An amazing way to start the day

We have been in Panama about 2 1/2 weeks now, and I have some pictures ready to write a blog about where we live and our school and some other things that we’ve done, but this morning the sunrise was so amazing I had to share it immediately. This is a pretty nice way to start a day.

 

Chapter Three: In which the children will be ensconced in university so the parents can run amok.

I guess it's time to dust off this old blog again. After a five-year hiatus in the US, while the kids went to high school and COVID kept us basically home, it's time for another adventure. Since the kids will both be at university, it's just the dog and us this time. Here we go!

Our newest adventure is taking us to Panama, the country, not the city in Florida. Pre covid we visited here on a cruise and saw the amazing Panama Canal, along with a couple other ports in Central America, but this is our first time really in Panama. The first glimpse of the Caribbean side is beautiful and amazing. 

This is the view from the plane of Panama City. It is way more city than I imagined, even though I had heard that it is as big a city as Miami. 

Picked up by our new boss in her red convertible mini cooper. I think we're going to get along fine! :)

She gave us a quick tour of the city, with a stop for fajitas, ceviche, and sangria for lunch. 

Here we're driving towards our place, which is in Panama Pacifico. 

We made a stop at a supermarket to get some supplies. In the past few weeks, Panamanians have been protesting because of the high cost of food, gasoline, and general corruption in the government so we were happy to see the produce section stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Some things we did not buy because they WERE outrageously priced: butter was $9.05 for four sticks, so we can do without. While the things we did buy seemed reasonable, like $0.65/lb for bananas, when the average minimum wage in Panama is $1.22- $2.36 per hour or $4,140 per year, I empathize with the Panamanians who are trying to get by. Adding to the problem are people like us, who are earning much more than that and think $0.65 a pound for bananas is a deal. 

Our keys! 

This is the place we are living, fourth-floor jungle view, so we have a view of the forest canopy, birds, and occasionally howler honkeys. 

This is the view of our beach and pool, down front left. 

This panorama shot shows the apartment, the Pacific, and the western beach. If you squint you might be able to see the huge boas lining up to enter the Panama Canal. 
And you know what they say about the Pacific? They say it has no memory. That's where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory (that's for all you movie buffs.)  We've only been here a couple of days and don't start working until Wednesday, so we have some time for a bit more exploring. We"ll keep you posted. 

Costa Rica, Honduras, Belize, and Costa Maya

Wow,  I just realized that a whole year of COVID has gone by without us taking a trip anywhere or doing anything.  I came to see what our last trip was, and noticed that these pictures had never been published.  Shocking! So, today I will try to remember what these are even about!  

I do remember that in Costa Rica there was a thunderstorm, and I remember because the kids and I had scheduled a zip-lining excursion, and while I don't mind the rain, I wasn't that keen on zipping through the forest amid lightening. 

There weren't many folks around, so we had a nice drizzly walk before our outing. 

The kids are ready to go! 

Here we are on the bus to the rainforest for our fun.  As we are driving we pass a bunch of places that are preparing pineapples for international shipment.  

The view out the bus window. 

These are loaded with pineapples. 

Here we are off the main road and onto a back road that winds up to a mountaintop.  

Trying not to look too excited.  Because I didn't have any pockets I had to leave my phone on the bus.  So no pix of the actual ziplining.   We did see monkeys in the tree-tops, which was exciting.  You can get an idea here:

https://www.costaricarios.com/5-of-the-most-amazing-zip-lines-to-discover-in-costa-rica/

Back on the ground, we saw some of these amazing frogs.  

Heading back to the bus.  

In this photo, we are in Honduras.  The last time we were here the kids were so much younger, and it was so much less developed.  We decide to forgo a tour and just walk around the town to the beach.  

As usual, these two are AMAZING sports and just go along with walking until we get tired.  

We make it a couple miles to this beach where we just hang out and collect rocks and shells. 

Time to head back, but not before making some music. 

Last stop on this trip, Belize, where we all try stand-up paddleboarding. 

We wind up here, ready to go! 

This was super fun

Now it's time for some swimming! 

Happy New Year! 

When we last visited Costa Maya it had been devastated by Hurricanes Dean and Felix.  The town was mostly closed or destroyed, and the main street was shuttered except for a few street vendors.  

Not anymore.  This place is JAMMED.  Everything has been rebuilt and there are tons of shops and restaurants.  

We just walked around the port until we were ready for a swim. 

Sea turtle!