The two relatively quick flights took me from St. Louis to Miami then Lisa and me to see our friend Julie in Panama City, Panama last week. Once we touched down, the warmth touched my skin, the sunshine filled my heart, and the FUN and girlfriend-time filled my soul.
I haven’t seen these girlfriends in a long while. We met when we lived in Abu Dhabi and our kids attended the American Community School. We have so much in common: we’re all from Texas, we love movies, champagne, to have FUN, and being together. So, of course, this week was destined to be great. And as I sit here, back in my apartment in St. Louis, on this 34ºF day, I reflect on the past week and share.
Panama is a lovely place; a country on the isthmus linking Central and South America. I’ve seen both of the two seasons there: the rainy and the dry. I prefer the dry season. My Spanish was rusty, but returned when speaking to the locals, albeit briefly.
After stopping by El Rey supermarket to stock up on food, drinks, and necessities for the week, we made our way to the beach house. We settled in and set our “relaxing mode” to ON.
Throughout the week, we ate fresh red snapper, prepared* as ceviche and fillets, amazing grilled steak fillets, Hebrew National hot dogs, and wonderfully marinated chicken. We drank pineapple drinks, freshly picked coconut water, and fresh squeezed orange juice. We ate passionfruit, papaya, and plantains. Everything tasted so fresh, pure and delicious. *Bernie and Julie were our chefs, creating delicious and magical meals out of everything in the fridge and introducing us to Panamanian delicacies.
One day we toured the city of El Valle: we walked up and down the aisles of the Mercado municipal, walked inside a beautiful old church that celebrated the Pope’s visit there one week prior, and ate at a pizza place that cooked the pizza in a wood-burning stove al fresco. No, I didn’t eat the pizza; I ate salad.
Every day, morning and late afternoon, we walked the gravel road to the beach to swim, walk along the water, and sit in the tide pools. One day I took a boogie board (my NDB) and paddled out into the waves. After checking the tide chart, we determined those outings.
To further my love and faith in the power of Facebook, one afternoon we met up with my friend Yoli, whom I met in 2008, and have kept in touch with over the keyboard, for a Panamá style Happy Hour: champagne and canapés outside under the canopy of a guava tree.
On our final day, Lisa and I toured the Miraflores Locks Museum of the Panamá Canal. The Panamá Canal, a famous feat of human engineering, cuts through its center, linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to create an essential shipping route. Reading the placards and watching the IMAX movie, we learned all about the building of the Canal and the ecosystem it encompasses. Truly a fascinating marvel of ingenuity and vision. We even saw several cargo, party and cruise ships go through the locks right in front of our eyes!
My overall impressions of this place: relaxed, innovative, welcoming, and historic. I recommend this destination.
Until we meet again, Julie, Bernie and Lisa, ádios.
Aloha🌺,
Denise
