journeywithmadonna

…….it wasn’t easy getting out of “the bridge” as Jim likes to call it!   He went swimming early on Thursday morning, not in the Northhumberland Strait, but at the warmer waters of the YMCA and I decided to do laundry, run the dishwasher, have a workout on the treadmill/weights, walk O’Reilly, tidy up, etc. as I had a great deal of anxious energy(which I always have before a trip) and it was good for us to separate for a few hours.  So off we went on our merry way doing what we had to do and by the time he got home all I had left to do was have a shower, return a few emails and place a few phone calls so we could be on our way.   Guess what happened next???   The power went off which in the country means you don’t have internet, running water, telephone or flushing toilets!!!      We didn’t think the weather was that bad for the power to be off that long but just in case we used the cell phone to call NS Power who informed us there was a very large outage so not to expect the power to be on for a few hours……..and that’s all we had before we were off to the airport.   Waited a while and then thought  I should get a quick shower as Jim had his at the Y and he informed me I had a very limited amount of time before the water that was in the system would flow freely from the showerhead……..or something like that!   So I planned it perfectly with shampoo and soap in hand, towel on the rack and turned it on, lathered up my hair and ten seconds in…. nothing!!!!!   Nothing but a lathered head and body(because I was so fast) and not a drip from the tap!   So I screamed at Jim who came running thinking there was a catastrophe but all he found was this lathered beauty, or so I claimed, and I quickly told him to go into the basement to find containers of water we were saving for an emergency in case the power was off and we had to flush the toilets……..it was at least two years old. So up he comes with the very stale, and might I add cold, water to throw over me so I could get the suds out enough so I could dry off……by now you realize it was not a pretty picture!   However it worked…….in so much that I could dry off with a towel and let the hair dry and finish the packing so we could get to the airport with Roz who so kindly offered to take us.    We were glad to leave the Bridge behind and I figured I would have to wait to arrive in Italy for a proper rinse, and so we did.  Flight was on time, met Marilyn in Montreal and onto Rome hoping to get a few hours sleep on the eight hour flight but temporarily forgot how this cannot be a planned event.  All going smoothly until a lovely family with three little kids sat just to the left of us and one seat ahead.  Once the plane departed the youngest child, about three years old, started to cry and everyone else just looked at each other hoping that it would be a very brief episode…….not the case!   It continued on and off for hours while most of us were dozing in and out and at one point I was obviously asleep as I had a nightmare I was the only adult on the plane with all these screaming children…….when I woke up it was dead silent for a few minutes before it started again……..poor little thing was having major challenges and I kept assuming it must be her ears so I felt bad for her.   The last 45 minutes before we landed in Rome, however, were unbearable as she was screaming and I thought someone was going to muzzle the poor little bugger…….but I managed to contain myself!   Once we landed it was all over and her parents were avoiding eye contact with everyone, but the truth is everyone with grey hair understood as many of us had all been there……..Andrea is too young to remember how she challenged us on our similar trip to France when she was 18 months.   We, however, never forgot and I suspect Kathleen might even still remember!   We happily, but wearily, deplaned in Rome and off we went to get the car and head out of the city………and hoping Jim got enough shut eye to navigate his way to……..well we’re not sure where!   Stay tuned as I need a night, or two, to catch up on my sleep so my fingers can do the necessary work.

Meditation Rocks and the sounds of silence….the surf, the wind and the birds

……..we are preparing to leave this country of approximately four million people.   We have enjoyed our stay, saw some fabulous sights, met super people, ate great food, saw  unbelievable flowers and totally enjoyed several great hikes!   What we  enjoyed the most was the weather,  the fabulous beaches and I must admit the food was so much better than we expected…..especially the fresh fish!  It hasn’t rained, other than a few sprinkles, in a month which meant you could plan your day of activity without worrying about the weather.  That meant every day we were either hiking/walking/swimming/beach combing and enjoying it to the max.   Planning was necessary only because you had to get out early in the a.m. or suffer the consequences…..extremely red face and very wet shirts.   One of the things we enjoyed the least was the driving and it is worth mentioning only because it is scary and Jim has acclimatized but Marilyn and I still rumble.   When we arrived in Panama City Kathleen sent us an article about driving in Panama, it’s unpredictability and the importance  of having tranquilizers in the glove compartment……..not far from the truth!  In summary all I can say is that the driver has to be 100% present all the time……..as well as all the passengers!   You never know when someone will change lanes without warning, cut you off or slam on their brakes for some reason for which there is no explanation.    There seems to be no rules and of course,  as foreigners,  we have rules of the road which seem to make no sense to Panamanians………so arriving at your destination  alive and well is no small feat.  We have one more trip to make and that’s to the airport so we are hopeful!  The other interesting thing to note is that cashing an American $50 or $100 bill is not straightforward.    On several occasions we have had to show our passports, sign a register  while the clerk gets the manager who scrutinizes the bill to ensure it’s not counterfeit……..apparently corruption is still alive and well in Panama! And they don’t like visa/master card so bills it is…….under the watchful eye of management.   The people of Panama, however, have been wonderful for the most part although there’s always a few bad apples much like in our own country……..not you, or us, of course!  Our last few days have been in Coronado Bay which is basically a beach resort where there are many Canadians and Americans.  Easter, however, is a big holiday in Panama and all of a sudden over the past few days the traffic has quadrupled and the place is full of Panamanians who have escaped the city and have come to the beach to meet friends and family for the holidays…….it’s been interesting to watch and see the locals really enjoy themselves as well as seeing the adolescents acting like adolescents from  other parts of the world.  What that basically means is they are drinking and making out on the beach listening to their music and oblivious to the old folks such as us……or their own parents who seem to be keeping an eye on them in the distance.  We’re headed out of here today and looking forward to our return, although not looking forward to the snow!   It’s been a great trip first with Dawn and Yves followed by a few days with them and Marilyn, and for the past two weeks just ourselves and Marilyn.  As good as it’s been we have all agreed that it’s not a place we would be quick to come back to although we would recommend it to those who are looking to get away from winter, enjoy some fabulous weather, good food and great people.   As always it’s wonderful to look forward to going home to family, friends and a piece of the earth that cannot be beaten for its beauty.   See YA soon and Happy Easter!

Natural Beach Art

Marilyn enjoying the day

Panama Buddha

As the sun goes down…..we’re ready to leave

Andrea’s friends who live and work in Panama…but going home soon..Sam and Brent

View from the deck

Jim’s last swim

Panama sunset

 Coloured houses are a treat to see in Panama and most  look like little garages.    They  are basically made out of cement blocks and then plastered and painted. We  even found a purple one that is actually a Church…………Dawn kept us on the  hunt for the perfect one and wanted to know what color would be paint our house if we lived here.  Haven’t decided yet but leaning towards the Orange!

……….is about a four hour drive from Santa Catalina and on the way to  Panama City.   According to our guide,  it’s nestled in the crater of  an extinct volcano, is a town of approx. 6,300 and is hard not to like.    It truly is known as a cool mountain retreat which hikers, birders and outdoor enthusiasts love to visit.   We are now on our way home and plan to spend a few days at Coronado Bay just relaxing so it made sense to spend a night at El Valle……..and so glad we did.   We stayed in a funky little hotel known as Hotel Rincon which, apparently, is reminiscent of Panama in days gone by…….and the price was right.   It is getting very busy here now as the Easter holidays are upon us so we were glad to find a place to settle in for the night.

Jim having his ‘before cocktail’ swim in El Valle

 Funky littleaccommodation the following morning we did a three hour walk/hike here to another waterfall and then we were off to a market to pick up our fresh fruit and vegetables for the next few days………and of course an ice cream!!!

Santa Catalina View from sol y mar

Santa c. Having a ‘cool one’ on the way back from the beach

Best Rottweiler I’ve ever met at Luis’ four year old daughter’s birthday party which Jim crashed

Jim………..and in the distance walking the beach, Marilyn

Santa catalina Jim relaxing on the beach!

The best beach days ever were at Santa Catalina, a place we returned to with Marilyn as we really enjoyed it with Dawn and Yves and knew she would like it as well.   We decided to stay with Luis at Sol y Mar again and take full advantage of the beach ………… once again we were not disappointed.  Actually the beach was much more inviting than it had been before and we were able to find a little shade each day so as not to turn into lobsters.   The picture above shows the beach from our hilltop accommodation, a forty minute walk away.  We would walk there early in the morning,  swim and body surf, dry off, do it over again and after about two hours we would start our ascent stopping a couple of times on the way for a ‘cool one’ as Jim would say.   Then a bite to eat,  a swim in the pool, rest in the hammock to read/blog/whatever and then shower before cocktails which consisted of Panamanian rum, coconut water and pineapple juice………with ice if we’re lucky!  We’ve got a contest going to come up with the best name……..so far I think the best one is ‘rummingbird’……..and I am not going to win as I didn’t come up with it!

The Waterfall……..can you see it?

Madonna and Marilyn crossing bridge

What an amazing old geezer…….the tree, not Jim!

Just noticed that I messed up the posting of the hike in Parque International La Amistad(Guadalupe)…….. It went in a couple of posts below my most recent one………March 29, I think…..so take a look!   The waterfall hike outside Bouquete, or pipeline as it is also known, was fabulous and a great way to start the day.   Took us about three hours and we hardly met a soul.    Nothing else I can say really so I will just post a few pictures.

Jim and Marilyn

Look at the size of those leaves!

……..Lodge and Spa is a place I had read about in Canada before we left for Panama.   I came across it on the Lonely Planet forum called ‘thorntree’  where you can read about other people’s experiences of travelling.  What stood out for me then were the cabinas where people stayed inside Parque Amistad and saw all kinds of animals and birds including the quetzal………it all sounded so wonderful until I read you had to hike in with all your stuff and that there was no electricity!    Getting too old for that I thought, so what a surprise it was when we got to Guadalupe to find out they also had lodging in town that not only had electricity but great rooms, beautiful grounds, a spa, a gazebo where cocktails could be had before supper and a super restaurant……..all for a reasonable price.   Booked in right away and it was fabulous.   I know it’s hard to tell from the photo whether Jim is having a glass of wine or a nap………..but I think he’s having both!   You might notice he also has on a hoodie and long pants……..like I said earlier it gets cool in the evening which was great for sleeping.

Buddha at Isla Verde, Bouquete

……….with its population of   approx, 24,000  was a must see in Panama as it was recommended over and over again……..and it did not disappoint.  Bouquete is about a 45 minute drive north of the city of David and seems to be a favorite for ex-pats with many gated communities.  The American presence was quite obvious when we stopped for lunch the day we arrived as the restaurant was full of Americans and everyone was speaking English.   When we were out for an early morning walk the following day we did manage to stumble upon one of those communities and the  guard at the gate looked us over pretty closely.  I am assuming it was because of our skin color that we were allowed in although he was very clear that we could only go to the restaurant and not off the main path/roadway.   We didn’t bother with the restaurant but stayed on the path watching people playing golf, tennis and the like.   Very tastefully done and obvious what draws people from the north!  Luis, our host in Santa Catalina who is from Portugal, told us that if your skin color is white then you’re called an ex-pat in Panama.  However if it is dark then you’re called an immigrant……..he shrugged his shoulders and said “make of it what you like”.                                                                                                           We found fabulous accommodation in Bouquete at Isla Verde and also a ‘ tipical Panamanian’ restaurant very close by serving great food for $3.25 ….excellent.  The hiking was also great as was the Sugar and Spice bakery……it’s all about balance as you know!!!

Tractor pulling us in

Hummingbird nest Our guide had quite the eye as this was well hidden!

 One of many waterfallsThe Splendid Quetzal

…..too many too count and too many to photograph with an iPad….hope you see one!

………is jointly administered by Costa Rica and Panama and encompasses 401,000 ha.  It is a designated UNESCO world heritage site and is home to some of the last remaining highland virgin forests.  The Panamaian section covers approximately 207,000 ha and over 400 bird species inhabit the park including Eagles, quetzales, crested Eagles and bare necked umbrella birds…….none of which I really know anything about other than Eagles.  I sure paid attention, however, when I read that Jaguars also inhabit the park along with roughly 100 other mammals.  In Panama there are three entrances to the park and one is in Guadalupe and usually used by guests of Las Quetzales lodge and because we were staying there we received a guided tour.   The tour began at 8:30am when nine of us boarded into what I can best describe as the back of a truck that was being hauled up into the park by a tractor with those very large tires which were so desperately needed.  The ride up into the park took about an hour and then we hiked around for an hour and a half looking to spot the splendid quetzal……..too bad I didn’t know what I was looking for!   Truly it didn’t matter as they are hard to spot with the naked eye but our guide kept calling much to the delight of the two American binocular laden birders.    We finished the hike without any sighting and then the guide  walked us up to one of the lodges I had mentioned previously and there we met a couple of other birders.   Our very patient guide continued to call the quetzal and his persistence paid off much to the delight of the birders……..and to us!  What a beauty which we all got to see through the binoculars…….and later one of the birders, Ashley, sent me the photo shown here.

…….is a small town, population of around 8000, and is just 3km  north of another neat town called Cerra Punta.  The area is mostly called ‘little Switzerland’ because of the many Alpine-style houses that show the influence of former Swiss and Yukoslav settlers.  Dairy farms are plentiful  and it’s not unusual to see bags of vegetables such as carrots, onions, potatoes and cabbages on the side of the road.   Marilyn and I thought someone must be getting ready to make corn beef and cabbage somewhere close by…….but on further investigation realized this was not the case.   The village is known for its well-tended gardens, flower stores and strawberry stands and overall is quite beautiful.   On our first day here we were hiking around and walking along the river and came across a few neat cottages and thought we would check them out as curiosity got the best of us as they were in the middle of nowhere.  I knocked on the door and out came this thirty something young man who quickly asked “Spanish or English” and I was thrilled to say English because all I know in Spanish is ……well very little.   He started to talk and immediately we knew he was Canadian so we spent the next half hour talking to him about Panama, what brought him there, how he liked it, and  the good, bad and the ugly!   Anyway he seemed happy to show us his cottages and his gardens and talk about the plans he had and since we had alreadybooked into another wonderful place we just carried on.  However I have to mention his ‘Rosemary’ bushes which were out of this world and my plan is to grow some this summer………let’s see how that goes!  The picture of Marilyn was taken just before his cottages underneath the trumpet flowers.  More on Guadalupe to follow.