Saturday July 3, 20101

What a fun day. Even though the internet people said they “might” come today, we said “phooey” and took off to have some fun, enough of being quarantined in our house waiting for people who don’t show. Driving down to the city was an experience in itself. Streets have no names posted and few street signs, so you really can’t get directions from anyone. It is just a crazy crazy mess. A neighbor actually led us to a popular store that the locals frequent and is like a Panamanian Wal-Mart, but on four floors. We were almost getting dizzy from all the turns going down there. There is no way anyone could give directions to any place here. We were on our own leaving the area though and hopefully didn’t want to experience the slums like we did on Tuesday. Thankfully, Wayne has an amazing sense of direction. But that doesn’t always help here and we did take a roundabout tour of another part of the city. The sidewalks were packed with vendors, people and shops. The streets were packed, not only with cars and buses, but with many kids trying to sell you anything from water to cell phone covers and everything in between. How they do that without being hit is a good question. I just want to go back to that area sometime and wander. It looks like such fun, but really think I should be able to communicate a bit better before I try.
Headed off to PriceSmart (which is the Costco of Panama). Like Costco, you need a membership. Interesting how in America the applications are in Spanish and English. Signs are also in Spanish and English in the US. Here, just about everything is in Spanish only. We couldn’t help but laugh as we stood there at the counter and tried to figure out what they were asking on the application. We just started filling in information in any spot that looked logical. Oh my, did we look AND act like gringos! It was too funny. But we were successful. I also look like a gringo because I still am wearing shorts. It is HOT. Yet the local women wear jeans, skin tight jeans. Actually they look more than skin tight. That has got to be hot!
Got stopped at a police road block coming back. Apparently, it happens frequently that there is a random road block that you have to pass through. Wayne rolled his window down, grabbed his passport. But they looked in the car and quickly waved us on. Yep, there is definitely racial profiling. Apparently, we passed that one. We have visited here before, but living here is totally different than a “visit”. And so much more interesting.
The evening ended with a great dinner with two of my CHCA students and their dad. They were passing through Panama City on their way for the girls to spend the summer with a host family in Boquete in the western part of Panama. How fun to be able to dine with Cincinnati folk in Panama!