TakeBetsywithyou

We met two bubbly American girls last night outside the famous Panama City restaurant Tinajas and listening to their stories, told with smiles and laughter and a sunny self-asssurance, reminded me of myself at their age. Once, long long ago, I was a college junior on a  semester abroad (in London, not Panama City) and I knew, just knew, that this was not only one of my happiest chapters to date but would be one of my happiest chapters in my life to come.

The girls were both juniors studying to be port inspectors at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy – and had a one-month internship to work at the Panama Canal. They got to climb aboard huge freighters from Turkey and Russia and presumably see them through the canal – how cool is that? They were two of only four girls in a group of 12 doing this internship and apparently ports are still primarily staffed by men but they seemed completely unfazed by this and confident that they could do whatever they wanted. Good for them!

This morning, my stomach finally succumbed to whatever the Panamanian version of Montezuma’s revenge is. Maybe not that bad. I just had the runs and beyond that was dragging around with little energy in the intense heavy heat. Bit of a bummer since this was the morning for a guided tour of Panama City – but I made it and as expected really liked the faded glory of the Casa Viejo, the former colonial zone, which is undergoing a slow painstaking revamping. For every four or five crumbling building with peeling paint and sagging balconies, thereis an impeccably renovated colonial beauty – reminded me of how much fun New York City’s Soho neighborhood was in the 1970s when my mom took me there to meet artists she was scouting out to show in my parent’s gallery in suburban Detroit. There was a surprise on every other block – a great restored loft or cool boutique or gallery surrounded by rundown buildings. Now that element of surprise is way past in Soho and I hope that doesn’t become the case in Casa Viejo.

To my amazement, the sun has just come out in full force and everything is green and lush again, minutes after an intense rain storm that made the islands outside our hotel and the freighters lined up to enter the canal disappear into a grey and cloudy haze. I sat on the balcony and watched the storm roll in, listening to the sound of the wind blowing it past and couldn’t have been happier.

Sorry it’s taken me a few days to blog – been on the run nonstop and didn’t have internet access until just now. We’re having an incredible time. Spent first two days based at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort – set in a lush steamy tropical jungle along a muddy river with gorgeous grounds. Went on a guided trip to the Embera Indian Village – which we got to via dug out canoes with outboard motors where we were greeted by scantily clad native people who served us fish and plantains wrapped in a banana leaf, performed some dances and explained their culture. Today was a daylong visit to the Panama Canal – starting with breakfast overlooking the miraflora locks and a presentation by U.S. Embassy Ag staff, then a ride – very long and slow but fascinating – down about 1/2 of the 50 mile canal. Behind us – and i mean right behind us when we got to the locks – was an absolutely enormous freighter (pretty spooky to have that gaining behind us) and in the channel and lock beside us an enormous cruise ship. Tonight we had a lovely dinner at Cafe Barko on the Amadeor Causeway. Now we’re happily settled at our latest incredible hotel – the Intercontinental Playa Bonita Resort on the Pacific, about 20 miles west of downtown Panama City. I could get use to this!!!