanted to go to Europe, it would cost him $80.  If his flight to Europe passed through a US airport, the US would require a transit visa that would also cost $160.  Yikes!  How much has it cost us to travel to Italy twice, France, Greece, Spain, Guatemala, and Panama?  Nada! Zilch!  Nothing.  And we applied for nothing.  Waited for nothing.  We just walked up to the Panamanian airport customs officer and presented our US passport, got a stamp, and entered the country.

Indeed, life is not fair.

4. I (Kathy) think howler monkeys are so cool!  View the videos and pictures and judge for yourself.  Jeff had to stop me from taking videos today or I would have continued for as long as they were here.  He thinks they are just the local equivalent of a squirrel.  

Scene IIa

On Saturday, we packed up and departed the little oasis that is the Roam Yoga & Wellness retreat; boarding our water taxi and heading out.  We were a little perplexed at the start of our boat ride when Venancio prompted us to put on life jackets.  ???  The sea seemed fairly calm.  Maybe they were required, and the policia actually check on Saturday?  A few minutes later, things got clearer.  Venancio cut the engine and we saddled up to a smaller boat.  "El bote grande va a Islas Zappatillas hoy.  Mi hijo necessita el bote."  We did a mid-sea change of boats, waited for Venancio's son to siphon gas into another tank, and continued on to Bocas on a small skiff.

Bocas was a bit more lively this Saturday, and there were loads of 20-something backpackers moving about.  We grocery shopped and started walking towards a restaurant recommended by our teacher.  As we walked out of town we noticed a large group of folks headed the same way.  

It's amazing how people's demeanor changes when greeted.  Time and time again, we'd be crossing paths with a young man with a hard glare seemingly staring us down.  We'd bid him a 'hola,' and his face would immediately morph into an ear to ear smile and an hola in return.  We suspect the phenomenon can be partly explained by our demographic.  We're 50-something gringos, and most of our kind are expat retirees.  And we've heard from several different locals that American expats are usually arrogant.  Who knows the various sources contributing to this impression, but it is sad for us to be associated with that vibe.

As we approached the recommended restaurant, the big group of folks were still in front of us.  The small restaurant was open, and mostly empty.  And don't you know it!  The group in front of us filled it up with us 10 yards behind them!  Off we continued under the harsh, tropical sun.

Photo op in front of the ubiquitous colorful town sign found in many Latin American towns.

After two miles of walking, we arrived at Lucas's place.  Lucas could be our neighbor Greg Corbett, in both appearance and mannerism.  He grew up in northern California, and moved to Panama after GW Bush was elected.  His wife is the only veterinarian on the island, and hails from Panama City, Panama.  Greg...I mean Lucas and we hit it off immediately. Lucas remembered meeting Ryan (Mr. Perfect) from Roam Yoga, and it turns out Ryan was formerly drafted by the NFL.  So he is a kind-surfer-yoga guy who doesn't have a car but a boat instead so he can commute on the Caribbean Sea and can build anything AND he is athletic enough to have been drafted by the Carolina Panthers.  I can't compete with that.  Good riddance Ryan!

The nest of the noisy Montezuma Oropendula

There are dozens of these guys in our bungalow trying to rid us of mosquitos.  They chirp loudly.

It was here that the wheels came off the bus for about 18 hours.  The neighborhood around Lucas's place isn't sketchy, persay, but it was a bit less idyllic than Isla Solarte.  We were overheated from the long walk here.  We were chewed up a bit by mosquitos.  And we were starting to feel that the trip had run it's course and the most magical place we could be is home.  Then we got hit with smoke from a neighbor's smudge fire.  We'd kind of done everything we wanted to do.  Would we just be enduring the next week? 

Frantic internet searches....  Can we change our airline tickets to an earlier date?  Is there a nicer place to stay in Bocas?  Is there a drier place in Panama that we could visit?  Everything was possible, but the price was steep.  We finally retired to bed for the night.

In the morning, we both felt tired and Kathy had a headache.  As we scrolled the internet, we learned there have been cases of dengue fever in Bocas.  What next!

We decided to dust ourselves off and go for a run.  And it did wonders!  It had been awhile since we were able to run, and Lucas's place has access to a nice dirt road.  We returned and washed up.  

In the middle of nowhere, a crazy Canadian built a castle out of plastic water bottles.

Then we donned our long pants and long shirts and bug dope and headed into town.  After a nice lunch on the waterfront, and some time spent in an air conditioned cafe, our spirits had returned.

After a bit of shopping, we took a cab back to our place.  Lucas and his wife Gloria were knocking coconuts down from one of their trees.  He opened them up with a machette and handed one of them to us.  The coconut water was delicious!  He was harvesting the coconuts much earlier that the ones we would get in the grocery store, so there was only a thin layer of 'meat.'  And the meat was more like jelly than what we think of as coconut.  What a treat!  Their dogs and cat are also quite fond of it.

Lucas and Gloria process the coconuts.

Their dog eats the coconut.

Fresh coconut water!

"I would also like some coconut jelly please."

Papaya

Bananas

It's now evening.  Our bellies are full and our spirits are restored.  Tonight, we'll listen to the waves and jungle.  Tomorrow, we will be awoken by parrots, monkeys, tucans and the amazingly loud Montezuma oropendola.  Tomorrow afternoon, it is back to Spanish class for our last week of class. 

Roam Yoga & Wellness

As we head into the last night of staying at Roam Yoga & Wellness, I feel the need to take pause and think of the perks of staying here…

When looking at places to stay in Bocas del Toro while we studied language here, there were many draws to staying at this retreat.

1. Solitude

2. Wellness

Overnight Oats

3. Yoga

Has this place disappointed? Absolutely not!  

Ryan and Meghan have only been working on this retreat for three years, however their hard work shows through in everything about their place. They have left no detail untouched.  The rooms/cabanas are immaculate. The grounds are kept impeccably.  The meals are not only delicious, but they are presented beautifully!  They have attended to details that bring wellness to both the body and soul.

Jackfruit Tacos

Jeff and I partook in both of the group classes they do each week - Tuesday with Meghan and Thursday with Ryan.  But, this morning Ryan did an individual yoga lesson for just the two of us - focusing on yoga stretches/poses to support our bodies due to our running.  The lesson was supposed to be 75 minutes, however Ryan was with us for over 1.5 hours.  He may no indication that the time spent with us was any inconvenience to us at all. 

Ryan was a contractor in the states, and has either renovated or completely constructed the buildings on the property.  They are beautiful!  I can’t imagine keeping up a property like this in this tropical climate.  Moisture/water is a constant enemy!  

We will forever remember our week spent on this property, and would recommend it to anyone who asks!  

Some pictures of other fabulous meals:

Smoothie Bowl

Fruit Salad

Breakfast Quesadilla and Homefries

French Toast

Nuevo Profesor

Today we completed day two with our new Spanish teacher in Bocas del Toro.  His name is Gabriel, and we really like his teaching style.  He laughs with us (at us?) and makes learning Spanish fun.  Massiel focused on grammar and book learning, which was something we definitely needed.  Now Gabriel seems to be taking our learning of Spanish to a practical level. He is focusing on more conversation, and more important practical phrases that we would need.  

Kathy, Jeff, Gabriel

Spanish by the Sea is one block from the Caribbean in Bocas del Toro.  Bocas del Toro is a town that nobody is from, and yet many are from.  It has an afro-Caribbean vibe, and is full of people looking for fun, trying to find themselves, or who found themselves when they couldn't anywhere else.  There are many gringos who have made it their home, and many more who are passing by.  The passers by are mostly in their 20s.  

Bocas del Toro

Bocas del Toro

We’ve heard from many that Bocas del Toro is a partying town; 'una fiesta todas las dias.'  But, according to our language school amigos Dominik and Tilda, it is off-season and therefore asleep.  Who is correct?  Since we don't plan on clubbing it 'en la noche,' we'll never know.  

We continue to enjoy our little piece of heaven on Isla Solarte, far from the noise and chaos of Bocas.  This morning we had our first ever yoga experience with Meghan, one of the retreat owners.  Then breakfast overlooking the water.  What a way to start our day!  We continue to enjoy our boat “commute” to Bocas and back as well.

Meghan

Eggs, locally made bread, fresh fruit, and coffee - yum!

To borrow a phrase from the Costa Ricans...Pura vida!

Caribbean Beaches

We started our day with breakfast, overlooking the sea and coral reefs.  Last night, Ryan told us that Meghan is the talent behind their menu and recipes, and this morning she didn’t disappoint.  Meghan served us vegan banana bread and a tropical fruit salad topped with coconut and cacao chips.  The bananas, coconut and cacao were all harvested from the property.   We ended up chatting with her for over an hour while we ate, and got the entire backstory of their place.  She’s lived quite a life, and they’ve truly built something special here!   

We planned a beach day, so after breakfast we prudently applied sunscreen and caught a water taxi to Red Frog Beach.  This well known beach had all the amenities and is on most people's must-do list in Bocas.  Meghan clued us into Polo's Beach, which is a 30 minute walk from Red Frog Beach.  That would be our destination! 

Waiting at our dock.

Red Frog Beach is definitely gorgeous!  The water is clear.  The waves are big. There are chairs and umbrellas for rent, a restaurant complete with a DJ, and you can even buy t-shirts and sarongs.  Volleyball nets are set up too.  

Red Frog Beach

We took a few pictures and headed off to Polo's Beach!  It took a little navigating, and we kept coming to dead ends.  But, with the help of our favorite navigation app Gaia, we found our way along the shoreline and arrived at Polo Beach.  

Polo's Beach is DEFINITELY not touristy.  It is, however, an idyllic and wild Caribbean beach with coral reefs just offshore.  It looked like a movie set!  Upon arrival, we were greeted by Señor Polo himself.  Señor Polo is in his 70s, and claims ownership over the property.  There is a lot of disputed property around Bocas, and a big resort also claims land ownership here.  One thing is certain, Señor Polo has been living by himself at Polo Beach since he was a child.  He keeps the beach tidy, and sells coconuts and lobster to people who make their way to the beach.  On one online forum, it was claimed that Polo sold some of 'his' land and is a millionaire, but chooses to live in a shack on the beach.  He seems half man, half myth.

Señor Polo

We bought a coconut from Señor Polo, who grabbed it from a pile on a bench next to his shed.  He hacked off the end to expose the water and Jeff handed him $2.  We thanked Señor Polo for sharing his beach and found a secluded, shady spot to make our home for the afternoon. 

The beach was fantastic!  We enjoyed snorkeling and hanging out on a beautiful and secluded Caribbean beach.  We even had a dog join us for some of our time.  

Around 3:00 pm, we decided to make our way back towards Red Frog Beach.  Along the way, Jeff spotted a sea turtle laying her eggs between the path and the water.  Amazing!  What a treat!  She was BIG, and didn't seem disturbed by us.  Even so, we didn't linger too long, and let her get to her important work.

We had a bit of time to kill at Red Frog Beach, so we bought a couple of cervezas.  Shortly, we made our way to the dock to meet our boat taxi to our cabana.  What a perfect day!  

Scene II

Our last two nights in Boquete went by uneventfully.  Lots of morning sun.  LOTS of evening rain.  And good company with a wonderful family.  On Saturday morning, we said our goodbyes and headed off to the bus stop to catch our shuttle van to Bocas Del Toro.  On the bus already were three 'typical' examples of the international backpacker crowd.  Young people, in their 20s, seeing the world and working when they must.  In this case, the two women were from Belgium and another unidentified male was from terra incognito.

Panama has the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other. We were on the Pacific side, and to get to our destination we had to go up and over a mountain chain.  The terrain was beautiful, mountainous jungle.  Many houses were on stilts and built into the hillside.  Thatched roofs were a common site.  The road over the mountain was of mixed quality, and our driver slolomed his way up and over.  It's a good thing he stopped midway for a beer so he could be more relaxed. 

The people we saw along the road were more akin to what we saw in Guatemala, rather than Boquete.  There were no gringo expats here, but there were children selling fruit and vegetables along the roadside.

Soon, we were coming down the mountain and got our first glimpse of the Caribbean Sea below us.  We pulled up to the boat launch at Almirante and were quickly whisked off the van and onto a boat.  A local who carried some other people's bags hounded me for a tip.  "How about a tip!  How about a tip!"  He hadn't done anything for us up to that point, but I tipped anyway so he would go away.  It worked.

Bocas was chaotic, but in a fun way.  Lots of people.  Gringos and locals rushed from place to place.  It was akin to the city on Tatooine in the first Star Wars movie.  We bought some groceries, and caught a water taxi to our home for the next week.

We arrived at the Roam Yoga & Wellness on Isla Solarte and stepped into another world!  Ryan and Meghan met us on the dock with their son Satya and dog Berkeley.  Meghan and Satya were off to a birthday party, and Ryan showed us around.  We are currently the only guests on the resort, so we are getting first class treatment. Pathways meandered through palm trees and flowering bushes.  Birds we've never seen or heard before flew from tree to tree.  Hummingbirds and parakeets were also in abundance.  We were shown our cabana which has running HOT water!  What a luxury!!  It also has screened in, outdoor areas overlooking their gardens.  What a spot!  

Kathy and I quickly changed and went for a swim.  They have a coral reef right off their dock, and their neighbor has extensive reefs he has created through a restoration project.  Later, we went on a hike in what is a true tropical jungle.  When we got back, we popped the cork on a bottle of champagne.

The evening ended with a splurge for dinner.  Ryan was our chef and waiter, as Meghan was busy with mom duties.  He is quite the renaissance man.  Ryan built most of the structures on site, is a surfer dude, a yoga instructor, seems very intellegent and compassionate, seems like a good father, and prepared an amazing dinner for us sourcing half of the vegan meal from the property.  And he was good company.

Passion Fruit Margharita

Fried Plantains and Guac

Jack Fruit Tacos

Ryan shared lots of local knowledge while we dined on tacos made with jackfruit, and we finished off with vegan ice cream made with coconut milk.  After tonight, we're certain we could get along just fine as vegans!

Vegan Ice Cream Made from Coconut Milk