Carnival Season

Our quarantine and inactivity have been unsettling.  Last Saturday enough time had passed for us to feel confident it was safe for us to be near people, at least at a distance.  We had lunch at one of the most highly rated Mexican restaurants around.  Spice, we thought, would do us good.  The restaurant happens to be in the same plaza as our nearby Super 99.  The waiter remembered us from our previous visit that took place during our very first week here. . or maybe he’s just that warm and friendly with all his guests.  We felt welcome.

Stan had a cerveza; me a Coke Zero. 

We ordered a restaurant specialty, Tampiqueno.  The photo on the menu showed it to be a large serving but we didn’t care; we enjoy leftovers.  Platters that could hold a turkey on Thanksgiving were delivered to each of us.  I forgot to take a photo so I’ll just try to describe it.  The heavy white platter held grilled skirt steak, black bean puree layered atop grilled onions, and peppers covered with melted cheese.  On the side were two small chicken enchiladas that to me looked more like two soft mini tacos, a cup of pico de gallo, and the absolute necessary accompaniment to any meal in Panama – a pile of rice.  Our meal looked delectable.  It was not.  How can you mess up Mexican food?  First, if it’s not rushed out of the kitchen steaming hot on a plate by a waiter wearing quilted hot pad gloves, it’s not going to be good.  Ours was just warm.  If it lacks plenty of spice and lacks peppers with heat it will not be good.  Ours was bland, bland, bland!  How disappointing!!  What made matters worse, the atmosphere was at a very high tenor.  It had been such a pleasant place the last time we were here but that visit was for lunch on a weekday.  There were very few other diners at that time and the waiter gave us his undivided attention.  We had fun.  But this day, last Saturday, the restaurant was busy.  That’s ok, of course.  I get great enjoyment from seeing a business thrive.  However, and no, this is not the restaurant’s fault, but two rowdy families with kids sat at a table at the front of the restaurant.  We noticed them the moment we entered the place.  The intuitive hostess understood and took us to a table in the back, as far as possible away from them.  The families let their kids run amuck while they loudly carried on their conversations.  A shrieking kid repeatedly ran past our table over and over again.  He was having a ball screaming and chasing his cousin with great delight but ohhhh, my nerves!  When the chase stopped momentarily, he meandered around and around the tables near us, occasionally shouting back at the kids upfront hoping I guess to entice one to run with him again.  His family did not care.  Su mama y su tia made numerous trips back and forth to the baño around the corner from us as well.  They were almost as annoying as the kid.  The kid ran past once again; at this point I came close to standing up and in my best mom’s voice, shouting sientate!!!  I also wondered if he’d stop if I accidentally tripped him.    Of course, of course, I wouldn’t do that!  Indeed I would not!  But it did cross my mind.

Well, that was that.  It was our first outing in days and days and what did we get?  Lukewarm Mexican food and a bunch of hyenas.  🙂  —   It can’t all be heavenly.

Carnival, like Mardi Gras, is a colossal festival in virtually all countries with predominantly Catholic populations.  It’s a big event in Panama.  Normally the city hosts parades, music, dancing, and kids’ fairs from the Friday through Tuesday before Lent.  People work on the construction of parade floats, musical stages, costumes, and traditional dress for many months prior to the festival.  The events on Saturday here are devoted to kids and everyone gets wet.  Water cannons drench the crowds and people love it.  People are invited to run around with buckets of water dousing crowds of revelers.  Kids armed with water pistols aim and shoot old people, young people, and any stranger who passes by.  No one stays dry and no one cares!  Every day there is eating, drinking, marching, and dancing and it takes place on Cinta Costera just blocks from our apartment.  But the festivities won’t happen this year.  The Ministry of Health just announced that due to the sharp rise in Covid, all Carnival events are canceled.  The primary concern is the spread of the disease to children and the negative impact that would have on their education.  I understand and applaud the Panamanian government for protecting its people.   But oh, phooey!!  When else might we be just blocks from observing the biggest, most grand party of the year, and our lifetime?

Speaking of Covid – and I am growing tired of mentioning it, we still don’t get out very often.  We have missed in-person church three Sundays now and been forced to watch its service online.  I learned last night that like us several of our friends at church have come down with the disease just recently.   As I understand it Covid is rampant in the USA, Canada, and many other places in the world.  The CDC has listed over 80 “do not travel” locations.  And while thankfully this variant is not nearly as deadly as the original Covid 19, it can make a person very sick and it is extremely contagious.

With this in mind, except for brief food shopping outings and the Mexican restaurant experience, we’ve been inside. Stan reads his book, plans our apartments and activities in our next destination, Columbia, and he studies Espanol.  I’ve occupied myself studying as well and I’m beginning to write a piece I’m calling my memoirs.  It’s not a serious undertaking.  I’ll probably hit delete at some point but that’s how I’m spending my time these days.  We are still taking things easy to make sure we are in the best of health when we travel to San Blas on Thursday.  Everyone we have met has asked what we have done and what we’ve seen while we’ve been here these past months.  They always, always ask if we’ve been to San Blas.  We are going there, we say.  Like children dreaming of Christmas, we have looked forward to this trip for a long, long time.  A car will pick us up at our apartment at 5 am on Thursday to drive us to the coast where we will board a sailboat until Saturday morning.  The islands we will sail around are said to be some of the most beautiful, pristine places in the world.  Many of the 300 or so islands remain and will always remain in their natural undeveloped state.  

We are going to be on a single-hull sailboat with a captain, his wife, their seven-year-old son, and possibly another couple.  Stay tuned!!!  If nothing else, this should be a really good story.