2WannaBRetireesinPanama: January 2014

It is just plain and simple cold here in northern VA and all over the eastern coast of the United States for that matter. We left Panama last Saturday with the temperatures being in the nineties everyday. When I left for Panama, I knew that Virginia was going to have a warm Saturday for our return (it had shown mid-fifties). I remember Martin Luther King weekend was supposed to be warmer. Ray and I arrived to Dulles at two pm, and it was twenty-nine degrees. Sure, warmer. And for the week, we had snow. Snow arrived on the Tuesday when I had to return to work. Ray was still off until Thursday. Because "snow was coming", ALL of the area county schools were closed for the day, the Federal Government closed for the day, and Ray's office opened at ten am (they then closed the office at noon). My office opened on time. And, except for the staff that was working 1-8 that day, we all worked a full day. Everyone was pretty much done for the day by five pm. This area got maybe two inches of snow. But remember, it was COLD. My daughter's area got six inches or so. The snow never melted. Salt couldn't work on the ice. Schools remained closed either through Friday with midterm exams being canceled in many counties (here), or a two hour delayed opening where my daughter teaches (she was ready to go back) in Fairfax County. Wednesday (another vacation day for Ray) my office, with all of us being essential employees, opened on time. The morning was quiet until about ten am, and then patients dug themselves out of the ice and started to show up. Ray, being my first patient of the day at eight am, was right on time. Heck, he drove me to work, and we made a dinner date for afterwards :) It was, with the wind chill, about zero to fifteen degrees that day. This POLAR VORTEX is just unusual, and I don't like it. According to Wikipedia, Canada and the United States east of the Rocky Mountains and south to Florida has experience an extreme cold wave in 2014. For the first twelve days of January, along with last week and next week, there has been an Arctic coldfront. Temperatures fell to unprecedented levels, schools and businesses that never close did close, there were road closures and mass flight cancellations. Now, with it being Sunday, our driveway still has snow on it, and it is supposed to be ten degrees on Tuesday again. Remind me why I came back to Virginia? It certainly has me telling everyone that says "I am going to visit you in Panama" to come in January!

This is what shut down school for four days.

Not that the only thing going on here is that it has been a cold and bitter week since we got home, but the good was that we were able to celebrate our daughter's 22nd birthday at a delicious Mexican/Latin American restaurant. Her boyfriend had organized a dinner with my family and friends along with her co-workers that are also now her good friends. It was an excellent day to come home.

Carly with proud dad, Ray!

And with Ray being on vacation still, we had a home inspection done on the house. This we did just to make sure things aren't discovered at the last minute when we put the house on the market. PLUS, it looks like we have done a fine job ourselves of selling some very big pieces of furniture. So once the house does sell, we can move it all out of here. Makes me not mind so much that I am giving away a lot to Goodwill, also. I just feel much better not paying an estate company a huge commission either. Some friends came to take some Christmas decorations away, and today I packed up remaining Christmas dishes and glasses that were taking up space in cabinets and pantry. Soon we will be spending weekends at the lake house, but for now, it is selling and packing and purging things. And I baked some cookies! Pink lemonade and key lime pie--reminds me of summertime!

Clyde and Terry were to pick us up at nine am, so Ray and I ate our breakfast in our room as well as having a bagel and fruit at the cafe/lounge in the hotel. An apple here cost .95 compared to .45 at Riba's. URG. If only I had bought that third apple, haha. Dressed in jeans and capris and bringing along some walking shoes in case we found a trail as well as some snacks and water, Ray and I wanted to eat up before heading home the next day, we hit the road headed towards the third locks of the Canal. The Gatun Locks. When looking at a map, it looks as if Colon would be one hour away from Panama City, since it is fifty miles. But in Panama, things aren't as close as they seem. Depending on the condition of the road, how many lanes it is, what type of road it is (highway or city streets), and the time of day, a fifty mile trip can take an hour or two. I wasn't sure where Clyde was planning on taking us first--he had basically said Portobello, the Gatun Locks and Colon ("for kicks"). Terry, having a poor night of sleep the night before, was in search of coffee which we did not find for her at Terpel where we had been a few days prior. We did buy more snacks, a Coke for Terry and some Frescas. The cashier asked us gringos if we wanted cigarettes. Really? Clyde drove us along Canal Road taking us to the autopista that would take us north to Colon.

Once off the autopista, Clyde was unsure of which direction to take for the locks. A nice gentleman told him to turn right. We did turn right but not knowing if we should continue going this path, he turned around and away we went to the city of Colon. First, we passed the Free Trade Zone. In 1948, Panama began this project which has now become one of the largest supports of Panama's economy. It sits on over six hundred acres, there are over 250,000 visitors a year (according to wikipedia) and brings in five billion dollars a year. It exports and imports products from all of the world and is considered a "trading showcase". Continuing down the road, we traveled into the city of Colon. This is one of the least safest areas in Panama to travel to, there would be no market shopping here, but being on the Atlantic Ocean, I was really happy to get to the waters edge. I could now say that I had been on the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean on the same day. Upon our arrival at the water for picture taking, there was a tourist bus with many passengers also taking pictures. Next to the bus was a police car. We wondered if it was in fact a police escort for the bus.

Colon is a seaport on the Caribbean Sea (Atlantic side) coast of Panama. The city lies near the Caribbean sea entrance to the Panama Canal. Now, I have been to the Caribbean Sea in Panama. Once Clyde got his bearings straight and after consulting with a friend on the phone, we were off to the locks. But first we had to make our way back out of Colon passing ruins of lived in apartment buildings, churches, markets and people hustling and bustling on the busy streets.

After passing the Super 99 (outside of the main streets of Colon), we saw large homes in a gated development and the entrance to the Gatun Locks. This is the first set of locks at the Atlantic entrance of the canal. Ray and I have now been to all three locks. Miraflores, on the Pacific, has two chambers, Pedro Miguel has one and Gatun has three. The ships get raised 87 feet above sea level into the Gatun Lake and once on the other side, they get lowered into the other ocean. Miraflores is the most popular locks to visit, since it is very close to the city. Again, we were able to use our temporary visa card, and our entrance cost was free. Otherwise, this tourist attraction cost five dollars. There was quite a crowd compared to when Clyde and Terry had last been to these locks, and we slowly inched our way up to the railing. We knew people would eventually cave (they had been hanging around a lot longer that we had been) and leave their posts. Taking pictures and videos, watching the people on deck of the ships taking pictures too (!), we watched and waited for the water to rise, raising the ship, the locks to opena dn the ship to sail on over to the Pacific Ocean. These locks are fantastic, because you are right on top of the ships, and they seem to be just an arms length away.

Back in the car and along the road we went, we passed the new and improved sliding locks sitting out in the wide open field waiting to be installed soon. We stopped at the Expansion Project where they have set up a viewing area with a restaurant, snack bar, playground and movie theater. This cost us three dollars with the jubilado discount (five dollars is the regular cost). We again took more pictures and videos of the construction of the new locks. This expansion project began in 2007, and it is suppose to be finished by 2015 (this coming August in the 100th anniversary of the canal). It is creating a new lane of traffic, doubling the capacity of the canal and will allow more and larger ships to pass through the canal. It is all just an amazing and overwhelming experience to see this creation.

By now we had some hunger taking over, so we stopped at the cafe for sandwiches and chicken tenders. We were surprised that for only eight dollars (less with our discount) that the portions of chicken tenders, french fries and soda. We expected, at this attraction, to pay more for snack bar style food. Who knew where our travels would take us next, and Clyde, the driver, along with his crew were ready for more adventures! There was a fort to get to that had a castle. Terry and I wanted to see the pretty castle. Next stop was Fort Sherman. We had to first get past that security guard. We really didn't understand his job, since the fort isn't operating anymore. He just told us not to meander too far. But of course we wouldn't do that! This fort used to be a US Army base, and it's primary goal was to serve as a defensive base at the Atlantic Ocean of the Canal. It was also a center for US jungle warfare training. On the Pacific side, the US Army base was Fort Amador. Both have since been turned over to Panama (1999). Abandoned buildings sitting on the water didn't really impress us, so we turned around and headed to Shelter Point Marina.

Many people were out and about painting their boats or yachts. There is a restaurant there, and still that castle we were going to find. After exiting Fort Sherman, we went to Fort San Lorenzo and San Lorenzo Park. This park is 23,000 acres of forest, rivers, wetlands and pastures with 12 miles of coastline (who knew!). It has more hours of sunshine per day for all months of the year (except for Jan and Feb) compared to the Pacific Coast of Panama.

http://lifeforaforest.com/2013/02/18/san-lorenzo-forest-panama/

After paying a one dollar entrance fee, we encountered not only huge potholes (!) but a trail of coatimundi as well. We saw a sign that said beach (we just knew there was water somewhere), and Clyde took the gravel road down, down, down and over even more potholes. While Clyde and I were taking pictures of the sandy, small beach with trash overflowing from the trashcan (don't go here to swim), and other pictures of a tiny crab, Ray and Terry heard noises above. The rustling of the tree branches had them peering up. We all looked right back up into the faces of a capuchin monkey. More pictures, videos and a lot of "oooohs and aaaahs" later, we left the monkeys to find the castle that bears the same name as the fort.

We parked the car at the 'Castillo de San Lorenzo el Real de Chagres" (or Fort San Lorenzo) and walked the fort that is on the edge of rocky cliff overlooking the Caribbean coast and the Chagres River. It is 82 feet above sea level and does not have railings to guard you from taking the plunge.
This fort is one of the oldest and best preserved forests in the world. Again, the link above gave me fascinating information about this place! It had been a wood fort but was destroyed in a battle in 1671. It was rebuilt in stone in 1680, destroyed again in 1740 and now what we saw were ruins that were rebuilt in 1768 and additions that were built in 1779. The fort was built to protect against pirates (such as Captain Henry Morgan).

When leaving the fort, Terry looked up at the trees and found another monkey. This one was very energetic and right above our heads! He was so close, but he kept turning his back to us exposing his "parts". Next thing we knew though, he was hanging from a tree branch just as happy as could be putting big smiles on our faces!

What a day it had been so far! Funny store that I had read on a forum before happened to us at Terpel gas station (the second time we stopped--have to stay hydrated). We were using the bathroom and wanting to buy drinks along with peanut M & M's. Terry wanted iced tea, but the one she chose wouldn't scan. She was told she couldn't buy it. She selected another iced tea, and it wouldn't scan either. It seems that when in Panama, if something doesn't ring up at the register, the cashier won't try to type the bar code in, the customer just isn't able to make the purchase. And the cashier doesn't make the move to possibly figure out the problem That iced tea had most likely been on the shelf for years getting ignored, so it was best we couldn't buy it.

Our final destination for the day was Portabelo and to see the Black Christ. Portobelo is a port city fifty-three miles northwest of Panama City and was founded by Christopher Columbus in 1502. It's primary use was for exporting silver. But here and now, the major tourist attraction is the Iglesia de San Felipe that was founded in 1814. Still in use, it is home to the Black Christ. This life-size Christ is carrying a cross and usually will sit behind glass to the left of the altar. It is brought out to the center of the church every October 21st, and this is Portobelo's biggest event. There are two main stories that I read behind how the Black Christ came to this church in Portobelo, but no one is certain on which is true. However, everyone believes this Black Christ is responsible for many miracles.

On our walk through town, we passed by small children riding bikes with training wheels wearing only underwear and different length and colored socks, older children wearing inline skates, a caged monkey in front of a small house, vendors selling jewelry and more children playing soccer. We passed through the Royals Custom House, now a museum, that once protected the King's treasures of gold and pearls. Canon fire destroyed it in 1744 and an earthquake did damage in 1882. It was restored in the mid-1990's of all times and using coral from the reefs nearby (!) of all things destroying most of the reef. This was used because coral had been used to build the forts since it is tough as granite, light as pumice and easy to saw.

Fort Santiago was our last stop and fort to visit for the day. Built to protect this port from pirates, it has the distinction of being sacked more times than any other place in the world. It was seen as easy pickings by pirates everywhere. We walked along the fort taking pictures of the sun starting to set and the old fort made of coral.

Once in the car, the sun was beginning to set as well as hunger setting in again. We knew we wanted to stop here at a restaurant nearby since there was only a McDonalds about thirty minutes away. We stopped at another Castle that is a restaurant (Castillo de Portobello) where, interestingly enough, there was Asian cuisine. We walked through the massive wooden castle doors into an outdoor restaurant with a large bar. There wasn't any English speaking in this restaurant and the menu was on a white board. The bathrooms were dimly lit, but they were clean. This was the only restroom this past week that I saw the "paper in the trashcan" sign, and Terry pointed out to me (did I say it was poorly lit?), the pull chain I had failed to use. I was so engrossed in making sure I did not flush the paper, I failed to flush (pulling the chain) at all. Balboa beer, rum and cokes and seco (not very much) with cranberry were our drinks in hand along with a safe bet for Ray of a cheeseburger, Chicken Pad Thai for me (delicious!), and Chicken Curry for Clyde and Terry. With the sunset, and the sky dark, our final adventure would be Driver Clyde getting us safely back to Panama City. We had a "lead car" on the two lane curvy road for the thirty or so minutes it took to get us back to the main streets outside of Portobelo. We hopped on the autopista and followed signs to a city that Ray can't help me remember the name of right now (!). Again, the problem is in that once we took the exit towards this town, the road divides again and there were no longer any signs giving any indication of which way to go. Clyde hopped off the road and out of the car asking directions, since we were heading back to Colon, and he again managed to get us back in the right direction to where we wanted to go. Two hours of driving fifty-three miles back to the city was very stressful, but we knew we were in good hands with Clyde, the driver. And sitting next to the him as we all decided was Princess Terry who finally saw her castle along with Ray and Miss Daisy (me), who saw so much more than I ever could have imagined in twelve hours of sightseeing that day! Thanks to Clyde and Terry!

On Day 8, Ray and I were picked up at the hotel by Luis and driven to Tocumen International Airport. Such a friendly and amicable driver, Luis had us to the airport in no time flat. We ate breakfast at a small coffee spot upstairs (reminder to myself to stick with Carl's the next time) where the cashier did ask me twice if I wanted Cafe Negro (black coffee). Seeing nothing on the Nestle machine except for cappucino, espresso, hot chocolate and black coffee, I told her twice "yes". And black is what I got. I never did see the "Cafe con Leche" button on the machine. Oh well. Once we arrived at our gate, went through security again at the gate, and were seated on the plane, it was a smooth and uneventful trip. I wonder if Clyde and Terry had been with us, if I could post this haha Copa Airlines provided us with three drink services and a wonderful lunch as well as a quick four hour and fifteen minute flight! And now we know that we will book our next flight to Panama for August as a one way flight, because we can use our jubilado discount on airfare only in Panama when we come home to the States. We learned so much, saw so much and did so much this past week! What a wonderful time to be in Panama with the warmth of the sun and the friendly warmth from our friends only to return to Virginia in thirty degree temperatures, and tomorrow we are expecting three to six inches of snow. I will enjoy it for now.

(Pictures were completely out of sorts when I tried to post them under each paragraph so here they are in bulk. More pictures of monkeys and wildlife and of Day 1-6 next post).