Melting Away in Panama

January 6, 2012

In Panama we are staying in a beautiful bed and breakfast named Casa 81, which has provided a much needed time to recharge our batteries and do some future planning for the rest of the trip.  Casa 81 is a modern, newly remodeled, six bedroom contemporary style home.  It is the last holdout of homes once located in the financial district and is dwarfed by many tall buildings.   Each morning we have breakfast on the nicely planted garden-patio in the company of a domestic tiger cat. We are always served plain yogurt, fruit, slivered almonds, biscotti and croissants by the maid who is here only in the morning to serve breakfast and clean the rooms.  Our hostess is a Panamanian woman who spent much of her adulthood in the United States raising her three children who were educated and still live in the U.S. 

Unless you are interested in seeing the canal, walking in the heat along the causeway, going to Casco Viejo (the old city), or going to nightclubs and casinos, there really isn’t much to do here.  Progress in Panama seems to have been halted by the downturn in the economy.  It is as though construction was interrupted one day years ago and the workers never returned to complete the job.  Our first day started with an attempt to walk toward the waterfront in the height of the mid-day heat and humidity that was easily above 90 degrees.  After about three blocks, we sought refuge in a frozen yogurt place.  Then we walked for a few more blocks and decided to go to the top of the Rui hotel to get the lay of the land.  Since most of the interesting things seemed to be far away, and it was time for a something to eat, we agreed to find an air-conditioned restaurant. 

Anxious to get out of the heat, Michael suggested that the one block away, KFC was local enough, but I was not persuaded and steered him in the direction of something far more international 3-4 blocks away.  We settled on a nearly deserted place where the beer was ice cold and shared a pleasant meal that included a large mixed salad, white fish in an almond sauce and fried plantains.  There was a big screen TV showing a “football” match that was actually quite interesting to watch.  To me, soccer makes more sense than American football, but it puts Michael to sleep.  He is focused on games that score points, but I find soccer much easier to understand.  With soccer, the players are fit, very handsome, and far more fun to watch! 

Yesterday, we went to the old city.  Originally established in the 1500’s and a former port along the water, it is a city in the midst of change.  Much of the original city was nearly destroyed by a gold plundering pirate named Henry Morgan and his army. Perhaps they were possibly fueled by rum?  The gold altar in the Church of San Jose was saved by a thoughtful priest who, when he heard of the impending invasion, covered the altar in tar.  You will see by the picture included that it was a brilliant decision.   The city was fairly quiet other than handful of tourists who seemed to be outnumbered by cars and construction workers.  Several old buildings appear to be abandoned while others are in the middle of reconstruction. The ones that have been refurbished are stunning. There are multiple squares with very old churches and three to four story New Orleans-like multi-purpose dwellings that have interesting street level shops and restaurants.  Apparently several of the bars become quite lively in the late evening.  We had a wonderful lunch in a small restaurant that sold organic salads and sandwiches.  

Today we got up rather early in search of a few Panamanian birds that are reported to hang out in a park on the edge of the city.  We figured we would get up when the birds do and avoid the mid-day heat, but we were wrong on both accounts.  The steep path went deep into the humid jungle, and while we could hear many different calls from birds, we saw none of them.  At the end of the path was a slimy pond that held too many to count algae covered box turtles. Just one bird showed up for a brief picture and rested momentarily on a branch over the pond.  I had expected to be wowed by dozens of birds putting on a show.  Perhaps I have been to too many zoos.  In reality, their home is high in the canopy of various trees away from prying eyes.  We are finally getting into the local groove of afternoon siesta and dining after the heat of the day. This evening we will attempt to find a restaurant recommended by our hostess, and then tomorrow we have an 11:00 flight for Cartagena.  We will be staying in a small boutique hotel that is within the old walled city. It is advertised to have many flower filled balconies and a view of the sea.  We look forward to staying in a place where, like Disneyland, most of the restaurants and entertainment will be found within the safe ancient walls, and along the cobblestone streets. Beyond the walls, we’ve been told, is a city not unlike Miami, a place we will most likely avoid!