The Savage Traveler: Panama: Day 6

Wednesday, April 3: It was still dark at 5:00 when we awoke but the staff soon started up the generator and gave us some electricity to finish packing and eat a quick breakfast. The wind had died during the early morning hours and so the water was much less choppy than any of our other trips. Unfortunately, that also meant the sand fleas were ferocious while we waited. We had bug spray on but they still bit. The plane was late in taking off from Panama City because of rain so the wait was pretty bad. When it finally arrived we were surprised to see a 6 passenger plane with two very young pilots. Cornelia muttered in her charming accent, "At home such young men are riding motor scooters." They loaded up the six of us and our luggage and a bunch of parcels from the Kuna Yala and we were on our way.

Our tiny return airplane

Kris, Cornelia, Carlos, Peggy

Marv & Heidi with the pilots in front

It was actually a very smooth flight and a good landing. After an eager and friendly looking retriever sniffed the luggage and all the boxes we were given the go-ahead and were on our way. Our taxi driver from Monday met us and drove us back to Hostel Michelle , where we were given our rooms and Kris found the keys to the car on the table. I should say more here about the hostel. Yvonne is Michelle's mother and though they run the Hostel together she is more in evidence. Yvonne is a big, blowsy, bleached blond who reminds me of a Panamanian Bette Midler. The first night here there were only three other people, all men. It made me wonder if it was a favorite retreat for gay men and she seemed like just the sort of person who would get along great with them and kid around and mother them. When we got there today we were let in by a flamboyantly gay young man with a long blond ponytail and green polished nails, which seemed to validate my first impressions. But we were very grateful and not a little surprised that we were given our rooms at 9:00 in the morning so it was all good with us! We walked up to Nandy's Grill and, despite two recommendations, had a disappointing ham and cheese on white bread sandwich, which was all they were offering since they had just opened. Back at the Hostel Marv and I went in the tiny pool and found it refreshing and restorative. Heidi showered and then we drove to the Miraflores Locks to visit the museum and watch boats go through the tallest of the three sets of locks. It was very interesting to learn the history of this engineering marvel which will be 100 years old next year. Panama will celebrate by opening new larger locks which will accommodate the new bigger ocean-going vessels. They are very proud of how they have expanded and made the Panama Canal a commercial success since taking control by treaty in 1999. We stayed all afternoon until the center closed with yet another sandwich to sustain us. We worked on our computers and showered before walking to a nearby Peruvian restaurant for a great meal and nice conversation with the owner. Her husband is the Peruvian cook and her English is excellent because she went to school in Mississippi when she was in high school and college, paid for by Chiquita bananas who pretty much took over her homeland here in Panama. By the time we got back to the Hostel it was about time for bed. It had been a very long day and we were being picked up at 8:00 the next morning.