A Will And A Way #2

Ok, we’ve done about everything now. The little white buses and Diablos Rojos buses are no longer a mystery.

A modern, plush double-decker bus took us from Panama City to Sabanitas, a tiny but bustling pueblo on the route to Colon. The $4, one-hour ride was quite comfortable. The superhighway bypassed villages and farms so we put on our AirPods and listened to our audiobooks. We had been told to disembark the bus in Sabanitas and catch the next bus to Portobelo. At Sabanitas we just stood where they told us to stand and waited. The bus stop was at the main crossroads in town just off the street and right outside the door to a supermarket. A crowd of people waited for buses while others busily shopped and visited with neighbors. Vendors lined the sidewalks and curbs selling everything from trinkets to fruits and vegetables, baked goods and lottery tickets. I was intrigued by the stacks of foods a woman was selling from a nearby table. I took a photo of her tamales and pan. The chaotic atmosphere distracted us from our wait. A bus pulled up to the stop – a Diablos Rojos. People boarded and some got off. On the windshield inscribed in artful Graffiti letters spelled out the name of its destination. Minutes later, another Diablos Rojos arrived. We soon figured out our bus would indeed be a Diablos Rojos. When it arrived, the lady I had asked earlier if we were at the right stop for Portobello, signaled to me that our bus was here.

It did not have the fancy paint job we’ve seen on so many but the interior on this former American school bus was in good shape. Although there was no air conditioning, the seats were comfortable and open windows provided plenty of fresh air. Curious kids eyed us wondering why gringos were on their bus. We waved at them. They waved back and we all settled in for the 40 km ride to the coast. Not only do owners decorate their busses, but they equip them with powerful sound systems they crank up to entertain the riders with Latino music of loud voices accompanied by fiddle and accordion.

As we have found on all buses and modes of transportation in Panama, passengers are distinctly courteous, quiet, and keep their children in tow. By the time we boarded the bus, there was standing room only. A gentleman gave me his seat while Stan stood until a couple of stops down the road when a seat became available. There were many designated bus stops between Sabanitas and Portobelo but the bus driver stopped anywhere along the road when a passenger called out “Parada.”

I asked the young lady sitting next to me if Portobelo was the next stop. She said no. I asked if it might be the next after that. She said no, mas paradas. Oh, ok we just settled in. The hour-long ride went up and down hills and soon we were sailing along the coastline looking out on the Caribbean. Fancy beach houses were built along the shore. To call them beach houses is a misnomer because these holiday houses sit precariously only feet from the breaking waves. As if the road demarcated the rich and the poor, common tiny cinderblock houses, shops, and fondas occupied the other side of the road.
Portobelo is a town with absolutely nothing except a pretty shoreline a few stores, restaurants, a Congo Culture museum – which we did not see, ruins of forts built in the 1700s, and of course, the Iglesia de San Felipe.

After eating our home-packed picnic brunch in a park, we found the church. Painted white with purple trim, the church is easily recognized. Inside the grand sanctuary is a stunningly beautiful altar. All doors were open; birds freely flew in and out of this sacred place and sang pretty songs from the tall ceiling rafters. The experience was very moving.

The famous life-sized Cristo Negro lords over the sanctuary from his glass case. So the story goes, this statue of Christ washed ashore sometime during the 17th century when Panama was under the control of Spain. No one knows exactly where this legendary figure came from but it is thought to be the source of many miracles. Each year in October at the Festival del Cristo Negro, up to 60,000 people from all over Panama make their pilgrimage walking to the site.

The forts were easy to find as well. Strategically built to defend the town from all directions, relics of three good-sized stone forts lie undisturbed with canons still in place facing the sea. A vine-covered fort built atop a hill overlooks the city.

Back in its day, Portobelo was the primary port for the Spaniards and it was the location for a grand 40-day annual market fair. There is little evidence of that now.

Finding the right bus back to Sabanitas was easy. There’s only one road between the two towns. All buses in Portobello go there. This Diablos bus was fully decked out. Its paint sparked with glitter. All the money however was spent on its outside décor; the inside looked like it could have been the very bus I rode to school every morning sixty years ago. Oh, but it had the music system! I felt a headache coming on and kept thinking, this would be a bit more bearable if I could only understand the words being sung.
In Sabanitas I found the lady I saw that morning selling tamales and golden balls of pan. I bought two of each. We couldn’t wait to try them. Hmmm. The balls were like giant fried, very dense hushpuppies with no minced onion. They were pretty good with butter. Then we opened the neatly wrapped and tied corn shucks to find, yes, tamales. Or at least they looked like tamales. I still don’t know what those things are called. I don’t know what they are used for, or even if they are to be eaten as-is. There was no filling, no vegetable, just steamed corn dough with a hint of vanilla. A person has to be plenty hungry to make a meal on that!

Check this off of the list! Although we had no rental car we managed to accomplish our tasks. We made it to Valle Anton and to Portobello to boot. Further, we learned some stuff. Like crossing the equator for the first time and becoming a shellback, after riding across the country in a Diablos Rojos, Stan and Janie Weeks have suffered the rite of passage. Consider us masters, fully anointed.