“Family” Visit

Wednesday is Mothers’ Day in Panama; it is a major national holiday. Banks and government offices as well as other commercial establishments will be closed. It’s not a good idea to plan excursions or trips for this day especially if public transportation is required.  I think that’s sweet and highly respectful.

Evidence is mounting however to show that the highest, the very premier holiday of the year is Christmas.  Malls, businesses and stores have been decorated since mid-November.  Now though, streets and parks are decked out to the fullest.  I’m in the process of collecting photos and will save them for a purely Panamanian Christmas extravaganza story in photos only.   The best venues I think will be night-time lights on the Cinta Costera and along the wide Balboa Boulevard.  Already lights are wound around the trunks of palm trees and strings of lights rain down from tree branches.  Bright displays of oversize Christmas ornaments and Christmas trees stand in the green spaces.  Stars and glittering metallic displays are everywhere.  I cannot wait to see it completed and all lighted up. Further, I cannot wait to see Cody’s and Richard’s faces when they see this twinkling splendor as we all walk this wide, bay-side promenade together.  I’m praying Shea and Tessa too will get to see the lights when they hopefully arrive in early January.

We had dinner last night with three ladies we now consider extended family.   We met Valerie’s mom, Margaret, Valerie’s sister, Kim and her life partner, Jan.  We hit it off right away!  It was as if we had known each other for years.  Stan and I UBERed to their fancy hotel in Casco Viejo (Old Town) and as we walked past the hotel’s windows we saw three ladies sitting at a nearby table.  Stan peeked in the window and made faces at them.  I’m not sure how, but they knew immediately who we might be.

Our visit last night was completely natural and easy.  We talked, laughed and talked some more, sometimes talking over each other.   We all had so much to say!  Stan was the only male in the group.  Like a judge sitting in his high perch, Stan held court over us four women.  He’s the cutest!

Before our visit last night I worked really hard in the afternoon threading and tying breads for three mask chains I wanted to present to our new friends.  No Southern lady arrives at another’s home or meets friends for the first time without a small gift.  I was so excited about meeting Margaret, Kim and Jan that evening I forgot all about presenting my gifts to them.

We took the chains to their hotel this morning  Getting exercise each day is always important to me and to Stan. When I remembered I still had the gifts for Valerie’s family, Stan suggested we walk to Old Town and leave the packet with the hotel front desk.  We did.  It accomplished two things . . . we got the gifts delivered and got exercise at the same time.  In fact, we walked our buns off. 

No, we didn’t do it all at once!!!  Are you kidding?  In the morning, the cooler part of the day, we walked to Casco Viejo where we put the chains in an envelope addressed to Kim and dropped it off with the hotel attendant.  Check!  Task done!    Then rain began to fall.  We were hungry and ducked into Pastissima.  The Italian restaurant had just opened for the day; we were its first customers.  The waiter told us about his special . . . fettuccini with truffle sauce and baby lobster but he warned we may need to wait a little while for it to be cooked.  We said, yes!  Lobster and fettuccini. 

We people-watched from our window-side table, drank cool water, chatted and waited for our lunch.  When the lobster and pasta arrived accompanied by freshly shredded parmesan and red pepper flakes, it was fantastic!  

Historic Casco Viejo is very pretty.  I learned today that the very sophisticated, very cool, beautiful city is result of what some locals feel is unwanted gentrification.  Just 25 years ago, this lovely, aristocratic place was a rundown slum – just like the area along Central Avenue just blocks away is today.  Some say that’s progress and I’m sorry, that’s where my heart lies as well.  If this beautiful historic area stood in its same condition as 25 years ago, it would be decaying and falling into rubble.  Like its adjacent neighborhood, paint on these lovely structures would be peeling, trash would be prolific, rats would be crawling in the gutters and children would go hungry and unschooled.  In contrast, preserved Casco Viejo is a high-priced area where only the wealthy can afford to visit, sleep for a few nights, enjoy gelato and sit roof-top enjoying drinks as they watch a miraculous sunset.  It is quite a conundrum.

Feeling the need to work off our lunch, we walked the four miles back on the Cinta Costera pathway by the bay. We didn’t try to push it. We just walked.  Our bellies were full.  Our feet were sore and our clothes were completely wet with sweat by the time we made it home but once again Stan and I loved this day!  Playing house is fun.

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