Put Your Pants On!

 Put Your Pants On!

It happened too fast.  The month is gone and it’s time to put pants on. 

The above view has been replaced with this view:

We are having rainforest withdrawals, 

remembering when morning coffee looked like this:

with Clawd, the iguana 

and the agoutis’ playing tag in the garden.

Since returning, It HAS been good to hear the voices of family members and catch up with friends. Colorado IS a pretty good place to be.

I feel a sense of responsibility to those of you who have read the posts on this blog and might be contemplating a trip to Panama. We would most definitely encourage anyone to embark on this adventure but with eyes wide open.  Like everywhere one goes, there are a few unpleasant elements for which to be ready:

Mosquitoes and Mysterious Bitey Bugs:  Don’t forget the bug spray. Panamanian mosquitoes are sneaky! Often we had no idea we were being snacks for the little buggers but would spend the evenings itching and applying cream.  Buy twice as much OFF as you anticipate you’ll need and use it even when you don’t think it’s necessary.  Expect to come home a little lumpier than when you left. 😳

The following phrases passed either Kirby or my lips every day:

* “What a beautiful morning.”

* “Another great evening. No wind.”

* “It’s going to be a hot one.”

* “Shoooo. That breeze feels great!”

* “A breeze would sure feel good about now!”

* “How high do you think the humidity is?”

Baby it’s HOT outside:  Pack like you are headed for hell even though you are going to Paradise! 😊 No really! Go for cotton over synthetic and loose and flowie over tight fitting.  Often my shirt would hit the laundry pile after our morning walk so toss in a few extra tops or look for a washer/dryer setup when booking a place to stay. Skip the hair appliances - opt for hats to keep the sun off - and minimal makeup is needed.  Ladies, take the coolest bras you own or tops where you feel comfortable going all natural.This revelation was a game changer for me! 😉 The up-side to all of this - I was able to get ready for the day in 10 minutes and be out enjoying nature instead of curling my hair! Contemplating tossing the old curling iron here at home as well. 💇‍♀️

Know What You Want:  If Hawaii and luxury hotels are your scene, Panama may not be for you.  It’s more of a cooler at the lake kind of a place. A lot of places don’t generate the tourist income to pay for manicured lawns and the upkeep in a rainforest is extensive and never-ending. And Panama has a trash issue - especially in the more populated areas. China quit taking the trash a few years ago and a new solution has not been established. 

Choose Your Chariot:  The first time we visited Panama we did not rent a car and with advanced planning were able to explore Panama City, the locks and tours around Gamboa by taxi or car service.  If you want to investigate much beyond that, renting a car is the best option.  Public transportation is questionable and taxi service for cross country trips unlikely. Waze is an app that is widely used and seems to work better in Panama than Maps and is a great tool for self- drivers. Users send real time notifications about police presence and road conditions.  If you read a few of our previous posts, you likely got a picture of driving in Panama and know it’s not for the faint of heart. However, tag-teaming the drive makes it do-able. The street signs often don’t match the directions given by Waze and exits are close together so having a partner to watch the blue arrow and point to the correct road is beyond helpful.  

In our opinion, the positives of Panamanian life far out-weigh the negatives. Feel free to call or message us with questions. There is a lot we still don’t know but we can always ask our new friend Ivan for advice.  And honestly, the Panamanian people are super friendly and ready to help - even struggling Spanish Speakers who are “Gringos-n-Panama!”

. . . for sharing this adventure with us. Blogging was a ton of fun and a great way to re-live our experiences again, from in front of a fan during the heat of the day. It changed the lens from which I saw this unique and beautiful place.

And . . .

PANAMA

for being SO AMAZING!