Bienvenidos!
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Last few days
I meant to write this earlier but I've been busy finishing shopping and packing and things so haven't had time yet today. But, here I am, on my last night here. It feels kind of strange. I'm sad to be leaving, but I'm also ready to go home. I sort of wish I'd done more while I was here but I know we've been constrained by budget and transport and my elective for the first four weeks. I've done a lot though, and experienced a whole new culture and I'm so pleased to have been able to do that.
On Thursday (which happened to be Joe's birthday - Happy Birthday Joe!!) we went to Portobelo. Unfortunately when we got there it was raining so hard we couldn't do anything - it was thundering down, the sea was churning and the water was pouring from the hills in great muddy cascades. It would have been stupid tog et out of the car; even with the umbrella we would have been soaked in seconds. I was a bit disappointed but you know, you can't control the weather... So we drove around as best we could, I looked at the forts from the car window - what little could be seen through the rain, anyway, and then we headed back. On the way we passed the Gatun Locks, and drove over a bridge in front of one of the big gates. It was pretty impressive. Plus I got to see both Atlantic and Pacific oceans in one morning. In how many places can you do that? In the afternoon we went to our last fencing session here. It was still fairly empty as most of the athletes were still recovering from the Central American games, so we did warm-ups and then Mario had a sparring session with Jaime. He was told before we left that if he had been sticking around in Panama they would have considered sending him as a delegate to the World Championships in Turin this October. Damn right - he beat everyone there at least once! After fencing we went to Casa del Helado for ice cream. I had peanut flavour. It tasted a bit like cold creamy peanut butter.
On Friday we went to the children's hosptal to pick up what I thought was my evaluation form but turned out to be a letter to my dean, which is all well and good, but I need to hand in the eval form too. So I'm going to have to email that and ask for it to be faxed to the office. Ah well. Afterwards, since it was a lovely, clear, sunny day, we went to a couple of places in the city so I could take photos. I took a couple of the hospital, some of the city and some of places we'd been to. Then after lunch we headed out to the craft fair. It was amazing! The hall was full of artisans, Kunas, Enbera Wounaan, Ngobe-bugles and other people all selling stuff they'd made, and in the back were the food stalls. We arrived at two and it was fairly full, but it got so busy that you could hardly move by about six. I bought most of my souvenirs and gifts there, and got two of the three things I'd decided I wanted - a blue mola and a carved hummingbird. I forwent the woven basket because they were a little too expensive for me at the time. Maybe if I come back when I have a bit more money I'll treat myself to one. I also managed to take a sneaky picture of a Kuna lady when she wasn't looking. I've probably got some Kuna curse on me now or something. I won't list everything I bought until I get it home, just in case something happens to it. We nibbled on a torreja (a little fried corn thingy) and had juice and chicheme, and tried some tropical fruit wine which was pretty nice, and watched a couple of displays of traditional dancing from some local children. It was a really good afternoon, even if I did spend far too much...
We left at about six to go and get ready to go out to the Tipico show and dinner. I wore the Venice dress again, but for some reason it wasn't quite hanging right, and I think I need to take the straps up a little more. We were sat in the middle of a long row of tables for two, with a bored-looking couple on one side and an american gentleman with his half-artificial lady friend on the other. Dinner was nice, if a tad expensive. We started with ceviche and frozen tinajas cocktails, then Mario had beef in a tamarind sauce and I had chicken in orange, followed by tres leches for dessert. The show lasted about an hour and I thouroughly enjoyed it - they had country dances from the different provinces, a painted devil dance, and finished with two dances which Mario says are the Panamanian equivalent of ballroom dancing, with the ladies dressed in full polleras and the men in their traditional dress too. Right at the end they got some of the audience to go and dance on the stage. I was overlooked (thankfully) in favour of Ms Cleavage on my right.
After the show was over we went to meet Marlo as it was also her birthday on Thursday. We went for drinks at the Decapolis Hotel bar, and somehow managed to arrive about 15 minutes before everyone else. When they got there we went up to the pool bar which was a bit less crowded. Everyone was talking in Spanish and I was too tired to concentrate properly, so I just zoned out for a bit. When I'd finished my overpriced Mai Tai I lay back on the lounger as it was a bit low and my back was aching, and as it turns out, fell asleep. I woke up at somewhere around one in the morningand most people had gone, so we went home too.
Today we woke up late, and just finished off getting a few more things for friends and packing. I should go to bed soon as it's getting late and I want to get up with plenty of time tomorrow. Probably won't be able to update again until Wednesday or Thursday, as we're moving the stuff from Mario's into the new house the day after I get back. I'm really looking forward to living with him this year. I can't wait, I keep thinking about it and getting all excited like a kid before Christmas. But yeah. Need to sleep now. Laters all xxx (or should I say, 'ha'ta leugo'!)
10:11 p.m. - 2006-07-29
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