Katie and Sean’s visit and lots of pictures.

We had a wonderful, did I say wonderful, visit for just over a week with Katie and Sean. They took the long flight from Seattle to Houston to Panama City. We had a private driver waiting for them at the airport for the 1.5 hour trip to Playa Coronado. They arrived last Friday around 10:30PM.

We had a few welcome beverages and lots of talk and then off to bed. During their stay we tried to introduce them to a few special things but also not crowd the schedule since being here is all about relaxation, well maybe happy hour also. 🙂

Just about every day there was time for walks on the beach, time in the pool, and of course Happy Hour(s) on the rooftop where Sean and Katie got to meet some of our neighbors. The extra special events are attempted to be described a follows.

On Sunday we rented a car for 3 days. First we headed off to a mountain village called El Valle. It seems to be the obligatory tourist stop in this area. There is a pretty sizable farmers market with lots of vegetables and souvenirs/crafts. We saw a Panamanian Indian selling these pretty scary or cool (depending on your perspective) jack knifes. Some had 6-8″ blades that would come out of both ends. I would definitely hurt my self but Denise could increase her efficiency in cutting veggies. Denise ended up buying a small art piece and we headed to lunch. El Valle has a number of restaurants to satisfy the tourists. We ate at a place called Bruschettas, 2nd time there for Denise and I. For a country that doesn’t seem to have too many Italians there are a lot of Italian restaurants in Panama. While in El Valle, where it rains quite often, we did get a bit wet but not enough to put on our ponchos.

The road to El Valle is surprisingly well paved but it is narrow and very winedy as you climb up into the hills. After no driving for over 6 months, I did quite well navigating through the aggressive driving of the local populace. We safely made it back for relaxation time and potent beverages.

Monday morning we all went down the beach to go SUP (Stand Up Paddle Boarding). 1st time for Katie & Sean and they did great. This was my second time and I did much better though I did drink my share of salt water. This was a great time. The water started out very calm but the wind picked up after an hour. For a while there we thought Sean was going to paddle to China. He finally turned around – probably thirsty or hungry, ok, both.

We took a ride out to a local fish market at a place called Rio Hato and stopped by a large roadside souvenir store on the way back. I picked up a nice beach shirt for $20. Yes, we made it back for more beach, pool and happy hour.

We went to a place called  Quesos Chela a-ways down the highway that makes kosher cheese. We are told they even have their own Rabbi on staff. We picked up some curry chicken empanadas for lunch. On the way back we stopped at a local large store called Machetazo. It is like a super Walmart – food, clothes, housewares, etc… We needed to restock some beer, scotch, wine, oh and ya, Denise bought a few groceries.

Twice while here, Katie conducted two different structured wine tastings for a small group of us on the roof. Wow, her classes are paying off, she knows her stuff. We have had a good bit of excellent feedback on these events from those involved. Most of us know -Red, White, Rose. The only tannin I know of is when I was a kid and my folks were tannin my hide. Katie tricked us by also using a box wine as one of the samples. It actually rated pretty high with the participants compared to some of the bottles. 2 Liters is around $6 for what we call CardBourdox – not a bad value.

During the week we went to breakfast and then anther day lunch at the ‘Fonda’ just up the street. These are small roadside ‘restaurants’ usually run out of the front of a local persons house. The menu selection is very limited but the meals, usually consisting of chicken, rice, and beans fixed one way or another, are around $3 each and the food is good, always an experience for a new gringo.

On Wednesday, in the infinity pool, Denise led a water aerobics class choreographed to music and using foam noodles. Both Katie and Sean participated. I was in charge of the music. They had a great time. Denise’s class has become a local hit and is requested often.

We all went to my favorite Tiki Bar called Gaviota. It is a good 10 minute walk down the beach, preferably at low tide. It is a great atmosphere sitting under a thatched patio looking out over palm trees and the ocean. It also doesn’t hurt that beers are $1.50 each.

Thursday night – Thanksgiving, we all went up the road to a place called Picassos for trivia night. It is a local outdoor pizza bar frequented by most Gringos. Denise and I were asked to join on a friends trivia team (what were they thinkin?) so we have started to be regulars. Katie & Sean joined on a team with other friends of ours. They came in 2nd place, we were third. Yes there were more than 3 teams! Lots of fun.

Thanksgiving Dinner was a feast of BBQ ribs and veggies. Denise continues to out do herself. Delicious as usual.

On their last night at the beach we went to a local nicer restaurant called Luna Rosa. Yes Italian again. Great meal, atmosphere, and great time.

On Saturday we took a local buss 1.5 hours into the Albrook Transportation hub and then caught Uber to the Hard Rock Hotel in downtown to check-in and drop our bags. We then headed back to the Canal Zone area to tour the Miraflores Visitor Center and see some ships come through the locks – a must see. We then headed to Casco Viejo – Old Town. My understanding is that Casco Viejo became the new center of town after the old town was sacked by THE ‘Captain Morgan’. I wonder, if he would have lost that battle, if we would have one less brand of Rum to drink?

In Casco Viejo we walked through and by a lot of tourist trinket and doo-dad tables /shops. We saw a lot of beautiful restoration of the French and Spanish architecture. Very New Orlean-ish looking. We saw a number of very very old churches, some restored and some not. We finally headed back to the Hard Rock for our last evening together. After a dip in the fancy pool we went out to a high rated restaurant for dinner. Another Italian but well worth it.

We finished the night on the 62 floor outdoor bar/lounge/observation deck looking out over the city. Very impressive/beautiful.

It was very sad to see Katie and Sean leave Sunday. It was beyond precious to have them here. It had little to do with the beach, the pool, the food, or drinks. Nothing to do with the places we went but it had everything to do with being together, sharing, talking of the future and reminiscing about the past. We each have hopes and desires and all we can do is try to blend these together so we can at times share some of these hopes and desires together. Katie and Sean will never truly know what their visit meant to us but what we all do know is that we can never get back or make more time when we give it away or spend it but we certainly multiply our love when we share it.

As always, opinions are my own and feel free to comment or ask questions.

RB